Adam shifted his weight around on the uncomfortable bed

A Senseless POW Story

Adam shifted his weight around on the uncomfortable bed. He yearned for A Good Night’s Rest. His rear end was sore from sitting there too long and after failing to find a more suitable position he pushed himself up to his feet and stood at the window, staring out at Twilight Town. He felt like The Ape, that he had been dubbed. The Jury had found him guilty; the judge, Sam Hill, had gone so far as to call him Half A Rogue!

Adam ran his long slender fingers through his thick raven hair, wondering when it was that he had, had The Last Haircut, and smiling when he thought of his youngest brother, Little Joe and how the boy was always referring to himself as The Gentleman From New Orleans. Ben, on the other hand had lovingly referred to Joe as Destiny’s Child, The Other Son, Ben had often laughed, The Spotlight of his life, the topmost point of The Triangle. Adam remembered his father telling them that it was his sons who had made him feel like The King of the Mountain.

Adam was restless and felt like The Underdog, when in fact he was akin to being The Scapegoat. He hated this Pressure Game, Tommy, his lawyer, had advised him that it would be A Sure Thing, if he’d break take The Oath and just tell the truth. He could not convince any of them that he had told The Pure Truth. They believed him to be one of Gallagner’s Sons, and not Adam Cartwright, The Prince of the Ponderosa.

This was certainly a Night of Reckoning, his thoughts turned to the events that led to his being where he was. The handsome man wondered if he’d ever regain his freedom. Glancing around at the tight quarters, he felt like a chained Hound Dog.

‘Thirty days.’ The words kept screaming at him. Adam ran his hand across his face and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. It had only been Five Sundowns to Sunup, and already he felt as if he were going mad.

Where was his Pa when he needed him? To Adam, his father had always been A Man to Admire. Never before had Ben Cartwright failed to come to the aid of one of his sons when they were in need of help. Ben always seemed to know when one of his boys was in trouble, but this time, something was wrong.

“PA!’ his mind shouted. “You better hurry…this time I’m hanging Between Heaven and Earth,” Adam sighed softly. “If only I could Escape to the Ponderosa,” he muttered.

“I could ride along The Truckee Strip and avoid The Gunmen and that Hanging Posse.”

Adam sat back down on the rickety old bed to think of a plan to avoid Death at Dawn. He could try to break out tonight, under a Dark Star. Racking his brain for ideas, Adam decided he could avoid a Showdown, by riding to The Mission, or even The Mill. He’d have to out smart The Trail Gang, they were worse than The Last Viking, being a Breed of Violence. The local sheriff, Denver McKee, was a crook himself, always wearing a Badge Without Honor, the man had once been his Rival when they both had fallen in love with that Lady From Baltimore…she had been a real Spitfire, Adam recalled.

Adam remembered he had weathered The Storm, it had been hard to keep The Secret, but he had managed. He had walked away from the beautiful girl, not interested in The Dowry that she had tempted him with. She had left him with a feeling that he was nothing more than a Toy Solider, expected to bend to her every wish and whim. His heart had been broken, but Adam, The First Born, had moved beyond his broken heart. By Springtime, he had met The Countess, who traveler with The Tall Stranger that called himself The Duke.

They hadn’t been Any Friend’s of Walters. Later, after playing The Waiting Game with her, Adam had found out that she was nothing more than The Actress, who showed his heart no Quality of Mercy, when she ran off with The Artist.

Adam paced back in forth across the small expanse of his cell, here he was, jailed for being a Good Samaritan, feeling like a Little Man, Ten Feet Tall. He was in his Prime of Life. He wished his father would hurry, Ben was A Natural Wizzard and would know how to get him out of The Dilemma he found himself in.

If only he hadn’t run into those Companeros, he’d never become The Hostage. But they believed he knew about Logan’s Treasure, even through he tried to convince them otherwise. Adam had played along with them; he was sure they wanted nothing more than To Own the World. He decided it would be A Far, Far Better Thing to do that than to try to break away. The attempt, should he try, wasn’t worth A Dime’s Worth of Glory.

But sitting here in jail, holding The Brass Box, he felt something of what The Jonah of the bible story his father used to read to him, must have felt.

Suddenly the door opened, and he heard his father’s deep voice, “My Son, My Son!”

Adam grinned from ear to ear; The Boss had arrived in the nick of time.

Behind his father stood Hoss and Little Joe. Joe laughed, “looks like this time, I’m My Brother’s Keeper, instead of you.”

“I suppose you’re right, you little Miracle Worker. Now, just get me out of here, will ya, Pa?” Adam turned his attention to his father.

Adam listened, as he father demanded his release. Ben’s roar was as Old Sheba, and he sounded louder than a Woman of Fire, when he shouted.

Adam glanced at his brothers, they too were smiling, The Peace Officer, had unlocked his cell. He was free to Ride the Wind.

Adam followed his family out into the street. He turned back to the one who thought he cast such Big Shadows on the Land, and remarked with sarcasm, Thanks for Everything Friend.”

Adam swung his long legs across his mount’s back, glancing sideways at his father.

“Pa, I know you live by The Unwritten Commandment, but I just want you to know, this is my Last Mission. From this day forth, I’m swearing off the women, I’ll just be known as The Reluctant Rebel.”

His family laughed at him.

“Aw…shucks Adam, you just wait, someday you’ll meet a lady to ya likin’. She might even be a Ballerina!”

Adam shrugged his shoulders, ignoring his middle brother.

“Say, Pa…how did you find out where I was?” Adam questioned, suddenly aware of the fact that when he had headed out for San Francisco, he had not told his father what route he’d be taking.

“Easy son,” Ben said over his shoulder, “Walter and the Outlaws, told me.”

“Really?” Adam said, “I thought they were Dead and Gone?”

“Nope,” Joe assured his brother, “Walter said he didn’t want you to become a Mirror of A Man, and that it was A Hot Day for A Hanging, so he’d just repay you The Debt he owed Hoss by saving your hide.”

“No fooling?” muttered Adam, amazed.

“Come on boys, let’s ride,” Ben called over his shoulders as he spurred Buck into action. He’d have to remember to thank Walter the next time he saw him, he sure was a Strange One, reckoned Ben to himself. He glanced back at his Found Child, glad that The Search was over.

THE END

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