The Hopefuls – What Happened Next
by Meira Bracha
October 2003
In the Season 2 episode, The
Hopefuls, Adam and Hoss escort the wagon train of a pacifist sect after Adam is
smitten with the sect leader’s daughter
Hoss let out some breath between his teeth and shook his head as he watched the horse and rider ahead of him on the narrow mountain trail. “Chubby, I’ll be danged if I know which one o’ them two is the more ornery. They jest ain’t sensible like you an’ me. You don’t got no need to prance and dance just to show me ya missed me when I left you in that livery for the day. I reckon you was just glad o’ the chance ta rest. An’ me, I wouldn’t a minded if me an’ Adam had spent the night in what passed fer a hotel in that town rather ‘n try ta head fer home an’ likely end up sleepin’ on the ground. An’ I ain’t got no new bullet holes in me neither!...”
Hoss interrupted his monologue in response to a sudden burst of sound up ahead. He looked forward and saw Adam’s left arm slip out of its sling as he stuggled to remain upright in the saddle after Sport made a particularly wild head toss. Adam couldn’t swallow an involuntary yelp of pain as his injured shoulder swung forward and back during his attempt to regain his balance. Hoss urged his mount forward until he was just ahead of, and perpendicular to, his brother’s horse. Hoss reached out and grabbed Sport’s bridle, bringing the snorting creature under some degree of control. Hoss hastily dismounted and went over to reach up and ease Adam out of his saddle. It was a sign of the older brother’s total exhaustion that he didn’t put up a struggle, even after Hoss sat him down and proceeded to unbutton and remove Adam’s shirt, the better to see how his injury was faring.
“So?” asked Adam, querulously.
“Hmmph,” replied Hoss. “It ain’t weepin’ er festerin’. That barber that does the doctorin’ in Slatersville was a lot cleaner than a few real doctors I seen. But you are one big bruise from the top o’ yer shoulder down ta yer elbow. That’s gotta hurt like all get out. We’re campin’ here fer the night, so if ya had any idées ‘bout goin’ any further ya better ferget about ‘em. “
Adam looked for a moment like he might argue, but then slumped wearily down, all the fight apparently out of him. He was experiencing more than just physical pain, and Hoss knew it.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Hoss continued. “First I’m gonna re-bandage that arm and get ya settled more comfortable. Then I’m gonna see to my horse and that wild beast that your ridin’. And then I’m gonna build a fire an’ cook us up some supper. Meanwhile yer jest gonna set there like a good big brother and let me do what I gotta do.”
Hoss was as good as his word, and it wasn’t long before the brothers were scraping their plates and sipping their coffee in companionable silence.
At long last Adam spoke, so low that Hoss had to strain to hear him. “Do you think I was wrong to go after Board?”
“I been thinkin’ a lot about this Adam, an’ I don’t think there’s no easy answer. I mean, ain’t them people right? Folks ain’t ought to be shootin’ at each other.”
“Even to defend themselves? Or to defend other innocent people who are in danger of getting hurt?” Adam asked in reply.
Hoss thought some more. “Well we was raised to do that. An’ it always seemed right to me afore this.”
“But now you’re not sure?”
“Well Jacob said that folks hurtin’ folks is kinda like a circle. Some feller hurts me, so I hurt him, then his friends an’ family come after me an’ mine, an’ pretty soon ya got a war on your hands. Maybe somebody has got to be the first to jest stop.”
Adam had no reply for a long while. He shut his eyes and tried to stretch the ache out of his shoulder, wincing as the movement only made things worse. Just when Hoss was thinking that his older brother had drifted off to sleep, Adam spoke up again.
“I can remember the first time I saw people killing other people. It was when we were traveling west. A fellow in our wagon train had cheated some Indians, and they attacked us.”
Of course Hoss had heard this story before. He knew it ended with the death of his mother. But he listened attentively to Adam’s retelling, almost as if he was hoping that this time it would have a different outcome.
“But that day, when the Indians whom SHE FELT BAD FOR attacked us, she thrust that baby into my arms, picked up a gun and started shooting. If she hadn’t, maybe she wouldn’t have been killed.”
“Or mebbe she woulda still been killed, and mebbe we woulda too,” replied Hoss softly, knowing full well that he was “that baby”.
“Yeah, but Board had already done his killing when I called
him out. I was just trying to get the
money back. So I got the money and I
lost
“But Adam…what about the next folks he mighta kilt tryin’ to rob? The more we talk about this the more I’m thinkin’ that the world ain’t ready fer all the good folk to start thinkin’ like Jacob Darien. I still like and respect them folks a lot, but I ain’t ready to set around prayin’ while the bad folk keep getting’ away with doin’ wrong. An’ I don’t think you are neither.”
Adam sighed. “No. I think I demonstrated that pretty clearly.” He made another futile attempt to put his shoulder in a more comfortable position. “But at such a cost! Oh, Hoss, she is wonderful. And I let her go. For an abstract idea!”
Hoss replied, “Iffen by ‘abstract’ you mean something to jest think about and talk about, yer wrong. This ain’t jest about thinkin’, it’s about doin’. An’ you couldna done any different than you did do.”
Hoss began to prepare the campsite for sleeping. He laid out Adam’s bedroll and watched as Adam painfully settled himself in it. “Adam she is right nice little gal. I woulda been proud to call her sister. But I reckon one o’ the things you two have in common is doin’ what you believe is right, no matter the cost. She couldn’t do no different and neither could you and iffen either o’ you could you wouldna found the other so worth havin’. “
Adam scowled and rolled his eyes. “Sister? You jumped the gun a bit there. We were just getting acquainted. Did you hear me say anything about marriage?”
Hoss made a small snort. “Didn’t haffta say anythin’. I could see what you was feelin’ and I got a pretty good idea what you was thinkin’. If I had ta rely on what you said to understand ya than you’d be a cipher ta me more’n half the time, what with them college words yer always spoutin’”
“You know,” Adam rejoined, “Lots of folks say I’m pretty hard to read. In fact, I rather pride myself on my poker face.”
“Well I figger we been together so much so long that that poker face don’t work with me. I knew what you felt fer that gal since that first night them folks made dinner fer us an’ Pa an’ Joe. Guess one of the reasons I came along was to see what was gonna happen, and maybe help it along a bit. ‘Fraid I kind o’ let ya down on that count and I’m right sorry. If there were ever a feller that deserved happiness it’s you, Adam.”
“No more than you, little brother.”
Hoss looked down and seemed to concentrate hard on stirring the burning embers in the fire.
Adam made a weak smile. “You know there’s one more small thing that is troubling me.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” asked Hoss.
“I’m going to have to admit to Pa that he was right.”
Hoss shook his head. “I’m pretty certain this is one time Pa woulda preferred ta be wrong. Good night, Adam.”
“Good night, Hoss. And thanks. For everything. “