[Consider the timeline to be a few weeks after the episode “Right is the Fourth R”, during which Adam substitutes as a teacher]

After a long day of pursuit, the posse had finally cornered the men who had held up the stagecoach. There had been an ugly shootout, and now two of them were dead while the third, Jack Baxter, had escaped with a bullet in his back. Like a wounded animal, he had made his way home to his ramshackle cabin outside Virginia City. There, he had barricaded himself, and wounded though he was, he was obviously still capable of pulling a trigger.
For hours, they had found it impossible to cross the open space surrounding the cabin. Ed Hawkins, the eager young deputy, had tried to reach the back of the house, and now he lay dead, staring unseeing up at the sky, his throat ripped away by a bullet.

Once again, Sheriff Roy Coffee yelled towards the cabin. “Jack, you can’t go nowhere, it’s all over for ye. Now come on out so’s we can get ye to the Doc.”

This time, to everybody’s surprise, there was a stir in the cabin. The front door opened to reveal a small shape in a white nightgown. Standing in front of the cabin was a little blond girl, maybe seven years old, holding a six shooter in her small shaking hands.

A collective groan went through the men. In the heat and fear of the pursuit, everyone had forgotten that Jack Baxter had a little daughter.

“You cain’t come in”, she yelled shrilly and fired. The shot went wild, the recoil threw her back against the doorframe, but with a quick practiced movement of her small fist, she re-cocked the hammer and pointed the gun across the yard. There wasn’t much doubt in anybody’s mind about who had taught her how to handle a gun.

Sheriff Coffee never lost his mild, grandfatherly manner, even under the most dire circumstances. His calm voice rang out. “Now everybody take a deep breath and calm yer nerves. We don’ t want anyone else get hurt today, least of all that there little girl.”

Out of the shadows, a tall black-clad man with a deputy’s badge on his shirt stepped up. “Roy, I know her. She was in my class when I taught school a few weeks back. Let me try and talk to her. I think maybe she’ll trust me.”

Roy seemed skeptical. “Well, Adam, that’s right decent of ye, but that’s one scaired little girl you got there. We already lost Ed today.”

“I’ll be careful.” Adam took off his gun belt and handed it to Roy. Very slowly, his hands outstretched to the sides, he began to advance towards the little figure. He spoke soothingly. “Only want to talk, Minnie, just you take it easy, kid.” Little Minnie Baxter had been a shy second-grader who had crouched into her chair whenever he had come near her. He didn’t remember that she had ever spoken a word in class. He stopped a few feet in front of her.

“Hello”, he said softly.

She had the gun pointed straight up at his face. Her left hand was clasped around the handle, and her right hand around the left, supporting it. Two small fingers of her right hand sat directly on the trigger. He could see the sweat from her hands glisten on the metal. She held up the gun with outstretched arms, and the strain of its weight was beginning to wear on her; the gun wavered wildly about, pointing at his chest, his throat, his face, but he knew that if it went off at this close range, he’d be dead.

Minnie stared up at the towering, dark, dust covered figure before her, and her bloodshot eyes widened in terror.

With a start, Adam realized how threatening he must appear. Carefully, he lowered himself, until he was on his knees in front of her. The gun followed his face down shakily. He rested his hands on his thighs, where she could see them.

“Hello Minnie” He tried to keep his voice from shaking. “You know who I am, don’t you?” Adam tried to remember the last time he had stared point blank into a gun barrel. He could feel panic rise, his muscles screamed for action, but he forced the urge down, hoping he looked casual and relaxed.

She stared at him fixedly, and then gave a small nod. “You the teacher.” Her voice was small and brittle.

“That’s right, Minnie”, he encouraged her. “And do you remember my name?”

After a pause, another nod. “Mr. Cartwright.”

“That’s right, Minnie, very good.”

Slowly, her weary eyes traveled downwards from Adam’s face to his chest. “You the sheriff now?”

The badge! Adam mentally kicked himself. He should have taken off the badge. Of course it would confuse her, probably frighten her. Who knows what that bastard of a father had told her about the sheriff.  “I’m not the sheriff, Minnie”, he said gently. He licked his lips nervously. “It’s a… it’s a game, you know?”

Stupid thing to say! He knew immediately he had made a mistake. Whatever Minnie had gone through today, it hadn’t been a game to her.

The child’s eyes narrowed and she took a step back. “You the sheriff!” she hissed accusingly.

Adam could see the small hands tighten their grip around the gun. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He could feel moisture erupt from his palms and had to keep himself from digging his fingers into his thighs. Minnie’s gaze was still glued to the badge. She seemed fascinated by the shiny thing. Suddenly, Adam had an idea.

“Tell you what. You can have it. I’ll give it to you, for a present.” Very slowly, he moved his left hand up and unclasped the badge. He held it in his outstretched palm towards her right hip. In order to grab it, she would have to release her right hand from the trigger. He doubted she could hold up the gun with only one hand.

Minnie looked at the pretty thing with interest. “But Mr. Cartwright”, she said sadly, “I cain’t take it.”

“Sure you can, Minnie. I’m sure your Pa won’t mind.”

“But I ain’t got a hand free.”

Adam held his breath. “You want me to hold the gun for you?”

Minnie’s eyes traveled back to the badge in Adam’s outstretched hand. Her whole demeanor seemed to soften. The gun dropped noticeably, now pointing at his belly. She chewed her dry lip. “Mr. Cartwright, is Mr. Hawkins mad at me?”

Adam’s heart sank when he realized what she was saying. “No, Minnie, I’m sure he’s not mad at you at all.” Which wasn’t even a lie, he thought bitterly.

“Cuz Mr. Hawkins tried ta get in the back door. My Pa wern’t feelin’ so good when he come home, so he gave me the gun and said I cain’t let anyone come in the house.”

Adam made a mental note to skin Jack Baxter with a rusty knife if he should still be in a condition to appreciate the experience. He could tell that the little girl was near the end of her strength. She looked ready to give in.

“Minnie, you’re real tired, ain’t you?”

Minnie nodded and her chin began to quiver.

“Tell you what. That gun must be getting real heavy. Would you like me to hold it for you, hm?”

Tears were rolling down Minnie’s cheeks now. The girl nodded again, but she didn’t move.

Adam thought his moment had come. Gently placing the badge on the ground, he braced himself with his left hand while leaning his body forward. Very slowly, he reached for the gun. He was a second away from touching the barrel, when he knew he was dead. He saw the sudden flash of panic in Minnie’s face.
Overwhelmed, exhausted and frightened, little Minnie Baxter squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger.

Adam’s mind screamed, and he jackknifed forward onto his thighs. “NO”, he shouted at his knees, and his hands shot to either side of his skull. There had been no shot, he registered after a second. Only a sharp click.

Hurried footsteps and excited voices broke out all around him. Men were running from their cover. He heard their boots resounding on the wooden floor of the cabin. After a minute, a firm footstep approached him. Adam righted himself and looked up, breathing deep.

Roy stood in front of him, his arms draped protectively over Minnie’s shoulders. The girl hadn’t moved from the spot. “Gun was empty, thank God.”

Adam nodded. “Baxter?”

“Dead. Probably for hours.” Roy reached down with one arm and helped Adam to his feet. “You look a bit shook up there, son.”

Adam forced a smile. “Roy, between you and me, I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

“Well, son, that’s you and little Minnie here both, I should think.”

Adam looked sadly down at the small girl in Roy’s arms. Her eyes were wide open, but they stared at nothing. Her face was empty, as if she was a million miles away. The gun was at her feet, and in one small hand she was clutching a shiny deputy Sheriff’s badge.