Summary: Part five of A Battle of Wills
Word Count: 10,000
A Battle of Wills
“She will promise you more than the Garden of Eden, and laugh while you’re bleeding.
But she’ll bring out the best and the worst you can be,
Blame it all on yourself,
Cause she’s always a woman to me.”
Billy Joel
Chapter 1
Boston
Late Spring 1870
Light streamed into Joe Cartwright’s hospital room, as he fought to awaken. He had been there for several days and had slept through most of them. The physical and emotional strain of the surgery, had weighed heavily on him and his body demanded constant sleep. The nurses administered pain medication that made him sleep more. He surrendered to the need for rest, as he slept in a dreamless slumber for many hours.
The nurses and his family checked on him often, each spending time sitting in his room, feeling the need to keep him company. Dennis O’Mara still felt someone should be there to protect from whomever the men were who had tried to carry him away even though Ben Cartwright was still not convinced that anything really had happened. He was pretty sure that Joe was probably confused and tried to get out of bed and the other men walked into the wrong room. Both of them did alert the hospital to what happened. Ben Cartwright made sure if neither he nor Dennis was sitting in Joe’s room a nurse or an orderly was nearby keeping watch.
Ben seemed to understand that Joe would not want to wake to an empty room and took turns making sure he was well attended. That was how Joe was since he was a small boy. The reassurance Joe received at waking to a familiar face was comforting to him. There was little Ben could do to ease his son’s situation but at least he was able to arrange for Joe to have continual company until he left the hospital.
Emily O’Mara volunteered to keep Joe company most afternoons after her tutoring sessions with her nephew, Robert Charles O’Mara. This allowed Ben to attend to some business or go back to the house and rest or eat a mid day meal in peace. Then Ben would return to keep his son company and help him with his dinner. Food brought to him on a tray and he needed a lot of encouragement and assistance simply to eat. He would fall back into sleep quickly after eating, sometimes even falling asleep before he was done.
As uncomfortable as he was, Joe was always glad to see Emily. She had the same gray eyes, as her older brother and her sisters, but had thick chestnut brown hair that she always wore in a chic upswept style. She was a truly elegant and beautiful woman and always dressed impeccably. Initially, Joe thought she was cold and aloof but his father reminded him that they were in Boston and the etiquette was much more formal than home in Virginia City. Dennis jokingly reminded Joe that he better be a gentleman around his little sister or he would have a serious problem. Joe knew that he was teasing but with all of his jokes there was an underlying thread of seriousness. There was some unspoken story that Joe decided he would ask Adam about when he eventually came to visit at the end of the summer.
Emily tended to be serious and soft spoken but occasionally a flash of her true nature appeared and she would make a wry comment or joke that lit up her eyes and brought a smile to Joseph. He realized she was not as much distant as calm and extremely intelligent. Often she would just sit quietly in the chair near the window reading while Joe napped but he found it pleasantly comforting to see her when he awoke. In the afternoon, the sun would hit her upswept hair and fill it with golden highlights. Joe would sometimes stare unnoticed at her while she read and then close his eyes pretending he was still asleep if she looked up. It was childish but he had very little else to amuse himself with in the hospital but a school boy game of staring at the pretty teacher.
Sometimes, when he awoke for real or got tired of his pretend sleeping, she would read the newspaper to him or ask him about life on the ranch. She was always interested in everything he said and Joe found Emily easy to be with even when they were just being quiet.
Joe tried to sit up and groaned aloud as his body fully woke and told him of its displeasure. His hand and should hurt terribly. And his bladder was very full.
Joe reluctantly opened his eyes and for a few moments forgot where he was. He was on his back propped up on a few pillows; his shoulder and chest were wrapped in bandages. His hand was in a heavy plaster cast wedged between some more pillows. As he moved, the pain that hit him reminded him of the surgery he had endured and that he was in the hospital in Boston, not in his own bed at home.
Joe licked his dry, chapped lips and realized how thirsty he was. He swallowed and remembered there were a glass and a white enameled pitcher of water on the nightstand but it was just out of his reach. Then he realized he really had to pee too. “ Isn’t that just grand.” Joe thought disgustedly. I’m trapped in a hospital bed, I’m going to die of thirst and piss myself at the same time. Isn’t life just perfect for Joe Cartwright? Here he was, a man who could rope a bull or live on the trail with nothing more than Cochise and his rifle and he couldn’t tend to his own basic needs.
He began thinking of how he was going to manage to sit up in bed when he heard someone coming down the hall. He looked towards the door, as Emily O’Mara looked around the corner to check on him. “Hello, Joseph. I heard you groaning as I came down the hall. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just hurts so to move much. What are you doing here? I thought you had some sort of meeting in the morning. I didn’t think you would be here until after lunch. My father said last night. Did it get cancelled?”
Emily laughed. “Your father just left. Lunch was more than an hour ago. We didn’t want to disturb you. We knew you needed the sleep. Do you want something to drink? Some ice water or a nice cup of tea? Some coffee? Lemonade.” She started listing all sorts of beverages, which just added to his distress. Why didn’t she just tell him about the crashing waves in the ocean and towering Niagara Falls and the blue waters of Lake Tahoe and bobbing for apples in a big copper wash tub.”
“And I’ll find out from the nurses if they can scrounge up some food for you,” she added.
”Umm could you get one of the orderlies, I really need some help. Now. Please” He pleaded.
”I’ll help you. What do you want me to do? “ She smiled. Her gray eyes flashed. Goodness, what did he want her to do? No way he could tell her.
“Em, Uh umm, just do me a favor and get the orderly. Now, please. “ Sweat broke out on his upper lip.
”There all pretty busy, Joe. I’ll be more than happy.” she started.
”Miss O’Mara.” Joe interrupted turning red and squeezing his eyes shut. “Please, get me an orderly or I won’t be able to be the gentleman that I’m trying to be here with you.”
With that remark, Miss Emily suddenly realized what was going on and turned redder than Joe and raced out of the room to get what he requested.
Chapter 2
The Ponderosa Ranch,
Nevada Territory
Summer of 1857
That summer, Little Joe had finally succeeded in convincing his father not to send him back to school. Joseph really hadn’t won the argument but Ben got sick and tired of the boy’s battle of will. It was a war of attrition. He was sick and tired of arguing with the boy and was sick and tired of hunting him up when he played hooky. Adam felt his father was totally wrong and told him that he would try to convince his brother of the error of his ways.
“Go right ahead Adam. I am very sure you are just wasting your breath.” Ben told him as they worked on the payroll. He was also sick and tired of Adam ‘s supercilious attitude and thinking it was so easy to be the father of any children no less Joseph Francis Cartwright.
“ I doubt if Little Joe can horn swoggle me as easily as you, Pa,” Adam boasted. “I’ll get him to go to school.” He finished adding a column of figures and started on the next page.
“I won’t hold my breath, Adam. And while you are at it, since I am so sure you will be successful, make sure he gets a haircut while you are in Virginia City.” Ben frowned at his oldest son. Then he loudly slammed close the ledger he was working on and stood up and left his desk for the barn.
Adam had always hoped Little Joe would be a more enthusiastic student and more interested in attending school. Maybe Joe would even consider going back east to college in a few years. He decided to take the boy along to town to pick up supplies and try to effectively convince his young brother of the error of his ways. The ride into Virginia City was long and other than Little Joe leaping out of the moving buckboard, he was trapped and forced to listen to reason. At least that was what Adam thought would happen.
Adam was envious that his younger brother had easier opportunities to gain an education than he had at the same age but no amount of debate convinced his youngest brother of this.
“Adam, just because you liked school and couldn’t go don’t mean I should.” Joe argued as they rode along in the buckboard.
”Doesn’t, “ Adam corrected. He flicked the reins on the teams back as the started up the steep hill towards Virginia City. The wagon creaked.
“That is what I said, it don’t mean I should go. You should go.” Joe raised his chin defiantly and pointed his finger at Adam. “You go, not me.”
Adam rolled his eyes and started to explain for the hundredth time how important an education was and how lucky Joe was to be able to take advantage of the Cartwright’s current prosperity and how hard it was for Adam growing up.
“Adam, give it up. Just because times were hard for you and Pa and Hoss when your first came out here doesn’t mean I need to feel bad and go suffer in school. Should I be punished because you think I have it easier than you did? Should I go barefoot in the snow and start wearing rags and stop eating too?”
Adam sighed and tried to think of logical reply. “Education is important.” That was a clinker, Adam realized as the words came out of his lips.
“Just because you like reading and ciphering for fun doesn’t mean I should. You are you and I am me!” Joe hollered rebelliously. One of the horses flicked her tail at Joe’s outburst.
“But.” Adam started to make another point.
“But nothing. Butt out! You are not my father, Adam. And its like you saying that you are hungry and I should eat.” Joe turned to his brother angrily. “Go eat and leave me alone to live my own life.” Joe slumped down on the seat and glared straight ahead at the mountains on the horizon.
“And what do you plan on doing, Little Joe?” Adam asked. He was sure Joe would not be able to give a decent answer to that question. Too many times recently, Adam or Hoss or their father had found Little Joe playing hooky and poking around the Virginia City Saloons or swimming in Cherry Creek or pulling pranks around town. Even Miss Barbara in the Altamont Saloon had told Adam that Little Joe was hanging around and had sent him packing.
”Adam, You know you and Hoss are welcome here all the time. All the time, any time. Even your handsome father if he was so inclined.” She smiled warmly.” But I don’t want any schoolboys hanging around my place eyeing the girls. Especially during school hours. It makes those pious church ladies anxious to close us down even though half their husbands are here after dinner and on Saturday night.”
Sheriff Roy Coffee had brought Little Joe home a number of times and warned Ben that the boy was on the verge of getting into some serious trouble and was hanging around with some older fellows of questionable character. Once, Hoss caught his little brother playing poker with the Bonner brothers who were the same age as Adam. The Bonners were well known as troublemakers for years. Hoss hauled him home and Joe complained for days as he was winning and Hoss made him leave.
Adam was sure Joe would put his foot in his mouth on that question. “What do you plan to do if you quit school, Little Brother,” Adam repeated. He snatched Joe’s hat off so he could see the boys face.
“I’ll be working for Pa on the ranch. He always said, the ranch is for all three of us and we all built it with our own hard work. I can work hard, Adam. You know I can. And you sure will see me working hard if I don’t have to go to school. Pa said he will let me spend more time with the horses if I worked hard doing what he told me to do.”
Adam nodded. The boy did have a point in what he was saying.
“And think how much more will get done on the Ponderosa if you aren’t spending half your time looking for me hiding out from school. You lose half a day’s work each time you drag me back into town and haul me into the schoolhouse or have to meet with the teacher. And Pa too.” He grabbed his hat back from his brother’s hands and put it on the back of his head. He smiled triumphantly.
Adam sighed and realized that Joe, despite himself had won the debate and there was nothing more that could be discussed. He hated to see Joe quit school but conceded that more and more of their time was being spent keeping Joe out of trouble and finally realized his father might be right in letting Joe have his way. At least, if Joe was working, he might be too tired to get into too much serious trouble.
“At least we all can get some solid work out of him when he isn’t hiding.” Adam told his father later that night. “And Joe is very good with horses.”
Ben smiled knowing that Little Joe had out foxed them all about school. On the other hand Adam was getting a lesson in how hard it was to be Ben Cartwright raising that boy.
”I noticed that your brother still needs a hair cut.” Ben smiled at Adam and finished the last sip of coffee in his cup.
Chapter 3
Joe was delighted that hot September to be accompanying Adam and Hoss to Fort Mead to deliver horses rather than going back to school.
“That boy is so full of himself, Pa. We may have to get him a bigger hat.” Hoss observed as they were loading the pack horses.
”He thinks he’s quite the man,” Ben laughed watching from the porch as Joe and Adam organized the horses at the barn corral.
”But he did do a good job gentling those horses and picking the ones we are taking to the army,” Hoss observed. “The army sure asked for a whole lot this time.”
“Just you and Adam keep your eyes on him while you are on this trip. You will need to stay over night at Indian Wells and you’ll need at least three or four days at Fort Mead for them to pick out the horses so just keep Joe from getting himself in too much trouble.”
”Not to worry Pa. Adam and I won’t let him have too good a time.”
Chapter 4
“Where you fellas headed?” The burly bartender asked them as they walked into the Indian Wells Saloon. He poured three beers and slid them down the battered bar toward the Cartwright brothers. “All we have is beer here. No whiskey until the freight wagon comes through again. Maybe next week or the week after. ”
“We have a string of prime horses we are bringing up to Fort Mead,” Little Joe proudly informed the bartender.
Adam tipped Joe’s hat over his eyes and laughed at the boy’s enthusiasm. “Does that hat still fit your big head, Buddy. One beer and that’s it Joe. And don’t even let Pa know we let you have that.”
“We have the best horses in Nevada Territory with us. Hand picked fine horses,” Joe bragged on. He took a big gulp of the beer.
The bartender moved down the bar to wait on some other customers. Adam put his arm around his young brother’s shoulder. “ When you are the best, you don’t have to tell anyone.”
” And if you aren’t you better keep your mouth shut and not call attention to yourself, Shorty.” Hoss added.
”But Adam, it’s not bragging if it’s true.” Little Joe argued with a smile. “We do have the best horses.” His two older brothers laughed at Joe’s excitement. Pa was right though. Adam and Hoss knew that they had to keep Joe on a tight reign on this trip or they would be courting trouble. Their kid brother was like carrying lightning in a glass jar.
The bartender wiped the battered wooden bar. He was a large husky man, almost as big as Hoss. He had bushy, straight black hair and a serious face. “Fort Mead? You three better watch yourselves up there.”
Hoss took a long sip of his beer. “What’s the matter Paiutes stirring up the trouble?”
”That’s the least of it. Heard that your biggest problem at Fort Mead is Major Chadwick’s wife. Steer clear of her.”
”What do you mean?” Adam swirled his beer around in his glass. The drink was warm but it was wet and it had been a hot dusty day bringing up the horses from the Ponderosa.
Bartender Tom Young told them “ Watch out for Major Chadwick and his wife Irma. Heard that she will chase you and if she catches you and the husband finds out he makes sure you get killed.”
Joe’s eyes were wide with amazement. “She chases men and does what to them?”
The bartender wiggled his black eyebrows and smiled suggestively. “Just let me put it this way. She chases them but they don’t run too fast.”
Hoss laughed and slapped Little Joe on the back.
“Look what happened with that last troop they all got killed by Chief Ka-Pusta and his braves. Captain Dayton and the whole bunch of them.” Tom continued. Years earlier the Cartwrights had almost been killed on a stage attacked by Ka-Pusta and his rogue band. Little Joe barely escaped with his hair. Ka-Pusta led a band of dangerous rebels who thought he got messages from the moon and the stars.
“Dayton? That must be Frank Dayton’s brother,” Hoss pointed out to his brothers. He put down his beer and listened attentively.
“John Dayton? That’s right he joined the army years ago. After his father was shot. Bet it was him.”
While his brothers were distracted with the bartender’s story, Little Joe poured most of Hoss’s beer into his glass and started to drink it down.
“Can’t be so. That is crazy. A whole troop killed over some round heeled gal.” Hoss exclaimed. He picked up his glass and looked down at the dregs that Joe had left for him. Had he really finished all his beer already? “Let me have another beer, Tom.”
The bartender drew another glass and handed it to Hoss. “The trooper who come in here told me all about her. She is quite a looker too.”
“That’s a myth,” Adam said disbelieving the whole thing. Joe had downed the rest of the beer he had stolen from Hoss and now he was inching his hands towards Adam’s glass.
“Myth? No, sir. She’s a missus. Mrs. Chadwick the Major’s wife.” Tom Young argued with Adam Cartwright. He knew the Cartwrights for many years and really didn’t want anything to happen to them.
“No a myth, an exaggerated story. There’s some truth to it but it’s largely an exaggeration.” The movement near his glass caught Adam’s eye and slapped his little brother’s hand before he lost his drink. “One beer Joe. One.”
“Well maybe it is just a story but if I were you, I’d watch out,” said Tom Young. “Don’t want you to come back this way with a bullet in your back, stretched across your saddle. Or worse. Scalped by Ka-Pusta.” Joe’s hand went up to his hair and he looked at Tom Young’s serious face.
Chapter 5
The three Cartwright brothers were shown to a bunkroom in Major Chadwick’s house by the orderly. “Here’s where the Major puts up you visitors, boys. You should have more than enough space for just the three of you. This room holds a crowd some times. If you are hungry now I can rustle up something other wise Mrs. Chadwick wants you to join the officers for dinner at six o’clock. Or you can eat with the enlisted men in the mess hall.”
“Thanks, corporal.” Hoss smiled. He swung his saddlebag onto the bed closest to the door. “I’m going out to check that the horses are watered proper and that Chubb’s hoof is ok.”
“Joe why don’t you take that bunk near the door and I’ll take this one.” Adam gestured to the next bunk.
The long room was bare but clean. On the far wall was a door that led directly out to the outside courtyard. A blue painted wooden dresser with a matching mirror was directly opposite the interior door that led to the hallway of the Major’s house. The room contained four narrow army bunks in a row and a double tiered bunk bed in one corner. There were three hard wooden chairs scattered around the room. Brass coat hooks lined across one wall like a parade.
Hoss walked out of the room and stood in the hallway with the orderly. “When did you say the Major wants us to be at dinner?” He wasn’t sure if his empty stomach could wait that long.
Joe tossed his hat on one hook of t and his dusty jacket over the back of one of the chairs.
As Hoss stood in the hallway talking, Little Joe plopped onto the bunk that Hoss had selected as his own. He flopped down on his back and swung his feet up on the bunk.
“Hey Joe, Get your boots off my bed.”
”Sure thing, Big Brother.” Joe slid his feet back onto the wooden floor. “How did you know I was on your bunk?”
Hoss pointed straight ahead at the bureau opposite him. “I can see your reflection in that mirror.”
Adam laughed. “Guess you’re not invisible Joe. Go get washed up. The Major invited us to eat dinner with him and his wife. And try to keep your mouth closed when you chew.”
Chapter 6
Adam stood by the corral and watched the soldiers attend to the horses. On the other side of the corral Joe was showing one of the sorrels he had broken to the captain who was making the final selections. The day was hot and there was not a cloud in the bright blue sky. Hoss had gone to check on Chubb in the barn hoping that his hoof was healing.
“Some nice looking horses,” a voice said from Adam’s left. Adam turned and looked at the soldier standing next to him. The young officer, Captain West was on the other side checking the bill of sale and paper work on the Ponderosa horses.
The sergeant was in his forties, with a weather-beaten face, and the look of a calloused veteran. A red scar traced its way across his forehead. A few gray hairs were visible in the soldier’s brown hair, another testament to the hard times he had endured.
“Not bad,” Adam answered, glancing quickly at the woman approaching from the officer’s quarters. Joe had done a very good job picking out the horses for sale to the Army and the woman walking toward him was very attractive. She had pale, silver blonde hair and dark blue eyes framed with long dark lashes. The woman was round in all the right places and wearing a form fitting blue ruffled dress that showed off more of her breasts than it should. The blue dress was a touch too low cut and fancy to be wearing in the middle of the day walking around a horse corral at Fort Mead.
“My brothers and I brought the horses up. I’m Adam Cartwright.” He reached out to the sergeant and shook his hand.
From atop the fence, the sergeant answered. I’m Sergeant Edwards. And that lady is the Major’s wife.”
He surveyed the scene unfolding before him. The Major’s wife was still talking to the young captain “I’ve seen better,” the sergeant muttered.
”Oh,” Adam nodded thinking to himself, the Major’s wife. “She sure is off limits but the way she is strutting around you would never know.”
“You Ben Cartwright’s boys?”
Adam nodded.
“Know your Pa for a long time. Tell him Sergeant Edwards sent him regards.”
“The Major’ s wife you say.” Adam took another look at the woman approaching the corral. She stopped by Captain West and put her hand on his blue uniform sleeve. He looked at her and smiled warmly at her and they spoke to each other in soft voices. Their heads were close together, almost touching. Adam couldn’t make out what they were saying but it certainly looked mighty friendly. Their interaction was a bit too casual for the formality of discipline that the army usually expected from officers. The Major’s wife tossed back her head and laughed at something the young captain was saying.
The soldier grinned. “Don’t worry about the horses. It’s the Major and his wife you boys got to be watching out for. You young fellers watch yourselves until you leave here with your horse money. You tell your brothers that too.” He leaned on the fence looked at the horses as he was talking to Adam.
On the other side of the corral, Little Joe brought out another horse for the captain and made it go through its paces. It was a big chested black stallion that Joe had broken over the spring.
”What do you mean? “ Adam asked. This was the same ominous warning that the bar tender in Indian Wells had given the Cartwrights on the way out to the fort.
“Just you watch yourself around that one. I told that to Captain Dayton too. I said watch out for Mrs. Chadwick. Mind your manners or the Major will make sure you come to a real bad end. Major sent him out with a unit and only a couple of men came back. Paiutes got them and most of the horses too. That’s part of why we needed so many horses from you Cartwrights so fast.”
“Are you saying that the Major sent a bunch of men out to be slaughtered because the Captain and Mrs. Chadwick were involved with each other?” Adam raised his eyebrows. He leaned on the fence post and watched the Major’s attractive wife buzz around the young captain.
“Sure seems like it. Dayton was from down your way. Captain John Dayton.”
Adam nodded “Sure his family owned a little spread not far from Virginia City. His brother Frank runs it now. John’s dead?”
“Like I said, Major sent them all out on a fool’s mission and Paiute raiders got ‘em all. Told that to that Captain West too but he don’t have too much good sense. You look like a pretty smart feller, Adam Cartwright. Hate to tell your Pa that his boys got themselves scalped. You just deliver your horses and get yourselves out of this hell hole before you and your brothers all regret it.”
Chapter 7
They had been at Fort Mead for three days and were almost done with their business. Instead of feeling comfortable and satisfied with a job well done, Adam was picking up on some type of nervous spiral of tension hanging over the heads of the Cartwright brothers. He kept feeling he was being watched.
In the stable, Hoss examined the bruise on Chubb’s hoof. “Looks like it is healing just fine.” He rubbed Chubb’s nose and the horse nickered. “He should be just like new by morning.”
“Good.” Adam leaned on the side of the stall and crossed his arms, watching his brother finish tending his horse. I want to leave here tomorrow. Early.”
“Tomorrow? “
Adam nodded. ”Joe turned in. He just plopped down on his bed and next thing I turned around he was snoring.”
“ He’s sound asleep already? He had big ideas about drinking beer in the saloon tonight with the enlisted men. He was looking to celebrate that his horses all sold.”
“Little Brother is dead to the world. You could probably run a stampede through that room and he would sleep through it. I had to take his trousers and his boots off of him.”
Hoss laughed. “ Mr. Big Shot horse trader and we still have to tuck him in like a little baby. Hope we don’t have any trouble getting him up in the morning.”
”That’s your job, Hoss. Maybe you can use some dynamite tomorrow.”
Hoss chuckled. “Little Joe worked dang hard today in this heat. We brought all the horses around and they picked out all the ones they settled for all of them. They want more for next month or so.”
”More?”
”The sergeant said they lost quite a few head to the Indians in a raid a when the last captain went out. Only that sergeant and a couple of the old timers made it back.”
Adam was shocked. That was the same story Edwards had told him but Adam now realized that Sergeant Edward had been there battling Ka-Pusta’s rebel tribe. He was one of the survivors of that lost unit. That was where the scar on his forehead must have come from. Edwards was one of the few men who had made it back to the fort.
”You know that was John Dayton. Frank Dayton’s brother.”
“That is awful. How many men did the sergeant say they lost?”
”The whole company who went out. The Captain had been here most of a year but a lot of the men were raw recruits. They think that’s why they ran into trouble. They should have known to steer clear of Ka-Pusta’s territory.”
”Why would they send an officer out with a whole company of raw men? Everyone knows the Indians were looking for a fight for years and that crazy Ka-Pusta was telling his braves to ambush any white men who were stupid enough to come out his way.”
Hoss shrugged. “Adam something real strange is going on here. Like what that bartender said back in Indian Wells.”
”Brother, I’m glad you said something. I just thought it was my imagination running away with me.”
Hoss shook his head. “No. Ain’t your imagination. Unless it is mine too. “
Adam rubbed his chin and hesitated. He leaned against the wooden wall. “I wasn’t going to say anything but last night… Mrs. Chadwick,” Adam stopped for a minute trying to explain the strange experience that had occurred to him. ”Last night, I was out checking the horses and no one was around and she came out, Mrs. Chadwick did.” Adam was at a loss how to describe what happened in the moonlight. Nothing really happened but it was still strangely disconcerting.” He stopped talking trying to figure out what was inappropriate about Mrs. Chadwick’s behavior.
“What happened?” Hoss looked up from the horse he was tending. He waited for his brother to explain more.
”She was flirting with me. Mrs. Chadwick was acting far too friendly for the wife of the Major and a passing cowboy selling horses.” Adam stared off into space trying to picture exactly what had happened and it was just not clear to him. And he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to pull Hoss into this uneasiness.
”Pa does know Major Chadwick. Maybe she felt like she knew you too, Adam. Like a relative.”
”No Hoss, Pa said that was years ago. And he didn’t really know Chadwick all that well and never even met his wife. Pa knew the Major just in passing from selling the army horses a few times.”
“What all did she do, Adam?”
” She said how lonely she was out here. And that the night was cold.”
”That don’t sound like she did anything much wrong. It is lonely out here at a fort for a lady.”
“She came real close and sort of leaned on me and kind of rubbed her hand on my arm and said things about the Major not paying attention to her and him being gone a lot and how cold she was. Hoss it must have been ninety degrees out there. It hit over a hundred during the day. “
”That all?”
”Hoss, she put her arms around me and she kissed me. And not like a relative. I kind of pushed her away and said something about her husband and my father being friends.”
Hoss laughed, “Never thought you would be at a loss for words, Big Brother. Not you. Or be pushing a pretty lady away from you.”
“Me neither. But then again I was never kissed by a married woman whose husband commanded an entire battery of armed troops,” he smiled. “Look how she walked in on you the first night we were here when you were taking a bath.”
“She said she thought no one was there using the tub.”
”You are an awfully big ‘no one’ and you were singing so loud that dogs must have been howling in Virginia City. I’m surprised that you didn’t stampede the horses with your singing. Is she deaf too?”
“Looks like she set her sights on Little Joe now.”
”Little Joe?”
“She grabbed something of his under the table, Adam and it sure warnt’ his hand.”
Adam rolled his eyes. No wonder Joe’s face turned colors while we were eating. “I just thought he was choking. “
”He was. How’d you like someone grabbin’ you when you just put a forkful of stew in your mouth. You would choke too”
Adam smiled but quickly remembered the warning Tom Young had given them about Mrs. Chadwick and Major Chadwick. And she had kissed him seductively the previous night. She had approached Hoss the night they had arrived at the fort. This was extremely disconcerting. This woman was grabbing at every young man at the post and her husband sits like a snake watching the whole thing. Then, Major Chadwick arranges for the lovers to get transferred or worse yet, killed. The lover and anyone along for the ride.
No way were the Cartwrights going to get in the middle of this bizarre situation. Adam had to make sure he and his brothers got out of this place with out stirring up any more trouble.
“ Hoss you keep your eyes on that fool boy. We can’t leave Little Joe alone.”
”That’s just what I intended to do Adam. We better head back to the Major’s house.”
“ With the stories we heard about this place, I want to make sure I get home with no bullets in my back.”
”Let’s finish up as fast as we can and head out before Little Joe gets us into a heap of trouble.
Chapter 8
Little Joe Cartwright was dancing with beautiful Melissa Peters. He held her closer than he should and glanced over his shoulder to see if her father was somewhere around. Joe couldn’t spot him anywhere in the crowded, hot room.
“It’s very warm in here,” Joe whispered in her ear and pulled her tightly into his chest.
“Why don’t we go outside and get a breath of air. I want to be alone with you,” she whispered back.” I want you.” Melissa rubbed his back under his shirt.
Joe smiled. Boy! Did he want her too! This was going easier than he could have ever imagined. He held her warm hand and led her out to the shadows behind the barn and started to kiss her. She ran her hands through his curly brown hair and pressed herself against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled Joe’s face into hers. “Kiss me,” She whispered in his ear.
She didn’t protest as Joe started to undo some of the buttons on her blouse. She didn’t stop him. The night grew hotter. It wasn’t even a night it was the middle of a searing hot summer day. He felt her breath on his neck.
Suddenly, Joe realized the girl in his arms was not Melissa. It was Miss Sylvie, the yellow haired barmaid from the Altamont Saloon in the glittery short dress. The one Miss Barbara had caught him peeping at through the back door. His hands were all over her and she was telling him how he was much handsomer than his brothers and she wanted him. She wanted him now. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was pressing himself against her. She was reaching into his clothes and running her hands up and down him and telling him how she wanted him.
Then he woke up.
Someone was in his bed with him and he heard his older brother Hoss bellowing and something crashed over on the other side of the room.
Adam was yelling and Hoss was yanking him out of his bed.
“What the hell is going on here?” A strange angry voice shouted.
Someone yelled angrily in the dark and a shot rang out. Glass shattered somewhere in the room and a door slammed.
By the time Little Joe was partially awake he realized that he was in the bunk room in the Major’s house in Fort Mead and he had been asleep.
“Young Mr. Cartwright what are you doing with my wife in your bed?” Major Chadwick was standing in the doorway of the room. He was shouting at Little Joe and aiming a pistol wildly at the boy’s head.
“What is your wife doing in my little brother’s bed? He isn’t even old enough to shave!” Adam demanded from the outside doorway of the room.
“Sure I shave” Joe started to say and Hoss clamped his big hand across his mouth.
” Shut up, Joe. Let Adam handle this if you want to get out of this alive.”
The Major grabbed his wife’s arm and shoved her out of the room. “Get out of here Irma. I’ll take care of this. “
“I’m sure my father, Ben Cartwright would be interested in hearing how your wife tried to seduce a mere boy.”
Joe squirmed in Hoss’s grasp. A mere boy. I’ll show him. Sylvie thought that he was better than either of his older brothers. Joe started to say something and Hoss clamped his hand back over his little brother’s mouth again. “Shut up Joe and get your pants on. “
Suddenly Joe realized he was standing there in his drawers he had been dreaming about Melissa and Sylvie. He was awake and shaking. Mrs. Chadwick had been climbing into his bed and was trying to wake him up. What had he missed? What had he slept through? She had been in his bed trying to wake him up and her husband was shooting at him. No woman was worth getting shot for. But then again he would love to know what he had missed. This was certainly much more exciting than going to school. Much more exciting. Then again, no one shot at him in school.
“What the hell is going on, Hoss?”
Adam continued firmly. “Major I am very sure our father who is a personal friend of the Territorial Governor would be quite interested in what ever strange things are going on here at Fort Mead with you sending companies of men out to be slaughter by Paiutes and that your wife creeps into the beds of young boys.”
”Put your clothes on Joe and grab your gear. We got to get out of here right fast.” Hoss hissed in his brother’s ear. Joe grabbed his pants from the bedpost and stuck his foot into one of his boots. He had shoved his left foot in his right boot and tripped. As he tried to straighten himself out Joe fell sideways back onto the bunk. Hoss shoved him back to his feet. There was shattered glass from the bureau mirror all over the floor of the bedroom and the sharp shards sparkled in the moonlight.
Joe was still half asleep and fervently hoping Sylvie would some how magically reappear and finish what she had started. Joe rubbed his crusty eyes with the back of his hand and tried to wake up.
Adam walked over to the Major and pulled the pistol from his hands.” Adam stared the Major in the eye. “I don’t think you are going to be shooting at anyone tonight. My two brothers and I are riding out of here in fifteen minutes and you are going to wake up your paymaster and tell him to issue full cash payment for the horses we brought here. Right now,” Adam growled threateningly.
“Twenty five horses, Major.” Hoss added.
“And you be sure to tell all your men on guard duty that we are riding out of the fort and we are welcome to do so in safety. I don’t want anyone on guard duty making any mistakes and think we are Apaches or Piautes raiding the fort or some of your hard timers escaping from the stockade.” Adam firmly directed.
Joe could hear a gun being cocked as he bent over to put on his second boot. “I certainly don’t want any of your sentries shooting us down by mistake,” Adam demanded.” I hope that is acceptable, Major Chadwick.”
Joe heard a second click as a pistol was cocked in the darkness. Hoss said in a low, threatening voice, “And if anyone touches a hair on my little brother’s head they got me to answer to Major.”
The Major said, “I’m sure this is just a terrible misunderstanding Adam, and you will wait to morning to leave. After breakfast.”
“Major, you have no reason that I know of to be calling me ‘Adam’. It’s ‘Mr. Cartwright’ to you Major. And I don’t think there is any misunderstanding. I don’t want to wait around here to find out. We are riding out now. Just as I said. “ Adam said in a frighteningly angry, low voice that even a Major would find totally convincing.
Chapter 9
Boston, Fall 1869
Darling Will,
Meet me at 356 Charleston Street at 8 PM tonight. It is very important.
I love you and will be anxiously awaiting your arrival.
Laura
Will knocked on the door with his knuckles. No one answered and he knocked again, but harder. Still no answer.
Maybe he was at the wrong address.
He reached into his jacket pocket and checked the note. No, the note said 356 Charleston Street. This was 356 Charleston, but no one was answering the door. The big fancy house was totally dark and there didn’t seem to be a lamp lit any where in the place. The windows were black and it looked like the draperies were all drawn.
Will knocked for a third time. He reached over and tried the door. It was not locked and swung open.
“Hello? Laura? Is anyone here?” Will stepped inside and pushed the note into his pocket. He heard a crash from the other side of the house. Where was his wife? Will Cartwright was scared for Laura’s safety.
Suddenly, from deep within the dark house someone called his name. “Will, help me!” Laura’s voice called out to him. Her shrieks echoed through out the house. He couldn’t figure out what direction they were coming from.
“Laura! Where are you?”
”Here. Come here!” her voice called urgently from somewhere deep inside the dark house. “Please help me! Will! Help me,” she pleaded.
Will pulled his gun from his holster and ran down the dark hallway in the direction of the voices.” Laura!” he hollered. He had to find his wife. Somewhere deep within this dark, strange house his wife was in some sort of danger.
Will heard a shot ring out and suddenly someone hit him over his head. Darkness filled his confused brain.
Chapter 10
The same darkness was in front of him when he woke. Where was he? Horse thieves must have bushwhacked him. Indians. He had to get the red headed boy back to Fort Mead. And avoid the counterfeiter’s gang.
For several confused moments, as he struggled to make sense of what had happened, Will thought that he was still unconscious and dreaming. But the throbbing pain in his head and neck and his stiff, aching muscles told him he was awake and that he had not imagined being bushwhacked in a fancy Boston townhouse.
Will Cartwright laid on the soft rug, eyes closed tightly as the pain seemed to sear into his brain. He could hear voices and the sound of doors slamming and the clip of horses running on cobblestones and carriage wheels clattering out side. Nearby, Will heard the soft moans of someone in pain. There was a gurgling, choking gasp and then Will didn’t hear any more of those sounds.
Will was breathing hard, his breath escaping in rapid bursts through his mouth. But Will was grateful for what he didn’t hear – the sound of any other man moving or the click of a trigger being pulled or a shot or the scream of an Indian coming after his scalp. Will wasn’t sure how long he lay on the floor with his eyes closed. No more than a few minutes, he was sure. Who had slugged him? The pain in his head seemed to ease a bit, and Will rolled on his right side, pulling his knees up a bit and curling his shoulders forward. That seemed to ease the pain even more. He carefully reached his hand up to the back of his throbbing skull and felt a huge lump and the stickiness of blood oozing out of the wound. Will collapsed on his side. ”Just another few minutes,” he told himself. Then he would try to sit up. He slowly opened his eyes. In the dim light, Will could see a woman on the floor a few feet away. The woman was lying on her back. Will couldn’t tell if the woman was dead or alive but she was clearly not his wife. Even in the pale moonlight he could see this woman was blonde haired but plumper and shorter than his Laura. She had sharper features and was nowhere near as pretty. If this woman was not his wife, who was she? Laura had left him the note to meet her at this location? He knew he should probably check to see if the woman was alive. But he also knew that in his current position, the pain in his head was at least bearable. If he moved, the pain would get worse. So Will simply lay on the carpet and closed his eyes. The room was spinning even with his eyes closed. Where was Laura? He just needed to rest for a few more minutes and then he would get up and check if the woman was alive or dead and try to find his wife. The next time he opened his eyes the room was light. He must have been unconscious for a few hours for it to get light outside. Will cautiously sat up. Whose house was this? Every thing in the room was pulled apart like a tornado had spun through the room. Drawers were pulled open and dumped out. Cupboards and cabinets were thrown open and furniture overturned. Glass was broken on the floor. The woman was still laying there on the floor a few feet away from him. In the daylight, Will could clearly see that the woman was dead. There was a bullet hole in her chest and blood stained the front of her blue satin nightgown. Her eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling. He scrambled to his feet and walked over to the woman and knelt beside her. He touched her face. It was icy cold. On the Oriental rug next to the dead woman was his colt pistol. Will picked it up and saw that there were two bullets missing from the chamber. His head still ached from the blow he had received the night before. Where was his Laura? Suddenly the door swung open to the room and large uniformed men filled the house. Rough hands grabbed Will and pulled him to his feet. A burly police officer threw him into the wall with a resounding crash. His head hit the window frame and he was stunned again but just for an instant. Men were shouting at him and shoving him against the floor again. Someone kicked him in the stomach and told him to shut up when he protested. The next thing he knew, Will had cold metal handcuffs wrapped around his wrists and he was being hauled off to the Boston City Jail. “You are under arrest for the murder of Luella Harrison. And, buddy you are going to hang for it.”
Chapter 9
Boston Mid Summer of 1870
Dear Nancy,
thank you so much for keeping an eye on things while we are gone. I am delighted at the comments that you said people are making about my pieces from Boston in the paper. My journalist efforts are working out better than I ever could have imagined. The publisher friend of Phil Bartlett’s is asking me to write some pieces about being a “Pioneer wife” and to run them side by side with the Boston pieces I am sending to the Enterprise.
Can you believe he thinks we live in a log cabin and cook over a campfire with Indians banging at the door? I am so embarrassed and wish he could see the beautiful home Adam built for us.
By the way, Amanda O’Mara showed me the best place to have those drapes made for the parlor. I f you could do me the favor of going over and measuring the windows and sending me the numbers in your next letter I can have them made up and they will be shipped by the time we get home in the fall.
I get much done while I sit with Joe. He is doing better but he has a long way to go. He sleeps quite a bit. The doctor said that the sleeping was good. At least he won’t get into any more trouble and I get much of my work done sitting with him in the hospital.
The city is wonderful and Adam is having such a grand time showing everything off to us. Sometimes I think I’m get more delight from watching him show us the city than anything else .He is having so much fun with Sam but has his attention has pulled away between business and Joe and another family matter that cropped up.
Last night we went to the opera with friends of his from college. It was only a small performance with a soloist and refreshments as the season is over until the fall but it was grand. They are all very nice and their wives glad to show me all the shops and so on.
And don’t worry about me overdoing it. I make sure that I rest and Adam is hovering over me all the time. Based on Joe’s complaints, he must have learned that hovering from his father ( ha ha) A few times my darling husband takes Sam alone with Dennis and his son, Charles Bruce. Charley Bee is staying home for the summer to be tutored in Latin. Probably this will be as successful as trying to milk a steer according to Dennis.
If four of them go off they leave me to a quiet afternoon. Adam takes Sam to work with him some days and a few times they all went sailing on the river.
Amanda will leave for Europe with the rest of the children on Monday and it will very very very quiet and peaceful with out all them in the house. All that is required of me is to tell the housekeeper to tell the cook what we desire for dinner and if Emily and I need the driver to take us to visit Joe or to take us shopping. This will be fine for a while but I think this would be too boring for me for any great length of time.
Best to Clem and the boys and give your father a hug for me. Tell him to make sure Ben is not working too hard taking care of all the ranch business alone.
All my love,
Kate
Katie Dear,
I am sure you heard from Ben, that Mr. Fischer died. Keep this under your hat. He didn’t die in his office at his desk as Phil put in the paper but in a less (shall we say) respectable location in the company of someone other than Mrs. Fischer.
Clem and the new deputy were called by the” lady” in question and out of sympathy for Mrs. F. moved him and I suspect had to change his attire too. What a hoot. Daddy and Mr. Cartwright were sitting there playing checkers and got roped into “straightening things out” with Clem.
Jack Fischer, that lothario, was so appreciative of my Clem’s “discretion” he made a big donation to the Virginia City Volunteer Fire Brigade in his father’s honor and gave Rev. Felcher enough money for a new bell in the steeple and a whole new set of hymnals. Bet it won’t make Jack behave any better but at least poor Mrs. F is free from her husband’s roaming and philandering..
Thank goodness you and I are both married to good men.
Clemmy sends Sam his regards.
Nancy Foster
PS have you picked a name for the baby yet? And I am almost done with the sweater … all it needs is pink or blue for the ribbon ties and that is up to the baby.
Dear Adam and Joe,
I am sure you heard that Mr. Fischer died from Philip but keep this part under your hats. He didn’t die in his office at his desk as Phil put in the paper but in a less (shall we say) respectable location in the company of someone other than Mrs. Fischer. I had gone to Virginia City for dinner at the Foster’s. Afterward, Roy Coffee and I decided to sit in the Sheriff’s office and play some checkers while Clem went on patrol. It was a pretty peaceful night. I guess the rain kept everyone inside and quiet.
Like I said, Roy and I were playing checkers and who should come in but Miss Barbara from the Altamont Saloon. I am sure you remember her. She said that Stanley Fischer was up at her place quite “indisposed and inappropriately attired” She thought that in the best interests of his family and the poor man’s reputation perhaps Clem would see to “disposing of the late Mr. Fisher appropriately.”
Needless to say, when he came back into the office, Old Clem was quite taken aback and Miss Barbara turned to Roy to put our new sheriff straight on what to do with Stanley. Guess it wasn’t the first time Miss B. had to hush up the goings on at her place for one of our more prominent citizens. Even those who wear pink satin and marabou feathers when they drop dead with a couple of her gals entertaining.Needless to say, boys, Roy, Clem and I had to hustle up to the back rooms of the Altamont with Miss Barbara and get Stanley “straightened “ out before anyone got wind of his demise or choice of final activities.
Clem brought him around to the back door of the undertakers and Howie Kotkin said he would tell everyone how Stanley was hard at work at the Fischer Mine office, all alone, when he met his maker. Guess this isn’t the first time that the town undertaker has had to hush up something either.
Roy said it would take Howie a week to get the lip rouge off of Fischer. I think it will take the undertaker at least that long to get the smile off old Stanley’s face.
I just want to know where he got that pink satin thing with the fluffy feathers in such a big size.
Miss Barbara said that you would be surprised at what her dress maker will run up for people. And she said that seriously. I think Roy almost choked on his moustache hearing all that.
Doubt if Jack Fischer learned his lesson but he was so appreciative of Clem’s “discretion” and our help he made a big donation to the Virginia City Volunteer Fire Brigade in Clem’s honor. He offered the Ponderosa a big “contract” and I said that he should keep his phony contracts and just give us only legitimate business. I told him to instead give Rev. Felcher enough money for a new bell in the steeple and a whole new set of hymnals and to donate some money to the miner’s widows and orphans. Miss Barbara said he should send some money to the Indian children at the Reservation school for winter coats and food and Jack shouldn’t worry about her telling anyone. She needs to keep her place discrete especially with the town getting so big, the church ladies want to push all the sporting houses out and replace them with more decent businesses.
At least poor Mrs. Fischer is free from Stanley’s philandering and blustering. Joe, I know she wasn’t one of your favorite people since that fight you had with her years ago over her rude remarks to Kate, but maybe it’s time to let bygones be bygones.
Anyway, things are fine on the Ponderosa and hope you all are fine in Boston.
Don’t tell Kate about this, as it is such an unseemly tale to share with a lady. Also, the Enterprise printed a nice obituary notice that hard working Mr. Stanley Fisher died at his desk. Kate may feel the need to print a retraction to keep her “journalistic integrity” if she knows the truth.
Best to all,
Pa
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