"You bling too many people, not tell Hop Sing," Hop Sing grumbled, waving his ladle threateningly at Adam. "Not prepared for so many guests."

Adam shifted away from the irate cook, his eyes sweeping the room and touching each face gathered at the table. "Well how was I supposed to know that Hoss would meet up with Doc Kensington?"

Hop Sing glared, not accepting the excuse. "Now supper not be done on time, Hop Sing have to clean up this mess! Should make Mr. Adam help!"

"Come on, Hop Sing, I wasn't responsible for all of this."

"Mr. Adam in charge!" Hop Sing said, jabbing the ladle into Adam's chest. "Things not his fault must be his lesponsibility."

Adam was silent, staring into dark eyes that held wisdom he hadn't noticed before. Hop Sing paused to let the words sink in before whacking the eldest Cartwright once more over his heart and stomping back to the kitchen.

"He let you escape!" Hoss cried from the table. "Hurry up'n siddown before he comes back!"

Adam followed his brother's advice, taking a seat between Hoss and Doc Kensington. The doctor had been in Carson City a little over two years, but in that short time he and Adam had formed a close friendship, despite the fact that Kensington was almost as old as Ben. Adam loved the man like an uncle, and had been extremely saddened by the news that he was leaving town. Kensington had received word about a week before that his pregnant sister was having difficulties, and that his mother had moved in with them after his father succumbed to pneumonia. He had planned on setting out to Stephens Flats, where his sister and her husband lived, the day before, but had decided instead to stay in Carson City to help search for the robbers.

Hoss and Tullis had picked him up on their way out of town, and the three of them searched the land around Carson City without success. Adam's and Joe's search was equally fruitless, and the Sheriff had yet to return.

Kensington leaned back from the table, sighing contentedly. "I haven't eaten a finer meal in all of Nevada."

Hoss let out a deep chuckle, waving his fork at the kitchen. "Yeah, old Hop Sing sure does know his cookin'."

Adam glanced at the grandfather clock that guarded the wall across from him, frowning. "I told the Sheriff we were meeting for lunch… he should've been here by now."

"I'm sure he just lost track of time," Kensington said soothingly. "You said he was skirting the edge of the Ponderosa? That's a lot of land to cover; he probably got caught up in the search and forgot about lunch."

"I don't know," Hoss murmured doubtfully. "Any man who can forget lunch has sumthin' wrong with 'im."

"Just because you never could," Joe teased, poking his fork at Hoss' ribs.

Adam started to stand. "I don't know… maybe we should-"

The stomping of hooves in the yard cut off the rest of Adam's sentence. A moment later the Sheriff burst into the room, out of breath and waving franticly behind him. "Get your horses, quick! I found 'em, over by the bluffs just west of here! You were right, Hoss; they doubled back and left the Ponderosa."

"How many?" Adam asked, already bolting for the door. Chairs scraped against the floor as the others followed.

"Six."

"We're outnumbered," Hoss noted.

"No we're not!" Joe cried. "Six of us and six of them!"

Adam froze in the doorway, causing Hoss to run into him and nearly knock them both off their feet. "Joe," he said, exasperated. "You have to stay here."

"You'll be outnumbered!" the boy pressed. "I can help!"

"Stay here," Adam repeated.

"Just let me-"

"Joseph Cartwright," Adam thundered. "You will stay here!"

The fire in Joe's eyes grew hard. "You ain't Pa!" he yelled. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Pa left me in charge, and I say you can't go!"

"Well I'm not listening to you!"

"Adam," the Sheriff snapped. "We have to go!"

Adam's eyes tore between the door and his youngest brother. "You stay here. Take one step outside, and you'll be sorry for it." Glaring to emphasize the order, Adam turned, snatched up his rifle from beside the door, and hurried outside.

Joe ran after him, but Hoss caught him as he passed. "Not this time, Little Joe."

"It's not fair!" the boy wailed, furious tears springing to his eyes.

"I know it ain't, but that's the way it is," Hoss said. "Listen to him for now; you c'n yell at him when we get back." Hoss pushed Joe firmly back into the house, then spun around and set off after the others, who were already streaking away.

Little Joe stood motionlessly in the doorway, his eyes burning with the tears he refused to let fall. Why wouldn't they let him help? That was all he wanted, but Adam wouldn't let him do anything. If only he were bigger!

Letting out a frustrated yell, Joe kicked at the wall and glared after the dots that were his brothers and the other men. He counted them, shooting his anger at the one he imagined was Adam. One, two, three, four… His foot hovered over the door jamb, frozen as he processed the scene before him. One rider was missing. He counted again, but he still could only see the four. A stab of worry shot through him as he scanned the horizon for the missing rider. Would they be able to face the six robbers with only four men? Something flashed in the sunlight off to his left; one lone rider was speeding away from the others, toward Carson City.

After a split second of hesitation, Joe sprinted for the barn, climbed onto his pony, and rode off in pursuit of the solitary man.