Summary: A surprise assault on the Ponderosa tests twelve-year-old Little Joe’s mettle, and proves\u00a0he truly is his father’s son.<\/p>\n
Word count: 4,470. Rating: T<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fire Inside<\/strong><\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Little Joe Cartwright sat on the top rail of the corral fence, his eyes locked on its single occupant: a wild stallion his brothers had wrangled just a few days earlier. It was a magnificent beast, full of fire and fury. The boy couldn\u2019t help but lose his thoughts to daydreams as he watched the stallion test its new confinement. He imagined himself on its back, turning it to his will.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe get down!\u201d Hop Sing shouted suddenly with a fury of his own. \u201cBoy not allowed in corral!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, Hop Sing!\u201d Joe complained as he jumped back to the ground outside the fencing. \u201cI wasn\u2019t in the corral! I was just sittin\u2019\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoy no argue Hop Sing! Father say stay away from horse! Boy no listen! How many time Hop Sing find boy head in clouds?\u201d<\/p>\n The man\u2019s next words went unheard. \u201cWait, Hop Sing!\u201d Joe hollered back. \u201cListen!\u201d<\/p>\n Cuing in to the thundering hooves of approaching horses, Joe grinned, thinking his pa and brothers were home. But Hop Sing\u2019s scowl reminded him that the sound was far too thunderous. Surely there were more than three horses. Many more. Maybe even as many as rode in that band of comancheros Joe had heard folks talking about in town just a few weeks earlier.<\/p>\n Old Mister Grizzly had said those comancheros had killed off a whole family someplace on the other side of the mountains, over California-way. Pa had scolded the old man, telling him he was wrong to scare children with talk like that; and besides, wherever it had happened was a long ways away. At twelve-years-old, Joe had been angry to hear his pa call him a child. Still, he hadn\u2019t complained about it until a long time afterward, after he\u2019d stopped thinking about what Old Grizzly had said.<\/p>\n \u201cBoy go! Now!\u201d Hop Sing grabbed hold of Joe\u2019s shoulder and started pushing him toward the house. \u201cInside!\u201d Hop Sing commanded. \u201cChop chop!\u201d<\/p>\n And suddenly Joe was scared all over again. All he could think about was comancheros. What else could all those thundering hooves mean, especially with Hop Sing as worried as he was?<\/p>\n Fear propelled Little Joe forward. He was determined to reach the house, and maybe even to grab up a rifle or two. But it was already too late. The hoots and hollers of a dozen or more men sounded behind him before he\u2019d even reached the porch \u2026 and then something far more worrisome stopped him barely ten feet from the front door. Those hooting and hollering men started shooting. One of their bullets hit the porch in front of Little Joe an instant before his foot landed on the exact same spot.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright was a proud man. His cattle herd was growing and he\u2019d recently discovered silver on his land, his Ponderosa. Yes, he was proud of what he had accomplished since settling in the Washoe. But his greatest measure of pride was in his sons. He had three fine sons to carry on his legacy.<\/p>\n As he put the new mining operation behind him, riding back home with his two oldest boys at his side, he took a deep breath of fresh mountain air and thought of his youngest. Little Joe had nearly as much fire in him as the nitro Ben had left in the capable hands of his mining foreman. Both Joseph and nitroglycerin could look innocuous enough when they were sitting still, but both could explode in an instant with careless handling.<\/p>\n \u201cYou reckon he\u2019s still sulking?\u201d Hoss\u2019s question proved Ben wasn\u2019t the only one whose thoughts had wandered to the fourth and most volatile Cartwright.<\/p>\n Ben smiled. \u201cOh, I think he\u2019s well past that by now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t forget,\u201d Adam added, grinning, \u201cit\u2019s too much work for him to stay angry. And you know how much he hates work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah,\u201d Hoss countered. \u201cHe don\u2019t hate work. He hates chores, but not work. He\u2019ll try to work harder\u2019n anyone when we let him.\u201d<\/p>\n After filling his lungs with more of that invigorating mountain air, Ben nodded. \u201cWhich is precisely why I didn\u2019t allow him to come with us. That mine is far too dangerous a place for a twelve-year-old boy who imagines himself a grown man.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam ducked his head in only partial agreement. \u201cYou could say the same for a corral full of wild horses or a meadow crowded with anxious beeves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well, at least those are dangers he\u2019s learned to be wary of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked then. \u201cYa\u2019 think Hop Sing managed to keep him away from that new stallion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he did!\u201d Ben answered more tersely than he\u2019d intended. \u201cAnd you think so, too, because if you didn\u2019t, you\u2019d be practically whipping that horse of yours to get home and make sure your little brother is all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon I would at that.\u201d Hoss\u2019s responding smile put Ben at ease, making him realize he\u2019d shown a bit of his own volatility.<\/p>\n The apple surely didn\u2019t fall far from the tree, now did it? Joe wasn\u2019t the only one with a bit of explosive fire lurking just beneath the surface.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing\u2019s bound to come after us,\u201d Hoss went on, \u201cwith that heavy fry pan of his, complainin\u2019 up a storm about all the trouble he got Little Joe out of while we were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn Chinese,\u201d Adam added.<\/p>\n Chuckling softly at the vision of an irate Chinaman shaking a fist wrapped tightly around the handle of a cast iron skillet, Ben found himself eager to get home. But when they rounded the next bend, wisps of dark smoke wafting above the trees ahead kindled a new kind of fire in his gut.<\/p>\n \u201cDear God,\u201d he said, his voice muted by fear as he kicked his horse into a wild gallop.<\/p>\n His home, his Ponderosa, was burning.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n The barn was engulfed in flames by the time Ben and his sons arrived. Fortunately, a steady wind pushed the smoke across the empty corral and away from the house. Still, Ben knew the wind could shift at any moment.<\/p>\n \u201cGet the buckets!\u201d he hollered to his sons as he dismounted quicker than he would have believed possible. \u201cJoseph!\u201d he yelled next. \u201cHop Sing!\u201d Where were they? Why weren\u2019t they trying to douse that fire? \u201cJoseph? Little Joe! Hop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss called at his shoulder. \u201cThe house!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know! I don\u2019t care about the barn, but we\u2019ve got to keep that fire from reaching\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI mean look<\/em>, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n Confused, Ben turned his attention and saw what he hadn\u2019t before. The front door was open wide \u2026 wide enough to reveal the mess inside. \u201cWhat in heaven\u2019s name\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBandits, ya\u2019 think?\u201d Hoss asked when Ben left his own statement unfinished. \u201cTook the stallion and \u2026 whatever else they could find?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026.\u201d Ben started absently. And then, his eyes widening at the implications playing out in his mind, he shouted as loud as he could. \u201cLittle Joe! Hop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll find \u2018em, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n But the fire<\/em>\u2026. \u201cNo,\u201d Ben decided. \u201cThe fire, first. Let\u2019s just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa! Hoss!\u201d Adam cried out suddenly, drawing them both to the barn where he had already begun trying to douse the flames. \u201cThere\u2019s someone inside!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben forced back a dizzying wave of fear. \u201cGet some wool blankets!\u201d he ordered Hoss while Adam went for another bucket of water.<\/p>\n Moments later, under the cover of a wet mantle of wool, Ben braved the flames himself, refusing to risk his sons. He followed Adam\u2019s shouted directions through the blinding smoke until he came across a prone form that was too stout and tall to be Little Joe. Quickly swallowing a very brief instant of relief, he knew before he even reached forward that he had found Hop Sing.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n It seemed hours later — yes, it had to have been hours, hadn\u2019t it?<\/em> — before Ben and his oldest sons were finally able to leave the barn, allowing it to smolder into dust.<\/p>\n \u201cGet the doctor,\u201d Ben asked whichever of his boys could hear him. His voice was soft, his mind numb. \u201cAnd the sheriff. We need to\u2026.\u201d He took in a heavy breath. \u201cWe need to find the men who did this.\u201d Looking up at the falling sun, he added. \u201cIn the morning, we\u2019ll \u2026 we\u2019ll sift through the rubble. We\u2019ll \u2026 find your brother.\u201d The last words barely escaped his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cPa…,\u201d Adam started. His mouth worked uselessly for several breaths before he finished. \u201cIt\u2019s possible Joe wasn\u2019t with Hop Sing in there.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben studied him, wanting to share that hope, needing<\/em> to share it. But\u2026. \u201cWe\u2019ve already searched everywhere else.”<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but\u2026.\u201d Adam filled his chest with more of that soot-choked air. \u201cThey might have taken him with them.”<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s thoughts darkened. \u201cFor what? To sell him as a slave to the Indians? Or worse?\u201d His tone was harsh, too<\/em> harsh. Adam looked stung. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, son. You\u2019re right. If they took him, then at least we have some hope of finding him alive. Come on. Let\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa?\u201d Ben turned to find his middle boy already mounted. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss pointed toward the empty corral. \u201cThere\u2019s somethin\u2019 over by the rail. See it?\u201d<\/p>\n All Ben saw was a tangle of ropes. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Hoss. You just ride. Hop Sing needs\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Hoss argued softly as he nudged his horse closer to the corral. \u201cIt ain\u2019t \u2026 ain\u2019t nothin\u2019.\u201d Dismounting, he stepped through the open gate.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d Ben scolded. \u201cHop Sing needs the doctor. He\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Joe!\u201d Hoss shouted then, rushing toward that tangled heap.<\/p>\n Fear warred with hope. Ben ran forward, feeling ill and raw, until two words nearly dropped him to his knees.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alive!\u201d<\/p>\n Moments later, Ben did<\/em> drop to his knees. He knelt beside his all-too-still youngest son. The boy was cocooned in rope, as though he\u2019d been lassoed not once but twice, and each length of raw hemp had been coiled around him again and again, and knotted too many times to count. Joe\u2019s arms were pulled unnaturally in front of him and held tight to his chest, his right wrist clearly broken in the process. And he was covered head to toe in mud, blood and manure.<\/p>\n \u201cUse a knife!\u201d Ben commanded, unwilling to wait to free the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy, Pa,\u201d Hoss said in the same calm, gentling voice he\u2019d used with the stallion they\u2019d brought to that very corral days earlier. \u201cAdam\u2019s takin\u2019 care of it. Ya\u2019 see? Here he comes now.\u201d<\/p>\n It seemed an eternity before Adam sliced through the last of the rope. All the while, Ben held a hand to the boy\u2019s chest, finding strength with every rise and fall that proved his son was still breathing.<\/p>\n \u201cGo,\u201d Ben said then, letting his eyes move upward just long enough to recognize his own fear mirrored in the eyes of both of his older sons. \u201cGet Doctor Martin. Hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n And then, finally, Ben scooped Little Joe up into his arms to carry him on leaden, wobbly legs into the tarnished sanctuary of his home \u2026 his Ponderosa.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n 2<\/strong><\/p>\n Ben did everything he could for Little Joe, as Adam had set about doing for Hop Sing just down the hall. He washed away the filth, cleaned and bandaged a myriad of bleeding wounds — the most troubling of which included a deep gash just below Joe’s left collar bone and another on his right thigh — and then resigned himself to waiting and praying\u00a0for the doctor to arrive \u2026 for the sheriff to send a posse out after the men who’d dared harm his boy \u2026 and, most of all, for the boy to open his eyes.<\/p>\n Joe looked so … wrong<\/em> lying still and quiet in his bed, his skin mottled by cuts and bruises and his wrist twisted and swollen. He was far too young to have been so brutally attacked. How could any man do such a thing to a child? And how could\u2026.<\/p>\n How could Ben have left his young son so unprotected, so vulnerable? Hop Sing was a cook, for heaven\u2019s sake. A\u00a0cook<\/em>, not a gunman. Ben had settled his family a long way from the civilized east. How could he have been so thoughtless as to expect his cook might offer the boy sufficient protection there in the un<\/em>civilized west?<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Adam\u2019s question pulled Ben’s attention to the doorway.<\/p>\n Finding himself unable to answer, he turned back to Joe while Adam moved closer, and then sighed when his oldest son\u2019s hand fell upon his shoulder. Somehow, that connection renewed his strength enough to allow him to speak. \u201cIt\u2019s bad, Adam. He\u2019s been kicked. The horse must have still been in there when they … when they\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s grip tightened. \u201cDoctor Martin\u2019s on his way, Pa. Joe will be just fine; the doc will see to it.\u201d His tone sounded as strong as his grip. His eyes were less certain.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Ben answered, as he knew he must. \u201cWhat about Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam drew a deep breath before answering. \u201cHe took quite a beating; and all that smoke didn\u2019t do his lungs any good. But \u2026 at least he wasn\u2019t burned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank God for small favors,\u201d Ben said absently.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2026.\u201d Adam withdrew his hand and turned away, taking a few steps toward the window. \u201cIt might have gone worse….” Swiveling to face Ben once more, he added, \u201cif we\u2019d been here?\u201d The way he turned the statement into a question was as clear a sign of his uncertainty as what Ben saw in his eyes.<\/p>\n That pleading, needful look, one Ben hadn’t seen since his oldest boy had left for college years earlier, did more to\u00a0inspire anger than the confidence Adam sought.\u00a0\u201cYes,” Ben declared firmly. “We could have fought them. We could have\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike that family in California?\u201d Adam\u2019s tone gained strength, reminding Ben of the man he’d become during those long years away. \u201cThey fought and they died for their efforts: Every last one of them, even a ten-year-old boy!\u201d For an instant his eyes sparked fire, but only for an instant. \u201cAt least\u2026.\u201d A hand went to his hair and his eyes grew uncharacteristically watery, prompting him to turn his back and look to the window again. \u201cAt least they didn\u2019t kill them outright. They left them for dead, but \u2026 they didn\u2019t kill them outright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son. You\u2019re right. Things could have gone far \u2026 far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Facing Ben once more, Adam\u2019s gaze took on a calculating look. \u201cDo you think they knew we were coming?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt might.\u201d Adam’s brows drew downward, as they tended to do when he was searching for answers to life’s puzzles. \u201cMaybe that\u2019s why they left Joe and Hop Sing alive, and why they set the barn on fire.\u201d His\u00a0tone began to grow lighter. \u201cThey knew it would prevent us from going after them. It would give them a chance to get away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps,\u201d Ben considered.<\/p>\n \u201cI bet they\u00a0did<\/em>\u00a0know. And I bet I know why.\u201d Adam looked to Little Joe. \u201cBecause of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThink about it. You know how Joe gets when he’s too angry to be frightened. Too \u2026 stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben let a small, sad smile slip into place. \u201cWith me perhaps. Until the switch comes out. But….\u201d The smile fell. \u201cIn the hands of ruthless comancheros?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how he can be, Pa. The angrier he is, the less he thinks. The consequences of his actions are the last thing he worries about.\u00a0You just wait<\/em>, I bet he\u2019d say.\u00a0You just wait \u2018til my pa and brothers get back<\/em>!\u201d Adam chuckled mirthlessly. \u201cAs though the men who did this were no more dangerous than schoolhouse bullies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Hop Sing\u2019s voice, weak and raspy, drew them both to the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing!\u201d Ben exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet. \u201cI\u2019m glad to see you awake, but you shouldn\u2019t be out of bed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hurried forward. Two steps quicker than his father, he took hold of Hop Sing’s arm and guided\u00a0him to Ben\u2019s vacated chair. \u201cPa\u2019s right, Hop Sing. You don\u2019t look much better than Little Joe right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing \u2026 fail,\u201d the cook responded quietly as he settled into the chair without argument. \u201cNot stop\u2026. Boy hurt. Hop \u2026 Hop Sing let men hurt boy.\u201d He gasped, as though struggling to catch his breath.<\/p>\n But … That wasn’t it, was it?\u00a0He was crying softly, Ben realized then. Hop Sing was crying. It was strange and disturbing and \u2026 and Ben couldn\u2019t bear another moment of it. \u201cNonsense! You didn\u2019t fail. You were outnumbered, outmatched. There was nothing you could have done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe \u2026 fight. Much fire in him. He yell. Make threat. Kick. Bite. But Hop Sing\u2026.\u201d He shook his head slowly. \u201cThey kick Hop Sing. Like dog. Like\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d This time the argument did not come from Ben. It was a whispered rattle that drew all eyes toward the bed. \u201cNo,\u201d Joe said again, his lips barely parting and his eyes remaining closed. \u201cDon\u2019t \u2026 don\u2019t hurt him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d Moving past Hop Sing to return to his son\u2019s bedside, Ben gave his full attention to his young son.<\/p>\n \u201cBoy protect Hop Sing,\u201d the cook said behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t\u2026,\u201d Joe repeated. His breaths were coming more quickly and he was beginning to thrash about. \u201cMy pa\u2026. Pa\u2019s coming. Pa\u2026. Pa\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew it.\u201d\u00a0Yes, Adam did know his little brother \u2026 perhaps because they were more alike than either might ever admit.<\/p>\n The thought of his boy standing up against such brutality made Ben feel both guilty and prideful.\u00a0\u201cShhh, Joseph.\u201d He pressed Joe\u2019s shoulder into the mattress and gently brushed his other hand across the boy\u2019s hair. \u201cI’m here, son. I\u2019m here. You\u2019re safe now. Do you hear me? You\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re \u2026 coming. You\u2019ll never \u2026 never get away. They\u2019ll \u2026 hunt you down. \u2026Never … get away.\u201d The boy\u2019s struggles grew stronger.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy Joe.\u201d Ben pressed firmly against both of his son’s shoulders, his concern over aggravating the still-bleeding wound overridden by his worry that the boy’s movements might worsen whatever hurts lie hidden beneath a score of unsettling bruises on Joe’s chest and abdomen.\u00a0\u201cYou must lie still! Do you hear me, Joseph? There\u2019s nothing to worry about. You\u2019re safe. You must lie still!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go!\u201d Joe cried out. \u201cThe horse! The \u2026. Please….\u201d His voice grew softer, his words more slurred. \u201cPlease let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n When the boy’s struggles abruptly ceased, Ben feared the worst. He watched, stricken, as the cadence of Joe’s frantic breathing slowed. The time between one breath and the next grew incrementally longer, causing Ben to hold his own, until finally settling into a weak but steady rhythm.<\/p>\n Ben exhaled slowly and drew away, disturbed to see fresh spots of blood seeping through the bandage wrapped around Joe’s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing not protect boy,\u201d the cook said in a stronger voice than before. \u201cHop Sing life\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKilled him,\u201d Joe whispered. His brows began to curl, showing Ben a telltale sign of despair. \u201cYou … killed him,\u201d he sobbed quietly. An instant later despair became rage. \u201cYou’ll hang. Pa’ll…. He’ll find you…. See you hang.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben reached forward, determined once more to stop his son’s thrashing.<\/p>\n But this time Joe didn’t struggle. Instead, he blinked his eyes sluggishly open. Pa<\/em>? The word formed soundlessly on his lips.<\/p>\n Relaxing, Ben eased his grip and smiled. \u201cWell, hello there, young man. It’s about time you woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d The word finally spilled out on the trail of a spent breath.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son. I’m here.\u201d He gave Joe’s good shoulder a gentle squeeze.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing….\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s here, too. And Adam\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey killed him,\u201d Joe interrupted softly. \u201cThey killed Hop Sing,\u201d he cried. \u201cI couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, son. Hop Sing’s fine! He’s fine Joe! He’s right here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding, Ben smiled again, hoping to settle his son’s confusion. Then he stepped aside.<\/p>\n Joe’s eyes followed him until he noticed the figure in the chair. \u201cHop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n The cook lowered his head, looking downward. \u201cThis unworthy one owe life number three son.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe’s eyes widened. He shot up in bed … or tried to. Ben was as stunned by the boy’s reaction as Joe was by the result. He fell abruptly back to his pillow, his eyes closing, his brow scrunching and his chest heaving in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s all right, Joseph.\u201d Ben squeezed his\u00a0good shoulder again. \u201cYou’ve been hurt. But you’re going to be just fine, as long as you give yourself a chance to rest and heal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought….\u201d Joe\u00a0looked up at him, and then let his heavy lidded eyes move toward Hop Sing. \u201cI thought they killed you. You told me to run, but I didn’t. You … you made them attack you so I could get away. But I didn’t. I didn’t listen. I’m sorry, Hop Sing! I’m sorry….\u201d<\/p>\n Weary sobs stopped the boy’s tongue and made Ben eager to pull him close, to wrap his arms around Little Joe and soothe the hurt away. But this wasn’t a stubbed toe or skinned knee. Holding Joe close would only cause more pain.<\/p>\n \u201cNumber three son have fire … here.\u201d Hop Sing looked up long enough to lay his hand across his breast. Then he cast his eyes downward again. \u201cThis unworthy one foolishment … shoo fire. Bring wind … to flame. Make number three son … fire too big … too hot.\u201d Hop Sing paused and looked at Joe again. \u201cChinese proverb … say … inside fire burn self … more … than enemy. Hop Sing make number three son burn self. Much hurt. Too much … hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone of this was your fault, Hop Sing. Joe is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn’t,\u201d the boy interrupted. \u201cCouldn’t leave you, Hop Sing. I couldn’t let them….\u201d Moaning softly, Joe closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip.<\/p>\n \u201cFace it, Hop Sing,\u201d Adam said then. \u201cJoe’s as stubborn as they come.\u201d His young brother’s\u00a0eyes flashed with a spark of anger, but Adam didn’t give Joe\u00a0a chance to argue. \u201cHe’s his father’s son, after all,\u201d Adam went on. \u201cNo matter how foolish or dangerous or….\u201d He took a long breath before continuing in a gentler tone. \u201cNo matter how impossible the odds, he couldn’t just abandon you. None of us could have. I think my little brother here has just made it very clear he’s growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe’s eyes softened, and the lines of pain on his brow smoothed for a brief moment.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t get cocky, Little Joe,\u201d Adam added. \u201cHop Sing’s got a point. You’re going to have to learn how to control that fire of yours or it’s bound to cause more harm than good. Next time you might not be so lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n While Ben blanched at the thought that there could ever be a next time, Joseph focused on a different word, altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cLucky?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam answered. \u201cLucky. You lived through it. And so did Hop Sing. Your temper could have just as easily worked against you. That’s why soldiers are trained to follow orders, so they don’t let their thinking — or their inability to think — get in the way of survival.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoldier?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam met his father’s gaze, grinning. \u201cYou do seem to have your share of battle wounds, little buddy.\u201d He winked. \u201cJust try to follow orders next time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Joe’s response startled both of the elder Cartwrights.<\/p>\n \u201cNo?\u201d Ben repeated. \u201cAre you refusing to follow orders, young man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Joe answered. \u201cI won’t leave someone I care about … no matter … who … orders me to do it.\u201d Pain grew increasingly evident in his eyes as he looked from Ben to Adam, and then, finally, to Hop Sing. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Hop Sing. I just \u2026 couldn\u2019t leave you.\u201d<\/p>\n The cook\u2019s tense features softened. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Ben even detected the trace of a smile. But like Little Joe, he, too, was hurting.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s enough talk for now,\u201d Ben said as the sound of hoof beats pulled Adam toward the window again. \u201cBack to bed with you, Hop Sing. And that\u2019s an order!\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing looked up at him. \u201cMister Cartwright take good care number three son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I will. Just like you<\/em> do whenever I\u2019m not here.\u201d<\/p>\n Satisfied, Hop Sing bobbed his head once, and then allowed Adam to help him rise.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d Joe asked as they shuffled into the hallway. \u201cWhy\u2019d you let \u2018em get away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Ben started more from Joe\u2019s unexpected question than from the sound of the footsteps on the porch and the clatter of the front door latch.<\/p>\n \u201cYou \u2026 shouldn\u2019t be here. Should be \u2026 goin\u2019 after \u2018em. I told \u2018em you\u2019d \u2026 track \u2018em down. I \u2026 I told \u2018em you\u2019d\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here<\/em>, son, for the very same reason you refused to leave Hop Sing. And I will be here looking out for you until you\u2019re well enough to look after yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they\u2019ll get away. Can\u2019t \u2026 let \u2018em get away.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben heard men in the hallway an instant before Sheriff Coffee announced his presence by responding to Joe before Ben even had the chance. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry about anyone gettin\u2019 away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe sure won\u2019t let that happen, little brother.\u201d Hoss pushed past him to reach Joe\u2019s bedside. \u201cAdam and me\u2019ll see to it. We\u2019ll catch the men that done this, I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my job to track those men down,\u201d the sheriff said firmly. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you forget it. If you insist on bein\u2019 a member of my posse, it\u2019s your job to do as I say.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled. \u201cYou mean like \u2026 followin\u2019 orders?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI mean exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n Doctor Martin finally managed to push his own way to Joe\u2019s bedside. \u201cWell, it’s my<\/em> job to get this young man\u2019s injuries seen to; and I have a few orders of my own, starting with commanding everyone to clear this room so I can get to work!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled in gratitude, even while his young son\u2019s smile fell victim to his fear of the doctor\u2019s prodding. And for the first time since he\u2019d spotted that thick smoke above the tree line, Ben began to feel a surge of his own fire deep inside, a fire that signaled warmth for the sanctuary of his home, his Ponderosa, despite whatever had been stolen. He youngest boy was safe, and in good, caring hands. And Joe was every bit his father\u2019s son, just like both of his brothers.<\/p>\n Yes, Ben Cartwright’s sons, all three of them, were worth more than every trace of silver in the entire Washoe valley.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tags:\u00a0 Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Family,\u00a0Hop Sing,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright,\u00a0outlaws,\u00a0SJS<\/p>\n