The Cartwrights were in the mercantile store getting supplies when they heard the jeers and laughter.  Curious, they went out into the street and saw some young toughs drunk and circling around a wagon with a man and woman sitting in it.  Both looked scared.  The woman was clutching a blanket close to her.  Ben thought she looked like a frightened deer.  Her eyes were wide with fright and tears were coming down her cheeks as she clutched the bundle closer.

The men were grabbing at it and yelling, “Hey com'on, Mizz Hendricks, let's see your baby.”

“Yeah, Mizz Hendricks, Let's see him.”

“Judas Priest!!! What do you boys think you're doing?” Ben roared, charging toward the men.  His sons were close on his heels, with their hands on their guns, in case of trouble.  Most of the men stopped and turned toward Ben, but one man, Caleb Hanks, took advantage of the Hendricks being momentarily distracted by Ben. Quickly, he snatched at the blanket, but not getting a firm grip, just caused it to unravel and drop its contents onto the street.  Mrs. Hendricks screamed.

“My baby, David, my baby!”

Everyone shuffled and the drunken men quickly ran away.  Hoss bent over and rewrapped the small bag of grain that had been dropped from the blanket.  Very carefully, as if he was carrying something very fragile and precious, he handed the wrapped bag back to the woman.

“There now, Mrs. Hendricks, it’s okay, he's all right,” Hoss said softly.

Fanny Hendricks smiled up at Hoss, “He's a strong one, isn't he, Hoss?  Someday he's going to be bigger than you.”

Uncomfortable, Hoss just mumbled, “Yes, ma'am.  He surely will.”

Fanny smiled over to Little Joe.  “He just might turn out more handsome than you, Little Joe.”

Joe placed his hand over hers and said softly, almost choking on the words, “Yes ma'am, I bet he will.”

Adam closed his eyes and turned away. Mrs. Hendricks began cooing over the wrapped bag while her husband turned away with tears in his eyes.

“I want to thank you, Ben, for everything you've done for us.” Frank Hendricks said.  Uncomfortable, Ben, tried to tell Frank it was nothing.

“No sir, you and your boys have been big help to Fanny and me.  I need to ask you one more favor.”

“Why of course, Frank, anything, anything at all,” replied Ben.

Frank gave Ben a weak smile, “Don't worry, Ben.  All I want you to do is keep an eye on my place while I take Fanny back east.  Can't do anything here for her. Her family thinks there might be a doctor back home that can help her.  Already talked to Mr. Miller at the bank to settle our affairs.  He'll be looking for a buyer for the place, Jackson already bought what stock I had left, but, us being neighbors, I thought if you would just stop by and make sure nothing happens to the place in the meantime…”

Ben nodded.  “Yes, Frank.  My boys and I will keep an eye on your property.  Don't worry about it.  When are you leaving?”

Frank looked down at the reins in his hands.  “We're getting things settled today.  I'm hoping to leave on the stage tomorrow; we'll catch the boat in San Francisco as soon as we arrive.  Ben, I can't take it here no more.  I can't see her like this.”

Ben nodded.  Ben remembered how happy Fanny had been when David was born.  They had tried to have a family before, but as the small tombstones in the family plot behind the house could attest, the children had not been carried through to full term, or only lasted a couple of hours.

Fanny and Frank were so excited when David was born, and were cheered with each month that David thrived.  Until a few weeks short of David's first birthday, he died in his sleep.  There was no warning; he wasn't sick, but when Fanny went to wake him to feed him and he was cold.  Fanny couldn't take it. For weeks, she would just sit there staring into space, while her husband fed, washed, and dressed her like she was a newborn.  One day, Frank had to leave her alone in the house to tend to a sick animal in the barn.  When he came back, she was singing a lullaby while rocking David's cradle.  He went to look inside, and there was a small bag of grain, wrapped up in a blanket.

“Shhhh, Honey, he's asleep.  You watch him now, while I get us something to eat.” Fanny smiled at Frank and went to the stove and began to prepare dinner.  She was almost normal again, but she kept insisting the grain bag was their dead David.  Frank had hoped that Fanny would eventually realize that the bag wasn't their baby, but no matter what happened, the bag was forever David in Fanny's eyes.

Ben sighed as he watched the wagon go towards the livery stable.  It was a hard life out here in the west, Ben acknowledged. Somehow, he thought it was harder on the women. Sadly his thoughts went back to his own three wives, now gone.

“Pa?  Wagon's packed.  Time to go?” it was Adam speaking, his face as emotionless as a mask.  Ben knew from old that this meant he was really upset with what happened.  Unlike Joe, whose emotions were always just under the surface, Adam kept his in check except in extreme moments.  Hoss and Little Joe were just behind Adam waiting for word so they could leave the town.

“You boys, go on.  I'll stay in town to make sure the Hendricks get on the stage with no trouble.”

Adam looked at his father. “Do you want us to stay with you?”

Ben forced his face into a smile he did not feel. “No, boys, I'll be fine.”
 

It was a few days after the Hendricks left town when Hoss and Adam were running errands in town.  They were both in the wagon with the supplies in back.  Hoss was driving and Adam was slouched next to him, his black hat over his eyes, trying to get some sleep.

“You know, Adam, we're close to the Hendricks' place.”  Hoss looked down at his brother,  “maybe we should take a detour and just check that place out.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders and remained slouched in the seat, “You're the driver, I'm just along for the ride.”

Hoss looked down at his older brother, and then smiled.  He grabbed the reins and got the horses into a gallop, knocking his brother around in his seat.

“HEY! Watch what you're doing!”  Adam glared at Hoss.  Hoss gave Adam an innocent look from his blue eyes.

“Don't know what you're talking about, brother.  Guess the horses got spooked.”

“Spooked nothing! I expect this type of behavior from a certain younger brother, but not you.”  Adam shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable, as Hoss got the horses into a nice walk.

Adam was about to continue his tirade, but Hoss held up his hand.  “Shhh listen, can't you hear it?”

Adam was about to say he couldn't hear anything, but then, very faintly there came a cry.  “It sounds like a baby's cry.”

Hoss looked at Adam, eyes wide open.  “You don't think there could be one…” Adam pulled him self up in the seat and motioned with his head for Hoss to go on toward the Hendricks place.

As they got to the farmhouse the cry was louder.  “You don't think there really was a baby someone left there?”

Adam looked at his brother and licked his lips. “We better find out.”

They tore the boards off the front door and went inside.  Inside, the house was neat with only the larger pieces of furniture still there.  Mr. Miller from the bank had most of the furnishings sold and the money wired ahead to the Hendricks' bank in the east.

Adam and Hoss went from room to room trying to listen for the crying they heard.  While they didn't find anything crying, they did find little bits that reminded them a family did live there.  The walls showed the faded spots where pictures were hung.  A bureau drawer half opened in the bedroom showed scraps of ribbons that Fanny Hendricks was saving for fancy work.  In a corner were quilt patches waiting to be sewn together for the baby quilt Fanny was making for David's first birthday.

In the kitchen, next to the empty fireplace was the cradle, an old blanket half in it.  Frank had made the wooden cradle by hand for the first of Fanny's pregnancies.  David was the only Hendricks' baby that ever slept in it.

It was late by the time the Cartwright brothers had finished searching the house, but once again, they heard a baby crying faintly.  Adam narrowed his eyes and picked up the blanket from the cradle.

“Hoss, go to Zeke Fletcher’s place and see if you can borrow those hounds of his.  If they're as good as he brags, we should be able to find something.”

Hoss gave a quick release of breath, “He ain't going to like that much.  It's late now.”

Adam's jaw tightened.  “He'll like it less if we don't find out what's crying.”  Hoss nodded and got into the wagon.
 

It was the next morning when Hoss and Adam finally arrived at the Ponderosa with the wagon of supplies.  As they came in the door, their father was making his way to the breakfast table.

“'Bout time you boys came home.  You know how I feel about you boys staying out all night.  So how were the gals in the Silver Dollar?”  Ben added sarcastically.

Adam yawned and sat down at the table.  “Don't know but sure wish we were finding out instead of doing what we were doing.”

Hoss was stretching before he sat down, “And if anyone tells you that Zeke Fletcher is the most amiable man in these parts, they never tried to wake him up at one o'clock in the morning to borrow those dogs of his.”

Ben looked at both his older sons.  “Just what were you two doing and why did you need Zeke Fletcher's dogs?”

Hop Sing just then came out with the coffee pot.  Adam held out his cup for Hop Sing to fill and turned to Ben.  Hoss looked at Adam and Ben then cupped his head in his chin, trying to hold it up while he tried to decide if he could eat in his sleep.

Ben looked at his eldest son, “Well?”

Adam took a drink of his coffee and tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle another yawn.  “Hoss and I went to the Hendricks place.  While there, we thought we heard a baby cry.  After practically taking the place apart, we thought it would be best if Zeke Fletcher’s dogs went over the place.”

Concerned, Ben sat directly opposite Adam. “Did they find anything?”

Adam shook his head. Hoss spoke up, “You know if there was anything to find, Fletcher’s dogs would have found it. They do real good whenever there’s a cave-in in the mines.”

“Couldn’t it have been an animal?  Sometimes they can sound real close to a human.” Ben asked his elder sons.

Adam shrugged his shoulders, “What I heard didn’t sound like any animal, but we also didn’t find anything that could have made the sound.  Hoss and I could check again in the daylight later.”

“No, you two don’t. You two can get to bed, Joe and I can check the Hendricks house while we go and check out the fencing in the low pasture.  We can use some help around the ranch house when both of you are awake.”  He gave a stern look at Adam and Hoss.

Too late Adam remembered that he said that he and Hoss would check out that fencing.

As Hoss and Adam went up the stairs they passed Joe coming down.

“Hey, ‘bout time you two got in!  So how were those gals at the Silver Dollar?”  Adam growled, and Hoss glared at Joe.

Joe turned around to his father, “What did I say?”  Ben just shrugged his shoulders and gave his son an innocent look.
 

Ben and Joe were looking around the Hendricks property, for what, Ben hadn’t a clue.  But apart from the signs that Hoss and Adam were there, it didn’t look like anyone had been there for a while.

Ben was in the kitchen, trying to strain his ears, trying to hear anything that might come close to a baby’s cry.  So far he was unsuccessful. He looked down at the blanket in the old cradle.  It was lovingly folded and placed on the straw mattress.  Fanny must have done that before she left, Ben thought.  Joe suddenly appeared at the back door, interrupting Ben’s reverie.

“Didn’t see or hear anything out here, Pa.  But it looks like some sort of animal might be disturbing Baby David’s grave.”  Joe told Ben.

Ben sighed and went out to the gravesite.  There were the four little stones for the babies that didn’t last for more than an hour, and David’s tombstone.  There were signs of it being disturbed.  Fanny and Frank had put little stones over the grave, but it looked like it was more for decoration, than anything else.  Probably all Frank could manage at the time.  There were bigger stones outlining the walk and the garden Fanny had put in during happier times.

“They should be big enough to discourage any animals,” Ben thought.

While moving some stones from an old flower garden, over grown with weeds, Ben came across a wooden, crudely lettered sign. “David’s Garden,” it read.

“Garden of Broken Dreams, more like,” Ben thought while lifting another stone to put on the grave. At last they were finished, and Joe put some of the blooming lilac branches he had cut on the grave.  Fanny had a large lilac bush brought from the east and had it placed at the corner of the house.  It was her pride and joy.

“I guess that’ll do it, Pa.” Joe said solemnly.

“Yes, well, let’s get out of here, we still have to check on that fencing.” Ben clapped Joe on the shoulder, eager to get away from the sad little grave.
 

It was weeks later when Ben asked at the dinner table, “Has anyone checked on the Hendricks’ property recently?”  All three boys looked down at their plates.  Not one had been near the place since Joe and Ben placed the stones on David’s grave.

“Well, would ONE of you please take time out of your busy schedule to stop by and take a look?” Ben said sarcastically. “Mr. Miller thinks he might have found a buyer for it, and we should make sure it’s in one piece.”

All three nodded their heads.  “We can stop by on the way back from town tomorrow, when we get supplies, Pa.”  Adam said.  Hoss and Joe nodded.

“Has anyone heard from the Hendricks?” asked Hoss.

“Well last we heard, they caught the ship at San Francisco, so they’re probably still at sea…they won’t make the east for another month… It’s a long trip around the Cape.”

It was late when the boys were finally able to get to the Hendricks place. As they approached, they saw a group of riders coming from the ranch at break-neck speed. Little Joe wanted to ride after them, but Hoss and Adam wanted to make sure the house was safe.  As they rode up, the ranch house seemed quiet; but the boards Ben and Joe put across the front door were pulled off.  Drawing their guns, the Cartwrights carefully went through the door.  Adam motioned for his brothers to spread out. Joe went to the back where the bedrooms were, and Hoss went towards the kitchen.  Adam searched the rooms in the front of the house.

“Oh, Lordy!  You two better get in here,” Hoss cried out.

Adam and Joe came running.  Hoss was in the middle of the kitchen looking down at the cradle.  His brothers had never seen him look so upset.

“What’s wrong?” asked Joe.

“Look in there,” replied Hoss quietly, nodding down toward the cradle.  Adam looked in.

“Oh my God,” he said under his breath.

Joe rushed up and looked down.  His face fell. “Who’d do such a thing?”

In the cradle was the decaying body of little David, wrapped in the old blanket.  The looks on the three Cartwrights were grim.

“I think I saw Caleb Hanks in that group that ran away,” Joe said as he eased his gun out of his holster and made for the door.

Adam grabbed his younger brother by the arm and pulled him back.  “We have something to do here first” He nodded over at the cradle.  Joe nodded, but his face showed that he would still have other business to take care of.

They buried the little body again in his space and they each said a silent prayer for David.

“I just don’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.  Poor little thing never did nothin’ to nobody.”  Hoss said sadly, shaking his head.

“Yeah, but there’s some sick people in this world, like Caleb Hanks.” Replied Joe fiercely.

“You don’t know for sure that it was Caleb Hanks, Joe.  Besides, this is something we should tell the sheriff.”  Adam said.

All three got on their horses, and silently Hoss and Adam were in agreement that they would keep an eye on little brother until they got to town.
 

Sheriff Coffey was surprised to see the brothers back in town.

“Caleb Hanks? I’ve got him and his crowd in the back cells.  Doc Martin is with him right now. Don’t know what good it would do to talk to him, or any of ‘em for that matter.”

Adam’s brows drew close, “Just what is wrong with them?”  Sheriff Coffey opened the door that led to the cells. “See for yourself.”

In the first cell they passed, they saw Dr. Martin hovering over a young man curled up into a tight ball, eyes closed tight.  He was just rocking on the bunk, moaning.

As angry as Joe was, he horrified by what he saw.  “What happened to him?” He said softly as he grabbed the bars for a better look.

Dr. Martin turned around, “That’s what I’m trying to find out.” He nodded toward the next cell, “they’re not much better.”

“They came running into town like the Devil himself was after ‘em.” Sheriff Coffey said. “I put them in jail, not so much for the town, but to make sure they didn’t do themselves a mischief!”

The Cartwrights exchanged looks and went to the next cell.  A motley group as ever was, they were all moaning and holding their heads in their hands.

Joe picked out one, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him up.  “Just what is going on?  We’ve just been out to the Hendrickson’s place and we what to know what you’ve been up to.”

Frank Hayes paled under Joe’s wrath.  “We didn’t do nothin’!  I swear it by all that’s holy!  WE DIDN’T DO NOTHING!”

“Honest, Mr. Cartwright, we didn’t!” a red-haired young man, really only a boy, piped up.

“We just thought we would, you know, borrow the place as a good place to relax.”

“Hideout, more like,” Sheriff Coffey put in.

Zach, the red-haired boy, looked at the sheriff and licked his lips.  He gave a faint nod and continued.  “It was Caleb’s idea.  He said that the place had been standing empty and no one came there much.”  The brothers all traded guilty looks. They had all kept away from the place when they were supposed to be watching it.

Zach didn’t notice the looks that passed and looked at his feet, “When Caleb pulled the boards off the door, a big gust of wind came out.  I swear, I thought I was going to hell.  Nothing was going to get me in there.” At this, a few of the boys nodded.

Hoss could stand it no longer, “Just when did you all decide to dig up David Hendrick’s body and put it in the cradle?”

Zach and the other’s eyes grew large.  A chorus rose up.  “We didn’t do that!”

“No sir, we wouldn’t do that!”

“Why would anyone bother a baby?”

Hoss was going to give Zach a shake, but Adam, who was leaning against the wall listening to the tale, stopped him.

He stepped between Hoss and Zach and asked, “What happened to Caleb.”

The boys got even paler.  Zach took a deep swallow and continued. “Well when, Caleb opened the door, he just laughed and went inside.  Frank and me, we stayed out by the horses.  They were acting kinda skittish, you know?”  He looked at all three and the sheriff.

Doc Martin had also joined the group now.  “Well, all of a sudden, Caleb screams.  Jack and Henry went in, but Caleb was coming out.  Like he was blind, sorta.”  Again, the brothers traded looks, this time skeptical.

“Why didn’t all of you go in?” asked Sheriff Coffey.

One of boys who had up until this time remained quiet, spoke up.  “There was a feeling about the place, sheriff.  I felt like thousands of ants were creeping underneath my skin.”

The other boys nodded.

“I wasn’t about t go in there.” Another boy added.

“After seeing Caleb come out like that we all just ran off.” Zach said.

“And ran right into here.” Sheriff Coffey finished.

“Well, we didn’t know of another place to take Caleb.  We figured we’d be safe here.” Replied Zach.  Doc Martin motioned for the Cartwrights and Sheriff Coffey to come to the front office.

“You don’t believe them do you?” Joe asked.

“I don’t know what happened out there, but Caleb’s in a real bad state of shock.  I’m going to get his father, not that I think it’ll do any good. I think Caleb’s has gone further than I can help him.  Those boys are also shook up pretty bad.” Doc Martin turned towards the Cartwrights, “you boys are supposed to be keeping an eye on the place. Have you seen anything strange?”

The brothers looked at each other.  They all shook their heads. Even tonight, they hadn’t experienced anything like the boys in the cell described.  They must be lying, but why would those boys leave themselves open to be the laughing stock of the whole town?  And something certainly happened to Caleb.  Nothing made sense.

“Wish I could help you, boys. You got more sense out of them then I did.” Sheriff Coffey said as he walked out to the door with them.

“In all my years as sheriff, heck, in ALL my years, I never heard anything or seen anything like I saw tonight.  Don’t know if I believe those boys, but something happened tonight.”

Adam looked out at the night sky. “Halloween is coming,” he said to no one in particular.

“You don’t think that has anything to do with tonight,” Sheriff Coffey laughed.

Adam looked at the sheriff, “Nope, but I think it might do to keep a closer look on the house.”

He then smiled grimly at Sheriff Coffey; “Humans can cause just as much damage as spooks.”

Hoss and Joe nodded and got on their horses.  It was a long night, and it would be longer still when they tried to explain things to Pa.
 

“You want to what?” bellowed Ben.  As usual, Hoss was the one to deliver the news to Ben, and he was standing there weathering Ben’s anger.

“We are short-handed as it is, and you three,” Ben turned around and faced his other two sons.

“You three, want to spend the week at the Hendrick’s house.  One day and night, that is all I’ll grant you.”

Adam spoke up, “Pa, we’re not kids anymore, you can’t keep telling us what we can and can’t do.”  Adam was rewarded with Ben’s wrath of God look.

“No, you are not kids anymore,” he said, although the look he gave the boys denied his thoughts at the time. “But, I am boss around here, even if you are all partners in this ranch.  This ranch is being held in trust for all of you. All of you know that, as well as knowing what we need to do to keep this ranch running.  We don’t have the luxury of taking a week off to watch for a bunch ghosts!”

“I don’t think we’re chasing ghosts, Pa.” Adam tried to explain.  “And you know how the kids in town get on Halloween.  The Hendricks place would be a prime target for troublemakers.  Sheriff Coffey still hasn’t caught whoever dug up David’s grave.”

Ben nodded his head, Adam was making sense of course, but they still couldn’t afford to loose a week of work.  Ben looked at his sons.  “A day and a night is all you’re getting,” he finally said.

The three brothers exhaled together.  It wasn’t quite what they wanted, but it would have to do.  Individually they all had decided that if chores allowed, they would all be going by the Hendricks place anyway.  Ben dropped the other shoe, when he gave them their work assignments.

“But Pa, these chores will keep us from the ranch for two weeks!” Joe exclaimed. “Hoss and me are in the high pasture bringing the herd down, Adam’s working on contracts in Placerville, we won’t have any time at all to check the Hendrick’s place.”

Ben glared at his youngest son, who immediately melted down on the settee.  “I gave you a day and a night.  I will check on the place occasionally in your absence.  All of you should be back in time for Halloween.  That is when you expect the worst, isn’t it?”  Adam, Hoss, and Joe nodded.
 

In spite of the brother’s efforts to hurry things along, it was two long weeks before they saw home again.  It was early evening on Halloween before they were able to get out to the Hendricks’ place.  As they rode up, they noticed the lights were on in the house.

“Someone’s there!”  Hoss cried.  The brothers urged their horses forward.

They approached the house, with their guns drawn.  “Why boys!  You scared me!”

It was Fanny Hendricks!  “Mizz Hendricks?  When did you get back?” asked Hoss.

Mrs. Hendricks just smiled and said, “It doesn’t seem as if we ever left. Come on in boys, Frank will be glad to see you.  We have a surprise too.”

Inside was Frank and, in his arms was a small child that giggled as Frank waved a toy bird in front of his face while he sang.  Mrs. Hendricks walked over to her husband and picked the baby up.

“Isn’t he beautiful?  His name is David.”  She lifted him high in the air and the baby laughed.

Adam walked up and let the baby take a finger, “David, huh?  How are you, David?”

David laughed again.  Hoss and Joe smiled and also walked up to see the baby.

“He’s a fine one, Mizz Hendricks.” Hoss told her.  Mrs. Hendricks must have been already with child when they left then.  But of course, that wasn’t something that was fit for conversation, Hoss thought. He wasn’t even sure if single men were officially supposed to acknowledge they knew of such things.

Joe looked at the baby and said, “He surely is, Mrs. Hendricks, a fine son.”

The brothers stayed on for a while more and never said anything about the strange happenings of earlier, or the reason they were at the house.

As they were leaving, Adam turned to ask, “Are you staying here for long?”

Frank and Fanny laughed, “Why Adam, we’re going to stay here forever, if we’re able!”  Adam smiled and touched his hat in farewell and got on his horse.

“Bye, we’ll be seeing you!” Joe called out.

“Don’t worry you sure will!” Fanny called back.

“If you need anything just ask us.”  Hoss said.

Frank smiled broadly, “Don’t worry Hoss, everything we need is just right here.” Hoss nodded and followed his brothers away from the house.

The brothers were musing about the evening when Joe said, “Seems funny that we didn’t hear about the Hendricks coming back.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders.  “I just got back today myself, I haven’t heard any news of the town.”

Hoss agreed, “We just got back and haven’t heard anything either.  What gets me though, is them naming the new baby David after his dead brother.”

Adam shrugged again, but Joe said, “Well, remember the Wilkins?  They had four little graves and all the tombstones had Henry Thomas Wilkins.  Tim Wilkins used to joke that his mother naming him Timothy saved his life.”

Adam grunted, “Tim Wilkins was a strange boy.”

Joe smiled, “You just got tired of keeping us out of trouble.”

Adam cocked an eyebrow at his younger brother, “You just may have something there.”  He lazily swung out to his younger brother, who ducked the blow easily.

By the time they came up to the house, it was dark.  “Pa, must be in bed,” Adam said as he led Sport to the barn.

“Well, he thought we were going to be staying out all night,” Hoss replied as he started to take the saddle off of Chubb.

“Won’t he be surprised tomorrow morning,” Little Joe yawned as he unfastened Cochise’s cinch.

Adam yawned and stretched, “Let’s get to bed.”

“You know, you’re getting as bossy as Pa, Adam.  You know we’re all partners on this ranch,” Hoss said with a smile.

Joe’s eyes twinkled, “Yeah, older brother we’re all partners in running this ranch.”

Adam smiled at his brothers and said, “Yes, but just remember, I’m the senior partner of this trio.”

Hoss and Joe laughed. They just felt so good tonight.  Maybe knowing that the Hendricks were back just took a load off their minds.  They were still smiling as all three went to sleep.
 

The brothers were down before their father wanting to see his face that his sons had beaten him down to the table.

“Morning boys, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Ben said as he came down the stairs.

“Wasn’t much use staying out with the Hendricks back,” Hoss replied.

Ben’s eyebrows raised, “The Hendricks back?  Are you sure?”

Joe’s face twisted in perplexity, “Yeah, we were with them last night.  Frank, Fanny and their new baby.”

Ben sat down heavily and appeared deep in thought.

Adam, concerned went over to his father.  “Pa is everything all right?”

“Can’t be, Adam, can’t be.”  He looked up at his eldest son.  “Mr. Miller at the bank just gave this to me yesterday.”  He took out a letter from his vest pocket.  Adam raised his eyebrow as he took the note and looked at his brothers.

He then opened it up and quickly checked the return address.  “It’s from a lawyer in Philadelphia.”

Ben nodded, “That’s where the Hendricks were heading. They had family there.”  At the word “had” Joe and Hoss got up behind their elder brother to read the letter.

“Pa! This can’t be right,” Hoss exclaimed.

Joe looked at his father confused, “How can they be dead?  We talked with them last night.”

 “…lost at sea.” Adam read, and continued; “Mrs. Hendricks was apparently hearing a baby cry for some time while on board.  Then all of sudden she appeared calm.  She acted normal for several weeks.  One stormy night, after screaming she was hearing her baby crying, she jumped overboard. Seeing this, her husband also jumped overboard trying to save her.  The storm claimed them both. The captain sent out word, hoping to hear of them and finally heard from a passing vessel that two unknown bodies had washed ashore up the coastline.  Although the storm and the sea made the bodies beyond recognition, they were identified by the clothing and jewelry they wore.”  Adam looked up, “The answer’s simple.  They were mistaken.  It wasn’t the Hendricks.  The two, no three people we saw were.”

Ben raised his eyebrow.  “Adam, I was there yesterday.  I didn’t see the Hendricks.”

Adam set his jaw, “They were there, and we all saw them. I’ll show you.”
 

The four Cartwights rode to the Hendricks house.  The brothers gasped when they saw the doors and windows still boarded up tight.  Carefully, they pulled the planks off the door and entered the house.  It was cold.  Instinctively, Adam went to the fireplace, but found it cold and cleared of any ashes.  He looked into the cradle, and found it empty.  Hoss and Joe also looked around the house and found no traces of the family they saw last night.  Finally they went out to the family graveyard.  There on the grave was David’s blanket, neatly folded. Joe was about to pick it up but Adam gently pushed his hand aside.  Joe gave a small nod and stepped back.

Ben cocked an eyebrow at Adam and asked, “Well, should I call you Thomas or Horatio?”

Adam imitated his father’s look and said, “Funny, that’s what I was going to ask you.”  He then smiled.

Puzzled, Hoss said, “I know the story of Doubting Thomas is from the Bible, but who’s Horatio?”

In answer, Adam’s deep voice rang out, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Joe rolled his eyes, “Shakespeare, should have known.”

“Yeah, and now we got him started.” Hoss moaned.

Adam smiled and said, “If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber'd here, while these visions did appear.”
Ben rolled his eyes, “Com’on boys time for us to get on home.”

Adam smiled and continued on with his recitation, “And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend: if you pardon, we will mend: and, as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearnèd luck now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long; else the Puck a liar call; so, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends.”  As they left and Adam stopped his quoting, on the wind, they heard a soft sound of a child laughing, followed by a man’s and a woman’s laugh.