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“Oh, Nora, why not just use the correct words-his murder. We were shocked when we arrived and were told of his-,” she hesitated, “his death.” And this is my brother John.” The young man nodded his head but there was no smile to match his sisters. “Hello, my name is Nora McKay-Nora Baxter McKay. Are you Len’s niece and nephew?”Ī young woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, smiled at the lawman and extended her hand. “I’m Roy Coffee, the sheriff of Virginia City. When the minister’s last words faded away, Roy Coffee approached the strangers who stood next to the open grave. But there were two people who were unknown to the rest. Martin, most of the men who worked for him and the four Cartwrights. There weren’t a lot of people who attended the churchyard funeral despite the fact that Len Baxter had been a long time resident: a few folks from town, Roy Coffee, Dr. I suggest you start right now.” Ben continued to glower at his youngest. He turned to see Adam with one eyebrow arched and a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “So I’ll just run along now.” He found himself at a standstill as he backed into his immovable oldest brother. “You know, I never finished the barn chores.” He started to back away from his father. Joe knew that voice well and he also knew it was best for him to make a hasty retreat. In a quiet, controlled voice that hid the impending eruption, he said, “Yes Joseph, OLD Mr.
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“Oh little brother, little brother-when will you learn?” Adam spoke softly to himself as he shook his head.īen turned to face his youngest. He was about your age wasn’t he Pa?” Joe asked.Īdam and Hoss exchanged a glance. Baxter,” Hoss said, a look of sadness filling his eyes. Let us know if we can help.” Ben waved as the sheriff started back for town. Thought they’d be in earlier.” With a slight shake of his head, Roy continued, “Poor folks, arrivin’ just in time for a buryin’. He was waitin’ for some niece and nephew to come in from Sacramento. According to his foreman, that’s why Len wasn’t out on the range with them. Doc suggested right away but it appears Len had some relatives. Don’t have much ta go on.” Roy walked to his horse and remounted. Boys?” They all shook their heads or said no. “I come out ta ask you folks if maybe you seen any strangers around lately. Doc said he’d probably been dead at least two days when Jed found him.” Roy turned to face Ben again. “Not much there to tell us anything, tracks every which way. Roy tried to stifle a chuckle as he watched the interchange between father and sons. “Any ideas who it might have been?” He kept his hand on his brother. He reached forward and put a hand on Joe’s shoulder, feeling his brother jump.Īdam spoke up, hoping to divert his father’s attention away from Joe’s comment on the state of Mr. He waited for the response he knew would be coming from his father. “Yeah,” Joe said, “He may have been a little crazy in the head, but he never hurt anybody.”Īdam was standing behind his youngest brother.
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“Who’d wanta kill ole Len Baxter? He never done nothing to nobody, that I know of.” “Layin’ on the floor, right next to the fireplace. Before he left, he thought he’d close Len’s door and that’s when he seen him.” Roy stopped speaking and dismounted. Said he didn’t think too much about it right away cause he knew they was all probably out on roundup. Found the front door wide open and nobody around. Said he stopped to Len’s place to water his horse. “Old Jed Dugan rode into town yesterday afternoon. “How, Roy-when?” asked Ben, recovering from his shock. So when Roy Coffee rode into the front yard of the Ponderosa and announced that Len Baxter was dead, murdered he was met by four surprised faces. The Cartwrights were there to lend a hand if needed but for the most part, their contact was limited. Ben, of course, had discouraged such behavior, reminding the boys that they had better things to do and he had hoped they would be above such conduct.Īs the Ponderosa grew and the boys matured, Len Baxter became that eccentric neighbor to the north. Len had always been somewhat of a mystery and during their teenage years each of the Cartwright sons had taken turns spinning tales about their reclusive neighbor. And although his ranch was sizable, it remained dwarfed by the countless acres of the Ponderosa. Len Baxter had lived next to the Cartwrights for years.