Summary: Part eleven of The Cherry Tree Saga
Word Count: 7250
The Cherry Tree Saga
Part 11
Chapter 1
By the second or third trip out to Elm Grove the relationship between Hoss and the widow Massey had become much more personal and intimate. He could not believe his remarkable good fortune every time he woke up and saw her sleeping next to him. He would sit up in bed, propped on one elbow, and watch Andrea sleep, her coppery hair fanned out on the satin pillowcase.
Each trip became longer and longer and he ran out of excuses to tell the family why he was so interested in traveling to Elm Grove. At one point he almost told Joe. They were putting up their horses in the barn many months after that first trip.
“Joe, did you ever want to marry a gal?”
”Sure but the next morning when I took a good look at her in the day light, I changed my mind.” Joe laughed.
Hoss turned red and Joe realized that his brother was not just making idle conversation or asking about when Joe was going final settle down. His brother had something about himself on his mind. “Sure Hoss, you know that but somehow it never quite worked out for me. Maybe someday, it will.”
Just at the moment, as Hoss was about to say something about finding Andrea Lowell, one of the hands came in to the barn to clean out the stalls and Hoss got cold feet.
The very last time he visited Andrea; they were sitting on the front porch watching the sun go down behind the hills. Hoss was comfortably sitting on a wide wooden porch swing with Andrea close beside him. He was trying to think of the words to say what was in his heart but could not quite figure it out. It could wait until later or tomorrow, he thought contentedly as he stroked her hair.
Andrea turned and looked deeply into his blue eyes “Hoss, there is something I need to talk to you about. About my life and what happened to me in the past.”
Hoss looked at her troubled face. At some level he was completely aware that many things must have happened to her between their school days, her marrying old Otis and Hoss finding her again, but he didn’t really want to know them. Nor did Hoss ever want make her upset by asking.
He had finally recognized why so many of the art works in the Massey home looked familiar to him when he remembered the trip he and his brothers had made to the Palace in San Francisco. Hoss was sure he did not want to know more than he already knew. Andrea loved him and he was in love with her. He was happier with her than he had ever been in his life. “Andrea, no need to tell me anything. Our life together started when I brought those horses up here that time. That’s enough for me to know.”
“No Hoss, you have to know this. It’s about Little Joe and why we left Virginia City.”
”Little Joe?” Hoss could not figure what his baby brother had to do with any of this. “What about Joe?” Hoss asked taking her hand in his.
“Remember when you first came here, I asked about your brothers?”
Hoss nodded. Andrea had asked how his family was and seemed surprised each time he said anything about two brothers.
“I thought he might be dead.”
”Dead? Joe is just fine. Why would you think he is dead, Andrea?”
She looked down at her smooth white hands.” I just imagined he might be… the last time I saw him he was so badly hurt.”
Hoss looked at her not at all understanding what she was talking about. She sighed.
“Hoss I need to tell you this, even if you don’t want to know any more about me, I need to tell you this part.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “This part you need to know. The last time I saw Little Joe was the night my mother shot Ramsey Lowell.”
Hoss opened his mouth but no words came out.
“My mother shot Ramsey with the shot gun Danny brought home with him from the Ponderosa. It was a fancy one that he still carries to this day. “
”A fancy shot gun? A gun he got from the Ponderosa?” Hoss drew in a breath. Daniel had stolen Pa’s birthday rifle.
After all these years, he found out what had become of the ornate shot gun the boys had purchased for Ben Cartwright’s birthday years before. Now he knew who took the gun that was hidden in the tack room.
“Danny stole the shot gun and brought it home. He had some sort of idea that he was going to defend us. He thought he could use the gun to protect my ma and Puddin’ and me. But Uncle Ramsey found it and took it away from him. He put it in the stock room of the store and gave Daniel a whipping.”
She looked right at Hoss.
“Then he had his way with all of us.”
Hoss shivered thinking of the horror that must have been going on in that house behind the hardware store. “Andrea, why didn’t you tell anyone Sheriff Coffee or my pa… or me.”
”Mama told us not to air our dirty linen. She was worried that Uncle would take all of what Papa had left us and she would not be able to feed us. Or that Ramsey would even take custody of us. She was very scared, Hoss. She had always depended on my father to take care of everything and she didn’t know what to do.’
Hoss nodded but he could not understand the situation that Mrs. Lowell was in at all. His father would never have let anyone harm his children, or any other children for that matter.’
“Why didn’t you tell my Pa? He told you to come to him anytime…I remember he did at your Pa’s funeral?” he put his arms around her.
“I know he did. He even came around the store a few times to check up on things. Adam did too but Mama …she was too scared or proud or foolish. I don’t know what. I finally got Danny to go tell your Pa and get us some help but for some reason he got scared and stole that shot gun instead. He was only a little boy, Hoss.”
“Then what happened, Andrea? What does this have to do with Little Joe?”
”They looked so alike, Danny and Little Joe.”
Hoss nodded. “They sure did, same hair and coloring and all.”
”Mama saw Ramsey beating a boy in the schoolhouse, it was your brother but Mama thought it was Daniel.”
Hoss started realizing what must have happened and his stomach turned. “The time, Joe got so bad hurt? I was out with the hands on the round up and Joe got beat up real bad. Adam tended to him all alone until Pa got back. “ Hoss remembered that it was along stretch until Joe was recovered and back on his feet from what Ramsey Lowell had done to the boy.
Andrea continued almost as if she didn’t hear a word Hoss had said and just needed to finish her story. ”Mama saw Ramsey beating Joe and thought he was beating her own son. She went back into the storeroom and got the shotgun. She killed him to protect Danny… but it was Little Joe. She came home and told me that she had killed my uncle. And when I ran across and saw,” she stopped suddenly.
Hoss looked at her sitting so calmly telling the story as if she was telling about someone else who no longer existed. Or someone in a book. “You don’t have to tell me more.”
”No Hoss, I need to let you hear the whole thing. “
He pressed his lips in a straight line.
“I saw, she had killed my uncle and I was happy he was dead. Joe was lying in the rain. I think he had hit his head falling down the stairs or something. And I put him on his horse and sent him home. Hoss, I should have brought him to Doc Martin. I’m so sorry.’
“He’s fine Andrea. He is just fine. What happened next?”
”Cy saw it all and he told us we better get out of town or they would hang Mama, and maybe even me for killing Ramsey and maybe we would get accused of killing Little Joe Cartwright. It was storming bad that night, the whole week.”
”Cy? Who is Cy?”
”Remember the redheaded freight driver? Cy, he used to hang around the store. He was always trying to flirt with me, Hoss. He drove us all out of Virginia City that night in the freight wagon and brought us up to Carson City.”
Hoss was silent. Now he knew what had happened so long before. But it still didn’t matter enough to change what he felt for this woman. He wanted to marry her more than ever. He just felt terribly sad for all that pain that she had to endure and no one ever knew.
“Ramsey deserved what he got.” Gentle Hoss was surprised to hear his own voice say such a thing. The man was pure evil and he deserved every thing he got, maybe even more. “What happened to your Ma and Puddin’?”
”They’re gone, Hoss. They both died from the fever that first winter. Ma never spoke after that night and it was up to me and Daniel to provide what ever we could.” Her voice got low. “Cy said no one would want me but him. No good man would want me.”
Hoss took both of his hands in hers, “I’m a good man, Andrea and I want you.”
She looked at Hoss and smiled.
“You should have written to us. We would have taken care of you at the Ponderosa. I would have come and got you. I would have come to get you anywhere you were.”
”We couldn’t Hoss, Cy told us that we would hang for Ramsey’s death and by the time I realized it was all a lie, it was too late to go back. Much too late.”
Chapter 2
Joe Cartwright stepped up to the bar in the empty Silver Dollar. It was a blazing hot day and he had just spent the last hour loading the wagon in front of the Mercantile with Hays Newkirk and the Ponderosa foreman’s twelve-year-old son Casey.
“We’ll see you back at the Ponderosa, Joe.” Casey waved as they set off back to the ranch.
He still had kill a few hours until the next stage arrived and he could get the shipment of some manuscripts from the San Francisco that were arriving for Kate. Phil Bartlett was sending her some of his friend John Muir’s latest writings and hoped that Kate would edit some of chapters of his newest book and use his commentaries in the Enterprise. Adam agreed with some of Muir’s ideas but felt he was sometimes too extreme with his beliefs. He was concerned about Kate printing something that might start another Cherry Creek controversy like the one that killed her Uncle Foster Wallace years earlier. She insisted firmly that Adam should mind his own business and he insisted just as firmly that she should just proceed cautiously in something that could endanger her. There was no way she was going to let her husband or anyone else dictate editorial policy in the Enterprise.
Later Joe planned to have dinner with his father and Adam at the International Hotel and to carry the crate with him. The oppressive heat had gone on for over a week and everyone in Virginia City was worn out by it.
By the time Joe had finished, with the wagon, it was a little past three o’clock in the afternoon. He strolled over to the Silver Dollar for a beer and to see if some of his friends were around. It was still too early for the night crowd and Joe found himself to be one of the few patrons in the saloon other than the bartender.
“Where is everyone, Cosmo?” Joe asked accepting his mug of beer.
“Been this quiet all day, Joe. It’ll pick up soon though. The early shift miners usually get here soon and then it will be nonstop for me!” Joe took his beer over to the side of the bar. Joe pushed his hat to the back of his head and leaned on the bar.
He took the first icy sip of his beer and then slowly took a second.
He had the disconcerting experience of seeing his own reflection doubled in the mirror behind the bar. For an instant, Joe thought he saw his own face reflected twice, once in his true reflection: a handsome man in a tan shirt, his hat pushed back on his curly brown hair drinking a beer at the bar. The other image was a curly haired man in a blue checked shirt sitting alone on the other side of the saloon drinking whiskey at a table. The two men made eye contact in the mirror.
As Joe nursed his single beer the saloon started to fill up. A noisy crowd of dusty hands from the Bar H walked in and took over the tables in the rear for a rowdy poker game and the early shift of miners started filing in. The bar girls in glittery finery started to emerge from their upstairs quarters like tawdry butterflies emerging from a cocoon. Before he ordered his second beer Joe realized an hour and a half had passed and he could head over to the stage depot. Joe tossed some coins on the bar for Cosmo and was about to head out when the bar keep called him over to the end of the bar.
“Gee Joe, did you see that feller in here before? If I didn’t know better I would have thought he was you. He looked more like your brother than your own brothers do.”
His comment had a vaguely familiar ring to Joe. “Looked more like your brother than your brothers do.” When had he last heard that comment?
”Did you talk to him?”
”When he first came in. Yeah, just like I said, for a minute I thought he was you. The fella said he used to live here abouts when he was a kid and came into town with some business associates to do some business at the bank.”
”Catch his name?”
”Think he said it was Davy… No, Denny or Danny. It got busy just about then and he moved over to that table in the back.” Cosmo pointed to a round table near the battered upright piano. No one was seated there anymore. Cosmo shrugged his beefy shoulders. “Guess he left. Said he would be back next week.”
Joe nodded “Maybe I’ll run into him another time.”
“Maybe. And he asked about the Enterprise too.”
”The Enterprise?”
”Yeah, said his business associate was looking to talk to the editor about something.”
”Must want to run an ad or something “
”That’s what I figured so I told him Kate Cartwright is the owner and his friend should talk to her.”
Joe went to the depot for Kate’s delivery and then to meet up with Adam and his father for dinner at the International Hotel. In the year that Adam and Kate had been married, this had almost become a routine. Whichever of the Cartwright men were available on Tuesday night, met up for dinner in the hotel. Sometimes, Adam even brought Sam along. The men usually tried to sort out the next weeks work schedule and catch up on things before Adam went home to his wife and the rest of the family rode out to the Ponderosa.
The men often met on a night when Kate was putting the latest edition of the Enterprise to bed. She would take Sam with her and he would put the used type back in place for her and sweep the floor at the end of the night. Adam was very proud of how industrious the boy was becoming.
“Adam, do you have those contracts for Fisher ready? I want to get the men started on the cutting if it is all done.” Ben asked.
Adam nodded. “I finished them this afternoon. I’m set to meet with Jack tomorrow afternoon.”
“Tell him I send his sweet mom my best.” Joe teased remembering how Mrs. Fischer was insulted when Joe had defended Kate against her gossip. Ben shook his head. Joe never forgave her insults against his sister-in-law even when Kate had laughed it off.
“You know how Hoss used to hate those rides to Elm Grove? Heck he’d rather do just about anything than be in that dirty one horse town. Yet he just jumped at the chance last night didn’t he? – I say it’s more than business that takes him back to that back water.” Joe added as he put down his fork. “Its been going on since last year when he brought that cattle up to Otis Massey’s widow.”
“Otis died?” Adam asked. He took a bite of his steak.
“Sure, it must have been just before you got married. I guess your mind was on other things when it happened.” Joe winked at his father and Ben chuckled.
“So maybe he is helping the old lady out with the ranch. You know how kindhearted Hoss is with old folks. “ Adam hypothesized.
Ben stared into the last remains of his coffee – but said nothing. He smiled as he had his suspicions but was not about to say anything to his other boys. Hoss was always looking for reasons to travel up in that area and when ever he came back he walked around smiling for days. Then he would cook up another reason to head up that way. It had been going on for quite a while.
“Why don’t you ask your brother when he comes back? He should be back from Elm Grove by Thursday night. Joe, I need you to go up to the mill and check on the work there. You can leave tomorrow and be back in a day or so.”
“Sounds fine to me. I won’t mind going up and getting away from this heat. And don’t forget, Big Brother that Sammy is coming out to the Ponderosa on Friday night. And make sure he packs enough drawers this time or we may have to borrow some of Hoss’s for him.” Joe remarked. He pushed his plate back and wiped his mouth on his napkin.
“Semper Ubi, sub ubi” Adam recited in Latin.
“Ok Professor what does that mean?” Joe challenged leaning back and staring at Adam.
“Always wear underwear.”
Ben and Joe laughed. “Just send him out with his bag and we’ll be fine. I didn’t raise up the three of you not to know what to do with one little boy.”
“I’m meeting Hoss in town on Friday and we can straighten out the deposits and paper work he brings back from Elm Grove and I’ll send Sam home with him. Thanks for taking him. Kate and I really appreciate it.”
Ben smiled. He knew what it was like to be a newly wed with little boys running under foot and try to find time alone with his wife. “We love having him around, son. We’ll bring him home for Sunday dinner.”
“And Joe, remember what Kate said about teaching him to play poker.”
“Yes sir, Adam sir. We wouldn’t want Kate to be mad at me. Any way that kid always wins, Adam. Last time he wanted me to bet Cochise against that box of dominos you gave him.”
For an instant Adam believed his brother and then he realized that Joe was just teasing him.” And you backed out? I’m surprised Joe, I thought you loved dominos.”
Chapter 3
Friday
In the street, the heat of the day had just about reached its peak as the Cartwrights walked out of the Mercantile into the street. Few people were out on the street. Most had taken shelter from the glaring sun inside. The sun burned white-hot overhead in a totally cloudless blue sky.
Sam was carrying a small white paper that had been twisted into a cone and filled with lemon drops, peppermints and rock candy. He thoughtfully selected one and passed the paper to large man standing next to him.
“Thanks Papa,” He said smiling broadly at Adam.
Adam returned his grin and said “My pleasure, son.” Sam had only recently been able feel comfortable calling him “Pa” rather than Adam as he had since he married Kate. He was totally enjoying the feeling that it gave him. The little family had settled into a comfortable routine, living for the time being in Mim’s old house while Adam drew up detailed plans for it’s expansion in the fall.
“What kind do you want Uncle?” Sam said turning to Hoss. “Lemon, peppermint or this red stuff?”
Or one of each?” Hoss grinned.
“You bought ‘em. Have as many as you want.” Sam grinned widely. His candy filled cheeks were puffed round like a squirrel.
“Sure is hot,” Hoss said. He took off his white hat and fanned himself with it for minute. “Glad we are almost done with all these chores.”
“Joe sure is the lucky one going to the mill. Bet it’s much cooler up by the lake.” Adam decided.
The air itself was warm to breathe, and the reflected sunlight coming up off Main Street was dazzling as it shimmered off the hot dry dirt. Sweat broke instantly from their skins, and they all put their hats on against the glare.
“What’s left Uncle Hoss?” Sam asked looking up at him as the big man checked the list he was holding in his hand.
“Don’t forget it is pay day, Sam.” Adam reminded him. He drew a roll of bills out of his pocket. “Working men get wages on the Ponderosa. It’s time you started.”
Sam’s face lit up.” Really! I get money?
”Well, son, “ Adam rubbed his jaw. “I was about your age when Grandpa Ben started me on salary. Did you finish all those chores for your Ma everyday?”
Sam nodded.
“And Joe said you did a fine job helping with those fence lines. And your ma said you swept up at the Enterprise office for Phil.”
”And don’t forget, he takes care of the chickens too, Adam” Hoss added. “ Just subtract that dozen eggs he dropped that day he decided to learn how to juggle.” Hoss laughed.
“How would this be for the first month?” He pulled a dollar bill out and handed it to the wide-eyed boy. “Now remember, you need to save half of it, and put some in the collection plate. But the rest is yours.”
Sam grinned proudly and nodded still looking at the dollar clutched in his sticky hand.
”Now don’t spend it all in one place.” His father warned, patting him on his head.
“And don’t let Uncle Joe scam you out of it playing poker tonight. You know your Ma doesn’t want you gambling at cards.”
“No sir. I won’t.” Sam had never been prouder of himself before. He was now on the payroll just like all the other Cartwright men.
“Hoss, what’s left on the list,” Adam returned to errands. His throat was getting dry.
“Just the feed store bill, the bank and a cold drink, Little Buddy.” Hoss patted his nephew on his head. “Wanna go with me or go with your Pa to settle up at the feed store.”
”The bank… It’s cooler in there.”
”Ok,” Adam agreed. “We’ll meet down at the Eagle Cafe for a nice cool drink.” He took his black hat off and wiped his forehead. He suddenly felt the sheaf of papers in his shirt pocket.
“Dang, Hoss, I still need to go up see. Jack. Fischer about those lumber contracts for the mine.” Adam remembered pulling the envelop of papers from his damp shirt. Some how Jack Fischer would only discuss business with Adam or his father. He always avoided dealings with Hoss or Little Joe, something Adam could never understand as he had grown up with his younger brothers.
“Could you get that stuff that Kate left for the seamstress at Lily’s? She’ll have my head if I don’t bring it home for her.”
”Wouldn’t want that to happen. “ He winked at his brother thinking how Kate could rage when pushed to her limits by his forgetfulness. “Why don’t we meet in an hour? It should take you that long walking up the hill to Fischer’s office and wait for him to read all those papers and then get back.”
“See you then!” Adam stood on the boardwalk watching his son and his brother walk away. The boy was excitedly discussing his plans for his regular Friday night visit with Hoss and Ben on the ranch. “Could we play checker’s after dinner Uncle Hoss?”
”Any thing you want Doc.”
“Uncle Joe is going to play with me too!”
”Don’t beat him too bad, you know how angry that hombre can get when he looses. Don’t want him sulking all weekend. ” Hoss teased. Sam giggled and put his hand in his uncle’s.
Adam smiled as he watched them walk away thinking of the evening alone he would enjoy with his wife while their son enjoyed his over night with his grandfather and uncles. Since they had married last year Sam was a welcome weekend guest at the Ponderosa every few weeks. And Adam and Kate enjoyed a little privacy and time alone.
Just as Adam rounded the corner of A Street he ran right into Jack Fisher walking out of the barbershop. He was freshly shaved. Five feet away Adam could smell the lilac water that Jack had been doused with by the barber.
”Adam Cartwright, just who I was hoping to see!” The two men shook hands.
“Jack, you saved me a trip to the other side of town. I have these papers for you to examine. “ Adam pulled the bedraggled envelope out of his pocket.
“Think this heat will break?” Fischer wiped his neck with a white linen handkerchief. “What do you say we go across the street and get a cold one and look at the paper work?”
“Adam grinned. Adam’s throat was parched and a cold beer sounded like an excellent choice. “Fine with me. I’ll buy.”
They walked through the swinging doors of the Silver Dollar and into the cool darkness. The two men walked across the saloon to a quiet corner and Adam spread the papers across the table.
“What can I do for you fellows?” the bar maid asked.
“Two nice cold beers,” Adam ordered. He leaned back in the heavy wooden chair and watched as Jack read through the contracts. By the time the beers came to the table, Jack had quickly perused all the pages and pronounced himself satisfied.
“That was pretty fast, Fischer,” Adam pronounced taking a long swallow of his icy beer.
“It’s too hot to be working too hard. I’m sure everything is fine Adam. The Ponderosa has been supplying our lumber for years with no problems. No need to worry. All we need is the signatures and I’ll send those out to you after the weekend. “ Fischer pulled out his ornate gold pocket watch and checked the time. “Look, I have time for one more beer and then I have to meet my lady friend.”
Adam shook his head. Fisher was married and had a couple of kids and had the nerve to tell him about his lady friends. No wonder Hoss and Joe had little use for him. Jack always believed in flirting with trouble.
Adam took another sip of his beer looking at him over the rim of the mug.
All of a sudden there was a flurry of excitement down by the bank. The bank door flew open and slammed back against the wall. The etched glass panel shattered in an explosion of pointed shards.
Five men tumbled out of the doorway. Their hats were pulled well down over their eyes, and their neckerchiefs covered up their faces. Two of them held canvas bank bags in their hands. One of them fired off his gun, aiming back into the bank. The retort was loud in the street.
Deputy Dean Newkirk shouted and came pounding back up the boardwalk his gun drawn. The men rushed for the horses tied at the rail. Morgan Chase, manager of the bank, stumbled to the door, clutching at his belly. Blood poured out between his fingers.
Chase hollered, “Stop them! They robbed the bank! They’ve robbed the bank! Stop them!” Chase collapsed in a heap on the ground.
The red head tossed the canvas bag over his saddle and swung onto his horse, and took off down street.
”Lets get out of here Boys!” shouted the dark man in the gray vest.
The Carson City Gang set off at a thundering gallop down the street, their pistols blazing. The third, the red shirted man on the bay, swung his mount round again in a tight circle. He aimed his gun at a passer by and shot, hitting the bystander in the back. The few people out on the street scrambled for cover.
Deputy Newkirk pegged a shot at the man and he fell in a heap and was trampled by the hooves of the bay.
The rest rode out of town in a cloud of yellow dust.
The whole thing, from beginning to end, was over in just a few minutes.
Chapter 4
Ben Cartwright cringed inwardly as he remembered Bill Felcher riding the lathered horse up to the ranch house door, frantically calling for him. Ben could remember the clutch of fear that had gripped him as the young man had gasped out the message sent from Virginia City that Hoss had been shot in a bank robbery.
“Doc said come quick Mr. Cartwright. It doesn’t look good.” He stammered. Bill’s mind shuddered at the vision of Hoss lying bloody and wounded at Doctor Martin’s office.
One of the hands quickly saddled Buck and gave Bill a fresh horse. Ben galloped into Virginia City at a break neck speed that even Joe could not have matched on Cochise.
Ben pulled up in front of Doc Martin’s office first, his horse snorting and tossing his head. Billy Felcher joined him soon after, coming to a slower stop. They had sent Bill out to the Ponderosa to get Ben Cartwright and tell him what had happened to his son at the bank. Then Bill had to ride all the way back with Ben to Virginia City.
Roy Coffee stood there waiting for him. Something was obviously wrong, Ben could tell by the ashen appearance of his face
“Where are my sons? Where’s Hoss and Sam, Roy.” Ben shouted as he leaped off Buck.
“I’m sorry Ben.” Roy started putting his hand out helplessly “Hoss is dead.”
“Dead?” Ben stood dumbfounded. “He can’t be dead.” Roy nodded.
The retired sheriff repeated softly “I’m so sorry, Ben.”
“And Adam and Sammy Where are they?”
“They’re fine Ben. Sam is shook up real bad. Ben, but there ain’t a scratch on him. Katie is in there with him now, cleaning him up. Adam wasn’t even at the bank. He was at the Silver Dollar when it happened …and Sam… Sam said Hoss pushed him down when the shooting started and got shot protecting him.”
Roy led the men inside where Doctor Martin was sitting waiting for them. He stood up and put his arm around Cartwright and led him to a chair.
“Ben, I’ m so sorry.”
“Paul, I need to know what happened to my son.” Ben tearfully asked.
“He lost an awful lot of blood Ben, I couldn’t repair the damage, and I did everything I could.“ Doctor Martin put his hand on Ben’s arm gently guiding him to a chair. “Hoss was gone when we got him here.”
Paul Martin stopped now and looked at Ben. The doctor would have given ten years off his own life to be able to save Hoss Cartwright. He had to be honest but he desperately wanted to tell his friend that his son would recover, but that was impossible. The bank robbers had shot him dead in cold blood along with Morgan Chase and the young teller.
”Thank God Sam is ok.” Paul offered. It wasn’t enough. Concern for his oldest friend overrode his own sorrow at the loss of one of Ben Cartwright’s sons.”I’m so sorry, Ben.”
Ben nodded. Tears streamed down his face.
“Clem already rode out with a posse, Ben.” Doc said.
Ben didn’t hear a word Paul Martin said to him. His heart was beating madly in his chest. Hoss was dead, that was all that he could think about. His son was dead.
“Can I see him now?” he asked with a sense of despair. “Paul, I need to see Hoss”
“Certainly, “ Doc Martin looked at Ben wishing there was something more he could do for the man.
Ben said “Take me to my son, Roy.”
Roy nodded.” The boys took him down to Kotkin’s Ben. Bill, go get Adam down at the undertakers and tell him his Pa is here. I’ll go over there with you.“ Roy put his arm around his friend and walked diagonally across the street to the undertaker where Adam waited for his father to arrive.
They walked across the dusty street. The heat had dissipated after the sun had gone down and a cool breeze was blowing in from the mountains in the north. Adam was waiting on Kotkin’s shadowy porch. Reverend Felcher and Bill were standing beside him. Adam wrapped his arms around his father and the two men embraced tearfully.
“I’m sorry Pa.” They sat talking to each other for a few minutes in the shadows while the other men moved away to give them a bit of privacy, Roy stood irresolutely on the porch step for a moment; he really didn’t like leaving them alone like this but he knew they needed their privacy.
A few minutes later Roy walked over to the father and son.
“We’ve gotta go get a casket, let people know what happened, plan a funeral.” Roy paused, not quite knowing whether to continue. “I sent some men out to find Little Joe.”
He drew a breath and repeated for a second time ““ Clem’s got a posse out looking for those guys and we’ll find them. Have you decided about the funeral yet?” Roy asked the two men.
Ben looked surprised at the question. The events last hours still hadn’t quite registered in his mind.
“Yeah, I guess we have. “Adam said quietly. “ He’s going to be laid out tomorrow and we’ll bury him late the next day. It will give the men time to find Joe and time to get him here for sure.”
“We’ll bury him, “ Ben’s voice caught, “we’ll bury him up on the hill near Marie.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see you tomorrow. You know most of Virginia City will be there by later on in afternoon, don’t you? They’ll be wanting to pay their respects to Hoss and see that you all are gonna make it. Just remember, they mean well, even if you’d like to be more alone than they’ll let you over the next few days.”
Adam nodded. Ben’s shoulders sagged and his head dropped onto his chest. Roy Coffee looked at the men before him with sympathy. “If there’s anything I can do…?”
“No, nothing. Thank you but we’d really rather be alone right now.”
“Adam, I’ll be in touch about…about…the posse and all” He handed Ben a gun belt and a white hat.” Here is Hoss’s things, Ben.” Ben clutched his son’s property woodenly.
“Adam, you take care of you father now.” Roy said. “Kate has Sammy in the wagon waiting for you to go home. Don’t keep them too long. She and Nancy cleaned him up the best they could but that little boy is in a bad way. He is pretty shook up. Doc Martin gave him something to make him sleep but Kate could sure use your help, Adam.”
“Thanks Roy, “Adam said shaking his hand.
He and Roy lead Ben out of the funeral parlor and helped him into the buckboard. and started the long journey back to the ranch. The town was strangely quiet and everything had an unreal air to it.
“You shouldn’t have to bury your own child, “Roy Coffee thought as he watched his friends ride away.” It ain’t natural.”
Chapter 5
Within the hour, the Sam was asleep in his Grand father’s big bed. Kate sat silently in a chair beside him watching him sleep. Occasionally he would whimper in his sleep and she would sit down on the edge of the bed and rub his back until he fell back to a restless sleep.
Kate heard a clatter of hooves down in the yard. Looking from the window she saw Joe arrive on Cochise. The men must have found him up at the mill and brought him home.
The night had just begun for the rest of them. While Adam went outside to tell the rest of the hands what had happened. Ben and Joe moved silently upstairs and got Hoss’s blue suit to bring back to the funeral parlor back in town. Ben was grim faced and silent and Joe was afraid to leave his side for a minute.
“I can’t believe it Joe.” Ben said. “ I just can’t believe it.” Tears streamed down his face.
Joe choked on his words. He shook his head. “God, I wish this day were over with.”
Chapter 6
dam brought Sam into the great room from upstairs. Uncle Joe was out in the barn doing chores and his Grandfather was sitting alone outside on the porch. Kate was finally getting a little sleep in the downstairs bedroom where she and Adam slept when they stayed on the Ponderosa. Sam felt sad and confused and wasn’t quite sure what was happening.
He saw the sheriff standing waiting for them in the living room. To Sam, Clem was an imposing figure standing beside the fireplace. For a short moment, the boy was reminded of his father, Al Striker and an intense feeling of fear enveloped him. Sam started to shiver, but his father drew him close and whispered a word of encouragement in his ear. “It’ll be all right, son; I’m here.”
The boy reached out to Adam and clutched his big hand. As close as his mother was to Aunt Nancy, Clem was a more distant and serious figure in Sammy’s life. He was the sheriff of Virginia City.
The youngster snuggled against his father’s arm, casting anxious glances between the faces of Adam and the Sheriff. “Doc, the sheriff needs to ask you a few questions,” Adam explained, “and I want you to answer them as accurately as you can.”
Little Sam nodded, then pressed his face to his father’s side. Adam stroked the boy’s curly hair soothingly. “Sam, you need to give the sheriff as much information as you can. Don’t be afraid. No one will ever hurt you. Never.”
Nibbling his lower lip, Sam nodded and looked up, fearful, but trusting. He knew Adam and his mother would never let Al Striker hurt him, nor would Uncle Joe or his grandfather allow it either.
Seeming to sense his stepson’s distress, Adam softly laid an arm across Sam’s shoulder and gently led him to the settee. Adam sat down and lifted Sam onto the seat beside him. Trembling with the memory of the previous day’s violence, Sam’s response was to lean into Adam’s white dress shirt as if drawing strength from the man who was now his father and protector. It was sufficient answer for Adam to know he was doing the right thing. The sheriff needed to get a description of what had happened in the bank and Sam was the only witness left alive.
The sheriff pulled the large, red leather chair around until it was facing the two at the boy’s eye level.
“Son,” Clem began quietly, “I know this is difficult, but I’ve got to know what happened yesterday.”
Sam looked at Adam who nodded.
”Ok, I can tell you.” He swallowed hard.
Slowly and painfully, the boy told what had happened, how they left Adam at the entrance of the Mercantile and walked down the street to the bank, how his Uncle had let him carry the envelope with all the papers in it, how the blinds were drawn on the bank windows but the door wasn’t locked. The boy had inherited his Aunt Mim’s journalistic eye for details and left nothing out.
He described walking into the holdup and seeing the five men, how he saw one shoot the manager and turn and see him and Hoss and the words they used. “They cussed bad when we came inside,” Sam said to his father and Clem.
The boy told the sheriff how Hoss had pushed him down and threw his body over him to protect him and how his he felt his Uncle die on top of him. The boy wiped his damp hands on his navy blue Sunday trousers.
“Sam, can you give me a description of the men?”
”The one who hit the teller had red hair and was freckly…like orange hair. And there was one who was real big with a red shirt and a vest. And a brown hat too. Like as tall as you are, Mr. Foster. The other one, he was kind of fat, like a big round stomach more than fat all over.” Sam paused for a minute. His eyes lost their focus as he tried to remember the rest.
He looked down at his bare feet. “Could I stop now Pa?”
“You’re doing fine, son” Adam said gently trying to encourage him to remember the rest.
“The one who was in the back by the desks, the one with a rifle, a shotgun, not a pistol. He sort of looked like Uncle Joe. He was about the same size and had brown hair like he has…but his face was different. He had a mean ratty face not Uncle Joe’s face. “
“Ok, you told us about four of them. You said there were five men. What about the last one” Clem asked him.
Sam was visibly trembling and hid his face in Adam’s chest. Adam pulled him close and rubbed his shoulder. “Just a little more, buddy. It will be a big help. I know this is really hard.”
”The other man was Al Striker, “ the boy whispered hoarsely. The last guy was Al”
”You mean the he looked like Al. Like the man looked like Joe but wasn’t Joe?” Clem probed.
“No, Sir,” said Sam turning to look directly at Clem. He stared the Sheriff straight in the eye. “It was my father Al who shot Uncle Hoss.”
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