When Tom Barkley first suggested sending their rebellious, trouble -prone fifteen year old son Nick to sea his wife Victoria was frankly horrified. She freely acknowledged that the boy was getting out of hand, indeed he seemed incapable of staying out of mischief for two days in a row! But the idea of sending him on a long and potentially hazardous voyage under the supervision of the senior captain of the burgeoning Barkley fleet, was not a scheme she could like, for several reasons.

For one thing, Victoria felt that Nick should not be parted from his family. She knew that he adored his father, worshipped him even, which meant that Tom's good opinion mattered to the boy. This was sometimes an important factor in controlling his behaviour and another good influence was to be found in older brother Jarrod. The two boys were good friends as well as brothers and steady Jarrod was an excellent role- model for the high spirited but essentially good hearted Nick.Victoria doubted the wisdom of removing Nick from the good influences of his family circle.

As to Captain Simon Henchman, Tom Barkley's friend and the commodore of the growing Barkley fleet, Victoria told her husband frankly that she didn't like the man. Tom laughed at her, and asked her the reasons for her dislike. She found it hard to answer this, but there was something about the austere and stern-faced Englishman, who seldom talked and even more rarely smiled that repelled her. The thought of this dour man having charge of her wayward but lovable son worried Victoria deeply.

Tom Barkley explained his reasons for wanting to send Nick to sea and Victoria found it hard to disagree with his argument. Nick had recently been embroiled in a most serious scrape, after accepting a stupid dare from a friend. He had not only risked his own life, hardly a rarity for him, but the life of an innocent bystander too. "I know there's no evil in our boy," Tom had said, "but he's reckless and one day soon he's going to get in the kind of trouble we can't rescue him from! He needs a real adventure, but an experience with some discipline and purpose." In her heart, his wife knew Tom was right, so eventually she capitulated and to sea Nick went.

Her Nicholas was in Victoria's thoughts continually whilst he was away and she worried without pause right up to the moment when he burst through the front door again, yelling loud enough to rattle the windows. He looked weather-beaten and brown but was plainly bursting with health and vigour and running over with joy and pride about his whole adventure. He had turned sixteen whilst he was away and was considerably taller, his voice had broken too.Tom smiled at his wife, his expression clearly saying, you see Dear, I was right!

Victoria was inclined to think Tom had done the right thing in sending the boy to sea, that is she did up until the moment she entered Nick's bedroom carrying fresh bedding for him and caught him with no shirt on. He was turned away from her and although he wheeled around sharply when he heard his mother's gasp of horror, he was too late to stop her seeing the ugly welts that striped his muscular back.

"What in the world?"

His face was red with mingled embarrassment and annoyance, "it's nothin! Don't fuss Mother!"

"Nicholas Jonathan Barkley you tell me this instant who did that to you?"

His face wore the stubborn expression he had inherited from his father and he wouldn't answer her.

"Very well, we'll see what your father has to say to this!" Victoria swept from the room ignoring his loud protests and all too soon she was back with Tom in tow.

Tom's stern voice brooked no argument, "show me Nicholas!"

The boy turned around and Tom inspected his back, there were six welts, which must have been inflicted with a sizable whip, they were fresh too, not more than a few days old. "Put your shirt on," ordered Tom quietly. Nick did as he was bid and confronted his parents, he didn't appear to be ashamed of his condition, his demeanour was more irritated than anything else.

Tom crossed to the fireplace and stood before it, arms crossed on his chest, he spoke in a hard angry voice to his son, "When you came home yesterday you gave me quite a speech about how much you had learned, how well you had done and how pleased Simon Henchman was with you. I won't ask you what you did to merit that punishment but clearly you haven't learned a damn thing or grown up at all!"

A shadow in Nick's blue-grey eyes was the only sign that he was hurt by his father's words, he made no reply, not trusting himself to speak, so angry was he. Tom Barkley's own eyes were like blue ice, "well? What have you got to say?"

To his utter astonishment Nick rapped out, "what's the point in my saying anything? You already made up your mind I'm in the wrong!" With that he stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him hard.

His parents were left facing one another, puzzled and upset by his behaviour and rather at a loss. Tom took his distressed wife downstairs and they sat discussing Nick's unaccountable conduct and tried to decide what on earth was going on. Enlightenment was forthcoming a little later when Jarrod came into the living room and asked if he might speak with them both.

Tom frowned, "not now Jarrod, your Mother is upset."

"Yes Sir, I know, I really need to talk to you about Nick."

"What the DEVIL do you know about it?" Tom's wrathful question would have made many a man quake but Jarrod was totally calm and met his father's angry gaze without flinching.

"I think you had better hear me out Father," he stated flatly.

He talked for several minutes and when he had done there was a long and uncomfortable silence, broken at last by Victoria, "but I don't understand Jarrod, you say that this gauntlet is a sort of test of manhood and that only the finest young men are allowed to run it?"

"That's what Nick told me, he and Tom Henchman are two of the youngest ever to be permitted to do it and he seemed to think it was a kind of accolade. It seems to mean that the officers and crew think that both boys were very special."

Victoria threw up her hands in exasperation, "Men! Only men could signify their admiration by letting two boys take that kind of brutality as a REWARD!"

Jarrod grinned at her but his father remained still and unsmiling by the fire, "when did Nick tell you this Jarrod?"

"Just now in the barn, one of the hands told him the main fence is down in Sky Meadow so he went to fix it. I told him I'd join him and help him after I explained about the gauntlet to you."

Tom was already striding for the front door, "I'll help your brother myself thank you all the same Son."

Tom Barkley rode swiftly out to the break in the fence, Nick was working with furious intensity, plainly working off his anger at being mis-judged. He scowled at his father and carried on with his work, Tom hid a smile, sometimes this boy of mine is is so like me, he thought. He stood alongside the struggling boy who was trying to hold a heavy section of fence steady and nail it securely in place at the same time. "I thought I'd give you a hand Son," said Tom cheerfully and took the strain of the fence while Nick completed the hammering.

Nick was plainly nursing a grievance and had little or nothing to say as he worked alongside his father, Tom made no attempt to broach the subject either, just addressed the odd remark to his son in a bright cheerful voice that caused Nick's scowl to grow more and more pronounced. The day was very warm and father and son were soon sweating freely, at length Tom called a temporary halt, to enable them both to have a cool drink of water. He drank deeply from his canteen and handed it to Nick, whose eyes were like ice still. Tom laid a hand on his boy's shoulder, "Son, I certainly am sorry about our misunderstanding, I should have given you a fair hearing, instead I jumped to the wrong conclusion. Forgive me?"

Nick shrugged, "it doesn't matter."

"By your attitude Nick it obviously matters a great deal, clearly, you grew up a lot while you were at sea, I'll try to bear it in mind, alright Son?"

"Yes Sir," Nick's voice was as cold as his expression.

Tom tried again, "are you going to freeze me quite to death Nicky?"

The use of his old nursery name melted Nick's defences, he had a kind heart and in truth was too attached to Tom to maintain his hostility for long. He grinned sheepishly, "I guess not Father, but PLEASE don't let Mother make a fuss!"

His father grimaced, "I'll do my best Nicholas but she already hates Simon Henchman for being so hard on you and Tom and she hasn't taken kindly to this gauntlet notion either."

"Captain Henchman is a wonderful man," there was a note of quiet sincerity in Nick's voice, "I owe him a lot, so does Tom, we were the two youngest you know." This was said with some pride.

They sat beside the almost repaired fence, "tell me," Tom invited.

Nick did so, explaining that the gauntlet was a sort of race to the top of the mainmast, during which officers aimed lashes at the bare backs of the contestants.

"You have to be damned quick to get as few stripes as I did," Nick declared with obvious pride.

"I imagine so," agreed Tom, "your mother, being a female, sees the whole thing in terms of simple barbarism!"

"Women!" Nick shook his head at feminine folly.

He glanced at his father's handsome profile, was this the opportunity he had been waiting for?

"Father, I did pretty well on the Camberwell Beauty, well enough to be accepted for officer training, if...if I wanted to do that."

To Tom, it was as if an iron fist had closed around his heart, the thought that this boy, in whom all his hopes of handing over the reins of his empire were centred, that he might choose a life at sea instead, it hurt like a knife.

Tom turned hastily back to his work on the fence, he didn't want his boy to see the hurt that was making it hard for him to breathe. He forced his voice to sound casual and relaxed, "do you think that might be the life for you Nick?"

"I think I could be real good at it and yeah, I like the idea, only...only I also thought that I might be running this place one day."

Tom was thinking rapidly, he couldn't impose a way of life on this well-loved son, he must trust his maturing boy to decide his own future. "Well Son, you turned sixteen last birthday, you'll be a man soon so I guess, you should give it all careful thought and decide for yourself."

Tom hoped he sounded more carefree than he felt but Nicholas was not deceived, "I...I wouldn't want to let you down Sir." There was no disguising the love or the sincerity in that voice and Tom turned to him, his hand reaching for Nick and squeezing the back of the boy's neck.

"Nicholas, the only thing your mother or I want is for you to have a happy and fulfilled life. It's what we want for all our children, that's why Jarrod is studying law, if you should decide on the sea as a career then you will have my full support, alright?"

"Yes Sir," Nick was grateful for his father's understanding of his dilemma, "thanks Father, thanks a lot."

Tom tried to lessen the tension, "but understand me Boy, if someone has to tell Victoria, count me out!"

Nick laughed, "we'll get Jarrod to do it!"

Father and son worked on together and an hour of hard effort saw the completion of their task, when they returned home, Tom forcibly dissuaded Victoria from annointing Nick's hurts and reluctantly she agreed to let Jarrod do so in her place. She was glad that Tom had cleared up the misunderstanding with Nick but was dismayed to learn that her son was contemplating a life at sea. "Not with that...that MAN?"

Tom persuaded her that their best course of action was to let Nick think out his future for himself and she agreed with a sigh that they had little option but to do that. She couldn't help but feel rather wistful about it though and was grateful when her charming eldest son took the first opportunity of their being alone together, to reassure her.

"Trust me Mother," said Jarrod, a most loving smile on his handsome face, "Nick's love of this place and of Father will incline him toward staying home, you see if I'm not right."

Time was to prove Jarrod correct, Nick was strongly tempted to adopt the sea-faring life but his love of the Big Valley and his devotion to Tom Barkley won the day. The boy explained his reasons to Simon Henchman himself, as Tom, to Victoria's indignation had invited his friend to stay. She herself was civil to Simon, but barely civil. The austere Englishman took her cold formal politeness in good part and was equally understanding with the earnest Nick when the boy told him he had decided against the sea. Simon had gripped Nick's shoulder, I understand Dear Boy, anyway, I'm not sure any one ship could contain you AND Thomas as well!

Tom Barkley, the temporary misunderstanding between himself and Nicholas resolved, the scare at losing him to the sea over, could congratulate himself on the success of his original scheme. Nick had learned a lot and matured some too. When Captain Henchman was leaving he reduced Nicholas to speechless rapture by bestowing upon him a model of his ship Camberwell Beauty, made for Nick by the crew who still remembered the fearless Barkley lad with affection. For the rest of his life, this ship would be displayed with pride in Nick's room and every time he touched it's carved wood, he would recall his voyage of adventure with the utmost pleasure, even the day he ran the gauntlet!

Jarrod Barkley and his ward Danny Mathews.

When Danny Mathews had first come to live at the Barkley logging camp under the care of his adopted aunt and uncle, Lucinda and Matthew Bentell he had been just twelve years old, a stocky and sturdy boy, with an amiable face and a shock of wavy light brown hair. He had clear pale blue eyes and a singularly sweet smile, as sweet as his nature. Now, seven years on at the age of nineteen he was a young giant, with a muscular physique and was the winner of the lumberjack championships the last four years in a row. He was devastatingly handsome with a flashing grin that had the girls falling at his feet, though he assured Aunt Cinda and little Sis Abby that they were still his best girls.

Today he was as nervous as a cat, awaiting the mail sack and the results of his recent college entrance examination. Aunt Cinda had laughed at his fears, he had made great strides in his neglected education almost at once when she first became his teacher and since those early strivings, he had gone from strength to strength, his particular forte being mathematical calculation and design. He was a born engineer or maybe architect, not an artist or particularly a lover of literature but nevertheless an intelligent and creative young man.

He still loved living in the high country, still admired the towering trees and still hoped to follow his beloved Uncle Matt as the manager of the extensive Barkley timber holdings. More than anything or anyone he still adored his guardian Jarrod Barkley, his loving friend Dakota and it was on Jarrod's account that his horizon now seemed so clouded and foreboding to the anxious young man who awaited the mail run.

They were sitting in the homely kitchen, Danny's favourite place in all the world, Abby was playing in her room, fussing with her dolls and Danny sat alone with the Bentells, they contemplated the two letters on the table, both unopened. One, an imposing size and on fancy cream coloured paper, was quite clearly the awaited college result. The other came from Stockton and was from the Barkleys, but as Danny well knew, it was not from Jarrod.

Matt was adept at reading his boy's mind, "Son, I know you convinced yourself that Jarrod would hand deliver your college letter to you and I understand that you're kind of disappointed that he isn't here. But Danny, you know as well as I do that Jarrod is a very busy man! He could be in the middle of a big case for all we know."

"Yes Sir, I'm sure you're right," came the subdued reply, it carried no conviction whatsoever and Matt laid a gentle hand on the young man's solid shoulder. "Daniel, you aren't thinking straight, I promise you you aren't, after all you haven't even discussed this decision with Jarrod yet, so how could he know about it already?"

Danny smiled at his uncle, "he always knows what's going on inside my head," he said simply.

Bentell gave it up, there was no reasoning with the boy at all whilst he was in this mood, he signalled to Lucinda with his eyes, a clear cry for her help and she at once called her menfolk to order.

She spoke brightly and her tone was brisk, "now that is quite enough you two! Danny, you know very well that Jarrod loves you far too much to stand in the way of your preferred career choice

and I see no purpose in your torturing yourself this way. What you need to do is speak to Jarrod as soon as possible. I agree with your uncle about Jarrod too. He and Sarah have been counting the days until you heard from the college just as we have, the fact that he isn't here right now can only mean that he cannot come, NOT that he doesn't wish too." She looked straight at her boy, "do you understand me Daniel?"

He smiled affectionately at her, "yes Ma'am."

"Very well then, I suggest you put us out of our suspense and open the letter from Berkeley!"

He did so and handed it to his uncle with a faint but deeply satisfied smile. Matt eagerly scanned the single page and glanced at his wife, "in the top ten per cent!"

She smiled lovingly at her star pupil, "well of course he is!"

She and Matt exclaimed and congratulated but Danny scarcely heard them, he had torn open the other letter and had discovered that it was from Sarah Barkley. He read the whole letter through and when he looked at the Bentells again his eyes were clouded by anxiety, "he's ill, Sarah says he has had pneumonia again." His brows twitched together, Silas had once told him that Jarrod first contracted pneumonia when he was six, indeed Silas had helped to pull him through that time. During the course of his life, Jarrod had had several further brushes with the illness and Danny could tell from her tone in the letter that his beloved guardian had been very ill this time and that Sarah was worried about him.

"Is he in any danger Dear?" His Aunt's gentle enquiry roused Danny from his thoughts and he shook his head, "I don't believe so, but he's very pulled down by it, Sarah describes him as weary and depressed, she thinks his recovery may take some time."

Matt Bentell spoke firmly, "well hearing your news will help, no doubt about that! What are you sitting around looking miserable for Son? Get your gear together, I'll saddle your horse for you and Cinda will put you some food together."

"I can't do that," protested Danny, "you and I have all kinds of work to do!"

Bentell bent a mock glare on him, "if you imagine I can't keep this place together without your indispensable presence Young Man you are wrong, get on with it!"

Danny went eagerly off to pack and Cinda smiled at her darling husband, "can you manage without him?"

"Only just," admitted Matt, "but I think Sarah must want him to go, she wouldn't have wanted to worry us would she?"

Cinda agreed and sighed, "I hope everything will be alright."

Danny made a fast trip down to the ranch and was soon stabling his horse in the barn behind Jarrod and Sarah's lovely home. He longed to call at the Barkley house and visit his dear old friend Silas, now living in luxurious retirement, still in the house he never wanted to leave. Danny was also eager to see them all again, Nick, Heath and their families and of course Aunt Victoria, but all that would have to wait!

Sarah herself looked as beautiful as ever but Danny could see that her eyes were shadowed with exhaustion and she was as pale as a ghost. He kissed her warmly and she clung to him for an instant, "bless you Sweetie, you got here even faster than I thought you would!"

"I knew you wanted me to come!"

"I did," she admitted, "I'm not sure what it's all about but he seems concerned about you. It isn't the college entrance, he knows you'll pass." She looked enquiringly at him.

"Top ten per cent," he grinned.

She hugged him again, "but he...well...I don't know but Jarrod has always had a sixth sense about you, is there something Danny?"

He nodded soberly, "I want to tell him about some decisions I've made about my future." He hesitated, "but of course that can wait until he's well again."

She shook her head at once, "I don't think so Danny, I think the two go together, he needs this off his mind so he can concentrate on recovery."

Danny's voice was very quiet, "alright Sarah, if you're sure."

The spacious bedroom which Jarrod and Sarah shared was light and airy, Sarah had furnished it with quiet elegance, indeed that same elegance was reflected throughout this lovely house, which despite this was still very much a home for Jarrod and Sarah and their three children. It was quiet now, Sarah had sent the children to stay with their grandmother, "this house is like a mausoleum but they were killing their Papa with kindness!" Sarah had laughed but Danny knew her well enough to discern her anxiety for her husband. He resolved to do what he could to wipe the trouble from Sarah's smoky blue eyes.

Standing in the doorway of the bedroom Danny had further qualms about raising his future with his guardian, he could not...must not do anything to jeopardise Jarrod's recovery, yet Sarah had been adamant that he should talk to Jarrod and be honest with him too. The handsome young man smiled reflectively, since the day of his confession in Jarrod's office seven years ago, he had never been other than honest with Jarrod, with his Dakota.

He looked long and hard at the still and rather forlorn figure in the big bed, Jarrod lay breathing stertorously, his fine features were very pale with his illness and his face still rather haggard, though Sarah had told Danny that he was now slowly mending. His state made Danny ache to hug him, tell the man he adored how much his boy loved him but he knew that Jarrod was tired of people's over-solicitousness and so he grinned at his guardian as Jarrod opened his eyes. Danny stood relaxed and folded his arms gazing round the room, "well! How the ruling classes live huh? You ARE comfortable I hope? I could get you some more pillows if you'd like or peel you a grape!"

A thin chuckle greeted Danny's heavy sarcasm, and Jarrod held out a welcoming arm, Danny came to him and gently hugged his mentor, "hey Dakota," he murmured in quite another voice.

"Hey you," smiled his guardian. "Don't worry I look even worse than I feel!"

Danny handed Jarrod the letter from Berkeley, the lawyer slowly scanned the page and it cut Danny to the core to see how weak the pneumonia had left his guardian. Jarrod came to the part of the letter dealing with Danny's high score and his exclamation of pleasure filled his ward with happy pride. Jarrod lay back against his pillows, exhausted by the small effort of concentrating on the letter and smiled lovingly at his boy. "I hope you have some idea of how proud of you I am?"

Danny's answer was soothing, "I do Sir."

He remained seated on the edge of Jarrod's bed as his guardian slipped into sleep, his business could wait, the sick man needed his rest.

Danny visited with Silas and drank tea, which he detested, with the old man and Aunt Victoria, she was older of course but so lively and still so beautiful that she wore her years but lightly. Danny renewed his acquaintance with Jarrod's children too. He rode over to Nick Barkley's big house and spent a boisterous hour with Nick's lively family. Heath and his family were away camping in the hills, Danny would have to visit with them on his next visit to the ranch.

A short conversation with Nick revealed the extent of the dark cowboy's anxiety for his eldest brother and best friend and Danny promised to do all he could to aid Jarrod's recovery. He was back at Jarrod's house in time to carry the tray with Jarrod's dinner on it upstairs for Sarah and he stayed chatting of casual things while the lawyer ate laboriously and obviously with little enjoyment. He held the wine glass to Jarrod's lips while his guardian drained the last of the fruity red wine from the Barkley's own vineyards.

Danny rose to leave, " I expect you're tired Jarrod?"

"Permanently!" The lawyer's smile was a sad one, "don't go, I want to talk to you."

Danny tried for a light note, "It's no use you being mad at me for anything, you don't have the energy to do it justice!"

Jarrod grinned at him but shook his head too, "there's something on your mind Boy." It was a statement not a question.

"You know me too well!"

Jarrod struggled to sit up and Danny had to suppress the urge to assist him. The lawyer managed it alone and punched Danny's shoulder, "out with it!"

Danny took a deep breath, "I've been doing some talking with Uncle Matt, we...well we know what we'd both like, what I think I want...and I'm not sure how you'll feel Jarrod."

Jarrod was inwardly perturbed, he had always assumed that Danny intended to work with Matt and one day take over from him. He wondered what was coming and for the life of him couldn't see why it might be something he couldn't agree with.

His ward's next words astounded the lawyer, Danny looked anxiously into Jarrod's face, "for the longest time I've planned on following you into the law, but...well I guess I've changed my mind now."

Jarrod was genuinely astonished, "the law? I never had the slightest notion that you'd even considered it as a career."

"I guess I was planning it almost from the start, it seemed the right, the only thing to do, follow you in the law, try to make you proud of me, pay you back for everything you've done for me..."

He broke off at the cold fury in Jarrod's face, "Jarrod! Take...take it easy, you mustn't get excited!"

"Excited! If I had the energy to get off this bed I'd SHOW you excited, in fact I'd have your hide! What kind of man do you imagine I am? What have I ever done to make you imagine that I wanted you to sacrifice your life to satisfy some...egotistical whim of mine? Answer me BOY? What the DEVIL could have made you think such a thing, how DARE you!" Jarrod sank back against his pillows exhausted by his anger.

Danny was on his feet consternation on his face, not knowing what to do or say to defuse Jarrod's rage. He was thankful when the door opened to admit Sarah, he was trembling and stammered an apology to her, she hushed his agitation, "yes Sweetie later, leave him to me now," she shepherded Danny from the room firmly shutting the door behind him.

When Sarah re-joined Danny in the living room her heart went out to the nineteen year old, he was visibly shaken by his encounter with Jarrod and clearly grieved to have upset his guardian so deeply. She came to him and kissed him as she might have kissed Jack, her six year old boy, "my poor Dear," her voice held nothing but sympathy and Danny was slightly surprised, she had after all asked for his help with Jarrod and he had made it worse hadn't he? Sarah understood what he was feeling and seated herself on the settee patting the cushion beside her invitingly, "come and get your breath back, I know how disturbing Jarrod in a rage can be!"

He sank down beside her, "I've made him so angry with me and I don't know why Sarah!"

"I do," she replied calmly, "Jarrod is angry because there has been a misunderstanding, he is labouring under the delusion that you felt some compulsion to enter the legal profession, compulsion from him that is."

Danny was horrified, "from Jarrod? But that isn't it at all! I felt I should become a lawyer, I wanted to do it, he never wanted it I know that, you have to believe me Sarah!"

"Of course I do," she assured him, "it isn't me you have to convince is it?"

The boy was becoming a little angry himself, "how could he think that I felt pressured by him?"

Sarah smiled wryly, "he's a man Dear, you both are, if you were women you would both have frankly exchanged feelings on the matter and the misunderstanding would have been avoided."

She looked speculatively at Danny, "may I ask you what it is you have decided to do for your career?"

He smiled softly, "I want to study engineering and maybe travel some, get different types of experience before I go back to working with Uncle Matt, I want his job one day."

Sarah patted his hand, "that is what Jarrod hoped you intended to do Danny."

His eyes searched her face and read the truth there, "you're sure?"

"Quite certain, tell him everything tomorrow when he's rested, I predict that he'll not only give you his blessing but also stop worrying about you and put his energies into getting well again."

Her certainty had it's effect and Danny was able to go off to bed in a more settled frame of mind.

Next morning Sarah supervised her husband as he painstakingly got himself up and dressed, he already seemed brighter to her watchful eyes and she decided to fetch her little ones home from Victoria. Sarah thought it likely that her mother in law was more than probably on the verge of collapse by now having housed a six year old boy bidding fair to rival his Uncle Nick in mischief as well as the lively two year old twins for a week.

When Jarrod set his first step on the stairs he thought for a heart lurching instant that he was going to tumble down the whole flight, his legs simply refused to obey him. With a few swift strides his ward was beside him, "let me help you outside, please Jarrod?" His eyes pleaded so hard that Jarrod consented and the young giant assisted him without effort and steadied him out to the sunny garden, where Sarah had created a cushioned refuge in the shade of the trees. She had yet to return with the children and for now guardian and ward had leisure to talk in peace.

The day was sunny and bright but not hot, the air pleasantly cool and invigorating and Jarrod Barkley leaned comfortably back against the tree trunk and breathed deeply. "Ahhh this feels wonderful, it really hasn't been long but I feel as though I've been indoors for weeks!"

"How ill were you?"

"Pretty bad," admitted Jarrod, "pneumonia and I are old friends unfortunately."

"Silas once told me that you had it first when you were only six."

"Yes, I was Jack's age, actually I rather think Silas saved my life on that occasion."

"He didn't tell me that!"

Jarrod smiled, "he wouldn't, but it's true all the same."

Danny looked searchingly at his guardian, "Sarah thinks you've been worrying about me and that it's been holding up your recovery."

The lawyer smiled, "my wife is a very perceptive lady. You have been on my mind lately, I don't know how it is but I usually know what's going on with you and there was something about your last few letters, well I knew all wasn't quite as it should be."

Danny grinned, "you always could read my mind."

Jarrod returned the smile, "not altogether it seems, the idea of you going in for the law certainly took me by surprise!"

His ward blushed, "I know."

"Whatever made you contemplate it in the first place?"

"It wasn't anything you said or did," Danny assured him, " I guess I just felt I should." He thought for a moment then said quietly, "I guess it seemed like the highest compliment I could pay to you, to follow in your footsteps, try to emulate you."

Jarrod was touched, "I think I understand now, I'm sorry I got so mad at you yesterday, it was a misunderstanding, nothing more."

Danny laughed, "Sarah says we couldn't help it because we're only men!"

Jarrod leaned back and laughed out loud, "she may have a point, but I really don't think we should admit it!" He reached out and gripped Danny's shoulder, "you don't have to be a lawyer to please me Son, I'll be proud of you whatever you decide to do with your life, I hope you know that now."

Danny's hand came up to cover Jarrod's, "I do, and I think you'll be happy with my plans for the future Jarrod."

They talked for a while and Danny told Jarrod that ultimately he hoped to step into Matt Bentell's shoes as the head of logging operations for the Barkley empire. "Although I guess my interest in new machines may take me further afield than that."

"I don't doubt it and I hope you know I'll support any decision you come to about your future." Jarrod smiled reflectively, "I remember the day I told my father I wanted to be a lawyer, I sure took him by surprise, but he had the wisdom to let me choose my own path as I intend to do with you and my own children too."

Jarrod looked up and laughed, "speaking of my own children Danny, brace yourself, here they come!" Sarah appeared around the corner of the house leading the twins, Bobby and Becky by the hand, the sturdy two year olds were pulling her along, eager to get to Papa. Six year old Jack surged past his mother and pelted across the lawn, highly excited, yelling "Papa! Papa!"

Danny sprang up and neatly intercepted Jack, tossing the delighted child high in the air several times, "now then Jack, let's be real gentle with Papa huh? It's his first day out of bed!" He deposited the child in Jarrod's lap and Jarrod kissed his son, "hello little man! Papa sure has missed you Jack!"

"Jack's missed YOU Papa," the little boy flung both arms around Jarrod's neck and proceeded to half throttle him with love. Sarah joined them and despatched Jack to tell the cook they were ready for tea in the garden. This gave his little twins a chance to cover Jarrod in kisses too and he was fully occupied in responding to them for a time.

Eventually the twins were borne away to be bathed by their mother and Jack was romping on the grass with his dog. Jarrod and Danny had time to talk a little more, The lawyer looked at his ward, "how do you feel about Berkeley?"

Danny grinned, "Scared! But also kind of excited at the same time."

Jarrod nodded, "that's as it should be. He grinned, "one good thing, be thankful your name isn't Barkley!"

Danny thought he understood, "why? Because I won't have to live up to your reputation?"

Jarrod laughed, "no! Because you won't have to live down Eugene's! I don't believe there was ever a single rule at Berkeley that he didn't break or a tradition he didn't flout! His name has the same effect on the Dean at Berkeley that Nick's name has on the principal at the Stockton Boys' school!"

Danny burst out laughing and Jarrod joined in, Sarah heard them as she came back into the garden, the sound warmed her heart, they sounded too happy to have any unresolved issues between them. Jarrod could now devote all his energies to getting well again and his wife was content.

She came to them and smiled at her husband, "no more worries Darling?"

"Just one," he answered gravely pointing to his intrepid little son who was half way up the tallest tree in the garden, "do you think our Jack is going to survive until his seventh birthday?"

Danny got up, "I'll get him," he went swiftly to the mountaineer's rescue.

Jarrod stretched up a hand to Sarah, "are you busy Darling?"

She took his hand, smiling and shaking her head.

"Good!" Jarrod smiled, "come and sit on my knee!" .