Summary:   Written for the November ‘missing scene’ challenge.   Taken from The Legacy.  What happens after Joe leaves Ben to chase after the poacher?

Rated: K+  Word Count: 4418

 

 

                                                                      Hindsight

 

“You get along Joseph.”

“Sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“No. I’ll be alright.”

“Watch yourself Pa.”

Giving him a final look of concern, Joe turned his horse and rode off as instructed to join up with Adam and Hoss at the roundup camp where his brothers had been branding cattle for the past few days. But for some reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on that final conversation echoed in Joe’s mind as he followed the familiar meandering trail which wound its way downwards through the grassy hills of the Ponderosa.

With a niggle of disquiet in the pit of his stomach he had a bad feeling about leaving his father to follow the tracks of the poacher they’d discovered that morning, and he was sorely tempted on more than one occasion to turn around and retrace his tracks. However, despite his misgivings Joe ignored his feeling of foreboding and continued to ride down the gentle slope until after reaching the edge of a lush and fertile meadow he stopped at a fast flowing stream.

While he allowed his horse to drink his fill Joe heard the shrill trilling song of a meadowlark as it echoed across the valley and for a split second he mistook it for the faint and very far away sound of gun shots. Quickly looking back and with his left hand on his holster Joe scanned the terrain behind him as if looking for a sign of unusual movement or the flash of sunlight on a rifle barrel. But nothing stirred for miles around except a faint wind in the trees and a bird soaring effortlessly into the sky.

Joe smiled to himself as he leaned forward and patted Cochises’ warm neck. “Looks like I’m letting my imagination run away with me this morning. It’s a good job there’s no one around to see me as nervy as this, eh boy?” he whispered into the flickering ears. Then gathering the paint’s reins securely into his hands Joe waded his horse through the cold clear water and pushed on.

It was early afternoon when he arrived at the makeshift camp where the branding fire was burning and where his brothers had been working with a small crew of ranch hands for nearly a week.

Reigning in his horse at the corral Joe watched as one of the cowhands drove in a wide-eyed heifer calf and Adam expertly wrestled it to the floor. He then dragged it over to the fire where Hoss was waiting to press the mark of the Ponderosa iron into its young hide. The gate was quickly reopened and bawling pitifully the shocked animal was turned loose and allowed to rejoin its mother amongst the herd of over a thousand prime beef milling around in preparation for being driven to the vast grassy pastures to the south of the ranch.

Breathing hard and covered in dirt, Adam took off his sweat-rimmed Stetson and wiped a hand across his forehead. He then noticed the new arrival watching him. “Well if isn’t number three son come to say hello,” he joked wearily as he walked over, slapping his hat against his dust covered thigh as he picked up a canteen of water from the floor. “Any chance you were thinking of staying around to lend a hand Joe? An extra pair of hands would probably see all the branding done by the end of the day.”

Adam unscrewed the top and took a long swallow.

Joe casually hooked a leg over the saddle horn. “Seems for an old fella number one son has been doing just fine without me,” he grinned back cheekily. “But I daresay I could spare some of my valuable time to help if you really need it.”

Hoss ambled slowly over, his cheery face though covered in perspiration wreathed in a welcoming smile. “Good to see you little brother but if I didn’t know better I’d say you’d been tryin’ to avoid callin’ on us and offering your services until you knew all the hard work was finished and the brandin’ was just about done.”

“Hey don’t forget I’ve been busy doing all your chores at home for the past week!” Joe cried back with mock indignation. “Reckon after the list Pa made out for me you two have had the easy part of the deal!”

Hoss laughed. “You think? I’m beginnin’ to wonder if them there matches weren’t tampered with before we got to choose who stayed at home in a nice warm bed and who came here to sleep on the cold hard ground in a bedroll!”

With just the wickedest of knowing smiles forming on his face Joe said nothing; his silence enough to prove Hoss right in his theory.

Adam shook his head. He should have known his little brother had managed to rig the result to his own end. He passed the canteen over to Hoss who took a swig, swilled the water around his mouth and spat it out. He then took another mouthful and swallowed it down.

“So where’ve you been till now Joe?” Hoss asked as he wiped a sleeve across his mouth. “Mite late in the day to come visitin’ isn’t it?”

Joe’s grin faded as his expression suddenly grew sombre. “I would have been here sooner but we were riding up in the hills when Pa found a couple of freshly shot deer left to rot up there. Looks like a poacher had been at work.”

“A poacher?” Hoss’ gentle eyes were angry now and he let out a curse. “We ain’t been troubled with their sort for a long while. Any idea where this good-for-nothing went?”

Joe nodded. “We found fresh tracks which couldn’t have been more than a few hours old at the most.”

“And so you and Pa followed them?”

Joe shook his head towards his elder brother in reply. “Pa decided to go on his own.”

Adam raised a surprised eyebrow. “You mean you let Pa go alone to follow this trigger-happy trespasser?”

Hearing a slight sense of critical incredulity in his voice Joe instantly bristled and glowered as he straightened in the saddle. “I didn’t want to but I had no choice,” he informed. “I offered to stay with him but Pa told me to come and help you two and said he would go find him by himself.”

Adam let out a loud sigh of exasperation and looked at his brother as if he were a fool. “Just what were you thinking Joe? You should have insisted on staying with Pa. It’s plain madness to leave him up there man-hunting alone without someone around to cover his back!”

Joe’s eyes flashed angrily. “Don’t you think I didn’t realise that!” he cried, his temper rising. “But what was I supposed to do? Refuse to leave Pa’s side? Hog tie him and bring him back if he didn’t agree?”

Clearly stressed out Adam nodded. “If that’s what it takes to make Pa see sense….yes!” he shouted in reply louder than he’d intended.

Pushing his hat firmly on Adam then turned as if to move away but paused, taking a moment to allow some of the tension in his body to drain away. He looked back and shook his head sorrowfully. “Sorry Joe. I had no call yelling at you like that,” he admitted with a sigh of regret. “It’s been five long days and I’m tired, cow stained, bruised and not in the best of moods. So just forget what I said.”

Relaxing a little as well Joe accepted his apology with a silent nod then watched as Adam walked back to the centre of the corral to await the next calf being cut from the herd.

Joe continued to stare bleakly at him, accepting to some degree he deserved his brother’s outburst. On reflection it had been the wrong thing to do. He shouldn’t have agreed so willingly to leave their Pa alone in such a potentially dangerous situation. What had he been thinking?

Hoss noticed his miserable expression. “Don’t be fretting yourself too much little brother. Adam didn’t mean any harm in what he said or the way he said it. It’s just with him wantin’ to finish this brandin’ on time he’s about worn himself to a frazzle over the past few days.”

Joe exhaled a deep breath. “I realise that. But in some ways Adam’s right. I should have stood up to Pa and told him I was staying to help him whether he liked it or not.”

Hoss took another long swig of water. “Reckon that’s easier said than done sometimes,” he continued thoughtfully. “We all know how Pa can be real stubborn when he wants to be, especially when he thinks we don’t trust him to manage things on his own.”

A look of understanding passed between them. “You’re right there brother,” Joe agreed with a tight smile as he dismounted.

Hoss grinned back. “Besides, Pa’s managed to take care of himself all these years, so why should today be any different?”

Joe nodded, but for a moment was tempted to admit to the strange feeling of unease about his father’s safety that had gnawed at his insides that morning. However, unwilling to alarm unduly and for no good reason he remained silent.

Oblivious to Joe’s internal dilemma Hoss placed the canteen back on the floor then stretched out his arms and yawned loudly. “Come on then little brother. Time to get some work done,” he ordered good-naturedly.

Joe removed his jacket and unbuckled his gun-belt and hung them both over the saddle horn. Then blowing out his cheeks in anticipation of the hard work now in store he climbed over the rails of the corral. And with thoughts of his father and poachers pushed to the farthest corner of his mind he placed a hand around his brother’s broad shoulder and headed with Hoss towards the branding fire.

***

The rest of the afternoon went quickly and smoothly and it wasn’t far off sundown when at long last the branding was finished. Happily handing the herd over to several of the most trusted Ponderosa ranch hands to drive the cattle to summer pasture, Adam, Hoss and Joe finally made their way home.

With thoughts of hot baths and cold beers on their minds, they were all in a cheery mood as they dismounted and tied up their mounts on the hitching rail in front of the house. But just as they made to walk inside a riderless horse, noticeably lame, limped into view.

Confused at its sudden appearance the three men rushed across the yard towards their father’s buckskin. Hoss knelt down and stroked a gentle hand down the bloodied right shoulder and front leg then looked up. “Buck’s been shot.”

“Shot?” Two voices echoed the word in shocked surprise.

“Looks like the bullet just grazed his flesh,” Hoss informed, a grim look forming on his face. “Another inch and he wouldn’t have been so lucky.” He patted the exhausted horse with a soothing caring hand but Adam and Joe sensed seething anger in his voice. “Who’d have done such a thing?”

Joe’s face hardened, eyes glinting with contempt. “Must have been that poacher Pa was tracking,” he murmured, clenching his fists and wanting to smash something in his frustration. Then a thought came to him. “You reckon Pa could have been thrown?”

Hoss frowned. The thought worried him. “Most likely Joe. Even old Buck would have been spooked pretty bad when he was hit,” he assured him, and taking hold of the reins slowly led the injured animal into the barn and secured him in his stall.

Adam and Joe stood in the doorway and watched without comment as Hoss loosened the cinch and unsaddled Buck. Then quickly forking out a quantity of hay and oats into the manger and after making sure water was available, Hoss rejoined his brothers.

Adam looked down and expelling a short surprised breath motioned towards the saddle now lying on the floor of the barn. “The scabbard’s empty,” he observed in a harsh dry voice; their father’s favourite rifle with the silver monogrammed stock noticeably missing.

Following his gaze Joe caught sight of something wet and glistening on the side of the pommel. Tentatively he moved closer and bent down, wiping his fingers across the curved leather; the significance of the sticky substance causing a chilling dread to creep over him. “It’s blood.”

Hoss stared down at Joe’s red stained hand. Shaken rigid at the sight he took a deep swallow. “That poacher must have shot Pa as well.”

Adam froze, his heart pounding heavily as anguish stirred within him. A long silence followed then he could sense a pair of hazel eyes staring at him, glazed with a combination of fear and despair. “Do you think Pa’s dead Adam?” Joe asked in a tone so low it could barely be heard.

Unable to find his voice for a moment Adam fought hard with all his strength to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to sound positive…but failed. “I don’t know,” he finally responded. “I really don’t know.”

This was not the answer the youngest Cartwright wanted to hear. With remorse etched into his features Joe wiped his soiled palm across his pants. “You were right Adam. I shouldn’t have left Pa. If he’s been killed then I’m the one to blame.”

Adam eyed his brother sympathetically. “You’ve got nothing to blame yourself for Joe,” he quickly told him. “You weren’t to know what was going to happen and it could have been any one of us with Pa this morning and placed in the same position.”

Hoss nodded in agreement. “Adam’s right Joe. ‘Sides just cause there’s blood on the saddle don’t mean Pa’s been….don’t mean he’s….”

Unable finish his sentence Hoss took a deep breath. “If we make a move now we’ll have a couple of hours of light left to do some searchin’.”

Adam considered for a moment, but the decision was already made when Joe abruptly brushed passed them both without a word or backward glance and made his way towards the hitching rail.

Without protestation his brothers followed.

***

They rode hard and in silence with Joe leading the way until he eventually slowed down after reaching the spot where he’d last seen their father. For a moment they all stared at a couple of fully grown deer lying dead on the ground; the tell-tale sign of a poacher’s wasteful slaughter.

Adam cursed under his breath at the senseless killing as Joe pointed up the hill. “Pa headed off in that direction towards Oak Draw.”

By the fading light of early evening Hoss used his tracking skills to scan the ground and soon saw what he was looking for. “There’s Buck’s tracks over here. I’d recognise them anywhere with that broken chip on his hind shoe. While we’ve still got some light they should be easy enough to follow.”

They continued for a while, silence hanging between them as they made a slow and methodical search of the trail; each of them dreading what they might find around every bend. But there was no sign of a body or the missing rifle.

Eventually Hoss pulled Chubb to a stop and pointed down. “Buck veers off that way, but there’s been another horse here as well…small hoofed animal.” He scanned the terrain again then continued. “Looks like the tracks are heading up the end of the Draw. There’s plenty of cover there, so if that poacher had any sense at all that’s where he’d have set up camp.”

Knowing it was not only a couple of miles away but a good place for an ambush Adam instinctively pulled out his Colt and spun the barrel. Satisfied all was in working order he re-holstered his gun. Hoss and Joe copied his lead and did the same. “Ready?” he asked when they’d finished.

Adam heard no reply but in the shadows of the darkening landscape two heads moved up and down towards him. However he couldn’t fail to notice a veiled wildness in his little brother’s eyes….vengeance clearly on his mind.

“Joe,” he said quietly. “We don’t know if Pa is dead or if this poacher had anything to do with his disappearance. Just bear that in mind if we come across him, okay?”

Fighting against the red-rage in his body that welled up like a volcano about to erupt, Joe remained silent as if he hadn’t heard.

“Joe…did you hear what I said?” Adam repeated. “Whoever this poacher is he might be innocent of shooting Pa. So we’ve got to give him a chance to explain himself. But if he did the shooting we need to talk to him, ask him if Pa is alive somewhere. And if not….well we’ve got to get him to tell us where he’s left Pa’s body. There’s enough gullies around here to bury an army and we’d never stand a chance of finding him otherwise.”

Still there was no reaction as Joe failed to respond again, just sitting motionless in his saddle while the fingers of his left hand flexed in instinctive anticipation.

Exasperated Adam leaned over and caught hold of Joe’s wrist, tightening a vice like grip hard around it. “This fella’s no good to us if he’s been riddled with bullets. We can’t question a dead man. Do you understand what I’m saying Joe?”

Shaken out of his trance like state the wisdom of Adam’s words penetrated the wall of reprisal in Joe’s mind. He forced his gaze to meet that of his brother and after a brief moment he nodded.

Adam and Hoss exchanged a silent anxious glance, and then with a joint feeling of apprehension the three men slowly moved off towards Oak Draw.

***

Darkness had by now all but obscured the track. However they smelt the smoke from a burnt out fire long before it came into view and homed in on the camp. Tying their horses to a small clump of dense brush they walked cautiously towards it, guns held tightly in their hands. But there was no one in sight when they arrived; the place was deserted.

With their Colts slipped back into holsters, Adam and Joe then waited patiently as they watched Hoss look around a copse of trees in the pale glimmer of moonlight. “Along with the one we’ve tracked, there’s been at least another two shod horses tied up here,” he eventually told them.

Joe’s throat was tight and dry. “So that lone poacher wasn’t alone,” he broke in bitterly. “It never occurred to me and Pa there’d be others with him.”

Hoss continued looking around then let out a gasp as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and with his corn-blue eyes narrowing quizzically he squatted down by a large boulder. “Those are Buck’s tracks, plain as day. But how come they’re back up here? Last time we saw them he was heading in the other direction.”

Adam absently poked his boot into the lukewarm ashes then out the corner of his eye noticed something odd at the edge of the fire. Bending down he picked it up. “These weren’t no ordinary poachers,” he told them as he stared at a small piece of scorched cloth that had clearly come from a man’s shirt. Hoss and Joe moved to his side and read the label.

Joe spat out the words. “Huntsville Prison.” His voice was chillingly calm as he then stated the obvious. “Three horses…three convicts. Pa wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Hoss’ eyes were now stricken at the thought. Had their worst nightmare come true after all? He cleared his throat. “You reckon they’re escaped prisoners or just been let loose after servin’ their time Adam?”

Joe spun round and stared at him. “What does it matter Hoss!” he snapped angrily as he faced his brother head on. “All that matters is those three good for nothings have high-tailed it out of here after murdering our Pa. So what are we waiting for? The longer we stand around talking about it the more miles they’re putting between us!”

He began to move away but anticipating his reaction Adam checked him with a raised hand. “Just stop to think for a minute Joe,” he said in a curt tone. “There’s no way we can follow any tracks in the dead of night. We’d be just going around in circles.”

Knowing anguish and a streak of recklessness was spurring him on Hoss placed a hand on his little brother’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I know how you’re feelin’ Joe. You want to get your hands on these men as soon as you can. We all feel the same. But it would be just plain foolish and far too dangerous to go trackin’ around in this terrain in the dark. And deep down you know it too, don’t you.”

Breathing heavily and with his fists clenched, Joe fought through his rage until he realised the sense of his brothers reasoning. “Yeah, I know it,” he finally admitted.

With an air of despondency now clearly about him, Joe removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair as he moved away a few paces; his back to his brothers and his shoulders slumped. “Pa’s dead because of me,” he said in a voice croaking with emotion. “This is all my fault.”

Hoss flashed him an impatient glance. “Joe. Adam’s already told you you’ve got nothing to blame yourself for. You were just following Pa’s orders as any one of us would have done.”

With his conscience now pricking his insides like a festering sore Joe shook his head. “You don’t understand Hoss. I had this feeling deep down Pa was heading for trouble the moment I left him, but instead of turning around and following my gut instinct I just kept going.” He wiped a hand across moistened eyes. “Guess it’s a decision I’ll always regret but I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life.”

There was a heavy silence for a few moments; Adam and Hoss not sure how to respond. Eventually the elder Cartwright moved forward to stand by Joe’s side. “With the benefit of hindsight it’s easy for anyone to recognize they made the wrong decision and should have done things in a different way Joe,” Adam told him in a kindly tone. “But in your case if you had gone back who’s to say it would have made any difference anyway? If all three of these men were in a killing mood you could have been shot just as easily with Pa.”

As his brothers eyed him, Joe pondered thoughtfully for several seconds until at long last the weight of guilt pressing down heavy on his shoulders lightened significantly. “Never thought of it that way. Reckon you could be right Adam.”

Hoss flapped a hand towards him. “Damn right he is, so stop feeling sorry for yourself little brother,” he chastised, though his voice was noticeably soft and his eyes flashed caringly. “The only man who’s to blame is the one who pulled the trigger on our Pa. So we don’t want to hear no more about you holdin’ yourself responsible for somethin’ you had no control over.”

Joe nodded his thanks at their understanding with the slightest flicker of a smile forming on his face though his eyes showed no humour. “So what do you suggest we do now?”

Adam rubbed his bristling chin thoughtfully as his mind raced. “First we could go back to the ranch and collect Pa’s saddle,” he finally responded. “Then we take it into town to show it to the Sheriff as proof of what’s been happening.”

He paused and flicked a gaze between his brothers. “Does that sound all right with you two?”

There was no indication of dissent so Adam continued. “Roy might have heard if there’s been a break out from Hunstville and if not can find out who’s been released in the past few days.”

“You reckon Roy will set up a posse to go after them?” Hoss asked.

Adam answered with a nod. “Knowing the way Roy works he’s bound to.”

Even through his misery Joe gave a wry smile. “And as law abiding citizens are we going to join this lawfully led posse Adam?”

There was an eerie silence for a few moments; the memory still vivid in their minds as eldest and youngest Cartwright recalled the time when they’d last been members of a posse a few years before.

On that occasion it had rapidly turned into a hanging posse as their neighbours took it upon themselves to be judge, jury and executioner while chasing across the desert after three men accused of murder. And they may well have been successful if it wasn’t for the fact Adam and Joe decided to put their own lives at risk to make sure the last man left alive and the self-confessed killer, was returned to jail to face a legally recognized trial.

“Well?” Joe asked again.

Decisively Adam shook his head. “No,” he said quietly but very distinctly. “We can rest up until first light then return here alone to follow the tracks. We’ll find the men who shot Pa by ourselves. We won’t need no posse’s help.”

Adam’s inference was clear; they would settle the score their own way. So agreeing wholeheartedly and feeling no need to contradict him his two brothers said nothing; a need for revenge bonding all three men in a way they’d never before thought possible.

For this time circumstances were different; this time it was personal.

With the decision made Hoss turned on his heel. “You two wait here while I go fetch the horses,” he said, his usually gentle voice now noticeably pitiless and cold as he disappeared into the darkness.

Joe watched him walk away then exchanged a meaningful glance with his elder brother. And for a moment it was as if their thoughts were one as they silently contemplated the course of action they’d agreed to follow.

Would they end up going against all their father had taught them about right and wrong and take the law into their own hands when they found his killer?

Both Adam and Joe inwardly sighed and wondered.

Only time would tell.

 

 

The End