Summary:  Joe disappears while looking for strays

Rated: T (16,615 words)

 

Vanished

by Karen

*****

 

Four weary men huddled around the little campfire watching it’s fitful light as it flickered in the darkness.  Cups of coffee were clutched in three sets of tired hands and the conversation was sporadic.  With a gusty sigh, Hoss Cartwright leaned back against a log, his legs stretched out toward the fire.

“How much longer do you think we’ll need to stay out here, Pa?” he questioned tiredly.  “There cain’t be too many more strays up at this end of the Ponderosa.”

“I think another day oughta do it, son.” Ben Cartwright replied, his mellow voice husky with tiredness.  “I think we’ve looked in just about every nook and cranny we’ve got on the Ponderosa.”

Adam Cartwright looked over at his father and brother.  “I’m glad you sent Charlie and the others back to the ranch with those few strays we rounded up, Pa.  I, for one, am glad that we don’t have to watch those critters all night.”

Hoss shot a glance at the youngest Cartwright, a smile crossing his large face.  “It looks like Little Joe is glad he doesn’t have to watch those little critters also.”

Little Joe Cartwright was propped against a fallen log, his boots stretching toward the crackling fire.  He had pulled his hat up over his face and was already deeply asleep.  He hadn’t even taken the time to unroll his bedroll before exhaustion had claimed him.  Adam’s smile broadened a moment.  Little Joe had been working from sunup to sundown without any of his usual complaints on this trip with his father and brothers.  He seemed almost determined to outdo any of the other men in how much he could accomplish in a single day.  Adam’s heart gave a little lurch as he thought about this complex brother of his.  He didn’t think he would ever figure out what made Little Joe tick.  He stood quietly and moved to Joe’s saddle which was propped near his brother’s sleeping form.  Grabbing the bedroll from where Joe had left it, he tucked the blankets around the younger man’s body.

Ben nodded his thanks to his oldest son. He could always rely on Adam to keep an eye on his little brother.  “I think we’d all better follow Joe’s example.” Ben said quietly.  “Let’s get some shuteye.  We’ve got a lot of work to do in the morning.”

“Sounds good to me, Pa!” Hoss agreed with a wide yawn, his blue eyes drooping with exhaustion.

“I second that motion!”  Adam chimed in.  The men busied themselves with preparing their camp for the night, and within minutes there was no sound around the flickering fire except for the snores of Hoss Cartwright.

The morning dawned too early as far as the weary men were concerned.  They rolled themselves out of their bedrolls and hastily built up the fire.  A pot of coffee soon revived their flagging spirits, and they made ready for the day.

Little Joe stretched and yawned as he downed his second cup of coffee.  He turned up his nose at the remains of his plate of beans.  “I sure can’t wait to get back home,” he said with a heartfelt sigh.

Ben smiled at his youngest son, and clapped him on the shoulder.  “You sure have worked hard this trip, Little Joe.  I’m proud of you, son.”

Little Joe giggled.  “Are you saying that I don’t normally work hard, Pa?” he asked, but his pleased smile told his father that Joe appreciated the words of praise.

“Now don’t go gettin’ all bigheaded, Little Brother!” Hoss chuckled.  He ducked behind his father and lightly punched Little Joe’s back.

Joe whirled and made a pretense of jabbing back, causing Ben to hastily duck out of the path of his two grown sons, he laughed to see them acting like children.  Sometimes Ben thought they would never really grow up.  “Okay, boys, let’s get a move on,” he chided them, as Joe got in one last punch at Hoss, only to slip and have it land on Adam instead.  Ben wanted to avert a full-scale war, once Adam got lured into his brothers’ shenanigans they tended to turn pretty wild.

Adam eyed his father in an effort to gauge his mood.  He decided not to respond to Joe’s punch.  Adam correctly judged that his father really wanted to get started on the day’s work. He satisfied himself by ruffling Joe’s curls, as he was fully aware how much that irritated his little brother.  “Come on, Little Buddy,” he said.  “Quit fooling around and let’s ride.  The sooner we get on our horses, the sooner we get home.”

Little Joe glared at Adam as he finger combed his hair back in place.  Then his expression cleared and he hastily began packing up his gear and stowing it on Cochise’s back.  He really did want to get home. The fact that Amy Young was expecting Joe to take her to the big dance on Saturday night was real incentive to ignore Adam’s teasing and get moving.  In no time at all, the traces of their night’s encampment had been erased and the four men were in the saddle once more scouring the Ponderosa for strays.

After several hours in the saddle, Hoss held up a hand for a halt.  He pointed to some specks scattered in the distance.  “Looks like we’ve got a bunch up ahead.  They may scatter when we ride up on ‘em, so it might be a good idea to pick a good spot for meetin’ back up, after we catch ‘em of course.”

“How about that flat stretch, the one just past the Rim Trail?”  Adam suggested.  The others nodded their agreement, and the four riders took off after their quarry.

The cluster of beeves scattered as predicted and the Cartwrights soon found themselves pursuing the bovines far away from each other.  Little Joe headed after a particularly lively pair of calves who darted back and forth in front of Cochise’s hooves.  Cursing softly under his breath, as the calves refused to be directed, roped, or cooperate in any way, Little Joe gamely followed after them.  After several missed throws, he finally got a rope around one of the little fellows while the other skipped merrily ahead.  Towing the first calf behind him, Joe continued to pursue the second.

Suddenly, Joe pulled Cochise up sharply, and passed a disbelieving hand over his eyes.  The calf had vanished into the face of a cliff of solid rock.  Joe thought he knew every nook and cranny of the Ponderosa, he had certainly been over this stretch before, and he knew it was impossible for the calf to just disappear.  Where could it have gone? He moved Cochise forward, his eyes trained on the spot where the calf had vanished.  Even as they got closer the cliff face appeared solid.  He couldn’t discern anything that looked like a cave, or even a small depression.  It was only when he was almost on top of the cliff that Joe discovered a well-concealed, small opening in the cliff front.  He let out a low whistle and pushed his hat back up onto his head.  That dadburned little creature had managed to stumble into some sort of small cave.  The opening was well-hidden behind some brush, and Joe knew he would never have spotted it if he hadn’t kept the site of the calf’s disappearance well-marked in his mind as he rode.

Joe dismounted, and tying the rope holding the calf alongside of Cochise’s reins, he pushed aside the brush and knelt to survey the opening.  It was somehow bigger than he first thought, but by some trick of the light and the rocks, the cave entrance was completely invisible unless you were right on top of it.  Taking a deep breath, Joe resolutely pushed back his fear of the dark and bent to enter the cave.

At first Joe had to bend low but after just a few steps the opening widened out to amazing proportions.  Joe let out a low whistle as he got an impression of the size of the hollow in the cliffs.  “Here, doggie.”  He called out.  “Where are you, you dadburned little critter.”  He struck a match so that he could see better, the light from the entrance was now a long way back.  Turning a corner, Joe whistled in surprise.  His little match was no longer needed.  The interior of this part of the cave system was well-lighted.  Oil lamps hung from both ceiling hooks, while others hung from hooks on the walls.  Just as Joe spotted the calf, struggling in the arms of a burly man in a red-checked flannel shirt, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and the world went dark.  He slid to the ground, lost in a deep well of darkness.

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

Joe didn’t know how much later it was when he finally opened his eyes again.  He could feel a dull throbbing at the base of his skull and he tried to lift a hand to the spot.  His thoughts moved sluggishly through the muzzy cobwebs in his brain, and he slowly realized that his hands weren’t responding to his mental commands.  He tugged experimentally and discovered that his hands were now tightly bound behind his back.  As his eyes focused slowly he was able to determine that he was lying on the floor of the cave, his back to the wall.  Three men crouched in front of him.  The man in the red flannel shirt looked back at Joe with angry eyes.  His two partners echoed his murderous ferocity, their clothes lending Joe the impression that they were miners.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The question shot out of the red-checked man’s lips echoing the same question from Little Joe.

As he bit back the exclamation of pain that tried to escape him, Joe glared back at the three men.  “I’m Joe Cartwright.  You’re on Ponderosa land.  My land.  Now, who are you, and what do you think you’re doing here?”

The men exchanged speculative glances as they moved away from Joe out of his ear shot.  “Hey,” Joe called.  “What’s this all about?”  The men ignored him, they had deliberately positioned themselves so that Joe couldn’t see their lips.

“What are we gonna do now, Slim?” asked the man in the red flannel shirt.  He directed his question to another of the men, this one a large man dressed in typical miner clothing, a flannel shirt tucked into sturdy work-pants held up with suspenders.

Slim leaned back against the cave wall, a low whistle of dismay on his lips.  “I don’t know, Red,” he replied.  “I thought we’d stay pretty well hidden up here long enough to get what we needed out of this mine.  I didn’t expect anyone to stumble on us, let alone a Cartwright.”

Slim turned to the third man, another stocky miner.  “Shorty.  Take that calf outta here and turn it loose.  This fella must have a horse out there somewhere.  Take it a couple miles from here and turn it loose, too.  If that kid is a Cartwright, someone’s gonna come looking for him.  We don’t want them looking anywhere near here.”

Dragging the resisting calf along with him,  Shorty moved away toward the area of the cave system that the miners had set aside as their corral.  Shortly afterwards, the remaining two men heard the clatter of hooves on the stone floor and knew that Shorty was on his way out of the cave.

Red looked at Slim with a speculative look on his burly face.  “Now, what are we gonna do with the kid?” he asked.  “I can deal with a little stealing.  This here gold was just waiting for someone to haul it outta the ground.  But I won’t hold with murder.”

Slim stared back at the other man calmly.  His eyes reflected the churning thoughts that careened through his mind.  He held up a placating hand.  “Now, who said anything about murder?” he asked.  “I say we just keep the kid here until we’re done.  Hey, maybe we can even get some work out of him to make things go faster.  Then we turn him loose and we vanish.”

Red’s big head nodded his agreement.  “Good plan, we can use the help.  But the kid ain’t gonna agree to dig without a fight.”

Slim’s laugh was cold.  “I didn’t intend on asking him, Red.  I’m just gonna tell him.  He can either dig or die!”

Red was worried, and his face clearly showed it.  “You said no killin’, Slim.”

Slim’s response was a little too quick for Red’s peace of mind.  “I didn’t say I would kill him.  I’m just gonna let him think I’d kill him.  He’ll work if he thinks he’ll die otherwise.”

Again Red’s response conveyed the depth of his worry.  “The kid’s one of the Cartwrights.  His family is gonna be looking all over for him.  What if they find us?”

Slim just laughed.  “No one can find this place.  If I hadn’t run into that Injun, we would never have found it.  Just go out and make sure the entrance is covered with that brush.  Them Cartwrights will ride right by here and never know it.  Especially if they find the kid’s horse miles from here.”

Red nodded, his worries put to rest.  A speculative gleam entered his eyes as he looked at the young man who was now struggling to sit up.  “It’ll be good to have someone else to do some digging for a change,” he chuckled.

The two men headed back toward their prisoner.

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

“Dadburnit, Pa!”  Hoss exploded angrily.  “Why are we always waiting on that little brother of mine?  I want to get home.”  He looked around as if expecting to see Little Joe ride up beside him, a smile on his lips and excuses for his lateness ready for all listeners.

Adam shook his head, a worried frown crossing his face.  “Joe knew this was where we were going to meet, and there sure isn’t anything out here to keep him interested.  I think something’s happened to him.”

Ben’s coffee colored eyes were clouded with worry.  He turned in his saddle and scanned the horizon, anxiously searching for any sign of his wayward son.  A nagging prickle of fear worked itself down his back, and he struggled to suppress it quickly.  Turning to his older sons, he asked quietly. “Which way was Joe heading when we split up?”

“I think he was heading North toward the hard-rock country.” Hoss said quickly, doubts beginning to erase his anger.  He turned his horse and was already moving off.  He knew without being told that they were going to go look for Little Joe.

Adam looked at the rapidly waning light of late afternoon, the knowledge that it would soon be too dark to pick up any tracks at the forefront of his mind.  He put his spurs to Sport’s side to increase his pace.  The three men thundered back along the trail they had ridden that afternoon.  Scanning the ground for any signs of his brother’s passage, Hoss took the lead. He never lifted his eyes from the trail.

They reached the spot where they had originally split up, and Hoss pointed in the direction that he had seen his brother heading.  Now all three men were on the alert and looking carefully along the rocky ground desperately trying to find some trace of Little Joe’s whereabouts.  Their efforts were hampered by the stony soil under their feet.  It was next to impossible to track someone under those conditions.  After an hour of careful searching the three men pulled up their horses and eyed one another.  The light had faded to the purples of twilight, the darkness already creeping across the sky.  They needed to establish a camp, and quickly, but the sense that Joe needed them pulled at all of them.

Hoss’s face was a study in misery.  “Whadda we do now, Pa?” he asked dejectedly.  “There’s not a trace of that little devil.”

“Let’s set up camp right here, boys.  We can start searching again at first light, if Little Joe hasn’t turned up in the meantime.”  Ben replied grimly.  A vision of Joe lying wounded, helpless and unattended flashed through his mind, and he winced.  Brutally forcing his mind off the grisly picture, he set to work unsaddling his horse and bedding it down for the night.

Adam and Hoss followed suit and within a relatively short time a little fire blazed, a pot of beans simmering on top of it.  Three subdued men crouched beside the blaze, their thoughts on the boy who was missing.  Adam’s thoughts kept returning to the scene that morning, with Joe and Hoss joking and carrying on in their typical style.  A stab of pain knifed through him at the realization of how quickly things could change.  What could have happened to Little Joe?  Adam rubbed a weary hand over his face. People just didn’t vanish into thin air.  Joe was out here somewhere and in the morning Adam would find him.  He couldn’t let himself believe otherwise.

The sound of a horse’s hooves jerked Adam from his reverie.  He sprang to his feet, along with Hoss and Ben, all of them peering into the darkness for a glimpse of the rider approaching.  Hoss had a welcoming grin on his face as he anticipated his little brother’s entry to the camp.  A black and white horse appeared with a soft whinny to his stablemates.  Hoss’ face fell as he saw that the horse was riderless, spent and blowing, lather on his haunches.

Ben reached to grab the reins of the pinto, his face carefully blank.  “There’s no blood on the saddle,” he said after a careful inspection of the horse.   “It’s hard to tell how long Cochise has been wandering.  He’s obviously winded and tired.”

“But where’s Joe, Pa?”  Hoss knew his question didn’t have an answer, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Ben’s mask slipped and a grim look took its place.  “I wish I knew, Hoss.  Joe wouldn’t have been thrown from Cochise and he’d never abandon his horse.  He’s in serious trouble somewhere.  Tomorrow we’re going to backtrack this horse and find out where.”

Adam exchanged a worried look with his brother.  They both knew that backtracking Cochise’s trail  in the morning wasn’t going to be easy.  Adam was concerned that they might find nothing at all to go on.  He reached out and firmly clasped his father’s shoulder. “We’ll find him, Pa.  He’s probably out there next to some rocks for the night, cursing his stupidity in getting thrown.”

Hoss tried a chuckle and failed miserably.  “Yeah, he’s gonna be real embarrassed when we tease him about this one.”

Ben smiled at his sons’ efforts to cheer him up and warmly returned Adam’s grip.  “Let’s get something to eat and turn in early, boys.  We want to get moving as soon as we can in the morning.”

Silence descended as the three men turned in, but not much sleeping was done.  They all tossed and turned, dozing periodically, but not really sleeping.  In his heart, each of them was listening for the sound of footsteps, somehow believing that Joe would walk into their camp under his own power.

Before the pale streaks of dawn were even showing on the horizon, they were up and eating a hasty meal of cold beans, washed down with water.  They didn’t want to take the time to heat up a pot of coffee.  As the true dawn broke in all its glory they were on the trail, none of them even noticing the splendor in the sky.

For most of the morning they moved at a snail’s pace, straining to discern Cochise’s tracks in the stony ground.  Hoss rode in the lead, as his skill at tracking was the best among them.  He knew Cochise’s hoofprint as well as he knew the back of his own hand.  If it was there to be found, he’d see it.  By mid morning they called a halt.  Hoss hadn’t seen a trace of a print in well over an hour.

“Pa, this ain’t working,” he said in a rush as if expecting an argument.  “I’m just not able to pick up Cochise’s trail.  We’re gonna have to split up and see if we can cover more territory.  If Joe’s been hurt, maybe he’s been able to put up some sort of signal for us.  We can meet back here later this afternoon.”

Adam was nodding his agreement, ready to do anything as long as he could keep searching for his brother.  Ben’s face was a study in contrasts.  He was terrified for Joe, but he didn’t want to let his two remaining sons disappear from him as well.  Knowing he had no other choice, he nodded.  Hoss and Adam were off in two different directions before Ben’s head even stopped moving.  Choosing a different direction from each of them, he spurred Buck onward.

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

Joe spent an uncomfortable night, trussed up and lying against the cold stone floor.  He could feel the cold radiating through his jacket and he shivered violently.  The miner’s fire burned brightly but he wasn’t near enough to get the benefit of its heat.  The men had taken the precaution of tying Joe’s feet as well as his hands, preventing an attempt at escape in the night.  Joe knew that his father and brothers would be searching for him, but he also realized that the opening to the cave was so well hidden that they would never find it.

As he tossed fitfully in the night, Joe considered his situation. It was very bleak.  He was helpless to free himself from the ropes that bound him and the place where he was hidden was not going to be found.  He knew that given even a moment unguarded he’d attempt to escape, but he didn’t like his chances against three armed, desperate men.  The miners were obviously squatters in the process of stealing gold from an unknown mine on the Ponderosa property.  Joe had ridden this part of the ranch hundreds of time and never suspected the cave existed. He wondered how the men had discovered their hidden cache.

The darkness of the cave prevented him from knowing the time, but Joe judged it was just after dawn when the men began stirring.  He watched them warily as they built up their small fire and cooked breakfast.  Joe waited while the men ate their fill, his stomach rumbling noisily.  He hadn’t eaten since the previous day’s breakfast and he was starving.  When Slim stood up and moved toward him, a plate in hand, Joe eyed him hopefully.

Crouching before his prisoner, Slim motioned toward the plate of beans.  “Want some breakfast, boy?” he asked.  “All we got is beans, but they’re better’n nothin’.”

Joe gazed at the man through narrowed eyes, intent on gauging his sincerity.  When he saw no immediate threat, Joe nodded gratefully.  “Yeah, I’m pretty hungry,” he said quietly. “Untie me so I can eat.”

Slim laughed loudly.  “I didn’t say nothin’ about untying you, boy.  I’ll feed you if you’re hungry.”  He dipped a spoon into the plate and held it out toward Joe.

Joe’s pride surged, and he considered refusing the spoon, but a loud rumble from his stomach convinced him of the stupidity of that notion.  He knew he needed to stay healthy if he was going to escape from these men and refusing food was pointless.  With a sigh and a feeling of deep humiliation, Joe opened his mouth for the spoon.  He tried to look anywhere but Slim’s eyes as he ate, not wanting the man to know how much the feeding galled him.  At last the meal was finished, and Joe drank thirstily from the proffered cup of coffee that Slim held out to him.

His hunger and thirst satisfied, Joe glared up at his captor.  Trying to keep the quaver of uncertainty from his voice, Joe asked, “What are you going to do with me? My Pa and brothers are out searching for me, right now.  If they find you holding me like this, they’ll kill you.”

Slim laughed again.  “I ain’t worried, boy.  You know no one is going to find this cave.  It’ll take a miracle for your family to get in here after you.”

Joe knew the man spoke the truth, and he felt the sudden wash of fear rippling through him.  He forced it away and again spoke truculently.  “What do you want from me, anyway?  Is it money you’re after?”

“You found us, boy, remember?” Slim said with some hostility.  “And since you did, we’re gonna make use of you.  We need help gettin’ the gold outta this mine.  When we’ve gotten all we need, we’ll let you go.  It’s that simple.”

Joe snorted in derision. “I’m not helping you steal gold from my Pa.  This cave is on his land and you’re squatting.  You’ve got no right to mine this land.”

Slim spoke furiously.  “That’s kinda high and mighty sounding from a kid who’s tied hand and foot.”  He glared at his captive.  “You’ll dig or you’ll die.  It’s your choice.”  Leaving Little Joe to consider his options, he turned and stalked back to the fire

Joe leaned back against the wall.  He knew that he had little hope of escape trussed up the way he was now.  If he agreed to help the miners dig, they’d have to untie him.  His chances of getting away were much greater untied.  He knew that as much as he didn’t want to help these thieves, he had to acquiesce.  He closed his eyes wearily and inclined his head against the cave wall.  All he wanted to do was go home with his father and brothers.  How did he ever get himself into these messes, he asked himself grimly?

Joe opened his eyes to see the men around the fire conversing intently.  As the discussion became more animated, he could see that the men were debating over something, although he couldn’t hear what they said.  The result of the discussion appeared to be one of the men getting up and leaving the fireside.  Joe could hear him taking a horse from the corral, and he watched as the miner disappeared from view.  The other two men glanced back at Joe and then settled back around the fire.  Apparently Joe wasn’t expected to begin work just yet, and neither of the men appeared to be going to work today either.  Joe was confused by the men’s inconsistencies and he couldn’t stop worrying about what was going to happen.  “Pa, please find me!” he prayed silently, again closing his eyes and trying to rest.

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

The sun was once again sinking to the horizon, a glorious blaze of color staining the sky, framing the mountains in fire.  Ben Cartwright didn’t spare a glance at the vision from nature, instead he hunkered over a small fire waiting for the arrival of his sons.  He had worn himself out searching for any sign of Joe, to no avail.  Uttering a silent prayer that one of them had found their brother, he waited hopefully for Adam and Hoss.  He saw a distant speck appear, and as it drew closer he could see the rider was Adam.  He stood eagerly, struggling to make out details in the gathering darkness as Adam drew nearer.  His heart plummeted when he saw that Adam rode alone.

Adam drew Sport up and tiredly climbed from the saddle.  He gratefully accepted the cup of coffee that his father pressed into his hands. Sitting back on his heels before the fire, he sipped from the cup as he studiously avoided his father’s gaze.  When he finally looked up at his father, he saw that the older man’s face was constricted in anguish, the glimmer of an unshed tear in his eye.  Adam rose swiftly and moved to put his arm on his father’s shoulder, squeezing gently.  “Maybe Hoss found him, Pa.  There’s still hope.”

Ben smiled gratefully at his son.  “That’s right, son.  I’m sure Hoss will be bringing him in.”  Ben’s voice showed his lack of conviction, and pulling away from Adam’s touch, he hastily averted his eyes and moved to once again scan the horizon.

“I think Hoss is on his way in,” he said, nervous anticipation crowding out every other emotion.

Adam moved to stand next to his father and together they waited for Hoss to arrive.  It was soon obvious that he too was riding in alone, dejection showing in every line of his big frame.  He gratefully gulped a cup of coffee before sliding wearily to the ground.  “Not a dadblasted sign of him anywhere Pa,” he moaned.  “I couldn’t even get a trace of Cochise’s tracks. And we know he passed through here yesterday.”

The three bone-tired dispirited men sat staring disconsolately at the fire, each consumed with thoughts of the missing member of their family.  Finally Ben spoke, his deep voice commanding the instant attention of the other men.  “Tomorrow, Adam, I want you to head back to the house.”

Adam looked up, a heated protest on his lips.  He was quickly silenced by his father’s raised hand.  “I want you to gather as many of the hands together as you can.  We need more manpower for the search.  With just the three of us looking, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.  Send word to Roy Coffee too.  I’m hoping he’ll put together a posse in Virginia City and come out to help us.”

“Pa, can’t you send Hoss.” Adam said as soon as he could get a word in edgewise.  “I really want to stay here and look for Joe.”  Adam pointedly ignored Hoss’ angry glare at his words.

Before Hoss could get into a fight with his older brother, Ben again held up a warning hand.  “I asked you to go, Adam.  I know that you want to be here, as we all do.  But someone needs to go get help.”

Adam swallowed his anger.  His father’s words made sense.  Someone did have to go round up some help.  He just wanted it to be Hoss, not him.  But Adam knew this was one of those times when his position as the oldest son called for him to do something he didn’t particularly want to do.  He grudgingly nodded his acquiescence, and was appeased at the sight of his father’s grateful smile.  They didn’t waste much time on their meal and soon retired to their bedrolls for the night. Ben didn’t want to waste a minute of daylight in order to continue the search for Little Joe.

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

Little Joe awoke again. The previous day had crawled by interminably.  Slim and Red had remained sprawled by the fire, alternately sleeping, giving Joe no chance to work his bonds loose and escape.  They had fed their captive dinner and settled in for the night, but Joe noticed that one of them was awake at all times.  He cursed their attentiveness, he’d been hoping that they would both sleep and let him work at the bonds on his arms and legs.  Finally, abandoning all hope of escape for the night, Joe had allowed himself to sleep, exhaustion catching up with him and sending him into oblivion.

As Red was spoon-feeding Joe his breakfast, yet another plate of beans, the sound of hoof beats echoed in the cavern.  Pulling out their guns in nervous anticipation, the two miners leapt to their feet.  Joe watched eagerly, a frantic hope that his family had located the cave blossoming in his heart.  His hopes were dashed as Shorty came into view, leading his horse through the cavern.  His two companions offered him sociable hellos and Red left Joe’s side to confer with his colleagues.  Joe could tell by their smiles that whatever Shorty had been sent to do, he’d accomplished successfully.  He watched warily as the three men strolled across the cave to stand grinning down at him.

“What do you want?” Joe asked quietly.  He braced himself for whatever would come next.

Slim’s smile was wolfish, exposing yellowed and missing teeth.  “We figgered you were a might uncomfortable with those hands tied behind your back, and it sure makes it tough for us to guard you.  Shorty’s brought us back something to help us all feel a little easier.”

Joe watched in horror as Shorty pulled out a bag weighted down with something heavy.  Slim dipped his hands into the bag and Joe heard the clink of metal.  He watched in rising fear as Slim withdrew two sets of manacles, chains stretched between metal cuffs.  “You’re not going to put those things on me!” Joe managed to gasp.  He struggled to rise in an attempt to fight the men off.

Red anticipated his move, and he easily held back the struggling boy.  Joe felt the ropes binding his legs part as Shorty sliced his knife through them.  While Red held his arms, Shorty grasped his legs, and Slim began the process of attaching the metal cuffs.  With each slam of the hammer against metal, Joe felt his chances for freedom slipping away from him.  When Slim finished with his legs, the men repeated the process with Joe’s arms.  The returning circulation into his numbed hands caused Joe to gasp in pain, and it was good to have his hands in front of him again, but the sight of his bonds crushed his spirit.  He watched numbly, all hope gone, as the men drove a metal ring into the wall, another length of chain attached to that.  It was an easy guess to know that when he wasn’t working Joe would be chained to the wall like a dog.

Joe stood slumped against the wall, his mind numbly trying to accept the fact that if his father and brothers didn’t find him, his chances for escape were gone.  He knew that it was next to impossible for his family to stumble on the cave’s location.  A sob caught in his throat and he struggled to fight back his tears.  Joe realized he wasn’t going home anytime soon.

Slim chuckled in glee as he looked at their prisoner.  “There!  That’ll take care of you for a while.  Well boy, it’s time to get to work.  You’ve been loafing around here long enough.”

He pulled Joe along by the arm, chuckling a little as the boy tripped over the unaccustomed weight of the chains.  “You’ll get used to walking soon enough.  But right now, I want you to start digging.  We’ve got lots of rock to look through and it ain’t gonna get done by itself.”

He dragged Joe to the section of the mine that the men had been working and thrust a pickax into his hands.  Pointing to a section, he motioned for Joe to get started.  Joe hesitated wondering what would happen if he refused. The glee disappeared from Slim’s face to be replaced by a look of menace.  “Don’t think you can try anything, boy. You won’t get far, now that you’re wearing them irons.”  He pulled out a whip as he spoke and gestured threateningly. “Now get to work, or you’ll get a taste of this.”

Joe weighed his options and chose survival.  He turned, despair etched across his features, and began driving the pickax into the rock.

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

The search for the missing Cartwright continued.  All the available ranch hands on the Ponderosa had been called in to help and Roy Coffee brought out a large contingent of Virginia City men.  So far no trace of Little Joe had been discovered.  As the long days slipped by, Ben’s face grew steadily more haggard and drawn.  Hoss wandered around in a fog, rousing only when out searching for his beloved younger brother.  Once again, Adam found himself struggling to hold the pieces of his family together when all he wanted to do was crumble himself.

After two weeks with no success Roy sought out Ben and pulled him aside.  “Ben, I hate to say it, but I can’t keep these men out here any longer.  Little Joe just ain’t no where to be found.”  He put a consoling hand on his old friend’s arm.  “You’ve just got to admit that we might never find him.”

A flare of anger crossed Ben’s face and he pulled roughly away from the Sheriff.  “I’ll never admit that, Roy!  Never!  Little Joe is out here somewhere and I’m going to find him!”  He stalked away from the other man only to have Roy follow behind him.

“Mebbe so, Ben.  Anything’s possible. But I just can’t keep these men away from their own families on a wild goose chase.”  Roy’s face was grim. “You know how I feel about Little Joe, he’s like my own son.  I hate to be saying this to you, Ben.”

Ben glared at the other man.  “Fine, Roy.  You tell those men they can pack up and go back to Virginia City.  My boys and I will never give up.”

Adam had been listening to the conversation between his father and the Sheriff, and his heart lurched as he realized that the Sheriff might be right.  Two weeks of searching and finding no trace of his missing brother had made him realize just how vast the Ponderosa really was.  Anything could have happened to Little Joe.  It was possible that they might never know what had caused his disappearance. As the Sheriff hesitated by Ben Cartwright’s side and then finally turned and walked away, head down, Adam replaced him at his father’s side.

“He may be right.”  Adam’s voice was soft with misery.  “We have to face reality, Pa.  We may not find Little Joe, ever.”

Ben turned angry eyes on his oldest son.  “You want to give up, Adam?  You want to abandon your little brother and walk away?”  Ben’s face was red with his rage, and he towered over his son.

“No, Pa, I don’t want to abandon, Little Joe!” Adam said calmly.  “I love my brother!  But we have to be realistic.  We haven’t even found a trace of him.  Anything could have happened.  He could have been taken a prisoner by some Indians, killed by an animal or bushwhacked by anyone drifting through.”  Adam grabbed his father’s arm as if it were a lifeline, his misery clearly stamped on his face.  “He’s probably dead, Pa!”

Ben went white at Adam’s word, and he spun on his heel and stumbled away from his tormentor.  He sank to the ground and buried his head in his hands.  When he felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head slowly, anguish etched in the deep lines of his face.  “He can’t be dead.”  The words were whispered brokenly, and Adam’s eyes filled with tears in response.

“Oh, Pa, I hope he isn’t, but let’s face the facts.” Adam’s voice was miserable, his grief threatening to overwhelm him.  “We haven’t seen a trace of him, and we’ve had men searching for two whole weeks.  Not one trace!  If Joe was alive, he’d have left a track, or a sign or something!  People don’t just vanish, Pa.”

“Don’t you say that, Adam!”  Hoss’ voice interrupted him. He had just ridden in on Chubb and overheard what Adam was saying.  The big man moved forward like a cat, anger written plainly on his big face.  “Don’t you ever say that about Joe.  He’s alive and I’m not going to give up on him.”  He reached out his massive fist and closed it around Adam’s shirt, easily hauling him upward.

Adam let his brother manhandle him, his hands slightly raised to show Hoss that he wasn’t going to fight.  Slowly the anger drained out of the big man’s face and he let Adam’s shirt go, his face a mask of contradictions.  Shame warred with  deep anger, with a massive dose of sorrow interlaced through it all.  “He’s alive, Adam.”  Hoss whispered.  “He has to be.”

“I want him to be alive as much as you do, brother.” Adam said quietly.  “But wishing doesn’t make it so.  We’ve got a ranch to run and ranch hands who have lives to lead.  We can’t stay out here forever searching for something that we might never find.”

“I ain’t giving up, Brother.” Hoss replied fiercely.  “You can go on back to the house, and go on with your life, but I won’t.  Little Joe is my brother, and I won’t leave him out here alone.”

Adam lifted his dark eyes to Hoss’ blue ones.  Hoss was startled to see the shimmer of tears in those dark orbs.  Adam’s misery and pain were palpably reflected as he whispered brokenly. “He’s my brother too.”

Hoss reached for Adam blindly and the two brothers clutched each other fiercely, their grief intermingling.  Ben Cartwright watched his sons, the tears cascading down his own cheeks, and he made himself face the harsh reality that Adam was showing him.  The chances that they would find Little Joe alive were dwindling with each passing day.  If he had fallen and injured himself, he was surely dead by now.  If he had been imprisoned by a passing tribe of Indians, there was no trace of them to be found, and no clues to follow him.  If he had been bushwhacked by outlaws, they would have left his body behind, and it would have been found.  Adam was right, people shouldn’t just vanish, but Joe had.  If his youngest son was dead, he wouldn’t want his father and brothers to spend the rest of their lives in useless searching, of that Ben was sure.  He bowed his head under the weight of his grief and anger.  Adam had made his point.  Ben would call off the massive search and instruct his people to resume their lives.  It remained to be seen what the Cartwright family would make of theirs without the boy who was the heart of the family.

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

Little Joe slumped against the wall of the cavern that had become a torture chamber for him.  He gazed dispiritedly at the plate of beans that he held in his hands, seeing nothing but the chains that bound him.  His wrists and ankles burned from the constant chafing of the metal against his skin, and he looked with hatred at the chain that bound him to the wall.  In the unchanging light of the cave, he only knew the difference between day and night because in the daytime he dug with a pickax for hours on end, and at night he was chained to the wall like a beast.

His captors fed him an unchanging diet, a plate of beans for breakfast and another for dinner.  Nothing was served to the prisoner in between, and Joe could feel himself growing thinner as the days passed in the inexorable march of time.  Although he had no way of judging how many days had passed, Joe guessed he’d been in the mine for at least a month.  He could tell that the ore he was bringing to the surface was next to useless.  The squatters weren’t realizing much in the way of profit from their plundering of the Cartwright land.  The lack of riches seemed to be infuriating the men who held Joe hostage.  Each day that passed saw them grow steadily angrier, and more violent.  Joe noticed that while at first they had helped him dig, now they just stood and watched him do the work, arguing among themselves over imagined slights and misunderstandings.

Slim developed the nervous habit of flicking his whip, never quite striking Little Joe with it, but coming a little closer each time.  Red, who at first had been a laborer at Joe’s side, was steadily becoming more and more morose.  He had started to stare at Little Joe all the time, a practice that Joe found very irritating.  Shorty seemed to hate the cavern, and was swiftly becoming disenchanted with the whole venture.  He paced and cursed, and made continual trips to the entrance of the cave, for “a breath of fresh air.”  Joe couldn’t have agreed with him more.  He had never liked confined spaces and the cave was closing in on him as well.  He longed for a sight of the sky.  The sun was becoming a distant memory to him.

Joe closed his eyes after abandoning his attempt to eat the cold beans.  Vivid memories of his family displayed themselves in his mind, and he almost smiled at the mental picture of Hoss, up to his neck in one of his get-rich-quick schemes, and Adam mounting a horse, ready to break the animal to the saddle.  The smile faded before it started, as an image of his father, seated in his favorite chair and smoking a pipe inserted itself before his eyes.  Joe felt the tears prickle at the back of his eyelids, and he rubbed a hand across them quickly, the clanking of the chain sending a surge of anger through him.

Joe didn’t hear the footsteps of the man approaching him; he was so deep in his thoughts.  He felt the rough hands on him and his eyes flew open in alarm.  Shorty stood before him, his hands patting at the pockets of Little Joe’s green jacket.  Joe instinctively raised his arms before him, in an effort to push Shorty away.  One of Joe’s arms caught the man just underneath his chin and he stumbled backwards with a curse on his lips.  He charged forward again, plowing into Joe, his shoulder catching Joe in the ribs, sending the breath out of his lungs with a whoosh.  As Joe lay gasping, Shorty again scrabbled at the pockets of the jacket.

“What do you want?”  Joe gasped out, as he gazed at the man in bewilderment.  “I don’t have anything hidden, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Shorty tossed a sly glance back at his companions who were sleeping by the fire, paying no attention to his movements. “I’m sick of this cave, and I’m sick of Slim and Red,” he spat out.  “I aim to get out of here, and go look for some fun, but I need some cash.  You’re a rich kid.  What have you got hidden in your pockets that we didn’t think to look for?”

A look of triumph crossed his piggish features as he discovered the money clip that Joe had in his inner pocket.  It was a silver clip engraved with the initials JFC, a gift from Adam on Joe’s last birthday.  The clip contained only about ten dollars in cash, but Shorty looked at it with glee.  He hastily stuffed the money and the clip in his pocket, glancing quickly back at his partners again as he did so.  He pushed his face close to Little Joe’s, his stale breath causing Joe to gag slightly.  “Don’t you say a word about this, kid, or I’ll get that whip and beat you with it, you understand?”

Joe looked at the man searchingly.  He could tell that Shorty was serious.  The close quarters of the cave had driven the man to desperation.  “Just get away from me,” he replied angrily.  “Take anything you want, but leave me alone.”

“Oh, I’ll get away from you, kid.” Shorty replied.  “I’ll get far away from you. You keep your mouth shut, or when I get back I’ll kill you.”  He backed away from Joe, keeping his eyes glued to the captive as he moved.  When he was sure that Joe wasn’t going to call out or give him away, he turned and dashed for the horses, untying one quickly and leading it out of the cave.

Joe watched him go with longing.  He cursed angrily and yanked at the chain that bound him, rage coursing him through him.  He wanted to go home, to see his family.  Why didn’t his father come for him?  Joe finally fell into an exhausted sleep, the despair and rage fading into a numb acceptance, and then into a depression so deep that Joe felt like he had fallen into a pit.  Sleep was better than thinking, and so Joe gave in to the darkness that beckoned him.

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

“Please, Pa.  Why don’t you change your mind and come to town with us?” Adam’s deep voice was pleading.  “You really should get out for a change.”  Adam exchanged a worried glance with his younger brother, and the both turned expectantly to their father.

“No, boys.  You go on in without me.”  Ben responded disinterestedly.  “I really don’t feel up to a visit to town right now.”  He resumed his study of the fire as it roared in the massive fireplace, his eyes blank and unseeing.

Adam sighed, “Well, we’ll be back soon, Pa.”  He nudged Hoss’ massive arm.  “Come on, Hoss.  I’ll buy you a beer when we get to town.”  The two men turned and headed for their horses.

As soon as they were outside, Hoss gazed at his brother, the concern written across his normally placid face.  “What are we gonna do, Adam?  He won’t eat.  He won’t sleep.  All he does is sit.”

The brothers mounted their horses and headed for Virginia City at a gentle trot. Adam sighed heavily, and finally responded to Hoss’ question.  “I don’t know what to do, Hoss. Pa just hasn’t been the same since Joe disappeared, and there’s nothing I can do about it.  I’ve tried.”

Hoss’ blue eyes clouded with concern.  “He goes up there every day, searching.  I keep finding him just riding around that spot where we last saw Joe.”

“It sounds like you’ve been spending quite a lot of time up there yourself, Younger Brother.” Adam chided gently.

Hoss gave Adam a scathing look.  “Are you trying to tell me that you haven’t been riding up that way yourself, Older Brother?  I’ve seen you coming back down that trail quite a few times this past month.”

Adam smiled sheepishly.  “I just can’t give up hope, Hoss.  I feel like Joe’s out there somewhere, calling me.  I keep trying to find him, but he isn’t there.  It’s just like a bad dream that I can’t wake up from.”

Hoss nodded knowingly.  “You and me both, Adam.  I would know it if Joe were dead, I just would.  But he’s not dead.  He’s alive and he’s counting on us to find him.  I’ll never give up looking for some sign of him.”

The brothers exchanged rueful glances, then both dropped their eyes.  In the month that Joe had been missing life had changed dramatically at the Ponderosa.  Ben spent his days riding around the farther parts of the range, hunting for some sign of Little Joe.  He had virtually turned the running of the ranch over to his two remaining sons, who were still in shock themselves.  Adam was trying to hold things together, but he and Hoss were both sleeping poorly.  Even now, as Adam looked at his younger brother, he could see the signs of strain.  Hoss was visibly thinner, his face etched with fatigue.

It had been Adam’s idea to go into town for an evening’s entertainment.  None of the Cartwrights had visited Virginia City since Joe’s disappearance.  They just hadn’t felt like having a good time.  But when Adam had come upon Hoss in the barn, his shoulder’s shaking with massive sobs, he knew that it was time to pull his brother out of the depression he had fallen into. Joe had taken the laughter out of the Ponderosa when he hadn’t come back from chasing those strays.  Adam wanted to put some of it back.

The brothers rode in silence the rest of the way into Virginia City.  They entered the Silver Dollar Saloon shoulder to shoulder and Hoss procured two seats at a table, while Adam went to order their beer.  They sat and sipped companionably, idling chatting with friends and neighbors who came up to greet them. Adam was pleased to see some of the fatigue lift from Hoss’ face as he relaxed and started to enjoy himself for the first time in a month.  If he could have looked in a mirror, he would have seen much the same on his own face.

After several pleasant hours, Adam reluctantly rose and reached for his hat.  “I think we’d better be heading back, Hoss,” he said quietly.  “We promised Pa we wouldn’t be late, and I don’t want him to worry.”

Hoss nodded, and rose, his huge bulk filling the aisle between two tables.  As he reached for his hat he accidentally bumped into a smaller man, dressed in miners’ clothing.  The force of the collision caused the smaller man to spill the beer he was carrying.  He whirled on Hoss, a curse on his lips.  “Watch where you’re going ya big ox!” he roared, and launched himself at the surprised man.

Hoss let the smaller man throw a few punches until he tired of the man.  He drew back his massive fist and let it fly into the miner’s face, flattening the man against a table, which broke under his weight, beer spilling and poker chips flying around the room.  Adam stood watching the altercation with a small smile on his lips.  He had no intention of interfering.  Hoss was more than capable of taking care of himself.  Hoss had turned and was about to offer the miner a hand up when the big man froze.  He turned suddenly, the blood draining from his face so quickly that Adam reached for him, thinking the bigger man was going to pass out.

“Hoss, what is it?” he asked urgently, his hand clasping Hoss hard on the forearm.

“Adam, look there.” Hoss said in a whisper, pointing with a shaking finger.

Adam turned and scrutinized the fallen miner.  At first he saw nothing but a man sprawled in unconsciousness on the floor, but then he too gasped, and scrambled quickly to his knees, scrabbling on the floor with shaking fingers.  He turned to Hoss, his face white as paper, in his hands he held a silver money clip.  Hoss knew without asking that the clip was engraved with the initials, JFC.

Hoss’ face turned murderous and he turned on the fallen man with such ferocity that Adam hastily interposed his body between Hoss and the miner.  “No, Hoss,” he ordered firmly.  “Grab his arm.  We’ve got to get him over to the Sheriff.  This man’s seen Joe, and we need to find out what he knows.”

He watched as Hoss visibly tried to settle himself down.  Finally feeling like his brother was under control, Adam moved aside and let Hoss help him lift the fallen man. Together they staggered out the door of the saloon and headed down the street to the Sheriff’s office, a limp body slung between them.

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

Roy Coffee completed his rounds around Virginia City and returned to his office, opening the door and hanging his hat on a hook.  He startled violently when he realized that he had company.

“Adam, Hoss, how are you boys?” he asked cheerfully.  His smile faded when he saw the limp body propped in his chair.  “Who’s that?” he asked quickly, moving to feel for the man’s pulse.

Hoss started to speak, his face taut with anger, but Adam’s calm hand on his arm stopped him.  “We found this on him.  It fell out of his pocket during a fight at the saloon.” Adam said quietly, handing a small silver object to the Sheriff.

If the Sheriff hadn’t known Adam Cartwright so well, he would have thought the man was calm, and unmoved by what he had just handed over.  But he had known Adam for many years, and he could tell by the tightness of Adam’s lips, and the deadly coldness of his voice that he was just as angry as his brother Hoss.

Roy hastily examined the object in his hand. He turned the silver clip so that the initials engraved on its surface caught the light, and gasped at what he saw.  “Was Joe carrying this when he disappeared?” he asked urgently.

“Joe always kept it in his pocket.” Adam replied soberly.  “I don’t think he ever went anywhere without it, not since the day I gave it to him.”  Adam turned away abruptly and walked to the far side of the Sheriff’s office.

Hoss glared with murderous fury at the unconscious man in the Sheriff’s chair, and then moved to Adam’s side.  He reached out a gentle hand, and squeezed Adam’s shoulder.  Adam closed his eyes, and leaned into his brother’s strong hand for a moment.  Then with a visible shake, he pulled away, drew a quick hand across his eyes, and walked back to Roy.  “What are you going to do about this, Roy?” he asked roughly.  “We need to get some answers from this…this man, and quickly.”

“Adam, you and Hoss need to calm down.” Roy stated, in his best judicial manner.  “I won’t have you going outside the law on this.”

Adam’s anger became more apparent, and Hoss looked downright dangerous.  “We brought him here, didn’t we Sheriff Coffee?” Hoss asked combatively.  “We coulda dragged him into some alley and worked him over to get the answers we wanted.”

Roy Coffee was a brave man, and he had watched Adam and Hoss Cartwright grow from boys into men, and even so he was more than a little afraid of the murderous fury that was emanating from the two men.  He cleared his throat and said in his sternest voice, “If you two can’t control yourselves, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave while I question the prisoner.”

Adam’s sudden surge of rage was readily visible to everyone in the small office.  The Sheriff flinched as he saw the bleak look in the dark eyes.  “This man has information about my brother, Sheriff Coffee.  I won’t be leaving this office until I have heard every word that he has to say.”

Hoss’ words came out almost a growl.  “I ain’t going nowhere either,  Roy.”  It was just as well that the miner was unconscious, because Hoss’ glare would have terrified the man.  “He just better tell us where to find Little Joe, or I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

Roy glared back at the large man. “You’ll stay away from this man, Hoss Cartwright!” he shouted angrily.  “I’ll do any questioning of him that needs to be done.  And if you so much as touch him, I’ll put you in a jail cell right alongside him.”

A muffled groan from the miner cut off any words that Hoss meant to say.  Three men rushed to the man’s side, and Adam reached out to snag the man’s shirt front.  “Where’s my brother?” he said urgently.  “What have you done with Little Joe?”

“Adam, get back!” Roy bellowed, shoving Adam away from the miner.  “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t keep your mouth shut.”

Adam’s hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.  “Then start questioning him, Roy, because I’m losing my patience,” he hissed, although he stepped back a couple of paces.

The little miner groaned again, leaning over he clutched at his head.  Finally, he looked up with bleary eyes to see the tense faces of three men hovering over him.  “What’s goin’ on here, Sheriff?” he asked, recognizing the badge if not the man.

“Well, sir.  I’d like to ask you a few questions, if I may?” said Roy firmly.  He waited until the other man sat up a little straighter, watching as his eyes focused a little better.  “Let’s start with your name.”

The miner’s eyes shifted frantically from man to man, trying to gauge who they were and what they wanted from him.  “They call me Shorty,” he said finally. “What do you want with me, Sheriff?  Last thing I know I was having a drink in the saloon. I ain’t done nothin’ wrong!”

The Sheriff held a small silver object up so that it caught the light.  “Mind telling me where you got this?” Roy asked, his voice deceptively mild.

Shorty appeared to be mesmerized by the little silver clip, he was unable to take his eyes off of it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sheriff,”  he gasped out, his eyes darting from Roy to the menacing forms of the men standing behind the Sheriff.  “That isn’t mine.”

“We know it ain’t yours, mister.” Hoss growled angrily.  “Where’d you get it?” He stepped forward, his hands clenched, his eyes bleak.

Adam, too, stepped a pace nearer, radiating such a cold ferocity that Shorty gulped audibly.  “I..I…found it.  Yeah, that’s it.  I found it, on the street,” he gasped out quickly, his eyes wide with terror as he gazed at the man in black

Adam’s voice was deadly.  “I thought you said that it wasn’t yours.  Now you say that you found it on the street.  Which is it?”  He moved closer still, and the little man shrank back into his chair.

Roy turned on Adam in a sudden fury.  “Adam Cartwright, I said for you to back off.  Now I want you and Hoss outta here, right now.  I’ll send word after I’ve questioned this prisoner.”

Shorty went white when he heard the names of the two men who were towering over him.  He squeezed his eyes shut, and hung onto the arms of the chair for dear life, as if he could make the horrible apparitions disappear.

Hoss growled in fury at the Sheriff’s words, and stood with his hands on his massive hips.  “I ain’t going nowhere until this fella tells me where Little Joe is!” he said viciously.  “And if he needs a hand remembering, I’m sure I can help.”

Roy stood his ground, and glared back at Hoss.  “I said git, and I meant it.  Now!  The both of you.  Go back to the saloon, I’ll come see you in a little while.”

Hoss looked at Adam in supplication, refusing to move unless his brother ordered him to.  Adam stood frozen to the spot, wanting to beat the cringing man before them into a pulp in order to get the information they so desperately needed.  But he knew that Roy was right. They were terrifying the man, and it might make him stop talking.  He nodded slightly, and saw Hoss’ shoulders sag with disappointment.  “Make it soon, Roy.” Adam said tonelessly.  Together the Cartwrights walked out the door.

Once outside the Sheriff’s office the Cartwrights stopped on the sidewalk.  Adam stared sightlessly at the darkened street, his shoulders rigid with tension.  He started violently when he felt the hand on his shoulder.  He looked into a pair of blue eyes that were wide with a mixture of misery and anger.  “Why didn’t you let me take him apart, Adam?” Hoss asked violently, slamming his fist into a post.

Adam straightened to his full height.  “Because if you killed him, we wouldn’t have a chance to find Little Joe.”  He looked deadly in the moonlight.  “That maggot knows where Joe is, and I intend to make sure he tells us what he knows.”

Hoss felt his anger cooling in the face of Adam’s cold steel.  “What do we do now, Adam?” he asked quietly.

“You go home and get Pa.  As soon as that fellow tells us what he knows we’re gonna ride.  Pa will want to be there.”  Adam instructed.

Hoss looked at him uncertainly.  “Shouldn’t we wait before we get Pa’s hopes up?” he asked quickly.  “What if this guy doesn’t really know anything at all?”

Adam’s eyes glittered with hatred.  “He knows something.  Joe wouldn’t part with that money clip if he could help it.  It was taken from him.  And we know who took it.”  He glared back at the door of the Sheriff’s office.  “I’ll go wait for Roy, while you get Pa.  It’s time to go find our little brother.”

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

Ben Cartwright pushed his way into the crowded saloon, his son at his heels.  He made his way over to the table where he spotted his oldest son.  Adam was an oasis of silence in that noisy room, the air of menace that he exuded warning off the people who thought to approach him.  Ben pulled up a chair and watched as Hoss did the same.

“What did Roy say, Adam?” Ben asked eagerly.  “Where’s Little Joe?”

Adam’s face was grim.  “He hasn’t been here yet.  I was only waiting for you before I went back to the jail.  I’m ready to get some answers.”

Ben stood quickly, turning without speaking, a terrible urgency written on his face.  He stopped at the sight of the sheriff of Virginia City approaching their table.  “Roy!” he cried.  “Where’s my son?”

“Sit down, Ben,” Roy said quietly. He hooked a chair with one foot and pulled it up to the little table.  He looked around the little circle of men, his heart sinking at the naked desperation in their eyes.  “He still claims that he doesn’t know anything about Little Joe’s whereabouts.  He says he picked up the money clip on the street the other day.”  Again Roy looked at his audience, drew a deep breath, and continued.  “I can’t shake his story.  I’m sorry, Ben.”

Hoss exploded in fury.  “Roy, you know he’s lyin’.  How can you just sit there and say you’re sorry?  Make that lyin’ son of a bitch tell us where my little brother is.”

Adam’s response was cold.  “He didn’t pick up that clip on the street and you know it, Sheriff.  What do you intend to do now?”

Roy shook his head slowly.  “I know he’s lying, and you boys know he’s lying.  But I can’t make the man tell the truth.  And unless he does, we ain’t any closer to finding Little Joe.”

Ben’s eyes glowed with renewed hope and vigor.  “But he’s alive.”

Roy sucked in a deep breath; he hated to see that light go out of Ben’s eyes.  “No one says that Little Joe is alive, Ben.  Even if this fellow got the clip from Little Joe himself, it don’t mean he left the boy alive.”

Adam was watching Roy as he spoke, but he turned quickly to his father to gauge the effect of Roy’s words.  Ben’s face drained of color and the excitement in his eyes died, leaving behind the ashen faced old man that Ben Cartwright had become in the last month.  Adam felt his heart break at the sight.  “He’s alive, Pa!  I feel it!”  Adam spoke fervently, and he reached out to grasp his father’s arm.

Ben was startled.  Adam wasn’t normally given to flights of fancy.  His oldest son’s ardent belief that his brother still lived renewed Ben’s confidence.   He placed a shaky hand over his eyes and wiped them briefly.  Then he squared his shoulders and gave himself a visible shake.  “What do we do now, Roy?” he asked quietly.

“Nothing,”  Roy’s answer was equally quiet.  He glared at the Cartwrights.  “I can keep the fella in my jail for a couple of days to see if I can get him to talk, but that’s all.  And I don’t want to see any of you hanging around trying to scare him, neither.”

This time it was Adam whose anger got the best of him.  “A few days!  Roy, we need to find Joe now!”  He stood up quickly, his chair falling backwards with a clatter.  Planting his hands on the table in front of him, he leaned so that his face was close to Roy’s. “If you can’t make him talk, I’ll do it.”

Roy stood also.  “You come near that jail, Adam, and I’ll have you arrested.”  He turned to leave, and then looked back over his shoulder.  “If I get anything out of the fella, you’ll be the first to know.”

The three Cartwrights sat looking at each other in disbelief.  “Pa!  How can Roy talk about lettin’ that man go?” Hoss asked with dismay.  “He’s our only chance at finding Little Joe.”

Ben sighed deeply, his head drooping dispiritedly.  “Roy’s only doing his job, Hoss.  His hands are tied by the law.  I don’t think he likes it any better than we do.”

Expression dark and brooding, Adam sat lost in thought.  Then, eyes suddenly brightening, he exclaimed, “That’s it!  When Roy lets the miner go we’ll tail him.  He’ll lead us right to Little Joe.”

Hoss whistled softly.  “I think you got an idea, there, older brother.  We’ll have to do it quietly though.  Roy won’t like us following the guy around.”

Ben smiled grimly.  “Then I guess we just won’t let Sheriff Coffee know what we’re doing, all right boys?”

The Cartwrights smiled at each other.  The flame of hope that had burned low in all of them had flared back into brilliant light.

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

Roy Coffee pulled his big ring of keys from the hook and reluctantly opened the cell door.  Shorty gazed at him nervously and brushed past the Sheriff, hastily exiting from the cell, as if afraid that he was going to be put back in immediately.  “Am I free to go, Sheriff?” he asked hesitantly, hovering by the door.

Roy nodded slowly.  “I reckon I can’t hold you any longer.  I still think you know somethin’ about Little Joe Cartwright’s disappearance, but I can’t prove it.  You get out of my town, mister, and don’t come back.  We don’t want trouble like you around here.”

Shorty nodded frantically, and slipped out the door as fast as he could.  He didn’t want to be in  Virginia City any more than Virginia City wanted him.  He hastened to the livery stable, found his horse and rode quickly out of town.  He was in such a hurry to get away from the Sheriff and his questions that he didn’t notice the three men who surreptitiously followed him out of town.  He rode for hours; never checking to see if anyone was behind him, so intent was he on what he would say to Slim and Red when he returned.

Shorty feared Slim’s anger and his quick fists.  He knew that Red would back up Slim, and that would mean trouble.  But he had to go back. If he stayed in Virginia City, those Cartwrights would corner him and force him to talk about that money clip.  Shorty again cursed his stupidity in taking something so recognizable into the saloon.  Who knew that he’d run into the kid’s brothers that way?  And so his thoughts continued all during the long ride from Virginia City to the hidden cave.

The Cartwrights stayed far enough back that they wouldn’t be spotted by the nervous miner, although he didn’t appear to be worried about being followed.  They easily kept pace with him, and as the familiar landmarks passed behind them, they exchanged measured glances.  Shorty was leading them right back to the spot where Little Joe had disappeared.

Ben’s face was grim, while Adam fingered his gun as he rode.  Hoss’ expression was murderous, a scowl taking up residence on his normally placid face.  The three men were worried about what they would find at the end of their long ride, but none of them doubted that they were about to solve the mystery of Little Joe’s disappearance.

Hoss was riding in the lead when he spotted Shorty riding straight toward a solid cliff face.  “Pa!  Adam!” he said quietly.  “What’s that fella doing?”  He pointed at the distant figure.

Adam squinted into the distance, a speculative look in his eye.  “Don’t take your eyes off of him, Hoss,” he said quickly.  “Mark the spot where he stops.  I could have sworn that the cliff was solid, but I’d be wrong.  If we lose him now, we’ll never find Joe.”

The Cartwrights rode as close as they dared, never taking their eyes from Shorty, who now rode close to the cliff face.  They watched him stop, glance around nervously, and then disappear.  From where they sat, it looked like he had walked into a solid wall of rock.  Adam swore softly, while Hoss let out a slow whistle.  Ben just stared in shock.  They had all ridden by this cliff face so many times in the past month while searching for Little Joe.  Was it possible that they had been riding right by him the whole time?

Slowly they edged nearer, taking care to conceal themselves and their horses from casual observation.  Finally they were within a few feet of the cliff, and they hid the horses, approaching the spot where Shorty had disappeared on foot.  They still couldn’t see how he had just vanished, even knowing there must be a cave of some kind.  The opening was completely concealed by some trick of the light and shadows.

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

Little Joe swung the pickax, watching it slam into the stone wall.  Slowly he pulled it back, and let it fall again.  His shoulders ached with the strain of the long days of digging, and shoveling.  His clothes hung on his gaunt frame, and his cheeks were hollow, the skin pale with lack of sun. He tried to pull the pick up again for another swing, but it just seemed too heavy all of a sudden.  He leaned against the handle, breathing heavily.

The sound of the whip didn’t even make Joe jump.  He had heard it so often in the past month.  When he felt the sharp pain rip across his back, he was bewildered.  What had happened?  His dulled senses suddenly registered the fact that Slim had actually struck him with the whip.  He turned, his arms up to ward off another blow, tears of pain in his eyes.

“Get back to work, Kid!”  Slim ordered, harshly.  “You’re slacking off.  We ain’t gettin’ nothing outta you, lately.”

Joe felt his temper flare, and he let it go.  “What’s the use?” he snapped angrily.  “There isn’t more than a nickel’s worth of gold in this rock anyway.  I could dig for a hundred years and not find enough to make you happy!”  He threw down the pick in disgust.

Joe knew he had made a mistake when he heard Slim’s scream of rage and saw him draw back the whip again.  He jumped backwards, his hands held protectively in front of his face.  He felt the whip cutting across his arms, and he couldn’t stop the cry that escaped his lips.

Joe had picked a bad time for his rebellion.  Slim and Red were still angry and upset at Shorty’s disappearance several days earlier.  Joe had seen them deep in discussion until late at night, but so far neither had made a move to leave the cave.  Slim was convinced that there were riches to be found just beyond where they were currently digging, and he wasn’t about to give up his one chance at a fortune.

Slim’s anger had been building all day, and Joe’s increasing weakness and fatigue had exacerbated his fury. Soon, even his slave would be gone.  The whip cracked again, as Slim’s fury vented itself on his helpless target.

Joe felt several more blows land on his arms and back.  He fell to the ground, keeping his head and neck covered as best he could, his heavy green jacket blunting the blows somewhat.  It had just occurred to Joe that Slim wouldn’t quit until his victim was dead, when he heard Red shout for his partner to stop.  Joe lifted his head weakly, in time to see Red grab the whip away from the irate man.

“Slim, no!  You’ll kill him!” Red shouted again.  “I told you I wouldn’t hold with a killing.”

Slim’s face was a mask of fury, and he struck out blindly at his partner.  Red easily dodged the blow and pulled back a massive fist, striking Slim on the point of his chin.  Slim staggered back, the fight draining out of him suddenly.  He looked at Joe, lying on the ground, his jacket ripped in several places, welts rising already from several of the lash marks.  “Get him out of my sight!” he shouted, kicking at Joe’s body. “Chain him back to that wall; I’m going out for some air.”

Joe watched in relief as his tormentor strode quickly out of his sight, heading for the entrance of the cave.  He felt himself being pulled to his feet and he staggered slightly as Red led him to the chain. The clank of the chain as it was securely fastened pilfered the hope of freedom once again.  Joe immediately slumped against the wall of rock closing his eyes against the pain. He deliberately willed himself into the welcome darkness of oblivion.

Joe’s eyes flew open as Slim clattered back into the cave at a run.  “Somebody’s coming!” he shouted.  “Keep that kid quiet!  We don’t want him letting anyone know we’re here.”

As Red moved to hold his gun on Little Joe, he sought to reassure his partner.  “It’s probably just old Shorty finally gettin’ back from that bender he’s been on.  He’s the only one who knows we’re out here.”

Slim pulled his gun and aimed it at Joe’s head.  “Don’t make a sound, Kid, or I’ll kill you,” he said firmly.  “You so much as twitch, and you’re a dead man.”

The three men listened in silence as the sound of hoof beats came closer and finally stopped just outside the cave entrance.  They started up again, as a man came into the cave leading his animal.  Slim pulled back the trigger of his gun, the sound of the bullet entering the chamber echoing in the silence.

“Don’t shoot, it’s just me!” Shorty called out.  He came into view, a sheepish expression on his face.

Slim strode forward and slapped the smaller man across the face.  Shorty staggered backwards, clutching his burning cheek.  “Hey, what did you do that for?” he cried out.

“You know what for!” Slim yelled back. “How dare you disappear like that?  You’ve been gone for days!  Where have you been?”

Shorty’s eyes shifted nervously.  “I just went out for a ride, and I ended up going to the saloon in Virginia City.  That’s all, Slim.  I swear.”

Slim cursed violently, while Red glared at the smaller man.  “You went to the saloon in Virginia City?” Slim repeated questioningly.  “How could you have been in the saloon for three days?” he bellowed.

Shorty stared at the ground, the horse’s reins dangling from his limp fingers.  “I.. I wasn’t exactly in the saloon the whole time,” he answered slowly, shuffling his feet.

Slim almost danced with rage, while Red closed in on Shorty, reaching out to twist his arm behind his back.  The horse shied backwards at the sudden movement, jerking the reins from the smaller man’s hands.  With a clatter of hoofs, it turned and ran back out of the cave.

Slim howled,  “Now see what you’ve done!  We’ve got to go catch that stupid horse!”  He stomped toward the entrance of the cave, Red tugging Shorty along behind him.

The three men reached the entrance to the cave, Red pulling himself through the narrow entrance first.  Soon all three were out trying to round up the frightened horse.  Little Joe slumped against the wall of the cave, clenching his eyes shut in despair.  His hopes had risen at the sound of hoof beats, but had been dashed by Shorty’s arrival.  Somehow Joe had felt that his family had finally come for him.  He was cruelly disappointed, and a wave of anguish washed through him.  He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out against his captors.  He could feel his body weakening every day, but Slim had been very careful to make sure that Joe had no chance to escape.  Without a miracle, Joe knew that his time was growing short.  He let exhaustion overtake him, and he sank into a fitful doze.

Dreams filled Joe’s sleeping mind, and all of them centered around his family.  He was riding Cochise up to the door of the ranch house, his father and brothers running to meet him.  They were all laughing and pulling him inside for one of Hop Sing’s wonderful meals.  Joe let the sensations of love and happiness fill him and his sleep deepened, a soft smile on his face.  The dreams continued, he could feel the warmth of his father’s loving hands on his cheek.  He could hear Adam’s voice calling his name, while Hoss clasped him firmly around his shoulders.  It was all so real that Joe didn’t ever want to wake up.  But he felt an insistent shaking, and Adam’s voice was getting more strident.  Why was Adam yelling at him?  In his dream, Joe felt confused and uncertain.  Adam wanted him to do something, but he just couldn’t figure out what.  The confusion intensified and Joe now fought his way through a dark fog, unwillingly leaving the comfort of sleep.

It was strange, but Joe was certain that he could still feel his father’s touch, and hear his brothers’ voices.  His eyes fluttered open, and he was looking into the frantic faces of his family.  Joe looked at them with a beautiful smile on his face, and then he collapsed, unconscious, into his father’s arms.

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

The sudden clatter of hooves startled the Cartwrights, and as one they jumped back against the cliff face, trying to conceal themselves as much as possible.  They watched a horse bolt from the hidden entrance, its eyes wide with terror.  After a few minutes the horse was followed by first one man, then another.  Finally Shorty emerged; the three men scattered, trying to entice the horse to return.

At a signal from Ben, Adam and Hoss split off, and each targeted one of the men, stealthily coming up behind their targets. Working with unspoken accord they holstered their guns, not knowing how many more men were in the cave.  Hoss deftly cut his man off from the cave entrance and crept up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.  As Hoss’ victim swung around, startled, the big man’s massive fist crashed into his face.  The miner slumped to the ground, unconscious, before he even knew what hit him.

Adam circled around behind his man and reached out with a strong arm, yanking the man off his feet with a jerk.  The miner’s startled face looked up at Adam in dismay, a yell forming on his lips. It died before it began as Adam knocked him cold.  Adam gave a grunt of satisfaction, hauling the miner’s limp body up and dragging it back to the opening of the cave.

Ben Cartwright took on Shorty, the last of the miners to be standing upright.  He waited until the stocky miner had captured the horse at last.  When Shorty’s hands were occupied with the horse’s reins, Ben Cartwright, his face etched with lines of rage, abruptly appeared in front of him.  Shorty screamed frantically dropping the reins, and startling the horse into flight once again.  He turned to run, but felt himself yanked back by an arm as rigid as steel.  Ben let his fists fly, venting some of the fury that had been building in him since the discovery of Joe’s money clip.  It wasn’t long before Shorty joined the other men, slumped in unconsciousness, hands bound behind their backs.

With one accord the three Cartwrights turned toward the entrance of the cave, guns drawn and ready.  Slipping silently across the rocky ground, Adam reached the entrance first, marveling at how well concealed it was.  He ducked into the dark opening, cautiously moving forward.  Ben following closely behind him, with Hoss at his father’s heels.  They slowly made their way down through the narrow part of the cavern.  Rounding the bend, the three men stopped short in amazement at the size of the interior of the cave.  Their eyes widened in disbelief when they saw the lights of the oil lamps and the still flickering fire.

Adam cried out in distress and ran forward, startling his father and brother, until they spotted the bundle of rags that he was cradling in his arms.

Ben paled, and he moved forward in a daze. “Is he alive, Adam?” he whispered, reaching out with a trembling hand to touch the face of his youngest son.

Hoss crouched down beside his father and brothers, tears streaming down his face.  “What have they done to you, Short Shanks?” he said brokenly.  He caught sight of the manacles on Joe’s wrists and ankles, and a spasm of rage contorted his broad face.  “How dare they?” he snarled as he yanked futilely on the chains.

Ben cupped Joe’s cheeks with gentle hands.  “Joe! Wake up son!” he said gently, his eyes taking in the boy’s gaunt frame and dirt smeared face.  The glint of anger burned in Ben’s dark eyes.

Adam and Hoss crouched with their father, all touching some part of Joe, as if they couldn’t let him go.  After several long minutes, Joe’s eyes flickered briefly and then opened.  He looked around at his father and brothers, a beautiful smile on his face, and then he once again surrendered to unconsciousness.

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

Joe’s brief awakening had heartened his worried family, and they were galvanized into action.  Ben sent Hoss outside to secure the miners and guard against their escape.  He wanted to put them on horses and send Hoss back to Virginia City for help, but Hoss flatly refused to leave Little Joe.  When Ben had turned to Adam to issue the same order, Adam  just as bluntly told his father that this time he wasn’t leaving either.

Ben tried to look stern at his sons’ rebellion, but couldn’t find it within himself to be angry with them.  He understood why they wouldn’t leave; in truth, he wouldn’t have left Joe’s side if ordered to at gun point.  Adam, searching through the miner’s meager possessions  found a hammer and chisel, and removed the manacles from Joe’s wrists and ankles.  A grimness  lurked around his eyes and mouth when he saw the broken and bruised skin where the cuffs had rested.  Together the Cartwrights bundled Little Joe up and carried him gently out of the cave, finally heading for home.  Hoss brought up the rear, keeping his gun trained on the three miners who were tied to their horses.

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

The next time Little Joe opened his eyes, he was in his own bed.  He looked around the familiar room, a wistful smile on his face.  It looked so real, felt so warm and inviting.  His dreams were becoming so vivid, he hated to wake up and lose this glimpse of home.

“Hello, son.”  Ben leaned over the bed, a broad smile on his face as he smoothed the bed covers a bit.

Joe’s eyes widened in surprise.  He’d been dreaming quite a bit the last few days in the mine, but it almost seemed as if he could reach out and touch the vision of his father.  He raised a questioning hand and cried out in shock as he touched warm skin.  “Pa!” he gasped out, his face crumpling, tears flowing down his cheeks.

“Joe, what is it?  What’s wrong, son?” Ben asked frantically.  He reached out to put a strong arm around Joe’s too-thin shoulder.  “Where does it hurt?” he asked again.

“Pa?  Am I really home?”  Joe’s voice was a whisper, his eyes wide with longing.  “This isn’t another dream?”  He struggled to sit up in the bed only to be held down by that same strong arm.

Ben chuckled, his fears easing, although there was a catch in his throat.  “It’s not a dream, son.  You’re home.”

“But how?”  Joe clutched at his father’s arm as if it might disappear.  “Where are Slim and Red?”  The frantic green eyes raked the room looking for his tormentors to appear at any moment.

“It’s a long story.  They’re in Roy Coffee’s jail waiting for the circuit judge.” Ben replied, a fierce anger making his voice sound stern and forbidding.  “They won’t be kidnaping anyone else for a very long time.  I”m going to see to that personally.”

“You’ll have to wait in line, Pa.” Adam’s mellow voice broke into the conversation.  “I’ll be the first one to testify against that scum.”  The dark-haired man moved gracefully into the room and hovered over the bed, his eyes ranging over Joe’s features, as he drank in the sight of the boy that they had thought dead.  “How are you feeling, Joe?”

Joe smiled up at his older brother.  “Am I really awake, Adam?” He reached out again, his green eyes sparkled as he ran his fingers over his brother’s dark shirt.  “Then I guess I’m feeling pretty good.”

Hoss clattered into the room bearing a tray containing a pot of coffee and a bowl of broth.  He stopped abruptly, a smile breaking out over his large features.  “Hey, I thought you said you’d call me when he woke up, Pa!” he complained good-naturedly.  He set the tray down quickly, carefully setting the pot of coffee on a bedside table before moving to his beloved younger brother’s side.  “Hey, punkin!  Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” he said fiercely.  The shadowed blue eyes gave Joe a brief glimpse of what his family had gone through while he was gone.  To Joe’s eyes Hoss looked thin and tired.

“Older Brother, I ain’t never leavin’ this house again!”  Joe declared fiercely, but he smiled as he said it, causing his brothers to laugh.

Adam reached out to ruffle the curly head, a gesture he’d thought he’d never make again.  “Oh, I don’t know about that, Younger Brother!” he said mockingly.  “You’ve got a month’s worth of chores piled up and waiting for you.  Don’t think we’re going to let you off the hook that easily.”

Ben had moved back a few paces, ostensibly to get Joe’s breakfast ready for him, but in reality to watch the antics of his children.  He felt a sense of peace return to him as he gazed at Little Joe’s smiling eyes and heard the return of his laugh.  He knew that Joe had a long road ahead of him.  The memories of that month of imprisonment and forced labor were not going to go away overnight.  His mind was going to need healing, perhaps even more than his body.  Even as Ben watched he could see a shadow pass over Joe’s face, although it just as quickly slipped away as he responded to something that Adam said.  But Ben knew that they would help Joe deal with the aftermath of his ordeal as a family.  He bowed his head in a silent prayer of thanksgiving.  His son had against all odds returned home.

The arrival of Dr. Paul Martin cut short Ben’s musings, and he shooed Adam and Hoss out of Little Joe’s room to give both doctor and patient some privacy, although he hovered anxiously in the background.  The Cartwrights had gotten Joe home long after midnight, and Paul had been out treating a patient on a distant ranch.  It was only now that he’d been able to get out to see his most frequent patient.

As he examined Little Joe, he kept up a constant patter of conversation aimed at putting his patient at ease. He was dismayed to find that it wasn’t working on this particular patient this morning.  Little Joe lay tense and silent under his examination, as he refused to be drawn into the doctor’s chatter.  Ben watched worriedly as the animation faded from Joe’s face, leaving his son looking distant and withdrawn.  Doc Martin finally finished his examination, with a gentle pat on Joe’s thin shoulder.  Turning his head to the wall, Little Joe closed his eyes.

Dr. Martin took Ben by the arm and almost forcibly pulled him from the room.  Ben followed along, but he turned his head for a last look back at his son.  Joe’s face was no longer visible.  He had thrown an arm over his eyes.  The boy looked so skeletal lying in the big bed that a pang of fear stabbed at him.

As they walked down the staircase, Ben looked at the doctor with concern.  “How’s Joe, Paul?” he asked worriedly.

Paul shook his head slowly.  He gratefully accepted the cup of coffee that Hop Sing held out to him, and took a swallow before answering.  “I’m not concerned about Little Joe physically, Ben,” he said slowly.  “He’s too thin, they must not have been feeding him too well, and he’s exhausted.  But there’s nothing that Hop Sing’s cooking and a couple of days rest won’t cure.  Emotionally, it’s another story.”

Paul patted Ben’s arm when he saw the fear in the other man’s face.  “He’s had a rough time, Ben.  Give him some time and see what happens.  He’s bound to have been affected by what he’s been through.”

Ben’s face was grave.  “Isn’t there anything at all that I can do, Paul?” he asked softly.  “He’s been through so much already.”

Paul smiled.  “Just do what you do best, Ben.  Stand by him no matter what.”  He clapped Ben’s shoulder, lightly, and headed for the door.  “I’ll come out and see Joe in a week, Ben.  Keep him in bed for a few days, and then he can resume a normal life.”

Ben walked the doctor to the door, and turned to face two sets of worried eyes.  Adam spoke first, his voice filled with concern.  “We couldn’t help but overhear, Pa.  Is the doc afraid of anything in particular, or just Joe’s overall reaction?”

Ben shook his head.  “He wasn’t really specific, Adam. I think we’d all better keep a real close eye on Joe for a little while.”  He started up the stairs again, Adam and Hoss at his heels.  Little Joe was in for a full dose of the Cartwright brand of care.

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

Several weeks later, Ben glanced up to see his youngest son meandering through the great room of the Ponderosa ranch house.  His brows drew together in concern as he surveyed Joe unobtrusively.  Joe had not regained much of the weight he had lost during his ordeal in the cave, and his clothes hung on his gaunt frame.  Joe was slender to start with and the lost weight was readily apparent.  The dark circles under Joe’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by his father.  Ben knew better than anyone how frequently Joe’s sleep was disturbed by nightmares.  He had been up twice the previous night drawn by the sound of his son’s moans.

“Joe,” he called.  “May I see you for a moment?” He motioned for Joe to join him at his desk.

Little Joe crossed the room, a wary expression on his face.  “Yeah, Pa?  What can I do for you?” he asked quietly.

“I just wanted to talk to you, son, to see how you’re feeling.” Ben replied warmly.  “You’ve been pretty quiet the last couple of weeks, and I know you’ve been having nightmares.  I just want to help.”

The wariness on Joe’s face was immediately replaced with a defensive look.  “I’m fine, Pa.  I’ve told you a hundred times that I’m fine.”  He pulled away from his father and turned as if to walk away.

Ben grabbed at Joe’s shoulder, determined to force the confrontation.  “Joe!” he said urgently.  “You need to talk about what happened to you.  Look at yourself!  You’re too thin; you’re afraid to sleep at night!  You either ignore your brothers or yell at them for no reason.  We want to help you, son!  Why don’t you let us?”

Joe shrugged his father’s hand off his shoulder, his green eyes sparkling with anger, but Ben could see that the anger was mixed with fear.  “No one can help, Pa!”  Joe said, his words coming out with effort.  “I have to work through this by myself.  It happened to me, so it’s mine to deal with.”

Ben shook his head sadly.  “It didn’t just happen to you, Joe.  Your disappearance affected all of us.  When you vanished, it was as if all the life went out of this ranch.”  He reached out a big hand and gently squeezed his son’s shoulder.  “You don’t have to handle it alone, Joe.  We all went through a terrible ordeal.  I think you should let us help you deal with the aftermath.”

Ben saw that Joe was trying to speak, but he held up a hand to stop him.  “Did you ever stop and think, Joe, that we need to be able to work through our pain as well?  We didn’t come out of this unaffected, Joe.  Maybe we need your help as much as you need ours.”

Joe’s head was bowed as he listened to his father’s words.  He had felt so out of control for the last several weeks, his mood altering with lightening speed, careening from delight in his freedom and return home to the utter darkness of depression and sadness.  His rage against the men who had held him continued unabated.  In his self-absorption, Joe had never stopped to consider that his family had been through hell, too.  Blinking back the unwanted tears that sprang to his eyes, he gazed in wonder at his father.

“I’m sorry, Pa.  I didn’t mean to shut you out.”  Joe’s face was a study in misery.  “I didn’t think about what you had gone through, or how you must have felt.  I was so wrapped up in my anger.  I didn’t stop to think about anything else.”

Ben smiled gently, keeping his hand on Joe’s arm.  “You have a right to be angry, son.  Those men put you through hell.  But it’s time to move on.  They’ve been put in prison; they’ll never harm anyone else again.  But we need you to come back to us, Little Joe.  You haven’t really done that yet.”  Ben swung his youngest son around so that they stood face to face.  As he looked down into those beautiful eyes, he felt his heart lurch.  “We need you back, Little Joe.  And that isn’t going to happen if you keep shutting us out.”

Joe’s face crumpled and he threw himself into his father’s arms.  He felt the hot tears fall, but this time he didn’t stop them.  Ben held him tight, letting his son cry out the rage and despair that had been festering inside him for so long.  He knew that Joe would still need a lot of help, but he was finally on the road to recovery.  A smile crept over Ben’s face, and he held Joe tighter still.  Now his son was truly home.

the end

February 2001

 

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

 

Tags: Family