Summary:  A much-anticipated train trip for the Cartwright family may be spoilt.
Rating:  T  (6,950 words)

Don Dagious

Hoss grinned around the table at everyone before spearing a piece of chicken with his fork and placing it on his plate. “I sure love chicken!”  he exclaimed happily. “Will we have chicken at the Miller’s do ya reckon Pa?”

Ben smiled at his middle son. “I’m not sure Hoss,” he said. “Maybe.”

“Mrs Miller’s a good cook,”  Adam informed his younger brother. “Don’t you remember her tasty meals when we visited there before?”

Hoss scrunched up his nose thoughtfully. “Nope,” he replied. “I don’t reckon that I do.”

Marie patted her stepson on the arm. “Hoss was only three at the time,” she reminded Adam. “That was before they moved to Reno …. Before your father had even gone to New Orleans and we were married. Your brother would have been too young to remember that.”

“I ‘member!”  Little Joe informed his mother.

“No dear,”  she said, giving the three year old an indulgent smile. “You weren’t born then.”

Little Joe nodded his head stubbornly. “Uh huh,”  he said stubbornly. “I was borned and I ‘member.”

Marie was silent, knowing full well that it didn’t do any good to argue with the child when he got that stubborn look on his face. Hoss, however, wasn’t as wise. “You do not remember,”  he said indignantly. “If I don’t remember, then you sure as heck don’t!”

Little Joe pursed his small lips as he gave his brother a dark look from across the table. “I do so ‘member,”  he said. “We had chicken there too.”  He put his head on one side and thought for a moment. “It was tasty,”  he added. “I like chicken.”

Hoss opened his mouth to protest, but caught the look on his father’s face and thought better of it. He closed his mouth again ad contented himself with poking his tongue out at his small brother who giggled at the sight.

“Hoss looks funny,”  he informed everyone. “He got chicken on his tongue.”  He poked out his own small tongue and went cross-eyed as he tried to look at it. “I got chicken on mine?”  he asked Adam.

“That is enough!”  said Ben sternly. “All of you eat your supper and stop this nonsense.”

“Yes,”  said Marie. “Your father is right boys. Finish up your supper quickly and then it’s time for bed.”

“Bed!”  exclaimed Hoss. “But it’s still early! It ain’t time fer bed yet!”

Marie raised her eyebrows at him. “We are all going to bed early tonight young man,”  she said firmly. “We have to be up very early in the morning if we’re going to catch that train to Reno.”

Hoss’ eyes lit up at the sound of the great adventure ahead of them and he wisely said not another word. In his mind, it was worth going to bed early one night if there was a train ride to look forward to. Hoss had never travelled by train anywhere in his life and since the new railroad had come to town had dreamt of the day when he might be able to board that huge machine and travel down the tracks. When his father had informed them that they would all be going to visit the Miller family in Reno, it had seemed like a dream come true to him.

Adam lowered his head at his stepmother’s words and tried to look composed. Being fifteen, he considered himself nearly a man and too old to become excited at the thought of a train trip, but he secretly couldn’t seem to help himself feeling thrilled all over at the mere thought of it. “It’ll be great going on that train,”  he said in spite of himself. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“I think we all are,”  agreed his father, his own eyes twinkling. He could just as easily have transported his wife and sons to Reno in the wagon, but he considered this train trip just as much a treat for himself and Marie as the boys. He grinned at his wife and when she smiled back at him he thought about how long it had been since he’d seen such a happy look on her face. Yes, it would be a trip to remember, he considered …. For all of them. “Train travel is wonderful,”  he said. “We’re so lucky that the railroad has finally come to Virginia City. This town is really growing up.”

“I like that train,”  Little Joe informed his father. “I go on it lots.”

“You do not!”  said Hoss quickly. “You ain’t ever been on a train neither!”

“I have!”  Little Joe countered crossly. “Lots!” He looked at Adam. “What’s a train?”  he asked his brother.

Marie got up quickly and picked up her small son. “That’s enough,” she said. “Bedtime for you now, young man.”

“No!”  shouted Little Joe. “No bedtime mama!”

“Yes,”  she said firmly. “Now say good night to everyone.”

“No,”  shouted Little Joe and crossed his small arms over his chest in a gesture of defiance.

Marie took no notice of her son, but turned to go upstairs with him. “You’ve been out of sorts all day,”  she said to the child. “And I have no intention of putting up with a cross little boy tomorrow on that train … so it’s to bed with you straight away.”

Ben picked up his coffee cup and began to drink it slowly, looking at his two excited boys over the rim as their stepmother and little brother left the room. “Bed for you two as well, as soon as you’ve finished that food,”  he said.

“Pa?”  asked Hoss, as he put in another mouthful. “Are ya sure that Hop Sing will be OK without us while we’re away?”

“Hop Sing will be just fine son,”  said Ben with a laugh. “He’ll enjoy the peace and quiet for the week, I’m sure.”

“And Charlie will look after everything on the ranch,”  added Adam.

Ben nodded. “We’re certainly lucky to have them both,”  he said, thinking how long it was since they’d been all able to get away for a few days. “This trip will do us all good,”  he said happily.

Ben patted his face and wiped off the last of the lather. He stroked his smooth chin in satisfaction and thought about the fact that he didn’t look too bad for a man his age. It seemed that he was constantly aware of the age difference between himself and his young wife lately and was always on the lookout for an extra grey hair when it appeared. His young family and hard work on the ranch kept him in good health and he considered that he wasn’t doing too badly, considering.

“Ben!”

Ben turned as he heard his wife’s voice from down the hallway. “I’m nearly ready!”  he called back. “I’ll be down to breakfast in a minute!”  He tied his necktie and sighed. He would have preferred to be dressing in his work clothes, but with travelling by train as they were that was impossible. It just wouldn’t do to be dressed in anything but their best when travelling by rail.

“I need you!”  shouted back Marie. “In Joe’s room!”

“What’s that boy done now?” Ben muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway. “I suppose it’s too much to ask that he behave himself just this once?”  He banged on Hoss and Adam’s doors as he passed them. “Hurry up boys,”  he said. “Breakfast will be waiting and we can’t be late this morning.”  He leant on the doorframe leading into his youngest son’s room and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at his wife who was kneeling next to the little boy’s bed. “Well?”  he asked. “What’s he done now?”

Marie looked up, her green eyes anxious. “Look here,”  she said, pointing to the naked stomach of her son as he lay on the bed before her.

Ben looked. “What?”  he asked, walking into the room and staring down at the child who giggled back up at him.

Marie pointed and Ben gasped as he spied several large red spots on the little boy’s stomach. “That’s why he’s been so out of sorts lately,”  Marie said miserably. “He’s sick Ben. My little boy is sick!”  He eyes filled with tears and Ben knelt down beside her and put his arm around her.

“He’s fine,”  he said. “Look at him.”  He pointed to the giggling child on the bed. “See? He’s as fit as a fiddle.”

“Then what is this rash?”  Marie asked, pointing at it. She pulled down his trousers and inspected his legs carefully. “He has them on his legs as well … and on his arms,”  she said. “He’s sick Ben!”

Ben cursed silently. “I’m sure he’s not,”  he assured his wife. “It’s probably just some child’s thing.”  Marie continued to look at him pleadingly. “I’ll tell you what,”  he said after a moment. “We’ll stop in a see Doc Martin before we get on the train. Will that make you feel better?”

Marie nodded. “Yes,” she admitted, picking up Little Joe and pulling his trousers back up again. “But maybe it would be best if we didn’t go now Ben? I mean … if Joe is sick and all … maybe we’d better stick close to home?”

There was a gasp from the doorway behind them, and they both turned to see Hoss and Adam standing there giving their parents an appalled look. “What do ya mean we ain’t going?”  asked Hoss. “We gotta go! We just gotta go Pa!”

Adam took a step into the room. “What’s the matter?”  he asked, with a worried look on his face. “Is Joe sick?”

“We hope not,”  replied his father. “We’ll see when we get into town.”  He ushered them all out of the room. “Now let’s get down to breakfast.”

“But Ben …”  began Marie.

Ben held up a hand to silence her. “Let’s not borrow trouble before we know for sure what it is,”  he said. “I’m sure Joe will be fine.”

“He’d better be,”  muttered Hoss, giving his little brother a dark look. “I ain’t missing out on a train trip just cause he’s sick!”

“You’ll do as you’re told,”  snapped Marie, hugging her little boy to her. “There there little one,”  she said. “You’ll be fine.”

Little Joe struggled to get out of his mother’s arms. “Down mama,”  he commanded her.

“No,”  she said as she walked down the stairs with him. “You’re not well.”

“He looks fine to me,”  said Adam, coming down the stairs behind her and giving his little brother an appraising look as he bobbed up and down in his mother’s arms.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,”  said Ben. “It’ll turn out to be nothing … you’ll see.”

“It’s not nothing,” said Paul Martin as he straightened up from the examining table. “I’m afraid that Joe has the chicken pox. There’s been a few cases of it around town.” He looked at Hoss and Adam. “Have either of you been feeling itchy?”

Both boys shook their heads as Marie swooped up Little Joe and started making anxious clucking noises at him. “They’ve both had it,” Ben informed the doctor. “Two years ago.”  He put his arm around his anxious wife. “He’ll be fine,”  he said. “Just itchy for a few days … that’s all.”

Marie looked to Paul for confirmation and the doctor nodded. “Yes,”  he said. “Ben is right Marie. The worse part is usually over once the rash begins to develop. Just keep him isolated until the spots disappear and try to stop him scratching them. I’ll give you some salve that will …”

“Isolated?”  squeaked Adam, giving his father a worried look.

“What’s isolated mean?”  whispered Hoss to Adam, tugging on his brother’s sleeve.

“We were going to Reno on the train this morning,”  Ben said hopefully to the doctor. “We have the tickets all organised.”

Paul hesitated and stood for a moment in thought, stroking his chin. “Well I can’t tell you what to do,”  he said. “It all depends on how Joe feels …”

“He’s fine Pa!”  said Adam, indicating his little brother as he tried to once more wriggle out of his mother’s comforting grasp.

“ … and if you can keep him away from other people,”  finished the doctor. “That might be pretty difficult on a train though.”

“How long will Joe be contagious for?”  asked Ben.

“I not Don Dagious!”  exclaimed Little Joe indignantly. “I Joe Cartwright!”

“Shh darling,”  whispered Marie softly.

“Just a day or so considering how advanced that rash is,”  replied the doctor.

“Just a day or so Pa,”  repeated Adam, giving his father a pleading look.

Ben said nothing, but looked from his anxious wife, to his worried eldest son and his angry middle son. Hoss was giving Joe a look as if was his fault that he was sick and Joe was looking quite confused because of it. “Thank you Paul,”  Ben said finally. “We’ll go and consider our options.”

“Ben …”  began Marie as soon as they were outside the doctor’s office. “We can’t go!”

“But Pa!”  shouted Hoss, tears springing to his eyes. “We gotta go! We just can’t miss our train trip …”  He glared at Little Joe. “… just cause of him!”  he added.

“That is enough,” said Ben quickly. “It isn’t Little Joe’s fault that he’s got the chicken pox.”

Joe looked even more confused. “I got chicken pots?”  he asked. “Did I get em from Uuver One Bob?” (Author’s note:  See my story:  “Uuver One Bob: The Brief Life of a Chicken.” )

“No darling,”  Marie assured her son. “Not from Uuver … I mean … Other One Bob.”

“Good,”  said Little Joe firmly. “He go away Mama,”  he added. “To see his friends.”

“Yes darling,”  said Marie. She blushed slightly, remembering how they had all partaken of her little boy’s pet chicken one evening for supper after Hop Sing had accidently chopped off it’s head. Little Joe was still blissfully unaware of this fact and was convinced that his pet had … gone away to make friends …

“Why can’t we still go Pa?”  asked Adam. “You heard Doc Martin. He said that if we just keep Joe away from other people then it won’t be a problem.”  He looked at his father hopefully.

Ben looked at Marie and his wife stared back at him. “You go,”  she said finally. “You take the boys and I’ll stay here with Joe,”  she said.

“Yes!”  shouted Hoss happily.

Ben put his arm around his wife. “No,”  he said. “You’ve been looking forward to this trip as much as anyone. It’s not fair for you to be the only one to miss out.”

Marie sighed. “Well it’s not fair for all of us to miss out,”  she said. “I don’t want the boys to be disappointed Ben.”

“Yeah,”  said Hoss. “Ma don’t want us ta be disappointed Pa.”

Adam looked guiltily at his stepmother. “Are you sure you’ll be OK?”  he asked.

“Of course,”  replied Marie, looking anything but all right. “We’ll be fine. Joe and I will come and see you off at the train.” She looked up at her husband. “You go and have a good time,”  she said.

“Marie, I can’t let you do this,”  Ben said. “We all go or none of us do.”  He looked at both his sons as their faces fell. “I’m sorry boys,”  he added. “There’ll be another time.”

“Then we’ll all go,”  added Marie quickly, her heart breaking to see the look on Adam and Hoss’ faces. “We’ll just have to be careful to keep Joe isolated.”

“You mean it?”  gasped Adam, his eyes twinkling.

Marie reached over and picked up a bag. “Help me Ben,”  she said, handing it to her husband. “Get out a long sleeved shirt for him. If no one sees the spots then they won’t think twice about it. She pulled Joe’s hat down over his face. We’ll keep him covered up and …”  she looked at the child’s face carefully. “I can put some of my powder over these couple of spots on his face. No one will know the difference.”

“Are you sure?” asked Ben, pulling a long-sleeved shirt out from the bag.

“I’m sure,”  she said firmly as she began to take Joe’s shirt off. “We’ll just make sure to sit away from anyone else, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry sir, but the train is very booked,” said the clerk as Ben hopefully asked for a compartment to themselves. “The best I can do is to give you a small compartment at the back of the third carriage.”  He looked over the family of five. “But it’s really only designed for three people,” he added.

“We’ll take it,”  said Ben quickly. “It’s just that ….”  He searched for a suitable excuse. “We like our privacy,”  he said lamely.

The clerk frowned. “Of course,”  he said. “Still …. It’s not very convenient for the … um …. facilities … excuse me ma’am,”  he said, tipping his cap. “If you know what I mean. And with three children,” he shrugged. “I would have thought that you’d want to be closer to such things.”

Adam gave the man a dark look at being described as a child.

“It’ll be fine,”  Ben assured the clerk. “Please show us the way.”  The clerk pointed down the narrow passageway and Ben led his two sons forward, followed by Marie with Joe in her arms. The small boy was still struggling to get down, but his mother had a firm grip on him.

“I’m hot!”  shouted Little Joe crossly. “Too hot mama!”

“Shh!”  whispered his mother. “It’s just for a little while darling.”

“Shirt too hot!”  shouted Little Joe. He began to scratch his inflamed skin and gave his mother a cross look.

“Don’t scratch,”  Marie said, holding his hands down. “You’ll make it worse.”

“Here we are,” said Ben, ushering them into the small compartment.

Hoss bounced over and immediately seated himself next to the window. “Hey this is great!”  he announced happily. “I can see lots of things!”

Adam leant over him and stared at a pretty young girl who was walking down the platform just near their window. “You sure can,”  he said appreciatively, his eyes following the young girl and her parents as they entered the fourth carriage. “Shove up and let me sit there Hoss.”

“I got here first,”  said Hoss, holding onto the sides on the seat tightly. “I ain’t moving!”

“Where are we all going to sit?”  asked Marie anxiously. “There’s not a lot of space.”

Ben hesitated. “We’ll be fine,”  he assured her. “Here … you sit over there and Adam and Hoss can share this side. I’ll sit here.”

“There ain’t room Pa,”  said Hoss. “Adam’s squashing me!”

“Well if you’d move up then I wouldn’t,”  retorted Adam. He pushed his brother towards the window.

“Ow!”  shouted Hoss. “Adam done pushed me Pa!”

“That’s enough!”  said Ben angrily. “Keep still the both of you!”

“ Ben it’s too small,”  said Marie, struggling to keep Little Joe on her knee. “We’ll be too cramped sitting like this.”

“I could sit in another carriage,”  suggested Adam suddenly, his eyes lighting up. “I don’t mind.”  Ben hesitated. “I’ll be fine Pa,”  said Adam. “There were some seats in the fourth carriage and I could sit there.”

“Let him Pa,”  added Hoss crossly. “He’s squashing me!”

“Please Ben,”  added Marie. “We’re going to have enough trouble keeping Little Joe still without being so cramped.”

“All right,”  said Ben, standing up. “Come on and I’ll find a seat for you back there.”

“Pa!”  said Adam. “I’m old enough to find a seat for myself. It’s embarrassing having you do it for me.”

Ben sat down again. “I suppose so,”  he said. “Now if you can’t find one come straight back. I’ll come back there once we start off and see how you are.”

Adam sprang quickly towards the door. “I’ll be fine,”  he said. “See you in Reno.”

“Adam!”  shouted Little Joe, holding his arms out towards his brother. “Wanna go with Adam!”

“No!”  said Marie firmly, holding onto the little boy. “You’re contagious! You stay here with us.”

Joe gave his mother a puzzled look. “I Joe Cartwright,”  he told her. “I not Don Dagious.”

“Yes darling,”  Marie sighed as the train lurched forward and Hoss squealed excitedly in her ear. “Now look out of the window and settle down.”

Adam tried to look as if he was staring out of the window while looking at the pretty girl sitting across the aisle from him at the same time. He blushed slightly as she caught his eye and busied himself with straightening his necktie in an attempt to appear casual.

He silently blessed his little brother who had made it possible for him to be sitting across the aisle from such an attractive girl and he frowned slightly at the thought of the rest of his family sitting in the small compartment without him. He hoped that they weren’t too uncomfortable squashed in there all together, and thanked God that he had been able to escape. It made the trip all the more enjoyable to be sitting here next to a window with nothing to do but look at the scenery and the attractive girl near him.

“Everything all right?”

Adam turned to see his father standing beside him. “Fine Pa,”  he said in a low voice, wishing that his father could for once treat him as grownup and not some little kid who needed to be checked on.

“Good,” replied Ben. “Well, come up to see me if you need to.”

“How is that baby brother of mine?” asked Adam, feeling slightly guilty that he wasn’t experiencing what he considered would be an uncomfortable trip with his family.

“Difficult,” admitted his father. “He’s not at his best in confined spaces, as you know.”

Adam nodded sympathetically. “Yeah,” he acknowledged.

“Come for a walk later and visit if you feel like it,”  said Ben. He turned to go, looking as if he really wanted to stay in the peace and quiet of the fourth carriage. “I’ll see you later son.”

“Bye,”  said Adam, happily watching his father disappear back into the third carriage.

“Was that your father?”  asked the young girl across the aisle.

Adam shrugged. “Yeah,”  he said.

“I love little children,” she said with all the authority of her own tender years. “How old is the baby brother you were talking about?”

“Three,” replied Adam, wishing that she would change the subject, but happy to talk about anything as long as she kept talking.

The girl’s smile became wider. “Oh how cute!”  she exclaimed. “I wish I had a little brother or sister. Tell me what he’s like!”

Adam thought for a moment before replying. “He’s mostly a pain,”  he said. “But kinda cute at times.”

The girl glanced swiftly towards her parents who were both nodding off, before leaning closer to Adam. “I wish I could see him,”  she said. “Do you think you could bring him back here for a little while so that I could play with him? This trip is so boring, don’t you think?”

Adam thought that it was turning out to anything but boring, but wisely nodded in agreement. “Yes,”  he sighed. “Train travel can be like that if you’ve done it as often as I have.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “You’ve travelled by rail before?”  she asked.

“Oh yes,” replied Adam airily. “Many times. This is nothing to me.”  He waved his hand around casually, hoping that he was appearing nonchalant.

“So can you bring him back here for while?”  persisted the girl.

“Who?” asked Adam, looking dreamily into her eyes.

“Your little brother,”  she said impatiently. “Would you be allowed to?”

Adam frowned. “Of course I’d be allowed to,”  he retorted. “I’m not a kid you know. I look after him plenty of times.”  He looked into her impressed eyes and added. “I sort of help to raise him … what with my parents being so busy and all.”

“Oh that’s wonderful!”  the girl breathed. “What a lovely young man you seem to be. My name is Martha, by the way.”

“I’m Adam,”  replied Adam.

“Adam,” repeated the girl. “What a lovely name. “So?”  she hinted. “Can you get him now?”

Adam stood up, not knowing what else to do. “As a matter of fact I just feel like stretching my legs for a bit,”  he said. “I’ll see if my parents want me to take him off their hands for a while. I often do that to give them a break.”

“How wonderful of you,”  said Martha admiringly. “Hurry back!”

Adam gave her a half-smile, wondering how on earth he was going to get his parents to agree to him taking the contagious Little Joe into another part of the train. He put his hands in his pockets as he headed into the third carriage, thinking how strange it was that a trip could be so good and then turn so bad in an instant. He figured that when he returned to the carriage without his younger brother Martha wouldn’t be too inclined to talk to him for much longer and he cursed himself silently for not thinking of some way to turn the conversation they’d already had away from his youngest brother and onto himself.

As he opened the door into the small compartment where his family was, he was surprised to see both his parents missing. Hoss was looking excitedly out of the window and Little Joe was fast asleep on the seat opposite his brother, curled into a ball and one of his small thumbs stuck firmly in his mouth. He looked incredibly angelic and Adam wondered why he couldn’t always look like that. “Where’s Pa and Marie?”  he asked.

Hoss turned away from the window, his eyes wide. “Ain’t it great Adam?”  he said excitedly. “The ground moves real fast down there …. Have ya seen it?”

“Yes,”  replied Adam. “Where are they?”  he persisted.

Hoss turned back to the window. “Ma felt sick and Pa took her up the other end of the carriage fer some fresh air,”  he said. “They said if Joe waked up then I had to call out fer em.”  He sighed. “Jest as well he fell asleep,”  he added. “Pa said he was gonna knock him out iffen he didn’t soon enuff. He’s being a real pain.”

“Probably because he’s not feeling too well,”  said Adam.

Hoss shook his head. “Nah,”  he said. “He’s always like that …. Remember?” He frowned as Adam picked up their little brother. “Hey! Whatcha doing with him Adam?”

“Shh,”  said Adam. “Be quiet! I’m just borrowing him for a couple of minutes.”

Hoss immediately looked alarmed. “I don’t reckon you’d better,”  he warned. “Pa said that I had to keep an eye on him.”

“And he would have put me in charge of him if I’d been here, wouldn’t he?”  said Adam logically. “Besides, I’ll only be a couple of minutes. I just need to show him to someone. I’ll be back before they even miss him.”

“You’d better be!” shouted Hoss, jumping up from his seat and poking his head through the doorway of the compartment as Adam carried Little Joe down the passageway. “I don’t wanna get into trouble cause of you!”

“Don’t worry about it,”  shouted Adam over his shoulder. “It’ll be fine!”  He grinned as he opened the door into the fourth carriage. “How lucky can you get?”  he said gleefully as his little brother stirred in his arms and rubbed his eyes.

Little Joe looked up into the face of his older brother. “Hi Adam,”  he said happily. “Where ya been?”

“Hello,”  said Adam. “Now listen here Joe. I’m going to introduce you to someone and I want you to be polite. OK?”

“OK,”  said Joe happily, sitting up in his brother’s arms and looking around excitedly. “Hey this is great!”  he announced. “Who are all these people Adam?”

“Just people,”  replied Adam in a low voice as he approached his seat. “This is him,”  he said to Martha as he sat down.

“Isn’t he so sweet!”  the girl exclaimed, her eyes wide. “You are so lucky having a little brother like him Adam. He’s just gorgeous.” She tickled Joe gently under the chin. “Hello,”  she said. “I’m Martha.”

Joe studied her for a moment. “Hello,”  he said. He frowned for a moment, struggling to remember the word that his parent had told him that he was. “I’m Don Dagious,”  he informed her happily, ignoring the fact that Adam immediately drew him away from the girl at the reminder.

“He’s just the cutest little thing!”  Martha exclaimed. “Can I hold him Adam?”

Adam shook his head. “You’d better not,”  he said immediately. “He doesn’t take too kindly to strangers.”  He frowned at Joe who already had his arms out to Martha and was struggling to go to her. “Well, not usually,” he said lamely.

Martha sat Little Joe on her lap and smiled at him. “Hello Donny,” she said. “Aren’t you a lovely little boy?”

“I’d better take him back now,”  said Adam, reaching over to grab his little brother, but both Joe and Martha pushed his hands away.

“Just a few minutes more,” Martha pleaded. “Do you like to be called Don or Donny?”  she asked Little Joe.

“I’m Don Dagious,”  Joe said again, this time in a much louder voice.

“I know,”  she said, smiling at him. “And it’s a lovely name too.”

“No …”  said Adam. “You don’t understand.”  He stopped as Martha looked at him inquiringly. “I mean …”  he fumbled for an explanation that wouldn’t involve Joe being contagious with a disease. “Nothing ….”  He muttered finally, cringing as he saw Martha cuddle Little Joe close to her and hoping that she had already had chicken pox.

“I got chicken pots,”  Little Joe informed the girl. “I’m Don Dagious.”

“Chicken Pots?”  Martha asked Adam.

“Um …. His pet chicken,”  said Adam quickly, wishing that Joe would shut up. “I need to take him back now.”

“Uuver One Bob,”  said Joe to Martha. “My chicken is Uuver One Bob. He give me chicken pots.”

“I don’t understand,”  said Martha. “What’s he talking about?”

“Oh nothing,”  said Adam, trying to sound casual. He picked up Little Joe quickly. “I’d better take him back now.”

Suddenly Little Joe began to squirm in his brother’s arm. “I gotta go Adam,”  he said urgently.

“We’re going,”  Adam assured him. “I’m taking you back to your Mama straight away.”

Joe held onto himself and gave his brother a desperate look. “No!”  he said. “I gotta pee Adam! Now!”

Adam knew from experience that when his little brother said now he meant now …. And he looked around for a sign of the facilities. “Um …”  he went slightly red. “Do you know where ….”  He looked at Martha hopefully.

“It’s right up the other end of the train,”  the girl replied. At the front of the first carriage.”

“I can’t wait Adam!”  shouted Little Joe. I gotta go now!”

Adam turned and headed towards the back door, Joe in his arms. He figured that no one would be any the wiser about what he was about to do …. Besides, Joe was only a little boy, so where was the harm? It was certainly better than having his little brother pee all over him in the middle of a crowded carriage full on people. He opened the back door and walked onto the small platform at the back of the carriage, closing the door behind him. He put Joe down onto his feet, making sure that the small boy’s hands were firmly grasping the railing in front of them, before pulling down his trousers. “Quick,”  he whispered. “Go down there.”

Little Joe looked down at the track that was below them. He giggled delightedly. “Down there?”  he asked, looking up at his brother in delight at this new game.

“Hurry up!”  snarled Adam. “Quick!”

Joe giggled again as he sent a stream of liquid splashing down onto the track. Both he and Adam watched as it made a straight line out behind them, spraying in the wind that the movement of the train made. “Funny Adam!”  shouted Little Joe happily. “You go pee too!”

“Shut up,”  said Adam. “Hurry up and finish.”  He waited until the stream had stopped and began to pull Little Joe’s trousers up again, but Joe pushed his brother’s hands away.

“No!” shouted Little Joe. He bent down and began to happily scratch his small legs. “Too hot,”  he added.

Adam pushed his little brother’s hands away. “Stop scratching,”  he said in imitation of his stepmother. “You’ll make it worse.”  He buttoned Joe’s trousers up again and led him back into the carriage.

Joe immediately put his arms up to Martha, but Adam pulled him back again. “No,”  he said firmly. “I need to get you back to your mama.”

“Why do you keep saying his mama?”  asked Martha, looking up at Adam. “Isn’t she your mama too?”

“No,”  said Adam. “She’s his mother, but my stepmother.”

“Oh how interesting,”  said Martha. “Are there just the two of you then?”

“No,”  said Adam. “We have another ….”  He stopped as he saw Martha’s eyes widen. “What?”  he asked.

Martha began to giggle behind her hand, her eyes suddenly wide. “I think …”  she spluttered into her hand. “I think you’d better …”  she pointed and Adam looked down, his eyes widening as he saw his little brother happily taking off his shirt.

“Too hot,”  said Little Joe as he proceeded to pull down his trousers as well. He pointed to one of the spots on his tummy. “Chicken pots,”  he said happily.

“That child is covered with spots,”  said a loud voice behind them and Adam turned to see a woman looking at them both in horror.

“Chicken pots,”  said Joe proudly in a loud voice. “I’m Don Dagious.”

“I don’t care what your name is!”  said the woman, standing up. “This child has chicken pox!”

Adam desperately tried to cover up his little brother, but Joe struggled with him. “No!”  he shouted. “Too hot Adam!”  He held his spot-covered little arms above his head and began to wave them, displaying his spot-ridden stomach for all to see.

“Well I never!” shouted the woman. “I’m not staying here to be contaminated!”  She stalked out of the carriage, followed by several others. Martha gave Adam a sad look as she was ushered out of the carriage by her parents. “Sorry,”  she mouthed as they disappeared into the third carriage.

Adam began to follow, dragging Little Joe behind him … but he was suddenly pulled back by a firm grip on his collar. “You just hold it there youngster,”  said a stern voice behind him. “Where do ya think you’re going with that kid?”

“I’m taking him back to our parents,”  said Adam.

The clerk shook his head. “Oh no you’re not,”  he said, indicating the now empty carriage. “You can just stay right where you are.”

“But …”  said Adam.

“Best keep that little boy right away from all them other folks,”  said the clerk. “I’ll tell ya parents where you are.”

Adam sighed and sat down heavily on the seat. “Now I’m in for it,”  he muttered as he glared at the near-naked Little Joe. “And it’s all your fault.”

Joe smiled at his brother as he absently scratched his arms and legs. “I’m Don Dagious,”  he informed him.

“Don’t I know it!”  muttered Adam dolefully.

Ben ushered Marie down the crowded passageway and back into the small carriage, surprised to see that there were two other people there as well. He squeezed them both into on seat and looked across at Hoss who was giving his father a guilty look. “Where is Little Joe?”  he asked. “And what are all these people doing here?”

Before Hoss could open his mouth, a man leant forward. “We had to evacuate the fourth carriage,”  he said. “I heard tell there’s an outbreak of some plague or other back there.”

Marie put a hand to her mouth. “Oh Ben!”  she said. “A plague!”  She looked around anxiously. “Hoss … where is your little brother? Where is my baby?”  She struggled to her feet. “Has anyone seen my baby?”  she shouted desperately.

Ben pulled her down again. “Calm down Marie,”  he said. “He can’t have got far. Hoss? Where is your little brother?”

“Adam done took him,”  replied Hoss, looking down at the floor guiltily. “I done told him not to …. But he still done it Pa.”

“See?”  said Ben, putting his arm around Marie. “I told you that he was all right. Where did he take him to Hoss?” he asked, secretly vowing to give his eldest son one huge tongue lashing when he got hold of him.

“I dunno,”  Hoss said, shrugging his shoulders. “Back in the next carriage I think he said.”

“Ben!” Marie grasped hold of her husband’s arm anxiously. “This man says that there’s a plague back there! Oh Ben!”

Ben stood up. “I’ll get them,”  he said. “You stay here.”

Suddenly there was a commotion out in the passageway and the clerk poked his head into the compartment. “Mr Dagious?”  He shouted. “Does anyone here know a Mr Dagious?”  Ben shook his head and the clerk disappeared again. “Mr Dagious!”  he shouted as he walked up and down the passageway. “I’m looking for a Mr Dagious!”

Ben ignored him and strode purposely back to the fourth carriage. Marie hesitated for a moment and then followed him. Hoss hesitated for a moment and then followed Marie.

“What’s going on here?”

Adam looked up guiltily as his father, stepmother and brother came into the carriage. “Hi Pa,”  he said, slumping down in his seat.

“Don’t you dare Hi Pa me!” shouted Ben, waggling his finger at his eldest son. “Exactly what is going on here Adam?”  He looked down at the near-naked Little Joe who was happily scratching himself all over.

“Adam! How could you!”  shouted Marie, scooping up her precious child and hugging him to her. “It’s all right now darling, mama’s here.”

Little Joe struggling to get down again. “I’m Don Dagious,”  he informed his mother. “I got chicken pots from Uuver One Bob.”

“I’m waiting Adam,” said Ben, still staring at his son.

Adam cleared his throat and was just about to speak when the carriage door opened once again. “Oh … Mr Dagious ….”  said the clerk, poking his head around the doorway. “You’ve found them.”

Ben blinked a couple of time. “I beg your pardon?”  he asked.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,”  explained the clerk. “I think it’s best if you and your family travel the rest of the distance to Reno in this carriage considering … don’t you?”

“But the Plague!”  said Marie, clutching Joe to her chest and putting a protective arm around Hoss.

“Precisely ma’am,”  agreed the clerk. “Although I wouldn’t exactly call one case a plague,”  he added. He gave both she and Ben a dark look. “Next time it would be better if you would inform the management of such things before boarding,” he said, pointing to Little Joe before disappearing again.

There was silence for a full minute as everyone tried to come to grips with what had just transpired. Finally, Ben spoke. “I have a feeling that Little Joe is the plague they’re all talking about,” he said and looked at Adam.

Adam shrugged, trying to appear casual, but utterly failing to do so. “I don’t know anything about a plague,” he said. “Some woman just noticed that Joe had spots is all.”

“And why exactly was he undressed?” asked Ben.

“I hot!”  Joe informed his father. He frowned as his mother slapped his little hands away to stop him scratching.

“He was hot,” Adam confirmed.

“And why did you have him back here in the first place?”  asked Ben, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at his son.

Adam shifted uncomfortably under the stern gaze of his father. “Well ….”  he said in a low voice.

Ben put up his hand. “Never mind,”  he said. “Save it for when we get to Reno, young man. I have a feeling this will be rather a long conversation … and perhaps a painful one for one of us,” he added.

Marie sat down and began to dress Little Joe, much to that young man’s dismay. “Hot mama!”  he protested, but Marie took no notice of him.

“Hey this is great!”  shouted Hoss. “We got all these windows to ourselves and we ain’t squashed no more!”  He sat himself down on a seat and put his feet up on the one opposite, happily looking out of the window.

“Hoss, take your feet off the seat,”  instructed Marie. She looked down at Little Joe who was tugging on her sleeve. “What is it baby?” she asked.

“Can I go out there again?”  asked Little Joe, pointing to the back door of the carriage.

Marie shook her head. “No baby,”  she said. “There’s nothing out there. That’s the end of the train.”

Little Joe shook his head. “Nuh uh,” he informed his mother. “There’s a railing and you can pee off the back. You wanna see?”

Marie gave Ben a horrified look and Ben turned to glare once again at Adam who slunk even further down in his seat.

“I don’t wanna ever get off this train,” announced Hoss happily as he continued to gaze out of the window. “I wish this trip would go on and on forever and Reno was a long ways away. Don’t you Adam?”

Adam pulled his hat over his face and gave his father a quick glance from under it. “I sure do,”  he muttered. “A real long ways away.”

For Chris and Will

The End