Summary:  Little Joe does not understand why Roy Coffee is keeping him in jail.  This story was written for the Micheal Landon Birthday Challenge 2025.   rating: rating: T/PG13   word count: 2306 

Making Hay 

 

He stirred and realized he was not in his bed on the second floor of the Pondarosa ranch house. He also realized that his pounding head and rolling stomach were related to that fact.  A metallic bang sent him reeling but also opened his eyes.    

“Time to wake up!”  The voice sounded harsh but familiar.  He tried to focus.  

“Jospeh!”  This second voice was immediately perceived as his elder brother’s and elicited a moan as a response.  “Sit up.”  

“I am; I am.”  Well, I’m trying at least.  He heard boots on stone and felt a hand hoist him upright.   

“Ready to listen, boy?”  With the recognition of Sheriff Roy Coffee’s voice, he realized that he was in the jail.  

“Uh, uh…”  He stiffened and lifted his eyes.  “Yeah… uh, sir.”  He did not realize that he had failed a test.  Of course, that was because the test existed only in the mind of the sheriff.  He did see his brother’s head shake solemnly.  

“Want to tell Adam here just why you’re incarcerated?”  

Well, isn’t incarcerated a little harsh?   Little Joe drew in a shaky breath and took a moment to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat. Actually, I don’t exactly know.  

“Joseph!”  Adam’s voice was more than harsh, and Little Joe winced.  “Do you even know?”  

“Give me a minute.  I, umm, I…”  

“Lied to me and came into town.  You can start there.”  

“I didn’t lie exactly.  Seth and I did set up camp; we just didn’t stay there.”  Little Joe sighed.  “We weren’t gonna to stay in town.  We were going back to finish camping.”  

“After you finished drinking at a saloon on D Street?”  Adam’s tone now held the condescendingly judgmental tone that always put a burr under Little Joe’s saddle.  

“None of the saloons uptown would have let us stay.”  The whine in Joe’s voice was the one that most irritated his elder brother.  And the folks on D Street wouldn’t be tattling to you later.  

Roy Coffee decided to keep the conversation between the brothers from going any further downhill.  “He and Seth were drinking and playing cards.  From what witnesses said, the more they drank the more obnoxious they got, carrying on and mouthing off to most everybody older.  You know how quick them two can be with the sass when they’re showing off for an audience and each other.”  

“Only too well.”    

Little Joe rolled his eyes.  Then he realized someone was missing.  “Where’s Seth?”  

“His uncle dragged him out of here about an hour ago.  You were still dead to the world.”  

“Oh.”  

“I’ve a feeling there is more.”  Adam turned his gaze to the sheriff.  

“A miner took offense.  He was about two-ninety and six one.  Little Joe drew his gun.” 

Joe groaned as his memory became clearer.  I’m dead!  

“He didn’t…”  This time Adam’s voice was laced with fear.  

“No.  He did break a lamp on the back wall that will need to be paid for.”  

“So, the charges are?”  

“Disturbing the peace, discharging a firearm in a building…”  

“Two misdemeanors.”  

“I’m considering negligent endangerment of life.  That bullet could have hit something besides a lamp.”  

“I didn’t mean… it just went off… I wasn’t even aiming.”  

“And you consider that a good thing?”  Adam snorted in annoyance.   

“Well, not exactly, I just…  I won’t ever…”  

“Oh, you’ll have good reason not to ever after I finish with you.”  Little Joe could hear a death knell tolling beneath his brother’s words.  Adam turned toward the sheriff.  “Pa is in San Francisco, so…”  

“Now, about that.  I know when Ben’s out of town, you’re in charge of the boy, but this time I’ve decided it’s serious enough that I won’t be releasing him to anybody but his legal guardian.”  

“WHAT!”  

“QUIET!  Roy, it will be at least four days before Pa gets back.  You know…”  

“I know better than most, and it ain’t no reflection on you, but I’ve decided, and that’s the way it’s gonna be.  Four days, five, or even more, if need be.  You know I’ll see he’s safe and sound, so don’t worry.  Of course, he can have visitors whenever you or anyone else comes by.”  

Adam’s voice went to a whisper, but Little Joe still heard.  “Roy, he’s barely seventeen, I’ll make sure…”  

Roy shook his head.  Adam recognized resolve when he saw it.  

“Joe…  I’ll try to wire Pa, and he’ll…”  

“No.” Joe’s voice was shaky.  “No, he can’t get home much faster even if you do.”  

“Still…”  

“Please.  If he chews on it all the way home…”  I can probably change Sheriff Roy’s mind before he can get back anyway.  If I’m gonna die, I’d rather be at home when he kills me.  

Adam sighed.  “Well, then…  Hoss or I’ll be by each day.”   

“Okay.”  

Roy put his hand on Adam’s shoulder.  “If ya want to deal with his lying to ya now instead of later, I’ll give ya some privacy.”  

“No.  If I touched him, Pa would have another son in jail.”  Adam’s head turned, and Little Joe felt his glare.  “For God’s sake, do as you’re told and watch your mouth.”  Adam turned and strode out.  

“I’ll bring ya some breakfast in a bit.” 

“Don’t bother.”  Roy shrugged.  “I mean… my stomach ain’t feeling too well.  I don’t think I could keep it down.”  Remember you need to bring him around.  

“There’s fresh water in the pitcher and a chamber pot under the bed.  Drink the water and let me know if the pot needs emptying.”  Roy stepped out of the cell, locked it, and headed toward his office.  When he closed the door between the cells and the office, the slam had a definitely final sound. 

 

RCRCRCRCRC 

 

Little Joe’s incarceration proceeded slowly.  He spent the first day pacing, muttering; and because anger was preferable to the other feelings pressing in on his mind, he temporarily hated Seth.  Come on, Joe.  Adam will never know.  You aren’t chicken, are ya?  It was his idea, and he ain’t even in here!  

Later that evening his brothers came to visit, and Adam told Joe that he had felt obligated to try and wire their father about the situation.  The object of Joe’s anger then changed to his elder brother.    He just wanted to show Pa he was the good son! He’s always got to be the “good son” while I’m the bad boy!  

Little Joe chewed on his bitterness through the night, and though his hangover had passed, he refused breakfast the next morning.  He saw the flicker of concern in Roy Coffee’s eyes.  If he thinks I can’t eat in here, he might let Adam take me home.  It’s not like I actually ate anything yesterday.  Little Joe began his campaign to gain freedom through pity.  Hoss always says I do pitiful better than anybody. When Hoss and Adam’s visit ended with Roy closing the cell door in Joe’s face, Little Joe settled his anger on the sheriff.  He threw himself down on the cell’s cot and pouted. Guess he thinks he’s God Almighty.  It’s not like he doesn’t know Pa is gonna see to me when he gets home no matter what.  I can’t never get away with nothing.  

Through the night he drifted in and out of a fretful sleep and sank deeper and deeper into his misery.  When the sheriff brought his breakfast, he turned his back and then did not move.  I’ll just stay right here until he lets me out.  If I don’t drink nothing, I won’t even need to get up to pee.  

Roy Coffee shook his head and set the plate next to the bed.  When he brought Little Joe’s lunch, he found both the plate and the boy in the same position.  Glancing into the water pitcher, he found it still full.  Roy’s sigh held more frustration than pity.  

“Eat or not as ya like; you can’t starve yourself sick before your pa gets here, but when I come back in here, the water in that pitcher better be a durn site less, or I’ll pour it down your throat myself.”  

“Ain’t thirsty.”  Little Joe’s petulance was fully voiced.  Roy took a step closer and swung at the boy’s behind.  

“OWE!”  Little Joe sprung up in one swift move.  “You hit me!” 

“Got your attention, didn’t I?” Roy stared into Little Joe’s eyes.  “I was hoping ya was ready to listen, but…”  

“I’m gonna have to listen to Pa and Adam; that should be enough.”  

“They’re gonna be talking to the boy.  I was hoping to speak to the man in ya.”  

“You don’t think I’m a man.”  Little Joe slumped down on the cot.  

“No, you’re a ways from it, but you’re…”  Roy paused to find the best words.  

“Between hay and grass.”  It was a mumble, but Roy caught the words and nodded his head.  “That’s a good enough way to say it.”  

“Old Ned says it all the time.”  A smirk ghosted across Little Joe’s lips.  “He thought Adam spent a lot of time between hay and grass.”  

“Well, as I see it, you’ve started to turn.  That’s why your pa lets you wear that pistol, though I thought he forbade you to wear it into town.” 

“I won’t be wearing it for a while after Pa gets back.”  

“I hope it’s for a long while.  You’ve done proved  ya ain’t ready for the responsibility.”  Little Joe stiffened.  “Drinking and guns don’t go well together.”  

“Pa and Adam and even Hoss drink some even when they’re wearing one.”  

“The key word there is some.  Have you ever seen them wearing one drunk?” 

I could count on one hand the times I’ve seen any of them drunk at all. “No.”  

“That’s just it.  If you’re wearing a gun, ya have to stay in control.  Too much can happen if ya don’t.”  

“Me pulling my gun, is that why you kept me here?  That miner was gonna kill me.  I just wanted to warn him away.”  

“He wasn’t wearing a gun.  He would have pounded you good and threw ya out into the road.  That’s why your pa doesn’t let you crawl the bars on D Street.”  

“It just went off.  I… it was an accident!”  

“I’ve seen men hanged for drunken accidents.”  

Little Joe’s head sank to his chin; he had managed to push such thoughts out of his head since waking in the jail. “Nobody got hurt.”  

“This time.”  Roy sat down on the cot next to Joe.  “Have ya thought about what it would do to Ben, Adam, Hoss, and a number of others if that happened to you?”  

“They wouldn’t really hang…”  

“Would twenty years in territorial prison be any better?”  

“No.”  

“You know about consequences, Jospeh; you’ve been well taught, but you think of them as a boy.  When it comes to a gun, you have to think about them as a man.  Joe, you’re quick on the draw.  Sometimes that is a good thing; sometimes not so much. It doesn’t take a gun more than a second to chang a life forever or… to end one.”  

The sob came from deep in Joe and was followed by many others.  Roy put his arm around the boy and let Joe bury his head in the chest of a man who held him as dear as a son.  When the sobs stopped, Roy rose.  “Wipe your face, drink some water, and eat that sandwich.”  

“Yes, sir.”  This response passed Roy’s Coffee’s internal test. 

 

RCRCRCRCRC 

 

Little Joe heard the door to the office open and saw his elder brother walk through.  “Hey.”  It was a soft utterance.  “Where’s Hoss?”  

“He’ll be along shortly.  I wanted to speak to you.”  

“Oh.”  

“Pa will be in on the nine o’clock stage tomorrow. I had a wire.”  

“He will?”  Little Joe drew in a deep breath.  “So, you wanted to settle up my deceiving before he got here?”  

“I wanted to settle things, yes.”  

Little Joe stood up.  “I… I ain’t just saying it… I’m sorry I tried to deceive you.  I shouldn’t have.  It will stay between us for a good while.”  

“That is the most important thing that makes deceit wrong.  It divides people.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“And I forgive you.  Brothers deceive brothers sometimes especially those who aren’t saints.”  Little Joe looked into Adam’s eyes, and slight smiles flickered across both their lips.  

“Usually, you don’t forgive me until after the tanning.”  

“I’ve been thinking that the last time I tanned you should be the last time I tan you.” Adam’s smile deepened.  “Of course I’ve been known to chang my mind.”  

“Naw, a granite-head like you don’t change his mind.”  Joe dropped his eyes.  “I’d deserve it if you did.”  

“Pa’s going to give you all you deserve.”  

“I know.”  

Adam heard nothing but acceptance.  “You’ll get through it.  Hoss and I did.”  

Joe recognized his brother’s admission and felt the inclusion in Adam’s words.    

“I just wish…”  Joe let his words fade away.  

“That it could happen at home?”  

“Yeah, but I made my bed, so…”  

The brother’s heads turned at the clearing of a throat.  “Hoss is here.”   Roy stepped closer and studied Little Joe’s face.  Then he unlocked the cell door and turned to Adam.  “Take Joe home.  I’ll meet the stage in the morning and talk to your pa.”  

“You mean…”  Joe held his breath and stared at the sheriff.  

“Ain’t no sense in beating a dead horse especially one whose learned his lesson.”   

“Thank you.”  Little Joe looked directly into the sheriff’s eyes.  “You won’t ever see me that way again, Mr. Roy.  I understand; I do.”  

“That’s why I’m letting ya go.”  Roy smiled.  “Joe, I think it can be just Roy from now on.”