The Ingalls left after breakfast and Jasper asked, "Mark, do you want to go hunting? This will probably be our last chance before spring."
"Sure, I'd love to but I didn't bring my rifle and Pa won't let me use his."
"That's ok," said Cat. "If it's ok with Pa and Uncle Luke, you can use my twenty two. I never use it unless Pa makes me take it out and shoot at cans."
Lucas gave his permission for Mark to use Cat's twenty two. Ben said, "Since Lucas has no objections, Mark may use Cat's twenty two. However, I want the four of you to have two adults with you today."
"Why Pa? We've all been hunting before."
"I know that all of you have been hunting before. The reason I want two adults with you is because none of you have spent enough time on the Ponderosa to know your way around and I don't want you getting lost. Also, if something happens and someone gets hurt, one adult can return here in a hurry and send someone for the doctor while everyone else takes care of the injuries and brings the injured person home."
"Lassie and Silver Chief will be with us. They won't let us get lost."
"I know you're going to have your dogs with you, but my decision stands. You must have two adults with you or you will not be going hunting today."
"I'll go with them," said Adam.
"So will I," said Joe.
"No Joseph, you will not be going hunting today. Neither will Hoss. The two of you will take more hay and salt out to the cattle and fill the hay sheds that are out at the pastures. We've had a mild winter so far, but as you know, that can change in a hurry, so I want to ensure that there is enough hay and salt for the cattle."
"You won't let Hoss and Joe go with us, so that means we can't go hunting 'cause of your dumb rule we gotta have two adults with us and that ain't fair," complained Cat, upset with Ben's instructions.
"I highly recommend you watch your attitude young lady or the boys will be going hunting without you today. Walk out to the bunkhouse and see if one of the hands will go hunting with you." Cat started to go out the door without her hat, coat and mittens on. "Put your hat, coat, and mittens on before you go outside. I don't care if you're just walking across the yard to the bunkhouse. It's cold outside and I don't want you getting sick."
After Cat walked outside, Victoria asked, "Ben, are you going to allow Cat to go hunting after she was so rude and disrespectful?"
"It depends on whether or not she apologizes. Right now, I'm trying to give her the opportunity to do the right thing. I'm sure she's out in the bunkhouse complaining to my foreman about how mean I am and I know exactly what Pete is going to tell her. If she apologizes, Cat will be allowed to go hunting. If she doesn't, the boys will go and she will spend the day in her room."
Cat walked out to the bunkhouse and knocked on the door. Dave opened it and said, "Hi Cat. Come in out of the cold. What can we do for you today?"
"DoesanyonewanttogohuntingmeandMarkandJasandMikewanttogohuntingbutPasayswegottahavetwogrownupswithusandhewon'tletHossorJoego," she answered all in one breath.
"Whoa there little one. Slow down so we can understand you."
Cat sighed. Grownups really needed to learn to listen to kids when they talked. "Does anyone want to go hunting? Me and Mark and Jas and Mike want to go hunting. Pa says we gotta have two grownups with us. Adam said he'd go but Pa won't let Hoss or Joe go with us. He said something about they gotta take hay and salt out to the cattle and fill hay sheds, whatever those are."
Dave turned to the men and said, "Well men, you heard Cat. She needs another adult to go hunting with her and her friends. Does anyone here want to go hunting today?"
"Sure, I'll go," replied Thaddeus. "Give me a minute to get my things and I'll come up to the house with you."
"Thank you," said Cat. "I was going to go hunting even without a grownup but I don't want Pa to get even madder at me."
"Why is he angry at you?"
"'Cause I said it wasn't fair Hoss and Joe couldn't come with us and his rule about needing two grownups was dumb."
"Cat," said Pete. "You have got to learn to control your temper before you end up with a very sore bottom. I have known Ben long enough to know he does not tolerate his children being rude and disrespectful. I also know that he does not make rules for no reason at all, so why did he say you had to have two adults with you?"
"For dumb reasons. He said we might get lost but we'll have my dogs with us and they won't let us get lost and in case one of us gets hurt. We're not going to get hurt. I never get hurt doing fun stuff. Me and Mike and Pete climbed the water tower in Dodge when we were six and didn't get hurt. I've jumped horses over a million fences and never got hurt and I've been hunting lots of times and never got hurt. But I have to go to church and school and got hurt at both places, so Pa's reasons are just dumb."
The men could barely control their laughter at Cat's statements. "You may think those are dumb reasons but they aren't. They are for your safety and that of your friends. I highly recommend you apologize to Ben when you go back in the house. I also recommend you spend a lot of time with Hoss so he can teach you how to control your temper before you get into a lot of trouble. He rarely gets angry to the point of losing his temper."
"But I'm mad at Pa. If it wasn't for his dumb rule about needing grownups to go hunting with us, we would have been gone before now."
"I don't care if you're angry at him or not. You were rude and need to apologize. You are only nine years old and should not be rude to adults so do the right thing and apologize."
While they were walking to the house, Thaddeus said, "Pete is right Cat. You need to apologize to your Pa for being rude and disrespectful."
"But I'm mad at him."
"I don't care. Did Matt allow you to be rude and disrespectful?"
"No."
"Then apologize because it's the right thing to do and you know it."
Cat sighed. She knew Pete and Thaddeus were right but didn't want to admit it. She was tired of having so many adults telling her what to do and wished she could go back to Dodge with Matt and Kitty. She walked into the great room with Thaddeus behind her. She looked at Ben and said, "I'm sorry I was rude and disrespectful."
"Thank you for apologizing. I forgive you. I'm glad you apologized because I would have hated to see you spending the day in your room while the boys went hunting. Adam, how many pack horses do you think you'll need to take with you?"
Cat's eyes got wide at Ben's statement that she would have spent the day in her room if she hadn't apologized. She didn't think she'd be punished for being disrespectful even if she didn't apologize because the family and her friends were there. She decided that she wanted to go back to Dodge with Matt and Kitty. Matt didn't have a bunch of dumb rules for her to follow. He also didn't treat her like a baby and refuse to let her go anywhere by herself. Besides that, she just knew that she was going to be home alone all the time once winter was over. Everybody would be busy with ranch work, they would be gone for a long time with the cattle drive, and she didn't want to be left home alone for several months.
"I think we should take at least three, possibly four. I want to try and get at least four deer or antelope. If Thaddeus also gets four and each of the boys gets two, that will be fourteen plus however many rabbits Cat gets. That many deer and antelope will be too much for one or two horses to pack."
"That's fine. Hoss, Joe, go saddle everyone's horse and get four pack horses ready to go also."
Hop Sing came out of the kitchen and said, "Missy Cat get puppy bags and bling into kitchen." Cat went up to her room, got the bags she used to carry her puppies in and took them to Hop Sing. He filled them with food, an extra coffee pot, a frying pan, cups, and a large jar of chocolate milk. "It cold outside. Put in coffee pot on fire and you have hot cocoa to drink. Put meat in frying pan and get hot before eating."
Cat hugged him and said, "Thank you Hop Sing. You always think of everything." She picked up one of the bags and said, "This is really heavy. I'd better ask Adam or Thaddeus to carry them for me so I don't drop them. I don't want to break the jar of cocoa." She walked back into the great room and said, Adam, would you please carry the puppy bags? They're heavy. Hop Sing packed them full and even put a jar of milk with cocoa in it so we can have hot cocoa."
"Sure Squirt. I'll carry them for you. I wouldn't want you to drop the one with the milk in it because the jar would probably break and then you wouldn't have any hot cocoa."
As the group was riding out of the yard, Thaddeus rode next to Cat and asked, "Now do you understand why Pete and I told you to apologize to your Pa? If you hadn't, you would be in your room watching us ride out. You're old enough to know that when you do or say something wrong, you need to apologize for it. Pete, Joshua, the rest of the hands and I aren't saying these things just to hear ourselves talk. We're saying them because we care about you and want you to grow up knowing right from wrong. I would have felt very bad if you were spending the day in your room instead of being here with us now."
"I know but I get tired of being treated like a baby. I can't go anywhere on the Ponderosa besides the ice skating pond, my parents' graves and our fishing spot because nobody will show me how to go anywhere. Adam, Hoss, and Joe showed me how to get somewhere, the south pasture I think, one day and Pa yelled at them so nobody has shown me how to go anywhere since then."
"Then I suggest you have a long talk with your aunt, uncles, and cousins and let them know that Ben won't let anybody show you how to get anywhere on the Ponderosa besides the fishing spot and your parents' graves. In fact, it might be best if you said what you're feeling in front of the whole family so they can do something about it. I'll ride out to Jasper and Mike's houses and ask their parents to tell the boys they want them to have dinner at home after church and why. Then you can talk to the family without them worrying about the boys being there."
"But Pa said he'd spank me the next time I said I wanted to go back to Dodge."
"Trust me. He isn't going to do anything with the whole family sitting there listening to you. He would be wrong to punish you for expressing your feelings because the way you feel isn't right or wrong. However, you have to be respectful when you're talking to everyone. If you're not, nobody will pay attention to you and then you will be punished for being disrespectful."
"Ok. I promise I'll try and control my temper."
"You've got to do better than try. Sit in Hoss' lap. He'll help you."
"Ok. I'll talk to him tonight or after church."
"That's good. Just remember, all of us care about you and we'll do almost anything we can to help you but you have to remember that adults make rules for a reason. You are fortunate to have a family that loves and cares about you. Our parents cared about all three of us boys but my oldest brother only cared and still only cares about himself. He never helped Joshua or me when we asked him to. He just told us he didn't have time for a couple of little kids and to ask someone else for help. Now, let's go and catch up with the others before they think we got lost."
When the group reached the place where Adam had intended to hunt, they found Chief Winnemucca and several of his braves already hunting there. Adam greeted them and asked, "Is the snow in the mountains deep already?" When the chief said it was and game was hard to find, Adam said, "Winnemucca and his braves are always welcome to hunt on the Ponderosa. We were going to hunt here but we will go elsewhere. When we return home, I will tell my father what you said and we will bring more cattle to you so your people do not go hungry during the winter."
"Thank you Adam Cartwright. You and your family are honorable men. Wild Cat, what are you hunting for today?"
"Rabbits. I'm not strong enough to kill a deer and I don't know if I ever will be."
"You are young yet and need to wait. There will be a time when you will be strong enough to kill a deer and then we will celebrate together. I was thirteen before I was strong enough to kill a deer and I am certain that your Apache father and grandfather were of a similar age."
"It is not easy to wait great chief."
Winnemucca laughed. "I know it is difficult when you are young. I too was impatient when I was young. When I was eight years old, I set out to prove I was a man and left the camp to go in search of my first deer to kill. I was attacked by a cougar but was not strong enough to kill it. I was lucky in that my father's brother and some others were hunting nearby and killed the cat before it killed me. After I recovered from my injuries, I had to stay in the camp with the women, girls and young children whenever the men and boys went anywhere for one moon. I had to help them hoe the crops and tend the youngest children. I had to fetch and carry water, wood, and other things for my mother and the other women while boys my age were learning to track, hunt and capture wild horses. I was greatly teased by the older boys and the men did nothing to stop it." Cat looked down at the ground in embarrassment and he asked, "You have done something like that too?"
"Yes. When I was four I was angry at being told I was too young to hunt by myself. One morning before my mother and father woke up, I took my bow and arrows, mounted my pony and went hunting. I had planned to get a rabbit right away and be back before they woke up. I could not find a rabbit right away and when I finally did, it ran away before I could kill it. When my father, grandfather, and Little Bear found me, they were very angry. I was not allowed to go hunting with them for two suns and my pony was taken away for seven suns. Little Bear told me if I ever did anything like that again, he would take my pony away forever and give him to another child."
"Wild Cat, now you see why you must be patient. Give yourself time to grow strong and wise. Your body will tell you when you are strong enough to kill a deer. Now, I must join the others and hunt so my people will not go hungry before spring. Adam Cartwright, watch over Wild Cat and teach her what she knows to grow wise as she ages."
They said goodbye to Winnemucca and rode off to hunt on a different part of the Ponderosa.
By the time they stopped for dinner, Adam and Thaddeus had killed one antelope and one deer each. The boys had one deer each while Cat and her puppies got almost enough rabbits to feed the family. "Alright little sister," said Adam. "Let's see what the Apaches have taught you. How about getting a fire started? We'll help you find some wood."
"I don't know how to make a fire in the snow Adam. I was only four when I was with the Apaches in the winter and they didn't teach me how to make a fire until last year."
"Well then, I guess I'd better teach you so you'll know what to do in the future. Let's get some wood and I'll show you what to do." Adam showed Cat how to make a fire in the snow and when she started rubbing two sticks together to start it, he asked, "Don't you have any matches in your saddle bags?"
"No, why?"
"Because it's a lot faster to use a match to start a fire than it is the way you're doing it. When we get home, I am going to put some things in your saddle bags that you should always have with you. You never know when you're going to need them."
While they were eating, Cat asked, "Adam?"
"Yes Cat?"
"Why won't anybody show me around the Ponderosa?"
"Because Pa doesn't want us to."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. Why don't you ask him after dinner tomorrow? With the whole family being there, he'll have to give you a very good reason or everyone will yell at him."
"Ok. I will, but he's going to get mad at me and I might get mad at him 'cause I'm tired of being treated like a baby."
"It's ok to get angry at him. Just remember to be polite, because if you aren't, he'll get angry at you and won't listen to what you have to say. We've only got a few more hours in which to hunt because all of the rabbits will need to be skinned and cut up so Hop Sing can make your stew, so let's finish our dinner and resume our hunt."
Once the boys had one deer and one antelope each, Adam told them to help Cat get more rabbits so there would be enough for the hands also. By the time they finished hunting, Adam and Thaddeus had one antelope and three deer each, each of the three boys had one deer and one antelope, and with their help, Cat had more than enough rabbits to make stew for the family and the hands. After the pack horses were loaded, the four children drank the rest of the hot cocoa and the adults finished the coffee.
On the ride home, Thaddeus rode next to Adam and said, "Once we get to the house, I'll take the boys' deer and antelope to their houses. I'm going to ask their parents to have me tell them that they want the boys home for dinner after church tomorrow. They can use the excuse of it's the first Sunday of the new year and they'd like the entire family to be together for dinner. Since Cat is planning on telling Matt that she wants to go back to Dodge with him and Kitty, I think it would be better if Mike and Jasper were at their own homes. I'm sure there are going to be fireworks and it would be best if only the family was there."
"That is an excellent idea. You're right about the fireworks. Cat's not the only Cartwright with a bad temper." They'll probably hear Pa yelling in New York. I'm pretty sure I know why Cat wants to go back to Dodge, but what did she tell you?"
"She said she's tired of being treated like a baby. She said that except for the pond, her parents' graves and the place where everyone goes fishing, she doesn't know how to get anywhere on the Ponderosa because nobody will show her. She said that you and your brothers showed her how to get to one of the pastures and your father got angry at the three of you. Having your grandfather there is helping, but things aren't moving fast enough for her. She's also certain that once her friends are back home again, she won't be allowed to use her sled or ice skates because she always has to have someone with her and everyone will be too busy or your father will just tell her that she can't go sledding or skating."
"I know she's frustrated. So are my brothers and I. Pa is so bound and determined to keep her from getting hurt that he's driving her away. Cat has reminded him several times that he makes her go to church and school and she got hurt at both places, but he ignores that fact. He was fine until he let her drive the loaded buckboard home from town one day and a rabbit spooked the horses. Joe was next to her and got the horses stopped. Cat wasn't hurt, just a little frightened and still drove the buckboard home. Ever since that happened, he has been very overprotective of her. She had a lot of freedom in Dodge and almost none here. Yes, my grandfather is helping the situation, but as you said, it's not enough to make Cat want to stay. I hope the family meeting tomorrow will help things move faster. If it doesn't, we're going to wake up one morning and find Cat gone and nobody wants that to happen."
When they reached the house, Adam said, "Jasper, Mike, Thaddeus is going to take your deer and antelope to your houses. There is a lot of meat that needs to be dressed and we need as many people helping as possible. I'll go and get my brothers and try to talk my cousins into helping. Thaddeus is going to get his brother and some of the other hands to help also. We need to get all of the venison put into the smokehouse and the rabbits cut up so Hop Sing can make supper. Since tomorrow is Sunday, there are also a lot of baths that need to be taken before everyone goes to bed."
When Thaddeus reached the Devlin house, he was pleased to find the Kings visiting. Mr. Devlin answered the door when he knocked. "Adam, Cat, the boys and I went hunting today and I've brought the boys' venison here for them. They each got one antelope and one deer."
"That's wonderful. Please come in and get warm. I'll take care of the venison in a few minutes."
"Thank you." Once he was inside, he was greeted warmly by everyone. "I had a specific reason for bringing the boys' kill here. Adam and I were talking and we would like you to tell the boys that you would like them to have dinner at home tomorrow. Cat is planning to tell her Uncle Matt that she wants to go back to Dodge with him and Mr. Cartwright is going to hit the roof."
"Why does Cat want to go back to Dodge?" asked Mrs. King.
"Mr. Cartwright is still being overprotective and she's frustrated. Cat has been home four months now and only knows how to get to the pond where the children have been ice skating, the place where everyone goes fishing on the lake, and her parents' graves. Joshua and I knew how to get more places on the ranch than that our first week here."
"I thought Adam's grandfather was helping." said Mrs. Devlin.
"He is but there's only so much he can do. He can't force Mr. Cartwright to show Cat around. If it hadn't been for Captain Stoddard, Mr. Cartwright never would have let Cat camp out alone the day after Thanksgiving. He said no to the plan even after we told him that there would be six grown men watching her all night. Adam's grandfather was able to persuade him to go along with the plan."
"What excuse will you give the boys for us wanting them home for dinner tomorrow?" asked Mr. Devlin.
"I thought I'd tell them that since it's the first Sunday in the new year, you would like the entire family to have dinner together and that the boys will be back on the Ponderosa before supper."
"Why didn't you tell us about this problem before now?" asked Mrs. Devlin. "We could have done something about it long ago."
"I didn't know there was a problem until this morning." Thaddeus told them about Cat losing her temper and almost having to stay in her room all day. "Now that I know there's a problem, I can check with Cat from time to time and see if the situation has improved. I had better be getting back to the Ponderosa. There was a lot of meat that needed to be dressed and since I shot some of it, I need to help clean it."
"I'll take care of that venison now," said Mr. Devlin. "Then you can take Ben's pack horse home with you."
When Thaddeus returned to the Ponderosa, he found Matt, Rip, Jarrod, and Heath helping the Cartwrights. Pete, Joshua and some of the other hands were also helping take care of the meat. He told Mike and Jasper that their parents wanted them to spend part of Sunday with them. The boys started getting upset and he said, "Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the new year and they would like the entire family to be present for dinner. The two of you will be back here before supper."
Cat was disappointed that her friends had to go home after church but was heartened when Thaddeus said that it was only for the afternoon and they would be back that evening. She got an idea and asked, "Pa, can Thaddeus eat supper with us tonight?"
"Seeing as how he helped get the meat, that sounds like a fine idea. How about it Thaddeus, would you care to join us for supper tonight?"
"I would enjoy that very much. Thank you for inviting me and thank you Cat for thinking of me."
The boys and Cat helped Hop Sing make supper and Hoss carried a large pot of rabbit stew out to the bunkhouse. Heath followed him with several loaves of fresh bread and made a mental note to talk to his family about doing something similar for their hands. Hoss and Joe cleared the table after supper and the Barkleys and Kitty told Hop Sing they would clean the kitchen and wash the dishes. He just had to tell them where to put everything.
Mrs. Anders, Mrs. Thomas, and several other older women who wanted Ben's money and Cat gone, cornered Victoria after church. "Mrs. Barkley," said Mrs. Anders. "We need to talk with you about your niece. We are very concerned about her. It just isn't proper for a girl to be brought up in a household full of men. Ben means well but you can see for yourself that the girl isn't being raised properly. He allows her to dress like a heathen Indian instead of making her dress like a girl. He even allows her to wear pants to church and that is not proper at all. She should be whipped until she dresses like a girl every day. Allowing her to play with boys, go sledding, hunting, and ice skating as well as raise a horse also isn't proper. Those dogs should not be allowed in the church or any other building also. Why we've even heard that Ben allows those filthy beasts to sleep in the girl's bed. We feel that you should take the girl home with you so she can be raised in a home with women so she can learn the things she needs to know to be a wife and mother. We have decided that if you won't do anything about the problem, we will."
Victoria saw red. "First of all, my niece has a name. It's Catherine, not The Girl. Second, there is nothing wrong with the way my brother is raising Catherine. With the exception of three of my children, the entire family has been at the Ponderosa for almost two weeks and nobody has any objections to the way she is being raised. Hop Sing has been teaching her how to cook and she does quite well for a nine year old. I myself wear pants, have raised horses and sometimes accompany my sons when they hunt. I also help them with the roundup and branding. It is nobody's business if my brother allows his daughter's dogs to sleep in her bed. Furthermore, I have heard all about you fine women. I have talked to many people in this town and not one of you has had a kind thing to say to or about Catherine since my brother adopted her. Your lies caused my niece to run away not once, but twice. You aren't interested in her welfare at all. The only thing you are interested in is my brother's money. My eldest son is the family lawyer and while we are here, I am going to ask him to draw up a legal paper for the judge to sign, ordering all of you to stay away from Catherine. I am warning you now. If any of you do or say anything to hurt or cause my niece to run away again, you will feel the full wrath of the entire family as well as Catherine's Godparents! Good day! Remember my warning. Stay away from Catherine! You do not want to cross me on this! I guarantee you will regret it if you do!"
Jarrod saw the women corner his mother and when she walked away from them he asked, "What was that all about?"
"The old bats had the nerve to tell me that Ben isn't raising Cat right. They claim it isn't proper that she wears buckskins and pants, plays with boys, is raising a colt, her dogs sleep in her bed and that she goes sledding and ice skating. They said if I don't take her home with us, they're going to find a way to take her away from Ben. They disgust me! They don't give a damn about Cat. All they're interested in is Ben's money. They are the same women who caused Cat to run away twice by telling her lies. Can you write some kind of legal document saying they have to stay away from Cat and get the judge to sign it?"
"I'll see what I can do. I'll get their names from Ben, write something out and take it to the judge tomorrow morning and ask him to sign it. You and Ben should come with me and tell the judge what those women have been doing and saying. Ben is going to go through the roof when you tell him what they said, so I think we had better wait until after the children are asleep to talk with him."
Ben also noticed that the women had cornered his sister so on the drive home, he asked, "What did those women want?"
"I'll tell you about it tonight after the children are asleep in bed. There were things said that they don't need to hear."
"Let me guess. They don't like the way I'm raising Cat."
"Ben, I said we'll talk about it tonight. Even though the other boys have gone home for dinner, Cat and Mark will still be there and they don't need to know what was said."
"I am not a patient man Victoria. Tell me what those women said."
"I know you are not. You and Nick inherited the worst two of father's flaws, his temper and his impatience and neither of those are good to display around children. Now calm down. I said we would discuss it after the children were in bed. Remember, Cat is right behind us driving the buggy. If she sees you upset, she may worry that she has done something wrong and I don't want that to happen."
Cat saw Ben getting upset, looked at Mark and said, "I wonder what Pa's mad about. I hope I didn't do anything wrong, 'cause he sure is mad."
Adam was sitting next to Cat, hugged her and said, "You haven't done anything wrong, so don't worry. The women who were so mean to you were talking to Aunt Victoria after church and she probably won't tell him what they said. Pa doesn't like it when someone tells him no, even if that person is his own sister."
"Adam?"
"Yes Cat?"
"I'm still mad at Joe because of what he did in Carson City. When we get home, will you or Hoss throw him in the trough?"
"Hey!" exclaimed Joe. "That's not fair. Pa's already punished me for that."
"I would if it was warmer but it's too cold right now. He might get sick if Hoss or I did that and I know you wouldn't want that to happen. What I will do is the next time it snows, I'll hold him so you can throw snowballs at him but he won't be able to throw any back at you. I'll let you throw five snowballs at him before I let him go." When Joe started to complain again, Adam said, "Don't complain about having snowballs thrown at you baby brother. I can still put you in the trough. You'll just have to take a hot bath when you get out."