THE ROPE
By: Deborah S.
 
 
Ben Cartwright stood in front of his house. His arms wrapped around him, to 
protect himself from the cold. He knew he should go in, and put his coat on, 
but he didn’t want to. He felt more secure waiting for his sons to return 
standing where he was.
 
Ben looked at the sky again. His face showed his concern. It was a snow sky. 
He knew his sons headed out in three different directions that morning. He 
hoped they would notice the sky, and the drop in temperature, and head for 
home, before it hit.
 
The temperature dropped more. Ben shivered. He knew he should go inside, and 
light the wood stove, to warm the lower level of the house, but he just 
couldn’t leave. Not yet. Ben stared to the right of the barn, hoping to see 
his sons ride up. When Ben couldn’t take the cold any longer, he walked into 
the house. He opened the curtains above his desk, so he could look out, if 
he heard something. He started the fire in the wood stove, and warmed his 
hands by it. He looked at the fireplace, and decided to add more wood to it. 
Ben listened as the wind picked up, howling it’s ghostly sound. Ben couldn’t 
relax. He sat at his desk, hoping paperwork would help take his mind off his 
sons. He looked over some figures on the paper, but couldn’t focus on them. 
He walked to the window, and looked out. Still no sign of his sons.
 
How he wished he had known this storm was coming. He would have kept his 
sons home, where they would be safe with him now. He knew if he had, he 
wouldn’t be going through this inner-hell he was going through right now. 
The work could have waited. Placerville could have waited. If only he had 
known about the storm, he kept telling himself.
 
The wind howled louder. Ben went to the door, and put his coat on. He walked 
out front to wait some more. He wrapped his arms around him, while the wind 
whipped at him. He moved by the front door for more protection from the 
wind. Ben heard something. He looked towards the barn with anticipation. It 
got louder. Was it a horse, or the wind? Ben couldn’t tell. He waited. Ben 
smiled. It was Joseph. Joe waved. Ben waved back. Joe put Cochise in the 
barn, then walked to his father. Ben put his arm around Joe’s shoulders, 
then walked inside.
 
Once inside, Joe went to the wood stove, to warm his hands. “Sure is cold 
out there,” he said shivering. Ben grabbed a blanket, and wrapped it around 
him. “Thanks Pa,” Joe said shivering. Ben brought Joe some coffee. “Drink 
this son. It’ll warm you,” Ben said handing Joe the cup. Joe drank the 
coffee. Moments later, he felt warmer. “Where’s Hoss and Adam?” Joe asked. 
Ben took a deep breath. “They’re still out there in the storm, ” Ben 
replied. Joe looked at his father. “Pa, it’s going to start snowing 
anytime,” Joe said. Ben looked worried. “I know. I think it‘s going to do 
more then snow. I think there‘s a blizzard coming, and I hope I‘m wrong,” 
Ben replied.
 
Ben couldn’t stay inside any longer, so he went back outside. He felt if he 
waited outside, his sons would come home. Joe walked out, standing next to 
him. The wind and cold were worse. “Pa, come in the house. It won’t do you 
any good to wait out here and freeze,” Joe said. Ben looked to the right of 
the barn. “I can’t go in, until my two sons come home safe to me,” Ben 
replied. Joe was at a loss for what to do. He knew his father, and knew the 
love he had for his sons. “Pa, what can it hurt to look out the study 
window?” Joe asked. Ben looked at Joe. “Don’t ask me why, but I just have to 
stand here,” Ben replied. “Pa, it doesn’t make any sense. Come in,” Joe 
said. It started to snow. “Pa, you can’t stay out here in the snow. Pa, Adam 
and Hoss are intelligent men. They would recognize a storm coming. Pa, 
they’ll be home soon, I’m sure,” Joe said. Ben just stared at the side of 
the barn. Minutes later he perked up. He thought he heard something. Joe 
looked too. “Pa, do hear what I hear?” Joe asked. “Yes. It sounds like a 
horse coming,” Ben replied. Hoss rode up. Ben closed his eyes, and breathed 
a sigh of relief. Joe smiled. Hoss put Chubb in the barn, then walked to 
where his father, and brother stood. “What are you two standing out here for 
in this weather?” Hoss asked shivering. “Waiting for you,” Joe said, moving 
his head towards his father. Hoss got Joe’s message. “Hoss you must be cold. 
Come in son, and warm yourself by the wood stove,” Ben said.
 
Hoss, Joe and Ben warmed their hands by the wood stove. “Where’s Adam?” Hoss 
asked. Joe shook his head, but it was too late. Ben walked to the study 
window. “Joe, where’s Adam?” Hoss asked again. “He’s out there,” Ben 
replied, as he looked out the window. The snow was coming down real hard 
now. Ben walked to the door. “Pa, you ain’t figurin’ on goin’ out there, are 
you?” Hoss asked. “I have to. I have to string a rope for Adam to follow, to 
find the house. Pretty soon, he won’t be able to find it,” Ben replied, as 
he walked out front.
 
Hoss wanted to follow. “Let him go Hoss. He won‘t listen to you anyway,” Joe 
said. “I guess you’re right. Adam? Wasn’t he going to Placerville?” Hoss 
asked. Joe nodded. “Hoss, there’s nothing between here, and where Adam would 
have gotten today. If he gets caught in this storm, he‘ll freeze to death,” 
Joe stated. Hoss looked out the window. His father had tied the rope, and 
was standing out there, waiting for Adam to return. “If he don’t come in in 
two minutes, I’m gonna carry him in,” Hoss said.
 
Ben stood, looking to the right of the barn, trying to see through the snow. 
It was coming down harder. How could he go in, when his oldest son was still 
out there somewhere. If only he could know if he were alright. Ben knew he 
had to go back inside the house. It was too cold to just stand there. He 
went towards the door, turning for another look before going in. He went to 
the wood stove, and warmed himself up. Hoss got him some coffee. Ben drank 
it, but said nothing.
 
Half an hour later, Ben looked out the study window again. It was the worst 
blizzard he had ever seen. He knew Adam wouldn’t be coming home. He knew he 
wouldn’t be able to find his way home now. He hoped he found some place, 
somewhere, to stay out the storm, and keep warm. Hoss and Joe looked out the 
window with him. They looked at each other, knowing what the other was 
thinking. Chances were, their brother would freeze to death that night. They 
knew their father knew that as well. Nobody had the courage to say it at 
that time though.
 
Ben walked to his chair, and stared at the fireplace. Hoss and Joe sat on 
the sofa, doing the same. Nobody said anything. The wind howled, whipping 
the house. Ben thought of his oldest son. Thought of him from the day he was 
born, until now. He closed his eyes, and prayed. The door flew open, and 
standing there, was a very cold Adam. Ben ran to him, followed by Hoss and 
Joe. Ben closed to door, and walked a shivering Adam to the wood stove, 
where he sat him down in a chair. Ben took off his hat, coat, pants and 
boots, as they were wet from the snow. He put blankets on him, and around 
him, to warm him. Hoss brought him some coffee, but Adam’s hands were so 
cold, his fingers couldn’t grab the cup. Ben held the cup to Adam’s mouth, 
for him to take sips of the hot coffee. After some time, Adam finally spoke, 
his teeth still chattering together. “Whoever put that rope up, saved my 
life,” he said. “Pa did,” Hoss replied. Ben smiled. “I couldn’t think of 
anything, but your safe return. Then something told me to put that rope up, 
and I had to do it. “ Ben said. Adam, Hoss and Joe looked at each other. 
“How far did you get son?” Ben asked. “I got far enough, then noticed the 
sky. It didn’t look right, then the temperature dropped, so I hightailed it 
back here. For awhile there, I didn’t think I’d make it. When I got here, I 
could barely see the barn. After taking care of Sport, I couldn’t see the 
house anymore. If you hadn’t put that rope up Pa, there’s no doubt, that I 
would frozen to death, in that barn tonight,” Adam said. Ben hugged his son, 
closing his eyes as he did.
 
A short time later, Ben helped Adam into his long johns and robe. He could 
tell Adam was tired, so he led him to the sofa, his legs still stiff. Ben 
laid him down, and covered him with blankets, then sat on the edge of the 
sofa, looking down at his son. Adam smiled at his father. His father smiled 
back. “Boy, it was almost worth being half -frozen to death, for this kind 
of attention. I could get used to this,” Adam said. “Would you like 
something to eat son?” Ben asked. “No Pa. I think I’d just like to sleep 
now,” Adam replied, closing his eyes. Within minutes, Ben could hear the 
change in his son’s breathing, and knew he was asleep. He looked up and 
said, “Thank you, and he meant it.”
 
Hoss and Joe looked from behind the sofa, at their sleeping brother. “Pa, I 
think we’d better consider sleeping downstairs tonight. When I was upstairs 
getting Adam’s clothes, it’s colder than a polar bear’s nose up there,” Hoss 
said. Ben nodded in agreement. “Why don’t you two get one of the guest room 
mattresses, and bring it down here, and put it behind the sofa. I’ll get the 
one off the bed in the room down here, and set it up for myself by the wood 
stove. I’ll just leave Adam on the sofa for now. It’s pretty hard, but if 
wants to, he came come in with me during the night.
 
DURING THE NIGHT
 
“Don’t you do anything but snore?” Joe asked Hoss. Hoss had just about had 
it with his little brother waking him up, because of his snoring. “Little 
Joe, if you wake me up one more time, I’m gonna let you have it,” Hoss 
replied. “Joe’s right Hoss,” Adam said, looking over the back of the sofa. 
“Your snoring sounds like a train is going through the room.” Joe smiled and 
said, “See?” Ben woke up. “Would you boys please keep it down?” Ben asked. . 
Hoss sat up. “Pa, it’s that Little Joe. He just won’t let me sleep,” Hoss 
replied. Joe sat up as well. “Pa, I’m telling you, he snores like there’s no 
tomorrow,” Joe said. Adam came to Joe’s defense. “Joe’s right Pa. Hoss’s 
snoring could wake the dead.” Just then the wind howled like a ghost. “See?” 
Adam said. Hoss got up. “Where are you going?” Ben asked. Hoss felt his 
stomach. “The kitchen. I’m hungry Pa,” Hoss replied. Joe and Adam looked at 
each other. They followed Hoss to the kitchen, to have something to eat as 
well.
 
Hoss kept looking around, not quite finding what he wanted. “Dadburnit, I 
know Hop Sing made some of those special cookies of his, before leaving for 
San Francisco. Now where could he have hid them? Dadburnit, I don’t know why 
he has to hide them cookies anyway,” Hoss said. Adam and Joe looked at each 
other. “You don’t know why? Hoss come here,” Adam said. Hoss walked to where 
Adam was standing. “Now Hoss, think about it. If you knew where Hop Sing hid 
the cookies, do you think there’d be any left right now?” Adam asked. Hoss 
thought for a moments. “I guess not,” Hoss replied. Joe rolled his eyes. 
“Joe, do you know where Hop Sing hides the cookies?” Hoss asked. “No, I 
never could catch him hiding them,” Joe replied. “Yeah me neither. It’s like 
he knows when you’re spyin’ on him. It’s kind of spooky,” Hoss replied. “I 
know where he hides them,” Adam said. “How do you know?” Joe asked. Adam 
cleared his throat, and then replied, “One day I was working outside, and I 
happened to peek in, and I saw Hop Sing had just finished making butter, or 
so I thought. Well, when I went to the ice box to get some, there wasn’t 
any. In fact, when I asked Hop Sing about it, he told me he planned to make 
some in the morning. Anyway, that night, after Hop Sing went to bed, I 
opened that butter churn, and I found cookies.” Hoss smiled, as he opened 
the butter churn. Inside was something wrapped up in cloth. Hoss took it 
out, and laid it on the table, opening it carefully. Inside were lots of Hop 
Sing’s delicious cookies. “Adam, if you were a girl, I’d kiss you right 
now,” Hoss said. Adam cringed. “I’m glad I’m not a girl,” he replied. They 
all laughed.
 
The three of them sat around the kitchen table eating cookies. Hoss and Joe 
drank milk with theirs. Adam water with his. “Adam, for the life of me 
brother, I cannot understand, how you can possibly eat cookies with water,” 
Hoss stated. Joe made a face. “I don’t understand that one either,” Joe 
said. Adam drank some water to wash the cookie in his mouth down. “I hate 
milk, unless it‘s on something. It’s as simple as that,” Adam replied.
 
When Joe and Adam were full, they decided to leave Hoss in the kitchen to 
finish the cookies, so they could get to sleep before he did. They figured 
if he they didn’t fall asleep first, his snoring would prevent them from 
going to sleep. Joe went back to where he had been sleeping, and Adam 
climbed in with his father. The sofa was much too hard, and his father’s 
body would warm him.
 
The next morning during breakfast, Ben was amazed at how tired his sons 
were. “Didn’t you three sleep at all?“ he asked. They were too tired to 
respond. Ben looked outside. The storm was still going strong. He suggested 
they go and sit in the living room. Hoss, Adam and Joe sat on the sofa. Ben 
in his chair. “Do you boys remember the time it snowed so much, and Joe 
looked out the window, and he was so scared, because he thought that someone 
had painted the world white?” Ben asked. They all laughed. “Yeah Joe, 
weren’t you around three at the time?” Hoss asked. Joe thought. “Yeah, I 
think I was,” Joe replied.
 
“Do you remember the time Hoss sat on the chicken eggs, because he wanted to 
see if he could hatch one?” Adam asked. They all laughed. “Hey I remember 
that. How old was I then Pa?” Hoss asked. Ben thought. “Let me see. You were 
around four, I believe,” Ben replied. Joe got an idea. “Hey Pa, didn’t Adam 
ever do anything silly when he was little?” Joe asked. “No he didn’t,” Adam 
replied, and then laughed. Ben smiled. “Once when Adam was around eighteen 
months old, I got a job that lasted a couple of days. One of the days, I was 
supposed to plant these flowers, all up this really long planting area. I 
mean it was the longest planting area you’d ever seen. I worked hours. 
Actually, most of the day. I would look back once in awhile, to see where 
Adam was. I finally planted the last flower, and was about to look back, to 
gaze upon all my hard work. There was Adam, right next to me, pulling out 
the flower I had just planted. I looked down the planter bed, and he had 
pulled out every single flower I had planted. The whole entire planting bed. 
I looked at him, and he said, “Wee,” which meant weed. He thought he was 
helping me, like he had in the past, by pulling weeds,” Ben said. They all 
laughed. Adam cleared his throat.
 
Hoss went to the kitchen, and awhile later, came out with hot chocolate for 
everyone. Everyone cheered. Joe was next to speak. “Hey, I remember a game 
we used to play when it used to snow years ago. Do you guys remember? It 
was, I think we called it, the name game. We’d take certain people that we 
knew, and each one of us would say what name we thought went with them, 
other than their own names.” Adam and Hoss both recalled the game. “Let’s 
start with Pa,” Joe said. The boys laughed. “I would say Pa looks like a, 
Hank,” Hoss said. “No, Pa looks like a Roy,” Joe said. Ben smiled. “Let’s 
see. I can see Pa being a Lorne,” Adam said. “Loren?” Ben asked. “Where the 
heck did you get that name?” “I don’t know Pa. It just came to me,” Adam 
replied.
 
“What about Hoss?” Joe asked. “Let’s see, I think Hoss could be a Frank,” 
Ben said. They laughed. “I think Hoss could be a Fred,” Joe said. “I think 
Hoss could be a Dan,” Adam said. “Dan?” Hoss asked. “Where the heck did you 
get that name Adam?” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he 
replied.
 
“How about Joe?” Hoss asked. “I think Joe could be a Jim,” Hoss said. I 
think Joe could be a Brian,” Ben said. “I think Joe could be a Michael,” 
Adam said. “Michael?” Joe asked. “I couldn’t see myself being a Michael at 
all.” Adam looked at his family. “Why are you only questioning the names I 
suggest?” he asked. They just laughed.
 
“How about Adam?” Ben asked. “I could see Adam being a John,” Hoss said. “I 
could see Adam being a David,” Joe said. “I could see Adam being a Pernell,” 
Ben said. “Pernell?” Adam asked. “Where the heck did you get that name?” 
Pernell?” Adam said, shaking his head.
 
The wind howled outside. “This storm sure doesn’t want to let up,” Ben said. 
“It’s kind of fun being all comfy in our long johns, and robes, and drinking 
hot chocolate, and just talking, ain’t it Pa?” Hoss asked. “It sure is son,” 
Ben replied. Adam sat there thinking. “Pernell? How’d we go from John and 
David to Pernell? Boy Pa, for the first time in my life, I‘m glad my mother 
named me, and not you. Can you imagine my being Pernell Cartwright?” Adam 
asked. They all laughed. Ben came to his own defense. “It’s just a name I 
heard somewhere before, when I was in the South. I can’t remember where, but 
I looked at you, and you looked like a Pernell to me just then,” he said. 
Adam shook his head.
 
Ben went to watch the storm out the dining room window. Awhile later, he 
walked back to the living room. He smiled, as he looked at his three sons, 
who were fast asleep on the sofa. Hoss was asleep against the arm of the 
sofa. Adam was asleep against Hoss. Joe asleep against Adam. Ben took the 
empty cups from their hands. He got some blankets, and covered them. As he 
looked at his sons again, Ben thought back to yesterday, and how he felt not 
knowing, if his sons were ever coming home to him again. He hoped he’d never 
have to experience that feeling ever again. He then thought about the rope, 
and how he just had to put it out. If that thought hadn’t come to him, there 
would be only two sons asleep on this sofa now. He realized how blessed he 
was. He decided to go to his desk, and do the paperwork, that he couldn’t 
bring himself to do yesterday. Now he could. His sons were home safe and 
sound.
 
THE END
 
 
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