On the day that Hoss brought Sally Nelson from Taylor's Landing to the Ponderosa, they stopped briefly in Virginia City to make arrangements with a dressmaker before heading to the ranch. While held in the oppressive captivity of Josiah Bolton, Sally had to learn to live with almost nothing. Bolton had sold all of what he considered to be the no longer necessary possessions of her family. All that remained for her personally, besides her everyday dress and a tattered nightgown, were a family Bible, her father's pocket watch, and a small hand mirror that her mother had somehow managed to keep intact on the rough trip west. She only had the watch and mirror because she hid them in her straw mattress when Bolton searched her room. After that horrid time ended, Hoss purchased a new dress and nightgown for her before they left Taylor's Landing, but he knew that Sally was going to need more clothing for herself and items for the baby very soon.
Hoss met Sally Nelson under the most bizarre and dangerous of circumstances. Having stopped to fish on his return from a business trip to Placerville, he was bitten by a rattler. Hoss managed to ride a short distance to what appeared to be an abandoned farmstead and collapsed. Miraculously the poison did not kill him, however, when he awoke from his venom-induced stupor, he found himself shackled to a bed and being cared for by an obviously pregnant, pretty blonde girl in her late teens.
For Sally, too, Hoss' arrival at her family's farm had been equally miraculous. Her family had died from cholera; so the eighteen year-old was forced to hire herself out as a servant. Josiah Bolton first appeared to be her savior, but he soon became to her and to many other unfortunate souls an oppressor after he discovered a vein of gold in a cave on the farm. Hoss had unwittingly come into the situation looking for shelter. Despite some very tense and harrowing moments, Hoss and Sally, and the rest of the Cartwright family were able to defeat the evil Bolton. As if the frightening memories of the ordeal were not a sufficient price to pay, she was unfortunately carrying Bolton's child. Six months pregnant with no extended family within thousands of miles, Sally was in desperate need of help. The Cartwright family pledged to care for her until an appropriate solution for her situation could be determined.
Heads turned and tongues began to wag immediately upon Hoss and Sally's arrival in Virginia City. Naturally attentive and caring, Hoss carefully helped her down from the buggy, however, his actions only served to validate the speculations of the town gossips who took no time in drawing their own conclusions as to how this young woman had arrived in her current condition. Tom Harmon and his buddies were about to head into the saloon when they noticed Hoss and Sally. Harmon had been let go by the Cartwrights a few months earlier for being a trouble-maker. He spat on the ground at the sight of his former boss's big son and the young woman he had by the elbow. The disgruntled cowboy was going to have plenty to harangue about once he got a few beers under his belt.
The focused attention of the people on the street did not go unnoticed by Ben, Adam, and Joe as they tied up their horses across the street from the dressmaker's shop. Adam and Joe headed to the Silver Dollar for a drink while Ben went to look up Roy Coffee and fill in the sheriff on what had transpired over the past few days.
Harmon had already downed one beer and was working on a second by the time Adam and Joe requested their drinks. The scruffy cowpoke sneered at the Cartwright brothers and started running his mouth. "Well now boys, look who just showed up, them high and mighty Cartwrights. Guess they ain't so happy with that big galoot of a brother now that he's knocked up a little girl!" Harmon leered at Adam and Joe.
Adam grabbed Joe by the collar and held him back when the feisty youngest Cartwright slammed his beer mug down with a thud, ready to have a go at Harmon.
Harmon continued to push. "Yeah, you just come on over here, LITTLE Joe, that is if you think you're MAN enough!"
Joe turned to glare at his brother. Yanking himself free from Adam's grip, Joe gulped his beer and stormed out of the saloon to howls of laughter from Harmon and his buddies. Adam took a leisurely draw on his beer and flipped the payment for the drinks onto the bar. Tom Harmon's face grew slack as Adam strode toward him with cool confidence. All eyes turned toward the bar and a hush fell over the saloon in expectation of trouble.
Adam leaned in close to Tom Harmon's face and hissed. "Harmon, your mouth is what got you kicked off the Ponderosa. Keep it up and you might just get yourself hurt." He held his steely gaze until Harmon could stand it no more and relented, jerking his head back toward his beer. Smacking his hand on the bar, Adam called out to the bartender, "Thanks for the beer, Cosmo," and he strolled out as if nothing had happened.
Harmon turned to watch the swinging doors come to a stop and swore under his breath. "Damn Cartwrights!" He picked up his beer and downed it in one big gulp before pulling a coin from his pocket and slapping it on the bar. "Barkeep, give me another beer!"
Outside Joe was pacing back and forth along the boardwalk. He was ready to give Adam a piece of his mind when his oldest brother sauntered through the swinging doors. "What took you so long? And where do you get off pulling a stunt like that with me?"
"Just trying to keep you from getting beaten to a pulp or worse! That's all, little brother!" Adam's last words flew back over his shoulder as he headed toward the buggy parked across the street.
Still fuming, Joe trotted to catch up. "So you just walked away from that loud mouth, Harmon and let him make you look yellow?"
"Not hardly. If you'd ever learn to keep a cool head, you might have heard what I said to him, but since you didn't, I'll just leave you wondering." Adam smirked knowing this was going to drive his brother crazy.
Meanwhile inside Clara Norton's dress shop, Hoss and Sally had to endure the serious scrutiny of some of the local women while the proprietress finished with a customer. Hoss felt very uncomfortable in a place with all women, but his hackles came up when there was an obvious snub by Harriet Fletcher.
He was thankful when Clara's cheerful, booming voice came his direction. "Well, Hoss Cartwright! This is a special day. Not sure I've ever seen you in my shop before."
"No ma'am"
"And just who is this pretty young lady?" Clara would have loved to ask a lot of questions, but had the good grace not to pry with a number of nosey ladies present.
"Miss Clara, this is Sally Nelson. She's gonna need some clothes and I thought mebbe you could help her out." There was a bit of pleading in his voice.
"I'd be happy to Sally." Clara could sense both the girl's and Hoss' discomfort at having an audience listening and lowered her voice a bit. "Let me just gather up a few things for you and put them in a box."
The dressmaker disappeared into the back of her shop for a few minutes and returned with a dress box tied up with string. The relief on Hoss' face was plain to Clara when she handed the package to him.
Clara kept her voice low. "Hoss, would you be able to bring Sally back the day after tomorrow about ten?"
He gave her a grateful smile knowing that he was going to be able to leave soon. "Sure thing, Miz Clara. That'll work fine. Thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome. I think these will hold you over until then." Clara patted the box. "Nice to meet you, Sally. See you Thursday."
Sally nodded. "Yes ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."
Hoss wasted no time ushering Sally out the door. He was a little surprised to see his father and brothers closing quickly as he helped Sally up into the buggy. He paused to place the box in the back before posing a question.
"Thought y'all woulda headed home before now. Somethin' come up?"
Ben's weary smile told Hoss what he already knew, but it was Adam who spoke. "Just thought we'd keep the trip home a family affair. Ready?"
Not wanting to hurt Sally's feelings, Hoss whispered, "Yeah, more 'an ready."
At the Ponderosa, Hoss helped Sally get settled in the guest room. The young women had never been in such a fine house before. She was relieved to be in a safe place and no longer living in fear moment by moment. Still, Sally was not completely at ease in her new environment with a house full of men, albeit polite and caring men, but still men. Being the oldest child in her family, Sally had learned much about being a mother and raising a family. Yet it brought her little comfort with such an uncertain future ahead of her. There had not been much time in the days after Josiah Bolton's demise to thoroughly discuss a permanent living arrangement for her and the baby. Ben, and especially Hoss, had not wanted to push her to make that decision too quickly after her ordeal. However, Ben was acutely aware that Sally was going to need the guidance of a good woman over the next months and possibly years. Consequently, Ben worked to keep the dinner conversation light for Sally's first meal at the Ponderosa. He gave Hoss the raised eyebrows and a slight nod when during a lull Sally began to look uncomfortable.
"Sally, ya look like ya might be a little tired. Are ya ready ta turn in?", Hoss asked gently.
"Yes, I think I will." She turned then to Ben. "Thank you for the tasty meal. Hop Sing is a really good cook."
"You're welcome. I hope you are able to get a good night's rest." Ben reached out to pat her hand.
Thinking that a book almost always helped him to work out the tensions of the day, Adam made an offer. "Would you like something to read? I have books of poetry and some classics that you are welcome to borrow. There is also a hodge-podge of books on the shelf beside the hearth."
"Thank you, Adam. I think tonight I'll just read from my Bible. Maybe tomorrow." Adam gave her a soft, dimpled smile of understanding.
"Rest well, Sally", Joe added.
When Sally moved to get up, Hoss rose and helped her with her chair and immediately Ben, Adam, and Joe were on their feet, as well. It took her by surprise and she did not know what to say; so she ducked into her room just off the dining area. Sally's father had been a good man and treated her mother kindly, but formal courtesy had not been part of his routine behavior. She had endured so much mistreatment in the last year that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be around a gentle man. For better or worse, Bolton had been less interested in her once she started to show. Still, she felt dirty and unworthy of a good man's attention.
Ben left the table to retrieve his pipe and tobacco. He filled and lit his pipe, but rather than taking his usual seat he headed for the door. "Hoss would you like to get some fresh air?"
Adam and Joe exchanged glances. Hoss was about to grab the checkerboard, but instead shrugged at Joe. "Guess we'll play a little later." The big man jammed his hands in his pockets and followed his father out the door.
Ben moved away from the house. Stopping at the hitching rail, he rested his backside on the cross piece, stretching his legs out so he could look up at the night sky. Hoss came and stood near, his large hands gripping the wooden rail.
Ben puffed contentedly and then removed the pipe to speak. "Pretty night."
"Yeah, shore is."
"How are you feeling, son? I mean, you are one lucky man to have a survived that snakebite."
"Oh, I'm okay, Pa. Feel almost back ta normal." Hoss let out a deep sigh. "Guess I jest got a lot on my mind."
"Yes, I can understand that. Care to talk about it?"
Hoss stood to his full height and crossed his arms against his chest. "I don't know, Pa, I jest feel so bad for Sally. What's she gonna do? Even if we locate some of her family, we jest can't up and send her off now."
"I fully agree, but I don't think staying here is the best long term solution either. She needs a woman's help to get her through this. Four men can't give her the kind of guidance she needs even with our best intentions."
Hoss let his arms drop. "But Pa, I owe her my life! I gotta make sure nothin' bad ever happens ta her agin!"
"Yes, I understand why you feel that way. Believe me, I do. I would probably feel the same way if I were in your shoes, and you can trust that I will be forever grateful to Sally for what she did for you. But that doesn't change the fact that we may not be able to give her what she truly needs right now."
"But don't she need ta be protected an' cared for an' made ta feel like a purty gal should? I kin do that for her right here at the ranch."
"Certainly she does, but when a woman has a baby, it changes her. She will have questions and new feelings that are best understood by a woman that has been down that road. She's young, Hoss, and probably much more frightened than she's letting on. And who knows what kind of ghosts will haunt her for months, possibly years, because of the horrible experience she had."
"So yur sayin' she can't stay?"
"Hoss, it's not that I don't want Sally here. I just don't believe it's in her best interest to stay here indefinitely."
"She jest got here an' it seems jest down right mean ta make her go somewhere else real soon."
In his mind, Ben was having similar thoughts, but he also had mixed feelings about his son's growing attachment to Sally. Ben was certain that the incidents earlier in the day were only the beginning of a long line of further harassment and shame for Sally. It made his heart ache, but to think that Hoss would become her guardian and shield only made that ache even more intense.
After a few moments of silence, Ben knocked the spent tobacco from his pipe. "Alright. Let's give things a few weeks, but during that time I think we need to at least keep the door open to a potentially better situation for Sally. If she truly is already six months along, we have a rapidly closing window of opportunity to make a change."
Hoss had been hanging on his father's every word. He nodded in resignation. " I guess that's fair. Thanks, Pa."
They both knew that there were no easy answers for Sally's problems. Ben clapped his hand on his son's back and gave his shoulder a firm squeeze before the two headed back into the house. Rather than enter into a checker game with Joe, Hoss bid everyone goodnight and went upstairs.
Adam closed the book he had been reading. "How did your talk with Hoss go?"
Ben took a seat in his leather chair. He nodded toward the guest room to let Adam and Joe know that he was not going to risk Sally overhearing their discussion.
Joe got up from the settee. He gave his father a hard look, but kept his voice low. "Well, just make sure he knows about Harmon. I'm sure there's going to be more trouble. I'm going on to bed."
Ben watched his youngest son move up the stairs with purpose. Ben shifted uncomfortably in his chair before looking directly at his oldest son.
Adam leaned forward and clasped his book in both hands. "You know he's right, Pa. Hoss needs to know what's going to be coming at him."
Ben sighed heavily, acknowledging Adam's concern.