WILLING AND ABLE
BY VALERIE MARTÍN ARVELO
CHAPTER 1
"I really can't imagine what I
was thinking of when I agreed to go." said Ben Cartwright, shaking his
head slowly from side to side as he folded his fine linen napkin and placed it
carefully beside his empty plate.
"How could
I possibly have agreed to leave the Ponderosa for six weeks? I must have been out temporarily out of my
mind to accept the invitation." He
looked at his three sons, who were still eating breakfast with obvious relish,
and wondered whatever could have induced him to accept the invitation from his
old friends Julio and Angeles Fernández to spend a
few weeks with them in
"Pa, we've been over this a
dozen times," he said quietly, as he pushed his chair away from the
table. "There is absolutely no good
reason why you shouldn't go to
Adam smiled reassuringly at his
father, with an air of total serenity and control which was very far from what
he was really feeling. The prospect of
being in complete control for six weeks was exciting, but a little worrying. Of course, he'd taken care of things on the
Ponderosa before when his father had had to go away, but never for such a long
period. Apart from the day‑to‑day
running of the ranch, there were the mining interests to be watched, and not
least of his responsibilities would be keeping Little Joe and Hoss out of
trouble and hard at work. It was often a
difficult job for Ben to keep his youngest son out of scrapes, and Adam was
more than a little worried about how his brother would react to being given
orders from anyone other than his
"Well, I suppose it's really
too late to change plans now, so Joseph I want your word that while I'm away
you'll do your best to behave like a responsible adult..."
"Aw, come on Pa," Joe
interrupted. "Why pick on me?"
he said, flashing his most disarming grin at his father.
"I'm not picking on you,
Joseph. But you are the youngest, and it
is not unknown for you to get into some rather childish scrapes, so I want your
word you'll mind your brother and keep out of trouble. You know that I've given Adam authority to
act as he sees fit ‑ and that includes disciplining you, if
necessary." Ben fixed his youngest
son with a stern stare which succeeded in wiping the grin off his face, if not
from his hazel eyes which still glittered mischievously.
"You have my word,
Ben smiled despite himself, then became serious again.
This time he looked straight at Hoss, the gentle giant.
"Don't let this young scalawag talk you into any of his mad schemes, Hoss. I know how persuasive he can be, but please
use your common sense to keep out of trouble."
"Hey, Pa, when have I ever
talked Hoss into doing anything he didn't want to do?" questioned Joe,
with an injured air. His father fixed
him with a hard stare, although the humour twinkled in his eyes.
"Do you seriously want me to
enumerate, Joseph? Because if you do, I
think I shall be in danger of missing the
They all laughed, enjoying the
repartee. Ben took his watch out of his
pocket and snapped it open. He raised
his eyebrows when he realized how late it was.
"Good heavens, I shall have to
hurry." he said, slipping the gold watch carefully back into his vest posket. "Joe, would you go and hitch the horse to the buckboard for
me? It's nearly time to be
leaving."
"Yes sir." Joe replied,
gulping down the remains of his coffee and nearly knocking over his chair as he
stood up.
"Hey, little brother, I'll give
you a hand." said Hoss, heaving his enormous frame out of the chair and
striding after Joe. The door slammed
thunderously behind them drawing a pained look from Ben, who had long since
given up trying to teach Hoss to close a door quietly.
When they had gone, Ben turned to
Adam.
"I know you and Joe don't
always see eye to eye, Adam, and I know it's usually Joe's fault, but promise
me you'll try to avoid any confrontations while I'm away."
"Pa, mostly it's just fun
between us. You take it too seriously, honestly. There won't be any trouble, I promise
you."
"Well, I hope not, Adam. Remember he's young, and full of life. He doesn't mean any harm with his practical
jokes, and there isn't an ounce of malice in him. Still, you know you have my authority, and if
he should step too far out of line, well, you must deal with it as you think best."
"I'm sure it won't be
necessary,
"There's just one other thing I
forgot to put on the list, Adam. About those stocks in the Hale and Norcross mining company. I'm afraid that was one of my worst
investments ‑ a lot of money tied up in stocks which haven't paid a
dividend since I bought them, and as for capital appreciation, well, they're
worth half what I paid for them.. If they should
happen to rise say, to eighty percent of what I paid,
you'd better sell. It isn't likely, but
one never knows. The same goes for the
Yellow Jacket. This borrasca
has lasted too long for my liking."
"On the day they reach that
price, I'll sell,
Ben Cartwright stood up, and walked over to the
fireplace. He looked around the room he
loved so much, as if trying to fix the sight in his mind so that while he was
away he would be able to picture it in his mind's eye. Behind his desk the map of the Ponderosa hung
on the wall, and to his left was the comfortable blue velvet armchair where he
loved to sit and read while puffing on his pipe after supper. The velvet was a little faded now, but he
wouldn't hear of replacing that chair.
It was an elegant but comfortable room, a room which was full of
bittersweet memories.
Ben checked his pocket watch against
the grandfather clock which stood at the side of the front door, then sighed,
wondering how he would bear six weeks in the city, away from the towering
Ponderosa pines he had named his ranching empire after, and far from the
crystal blue waters and sandy shores of Lake Tahoe, the lake in the sky. In the still waters of the lake he had taught
his three sons to swim, and they all still loved to go there to fish when they
had a brief respite from ranch duties.
He glanced across at Adam, and was surprised to see, just for a second,
a worried expression on his face. He often wished Adam would be more
communicative, more open with his feelings, like Hoss and Little Joe. Adam bottled things up inside, kept his
emotions tightly under control, and tended to take everything a little too
seriously. He walked over to his son,
and grasped him by the shoulders.
"Adam, I wouldn't have
entrusted the family and the ranch to you if I wasn't more that sure that you
were capable of taking care of everything.
I have great faith in you, son, and I know you're more than man enough
for this job. All the same, if there are
any serious problems you feel you can't handle, don't be afraid to wire me and
tell me so. I shan't feel you've let me
down in any way."
Adam smiled back at his father. "Pa, of one thing you can be sure. If I let you down, it won't be for want of
trying."
"I know you'd never let me
down, son." Ben said softly, overwhelmed suddenly with love for his three
sons. He cleared his throat and turned
to face the fire to hide his emotions.
"Well, it's about time those
two boys had the horse hitched. Go and
see what's holding them up, Adam."
Adam started across to the barn, but
before he got there Joe began to lead the horse and buckboard out.
"About time,
little brother. D'you want Pa to miss the stage?"
"I'd like to see you do it any
quicker, Adam. You've got your head in a
book so much these days I'm surprised you haven't forgotten how to do an honest
day's work."
"Not all work is done with your
muscles, Joe." said Adam, automatically checking that all the buckes were properly fastened. Hoss grinned at Joe, who shrugged his
shoulders and shook his head. Adam still
tended to regard him as his kid brother, checking up on everything he did. Sometimes it irritated Joe, but today he was
in a good mood, and preferred to laugh it off. Ben put his valise and a small trunk on the
back of the buckboard, and then turned to say goodbye. First he went to Joe, cupping his hand around
the back of his son's neck, and pulling him close affectionately.
"Take care, boy, ‑ and
listen to your brother Adam."
"Yes, sir, I will."
replied Joe, serious for once. They
embraced briefly but warmly, and then Ben turned to Hoss.
"Keep an eye out for Joe, Hoss,
and take care of yourself too, son."
"I will
Ben laughed, slapped his middle son
warmly on the back and turned finally to Adam.
"I think I've thought of
everything, Adam, but if any problems arise wire me. And Adam, we have good friends and
neighbours. Don't be too proud to ask
for their help if you need it."
"Sure
Ben climbed up onto the seat, and
gathered the reins into one hand. He
still hesitated, finding it difficult to leave behind everything he loved so
much.
"Pa, are you sure you wouldn't
prefer me to drive you in to
"Now you know it's all
arranged, Joseph. Clem will pick the
buckboard up from me in town and bring it out to the ranch this afternoon with
the supplies I ordered last week.
There's no need for any one of you to come into town. I prefer to say goodbye here.
"Well, it was worth a
try." said Joe, with a rueful smile.
Ben sighed, and looked around at the
ranch house and barn, and his three sons standing before him.
"I should be going now."
he said, anything but happy at the prospect.
"I've a few errands to attend to before I leave for
"God bless you all and keep you
safe."
"Thanks,
For a long moment the three stood in
silence, somewhat overwhelmed by the emotional farewells. It was Joe who snapped out of it first,
slapping Hoss on the back, and grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, I don't know about you
two, but it looks like being the hottest day we've had this Spring, and I'm going
down to the lake for some fishing and swimming.
You coming Hoss?"
"Hey, little brother, that's
just about the best dadburned idea you've had this
side of Christmas. There ain't nothin' like a swim in that
lake to cool you off after a hot ride, and then tonight Hop Sing can cook us
some of them trout we're gonna catch. Hey, I can almost smell that fish frying,
just thinking about it. Cooked till it's
crisp on the outside, and creamy on the inside, with some potates
and fresh baked bread.!" Hoss smacked his lips together in
anticipation of the treat to come.
"Let's go, little brother."
Adam watched his two brothers with
narrowed eyes and a sardonic smile. He
knew they were trying him out to see how much they could get away with, and he
knew he'd have to start just how he intended to go on if he was to keep any
kind of control while their Pa was away.
He had to admit that a day by the lake was tempting, very tempting
indeed, but it wouldn't do.
"Hoooold
on there, just one long moment." he said quietly to their retreating
backs. Joe turned with an expression of
absolute innocence.
"Yes, Adam? Hey, we'll wait for you if you want to come,
won't we Hoss?"
Adam smiled back at his youngest
brother complacently.
"Tell me, Joe, I am right in
thinking today is Monday, am I not?
Yesterday was Sunday, as I recall.
Monday always follows Sunday, does it not?"
Joe took his hat off and scratched
his head in mock wonderment. "Hey,
Adam, that's ‑ that's really incredible." He shook his head slowly. "I guess it comes from reading all those
books, this remarkable ability of yours to think so incisively, and work things
out so quickly."
Adam smiled back, serenely
unperturbed by his brother's heavy sarcasm.
"Well, if today is Monday, it's
a working day, and has been ever since I remember, so you two will just have to
wait until next Sunday to go fishing. I
have other plans for you today."
"Dadburn
it, Adam, we've been working like slaves this last month to get everything up
together so Pa would feel happy about leaving the Ponderosa. One day off isn't a lot to ask, is it"
Hoss glared at Adam, giving a loose
stone a desultory kick and raising a cloud of dust.
"Yeah, that's right Adam."
agreed Joe. "
We're both worn out. I
reckon if we don't get some rest and recreation, well, we might just crack up
altogether, and need a week in bed."
Joe managed a perfect expression of injured innocence.
Adam smiled back, and shook his head
slowly.
"Full marks for wasting no time
in trying it on, boys, but I'm afraid it won't work. While Pa's away, I intend there to be some
real improvements made around here, and I'm going to need your co‑operation
every working day. No, if you don't pull
your weight every day, I'm afraid I shall just have to take you off the pay
roll and ask you to pay for your keep."
Without giving them a chance to
argue, he turned on his heel and started back to the house. Turning as he reached the front door, he
called out
"When you've fed the stock and
cleaned the stalls, come into the study, and I'll tell you what I want you to
do today."
Joe winked at Hoss, and made for the
barn.
"Round one to older brother,
Hoss, but our time will come."
"Now Joe, you know what Pa
said. You'd just better forget any ideas
you might be cooking up, 'cos I'm not gonna let you talk me into anything ‑ nothin' at all. Oh
no!" repeated Hoss, shaking his head vehemently as he followed his
brother.
Joe just grinned, his eyes alive
with mischievous fire.
Inside the ranch house, Adam went to
his father's desk and took the key to the safe out of the secret place at the
back of a drawer. He opened the safe,
and checked the contents once again.
There was a thick wad of stocks in several mining ventures, most of
which were worthless, several piles of banknotes, totalling about five thousand
dollars, a soft leather pouch containing gold coins, two large leather‑bound
account books, and the list of instructions his father had written out for
him. He looked rapidly down the list to
check that everything was quite clear in his mind, and at the bottom added a
note to sell the Hale and Norcross stocks if they reached the required price,
quickly working out the amount his father wanted in his head. He leafed through the Yellow Jacket stocks,
and decided to buy them for his own portfolio of shares if they reached the
price his father wanted. He had a
feeling about them that he couldn't back up with reason. He replaced the list carefully at the back of
the safe, and took out the account books.
He studied the figures for the previous quarter, marvelling at his
father's exquisite copperplate handwriting and perfectly formed numerals. His own handwriting tended to be spidery and
somewhat untidy, as his brain seemed to work faster than his hand, and he didn't
have the patience to form each word with symmetry and precision. However, he made a mental promise to keep the
books as neatly as his father had done, however much
frustration it might cause him. He also
made a promise to himself that the profits at the end of his father's six‑week absence would be
at least as good, if not better, than for the previous period.
He looked up as Joe and Hoss came
into the room, pushing each other about with good‑natured familiarity,
and nearly succeeding in knocking over the grandfather clock. He sighed and shook his head.
"Are you two never going to
grow up?" he asked in an exasperated voice. Putting the key to the safe back in its
secret compartment he sat down in his father's chair and glared at his
brothers.
"I've been giving a lot of
thought to what needs doing here on the Ponderosa." he said, running his
finger along the studded edge of the leather‑topped desk. "and I've come to the conclusion that there are two jobs that
we should aim to complete before Pa gets back.
First, we need to extend and rebuild the branding pen in the lower
meadow, and secondly we need to put a new roof on the barn. We've been patching that roof up for the last
couple of winters, and we're wasting our time and energy. The job needs doing properly."
"Don't tell me, Adam,"
said Joe, with a tragic expression on his face.
"You want us to rebuild the branding pen, and put a new roof on the
barn, in the spare time we have between doing our chores here on the ranch, chasing
strays, branding the new calves, and taking the main herd up from bottom land
to high ground. Is that it?"
Adam clapped slowly to show his
approval. "That is exactly it,
Joe. Except that I
intend to give you a hand when I have time."
"Oh well, don't strain
yourself, Adam." retorted Joe, with a defiant look in his eye and the tilt
of his chin as he faced his brother.
"And don't you give me any
trouble, Joe." replied Adam, holding his brother's angry stare with
equanimity. For what seemed a long time
the two stood glaring at each other, but finally Joe remembered his father's
repeated warnings and exhortations to mind his manners and pay attention to
Adam, so he backed down, and shrugged.
"Right.
What do you want us to do?"
Adam relaxed, and immediately
adopted a conciliatory attitude.
"Well, we've got enough
seasoned timber stockpiled to do both jobs.
I've worked out exactly what we need, measurements, etc., so I'd like
you to get the wood to the sawmill and start getting
it cut to the right length, Hoss. This
is the list I made."
He handed his brother the list and
then turned to Joe.
"I thought we could ride out to
the meadow and I could show you exactly what I had in mind. It's easier than trying to explain on
paper. Then I'll have to leave it in
your hands at least for the next couple of days. There are some pressing problems at the Bristlecone mine which I must deal with. I can let you have two men to help with the
work, and I've calculated it should take about ten days to complete."
"That's pushing it a bit, isn't
it?"
"I don't think so. Not with four men working on it."
Adam hesitated, then
looked straight at Joe.
"Do your best, Joe, that's all
I ask. If it takes longer, then so be
it.
Joe sensed that Adam was challenging
him, and he took the bait.
"It'll be done in ten days ‑
or less." he said with a quick grin, his good humour returning as quickly
as it had left him.
"Come on, Hoss, what are you
waiting for? I'll be
needing those posts and rails.
Adam, I'll saddle up the horses and we can get this thing under
way."
Adam slapped Joe on the back, giving
him one of his rare smiles.
"I knew I could count on you,
Joe." he said, as he buckled on his gun belt.
**************************************
C H A P T E R 2
Ben always enjoyed the drive into
"Steady, boy, steady."
said Ben softly, soothing the horse with his rich, baritone voice.
Although the sun was warm on his
skin, when he was in the shade of the pines the air was bitingly cold. At 7,000 feet, the changes in temperature can
be swift, and even in Summer sudden snow showers are
not impossible. Ben shivered, and pulled
his coat around his shoulders. It would
be a lot warmer in
Life had not been all roses ‑
there had been more than his fair share of thorns, which had caused him great
pain and sorrow, but from that sorrow he had learnt patience and compassion,
and a great capacity to love. If he
often hid his feelings with a stern gaze and a sharp word, he just as often
showed his love for his sons with a smile or an embrace. Friends often told him he was too soft with
them, especially with Joseph whose quick temper and fiery character often got
him in to difficult situations which his family had to resolve, but he always
disagreed, saying that he could teach them to respect and obey him out of love
and that he certainly didn't have any need to teach them with fear. As he drove to
Once in
He just had time for a cold beer
with Clem before picking up the new suit which he had ordered from Davis, the excellent tailor on
As they were waiting to climb aboard
he glanced at his fellow passengers to see if he knew anyone, but there were no
familiar faces. There was a hard‑faced
man dressed soberly in a well‑cut suit, who scowled when the driver
arrived two minutes late. Not much
chance of enjoyable conversation from that quarter, Ben decided. Tthe other passenger was an attractive woman in her late
thirties, dressed simply but fashionably, and accompanied by a young lad of
about twelve years. Ben surmised that he
must be her son. Just as they were about to leave, another passenger came
running up, out of breath and flustered.
"Thought I'd missed it!"
he said with a smile, as he settled himself in the corner opposite Ben. He smiled back at the young man, glad of some
livelier company for the journey.
"How far are you going?"
he asked, to start a conversation.
"All the way
to
"
"My pleasure.
I'm Sam Hall. I've been in
Virginia City looking for ideas for a new novel I'm writing, and now I'm going
back to the big city to get down to the hard work of actually writing it."
"That's interesting. I'd like a copy of your novel when it's
published.
Sam Hall nodded in agreement.
"That it is, indeed it is. A place to make and lose
fortunes, to live wildly and die stupidly. It's an artificial city, built on greed for
silver. It's a bubble which will burst
one day, and leave a lot of people in the sh....mud."
he said, glancing at the lady on his right and moderating his language.
"You may very well be right,
Mr. Hall, but at the moment there are more millionaires per square mile in
"And are you counted among
those lucky few, Mr. Cartwright? asked his companion,
with a quizzical look.
Ben raised his eyebrows slightly at
what seemed to him to be rather too personal a question on such a short
acquaintance, but the journey to
"My interests are in land and
cattle rather than mining, Mr. Hall, although of course I do have some mining
property. I value my land very highly,
and I believe I have a duty to protect it and maintain it for future
generations. That means that I cannot
exploit it for a quick profit by stripping the timber for shoring up mines. For every tree I cut, I insist on two being
planted. So profits are not as great as
many people think, although I'm certainly not complaining. The land looks after me and my family, so I
like to think that I look after the land in return for that."
"Then you are an unusual man,
Mr. Cartwright. Most people around here
are out for a quick dollar, and damn the consequences."
Ben shifted position, already
uncomfortable and missing his velvet chair.
He nodded, and said
"I was here long before the
silver was discovered, and I intend to be here after the mines are played out,
and I don't want to be surrounded by land stripped of its natural beauty and
protection, the Ponderosa pines. Too
many people are forgetting that it was taken hundreds of years for these
magnificent trees to grow, and in a few minutes they destroy that for ever,
leaving the land unprotected when the heavy rains come in Winter. Of course we have to have progress, and I
suppose we have to mine the minerals in our hills, but I believe we should
respect God's creation. After all, we
can say we own a piece of land, and I have deeds and bills of sale to prove it,
but in truth we are only caretakers for future generations. Don't you agree, Mr. Hall?"
"An interesting opinion, Mr.
Cartwright, and one which I am sure puts you into conflict with many in
Ben chuckled and nodded. "On condition you send me a copy when
it's published." he said with a smile.
They lapsed into silence for a few
miles, and Ben let his mind wander, remembering the many battles he had fought
to keep his land safe from those who would plunder it. The early days had been dangerous, and hard,
and he had often worked until his hands bled and his eyes were blinded by
sweat. Nowadays he could afford hired
hands to do a lot of the hard work, but he hadn't lost touch with the day‑to‑day
running of the ranch, and he certainly hadn't allowed his sons to grow soft on
the riches of the Ponderosa. Hard work,
he believed, hurt no‑one, and was a valuable tool in forming character as
well as muscles. It had sometimes been a
source of some friction between them, but it was something he had refused to
give way on. He had seen too many young
men spoilt by being given too much money at too early an age, the result being
a dissolute life of gambling, loose women and drink. Adam had reached an age and maturity where
Ben didn't have to worry about him in that respect, and his share of the
profits was completely under his own control, but Little Joe's and Hoss's shares were banked and invested on their behalf, and
not readily available to them without his permission. Perhaps it was time to start giving them some
say in the management of what had become a considerable fortune, he thought, as
he gazed out of the window at the passing countryside. Little Joe could probably cope with managing
investments, if he listened to advice from his brother Adam, but he shuddered
at the thought of Hoss having a free hand.
He would soon be cheated out of his money by smooth‑talking tricksters, that was for sure. He was too trusting by half. Without any doubt he had many good qualities,
including gentleness and care for anyone or anything weaker than he was,
absolute loyalty to his family and the Ponderosa, a love and understanding of
animals which often surprised them all, and the kind of courage and honesty
which make for greatness. However, he
did not had Adam's incisive, analytic intelligence, or
Joe's quick brai.
A rather more violent jolt than
usual brought Ben's thoughts abruptly back to his present surroundings, and he
glanced at his fellow travellers. Sam
Hall was writing in a little notebook, probably taking notes about the
countryside and the names of the places they passed, thought Ben. The hard‑faced man had closed his eyes,
but didn't seem to be asleep, and the woman had her arm around her son's
shoulder, supporting his head as he slept.
She smiled at him as their eyes met, and Ben realized that she had
beautiful eyes, rich lambent eyes shaded by heavy eyelashes. He hair was honey
coloured, and naturally wavy, he decided, judging by what he could see peeping
out at the sides of her rather becoming bonnet.
"I heard what you were saying
earlier to Mr. Hall. I think it's just
marvellous that someone thinks that way, Mr. Cartwright. My late husband couldn't understand why I
didn't want to sell the few hundred acres I inherited from my parents, but I
think there is nothing more worthwhile than living off the land. You are so very lucky to have your ranch."
she said, revealing the most perfectly even white teeth Ben had ever seen as
she smiled at him.
"Well, yes, Ma'am, I suppose I
am. And even luckier
to have my three sons to share it with me."
She looked surprised.
"Three sons!
How wonderful. And does your wife
love the Ponderosa as much as you do?"
An expression of pain passed
fleetingly over his face, and he had to clear his throat before answering.
"I'm afraid my last wife died
when my youngest son was just a few years old." he replied huskily.
"I'm so sorry." she said,
and her eyes grew misty. "So your
sons have had to grow up without a mother's love, just as my son will have to
grow up without a father's guidance.
"I'm sorry ‑" he
hesitated, reticent to intrude on her grief.
"Did your husband pass away recently?"
"Oh no,
indeed, several years ago. As you see, I'm not in mourning
now." She sighed, and shifted
position a little to make her son more comfortable, then looked back at Ben.
"It's not easy, being on your
own with a family, is it?" she commented with a bittersweet smile.
"No, indeed it isn't. You have to try to be mother and father to
them at the same time. Sometimes I think
that's why I love my sons so much, because, well, in a way our relationship has
been richer than that enjoyed by most fathers.
You see, I was the one who picked them up when they fell down, or nursed
them when they were feverish. It was to
me they came when they hurt themselves, or when they were afraid of something.
So, as well as having to be strict with them sometimes, I've had to be soft and
gentle as well. I'm not saying it
wouldn't have been better if they'd had a mother's love, but I've done my best
to minimise the loss."
Ben noticed that Sam Hall had
stopped writing, and was listening to him.
He grinned sheepishly.
"I'm afraid I allow myself to
become too emotional when I'm talking about my family." he said, a little embarassed.
"But what's wrong with emotion,
Mr. Cartwright? Especially noble
emotions like the ones you have just expressed."
"Well, many would call it
weakness, I suppose." he replied.
"But I imagine you are a man
who is not too worried about what others say about him, provided you believe
yourself to be right." said Sam Hall, tapping his little book with his pencil.
Ben laughed. "My sons often accuse me of believing
myself to be right all the time."
"And are you?" asked
Olivia, the woman with the amber eyes and the enchanting smile.
Ben shook his head and laughed. "I'm afraid not.....but don't tell them
that!"
Sam Hall wrote some more notes in
his book, writing furiously and rarely stopping to think. Occasionally he glanced across at Ben, and
then wrote a few more sentences. Finally
he put the chewed pencil into the top pocket of his jacket and settled himself
deeper into the seat with an air of complete satisfaction.
"Do you know, I've been
suffering from writer's block for several weeks. I was beginning to think I would never be
able to write another word. You know
what I mean? Somehow I just couldn't seem
to get to grips with what I wanted out of this novel. But now, I think it's finally beginning to
take shape in my mind. It's always that
way when I have a clear picture of my protagonist, and you see, Mr. Cartwright,
I now have a very clear picture of the main character for this book. Oh yes, " he
said, the model of self‑satisfaction, "a very clear picture
indeed!"
"Is that so, Mr. Hall?"
said Ben, with a questioning smile.
"But of course, Mr.
Cartwright. You are exactly the
character I have been looking for!"
*********************************
C H A P T E R
3
Adam and Joe rode out to the meadow
to inspect the old branding pen and talk about how to carry out the
improvements. The structure was shaky and
needed replacing, and even Joe, who wasn't relishing the job, had to admit that
the hard winter had taken its toll of the wood.
He pushed the fencing tentatively,
and was shocked to see that he could move it easily.
"I have to admit I see what you
mean, Adam. We'd be in trouble if we
used this pen without repairing and strengthening it."
"I'm glad you agree. But you see, Joe, the wood is rotted in
several places. Last Winter
was wet early, then there were those exceptional frosts in December. The wood was waterlogged, then
the ice expanded and caused a lot of damage.
We could spend days repairing and patching up, and still be in the same
situation next spring. If we do the job
properly now, strengthening the new posts with iron at the bottom and using
well‑seasoned wood, we shouldn't have to touch it again for several
years.
Joe sighed, forced to agree with his
brother's appraisal of the situation.
"You know, there's a lot of
fencing in the North sector which needs attending to as well. These last few years we've been concentrating
rather too much on the mining and timber, and letting some of these jobs slide.. I'm surprised Pa
hasn't been on top of it."
"The problem with Pa is that he
wants to run it all himself. I'm not
saying he isn't capable of that, but Cartwright Enterprises is a much bigger
concern than the Ponderosa was even ten years ago, and it's impossible for one
man to spread himself in twenty different directions at once. That's why I'd like to do a few things on my
own initiative as well as attending to that list he left for us, to prove that
we can be trusted with responsibility.
Joe glanced at his brother and
nodded his understanding. It suddenly
occurred to him that Adam needed very much to prove himself during these six
weeks, and for the first time he realized that perhaps there were disadvantages
as well as advantages in being the oldest.
"Sure, Adam, I understand
that. But you'd better be sure not to
extend yourself too much on your own projects and neglect his instructions. If he comes home and finds we've ignored his
orders, there'll be the devil to pay.
Adam shook his head. "Don't worry about that, Joe. I don't intend to ignore his orders, believe
me. But I really would appreciate your
wholehearted co‑operation on these two projects."
"You have it. And if we get this job finished in record
time, I'll get up to North section and see to those rickety fences. When Hoss and I put our minds to something,
nothing will stand in our way." said Joe, with his usual grin.
Meanwhile, Hoss had filled the cart
with a load of well‑seasoned timber, and had driven it down to the sawmill, another part of the Cartwright Enterprises
group of business ventures. Jeb Myers scratched his head as he looked at the list Hoss
gave him.
"Hoss, I'd like to get this
order done for you straight away, but we're working full out on that order for
the
"But Jeb,
this is Ponderosa business. It has to
come before anything else. We need it
urgently as well."
"Hoss, if you
tell me to do this job before
"Aw, come on, Jeb, if
Jeb scratched his head and sighed. "Does Adam know about this?" he
asked, suspiciously.
"Course he does. It's his idea ."
said Hoss, rankled that Jeb didn't want to do the job
on his say‑so.
"Well, in that case I'll say no
more. Come back for the first load
tomorrow morning. I'll have the men work
flat out on it."
"Good. I'll see you in the morning, then." he
called, as he trundled away with the cart.
When Adam and Little Joe returned to
the ranch at about
"Hey, Clem,
thanks a lot, but you needn't have bothered to unload all this. You've done enough bringing it all the way
out here." he said, depositing the last crate on the floor at Hop Sing's feet.
"It's always a pleasure to
drive through this lovely land of yours, Joe, and I owe your father so many favors, it pleases me to be able
in a small way to repay him."
Adam leaned against the door and
watched them.
"He made it in time to the
stage, I imagine?" asked Adam, glancing at the boxes of flour, beans and
all manner of interesting foods, before his eyes came to rest on the
books. He picked one of them up and
looked at the title with interest.
"Sure he did." replied
Clem, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Some interesting companions he
had on the stage, too."
"Really?
Anyone we know?" enquired Adam, opening the book and leafing
through the pages.
"No, I think not. There was a young author, name of Sam Hall,
who's been nosing about
Adam raised his eyebrows and a hint
of a smile creased the corners of his lips.
"Well," he said pensively,
"that should give Pa something to think about on the long journey to
"Hey, Adam, you don't think Pa'll go and marry the widow woman while he's in the big city , do you? " joked Joe, with a wicked grin. "After all, he's a comparatively young
man, and it can't be easy for him...." His voice trailed off as he saw his
brother's smile turn to a thunderous frown.
"You keep a respectful tongue
in your head young man. Just because
Pa's a hundred miles away, that's no cause to be lacking in respect."
Joe raised his eyes
heavenwards. "Come on Adam, don't
be so straight‑laced. I didn't
mean any disrespect, and you know it."
Adam grunted, then
nodded.
"Well, you'd better put that
horse away, and feed it. Clem, you'll
stay and have a bite to eat with us, won't you?
It's a long way back to
"Be more'n
glad to, Adam. Thank you. A man doesn't need to be asked twice to share
Hop Sing's cooking." he replied, nodding
at Hop Sing.
"Hop Sing very pleased you
like. Cartwrights always too busy to
enjoy Hop Sing's food. Work, work, all the time." grumbled the
cook, as he tossed vegetables into hot oil.
"Never was a truer word spoken,
Hop Sing," said Little Joe, as he left the kitchen to lead the horse to
the barn. "With this slave driver
of a brother in charge here, we shall probably be expected to work all day
without eating."
Hop Sing looked aghast at the
prospect, and turned to question Adam.
"Don't take any notice of him,
Hop Sing. He's just sore because he's
going to have to pull his weight for once.
Come on Clem, let's get cleaned up while my
little brother finishes his chores."
Joe scowled at Adam, but decided the
time was not ripe for any sort of confrontation. Anyway, he was much too hungry to waste time
arguing.
When Hoss finally arrived they all
sat down at the fine, polished dining table.
Hop Sing brought in a delicious array of food. Succulent roast meat glazed with exotic
Chinese flavors, vegetables chopped and fried in
fragrant oil, and a big bowl of potatoes to satisfy Hoss's
appetite. Joe reached for the plate of
meat as soon as it was put down.
"Joe" cautioned his
brother, fixing him with an exasperated stare.
"Pa has only been gone three hours, and you seem to be forgetting
your manners at a vertiginous speed!"
"Sorry." he apologized,
replacing the plate in the center of the table. They all bowed their heads, and Adam gave
thanks just as their father always did.
No sooner had the "amen" been said, Hoss's
hand shot out and he laid claim to the dish of meat, giving his younger brother
a wide gap‑toothed grin.
"Age before
beauty, little brother," he intoned, as he prepared to fork a few prime
pieces of meat onto his plate.
"And guests before family, if
you don't mind, Hoss." said Adam firmly, taking the plate from his hand
and passing it to Clem. Joe grinned
contentedly back at Hoss.
"Dadburn,
it Adam, why is it I never manage to get one over on Little Joe?"
"Just keep trying, Hoss. Your time will come ‑ one day."
said Adam
"But not today, Hoss" chuckled Joe,
deftly intercepting the plate as Clem went to put it down.
The meal lasted longer than was
usual, what with the animated conversation between the three brothers and their
visitor. Finally Clem looked at his
pocket watch, and exclaimed.
"Well, pleasant as this is, I
really must be going. Thank you for your
hospitality, Adam. I don't remember when I enjoyed a meal as much."
Adam waved him off, then turned to his brothers.
"Well, I don't know what you
two are waiting for. We can't start that
job until tomorrow, when we get the posts from the sawmill,
so we might as well pay that lake a visit."
"Hey, big brother, d'you really mean it?" asked
Joe incredulously.
"Sure I mean it. I'll saddle the horses. Hoss, you get the fishing rods, and Joe,
clear that table for Hop Sing. You know
how he gets if we leave it all to him."
"Consider it done," said
Little Joe, leaping into action.
They rode at a gallop to the lake,
chasing each other through the pines, ducking to avoid low branches and
swerving around boulders. They knew
every pine on the route to the lake. As
they crashed out of the forest onto the sandy beach, the three of them were
abreast, jostling each other to be the first to reach the water. The horses splashed into the shallow edge of
the lake and Cochise reared and whinnied
his joy at the mad carefree race. Joe
glanced across at Adam who was already jumping down from his horse, and was
surprised to see his face suffused with boyish enjoyment. It was a side of his older brother he rarely
saw, and he suddenly realized that in spite of all their petty differences, he
loved his brother very much. He wheeled Cochise around and jumped onto the soft sand.
"Last one in the water is a
coward." he shouted, dragging his boots off desperately.
"Hey, Joe, I came to fish, not
to swim." complained Adam, laughing.
"You'd better get your clothes
off, big brother, 'cos if you don't, Hoss and me are gonna dump you in clothes and all!"
"Hoss and I" corrected
Adam, automatically, backing away from his brothers.
"Yeah, Adam, I reckon Joe's
right." said Hoss, tossing his shirt down on the beach, and following
after him with a menacing air.
"This was your idea, and we're gonna see that you enjoy it, even if it kills you!"
Adam raised his hands in mock
defeat.
"O.K., O.K. Just give me time to get my clothes
off." He laughed, and began
unbuttoning his shirt.
"Come on Adam, don't be
shy." shouted Joe, stripping off the last of his clothes and dipping one
toe into the water. He screwed up his
face into an expression of agony.
"It's cold" he said,
pretending to shiver.
Adam removed the last of his
clothes, and winked at Hoss. On tiptoe
they crept up behind Little Joe, and then in a flash lifted him into the air
and deposited him unceremoniously into the crystal waters of the lake. Joe let out a howl which soon turned to
laughter as he pulled his brothers in behind him, and they splashed about,
ducking each other and playing around like three overgrown schoolboys. After a few minutes, Adam struck out across
the bay, swimming strongly. Hoss and Joe
watched him.
"He sure can swim." said
Hoss, running up the shore to where they had left towels and blankets.
"Yep.
Big brother can do most anything." agreed Joe, wrapping himself in
a blanket. Hoss looked across at him, to
see if Joe meant it sarcastically. He
was used to Joe and Adam sparring with each other, and sometimes even fighting
each other, but Joe was watching Adam with shining eyes and a smile on his
face. Hoss shrugged his shoulders. There was no understanding Joe at times, he
decided, rubbing his thinning hair with the towel before enfolding himself in
another blanket.By the time Adam got back, they were
dressed.
"Hey, I'll go look for some
bait while you get dressed, Adam." said Hoss, setting off to the little
pools which had formed amongst the smooth, rounded boulders at the end of the
bay. Joe stayed lying on the sand,
enjoying the warm sun on his face. He
sat up, and looked across the lake to the mountains on the other side. They were veiled with a hazy mist, layer upon
layer of soft mauve and purple gray, topped with
white. Joe drew his knees up to his
chin, and encircled them with his arms, gazing at the view in silence. At length, without looking at his brother, he
said softly.
"Do you suppose there is
anywhere else in the whole world more beautiful than this, Adam?"
Adam gave him a hard look,
suspicious that he was being led into some trick or other.
"Well, the world's a big
place." he replied cautiously.
"I don't think I could live
away from here. I mean, it's so much a
part of me, I think I'd waste away if I had to live in a city."
Adam decided that it was one of the
rare occasions when Joe was being serious.
"I know what you mean," he
said slowly, sitting down beside his brother
"When I was back East studying
I missed all this ‑ sometimes I thought I'd have to give up and come
home. And of course, it wasn't just the
Ponderosa and the lake I missed; it was the family too. But now I'm back, there are things I miss
about the East. Lots of things." he
added pensively, sending a flat stone skimming across the surface of the lake.
"Yes, I know you do,
Adam."
"Do you?" questioned Adam,
standing up and walking to the edge of the lake.
"Sure I do, Adam. I know life isn't just roping and branding
steers, chasing strays and cattle drives to you. I know you think about a lot of things I
guess I don't really come near to understanding. Music, literature, art ‑
ultimate realities. I know
there's a lot of frustration seething in you.
Sometimes I feel it myself.
Sometimes when I'm out under the night sky wondering what's out there,
beyond the stars, I get to thinking just how much there is that we don't
understand, and it makes me feel sort of ‑ well, sort of strange. I don't know how to explain it. But mostly, you see, I know that my life's
here on the Ponderosa, and always will be.
You haven't really made that sort of life‑time commitment, have
you?"
They turned to face one another, Adam almost struck dumb by this very out‑of‑character
speech.
"Joe, I had no idea you
understood me so well..." Adam
frowned, following the flight of a duck across the water with his eyes.
"I just ask you one thing. Don't talk like that to
"It's because of Pa you stay,
isn't it? asked Joe.
Adam shrugged, and shook his head.
"Who knows?" he said. "I'm sure I don't know. One day maybe I'll reach the sort of self‑knowledge
a man needs to be complete, then I'll know what keeps
me here. Or perhaps then is when I shall
leave."
There was a minute's silence, while
they both thought their own thoughts, then Joe turned to look at his brother.
"Are you happy, Adam?" he
asked, meeting his brother's eyes with a frank stare.
"Happy? Come on, Joe, what do you mean by happy? I enjoy some days ‑ I enjoy some of the
things I do on the Ponderosa. What more
can a man ask of life?"
Joe shrugged. "Happiness." he replied, simply.
"Hey, Joe, I've caught me some litle crabs!" shouted Hoss from across the beach,
breaking the pensive mood that had enveloped them. Joe seemed to change in a flash. Eyes shining, he grinned at Adam.
"Let's go get 'em." he said, picking up the rod and line.
Adam stared after him
thoughtfully. He had always thought of
Joe as being a carefree, thoughtless empty‑headed clown, without a
serious thought in his head. Suddenly he realized that under that jocose
exterior there was a sensitive, thinking human being. It made him sad as well as happy: happy that Joe wasn't an empty vessel, but
sad because he knew that sensitivity can sometimes bring with it infinitely more
suffering than joy.
He shook himself mentally, picked up
his rod and followed his brothers to the rocky headland where the fish were
always ready to bite.
That night, back at the Ponderosa,
they ate fresh trout with ravenous appetites, laughed and joked about their
afternoon at the lake, and wondered how their father was faring on his journey
west. They already missed him, and the
empty place at the head of the table was a reminder of his absence, but the
thought of the jobs they were going to complete before his return gave them
something to work for, a challenge which would keep them busy working together
as a family. There was only one thing
Adam wanted more than making a success of running the ranch in his father's
absence, and that was making a success of looking after the family.
When the table was cleared and the
evening's chores completed, Adam found the books his father had thoughtfully
ordered for him and settled down by the fire to read. Hoss tucked into the Swiss chocolates, barely
remembering to offer one to this brothers, and Joe set
about fixing the new silver buckle to his belt.
***************************************
CHAPTER 4
Lively conversation had made the
journey to
"If I can be of any assistance
to you while you are in
"You are most kind, Mr.
Cartwright. I shall be staying at the
Her amber eyes smiled back at him,
and Ben found himself suddenly tonguetied.
Sam Hall saved the sitatuion.
"Well, this is ridiculous. We have talked together like old friends for
the last few days, and now we are all to go our separate ways, and never to see
each other again? No, no, it won't
do. It will not do at all." He shook his head to emphasize his meaning.
"I'm staying at the St. Francis
as well, and as I understand it, there is an excellent restaurant there. I suggest that we meet next Friday for
dinner. Shall we say 6.30?" he
said, with the air of a man who was not to be put off.
Ben looked at Olivia, who smiled
back encouragingly.
"I'm staying with friends ‑"
he replied, cautiously.
"All the more
reason to make some arrangements to eat out on occasions.
Friendship is a wonderful thing, but no‑one can expect it to
flourish if we don't give our friends time on their own to
talk about us and gossip. By this
time next week, you will be glad of an excuse to escape, and they will glad of
a night on their own. So it's settled,
is it?" he questioned, obviously expecting an affirmative answer.
Olivia laughed.
"If you will come, so will I, Mr. Cartwright, she said boldly.
"Then I shall be very pleased
and honoured to accept the invitation." he replied, taking her hand in his
and lifting it almost to his lips.
As he turned away, he saw his old
friends, Julio and Angeles, making their way towards him through the
crowd. They greeted each other warmly,
and as Sam Hall and Olivia were still at his side, Ben introduced them to each
other. Julio Fernández
beamed expansively.
"Friends of yours are friends
of ours, Ben. We are having a small
party tomorrow to celebrate your arrival, Ben, so I do hope you will both be
able to attend." he said, turning to Sam and Olivia.
At last Ben was in their elegant
coach, and on his way to their mansion on Nob
Hill. Julio and Angeles had made a
fortune in
"Ben, it's wonderful to have you
here with us at last!" Angeles said, as she offered him a glass of their
best French brandy after dinner.
"We owe you so much for all you
did for us in
"Nonsense, Angeles. I hope our friendship isn't based on any
notion of your being indebted to me.
We're friends because we enjoy each other's company, because we like
each other. Isn't that enough?"
Julio laughed. "You're right, of course. All the same, but for you, we would certainly
have lost our claim, and would probably still be as poor as church mice. All those years we slaved on the land, trying
to make a living out of a few chickens and cows, never thinking we were sitting
right on top of one of the richest veins of silver in the world. And then, we nearly lost it!"
"But it was yours by
right." said Ben, savouring the fine Napolean
brandy. "Even if I hadn't helped
you with some legal advice, you had nerve, courage, tenacity. You would have kept at it until you struck
another vein of silver."
"I seem to remember you and
Adam helping us with more than legal advice, Ben. I remember you both putting your lives in
danger to ensure our safety. It was only
a few years ago, but it seems a lifetime away.
Things have changed so much for us since then. I don't think I could go through it all
again. A man gets soft as he gets older,
that's for sure."
Julio walked over to the fireplace,
and prodded the logs into life.
"Well, yes," said Ben, not
altogether sure he agreed. "I
suppose neither of us is the man he was twenty years ago, but those qualities ‑
courage, strength of character ‑ they stay with you, Julio."
Julio nodded pensively.
"You still run the Ponderosa
with your three sons, Ben. They must be
fine boys now."
Ben couldn't help the pride showing
in his voice.
"Well, yes, I'm proud of
them. I suppose a father tends to be
biased, but they are good sons. I know I
can trust them..
But we don't run the Ponderosa single handed, you know. We have a lot of hired hands, and in the last
few years we've expanded into a lot of other areas: mining, timber, water
rights ‑ even some shipping interests.
I'm hoping to concentrate on the horse‑breeding side of things as
well. I have to look to the future when
the boys take over. You know, you can't have
three men giving orders on a ranch, so I want there to be three fairly clearly‑defined
operations established, one for each of them.
Apart from ranch operations, we've invested heavily in other areas ‑
railway, mines etc. I'm afraid quite a
lot of my time is taken up with paper work these days, although I have to admit
Adam is a great help to me in that direction."
"Ben Cartwright behind a
desk?" asked Angeles, with a disbelieving smile.
"Well, no, not all the
time. I still head the cattle drives, and
chase off the occasional rustler, but I leave most of the branding and horsebreaking to younger bones than mine!" chuckled
Ben.
"But tell me about your
family. I know Maria is to be married in
a couple of weeks, but what about Miguel?
Now, let me see, he's the same age as Hoss, isn't he?"
"Miguel!" snorted
Julio. "That boy will be the death
of me!"
"Oh? I'm sorry." said Ben, realizing he had
touched a sore spot.
"Miguel wants to go his own
way. I built up this fortune for him and
his sister, and he doesn't care to have anything to do with the work involved
in maintaining it. He's wandered off to
"Well, Julio, perhaps it will
do him good in the long run. He'll have
to learn to stand on his own two feet, and earn the money for his next meal,
just as we did when we were his age. I'm sure he'll soon come to appreciate the
advantages he has here at home."
Julio shook his head. "Well, not exactly, Ben. You see, I settled a rather large sum on
money on him when he was eighteen, so he has financial independence."
"Ah. Do you think that was wise, in
retrospect?"
"It seemed churlish to keep it
all, Ben. He's my son, after all. What does a man make a fortune for if not to
make life better for his children?"
"Well, that's true enough,
Julio,. Of
course, Adam handles his own financial affairs, but Hoss and Little
Joe..." Ben shook his head slowly,
as if the very prospect of giving those two a free hand horrified him.
"And how is Maria? When shall I be able to see her?" asked
Ben, thinking it better to change the subject.
"Maria will be back before
lunch tomorrow, Ben. She's been staying
with some friends in
"Maria always was a beautiful
girl." said Ben, accepting a second glass of brandy. "She never went through that plain stage
that so many young girls suffer."
"Oh, she's still just as
pretty, Ben, and just as headstrong and hot tempered. I always thought that she and Little Joe
could have been brother and sister, they were so much
alike in temperament.
Ben chuckled, remembering the many
occasions when Little Joe and Maria had cooked up practical jokes on Hoss and
Adam, and sometimes even on him.
"How true.
Well, Joe is still pretty much the same, always full of fun and
mischief. Of course, he's grown out of
those stupid practical jokes." He
hesitated, then added with a grin "Well, he's
nearly grown out of them, anyway."
Taking another sip of the delicious brandy, he added "But he's a
good worker when he puts his mind to it.
I've no complaints."
Putting his glass down, he asked
"But what about the bridegroom?
Tell me about him. They must be very
much in love for you to let Maria marry so very young."
Ben noticed the way Julio and
Angeles glanced at each other, and seemed a little flustered by his comment.
"I'm sure they'll get along
fine once they're married, Ben. You
know, one has to be so very careful these days.
I mean, Maria is a very rich young lady, and there are so many fortune
hunters around..."
Julio's voice trailed off.
"So?" questioned Ben, not
understanding the gist of the conversation.
"Well, what I mean is that it
wouldn't do to let Maria just choose some young scoundrel who was just after
her for her money, now, would it? We had
to take steps to avoid that happening, so we thought it best to arrange a
suitable match for Maria before she ... well, before she did something stupid."
"D'you
mean that the young couple are not in love?" asked Ben, aghast.
"He's a fine young man,
Ben. His family is one of the best. Old money, you know. They have class, real class."
"But Julio, Maria is a
beautiful, warm, loving human being. How
can you ask her to marry someone she doesn't love?"
"It isn't like that, really it
isn't." said Angeles, fussing with the lace collar of her fashionable
gown. "Maria understands perfectly,
and is quite happy with our choice."
Ben downed his brandy in one gulp,
and glanced at Julio, whose determined expression warned Ben that this was not
a subject he wanted to discuss any further.
How could two people change so much in so short
a time, he wondered, remembering the warm, loving family he thought he had
known so well. Perhaps they would have
been happier had they never found the vein of silver, he pondered, as he
noticed for the first time that Angeles seemed to be drinking rather too much
brandy, and that Julio had put on a great deal of weight, and seemed to have
some difficulty getting out of his armchair.
This was a woman who had battled against adversity to bring up her
family decently in a small ranch house near what had later become
Julio cleared his throat, and stood
with his back to the fireplace.
"Tell us about your companions
on the stagecoach, Ben. They seemed most agreeable people." said Julio,
lighting another cigar and offering one to Ben.
"Well yes, they do seem to
be. But I must stress that I know
nothing about them personally, Julio, other than what I learnt on the way
here. Sam Hall is an interesting character. A little pushy, perhaps. Inquisitive. Perhaps it's because he writes books. He has this ridiculous notion of basing his
next protagonist on me." Ben
laughed a little self‑consciously.
"Well, that isn't a ridiculous
idea at all, Ben. I'm sure a book about
you would entrance people. If his book
is published, I shall be one of the first to buy a copy."
The evening passed in polite
conversation, and Ben was glad when he was able to retreat to his room and to
the comfort of a fine bed and soft linen sheets. The journey had tired him more than he had
expected, and as he lay under the blankets, he expected sleep to come to him
quickly. But it did not. First he started thinking about the Ponderosa
and the boys, and wondering how the first few days had gone for them. He knew he couldn't expect a letter for quite
some time. Adam had promised to write at
the end of the first week, but then it would take several days to get to
Breakfast was served in the dining room. Ben was not a stranger to elegant living, of
course, but he found the flamboyance of the Fernandez's lifestyle
oppressive. Servants dressed in starched
uniforms hurried to open doors for him , or to pull
his chair out, and a very superior butler watched over them all with an eagle
eye. Ben enjoyed a meal in the Washoe Club, which was as luxurious a place as any in
Not long after breakfast, Maria
arrived. Ben was glad to see that her
smile of welcome was just as genuine as ever, and her
eyes just as lively and mischievous.
"Uncle Ben! They kept this a secret! I had no idea you were coming. What a lovely, lovely surprise. You are staying for a long time, aren't you? I've got so much to ask you and tell
you." She threw her arms around his
neck, and gave him a big hug.
"How's Little
Joe? Does he still play around with those silly
swords? and
Hoss ‑ does he still look after injured animals and mend birds'
wings? And what about
Adam? Is he still as darkly
handsome, and unapproachable? Oh, why
didn't they come with you?" she cried, in a torrent of words.
Ben smiled back at her, utterly captivated
by her warmth and the obvious sincerity of her welcome.
"Maria!" scolded her
mother, a little sharply. "You are
forgetting your manners."
"Oh
fiddlesticks, Mama. This is Uncle Ben, not one of
the stuffy
"Of course
not, my dear. I think you are quite enchanting just as you
are, and I'm sure any man in his right mind would think just the same."
She screwed up her nose, and shook
her head.
"Don't you be so sure, Uncle
Ben. My fiancé thinks I'm much too
impetuous and noisy. He's used to fading
violets, I'm afraid."
"Well, he'll just have to grow
accustomed to the exuberance of wild roses, because you must never let anyone
change you, Maria."
She stood on tiptoe to kiss Ben on
the cheek, and he felt himself going quite pink. She smelt of fresh cut flowers and soap, and
her skin was as soft as down.
"I hope your young man knows
how lucky he is." he said pensively.
"So ‑ tell me about Joe
and Hoss and Adam. Are they well?"
she asked, when they had finally settled down in the elegant drawing room, and
were sipping china tea from delicate flowered tea cups.
"Adam and Hoss and Little Joe
all send their love, and hope you will be very happy, Maria. They had to stay on the ranch to look after
things there, but they are thinking of you."
"I wish I was back there, Uncle
Ben. It's so beautiful in Spring. I shall never
forget the first time Little Joe took me to see the lake. It was so wonderful it made me cry."
"Hmmmm! I shall never forget that day,
either. Little Joe omitted to tell
anyone where he was going, I remember, and then you got caught in a snow storm,
and we were out half the night looking for the two of you. When we finally got back to the Ponderosa,
frozen to the marrow, icicles hanging from our noses, there you and Joe were,
sitting by the fire and eating Hop Sing's apple
pie."
"Poor Little Joe! It was all my fault,
you know. I made him take me there. And he was so scared of facing you, knowing
you'd been out for hours in that storm."
Ben frowned, surprised.
"Joe! Scared of me?
I find that hard to believe!"
"Well, he certainly seemed
scared. I wondered what you were going
to do to him."
"As I remember, I sent him to
bed with hot milk and brandy, and an extra blanket, and told him to sleep late
the next morning." said Ben, smiling as he remembered the look of relief
on Joe's face as he bounded up the stairs.
"I never seem to have so much
fun these days." she said wistfully.
"We go to lots of balls and parties, and attend the theatre and
opera, but it isn't fun. Not like it was
on the Ponderosa."
"Well, Maria, you were children
then. Things change. Soon you will be
married, and have your own family, and I'm sure that will bring you much
joy. A whole new life
beginning for you."
Maria sighed, and shook her head.
"I wish I could really believe
that." she said. "But I feel
that life is ending, not beginning. What
do I have to look forward to? Day after day of parties, charity balls, boring
conversation about the weather or lack of it, visits to that pompous French
dressmaker who makes all my clothes .. . Oh Uncle Ben,
I'd much rather be running barefoot through the Ponderosa pines, or spinning
stones across the surface of Lake Tahoe."
Ben laughed, and nodded.
"Well, I must admit, so would
I. But Maria, thousands of young girls
would envy you your life, you know. You
are very fortunate in many ways."
Ben felt very much like telling her
to rebel against her parents' plans for her, and refuse to marry a man she
didn't love. Once he had quite hoped
that she and Little Joe might fall in love, but they had been more like brother
and sister than anything else. However,
he was a guest in the
Fernandez house, and it would not be right to encourage a girl as
young and pretty as Maria to disobey her parents. He knew how he would feel if a guest at the
Ponderosa encouraged any of his sons to rebel against his authority, and after
all, he tried to convince himself, Julio and Angeles only wanted the best for
their daughter.
"Maria, you must always follow
your heart." he said finally, unable to remain totally silent.
She looked at him, a question in her
clear eyes.
"What do you mean, Uncle
Ben?"
Fortunately, before he could say any
more, the door opened, and Maria's mother came in, carrying a huge arrangement
of flowers.
"For you,
Maria, from Angus. Aren't
they absolutely beautiful?"
Maria gave them a perfunctory nod,
and walked over to the window. Just
before she turned to walk away, Ben thought he saw a tear glistening in her
eye, but he couldn't be sure.
After lunch, Ben was glad to be able
to say, quite truthfully, that he was extremely tired and had the beginnings of
a headache, and that he thought it best to rest for a while in the afternoon so
that he would enjoy the party in the evening better. He was by nature friendly and outgoing, but
under his self assurance and charm he was still essentially a little shy, and
always faced parties of this kind with mixed feelings. He was already finding the elegant formality
of the Fernandez household oppressive, and missing the Ponderosa. Six weeks!
That was a very long time, he thought to himself as he lay on the
bed. He would never last six weeks away
from home. He would just have to make up
some excuse to return to the Ponderosa immediately after the wedding. That would shorten the stay to just under a
month, which was more than long enough.
With pleasant thoughts of the Ponderosa uppermost in his mind he soon
fell into a deep restful sleep.
******************************
C H A P T E R 5
The next morning Joe and Hoss were down
early for breakfast, eager to get started with the work on the branding
pen. As they clattered down the wooden
stairs, they were surprised to see that Adam was already finishing breakfast.
"Hey, older brother, don't you
need any sleep?" asked Joe, yawning and stretching as he sat down at the
table.
"Too much to do." replied
Adam shortly, finishing his coffee and folding his napkin.
Joe winked at Hoss, and took two
eggs and biscuits from the platter. Hoss picked up his plate and piled it high
with everything he could see on the table.
"Are you going to be able to
move this morning if you eat all that?" asked Joe, incredulously, as he
sprinkled salt liberally on his eggs.
"Now look here, short shanks,
if I don't eat all this, I'm gonna be so plum hungry all
morning I won't be able to lift a plank of wood, so you'd better get on with
your breakfast and let me get on with mine."
"You know, Hoss, one of these
days with your weight on it, your bed is going to fall right through the floor
and end up here in the dining room." said Adam, looking with undisguised
horror at the pile of food on Hoss's plate.
"Hey, Adam, that's a real good
idea. Then if I get hungry at night, I
won't have to bother to get up and go downstairs, 'cos
I'll be right by the kitchen." said Hoss, helping himself to some more fat
back now that there was a space on his plate.
Adam shook his head, and poured out
another coffee.
"I wonder how Pa's getting
on." commented Joe, glancing at his father's empty seat.
"I expect he's tired, bad
tempered, and wishing he had never said he would go." said Adam, with the
hint of a smile.
"Ah well, he'll be in clover
when he gets to San Francisco." said Hoss.
"The Fernández's are real nice
people. They'll make Pa feel real
welcome, you can be sure of that."
"Yes," agreed Adam,
"They are nice people. Especially Maria, eh Joe?"
Joe grinned, used to having his leg
pulled about pretty girls.
"Well, yeah, now you come to
mention it, Maria was good fun. I
enjoyed having her around."
"Hmm, mind you, she seemed to
have a very bad effect on you, Joe. I
seem to remember that the tricks you played on us were always worse when she came visiting."
"Heck, come on, Adam ‑ we
were just little kids, and we were just having us a bit of fun."
"Yes, and usually at our expense."
commented Adam, acidly.
"Hey, Adam, d'you
remember the night Joe sewed up the sleeves on Pa's
nightshirt? I remember being woken up by
Pa bellowing like a bull!"
"Yeah, I remember having to
chop firewood for a week after school for that!" complained Joe, with a
rueful grin. "And it was Maria who
did it, anyway. I wouldn't have a clue
how to thread a needle, now, would I?"
"Then I seem to remember some
very complicated contraption with ropes and pulleys which was supposed to drench
me with water when I opened the barn door.
Only problem was, Joe had forgotten that it was the middle of winter,
and the water froze solid overnight.
He's also forgotten that Pa had to be in town early that morning, so he
was the first through the barn door.
That block of ice nearly knocked him unconscious!"
"Don't even remind me of
it!" said Joe, with mock horror.
"I couldn't sit on my horse for a week after that!"
"Well, little brother, you'd
better not try any of those tricks while Pa's away, or you might have some
trouble sitting on your horse again!" said Adam.
"Just you try it, Adam."
said Joe defiantly, with a change in mood that shocked Hoss. His chin was in the air and his eyes were
blazing.
"Aw, come on, little
brother. Adam's just funning you, ain't you Adam? You
got no cause to go getting so all‑fired cocky."
"Yes, simmer down, Joe. I was just joking. Let's try to get through one day at least
without jumping at each other's throats."
Joe shrugged, and poured out some
more coffee.
"That's fine with me, then,
Adam." he said, his mood improving as rapidly as it had deteriorated.
Hoss cleaned his plate with the last
slice of bread, and glanced at the grandfather clock.
"Well, I don't know about you
two but I've got work to do. I'm going
down to the sawmills now to pick up that wood, so I should be at the bottom
meadow in about an hour and a
half. Meet me there, Joe,
with the tools. Let's see if we can make
a good start on this job today."
Adam stood up as well.
"I've got to go into
"Sure thing, Adam." said
Joe, without really listening.
"Hey, Adam, what are we gonna do about lunch?" wailed Hoss, already imagining
the pangs of hunger which would assail him at lunch time. "If Hop Sing is in
"Don't worry about a thing,
Hoss. Everything is under control. Hop Sing has already made some meat pies, and
some of those delicious caramelled apples. There'll be plenty to eat even for someone
with your gargantuan appetite."
Hoss looked appeased, and grinned
cheerfully as he went to hitch up the cart.
When both Adam and Hoss had gone,
Joe found himself with about an hour to spare before he needed to set off for
the bottom meadow to meet up with Hoss.
He was just going back into the house when he heard a horse and cart
approaching. Always wary of unexpected visitors,
he took his gun out of its holster, and checked it. Twirling it around several times in his hand,
he dropped it lightly back into position as he saw that the visitor was Aaron Kaufmann, a pedlar who came
around about once a month selling all manner of things.
"Good morning, Joseph. And how are you on this fine God‑given
morning?" asked Mr. Kaufmann in his soft,
heavily accented English.
"I'm fine, thank you Mr. Kaufmann. And
you?"
"Oh, well, well enough, thank
you. And is your honourable father at
home this fine day? I have something
very special to show him this time."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaufmann. Pa is away
for a few weeks. Adam and Hoss are out
as well, so it's only me here at the moment.
And I'm afraid I really don't need anything, so you've had a wasted
journey this time." said Joe, patting the horse on the shoulder.
"No, no, never
wasted." He smiled enigmatically
and climbed down slowly.
"Well, now you're here, water
your horse, and have a cup of coffee, at least." invited Joe.
"My horse thanks you
greatly. It is a long dusty drive here,
and he is thirsty. But I will not
trouble you for coffee. Thank you all
the same.
Knowing that Mr. Kaufmann
tood the dietary restrictions of his Jewish faith
very seriously, Joe didn't insist, but brought a bucket of water for the horse,
and placed it in front of him.
"So, how are things?" he
asked, to make conversation.
"Oh well, some days good, some
days not so good. Today is not so
good. Tomorrow, who knows, perhaps better. But it
doesn't matter. Business is important,
isn't it? But what really matters is our
health and family, and I am well, and your family is well, so we have much to
thank God for, do we not?"
Joe smiled. Mr. Kaufmann was
not a rich man, but he was rich in wisdom and Joe respected him.
"Now, before I go on my way, I
have something very special to show you."
He walked to the back of the wagon, and reached in. With infinite care, as if he were handling a
delicate object of art, he brought out a saddle. And what a saddle!"
"Wowee!"
said Joe, as he fingered the supple leather.
The whole saddle was finely worked with an intricate tooled pattern, and
silver and mother of pearl inlays enriched the cantle. "This sure is a beautiful piece of
work!"
He took the saddle carefully from
Mr. Kaufmann, and turned it over, checking it for
strength.
"Oh, you can be sure it is a
good working saddle, Joseph. It is not
just a fancy imitation. This saddle
belong to a rich rancher in
Joe smiled, but shook his head. "I don't think so sir. You see, I couldn't afford this."
"But we have not even talked
about the price! How can you know if you
can afford it?"
"Well, I may not know the
price, but I can see the quality. It
sure is a pity Pa isn't here, 'cos I bet he would
have liked to buy it."
"Joseph, I tell you, this is a
bargain you can't miss. Now, you just
try it on your pinto to see how it looks.
No obligation. Just try it and
see."
Joe grinned widely. He didn't need telling more than once. He would love to see that saddle on his mare,
even though he knew he couldn't buy it.
He made his way to the barn with the saddle over his arm. Cochise whinnied a welcome, and nuzzled into Joe's hand, looking for
the oats he knew would be there.
"Come on, beauty. Let's see what you look like with this
on." said Joe, folding the saddle blanket carefully, and placing it on Cochise's back. He
lifted the saddle gently on to the horse's back, and fastened the cinch.
Checking the leathers for length, he shortened them to his own needs, and led
the horse out. In one lithe movement,
without even putting his foot in the stirrup, he was on Cochise's
back, and cantering around the clearing in front of the house. He moved as if he were part of the horse,
adapting to the animal's gait and not moving an inch from the saddle when Cochise pretended to take fright and shied away from Mr. Kaufmann.
"Don't tell me it isn't the
most comfortable saddle you've ever sat in, Joseph, because I will not believe
you."
"No sir, I don't deny it. It's like sitting in an armchair. But although I really appreciate your letting
me try it, I can't buy it."
"Now listen, Joseph, today I
don't want to go home without selling anything.
It's bad luck. And anyway,
tomorrow is my daughter's birthday, and I need a little money to buy her a gift. So, I offer you a very good deal, yes? One you cannot refuse. Eighty dollars. That's all I'm asking, just eighty
dollars. It's worth a lot more than
that, and you know it. So, O.K., I agree it isn't new. But it's better than new! It has hours of work polished into this
leather. Feel it, Joseph, feel how soft
yet strong."
"I really wish I could buy it.
. ." said Joe, sorely tempted.
"But what is eighty dollars to
the Ponderosa? asked Mr. Kaufmann,
raising his hands.
"To the Ponderosa, not a
lot." agreed Joe, with a rueful grin.
"But to me, it's two months' wages!"
"But surely, your father would
not begrudge you eighty dollars for such a beautiful saddle. Such a bargain,
Joseph!"
Joe felt the supple leather and
fingered the intricate silver inlay. It
was just the most spectacular saddle he had ever seen. It was better than Adam's, better even than
his father's, which had been specially made for him, with his initials inlaid
in silver. The dark leather was rich and
glossy, and it was so comfortable. A man could spend all night in a saddle like
that and be as fresh as a daisy the next morning. Suddenly, he knew he had to have it. He just had to have it. He knew there was plenty of money in the
safe, and after all, part of that money was theoretically his. His share of last month's profits was way in
excess of eighty dollars.
"You're right, Mr. Kaufmann. It's
really much too good a bargain to miss.
I'll get the money from the house right away."
"You won't regret your
decision." called Mr. Kaufmann, as Joe
disappeared into the ranch house.
Joe wondered fleetingly if he would
live to regret it. It was one thing to
argue that the money was theoretically his, but quite another to take it from
the safe and spend it. Pa had always
made it abundantly clear that while they were partners when it came to sharing
the profits, those profits were to be invested by him, and were not available
for gratifying whims or for wasting on extravagances. Pa would almost certainly say the saddle was
an unnecessary extravagance, and of course, he had to admit that it was. His own saddle was only two years old, and
was perfectly serviceable. This saddle,
though, was something special. This
would make every head turn in
He pushed his hand to the back of the drawer on the
right‑hand side of his father's redwood desk, and depressed the little
lever which activated a spring and spun the hidden drawer out. His hand closed over the key, his heart
bumping with excitement, and more than a little guilt. He slid the key into the lock, and slowly
turned the handle. The safe opened
effortlessly, and he reached in and quickly peeled eighty dollars from the wad
of notes. When he had carefully closed
the safe and locked it, he pushed the money into his pocket and without
thinking, dropped the key in as well.
Mr. Kaufmann
took the money with a gentle smile, and pushed it into a little metal cash box.
"Thank you Joseph. I hope you enjoy your saddle with many years
of good health." he said.
"Aren't you going to count the
money?" asked Joe, surprised.
"You would cheat a poor old
man?" asked Mr. Kaufmann, raising his hands in
the air in mock horror.
Joe grinned. "Of course not." he said.
"Then, I do not have to count
the money, do I?"
Joe waved goodbye to the pedlar, then returned to look at the saddle again.
"Well, Cochise,
what does it feel like to have a saddle of this
quality on your back, eh?" he said aloud, rubbing the mare's ears
affectionately. It was a temptation to
ride out to the branding pen and show his new acquisition to Hoss, but after a
moment's thought he decided it was more prudent to hide it until the moment was
right to show it to Adam. The right
moment would be when he was in a good mood, and that would certainly not be
today, with talk of trouble at the mine.
He untacked his horse, and took
the saddle up to his room, hiding it in a closet. As he came down the stairs he saw the time,
and realized with shock that he was already ten minutes late meeting Hoss, and
still had to ride to bottom meadow. He
rushed out, threw his old saddle on to Cochise's
back, and galloped off, completely forgetting to lock the front door. Indeed, he even forgot to close it, leaving
it swinging in the wind.
When he arrived, Hoss was just
finishing unloading the wood.
"Where in tarnation
have you been, Joe? I've been waiting
for you half an hour, and all you had to do was come
here to bottom meadow.
Joe grinned, unperturbed. "Sorry, Hoss.
There was a visitor, and I sort of got delayed."
He jumped down from Cochise and loosened the cinch.
"Right.
Let's get started, then." He
looked around. "So where are the
tools?" he asked innocently.
"Dadburn
it, Joe, you know you was supposed to bring the tools. Do I have to do everything here? Who was this visitor, anyway? Some pretty girl who's put your mind in a turmoil and made you forget everything, I suppose?"
"Course not. It was Aaron Kaufmann,
the pedlar."
"Well, I'm danged
if I can see why that should have kept you so long. You'd better go get those tools, while I
start knocking down some of this old wood."
"Sure thing,
Hoss. I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's
tail." said Joe, leaping into the saddle and galloping off.
Joe was back in record time, having
very nearly taken a fall due to the loosened cinch. He set to work with enthusiasm, tyrying to make up for being late. Spring was a good time for this sort of work.
The sun was still not too hot, and the earth was still damp enought
to be soft and yield easily to the spade.
Joe worked tirelessly, only stopping occasionally to drink from his
canteen. By
"You know, little brother, I'm
just fascinated by hard work." he said, as Joe began to dig again. "I could stand here all day and just watch it!" he said
with a grin.
Joe smiled back. "Come on, Hoss. Let's pull together on this job."
Hoss scratched the top of his
head. "Never
known you to take anything so seriously, Joe, 'cepting
it was wearing a skirt. Can't
understand what's gotten into you." he said, setting the post carefully
into position.
"Well, that's it for this
morning. Time to eat." he said,
with an air of satisfaction.
"Just one
more, Hoss. Come on, it's only
"No, but it could easily kill
Hop Sing's meat pie!
You know how all‑fired angry he gets if his cooking's spoilt 'cos we're late."
"They won't be back yet. You know as well as I that once Hop Sing gets
in to Virginia City he has so many relations to visit, and there's so much
ceremony to observe at each house, tht he's rarely
back before one O'clock. We shall be
wasting out time if we get home too early."
Grudgingly, Hoss agreed, and one
more post was erected before they started out for home.
When they rode into the front yard,
Adam was sitting on the porch, reading the Territorial Enterprise.
"You're late." he said,
scowling at them. "You know how Hop Sing hates it when you're late."
"Sorry Adam. We thought you'd be late back from
Adam grunted his tacit agreement
with this statement, stood up langorously, and
started to walk into the house. Then he
paused, and looked back at Joe.
"I have another bone to pick
with you, Joe." he said ominously.
"Oh?" queried Joe,
starting to follow him in. Adam turned
around, and barred his way.
"Aren't you going to get washed
up before eating?" he asked brusquely.
"Sure thing." said Joe,
going over to the pump and putting his head under the spurt of icy water. He shook his head like a wet dog, then dipped his hands in the trough, wiping off most of the
dirt on the towel which Hoss had just brought from the kitchen for his own
use. His heart was bumping hard
again. Surely Adam couldn't have missed
the money already? It was possible that
he might have opened the safe, but he wouldn't have bothered to count the
banknotes, at least not until the end of the month when he might bank some of
it. All the same he had looked pretty
angry, and Joe couldn't think of anything else offhand which he had done wrong.
He walked in to the house
tentatively, glancing at his brother with a worried expression. Adam was standing with his back to the
fireplace, his expression still angry.
"Is it really too much trouble
for you to close a door and lock it when you go out?" he asked with an air
of sarcasm usually guaranteed to make Joe's hackles rise.
"Did I forget?" asked Joe,
a picture of contrition, the relief showing on his face.
"Yes, you did. Not only did you not lock it, but you didn't
even manage to close it. It was swinging
in the wind when I got home. I thought
someone had broken in. You were lucky no‑once
chanced to pass by. There are too many
shiftless rogues about these days to leave a house unattended and open."
"I'm sorry Adam." said Joe
quietly.
"Well, try to concentrate on
you responsibilities for once." Adam paused for a moment, his brother's
quiet answer quite taking the wind out of his sails. It was hard to stay angry with Joe when he
looked so crestfallen. "How's the
work going?" he asked in a friendlier tone.
"Hey, we got on real well this
morning, Adam." said Hoss.
"We've got the job well under way."
They sat down to eat Hop Sing's delicious meat pie, and Adam told them about the
problems at the mine. Some of the new workers were
unhappy with the pay.
"I'd like to see them get
better pay and conditions at any of the other mines." said Hoss.
"I'd like to earn what they
do!" said Joe, spooning some of the rich gravy onto his plate. "Four dollars a day is a lot more than I
ever get to see."
"A lot more than you ever
deserve to see, short shanks." said Hoss, with a grin. "You wouldn't get me underground for
twenty dollars a day. I like to see the
blue sky above my head and the green grass under my feet.
"No, I have to agree, it's a
terrible job. The heat down there is
unbearable, and the dust. And then, of
course, there is the ever‑present dange of
accident and death, even with Deidesheimer's pit
props. I'm not saying they don't deserve the pay
they get, but we already pay fifty cents a day over the average. I certainly can't justify giving them any
more."
Joe ate quickly, anxious to get back
to the job. He wanted to be able to use
his new saddle, and he needed Adam in a good mood before he could admit to
having bought it. The best way to put
him in a good mood would be to get the branding pen finished in record time,
and that was what he intended to do. It was so frustrating to think of that
beautiful saddle up there in his closet, and not be able to show it off in
town.
He watched impatiently as Hoss took
his third helping.
"Oh, Adam, I've been meaning to
ask you..." he said with a wink.
"Have you taken a close look at Hoss's
horse lately? I reckon with Pa away,
you're the expert on horseflesh around here.
I was a bit worried about him this morning."
Hoss stopped chewing for a moment,
and looked from Joe to Adam. Joe's face was completely serious.
"Well, no, Joe, I can't say I
have. What seems to be the
trouble?"
"Well, I thought his front legs
seemed to be sort of buckling ‑ sort of bow‑legged, if you know
what I mean."
Adam shook his head slowly. "Could be that he's carrying too much
weight." he said, with as serious an expression as Joe's. "I have heard that a horse can just roll
over and die if it's asked to carry too much weight."
"Hey, Joe, d'you
really think.......?
Hoss's face was crinkled with concern, unaware
that his brothers were once again teasing him.
Joe burst into laughter, and Adam smiled his slow, sardonic smile.
"Dadburn
it, Joe, you're always pulling my leg!"
"And you're always swallowing
the bait, Hoss. You should know better
by now." said Adam, shaking his head.
The meal continued in a mood of
friendly rivalry, with Joe constantly hurrying Hoss, anxious to get back to
work.
"What in tarnation's
the matter with you today, Joe? I've
never known you so all‑fired keen on putting your back into a job."
Joe turned to Adam, his face a
picture of concern.
"It's a sad affair, Adam, this
attitude of our brother here. Both of us
are anxious to do our best to make Pa proud of us, to give him something to be
really pleased with when he gets back from San Francisco, but all Hoss can
think of is his stomach. You'd think
he'd have a little more respect for Pa, wouldn't you?"
Hoss was just reaching out for the
last baked apple, which sat shiny and golden in a sea of syrup. Stung by Joe's words, he sighed and put his
spoon down.
"All right, little brother, all
right. If you must deny a man his daily
bread, let's go."
No sooner had Hoss put his spoon
down, Joe leapt into action, tipping the whole apple and syrup onto his own
plate and tucking into it with obvious relish.
Hoss brought down his hand on the table with a horrendous crash, sending
cutlery flying in all directions, and knocking over one of the crystal water
tumblers. Joe flinched.
"See what I mean? That was one of Pa's favourite glasses. It came all the way from
"Come here, you ornery little
runt!" shouted Hoss, as he thundered after him, nearly knocking Hop Sing
over in the narrow kitchen. A tirade of
Chinese followed him, and as he turned to apologize to Hop Sing, Joe galloped
off on his horse.
"I'll skin that runty little
brother of mine!" he spat out, angry as a nest of hornets. "I'll have his hide for bootlaces, I
swear I will. If he wasn't my brother ‑
half‑brother, I should say ‑ I'd tie him up in knots and dump him
in the Truckee River and let him float all the way to Pyramid Lake!"
"Provided you leave no visible
signs for Pa to see, you can do whatever you like with him." said Adam
placidly, knowing full well that by the time Hoss caught up with his younger
brother, his anger would long since have evaporated.
"However, I did promise to help
you two occasionally, so just to ensure that murder is not committed, I suppose
I had better honour that promise. Come
on, Hoss. Let's go!"
*******************
C H A P T E R 6
For a few days everything went
smoothly on the Ponderosa. The mine
workers accepted Adam's plan which included more rest breaks with the provision
of plenty of iced water, plus an agreement which ensured medical attention if
they were sick, and compensation payments to their families if they were
injured or killed. Joe and Hoss worked
like beavers on the branding pen, and by the Friday of the first week of Ben's
absence it was clear that, provided there were no unforseen
problems, it would be finished by the middle of the next week. Even Adam was impressed with the speed and
efficiency of his younger brothers. On
Friday evening, Adam wrote a long, detailed letter to his father which he felt
sure would set his mind at rest, and help him enjoy his holiday in the big
city.
At about
He went out to greet him.
"Morning, Mr. Cartwright"
he said, taking his hat off.
"Morning, Jeb. What brings you over here to the house? Not trouble, I hope!"
"I'm afraid so, sir. It's the
Adam frowned, running his fingers
through his thick black hair.
"The
"Well, yes sir, I'm afraid we
have. He had a promise that we would
concentrate on his order for props for that new shaft they're opening up. You know he has problems with the bank, and
if they don't get a strike soon he could lose the mine. Leastways, that's the story I've heard in
town. When he came over yesterday he
told me he'd heard that we'd been working on that order for wood for the new
branding pen, and he said that if we couldn't keep our word to him he felt he
owed us no allegiance. I tried to calm
him down, asked him to wait until you'd had a chance to speak to him, but he
was real mad."
Jeb led his horse to the trough, Adam
following close behind him.
"Why did we break our word to
him? That wood could have waited until
next week. We could have started on the
barn roof this week, and left the branding pen until later. Didn't you explain to Hoss you had prior committments?"
"Sure I did. I told him we could lose the contract if Mr.
Stanley found out, but he told me he had your say‑so, so I went
ahead. I'm sorry if I did wrong."
Adam hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, of course you didn't, Jeb. It's my fault and Hoss's." Adam thought for a few moments.
"Were you working on
"Yes. We still are.
I didn't know what to do."
"Keep working on it. I'll go and see
Jeb shook his head.
"I'm afraid you won't catch him
at home, now Mr. Cartwright. He said he
was going to
"Damn it." cursed Adam
under his breath, wondering how
They shook hands, and Jeb rode off. Adam
walked back into the house reconsidering the letter he had written to his
father. He could still reopen it, and
add this piece of news. He had given his
word that he would keep his father informed of any unresolved problems, but, on
the other hand, the letter was quite truthful up to Friday evening, which was
the date and time he had carefully written on it. By next Friday, with any luck, the situation
would have been favourably resolved, and there would be no need to worry and
anger his father with it. He stuffed it
back into his pocket and cursed Hoss roundly.
Going back into the house through
the kitchen, he glanced at the stew bubbling on the stove.
"How soon will that be ready,
Hop Sing?" he asked.
"Ready
"O.K. Hop
Sing.
He went to his room, and gathered up
a few essential items for an overnight stay in
When his two brothers got back from the bottom
meadow, looking forward to a Saturday afternoon trip into Virginia City for a
couple of cold beers and a game of poker, they found a silent Adam already finishing a plate of stew.
"Hey, Adam, since when don't we
all sit down together to eat?" asked Joe cheerfully, unaware of his older
brother's foul mood.
"Since Hoss lands me in a load
of trouble with old man Stanley, and made it necessary for me to ride all the
way to
"Hey, Adam, what did I do
now?" protested Hoss, aggrieved.
"Jeb
told you that they were working on the
"Dadburn
it, Adam, I didn't think it would cause all this trouble." said Hoss,
pushing his hands into his pockets and staring at the floor.
"You didn't think,
period!" Adam stood up, and buckled on his gun belt.
"You two will have to stay here
and keep an eye on things. And please
try not to cause any more problems."
"Hey Adam, we were going in to
"Don't even think of it,
Joe. I'm warning you now, if I hear
either of you has been to
"Come on, Adam, we've been
working our hides off all week. The
least we deserve is a little rest and recreation."
Joe was not about to give up an afternoon
in Virginia City without a fight, even though he knew that once Adam had made
up his mind, it was quite useless to argue.
In that respect he was very much like Pa, just plain stubborn sometimes. Pa would sometimes give way if one played
one's cards right, but Adam was impervious to Joe's charms.
"You can rest here on the
ranch. Go to the lake, or
something. I don't want you in
"It's too cold for the
"Well, I'm sorry. I know it's hard on you, but there's nothing
I can do about it." Adam glanced at
his younger brother's sullen expression, and sighed. "Now you just mind what I say, Joe. I'm no happier about having to go to
"Damn the Ponderosa."
muttered Joe under his breath, as he turned his back on his brother. Remembering his father's advice to avoid
confrontation, Adam decided to pretend he had not heard his brother's
remark. He pushed his hat hard on to his
head and strode to the door.
"I'll see you two
tomorrow." he called over his shoulder, before slamming the door and
riding off.
Hoss sighed, and looked at his
brother. "Guess it's my fault, Joe.
I should have told Adam about what Jeb said,
and he would never have let this happen.
Adam has a right to be angry."
"He doesn't have a right to
lock us up here on the Ponderosa for the whole weekend. It isn't fair."
"Adam's just doing what he
thinks right, Joe. He has a lot of
responsibility on his plate at the moment, and the last thing he wants is us
letting off steam in
"What possible harm could come
of a couple of beers and a game of poker?" complained Joe.
"You know
Joe sat down opposite Hoss, and
served himself some of the stew. They
ate in silence for a while, then suddenly Joe's face brightened.
"Hey, Hoss, what time does
morning end and afternoon begin?"
"You know that, Joe." said
Hoss, his mouth full of the crusty bread Hop Sing had baked that morning. "Morning ends at
"Yeah, that's it. So, what time does afternoon end, and evening begin, do you suppose?"
"Dadburn
it, Joe, I don't know. After supper I
suppose."
"After
supper. That's it exactly."
"That's what, exactly?"
asked Hoss, his face screwed up in consternation.
"After supper it's evening, not
afternoon." Joe grinned at his
brother with mischief glinting in his eyes.
"Adam specifically said we weren't to go to
"Now Joe, just forget it. You know only too well what Adam meant, and
he meant no
"But we can't be sure of that
Hoss. He said "afternoon", and
I have no intention of disobeying him.
Not this afternoon. But this
evening, well, I can't see any reason why we shouldn't ride into town, have a
couple of quiet beers at the Bucket of Blood, and ride peaceably home
again."
Hoss shook his head emphatically.
"You can count me out,
Joe. I don't want no
trouble with Adam. I'm already in his
bad books."
"Well, I'll just have to go on
my own." said Joe, with a slow meaningful smile.
"Little brother, you ain't going nowhere.
Pa told me to keep an eye out for you, and I promised him I would. He also told me not to let you talk me into
anything I knew to be wrong, and I know this is wrong. Forget it, Joe."
Joe finished the last of his stew
and grinned at Hoss.
Maybe you're right" he said at
last. "I guess I'd only lose the
few dollars I've got left on a game of poker."
Hoss congratulated himself on such
an easy victory, and tucked in to a large helping of apple pie.
"Good thinking, Joe. We can play checkers or something."
"Sure, Hoss.
We'll have a great time. No need
to go riding all the way to Virginia City." agreed Joe, hiding the twinkle
in his eye.
Meanwhile, Adam had made his way
through the Ponderosa pines to the Eagle valley, and was well on his
way to
Adam noticed that his horse was
beginning to sweat, and pulled him back.
If it was going to rain, he didn't want it falling on an overheated
horse. They jogged along slowly, Adam
watching for the first glimpse of
He sometimes wondered what life
would have been like if his mother had not died, and his father had not felt
the need to come west. Of course, Hoss
and Little Joe would not have existed, but there would have been other
brothers, or perhaps even sisters. His
father didn't often speak about his first wife, Adam's mother, but when he did,
Adam could feel the deep sense of loss he still felt after all those years, and
the strength of the love he had felt for her.
Adam remembered Hoss's
mother vaguely, but most of all he remembered the pain of losing her when she
was killed by an Indian's arrow. In spite of that, Ben had always brought his
sons up to respect the Indian cultures, and to recognize the Indians' rights.
Adam was about twelve when his
father brought home his third bride, and to begin with he had not been
pleased. But Joe's mother was so full of
life and fun, so gentle and loving to Hoss and himself, that he had been won
over. When Joe was born, the family
seemed to be blessed with complete happiness.
That happiness had not lasted more than a few years, however, and Marie
had died in a riding accident. Adam
sometimes wondered how his father had kept his sanity with so much
tragedy. Now he realized that his
father's passion for hard work was part of his way of coping with so much
loss. It was sometimes a bit hard on
them, but he could understand it.
As the first drops of rain began to
fall, Adam trotted into
When he finally arrived at the
imposing town house of the
"Adam ‑" he said,
holding out his hand, "I must say I'm surprised to see you here!"
"I came as soon as I heard that
you'd had a problem with the sawmill. I wanted to offer you my personal apology,
and assurance that if you
honour us with your business again, there will be no further
mistakes of that kind."
"Mistakes?" said
"Yes sir, it was. I instructed Hoss to get the timber cut for a
new branding pen we are building, and he instructed the
sawmill to give it top priority as Ponderosa business. Neither Hoss nor I was aware that Pa had
assured you of top priority for your order."
"But surely Jeb
would have told Hoss that, wouldn't he?"
"Yes, sir, and of course Hoss
was wrong to insist on our wood being cut.
He didn't mention it to me at all.
I'm afraid Hoss isn't very experienced in business matters. He didn't realize the implication of what he did, and
he certainly didn't mean to offend you."
Mr. Stanley hesitated, then softened slightly.
"Come into my study, Adam, and
join me in a glass of brandy."
"Thank you, sir."
"Sit down." he invited,
waving to one of the plush leather chairs, and handing Adam rather too large a
serving of brandy.
Adam sipped it cautiously. He knew he had to keep his wits about him if
he was to conclude the business successfully.
"You know Adam," said Mr.
Stanley, leaning back in his chair, "I was a little unfair with you. I would have had to suspend my contract with
you anyway. You see, the bank is closing
in on me, and unless we find silver in the next month, I'm finished. They won't extend any more credit, so there's
no way I could have paid you after today."
Adam put the glass of brandy down on
Mr. Stanley's desk, and pushed his chair back, relaxing a little now that the
pressure was off.
"I'm really sorry to hear that,
Mr. Stanley. I knew you were in a
difficult financial position, but I had no idea it was so bad."
"Well, you win some, you lose
some. Unfortunately, I've bet everything
on that mine, including this house. I'm
sorry you had to come all the way over to
Adam shook his head slowly.
"Certainly
not, Mr. Stanley. The apology was meant sincerely. I wasn't just trying to recuperate lost
business. We failed to deliver what we
had promised, and that's true irrespective of whether you still need our
services."
"You're very like your father,
Adam." said Mr. Stanley, smiling.
"That's the very best
compliment you could possibly pay me, sir.
I hope I shall always be able to live up to it."
"You know, Adam, if I could
just have gone a few more feet, I'm sure we would have struck it really
rich. You see, we found a thin seam of
ore, and of course we've followed it. At
times the thread has narrowed to a film of clay, but it's always there, and I'm
convinced that it will widen into a rich body of silver. You know, I've had these feelings before, and
I've never been wrong."
Adam nodded.
"My father has always told me
how much he respects your intuition sir.
Is there no way you could keep going a few more weeks?".
"Well, that's what I'll have to
see the bank about next week. But I
think it's useless."
Adam's brain was calculating
rapidly.
"Mr. Stanley, perhaps I could
offer you a business proposition."
"My dear Adam, I don't have a
great deal left to negotiate with..."
"You still have the mine, until
the bank can foreclose, and you say you have a month left. I'll exchange a month's supply of timber,
plus say five thousand dollars, to cover wages, for an eighth share of the
mine."
"Adam, shouldn't you consult
with your father before you make a deal of that kind? It's a big risk you're taking. I wouldn't want your father to think that I
took advantage of your inexperience.
We've been friends
for too long."
"Mr. Stanley, my father left me
his authority to take any action connected with the timber or mining
business. It's a calculated risk, and
the possible gain for the Ponderosa makes it worthwhile. It is doesn't pay off, it won't break us, and
it could make us a great deal of money.
"Well, I hope it does, for my
sake as well as yours. I accept you
offer, Adam."
He held out his hand and they shook
on the deal.
"You have my hand on it, and on
Monday you will have my signature on a proper contract drawn up by my
lawyer. But you know, you could have
asked for a quarter, and I would have had no alternative but to accept."
"A quarter would be too great a price
for the investment I'm making, sir. I
know my father wouldn't want me to take advantage of your present problems in
that way. And there's no hurry for the
contract. I know your word is your
bond."
"It's better to get things
properly committed to parchment, Adam.
Tomorrow either one of us could be dead, and then our heirs would have a
fine time trying to sort out our affairs!
Business is business."
He walked over to the door, and
opened it, smiling.
"Now, I hope you will join us
for dinner to celebrate this partnership, will you?"
"It would be a great pleasure
sir. Thank you.' answered Adam,
returning the smile.
******************************
C H A P T E R
7
Back at the Ponderosa, Hoss and Joe
spent most of the afternoon watching the rain drip through the barn roof,
trying to protect the hay and fodder as best they could. When the rain finally stopped they splashed
back to the house and played a few games of checkers. Soon after supper, Joe suddenly got up
and put his jacket on, picking up his gun and belt.
"Hey; Hoss, I've got a real bad
headache coming on. Think I'll go to bed
early." He gave his gun a twirl in
his hand. "I'll just give this a
polish before I go to sleep." he added, dropping it back into the holster.
"Hey, you aint
got a fever, have you?" asked Hoss, worried.
"Heck
no." Joe
replied. "It's just a
headache. I'll be fine in the
morning."
"You want me to get you some
tea or something?" asked Hoss, really surprised at his brother's sudden
indisposition.
"No, really, Hoss, I'm
okay. I'm just a bit tired. I'll see you in the morning."
"Well, if you're
sure." He scratched his head and
gave Joe one of his wide, gap‑toothed smiles. "I sure hope you'll be better in the
morning."
Joe smiled weakly, and walked
upstairs holding his head . Hoss returned to reading the Territorial
Enterprise which Adam had brought home the day before, and after a few minutes
he had fallen asleep himself.
Once upstairs, Joe dragged off his
working clothes and put on a clean shirt and pants. He looked up at the sky, which seemed
miraculously to have cleared, and climbed carefully out on to the kitchen
roof. With consummate care he walked
along the ridge to the far end of the roof, then
lowered himself from the edge, hanging for a few seconds to check his position
before dropping down on to the empty sack which he had thoughtfully placed
there an hour before when he had gone to the barn to feed the stock. He crept across to the barn, glad that he had
fixed the door and oiled the hinges that afternoon. He would have liked to use his new saddle, but the jump from the
roof was already difficult enough, without the added weight of the saddle. Cochise looked up
from his hay, and waggled her ears back and forth at him.
"Steady on there, old girl".
he said, patting her neck affectionately. He gave the animal a handful of oats, waited
for her to eat it, then slipped the bridle over the horse's ears, gently
inserting the bit between her
teeth. Cochise
obligingly opened her mouth and lowered her head. Once the saddle was in position, Joe led her
out and eased the door shut. He walked
around to the back of the barn before vaulting easily into the saddle and galloping off.
When Hoss woke, it was gone
"Hey, Joe, you awake?" he
whispered, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness in the room. Glancing over at the window he saw it was wide
open, and thinking that if Joe was going down with something it would be bad
for him to breathe the night air, he crossed the room and closed the window as
gently as he could. By now his eyes had
adjusted fully to the darkness and he glanced at the bed, expecting to see Joe
fast asleep. At first he couldn't
believe his eyes. The bed was still
perfectly made, and there was no sign of Joe at all. Suddenly it all became clear to him; the sudden headache, the tiredness,
cleaning his gun upstairs ‑ all part of a plan to get out of the house
without his realizing it.
"Dadburn
it, Joe, I'll flay you when I catch up with you tonight." he said to
himself, as he grabbed his jacket and gun belt, locked the front door, and set
off across the front yard to the barn.
By the time Hoss got to
"Hey,.
you're one of the Cartwrights,
aren't you?" one of them asked.
Joe regarded them carefully.
"That's right." he replied
turning away and getting on with his beer.
"I hear your old man's in
Joe turned on them, his jaw set with
anger, his eyes blazing dangerously.
"That's a filthy lie, and
you're going to take it back!" he spat out.
"Oh yeah, and who's gonna make me sonny boy?" said the wrangler, who was
drunk enough to be argumentative, but sober enough to be able to pack a pretty
good punch.
Joe didn't stop to think that there
were three of them, all bigger than he was.
No‑one insulted his father's honour without paying for it. For a moment he turned away, as if he were
backing down, then with the speed of lightning his
left fist made painful contact with the first wrangler's chin. He fell back against a card table, scattering
cards, dollars and poker players in all directions. Before he could get up, the other two had
started on Joe. Fighting for his life,
he managed to score a vicious punch on the second wrangler's cheek, but there
was no way he could avoid the attack from the third. As he hit the ground he saw one of them
coming at him with a broken beer glass.
Bringing his knees up almost to his chin, he suddenly kicked forward and
caught his attacker on the knees. The
man doubled up with pain and fell against the bar, knocking over glasses and
whisky bottles. Joe rolled over, and was
on his feet in a flash, grabbing a chair to put distance between himself and
his attackers. As they lunged forward,
he threw the chair, and leapt onto a table, picking up a bottle of whisky and
throwing it at the tallest of the three men.
It was at that precise moment that Hoss came through the door into the
saloon. Weighing the situation up in a
twinkling of an eye, he grabbed two of the men and banged their heads together,
knocking them out. The other, seeing the
size of Hoss and rightly judging his temper, backed away through the swing
doors, and disappeared into the night.
"Are you all right?" Hoss
asked gruffly, as Joe jumped down from the table.
"Yeah, thanks to you!"
said Joe, stepping over the two semi‑conscious men. "Those three were almost too much for
me."
Hoss brushed the dust off his
brother's hat, and pushed it firmly on his head. Then, without another word, he went to the
bar and asked for a whisky.
"I guess I'll have one too,
Hoss. I could do with a drink"
Hoss turned and regarded his brother
steadily.
"You've had too much
already." he said, in a voice which warned Joe not to argue. Joe shrugged, and leant against the bar. He tried to appear at ease, but in fact he was
feeling pretty nervous. Hoss didn't
often get angry, but when he did he was a force to contend with. Apart from that, now that the fight was over
Joe realized that he had badly bruised a couple of ribs when he had fallen
against a chair, and his chin was beginning to pain insistently. He gingerly felt the side of his head, and
found a lump as big as a chicken's egg.
He watched his brother down the whisky in one swallow, and waited.
"Outside" Hoss said, paying
for the drink, and jerking his head in the direction of the swing doors. Joe obeyed meekly. It was certainly not the moment to try Hoss's patience.
They started the ride home in
silence. After about ten minutes,
finding the silence too oppressive, Joe turned to Hoss.
"Hey, Hoss...." he
started, but was cut short by Hoss.
"You just hold your tongue,
Joe. I've listened to enough of your
lies for one night."
"Hoss, I didn't mean to
lie....." he started again, but this time Hoss turned and glared at him,
silencing him immediately.
"I promised Pa I'd look out for
you, and keep you out of trouble.
Tonight I failed him, and very nearly let you get yourself killed. Now, something I don't like doing is letting
Pa down, you understand? So, if I hear
just one more word out of you between now and home, when we get to the
Ponderosa I'll be teaching you a lesson which'll take
you a few months to forget. You got that
clear Joe?"
Joe cleared his throat, in no doubt
that Hoss meant every word he said. He
didn't ever remember seeing his brother look so mad.
"Sure, Hoss." he replied
quietly, holding his horse back, and riding behind him.
The ride home continued in tense
silence. Joe wanted to ask Hoss what he
intended to do ‑ whether he was going to tell Adam what had happened, for
instance ‑ but he dared not open his mouth. If Adam found out, he would write to Pa, and
that was something Joe wanted to avoid at all costs. When they finally arrived, Hoss dismounted
and led his horse to the barn. Joe
lowered himself gently from Cochise, and followed
him. They untacked
the animals in silence, and gave them hay and grain for the night. Hoss carefully turned out the oil lamp and
took a last look around before closing the barn door and striding across to the
ranch. Joe followed more slowly, wincing
at the pain from his ribs. He closed the
door and latched it, then glanced across at Hoss, who was gazing into the dying
embers of the fire.
"Go to bed." Hoss said
sharply, without even looking at him.
His voice was still angry and gruff.
Joe started slowly up the stairs.
When he got to the first landing, he turned and looked back at Hoss, who
was still leaning against the fireplace gazing at the fire.
"I'm sorry Hoss." he said,
meaning it for once, then he turned and made his way
to his bedroom, feeling for the doorhandle in the
darkness.
Joe lay awake for a long time. He heard his brother come up the stairs at
least an hour after him, and wondered what he had been doing. The ache in his jaw had begun to subside, but
the same could not be said for the fiery pain in his ribs, which was getting
progressively worse, making any attempt at sleep impossible. His brother's words were also playing havoc
with his conscience. He hadn't really
thought of it as lying when he had said he had a headache, and was going to bed
‑ more of a trick, or a joke. Now,
in retrospect, he realized it had been a lie, and he wished with all his heart
he could undo it. Something his father
would not tolerate at any price was untruthfulness. With a heavy heart, Joe realized that not
only had he let his father down in that respect, but that he had broken his
word as well. He had promised his father
on more than one occasion that he would listen to Adam, and accept his
authority, and at the first opportunity he had broken his promise.
Sleep finally came as the first
light began to colour the sky, an uneasy sleep in which he dreamed he was far
away from the Ponderosa, and unable to find his way back. Every time he moved in his sleep, the pain
woke him, until finally exhaustion overcame even the pain, and he slept
soundly.
It was the sound of wood being
chopped which finally woke Joe. He
rubbed his eyes and looked over at the window.
The sun was high in the sky ‑ about
Hoss was just coming in through the
front door when Joe reached the bottom of the stairs. He glared at his younger brother, and threw
his hat onto the hook behind the door.
"You're too late for
breakfast." he said gruffly.
"There's coffee in the pot if you want it."
"Coffee's just what I
need." he said, pouring a large cupful and stirring two spoons of sugar
into it.
A long silence followed, which
became more and more difficult to break.
At last, Joe put the coffee down, and cleared his throat.
"Hoss, I'm sorry about last
night. I was wrong, and I admit
it." he
paused before continuing. "I really
hate it when you're mad at me."
Hoss's expression softened a little. "Dadburn it,
Joe, you could have got yourself killed.
If I hadn't come along when I did those three would have made mincemeat
out of you. When are you gonna learn to keep out of fights?
Joe watched Hoss out of the corner
of his eye.
"Hoss, the last thing I was
looking for last night was a fight." said Joe, easing himself into a
chair. "I just couldn't avoid it,
that's all."
Hoss shook his head.
"You could have avoided it by
staying here on the Ponderosa, and not going into town on your own. I don't know how many times Pa's told you
about that, but do you take any notice? Oh, no, not you."
Joe drank his coffee, and poured a
second cup. His throat was parched and
his head felt as if it had been flattened by a cartful of silver ore. He glanced at his brother again, and decided
he looked a little less angry.
"Hoss," he started
tentatively, "I know Adam's got to know about what happened. I mean, if I don't own up, he'll still hear
about it in town, so I guess I might as well be the one to tell him. But would you do me a favour?"
"What kind of a favour?"
asked Hoss, eyed narrowed suspiciously.
"Well, when Adam talks to you about
as, as I'm sure he will, could you try to avoid telling him that I lied to you
about having a headache and going to bed early?"
"I'm not telling any lies to
cover up for you, Joe." exclaimed Hoss, emphatically.
"I'm not asking you to. Just don't mention it if you can avoid
it. If Adam finds out, he'll as sure as
hell tell Pa,..."
"And Pa'll
skin you alive!"
Hoss paused, and noticed Joe grimace
with pain as he went to reach for the coffee pot.
"You hurt?" he asked
brusquely, trying to hide the real concern he felt.
Joe shook his head. "Just a bit bruised." he replied,
adjusting his position.
"I'd better take a look. Take your shirt off."
Joe knew better than to argue, and
eased himself out of the shirt. Hoss
felt the bruised area with surprising gentleness, until he touched a spot which
made Joe yell.
"Take it easy, little
brother." he said, feeling the rib as gently as possible to see if it was
broken. Joe gritted his teeth and tensed
his muscles.
"Relax, Joe. Tensing your muscles will just make it hurt
more."
Hoss finished probing.
"You had any problems
breathing?" he asked.
"Nope." replied Joe,
adding, "Well, it hurts to breathe too deeply."
"You haven't coughed up any
blood?"
"No. Why?"
Hoss started towards the medicine
chest in the kitchen.
Well, I reckon as how you've got a
couple of cracked ribs, but I don't think they're broke. Then again, I'm not a doctor." Hoss paused and looked at his brother. He grinned with a hint of malice. "I reckon it's like Pa so often says,
little brother: Wrongdoing brings its
own punishment, as sure as virtue brings its own reward."
Joe grimaced, then
yelled as Hoss started to rub the linament in.
"Just you hold still till I've
strapped you up, Joe. We'll get you to
the doctor on Monday, but till then, this'll make it easier.
"Heck, Hoss, I don't need a
doctor. It's just a bit bruised."
said Joe, wincing as his brother wound the bandage around him.
Hoss grunted, and went on strapping
his brother's injuries up. He had just
finished, and was helping Joe ease his shirt back on, when they heard a horse
approaching the ranch. Joe threw Hoss a
worried glance.
"You figure that's Adam back
already?"
"Could be." said Hoss,
unperturbed, walking over to the door to look out.
"Yep, it's older brother right
enough." he said, going out to meet him.
Joe stayed inside, putting off the confrontation until the last possible
minute. A few minutes later, Hoss and
Adam came back into the room. Adam
seemed pleased with the way things had gone.
"I've always thought that the
"Yeah, but if they don't we
stand to lose five thousand dollars, a month's profits from the
sawmills, plus the trees. That quite a big risk to take, Adam, especially without consulting
with
"You can't make money without
taking risks." remarked Adam, making straight for the coffee.
"Nope, and you don't usually go
bankrupt without taking risks, either." retorted Hoss.
Adam smiled, and shook his
head. "Five thousand dollars isn't
going to bankrupt us, Hoss. And in
return, we've got an eighth share in the
Hoss grunted, unconvinced by his
brother's enthusiasm.
"I just hope Pa sees it that
way. He doesn't hold with taking wild
risks."
"No, I know that. But he left me with complete control,
Hoss. By the time he comes home, we
shall know one way or the other. If it
goes badly, I'll pay the five thousand dollars out of my own account."
Adam sipped the coffee, which was
nearly cold, then looked across at Joe.
"What's the matter with
you?" he asked, surprised at his brother's silence. "You aren't still sulking about
yesterday, are you?"
Joe turned to face him, and Adam saw
the ugly bruise on his face.
"Well...." he said, the
hint of a smile curling the corners of his mouth. "You get kicked by a horse?"
"Nope."
"Hit a low branch, then?"
he enquired with a grin.
Joe just shook his head."Well, who did you fight with? Not Hoss, I hope?"
Joe took a deep breath, sighed, and
shook his head.
"It happened in town, Adam, in
the Silver Dollar Saloon."
Adam's eyes narrowed,
and the humour left his face.
"When were you in town, Joe."
Joe met his brother's angry stare
with difficulty.
"Last night." he replied,
finally looking down, and waiting for the storm to break over him. There was a long, ominous silence. Finally, Adam turned to Hoss.
"I would have thought you would
have had more sense, Hoss. You should
have tied him up if necessary, rather than let him go into
"Hey, now, just a minute Adam,
I'm not taking the grief for this. I
didn't even know Joe had gone out. He
left through his bedroom window." protested Hoss, aggrieved.
"Well?" questioned Adam, turning
to Joe and waiting for a full explanation.
Joe outlined the events with as many half‑truths as he dared, carefully omitting the fact that he had deceived
Hoss, and the reason for the fight. Adam
considered the story for a few moments, then turned
back to Hoss.
"There's something here I don't
quite understand. It certainly is a good
thing you realized that Joe had gone into
"Well, when I went to bed I
took Joe up some milk, and went to see how he was, and that was when I realized
his bed was empty."
"Aha! I see." said Adam, a gleam in his eye as
he pounced on this new information.
"And tell me, Hoss, do you make
a habit of tucking Joe in bed at night, or was this an unusual
occurrence?" enquired Adam, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Course I don't." replied
Hoss. "I mean, sure, it was
unusual."
"So...why did you do it? Sixth sense? Intuition?"
Hoss floundered, unsure what to
say. He wanted to protect Joe, but he wasn't about
to lie to do it. Realizing that the
truth would have to come out, Joe rescued him.
"Hoss came in to see me because
I told him I was going to bed early 'cos I had a bad
headache. I told him I didn't feel
well."
Adam nodded slowly, with an air of
satisfaction. "You are saying, are
you not, that you lied to your brother in order to be able to get out of the
house without his knowledge?"
Joe nodded unhappily.
"I ought to flay you."
said Adam, fixing Joe with a furious stare, and for once Joe made no attempt to
answer back. After a few seconds'
silence, Adam sighed, then said very quietly: "You're confined to the ranch until Pa
gets home. It's the only way I can see
to keep you out of trouble. And if you
step just one inch out of line between now and then....." The threat lay heavily in the air, and Joe
nodded his acceptance of the conditions quickly, before Adam decided on
something more unpleasant. Relieved at
having escaped so lightly, he made a mental promise not to risk his brother's
wrath by getting in to any more trouble, and flashed a quick smile and a wink
at Hoss behind Adam's back. Hoss just
shook his head and glared at him.
********************************************************
C H A P T E R 8
After a couple of days in
On Friday evening, he kept his appointment
with Sam Hall at
the
"By the way, Ben, a friend of
mine has offered to loan me a couple of fine horses tomorrow. I thought that perhaps we could explore the
countryside around
Ben nodded his agreement. "I know the area quite well
myself," he commented, "but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't enjoy
riding with you. I must admit that I have
been feeling rather cooped up here in the city.
There really is nothing like the feel of a horse beneath you and the
open country before you.
"Excellent." exclaimed
Sam, with a wide smile. "Shall we
say
Ben nodded his agreement, then turned towards the door as it opened to reveal Maria,
who hesitated on the threshhold.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were alone, Uncle Ben."
she said, as she started to close the door.
"Maria, please, do come in. We aren't
discussing anything private." said Ben, going to the door and offering her
his arm.
"You remember Sam Hall, of
course. He was at the party. We met on the stagecoach
Maria held out her hand and Sam took
it, bowing gallantly.
"Miss Fernández,
this is indeed a pleasure. I hoped I
might be fortunate enough to see you again."
Noticing Sam Hall's obvious interest
in Maria, Ben added somewhat sharply "Maria is engaged to be married at
the end of this month. That is why I am
here in
Maria looked a little flustered, her
cheeks pink. She smoothed the wild silk
skirt of her gown, and sank into one of the armchairs. Sam sat down, his eyes never moving from
Maria.
"I have just invited Mr.
Cartwright to join me on an expedition tomorrow. We are going to ride into the country, and
perhaps along the coast. I believe there
are some really spectacular views of the sea."
Maria turned to Ben, her eyes
shining. "Oh, Uncle Ben, I'd love
to come too. Do say I can come,
please!"
Ben smiled, but shook his head. "Maria, it isn't for me to say ‑
you would have to ask your parents. And
even if they were agreeable, I don't know if Mr. Hall has three horses available."
She turned to Sam. "Oh, you must have three horses, Mr.
Hall, you must! Papa only keeps horses
for the carriage, although I've begged him to buy me a mare. Oh, please say I can come, Mr. Hall"
"My dear young lady, how could
anyone refuse you so enthusiastic a request?
For my part, there is absolutely no objection."
Ben frowned. He was not at all sure that this was a good
idea. He could not fail to notice the
atmosphere in the air when Sam and Maria had shaken hands, and he had a
premonition of disaster.
"Maria, I'm sure your parents
would not consider it at all correct, and as for your fiance, what on earth would he think?"
"Uncle Ben, it's my last chance
to gallop free over the soft ground. You
can't deny me this one last chance of happiness ‑ please!"
She pleaded with tears in her eyes,
and Ben was absolutely unable to resist the wiles of a tearful woman,
especially one as pretty as Maria.
"But mind you, it is your
parents' decision." he added, after agreeing in principle to take her with
them.
"I'll take care of that."
she said, confidently, kissing Ben on the cheek and once again offering her
hand to Sam Hall before leaving the room like a skittish filly.
"What a charming young
lady." remarked Sam, with great feeling.
"Charming ‑ and spoken
for." said Ben emphatically.
"Yes indeed. And yet she doesn't seem exactly enamoured
with the idea of marriage, does she?"
"Well, I'm sure that is her
affair, Mr. Hall." said Ben quietly, swirling the brandy in his glass
thoughtfully.
"That is the attitude which
allows injustice to flourish, my friend.
How easy it is to avoid our duty by hiding behind social
convention"
Ben glared at his companion, who
returned a charming smile. Ben had to
admit that he was an extremely personable young man, probably about Adam's
age. He had the unusual combination of
black, wavy hair, and piercing blue eyes, shaded by long curling
eyelashes. His face was well shaped,
with a strong dimpled chin, well‑formed, perfect teeth, and a smile which
lit up his eyes as well as his whole face.
"I had no intention of
offending you, Ben, " he said equably, "but
I believe you also think she is being led like a lamb to the sacrifice."
Ben frowned, and shook his
head. "My hands are tied, Sam. I'm a guest in this house, and the Fernández family have been my friends for years. I have talked to them, but they honestly
believe they are doing the best for their daughter. I cannot come between them and their child. It would be dishonourable, and a betrayal of
their hospitality."
"But I am not tied by those
conventions, Ben."
"Sam, during our short
acquaintance I have come to value you as a person, but I cannot condone any
action you might think of taking to upset this marriage. In the circumstances, I think it advisable to
decline your offer, and I shall tell Maria that I had forgotten a prior
engagement."
At that moment, the door opened, and
Julio and Angeles came in. They greeted
Sam Hall effusively, and then turned to Ben.
"Maria has told us that you are
going riding tomorrow. She is so excited
about the excursion, and I think it will do her good. She has become a little nervous, cooped up
here all day. I know we can be happy
entrusting her to your care, Ben.
Indeed, you are the only person we would even dream of letting her go
off into the country with. We know she
will be safe with you."
They beamed their approval, and Ben
floundered, unable now to undo the arrangements.
"I shall bring the gentlest
mare for her, sir." Sam Hall said to Julio, drawing a smile from the
latter.
"Maria will not thank you for
that. She is a fine horsewoman, isn't
she Ben?"
He nodded. "Yes indeed, she can keep up with
anyone. Many's the time she raced and beat Little Joe, much
to his chagrin!"
"Then I shall bring a lively,
but gentle horse to match its rider." said Sam charmingly.
The next morning dawned clear and
bright. Ben had been hoping for rain,
which would have forced them to cancel the outing. He dressed in more casual clothes than usual,
and slipped a small handgun into his vest pocket.
He ate lightly at breakfast, aware
that during the last week he had gained more than a pound in weight. On the Ponderosa he probably ate more than in
At one minute to eleven, Ben heard
the sound of horses outside, and looking through the window he saw Sam Hall
giving a dollar apiece to two young stable lads who had ridden the two extra
horses over with him. They were
beautiful animals, in perfect condition, and tacked with the finest saddlery obtainable.
In spite of his worries, Ben felt his spirits soaring. To be in the saddle again, to view the
countryside from the added height of a horse, to feel that power controlled
beneath you, that was the nearest thing to heaven on a fine Spring
morning.
Sam Hall was on his best behaviour,
and Ben began to relax and enjoy the ride.
In spite of Ben's attempt to avoid it, Sam managed to manoevre his horse alongside Maria, and they engaged in
lively conversation. Maria was so young
and inexperienced that she was totally unable to hide her feelings. As they talked, Ben noticed the way they
looked at each other, the awakening desire in Maria's eyes, the
softness in Sam's. He knew he was
witnessing the first blossoming of young love, and however much he told himself
he should intervene and stop this thing before it went any further, he found
himself unable to do so. He had been in
love himself. He knew what it was to
have all one's desire focussed on one person, to have eyes only for that
person, to think oneself unable to live without the company of that
person. How could he condemn Maria to a
life without ever knowing that all‑consuming feeling, or worse, to
discovering it after marriage to a man she didn't love? Perhaps this relationship would never develop
into anything more than a mild flirtation, but at least Maria would know what
it felt like to love someone, and perhaps that would give her the courage to
stand up to her parents and refuse to marry the obnoxious Angus.
Ben had taken an instant dislike to
the young man, and not without good reason.
On being introduced to the prospective bridegroom on his second night in
the Fernández's home, young Angus
had spoken to him condescendingly.
"So, you are the cowboy from
Ben had smiled back at him, a smile
which for once was only present on his lips but totally absent from his
expressive eyes.
"And you, I presume, are the
bank clerk from Massachusetts." he retorted, referring to the banking background of the
They came to a wide open area of
soft grassland, and Maria turned to look at Ben.
"Let's have a race ‑ just
like on the Ponderosa!" she said, with all the enthusiasm of youth.
"No, no Maria, really ‑ I
must insist ‑ I told your parents I would take the greatest care of you,
and racing is not the safest way to behave!"
Maria pouted and looked to Sam for
support, but he also shook his head and said softly
"I should love to race you to
the ends of the earth, and beyond, Miss Fernández,
but I must agree with Ben. The horses
are new to us, and we
cannot be sure of their reactions. We
aren't sure that the ground is free of rabbit holes or other dangers, and I
could not bear to see you injured."
Ben drew his horse up and managed to
introduce himself between Maria and Sam.
For a while they rode three abreast, until they came to a path bounded
on either side by aspen trees. Maria
suddenly bounded forward at a gallop, and called back over her shoulder
"Catch me if you can!"
Ben put his hand out to stay Sam's
horse. "If you follow, she will go
even faster. Keep your distance, and she
will see we are not racing. You cannot
possible overtake, and even if you do you are more likely to throw her by stopping
the horse than by leaving her alone."
They kept their distance behind,
until Maria finally tired of the unequal race, and pulled her horse up,
disappointed. Sam smiled at her, and Ben
rode up alongside.
"Maria, I think it is time we
started for home." he said, his eyes serious. Maria nodded, and then looked up at Ben.
"I'm sorry, Uncle
Ben." she
said softly. "I was just remembering what it used to be like on the
Ponderosa, racing with Hoss and Little Joe."
Ben smiled back. "They were good times. The boys often talk about you and about the
fun you had together. Maria, I hope you
know you will always be welcome on the Ponderosa."
Sam looked from one to the
other. "Your Ponderosa must be
quite something." he said.
"I suppose I am biased, Sam,
but I think it is the most beautiful place in the whole world. And I have seen quite a lot of the world in
my days as a sailor. Did you not visit
Sam shook his head. "I was looking for local colour,
characters, anecdotes.
I didn't have time for the country."
"A big
mistake. You missed the most wonderful sight human
eyes have ever seen. The water is
turquoise, and so transparent you can see clear to the bottom of the lake. And the shores are sandy, just like here on
the coast. Soft, white
sand. The mountain sides are
clothed with pine and fir ‑ Ponderosa pines, Bristlecone
pines, Jeremy pines. In the fall the
aspens turn from gold to red, and in the winter the whole scene is clothed with
white. I love it in every season, but
perhaps most of all in Spring when everything is being
reborn."
Maria nodded her agreement.
"It's everything Uncle Ben says, and more." she said softly, her eyes
shining at the memory.
They rode home quietly, but once or
twice Ben noticed the looks that passed between the two young people, and once,
when his horse went forward a little faster than theirs, he thought he saw Sam
pass something to Maria out of the corner of his eye. When he turned, Maria was blushing, but there
was no sign of a note or anything else.
Ben was glad to get back to the
house, and feel that his responsibility was over. He helped Maria from the horse, and turned to
Sam.
"Well, thank you for a most
enjoyable morning. I hope one day to be
able to return the favour on the Ponderosa."
"I shall most certainly keep
you to that offer, Ben. I must see this
paradise on earth before I die."
"Oh, but Mr. Hall, you must
join us for lunch. Mama and Papa
insisted I should ask you. I should have
mentioned it before." she added, looking sideways at Ben to see his
reaction.
Ben sighed and accepted the
inevitable. At least it was no longer
his responsibility.
C H A P T E R 9
On Sunday mornings the Fernández family always attended High Mass, and on this
particular Sunday they had several social calls to make as well. Ben took the opportunity to spend the day
alone. Solitude was something he enjoyed
on occasions, not as a permanent state of affairs, but as a refuge from the
problems of day‑to‑day life on the ranch. There were times he was glad to get away from
the good‑natured bickering his sons seemed to find so entertaining, and
ride up to the rim of the Tahoe basin.
From there he could look down at the lake and enjoy the sounds of
nature, breathing in the perfumed air of the pine forests. In
"Mr. Cartwright. What a pleasant surprise."
"Exactly my
feelings, Mrs. Endicott. I do hope you are well?"
"Oh yes indeed. I was so sorry to miss the dinner on Friday,
but I was indisposed."
"I was very sorry to hear
that. I hope you are quite recovered
now."
"Yes, indeed. I feel quite well now, thank you."
Ben hesitated, folding the
newspaper. At times like these, an innate shyness and reticence to intrude on
another's privacy tended to hold him back.
Olivia seemed to read his mind, however, and she smiled at him.
"Will you walk with me for a
while, Mr. Cartwright, or are you waiting for someone?"
Ben accepted the offer with
alacrity. "Oh no, indeed, I'm not
expecting anyone. It would be a great
pleasure to walk with you." he replied, offering her his arm.
"Please, won't you call me
Ben? It seems so formal otherwise."
he added, with his most charming smile.
Olivia hesitated, then
smiled back. "Why
not, Ben. And you must call me
Olivia."
They walked in silence for a few
yards, then Ben asked
"And how is your son?"
wondering where the lad was.
"Oh, he's fine, thank you. He's gone to watch the ships in the
harbour."
"Is that safe?" frowned Ben, knowing that in many areas of
"He's not alone. He's with a friend of my late husband's, his
godfather, who knows
Ben smiled, remembering when he had
been a boy, and had dreamed of captaining his own ship across the open seas.
"I was a sailor myself when I
was young." he said, remembering the smell of the salt air, the sound of
the sails flapping, and the creaking of the masts. "They were exciting times." he
added, with a nostalgia which was, perhaps, more for his youth than for the
sea.
"Did you travel far?"
asked Olivia, showing real interest.
"To
"Did you never think of going
back to the sea after your wife passed away?" she enquired, as they
stopped to listen to a band playing in the bandstand.
"It was impossible. I had my baby son to look after, and a new
future to build. That's when I started
the journey West."
They sat down a little way away from
the music, so that they could continue talking easily. The swirling mists of the
"So you went to
"Well, it took a long time to
get to
Olivia nodded. "So your dream came
true, and is just as wonderful as you dreamed it would be."
"Well, there are problems
too. It can be hard, especially in Winter. Sometimes we are cut off for weeks when the
snows are heavy. But in a way that makes
us closer, more united as a family."
"And what
about your sons? What dreams do they dream?" she asked
suddenly, regarding him seriously with her amber eyes.
Ben was surprised at the
question. He had not really given a
great deal of thought to that. Surely
the Ponderosa was a big enough dream for all of them he thought, as he searched
for an answer.
"Well, my youngest boy, Joseph,
is a carefree, romantic young man. If he
dreams dreams, I think they are probably of beautiful
girls and fast horses. He still has a long
way to go to reach maturity, but when he does, I think he will
a warm, sensitive person, with a strong sense of right and justice. Then there's Hoss, my second son. Well, Hoss is ‑ well, he's just
Hoss! He's gentle, generous, strong as an ox, with an appetite like four horses. He's the most down to earth of the three of
them. Straight as a die, and a hard
worker, but not a dreamer." he said with a chuckle.
Ben paused, thinking of Adam, his
first‑born son. Olivia watched
Ben's face, thinking how handsome he was, what strength there was in his
features, and what warmth when he was talking about his sons.
"And your oldest son?" she
enquired, breaking in on Ben's thought.
"Ah yes, Adam. Adam is different, must more of an
intellectual. I'm sure he has many
dreams, but he keeps them very close.
Adam had to cope with starting life with no mother, and then just when
he had grown to love Hoss's mother, he had to face
losing her. When I married Little Joe's
mother, he had to start again, only to lose her too. Life has perhaps been hardest on Adam, and
although he has come to terms with that, there are secret places in his soul
which he keeps closed, even to me. Perhaps he's afraid
of being hurt again." Ben looked
searchingly at Olivia.
"And what about your son,
Lawrence, isn't it?"
"Yes,
"I'm sorry," she
whispered, as Ben offered her a crisp white cotton handkerchief. She dabbed her eyes, and then continued.
"And then three years ago, his
father was killed in the mine. He had gone
to inspect the working conditions, and there was an explosion. For three days they tried to dig through to
them, but it became too dangerous. They
have never managed to recover his body.
I have lost two of the people I most loved, and yet I have no grave to
visit."
Ben took her hand gently, and looked
into her eyes. "How have you
managed to survive such tragedy?" he asked, sympathetically.
"You know how, Ben, by focusing
all my love on my son, the only reason I have left for living. Isn't that what you've done?"
Ben nodded slowly. "I suppose in a way it is. But you know, Olivia, we have a duty to live
for ourselves as well."
She fell silent, lost in her own
thoughts. At last she turned and shook
her head.
"I'm afraid to risk it again ‑
risk being hurt again." she said, and stood up abruptly.
Ben walked after her, surprised to
notice that his heart was bumping in his chest and his mouth was dry. He felt like an adolescent again, head over
heels in love with someone he hardly knew.
"Olivia," he said
urgently, touching her arm gently.
"Olivia, may we have lunch together? The Palace hotel is just over
the road, and I hear they have the most wonderful desserts imaginable. Forgive me if I am being too forward, but as
you get older you realize that too often we throw away opportunities for
friendship because of the rules of etiquette.
I ask no more of you than your company and your conversation, if that is
possible. Please...?" he said, with
a question in his voice.
Olivia hesitated, afraid of the
feelings which were stirring within her.
If she snubbed this handsome man now, she would probably forget him in a
month or two. If she spent the afternoon
with him, who could tell how deeply involved her emotions would be by the evening. She looked up at his brown eyes, which seemed
to be burning under his heavy, black eyebrows, and felt her determination
waver. Almost against her will, she
found herself accepting the invitation.
"What harm can a light lunch
and lighter conversation do? I would
love to join you."
Ben lead
the way to a quiet corner table, where the light was subdued. The table was laid with a crisp white
tablecloth, silver cutlery, and fine crystal.
A tiny posy in the center of the table and the
napkins folded into fans made it most attractive.
"What a beautiful hotel this
is, Ben." said Olivia, looking around her.
"Yes. I've heard that Ralston spent six million
dollars building this place. I believe
he's intent on making San Francisco the cultural center
of the West."
"Another great dream, I
suppose." said Olivia, with a smile.
"It's dreams which make life
worth living, Olivia. Dreams
and memories. If we couldn't
dream when reality is hard, what would be left for us?"
The waiter approached silently, and
handed them oversized menus. They looked for a few minutes at the choice of
delicacies available, and then Olivia asked
"What are you going to have
Ben?"
"Well," said Ben, putting
the menu down and smiling across the table at Olivia. "I shall start with
the Lobster Bisque, then the lemon sorbet, then I
think the Boeuf Bourgignon. And if I can manage it, I shall finish with
the strawberries and cream."
Olivia gasped. "Heavens!" she said, with a
laugh. "Just what I had intended to
order.!"
Ben chose a white wine and a red,
and they sat back and relaxed as they waited for the Lobster Bisque. Olivia told Ben about her husband's family in
"Such an upbringing could
easily have made you hard. How did you
manage to keep your sense of humour and your warmth in that cold
atmosphere?"
Olivia sipped the chilled white
wine, and shrugged.
"I had seven wonderful years of
happiness with my parents. They taught
me that the most important thing in the world is love. First love, and everything else will follow
naturally ‑ honesty, truthfulness, generosity ‑ they all come
naturally from love. Sometimes it was
hard to remember that, when my Aunts and Uncles made me feel so unwelcome, but
I felt I owed it to my parents to live up to their ideals."
"Your parents must have been
wonderful people." said Ben, enfolding her hand in his for a moment and
gazing into her eyes like a love‑struck youngster.
"Well, Ben, from what you have
told me about your boys, you have brought them up very much as my parents brought
me up, showing them love and understanding where others might have shown
harshness and inflexibility." she replied, meeting his gaze.
The Lobster Bisque arrived, and they
started to eat. It was a delicious meal,
well served and well presented, not too much of each course, but small
portions artistically arranged so that the eye was pleased just as much as the
palate. They both had room for the
delicious strawberries and cream, and Ben ordered a French
champagne to accompany them.
When they had finished the hot
strong coffee, Olivia sighed, and smiled at Ben.
"I haven't enjoyed myself so
much for years!" she said softly.
"And I haven't had such
charming company at table for years!" added Ben. He touched her hand gently. "May we repeat this, Olivia? Please say I may see you again." His voice was urgent, full of longing, and
Olivia felt her heart fluttering. She
could not refuse him, even though she knew she would probably regret it later.
"When?"
she asked, her voice betraying her feelings.
"This evening?" asked Ben,
noticing how her cheeks were flushed pink, and her eyes were brighter and
seemed to sparkle like the sun on the surface of
She smiled and shook her head. "I can't, not this evening."
"Then tomorrow,
in the park. Or I will come to pick you up. We could hire a Hansom cab and go
somewhere. Anywhere. As long as we can spend
some time together."
Olivia nodded, and laughed. "Yes, Ben, tomorrow. Come to my hotel, and we can spend all day
together.
"Now, after all this delicious
food, shall we walk awhile?" invited Ben, and she nodded her assent.
As Ben was returning to the Fernandez residence that
evening, his spirits were soaring. He
could, of course, never take to living in
At dinner that evening, Ben joined
the Fernández family, but declined all but a salad
and some fruit. Before he had told them
about his day, Angeles chattered on about how they had spent the day visiting
some very rich and important people, about the dresses the ladies wore, and the
decor of the houses. Ben tried to show a
polite interest, but his mind kept wandering back to Olivia.
"And Maria had a most
interesting afternoon, didn't you Maria?" said her mother, smiling
indulgently. Maria blushed and nodded.
"Maria went for a walk in the
park, and was gone for nearly three hours!
We were quite distraught with worry.
It was very naughty of her! But
you see, she met your friend, Mrs. Endicott, and they spent the afternoon
together. Isn't that right Maria? Such a pleasant person. Maria enjoyed the afternoon greatly."
Ben glanced quickly at Maria, and
saw that her cheeks were burning now, and that her eyes were fixed firmly on
her plate. Suddenly she stood up, and
stammered
"I'm afraid I don't feel too
well, Mama. I think I'll go to my room
and rest for a while."
Before anyone could react, she rushed from the
room and slammed the door behind her.
Angeles sighed.
"Don't take any notice of her,
Ben. It's just nerves about the
wedding. She is so excited, and she's
making herself quite ill." She
fussed with the flowers in the centre of the table, and poured herself another
glass of the chilled white wine. Turning
to Ben, she asked politely
"So tell us Ben, what did you
do with your day?"
Caught unawares, Ben was at a loss
for words. If he told the truth, he
would reveal Maria's lie. If he told a
lie, he was condoning and covering up what might turn out to be a dangerous
situation. He floundered, giving himself
time to think by picking up his glass of water, and sipping it slowly. Finally, he decided on a half truth,
something which went against the grain, but seemed the only course of action in
the circumstances.
"Well, I walked around
That opportunity did not present
itself until mid‑morning the following day, when he went in to the
library to look for a book, and found Maria writing a letter. As he opened the door, he noticed how she
quickly shuffled the sheets of writing paper so that a new piece of paper was
on the top. She stood up, and smiled at
Ben.
"How are you this morning,
Maria? I missed you at breakfast. Are you quite recovered now"
"Yes, quite, thank
you." Maria fumbled with the sheets
of paper, and did her best to look unconcerned.
"I'm glad I found you here
alone, Maria. I wanted to talk to you
about something rather important."
"Oh? And what's that, Uncle Ben?"
"Well, Maria, about honesty,
and truthfulness. I thought those things
mattered to you. Don't they any
more?"
Maria blushed deeply. "Of course they still matter!" she
said, picking up a fan and flicking it open.
"Then why did you lie to your
parents about how you spent the afternoon yesterday?" asked Ben,
seriously.
"I don't know what you mean!"
replied Maria, walking over to the window with her back to Ben. He followed her, and stood beside her,
looking out at the ornamental garden which was already dappled with the bright
colours of spring flowers. Taking her
gently by the shoulders, he turned her around to face him.
"You didn't spend the afternoon
with Mrs. Endicott, did you?" he said quietly, watching her closely.
"Why do you say that? What can you be imagining, Uncle Ben? How could you accuse me....? " she said tearfully, pulling away from Ben. He sighed, and said wearily.
"Because you see, Maria, I was
with Mrs. Endicott the whole afternoon, until shortly before I came in a supper
time."
Maria's red cheeks paled, and she
slumped into a chair sobbing. Ben handed
her a handkerchief, wondering briefly how many handkerchiefs Hop Sing had
packed for him. At this speed, he
thought ruefully, he would soon have to buy some more.
After a little while, Maria dried
her eyes, and turned to Ben.
"You won't tell my parents,
will you Uncle Ben? Please!" she
pleaded, wide eyed.
Ben sighed. "Maria, you must tell them yourself, and
explain why you felt the need to deceive them." He paused for a moment, then
continued. "It's a very bad thing
to deceive your parents, Maria, especially when they love you so much. I was forced to be rather less than truthful
with them last night when they asked me how I had spent the day,
and that was painful for me, but I very much wanted to give you the opportunity
to put right that lie yourself, and not to be found out."
Maria was quiet for a while, dabbing
at her eyes with Ben's handkerchief.
"They won't understand ‑
I don't know how to tell them" she said, unhappily.
"I'm sure if you explain things, explain how you feel, they will understand,
Maria."
"What would you do if Little
Joe or Hoss lied to you?" she asked quietly. Ben hesitated.
"Well, it would depend very
much on the circumstances. If I thought
that something I had done had made them feel that lying was the only way they
could do what they thought was right, then I would have to examine my
conscience first. But if I thought they
had lied to me just to cover up a misdemeanour, or something like that, then I
would be very severe with them."
Maria sighed. "Uncle Ben, I spent the afternoon with
Sam Hall. I suppose you guessed that,
anyway. We just walked and talked. He's such fun to be with. We didn't do anything wrong, honestly!"
"Well, Maria, it was wrong,
very wrong, of Sam Hall to arrange to meet you behind your parents' backs. And surely, it could hardly be right for you
to do so, knowing you are engaged to be married to Angus
Carmichael."
"Angus! I hate him!" she cried, breaking into
sobs again.
Withstanding the temptation to agree
with her, Ben took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Then, tell your parents you
won't go ahead with the wedding. How can
you marry a man you despise? It wouldn't
be fair to you, and certainly it wouldn't be fair to him. What kind of a future could there be for the
two of you in a marriage without love?" Ben exclaimed, saying more than he
had ever intended to.
"I can't! It would break their hearts. They are so pleased about this match, I can't
disappoint them. And the inviations have all gone out, and everyone knows about
it. Oh Uncle Ben," she said,
dissolving into tears again, "I wish I were dead!"
********************************
Chapter 10
Late on Monday night, Ben packed his
things into his valise, and quietly left the Fernández
residence, having first placed a letter explaining his action on the table in
the library. Earlier that evening, Maria
had told her parents that she had spent the previous afternoon in the company
of Sam Hall, and that she rather thought she was falling in love with him. They
had been horrified, pointing out that Sam Hall was, as far as they knew, a
penniless author and probably a fortune hunter, whereas Angus
had a private income of his own, and was going to inherit a great deal more on
his marriage to Maria.
Maria refused to be browbeaten, and
said that it was all due to Uncle Ben that she had seen that it was wrong to
marry a man she didn't love, and that she would always be grateful to him for
saving her from a loveless marriage.
After a rather unconvincing attack
of hysterics, Angeles had retired to bed with a bad headache, and Julio had
stamped up and down the library swearing he would challenge the insolent puppy
to a duel to defend his daughter's honour.
Ben had tried to pour oil on troubled waters, and had finally convinced
him that duel was out of the question, as the
Ben was shocked when Julio blamed
him for the whole affair, saying it was his fault for bringing the young man
into their home. He was prepared to
overlook this, realizing that Julio was upset and distraught, but when Julio
accused him of undermining his authority with his daughter, and of encouraging
her to disobey her parents in the question of the marriage with Angus, Ben decided that it would be better for everyone
concerned if he moved to the Palace Hotel, at least until things returned to
normal in the Fernández house. Ben was used to the fiery latin temperament of the Fernández
family, but he was also a proud man, and it hurt to be accused without
justification.
So it was that he slipped quietly down
the stairs when the house was quiet and made his way through the garden and out
to the road. He felt enormous relief at
the thought of being alone in his own room at the Palace, not being subject to
the formality of the Fernández house, and he walked
with a light step and a feeling of freedom.
The manager of the Palace Hotel
greeted him with his usual quiet efficiency.
"We have a charming suite on
the fifth floor, Mr. Cartwright. It
isn't your usual room, but I'm afraid we did not know you were arriving
tonight. Will that suit you?" he
enquired solicitously.
"Certainly.
I imagine that rising room of yours is working
efficiently, is it not?" asked Ben, not savouring the idea of climbing
five flights of stairs each time he went to his room.
"But of course, sir." The manager clicked his fingers, and a young
lad came to take Ben's valise. Although
it was unnecessary, Ben let the lad carry it for him, and gave him a handsome
tip, having taken a liking to his quiet, polite ways the last time he had
stayed at the Palace.
He enjoyed the luxury of a soak in
the bath, which had hot water piped to it, quite an innovation and one which
Ben thought would raise a laugh on the Ponderosa. He found that he missed the cheerful banter of
his three sons more than he had imagined, and wondered for the hundredth time
that day how things were proceeding.
There were several contracts due for completion, which Adam would have
to attend to, and Spring was quite a busy time on the
ranch. Still, he thought to himself, the
boys would have to run it all one day when he was gone, and it was good for
them to have an opportunity to practise now while he was still only a few days'
ride away if things got too complicated for them. When he had dried, and put on his nightshirt,
he climbed into the softness of the bed, and within minutes he was asleep.
The next morning was cool, and the
air was laden with a heavy mist typical of
Checking the time on his gold pocket
watch, he decided it was time to walk to the
Back at the home of Julio and
Angeles, everything was in turmoil.
Maria was adamant that she would not marry Angus,
and that indeed she did not want to marry anyone at all for the moment, and
would much rather be back on the ranch in Nevada than living in luxury in Nob Hill. Everyone
was distraught and running in circles, not knowing what to do, and all the
while letters, cards and telegrams of congratulation were arriving, accepting
with pleasure, or declining with regret, the invitation to the wedding. Most of the telegrams were placed, unopened,
on a silver salver, to be opened when there was time to answer them, if
necessary. The wire Adam had sent Ben the week before had become mixed up with
all the others, and so Ben was unaware of any of the problems which Adam was
facing back on the Ponderosa. So it was
that he was able to enjoy, with a carefree heart, his day with Olivia.
And how they enjoyed
themselves! They walked and talked,
laughed, bought ice cream from an Italian street vendor, and behaved as two
young lovers would behave, exploring each other's ideas and feelings, talking
about their pasts, and presents, and hopes for their futures, and generally
forgetting the rest of the world altogether.
They returned for lunch at the
Palace Hotel and lingered for a long time over the coffee. Finally Olivia smiled, and said with a sigh.
"I really must go, Ben. I have some shopping to do, and some legal
matters to attend to with my attorney."
Ben nodded his understanding. "So, shall we go to the theatre
tonight?" he asked, hopefully.
Olivia hesitated, just long enough to make Ben
nervous, then smiled happily, and said. "The theatre!
That would be marvellous!"
Olivia politely refused Ben's offer
to accompany her to her hotel, saying that her attorney had his offices quite
close to the Palace Hotel, and that she would go straight there. They arranged to meet later, and took leave
of each other at the main entrance to the Palace Hotel. Ben made straight for the theatre to buy the
tickets, and then decided he had better arrange to have his mail redirected to
the Palace Hotel. He didn't want any of
Adam's letters going astray. He spent
the afternoon writing to his sons, a long descriptive letter, which said much
about the city, the Fernández family, the
countryside, and Sam Hall, and nothing at all about Olivia. A man his age had a right to some privacy, he
decided, knowing how Joe would delight in joking about such a thing. When he had finished the letter, he rested
for a little over an hour, then filled the bath with hot water and perfumed
bath salts, and relaxed. No, he thought
to himself, he would not change the Ponderosa for
They enjoyed the theatre immensely,
although Ben was a little embarassed to see that the
star of the show was Adah Menken,
a lady he admired considerably, and had once asked to be his wife. The show was "Mazeppa"
which he had seen before in
It was the first of several days
spent together. Sometimes,
"Ben, he hasn't really got over
losing his father. He isn't stupid, and
I think he senses that we are more than just friends. I can understand his being, well, a little afraid
of the situation." said Oliva, as they sat over
a light supper one evening.
"But Olivia, I'm sure in the
end he would come to accept me. Not as
his father ‑ I would never want to supplant the memory of his father ‑
but as someone he could talk to, trust to be his friend, someone who would
always take care of him and look after him ‑ someone whose dearest wish
is to love and take care of his mother for the rest of our lives." His eyes were misty as he looked into
Olivia's blushing face.
Olivia smiled back at him, and she
sighed. "Ben," she said
softly, "Is that a proposal?"
"Of course it is, Olivia. You know I love you ‑ you know I want
to marry you. All you have to do is say
yes, and make me the happiest man in the world."
She turned away, to hide the tears
in her eyes, then said very softly
"Give me some time, Ben I can't answer
you straight away."
Much later, when he was taking leave
of her at the door to her suite, she looked up at him with her glowing amber
eyes and shook her head a little sadly.
"Ben, I want with all my heart
to say yes, but perhaps we should not see each other for a few days ‑
give ourselves time to reflect, to reconsider.
We both have families to think about.
Neither of us can act as if we were totally free. We have obligations and
responsibilities. Your sons would almost
certainly be horrified to hear that you were considering marriage after so
short an acquaintance."
"My sons would understand once
they met you Olivia. I know you would
have no problem winning their hearts."
Olivia shook her head slowly.
"They've been used to having
just a father, Ben, for many years. I'm
only a few years older than Adam myself, and I feel sure he would see me as an
intruder. I can think of nothing worse than
coming between you and your sons, and if we hurry things too much, that could
happen. Perhaps if we had a chance to
meet, once you are home on the Ponderosa..." She hesitated, and Ben took her hands in his,
lifting both of them to his lips, and kissing them gently.
"Olivia, our children mean a
great deal to us ‑ I wouldn't deny that ‑ but they aren't our whole
lives. I love my sons deeply, and I
would do nothing to hurt them ‑ but one day they will marry and have
their own families..
So will
"Give me some time, Ben."
she repeated.
He nodded slowly. "Of course. As much time as you need." There was a touch of sadness in his voice as
he asked."When may I see you Olivia?"
She slipped the key into the lock
and opened the door. "Today is
Saturday ‑ Can we meet on Wednesday evening for supper, perhaps?"
"Wednesday‑‑‑‑"
he repeated, counting the days mentally.
"I shall look forward to it.
May I call for you here?"
She smiled her agreement, and
started to go into her room. Changing
her mind, she turned, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Ben fleetingly on the
mouth. The effect on him was
electrifying, and for a few moments after she had gone, Ben just stood looking
at the closed door. There was no doubt
about it, he thought to himself. The
next four days were going to be the longest he had ever spent!
C H A P T E R 1 1
Joe spent most of Sunday resting,
hoping that his ribs would have improved enough to avoid the necessity of a
trip to the doctor on Monday. He read the
Territorial Enterprise first, from front page to last, and then started on one
of the novels which Ben had sent for Adam, but he soon tired of the long
descriptive passages and the lack of action, and went back to the Territorial
Enterprise. Finally he saw an article
which surprised him.
"Hey, Adam, did you see
this?" he asked, pointing to a half‑inch comment at the bottom of
the back page.
Adam glared at him, amazed at how
Joe seemed to have the ability to act as if nothing had happened within minutes
of being lectured. Unlike Hoss, who
brooded for a week if his father as much as raised his voice to him, Joe seemed
impervious to discipline for more than five minutes at a time.
"Well, what is it?" he
asked, in an irritated tone.
"It's those Hale and Norcross
stocks. They're going up. Hey, I've got a few of those, haven't I? I bought them at the same time as
"Let me see that!" said
Adam, taking the paper from his brother.
"Hey, Adam, d'you
think they've made a strike and the news has leaked out? Why else would the stocks be rising?"
Adam frowned. "Probably because people like you listen
to idle rumour, and believe it. I'll go
into town tomorrow and sell them like Pa told me to. They've reached more than he paid for them
already. Once people realize it's a
false rumour, they'll probably drop back to even less than they were before.
Joe shifted position on the couch to
take the pressure off his ribs, and looked up at Adam. "I think I'll keep mine. I've got a funny feeling about them"
Adam regarded him impatiently. "You know nothing at all about mining,
and even less about the stock market.
You should follow Pa's advice and sell."
Joe shrugged, wincing at the
unexpected pain the movement caused.
"I'll keep them." he said, with a grin.
Adam shook his head, and walked over
to the desk. "Might as well get
those stocks out now, and have them ready for the morning. If we're taking you in to see the doc, we'd
better get started early."
Joe buried himself behind the
newspaper, worried that Adam might decide to count the money once he had the
safe open. He heard the drawer open, and
the soft click and thud as the lever operated the secret compartment at the
back. There was a moment's silence, then Adam asked.
"Hoss, have you had the key to
the safe? It isn't here in the
drawer."
"Aw, come on Adam, what in tarnation would I be doing with the key to the safe?"
replied Hoss, walking over to the area of the living room which served as their
father's study.
Adam felt in the drawer again,
mystified.
"You must have put it in your
pocket Adam, when you opened it the day Pa went, remember?" said Hoss, feeling in the drawer
himself.
"No, I didn't. I distinctly remember putting it back and
closing the drawer. It's something I
always take the utmost care with."
Adam walked back into the living
room area, and stared at Joe, still hiding behind the newspaper.
"Joe, what do you know about
this?" he asked, his voice ominously quiet. Just like their father, Adam got quieter when
he was really angry. Joe recognized the
controlled fury in his voice. He put the
paper down, and looked up at his brother.
"I ‑ I don't know where
the key is, Adam." he replied, truthfully enough. He had imagined that he had put it back in
the drawer, but now that he came to think of it he couldn't remember doing
so. Neither could he remember what he had done with it.
Adam's eyes bored into him, seeking
out the truth. He was used to Joe's ability
to skirt around the truth in such a way that you assumed he had said something
quite different from what he really had said.
It was something Pa was always telling him about, but that was water off
a duck's back to Joe.
"Let me rephrase the question. Have you, today, or at some time in the
recent past, taken the key to the safe from the drawer? That requires a simple yes or no answer, Joe,
which is all I require."
Joe swallowed hard. His brother
would have made a good prosecutor, he thought, as he realized there was no way
around the truth this time.
"Well, as a matter of fact, yes
Adam." he replied, trying to sound at ease, a guilty smile crinkling his
face.
Adam nodded his head slowly, his hands firmly placed on his hips in a stance
which reminded Joe of his father.
"Is it too much to ask you why
you needed the key, Joe?" he continued, his eyes never leaving Joe's face.
"Well, that's a long story ‑
and one I meant to tell you, Adam, but, well, it slipped my mind. Well, I mean, I was waiting for a good moment
to tell you." he rectified, aware that Adam was
in one of his precise, incisive moods, and wouldn't let any half‑truths
escape his legal brain.
"Go on." Adam continued to glare at him.
Joe explained how Aaron Kaufmann had come to the house on Monday morning, and how
beautiful the saddle was, and what a bargain it was. Finally, he explained how, after all, the
money was theoretically his, and that he was sure Pa wouldn't mind. When he finally finished, Adam stood towering
above him, his jaw set hard, his dark eyes furious.
"You dare to tell me that you
stole money from the safe?" he said, enunciating each word separately and
clearly, the volume rising with each word.
Joe stood up and held his furious stare.
"Don't call me a thief,
Adam," he said, his voice trembling with anger, his eyes blazing back at
his brother.
"What do you want me to call
it, Joe? Since when have you had
permission to go to the safe whenever you feel like it, and take money without
Pa's say‑so?"
"Not whenever
I feel like it Adam, just once. Just once
because it was a chance I didn't want to miss, and you weren't here to ask. And my share of the profits last quarter was
way in excess of that, as you very well know, so don't call me a thief. It was my money I took from the safe, not
yours." Joe was shouting now,
standing with his fists clenched, and his face white with anger.
"Hey, hey, come on you
two." interrupted Hoss, standing between them and frowning at the two of
them. He put one massive, paw‑like
hand on each of them, and separated them just before they came to blows. "Now, Pa's been gone just under a week,
and you two are at each other's throats like jackals. What's got in to the pair of you? We're brothers, ain't
we, not a pack of wolf cubs. Now Joe,
you apologize to Adam for taking that key without his say‑so, and Adam, dadburn it, you apologize to Joe for calling him a thief,
or so help me I'll knock your heads together until I pound some sense into
you."
Adam and Joe stood glaring at each
other for a few long seconds. Finally,
Joe lowered his eyes, and said almost inaudibly
"I'm sorry I took the key,
Adam."
All the fury and tension seemed to
flow out of Adam at Joe's words. Running his fingers
through his hair , he looked a little sheepishly at Hoss.
"Yeah ‑ right," he
said, then hesitated and sighed.
Apologies never came easily to Adam.
"Well, I'm sorry I called it stealing." he muttered uneasily.
"That's a whole lot
better." said Hoss, stepping from between them, and taking yet another
look in the secret drawer.
"Okay, Joe, now what have you
done with that key?" he asked, cocking his head on one side.
"I guess it must be in my
jacket pocket." said Joe, making for the front door, where the jacket was
hanging. He felt in both pockets, but
there was no key.
"Maybe you put it in your
pants?" suggested Hoss hopefully.
Joe checked, then shook his head.
"I guess it could have fallen
out of my pocket." He felt again,
as if hoping by magic it might have reappeared, but all he found was a small
hole in the corner of the pocket, just big enough for a small key to fall
through. He turned the pocket inside
out, and let it speak for itself.
Adam sighed and sat down at his
father's desk.
"Have you any idea how much trouble
this is going to cause?" he asked, trying not to lose his temper again.
"The money Pa left for general expenses is in the safe. The stocks I'm supposed to
sell are in the safe. And just to make
matters impossible, Pa's list which he spent so long over, is also in the
safe."
"Don't you remember what was on
the list, Adam?" asked Joe hopefully.
"I remember the outline, but I
certainly don't remember the names of people I'm supposed to contact, the
addresses of people I'm supposed to write to, or the completion dates for
several unfinished contracts." Adam
sat down, and for a moment rested his face in his hands. Almost immediately, he became efficient and
businesslike again.
"Well, tomorrow we shall have
to send Pa a wire, and ask him to go to the manufacturers in
"Maybe I'll find the key,
Adam. It could be out at the branding
pen."
"I doubt if there's a chance,
but I suppose it's worth a try. With the
ground soft and the grass already growing, it wouldn't be easy to find even on
the surface, and as likely as not it's been trodden into the soil."
Joe glanced at his brother. "I guess you'll have to tell Pa how the
key got lost."
Adam nodded slowly. "Unless you have a
better idea, Joe."
He shook his head. "No, I guess not. I sure hope he doesn't decide to come home
early because of this."
"So do
All three were silent for a few
moments, then Hoss glanced at the grandfather clock hopefully, and his eyes lit
up when he saw that it was five to seven.
Nearly time to eat. He grinned
from ear to ear, walked over to the kitchen door, and smelt the air like a
hunting dog.
"Dadburn
it, I think I can smell roast pig!" he exclaimed, smacking his lips
together in joyful anticipation of the treat to come.
Adam sighed, and shook his head.
"Don't you ever think of
anything but food, Hoss?" he asked in an exasperated voice. Hoss looked back at him with an expression of
total bewilderment, his forehead wrinkled and perplexed, his mouth hanging half
open.
"You mean there's anything else
worth thinking about?" he questioned with an innocent grin. "Why in tarnation
didn't someone tell me before?"
The next few days were
uneventful. Joe, advised by the doctor
to take it easy until the pain had subsided, wasn't able to help with the
running of the Ponderosa, and to his utter dismay was ordered to help Hop Sing
in the kitchen.
"There's no reason why you
can't peel potatoes or wash plates, Joe. It's a pity you can't help Hoss bang
in those posts, but as Pa so often says, all work is honourable, and should be
done with enthusiasm and to the best of our ability." Adam grinned, not without malice, and Joe
made a face at him as soon as his back was turned. It was a great incentive to Joe to recover
from the cracked ribs, as Adam very well knew.
On Monday, after signing the
agreement with
"Will, this seems
a lot of money for a couple of broken chairs and glasses." grumbled Adam,
downing the glass of whisky in one gulp.
"And a table,
several bottles of whisky, the mirror behind the bar ‑ and the loss of
earnings. I had to close the place up after Joe left,
everyone was so all‑fired jumpy."
Adam sighed, and looked Will
straight in the eye.
"You're taking advantage of the
situation, and you know it."
"Well, Adam, if you'd rather I
wrote to your Pa and asked him to sort it out ‑ well, that's fine by
me."
Adam nodded slowly, acknowledging
defeat. "You'll have your money ‑
there's no need to go above my head, Will.
But you'll have to wait a few days.
I have a little problem with the safe."
"That's fine by me Adam. I know you're a man of your word." He refilled Adam's glass, and grinned.
Adam regarded the whisky thoughtfully,
finally deciding not to drink it.
"By the way, Will," he asked as an afterthought, "do you
know what started the fight? I haven't
been able to get it out of Joe..."
"Ah, well, it was that loud‑mouthed
Jake Roberts and a couple of his cronies.
They were mouthing off about what you Pa was
doing in
"I see," said Adam,
swirling the whisky around in the glass.
"So Joe didn't really have any choice, did he?"
Will shrugged. "Guess not." he said, wiping down
the bar, and polishing glasses.
"I've banned that Roberts gang from the saloon, anyway. I don't want that sort of trouble in here
again."
Adam paid for his drink and left,
having neatly folded the demand for two hundred and eighteen dollars and pushed
it into his pocket. He would frighten
Little Joe with that at supper, he decided, although he intended to pay for it
himself. Pa's honour was worth a couple
of hundred dollars, he decided, with a smile."
***************************
C H A P T E R
12
The rest of the
week passed by quietly. Hoss continued the work on the
branding pen, and by Saturday it was all but completed. On Monday morning, Joe declared himself fit enough
for work, tired of preparing vegetables and washing dishes.
"I'm not really sure I should
let you Joe. The doc said at least ten
days." said Adam, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Come on Adam, I'm almost back
to normal. Maybe I'm not up to branding
quite yet, but I can sure chase strays."
Adam thought for a moment.
"Well, I do have a job for you
this morning. It would be a great help
if you could drive in to
"Hey, sure." replied Joe,
beaming. A trip to
"Just one thing, Joe,"
added Adam seriously. "I haven't
forgotten that I'd confined you to the ranch until Pa gets back. That means that apart from the two errands
I've asked you to attend to, you're to do nothing else, understand?"
Joe grinned ruefully. "Not even a quick beer at the Silver
Dollar?" he asked cheekily.
"Especially
not a quick beer at the Silver Dollar. I
haven't forgotten what your last visit to that establishment cost me!"
retorted Adam, with the merest hint of a smile.
Joe shrugged cheerfully. "Ah well, no beer."
They finished breakfast, and Hoss
finally heaved himself out of his chair.
"Come on, little brother."
he said cheerfully. "I'll give you
a hand with the buckboard. Don't want
you hurting those ribs more'n necessary."
Joe followed him out to the barn,
and together they harnessed the horse to the buckboard.
"Joe, be sure and mind Adam
this time. Don't go getting into any
trouble, will you?" warned Hoss, his expression worried.
"Nope, big brother, I
promise. I don't want any more problems,
believe you
"You got the list?" reminded
Hoss. Joe checked in his pocket and
nodded.
"See you later, then short
shanks." said Hoss, slapping the horse on the rump and waving to Joe.
It took longer to get to
"Hi, Mr. Cass." he said,
as the owner came out on to the porch.
He handed him the list.
"You want to go for a beer
while I get this for you, Joe?" asked Will Cass, looking down the list,
and walking back into the store."
"Um ‑
no, not today, Mr. Cass. I've got to get straight back to
the ranch. Lots of work to do with Pa
away, you know."
Will Cass grinned, and started to
weigh out sugar, flour and rice. As Joe
waited, a friend from school days, Andy Davies, waved to him from across the
street, then came over to pass the time of day. They chatted for a few minutes, then Andy turned to leave.
Suddenly remembering something, he came back and signalled Joe to around
the other side of the buckboard where Will Cass wouldn't hear them.
"Have you heard about the new
occupant of that house at the end of "D" street?" he asked, with
a grin which stretched from one ear to the other. Joe shook his head.
"Wow, Joe, they say she's the
most fantastic woman
Unwilling to admit that he hadn't been
able to get in to Virginia City much in the past month, and that he was
now confined to the ranch for the next
month or so, Joe just said
"Heck, Andy, it's kinda busy at the ranch with Pa away. I haven't been in to town a lot lately."
"Well, if I were you, Joe, I'd
take a little drive up "D" Street.
You may catch a glimpse of her if you're lucky."
Joe grinned. "Sure thing, Andy, I'll do that."
he replied, before returning to the store.
With the provisions loaded, and the
letters safely packed into one of the boxes, Joe flicked the reins and
continued on down "C" Street to the end, then turned right down one
block, and right again into "D" street. He wasn't really watching where he was going,
craning his neck to look into the windows of the house at the end of
"D" Street, hoping for a glimpse of the famous new occupant, so when
the horse suddenly shied and bolted, he lost his balance and nearly fell off
the buckboard. To his amazement, he saw
five enormous animals on the other side of the road, heavily laden with bags
and boxes of every shape, ambling along with their heads in the air, an
expression of total contempt for the rest of the world on their strange
faces. Joe had seen pictures of camels
before, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a
animal in the flesh. Not that he had
much time to look closely, as the horse was totally out of control, terrified
by the apparition, and charging up "D" street with flaring nostrils
and white‑walled eyes. Before Joe
could bring her back under control, the wheel caught on a boulder at the side
of the street, and the buckboard tipped over, throwing the horse, provisions,
letters and Joe into the mud.
Momentarily stunned, Joe lay still for a few long seconds. When he came round, and opened his eyes, he
was in the arms of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"Are you all right?" she
asked, brushing the hair back from his forehead, and noting the trickle of
blood from above the hairline. Joe gazed
into her eyes, and managed a weak smile.
"Heck,
did I die and end up in heaven?" he asked, his smile widening by the
second. His eyes took in the creamy skin
and the softness of her neck. A close
fitting satin garment, delicately decorated with lace and sequins, left no doubt
as to her magnificent figure. Joe put
his hand to his head, and saw the blood.
"Oh heck, I feel faint
again!" he said, watching for her reaction.
"Here, I'll help you into the
house." she said, with a worried expression. "You can have some brandy, and I'll
clean you up a bit." Joe was about
to go with her, mesmerized by her beauty, when he remembered the horse.
"I've got to see to the
horse." he said, unhappily.
Turning, he saw that the animal had made no attempt to get up. Heart sinking, he dropped to his knees beside
the mare, and gently smoothed her neck.
She lifted her head, and whinnied to him.
"It's all right, old
girl," he said gently, smoothing her neck all the time, and feeling down
her legs to see if she had any broken bones.
His worst fears were confirmed ‑ one leg hung limp and
useless. Mouth dry, he took his gun from
the holster, then turned to look at the woman who had
helped him.
"Don't look" he said, his
voice trembling with emotion as he placed the muzzle against the horse's
head. Steeling himself, he closed his
eyes and pulled the trigger. The horse
shuddered, then finally lay still. He stayed kneeling at the horse's side,
fighting to overcome the waves of nausea and dizziness, and the tears which
threatened to embarass him.
"I've arranged for all your
things to be brought into my house. Come
on in until you feel better."
"I have to see about the
buckboard..." started Joe, but the woman put a finger on his lips to
silence him.
"It's all being taken care
of. There's nothing you can do for the
moment. Come with me."
Wearily, Joe followed her into the
house. She sat him down, and brought
cold water compresses for his head, gently bathing the blood from his
forehead. She made him hot coffee, and
spiked it with brandy, and then insisted he lay down for an hour.
"But Ma'am, I have to get back
to the ranch." he protested, as she covered him with a light blanket.
"Just call me Julia." she
said, softly, pulling the curtains to block out the bright sunlight. "Now rest, while I send for a horse and
buckboard from the livery stable. When
it arrives, you can drive on home."
With a smile she disappeared, and closed the door softly behind
her. Joe relaxed, his head hot on the
cool pillow, and within minutes he was asleep.
When he woke, it took him a few
minutes to remember where he was. His
head was thumping, and as he sat up the room seemed to sway around him. He stood up warily, and walked to the door,
opening it quietly. He looked into the
room beyond, but it was empty. Not quite
sure what to do, he shut the bedroom door somewhat noisily, in the hope that
Julia would hear, and appear from wherever she was. The idea worked, and Julia, dressed now in a
demure grey dress and bonnet, came into the room.
"I was about to wake you. I've hired a buggy and I'm ready to drive you
home."
"Oh, but really, Miss Julia, I
can't drag you all the way out to the Ponderosa. It's a good twenty miles...."
"I shall enjoy the drive, and
you're in no state to be in charge of a horse." She smiled at him, and handed him a cup of
coffee.
"Here, drink this and we'll be
on our way. Your family will be worried
about you."
Joe took the coffee gratefully, and
sat down beside an ornate, rosewood table.
"I've arranged for the
buckboard to be repaired ‑ there isn't a lot wrong with it ‑ and
the horse has been removed too."
Joe nodded, then glanced up
"I don't have any money on me,
but let me know what I owe you, and I'll see you get it."
he said, but Julia just smiled and patted his hand.
"You don't owe me anything,
Joe. You can pay me with a kiss when I
drop you at your home."
In spite of his bumping head and
aching ribs, Joe managed a lop‑sided grin.
"Wow, I just wish I could pay
all my debts that way," he said, gazing at her and adding, "Provided,
of course, all my
creditors were as beautiful as you!"
Joe was relieved to find that both Adam
and Hoss were out when they arrived back at the ranch. Julia refused his invitation to come into the
house and said softly
"Your Pa might not be pleased, Little Joe. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
Joe grinned. "You don't need to worry about
that. I can cause myself all the trouble
I need. Lately I'm an expert at
it!"
Julia laughed, blew him a kiss, and
started off down the road to
"Hey!" called Little Joe,
as she looked back at him. "Can I come to see you again some time?"
"Come and see me in a few
years' time, Little Joe." she said, with a light laugh, and was gone.
Only a few minutes
later, Adam and Hoss rode up and left their horses saddled by the hitching
post. Adam nodded at Joe.
"Sorry we couldn't make it back
in time for lunch." he said, as he dismounted. "Got tied up." He stretched, and brushed the trail dust from
his clothes.
"D'you
get the mail and provisions, Joe?" asked Hoss, as
usual thinking about his stomach.
"Sure. There's a letter from
"What does he say?" asked
Adam, interested to hear his father's news.
"Oh, I ‑ I haven't read
it yet." said Joe, distractedly.
Adam raised his eyebrows, and
sniffed. "Well, that does surprise
me. You can't usually leave a letter
unopened.
"It's addressed to you,
Adam." Joe replied, by way of explanation, sitting on the steps that led
to the porch. Adam and Hoss started
towards the house, and Joe followed them in silently.
"You okay Joe?" asked
Hoss, sensing that something was wrong.
Joe shook his head.
"Not too
good, Hoss. I had a problem in
"What sort of a problem?"
asked Adam, regarding his brother through narrowed eyes.
"Horse bolted. There was an accident, and I had to shoot
There was a short silence. Hoss shook his head sadly, and pushed his
hands into his pockets.
"Dadburn
it, I've never known that mare to bolt before.
She was the kindest, most sensible animal we ever had on the
Ponderosa. I'm sure gonna
miss that animal, and so's
"I know that." said Joe,
shortly. "D'you
think I enjoyed shooting her, or something?"
Adam sighed. "Where did this happen, Joe?"
Joe cleared his throat, hesitated
for a moment, then said quickly
"On
"D" Street, Adam."
"D" Street?"
questioned Adam, raising his eyebrows.
"What were you doing on "D" Street?"
Joe glared back at him, temper
rising rapidly. "What do you think
I was doing on "D" Street? I
was driving along it on my way home.
"Always drive along
"C" Street. Always have
done. Why d'you
decide to go down "D" Street today?"
"What does it matter where the
accident happened? I drove into town on
"C" Street, and it was easier to turn right, down a block, and back
along "D" Street. Don't tell
me you've never taken
that route when it's busy in town, damn you"
Adam took a step closer to his
brother, and pointed a finger at him.
"Don't swear at me, Joseph, and
don't raise your voice to me. It does
matter what you were doing in
"Why would I leave the horse
unattended, Adam? I told you, I was just
driving along "D" Street, that's all.
And don't call me Joseph. Only Pa
calls me that.!" Joe shouted.
Hoss came between them again, trying
to restore peace. Adam checked his
temper, and walked over to the fireplace.
After a few seconds he asked in as normal a tone as he could manage
"Why did the horse bolt,
Joe. Like Hoss says, she was the most
sensible animal on the Ponderosa."
Joe nodded in agreement. "Okay, so she was. But she'd never seen a herd of camels before. Come to that, neither had I!"
Adam snorted. "Camels! Camels, you say? Come on Joe, think
up a better excuse than that, for heaven's sake."
"Hey, Adam, I'm sorry, but I
said camels, and I meant camels." said Joe. "The horse took fright when half a dozen
camels appeared on the other side of the street. That mare just went mad, she was so
terrified."
"Joe, I'm trying to be patient
with you. I'm really trying to give you
the benefit of the doubt, but how can you possibly expect me to believe that in
the middle of the day, on a Monday morning in
"It's the truth." said
Joe, sullenly.
Adam stared at him angrily. "Same as it was the truth you had a
headache, and went to bed early, I suppose."
Stung by his brother's reproof, Joe
reacted angrily.
"You're gonna
be throwing that in my face for the rest of my life, I suppose, are you
Adam? I'm telling you there was a herd
of camels, and that's my last work on the subject."
"I'll tell you when it's your
last word on the subject, Joe, and it will be when you finally tell me the
truth about what you were doing on "D" Street, and how this accident
happened."
Suddenly, Joe lost his temper
completely.
"I've had just about enough of
your insinuations, Adam," he shouted, pushing his brother on the
shoulder. "I don't know what you
get up to on "D" Street which makes you so suspicious of me, but you
shouldn't judge others by yourself. I'm
not answering any more of your damn‑fool questions." He turned to go upstairs, but Adam took him
by the arm and pulled him around. The
movement jarred Joe's cracked ribs, and caused a sudden, unexpected searing
pain. Caught unawares, Joe reacted without thinking by throwing a punch at his
brother's chin. Adam lost balance, attempted
unsuccessfully to grab the bannister, and finally
fell against the bottom step of the staircase, hitting his head with a
resounding crack. Joe stood for a few
seconds as if spellbound by what he had done.
He backed away, then turned and fled from the house. A few seconds later, Hoss heard a horse
galloping away.
**********
C H A P T E R
1 3
Adam put a hand to his head, feeling
the lump which was rapidly growing.
Looking first at the open door, and Joe's disappearing figure, and then
at Adam prostrate on the floor, Hoss frowned and shook his head.
"You okay?" he asked, not
knowing whether to go after Joe, or stay with Adam.
"I suppose so," said Adam,
rubbing his jaw. "That young
brother of ours can certainly pack a punch when he feels like it."
"Well, I'm not surprised he
lost his temper." said Hoss, glaring at Adam.
"What do you mean by
that?" asked Adam, still rubbing his jaw and moving it experimentally.
"Well, you did keep on and on
about his being on "D" Street.
Heck, Adam, Joe's not much more than a kid. Did you think he was going to one of those
brothels there or something?"
"It's all very well for you Hoss,
but I have a duty to see that things are run the way Pa would want. I don't want him coming home and hearing
gossip that Joe's been mooning around "D" Street in the middle of the
day."
"Well, I reckon as how Pa would
be more worried if he'd been mooning around, as you say, in the middle of the
night. He's not likely to get up to much
mischief at
Hoss walked over to the open door,
and looked out at the front yard. It was
early evening, and the huge pine tree was throwing its dark shadow right across
the yard and the corral.
"Dadblame
it, Adam, he's taken my horse!" he said, looking across the front yard to
the hitching post.
"He'll be back, Hoss, when he gets
cold enough and hungry enough."
"Perhaps I'd better go after
him." Hoss mused, standing in the doorway, his huge frame blocking most of
the daylight as he leant against the doorpost.
"Let him be, Hoss. When he simmers down he'll come back of his
own accord."
Hoss sighed, walked back into the
room and poked the fire viciously.
"He's not even armed,
Adam. He didn't stop to pick up his
gun."
"Presumably he'll have the
sense not to go into
"I sure hope so." said
Hoss, worried. "Problem with Little
Joe is that he doesn't always think as straight as he should, specially when he's in a
temper."
The problem with Little Joe is that
he doesn't think, period." said Adam,
caustically.
Hoss sat down, and for a long time
they were both quiet. Finally, Hoss said
"You know, Adam, we never even
asked him if he was hurt in the accident, or how he got home from
"Come on, Hoss, we could see he
was okay." said Adam, also beginning to feel a little guilty about the way
he had handled the argument.
"Maybe." said Hoss. "But we didn't stop to think how he must
be feeling. No‑one likes to shoot
a horse, a horse you've had around since you were a little'un. Joe was only about four years old when
Adam nodded his agreement, and
sighed. "Well," he said,
throwing himself into the blue velvet chair,
"Let's hope he gets back soon."
More than an hour passed. Adam and Hoss had supper, althought
neither was particularly hungry. They
left plenty in the dishes, hoping that Joe would be back, and it could be
warmed up for him. After dinner, Adam
sat cleaning his rifle, while Hoss leafed through the paper which Joe had
brought back, together with the mail.
Suddenly, Hoss saw virtually the same article his father had seen in the
San Francisco Chronicle.
"Hey, Adam, look at this! Joe was telling the truth! They have brought camels to
Adam read the article with sinking
heart. "No wonder he was so
upset." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose, and rubbing his
forehead.
Hoss stood up, walking to the front
door and gazing out at the evening.
"I don't know about you, Adam, but I'm beginning to get worried
about Little Joe. I'm going to ride to
the lake, around his Ma's grave, and see if he's up there."
Adam stood up as well, and started
to buckle on his gun belt.
"You're right, Hoss. I'll take the opposite direction, into
Hoss grinned, and nodded.
"Yeah, like that night Pa and
us were out looking for him and Maria in the snow, and all the time he was here
eating apple pie in front the fire." said Hoss, smiling at the memory.
"You take Pa's horse,
Hoss. I'll get started right away."
said Adam, pressing his hat firmly on his head.
As Hoss led his father's horse out
of the barn, and started off towards the lake, the sun was dipping down behind
the mountains on the opposite side of the lake.
There would only be another half an hour of twilight left, and then it
would be impossible to pick up any track.
Hoss cursed himself for listening to Adam, and not going after Joe as
soon as he had left. If anything
happened to Joe, it was sure going to be difficult to explain to Pa why they
had left it until it was nearly dark to go looking for him. Along the edge of the lake he rode, stopping
occasionally and calling his brother's name, but there was no response. He rode to the grave where Little Joe's
mother was buried, dismounted for a while, and took his hat off.
"I reckon you know where he is,
ma'am," he said softly, gazing out across the lake. "I sure hope we can find him and take
him home safe and sound." He
mounted, tipped his hat, and rode on.
Eventually, it was too dark to see
anything, and Hoss slowly made his way back to the ranch. He looked first in the barn, where Little
Joe's horse stood chewing hay. For a
moment his spirits rose, having forgotten that Joe wasn't riding Cochise, but his own horse, Chubby. Cursing softly, he led his father's horse
into the stall, and unsaddled him.
"I sure hope Adam's had more
luck." he thought, as he carefully hung up the bridle, and covered the
saddle with a blanket. Before he had
time to go back to the house, he heard the sound of a horse approaching, and
went out quickly, hoping it was Joe.
Adam jumped down from his horse
easily, realizing immediately from Hoss's expression
that there was still no sign of Joe.
"Damn fool maverick." he
said under his breath, leading his horse into the barn.
"D'you
figure anything's happened to him?" asked Hoss, pushing his hat to the
back of his head.
"Joe can look after
himself. I expect he's trying to make us
feel guilty, so when he gets back he won't be in so much trouble." said
Adam, throwing more hay in the manger.
"You may be right. Still if he's not back by first light, we'd
better go looking for him‑." said Hoss unhappily.
"He'll be back, Hoss, Mark my
words. He's had no supper tonight, so by
breakfast time he'll be hungry enough to swallow his pride."
Hoss grunted, not convinced, and
started towards the house. As he reached
the solid front door, he noticed a piece of paper attached to the door with a
penknife. He pulled the knife out, and
tried to read the note, but it was too dark.
"Look at this, Adam. There's a not stuck on the door here."
Adam came up, fingering the damage
to the wood with an irritated expression.
"Well, what does he say?" he asked, sighing.
Inside the living room, Hoss screwed
his eyes up to make out the writing, which was very feint.
"It says 'We have your
brother. If you pay us five thousand
dollars we will let him go. If not, we
will kill him. Put the money in the
hollow pint by Marlette Creek by
"Let me see that." said
Adam, snatching the paper from his brother's hands. "Oh, come on, Hoss, this is Joe's
writing." He looked at the knife. "And this is Joe's penknife." he
added, throwing both things onto the huge table in front of the fireplace in
disgust.
"Does he think we're
stupid? He must have seen us leave, and
then he put this note here to frighten us.
He'll be out there laughing his head off. Well, let me tell you, I'll wipe that laugh
off his face for him when I catch up with him.
I'm going to give that young brother of ours the lesson Pa should have
given him months ago."
"Aw, come on Adam, you don't
really mean that."
"Don't I heck! It's time he learnt to behave like a
responsible adult."
"Yeah, well that's as maybe,
but life would be one helluva lot more boring without
Little Joe's tricks." said Hoss, picking the note up again.
"I'll settle for that."
said Adam, angrily, pouring himself a glass of his father's favourite
brandy. "You want one?" he
asked Hoss, waving the decanter in the air.
Hoss shook his head, and sat down
opposite the fire.,
For a long time neither spoke, then finally, Hoss said.
"Well, I reckon as how I'll get
to bed. If Joe's not back by breakfast,
I'll go look for him again."
Adam shrugged. "Just as you like." he said,
picking up the newspaper and settling into the chair. "But he'll be back."
Hoss got undressed and climbed into
bed. For a while, he sat there, hands
linked behind his head, gazing into space.
His mind wandered over myriad things, smiling occasionally at the memory
of the many jokes Joe had played on them all, but mostly on him. Usually, he didn't really mind, although he
pretended to be as mad as a nest of hornets.
Joe meant no harm by it, although it was sometimes infuriating to land
on his rump in the dust when Joe had loosened the cinch on his saddle, or find
his face sooty black from washing with some trick soap his brother had bought at
a fair, or jump at finding a rubber snake curled in his bed, but, well, it made
life more fun.
He was about to blow out the oil
lamp, when he saw Joe's note which he had brought up with him. He read it again, then
noticed that it was written on very fine paper, the sort of paper bibles were
printed on. At the bottom in very small
print, he could just make out the name of the publisher, Chapman's of
"What the....! he started, but Hoss interrupted, pushing the piece of paper
under his nose.
"Look at this, Adam. This is the flyleaf out of a book. Where would Joe have got hold of that. And anyways, it
looks like it's the first page of a religious book or something. Joe wouldn't deface a book like that, would
he?"
Adam took the piece of paper, and
read the words at the bottom. For a
moment he said nothing.
"My God, Hoss, you're
right. This is the imprimatur of an
English Cardinal ‑ that means it's a Catholic devotional book of some
kind. Not only would Joe not deface a
book like that, but he wouldn't have one anyway."
"Which mean" said Hoss,
his face paling at the realization, "That there must be someone else involved."
"Yes" agreed Adam, feeling
his heart bumping painfully in his chest.
"Someone who had kidnapped Joe!"
For a few seconds, neither spoke,
both looking with horror at the words written on the paper.
"Of course," said Adam, kicking
the table with frustration, "They would have got Joe to write the note so
that no‑one could recognize their handwriting."
"Like as not
they can't write anyhows." said Hoss, glaring at the dying
fire.
"What are we going to do,
Adam?" he asked.
"Pay, I suppose. If we pay,
they'll let Joe go." he said, not sounding too convinced.
"Can we get five thousand
dollars by tomorrow at
"We'll have to, Hoss, we'll
have to. If necessary, we'll have to
blow the safe."
"Surely we can get it from the
bank." said Hoss, imagining the damage blowing the safe would cause."
"They may not have that
much. there
have been so many robberies lately, they don't usually keep large sums of money
around. I know Pa usually advises them a
week or so in advance if he needs a large amount of cash."
"Should we tell Roy Coffee, do you
think?"
"I don't know. I'll have to think. I don't know what's best to do." replied
Adam, running his fingrs through his thick black
hair, and pacing up and down.
"This is all my fault." he
said quietly, his fists clenched, his face white and
strained.
"No it ain't,
Adam. It's nobody's fault but the
varmints who've got Little Joe."
"No. It's my fault. You wanted to go after him, and I wouldn't
let you. I should have thought of his safety,
out there unarmed at night, rather than my own pride. I know Pa would have expected me to put Joe's
safety before anything else. I don't
know how I'll ever face Pa with this if anything happens to Joe."
Adam sank into the leather chair, and covered
his face with his hands. Hoss put a hand
on his shoulder.
"Nothing's going to happen to
Joe, Adam. We'll pay the ransom, and
they'll let him go. Once Joe's home, we
can chase them to the ends of the earth and bring them to justice."
Adam nodded, afraid to put into
words what he feared: that Joe might
have recognized the men who had abducted him, and therefore be such a threat to
their safety that once they had collected the ransom, they would kill him.
"I'll have to wire Pa first
thing romorrow. He'll want to be here." said Adam, his
voice dull and expressionless.
"Yep, I reckon he will at
that." agreed Hoss.
They both knew it was useless to go
to bed, as neither of them would sleep, so Hoss went to the kitchen and made
coffee, and Adam paced up and down the room trying to work out what to do. When Hoss came back with the coffee, Adam
looked at him and said.
"I wish to
"Adam, it's no good wishing Pa
were her, 'cos he ain't. We've got to sort this out on our own, so
we'd better get started thinking constructively, not wallowing in guilt."
Adam nodded,
surprised at Hoss's presence of mind in a crisis.
"Yes. You're right, of course. Hoss, tomorrow I'll ride in to town and get
the money, send the wire, and consult with Roy Coffee. I want you to go to the pine tree and put a
letter there. We'll try to stall them a
while in the hope we can pick up a trail."
Hoss frowned. "What's the point, Adam? Why take the risk? Just pay up, and try to track them after
Joe's safe."
"It's not the best way,
Hoss."
"Now come on, Adam, every
minute Joe has to spend in their hands is a living hell for him. You can't seriously be thinking of prolonging
that just so's you don't have to pay the ransom, can
you?"
Adam shook his head slowly. "It's not that, Hoss. For God's sake, don't you know I'd give every
cent we have ‑ sell the Ponderosa if necessary ‑ if I though it
would bring Joe back safe. But paying
the ransom could be just the wrong thing to do."
Hoss frowned. "How so?" he asked.
"Supposing Joe knows the
kidnappers. Supposing he's recognized
them. Once they've got the money, they
won't have any alternative but to ..." his voice trailed off, unable to
complete the sentence. He cleared his
throat and took a long swig of coffee.
"On the other hand, if we ask them for proof that Joe is still
alive ‑ another letter from him, for instance, in his own handwriting,
then we get another chance to pick up a trail, and another day to look for
information."
"That's all very well, Adam,
but how's Joe gonna feel when we don't pay the ransom
and get him out of there.?"
"Joe's no fool. He'll understand" said Adam, beginning
to pace the room again.
Hoss hesitated. "Well, you're the boss.
" he said, pouring out more coffeefor
both of them
"Yes." said Adam, gazing
morosely at the fire. "Would
to God that I weren't."
*****************************************
C H A P T E R
1 4
When Joe ran out of the Ponderosa,
and jumped on the first horse he found saddled, he hadn't intended to spend the
night out. He realized he had let his
temper get the better of him, and over‑reacted, and he regretted punching
Adam almost as soon as he had done it, but punches, like words, could not be
taken back. He knew Adam would be as
angry as a nest of hornets, and he wasn't going to stay around to suffer his
brother's fury. He rode away from the
house, climbing into high country, from where he would be able to look down
over the beauty of
After riding for about at hour, he
reached a point from where the whole of the lake was visible, and he jumped
down from Hoss's horse, relieved to be out of the
saddle. The stirrup leathers were much too long for him, and made riding
uncomfortable. Throwing the reins over a
bush, he walked to the edge of the clearing and gazed over the lake, breathing
the cold evening air deeply. After a few
minutes, he thought he heard a twig break to his left, and his hand
automatically went for his gun, but found nothing. Alone and unarmed, he decided not to
investigate the sound, but mount up and head back to the Ponderosa. As he put his foot in the stirrup to
"Hold it right there,
Cartwright." a voice rasped. Joe
froze, recognizing the voice;
Jake Roberts, the man he had fought with in the Silver Dollar
Saloon. He turned slowly, hands partly
raised.
"I'm not armed." he said
quickly. Jake smiled a long, slow,
vicious smile.
"Well, well, so I see,
Cartwright." He stood there, legs
apart, hands on hips, staring at Joe maliciously. "Come on out!" he called to the
trees behind him. The two wranglers
whose heads Hoss had knocked together came out from the trees, followed a few
yards behind by a lad of about thirteen, with the same sandy hair and blue eyes
as Jake, but an expression of fear rather than malice. Joe swallowed hard. Against three armed men he had no chance, and
he wasn't stupid enough to risk his life by making any wild heroic gestures.
"What do you want,
Roberts?" he asked, quietly.
"Well, what are you offering,
Cartwright?" he retorted, with a sneer.
"Let's just forget I found you
here on our land, and you forget you saw me.
There's no point in looking for trouble."
"Well, boy, you're the one with
trouble, not
Joe waited, wondering what they
intended to do. Jake eyed him like a
rattlesnake about to strike. He turned
to the other two.
"Hold his arms." he said,
with a leer.
Joe's heart sank. So, they were going to take their revenge for
the beating they'd taken from Hoss. He
backed away, but they were on him in a flash, and pinned his arms behind him. Jake came up close, his fists clenched.
"Let's see what a big man you
are without that ox of a brother of yours to protect you." he said,
throwing a vicious
punch at Joe's stomach. Jos gasped and doubled up with pain, and before he could
straighten up Jake brought the back of his hand across his face, then jerked
his knee up into Joe's groin. Seeing
stars, Joe saw the young lad run up to Jake and pull him off.
"Leave him alone, Jake! You'll kill him. Can't you see he's had enough?"
Jake lashed out at the lad with the
flat of his hand, sending him sprawling on the grass.
"You mind your manners or
you'll feel the buckle end of my belt." he shouted, punctuating his words
with a cruel kick in the back. The lad
crawled out of range, wiping the blood from his lips and the tears from his
eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. The
other two had let Joe go, and he struggled to get up, but Jake pushed him over easily with his
foot.
"Big man, eh?
High and mighty Cartwright, eh? How does it feel to eat dirt like the rest of
us have to?"
Joe stayed down. He'd just have to ride this man's temper out,
and hope it didn't take too long, he thought, knowing that a naturally vicious
character like Jake was capable of almost anything. The other two helped the lad up, and looked
at Jake angrily.
"Come on Jake, that's enough, You've no call to
take it out on your brother, and Cartwright's had enough. Let's get out of here now."
"Get out of here? Are you mad?
This is our great chance to make us a fortune. This is the goose that's going to lay us the
golden egg. Ain't
that right Cartwright?"
"I don't know what you
mean." said Joe, eyeing Jake cautiously.
"What I mean, boy, is that your
Pa will pay a lot of money to have you returned home safe and sound, won't
he? A lot of money." he repeated
with a smile.
"You figuring on kidnapping
him?" asked the taller of the two men, taking his hat off and scratching
his head.
"Why not?
Old man Cartwright would do anything for his litter of wolf cubs. Ain't that
right?" he said, pushing Joe over again as he tried to stand.
"You've picked the wrong
time." said Joe, struggling for breath.
"Pa's away in
Jake scowled, and growled like a rabid
dog when he heard this new information.
"So, who's in charge at the
Ponderosa?" he asked finally.
"My brother
Adam."
"Ah, yes, Adam, the one who
thinks he cleverer than everyone else. Well, we'll see how clever he is now we've
got his little brother as hostage.
Perhaps that'll make him a bit less proud, eh boy?"
Jake turned to the others. "Tie his hands and get him on his
horse." He turned to Joe. "You keep your mouth shut. One shout, one call for help, and I'll fill
you with lead. You savvy?" he spat
out.
"Sure." said Joe quietly,
realizing he had no alternative but to obey.
They rode through the forest, and
then began the long downhill ride to the
Jake jumped off his horse, and spoke
to the other two so quietly that Joe couldn't catch what he said. They turned to him, and dragged him off the
horse, pushing him violently towards the mine.
He stumbled a couple of times, losing his balance on the rough
ground. When they were inside the mine,
Jake took a candle from a niche on the wall, and struck a match. The candle spluttered, almost died, then began to burn brightly.
"Good little hideout we've got
here, don't you think Cartwright? You
could stay here for years and no‑one would find you. You could starve to death, and no‑one
would hear your shouts for help, eh?" he jeered.
They pushed him on deep down into
the mine, until they came to an area which was supported with a honeycomb of
square set timbers, the Deidesheimer design for deep
shafts in the Comstock.
"Tie him to the timbers,
Clay," Jake ordered, smiling. "If be moves too much, he'll pull the lot down on
himself."
Clay, the shorter of the other two
men, took Joe's wrists, and started to tie him up.
"Hold it!" said Jake, thinking . "We'd
better get him to write a ransom note.
Don't want to use our own handwriting, do we? You never know what they might prove with
that. You got some paper boy?"
Joe shook his head.
"Dammit!"
cursed Jake, kicking a stone and sending it flying across the ground. Suddenly he brightened. "Hey, Josh, bring that book you keep in
your saddlebag. That'll like as not have
a clear sheet in it somewhere."
"Aw, come on Jake. That's the only thing I've got that Ma gave
me. You can't rip that up, please!"
Jake turned on him, his face
evil. "You defying me, boy?"
he asked, starting to unbuckle his belt.
Josh backed away, shaking his head.
"No Jake ‑ I'm sorry.
I'll go get it." He turned
and stumbled back up the shaft in the dark to where the horses stood outside,
and a few minutes later returned with a small, ivory covered book. Jake opened it, ripped out the flyleaf, and
tossed the book onto the floor by Joe.
He took a stubby pencil out of his pocket, and handed it to him.
"Now, if you know what's good
for you, write down what I say."
Joe picked up the book to rest the
paper on, and carefully wrote the message Jake dictated. When he had finished, Jake snatched the
paper, but forgot the pencil, which Joe left on the ground by his side.
"Stand up." he said,
gruffly, and Joe's heart sank. With the
letter written, they were free to kill him now, and he feared that was what
they were about to do. However, Jake
started to search him, smiling when he found the small pocket knife Joe always
carried in his jacket pocket.
"You won't be needing
this." he said, sneeringly, slipping it into his pocket. He pushed Joe to the ground, and started to
tie his wrists to the timbers. The other
two, Clay and Carter, watched him nervously.
"Are you sure this is a good
idea, Jake?" asked Carter, watching for Jake's reaction.
"Course it is." Jake
finished with a double knot, then took off his kerchief and gagged Joe with
it. As he stood up, he gave Joe a last
kick to remind him who was boss.
"Let's go." he said. "We've got to get that note to the
Ponderosa tonight, while it's still dark."
They turned and left, not even
glancing back at Joe, and taking the candle with them. Joe was left in total darkness and silence.
Although he was unable to lie down
properly, because of the position of his wrists, Joe finally managed to find a
reasonably comfortable position, and drifted into a fitful sleep. It was cold and damp, and the uneven floor
was a hard bed compared with the soft feathers of his bed at the Ponderosa. Several times Joe woke shivering with cold,
and tried to warm himself up by moving his legs, but the cold seemed to be
sapping his energy, and it became more and more difficult to bother. All sense of time eluded him. He didn't know if it was day or night, and
the deep, total silence seemed to disorientate him. In the short stretches of sleep, he dreamed
strange, disjointed dreams. Adam was
chasing him in one of his dreams, and he couldn't seem to run to get away. He awoke, panic choking him
, and realized he was pulling with all his strength on the timbers. He heard the creaking and settling of the
rock above him, and stayed quite still.
He knew that the wood was old and partly rotted with the dampness of the
mine, and if it gave way, thousands of tons of rock would bury him for ever
under Sun mountain. He decided that he had better not sleep again,
for fear of bringing that about, and sat up uncomfortably.
He decided to think about what he
would do if he ever escaped from his present predicament. Pleasant thoughts helped to allay the panic
which was rising in his throat, and kept him awake. First, he told himself, a long hot bath in
front of the fire, soaking until the water cooled, and then refilling it with
boiling water which Hop Sing would bring from the kitchen. He began to imagine every detail of the
downstairs room at the Ponderosa; the huge stone fireplace, with the massive
horns hanging above;
to the left, the box for the sticks used to light the fire; further left, on the wall, the oil painting
of a mass of flowers, and under that, the side table where the coffee pot stood
in the morning, together with two massive silver candlesticks and an oil
lamp. Then there was the table and
chairs, beautifully carved pieces of furniture in a dark glossy wood. He thought about his father's study, with the
ornate wood‑burning stove, and the leather topped desk, behind which
there hung a map of the Ponderosa. He
had often wondered why North was not at the top of the map, as was usually the
case; behind
the door, the magnificent grandfather clock, and opposite that, at the bottom
of the stairs, the gun rack with his father's rifles and hunting guns. He continued to think about the Ponderosa,
and gradually the cold seemed to be less, and the pain seemed to subside. He imagined the fine meal Hop Sing would
prepare to celebrate his return, and the soft white sheets which would be on
his bed.
At length, he started to think about
his family. He imagined his brother
Hoss, with his wispy brown hair and pale eyes, and a face which lit up when he
smiled. He thought about his father,
whose eyes could twinkle with fun when he was pleased, and
could bore deep into you when he was angry, which was not very often. Unable to avoid it, he began to think about
what it would do to his father if he were killed. He had already lost three wives, whom he had
loved dearly, and to lose a son would be another bitter blow. The feeling of panic began to return, and the
dark mists of unconsciousness overcame him.
******************************************
CHAPTER 16
When Clay picked up Adam's note with
the hundred dollars enclosed, he couldn't read it because he'd never learnt how
to. He rode back to
"Hey, you, read this to me, and
keep it quiet." he said, passing him the letter. He was tired of having his kid brother
trailing him everywhere, but occasionally he had to admit he had his uses.
Jake cursed roundly when he heard the
contents. "What do these Cartwrights want?" he said. "I've told them I've got their kid
brother and I'm gonna kill him if they don't pay up,
and they're playing games with me."
"What are we gonna do now, Jake?" asked Carter, spitting tobacco
juice in the street.
"S'pose
we'd better get another note. Good thing
I decided to keep the kid alive until they paid up." he said, mounting
up. Josh glanced at his brother, worried
sick. It was the first time he had heard
his brother talk about killing. Joe
Cartwright was the son of a rich and powerful man, who would stop at nothing to
avenge his death, and Josh felt a premonition of disaster.
They rode back to the mine, being
careful to ensure that they were not being followed, and made their way down
the shaft to where Joe lay sleeping fitfully.
He had been sixteen hours tied in that position, with no water or food,
and freezing cold, and he was near exhaustion.
When he heard footsteps he didn't know whether to feel relieved or
afraid, but he hardly had the energy left to care one way or the other.
Jake untied his hands, and poked a
piece of paper at him.
"Here ‑ your big brother
wants another letter from you. I don't
think he wants to pay up for you, so you'd better ask him real nice to part
with the money, or you'll be rotting in here for the rest of eternity."
Joe tried to pick the pencil up, but
his hands refused to obey him. The blood
had been restricted for so long that now that it was rushing back in, it caused
more pain than before. He tried to rub
his hands together to get the circulation going, but it was useless.
"Well, what are you waiting
for?" Jake said sharply.
"Give me a minute, can't
you? My hands won't work. They've been tied up so long." Joe tried to lick his lips, but he'd been so
long without a drink tht there was no saliva left.
"Let me have some water."
he said, easing his legs into a more comfortable position.
"I'll get the canteen."
said Josh, starting off towards the entrance to the shaft.
"Stupid kid." growled
Jake, glaring at Josh's retreating back.
"Why don't you leave him alone,
Jake." Joe said quietly. He's just a kid, and shouldn't be mixed up in
this sort of thing"
Jake threw a vicious kick at
Joe. "Keep you mouth shut! He's my brother, and I'll do what I like with
him." he said, smiling when he saw Joe grimace with pain.
Josh came back with the canteen, and
offered it to Joe. He drank a few
mouthfuls, before Jake pulled it away from him.
"That's enough. You can have some more when you write the
note." he said, a cunning grin on his face. Joe knew he rpobably
wouldn't let him have any more, but the little he had managed to swallow had
revived him, and would probably keep him alive a little longer. And anyway, he had thought of a way of giving
Adam and Hoss a clue as to his whereabouts, if only they would be quick enough
to understand it. For the first time, he
began to have hope that he might get out of the mess
he was in. Adam would almost certainly
pick up the clue, thought Joe, remembering with a pang of guilt how he had
gotten into all this trouble. The
problems he had getting on with Adam seemed pretty stupid compared with the
problems Josh had with his brother Jake.
Joe picked up the pencil and began writing, resting the paper on Josh's
book again. When he had finished it,
Jake handed the letter to Josh and told him to read it aloud.
Joe held his breath, afraid that
Jake would realize the hidden message, but none of them was bright enough to
see it, except perhaps Josh, who threw a quick glance at Joe, then turned
away. Joe noticed the glance, and feared
he knew what it meant. He held Josh's
eyes, trying to convey by his expression an appeal for the boy not to say
anything, and to his relief, Josh remained quiet.
Jake folded the note in half.
"Here you are, Carter. Put this
in the saddle bag of that horse of Cartwrights, and
send it on its way. It'll find it's way home eventually, and that'll be safer than going
back to the pine again today." He
turned to Clay. "Tie the kid
up." he said, throwing him the rope.
Josh went to offer Joe the canteen
again, but Jake pushed him away.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to interfere?"
"But you said he could have
some more if he wrote the note, Jake." said Josh, retrieving the half
empty canteen from the floor. "That isn't fair."
"You think you can defy me and
get away with it boy?" he said, slowly and deliberately unbuckling his
belt, a smile of sadistic pleasure on his face.
"Come on, Jake, the boy meant
no harm." said Clay, knotting the rope tightly around Joe's wrists.
Jake lifted the belt and brought it
down hard on the his brother's shoulders. The boy lifted his arm to keep the blows off
his head, cowering against the side of the mine shaft. Joe closed his eyes and listened to the the sound of the belt hissing through the air and thudding
mercilessly on the boy's back, and he silently vowed that if he ever got a
chance, he would personally remove every inch of Jake's skin from his back to
pay him back. Finally the noise stopped,
and Joe opened his eyes. The only sound
was the short gasping breaths from Josh, who had refused to please his brother
by yelling, and the heavy breathing of Jake, who was putting his belt back on.
"That'll teach you to do as
you're told." he said, his face suffused with satisfaction. "You can stay down here with your
friend. I'm sick of having you tagging along
behind
"Jake, don't leave me down
here." pleaded Josh, trying to stand up.
"I'll do anything you say, honest.
Don't leave me here in the dark."
"Shut you whining." Jake
shouted, and turned to leave.
Too afraid to anger his brother
again, Josh pulled his knees up to his chin, and encircled them with his arms,
rocking backwards and forwards silently.
When they were alone, Joe strained to see where Josh was, but it was too
dark.
"Josh," he said
gently. "Will you come over her
with me? We can keep each other
warm." For a while there was
silence, then Joe heard him feeling his way across the floor. He wished his hands were free to touch the
lad and reassure him, but he could only use his voice.
"Josh, there's nothing to be
afraid of. We're down here alone, and
there's no‑one going to hurt you."
Josh shuddered, and edged closed to
Joe.
"I guess you think I'm a real
coward." he said, his voice unsteady.
"Course not,
Josh. You wouldn't let your brother make you yell,
would you? That alone shows you're no
coward. Hey, you know, I used to be
pretty scared of the dark too. It got so
bad I couldn't get from the barn across the front yard to the house, but my
father and brothers helped to me overcome it. You can do the same, Josh."
"Aw, you're just saying
that. I bet you were never scared of the
dark."
"The heck I was, Josh. You know, my Pa took me on a hunting trip in
the mountains to cure me. He always says
the way to beat a problem is to face it head on, not to run away from it. Well, when we were out there in the
mountains, I kinda got used to the dark night
sky. Mind you, it didn't happen straight
away ‑ I mean, I still had to steel my nerves to cross that front yard at
a leisurely walk, instead of a run, but in the end I beat it."
Josh had stopped trembling, and the
warmth of his body began to take the chill out of Joe's bones.
"What are you afraid of, Mr.
Cartwright? Anything?"
"Call me Joe. My Pa's Mr. Cartwright, and Adam, when Pa's
away. I'm only a few years older than
you. Sure, I'm scared. I'm scared of being hurt ‑" he paused, and
then said quietly, "I'm scared of being killed. But you see Josh, that's how it should
be."
"How d'you
mean, Joe?" he asked, his voice steadier now.
"Well, if we weren't scared of being
hurt, we'd do all sorts of damn fool things, and if we weren't scared of dying,
we'd probably never live to outgrow childhood.
It's part of our natural defence against danger and injury. It's nothing
to be ashamed of. All animals avoid pain
and death if they can, and we're just animals, Josh."
"Why does my brother hate you
so much?" asked Josh, after a few minutes' silence.
"Well, I guess it has a lot to
do with the fact that my Pa fired him from the Ponderosa last year, and he
hasn't been able to get much of a job locally since then. He was ill‑treating the horses, and Pa
couldn't overlook that. You weren't
around then, were you?"
"No." said Josh quietly.
"Where were you? Did you live with your Ma?"
"No, she died five years ago,
and then my Pa came home and took me with him.
He was worse'n Jake. Sometimes Jake's okay with me, but Pa was
always mean . I
was kind of glad when he got himself shot.
I guess you think I'm wicked to say that, but I never knew anything but
fear and pain from my
"I don't think there's anything
wrong with you Josh. No‑one could
expect you to love your father if all you ever knew from his was
cruelty." Joes tried to take the
weight off his wrists, but the strain on his back proved equally painful.
"What was your Ma like?"
asked Joe, thinking of his own mother, whom he could scarcely remember.
"Well, she was okay when Pa
wasn't around. She taught me to read and
write, and say my prayers. She used to
read to me when I was a little kid ‑ you know, stories and things from
the Bible. I guess she's the only person
who ever cared whether I lived or died."
Josh was silent for a while.
"You're the youngest too,
aren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm the baby of the
family, and they sure keep reminding me of it."
said Joe, ruefully. At that moment, he
would have given anything to be with his brothers, however much they might pull
his leg and make him angry, but he knew he had little hope of that."
"I guess your brothers hit you
about too, do they?" asked Josh, rubbing his hands together to keep warm.
"Heck no." replied
Joe. "Adam's never hit me. Well, we kinda
fight sometimes, but that's just 'cos we've got too
much energy and have to let off steam somehow.
And Hoss, well, he may look mighty mean when you don't know him, but
he's as soft as a kitten really."
"So what
about your Pa?"
"Pa? He's too soft." said Joe, with a
smile. "Mostly I can talk my way
out of any trouble I get into."
"You mean he ain't ever thrashed you?" asked Josh, amazement
showing in his voice.
"Well, no, not really."
replied Joe. "I mean, there was
that time when I fixed up a bucket of water over the barn door to catch my
brother Adam. He's always first out in
the morning. Problem was, I guess I'd
forgotten it was Winter, and that water turned to ice
overnight. Then, unfortunately, it was
Pa who went to the barn first that morning, and he was nearly knocked out. He wasn't too amused about that!" Joe grinned as he remembered the
occasion. "Yeah, he used a slipper
on me for that, but he hardly touched me really. Pa doesn't need to do anything like
that. He just looks at us, and that's
usually enough to send us running."
"I don't understand. If he doesn't hit you, why d'you have to do what he says? I mean, you could get up to all sorts of
mischief."
In spite of the cold and hunger, and
the aching fear which was beginning to numb his senses, Joe managed a rueful
grin.
"You don't know my
Josh was silent for a few moments,
trying to understand how Joe felt.
"You sure are lucky." he
said, finally, rubbing the bruises on his arms and back.
"Heck, I don't feel that lucky
at the moment, Josh." replied Joe, still trying to find a way to take the
weight off his wrists, which were raw now from rubbing against the ropes.
"Well, I guess your brothers
will pay the ransom, and then you'll be able to go home. I'll have to stay with Jake, least 'til I'm
old enough to go my own way."
Joe sighed, and shook his head in
the darkness.
"Jake won't ever let me go,
Josh. If you stop and think seriously
for one minute, you'll know what I'm saying is true. If he lets me go, he'll be a hunted man, on
the run for the rest of his days. If he
kills me, he gets to keep the money, and nobody knows anything about it. I've got no illusions. The only chance I have to get out of here
alive is if Hoss and Adam find me and rescue me."
"You figure they'll work out
the message in your note?"
Joe was very still for a
moment. "You realized about
that?"
"Sure I did."
"Then why didn't you tell your
brother?"
"Why should I? He never does anything for me. Anyways, Joe, I don't want him to kill you,
and I guess you're right. He might do
that. Not that I've ever known Jake to
kill anyone, mind, but he's so mean lately, I figure it's just a matter of
time."
Joe felt compassion for the boy, who
seemed to have a warm heart in spite of his terrible upbringing.
"Josh, why don't you run away
from your brother?" he asked, suddenly.
"If you stay with him, you'll be sucked into the sort of violent
life he leads, and end up the same as him."
"How can I Joe? I don't have anywhere to go. I'm just a kid, and no‑one would give
me a job, not Jake Roberts' brother."
"You could have a job on the
Ponderosa, Josh, if you help me escape.
And you'd be doing your brother a favour in the end, 'cos if he kills me my family will go after him and they'll
get him hung in the end. And I won't be
around to tell them that you weren't involved, Josh. They'll hang you too."
"Joe, I wish I could let you
go, but Jake would kill me ‑ I know he would."
"He wouldn't kill you, Josh,
because you'd be safe on the Ponderosa, and he'd be in jail." Joe spoke quickly, urgently. He didn't know how much time he had left
before the others came back, and his only hope of freedom lay with the lad.
"Think about it. You have a chance of a new life, with no‑one
around to hit you or make you unhappy, and money in
your pocket at the end of the month to spend or save. Untie me, and give me a chance to get out of
here, and I promise you you'll be safe."
"I can't, Joe. Don't ask me, 'cos
I can't do it. I'm too scared. Jake could come back any time, and he'd kill
me sure as the sun sets every night."
Josh rocked backwards and forwards, sobbing. He wanted to do what Joe asked, but the
thought of being caught by his brother petrified him. Joe sighed, realizing that if he pushed the
boy too hard, too soon, he would spoil any chance he might have of convincing
him. For a while they were both silent,
and in spite of the cold and the pain, Joe drifted into something between sleep
and unconsciousness.
When he came to, he wasn't sure
whether he'd slept for a few minutes or for several hours. Every inch of his body ached, and his head
was thumping. A deep conviction that he
only had a few hours left to live invaded him, and the thought that he would die without
the chance to make his peace with Adam troubled him. He elbowed himself into a sitting position,
and felt Josh move beside him.
"Are you awake, Josh?" he
asked, so thirsty he was hardly able to talk.
"Sure. It's too cold down here to sleep." he
replied.
"Josh, I want you to do me a favor. When I left
home the night you picked me up, I'd just had a row with my older brother. I said and did some things I very much regret
now, and I'd kind of like to write him a note explaining that."
"How can you get a note to him,
Joe? I can't take it, or they'd know I
was involved."
"I know that. I figured that if I left it in my inside
pocket, when they found my body, they'd find the letter. At least my brother would know that I had no
hard feelings about the things he said, and that I was sorry too. I'd sure like to be able to say goodbye to my
Pa and Hoss too."
Josh hesitated. "I can't untie you, Joe. " he said, unsteadily.
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to write the letter I dictate
to you. Josh, it's my last chance. Would you deny a condemned man the chance to
make his peace with his brother?"
Josh was rocking backwards and
forwards again, his better instincts telling him to help Joe, but his fear
crippling him.
"It's
pitch dark, Joe. How could I write a
letter in the dark?"
"You could go to the end of the
tunnel, and bring the candle back. You
know where your brother always leaves it."
"You mean go all the way along
the shaft in the dark? Joe, I can't ‑ I can't do it."
"Hey, Josh, you can do it if
you want. I'll keep talking to you all
the way. Just take it one step at a
time, and don't think of anything other than going one step further, and
getting the candle and lighting it."
Joe waited, praying that Josh would find the courage to do it. At last, he felt Josh stand up.
"Promise me you'll keep talking,
Joe."
"Sure, I'll keep talking."
said Joe, listening to Josh's cautious footsteps going away from him.
"That's one thing I'm pretty good at.
Now, take my brother Adam ‑ well, he thinks more than he
talks. Course, he can talk mighty fine
too, when he feels like it. I guess it comes from reading so many good
books. Me, I like to read sometimes, but
Adam, well, if he's not working he's got his head buried in a book ...."
Joe kept talking, even after the
sound of the receding footsteps disappeared and the shaft was silent. At last, he saw a point of light approaching,
and as it got nearer, he could make out Josh's face illumined by the softly
flickering flame.
"Hey, you see, I said you could
do it, Josh. Now you don't ever need to
let anyone call you a coward ever again."
Josh grinned, and knelt by Joe's
side.
"There isn't much candle
left. You'd better startthinking
about that letter." He picked up
the book, and turned to the back.
"There's just one sheet of plain paper at the back." he said,
tearing it out carefully. "I'll
write as small as I can, but you'll have to keep it short."
"Right.
Well, um, write this. Dear Adam,
Please forgive me for what I did, as I forgive you for not believing
me." Joe waited for Josh to finish
the sentence, surprised at the small, neat copperplate handwriting. "Hey, who taught you to write like
that?" he asked, impressed.
"My Ma.
She was ‑ different from my Pa and my brother. What next?"
"Okay, Josh, write "I wish
I could tell you personally how much it has meant to me to have a brother like
you whom I can both love and respect."
Joe stopped again, thinking what he could write to Hoss that would make
it easier for him to accept losing his kid brother. "Put Hoss's
name next, then put "Don't worry about me ‑ I'll talk my way into
heaven somehow, and I'll get the chance I've always wanted to get to know my
Ma. Thanks for being one hell of a
brother."
Joe's voice broke with emotion as he
thought of his family, and imagined how they were going to feel when they found
his dead body. To his amazement, he
found that his sorrow for them was greater than his fear of dying. In fact, now that there seemed little chance
of escape, a small part of him was almost excited at the thought of finally
knowing for certain what happened after death. Although he still intended to fight to his
last breath for survival, the crippling panic had disappeared, and been
replaced with firm determination to face the inevitable with dignity.
"Joe, there isn't much candle
left." said Josh, breaking in on his thoughts.
"Right.
Sorry, I was dreaming. Put this
for my
Josh was crying too, softly sobbing
as he finished the letter, and folded it in half.
"Put it in my pocket before
Jake gets back. And you'd better take
the candle back. Your brother will
probably wallop you again if he sees you've taken it."
said Joe, in control of his emotions once again.
Josh blew the candle out. "He may not notice it's shorter than it
was." he said hopefully, starting back down the shaft, and forgetting to
ask Joe to keep talking. When he got
back, he found Joe lying down, his arms twisted painfully above him.
"You okay?" he asked,
touching Joe lightly on the shoulder.
"I guess I'm getting a bit of a
fever, Josh." Joe replied, teeth chattering. "Maybe it'll save your brother the
bother of shooting me."
Josh took off his jacket and put it
around Joe's shoulders.
"Joe, I wish I could help you ‑
I sure don't want you to die." he said, as he felt Joe's forehead.
"Oh God, Joe, you're burning up
with fever. I've got to get you out of here
or you're a goner." he said, tugging at the rope which bound Joe's
wrists. Joe winced at the pain the rope
caused his raw wrists, but the thought of the possibility of escape released
enough adrenalin into his blood to give him strength. When the ropes fell, he was on his feet in a
second.
"Come on, Josh. We might not have much time. " he said urgently.
"Keep behind me in case there's anyone on guard outside, and from
now on not a word!"
They crept along to the end of the
shaft, feeling their way in the pitch dark.
Unaware that it was already night, Joe was surprised suddenly to find
himself at the entrance to the mine. He
had been expecting to see daylight. He
looked up, and saw the crescent moon, and the stars, and he breathed a short
prayer of thanks.
For a moment they stood, pressed
against the side of the mine, then Joe signalled Josh to follow him and they
began to sprint across the open land to the trees, and the safety which was
almost within reach.
********************
CHAPTER 15
Even before first light, Adam had
set off for the hollow pine tree with the note that Adam had written. In the note, Adam had stated that it might
take a couple of days to get the money from the bank, but that they were not to
worry, as the ransom money would be paid provided Joe was unhurt. As a sign of goodwill, Adam included one
hundred dollars in the envelope. The
note also said that before they would pay such a large ransom, they needed
proof that Joe was still alive, and he instructed the kidnappers to let Joe
write a note in his own handwriting, which was to be placed in the pine tree,
and would be collected by Hoss at
Once Hoss had deposited the note in
the tree, he went back to the Ponderosa in the hope of picking up Joe's tracks
from the night before. He succeeded in
tracking Joe as far as the clearing where he had stopped and looked over the
lake, and soon found the hoofprints of four other
horses in the vicinity. About five miles
further on the ground became stony, and eventually Hoss lost the trail. Still, he now knew they were travelling North
East. Of course, they could have been
leaving good tracks just to confuse him, but somehow Hoss didn't think they
would have bothered to ride five miles in the dark just to change direction
later,.
He headed back to the Ponderosa to
meet up with Adam, who had spent the morning in
"I've sent a wire to Pa, but I
can't understand why he hasn't replied immediately. I hung around for a couple of hours. I suppose he could be out, but so early in
the morning it's strange, isn't it? I
went to the bank to order the money. Even if we don't pay them, it's important
they think that we are preparing to pay. I made it pretty obvious to everyone
around that I would be picking up five thousand dollars in a couple of
days. They could have someone listening
to gossip in town. Roy Coffee's out of
town for a few days, and I didn't want to trust his deputy with this. He'd probably go charging into it like a bull
at a gate, and get Joe killed."
Hoss nodded his agreement. "Well," he said, "I left the note in the pine
tree. They chose a good spot there. There's no‑where to hide out and watch
for them, but tracks should be pretty clear.
The ground's soft. I followed
Joe's tracks from last night, and I found where they jumped him. There were four of them by the look of
it."
"Poor kid didn't stand a
chance, alone and unarmed against four armed men."
"If they've hurt him, I'll
break every bone in their bodies." said Hoss, his expression
thunderous. "Shooting's too easy
for varmints like that."
Adam nodded in grim agreement. "Well, there's not a lot more we can do
until we pick up that note. I've got a couple of the men I can really trust to
be discreet asking around to see if there have been any suspicious strangers
around town, but I don't really expect to get a lead that way. I'm just hoping that Joe's note to us might
give us some sort of a clue as to where they're keeping him."
"I wish there were something we
could do. This sitting around and
waiting is the worst of it."
Adam walked to the fireplace. "I've been thinking what it must be like
for Joe, waiting all this time, not knowing what's happening. I dread to think where they've got him holed
up"
Hoss paced the floor. "Could be any of a
thousand places. There are
shacks, caves, derelict buildings. It
would take an army a month to comb the area." They lapsed into a morose silence, each
thinking his own private thoughts. Finally Hoss turned to Adam.
"Why d'you
think Pa hasn't replied, Adam? We still
have no news about the key to the safe, and this last telegram about Joe ‑
well, if he'd received it he would have replied, and be on his way back here,
wouldn't he? He can't be getting the
telegrams for some reason ‑ but why?"
"It's beyond
At last, the clock showed
"Nothing." he said, his
voice flat and emotionless. Adam put his
hand to his forehead.
"Oh my God." he breathed,
fearing the worst. Perhaps they had
already killed Joe, once he had written the first note. Perhaps they were already escaping with his
brother's blood on their hands, while they sat around and waited.
"Look for tracks, Hoss. I want them dead. If I have to spend the rest of my life
chasing them, I'll do so." he said, his voice
unsteady with emotion.
"Now Adam, don't go jumping to
conclusions. There could be several reasons
why they haven't put a note from Joe there.
We don't know where they're holding him, but it's just possible that
they didn't have time to ride to the hideout, get Joe to write the note, and
bring it back. They wouldn't want to be
caught by us as we came to pick the note up, would they?"
Adam nodded, clutching at
straws. "I suppose you have a
point, Hoss." He checked all around
for tracks, but they had been carefully covered, and it was impossible.
"Tomorrow we'll bring some more
money, and another note, promising to pay the five thousand immediately we
receive confirmation that Joe's alive.
If they haven't already ..., well, if Joe's still alive, they'll surely
get a note to us somehow." he said, mounting and turning towards the
Ponderosa.
They rode back in silence, for once
unable to enjoy the warm afternoon sounds and smells, the darting chipmunks and
squawking jays, the cool shadow of the pines.
As they rode into the front yard, Hoss saw his horse standing there, favoring one leg, his head down dejectedly.
"Hey, you found your way
home!" he said, jumping off his father's horse, and going up to his
own. He felt the animal's front legs,
which were bleeding in several places, and found them hot and swollen.
"Dadblame
it, Adam, they've injured this horse." he said, leading him into the barn., and starting to take the saddle off.
"Better get one of the men to
bathe those legs with cold water, then put a poultice
on his knees. He looks as though he's
taken a couple of tumbles on his way home."
"Poor critter." said Hoss,
removing the saddle and rubbing his horse's ears affectionately.
Adam took the saddle bags, and slung
them over the saddle.
"What the heck have you got in
here, Hoss?" he asked, surprised at the weight.
"Just some sandwiches I took
with me yesterday. Never got around to
eating them." he replied attending to his horse.
Adam shook his head, and put his
hand in to take the sandwiches out, but as he did, he felt a piece of paper at
the bottom of the saddle bag. Pulling it
out, he immediately recognized Joe's sloping handwriting.
"Hoss, it's here. They put the
letter in here then set the horse free!" he shouted, walking into the
light outside the barn to read it.
"What's he say, Adam?"
asked Hoss.
"It's very feint. Let me see." He began to read aloud.
"Dear Adam and Hoss,
I'm sorry for all the trouble I've
caused. It's not that I'm yellow, Adam,
but please pay the ransom and get me
out of here. It's cold, so please send
that leather jacket of mine. Can't you use the money from the safe to pay
the ransom, rather than the bank?
Your brother
Joe.
Hoss scratched his head.
"What does he mean, Adam? He knows we can't open the safe."
"Course he does. That's exactly
what he means, Hoss. He's telling us not
to pay the ransom. That means he must
know the people who are holding him, and he's realized they'd rather kill him
than be found out.
"But what
about the rest of the letter, Adam. It
doesn't make a lot of sense, either."
"Let me read it
again." Adam read and re‑read
the note. "He hasn't got a leather
jacket, has he?" he asked.
"Nope.
He was going on about getting one, but you know Joe. He never saves enough of his money."
"If we get him out of this
alive, I'll buy him the best leather jacket in Virginia City." said Adam
grimly, reading the note for the fifth time.
"He says it's cold. But that's not much of a clue, is it? It's cold most anywheres
at night."
Adam pinched the bridge of his nose,
and walked up and down, repeating the letter to himself over and over agan. Suddenly he
turned to Hoss.
"I've got it, Hoss. It's as clear as the nose on your face.They've got him in the Yellow Jacket mine. Look!" he shouted, pointing to the three
key words in the note.
"Dadburn
it, Adam, that's it. He must be in one
of the derelict mine shafts." said Hoss, grinning from ear to ear, and
grabbing hold of his brother in a bear hug.
"Calm down, Hoss, we're not out
of the woods yet." said Adam, his mind working overtime. "We have to work out a strategy. It's no good just charging in there. We might just get Joe and ourselves killed
that way."
"Sure, Adam, but let's do it
quick. Joe must be going through hell
there. You know what those mine shafts
are like ‑ cold, damp, and pitch dark all the time. You know how Joe is about the dark."
It was something they often teased
Joe about. When he was small, he had
been afraid of the dark, and although he'd learnt to overcome that irrational
fear, with the help of his father and brothers, there was little doubt he still
preferred daylight to the night.
"Let's go into the house, and
work out our plan of attack." said Adam, his spirits rising now they had
something to do.
"Yeah!" said Hoss. "I'm gonna eat
me some of that cold beef Hop Sing's got in the
kitchen. We're gonna
need all out strength to throttle those varmints, whoever they are!"
*******************************************
CHAPTER 17
The possibility of finally being
able to do something constructive to rescue their brother raised Adam and Hoss's spirits so much that they were grateful to see Hop
Sing put a huge platter of roast beef sandwiches on the table, realizing
suddenly that they were really hungry.
They pored over mining maps of the area, trying to figure out which of
the Yellow Jacket Mine shafts was the most likely hiding place. There were two
abandoned shafts, which seemed to offer the best hiding place for a kidnapped
person, apart from the new shaft which was being worked night and day, and
wouldn't provide a safe hiding place for a chipmunk.
"We'll ride to Gold Hill to
arrive after dark, with half a dozen men we can trust." said Adam,
finishing his second cup of coffee.
"Then we'll make our way here." he added, pointing to a spot
near the oldest of the abandoned shafts.
"We'll have to leave our horses just up the road from the hotel at
Gold Hill, and fan out to surround the area."
"That's fine, Adam, but don't
forget they might have lookouts. We'll
have to be quiet, and very careful."
"Yes, you're right."
agreed Adam. "We don't want to
give them any idea that we're coming, so we'll tell the men to wear dark
clothes, and we'll take boot polish with us to blacken our faces once we've
left Gold Hill." Adam
hesitated. "Hoss, we'd better take
some blankets with us. You never know
what sort of a condition Joe's going to be in.
The sooner we get him warm and dry the better."
For nearly an hour they discussed
plans, trying to cover all possibilities, and they finally agreed that it was
time to pick the men, and start out.
They rode to Gold Hill so that they
would approach it from the South, as Adam guessed that the kidnappers would be
more likely to watch the road in from
Looking back at the mine, he thought
he saw a movement. "Damn" he
thought, assuming mistakenly that the gang had guards posted at the
entrance. Suddenly the door to the shed
swung open, revealing a shaft of light, and for a second in that light, Adam
could have sworn he saw Joe, together with someone else, smaller and lighter
than he, starting to run across the clearing towards the trees. Someone fired a gun. There were more shots, and voices raised.
"Hold it right there,
Cartwright!" rasped a voice Adam recognized.
"Don't shoot, Jake! It's me, Josh. Please don't shoot!"
Another man had come out from the
shed now, bringing with him the kerosene lamp which had momentarily cast its
light on the two escaping prisoners. Adam
took aim carefully, then shouted "Drop your guns ‑ you're
surrounded.", firing into the air as a
warning. There was a volley of rapid
fire from the kidnappers. Spurts of
flame spat from guns in all directions.
Men screamed, the horses neighed, and as Adam took careful aim at Jake
Roberts he saw the flash of light as the latter fired directly at Joe. As if it were happening in slow motion, Adam
turned to look at his brother, who had stopped in his tracks when Roberts had
shouted. He saw Joe put his hand to his
chest, then crumple and fall, lying like a broken rag doll on the ground. As he looked back at Roberts, he saw him
taking aim at his brother again.
"No!" he screamed, as he pumped all six shots from his
revolver into Roberts, running even as he fired towards where his brother lay
immobile. As he arrived, Hoss came
panting up, gun still in hand. Adam
dropped to his knees alonside Joe, putting his hand
gently under his head, and lifting him towards him. He was sobbing, repeating Joe's name over and over,
and holding him in his arms as he rocked backwards and forwards.
Hoss dropped to his knees alongside Adam "Easy,
brother, easy" he said, tears rolling unashamedly down his cheeks as he
looked at his younger brother lying motionless in Adam's arms.
"It's my fault, Hoss. I shouldn't have warned them. I should have just shot them dead, like the
vermin they were. Joe would be alive now
if I hadn't given them that chance to surrender."
"Dammit,
Adam, you can't blame yourself. You're
not a killer, and never could be. You
had to give them that chance or you would never have been able to live with
yourself."
"D'you
suppose I'll ever be able to live with myself knowing
Joe died because of me Hoss?"
Hoss put a hand to Joe's neck,
feeling for a pulse. "Hey, Adam ‑"
said Hoss, hardly daring to believe what he felt. "Adam, he's alive. There's a pulse, and a strong one, too!"
"Alive?" said Adam, not
daring to believe it. "But I saw
him hit. I saw Roberts fire, and I saw
Joe fall. Is he hit bad?"
"Let's get him up to that shed
where the light is." said Hoss, picking his brother up as easily as if he
were a sack of flour.
Adam glanced at the boy who had been
with Joe. He was sitting on the ground,
staring into space as if in a trance, unware of what
was going on around him. He took him by the arm.
"Come on, lad. Come with me" he said, leading him over
to the shed.
Hoss was unbuttoning Joe's shirt,
looking for any sign of injury.
"Adam, he ain't
hit. There's a hole here in this jacket,
look, where the bullet went in, but Joe ain't
hit. It's a doggone miracel!"
Adam stared at the bullet hole in
the jacket.
"This isn't Joe's jacket."
he said, glancing at the boy who sitting shivering in a corner, curled up with
his head between his knees, and his arms over his head, as if to protect
himself.
Adam turned the jacket, and felt
something in the pocket. He took out the
small, ivory‑covered prayer book, and showed it to Hoss.
"Look at this." he said,
pointing to the shattered ivory, and the neat hole
right through the pages. He turned to
the back of the book, and as he opened it, the flattened lead slug fell to the
ground. Hoss bent to pick it up.
"Reckon as how Joe will want
that as a souvenir." he said, putting it in his pocket.
Adam turned to one of the Ponderosa
hands.
"Will you go and get the horses
as quickly as possible? My brother's
near dead of cold and exhaustion." he said, as he took his own coat and
shirt off, and started to strip the wet clothes from Joe. For a second Joe's eyes flickered open, and
he looked up into the blackened face of his brother.
"What in tarnation
took you so long?" he whispered, burning up with fever and parched with
thirst. "Water." he added,
closing his eyes again.
"It's coming, Joe. They've gone
for the horses. Just hold on another
minute little brother." said Adam, buttoning the shirt over the bruised
and battered body
of his brother. He glanced at Hoss, who
had also noticed the signs of what Joe had been going through.
"In a way I wish we'd taken
them alive, Adam." said Hoss, gravely.
"I'd have broken every bone, one by one, until they'd paid their
debt for what they've done to Joe."
"Maybe it's
better this way, Hoss." said Adam, shivering in the cold night air.
When the men got back with the
horses, they bundled Joe
into several blankets, and gave him a few sips of water. He drifted in and out of consciousness, but
while he was conscious for a few minutes, he glanced across at Josh, then turned to Adam.
"Adam, Josh saved my life. I promised him he'd be safe with us."
Adam nodded and reassured his
brother. "We'll take care of
everything, Joe. Just concentrate on
getting better."
They took Joe to the hotel at Gold
Hill, and called the Doc from
"He's been pretty badly beaten
up, Adam, and I can't be sure if there are any internal injuries. The fever could be a sign of that. It's my opinion that he's suffering from
exhaustion, dehydration and shock, and I think that with the proper care he'll
be fine in few days, although a bit sore.
But I can't be absolutely sure."
"What about
moving him, Doc. We'd like to get him home."
"I don't really advise it. If
there is any internal bleeding, you could make it worse."
Joe came round and tried to sit up. "Adam, you've got to get me home. I want to go home." he said, wincing at
the pain and lying back against the pillows.
Adam argued and tried to convince Joe that it was better to stay put,
but the more he argued the more upset Joe got, and in the end Adam gave in.
"Hoss, go get a horse and cart
from somewhere. We'll fix it up with a
mattress and take Joe home."
Joe gave his brother a quick grin, then drifted asleep again.
It was very late indeed by the time
they finally got Joe to bed in his own room, and the hands had finished
celebrating his safe homecoming with Ben's best whisky and a hundred dollar
bonus each. Joe was sleeping, and the only
problem left to solve was Josh. He had
still not said a word, allowing himself to be shepherded from one place to
another without showing reactions to what went on around him. Adam looked at him, sitting in front the
roaring fire, staring into space. He
went up to him, and put a hand on his shoulder gently. Josh stiffened at the touch.
"Josh," he said gently,
"that is your name, isn't it?"
Josh nodded slowly, as if in a
dream.
"I know you've been through a
terrible experience tonight. I
understand how you must feel, seeing your brother killed like that, and I'm
sorry ‑ really sorry ‑ I had to do it. But it was inevitable. I warned him, and I gave him a chance to
surrender, but he fired on Joe. And he
was taking aim again. After that I had
no choice." he said softly.
Josh nodded. "I know." he said in a dull
voice. "I don't blame you. He would have killed Joe. He would probably have killed me too, for
helping him. " He
paused, and shivered in spite of the warmth from the fire. "But he was my only kin." he added,
his voice very small.
"Josh, you'll be safe here with
us. We'll find a way for you to be happy
in the future, to forget what you've been through. You helped Joe when he really needed it, and
we're not going to forget that."
Josh looked up at him, and Adam
noticed that the dullness in his expression had been replaced by a spark of
hope.
"You're not going to hand me
over to the sheriff?" he asked, finding it difficult to believe.
"Of course not, Josh. When I picked Joe up from the ground, he had
your jacket around his shoulders, and you were in your shirt sleeves. That alone tells me you weren't responsible
for the things that happened to my brother.
When Joe came round, he asked me to look after you. Look, Josh, nobody here is going to judge you
by what your brother did, so stop being afraid."
Adam paused, watching the expression
of relief and astonishment on the young lad's face. He held out his hand to him, then said softly
"Now, come on upstairs. I think it's time we all got some sleep.
**************************************
CHAPTER 18
At daybreak on Wednesday, the usual
morning sounds were non‑existent on the Ponderosa. Joe had spent an uncomfortable night, sleeping
for short periods, then waking bathed in sweat and shaking, victim of repeated
nightmares and fever. Adam stayed with
him all night, sleeping on and off in the armchair, on hand to reassure his
brother whenever he woke. At about six
in the morning, Joe woke up suddenly, properly conscious for the first
time. He looked across at his brother
who was dozing in the chair.
"Adam," he said softly,
not wanting to wake his brother, but not wanting to be alone either. Adam jumped, and opened his eyes,
"Joe ‑ are you
okay?" he asked, stifling a yawn.
"Sure. I'm sorry I woke you."
"Forget it." Adam felt Joe's forehead, and noticed that
the fever was almost gone. He grinned at
his brother, and took his hand.
"You're going to be just fine
now, little brother. You sure did give
us a scare this time."
Joe reached for the glass of water
on the bedside cabinet, and drank thirstily, then he
glanced at Adam, who had dark rings under his eyes, and what looked like two‑days'
growth of beard.
"I'm real sorry, Adam," he
said, with a catch in his voice.
"Joe, it wasn't your
fault. I'm sure you didn't get yourself
kidnapped on purpose."
"No, I sure didn't. But all the same, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been out there."
"Well, that doesn't matter
now. You're home, and safe, and all you
have to do is rest, eat, and get yourself fit again."
Joe shook his head slowly. "It does matter, Adam. When I was in that mine shaft, thinking to
get shot at any minute, it was one of things that kept nagging at me, the fact
I might not get a chance to tell you ‑ to tell you how sorry I am I
raised my hand to you. I had no
cause..."
Adam took Joe's hand in his, and
spoke gently
"Joe, when you were facing death, that should have been the least of your worries. Surely you knew I wouldn't hold something
done in a moment of anger against you, didn't you?"
Joe pushed himself up into a sitting
position, wincing at the pain and stiffness in every bone and joint.
"It sure makes you realize
what's important, Adam. I mean, thinking
you have perhaps just a few hours to live, it makes
you think a lot more clearly about things.
It makes you realize that the only things that really matter are the
people you care about. Nothing else at all."
He stopped to drink again, filling
the glass to the brim and gulping down the water as if his life depended on it.
"I wouldn't want to go throught that experience again, Adam, but I learnt a lot
from it. I sure hope I don't forget
those things too quickly." he said, settling back into the bed and pulling
the quilt up around him for comfort.
"Joe, I'm sorry for what
happened too. I know now that you were
telling the truth about the camels, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Can we just forgive each other, and forget it
happened, little brother?"
Joe grinned briefly, as if the
effort was almost too much for him.
"Thanks, older
brother." He sighed and closed his
eyes. "I'm so damn tired." he
said, and drifted asleep again.
When they finally woke, the sun was
high in the sky, and Hop Sing was clattering about in the kitchen, preparing
chicken broth and sweet egg custards for Little Joe. Hearing sounds of life in his brother's room,
Hoss poked his head round the door.
"How you doing, Little
Joe?" he asked, grinning his gap‑toothed smile.
The brightness had already returned
to Joe's eyes, although his face was still pale and drawn. He grinned back at his brother.
"Hey, what took you two so long
to find me? I thought you were never
coming."
"Dadburn
it, Little Joe, I ain't never been so plum worried as
these last couple of days. I just wish
we could have taken them varmints alive.
I'd have broken every bone ‑ real slow!"
The smile died on Joe's face. "It was Jake Roberts' idea ‑ he
was the worst of the bunch. He was the
only one who hit me about. The others just did as he
told them. They shouldn't have got
themselves killed."
"We had no choice, Joe. They opened fire on you, and we had to return
fire. It was them or us"
"Well, I reckon I know that,
Adam." said Joe, nodding. "All the same, they paid a very high price
for keeping the wrong company."
Adam resisted the temptation to make
the comment that Joe should learn from this experience. "What about Josh?" he asked,
tentatively. "What exactly was his
part in all this?"
"Hey, Adam, Josh had nothing to
do with it. He's just a kid. He got himself thrashed by his brother for
giving me water, and he gave me his coat when the fever started. I reckon I just about owe him my life."
"Fine.
I just wanted to be sure what the situation was, Joe. Don't think I'm
suggesting we should turn him in, or anything like
that."
Joe relaxed again. "Where is he, anyway?" he asked,
glancing from Adam to Hoss.
"He's in the spare room. Hoss, you'd better go see if he's awake. He probably doesn't know what to do."
"Sure Adam."
A few minutes later, Josh appeared
in the doorway, wearing clothes Little Joe had grown out of several years
before. Hop Sing had managed to find him
three changes of clothing, more than he had ever had in his life.
Joe grinned when he saw him. "Hey, I remember that shirt." he
said, surprised. " I figured that had been given
away years ago."
Josh sat on the edge of Joe's
bed. "It's the best clothes I've
ever had, Joe. I don't know how to thank
you."
"Heck, Josh, it doesn't really
compare with saving my life, does it?" he said.
After talking for a few minutes,
Adam stood up. "Well, Josh, Hoss, I
think it's time we went down for some breakfast. I'll get Hop Sing to bring you some chicken broth
Joe."
"No!" said Joe quickly,
sitting up and beginning to get out of bed.
"Joe, the doc said to stay in
bed, at least until he gets out here later on today."
Joe ran his fingers through his
thick curly brown hair, and shook his head. illogically
panic stricken at the thought of being left aloneagain.
"Don't leave me here
alone." he said urgently, beads of perspiration standing on his forehead.
Adam and Hoss exchanged glances, then Adam said quickly.
"Course not, Joe. Hoss, help Joe downstairs. I'll bring the pillows and quilt. There's no reason he can't rest on the sofa
just the same as in bed, provided you promise you'll rest, like the doc said,
Joe."
Relief flooded Joe's face. Embarassed by his emotional outburst, he grinned lopsidedly
at Hoss. "Sure, I promise. Thanks."
Adam picked up the quilt and
pillows, and started down the stairs. It
had not occurred to him that the emotional scars of the last forty eight hours
might be more serious than the physical ones, and he wished for a moment that Pa
was home. He always knew how to cope
with Joe's changing moods, and he'd give Joe the feeling of security he so
obviously needed at this moment.
Downstairs, the fire was roaring, althought the day was sunny. Hop Sing hurried from the kitchen, bringing chicken
broth for Joe, and all manner of breakfast delicacies
for the others. Josh's eyes nearly
popped out of his head when he saw the table, laden with food, and set with
fine china and silver.
He whistled softly, shaking his head
slowly in disbelief.
"It is a kind of celebration,
Josh," said Adam, by way of explanation.
"We don't usually have quite such an exotic breakfast.
He turned to Hop Sing, and returned
his half bow. "Thank you, Hop
Sing. You have surpassed even your usual
excellence to make this an occasion to remember."
Hop Sing beamed and bowed several
times in quick succession.
"Mister Joe eat
all of soup. Hop Sing bring more. Hop Sing cook plenty soup." ‑ and with a final bow he disappeared into the kitchen.
When they had finally done justice
to Hop Sing's culinary masterpiece, Adam and Hoss
stood up and buckled on their gun belts.
"Joe, there are some things
need seeing to about the ranch. Josh
will stay here with you while we're out, won't you Josh?"
"Sure. I don't have anything to do." replied
Josh.
"Joe, why don't you have a game
of chess with Josh.
It'll keep you both occupied and stop you brooding about the last couple
of days."
"Hey, good idea!" said
Joe, brightening.
"I'm afraid I don't know how to
play." said Josh, embarassed.
"All the
better," said Adam, setting the board on the table and taking out the
ivory and ebony pieces. "Joe can
teach you the moves, and perhaps for once he might actually win a game!"
"I beat Hoss when I played him
last week" retorted Joe, placing the black queen on her square.
"Ah well,
that's as may be. But you have yet to beat me, litle brother." said Adam with a grin, striding
towards the door.
The rest of the day passed
uneventfully. Later in the afternoon the
doctor called, and pronounced Joe fit to get up provided he didn't overdo
things. The sheriff also came to get
statements about the kidnapping. Adam
accompanied Roy Coffee outside, to where his horse stood waiting for him.
"What about Jake's young
brother, Adam. Does he have any kin to
go to?"
"None" replied Adam,
shaking his head. "For the moment,
he'll stay here and help around the ranch.
When Pa gets back, we'll have to see what we can do to fix him up with a
decent home."
"Won't be easy, Adam, when
everyone knows he's Jake Roberts' brother."
"He should be judged on his own
merits,
"So he should, Adam, so he
should. But will he be?"
"Well, we'll face that problem
when we come to it. For the moment, he
needs good food, a roof over his head, and some human affection, and that's
what we intend to give him.
When Adam returned to the house,
Josh was just setting up the chess board.
"Well, Josh, will you give me a
game?" he asked, hoping to gain the boy's confidence.
"Of course, sir." answered
Josh, with a quick, shy smile.
"You'd better be careful,
Adam. He's pretty good at this game for
a beginner." said Joe, with a slow, knowing smile.
Adam returned the smile in his
usual, unperturbed manner. He was used
to winning at chess, and although he still had to work hard to beat his father,
he didn't think he would have to exert himself to beat a lad who had only just
learnt how the pieces were moved. The
game started, and Adam played quickly.
Josh thought carefully before moving a piece, and after about a
dozen moves, Adam realized with amazement that his bishop was caught and had no
escape.
"Is this beginner's luck, Josh,
or did you know what you were doing?" he asked, knowing that if he was to
win after losing this key piece he was going to have to use all his
concentration.
"I guess it may be beginner's
luck, sir, but I kind of worked out five moves ahead."
"Five?" repeated Adam,
raising an eyebrow.
"Yes sir. Is that wrong?" asked Josh innocently.
"No, Josh, it isn't wrong. It most certainly isn't wrong." said
Adam, finally managing to take a pawn in exchange for the lost bishop.
Adam finally won, but not without a
bitter fight. He sat back and regarded
Josh with new eyes.
"Are you sure you've never
played this game before, Josh?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
"No sir." replied
Josh. "But I sure like it!"
Adam nodded slowly. "Josh, you have a very rare gift. To learn to play like that in one afternoon ‑
well, unless you believe in reincarnation, it must be that you have a very
receptive brain, and a remarkable intelligence."
Josh blushed. "Perhaps it was just beginner's luck
after all, sir."
Adam shook his head. "Nope. Definitely impossible. Luck really has no part to play in this
game. What sort of an education have you
had so far, Josh?"
"My Ma taught me to read and
write, and numbers. But since I've been
with my Pa and Jake, I've hardly been able to get hold of a book."
"Well, there are plenty
here. Apart from novels, there are a lot of Joe's old school books packed away
somewhere. Would you like me to get them
out for you?"
Josh's face was suffused with
pleasure. "Wowee
‑ would I!" he exclaimed, eyes shining in anticipation. Joe shook his head.
"I just don't understand it.
When I think how glad I was to be free of those school books! If I'd had my way I'd have thrown them in the
lake the day Pa said I could leave school!"
Adam nodded. "The pursuit of academic excellence
never was your forte, little brother, but don't you influence Josh to follow
your bad example. An education is an
invaluable thing."
"Sure Adam," said Joe,
with a quick grin. "It really helps
with the roping, and branding, and chasing strays."
"If only that were all there
were to do to run a ranch this size little brother."
Hoss stretched, and yawned. "Well, I didn't get a lot of sleep last
night, so I'm turning in. I figure it's
about time we all got to bed, specially you, young
Josh. Boy your age needs his
sleep."
Adam stood up in agreement. "So do I. And anyway, tomorrow I want to get into
Joe glanced quickly at Adam. "You figure there's something
wrong?" he said, a note of fear in his voice.
Adam cursed his insensitivity. He had forgotten for a moment how emotionally
insecure Joe was at the moment. The last
thing he needed was to start worrying about his father's safety.
"Course not, Joe." said
Hoss immediately. "What Adam means
is that he might not be getting our letters for some reason, and he'll be
hopping mad thinking we haven't bothered to write."
"If anything had happened to
Pa, the Fernandez's would have wired us, Joe." said Adam. All the same, he thought, it was strange.
Joe relaxed again, and after a few
minutes they all made their way upstairs to bed. After Hoss and Josh had closed their doors,
Adam crossed the corridor to Joe's room, and opened the door.
"You okay?" he asked,
noticing that Joe had not blown out the candle.
"I guess so, Adam."
"Joe, I'm leaving my door
open. If you have trouble sleeping
during the night, wake me up. You don't have
to face those nightmares alone. Remember
that."
Joe grinned sheepishly. "Adam, I'll sure try not to wake you up,
but thanks anyway. It's good to know
you're there."
"We're always here, Joe. We may rub each other up the wrong way
occasionally, even fight sometimes, but we're brothers, and we'll always be
there for each other."
Adam crossed to his room cupping his
hand around the candle as the flame flickered and nearly died. He placed the candle on the bedside table,
alongside the picture of his mother and the musical box which had been his
father's wedding gift to her. For a
moment he picked up the picture of the woman he had never known, who had given
him life, the woman his father had loved and lost after such a short time, and
he felt full of anger and frustration against the unfairness of life. He thought about Josh, damned almost from
infancy to a life brutalized by his violent father and brother, and about Joe,
who had been physically and emotionally battered by the events of the last
couple of days. Finally, his thoughts
turned to his father, who had suffered more tragic losses than most men have to
suffer in a lifetime. And yet, in spite
of that, or perhaps because of it, Ben Cartwright had always filled the
Ponderosa with an atmosphere of warmth and understanding, and of happiness in
spite of adversity. As his eyes began to
droop, he reflected on the inevitability of suffering and the way different
people reacted to it, until finally, with such thoughts going round and round
in his brain, he finally slept.
**************************************
CHAPTER 19
On Monday morning, Ben woke up later
than usual. There didn't seem to be such
a good reason for getting up, as he wasn't going to see Olivia until Wednesday
evening. He bathed and shaved slowly,
and went down to breakfast rather late.
The lack of news from the Ponderosa
was beginning to worry him, and he decided that although it would be awkward to
go back to the Fernández house, he would have to
check to see if any letters from Adam had found their way there.
During breakfast, he read the paper,
and as usual glanced at the stock market prices. His eyebrows rose when he saw that the Hale
and Norcross stocks had risen dramatically.
He cursed inwardly. If only he
had not remembered at the last moment to tell Adam to sell, he would have made
a handsome profit on them. He calculated
mentally, and realized that there would have been, at today's prices, a net
gain of nearly thirty thousand dollars.
He sighed, and shook his head.
Adam would have followed his instructions religiously. If there was one thing he could rely on, it
was that Adam never forgot to carry out his instructions. He would often disagree with them, and
sometimes argue forcefully against them, but in the end he always deferred to
Ben's wishes. Ben had to admit that
lately Adam's opinions on business were always worth listening to, and very
often he modified his ideas because of Adam.
Sometimes his oldest son took business too seriously, however, and at
times he had to be reminded that there were other things in life infinitely
more important than the bottom line of a profit and loss account.
Joe was quite different, he thought
to himself. He could forget instructions
from one minute to the next. It only
took a pretty girl to go by, and Joe lost all sense of responsibility. Ben smiled to himself. To tell the truth, Joe was a good worker who
could be trusted to pull his weight, but he liked to cultivate the image of a
carefree, thoughtless young man of leisure, who thought very little about
responsibilities, and a great deal about having a good time.
Ben folded the newspaper, and
checked the time. He stood up, and
wandered out into the
"Good morning Martin." Ben
said, pleasantly. " Is Mr. or Mrs. Fernández at home?"
"I'm sorry, sir," said the
butler, with his usual air of superiority.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fernández and Miss Maria
have gone away, and are not expected back for several months."
"Several
months! Has the wedding been cancelled, then?"
asked Ben, surprised at this news.
"I understand that Miss Maria
is accompanying her parents on a trip to
Ben nodded slowly. "Well, thank
you Martin." he said, and turned to leave.
"Oh, by the way, should any letters arrive for me, would you be
kind enough to have them sent on to me at the Palace Hotel?"
"Certainly sir." replied
Martin, with a slight bow and an artificial smile.
Ben went directly to the telegraph
office, and sent a strongly‑worded telegram to Adam, telling him to reply
immediately to the Palace Hotel. He
explained that he had received no news for nearly two weeks. He was beginning to wonder if there were
something the boys were trying to keep secret from him. Once the seeds of worry were sown, his mind
kept going over and over the possible problems which could have arisen. There were often attempts to steal their
land, either by force or by dubious legal documents. There could be rustlers causing problems with
the herd. There were so many
possibilities, and no way of knowing for certain. After a short walk around the town, he went
in to a couple of stores, and made some purchases, small gifts to take back to
the Ponderosa. For
Adam, the inevitable book. For
Joe, a beautifully made shirt of the finest white cotton, with real mother of
pearl buttons, and for Hoss, the finest leather belt he could find which would
be long enough to encircle Hoss's generous girth.
Pleased with the ease with which he
had despatched this duty, he made his way back to the hotel. There was still no reply from Adam, but
there was a visitor waiting for him in the foyer. Sam Hall.
Sam sprang up as soon as he saw Ben
come in through the main entrance.
"Ben! I've been waiting all morning for you. I must speak with you."
"Mr. Hall, I believe we have
very little to say to each other in the circumstances." said Ben, his
expression serious.
"I see you are angry with
me. I suppose you are justified. But please let me at least explain. It's nearly lunch time, Ben, so please let me
buy you lunch. Would you deny an accused
man the chance to put forward his legitimate defence?"
Ben sighed, and he was unable to
stop the hint of a smile softening his features. He could not seem to stay angry with this
young man, however hard he tried.
"Very well.
But let me warn you, I had intended to eat like a king today, so I hope
you have come prepared."
Sam grinned, and in spite of
himself, Ben found himself returning the grin.
When they had ordered, and were
waiting for the food to be served, Sam started to talk.
"It all started on the day we
went for the ride. Well, of course, you
noticed, didn't you? It was obvious you
were trying to keep us apart, and quite rightly, I suppose. But Ben, you should have known that love is
too strong. You can't keep lovers
apart."
"Sam, your choice of vocabulary
is a little suspect. What exactly are
you implying?"
"Exactly what
I say. Nothing more, nothing less. Maria and I love each other, Ben." Sam looked at Ben searchingly. "I would never do anything to harm
Maria, Ben, please believe me. My
intentions are completely honourable."
"I am very pleased to hear it." replied Ben seriously. "I feel responsible in some way for what
has happened, and my friendship with the Fernández
family has been put in serious jeopardy by this affair. I should tell you that it took me over an
hour to convince Julio not to challenge you to a duel."
"I'm grateful to you for that,
of course, Ben. Indeed, I wouldn't be
afraid to accept the challenge, but is isn't the best
situation to be in with the man you hope will one day be your father‑in‑law.
"Do you seriously believe that
there is a chance that one day you and Maria will be married?" asked Ben,
sipping the chilled French wine and toying with the food on his plate.
"It is what I most want in all the world, and it is what Maria says she wants. Why, then, should two old
people who have lived their lives interfere in our happiness?"
Ben put his knife and fork down and
regarded Sam sternly.
"Young man, parents have a duty
to protect the interests of their offspring.
I would not consider it interfering if I were
to act to protect my sons from an unsuitable marriage, and I believe Julio
feels justified in doing the same for Maria."
"But why am I assumed to be so
unsuitable, sir?" said Sam, adopting a more respectful tone.
"Your very manner of courting
Maria, when she was already engaged, was not the action of a gentleman,
Sam. How do you expect
her family to judge you, but by your actions?"
Sam poked at the steak on his plate,
then put the fork down, abandoning all pretence at
being hungry.
"You think I am not an
honourable man." he said. It was
more of a statement than a question.
Ben hesitated, watching the young
man's clear, honest eyes, which never wavered from his own.
"I didn't say that Sam. I think you are an honourable man. Different in your way of approaching things,
but, yes, I believe you to be honourable."
"Thank you for that, sir."
said Sam, finally looking down at his plate.
Ben refilled the glasses, and tasted
the crisp, fruity wine. He finished his
steak, then sat back and looked at Sam.
"Sam, if you really love her, don't let anything stand in your way. There is nothing more precious than the love
of a good woman, and Maria, although she's young, is a wonderfully warm,
generous person. Now, what are you going
to do about it?"
"Heavens, Ben, I'd follow her
to the ends of the earth, if only I knew where she was. I went to the house, but that stuffy butler
just said they had gone to
"Yes indeed," said Ben,
laughing, "He really is quite insufferable, isn't he?"
At that moment, a young lad in
uniform came up, and handed Ben a telegram on a silver salver.
"This just came for you,
sir," he said. Ben looked up,
relieved.
"Thank you," he said,
tipping the boy generously. He glanced
across at Sam, who was daydreaming.
"Would you mind?" he
asked, desperate to read the telegram.
"Please go ahead. I do hope it isn't bad news."
Ben ripped open the telegram, and
read the message rapidly.
"Dear Pa, Sorry letters not
received. Everything fine here on
Ponderosa. Ignore previous letters,
repeat IGNORE. Respectfully, Adam."
Ben frowned. It was good news, in a way. No problems.
Everything fine. And yet Adam, obviously afraid that his
earlier letters would eventually reach him, had told him to ignore them. His suspicions that something had been wrong
at the Ponderosa were confirmed, but his fears that those problems might be
unresolved were at least allayed. He
folded the telegram, and pushed it into his pocket.
Sam was still gazing into space,
lost in his own thoughts. Ben topped up
his glass, and signalled to the waiter to bring another bottle.
"Sam, I know you are perhaps
more a man of words than action, but this is the moment for action. Faint heart never won fair lady, I
believe. It should not be impossible to
find out where the Fernández's are headed."
"How so, Ben?
I had rather hoped you might know, but then, I doubted you would tell
me."
"I'm afraid I don't know. We parted company on less than friendly
terms, and they didn't appraise me of their
plans. However, there cannot be that
many ships leaving
Sam grinned good‑naturedly at
Ben. "It's a fine idea, Ben, but
even if I acquire that information, I still have another small problem."
"And what is that?" asked
Ben, glass poised in mid air.
"Money:" he replied, with
a shrug. "I don't have the money to
go to
"Your horse?" asked Ben,
raising his eyebrows. "And how much
do you imagine your horse to be worth?"
"Ben, it's the most beautiful
creature in the world. In normal
circumstances, I wouldn't part with him, but if I am to pursue Maria to the
ends of the earth, I have no choice. I
paid a thousand dollars for him, but for a quick sale, I would accept a little
less."
Ben regarded Sam searchingly. He had been offered overpriced animals as bargains
many times in the pst, and he suspected that Sam's
stallion might be another such offer, but he could never resist looking at a
fine horse. In any case, it would soon
be Joe's birthday, and if this stallion was as magnificent as Sam said, it
would make a fine present to take home.
It would also be a good time to encourage Joe to take an active interest
in the horsebreeding side of Ponderosa business, an
idea he had been toying with recently.
There was little doubt that increased responsibility would be beneficial
to Joe, and the stallion could be a good starting point.
"Will you take me to see this
animal?" asked Ben. "I might
be interested, if it's as fine a specimen as you say."
"This very afternoon!"
replied Sam, eagerly. "I could not
bear him to go to anyone who might not treat him with the respect he deserves,
and I know he would have a fine home with you."
Ben smiled, thinking of the many
mares the stallion would have to run with.
"I'm sure he would find the
Ponderosa a wonderful place to live." he said softly, "But first I must
see him, and decide whether he has the right qualities as a breeding
stallion."
They finished their meal, which Ben
insisted on paying for, and Sam called a hansom cab to take them to his friends's house, where he was keeping the stallion. A young lad went to fetch the horse, as the
three men stood and chatted amiably about breeding lines and cattle.
"You have some very fine beef
on the Ponderosa, I believe." said Sam's friend, Robert Calder.
"We try to improve the stock by
bringing in new bulls. I have a very
fine bull from
"And what
about your horses?"
"Well, it's a side of our
business we haven't been concentrating on too much, and that's something I'd
like to change. My youngest son is the
most interested in the horsebreeding side of the
ranch, so I'm looking for a stallion to base the new breeding line on."
"Sam's horse is quite a
stallion. He only arrived from
Ben looked at the stallion, and his
first impression was favourable. A short
back, strong well‑rounded hocks, and a tail set high and held with
grace. The glossy neck was arched and well‑muscled, and the cream mane fell long and
silky. Ben stood in front of the horse,
and noticed the width in the chest.
Plenty of strength there, he thought.
The legs were straight, and the feet well shaped. He ran his hand down all four legs, checking
for spavins or blemishes of any kind, but found none. Picking up his feet, he noticed the well‑formed
frogs and strong, sound feet. He was
pleased to see that although the head was small and finely shaped, there was
plenty of width between the ears.
"Would you trot his towards me
please?" he asked, watching the animal for any fault in his carriage, but
again finding none. He had a fine,
floating movement, which would be comfortable for the rider, and appeared to be
easy on the animal, and a perfectly straight movement.
"I'd like to see him ridden, if
possible." he requested, his interest in the creature growing steadily.
"I'll ride him myself."
said Sam, indicating to the boy to bring the saddle and bridle.
Ben watched as Sam put the horse
through his paces. He could turn on the
spot, back, and sidestep. Ben nodded his
approval.
"He certainly has been well
trained." he said, as Sam halted beside him. "Would you take him about half a mile
away, and gallop him back, Sam? I'd like
to listen to his heart." he said, patting the sleek neck. Sam grinned, and did as he was bid.
The horse was sweating slightly, but
not unduly, on their return. Ben felt
the animal's pulse, counting against his pocket watch.
"Sixty." he said,
unperturbed. "Just
a little fast." He patted
the animal again, and added, "Still, he's probably a little nervous at all
this attention."
Ben watched as the boy removed the
saddle and bridle, and put a blanket over the shining, golden coat.
"Does he breed true to
form?" he asked Sam, who was rubbing the horse's ears affectionately.
"To tell the truth, he hasn't
sired many foals yet. He's only a
youngster. But the foal's he's had so
far have been replicas."
"And you say you paid a
thousand dollars for him," mused Ben, thoughtfully.
"Yes. I can't let him go for much less than that,
Ben"
"No indeed. Well, Sam, I think we can do business here
today. I should very much like to buy
this horse, provided his papers are all in order, of course, and I'll pay you
what I think he's worth. Does that sound
fair to you?"
Sam hesitated, then
nodded slowly.
"I accept." he said, with
a smile.
"Good. I'll give you fifteen hundred dollars, on one
condition."
"And the condition?" asked
Sam, raising his eyebrows.
"The condition is that when you
catch up with the Fernández's, you will do nothing to
encourage Maria to elope with you, or do anything which would cause the Fernández's unhappiness."
Sam held Ben's gaze for several long
seconds. Finally he nodded. "You've just bought yourself a very fine
stallion. Thank you, sir,
you're a very unusual man."
Ben smiled, pleased at the deal.
"Well, we can go to the bank
tomorrow morning, and finalize this little matter. Meanwhile, Sam, I suggest you start touring
the shipping agents, and trying to get a lead on where the Fernández
family are headed. And as I really have
nothing to do this afternoon, with your permission, I shall accompany
you." he said, slapping Sam heartily on the back and feeling suddenly
twenty years younger.
***********************
CHAPTER 20
Ben spent the afternoon with Sam,
visiting shipping agents in the hope of getting some information about where
the Fernández family were headed, but they were
unsuccessful. As night began to fall,
Ben slapped Sam affectionately on the back, and said
"That's enough for today,
Sam. Tomorrow we'll start early, and
perhaps we'll have better luck."
Sam nodded dejectedly. "I suppose you're right." he
agreed, gazing out at the ocean. "But what if I never find her again, Ben. What will my life be worth to me without
her?"
Ben gazed out at the ocean also,
remembering his days as first mate on Captain Stoddard's ship, before he
married Adam's mother, Elizabeth Stoddard.
"Life is very precious, Sam,
and it will always be precious to you.
Just a short time ago you didn't even know Maria. If you lose her, you will eventually find
someone else."
Sam shook his head.
"Never!" he said emphatically.
"I could never love anyone else in the same way as I love
Maria."
Ben nodded slowly. "You are quite right, of course,
Sam. Quite right. But you can love someone else in a different
way. Just as deeply, just as genuinely,
and with just as much passion, but in a different way. Believe me, I know."
"How can you possibly know
that, Ben?" asked Sam, turning away from the sea, and looking back at the
city, his expression desolate.
"Because it's what I've
experienced. I've had to bury three
wives, and I loved all three of them deeply ‑ but differently. If you do lose Maria, and I'm not prepared to
give up the search yet, you will learn to love again. Believe me."
They started to walk back to the
Palace Hotel, each one of them deep in his own thoughts. As they reached the grand entrance to the
hotel, Ben turned to Sam.
"Join me for supper. You shouldn't spend this evening alone."
Sam vacillated. "I feel I have already imposed too much
upon your time, Ben. I'm sure you have
other things to do here in
"If I'm truthful, I have
enjoyed today in your company a great deal more than I would have enjoyed
spending it alone. I'm afraid I am
becoming rather tired of the city, and rather anxious about how things are progressing
at the Ponderosa. I think I shall soon
be leaving for
Sam accepted Ben's offer of
supper. Before they went up to Ben's
room to wash, Ben called at the front desk to see if there were any messages. The clerk checked in his pigeon hole, and
returned smiling.
"Ah yes, Mr. Cartwright. A lady came and left a letter for you this
afternoon, and a young person brought you some letters and telegrams. He said to tell you that they had been found
at the Fernández residence." The clerk handed Ben several letters and
telegrams. Ben raised an eyebrow, and
smiled his thanks.
"Well, for weeks I receive
nothing at all, and now today all these arrive together." He strode across to the new‑fangled
contraption which was known as the rising room, anxious to reach the privacy of
his room, and finally discover what had been happening at home. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he
motioned to Sam to make himself at home, and use whatever facilities he needed,
then he looked through the letters, and picked the one which appeared to be the
oldest. Tearing it open, he scanned the
page rapidly, looking for bad news. Adam
mentioned a business deal he had concluded with
"Joe safe and
recovering at home. Kidnappers all
dead. No ransom paid. Respectfully, Adam."
He immediately ripped open the third
telegram, and read the message which would have struck dread into his heart had
he received it at the proper time.
"Pa, Joe is missing, believed
in the hands of kidnappers. Please come
home immediately, Confirm receipt of this telegram. Respectfully,
Adam."
Ben screwed the telegram up in his
hand, and threw it into the fireplace.
For a moment he bowed his head and said a silent prayer of thanks for
the safe deliverance of his youngest son.
Two letters remained. One from Adam, and the
other obviously from Olivia. Ben
looked at them both, debating which to open first. Somewhat reluctant to read what was in either
letter, he finally tore open Adam's and began to read. It was Adam's latest letter, describing how
Joe had been rescued after two days in the hands of Jake Roberts. Although he didn't go in to a great deal of
detail, reading between the lines, Ben realized that Joe, while obviously not
seriously hurt, was suffering from shock and would take some time to recover completely. He read the letter twice, irritated at Adam's
economy of words. Consdering
the amount of time he spent reading, thought Ben, he could have expanded the
letter to include more details of the situation. He folded the letter carefully, and placed it
together with other documents in a small leather case.
The only letter which remained was
Olivia's. The handwriting was small and
neat, and the letters well rounded and slightly sloping. Ben looked at the fine quality envelope, and
the red seal stamped with her initials.
He inserted a paper knife, and carefully slit the letter open. Somehow,
even before he started to read, he was sure that it was going to be
bad news.
He smoothed the sheet of paper flat,
and began to read.
"My dearest Ben,
I have given so much thought to your
generous proposal, and I wish with all my heart that I could give you an
affirmative answer. However, as I said,
neither of us is free to make decisions of such magnitude without considering
the reactions of our sons I have
decided, therefore, to continue with my plans to take Lawrence to England to
meet his English grandparents, and to stay at least six months in that
country. I cannot be sure what I shall
do then, but until
I was fortunate enough to meet your
friends, the Fernández family, when I went to
purchase tickets, and they were most kind, insisting that I book the cabin next
to theirs so that I shall not be alone on the journey to Londnon. We leave tonight at 7.p.m. on the Golden
Oriole.
Ben, I am writing to you because I
know I would almost certainly not have the courage or strength to maintain this
decision if I were with you. Do not
doubt that I love you deeply, and please try to forgive and understand my
decision. Perhaps in years to come, when
we are both free to think of our own happiness, we may meet again. I pray God it will be so.
Olivia.
Ben sat silently gazing into space,
the letter having dropped onto the floor in front of him. He felt a strange
mixture of emotions. On the one hand, a
sadness and emptiness which gripped his heart in a cold embrace, and yet on the
other hand, a hint of relief. Relief
that he would not have to face Adam and Hoss and Little Joe with the news that
he was bringing a wife home with him, relief that he was free to leave San
Francisco tomorrow to ride home to the Ponderosa and see for himself how Joe
was recovering, and relief that the comfortable, easy‑going routine of
life at the Ponderosa was going to continue, just as it had done for so many
years, without any change. And then he
felt a little guilty for feeling relieved at Olivia's refusal. He stood up and walked to the window,
wondering how it was possible to feel sad, happy, disappointed, guilty and
relieved all at the same time.
Sam reappeared from the bathroom,
washed and cleanshaven. He glanced at Ben, who was still looking out
of the window at
"What time is it Sam?" he
asked, turning and facing him.
Sam took out his watch, and snapped
it open. "Just
gone eight. Why do you ask?"
Ben sighed. "The woman you love set sail for
Sam strode across the room and
grabbed Ben by the lapels of his elegant coat.
"You had this information all
along, and kept me walking the streets of
"Sam!" said Ben urgently,
"You misunderstand me! I have just
learnt this in a letter from Olivia. She
is on the same ship, bound for
"Ben ‑ I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I thought for a moment...."
Ben gave Sam a warm smile. "Forget it, Sam, I understand." he
said, retrieving Olivia's letter from the floor and replacing it carefully in
the envelope.
"Ben, do you realize what this
means? It means I can follow her ‑
perhaps even find a faster ship, and get to
Ben shook his head slowly, and
smiled.
"Don't think I'm not a little
tempted, Sam. To feel the deck of a ship
beneath my feet again, listen to the sails flapping in the breeze, and the
waves lapping against the hull ‑ well, it is a great temptation. But I have a family and
responsibilities. I can't just up and
leave like that. I can't" he
repeated, a little sadly.
"Well, I shall leave tomorrow,
as soon as we conclude the business of the horse. I wish you were coming with me, Ben, but I do
understand. One day, perhaps I shall
have sons and daughters, and I'm sure they will mean more to me than life itself."
Ben nodded his agreement. "Oh yes, indeed, much
more than life itself, Sam. I
would gladly give my life to save one of my sons ‑ gladly. But fortunately" he added with a grin
"So far that hasn't been necessary."
So it was that early on Tuesday morning
Ben took his trunk and several packages to the stagecoach depot, and arranged
for them to be delivered to
Before leaving
The valley was exceptionally
beautiful, he thought, enjoying the soft greens and browns of nature, which
glowed in the tenuous Spring sunshine. He preferred the majestic beauty of the
Ponderosa, the towering snow‑capped mountains, the dark shaded forests,
and the open meadows, but in its own way the valley was also truly
splendid. He took pleasure in the fruit
trees which were in blossom, spreading the sweetness of their scent in the air
around him, and marvelled at the fresh green shoots on the vines, which would
yield rich bunches of grapes later in the year.
His horse seemed equally entranced by the ride, arching his neck and
prancing. Ben checked him and spoke a
little sharply. "you'll
need all your strength and energy to get me home to the Ponderosa, young
man." he said, patting the glossy neck and sitting deep in the
saddle. "so
stop misbehaving and keep your mind on the job!" The horse recognized the authority in Ben's
voice, and the experience in the way he rode, and he dropped back to a walk,
wagging his ears backwards and forwards, and giving one last toss of the head
before doing as he was told. Ben
smiled. Joe was going to love this
horse, he was sure. In a way they were
similar; both
were lively, full of fun, and with plenty of spirit. Both had youth and strength, joie de vivre and
a tendency to disobedience which could, however, be controlled by his
authority. So far! he
thought to himself, wondering how Adam had coped with Joe's rapid mood changes
and occasional bursts of stubborness. As a reward for good behaviour, he squeezed
the horse forward into a slow gallop, and as the soft green land spread out in
front of them, he let him have his head, and for a while they galloped at full
speed, mane and tail flying defiantly in the breeze, hooves pounding the soft
land in three‑time rhythm. Before
he began to lather up, Ben checked him and brought him back to a trot, then a
walk, pleased at the animal's performance.
In a way, these were the same tactics he used with Little Joe and
Hoss. If they stepped too far out of
line, he would pull them up sharply, but as soon as they responded to his
authority, he would ease up and show them affection. It was a system which so far had worked
admirably.
By early evening, he came to John
Rivers' house, and was given a warm welcome by his old friends. They toured the vineyards and fruit trees, talked about old
times, and caught up on each others news.
"You must come and stay with us
on the Ponderosa, John." said Ben, relaxing after a fine meal and rather
too much of the house wine.
John nodded. "We'd love to, Ben. I believe
Ben smiled and nodded. "Oh yes.
"So, Ben, which route do you
intend to take tomorrow?" asked John, refilling Ben's glass with a fine
brandy. "Are you going via the
"
"It's a long ride." said
John, with a grin,
"and neither of us is as young as he was, Ben."
"Too true.
But you know, I went to San Francisco on the stagecoach, and I think
it's just as tiring, if not more so. At
least on horseback you can stop when you like, and rest when you feel tired.
The evening passed pleasantly, and
finally Ben put down his glass, and said "Well, if you'll excuse me, I
think I'll turn in now. I want to start
at first light ‑ it's a long ride and I don't want to push this new horse
too much."
"Of course,
Ben. We'll see you in the morning."
The morning dawned hot and humid,
and after a good breakfast, Ben was glad to be in the saddle and on the move
again. It was a long ride to Sacramento,
and he wanted to get there in time to get a room in a decent hotel, and wash
the trail dust off before enjoying a good night's rest in a comfortable
bed. If he left it too late, he would
have to camp somewhere in the country, and the nights were still too cold and
his bones too old to enjoy that.
In fact, he made
Ben slept well, and at first light
on Thursday he was heading towards
"No Frank, I'm not here to
check up on you." said Ben, with a grin.
"I'm on my way home from
"Mr. Cartwright, you know
you're always welcome. We were about to
sit down to eat, and you're more than welcome to share what we have. Mary would have done something special if
we'd known, sir, but I believe there's a fruit pie and Mary makes the best pie
in
Ben nodded. "I can't deny the truth of that
Frank." He smiled at Mary, then turned to the door.
"Well, I'd better see to my horse." he said, turning to go
out.
"No sir," said Frank
quickly. "Johnny will take care of
your horse." He turned to his son
and spoke sharply to him. Sighing, the boy got up and started for the door. He walked past his father, muttering his
discontent, and slammed the door behind him.
Ben pretended not to notice, but Frank was furious at his son's
behaviour. Grabbing a strap which hung behing the front door, he started to follow the boy. "I'll teach that boy to show
respect..." he said, as he opened the door. Ben took him by the arm to stop him.
"Frank, please ‑ I'm sure
the lad didn't mean any disrespect. He's
only a boy."
"Old enough to know he's on
your land, and in your house, and that he owes you respect same as I do."
Ben shook his head. "Come on, Frank, this is your house not
mine, as long as you live in it. And I
employ you, not your wife and son. I'm
not going to take offence because of something a mere boy says."
"Not many bosses would take
that attitude, sir, and I appreciate it.
All the same, I ought to teach him a lesson."
"Frank, sometimes you can do a
lot more good showing your children affection and understanding than using a
belt on them. I know you love the boy ‑
you shouldn't be afraid to let him know that.
I've never had to use a belt on my boys, and I hope I never will."
Frank shook his head. "With all due respect, sir, it's a
different situation. If one of your boys
gets into trouble, well, like when Joe broke up the saloon a couple of weeks ago,
it can be put right with money. We don't
have that sort of money, and Johnny has to realize that he's got to do a day's
work if he wants a plate of food on the table at night."
Ben frowned, pushing his thumbs
under his belt.
"What's this about Joseph
breaking up a saloon?" he asked, his expression
thunderous.
Frank cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright. I thought you'd know about it. Happened about three weeks
ago. Way I heard it, Joe went
into town on Saturday night, while Adam was in Carson City, and got into one helluva a fight with Jake Roberts and a couple of his cronies. It was a lucky thing Hoss had followed him
into town, by all accounts. I heard from
Clem, who heard it from someone else, that Adam had to pay over two hundred
dollars for repairs to the saloon."
Ben grunted, irritated that such
gossip was all over the Ponderosa.
"I can't imagine why Adam was
in
"Well sir, I heard, but of
course it may not be true, sir, that he went to try to get the
"We lost the
"I believe Adam sorted things
out with Mr. Stanley."
"Anything else I ought to know
about what's been going on at the Ponderosa while I've been away?" asked
Ben, with an irritated frown.
"Well, I guess you heard about
Joe getting himself kidnapped."
"Yes, that
I did hear. That's part of the reason
why I've come home early, to see how he is."
"He's pretty much back to normal,
I think sir."
"What I'd like to know is how
they captured him in the first place.
Adam didn't exactly give me a lot of details in his letter."
Frank warmed his hands in front the
fire.
"Well, it was the same day as
he wrecked the buckboard in
"He what!" exclaimed Ben,
exasperated.
"Reckon as how it wasn't Joe's
fault, Mr. Cartwright. It was those
camels ‑ evil‑smelling, vicious critters they are. Spooked the horse on "D" Street,
and turned the buckboard over. Horse
broke its leg."
"'D' Street" repeated Ben,
grimly, nodding his head slowly.
"Well, what I heard, and of
course it's just gossip, sir, you know how the men will gossip ‑ Well what
I heard was that when Joe got back to the Ponderosa, he had a bit of a fight
with Adam, and then he left the Ponderosa sort of in a hurry, without time to
pick up his gun. So he was unarmed and
out by the lake at nightfall. That's how
they were able to take him so easy."
Ben stood with his back to the fire,
digesting these gems of information. He
remembered Adam's last wire, stating that all was well on the Ponderosa, and
there were no problems to worry about.
"It looks as if my boys have
quite a lot of explaining to do when I get home." he said grimly.
Frank smiled blandly. "Don't forget what you said, sir. You can do a lot more good
showing them affection."
"Affection my
foot! Just wait till I get those three
together! There'll be so many sparks flying, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if we
have a forest fire on our hands tomorrow!" he exclaimed, beginning to
enjoy himself.
***********
C H A P T E R 21
Joe rested for a few days, enjoying
Hop Sing's special efforts to fatten him up and get
him well and strong again. The fever had
left him feeling listless, and he had no energy. Adam and Hoss both worried about him,
wondering if there were any internal injuries, but the doctor was certain that
all Joe needed was rest and relaxation.
As the days went by, bruises appeared all over his body, witness to the
brutal treatment he had received at the hands of Jake Roberts.
Josh proved to be a great help on
the ranch, taking over all Joe's usual chores, and doing them cheerfully, never
complaining however much work there was to be done. Although Joe tried to talk him into eating
with them, he insisted that he preferred to eat with the other hands, saying
that if he was to get along with the men who worked on the ranch, he couldn't
be treated differently. Adam saw the logic in this, and arranged for Josh to
bed down in the bunk house. All the
same, when the work was finished for the day, Josh often came to the house to
play chess with Adam, who was finding it increasingly difficult to win, and to
talk over the books he was reading every afternoon. Adam had insisted that at his age, he should
have time to study, and Josh had agreed eagerly, insisting that he'd get up an
hour before breakfast to finish most of his chores by lunchtime.
On Saturday night, after Josh had
left to go to bed, Joe looked across at Adam, who was putting the chess pieces
back in the box.
"You really get on well with
him, don't you?" he asked.
Adam nodded slowly. "He's an interesting kid. I mean, with all the disadvantages he's had,
you would expect him to be harder, cynical.
Instead of that, he's sensitive, intelligent, and extremely quick
witted. He deserves to be given a chance
in life."
"How d'you
mean?"
"Well, I was thinking that if
during the summer he could catch up with other boys his age ‑ and I'm
pretty sure he could do it ‑ then he should have a chance to go away to
school, and get a proper education. He's
university material, I'm sure of it."
Joe shook his head slowly. "Some of those schools are pretty hard
places, Adam. I remember Pa threatening
to send me to one of them when I failed my exams one
year. I wouldn't wish that on my worst
enemy. Why couldn't he go to the local
school here in
"Because everyone knows who he
is, and what his brother was like. He'd
be judged on who he is, rather than what sort of a
person he is. It wouldn't work,
Joe. And anyway, those schools aren't as
bad as you make out. I expect Pa was
just trying to scare you into doing some serious study for once."
Joe grinned. "You may be right. Didn't really work though, did it?"
Adam regarded his brother with an
amused smile.
"I know you like to give the
impression that you passed through the educational system without being in the
least affected by it, Joe, but I think quite a lot of learning rubbed off on
you in spite of your efforts to avoid it.
More than you care to admit to."
Joe shook his head. "Not me, big brother. I'll leave that book learning to you ‑
and Josh, if that's what he wants."
"Well, we'll have to see what
Pa says when he gets back. He'll know
what's best to do." said Adam, gazing into the dying fire.
Joe stretched carefully, still aware
of the cracked ribs and numerous bruises inflicted by Jake. He stood by the fireplace, and glanced at
Adam.
"By the way, I'm starting back
to work on Monday." he said, decisively.
Adam looked at him, surprised. Joe didn't usually volunteer for work when
there was a valid excuse to avoid it.
"You sure you're ready?"
he asked.
"Sure I'm sure. There are still
those steers to be branded. That should have been finished by now, and Pa's due
home in a couple of weeks, if not before.
We've got to try to catch up a bit on the work"
"Well, I can't argue with
that. Just don't overdo things,
Joe. Let Hoss do the roping and you can
do the branding."
Although Adam thought it was a
little too soon for Joe to start working, he decided it would be better to let
him have his own way. Too much sitting
around the house wasn't doing him any good, and too much time for introspection
was not a good idea. Working would
probably help him get back to normal.
Adam knew he could trust Hoss to keep an eye on him, and Joe himself
would soon have the sense to ease up if he was in pain.
Adam glanced at the grandfather
clock. "Well, time for bed, I
think. Joe, if you're well enough to
work on Monday, you're well enough to ride into town to church tomorrow morning,
so see to it you're up in time."
Joe grimaced. "Hey, Adam, give me a break. I figured I'd take Josh up to the lake and
show him how to fish tomorrow. D'you know he's never had a rod in
his life?"
"Fine." said Adam,
beaming. "After church you may
go. In fact, I may even come with you to
make sure you don't get into any more scrapes.
We'll get Hop Sing to pack us a picnic, and make a day of it."
Joe nodded his agreement to this
plan.
"Hey, good thinking Adam. Bet you five dollars I catch more fish than
you."
"Done" agreed Adam,
starting up the stairs to bed.
When they got to
"What's going on, Adam?"
said Hoss, looking at the way the town was bustling with movement and life.
"I don't know any more than
you, Hoss." he said, scratching his head.
"but we'll soon find out." Adam stopped the horse, and jumped down from
the buggy. Hoss and Joe watched as he
shook hands with their bank manager, and exchanged a few sentences with
him. When he came back, he was grinning
from ear to ear.
"This is the best news we've
had for months. It's a bonanza, Hoss,
and guess where they've struck?" He
paused for maximum effect. "The
"Hey, Adam, that's great! Let's go and celebrate!" he shouted.
"Just one long minute, little
brother." said Adam, calming the horse, and rapidly becoming his usual
serious self. "We came in to town
to go to church, and that is exactly where you two are going. Now, I have to go and See Mr. Stanley, but
you two can represent the Ponderosa at morning service.
"Aw, come on, Adam." said
Joe, "This is a special occasion!
It's not every day you make a fortune."
"You know, Joe, you're
absolutely right. It is a special
occasion. Palm Sunday, I think, little
brother. Now, if you hurry, you'll just
make it in time. Meet me at
As Adam walked away, Joe winked at
Hoss.
"Let's go for a quick couple of
beers, big brother. Adam will be gone
for ages if he's talking business with old man Stanley."
As Joe started towards the saloon,
Hoss grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, stopping him in his tracks.
"Don't you ever learn, short
shanks?" he said half dragging, half pushing Little Joe towards the church
across the street.
Joe giggled, and shook himself
free. "Okay, okay big brother. I'll come
quietly." he said with a grin, having noticed several rather pretty girls
he had never seen before, who were making their way to the church. Hoss noticed the glint in his brother's eye,
and shook his head.
"You just step one inch out of
line in there, Litle Joe, and I'll personally see to
it Pa hears about it." he wagged his finger at
Joe, who answered him with a beatific smile.
"You just mind what I say, Joe, unless you want to answer to
When the service was over, and the
people were streaming out into the street, several came up to Hoss and Joe to
enquire after Joe's health, having heard about the kidnapping. Joe wallowed in the attention, exaggerating
and embellishing the story. From the corner
of his eye, he could see the two girls giggling and watching him, and he was
waiting for a chance to talk to them.
Hoss was watching too, and anxious to avoid any more problems, he took
Joe by the arm and insisted.
"Come on, Litle
Joe. It's time we got to
"You go on, Hoss. I'll be there in a couple of
minutes." As he spoke to Hoss, he
was smiling at the girls, who promptly collapsed into more gigles,
and kept looking at him from under their pretty eyelashes.
"Joe, I'm real sorry to
disappoint you, but you seem to have forgotten one little problem. You're confined to the ranch until Pa gets
home, remember? So, it's no good you
trying to make any kind of appointment with those young ladies who are making
eyes at you, 'cos you won't be able to keep it. You'd just put me in the embarassing
position of having to tell them why you can't come out to play, little
brother." said Hoss, with a wide, innocent smile. The smile on Joe's face evaporated rapidly as
he realized the truth of what Hoss was saying.
"Yeah.
Well, I guess you're right. But
they sure are pretty, aren't they Hoss?" he asked, glancing back at them
as they walked away.
"Yep, little brother, they sure
are pretty. And as sure as sugar candy
they sure are trouble!"
Adam was waiting for them outside
the
"Everything okay, Adam?"
asked Hoss, surprised at his brother's expression.
"Okay is hardly the word I
would use, Hoss." came Adam's reply, as they
walked together towards the buggy.
"Something a little more superlative would be more in order."
"Oh?" questioned Joe,
intrigued by his brother's unusual jollity.
"So what else is new today?"
"Hale and Norcross." said
Adam, with a wide grin.
"What about Hale and
Norcross?" asked Joe.
"What did Pa pay a foot? About two hundred dollars, wasn't it? Well, yesterday, those stocks reached 5,500
dollars a foot, and still rising."
"Hey, Adam, I told you to hang
on to those stocks. I told you!"
said Little Joe, crowing.
"You told me!" said Adam,
throwing him an amused glance. "You
didn't leave me much choice, losing the key to the safe like that, did
you?"
Joe grinned. "At least Pa won't be so mad at me about
the key, seeing as how I'll have made him a huge profit on his Hale and
Norcross stocks."
"I wouldn't bank on that
Joe. Pa has a very well‑developed
sense of justice, and the fortuitous gain on the stocks isn't likely to blind
him to your carelessness with the key, or, indeed, to the fact that you went to
the safe without permission." commented Adam, serious again.
They drove back to the Ponderosa in
high spirits, laughing and joking all the way, and while Joe unhitched the
horse and put the buggy away, Josh and Hoss saddled their horses, and all four
of them set out for the lake and an afternoon's fishing and swimming. On their way home, as the sun began to dip in
the sky, Adam glanced at Josh and asked him. "Well, Josh, how did you
enjoy your first fishing trip?"
Josh's smile was euphoric. "I've never enjoyed a day like today,
Mr. Cartwright. It was the best day of
my life."
"The lake has that effect on
everyone, Josh." said Joe, pushing his horse into a canter to get ahead of
Adam. "Race you home!" he
shouted, once he had a clear start, and the four of them galloped the final
half mile home. When they arrived, the horses
were sweating from the gallop. Adam
grinned at Joe, who had managed to maintain the lead by a head.
"As that was your brilliant
idea, little brother, you can rub the horses down until they're dry." He threw a blanket over his own horse to stop
him getting chilled, then started for the house.
"Come on, Hoss, I can smell Hop
Sing's cooking from here. Joe will see to the horses." he said,
tossing a cloth to Joe with his most charming smile.
Joe, however, was not in any mood to
take offence. He grinned at Josh, and
started drying his horse's ears, rubbing the animal down with a circular
movement which stimulated the circulation, and kept him warm. Josh attended to his own horse, and Adam's,
copying everything Joe did.
When Adam and Hoss went into the
house, they found Hop Sing busy setting the table.
"Mr. Adam," he said, half
bowing. "Dinner
in ten minutes."
"Fine, Hop Sing. Joe's just rubbing the horses down. He won't be long."
Hop Sing bowed again. "Please come to kitchen, Mr. Adam."
he said, leading the way. Adam glanced
at Hoss, and shrugged. Hop Sing rarely
invited anyone into his domain, and Adam feared there must be something wrong.
"What is it, Hop Sing?" he
asked, once they were alone.
"You tell Hop Sing wash Little
Joe's jacket, yes?"
"Yes, Hop Sing. Is there a problem?"
"No problem. Hop Sing find this
in lining." He handed Adam a key,
which he immediately recognized as the safe key. Adam took it with relief.
"That's wonderful, Hop
Sing. This is the key to the safe which
we thought Joe had lost. I can't think
why we didn't look in the lining."
"Hop Sing find
something else. Find letter." he
added, handing Adam the small sheet of paper with Josh's neat, tiny handwriting
on it.
"Addressed to you, Mr.
Adam." said Hop Sing, bowing again.
Adam looked at the letter, then at
Hop Sing. He read the words his brother
must have dictated to Josh, and felt a lump in his throat. Joe must have been almost certain that he was
facing death at the time he had written the letter, and yet his first thoughts
had been to try to make things easier for them.
Adam cleared his throat, and put the letter carefully in his inside
pocket.
"Hop Sing,
if Joe asks you about this letter, would you mind saying you know nothing about
it? I guess it might embarrass him to
know I'd read it."
"Which letter, Mr. Adam?"
asked Hop Sing, with an inscrutable smile.
Adam returned to the living room,
where Hoss was standing in front of the fire, enjoying the delicious smells
which were coming from Hop Sing's kitchen.
"What did Hop Sing want,
Adam?" he asked, worrying that there might be a problem with the evening
meal.
"He found the key."
replied Adam, holding up the small silver key for Hoss to see.
"Well I'll be.... Where was it,
Adam?"
"In the
lining of Joe's jacket." Adam replaced the key in the
secret drawer, then started for the door.
"I think I'll give Joe a hand
with the horses." he said, as he pulled the door shut behind him.
Joe looked up, surprised to see his
brother back in the barn.
"Don't you trust me to bed your
horse down properly?" he asked with a grin.
"Sure I do." Adam turned
to Josh. "Josh, go get washed up
for supper. I'll finish up here."
Josh glanced from Joe to Adam,
sensing a change in the atmosphere.
"Yes, sir." he said,
slipping out of the barn and making for the kitchen. Joe looked at his brother out of the corner
of his eye, as he lifted the horse's feet and checked for stones.
"Something wrong, Adam?"
he asked at length, watching his brother as he pitched fresh straw down for the
horses.
"Nope." replied Adam,
measuring out the oats and barley for each animal. Joe filled the buckets with water, then took a last look around.
"Well, I reckon they're tucked
up warmly, and fed and watered, so how about if we get ourselves something to
eat Adam?"
"Before we go back in, Joe, I wanted
to talk to you."
Joe grimaced, sure now that he must
have done something wrong yet again.
"What did I do this time,
Adam?" he asked, his expression serious for once.
"Nothing I know of. Joe, I just wanted to say that . . . well, what I mean is. . ." Adam cleared
his throat, not sure what he wanted to say, finding it difficult, as always, to
express his sentiments. He sighed. "What I mean, Joe, is that I know I get
on your nerves sometimes, and I know I come down hard on you sometimes, but
don't ever doubt that I ... that I care very deeply about you." Adam pushed his hands into his coat pockets,
and then glanced at Joe. "It's time you were washed up for supper."
he ended, gruffly.
Joe was momentarily struck dumb by
his brother's speech. He began to follow
him across the front yard. Just before
they reached the front door, Joe caught his brother's arm. "Hey, Adam," he said, his voice a
little husky. "I love you
too." And then he pushed in front
of his brother and made straight for the warmest spot in front the fire
*******************************************
C H A P T E R
22
Unaware that their father had
already set off from
He patiently copied into the account
books all the payments made and money received, omitting the more than two
hundred dollars which he himself had paid out for the repairs to the saloon,
and the eighty dollars for the saddle, which he made up himself.
Hoss and Joe worked like beavers all
week on the branding, and by Friday evening they were ready to move the main
herd up to the high land.
"Hey, Adam, on Monday we can
start on the barn roof, can't we?" asked Joe, stretching like a cat after
supper.
"I reckon so." agreed
Adam. In spite of the various problems
we've had to contend with, we are more or less back on course. I don't think Pa will have anything to
complain about on that score."
"I still don't understand why
Pa didn't say in his last letter why he isn't staying with the Fernandez's any
more. I wonder what could have happened
to make him move to the Palace?"
"I'm sure if Pa wants us to
know, he'll tell us. If I were you, I'd
wait until he offers the information."
"I still say that widow woman
has something to do with it ‑ the one with the amber eyes Clem was on
about." said Joe, with a wicked grin and a chuckle.
"Now, you just watch your
tongue, Joe." warned Adam, not too sharply, drawing a half‑hearted
apology and another grin from Joe.
"Well, tomorrow's going to be a
hard day. I think we should all get an
early night. We'll need to be ready at
first light."
Joe groaned. "Come on, Adam, what's the rush? I need my sleep in the mornings."
"And I need you up, breakfasted
and ready to ride, at first light, Joe, so no more arguments."
"Slave driver!" muttered
Joe, under his breath as he started up the stairs. "I shall be glad when Pa gets home. At least he understands that a youngster like
me needs his sleep." He winked at
Hoss, ducking just in time to miss the well‑aimed boot which Adam had
hurled at him. Giggling like a
schoolgirl, he disappeared at the top of the stairs and shouted
"Goodnight" from the safety of his room.
Rounding up the herd, chasing
strays, and taking them from the lower meadows to high ground, was a long, hard
day's work, but although it was hard, in a way this sort of working with cattle
was what they all enjoyed most. Apart
from the fact that the noise was almost unbearable, the dust made it hard to
breathe and at
times hard to see what was happening.
For this sort of work you needed a horse which was quick to respond to
commands, a horse which knew his job so well that he could almost do it on his
own. Joe's horse Cochise
was just such an animal, and there was a marvellous feeling of partnership and
co‑operation between horse and rider.
At times like this, the feeling of closeness between the three brothers
was also very strong, and at the end of the day, with the job completed
successfully, they began the long ride home, laughing and joking cheerfully.
While they had been working cattle,
Ben had ridden the twenty or so miles to the Ponderosa, arriving at about
"I'm afraid Mr. Cartwright's
out ‑ so are Joe and Hoss." he said, patting the horse's neck.
"I see. When will they be
back, do you suppose?" asked Ben, stretching the stiffness out of his
joints.
"They're moving the herd to
high ground today. It'll take them all
day, I guess."
Ben grunted, disappointed they
weren't there.
"Well, I'll just have to wait
for them." he said, staring at the sandy haired lad, and trying to
remember where he had seen him before.
"Haven't we met before?"
he asked at last.
"No, sir, I don't think
so."
Ben tucked his thumbs into his gun
belt. "What's your name, son?"
"Josh, sir." replied Josh,
reddening slightly at the interrogation.
"Josh ‑ and what
else?" quizzed Ben.
He noticed the way the boy looked
away and shuffled his feet, and wondered what the problem was.
"Well, has the cat got your
tongue boy?" he asked, searching his memory for where he had seen him
before.
"No sir. Roberts.
Josh Roberts."
Ben nodded slowly. Of course, the
likeness was remarkable, although this youngster had clear, honest eyes, unlike
his brother, whose shifty eyes revealed his shifty nature.
"You must be Jake Roberts'
brother, are you?"
The boy sighed, and without lifting
his eyes from the ground nodded an affirmative.
"You're very young to be
working here on the ranch. How old are you?
Thirteen? Fourteen?
"Thirteen, sir." he
replied, wondering who this very inquisitive stranger was.
Ben grunted again, wondering what
his three sons were thinking of, taking in this young lad who should be at
school, not working on a ranch.
"Well, young man, perhaps you
can see to my horse? I've had a long
ride, and I think I'll get an hour's rest before those boys get
home." He started towards the
house, but Josh ran after him, and stood in front of the door.
"I'm sorry sir, but Mr.
Cartwright said I wasn't to let anyone in to the house."
Ben looked at Josh seriously, his
expressive eyes boring into him, giving Josh the impression that he could read
his innermost thoughts.
"Young man, from this moment on
there's only one Mr. Cartwright around here, and that's me! So if you'll kindly see to my horse...."
Josh stared open‑mouthed at Ben.. "You're ‑
You're Mr. Cartwright?
You mean you're Joe's father?"
Ben nodded, smiling at the lad's
discomfiture.
"You can call Hop Sing to
confirm that if you like. In fact, I'll call him
myself." He turned towards the
kitchen. "Hop Sing, where are
you?" he called, anxious to greet his loyal cook.
Hop Sing appeared at the kitchen
door, frying pan in hand, and jabbering in rapid Chinese. Finally, he bowed several times in quick
succession, smiling all over his face.
"Mr. Ben, you home. You want eat, yes? Hop Sing prepare
good food, yes?"
"It's good to be home, Hop
Sing. And good to see
you again. You are well, I
hope?"
"Hop Sing better now Mr.
Cartwright home. Now
maybe meals at proper time, not late, not early. Number one son always want food early, always
in hurry. Number two son always want
meals all of time. Always
hungry. And number three son
forget to come for meals, always thinking about girls, not time to eat! Now honourable father home, all eat proper
time, yes?" asked Hop Sing, with a huge grin.
"You can rely on it, Hop
Sing." He turned to Josh, and
smiled.
"You can see to that horse now,
Josh." he
said, turning to Hop Sing and adding
"If there's some coffee brewed,
I could really do with a cup."
"Hop Sing make
fresh coffee. Mr. Ben sit
down and rest, and Hop Sing bring."
Ben followed Josh to the barn.
"By the way, Josh, I'd rather
like to keep this new horse a secret until after supper. When the boys get home would you make sure
they don't come into the barn? Perhaps
you could offer to unsaddle their horses for them" He handed Josh a silver dollar, but
the boy shook his head.
"You don't have to pay me,
sir. I'll be glad to do it."
"No, take it." insisted
Ben, but the boy backed away and shook his head. Ben replaced the dollar in his pocket
thoughtfully.
"Well, if you really don't want
to take it....The horse is a present for Joe.
I want to surprise him. I'd
appreciate it if you'd rub him down and get the trail dust off of him."
Josh grinned. "I love working with the horses,
sir. I'll make him shine." He looked at the stallion with admiring eyes. "Joe's going to love this horse. It's the most beautiful creature I've ever
seen."
"Yes, it's a fine animal."
agreed Ben. "Well, I'm going to
relax for an hour or so. Remember what I
said about keeping them out of the barn, won't you?"
Although it was tempting to sit in
the old velvet chair and relax in front of the fire which Hop Sing had
immediately lit, once he had finished his coffee and several of the fortune
cookies Hop Sing had brought for him, Ben decided to get out of his dusty,
trail‑dirty clothes, and into comfortable, every‑day attire. In his closet he found his leather vest, a
fine cream shirt, and a pair of pants.
After a quick wash, he dressed, combed his silver gray
hair, and went back downstairs to the roaring fire. Glancing at the grandfather clock, he saw it
was nearly
The three brothers arrived still
joking and laughing with one another, and when Josh offered to see to their
horses, they were only too glad to take him up on the offer. They jostled with one another to be first through
the door into the house, Hoss winning by virtue of his size, Joe second by
squeezing between his older brothers.
The front door flew open, and the three of them erupted into the room
spreading trail dust in clouds around them shouting friendly abuse at each
other, and finally ending up in a heap on the floor as they tripped over the
mat. As Joe struggled to extricate
himself from under his two brothers, he looked up and saw the bemused
expression on his father's face, as he stood above them, hands on hips and
shaking his head slowly in disbelief.
"Good evening, boys." he
said quietly, trying to hide his amusement at their undignified entrance.
Adam was first up, embarrassed at
being caught indulging in schoolboy antics with his brothers. He shook his father's hand, saying
"Welcome home, sir." but Ben caught him in a warm embrace before
turning to Hoss.
"Pa, dadburn
it, we weren't expecting you for another two weeks! But it sure is good to see you!" They hugged warmly, Hoss almost squeezing the
breath out of his father, and then Ben turned to his youngest son. Joe, always the most emotional of the three,
couldn't trust his voice, so he just hugged his father. For a while Ben said nothing, himself
overcome by emotion at the thought that he had come very near to losing this
son who meant so much to him. Finally,
he took Joe by the shoulders, and looked at him searchingly. "Are you all right, son?" he asked,
ruffling his hair affectionately.
Joe cleared his throat, and
grinned. "Sure I am,
They all started talking at once
until Ben held up his hand to quieten them.
"Now, come on, boys. I've
had a peaceful month away from your incessant chatter, so give me a while to
get used to being home. You're giving me
a headache already!"
"Tell us about
Ben grunted, then looked at the
three of them
"Come on, boys, get yourselves
washed up and changed for supper. We can
talk all the better while we're eating.
"Aw, come on Pa ‑ there's
such a lot we want to hear about..." said Joe, forgetting to keep his feet
off the furniture again.
"How many times do I have to tell
you, Joe?" asked his father, gently pushing his son's feet to the
floor. "Now, the quicker you get up
those stairs, and get ready for supper, the quicker we can all catch up on each
other's news."
With a resigned sigh, Joe started
for the stairs, followed closely by Hoss.
Ben signalled to Adam to stay behind, waiting until Joe and Hoss were
out of earshot, then he poured out two small glasses of brandy, and handed one
to Adam.
"So, how have things been while
I've been away?" he asked, watching Adam closely. His oldest son cleared his throat, and took a
large sip of the brandy.
"Apart from the kidnapping,
fine." he said, not wishing to elaborate too much so soon after his
father's return.
"No problems?" asked Ben,
raising his eyebrows, and fixing Adam with a penetrating stare. Adam avoided meeting his father's eyes by
turning towards the fire to warm his hands, after first placing the glass of
brandy carefully on the table. He
shrugged.
"Nothing we couldn't handle,
Ben nodded slowly. "I see." he said, swirling the
amber liquid in his glass, and remembering for a fleeting moment the colour of
Olivia's eyes.
"I'm afraid your letters have
not been reaching me, so I'm out of touch with what's been going on. I did receive your wire saying Joe was safe,
and your subsequent letter, but you didn't go into a great deal of detail. I must say, considering how often you have
your nose in a book, I would have thought you could have written slightly more
explicit letters."
"I wanted to get it off to you
immediately,
"No. But still, it doesn't matter now. You can fill me in on all the details now I'm
home.
Adam nodded, and drank the rest of
the brandy in one gulp.
"And what
about your brother? Has he recovered completely from
this kidnapping?" asked Ben, keeping his voice low.
Turning to face his father, Adam
glanced up the stairs to ensure that Joe was not listening.
"Physically, I'd say he's made
a remarkable recovery. A few bruises,
but nothing more serious." He
hesitated, placing his empty glass down beside the cut glass decanter. "Mentally, I'm not quite so sure."
he added.
"How do you mean?" asked
Ben, frowning slightly.
"Well, he still gets nightmares
at night, and he's kind of jumpy and easily upset. And at times when he doesn't realize you're
watching him he seems to be staring into space as if he's miles away. And work!
I've never known Joe to work the way he has these last few days. It's as if he has to keep going all the time,
not to think about those days he spent in that mine. I'm sure he'll get over it, Pa, because Joe's
a pretty tough kid, but at the moment he's still hurting pretty bad."
Ben shook his head slowly. "I'm glad I was able to come home so
quickly." said Ben, sitting in the leather armchair and looking around the
room he loved so much. "The family
should be together at times like this."
Adam glanced at his father, and
wondered what had happened in
Ben glanced at the clock. "You'd better get ready for supper,
Adam. We'll talk some more later."
he said, as he cradled the glass in both hands, enjoying the bouquet of the
fine French brandy. Adam nodded, and
made for his room relieved that for the moment his father was not asking any
searching questions.
When they were finally all together
at the table, marvelling at the feast Hop Sing had managed to prepare at such
short notice, Ben cleared his throat to get his sons' attention.
"Well, boys, as well as giving
thanks for this meal which we are about to eat, I would also like to give
thanks for this family, for my three sons of whom I am justifiably very proud,
and for the safety of Joseph, who was in such danger just a short time
ago. I think it is well for all of us to
thank God for the many blessings this family has received from Him."
"Amen to that." said Hoss,
reaching for the plate of meat which was steaming in front of him. Ben glanced at Joe, who had coloured up
slightly, and was now keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his plate.
"Something the matter,
Joe?" he asked gently.
Joe cleared his throat and shook his
head, not looking forward to having to tell his father the various ways he felt
he hadn't been worthy of that pride during the last few weeks.
"Well then, let's eat ‑
that is, if Hoss has left anything for us." he added, glaring at Hoss's plate, which was already filled to overflowing.
Adam lifted his glass and stood
up. "Perhaps I could propose a
toast?" he said, looking from Hoss to Joe. "To our
Hoss and Joe stood up, grinning from
ear to ear. "I'll sure drink to
that!" said Hoss, savouring the full‑bodied wine.
"Me too" agreed Joe,
drinking rather more than was wise of the wine before sitting down again.
Ben laughed, and thanked them, and
they all started to eat with a hearty appetite.
When they had finished, and were enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee, Ben
glanced at Adam, and said.
"Pity about
the Hale and Norcross shares. We would have made a lot of
money on them if only I hadn't remembered at the last minute to tell you to
sell them."
Adam coughed, and grinned. "Well, actually, Pa, we have made a lot
of money. I didn't sell."
"Oh?" questioned Ben,
raising one eyebrow in surprise.
"Did you have some inside information, Adam?"
Adam shook his head slowly. "No....No, I didn't,
"Well, was it intuition
then?" asked Ben, aware of the rather awkward silence which seemed to have
fallen on the table.
"No, Pa, I can't rightly say it
was that..." replied Adam, picking up his unused dessert spoon, and
fiddling with it.
"Well, in that case, what was
the reason for ignoring my instructions, Adam.?"
Adam replaced the spoon in its
correct position, and met his father's amused stare with the hint of a smile.
"Well, actually, Pa, the key to
the safe was missing, and I wasn't able to get the papers out. That's why I didn't sell."
"Indeed!" said Ben, his
eyes twinkling. "And how is it
possible that you, of all people, could mislay so important a key? I've never known you to be careless with a
key in your life, Adam."
Adam shrugged, and smiled
apologetically. "Well, Pa, none of
us is perfect." As Ben turned to
accept another pot of coffee from Hop Sing, Adam threw Joe a warning glance.
Ben poured hot coffee into all their
cups, and smiled back at Adam. "So,
I assume that you have recovered the key now, have you?"
Adam nodded
"Where did you find it?"
asked Ben, innocently.
He noticed the short silence, then Adam said quickly, "Oh, it had worked its way into
the lining of a jacket through a hole in the pocket."
Ben nodded, aware that something was
being withheld, but not sure what. Like
a terrier worrying a rabbit, he continued the interrogation.
"Whose jacket pocket,
Adam?" The glance which passed
between Joe and Adam was not lost on Ben, and he turned to look at his youngest
son with a questioning expression on his face. Little Joe coloured up, and said quickly
"It was my coat,
"I see." said Ben
thoughtfully. "Tell me, Joseph,
what were you doing with the key to the safe?"
Before Joe could answer, Adam
interrupted. "Aaron Kaufmann brought the most beautiful saddle you've ever
seen, Pa, and offered it to Joe for next to nothing. It would have been a crime not to buy
it."
"So why didn't you get the
money out the safe for him, Adam?"
"I wasn't at home at the time,
Ben looked from one to the other,
weighing up the situation. He was
tempted to drop the subject, and let sleeping dogs lie, but he had always
insisted on hearing the truth from his sons, and this was no time to change
course. He put his hand over Joe's, and
asked very gently "Did you have your brother's permission to open the
safe, Little Joe?"
Joe shook his head, without meeting
his father's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Joe, I didn't hear
your reply." he said softly, still keeping his hand over his son's.
Joe looked up and held his father's
gaze. "No sir, I didn't have Adam's permission."
After a few seconds' silence Joe
continued. "I knew it was wrong,
and I still did it. I'm sorry."
Ben nodded. "Well, Joe, we all make mistakes
sometimes. The important thing is to
recognize those mistakes, and of course to be sorry for them. That way, one hopes,
we don't fall into the same trap again."
He smiled reassuringly at his son.
"I know I can rely on you never to do something you know to be
wrong again, can't I son?"
"Yes sir." muttered Joe,
more affected by his father's gentleness than he would have been by anger.
"Good." he said, finally
releasing his son's hand, and pouring himself his third cup of coffee. "Then we need say no more about it. You must show me this saddle later on,
Joe." He turned to Adam. "How much have we made on the Hale and
Norcross stocks?" he asked, passing the coffee to Joe.
"Ah, well, at yesterday's
prices, about thirty two thousand dollars.
I think it's about time to sell and realize those profits,
"We'll see." said Ben,
smiling.
Hoss put his cup down. "Pa, tell us about
Ben gave them a shortened version of
his stay in
Hoss grinned
his gap‑toothed, innocent smile. "Hey, Pa, and what about the widow‑woman on the
stagecoach, the one with the amber eyes, and the Venus de Milo figure? Did you see her again while you was in
Adam favoured his brother with an
exasperated glance, and Joe, who would very much have liked to have asked the
same question, but hadn't dared, threw a furtive glance at his father to see
his reaction. But Ben's face was impassive. He regarded Hoss steadily for a few seconds, then turned to Adam.
"I think I'd like to see the
account books, now Adam, if you don't mind." he said, studiously ignoring Hoss's comment. Adam
smothered the smile which his brother's discomfiture had prompted, and went to
the desk to get the key. He opened the
safe, and extracted the two leather‑bound books, taking them to his
father. Ben cleared a space on the
table, and began to study the figures.
After a while, he pointed to the sum of five thousand dollars, and asked: "What is this amount for exactly?"
"It's the investment we made in
the
He nodded. "Seems a fair enough
deal. More than fair to us, I
would say.
"He only had a month left to
come up with a strike. He stood to lose
the mine, his house, and everything."
"So, we stood to lost five thousand
dollars and a month's supply of timber.
It was quite a risk to take, wasn't it?"
"Well, this time it was
intuition. And the risk paid off, as you
seem to be aware."
Ben nodded. "Yes, I heard they'd struck a vein
richer and wider than anything else on the Comstock." He smiled and then added.
"Congratulations, Adam. You've
added a very valuable piece of property to Ponderosa Enterprises." Ben folded the contract carefully, and
glanced at the books again.
"Tell me, how did you come to
make this deal with
"I went to see him in
"Were you aware of the
difficulty he was in, Adam?" asked Ben with a questioning frown. He looked at the date on the contract. "This was less than a week after I left,
and although I was aware that he had some financial problems, I certainly had
no idea about how serious the situation was for him.
"No, Pa, I didn't know. I just happened to speak to him, and in the
course of the conversation, the matter came up."
"Mmmm...
Adam held his father's amused stare,
and smiled back. He had to hand it to his
father, he had a way of ferreting out the truth which
was most uncomfortable.
"Pa, did you never think of the
legal profession as your future, rather than ranching?" he asked, pouring
the last of the wine into his glass.
Ben's smile widened. He pushed his chair away from the table,
raised an eyebrow, and asked, "And why do you ask that, Adam?"
"Well, Pa, it just seems to me
that you would have been remarkably good at interrogating witnesses and getting
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, from them."
"Well, I'm sorry if you feel
I'm interrogating you, Adam," said Ben, adopting a more serious
expression. "However, if the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth were more readily available at this
table, perhaps I wouldn't find the need for that."
Adam accepted the mild reproof with
downcast eyes, and a rueful grin. The
short uncomfortable silence was finally broken by Hoss.
"Pa, dadburn
it, none us us has any intention of keeping the truth
from you, But, well, Pa, we talked about
it and decided as it was your first night home, we didn't want to tell you all
the problems we had, like, one after another.
We figured it wouldn't do any harm to let you enjoy your first meal back
on the Ponderosa. But if you want to
know why Adam had to go to
Ben smiled at Hoss. "Perhaps a little
evasive, Hoss. Not
untruthful. However, as your motives
seem to have been good, I shall overlook it." He returned to the books, passing the pages
rapidly.
"These figures are a little
evasive too, are they not Adam?"
"I'm sorry, I don't
understand." said Adam, coolly, looking at his father through narrowed
eyes.
"Well, the money Joe used for the saddle isn't
reflected here, unless I've missed it.
And neither is the payment to the Silver Dollar saloon for the damage
caused by the fight between Joe and Jake Roberts."
"Ah..." said Adam, nodding slowly. "Well, you see, those amounts didn't
come out of the ranch account. I paid
them myself out of my private account."
"Why"
"I suppose I hoped to keep Joe
out of trouble." answered Adam, with a shrug.
"You think Joe has to be
protected from me?" asked Ben, with an edge of sharpness to his voice.
Adam shook his head. "Of course not sir. I just thought ‑ well, I just felt that
Joe had been through enough recently, and I knew he was worried about it."
Joe cleared his throat and looked
straight at his father.
"Pa, Adam's done everything
possible to run this ranch and this family properly while you've been away, and I guess I've gone out of my way to make it more
difficult for him. I disobeyed him when
I went into
Ben smiled as he looked into his
youngest son's troubled eyes.
"Son, I'm not angry with any of
you. I just want to hear the truth,
that's all. For instance, Joe, I'd like
to know how you came to spend nearly three hours in the house of Julia Bulette on 'D' Street."
Joe felt the amazed eyes of his brothers fix on him.
Blushing a deep shade of red, be blurted out
"Pa, it isn't what you think,
honest it isn't."
"Don't assume you know what I'm
thinking, Joe." retorted Ben, with an easy smile.
Adam sighed, and shook his head.
"Pa, I just don't understand
it. You get in on the
Ben smiled back at Adam. "Just let it be a lesson to you boys not
to try to hide anything from me in the future.
By the way, I never said I came in on the
"Well? What exactly were you doing in a house of ill‑repute,
Joseph?"
"Like I said, Pa it isn't what
you think, Heck,
I was in bed, that's all." Joe
grinned innocently at his father, while his two brothers attempted
unsuccessfully to smother their laughter.
Ben threw them both a stern glance before returning to Little Joe.
"Explain yourself,
Joseph." he said curtly.
"Pa, after the buckboard tipped
over, and I had to shoot the horse ‑ I guess you already know about that
as well, don't you? ‑ well, I took a fairly hard bump on the head, and I
was bleeding, and Julia took me into her house and bathed my head, and while
she arranged for the horse to be removed, and the buckboard repaired, she let
me rest in her spare bedroom. That's all
that happened, Pa, honest!"
Adam glanced at Hoss, and mouthed
the word "Julia!"
"Half of Virginia City's
prepared to pay a thousand dollars to spend a few hours with Miss Julia Bulette, and our baby brother here didn't think it necessary
to mention his adventure with her." said Adam, regarding his brother with
a sardonic smile.
Joe grinned back at Adam. "Hey, she brought me home, too, big
brother. You only missed her by a few
minutes, but don't let that worry you.
If you need an introduction, I'll be pleased to oblige, any time."
"That'll be just about enough,
you two." interrupted Ben, taking out his pocket watch, and checking the
time. He snapped it shut and stood
up. "Joe, come over to the barn
with me for a few minutes, please."
The smile evaporated from Joe's
face. Misunderstanding his father's
intentions, he assumed that his father was really mad at him, and that he was
in for full‑scale lecture, if not worse!
To be sent to the barn usually meant big trouble. He stood up quickly, and replied "Yes,
sir", keeping his eyes fixed on the floor as he pushed his chair carefully
under the table. He followed his father
across to the front door, painfully aware of his brothers' eyes watching
him. Adam stood up and strode to the
door.
"Pa, can I have a few words
with you?" he said, his expression angry.
Ben raised his eyebrows.
"Right now, Adam?" he asked, surprised at his oldest son's sudden
change of mood.
"Yes, right now. Joe, wait outside." said Adam
sharply. Joe looked from his brother to
his father, then said softly. "Hey, Adam, leave
it be, will you?"
"No, damn it, I won't. I said wait outside, Joe."
Ben turned to Joe, and said very
gently. "Joseph, go outside and
close the door. I won't be more than a
minute."
Facing Adam with his hands placed
firmly on his hips he said very quietly "Adam, I will overlook the fact
that you raised your voice to me, and that you used bad language in my house,
because I think there is some misunderstanding here, but I must strongly advise
you to correct your attitude immediately."
Adam took a deep, steadying breath,
and forced himself to speak quietly and calmly.
"Pa, I'm sorry I raised my
voice, but I just can't believe that you can be so insensitive. Have you any idea what Joe's been through
while you've been away? Isn't enough
that of his own free will he admitted to you all the mistakes he made? I just can't believe..."
Ben raised a hand and interrupted
his son. "Adam, what on earth are
you talking about? What do you suppose
I'm going to do to Joe? What sort of a father do you take me for?" He stopped for a moment, shaking his head
slowly, then continued, "I'm taking Joe over to the barn to show him the
birthday present I brought him from San Francisco, something you two seem to
have forgotten. Now, if you'll excuse
me, I particularly wanted to talk to him at precisely this time, which is the
time he was born, eighteen years ago."
Without giving them a chance to say anything, he opened the door and
slammed it behind him.
Joe stood up quickly, shivering in
the cold night air, trying to guage his father's
mood. Ben put an arm around his
shoulders affectionately, immediately allaying Joe's fears. He gazed up at the sky, then
glanced at his youngest son. "Look
at the sky, Joe. Don't you think it's
the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" he asked softly.
Joe looked up at the clear sky,
which was dotted with stars and planets, and just a couple of fluffy white
clouds.
"It sure is." he agreed,
gazing upwards. "Hey, look over
there Pa! A shooting star!" he
said, pointing towads the north. Ben nodded.
"It was just such a night as
this the night you were born, Joe.
Exactly eighteen years ago."
He took out his watch.
"Well, eighteen years and two minutes, to be precise." he
added, smiling.
Little Joe looked at his father,
surprised. "I figured you'd
forgotten." he said quietly.
"Have I ever forgotten before,
son?" he asked.
"No. But what with coming home from
Ben sat on the steps which led up to
the porch, and motioned to Joe to sit beside him.
"You know, Joe, that night was
such a wonderful night for me and for your mother. I'd been so afraid that something terrible
would happen to her ‑ well, you know what happened when Adam was born ‑
so when you were both
safe and well, it seemed like a miracle.
I imagined that your mother and I would watch you grow up together,
perhaps even see our grandchildren running around on the Ponderosa. I thought we'd grow old together." He sighed and looked up at the sky
again. "But it only lasted a few
short years." he added, sadly.
"Even now, after all this time, it's still very difficult for me to
accept God's will. But when I find it
hard to accept, well, I remind myself just how much I have to be grateful for,
and at the very top of the list of those things is my youngest son. I shall thank God every day of my life for
keeping you safe when you were in such danger, son. If anything had happened to you, I don't know
how I could have gone on living."
"Sure you could,
Ben smiled, and shook his head,
taking Joe's hand in his own.
"Well, maybe you have given me a few sleepless nights, son, but
also a lot of joy, and love and laughter."
Joe looked steadily into his
father's warm brown eyes.
"Pa, I'll try to change. Honest I will. I'll try to make you proud of me."
Ben stood up, and offered his hand
to Joe to pull him up. "Don't you
go changing too much, Joe. We all happen to love you just the way you
are. And I already am proud of you,
son. Very proud
indeed." He brushed the dust
off the seat of his pants, then said. "Come with me to the barn, boy. I've got something to show you."
Joe lit the lamp, and carefully hung
it on the hook. For a while he could
still see nothing, his eyes temporarily blinded by the glare of the
lantern. Cochise
whinnied softly, and Hoss's horse Chubby blew down
his nose at them, and stamped his feet.
Looking behond his father's horse, Joe finally
saw the chestnut stallion, which was standing staring at them, neck elegantly
arched, and tail held high. The animal
tossed its head, and whickered a welcome. "Go on, son. He's all yours. I hope you like your birthday present."
As Joe patted the stallion's neck,
and rubbed him between the ears, talking softly to him all the time, the horse
explored his pockets gently with his soft velvety nose, looking for tidbits. Joe looked
at his father, eyes shining.
"Hey, I think he likes
me!" Turning towards his father,
Joe said seriously
"Pa, I sure don't deserve this
present..."
Ben smiled, and ruffled his son's
hair affectionately.
"You certainly didn't deserve
what you thought I was bringing you to the barn for, Joe, and I didn't hear you
complain, so I'll have no complaints about this either.
Joe grinned. "No complaints,
"Well, tomorrow you can show me
your new saddle on this new horse. Now,
Joe, will you ask your brothers to come over and see your present?"
"You bet! Adam's gonna be
green with envy,
When they had all examined Little
Joe's fine new horse,
the chill night air finally got through to their bones, and they
were glad to return to the ranch house and the blazing fire. Adam and Hoss disappeared upstairs, and
reappeared sheepishly with the presents they had bought Joe weeks before, and
forgotten about. Ben dismissed Adam's
apology for misunderstanding him with a wave of the hand, and to show there
were no hard feelings, he opened a new bottle of his very best brandy, and
offered glass to each of his three sons.
They talked late into the night in an atmosphere of friendly
companionship, until finally Ben stretched, and glanced at the grandfather
clock.
"Well, boys, I know it's Sunday
tomorrow, but it really is time we were all in bed. I've had a very long
day."
They all stood up and started up the
stairs.
"You know, boys," said
Ben, as they reached the landing, "The very best part of a holiday is
coming home. Remind me of that next time
I think I'd like a break from the Ponderosa."
"We will Pa, but just remember
that we're here, 'volens et potens',
so to speak, should you want to visit
"Hey, Adam, what sort of
language is that to use in front of Pa?" said Hoss, punching his brother
playfully on the shoulder, and nearly knocking him down the stairs.
"Now, come on Hoss," said
Ben, with a laugh. "You should know
that's the
State of
"Now, get on to bed at once,
the three of you, before I lose my temper with you!"
********************************************************
E P I L O G U E
The days lengthened as Spring turned to Summer, and the forest bloomed as nature
reasserted itself after the freezing sterility of the winter months. The yellow‑bellied marmots came out of
hibernation, and could be seen sunning themselves on the smooth rounded rocks
of the
Little Joe recovered from the trauma
of the kidnapping, helped by his father's understanding and affection, and his
own youthful resiliance, and he soon resumed his good‑natured
rivalry with Adam and his endless practical jokes on Hoss. Although everything was back to normal,
between Adam and Joe there was a deeper understanding than before, and perhaps
an even stronger sense of brotherhood.
Josh remained on the ranch, studying
hard to catch up with the majority of boys of his age, and although Ben made it
clear a permanent home would have to be found for him in the fall, he was such
a helpful and cheerful addition to the Ponderosa staff that they all wished he
could stay.
At times, Adam thought he noticed a
faraway look in his father's eye, and a sadness which hadn't been there before,
but most of the time Ben Cartwright was the same firm but gentle patriarch they
had always loved and respected, as unchanging as the mountains and forests of
his beloved Ponderosa.
The long glorious days of Summer finally began to shorten, and the fall turned the
colours of the aspen from green to gold and yellow. Far into October, the days were warm and
sunny, and although there were some pockets of snow on the mountains, it was
still warm enough to swim in the turquoise waters of the lake. On one such day, Joe and Hoss returned to the
Ponderosa at exactly the same time as Adam was arriving from
"Hey, Adam, any mail?"
asked Little Joe, jumping off his horse and sprinting across to Adam, who was
carrying a canvas mailbag. He went to
snatch the bag, but Adam was too quick for him, and held it above his head, out
of Little Joe's reach.
"Nothing for
you, little brother, but several for me and
"See to my horse, Joe." he
said, turning his back on him and making for the house. His natural curiosity aroused by the bulging
mailbag, Joe didn't want to miss anything while he was attending to the
horses. He looked around, and saw Josh
chopping firewood.
"Hey, Josh, do me a favour,
will you? See to my horse and Adam's for
me. I'll return the favour another
day."
Josh grinned. "No need." he said, taking the two
horses into the barn.
Joe sprinted into the house,
forgetting to brush the dust off his clothes and boots. His father frowned a
mild reproof, which was lost on Joe in his present good mood.
"Lots of letters?" he
asked, looking at the mound of envelopes, and small, book‑shaped parcel
wrapped in brown paper.
Ben smiled indulgently at his son's
inquisitiveness. "Quite a
few." he replied, shuffling through them slowly. Joe picked up the parcel.
"Hey, this one's all the way
from
"No, I have not, Joseph."
said Ben, taking the parcel from Joe's hands with a smile and replacing it on
the table. He started to open the
letter, reading each one slowly, and passing some of them to Adam for his
perusal. Joe picked up the packet again,
and began to feel it
"Feels like a book,
Ben sighed patiently, and took the
parcel from him again, placing it carefully on the arm of his chair.
"Aren't you going to open it
Pa?" asked Joe, impatiently.
"I expect so." said Ben,
"in good time." He opened the
last of the letters, read the name at the end of it, and then folded it
carefully, and replaced it in the envelope.
Instead of putting it together with the others, he slipped it into his
pocket, in the same movement taking out his watch and checking the time against
the grandfather clock. Frowning
slightly, he looked at Joe from under his eyebrows.
"Time you were washed up for
supper." he said, collecting the letters and the packet and taking them to
his desk. He placed the unopened parcel
straight into the top drawer, and turned the key, looking back at Joe who had
not moved.
"Well, boy, what are you
waiting for?" he asked curtly. Joe
shrugged and went to wash, muttering as he went.
Halfway through supper, Ben put his
knife and fork down and sipped the fine red wine appreciatively. "I received a letter from Julio and
Angeles Fernández today." he said, taking a
second helping of the roast chicken.
"They're arriving in
Adam thought hard. "Well, let me see, it must be . . . Hey, it's the twenty‑fourth today. They must be arriving tomorrow, Pa!"
Ben nodded "That's what I thought. They say in their letter that they intend to
stay at the International Hotel, but I'm sure we can persuade them to come to
the Ponderosa." Pouring more of the
excellent red wine into Adam's glass, he added "Adam, come into town with
me tomorrow morning to meet the stagecoach, will you?"
"Sure
"Hey, how
about me? I'd kinda like to
come and meet them too." he said, always glad of an excuse to go into town
and check out any new additions to the young female population.
Ben took the bottle of wine from his
youngest son's hand, placing it out of his reach with a warning frown.
"Joseph, you took the day off
today to go to the lake. There are
plenty of chores waiting for you tomorrow.
And you've already had enough wine, young man."
"Aw, come on Pa, that isn't
fair. I've only had one glass. Adam's had two and so have you."
Raising his eyebrows, Ben gave his son
a long hard stare which silenced him immediately.
"Don't answer me back young
man, or you'll be chopping firewood before breakfast for a week."
Adam gave Joe a quick grin, and
attempted to change the subject.
"Ah, what else did the Fernández's say in their letter Pa?" he asked, passing
the potatoes to Hoss, whose appetite was even larger than usual after a day at
the lake.
For several seconds Ben continued to
glare at Joe, then finally he looked back at Adam.‑
"Well, they mention that Maria
is to marry Sam Hall in the Spring, and they seem to
be quite happy about that now. When I think Julio was all for challenging him
to duel just a few months ago . . . " He shook his head, smiling. Hoss grinned at the news.
"Hey, Pa, will you go to the
wedding? We'll look after the Ponderosa,
won't we Adam?" he said, grinning at his brothers.
"Yeah ‑
"Well, if you want to go Pa,
we're here, willing and able, so to speak." said Adam, studiously ignoring
his father's growing irritation.
"Now just one long minute,
gentlemen," said Ben, putting his knife and fork down and glaring at his
three sons sternly. "I have no
intention of leaving the Ponderosa in your capable hands for this wedding, or
for any other reason, this Spring, next Spring, or any
other Spring, so you can all stop making plans right now. Is that clear?" he said, pushing his
plate away from him.
"Sure, Pa," said Joe, with
a wide grin. "I just thought that,
seeing as how you had a letter today from a lady in
"I don't need an excuse . . .
and how do you know I received a letter from a lady in
"Well, Pa, the handwriting on
the envelope was sort of fancy, and when you read the name at the end of the
letter, you looked sort of romantic, and then you put the letter into your
inside pocket, right next to your heart, so you could read it later on your
own, so I figured it had to be from the widow with the amber eyes and the Venus
de Milo figure, unless of course, there's someone else we don't know about."
Joe grinned back at his father,
aware that he had said rather too much, but enjoying himself too much to
care. Adam and Hoss held their breaths,
watching their father to see his reaction.
Ben Cartwright had as good a sense of humour as anyone, and he encouraged familiarity
within limits, but Joe had just trespassed a little over those limits. He regarded his son thoughtfully for a few
seconds.
"How long would you like to
chop wood for, Joseph? One week or
two?" he asked, the hint of a smile softening his expression.
Joe was still grinning as he replied
"I guess one week will be fine,
"Good. Wipe the grin off your face, or it will be
two."
"Yes sir," replied Joe,
biting his bottom lip to try to stop the irrepressible grin, but failing. However, Ben gave him the benefit of the
doubt and added
"One hour a day before
breakfast for a week, then. See to it
you don't forget."
As Ben came down the stairs the next
morning, Joe was coming in from the front yard, having spent an hour chopping
firewood for the huge Ponderosa fireplace.
He grinned happily at his father.
"Morning,
"Good morning Joseph."
replied Ben, with a warm smile.
"It's good to be back in
here." said Joe, rubbing his hands together in front of the fire. "It's colder than a Polar bear's nose
out there this morning. I reckon it
could snow today."
"Could do." agreed
Ben. It can snow any month of the year
up here, as you very well know, and we are well in to October."
Adam and Hoss appeared at the top of
the stairs, and Joe grinned at them, saying sarcastically
"Afternoon, Hoss, Adam."
Ignoring their brother's sarcasm
with a smile, they took their places at the breakfast table, immediately
indulging in the friendly banter which was normal at mealtimes. When breakfast was nearly over, Ben turned to
Joe.
"See to it the front yard is
tidy by the time we get back, Joseph. I
don't know how many times I've told you to put tools away when you've finished a
job, but I noticed a hammer over by the hitching post and a crowbar over by the
corral yesterday. If it snows today,
you'll never find them until it thaws.
And sweep the porch while you're at it."
he added, as an afterthought. He stood
up and nodded his head at Adam.
"You ready?" he asked, buckling on his gun belt and picking up
his hat. Adam hurried his last cup of
coffee and followed his father.
"I guess I'll have to be."
he said, winking at Little Joe, who was busy making an elaborate bow to his father's
back Seeing Hoss's
grin, Ben turned quickly in time to catch the tail end of the bow. As Joe's eyes met his father's, he hurriedly
straightened up, colouring with embarassment. Ben just shook his head, and sighed.
"Come on, Adam, before I lose my
patience with this infant brother of yours." he said, heading for the
door.
Adam and Ben arrived in
"How long did you say the Fernández's will be staying, Pa?" asked Adam, sipping
the piping hot coffee.
"Just a
couple of weeks, according to their letter. I shall
be glad of an opportunity to clear things up between us. We've been friends for a long time, and I'd
like to keep it that way."
"All the same, Pa, it wasn't
your fault that the friendship was ‑ well, strained. Mr. Fernández
should apologize to you."
Ben shook his head. "Oh, come on Adam. You have to be a little more flexible in life
you know, and not stand on ceremony where friendship is concerned. There is nothing more important in life than
our relationships with our family and friends.
Certainly not pride, or money, or power, or even the
land."
Adam looked thoughtfully at his father,
and said softly "It means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
"The family?" asked Ben,
with a surprised smile.
"No, the
land." Ben
stirred his coffee thoughtfully.
"Well, yes, Adam, of course it
does. It cost me ‑ and you, of
course, ‑ years of work and sweat.
You know that as well as anyone.
Of course it means a lot to me.
But it doesn't mean more to me than my sons, Adam. I hope you've never had cause to doubt
that."
"No, of
course not. I didn't mean that . . . I was just thinking."
"About what,
Adam? asked his father, his brow furrowed.
Adam glanced out at the street, and
began to stand up.
"Nothing, Pa,
nothing really. Here's the stagecoach. We'd better get out there."
Ben greeted Julio and Angeles
warmly, making no mention of the rather difficult circumstances of their last
conversations. To begin with, they
insisted that they couldn't possibly impose on Ben's hospitality at the
Ponderosa, but he soon convinced them.
"Well, I'm afraid we can't offer
you the same luxury of your San Francisco house, Julio, but you know you'll get
a warm welcome, and Hop Sing's cooking is as good as
anything you'll eat in San Francisco."
"Ben," said Julio
seriously, as they trotted along the road from
Ben smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I have to admit it wouldn't really suit me
either."
"You haven't let the money go
to your head, Ben. I'm afraid we made a
lot of mistakes, and we're paying for them now.
Sometimes I wish we'd never left
Ben glanced sideways at his old
friend, and noticed how he had aged.
"Mistakes can always be put right, Julio . . . There are no dead
ends in life, you know, only fresh turnings."
By the time they arrived at the
Ponderosa, the first fluffy flakes of snow had begun to swirl around, and it
seemed that the temperature had begun to rise a little. Little Joe took the horse's head as they drew
up outside, and grinned a welcome.
"Little Joe! Well, well, how you've grown! You were just a skinny little kid when we
left, and now you're a grown man!" said Angeles, giving him a hug. Joe grinned.
"I wish you'd tell Hoss and
Adam that. They still seem to think I'm
a little kid." he retorted cheerfully.
"And so they will, Joseph, as
long as you go on behaving like one." said Ben, as he started to remove
the trunk from the back of the buckboard.
"Here, let me do that,
"Hey, what you got in here,
bars of gold?"
Julio laughed. "No, Joe, just some copies of Sam Hall's
new novel. He asked us to see if the
bookshop here in
"Great! I'll have a copy myself." said Joe,
depositing the trunk on the floor inside the front door. "What's it about?"
Angeles smiled. "Hasn't your father told you?"she asked
innocently. Joe glanced quickly at his
father, who seemed more than a little disturbed by this conversation.
"No, ma'am."
he replied, his grin getting wider all the time. "Pa received a copy in the mail
yesterday, but he's got it under lock and key.
I guess it must be pretty hot stuff, 'cos he
didn't seem to want me to get a hold of it."
"Joseph, go and see to the
buckboard." said Ben sharply. Joe
smiled back angelically.
"Oh, it's
okay,
"I'll get you out a copy as
soon as I unpack, Joe." said Angeles.
"I'm sure you know that Sam Hall based his main character on your
father, and he really has written the book very well. Why, anyone who knew your father would
immediately recognize you, Ben, although of course he hasn't used your
name. It's such a lovely story, even if
it is a little sad at the end. If you
like a nice romantic novel, Little Joe, you'll just love this one!"
"Oh, I just love romantic
novels!" lied Little Joe, giggling.
"Especially with Pa as the protagonist."
Ben cleared his throat and turned to
Hoss.
"Hoss, take all this luggage up
to the spare room and show Julio and Angeles where they'll be sleeping. I'm sure they'd like to freshen up before
lunch after such a long journey."
"Yes sir." said Hoss,
picking up the trunk easily with one hand, while he grabbed the valise and
another bag with the other.
"Hey, big brother, let me give
you a hand." said Joe, deciding it would be a good idea to escape from his
father's field of vision for a while.
"No need, short shanks, I've
got it." said Hoss, leading the way up the wooden
staircase to the bedrooms.
As Joe went to follow them, Ben said
icily
"Not you, Joseph."
Joe stopped in his tracks without
turning around.
"Come here, young man."
his father said, ominously quiet.
"Yes sir?" said Joe, a
picture of wide‑eyed innocence.
"I am growing a little tired of
your attitude, Joseph. I do not have to
tolerate innuendo or insolence from you, and I advise you to remember to whom
you are speaking. I am your father,
Joseph, not one of your dubious saloon friends.
When you address me you will do so with the proper respect, or you will
suffer the consequences. Do I make
myself absolutely clear?"
The smile died on Joe's lips, and
the mischief in his eyes was replaced by genuine concern. He swallowed hard, but held his father's
angry glare respectfully.
"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. I would never deliberately show you any
disrespect." He looked hard at the
floor, then said quietly. "I guess I'd better go give Josh a hand
with the buckboard. Excuse me,
sir."
As he turned to go, Ben softened and
took him by the shoulder gently.
"Joe, I'm sorry. I guess I did come down on you rather
hard. I'm not really angry with you,
son. It's just that this is a rather
difficult situation for me, and I'd appreciate it if you'd try to be a little
more sensitive to people's feelings."
"Pa, I didn't realize ‑ I
mean ..."
"Son, there are a few things I
didn't tell you about my stay in San Francisco, and some of those things are
mixed up with a lot of fiction in this book of Sam's. Of course you can read the book, but I had
intended to talk to all three of you before letting you do so, so that you
would be quite clear about what is fact, and what is
fiction."
"I don't need to read the book,
"Apology accepted, Joe. I know you were just being your usual light‑hearted
self, and I suppose I over‑reacted a
little. I'm sorry too."
When Ben had a chance to talk to
Julio and Angeles alone, he arranged to purchase all the books which Sam had
sent to avoid them being sold locally in the bookshop. The book was not mentioned again, and Joe was
careful not to make any comments about the amber‑eyed widow.
The Fernandez's enjoyed visiting the
lake, and walking and riding in the forest.
It was a busy time of the year for the Cartwrights,
and although quite often they all went to the lake together, often Josh went
with the Fernandez's alone. Ben was glad
the the lad could get out and enjoy himself, as he
felt it was wrong that such a youngster
should spend most of his time working on the ranch.
In the evenings after supper, they
often talked or played games. One
evening, near the end of the time the Fernandez's were to spend on the
Ponderosa, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe went to bed early, and Ben and the
Fernandez's were enjoying a nightcap before retiring. Julio sighed, and said quietly.
"I envy you your sons,
Ben. You're such a close‑knit family, I don't think anything could ever split you
apart."
"I hope you're right,
Julio. I thank God every day for my sons
‑ they mean everything to me. But
Julio, surely Maria and Miguel are just as close to you and Angeles."
"No, not
really. Somehow in the last few years, something
happened which destroyed that closeness.
In a way, I wish we had never made that strike. It was the money which changed us, made us
forget for a while the things that are really important. Miguel intends to make his future in
Ben puffed on his pipe
thoughtfully. "Well, of course,
they grow up and want to form their own families. It's the natural course of events,
Julio. Sometimes I think Adam would like
to spread his wings and fly away from the nest.
There are times he starts to talk to me, then
seems to hold back, unsure of what to say.
Perhaps I'm wrong not to encourage him to say what he's thinking. Perhaps it's selfish of me to want to keep
him here. But if one day he does leave
to make his own way in life, then all I can hope is that he will carry the
memory of the love we have for him in his heart, wherever he goes. I'm sure both Miguel and Maria carry that
memory, Julio, and in a way that's the greatest gift we can give to our
children. We can leave them land, money,
silver ‑ but all those things can be lost. It's only the love which lasts. It's the love which lets us live on in our
children and grandchildren, and gives us a chance at immortality."
Julio nodded.
"I know you're right, Ben, and
that's why it's going to be lonely back in
Ben shook his head slowly, feeling
cold at the very thought of it.
Julio stood up, and walked over to
the fire to warm his hands. He glanced
at Ben, and cleared his throat.
"Ben, I was going to ask you a
favour."
Ben topped up their glasses of
brandy, and smiled encouragingly.
"Ask it, Julio."
They both sipped the brandy, and Julio looked at his
wife and smiled.
"Well, Ben, these last few days
Josh has been kind enough to take us around in the buckboard, drive us to the
lake etcetera. He's a nice lad, and a
bright one. I like the way he asks
questions, and listens to the answers."
"Yes. Josh is an unusual youngster. I'm going to have to talk to him soon about
what he's going to do, because it isn't right to keep him here on the
ranch. Adam's been teaching him, but he
should be at school, really. He needs to
mix with other lads of his own age. But
most of all, he needs affection, and a family, to heal the damage his father
and brother did to him."
"Exactly.
And Ben, we need someone who needs us.
You know, not to be needed by anyone leaves you feeling so empty and
useless. We could give Josh a home,
educate him, and he could give us a reason to bother to get up in the mornings. I'm not getting any younger, and someone is
going to have to learn to administer our investments, and run the ranch in the
future. I think Josh could do that. What do you say Ben?"
Ben puffed on his pipe and looked
from Julio to Angeles.
"Julio, I don't know what to
say. It's a very generous offer, and one
I had no idea you were going to make. I
can't think of a better future for Josh, especially now that you're going to be
breeding horses. You know, he's happiest
when he's working with the horses, and he really has a good way with them. Have you talked to him about it.?"
"Well, we haven't said anything
definite to him, but we've sort of skirted around it, and I think he'd be more
than happy to have the chance to go to a proper school and get a formal
education. Of course, I know he'd miss
the Ponderosa, but he could come and visit in the Summer,
couldn't he?"
Ben glanced at Angeles, who had so
far said nothing.
"What do you feel about this
Angeles? Do you really want the
responsibility of a young lad just as you've finished bringing up your own
children, and are free to travel, or do whatever you will?"
Angeles smiled. "Ben, would you exchange your houseful
of sons for freedom to travel? Josh is
crying out for a mother's love, and I've still got so much of that to
give. I think freedom from
responsibility is over‑rated. That
sort of freedom just means freedom to be lonely, to feel useless."
"Well then, as far as I'm
concerned, it's the perfect solution.
The only problem could be the legal position, but I'm sure that could be
sorted out."
"His parents and relatives are
all dead, aren't they?"
"Yes. I'm afraid he has no living relatives at
all." replied Ben, tapping the ash out of his pipe.
"Then there should be no
problem. We shall apply to legally adopt
him." Julio smiled at Angeles, and
took her hand in his.
"That's very generous of you
Julio" said Ben.
"Well, we've taken a lot out of
the Comstock. All that silver. I think the least we can do is share our good
fortune with someone else. One day we'll
all have to face our Maker, and when He puts all that silver on the scales, and
says 'here's what I gave you ‑ what did you do with it for me?', I want
to have something to balance the scales with."
Ben smiled. "You know Josh is Catholic. I'm afraid we've rather neglected that side
of his education while he's been with us."
Angeles nodded. "He's meant for us, Ben, don't you
see? We can provide him with the home he
needs."
So it was that Josh left with the Fernández's, happy and excited to have a new family and a
whole new future unfolding before him, and a little sad to leave Little Joe and
the Ponderosa. As they waved goodbye,
Joe reminded him to come and visit them every Summer,
and then in a cloud of dust the stagecoach set off on the long journey back to
the big city.
That night, just before supper, Ben
and his three sons sat around the fire, quite glad to be back to normal on the
ranch. Ben poked the fire, then shook his head as if
trying to work something out.
"You know, it's
strange." he said, sitting in the leather armchair and puffing on his
pipe.
"What is, Pa?" asked Adam.
"Strange how one insignificant action or decision can affect so many other
lives,"
"How d'you
mean, Pa?" asked Little Joe, biting into a crisp
red apple.
"Well, when I went to
"And I've got my beautiful new
horse!" interrupted Joe, with a grin.
Adam passed his father a glass of
brandy, and studied him intently for a few seconds.
"And what have you got out of
it all, Pa?" he asked softly, turning the leather‑bound novel by Sam
Hall over in his hands thoughtfully.
"Me?" said Ben, smiling at
his oldest son with a hint of sadness in his eyes.
"I've still got all my three
sons, and the Ponderosa. What more could any man ask for?" he said, gazing
into the bottom of the swirling amber brandy.
Adam placed the book carefully on
the table between them, and sat opposite his father, his dark expressive eyes
never leaving Ben's face.
"Nothing more, I guess."
Hoss and Joe looked at each other
and shrugged, not quite following the gist of the conversation.
"Well, that's just your humble
opinion, Adam, but dadburn it, it's nearly
"Oh, Hoss, and what's
that?" asked Ben, already guessing the answer.
"Dadburn
it, Pa, a man could ask for something to eat!"
***************************
The End