Ben walked over to his desk, opened the safe behind it and took out two pieces of paper. He walked back over, sat in his chair near the fireplace and opened the first one. It was from Matt. "Urgent! Kate and Jacobs arriving in Dodge in four days. Afraid they're going to force Cat to go with them. Already wired Jarrod to see what your father's will says."
He refolded the first paper, unfolded the second and read it. This was the one that changed his life forever. It arrived about two weeks after the first wire. "Urgent! Come to Dodge immediately. Kate and Jacobs murdered last night. Cat seriously injured." Ben closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to the events of nine years ago.
On a late spring morning in Dodge City, Kansas, an eight year old girl was getting ready for school. "Hurry up Cat. You've got to eat breakfast and I won't have you being late for school."
"I'm ready Uncle Matt. I was just making sure that my school work was inside my books." The girl came out of a small room and hugged her uncle who picked her up.
"I declare, you weigh as much as a baby elephant. It won't be much longer before I won't be able to pick you up at all." The girl just laughed and hugged her uncle around his neck. He hugged her back and set her down. "Let's go. You won't be able to concentrate in school if you don't get some breakfast in you."
She grabbed her books and the two of them walked out of the jail toward the hotel. When they reached the dining room, they spotted Doc Adams sitting alone at a table with a cup of coffee in front of him. "Morning Matt. Morning Cat. Come and join me."
The girl ran up to him and hugged his neck. "Morning Doc. Thanks for letting us sit with you."
"Morning Doc," said Matt. "I'd like to bring Cat by your office after school for a check up. There's nothing wrong. I'm just not sure that an eight year old should weigh as much as a baby elephant."
Doc just laughed. "There's nothing wrong with how much she weighs Matt. Cat here looks like she weighs just about the right amount for an eight year old and she's got a good, healthy appetite." The two men laughed as they watched the girl eat her breakfast like she hadn't eaten in a week.
"How are you doing in school Cat?" asked Doc.
"Fine, except for arithmetic. I hate arithmetic. I don't see why I have to study it." Matt just raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. This had been an ongoing fight for years.
"Well, I'll tell you why you need arithmetic," said Doc. "How much does Mr. Michaels pay you for the fish you catch?"
"Five cents each for the small ones and ten cents each for the big ones," replied Cat.
"Ok. If you catch five small fish and six big ones, you have got to be able to count the fish you catch. You have also got to be able to figure out how much money you are supposed to be paid for all of the fish you catch. You also need arithmetic when you buy candy. You need to know if you have enough money to pay for it and if you get the correct amount of change back. Why don't you stop by the Blacksmith shop after school and ask Quint how he uses arithmetic?"
"I didn't know that. Thanks Doc. That's a great idea. I love spending time watching Mr. Quint work. That food was good Uncle Matt. May I please have some more?" she asked after swallowing the last morsel from her plate.
Matt looked at his watch. "Alright, you've got time for more before school," and ordered more food for her. Fifteen minutes later, the girl had finished her second helping of bacon and eggs. "It's time you started for school young lady. You have exams coming up next week and if you don't pass them, you'll be staying here instead of spending the summer with Uncle Ben and your cousins on the Ponderosa."
"I hope Uncle Ben lets me ride a horse this summer. I'm too old for a pony now."
"You're only eight. Your uncle will do what he thinks is best for you and if that means riding a pony one more summer, you'll ride a pony."
"Mark McCain is the same age I am and he wrote me that he has his own horse. Also only the little kids at school ride ponies."
"Right now, I'm not worried if you ride a horse or a pony this summer. If you're late for school, you'll spend this weekend inside instead of fishing and playing with your friends. Now, go to school and no fighting!"
The girl grabbed her books and ran out the hotel door. "You've done a great job raising her Matt," said Doc. "She's happy and healthy. There's nothing wrong with her weight or her appetite. And, before you ask, yes, her appetite is just fine for an active eight year old child."
"Thanks for explaining to her why she needs to know arithmetic. I've been trying for years without any luck. I wish I could get her out of those buckskins and into a dress more often. Kitty is the only one who can get her to wear a dress and that's only for church on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. She should dress more like a girl than a boy."
Doc just laughed. "Pick your battles Matt. She's a great kid. She's polite and well behaved and sometimes she's extremely lucky. Mrs. Johnson told me that Cat just happened to be in the right place at the right time yesterday. She was coming out of the general store with her arms full of packages and started to drop some. She said that Cat made a dive and was able to catch her eggs before they hit the ground. Mrs. Johnson said that when she looked at the eggs, only one was broken and only one was cracked. Almost everybody likes her. Quint says she has quite a way with horses and can calm a nervous one just by talking to it. He says that she'll make a great Blacksmith when she grows up."
Matt laughed at that last remark. "I'm not so sure I want my niece growing up to be a Blacksmith Doc and I don't think the rest of the family will either. Most people don't see her wild side. That's why they like her. She doesn't usually misbehave in public, but when there aren't many adults around, look out. She got into a fight after school the day before yesterday. One of the boys said something she didn't like and she hit him, which of course led to a fight."
"Who won?" laughed Doc.
"Cat did of course. I don't know what I'm going to do with that girl. She hunts and fishes and cleans and cooks what she kills. She gets into fights and wears every black eye like it was a badge of honor."
"I wouldn't worry too much Matt. As she ages and starts seeing boys in a different light, she'll start settling down and wearing dresses more. You were courting her mother at the same time your brothers were. Didn't you tell me that Ben said his sister was wild when she was young? Kate settled down enough to have more than just three young men courting her and I'm sure that Cat will too. Just give her some time. Wouldn't it be funny if she ended up marrying that boy she keeps fighting with?"
"You're right Doc that would be funny," Matt laughed.
As Matt and Doc sat eating their breakfast, Cat started on her way to school, taking her time and not bothering to hurry. She was trying to think of a way to get out of it, but anything she thought of would just get her in trouble with Uncle Matt, which meant she would have to stay inside all weekend. She hated being in school and told she had to sit still or being scolded for looking out of the windows when she was supposed to be studying her arithmetic. It just wasn't fair. She wanted to be outside, running with the wild things, not cooped up inside all day while the sun was shining. She approached the Blacksmith shop and wondered if he needed her help. Maybe he had a bunch of horses that wouldn't hold still and she could stay there and help him. "Good morning Mr. Quint. Do you need any help this morning?"
Quint heard the school bell start to ring and smiled. He knew exactly what the girl was up to. "Good morning Cat. No, I don't need any help this morning, but if you're late for school, I won't let you help me for two weeks. Now scoot before I tell Matt what you're up to."
The girl loved helping in the Blacksmith shop almost as much as she loved being out running with the wild things. The thought of being denied spending time there for two whole weeks was unbearable, so she ran all the way to school and made it into her seat before the bell stopped ringing. Quint laughed as he watched the girl run toward the school and went back to work.
Doc and Matt sat in the hotel restaurant for a little while talking and drinking coffee. Doc looked at his watch and was starting to get up when an out of breath man hurried up to them. "There you are Marshal. I've been looking all over town for you. This telegram just came for you and John said it was important."
"Thank you Pete. I appreciate you bringing it to me," said Matt. He opened the telegram and all of the color drained from his face when he read it.
"Are you ok Matt? You're as white as a ghost. What's in that telegram that has you so upset?" asked Doc.
Matt handed the telegram to Doc and said, "Kate is in the country. She'll be here in four days. I'm afraid that she and her husband are going to try and take Cat back to Australia with them. She hasn't bothered to try and contact her daughter in seven years, so why would she show up all of a sudden if it wasn't to try and take Cat away from me?
"That's terrible Matt. Why would she try and take Cat back to Australia with her? What are you going to do?"
"Yes, it is terrible. Before he died, Cat's grandfather found out that Kate's husband was not the man he pretended to be when he convinced old Joe Cartwright to allow him to marry his recently widowed daughter. Jacobs was very deep in debt. It also seems that he was married before to wealthy women, all of whom disappeared not too long after he got control of their money and it didn't take more than a few years for him to go through all of it. I suspect he married Kate, thinking she would inherit her father's money when he died.
When she turns nine, Cat is supposed to inherit one hundred dollars from each of her mother's parents. She'll inherit another one hundred from each of them when she turns ten and five hundred from each when she turns sixeen. She'll receive another thousand from each when she turns eighteen and the remainder of her inheritance when she marries. She'll be receiving a very large sum of money from each of her mother's parents' estates once she's married and will be a very wealthy woman. I'm afraid that Jacobs wants Cat's money and if he can get her away from the family, he'll arrange to adopt her. If he adopts her, he can force her to sign over her inheritance to him. Once he has control of her money, he won't need her any more and I'm afraid for Cat's safety.
The first thing I'm going to do is send a telegram to Jarrod. He's the family lawyer and should have his grandfather's will. I think that there's something in it about Cat being forced to leave the country and Jarrod will know for sure. Then I'm going to send telegrams to my brother and Ben Cartwright. I think I'll send telegrams to Luke McCain, Sam Grant, Bill Sherman and Phil Sheridan also. They probably can't do anything to help, but they were Michael's friends and deserve to know that his daughter may be in grave danger. Even though they're not related, Cat has always referred to each of them as her uncle."
"Go, send your telegrams Matt. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. What are you going to tell Cat?
"I don't know Doc. I will need to tell her that her mother is in the country and will be here in a few days. Beyond that, I don't know what I'm going to tell her. I guess it will depend on what her grandfather's will says." He got up, reached in his pocket, pulled out some money and left it on the table for the two meals and walked out the door, not even noticing Kitty Russell as he walked by her. Less than five minutes later, he was in the telegraph office writing out several telegrams. The first was to Kate's nephew, Jarrod Barkley at his offices in Stockton and San Francisco. It was short and to the point. "Urgent! Kate and Jacobs arriving in Dodge in four days. Afraid they're going to force Cat to go with them. What does your grandfather's will say? Please advise. Matt" The remainder of the telegrams were similar. "Urgent! Kate and Jacobs arriving in Dodge in four days. Afraid they're going to force Cat to go with them. Already wired Jarrod to see what old Joe's will says." Matt handed the two papers to the telegrapher. "Please send this one first John," he said pointing to the top one.
After sending the first telegram, John looked at the second one from Matt and at the list of recipients. "Let's see now, Ben Cartwright, Lucas McCain, and Lt. Ripley Masters. Are you sure about these last three Marshal? President Grant, General Sherman and General Sheridan?"
"Yes John, I'm sure. They were good friends with Cat's father and promised to take care of her if she was ever orphaned and no family member could take her. There's nothing they can do, but they deserve to know that their Goddaughter may be forced to leave the country against her will. Please let me know as soon as you get a reply to the first one."
Doc paid for his breakfast and left the hotel shortly after Matt did and spotted Kitty Russell as soon as he stepped out of the door. "Good morning Kitty."
"Good morning Doc. What's wrong with Matt? He looked like he'd seen a ghost and didn't even say hello. That's not like him. Is he sick?"
"He's heart sick Kitty," Doc said, handing her the telegram Matt had left on the table.
"Oh my God, this is terrible Doc. What's he going to do?"
"He's sending a telegram to Jarrod to see what Cat's grandfather's will says and he's sending telegrams to the rest of the family to let them know what is happening. Luke, Sam, Bill and Phil won't be able to do anything because they're not really related, but Ben, Rip and Victoria might be able to do something since they're Cat's aunt and uncles. Matt's best hope is that old Joe Cartwright's will says something about Cat being forced to leave the country against her will."