~CHAPTER 3~

"Three hundred head," Joe stated disgustedly. "Three hundred head of our prime cattle, gone just like that." He and his brothers were headed back to their ranch after a long hard day that began with a ranch hand racing up to the house bearing news of rustlers having struck their herd. They had immediately gone up to the north pasture, but it was too late. One of their best and largest herds was long gone. They followed the tracks long enough to realize that there was no chance of catching them. Whoever the rustlers were, they had timed and executed their nefarious work perfectly. It was probably one of the last times the cattle remained unwatched around the clock before driving them to market, and it was also the best beef out of their herds.

Joe stopped to tighten Cochise's loose cinch as Hoss and Adam continued on, knowing he'd catch up. Taking the opportunity to talk with his older brother alone, Hoss eased his way closer to Adam and spoke in a hushed tone. "Adam, I know how hard these past few weeks have been on us, with that forest fire takin' out our main supply of timber we was plannin' on usin' for that big contract and all," he winced as he remembered how Adam had to give up the hard-earned and substantial lumber contract because of the untimely fire. "And now with these rustlers makin' off with three-hundred head we was plannin' on drivin' to Sacramento City next week, our finances can't be none too happy at the moment," Hoss said bleakly.

"I know," Adam responded as he never once took his eyes off the trail in front of them. "I've been going over the books." He ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We were having some trouble months ago even before...the accident," for that is what they now referred to it as. "Now with these complications," he paused, before looking at his brother, "Hoss, I can't remember when we've been this hard up before."

"I can't remember us havin' such a string of bad luck before neither," Hoss agreed. He let out a giant sigh as he gave his companion a good-natured slap on the back. "Don't you worry none, Adam. Things'll get better." They've got to he silently thought to himself.

"What are you two talking about?" Joe asked as he trotted up behind them.

"Oh, nothin' much, Joe. Just wonderin' when you was gonna get your sorry hide caught up to us."

"Uh huh," Joe answered skeptically. "It's about the accidents lately, isn't it? I took a look at the books last night."

Adam smirked. Leave it to his nosy younger brother to find out about something they were trying to keep low-key. "Yes, Joe, it was. But I really don't see any need to talk about it further. What's done is done. We can't get the timber or the beef back, so let's just cut our losses, try to keep anything else from happening and move on." Joe and Hoss watched Adam move into a trot to widen the distance between them and didn't try to follow. They knew he wanted some time by himself to think.

"He's taking it hard isn't he?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I reckon he is, Joe. These accidents have probably taken their toll on him more than anybody."

"But, why? What affects one of us, affects us all."

"I know that, Little Joe. But..."

"But, what?"

"Well, Adam's tryin' tuh take over fer Pa, and that means takin' care of us'n the ranch. With all these things happenin', he feels like he's lettin' him'n us down." Joe looked at Hoss, never really understanding how a person could read into another's thoughts as well as Hoss could into Adam's. Even to Pa, his oldest brother had sometimes been a closed book, but never to Hoss. "Now I know it weren't his fault and there wasn't nothin' he could do, but you know what it'd be like tellin' him that."

"Yeah," Joe replied. They continued on in silence, their musings more than enough to keep them occupied.

They made it back to the ranch by early evening. Hunting for stolen beef most of the day and winding up with nothing but saddle sores for their trouble, drained all of them of any energy they might've had. "Adam, why don't you lemme untack ol' Sport fer yuh," Hoss suggested, noticing how tired his brother looked. "You go on inside'n take a rest 'afore supper.

Adam was about to refuse when he saw Hoss's pleading look and knew it'd do more for Hoss than him if he accepted the offer. "Alright. Thanks, Hoss. Could one of you also send a hand to wire Mr. Blair that we won't be making the shipment?" He patted the smooth red chest of his horse before slowly making his way for the house.

"Sure thing, Adam. I'll have him tell Roy about the rustlers, too," Joe called after him.

Adam stopped. The Sheriff should be told so he could warn other people to be on the lookout for future rustlings, but he knew Joe was still hoping their own cattle could be recovered. But there was no way; they were gone and irretrievable. However, trying to dredge up some hope for his brothers, he half-turned and replied, "Yeah, you do that, Joe. Thanks," before finishing his walk to the house. Hoss and Joe gazed after him until he had shut the front door behind him before leading their mounts inside the nice warm barn and away from the chilling wind that had picked up outside.

The horses had worked especially hard that day and they were sure to take extra special care of them, giving each one a bigger portion of oats before picking up brushes and rubbing them down. They worked side by side on their own mounts before they both started on Sport, wanting the deep chestnut to shine bright for his master. They remained silent for quite some time, the only sound coming from the bristles slicking their way through the thick hair, ridding it of all trail dust, leaving it spotless and sparkling in the lamplight.

Hoss finally broke the silence by asking, "Joe, yuh reckon how them rustlers knew just where those cattle were? That's prime grazin' land up there, way far off from any main roads. It beats all, don't it?"

"Yeah, I still can't help feeling there's something we could've done, but you're right. They couldn't have done it any better. It was as if..."

"As if what, Joe?"

"As if they had someone working on the inside, someone who we trust."

"Now Joe, who could that be? We haven't got any new hands in over a year, and every one we got now I'd just as soon trust muh life with."

"I don't know, Hoss. Guess I'm just speculating. Yuh know, if Pa were here he'd..."

Hoss looked over the top of the horse at his brother who'd quickly lowered his head to cover the tears that had suddenly sprung to his eyes. "He'd know what to do," Hoss finished for him. Joe's curls on the top of his head bobbed as he silently nodded. "You alright, Lil' Joe?"

"Yeah... yeah I'll be alright," Joe replied as he went back toward the rear of the horse and resumed his brushing with more vigor on the animal's flank. Even though their father had been dead for two months now, Hoss knew the sorrow was still very close... for all of them.