Chapter

A Son for a Son

"Just look at you guys. What a fine lot you turned out to be." The men looked up from their table in the lounge of the Parker House Hotel, at Tolliver who was coming over with a few more rounds of frothing beer. "I know it's been a long hard ride, but it's done now. We'll all get a good night's rest and be out in the morning. The sooner we can get this payment back to the Cartwright's the better we'll all be."

"Ah, it ain't the ride and you know it." Sam gloomed.

"Well, sitting here sulking in the corner of some saloon ain't gonna bring that boy back any sooner."

"I just wish there was more I could have done."

"I'm sure he's back now. He's probably in front of the Cartwright fire sipping on warm brandy." Dan mollified.

"What if he's not?"

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"I just wish there was a way of knowing."

"I'll tell you what, we're in town now, right? Maybe we can send off a telegraph. We can ask for information."

"Yeah, we can do that." Jose agreed amiably.

"Who we going to write to?" Sam asked. "It's a fifty fifty shot the Cartwright's would be around to receive it."

"We'll send two. One to the Cartwright's and one to Roy."

"I don't know. I mean I want to know and all, but how long are we going to wait around for a reply?"

"I'm kind of anxious to get back myself. I mean if they got him back it sure would be nice to see him for myself." Willy interjected.

"And if they don't" It was Hank who posed the question.

"And if they don't? Well that's just it. I'm tired of waiting around here not doing nothing about it. Ain't you? I mean I ain't known that kid for too long but I kind of feel like he's one of us."

"He is one of us. Same as Hamp here, or Willy, or Jose."

Hamp agreed. "He was a good kid. Quiet but good."

"Is."

"What?"

"He is a good kid." Sam corrected. "You be talking like he's dead."

"I'll tell you what, if I ever get my hands on the men that took him."

"Yeah, that's for sure."

"It's a shame. It's a down right shame. It shouldn't have happened. They wasn't even there for him."

"You think it would have been better if they'd taken Little Joe instead?"

"Now, I ain't saying that."

"You act like you wouldn't be sitting here sulking all the same if it was that seventeen year old and not that nineteen year old."

"Of course I would be. I don't want anything happening to them Cartwright boys either but let's face it, them kidnappers were after the money. The Cartwright's are the money. Maybe they make themselves a target by having all that wealth."

"And we make ourselves targets by working for a man like Cartwright." Hank countered. "Don't go acting like you're too good for the money now."

"The Cartwright's are good people. They no more deserve this than that boy there."

"They treat us good too."

"That's for sure."

"You never know the true act of a man until you put him up against the world. It's easy to go out on a limb for your own kin, but they're moving hell and high waters to find that boy. That's the act of a truly noble man."

"Well, that boy did sacrifice himself for their kin. It's only right they should."

"That's not it. I've seen all them Cartwright's risk themselves plenty for regular folks like you and me."

"That's right." Jose supported.

"Especially us." Sam agreed.

"What do you mean us?" Johnny asked.

"I mean us. The folks they got working for them. They treat us real well."

"I sometimes think of myself as part of the family. Like I know that if anything were to happen to me, they'd be right there to back me up." Willy said with a thick voice.

"That's if you were in the right."

"Especially if I was right. But even if I wasn't I know they'd make sure I was treated real fair like."

"That's right."

"Hey Jose. Didn't Ben do something for you a while back?"

"That's right."

"What'd he do for you?" Hamp asked.

"Ah, amigo. That's between Senor Cartwright, the Good Lord and myself." He raised a glass to the heavens.

"Must have been something real big like."

"Aye Senor, I owe him much."

"That's just what I'm talking about. They give and they give and they don't ask for much back."

"Kind of makes you wonder how they got to be so rich with all that giving they're doing."

Dan provided the answer. "God knew what he was doing when he blessed a man like Cartwright. He knew he was blessing a man that would bless others."

Hamp pointed towards the door at the young man entering. "Hey look at that."

"Hopsing!" Johnny called out. The boy's, upon seeing the cook, waved him over.

"Where've you been all night?"

"I have family. Talk to many cousins."

"Well I hope you aren't planning on staying a stranger. We leave out bright an early."

"Cow hands think they know bwight and uhly. They wake up to coffee. Where they think coffee come fum? Like it appear by magic." The men all sniggered at the cook.

"You don't got to make it tomorrow."

"That's right." Hank added. "We're not out there in the sticks anymore. Sleeping on a fluffy mattress with no responsibilities softens a man." Hopsings eye had reached is darkest colors while they were out on the trail and was now showing colors of healing. Hopsing never dwelled on his mark. Out of respect the men never brought it up. As feeble as they might have seen him at one time, having that bruise, then taking on the trail and doing his job well, somehow earned him a point in their book.

"No wesponsibilities." The cook scoffed. "You may have no wesponsibilities." He gesticulated. "Hopsing has lots to do for journey home."

"Well, surely you can spare a moment or two for the men who brought you this far." Dan offered pushing a beer across the table. "Or ain't you got time for us?"

"Hamp got up from the table before Hopsing could answer.

"Where you goin'? Jonny asked.

"Relax, I'm just takin' a piss. I'm comin' back."

"Yeah, I'll join you."

~.~

"It's okay Hoss. Hit me good. We've got to really sell this."

"Hoss don't use your full strength." Ben warned.

"I know, Pa." One strike and Adam goes down.

"Are you sure you pulled that punch?" He asked rubbing his jaw. The look of contrived innocence as he shrugged his shoulders, was amusing to Adam. He loved that goofy smile.

~.~

He woke up back in the grass outside his home. Nobody was there to greet him. The field was empty. The wind was strong. The Buckwheat whipped and the river thrashed. He was in the middle of a wind storm. Rain beat down on him as he lay in a pool of water. Not a single member of his family was there to greet him, more so nobody was there to stop him, to remind him of his chores. He made his way up the yard headed for shelter. Headed for his home.

"Ma." He gasped as he came through. His mom was in the living room as he entered.

"Shhh!" She held a finger to her lips. She sat in the rocking chair in the center of the floor rocking back and forth cradling something in her arms. The golden light came in through the window and made her face glow. He approached softly seeking sight of the babies face in her arms. He was so peaceful, so serene. Nothing of the ashen gray corpse he remembered. She gleamed proudly. A tear ran down his cheek. She continued her lowly lullaby. He took a seat at her feet and listened in. The lullaby he felt wasn't just for the babe. It was a song she used to sing to him when he was small. He listened at thought back to that time. It was a time of innocence. He knew nothing then of the troubles he would face in years to come.

~.~

"We'd like to speak with Shinmoto." Ben asked the barkeep at the Red Lotus Saloon. "We've got an offer." Ben with Hoss were directed to a back table where a venerable Japanese elder sat. He was guarded by two younger, larger men of the same caliber as he ate.

Adam joshed his brother about not pulling his punches. Pulling punches or not his brother throws a mean right. He was roll playing now but was still sore as he laid out in the bed of a wagon they bought at the livery, with his arms bound behind him. He wondered if Little Joe or Danny experienced anything like this the last few nights. He could only imagine how frightened they must had been, to have experienced this for real. Clancy sat over him in the dark leaning on his long barreled Winchester. He was here, but he was somewhere miles away in his mind.

Instantly Clancy popped up. He tapped Adam's shoulder. Adam heard the footsteps too and got into character, which at the moment was of someone extremely intoxicated. His father flipped back the canvas. Ben stood to the left, Hoss to the right, Shinmoto at their center. His body guards at their back. Adam reeked of booze. They poured it over his clothes and down his throat for good measure.

"Is this him?"

"That's right. How much you offering?"

"I can give you 50 dollar." Ben and Hoss nodded.

"We'll take it."

They made the exchange and the larger men came forward taking control of Adam. His oldest boy was dragged away. As rough as they were being with him, Adam never opened his eyes. He watched until he was out of his sight. Was he wrong for doing this? This felt wrong. The first one was taken from him but this one he willingly sold. As much as he wanted his little boy back, it just felt wrong to sell off the other for his sake. It was too late now. The deed had been done. The dirty money in his hand was all that he had to show for him. The life of his oldest. That was all it was worth to them. "God speed, Adam. God speed."

~.~

They said they can't let me go because I'd seen their faces. They told me, I did it to myself. Joe was filled with dread as he replayed Danny's words in his head. They told Hopsing the same thing. Could it be their intention is to not let Joe go too? He's seen their faces. They'd done nothing to prevent that. They never had plans on releasing him. They were going to get the money and get rid of him.

Authors Notes:

Here we are introduced to a few more of Ben's ranch hands.

Hank Myers will fall in love with Joe's old schoolteacher in The Wooing of Abigail Jones 3x24

Johnny and Hamp both come from San Francisco 1x28 where they will find themselves victims of Shanghai.

Willy is the Williard Trump from The Truckee Strip 1x11 who will end up losing an eye within the year in a battle defending the Cartwright's land. He will end up committing cold blooded murder of a Chinese laborer employed in the party of his enemy.