“HAYBURNER”
THE MISSING SCENES

By Sharon Y.

Adam and Hoss have found a likely horse they want to buy and enter in the annual Virginia City horse race. Hoss lost the purchase price they had put together to livery stable owner Lafe in a poker game. They are forced to try borrowing the needed funds from their little brother, Joe, who has earned the money breaking horses for Mr. Milford. Joe demands a heavy amount of security for the loan, including Adam's new rifle. Adam and Hoss have come to the Milford ranch to collect from Joe.

Mr. Milford: "Well, Joe here's your money."
Joe: "Give it to Hoss"

Mr. Milford handed the money to Hoss. Adam snatched it out of his hand so fast Hoss barely felt it. Adam walked to the door. Hoss turned and thanked the Milfords for their hospitality and coffee and quickly followed. Adam's very walk proclaimed his seething temper. Hoss knew Adam had worked long and hard for that prized rifle, and any possibility of losing it was more than he could stand-----especially if he might lose it to their baby brother! But, on the bright side, what horse anywhere in the Territory could beat their Kentucky thoroughbred. He figured Adam's gun was pretty safe to stay with him and not end up with Joe. Adam slung himself on Sport and urged him away. Surprised that his brother did not wait for him as he usually did, Hoss climbed on Chubb and set out to catch up. When he pulled alongside, he looked over at Adam and asked him what they were going to say to Pa when they took the horse back to the ranch?

Adam: (who suddenly stops dead in his tracks) "Were you speaking to me-------ERIC???"
Hoss: (thinking to himself "Oh, Lordy this is way worse than I thought. Adam hasn't called me that since-------EVER!!")
Hoss: "Well yes Adam-------I just thought........"
Adam: "Excuse me, you just thought--------when have you thought anything through in this whole stupid mess you got us into here??!!"
Hoss: "Adam, you have every right to be mad at me and I don't blame you one bit but right now we have to concentrate on the race and having that horse ready to go and when we win the race....."
Adam: "When WE win the race?!"
Hoss: "Of course I meant when you win the race, you will have $500 of the prize money and still have your rifle so all's well that ends well like Pa is so fond of saying."
Adam: (glowers at Hoss and says nothing, just gives him the cold, hard stare until Hoss begins to break out in a sweat)
Hoss: Adam, I just remembered that Pa asked me to pick something up for him at the general store that he had special ordered and it was to come in on today's stage so if you don't mind I think I'll just ride ahead and pick it up and meet you at Lafe's livery----------------------OOOOOKAY!! I'll see you in town."
Adam: (when Hoss is out of sight, breaks out into a hearty laugh and leans over to Sport) "Boy, that whole stare thing Pa does all the time------------it really does work!! I'll remember that for future use."
Hoss's loss of the purchase money to the notoriously tight-fisted Lafe had put a serious crimp in their plans. Adam couldn't help the satisfaction he felt in giving Hoss something to worry about in return. He rode the rest of the way humming a jaunty tune and grinning to himself.

The race is over and Joe has won. According to their agreement, he keeps the Milford horse he had broken and trained, Blackie, and gives the racehorse to Mr. Milford. Joe claps his hands together, and Adam, who is staring at Hoss, suddenly hears his little brother:

Joe: "Adam, I'll take my rifle now."
Adam: (reluctantly hands the rifle in its scabbard to Joe, who promptly takes the rifle from the scabbard and hands that back to Adam.)
Joe: "I already have a scabbard. Oh boy, what a beauty!"
Ben: (leaning over Adam's shoulder) "Cinch race!"
Adam: (turns and gives the stare to Hoss who looks as if he has food poisoning, but his problems have only just begun................)
Lafe: "Well Hoss, here is the money you won. Boy, you really cost me a lot of money today"
Hoss: (looks as if he has just been sentenced to hang, tries to rush Lafe out of the area. He urges him to go to the saloon and get a drink--------- anywhere to get away from Adam.)
Adam: (Hoss begins to leave with Lafe) "JUST A MINUTE! What is going on here?"
Hoss: (reluctantly turns around to answer Adam's question) "Adam, you see, Lafe was offering such good odds that I couldn't resist them so I traded in my saddle to get the money to place that bet."
Adam: "But we LOST the race."
Hoss: "I know you did, Adam, and I feel really bad about that but they were such good odds I just couldn't refuse..."
Adam: (holds up a finger to shut Hoss up, then he drops the scabbard as Hoss starts to drop back)
Hoss: " Adam, come on, I'll buy you a drink, I'll buy Lafe a drink, I'll buy everybody drinks."
Adam: (just continues to stare at Hoss, now dropping his hat and then his jacket...)
Hoss: "Oh Adam, I'll give you the money to buy the rifle back----------no security!!!"
Adam: (just continues to stare Hoss down and now drops his gun belt and then rolls up his shirt sleeves and Hoss now realizes they are at the point of no return, Adam has gone over the edge. Hoss drops the money and takes off running.)
Ben: (to Joe) "How much do you want to bet on this one?"
Joe: "What about security? They both start to laugh heartily over the plight of poor Hoss; both know what the outcome of this is going to be!

Hoss pelts down the streets of Virginia City but, predictably, soon runs out of breath. He finally has to stop, and when he does, to his horror he has ended up back where the whole nightmare began a few weeks before---at Lafe's livery stable! He collapses inside the first horse stall and starts to pant, trying to catch his breath. All of a sudden he feels a presence in front of him and looks up to stare into the face of his older and very angry brother, Adam. Adam tells Hoss to get up on his feet, and Hoss starts to protest that he is too winded to get up.
Adam: "Hoss Cartwright------get up on your feet-----NOW!"
Hoss: ( thinking to himself--------thank God he called me Hoss, I haven't lost him completely!) "OK, I'm getting up; just give me one second here."
By this time, Lafe and some of the other locals stand outside the livery door watching this exchange between these Cartwright brothers. They were most definitely in for a show they wouldn't soon forget.
Hoss: "Adam, I know you are really angry with me and--------------POW, Hoss went staggering backwards as if he had been hit by a bunking bronco.
Adam: " Get up on your feet, Hoss!"
Lafe and the others stare at this with their mouths hanging open in stunned shock and disbelief.  It was hard to believe that Adam Cartwright of all people had this kind of anger lurking inside of him.
Hoss: "Adam, now let's talk this through---OK---I mean----POW!! Hoss staggers back once more and falls into the straw- filled stall.
Adam: " Hoss Cartwright, I swear if it would not upset Pa and would not upset Mama and Marie in heaven, I would take my gun and shoot you right between the eyes, right here, right now: which is exactly why I dropped my gun belt in the first place so I wouldn't be able to shoot you even though that is exactly what you deserve!  When I think of everything I did to get you out of this mess from the start--, and then had to endure our little brother just loving every second of sticking it to me by asking for HIS rifle in front of Pa and everyone else. There are just no words to describe how I feel about you right at this moment! I didn't believe there would ever be anything you could think, say, feel, or do that could ever make me wish you had never been born---------------until NOW!"
At this point, Adam realizes that he and Hoss are not alone in the livery and that Hoss really is too exhausted to react to any further anger and rage.
Adam: "Well, Hoss, it is obvious there is no use of going any further with this conversation, and I think that I have made my point in both action and word. I can only hope that before you return to the Ponderosa you will do some serious soul searching as to why, at your age, these kind of situations are still occurring in your life. In fact, if I were you, I'd spend at least a couple of DAYS thinking about it, if you get my drift?"
Hoss: " Oh yeaaaa, I hear you loud and clear, older brother, I will definitely take at least a couple of days to ponder what I've done."
Adam: "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some property on the streets of Virginia City to reclaim before I head home to the Ponderosa."
Adam turns around and sees Lafe and several other townsfolk standing at the livery door, and as he approaches them, he says very matter- of- fact: "Gentlemen" and with that simple word, Adam Cartwright leaves the livery and his brother, Hoss, behind to retrieve his gun belt, coat, hat, scabbard and whatever was left of his pride. He will return to the Ponderosa and, hopefully, leave Virginia City behind for a good long time to come.
Lafe and the others run over to Hoss to see how he is doing. They see he has two black eyes and his face is swollen. All of a sudden Hoss starts to double over laughing.They all think he has gone loco. They ask him what he is laughing about when his brother has just beaten him up and threatened to shoot him between the eyes.
Hoss: " This (pointing at his face) is nothing. Chubb by accident has hurt me worse than Adam did on purpose. It just isn't in Adam to really hurt another human being. I knew that when he called me Hoss instead of Eric like he did the day we came to pick up the horse. I knew that day I was in way more trouble than I was today. He just needed to get all that off his chest, and now he'll be fine. I'll stay away and "think" for a couple of days, and then I'll go home and be all contrite and sorry for my actions. Adam is all in to redemption, repentance and forgiveness. So, Lafe, how about we gather up my money and go and get that beer I promised you and find a card game somewhere."
Lafe: " A card game? What about telling your brother you would think about what you had done and turn over a new leaf?"
Hoss: " Come on, that was all said under duress. After all, how can I buy Adam another rifle if I don't win enough money to pay for it?"
Lafe: " You Cartwrights are one strange family for sure!"



Adam returns home and he puts Sport away in his stall. He dreads the thought of going into the house and seeing Joe there cleaning HIS rifle. But he finally does go into the house and sees only his father sitting is his chair.

Ben: " Welcome home son. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you. You don't look too much worse for the wear."
Adam: " Where's Little Joe?"
Ben: "He had a few things left at the Milfords; he was going to pick up before returning home."
Adam: " I guess I should thank God for small miracles that Joe wasn't here when I got home."
Ben: " Adam, I don't think you want to add blasphemy to the other multitude of sins that were committed today."
Adam: (laughing) " No I guess I don't. Sorry, Pa."
Ben: " So what did happen to my # 2 son after the two of you disappeared from sight this afternoon?"
Adam: " Well as you can imagine, Hoss did not get far before he collapsed from exhaustion. You'll never believe where he ended up? At Lafe's livery stable!"
Ben: (laughing so heartily that even Adam starts to laugh too) "Well, that must have been poetic justice. What did you do once he fell exhausted into Lafe's livery stable?"
Adam: " I punched him twice in the face and told him that if it wouldn't have upset you and Mama and Marie, I would have taken my gun and shot him right between his eyes."
Ben: " Wow, I see. I take it he was moving around when you left him in the livery?"
Adam: " Come on, Pa, an elephant couldn't hurt Hoss Cartwright. He was fully conscious, looking up at me from the first horse stall and telling me he would give serious thought to how he gets himself in these kinds of messes at his age. Of course, I'm sure that the time it took for him to say that to me is about as long as he will think about it again! Pa, I just don't know why I ever allowed myself to get caught up in this whole mess in the first place. Good grief, I'm almost 33 years old, how could I have been so stupid as to have gotten in this deep myself?"
Ben: " Adam, we both know the answer to this, son, but if you want me to say it out loud, I will. Since the day he was born, you've attached yourself to him, even before Inger died. Then, when she was killed, you were like a she-bear where Hoss was concerned. Except for those few years you were living in Boston with your grandfather and going to school, anytime Hoss was in any kind of trouble you were always there to fix whatever problem came up. It is who you are, Adam, and as long as he is who he is and you are who you are, it won't change. Age or time will never make a difference. Actually, I can imagine that, as soon as you were out of sight, he probably was laughing up a storm thinking about you threatening to shoot him between the eyes."
Adam: " Oh I can almost guarantee that, especially with the captive audience I left him with!" I'm sure he had Lafe and the others eating out of his hand by the time he played out the 'old poor pathetic me' role to perfection! Well, Pa, it has been a very long day, and I just want to get into my bed and, hopefully, start to forget all the events of today. Maybe when I wake up in the morning, I will discover it was all a bad dream."
Ben: " Well son, I wish I could tell you that it was OK to sleep in tomorrow, but with Hoss and Joe both not home yet, the chores are piling up undone and someone has to get back to them tomorrow........."
Adam: "Just great--thanks, Pa; see you in the morning."
Ben: " Good night, son. Sleep well."


On his way back to the Ponderosa after retrieving his belongings at the Milfords, Joe decides to stop in Virginia City to see what did happen to Hoss. He figured as angry as Adam had been there would be no way Hoss was at the Ponderosa. He goes to the Bucket of Blood and soon discovers his older brother's whereabouts.

Joe: " Hoss, wow from the look of your face I guess it is safe to assume that you and Adam weren't drinking tea together chatting about your day!"
Hoss: " Very funny, little brother. What are you doing here, why aren't you at home?"
Joe: " Well, Hoss, I guess I could ask you the same thing. Staying in town for a while are we? Afraid Adam will come after you again?"
Hoss: " Not that it is any of your business, Joseph, but I am going to make enough money to buy another rifle for Adam. It's the least I can do for what I put him through."
Joe: " How much have you made so far?"
Hoss:" I have almost $50., but I need..........."
Joe: " No, actually you have enough right now to buy the gun."
Hoss: " Joe,  I know how much Adam paid for it, and this ain't enough."
Joe: " Oh, yes, it is, because whatever you have is what I'll take for the gun. (Hoss's mouth falls open, incredulous at what he is hearing.) Come on, Hoss, you don't really think I could live in the same house with Adam and have him see me every day with his rifle. I knew from the minute I took it from him on the street,  I would give it back to him, somehow. The best part of the whole deal was seeing his face when he had to hand over the gun with Pa standing right there. That was a hundred times better than any gun could ever be!  How often do either of us have that kind of power over Adam?"
Hoss: " Wow,  I never thought about it like that. But, you're right. I do have to admit it was kind of satisfying in a perverse sort of way of course, to see him brought down a peg or two like that. But, Joe, if you ever tell him I said that, I will kill you myself and I will mean it!!!"
Joe: " Yea, whatever. Come on; let's go home. We have to figure out how we are going to give him his rifle back. Excuse me, Hoss, aren't you forgetting something? Like the money you made at poker. It’s mine now, remember?"
Hoss: " Oh, yeah, sorry."
Joe: " You know,  the more I think about it,  I think I will let you give him the rifle back. After all, knowing older brother like I do, he'll want you to go through all that remorse and tell him you want redemption, and then he can forgive you. So, all this should be right up your alley anyway."
Hoss: " Joe, let's make a pact that, unless Adam is out of town, no more horse racing. I'm just gettin' too old for all this drama!"
Joe: " You got it, brother."

THE END

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