A Mysterious Woman

By Tennessee

Ben and the boys were in town when the stage arrived. A woman got off the stage and asked the people standing nearby, "Can anyone tell me where the Cartwrights live?"

Overhearing, Ben stepped forward. "I'm Ben Cartwright. May I help you?"

The woman stepped toward Ben. "Oh sweetheart! I'm here now."

Ben raised his eyebrows at his sons before turning his attention back to the woman. "Who are you?"

"I'm your wife."

"My what?"

"Your wife."

"My wife is dead," Ben said angrily.

"Benjamin, don't you remember me?"

Everyone in town was watching them now.

"Oh," the woman cried, "this must be Adam and Hoss and Little Joe." She run to them.

Ben jogged after her. "You and I are not married.

"Oh but we are." She handed Ben a note.

He read it quickly. It said, "My partner has a gun on your three sons. If you don't play along, he will shoot them." Ben shot the woman a withering look. "Let's go to the Ponderosa and talk about this."

No one said a word on the ride home. Ben saw someone behind a tree. He gave Adam a look, and Adam knew something was up. He got his brothers to stop their horses. "We'll be home later, Pa."

The man jumped out from behind the tree. He had a gun. "Hold it. You boys are coming with me."

Ben said, "No, let them stay with me."

"Boys," the man said, "you have three minutes to get over here or I will shoot your pa."

They rode to where the man was.

"Mr. Cartwright you do exactly what she says. If you don't, you'll never see your sons again. You two will pretend to be man and wife. Tell everyone your boys are taking a camping trip. Now get."

Ben got the wagon going. "Who are you?" He asked the woman.

"You don't need to know that."

When they got to the ranch, Hop Sing was outside. Ben stopped the wagon. He cleared his throat. "Hop Sing, this is my . . . my wife."

Hop Sing gave Ben a look, and Ben repeated his introduction.

Hop Sing blinked quickly. "Dinner ready. Where are boys?"

"Camping trip."

The look on Hop Sing's face said he knew better than that.

"Hop Sing, please get the dinner on the table."

"Right away, Mr. Cartwright." He was going in the house when they saw some people riding up. It turned out to be a lawman and Big Dan.

"This here gentleman is looking for an outlaw and his gal," Big Dan said.

Ben looked at the wanted poster. It was the man who had taken his sons. "Haven't seen him," Ben said. "My wife and I are going inside to have dinner. Would you care to join us?"

"No thanks, we need to keep searching," said the lawman.

"You did great," the woman praised. "Keep it up."

"For how long?"

"Until it is safe for us to move on."

"How did you know my and my sons' names?"

"Easy. Everybody in these parts knows you."

Big Dan knew something wasn't right. Ben Cartwright did not have a wife. He remembered the woman who had got off the stage. He told the lawman.

The outlaw led the boys to a cave and told them to tie their horses to a nearby tree and then get in the cave. Little Joe was crying. The outlaw pushed a rock in front of the cave entrance, trapping the boys.

"Where are my sons?" Ben asked the woman.

Meanwhile, Hop Sing made his way out through the kitchen door. He had to get help for the Cartwrights. He caught up with Big Dan and the lawman. He breathlessly explained that the three boys hadn't come home with Ben and that the woman was not Ben's wife.

The lawman said, "Let's go up into the woods next to the Ponderosa house and watch and see if they come back outside."

Hop Sing said, "I need to get back to the house before they miss me. Ben might be in danger." He ran back toward the Ponderosa.

"Where'd you go?" Ben asked when Hop Sing returned.

"To get water."

When the boys were sure the outlaw had left, Hoss pushed on the rock until it gave way. "Let's get out of here," Adam said. Their horses were gone, so they began running toward the Ponderosa. Along the way, they found Big Dan in the woods, and he explained that the lawman was close by.

Just then the outlaw stormed out of the ranch house. "I can see you up there. Don't you try and come down here or I'll shoot your father and your cook."

Adam looked at his brothers. Big Dan said, "Let's move a little so he can't see us."

The standoff lasted until night fell. When everyone else was asleep, Adam awoke and formulated a plan. He woke Hoss. They snuck down the hill and to the Ponderosa. They got two fast horses from the barn and then crept up to the house. They told the outlaw they wanted to talk with him.

"We've got two fast horses out here. You and the girl can leave while the lawman is sleeping. You better go now."

The lawman looked like he wasn't sure about this, but then he nodded, grabbed the girl, and ran out of the house. Ben, Adam, and Hoss watched them right off into the darkness.

"Are you boys all right?" Ben asked. "Where's Little Joe?"

"Asleep," Adam said. "Big Dan is with him."

Adam and Hoss went back to camp and waited for daylight. Ben and Hop Sing were having tea when the lawman burst in. "Where'd they go?"

"They took two horses and left."

Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, and Big Dan came into the house. Ben asked, "You want some hotcakes?"

They all sat down to eat. Ben's eyes met Adam's and then Hoss's.

Little Joe asked, "Pa, who was that woman?"

"I never learned her name, son."

Little Joe laughed. "I'm glad she's not really your wife, then."

"Me, too," Ben said.

Big Dan went back to town. It was a few weeks later that the Cartwrights got word that the outlaw and his girlfriend had been captured trying to rob a bank in California. They had shot a teller, but the man would recover. Ben was happy they were behind bars.

The End