MISSING
By: Debra P.
Something had been nagging at Ben Cartwright for most
of the day, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He looked
over to where his middle son, Hoss, sat next to him on the porch, his eyes
half closed, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun on his face and
the aromas of supper being prepared which wafted out to them from Hop Sing's
kitchen. Ben wished he could find such contentment, but his own spirit was
troubled by a vague but persistent feeling that something was very wrong.
And the fact that his other two sons were absent provided a place for that
feeling to attach itself and gnaw at him. Adam and Joe were due back from
their expedition at almost any time, but Ben knew that the timing of such
things was always unpredictable, and it was really impossible to say exactly
when he might see them ride around the corner of the barn into the yard.
He just hoped it would be soon.
Even as Ben was thinking about these things the sound of horses' hooves
reached his ears. Immediately he perked up, wondering if his wish was about
to be granted. But it was not either of his sons who appeared a moment later.
Instead, it was a boy, perhaps about sixteen years old, with shaggy brown
hair, mounted on a small dappled gray horse. Ben recognized him as young
Willie Boyd, who worked in the telegraph office. At that thought Ben felt
something inside him begin to twist up in a knot. A telegram, he thought,
was more apt to bring bad news than good. Could this be...?
As Willie rode up to the house Ben rose to meet him, and he found Hoss standing
by his side.
" How ya doin' Willie?," Hoss called out cheerfully to the boy.
"Got somethin' for us, do ya?"
" Sure do!," said Willie, jumping down from his horse. "Seems
like it's pretty important too. Mr Peters said he was sure you'd want to
get it right away." He stepped up in front of Ben and held out an envelope
to him. "Here you are, Mr. Cartwright."
Ben stared at the telegram for a moment before reaching out hesitantly to
take it. Something was telling him that this paper held the reason for the
unease he had been feeling. He continued to stand there looking at it without
making any move to open it.
Looking on, Hoss was puzzled by his father's reaction. Seeing Willie still
standing there looking at them expectantly, Hoss reached into his own pocket
to pull out some money and handed it to the boy.
" Thanks, Willie," he said distractedly.
" Thank YOU, Mr. Cartwright," the boy replied. Then he turned,
jumped back on his horse and quickly turned it around to return the way
he had come.
Hoss looked back to his father, who was still looking at the unopened telegram
as though it were some wild animal threatening to bite him.
" Ain't ya gonna read it, Pa?", he urged gently, his own curiosity
about the contents of the message...and his father's behavior...now fully
aroused.
Ben shook himself slightly, then proceeded to open the envelope and pull
out the paper inside. After one final moment of hesitation he unfolded it
and began to peruse it.
As he took in the words Ben felt a cold shiver run through him. He started
to read them over again, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. As he
did so he saw the letters start to swim before his eyes, and he began to
feel faint. He was aware of Hoss grabbing his arm to help him sit back down
on his chair and Hoss' voice speaking to him anxiously.
" Pa, what is it? What's the matter?"
Without a word, but with a trembling hand, Ben handed the telegram over
to him. Alarmed at his father's sudden paleness, Hoss found it difficult
to turn his eyes away from him to read the message, but the need to know
what this was about prevailed.
PA STOP ADAM MISSING STOP DID NOT MEET ME AS PLANNED STOP HAVE SEARCHED
FOR TWO DAYS WITH NO LUCK STOP FOUND SPORT IN HANDS OF BLACKSMITH STOP TWO
MEN SOLD HIM STOP TRACED MEN HERE TO SALT FLATS STOP MEN WERE KILLED IN
FIGHT STOP LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THEM STOP THEY MUST HAVE ROBBED ADAM
STOP DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY DID TO HIM BUT FEAR THE WORST STOP PLEASE
JOIN ME HERE SOONEST POSSIBLE TO HELP SEARCH STOP PA I'M SO SORRY STOP JOE
ALL STOP
Hoss felt a lump rising in his throat and he imagined that his face must
have gone just as white as his father's. He looked down at his father sitting
on the chair in obvious distress and he wondered what he could possibly
do to ease this blow for him. Finally he simply put his hand on his pa's
shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.
" Pa...you know Adam," he began, trying to keep the tremor out
of his voice and not quite succeeding. "He's mighty tough in a pinch.
I'm sure he's out there somewhere just waitin' for us to come find him.
I just feel it, Pa."
Ben looked up at him with pain in his eyes. "And I've been feeling
all day that there was something wrong," he said in a low voice that
caught with emotion. "Now I know what it was."
Hearing that, Hoss was taken aback. Knowing how close their pa and Adam
were, such a feeling could not simply be dismissed. But what did it mean?
Could it be that Adam was really...gone? Hoss shook his head trying to throw
off the troubling thought. It probably only meant that Adam was in a jam,
not that he.... There was still a chance that Adam could be found alive.
Certainly there was. And as long as there was a chance, Hoss was determined
to do everything in his power to pursue it.
" Well there ain't no good in thinkin' the worst when it might not
be," he said. "I guess the thing we should be doin' is gettin'
ready to go and meet up with Joe sose we can find out for sure."
Ben made an effort to gather himself. "You're right, son. We shouldn't
just be sitting around here talking about it. We should be getting ready
to go." A new determination had crept into his eyes and his voice.
Hoss looked up to check on the sun's position, which was now low in the
sky. "Given the time of day it is, Pa, do ya think it's best to try
to start off yet today?"
We wouldn't get that far before it got too dark to go on."
Ben considered for a moment. "I think we can get our things together
and make it as far as Virginia City before it gets too dark. I can wire
Joe from there before the telegraph office closes and we can stay overnight
at the International House. We'll be that far along at least, and we'll
be well rested when we start off again in the morning."
Hoss looked at him dubiously. "Somehow, Pa, I doubt that either of
us is gonna be gettin' much rest tonight."
" You're probably right, Hoss. But at least we can try," Ben replied
quietly.
Hoss nodded. "Sounds good ta me. I'll go on in, tell Hop Sing what's
goin' on and get him to help me start gettin' things together. I'm sure
supper will be ready by now too. We'd best have a bite before we set out.
Why don't you just sit here for a spell and let me take care o' things?
I'll have Hop Sing bring you out a plate."
Ben managed to smile at him. "Thank you son. That sounds fine."
With another slight squeeze of his father's shoulder Hoss turned and headed
into the house. Ben sat there quietly for a moment, trying to absorb the
peacefulness of the scene around him into himself. He happened to glance
down and noticed the telegram lying there. It had apparently fallen from
Hoss' hand sometime as they talked. He bent down to pick it up and once
more ran his eyes over the fateful words.
" Adam missing...fear the worst...Adam missing...fear the worst".
The phrases tumbled over each other creating a kind of mocking echo in his
mind. And then there was Joe's plaintive "I'm so sorry". What
must the poor boy be feeling now?
As in every crisis in his life, Ben's instinct was to turn to prayer. But
what if it was already too late? What if his oldest son already lay in death's
grip? The very thought caused him to tremble all over. But no. He would
not assume the worst. And he would not fail his son by neglecting to approach
the throne of grace on his behalf. Ben slipped out of the chair and knelt
down on the hard wood of the porch floor. He bowed his head, clasped his
hands, and raised the heartfelt plea that his missing son might be restored
to him.
THE END