Mary Ingalls had left Walnut Grove on a solo trip. It was during the course of this trip she met the blind schoolteacher, Adam Kendall. Mary's buggy was smashed to pieces by a falling tree branch – this same event injured Adam, and sent the two walking to their destination.
Mary Ingalls takes the road less travelled – Part Two.
It was late afternoon when Mary and Adam arrived in Mankato. Adam was treated, and released – aside from some bruising and tenderness, he was okay. For a few days Mary stayed in Mankato, and then it came time for her to leave.
Back in Walnut Grove, Charles Ingalls had received news of the incident – and cleverly concocted a plan to send Seth to pick Mary up.
Caroline, of course, found this out – from Carrie, and she sent John.
John knew of Seth's plan, and left in the middle of the night. Seth, however, had been warned by Charles of John's departure – Charlie had been spying on the Edwards home.
And so, a race in the dark of the night ensued. For two days the bachelors raced, and they both arrived together in town. Seeing Mary, (who had been expecting Charles to come and pick her up – as he told her he would), waiting by the roadside, John and Seth, with their buckboards neck and neck, yeee-harred their horses in sudden and swift advance, sending innocent pedestrians diving for their lives. John took a sharp turn to try and overtake Seth. Seth, of course, was not about to slow down and let John reach the pretty lady first, and a colossal collision resulted. John's buckboard had been smashed – and Seth's horses were shaken up by the collision. So John and Seth were forced to join together to create a workable buckboard.
Mary silently fumed as the John and Seth wrestled with each other to try and get to her first. Adam had come to say goodbye to Mary, and she turned to his help in her hour of desperation.
"Come with me?" Mary hissed. "Please!"
Adam, hearing John and Seth arguing, thought it might be wise if he did. "Alright, Mary – Mankato or Walnut Grove, doesn't matter."
"Thank you." Mary said, grasping his hand in gratitude.
"Thank you for coming, John, Seth." Mary said, greeting each of them in turn. "My friend –" Mary indicated Adam.
"Adam Kendall." Adam introduced himself, shaking their hands in turn.
"Adam's heading our way. Do you mind if he comes along?"
"Not at all." Seth replied with a strained smile.
"Of course, you're welcome, Adam." John told him, cleverly scheming of using Adam to get Mary.
No one wanted to drive – because the other person would be free to court Mary. Mary solved this problem by driving herself, and with Adam next to her, John and Seth sat in the back, muttering under their collective breaths.
On the second day of their journey, John and Seth were beginning to lose their patience with the blind buffoon who was taking their spot next to Mary.
Hearing Mary suddenly erupt with laughter from something Adam said, John made to turn around.
"Alright, there are two of us." John told Seth.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"And there's only one of him."
"I don't know."
"Trust me, there's only one of him."
Emboldened by that fact, the two began to sneak up on Mary.
Adam, unaware of that fact, was using his walking stick to hook his bag, accidentally whacked their paws.
Seth and John recoiled in silent agony.
"Man, that guy is good!" John admitted.
"No!" Seth told John. "Don't look back; don't even give him the satisfaction!"
"He's probably laughing at us. I hate that guy!"
"I know…just think of something else."
But Adam or Mary never left their minds.
It was nearly noon when Mary led the buckboard over a bridge. Suddenly she felt weak, and the horses veered. Adam lunged over and straightened the reins.
"Seth!" Adam called. Seth leapt up to help – and John clung to the side of the buckboard, moaning for his life.
"Take over." Adam commanded, pulling Mary out of the way. Seth guided the buckboard to a stop on the opposite bank.
Mary woke up. "Adam – I felt weak…blacked out for a moment."
Adam felt her forehead. "You've got a temperature, Mary."
John and Seth hovered in the background. "One of you will need to drive, gentlemen. Mary needs to lie down." Adam unpacked some sleeping bags, and since Seth made John sit with him and vice versa whilst they took turns driving, Adam sat next to Mary, who slept most of the way home.