Author's Note: To Neano, Thank you for your kind words about chapter 30. I appreciate you taking time to read my story. Your review came up as a Guest review, so I am unable to reply to you directly.
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At first, Cat enjoyed the train ride, but as the second day dragged on, she grew tired of being cooped up and began getting restless. Ben located the conductor and asked if there were going to be any long stops coming up so Cat could get out of the train for a few minutes. He told Ben that their next stop would be a long one as they would be taking on wood and water. Cat and Silver Chief would have thirty minutes to run around and stretch their legs.
When the train stopped, Adam helped Cat down to the ground and then handed Silver Chief to her. The two of them ran around in the grass for about fifteen minutes when the conductor asked her if she'd like to see the engine. "Gee, thanks. I really would like to see what it looks like."
Cat walked with the conductor to the front of the train. When they reached the engine, they walked around the front of it to the side by the train station. Then the conductor talked to the engineer and said, "This little girl would like to see what the engine looks like."
"Well, she is more than welcome to come up here. I'd love to show her my engine." The conductor and engineer helped Cat up into the engine and the conductor handed Silver Chief to her. The engineer showed her how to drive the train and explained the controls and gauges to her. When he had finished, it was almost time for the train to leave, so he let Cat blow the whistle.
When the conductor took her back to Ben and Adam, Cat was grinning from ear to ear. "I got to go in the engine!" she exclaimed excitedly. "The engineer even let me blow the whistle! He said he'd let me drive the train but I'm not big enough. Maybe I'll be big enough next year."
Ben pulled his daughter onto his lap hugged her and said, "Wow. It sounds like you had fun. I never got to do that when I was your age."
"Neither did I," said Adam. "When I was nine, Pa was busy building the Ponderosa and I had to help look after Hoss. You are a very lucky little girl and I think I should tickle you because you got to do something I never did."
Cat snuggled in closer to Ben as Adam reached over to tickle her. "Adam, why don't you get one of the picnic baskets out? It's dinner time and I'm sure that Cat is hungry."
"Matt says that she's always hungry."
"So were you and your brothers when you were nine."
"Hoss is still always hungry."
Ben laughed. "That is the truth. Your brother eats more in one meal than most men do in a single day."
"I am hungry and so is Silver Chief," Cat chimed in. "I eat a lot but I don't eat as much as Hoss does. Is Hop Sing going to be able to make enough food for me and Hoss?"
Once again, Cat's questions and comments brought laughter from all who heard them. "Yes, of course he is," chuckled Ben. "He already makes enough to feed all four of us and I know he'll be able to make enough for you too. If I know Hop Sing, he'll try and feed you so much that you grow as big as Hoss is."
"I don't want to get as big as Hoss. I would have to ride an elephant instead of Fury and even if I did ride him, he couldn't fly if I was as big as Hoss."
Ben hugged her. "You are a silly little girl. Hoss doesn't ride an elephant and you aren't going to either. We don't have room for an elephant on the Ponderosa and it wouldn't be happy. Now, go and sit down on your own seat and I'll give you some food."
After finishing her food, Cat looked out of the train window at the scenery for a while but soon grew bored. "I don't like being on the train any more. When are we going to be in Denver? I miss my friends in Dodge and want to get out and ride my horse for a while."
"I know being stuck inside the train isn't fun but it's a lot faster than taking the stage. We'll be in Denver tomorrow morning around eight. We need to change trains in Denver and we'll be in Carson City around eight o'clock in the morning the day after tomorrow. It's only about two hours by stage from Carson City to Virginia City, so we should be there by one o'clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. It won't be the same as going out and riding your horse, but you and I can go for a walk up to the very front car and back again. I also know that Adam bought some books for you before we left Dodge, maybe he can get one or two of them while you and I go for our walk. Now if Silver Chief is going to come with us, I think he should ride inside of your shirt. It will be safer for him when we cross between cars."
"Ok. Going for a walk will be nice. I'll put Chief inside my shirt. I guess reading a book would be ok for a while."
"Why don't I get your Arithmetic book and tablet too?" asked Adam. "Then you and I can work on some of the Arithmetic you have trouble with."
"YUCK! NO! It's summer and I don't even want to think about arithmetic. Why do you want to be mean to me like that? It's not fair. I'm stuck on this train and can't get away! I guess you really don't love me. If you try to make me do arithmetic, I'll throw my book out the door!"
Mrs. Long spoke up. "Adam, you should not be threatening your sister with arithmetic when school is not in session. Summer is a time for children to unwind and let their minds relax. Did Catherine fail arithmetic in the last school term?"
"No, she didn't fail. She got an eighty five but I know she can do much better than that. With a lot of hard work, there is no reason she can't get a one hundred."
"I'll never get a one hundred," said Cat. "I hate arithmetic and it hates me! arithmetic needs to go away forever!"
The Longs, Dr. Stevens and Ben laughed. "Adam, there is no reason for Catherine to worry about arithmetic now," said Ben. "She did very well on her exam and there are still several months before school starts. You can do some review with her two weeks before school begins again. Mrs. Long is correct. Catherine needs time to relax and recover from a very stressful month. Now Cat, are you and Silver Chief ready to take our little walk?"
"Yes I am. I'll put Chief inside my shirt when we get to the door."
"I need to stretch my legs also," said Dr. Stevens. "Ben, would you mind if I accompanied you and Catherine on your walk?"
"No, not at all. You are more than welcome to join us. "
They walked to the front of the car and Cat picked Silver Chief up when they reached the door. The puppy didn't want to go inside her shirt, so she said, "You have to go inside my shirt so we can go between cars. I can't hold you and hold Dr. Johnson and Uncle Ben's hands too. I'll put you down when we're inside the other car, but you're going to have to go back inside my shirt every time we go between cars. If you don't, you'll have to stay with Adam. You don't want to stay with Adam, do you?" The puppy quit wiggling and let Cat put him inside her shirt.
Dr. Johnson shook his head in amazement. "Now I've seen everything. That girl is amazing. Her puppy understood every word she said."
"Yes, Catherine is very good with animals. We got a taste of her abilities in St. Louis." Ben went on to tell the doctor about Cat running up to her rearing horse in the train stock car.
They walked forward through all of the cars until they reached the car where all of the wood was kept. Then they walked back to their car and instead of stopping at their seats, they continued into the stock car and the caboose. The conductor told them that they would be making one more long stop before nightfall and Cat would be allowed to run around outside the train again.
Cat and Silver Chief enjoyed being able to run around outside the train again. The conductor took her back up to the engine and helped her into it. "I wish I was big enough to drive the train, she said wishfully.
"Maybe you will be in a few years," replied the engineer.
"How would you like to help me put wood in the fire?" asked the fireman.
"Yes please. I'd love to do that."
He pointed to a stack of wood behind him and said, "The fire is too hot to let you put the wood directly in it, but you can hand it to me and I'll put it in." Cat handed him the wood and he put it in the fire. Once the pile of wood was gone, the engineer let her blow the whistle again and the conductor took her back to her seat.
Once Cat was back with Ben and Adam, she told them all about her adventure in the engine. "The engineer even says that I might be big enough to drive the train in a few years. I hope I am because it sure sounds like fun." Adam rolled his eyes and wondered what she was going to want to do next. After supper, Cat and Ben read another chapter in their book. Then he took her up to the next car while Adam took Silver Chief to the stock car. Once Cat was asleep, Ben, Adam and Dr. Johnson again joined the Longs.
"Ben, I'm a little surprised that you don't insist on Catherine calling you Pa," said Reverend Long. "I keep hearing her refer to you as Uncle Ben but never Pa."
"The time is not right for that," said Dr. Johnson. "Ben has been Catherine's uncle all of her life and just recently adopted her. He is doing the right thing in giving her time to adjust to having a Pa and brothers. When did you say you adopted her Ben?"
"The adoption was effective as of her ninth birthday, which was a little more than a month ago. Finding and losing her mother in the same week was devastating for her and I'm certain that once she settles in on the Ponderosa, she will start calling me Pa. It may not be next week or even next month, but it will happen. Don't forget, except for friends' parents who came to think of her as their own, she hasn't had a mother or father since she was very young. Right now, my main concern is getting her settled in and letting her learn what being part of a family is all about. Since I expect everyone on the ranch to work, Catherine already knows that she's going to have some chores to do."
"I hope you're not going to give her too much work," said Dr. Johnson. "She's not ready for that yet."
"No, she won't have much work at all. She'll be responsible for caring for her horse and colt, gathering eggs and filling the wood box in the kitchen twice a day. As she grows up, she'll have more responsibilities, but those things, along with her schoolwork are enough for now. Dr. Johnson, you never told us where you were going."
"Oh, I didn't. I'm sorry, I thought I did. Like you, I am also going to Virginia City. Your doctor there, Paul Martin is an old friend who has been begging me to come and visit for a long time now. My practice is safely in the hands of a young man who graduated from medical school two years ago. He has been doing his apprenticeship with me and is an excellent doctor. I want to talk to Paul about my youngest son. Paul is Kelly's Godfather and encouraged him to attend medical school. He'll be graduating next year and I want to ask Paul if he'll be willing to take his Godson under his wing."
"I'm sure he will. Paul is an excellent doctor, so I'm sure he'll be more than happy to share his knowledge with a new, young doctor."
Before the conversation could continue, Cat started having a nightmare and Ben went to sit with her. He held her hand and talked softly to her, reassuring her that she was safe and all was well. Silver Chief licked her face, causing her to wake up. "Quit Chief. That tickles. Why are you holding my pillow in your lap Uncle Ben?"
"You had a nightmare, so I came to sit with you until it passed."
"Oh ok. Thank you. I need to use the outhouse."
"Ok Sweetheart, I'll take you to the next car. Adam, will you please take Silver Chief to the stock car so he can do his business?" When they returned, Ben noticed that Cat was still upset from her bad dream so he asked, "Do you know what happens to little girls who have bad dreams on trains?"
"No, what?"
"The same thing that happens when they catch more fish than their Pa. They get tickled." Ben tickled Cat until she started giggling. Then he hugged her tightly, kissed her on the forehead, told her he loved her and tucked her and Silver Chief in. He sat with her until she fell back to sleep. Once he was certain that Cat was asleep, he rejoined Adam, the Longs and Dr. Johnson. They talked for a while longer and then decided to get some sleep.
Cat was hungry when she woke up the next morning. Ben gave her some of the food out of the picnic baskets that had been packed for them. "Just eat a little bit Cat. We'll be in Denver in about an hour and a half. Since we'll be there for two hours, we'll find a restaurant and get a hot breakfast. Then we can explore a little bit. Denver is a lot larger than Santa Fe, so we're not going to be able to explore too much, but at least we will be able to explore a little bit."
When they reached Denver, Ben invited the Longs and Dr. Johnson to join them for breakfast. After breakfast, the small party explored some of the shops near the train depot. They stopped in a toy store and Cat's eyes grew as big as saucers when she saw all of the toys. Adam watched carefully to see which ones caught her eye. After leaving the toy store, they stopped in a bookstore. Once again, Cat was amazed as she had never seen that many books in one place before. Ben told her to pick out as many as she wanted and if there were too many to carry; he would have them shipped to the Ponderosa. With everyone's help, she picked out eighteen books. Ben told her to pick two of them to take with them and the rest would be shipped. Cat looked at him and said, "After I read all of these, can we please come back and get more? I want to take all of the books in here with me."
Ben laughed and hugged his daughter. "Don't worry little one. When you finish reading all of the books we just bought, we'll get more for you. Maybe we can even get Jarrod to buy some for you when he goes to San Francisco. However, I am making a rule right here and now. No reading your books when you're supposed to be doing your chores or schoolwork, especially arithmetic. Miss Jackson told us how much you love to read and how she has found you reading instead of concentrating on grammar and arithmetic." Cat scrunched up her nose and made a funny face causing everyone around her to laugh.
The Longs and Dr. Johnson were greatly impressed by the fact that the only things Cat asked Ben to buy for her were books and told Ben as much. They also told him that they couldn't recall the last time they met a child who was as well behaved in public as Cat.
After they left the bookstore, Adam returned to the toy store while the rest of the group explored more of the shops. Among other things, he bought a yo-yo, marbles, and a set of dolls for the doll house he and his brothers had helped make for Cat when she was still an infant. After paying for his items and arranging for them to be shipped to the Ponderosa, he rejoined the group. Ben gave him a questioning look but he just mouthed the word, "later" and pointed at Cat. As they explored the different shops, the Longs and Dr. Johnson also bought some things for Cat. They seemed to enjoy having a young child to spoil a bit. They all agreed that some of the items they would be given to her once she settled in and the rest would be saved for Christmas. The one gift she would be given when they reached the ranch was a beautiful comb and brush set made from cherry wood that Mrs. Long suggested Ben buy for Cat.
Before long, it was time for the group to go back to the train depot. Since the train wasn't there yet, Ben allowed Cat to ride Ginger around the corral. She wanted to ride out on the other side of the train tracks but Ben said no because the train was due soon. It pulled into the station ten minutes after the group returned from their walk. While Ben, Adam, and Reverend Long took care of the luggage and horses, Mrs. Long and Dr. Johnson walked with Cat to find seats in the last passenger car. With permission from Dr. Johnson and Mrs. Long, Cat decided to play a trick on Ben and Adam and along with Silver Chief, hid under her seat. Ben and Adam spotted her right away but pretended not to. "Where is Catherine?" asked Ben. "I thought she was with you."
"She was," said Dr. Johnson, "but she wanted to explore Denver more and said that she'll take the train to Carson City when she's done exploring in a few days."
"Good," said Adam. "That means more chocolate cake for me. It also means I'll still only have two younger brothers to drive me crazy instead of a little sister and two younger brothers. Hoss is grown now and Joe is nineteen, so he's not as bad as he used to be. I guess Joe, Hoss, and I will have to play cards to see who gets Fury."
"Hold on a minute son. You're forgetting one important thing. As your father, I will decide who gets Fury and I may decide on me. Let's go and make sure the horses are settled before the train leaves the station." Once they entered the stock car, Cat and Silver Chief came out from under their seat. She stood on the seat, took her bag down from the luggage rack, removed a book, and put it back up. Then she sat in her seat acting like she had been there the entire time.
Reverend Long was about to scold Cat when his wife said, "No, David. Don't scold her. Catherine asked us if she could play a trick on her father and brother. Dr. Johnson and I gave her permission."
Reverend Long turned around and said, "It looks like there will never be a dull moment on the Ponderosa as long as you are there. I think Adam may be right. You are going to drive him crazy."
"I hope so. It will be lots of fun doing that. Little Joe says he has lots of fun making Adam crazy and will teach me more ways of doing it."
The minister turned back to his wife and said, "You are correct my dear. Ben is definitely going to have his hands full with that little girl."
Ben and Adam returned to their seats and saw Cat sitting in her seat reading to Silver Chief. "Where were you Cat?" asked Ben. "We didn't see you here when we boarded the train."
"I was right here. Maybe you were in the wrong car. I'm trying to teach Chief to read and we've already read half a chapter of Robin Hood."
Adam reached over, pulled Cat to him and started tickling her. "You are a little stinker. I think that Little Joe started teaching you some of his tricks before you left for Arizona. It's a good thing those Tanner boys don't live near Virginia City. I have a feeling that between you and Joe, I'm going to be crazy before the summer is over. If those boys lived near us, I'd be crazy within a week of getting you home. Now, you cannot teach that puppy to read any more than you can teach your colt to fly."
"I can so teach Silver Chief to read. Just you watch and see." She went back to her own seat, picked up the book and pointed to a word. "What does that say Chief?"
"Woof," said the puppy, causing everyone near them to break out in laughter.
"I guess she showed you Adam," laughed Dr. Johnson. "I think that when Cat makes up her mind to do something, she will be able to move mountains."
Adam sighed. "We're still more than a day away from home and she's already driving me crazy Pa. Can't we just put her on a train back to Dodge? Matt can bring her out later. I'd like to still be sane when we reach the ranch."
"No son," laughed Ben. Hop Sing would never forgive us if we did that. Do you want to lose the best cook in the territory just because your sister and brother are going to drive you crazy? That's their job. Just like it was your job to drive me crazy when you were a boy. Believe me. There will come a time when you'll miss Cat doing that to you. Besides that, think of what Hoss will do to you if Hop Sing quits because we didn't bring Cat home with us."
"Little Joe told me it's fun to make you crazy Adam," said Cat. "He said he's going to teach me more ways to do it when we get to the Ponderosa."
"Well," said Adam. "I'm just going to have to do something about that right now. Do you know what happens to little sisters who try to make their oldest brother crazy? They get tickled and that's what I'm going to do to you right now." He stood up, picked Cat up, sat down again and tickled her for a few minutes.
When he finished, Ben said, "Now that you've tickled your sister twice in the last hour, take her to the next car before she has an accident in her pants. I'll take Silver Chief into the stock car just in case he needs to do his business."
Their last day on the train passed slowly for Cat. She tried amusing herself by watching the scenery, reading and playing with Silver Chief. The train made one long stop and she was allowed to run around outside with her puppy for a little while. Once she fell asleep that night, Ben and Adam joined the Longs and Dr. Johnson for conversation. "Adam, I am curious, where did you go when we left the bookstore?" asked Ben.
"I went back to the toy store and bought some toys for Cat. I looked through her things in Matt's office and she has no toys to play with. I'll give her some of them when we get home and probably save the rest for Christmas."
"That was nice of you Adam," said Mrs. Long. "What did you get her?"
"Among other things, I got her some marbles, a ball and cup game, a hoop and stick, a yo-yo, tiddlywinks, dominoes, pick up sticks, jacks, and dolls for the doll house Hoss, Joe, and I helped her father make shortly after she was born. We still need to get her a sled for the winter. She kept busy in Dodge by helping the blacksmith, taking telegrams out to farms and ranches outside the city and fishing. The Ponderosa is too far from town for her to do things like help the blacksmith and she's going to need things to keep her busy on days when the weather is too bad to play outside or ride to a friend's house."
"You made her a doll house right after she was born?"
"Yes. Her father had big plans to make a lot of things for her. Unfortunately, he only got to make her a doll house, doll carriage, large blocks with the alphabet and numbers on them, and a rocking horse. He had planned to build a large play house in the yard, hang a swing from the oak tree, and a lot of other things I can't remember right now. Unfortunately, he never got the chance. His friends talked him into going back in the Army and he left home, never to see his wife and daughter again. You have no idea how much my brothers and I hate them for what they did to Cat. Right now, she loves them but she'll hate them too once she's old enough to be told the truth. And I fully intend to tell her the truth as soon as she's old enough."
"Adam," said Ben quietly. "I know how you and your brothers feel about them, but Cat is sleeping right behind us and could wake up at any time. She's been through too much in the last month and a half and doesn't need to have her life upset any more than it has been right now. When she is old enough, the family will sit down with her and explain why her father rejoined the Army. Matt and Rip need to be part of that conversation too. Don't forget, Michael was their brother. Right now, our main priority is to get Cat settled in on the Ponderosa."
"Hate is a very strong word Adam," said Reverend Long. "If you allow it to, it will consume you. For your sister's sake, I beg you not to let it. When you get the opportunity, please go off by yourself to a quiet place and ask God to temper your feelings before the hatred consumes you. There will be times in the coming years when Catherine will need to lean on you. She will not be able to do that if you allow the hatred to rule your life." Adam promised to give some thought to what Reverend Long told him and the subject was dropped.
A little while later, Cat started stirring and Adam decided to sit with her, hoping she would not have another nightmare. She did have a nightmare and when she woke up, she was surprised to find her pillow in Adam's lap instead of Ben's. "Why is my pillow in your lap Adam?"
"You had another nightmare and Pa decided you were too heavy, so I sat with you instead."
"Oh. No he didn't, did he? I need to use the outhouse."
"No, he didn't really say that. I just wanted to sit with you for a while. Come on, I'll take you up to the next car." Then he picked Silver Chief up and said, "I'll take care of you after I bring her back." After Adam brought the puppy back from the stock car, he put him next to Cat and covered them up.
"Adam, when are we going to be in Carson City?"
"It's almost midnight, so we'll be there in about eight hours. Go on back to sleep. We'll be in Carson City shortly after you wake up in the morning. We'll have more than enough time to eat a good breakfast and let you explore a little bit."
"I'm hungry. Can I please have something to eat?"
"Sure. I'll get something out for you." Adam pulled one of the picnic baskets out from under the seat and gave Cat a piece of fried chicken."
"That was good. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, go back to sleep. It will make the time go faster."
The train arrived in Carson City on time. After breakfast, Ben took Cat to the telegraph office so she could send telegrams to her brothers and Roy. Once the telegrams had been sent, the group set out so Cat could explore the city. The stage left Carson City at eleven and arrived in Virginia City at one. Roy met the stage along with Hoss and Joe. To Cat, Adam and Ben's surprise, Hoss and Joe had brought Hop Sing with them. Hoss helped Cat off the stage and hugged her tightly. "Hey big brother," said Joe. "Save some of her for the rest of us to hug. We missed her too." Hoss handed Cat to Joe who hugged her and handed her to Roy. After Roy finished hugging her, he set her down.
Cat ran up to Hop Sing who also hugged her tightly. "Missy Cat come home at last. Hop Sing make big supper to celebrate. Sheriff Roy come to supple too. Hop Sing make big chocolate cake for Missy Cat." After everyone had greeted Cat, Ben introduced the Longs and Dr. Johnson to his sons, Hop Sing and Roy.
Cat picked Silver Chief up and introduced him to her brothers, Hop Sing and Roy who thought he was cute. After handing the puppy back to Cat, Hoss and Joe pretended to argue over him, each saying that he was going to sleep in their bed. Cat laughed and said, "He's not going to sleep with either of you. He is going to sleep in Adam's bed with Fury and Adam can sleep on the floor, or in the barn or the bunkhouse." Hoss and Joe laughed loud and long at the thought of their older brother giving up his bed for a puppy and colt.
"Hoss, Joe, why don't you boys put the Long's things on the wagon along with ours?" Ben asked. "We can take them by the parsonage on our way home. Cat can show you which things are ours. Roy and I will walk Dr. Johnson over to Paul's house."
"Dr. Paul and Dr. Johnson, and Longs come to supper too. Hop Sing make really big supper to celebrate Missy Cat come home."
"We had hoped to unpack tonight," said Reverend Long.
"Unpack tomorrow! Eat supple at Ponderosa tonight!" said Hop Sing. "I go to store and buy supplies for supper." The Long's couldn't believe that Ben allowed his cook to talk to people like that.
"One thing you're going to learn is that Hop Sing doesn't take no for an answer," Roy told the Longs. "Supper is usually served around six, so you'll have time to freshen up and do some unpacking. I'll go to the livery stable and bring the buggy to you around five. Paul Martin has his own buggy, so he and Dr. Johnson may drive out with us or they may meet us at the Ponderosa."
"Cat, why don't you go with your brothers and show them which of the luggage is ours?" asked Ben.
"Can't Adam show Hoss and Little Joe which luggage to get? I want to go and say hi to Dr. Paul."
"Of course Adam can show them Sweetheart," said Roy. "My favorite Cartwright can do anything she wants to. Adam, go, show your brothers what luggage to get. I'm taking your sister with me to take Dr. Johnson to Paul Martin's office."
The Longs and Dr. Johnson were amazed at Roy's words. They couldn't believe that the town sheriff would go against a parent's instructions. Ben laughed at their expressions. "Roy believes that Catherine isn't spoiled enough and it's his job to remedy that situation. He thinks she should be able to do anything she wants to as long as it isn't against the law. I can't wait to see what he says if she tells him she doesn't want to go to school."
"I haven't completely made up my mind about that Ben, but I'm leaning toward making her go to school. After all, I've heard her say several times that she intends to take President Grant's job when she turns ten. I know that you need to know a lot of arithmetic to be president and I'm quite sure that eight year olds don't know enough to be president."
"I'm nine now Sheriff Roy!"
"You can call me Uncle Roy. When did you turn nine? I am positive that we just celebrated your eighth birthday last month before you went to Arizona with your uncle and Godparents. She did just turn eight, didn't she Ben?" he teased.
"I'm not sure anymore Roy. I could have sworn that Joseph was just starting school last year and look at him now."
"You know I'm nine. Hop Sing put nine candles on my birthday cake!"
"Are you sure that Hop Sing didn't make a mistake?" teased Roy.
Cat was starting to get upset. "I am nine! Just ask Little Joe!" She turned to her brother and asked, "Aren't I nine Little Joe?"
"Joe picked his sister up, hugged her and whispered, "Roy is teasing you." Then he said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Of course you're nine. I just turned nineteen and you were born on my tenth birthday. Your mamma gave you to me as a birthday present and I intend to keep you."
"Alright, said Ben. "We need to get the Longs over to the parsonage and Dr. Johnson over to Paul Martin's office. Cat, you may come with us to take Dr. Johnson to see Dr. Paul. Adam, please show your brothers which luggage is ours. Hoss, Joe, don't forget to put the Long's luggage onto our wagon also."
Hop Sing went to the store to buy supplies for supper, Adam, Hoss, Joe, and the Longs went to get the luggage, while Ben, Roy and Cat took Dr. Johnson to Paul Martin's office. Paul greeted his old friend warmly and hugged Cat. "While we're here Paul, would you mind checking Cat over? I'm worried about her. She's always hungry but she's as light as a feather. Doctor Adams said she's fine, but I'm not so sure."
Both doctors laughed. "Ben, I seem to remember you saying the same thing about Little Joe when he was nine. Hop up on my scale Cat and let's show your Pa that you're just right for an active nine year old." After Cat got off the scale, he said, "Step over here and let's see how tall you are." After weighing and measuring Cat, Paul said, "Galen is right Ben. There's nothing wrong with her. Cat is a normal, active nine year old child. Take her home and let her eat as much of Hop Sing's cooking as she wants."
"That reminds me," said Ben. "Hop Sing is planning a large supper in honor of Cat's homecoming. He expects you, Virginia and Dr. Johnson to be there, and you know he doesn't take no for an answer."
Paul laughed. "You are in for a real treat tonight George. Hop Sing is the best cook in the territory. Of course we'll be there Ben. You don't have to ask me twice. I never turn down an invitation to supper at the Ponderosa. Virginia and I'll be there with bells on. What is Hop Sing planning for dessert?"
"Chocolate cake," answered Cat. "My favorite."
"I know that you little scamp," laughed Paul. "If you had your way, you would have chocolate cake for breakfast, dinner, and supper."
"That would be yummy."
"Alright Ben, take this child home and spoil her rotten. We'll see you at six."
After taking the Longs to the parsonage, the Cartwrights headed home. When they reached the house, Cat wanted to run right out to the pasture where Fury and Lady were and hug her colt. Ben knew what she was planning and said, "Take these two bags up to your bedroom first Cat. Then you can go and see Fury. Your brothers will show you where your new bedroom is."
Cat carried the two bags Ben handed her, Hoss carried her trunk, Adam carried his bag and one of Cat's while Joe carried the rest of her things. Joe went up the stairs first with Cat right behind him. He set one of the bags down, opened the bedroom door and let Cat go in first. "I hope you like it Cat," he said.
Cat walked into her new bedroom and looked around. It was larger than the one she had been using and as Adam had said, it had two windows, one of which had a large tree outside it. She dropped her bags on the bed, turned around and hugged Joe. "I love it and you even painted it green. Thank you for giving it to me."
"You're welcome little sister, but it wasn't just me. Hoss had to help me convince Adam to give it to you. It was Pa's idea to paint it green to match your eyes."
"Adam didn't want to give it up," said Hoss, "But Joe and I convinced him it was the right thing to do. It also helped when Pa agreed with us. Now you take today and look it over and decide how you want it arranged. Then tomorrow, Adam, Joe, and I will move everything around to where you want it. Right now, I think that there's a little black colt out in a pasture that needs to be introduced to a certain puppy. I know he's been missing you, so why don't you take your puppy and go see your colt?"
Cat didn't wait to be told twice. She picked up Silver Chief and started running down the hall toward the stairs. "Cat, no running in the house," said everyone together. Cat slowed down and walked until she reached the bottom of the stairs. Then she ran out the door, set Silver Chief on the ground and ran to the pasture to see her colt.
All concerns that Fury had forgotten her were gone as soon as she entered the pasture. He whinnied and ran up to her, happy that his little girl had returned. Cat hugged and kissed him. Then she picked Silver Chief up and introduced him to Fury. "Fury, this is Silver Chief. Silver Chief, this is Fury. The two of you are going to be friends." The colt and puppy sniffed each other and then Silver Chief licked Fury. The three of them ran around the pasture until Ben called Cat in to eat a little bit of dinner.