Summary: Part three of Home
Word Count: 8900
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Chapter 1
Nevada Territory
1846
It was a face Adam Cartwright would never forget, the face of the first man he killed.
The man was remarkably ordinary in appearance. He would never have been noticeable or remembered under any other circumstances but Adam would never quite get the image out of his mind for as long as he lived. He would always recall the man’s dirty, straight, sandy hair, and the dusty blue plaid wool jacket he wore. He would remember the wideness of his shoulders and the way his left foot turned out a bit more than his right. Adam would remember the slight chill that day, how clear the sky was and the scent of freshly cut lumber and rose scented perfume in the air.
Adam would also remember how the man fell dead in a slow, sagging sort of crumble. He gasped his last with his sightless whisky brown eyes wide open after Adam shot him in the chest. Adam could almost hear Little Joe’s piercing weeping whenever he thought of the event, even many years later.
Long after the incident, his father reassured him that he had done the right thing, that he had no other choice and had it not for Adam’s quick thinking and sure shooting they all could have been killed. It still was not enough to erase the image of the man laying dead on the ground and the women screaming with fear, Little Joe wailing desperately and his Pa laying bleeding and unconscious in the dirt with Hoss leaning over him and calling for him.
Chapter 2
She ground her teeth together and blinked the bright tears from her eyes as Ben Cartwright carefully cleaned the edges of the knife wound. Ben packed the gash with a greasy white ointment that he had in his gear and bound it up with clean cloths that one of the other young ladies had offered him. Miss Barbara held tight to Miss Sheila’s hand as the rancher tended to her injury.
“This should hold you at least until you get to town and the Doc can tend to you. He may want to stitch that up.”
“I don’t know what I would have done if you and your boys hadn’t come along, Mr. Cartwright. And you too Mr. Newkirk” Miss Barbara said. “That man was going to hold us up.”
“I sure hope he doesn’t come back again,” said Miss Ellen nervously looking about. She had the fullest figure and was wearing a low cut, black fitted dress that showed it all off.
“Thank you!” Miss Sheila smiled tossing her dark curls. “I don’t know how we all are going to repay you gents.” She also was tall and very attractive. She had a heart shape face and long dark eyelashes.
Ben was silent and busied himself gathering up the odds and ends of bandages and gear. He put each item into a square canvass bag and hooked all the buckles closed.
Hays blushed and said “No need. I’m a married man and…”
Ben nudged his foreman into silence.
“Well, lets just see about getting that wagon fixed and getting you on your way to Virginia City.” Ben directed, still taking a long time to gather up things. Marie had been dead only a few months. Despite his loneliness, Ben was too broken hearted and too worn down taking care of his ranch and tending to his boys to have sought out the comfort of any other women. There was few nights that he hadn’t spent waking to Little Joe’s nightmares and crying for his mother or wound up with one of the boys in his bed. Even though he wouldn’t admit it, Adam too was feeling the loss of his stepmother as he tried to pitch in and take care of his younger brothers and do a man sized amount of work on the Ponderosa.
“Where is your husband, M’am?” Adam asked smiling politely at Miss Barbara. Hays and Ben exchanged looks.
As grown as Adam was, he had not spent much of the last few years near cities or big towns and had no real idea why this wagonload women were traveling on their own to Virginia City. The tall, dark haired boy wasn’t at all sure why three pretty young women were riding along defenseless. They were totally at the mercy of dangerous roads or bandits without a husband or father or brothers to protect them.
“Son, don’t go asking, the ladies so many personal questions. Put this gear away and go check on the ropes.” Ben interrupted shoving the canvas bag at his oldest son. “We’ll need to winch that wagon up to get the wheel fixed. Good thing we have the block and tackle and ropes in the wagon.”
”And take a look at where your brothers are poking their little noses.” Hays added. He was thankful his wife and children were back home and he would not be obligated to answer any awkward unwieldy questions from them regarding the ladies or the contents of their wagon. Or even tell Rebecca what he was thinking as she would never know this even happened. He certainly was glad he had a wife to come home to tonight.
Ben offered his hand to Miss Barbara and said gallantly “M’am, maybe you and your ladies should go over under that tree and stay out of the sun while we tend to getting that wheel back on.”
She smiled at him thinking what a fine brave gentleman this Ben Cartwright was. He was a nice looking man too and clearly devoted to those sweet boys. It was lucky that he had come along when he did.
Hays and the Cartwrights had been headed back to the Ponderosa from the Fischer Mine Number three with the two empty lumber wagons. Ben driving one, Hays the other. Adam was riding along side on his horse. The sixteen-year-old boy was tired from the hard work of cutting and loading the timber. He was still seething from a disagreement he had with his father earlier in the trip and not really paying attention to anything around him. He wished he had one of the books he had put into his bag. He could tie his horse behind the wagon that Hay’s was driving and read a bit while the horse followed along. Some how Adam’s bag had been tossed on the wagon seat next to Little Joe and his Pa. There was no way he would ask his father to hand it to him or get him to stop. He didn’t want to initiate any contact with Pa no less a discussion.
The last months since his stepmother, Marie had died suddenly had been miserable and draining for all of them. His four year old brother cried out with nightmares in the middle of the night and often Adam would bring him into his bed so that Pa could sleep. Hoss was grieving too and the nights that Little Joe didn’t awaken him Hoss did. Sometimes Adam would get fed up with the never ending work and little brothers crying and would hide his head under the covers until he heard his father finally get up and tend to Little Joe.
Two week ago, he came upon his father carry a trunk of Marie’s things into the attic over the tack room. Ben was crying and it scared Adam dreadfully to see his father so upset. Ben was embarrassed at being seen in tears and barked at his oldest son to go finish his chores.
When the Cartwrights went to church the next Sunday, Adam tried his best to get his brothers dressed and out on time. He was hoping to get a break from working and a change of scene from the ranch. He knew Pa liked to go to church and the only way he would quit working so hard was because it was Sunday.
Adam longed to see some people his own age or talk to anyone about any topic besides ranch chores, cattle and why Mama was in heaven. Foster and Mim Wallace had promised to lend him some new books months ago, just before Marie had died and he never had the time to go by and get them since.
Instead of a day of rest and socializing, it wound up being just more of the same misery for young Adam.
Little Joe wouldn’t get dressed and tried to go to church in his nightshirt, barefoot and his torn dirty trousers. Pa yelled and Joe cried and Hoss pulled his brother upstairs and got him dressed. The only way he got his little brother to put on a decent shirt and good pants, was because Hoss gave Little Joe his own old boots that were far to big. Hoss spilled breakfast on his last clean shirt and Adam realized his own good Sunday trousers were a couple of inches too short. Marie would never have let her sons look so shabby and sloppy.
In church, Joe climbed over the back of the pew trying to play with a little girl, Amy Duprey and fell into the laps of the people behind them. His oversized boots clattered to the floor revealing that he was wearing only one striped sock, one with a big hole in it.
“Can’t you get your boys to behave in church, Cartwright?” Mr. Duprey growled and shoved Joe back into Ben’s arms. “Your urchin almost fell on my new baby and killed her.”
In the middle of the sermon, Little Joe decided he needed to use the outhouse and announced it loudly to the minister. Most of the congregation laughed loudly. Ben lost his patience and hollered at Joseph and Hoss hustled him out of the church right down the center aisle. Adam was mortified and wished he were anywhere but where he was. He forgot all about visiting with the Wallaces and ran out to the wagon as fast as he could.
By late afternoon, Adam had gotten so worn out that he dumped his screaming, kicking little brother into his father’s lap and told him to take care of his own child, that he was Little Joe’s father and he should take care of his own sons himself. Hoss hid in the barn tending to the stock trying to avoid the yelling in the house.
Adam galloped off on his horse for a few hours and went back to Virginia City to the Wallace’s and got the books. Foster Wallace, the publisher of the Enterprise, was surprised to see Adam at the door of the little yellow house and invited him to join them for dinner.
“Mim has pot roast coming to the table in an hour or so, Adam. Pull up a chair!”
Adam chewed on his lip and thought about a nice quiet meal with no fighting or crying or spilled food or grouchy fathers. Tempted as he was, he wanted to go off by himself and read with no one talking to him. “No thanks, maybe another time.”
Mim came out of the kitchen and wiped her hands on her apron. “Let me give you a piece of my apple pie and some milk. Visit for a bit and then you can go off and get some peace and quiet.” Adam looked at her and nodded. It was almost like she had read his mind. Mim was like that. She could size up a solution and make a decisive conclusion quicker than any woman Adam knew. Mim’s mind was quicker than most men that Adam knew too.
Mim was about to give him a hug but thought better of it. Adam Cartwright was not the kind of child who would appreciate her hugging him. He probably would stand stiffly and politely and be terribly embarrassed at her affection. Instead she smiled gently and smoothed his crooked shirt collar. He was as tall as Foster and his sleeves didn’t quite reach to his wrists.
“And Foster, while Adam is here let him help you carry that bed stand down stairs. Just you watch your head up there, Adam. Those ceilings are low.”
”Good idea, Mim. My brother, Hank and his family are coming here to Virginia City and are going to move in with us. The arrive on Tuesday, noon stage.”
”Their daughter, Katie is the same age as Little Joe.” Mim added. She patted Adam’s arm affectionately.
“My brother is a mine engineer. He’ll be working for Stanley Fischer.”
Chapter 3
When he got back to the house it was dark and silent. The only sound Adam could hear as he put up his horse was the nickering and stomping of the other animals in the barn and some crickets chirping near the woodpile. As he went inside, it looked as if everyone was sleeping.
“Good,” Adam thought to himself. There was no need for him to tell any little brother a bedtime story or sing to him or talk about where he had gone or explain himself to his father. Adam walked into his room and got undressed to go to bed he heard a soft tapping at the door. He opened it and his father was standing there with a ham sandwich on a plate and a cup of coffee.
”We missed you at dinner, son. It was a good ham.”
Adam nodded. “I needed to do some things alone.”
”I’m sorry things have been so rough around here for you. I missed you, Adam. “He set the food down on his son’s desk and sat drinking his coffee. “I appreciate the hard work you have been doing. “
Adam nodded and took a bite out of the sandwich. They sat side by side on the bed in the gloomy silence, shoulders not touching until Adam finished his food. Ben took the plate and walked to the door of the room.
“I love you, son.”
Adam wouldn’t or couldn’t answer and Ben slowly walked out of the room.
Chapter 4
Ben knew he had to go to San Francisco in the next few weeks and he dreaded the thought of leaving his boys. There was no choice in the matter, as he had to testify in court.
He had witnessed a vicious murder during a robbery in a dark alley near the Cattleman’s hotel the last time he had been in San Francisco. The victim was a close friend of Territorial governor Flanagan of Nevada Territory as well as politically connected in Washington DC. There was uproar about the trial and the fact that the man charged with the crime was a cavalry officer from Fort Mead.
Only Ben and the victim’s wife could identify the killer. Levi Victor, Ben’s attorney in Virginia City tried to arrange for Ben to give a deposition in Nevada and avoid the long absence from the Ponderosa but it was unacceptable to the California judge. “The man on trial is entitled to face his accusers,” the judge wrote back to Levi. “This court doesn’t give a whit about some Nevada rancher’s family or cattle or personal situation. Justice must be served and if Mr. Cartwright doesn’t appear before this bench, I will have him summarily arrested and brought to California in chains.”
Ben knew he would have to go and avoided telling the boys for as long as he could. Mim Wallace suggested that a change of scene might help the boys. “Why don’t you take the boys with you to San Francisco?” She remembered Adam’s visit and knew the boy was having a terrible time but was too closed mouth to tell anyone. Mim had been a close friend of Marie Cartwright. She had confided many things to her friend over the years about her stepsons and her husband. Mim missed her dreadfully and felt responsible to help the Cartwrights as much as she could.
Ben shook his head. “Its too long and too far and too dangerous. What will I do with them if I have to sit in court all day? Adam would be all right if he was alone, maybe Hoss too. But I can’t expect them to manage a boy who is hardly a baby in a hotel in a big city. Little Joe is better of staying home where things are familiar. Rebecca Newkirk will tend to him with her children and Hop Sing will manage until I get back.”
“Well, you need to do something Ben. That oldest boy of yours is fading fast.”
“But Mim, he’s almost grown and..”
”Compared to Little Joe, he’s almost grown. He is still a child not a grown man. He is barely sixteen years old and you need to open your eyes up and take care of your business before you have trouble.”
”Trouble?” Ben wasn’t sure what Mim was saying.
“You don’t want to see him running off or folderol ling around with the Bonner brothers for lack of your attention. You got a good smart boy there and he should be given some attention for that good mind of his. That boy hungers for more learning and he deserves more chance to get that than you are letting him have, Ben. He needs to be more than your ranch hand and chase cattle for the rest of his life. Marie knew that and she would want you to remember it.”
Mim would never tell Ben how her friend had planned to help Adam go off to college back east. There was no need to betray Marie’s confidences. The only need was for Mim to nudge Ben Cartwright a bit and make sure that boy got all he deserved.
Ben decided he would take them all up to the timber camp to pick up the load of lumber for the Fischer mine. It would mean a full day of traveling and an overnight stay at the lumber camp. He could take all the boys fishing and swimming and Adam could take it easy a bit.
Chapter 5
The air all around them was fresh and clean with just a hint of the autumn chill beginning. As good as Ben’s intentions were, nothing worked out the way he had hoped. There had been some trouble with the timber crew and fighting with the foreman on the job. Ben had to spend a few hours ironing out the situation instead of spending time with the boys and wound up sending them to fish on their own. Little Joe cried and didn’t want to leave his Pa’s side again until Hoss bribed him with some linty peppermints that he found in his pocket. It was too cold to swim and they didn’t catch even one fish.
Ben tried to make it up to Adam. Intending that he would let the boy have some rest, he told him that he couldn’t drive either wagon. He figured Adam could just ride along in the back and read or nap. Unfortunately, his son took umbrage in the idea and felt his father was insulting his ability to manage the high-spirited team and drive a lumber wagon.
“OK, OK, Pa. whatever you want.” Adam spit out. He threw the block and tackle down and walked out of the shed. Adam went down the path to where the two empty wagons waited.
And Adam vaulted into the back of the wagon and settled himself leaning back on the seat, long legs stretched out in front of him. He stared angrily at his boots. He wished his father could finally make up his mind. Was he a grown man and supposed to take care of things or was he a stupid kid not able to manage a heavily loaded wagon and a team? He could drive a team as well as Hays Newkirk any day, maybe better. Now Pa wanted him to ride along like his little brothers, like a child.
He had wanted to stay at home but there was no way Pa would let him. Pa said they all needed to be together on this trip, the four of them. They would have a good time after they delivered the lumber and Pa would take them out for a fancy dinner and buy them all new clothes and boots. He wanted Adam to meet Hank Wallace, who had just come to town with his family to work for Mr. Fischer in his mine. Mim had invited the Cartwrights for dessert.
Adam didn’t care who Pa wanted him to meet or what clothes Pa wanted to buy him, he just wanted to be left alone for once. He didn’t want to do any work or wipe Little Joe’s nose or watch out for Hoss or look at his father’s vacant, sad eyes.
He leaned back and pulled his hat over his eyes.
“Adam, you can’t sit back there if we are going to load up the lumber.” Hoss reached over the side of the wagon and poked him in the arm. Adam swung his arm around. He back handed his brother, catching him hard on the side of the head.
”What did you go do that for?” Hoss looked at him wide eyed rubbing where his angry older brother had swatted him.
“Never you mind..” Adam stood up and jumped off the side of the wagon and walked over to the lumber and grabbed the end of a board and started angrily loading the first wagon. “Take the other end of this.”
Chapter 6
It was late afternoon by the time the Cartwrights and Hays Newkirk had delivered the lumber, made their purchases at the Mercantile and headed back toward the ranch.
Joe sat squeezed as close to his father as he could without being inside his coat pocket. Hoss rode with Hays in the second wagon and every once in a while Little Joe looked over his fathers shoulder and waved at his brother behind him or called to Adam on his horse.
“Hey Adam. Hey Hoss!” Joe giggled on the high seat behind him. Every once in a while he put his little hands on top of Ben’s and pretended he was driving the team. “Giddyap horses!” Joe hollered, “Go faster!” He was wearing the new boots his father had bought him even though Adam had told him to save them for church. Joe had insisted and his father had given in rather than making a scene. Adam told his father that Little Joe should have listened and Ben didn’t even answer him. Ben was too tired to argue with a four year old over a pair of boots. Little Joe would fall asleep and Ben would just take the new boots off his feet but Adam just wanted to make sure his brothers obeyed the rules. Pa always let Little Joe get away with everything and Adam was even more annoyed.
Half way between Virginia City and the Ponderosa turn off, from the back of his horse, Adam could see a wagon stuck in the middle of the road, one wheel broken off. Three very pretty women were standing next to the wagon with a man looming over them aggressively.
Suddenly his Pa, pulled up his team and leaped from the wagon with his rifle pointed at the man.”Hey you what are you doing?” Ben roared.
The man in the plaid jacket had a knife in his hand and in a flash of silver lunged at the tall, attractive women, slashing her arm. Hearing Ben’s shout, the man spun around and ran off into the woods.
Chapter 7
“Go see what’s taking your Pa so long with that rope, Adam. I’m ready to go with the wheel and we need to lift up the rig,” Hays looked up at the boy.
Adam walked back toward the grove where his Pa had headed. As he got closer he could here some yelling and the distinctive sound of his baby brother wailing. He pushed through the branches half anticipating Little Joe had hurt himself or was protesting Pa going out of his sight when he saw the awful scene. His father lay on the ground in a heap with blood streaming out of his head. Hoss was kneeling beside him. Two women were huddled together weeping. Miss Barbara was hanging on to Little Joe who was red faced and screaming his head off. Two men were facing them with fierce angry looks on their faces.
”Now you seen what we did to that feller .Now, give me the money you got in the wagon or we will shoot the kids.” The man waved his gun threateningly.
The second man stood looking at Joe screaming and pointed his gun at him. “Shut that kid up or I’ll do it.”
Adam felt sick to his stomach. The man who had been attacking Miss Barbara when they rode up earlier had come back with another man. His Pa was hurt or dead on the ground and they were threatening his little brothers.
Adam’s hand slid to his holster and he quickly drew his gun. “Drop your guns!” he shouted.
The man in the plaid jacket whirled around and fired wildly at Adam. A bullet smashed into the tree trunk inches above his head. Bits of pine bark sprayed into the air.
Adam squeezed off a shot and hit the man full in the chest. The man fell instantly dead in a slow, sagging sort of crumble to the ground. He gasped his last with his sightless golden brown eyes wide open in a kind of amazed confused look.
Adam pointed his gun at the second man. “Drop the gun and move away from the ladies.”
Shocked at what had become of his friend, the man threw his gun quickly to the ground and raised his hands. “Don’t shoot me Mister!” he begged.
Adam swallowed hard and fought back the sick feeling in his gut. His own legs were numb from what he had just experienced and his hands shook as he pointed the gun at the second man’s middle.
Near Miss Barbara’s wagon, Hays had heard the gunshots and came running with his rifle. He burst into the clearing just as Little Joe squirmed from Miss Barbara’s grasp and ran over to his father who was still motionless on the ground. “Pa don’t be dead!” he screamed hysterically throwing himself down on the hard ground next to his father. The boy tugged on his father’s sleeve.
“Go get that rope and tie that fella up, Adam while I cover him. And one of you gals check on Ben.” Hays directed. He was a man of few words and quickly took over. His yellow hair shined in the shadow of the pine trees.
Joe turned as Adam and Hays came alongside his father’s unconscious body.
Little Joe put his arms around his father “Is my Pa dead like my mama?” He looked up at Adam. Tears were streaming down his filthy little face and his curly hair was all dirty and knotted.
Ben groaned and opened his eyes. For an instant he thought he was in his bed and Little Joe was climbing in beside him with another nightmare. His head throbbed. He struggled to sit up and looked around realizing what had happened. Ben put his hand to his head and felt the big lump that was forming where the bandit had slugged him with the butt of his gun.
By the time Adam had tied up the second bandit, his father was sitting up. Miss Sheila and Miss Ellen were wiping the blood off his forehead. Miss Barbara was holding Little Joe on her lap. Hoss was standing next to her trying to get his little brother to stop crying.
Adam helped his father get to his feet. Ben held on to him when he stood up trying to get his head from spinning.
He bent down to pat Little Joe’s head as the boy jumped away from Miss Barbara and hung onto his Pa’s leg. Kissing the top of his head as he lifted the boy into his arms, Ben told the boy he was just fine. His legs were still quivering and unsteady; Ben swung his baby up and hugged him close. Ben had his arms around Joe and was looking at his other two sons still not quite sure what had happened. Little Joe, eyes squeezed shut, his head against Ben’s chest, was still crying raggedly. The boy’s dirty hand clutched his father’s bloody collar.
Miss Sheila ran over to Adam and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You saved us Adam! That man came back with his friend to get our money. He hit your father and was going to shoot us if Miss Barbara didn’t tell him where her money was hidden.”
Ben lifted Joe onto the wagon and climbed on and settled down with Joe leaning against him. Adam struggled on the seat and sat down. As soon as they were all settled. Adam flicked up the horses and away they went.
“You ok Pa?” Adam whispered. He turned around, looked at his father and put his hand on his father’s hand.
Ben squeezed Adam’s hand and smiled weakly. “Looks like you’ll have to drive my wagon after all son.”
Chapter 8
By the time they got back to the ranch house, Ben’s head was throbbing and he couldn’t wait to crawl into his bed and sleep. All he wanted was to be home. He had sagged into the chair next to the stone hearth with the Little Joe squeezed next to him. “You need a shave, Pa.” Little Joe said feeling his father’s rough skin with his small hand.
Little Joe had dragged in Ben’s saddlebag across the threshold. Even though Hoss tried to pull it out of his hand, the small boy insisted on pulling the heavy bag all the way from the doorway to the bottom of the stair. Hoss and Adam finished carrying in their bags.
“Yes–I think you are right there, son! I guess I look pretty rough right now.” He replied. Hop Sing had gone into the kitchen to heat up water and get bandages for Ben’s head.
“Can I shave too?” The boy smiled at his father. “This morning you said I should get cleaned up and you would take me to a fancy dinner in town with all the men and get paid too.” Ben always gave Little Joe a penny for candy when they went into Virginia City on payday.
”Son, I think a bath will do you just fine. You boys are pretty dirty.” Ben leaned back and closed his eyes for a minute.
”I think there is nothing like being hit over the head with a rifle butt to take a man’s appetite away.” Hays leaned over to gently removed the bloody bandage from his boss’s head.
“No fancy dinner in town now. I think Hop Sing will make you boys dinner and I’m going to bed.”
”Those pretty ladies said you could come and have dinner at their place any time you wanted. Could we go there?” Hoss asked.
Hays started to laugh so hard that he almost fell over a chair. Ben shot him a look.”No, son. I don’t think that is the kind of place I want to bring little boys.“
”No indeed, maybe when you get a bit older. Eh Adam.” Hays elbowed the dark haired boy who blushed furiously. Ben had finally taken him aside and explained what type of business the ladies were establishing in town.
“I’ll go take care of the team, Pa.” Adam quickly decided. “Hoss, come help me.”
”I worked hard Pa. Didn’t I? I was a big help and you won’t leave me behind no more.” Joe reminded his father.
”Is that what this whole thing is about?” Ben rested his head against the back of the settee and closed his eyes.
Little Joe nodded. “I miss you so munch when you are gone. So if I go work with you, I can come along on fall roundup.” He slid into his father’s lap and smiled at his Pa sure he was going to get his way. Ben wrapped his arm around the boy and gathered him close.
“No, Little Joe. You are far too small and you are going to stay by Mrs. Newkirk while we are away. When you get bigger in a few years. “
Hays nodded in agreement. “Dean is looking forward to you playing together and Mrs. Newkirk will back you your favorite pie, Little Joe.”
Joe started to squirm in his fathers lap, ready to say something and Hays looked him right in his eyes “And don’t you start crying or your Pa will tan your britches.”
Ben’s head was throbbing enough with out hearing the next round of crying.
“Yes sir.” Joe whispered. He was just relieved his Pa was not dead.
Chapter 9
By Sunday, Ben Cartwright’s head was healing up. He had a purple bruise on his forehead but he was other wise feeling fine. The boys put on all their new clothes and looked very neat and well turned out at church. Little Joe even did his best to sit quietly and Hoss made sure he used the outhouse before the service started. Reverend Felcher’s sermon was remarkably short and it was only when the minister got home did he realize that his young son Billy had taken three pages from his sermon to use the paper for a kite tail. His congregation never realized that he had skipped half of what he had written and all complimented him on the inspirational sermon.
Dinner was at the Wallace’s was festive for everyone. Mim made a delicious meal and Katie and Little Joe played for a long time without fighting. Adam sat attentively and listened to Hank Wallace talk about the education needed to become an engineer and Hoss played checkers with anyone who was willing to take him on.
After dinner, as it got into evening the conversation turned to more serious problems around Virginia City. The wind picked up a little and it seemed like the first blasts of winter were moving in from the mountains. Foster threw some extra logs into the fireplace to take the damp chill out of the little yellow house.
Little Joe, for once was quiet and no one paid him much mind.
The men discussed the likelihood of there being some connection to the murder of Mr. Dayton years earlier with some of the other killings while Little Joe, suddenly and unaccountably weary, lay down under the Wallace dining room table near his father’s feet to rest. It was warmer near the fire but he didn’t want to remind the adults he was still up well past his bedtime. If he hid himself under the table and couldn’t see any of them he would be totally invisible. They would never remember he was there. Katie had already been sent upstairs and tucked in right after dessert.
Joe missed his Pa and wanted to stay as near him as he could. He had been pushed aside by Pa too much the last few days while they were cutting the trees and then again while Pa was resting from the bad robber hitting him. Even though the nice ladies had made a fuss over him and Hoss, it wasn’t the same as his Pa.
Little Joe was terribly scared that his Pa had hurt his head too. His Mama had hurt her head and died and went to heaven. Little Joe didn’t want Pa to die and go to heaven. Everyone told him that Pa was fine and just got a bump on his head but Joe still didn’t want to move far from him for a long, long time. This way Joe could keep his Pa safe.
Joe lay awake a long time, listening to the soft deep tones of the men’s voices. He could smell the smoke from his Pa’s pipe and Mr. Foster Wallace’s cigar. Every once in awhile he heard Mim say something or Katie’s mom would offer more coffee. He had really wanted to sit and listen near his Pa and his big brother Adam but he couldn’t keep his eyes open. He felt someone come over and put a warm blanket over him. Maybe it was his brother Hoss. Little Joe lay awake a long time, listening to the soft tones of grown up voices.
“They must be pretty nasty to go attacking helpless women and little boys.”Mim added. Joe could see her feet as she walked around the table refilling everyone’s coffee cups. “I am sure that one will go to jail for a good long time.“
”It doesn’t matter what type of women those were, it doesn’t mean that they deserved to be robbed or assaulted.” Foster added.
“You were very brave Adam. Very quick thinking” Joe heard Kate’s father say.
“Our Adam is very smart,” bragged Mim. “He is one of the brightest youngsters in the Territory.” Mim had ruffles on the bottom of her dark green dress like his Mama had. Mama had more ruffles than Mim. Joe looked again and tried to remember what his mother’s face looked like but all he could remember was her ruffles on the bottom of her dress.
“He saved all of us and those ladies too,” Hoss said. Joe could see Hoss’s shiny new boots next to Adam’s chair. Hoss had very big feet.
Joe opened his eyes to see if his Pa’s feet were still next to him. He reached out his hand and lightly patted the cuff of his father’s trousers. Pa was still there. Joe closed his eyes again and listened to the grown ups voices.
”Harrison has been poking his nose around the spreads up and down Cherry Creek and stirring things up. He wanted to by the Dayton’s place and that place up by the canyon.” Foster Wallace said.
“Pa, do you think a lot of people are selling out because they are afraid of the Indians?” Adam suggested.
”There are wild Indians around here?” Katie’s mother asked.
Little Joe must have dozed off because the next thing he his Pa was carrying him over his shoulder out to the wagon. Little Joe snuggled into his neck and fell back asleep.
Chapter 10
Boston 1871
Jumping from the pier onto the deck of the boat Ben and Joe looked around for any sign of Philip Bartlett. What could he have found out that was so incriminating that someone would want to harm Philip Bartlett? Phil had been checking the files of the newspapers and investigating Federal Land regulations. He had not returned by dinnertime and a strange man came to the O’Mara home asking for Ben and Joe saying that Phil was in trouble down at the waterfront and had sent him to bring the Cartwrights to help him out. Ben tried to get more details but the man was insistent that they needed to come with him immediately and that it was an emergency. Phil was hurt on a ship at one of the docks and needed them to help him.
There he was on the deck of the boat. Just as the stranger had told them. Phil was sitting injured, slumped against the mast. Blood was streaming from a gash on his head. His glasses were bent and broken and his lip was split. But suddenly both Ben and Joe realized that Philip’s hands and feet were tied.
Ben glanced over his shoulder realizing no one was around. The man who had brought them to the waterfront had disappeared. “Who did this?” Ben asked in a voice soft as the water lapping against the side of the wooden ship. “Flanagan? One of the Harrisons?”
Phil blinked his eyes trying to figure out who was talking to him.
“I don’t know Pa. But we have to get him out of here before they come back. Do you think he can walk? Joe looked down at the journalist. He was dazed and some had beaten him pretty hard.
Moving closer to Phil, Ben wasn’t sure which emotion was growing fastest in him – worry about his friend or anger at the men who had tried to kill him. He sat down near Philip, and took a deep breath, trying to bring his emotions under control. Letting the worry and anger erupt wouldn’t help Philip. It wouldn’t help any of them. He loosened the rope tying Phil to the mast. A grunt of pain escaped from Philip, and he began to shift his weight and turn on the deck. He winced as he tried to move to get upright.
“Sit still,” ordered Ben, putting his hand lightly on Philip’s arm. “The more you move around, the worse it will hurt.”
Opening his eyes slowly, Philip looked up at Ben. For a moment, he looked confused, as if he wasn’t sure who he was. Then his expression cleared and his brown eyes focused. “It was Flanagan, Ben. He knows that I found out about him. Miss Barbara was right. She told us to watch out for him. They followed me to the newspaper office and got the old articles about the fires, and the Indian raids. They had set it all up and tried to pin it on Ka-Pusta. It wasn’t Indian raids or accidents like we always thought. They killed Foster Wallace too. He had started piecing it all together and they got the two guys to shoot him.”
Joe slid over and tried to untie the ends of the rope from Phil’s hands but was having difficulty managing with the cast on his hand. “How did Miss Barbara know?”
”She knows Ka-Pusta very well,” Ben said strangely. “Very, very well.”
“Freeze” The Cartwrights looked up and saw the angry face of the same man who had brought them to the dock. He had a colt army special in one hand and his other hand wrapped around the trembling shoulder of Sam Cartwright.
“Jeez Pa, they have Sammy too. Where is Emily? They were together going to the zoo.” Joe stood frozen trying to figure how to protect Sam.
The man holding Sam’s arm pointed the gun at the Cartwrights on the deck. “Move!” he gestured toward a hatch. “Open the hatch and go below deck.”
Ben looked at the gun and then at Joe. “Do what they say, son, “ the rancher cautioned. ”Get the other guy and all of you go down below.” The man kept Sam in his grip and gestured with the pistol.
Ben leaned over to Phil and helped him up. Joe bent and opened the hatch with his left hand. He could see a steep, ladder like stairway leading below. Joe led the way down the ladder holding on with his one good hand. His father and the journalist followed him. Lastly the armed man shoved Sam into the hold. The frightened boy lost his balance as he climbed down the ladder. Fortunately for Sam, Joe turned to see what was happening. He reached up and caught his nephew as fell. The boy grabbed his uncle’s plaster cast and regained his footing. The hatch slammed loudly behind them.
In the dim light of a kerosene lantern, Joe could see Emily O’Mara sitting huddled over on a crate in the middle of the cold damp cabin.
Her gray eyes filled with fear. “What’s going on?”
Before Joe could disentangle himself from Sam, Phil stumbled over to her. ”Philip are you all right?” She murmured to him. “ I never thought I would find you!”
“I’m sorry I got you caught up here. I’m really sorry about everything that has happened. Phil answered kissing Emily. “Are you all right?” The journalist wrapped his arms around her. They hung onto each other.
Ben could see the shocked look on Joseph’s face as he watched the woman he thought he was in love with; embrace his friend, Philip Bartlett.
Chapter 11
“Dennis O’Mara and the other Cartwrights are bound to be hunting the waterfront with help. They will be sure to come looking for the ones we have on this ship. We’ve got two choices, we can sit here and wait for him to get back and try to fight it out with the police, or we can hold them here on this boat and set sail and deal with this problem accordingly.” Flanagan surveyed the watching faces, and smiled at their dismay. “I didn’t get this far and get away from a burning house surrounded by police to get caught in Boston by some snooping reporter from Virginia City, “There were four men, Flanagan, Captain Leo and two of his crew, burly sailors who would do any job as long as they got paid.
“You better let us go Flanagan!” Joe foolishly jumped up and grabbed the former territorial governor by the front of his coat. He really wanted to punch Philip Bartlett but was willing to slug Flanagan instead.
“Joseph!” Ben barked at his son’s foolhardiness.
Flanagan signaled to one of his men, who stepped up behind Joe and brutally yanked his one good arm behind him. “Go sit down or you’ll see how well you can keep afloat with that cast on your arm,” the sailor threatened Joe. Captain Leo pointed his gun at Ben.
Still Joe eyed Flanagan defiantly. “Go to hell!” he ground out through gritted teeth.
Emily screamed. “Leave him alone, can’t you see he can’t do anything to you.”
With Joe effectively immobilized, Flanagan backhanded Phil viciously across the face. Phil’s head rocked backwards, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead. Stars shot through Philips’s vision, and blackness swirled in front of his eyes. “You damn snoop. You think you are going to get all those records to the police?”
“Stop! Can’t you see you are hurting him?” Emily screamed. Joe bit his lip watching the awful time she was having and he pulled against the men holding him as his father watched helplessly.
Flanagan nodded to his men to stop hitting the journalist. He pointed his pistol at the Cartwrights and it was clear from the nasty look in his eyes that he would shoot them given the least excuse. He had barely escaped capture at the burning Stoddard house. Like a Phoenix, he rose from the ashes. Now there was no way he wanted to be incriminated in the Cherry Creek situation by the Cartwrights or anyone else. This conspiracy had gone on for decades and made him a very rich and powerful man and there was no way he would let anyone catch him now. He turned toward the ship captain next to him. “What do you think we should do with these trouble makers?”
The other man said, “Yep, it’s a tough choice, but here’s what I think. There ain’t no point in makin’ a stand here. If we sail out of the harbor we can just sit back and wait it out until we decide what we want to do. Go have the men check the lines and the sail and lets get going. This crew won’t care who we have down in this hold.
Chapter 12
They sat on the wet floor of the hold for a long time. Ben wasn’t quite sure how long it was. It had to be hours, well after midnight as battered Phil fell asleep or passed out with his head on Emily’s shoulder. Ben gave her his handkerchief, and together they tried to clean him up as best they could.
Joe and Sam poked around every corner and pulled some empty crates together so they had something dry to sit on. Sam eventually lay down and fell asleep too. His grandfather took off his coat and covered the boy with it. Joe finally stopped pacing and nervously poking around in the dark corners and found a place to sit next to his sleeping nephew.
At some point, Ben realized Joe was sitting with his elbow on his knees, his chin in his hand, wordlessly staring at Emily and Philip across from him.
”Joseph, come over here and see if we can move this hatch cover.” Ben was sure the cover was bolted or weighted down by their captors but he couldn’t bear the silent fury that was radiating out of Joe as he stared angrily at Emily and Philip huddled together.
Joe sighed. The two Cartwrights squeezed together side by side; hip-to-hip, shoulder-to-shoulder on the ladder. They raised their arms and pushed against the hatch cover. Ben with two arms, Joe with one. Then he slipped his cast out of the sling. “Try it one more time, Pa” Joe raised both arms and counted “One, two, three!” They both grunted and pushed to no avail.
“Go sit down, Joe.” Ben nudged him down next to him so he was facing Sam, rather than Emily and Philip. From the corner of his eye, Ben could see Joe suck in a deep breath he rubbed his shoulder. Ben prayed that his son hadn’t reinjured his barely healed wounds.
Chapter 13
Phil opened his eyes and looked up. He rubbed his head and tried to straighten out his eyeglasses. “They’re broken.” He held up a cracked lens. “Was I sleeping long?”
Emily stood up and stretched. “ You slept for a few hours.” She stood next to Philip and held his hand.
“How are you feeling?” Ben asked.
“Not so good,” admitted Philip wiping his free hand across his eyes. “I feel like everything is shaking and rocking back and forth.”
”We’re on a boat, Phil.” Joe reminded him.
Phil closed his eyes for a minute, then opened them and looked around examining the hold. He licked his split lips. “I’m thirsty. Can I have some water?”
“You have the whole damn ocean out there, pal.” Joe muttered.
”What are you talking about?” Phil tried to sit up and see out the porthole. He still didn’t completely comprehend what Joe was telling him.
”Phil, don’t you realize, we are not at the dock you jack ass. They raised the sails a long time ago.” Joe snapped. It was really hitting Joe that Emily was clearly involved with Phil. When did this all happen? Then Joe remembered the night Emily had the opera tickets and Joe had cleverly wiggled out of going. Phil had stepped forward and offered to accompany her. He loved opera and all sorts of classical music he told Emily. Joe had laughed at him getting stuck with a boring concert and having to wear a stiff collar. Guess Phil was laughing pretty hard now. Joe thought
“Ben?” Philip looked anxiously at the rancher, not believing Joe’s last statement. He realized that the boat was rocking much more than if they were still tied to the dock.
Joe’s father nodded. “As best I can tell we are almost out past the harbor light.” He hated to think what Flanagan’s men had planned for them next. He had no idea who else was on the boat besides the men they had already seen.
Their captors had taken away their guns. Ben looked around the shadowing damp cabin at the two younger men. One had a heavy plaster cast on one arm; the other was bleeding from a gash on his head and could hardly see. Both were competing for the same woman. Sam was ten years old and weighed no more than seventy pounds, with his boots on and a full bladder. Emily O’Mara certainly was not going to slug it out with anyone. As old as he was, he was the best chance they had at staying alive.
Sam sat up looked around. He pulled his grandfather’s jacket around his shivering shoulders.
“How long have we been sailing?” asked Phil. His face was pasty and pale. He looked like he was fading fast.
“About an hour,” answered Joseph. “You were out pretty good.” He finished untangling the rope that had originally tied Philips hands. He stood up on the rocking deck and tossed the rope into a corner of the hold behind Sammy. Joe had done some hard thinking over the last hours and decided for everyone’s sake, he would deal with what ever was going on with Emily later. Now they just needed to stay alive and get out of this mess. Joe thought about the ridiculousness of their situation. If they all drowned it didn’t matter a tinker’s dam which man Emily wanted.
Through the porthole, Ben looked up at the stars and then towards the fading shoreline as he tried to make out a landmark. Mist was closing in around them. The night air was chilly but the ocean was still warm from the summer
Nodding, Ben closed his eyes. He tried to visualize the charts of the area, waters he last sailed more than thirty years earlier. He knew very well where they were, and he knew that there was soon going to be nothing but ocean around them once they passed Nantucket Light. There was nothing but the choppy gray Atlantic between Nantucket and England. He tried to steel himself for what he knew was going to be an uncomfortable and possibly deadly sail.
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