Thank you for your reviews. This one's short but, as promised, here it is.

Chapter 2 - Gazing out at the setting sun, wondering

Ben Cartwright had had this feeling all day long, a feeling that something was terribly wrong but couldn't quite lay a finger on it. He quickly took stock.

Hop Sing was in town visiting a cousin; Joe was out on an overnight with the herd getting everything ready for branding in the next few days; Hoss was meeting Adam's stage in Chance so they could look over Bob Trundell's new Brahma stock and he was sitting here at his desk staring into nothingness and still feeling as if something was wrong. Pushing himself up, he headed for the front door.

It must be the weather.

When it got hot and sweat trickled down his neck, everything seemed to be intensified – like worrying. He didn't know why it just did and he'd given up long ago trying to figure it out. It always started as a little niggling tickle that could be ignored and by the time the heat increased and his shirt stuck to his body it was like a rash that desperately needed something to ease its infuriating itch.

It's got to be the weather.

Sticking hands in front pockets, Ben gazed out at the setting sun wondering if that's all it was or some innate hunch that was pointing him to something else, something much more drastic.

"Stop!" he yelled at himself. "You always get this way when you're alone so stop!"

Running a hand through silver hair he trudged over to the barn, deciding that a little one-on-one with Buck was exactly what he needed.

BZBZBZBZBZ

"HELLO THE HOUSE!" came Roy Coffee's shout as he barreled into the dark yard, wondering for a moment at the lack of light as he dismounted and bolted through the front door. "Ben! Hop Sing!"

Nothing. Hands on hips he turned toward the barn.

"Ben, ya in here?!" he called sailing through the open doors meeting Sport and Buck's glances from their stalls. "Well, where in blazes is he?" And then he heard it - splashing.

Grabbing a lantern off a peg, he hastily lit it and followed the sound around the barn to the creek behind. If what he had to say hadn't been so urgent the sight would've brought a smile to him. But he was far from a smile as he worked his way down the slight incline calling for Ben as he moved.

As soon as Roy's voice found him, Ben's heart dropped to his stomach and he whipped his head about. The lantern light showed his friend's face forcing his stomach down even lower. Hurriedly he stood, the cool water of the creek playing about his ankles.

"Tell me," came his gruff voice as the Sheriff approached.

"There's been an accident, Ben," he related coming to a quick sliding stop showering his friend with dust.

Ben eyed the Sheriff. "Which one?" he asked clamping his jaw against all the other questions piling up inside.

Roy swallowed. "Adam."

Closing eyes for just a second and taking in a calming breath, Ben reached for his boots and socks then scrambled out of the creek moving quickly toward the house.

"What do you know?" he asked as Roy hurried to catch up.

"Accordin' ta Hoss's telegram someone attacked the stage Adam was on jest outside Chance. He found 'im and brought 'im in. Seems he was the only one left alive."

"How bad?" Ben asked trying to keep the bile out of his throat as he barreled through the kitchen door dropping his boots and heading toward the pantry grabbing a bag and stuffing it full of provisions.

"Hoss didn't say. He jest asked that ya come." Roy saw the look on his friend's face as he came back into the room. "Now jest 'cause he didn't say don't mean . . ."

"I know what it means, Roy. My boy's hurt bad," came the answer as Ben laid the bag on the table and hurried toward the stairs then stopped at the landing. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Ya know I will."

"Hop Sing's in town. Would you find him and tell him?"

"Consider it done. And Ben," Roy called as his friend glanced toward him. "Adam'll pull through. He's a tough boy. One of the toughest I know."

Ben just nodded and finished running up the stairs, Roy sending out a quick prayer for his favorite Cartwright son before quickly mounting and heading out. It didn't matter that darkness was about him. Nothing would keep him from delivering that message.

BZBZBZBZBZ

There was nothing between heaven and earth that would keep Joe Cartwright from traveling to his brother and he would ride the wind if necessary because nothing could keep him from his side. It wasn't fair of his father to ask him to stay home, to sit in this lonely house with nothing around him but memories; to play a waiting game to see if Adam lived or died without knowing what was going on.

No, that wouldn't do.

So he'd escaped the Ponderosa to ride under a burning twilight sky, pushing aside memories of he and Adam's last hunt together and their upcoming San Francisco trip, and instead focusing on the long night ahead as he fought to find the stillness within which was no easy task for Joe. Patience often eluded him and, when a decision was made, he needed to act, to move. This was no frivolous ride in the sun but a desperate passage that left fear in its wake, leaving his stomach cramped and tight all because of the look on the hand's face that came to give him the news and that it had happened near Chance.

Ah, Chance, that town smack dab in the middle of the hottest piece of wasteland Joe had ever seen; only there by the grace of gold and silver that dotted the surrounding rocky crags. But the going wasn't easy and the finds weren't majestic; just enough to keep those die hard few chipping away until they struck it rich or died of exposure. A hardy crowd filled the streets of Chance; a hardy relentless crowd riddled with a darker shadow that comes from too much sun and too much gold dust that might be around for the taking.

And now his brother was in the midst of it all. Hurt bad the note said. Hurt how? Was it the desert that claimed him for she was a fickle mistress, yielding hidden depths and horrid consequences; desert justice they called it filled with misery and no second chances once you were left behind. Would Adam come out of this crucible or vanish from their sight? Would Hoss have to face the pure truth of loss by himself?

Hoss.

One brother hurt, the other hurting just as much and there all by himself.

"I'm coming, Hoss. No one should stand before such a dark gate alone," he said aloud to the wind striking his face as he urged Cochise on faster.

The night held few stars and the road ahead was dangerous but he trusted his horse – it was all a matter of faith in the animal to carry him onward through the night. And faith is what he had in abundance brought about by years of a devoted family showing him the way. And Adam had shown him the most, had instilled in him a sense of duty to those around him, a duty borne of love and respect.

Duty. Mighty is the word that may be transformed into something else besides what is written on a page or spoken aloud. When it transcends its meaning into action then no one has the right to question its strength for it has gone beyond description, beyond the bounds of the earth and is now a certainty.

"You'll still be there when I arrive, Adam. My faith will see us through any dark star we find ourselves under," he whispered casting a look to the heavens as he tried not to think of forever without his brother by his side. "I'm coming."

*This section on Joe had the prompt of using as many episode titles as you can. Fortunately there were a number of dramatic titles to use.

So the family is on the way. Will they make it in time?! (Oh, I'm just bad.) :-D