Summary: Prequel. Adam and Little Joe bond over a simple engineering and physics concept. When Joe later tries to apply the concept on a large scale, he reaps chaos for all three brothers. Written for the Chaps & Spurs 2025 Third Quarter Challenge.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 7438

A Little Lesson in Engineering & Physics

The front door slammed into the credenza with a bang as Joe dashed inside. The sound drew an audible wince from Adam as he sat at Pa’s desk looking over a ledger. As his baby brother came into sight, now moving towards him at speed, a look stopped the boy in his tracks. “Go open the door again and close it quietly, Little Joe. Pa will have your hide if he comes back from San Francisco and there’s a dent in the furniture,” Adam pointed out.

Little Joe frowned at his oldest brother. “How would he know it was me that did it?”

“You’re the only one who still dares to slam doors around here. Pa hasn’t worn your arm or behind out yet, but he’ll win in the end,” Adam warned. “Trust me on that.”

The nine-year-old’s interest was immediately piqued. “You slammed doors?” Joe couldn’t imagine Adam doing something like that. His eyes went wide with wonder when Adam nodded.

“You’re not the only Cartwright with a temper, buddy,” Adam confessed with a smile. “Pa just managed to get me to tame mine before you were an audience to it. And that’s why I’m sending you to open and close the door quietly, without hitting the credenza, now, before Pa catches you do it again and makes you practice until your arm falls off. Go on Joe.” He turned his attention back to the ledger, expecting to be obeyed. Though his role in Joe’s life was still being negotiated somewhat since his return from college, Adam worked hard to walk the fine line between being big brother and de facto second parent. He hadn’t yet decided whether it was easier or harder to navigate when Pa was away on business.

With a gusty sigh, Joe turned around with a pout and walked back towards the door, dragging his feet all the way. Adam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling, pleased to hear the door open and close softly without the usual tell-tale thud!

The exercise didn’t slow Little Joe down any. As soon as he was finished, the boy bounded towards the desk, brimming with unbridled enthusiasm. Joe could see Adam was in the middle of working, so he tried not to interrupt. Instead, he hopped from one foot to another just to the side of his brother’s vision and waited to be noticed.

His baby brother’s energy, and the effort he was expending in trying to be patient, made the corners of Adam’s lips curl upward. He quickly finished the section and put a pencil in the ledger to mark his place before closing it. “Alright buddy, what’s on your mind?”

“What’s a catapult look like?” Little Joe blurted out.

Adam’s eyebrows cinched together. “A catapult?”

The curly-haired boy nodded. “It’s one of my spelling words this week. I asked Miss Jones to explain what it was and she didn’t do real good–”

“Didn’t do well,” Adam corrected automatically.

Little Joe scowled briefly before continuing. “I couldn’t figure out what all she was saying. What I did understand sounded real neat.”

Leaning back in the chair, Adam smiled indulgently. “Just what was it you understood?”

“People used it in wars in ancient times. They even threw cows in ‘em! At least that’s what Miss Jones said. Is it true?” Joe’s eyes begged for it to be so.

The eldest brother nodded. “More often it was large stones and various items on fire to damage fortifications…” Adam paused, rethinking his wording. “The big walls around a city or castle that kept it safe. They used catapults to destroy them enough to get inside. Dead cows were sometimes tossed to spread disease.”

Eyes wide as he listened to Adam’s explanation, Joe tried to picture the sort of ancient weapon that could launch rocks, fire, and cows at castles. Envisioning a cow flying through the air and giving a long, woe-filled moo as it went, made him dissolve into a fit of giggles. He tried in vain to explain what was so funny to Adam, using hand gestures and sound effects as words were beyond him, and soon both brothers were laughing heartily at the mental image.

Several minutes and deep breaths later, Little Joe was ready with more questions. “What did it look like? Do you gots a book ‘bout it?”

“Have,” Adam corrected. Simultaneously, he reached for a blank sheet of paper and a pencil to sketch one out. The pencil was halfway to the paper when he paused and looked up at Joe. “Homework and chores first.” The predictable whining began almost immediately, and Adam put up a hand to cut it off. “After that, I’ll sketch one for you and we’ll see if we can find the right materials to make a miniature one. If you can manage your part without complaining, I’ll even loan you a book I have.”

Readying himself for a proper pout to accompany a ready-made list of complaints, Joe paused when Adam mentioned the book. His eldest brother rarely entrusted him with one of his books. At least not since Joe had ‘borrowed’ one from Adam’s room that met a very unfortunate end six months ago. He still looked sideways at Adam’s door when passing by; the spanking he got had been just that memorable! The offer sealed the deal in Joe’s mind, and he ran off without saying anything further.

After supper, the pair sat at the table with some kindling and twine for crafting the small-scale device. As Adam explained the physics and engineering behind the deceptively simple design, it felt like little had changed since he left for college. Little Joe was older now, of course, and preferred to sit in his own chair rather than in Adam’s lap. Joe was more hands-on than before, too, wanting to try to follow verbal directions before allowing Adam to show him or offer corrections.

Even with these demonstrations of Little Joe growing older in his absence, there was no denying he hung on to Adam’s every word as he patiently answered every question Joe asked. Spending time together as just brothers made Adam feel like he was finally, truly home again.

In the great room, Hoss watched the pair with a smile on his face, glad to see them getting on the way they used to. The warm, happy thoughts quickly vanished when small projectiles started flying in his direction. “I ain’t takin’ the blame if you two break something with that dadburn thing,” he warned, ducking to avoid dried beans. “Does Hop Sing know you took food from the kitchen?”

“No,” Adam responded calmly. He passed the catapult and ammunition to Little Joe. “And you aren’t going to tell him.” He grinned as the boy bounced a bean off one of the stones of the fireplace. “If you do, I’ll make sure he knows where that platter of donuts he made for the last church picnic disappeared to.” Adam gave Hoss a meaningful look.

The normally even-tempered brother scowled. “You cain’t blackmail your own brother. That’s downright unethical.”

“To avoid being the lone target of Hop Sing’s wrath? You bet your boots I can, and will,” Adam countered.

Knowing when he was bested, Hoss waved dismissively at them both and gave up his whittling for the night. “A fine pair of brothers I got,” he grumbled while heading for the stairs. “Oughta pound the both of ya.” The big teenager didn’t mean a word of it and retired to his room with a smile on his face. It was good to have Adam home again.

The oldest and youngest Cartwright brothers tried to stifle their mirth, playing at putting hands over each other’s mouths as they chortled. All that blackmail would be for nought if they up and alerted Hop Sing themselves! Once the laughter died down, Adam ruffled Little Joe’s hair affectionately. “You should go up; we both should,” he amended. “School for you and work for me. I’ll collect our ammunition before I come say goodnight.

“And Joe?” Adam waited until he had the boy’s full attention, then gave him a firm look. “That model catapult shouldn’t leave the house and I don’t want to hear about it ‘accidentally’ making an appearance at school. Or I’m going to ‘accidentally’ bust your tail.” Adam’s look softened then. “We might even make a few more and see which brother is the best shot. But only if yours stays here.” He was certain Joe understood the expectations that night. Adam couldn’t have been more wrong.

*****

Much of Joe’s enthusiasm for the catapult had worn itself out by the time Ben returned from San Francisco five days later. That was due in large part to the schoolteacher, Miss Jones, who had unfairly taken away the miniature version Adam and Little Joe made together, despite explicit instructions it was not to leave the house. Little Joe’s intention to obey Adam lasted only until morning. He snuck it out of his room and put it into his saddle bag at the earliest opportunity. There had been no reason at all for the mean old teacher to take it from him partway through the morning’s lessons.

Miss Jones, of course, would characterize things quite differently. The use of the little device to send small objects, spitballs in particular, around the classroom, gave her every reason to confiscate it. Little Joe’s initial refusal to hand it over ensured a note was sent home, one that he conveniently ‘lost’ rather than give to Adam. Joe viewed it as an act of kindness, given his oldest brother’s aversion to Miss Jones. The fact that such an action also benefited him was just a bonus.

Little Joe might have lived his entire life without ever once thinking of that model or any other catapult. Then the summer term of school wrapped just as the circus came to Virginia City and planned to stay through the Founder’s Day celebrations. The combination spelled trouble for Little Joe, the sort of trouble, with a capital T, that snared Hoss and finally dragged Adam down with them. And if you asked Joe, none of it was even his fault at all.

Two Weeks Later

“We’re going, we’re going, we’re going!” Joe sang, almost bouncing himself out of the buckboard as it headed for Virginia City.

Upfront on the seat, Ben and Adam shared looks of amusement mixed with exasperation. “The only place we’ll be going is right back home if you don’t settle down,” Ben chided. “I’m not sure how many times we’ve had the conversation that you sit on your backside when we’re moving, but I don’t intend to have it again.” Ben glanced over his shoulder at his middle son. “There’s a rope back there Hoss. Tie Joseph down if you must.” A wink accompanied the direction. “I don’t intend to miss all the festivities in town today because Little Joe forgot how to sit.”

“Sure thing Pa.” Hoss acted as though he was actively searching for the rope Pa mentioned, hiding a grin at the large ‘O’ shape Joe’s mouth had assumed. He watched with amusement as his baby brother hit the floor of the buckboard with a thud and went perfectly still.

While they accomplished the seemingly impossible—ensuring Joe sat down and stayed there—stopping his excited chatter was one miracle too far. No one really minded his animated discussion of what he most hoped to see at the circus, any more than they were bothered by Hoss’s enthusiasm over all the good things he might get to eat.

“Don’t forget Hop Sing packed us a picnic,” Ben pointed out. “Though I expect you’ll have your fill of desserts and lemonade with room to spare. No one should eat themselves sick,” he cautioned. “We don’t want to cut the day short with belly aches.” While the wise words were offered to all three of his sons, Ben meant them largely for Little Joe.

Sharing their excitement and memories of previous Founder’s Days helped the time pass quickly.  Soon, Ben found a spot to leave the buckboard and planned for everyone to meet there at noon for their meal. “That gives us plenty of time to get in some of the activities we’re looking forward to and discuss what else we might like to do later on,” he explained. He reached for his wallet and took out a small sum of money, passing it to Hoss. “This is for your entrance fees and anything you might like to eat or drink. For you and Little Joe both. I expect it to last the day, so don’t spend it foolishly.”

Hoss stood a little straighter as he accepted the funds and responsibility for his little brother. The money went into the inner pocket of his vest right away. “We won’t Pa,” he promised. “We’ll stick together, too. C’mon short shanks.” Hoss gave Joe a big grin. “Let’s get to explorin’. You reckon they really got elephants?”

Ben and Adam kept an eye on the pair as they wandered into the crowd, watching until they could no longer be seen. Only then did they make their way to a hastily erected arena where roping contests and trick riding stunts were due to take place.

*******

Between the time they left Pa and reached the first exhibition tent, three of Joe’s friends joined he and Hoss on their morning’s explorations. It didn’t bother Hoss at all since he knew each of the three boys: Mitch Devlin, Joe’s best friend; Andy Harris; and Freddie Reddick.  As long as they didn’t cause trouble, which then got him in trouble, Hoss was happy to let them come along since they were all going to the same place anyway. Every little boy, and those Hoss’s age, too, it seemed, was heading for the freak tents.

The closer they got, and the more the barkers yelled about what was inside, the less Hoss was certain that this was a good choice for his baby brother. Little Joe still had nightmares sometimes and if there really was scary stuff in there, he ought to protect Joe from it. Maybe he should go in first and check it out on his own, Hoss thought. That would mean leaving Joe alone, which even for a short time was a bad idea. He spent much of their time in line suggesting that they find something else to see but was overruled by all four boys.

Hoping there wasn’t anything too scary inside, Hoss paid the required fee for himself and Little Joe. They waited for the boys to join them before proceeding through the exhibition tent at a snail’s pace. Horror and fascination in turn drew each of them to the tanks with fantastical critters inside, each labeled with exotic names.

“Is it real?” Joe asked. He peered through the glass at what was noted to be a mermaid. The bottom half of its body was a fish while the upper half had bones and little arms and a tiny head.

Hoss raised his eyebrows questioningly at the so-called mermaid. “There must be more’n one kind of mermaid, Joe,” he decided. “That can’t be the kind that sings sailors to their deaths, like the ones Pa tells about.” Granted, it was ugly enough to give a person a good fright. But sing so sweetly that sailors willingly follow the voice and perish?

Joe nodded. “That’s not pretty enough to make me go anywhere. If it started singin’, I’d run far, far away.” All four of the others, Hoss included, murmured their agreement.

Greater oddities awaited them after moving on from the clearly dead creatures. Hoss was fascinated by a man covered in tattoos and tried to ask whether there was a story to each one. He’d started on a fascinating tale of being captured in a place called Burma when the younger boys were ready to move on. Hoss sighed. “Sorry Mr. Tattoo, I gotta keep an eye on my little brother. Maybe I can come back another time and hear all about it.”

The man with the tattoos was only the start of things, and a host of problems for Hoss. A woman with the longest, fullest beard any of them ever saw set the boys fighting. They couldn’t each tug on her beard to make sure it was real. And they were certain someone just had to do that!

Hoss grabbed Joe and Mitch’s collars and gave the boys a bit of a shake. “Stop that. Nobody’s pullin’ nobody’s beard. Especially not a lady’s. Try that and I’ll knock your heads together,” he threatened, including all four boys in his gaze. It was the start of a pattern that was repeated at nearly every station. When they saw the dog-faced individual, they again pitched the idea of pulling on the hair to verify its realness.

“But Hoss, it’s not a girl,” Joe complained.

“It’s still a person and we ain’t doing that today,” Hoss rebutted.

On seeing a man just two feet tall, the boys were certain it was a trick. “He’s actually a tall man and the platform’s just hiding the rest of his legs,” Freddie asserted. “I bet we could get under there and find out!” Hoss picked him up and set him down facing the other direction, ensuring the boy backed down on that idea. So did the others, who scrambled out of the teen’s grasp when he reached for them. By the time they neared the exit of the tent, Hoss wasn’t sure he’d ever been happier to leave a place.

“Gee, that was neat,” Mitch grinned. “Where are we going next?”

Hoss knew where he’d like to see them go—right back to their ma and pa! They weren’t his brothers to be responsible for, after all. Yet Hoss could tell how much Joe enjoyed spending time with his friends somewhere outside of a school or church social. Seeing his brother’s smiles and hearing his laughter… Well, if Hoss had to name a weakness about himself, making Little Joe happy was sure it.

A barker’s call for folks to come see the acrobats offered a saving grace. A show that interested all of them and, to Hoss’s relief, they’d be sitting down to watch. With behinds on seats and eyes watching the performers, it was sure to provide fewer opportunities for mischief. The teenager herded the boys in that direction, his own anticipation for the show growing. As they neared the large tent, broadsides advertised men and women swinging in the air, with barely any clothes on it seemed, along with juggling and a bear tamer.

Hoss made sure the group stuck together as they paid the fee for the show and went to find seats as close to the front as possible. As soon as they were seated, everyone began talking at once.

“Wow! Look how high those swings are.” Mitch pointed above them, his eyes wide with wonder.

Freddie, too, was enthralled. “There’s not even a net! If they fall, they could die. Go splat like—” He slapped his hands together, demonstrating how a body might slam into the ground from such a height. “Go flatter than a flapjack, wouldn’t it? Reckon that’s happened before?”

Andy shook his head. “Naw, nobody’d do the tricks anymore after that I bet. How do they get up there?”

Joe’s eyes lit up as he spotted a potential answer and elbowed his friends before pointing in another direction. Off to the back of the tent was a real, life-size catapult. The size that could throw a dead cow.

“Do you think the bear tamer wrestles the bears?” Hoss wondered with a grin.

“Better hope he doesn’t think you’re a bear,” someone responded.

That voice sounded all too familiar to Joe. It was prissy Sue Parker, the meanest girl in the whole school. Her face looked nasty and her words were worse. How he ended up with her sitting on his other side Joe wasn’t sure. He looked towards Hoss, unsure if his brother had heard the snide comment. But Hoss and Mitch were speaking animatedly about circus animals and appeared to be unaware. “I’ll get you later,” Joe hissed at Sue. Pa didn’t allow fighting, especially not with girls, but he wasn’t going to let anyone make fun of Hoss. He’d find some way to teach Sue Parker a good lesson!

The show was everything they could have hoped for and more. Dazzling tricks, death-defying stunts in the air, even an impressively large bear that was trained and tamed by a woman. “I’d shore like to meet that gal,” Hoss commented dreamily, following her every move. Looking as if she knew no fear at all, the woman danced around the performance area with the bear following her every command. At one point he looked ready to maul the woman and Hoss began to climb over the seats to go to her aide. Then she whistled and the bear began rolling at her feet, gentle as a kitten while the crowd hollered and applauded. No one more than Hoss, after apologizing to the folks he’d attempted to climb over.

The last act was the most tremendous of all as the catapult was brought forward and an acrobat loaded into it. Gasps were heard as it was launched, sending the man flying into the air.

A man pointed and shouted, “He’s going to fall! He won’t make it!” The distance between the airborne individual and his only saving grace—a large metal circle—seemed too great.

“Oh, no!” a little girl cried.

Just as the crowd feared the worst, the performer grabbed hold of the aerial hoop hanging in the center of the tent with both hands. Pulling himself onto the thin metal, he spun the hoop before striking a dramatic pose and finally bowing to the audience. A woman somewhere below fainted dead away, crumpling into the performance area. It made for a chaotic end to the spectacle as a cluster of people crowded around her, some stood clapping, and others still tried to make their way out of the tent.

Hoss, Joe, and the other three boys were among those attempting to make an exit. It seemed to be much harder to get out than it was to get in, and he had a harder time keeping track of Joe in the crowd. More than once he had to tug on his brother’s collar to keep him close. Little Joe was small enough that the wave of people might just carry him away! Or so it seemed to Hoss. Eventually they streamed out into the sunshine again and moved away from the throng. That was when he became aware of the need to answer nature’s call.

“Joe. Joe, you listen’ to me?” Hoss asked, trying to catch the boy’s attention.

“We got time to see anything else before we meet Pa and Adam?”

“Maybe. I gotta find the necessary,” Hoss responded. He looked for a safe place for Joe to wait for him, knowing he’d never simply follow along and wait. A colorful banner with an elephant on it caught his eye. “Wait for me right there, under that.”

Little Joe eyed the banner. “Is there really an elephant? I want to see it!”

The older brother grinned. “Me too. So wait there and I’ll be right back. Don’t wander off, hear?”

Little Joe promised that he wouldn’t and cajoled his friends into coming with on the chance of seeing the elephant before returning to their families for lunch. He had every intention of keeping his word, too. Right up until he and his friends saw the crew move that catapult into a side tent for later and walk away.

The middle Cartwright son returned from the necessary to discover that Joe was not waiting where he agreed. Worse still, there was no sign of him or his friends within the immediate area. Worry and anger filled him in equal measure as Hoss began to search. “I’m gonna kill ‘im,” he muttered under his breath. “Dadgummit. Knew I shoulda dragged him with me.” Hoss always wanted to trust Little Joe and give him the benefit of the doubt. At times, baby brother rose to the occasion. Others, he did not, and typically those instances had the worst timing possible, like today, when Virginia City was crawling with people.

He couldn’t be sure how long he searched before the movement of a tent flap caught his eye. Mitch Devlin and Freddie Reddick just disappeared inside, each carrying something. Hoss hurried in that direction, throwing back the material to find all four boys crowded around the catapult. The boys were in the midst of loading it with some not-so-fresh pumpkins.

“Little Joe!” Hoss hollered. “What are you doing? I told you to wait for me!” He grabbed for Joe, who danced out of his reach.

“You took too long!”

Hoss scowled. “I didn’t neither. I don’t know what any of ya are doing, but it’s done. Go on back to your Pas.” He reached for Joe again and missed. “And iffen you stole those pumpkins, you better put ‘em back!”

“Nah, my ma tossed ‘em out,” Freddie assured the upset teenager. “They were back behind our store. No good to sell, they’re going mushy.”

Making a third attempt to get ahold of Joe, who was darting around the catapult, Hoss tripped over one of the pumpkins. He fell right onto the mechanism that launched the catapult, groaning as it jammed into his stomach. Hoss didn’t realize what he fell into until the boys began screaming in joy.

Not too far away, Adam was drinking lemonade with a lovely young lady when the sounds of chaos drew his attention. Looking in the direction the noise came from, he could just make out a collapsing tent and the top of something he almost didn’t believe. “Is that a catapult?” Seconds before, he’d favored his female companion with a dimpled smile; now Adam’s face grew serious. His gut said to get over there, now. Apologizing profusely to Emmeline, he thrust his lemonade into her hand and ran off towards the increasing sounds of chaos.

The catapult went loose, ripping a hole in the tent as it launched. Fabric fell around them like a sea of bright colors, shielding them from seeing whatever was happening outside the tent. Glass shattered, there were distinctly unjoyful shouts, the sounds of crying, and angry, raised voices as Hoss, Joe, Mitch, and the others struggled out from under the heavy material. The second they were free of it, every single one of them wished they were back under it and could disappear. The front window of Freddie’s folk’s store was gone and displays inside were clearly destroyed. Part of the building, inside and out, and several people were covered in smashed, rotting pumpkin. Among them were Miss Jones, Sue Parker, and Mr. Devlin.

At first, Little Joe didn’t realize the extent of the damage and saw only nasty Sue Parker, covered in pumpkin and crying. “Told you I’d get you!” he shouted, pointing a finger at her.

Adam arrived just in time to hear Little Joe’s triumphant words to a young girl now in tears. His jaw clenched as he surveyed the absolute wreck of the area. Mouth thinned in displeasure, eyes darkening with anger, Adam stalked towards his brothers. Hoss and Little Joe swallowed hard as he approached, feeling the barely controlled fury coming off him in waves. He stopped in front of them, arms crossed, glowering at the pair until they squirmed. “You did this? You two? On purpose?”

The two younger brothers began speaking at the same time.

“I fell and it just went off!”

“Course not.” A bit of a pout accompanied the youngest’s denial.

Adam looked between his brothers, examining Hoss’s earnest, worried look and Little Joe’s leery one. “That’s not what you just said to that girl, Little Joe! Which is it?”

The boy’s eyes veered away as he mumbled a response.

Adam wasn’t having it. Whatever was said—be it a whispered answer or a smart remark—he wanted to hear it, loud and clear. “Speak. Up.”

“I couldn’t see who was outside,” Little Joe stated. “But I’m sure happy she was there!”

Hoss gaped at Joe; certain his little brother had lost his mind. Faster than he could react, elder brother had a hand on Joe’s shirt, yanking the boy towards him. Adam leaned down, looking Joe directly in the eye, holding him close enough that there was barely any space between their faces. “If you have any brains in that head of yours, you won’t repeat that when Pa gets here. And if he doesn’t skin you alive for this, I promise you that I will.” Adam released him and was pleased to see Joe go no further then to stand beside Hoss, as close as he could. If he could have disappeared into their middle brother somehow, Adam was certain Joe would’ve done it. He hoped it wasn’t long before Pa arrived. Despite his threats to the contrary, this was one situation he wanted absolutely no part of.

A considerable crowd had gathered around the wreckage, some to view the spectacle, others to check on property or see to loved ones. Mitch’s father, one of the unfortunate victims, was already interrogating his son and Freddie’s parents, owners of the store, were scolding him loudly while surveying the damage. Someone had caught Andy Harris before he could run off, and others were looking for his folks along with Ben.  Several women were seeing to Miss Jones and Sue Parker while Roy Coffee simply tried to keep order. There were angry pumpkin-covered folk, complaints from property owners of Virginia City and the circus both, and five young’uns who’d be facing a hefty bill. “I always did hate the circus,” he mumbled.

By the time Ben arrived, Roy had become quite well informed about how this chaos had occurred. He’d taken time to speak to each of the boys and hear their part in it and gotten assurances from their folks that they’d not only handle their child but whatever damages were assessed. As soon as Ben had visual confirmation that his sons were unharmed, Roy gave him a full accounting of the situation. The longer he spoke, the more furious Ben looked.

“Pa looks awful angry,” Hoss murmured.

Adam resisted the urge to make a biting comment. If everything Hoss said was true—and he had no reason to doubt his brother’s veracity—he was a victim of Joe’s mischief and taken part in the fiasco only by accident. He hadn’t done the greatest job watching baby brother, but Hoss wasn’t an active participant. Adam gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, unsurprised when Hoss turned worried eyes on him. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk him down this time,” he said softly. There was no point in making false promises, yet his brother’s big blue eyes pleaded with him. “But I’ll try.”

“Try to get a list and an estimate of the costs,” Ben told Roy. “Be sure to give me the largest portion.” He took out his wallet and removed a few bills, passing them to the sheriff. “Put this towards the total.”

“I’ll surely do that Ben,” Roy promised. He clapped the other man on the back and excused himself as Andy Harris’s parents appeared.

Ben turned towards his sons and began heading their way with a thunderous expression. Hoss and Joe unconsciously moved a little closer to Adam. Before he could get to the boys, however, an all-too familiar voice called to him.

“Yoo hoo! Mr. Cartwright! I’d like to talk to you. It’s very urgent,” Miss Jones assured the man.

Joe’s stomach knotted as his teacher drew Pa’s attention. He suddenly wished he hadn’t ‘lost’ that note after all.

Feeling his little brother’s body tense at the interaction between the adults, Adam gave him a hard look. “Joe, please don’t tell me there’s more than all this.” His hand swept over the mess around them, indicating it was clearly enough.

“Okay, I won’t,” he whispered.

Rolling his eyes heavenward, Adam just squeezed Little Joe’s shoulder. It was going to be a very, very long day.

The trio of brothers stood silently as Pa and Miss Jones conversed, watching Ben’s face grow darker the longer they spoke. How that was possible, given the warning cloud it was before the two began talking, they weren’t sure. It was a sight to behold, provided you weren’t the one causing that look.

“I’ll speak to Joseph,” Ben promised the woman. “We’ll of course replace your dress.” He couldn’t imagine the stains, let alone the smell of the rotting pumpkin, were likely to come out. He brushed off Miss Jones’s thanks and excused himself as quickly as he could respectfully do so, citing the need to address the matter with his sons. Ben also didn’t want to spend a second longer amid the unfortunate odor.

Finally making his way to where the boys stood, Ben put his hands on his hips and drilled into each of his sons with a silent, piercing look. “Someone had better start explaining and it had best be a very good one,” he spoke at last.

“Adam started it!” Little Joe blurted out in a panic-filled tone.

Adam’s eyes widened. That boy is on his own. He opened his mouth to protest that he hadn’t even been in the area when Pa started shouting.

“WELL, I AM ENDING IT!”

The eldest smartly closed his mouth; Hoss and Joe followed his lead. There were sure to be other opportunities for Adam to point out to Pa that they had been together a good portion of the morning and he spent the rest of it with Emmeline Hansen.

“Take your brothers to the wagon and stay there,” Ben ordered, looking at Adam. “Stay there, all of you. Don’t move, don’t speak, just sit there and wait for me.”

“But what—”

“JOSEPH!”

Adam put a hand over his baby brother’s mouth, just in case he was dumb enough to say anything further. He caught Pa’s eye and nodded, then started herding his brothers in that direction. Though Joe licked his hand several times to get Adam to let go, it was only when they were a good distance away from Pa that Adam finally took his hand away from the boy’s mouth.

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

The ride back to the Ponderosa was spent largely in silence. Halfway back, when their stomachs started growling audibly, Pa gave permission for Hoss to distribute the sandwiches Hop Sing had packed towards their picnic meal. Then, it was back to silence. Somehow, the length of the ride did not do much to lessen Pa’s displeasure either. When they returned, he was still stony faced, and his voice terse as he ordered them all inside to sit on the settee while he took care of the buckboard and horses. As the boys waited for him to come inside, it seemed as though Pa took a very long time attending to that chore.

Once Pa did enter, he didn’t even speak; he simply paced, leaving them waiting for the scolding, and likely shouting, to come. The longer it took, the greater their anxiety. Adam thought such days were a thing of the past, for himself at least. How he hadn’t foreseen this exact outcome, he wasn’t sure. With the benefit of hindsight, it should have been painfully obvious from the very beginning that Joe asking questions about a catapult were sure to lead to no good.

“I cannot believe that my sons, my sons, could create such chaos and destruction!  Especially you, Adam. You’re supposed to keep your brothers out of trouble, not practically join them in it!” Ben pointed out, glaring at his eldest.

Adam cringed at the way his involvement was characterized. He hadn’t participated in the incident itself! “Pa, that’s…”

“Do not speak!” Ben shouted. His voice reverberated off the walls of the great room.

Closing his mouth, Adam couldn’t resist giving his younger brothers a scowl.

“That catapult was just out there Pa,” Joe tried. He offered Pa his most angelic look, with wide, innocent eyes. “It coulda happened to anybody. Really!”

Ben struggled to rein in his temper, with minimal success. “Joseph! I do not want to hear any creative interpretations of the truth. Your actions are yours and yours alone,” he warned his youngest. “I will not accept your excuses that the circus was somehow to blame for what happened today.”

Little Joe opened his mouth to try and clarify that salient point for his father when Ben held up his hand, silencing him. “Think very carefully before you speak, Joseph, or our necessary talk may move from your bedroom to the barn.”

The little boy slunk down between his bigger brothers, as if he might be able to disappear into the settee itself if only he tried hard enough! Joe had never taken a trip to the barn before and did not want to start now. “Adam really did start it Pa,” Joe half-whispered.

In a matter of seconds, Hoss hauled Joe off the settee before Adam could grab him. Creating physical distance between his two brothers didn’t stop the eruption of anger from the eldest.

“That’s a lie!” Adam barked. “I wasn’t with you all morning!”

“Little Joe, you know that ain’t true.” Hoss gave the boy a slight shake. “Adam weren’t nowhere near us earlier.”

“But he did teach me all about catapults and we even made one—”

“Yes, I heard all about it and the nuisance you made of yourself with it,” Ben interrupted. “Miss Jones had a great deal to say about that and the fact that I ignored a note home from her. A note which I assured her I never received. Do you happen to remember anything about a note, Joseph?” Hands on his hips now, he gave his youngest son a stern look that almost dared Joe to try lying to him.

Adam groaned loudly as the little boy began silently making an intense study of the floor. Joe even went so far as toeing at it with his boot.

Ben’s patience, if he’d possessed any at the start of the conversation, was running thin. “Joseph! Was there a note from Miss Jones that you failed to deliver to me?”

The youngster swallowed hard, then nodded. A meek, “Yes, sir,” followed the nod.

“Go to your room and wait for me,” Ben directed. He waited until Joe’s bedroom door closed before continuing with his questioning. The father turned an expectant look on his middle son. Hoss looked as if he’d rather be mucking out every stall on every ranch in Nevada than be where he was just now.

“If you’re going to take the responsibility of watching Little Joe, Hoss, you must in fact be responsible,” Ben pointed out. “Not join in his shenanigans!”

Once more, a head dropped and a study was made of the floor. Ben sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Go wait for me in the barn Hoss. I’ll be there in a short while.” He inwardly cringed as his middle son practically bolted from the house he was that eager to get out from under his Pa’s stern countenance. Now only Adam remained on the settee, watching him warily. “Go to your room. We’ll talk in a while,” Ben instructed.

Adam realized it was now or never and called out as Ben headed for the stairs. “Pa?”

Turning back towards his eldest, the man merely quirked an eyebrow.

“Talk to Hoss, before…” Adam couldn’t bring himself to say it. “It’s not all it seems. Please?”

Ben considered his eldest for a moment, then nodded in agreement before proceeding upstairs to tend to Little Joe. Adam followed behind and quietly disappeared into his room.

******

A considerable amount of time seemed to pass before Ben knocked on Adam’s door and let himself in. He found his eldest son sitting quietly on the bed, head down, making no effort to acknowledge his father initially. As the door closed, Adam asked softly, “Are we going to the barn?” The way it was asked startled the patriarch. The tone made Adam sound younger and unsure of himself. It reminded Ben of Adam as a teenager, the opposite of the self-assured young man who returned to him from Boston.

He put his hands in his pockets and came to stand in front of Adam, letting silence settle over them for a moment. “Look at me,” Ben directed, waiting for compliance. “Is that what you think needs to happen?”

“Hoss and Joe—” Adam began.

Ben shook his head. “Are children,” he supplied, cutting Adam off. “Even if Hoss looks like a man and can do the work of one. He needs to learn how to resist his little brother and trust his own judgement more often. And you’re not a teenager anymore Adam. You’re a man.”

Adam gave him a small smile. “I thought I was a boy downstairs?”

“You’ll always be my boy, son. And no matter how old you are, I will hold you to the expectations I’ve always set for appropriate behavior. The way I respond, however, will change. Surely you realize that?”

His face flushing red, Adam shook his head a bit. “I wasn’t sure Pa. I was genuinely expecting a declaration to the contrary.”

“I’d have a hard time justifying that, at your age, given that you weren’t directly involved in the chaos of today,” Ben reminded him. “You did not, however, give Joseph the kind of warning he needed after filling his head with stories of launching objects at enemies. Or teaching him the mechanics of doing so. That’s where your fault lies, son. Usually, you’re better at heading off Little Joe’s naturally mischievous nature. What happened this time?” Ben sat down beside his son.

Adam shrugged slightly. “Things are difficult with him sometimes. I was gone for what feels like an eternity to a little boy.  I’m not quite the same brother he remembers anymore. We’re renegotiating things, I suppose. That line between big brother and…” He fished for the right words. “An authority figure is blurry sometimes. I want to be his brother. I don’t want him to just see me as an extension of you, Pa.”

Ben squeezed Adam’s shoulder. “I don’t think he sees you that way. Joe’s a tempestuous little boy. He takes after Marie in that way.” Both men smiled; Ben, remembering his wife and Adam, thinking that Joe had taken after both parents.

“I enjoyed spending time with him that was simply brother time. Being able to share something that interests me, answering his questions and enjoying being together. Time that wasn’t marked by reminders to behave or scolding him for something. More like before I left,” Adam explained.

“When he called for you when he had nightmares?” Ben added, recalling how attached Joe had been to his oldest brother. “You’ve both grown since then. He’s still that little boy,” he reassured Adam. “I think you’re both attempting to find out how to get back to that place together. Perhaps trying too hard? You’ll find your way, the pair of you.

“As for this catapult business…” Ben sighed. “I think it’s fair for you to pay for a portion of the store window and for one of the dresses that was ruined today. There’s no way you could anticipate what happened today,” he admitted. “But we all know that is there is trouble to be had, Little Joe will find it. We have to try our best to cut him off at the pass.”

The younger man nodded. “That’s fair Pa. Thanks.” Adam gave him a dimpled smile, his heart feeling lighter than before.

“You’ll also take Hoss and Joe to make their apologies to Miss Jones in person,” Ben concluded.

Adam cringed at the idea of spending any time at all with Miss Jones, even with his brothers there to act as chaperones and excuses for a quick exit. “Any chance I can trade a tanning for that last part, Pa?”

Ben laughed and shook his head. “No son, I’m afraid not.” The face Adam made, and the groan that accompanied it, caused him to laugh even harder. He wondered if his eldest and youngest even knew how much alike they were.

 

THE END

Challenge words: wreck, eruption, wall, declaration, launched