Chapter Seven

Annie sat at the table and quickly stitched another button into place as she listened to the conversation going on behind her. She had tried already to get Joe’s shirt from him to try to salvage it, but he had pulled the front closed and shoved the ends back into his pants so she couldn’t touch it. As Tiny had described the bruising he’d seen underneath the tattered shirt, she had understood why he would be reluctant to take it off. When her husband had not arrived home when expected, she guessed that something was wrong. As he walked through the door and dragged the boy in behind him, she knew something was very wrong. Joe looked ready to bolt back through the doorway and she noted that Tiny stationed himself between the boy and the door, like some kind of guard.

“Joe’s gonna bunk here tonight. He even brung his own bed with him.” Tiny laughed as he nudged Joe’s arm and Annie smiled at the blanket he had with him. The small home they shared had one bed and only a few other pieces of furniture and she hurried to make some space in front of the hearth. It wasn’t often they had visitors stay in their home, but it was the only practical place to put anybody.

As Tiny directed Joe to where they could both wash up and insisted that he do so, Annie had snatched at his shirt off the back of the chair before he could object. She hastily pulled her sewing box from under the bed and found a few reasonably matched buttons to get the job done. She kept an ear on the conversation, noting how little Joe responded to anything her husband said to him. As she glanced across to Tiny, she saw his slight shake of the head and resigned herself to waiting until later to find out what had happened.

Tiny settled himself at the table and ploughed through the meal that had been waiting for him for over an hour. He watched as Joe sat on the edge of the hearth and tried not to fidget. He kept his back to the fireplace and somehow managed to keep his arm tucked in over the bruising on his left side. Tiny knew that Annie had already seen it based on her face, but he allowed Joe to think he’d kept his secret. By the time Annie returned his shirt to him, the boy looked done in. It wasn’t long before Joe was stretched out alongside the fireplace with the blanket wrapped up around his chin.

“What happened?” Annie whispered as Tiny climbed into bed beside her and she snuggled up against his chest.

“Things got a whole lot more complicated. Seems like the boy had a reason to run and that reason just showed up in town. Tomorrow, I need ta get ridda the reason and then we’s gonna take a ride over to Carson City. Joe’s pa needs ta take him on home.”

“His pa? He’s in Carson City?”

“No. He’s from Virginia city. It’s a long story, but tomorrow we’s gonna fix it. Don’t you worry none.” Tiny kissed the top of her head and smiled in the dark as he considered how much better things would look in the next day or so.

Ben leaned against the window frame and stared into the darkness in the street below. Carson City had held out a faint hope and it had been so quickly dashed with just one wire to Virginia City. Roy had wired back that there was no sign of Joe or the two Hamilton brothers and the men searching had all come back empty-handed. As the exhausted trio had headed to the hotel for a meal and a warm bed, they had each been absorbed in possibilities and maybes as to where to try next. Each ranch they had passed by had no news of a pinto pony and Ben was beginning to wonder if they had turned the wrong way after all. He tried to reason how Joe may have been thinking, but he knew in his gut that Joe wasn’t thinking. He was reacting. Fear was a powerful driver, but it didn’t always make for the most obvious choices.

“We’ll find him, Pa.”

Ben had been so lost in thought that he didn’t hear his sons approaching from behind. Adam noted his father’s haggard look and he tried again.

“We’ve got the cook putting together travel rations for an early start so we can be up and gone with the sunrise.”

“That’s good, Son.” Ben turned back to the darkened window and slowly nodded.

Hoss frowned at his brother before moving slowly towards his father. “Pa, you gotta get some rest. Adam and me is headin’ to bed.”

Ben just nodded and waved his hand towards the door. As Hoss pulled the door shut behind them, he could see his father still standing against the window, as if hoping that somehow, by some miracle, Joe would come riding down the main street.

Tiny whistled as he made his way towards the livery as he had done every morning for the better part of twenty years. He sidestepped the puddles of water and smiled as he looked up into the pre-dawn sky and saw stars. The rain was clearing and his two customers should be moving on. He’d kissed his wife goodbye and pointed at Joe as he reached the door.

“You keep outta sight. I’ll be back as soon as I know them two is on their way and we’ll get on the road.”

He’d walked out and then hastily walked back inside again. “And don’t you go gettin’ any more o’ them dumb ideas! Ya hear me?” The look had been stern, but Joe had almost smiled back at him as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “You lock this door behind me, woman, and don’t let him outta ya sight.”

Annie had laughed at him as she kissed him on the cheek again and pushed the door closed behind him. He didn’t have a lock on the door, but he hoped that Joe would have the sense to stay put all the same.

Tiny found himself staring at the door every few minutes as he went about his morning’s work. Several customers came and went as they collected their horses and went on with their day. The ones he wanted to show up seemed to be deliberately trying his patience as sunrise turned into mid morning. It was well past noon before the two men wandered into the livery, looking very much the worse for wear. It was clear they were both hungover and he frowned at the stale smell of whiskey rolling off both of them.

As the brothers pulled at saddles and bridles, Tiny tried to curb his impatience. They both seemed to fumble at the job and he could barely restrain himself from pushing them both aside and insisting on doing the job for them. He didn’t want to give either of them anything to think twice about and he kept himself busy by carrying a load of wood into the smithy. He waited until they were almost done before walking into the livery again under the pretense of needing some equipment.

“Should be better on the road now this rain’s cleared.”

The older of the two eyed him from under the brim of his hat and Tiny wondered just how much the sunlight was bothering him. The rough stubble on his chin and the bleary look of his eyes betrayed a hard night of drinking. All he got back was a grunt as the man climbed into the saddle and nudged his horse forward. The second man hung back and stared at the pinto still waiting in the farthest stall.

“You sure you don’t want us to take that horse with us to Carson City? We can send a wire to the Cartwrights for you.”

Tiny knew the man was fishing for information and he kept a nonchalant stance as he shook his head.

“No need. I ain’t givin’ up an animal like that ’til somebody proves my papers ain’t good and legal.”

“Suit yourself! But I’m tellin’ you, that horse is stolen.”

Tiny watched as the two men finally rode away and he wondered again just what their angle was. He groaned as he realised that he wouldn’t be riding to Carson City after all as the two men needed plenty of time to clear the road before he’d risk taking Joe anywhere. He prayed that Annie could keep a grip on their guest and not let him escape again, but he figured the boy was frightened enough to behave himself.

Hoss climbed down off his horse and looked around the muddy street. The previous couple of days worth of rain had not yet soaked into the ground and there were deep wheel ruts and bogholes along the length of what passed for the main street.

“I’ll flip ya for it.”

Adam barely smiled at his brother as he knew exactly what he meant. Each time they stopped in any place, it was the same process. Check the sheriff’s office, the saloon and the livery as the three places were the best sources of possible information.

“No need. I’ll meet you both back here as soon as I’m done.” He watched as Hoss and his father tied their horses off to the hitching rail and he turned his horse towards the livery. It wasn’t a large town, but he was too tired to walk anywhere he didn’t need to. There was no sign of a sheriff’s office, but he knew his father would find whatever passed for the law in the place. Hoss could deal with the saloon on his own as it didn’t seem big enough to have more than six patrons. Empty buildings were boarded up and he looked around at the dilapidated buildings that were clearly still in use. The town had obviously seen better days.

It only took a few minutes to find the livery and he slid from the saddle while tugging at his horse’s reins. There was nobody in sight and he tied Sport off to an outside rail and headed into the gloomy interior of the stable. It took a bit for his eyes to adjust to the darkened interior and he called out to see if anybody was around. As he heard the distinctive sound of a blacksmith at work, he was about to move through the building and out the back when something pulled him up short. He rubbed a hand across his eyes to check he wasn’t mistaken before hurrying toward the farthest stall.

“Well hello there.” He ran a hand down Cochise’s flank and smiled as he quickly appraised the horse’s general condition. He was pleased with what he saw and hoped that his brother was in equally good shape.

“What the hell are you doin?”

Adam spun around to see a shotgun pointed at his chest and he slowly raised his hands. Behind the barrel, he noted a man that made Hoss look underdone and he held both palms outwards.

“Easy. I don’t mean any harm.”

The man glared at him and Adam felt himself being appraised with the same intensity he had just used on Joe’s horse.

“Then get away from that horse.” Tiny waved the shotgun towards the door and Adam quickly complied.

“It’s not what it looks like. I’m looking for my brother and that’s his horse.”

Tiny didn’t move as he stared at the stranger. He didn’t much resemble the scrawny kid he had tucked away in his home and he glared back at the man in front of him. Maybe Joe was right that the law was after him and maybe he’d just caught himself a smooth-tongued bounty hunter.

“Don’t know nothin’ about your brother. Some fella sold me that horse to cover a gamblin’ debt a coupla days ago.”

Adam frowned as he considered the comment. If Joe had been bushwhacked along the road it was entirely possible that his horse had been sold illegally and without papers. He slowly lowered his hands and noted that while the giant man didn’t object, he also didn’t lower the shotgun.

“Don’t suppose he gave you any idea where he got the horse in the first place? My brother’s missing and that is definitely his horse. If something’s happened to him along the road, I need to know where to start looking for him.”

Tiny heard the emotion behind the question and made a cautious decision.

“Well, the fella’s still here in town so why don’tcha wait right here and I’ll see if I can find him and ask him. I don’t want no stolen horse on my hands.”

“Why don’t I come with you and ask him myself?” Adam stepped forward, but Tiny waved the shotgun back at him.

“Why don’t you just wait here like I said?” The threat behind the words wasn’t lost on him and Adam nodded in agreement. He tucked his hands under his armpits and leaned back against the railing.

“Why don’t I just wait right here until you come back?” He smiled, but barely managed to keep himself from following the man out into the street. If somebody had hurt his brother and taken his horse, he wanted to get his hands on that somebody. It wasn’t long before he heard his father’s voice calling him and he wandered back out to where his horse was tethered.

“There’s no sheriff in town. No marshal either so I couldn’t get any information. Hoss is still up at the saloon so I came to check how you were doing.”

“Pa, Joe’s horse is here!”

“What?” Ben was on the ground before Adam could comment again and he thumbed his way to the back of the stable.

“Down there. The owner says he bought the horse off someone to pay off a gambling debt.”

Ben wasn’t listening as he made his way towards his son’s horse. Cochise snorted back at him as he rubbed a hand down his flank.

“He’s gone to see if he can find him.”

“Who?”

Adam started over as he watched his father taking in the familiar sight of Joe’s beloved horse. There was no way Joe would be too far away. Unless … unless something had forced them apart.

“The owner said he’s gone to find the fella he bought Cochise from. Said he’d find out if he knew anything about Joe.”

Ben couldn’t take his hands off the horse and he nodded at the words without really listening.

Tiny pushed open the door and smiled as he found Joe pacing the small room.

“You said you’d be back hours ago!”

“Hold up now.” Tiny raised a hand and realised too late that he still held his shotgun in his other hand.

“What happened?” Annie beat Joe to the question, but they both stood just in front of him like some kind of inquisition panel.

“What do ya brothers look like?”

Joe frowned at him as he wasn’t expecting the sudden change of thought.

“Well, I told you that Hoss is a lot like you and Adam … well, Adam’s almost as tall, but not as big. Dark hair. Why?”

Tiny placed himself in front of the door, just in case, before answering.

“’cause I think that brother of yours might be down at the livery, but I ain’t certain about that.”

Joe felt his knees folding and he gripped at the edge of the table. Before he could speak, Tiny outlined his plan.

“Just in case it’s trouble, I’m gonna head back and get him out in the street. You hang back and if it’s him, all well and good, but if it ain’t … well you get back here and send Annie down. Nobody’s gonna think twice if my woman comes to see me and I’ll know the fella’s trouble.”

Joe nodded at the plan as he watched Tiny heading for the door. He felt his heart racing at the idea that one of his brothers could be so close. He realised as he followed Tiny down the alleyway that he hadn’t specified which brother. He almost called out to him, but saw how close to the livery they were and he kept his mouth shut.

“I’m going to go and get Hoss while you wait for this fella to come back. This is the best lead we’ll get anywhere.”

Adam watched as his father climbed onto Buck and pushed the horse into a trot as he headed back down the street. He kicked a toe into the mud and tried to keep himself from pacing as his thoughts kept racing off at multiple tangents. An old memory chose that moment to come back at him and he laughed at the mud sliding across the edge of his boots. Joe would have been five or six, he couldn’t recall which, but he had been dressed ready for church and told to stay put. But Joe being Joe, he couldn’t help himself. For some reason known only to a small child, he had decided to head out to the barn and gotten stuck half way across the yard in a mud puddle. He’d tried to get himself out of trouble, but the squelchy mud had suctioned onto his boots and he’d been forced to pull his feet out of them. In doing so, he’d lost his balance and fallen straight into the puddle.

Adam smiled as he recalled the sound of his father’s furious shout and Joe’s wail as he tried to explain just why he now resembled one of his own mud pies. He nudged again at the muddy ground and found the smile sliding off his face. No matter what Joe tried to tell them, a part of him wanted to keep him where he would always be that little kid who found trouble at every turn and needed his big brothers to keep him safe.

“Except you did a lousy job this time, didn’t you!”

He was beginning to consider heading off to wherever the big man had gone when he heard a voice calling out to him. He looked up again to see the blacksmith heading towards him and he began to move.

“Adam!”

He stopped in his tracks and watched as Joe called out to him from behind the livery. The look on his little brother’s face went from something akin to relief to outright fear in a split second. Joe was pointing over his head and shouting something as he ran forward and Adam swiveled to see what he was talking about.

The sound of a gunshot rang out across the street and Joe launched himself at his brother. Another shot split the stillness of the afternoon and Adam felt his feet sliding out from underneath him as Joe slammed into him. Time seemed to slow as he saw Tiny raise his shotgun and fire into the air. Something toppled from the roof as he landed on his back in the mud with Joe’s weight sprawled across him. For all that he’d often teased his brother about being scrawny, he suddenly seemed so very heavy.