Summary: When a man seeking revenge traps Pa in a mine, Little Joe races against time to find him. Adam, Hoss, and Hop Sing must then rescue them both.

Rating T, WC 23,175

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The Zephyr

Walking up to the front porch of the Ponderosa ranch house, Joe Cartwright heard the loud protesting voices coming from inside.  Pausing to get a grasp on what all the commotion was about, Joe pressed his ear up to the front door.  He could make out the familiar voices of two of his father’s business associates as they fought to register their own opinions against Ben Cartwright.  Joe frowned as he realized it was yet another attempt by both John Fuller and Gilbert Sands to get his father to reopen the Zephyr silver mine.

Deciding discretion was indeed the better part of valor, Joe settled down into one of the rocking chairs on the porch to wait out the storm.  He knew that the two men would have a better chance at draining Lake Tahoe then they would at having his father change his mind about starting silver production at the mine.  Ben being the major stock holder, it was his decision and his alone when or if the mine would get back into service.

Joe remembered vividly six months earlier and the tragedy at the Zephyr that had shut it down.  After the third and most profitable shaft had been opened, a gas pocket had formed and a fire had raged out of control.  The explosion was heard a mile away in Virginia City and people from all over had raced to the aid of the miners who had been working late into the night.  It was only by divine intervention that more people had not been killed or injured, but still it had cost two miners their lives and four others had suffered from serious burns.  All four of the Cartwrights had been in town that night and had rushed to the Zephyr to help.  It had been Ben Cartwright himself who had pulled out most of the victims.  Suffering from smoke inhalation and exhaustion, Ben had been over-come and taken along with those victims to be treated by Doctor Paul Martin in Virginia City.

Joe could still remember the intense sorrow on his father’s face as he had stood at the two graves the next day.  He could still see the strain on Ben’s face as he had addressed the father of one of the victims.  Luther Morrow had not only lost his only son in the mine explosion, but he had also suffered from severe burns himself.  Both father and son had worked the mine since it had originally opened two years prior, and both were working that night in the heart of the third shaft when the explosion had happened.  Though the man never said anything to Ben or the other Cartwrights when they had offered their condolences, it was the look on his face which let them know what he was thinking.  They could tell that the man blamed the owners of the mine, and foremost the head stock owner, Ben Cartwright.

The front door flew open and both Mr. Fuller and Mr. Sands walked out hastily.  Joe stood as they shot past him.  They made it over to their carriage and then looked over at Joe.

“You have the most irritatingly stubborn father, Joe.”  Mr. Sands spouted out.

“Someone has to talk some sense into him!”  Mr. Fuller joined in.

Joe just shrugged his shoulders not knowing how to address either of the statements that had been made about his father.  He knew his father was stubborn no-one had to tell him that.  But, as for sense, Joe knew that Ben Cartwright had more sense than either of the two men who now sent their team of horses out of the yard.

Hanging his hat on the rack just inside the front door, Joe turned to see Ben pouring a shot of brandy over by his desk.  Joe walked over to him and didn’t speak at first.  He could tell by the redness of Ben’s face that he was all too angered at the moment.  Ben walked over to the fireplace, glass in hand.  He saw out of the corner of his eye that his youngest son still stood as if at attention waiting to be addressed.

“I suppose you heard.”  Ben stated still trying to control his temper.

“Yes, sir–I heard.”  Joe strode over to the settee and sat down tired.

“Those blasted fools –all they care about is dollars and cents–I told them the Zephyr is still not safe enough to start up–but they won’t listen!”

“Will it ever be?”  Joe asked and Ben shot him a sharp look.

“And just what do you mean by that, Joseph?”  He asked nearing Joe.

“Nothing,” Joe muttered, regretting his earlier statement.

Ben sat down in his chair and stared the boy down.  “If you have something to say go on and say it.”

“And get you mad at me?  No, I’d rather just keep my opinion to myself.” Joe replied folding his arms across his chest in an attempt to hold back his feelings.

“I am not going to get mad.  Now have your say.”  Ben’s response came off this time with more compassion in its tone.  He stared into the hazel eyes of his youngest son and waited.

“It’s been six months, Pa.  It’s time to get back to work and that means getting the mine back up and ready.  And it’s not just a matter of money–I know that this ranch can make it without the funds provided by that mine.  But, it’s not just us.  There are men who need the jobs and families out there that are struggling because it’s closed down.”

“So–you’d have us open it and risk more lives–is that it, Joseph?”

“Pa, the men who died–it was an accident.  You have blamed yourself long enough.  It never was your fault.  The stockholders all voted to open that third shaft.  It wasn’t just your decision.  I’m just saying that it’s time to move on.  I know that you keep thinking about Luther and his son Steve–but it wasn’t your fault.  Heck–it wasn’t anyone’s fault.  It just happened.”  Joe walked over to his father and dropped his hand down on his shoulder.  “You know that if situations were reversed you would be the one telling me what I’ve just said to you.”

Ben sighed, it seemed as but another one of his past lectures coming back to haunt him in the words of one of his sons.  It had happened before, but usually it was either Adam the oldest, or Hoss the middle boy.  Rarely had he heard Joe sound so adult and logical.  He stared up into the boy’s careworn face and it was enough to tear down the wall he had built up for self-survival against his two stockholder friends.

“Just when did you start listening to your father?”  Ben broke into a smile which was returned by Joe with a laugh that followed his statement.

“Oh–every now and then when you think I am ignoring you I am really listening.”  Joe teased.  Ben grabbed his son’s hand and squeezed it affectionately.

“I’ll think on what you said, Joseph.  Now–not to change the subject, but aren’t you supposed to be out helping your brothers with the haying?”

“They sent me on ahead–something about me bothering them or something.” Joe grinned.  “No–they are just about done.  Adam headed into town to get some supplies and the mail. I came on ahead so I could get first dibs on a bath—oh and to solve all of your problems!”

Ben stood and took back the role of patriarch.  “All my problems, huh?  It looks like my first problem is that I have a son who still needs to do some chores around here before his brothers make it in.  The wood boxes need to be filled before dinner.”

“But–the bath–” Joe stammered.

“Wood boxes–then bath.”  Ben said sternly.  “Remember–you are going to solve all my problems, right?”  Ben grinned now as he saw the pathetic look Joe gave him.

“Me and my big mouth.  Okay–I’ll do the wood boxes—but I get the first bath around here.”  Joe agreed and headed for the door.

“Okay–you finish getting dirty and I will have Hop Sing heat up the bath water.”  Ben laughed as Joe walked out to do his chores.  Ben turned back toward the living room.  He didn’t know how the green eyed kid did it, but he always was able to make his father feel better, no matter how awful his problems were.

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

Adam frowned over at his youngest brother as he took his seat at the dinner table.  He could see how nice, clean and refreshed Joe looked after having washed his day of work off of his ornery hide.  Adam still showed the residue of the day’s work with the haying and he was hot and dirty and unlike Joe, not refreshed at all.  He stared over next to Hoss.  He could see that the middle son was more intent on enjoying Hop Sing’s wonderful meal than on wondering how Joe had yet to pull another light day on him.

“Here’s the mail, Pa.”  Adam said and handed two letters to his father.  Ben poured Adam a cup of coffee and passed it over to him.

“I’ll see to it after dinner.  You look mighty tired, Adam.  Rough day?”  Ben asked.

“For Hoss and me at least,” Adam replied sending a look across the table at Joe.

Joe pretended to ignore the insinuation and kept on eating, waiting for his chance to get even with his oldest brother.

“I ran into Mr. Fuller when I was in town.  He said he had been out here today.”

Ben frowned and dropped down his fork.  “He is still after me about the Zephyr.  I told him and Gilbert that I am not ready to open it.”

“You reckon when it will be ready to open, Pa?”  Hoss jumped into the conversation.

Ben shot a look towards Joe and noticed that the boy was purposely not getting involved with the subject this go round.  “When I feel it is safe and I just don’t right now.”

Hoss frowned as he read his father’s face.  He could tell that he was not in the mood for more questions about that delicate subject.  “We got the haying about all done.”  Hoss changed the topic of conversation.

“Yeah–Hoss and I worked hard today.”  Adam remarked and the absence of his brother Joe in his statement finally touched a chord in the boy and he sneered over at his oldest brother.

“You and Hoss worked hard?  Hey–what about me–I was there too you know!”

“Oh–that’s right, so sorry.  My mistake–you were there.  And as I recall you were the foreman who was instructing Hoss on how to lift the hay bales correctly.  That is when you weren’t under a tree napping.”

“I got my share done–you are just mad ‘cause I am faster than you!”

“Lazier maybe,” Adam returned.

“Pa–how ‘bout you stop this nightly battle–these two are gonna give me indigestion.”  Hoss pleaded over toward Ben who had been watching his youngest and oldest sons in their heated debate.

“Okay–Hoss is right.  Can we please have our dinner before you two break into a fist fight over this?”

“He started it.”  Joe protested, looking over at his father innocently.

“Joseph.”  Ben warned and Joe frowned and went back to eating.  Adam cast a snide smile towards his little brother which Ben caught sight of.  “Adam–” Ben turned his attention on his oldest.  Adam settled back against his chair and sipped at his coffee trying to act nonchalant over his row with his little brother.

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

That evening the ranch was quieter, all the boys settling into their normal routines.  Adam sat by the fireplace reading a novel and Joe and Hoss were competing in their nightly checker game.  Ben stood from his desk and approached them all.

“Captain Billings wants twenty more re-mounts delivered over to Fort Stewart.  His letter says he wants them as soon as possible.  Hoss you and Adam can take them over to the fort.”

“Sure thing, Pa, when do you want us to leave?” Hoss asked.

“I guess tomorrow–since he needs them right now.”  Ben answered sitting down in his chair.

“Hoss and Adam?  Well what about me?  I am the one who broke most of those danged horses!”  Joe protested as he stood from the settee.

“It’s their turn to take a trip.  Are you forgetting that you and I went to San Francisco just a month ago?”  Ben answered.

“Well–yeah–but who’s gonna get the rest of the haying done?”  Joe asked, afraid he already knew the answer to his question.

“You did say you were faster than Adam didn’t you?”  Ben smiled.

“That’s right, Little Brother.”  Adam jumped into the conversation pleased that Joe’s bragging had at last caught up with him.  “Why you should have it done in no time!”

Joe frowned and tried to think of something to say to change his father’s mind.  “I think I should go with them, Pa.  I know more about them horses, you know?”

“Those horses,” Adam corrected and then ducked as Joe threw a sofa pillow in his direction.

“I think Hoss and Adam will handle those horses just fine, Joseph.  And please stop throwing pillows before one ends up in the fireplace!”

Joe sighed and sat back down on the settee just as Hoss jumped his last checker.

“Yes!  I won–I beat you finally!”  Hoss exclaimed triumphantly.

“It just isn’t my night.  I’m going to bed.”  Joe said and stomped up the stairs for effect.

“He’s taking this rather well, isn’t he?” Adam laughed watching Joe’s performance.

“He’ll be fine.  I was thinking.  You two could use a little r and r.  Why don’t you circle around to Sacramento before coming back?”

Adam looked at his father bewildered and then read his thoughts.  “Isn’t that where the mine inspector’s office is now?”

Ben nodded.  “Why don’t you ask him to come out here when he gets a chance?  Let him decide whether the Zephyr is safe.  I think folks would take his opinion over mine.”

“Well, I think that’s a good idea.  Besides, it’ll give us a couple of extra days away from chores.”  Hoss laughed.

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”  Adam said and went back to his book.

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

Ben watched from a distance his youngest son hard at work.  It had been three days since his other two sons had left to deliver the horses and Joe was just finishing stacking all of the hay that had been carefully baled.  A big grin took over Ben’s face when he watched Joe mopping the sweat from his brow as he threw down the sickle finishing his task.  He reasoned that his youngest would now have a true appreciation of team work.  Kicking lightly at Buck’s sides, Ben rode over and dismounted next to where Joe was now standing.

“Great job, Joe!”  Ben called out as he approached him.

Joe managed a tired smile and slowly put on his jacket.  “I never want to see another hay bale in my life.” He muttered and walked over next to Ben.

“You know that the hay has to be shipped into Virginia City now, right?”

“Please don’t remind me. I want to pretend that I don’t have to lift these again.”

“Well, not today at least. How about coming to town with me?  I’ll buy you a beer to take your mind off tomorrow’s chores.”

Joe’s face lit up at the thought of getting away from the hay and of going into town for a drink.  “Let’s go!”  Joe said exuberantly and walked over to get Cochise.

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

“Whiskey,” Joe called over to Bruno the bartender at the Silver Dollar Saloon.

“Two beers, Bruno,” Ben corrected as he made his way up to the bar with his son at his side.  Bruno drew off two beers and set it in front of the two Cartwrights.

“To forgetting about hay,” Joe toasted his father and Ben laughed.

“Until tomorrow at least,” Ben replied and then his eyes fell on a patron at a table behind where they stood.  It was Luther Morrow.  Ben walked toward the man and looked down at him.  His face still carried the scars of the fire at the Zephyr.

“Luther—can I buy you a drink?”  Ben offered.  The other man looked up at Ben and then took a silver dollar out of his coat pocket and dropped it loudly on the table and stood up.

“I buy my own drinks, Cartwright.  You’ll have to clear your conscience some other way.”  He said coldly and walked out of the bar.

Joe neared his father and could read the pain on his face.  He put his hand on Ben’s shoulder.  “C’mon, Pa—let’s go home.”

“No–finish your beer.”  Ben replied and walked back to the bar.  He polished off his own beer and tried to forget the look on Luther’s face.

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

“The hay is all resting peacefully in the livery in Virginia City.”  Joe reported in to his father two days later.  He wanted to give Ben good news for a change, and had worked much harder than he usually would have.  Joe could tell how the encounter at the Silver Dollar had dampened his father’s spirits and was doing everything he could to help.

“Well, Joseph–I will be telling your brother Adam about this when he returns.  I am sure he will be impressed to hear how fast you got the project done.”  Ben stood from his desk and threw his arm around Joe’s shoulder pleased with his performance.

“Yeah–tell him I did it better than he could–that ought to get him!” Joe insisted and, finding it amusing, Ben ruffled his hand through his son’s curly hair.

“I didn’t exactly say all that, Young Man.  But, you did do wonderfully.  Now I suppose you will be wanting a bath?”

“Yeah–I am a bit itchy to tell you the truth.”

“Well, you go on then.  I have to go into town for a little while.  I won’t be back for dinner but I’ll see you before you turn in.”  Ben walked over to the front door and pulled on his coat.

“You want some company?”  Joe asked, worried that his father may encounter Luther again.

“No—I just have to go to a boring stockholder’s meeting.  Then I told Roy I would stop and see him–catch up on all the local gossip.”  Ben laughed at the thought of the sheriff and how he loved to talk.

“Okay–I’ll see you later.”  Joe paused and then he hugged his father goodbye.

Ben was a bit surprised by Joe’s sudden gesture.  He was, after all, coming right back. He looked into Joe’s eyes and saw the worry there.

“Just be careful, Pa.” Joe said breaking from his embrace.

“I’m only going into town, Joseph–I’m not enlisting in the army.”  Ben teased.

Joe smiled and realized he had let his worry catch up with him.  “See you later.”

Ben grabbed his hat and walked outside.  Joe’s eyes followed his father as he rode off towards town.

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

Joe stood and stretched, tossing down Adam’s book as he looked over at the grandfather clock.  It was after eleven and still his father had not returned.  Hop Sing walked in from the kitchen and stared over at the youngest member of his American family.  He could tell that the boy was worried.

“Little Joe want more coffee?”  Hop Sing asked as he approached him.

“No–you go on to bed, Hop Sing.  I think I have drunk enough coffee to float a clipper ship by now.”

“Don’t worry about father–be home soon.  Old enough to take care of himself.”

“I know–I’ll stay up just a little bit more.” Joe eased back on the sofa.

“Little Joe need go to bed.”  Hop Sing chastised.  Joe smiled over at him.

“Little Joe go to bed soon.”  He replied and the cook shook his head in defeat and walked back towards the kitchen mumbling something in Chinese.

****something is wrong–I can feel it.  Pa wouldn’t have stayed in town no matter how late his meeting was. He knew I was worried about him.  I ought to go on into Virginia City right now****Joe thought to himself. ****but, if he did decide to stay over at the hotel–I would look awfully foolish showing up there.*****Joe stretched out on the sofa and pulled the Indian blanket on top of him.  He snuggled down and thought he would nap right there and wait.

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

Ben’s eyes tried to focus, but he had an intense pain in his head that prevented them from opening all the way.  He shifted his weight on the hard ground and moaned at the movement.  Fighting his way back to complete reality, Ben tried to piece together all that had happened.  He remembered stepping down off the sidewalk and into the street just outside of the law office where the stockholder’s meeting had been held.  He could hear his name being called and as he turned into the alleyway he felt the bluntness of a weapon as it struck the base of his skull.

A dimly lit lantern across from where he now sat, gave Ben the only light around him.  It was dark and damp and it took a while before Ben ascertained that he was in a mine somewhere.  Trying to pull himself to standing he was knocked back down.  It was only then that Ben realized there were iron manacles that held his wrists and ankles.  Reaching towards the back of his head Ben’s fingers caked with dried blood.  It was a good gash, good enough to have rendered him unconscious long enough to be taken to where he was now held captive.

“Never knew what hit you did you?” the voice from just outside Ben’s view sang out.  Approaching slowly, rifle slung under his arm, was Luther Morrow.  “It was easier than I thought to drag you down here.”  He remarked casually and kneeled down just out of Ben’s reach.

“Where am I?”  Ben demanded.

“Take a guess.”  Luther laughed sadistically.

“The Zephyr,” Ben muttered under his breath taking in all the sights around him now.

“Third shaft, Ben, the scene of the crime so to speak.”

“Luther–you let me go now and I will forget all of this.”  Ben offered and the man laughed again.

“You are in no position to make any deals, Ben.  I am in charge now.  I am judge and jury and I have decided you are guilty.  You’re guilty of killing my boy–guilty of getting me scarred for life.  Guilty for all of this!  I have been planning this for a long time.  It’s what’s kept me going all of these months.”

“Planned to kill me–is that it?”

“Yeah–exactly.  But, not without making you suffer first.  And by God you will suffer!  I can promise you that!”  He yelled and stood up staring down at his victim.

“You are sick, Luther.  If you blame me for what happened to your boy— or for what happened to you that’s one thing.  But, to bring me here–where your boy died is very sick.  Go on and kill me–if that will take it all away.  If that is what will bring Steve back for you.”

“I’ll kill you when I am good and ready.  Now you just sit back and relax.  Time is on my side.  No-one saw me and no-one is gonna even think to come here.”

Ben stared at the man before him.  He knew that the man had been driven insane by his hate and by the memories of what had happened the night his son had been killed.

“You won’t get away with this, Luther.”

“I already have!  And since you were wise enough not to re-open the Zephyr no-one will come here.  This place will be where you die too.”

Ben closed his eyes as the man raised his rifle and struck him alongside of his face.  The blow was enough to both split Ben’s cheek open and render him unconscious again.

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

Hop Sing sat on the coffee table and looked over at the boy who slept soundly on the settee.  He hated to have to wake Joe as the boy had stayed up so late that he was surely tired.  But, Hop Sing had not slept well himself.  He had been waiting to hear the loud boot steps of his beloved employer all night.  When Ben hadn’t made it home it made Hop Sing wonder if the man was really in Virginia City or if something had indeed happened to him. Hop Sing waved the aroma of coffee under Joe’s nostrils and he slowly started to come around.  Somewhat disoriented, Joe sat up fast and looked around.

“Guess I fell asleep–” Joe mumbled and then looked over at the clock.  It was almost eight in the morning.  “Thanks, Hop Sing.”  Joe nodded as he took the cup of coffee and sipped it.  “Pa get in?”

“Mr. Carlight not come home.  Hop Sing maybe little worried now too.”

Joe stared into the dark ebony eyes of his dear friend and could read the fear in them.  He stood and put his hand down on Hop Sing’s shoulder.  “You and I are probably making a mountain out of a molehill–” Joe began but Hop Sing looked confused.

“What mole have to do with Mr. Ben?”  He asked seriously.

“Nothing–just an expression–a stupid one at that.  I’m gonna go into town.  Pa probably is drinking his morning coffee in the dining room at the International House right now.  Don’t worry, okay?”

“You tell Mr. Ben that Hop Sing quit!  No like not sleeping while old man sleep in town!”  Hop Sing said indignantly, but underneath his remark there was still worry.

“I’ll tell him.”  Joe winked and grabbed his jacket and holster and headed out.

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

“Roy!”  Joe yelled as he burst into the Virginia City jailhouse.  Roy hurried in from the back cell and saw a distraught young man before him.

“What is it, Little Joe?  What in tarnation is all the yelling about?”  Roy asked as he settled down into his chair behind his desk.

“It’s pa—he never came home last night and–” Joe started rapidly to explain but Roy caught a hold of his arm to stop him.

“Now you sit yourself down in this chair and catch your breath.  Then you can tell me all about it. Come on now–settle down.”  Roy spoke out worried about the boy in front of him.  He had known Joe Cartwright ever since he was in diapers. He knew how upset he could get, and when that happened it was harder to get to the bottom of his troubles.

Joe reluctantly settled into the chair Roy had offered and tried to gather his thoughts.

“Pa came into town yesterday—” Joe began.

“Yep, I saw him here myself.  We had a talk and then he went over to a meeting.”  Roy nodded for Joe to continue.

“He never made it home.  I checked and he made it to that meeting okay.  But, nobody has seen him since.  I checked the hotel, he wasn’t there.  I checked the livery stable and Buck’s not there.  I think something has happened to him.”  Joe’s voice broke as he gave his rendition of the facts.

“Now, Joe–don’t go getting yourself all riled up.  Could be a whole lot of things.  Maybe his horse threw a shoe–maybe you just missed him on your way out here?”

“No, Roy–I have an awful feeling that he’s hurt.”

Roy stood and grabbed his coat.  “Now why don’t you go on and head back to the ranch?  I’ll do me some checking around.  Like as not your pa is back at the ranch now wondering about you.”

“I’ll go back the mill road and see if I can pick up anything.  If you don’t come up with anything meet me back at the Ponderosa later.”  Joe said walking with the sheriff to the door.

“I’ll see you later.  You try to get a grip on yourself.”

“I will when I see Pa.”  Joe countered and headed back out to look for his father.

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

“Reckon you’d like a drink?”  Luther called over to his victim.  He held a canteen in his hand.  Ben tried to pull himself up against the wall of the mine to lean back.  He had no idea how long he had been out this time.  Ben could taste the blood which had dripped down his cheek and found its way to his bottom lip.  He fought off the intense nausea he was feeling.

“Go on–have a drink—I want to keep you alive for a while longer.”  Luther handed over the canteen and Ben reluctantly took it. He swigged in a mouthful of water and almost choked on it.  His throat was parched and his body ached more than he thought was possible.  Wondering if there was any possible way to get through to Luther, Ben thought on what to say.

“Luther–I never wanted anyone hurt.  I think deep down you know that.  There was no way to know that the gas leak would happen.  We had every possible precaution–it was just an accident.”

“Go on, Ben.  Why don’t you start begging for your life?  The all powerful all mighty Ben Cartwright begging Luther Morrow for his life!”  Luther sat back and laughed.

“I’ll not beg if that’s what you’re after.  So, if you’re hoping to hear that, well, you’ll have a long wait.”  Ben stated angrily.  Luther stood and pointed his revolver at Ben’s chest.

“I have all the time in the world.  All you left me was time, Ben.  Now–looks like you could use a stretch.”  Luther carefully undid one of his prisoner’s wrist manacles.  “Stand up and put that arm around that beam right over your head.”

Ben weighed the situation.  He could try for the gun, but was worried that it would go off.  He felt time was on his side as he knew that Joseph would be trying to find him once he hadn’t come home.  Ben did as instructed this time.  He moved to stand and Luther hurriedly snapped the manacle shut tight and locked it so that Ben was now standing with his arms linked to the timber beam above him.  Ben grimaced from the weight of his body against the manacles.  His legs were weak and his head still reeled from the blow he had taken.

“Let’s see how you like standing for a while.”  Luther laughed and walked back off into the darkness.  Ben said a silent prayer that he would be found before Luther could seek any further revenge against him.

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

“No luck?”  Joe was quick to ask Roy as he entered the ranch house later that night.  Roy walked inside, shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Nobody has seen your pa, Joe.  I’ve looked all over–talked to half the folks in town.  How about you?  See any signs on the trails?”

Joe shook his head sadly and sank down on the sofa.  “No tracks.  I just don’t understand this.  If pa had fallen or got hurt he could still make it to one of our camps, or I would’ve seen signs of something on the way back here.”

“Well, I’m gonna get some men out looking for Ben first light.  I know you are gonna worry, Joe.  But, if your pa’s out there anywhere–we’ll find him.” Roy patted Joe on the shoulder and turned to walk back to the door.

“Thanks, Roy.  I’ll be in town first light.”  Joe said somberly and walked Roy to the door. Roy nodded and left the house.

Hop Sing came in from the dining room.  He had heard all that had been said between Joe and the sheriff.  Joe turned just as Hop Sing approached.  Hop Sing threw his arms out and Joe fell into them for solace.  He fought back tears as his long-time friend and surrogate father whispered that everything would be all right.

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

Joe sat the next morning at first light at his father’s desk.  He had a troubled sleep the night before and was up long before daybreak.  Joe shifted through his father’s papers on his desk trying to think of anything that would be a clue as to what had happened and where he was.  Joe rested his head on his arms and it was only then that he let loose the wall of tears he had been holding back.  He knew that the longer that his father had been gone, that the worse it meant.  Joe felt in his heart that Ben was in serious trouble and he had no idea what it was.  He prayed that Adam and Hoss would walk in the door and shoulder the burden he now felt was his alone.  Deciding that it was time to wire them in Sacramento, Joe lifted up his head off his arms to get ready to leave.  As he stood he gazed down at the papers which had been under his arms the whole time.  His tears had fallen down and blurred the ink of one of the words.  Joe bent down to see what word it was; Zephyr.  Joe felt a chill throughout his body.  After sending the telegraph he knew now where he would go.

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

“Let me read this back to you.”  The telegrapher said to his patron.  Urgent.  Pa missing.  No clue as to what happened.  Need you both here immediately. Joe.  “That will be six bits.”

Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out the money.  “Send it right away, will you, Pete?”

“Right away, Little Joe,” He said and stepped over to send it.

Joe had already spoken to Roy before the sheriff had left with the other men to search the surrounding area.  They had given up on the idea of Ben being held for ransom as no letter had been sent.  Joe didn’t tell Roy about going to the Zephyr, he felt the sheriff would discourage him because of the danger.  Besides, there was no real reason to go there, other than a smudged word and a deep gut feeling.  Joe vaulted up onto Cochise. He turned away from Virginia City and headed towards the mine.

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

Hoss and Adam sat inside the Imperial Saloon in Sacramento sipping on their beers.  They had delivered the horses as assigned and had reached Sacramento the previous day.  It was now time to rest and relax as their father had instructed.

“Wonder if Joe got all that hay in yet?”  Hoss smiled and winked at his big brother.

Adam laughed out loud.  “He’s probably still whining about it.  I figure it won’t be done till we get home.”  Adam signaled the bartender for two more drinks.

“Hey, we got to go talk to that mine inspector today.  We told Pa we would.”

“Plenty of time for that,” Adam nodded and then handed the bartender a silver dollar.

“You reckon Pa will go by what the man says?”

“Yeah–Pa’s stubborn but if they give the go ahead he will agree to it.  I’m not sure if it’s all been just a safety matter either, Hoss.  Pa just never has gotten over losing those men.”

“Yeah–” Hoss started but then heard someone holler out the name “Cartwright”.

Adam spun around seeing a young boy run into the saloon.

“You Mr. Cartwright?  I’m looking for someone named Adam and someone named Hoss.” The boy said out of breath.

“That would be us, Young Man.”  Adam nodded over to him and the boy drew out the telegram from his pocket.

Adam looked at it and his facial expression went lax.  He passed it over to Hoss and they both stood.  “Here.”  Adam handed the boy a dollar.

“What do you make out of it?”  Hoss asked his brother, worry creasing his face.

“Don’t know but we better get going.  You go and get our gear at the hotel.  I’ll stop in real quick to see that inspector and grab our horses.  Meet me at the livery as soon as you can.”

Hoss and Adam hurried out of the bar, both feeling a dread in their stomachs.

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

Joe’s heart leapt in his chest when he saw his father’s horse outside the opening of the Zephyr mine.  He quickly dismounted and tied Cochise to the sign at the front of the entrance.  He then checked Buck over thoroughly.  There were no signs of any injuries to either horse or previous rider.  Joe looked toward the mine.  It made no sense.  He could not understand what had possessed his father into coming there.  Not knowing if there was any danger, but not wanting to chance it, Joe drew out his Colt revolver and walked into the mine.  He took no more than ten steps inside when he heard someone behind him.  Before Joe could turn all the way around he was struck by the butt of Luther’s gun and fell incapacitated to the ground.  Luther smiled at his newest prisoner.  It had been all so easy.  He had both father and son in his grasp.  How better to make up for his own loss than by now having Ben’s own son as a victim?  He laughed as he tied Joe with his hands behind him.

Ben heard the noise as it came towards the opening of the third shaft.  He wondered if it was help coming at last.  Opening his eyes he was horrified to see Luther dragging his youngest son through the tunnel.

“Got you some company!”  Luther called over towards his first prisoner.

“Joseph!”  Ben gasped looking at the boy.

“He can’t hear you just now.”  Luther answered sarcastically.  He all but threw Joe’s crumpled body up against the wall next to Ben.  Then, he got his tools ready to secure an additional set of manacles into the stone wall of the mine shaft.  He pounded in the iron chisel and secured the iron bar into the rock far enough so it could not be pulled out.  Next, he attached the couplings to both Joe’s wrists and ankles.  “I’ve got two Cartwrights—for the price of one!” Luther exclaimed triumphantly.  “Of course I wasn’t aiming to catch your kid, Ben.  But, since he found you it is appropriate don’t you think?  I mean me and my boy were in this very shaft, and now you and your boy are.  Of course neither of you will get out of here alive.”

Ben strained against his chains, wanting to reach out for his son, and to also reach out and strangle the one who had hurt him.

“Well, it’s about my dinner time.  Hate to leave the two of you right now.  But, you understand don’t you?  It will be a real fine reunion when the boy wakes up!  I’ll be back later and we’ll see what kind of fun we can have then.”  Luther said and walked away.  Ben could still hear the man’s laughter as it echoed throughout the mine.

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

It was several hours later that Joe began to stir.  He groaned as he started to come back around.  He thought he was in yet another nightmare and was fighting his way back to reality when he heard his name called.  Blinking back tears he realized it was his father’s voice as his sight became clearer.

“Pa!”  Joe called out horrified to see his father chained up to the beam above them.  He could see the gash on Ben’s cheek and the bruises on his face.

“Are you all right, Joseph?”  Ben whispered staring down at the boy.

Joe fought against the chains that held him.  All he wanted to do was to get to his father and help him.  “Pa–who did this to you?!”  Joe yelled madly.

“Luther–Luther Morrow.”

“That son of a bitch!”  Joe replied.  He tried never to use foul language in front of his father, but seeing him like he was trussed up and bleeding was more than Joe could bear.

“I’m okay–how’s your head?”  Ben asked.

Joe rubbed at the crown of his head and grimaced.  “Good thing that it’s hard.  Why is he doing this, Pa?”  Joe asked trying to move as close as he could to his father.

“He wants me dead because his son died here.  I only wish you hadn’t stumbled upon us.  What made you come out here to look for me by the way?”

Joe hesitated before answering Pa.  He remembered how he had been sitting at Pa’s desk when he spotted the one tear-stained word, “Zephyr”.  It seemed like a strange way to find a clue as to his father’s whereabouts and due to the circumstances, he chose not to tell Pa.

“Joseph?” Ben called, trying to get his son’s attention.

“Oh – sorry – I just kinda had a hunch, Pa – that’s why I came here,” Joe finally replied, deciding to leave out the whole incident at the desk.    “I’m sorry, Pa.  I should’ve told Roy where I was going.  But, there are a whole lot of people out looking for you now.  Don’t give up.”

“Joseph–the man is crazy.  There’s no telling what he will do next.  I don’t want to see you hurt.”  Ben stated, fighting back his worry over what was to come; especially in regards to what would happen to his son.

“I already am.”  Joe answered staring at the sight of his father’s battered body.  “What he’s done to you hurts me more than anything he can do to me.”

“Did you send word to your brothers?”  Ben purposely changed the subject wanting to remain as strong as he could for his son, and not breaking down as he wanted to.

“I sent them a wire today.  We still have a chance, Pa.”  Joe tried to sound encouraging, but after having seen what the man had already done to his father he wasn’t at all sure help would arrive in time.

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

Neither Ben nor his son knew how long it had been since Luther had left them.  Joe tried his best to pull himself free but his bonds were too tight.  Exhausted, he had stopped fighting them and had tried to conserve his energy.  It was an eerie silence there in the mine as the two Cartwrights waited for their captor to re-appear.

“Well, how are you two doing?”  Luther asked as he dropped down his lantern and sat opposite Joe.  “Sorry I was gone so long, had to get rid of two horses.  Oh, and I ate a large meal at the International House. Yes sir, steak and potatoes.  You hungry yet, Ben?  Been a couple of days now–you should be about starved.”

Ben refused to answer the man but could see from his son’s face that the anger inside of the boy was ready to explode.  Luther caught Joe’s expression and turned his attention toward him.  “I think your pa there has been hanging around long enough.  Let’s you and he change positions.”  Luther neared Joe and he lunged toward the man.  Luther slugged him in the face causing Joe to careen back against the wall.  “How about I just shoot your daddy?  Will that get you to simmer down?”  Luther pointed his gun at Ben.

“No!”  Joe screamed.

“Okay then–thought you’d see it my way.  Now make another move and Ben’s dead you understand me?”

“Yes.”  Joe muttered seething inside.  He would wait for his next chance at the man, he promised himself that he would make Luther pay for the pain he had inflicted on his father.

“Now—stand up!”  Luther instructed and Joe obeyed this go round.  Luther untethered Joe’s right hand and then made him move toward the beam which had held Ben for so long.  “Toss that arm up in the air!”  Luther said and Joe was then secured to the beam.  It was much higher for him than for his father and Joe had to almost stand on his toes to keep balanced.  Luther then undid Ben’s right hand and Ben collapsed onto the ground, his legs having gone weak from standing so long.  Luther shoved Ben over to the wall and then secured his hand back to the chains in the mine wall.  Ben stared up at Joe, aching in his heart to see him struggling to stand upright.  Luther walked over to Joe and taunted him.  “Not as tall as your daddy are you boy?  You fall and you will dislocate those wrists of yours for sure.”

“Go to hell.”  Joe muttered and was answered by a punch to his stomach.  Joe lost his balance and his wrists were yanked due to the manacles which had him securely held up against the beam.  He cried out from the sudden jolt and the pain it had caused.

“You were saying, Joe?”  Luther laughed at the sight.

“Leave him alone!  Your hate is for me not my son!”  Ben called out horrified at the treatment of his son by the hands of the maniac.

“He’s your son, so I hate him just the same as you, Ben.”

“I knew Steve–” Joe began, trying to catch his breath as he fought to regain his balance to take the weight off of his sore wrists. “Steve was a good man–he would never have done what you are doing.”

Luther turned back on Joe, furious that he had mentioned his son.  “My Steven is dead!  And your father killed him!”

“You both knew the dangers of working in this mine–you knew what could happen.”  Joe argued.  Luther began punching Joe relentlessly in response to what he had said.  Joe sagged again from the blows he had taken.  Blood dripped from his left eyebrow and he felt he would be violently sick to his stomach from the blows he had taken to it.

“Leave him alone!”  Ben shouted and pulled at his chains.

Luther stopped and turned back around.  He kneeled down next to Ben and grinned at him.  “Something tells me that hurting your kid hurts you more than hurting you.  Now, I told you I could get you to beg me–but you wouldn’t do it.  How about begging me for Joe this time?”

Joe shook his head and moaned. “Don’t do it, Pa.”  He whispered, fighting his pain.

“You want me to start beating him again?”  Luther asked as he saw the anguish on Ben’s face.

“No, please–don’t hurt him anymore.”  Ben pleaded.

“Beg me.”  Luther countered sadistically.

“I’m begging you now, don’t hurt Joseph.  Please he’s taken enough.”  Ben answered.

Joe cried seeing his father reduced to begging for his son’s life, he knew Ben would never beg for his own life, but a son was much more precious to him.

“Get on your knees.”  Luther demanded.

“No, Pa—” Joe sobbed.

Ben moved to his knees.  “I’m begging you to spare his life.”  Ben called out.

Luther laughed and stood up.  “I wish I could take me one of those pictures like they got in those new- fangled stores in the East.  I’d have me a picture of the rich and powerful Ben Cartwright begging like a dog for a bone!”  Luther picked up his lantern and started to walk away.   He paused and turned back around.  “Okay, I spared Joe this time.  But, I’m gonna be back in the morning and then it don’t matter how much you beg me.   Yes sir, me and Joe are gonna have us some real fun.”  Luther taunted Ben and then walked back into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

“You shouldn’t have done it. Pa–you shouldn’t have begged that bastard.”  Joe cried.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you alive.”  Ben declared emphatically.

“I’m gonna kill him, Pa–kill him for what he’s done to you.  I swear it!”

“Save your strength, Joseph.  Lord willing we will get out of here somehow,” Pa attempted to calm the rage he heard in his son’s tone of voice.

Joe looked up at the beam which held him trapped due to his chains.  It hung down from the top of the mine giving a two foot clearance above it.  He knew if he tried to haul himself up on top of the beam that he might be able to find a weak spot in it somehow and free himself.  Joe also knew he had to try it soon, before his exhaustion took over.  He jumped as high as he could in a panicked attempt to grab the top of the beam.  Ben watched and held his breath.  He knew it would do no good to try and stop his son.  Joe would never have listened to him, not as angered as the boy now was.

On the third try, Joe grabbed firmly at the top of the beam.  He pulled himself upside down and tried to hug onto it with his legs.  He was now completely upside down hanging like a squirrel to a branch.  Slowly he pulled himself around so that his body now rested on top of the beam.  Joe paused and tried to catch his breath.  He looked down at his father and a small smile of triumph filtered down onto his lips.

“Well, at least I can rest now.”  Joe whispered as he inspected his surroundings.  He had hoped to find a weakness in the beam, but as he inched his way down the wood, he found nothing that would help free his arms.  Joe managed to pull himself to a sitting position. “Got any ideas?”  Joe called down to his father.

“Ideas?  Joseph, I don’t even know how you’re gonna get down from there.”  Ben sighed as he stood and attempted to stretch his aching arms and legs.  The chains which held him only gave him a couple of feet to move.

“Maybe I can sit here and wait for Luther to come back and then jump him?”  Joe stated and tried to figure out how to best position his self in order to make the move on their captor.

“It could be hours, Son.”  Ben replied.

Joe straddled the beam again, lying down on his stomach this time.  “I ain’t got nothing better to do, Pa.”  He stated wryly.

“At least you look comfortable.”  Ben tried to crack a smile even though he knew the severity of the situation and the odds were definitely against the two of them.  “It’s a good thing you are so light, can you imagine Hoss up there?”

“If Hoss was up here the beam would come down and free him.  You got stuck inside here with the wrong son, that’s for sure.”

“I wish you hadn’t come, Joseph.”  Ben remarked sadly and sat back down.  “The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt like this.”

“You think he’s gonna kill us, don’t you, Pa?”  Joe turned serious as he read his father’s face.

Ben didn’t want to answer his youngest.  He had hoped to watch the boy grow up into a full grown man.  He was only eighteen and had so much life in him.  Ben feared that the youngster before him would not make it out of the mine alive, nor would he, himself.

“Pa?”  Joe asked again.

“He wants to kill us–that’s for certain.  But, there’s always hope.  It wouldn’t hurt to say a few prayers, Son.”

Joe nodded over to his father.  He would pray.  He would pray all night if need be.  But, when the evil man returned he now prayed that he would be able to over-take him to spare his father’s life as well as his own.

Ben had succumbed to exhaustion and even Joe, balanced on the beam above his father, fell into a deep sleep.  There really wasn’t anything else they could do anyway.  The man who held them captive had left and the only thing that either Cartwright could do was wait and pray and sleep.

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

Roy Coffee was in a bad mood.  He rarely flared off at people but he had worn himself thin in trying to find his friend.  The men from his posse had covered twenty square miles with no results.  Roy sank back in his chair and rubbed at his weary temples.  He regretted having yelled at both his deputy and one of his posse members when they had insisted on calling off their search that night.  After having calmed down, Roy had apologized and sent the entire party home.  He had no idea where to search the next day but he would.  Roy wondered why he had not seen hide nor hair of Joe.  He reasoned that the boy had decided to search on his own.

Roy poured a cup of badly needed coffee and sank back down against his chair just as the door to his office sprang open.  Roy half expected to see Joe Cartwright enter, in his usual excited manner, but instead he saw it was Hop Sing.

“Little Joe no come home–no one see him!”  Hop Sing yelled as he neared Roy.

“I haven’t seen the kid either. He was supposed to meet up with me this morning.  This is great–just great!  Now I have two missing Cartwrights!  I should have locked the kid up just to keep tabs on him.”  Roy yelled frustrated.

“No Mr. Ben–no Little Joe–where they are?”

“I wish I knew, Hop Sing.  But, I can promise you I am gonna find out. It’s mighty late–I’ll get my posse back together first thing in the morning.”

“Hop Sing ride too!”  The cook insisted.

“No–now Hop Sing, the best place for you is back at the Ponderosa, just in case Joe shows back up.  But, it’s a bit late for you to go off now.  You want me to put you up here for the night?”

Hop Sing peered back towards the jail cells.  A smile creased his lips at the thought.  Though he had seen each member of the family entertained for one reason or another in Roy’s jail, Hop Sing had never committed a crime.  He thought it would be a little exciting to sleep in a cell.  And, besides that, he didn’t really want to drive back to the Ponderosa in the dark.  It had been a bad enough journey getting into town.

“Hop Sing stay.  You lock cell?”  He asked.

Roy chuckled and walked Hop Sing to the back.  “No, Hop Sing–I ain’t locking you up, I’m just extending to you the hospitality of this here jail.  You go into the first one–I think that has the best mattress.”

Hop Sing nodded and settled down onto the bunk.  As worried as he was about his two family members, he smiled.  This would be a great story to send to his cousins in San Francisco.

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

“Joseph—” Ben whispered and Joe opened his eyes.  It took him a few seconds to realize he was still up on the beam and had almost fallen when he had heard his name called.  “I think I heard something.”  Ben continued.

“He’ll be coming right under here, Pa.  I’m gonna try to get him.”

“Be careful.”  Ben warned and then saw a lantern approaching.

Luther had just passed under Joe’s perch when the young man swung his legs down knocking his enemy into the dirt.  Joe now hung from the beam with his hands again over his head, but kicked at the rifle that had fallen along with the man.  Joe attempted to use his boot to push the rifle over to his father but Luther regained his senses too fast.  It was then that he grabbed the rifle and sent off a shot at Ben.  Joe immediately stopped his attempt to get Luther and saw how his father now slumped over gripping his left arm.

“Cost your father a good grazing there, Boy!”  Luther called over as he inspected Ben’s wound.  “Just took some hide off.  I could’ve killed him, but I am not quite ready to yet.”

Ben regained his composure and bit his bottom lip in pain.  “You want me dead–that’s fine.  But, let my son go.”

“Let Joe go?  Okay–if you bring Steven back I will.”  Luther said viciously and turned his attention back on Joe.  “Now–let’s see what I’m gonna do to you for your attempt at escape.”

“Go to Hell!”  Joe screamed and waited.  He could see that it didn’t matter what he said now, Luther was going to hurt him anyway.  Luther approached Joe and grabbed his face in his hand and squeezed it hard.

“Look at me!”  He demanded and Joe did as instructed this time.  “You see these scars on my face?  They were caused by the explosion–and they are on my face because of your father’s negligence.  How would you like that pretty face of yours to look like this?”

Joe didn’t answer and he fought back the repulsion from looking at the hideous scars that marred the man’s face.  Luther let go and walked over to the lantern.  He took off the glass cover and carried the lamp back over to where Joe stood, still trying to balance himself.  His wrists ached from the weight of his body as it tried to stretch enough to prevent falling.

“See this flame, Joe? You reckon how long it would take to burn into your flesh?  I can tell you it wouldn’t take long.  Oh and the pain!  My God there’s nothing like a burn for making a man hurt!”  Luther pulled the flame closer.  The light from it danced in Joe’s intense hazel eyes as he felt the increasing heat from the lantern.  He struggled not to cry out in fear.

“Luther!”  Ben screamed standing up.  “You want to hurt someone you hurt me!  Leave my boy alone!”

Luther let out a blood curdling laugh and then swept the flame from the lantern across Joe’s right cheek.  Joe felt the heat and then the scalding pain as it singed his face.  He cried out in pain.  “No! Please!”  Joe yelled as it passed over him and then Luther dropped it down.

Ben pulled his chains as far as he could in a vain attempt to get to his son.  They stopped a yard short of where Joe sagged down against the chains and passed out.  Luther reached up and unlocked the right cuff of the manacle and freed Joe’s arm so that he fell flat on the ground.  He then pulled the unconscious young man over by Ben.  He secured him back up against the wall of the mine.

“Well–you know that had to hurt.”  Luther laughed sadistically.  Ben wished he could get his hands on the evil that stared over at him.  He knew he could strangle the life out of the man now.  Ben had never wished anyone dead the way he now wished it of Luther.

“It ain’t over, Ben.  There’s lots left to do.  I see the hate in your eyes.  But, you know what?  It ain’t half the hate I have for you!  You just saw your son hurt–hurt pretty good.  But, you haven’t seen him dead.  Wait till then, and maybe you’ll finally know how I feel right now.”

Luther walked over to the lantern and put the glass back in place.  He then reached for his canteen and tossed it over at Ben.  It fell close enough for Ben to reach it and he pulled it to him.

“Go ahead and drink.  I want you alive remember?  I have to go now, but I’ll be back real soon.  Then we’ll see what’s next on the list.”  Luther chuckled and walked back out into the tunnel.

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

Ben could make it to within a foot of where Joe now lay. Stretching out as far as he could, he pulled Joe towards him.  Ben was able to get his son close enough to check the boy’s wounds.  The skin on Joe’s cheek had already blistered and was beet red.  Reaching up to his throat, Ben removed his neckerchief and poured some of the water from the canteen onto it.  He then lightly dabbed at the burn.  It was enough to bring Joe back to reality.  He moaned and looked up at his father.  Tears welled up in his eyes when he saw the tears which now tracked down his father’s face.

“Oh, Joseph–this is all my fault.  I am so sorry–so very sorry.”  Ben wept openly.  He was exhausted and so worried about his son’s fate that he couldn’t hide it and he couldn’t mask the sadness he felt looking at his son’s face.  Ben prayed that Joseph wouldn’t carry a scar if they should survive the whole ordeal.

Joe was able to stretch enough to take his father’s hand and he held on to it tightly.  “No, Pa–don’t say that!  It is not your fault–it never was.  Not the mine, not Steve’s death, and not this.”

“What he’s done to you–” Ben stopped and tried to gather his wits.  He knew his youngest needed him to be the pillar of strength now.  He would try his best to be that for him.

“Is it bad, Pa?”  Joe asked and saw his father look down at his cheek.

“I don’t think it will scar–it’s festered up–but I think it will go away.”

“I was talking about your arm.”  Joe winced as he tried for a smile.

Ben shook his head as he reached over to his gunshot wound.  It had already started to clot and he had not lost much blood.  “This?  No this is fine.  Thank goodness he’s a lousy shot!”

“At least I’m down from that beam.”  Joe grinned wryly and tried to move as close to his father as he could.  He needed to feel his father’s hand on him, something to give him comfort from the pain and fear.  Joe wondered internally what his face looked like after having been burned.  He fought to push that aside.  He was far more worried about his father and all he had endured.  He was also scared as to what Luther would do next.

“Here.”  Ben said and handed the boy the canteen.  Joe accepted it and took a few long chugs before passing it back.  Ben drank heavily.  He was thirsty and his hunger had eaten at his insides for more than two days.  Joe noticed how weak his father seemed and wished he could do something for him.

“You must be starved, Pa.  You haven’t eaten in days.”

“I’m fine.  I’ve gone longer before.  Besides, I could do without a few pounds anyway.”

“How long–how long does it take from Sacramento to here?”  Joe whispered, his thoughts going back on the telegraph he had sent his brothers.

“It can be done in three days, weather permitting.”

“Can we hold out, Pa?”  Joe asked turning his penetrating hazel eyes on his father.

Ben squeezed his son’s hand and answered, “We will hold on as long as we have to.  I know it doesn’t look good now–but you said a whole lot of people are looking for me–and now you.  I am quite sure when you failed to come home yesterday that Hop Sing went on the warpath.  He would tear down all of Virginia City looking for his favorite boy.”  Ben smiled and brushed his hand through Joe’s hair.

“Oh–he told me to tell you that he quit by the way.”  Joe teased, remembering his former conversation with the cook.

“He did huh?  Well, I guess I’ll just have to hire him back for the millionth time!”  Ben chuckled.  It then turned silent.  Each Cartwright caught on the severity of the situation.

“Pa?” Joe asked after a few moments of pause in the conversation.

“Yes, Joseph?”  Ben replied shifting his weight against the wall, but keeping Joe’s hand firmly in his grip.

“If I die–if I die and you get out–” Joe started and his eyes glazed up.

“No–don’t even say that!” Ben insisted, anguished at the thought.

“But–just in case–I don’t want you to blame yourself.  You have always taken care of me, and no matter what happens I want you to go on.”

“Yes, Joseph—my feelings exactly.  If I don’t make it, I want the same thing of you.  You have to go on–for me.”  Ben turned Joe’s face gently and looked deeply into his eyes.

“We are both liars you know?”  Joe stared back.  “There’s no way I could go on without you.”

“Then let’s stay alive.  Because you know I am not leaving here without you.”

“Okay, Pa–if you promise to hang on then so will I.” Joe nodded as though they had made some kind of pact and sealed it in their blood.

“I promise.”  Ben whispered and put the neckerchief back up to his son’s face.

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

The day was filled with activities by Virginia City’s sheriff.  He checked all over town to see if anyone had seen Joe.  The most he had come up with was at the telegraph office where he was informed about the hastily written telegram Joe had sent to his brothers in Sacramento. Roy was glad that at least Joe had taken the time to do something smart, and he looked forward to the other Cartwrights to appear.  Knowing that would be at least a couple of days, Roy formed another posse and sent Hop Sing back to the Ponderosa to enlist ranch hands in the search.  They would start in the areas surrounding Virginia City and pan out towards the Ponderosa.

Luther Morrow had been in Virginia City as well and had listened in to several conversations as to what was going on in the search for the Cartwrights.  Feeling pleased that the search was going on far from the Zephyr he knew that no-one had put the pieces together.  He had even been so bold as to go and talk to Roy and offer his own help as needed.  Roy had thanked him and told him to just keep his eye out for the two missing Cartwrights.  He would keep his eye out all right.  Luther chuckled to himself as he ate his lunch at the hotel.

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

Adam and Hoss were making good time in their efforts to return home and find out what had happened to their father.  They had purchased remounts themselves, leaving Sport and Chub in the care of a friend of theirs a day’s ride from home.  Both men fought back the mounting uncertainty of what they would find once they arrived at the Ponderosa.  Trying to stay focused, and having done with little sleep, they rode both day and night.  No matter what the problem, they would console their younger brother and find their father no matter what the circumstances were.

Adam would help hold Hoss together on their journey back with reassurances of past crises.  Hoss would do the same when he saw the glimmer of dread appear in his brother’s dark brown eyes.  Together they would handle it, they always had before and this would be no exception.

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

“How’s the face doing, Joe?”  Luther asked as he approached his two prisoners.  Joe did not respond.  He had gotten past most of the pain now, having turned his attention on the revenge he would seek against the evil man before him.  Joe sat back against the wall of the mine and waited to see what was next.  Ben had been sleeping most of the day.  His exhaustion was coupled with the lack of food and he looked very weak and very old.  Joe worried about his father’s health every time he glanced over at him.

“Got you both some grub. Figured it was the least I could do.”  Luther said and pushed over two plates of beans towards the two men.

Ben shifted his weight again and briefly stared down at the food.

“Ain’t you two gonna thank me?”  Luther asked feigning hurt at the thought.

“Thank you.”  Ben muttered with sarcasm in his response.

“Well, I hope you all like it.  Just some beans but enough to keep you alive for right now.  Only got one problem.  One of them plates is good and the other got dusted accidentally with rat poison.  My mistake–I hope you will forgive me.”

Joe looked over at the food and his anger surged.  He knew that Ben had to have something soon he could wait as he had eaten more recently.  Now, if Luther was telling the truth, it would be a death sentence to whoever ate the wrong plate of beans.

Luther stood back up and smiled sadistically.  “I reckon when I come back I’ll find out which of you was the hungriest!”  He laughed and walked away.

“What do you think, Pa?”  Joe asked eyeing the two plates again.

“Better not chance it, Joseph.  For all we know both plates have rat poison.”  Ben said disgustedly.

Joe thought for a while and then reached for one of the plates and pulled it into his lap. He began to eat.

“Joseph!”  Ben yelled madly.  “Stop it–stop it right now!”

“No, Pa–I have this all figured out.  I’ll eat a little of this plate.  Then I’ll stop.  It probably would be just a matter of an hour or less to see if I get sick.  If I don’t then I’ll give it to you.  If I do, then you eat from the other plate.”

“And if you get sick–do your realize you can die from that?  Make sense and stop eating right this minute!”  Ben demanded.

Joe continued to eat.  He finished a third of the beans and then put the plate down and drank some of the water they still had left in the canteen.  “Now we wait.”  Joe said and Ben shot him back an angered look.

“Joseph, you are the most disobedient child.”  Ben muttered and saw Joe return a smile at his father’s statement.

“Would you have me any other way, Pa?”  Joe asked and saw his father shaking his head irritated.

“Yes.”  Ben stated emphatically.  “You are the cause of every white hair I have on my head.  You do know that don’t you?”

Joe nodded and threw over a smile.  “But it looks so good on you, Pa.  It makes you look so wise.”

“Then I can’t wait until your hair goes white.  Then maybe you will get some sense.”  Ben answered and then saw a grimace appear on Joe’s face.  “Joseph—are you okay?”  He asked with dread in his tone.

“Yeah–it’s not the beans it’s my face.  I’ll let you know if I am poisoned, you won’t have to ask me.”

Ben sighed and leaned back against the mine again and waited.  He said a silent prayer that Joe had chosen well and would not become sick from the food.  It was a long wait.  There was no way to tell time down in the depths of the earth, but Ben reasoned it had been over an hour and Joe still had no signs of any ill effects from what he had eaten.

“Here—” Joe said and handed Ben his plate.  “Guess you better eat this.  It’s kinda cold but not bad.  Sure beats rat poison.”

Ben ate the full contents of the plate.  It wasn’t much but would give him some strength.  When he finished he looked back over at his son.  “Well, I will thank you for passing your little test, even though you scared the heck out of me!  It feels good to have something on my stomach.”

“There’s another plate there, Pa.”  Joe smiled and pointed over at the other plate on the ground beside them.

“No thank you.”  Ben replied and pushed it out of the way.

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

Luther never made it back to the Zephyr that night.  Instead, he was indulging himself with whiskey in his home a good two miles from the mine.  He sat at his table in his small cabin and mused on what to do next to his two prisoners.  He hadn’t been happy when he learned that both Hoss and Adam Cartwright were on their way back, and he didn’t know how soon they would get home.  After much thought, and much liquor, Luther decided that he would finish off both Ben and Joe the next day and be done with it.  He crawled into bed with that his last thought.

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

“What’s that?”  Joe asked startled as he heard a loud rumble and the floor to the mine shook.  He stood as much as he could and tried to get a glance toward the tunnel.

Ben groaned in pain as he stood as well.  “Joseph, it’s just the ground shifting above us.  It does it all the time down here.  I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about.”  He tried to sound confident, but had thought on how unsafe it was where they were.  The third shaft in the Zephyr was unstable, and had been where the explosion had happened that sparked Luther’s hate for him.

Joe turned around and gave his father a peculiar smile.  “Why would I worry, Pa?  I mean we’re safe here, right?  We’re just held captive by a maniac who wants to kill the both of us.  I see no reason to worry about the fact that the shafts above us could give way at any moment –crushing us to death.”

“You have always had a strange sense of humor.”  Ben sighed and sat back down wearily.

“Hey–wonder where old Luther is anyway?  It’s been a long time since he left that rat poison for us.  You’d think he’d have come back to see whether we were dead from eating it wouldn’t you?”  Joe asked as he sat back down against the wall next to his father.

“I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out how his mind works.  I can’t say I am happy about still being here like this, but, at least he hasn’t done anything else to us.  Maybe the law has caught up with him.”

“I hope so.”  Joe said as another rumble was both heard and felt by them both.

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

By mid- afternoon the next day, Hoss and Adam rode their mounts hurriedly up to the Virginia City Jail and dismounted.  Roy had returned just moments earlier, and when he saw the two of them burst through the door, he eagerly addressed them, “Boy am I glad to see the both of you!”

“Where’s Pa?  Has anyone found him yet?  And Joe–is he in town?’  Adam began the rapid series of questions.  Roy settled gently down into his chair behind his desk.  More than three days on constant horseback had taken its toll on his back.

“One thing at a time.  Now your pa’s still missing.  But, we have search parties all over.  It’s only a matter of time.  As for your little brother–well–I am afraid whatever fate befell your father has happened to him.  He disappeared not too long after he sent you both that wire.”

Hoss sank down in a chair.  He was exhausted, as was Adam.  They had ridden so long and had only had a dozen hours of sleep between the both of them in three days.  “You ain’t got no clue yet, Roy?”

“Well, there was something that turned up this morning. We found their horses–”

“Where?!” Adam asked loudly, his patience now was completely gone.

“Someone must have taken both horses and turned them loose right back on the Ponderosa.  We found them not a mile from the ranch house.”

“Who would have done this?!”  Adam shouted again and slammed his fist against the wall.

Roy looked over at the oldest son of his dear friend.  He was surprised to see the son who was known for being level-headed acting this way.  Roy chalked it up to the fact that both worry and fatigue had taken over.  “I don’t know, but I can promise you we’re gonna find out!”

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

The light from Luther’s lantern slowly appeared heading towards his two prisoners.  They both had dozed off, and it was only the sound of the evil man’s laughter that had brought them back into harsh reality.  Luther bent down carefully and lifted up the two plates he had left the previous day.

“I guess one of you wasn’t hungry.  That’s a pure shame too!  I made a mistake–seems like I never did put any rat poison on either plate.”  He laughed and the two captives shot venomous glances toward him.  “Oh–now you ain’t mad are you?  What a shame.  And here I got some great news for you.”

“What news?”  Ben muttered, really not wanting to know but merely appeasing the man for the time being.

“Today’s the last day here in the mine for you two, alive at least.  I think it’s time to end this.  What do you say?  You both ready to die?”

“It’s not too late for you, Luther.”  Ben called over to him. “You let us go and you won’t face a hangman’s rope.”

“Dead men tell no tales.  Besides–you are a great believer in the good book ain’t you, Ben?  Well, it says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  Now, I aim to have an eye for an eye right now.  Stand up, Joe!”  He directed and Joe looked over at his father.  “I said stand up or I put another bullet through your daddy.  And this time I won’t miss!”

Joe stood and Luther moved closer to him and unlocked the chains from the mine wall.  Joe was still tethered together by his ankles and his wrists as he moved closer to his captor.

“Now me and you are gonna walk right over there.” Luther pointed with his gun to the end of the room of the mine where they were being held.  Rocks were all over, as it was where the original explosion had taken place; the explosion which had killed Luther’s son.

Joe turned back to Ben and had the feeling that it would be the last time he would see him in life.  “Goodbye, Pa.”  Joe said quietly as tears formed in his eyes.  He shot him a look that was filled with the love that he had for his pa.

“Yeah–go on and tell the kid goodbye, Ben.  “Cause this is it for him!”

“Luther–I’m begging you–take me–leave Joseph alone!”  Ben pleaded with the man.

Luther laughed sadistically.  “You had your chance to say goodbye.  Now move!”  He shoved Joe over to the end of the room.

“Luther, no!”  Ben shouted as he stood and strained against the chains which bound him.

Luther led Joe over to the end of the room, planning to end the boy’s life with a bullet through his head.  He aimed the gun and Joe squeezed his eyes close.  He said a silent prayer, and it wasn’t for his own life, it was for that of his father’s.  He wanted Ben to live, to live and tell the tale of what had happened in the mine.  Live to see his other sons and to seek revenge for what had happened at the hands of Luther Morrow.

It was at that exact moment, either through fate or due to divine intervention that the earth shook, knocking Luther and Joe to the ground.  Then, the mine shaft gave way and tons of rock came down from above.  Explosions echoed throughout the Zephyr and could be heard all the way into Virginia City.

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

Adam turned toward his brother Hoss.  They had been standing on the front porch of the jailhouse when the tremendous sound was heard.  Roy had heard something very similar to that sound some six months earlier.  His mind raced back to the day of the Zephyr mine disaster.

“You think it’s the Zephyr again?”  Roy turned his attention towards the Cartwright brothers.

“Nobody is working it– are they?’  Hoss asked and noted the strange expression on his brother’s face.

“Right before we left town, Pa had words with Luther Morrow over at the saloon.  And Pa’s business partners have been hounding him to reopen that mine.  Something just doesn’t feel right.  I think we need to go over there.”

Hoss didn’t reply.  Both he and Roy stepped down off of the porch and mounted their horses and turned in the direction of the Zephyr.

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

Ben shook the dirt off of his hands and face and called out “Joseph!” for the third time.  Thick smoke and debris still filled the mine, and Ben coughed again and waited.  When there was still no reply he called one last time.  “Joseph!  Can you hear me?”

Shaking himself after having been knocked out cold, Joe looked at his surroundings.  Rock and timber were everywhere.  It was then that he saw the dead man next to him.  Luther had been crushed by a fallen beam, catching him in the mid-section.  Joe’s right leg was pinned under some of the rubble, but, he had escaped with his life.

“Pa!”  Joe shouted.  He knew his father still couldn’t see him due to the clouds of dust which filled the tunnel.  “I’m okay–and Luther is dead!”

“Thank God.”  Ben whispered and closed his eyes, giving a brief thanks to the man upstairs.  “Can you walk over here?”  Ben called again.

“My leg is pinned under.  I can’t budge the wood and rocks that are holding it.  I can reach Luther I think.  Gonna try to find the keys.”

“Be careful, Son.  Try not to jar anything while you are searching.”

Joe could reach far enough to feel Luther’s coat.  He let his left hand dig into the man’s right pocket but could feel nothing there.  Straining to get to the other side of the coat, Joe finally made contact with something.  Slowly and carefully he pulled out the set of keys.  He brought them over the dead man’s chest and pulled them closer so that they now rested in his own lap.  Freeing himself from his wrist cuffs, he soon realized he could do nothing for his legs until the wood and rocks were removed.

“Got my hands undone—but can’t get my ankles.  I’ve got to try and throw the keys to you, Pa.  Can you see where I am yet?”

Ben stood and pushed himself as far from the wall of the mine as his chains would allow. From that position he clearly spotted where Joe was lying on his back, held to the floor by the weight of the debris.  “I see you, Joe.  But, it’s gonna be an awfully hard throw for you.  A good twenty feet or more and in your position you are going to have to throw it over your head.

“Yeah—” Joe muttered to himself.  “And I only get one try.”  Joe twisted his body as much as he could and held the keys tightly in his left hand.  “Are you ready?”  He shouted.

“Ready!”  Ben replied and worriedly bit at his bottom lip.  Joe tossed the keys straight over his head towards his father’s voice.  They sailed through the air and landed three feet from where Ben now stood straining at his chains.

“Did you get them?”  Joe called back.

Ben stretched out on the ground but they were still beyond his grasp.  “A good throw, Son.  But, I can’t exactly get to them.

“How about your belt, Pa?  Can you get them if you use it?”  Joe thought fast.

Ben smiled to himself at how clever his youngest son had become in only eighteen years.  He had seen the kid get out of other critical situations that few others would have managed to do.  Ben drew off his belt and held on to the smooth end and tossed the buckle end towards his target.  As if he were fishing for a prized trout, Ben began the process of trying to retrieve the keys.  It took a good six tries, but he was finally able to pull them closer and soon held them in his hands.

“Got them!  I’ll be free in a minute!”  Ben shouted.

Joe closed his eyes and sighed.  It was the first stroke of luck they had been given in several days.  He, also, gave his thanks to God as Ben worked on freeing himself.

Soon Joe could feel the comforting hand of his father on his forehead as Ben brushed the dusty curls out of his eyes.  ***Some things never change!  Pa, God love him, was back in his father mode. *** Joe thought to himself as he grinned up at him.  Ben carefully moved one rock at a time until the wood beam that sat on his son’s right ankle could be seen.  With all of his might, Ben lifted the end of the beam and Joe quickly pulled his leg out.  Ben grabbed Joe by his shoulders and pulled him away from the mountain of rocks which had held both him and Luther prisoner.

Joe sat up and the very first thing he did was hug his father.  Father and son enjoyed a moment of both freedom and joy.  “I thought he was going to kill you, Joseph.  Thank God that the explosion happened when it did!  Now let’s get these chains off of you so we can take a look at that ankle.”  Ben took the keys out of his pocket and freed his son from his bonds.  Next, he carefully pulled his son’s boot off and watched as Joe winced his face and tried to stifle a groan.  “Looks like it’s broken, it has already started to balloon up.”  Ben stated shaking his head.  ***You are always the one who gets injured the most, Joseph! *** Pa mused internally.

“I’ll be okay.  We’ve got to get out of here.  The air is starting to get to me.  Just help me up.”  Joe insisted and his father pulled him to standing.  They both cast a parting look at Luther lying dead under the rubble.  There was no grief. “Dead men tell no tales.”  Joe muttered as they both turned away.

Both father and son walked towards the tunnel, with Joe leaning heavily on Ben for support.  Pa had retrieved the lantern, and he held it in front of them as they sought the exit.  Reaching the end, they saw that the elevator shaft was completely gone due to the last explosion. It had been a rudimentary lift, but it would have served its purpose and prevented having to figure out another way of escape.

“Great,” Joe sighed. “Now what do we do?”  He looked over at his father for an answer.

Ben closed his eyes and thought for a few moments.  He knew the mine well and had inspected it himself after the accident that killed Steve.  “There’s an air shaft–right past that last turn.  It will be one heck of a climb, but we have to go up if we are going to get out.”

“That’s what—-a thirty foot climb, Pa?  And that’s just to get to level two. First, you know what I think about heights.  Second, how am I gonna do it with just one working foot?  I think you better just leave me here.  You get help and I’ll stay put.”

Ben looked at his son and gave a totally exasperated groan.  “If you think I am leaving you down here, well, you don’t know your father very well.  We will climb it together, one rung at a time till we reach the next level.  I’ll be right with you, I won’t let you fall.”

There was another rumble behind the two Cartwrights and the end of the tunnel, from where they had started collapsed.  Joe looked into his father’s eyes and nodded.

“I don’t exactly think I’ll be staying here after all.  Let’s start climbing!’

“I thought you’d see it my way.” Ben chuckled and led Joe over to the air shaft.

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

Roy had been followed out of town by half of his search team, who had spotted the Cartwright’s return and figured they had themselves a lead on where Ben and Joe were.  By the time the group made it to the Zephyr the damage could be seen.  The opening to the mine was now sealed with rock.  Over to the side, tied to the sign, was Luther Morrow’s horse.

Hoss dismounted first and made his way quickly to the animal.  He calmed the frightened mare and then inspected the contents of Luther’s saddlebags.  Withdrawing the ivory handled Colt, he showed it to his brother.  He then pulled out his father’s gun.

“Pa’s in there–along with Little Joe.”  Hoss whispered.  His heart pounded heavily against the wall of his chest at the thought of what might have happened inside the mine.  For all he knew both his father and little brother might already be dead.

Adam turned toward Roy, a strong set to his jaw and determination in his dark eyes.

“Roy–we’re gonna need men–as many as we can get!  Send some of your men out to the ranch.  I want every single man that we have out here right now!  I mean wranglers–timber crew–everyone!”

“Hank–you heard Adam.  You and Josh head on out now.”  Roy commanded and the two men spurred their horses away from the mine.

“We’ll get them out alive, Adam.”  Roy said to soothe the man before him.

“If he hasn’t already killed them,” Adam said and wished he hadn’t.  He could see the tears forming in his brother’s eyes already.

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

Ben inched up the ladder of the air shaft with his son secured right under his own body.  It was a snug fit, but was needed to prevent a fall.  He could tell the pain that the boy was enduring and all without a complaint or a whimper.  Joe was tough, Ben thought to himself.

“Won’t be much further,” Ben whispered as they again reached for another rung of the ladder which was nailed tightly into the air vent.  Again, in unison they moved one leg at a time up and secured it on the next wooden plank.

“How high are we?”  Joe asked, really not wanting an answer, at least not a truthful one.

“Never mind–just don’t look down.  Just keep your eyes on the shaft above you.  Now let’s take another step.”  Ben continued to reassure the boy.

The climb from the third shaft to the second shaft took almost thirty minutes, but they made it safely and came out on level two.  Ben eased Joe over to safety and they spread out on the ground to catch their breaths.

“Only one more level to go, Joseph,” Ben announced and Joe looked not at all thrilled that they would have to go back into the air shaft.  His ankle was killing him, and he had an awful headache from the initial explosion.  But, he knew they couldn’t stay long.  The ground still shook every now and then and there was no telling how long any of the tunnels would hold.

“I could never be a miner.”  Joe muttered as he tried to sit up again.

“Me neither.”  Ben smiled as he helped his son back to standing.  “You ready?”

“Does it matter?”  Joe asked ironically.

“No.”  Ben answered, and again they walked over to the next air vent that was just a few yards from where the other one had stopped.  “Let’s go.”  Ben called and they began their ascension once again.

The forty foot-plus air shaft to get to the top level seemed a bit narrower than the previous one had been.  It was a tight squeeze for the two Cartwrights but they began scaling the long make-shift ladder that would eventually lead to the first level of the mine and to freedom.  Ben could tell after the first ten rungs, that his son’s strength was waning.  He knew part of the boy’s problem was the pain from his broken ankle and the other part was his extreme fear of heights.  Ben used his left hand to climb with and his right hand he placed firmly under Joe’s right armpit to steady him.

Joe fought both the intense pain and fear, but was losing his battle with the latter of the two.  He suddenly froze and would not budge.

“It’s not much farther, Joseph.”  Ben whispered his encouragement.  He watched as Joe cast a look down the shaft.  There was just enough light left from one of Luther’s lanterns down on the second level to allow Joe to tell just how high they were now.

“I can’t do it.”  Joe replied his voice shaking and his palms sweating so badly that he was sure he would lose his grip.

“Oh yes you can!”  Ben insisted and moved the position of his own hands to cover those of his son’s.  “Now let’s get going.”  Ben pried Joe’s hands loose and forced the boy to move up another rung.  “That’s it.  Just keep moving along with me now.  We will be up to the top in no time.”  Ben continued and did the whole procedure again and again all the way up the air shaft.

Finally reaching the crest of the ventilation shaft, Ben boosted his son over to the side of its opening.  He then crawled out himself and gave in to exhaustion.  Lying on the cold ground next to his son, Ben reached over and squeezed the boy’s hand.  “I told you that you could do it.”  Ben remarked casually, as if the young man had accomplished the brave feat on his own.

“You practically carried me.”  Joe responded, a bit embarrassed by the fear which had overtaken him.

“Everyone has fears, Joseph.  Yours just happens to be heights.”  Ben whispered.

“Oh?  And what are yours, Pa?”  Joe questioned, thinking surely that his father was fearless.

“Oh, well–I have lots of them.”  Ben thought on the question as he still tried to catch his breath from the long climb.

“Name them.”  Joe persisted.

“Let’s see—I have an aversion to being held hostage.  I hate to be tied up.  I have a fear of mine explosions and a bigger fear of eating beans covered in rat poison.”

Joe laughed at his father’s rendition of their most recent exploits.  “You aren’t afraid of any of that, you are just kidding.  You will always be braver than me.”

“Braver?”  Ben asked incredulously.  “Are you forgetting that you climbed up on that wooden beam and waited for Luther to walk in so you could save us?  That was very brave!  And risking your life in your little plate of bean test–that was brave as well.”

“You think so?  But, what about me falling to pieces a little while ago in the air shaft?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”  Ben replied and reached over and patted Joe’s shoulder.  It was Pa’s way of letting Joe know that as far as he was concerned the incident had never happened.

“Thanks, Pa.”  Joe sighed relieved that his secret was safe and was never going to be mentioned to his brothers.  He looked around and there wasn’t much light coming from either end of the tunnel.  It was almost pitch black. “You have any idea where we are exactly?”

Ben tried to get his bearings.  He had thought that there would’ve been some light at their present location.  He figured that perhaps it was night now and that was the reason.

“I think the opening is that way.”  Ben stood and pointed to his left.  He reached for Joe’s outstretched hand and pulled him to standing.  Wrapping his arm around the boy’s shoulder for support, they began walking.  After only a few moments, the two Cartwrights were shrouded in total blackness.

“Maybe it’s the other way, Pa.”  Joe stated, thinking his father had somehow gotten turned around.

“No, I am sure we are heading the right way.  Better move against the wall and feel our way from here.”  Ben held out his left hand and let the palm of it feel the cold earthen wall.  They proceeded slowly now, not wanting to chance running into something since their vision was impaired.

Passing support bracing every twenty yards, the two Cartwrights counted as they went along.  Ben had a very uneasy feeling pass over him.  They should be nearing the end of the mine at any moment.  Suddenly, without advance warning both Ben and his son came to a dead halt.  Ben felt what was blocking them.  It was then that he realized the entrance to the mine was now gone, and in its place was a solid wall of rock.

“We’re trapped.”  Joe muttered to himself, knowing that his father had already figured their predicament out and was trying to stall his assessment of their situation.

“Must’ve been that first explosion that did it,” Ben whispered and then he felt his son’s shoulder sink from under his hand.  Joe moved to the ground and leaned against the wall of the mine.  Ben moved to be next to him.  Neither of them spoke for a long while.  Ben was deep in thought as to what he could do to get them out.  Without being able to actually see how deep the cave-in was, he could not be sure if human hands would be enough to remove the rubble.

Joe straightened his right leg out in front of him and tried his best to stifle his groan.  It didn’t work.  Joe’s ankle throbbed and there was a constant flow of intense pain which ran up his leg.  “You think they heard the explosion in town, Pa?”

“We all did the last time I believe they did this time too.  So, the best I can figure is that we will have some help real soon.  Also, no matter what Luther did to our two horses, no doubt his is outside somewhere.  Once they see that, they will know someone is here and start trying to dig us out.”

“Guess all we can do is wait.”  Joe sighed in defeat of the situation and his own inability to do anything to help.  He worried more about his father at the time, knowing that he was in a weakened condition from days spent in captivity.  Joe felt terrible that he had inadvertently made Ben expend even more of his strength on helping him out of the air shaft.

“How’s your ankle?”  Ben asked easing back against the wall next to his son.

“It doesn’t hurt.”  Joe replied biting his lip.  He was glad that his father could not see the anguish on his face or the way he had to flinch every now and then to prevent screaming out in pain.

Ben reached down and put his hand on his son’s right foot and the slight weight it caused made Joe cry out.  “Doesn’t hurt at all, does it Joseph?”  Ben responded sarcastically.

“Not unless someone touches it.”  Joe argued the point.

“It needs to be set.”

“In the dark?  No thanks–I’d sooner go back into that air shaft!  I’m off it now, it’ll feel better soon.”

Ben draped his arm around Joe’s shoulders and pulled him closer.  “How about we try and get some sleep?  Maybe the folks from town are already heading out here to free us?  We’ll just conserve our energy until then.”

Joe dropped his head down so that it rested on his father’s strong shoulder, his strength finally playing out.  He closed his eyes and prayed that the rescue team was on their way.

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

Unbeknownst to the two imprisoned Cartwrights, the other two members of the family were in the process of trying to free them.  In front of the entrance to the mine stood over thirty men now.  Torches were now lit and lining both sides of the Zephyr.  It had taken several hours to line up the rescuers and more were filing in every minute.  Ponderosa hands were arriving from all parts of the ranch.  Town’s folks were there, both men and women.  The men brought shovels and picks and wheel barrels, while the women supplied food, hot coffee, and much needed moral support for the teams of men.

Adam stood with his hands on his hips and addressed the crowd.  “We have to do this right.  If we go into this haphazardly someone’s gonna get hurt and it will only make matters worse.  I want two lines of men on either side we will start a chain to remove what we can with our hands.  When it calls for the shovels then everyone stand aside and let the diggers work.  Then we will go back at it. Any questions?” He called out and saw Hoss move closer.

“Yeah–I got one.  What are we waiting for?  Let’s get to work!”  Hoss answered and began the long chore of removing the rubble.  He began passing rock down the line.  Hoss would forget every so often that what was no trouble for him to lift by himself often would take three men to carry down the line.

They all worked in shifts of thirty minutes each, not wanting to tire anyone as it looked as though it would be a long task ahead of them all.  When it was finally time to change positions, Adam had to almost fight his brother Hoss to relinquish his command on the front of the line.

“C’mon, Brother–you need to take a break.  Let’s get some coffee.”  Adam insisted.

“I ain’t tired.”  Hoss protested vehemently.

“You are not going to be any help if you fall out.  Now let’s go.”

Hoss frowned and passed another large rock down the line.  “Okay–Pete–you take it a little while. I’ll be right back.”  Hoss addressed his friend and one of the largest members of the rescue party.

“Sure thing, Hoss, don’t worry, we won’t stop a lick till you get back.”  Pete nodded.

Both Adam and Hoss sat down at the bottom of one of the buckboards that had been brought over from the ranch.  Sipping their coffee, both fought to find something encouraging to say.

“They will be okay, Hoss.  We will get them out soon.”  Adam started.

“Luther got a hold of them, Adam.  There’s just no other explanation or he wouldn’t have had their guns in his saddlebags.  What if he killed them?  You know he blamed Pa for Steve’s death.”

Adam reached over and put his hand on his brother’s massive forearm.  “You just can’t think that way.  I know they are alive–I can feel it!  And, if you weren’t so upset you would feel it too.  Pa’s alive–and Little Joe is probably in there right now complaining about what is taking us so long to dig them out.”

“Little Joe got trapped in there because he was trying to find Pa–that kid has guts.  We kid about him a lot but I know he done everything he could to set him free.”

Adam nodded solemnly and thought on his long running feud with his youngest brother.  He never sincerely believed that the kid couldn’t hold his own, even though that was what he had often said to the boy.  If he were totally honest with himself, Adam would have to admit that he thought that Joe was a whole lot tougher in spirit than the whole Cartwright family.  But, Little Joe was still a kid.  Maybe he would always be a kid to his oldest brother, Adam wasn’t quite sure if it would ever change.  But, he knew that no-one would fight harder to save their father than the young man who had risked his life to find him.  “Joe’s tough—just don’t ever tell him that you heard it come from me, okay?  While he always has you and Pa wrapped around his little finger, I have tried my best to refrain from falling into that trap.”

“Why?”  Hoss’ question came in earnest.  He never had figured out the way his other brothers felt about each other, and why they were most often at each other’s throats.

“Because once he had me there I’d never get loose.  He knows deep down he can’t pull things over on me and that is what keeps our relationship honest.  Deep down the kid knows how I feel about him.  I’m just not open to it the way the rest of you are.  But, that doesn’t mean I don’t love him.”

“You two are kinda alike in a way, Adam.  I’ve never heard you tell Joe that you love him, and I have never heard Joe say that to you either.”

“Some things you just don’t have to say.”  Adam replied looking directly into Hoss’ questioning eyes.

“Must be that New England blood of yours, huh?”  Hoss grinned and patted Adam on the shoulder.  “As for me–I tell the kid all the time.”

Adam stood and set down his coffee and nodded. “Yeah–my point exactly–and that is why he has you and Pa wrapped around that crooked little finger of his!”

Hoss laughed and set down his coffee as well.  “Let’s get back to digging.”

The two men walked back again to the mine entrance and took their positions at the head of the line.  There was still a mountain load of rocks to move and it wasn’t going to move by itself.

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

Joe stretched his arms and moved as gingerly as he could off of his father’s shoulder.  Ben was breathing harder than usual and it had his son worried.  Though he knew that his father was exhausted beyond belief, it still worried him to listen to Ben breathe.  The air was stagnant and he hoped that it wasn’t causing his father any difficulty.  It was dank there on the ground and the earth was so cold that it permeated the two men’s clothing causing a nasty chill throughout their bodies.  Joe hoped his father wouldn’t end up with pneumonia from all of that.

A thought danced in Joe’s weary mind.  He had been in the Zephyr many times before and had remembered that there was a storage compartment somewhere towards the entranceway.  There might just be a chance that there was something left that might help the two of them during their long wait to be rescued.  If memory served him correctly, Joe thought the storage cabinet was on the other side of the tunnel.  He knew it was within a short walking distance, but unfortunately he couldn’t walk without assistance due to his ankle.

****I can’t walk, but I can crawl.**** Joe thought to himself and slowly he inched away from where his father was sleeping.  The dampness of the mine floor sank into Joe’s knees as he patiently crawled to the other side of the tunnel.  Keeping a hand out to feel of the wall, Joe began the journey back through the passageway.  When he finally hit on a support beam, Joe knew it wouldn’t be much farther.  The storage compartment should be a few yards away on the same side.

Ben became aware of several things that were different as he eased back to reality.  First, the weight of his son’s head was no longer felt against his left shoulder.  Also, he couldn’t hear the boy breathing.  Ben reached his hand out, still being unable to see anything.  He felt around the ground, thinking Joe had turned in his slumber and was laying somewhere close by.  It was when Ben could not hit on anything that he became fully awake and aware that Joe was missing.

“Joseph!”  Ben shouted and the mine echoed the name against its walls.  “Joseph, where are you?”  Ben shouted again.  There was still no response. ****Dad Blast that ornery son of mine****Ben thought to himself. ****Now just where did he go off to?  And how did he go anywhere with that busted ankle? **** Ben now stood and was just about to start feeling his way down the tunnel when he heard Joe call out.

“I’m coming, Pa!  It’s just gonna take a minute–stay put!”  Joe shouted still farther down in the tunnel.

Ben sat back down and sighed. ****I should have taken those manacles with me.  That boy!  I should have hog-tied him to keep him down.  What in the devil was he thinking? ****

It had taken Joe a good half of an hour to crawl back down to where his father waited impatiently against the mine entrance for his return.  As he slid his body back next to Ben he felt his father’s strong hand grab onto his arm.  He could tell by the intensity of the grip that Ben wasn’t too happy with him for leaving.

“This had better be good.”  Ben warned and waited for an explanation.

“It is.  Here.”  Joe said and placed a canteen in his father’s hand. It was only then that Ben released his son’s arm.

“Where’d you get this?”

“I remembered that there was a small cabinet built into the wall down the tunnel.  It was for supplies and stuff.  I had a drink–the water is a bit stale but beats not having any at all.”  Joe explained himself.

Ben took a long drink.  Joe was right the water was a bit stale but eased the tightness in Ben’s throat.  “How did you get down the tunnel?”  Ben asked handing Joe back the canteen.

“Never mind,” Joe replied not wanting to explain that part of his journey.  He had felt a bit foolish crawling like an infant down the passageway.

“You crawled didn’t you?”  Ben wasn’t going to give up.  And he could tell by Joe’s lack of response that he had been right.

“Look–I found a candle and some matches wrapped in foil.  They should work–let me get it set up and we will try it.”  Joe switched the subject matter and secured the candle in the ground carefully.  He then struck the match and there was suddenly light before them.  “Hi, Pa!”  Joe said and laughed that he could finally view his father’s face.  What he saw was a bit of a scowl on the other man’s face.

“Did you stop and think that I could have found that cabinet myself–and in less time since I can actually walk?” Ben asked his forehead creasing as he chastised his son.

“I didn’t want to wake you–you were sawing logs.”  Joe turned his most eloquent smile on his father and it worked just as it always had in the past.

“Well, at least we have water–so I will stop with the lecture for now.  Now that we have some light I could try and set that ankle too.”

Joe sank back against the wall.  He didn’t want his ankle set, not without some of Doctor Martin’s own brand of medication to take away some of the pain.  Ben brought the candle up and moved to inspect his son’s injury.  The ankle and foot were both multicolored now and the swelling was far worse than before.

“Can it wait?  Please?”  Joe asked and for a moment he sounded like a toddler in his plea.

Ben frowned again.  He wasn’t all too keen on setting the ankle either.  The candle did not afford the best light and he wasn’t sure if he had the full strength he would need to give the bones a good straight and firm yank.  Also, there was nothing around to use in order to bind the ankle and keep it straight once it was set.  “I guess it’s going to have to wait, at least for now.  But, I promise you if you move around anymore before we’re rescued I will set it no matter how many times it takes to get it just right.  And if you think I am kidding, just try me.”  Ben’s voice came off with its usual stern paternal tone.

“Yes, Pa,” Joe nodded obediently.  The last thing he wanted to do was to make his father mad and then have him set his ankle.  Ben sat back against the wall and grabbed Joe’s hand and squeezed it.  It was Pa’s way of now letting his son know that he did appreciate the effort he had made without admitting that the boy was off the hook in any way.  “I don’t know if you want to try this.”  Joe said and passed his father something else that was wrapped in foil.  “It’s jerky–but it looks kinda old.”  Joe explained.

Ben held it over to the light of the candle and did his own inspection.  The meat was cured and had no signs of mold.  Determining it was most likely safe, though very stale, he broke the strip of jerky into two pieces and handed one to his son.  “It’s no more deadly than those beans you ate.  Go on and eat it if your teeth are strong enough.”  Ben said and began chewing at his piece of jerky.  Joe chewed through his portion and it took a long time to totally dissolve the meat enough to swallow it.  When he was through, Joe drank more of the stale water and passed it back to his father.  Ben finished his own meal and drank from the canteen to wash it down.

The two Cartwrights settled back against the wall again and watched the flame from the candle.  The light cast strange shadows on the wall and it was still cold and clammy, but they were as safe as they could be and had at least had some nourishment.

“Thank you for fixing breakfast–or dinner—or whatever time it is.”  Ben laughed and pulled Joe back over to him.

“I hope it holds us for a while.”  Joe smiled and rested his head again on Ben’s shoulder.  A few seconds later he jumped back to sitting and looked over toward the mine entrance.

“What is it?”  Ben asked, alarmed by his son’s actions.

“I think I heard something. Maybe it’s digging out there!”

Ben stood and got as close as he could to the entrance and put his ear up to the pile of rocks.  He could hear a faint sound.  The sound of shovels he thought.  But, they were so faint, that Ben figured it would still be quite a while before they would be able to break through.  “You are right, Joseph!  They’re out there trying to get to us.  It may be awhile yet–but it’s gonna happen.”  Ben smiled and returned to his place next to his son.

“The first thing I’m gonna do when I get out of here is eat three huge meals.  Then, I am gonna take a two hour bath and then—-” Joe was stopped in mid-sentence by his father.

“Hate to burst your little bubble but the first thing you are gonna do when you get out of here is get that ankle set.”  Ben warned and saw the frown which now took over his son’s face.

“Not too sure I want to get out of here.”  Joe teased and Ben ruffled his hair.

“Well, you can stay if you like–but I am getting out!”  Ben kidded.

“Okay–I’ll come with you–but you have to promise me a half of a bottle of rot gut before the doctor gets to me.”  Joe tried to suggest a deal be made.

“I guess you’ve earned it–though I don’t think it will take a half of a bottle at this point.”

“Oh yes it will, Pa.”  Joe reassured his father as he looked down at his own swollen ankle.

“Joseph–just promise me one thing will you?”  Ben turned serious.

“What?”

“You’ll give me the other half of the bottle.”  Ben teased.  “After what has happened in the last few days I rather doubt that brandy will be what I want when we get out of here.”

“You got it, Pa.”  Joe patted his father’s arm and then sank back onto his shoulder to wait out the rescue.

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

Daybreak hit the rescue site and the teams of men were making slow progress in removing the debris.  Through the bitter cold of night they had all worked steadily moving the rock and dirt which blocked the mouth of the mine.  Adam turned as he heard horses coming in fast. He saw the familiar face of Hop Sing leading the way in a buckboard with more than thirty Chinese helpers following in his wake.

Hop Sing bolted out of the wagon and neared the eldest Cartwright son.  “Bring relatives, they help dig.  Got to get Mr. Cartlight and Little Joe out fast!”  He said out of breath.

Adam moved closer and placed his hand on his friend and caretaker’s shoulder.  “We have enough men right now, Hop Sing.  Besides–aren’t most of them laundry workers and cooks in town?”

“In town yes–but most help dig railroad line and work in mines back home in China!  Have much experience–must let work!” He insisted and then called out to his personal troops in Chinese.

Adam stepped aside and called to his men.  “Okay, Boys–let them through.  Most of you could use a break anyway.”

“But, Adam–” Hoss started and then his brother pulled him aside.

“They know what they are doing.  Besides, it’s important to let Hop Sing feel like he’s doing something to help.  You know how he feels about Pa.  And Little Joe—well I think he thinks of him as his own son.  They have the know-how let them have it for a little while.  Let’s you and me get something to eat, huh?”

Hoss put down his shovel and walked with his brother over to the tent that had been set up.  The women helpers filled two plates and the Cartwright brothers thanked them and took seats over by their wagon once more.  Hoss stared over at the strings of Chinese workers.  They looked like a precision team of worker ants as they swarmed the front of the mine.

“You reckon how much longer till we break through?” Hoss asked his brother between mouthfuls of eggs.

“It’s probably about fifteen to twenty feet deep.  But, with the way Hop Sing and his boys are going that shouldn’t be too long.  If we can just get a big enough hole in there, we can crawl through and find Pa and Joe.”

“Hope they know we are out here trying to get to them.”

“They know, Hoss.”  Adam nodded and looked again towards the workers.

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

Several hours later Joe started to come out of an exhausted sleep.  It was the sound of picks which awoke him.  He sat up and looked over at his father.  Ben was wide awake.

“Oh–sorry, Pa, guess I kinda dozed off.”  Joe apologized watching his father rubbing at his shoulder where his son had been laying peacefully.

“I was under too.  Sounds like they’re getting closer now.”  Ben stood and stretched.  Joe tried to do the same but his ankle would not allow it.

“Hey–” Joe pointed over to the entrance.  “Looks like a shaft of light!”

Ben turned and noticed the same thing that his son had.  It was then that several rocks on the inside of the mine rolled forward due to the outside impact.

“Better move down a bit.”  Ben said and helped Joe slide down the mine floor about ten feet away.  “Don’t want any of the stones to fall this way.”

“Hey, is anyone in there?”  A voice from outside the mine rang out.  A small but visible hole was now made into the rock laden exterior.  It wasn’t much larger than a coffee cup, but it signaled that the outside world did exist, as did the rescue team.

“Sounds like Hoss!”  Ben remarked joyously and moved closer to the opening.  “We’re here–right inside the entrance!”  He yelled.

Outside the mine Hoss and Adam shared a moment of thanksgiving and turned toward the crowd.  “They’re in there!  They’re right on the other side!”  He yelled and the rescuers all shouted, filled with renewed hope.

“Are you both okay?”  Adam called again into the Zephyr.

“We’re fine–a bit weary but fine!”  Ben called out once more.

“Stand back, Pa!  We’re gonna try to make that opening large enough to get the two of you out!” Hoss’ voice rang in through the hole.

“Go ahead–we’re ready!”  Ben answered and moved back next to Joe.

The sound of shovels and picks echoed inside the mine as both men waited for freedom at last.  Within minutes, the small hole was made large enough to accommodate Adam’s body and he thrust himself inside the mine.

“Adam!”  Ben called enthusiastically and neared his eldest.  He threw his arms around him and gave him a bear hug.  Adam returned the embrace.

“We were so worried about you!”  Adam exclaimed relieved and then cast a look over at his youngest brother.  “How about you, Joe, you okay?”

Joe looked up and brushed the tears of joy from his eyes, so happy to be alive to see his brother again.  “Took you long enough,” He said, knowing it was expected of him.

Adam laughed at the statement.  Joe never let him down his sarcasm had been badly missed by his older brother.

“He has a broken ankle, Adam.  You are going to have to help him out.”  Ben explained and he reached for Joe’s hand to pull him up.

“I can do it myself.”  Joe remarked defiantly.

“Sure.”  Adam stated and lifted Joe up in his arms.  He walked over to the opening and called out to Hoss.  “I’m sending Joe through–he has a busted ankle–grab him as he comes out.”

Hoss moved closer and soon held his beloved younger brother in his arms.  He pulled the boy close to him.  “ Have I missed you, Short Shanks!”  He smiled and kissed the boy’s forehead.  Instead of rejection, as was usual from Joe, especially in front of crowds, Joe wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck and hugged him tight.

“I missed you too!”  Joe whispered.

“Sending Pa through now,” Adam called out.

Hoss carefully handed his baby brother over into the waiting arms of both Hop Sing and his third cousin Lu Chow and they scurried off with the boy over to the buckboard.

Ben winced his eyes closed trying to get use to the bright sunlight which greeted him on the other side of the mine.  Adam crawled out right behind his father.  A cheer was sent up through the crowd.

Looking around at all of the friends from town and surrounding ranches, Ben’s heart was filled with a warmth beyond compare.  He walked over and gave his middle son the same intense hug that his brother had earlier been the recipient of.

“Thank God you are okay, Pa.”  Hoss choked up as Ben broke from their embrace.

“I want to thank all of you—-all I can say is it’s good to be out of there–and it’s good to have friends like you!” Ben addressed the crowd, who clapped in response as he was led over to the buckboard where Joe was waiting for him.

“Hop Sing.” Ben said and put his arm around the cook’s shoulder.  “I see you brought all of your family to help.”

“Family inside mine–family outside mine.”  Hop Sing smiled up at his old friend.  “Now–must take care of Little Joe—you get to doctor!”

Ben moved into the buckboard along with Joe and they were rushed into Virginia City for needed repairs.

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

Drying his face on the plush towel from the International Hotel, Ben felt almost human again.  He had taken a badly needed bath and had lingered long enough in the hot water to ease his aching body.  Hop Sing had provided fresh clothes which felt good after days spent in the same ones.  Ben examined himself in the mirror.  He imagined he looked as though he had aged ten years in the past few days.  After he had shaved, he felt a little better about his appearance and made his way out to the living area of the three room suite.  He sank down on the large stuffed couch and looked over as Hoss made his way out of one of the bedrooms.

“You feel better now, Pa?”  Hoss smiled to see his father looking more like the man he was used to seeing.  Pa had looked awfully haggard when he had crawled out of the mine.  Hoss handed his father a sandwich which had been sent up from the hotel’s dining room.  Ben was happy to have the nourishment after going so long without a decent meal.  He ate in quickly and smiled up at his middle son.

“I’m much better.  Now what about Joseph?  I can’t believe he talked me into letting him get a bath before seeing the doctor!  Is he done now?”

Hoss laughed and sat down next to Ben.  “He yelped like a scalded dog when he got in that tub, Pa!  I wish you could’ve seen it!  He said he had to get to smelling good before he would let anyone near him.”

“That’s Joseph all right!  I guess his argument was well founded, though.  He told me that it would be the last full bath he could have for a while since he’s going to have a cast on that foot.  Is he all dressed and ready for the doctor?”

“Well, Hop Sing’s got him in a night shirt, but he says no doctor until Adam gets back.”

“What’s Adam got to do with it?”  Ben asked bewildered.

Before Hoss could answer Adam opened the door to the suite and held in his hand the reason Joe had made his statement.

“Here’s the rot-gut, Joe said you told him he could get good and drunk before Doc gets to him.”

Ben laughed heartily when he remembered back on their little deal from the mine.  “I didn’t exactly put it in quite those same words–but I did tell him he could have some.”  Ben stood and walked with Hoss and Adam into the bedroom where Joe was waiting.

“Room service,” Ben called out as he approached the bed.  He sat down next to his son and Joe pulled himself up higher against the pillows.  Noticing the burn on his son’s face was an unhappy reminder to Ben of what had taken place at the hands of Luther Morrow.

Adam brought over four cups and Ben began pouring the whiskey.

“Hey—I never said anything about sharing this bottle!”  Joe protested as he watched the glasses get filled.

“It’s the least you can do after we dug your sorry butt out of that mine!”  Adam replied and accepted his drink from Ben.

“Yeah—we wuz up all night!”  Hoss winked and took his glass.

“A toast—-” Ben said and handed Joe his glass.  “To family–and friends.”

They all touched glasses and Joe shot down the entire contents of his glass.  They all looked in amazement at how fast the kid had polished off his drink.

“More.”  Joe stated and held out his glass.  Ben frowned and hesitated.  “You promised, Pa.” Joe reminded the man.

“You think you could slow down just a bit?”  Ben asked and poured more into his son’s glass.

“Heck no—” Joe said and downed the drink again.  “None of you are about to get your ankle set–I need it for medicinal purposes. More.”  Joe shot the glass out again.

“I bet he goes out after one more.”  Hoss said to Adam.

“No bet–I’ve seen this before.”  Adam laughed as he saw Ben pour another drink.

“I guess this will be goodnight, Joseph.”  Ben grinned as he handed the glass back to Joe.

“Oh–no –I can last a lot longer than three drinks.”  Joe commented his words were however coming out a bit slower.  “It’s kinda hot in here.  Maybe someone could open a window?”  Joe asked as his eyes started to droop on him.

“Someone call for me?”  Doctor Martin asked as he walked into the bedroom and looked over at the Cartwright family.  “Glad to see you, Ben.”  He smiled and shot out his hand.  Ben shook it and then he moved with the doctor over to the head of the bed.

“Okay–first things first.  Adam told me you have a gunshot wound.  Let’s see it.”  He said facing Ben.

“Oh–that–it’s nothing–” Ben stammered.  The doctor looked at Ben’s cheek and noticed the large gash it had from the butt of Luther’s rifle.

“Let me see your arm, Ben Cartwright.  And that wound on your face needs some doctoring too!”  Paul insisted and moved Ben closer to the light.

“It’s Joseph that needs doctoring–” Ben protested all the way over to the chair.  Hoss and Adam stood amused as he watched the two old friends battle it out.

“Oh, there’s plenty of time to handle Joe.  Looks like he is sleeping pretty good right now anyway.  Adam, bring me over that other light will you?”   Paul asked as he made Ben pull his arm out of his sleeve to show off his wound.  Adam held the light up as Paul inspected the sizable gash.

“Gonna need to be cleaned out real good.  Looks like a touch of infection in there.  Now hold still while I open it up a little.”  Paul reached into his medical bag for a scalpel.

“Hand me over that bottle, Hoss!”  Ben commanded and held out his hand.

“Now I see where Joe gets this from.”  Hoss laughed as he watched his father take a good long pull straight from the whiskey bottle.

Doctor Martin cleaned and dressed the wound on Ben’s arm and also the cut on his face.  Ben stood a bit shakily once the man was done.  He hated medical treatment nearly as much as his youngest son.  “Okay–now Joe.”  Paul said and moved over to the bed.  He applied some salve to Joe’s facial burn.  “It looks rather nasty–but I don’t believe it’s going to scar.  But, now to that ankle–” Paul pulled down the sheet and as soon as he touched Joe’s foot he became suddenly wide awake.

“OW!”  Joe screamed and almost bolted from the bed.  “That hurts!”

“How long since he broke it?”  Paul asked Ben.

“More than a day–of course it was kinda hard to tell time down there.”  Ben replied.

“Nasty break–very nasty break.  Hoss we’re going to need a sheet to put down under Joe’s foot to prevent the plaster from running off onto the bed.  Why don’t you go check with the desk clerk?”

“Right,” Hoss said and turned for the door.

“Bring me back another bottle!”  Joe called after him.

“No more liquor.”  Paul stated flatly.  “But, I could give you a shot.”  He smiled knowing how badly Joe detested needles.

“Pa?”  Joe looked up at him pathetically.  “One more bottle?”

“No.  What you had should take the edge off enough.”

“I am stone cold sober–have been ever since Doc touched my foot.”  Joe complained to deaf ears.

When Hoss made it back, Joe frowned to see he had only brought with him the requested bed sheet.  “Ernie said he would just put it on your bill, Pa.”  Hoss laughed and handed the sheet to Doctor Martin.  The doctor readied everything he would need to cast the foot.  But, there was the hardest job yet ahead.

“Now, Joe, this isn’t going to be easy–you sure you don’t want that shot?  I’ll try to snap it into place, but I am afraid with the amount of time it has been crooked it’s going to hurt pretty badly.”

Joe looked up at his father and then over to his brothers.  He didn’t want to look like a kid at that point.  He wanted to show that he was tough.  Declining the shot, he set himself for what was next.

“Hoss, I want you to hold onto his shoulders good.  Last thing I need is for him to come off this bed.”  Paul warned as he got ready to set the ankle.

“Hold my hand, Joseph, I’ll get you through this,” Ben insisted reaching toward his son.

“I’m okay, Pa.”  Joe replied, refusing his father’s grasp.

“Ready?”  Paul asked and Joe reluctantly nodded.  With a hard pull and a loud snap the doctor popped the bones into place.  Joe screamed out in pain and reached for the hand which he had earlier rejected.  Ben sat down on the bed next to his son and pulled him close.  Unable to fight back the tears any longer Joe cried against his father’s shoulder.

Ben wasn’t sure if the tears that fell from his son’s eyes were simply due to the setting of his ankle.  It had been a long and emotionally exhausting couple of days for both of the Cartwrights.  There had been days and nights down in the mine, along with the uncertainty as to whether they would escape from the maniac who held them.  There was the explosion and then the long climb to safety.  And finally there was the wait to be rescued and the joy at having been brought out of the Zephyr and into the loving arms of family and friends.

Ben continued to hold Joe in his arms as Paul formed the plaster cast around the boy’s ankle.  Working as gingerly as possible, Paul finally completed the set and the cast and propped Joe’s foot up on several pillows.  He then walked to the night stand and poured some water into a glass.  Then, he immersed some sleeping powders into the liquid and handed it to Ben.

“This will help you sleep.”  Paul commented as he closed up his medical bag.  “I want the two of you to stay here in town for the next two days and then you can go back to the ranch.  Ben, I will recheck your arm tomorrow and you make sure that Joe stays off that foot.  Once you are home he will need at least six weeks to heal.”

Joe drank the water that Ben offered and his father eased him back down onto the pillows.

“Thanks, Doc.”  Ben called over to him as he turned to leave.

“Just glad to have you both back.”  Paul gave a quick wink and left the room.

“You two must be exhausted–go ahead and take that other bedroom.  I think I’ll stay in here with Joe tonight.”  Ben said as he stood and moved over to his sons.

“We’ll stay with the kid, Pa.”  Adam argued.

“I ain’t a kid!”  Joe called over, angry as usual as to how he had been addressed by his oldest brother.

Adam turned and walked over to his little brother.  He dropped his hand down on the boy’s shoulder.  “I know you aren’t really a kid–it’s just a term of affection, okay?  Pa told us both about how brave you were down in that mine.  You are as tough as they come, Joe.”

Hoss watched as Adam finally let loose a little of his affection toward the boy he most often held back from.  Hoss remembered the conversation he had with Adam about his feelings for Joe, and knew that his older brother was coming very close to that fine line where he would forever be controlled by the green-eyed boy.

“You are pretty tough too.”  Joe smiled up at his brother.  That was about as close as the two of them would come at the present time to saying that they loved each other.  But, both Joe and Adam knew what the other was saying in their strange round-about way.

“Get some sleep and maybe I will find you some more of that rot-gut tomorrow.”  Adam winked and moved back over to his father.  “Sure you don’t want one of us to stay?”

“No, you and Hoss go on to bed.  We’ll be fine.”  Ben replied and with his statement came a brief hug to them both.

“Goodnight, Little Joe,” Hoss waved as he walked out of the room.

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

Ben had gotten dressed for bed and after checking to make sure that both Adam and Hoss were settled in the other room he walked back to where his youngest son was spread out on the bed, foot still high up on the pillows.

“Thought you’d be asleep,” Ben commented as he crawled in the other side of the bed and arranged the pillows behind his head.

“No–just thinking.”  Joe whispered.

Ben draped his arm around his son’s shoulder and pulled him closer.  “Just thinking about what?”  He asked quietly.  He thought he knew, but wanted Joe to come out and say it himself.

“Luther–the mine—everything,” Joe muttered stifling a yawn.

“It’s going to take a while to get over it, Son.  I know I will be thinking about it for some time myself.”

“We came close this time, Pa, real close.”  Joe’s voice shook as he thought on the fact that his father was almost killed right before his eyes.  He also remembered Ben begging for his son to be spared.  Joe’s thoughts flashed to all of the horrors that they had endured.

“Yes, yes we did.  But, your brother was right–you are tough.”  Ben squeezed his son’s shoulder to let him know how proud he was of him.

“Sometimes–maybe.  But, you are tough all the time.”

“No, Joseph–no-one is tough all the time just when they need to be.”

“You know you don’t have to stay in here with me—” Joe paused and stared into his father’s eyes.  “I mean— I think I’ll be able to fall asleep tonight without resting my head on your shoulder like I did there in the mine.”

Ben sighed and settled back against the pillows.  He moved his son’s curly head so that it lay firmly on his father’s shoulder.  “Well, I won’t be able to sleep if you aren’t right here where I can see you.  Just for tonight.  So, how about doing it for your pa this time?”

“Goodnight, Pa.”  Joe whispered and closed his eyes.  He could hear his father’s heartbeat and feel his rhythmic breath.  Joe fell asleep with a smile on his face; glad that his father still needed him as badly as he needed his father.

The End

Written by: Wrangler 10/31/2001   Re-written 7-15-2025

Dedicated to Rob the story consultant.

(This story was originally posted under the title “An Eye for An Eye” back in 2001, but since there are currently several stories in the library with that title it was changed to “The Zephyr”)