Summary:  Written in response to the Valentine’s Day chaps and spurs challenge 

Rated: K+ (5,115 words)

Mistaken Identity

It was a beautiful morning and the Ponderosa was looking at her best.

Although it was only mid February, the sun was shining, and the water of the lake was sparkling in response to the rays hitting the surface. However, there was a decided chill in the air, and, away in the distance, there was still snow on the mountains, looking for all the world like frosting on top of a birthday cake. This only served to remind anyone who might think otherwise, that winter had not yet totally given up its tight grip on the land.

Little Joe took in the beauty all around him, and despite his misery, smiled at what he saw. But not for long, as behind him was his mother’s grave, and the smile soon left his face, when the sight of it brought him back to why he was there.

“Oh, Mama, I so wish you were here, right now. I really could use your advice, and one of your hugs,” said Joe, with tears running down his face, as he thought about his mother and her caring ways.

Although he was barely five when she died, Little Joe did still recall the way his mother would hold him on her lap, and sing lullabies to him, in her native tongue. He also remembered her teaching him to count and to recite the alphabet, and many other things, before she was so cruelly taken from him and his family.

“I’ve really landed myself in a heap of trouble, and I can’t go back to school, or home, or town, or anywhere, ever again,” and Joe threw himself across his mother’s grave, and wept some more.

Joe’s problems had started only a few, short weeks earlier.

Joe hadn’t returned to school, since the Christmas holidays, but because of the fairly mild winter, it was looking very likely that he might be able to go back, in the next few days, as the main roads were now clear.

Adam, Joe’s oldest brother, had some errands to run in town, and Joe asked if he could go with him.

At first, Adam didn’t appear to be that keen on the idea.

“I’m not so sure about that, little buddy,” he said to the thirteen year old. “I’ve got lots of things to do, and you are not the best at staying out of trouble, when left to your own devices.”

“Aww, come on Adam, please let me go with you,” implored Joe. “We’ve been stuck out here on the ranch for ages, and I’m just itching for a change of scene.”

Adam looked over at their father, and Ben gave a slight nod.

“Well, okay then, but you have to promise me that you will behave yourself,” said Adam, and Joe readily agreed.

As the two brothers rode together on the buckboard, Joe began teasing Adam about his latest girlfriend.

“It’ll soon be Valentine’s Day, Adam, and I bet that Miss Catherine is gonna be expecting a very special gift from her boyfriend. What’s it to be, brother? An engagement ring?”

And Joe began singing, ‘Adam and Catherine sitting in a tree, K – i – s- s- i- n- g. First comes kissing, then comes marriage, then comes Adam with a baby carriage.’

Adam cuffed his little brother, none too gently, around the ear.

“That joke is tired, Joe, old and tired. Every time I go out with a girl, either you or Hoss start singing that stupid song. I’ve been courting Catherine for less than a month, and most of that time the weather has kept us apart, so I hardly think I am ready to declare undying love for her. I most probably will buy her a small gift, but it won’t be a ring. And you had better not be spreading such notions around town, or else you and I will be heading for a rendezvous in the barn.”

Joe rubbed at his ear, and as he did so, said, “What’s a rendezvous and why would we be having one in the barn?”

“A rendezvous is French for a meeting, and we would be having one, so that I could tan your sorry little hide for spreading false rumours about me and a lady friend,” replied Adam, crossly.

“Okay, okay, calm down, brother. I ain’t gonna say nothing ‘bout you and Miss Catherine, if you’re gonna get so worked up about it. I was only having a bit of fun with you,” and Joe folded his arms and plastered his best pout on his face.

The rest of the journey passed in silence, but by the time they reached town, Joe had lost the pout and was happy to talk to Adam, again.

“May I have some candy from the store, please?”

“Yes, you can, but why ask me? Pa usually gives you some money to spend when we come into town, so you can buy some with that,” said Adam.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” said Joe, and he reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a nickel.

Before Adam had brought the buckboard to a complete stop, Joe jumped out and took off for the general store.

“Joe, don’t do that, it’s dangerous,” yelled Adam, but his words fell on deaf ears, as the boy was already too far away.

As Joe entered the store, his mind was on the candy that he was going to buy with his nickel, but before he could get to that sweet treat, he found himself attracted to a completely different kind of treat. Standing by the counter was the most beautiful looking girl that Joe had ever set his young eyes upon. She was such a stunner that the boy just came to a halt, in the middle of the store, with his mouth hanging open. He may well have stood like that forever, if it hadn’t been for his friend Seth, who was also in the store.

“Hey, kid,” called out Seth, but it took him a while to gain Joe’s attention.

“Hi,” said Seth, standing right in front of his friend, and obscuring Joe’s view of the vision by the counter.

Joe tried to rid himself of his friend, much as you would a fly, by swatting at him, with his hands, but Seth remained firm.

“Nice way to greet me, when we haven’t seen each other for weeks,” grumbled Seth, and Joe eventually replied.

“Sorry, but have you seen what I’ve just seen?” said Joe, and he pointed across the store, to the girl.

“Does a donkey like strawberries?” replied Seth. “Of course I’ve seen her; in fact before you arrived I was talking to her.”

Joe grabbed hold of his friend’s shirtfront and pulled him into a corner of the store.

“You were talking to her? What did you say? What’s her name? Where does she live?” asked Joe, in a rush.

Seth leaned back against the wall and appeared to be considering Joe’s questions. For what seemed to Joe, like an eternity, he said nothing, and Joe was ready to strangle him.

“Tell me,” he demanded of Seth.

Seth laughed; in that infuriating way he did, whenever he was getting the better of his friend.

“Okay, kid,” he finally said. “I guess I’d better tell you before you bust a gut. Her name is Angel and she’s just arrived in Virginia City. She’s working at the Bucket of Blood.”

“I’ve never seen anyone as lovely as she is,” said Joe. “Introduce me to her.”

Just then, Adam walked into the store, with the list of supplies for the ranch. He spied Joe in the corner and began walking towards him.

“Darn it,” said Joe, to Seth. “Adam’s here, so I won’t get to meet her, now. Just tell her that I said ‘hi’ and I’ll try and meet up with her at the saloon, sometime.”

“I doubt if that’ll work, Joe,” replied Seth. “I can get in there, cos I’m older ‘n you, but you don’t stand a chance, being only thirteen and having such a baby face,” and he pinched Joe on the cheek, as you would a baby, and then moved away, before Joe had the chance to retaliate.

Adam grabbed Joe by the arm and pushed him into the corner that Seth and Joe had recently vacated.

“Don’t you ever jump down off a moving wagon, again, or I will turn you over my knee and set your butt on fire,” Adam yelled.

“Keep your voice down,” replied Joe, praying that Angel and Seth hadn’t heard what Adam had said to him. “You’re embarrassing me in front of my friends.”

“I wouldn’t have any reason to embarrass you, if you didn’t act in such a childish manner,” said Adam, but he did lower his tone. “You could’ve easily been hurt, doing a fool thing like that, in the middle of the main street.”

The reason for Adam’s anger was that he’d feared for Joe’s safety, but Joe just took it that Adam was being a party pooper and spoiling his fun.

As the two brothers were talking, Angel was watching them. She had noticed Adam, as soon as he entered the store, and was keen to find out more about the handsome cowboy. Seth was still standing quite close to her and heard her asking Mr Cass, the store owner, who the two young men were.

“Oh, they are the sons of the owner of the biggest ranch in these parts, miss,” replied Will Cass. “That’s Joe and Adam Cartwright.”

“Thank you,” said Angel, and having concluded her transactions, she left the store, with Seth close behind her.

Eventually, Angel realised that Seth was tailing her and so she stopped walking, turned around, and confronted him.

“Why are you following me, Seth?” she asked.

Seth was pleased that she had remembered his name, from their very brief meeting in the store, and temporarily forgot what he was about to say. He just stood there, drinking in her beauty.

“Well?” said Angel, awakening him out of his reverie.

“Well what?” he said.

“Why were you following me?” she repeated.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” said Seth. “I just wanted to tell you that my friend thought you were very pretty and he’ll look out for ya in the Bucket of Blood.”

“And who is your friend?” enquired Angel.

“Oh, sorry, his name’s Cartwright, Joe Cartwright,” said Seth.

Angel was really happy to receive this information and assumed that the Cartwright who was interested in her was Adam, only she thought that he was called Joe. She didn’t even think that Seth was referring to Joe, as to her eyes, Joe was just a little boy and far too young to be frequenting a saloon.

Joe didn’t get the chance to go and see Angel that day, as Adam kept a very close eye on him the rest of the time they were in town.

A few days later, once Joe was back at school, a very excited Seth approached him in the school yard, at the start of the day.

“Hey, Joe, I’ve got something for you,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Joe.

 Joe took it from his friend and could immediately smell that it was perfumed. 

“Who is it from?” he asked.

“Why doncha open it and find out?” replied Seth.

Joe did so, and read the following lines:-

Dear Joe

I am sorry that we haven’t yet been properly introduced and I expect you will think this very forward of me, but I would really like to spend some time with you. Your friend Seth said you would be coming to see me, but as you haven’t made it into the saloon, yet, I thought I would invite you to come and spend the evening with me, on February 14th.

If I don’t hear otherwise, I will expect to see you, then.

Yours, in anticipation

Angel

XX

Joe couldn’t believe his luck. A beautiful young woman wanted to spend an evening with him, and it was on the most romantic night of the year, Valentine’s Day.

His joy was unconfined, until Seth burst his bubble, by saying, “How are you gonna get into town on the 14th, without your Pa finding out what you’re up to?”

Joe knew that this was going to be a major problem, as his father wasn’t in the habit of allowing his thirteen year old son to frequent town, and especially saloons, after dark.

The boy mulled over his dilemma during morning lessons and by lunch time had come up with a plan.

As they were eating their lunch, Joe told Seth what he proposed to do.

Seth was rather jealous that Joe had been the one to catch the eye of such a lovely young woman, but he was Joe’s friend, and so he agreed to cover for him.

“Okay, you can tell your Pa that, and then, once the date is over, you can come out to my place. I’ll leave the back door open and you can come in that way.”

“I shall tell Pa that you and I are working on a project, for school, and that I am gonna stay over at your house,” said Joe. “That way, I can go and meet Angel and no one at home needs to know.”

Joe spent some considerable time trying to decide what he was going to wear for his big night, and then he suddenly realised that as it was going to be Valentine’s Day, he needed to buy Angel a present.

He didn’t have much money, as he usually spent his allowance as soon as he received it, but he managed to borrow a couple of dollars off his family.

As soon as school was over on the 14th, Joe headed into town, with Seth, and went to the store to buy a gift for Angel. He’d received a couple of notes from girls in his class, but hadn’t sent any, seeing as he now had a girlfriend, in the form of Angel.

It took the boys a long time to decide on a gift, but they eventually settled on a very pretty pashmina. Joe also wrote a little love note for Angel, in which he talked of her beauty and of his love for her. He finished it by saying that he hoped she would allow him to kiss her goodnight, thereby giving their evening together a dream ending. It was a sweet note written by a little boy with romantic notions.

Joe used Seth’s room to get changed in, and then set off for the Bucket of Blood.

“Best of luck, kid,” said Seth, punching his friend on the arm.

When Joe arrived in Virginia City, he began to feel rather nervous about what he was about to do. Although he had already started to show a healthy interest in girls, he had never been out with one, not even one of his friends from school. The girl he was about to meet was a lot older than any of his school friends were, and seeing as how she worked in a saloon, she obviously had more experience of the opposite sex than Joe did.

The boy tied his horse to the hitching rail, outside the Bucket of Blood, and took a deep breath before going through the doors.

As he entered the saloon, he felt as if all the patrons were staring at him, and it made him feel very self conscious. He scanned the room, desperately looking for Angel, and was extremely relieved when he finally caught sight of her. She was sitting at a table near the back of the room, with a man, who had his arm round her.

Joe walked over to join them, and tried to deepen the tone of his voice, as he spoke.

“Evening, Angel, I’m here for our date, and I’ve bought you a gift,” he said, putting the scarf and the note on the table.

The man sitting with the girl began to laugh at what Joe had said, and more worryingly, to Joe, Angel looked as though she was about to laugh, too.

“Please leave now, sir, as the lady and I wish to be alone,” went on Joe, sounding more in control than he was actually feeling.

At this point, Angel did begin to laugh, as well.

“I’m sorry, sonny, but the lady is with me and as it must be well past your bedtime, I suggest that you get along home,” said the man, rising to his feet.

Joe was very alarmed when he saw just how big the man was; he was nearly as tall as his brother Hoss. He knew that there was no way he would win, if the man wanted to fight him, and Angel didn’t seem to be willing to back up what he was saying.

“I think there must have been some mistake, Adam,” said Angel, causing Joe to look around the room, in search of his brother. “I was expecting Joe to join me here, tonight, not you.”

Joe opened his mouth, in order to explain that he was Joe, not Adam, but then the penny dropped and he decided it was best to say nothing. He just turned around and walked out of the saloon, with the man’s laughter ringing in his ears.

He mounted up and rode out of town, as though the devil himself was after him. He didn’t stop until he was at his mother’s grave. As he rode along, the words ‘She was expecting Adam, not me’, were thundering through his head, and the more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

Once at the grave, he dismounted and even though he was very upset, he still took the time to take care of his horse. He soon had a fire going and then made himself as comfortable as he could, on the ground.

Adam had spent the early part of Valentine’s Day evening having dinner with Catherine and after he’d taken her home, he went to the Silver Dollar to play a few hands of poker with some friends. It turned into quite a late night session and so Adam decided to stay overnight in the International Hotel.

The next day, as he was just about to leave town and return to the ranch, he saw Seth Pruitt tying his horse up outside the Bucket of Blood.

“Hi Seth,” called out Adam. “Where’s that little brother of mine? I thought he stayed out at your place last night?”

Seth, who had spent a sleepless night, waiting for Joe to get back from town, jumped when he heard Adam calling to him.

‘Oh no,’ he thought. ‘It’s Adam, and I don’t know where Joe is.’

The boy fixed a smile on his face, as he waited for Adam to join him.

“I hope you are not planning on visiting a saloon before school, Seth,” said Adam. Then, noticing how quiet the boy was, Adam suddenly had a thought.

“My little brother isn’t in that saloon, by any chance, is he?” he said.

“I don’t think so, Adam, it looks kinda shut, to me,” replied Seth.

“Well, why are you here, instead of at school, and where is Joe?” asked Adam, again.

Seth was too worried about his friend to be able to think up an excuse, and so he just blurted out the truth.

“I don’t know where Joe is, Adam. He was supposed to have been coming here, last night, and then returning to my house, but he never came back.”

Adam got Seth to tell him the whole story and then suggested that the boy went to school.

“Don’t worry about Joe; I will find him,” said Adam, and Seth was happy to leave things in Adam’s capable hands.

Adam managed to track down Bruno, the owner of the Bucket of Blood. He learned that Joe had actually been there, the night before.

“He wasn’t drinking, Adam, I can assure you of that, but he did come in and talk to Angel, the new girl I have working here. Seems there was a bit of a mix up and she thought that you were called Joe and Joe was called Adam. She was expecting you to be spending the evening with her last night and when Joe turned up, well, it was rather embarrassing for the little tyke. He didn’t stick around, once he realised the mistake, and I assumed he’d gone home.”

“No, he didn’t, well, at least Seth doesn’t think he did,” said Adam, and he thanked Bruno for explaining things to him. He asked Bruno where he could find Angel and he went to talk to her.

She was rather embarrassed about the whole incident and did say that she wanted to apologise to Joe for laughing at him.

“I saw you and your brother in Mr Cass’ store, a few days ago,” explained Angel. “I asked him who you were and he said Joe and Adam Cartwright. I don’t know why, but I thought you were Joe and he was Adam. Then, after I left the store, Seth followed me and said that Joe liked me and would try and meet up in the Bucket of Blood. You didn’t come in, but Seth did and so I gave him a note for you, but it was addressed to Joe, because I thought you were Joe. Of course, Seth gave the note to Joe and so then he thought I wanted to see him at the saloon. He showed up, last night, he’d even bought me a gift, and I repaid him by laughing at him. I’m really sorry, Mr Cartwright, but I’m nineteen years old and your little brother only looks about twelve. I just found it rather funny that he should think I would agree to go out with him. But now I’ve had time to think about it, I do feel bad about what I did, especially after reading the note he left with the pashmina. Will you please tell him that I am very flattered that he liked me, thank him for the gift, and tell him how sorry I am?”

Adam was ready to be angry with Angel, as he feared that she may have led Joe on, but once he spoke with her, he knew that it had all been a genuine misunderstanding. He reassured the girl that he would pass on her apology and then set out to find Joe. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was rather flattered to know that Angel liked him, as she was a very attractive girl.

It was early afternoon before Adam finally found Little Joe. After making a thorough search of the town, he’d ridden home, in case Joe had headed there. Ben was really worried when Adam explained what had been going on.

“Obviously, I want him found, as soon as possible, as I can well imagine the poor little guy is suffering, right now,” said Ben. “It must have been so embarrassing for him, finding out, in a saloon full of people, that he’d got things so wrong. However, he should never have lied to me about staying at Seth’s, last night, and he most certainly shouldn’t have been accepting invitations to meet up with a young lady in a saloon.”

Adam agreed with his father, but felt more sorrow than anger for his little brother. It was decided that Adam would go and look for Joe and the general consensus was that he was most likely up at his mother’s grave.

“If he’s not there, I’ll come back and we can organise a proper search party,” said Adam.

Joe was sitting staring out at the lake when Adam arrived.

“Hi, little buddy,” he said, sitting down next to his brother.

“If you’ve just come up here to laugh at me, then you can go away again,” said Joe. “I’ve had more than enough of being laughed at, thanks all the same.”

“I haven’t come to do anything of the sort,” said Adam. “I just happened to be in town, this morning, when Seth arrived, looking for you. As you were supposed to have been staying with him, last night, I thought it was a bit strange when he didn’t know where you were.”

“And I bet he soon told you all about what I was really doing, last night, didn’t he?”

“Well, it took a while to get the whole story, but between Seth, Bruno and Angel, I eventually pieced together what had happened.”

When Joe heard what Adam said, he jumped up and made to leave, but Adam followed, and soon caught hold of his little brother, by the arm.

“Slow down, Joe. Where do you think you are going?”

“Anywhere, as long as it’s away from all the people who know about my humiliation,” said Joe, scrubbing at his face, to try and stem the flow of tears.

“Well, you’re not going to get far on foot, are you? And if I go home without you, Pa is going to have my hide.”

“And if I go home with you, he’s gonna have mine,” said Joe.

“You might be right on that one, little brother, but he did seem to be more worried than cross. And as for people knowing about what happened, none of them are going to say anything. It was all a misunderstanding and Angel is very keen to apologise to you and to thank you for the lovely gift that you bought her, with my money.”

“And I bet you told her that, too?”

“No, I didn’t, Joe, what do you take me for? Come on, let’s get Cochise saddled up and then we can go home.”

“I’ll go home with you, Adam, but I’m never going back to school, or into town, again. I just can’t face it, knowing that people know what an idiot I made of myself. As if someone as beautiful and sophisticated as Angel would want to go out with a stupid kid like me? What was I thinking?”

“You were doing what you do best, Joe, thinking big, and why not? Maybe this time, you were aiming a bit high, but give yourself a few years and girls like Angel will be queuing up to go out with you. Don’t ever stop dreaming, Joe.”

Adam being so kind to him was the final straw and Joe flung his arms around his big brother and had a good cry, before they headed for home. 

Ben was very relieved to see his youngest son ride into the yard, safe and sound. Before he had a chance to say much, Adam took charge.

“I’ll see to our horses, Joe, you go and get yourself to bed.”

Joe was happy to do so, as he hadn’t been able to sleep much, after all that had happened in town, and he was feeling very tired.

He ran indoors and was soon in the sanctuary of his bedroom. 

Ben was going to go after him, but Adam suggested that he left talking to Joe until after the boy had taken a nap.

“He’s all right, Pa, just embarrassed by all that happened. He says he’s never going back to school, or into town, again, as he’s sure everyone will be laughing at him.”

“Well, that’s understandable I suppose, but he’s going to have to face the town and his friends, sooner or later, and it may as well be sooner,” said Ben. “But we’ll talk about that after we’ve addressed the issue of him lying to me about where he was going, after school yesterday.”

“I’m pretty certain that the humiliation he went through, in the saloon, has cured him of the desire to lie to you, Pa,” said Adam, in an attempt to protect Joe’s hide.

“I think I am the best judge of that, Adam,” replied Ben. “But thank you for finding him and bringing him home, and for discovering what had been going on.”

Joe slept for a couple of hours and then woke up, feeling hungry. At least he was feeling hungry, until he was fully awake and realised that he still had to have a talk with his father.

He washed up and changed his clothes, before going downstairs to face the music.

However, when he entered the main room, his father greeted him with a smile.

“Hi, son, do you feel a bit better, now that you have slept for a while?”

“Yes, thanks, Pa, I do,” replied Joe.

“It’s almost supper time, Little Joe, but before we eat I want to have a little chat with you.”

“Yes sir, I kinda guessed you would. I’m really sorry about lying to you over staying at Seth’s. I have learnt my lesson, though Pa, really I have.”

“I know that you have been through a tough time, Joseph, but it was of your own making. You knew that I would not approve of my thirteen year old son meeting up with a saloon girl, especially not in the saloon, and at night. So, to cover your tracks, you made up a reason to go and stay at Seth’s house, knowing that you had no intention of staying there. And you know how I feel about lying. It’s one of the things I get the most angry about.”

Joe knew that his goose was cooked, but he tried, once more, to save his hide.

“I do know all that, Pa, and I am sorry, honest I am,” and Joe tried out his best puppy dog look, but, unfortunately for him, this time it didn’t work, and he received the spanking that he knew, deep down, he deserved.

Ben insisted that Joe returned to school, the following day, and all was well, although a few of his friends had heard about his adventure. However, they were more envious than derisory, so it wasn’t as bad as Joe had feared.

Joe did see Angel in town, a few days later, and she apologised for laughing at him, and for getting his and Adam’s names mixed up.

And Adam did spend some time with Angel, too, but that’s another story.

THE END

Little Joe forever

Lynne

February 3rd 2011

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.