Sins of the Father, Sins of the Sons – # 6 (by Robin)

Summary:  Part six of Sins of the Father, Sins of the Sons

Word Count:   14,600

 

 

                                 Sins of the Father, Sins of the Sons

 

 

Fathers, Sons, and Brothers

Sam and Adam Cartwright enjoy being father and son.

Miss Barbara writes to her sweetheart.

Joe and a friendly peddler have a run in with robbers.

Cartwright conflicts with the Fischers move into the next generation

The Cartwrights prepare to celebrate Doc Martin’s birthday.

Robert O’Mara makes plans for his future.

Sam and Casey meet a volatile stranger.

 

Chapter 1

 

Summer 1875

Virginia City

Sam was picking berries for his mother and his aunt. He realized he was very small and all alone and it was getting late. He needed to get back to the house, to Mim’s house, but he couldn’t figure which way to go. The further he went down the narrow path, the darker it became. Soon it was pitch black. Sam tried to find his way through the brambles but they clawed and pulled on his shirt as if they were alive.

Suddenly he realized he was in a fiery graveyard.

“I am your father and you are coming with me Sam!” A loud, angry voice called from the inferno. “I am taking you with me to hell to be a devil like me!” The flaming devil hands of Al Striker held him tight and pulled him onto a black devil stallion that was ablaze with searing flames. “Come with me, Son.”

“No! Let me go!” Sam begged. He struggled to free himself but the more he thrashed about, the harder Striker clutched him.

“You are my son and you will be a devil just like me. We will be the worst devils in hell together. Father and son.”

”No! I won’t go with you.” Sam tried to wrench free from Al Striker’s grasp.” I’m not your son and I won’t be a devil!”

“You are my son! You are Sam Striker!” The evil flaming man roared. Blood poured from a flaming red hole in Striker’s chest. “You will be bad like your father and burn in hell.”

“Let me go!” Sam shrieked. “I’m Sam Cartwright. You are not my father! Let me go!”

 

Chapter 2

 

Adam Cartwright awoke with a start in the dark house. His son was screaming down the hall. Adam’s feet hit the polished wooden floor before he was really awake. He charged down the hall to Sam’s room before Kate had even tiredly sat up. She had barely fallen back to sleep after sitting up past midnight in the study rewriting the editorial for the Enterprise on the evils of gossip.

“Sammy, wake up. You were having a nightmare, Doc.” Adam said gently as he sat on the edge of the boy’s bed and tried to free him from the tangled bedclothes. He remembered Joe having nightmares like this. Little Joe would often wake up hollering when he was a boy but Sam had never done this before. Adam hoped the noise didn’t wake up Elizabeth or the baby or any of the servants sleeping on the third floor.

Sam sat up shaking and threw his arms around his father’s neck. “He was trying to steal me! Pa don’t let him get me.” Sam gasped as Adam hugged him close. He patted the boys back as if he was much younger. The boy buried his face in his father’s broad shoulder.

“It was a bad dream, Sam. You are all right.” Adam said soothingly. “I would never let anything hurt you Son.”

“He said he would make me a devil in hell, Pa.” Sam was still shaking in Adam’s arms when Kate came into the doorway of their son’s room. “I don’t want to be a devil.”

“Adam, is he all right?” Kate asked.

Adam nodded “Go back into bed, Katie. We’ll be fine.” She stood by the door for a moment, then padded back to bed, secure that her husband would settle their boy down better than she could. He was thirteen years old, almost fourteen and would balk at his mother paying too much attention to him.

“Pa, he was going to take me. Just like when Mama and I first were living here in Aunt Mim’s house.” Sam whispered. He shifted down under the quilts. “The time Grandpa found me and my arm got hurt. “ He took a shaky breath.

Adam tucked the bedding in around the boy “Who?”
”Al Striker, he was a devil and he was going to steal me.” Sam wanted to ask Adam to light the lamp but he was embarrassed enough that he had awakened his parents like a baby. The room was dark. All of Sam’s familiar furniture cast weird shadows against the wallpaper. Even the wind blowing outside seemed ominous.

“Want me to sit here until you fall asleep?” Adam smiled reassuringly. He vividly remembered how much better he felt when his own father sat near him when he was scared and how uncomfortable he felt in asking.

“Please, Pa. I would like that.” The boy turned over and Adam pulled the soft quilt up snuggly around the boy. Adam sat down in the desk chair and watched Sam doze off.

 

Chapter 3

 

Virginia City

1874

“Dinner is ready.” Kate called into the parlor.

“One more minute, Katie. I have Sam trapped here.” Adam Cartwright called to his wife. He and his son were locked in an epic chess match. Adam tipped his chair back on two legs. Most of the rainy Sunday afternoon they had sat head to head, nose to nose at the chessboard in the parlor.

Even Elizabeth’s pleas for attention had gone unheeded as Adam and Sam focused on their competition. She had grudgingly played “red and black” with Eric and Uncle Joe. Then she sat with Kate and Meg while they discussed “lady things”. Finally Elizabeth took Meg upstairs for a full tour of her doll collection and a wardrobe change for all of the dolls. “Aunt Meg, Papa brought me a new doll baby from Denver. You can help me change her into her nightie.”

By then, Eric had shifted his attention to the chess match. He sat on the edge of a chair next to Sam hypnotized by the chess pieces. The older boy patted his little cousin’s tufty yellow hair and handed him one of the black pawns he had captured from Adam. Eric clutched it in his chubby hand and sat silently, seemingly intrigued by the match.

“One more minute. Pa, you are going to loose this time.” Sam challenged.

“Oh no Doc, not me.” Adam laughed trying to seem casual. Behind his confident veneer, he was not so sure. Sam was an astute chess player and the game was really going his way.

“Come on Adam, I am starving. You promised us dinner and now I want to eat.” Joe griped. “Pa is fainting from hunger and just too polite to complain. Joe picked up all the checkers from under the chairs and put them back in the polished wooden box.

“No I’m not being so polite any more. Adam. Sam come on and sit down and eat dinner. Now!” Ben pleaded. “No more putting off what I want.” He finished reading Katie’s angry editorial about how gossip was damaging the community. Ben Cartwright folded up the Enterprise and stood next to his youngest grandson, Eric.

“Wait. I am going to beat my father,” Sam Cartwright grinned. “Watch this, Grandpa! “ Sam moved his knight. “Check!”
”Good move, son,” Adam nodded. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the board and he tried to make up his mind what move to make. He didn’t want to concede to his son but he could not see any escape.

“Katie, you are raising a miniature Adam. Look at him. Ben smiled. Kate wiped her hands on her apron and wound her arm around Ben’s waist. Adam and Sam were so caught up in the game they didn’t even hear his comment.

“You seem very cheerful, Ben. Especially for a hungry man,” Kate smiled.

Ben nodded with a wide grin on his face. ”Am I?” He thought he was being very circumspect but his happiness was apparent.

They stood and watched Sam mirror Adam’s exact posture. Adam had his elbow on the table and his hand holding the bridge of his nose. Sam sat exactly the same way opposite his father contemplating the chessboard. Without any consultation that morning, father and son had even dressed identically for church. Both were wearing matching black gabardine trousers, stiff starched white shirts and navy ties. Father and son had each neatly hung their dark suit jackets over the back of their chairs at the same angle.

”They sit and play guitar together and study mathematics together.” Kate said proudly.

”Too bad you didn’t name him Adam Cartwright, Junior.” Joe laughed walking across the room to stand next to Kate. Joe loved Sammy with all his heart. He was so used to considering him a Cartwright that for the moment he innocently forgot that Adam had not started out as Sammy’s father. Kate’s first husband, Al Striker was Sam’s father.

Kate wrinkled her nose at Joe “Adam Junior? Don’t think Al Striker would have agreed to that, Little Joe.”

Joe grimaced realizing that he put his foot in his mouth. “Eric! Help me put these checkers away. There are some under the table.” Eric was mesmerized by the chess pieces and didn’t move an inch.

“Dinner is waiting, Adam, Sam!” Kate repeated.

“ Look how Adam is sweating. He can’t stand that Sam is getting to be as good at chess as he is,” Joe teased. “Think the boy may even be better, Katie. Old Adam is getting so addled that young Sam can beat him.”

Ben chuckled as he remembered the first time Adam had beat him playing chess. He was not quite Sam’s age. “My money is on Sammy. What do you think Kate?”

“I think I want to serve dinner.” Kate sighed. “The potatoes will be cold and the roast will be dry and I think I sound like Hop Sing.”

Adam moved his black queen and as soon as he took his hand off the piece he knew he had made a fatal error.

”Checkmate!” Sam shouted as he moved his bishop and captured his father’s king. He jumped up from his chair and threw his hands triumphantly in the air.

Adam stood up and hugged his son. “Good match son! I’m proud of you!”

“Good game Sammy! Adam, guess that is something every father has to face. You try to raise up your boy to be a man and teach him all you know but there comes the moment when your realize he is your match or has even passed you by.” Ben put his arms around Adam and Sam.

“Just wait until you have children, son.” Ben said to Joe as Meg and Elizabeth walked into the room. Meg looked at her father in law and wondered uncomfortably what topic of discussion she had missed to hear that remark. What had made Ben comment about she and Joe having children?

“Now let’s eat!” Kate ordered leading the family into the dining room.

Eric slid off the chair and started lining up all the abandoned ivory chess pieces in neat rows by size and color. He put the black in one line, white pieces in another parade. Then the little boy took all the pawns and started putting them in his pockets.

“No! Eric. Leave that alone,” Joe gently pulled the chess piece from his younger nephew’s hand and reached into Eric’s bulging pockets and pulled out two checkers, the black queen and all the knights from the chess set. While he was emptying the stuff pocket, Joe also found a squashed looking cookie and something lumpy he couldn’t identify. He tossed that clump into the fireplace. “Let’s get you washed up for dinner, Sweetie,” Joe scooped Eric up and put him on his shoulders and headed for the stairs.

 

Chapter 4

 

“I’ll meet you and Pa for dinner on Tuesday. Will said he would be in town too,” Adam told his brother as they walked out of his front door later that warm night. Ben had gone ahead to bring Eric to the buggy. The little boy had fallen asleep in his grandfather’s lap during the dessert.

“Just me and Eric. Pa is meeting someone on the stage in the afternoon and they are having some sort of meeting,” Joe said. He looked around for Meg and saw her talking to Katie.

“Who is Pa meeting?” Adam asked.

Joe shrugged. “I don’t know. He said he was meeting someone and not to expect him to join us for dinner. When I asked who it was he acted mighty strange.”

”Strange?”

”Yeah, strange. Like he didn’t want to say who it was. I thought maybe you knew.”

Adam shook his head “He sure looks happy though. Doesn’t he?”

”Now that you mention it,” Joe started. Before the brothers could continue on the subject Meg came up and slid her hand into her husband’s. “Let’s get home. It is a long ride back to the Ponderosa.”

 

Chapter 5

 

Sept. 8, 1875,

San Francisco,

Darling,

I had such a wonderful time with you last week. My heart beats faster every time I think of being in your arms. As I told you, many times before, the older the violin, the sweeter the music.

Until we are together again, my darling,

Barbara

 

Chapter 6

 

Nevada Territory

1872, Nevada Territory

As Joe cautiously approached the camp, the cowboy could see the high wooden peddler’s wagon under the tree and that the team had been tied off to the side in a rope corral. Joe certainly didn’t want the peddler to think he was a bandit coming up on him in the dark. Joe had no desire to get his head blown off by a nervous traveler so he drew attention to himself as he slowly rode up on Cochise.

“Howdy mister, mind if I share the fire with you?” Joe called as he reined his horse to a halt. The man smiled as he stood with his head bent low over a pot cooking on the fire. He looked vaguely familiar to Cartwright.

“Certainly, ride on in and join me.” The man looked up at Joe and smiled. The flickering orange and gold fire light shined on his friendly, lined face .“ Joe Cartwright? Is that you out there?”

Joe grinned. “Yes sir. It’s me. Mr. Dolman? Is that you there?” Both men laughed companionably.

Joe slid off of Cochise and led his horse to where the wagon team was picketed. “Good to see you, sir.”

”Mighty nice surprise to come across an old friend on this lonely stretch.” Dolman stood upright and shook Joe’s hand.

The Cartwrights had known Jacob Dolman for many years as he traveled through Nevada and the Sierras as a peddler. Jacob had once saved Ben’s life when he found the wounded rancher. He had been shot off Buck by some poachers and left for dead on the range.

Buck returned to the Ponderosa with blood on the saddle. Ben’s three sons, thinking their father had been murdered had ridden off to capture the killer and avenge the crime. Meanwhile, Dolman had brought Ben back to the Ponderosa. He had tended to the wounded man, keeping him company until the three boys returned one by one. Little Joe had captured the man who had shot Ben Cartwright. Despite thinking that his father was dead, the young man had let the law handle the shooter rather than taking matters into his own hands. His father was proud that hot-tempered Joe had kept his head and done just as he had been taught.

“Where are you headed, sir?” Joe asked.

“I’m on my way up to Placerville,” Mr. Dolman started. He leaned back over the crackling fire and stirred the bubbling pot of stew. “This will be done pretty soon, Little Joe. Glad you came along. First I’m going to Placerville and then on to Carson City and then back on towards Virginia City.”

“ I have a girl up there in Placerville. That’s where I’m headed. Up to Placerville to see my girl.” Joe bragged with a friendly grin. “Never thought I would bump into you by the side of the road. Never thought I would see anyone along this stretch but I saw the smoke of your fire. I was about to make camp anyway.” Joe had unsaddled Cochise. He brought his gear over to the campfire and warmed his hands.

“I’m mighty glad to have the company, son. There is plenty of stew here.” the peddler smiled. “Been on the road long?”

”Since early this morning. I was hoping to get there by early tomorrow. To Placerville, where my girl is.” Joe repeated. He smiled thinking of Meg Thackery waiting for him. He had worked hard for the last few weeks getting ahead of his chores so that he had the time to go and visit her for a few days without his father complaining too much about his absence from the Ponderosa. At least that was what Joe hoped. Joe was looking forward to being with Meg even if Pa was mad at him when he got back. Being with Meg was worth any price, even the glaring eyes and thunderous voice of Ben Cartwright lecturing him on responsibility and hard work.

”How’s your dear father doing?” Dolman served up Joe a generous portion of stew on a tin plate and handed it to him.

Joe shoveled some into his mouth and grinned. “This sure beats the beans and hard tack I thought I was going to have for supper. Pa is just fine. Still working hard and expecting the same from everyone else.”

”And your oldest brother, Adam?” Dolman served himself a portion of stew and sat down on a fallen log.

”Fine. Adam has two children now, a boy and baby girl. He and his partner run a big firm, Stoddard and Bruce. They do shipping and construction and all sorts of things. His wife runs the Enterprise.”

”Your Pa must be mighty proud of him. Yes sir, your Pa always set great store by his boys. He must be mighty proud of grandchildren too. W hat about your other brother? The big fellow.” Dolman offered Joe the last of what was in the coffee pot.

Joe shook his head and frowned. He poked at his stew. “ Hoss got killed. His widow and little baby boy live near Elm Grove.” Joe sighed. He missed Hoss every day of his life. “I’ll be going up that way to see them with Pa and Adam next month.”

The peddler poured the dregs of the coffee into the fire “Sorry about that. He was a nice man. Big fellow he was. I never go up to Elm Grove. There is nothing much up there.”

Joe nodded and finished the last fork of the stew. “Only thing worthwhile up there is my sister in law and the little boy. She named him Eric after my brother. That was Hoss’ real name. Eric.”

It was a clear night and Joe could see every star in the sky shining like flakes of mica in a dark mine wall as he leaned back onto his saddle. “Going to visit my girl.” Meg would have liked Hoss and he would have liked Meg.
”You said that. Said it was her birthday didn’t you?” Dolman threw some more wood onto the fire. So many nights he traveled alone. It was nice to have company. “Glad you stumbled by Joe. Gets mighty lonely on the road. Hope to buy a store someday and stay in one place. Maybe in Placerville or Carson City. Maybe Virginia City or Denver.”

“Let me show you what I have for her,” Joe was extremely pleased with the gift he had found for Meg. He opened up his saddlebag and shifted his clean shirts and socks where he had carefully wedged the cloth wrapped gift. He had wrapped the delicate porcelain figurines in his extra shirt and a bit of an old striped horse blanket. “I found this in a shop in San Francisco. Meg is going to really love this.”

Joe carefully handed the peddler a small statue of two graceful horses side by side. A beautiful woman rode one. The other horse was ridden by a smiling, fancy gentleman who was staring at the lady. A small lamb and calf were following them. The piece was about nine inches high, mostly white but the fine details of the clothes and facial features were painted on with black and gilt. “The piece is from Staffordshire, England.” Joe explained proudly. He smoothed his hands tenderly over the figures. “It says that right here on the bottom.”

”Mighty lovely.” Mr. Dolman smiled as he examined the piece in the light of the fire. He turned the figurine around gently in his hands. “I am sure she will appreciate this, Joe. Is this some special girl?” He handed it back to the cowboy who gently placed it on the grass next to his saddlebag. Joe enjoyed looking at the porcelain figurine in the light of the fire and tried to imagine how Meg would look when she saw the gift and what she would say. And how warmly she would kiss him when he gave it to her.

He nodded. “She sure is. I keep asking her to marry me and she says we will some day,”

”Some day?”

Joe nodded. “Some day, she says. Gonna ask her again this time too.”

”Every time you see her you propose?” The peddler chuckled at how tenacious the young Cartwright was in pursuing this girl in Placerville.

“Yes, sir, every time. That is sort of what we do, like a game. Every time we are together, I propose and she says “Someday, Joe’. “

The peddler laughed at Joe’s story. “Every time? I would think a young lady would be more than glad to walk down the aisle with you, son.”

Joe smiled and shook his head. “ That’s what my Pa keeps saying. But that’s not a problem because we have a grand time together anyway. Last year I took the stage up to see her for her birthday and proposed then too. The stage took too much long. This year I’m going up on my own. Just me and Cochise. I don’t need to deal with the stage schedules and the crowded coach. I really hate that squeezed in feeling when they are full up.”

“I suppose as long as you and the lady are both happy, that is what matters,” The peddler stood up and tossed some wood on the flickering fire

Joe looked at the sparse supply of firewood that the peddler had stacked up by his wagon. “Let me go gather up some more wood and a bucket of water before we turn in. It feels like it is going to be a cold night.”

”Thanks, son. Hate to sleep in the wagon more than I have to. It gets pretty crowded with all the merchandise I have the wagon stacked up and arranged pretty full. Hate to move things around to sleep comfortably and have to repack in the morning. It’s a clear night so sleeping under the stars won’t be too bad.”

Joe swallowed the dregs of coffee in his tin cup. He picked up the water bucket and walked off into the dark. The noisy stream was running through a culvert on the other side of the trees.

 

Chapter 7

 

Tired from the long day in the saddle, Joe’s thoughts were only of Meg as he headed up the hill to the camp with the water bucket. “This time tomorrow, we’ll be together,” He thought to himself happily. Meg would really love that figurine and Joe could think of about nine ways she could show her appreciation for his gift. He sighed aloud at his fantasy.

As he came back up the slope Joe could hear voices coming from the camp. For a minute Joe thought that the peddler was talking to himself but soon realized that some other travelers must have arrived while he had been down at the creek getting the water. For an isolated stretch of the road, there certainly seemed to be lots of traffic here tonight.

“Shut up and do what we told you, fella.” Joe could hear an angry voice direct the peddler.

“No need to get riled up. Just tell me what you want,” Dolman said from the wagon seat. He had been getting some extra blankets from inside the wagon when three strangers rode into the camp. Before he knew it, they had pulled guns on him and were holding him up.

Dolman had decided not to argue with the guns, instinct telling him that the intruders were dead serious.

The larger armed man’s eyes glowed red in the firelight and perspiration beaded up on his dirty face. Dolman decided the larger man was either drunk or crazy or both. Dolman slowly came down the wagon seat watching as two pointed guns at him.

“I don’t really want to shoot you, old man. But if it seems like you ain’t cooperating, I got no hesitation to filling you with lead, “ the first man answered as he jabbed the Peddler’s broad back with his weapon. He shoved the barrel hard into Dolman’s spine.

“Don’t shoot. I’m all alone,” Dolman said in a very loud voice trying to warn Joe of the dangerous intruders. “Don’t shoot. I’ll give you what ever you want.” He certainly didn’t want to agitate these two and he didn’t want Joe to walk into an ambush. Joe was probably his only chance to be rescued.

“I’m all alone! Don’t shoot!” he repeated loudly hoping Joe was close enough to hear his warning.

It was then that Joe grasped what the voices around the campfire were saying. When that realization hit him, Joe knew that had to be careful and not even let the outlaws know he was around. Joe quietly put the water bucket down and slid his pistol from his holster. He cautiously peered out from behind the brush. Joe knew he had to rescue Mr. Dolman from the men who were holding him at gunpoint.

As Joe watched from his hiding spot, a second figure, wearing a baggy brown jacket and a green hat pulled low, walked into the flickering firelight. Joe could see the second outlaw was slighter than the one holding the gun on Dolman. A third person stood in the shadows near the horses. The second out law spotted Joe’s porcelain figurine leaning against his gear.

“Ain’t this pretty?” the out law picked up the figurine and carelessly juggled it back and forth from hand to hand. Joe figured from the voice and the build, this second outlaw was not more than a boy. The one near the horses stepped near the firelight and Joe could see that it was a girl with long hair wearing a shabby looking brown coat.

“It sure is pretty. I wouldn’t mind having that for myself,” she said greedily.

“You think so?” the fellow holding the china figurine grinned.

“Please be careful with that,” Dolman said softly. “That’s pretty delicate.”
Joe held his breath as he watched from the brush.

”Is it now?” The outlaw juggled it from left hand to right and back again. Then, lifting it overhead, purposely flung it forcefully against a rock. The figurine bounced once into the air and crashed against the boulder shattering into a thousand shiny white shards. The girl gasped.

“What did you go and do that for Johnny? I wanted that!” the girl whimpered.

“How’s that Tessie? You wanted that? Maybe that is why I busted it.” The dark eyed boy said. The man with rifle laughed loudly. “You wanted it; he busts it! Ain’t that always the case?”

”The peddler was right that thing was delicate. Too bad I smashed it. Eh Scottie? Too bad it got broke up.” Johnny laughed and ground the shards into the dirt with his boot.

Joe sucked in his breath. “Damn.” For an instant he wanted to shoot the person who ruined his girl’s figurine but he controlled himself. He had to bide his time and make sure he got Mr. Dolman clear of the men holding him.
A horse nickered and stomped in the brush on the side of the camp opposite side from where Joe was hidden. Joe froze fearing that Cochise had caught his scent and would set off the other horses.

“Johnny! Go check those horses. Don’t want them running off,” Scott ordered.

Johnny walked over to check the horses and moved back into the shadows.

“Where’s the money box?” Scott poked at Dolman. Dolman knew he had a pistol hidden under the wagon seat. If he could just get to it, he had a chance to protect himself and Joe Cartwright.

“Drop your guns!” Joe shouted as he burst out behind the bushes.

Scott dropped his gun. “Okay cowboy! You got us!”

They all heard someone gallop off on one of the horses. Johnny had taken off as soon as Joe Cartwright showed up.

“Johnny!” the girl shrieked like a banshee. “Don’t run off with out me!” Her wails echoed off the hills like a coyote’s howl.

Distracted by the girls piercing cry, Joe looked away from the other man for just an instant. Scott took advantage of that momentary loss of attention to leap at his captor.

Reaching out his right hand, the outlaw grabbed Joe’s left wrist, just below the gun. He had some desperate idea to knock the gun from Joe’s hand and then try to grab the weapon and use the weapon against the cowboy and the peddler. Scott threw a punch with his right fist at Joe’s face, landing a hard blow.

Rolling to the side, Scott pulled Joe with him into the pile of gear near the campfire. They spun into the pile of unwashed tin dinner dishes, which scattered noisily at the impact. The two men threw punches at each other with one hand while they struggled desperately for the gun with the other. Rolling across the ground with fists flying, Scott managed to get to his knees and yanked hard on Joe’s left wrist. Then Cartwright brought his legs up and pushed at Scott’s stomach with his own knee.

Joe struggled desperately to break the man’s grip. Scott fell backwards, but kept his firm grasp on Joe’s arm, dragging the cowboy toward him. Joe landed hard on top of the larger man knocking the air out of his lungs. Scrambling to his knees, Joe felt a hard kick to his back. He was sent sprawling onto the dirt. The smaller figure in the green hat kicked Joe again with her dusty boots. She threw a clod of dirt in his eyes, temporarily blinding him and giving Scott the upper hand.

“Scottie, get him!” she shrieked shrilly as the larger man tried to wrench the pistol from Joe’s hand. “Shoot ‘em!”

The sound of a shot and the whiz of a bullet landing near his ear startled all of them. Joe looked up to see Dolman pointing his gun at Scott. “Freeze!”

Scott was not going to give up. He whipped the pistol across Joe’s face and as he raised his hand again, Dolman shot him. He fell backward off Joe.

“Little Joe!” Dolman called out and hurried to the cowboy’s side. Joe looked up and saw Jacob Dolman standing in the firelight, gun drawn. Smoke curled from the barrel. While Joe fought the rogues, Dolman had managed to reach the pistol he had hidden under the wagon seat.

The peddler turned to see Scott crumbled on the ground and bent to check on the wounded outlaw. The bullet had found its target, but had not killed the man.

Joe scrambled to his feet and scooped up his own pistol from the ground.

“Damn you, Johnny!” the girl shrieked at the darkness as her boyfriend abandoned them to be captured by Joe and Dolman. They all could hear the hoof beats thunder down the road in the darkness.

Joe bent over and pulled the girl to her feet. “Get up!” Joe poked his pistol into her ribs.

“Drop Dead!” the girl spit a wad of saliva into Joe’s face. “Drop dead, you and Johnny both.”

“How is the other one?” Joe asked as he wiped his sleeve across his face. Blood trickled from a gash in cheek. He could see the shards of his smashed gift glinting in the firelight and was more upset by that than any bruises he got in the fight.

“What the hell did you shoot me for you gol darn son of a…” Scott started to spew curses as he lay bleeding on the ground.

”Why? Cause you would have shot us had I not shot you first. Now shut up!” Dolman ordered.

“I won’t shut up!” The wounded man ranted insanely and made an unsuccessful grab for the cowboy’s gun.

”Stop!” Joe ordered and put his boot in the Scott’s chest. He kept his eye on the frantic girl. “Just lay still before you bleed to death.”

Dolman shook his head in disbelief that a wounded man could carry on so and the girl had such a gutter mouth. “You are quite the lady, Miss,” he said sarcastically.

She let loose with a long string of nasty language directed at Dolman’s mother, Joe’s manhood and how both of the men spent their free time with sheep and other farm animals.

“That was a close one.” Dolman sighed “Got some rope in the wagon. And some rags that we can gag Miss Manure Mouth.

He pushed the girl with his boot. “Shut up!” Joe demanded. He couldn’t believe her endless supply of curses. He even recognized a few words of Paiute and Spanish among her ravings. “Know any Chinese?”

She tried to spit at him again but wound up spitting in her own eyes.” I’ll cut your heart out you big turd!” She screamed. “Just wait and see you mamzer!”

“Let’s tie them up until morning. Where is the nearest doctor?”

“ Silverton is the closest town here abouts with a doctor” the Peddler called out as he tended Scott’s bullet wound to his shoulder.

“Silverton? That’s north and we were headed south to Placerville.” Joe rubbed his bruised face and wished he had a way to make the girl be quiet. Her shrill voice echoed of the hills like the howls of a rabid coyote.

“You pig faced, jack boot licking, fool!” she ranted.

Dolman nodded “Fellow here needs a doctor. They have a sheriff there too.”

”The girl needs a gag and I need something to stick in my ears. Guess we have no choice. After we deal with these two, I’ll wire my girl that I’ll be a day late.”

“Sure you do you gol darn son of saloon wench!” the angry girl spewed a long string of curses. “Just let us go. Let us go right now if you know what is good for you!”

Joe shook his head, “Let you go? You tried to rob us and would have shot us.“

“Don’t hurt to ask,” she smiled insanely. She had broken black teeth and smelled like she hadn’t had a bath since last spring. “I can be mighty friendly to a man who does what I asked.” Joe couldn’t think of anything more repulsive.

“No thanks,” Joe answered with a shudder. He started to tie the unconscious Scott on to the wagon wheel and bandage his wound. “We can ride out as soon as it gets light.”

Between Dolman and Joe they managed to hold the screaming girl down, gag her and tie her to the other wagon wheel. Dolman shook his head. He hoped the girl would run out of steam soon but she only seemed to be getting more worked up.

“Yowch! Joe yelled as he yanked his hand away from the girl. “Watch that she don’t bite you,”

“She’s some spitfire.”

”That’s being polite, Mr. Dolman.”

“They smashed your Staffordshire figure.” Dolman sighed sympathetically.
”Into bits.” Joe looked disgustedly at fragments of the shiny ceramic glinting in the firelight.

”Got some pretty things in the wagon, some perfumes and jewelry. I would be honored if you picked something as a token of my appreciation. They would have killed me had I been alone. Good thing you were here, Little Joe.”

“You don’t have to do that, Mr. Dolman.”

”Oh no son, I would be honored to have your sweet lady friend have something. It won’t be as nice as that Staffordshire piece but at least you won’t be both late and empty handed.

“I’ll only be late.”

”Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Dolman quoted.

“I sure hope so,” Joe sighed.

 

Chapter 8

 

Virginia City

Fall, 1874

“Emily and Philip send their regards,” Meg cheerfully announced to as she walked into the front door of Adam and Katie’s home. “Goodness, he was so happy to see her!”

Joe followed behind his wife carrying a wooden shipping crate. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

”I’m glad Emily finally arrived. Phil missed her so much,” Kate smiled. “Let’s hope he can convince her to stay here for good.”

“We brought them up to that house that Phil rented from the Biel estate. I sure hope it is to Emily’s liking. Will and Philip worked so hard getting it all fixed up fancy.” Meg said as she handed her sister-in – law her blue coat. “Phil said he would love to get a piano in the parlor for Emily. She would really enjoy playing music in the evenings.

“Then she might be convinced that we are civilized here.” Joe added.

“Maybe that would make her stay here permanently, “ Kate agreed.

“I think Robert was sort of disappointed though, Mama,” Sam followed behind Joe carrying some tools.

”Disappointed? That Biel house is beautiful. It is as nice as any home in Boston or New York or San Francisco,” Adam said as he came into the foyer from his study.

“Robert was hoping it was a ranch or a log cabin with bullets whizzing around him and Indians shooting fire arrows and such. He said it looked too much like the east.” Sam grinned.” I told him just wait until we take him out to the Ponderosa. Grandpa and Uncle Joe will show him a real cowboy house on a real ranch with horses and cattle.”

Adam chuckled at Robert’s disappointment in how civilized Virginia City had become. His partner’s son longed for adventure and had been fascinated with the myth of the “Wild West” and cowboys since he was a baby. Emily O’Mara had admitted she grew up thinking Little Joe was a catching outlaws and rustlers and fighting Indians when he was in the cradle. She based these misconceptions on some elaborate bedtime stories Adam had told her when he was in college in Boston. Homesick for his own family back on the Ponderosa, Adam would spin elaborate adventure tales about his baby brother, the brave little cowboy. Emily had imagined that Little Joe Cartwright was the boy sheriff of Nevada Territory.

”We brought this crate by for you, Adam. ”Joe lowered the wooden box to the floor.

“What do you have there in that big box? Is it for me?” Elizabeth asked as she came down the stairs. She assumed it was and was delighted.

“Elizabeth Miriam Cartwright! Is that how you say hello?” Kate corrected.

”Hello Auntie Meg and Uncle Joe. Is that a gift for me?” Elizabeth smiled sweetly assuming she had done the polite thing.

“Pa said to remind you that he expecting you and Sam and the princesses out to the Ponderosa for Sunday dinner. Emily, Philip, Reverend Felcher, Robert O’Mara, everyone is coming. Meg is making chocolate cake and we will all act very polite and well mannered for Emily’s benefit.”

”Good idea. Let her see how nicely we live here are in Virginia City,” Adam agreed as he looked at the crate with a smile. He had been waiting for this shipment.

“We will have a lovely elegant Sunday dinner, just like back east. And where are you going to be, Little Joe?” Kate teased.

“Sitting at the table with manure on my boots and my hat still on my head, eating mashed potatoes with my dirty hands and chewing with my mouth open like the wild untamed cowboy I am. I’ll comb my hair with the fork and pick my teeth.” Joe teased her back.

“Uncle Joe! That is so rude!” Elizabeth shook her head.

“And I’ll scratch my…” Joe started and realized his niece was listening and quickly changed what he was going to say. ”I’ll scratch my ears.”

“ Maybe Cochise will join us at the table for dessert and coffee.” Kate suggested. “Cochise does love coffee.”

“That is, if your father lets you back in the house, Joseph.” Meg jumped in to the silliness.

“Otherwise I eat in the sty with the other pigs like I usually do on Sundays.” Joe winked laughing at how ridiculous they were acting. Sam laughed and winked back at his uncle.

“Oink oink!” Sam laughed and made a face like a pig. “Uncle Joe eating with pigs!”

“Wonder where we can find a piano here in Virginia City for Emily?” Meg asked.

”Phil said she loves to play the piano,” Kate added. “It would take months to have a piano shipped from back east or even hauled over the mountains from San Francisco.”

Adam and Joe caught each other’s eyes and for an instant the two brothers had the same idea. “You thinking what I am thinking, Little Brother? There might just be one available right here in Virginia City. Some place might be going out of business and selling a piano from upstairs.”

His brother winked and nodded. “You thinking what I am thinking, Big Brother? Phil playing the piano? He used to play really well.”

“Mighty well,” Adam’s dark eyes twinkled.

“Philip plays the piano? I never knew that,” Kate was surprised having known Phil Bartlett most of her life.

“Sure, he played so well that he would get paid for it.” Joe snickered. “And he didn’t have to duck bullets or bottles tossed at his head too often.”

“Or ladies garters.” Adam added.

“Or ladies.” He and Adam automatically started to hum the melody of the infamous obscene mermaid song that Phil had written when he was a boy. Adam put his arm around his brother’s shoulder and harmonized on the chorus.

“Guess Pa would know about the where abouts of that piano, now wouldn’t he?” Adam said laughing loudly.

“Bet he would,” Joe agreed with a devilish grin. “Phil would surely love that particular piano.”

“As long as Emily didn’t know where the piano came from. ”Both brothers shared a laugh as their wives looked confused as to what they were discussing with such humor.

”I would do anything to make Emily happy and stay here. Phil so wants to stay in Virginia City and I certainly need his help running the Enterprise.” Meg couldn’t imagine what Ben Cartwright knew about pianos but she trusted her husband to deal with that.

“Uncle Joe, is that box for me? Is it a present?” Elizabeth asked again pulling on his sleeve. She was impatient to find out.

“No Princess. It is addressed to King Adam Cartwright, the Lord of the manor. It was at the freight depot when we met Emily and Robert. Thought I would save your Papa the trip.”

Adam pried open the packing crate with the metal bar that Sam handed him. Shifting aside the straw, he lifted out the white marble bust. “What do you think? Hippocrates.”

“Hip who?” Joe asked.

“Hippocrates.”

“Who hip?” Joe laughed.

“Hip hip hooray?” Sam told him with a giggle. The boy loved to joke with his uncle and it drove Adam to distraction. Years earlier Adam had made the rule that Joe was forbidden to sit next to his son in church because they laughed so much.

“Hippocrates,” Adam shouted. “HIPPOCRATES!!”

”We heard you Adam, no need to yell,” Joe and Sam laughed again. Sam mirrored Joe’s best innocent look.

“No need to yell, Pa,” the boy laughed hiding his face in Joe’s back.

“Beautiful!” Kate admired the sculpture that her husband found when he traveled to the San Francisco office of Stoddard and Bruce a month earlier. “It is a perfect gift! So elegant. Paul Martin will love it.”

“This is Hippocrates, an ancient Greek doctor. He is called the Father of Medicine.” Adam explained as he held the piece up for every one to see. “Perfect gift for our finest Virginia City physician.”

“You know he kind of looks like Uncle Joe around the eyes.” Sam observed.

Meg laughed, “Just a little, Uncle Joe is much, much more handsome. And he has a nicer smile.”

“And I kiss better too!” Joe leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on his wife’s cheek. “Who would want to kiss a dead Greek?” Kate asked.
”His dead wife?” Meg laughed and kissed Joe back.

“Mrs. Hippocrates?” Sam suggested playfully.

“Mrs. Hip Hop Hooray,” Joe countered.

“Papa it’s a head!” Elizabeth asked. “Is the rest of the man in the crate?”

“No, Elizabeth it is just a statue of the head.”

”He had no body?” she asked her eyes wide.

Sam giggled at his little sister’s foolish remark.” Just a head. Just a head!”

“Just a very smart head,” Joe teased the little girl as he looked at the life like rendition. “No body. Just a head and he was really smart. Hip-hoopcrates, the smart head. He would roll around and tell all those sick Greeks how to get well with just his smart head. And it was a mighty hard head too. Just like our Cartwright heads,” With his left hand, Joe tapped on the white marble and on Sammy’s skull, then Adam’s and then on his own. With his right hand he rapped noisily on the wooden crate so that he created the illusion that the knocking noise came from the Cartwright skulls.

”Really Uncle Joe?” Elizabeth asked. She ran her finger over the marble face as her father held it near her. She smoothed her index finger over the nose and lips of the man’s face and tapped her little hand on the head.

“Little Joe, don’t be so ridiculous. She believes everything you tell her,” Kate laughed.

“No Elizabeth. Hippocrates had a regular body. Uncle Joe is being a silly fool.” Adam cautioned. He gave his brother a warning look as Meg and Kate laughed at his antics. “Don’t encourage him.”

Kate assured her daughter. “Uncle Joe is being very foolish.”

“And very silly,” Meg added fighting back a laugh.

“Very hip, hop, hoopy,” Sam added.

Joe bowed deeply at the waist “Yes, Princess. I am Uncle Joe, the silly court jester.”

Elizabeth giggled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “It’s a spooky head, Papa put it away.”

Adam gently placed the marble bust back into the packing crate until Doc Martin’s birthday party. Kate picked the scattered stray bits of straw off the polished foyer floor.

“Adam, are you sure this is a good gift for Doc Martin? Don’t you think he would like something else? Maybe a new saddle or bottle of brandy or a rifle?” Joe suggested. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want a marble head when there were so many other more appealing items.

”Who is going to get this gift, Little Brother? You? You would love a bottle of brandy or a rifle. It’s Doctor Martin’s birthday. Paul will love this piece of art.”

Joe wrinkled his nose and shook his head and put the wooden lid back on the packing crate. “Guess it is better than that ugly fruit picture in your dining room.”

“I think it is very lovely.” Meg smiled. “Paul will love it. I can see it in his office right on top of that walnut book case he has near the windows.”

”Thank you Meg. You have excellent taste!” Adam smiled triumphantly. . He nodded at Joe to take the heavy packing crate as he opened the doorway to the cellar.

“That is why she married me! Meg has excellent taste.” Joe bragged as he headed for the cellar stairs.

“It should be a very nice party. Levi Victor is having everyone you can think of in town and some of Paul’s doctor friends from Carson City and Denver and even St. Louis.” Kate told Meg.

“I am going to play a piece on the guitar for the entertainment. And at Founder’s day too.” Sam proudly told his aunt and uncle. “Did Pa tell you?”

“Just that you were helping Doc straighten up his office.” Meg answered.

”I’m really good at that. He has lots of medical things and papers and books and all sort of things that he needed me to organize. I do that for Mama too, at the Enterprise.” Sam said proudly. “I put all the medicine flasks and jars away for him alphabetically.”

”Did you?” Meg asked. “ That is a big job, Sam. Doc hasn’t fixed up that place in years.”

“Decades,” Joe added as he stood holding the crate. He shifted it so he was holding most of the weight with his left hand.

“Cousin Will built him some shelves and cabinets and did some carpentry for him.” Sam explained. “It looks nice and new.”

“William owed Doctor Martin on some medical bills for when he came back home from Boston with us. He wouldn’t let Pa or me or Joe pay them.” Adam explained to Meg. “He was too stubborn to accept our money.”

”I certainly can’t imagine there being any stubborn Cartwrights, Adam.” Meg observed with a twinkle in her eye.

“There are no hardheaded or stubborn Cartwrights, none what so ever,” Kate agreed.

“I fixed up those shelves very neatly. Doc Martin had cans of ether mixed with the bandages and the spring tonic and the laudanum and the liniment and a big jar of bullets he took out of people.” Sam described.

“A jar of bullets?” Meg asked.

Sam nodded, “ A big jar. And I put all the files in alphabetical order. He had them stacked up in a big mess.”

Joe headed down the cellar stairs “I told you the boy was just like Adam. Bet he puts his underwear away alphabetically.” He shouted over his shoulder.

 

Chapter 9

 

“Are you sure you can manage with Eric, Sammy? If you can take him with you I can finish all these errands.” Joe Cartwright sat at the kitchen table in his brother’s house. He had begged a cup of coffee from the housekeeper and let Eric play with his cousins while he tried to sort through a stack of papers. Sam had just arrived from school.

”Sure Uncle Joe. Eric will be just fine. “

Joe rubbed his chin and shuffled all the papers on the table. He licked the tip of his pencil stub and pushed his hat back on his head. Joe really hated doing this paper work but it had to be done by the end of the afternoon or the Bonners would walk away from the cattle sale.

“Meg is much better at this stuff than I am but she was still sleeping when we rode out this morning and I hated to wake her up,” Joe sighed, “I hate this paper work and keeping it track. Your Pa is good at this too. I asked about you Doc…Will you be fine with Eric? You have to watch him really well.”

“Sure, I take care of Elizabeth and Jessica and Eric together all the time. All three of them at once.” Sam nodded and buttoned Eric’s coat. “Eric all alone is easy. We are going to go visit Trudy and see the new puppies where she works.” Joe didn’t even pay mind to the fact that Trudy Magee was working for the Fischers and Sam was headed up to their house.

Eric smiled and patted his uncle’s leg. “Puppies, Joe, Trudy has new puppies,”

Sam barked and growled like a dog and Eric barked back imitating the older boy. “Woof!”

Joe laughed and looked back down at the list of figures he had to compute. Eric was playing like a regular boy for once.

“He sure does love dogs,” Sam said as his uncle tried to add the column numbers on the bank deposit slip.

“Uh huh, “Joe agreed with out looking up. “Walk him around a lot so he will be good and tired and hungry for dinner. I’ll see you both at the hotel dining room at five.”

Joe arrived a few minutes after five. Ben was already seated with Will and Adam at their regular table and had ordered a round of drinks. “Got a good price on our cattle from the Bonners, Pa. $35 a head. And they want some more. They are driving them over to the mine camps and making a good profit too.”

Ben smiled “Leave it to the Bonners to come up with a plan like that.”

“If they could strap a barrel of rot gut on the back of each steer and sell that to the miners they would do that too.” Will suggested. “A traveling saloon on the hoof.”

“They just haven’t thought of it yet,” Adam laughed.

“Where are the boys? “ Joe looked around at the two empty seats. “Sam was going up to see some new puppies with Eric.”

“I didn’t know the Victors had new pups,” Ben said as he scanned the menu.

“The pups are at the Fischer’s,” Adam said “Sam was walking up the hill to the new Fischer house. Brunhilda and Bruno had a litter.”

“Fischer’s?” Joe frowned. He hated the idea of the boys visiting Jack’s house but knew his comments would just stir up Adam’s ire. Adam could never understand why Joe could never leave old grudges behind and Joe could never get his brother to believe that it was Jack Fischer that kept the pot boiling. Jack was the one who continually needled Joe and made some sort of disagreement, usually claiming Joe was paying inappropriate attention to Melissa.

“Where is my little Eric?” Mary the waitress asked as she brought over the Cattleman’s directory for him to sit upon. “I got him a soft pillow too,” she put a small, worn feather pillow on top of the thick book.

“Thanks, “ Joe nodded. “He and Sam should be here any minute.”
“They are advising the Bonners on transporting rotgut to the mine camps.” Will joked lighting up a cigar.

Sam and Eric walked into the dining room. . Even from thirty feet away, the men could see that Sam had been in a fight. His shirt was torn and his face dirty and bruised.

“Joe! Joe! Joe! “Eric called excitedly from the other side of the room. Joe was in a black mood. He was angry with the Fischers, he was angry with his brother and he was angry that he was running around like an errand boy when he had ranch work to tend to and was neglecting his wife and Eric.

He was holding his cousin’s hand tightly in his small one as they walked up to the Cartwrights. “Ben-Pa !”

“What happened to you, son?” Adam stood up. He put his hands on either side of the boys face and examined Sammy. “Who gave you that black eye?

Eric climbed into Joe’s lap and wrapped himself around his uncle. He hid he face in Joe’s broad shoulder. “Are you all right?” Joe asked Eric. The boy nodded.

“Who gave you a black eye?” Adam repeated.

“No one gave it to me Pa; I had to earn it,” Sam smiled proudly. He proceeded to describe how Stanley John Fischer had made a disparaging remark about Eric. Sam had defended his cousin and told him to take it back.

“What did he say?” Joe’s glared. He kissed the top of Eric’s head. Then he lifted him onto the battered pillow on his own chair.

“He said Eric was … was…a ” Sam didn’t want to repeat the hurtful words so he spelled.” D-u-m-m-y. He claimed his dogs were smarter. So I said he shouldn’t say that…”

“And?” Adam asked.

“He shoved me and I hit him and he hit me back,” Sam said. “Trudy told him to quit and I hit him so hard he fell over the dog and Bruno bit his…” He looked at his father “Can I say a cuss? Bit his ass?”

“Good for the dog!” Will cheered. Ben tried to look serious but couldn’t help laughing at the image his oldest grandson was painting. “The dog bit Stanley John?”

“Yes, sir. Right on his… seat.”

“Hope the poor hound didn’t get poisoned by taking a bite out of a stinking Fischer.” Joe said as he tied the white linen napkin around Eric’s neck. He dunked his own napkin in the water and wiped some of the dirt off the little boy’s hands.

“Woof!” said Eric as he took a doglike bite out of the biscuit Joe handed him.

“Go easy little doggie. Bite that Fischer’s a…” Joe started and caught himself. Eric often repeated words with no predictability and Meg had cautioned her husband on more than one occasion to watch what he said to Eric. “Eat your biscuit, doggie.”

“Woof!” Eric repeated.

“Then he said bad stuff about all the Cartwrights, that we were a bad family full of misfits and bad breeding and imposters.” Adam started examining the boy’s swollen eye.

“A bad family?” Ben asked raising his eyebrows.

“He should look at the Fischer family tree if he is looking for a disgusting family,” Joe growled.

“Tell him that.” Will suggested indignantly.

“Uh huh, “Sam tried to nod as Adam held his face and looked at the eye.

“Quite a shiner, son. “ Adam said proudly. “You know you shouldn’t be fighting.”

“Except with a Fischer,” Joe muttered as he buttered a second biscuit for Eric.”

“You should see Stanley John, Pa. He has a shiner and a bloody nose and a bit..”

“Biscuit?” Eric suggested reaching his hand toward the one his uncle was buttering.

“Trudy hit him too!” Sam said. “Pow! With her purse. Stanley didn’t know what hit him.”

“A girl after my own heart,” said Adam with a smile. “Reminds me of your mother.” He smoothed his son’s shirt and looked over his shoulder to see which direction the washroom was. “Let’s go get you cleaned up, Doc.” He put his hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“Wait, you didn’t hear the end of the story!” Sam said pulling out of his father’s grip. He waved both hands up to get the men to be quiet. He wanted to tell the others the rest of the story with their full attention. They all for silent for a beat and Sam continued dramatically. “Then Eric got his licks in too! He was defending the Cartwright family honor too, Grandpa.”

“Eric?” Ben looked at the little boy beside him contentedly gnawing on his second biscuit. His round cheeks were already covered with crumbs and he had a smear of butter on his button nose. “What did Eric do?”

“He bit Stanley’s leg after Bruno let go of him.”

“Woof!” Eric smiled “Woof!” He squirmed on the pillow and Joe slid him back upright. The little boy finished his biscuit and started poking his fingers through a worn seam in the pillow and discovered the soft feathers inside.

“Then Stanley stood up and said that all the Cartwrights are despicable and insane and should be locked up!” Sam grinned. “He went into the house crying like a little girl! But Trudy went in after him to clean him up and we came here.”

“Maybe she followed him inside to beat some sense into him,” Will said hopefully.

“Don’t think so. I saw her kiss him the other time when Casey and I went to visit her. She really likes him.” Sam reported. “He likes her too. She just likes Eric a whole lot too and won’t let anyone say bad about us.”

“Trudy kissed Stanley John? No telling tastes,” Ben shook his head. He hated to think that Trudy Magee was getting involved with the Fischers in any way. Her father worked on the Ponderosa for decades and the Cartwrights felt very protective of the girl.

“Better Trudy should beat Stanley John over the head with her purse again,” Will decided. Joe nodded in agreement as he noticed Eric pulling some of the feathers from the pillow. The child tossed one white plume into the air and watched attentively as it floated above the dinner table.

“And if Stanley gives you a hard time about the Cartwright family ever again,” Ben started angrily, “ you just tell him one thing….” He was going to tell his grandson some platitude about being respectful and the honor of the Cartwrights and not solving problems with his fists if there was any other way to do things. “Tell that boy…”

“Marabou feathers!” said a feminine voice from behind the row of potted palms. Ben’s jaw dropped at the sound of an unexpectedly familiar voice.

“Marabou feathers.” Adam grinned and laughed over his shoulder pushing Sam out to the lobby wash room.

“Marabou feathers?” Sam repeated

“Marabou Feathers” Joe and Will laughed in unison. Eric tossed another pillow feather up in the air and blew on it to keep it floating above the bread basket.

“Marabou Feathers,” Miss Barbara repeated as she stood up behind the screen of plants.

“Woof!” Eric smiled.

 

Chapter 10

 

“I’ll write the letters and you mail them from here. Wait about a week after I leave.” Stanley told Trudy.

She smiled and held his hand,” Are you sure it will work?”

”Why wouldn’t it? The headmaster will send me home on the next train. What school would forbid a boy from going home to take care of his poor widowed mother?” Stanley John smiled.

”And how will you explain your coming home to your parents? You can’t tell them that you want to be home because we love each other?”

”Why not? I love you Trudy!” Stanley John smiled bravely. His eye still. hurt from the punches Sammy Cartwright had dealt him.

“I love you too!” she smiled. He was the nicest boy she ever knew. She had explained how wrong he was about teasing Eric and fighting with Sam.

Stanley realized how wrong he was and promised not only to apologize but also to never do it again. She realized that no one had ever shown Stanley how to behave. It was just like the stories her mother told her about taming her father. Shorty had been mean and wild until her mother showed him how to be dependable and kind.

“It will work, don’t worry. My parents will believe what I write to them. I will even have one of my friends write as if they are the head master.” Stanley decided. “I need to be here with you.”

“They will send you back and fire me.” Trudy frowned. “You know they won’t understand how we feel about each other,”

”I will figure it out. Don’t worry,” Stanley gently patted her hand affectionately. She smiled and gave him a gentle kiss on his unbruised cheek.

 

Chapter 11

 

Adam Cartwright realized that he had to finish work for the day if he was going to go to Doctor Martin’s party that evening with his family. He and Joe were at loggerheads. They still had to review the details with Jack Fischer and finish off the lumber contract. Adam planned to have a serious talk to his father over Sunday dinner regarding the problems developing in the Ponderosa business with Fischer mines.

Joe was in a black mood. He was angry with the Fischers, he hollered that he was angry with his brother and he was angry that he was running around like an errand boy when he had ranch work to tend to and was neglecting his wife and Eric.

Joe did not want to do any more business with someone like Jack, someone who continually gave him and his family a hard time. Adam insisted that there may have been no reason to be friends with Jack but business was business and Fischer Mining gave both Stoddard and Bruce and the Ponderosa close to a million dollars in business each year.

”Joe, “Adam had argued. “They have always paid their bills on time and come back the next year with a bigger order. Fischer even runs big ads in the Enterprise. Sure the Fischers have always been unpleasant and boorish and womanizers.”

”You are being polite, Adam. Old man Fischer died wearing some kind of feather thing in the back room of a sporting house.”

“They support charities only to salve their consciences but at least the church got a new bell and brand new hymnals and the miners widows and orphans fund is well endowed. You don’t have to invite Jack out to the Ponderosa for dinner or play poker with him but I can’t see any reason not to take his very green money. Be practical Joe.”

The brothers had argued for close an hour that afternoon, with Joe shouting and Adam shouting louder. Then, without saying good bye Joseph stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind him

Adam watched from his office window as his brother jumped on Cochise and galloped off back to the Ponderosa.

 

Chapter 12

 

Meg Cartwright stood silently in the doorway of their bedroom and watched her husband get dressed. He was so lost in his own thoughts and the he didn’t seem to be aware of her standing watching him. Joe was silhouetted against the widows as the late afternoon sun shined into the dim room. The sheer curtains billowed from the breeze gusting in through the open window.

His hair was still damp from his bath and as it dried, it curled up in the warm evening air. His chest and shoulders were well muscled from a lifetime of heavy work around the ranch and there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. The summer had been unusually hot and this evening was no exception. Joe had often he’d stripped off his shirt, while working in the blazing sun and face and body were brown from the sun. . The faded scar from the old shotgun wound marked Joe’s side but Meg thought he was the most perfect and handsome man in the entire world.

“Joe, Honey,” Meg called softly as she held up his freshly ironed, crisply starched white shirt. He looked up at her, startled that she was there. He smiled warmly when he saw her and took his shirt from her.

“Do we really have to go Meg?” He sighed as he slid his arm into a sleeve. He didn’t button any of the buttons, hoping she would give in to his cajoling and he could quickly take off the shirt and change into something more comfortable. He had even left a clean chambray shirt on the bedpost just in case he succeeded in convincing her. Joe had come back to the Ponderosa spitting fire from his afternoon fighting with his brother in Virginia City. He tried to calm himself down by tending to Cochise himself even though one of the hands would have done it. As hungry as he was for dinner, Joe needed to collect himself before he went into the house and lost his temper with someone else.

Joe was so caught up in the craziness with the Fischers that he had totally forgotten that they were going back to Virginia City for the evening for Doc Martin’s grand birthday party. When he came into the house expecting dinner, Meg reminded him that he had to clean up and change his clothes.
”We promised Kate and Adam that we would come to the party. Your father already left with Eric.”

“But I’m tired and starving. Can’t I just have something to eat first?” Joe pleaded. “I had a really bad day.”

”We are having dinner at the party.” Meg answered.

”Please! I’m starving!” Joe implored.

“I’ll make you a sandwich to eat in the surrey on the way. I told Casey to hitch up the team while you get ready. Now go take a bath and get dressed,” she insisted. She would not take no for an answer. “Shave too!”

Meg stood in their bedroom and watched as Joe finished dressing.

“And I suppose you’ll insist on my wearing this stiff collar and a tie and a coat too all evening?” He pleaded like a child. “I worked so hard today. And it is hot,” He shook the open front of the shirt as if he was letting a breeze in.
She nodded. “Stop complaining, Joe. It is not often you take me out for a fancy evening and had some fun. And it is a party for Doctor Martin. Goodness, he was there when you were born. Doesn’t he always say that you were one of the first babies he delivered when he came to Virginia City?

Joe nodded and fiddled with the button on his shirt. Meg noticed he was unusually silent. She expected him to have said some silly remark about being the best looking baby Doc had ever delivered or the patient that had to be patched up the most in Virginia City. He did look weary but that was no reason to miss a party in Paul Martin’s honor. Joe had always enjoyed a party and dancing.

“I really, really do want to go Joe. We haven’t gone out in such a very long time,” Meg pleaded. “Not for months. We haven’t really gone out for a fancy evening in so long before. And how can we not go and honor Paul?”

Joe knew she was completely right but he was in no mood to put on his good suit and a starched shirt and be calm and polite to everyone on a hot night. Joe smiled walking a few steps over to his wife. “ You look awfully pretty. Maybe we should just stay home, alone together and have fun. Just you and me, Meggie.”

He smoothed his hand over her slender bare arm. He forgot how beautiful his wife was all dressed up. He kissed her neck. She was wearing the flowery perfume he loved. Meg playfully pushed him away. “Later,” she smiled “Later, Joe, when we get back home.”

She was right; it had been a very long time since they had been out on the town. But it had also been a very long time since they had the entire house all to themselves.

”No, we can be alone when we get back home. I think you can easily convince your father to spend the night at Adam’s with Eric and come home after church tomorrow.” Meg smiled putting her hand on Joe’s bare chest. “I really do want to go out tonight. I’m all dressed and waiting,” She did look exceptionally pretty wearing a ruffled lavender silk dress that showed of her smooth neck and shoulders. Joe was always partial to ruffles and lavender. Her thick honey blonde hair was pinned up on top of her head. Meg was wearing the pearls that her husband had given her as a birthday gift.

“But Eric…” Joe started.

”Eric will be just fine with Jessica and Elizabeth. Your father brought him over already. Shorty’s daughter Trudy will be there to help too. I really do want to go to this party, Joe.” Meg smiled seductively. Joe melted at her glance. She didn’t often ask him for anything and he never refused when she did.

“You do look so pretty Meggie.” He wrapped his arms around his wife and her into his bare chest. “Whatever you want to do, but can’t we just get home early? You know you drive me wild, Meggie.”

She leaned against him and nodded, “A fancy night out and an early return to the Ponderosa. “

“Very early, right after the cake.” Joe wheedled.

“Right after Adam presents him with the bust of Hippocrates.”

“Please, Meg.” He gently pulled a tendril of her hair from the upswept hairdo and stared directly into his wife’s bright blue eyes.

“It’s going to be a wonderful party, Joe. Dancing, music. Everyone in town will be there.”

“Really early. I don’t want to be so tired that fall asleep driving the rig back from Virginia City. “ Joe hoped that maybe the image of riding off the dark road would convince his wife to cut the evening short.

“Joseph Francis Cartwright. The horses can find their own way back home if you put a burlap sack over their heads and you know I can drive a team, Joe… you know that. And my poor tired handsome husband, you can sleep in the surrey on the way home, if you are so, so tired. Then I will wake you up.” Meg rubbed her finger over his lips.

“Wake me up?” He smiled widely at the image. “That is tempting.” He stared into her eyes.

“Sleep all the way back home and I will wake you up,“ she whispered.

“Just like Sleeping Beauty, except this time the handsome prince will be awakened with a kiss by the beauty,” Joe winked.

“Oh don’t be so sappy and full of yourself Prince,” Meg laughed and turned to walk out of the room. Joe loved the sound her crinolines made as she swooshed out the door almost as much as he enjoyed watching her swirl down the hall.

“That’s me, Joe Cartwright, Prince of the Ponderosa!” He shouted after her as he tried to finish tying his tie. He couldn’t quite get the ends even. Joe was quickly becoming annoyed and pulled it off and started again.

She glanced back at him over her shoulder and saw her husband beginning to foolishly loose his temper over his tie. She retraced her steps back to his side. “Do you need a hand, Prince?” She stepped close to him and straightened his collar and kissed his cheek.

He sheepishly handed Meg the tie and stood frozen with his chin pointed at the ceiling while she finished tying it for him.

“What would I do with out you Meg?” Joe smiled. It took just an instant for her to sooth his ruffled feathers and calm him down.

”Just shrivel up and die from loneliness or explode like a stick of dynamite? ” She pulled on his hand playfully and led him down the hall. “Our carriage awaits Prince of the Ponderosa!”

 

Chapter 13

 

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis O’Mara

Boston, Massachusetts
August 10, 1874

Dear Mother and Father,

I am writing to inform you that I am extending indefinitely my stay here with Aunt Emily and Uncle Philip in Virginia City. I have decided not to return to Boston and go to college right now or ever. There is nothing that will change my mind.

If you won’t permit me to work for Uncle Sean at the Golden Shamrock, as I have always wanted, then I might as well stay right here in Nevada. There is nothing you can say or do that will make me return to Boston and do what you want me to do.

There is no need for you to even send me any money for my living expenses as Aunt Emily has said I am welcome to stay with them. Even if you won’t permit her to do that, I shall earn my own way and find my own lodgings.

I plan to seek employment have been at the newspaper office assisting Philip or I can even work with Adam at your office here in town. William Cartwright also said he could offer me wages doing carpentry. I am also trying to convince Joe Cartwright and Mr. Cartwright that I would like to try working at the Ponderosa but Joe said I have to learn to ride a horse much better. I am trying hard.

I can even work in one of the mines if you some how make all these people refuse to hire me.

In other words, I am not coming back.

There is also a business that I am interested in purchasing here in Virginia City. The owner is retiring and I know I am well suited to the operation of this type of concern.

I know you both want me to go to college like my brothers, however this is not what I chose to do.

Your devoted son,

Robert O’Mara

 

Chapter 14

 

Virginia City

Late August 1874

Sam Cartwright and Casey Newkirk walked into the busy barbershop. The owner had broken his arm when his capacity for beer didn’t match his intake and he fell down the stairs leaving the Altamont saloon. The remaining barber was hard pressed to keep up with the busy crowd of men and boys looking to spruce up on a Saturday night. Many had come in from cattle drives or were miners with wages burning holes in their pockets.

“So, do you think she would go to the dance with me? I really like her an awful lot.” Casey Newkirk asked Sam Cartwright. The two friends sat on battered wooden chairs in the crowded barbershop waiting their turn squashed between a dirty, unshaven miner and a husky, light haired cowboy around Casey’s age.

“I don’t know, Casey. She is really older than you are.” Sam said gently. He knew Casey was smitten and the lady had no romantic interest in him.

”Trudy is awful nice and pretty. I like her an awful lot.” Casey sighed. ”Do you think she is too old for me?”

“I like her too. So does Eric. So do my grandfather and most people in town. Everyone likes Trudy Magee. She is really nice and pretty but way older than you and she is looking to get a husband. She looks at you like a friend, maybe a younger brother, not a husband. What did she say when you asked her to go to the dance that time?” Sam asked his best friend.

”She said no. No thank you, Casey. She said that I was sweet to ask.” Casey looked at his boots. “Think I should ask her again? Maybe she will change her mind.”

“What do you think?” Sam really didn’t want to come out and push his pal’s nose in it.

“Trudy said I was sweet?” He smiled hopefully. Casey didn’t have a mean bone in his body and really didn’t mind being called sweet.

Many old and young ladies had told Sam that he was sweet. He preferred being told he was irresistible or romantic or handsome. Occasionally Sam toyed with aspirations of being called a “rogue”. When Sam was small he heard a pretty girl call his Uncle Joe a handsome rogue and that sounded like a pretty good aspiration. It was much better than being sweet. “She tells my little sister she is sweet. I think she likes Stanley John Fischer and he likes her too. They were sitting together in church last week. You are not going to win her over so find another girl.” Sam said decisively sounding like Adam Cartwright giving advice to his own son.

“How about Jacqueline Lassiter. You can marry her sister and then we can be brothers?” Casey smiled at his friend.

“Brothers- in- law. The Lassiter girls sure are mighty pretty,” Sam blushed thinking of how much he liked Mary Fran Lassiter.

Casey took off his hat and scratched his shaggy blonde head. “Think we should go to the other barber shop? “

“The one across from the Enterprise? They probably are just as busy. Besides did you see how that barber cut Robert O’Mara’s hair? He looks even worse than my Uncle Joe when Elizabeth cut that chunk out of his hair. He had to keep his hat on for the last two weeks.”

The husky light haired cowboy chuckled next to them “Guess you fellas got to wait for the crowd here.”

Casey nodded. “Guess so. You new in town?”

”Yup. I came from Stockton. Just passing through. I helped the marshal bring in some horses and a guy that stole ‘em. Sheriff Foster is booking the thief now.”

”Really? A horse thief? What’s your name? “ Sam eagerly hoped to get more of the story. If he wrote it up, he could get his mother to put it in the Enterprise. She had already let him write up some obituaries and many of the town counsel meetings and the news about the new volunteer fire company.

“Johnny Sylvester,” the newcomer shook hands with the other two.

“I’m Casey Newkirk and this is my friend Sam. You from Stockton?”

”Not really, I lived all over. Been on my own since I was twelve. “

”Twelve?” Sam was surprised. “That’s awful hard to be on your own at twelve.”

”Yeah.” Johnny said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Didn’t have much choice. I managed.”

” Where were you from before that?”

”Gee, all over. Santa Fe, Denver, Phoenix. I was born in San Francisco.”

”Me too!” Sam smiled. “I was born in San Francisco too but I want to go back east to college in a few years. Like my father.”

Casey looked at his friend. He had never heard Sammy come right out and say what his future plans were but he was not surprised. Sam was a very good student and his father was on the school board. “Not me, I’m gonna stay right where I am. Maybe someday, I can be the foreman on the ranch like my father. I want to work for Joe. Just like my Pa worked for Mr. Ben.”

“You were born in San Francisco?” Johnny looked at Sammy. The younger boy nodded.

Three more men squeezed into the barbershop. One of them was picking his teeth with the end of a burned match. The other two looked to be miners coming off their shift.

“But my mom was from here and we moved back to Virginia City when I was six. She runs the Enterprise. And my father’s family is all here too.”
”My mother was from here too. She hated this town. She said it was full of rotten, evil people. Mean rotten people who should burn in hell.” Johnny’s eyes narrowed and his face twisted with venom. “She said that every day of her life until the day she died.”

”Really?” Casey said. His lake blue eyes grew wide with amazement. He had never seen someone’s expression change so fast from a smile to burning anger.

Sam was silent for an instant and swallowed hard. He had seen someone flash anger in an instant like that, Al Striker. “Why would your mother say that? There are all sorts of people here. Just like any town. Nice ones, bad ones. Mostly nice ones.”

” Sure, there are plenty of nice folks here abouts. What about your father? Was he from here?” Casey asked in his usual friendly fashion.

Johnny nodded.

“My father is a ranch foreman and I work there too. Maybe someday I’ll be the foreman too. We work for Sammy’s grandfather.” Casey chattered on. “If you are looking for work, Mr. Ben needs a few hands. We are moving the herd to winter pasture soon.”

“Where is your father now?” Sam asked.

”My father? I never met him. He wanted no part of my mother and no part of me neither. Never did. Ma wouldn’t even tell me his name. She said he didn’t want no part of us so we shouldn’t even want anything from him. Not even his name.“ Johnny answered tersely. His cold gray eyes were on the barber finishing up on his customer. The barber offered the customer a choice of bay rum or lilac water.

”She said there is all bad people in Virginia City. Like Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible. All except some brothers who once helped her out when she was in a bad way. They took care of her and gave her some money to start over in Frisco. There was three of them. She said all but them three brothers was gonna burn in the fires of hell.”

“They were the only nice ones in the whole town?” Casey couldn’t imagine someone being that furious an entire town and all the people in Virginia City.

Johnny snapped. “Think my Ma would lie?” He tilted his head and looked at Casey and Sam threateningly. The newcomer rose halfway out of his seat. Sam slid a bit closer to Casey. The blonde haired cowboy put his hand protectively on Sammy’s shoulder. Casey always watched out for Sam since they were small boys.

”Hey Johnny, we ain’t saying nothing about your Mama.” Casey smiled his friendliest smile and put his hand gently on the other boy’s arm. Johnny flinched as if Casey had threatened him.

”No, that is not what we said,” Sam tried to take the conversation in a different direction. He sure wasn’t looking for a fight in the crowded barbershop. “ Who were these nice brothers?” Despite Johnny’s threatening demeanor, Sam was intrigued with the story. Instead of a one-column news story about a horse thief, maybe there was even more of a story here.

“She never told me their names. Just that there were three brothers who helped her out and let her stay on their ranch outside of town. Big ranch she said. Real big. And she said one of the brothers was a real big fella, real big like a grizzly bear. Those brothers took care of her when she was ailing.”

Casey raised his eyebrows in amazement. “That sounds just like your Pa and your uncles, Sammy. They was three brothers and Hoss was real big. Bigger than most of the men here abouts.”

”Maybe. The Ponderosa sure is a real big ranch, too.” Sam agreed. A couple of cowboys opened the door of the shop, noticed the crowd and crossed the street to the Silver Dollar instead.

”It’s the biggest ranch in these parts. Sam just won’t brag about the Ponderosa. Your Pa and Joe and Hoss were always nice to people and help people out when they have troubles. Mr. Ben also.”

Sam smiled proudly. “I suppose it could have been them. Grandpa always says we have to help out people when they have troubles.”

“Maybe it was them, maybe. She said the rest of this town should burn in hell. Especially my father.”

”What was your mother’s name? “ Sam asked thinking that he would ask his father at dinner if he knew the woman.

“Sheila Sylvester. My mother’s name was Sheila Sylvester. She’s dead.”

”Next!” The barber hollered swiping off his chair with a white towel.

“That’s me!” Johnny Sylvester jumped up. He immediately had a friendly smile on his face as he walked over to get his blonde hair cut.

“Strange, scary guy,” Sam said softly.

“So you think Trudy is going to the dance with Stanley or I should ask her again?” as usual, Casey was oblivious to half of what was going on around him.