"You want to what?" bellowed Ben. As usual, Hoss was the one to deliver the news to Ben, and he was standing there weathering Ben's anger.
"We are short-handed as it is, and you three," Ben turned around and faced his other two sons.
"You three, want to spend the week at the Hendrick's house. One day and night, that is all I'll grant you."
Adam spoke up, "Pa, we're not kids anymore, you can't keep telling us what we can and can't do." Adam was rewarded with Ben's wrath of God look.
"No, you are not kids anymore," he said, although the look he gave the boys denied his thoughts at the time. "But, I am boss around here, even if you are all partners in this ranch. This ranch is being held in trust for all of you. All of you know that, as well as knowing what we need to do to keep this ranch running. We don't have the luxury of taking a week off to watch for a bunch ghosts!"
"I don't think we're chasing ghosts, Pa." Adam tried to explain. "And you know how the kids in town get on Halloween. The Hendricks place would be a prime target for troublemakers. Sheriff Coffey still hasn't caught whoever dug up David's grave."
Ben nodded his head, Adam was making sense of course, but they still couldn't afford to loose a week of work. Ben looked at his sons. "A day and a night is all you're getting," he finally said.
The three brothers exhaled together. It wasn't quite what they wanted, but it would have to do. Individually they all had decided that if chores allowed, they would all be going by the Hendricks place anyway. Ben dropped the other shoe, when he gave them their work assignments.
"But Pa, these chores will keep us from the ranch for two weeks!" Joe exclaimed. "Hoss and me are in the high pasture bringing the herd down, Adam's working on contracts in Placerville, we won't have any time at all to check the Hendrick's place."
Ben glared at his youngest son, who immediately melted down on the settee. "I gave you a day and a night. I will check on the place occasionally in your absence. All of you should be back in time for Halloween. That is when you expect the worst, isn't it?" Adam, Hoss, and Joe nodded.