Chapter 4

"Added wrong? Oh no…it is all there, Mr. Cartwright. I am sorry if you think it is too much. My wife and I do not need much, but we have to make a living…" Eli was going over the numbers in his mind, wishing he could give this family an even better price. He knew how hard their life was right now and how tight money would be, but he just couldn't do it. "I wish I could give you a better price."

Ben stood with his mouth hung open and eyes bulging as he looked from his bill to the man standing in front on him. If he had been one of his boys he would have admonished them for the rudeness of the action. When the words the man spoke sunk in, he pulled himself together and spoke with sincerity in his voice. "No, No, Mr. Orowitz, I'm sorry for jumping at you like that, you see this bill for what we are taking with us today, I really expected it to be two or three times this much. I think you made a mistake in our favor not yours. Are you sure you got all the items marked down and the prices right?

Just then there was a loud bang at the side door as the three Cartwright boys re entered the store.

"All done, Pa...Mr. Orowitz!" Joe looked at the man with expectant eyes, but had been raised too well to ask for the promised candy.

Eli laughed, not just at the boys' enthusiasm, but also at Ben's face. "You have worked hard and have earned your candy..." he opened the jars. "Two more pieces each right?" Then he looked at Ben. "Mr. Cartwright, I know some stores charge terrible prices when they know the customer is on a wagon train. We do not. All we want is to earn our living, not rob our customers."

The boys went to the candy and each took their promised pieces before walking over to join their mother.

"Mr. Orowitz, you don't know how refreshing that is to hear. There are a few folks on the train that I know were going to wait until we were closer to a bigger town to get supplies hoping to catch a break on pricing in a place that had more competition for business. You can bet that I will pass the word along that you are a fair store keeper and that your prices are good. They will do no better anywhere and some are very low on supplies, just barely keeping food going. I know you can't be making a fortune here, as it must cost you a good sum with the distance your goods have to come. Thank you."

"You are welcome, and thank you for spreading the news." Eli Orowitz leaned in a bit closer. "And we will see you tomorrow night. We will have the room ready." Then he handed Ben and Adam the packages to carry out.

Ben gave the man a knowing wink and then headed toward the others.

"Marie, boys we had best be getting back, there are a few things that need doing back at the campsite".

Erik gave out a small groan; Pa could always find chores for them no matter what. How he came up with some of the things he did when all they had was one wagon and a bit of ground around it he would never know. It was like Adam always said...Pa did it just to keep them out of mischief.

"Ah Pa..." Joe started. "Can't we play this afternoon? We never get to play much." He was munching on his licorice.

Ben was now in a good mood with the way things had gone at the store and also the prospect of what the next night was going to bring. He looked to his wife and then to the boys and tried to hide the smile. "Tell you boys what. If your mother doesn't have anything for you to do when we get back then, yes you are free until supper time."

Two…..no make that three hopeful faces looked at Marie, even if one of those faces was trying to hide that hopeful look. Marie had to smile, but tried to make it look like she was thinking about it.

"Do you, Ma? You don't, do you?" Joe couldn't help asking and finally Marie started to laugh.

"I do not think there is anything that needs to be done today. You may play."

"YESS!" Joe whooped. "Thanks, Ma! Thanks, Pa…..didya hear that, Erik?"

"Sure nuf did! Let's go explorin'!"

As they all got outside Ben stopped and turned to the boys. "Hold on just a minute there. There will be restrictions put on just where you can go. You boys help your mother back to the wagon with these things. I have one more errand I need to do and will ask a couple of questions about the area. When I get back we will discuss where you are allowed to go."

Nothing could put a damper on Joe's enthusiasm. "What errand, Pa? Something fun? Can we come too? Of course we can..ya ain't leavin' us in town alone….this is great, Pa."

Adam smiled as he followed the family out, nibbling on his peppermint stick. "I think if you stopped talking for a minute, we would think the world had come to an end, Joe."

"Nah…ya'd just be glad for some silence." Joe grinned.

"First off, young man, if you did stop to listen right you would have heard me say that you boys go back with your mother while I do the errand. So no, you may not come with me. You help Mama put the things away and by that time I should be joining you all and then I will set out your boundaries. Now scoot before I change my mind."

Joe giggled some more. "Oops...guess I didn't take time to listen, Pa. Guess I'm too excited. We'll help Ma."

"Yes, you will." Marie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Come on, boys, let's leave your father to his errand. We have things to carry back. Adam is already carrying quite a bit, but you two can divide the things your Pa is carrying between you two...go on."

After Ben had handed the boys the things he was carrying (Joe a bit less than Erik), the group started to walk back to the wagon. As they did they passed quite a few fellow travelers on their way to the store and Marie was glad they had had a quick lunch, leaving for town almost right away. The camp now was quiet, not its usual buzzing, active place and she could feel the peacefulness of the small meadow at the pond. It was a lovely place. "Careful with those packages boys..." She started pointing out where everything went, but let the boys do the carrying. All she was carrying still was her small basket that she unpacked on her own.

Ben watched as Marie and the boys headed off toward the meadow. He knew he had no worries, his boys may be full of mischief at times, but on the whole they were really good boys and would help their Mama without trouble. If by chance they did choose to act up a bit as most boys do, she had proven on a few occasions to be more than capable in dealing with them. He went about town looking for a nice restaurant where he could take Marie for a fine meal to start their evening together. Since the supplies had cost him a lot less then expected and the room was also going to be very reasonably priced, he figured he could afford to splurge on a meal and a bottle of wine. He also wanted to scout around the town and make some inquires about the area so he would know where he could let his sons go to and where they would not be allowed.

He joined his family about thirty minutes later, and while he learned there was not a descent eating establishment in town, he was able to make arrangements for a very good compromise. For that matter, the only place to dine was the saloon run by this Shelby person and there was no way he would take Marie there.

As he walked into the camp he was greeted by three sets of expectant eyes.

"Hi boys."

"Pa…" Joe ran over to his father, "we done all Ma said. We were real good….can we go now? Didya find out bout your bound'ries? Was the rest of town just as great? Didya get your errand done?"

Ben looked from one boy to the other, "Good, boys! Yes, I got my errand done, yes, it is a nice town and yes, I have a good idea of the area." Ben ruffled the boy's hair as he spoke, a wide grin on his face. Little Joe never was one to go at a slow pace for anything. "Adam, on this one occasion I will leave it with you whether or not you will go with your brothers. I think you deserve a break from the responsibility of taking care of them when your Mother and I are not there. That being said, you may go back to town if you wish to have a look around. BUT, young man, do not let me find you or hear of you anywhere near that saloon. It is off limits to you. You may also go out of town in any direction with the limits as follows: from the east we just came from the top of that hill overlooking the town. To the west I am told there is a small lake about 3 miles out of town, you may go there, and also the same distance to the south or north if you wish. Erik and Joseph, if your brother chooses to go on his own today you will not follow him around, but do something on your own. You may also go to the lake, but NO swimming unless Adam does accompany you. I am told there is good fishing there so you may want to do that.

I do not want you two any more than a mile from the camp in any direction, with the exception of that small lake. We are having an earlier supper tonight, so I expect you all back here by 5:30, that gives you about three and a half hours to do a bit of exploring."

Adam tried hard not to whoop or sound too excited, but he sure was. "You mean that, Pa? Really? I won't go to the saloon or too far. I promise. But I'd love to go off on my own for a bit. I mean…" He wanted to say that although he loved his brothers they had been cooped up together for such a long time now (not to mention under his parents' watchful eyes), he was itching to be alone for a bit, taste some freedom. But he couldn't say the first bit without possibly upsetting his brothers and so he quickly changed his words. "…which boy my age wouldn't want some freedom from his parents for a few hours?" He grinned cheekily at Pa, knowing the man would understand what he was thinking and then looked at Joe and Erik. "We can go swimming tomorrow if you want to."

Ben looked over at his oldest and gave him a wink before turning his attention back to his two youngest.

"We can go fishin', can't we, Erik? I like fishin'. And 'xploring!" Joe would have liked to go swimming, but a little exploring with Erik sounded equally nice.

"Just you two remember that you are still under all the same rules as you usually are when you are on your own. Do nothing, and I mean nothing, that will put you or anyone else in danger and you go nowhere your mother and I would not approve of."

As he spoke his tone and his expression told both boys that he would not tolerate any misbehavior. He gave a quick glance at his oldest as he finished, trying very hard not to single Adam out as he did the two younger boys, but also wanting the boy to know what he expected of him also. He could tell by the look on Adam's face that he received the message.

"Fish'n sure sounds good ta me Pa, and me and Joe will just stay in the area of that there lake and maybe explore round there some. Just in case you need us and don't has ta go look'n in four directions." Erik was trying to sound very mature and responsible and it was all Pa could do to keep from laughing.

"Thank you for letting me know that, son. If you are at all late getting back to camp then I will not have to waste time looking in the wrong area to get you and bring you back to face the consequences. Adam, any idea of where I should look for you if you are not back on time?"

"I'll be back on time, Pa, don't worry." The 16-year-old knew it wasn't a complete answer, but fact was he hadn't decided yet and he did like the freedom of not telling them exactly where he was going. He was probably going to look around town first, but if he didn't see anything interesting he could end up doing some exploring of his own.

"Ok boys, off you go."

Erik and Joe scrambled to get their fishing and head out. Before Adam could get too far, but the two younger were out of ear shot, Ben got Adam's attention.

"Adam"

"Sir?" the boy turned around, fearing that for some reason he wouldn't be allowed to go after all.

"I would like an idea of what your plans are. If something happens here or to you I need to have an idea of where to start looking and you know that."

Adam sighed just a little. He'd expected Pa to press for answers, but still had hoped he wouldn't. "I don't really know, Pa….I was thinking about looking around the town for a bit first. But if all is dull I might explore…. probably towards that lake….is that enough?" The look on his face could rival his youngest brother's when he wanted something.

Ben stood staring at the boy, his expression unreadable. So many thoughts were running through his head. On one hand he wanted a detailed accounting from the young man in front of him, on the other; he knew Adam was no longer that little boy that traveled from Boston to New Orleans with him. At some point he had to give the boy a bit of rein and trust him. "Make sure you are back on time, behave as your mother and I would expect, and have fun." Those few words were spoken in a manner all the boys knew what was implied, and could be so much more effective than a long lecture would.

Adam grinned at himself. There were times when faced with that tight rein he would buck and get snippy with his parents, this time however, he'd answered the question to the best of his abilities and it had worked much better. Not that he was always capable of handling it like this, but it was nice when it happened. "Of course, Pa….see you later!" And off the boy was, straight into town.

Ben stood shaking his head with a slight grin on his face. He hoped he was not making a mistake here, but he felt that perhaps if he gave Adam a bit of trusted freedom right now that it would help with the boy's mood as of late and help with the bickering between the boys. He knew he was at the end of his rope with all three and it would take little at this point for him to take them in hand.

Adam headed straight for town. Of course he would have loved to check out that odd place they had come across when they just arrived in town. A saloon run by a woman, even if she didn't dress like one. But Pa's words had been more than clear on that. Not only was he not supposed to go in there, he wasn't supposed to go near it. He thought about it for a few moments, tempted by the nature of the place and the strangeness, but decided there were other things he hadn't even seen yet. So he wandered around town a bit. The store he'd seen by now, but it was nice to go in alone without his parents and brothers and just get a feel of the place. He left the store a book richer, bought with his hard-earned money. As he walked the streets of Eagle Station he ran his fingers across the cover of it sniffing the air of the town at the same time.

There was a lot going on and every other minute he had to tip his hat at someone he passed on the sandy roads or stopped to have a look at something. He met even more interesting people than that Shelby person from the saloon, like a man who called himself Frenchy, who ran the livery and harness shop. Of course, Pa would insist on him calling the man Mr. Devereaux. Adam didn't always understand Pa's insistence on that when the person in question told him to call him by his first name or some other name, like in this case, but he had learned that it didn't pay to defy Pa on that.

Nibbling on a peppermint stick he saved from their earlier visit to the general store, he realized he was almost near that store again. The town was smaller than he'd first thought.

$ %^&%&^%&%

"Mr. Orowitz, my Pa sent me in to see if the things he had you order from the catalogue came in yet?" Pete Devlin was about average in height for a boy his age, but years of working on his father's small ranch had already defined the 17-year-old's hard, lean body. They had left the farm they had in Indiana two years before, after a run of bad luck, and had been one of the first families to settle in the Washoe area. A stranger in town caught his eye as he stood in the doorway of the store waiting for Mr. Orowitz to check the shipment to see if the supplies were in. A smile crossed his face as the young boy approached him, there were only a couple of kids his age around here and two of those, the Bonner brothers, he was not allowed to associate with. He guessed the boy had to be close to his own age and he figured he had to be with the new wagon train that had stopped for a few days. He could see this newcomer was engrossed in looking around him and not even really paying attention to where he was going. As he approached, Pete stuck out his leg and the boy tripped, landing hard on the ground, sprawled out on his belly. Pete was doubled over laughing at the sight.

The peppermint stick now in thousands of pieces on the ground and his brand new book lying in the dust, even though his hands had tried to catch it before hitting the ground, Adam started to scramble to his feet. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Looking for a fight?" He was brushing off his book; not caring about the dust on his pants, and the other boy's laughter only irked him even more.

"Heck no, I'm not…" Pete tried to get out between fits of laughter. " I don't need to explain to my Pa any bruises or torn clothes when I get home." The boy extended his hand to help the other boy up. " Look I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist, you looked so engrossed in looking around. I'm sure if someone came walking out of the shop you would have bumped them and set them flying and right now Mrs. Hawkins is in there and you don't want to be bumping her. Name's Pete."

Adam eyed the boy for a few seconds as he rambled on and then a grin spread across his face. He took the extended hand and got to his feet. "Okay, guess I overreacted there a little. Wouldn't want to explain bruises or, worse, torn clothes myself." The mere thought was bad enough. "Adam, Adam Cartwright." He finished brushing off his book, making sure it was all right. "You're lucky this is okay, or I would have had to pound you." But his face was a big grin. It wasn't often he met up with a guy his age. He was the oldest kid on the train and usually they didn't stay around long enough to make friends.

"All that fuss over a dang book? Sure wouldn't risk my hide on one, Cartwright. Are you new in town or just passing through on that train?"

"We're passing through. We're on our way to San Francisco, but stopping here for a few days." Adam made a half-hearted attempt at brushing off his pants now. "And I happen to like reading. We don't get many books on the train and the few that I do get are almost sacred." He grinned a little sheepishly, knowing that most people wouldn't understand. "You live here?" realizing it was a stupid question he continued, "I mean…you've lived here long? Anything to do around here for a guy our age?"

Pete let the comment about the book go. His father had finally let him off the hook about book learning this year. Not that it was that bad as Eagle Station had no school and his Ma did the best she could with keeping him, his brothers, and sisters up on as she said the three R's. But that was bad enough for him. "Depends on what ya mean. There's some good fishing at Washoe Lake but better at Tahoe. Some good caves around for explore'n, that is, if'n you don't get caught at them. Most folks about don't let their kids go there. Then of course there is Shelby's, always nice to go there for a cool beer and a good game of cards."

"Washoe Lake? Is that the lake about three miles out of town?" Adam asked his father's instructions in mind. "My father mentioned a lake there. Or is that that Tahoe one you're talking about? Those caves sound interesting. Are they real old?" He didn't want to tell the other boy that Shelby's was off limits and was hesitant about mentioning that place. "I think we saw Shelby as we came into town. Don't think my father liked her much." He added the last bit with a grin.

"Washoe would be the closest one, yeah. Tahoe is a good half hour from here, but you have never seen a prettier place in the whole country. I'd take ya up and show ya but I will have to get back home soon."

Even though Adam would like to see the other lake, fascinated as he was with water and especially the combination of mountains and water, he was actually relieved that Pete wouldn't be able to show him that day. It was well beyond his boundaries and he didn't think he'd want to push Pa today of all days.

"The caves are old, some are old Indian ones, they are deep and well they say some folks have gone in and never returned. Others are old mines that have been abandoned." Pete tried to act all grown up with his next words, not wanting the boy in front of him to think him a little kid. If Adam only knew that if Pete's Pa found out he entered Shelby's place for a drink he would skin him alive. "Heck, Shelby is one of a kind. Her bark is worse than her bite though and you can always get a good laugh with her. Hey, I got about fifteen minutes before I have to leave to get on home. How about joining me at her place for a quick beer." For as grown up as he was trying to sound, the only thought going through his head was 'please Adam for the sake of my hide say no'.

T.B.C.