Summary: Joe wreaks havoc during his many attempts to save Pa from being killed after having a recurring nightmare.

Rating: T     WC: 13,600

Author’s Note: This comedy/drama was written to celebrate Michael Landon’s life and his request to remember him with laughter.

Morpheus

(Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?)

Excerpt from A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

Ben Cartwright woke with a start, his heart pounding and his breathing hard upon hearing the ear-piercing scream from Joe’s room.  He hurriedly donned his robe and made his way out of the bedroom and proceeded down the hallway.

“Pa?”  A very tired Adam called from his doorway.  “Joe again?”  He asked and his eyes trailed down the hall to his youngest brother’s room.  To that Ben wearily nodded and replied,

“You go on back to sleep, Son.  I’ll handle it tonight.”  Ben finished his trek to Joe’s bedroom and walked in to see Joe sitting straight up in the bed, a wild frightened look in his eyes.

“Are you okay?”  Ben asked moving to sit down next to Joe.

Joe made an attempt to catch his breath before speaking but wasn’t having much luck.

“Joseph, this is the third time this week—–” Ben started but Joe cut him off.

“I’m okay now–just go back to bed!”  He insisted, embarrassed that he had once again awakened his father and probably the rest of the house.

“Oh, no, I am not leaving here until you tell me about your dreams.  And don’t tell me everything is okay–and don’t tell me you don’t remember anything–because I won’t buy that this time!”

“Just forget it, Pa.”  Joe slowly pulled himself out of the bed and reached for his robe.

“No–not this time, Joseph.  No one on this ranch is getting any sleep due to your nightmares—and especially you.  You can’t go on like this.  You’ve barely slept at all.”  Ben spoke softer now, not wanting his words to come out like some kind of a late night lecture.

“I just don’t want to discuss it!”  Joe protested and sat down in his chair by his desk.

“Do you remember when you had those dreams earlier this year?  You know the ones about Eagle’s Nest?  You wouldn’t tell me what was going on and it made it even harder to resolve your problem because of that.”

Joe frowned at the mention of his past nightmares, and the subtle reminder of what his previous fear had been.  Somehow climbing a mountain and perhaps falling to his death seemed a lesser nightmare than what his current ones were.

Ben approached his son and continued, “You and I worked that one out didn’t we?”

Joe tried for humor to break the tension and his father’s prying eyes.  “Well–if you mean have I gone back up there, Pa—no–and I’m much more careful with what I do and don’t do with my rifle too!  It’s for darn sure that if I ever do something stupid like that again I’ll just buy a new rifle and keep my mouth shut.”

Ben shook his head at the memory and the intensity there had been when he had to talk Joe down off of the mountain.  “Well, that’s good—because I sure don’t ever want to follow you up that mountain again.  I didn’t tell you back then how petrified I was – not only over my worry about you falling, but I’ve never been too keen on falling off of a mountain myself.”  Ben sat next to Joe and gazed into his troubled eyes.  “So—are you going to tell me that you don’t remember what your dreams were about?  I know that you do.  It’s now been three times this week already that you’ve woken up covered in sweat and three times this week you have refused to tell me what’s going on in your head.”

Joe took a deep breath and let it out slowly, he didn’t want to confess his most frightening nightmare, but he knew that his father would persist in his questioning.

“I remember the nightmare, Pa.  And it scares me to death!”

“Is it about something happening to you—you know like before?”  Ben tried to figure things out in order to help Joe through the memory and hopefully chase the bad dream from coming back.

“Oh, no—it’s not ME, Pa!  That would be welcomed—-that wouldn’t be as frightening.”

“Then who is it about?”

“It’s about you, Pa.”  Joe confessed quietly and looked down at the floor and away from his father’s dark eyes.

“Me?  Your nightmare is about me?  Do I get hurt or what?’  Ben tried to once again piece together the dream to make it vanish from his son’s mind.

“Hurt?  No, Pa—–actually you die.”  Joe looked back up at his father and his statement hung in the air for a few minutes.

Ben thought on what Joe had revealed and decided to rationalize its meaning.  “You know I bet it’s because of that fall I had a month ago–you remember?  I was knocked out cold—and you were the one who found me in the barn!  It probably left some impression in your mind that is just now starting to play itself out.”

Joe shook his head adamantly, “Good try, Pa—but that’s not it.  This dream is REAL—-and it happens over and over again!”

Ben frowned at having gotten nowhere with his youngest son.  He also wasn’t too keen on the fact that Joe was having dreams that his father was going to die.

“Joseph—you know we are ALL going to die sometime—we mustn’t let the reality of that keep us from living.  What you had is a nightmare–plain and simple. And I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.”  Ben tried a reassuring smile and reached over and ruffled Joe’s head of curls.  “Why don’t you try to go back to sleep now?”  Ben asked standing up.

“You go ahead, Pa.  I’ll be okay, really.  Sorry I woke you up again—”

Ben shook his head and sighed, he hadn’t accomplished much in his talk with Joe.  Maybe in the morning it would be easier to get into it, he reasoned and walked to the door.  “Try to sleep—-I’m right down the hall if you need me.”  Ben offered and noticed Joe’s halfhearted nod in response.

Joe walked over to his dresser as his father left the room.  He decided he would get his clothes on and, if need be, he would even start his daily chores—even though it was only three a.m.

Ben peered out his bedroom window about a half of an hour after he had left Joe’s room.  He noticed the figure as it walked toward the barn and saw a lamp being lit.  It was Joseph–working to avoid the trauma that sleep was causing.  Ben sat back on his bed and decided he would try to figure it all out in the morning after some badly needed sleep.

****************************

The next morning three men groggily sat staring down at their breakfast.  Adam sat with his hand propping his chin up and Hoss could just barely keep his eyes open.  Ben hadn’t slept much either; concerned with all the nightmares his youngest son was having, and trying to find a way to quell them.

“Pa—I’m telling you if I don’t get a good night’s sleep pretty soon I don’t think I’ll make it!” Hoss exclaimed and poured some more badly needed coffee.

Adam nodded his agreement and replied, “Me too!  What’s with Little Joe anyway?  That boy must have some deep psychological problems to scream at night the way he does!”

Ben gave a tired frown at his oldest son and his assessment of his younger brother.  “Joe has been having nightmares about me dying.  It’s not really a joking matter!  It’s really bothering him and I would greatly appreciate it if the two of you wouldn’t tease him about it.”

“Dying?”  Hoss asked surprised.  “I didn’t know Joe was thinking about that.  What do you think is causing it?”

“I asked him if it was because of the fall I had last month but he said it has nothing to do with that.  He claims his dreams are real and he’s terrified.  I saw him go out to the barn right after the nightmare.  He never came back in.”  As Ben made his statement Hop Sing appeared coming in from the kitchen.

“Little Joe already fill all the wood boxes and help Hop Sing in the kitchen this morning. He look vely tired.” Hop Sing added to the conversation.  The three Cartwrights looked worriedly at each other.

“You know, Pa–maybe it was your fall.  I remember seeing Joe’s face when he came running in here that afternoon petrified that you were dead!  I think Doc Martin was more worried about him than you that day.  He was in a pure panic!”  Adam stated trying his best to come up with an answer to it all.

“Well–hopefully the nightmares will eventually go away. But, until they do–you two don’t go too hard on your brother for a while–okay?”

Hoss and Adam nodded somberly.  They were worried about Joe, but each son was also worried about the very same thing Joe was.  None of them ever wanted to think of their father dying.

*********************************

After breakfast Joe finally made his way back into the ranch house and walked over to Ben’s study.  “What are you gonna do today, Pa?”  He asked sitting down next to his father.

Ben looked up at his son and could see the dark circles around his eyes.  “I have to go into town—why?”

Joe gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and returned, “No reason—how about I go with you?”  Joe stared pensively at his father, and Ben could see the worry displayed in his hazel eyes.

“Now, Joseph–” Ben started and briefly put his hand on Joe’s shoulder.  “You have to help Hoss with the branding.  You need not tag along after me.  I will be back tonight.  You don’t have to worry about me!”  Ben’s voice was calming but did little to settle the dread in Joe’s mind.

“I’m not worried—I just wanted to go into town!” He protested but even in his statement Ben could read the truth of the matter.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, no matter what kind of dreams you’ve been having.”

Joe broke his father’s stare and turned to walk away but Ben grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  “It’s me that should be worried about YOU.  You look awful!  If you don’t get some sleep soon I’m afraid of what will happen.”  Ben’s worried expression made Joe feel even worse.

“I’m okay, Pa.  Maybe tonight will be better. Well–if you insist on going by yourself to Virginia City then be careful!”  Joe cautioned still hoping Pa would cave in and let him go along.

Ben gave Joe a quick hug and laughed when he released him, “I have been going into Virginia City for more years than I can remember.  And that was long before there was a Joseph Cartwright to worry about me.”  That statement brought a smile across Joe’s face and, rather reluctantly, he left for the branding corral.

********************************

All afternoon Joe and Hoss branded the new calves, barely speaking other than to yell a direction to turn the cattle.  Hoss fought hard to think of some way to stop the haunting look, which displayed itself across Joe’s face.  When they finally took a break, the two brothers sat under a shade tree and drank from their canteens.

“We’ve got it almost done now.  I am surprised you kept up so well, Little Brother!  You look mighty tired.”  Hoss was opening the door in case Joe wanted to talk.

Joe leaned back against the tree and thought.  If there was anyone in the entire world that he could talk earnestly about his fear, it was the gentle hulk of a man sitting next to him.  He had always been there for him in the past, quieting his fears and helping him to think things out.

“Hoss—-did Pa tell you?”  Joe mumbled, finding this talk harder than ones in the past.

“Yeah–he told Adam and me this morning.  Joe–you know I think of Pa being gone sometimes too.  It scares me to death!  I’m sure even our big brother Adam has the same fear.  But, you can’t dwell on it you know?  I think Pa was right about it having something to do with him getting hurt last month.  I know I was worried about him after that.”

Joe turned to look directly at his brother and his eyes burned in intensity.  “No, Hoss.  I’m telling you I SEE Pa die!  It’s not because of something that happened before.  It’s like some kind of a warning.  Pa thinks I’m crazy or something–I bet Adam does too.  What about you?”

Hoss shook his head and smiled.  “Heck, Joe–I ALWAYS have thought you was crazy!”

To that Joe smiled and gave Hoss a jab to his ribs.  The big man had a way of breaking up even the most dramatic moment.  “But–really–Joe–I think you THINK it’s real.  So–no-there’s nothing crazy about that!”

“I’m gonna do my best to make sure nothing happens to Pa!”  Joe remarked with a determination to his expression.  Hoss just shook his head.  At times there was no such thing as reasoning with his brother.  Sometimes he just had to sit back and watch what Joe’s next move would be.

******************************

Ben Cartwright walked down the wood planked walkways on C Street in Virginia City heading toward the International House.  He had spent the better part of the day and afternoon in meetings and his head hurt from all the details that had been laid out by his business partner over a new merger.  Ben wanted nothing more right now than a quiet meal and some brandy to lighten his mood and ease his head.   As he turned to walk toward the hotel and restaurant, he could hear boot steps behind him.  Ben turned and saw no one.  He shrugged his shoulders and began again.  Lanterns lighted the streets, but the alleyways were masked in complete darkness, and Ben heard again someone behind him as he stepped off of the sidewalk down onto the street.

In one swift move, Ben drew his six-shooter and spun around as a shadow danced into the alleyway.  “Who is it?  I know you are there–come out where I can see you!”  Ben demanded.

From out of the shadows a figure slowly came into view and Ben holstered his gun as he shook his head angrily.  “Joseph!”  He boomed and Joe winced at the sound.  “I could have shot you!  What in heaven’s name are you doing lurking around–following me!”

Joe shrugged his shoulders, embarrassed at being caught stalking his own father.  “I was—” Joe started but couldn’t finish his statement.  He couldn’t even think of a good enough lie at the moment.

“You were following me!”  Ben finished his son’s statement.  “You are supposed to be at the Ponderosa–not here snooping around.”  Ben put his hands on his hips and waited for an apology.

“I got all my work done, Pa.  Just thought I’d stop by and say hi.”  Joe explained, but then realized what a lame excuse it had been.  Ben just shook his head still angered by the whole idea of his son checking up on him.  Then he remembered Joe’s nightmare and the whole picture came into full view again.

He softened his expression and reached out and touched Joe’s shoulder.  “Now, Joseph–I told you I’d be home later.  What—-did you think I wouldn’t make it back alive?”

“That’s not funny!” Joe retorted hotly, his father obviously had no clue to the danger he was in and was merely mocking him.  “Pa—something’s gonna happen to you–I know it!”

Ben placed both hands on Joe’s shoulders and looked him squarely in the eyes.  He had to get a grip on the matter before it made Joe a nervous wreck.  “No–Joseph–not ME!  Something is going to happen to YOU!  That is if you don’t stop this nonsense. I told you before—-what you had was only a dream, nothing more. Now I want you to get on home.”

Joe kicked at the ground with his boot, angered at his father.  He wondered why Ben wouldn’t believe him.  “Can I wait and go back with you?”  Joe finally asked quietly his eyes now questioning his father’s ire.  Ben sighed deeply.  It was always so difficult to stay mad at his youngest, especially when he turned those sad hazel eyes on him.  But, this time it was for Joe’s own good, Ben reasoned and he stood firm.

“I will be home later–you go on.”  He stated firmly but with a hint of compassion in his tone.  Joe frowned and started to turn away but Ben caught his arm and forced him to look at him.  “I promise you I will be fine.”  Ben assured with a smile on his face.  Joe just nodded, never returning his father’s smile as he walked away.

*******************************

Later that night Joe returned to the ranch house and his mood was more than glum.  He tossed his gun belt on the credenza and hung up his hat as Adam approached coming in from the kitchen.

“Nice of you to let us know you wouldn’t be home for dinner!” He said sarcastically.

Joe shot him an unfriendly look and responded, “Lay off, Adam!”  Joe proceeded over to the settee and sat down putting his feet up on the coffee table.  He knew that Pa wasn’t home so the placement of his boots wouldn’t be an issue.  Hoss came down the stairs and approached his younger brother.

“Joe—-where the heck did you go? I looked all over for you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Joe said and leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“I bet he went into town to check up on Pa,” Adam jumped into the conversation and Joe simply sneered in response.  Hoss sat down next to Joe on the settee and reached over and patted his arm.

“Joe–you got to stop worrying about Pa.”  He said softly.

“If either of you had seen what I saw in my dream you would be doing just what I am doing!”

Adam picked up a book and pretended to be uninterested in Joe’s plight, but he was bothered by it.  He remembered what his father had told him about going easier on his youngest brother and he regretted jumping his case when he had walked in.  He decided to try to get Joe’s mind on other more pleasant things.  “You two know about the Founder’s Day celebration Saturday don’t you?”  He asked and Hoss smiled at what Adam was trying to do.

“Hey–yeah–that’s right!  Joe, they have the shooting gallery again this year.  Bet you could win it this time!”

Joe slowly stood up and barely looked at his two brothers when he replied, “I’m glad that you both can think about things like that.  But, all I can think about is the fact that Pa is in serious danger.  I’m going to go upstairs.”  Joe made his way up the staircase, his two brother’s concerned gazes following him.

After putting Buck away for the night, Ben wearily walked inside the ranch house.  He noticed his two oldest sons still waiting in the living room for his return.

“Long day, Pa?” Hoss asked as Ben removed his coat at the door.  He walked over to the fireplace to warm his hands.

“Yes, but the merger is in the works so it was all worthwhile.  Where’s Joseph?”

“He went upstairs an hour ago.  Don’t think he’s sleeping though.  We’ve heard him moving around up there.”  Adam replied.

“Did he tell you both that he followed me into town tonight?” Ben asked and sat down in his chair and stared over at his two sons.

“He didn’t have to.  When he didn’t make it home for supper we figured where he had gone.  Now, I guess we just wait awhile until he falls to sleep and has another nightmare.”  Adam stated flatly at a loss over what to do for his brother.

Ben reached into his vest pocket and took out a small envelope.  “I stopped by and spoke with Doc Martin.  I told him what’s been going on and he gave me some sleeping powders for Joe so he can get some rest.”

“Well, Pa, that’s great–that is if you can get him to take it.”  Hoss grinned knowing his brother’s distaste for any and all medicine.

“I’m going to have Hop Sing put it in a drink and then I’ll take it up to him.  At least he should be able to sleep tonight.”

“Yeah–and maybe we will too.”  Adam announced wearily.

Joe had heard the boot steps as they got closer and knew his father would soon be paying him a visit.  He hoped he wasn’t still in trouble for his little venture into town.  Ben knocked on the door and walked into the room carrying a glass in his hand.

“I see you are still awake.”  Ben remarked and sat down opposite Joe on the bed.

“I’m not very tired,” Joe said but it was a lie. He was exhausted and only the fear of what sleep would bring kept him from crawling under the covers.

“Drink this.”  Ben handed the glass to his son.

“What is it?”  Joe asked warily.

“Just something Hop Sing sent up for you.  He was worried because you didn’t eat any supper.”

“I’m not thirsty.”  Joe announced putting the glass on the nightstand.  Ben quickly retrieved it and handed it back to his son.

“Drink it anyway!”  He insisted.  Joe frowned and couldn’t understand the importance of drinking what Hop Sing had made.  He finally surrendered, knowing his father would not leave until seeing that he had done it.  Joe drank it down in one quick swallow and grimaced at the taste.

Ben smiled knowing that this would not only help Joseph, but also the entire family get some sleep.

“You want to talk?”  Ben asked quietly.

“Nothing to talk about, Pa,” Joe stated flatly.

“You need to get some sleep, Joseph.  Then maybe things will seem a bit better in the morning.”

“Yeah–sure,” came Joe’s sarcastic reply.  He was tired all right. Tired of everyone thinking he was making a big issue over what they deemed to be a silly dream.

Ben sat with his son for a while until he saw Joe’s eyes growing heavy and a yawn escaping his mouth.  Joe leaned back against the headboard puzzled at his sudden drowsiness.  Ben couldn’t help but to smile when he saw how quickly the medicine had taken over.  He knew that without sleep that Joe’s troubled mind would be worse.  Ben hoped a truly good night’s sleep would make a great difference in his son’s whole outlook.

“You rest now, Joseph.  I’ll see you in the morning,” Ben whispered as Joe nodded off into a deep slumber.

****************************

The next morning came and went and Joe slept through it all.  A little past noon he finally made his way down the stairs groggily and glanced over to his father’s study where Ben sat working on some business papers.  “Well–I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake up!  How do you feel, Joe?”  Ben called over to his son who slowly made his way over to his father’s desk and sat down on the corner of it, ignoring the chair altogether.

“I feel drugged–that’s how I feel.”  Joe looked piercingly over at his father.  “What was in that drink anyway?”

Ben had to force the grin from off his face not wanting to give away his secret.  “You would have to ask Hop Sing–I don’t exactly know.  But, you did finally get a good night’s sleep, right?  And may I add—no nightmares!”

Joe frowned, it was true that he never screamed out in his sleep, but the truth was that he had dreamed of the same scenario, always ending with his father’s demise. “Well, I guess I slept.  Why didn’t you wake me?  Hoss will have all the branding finished before I even get out there.”

“Adam is helping Hoss today.  I have other plans for you, Joseph.”  Ben replied and pushed over the ledger book to rest in front of his son.

“Not the books! Pa–you know I hate figuring.  I never was any good at numbers.”  Joe protested wanting to escape to an outside chore.  To that remark Ben stood and stared down at his youngest.

“You can consider it a trade-off.”  He stated emphatically..

“A trade-off for what?”

“A trade-off for what you did yesterday.  I decided the only way to make sure you don’t tag along with me today was to give you the inventory sheets to balance.  That will keep you busy the rest of the day.  Oh—and the statement from the general store–don’t forget that as well!”  Ben turned and walked toward the front door with Joe following close behind him.

“That’s not fair!”  Joe insisted but Ben never turned around to reply.  He grabbed his holster and hat and continued getting ready.

“Where are you going?”  Joe asked worry mounting in his voice.

As Ben reached for the door he finally looked at his son.  He couldn’t help but wonder why Joe had such a desperate look on his face.  Ben had never asked for specifics about the nightmare, because he really didn’t want to know.  Somehow since the revelation that his son’s dreams were about his own apparent death, the details were not something he wanted to hear about.  Ben had hoped that Joe would eventually forget about it, but apparently that wasn’t happening.

“I’m not telling you this time.  That way you won’t try to find me.  I will be home for supper.  That gives you about six hours to get those books done.  And believe me, Joseph you will need all six hours to do it!”

“Why are you so mad?  I was only trying to protect you!”  Joe’s voice came off with a hurt to it.

“Joseph, I don’t need you to protect me.  I appreciate your concern, but you have to stop thinking about that dream.  Now go get on those books—it’ll take your mind off of everything else.”  Ben pointed toward the study and Joe looked down at the floor defeated once more.

“I’ll see you tonight.”  Ben smiled and Joe turned and walked away not responding to what he had said.  Ben left the house as Joe sat in his father’s leather chair at his desk.  This book work was Joe’s least favorite assignment.  He knew that Pa was aware of that and Joe felt he was being punished unjustly.  Joe pushed the ledger away and instead started to go through other papers on the desk.  Joe found the merger notes from his father’s trip the day before.  He read over the details just as he heard Adam walk into the house.

“Hi, Joe glad to see you’re up!”  Adam sang out and walked over to sit next to his brother.  He had decided to be kinder to Joe than he had on the previous night.

“Adam–what’s this merger thing all about anyway?  I’ve heard you and Pa talking about it, but I haven’t paid it any attention,” Joe asked still looking at the notes before him.

“Well, Pa is going into a partnership with Henry Wilkins.  They have put a bid in jointly on that new railroad extension.  It means a lot of money and between the Wilkins and us we can do the job in half the time!  That will probably win us the bid.”

Joe pursed his lips and went over the figures.  “When will Pa know if we’ve got the contract?”  Joe questioned looking over at his brother who seemed surprised to hear his little brother having such keen interest in anything besides horses.

“I think Pa just left–he’s going to Carson City today.  The bids will be opened around three o’clock I think. Why?”  Adam stared more sharply at Joe now, wondering what the kid was up to.

“Oh—no reason I was just wondering.  Hey Pa told me to work on these books–so I guess I’d better get on them.”  Joe drew the ledger over and took a pencil out of the desk drawer.

“Well, I just stopped by to grab some lunch Hop Sing packed for Hoss and me.  You go ahead and get that paper work done and we’ll see you at supper.”  Adam turned and walked into the kitchen.

Joe sat at the desk deep in thought. ***Pa is in Carson City.  He may run into trouble there.  Maybe THAT is what the dream is about****.  Joe scribbled some figures down a couple of columns to make it look like he had at least tried to balance the books.  He knew the backwards slant of his writing would make Pa have to erase it all anyway so he wasn’t worried.  Joe gave it a good fifteen minutes after Adam left so he wouldn’t be spotted as he walked out to the barn to saddle Cochise.  He had a long ride ahead of him to get to Carson City.

****************************

Ben Cartwright sat in the Crystal Palace Saloon enjoying the triumph of winning the bid for the railroad extension.  Henry Wilkins bought the first round of drinks and he and Ben and their mutual friend Aaron Thompson toasted the success of their new venture.

“Couldn’t have won this one without you, Ben” Henry smiled and sipped his whiskey.

“We both needed each other for this one, Henry.  I was happy to team up with you!” Ben toasted his friend and Aaron joined in.

“You both are a winning combination alright.  Maybe next time you can let me in on some of the fortune.” He laughed.

“We will–but let’s get this one under our belts first,” Ben responded and then looked at his pocket watch.  “Guess I’d better be heading back to the ranch.  I have the feeling that Hop Sing will have a celebration dinner in the works.  He always seems to know these things!”

The three men shook hands and Ben nodded over at the two men.  “I’ll see you both tomorrow, right?  You are coming to the Founder’s Day celebration aren’t you?”

“We wouldn’t miss it.”  They both smiled and shook Ben’s hand.  He then headed out of the saloon and over to the hitching post to get his horse.

Joe grinned.  He was pleased with himself over how well he had hidden himself in the saloon away from his father’s view.  He had overheard the whole conversation from over in the corner behind some rather large miners who sat at the table in front of him.  Joe had changed from his normal green jacket and into a plain brown coat as a disguise.  He didn’t want to stick out in the crowded saloon.

Figuring that there probably wasn’t any danger that might befall his father in Carson City after all, Joe began to leave.  Just before making it to the saloon doors he heard Aaron say to Henry, “Ben will never know what hit him!  I can’t wait to see his face!”

“Yeah–he’s had it coming for a long time.  It will come totally out of the blue!” Henry mused.

Joe’s thoughts flashed in his mind.  The two men were somehow out to get his father!  This might be exactly what his foreboding dream had been all about. He moved a little closer and heard one final statement from Henry Wilkins.  “At the barn dance—-that’s when he’ll get it.”

To that Aaron nodded and Joe hurried out of the saloon.

The long ride home was filled with a whole lot of worry on Joe’s part.  He wondered what dastardly plan his father’s false friends had in mind.  Whatever it was, at least HE knew about it.  Or, at least, he knew when it was going to happen.  Joe decided that regardless of the two men’s plan, he would be there and prevent anyone from harming his father in any way.  Joe urged Cochise faster, picking up the pace hoping to be lucky enough to make it to the ranch house before his father did.

*********************************

Ben surveyed the handwriting on the ledger books as Adam and Hoss sat in the living room playing checkers.  Joseph had not made it home yet and Ben could imagine where he had gone off to.  The books appeared to be completely balanced along with the account from the general store.  Ben noticed the writing to be his son’s all right, his eldest son’s.

Minutes later Joe walked in the door and Ben turned to walk over to him.

“Hi, Pa,” Joe said innocently.

“Where have you been?”  Ben asked his eyebrows narrowing for effect.

Joe shrugged his shoulders and paused trying to think of a good story.  “I just went out for a ride.”  Was all he could come up with, his mind still preoccupied with what he was going to do the next day in order to protect Pa.

“Well—at least you got all the books done.”  Ben stated and Joe looked up surprised.

Joe glanced over at Adam who was trying to give him a sign to keep his mouth shut so Ben wouldn’t know who really completed the task that Joe had been given.

“Yeah—well—” Joe paused again and changed the subject abruptly.  “Hey–dinner sure smells good!”  He walked over to join his brothers by the fireplace and to avoid Ben’s questioning eyes.

Ben stared over at all three of his sons.  He knew they were all somehow involved in Joe’s scheme to get out of doing the books and having followed him into Carson City.  It was impossible to disguise the perfectly legible writing of his oldest son, Adam.  Ben studied the numbers again and noticed how evenly spaced they were.  Most apparent was the straightness of each number, not having the awkward back-slanted lines that belonged only to Joseph Cartwright.  And, if that wasn’t all, the numbers actually added up! Now, this was not by the hands of his youngest, Ben knew, but waited to see how far all three sons would take their deception.

After dinner Joe made an excuse about having to check on one of Cochise’s hooves and walked out to the barn.  One by one, the other sons volunteered to go help him check on the horse.  Ben sat back and lit his pipe.  It wasn’t the first time the three young men covered for each other.  That part pleased Ben, however he did not appreciate being deceived by any of the three.  He would speak to his youngest later.  He knew Joseph was always the son most apt to tell a lie, but not adept enough to keep his face from telling on him.

Out in the barn Hoss looked at Cochise and Adam laughed.  “Hoss–let the horse alone!  Nothing wrong with her.  Joe just wanted to talk to us, right?”

Joe nodded and sat down on an overturned barrel.  “Yeah–thanks for doing the books, Big Brother.  And thanks Hoss—–for not giving it away.”

Hoss smiled and nodded, “We knew you had probably followed Pa again.  You need to give up on that, Little Brother!  You are getting more jumpy as each day passes Pa is going to be just fine.  It’s you that we’re all worried about!”

“Joe–all of us are going to the celebration in town tomorrow.  Let’s just go and have a good time, okay?  Take your mind off all of this for a while.”  Adam tried to once again get through to his brother.

Joe looked up at the concerned faces of his two brothers.  They all shared a special bond, and despite any disagreements each one would die for any of the other two.  It was because of that, that Joe decided to keep what he had overheard in the saloon away from his brothers.  He didn’t want anyone hurt.  That included all three of the other Cartwrights.

“Sure, we’ll go and have a good time.”  Joe tried to sound excited and hoped that it came off better than it felt to him on the inside.  Hoss and Adam were satisfied that a day in town to relax and have fun was just what their little brother needed.

When the three Cartwright brothers made it back into the house Ben was waiting for them by the door.  “Well–is Cochise okay?”  Ben asked, knowing that the horse excuse was just that, and the only thing lame around the ranch was the excuse itself.

“Yeah, Pa, she’s all better!”  Hoss responded after sharing a glance with both of his brothers.

“Good—oh, I’d like to have a talk with Joseph right now—if you two will excuse us?”

Joe frowned as both of his brothers headed toward the staircase.  He walked over to the fireplace and stood there waiting for what he was sure would be an interrogation.

Ben walked over to the coffee table and pointed for Joe to sit down.  He did as instructed as his father handed him one of the ledger books.  Joe grimaced at what was coming.  He finally got the nerve to look into his father’s eyes.  Joe knew Ben was waiting for the truth, and would sit there staring at him all night if he didn’t come forward with it.

“Okay, Pa.  I didn’t do the books.  Looks like Adam covered for me.”

“Yes–I figured that one out all on my own.”  Ben nodded and Joe slunk his shoulders down already feeling like the disobedient son he was about to hear that he was.

“So—-let me guess–your ride was into Carson City, right?”

“Yes, Sir,” Joe answered almost in a whisper.

“You are driving me insane with all of this! You know that don’t you?”  Ben raised his voice and Joe winced at the upcoming lecture.

“I’m sorry,” Joe muttered helplessly.

“This has to stop, Joseph.  You have to get a grip on yourself!  Your dreams are not real, your fears may be real, but your dreams are not.  I should make you stay here and work tomorrow instead of going into Virginia City!”  Ben stated exasperated.

“No!”  Joe shouted and then apologized.  “I’m sorry, Pa–I HAVE to go!  There’s something really important I have to do.”

Ben was surprised at Joe’s outburst.  The boy rarely raised his voice to him, especially not during a lecture.  He thought on it and replied.  “I said that I “should” make you stay, Joseph–not that I “would” make you stay.  But, if you follow me around I swear I’ll—-” Ben trailed off and Joe interjected.

“No–Pa—you don’t have to worry–you’ll hardly know I’m there!”

“OH?  Are you going to wear that brown coat again?”  Ben gave a knowing smile that made Joe wonder if he had spotted him inside the saloon that afternoon.

“Pa—-I’ll act right–I promise.”  Joe stood and tried to convince his father that he really was more stable than he had acted recently.  Ben stood in turn and put his hand on Joe’s shoulder and squeezed it, playfully but hard.  Joe winced not knowing if Ben was still mad or not.

“Okay—we’re all going tomorrow.  But now I have your word that you won’t spend the whole day running around “protecting” me?”  Ben waited for further assurance and Joe gave his most convincing smile.

“Yes—Pa–I’m going to have other things to do.  Like I said a minute ago–you’ll hardly know I’m even there.”

Ben nodded still unsure of exactly where his son’s thoughts truly were, but too tired for more of his paternal lecture.  “Well, you’d better turn in.  Tomorrow looks like it will be an interesting day.”

Joe turned toward the stairs and muttered to himself, “It sure will be–in more ways than one!”

*********************************

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day for the Virginia City Founder’s Day celebration.  The town was full of commotion as townspeople and visitors crowded the streets.  There were booths that lined both sides of Main Street with everything from a shooting gallery to kissing booths and foods and entertainment of all kinds.  The four Cartwrights each went their own way for a while.  Hoss checked out the pie stand, which held some of the best cooking from local women including his current girlfriend, Betsy.  He stood and sampled all the different pies before deciding on the entire apple pie that Betsy had made.  She planted a kiss on his cheek, which turned Hoss’ face redder than the cherry pie sitting on the table next to him.

Adam stood in front of the mercantile where a booth had been erected with volumes of old books.  Adam thumbed through several before deciding what suited his collection best and then he bought four of them.  He found a book on Greek mythology, which he intended to read parts of to his youngest brother.  After making his purchases he met his father over by the shooting gallery.

“Gonna try your luck?”  Adam smiled and tapped Ben on the back.

Ben returned his son’s smile and shook his head, “No–but if we find Little Joe I think we’ll see what he can do!”

“Last time I saw him he was down the end of the street,” Adam replied pointing.

“I’m surprised he isn’t stalking me!”  Ben laughed.

“Well, from what Hoss and I heard of your little talk last night, I think Joe knows better than to pull anything today.”

“Let’s go find Hoss,” Ben said and he and Adam headed over to the pie stand.

Little Joe heard his name called as he strolled past one of the covered booths sitting next to a tent.  He looked up and saw that it was the fortune telling tent, where coming from inside he spotted his friend the gypsy who was known as Madame Sylvia.  “Hi!  I haven’t seen you in a long time!”  Joe gave his most welcoming smile and the gypsy pointed for him to come inside.  Joe looked around not wanting anyone to spot him going in there and then continued inside the tent.  Once inside he sat down at the small round table upon which sat a crystal ball.

“I have been in Carson City recently,” Madame Sylvia started.  “I saw you pass by yesterday.”

Joe gulped; he figured his disguise must have been useless if even the gypsy could tell it was him.

“Yeah—I was there,” Joe nodded.

“I know you are troubled and I want to help you Joseph. I have never forgotten your kindness.  You were one of the few people in Virginia City who welcomed me when I first came here.  I remember the first time we met—you fixed the wheel on my wagon–and never asked for anything in return.”

Joe shifted nervously in his chair. He wondered how the old woman knew he was troubled.  “I told you I’d always be your friend Madame Sylvia.  You are a kind woman; I’ve seen how you are with the children here in town.  It’s just that some people don’t understand your ways–that’s all.”

“You have a great fear, Joseph.  I see it on your face.  Speak to me of it.”  She looked piercingly at Joe.

“I’ve been having dreams—bad dreams.”  Joe finally confessed.

“You have dreams of death?  But not your own, am I right?”

Joe nodded suddenly feeling at ease with the gypsy, like she was someone who just might understand what he was feeling.  “Yes–I have dreams of my father dying.  No one believes me—they think I’m crazy!  But I know that something awful is about to happen and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“You have a gift—you are revealed things in your dreams.  That gift dates back as old as the Bible.  It makes little sense to me that people who believe in the Bible don’t believe in what it teaches us!  There is a name for your gift–it’s called precognition.”

Joe looked up surprised.  “Precog–what?”

Madame Sylvia smiled again, the handsome young man before her had never heard of the word.  “Precognition–it means you see things before they actually happen.  Sometimes the gift is given to us to help us change what is about to happen. Unfortunately sometimes the dreams are too vague to tell us all the details.”

“Yeah–that’s like mine! I know Pa gets killed—I just don’t know how.  I have a couple of ideas—but nothing solid yet.”

“When next you dream, try to remember all the details–as best you can when you first awake and then write them down right away.”

Joe nodded his understanding.  He wasn’t sure he’d need the advice because he honestly believed the attempt on Ben’s life would happen at the barn dance that evening.

Joe stood and said, “Thank you for your help–but most of all thanks for not thinking I’m crazy.”

The gypsy gave a knowing smile and replied, “Thank you, for always being my friend.”

Joe left Madame Sylvia’s tent just as the other three Cartwrights were walking by.

“Joseph!”  Ben sang out and Joe walked over to him, a little embarrassed at having been seen coming out of the fortune telling tent.

“What were you doing?”  Ben asked surprised that Joe would even partly believe in fortune telling or the like.

“OH–Pa–” Hoss broke in to get his brother off of the hook, “He just wants to know how many rich beautiful women he’s gonna meet today–that’s all!”

Joe gave Hoss a nod of thanks and then Adam spoke up, “Joe–we want to watch you try your luck at the shooting gallery.  No-one’s won the prize yet, and it’s a solid gold pocket watch!”

Joe could feel how shaky his hands were already thinking about what was going to happen that evening.  There was no way that he could shoot accurately now.  He looked over at his oldest brother and remarked, “Now what in the world would I want with a stupid pocket watch anyway?”

To that statement Ben frowned, he had future plans for the pocket watch that had been given to him by his own father, and Joe was part of that future plan.  “You don’t have to try your luck with the shooting gallery, Joseph, but isn’t there something else around here you want to do?”

“Naw—you three go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later,” Joe replied sullenly.  He really didn’t want to hang around the others, especially Pa.  He knew that he would be watching his father most of the evening and wasn’t worried about the afternoon.  Joe turned and walked down the street where he planned to catch a quick nap under a tree.

“Joe is not himself.  He always has had fun at this celebration!  We’ve had to drag him out of here each year. Now all he does is talk to gypsies,” Adam remarked upset over his brother’s mental state.

“Let’s not let it spoil our time.  Let’s go see what else they have here this year.”  Ben put his arms briefly around his two son’s shoulders and walked on.  He paused briefly and turned to look at Joe’s departing figure as it rounded the corner of the street.  Ben worried internally, but wanted to cheer his other sons up, even if he couldn’t lighten Joe’s spirits at the present.

**********************************

The final attraction of the Founder’s Day celebration was a lively barn dance at the outskirts of town.  The entire place was decked out with streamers and lights and the local musicians, including Adam Cartwright, were firing up the crowd with square dance tunes.  Hoss stood with his father and grinned as Adam soloed for a minute on his guitar and then was joined in by several fiddlers and a banjo player.  Hoss looked around the crowded room for his little brother but could not spot him.  “Where do you think Joe is?  There’s pretty girls and dancing–he’s never turned that down before!”

Ben sighed.  He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Joseph either.  “I’m sure he’ll show up eventually,” Pa replied hoping that would be the case.

Joe stood in the wings, off from where the stage had been rigged up.  He figured he would have a better vantage point from there.  He had full view of all of the entryways and would know the instant that Henry or Aaron walked in.  A couple of girls came by to entice Joe into a dance but he had to brush them off, his heart being elsewhere that night.

Right before ten o’clock Joe saw two figures enter from the side of the room.  It was the two men who Joe had heard the previous day plotting against Ben.  Joe noticed something peculiar that one of the men was carrying.  He strained his eyes to make it out from across the room.  It was a rifle!  Joe felt as though his legs would go out from under him.  Never did he even think that they would be so bold to try and kill his father right there in front of everyone!  And to walk in with a rifle and not even try to conceal it! That was beyond bold.

Joe slowly inched his way around the crowd trying to keep the two men in sight.  He saw that they were heading directly over to where Ben now stood, by himself, by the punch bowl.  Joe saw Aaron pull the rifle out of the scabbard and that’s when he made his move!  Joe ran shouting towards the three men.  People parted like the Red Sea in bewilderment.  Joe gave a running leap and knocked his father down so that he first crashed into the table with the punch bowl, and then came to rest on the floor with the full contents of the punch bowl splashing down over both Pa and Joe.

Ben attempted to breathe, having had the wind knocked out of him temporarily.  He watched in confusion as Joe got up off of him and turned on Aaron and Henry.  “You leave my father alone!” Joe shouted pulling the rifle from Aaron’s hands.

“What?”  Both men asked in unison.  “What are you talking about?  We were giving your father that rifle!  It was a gift we have been waiting to give him.  It’s from the Cattlemen’s Association.  Look at the inscription!”

“Huh?”  Joe muttered confused and then looked down at the stock of the rifle and saw the engraved plate, which had his father’s name along with the association’s insignia.  “I thought–” Joe started but then looked over as his father slowly got up from the floor.  He looked terrible!  He had red punch all over his good dress shirt and even the white in his hair had not been spared from the punch’s red coloring.  Joe’s heart sank in his chest, as Ben drew closer to him.  His father did not speak a word, but hastily grabbed Joe’s elbow dragging him outside.

By the time Ben had pulled him into the back alleyway Joe had already figured that now instead of his father, he was the one who was about to be killed. He had never seen his father look so angry before.  Angry and red.  Joe could still see the red colored punch dripping down from his father’s sideburns and it was a horrible sight!

“WHAT!  JUST WHAT—WERE YOU THINKING!”  Ben shouted and Joe winced at the sound.  He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

“I have never–in my whole entire life–been as embarrassed as I am right now! Do you realize what you have done? Answer me!”  Ben yelled again not releasing his grip on Joe’s arm.

“Pa—I overheard them talking yesterday in the saloon–saying that they were really going to get you—I didn’t know that they meant surprise you–”

“In the saloon!”  Ben was even angrier now with the reminder of Joe’s prior disobedience when he had followed him into Carson City..  “First you are going in there and apologize to Aaron and Henry–and I MEAN APOLOGIZE!  Then you are going to ride back to the ranch and wait for me!  And I promise you that when I get home what I will do to you will put your nightmares to shame!  Do you understand me, Joseph?”

Joe grimaced from his father’s tight grip on his arm and also from his father’s explicit threats.

“Yes, Sir,” Joe nodded and Ben turned loose of his arm finally.  Ben wiped his hand across his forehead and felt more punch drip down.

“And you had better hope that this punch comes out of my hair too!”  Ben yelled totally exasperated at the situation.  It was bad enough that Joseph had gone insane, but for the entire town to have witnessed it was humiliating, Ben thought.  Equally humiliating was the fact that his hair, which was white as snow, and had been so attractive, was now sporting streaks of white, red and pink. Pa knew that he now looked ridiculous!  He pushed Joe toward the door to make his apology.

******************************

Hoss and Joe sat in the living room of the Ponderosa ranch house.  Hoss had followed Joe home out of sympathy for what was surely going to be a bad night for his brother once their father returned.  Joe had filled Hoss in on why he had done what he had at the barn dance and Hoss just sat on the couch shaking his head in wonderment.

‘Pa’s gonna kill me Hoss!”  Joe exclaimed as he put his head in his hands.

“Yep—I’m afraid you’re right about that, Little Joe.  Did you see everyone looking at him when he came back inside?  I sure hope that red head of his won’t be a permanent thing!”

“Maybe once he’s had a bath–” Joe muttered, he had already cleaned himself up so as to be more presentable at his soon- to- be funeral.  Hop Sing came in from the kitchen and brought the two boys some coffee.  Joe and Hoss had both filled the cook in on what had happened in town.  Hop Sing–always Joe’s protector, decided he would do his best to run interference on Ben to stall what would be an awful lecture or worse.  He had laid out fresh clothes and had gotten a bath all ready for Ben’s arrival.

“Father be home soon–maybe Little Joe need to disappear up to room?” Hop Sing smiled and Joe just grunted.  It was then that the front door opened and both Adam and Ben appeared.

Hop Sing walked over and surveyed Ben’s new hair color.  “Not look too bad—red nice color on you!”  Hop Sing grinned and Ben scowled in response.  He knew Hop Sing was trying to get Joe off the hook but no one would be able to accomplish that this night.

“Have bath all ready–you go up!” Hop Sing insisted.

Ben crossed the room pausing briefly to stare at Joe.  “You stay right there, young man!  I will be down shortly.”  He stated with anger still very apparent in his tone.  Joe gulped and dropped his head down.

Ben walked upstairs to take a bath while Adam sat down with his brothers.  “You know–I don’t ever remember seeing Pa so mad!”  Adam’s remark came off too casual for Joe and it angered him.

“Oh–I bet you’re loving this!”  Joe stated giving his brother a sharp look.

“Hey–why are you mad at me?  I just spent the better part of the evening riding home with Pa–do you think that was pleasant?  Every other word was what he planned to do to you!”

“Great,” Joe whispered thinking of a way to escape.

“I tried to calm him down to protect your ornery hide.  Maybe after he’s had a bath–and hopefully gets to a lighter pink shade of his hair he will simmer down.”  Adam’s reassurance seemed a bit lame and Hoss jumped in.

“If I was you, Little Brother, I wouldn’t say anything other than yes sir or no sir.  That just might spare your life.”

“You both are making me feel so much better!”  Joe replied sarcastically.

An hour later, Ben appeared on the staircase.  He was now in his nightshirt and robe.  A towel was draped over his head and he rubbed at his hair trying to dry it.  When he took the towel down they all could still see the pinkness left from the punch stains.  Without another word Hoss and Adam hurried up to their rooms leaving Joe alone with Pa.

Ben walked over to the fireplace.  “Come over here.”  Ben stated flatly and Joe reluctantly got off the settee and walked to where his father now stood.  “Take a good look.” Ben commanded.

“A good look at what, Pa?” Joe asked innocently.

“AT MY HAIR!”  Ben bellowed and Joe could see the pink that still tinged the white of his father’s hair.  “What color is my hair, Joseph?”  Ben asked and Joe shrugged his shoulders.

“White?”  Joe answered sheepishly.

“PINK!” Ben yelled and Joe stepped back.

“Well–it’s not as pink as it was–” Joe started and then wished that he hadn’t.

“Joseph—-how old are you?”

“Huh?”  Joe was confused by the question; surely his father knew his age!

“How old are you?”  Ben repeated louder.

“Eighteen, Sir.”  Joe replied knowing his father was in no mood for back talk now.

“Do you think you are too old for me to give a tanning to?”

“I hope so.” was Joe’s unthinking reply.

“Well, you’re not!  But, it’s only because I might not be able to stop myself that I’m not going to do that right now!”  Ben yelled again.

Joe heaved a sigh of relief.  He hadn’t thought his father would hit him, however, he wasn’t sure of anything after witnessing the anger Ben was displaying. “Um–thanks.”  Joe said, not knowing what his father wanted as a reply.

“You are going up to your room.  I want you to stay there all day tomorrow.  I don’t want to SEE you, I don’t want to HEAR you, I don’t want to even THINK of you for one whole day!”

Joe groaned, Pa was really on a roll now!  All Joe could do was to wait until he was given permission to leave ship and then start his banishment up in his room.

“Do I make myself clear, Joseph?”

“Yes, Sir,” Joe returned quietly.

“One day–one day of peace–I don’t think I’m asking too much do you?”

“No, Pa–you’re not asking too much,” Joe replied because he figured Pa wanted to hear it.

“Now go!  But, I am warning you–I don’t care if you are eighteen or a hundred and eighteen—if you pull another one of these stunts you won’t sit down for an entire year!  Do I make myself clear, Joseph?”

“Yes.”

“What?”  Ben boomed again.

“Um–I mean–Yes, Sir!”

“Now go!”  Ben pointed to the stairs.  Joe backed away, not wanting to take any chances on Ben changing his mind.

Adam and Hoss were waiting upstairs in the hallway.  They had listened in on their father’s very loud lecture and as Joe started to pass them Adam reached over and handed Hoss a silver dollar.  “Here—guess I lost this one.”

“I told you he wouldn’t get a whoopin!”  Hoss grinned as he pocketed the money.

Joe stopped and yelled, “That’s not funny!  You two don’t have to listen to everything do you?”

Then there was a loud noise from downstairs, it was Pa.  “In your room, Joseph!” He hollered up the stairs.

“I’m going—” Joe muttered “Try to save someone’s life and this is what you get!”  Joe walked down to his room and shut his door rather loudly.

“Yeah–maybe we ought to turn in too?  Pa is not very happy right now and we don’t want it bleeding over onto us!”  Adam remarked and walked into his own room.

****************************

Adam and Hoss took their seats in the dining room the next morning at breakfast.  They noticed that their brother’s normal place setting was missing and knew that their father had stuck to his guns about Joe’s day of punishment.  They began to eat, as their father had not yet made it to the table.  Finally, after almost ten minutes, Ben appeared coming from the kitchen.  He sat down and poured some coffee and glanced over at his sons.

“Good morning, Pa,” Both Adam and Hoss said timed perfectly together.

“Good morning.”  Ben replied, still very annoyed over what had happened the previous night.

Hoss looked around after smelling a strange scent coming from the end of the table.  “What’s that awful smell?”  He asked and Pa’s face blushed.

“It’s vinegar if you must know,” He replied flatly and put more sugar in his coffee.

“Vinegar?  What was the vinegar for?”  Adam jumped in after also smelling the pungent odor.

Hop Sing came in and answered for Ben, “Use in father’s hair–try to get out color–not work!”  Hop Sing tried to stifle his chuckle.  He thought it was amusing to see Ben with pink hair.  A large part of that amusement was in retaliation for the fact that Little Joe had been banished to his room.  Hop Sing did not appreciate Ben doing that, and the hair problem, Hop Sing thought, was a fitting punishment for Ben for doing it.

Hoss and Adam tried not to laugh as they noticed the sharp look Ben had given the cook who walked away muttering something in Chinese. “Don’t worry, Pa.  It doesn’t smell THAT awful!”

Adam tried to reassure and Hoss broke in, “Yeah–kinda smells like pickles!”

Ben threw down his newspaper and walked into his study.  He had enough of all three of his sons at the moment.  After they ate, both Hoss and Adam hurried out to work to appease their father.  Ben sat at his desk mulling over everything that had happened recently.  He was still angry with his youngest son.  He just couldn’t figure the kid out!  What would compel him to act so fool hardy?  Ben knew Joe’s nightmares had been bad ones, but could that really make Joe act as horribly as he had?  Ben wondered all of this out loud.  He was at a loss over what to do about all of it.  He stood and walked over to pour some brandy and the faintest feeling of guilt began to creep into his mind.  He knew that Joe was trying to protect his father and really hadn’t meant any harm to come of it.  Ben wondered if he had been too hard on the boy the night before.  But, as he continued to mull over the previous night’s events, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that hung on the wall of his study.  There was that pink hair again!  Ben cringed at the sight and suddenly he wasn’t sure if he, indeed, hadn’t been hard ENOUGH on Joseph!  Between the sight of his hair and the smell of the vinegar rinse Pa brushed aside any thoughts of letting Joe out of his room.

*******************************

Joe sat on his bed tossing cards into his hat.  He was getting pretty good at it, since he had been doing it for almost four hours.  He wondered what everyone else was doing that afternoon as he served out his time in his room.  The only other soul he had seen was Hop Sing, who had brought him up breakfast and lunch.  Hop Sing was not able to stay long as he had strict instructions from Ben to bring up the food and leave.  Evidently, Pa was still mad and probably still pink, Joe thought to himself.

Around five o’clock Joe looked out of his window and saw his two brothers riding up to the house.  He called out to them.  “How’s the outside world?”

Adam and Hoss dismounted and looked up at Joe.  “Fine–how’s prison?”  Adam laughed and Joe threw an apple he had saved from lunch out of the window and narrowly missed Adam’s head.  Hoss laughed and then he saw Pa walking out of the front door. Hoss tried his best to give his little brother a sign that he needed to stop talking but Joe wasn’t paying attention.

“Hey–is Pa’s hair still pink?” Joe yelled down, not seeing his father’s presence as the roof to the front porch concealed him.  Ben slowly made his way into view and Joe stood stunned.  There was still enough sunlight which brightened the color of his father’s hair to a rather awful shade of pink.

Pa stood looking up at Joe standing there in the window.  He placed his hands on his hips and stood there in his usual paternal stance. “You were saying, Joseph?”  Ben called up to his son sternly.

“Um—-I was just closing my window, Pa.”  Joe’s face winced at Ben’s sudden appearance and then he closed the window and turned back into his bedroom.

********************************

After dinner that evening, Adam knocked on his youngest brother’s bedroom door and then walked in.  “How’s the exile going?”  He asked moving over to the chair by the bed and sitting down.  Joe frowned and walked over to his brother and plopped down on his bed.

“Ten more hours and then the warden will free me.  What have you got there?”  Joe asked and Adam handed him a book.

“I picked it up in town the other day.  It’s a book on mythology–thought maybe you’d like to read it.  It even has one of your favorite people in it!”  Adam turned the pages and pointed.

“Morpheus?  Who is Morpheus?”

“In mythology he is the god of dreams,” Adam stated and laughed.

“Very funny!”  Joe said and tossed the book to the bottom of his bed.  “You all think my nightmares are a joke—but Madame Sylvia thinks I have precognition!’

Adam looked shocked; firstly, he didn’t think Joe even knew of the word, secondly, he could not believe that Joe would believe such nonsense.  “Joe—the gypsy was just pulling your leg!”

“No!”  Joe retorted angrily.  “She says that the dreams are a warning as to what will happen.  She said that if I try real hard I could figure out what the dreams mean.”

Adam shook his head wearily and stood.  “I gotta go–I’m not really supposed to be up here with you.  Why don’t you read the book?  It’ll give you something to do.”

Adam left his brother’s room and Joe reluctantly picked the book back up and started reading it.  He read everything about the god of dreams before finally falling into a deep sleep.  His dreams were all muddled that night.  They were full of visions of strange creatures he had read about in the mythology book and horrible pictures of the on-coming death of his father.  In his subconscious mind Joe tried to pin point the events leading up to the scene of his father being hurled blindly over a cliff and falling to his death.  Joe awakened as he had in the past, with a loud scream escaping his trembling lips.

**********************************

Pa lit the lamp and slowly walked down the hall towards Joe’s bedroom.  He opened the door and saw Joe sitting upright in bed, his hands covering his face.  Ben moved over to him and sat down on the bed.  “Another one, Joseph?”  Ben questioned softly.  Joe just nodded his head in response.  Ben sighed deeply he hated to see his son so visibly upset.

“You want to come downstairs and have something to eat?”  Ben offered.  Joe shook his head from side to side.  “Same dream?”  Ben continued on.

Joe didn’t look into Ben’s worried eyes.  He couldn’t talk to his father anymore, especially not about his dreams.  Joe wondered how many times he would even have a father to come into his room and console him.  Joe’s mind told him that Ben’s demise would be soon.  Joe wanted his father to leave the room and not see the tears which had gathered in his eyes.  “Go back to bed, Pa.  I’m okay,” Joe whispered.

Ben felt at a total loss as to what he could do to help his son anymore.  He reluctantly stood and walked to the door taking one last glance over at his son who wore such a terrified look on his face.  “I’ll see you in the morning, Joseph,” Ben said and left the room.

Joe walked over to his desk and lit his lamp.  He drew out a piece of paper and began to write down as many details as he could about the dream.  He remembered the gypsy saying to write everything down while it was still fresh in his mind.  Joe wrote for several minutes and then groggily went back to bed.

********************************

The next day things on the ranch seemed to be getting back to normal.  Joe was no longer a prisoner in his room and had gone out with his two brothers to herd cattle.  Ben was getting back to normal as well except for his hair which still held a pinkish cast to it.   But he was pleased that, at the very least, breakfast had gone well, and his sons had shared the normal banter around the table.  All three sons were present and they traded stories and laughed before having left for work.  Ben hoped that his worries about Joe the previous night had been unnecessary.

Later at the dinner table, the four Cartwrights talked about their working day as well as future plans for the railroad contract.  Ben filled them all in on what he had accomplished already that day in town.

“So, tomorrow I leave for Sacramento and we will formally sign the contracts.  I’ll be back in a couple of days and then we will start hiring the new men,” Ben stated and couldn’t help but notice the panic which spread across his youngest son’s face.  “What’s wrong, Joseph?”

“You can’t go, Pa!”  Joe blurted out adamantly.  He noticed the looks on the faces of his family as they stared at him shocked over his very loud outburst.

“Joseph–I’m only going to be gone a few days—-”Ben started but Joe again broke in.

“No!  Pa if you take that trip you won’t be coming back!”  Joe now stood, as did his father.

“Now, Joseph–this is getting out of hand!  Stop it now!”  Ben responded getting angry.

“None of you—–none of you believe me!”  Joe yelled and left the dining room and walked to the front door.  He had to leave; he couldn’t stand how his family had looked at him like he was crazy.  Joe left slamming the door behind him.

Ben sunk back down into his chair.  He folded his hands and rested his head on his knuckles exasperated.  Hoss and Adam looked at each other not knowing what to say.

“Maybe Joseph does have serious emotional problems–just as you said a few days ago, Adam.”

“No–Pa–” Adam reached over and touched his father’s arm.  “He isn’t crazy–if that’s what you mean.  He just believes in what he sees in his dreams.  The other day that gypsy told him he had some kind of a gift–and he bought it!”

“Pa–maybe you shouldn’t go?” Hoss asked, his concern coming out in his tone.

“What?  Don’t tell me that you believe this dream malarkey as well?”  Ben asked surprised.

“Naw—-but with Joe thinking that something bad’s gonna happen–he’s gonna have a tough time with you leaving.”

“Well—my going and coming back will prove to him that his nightmares weren’t true,” Ben insisted. “I could have my attorney go and sign for me–but we can’t cave in to all of this or Joseph will keep on until he drives all of us insane!”

Adam and Hoss both frowned but nodded their agreement.  They both felt that proving to Joe that Ben was able to take a trip and return safely would probably stop all of the nightmares.

********************************

Joe stood outside at the hitching post leaning on it for support.  He felt weak, weak from the strong feeling of dread he felt deep inside.  He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  The light from the porch provided just enough illumination to see the scrawled description of his dream that he had written the previous night.  It read: stage coach, Emerald Bay, rockslide, everyone killed.  Joe knew that Pa’s stage ride would take him right to the place that he had seen in his dream.  There was a blind turn in the high road above Emerald Bay.  Joe knew in his heart, mind and soul that it was going to happen, just as it had so many times in his dreams.  Now that he knew the details, Joe was determined to do something about it.  He just had to save Pa from a certain death.

********************************

Ben Cartwright put his satchel in the back of the buggy and turned to Hoss.  “Where’s Joseph?  Isn’t he going to ride with us into town?”

Hoss frowned; he had already tried to talk to his little brother.  Joe refused to go with the other three Cartwrights and had told Hoss that he was going to stay home.

“He doesn’t want to go, Pa,” Hoss responded.  Ben looked over at Adam who just shrugged his shoulders.  “I’ll be right back.”  Ben said and walked into the house.  Joe was standing by the fireplace as Ben made his way over to him.  “C’mon, Son—ride into town with us.  Don’t you want to see me off?”

Joe turned to face his father and Ben noticed that his eyes gave the impression that the boy had been crying.  “Good bye, Pa.”  Joe said quietly.  He wasn’t sure that he would ever see his father again in life and he didn’t want to be a party to taking him into town and on to his death.

Ben hugged Joe and whispered, “Joseph–I AM going to come back!  Then you will finally see that all of this worrying you’ve been doing has been for nothing.”  Joe pushed his way out of his father’s embrace and walked on up to his room.  Pa knew that the only thing that would make his son feel better was the relief that he would feel upon his father’s safe return.  Ben turned and walked outside to make the trip into Virginia City.

********************************

Joe looked around in the barn for an ax.  He found one over in the corner and tested it for sharpness.  He determined that it should do the trick and walked over to Cochise.  The horse was saddled and ready to go.  Joe mounted his horse and hurried to his assigned destination.  He had decided that he had to do something to prevent the terrible accident that would befall his father if he made it to that particular blind turn in the road above Emerald Bay.  Joe figured that he had several hours to get there and change his father’s destiny if he hurried.

******************************

Ben sat and thought as he looked out of the stagecoach window.  He had missed Joe when he had said goodbye to both of his other sons at the stage depot.  Ben wanted to make quick business of signing the contracts and returning to what he hoped would be a happier Joseph Cartwright.  He looked over at the two other passengers.  There was another businessman and his wife on this trip and they, too, were eager it seemed to get to Sacramento.  The driver hurried the team of horses down the road hoping to make the first way station before dark.

Three hours after the stagecoach departed, it came to a sudden stop.  Ben could hear the driver as he cussed upon bringing the horses to an abrupt halt.  The driver jumped down and saw where a tree had been cut and was laying across the road.  Then the driver spotted a pinto and a young man standing on the side of the road with an ax in his left hand.

“Boy you are going to be in some serious trouble for doing this!  What in the Hell were you thinking?”  The driver cussed as he inspected the large tree blocking the road and he knew that it would take a good long while to have it moved out of the way.  “I’m gonna have you arrested!”  The man shouted again.

“You can have him after I’m done with him!” The strong commanding voice from the inside of the stagecoach sang out.  Ben Cartwright noticed his son standing there and surveyed the damage he had caused as he stepped down off of the stage.

“Joseph!  I cannot believe you would do a thing like this!”  Ben shouted and walked over to his son.

Joe dropped the ax out of his hand as his father approached.  “I had to do it, Pa! I told you something would happen to you if you took this trip!” Joe protested.

Ben grabbed Joe’s arm roughly and stated angrily, “NO—–SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU!  And it’s gonna happen right now!  I am going to take you over to that stand of trees and give you the thrashing of your life!”

Joe looked over as the two other passengers disembarked from the stage and his face went red at the thought of getting a tanning in front of perfect strangers.

“But—Pa–” Joe started but Ben just grabbed his arm tighter and started to push him into the woods.

Just then a rider approached coming in fast.  He reined his horse abruptly and yelled as he dismounted.  “Thank God!  Thank God you all stopped in time!”  He yelled almost completely out of breath.

“What?”  The driver asked looking over at the man.  Ben, Joe and the other passengers also turned toward the rider.

“The road’s gone up ahead–right around that last blind turn! Must’ve been a rock slide!  You all never would’ve seen it until it was too late!” The man explained full of fear at the thought of what could have happened. “When I heard about it I tried to catch up with you–but I would’ve been too late if that tree hadn’t held you up!” He pointed toward the tree which Joe had taken great pains to have fall dead center into the road.

The passengers and the driver turned and looked at Little Joe.  “You saved our lives!” They all said amazed by what Joe had done.

A big smile spread across Joe’s face as he looked up at his father who still stood speechless, taking it all in.  “Oh–Pa?  C’mon–don’t you want to give me that thrashing now?” Joe asked wryly.

Ben looked down at his son and responded by giving Joe a big hug.  “No–I don’t think that will be necessary now.  You saved us all, Joseph!”  Ben admitted as he finally let Joe’s arm go.

“How did you know?”  The driver made his way over to Joe and asked bewildered.

Ben shook his head still wondering the same thing, and replied. “Don’t ask.”

*******************************

The day had come to a merciful end.  The stage had been driven back to Virginia City and the passengers were all told that they would have to wait until the next day when a new route would be planned.  That didn’t matter to Ben, who had instructed his attorney to go in his place and sign the contracts for him.  Joe and his father had ridden back to the ranch and Adam and Hoss sat spellbound as Ben had revealed everything that had happened and why now, more than a dozen people and the Overland Stage Line deemed Joe to be a hero.  Pa, Adam, and Hoss all apologized to Joe even though they still couldn’t figure out how he had managed to dream of the event and also had been able to stop it from happening.  None of that mattered to Joe.  He was content just having his father home safe and sound. He figured that his nightmares would finally stop now that everything was back to normal.  Pa was so grateful to his youngest son that he hadn’t uttered one word of correction when he spied Joe’s boots which had been placed on top of the coffee table during the lengthy explanation of all of the events that night.

Later that evening, after everyone else had gone to bed Ben turned the doorknob to his youngest son’s room and peered in on him.  Joseph was sound asleep.  Pa walked over to the bed and noticed a slight smile creasing the corners of the boy’s mouth.  He grinned to see that his son was sleeping peacefully.  The events of the last few weeks passed through Pa’s mind.  The railroad contract was the Cartwrights now, Ben’s life had been spared due to his son’s intervention and Joe’s nightmares were all gone.  He paused when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on Joe’s bureau.  Pa studied his reflection and gave a sigh of relief.  Everything was back to normal on the Ponderosa at long last including his hair which was finally white again now that the pink coloring had faded away.  ***God’s in his heaven — all’s right with the world *** Pa thought to himself and quietly closed the bedroom door.

The End

Written by Wrangler

(Originally written in 2001, and rewritten for 7-1-25)

Dedicated to Michael Landon who wanted to be remembered with smiles and laughter.

(And, as always, to my story consultant Rob)