After Cat left for school the next morning, Joshua, Thaddeus, and Pete walked up to the house and were admitted by Adam. They joined the rest of the family and talked to Ben, who predictably was not pleased to be told he had to let Cat have more freedom or risk losing her. He also said a definite no and refused to even discuss Thaddeus' idea on how to teach her that she couldn't take care of herself. After listening to all of his father's arguments why he needed to keep Cat on a short leash, Adam couldn't stand it any more and finally said, "You are going to lose her forever. Hoss, Joe, Grandfather and I have talked. Since you won't loosen Cat's reins and let her have the freedoms that other nine year old children have, we'll help her pack when she gets home from school and we can leave first thing in the morning. With winter going to be setting in before long, we won't have time to take her all the way to Dodge but even with a colt tagging along, it shouldn't take us more than five or six days to reach Rip's fort. We won't be home for Thanksgiving but making sure Cat gets safely to Arizona is much more important and we can't risk her leaving on her own and possibly getting hurt or killed."

Hop Sing also got angry at Ben and said, "Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe take Missy Cat to Arizona, Hop Sing quit and go back to China! You no being fair to Missy Cat. When Hoss and Little Joe nine, you let them leave ranch and go play with friends. Why you not want Missy Cat to have fun and play with friends? She little child and need to run and play."

"Once we take Catherine to Arizona," said Abel, "I will return to Boston and remain there for the rest of my days. I will not remain in a house where a healthy young child's freedom is curtailed just because her parent is afraid she might get hurt. Need I remind you that just last Friday, the doctor sat here and reminded you that she was hurt at the church and you were with her? Need I also remind you that your actions caused her to do something potentially very dangerous and be severely punished for it by Adam? Which is it going to be? Are you going to loosen your daughter's restrictions or are you going to lose her, Hop Sing, and me, as well as the respect of your sons, men who work for you, friends, and neighbors?"

Joshua spoke up. "Before taking Cat to Arizona, her Godfathers told Thaddeus and I to take her to one of her uncles if you tried to break her spirit, and that is exactly what you are doing. We haven't done anything yet because we're trying to give everyone a chance to adjust to a new situation. You're not used to having a young child in the house any more and Cat is not used to having a family. However, she has been here almost four months and you have done very little to give her the freedom she needs and longs for. Saturday was a prime example. Even though there were many people, including her brothers and us to watch over her, you weren't going to let her go to the festival because you didn't want to go. The chances of her horse getting spooked and throwing her on the way to or from school are exactly the same as they would be if she were on her way to a friend's house or her favorite fishing spot."

Finally realizing he was going to lose Cat if he continued to keep her from doing the things she wanted and needed to, Ben finally said, "Alright, you win. I'll start loosening her reins and letting her have more freedom. Now Thaddeus, tell me more about this idea of yours to teach her she can't take care of herself?"

Thaddeus told him and before he could object, Abel said, "She will have six grown men looking after her to keep her safe. The worst thing that will happen to her is that she will be frightened when two strange men enter her camp and take her horse and food. As Hoss stated when we first discussed this last night, it's a shame you don't know of anyone who can make a noise like a cougar. That would definitely help to show her that she's not ready to be on her own yet. We fully expect you to place restrictions on her, such as staying on the Ponderosa and when to be home the next day. The goal is to keep her as safe as possible while teaching her a valuable lesson. With her brothers and these three men looking after her, she will be just as safe as she would be here in her own bed."

"I'm not happy about it, but you have an excellent idea. I will come up with some reasonable restrictions to put on her. I do like the idea of keeping her on the Ponderosa where she'll be safer. Who did you have in mind for the two men to frighten her?"

"You're not going to like it, but we decided on Frank and Jeff Bonner. They are perfect because Cat doesn't know them," said Adam.

"You know how I feel about those two. They are much too wild and you got into too much trouble when you were with them."

"That was many years ago when we were much younger. All three of us have grown up since then. Their mother is ill and they rarely leave the ranch except to go to town for supplies. When they do go into the saloon, they usually only have one beer. They don't like leaving their mother alone for long."

"Yeah Pa," added Hoss. "Joe was just a little tyke when Adam and the Bonners got into all that trouble. They aint done nothin' dumb since Adam went to college."

"I wasn't aware that Betty was ill. Have Frank and Jeff taken her to the doctor?"

"They try but she refuses to go," replied Adam. "She is so stubborn, if I didn't know better, I'd swear that she was a Cartwright. As Hoss, Joe, and I are well aware, it's next to impossible to get a parent to do something they don't want to do."

"Alright. We'll ride over there, talk to Frank and Jeff, and see if we can convince Betty to go to the doctor. Thaddeus, thank you for that idea. I'm still not thrilled about it, however, I have been trying to figure out how to convince Cat she is not old enough to take care of herself. I forgot to ask. When did you plan on doing this?"

"We thought about the day after Thanksgiving," said Joe. "School won't be in session and I'm sure that Miss Winter won't assign homework, except possibly reading, over the holiday, so Cat won't have any homework to worry about. Also, since it's just a little more than a week away, the temperature shouldn't be much colder than it is now. There may be some snow, but it won't be much and it will help to teach her that she has to prepare for any kind of weather."

"That's fine. However, I do not want her told before Thanksgiving. She'll be so excited and won't be able to concentrate in school. She should be bringing her first set of grades home today and I don't want her sliding backwards because she is not paying attention to the lessons."

Pete, Thaddeus, and Joshua went back to work and the Cartwrights rode over to the Bonner ranch. Ben was shocked to see how sick Mrs. Bonner was and asked, "Betty, why won't you let your sons either get the doctor out here or take you to him?"

"It's nothing Ben. I'll be right as rain in a day or two."

"That is nonsense and you know it. You need to see the doctor and I'm going to take you there. Don't argue with me. I'm not one of your sons so you can't bully me the way you do them. Adam, please see if you can find Frank and Jeff and tell them we're taking their mother to the doctor. They need to come with us. Joe, please hitch up their wagon. Hoss, once the wagon is hitched up, please put a mattress in the back. Betty is a very sick woman and we need to keep her as comfortable as possible."

When they arrived at the doctor's office, Hoss carried Mrs. Bonner inside. She kept insisting that she was fine but after examining her, Paul said, "Betty, you are a very sick woman. You should have sent for me when you first started feeling ill. You have pneumonia and are going to have to stay here for a while so I can treat you. You need to thank Ben for bringing you in here because if he hadn't, you would be dead before the month was out." He left her and went out to talk to Frank and Jeff. "Boys, I don't have to tell you that your mother is a very sick woman. She has pneumonia and if Ben hadn't brought her in here today, she would not have lived past the end of the month. I know she is a stubborn, hard-headed woman and most likely threatened to either throw you out of your home or leave if you brought her here or had me come to the house. Fortunately, she is also a strong woman and with a lot of rest and care, she will get well. I am going to keep her here for a while because I know she will not follow my instructions if she is at home. Your father was the only one who could get her to do anything she didn't want to do, which is why I am not faulting you for not getting her to me sooner. I am quite certain that you tried many times since she first got sick. She's had a good scare this time and hopefully she will come to her senses and let the two of you do what needs to be done to keep her healthy. Go and say goodbye to her and I don't want you to come to see her until Friday. I am going to give her medicine that will make her very sleepy and I intend for her to sleep most of the day tomorrow. She needs a lot of rest and I intend to see that she gets it."

After leaving Paul's office, Ben said, "Let's go and get a bite to eat. Frank, Jeff, that means you too. We need to talk about your mother and I have a favor to ask of you." Frank and Jeff were surprised. Ben Cartwright rarely asked favors of anyone and they couldn't even remember the last time he had spoken to them. They couldn't blame him as they had been quite wild when they were younger and, along with Adam, had gotten into a lot of trouble. A father doesn't forget things like that, no matter how many years have passed. Ben seemed willing to put the past behind him so they were willing to listen to what he had to say. They went to the International and got a table where they could sit and talk. After everyone ordered some food, Ben said, "Frank, Jeff, I am very sorry that your mother is so ill. I have known her ever since Adam, Hoss, and I first arrived and know what a stubborn woman she is. I also know it's my fault you didn't come to me and tell me how sick she is and I am very sorry for that. As Adam reminded me earlier, it has been many years since the three of you were boys and got into so much trouble. I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but I adopted my niece when her mother was killed in June. For reasons that aren't important now, she was raised by one of her father's brothers in Dodge City. He's a US marshal and when Catherine was four, he had to go to Arizona to testify at a trial and took her with him. His other brother is an Army officer station in Arizona. They stayed at his fort and one day, someone left the side gate open, she wandered out and was found by a small hunting party of Apaches. She lived with them until she was almost five and has spent two weeks with them every summer since. Catherine is nine now and very independent. She thinks she can take care of herself and survive on her own and refuses to believe it when we tell her she can't. One of our hands came up with an idea on how to teach her that she is nowhere near old or ready enough to take care of herself and we need your help with it. I'll let Adam tell you about the plan."

After listening to Ben and Adam, Jeff said, "I'm sure Frank will agree with me but we'll be more than happy to help. I think I've seen Catherine at the school. Is she the girl that wears buckskins?"

"Yes she is."

"She's a cute kid. I saw her a couple of weeks ago when a bigger boy tripped her. She sure has some spunk. She lit into him like a wild cat."

The family laughed. "Believe it or not," laughed Joe, "That's what we call her. Hoss started calling her that when she only about six months old. He said that she was as wild as the west Texas wind and harder to tame. That statement is more true now than it was then."

Frank and Jeff laughed. "I can believe it," said Frank. "When are you planning on doing this?"

"The day after Thanksgiving," replied Adam. "School won't be in session so she won't have any homework to worry about. There is something important you need to know. She has a bow and arrows that she carries with her whenever she can and she knows how to use them. You need to wear extra clothes because she'll probably come after you when you take her horse. We don't want you to get hurt. If she does shoot you with arrows, feel free to take whatever reasonable action you think is necessary. Just please be careful not to hurt her or her puppies. They're seven months old now and getting big. Silver Chief was given to her by the Apaches and he's more wolf than dog. Lassie is a collie who was given to her by George McLeod's brother. They're both very protective of her. They're another reason you need to wear extra clothes. Those teeth hurt. Joe found that out the hard way when he tried cheating at checkers."

"Mr. Cartwright, if you'll explain what we're doing to Ma, we'll even grow beards so your daughter won't recognize us if she sees us in town. Once Ma is well again, she'll insist that we start going back to church and we wouldn't want your little Wild Cat to recognize us. That would ruin everything your hand's idea was meant to do."

"I don't suppose one of ya can make a noise like a cougar?" asked Hoss. "Hearing a big cat near her should really put a scare into her."

"No," said Frank, "But we can ask around and see if anyone does know how to make that noise. We'll let you know if we find someone. I sure hope this works because I don't like the idea of a little kid thinking they're old enough to survive on their own. We won't hurt her, but we'll do our best to scare the pants off of her."

"Thank you both," said Ben. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. I would invite you to Thanksgiving dinner but I don't want Cat meeting you before we put this plan into action."

"I got an idea Pa," said Hoss. "Since their Ma is probably still gonna be at Paul's, they can still have Thanksgiving dinner on the Ponderosa, it just won't be in the house. Cat talked Hop Sing into making dinner for the hands. Frank and Jeff can eat in the bunkhouse with the rest of the hands."

"That's fine," said Ben. "Once your mother is well, we'll have all three of you over for supper one night. I'm sure Cat will enjoy hearing about some of the trouble Adam used to get into. He keeps telling her that he was a perfect child."

"Nobody had better tell Cat about my misadventures when I was younger," said Adam. "That includes my brothers. I have told her that I was a perfect child and I fully expect her to believe it."

"Little sister knows ya ain't perfect and it's too late ta convince her otherwise. Ya done been mean to her too much since she got here," said Hoss. "The Friday before yore grandfather got here is a big reason why she ain't never gonna believe yore perfect."

"It's about time someone told older brother he isn't perfect," laughed Joe.

Before Adam could get upset with his brothers, Ben put an end to the teasing. "Alright boys, that's enough. We have got to start for home before the children get out of school for dinner. I don't want your sister seeing the five of us together and then start asking questions. Frank, Jeff, I'll let my foreman know that you will be joining the hands for Thanksgiving dinner. We'll talk again before then but I intend to let Cat start out after dinner on Friday. That should give her plenty of time to find a spot to camp and catch some food before dark."

Near the end of the school day, Susan Winter gave the students all of the tests they had taken during the grading period and handed out their grades. When school was dismissed for the day, Cat looked at her grades and told her friends, "I'm doomed. I'll be twelve before I'll be able to sit down again and I'll probably be eighteen before I'm allowed to leave the ranch. My grades aren't very good and they have to be perfect."

Mike looked at Cat's grades and said, "These are good Cat. Mr. Cartwright doesn't expect you to have perfect grades. Who told you that?"

"Seth and Jackson's ma started telling me that the night they came to supper and tells me everytime she picks up Seth and Jackson while you're saddling my horse. Annabel's ma also tells me everytime she sees me & so do some of the other ladies."

"They're lying to you Cat. I know that Joe's grades were worse than yours and he never got in big trouble over them."

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a girl. Girls are supposed to be perfect and boys aren't."

Mary looked at Cat's grades and said, "Mike is right Cat. These grades are very good. You got one hundred percent in reading and history, ninety percent in grammar, and eighty percent in arithmetic. I didn't even do that well in history and grammar when I was nine. Girls aren't expected to be perfect any more than boys are. Your pa isn't going to punish you for not getting perfect grades. After seeing them, Hop Sing may just make you a chocolate cake for dessert tonight."

Cat hoped her friends were right but decided that she wasn't going to take any chances and just wouldn't go home. She would sneak into the house after everyone went to bed, get her belongings, puppies, Fury and Lady and leave for Arizona. She knew that Uncle Matt and Uncle Rip didn't expect her to get grades of one hundred percent in all subjects and wouldn't punish her because her arithmetic and grammar grades weren't perfect. What she didn't know that the night the Winters came to supper, Margaret had said she would be severely punished if her grades weren't perfect because she was angry that Ben had said Seth and Jackson were poorly behaved and criticized her because she wouldn't allow them to be spanked. She was also angry that her husband would not let her confront Ben over the fact that he allowed Cat's puppies to sleep in her bed. Cat also didn't know that Mrs. White had said the same thing because Annabel had been punished for stealing because Cat wouldn't let her have her saddle bags. She had always told her daughter she could have anything she wanted and if someone didn't want to give her something, she could just take it. The other ladies were just trying to drive Cat away because they thought with her out of the way, they would be free to pursue Ben, marry him and have access to all of his money. Adam, Hoss, and Joe were grown and could just be told to move out but the women didn't want anything to do with raising another woman's daughter. They wanted Ben and his money all to themselves, but Cat didn't know that.

After saying goodbye to Mike, Cat rode out to Lake Tahoe and found herself at her parents' and Aunt Marie's graves. She didn't know why she went there because that's one place she never wanted to go, but Joe said whenever he needed to think and talk to someone, he always went to his mother's grave to talk to her. She sat down on the ground and said, "Mama, Daddy, Aunt Marie, I'm here to say goodbye. I have to leave. I don't know what else to do. I don't even know if I like living here because Pa keeps treating me like a baby and never lets me do anything. He wasn't even going to let me go to the Harvest festival last Saturday because he didn't want to go and said I couldn't go unless he went too. A whole bunch of ladies said that if I didn't get perfect grades, I was going to get a bare bottom whipping with a razor strop and be restricted to the ranch with lots of extra chores for a long, long time and I might even get sent to an orphanage. They said if that happened, my puppies and colt would be killed. My grades weren't perfect and I love my puppies and colt and don't want them to be killed so I'm going to leave for Uncle Rip's fort tonight and he'll take me back to Uncle Matt. I'll miss Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, Hop Sing, and Grandpa Stoddard, but I just can't stay here any more. Having my own bedroom was nice but I don't mind sharing that little room with Uncle Matt and once I go live with Uncle Rip, I'll have my own room again. I'll climb the tree by my bedroom after everyone goes to sleep. Then I can pack my stuff, get my puppies, my colt and his mama and leave. I'll be real quiet and they won't know I'm gone until morning. Nobody will be able to follow me because my Apache father taught me how to hide my horse's tracks. Mama, I'm sorry it's my fault you got killed. I hope you can forgive me sometime."

Cat stayed at the gravesite and Ben became very worried when she still wasn't home from school an hour after she should have been. He was pretty sure that she hadn't been kept after school because Mike Devlin most likely would have ridden over and told him unless he stayed at the school to wait for her. He opened the door when he heard hoof beats in the yard but it was his sons returning home after working all day. "Your sister isn't home yet and I'm very worried about her. Joseph, please ride over to the Devlins and ask Mike if she was kept after school. If she wasn't, try and think of someplace she might be. Adam, Hoss, please ride out to the lake and see if she decided to go there for some reason. If you find her, tell her that we are very worried about her, but do not scold or threaten to punish her, and do not tell her that she is in big trouble. There may be a very valid reason for her behavior and I don't want her to be afraid to tell me what is wrong because she's afraid she'll be punished."

Adam and Hoss rode toward Lake Tahoe while Joe rode over to the Devlins and talked to Mike. "No Joe. Cat didn't get kept after school. We rode home together just like we always do. I do know she was upset that some of her grades weren't perfect. She said that Seth and Jackson's ma, Annabel's ma, and some of the other ladies have been telling her that your Pa expects her to get perfect grades and she'll be severely punished if they aren't perfect."

"Thanks Mike. I have got to find her and take her home. I wish she would have come to me and told me what those women said. I would have set her straight. Pa doesn't expect us to have perfect grades and never did. He just expects us to do our best and I know Cat is doing the best she can. Pa knows she struggles with arithmetic and he's not going to punish her even if her grade isn't very good."

"Her grades weren't bad Joe. She passed every subject but those women have her totally convinced she's going to be in a lot of trouble if she didn't get a grade of one hundred percent in all of her subjects. Mary, Jas, Laura, and I all tried to tell her the ladies were wrong, but she doesn't know the women and couldn't believe they would lie to her."

"Thank you for letting me know. Pa is going to be very angry at those women when I find Cat and tell him what they said to her. I have got to go. It's getting late, she hasn't eaten since dinner at school and unless she has some string and a fish hook, has no way of catching any food."

"Would you like some help looking for her?" asked Mr. Devlin. "The three of us can be saddled and ready to ride in five minutes."

"Yes please. The more people looking for Cat, the more likely we are to find her. I'm standing here, kicking myself for not thinking of bringing her puppies with me."

"That's an excellent idea. Before we start looking for your sister, we'll ride to the house and get her puppies. Hopefully they'll be able to find her. I won't rest until I know that little girl is safe."

Mr. Devlin and his sons went outside to saddle their horses. As Joe was getting ready to join them, Mrs. Devlin handed him two sandwiches wrapped in a towel. "I know that Hop Sing will have supper ready, but just in case it takes you a long time to find Cat, these will keep her from being too hungry until you get her home."

"Thank you. Those will be a big help. I'm sure Cat is getting hungry." When they reached the Ponderosa, Ben came outside, hoping that Joe had found his sister. "I didn't find her yet. Mr. Devlin, Mitch, and Mike offered to help look for her. We came to get Cat's puppies. We're positive they can find her. Mike, while I'm getting some rope so we don't lose the puppies, please tell Pa why Cat didn't come home after school."

Mike told Ben about what Cat had been told by Mrs. Winter, Mrs. White and the other ladies and Ben became very angry. "How dare they do that to Cat? They know nothing about how I raised my sons and am going to raise my daughter. I'm going to saddle up, ride into town and give them a very large piece of my mind!"

"You can do that tomorrow Ben," said Mr. Devlin. "Right now, Cat needs her whole family here to tell her she is loved and that those ladies lied to her. She needs you to hug her and reassure her that she is not in trouble over her grades and for not coming home after school. I'll let Cat show you her grades when we find her but I'm going to tell Hop Sing what they are and ask him to make a chocolate cake for her. Knowing Cat, having chocolate cake for dessert will help her feel better."

"Daniel is right Benjamin," said Abel. "You can ride into town tomorrow while the children are in school. Catherine needs you here when Joe finds her."

"You're both right. I'm letting my anger at those women get in the way of my common sense."

Joe came back in carrying two ropes which he tied around the puppies' necks. They fought against the ropes and Joe said, "I know you don't like to be tied up like this but we need you to help find your little girl and we can't have you getting away from us before we do."

Abel walked upstairs and returned with one of Cat's dirty shirts and handed it to Joe. "Give this to them to smell before you are ready to ride out. They'll be able to track her scent."

Joe tied the ropes to his saddle horn and waited until the Devlins had mounted their horses before letting Lassie and Silver Chief smell Cat's shirt. "Ok you two, let's go and find your little girl." Joe was only half way in his saddle when the puppies took off at a run. After about thirty minutes, he realized where they were heading. He looked at Mitch and said, "They're heading for the place where my mother and Cat's parents are buried."

When they got close to where Cat was waiting for the family to go to bed, Joe stopped and untied the ropes from the puppies. They ran off, found Cat and attacked her with kisses and wagging tails. "Lassie, Chief, how did you get here? You're supposed to be at home. If you're here, that means someone is looking for me. Come on. We need to hide somewhere before I get in big trouble 'cause I didn't get perfect grades."

"Mike told us what the women said. They lied and you are NOT in trouble," said Joe walking up to his sister and hugging her. "I've got to get you home. Everyone is very worried about you."

"So are we," said Mr. Devlin, picking Cat up and hugging her. "I am so very happy that we found you safe and sound. Your pa is going to go into town and talk to those women and I'm going with him. This is the second time they've hurt you with their words and once was more than enough. Mary was positive you'd be hungry and gave Joe some sandwiches for you. Eat one now and go home with Joe before Ben and everyone else goes out of their minds with worry. We have to get home too. Mary is also very worried about you and Mike still has to finish his homework." He hugged Cat one more time and handed her to Joe who took a sandwich out of his saddle bags and handed it to her.

"Here you go Squirt. Eat this now and you can eat the other while we're riding home. Hop Sing is holding supper until we get there so if we don't get there soon, Hoss is going to be as grouchy as an old bear coming out of hibernation. He's probably in the kitchen, pestering Hop Sing, trying to steal food, and getting smacked with Hop Sing's spoon."

Cat giggled and started eating the sandwich. "I think Hoss is hungry fifteen minutes after he finishes eating."

"I'm not even sure it's that long. I can remember him sneaking into the kitchen, trying to steal food not long after we finished a meal when I was a little boy." After Cat finished her sandwich, Joe picked her up, put her in her saddle, handed her the other sandwich and said, "We've got to get home. You can eat this one while we're riding. Call those wild beasts of yours and let's go." When they reached the house, Joe took Cat down out of her saddle, handed her saddle bags to her and said, "I'll take care of Beauty. You go in the house and let everyone know that you're alive and well. I think Pa was getting ready to ask the Army to start looking for you."

Cat walked into the house and was picked up by Hoss who hugged her and handed her to Adam. He hugged her and handed her to Hop Sing who gave her to Abel and he gave her to Ben. He sat down in his chair and pulled her onto his lap. "Are you mad at me?"

"No Kitten. I am not angry at you. I was very worried when you didn't come home and I am sad that you didn't think you could come and tell me what those women had been telling you, but I am not angry at you. However, I am very angry at those women and will be talking to them tomorrow. Now, let me see those grades you were so worried about." He looked at them and said, "These are very good Cat. In fact, they're much better than I thought they would be. Your arithmetic grade is the same as it was when you left Dodge and that's to be expected because the work you have now is much harder than you had last year. I knew your reading grade would be high because you enjoy reading but I didn't expect your history and grammar grades to be so high. You have worked hard this term and I am very proud of you."

"Adam looked at Cat's grades and the test papers she brought home and asked, "Why didn't you finish these arithmetic tests Cat? Pa's right, these grades are very good."

"'Cause I didn't have enough time. Long division is really hard and it takes a long time especially when you have to check your answers."

"Well, you'll get faster and better with practice. No, don't make that face. You need to keep practicing everything you've learned because you'll probably have a test on all of it before school lets out for the summer. I'll help you. Don't worry, I'm not going to give you a bunch of extra problems on top of your homework. I think just one multiplication or division problem a day will work. After all, it's still a long time until June and it's just to make sure you don't forget what you've already learned. How much homework do you have tonight?"

"I already did my reading, grammar and history, but not my arithmetic. I didn't want to be too far behind when I got back to Dodge."

"I'll help you with your arithmetic after supper. Right now, I think you had better wash up before Hop Sing threatens to go back to China because supper is ready and we're not sitting at the table."