Chapter One
Adam and Joe wandered way down into the south pasture looking for strays after finding a hole in a fence miles away. This distance was much too far to reasonably find any cows, but they were looking anyway. Something had drawn Adam to the south pasture today; a niggling feeling in the back of his head. He stopped and looked across the field. At first all he saw was the untouched, tall, spring green grass in the distance. But, there, off at the other end of the pasture, he saw movement. He squinted against the bright sun shining in his face.
"Joe!" he said sharply, nodding toward the figure.
Both men dug their heels into the sides of their horses and rode hard across the pasture. Adam watched as a woman staggered, dropped to her knees, crawling, then collapsed, disappearing into the tall grass. When he reached her, he jumped down from Sport and knelt beside her, turning her over and holding her in his arms.
"She looks like she's been through hell. Is she alive?" asked Joe, kneeling beside Adam.
"Yeah, but just barely. Hand me the canteen. Let's see if we can get some water in her. Miss, can you hear me?" he asked.
Joe returned with the canteen and handed it to Adam, who uncorked it and wet his hand, brushing her cracked lips with moisture. He got no response. "Joe, ride in to town and get the doctor. I'll get her back to the house."
Joe mounted Cochise and rode away, while Adam knelt, holding her. Looking at her face, he knew he had never seen her before, but he still had that nagging in the back of his head…he was supposed to be here…to find her.
Only a few minutes passed after he got her back to the ranch house before the doctor and Joe arrived. Adam had just lain her down on the bed when they came rushing through the front door and up the stairs.
"Who is she?" asked Dr. Paul Martin.
"Don't know. I've never seen her before," answered Adam.
"You boys go on back downstairs. I'll be down in a little while."
When Paul came down the stairs, he walked slowly in deep thought. Something about this girl troubled him. When Joe told him they had found a girl alone in the far reaches of the Ponderosa, he decided to stop by to speak to Sheriff Roy Coffee about any missing person reports, but there were none. This girl had to come from somewhere. Certainly someone had missed her.
"Well, boys, it's lucky you found her when you did. She's been without any appreciable amount of food and water for a few days. Much longer and she wouldn't have made it. I was able to get some water in her, so I think she's going to pull through. But you'll have to watch her and keep trying to get her to drink. I don't know how long she'll be out." Dr. Martin walked to the front door. "When she comes to, try to get some broth in her. Give her as much as she'll take. I'll be back tomorrow morning to check on her."
"Thanks, Doc," said Adam, walking the doctor to the door. After he closed it, he turned to Joe. "Well, Hoss and Pa won't be back from San Francisco until the weekend, so it's just you and me for the rest of the week."
Adam went to his room and collected several books, taking them into her room. Moving a chair closer to the bed, he piled the books on the floor next to him, then got comfortable. He studied her face, sure he didn't know her, but still, there was something he felt he was supposed to know. He spent the next few hours watching her, trying to answer the voice in his mind.