by Heike
"That's a surprise."
Ben Cartwright was very pleased when he read the letter that Hoss had brought
from the post office in
"Some important news, Pa? "
"Arthur King and his
daughter are coming to
Adam smiled, amused: "Each time I hear that name I'm really stunned. I'll never understand what his parents were thinking. Arthur King - King Arthur, that's unbelievable. "
Hoss was less interested in the Artus-Saga than in the memories of the Kings' last visit. Three years ago father and daughter had brought a lot of trouble to the Ponderosa. "Do I understand that he asks. I remember their last stay here very clearly ", he commented dryly.
Adam's smile died when he remembered the chaos that Arthur King's daughter had caused during their visit. "Sweetheart Amanda was the most unpleasant girl I ever met, that's for sure. Hard to believe that such a young lady can be that moody and sudden. And she had some quite unusual ideas, too. "
Joe could not laugh at all when he thought of the little, chubby pest with the thick pony tail. " I'll never forget when she colored Cochise with black paint, because in her opinion a pinto looked silly", he grumbled. Hoss and Adam broke out in laughter when they remembered the incident.
"Well, Amanda had to go through a difficult time when her mother died so suddenly. In the meantime, she got a few years older and hopefully also more sociable", said Ben and hid a smile so as not to hurt his youngest son's feelings.
"How old is the girl now, anyway? "Adam asked and answered the question himself, "a little bit younger than my kid brother, maybe seventeen or eighteen?"
Joe countered the 'kid brother' with a poisonous look toward Adam but said nothing because his other brother had put a calming hand on Joe's arm and quickly returned to the actual topic: "When is the mischief gonna descend upon the Ponderosa? "
Meanwhile, Ben had finished the
letter. "They'll arrive the day after tomorrow with the stage from
"Dad burn it, what a bad
luck", Hoss said regretfully but the twinkle in his eyes showed that he
was not quite serious about it, "unfortunately I'll miss the fun. I am to
ride to
"That's right", his father agreed, "then it's up to son number one or son number three to take care of Amanda during her stay. Adam, Little Joe, any volunteers for that job? "
Little Joe forgot immediately to be angry with Adam and threw a help-seeking look to his older brother. Shocked, Adam let his finger slip from the book where it had book marked a page.
"Pa, we have plenty to do without playing nanny ", he averted vehemently.
Joe understood his tactics and joined in. "Adam is right, Pa. While Hoss is in Placerville we have to do his chores, too."
Ben Cartwright was not impressed by his sons sudden eagerness. "Don't worry boys. The one who keeps Amanda company has no other chores to do. What do you think about that offer? "
Still neither Adam nor Joe felt enthusiastic about his suggestion. Ben waited a while for a reaction but both sons looked back at him in unhappy silence. Hoss grinned expectantly.
"Well, then the decision is mine ", their father grumbled finally, "Joseph, you will take care of that. Amanda is your age and I think you'll get on fine. "
"Me? I'm not a baby-sitter ", the chosen son protested. His father smiled. He had an idea how to convince his youngest to volunteer. Joe wanted to buy that new rifle for a long time.
"Little Joe, I really want Amanda to feel at home here and I'm perfectly sure that you are the best suited for this task. Of course, I'd be more than willing to grant you a small compensation for your extraordinary efforts."
Of course, that offer had the desired effect. Little Joe was always short on money.
"A compensation?" the young man repeated suspiciously.
"Sort of expenses. Maybe you want to buy her something. A gift. Or ... whatever. I think, fifty dollars should do."
"f..f..fifty dollars? "Little Joe didn't hesitate any longer, "okay Pa, I'll be a perfect nanny."
"Little Joe, nanny is not the right word, escort is much better. Don't forget that young lady is a real young lady now ", Hoss tried to motivate his little brother a bit more.
Adam was less friendly with the youngest member of his family. "Right Hoss. Our little brother will do his best that the king's daughter doesn't paint the paint with paint this time ", he joked mercilessly.
Ben raised his eyebrow. "Sons, I would appreciate if I'd hear no more talk about Amanda for now. "
All three young men understood that his simple words were more an order than a request. Adam took his book up again. Hoss and Joe started a new game of checkers. During the rest of the evening Little Joe didn't pay much attention to the game and Hoss won three times in a row, which didn't help improve his little brother's mood.
***
Two days later Ben and Joe Cartwright stood waiting in front of the Overland Stage Line depot in Virginia City. While Ben couldn't wait to see his friend again Joe stepped nervously and unhappily from one foot to the other.
The stage was on time. Exactly at high noon the carriage stopped in front of the waiting Cartwrights. The driver jumped down, placed the little foot bank at the side of the stage and opened the door. Two dirty cowboys climbed out, then Mr. Olson, the bank director, followed. Last but not least the expected guests appeared.
First, Arthur King climbed from the carriage. a little, chubby man in a grey suit. Even with his grey Derby hat he was at least half a head shorter than Ben. The numerous wrinkles around his eyes danced when he shook hands first with his friend and then with Joe exuberantly. Then finally, Amanda appeared. Little Joe was struck dumb.
She wore a ruby colored dress with black lace, tailored in the latest, metropolitan fashion. That dress would have been enough to get everyone's attention but the woman who wore it, turned it into a sensation - however, not in a very pleasant sense. Amanda King had changed since her last visit on the Ponderosa from the little chubby girl into a big, fat woman, who, with her numerous pounds, struggled with effort out of the carriage. Her hair combed strictly to the back underlined her round, sullen face additionally. She shook hands with the Cartwrights - a very chubby hand Joe noticed - and after this minimum of politeness, she concentrated again on what was most important to her: Amanda King.
"I am totally worn out from that ride. I should have stayed in San Francisco. I have never seen such a dirty old town like this rotten nest here before. I'm positively going to faint if I have to endure this heat much longer. I need a hot bath but that is probably too much to ask here. I will never get rid of this dirt and this stench. I am thirsty. I am also hungry, but what do they have to serve here? Cooked rattlesnake or coyote steak with beans? I had nothing acceptable to eat for days. I..."
"Amanda, stop it!" her father protested. He was obviously ashamed of her behaviour. "That's enough."
Ben Cartwright and his son changed a concerned look. The next days wouldn't be easy on the Ponderosa. Little Joe nevertheless tried to be polite.
"Amanda, I hope you remember our Chinese cook. I am sure you'll like the dinner that Hop Sing is preparing for us. You and your father only have to get aboard our buckboard and we take you to the ranch. Hop Sing already looks forward to spoiling our guests. "
"No way! You don't get me on one of these ramshackle wagons right now. I am much too exhausted after this horrible hours-long shaking and rocking in
the stagecoach."
"But it isn't a long way to the ranch at all. We can ride slowly and..." Ben tried to persuade her. But to no avail. She stood there, the hands pressed into the wide hips like a drayman, the double chin defiantly put forward, strongly determined to have her way.
Fortunately the rancher had an idea before the situation could escalate. "I understand", he yields, "then your father and I will go ahead with the buckboard to the ranch. And you will follow us with Little Joe when you have rested a bit. I suggest you recover from the stagecoach ride with a small snack in Miss Sullivan's restaurant. "
"But Pa", Joe protested with dismay about this suggestion "how do we get to the ranch without the buckboard?"
"You can certainly rent one somewhere in this dust hole", Amanda taught him snootily. "there is a livery stable in every town. Over there, next to that primitive saloon there is one. At least the sign over the gate says so - in case you can't read. "
Joe reacted with an angry look but kept his mouth shut when he noticed how very much Arthur King already suffered having to witness the impossible manners of his daughter. A few minutes later Ben Cartwright, his guest and a bulk of bags and baggage were on the way to the Ponderosa. They left Amanda and her involuntary escort behind on the sidewalk in front of the stage coach depot.
"And where is this restaurant your father spoke of? I hope, I don't have to run through the whole town to get a simple refreshment."
Joe startled as the grumbling voice at his side reminded him of his duties. He made a face, threw a last longing glance at the departing buckboard but then tightened his shoulders decidedly and indicating a slight bow passed his arm to her gallantly.
"It is the pretty white house with the flower pots in front of the windows. May I invite the young lady to have some tea with me? "
Amanda stared at him doubtfully but she could not determine whether he had made fun of her. His inviting smile finally took all wind from her sails. She put her hand on his arm and was escorted over the street.
In the restaurant Amanda quickly found a new opportunity to make herself unpopular. When the friendly waitress proudly listed her exquisite teas to choose from the girl demanded pertly:
"Do you really expect me to drink water with herbs? Bring me hot chocolate. And cakes but quickly. And put on a clean apron, this one is filthy.
The young woman stared at her unhappily and then hastily vanished into the kitchen. This time, Little Joe didn't accept the impoliteness of his companion without comment.
"If you are in a bad mood, you need not vent your anger on Sandy", he grumbled.
"On Sandy?" Amanda repeated mockingly, "Sandy - she is an Indian, if you have not yet noticed. Her red brothers rob stagecoaches and steal your horses, and you speak of her as she belongs to the family."
"Maybe Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon will be a family member soon. Adam dates her regularly ", declared Joe icily. His self-control melted the longer he had to endure Amanda. She looked at him, stunned.
"Sand-on-the-whatever ...she is... Adam's girl friend?" she asked incredulously.
"The name is Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon, at least in our language", corrected Joe annoyed. This nuisance was even too stupid to repeat a simple name. "And a few of her horse-stealing brothers are ranch hands on the Ponderosa. Pa is very pleased with them. But I don't believe that he let them rob stagecoaches."
That finally silenced Amanda. Miss Sullivan came to their table personally and brought tea for Joe and hot chocolate and cake for Amanda. The maternal woman was polite but not as friendly and chatty as usual. Little Joe suspected that Sandy sat crying in the kitchen and the owner of the restaurant would have preferred to kick the guest responsible for it out of the room. Amanda seemed not to notice the refusal. As soon as the cake was in front of her she wasn't interested in anything else. Quickly she had emptied her plate and cup and when the last crumb had vanished, she explained patronizingly:
"Okay, now you can take me to the ranch. But I want to take some of the pastries. They taste exquisite. I would not have expected such a good cake
here at all. "
Little Joe granted her this wish although he could hardly believe that the girl could think of pastries after two big pieces of Miss Sullivan's cherry-cake. They left the restaurant and the young Cartwright rented a buckboard. Finally he and Amanda were on the way home to the Ponderosa.
On the ride to the ranch, she sat beside the young man apathetically and apart from occasional complaints about the speed or the bumping, she said nothing. They reached the Ponderosa just in time to get ready for dinner. Joe couldn't believe again that after Miss Sullivan's cake the girl ate at least as much as Hoss usually did.
***
The evening on the ranch proceeded quietly and without further awkwardness. Ben could easily be persuaded by his friend to a game of chess; Adam and Joe played checkers after they noticed that Amanda was not interested in their company. Obviously, Hop Sing's culinary master-piece had attuned the young woman peacefully. She had discovered in the bookcase among Adam's books some reports from Europe and with them she had entrenched herself in the big comfortable chair next to the open fireplace.
After Ben and Arthur had finished their game of chess, the rancher poured out brandy for a nightcap. The men talked a while about the planned business that had led Ben's friend to Virginia City. Amanda stood with an absolutely bored face beside them, nipping now and then at her glass and not saying a single word.
When the guests had gone to their rooms upstairs, the Cartwrights remained a moment in the living room in order to discuss the chores for the next day.
"Pa, this women is absolutely stupid. I can't stand her", Little Joe moaned as soon as the Kings were out of sight. "Adam, please, can you take care of her? I'll give you the fifty dollars or whatever you want. Please?"
Ben joined in the conversation before Adam was able to answer.
"Yes, she is really strange" he agreed deliberately "I would like to know whether she is a little more lively when it comes to something she is interested in."
"Something like food?" Adam said mockingly. His father couldn't smile about his remark but countered it with a disapproving look. Then he turned to his youngest again.
"Joe, you spent quite a time with her. What did you talk about? Is she interested in something special? She likes Adam's books, maybe she wants to travel to Europe one day? Does she read at home much? What does she actually do in San Francisco? "
Joe stared at his father blankly, then he shrugged his shoulders. "I've no idea. She said hardly anything. And what she said was just silly. "
"I didn't hear her say something silly tonight", Ben replied quietly after a short reflection, "but you spent much more time with her. Isn't there anything nice about her at all? Something that speak for her? How is her sense of humour? "
"Her sense of humour?" repeated Joe helplessly, "she has no reason to laugh."
"Ahem", Adam understood his fathers intention and asked "why not? Most girls giggle easily in your entertaining company."
"That's totally different!" Joe grew furious.
"Is it?" his father asked seriously, "you don't know what she likes or thinks or feels. You haven't seen her laughter or her tears. You don't know anything about her but you know that you can't stand her. And that's only because she weighs more than the girls with whom you are usually together."
Joe shook his head vehemently. " No, not only because she is fat. But she is also a stuck-up, impolite and unkind person. "
"Have you given her a chance to be different? When she climbed from the stagecoach, your mind was already set. Maybe she uses her unfriendliness as a shield", his father gave to consider "because she had some bad experiences or because she is simply uncertain about herself. Beneath a rough exterior sometimes beats a heart of gold.
Joe began to understand.
"You mean, I should give her the opportunity to show her qualities?"
Ben nodded. "That's exactly what I mean. I am glad that you understand, son."
Joe sighed, defeated. " Okay Pa, I go on taking care of her. But if your rough exterior - gold heart theory is correct, she is definitively a coconut."
Adam wanted to comment on that but Joe added dryly with a touch of self-mockery: " and I am the monkey cracking it."
Father and sons were laughing all the while they went upstairs.
***
Obviously Amanda had slept well because during breakfast the next morning she shoveled again enormous portions into her mouth. And obviously the delicious pancakes with maple syrup and the other goodies that Hop Sing had served up put her into an extremely good mood because suddenly she surprised all when she started a conversation.
"Uncle Ben, what has happened to that pretty colt? Did you sell it?"
"The chestnut that was born when you were here last time? No, I didn't sell it. It is a beautiful horse now."
"Oh please, may I see it?" She noticed that her father, Adam and Little Joe stared at her completely at a loss for words. Ashamed, she looked at her plate.
Ben Cartwright helped her out of the embarrassment kindly: "That is a good idea, a very good idea. The chestnut is in the herd at Bears Canyon. If you like, you can immediately leave after breakfast. Joe certainly likes to accompany you. The path is not difficult to ride."
"Uh", the girl muttered disappointedly, "I cannot ride. I have never sat in a saddle before."
"Unfortunately it's not possible to go there in a buckboard", Adam declared regretfully.
" I can teach Amanda how to ride." Little Joe's knightly suggestion surprised his family and the Kings, "and when she feels comfortable on horseback in a few days, we'll ride to Bears Canyon." He smiled at the girl. "Immediately after breakfast you change and then we get started."
"Change? Is something wrong with my dress?" the girl asked with an uncertain look down her dress. This morning she wore a dark green one, not less elegant and not less flashy than yesterday's ruby one.
" On the contrary, the dress is enchanting ", Adam calmed her, smiling gallantly, "but that's exactly the reason why it is not suitable for riding. A pair of pants would be much better. "
Ben got the impression that both his sons were not so much set against their guest any longer. He winked amusedly at his friend Arthur.
"Pants? " Amanda repeated slowly and then she explained in a determined way " I'm not gonna wear pants."
"But nowadays all women wear pants when riding. It's more comfortable ", Joe tried to convince her too.
"How do you know? " the girl fired back pertly "Have you ever mounted a horse in a dress?"
"Amanda! Please!" her father interfered, "you should be happy that Little Joe wants to help you instead of behaving so childishly."
"But I don't have pants ", she explained triumphantly. However, she got her hopes up too soon.
"Buy some!" Arthur King ordered concisely. His daughter hesitated but then kept her mouth shut.
So Joe took her back to Virginia City after breakfast. The young Cartwright expected to have quiet company again. And at first Amanda sat beside him not saying a single word and staring unhappily at the horse's back in front of them. But suddenly she broke the silence and it became clear what had bothered her so much:
" I was wondering, are there pants my size? I mean, I'm.... well, I.....I certainly look terrible in pants."
Little Joe brought the horse to a standstill and looked Amanda straight in the eye. Intuitively, he could feel how important his reply would be for the girl. He remembered his father's words from the night before.
"You know, the horse won't take any notice of what you're wearing. He's much more occupied with the orders you're giving him, whether you're pulling at the reins or loosening them, how you sit in the saddle or what you're doing with your legs", he joked a bit affectedly.
"You mean the horse doesn't care what I'm wearing? Now I'm relieved", said Amanda and to Joe's surprise she smiled a little. But then she grew serious again. "And what's your opinion?"
"Hm", answered Little Joe after a short while, "what I think is equally unimportant. All that matters is that you are happy. And if you don't like wearing pants, what about a split-skirt? Miss Langley has fabrics for sale and also is a tailor. I'm sure she could make you a nice one."
"I could make one myself, and a split-skirt seems like a good idea. Please take me to this Miss Langley quickly, I want to take a look at her fabrics and choose something nice. I'd like to have something in blue, I like blue."
All of a sudden, Amanda was dead keen on this idea. Joe drove the horse on again. All during the remainder of the ride into town Amanda was pestering Joe with a thousand questions about riding: how much a saddle weighs, why you always have to get on the horse from the left side, whether the bit hurts in the horse's mouth, how old a horse is when it is broken and so on and so on. Joe took great pains to satisfy her thirst for knowledge and was almost a bit
surprised when suddenly they were in Virginia City.
"Here we are", declared the young man and jumped down from the buckboard. He then gallantly helped his companion to get down. "Langley's Ladies is right over there, next to the barber's."
"Thank you." She actually smiled at him. And Little Joe returned the smile, baffled.
"Don't you have some errands to run in Virginia City? I think it's gonna take me a while to make a decision. You could pick me up again, say in half an hour?"
"No... I mean, yes... I mean, I'll pick you up." Joe was happy not to have to go in that shop, which never saw any male customers, logically. He waited until Amanda had crossed the street and entered the shop and then he went over to the general store to look at the new rifle in the window for the hundredth time that he would have liked to buy so much.
Amanda entered the shop and immediately felt in her element. Miss Langley had a large variety of blue and blue-patterned fabrics that seemed suitable for a split-skirt and she helpfully gave information on material, quality and price. While the girl turned the fabric rolls undecidedly back and forth, three new female customers entered the shop, three young girls who, taking one short look at her, started giggling and stared at her provokingly.
"Isn't that the gal Joe's been with lately?" one of them asked.
"Yeah, that's the one. Yesterday he was in Miss Sullivan's restaurant with her. You can barely miss her. Maybe she's already looking for fabric for a wedding dress, " the next one was teasing.
"So, she wants to land herself a Cartwright, fat as she is. I only hope that Miss Langley has enough fabric for a dress. Two rolls should be sufficient, wouldn't you say?" The third was saying.
All three were giggling lively now. They didn't bother talking in a low voice and so Amanda had heard every single word they had said. With her face as red as a beetroot she stormed out of the shop without having bought anything.
From the opposite side of the street, Joe was surprised to see how first Amanda stormed out of the shop and how shortly thereafter three young girls were obviously ushered out by Miss Langley. He rushed over to the shop and arrived just in time to hear what Miss Langley was calling after the three women:
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You may come back when you have learned to behave yourselves."
"What happened here? What did she do this time?" the young man asked, annoyed. This must have been one of Amanda's escapades again, he was sure of it. But then he was surprised to hear Miss Langley tell an entirely different story. Little Joe's dismay turned to consternation.
"That was really mean of Dorothy Lewis and her girlfriends. I have to find Amanda immediately," he declared, full of sympathy.
"Leave her alone for a while, she needs time to regain her composure, Little Joe," Miss Langley advised. "You don't happen to know what she needs the fabric for? I'd like to give her something, you know. To make up for all this."
"She wanted to make herself a split-skirt - for riding."
"A split-skirt?" Miss Langley frowned disapprovingly. "She shouldn't do that. It won't suit her. What she needs is well cut pants. Which reminds me....please wait here a moment."
Just as soon she had disappeared into her shop. Little Joe leaned against a wooden post, demonstratively uninterested, while waiting in front of Langley's Ladies' and carefully avoiding looking at the displays in the window. He fervently prayed that none of his friends would see him standing there.
Finally, Miss Langley returned. She slipped a small, carefully tied up package into his hand.
"These are pants that I made once but were never collected. Take them and tell Miss King how sorry I am for what happened," she declared firmly.
Little Joe took the package but suddenly thought about Amanda's concerns.
"I was wondering, Miss Langley... Do you think it's the right size? You see, Amanda is ... well, I mean..... she thinks....."
"Young man, I've been in this business for twenty years. If I say, these pants fit, then they fit. All the young lady may have to do is to shorten the legs a bit. And if she is confident enough to make a split-skirt, then this should be no problem."
Miss Langley didn't allow any doubt about her competence, and the youngest Cartwright fell guiltily silent under her stern gaze. He thanked her, said good-bye and returned to the buckboard. He stowed the package, pushed back his hat and checked his surroundings. His hopes, the girl might wait for his return at the buckboard, were not to be fulfilled. Amanda was nowhere to be seen. With an uneasy feeling in his stomach he pictured what his father would say if he came back to the ranch without their guest. He sighed and pushed the hat down again. He would have to go in search for her, whether he liked it or not.
There was actually only one place in Virginia City she knew: Miss Sullivan's restaurant. He would have to start his search there. And Amanda had indeed fled to the restaurant and now sat at one of the tables, a cup of tea and a large piece of cake in front of her. With her at the table - and that was the second surprise for Little Joe - sat Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon holding her hand comfortingly. Both women had put their heads together with Sandy talking to Amanda quietly.
When Little Joe stood at their table, only the Indian looked up. Amanda kept her head down so that the young man could not see her tears. Joe noted that he was disturbing them but it would have been just as impolite to leave without greeting.
"Hi Sandy, how are you?" he began, as unconcerned as possible, and avoided any mention on what had happened. "Amanda, I just came to tell you that I still have a few errands to run. Would it be all right by you if we met at the buckboard in half an hour?"
"Yeah, I'll be there," Amanda sobbed into her cake.
"So, ladies, I've got to go." Joe shortly tapped at the brim of his hat and retreated uneasily, sad about the fact that he was unable to comfort the girl. Sandy nodded at him encouragingly over Amanda's head; she would take care of things.
At the agreed time Amanda was waiting at the buckboard. Her tears had vanished but she still looked unhappy and this time she didn't even let Joe's friendly smile infect her. During the entire ride back she was silent pressing the bag of cookies to her body that Sandy had given her.
Little Joe gave up the attempt to cheer her up or at least distract her from her sorrow. When they finally reached the ranch, the girl ran straight into the house while Joe set about feeding the horse.
When Joe entered with Miss Langley's package under his arm a short while later, Hop Sing was about to take a tray with sandwiches and a glass of milk up the stairs.
"Hi Hop Sing. For whom is that?"
"This be lefleshment fol Missi Amanda. She vely sad girl."
"You're right", confirmed the youngest Cartwright sadly. "Wait, I'll take this to her."
And so Hop Sing waddled back to his kitchen and Joe carried the tray carefully up the stairs. He shortly knocked at Amanda's door and took the quiet "Yes?" as invitation to enter.
Amanda sat in the armchair, a book and the bag of cookies beside her on the small table. She was staring out of the window without turning around.
"Hop Sing has made you a small lefleshment", said Joe, imitating the little Chinese cook of the Ponderosa in a friendly way and put the tray on the table. The gift from Miss Langley he put right next to it. The girl turned around. It was impossible not to see that she had cried again.
"Thank you." Then she saw the package. "What is this?"
"I don't know for sure. Miss Langley packed it for you. By the way, I'll be outside, if you get bored up here all by yourself."
Little Joe went to the stable and without enthusiasm began the task of mending saddles and cleaning up the tack room, never stopping to think about the girl. He was sorry for her and it made him downright angry when he thought about Dorothy Lewis and her girlfriends behaving the way they did. Angrily he kicked at an empty bucket that flew clattering through the stable.
"What has the bucket done to you?" someone asked.
Joe whirled around. There, in the stable door stood Amanda. She wore black pants and a red shirt and her hair was bound into a ponytail. Startled, Joe stared at her. She began to nervously tug at her pants.
"Do I really look that bad?"
"Nothing and no", smiled Joe and added when she looked at him blankly, "the bucket hasn't done anything to me, and you look entirely normal - just like someone who wants to take a ride."
"Would this someone be able to find someone who shows her how to do it?" she asked shyly.
"This someone has already been found", laughed Joe and pulled her into the stable. "First I'm going to show you the horse that will be yours for as long as you stay. May I introduce you? Chubb, this is Amanda. Amanda, this is Chubb."
Amanda carefully ran her hand through the horse's mane, and the long-legged dun snorted in reply. He obviously liked the soft attention he was given.
"Chubb is Hoss' horse. I promised him to take care of his horse as long as he is away," declared Joe and brought his saddle. Amanda watched Joe saddling Cochise with interest. When he then led Chubb from his box and brought the second saddle, Amanda insisted on saddling and bridling her horse herself. Being a city girl she went to work surprisingly courageously. Joe had nothing more to do than to give a few helpful instructions and to check afterwards whether the saddle lay on top correctly and tightly enough. They led their horses out into the paddock.
"Are we gonna take a ride now? What do I have to do?" Amanda asked eagerly.
"Just follow my lead," commanded Little Joe and jumped on his pinto. Amanda stared at him, not believing what she saw, and then unexpectedly she burst out laughing. Now it was Joe's turn to stare at her unbelievingly. Her joy was so infectious that he joined her unconcerned laughter without actually knowing the reason for her cheerfulness. But finally he wanted to know:
"What is so funny, anyhow? We haven't even started yet!"
"You said I was to follow your lead," explained Amanda and tried to maintain her composure, "and then you just flew into the saddle. You don't expect me to do it like this, do you?"
Joe grinned.
"Sorry Ma'am, sheer force of habit. I always get on my horse in this manner. But you should try the traditional way first, of course. Approach your horse from the left, put your left foot into the stirrup, and then swing yourself up into the saddle. You see, very easy."
So, Amanda approached Chubb courageously, fumbled at the saddle and finally managed to raise her foot high enough to reach the stirrup and... Chubb chose this moment to get bored with standing in the paddock and took a few hesitating steps forward. Amanda was startled and gave a short cry. She performed some kind of vertical balancing act in the air and finally hung beneath the horse's belly, the hands clenched around the stirrup more or less helplessly.
Startled, Little Joe leapt from his horse and grabbed Chubb's reins just in time. No sooner did the animal stand still when Amanda fell down and landed in a heap on the ground, in a not very lady-like way. But instead of bursting out crying or complaining heavily, she started laughing again. Also this time Joe joined in.
Joe helped Amanda to get up and bravely she tried to climb on the horse a second time. This time, Joe stayed beside Chubb making sure that the horse wouldn't move. But despite all this, Amanda still wasn't any more successful. With her left foot in the stirrup, she hopped clumsily with her right foot several times but didn't manage to swing the leg over the saddle. Little Joe was tempted to give her a soft push for support and thought despairingly how to go about it without touching a less becoming part of the body when she had finally managed to get aboard. Gasping for breath, her face bright red and full of pride, she shifted around in the saddle and asked expectantly:
"What now?"
"Now you dismount and try again, a bit faster this time."
"But...."
"No buts, this is your first lesson: to mount and dismount a horse in less than 15 minutes."
Amanda obeyed, giggling. Mercilessly, Little Joe made the girl climb into the saddle a dozen times and indeed, she finally got a grip on things and managed to mount and dismount somewhat faster.
Little Joe now leapt onto his own horse, led Cochise to stand beside her and explained to her how to sit in the saddle and to hold the reins. Then, finally, she was allowed to try the first steps on the horse beside him. The youngest Cartwright spent the entire afternoon teaching her how to ride with saintly patience, without ever making fun of her clumsiness when she shifted back and forth in the saddle. Quite the contrary, the young man more and more liked the way how gently and carefully she treated Chubb in spite of everything and the joyful naturalness with which she made fun of her own weaknesses.
At supper that evening Amanda, totally enraptured about her first riding lesson, told everyone about it with shining eyes, describing every detail enthusiastically and getting carried away so much that she barely got round to eating her supper.
However, the next morning her enthusiasm was replaced by terribly aching muscles. The young woman could barely sit at the table at breakfast. Ben, shooting a harsh look at Little Joe, handed their guest a soft cushion with all the sympathy he could muster but his son didn't feel that he'd done anything wrong. After all, he had suggested to Amanda several times that she shouldn't exaggerate things the first time but she wouldn't listen.
Ben and Arthur suggested a buckboard ride and a picnic at the lake but Amanda surprised all by saying that she would rather have the next riding lesson as quickly as possible.
So, the two of them saddled up their horses right after breakfast and led them into the yard. Little Joe shook his head in refusal when his student headed towards the paddock gate to open it.
"This is boring. We're gonna ride out into the country," the young man decided.
"Will I be able to do that?" Amanda hesitated. "If the horse bolts and runs off, I'm not gonna be able to stop it."
Little Joe laughed smartly. "I'll take good care of you, don't worry. Besides, it won't make any difference. If Chubb bolts right here in the paddock, this small fence won't stop her, either."
He leapt onto his horse and waited for her to mount up as well. Then they trotted along at a leisure pace. It was late afternoon when they returned to the Ponderosa and judging from their amused expressions they had obviously enjoyed the day.
Ben sat at his desk when they stormed into the house, laughing. After a short account of the trip Amanda went to her room to change. Little Joe was about to go outside to do some chores when his father stopped him.
"Well, son, it seems you have changed your mind about the coconut," Ben teased smiling.
"Yeah, Pa, you were right all along. If you get to know her a little better, she is actually very nice." Joe didn't mind admitting an error on his part.
"Joe, I'd like to ask a favour of you. When we were in town this morning, we saw the announcement for the dance at the International House tomorrow night. We think it might be a good idea if you took her to that dance. It would give her an opportunity to meet other people her age."
Little Joe was not very happy about his father's suggestion. He thought of the fiasco at Langley's Ladies' and couldn't quite imagine that the girl would like to deepen the acquaintance she had made with Dorothy Lewis and her friends.
"I don't know," he answered after a short while, "out here it's no problem - but in town..."
Ben Cartwright misunderstood his son's hesitation, for he knew nothing of what had happened in town the other day.
"I see," he grumbled, having no idea that in fact he saw nothing, "you mean you need some more money, is that it? What about twenty dollars?"
Quite to Ben's surprise, Joe shook his head vehemently, when Ben brought out his wallet. "No, that's not it. You gave me more than enough already."
"That's very knightly of you," commented Ben amused, putting the wallet back again. "Then we are agreed. The two of you are going to that dance tomorrow. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun."
***
At supper Amanda was noticeably quiet and uninterested. Everyone was trying very hard to include the girl in their conversations and to cheer her up but she kept stubbornly silent. Then, finally, in all innocence Arthur King brought up the delicate subject of the dance:
"Well, Ben, tomorrow night we could play another quiet game of chess. The young people have something better to do, I guess."
Joe's reaction was one of embarrassment. "Well, actually I haven't even asked her yet but I'll do it now. Amanda, would you like to accompany me to the dance in Virginia City tomorrow?"
Almost everyone was baffled when she declined the invitation decidedly: "No, thank you. I'd rather not."
Adam was the only one who seemed unimpressed: "Oh Lord, tell us, who's your date? Every girl in Virginia City dreams about having a date with our hazel-brown eyed Romeo and you decline?"
But Amanda was not to be swayed. "Well, then, he won't have any problems finding another girl as his date," she countered pertly and went on shoveling sweet potatoes and roast pork into herself.
"I don't want any other," murmured Joe quietly and Amanda shot him a malicious look. Embarrassed, Ben tried to change the subject and soon all of them except Amanda were engrossed in a discussion about the pros and cons of the railway planned to be built between Truckee and Virginia City.
Amanda didn't come down to breakfast the next morning. Her father apologized for her, although he didn't believe for one minute that she was suffering from a sudden headache. He obviously felt embarrassed about this sudden return to her moods, which neither he nor the Cartwrights couldn't quite explain.
And so, right after breakfast Little Joe went upstairs to her room.
"Do you think you feel well enough for a short ride later?"
"No," she answered coldly. But Joe would not admit defeat that easily.
"That's a pity. I thought we could dare go up to Bears Canyon today."
"Do you get an extra bonus for that or is it included in your pay?" she snapped at him suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Joe asked, not comprehending at all.
"Just the way I said it. How much do you get for looking after me so touchingly?"
The young man was shocked when the question finally hit home.
"Oh god, you heard us talking downstairs yesterday, right?"
He went up to her and was about to take her hands to comfort her, but she pulled away. "I'm sorry, very sorry. This is all a terrible misunderstanding," Little Joe murmured.
"Is it?" she asked mockingly. "Then tell me truthfully that you don't get any money for keeping me happy."
"No....actually yes... but not really....you are different from what I remember you were," the young man stammered, embarrassed, "I didn't want to look after the little brat with braids sticking out, who painted my horse black."
For a moment her eyes lost some of their coldness.
"You remember that? My god, how mad you all were at me at the time."
Joe saw a small chance to change her mind.
"But we've forgiven you. Do you forgive me now, too?"
She looked at him seriously.
"I'll think about it. But now I have to change. I promised my father to accompany him today."
Joe had no choice but to respect her wishes. He went downstairs to help Adam with the daily ranch chores. The two of them got everything done somewhat faster than usual so that they were finished early in the afternoon and returned home in a good mood.
No sooner had the two brothers entered the ranch house when someone knocked at the door and Joe went to answer it. It was Jack, one of the ranch hands, bringing a letter for Adam from Virginia City. Joe took it and gave it to his brother after curiously checking the sender of the letter.
"Uh, uh, a love letter from Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon. She can't wait to see you, can she? You've got it all made, mind you, you're at least having nice company tonight."
Adam grabbed the letter away from Joe's hand without saying a word and began to read. When he was finished, he crumpled the letter and, following a sudden impulse, threw it into the fire. With an unmoved expression on his face, he watched the paper being consumed by the fire.
"What's the matter? Something wrong?" asked Joe, concerned, for his brother rarely lost his temper.
"You could say that. Sandy isn't coming to the dance tonight."
"Sandy isn't coming? That's a pity. And why's that?"
"Because her two kids ruined the dress she wanted to wear tonight. And she is too proud and too stubborn to accept a new one from me," Adam explained bitterly.
"And that's just the reason you like her so much," Joe stated dryly. Adam didn't comment on that but continued to stare into the fire.
"Hm, you're probably right," he admitted thoughtfully after a short while, "but still, it's a terrible pity. I had hoped to finally convince Sandy tonight."
"Convince? Of what?" Joe almost expected that Adam would admit to his intention of marrying the widow. He would have been just as happy about it as the rest of the family. Adam hesitated. It wasn't easy for him to talk about his feelings.
"Every time I want to tell Sandy how much she means to me, she evades me. I feel that she loves me as much as I love her but she wouldn't admit to it. I have tried to understand her reasons. I think she is afraid that her background and poverty are going to bother me one day. She wants to protect herself from the disappointment."
"Why does she believe such nonsense?"
"The people are talking, Joe. You know the kind. That's exactly why I had hoped this dance would change something. I wanted Sandy to see that I'm not ashamed of her in public."
Joe put his hand on his shoulder, comforting him.
"Maybe next time," he murmured.
"Yeah, maybe next time," Adam agreed half-heartedly. Then he brushed off Joe's hand, took his hat and rushed outside without another word.
It suddenly became very quiet in the large living-room of the Ponderosa. Joe considered following his brother but finally decided against it. Adam had to come to terms with his disappointment on his own, no one could help him there. The quiet rustling of pages being turned over pulled him from his thoughts. Startled, he turned around. Amanda sat unnoticed in the armchair by the fire, reading.
"You still mad at me? Chubb is certainly going to miss the ride with you today. And so am I. Please come along," he gently begged and looked pleadingly at her with his expressive eyes, like a young dog begging for his favourite bone.
"Thanks, I have better things to do," answered the girl, closing her book and standing up, "and so do you."
"And what might that be?" asked Little Joe suspiciously. Suddenly, the girl gave a resolute impression that bothered Joe.
"We're going to make a new dress for Sand-on-the-whatever. Don't look at me that way. I didn't eavesdrop. You two stood right beside me, I couldn't possibly not have heard you."
"Her name is Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon," corrected Joe mechanically, "and just where do you intend to get such a dress?"
"I simply alter one of mine. I will just have to shorten it a bit and take it in a lot. That's done pretty fast."
The naturalness with which she said it allayed Joe's doubts before they could even develop. But what was even better, he saw a chance to help his brother. Enthusiastic about the idea, he gave the girl a hug.
"Great! If you could do it! Tell me what to do!"
"I have a sewing kit up in my room. Please take a dummy upstairs, and then we're going to pick a dress," commanded Amanda and reluctantly pulled herself from Joe's embrace. She would have liked to feel his strong arms a little while longer.
"A dummy? What's that?" Joe stared at her, totally confused.
"A dress form - oh, I don't suppose you have one, right? Well, what shall we do now?" for a moment she stared back at him quite as helplessly, but then, apparently without reason, she started to giggle. "I know what we're gonna do. Come on!" She stormed up the stairs so fast Joe had trouble following.
Amanda rushed to her closet and took out her dresses, one by one. Little Joe liked the simple gold-yellow one best, which would go well with Sandy's dark skin and black hair.
"Then we take it," decided Amanda without hesitation, even though it was her favorite, which she wore only on special occasions. "Come on, put it on."
"Whaaaat?" Little Joe looked alternately at the girl and the dress, not believing what he had heard.
"Yes, you heard correctly. Put it on so that I can pin it up. Otherwise, the seams end up being entirely askew."
"But you can't expect me to put a dress on," the young man protested, outraged.
"Now don't make such a fuss. You're not supposed to take a walk in it outside," she countered calmly.
"No!"
"Oh yes!"
"Never!"
"Then do it for Adam and for Sand-on-the-whatever. And for me. Please!"
"Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon," corrected Joe as usual and made the mistake to look right into her eyes. She now had that same pleading puppy look as he did when persuading her to take a ride. He gave in.
"Okay, on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You're going with me to the dance tonight."
She hesitated for just a second. "Agreed. And now get going."
Sighing, he took the dress and put it on.
Amanda tugged at him here and there while he stood there in the gold-yellow splendor in complete embarrassment. She then shook her head and said disappointedly:
"A pity but it doesn't work this way. I can't get the dress to close, and it's shapeless."
Little Joe didn't want to give up so easily. He thought hard and suddenly his hazel-brown eyes started shining.
"There's still a chance. First, help me out of this monster."
He wriggled his way out of the vast amount of fabric while Amanda pulled the dress carefully over his head.
"What are you gonna do?" she asked doubtfully.
His hair tousled, Joe gasped for breath when he finally emerged from the gold-yellow heap of fabric.
"Why is it that you women like to wear such things?" he asked reproachfully.
Amanda grinned. "Probably so that you men run after us. Now out with it. How can we salvage the dress?"
"I'm gonna take off my shirt and pants and try it on again. Then you should be able to get the dress to close, wouldn't you say?"
Immediately, he began to unbutton his shirt. When Amanda stared at him wide-eyed, he winked at her. "Don't worry, I have my underwear on."
"If you are ruining my reputation, that's the least you could do," commented Amanda smiling and not one bit shocked, "after all, it is not very becoming for a young man to undress in my bedroom."
"Exceptional situations call for exceptional measures", commented Joe dryly, removing his boots.
The girl looked him over thoroughly when, finally, Little Joe stood before her in just his underpants.
"Do you realize that we would have to marry if our fathers came home now and saw us this way?" she giggled.
"What about it? I could imagine worse things than that," he answered and started giggling, too. Their eyes met, and suddenly both of them got serious. Joe pulled the girl to him and gave her a passionate kiss that she returned just as passionately. Then they looked at each other, confused. Amanda bundled the dress together and slipped it into Joe's arms.
"Now try it on again. If I'm to alter the dress, we have to hurry."
This time the dress could be closed. Joe had to climb on a chair and Amanda started to pin up the hem. Joe made some startled hops when, suddenly, Adam's voice boomed downstairs.
"Little Joe, where are you? Are you up there?"
The voice grew louder, and Joe panicked when he heard his brother come up the stairs. He frantically tried to wriggle out of the dress but, fiddling clumsily with the buttons on the back, got caught in the fabric.
"Stand still, or else the hem won't be straight," commanded Amanda mumbling, having some pins between her lips.
Meanwhile, Adam had reached Amanda's room. The door ajar, he noted that someone was in the room. He knocked and the door swung open.
"Amanda, I'm sorry to disturb you. Have you seen my bro....oh."
This time, even Adam, who was the calmness itself, was speechless. He stood there, leaning at the door frame, the arms folded across his chest, and marveling at the sight that Little Joe balancing on the chair in the yellow dress presented. A smug smile came slowly across his face.
"Adam, quit grinning like that. There's a reason for this." Joe, who finally had to accept that he couldn't get out of this dress by himself, decided to take the bull by the horns. His brother remained unimpressed.
"I don't know whether I want to hear your explanation. It couldn't be any better than what I think," he answered mockingly.
That was more than his brother could take. Despite the dress he jumped from the chair and upon Adam, who barely managed to get out of the way. Joe hit the doorframe, lost his balance and fell to the floor. Completely tangled up in the dress now, he tried to get back on his feet to get a grip on Adam but Adam raised his fists defensively.
"Stop it at once, both of you! You're ruining the dress, damn it! Joe, Adam, stop it!"
Both Cartwright brothers flashed angrily at each other but stopped moving when Amanda scolded them energetically. The girl took the opportunity to explain to Adam the reason for Joe's outfit. Impressed at what he was hearing, Adam lowered his fists.
"That's really very nice of you... and also of you, little brother." He held out his hand to Joe and pulled him out of his trap of clothes. "Is there anything I could do to help you?"
Just this moment, Ben Cartwright and Arthur King came into the house.
"That's just what we needed," murmured Joe, getting pale.
Amanda maintained her composure. "Go downstairs and distract them. We need another few minutes."
With these words she pushed Adam out of the room and closed the door.
"I'm curious what Amanda's going to say about the gift. I'll see whether she's upstairs," Adam heard her father say and rushed to get downstairs. He met Arthur King on the half-landing with a package under his arm and, seemingly unintentionally, blocked his way upstairs.
"Hi, back already? Was your business successful, Mister King?"
"You could say that, Adam. Your father is quite a sly fox. I was able to save a few hundred dollars today because of his negotiating skills." Ben Cartwrights friend beamed all over his face.
"Well, that calls for a celebration. How about a brandy?"
He gently grabbed the little man by his shoulders and led him back downstairs. This maneuver didn't escape Ben Cartwright, who quite confusedly wondered why Adam didn't want his friend to go upstairs. He intended to ask his son later what this all was about but with Arthur present the only thing he could do was back up his son and accept the invitation.
"A good idea, Adam, that really calls for a toast."
He poured some brandy and handed the glasses to his friend and his son. Accepting it, Arthur King looked around searchingly and explained affably:
"I saw Little Joe's horse outside. I'm sure the young man would also like to have a brandy. By the way, where is he?"
"He is upstairs. He'll be down in a minute."
Adam's reply came like a shot and Ben suddenly had the uncanny feeling that his youngest son had something to do with Adam's strange behaviour. But Arthur King didn't notice. He had emptied his glass and taken up the small package again that he wanted to bring his daughter.
"I'd like to give Amanda her gift now," he declared, turning to the stairs.
"Mister King, which piece of land have you bought today?" asked Adam with interest.
"The Balder Ranch. The ranch had not been worked for months and was offered at a low price. If the V&T put their plans into practice, I'll be a rich man. Well, not quite so rich as my friend Ben here, but rich enough."
"What are the plans of the railway? It sounds promising." Adam now was dead keen on the subject and Arthur King returned to the desk fetching the map that he had laid there earlier. He rolled it out, explaining where the new railway would be built and where the stock loading station was planned. Both were situated on the Balder Ranch, making the property three times as worth for sure. Adam desperately tried to think of more questions to ask when, finally, Little Joe strolled down the stairs with a guilty smile on his face, rescuing Adam from his predicament.
"Hi Pa, Mister King; you back already? How are you? Is the owner's name of the Balder Ranch Arthur King now?"
"Yes, son, and thanks to your father I have saved a lot of money," confirmed Arthur King proudly, "but now I'd like to tell Amanda the good news. Is she in her room?"
"I....I think so." Little Joe wondered anxiously why his father shot him a penetrating look. No sooner had Arthur King gone up the stairs and vanished into Amanda's room when Ben sternly demanded an explanation from his youngest son.
"Well, I'm listening. Joseph, what happened up there? And, young man, before you answer, you ought to dress properly."
Little Joe looked down at himself noting with horror that his shirt was not properly buttoned and, on top of that, hung partly out of his pants. His face as red as a beet root, he straightened his clothes.
"Pa, it's not what you think. Our youngest here has an incredible talent of getting himself into trouble but this time he didn't do anything wrong," Adam helped out his brother.
"Then you know what he was doing up there, partly dressed, in a room of a young lady?"
"Yes, Sir."
Their father waited a moment but, avoiding his eye, both sons remained resolutely silent and were obviously determined not to volunteer any information. Ben Cartwright knew that they wouldn't lie to him if he insisted on an explanation but he respected their wish not to betray their secret. And he also knew that he could trust Adam if he made himself Joe's advocate. He kept both of them in suspense a little while longer but then sympathy took over:
"Oh, get out of my sight. If you want to go out tonight, it's time you two got dressed. Or else, the ladies won't dance with you."
Adam and Joe stared at their father unbelievingly but didn't move.
"Get off. And have fun tonight." He emphasized his words with a short nod towards the stairs and this time the two of them didn't need any more asking. Adam and Joe rushed up the stairs.
Ben looked after his sons who ran peaceably up the stairs. Then his eyes fell on the map that Arthur had rolled out. It had also the Ponderosa on it. Lost in thought, he drew his finger along its border. People often called him a rich man because he had such a valuable piece of land to call his own. Well, they were right and wrong at the same time. He was rich, very rich indeed - but not because this beautiful property was his. His richness was his family that he could rely on. His sons, who were as much important to him as he was to them. The Cartwrights, who, despite occasional quarrels, stuck together unquestioningly, when it mattered. Rolling up the map, he smiled.
***
Amanda managed to persuade
Sand-on-the-bank-of-the-lake-under-the-moon, in a private talk woman to woman
so to speak, to accept the dress and to accompany her, Joe and Adam to the
dance. The evening turned out to be a wonderful experience for both couples,
first happily dancing to cheerful music and later spending a quiet time at the
When Amanda and her father climbed aboard the stagecoach two days later, Ben and Joe Cartwright were again standing in front of the stage line office wishing the Kings a safe journey home. And again Little Joe stepped unhappily from one foot to the other but this time his unhappiness had another cause than it did a week before. The fact that Amanda had promised to write often and to return soon, did little to comfort him. She was a very special person and now that he knew her laughter, her tears and even a little of her soul, he'd prefer to not let go of "his coconut" forever.
And the cookies that