The hour was growing late. Well, not really late for a normal work day, but this wasn't a normal day. This was Christmas Eve, and A.J. Simon hoped to be out of the office by three-thirty. He had several stops to make before he landed at his mother's house for the evening festivities. It was fifteen minutes after three and nothing was happening and so it seemed as if there was going to be no problem with getting away. Unless-----

The door to the Simon and Simon office flew open and in came Rick Simon. He slammed the door behind him and approached his brother's desk. "A.J., we've got a job to do tonight, so let's get goin'. I'll tell you about it on the way."

A.J. stared, uncomprehending. Finally, he spoke. "Rick, we can't work tonight! What do you mean, a job? This is Christmas Eve. We don't work on Christmas Eve."

Perplexed, Rick frowned. "Are ya finished now?"

"I'm finished workin' for the day, yes," A.J. replied, and got up from his chair. "I'll see you later at Mom's."

"A.J., aren't you even gonna listen to me? You'll really like this job, I'm tellin' ya. It's not every Christmas that we get to find someone and take them home to their family."

The statement worked just as Rick hoped it would. His brother was an old softy. He liked to help people, that's why he was in the business of private investigation. No way would he not want to go along with this if he would only listen. A.J. had stopped in his tracks just inside the door.

"You ready to hear about it, Kid?"

The younger brother sighed. "Okay, Rick. I'll listen, but I don't want to take any chance at all of not making it to Mom's tonight. We're all she has, Rick, and she's, well, she's not that young any more and----"

Rick held up his hand. "Okay, okay, save the lecture. The sooner we get on this the sooner we'll be with Mom."

"What is it? You say we would be looking for someone? Rick, that could take hours, days, years---"

"Will ya just listen?" A.J. nodded in exasperation. "Go ahead."

Rick was excited. "A.J., do you remember when we took that ride in the space capsule, when we took those folks back to New York and up around Stockton?" The blonde with the baby blue eyes, the younger of the Simon siblings, fixed a gaze on his older brother.

"No, Rick! No! No! No! No way! I'm not listening to this! No!" Rick shrugged.

"Okay. I'll go alone then."

"Go where?"

"I'll take the brother back to the Barkleys by myself."

A.J. could not believe his ears. "Rick, have you been drinking? I know it's Christmas Eve, but I didn't think---"

"I had a beer, A.J. One beer. Look, I got a message from that big guy we took home. Nick Barkley, remember him?"

"Of course I remember him, Rick, I thought he was going to kill us. He looked like he could explode any minute."

"Right. Well, he sounded nice in the note. He said they left his youngest brother here in California and they'd like to see him for Christmas. His name's Eugene."

"What! Rick, that can't be! Nick Barkley couldn't send you a note, anyway! He was from another time, another century, well, it can't be from him, whatever you got." Rick dug in his pocket. "Oh yea? Read this."

A.J. took the paper handed to him. It was all waded up and it took him a few seconds to straighten it out enough to read. Finally, he began the process of digesting the note.

Dear Rick and A.J.

I am hoping you will be willing to do me and my family a favor for Christmas. I would like for you to find my brother Eugene and return him to the Barkley ranch for the holiday. Eugene stayed behind when we visited that time when you operated the capsule and brought us home. It's not that he's greatly missed or anything, but I thought it might be a nice surprise for my Mother.

I have contacted the man who set up our trip on this end and he said he could get the capsule to the place where we landed in your time period. You will find it waiting for you there. You will find Eugene in a college somewhere studying history, if I don't miss my guess. There can't be too many colleges around, so surely you can locate him. Just tell him we'll send him back if he wants to return to your time after Christmas.

The two of you will be welcome to stay with us, but if you want to return to your own home for Christmas, we will understand. I'll be looking forward to seeing you. Don't let Eugene get on your nerves. He's a peculiar sort. Looking forward to seeing you again.

Sincerely yours,

Nick Barkley

A.J. read aloud from the paper. When he was finished, he turned to Rick. "This is a joke of some kind, Rick! Surely you can't believe it!"

"A.J., how could it be a joke?"

"How could it be a joke? Rick, we went on Larry King Live and told the story! It's a wonder we haven't had thousands of practical jokers on our backs about it."

Rick frowned. "Never thought of that."

"Well, think of it now. You can't send a note like this from one time period to another."

"Yea, but, I got somethin' more to tell ya, Kid."

"What?"

"I drove out in the desert after this note came."

"And?" A.J. asked hesitantly.

"And the capsule's there, A.J. It's there, just waitin' for us."

A.J. turned away. "Even so," he said, "We'd never find this Eugene he talks about. There are too many colleges to check. Barkley wasn't here long enough to realize that."

"A.J.?"

"What?"

"I already found him."

"You what?"

"I hit it lucky," Rick said quietly. "I called up to L.A. first, thinkin' that's probably where he went. He's at U.C.L.A."

"Rick, you're nuts, you know that! They might have a Eugene Barkley there, but it's not---no, it couldn't be."

"He says he is. I talked to him on the phone. At first he didn't want to admit it, I guess he's not told a whole lot of people he's a throw back from another time, but when I told him about the note, well, he's just like everybody, I guess, he wants to be with his family for Christmas."

A.J. fixed his gaze on his sibling. "And I suppose you've arranged for us to meet him somewhere?"

Rick grinned. "Just so happens, I have."

"Rick!"

"Now, take it easy, A.J. This will be fun. Just think, we'll get to see how they celebrated Christmas in the old days." A slight gleam could be seen in A.J.'s eyes. "It would be fun."

"Not would be, Kid, will be. Now, Let's be on our way. Eugene Barkley is gonna meet us in Anaheim."

"Anaheim! Why Anaheim?"

"Because he has a friend who lives there. He was goin' home with the guy for the holiday anyway. It'll be easier for us to pick him up there than to drive all the way to U.C.L.A."

A.J. sunk down in a chair. "This is incredible, Rick. Are you sure someone isn't playing games with you? I still don't see how Nick Barkley sent us a note? How did you get it? Did it come here to the office in the mail?"

Rick looked uncomfortable and uneasy all of a sudden. "Uh, no, that's not how I got it."

"Then, how? Rick! Tell me!"

"Well, I was, uh, in the mall this mornin', lookin' for your Christmas present, by the way, and, uh----"

"Come on, Rick, out with it!"

"Santa Claus gave it to me."

Nick Barkley was acting typically. His impatience was about to get the best of him, but he was struggling to remain calm and collected. After all, it was Christmas, or Christmas Eve to be exact, and he didn't want to make a scene and ruin the family celebration which was beginning. Only a short while ago, Nick and Heath had brought to the house the huge tree which would serve as the Barkley Christmas tree this year. They, he and Heath, were still attempting to get it upright in the parlor. The other family members, Victoria, Jarrod, and Audra were offering more than a little advice.

"Oh, it's crooked, Mother," Audra whined. "Why can't these two ever cut a straight tree?"

"Now, now, Dear," Victoria soothed her daughter. "It will be fine once they---Nick, Dear, it is crooked. Can't you do something?"

Nick swelled up like a poisoned toad. "No, I can't. Heath, here, wanted this tree, and so I gave in. If it's not straight, it's up to him to fix it."

"Boy Howdy, Nick, that's not true, what you just said! I didn't want this tree anymore than you did!" This from the usually quiet Heath.

"Well, why did you pick such an ugly thing, then!" Audra pouted, glaring at the tree with obvious disdain.

"Now, now, family," the heretofore silent Jarrod intervened. "Let's not argue on Christmas Eve. Surely, we can agree that it's the only tree we have and we must make do with it."

"I want to know why they chose a tree neither of them wanted," Audra pressed on with the argument. "It seems so-----oh, I don't know, but why did you?"

Heath answered readily. "Because Nick said we had to hurry back to the house. He wouldn't tell me why, and I still don't know. He just said we would take this tree, and he didn't want to hear no argument from me. Since I never had perfect Christmas trees as a kid and don't feel it's all that important, I agreed."

"Not important!" Audra exclaimed. "Why, we'll have company from all over the Valley during this next week. Not important to have a straight Christmas tree! Why, Heath, I'm surprised at you! And Nick, I'm really surprised at you! Whatever were you thinking?"

Nick told her and everyone in the room what he was thinking. "I was thinkin' about Eugene, that's what I was thinkin'."

There was a period of silence. It went on for so long, Heath returned to the task of trying to make the tree stand straight. Nick had said a name which hadn't been spoken in the Barkley home for a long time, in fact, not since they had departed the California desert in that future time period and left the youngest member of the family there at his own request.

Jarrod was the first to respond to Nick's statement. "You were thinking of Gene? Well, brother Nick, that's not anything to be ashamed of. After all, it is Christmas and Eugene is a part of the family-----"

"I'm not ashamed of it, Pappy!" Nick cut in. "Not ashamed at all. In fact, I've made some plans concernin' Gene."

"Plans, Dear?" Victoria added her voice. "What sort of plans? Eugene is living in another time. He's, well, he's not expected to interfe---I mean, it's a surprise that you would mention him. After all, we've not exactly kept his name alive in this house since he's been gone."

"Mother is correct, of course," Jarrod joined the discussion. "In fact, shameful as it may sound, I sometimes forget Eugene ever existed."

"Boy howdy, Jarrod, that's not shameful," Heath said. "For a minute there, I had to stop and think who Nick was talkin' about. Gene's just drifted from my mind."

"Well, I wish he would have stayed from our minds," Audra said. "Now, the mention of his name has made us all meloncholy, ruined our Christmas. What plans have you made concerning him, Nick?"

Nick began to pace the floor. "I don't think I'll tell you now," he said stubbornly. "The plans probably won't work out, anyhow. Let's just forget I mentioned it."

"Come now, Nick, that won't do," Jarrod said. "What won't do?"

"Jarrod means you shouldn't start somethin' you don't intend to finish," Heath offered.

"That's very true, Dear," Victoria said. "Nick, do tell us what your plans are concerning Eugene, although I'm sure they can't amount to much."

"Can't amount to much, is it!" Nick roared. "Well, Mother, and all of you, what would you say if Gene was to walk through that door in time for Christmas dinner?"

"I'd say you may have had a bit too much to drink, Dear," Victoria gave her opinion.

"I haven't been drinkin', Mother!" Nick asserted.

"Then perhaps you should explain yourself," Jarrod suggested.

"Oh Dear, I haven't planned on having Eugene here," Audra began to ramble on. "I haven't gotten him a present or anything. If he should come, it would be most disturbing."

"Boy Howdy, I can't believe this," Heath interjected. "How could anybody believe Gene could show up here? He'd have to ride that capsule thing and----" Heath stopped speaking and joined the family to stare at Nick, who looked more than uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

"Well, Brother Nick," Jarrod spoke for them all. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

"I've been tryin' to tell you for several minutes now," Nick growled. "Yes, the capsule will be comin' again, and Gene, I hope, will be on it."

"Oh my," Audra breathed, but no one could be sure just what she meant by the short statement.

Victoria was more specific. "Nick, Dear," the Barkley matriarch began, "Don't you think it would have been wise to discuss this with the rest of us?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," said Nick, hurrying his speech. "I thought you'd all be glad. Instead of that, you sound like you don't want him here."

Victoria's brow wrinkled. "Well, Dear, it's not that I don't want him. Eugene is my last born, and of course I'm fond of him, but----"

"But-----?" Nick probed. "But, it's such a shock. we've all adjusted to his being gone."

"And that wasn't much of an adjustment," Heath put in. "The fella wasn't here much, and didn't say much when he was. Course, he did chatter a lot the last time we were with him."

"The last time we saw him?" Audra questioned. "Let me see----"

"I believe, my Dear sister, that Heath is referring to the time in that, oh, what did they call it---?" Jarrod began, then halted.

"The automobile!" Nick provided an answer loudly.

"Yes, of course, " Jarrod smiled. "The automobile. It was during that ride that Gene talked so much more than was normal for him."

"Yea," Heath said. "His history professor this, and his history professor that."

"And then he decided to stay in that future time," Victoria took it up. "And I have assumed he's very happy. Now----"

"And now I've gone and ruined it, is that it?" Nick asked, grouchy. "Well, It's too late. I can't stop it now. The man said it would all be arranged."

"What man, Nick?" Heath inquired. The lanky cowboy with the dark hair turned away from the others and mumbled. "Uh, the man I met on the South Range a few weeks ago."

"Nick, Dear, speak up," Victoria instructed. "Don't mumble. What did you say?"

"He said he met a man on the South Range a few weeks ago," Heath said. "Who was it, Nick?"

"Yes, Nick, was it the same fellow who provided us with the space capsule the other time?"

Jarrod asked. "No, no, but I've talked to that man since,"

Nick answered. "He's seeing to it that the capsule gets back to that same place where we landed in the desert, and in the right time period to find Eugene."

"Well, then, who was the man you met on the range?" Heath wondered. "And what did he have to do with it?"

Nick ducked his head. "If you must know, it was Father Christmas."

A full minute passed after Rick's confession that he'd been given the note by Santa Claus. During that minute, he studied the ceiling intently for a while, then the floor, while knowing that his brother was staring at him. Why didn't the man say something? Finally, unable to tolerate the silence, Rick said, "Well, he did!"

A.J. spoke at last. "Santa Claus gave you a note which is supposed to be from a man who lived in the 1800's, and then you rushed right out and located this man's brother?"

Rick said," Yea, A.J., that's exactly what happened. It's not like we never met Barkley. We did. We did take a ride in a time capsule, we did return those folks to their home. Now, you can't deny that."

"No, I can't, although I've often thought since that it must have been a dream."

"It wasn't, Kid, or else we both had the same dream," Rick said.

"All right, that part was real," A.J. admitted.

"But Santa Claus? I mean, were you sitting on his lap or something?"

Rick grinned. "That's cute, A.J., real cute."

"Rick, I'm just trying to find out how you got a note from Santa Claus?"

Exasperated, the older man said, "I'll tell you how! I was wanderin' around, just window shoppin', and ole Santa approached me. I thought maybe he was somebody I knew playin' the part, you know, like Town or somebody, but then when he spoke I knew it wasn't."

"What did he say?" A.J. wondered. "He said for me to hold out my hand, he had a message for me,"

Rick began to explain. "My first thought was somethin' sinister was happenin', but I took the paper. He wandered off while I read it. And now you know as much as me."

A.J. heaved a deep sigh. "Why is it, Rick, that you attract this sort of thing? Is it your cologne? Your clothes---?"

"Oh, cut the crap, will ya!" Rick sounded off. "We haven't got time for it, anyway. We've got to get to Anaheim. Eugene Barkley is waitin' on us."

Eugene Barkley knew nothing of the exchange going on between the Simon brothers. He also knew nothing of the discussion going on at the Barkley ranch back in that other time. All Gene knew was that he was hopelessly lost. He was supposed to meet a man who said his name was Rick Simon at the home of his college chum. At the last minute, the chum had been too intoxicated to drive to Anaheim. Now, Gene was on his own, attempting to locate his friend's house so that he could be taken to the time capsule and transported home to spend Christmas with his family.

The telephone call earlier from the fellow had shaken Eugene to the core. He was surprised about that, because he had given very little thought to those left, literally, behind. His mother, his sister, his three brothers seldom came to the young man's mind. This time period he had chosen to stay in had, in itself, taken up all of his time. Just coping with the differences from his own time had consumed his every thought, both awake and asleep. If all of this was true, why had he so readily consented to meet with Simon and be taken home for Christmas? After all, it wasn't as if he'd spent every holiday with his family. Just last year, he had not been home. And, as far as he could tell, he hadn't been missed. Not a single member of his family had told him they wished he'd been there. So why go to all of the trouble of returning to a completely different time just to spend the major holiday of the year at the Barkley ranch? "I want to punish them, that's why," Eugene said aloud, sitting in his car somewhere in Anaheim. Driving was still traumatic for him, although he'd managed to get a license and an automobile. Finding places was not easy, and he could not seem to find the address of his friend's house. There was nothing to do but to ask someone. He'd found that people were not as friendly and helpful in this time period as they had been in his own. Everyone was in a hurry, and, if you weren't careful, you could get yourself shot. That was true in the time period he'd left, but the atmosphere was somehow different. Leaving his car alongside an Anaheim curb, Gene got out and began looking for a friendly face.

After a few minutes of watching folks pass by, he believed he had spotted a fellow who looked friendly enough to approach. The man was large, but he had a gentle look about him. Gene hurried up to him. "Hello, I wonder if you would mind giving me directions to an address I need to find?"

Up close now, Gene was somewhat taken aback by the man he had chosen. Not only was he large, but he was, well, to be honest, there was nothing handsome about the fellow. And, there was something else, something Gene couldn't at first bring into focus. The gentleman replied readily enough. "I'm sorry little feller, but I'm afraid I'm lost, the same as you."

"You are?" Eugene responded, but then it hit him what he couldn't put his finger on at first. This man was from a different time period, the same as him. Of course, that was it! The man wore clothes more common for the 1800's. He dressed much as Gene's brothers, Nick and Heath, did.

"Yea, I went to town this mornin' to help the sheriff entertain the youngsters, and danged if I didn't get lost somehow," the big man explained. "Now, I'm just plum baffled. This aint Virginia City, is it?"

"Virginia City?"

"Yea, that's where I headed off to this mornin' when I left the Ponderosa, but this don't look nothin' like Virginia City."

"Uh, no, no, this is Anaheim," Eugene told the man. "Is Virginia City in California?"

The large fellow's face showed his puzzlement. "Virginia City's in Nevada, boy. Anaheim, you say this is? Never heard of it. Where the devil am I, anyway, and how did I get here? Pa's gonna be mad at me if I don't get home for Christmas."

Eugene was having trouble comprehending this new development. He was certain as could be now this man was from another time, just as he was. How could it be they would meet on this night? This night when he, Eugene, had planned to go home? "Your Pa, he's at your home in Virginia City?"

"Naw, Pa's at home on the Ponderosa. That's our ranch. My brothers are there with him, if they didn't get lost today like me."

"And what year is it?" Eugene asked.

"Huh?" the big man asked, wrinkling his nose along with his brow. "I am wondering what year it is at the Ponderosa," Gene said.

The fellow grinned a lopsided, engaging grin. "Little fella, if you don't know what year it is, then it's no dad burned wonder you're lost."

Gene grinned in return. "There's more to it than meet's the eye. I'd venture a guess that it's in the 1800's. Am I correct?"

"Of course you're correct," said the man. "What kind of tom fool question is it, anyhow? I've got worse things to worry about than tellin' you what year it is."

"Not really," Eugene said, serious. "You see, I think you've been transported out of your time period. This is 1999."

The big gentleman threw back his head and laughed. It was a hearty laugh, one that could make another person join in, and that is exactly what Eugene Barkley did. He laughed. He then said, "I'm serious. This is 1999. You see, I know about such things, because I'm from another time period myself. I've been in this one less than a year. I came in a time capsule. Have you no idea how you got here, Mr., uh----?"

"Cartwright," said the fellow. "Hoss Cartwright's my name."

"Mr. Cartwright, I'm Eugene Barkley." said the youngest of Victoria Barkley's children, extending his hand.

"Pleasure to meet ya, Mr. Barkley," Hoss acknowledged, shaking the hand of the smaller man. "But I'm plum confused by what you say. I don't have no idea in this world what a time capsule is."

"Oh, well, you see, I lived in the 1870's. And then my brother Nick arranged for our family to take a trip in a capsule. It's just a conveyance you ride in. And when we landed, we were in the year 1999. My family went back to their time, but I decided to stay. I go to school up at U.C.L.A."

Hoss Cartwright, a large hat on his head, stared at Eugene. "You don't say?"

"Yes," said Gene, believing Cartwright understood him. "I sure do wish I could stand here and talk, Mr. Barkley, but I gotta find my way back to the Ponderosa. You sound like a plum interestin' fella, although your story is a bit hard to swallow."

Gene frowned. Evidently, the man didn't think he was being truthful. An idea occurred to him. "Would you believe me, Hoss, if I was able to help you get back to the Ponderosa?"

Hoss grinned broadly. "You danged bet I would!"

Smiling, Gene said, "Fine. Come with me, then. I'm supposed to meet two men here in Anaheim who'll operate the space capsule and take me home. I'm sure they'll drop you off at your ranch."

The amiable Hoss agreed. "I'll be right by your side, little buddy."

"Let's get in my car. It's over there," Eugene said, pointing. Hoss frowned.

"Is that what you call them dad blamed noisy things? I've send a hunnerd of 'em. They scare me plum to death. You mean, I gotta get on one of 'em before I can get back to the Ponderosa?"

"Yes, but, uh, you get in them, not on them. They have a motor in them that provides the power."

"A what?"

"A motor, an engine, never mind," Eugene said. "Let's go. I have to find that address or neither of us will get home for Christmas."

Delicious odors were coming from the Cartwright kitchen. Hop Sing, the cook, was bustling around, doing the Christmas baking. In the living room, Ben Cartwright and two of his sons, Adam and Joe, were sitting in front of the fireplace. Ben was not allowing more than five minutes to pass before he got to his feet to pace the floor. Then, one or the other of his sons would request that he sit down. This routine had been repeated more than twenty times, when, again, the elder Cartwright stood up and walked around the room.

"Pa----" began Adam, "I really don't think there's any reason to worry about Hoss. He's a big boy, you know?"

Joe, known affectionately in his family as Little Joe, snickered. "Big is right."

"Joseph!" Ben reprimanded.

"Sorry, Pa," Joe said. His tone was contrite, but a slight grin remained on his lips. "Adam's right, you know? Hoss can take care of himself. He's probably helping someone in town and he's forgot the time."

"That's it, no doubt," Adam agreed, frowning. "You would think he'd begin to realize he was worrying us, though. It is Christmas Eve."

"I just don't think Hoss is that irresponsible," Ben said forcefully. "I can't help but believe he's in some kind of trouble."

"Maybe I should ride to town," Adam suggested. "Look around a bit. Ask people if he was there today."

"Yes, maybe you should," Ben conceded. "I hate to ask you, Adam, but----"

"I'll go with you, Adam," Little Joe spoke up.

"No, you stay with Pa," Adam said quickly. "He has enough to worry about."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Joe asked, harsh.

"Take him with you, Adam," Ben said.

"But Pa----" Adam began to mount a protest, then saw that his father meant business. "All right. Come on, Joe."

Joe grabbed his hat. "We'll find him, Pa. Don't worry," he told Ben, and followed his oldest brother out the door.

The drive to Anaheim was tedious. Rick commented on it, although he was on the passenger side of A.J.'s Camaro. "You'd think people would get off the road on Christmas Eve, wouldn't ya?"

"May I remind you that we are on the road," A.J. said, sarcastic. "On the road when we, like all of these other people, should be in the warmth of our own homes, with our families, and not out here heading off on some wild goose chase."

Rick waxed irritated. "A.J., it's not a wild goose chase. It's all set up. And besides, except for Mom, we are with our family. You're my family, and I'm yours."

A.J. rolled his eyes. "How comforting to know that a crazy person is just about the only family I have to spend Christmas Eve with."

"Well, it's not my fault you haven't married, had kids----"

"Let's not go into all of that now, if you don't mind," A.J. suggested.

"No, I don't mind. How about me callin' Mom and tell her what we're up to now?"

"Fine. Do that. Poor woman. Widowed young and left with two sons who leave her alone on Christmas Eve----"

"A.J., will ya ring off of the pathetic crap!" Rick yelled, then turned to the task of dialing the phone. After a few seconds, he said, "Hi, Mom. Yea, uh, sure, I'm comin' over tonight. Would I miss Christmas Eve with you?"

A.J. gave his passenger a disgusted glance and continued to listen to one side of a conversation. "Yea, A.J. will be there, Mom. He just had, uh, he had an errand to run. In fact, we both do, but we'll be there. Don't worry. Okay, Mom. Bye."

"That was smooth," A.J. commented. "I just hope we can live up to your promise."

"Yea, well, the sooner we find Barkley in Anaheim, the sooner we'll be home with Mom."

"I hope you're right," A.J. said. "Here's the exit we want. After that, all we have to do is find the address."

"Yea, that's all," said Rick. "We'll have to ask somebody and save some time."

"He didn't give you directions!"

"No, he didn't give me directions, just an address. Pull in at a service station. There's no use wastin' time."

"We're goin' on a trip to another time period tonight, and he says there's no use wasting time," A.J. grumbled. "A.J., will you----Hey, look!"

"At what?"

"There's Santa Claus on the corner there."

"So?"

"So, it's the same guy I talked to in the mall. The one who gave me the note."

A.J. obviously found that to be incredible. "Rick, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of guys playing Santa Claus over this L.A. area, not to mention San Diego where you saw the fellow. It can't be the same one."

"It is," Rick asserted. "Look at his footwear."

" He's wearing black boots, just like all Santas."

"Is he? You sure?" Taking a closer look, although they were quite a ways yet from the corner where Santa stood talking to two men, A.J. saw that his brother was correct. "He's not wearing boots! All Santas wear boots!"

"Right, but this one doesn't. And the one I talked to today wasn't. He was wearing black loafers, just like this guy."

"But it can't be," A.J. persisted. "I mean, that was in San Diego, this---"

"Will you forget that! I tell you, it is the same one. And I think he might just be able to direct us to the address we want." A.J. laughed. "Well, that's a stretch, don't you think?"

"What?"

"Even if it is the same guy, and it probably isn't, even so, why would you think he'd know how to get to the address we're looking for?"

"Because that one guy with him there is Eugene Barkley."

A.J. did a double take. He stared at the scene on the corner, and then shot his brother a glance, then looked back at the scene. There was a large man there dressed just as the Barkley family had been the day the Simons had encountered them in the California desert. "My God!"

"Yea, I agree. Aint that somethin'?"

"But, I mean, we've never met Eugene Barkley, Rick. I mean, it could be someone else."

"Sure, lots of guys go around dressed in cowboy clothes from another century, especially on Christmas Eve. Besides, that guy playin' Santa Claus has somethin' to do with it. Now, pull over."

A.J. did not argue. He pulled over to the curb and parked. He then accompanied his brother to the spot where the three men were standing. The trio seemed startled to have been interrupted. Immediately, Santa took his leave.

"Hey!" Rick yelled out. "Hey, Santa, I don't know who you are, but I want to thank you for helping us find Barkley here!"

The fellow in the red suit and the black loafers did not turn back or in any way acknowledge Rick. For a moment, none of the four remaining men spoke. It was Eugene Barkley who broke the silence. "Are you the Simons?" Rick and A.J. looked at the short, well dressed young man.

"Yes, we are," said A.J. "We think we know who this other gentleman is," he said, pointing to Hoss, "but we don't know you." Eugene looked puzzled. "I thought you did. I'm Eugene Barkley."

"No you're not," Rick blurted out. "This man here is Eugene Barkley."

"You're wrong there, young feller," Hoss spoke up. "My name's Hoss Cartwright, and this just gets more dad burned confusin'."

"You're not Eugene Barkley?" Rick pressed.

"He said he wasn't, Rick," A.J. intervened. "This other man---"

"Yea, yea, I heard him," Rick cut in, studying Gene. "So, you're Barkley? The one I talked to on the phone this mornin'?"

"I am," Eugene smiled. "And I'm awfully glad to meet you, Mr. Simon. That man who just left said you would be right along and then you drove up."

A.J. and Rick exchanged glances. Rick said, "Yea, well, we're glad to meet you. But we thought this man with you was you, because---"

"Never mind, Rick," A.J. said. "It will take too long to explain. Mr. Cartwright is probably just a friend of Eugene's. Right?"

"We just met, actually," Eugene answered. "He's lost and needs to get back to another time period. I told him perhaps you could take him home tonight as well as me."

"Wait a minute!" A.J. bellowed, grinning broadly. "This is all a joke! It has to be!" Rick did not grin. Instead, the older Simon frowned deeply. "I kind of think you might be right, Kid. This is just too much."

"A joke?" Hoss Cartwright questioned. "If you think I been jokin' with Barkley here, or with that feller who just left, you're badly mistaken. I'm who I say I am. Now, I don't know about this time period business. I caint hardly believe that myself. I just know I'm lost and want to get back to the Ponderosa before Pa has a conniption."

"A conniption?" A.J. asked, puzzled. "I'm afraid I don't understand that either, Mr. Cartwright,"

Eugene said. "You guys don't know what a conniption is?" Rick chuckled. "No, or, at least I don't," A.J. confessed. "And you a college graduate," Rick said, then turned to Gene. "And you at U.C.L.A. Boy, what is this world comin' to?"

"All right, Rick!" A.J. exclaimed, aggravated. "What is a conniption?" Rick turned immediately to Hoss. "Yea, just what is a conniption?"

"Well, it's a kind of a fit," Hoss began explaining. "You know, kind of a temper tamtrum."

"Your Pa has temper tantrums?" Rick asked.

"Rick! Could we get back to business here?" A.J. asked.

"Sure," Rick agreed. "Let's get in the car and on out to the space capsule. We'll take these two home."

"We don't even know where Mr. Cartwright lives or what time period," A.J. said. "That is, if these two can be believed."

"You can believe me, Mr. Simon," Eugene said quickly. "And I believe Hoss. He's from Virginia City, Nevada, but he hasn't told me yet exactly what year it was when he left home."

Three sets of eyes focused on Hoss. He grinned sheepishly. "I didn't tell him 'cause I thought this was all a hoax."

A.J. sighed. "I don't blame you, Mr. Cartwright. Tell us the truth, please, are you from a different time?"

Hoss' face contorted and twitched. "Dad burnit, I guess I am. I don't recognize a dad burned thing around here. I was livin' in 1868 until this mornin'." The Simons again exchanged glances. "There you are, A.J.," Rick said. "Now we know."

"Yes, now we know, but can we help him?"

"Of course we can help him! We got those other people, the Ricardos and Mertzes, home, didn't we? And we took the Barkleys home. Why not this man?"

A.J. shrugged. "Yea, why not?"

The Barkleys were going about their business. Of course, their business on Christmas Eve was somewhat different than it would be at other times, and, because of the statement made by Nick Barkley earlier, the atmosphere in the Barkley home was much different than usual. Audra and Victoria were trimming the tree with ornaments. Their conversation was restricted to the subject of said ornaments and other details concerning the holiday.

"It's always so wonderful to see these again," Audra gushed. "It's like everything is brand new again, even though most of them are older than me."

"Yes, most of these are steeped in tradition," Victoria said.

The Barkley men were standing in various positions around the room observing the process. None were joining in. Jarrod commented on it. "Well, gentlemen, don't you think we should be invited to help trim the tree? Is it only the lovely ladies who are allowed the pleasure?"

"I'm too busy," Heath replied. "And besides, I don't know much about tradition."

"Heath, Dear," Victoria began. "This isn't your first Christmas here. You know what we do. And why do you say you're too busy? It seems to me you, as well as your brothers, are just standing there."

"I'm busy thinkin' about what Nick said," Heath explained, hardly able to suppress a snicker. "You know, about meeting Father Christmas?"

Nick Barkley had not met the eye of another member of his family since telling them who it was he'd encountered on the range. Now, Heath was taunting him about it. "Go ahead and have your fun, Heath. All of you, go ahead. I met Father Christmas out there, and that's a fact."

"Now, now, Brother Nick," Jarrod soothed. "If you say it was Father Christmas, then, well, no doubt you believe it was-----"

"Are you sayin' it wasn't, Pappy?"

"I don't know what Jarrod is sayin'," Heath joined the discussion. "But I know it wasn't Father Christmas. Somebody was puttin' you on big time, Nick."

"Perhaps," Victoria began, "we should know just what this, uh, Father Christmas, said to you, Nick. Then, we can make a better judgment."

"He said he would see to it that Eugene could come home for Christmas," Nick said. "It's just that simple. He told me to contact the fella who arranged for the capsule the other time, and I did."

"There has to be more to it than that," Heath said. "There isn't," Nick grumbled. "There isn't."

"Well, it does seem highly unlikely that you talked to Father Christmas," Victoria gave her opinion. "And, it seems highly unlikely that Eugene will be joining us. But, we'll see."

"Yea, we'll see," Nick said, and began pacing the floor.

Ben Cartwright also continued to pace the floor. He was alone now, except for Hop Sing, who still worked in the kitchen, baking and making preparations for the Christmas meal. "Why did I let Adam and Little Joe go alone to search for Hoss? I should have gone with them. I should go out now and search. Something is very wrong with that second boy of mine, I just know it. It's not like him to worry me so, especially on Christmas Eve. I can't just sit here." With that, Ben put on a heavy coat, yelled to Hop Sing that he was going out, and went to saddle his horse. Hoss was out there somewhere, maybe lost or hurt. He had to be found. As he rode off, Ben wondered where his other two sons were and if they had found Hoss. He hoped so, but there was no way to know. They were going to Virginia City, he felt certain. Therefore, he headed in a completely different direction.

In Virginia City, Adam and Joe separated to conduct the search for their brother. They both asked dozens of people if they recalled seeing Hoss at any time during the day. To the consternation of both of them, the answer they received from everyone was no. No, he hadn't been in the dry goods store. No, he hadn't been in the tavern. And most disturbing of all, no, he hadn't been there to help the sheriff with the children's Christmas party.

"It looks like Hoss never made it to Virginia City," Adam said to his brother when they reunited after their separate searches.

"Poor Hoss," Joe said sadly. "I just know something terrible has happened to him."

"Let's not get too discouraged, Joe. You know Hoss. It could be someone was in trouble, someone he encountered on the way to town, and he took off to help them. He'll show up soon."

"I hope you're right, Adam," Joe said. "What should we do now?"

"Go home to Pa."

"Go home? Adam, Pa is not gonna be satisfied. We're gonna have to keep lookin' until we find Hoss. Besides, I want to. Hoss and me----well-----"

"Joe, it's time you grew up," Adam suggested.

"And just what does that mean, Adam?"

"It means that you can't whine and act like a baby every time something happens. Act like a man this time."

"Well, well," Joe said, "The mighty Adam Cartwright has spoken. And, of course, I should obey. Yes sir, I should march to the drummer, because, after all, who knows more about life and the way of things than you? Listen, Adam, If something has happened to Hoss, I'll cry if I want to. And I'll tell you something else, I'm going to look for him until I find him. I love that big lug. I don't care what you do from now on. Go home and tell Pa I'm still searching." His speech made, Little Joe walked away from his oldest brother.

Adam looked after him, his brow wrinkled. A tiny grin came to his lips. "Joe!" he yelled. "Wait a minute!"

Joe stopped to wait but he kept his eyes averted. Adam walked up to him. "I'm gonna look for Hoss. You can't stop me."

"Maybe I don't want to stop you," said Adam. "Maybe I'm not giving you enough credit, perhaps I never do." Joe focused on the older man. "I must be dreamin'."

"No," Adam said smoothly. "Not so. I'm sorry, Joe. You've been a man for quite some time now, and I know that. I'm just as upset as you about Hoss. Let's come up with a plan to look for him. Let's work together on this."

Joe grinned. "Where should we begin?"

Adam frowned. "I don't have a clue. What do you think?"

"About all we can do at this hour is ask folks if they've seen him, Adam. It's too dark to check the ditches, ravines and such."

"Yes," Adam scowled. "It sure is a puzzle. If he never got to town----"

"Adam?"

"Yes?"

"Here comes Pa." Adam first looked at Joe, and then in the direction the younger man was pointing. Sure enough, Ben Cartwright was riding up the street. "This can't be good news, Joe. Better brace yourself."

"I can handle it, big brother."

Ben was delighted to see his sons standing on the Virginia City sidewalk. It meant he wouldn't have to search for them. He rode up and dismounted. "Come on Adam, Joe, let's get back to the Ponderosa." The two younger Cartwrights stared at their father.

Adam was the one to speak. "Pa, we haven't found Hoss. We haven't found a trace of him."

"No one has seen him, Pa. Adam and I were just tryin' to figure out what we should do next."

"Well, Joseph, I just told you what you will be doing next."

"Pa, do you really think we should give up?"

Adam asked. "Adam, I have wonderful news. Your brother will be coming home soon."

The expression on Ben's face caused his sons to exchange glances. Little Joe then responded, "We sure hope so, Pa. Have you had some kind of word?"

"Yes, yes, I have." Adam took it up. "You have? It wouldn't seem like anyone would come to the ranch with word on Christmas Eve. Who was it? A neighbor? Is Hoss at a neighbor's house, helping with something?"

"No," began Ben. "And that's not how I got the word."

Again, Adam and Joe glanced at each other. Their father seemed a bit out of it. Joe probed, "Then how did you hear?"

"Father Christmas told me."

In Anaheim, the four men, the two Simons, Eugene Barkley and Hoss Cartwright, departed for the desert and the space capsule. They traveled in two automobiles. A.J. drove his own car with Hoss as a passenger. Rick drove Eugene's car, with the owner of the vehicle as a passenger. The trip to the capsule took an hour and a half. By the time they reached it, darkness had fallen. The four of them gathered next to the conveyance in which they hoped to travel back in time."Well, here she is," Rick commented. "Looks just like before, huh, A.J.?"

"I imagine these things all look alike," the younger Simon said. Rick laughed that short chuckle he was so famous for. "I'll give you the point, Kid."

Hoss Cartwright walked around the capsule three times without saying a word. His brow was deeply creased when he stopped walking and stood again with his companions. "What is it you fellas call this danged thing?"

"It's a time capsule, or space capsule," Eugene began an explanation. "It can take you from one time period to another. It brought me here along with my family, and took them home. I haven't had the nerve to tell my history professor about it yet."

"Why not?" Rick joined in.

A.J. showed impatience. "Rick, can we get under way here? We need to be at Mom's before the night's over, remember?"

"Oh yea," Rick said. "Look, Eugene, we can tell Hoss all about it once we're under way. Is everybody ready?"

"Now just a cotton pickin' minute here!"

Hoss had spoken. The other three men stopped in their tracks.

"What is it, Hoss?" Eugene questioned. "Well, little feller, as much as I'd like to go home, I just don't see how this here thing will take me there. I got me a notion you fellers are funnin' me."

A small grin crossed the lips of Rick Simon. "No, Hoss, we're not funnin' you. It's true. My brother and I took Gene here's family and some other people home a while back. We know how to operate it. All we need is the year and the place, and we can get you home."

"My brother is correct, Mr. Cartwright," A.J. spoke up.

"Well, that's a first," Rick mumbled.

"Don't let it go to your head," A.J. said.

"I'm being charitable. It's Christmas." Rick grinned again, then said to Hoss," You gonna trust us, Hoss?"

Still scowling, Hoss said, "I don't see as how I got any choice, but I sure hope this aint a waste of my time. I know Pa is worryin' about me somethin' awful by now."

"You're kinda old to be livin' with your pa, aren't ya?" Rick ventured.

"Rick!" A.J. exclaimed. "That's none of your business. Besides, in, well, in the time Hoss is from, maybe it was more common."

"Oh yes," Gene told them. "All of my brothers and my sister live at home with Mother."

Rick shook his head. "Man, I'd be in constant do do."

"Huh?" Hoss said.

"Do do?" Eugene asked, obviously puzzled.

"Never mind," A.J. said. "Let's board this thing."

"Good idea," Rick agreed. "Let's do that."

The Barkley Christmas tree trimming came to an end. Jarrod had joined the ladies of the house to assist in the process, and even Heath had hung an ornament or two. Nick, on the other hand, had not taken time from his pacing to help with the annual chore. The scowl on his face remained as he walked back and forth across the parlor.

"Nick, you're gonna wear out that rug," Heath announced. "Stop pacin'. Stop pacin' and just forget about what happened, or what you think happened."

Nick did stop pacing. Then, he glared at the brother who had arrived and proclaimed himself a member of the family only two years previously.

"Heath, what happened is real. I met Father Christmas and then I arranged to have Gene come home tonight. He'll be here."

"Nick, Dear, perhaps you have guilty feelilngs about Eugene," Victoria began. "Or, perhaps you forgot to wear your hat that day on the range and the sun was bright-----"

"Are you sayin' I'm loco, Mother?" Nick blasted the air. "Oh my, can't we just enjoy Christmas?"

Audra asked. "This is so unpleasant."

"You are right, young lady," Jarrod said to his sister. "Why don't we gather around the piano and sing some of the old carols?"

"Sing, Pappy?" Nick bellowed. "You want me to sing with you after the way you've treated me tonight?"

"Oh my," Audra repeated her now often used expression.

Jarrod cocked his head and focused his blue eyes on Nick. "I thought it might be a good way to pass this Christmas Eve. There is nothing like putting one's all into singing to erase our troubles and----"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Jarrod," Victoria told her oldest. "Nick doesn't want to sing. None of us wants to sing, I dare say. We need to clear the air here. Now, Nick, you think that Eugene will be coming home in a time capsule tonight, just because someone you believed to be Father Christmas told you so. The others of us, especially Heath, believe such a notion to be nonsense. That seems to be the problem, and, of course, time will resolve it. I suggest that we all go to bed and get a good night's sleep. If Eugene is at the breakfast table in the morning, then so be it."

"You're all in for a big surprise, you know?" Nick growled at his family. "I don't have the slightest doubt but what that capsule will land out there in the paddock in an hour or so, and Eugene will get out of it, not the slightest doubt."

"Oh my," Audra said, but no one else commented.

Three Cartwrights, Ben, Adam, and Joe, remained standing in the middle of a Virginia City street. Those other folks who had been about were fast disappearing into the peacefulness of their homes as Christmas Eve wore on. Ben had suggested to his sons that they, too, head for their home to enjoy the holiday.

"Come on, boys," the elder Cartwright said. "Let's get back to the Ponderosa. It just could be that Hoss will be there by the time we arrive. We don't want him to worry about us, now do we?"

"Hoss worry about us, Pa?" Joe squeaked. "That's really somethin'."

"Take it easy, Joe," Adam said to his brother in a low voice. "Pa's----"

"You think there is something wrong with me, do you, Adam?" Ben asked, stern.

Joe squirmed and looked to his oldest brother to see how he would handle the question. Adam addressed it immediately. "The only thing wrong with you is that you are worried about Hoss. Worry makes people----"

"Adam Cartwright, don't lecture me!" Ben cut his son off in mid-sentence. "I was worried, yes, but when I met the man who assured me Hoss would be on his way home soon, then I stopped worrying about my second son. Now, I have you two to deal with. I suppose you don't think I met Father Christmas out there on the trail earlier?"

Adam turned away and Joe fought to keep his emotions in check. Actually, he wasn't sure himself if he would be more inclined to laugh or to cry, should he allow those emotions their head.

It was Adam who answered Ben, his eyes still averted from the man he spoke to. "Pa, it is hard to believe. It's getting dark, and perhaps you so wanted to think you saw and heard someone to give you hope about Hoss-----"

Disgusted, Ben walked away. "I'm goin' home, boys. I hope you'll come with me. I'm sure when Hoss gets there, he'll be disappointed if his brothers aren't at home to enjoy Christmas with him."

Adam and Joe looked after their father as he mounted his horse. They then glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed the older man's lead. Soon, the three of them rode out of Virginia City on their way to the Ponderosa.

Rick and A.J. found the time capsule no less awesome than the first time they were in it. They both studied the many gadgets, levers and such as if they had not seen them before. Rick went immediately to the panel of levers which were for the purpose of programming the capsule for a certain time and time period. "This baby's been set to return to the Barkley ranch in the proper time period."

"That's great news!" Eugene Barkley proclaimed, standing behind Rick. "We didn't even notice those levers when we rode it here to this time period."

"No, that's how it came to be that Rick and I got involved," A.J. explained. "Your family did not know how to operate it and return home sooner than it had been programmed."

"Well, it's not been programmed for any departure time now," Rick added. "We'll have to do that."

"I sure hope you fellers know what you're doin'," Hoss said, shaking his head. "I still caint believe this thing'll take me and the little man here home."

"It will, Hoss," A.J. smiled at the large gentleman. "Don't worry."

"No, don't worry," Rick said. "But we have to make a decision here. Where do we go first? The Barkley ranch or Hoss' home?"

"Good question," A.J. said. "Thanks," Rick said.

Eugene spoke up with an offer. "I think you should take Hoss home first. His family is no doubt worried about him, while I doubt seriously if mine is the least bit concerned about me."

"That seems hard to believe, little feller," Hoss said. "I just bet that caint wait to see ya."

"I'm afraid you would lose that bet, Hoss," Eugene lamented. "But that's of no mind. Let's see that you get home first."

"The Ponderosa it is, then," said A.J., and moved to the controls where his brother was already stationed.

"Let's see," Rick mumbled. "We want 1868, and we want to leave in about five minutes from now, which would be----what was that noise?"

A.J. turned toward the noise his brother mentioned. "Sounds like someone is knocking on the door."

"Who knows about this thing but us?" Rick asked. "Shall I answer it?" Eugene wondered. "I'll get it," said Rick, and moved quickly to the door. "What the----"

"Who is it?" A.J. asked, when his sibling paused in mid-sentence.

"It's Mom," Rick told him.

"Mom!" A.J. exclaimed.

"Yes, A.J. Mom. Our Mother. Cecelia Simon."

"Well, let her in, Rick!" Rick whirled around to face his brother. "Let her in here?"

"Well, yes, she must want to talk to us!"

"But how did she find out where we are?"

Hoss Cartwright inserted his opinion. "If there's a lady out there, I think you two should be gentlemen and invite her in out of the night air."

Rick opened the door. "Mom?"

"Yes, it's your mother, Rick," Cecelia Simon confirmed the obvious. "Would you mind telling me what you and your brother are up to?"

"Up to?" Rick hedged. A.J. moved to where he could see the new arrival.

"Oh, Hi, Mom," he greeted, as if it were commonplace for their mother to visit them on the doorstep of a space capsule.

"A.J., I want you to tell me immediately what is going on!" Cecelia demanded. "That man who brought me out here said you two weren't planning to come home for Christmas, and now I find you out in the desert in a----well, whatever this thing is."

"It's a space capsule, Mom," Rick provided. "You know, like we rode in before and you watched us telling about it on Larry King Live?"

"Mom, back up a minute," A.J. said.

"I'm not going to back up, Honey. I'm coming in there."

"No, no, I meant back up in your story," Cecelia's youngest clarified. "You said a man brought you out here?"

"Oh, yes, Honey. It was Santa Claus."

An hour passed after Nick Barkley's proclamation that a space capsule would land in the paddock and the youngest of the family, Eugene, would emerge from it. Nothing of the sort had yet occurred. As each minute ticked off the clock, the family grew more tense. No one had taken Victoria's suggestion to retire for the night. And no one was speaking to Nick as he continued to pace the floor. He had by that time expanded his pacing area to include the entire downstairs of the mansion.

"Oh, will he never stop that?" Audra whined. "It's getting on my nerves."

"I could speak to him about it, if you'd like," Jarrod offered. "Mother, do you believe I should?"

"Jarrod, Dear," Victoria began. "Have I ever mentioned to you how much your politeness annoys me?"

"No, Mother, not that I can recall," Jarrod replied.

"Well, it does."

"You do have a way of gettin' under a man's skin," Heath ventured, from the spot where he had chosen to stand with his arm resting across the fireplace mantle.

"You're just too nice, Jarrod. Get mad, why don't ya? Go over there and demand that Nick stop pacing."

"That does sound like a good idea, Jarrod," Audra spoke up to agree. "Just walk right up to him and tell him to stop walking around and around. It is so annoying."

Jarrod once again addressed the matriarch of the family. "Mother, is that what you suggest, as well?"

Victoria spoke in a tougher than usual tone of voice. "Jarrod, don't you think you are too old to be asking me what you should do? In fact, all of you children are getting too old to always be running to me with your troubles."

"Mother!" Audra exclaimed as though she'd been struck. "Whatever is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Dear," Victoria answered. "I'm just stating facts. All of you are too old to be living at home and asking my opinion about everything. Jarrod, you surely know if you want to take your brother on about this wild claim of his."

Jarrod cocked his head. "You are correct about that, Mother. And I certainly do want to take him on."

"Better look out, Nick!," Heath called to the pacing cowboy.

"Jarrod is comin' after ya." Nick stopped walking. He glared at the now approaching Jarrod. "Take me on, is it? Pappy, you're askin' for trouble if you take me on. You're too soft for the likes of me and you know it. Back off now, before I have to hurt ya."

Heath left his spot by the fireplace and quickly headed for his two brothers. He wore an almost eager expression. "You really think you can do damage to Nick, Jarrod? His body is as hard as his head, you know?"

"That's of no matter to me at the moment, Heath," Jarrod advised. "I feel certain I can outwit him. He's tough, but he's not too----uh----"

"What was it you were gonna say, Pappy?" Nick asked. "Were you about to question my brain power?"

"Oh my," Audra said, not for the first time that evening. "This is horrible."

"Oh I don't know, Dear," Victoria countered. "Perhaps life's been a bit too dull around here. This will liven things up. A good brawl will make us all feel better."

"Oh my," Audra repeated.

It was a silent ride home for the three Cartwrights. Ben rode jauntily along, occasionally breathing deeply to take in the cool, crisp Christmas Eve night air. His sons rode along with him, but they were anything but jaunty. Not knowing how to break through the barrier they believed their father had put up to protect himself from hurt, they kept quiet until they were inside their house on the Ponderosa.

As they stepped inside the door, Hop Sing appeared to announce dinner. "Hop Sing keep it warm. You eat now, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Well, Hop Sing, I suppose we could, but Hoss will be along soon, so save some back for him."

The cook left for the kitchen. Adam glanced at his youngest brother who had removed his jacket and then approached the fireplace to warm his hands. "Pa," the oldest of Ben's sons began, "I can't let you go on like this."

"Go on enjoying my Christmas Eve, Adam? Is that what you mean?"

"No, it's not what I mean. Listen to me, Pa. You didn't talk to Father Christmas tonight. No one told you Hoss would be coming home. You just imagined that."

Little Joe kept to his place by the fire, watching and listening. His oldest brother was being as direct with their Pa as anyone could ever be. Was he getting through to Ben Cartwright? Joe couldn't tell. This was the most miserable Christmas the youngest of the family could recall. What had happened to Hoss? He decided to join the conversation. "Pa, tomorrow we'll go out again and search for him. There's nothing more to be done tonight."

Ben smiled. "You boys don't seem to want to listen to your father. That's fine. All I can say is you're being very foolish. You'll find that out soon enough. Now, let's have dinner. I'm sure Hop Sing has prepared quite a feast."

"Pa-----?" Joe said, but saw it was useless to argue.

"Let's eat dinner," Adam suggested to his brother. "He'll have to face facts sooner or later. Maybe we should let him do it his way."

Joe sighed and shrugged, but said nothing. Along with his brother, he made his way to the table and the feast Hop Sing had prepared.

"Santa Claus did not bring you out here!" A.J. Simon told his mother vehemently. Rick spoke up.

"Now, A.J., maybe he did. Maybe it was the same guy I talked to, the one who gave me the note from Barkley, and the one we saw in Anaheim."

"Well, I don't know about that, but I had the feeling this was the REAL Santa Claus," Cecelia said.

"The real Santa Claus?" Rick and A.J. questioned in unison.

"If you don't mind my askin', who is this fella Santa Claus?" Hoss Cartwright intervened to ask.

"If I might answer that," Eugene said. "I believe he is the same as who we, in my own time period, called Father Christmas. At least, that's what my history professor said."

Hoss frowned. "Now dad burnit, little feller, Father Christmas aint real. You surely know that."

"Well," Eugene began, but was cut off by Rick Simon. "Of course he's not real! The thing is, though, this guy who we've been runnin' into, the guy with the black loafers on----"

"Black loafers!" Cecelia exclaimed. "That's what MY Santa Claus was wearing. I thought it was odd, but I didn't say anything."

"Never mind, never mind," A.J. groaned. "Mom, just where did you happen upon this man?"

"He came to my door, Honey. He said you and your brother couldn't come home for Christmas, but he would be glad to see that I got to spend the holiday with you. Then, he drove me out here."

A.J. and Rick exchanged glances. Then, the older brother said, "Okay, Mom, we're goin' on a trip. You can ride along. Okay with you, A.J.?"

The younger brother shrugged. "Let's get on the road. Or the sky, or whatever."

Jarrod and Nick Barkley continued to glare at each other, supposedly as a prelude to the fight they intended to have. The older of the two had made a comment which suggested he didn't believe his younger but larger brother was as smart as he, himself, was. Nick had not taken kindly to the remark, and now they were in a face off just beneath the majestic staircase of the Barkley home.

Victoria and Heath had moved to be close to the fight when it finally took place, while Audra remained in the living room. The only daughter of Victoria was actually wringing her hands in dismay and could be heard to say, "Oh my," over and over. Her anxiety was lost on the others. It was Heath who finally broke the silence which had engulfed the group.

"Let's get on with it, you two," the younger man said to his brothers. "I'm bettin' on Nick, though. He may not be as smart as you, Jarrod, but he's a lot stronger and tougher."

"That's a fact," Nick said, taking deep breaths in anticipation of a confrontation.

"As I said earlier," Jarrod offered calmly. "He may be stronger, but he's not nearly as smart as me."

"So, we'll soon see if smart wins out over tough," Victoria taunted. "Go to it, my sons." As if their mother had rung a bell to start the proceedings, both Jarrod and Nick squared their shoulders. Heath at first grinned, but then laughed aloud, such was his joy. Victoria shook her fists. She seemed almost giddy at the thought of fisticuffs involving two of her offspring. And then they heard the sound.

"What was that?" Nick questioned the others. "Sounds like somethin's outside."

"Now, now, brother Nick," Jarrod began. "Don't be trying to worm your way out of a fight with me."

"Boy howdy, Nick," Heath shook his head. "I never took you for a coward. Especially when you were about to fight somebody as soft as Jarrod here."

"I beg your pardon, Heath!" Jarrod exclaimed. "Are you saying you don't think I could whip Nick?"

"Of course that's what he's saying, Jarrod," Victoria answered before Heath could form words. "No one in their right mind would think you could whip him."

"Oh my," Audra was heard to moan, as she moved to pull back the curtain and gaze out the window.

"What is it, Dear?" Victoria wanted to know. "It's, it's, it's-----"

"It's a space capsule, aint it, Sis?" Nick grinned broadly. "Tell 'em! Eugene has come home, hasn't he?"

"Well," Audra began to stammer, "It, it, could be, I suppose. It, it,------"

"Oh, let me see," Victoria said impatiently, heading to the window. "I hope it's important. I was really going to enjoy a good fight between your brothers."

"Mother!" Audra said. "You seem so different. Are you ill?"

"Of course I'm not ill, Dear. At least-----" Victoria stopped speaking when she at last got a look out the window.

"At least what, Mother?" Jarrod asked. "I must say, you don't seem yourself tonight. In fact, none of us do. I, for one, don't really want to fight with you, Nick."

Nick wore a pained expression all of a sudden. "Well, Pappy, to tell you the truth, I don't either."

"Then why were we about to do that very thing?"

"Boy howdy, I got carried away myself," Heath lamented. "The last thing we ought to be doin' on Christmas Eve is fightin' among ourselves."

Victoria still stood staring out the window. "I believe it must have something to do with what has appeared in the paddock."

"Is Gene out there, Mother?" Nick pursued.

"There are several people out there," Victoria replied. "But the space capsule isn't."

"Is one of them Eugene?" Jarrod took up the questioning. "And how did they arrive? Horseback?"

"No, those aren't horses," Victoria mumbled. "And the conveyance isn't a capsule."

"Then what is it?" Heath asked. "Boy Howdy, I'm curious."

"You're curious!" Nick said. "Is that a fact? Well, you aint no more curious than I am. I'm goin' out there." Nick!"

Audra spoke up. "Be careful. Those people might be dangerous."

"Yes, they might be dangerous," Victoria agreed with her daughter. "They seem to be quarrelling."

"Is one of them Eugene?" Jarrod asked again. "One of them is about his size," Victoria announced. "But they are all dressed funny----"

"Dressed funny!" Nick roared. "Now I know I'm goin' out there! Heath, Jarrod, you comin' with me?"

"I'm comin'," Heath said.

"I suppose I should have a look," Jarrod said. "Please be careful!"

Audra implored. "I've never seen people dressed so----so-----well, rather silly."

"Silly?" Nick said, eyebrows arched, then proceeded to open the door and go through it, his two brothers following.

A usual, Hop Sing had fixed a delicious meal. Ben ate heartily, while Adam and Joe picked at their food and hardly ate any at all. The cook commented on it as he brought fresh coffee to the table. "Mr. Adam, Mr. Joe, you hardly touch food. Food not good? Hop Sing work all day to fix it. What wrong with food?"

Ben answered for his sons. "Nothing is wrong with the food, Hop Sing. In fact, it's delicious. Mr. Adam and Mr. Joe are just being spiteful"

"Spiteful!" both Adam and Joe exclaimed, then Adam took over alone. "Spiteful, Pa! We are worried about you---and, we're worried about Hoss. That's why we don't feel like eating."

"Adam's right, Pa. I can't eat with Hoss missin' like he is," Joe said. "When are you gonna face facts?"

Ben got up from the table abruptly. "Boys, I am facing facts. I have been given an assurance that Hoss will be home soon. The man, Father Christmas, seemed very truthful. I intend to believe what he said until-----"

"Until what?" Adam asked.

Ben frowned. "Well, until enough time goes by without Hoss coming home to convince me it wasn't the truth the man spoke. Now, I'm going to my room for a while."

The two Cartwrights left at the dinner table stared morosely after their father. Something had happened to Hoss, of that neither of them had any doubt. They would have both been surprised beyond belief to know where their good-natured brother was at the moment. They only knew it had, so far, been a miserable Christmas Eve.

The Barkley ranch paddock was where Hoss Cartwright was, but at the moment, his whereabouts was just one of his concerns. Another was the clothes he had mysteriously found himself dressed in. Evidently, he'd fallen asleep for a time after the folks he was with had stopped their fussing and decided to get under way in that thing they called a space capsule. When he awoke, he and the others were no longer in the same conveyance, and, none of them were dressed as they had been. Now, the others were involved in an argument again. Hoss decided to speak up and see if he could learn exactly what the matter was.

"Would you folks stop your dad burned fussin' and tell me what's happenin'?"

A.J. and Rick Simon stood glaring at each other. They, too, were not much concerned about where they were. Other things had suddenly taken precedence. "I can't believe this, Rick! If you would have kept your nose out of this affair, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"You think I knew we would end up dressed like Santa's helpers?" Rick blared back at his sibling.

"You think I knew we would somehow be taken from the capsule and put into a, a---"

"Into a sleigh, Rick," Cecelia Simon spoke up. "We came here, wherever here is, in Santa's sleigh, pulled by his team of reindeer."

"Yes, and do to your ineptiness, we've landed where there is no snow," A.J. continued to badger his brother.

"And we're stuck here." Rick, agitated, paced around a bit. He ended up directly in front of Eugene, whom it occurred to the oldest Simon brother, had been quiet since the landing. "You know anything about this, Eugene?"

Eugene did know something. He knew where he was and it scared the dickens out of him. "Well, I, uh,-----" .

"Stop stammerin', will ya?" Rick blasted. "Do you know how Hoss here got in the Santa Claus suit, and the rest of us ended up dressed like his elves?"

"No, no, I don't know that----but-----"

"But what, Gene?" A.J. stepped up to inquire.

"I know where we are," said Gene. "And so should you."

"Huh?" Rick said.

"We should?" A.J. said.

"Yes, this is the Barkley ranch. This is my home."

The Simons glanced around. "We didn't get off of the capsule the other time," A.J. explained. "So we didn't recognize it. I wonder why we landed here and not Hoss' Ponderosa?"

Rick growled, "Because, A.J., we aint in the capsule. We got here in a sleigh."

A.J. nodded. "This is extremely weird."

"Weird, Kid!" Rick exclaimed. "Weird don't even touch it! This is-----oh, oh, here comes some men." Everyone looked.

"It's the Barkleys," A.J. said. "Eugene was right."

"I wish I had stayed in 1999," Eugene was heard to say, as his three brothers quickly approached the paddock where he stood among a man dressed in a red suit, three other people dressed as he, himself was, in silly looking red and green outfits, and eight reindeer hitched to a sleigh.

Nick took his usual long strides as he headed out to take a look at the new arrivals. Jarrod and Heath moved less quickly and were several steps behind him when they heard him say, "What on God's green earth is happenin' here?" They also saw him pull his gun. Automatically, they both did the same. Eugene also saw his brother's gun come out of the holster. It loosened the youngest Barkley's tongue.

"Nick, don't shoot! It's me!"

Nick stared. "Eugene? "

"Yes, it's me."

By that time, Jarrod and Heath were alongside Nick. Jarrod offered a welcome. "Gene, how nice to see you."

"You were expecting me, weren't you?" Gene asked.

"Uh, yes, we were," Jarrod replied. "Nick told us----"

"They didn't believe me," Nick found his tongue again.

"They probably hoped it wasn't true," Gene said. "That's why I came tonight. I just wanted to make you all miserable."

"Is that a fact?" Nick roared. "Now, why should we be miserable, Gene? I invited you, after all. I got in touch with those Simon brothers---by the way, where are they?"

"Boy howdy, Nick," Heath joined the conversation. "Can't you see these two fellas over here are the Simons? And isn't anybody curious as to why all of 'em, includin' Gene, are dressed so, well, like Audra said, silly?"

"And if I might add to Heath's questions," Jarrod began, "Who is this fellow in the red outfit, and who is this pretty lady, uh, who is also dressed rather peculiarly?"

Cecelia Simon puffed up like a toad. "I don't know who you are, Mister!" she admonished Jarrod. "But you are quite rude!"

"Mom," A.J. spoke in a low voice to his mother. "This man in an attorney, er, uh, was an attorney in his time, well----"

"For your information, I am still an attorney, Mr. Simon," Jarrod said. "And I did not mean to offend your mother. Mrs. Simon, is it?"

"Yes, I'm Cecelia Simon," said the mother of Simon and Simon. "And I forgive you for being rude."

"Wait a minute!" Nick raged, tired of the chit chat going on around him. "I think Heath's right. I think we should know why you're all dressed so funny. And I still don't know who this big fella is over here."

Hoss Cartwright had kept his counsel since the Barkleys had joined them. He now stepped up to Nick.

"Name's Hoss Cartwright," he said, sticking out his hand. "And I'm just as dad burned confused as you folks seem to be. I don't know how in tarnashin' I got in this get up or how the other folks did."

"Is that a fact?" Nick said, shaking the offered hand.

"If it weren't a fact, I wouldn't have said it, Mr.----uh, Barkley, is it?"

Nick started to speak, but Eugene interrupted. "Yes, that's my brother, Nick. And these are my brothers Jarrod and Heath," he introduced, pointing to his siblings in turn. Then, "And Nick, Jarrod and Heath, this is Mrs. Cecelia Simon and this is Hoss Cartwright."

There were a round of pleasantries about how nice is was to meet everyone, and then Nick got down to business again. "So, Gene, you haven't told us why you're all dressed like you're goin' to a costume party. Do they have costume parties in that time you've been livin' in on Christmas Eve?"

Rick Simon had kept quiet as long as he could. He answered before Eugene could form a reply. "No, Nick, we don't have costume parties on Christmas Eve. We don't any of us seem to know when or how we come to be dressed like we are."

"I dare say, that is strange," Jarrod offered.

"Yes, it is," A.J. agreed. "We started the trip in the space capsule, and somehow we ended up in this, uh, well, Santa's sleigh here----"

"Is that a fact?" Nick said. "This fella dressed like Father Christmas, his name is Santa?"

"Santa Claus," provided Eugene helpfully.

"Santa Claus, is it?" Nick said, eyebrows high.

"I can explain that, if you'll let me," Cecelia said.

"Explain what, Mrs. Simon?" asked Jarrod.

"About Santa Claus," the woman said. "You see, he used to be called Father Christmas, but now, oh, for a long time now, he's been Santa Claus." The others stared at the woman.

Finally, A.J. said. "Uh, yes, well, thanks for that, Mom."

"Yea, Mom, we all needed to understand that," Rick quipped.

"Well, I was only trying to be helpful, Honey," Cecelia said to her oldest.

"We know, Mom," A.J. said. "But we really need to figure out how to get out of here, to get on to the Ponderosa and deliver Santa, er, uh, I mean Hoss, to his home."

Adam and Joe Cartwright took turns stoking the fire. Their Christmas ruined, they stared into the blaze, not speaking to each other for a very long time. It came almost as a shock when they heard a voice say, "It's snowing, you know? Father Christmas told me it would snow tonight. Otherwise, Hoss wouldn't be able to make it home."

Sadness in his voice, Adam responded to the man who was standing on the stairs gazing down at them. "Pa, it's not snowing. There wasn't a cloud in the sky when we were riding home from Virginia City."

"Adam's right, Pa," Joe concurred. "The last thing it's gonna do tonight is snow." Ben Cartwright said not a word, but bounded down the stairs and went directly to the front door. He opened it wide. Cold air sent an immediate chill through the room, despite the warmth of the fireplace. "There boys, look out there. If that's not snow, I'll eat Hoss' hat when he gets home."

Joe's eyes opened wide and Adam gazed out with a slight frown on his face. Their Pa had not been lying. Snow was swirling around outside in near blizzard form. The two younger men exchanged surprised glances, but said nothing.

The group in the Barkley paddock continued to trouble over how to make their way off of the premises in the sleigh and reindeer. Rick Simon gave them something to ponder. "I'll tell you one thing, we aint leavin' here without snow. Sleighs need snow."

"Brilliant, Rick," A.J. muttered. "Really brilliant."

"Boy howdy, how did you get here?" Heath wondered. "It's not snowin'. There's no snow on the ground. Hasn't been snow on the ground since last winter."

"That's a dad burned good question, Heath," Hoss said. "But it's just one of many dad burned good questions, if you ask me."

"Would you care to tell us some of the other good questions, Mr. Claus?" Jarrod asked. "Or, do you prefer Mr. Cartwright?"

"I prefer Hoss, dad burnit," Hoss said. "And my name aint Claus, or Santa Claus. I don't know how I got----"

"We know, Hoss," Rick interrupted. "None of us know how it happened. We were all dressed in our own clothes, ready to take off, and then----Hey!"

"Hey?" A.J. said to his brother. "Yea, A.J., hey!"

"What do you mean, hey?" the younger Simon wondered. Rick held out his hand. "Don't you see that, feel that? It's snowin'."

"So it is," Jarrod agreed. "Boy howdy, anybody can see that," Heath grumbled. "Is that a fact!" Nick growled. "Well, I didn't see it, until this fella, Rick here, pointed it out."

"I still don't see it," Eugene mumbled.

"It is hard to see," A.J. said. "Oh, now it's coming down harder."

"Yes, I see it now," Eugene enthused.

"Well, I'll tell you what I think," Cecelia offered. "I think it's some kind of miracle, that's what I think."

"Miracle, Mom?" A.J. questioned, puzzled. "I don't think the folks in the snowbelt would call snow a miracle."

Rick snickered and Cecelia shot him a warning look before she reacted to A.J.'s statement. "Maybe not, Honey, but we needed snow to leave here, and now it's snowing almost out of a clear blue sky. Look up, you can see the stars."

Everyone looked to the sky. In doing so, they all missed the arrival in the paddock of two more people. Their attention was brought back to the ground by the voice of Victoria Barkley. Standing alongside of her was her daughter Audra. "Yes, Cecelia, you are correct. It is a miracle. The angel has spoken."

"Hello, Mother," Eugene greeted. "I hope you don't mind my coming so unexpectedly."

Audra beat her mother with a reply. "Well, Gene, it does sort of make it difficult. I mean, we don't have presents for you or anything."

"Never mind that, Dear," Victoria spoke again, then to her youngest. "Of course we don't mind, Eugene. The angel has arranged for your coming. He just told me all about it." All eyes turned to the Barkley matriarch. It was very much unlike Victoria to speak in anything but straightforward no nonsense terms. Her statement about an angel revealing things to her was so unlike her, her family was rendered speechless.

The others among the group recovered quickly and one of them, Hoss Cartwright, questioned her. "Ma'am, are you sayin' you've been talkin' to an angel?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Cartwright," said Victoria, serene. "And---"

"Wait a minute!" Nick Barkley interrupted, recovering enough from his shock to react verbally. "Mother, how did you know this fella's name?"

"The angel told me," said Victoria. "He also told me that this nice lady here is Cecelia Simon. And, of course, I met Rick and A.J. on the trip we made to their time period."

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Barkley," A.J. said.

"Yea, great to see ya," Rick agreed. "But would ya mind tellin' us more about this angel? It's pretty far fetched, you know?"

"Are you callin' my Mother a liar?" Nick growled.

"It sounds like he was, Nick," Heath took it up. "We had some trouble with these Simon guys the other time. Remember?"

"Now, family," Jarrod soothed. "Let's not over react. After all, Mother's words are a bit hard to believe."

"Are you callin' Mother a liar, Pappy?" Nick asked his older brother.

"Certainly not," Jarrod denied. "If Mother talked to an angel, well, then she talked to an angel."

"I still say it's far fetched," Rick mumbled.

"More far fetched than what we've already been through today, Rick?" A.J. inquired.

"I can't believe any of it. It's like we're all dreaming."

"Well, I aint dreamin'," Hoss told them, obviously annoyed. "I'm just wantin' to get on home to the Ponderosa."

"And you shall go, according to the angel," said Victoria. "In fact, he tells me all of us will be going."

"All of us! Is that a fact!" This from a harried Nick.

"Oh Mother, we can't leave now," Audra whined. "We haven't had our Christmas. This is turning out so horribly."

Victoria turned on her daughter. "Audra, Dear, have you not been listening? I have spoken to an angel. He has a plan for all of us. We are not to argue."

"And, lovely lady, what, if I may ask, is the plan?" Jarrod crooned to his mother.

"Well, I suppose it won't take long for me to explain it to you. Perhaps, that's what the angel intended," Victoria replied.

"Go ahead, Victoria," Cecelia Simon requested. "I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it."

Rick and A.J. exchanged exasperated glances and Victoria began her explanation. "You see, this man, the angel that I speak of, he was a weatherman before he was killed in an accident. Evidently, he was riding in one of those automobiles like we rode in when we visited----well, anyway, he was a weatherman, and evidently not a very good one. He-----"

"Uh, Mrs. Barkley," Rick cut in to the story telling. "Are you sayin' that this guy you talked to claims to be a weatherman, like on TV or the radio?"

"Was a weatherman, Rick," A.J. grinned. "He's an angel now."

"Sure, sure he is," Rick said, grouchy.

"Just a dad burned minute here," Hoss said. "Will you let the lady have her say, please, so we can learn how we're supposed to get to the Ponderosa."

"Thank you, Hoss," Victoria said. "Now, Rick, as far as TV and radio, I must assume those are things from your time of which I know nothing, so I'll just ignore your question."

Rick grimaced, A.J. grinned from ear to ear, and Cecelia said, "Please go on, Victoria. My oldest son can be rude at times. I apologize for his behavior."

"And I accept your apology, Cecelia," said Victoria. "My sons are sometimes rude as well."

"Rude, is it!" Nick sounded off.

"Nick!" his mother admonished. "Please be quiet and listen. Now, the angel was not a good weatherman when he lived among men, and so, once he reached the other side, he was told he could have one chance at creating the weather for us earthlings. It seems he asked to do it on a Christmas Eve. Then----"

"This is too much," Rick mumbled.

"Rick!" A.J. warned. "Be quiet!"

"Mother, this does seem, well, a bit---" Jarrod searched for words to describe what he wished to say.

"It's farfetched, that's what it is," Heath said bluntly. "Boy Howdy, Mother, surely you don't believe this that you're tellin' us."

"Why, yes, Dear, I do," Victoria said. "And now, if you please, I'd like to continue."

"Go ahead," invited Cecelia. "I find it intriguing."

"You would," Rick muttered.

"Rick!" A.J. again warned.

Ignoring the latest remarks being bantered around, Victoria continued, "As I said, the angel was given the opportunity to create a Christmas Eve weather scene. This happens to be the Christmas Eve he chose. Well, it seems he isn't much better as an angel when it comes to weather than he was on earth. You see, he can't seem to make it cold at the North Pole."

"Oh my," Audra said.

"Not cold at the North Pole!" Nick squalled. "It's always cold at the North Pole!"

"That is rather a given, Mother," Jarrod said.

"Not this year, Dear," Victoria explained. "You see, the angel messed around a bit and got things, well, shall we say, out of kilter."

"Ma'am," Hoss intervened. "Would you mind gettin' to the part which affects us here? My Pa is surely worryin' himself sick about me."

"In due time, Hoss, in due time," Victoria said, calm. "Now, since it isn't cold at the North Pole, this man whom we call Father Christmas, who, by the way, is now called Santa Claus, couldn't get away to deliver all of the presents to the little girls and boys this year. So, the angel had to create another way to be sure the children got their gifts."

"Oh, how nice of the angel!" Audra said. "How did he do it, Mother?"

"He hasn't as yet, Dear. That is, he hasn't been able to get the gifts delivered. That's where all of us come in."

"Oh boy," Rick said.

"Oh boy is right," agreed A.J.

"Boy Howdy, I don't think I'm gonna like this," Heath moaned.

"Is that a fact?" Nick said. "And just how do you know that before Mother is even finished?"

"Thank you, Nick," Victoria said. "I'll proceed. You see, the angel has met with several of you. You, Nick. And you, Rick. And you, Cecelia. And you, Eugene and Hoss, and, if I may tell you, Hoss, he has also met with your father."

"Pa!" Hoss exclaimed.

"Yes, and your, uh, Pa, understands that you will be home later." Hoss grinned broadly.

"Whew, that's a relief. I hate to worry Pa."

"Hey, is this angel guy a man wearin' a Santa Claus suit and black loafers, by any chance?" Rick inquired.

"Why, yes, he is," Victoria confirmed. "And he wants all of us to know that he will be watching over us while we are on this long trip tonight. And, he also wants to apologize for not giving us more of a clue as to what was happening. He said it wasn't all that easy getting us together to act as Santa's helpers, and not to worry about the space capsule. It's being kept in a place where it can be easily found when those of you who want to return to another time need it."

"Isn't that nice," Cecelia gushed. "That means we can spend Christmas at home after all, Rick and A.J."

"Yea, that's what it means," Rick mumbled.

A.J. grinned at his brother. "Don't be so grouchy, Rick. This is going to be fun."

Rick looked menacingly at his sibling, while Eugene spoke up to say, "I can't wait to tell my history professor about this."

"Wait a minute!" Nick joined the discussion loudly. "There are no toys in this sleigh."

"Boy howdy, Nick, you're right," Heath observed. "I'll bet that angel forgot them."

"No toys in the sleigh," Audra said. "Whatever do you mean, Nick? It's full of toys. Look!"

Nick frowned at his sister, but followed her pointing finger. Sure enough, the sleigh was full of toys. "Where in the blazes did they come from?"

"Nick, Dear, we won't question. We'll just accept." This from Victoria. "Now, shall we all get in the sleigh?"

"Ma'am, I don't think there's room in there for all of us," Hoss said. "And besides, you Barkleys aint dressed fer the occasion."

"If you think I'm gonna wear one of those funny---" Nick started to say, but then he saw that his brothers, his sister, and his mother had suddenly been transformed into elves. He looked down at himself.

"What was that you were going to say, brother Nick?" Jarrod asked.

"Never mind," Nick growled. "Let's git goin'."

"Just because it's snowin', Pa, don't mean that Hoss will be comin' home," Little Joe Cartwright told his father. The older man had opened the front door so many times to see if his second son had arrived yet that it had become impossible for the fireplace to keep the room warm.

"Pa, why don't we all go to bed?" Adam suggested. "If Hoss should come in, he'll wake us."

"No, no, Adam, I'll wait up," Ben said, then paused as if listening for something. "Did you boys hear that?"

"Hear what, Pa?" Joe asked. Ben smiled his warmest smile and returned to the door he'd opened many times tonight. This time, there was no doubt in his mind. Someone would appear on the other side.

"Hoss! Hoss! Is that you!" he called.

"It's me, Pa," came the reply.

Adam and Joe rose from their chairs. "It is Hoss!" Joe said.

"Yes, it is," Adam agreed, as he and his youngest brother joined their father to greet the fellow they thought was surely gone forever. Hoss stomped in. The three men who were his family took turns pounding him on the back.

He allowed it to go on for a time, then said to them. "Sorry I worried you, but dad burnit, I went off to help with the children's party, and I got caught up in the dad burndest thing you ever heard of."

"What happened to you, Son?" Ben wanted to know. "Why are you dressed that way?"

"Pa, I aint got time to explain it now. I'll tell you on the way."

"On the way to where?" Joe asked.

"We're gonna see the world tonight, little brother," said Hoss. "And we're gonna be travelin' with some nice folks I've met today."

"See the world, Hoss?" Adam questioned. "How will we manage that?"

"Don't worry about it, Adam," said Hoss, smiling broadly "The angel will guide us."

The End