Part 11

Adam, Mac and Dick took their usual positions in the road with Adam sitting on Jupiter a way back. They sat waiting and Adam felt his usual eagerness for action. Although he always tried to push it from his mind, he remembered being in Kabul in '42, the sweat from the suffocating heat drenching his uniform and the nervous anticipation of attack making his heart pound in his chest. And then the signal to attack as the Afghanis ran at them, their vicious swords swinging in the air or their rifles held up; the surge of warriors was terrifying. And although the British units basically decimated the Afghan Army, killing countless numbers, things went badly after they destroyed part of the city and many of his compatriots had been slaughtered on the retreat. He began to sweat heavily even though the night air was chilly and Adam realized that his desire for adventure needed to take another route.

Mac called out that horses were coming and Adam nodded for them to man their positions. Mac and Dick stood by the side of the road under the trees and waited until the riders were closer. Then they stepped out, pointed their pistols at the two men on horseback who hesitated for a moment and then pulled up their mounts when Mac shouted, "Stop in thy tracks or pay with your life."

Adam then came closer and repeated for them to deliver their purses and as the two were complying, one of the men threw his purse and it hit the ground near Jupiter's feet. The horse moved sideways, spooked by the object, and at that moment the other man pulled a pistol and shot Dick who fell to the road. Adam, recovering his balance, aimed and fired and the rider who had fired the gun cried out and then fell to the dirt as well. At the shot, the other rider kicked his horse who bounded forward, knocked Mac down and then took off into the night.

Adam rode over to them and dismounted. "Dick," he said, "Is it bad?"

"Don't know yet, Cap'n," Dick said with a slight grin, "but since I'm not dead yet, it couldn't be that bad. If I die, I'll take back me words."

Mac pulled out his handkerchief and slipped it under Dick's shirt and told him to press on it with his hand. Then, as Adam told him, Mac went to check on the man in the road.

"He's dead," Mac said as he came back. "You're as true to your mark as ever, Cap'n."

"A shame," Adam said. "Here, help me get Dick on my horse. I'll take him to a surgeon." Mac held Dick up on one side, Adam the other, while they helped him to Jupiter.

"Get the purse," Dick said, the sweat pouring down his face.

"Damn the purse," Adam said. He cared nothing for the money-never really had.

"No, I don't want to die for naught. Get it."

Adam nodded to Mac who found the purse and brought it back. "Here, Cap'n," he said, "You take this. I'm going to consider myself lucky just to have me life- we'll pay the surgeon with this."

Together, Adam and Mac managed to get Dick onto the horse and Adam mounted behind him. They would ride double, Adam decided since even if Dick could stay on his horse, they would have to travel slowly.

"Let me get the horses and we'll ride," Mac said.

"No. You take the two horses but I'll take Dick alone. They'll be lookin' for three men, not two. You take the horses and go to someplace safe."

"But, Cap'n, I can't let you take the risk alone-we are three together in this." Mac stood, determined to stay with them.

"No, Mac," Adam said, "don't be a fool. Go on your own-come with us and you put all three of us in danger and I don't have the time to argue. Don't make me pull my pistol on you as a way of convincing you."

Mac knew that Adam wouldn't harm him but finally agreed. "God be wi' ye, Cap'n," he said , knowing that they would never meet again as he watched the two men leave on the big horse. He sighed and then, leading Dick's horse, rode off into the night.

Adam found a surgeon and dismounted with Dick practically falling off Jupiter; without Adam's support, he would have landed face-down on the pavers.

"Hang on, Dick," Adam said, "we're at the surgeon's." Adam held up Dick whose head was lolling; his clothes were soaked in blood. Adam pounded on the door and was relieved to see a light come on. A man came to the door, a pistol in one hand and a lantern in the other.

"Who is it and what do you want?" The surgeon was a middle-aged man who was wearing a robe over his nightclothes and had glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"I have a friend who was shot-he was found to be cheating at cards, damn fool that he is. I need you to tend to him." Adam pushed past the surgeon and dragged Dick in and placed him on a couch of the surgery.

"Now, look, you can't just come in here…" The doctor said putting down the lantern. Adam tossed the recovered purse at the surgeon who caught it and hefted it.

"That's your fee," Adam said. "And if that's not enough, this will supplement." Adam pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the surgeon who dropped his pistol on the wood floor.

"The purse will be enough," the surgeon said and walked over to examine Dick. He told Adam that he would have to remove the bullet and Adam, waving the pistol at him, told him to do so. So Adam stood aside and watched as the surgeon went about readying himself and Dick for the surgery. After the better part of an hour, the surgeon was binding the wound when there was a pounding on the door and it was violently kicked open. Four of the high sheriff's men entered and pointed their pistols at Adam.

"Who owns the black horse?" one asked.

Adam raised his hands and let his pistol drop to the floor where it clattered. "I believe that horse be mine."

"Put the manacles on him," the same man ordered and Adam put out his hands and the manacles were clapped on his wrists. Then two of the men roughly pulled him along and told him to get on his horse. They escorted Adam to the Old Bailey and to the adjacent jail where he was settled in for an uncomfortable night. Adam knew that he would never find out what became of Dick but hoped that God showed mercy on Dick and allowed him to pass out of this world quietly from loss of blood rather than to be hanged in the public forum for all to see and have others decry his life of highway robbery; it was enough, Adam thought, that that fate was relegated to him.

"Hoss, Joseph," Ben Cartwright said, he brow furrowed in worry, "Adam has not returned. Go into London and see if you can find him."

"Shall I go visit all the brothels too and check in every room?" Hoss asked with a smile as he began to eat his breakfast. Joseph laughed.

"You are not amusing. Check and find where your brother is. Hoss, you've often accompanied him-you should know his haunts."

"Okay, Pa, " Hoss said, "we'll go. Let me finish breakfast and we'll gallop like bats escaping from hell to find him.

But Hoss only ate a few more bites before his anxiety overtook him; it wasn't like Adam not to return home and since he frequented some unsavory places, Hoss feared that Adam may have been killed in a gambling disagreement or robbed and left for dead on his way home as there were highwaymen about.

"We'll leave now," Hoss said, standing up. "C'mon, Joe." The two men rose and Ben did as well.

"If you cannot find him…"

"We'll find him," Joe said. "Don't fret yourself over it-we'll find Adam." And Hop Sing followed them to the door."

"Hop Sing," Hoss asked in a low voice, "have you heard anything? You be in Chinatown last night. You hear anything?"

"Yes, I hear man shot on road to London-shot and left for dead. But why Hop Sing should think it be Sir Adam? That why Hop Sing not say what hear."

"Thanks, Hop Sing," Hoss said, patting the small man on his arm. "Don't say nothin' to Pa. He's worried enough." And Hoss and Joe went to saddle their mounts.