Summary: Jennifer Burns was one of Little Joe’s best friends until the lie she told her husband almost got him killed.  Beaten almost unrecognizable, Joe must now defend his honor in court. Rating T, WC 39,420

What a Fool Believes

***He came from somewhere back in her long ago.  The sentimental fool don’t see. Tryin’ hard to recreate what had yet to be created once in her life.  She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale.  Never coming near what he wanted to say.  Only to realize it never really was.  She had a place in his life.  He never made her think twice.  As he rises to her apology anybody else would surely know.  He’s watching her go.  But what a fool believes, he sees.  No wise man has the power to reason away what seems to be.  Is always better than nothing.  Than nothing at all. *** (Song: “What a Fool Believes.”  Lyrics by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins.)

Doctor Paul Martin spied the advancing cowboy as he made his way down the wooden sidewalk.  He would’ve known the young man anywhere, but it was easier to spot him with his bright green jacket and the left-handed holster he wore.  Little Joe Cartwright was his best friend’s youngest son and Doc’s most frequent patient.  Now, at the ripe old age of eighteen, Joe was doing just a little bit better in the injury department.  Though he still required a stitch or a cast now and then, he wasn’t as accident-prone as he had been in the past. Paul took pride in Joe, as he was the first baby that he had delivered the same year he had set up his practice in Virginia City.  Little Joe’s quick smile and readiness to help also ingratiated himself with the doctor. Paul stepped out in front of the young man and Joe, who was preoccupied with looking at the mail he had just picked up, almost ran right into him.

“Doc!  How you been?”  Joe grinned and patted the man’s shoulder fondly.

“Fine, Little Joe–just fine.  Haven’t seen you in a while.  How’s the family?”

“Oh, everyone is as mean and as ornery as ever, Doc!”  Joe laughed.

“Got a minute to talk?”  Paul asked, and this time Joe could tell there was something troubling the man.  One look at his face gave it away.

“Sure.  What’s up?”

“Let’s go into my office,” Paul instructed and moved to the door.

Joe followed the man and cast a wary eye around the room before speaking.

“Hey–this isn’t some trick of Pa’s to make me get a check-up, is it?” he asked suspiciously.

Paul chuckled and shook his head.  “Not a bad idea—but–not this time, Little Joe.”

Both men sat down inside the doctor’s office and then Paul got right down to business.

“Joe, I don’t often mention confidential matters regarding my patients.  But this time I need help and there’s no other way to do it.  It’s about Jennifer Burns,” Doc addressed the problem in hushed tones, showing the seriousness of the situation.

“Jennifer?”  Joe asked, shocked, over the fact that there was a problem with his close friend.  “What’s wrong with her?  I saw her not more than two weeks ago and she was thrilled that she had made the three-month mark in her pregnancy.”

“Little Joe—-she lost the baby earlier this week.”

“No,” Joe whispered and tried to fight back his tears for his friend.  “Doc—I don’t understand—she was doing so good—-she was so relieved she had gotten this far.”

“I know—she lost the first two before the second month was over.  This is quite a setback for her and Steve.”

Joe stood and began pacing the room showing his frustration and concern.  “Ever since we were little kids all Jennifer ever talked about was having babies!  Steve and her have been trying ever since they got married —it’s just not fair!”

“I know,” Paul returned sadly.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, Doc.  I can see it in your eyes.  What is it?”

“Sit down and I’ll tell you why I asked you in here,” Paul pointed for Joe to return to his chair.

Reluctantly Joe sat, though he was filled with so much anxiety that it was hard for him to keep still.  “Okay—tell me.”

“Little Joe, I know how close you and Jennifer are.  There was a time when both your father and I thought the two of you might end up getting married someday.  I know that even though she ended up marrying Steve, you two have remained very close.  What I’m going to tell you isn’t going to sit well with you.  But I need help with Jennifer and since Steve isn’t here–”

Joe cut off the doctor’s words as soon as he learned Steve was gone.  “What!  She lost the baby this week and he’s gone?  Where the hell did he go—and why!”  He demanded the answers.

“Simmer down—-remember I’ve got sedation medicine in this drawer, and I know you don’t take too well to getting shots!”  Paul warned and watched as Little Joe breathed in deeply and waited for more information.  “Steve left on business.  The fact of the matter is he blamed himself for Jennifer losing the baby and he went off to San Francisco for a couple of weeks.  That’s why I am worried about Jennifer.  I told Steve that she shouldn’t be out there all alone, but he wouldn’t listen.  I don’t know if the man is dense or just too caught up in himself to tell you the truth.  I think he figures that since she’s already lost two babies that it gets easier!”

“Why does he feel responsible?  What did he do?”

“I warned them both not to have relations until she was a good four months along or longer if they could hold out.  Steve, from what Jennifer said, came home drunk—-she couldn’t stop him–”

Once again Little Joe sprang to his feet and this time his fists were clenched in anger.  “That son of a bitch!”

“You getting angry won’t help Jennifer!”  Paul yelled and tugged at Little Joe’s arm.  “Now will you let me finish?”

“He should blame himself!  He caused the miscarriage.  I can just imagine how Jennifer feels now!  I bet she never wants to see that bastard again!”

“On the contrary, Little Joe—Jennifer still loves him.  As much as that may sound crazy to you and me—it’s the way of things.  I didn’t tell you this so you would try to persuade her to leave him.”

“Hell, he left her!”  Joe yelled.

“He’s coming back.  But right now, she’s out there alone.  I tried to bring her here into town so she could stay at the hotel until Steve returned, but she would have nothing to do with it.  I thought—if you’d talk with her–well—perhaps you could get her to come here?  You’ve always been able to talk sense into that girl—and from what I recall she’s done the same thing for you at times!”

Joe remembered how Jennifer had helped him out of several serious situations in the past.  She had always been there with a patient ear when Little Joe went off in a blind rage about something.  All it took was her arm around him or one look into her brilliant emerald eyes to settle Joe’s soul.

“I’ll bring her out to the Ponderosa!”  Joe insisted.

“No—that’s not what she needs.  And that’s not what YOU need either!  I’m not asking you to come between a man and his wife, Little Joe.  I’m just asking you to go out there and talk her into coming to town to get some rest for a few weeks.  Now–can you do that?”

Little Joe stared down at the floor and tried to regroup his emotions.  They were so fragile at the time that he didn’t think he would be able to.  He loved Jennifer, always had.  Though they had both decided that it wasn’t the marrying kind of love, it was just as deep as far as Little Joe was concerned.  He ached for the pain Jennifer was going through, and it made him hate Steve for forcing the girl into something that never should have happened.  Now she was grieving yet another loss and it cut through Joe’s heart the same way it had cut through Jennifer’s.

“I want to take care of her, Doc,” Joe whispered and pushed away a stray tear.

“The best way to do that, Little Joe, is to bring her here into town.  I’ll have some of the ladies from the church take her food and see to her needs.  She doesn’t need to be at that house, not now.  I’ve also told her that she needs to stay off her feet as much as she can.  This last miscarriage might have ruined her chance to carry a child ever again.”

“Don’t say that, Doc!   She’s just got to have a baby—it’s all she’s ever wanted!”  Joe replied harshly.

“Then do what you can to get her off her feet and to some place where I can check to see that she’s okay.  I’m counting on you, Little Joe.”

“I’ll head over there now,” Joe nodded and turned for the door.  He felt Paul’s hand on his arm as it spun him around.

“Little Joe—-don’t make things any harder on her by berating Steve,” Paul cautioned.

“I won’t, Doc—thanks for letting me know,” Joe promised and headed out to the street.

---

After tucking the mail away in his saddlebags, Joe grabbed Cochise’s reins and turned the horse towards the north.  The Burnses’ ranch was just a mile from Virginia City and Joe wanted to get there as quick as possible.  The whole time in the saddle he thought about all that he and Jennifer had shared over the years, both good and bad.  He cursed himself for not marrying the girl.  Jennifer had insisted that they were much better as friends and didn’t want anything to come between that.  Joe wished now he hadn’t listened to her.  A marriage based on mutual friendship was just as valid, or so Joe thought now.  Anything had to be better than what she ended up with!  Steve Burns came to town and swept the seventeen-year-old Jennifer off her feet.  Her father wasn’t too thrilled with the young man but had finally given his blessing.  Unfortunately, her father passed away just a few weeks after they were married.  Jennifer was now without any family in the area and turned to friends when there was trouble.  Joe wondered why she hadn’t sent him word when she lost the baby.  He knew in his heart, it just had to move up to his brain.  Jennifer knew Little Joe’s first instincts would have been to beat the daylights out of Steve.  Joe admitted to himself on the ride out to their ranch how badly he still wanted to hurt the man who had done such a terrible thing to his best friend.

---

As Cochise and her master entered the front yard at the Burnses’ ranch Joe could see the chickens running freely in the yard.  The place seemed even more unkept than it had been on his last visit.  Though Little Joe had offered Steve his friendship along with any help, the man had insisted he could take care of his family on his own.  ***You sure took care of things all right, Steve!  You’ve hurt Jennifer in the worst way! *** Little Joe thought as he tied his reins to the front hitching post.  Walking up the stairs to the front porch he tried his best to put his emotions in check.  He was losing the battle but trying nonetheless for Jennifer’s sake.  She didn’t need to see the anger behind his hazel eyes.  Not right now anyway.

Joe knocked on the front door and then turned the doorknob and pushed inside.  He was afraid that the young woman might be sleeping and didn’t want her to hurry to the door.  Jennifer was over by the sink, washing dishes.  Joe couldn’t believe it was the same girl he had known for so long.  Her usually well-kept hair hung loosely around her shoulders and when she turned towards the sound of him entering the room her face looked as pale as a ghost.

“Jennifer—” Little Joe began and had to choke back the emotion in his voice.

“Little Joe—-I wish I’d known you were coming—I’m a pure mess!”  Jennifer fought for a smile, but it lost its way to her lips.

“Oh Jennifer!”  Joe whispered and moved over to her and threw his arms around her.  He held her tightly trying to absorb her pain into his chest.  All Joe wanted to do was to take it all away and bring back the sunshine in her eyes.

“I’m okay–really I am,” Jennifer insisted bravely.  But no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t release Joe from her arms.  She hadn’t felt so protected in such a long while that now it was as though she was a schoolgirl again.

“You are going to get off those feet right now!”  Joe demanded and without hesitation drew the woman up into his arms and carried her over to the couch.

“I can walk, Joe—-I’ve just lost a baby—I’m not crippled,” Jennifer said, but as soon as the word “baby” came out of her mouth the room was filled with sobs.  Little Joe clung to the girl again and let her get it out.  The grief rolled out in waves that seemed to crash against the barriers of her heart.  She was empty, as devoid of hope as her womb was devoid of a child.

“I’m here—-let it out—I’m here,” Little Joe whispered over and over again.

Jennifer responded by crying harder and wishing that her husband had been as kind as the boy she had grown up with.  She yearned for Steve’s arms to be around her and to tell her that everything would be all right again.

“It’s all my fault—Steve thinks it’s his–but it’s not.  I guess I just am no good as a mother–can’t even keep a baby,” Jennifer choked out.

Little Joe forced eye contact with the woman and looked at her like she had just said the worst lie he had ever heard.   “Damn it, Jennifer!  You know it wasn’t your fault!  That husband of yours–he couldn’t even restrain himself for a couple of months.  If I had my way about it, I would beat the hell out of him!”

“No—no Joe—don’t say that!”

“Why?  Because it’s the truth?  Jennifer—Doc told me—he told me everything.”

“He shouldn’t have,” Jennifer whispered embarrassed.

Joe lifted the girl’s chin again and stared into her eyes.  “Wouldn’t you want me to know?  Jennifer—I’ve told you the darkest secrets I have—-over the years.  Don’t you trust me with yours?”

“I trust you—you know that.  I just don’t want you going after Steve,” she sobbed.

“Well, I can’t exactly do that now anyhow can I?  So, you stop worrying and let me help you.  I’ll help you pack up your stuff, and you come out to the Ponderosa with me.”

“No—Joe—I can’t.  This is my home—this is where I’m gonna stay.  I buried my baby in the back yard—and I want to be close to her,” Jennifer replied and then broke down in tears again.

Joe could stand no more.  He had fought a good fight, but his own tears fell as he held Jennifer to his chest and stroked her hair to comfort her.  “If you need to be here-well—I understand.  But I’m gonna stay with you.  You’ve got to take care of yourself, and Doc wants you off your feet.”

“Joe—I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t—I told you I was going to do it, and I am.  Now—I’m going to get you settled in your bed and then I’m going home to get a few things.  I better not find you’ve gotten out of bed neither, Young Lady!”  Joe warned as he pushed aside his tears and lifted Jennifer back into his arms.  He carried her into the bedroom and gently placed her on top of the covers.  “It won’t take me longer than two hours to fetch what I need, explain to Pa and get back.  I’ll bring dinner with me, and some supplies so don’t you dare get up and fix nothing.  You hear?”

“What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you, Little Joe?”  Jennifer finally found a smile that she had saved in her soul for just the right moment.

“What you did?  Well–maybe it was those bug sandwiches you used to make me when we were in school?”  Joe joked and bent down and kissed the girl’s forehead.

“You ate them too!”

“Just shows you–there’s no accounting for taste,” Joe winked and pulled the covers up around Jennifer’s shoulders. “Stay put or I might just have to return the favor at dinner!”

“Thanks, Joe,” Jennifer whispered as another tear drifted down her cheek.

“I’ll be right back,” Joe smiled and closed the bedroom door.

---

Joe stood in the living room of the Ponderosa ranch house and finished putting his gear into his satchel.  He had already loaded a buckboard full of supplies and was just waiting for his father to arrive home before leaving for Jennifer’s.  The front door opened and Ben Cartwright walked inside and hung up his hat and removed his gun belt.  He had failed to notice his son’s presence until he spun around and saw him with his back to the door.  He also noticed the satchel sitting just to the side of the settee.

“Let me guess.  You’re running away from home!”  Ben called across the room and grinned when his son turned around towards him.

“I guess that’s wishful thinking on your part, Pa,” Joe remarked grinning over at his father.  “Actually, I’m going to use that two weeks’ vacation you said I had coming to me.”

Ben’s face took on a puzzled appearance, as he moved in closer to the young man.  “Wait a second there, Joseph. You have two weeks coming to you all right—but I wasn’t prepared for you to leave just yet.  Your brothers are both up at the railhead waiting for you.  I sent you to town for the mail and then you were supposed to meet up with them.”

“I sent Brent.  Heck, Pa–he wasn’t doing anything, just sitting in the bunk house playing cards.  I figured he could help with those ties as well as I could.”

“Oh, did you?”  Ben asked as he raised his eyebrows in gesture.  He planted his right hand firmly on his son’s left arm.  “I thought you and Hoss planned on going hunting during the two weeks of vacation time you’ve got coming after those ties get delivered?”

Shaking his head Joe responded, “Change of plans, Pa.  We’ll have to do that next time I guess.”

“Sit down, Joseph.  I want to know what’s going on and why you are planning to leave so abruptly.  I only sent you into town for the mail.”

Joe frowned, knowing his father wasn’t about to let him out of his sight or out of his duties for that matter, until he knew exactly what was going on.  He sat down on top of the coffee table and stared over at his father who was seated on the settee.  “Pa—when I went to get the mail I ran into Doc.  He told me that Jennifer lost the baby.”

Ben shook his head sadly and replied, “I hate that—that poor kid has had so much sadness already.  But–what does that have to do with you?”

“Well—I’m gonna go stay at her place for a couple weeks–you know–help out?”

“Oh?  And what does Steve have to say about that?”  Ben inquired, his eyebrows narrowing to get the full truth from his son.

“He’s not there—he left.”

“His wife lost the baby and he left?  That doesn’t make sense!”  Ben exclaimed.

“Tell me about it.”  Joe muttered, still so full of anger he could hardly contain it.

“Joseph?  Come on—fill in the blanks.  Talking to you here lately is like pulling teeth.  I want to hear everything.”

“Pa—-Steve left for San Francisco—Doc was worried about Jennifer staying out there alone. So–”

Ben cut his son off in midsentence and said, “So he asked YOU, of all people, to go stay with her?  That makes no sense either!”

“Actually, he wanted her to stay at the hotel—but she won’t go.”

“Then fine–she can come out here—end of problem!”  Ben insisted.  The last thing he wanted was for his son to get caught up in the affairs of a man and his wife; even if the wife had been a childhood friend of the boy’s.

“I already tried that, Pa.  She won’t leave the place.  She says the baby’s buried there and she won’t leave it.  Pa, she looks awful—-and Doc says if she doesn’t get some rest that she might not be able to carry another baby!” He exclaimed, springing up from his perch on the coffee table.

“Then her husband should be there, Joseph—not YOU!”

“Yeah–well he’s a son of a –” Joe was cut off in midsentence.

“Watch it, Young Man!” Ben warned and stared at the boy hard.

“Sorry,” Little Joe muttered, dropping his head contritely.

Ben cleared his throat and continued, “Now there’ll be no leaving until we’ve talked. Sit down, Joseph.”

“Oh, Pa,” Joe sighed and dropped back down on the coffee table.  He knew better than to go up against his father.  “I’m just going out there to take care of her.  She’s just lost a baby, and she needs someone to take care of things.  I know you trust me, so what’s the problem?”

“The problem is how Steve will take the news when he gets back.  I imagine he will have a pure fit!  I don’t want you to get involved.”

“Involved?  Pa—I AM involved!  Jennifer is one of my best friends.  Isn’t that when a friend’s supposed to help—when there’s trouble?”  Joe questioned, his eyes burning directly through to his father’s heart.

“Joseph, Steve has always been jealous of your relationship with Jennifer–” Ben began quietly but Little Joe jumped in.

“Then he should have stayed home!  No–I take that back–he should have left his wife alone so she wouldn’t have lost the baby!  No—he just couldn’t hold back a couple of months!  That’s why she lost the baby!” Joe fired back enraged over the man’s behavior.

Ben shook his head when he realized what his son had just said.  It was becoming abundantly clear why the news of Jennifer’s miscarriage had angered his son so much.  “Joseph—as much as I know you care–that’s between Jennifer and Steve.  You’ve got to stay out of it.  It’s their marriage—good or bad—it’s theirs.  She made her choice and it was to marry Steve.  Jennifer is a nineteen-year-old married woman now not the schoolgirl you used to play with,” Ben responded quietly and watched as Joe dropped his head into his hands and his shoulders sank from his father’s message.

“Okay – so she’s a year older than me – but I’m eighteen now, Pa – not a little kid.”

“Joseph, you’ve only been eighteen for a month – I’d hardly say you were full grown just yet.  I’m just worried about you.  That temper of yours might not help the matter either.”

Little Joe stood and paced in front of the fireplace, considering what his father had said before turning around to face him.

“You’ve always taught all of us to help when we can.  That’s all I’m trying to do.  I know she’s married – and no matter how much I dislike Steve I understand that he is her husband.  I’m not going to say or do anything that will interfere in their marriage.”

Ben moved next to his son and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.  “Joseph –I know you are well meaning – and you’ve got a good heart.  I’m proud of you for that.  But I would be lying to you if I told you that I thought that this was a good idea.”

“Pa—she needs me,” Little Joe whispered and stared intently into his father’s eyes seeking understanding.

“Son, I think it would be best if you found a woman in town – perhaps someone older who would go and take care of her.”

Little Joe shook his head, “You don’t think that I’m old enough or smart enough, Pa, which is it?”

Ben clamped a hand down to his son’s arm and forced his gaze.  “It’s neither.  I just don’t want you to walk into something that might cause more harm than good.”

“I won’t cause any trouble.  If he comes back–fine!  I will go and let them work it out.  Honest, Pa.   But she doesn’t have any family—-I’m all she has right now,” Joe pleaded with his father.

Ben knew his son’s heart and how breakable it was.  Hearing how Jennifer had apparently lost the baby had also angered the eldest Cartwright.  He waited until he had thought out all sides before speaking again.

“I doubt locking you up in your room would work this time, huh?”  Ben asked wryly and squeezed Joe’s shoulder.

Joe’s hazel eyes thanked his father and he replied, “Maybe for a few minutes, Pa.  But—you know I’ve gone out my window every time that you’ve tried to use that method of confinement.”

“If you’ve got your mind set on doing this – just remember what I’ve said, Joseph.  I wish I could do something for Jennifer—-but I guess this time you’ve got it all on your shoulders.  Just remember I’m here if you need me.”

Joe smiled gratefully and hugged his father.  “Thanks for trusting me, Pa.”

“That’s the last time I ever send YOU in for the mail!”  Ben grinned as his son turned and grabbed the bag sitting next to the settee.  He walked his son to the door.

“I set it on your desk by the way—and Pa?”

“Yes?”

“Just bills,” Little Joe winked and grabbed his hat off the rack by the door.

“Get out of here!”  Ben pretended he was about to smack the boy’s backside as Joe hurried through the door.  ***Only you could go to town for the mail, Joseph, and come back with a peck of trouble! *** Ben thought to himself as he walked over to his desk.

---

The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountain range when Little Joe made his way back to Jennifer’s place.  He took the time to tend to the stock, including the team of horses that pulled the buckboard and his own mount, Cochise.  Carrying a full load of supplies into the house, Joe set the packages on the dining room table.  He walked quietly into Jennifer’s bedroom and was glad to see that the young woman had listened to his orders and was asleep.  Little Joe closed the door so as not to disturb his friend while he began preparing supper.  He gradually acquainted himself with where the pots and pans were hidden and soon had the meal started.  Though he was not known for his great cooking prowess, Joe was, however, not half bad at making some basic meals.  Of course, it had helped that the Cartwright cook and housekeeper, Hop Sing, had donated a small roast that he had set aside for the family’s dinner.  Little Joe peeled potatoes and carrots and soon had a pot roast going on top of the stove.

---

Jennifer awoke to the aroma of a full course meal.  She felt disoriented at first, wondering if Steve had come home while she slumbered.  Then her conversation with Joe came back to her and she knew it had to be him.  Steve rarely cooked.  He left almost all the household chores to his wife, and that had been part of the problem during her other pregnancies.  Doc had warned them both after losing the first baby that she needed to stay off her feet as much as possible in the early months to better give the baby a chance to implant firmly in her womb.  Steve had grown up believing women to be not much more than breeding stock and didn’t do much to help his wife keep off her feet.  Jennifer had tried her best and when she had learned she was pregnant again she insisted she needed some help.  Steve had paid one of the women in town to come out every other week to help with some things, but it wasn’t nearly enough.  Her chores may have been lightened just a tad, but the fact that Steve had taken advantage of her and in such a way that was far too forceful had determined the fate of their last child.  Jennifer knew the next morning that she was in trouble.  Steve had ridden to town but by the time he and Doc had returned Jennifer had already miscarried.  The event that made it all that much sadder was that Steve didn’t even stay and hold his wife in his arms when he learned the baby was gone.  He simply walked out of the house leaving his wife with Doc.  That evening he had informed Jennifer that he was heading to San Francisco the next day and didn’t even bother to tell her exactly why he was going there.  Her heart now thoroughly broken, Jennifer had stood on the porch and watched as her husband left for Virginia City to catch the next stage west.  Doc had insisted she come to town and stay in the hotel where she could be looked after but she refused.  All she had now was the ranch and the memories of what would never be.  She wanted solitude.  Or so she thought then.  Now, with Joe in the next room, she realized that she needed human contact more than ever.  And Joe was just the right person to cheer her.

“Well, sleepyhead, you ready to try some of the finest Joe Cartwright cuisine?”  Little Joe asked as he moved back into the bedroom.

“It’s not bug sandwiches is it, Joe?”  Jennifer countered, forcing yet another smile.

“Oh no—I don’t give away my cooking secrets!  You’ll just have to come see for yourself.  Here–let me help you with your robe,” Joe said as he moved closer to the bed.

“Little Joe—I’m not an invalid,” she sighed and pulled the robe over her shoulders.

“You know you’ve done more than you should’ve already so now as far as I am concerned, YOU ARE an invalid.  Now—you can either let me help you into the other room or I can carry you!”

“Just grab my arm then,” Jennifer sighed, knowing how stubborn Litle Joe could be.

The two friends made their way into the next room and Joe steered Jennifer over to the couch.  She looked up at him with a question on her face.

“No sitting up at the table for now.  I’ve got it all ready and you can stretch your legs out right there and relax,” Joe commented, knowing that the girl was wondering why they weren’t seated in the dining room.

“You’re gonna spoil me, Little Joe!”  Jennifer called as she watched him move towards the kitchen.

“Good!   Looks to me that you could use some spoiling,” Little Joe chuckled as he began to fill both plates with the food.

The first night had been the start of making Jennifer’s life easier and by the time the two friends had said goodnight, Little Joe was tired but felt good about what he had done.  He settled down in the spare room and fell right off to sleep.  But Jennifer hadn’t gone down as easily.  All she could do was think of her husband and how much she missed him.  It hadn’t mattered that he had left her so abruptly after she had lost their baby.  Jennifer loved Steve flaws and all.  She closed her eyes and prayed that he would return soon.

---

“Well, I’ve fed the chickens and watered the stock.  I noticed that a couple of those fences need some repair.  So, if you’ll be a good girl now that you’ve had your breakfast I’ll go fix them,” Little Joe smiled as he placed a throw blanket over Jennifer who was lying on the sofa.

“Since you’re so handy, Little Joe – Bessie needs milking and she gets plum ornery if you don’t do it first thing in the morning.”

Little Joe groaned but then smiled at the young woman.  “Okay, I’ve had some practice at that.  I’ll bring you a full pail back with me before tending to those fences.  Why don’t you knit or something?”

Jennifer’s demeanor changed the minute Joe had mentioned knitting.

“Hey—what’s wrong?” Little Joe asked seeing the sad countenance she wore.

“My sewing basket over there,” Jennifer pointed across the room.  “I was working on a blanket for the baby.”

Joe bit at his bottom lip wondering what he could say.  He walked across the room and grabbed the basket and brought it over to her.  “You just go ahead and get back to that blanket.  I just bet you this time next year you’ll have a baby that will need it.”

“You really think so, Little Joe?”

Little Joe bent down and kissed Jennifer’s forehead.  “Sure, I do,” He nodded.  “Now you get to that while I go see to Bessie.”

Jennifer watched as Little Joe walked to the door.  “Hey, Joe?”

Little Joe spun around.  “Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Joe nodded his head and walked outside.  He prayed that he hadn’t just given his friend false hope.

---

Little Joe and Jennifer settled into a regular routine. Tending to all the chores around the ranch, Joe still took the time to make sure that Jennifer ate three meals a day.  Hop Sing had come out a couple of times with some prepared meals which had helped lighten Joe’s load.  By the beginning of the second week Jennifer had a bit more energy so Little Joe allowed her to come out into the yard to get some sun while he kept a watchful eye to make sure that she didn’t overdo it.

They played cards each night just like they used to do when they were kids and talked about all their wild exploits back when they were in school.  Slowly Jennifer grew stronger though she still had to rest most of the day.  Doctor Martin checked on the young woman and though he was surprised that Little Joe had been the one who was taking care of her he was pleased with how well she was doing.

Ben Cartwright had kept up with the situation through regular reports from Hop Sing.  But he waited to stop by for a visit until the middle of the second week.  Little Joe was happy to see his father and the three of them sat and talked for a while before Pa announced that he had to get back to the Ponderosa.

“Jennifer—be right back,” Little Joe said as he walked with his father to the door.

“Thank you for coming, Mister Cartwright.  And thank you for loaning me your son.  Little Joe has been such a help to me!  He’s been doing all the cooking and cleaning along with all the outside chores,” She called over to Ben.

His eyebrows raised in astonishment; Ben stared over at his youngest.  “Why Joseph – I didn’t have any idea that you were so handy!  You know Hop Sing has been wanting to take a month off to visit relatives, but he’s been worried that we wouldn’t be able to find anyone to take care of the house and do all the cooking.  I guess when you get home, Son, I’ll tell him that he can go ahead and pack since you are so well qualified.”

“Oh, Pa – she’s just kidding.  I’m not THAT helpful!” Joe insisted, smiling wryly.

Ben laughed and shook his head.  “I might have known that he’d try to get out of doing a full day’s work once he gets home,” Ben reached for his hat, and nodded over to the young woman.  “Glad to see you doing so well, Jennifer—now you take care of yourself,” Ben smiled as he turned out of the house with his son at his side.

“Thank you for coming, Mister Cartwright,” She called over to Ben.

Standing out on the porch Little Joe looked up at his father.

“Everything okay, Pa?” He asked when he noticed that his father had grown very quiet there on the porch as though he was worried about something.

Ben cleared his throat and dropped his hand down onto his son’s shoulder.  “Yes – everything at the ranch is fine.  I was just thinking that maybe it’s time for you to come home, Joseph?”

Little Joe shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I’m going to be home soon – I promise.”

“Just how soon?”

“I don’t know exactly, Pa.”  He hedged on giving an exact day that he’d be returning.

“Now, Joseph — Jennifer looks like she can handle things on her own.  I ran into Doc and he said he thought she’s about all healed.”

Little Joe dropped his head and grew quiet.  Ben read the look on the boy’s face and knew that he was holding something back from him.

“Tell me what’s on your mind, Son,” he urged softly.

“I don’t know, Pa – I just hate to leave her all alone.  I thought her stupid husband would’ve been back by now, you know?”

“He’ll be back.  And it’s time you came home too, Young Man.  Now – I’ve tried to stay away – but Joseph you need to let Jennifer handle things until Steve gets home.”

Nodding, Joe returned, “I promise, Pa – I’ll be home at the end of the week, okay?”

Ben shook his head and sighed, “You’ve always been so hardheaded – I just don’t know where you get that stubborn streak, Joseph.”

Little Joe laughed and patted his father’s arm.  “I get it from my pa.”

Groaning Ben squeezed his son’s shoulder and forced his gaze.  “No, you got it from your mother, it was her only flaw.  Now – you best be home by Friday – understood?”

“Yes, Sir, I will.”

“Your chores have piled up so I hope you enjoyed your little “vacation”, Young Man.”

Laughing, Joe nodded.  “Sure – I’ve just been lying around – milking cows, feeding chickens, mending fences and keeping the house running.  I’ve had lots of rest, Pa.”

Ben untied his neckerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.  “I’m going home and get into a cold bath.  This is the longest hot spell we’ve had in years.”

“Go on home and get cooled off, Pa.  I’ll see you in two days.”

With a quick pat to his son’s back, Ben walked down the porch steps and over to the hitching post.  Little Joe watched as his father swung up into his saddle.

“Two days, Joseph—no more!” He called down sternly.

“Yes, Sir,” Joe smiled and waved as his father kicked at Buck’s sides and rode out of the yard.

“Sorry,” Little Joe apologized as he walked back inside and over to the sofa where Jennifer sat.  “My Pa just wanted to remind me that my chores have stacked up on me.”

“I’ll hate to see you leave, Joe.”

Little Joe sat next to his friend and held her hand.  “Hey—I’ll still be around you know?  And if you need me – well, just send word and I’ll be right back.  I’ve got two more days before I have to go – so no sad faces, okay?”

Jennifer nodded.  “Do you think Steve will be back soon, Joe?”

“If he’s smart, he will,” Little Joe replied, still biting back his anger towards the man.

“I love him — you know that don’t you?”

“I know.”

“I’m going to get us some lemonade – be right back,” she said and began to get up from the sofa.

“Nothing doing!” Joe insisted and made her sit back down.  “I’m still your willing servant and I’m going to get us the lemonade.  I think there’s still some ice left – and I’ll bring you some more from the blockhouse in town tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Little Joe.  It sure is hot.”

Laughing Joe nodded, “You sound like my pa now.  He says he’s gonna go home and get in a tub full of cold water!”

“Sounds good to me,” Jennifer smiled as she watched her friend heading into the kitchen.

---

That night after Little Joe had said goodnight to Jennifer, she sat in her bedroom and worried.  She was starting to believe that Steve might not come back to her.  After being with Joe for two weeks she realized what it was like to be cared for properly.  Now she was beginning to believe that her husband had taken her for granted.  Jennifer had begun to resent Steve even though she still loved him and wanted him home.  She wished that she could come up with a way to make him appreciate her and never leave her like he had done.

Just after midnight Jennifer looked out of her bedroom window which faced the front yard and the barn.  She saw Steve ride in and dismount.  It was then that she came up with a plan that would help convince her husband to take notice of her.

Little Joe heard the scream from the next room.  He heard Jennifer crying out and didn’t know if she was sick or having a terrible nightmare.  Quickly pulling on his pants, Joe ran into Jennifer’s room both bare-chested and barefooted.

“Jennifer?  Jennifer—what’s wrong?” He asked sitting on the bed next to her.

“Oh, Little Joe – hold me!  I had a terrible nightmare,” She cried and fell into his arms.

Little Joe held her close and stroked the young woman’s hair attempting to calm her.  “It’s okay, Jennifer, it’s going to be okay.  It was just an old dream.”

It was at that moment that Steve burst into the house.  He had seen the pinto inside the barn and knew that it was Little Joe Cartwright’s horse.  Walking to his bedroom, Steve saw Joe holding his wife in his arms and the young man wasn’t wearing a shirt or shoes.  He turned back into the living room and grabbed a rifle and returned to his wife and who he presumed was her lover.

“Cartwright!” He yelled, his eyes wild with rage at the sight of Joe holding his wife in his arms.

Little Joe raised a hand trying to explain, but the butt of the rifle came down hard on his face.  In that one blinding moment all Joe heard was the loud crack of wood as he was knocked off the bed.  He made a feeble attempt to pull himself up off the floor, only to be met by another blow that caught his jaw, splintering the bone.  Joe made another failed attempt to pull himself up, which was met with more brutal cracks from the angered man’s rifle.  He shook his head trying to gather his wits about him but there wasn’t enough time between blows to his face which rendered him incapable of rational thought.

“No, Steve, don’t!” Jennifer cried and attempted to grab his arm to pull him away.

“Get back!” Steve shouted and again flailed the stock of the rifle onto the incapacitated Joe.

“You’re going to kill him!  Steve stop!” Jennifer pleaded.

“No – I ain’t gonna kill him – but you ain’t gonna want him once I’m done with him!” Steve screamed and struck Joe again, finally knocking him unconscious.

Still incensed over finding Little Joe in the bedroom with his wife, Steve pummeled the boy’s face into a bloodied pulp and then beat his entire upper body and left arm with the butt of the rifle. Steve only stopped when his arms grew tired and he then grabbed Joe by the shoulders, tossing him out of his house and down into the dirt.

“There!” Steve pointed at Little Joe.  “You want him – then go tend him!” He yelled at Jennifer.

“I only want you, Steve!” Jennifer cried seeing what the man had done to her friend but being too afraid to tell him why Little Joe had been in the bedroom.

---

Little Joe lay unconscious on the ground for hours unaware of what had happened.  It was after two in the morning before he began to come around.  He lifted his face off the ground and spit out both dirt and blood.  Joe eased onto his back moaning from the pain which had taken possession over his body.  The gray foggy memory of Steve’s rifle hitting his face numerous times came back to him.  Joe’s right hand came up from his side and touched his face trying to determine why he was hurting so badly.  His right eye was swollen shut and his left was blurry.  Every tiny movement of his mouth shot sharp, hot pain up from his jaw, and a thick, copper taste filled his throat from his broken nose. In the dim moonlight Joe tried to pull himself up.  His left arm gave out completely, a sickening grinding sensation of splintered bone confirmed that it was broken too.  Sucking in air, Little Joe painfully made it to his knees, and he pulled himself to standing.  He looked towards the house, and all the lights had been put out.  Little Joe didn’t dare try to make it to the door not knowing what Steve might do to him next.  There wasn’t anything he could do but try to make it into the barn and get to Cochise.  With nothing left but sheer willpower Little Joe was able to climb up onto his pinto.  Though he had managed to get the bridle over the pinto’s head he had to settle for riding bareback because he knew that there was no way that he could get a saddle on his horse.  Clinging to his reins with his one good hand, Joe fought back a suffering tide of pain as Cochise picked up her pace trying to get her master into Virginia City before he passed out cold.  Shirtless, bootless, and battered, Little Joe headed for town and for the help he hoped he’d find there.

---

Doctor Martin was startled by a loud, heavy thud against his office door, followed by the sound of something sliding against the wood.  He had been up late bringing a baby into the world and had just walked inside to put up his medical bag.  Wondering who would be up so early in the morning, he turned to the door and pulled it open.  He was shocked to see Little Joe lying unconscious on the top step to his office.  Going down to one knee he did a cursory examination noting the blood all over Little Joe’s face and the odd angle to the boy’s left arm.  He couldn’t understand why the boy was bare-chested and barefooted.  Doctor Martin grabbed the young man underneath his arms and carefully dragged him into his front parlor.  He was able to get Joe up onto the mahogany lounge in the inner office and hurried to get some towels to staunch the flow of blood from the boy’s battered face.  Knowing that Little Joe was in terribly bad shape, Doctor Martin had no choice but to leave him for a few minutes to go and fetch the sheriff.

Sheriff Roy Coffee was sound asleep in the back room of the jail when Doctor Martin made his entrance.

“Roy – Roy get up I need you,” he called out urgently and shook the man’s shoulders to rouse him.

Staring up at the doctor’s face he read the look of alarm on it.  Coughing to clear his throat, the sheriff struggled to open his eyes.  “What’s going on, Doc?”

“Little Joe Cartwright—I just found him outside my door.  He’s been beaten half to death.  I think you’d better find someone to go and get Ben.”

Roy groaned as he pulled himself up on his bunk.  Sliding his arms through his vest he asked, “That bad?”

Paul nodded and his face showed the severity of the boy’s condition.

“Yes, that bad.  I’ve got to get back to him.  Now just get Ben over to my place.”

“Reckon who done it?” Roy muttered standing and walked out into the front office alongside Paul.

“He’s been staying with Jennifer Burns while her husband was away.”

Roy frowned and shook his head.  “I’ll go talk to the young lady just as soon as I send Clem to fetch Ben.”

“Thanks, Roy,” Paul nodded gratefully and hurried back to his office.

---

Ben heard the loud pounding on the front door.  Being five in the morning, he groggily donned his robe and headed down the stairs.  Hop Sing beat him to the front door and hastily pulled it open.

“Clem?  What’s the trouble?” Ben asked, noticing the grim look that the deputy wore.

“It’s Little Joe, Ben.  He’s at Doc’s.  You’d better come with me,” Clem returned and watched as Ben’s face paled from the news.

“How bad is the boy— what happened?”

“I don’t know too much.  But I was told to come fetch you.”

“I’ll be right with you – let me get dressed,” Ben replied breathlessly turning away from the door.

“I’ll go saddle your horse and wait for you outside,” Clem announced and walked away.

Hop Sing worriedly followed closely behind all the way to the staircase.

“What you need Hop Sing do, Mister Ben?”

“Send one of the hands up to the railhead to fetch Hoss and Adam.  Let them know Joe’s hurt and is in town at Doc’s place,” Ben answered and quickly hurried up the stairs.

“Alight,” Hop Sing replied, though his boss never heard him.

---

Doctor Martin washed his hands and grabbed a towel to dry them while he looked down at his unconscious patient.  He was beginning to think that it was all his fault that Little Joe had been hurt.  It had been his idea to tell the boy about Jennifer losing the baby and needing help.  Now someone had almost killed him, and Paul was pretty sure he knew who had done it.  He turned when he heard the bell over his door ringing.  He knew who it was.

“Ben,” Paul called as he walked into the parlor.  “Little Joe’s back here.”

With his heart planted firmly in his throat, Ben briskly walked into the next room.  He came to a dead halt when he made it to the lounge where his son was spread out.  Ben’s breath escaped him the instant that he looked down at Joseph’s battered face.  Yes, unfortunately he had seen his son beaten up before, but the boy had never sustained the kinds of bruises and cuts that he wore now.

“How – how could this happen, Paul?” Ben’s question cracked with a combination of sorrow and fear.  He dropped to his knees and placed a hand on top of Little Joe’s head.   Dividing his attention between the doctor and his wounded son, Ben mindlessly combed his fingers through Joseph’s thick brown curls.

“I wish I could tell you.  The boy’s been beaten half to death,” Paul sighed and lifted the blanket he had spread on top of Joe.  “He didn’t have a shirt or shoes on when I found him outside, Ben.”

His gaze fell to his son’s left arm when he noticed that it was in a plaster cast and that it was bent there at the elbow.  Memories flooded his mind and for just a few fleeting minutes the young man lying there in front of him was his rambunctious nine-year-old boy who had fallen out of the hayloft and onto his arm.  Little Joe had screamed so loudly that his father had heard him all the way inside the house.  Pa had raced to get to him, sweeping the boy up into his arms.  That had been Litttle Joe’s first broken bone, and it had scared them both.  While Adam had jumped on his horse and raced to get the doctor, Ben had carried his child into the house.  Joseph had always been brave, even as a small boy.  But the break had been a bad one and the pain from his injury had made Little Joe cling to his father’s vest fighting back tears.  Ben held Little Joe in his arms on the settee and tried his best to ease his pain as he attempted to keep the boy’s eyes off the frightful appearance of the bone that had punctured the skin.  Closing his eyes he recalled the traumatic event.

*** “Now, Joseph, that was some fall that you took.  Were you trying to learn how to fly?” He asked wryly, trying his best to sound lowkey about the injury so the boy wouldn’t know how bad it was.

“No, Pa – I stepped back to look at a nest that’s up there,” Little Joe whimpered.

Ben, trying to keep his composure, even though the appearance of his son’s arm was scaring him half to death, had simply replied, “A nest, huh?  What kind of bird do you think made it?”

“Pa – my arm’s hurting.”

Ben pulled the boy close and kissed his forehead and replied, “I just bet it is, Son.  But, getting back to that bird – what do you think – maybe a robin?  It is spring you know.”

Little Joe nodded, “Yeah – I think I saw blue eggs before I fell.”

Waving Hop Sing over with the small shot of brandy he’d poured, Ben took it into his hand and smiled at his youngest.  “You remember that I told you that you can’t have any of my brandy until you’re at least eighteen?”

Little Joe just nodded as he winced his face.

“Well, I’d say that any boy who could take a fall like you did has earned just a little sip.  Here you are, Son,” He nodded to the boy as he handed him the small glass.

His eyes growing wide as he took the drink into his right hand, Little Joe cautiously brought it to his lips and took one precarious sip.  It tasted hot to him, and it burned his throat going down.  But he didn’t want to say anything about it because he wanted to prove he was as grownup as his brother Adam who he’d seen drink a glass or two of his father’s brandy.

“How’s that taste to you, Joseph?”

“Not bad,” Little Joe nodded and for the first time since he’d fallen cracked a slight smile.

Ben stared over at Hop Sing and watched him grin.  Patting the boy’s back Pa said, “Joseph, brandy sometimes helps with pain – which is why I just gave that to you.”

Little Joe stared down at the glass and then back up at his father.  “I think I’d better drink more then, Pa – because it hasn’t worked yet.”

“Give it time, Son – give it time,” Ben nodded to the boy and eased him off of his lap.

Moving the boy into position next to the far arm of the settee, Ben looked over at Hop Sing who stood there with a wad of bandages and an eight-inch wooden splint at the ready.  He stood and faced his son.  “Joseph – now I’m just going to snap that bone right back into place – it won’t take more than a few seconds.  I want you to close your eyes and when I tell you to do it count to three, okay?”

“Maybe I need more brandy first, Pa?” Little Joe asked weakly.

With a knowing grin on his lips, Ben shook his head.  “After we do this – if you want another sip, I’ll give you one.  Now close those eyes, Boy.”

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Little Joe nodded that he was ready.  Pa drew a deep breath as he got into position, placing one hand on the boy’s left shoulder to brace him and his other down on Joe’s left wrist.  He said a silent prayer that he would have the strength and the skill to make the set.  “Now, Joseph – start counting!”

“One – two—”

Ben pulled his son’s arm straight and fast and watched as the protruding bone disappeared underneath the boy’s skin.

“Three,” Pa smiled and hugged his son.

Pushing back painful tears, Little Joe stared at his pa.   “I’m okay, Pa,” He whispered.

Removing the bandage and the splint from Hop Sing’s waiting hands, Ben wrapped and braced the arm tightly and then smiled proudly at his boy.  “You might only be nine years old, but you handled that better than a full-grown man would have,” he nodded to Joe and reached for the small glass on the coffee table.  “You may have one more sip because you were so brave.”

“Naw—I don’t exactly like it, Pa.  Maybe Doc will give me something else for pain when he gets here,” Little Joe answered, trying to wipe away the tears which had escaped his eyes after hearing his father’s praise.

Tying off the strips of cloth, Ben thanked Hop Sing and then sat back on the settee.  Pulling his boy onto his lap, he hugged him carefully.  “I think it’s what they call and acquired taste, Joseph.  I guess I’ll just have to finish this for you,” He downed the small amount that Hop Sing had poured earlier.  “Now – I want you to settle back and close your eyes and before you know it Doc Martin will be here and make you comfortable.  I bet he’ll put your arm in one of those fancy plaster casts too and before you know it, you’ll be good as new.”

“But it’s my left arm, Pa – don’t know how I’ll get by until it heals,” Little Joe said, worry spreading across his face which his father took note of.

Trying to ease his child’s mind, Pa hugged him close to his chest and replied, “Nothing stops Joseph Cartwright – remember – the boy who can fly like a robin?”

“Yeah, Pa, I flew like a robin and then I dropped like a rock,” Little Joe added and then turned his face into his father’s shoulder.  Exhausted due to all he had gone through the boy closed his eyes and fell right off to sleep.

“That’s my boy,” Ben grinned and slowly stroked his son’s curly hair. ***

---

“Ben?  Ben, are you still with me?” Doc asked after witnessing the man’s faraway gaze.

Startled by the doctor, Ben shook himself from his remembrance and refocused his attention on the battered boy there in front of him.

“I was just thinking back to the time Joseph fell and broke his arm.”

Doc nodded, “Oh yes, I remember – he launched himself down from the hayloft.”

“Yes, but that was an accident,” Ben’s anger was back to the forefront of his mind as he stared at his son.  “But this was no accident!  Someone deliberately broke Joseph’s arm!  How could anyone beat my boy like this?  And his left arm—they must’ve done it knowing that he was left-handed!”

Paul sighed wearily knowing that there would be hell to pay now.  He knew that anyone who dared to hurt one of Ben’s sons would stand a better chance poking a wounded mountain lion with a broom straw than to tangle with him.  “Unfortunately, that’s not all they broke, Ben.  Joe’s nose is broken – and unfortunately so is his jaw.  I’m going to have to put a chin strap on him after I get it set.  I had to tend to his arm first.  It had a very bad break to it.”

Though he had tried to keep them at bay, Ben couldn’t stop the tears which were rapidly filling his eyes.  “Who – who did this to my boy?” He asked, swiping a hand across his face so he could appear to be the pillar of strength that his son would need.

“Roy’s trying to find that out right now.”

“Did Steve Burns get back into town, Paul?” Ben queried, an accusatory tone to his voice.

Paul shrugged his shoulders.  “I’m not sure – but if he just showed up unexpectedly it would explain Little Joe falling in here the way he did without a shirt or boots.  I doubt he’d leave Jennifer’s half-dressed on purpose.”

“I swear I’ll kill him for this!” Ben threatened, his face turning beet red with anger.

Doctor Martin placed a firm hand on his friend’s arm. “Now, Ben – don’t go making trouble for yourself.  Let Roy handle this and -,” He paused when they heard Joe stirring.

“Joseph?” Ben called softly, purposely fighting back his increasing rage.  At that moment revenge had to be pushed aside for the sake of his child.  He went back down onto one knee.  “Son, can you hear me?”

Mouthing the word “Pa” nothing came out.  Little Joe’s face scrunched up in pain.

“Best not try to talk, Little Joe.  Your jaw is busted.  Just settle back.   I’m going to get you something for pain.” Doc attempted to calm his patient.

Little Joe looked up at his father with his one good eye.  A few stray tears dotted his cheeks after witnessing the anguish on Pa’s face which he knew that the man was trying his best to hide.  All he could do was shake his head slowly.  He wanted so badly to explain to his father that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but he couldn’t get the words out due to the pain from his broken jaw.

Ben lovingly inspected the damage to his son’s face; his fingertips trembling as they traced the boy’s wounds. He could see that his son’s right eye was swollen shut as he gently touched every bruise and cut that marred both of Joseph’s cheeks.  His stomach formed into a knot seeing what had happened to his beloved son. This was his youngest, the child who had been born with such striking good looks.  Now the once handsome face was reduced to a mass of cuts and bruises. On top of that the boy sported a broken nose and jaw.  His son’s appearance positively took Ben’s breath away.  “It’s going to be alright, Joseph – don’t try to say anything.”

Again, Joe rocked his head back and forth trying to let Pa know he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Ben read the worry on his son’s face.  He knew that Joseph wanted to talk to him but couldn’t.  “Son – was it Steve?  Did he do this?”

Little Joe nodded his head and his face winced from the pain caused by his movement.

“Move back for just a minute, Ben,” Paul urged.  He had chosen to use an eyedropper so he could get the laudanum through the boy’s lips.  “Now you take this, Little Joe – it’ll help with that pain.”

Trying to part his lips, Joe groaned as his jaw seized up due to the movement.  It felt like it was out of joint and hurt so badly that he could barely stand it.  Paul patiently administered the medicine drop by drop through the boy’s parted lips and onto his tongue until the dropper was finally empty.

“There – good job, Little Joe.  Now that’s going to help with the pain and settle you down some.”

Ben’s eyes fell on the bruises all over his son’s chest and upper arms.  But worst of all was his son’s handsome face which had been reduced to a bloodied mess.  Joe’s nose was doubled in size and his cheeks and eyebrows held deep gashes in them.

“Steve beat you with something – didn’t he?” Ben had to know.  He realized that mere fists couldn’t have caused all the damage to his son’s body that he had witnessed.

Little Joe nodded again and then formed his right hand into the image of a gun.

“He did all this with his pistol?”  Ben asked incredulously, growing more infuriated.

Little Joe shook his head and pulled his right arm out from his body trying to signal the word “bigger”.

“Larger?  Larger than a gun?”

Nodding again, Little Joe stared into his father’s eyes, hoping he’d come up with what he was trying to tell him.

“A rifle?  Joseph, did he beat you like this with the stock of a rifle?”  Ben continued, hating to ask his son so many questions due to the condition that he was in.  But he needed some facts so he could go after Steve Burns for all the damage he had done to his child.

Blinking back tears Little Joe nodded once more.  He watched as his father became enraged at the thought of his son being beaten with a rifle.  Joe signaled with his right hand for his father to draw closer so he could tell him something.

“Joseph – Paul said you shouldn’t try to talk.  Your jaw needs to be set, Boy,” Ben tried to prevent his son from speaking.

Becoming more insistent, Joe waved his right hand all the more, urging his father to move down closer so he could have his say.

Reluctantly Ben bent down until he was just a few inches from his son’s mouth.  He listened carefully to what Joe wanted to tell him.  Though they were a bit muffled due to the condition of his broken jaw, Ben understood each painful word.  Their meaning stung the worried father’s heart.

“I – swear – Pa – I – didn’t – do – anything – wrong.  I – swear,” Was all that Little Joe could choke out before he fell into the black void where nothing could hurt him anymore.

Ben’s right hand swept back the boy’s bangs.  Closing his eyes, in a valiant attempt to hold back his tears, he bent down and pressed his lips against his son’s forehead.  “Oh, Joseph — I know you didn’t.  I’d bet my life on it,” Ben whispered and then pulled himself to standing.

Turning his attention back to the doctor, Ben drew in a deep breath to stay his desire to head right out to kill Steve Burns.  “Do what you can for him, Paul.”

Nodding and with a gentle pat to his friend’s back, he answered, “Let’s get that jaw set now.”

Ben sat next to his son and watched as Paul went about the arduous task of realigning and setting the boy’s broken jaw.  His face flinched when he heard the loud popping sound when the doctor snapped the bones into the proper position.   Doc then applied the thick leather chin strap which went from Joe’s chin to the top of his head to restrict movement so the fracture could heal.  The whole while Paul worked on his son the worried father seethed with anger over what Steve Burns had done.  He had no idea what had gone on at the Burnes’ ranch, but he knew that Joseph wouldn’t have done anything to dishonor his family.  Ben knew it might take some finagling for Joe to be able to tell him exactly what had happened due to his broken jaw and his inability to write due to the fractured arm.

“That’s the best I can do for this boy right now, Ben,” Paul sighed and handed the man a cup of coffee he had just made.  “Drink that – looks like you could use it.”

“Thanks, Paul – but I think I could use something a whole lot stronger after watching you trying to put my boy back together,” He groaned and then took a sip of the strong brew.  “I can’t believe the nerve of Steve Burns!  He leaves a wife who has just lost their baby – runs off and then comes home to half kill the only person who cared enough to help her!”

Before Doc could respond to what his friend had said they turned to see Roy Coffee entering the examination room.  He neared the other two men and the boy who was sound asleep on the lounge.

Roy shook his head after seeing the damage that had been done to his best friend’s youngest son.  “Is Little Joe gonna pull through, Doc?”

Clearing his throat, Paul returned, “Yes – no thanks to the person who beat him with the stock of a rifle.  He’s in pretty bad shape, Roy.”

“Yeah – I can see that,” Roy paused and set a hand down onto Ben’s shoulder.  “I’m mighty sorry to see Little Joe hurt like this.”

“I am too,” Ben fumed and stood from his chair.  “We know who did it.  Joseph was awake earlier and though he has a broken jaw—among other things – he let us know that Steve Burns did it.”

Roy frowned, not happy with what he had to tell the worried father.  But it was his job and he never beat around the bush when it came to that.  “Ben—I know it was Steve.  He admitted it to me when I got to his place.”

“Has he hurt Jennifer?” Doc piped up while watching the slow burn building up all over Ben’s face.

Roy shook his head, “No, she’s fine.”

“So, you’ve got him locked up now?” Ben asked, hoping that was the case so he wouldn’t have to go and throttle the man for what he had done.  He knew that he would probably kill Steve with his bare hands if the opportunity presented itself.

“Need to talk to you about that – Ben – how about we step out into the parlor?”

“Why?  Doc knows just about everything there is to know.  He’s the one who told that boy over there that Jennifer needed help!” Ben protested, pointing to the lifeless figure of his son.

Roy shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Suit yourself, Ben, but you ain’t gonna like what I’ve got to tell you.  I’m worried that you might fuss so much that you’ll wake Little Joe.  It’s easy to see that the boy needs his rest.”

Placing his hands on his hips in preparation for whatever the lawman was going to say, Ben stared at him hard.  “Just tell me.”

“Steve told me that he found Little Joe sitting on his bed holding Jennifer in his arms.  Your boy didn’t have his shirt nor his boots on either.  I brung his clothes and all Joe’s gear back with me.  I’ll hold all of it for you in my office.  Steve was ready to throw everything out in the yard when I got there.”

“I told you that he didn’t have a shirt nor his boots, Roy.  That’s how I found the boy,” Doc chimed in as his eyes darted back and forth between the sheriff and the angered father.

Looking down at his son and then back over to Roy, Ben fought not to yell simply because he didn’t want to wake the boy.  “If Joseph was holding Jennifer, then it’s a sure bet that he was just comforting her about something!  He’s an honorable young man – and you should know that!”

“Ben,” Roy paused again and tried to tap down the man’s anger.  “I ain’t saying that Little Joe ain’t honorable.  I’ve known him his whole life.  But he was sitting on that man’s bed and holding that man’s wife in his arms.   And the fact of the matter is that Little Joe was half dressed.  Now I sure as heck ain’t saying what Steve done was right – you should know that too!  But, well – do you really want all that coming out if you go and press charges?  It’d all come out in court you know?”

“Want WHAT coming out?” He yelled.  It was easy to see that Joseph Cartwright had inherited some of his hot temper from his father especially when the man was defending one of his sons.

Dropping his voice to just above a whisper, Roy answered.  “Ben, Steve said that Little Joe and Jennifer were romantically involved ever since he left town.  He said he had every right to protect what’s his – and that includes his wife.”

Ben had to draw in a deep breath so he wouldn’t positively explode from within. He stared at the doctor and could see that Paul was sending him a cautionary gaze.  “That poor excuse for a husband is out of his head!  Now – what did Jennifer say about all of this?  Surely, she defended my boy!”

“She didn’t confirm that they were intimate – but she didn’t deny it neither.  Ben, this is going to be a real mess if it gets aired out in court.”

“Roy, are you telling me that you won’t arrest that man for aggravated assault?”

“I ain’t saying no such thing!” Roy fired back.  He was tired and he had already had a long day, and it was just beginning.  “If you want to press charges on Little Joe’s behalf as his pa then I’ll go cuff him and haul him into my jail.  I just wanted to let you know what the man said about all this.”

“Take him to your jail!  Nobody’s going to get away with almost killing a son of mine!  And I don’t give one hoot about the gossips in this town!” Ben returned, incensed by what he had already heard from the sheriff.

“How about Little Joe?  Do you think he’d want that, Ben?  You are his pa – and he’s still underage – so you can do whatever you want.  But don’t you think you’d better ask the boy first?”

Ben stared down at the still figure lying there looking so vulnerable.  He didn’t want to put him through a court trial, but he knew that Joe would want to clear his name.  “Joseph would want Steve arrested.  I think I know my own son.”

Roy sighed and nodded his head.  “Alright, Ben, if that’s how you want to play this hand – I’ll go bring Steve in.  Let me know how Little Joe’s doing, okay?”

Finally cooling off a bit, Ben reached over and patted Roy’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry, Roy.  I’m just so worried about Joseph.  He was beaten half dead.”

“No apology needed,” the sheriff nodded.  “I’d best go and do my job.  Doc, how soon will the boy be able to go back to the Ponderosa – any idea?”

Paul shrugged his shoulders and replied, “We’ll see how much pain Little Joe is in later this afternoon.  I’d prefer he stayed here until he can handle that long ride home in a buckboard. I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you,” Roy nodded and turned out of the room.  He had known exactly how his old friend Ben Cartwright was going to react to his news, and the man hadn’t let him down.

Ben eased back down next to Joe and tenderly placed the palm of his right hand up to his face.  He hated to tell Joseph what Steve had said, but he reasoned that the boy must’ve already figured some of it out due to what he had said to him before he had passed out from the medication.

---

Adam and Hoss Cartwright had ridden nonstop from the northernmost boundary of the Ponderosa all the way into Virginia City.  They had been told by the ranch foreman, Fletcher, that Little Joe had been hurt and was over at Doctor Martin’s office and dropped what they had been doing immediately and headed into town.  The sun had already set behind the vast mountain range to the west when they tied their reins up in front of the doctor’s office.  They noticed their father’s horse was there along with Cochise.  Surprised to find their little brother’s horse standing there without a saddle they hurried inside.

“How is he?” Adam whispered as he walked into the examination room followed by Hoss.

Ben stood from the chair and stretched his tired back.  Too many hours of sitting in the hardbacked chair hadn’t done his sacroiliac any favors.  Nearing his sons he dropped a hand onto both their shoulders and tried to pull up a smile.  It hadn’t been much of one and both men took note of their father’s appearance.

“He’s only come around once since I got here this morning.  I expect he should wake up soon.”

Hoss neared his little brother and bit his bottom lip upon seeing the boy’s battered face.

“My Lord—what did they do to him?” Hoss gasped.

Placing his hand down on Hoss’ shoulder, Ben whispered, “He was beaten with the stock of a rifle, Hoss.”

Adam’s face took on an angered countenance as he stared over at his father.  “Who did it, Pa?  Anyone know?”

“Steve Burns,” Ben replied angrily.  “Roy was going to lock him up – but I’ve not had time to find out if he’s done it yet.”

Before either brother could ask any more questions, they noticed Little Joe’s head moving on the pillow that Paul had tucked underneath his head.  Ben went back down to one knee and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder hoping to bring him around slowly.

“Joseph?  Son, can you hear me?”

Slowly Joe’s left eye opened though his right eye was shut due to the damage to it.  He peered up and saw his brothers standing right behind his father.

Ben could tell that Little Joe was trying to move his lips and wanted to stop him.  “Joseph — now just don’t even try.  Doc has your jaw in a chin strap so the break will heal up.  You just rest easy,” Ben crooned to the boy as he lightly stroked his cheek.

“Little Brother – I sure hate to see you all banged up like this,” Hoss whispered and gently patted his brother’s shoulder.

“Kid – it’s going to be alright,” Adam joined in and smiled down at the boy.

Just back from seeing another patient, Doctor Martin walked in from the parlor and put his black medical bag on the table just inside the examination room.

“I see that my favorite patient is awake,” Paul tried to sound upbeat knowing full well that the Cartwrights were all in a tither over what had happened to the boy.

“He’s just now come back to us,” Ben nodded over to the doctor.

“Well, let’s get some water into that young man,” Paul announced and reached inside a drawer to get a glass straw.  He poured water from a pitcher next to the sink and dropped the straw inside.  Walking over to Little Joe he handed the glass to Ben.

“Now, here you are, Joseph.  Let’s see how well you do with that chin held down like it is,” Ben smiled.

“Just use your lips, Little Joe, and try not to move that jaw of yours,” Doc advised as he stood and watched.

Little Joe slowly sipped the water knowing that all eyes were on him at the time.  Though everyone was trying to sound nonchalant he knew that they all had questions for him.  He waved the glass away after a few minutes and Pa handed it back to Doc.

“Can we take him home, Doc?” Hoss asked when the room grew too quiet for him.

Paul pulled a chair over next to where Little Joe was lying and replied, “I want the three of you to go over to the hotel and eat some supper.  Then I know your Pa will insist on staying here while this boy spends the night on that sofa of mine.  Tomorrow one of you fetch your buckboard and, if you’ll take it easy on the way back to the ranch house, you can bring this boy home.”

“Sounds good – we ain’t had nothing to eat since breakfast,” Hoss returned.

“You sure he’ll be okay until I get back, Paul?” Ben asked, concern for his youngest written across his face.

Paul chuckled, “Ben – how many nights have I watched over this boy?  He’ll be fine until you get back.  Now go on – all of you!  Get some grub.”

“We’ll see you before we head home, Kid,” Adam nodded to his brother and he and Hoss moved to allow their father to stand back up.

“I’ll be back soon, Joseph.  Now don’t give Doc any trouble,” Ben smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair as he stood.

All Joe could do was to nod his head and then watch as the three men turned and walked away.  He knew that Pa was about to give his brothers an earful. Joe dreaded what was going on regarding what Steve had done to him.  Little Joe wished that he could talk because he wanted to ask if Jennifer was alright

Paul stared down at his patient and smiled.  He knew the boy well and could read what was written all over his face, even under all the contusions and cuts.

“Jennifer is just fine, Little Joe, now close that eye of yours and try to relax.  I’ll give you some more pain medicine in just a little while.”

Nodding his head to thank the man, Little Joe closed his one good eye and tried to go back to sleep.  He was relieved to hear that Jennifer was okay.  After what Steve had done to him, he had been worried that he’d take his anger out on her next.

---

Ben had chosen a table in the far corner of the International House Hotel’s dining room.  He didn’t want anyone else to hear what he was going to tell his sons.  They ordered their meals and then sipped the wine that Ben had ordered.  The anxious father would have preferred something stronger after such a long and horrendous day.

“Alright, now I guess is as good as time as any to fill the two of you in on what’s happened,” Ben began and set his wineglass on the table.

Adam and Hoss looked pensively over at their father and waited for the explanation.

“Your brother has been taking care of Jennifer Burns for the last two weeks.  After she lost the baby, Doc told Joseph that she needed to get off her feet -,” Ben was cut off by Adam.

“Wait – she lost the baby?  Then why wasn’t Steve around to tend to her?”

“I was just getting at that,” Ben returned gruffly.  His mood was glum and he was growing impatient with everyone and everything at that point.

“Sorry, Pa – go ahead,” Adam apologized.

“Steve left for San Francisco – Doc said it was some kind of business.  But no matter the reason, he shouldn’t have left.  Doc was concerned that if Jennifer didn’t get some real rest that she might never be able to carry a baby to term.  So, your brother took it upon himself to go and care for her.”

Hoss wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if his father would appreciate the interruption.

Ben read the look on his middle boy’s face and nodded.  “Go ahead, Hoss.  What is it?”

“Why didn’t Little Joe just bring her out to the Ponderosa?”

“Because Jennifer refused to leave her place – something about having buried the baby there.”

“Okay, Pa – go ahead,” Hoss nodded.

“So, Joseph was going to come home on Friday – but that didn’t work out.  I saw him last night there at Jennifer’s place and we spoke about him needing to come home and he agreed.”

“But Steve came home first, right?” Adam asked, having put the pieces together in his mind already.

Ben, not wanting to air their private matters, waited to answer until their meals were placed in front of them by the waitress.

“Thank you, Dorothy,” Ben smiled up at the woman and waited until she walked away.  “From what Steve told Roy, he walked in and your brother was sitting on the bed holding Jennifer in his arms.”

Adam and Hoss exchanged apprehensive glances and then stared over at their father.  Neither man wanted to ask why their brother was in the bedroom with the married woman late at night.

Ben read the confused looks that had gone back and forth between his sons.  He knew exactly why they weren’t asking any further questions.  “Listen – I trust Joseph implicitly.  I’m simply telling you what Steve said to Roy.  Joseph showed up at Doc’s around two in the morning.  He wasn’t wearing his shirt nor his boots.  And I suppose you both noticed that Cochise wasn’t saddled.  The boy rode into town bareback. That tells me that whatever went on concerning Steve coming home – well — it came unexpectedly.  Joe hasn’t been able to talk due to that broken jaw.  He was in terrible shape when Doc found him there on his front step.  He’s got cuts, bruises and broken bones.  You two probably didn’t see it but his left arm is in a cast.”

“What did Jennifer say about all this?” Adam asked trying to figure out how they could get to the truth.

Ben shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I don’t know, Son.  Roy told me that she wouldn’t say whether she and Joe were involved or not.  That doesn’t help the matter any.”

“Probably because she’s worried that Steve will beat her like he beat Little Joe,” Adam insisted.   “Pa – we both know that Joe hasn’t done anything tawdry.  But Jennifer needs to tell the truth since Joe can’t right now.”

“I don’t know – it may come to my going over there to speak to her.  But I’m afraid to see Steve.”

“Afraid?” Adam questioned, surprised by what his father had said.  He’d never known his pa to be afraid of anyone before.

Ben’s eyebrows narrowed as his anger was back in the forefront of his mind.  “Yes, afraid that I’m going to kill that man for what he’s done to my son!”

“You said that Steve beat Joe with the stock of his rifle, Pa?  I ain’t never seen anyone beaten like he was!” Hoss exclaimed and pushed his plate away.  He was too upset to eat.

“Yes – and Steve admitted to doing it.  He told Roy that he had every right to beat your brother.  He told Roy that Jennifer and Joseph had been carrying on ever since he left.”

“Well – I know Little Joe has always liked Jennifer – but there’s just no way he’d lay a hand on her since she’s a married woman,” Adam nodded over to his father so he would know that he believed in his brother.

“Thank you for saying that, Son,” Ben returned.  “I know Joseph wants to talk to me – but we’ve got to figure out a way for him to do it.  He can’t very well write with his right hand.  And Doc said that his jaw is going to take at least a month to six weeks to heal.”

Hoss shared another glance with Adam and then said, “Shucks, Pa – we’ll figure out a way for the boy to talk to us.  Let’s just get him home first.”

Ben nodded.  “Now – I want the two of you to go ahead and eat your supper.  I know you’re worried – the same as me – but it’s not going to help anything for you to go hungry.  Then I want you to go home and get some rest.  You can take Cochise with you.  Tomorrow you boys bring the buckboard into town, and we’ll take your brother back to the ranch.”

“Why don’t you let the two of us watch over Little Joe so you can rest, Pa?  You can spend the night here at the hotel?” Adam suggested.

Ben broke into a genuine smile for the very first time all day.  He shook his head as he stared over at his sons and replied, “Excuse me — have we met?”

Hoss chuckled and patted his father’s shoulder.  “Yeah — I guess that’s one question that we never should ask you, Pa.  You’ve got to be there next to that boy all night fussing over him – as usual!”

Nodding, Ben picked up his fork.  “Now let’s eat then you boys head home and I’ll go see to your little brother.”

The three men had finished their meal and were drinking the last of their coffee when Ben spotted Roy entering the dining room.  He waved the lawman over to the table.

“We’ve just finished eating but if you haven’t had your dinner yet I’ll buy, Roy.  I know you’ve had a long day like the three of us,” he said as he watched the sheriff drop down in a chair next to Hoss.

“Thanks, Ben, but I ate at the jail already.  I spotted the three of you heading in here a little while ago and thought I’d come by. Howdy Adam – Hoss,” He nodded to the Cartwright brothers.

“Roy,” Both men nodded and returned the greeting.

“Dorothy!” Ben sang out when he spotted the waitress.  She turned and made her way to the table.

“Ben?  You and your boys done?” She asked smiling.

“Yes – we are.  But could you bring a cup of coffee for this poor tired sheriff?”

“Sure – be right back,” The woman nodded and walked to the kitchen.

“Thanks, Ben.  How’s Little Joe?”

Frowning, Ben shrugged his shoulders wearily.  “Joseph had his arm and jaw set.  Steve Burns really worked my boy over.  I’m staying at Doc’s tonight, but these boys of mine are going home.  They’ll help me get Joe home tomorrow.”

“Thank you kindly, Dorothy,” Roy smiled up at the woman as she set his cup in front of him.  He took a couple of sips of the strong brew and peered up at Ben.  He had more news for the man but was hesitant to drop it on him after such an exhausting day.

Ben hadn’t missed the way his old friend kept glancing up at him every so often and he knew that there was more trouble without having to ask.

“Go ahead and tell me, Roy.”

“How’d you know I got something to tell you?”

Ben shook his head and groaned.  “Because I’ve been playing poker with you more years than I care to say.  You’ve never been good at keeping your cards close to your vest.  So, what is it now?”

Adam and Hoss exchanged amused glances at the way their father could read his close friend.

“You ain’t gonna like it none,” he sighed as he set his coffee cup on the table.

“That isn’t anything new – I “ain’t” liked one thing that’s happened since early this morning.  Go ahead.”

“Well, Steve’s story has changed over the last six hours since I locked him up.”

“What’s he saying now?” Adam chimed in.

“Seems that he got to talking to Jennifer when she stopped by the jail. She told him that he misunderstood what happened between her and Little Joe.”

Ben stared at Roy confused, “Then that means that Steve knows the truth of the matter now.  So why would that upset me?  If Jennifer told her idiot husband that nothing was going on between her and my son that clears it all up.”

“Ben –,” Roy paused and cleared his throat.  He felt like he couldn’t swallow due to what he had to tell his best friend.  “Jennifer said that Little Joe stole into her bedroom last night while she was sleeping.  She said that she thought it was Steve until Joe went to kissing her.  Then the minute she realized it Steve came in there with his rifle.”

Roy Coffee never remembered Ben Cartwright’s face turning that shade of red before and he had known him for more than twenty years.  He watched the slow burn turn into a raging fire before his very eyes.

In a low controlled voice Ben finally responded to what Roy had just told them.  “Those two are made for each other.  One is a no-account killer and the other is a flat-out liar!”

“Now, Ben – calm down.  It ain’t like I believe none of this –” Roy was cut off by his friend.

“She’s painting my boy as some kind of a rapist!  For God’s sake the boy just turned eighteen a month ago!  He’s no more a rapist than I am!   It’s bad enough that her insane husband half killed Joseph – now they’re both trying to ruin his reputation!”

“Pa – Pa calm down,” Hoss whispered as he looked around the dining hall and people were staring over at their table.

“I am calm,” Ben fired back harshly.

“Ben, she’s not accusing him of rape –”

“Well, it’s a damned good thing that she isn’t!” Ben fumed. “But she’s making it look like that’s what he was going to do if Steve hadn’t shown up!  I want you to add slander to that assault charge, Roy!”

“Ben – slander is a civil matter – wouldn’t be able to do that,” He tried to explain.

“I don’t give a hoot what kind of court will hear it!  I’ll drag the two of them into every kind of court in the whole territory of Nevada!  By the time I’m done with them I’ll take everything they own and give it all to charity!  I want them both in jail!”

Half of the dining hall was now focused purely on Ben Cartwright’s tirade.

“Ben – come on — let’s wait and hear what Little Joe has to say and –” Roy was cut off once more.

“What Joseph has to “say!”  Ben thundered.  “That boy can’t “say” anything because Steve Burns half killed him and broke his jaw!”

“Now I see where Joe gets it from,” Hoss whispered to Adam and watched him grin over the comparison of Pa and Little Joe’s tempers.

“I’m just saying that there were two people in that bedroom before Steve broke in there with that rifle of his.  We need to somehow get Joe’s statement,” Roy remarked quietly, also noticing all the patrons looking their way.

“I think I figured out a way for Little Joe to tell us, Pa.  Once he gets home, I’ll show you.  Hoss and I will work on it first thing in the morning,” Adam chimed in again.

“Fine,” Ben answered cooly as he stood from the table.  He removed the wallet from his vest and drew out a wad of bills.  Leaning over Roy’s right shoulder he whispered, “This is for dinner and that coffee.  I’m going to see my rapist son.”

Roy stood and placed a hand on Ben’s arm.  “Ben – now don’t worry about this until you get Little Joe back home.  I’m keeping Steve locked up until that trial.”

“Maybe you ought to lock his wife up with him,” Ben replied tersely.

“Boys – take Cochise back with you.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  And with that statement, Ben dropped the money on top of the table and hurriedly turned out of the dining hall.

“He’s taking it well,” Roy sighed and sat back down next to Adam.

“Have another cup of coffee, Roy,” Hoss nodded to the man knowing that he had been placed between a rock and a hard place when it came to telling his pa what Jennifer had said.

“Alright—but if I wasn’t on duty, I’d lace it with rotgut,” Roy sighed as Adam waved the waitress back to the table.

---

Trying not to show the intense anger that he felt, Ben walked into the examination room and watched as Doc Martin stood from his chair.

“How is he, Paul?” Ben whispered as the other man neared him.

“He’s been hurting so I gave him another dose of pain killer.  I expect that he’ll fall back to sleep before long.  How about if I bring that cot inside here so you can get some decent sleep?  From the look on your face, I think you could use some.”

“No thanks.  As tired as I am I’ll fall asleep in that chair without any problem,” Ben nodded.  “You go on and get some rest, Paul.  I know you’ve had a hard day,” He patted the doctor’s arm.

“I put another pot of coffee on in the parlor.  Help yourself to it, Ben.  Miss Millie stopped by from the diner and brought Little Joe some chicken broth.  I got some down him after it cooled a bit.”

“That was awfully nice of her,” Ben returned.  ***At least there are some good people in this town. *** He thought.  The weary father yearned to be back inside the great room at the ranch house where things made sense.

Doc grinned and replied, “You know she’s always had a fondness for that boy of yours.  I think she feels downright motherly towards Little Joe.  And you know, Ben, I think she’d gladly take on the role of that boy’s mother by becoming your wife,” Doc laughed at his friend’s expense.  For years he had watched Ben dodging the woman’s not so subtle advances.

Groaning, Ben shook his head unamused.  “Very funny, Paul.  As if I don’t have enough worries.   I don’t need a wife, thank you!”

“I don’t know – Little Joe might calm down a bit if he had a mother?”

Putting his hands on his hips, Ben stared hard at the doctor and replied, “Joseph does NOT need a mother!  He needs to learn how to duck!”

Paul chuckled and patted his friend’s shoulder.  “Alright, point taken.  Anyway, Millie told me to tell you to drop by in the morning and she’d fix you a decent breakfast.  She says her grub is better than what they serve at that hotel!”

“Her breakfasts don’t come cheap – she wants an engagement ring for a tip,” Ben insisted wryly.  “Now go get some sleep, will you?”

“Just come fetch me if anything changes with Joe’s condition,” Paul said with a pat to his friend’s arm and then turned out of the examination room.  He walked up the stairs to his personal quarters.

---

Drawing in a deep breath, so he could force the appearance that all was well, Ben turned and walked over to his son.”

“Well, now – how’s my boy?” He called cheerily and sat down in the chair opposite Little Joe.

The corners to his lips upturning just a bit, Joe thought to himself. ***Pa’s probably still going to be calling me “his boy” when I’m sixty!  I don’t think he realizes that I’m eighteen and a month now.  At least he doesn’t embarrass me by saying that around my brothers – so I guess I don’t mind. ***

Shaking his head back and forth, Joe showed that he was growing restless.  He pointed at his mouth.

“You want something to drink?”

Little Joe shook his head again and then touched his right index finger to his lips.

“Oh – you want to talk?”

Nodding his head, Little Joe stared into his father’s eyes trying to signal him.

“Joseph – wait until tomorrow.  Your brothers have an idea how we can help you communicate with us.”

Lifting his right hand, he waved insistently towards his pa.

“Now what?” Ben sighed.  He was getting tired and grouchy especially after hearing what the sheriff had to say.

Finally, Joe made a furious motion with his right hand as though he had a pencil in it and was writing.

“Oh – don’t tell me that you want to try to write something?”

Little Joe tried to smile but all he could manage was just a slight grin due to the thick chin strap holding his jaw so taunt.  He nodded his head.

“Joseph,” Ben groaned.  “I love you with all my heart– so I don’t want to hurt your feelings.  However, you just happen to have the worst handwriting of anyone I know.  And that’s with your left hand!  There’s just no way possible I would be able to decipher what you’d try to write with your other one.”

Undeterred, Joe shook his head and lifted his right hand once more.

“Hurt or not you are the most stubborn child the good Lord ever created!”

*** Oh, just great!  I went from being “his boy” to “his child” in under two minutes!  If this night goes on much longer, I will be “his infant” soon! *** He mused and tried once more to get his father to cooperate.

Again, the boy’s right hand made the same frantic motion with his right hand.

“Fine,” Ben surrendered.  He did feel sorry for the boy but for both of their sakes he hoped that the laudanum would take effect soon.  Standing, he walked into Paul’s office and found a piece of paper and a pencil.   He grabbed one of Doc’s medical books for Joe to use to press down on and brought it over to him.

“Now listen,” Ben began sternly as he took his all too familiar paternal stance in front of the boy which showed that he was serious.  “If I can’t read it then I don’t want any complaints.  Do you understand?”

Little Joe nodded as his father placed the book with the paper on top of it on his right hip.  He handed the boy the pencil and waited.

“You are going to sleep very soon, Young Man, so keep it short.”

Little Joe attempted to print each letter as best he could.  He wasn’t having much luck, but he gave it his best shot before handing the piece of paper back to his father.

Ben sighed showing his exhaustion as he sat down in the chair once more and held the paper in his hand.  He spun it around in every direction and then looked at the boy with a grin on his face.

“Joseph, the best I can figure is that this is a recipe written out in Chinese,” He groaned.

Little Joe shook his head and pointed at the paper.  He tried to motion for his father to spin it around the other way.

“Okay – this way is up?” Ben asked, only partially teasing his son.  The fact of the matter was that it looked like total gibberish to him.

Nodding once more, Little Joe hoped that his father could make heads or tails of it.

Ben sighed and leaned back in the chair.  He studied the awkward looking letters and then stared over at the boy.  “Is that the letter J?  Because if it is it’s backwards,” Ben pointed as he held it up in front of Joe’s eyes.  Little Joe nodded.

“Okay, then is that referring to you?”

Joe shook his head.

Ben sighed and tried again, “Is that referring to Jennifer?”

Little Joe nodded.

“Let’s see – are these next three letters supposed to spell out the word “say”?”

Once again, Joe nodded his head.

“So, I take it that you’re asking something about Jennifer, right?”

Pleased, Little Joe nodded.

“Joseph, you are going to make that chin strap break if you keep nodding so much.  From now on if I’m right hold out one finger, okay?  If I’m not – or if the answer is no hold up two fingers.”

Joe responded by holding up one finger.

“Well, at the very least we’ve got that down pat.  Okay – so you want to know what Jennifer—,” Ben paused because he realized that now he would be forced to tell the boy who was broken and battered what the girl who he had called friend had said about him.  He just couldn’t bring himself to do that.  Joseph was in too bad a shape at the time.  Coughing to clear his voice, Ben answered, “Oh – you want to know what Jennifer said?”

Again, Joe pointed with his index finger only.

“Well, Son – I haven’t spoken to Jennifer, so I really don’t know.  Last thing I heard was that she really hadn’t said anything about what happened last night.”

Little Joe motioned for his father to give him back the piece of paper.  Very reluctantly Ben handed it over to the boy.  “Now – this is it, Joseph – I mean it.  I’m very tired and Doc wants you to rest!”

Fighting to control the pencil in his right hand, Little Joe was able to write three letters and then handed it to his father.

“Let’s see here,” Ben leaned back in the chair again.  “This – well – it’s facing the right way – so good job, Son,” he smiled.  “It’s an L – and this looks like an I.  I guess that one was easy enough for you, huh?” he chuckled.  “But this last letter is backwards, but I take it that it’s an E.  Is that right?”

Little Joe both nodded and held out his right index finger for emphasis.

Ben stared at the paper, perplexed by the word that Joseph had somehow managed to print out.  “Lie?  Are you trying to tell me that someone lied to you?”

Little Joe nodded and stared at his father through his only good eye.  He then held out his index finger again.

“Who – who do you think lied to you?” Ben questioned, unsure as to who the boy was referring to.

Little Joe pointed directly over at his father.

Ben cleared his throat again, trying to dislodge his guilt, as he stood from the chair.  He removed the book, the paper, and the pencil.  “Okay – well — that’s enough for tonight, Joseph,” he announced sternly and took all the items back into the doctor’s office.  ***Just how in the heck did that boy know I was lying to him? *** Ben wondered before turning back into the next room.

Pouring a glass of water and placing the straw back inside of it, Ben held it down to his son.

Joe grabbed it with his right hand still staring accusingly up at his father.

“Just drink,” Ben insisted, knowing exactly what his son was thinking at the time.  *** Sorry, Joseph – but there’s no way that I’m telling you what I know.  Not until you’re better! *** Ben thought to himself as he withdrew the glass.

“Now – how about closing those eyes?”

Joe pointed to his right eye, which was already closed due to the strikes sent to his face by the stock of Steve’s rifle.

“Oh –sorry, Son – close your eye,” Ben grinned sheepishly.  He sat down on the sofa next to Little Joe and softly combed his fingers through the boy’s hair trying to lull him to sleep.  It had worked in the past so he hoped that he still had the touch needed to make his son relax enough to go back under.

“Things will look better in the morning, Joseph – even through only one eye.  You rest easy now,” He whispered as the boy finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep.  Ben remained there next to his son for a long while before retaking his seat in the chair.  He couldn’t get over the way that Joe looked and prayed that none of the cuts would leave a scar.  Every time he thought about the stock of that rifle coming down on his son’s face over and over again Ben’s stomach seized up.  The horrible memory of that kind of a beating would surely cause his son some long-lasting trauma.  Ben couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to lie there on the floor so helpless and to have been beaten to the extent that it had caused that many injuries.  He wondered if Jennifer had done anything to stop Steve or if she had simply watched and had done nothing to help her friend.

“Goodnight, Son,” Ben whispered.  His eyes scanned the boy’s face, carefully seeking an unbruised spot on either of his son’s cheeks.  Finding just one unblemished area, Ben leaned forward and left a soft kiss there.  Moving over to the chair he settled in for a long night of worrying over all that had transpired.  Exhaustion taking over his body, Ben nodded off within minutes.

---

Ben walked into the parlor shortly after ten the next morning.  His two older boys had just arrived, and he wanted to speak to them before they went into the next room to greet their little brother.

“How’s Joe?” Hoss asked and tried to gauge the look on his father’s face to see if there had been any additional problems since the previous night.

“He’s hurting a bit more today.  Doc said he expected that – what with as many bruises and cuts that boy has – not to mention the broken bones,” Ben sighed.

“We got all of Joe’s things from Roy.  I already put Cochise’s saddle inside the buckboard because I figured the kid could use it to lean back against.  Hop Sing sent a mattress from one of the beds out in the bunkhouse.”

“Thank you, Adam – that’ll help.  Did you bring the boy his boots and a shirt like I asked?  There’s no way that cast of his is going to accommodate going through one of Joseph’s shirtsleeves.”

Hoss grinned and patted his father’s back.  He held up a brown paper sack and nodded.  “We brung three shirts – Adam’s and mine – and one of yours, Pa.”

“Good thinking.  Now remember – neither of you mention one word about what Roy told us last night regarding Jennifer.  I’ve told Paul everything and he thinks it’s best Joseph doesn’t find out about it until he’s doing a bit better physically.”

“Don’t worry, Pa,” Adam assured his father and the three men walked inside the examination room.

“Brung you some clothes and your boots, Youngin,” Hoss smiled over at Little Joe and approached the mahogany lounge where the boy had stayed for an entire day.

Little Joe nodded gratefully over to his brothers and then eased into a seated position aided by Doc Martin.

“Now I want you to take this slow, Joe,” Paul cautioned.  “You’re banged up quite a bit, and your body has taken an awful lot of abuse.  I told your pa that I’ll be coming out to the ranch tomorrow to give you the once over.  I want you to just stay in bed, you hear?”

Nodding, Little Joe gave Doc a quick pat to his back with his only working hand at the time to thank him.

Adam opened the brown paper sack and withdrew his brother’s boots, setting them on the floor.  He then laid out the three shirts on top of the chair.  “Well now, Kid – you get your pick.  Here’s a shirt from each of us – see which one that cast of yours likes best.”

“Let’s get those boots on first, Young Man,” Ben announced and helped his son pull them on.  “Alright, now the shirt situation.”

Joe carefully reached for Hoss’ shirt and one-handedly held it out in front of him.  It looked as though he would positively swim in it.  He shook his head from side to side.

“Well,” Ben paused and smiled over at his two older boys.  “That one’s too big.”

Little Joe then gave Adam’s shirt a gander and again shook his head.  It didn’t appear as though his cast would go through the shirtsleeve.

“That one’s too small,” Ben nodded to Doc, who was enjoying his friend’s impromptu performance.

Reading the concern on his son’s battered face Pa handed the boy one from his own collection.

Little Joe winked his one working eye and nodded his head.

“That one’s just right!” both Hoss and Adam announced and then burst out laughing.

“You two stole my line,” Ben complained frowning.  “Okay, now that we’re done with the story of the three bears it’s time to get you into that shirt, Joseph.

Little Joe slowly pulled himself to standing but he wabbled a bit from the motion.

“Hey now – I said to take it slow!” Doc protested, worried that the young man was about to fall back down.  “The last thing you need, Joe, is to break something else.”

Ben was quick assisting his youngest in getting his plaster cast through the shirtsleeve and then helped him with his good arm.  He buttoned it up for his son.  “Well, it’s too hot to worry about a jacket thank goodness,” Ben forced a smile even though the faces in the room had suddenly turned very glum in appearance.  He supposed that it was due to the way that Joseph appeared.  No one wanted to see the boy as battered as he looked at that moment.  On top of all of that was the chaos that Jennifer and Steve Burns were causing, though most of it had been kept from Little Joe for his own sake.

Ben turned and shook the doctor’s hand, “Thank you – don’t know what this family would do without you, Paul.”

Doc forced a smile, though he was having trouble pretending that aside from Joe’s injuries nothing else was wrong.  “You three just ride herd over this wild boy, okay?”

“We will, Doc – thanks,” Hoss nodded to the man and helped hold onto his brother’s good arm to steady him.

Adam patted the man’s back and turned to walk alongside Joe just in case he had any difficulty getting into the buckboard which was waiting just outside.

“Paul – guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” Ben sighed and exchanged a cautious glance with the doctor.

Doc nodded as he followed the family to the door and waved as he turned back inside to gather up his medical bag so he could check on a few patients there in town.

“Just ease back, Joseph.  You can rest that head of yours on your saddle.  Hop Sing sent along this mattress so it’d help you with the bumpy ride home,” Ben held onto the boy’s right elbow as he climbed up into the wagon.

Adam had just untied Sport’s reins when Hoss reached over and took a hold of his shoulder.

“What’s up?”

“Look yonder!” Hoss motioned to a cowboy who was heading in their direction.

Adam exchanged frowns with his brother as they watched their father getting ready to climb up onto the bench seat of the buckboard.  “He’s the last person we need right now!”

Hoss stopped his father’s progression and whispered in his ear.   “It’s Timmons, Pa – we got to get rid of him before he starts something.”

While Little Joe was lying in the bed of the wagon oblivious to the cowhand’s approach, Ben turned and shook his head over at his eldest.  They were all prepared for that one particularly evil nemesis of Joe’s and would dust the ground with him if he started anything.  However, Ben wanted to avoid any trouble because they had more than enough on their hands already.  The very last thing that the Cartwrights needed was to make a spectacle out of themselves what with the rumor mill no doubt starting to circulate over why Steve Burns was being housed at the jailhouse.

“Don’t do anything, Boys,” He whispered as Pete Timmons crossed the street and picked up his pace.  “Ignore him.”

“Why if it ain’t my old friends the Cartwrights!” Timmons sang out loudly and with a big grin on his face.  There was nothing in the whole world that Pete Timmons loved more than to rile Little Joe Cartwright and thus his entire family.  The man was a cowhand at one of the local ranches and had been a thorn in Joe’s side ever since the day they had met a few years back.

Hoss and Adam consecutively drew in a deep breath, and the sound of Pete’s voice caused Little Joe to pull himself up off the mattress.

“Mount up,” Ben called over to his two sons.

“Hey where you all hurrying off to?” Pete continued, feigning his surprise over the fact that the family wasn’t staying to chat.  He looked inside the buckboard and sneered, “Little Joe – boy you got yourself some nasty looking bruises on your face!  In fact — your whole face is a total mess!”

“Cut it out, Timmons!” Hoss hissed, drawing closer to the man despite what his father had told him.

“Hoss,” Ben sang out and narrowed his eyebrows to rein his son in to prevent an all-out brawl there in the street.

Hoss’ face formed into a scowl; however, he walked back to his horse trying not to raise his father’s ire.

“That’s right, Hoss, you do what your daddy tells you,” Pete laughed after watching the big man’s retreat.

“Cut it out or else!” Adam jumped in though his father shot him a warning glance too.

“Gee you boys are mighty touchy today.  I just come by to give Little Joe some good news before he heads home.”

Ben glowered at the cowhand and then addressed his sons.  “Let’s go, Boys.”

“Hey – can’t leave just yet!” Timmons protested with a laugh.  “Little Joe’s got other married women in this town he hasn’t gone after yet!”

Hoss climbed down from his horse and Adam did likewise.  But Ben corralled them holding up his hand to stop their progression.  “I said no,” He insisted which angered his sons.

“That’s right, Ben – you tell those boys of yours not to make a fuss!” Timmons mocked the silver-haired patriarch, laughing heartily over the way both Adam and Hoss had been called off.

Ben spun back around to face Pete and cooly replied, “That’s right – I called them off for a good reason.”

“Yeah?  What’s that, Old Man?” Pete returned full of his usual sarcasm.

“This!” Ben answered and threw a right cross that took Timmons by surprise, sending him sprawling down into the street.  He had endured enough over the last day and a half and his patience was gone.  Pete wasn’t Steve Burns, but regardless, it had felt good to hit somebody despite what he had said to his sons about showing restraint.

Little Joe had been upset overhearing the man’s taunts; however, he was thrilled to see his pa knocking Pete down with just one punch.

“Okay — like I said, let’s go,” Ben announced so calmly that it made both of his older boys break into laughter.

Joe had enjoyed his father’s performance; however, he couldn’t laugh due to the tight chin strap.  He sank back down onto the mattress.  It was only then that he began to think about what Pete had said.  Joe wondered if the whole town now knew the story about Steve beating him.  Closing his eyes, he prayed that Jennifer had cleared up the situation so the rumor mill wouldn’t have a field day over the events that had gone on two nights ago.

Ben turned on the bench seat and cast a quick look down at his youngest.  It was too hard to detect if Joseph was upset about what Timmons had said or not due to his face being so swollen.  Part of it was also obscured due to the thick leather chin strap, so he decided to wait to say anything about it to the boy until they were back home.  With a quick snap of the reins Ben sent the buckboard forward leaving Pete still lying in the street.

---

Pulling up in front of the ranch house, Ben stepped down from the buckboard as his two older boys dismounted.

“He’s asleep,” Pa whispered and stared over at his sons.

“I’ll carry him,” Hoss nodded to his father and quickly pulled his little brother up in his arms.

“Mind that cast, Son,” Ben cautioned as they made their way into the house.

Hop Sing was waiting for his family and pulled the door open for them.

“Have Little Joe bed all ready,” he announced.

“Thanks, Hop Sing.  It sure is good to be home,” Ben smiled and then turned to follow his boys up the stairs.

Hoss waited until Adam had thrown the quilt and sheet back and then he eased Little Joe onto the bed.

“Let’s get these off,” Ben pointed to the boy’s boots.  He grabbed one and Adam the other and soon they were off and set down on the floor.  “I’ll get the boy into a nightshirt after he comes back around.

“He sure is played out,” Hoss whispered as he gingerly settled his brother’s cast on a pillow.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ben stared over at Adam and Hoss.  “Your little brother is in bad shape.  Doc told me this morning that he’d rather the boy stay at his place for a couple of days.  But after we talked about what Jennifer had told her husband he decided that Joseph didn’t need to be close to any of that right now.”

“When you gonna tell him about what she said, Pa?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, “I don’t know, Hoss.  He tried to write out a question last night but fortunately he couldn’t manage it very well.  But I know that Joseph wants to know what’s gone on.”

“We made something that will help in that department, Pa,” Adam announced as he set a hand onto his father’s shoulder.

“Fine – but let’s wait until later.  The boy needs as much rest as he can get.”

“Have bath water ready, Mister Ben.”

Turning around the three men noticed Hop Sing standing in the doorway.

“Bath water?  Joseph can’t take a bath right now, Hop Sing,” Ben announced.

“For you – to get kink out.  Sleep in chair – no good,” He stated firmly.  “You come to bath house now – have clothes all there.”

“I don’t want to leave the boy just now, Hop Sing.”

“We got him, Pa – go ahead.”

“Yeah, Pa,” Hoss grinned.  “We all know what sleeping in that hard chair over at Doc’s does to you.  You’ll be grouchy for days if you let that back knot up on you.”

Sighing to himself, Ben had to admit that his sons were right.  He had awakened stiff and sore after his sojourn at Doc’s.  He turned for the door.  “Alright – I can’t fight the three of you!”

“You took care of Timmons pretty good – maybe you can take all three of us!”  Adam remarked with a grin.

“Just remember that,” Ben returned with a wink and then followed Hop Sing out into the hallway.

---

That afternoon had been a blessedly uneventful one and all four Cartwrights were glad for it.  Hop Sing had protested enough that Ben finally relented and took a three-hour nap to recover from hours spent in the chair in Doctor Martin’s office.  Little Joe had been too played out after the long ride home and had slept straight through until Hop Sing set dinner out for the other three Cartwrights.  He forced the family to go to the dinner table while he kept a watchful eye on Joe.

Adam and Hoss made their way into their brother’s bedroom after eating and gathered around his bed.

“He wake soon — Little Joe blink,” Hop Sing pointed to the boy’s left eye.

Slowly moving on the bed, a slight groan, though muffled by the chin strap, was heard by both brothers.

“Thanks for watching the kid,” Adam nodded to the cook.

“I go heat broth – bring up little while,” he replied and hurried out of the room.

Little Joe opened his one good eye and stared back and forth at his brothers who stood on either side of his bed.

“About time you woke up, Little Brother. It’s darn near my bedtime!” Hoss teased and patted his brother’s arm.

Little Joe looked confused after realizing he was back at the ranch. The last thing he remembered was his father sending Pete Timmons down into the dirt on the main street in Virginia City.  He pulled himself up against the headboard as Adam handed him a glass of water which already had a straw placed inside it.

Nodding his head to thank his brother, Joe took a couple of good pulls on the straw and handed the glass back to Adam.

Ben appeared coming in through the door with a smile on his face upon seeing his youngest awake.

“Well – how’s my boy?” He asked cheerily and walked over to his son’s bed.

Little Joe closed his eye and thought to himself.  ***I guess he IS going to embarrass me by saying that in front of these two! ***

Making the same motion with his right hand as he had done the previous night, Joe tried to get his father to understand.

“Oh, not tonight, Young Man,” Ben shook his head.  “Adam – go ahead and fetch it please.”

Joe raised his hand palm side up trying to ask what was going on and his father understood the gesture.

“Your brothers came up with a method that will help you talk to us,” Ben paused as his eldest reappeared coming inside the room.

“Here it is, Kid,” Adam handed the boy a board with carvings on it about eighteen inches square.  “It has all the letters,” he paused and pointed them out to Joe.  “And down here at the bottom is a dash – so we can tell when a new word starts.  That dot there is a period, so we’ll know when you’re done with a sentence.  Understand?”

Little Joe acquainted himself with where the letters were and nodded his head.

“Pa – do you want to do the writing or do you want one of us to do it?”

Ben moved to sit on the bed to Joe’s right, so he’d be able to see better.  Adam handed his father some paper, a pencil, and a book to lean on so he could take down Joe’s messages.

“I’m all ready,” Pa announced as he leaned back against the headboard and placed his left arm around his son’s shoulder.  “Go ahead, Joseph.”

Closing his only good eye, Joe thought for a minute contemplating what he should begin with.  He had so many questions.  Finally, he began pointing one letter at a time while his father wrote each one down.

“I think that ended your first sentence, right?”

Joe held out one finger.

“Alright – this one just says thank you all for helping me and I’m sorry I got hurt again,” Ben announced.

“Shucks, Short Shanks – you got us out of hauling those blasted railroad ties so neither of us are complaining!”

“That’s right, Kid,” Adam nodded.

“And as for you getting hurt—well that wasn’t your fault,” Ben assured his son.

Joe went right back to pointing at letters, now wanting to get to the crux of the matter.  This time he dictated a lot more than he had the first time.  When he finally finished, he watched carefully as his father read the message to himself.  He hadn’t missed the way Pa sat there looking very uneasy over what he had just read.

Ben handed the piece of paper over for his older boys to read and then stared at the battered boy sitting there next to him.  All he could see when he looked at Joseph was the swollen eye, the broken nose and the chin strap.  The last thing that he wanted to do was to hurt him more than he already was.

Joe watched as each of his brothers read the message.  He was keenly aware that he was the only person in the room who didn’t know the answer to the question he had asked.

Ben coughed into his fist and stalled for time.  He wished that Hop Sing would interrupt them by bringing in the broth he had been cooking all day.

Little Joe grabbed the board and frantically began to point letters out which ended up spelling out, “I want to know now, and I want the truth, Pa.”

Ben sighed wearily and nodded his head.  He knew that Joe would eventually have to learn what Jennifer had done, he just wished that it could have waited until his son was stronger.

“Alright, Joseph, though it’s against my better judgment.  Doc knows what’s happened, and he advised me not to go into this yet.  But I suppose you’ll need to know before the trial begins.  Steve originally told Roy that he believed that you and Jennifer were romantically involved while he was away,” Ben paused as he watched Joe’s right hand balling up into a fist.  He reached over and pried each of Joe’s fingers back to their former position.  “If you’re going to get upset, Young Man, I’m not going to tell you anything further.”

Little Joe nodded solemnly and looked at his father.

“Last night Roy met your brothers and me at the International House where we were eating our supper and filled us in on a few things.  And this morning before you woke up Roy stopped by Doc’s and gave me a bit more information that he wanted to relay.  He said that Steve changed his story.  Steve had said that he had every right to hurt you because he was protecting what was his – meaning Jennifer.  But at the time of his arrest, he believed that she had been unfaithful.  Later, upon her visit to the jail, he told Roy that Jennifer admitted that she hadn’t been involved with you.”

Little Joe frantically began pointing out letters again and Ben was having a hard time keeping up with the boy.

“Slow down, Joseph.  I can’t write that fast,” Ben complained and the boy slowed his progression down some.  After a couple of minutes, Joe stopped pointing and stared over at his father to see if he had taken it all down.

Finishing writing the message, he read it out loud.  “If she told him that we weren’t involved then that clears it all up, right?” Ben read to Adam and Hoss, who in turn shook their heads sadly.

“Joseph,” Ben began, struggling to find the right words to say that wouldn’t cause the boy more pain, but coming up short.  He knew that no matter how he tried to sugar-coat what had happened Joe would be hurt.  He pulled the boy closer to offer him comfort due to what he had to tell him next.  “Jennifer told Steve something else.  She said that you came into her bedroom that night while she was sleeping.  Jennifer said that she thought it was Steve and not you who pulled her close and held her on the side of the bed.  She told him that it wasn’t until you kissed her that she knew it wasn’t Steve and before she could push you away, he came through the door and attacked you.”

Little Joe felt the exact same way he had felt with each strike from the stock of Steve’s rifle upon hearing what Jennifer had said.  He slid down in the bed and placed his right hand over his face.  Overwhelmed with the feeling of sadness and betrayal, tears coursed down his cheeks, and he had to choke back his sobs due to the chin strap.

Ben motioned for Adam and Hoss to give them some privacy.  Fully cognizant of the fact that Little Joe was emotionally spent and needed the kind of comfort he could only find in the arms of their father, they both turned out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“Joseph,” Ben whispered and attempted to pull his son over to him.  He felt the boy’s body growing rigid as Joe resisted his father’s attempt to comfort him. Ben knew that Joseph was using the same defense mechanism that he had done in the past, especially when he was feeling overwhelmed.  He knew that he’d just have to keep trying.  “Son – I know how much this is hurting you.  I wish that I didn’t have to tell you any of it.  You’ve gone through too much already.”

It had taken several minutes, but finally the boy dropped his hand down from his face.   Wiping his tears away on the sleeve of his father’s shirt that he was still wearing, Joe reached for the board.  Then he once again began to point to the different letters to get his message out so his father would understand.

It spelled out the words: Pa, Jennifer screamed.  It woke me up from a sound sleep.  I didn’t know if she was sick or if she just had a nightmare.  It had been a hot night, so I was only wearing the bottoms to my long johns.  So, I hurriedly pulled on my pants and ran into her room.   She asked me to hold her.  She said that she had a bad dream and was scared.  I did hold her in my arms on the side of the bed to comfort her, but I didn’t do anything else.  Steve came in after I’d only been in the room for a couple of minutes.  I never saw or heard him until he hit me in the face with the butt of his rifle.  I fell to the floor.  I tried to recover in time to get the gun out of his hands, but I couldn’t.  He just kept hitting me one blow after the other until I guess I was knocked unconscious.  I woke up out in the yard.  I knew that I was hurt bad.  My left arm was broken so I couldn’t saddle Cochise.  It was all that I could do just to get the bridle on her.  Then I rode her bareback to Doc’s place where I passed out cold.”

Ben took in the information and then studied his son’s face.  Even under the cuts, bruises and broken bones he read the immense hurt that was there.

Joe began to point out letters again and Ben fought to keep up with him.  When he signaled that he was through, Ben studied the message.

It read: “Pa, I would never do anything like that.   I was only there at her place to help her and for no other reason.  You believe me, don’t you?”

“Oh, Joseph.”  Ben let out an exasperated sigh that was filled with the kind of sorrow that only a parent could know; especially the kind of parent who has a strong bond with their child and knows them well. He wondered why his youngest would ever feel the need to ask him something like that.   Reaching over he pulled his son into his arms very carefully, being mindful of the boy’s broken arm as well as all his other injuries.  From many years of experience, he knew exactly what Joseph needed at the time.  Ben held him close to his chest and softly stroked the curls on his head.   “You never have to ask me something like that.  The thought that you’d behaved dishonorably never even entered my mind, Son.  I know the type of person you are.”

Little Joe allowed himself to be held for a few minutes trying to draw both strength and consolation from his pa.  Ben continued to comb his fingers through his son’s hair trying to ease the tension that he could feel on Joe’s shoulders.  After a few minutes, Little Joe pulled himself back and grabbed the board with his right hand.  Ben began to write once again.

It read: Jennifer’s been my friend for most of my life.  I only wanted to help her.  I don’t understand.  How could she say that about me?

Ben removed the board from his son’s hand and set it down alongside the bed.  He determined that the boy had gone through enough for one day and he had to put an end to it.

“I don’t know, Joseph.  It might simply be because she loves Steve.  He thought the worst of her and now in his mind it’s just you who’s the one to blame.  It was wrong, very wrong.  But sometimes women in love can do very strange things.  I wish that she hadn’t done that.  I’m so angry with her right now that I can hardly think straight.  A true friend would never do that to another.   And as for Steve Burns, well – I’m just glad that I don’t have him in my sights right now, or it would be your Pa who’d be in jail, and he’d be up on boot hill.”  Ben attempted to get a look at the expression his son was wearing.  It was too hard to determine anything from Joe’s appearance due to all the damage that had been done by that rifle.  “Joseph, I’m sure somewhere underneath the kind of hurt you’re feeling, that you’re angry with Jennifer too.”

Little Joe stared into his father’s eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks.  It didn’t matter that he couldn’t talk nor that the board was out of his hand.  Pa knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling.

“That’s enough for today, Son.  You need to heal up, and you need your rest.  Everything else will keep.”

Hop Sing opened the door and brought in a cup filled with chicken broth and placed it on the nightstand.

“Vely good soup for you, Little Joe,” he smiled fondly at the boy.  It was only then that he noticed the tears rolling down Joe’s cheeks.  Hop Sing looked at Ben and watched him sending him a cautionary glance which told him that it was best that he was left alone with the boy.  “Hop Sing come back later, Little Joe,” He announced and turned to leave.

“Now, you drink some of this.  It’d do you good – you haven’t had much for two straight days,” Ben urged as he attempted to hand his son the cup.

Little Joe shook his head and rolled onto his left side, his arm still propped up on a pillow.

Ben sighed dishearteningly as he stood from the bed.  He couldn’t blame his son for not wanting anything to drink at the time.  It was weighing on the boy to learn that such a close friend had lied about him and was apparently sticking to her story.

Setting a hand down onto the boy’s right shoulder and giving it a gentle pat, Ben whispered, “Son, I know that none of this has been easy on you – and you’ve gone through a lot.  I wish that I could do something to ease your pain.”  He knew that the boy was feeling completely overwhelmed and there wasn’t much that he could do about it.  Joe was mourning the loss of a friend and there wasn’t any quick fix that he could offer to him.  Ben struggled to find the right thing to say or do.  He wished that there was some way to carry that agony himself including the broken bones and scars that marred the once-handsome face. Ben leaned down and smoothed the blanket with a hand calloused by years of hard work, desperate to speak some words that would comfort the boy’s soul and soothe his broken heart.  “Joseph, you’re home and you’re safe and you’re with the ones who love you,” He offered quietly and ran his hand through the boy’s curls.  “We’ll get through all of this – you’ll see,” When there wasn’t a response, he stood erect and shook his head sadly.  Defeated due to the lack of any kind of response, not even a nod of Joe’s head, Ben whispered, “I’ll give you a little while to yourself, Joseph.  Be back up to check on you in a little while.  Rest, Son.”

Standing in the doorway Ben cast a quick glance over at his youngest before walking out into the hallway.  Joseph was hurt, hurt in so many ways.  He wished that he had the right words to help but Ben knew that his son would need some time for himself to process what he had just learned about Jennifer and her betrayal.  But Ben vowed that he would be back up to his son’s room soon to try to help pick up the pieces of the boy’s broken heart.

---

Ben stood from his chair as Hoss walked down the stairs later that night.  Joe had always been able to confide in his big brother even when it was hard for him to talk it all out with others.  And because of that, Pa had asked him to go check on him.

“Well?  How is he?  Did Joseph write anything?”

Hoss frowned as he moved to stand in front of the fireplace.  “Oh, Pa – I think it’s just been too much on my little brother for one day.  Hop Sing got some of that broth down him and helped him clean up a bit.  Joe’s in a nightshirt now, and I think he’s hurting some.  I asked if he wanted me to help him spell out anything on that board so we could talk but he just shook his head.”

Ben patted the big man on the back to commiserate with him.  “Well, you tried, Boy.  You want some coffee?  Adam was going to bring some in.”

“Guess so,” Hoss sighed defeated in spirit.  He prided himself on being able to heal critters that were hurt, both the four and the two-legged kind.  But he’d gotten nowhere with his baby brother that night.  He hated to see the boy suffering so badly but he figured it just naturally had to hurt to have a friend tell such a terrible lie.

Adam walked in and set the tray with a coffeepot and cups on the table and sat down next to his brother.

“You both look pretty glum,” Adam announced as he handed each man a cup.

Hoss simply nodded, not having anything more to offer.

“Joe’s not using that talking board?”

“Nope,” Hoss sighed and sipped his coffee.

Hop Sing was the next person to come down from Little Joe’s room and he looked equally dejected as he walked over to the three men.

“Thank you for getting the boy cleaned up,” Ben nodded to the cook and caretaker.

“Little Joe – he vely sad, Mister Ben.”

“We know,” Hoss returned glumly.

Ben took two more sips of his coffee and set it back on top of the table as he stood.  He couldn’t just leave the situation the way that it was.  At least he decided to go to see if Joe would need some pain medication before going to sleep.

“I’ll be back down in a little while,” he announced and made the move over to the stairs.

---

“Just what in the world are you doing out of bed?” Ben’s voice came out filled with exasperation.  “You know Doc said you’ve got to get your rest, Joseph.”

Looking up at his father Joe was almost surprised that the man hadn’t begun his visit with the usual “how’s my boy?” like he had done most nights of late.

Joe simply shrugged his shoulders.  Even if his jaw wasn’t held down by a chin strap he wouldn’t have known what to say anyhow.

Walking over to the chair by the window, Ben reached down for the boy’s good arm.  “That’s enough time out of that bed, Young Man.  Let’s go.”

Wishing that he could just yell, Joe simply allowed his father to herd him back over to the bed where he sat down again.

“Swing those legs over – come on you’re going down,” Ben insisted and stood over his son to make sure he did as instructed.

Little Joe shook his head but abided by his father’s wishes, sitting back against his headboard and stretching his legs out in front of him.

Ben reached down and grabbed the board Adam had made for his brother.  “Scoot over, you and I are going to talk – so to speak.”

Joe tried to form a frown, but it failed once again due to the tight chin strap.  He eased his left arm back on top of the pillow at his side and moved over enough to afford his father some room on his right side.

“There, that’s better,” Ben’s smile also lost some of its emphasis knowing that there wasn’t much to be happy about.  “Now, here,” He handed Joe the board.  “Talk to me, Son.”

Little Joe didn’t want anything to do with the board or anything else, but he knew that his father was a force to be reckoned with once he had his mind set on something.  And it was very clear he wanted to know what his son was thinking.

Joe simply wrote, “just don’t feel good, Pa.”

Ben read the first message and shook his head.  “Joseph, I know that you don’t feel good.  I’m going to give you something for pain.  Now how about you tell me what I can do for you?”

Joe pointed out the letters very slowly, not having much energy left due to his low spirits and broken heart.

Again, Pa read what he had jotted down.  It almost took his breath away.  The letters spelled out four words.  It said: make it stop hurting.

*** If only I could, Joseph.  If I had the power to stop a heart from breaking, I wouldn’t need to run a ranch, herd cattle or cut timber.  And I wouldn’t have to try to make sense out of those blasted ledger books either. *** Ben thought to himself.

Patting Joe’s shoulder he sighed.  “Son, the hurt’s going to take a while to go away – just like those broken bones and bruises you have.  But the heart heals, I’m proof of that, don’t you think?”

Little Joe stared into his father’s eyes and read the compassion in them along with the reminder of his past losses.  Pa had to be tough, he thought.  Only a man of his strength could have lived through the loss of three wives he loved so dearly.  He picked up the board and began again.

Ben watched every letter the boy pointed out and carefully wrote them down.  This time Joe had more to say, and he took that as a small victory for the night.

The message this time read: Pa, you said that Jennifer lied about me because she loves Steve.  If that’s what love’s all about then I don’t want any part of it.

Shaking his head over what his boy had said, he tried to figure out how to answer him.  “Joseph, not all love is like that.  And not all women would do what Jennifer did.  Your mother wasn’t like that.”

Little Joe wasn’t about to challenge what his father said even though he’d already been told about a certain blackmailer by the name of Simon LaRoche in New Orleans and the fact that his mother had kept it from his father for several months.  But he guessed that had been a different kind of a lie.  His mother had done it to protect Pa, so he reasoned that it wasn’t the same thing.  Jennifer’s lie had been done maliciously and only to protect herself.

Ben watched his son trying to process what he had just told him.  He hoped that the boy had believed him so he wouldn’t grow to be so cynical at such a young age.

“Son, sometimes you’ve just got to work through the pain of someone hurting you.  It’s not easy, but you can get through it.”

Little Joe went about writing what would be his final message for the night.

Ben sat there patiently, writing each letter down in order until the boy’s hand ceased moving.

The message read:  I can’t think about her anymore, Pa.  I’d like to sleep now.  I know you’re trying to help.  I’m sorry.

Sighing, Ben nodded over to his son and pulled him close for a minute to offer him some kind of encouragement in his embrace.

“Let’s get some medicine in you so you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep.”

Standing from the bed, Ben lifted the bottle of laudanum off the nightstand and poured it on the tablespoon Hop Sing had provided.

“I hope I don’t dribble this on your nightshirt,” Ben smiled and slowly dropped it little by little through the slightly parted lips.  “Not too bad,” He announced and set the spoon back where it would rest for the night.

Little Joe pulled the covers over his shoulders and simply nodded up at his father.

With the palm of his left hand, Pa swept the boy’s bangs out of his eyes.  It was an old habit done out of both necessity and love.  Then, leaning forward he pressed his lips onto his son’s forehead and whispered, “Rest now, Joseph.”

Joe didn’t respond in any way, but he did close his left eye.  Then the weary father lowered the wick to his son’s lamp and quietly walked across the room.  He paused in the doorway and cast one final glance at the boy in the bed.  Joe had rolled over onto his left side again.  Pa shook his head despondently, unable to discern if Joseph was crying or if he just wanted to get away from prying eyes.  As the bedroom door clicked shut, a bitter helplessness washed over Ben.  His youngest had been bearing both the physical pain and the emotional torment for two long days. He knew that Joseph was still reeling over what Jennifer had said about him and he was still trying to make some kind of sense out of it.  Turning into the hall, his heart heavy with worry, Ben finally concluded that there wasn’t much else he could do that night other than to pray for his son and ask that the boy get through the many trials he was enduring. He did just that.

---

“Roy?” Ben’s voice was filled with both surprise and a bit of concern when he had opened the front door the next day only to find the sheriff standing there.  “Come on in.”

“Thanks, Ben.  I hate to bother you – but I’m gonna need to try and talk with Little Joe.”

His face filled with dread upon hearing what his friend had announced.  He hoped that he could dissuade the sheriff from drilling his boy.  Joseph was in a fragile state both physically and emotionally.

“Paul was just here checking on the boy.  He’s not doing very well, Roy.”

Roy frowned and replied, “I ran into Doc on my way here.  I asked him about Joe, and he told me you and your other boys rigged up some kind of talking board for the kid.  Ben, listen.  The circuit court judge is going to be in town in about three days.  The prosecutor asked when he could speak to Little Joe and I asked if it would be okay if I fielded some questions with him first.  Randolf Bell is a good prosecutor, but he can be a bit rough around the edges.  Joe knows I’m different and will give him plenty of time to explain himself.  So – can I see the boy?”

Giving in on trying to postpone the sheriff’s questions due to the circumstances, Ben nodded.  “Let’s go on up to see him.”

“Thanks.”

---

Hoss had been seated in the chair next to his brother’s bed reading a book.  Little Joe hadn’t wanted to try to talk after his visit with the doctor, so he had just stayed in the boy’s bedroom in case he needed anything.

“Hoss — I’ve got it now.  Why don’t you go and see if you can help Adam out in the barn?” Ben called as he walked inside the room with Roy in tow.

“See you later, Little Brother,” Hoss forced a smile onto his lips and patted Joe’s right arm.  He gave the sheriff a nod as he closed the bedroom door.

“How you feeling, Little Joe?” Roy asked, not knowing what else to say at the time.  He knew that the kid couldn’t respond verbally unless he used whatever his brothers had rigged up for him.

Joe just nodded and then cast a wary glance over at his father.

“Joseph,” Ben began as he drew closer to the bed.  “Roy has some questions he needs to ask you.  The trial is going to begin sooner than we thought due to the circuit court judge arriving in a couple of days.  The prosecutor was going to come out and ask you some questions, but Roy thought that maybe you’d rather try to talk to him instead.”

Closing his one good eye Joe fought to get his emotions in check.

“This is the board that Hoss and Adam made,” Ben showed it to the sheriff.

Examining it, Roy offered the boy a smile and replied, “This is quite a gadget you’ve got, Little Joe.  I bet you can take this into court with you.”

The boy on the bed simply nodded hoping that the man would just get his questions over with.

Ben walked over to his son’s desk and retrieved one of the pieces of paper from the previous night.  “Roy, Joseph told us yesterday what happened that night with Jennifer.   Here is what I wrote down.  Could you just use this?”

The sheriff read what Ben had obviously written down for his son.  Frowning he shook his head and returned, “Sorry, Ben, I’ve got to witness Joe’s answers.  Now if you’d kindly show me how it’s done?”

*** Nothing is EVER easy anymore! *** Ben thought to himself and tried to gauge the look on his son’s face.  He tried for a middle ground with the lawman.

“How about this – I’ll copy the letters that Joe points to in order to tell his story and you can watch that I do it right?”

“That’d be just fine.  Let me fetch my spectacles,” The sheriff reached inside his vest pocket, drew out his glasses and put them on.

“Joseph – we’ll do this like we did last night.  Just scoot over a tad for me, okay?”

Joe did as he had been instructed and soon his father was leaning back against the headboard right next to him.  Roy stood just over Ben’s shoulder after having moved the chair out of the way.

“Alright, Little Joe.  First question.  Why were you staying over at the ranch with Jennifer?”

Not being able to draw in much of a deep breath, Joe did the best he could and then began to point out the letters for his father to write down on a new piece of paper.  He finished and Ben handed the reply to Roy.

“Doc told you she’d been sick after losing the baby.  So, you took it upon yourself to stay there for those two weeks?” Roy asked after studying what the boy had offered.

Little Joe nodded over to the man.

“Now, Joe, I talked with Doc, and he said that he asked you to bring Jennifer into town so she could be taken care of at the hotel.  Why didn’t you do that?”

“Go ahead, Joseph, I’m ready,” Ben patted his son’s shoulder, attempting to encourage him to continue.  Soon Joe was spelling out his answer, and his father handed it over to Roy once more.

“You say here that Jennifer wouldn’t go because she said her baby was buried out in her yard and she didn’t want to leave it.  That right, Boy?”

Joe nodded again.

“Okay, now about that night, Little Joe, I want the whole thing from before you walked into Jennifer’s bedroom to showing up at Doc’s place.”

Joe spelled three words.  They read: I’m tired Pa.

Ben exchanged concerned glances with the sheriff after showing him what the boy had indicated.

“Roy – how many more questions?  Doc didn’t want Joe to overdo it; he told us that just an hour ago.”

“This will be about all, Ben.  Little Joe, just try your best.  I’m giving these answers to Randolf Bell, the prosecutor, so he won’t have to come here and do it.  Believe me he would wear those fingers of yours off,” Roy tried his best to put both father and son at ease.

With his one good eye Joe looked at his father and watched him nod his way.  He began to point to the letters slower, showing his fatigue and sorrow.

It had taken better than ten minutes before both father and son were done with that one question.  Ben turned the piece of paper over to Roy who studied it thoroughly.

“Jennifer screamed out — and that’s why you went in there?”

Joe nodded over to the man; his sincerity could be seen between the cuts and bruises on his face.

“And you didn’t do anything other than hold her for a couple of minutes?”

Joe shook his head adamantly.

Roy sighed wearily.  Well, it’s for dang sure someone’s lying.  Little Joe, I’ve known you since you were just a gleam in your father’s eye when he married your mother.  I’ve never known you to lie to me.  But Jennifer insists that she’s telling me the truth too.  I hate that it’s come to this – I know the two of you have been friends since you were in school together.  I guess the only way we can solve this dilemma is at that trial.  I’ll speak to Randolf and make sure you can use that board when you testify and hopefully the judge will allow your pa to help you with it.”

“Is that all, Roy?” Ben asked hopefully.

The sheriff stuffed all the responses inside his coat and nodded.  “Sorry to disturb you, Little Joe.  Now you do like Doc said and rest up as much as you can, okay?”

Joe nodded as he watched his father stand from the bed and walk to the door with Roy.

“Joseph, I’ll be up to see you as soon as I walk Roy out.  Rest awhile, Boy.”

Little Joe simply rolled onto his left side, which was beginning to be his only escape from onlookers.

---

The following two days had passed by uneventfully with no visitors to the ranch house other than Doc Martin.  He had dropped by not only to see how his patient was doing physically but also emotionally.  There had been a lot of gossip circulating in Virginia City and though he knew that the boy hadn’t been there to hear it he worried about what was going to happen once the trial began.  Ben had spoken with the doctor and after filling him in on the local scuttlebutt had insisted that Joe needed to start on some soft foods.  The boy didn’t appear to be healing very well and that wasn’t like the Joseph Cartwright he knew.  Both Doc and Ben realized that the boy’s heart was hurting over the lie that Jennifer had told and that was affecting his recovery.

It had taken some strong coaxing from both Hop Sing and Ben, but Little Joe had finally acquiesced and had eaten some watered-down porridge for breakfast and a soft-boiled egg for his supper that night.  Ben tried to get his son to use the board Adam had made so they could converse, but the boy hadn’t wanted to.  He spent most of his afternoon sleeping or at least pretending that he was.  Ben hadn’t wanted to push the issue of trying to talk to him because it was easy to tell that his youngest was injured in so many ways. It was natural that he’d need some time before feeling a bit more talkative, even though he’d been reduced to pointing with his fingers to speak.

Ben sat in front of the fireplace that evening after supper while his two older boys were doing some late-night chores out in the barn.  He had just taken some medicine up to Little Joe and planned on checking to see if the boy had fallen to sleep or not in an hour or so.

“Pa?”  Adam called as he walked through the front door.

“Yes?  Are you and your brother done already?” Ben smiled as he looked across to his eldest.

Shaking his head, Adam frowned.  He wasn’t thrilled about what he had to tell his father.

“No – it’s Jennifer Burns – she’s outside in her surrey.  She says she wants to talk to you.”

Ben stood and squared his shoulders, not sure as to how to receive the woman who had told such a terrible lie about Little Joe.  “Tell her to come inside.”

“She said she wants to talk to you outside, Pa.”

Casting a quick glance to the top of the stairs all Ben could think of was the boy lying in his bedroom with a broken jaw, arm and heart.  He didn’t want to see Jennifer, but he decided that he would need to find out if she had come to recant her story or not.

Ben walked outside along with his son.  Jennifer was sitting there in her surrey as he neared her.

“Mister Cartwright?  Could I speak to you in private?” she asked, casting a look over at Adam who stood next to his father.

“Why?  Don’t you want a witness?” Adam returned angrily.  He knew that the woman had lied about his little brother and it hadn’t sat well with him.

Ben patted his son’s arm and nodded to him, “It’s alright, Son.  You go and help Hoss finish up with the chores.”

Frowning, Adam nodded and walked away leaving Ben and Jennifer alone.

“What do you want to talk about, Jennifer?” Ben asked, trying to control his anger.

Nervously ringing her hands, it took a while before Jennifer could reply.  Finally, she quietly responded.  “I’ve come to ask you to drop the charges against Steve.”

Feeling as though he’d also been hit in the face by the butt of a rifle due to what the young woman had said, Ben had to fight the desire to yell at her.  He was worried that Joseph might just hear the commotion and try to get out of his sickbed.

“And just why would I do that?” He retorted, filled with exasperation.

“It’s for the best.  That way Little Joe wouldn’t have to go through a trial, and neither would Steve.”

Ben pursed his lips and stuffed his hands inside his pants pockets attempting to control his temper.  “I see — you’re worried about my son, is that right?  Just like the other night when you were so worried about him that you just sat there as he was beaten half to death!”

“Steve didn’t mean to hurt him like that.  I know he’s sorry.  Why can’t we just forget all about it?” She pleaded.

“I just don’t believe this,” Ben fumed.  “You want me to forget all about it?  You want me to forget that my son can’t talk – can’t eat – can’t tell me where he’s hurting or how he’s feeling?  Do you know why?  I’ll tell you – because his jaw is broken!  And Joseph can’t write down any of that either because his left arm is broken too.  I have to stand there next to his bed day after day and look at my boy – wanting to help him but not being able to ask him what he needs me to do for him.  And now – I’ve got to listen to you sitting there telling me to forget all about it!”

“But if it goes to trial it’s going to hurt him too, Mister Cartwright!  You don’t want him to go through that do you?” She continued to plead her case to the angered father before her.

“Yes – a trial,” Ben nodded.  “And during that trial you’ll have to tell the truth about what happened, Jennifer!”

“I AM telling the truth!” She insisted.

Ben groaned in disbelief over what she just said.  “You’d have me believe – after my son took care of you for two straight weeks – waiting on you hand and foot – because of your friendship – that he suddenly burst into your bedroom half-dressed and barefooted just to take advantage of you?” He asked incredulously.

Staring down at the footboard to her surrey she responded, “Please drop the charges and we can all go back to the way it was before.”

Gripping the side of the surrey, Ben fought for control.  He finally stared up at Jennifer and answered in a cold controlled voice, “It will NEVER be the way that it was before, Young Lady.  Your husband broke Joseph’s nose, his jaw and his arm.  My son has bruises and cuts over half of his body.  And as for you – if you stick to the lie you said about him you will break his heart as well.  He loves you – yes as a friend – and nothing more.  Do you plan to do that to your “friend” and destroy what the two of you’ve had since you were little kids?”

“I’m NOT lying, Mister Cartwright!” Jennifer protested.

“Do you honestly believe that I don’t know my son?  I know Joseph better than he knows himself!  He would NEVER and I mean NEVER disgrace himself or his family.  I would bet my life and all that I own on it!”

Jennifer stared back down at the floor of her surrey, embarrassed over the lie that she just couldn’t let go of.

“Are you going to sit in that court and look over at my son – your friend – and say those vile things about him?”

“I’m telling you the truth.  Little Joe came into my bedroom.  I don’t know – maybe he’d been drinking?  Maybe he didn’t realize what he was doing?  He pulled me into his arms and kissed me – and then Steve walked in –,” She was cut off by the furious father.

“There are no “maybes” about this – you are an outright liar,” Ben shot back.  “What’s happened to you?  You and my son have been close friends ever since you were eight and Joseph was seven.  Are you going to throw that away because of a lie?”

Jennifer grabbed her handkerchief out of her bag and blotted her tear-filled eyes.  Her heart ached over the decision she had made days earlier and how it was going to hurt Little Joe.  But she felt that she had to keep telling her story until Steve was set free.  “I love my husband, Mister Cartwright.”

Ben nodded and replied with sarcasm in his tone of voice, “Sure you love your husband!  That’s why you screamed to bring Joseph into your room at just the right time!  What were you planning on?  Did you think it would make him appreciate you more – because you were being comforted by my son?  And did you just sit there as he beat Joseph with his rifle until he was almost unrecognizable?”

“I screamed when I realized it was Joe and not Steve!”

Ben mashed his lips together and eased back away from the surrey.  He couldn’t take much more, or he’d probably have done something he’d regret.  “You almost got my son killed.  That boy spent two weeks caring for you out of friendship.  He was worried about you because your husband just left you after you lost the baby.  Is this how you repay Joseph?  You saw your husband when he got back from town and you lured my son into your bedroom with that scream.  And you knew that Steve would come inside and find the two of you together.  You knew that he’d kill Joseph, didn’t you, Jennifer?”

“No – I didn’t!”

“Go tell your lies elsewhere,” Ben returned hotly.

“Please – oh please, Mister Cartwright!”  Jennifer begged the man.  “Please reconsider – let Steve go free and there won’t be any trial.  It’s best for everyone!”

“I don’t have time to listen to you or your lies anymore – my boy needs me.  He’s inside here – would you like to see him?  Would you like to see the damage to his face?  Would you like to stand there in front of him – as awful as he looks now and as much pain that he’s in – and tell him the lies that you’ve just told me?”

Jennifer didn’t respond but simply looked down at the floor of her surrey.

“No -I didn’t think so,” Ben remarked sharply and then turned and walked away.

Jennifer took the reins in her hands and sent the team of horses out of the yard.

---

An hour after Jennifer Burns had driven out of the yard, Adam and Hoss made their way back inside the house.  They watched as their father slowly walked down the staircase.  The man didn’t say a word as he passed by both of his sons and headed directly to the small table which sat just to the left of his desk.

“Want one?”  Ben asked as he began to pour a healthy dose of brandy into a glass.

“Yeah – wouldn’t mind one, Pa,” Hoss nodded, feeling like his father was asking for company with whatever was playing on his mind.

“I will too,” Adam added as they both drew closer to their father.

Ben handed a glass of brandy to each of his sons and then stared down at his drink.

“I wish I could offer a toast, but presently there’s not a cause for one,” Ben frowned and took a sip of the amber colored liquor.

Hoss stared over at his brother, hoping that he’d be the one to ask their father about Jennifer’s visit.  When that didn’t happen, he piped up.

“What’d she want, Pa?”

Groaning loudly, Ben shook his head.  “That woman tried to get me to drop the charges and to let Steve go free after half killing your little brother!”

Adam frowned and replied, “Yeah, I figured that’s why she came by.  The trial is set for the day after tomorrow, so I’d expected her to try something like that.”

“Why would she think we’d drop the charges, Pa?” Hoss asked, totally bewildered.

“I don’t know, Hoss.  She’s probably just as insane as her husband.  But she sat there and said that Joseph had come into her bedroom and kissed her.  Honestly it was all that I could do not to strike her for lying about him that way.  It’s a good thing that I taught you boys never to hit a woman, or I might’ve done it tonight.”

“Pa – one thing I’m worried about,” Adam said hesitantly.   “You know that a wife can’t be forced to testify against her husband.  Is the prosecutor going to be able to call her to the witness stand?”

Ben sighed and sat down behind his desk and motioned to his sons to sit in the two side chairs next to his.  “I talked to Randolf Bell earlier today when I was in town.  He said if the defense calls her then he can redirect. If they don’t then – well – no she doesn’t have to testify.”

“Gosh, Pa,” Hoss paused and took another sip of his brandy.  “I hate this for Little Joe’s sake.  It’s bad enough that he’s hurting – but to have to sit there at the trial and look at Jennifer – knowing that she’s set on lying about him is gonna hurt the boy.”

Ben sighed and set his empty glass on his desk.  “I know, Son.  But we don’t have any other recourse.  If I could spare him all of this, I would.  The last two days that boy has been so depressed.  I know part of it is that he’s hurting – his body has gone through so much trauma.  But most of it is due to what Jennifer said about him already.  Going to that trial is going to be hard on him.  All we can do is to try and help him the best we can.”

“It comes down to Joe’s word against Steve, doesn’t it?”

Adam turned and looked at his brother and replied, “Not exactly, Hoss.  If they put Jennifer up there and she lies about Joe, then it’s two against one.  Steve is claiming that he was trying to get Little Joe to leave Jennifer alone and she’s saying Joe forced himself on her.”

Ben stood from the desk and looked down at his sons.  He wished that he could impart some sage wisdom but he couldn’t think of anything that would help the situation.

“I think I’ll turn in, Boys.  It’s been a long day.”

“You want me to go check on Little Joe?” Hoss asked, also standing.

“I just did right before the two of you came inside.  He’s asleep.”

“Try not to worry, Pa,” Hoss reached over and patted his father on the back.

“Hoss is right,” Adam nodded, worried about the strain that the whole ordeal was putting on his father.

“We’ve gotten through other problems in the past – we’ll get through this.  But it sure wouldn’t hurt any to say a few extra prayers, Boys.  Goodnight,” Ben gave a half-hearted smile and then turned for the staircase.

---

The first few hours that night Ben had a fitful sleep but later he was able to finally get a few hours in where he no longer tossed and turned in his bed.  He wasn’t sure what had awakened him at four in the morning.  Ben sat up in his bed and listened.  The house was quiet and no one was stirring out in the hallway.  Still, he felt a nagging uneasiness which he decided had to be at least partly due to fatherly intuition.  Donning his robe and slippers he quietly walked out of his bedroom and looked across the hall.  Ben decided that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until he peeked in on his youngest just to rid his mind of the uncertainty over whether the boy was alright.  When he eased inside Little Joe’s bedroom, he knew why he had awakened.

“Joseph?” Ben whispered as he neared his son.

Little Joe was sitting straight up in his bed with such a panicked look on his face that it gave his father pause.  Ben sat alongside the boy and gently placed a hand on Joe’s right cheek just to the side of where the chin strap fell.

“What is it, Boy?” He asked without thinking.  ***Lord, Joseph can’t answer that, what am I saying? *** Ben sighed as he shook his head over his slip of the tongue.

Strained sobs rattled in Little Joe’s throat though nothing came out of his lips.  It just hurt too much to open his mouth to any degree.

“Joseph—did you have a nightmare?” Ben knew he had to ask “yes” or “no” questions or his son couldn’t respond.

A couple of tears escaped from Joe’s left eye; his right still closed due to the blow it had taken from Steve’s rifle.  He solemnly nodded his head.

Ben moved over to his son’s headboard and sat there against it.  Easing Joe back some, he wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder.  It was then that he felt his son’s body shaking and knew that it had to have been a very frightening nightmare to elicit that kind of response.

“Do you want to tell me about it, Son?”

Little Joe shook his head and tried to take in a few slow breaths but even they were restricted due to the tight chin strap that held his jaw so rigidly.

Ben leaned over to the nightstand and turned the wick knob of the lamp to raise the flame higher.  Then he reached down on the side of the bed and pulled the board up into his lap.

“C’mon, let’s try and talk this out.  It’d help, Joseph,” He whispered and handed the board over to his son.

Reluctantly Joe began to point out letters slowly enough that his father could call out the words instead of needing to write them down.

Patiently Ben watched as his son pointed and paused with each word he formed.  He finally had the message inside his head.  Ben drew in a deep breath and replied, “You just kept seeing that rifle hitting you – – is that right, Joseph?  That’s what the dream was all about?”

Little Joe nodded and dropped his head down a bit.

“I can imagine that had to be terrifying to have experienced something like that both when it happened and now in your dream.  I’m sure anyone would have that kind of a nightmare if they’d gone through what you did, Son,” He tried to ease the boy’s mind in the only way he knew how.

His fingers going back to the board, Little Joe continued.  Ben watched once again and then the boy stopped.

“Due to your jaw and that chin strap, you couldn’t cry out – is that it?”

Again, Little Joe nodded.

Shaking his head over what his son had just told him, Ben fought to come up with something to say to him.  He was just thankful that his fatherly intuition had caused him to venture across the hall and into his son’s room.  He couldn’t imagine how restrictive the thick leather chin strap would feel if he’d had to wear it.  But Joseph had always been prone to nightmares, and it was usually his screams which brought his father across the hall in the past.  Joe couldn’t do that anymore, what with his jaw locked into place like it was.

“I’m sorry, Joseph – sorry that you couldn’t call out to me.  I’m just glad that I woke up when I did.  Do you want to write some more?”

Little Joe shook his head and handed his father the board.  Ben placed it back alongside the bed and then turned and stared at his son.  It was bad enough to see all the cuts and bruises that he wore but to see the broken nose along with the thick leather chin strap was devastating.

“Let’s try to get you back to sleep, okay?”

Pointing to his chest and shaking his head, Ben took his son’s gestures to mean that he couldn’t go back down.

“Just lean back and I’ll sit here with you until you nod off, okay?”

Little Joe shook his head again and began to get out of bed altogether.

“No, Joseph – you need to stay down – just like Doc said.  You’ve got to go into town tomorrow – so today you’re going to rest.”

Staring down at his covers, Joe gave a defeated sigh, which was one of the few things he could manage to get out despite the encumbering chin strap.

“Come on, ease back,” Ben whispered and was finally successful in getting his son to cooperate.  He wrapped his right arm around the boy’s shoulder and soon Little Joe’s head rested on his father’s chest.

Little Joe temporarily closed his one functional eye, memorizing the rough familiar texture of his father’s hand as it swept softly against his cheek being mindful of the placement of the chin strap.  He leaned into the warmth of the touch and for just a fleeting moment pretended that all was well with the world.  ***If only Pa could make this hurt go away – but nobody can. *** Joe thought when the memories came flooding back.  He had seen to all of Jennifer’s needs for two straight weeks only to have her turn on him and play him for a fool.  Joe now knew that he had been used.  Jennifer’s scream had been a deliberate act to draw Steve into the room at just the right moment to cause him harm.  The girl who he had loved for so long had caused every broken bone and bruise on his body just as much as her husband’s rifle had.  Joe drew in a quick breath and tried to speak but nothing came out.  His jaw felt as though it was on fire every time he attempted to move his mouth.  Finally, surrendering to the fact that even if he could talk it wouldn’t have made any difference, Joe gave up on the idea.   It didn’t matter anyway; Pa knew exactly what he would’ve said.  Instead, he listened to his father’s strong steady heartbeat, hoping that it would be enough to calm his troubled soul.  Joe wasn’t sure if he would ever trust anyone ever again, at least not any friend.  But he still had his brothers and Hop Sing, and he knew that he could count on them not to hurt him.  Most of all, he had his father, in whose arms he now sought comfort.

“Just close that one good eye of yours, Joseph.  Don’t think about anything but falling to sleep right now.  It’s all going to be alright,” He whispered.  For a quiet minute Ben leaned down letting his forehead rest against the crown of his son’s head.  He wished that he could say something far better than just the usual “it’s all going to be alright”, but he was at a loss.  Ben knew that his son had a lot on his mind and that was the reason that he’d had that nightmare.  He was sure that the impending trial was weighing on his son.  Joe knew that he’d have to testify sitting there with both Jennifer and Steve Burns looking at him.  One had broken his bones, and one had broken his heart.

“You won’t have to worry about not being able to let me know that you’ve had another nightmare tonight because I’m not going to leave you,” Pa whispered as Joseph’s head grew heavy against his chest, sinking deeper into the warmth of his body.  He rhythmically combed his fingers through his son’s unruly curls, trying his best to lull the boy back to sleep and away from the turmoil caused by Jennifer.  His ministrations paid off after a few minutes.  The gentle rhythm of his father’s breathing finally pulled Joseph under, as he let his one good eye drift shut, surrendering to the safety he’d always found in Pa’s arms.  Relieved his son was finally at peace, his father reached down and pulled the comforter up around the two of them and then closed his eyes.  He prayed that God would grant the boy uninterrupted sleep so his body could begin to heal.  Before long both father and son were sound asleep.

---

The next day was a rough one for the entire Cartwright family.  While Ben fumed over what Jennifer had said the previous night and paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, Hoss and Adam tried to reassure him that the truth would come out in the trial.  On top of all of that, Little Joe had refused to use the talking board that they had fashioned for him.  No matter how many times he had been approached to try and write down his feelings, the boy just shook his head and motioned with his hand that he was tired.  They all knew Joe was both worried and angered, along with being hurt physically and emotionally.  Ben weaned back the medicine Doctor Martin had given him so his son’s mind would be sharp for the trial.  He knew that Joseph’s pain was exacerbated due to losing a friend because of the terrible lie that she had told.

It was easy to see that Joe didn’t want to go to the trial the following day, but his father and brothers knew that he would eventually acquiesce because his reputation was at stake.  Joe sat in his bedroom all day mulling over what his former friend had done.  He couldn’t get past the fact that Jennifer had screamed the night that Steve had attacked him just to get him to come into her room.  He wondered why Jennifer would do that unless she had seen Steve returning from his trip and perhaps wanted to hurt him by trying to make him jealous.  That didn’t make sense to Little Joe either.  He wondered if Jennifer knew what her husband would do to him or not.  Regardless of the reason, the girl was still lying about the whole situation, and Joe knew that he’d have to testify so he could clear his name.  Little Joe knew that there were a lot of gossips in Virginia City and he figured that the rumor mill was going strong due to the whole miserable mess.  He wanted to clear his name, yes, but most of all he didn’t want the Cartwright name to be sullied by Steve or Jennifer Burns.  Ben Cartwright was one of the most upstanding citizens in all of Storey County and Little Joe didn’t want his father’s reputation marred by having a son who was being accused of forcing himself on a married woman.  He knew that his testimony would be hard to do since he couldn’t verbally tell the truth about what had happened that night.  All that Little Joe could do was simply point out letters on a board and have someone else transcribe what he wanted to say.  He wished that he could talk to Jennifer directly if only to tell her how much her lie had cost him already.  But he figured that the girl just didn’t care.  Jennifer had sat there on the bed while Steve beat him senseless, so it was obvious that she wouldn’t retract her story.  Though her husband was the one who had caused all his injuries it never would have happened if she hadn’t screamed to get Little Joe into her room.  Joe hoped that the truth would be enough to clear his name, but nothing would ever take away the pain that both Steve and Jennifer had caused.

---

Ben paused outside of his son’s bedroom and drew in a deep breath.  Everyone was ready to head into Virginia City and only Little Joe was still getting dressed.  He opened the door and walked in.  Hop Sing had helped the boy get cleaned up and into his clothes and was busy brushing his hair at the time.

“Well,” Ben paused and forced a smile.  “How’s my boy today?”

Little Joe directed his gaze over to his father.  He wished he could’ve answered the question that Pa had just posed.  *** “Your boy” isn’t doing too good, Pa.  I had to stand here and let Hop Sing pull my pants up like I was a darn two-year-old.  Then he had to tuck YOUR shirt in and it’s baggy on me.  If that idiot hadn’t broken my good arm at least, I could’ve written down how mad I am right now.  But, no I can’t do that either!  I hate this, all of it!  My jaw is killing me, but I can’t have pain medicine until I get home because you’re worried that I won’t be clear-headed enough to explain myself.  Like I can do much explaining by pointing out letters one at a time anyway.  This darn cast is making my whole arm itch, and this chin strap is killing my head.  On top of all of that I’ve got to go and look across the courtroom at a man who beat me senseless and a woman who I’d always thought was one of my closest friends.  They’ll both be there.  The man who almost killed me and the girl who lied and made a sucker out of me.  So, Pa, to answer your question – “your boy” isn’t doing so hot.  But thanks for asking! ***

Ben could almost hear his son’s thoughts as he stared at the battered face before him.  He wished that he could sound more upbeat, but he was having a hard time dealing with all that had been said about his son.  Ben hoped that the trial would be a fast one and that Steve Burns would soon be heading for the Territorial Prison.

“That shirt of mine doesn’t look half bad on you, Joseph,” He announced as he moved closer to his son.  “It’s the smallest one I own – and I’ve not been able to fit into it for several years.  I think part of the reason is that Hop Sing here spoils me with his cooking skills.”  He knew what he had just said was lame and that Joseph would know that he was trying too hard.

Little Joe, realizing that there wasn’t much that either he or his Pa could do about the current situation, just nodded his way and held still so the cook could finish getting him ready.  Hop Sing settled the sling around Joe’s neck and eased his left arm inside of it.

Ben walked over to the bed and pulled up the board lying on the floor next to it.  “Let’s not forget this,” He announced and then watched as Hop Sing set down the brush.

“All ready now, Mister Ben,” the cook smiled.

“Thank you – you did a good job.”

Hop Sing stared at his former charge and said, “Little Joe – all be okay – you not worry.”

Joe tried his best to smile at the man, but his lips barely turned up at the corners due to the chin strap.

“You ready, Son?”

Little Joe shook his head as he stared, one-eyed at his father.  Ben took that to mean that his son was very apprehensive, but he figured that would be the case.

“Like Hop Sing just said – it will be okay, Joseph.  Let’s go,” Ben nodded to his son and turned for the door with him at his side.

---

The four Cartwrights filtered into the very packed courthouse.  It almost looked as though every single resident in Virginia City had come to watch the proceedings.  The prosecutor, Randolf Bell, waved the four men over to sit right behind him.

“Randolf,” Ben nodded to the man.  “Looks like a full house,” He frowned and then took a seat with Little Joe to his right.  He had placed him there because the boy would have to be closest to the aisle due to having to testify soon.

“Yes – I guess these folks don’t have anything better to do.  We didn’t have any trouble sitting a jury either,” Randolf said and stared over at Hoss and Adam.  “I’m glad that you’re all here.”

“Do you know if Jennifer Burns is going to testify?” Adam questioned quietly.

Randolf shook his head, “No – not yet.  But if they call her then she’ll be required to take questions on redirect from me.  I hope so because it’ll help the situation.”

The five men stopped talking when the judge walked into the room.

“All rise for the honorable Judge George Wheeler,” The bailiff called to the courtroom, and everyone stood.

“You may be seated,” the judge announced after he sat down.  He stared at the case notes in front of him and glanced over at both attorneys.  “You may begin your opening statements.  Mister Bell, we’ll hear from you first.”

Randolf cleared his throat and then walked in front of the prosecution table.  “This case is a simple one,” He began and stared at the jurors.  “Joseph Cartwright sits here after almost being beaten to death by Steve Burns.  We will prove that there was no cause for him to have done it and that all allegations towards Joseph Cartwright are baseless.  The charge is aggravated assault.  Mister Burns broke this young man’s arm, his nose and his jaw by pummeling him numerous times with the butt of his rifle.  Once proven guilty it is the prosecution’s intent to ask that he receives a sentence of five years at hard labor at the Territorial Prison.”

The judge looked over to the defense table and said, “You may present your opening statement, Mister Moxley.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” the defense attorney nodded and moved over to the jury.  “My client, Steve Burns, admits to having beaten Joseph Cartwright.  However, he was protecting his wife – which any man here who is married – or has any loved one who is married – will agree was within his rights.  There was no cruel malicious intent involved.  It was done in the heat of the moment upon seeing Joseph Cartwright, half-dressed and holding his wife in his own bedroom.  We will prove that he did what any man would have done to protect their wife from such an awful violation of trust.  His wife trusted Joseph Cartwright and he betrayed that trust.”

Little Joe stared over at his father and angrily shook his head.  He wished that he could speak so he could yell the word “liar” as loudly as he could.  Ben knew what his son was thinking because he felt the exact same way.  He patted his son’s shoulder hoping to instill calm in him and nodded his way.

“Present your cases.  Mister Bell – call your first witness,” The judge said staring over at the prosecutor.

“I call Doctor Paul Martin,” Randolf announced and watched as the doctor walked to the stand.  He was sworn in by the bailiff and took a seat.

“Doctor Martin,” Randolf began as he walked over in front of the man.  “Did you ask Joseph Cartwright to try and help Jennifer Burns?”

“I did,” Doctor Martin nodded.

“And just why did you do that?”
“She had just lost a baby and since her husband had left town, she was all alone at her ranch.  Little Joe and she were long-time friends, and I thought that he might be able to help.”

“And did he help?”

“He did,” Doc Martin nodded once more.

“Did you see the two of them during the two weeks that Joseph was there at her ranch taking care of her?”

“Yes, I went over there to check on her progress.   Little Joe had been waiting on her hand and foot.  I was very pleased with her recovery and credit Little Joe for it.”

“While you were with her did she ever say that she was uncomfortable with having Joseph there?”

“On the contrary,” Doc began and stared across the room at Little Joe.  “She told me that she didn’t know what she would’ve done had he not come out there to stay with her.”

“Did you witness anything inappropriate from Joseph while you were there?”

“I did not.  The boy was busy from sunrise to sunset taking care of Jennifer and the ranch.  I’m proud of him for all that he did to get Jennifer back on her feet,” Paul nodded over towards Joe.

“Now – getting to the night of the assault.  Did Joseph show up at your office and if he did what was his condition?”

Frowning, Paul shook his head in total disgust.  “I found Little Joe unconscious at my door in the middle of the night.  He was in terrible shape.  I brought him inside and began to patch him up.  He had a very badly broken arm along with a broken nose and jaw.  There were cuts and contusions all over his face and upper body.”

“So, you’d say it was a severe assault?”

“I would,” Paul strongly affirmed.

“An assault which could have killed the boy?”

“Yes, I’d say that it could have.”

“No further questions.  Thank you, Doctor.”

“You may question the witness, Mister Moxley.” The judge directed.

“Doctor Martin,” The defense attorney approached the witness stand.  “You said that you were the one who told Joseph to help Jennifer.  Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him to move into her place?”

Doctor Martin frowned and slightly shook his head.  “No.”

“Then you didn’t ask him to go and take care of Jennifer – is that right?”

“I just answered that,” Paul replied tersely.  He didn’t want to say anything which would paint Little Joe in a bad light.

“Your Honor, please instruct the witness to answer my question.”

Judge Wheeler sighed and shook his head.  He expected the usual theatrics from Gerald Moxley since he’d sat through quite a few trials where he was the defense attorney.

“Go ahead, Doc, answer,” The judge said wearily.

“I didn’t ask Joseph to go over to stay with Jennifer.”

“What did you ask him to do, Doctor Martin?” Mister Moxley asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I asked him to bring her into town to stay at the hotel.  I thought he could talk her into it, but she didn’t want to leave her ranch.”

“Did you think it was a good idea for that young man to be there alone with a married woman?”

“Your Honor, I object,” Randolf said and moved to the front of the room next to the witness stand.

“It’s just a simple question,” Moxley argued.

“Go ahead and answer, Doc,” the judge directed the witness.

“I knew Joe Cartwright well enough that I had no qualms about him helping Jennifer Burns.  The two of them have been very close friends for years,” Doc insisted.

Little Joe stared across to the defense table where Jennifer was seated right behind her husband.  He wanted to go over there and grab her arm and shake it.  Joe wanted to force her to tell the truth, but he couldn’t.  He was overwhelmed with both anger and an acute feeling of loss.

“You’re quite close with the Cartwright family, aren’t you, Doctor Martin?” Moxley continued.

“Yes, I am,” Paul nodded.

“Then I’d say your testimony is quite prejudiced.”

Randolf stood again filled with exasperation.  “Your Honor, I object!”

Judge Wheeler looked down at the defense attorney and announced, “Mister Moxley, it is not your place to try and defame this witness.  He was sworn in and said that he would tell the truth.

“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” Moxley replied.  “Allow me to rephrase.  Doctor Martin, is Ben Cartwright your best friend?”

Paul drew in a deep breath and stared over at Ben.  “Yes, he is.”

“That’s all the questions that I have for this witness, Your Honor,” Moxley smiled triumphantly and walked back to the defense table.

“You may step down, Doc,” Judge Wheeler announced.

Paul walked across the room and paused when he got to where Little Joe was seated.  He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nodded to the boy.  Doc knew that Joe was having a tough time, both physically and emotionally, and he wanted to show his support.  Ben thanked Paul with his eyes, and the doctor took a seat in the next row.

“Call your next witness, Mister Bell.”

“I call Joseph Cartwright, Your Honor.”

“Joseph Cartwright, take the stand,” Judge Wheeler ordered and watched both Ben and Joe rise from their seats and walk towards him along with Randolf Bell.

“Your Honor,” Randolf began.  “This is a special circumstance.  Joseph can’t speak due to the injuries he incurred.  His father here is holding a board that his other sons made to help Joseph communicate with us.  He points at the letters, and his father writes them down.  I realize that this is highly unusual, however, it’s the only way that we can provide his testimony.  If you will allow this, both Joseph and Ben Cartwright can be sworn in together.  He will need his father to stand next to him so he can write down his statements.”

Gerald Moxley listened to what Randolf had said and approached the judge.  “I understand that this is a special situation, Your Honor.  However, if my questions are posed to this young man in a yes or no fashion, he won’t have a need for that board or his father.”

Judge Wheeler stared down at the battered young man before him.  “He can’t write, is that true?”

“Yes, Your Honor, he’s left-handed and that’s the arm that got broken that night,” Randolf explained.

Judge Wheeler cleared his throat and thought about what both attorneys had said. “I will allow this young man to use that board and let his father assist him.  And I’ll also stipulate that if the question can be answered with a simple yes or no then Joseph can signal that.”

“Yes, he can.  His father has told me he holds one finger up for yes and two for no,” Randolf replied.

“Then if it’s called for, Joseph, I want you to do that.  Understand?” Judge Wheeler asked.

Little Joe held his pointer finger up as his response.

“Very well, bailiff please swear in both Ben and Joseph Cartwright.”

Little Joe stood next to the bailiff and tried to figure out how he could manage to put an arm up.  He could put his right hand on the Bible, but his other hand was inside of a sling.

“It’s fine, Son,” Judge Wheeler quickly realized the boy’s dilemma and called down to him.  “Just put your right hand on that Bible and don’t worry about raising your other one.

Little Joe nodded and did as he’d been instructed.  Both he and Pa were sworn in and walked over to the witness stand.  Ben handed the board to his son and stood directly behind him.

“Your Honor, this notepad is for Ben Cartwright to write his son’s statements.  I’d like to show it to you and the defense attorney.”

Mister Moxley approached the bench and looked through the pad to make sure that it was blank and the judge did likewise.

“That’s fine,” Judge Wheeler nodded.

“No objections,” Moxley agreed and retook his seat.

“Joseph, how long have you known Jennifer Burns?” Randolf asked.

Little Joe pointed out his reply and turned to his father.

“My son has written the following: I’ve known Jennifer since I was seven years old and she was eight.  Ben addressed the court and showed the piece of paper to the judge who nodded that he was satisfied.

“So, you’ve been good friends for many years then?”

Joe lifted his right index finger.

“Why did you go to stay with Jennifer Burns for two weeks, Joseph?”

Little Joe began to point at the letters and Ben once again wrote down his answer.

“My son has written:  I went there because Doc told me she wasn’t well after losing her baby.  He said that her husband left unexpectedly right after that happened and that she needed help.

“Did you try to get her to come into town to stay at the hotel?”

Little Joe raised his pointer finger again.

“But she wouldn’t go, isn’t that right?”

Joe lifted one finger.

“Were you ever romantically involved with Jennifer Burns?”

Joe began to point out letters for his father to write down.

“My son has written:  Never.

“Alright, Joseph, now please tell this court exactly what happened on the night in question.”

Drawing in a deep breath and casting one fleeting glance over at Jennifer, Joe began to point at the letters once more.  It had taken more than ten minutes for him to dictate such a long response, but he was finally done.

“My son’s response is this:  We ate dinner and I did up the dishes.   We said goodnight and I went into their spare room where I’d been staying and she went into hers.  I went right to sleep because I was tired.  I awoke to her screaming.  I ran into Jennifer’s room and saw her on the bed with a panicked look on her face.  I sat down next to her, and she asked me to hold her.  I did.  She said she’d had a horrible dream.  I tried to calm her.  I did hold her to comfort her, and for no other reason.  Only about a minute later, I was struck in the face by the butt of a rifle.  I fell down to the floor and before I could get my wits about me Steve Burns struck me again with that rifle.  I don’t know how many times he hit me because I passed out cold.  When I woke up, I was outside in the dirt.  My arm was broken so I couldn’t saddle my horse.  I rode bareback into Virginia City and stumbled up Doc Martin’s steps.  That’s all I remember until I woke up inside the office and my arm was in this cast.

There was a commotion in the courthouse as spectators began to whisper to each other.  Judge Wheeler pounded his gavel angrily.

“Any further disturbances and I will clear this court!” He insisted, upset over the interruption.  “You may continue, Mister Bell.”

“You’ve got some very severe injuries don’t you, Joseph?”

Little Joe merely nodded.

“I’d say it’s a miracle that you weren’t killed.  Right?”

Little Joe nodded once more.

“No further questions at this time but I’d like to reserve the right to call this witness back, if necessary, Your Honor.”

Judge Wheeler nodded and then looked over at Mister Moxley.  “You may cross examine this witness now.”

Gerald Moxley smiled as he made his way over to Joe.  He leaned in on the witness stand until he was only inches from Little Joe’s face.

“Mister Cartwright, I’d like to ask you a question.”

Little Joe stared at the man hard.  He knew that he was trying to trip him up and he wasn’t going to fall for it.

“If you were a married man and you came home late at night only to find another man in your bed holding your wife – what would you do?”

Hoss and Adam exchanged concerned glances back and forth.  They knew that it was a hard question for their brother to have to answer without incriminating himself.  They held their breaths and waited to hear what the boy was going to write next.

Little Joe pointed at the board again.  He finished and looked up at his father, a great deal of worry painting his face.

Ben cleared his throat after reading what his son had pointed out.  “My son has written:  No one knows how they would react until something like that happens.  But I’d never leave my wife – especially if she’d just lost our baby.  So, no other man would ever have to come and help my wife like I tried to do for Jennifer.

Gerald Moxley wasn’t happy with Joe’s answer.  It painted his client in a bad light.  He decided to do something about it.

“I’ll help you out, so you won’t have to use that board quite so much, Joseph.  These are simple yes or no questions so your father can just stand down.”

Ben frowned and stayed right where he was.  He wasn’t about to move unless directed by the judge.

“Did you do any ranch work while you were with Jennifer?”

Joe held up one finger.

“And did you do housework when you were with Jennifer?”

Joe again held up his index finger.

“Do you love Jennifer Burns?”  Moxley queried, hoping to catch the boy off guard.

Little Joe refrained from lifting his finger.  He looked behind him and motioned to his father that he needed his help.

“I object, Your Honor!  I have just asked this witness a very simple question, and he doesn’t need his father nor that board!” Gerald insisted, growing louder.

Randolf approached the judge and responded, “This witness deserves to be heard especially under these circumstances.  If he needs to qualify his answer, I’d say it’s only fair to allow him to do it.”

The judge stared down at Little Joe and asked, “Young Man, do you need to add more in your response to this question than merely a yes or a no?”

Joe both nodded and held up one finger.

“I’ll allow it, Mister Bell.  Go ahead and ask your question once more, Mister Moxley.”

“Do you love Jennifer Burns, Mister Cartwright?” Gerald restated sharply.

Little Joe began to point each letter out to form his response.  When he was through, Ben read the reply to himself and then cast a worried glance over at his son.  Leaning down he whispered in the boy’s ear, “Joseph, are you sure that this is what you want me to say?” He pointed to what he had written on the piece of paper.  Little Joe read what Pa had written and then stared into his eyes.  He easily detected the concern all over his father’s face.  Joe simply nodded his head.

It broke Ben’s heart to have to announce to the court what Joseph had dictated to him.  He examined his son’s face again, placing a hand onto the boy’s shoulder to garner his attention.  Little Joe nodded insistently up to his father, directing him to go ahead and read exactly what he had pointed out to him.

Drawing in a deep breath trying to gather himself a bit, Ben stated, “My son has answered that question thusly:  I have loved Jennifer since I was seven years old.  And no matter what has happened I still do.  I love her as a friend, and I always will.

The instant that Ben Cartwright read his son’s statement, Jennifer jumped out of her seat and rushed to the witness stand.

“Joe!  Joe – please!  Stop all of this while you still can!  If you ever really loved me – you’ll stop it!” she pleaded standing right in front of her friend.

Judge Wheeler struck his gavel loudly and pointed to the bailiff.  “Escort Mrs. Burns back to her seat!  I won’t have any more outbursts in my court!”

Randolf watched as the jurors began to talk amongst themselves.  He hurried to the bench and said, “Your Honor, may I request a short recess?”

“I see no reason for a recess!” Moxley chimed in as he approached the bench.  He hoped that Joe’s last response had made a huge difference in the case against his client and that it might cause there to be an acquittal.

Randolf whispered to the judge, “Your Honor, that outburst may have prejudiced the jurors.”

“I’ll allow there to be a brief postponement due to the outburst by Mrs. Burns,” the judge agreed.  “This court will be in recess for one hour,” he announced and struck his gavel.  Judge Wheeler stood and walked into the next room.

“C’mon, Son,” Ben whispered to the boy, dropping a hand down onto his shoulder.  He hated that he had been forced to read Joe’s declaration.  He didn’t know if it would mean that Steve Burns would be acquitted but he understood why Joe had made his statement.  Unable to speak or not, his youngest boy always wore his heart on his shirtsleeve.  It was just his nature.

---

The four Cartwrights congregated outside on the walkway and waited.  Quite a few of the residents of the town cast suspicious glances towards Little Joe as they meandered around waiting for court to be reconvened.  Ben eyed his youngest and could tell that seeing Jennifer and listening to her plea to drop the charges had affected him.  He moved next to Joe and dropped a hand down onto his right shoulder.

“You did just fine, Boy,” He whispered and tried to get a look into his son’s left eye.

Joe just shrugged his shoulders and attempted to frown but once again, the chin strap prevented his ability to express himself.

“Hey, Little Brother — I seen Nate Gentry earlier and he was riding that new palomino that he brung all the way up from Mexico.  Maybe we could go down to the livery after this is over and he might still be in town so you can get a look at it?”

Little Joe realized that all his family members were trying their best to pretend that things had gone well during his testimony, but he knew that they hadn’t.  He wasn’t sure what he would do if Steve got off and there were no repercussions for him half beating him to death.  Adam looked over at his father and shook his head.  They were all worried about Little Joe and how he’d handle it if Steve was acquitted.

Turning around when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Little Joe looked at the defense attorney who had come up from behind them all.

“Joseph, may I speak to you for just a moment?” He asked quietly.

Ben and his other two sons moved in closer, unamused that the man was trying to speak to Little Joe.

“That’s not exactly proper procedure, Mister Moxley, now, is it?  You’re handling the defense and shouldn’t be pestering my brother,” Adam said with aggravation in his tone of voice.

“Joseph,” Ben added as he moved in closer to his youngest, trying to protect him.  “You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

“I assure you that I’m not going to try to persuade your son to do anything that he feels uncomfortable about doing, Mister Cartwright.  How about it, Joe?”

Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, Joe reached his hand out for his father to give him the board in case he needed to say something to the man.

“Son – do you want me to come with you?  I could write down whatever you might want to say?”

Little Joe shook his head as he tucked the board underneath his right arm.  He walked over to the courthouse’s double doors and waited while the attorney pulled them open.

---

Inside stood Jennifer Burns and she stared over at her friend.  “Little Joe — could you and I talk before court starts back up?”

Feeling trapped and looking back and forth between Jennifer and Mister Moxley, Joe just stood there shaking his head.

“It’s okay, Joseph, you and Jennifer can go and talk in the anteroom.  You won’t be bothered in there,” Moxley offered.

“Please, Little Joe – this is the only chance you and I are going to have,” Jennifer continued to beg her friend to listen to her.

Joe finally nodded and walked over to the door to the private room as the attorney held it open for him.  Soon he was sitting in a chair next to the girl he had formerly called his friend.  He shifted nervously, worried that she might do something stupid like scream for help again.

Jennifer stared at the floor for a few minutes trying to gather her thoughts before beginning.  “Little Joe, I’ve got a lot to tell you – so could you please just hear me out before you get up and walk away?  I know I’ve hurt you – and I’ll never be able to make amends for what I did.”

Joe frowned but then nodded for her to speak her peace.  He figured that she was still just trying to get him to drop the charges before any judgement was made.

“Little Joe – I’ve told Steve the truth.  He now knows that I screamed just to get you to come into our room.  That night I saw him going into the barn.  He was putting his horse away when I spotted him.  Steve left it at the livery before getting on that stage for San Francisco,” She began to explain while Little Joe just looked on and waited.  “I was so mad at him.  When he just up and left after I lost the baby it hurt me so much.  Then you came along and took care of me – the way that he should have.  I guess I just wanted to hurt him because I felt abandoned by him.  But I didn’t think about what he might do to you, Little Joe.  I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t.  Steve and I talked about all this last night.  I confessed and so did he.  He hadn’t really abandoned me like I thought.  He had gone to San Francisco to try for a new job and he got it.  Steve wants to start all over again.  He has already got us a new place to live and is hiring help for me so maybe I’ll be able to carry the next baby to full term.  I had no way of knowing Little Joe.  If I had I never would have done what I did.

Little Joe stood up abruptly because he didn’t want to hear anymore.  But Jennifer tugged on his arm and pleaded with him again.

“Oh, please, Little Joe!  Please listen to me – it’s our only chance.”

Shaking his head over his gullibility, Joe finally took a seat once again.

“Little Joe – Steve feels awful for what he did to you.  He said he just went crazy after seeing your horse in our barn and then to come into our bedroom and seeing you there half dressed – well he just lost his mind for a few minutes.”

Pointing to his face and his left arm, Joe shot the woman the angriest gaze he could muster with only the use of his left eye.

“I know, Joe – I know.  It doesn’t take away the pain from what he did – no more than it takes away the pain from what I did to you.  But – Little Joe – if you really meant what your father read there inside the courtroom then please just drop the charges.  Steve and I will leave town, and you’ll never have to see either of us again.”

Grabbing the board sitting there off to his right side, Joe set it on his lap and motioned for the girl to read along with what he was writing.

Joe wrote out: How in the heck can you expect me to let bygones be bygones?  I don’t know which of you hurt me the most.  Jennifer, I never expected this from you.  I thought you loved me the way I’ve always loved you.

Jennifer began to cry and had to reach inside her purse to get a handkerchief.  She blotted her eyes and stared up at Joe.  “I know – I did the worst possible thing that I could do – and after you showed me such kindness.  I wish with all my heart that I could take this all back, Little Joe.  Steve feels the same way.  But we can’t.  If you can find it inside your heart to drop the charges, you’d be giving us that new start that we need.  It’s a lot to ask, I know that.  And – Little Joe – I do love you.  I always have and I always will.  But Steve is my husband and I need him.”

Little Joe stood for the last time and shook his head sadly, unsure as to what to do about the whole horrible mess.  Jennifer grabbed Joe’s right hand and looked into the hazel eyes of the boy she had called friend for over ten years.

“Please?” She whispered.

Joe spelled out:  I need some time.

“Alright, Little Joe – but we’ve not got much – the court is going to come back into session in thirty minutes.’

Nodding his head, Joe walked to the door and pulled it open.  He never looked back at the girl.

---

When twenty minutes had passed and Joe had yet to reappear, Ben walked inside the courthouse and over to Mister Moxley.  “Where’s my son?”

“He went out the back door.  Your son has a big decision on his shoulders right now, Mister Cartwright,” The attorney said as he pointed towards the back of the courtroom.  “I guess Joe didn’t want to be spotted outside.  You’ll probably find him somewhere behind the courthouse.”

Ben didn’t reply verbally but simply nodded over to the man and hurried to find his son.

Behind the Virginia City Courthouse there was a grove of oaks and over at the far-right corner, just underneath one of those trees, Ben spotted the boy sitting alone on a bench.  He walked through the tall grass and wildflowers until he came upon his son.

“Joseph?” he questioned softly and sat down to the boy’s right.  “What happened?  We all got worried when you didn’t come back around front.”

Holding the board on his lap, Joe began to slowly point to the letters, fearful due to what his father might say once he was done.

Ben watched and carefully read each word that his son spelled out.  He had an inkling as to who the boy had spoken to and now, he was beginning to understand why Joe had been summoned inside the courthouse.

Joe’s message read: Pa, Jennifer asked me to drop the charges.  She said that she told Steve the truth about what happened.  She also said that Steve had gone to San Francisco to get a better job and to get them a new place so they could start all over.

Pulling his left hand up to his mouth Ben couldn’t hide the shock he felt over what his son had written.

“Oh, Joseph,” Ben groaned and shook his head.  He was filled with disbelief along with righteous indignation over what the girl had asked his son to do.  Ben looked at Joseph sitting there with tears rolling down his face.  He appeared to be utterly devastated after listening to Jennifer’s request.  Ben draped his arm across the boy’s shoulder and gave it a gentle pat while still trying to find the right words to say to him.  It was then that Joe began to write again.

It read: I have to do this.

“Why, Son?” He whispered, trying to understand.

Joe wrote: For what we had, Pa.

His eyes sought out his father’s understanding and approval, but all he saw was pain spreading across Pa’s face.

“Joseph, Steve almost killed you,” He replied almost choking on his words.  The fingers of Ben’s right hand tenderly inspected each cut and bruise on his son’s battered face and then dropped down to the boy’s broken arm held securely by the plaster cast.  Joseph was eighteen years old, almost grown, but he was also his youngest child.  He was frightfully aware that he had almost lost him the night of the attack.

Joe’s hand fell back down to the board, his fingers hesitating before he began pointing at the letters again.

He wrote: Please, Pa?  Will you drop the charges for me?

Ben shook his head consumed with so many different emotions that they all pulsated in his troubled mind.  He was filled with rage over what Steve Burns had done to his boy.  And he was equally angered with Jennifer for being the one responsible for putting his son in danger of being killed by her lies.  She had screamed out purposely, knowing that her husband was heading into the house and that he’d see Joseph sitting there next to her like he was.  And she had sat there and watched as her husband almost killed the boy.  Now it was that same so-called “friend” who had put his son’s life in jeopardy who was asking both Ben and Joe to simply drop all the charges and walk away as though nothing had happened.

“Joseph – you know I’d do anything in this world for you – but please don’t ask me to do that,” Ben whispered, still fighting the mounting outrage which he couldn’t let go of.

Little Joe’s right hand reached out and touched Pa’s arm.  He tried his best to get his message across to his father, but without being able to talk or in any other way express his feelings he found it far too difficult.  He needed his father’s understanding and his compliance.  Joe wanted it all to go away, both the memory of Jennifer’s betrayal and Steve’s brutal assault, just so he could somehow move on with his life.

Ben drew in a deep breath, and without saying another word, as if he was as mute as the boy sitting next to him, he slowly stood from the bench.  He didn’t say anything right away and the atmosphere between both father and son grew thick with opposing opinions over what should be done.  He knew that Joseph needed some kind of closure.  But as the boy’s father, he wanted the kind of closure that would only come by watching Steve Burns being hauled off to Territorial Prison.  However, his son didn’t want that after all.  Ben knew that Joseph wanted some peace in his life and an ending to his friendship with the girl he had loved for so long.

Ben reached down for Joe’s good arm and gently pulled him to standing.  He tucked the board underneath his arm as the boy looked up into his eyes.  It was only then that Joe noticed the slight glistening of tears in Pa’s eyes.

Sighing to himself, Ben frowned and the worry lines on his face appeared to deepen.  He didn’t want to agree with what Joseph wanted to do.  However, looking at him and reading the kind of pain that was on his face which hadn’t been caused by the stock of a rifle, he knew what his son was thinking.  Pa was aware that the pain that he saw on Joseph’s face was due to the loss of a lifelong friend.

Coughing to clear the raw emotion that was stuck inside of his throat, Ben asked, “You’re very sure, Son?”

Little Joe nodded solemnly, hoping that his father was beginning to warm up to the terrible concession that they’d be making by dropping all charges against Steve.

Ben studied his son’s face once more, still wishing that he could see beyond all the cuts and bruises, so he’d know that Joseph was telling him the truth.  Wrapping his arms around his son, he pulled him close to his chest.  Then, knowing that it was what the boy had in his heart to do, he replied, “Alright, Joseph.”

Little Joe urgently reached for the board that his father now held in his hand, but Ben pulled it away from his son’s grasp.

“You don’t need it, Joseph,” Pa whispered, a knowing smile filtering down onto his lips.  He knew why the boy had reached for the board and exactly what he would’ve written with it.  “I love you too, Son.” He nodded.  “Now let’s go on inside.”

---

There was one large conference hall behind the courtroom and assembled inside it a few minutes later were the two attorneys, those who they were representing, and Ben Cartwright.

Little Joe sat next to Pa and began to write.  He finished his thought and then nodded to his father to read it out loud to Jennifer.

Ben looked down at the sheet of paper where he had written what Joe wanted to say. “This is what my son has written: Jennifer, before we drop the charges there’s one thing that you need to do.  Get up in that courtroom and clear my name – not for my sake – but for my Pa’s.

Ben grinned wryly as he stared at his boy and shook his head over what he had written.  Though that statement had been formed letter by letter by the boy, he could almost hear his son’s voice in what he had written.

Jennifer nodded and returned, “I will, Little Joe.  I owe you much more – but it’s a start.”

“Little Joe,” Steve felt as though he would choke on the words he had to say.  “I can’t tell you how awful I feel for what I did to you.  It was you taking care of my wife, that’s the reason that she’s doing so well now.  I was just so insanely jealous the second that I saw you with Jennifer.”

Ben had to hold his tongue, or he would’ve completely unloaded on the man for what he had done to his boy.  He watched the way that Joe dropped his gaze down to the floor, avoiding the whole confrontation and the apology too.

Randolf Bell stood and so did Gerald Moxley.

“We’re going to go and explain all this to Judge Wheeler and then we’ll call all of you back inside the courtroom,” Randolf stated and then turned out of the room with the defense attorney.

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air making the whole room seem too small.  Ben and Joe couldn’t look at Jennifer or Steve.  They just wanted to get the whole miserable affair over and head back to the Ponderosa where things made some sense.  It was only a few minutes later that they were all instructed to return to the courtroom and Jennifer was sworn in.

---

“My client’s wife would like to make a statement,” Gerald announced to the courtroom and then nodded to Jennifer to say her peace.

“I’m the one to blame for all that happened,” she began and blotted her eyes with her handkerchief.  Her eyes then caught on Little Joe and she couldn’t take seeing the damage that he had sustained due to her lies.  “After Little Joe went to bed I sat in my room and couldn’t get Steve out of my head.  It was then that I wondered if he was just taking me for granted.  A short time later I saw him putting his horse inside the barn.  I don’t know why I did it – but I screamed on purpose knowing that it would send Joe running inside my room.  I swear to all of you – and especially you – Little Joe – I didn’t know that Steve would get that angry with you.  I thought he’d just send you packing.  But that’s not what happened.  After I saw you getting hurt like that, I didn’t know what to do.  I guess my lies had grown too big to admit to.  Steve had gone to San Francisco to try to build a new life for us – and hopefully our children.  He was planning on surprising me with the news once he’d gotten home.  But he never got the chance.  Joe – Mister Cartwright – I know that neither of you can ever forgive me – not after all that I caused.  But I’ll never forget your many acts of kindness.”

“Thank you, Jennifer, you may step down now,” Moxley said and he watched her move over to sit behind Steve once more.
“Your Honor,” Randolf addressed the judge and both he and Gerald walked up to the bench together.  “The prosecution has been advised that Ben Cartwright on behalf of his son Joseph, has decided to withdraw his complaint.   And so, due to the circumstances, we’d like to drop he assault charge and release Mister Burns.”

Judge Wheeler nodded and then addressed the entire courtroom.  “I hope all of you have learned a valuable lesson today.  Jumping to the wrong conclusion can get someone killed.  And lies end up hurting those you care about.  I hereby order that Steve Burns be released and all charges be withdrawn from consideration.  This court stands adjourned.

All those in the courtroom stood as Judge Wheeler walked out of the room and the jurors and spectators filed outside.  Little Joe didn’t want to look at Jennifer or Steve.  He stood sandwiched between his two brothers and with his father following closely behind, they all walked out of the courtroom together.

---

Epilogue

The ranch house was remarkably quiet and calmer than it had been in quite a while.  After Hop Sing had helped Little Joe out of his regular clothes and back into a nightshirt, he had served what he had hoped to be a celebratory dinner for the other three Cartwrights.  Ben had given him a short rendition of what had happened in town and Hop Sing had stated that “all work out for best” which he hoped would be the case.  Little Joe had an awful lot of healing to do, but his father hoped that now that Jennifer and Steve would soon be leaving the area that it would help his son to move on and try to forget all that had happened.

Hop Sing had prepared Little Joe some soft-boiled eggs and the boy had managed to get them down though it hadn’t been an easy thing to do.  Afterwards Joe had played out and was asleep by nine when his father had gone up to his room to check on him.  He eased out of his son’s bedroom, quietly closing the door.  Ben figured that rest was the best medicine for the present time and hoped that Joe wouldn’t be plagued with any further nightmares about what Steve Burns had done to him.

---

Two weeks later, at Little Joe’s insistence, his father drove him into Virginia City.  He had heard through the grapevine that Steve had sold the ranch and that he and Jennifer would be leaving that afternoon on the noon stage.  Ben was deeply concerned about how his son would react to seeing the woman again.  Though Joe no longer wrote a single word about the whole incident, his father knew that it would take quite a while to get over the loss of his friend.  Even though Jennifer had recanted her lies, it still hurt to know that she had done it to begin with, especially after all Joe had done to help her.

“Joseph?  Do you want me to stop in front of the mercantile and then walk from there over to the Overland Depot?” He asked as they rounded the corner of C Street.

His hand pointing down to the board at his feet, Joe signaled for his father to pull up right where they were.

“Okay, now what?” Ben asked, watching his son getting ready to point out what he wanted to say.

Joe spelled out: I’m not going to let her know that I’m here, Pa.  I just wanted to watch her leave from across the street somewhere.

Though he had no earthly idea why his son would’ve wanted to ride into town only to watch his former friend leaving from a distance, Ben wasn’t going to question it.  He pulled the buckboard over some and then tied the reins down at the footboard.

Joe stepped down from the wagon and waited for his father to walk around to join him on the walkway.  Ben dropped his hand down onto his son’s shoulder and stared pensively into his eyes.  He was glad that he could finally see into both of them now.  Though the boy still had to wear the chin strap and he would also be sporting the cast on his arm for another month, at least his right eye had healed.

The stagecoach was preparing to board and Joe first caught sight of Steve Burns and then Jennifer as she began to climb up and take a seat.

Ben stared down at his son to make sure he was alright.  He had spotted the misting of tears in Joe’s eyes but didn’t say a word about it.  Ben just draped his arm around his son’s shoulder and stood there alongside him offering what moral support that he could.  Next came the loud shout from the stagecoach driver and the team of horses were sent down the street at a very fast clip.  Joe had caught a fleeting glance at Jennifer who had been sitting next to one of the windows.

Joe dropped his head down for a minute and tried to forget the girl he had grown up with.  He would never see her again and he knew it.

After a few more minutes passed by and Ben worried about the fact that his son hadn’t moved or made a sound, he patted Joe’s back and said, “How’s my boy?”

Little Joe looked up at his father, and if he could have grinned, he would have.  Pa was calling him “his boy” again.  In a world where everything seemed to be moving far too fast, it was nice to know that some things never changed.

When he witnessed Joe’s right hand motioning for him to come closer, Ben wondered what his son was up to.  His face reflected his curiosity as he bent down.

Though he could only part his lips about a quarter of an inch due to the tight chin strap, Little Joe was able to get out six clearly discernable words.

“Your boy is doing fine, Pa,” Joe nodded over at his father.

Ben grinned as he wrapped an arm around his son’s shoulder.  “Let’s get on home, Joseph.”

Little Joe glanced down to the end of C Street where he had last spotted the stage carrying Jennifer.

*** As he rises to her apology anybody else would surely know – he’s watching her go.  But what a fool believes, he sees. ***

He turned his attention back to his father and nodded again. Content on leaving his friendship with Jennifer in the past, Little Joe was eager to go back to the Ponderosa where things made sense to him. He walked with Pa to the buckboard.  It was time to go home.

The End

Written by Wrangler  ***Feedback or “likes” are not required but are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading! ***

8/2/26

(Dedicated to my story consultant Rob for his encouragement and patience who, in turn, dedicates this story to Carm for her title suggestion.)