Summary:\u00a0 <\/b>Warned on numerous occasions to stay off the Indian’s sacred ground, Little Joe makes a daring attempt to keep a group of young curiosity seekers from making a fatal mistake…will his attempt came too late to prevent a tragedy?<\/p>\n
Rated PG \u00a0WC 16,000<\/p>\n
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Sacred Ground<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cJOSEPH!\u201d Ben shouted<\/strong> as he hurried from the barn to stop his son before Joe had a chance to leave with his friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe had just swung himself up into the saddle and had turned Cochise around to join the other boys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d Joe answered, pulling back firmly on the reins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cochise snorted and tossed his head, rearing up slightly on his hind legs, and causing his rider to beam with pleasure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I was just going to tell you to be careful\u2026that new horse of yours is still a might skittish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa,\u201d smiled Joe, proudly leaning up and petting his horse on the side of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cMe and ole Cochise understand each other\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s still raw, son\u2026just take it easy, please?\u201d smiled Ben as he gently rubbed the animal on the end of the nose.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will, Pa\u2026I promise\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey Joe\u2026come on, lets go!\u201d one of the boys in the group called.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cComing,\u201d answered Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He glanced down at his father and smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s great, ain\u2019t he?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben, seeing the proud look in his young son\u2019s eyes, was tempted to tease the boy.\u00a0 With a serious look, he continued to rub Cochise\u2019s velvety nose.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2026your friend?\u00a0 Yes, he seems to be a nice boy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot Freddy, Pa,\u201d Joe said quickly, \u201cCochise\u2026I think he\u2019s about the greatest horse ever\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben started to snicker and when he looked up at the boy, Joe could see by the face his father made, that Ben had been teasing him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoggoneit, Pa,\u201d giggled Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure your horse is perfect\u2026for you and I\u2019m very happy that you appreciate him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do\u2026you know I do.\u00a0 You couldn\u2019t have gotten me anything I\u2019d like better\u2019n him, for my birthday.\u00a0 Thanks, Pa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d laughed Ben, \u201cthat only makes 239 times that you have thanked me\u2026I think I get the point\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe giggled again and then nudged Cochise in the sides.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI gotta go, Pa, I won\u2019t be late, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was Ben\u2019s time to laugh out loud.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times have I heard that before?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout 239, perhaps?\u201d giggled Joe as he waved to his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Laughing, Ben tossed his hand into the air, waving back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake it easy, Joe!\u201d he called.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t really think he will, do you?\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam had come from the house just as his younger brother rounded the corner of the barn, out of sight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hope so,\u201d smiled Ben as he turned to face his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cThat horse is newly broke\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine, Pa\u2026it isn\u2019t as if this is the first time Little Joe\u2019s rode a freshly tamed horse,\u201d Adam assured his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I know that, Adam.\u00a0 But I also know my little boy\u2026he\u2019s not much more tamed than that horse he\u2019s riding.\u00a0 He\u2019s a wild, free spirit and he likes to ride the wind, on a fast horse\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat pinto isn\u2019t a race horse, Pa\u2026he\u2019s quick, but not so much faster than anything Joe\u2019s used to,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, your \u2018little boy\u2019 as you refer to him, will be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam spoke softly as he continued on his way to the barn, ready to start his daily work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018Pa\u2019s such a worrier,\u2019 snickered Adam to himself, \u2018especially where that boy is concerned.\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHold up a minute, fellas,\u201d Joe called, pulling back on Cochise\u2019s reins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The spirited pinto danced around in circles, causing Joe to have to move his head back and forth in order to keep his eyes on his friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Little Joe?\u201d Mitch Devlin, Joe\u2019s best friend, called as he pulled his horse to a halt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The other boys, Seth Pruitt, Josh Myers, Rusty Holloway, Freddy Wilcox and Willie Barns all stopped and turned their horses around.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat now, Cartwright?\u201d Willie Barns grumbled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The tall slender blond haired boy had just turned nineteen and was older than the others and he believed that his age gave him rank over the entire group of boys.\u00a0 His closest comrades, Rusty and Freddy were eighteen, both soon to be nineteen, waited with Willie to see what Joe Cartwright was babbling about.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t go in there,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd why not?\u201d Willie demanded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCause\u2026its sacred ground\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah\u2026to who?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Indians, everyone knows that.\u00a0 The land was recently given back to the Ute\u2026its forbidden land for whites\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood grief, Cartwright\u2026who cares?\u00a0 The Indians are all savages, what do they know about sacred ground?\u00a0 Nothing\u2026they\u2019re all devil worshipers anyway; that\u2019s what my pa says.\u00a0 Come on you guys, if Little Joe is too chicken to go along, let him go home to his papa,\u201d snickered Willie as he urged his horse further into the land that the Indians deemed their sacred ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The others turned to follow after the self-appointed leader, but Joe was not ready to concede so easily.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStop!\u201d he called, inching Cochise forward, until he had rejoined his friends.\u00a0 \u201cListen you guys\u2026we can\u2019t do this\u2026and no, Willie, its not because I\u2019m chicken\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen what is it?\u201d Josh Myers who was just a year older than Joe, Seth and Mitch, demanded, grinning as if he knew a secret.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t\u2026it\u2019s not allowed.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you know that the Indians will kill us if they find us here?\u00a0 This is land that they\u2019ve fought and died for.\u00a0 The white men took it away from them and they declared war, killing more\u2019n a dozen families until it got so bad that no one was safe.\u00a0 My father has worked a long time trying to keep peace with Chief Winnemucca and just recently, Pa and a whole much of other white men, signed a treaty with the Chief, giving the land back to them.\u00a0 And, it was with the understanding that no white man would trespass on this very land we\u2019re on right now.\u00a0 We\u2019d better leave before it\u2019s too late\u2026before Chief Winnemucca finds us here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Seth and Mitch moved their horses back, to side with Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe\u2019s right, my pa worked on that treaty with his pa, and if he found out that I went behind his back and broke the very treaty he helped to write, he\u2019d beat the hide off\u2019n my back side,\u201d declared Mitch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat goes for me too,\u201d Seth said, kicking his mount in the sides.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going back,\u201d he called over his shoulder as he and Mitch rode off, making sure that they had gone through the boundary that the Indians had established.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you chickens do as you please, we\u2019re going on.\u00a0 I wanna see what\u2019s so dang special about this here \u2018sacred ground\u2019 as those heathens call it,\u201d snickered Willie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome on you guys,\u201d he said to the others.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Willie turned his horse around and led the way deeper into the Ute sacred grounds.\u00a0 Josh, Rusty and Freddy followed willingly, undaunted by Little Joe\u2019s warning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For several moments, Joe sat and watched as his friends rode deeper and deeper into Indian Territory, unsure as to how to go about convincing them that it was a big mistake.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJOE!\u201d shouted Mitch when he saw Joe starting to follow the others.\u00a0 \u201cSTOP\u2026COME ON\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLET\u2019S GET OUT OF HERE!\u201d yelled Seth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe glanced back over his shoulder at his two best friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYOU GO ON BACK, I HAVE TO STOP THEM!\u201d answered Joe, continuing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had just rounded the bend when he heard shouting and screaming and was all but run down by the four boys who raced past him.\u00a0 Startled, Cochise reared up on his hind legs, tossing Joe backwards and onto the hard, rocky ground.\u00a0 With a groan, Joe tried to get up, but his right leg gave way, causing the boy to fall a second time.\u00a0 Stifling his cries of pain, Joe pushed himself up standing on one foot with his back pressed tightly against the side of the rock he leaned on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wild, screaming Indians raced passed.\u00a0 Joe watched with frightened eyes as his horse bolted and joined the other horses, racing away.\u00a0 The boys were trying hard to reach the boundary before it was too late.\u00a0 Joe saw Mitch and Seth turn back to see what the ruckus was all about and then, seeing the Indians, raced for safety, around another bend; clearly out of the Indians sacred ground, the two kept riding.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The hoops became louder and Joe watched in horror as the braves over took the boys.\u00a0 He saw one brave ride along side of Willie and leap from his horse onto the back of his friend\u2019s horse.\u00a0 The Indian used his tomahawk and cracked the boy over the head.\u00a0 Willie slumped forward as the Indian pushed the boy from his horse, sending Willie to the ground.\u00a0 Joe cringed as he heard Willie\u2019s head crack against the hard rock.\u00a0 The Indian pulled back on the reins; the horse reared up, the Indian screamed in victory.\u00a0 Within minutes, the last three of Joe\u2019s friends were overtaken.\u00a0 Rusty was knocked from his horse by two braves and plummeted to death by the swinging tomahawks.\u00a0 Joe turned his head, unable to bear watching the brutal attack.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Freddy had almost reached the boundary line, but was cut off by an approaching Indian.\u00a0 As the boy turned his horse in the opposite direction, a rope whizzed over his upper body and Freddy was hauled off backwards from his mount as the capturing brave screamed in delight and raced off, dragging the boy, screaming and crying across the hard terrain.\u00a0 Joe shuddered in fear and remorse, looking away as the Indian rode out of sight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everything had suddenly fallen silent and Joe, trembling in fear, inched backward, deeper into the rocks.\u00a0 Seconds later, three Indians appeared, behind them they had Josh wrapped tightly with a rope, forcing the boy to follow along behind their horses.\u00a0 Joe could see the dirt and blood smeared across the boy\u2019s face, and the frightened look in the lad\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe molded his body tighter against the rock and watched as Josh was led away.\u00a0 When he could no longer see them, Joe took a faltering step forward.\u00a0 Suddenly, he felt his body hurled to the ground, smashed under the body of an Indian.\u00a0 Struggling to get up, Joe could barely move, the pain in his right leg had intensified.\u00a0 The Indian, his eyes wild, grabbed Joe by his hair and pulled Joe to his feet.\u00a0 Joe toppled sideways, trying in vain to keep his footing.\u00a0 Before he could collect his senses, a rope was tossed about his body and pulled tightly.\u00a0 As the brave started to lead him away, Joe\u2019s leg buckled and he fell to the ground.\u00a0 Angered, the Indian motioned for another brave and within minutes, Joe was tossed unto the back of a horse.\u00a0 The Indian mounted up behind Joe who lay face down in front of the brave.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rode as such for several miles.\u00a0 Joe had stopped squirming, the pain in his leg, which he now knew was broken, had become almost unbearable in the position he was forced to remain.\u00a0 When he raised his head and tried to look behind him, he caught glimpses of Josh who was being forced to run along behind the Indian who claimed him as his captive.\u00a0Joe felt sorry for his friend; as uncomfortable as he was, he could only imagine how tired and frightened the other boy was.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was nearing evening by the time that the small party of Indians rode into their camp. Joe saw Josh drop to the ground just as quickly as his captive pulled his mount to a stop.\u00a0 The brave riding with Joe slipped down from the unsaddled horse and without forewarning, grabbed Joe by the waist of his trousers and unceremoniously pulled Joe to the ground.\u00a0 Joe tried to muffle his cry of pain, but was unable to keep from crying aloud.\u00a0 The brave stood over his prisoner; his eyes dark with hate as he glared angrily at the two boys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Josh raised his head, seeing Joe beside him on the ground.\u00a0 Joe glanced at his friend.\u00a0 He could see the fear written in his friend\u2019s expression and knew that the same fear was also visible on his own face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re dead, Joe\u2026the Indians killed\u2026them, Freddy, Willie and Rusty,\u201d whispered Josh in broken sobs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d murmured Joe, trying hard not to cry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brave turned around when he heard the boys whispering.\u00a0 His face was creased with a deep frown of disapproval and to vent his anger, he kicked out at Joe, kicking the broken leg.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe screamed out in pain, drawing his lower body into a ball to protect himself.\u00a0 Twice more he was kicked and twice more his screams filled the camp, bringing several Indians running from their teepees to see the prisoner being punished.\u00a0 The group formed a circle around the two boys, several of the younger braves laughed and jeered at Joe, delighting in watching the white boy being treated as such.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the brave had vented his anger, Joe lay curled up, forcing himself to keep his cries of agony to a minimum.\u00a0 He lay gasping for breath; tears had welled in his eyes, yet he refused to be seen crying in front of these spectators that he knew would only mock him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another Indian, an older man, joined the braves and the group around the two boys, who huddled together.\u00a0 The brave mumbled something to the man, who appeared to be in authority.\u00a0 Joe guessed the man to be the chief, a stern looking man who stepped around the brave to stare down at the two boys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey are just boys!\u201d the chief said in dismay as he spun around to glare at the two braves who stood over their captives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo a white man, they may be boys, but in our tribe, they are considered men,\u201d growled Joe\u2019s captor.\u00a0 \u201cAnd as our prisoners, it is our right to do with them as we see fit\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut you cannot kill them! I will not allow more killing of boys!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cChief Winnemucca\u2026we have already killed three of the white men\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe gasped aloud, recognizing the name he had so often heard his father use.\u00a0 The man, thought Joe, with whom his father had recently traded five horses for the pinto he had received as his sixteenth birthday gift.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWinnemucca\u2026\u201d muttered Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His comment earned him another swift kick to his injured leg.\u00a0 Joe groaned loudly and pulled himself along the ground to put distance between himself and his attacker.\u00a0 The brave laughed and leaned down, grabbing Joe\u2019s thick mass of curls.\u00a0 Red Cloud, as he had heard the brave called, yanked Joe\u2019s head painfully back and stuck his sharp knife to Joe\u2019s throat.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes widened in fear, but he fell silent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSpeak again and I will cut your tongue from your mouth!\u201d Red Cloud warned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud pushed the knife inward to stress his point, barely slicing the skin around Joe\u2019s throat.\u00a0 Joe dared not flinch, least the knife slip.\u00a0 When he said nothing more, Red Cloud stood to his feet, facing the great Chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe white man has broken our treaty, as I knew he would.\u00a0 These men, however young they may be, will suffer for their betrayal\u2026they will die, but in time.\u00a0 Do you refuse to give us the right to kill our prisoners?\u201d Red Cloud demanded of the chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Winnemucca seemed to be thinking on the matter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas it not you, our Chief that promised peace with the white man, and swore that if the white man broke that promise, he would be killed?\u00a0 Do you deny that?\u201d Red Cloud argued.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I do not deny it, but I was not expecting the treaty to be broken by boys\u2026it is not right that they be killed\u2026it was wrong of you that you have already killed three boys\u2026you are a fool, Red Cloud.\u00a0 Now the whites will want war\u2026to revenge the deaths of their sons,\u201d Chief Winnemucca proclaimed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do not fear war\u2026neither does our tribe.\u00a0 For many years the whites have come and claimed our land as theirs\u2026only after we kill their people do they give it back, they make promises\u2026Chief Winnemucca, it was our sacred ground that these whites trespassed on\u2026not our hunting grounds\u2026or our hills and valleys, but our sacred ground.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOur sacred ground?\u201d the chief said, surprised at the information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He moved again to the two boys and motioned for them to stand up.\u00a0 Josh quickly got to his feet, helping Joe to his as well.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s leg dangled, twisted in an awkward way as he leaned the weight of his body against his friend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat were you doing, trespassing on our sacred grounds?\u201d he asked the pair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Josh, his body trembling in fear, could say nothing in his own defense.\u00a0 When he failed to comment, the chief turned his attention to Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing, sir,\u201d Joe said with clenched teeth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He felt as if he might faint; standing was causing a surmountable pain to shoot up from his lower leg into his thigh and hip area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy friends\u2026the ones that these men killed\u2026\u201d Joe said, giving Red Cloud and his band of warriors a stern look.\u00a0 \u201cThey were just curious\u2026that\u2019s all, they weren\u2019t going to do anything, honest, Chief\u2026my father is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey?\u00a0 What about you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe let out a soft moan, felt his head begin to spin and before he could respond, slipped to the ground, unconscious.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud laughed and turned to some of the men standing about.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake him over to the fire.\u00a0 Tie him to the whipping post,\u201d ordered Red Cloud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Two braves grabbed Joe by the arms and dragged his body away.\u00a0 The circle closed around Josh, who swallowed deeply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis boy, will die as well,\u201d Red Cloud announced.\u00a0 \u201cRunning Fox, he is your prisoner\u2026it is up to you, the way he should die!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Running Fox moved within the circle, facing Josh who quivered in fear of the red man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake him, as well to the whipping post.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Again two braves grabbed the squirming boy by the arms and led him away.\u00a0 Josh fought against the two pairs of hands that gripped his arms, but his fight was in vain.\u00a0 When they reached the fire, Josh gasped, seeing Joe tied in a spread eagle fashion between the two posts.\u00a0 Joe had been stripped to the waist of his jacket and shirt and hung unconscious with his head slumped over, resting on his chest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The band of Indians followed the men, making a huge circle around the fire, being sure that the two boys were in the middle of the ring.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud turned again to the chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you refuse us, our right?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cDo you take back your promise?\u00a0 Would you shame your own in front of the entire tribe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Winnemucca shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is done is done.\u00a0 I cannot bring back to life, the lives you have already taken.\u00a0 What is the wish of our people?\u00a0 Do these boys die, along with their dead brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The men of the camp began chanting\u2026\u2019death to the white men, death to the white men!\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Chief sighed deeply, obviously disapproving of his braves\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo as you wish with your prisoners\u2026you have earned the right to punish them\u2026that is all.\u00a0 But I am still chief, you will not kill them, they will be punished by your hands, but I warn you Red Cloud, should they die, you too will pay with your life.\u00a0 They were wrong to break the treaty of their fathers and now they must pay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The old chief turned and walked away, his heart heavy with remorse that so soon the new treaty with his white brothers had been broken.\u00a0 He shook his head in despair for the young lives that had been lost that day, and for the two who had yet to pay for their crimes.\u00a0 Chief Winnemucca stopped and glanced back at the circle of men who danced and chanted around the two boys before losing himself in the dark shadows of the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe probably just got thrown,\u201d Hoss said, studying the pinto closely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He gently ran his hands over the horse, inspecting nearly every inch of the animal for signs that might tell them whether or not his rider had been injured.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible, I warned that boy to take it easy.\u00a0 This horse still has a wild streak\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cKinda like it\u2019s owner?\u201d grinned Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben shot his eldest son a dark look.\u00a0 It was obvious that he was worried about the boy in question.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMR. CARTWRIGHT\u2026MR. CARTWRIGHT!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben and his sons spun around surprised by the shouts and the way in which his youngest son\u2019s two best friends came galloping into to the yard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhoa!\u201d Ben yelled as he grabbed the bridle of Mitch Devlin\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The boy slid from the saddle, falling to his knees but quickly getting up.\u00a0 He turned frightened eyes up at the older gentleman.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve\u2026got\u2019em\u2026they\u2026took him\u2026away\u2026\u201d sobbed Mitch frantically.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTook who away\u2026who has whom?\u201d Ben asked, trying to make sense out of the boy\u2019s babbling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe\u2026and the others,\u201d Seth explained as he, too, slid down from his saddle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He glanced at Mitch and saw that his friend was still struggling to catch his breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben eyed his sons with a look of \u2018I told you so\u2019 and then turned his full attention to the two breathless boys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Little Joe?\u00a0 Where is he and what\u2019s happened?\u201d Ben demanded in a fatherly manner.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mitch opened his mouth to explain at the precise moment that Seth did, but Ben held his hand up to silence both.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne at a time,\u201d he issued.\u00a0 \u201cSeth, you seem to be the least breathless\u2026you start, now what\u2019s this all about?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe\u2026he and Josh were taken by the Indians\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben\u2019s brow rose suddenly.\u00a0 A sick feeling began churning in his gut.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat Indians, and why would they take him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat did he do this time?\u201d Adam asked, almost with a smirk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben glared darkly at his son, quite unhappy with the sour comment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe others\u2026\u201d a sob caught in Seth\u2019s throat as he tried to explain.\u00a0 \u201cWillie, Rusty and Freddy\u2026they\u2019re\u2026dead, Mr. Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWHAT?\u201d Ben practically shouted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The events of the day had become too real to the boys and though he struggled to contain himself, Seth fell into Ben\u2019s arms, sobbing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe tried to make them turn back\u2026but they wouldn\u2019t listen\u2026then the Indians came\u2026and began killing them\u2026Joe tried to get away, but he fell off his horse and broke his leg\u2026\u201d wept Mitch.\u00a0 \u201cHe and Josh were taken away\u2026the others were\u2026killed\u2026I saw it\u2026me and Seth\u2026but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mitch had entwined his arms about Hoss\u2019 waist and buried his face into the front of the gentle man\u2019s shirt.\u00a0 Hoss held the trembling boy tightly while gently rubbing the boy\u2019s back with his hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShh\u2026\u201d Hoss soothed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was only trying to keep the others from\u2026breaking the treaty\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTreaty?\u201d stammered Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam moved to place a hand on Seth\u2019s shoulder, forcing the boy to turn around and look up at him. His own face was shadowed with fear for his younger brother.\u00a0 There had only been one treaty made recently and if what Adam was suspecting, the entire county had cause to worry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell me that you boys did not dare trespass on Winnemucca\u2019s sacred ground!\u201d he said in a stern voice that closely matched his father\u2019s when Ben was upset or angry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t know that\u2019s where Willie and the others planned on taking us\u2026honest.\u00a0 But just as soon as Joe realized that\u2019s where we were, he tried to talk them out of it, me and Mitch went back, Joe was gonna, but he stayed for a minute to try to convince the others that it was wrong.\u00a0 He was just starting out of the boundary when the Indians overtook them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Seth wiped his eyes dry with the sleeve of his shirt.\u00a0 His chin still quivered as he looked up at Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was awful, Mr. Cartwright\u2026what they did to Willie and Freddy and Rusty\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Joe\u2026do you know where they might have taken him\u2026and Josh, you said?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026probably to their camp\u2026we didn\u2019t hang around to find out, sir,\u201d Mitch explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, saddle my horse, Adam, have Hop Sing fix these boys something to eat and ask him to see that they get home to their fathers\u2026\u201d ordered Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to get my son back, that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do!\u201d Ben roared.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A short time later, Ben was ready to ride.\u00a0 As he mounted up, Adam and Hoss came from the barn, leading their horses and looking rather sly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust where do the two of you think you are going?\u201d growled Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWith you,\u201d responded Adam as he swung into the saddle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWon\u2019t do no good to tell us we can\u2019t, Pa\u2026we\u2019ve already made up our minds, ain\u2019t that right, Adam?\u201d Hoss said as he turned to his brother whom he knew would confirm their decision.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned to his father.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s happened to Joe, has happened to all of us\u2026he\u2019s our brother, same as he\u2019s your son\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d Ben said, giving the young men a small smile of approval.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019ll do as I say, understand?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYessir,\u201d chorused the brothers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The night lingered on for the two boys.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s broken leg was causing him sufficient pain, stretched taunt and tied as it were, but added with the sharp stinging sensations of the long flimsy sticks that the Indians used to take turns whipping him with, Joe had almost given up hope of seeing the sun rise the next morning.\u00a0 Even the hope that somehow his father would show up and save him had been pushed to the back of his mind.\u00a0 His only thoughts now, were to bear the pain that these brutes seemed to enjoy inflicting upon him and his friend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They had been given a short reprieve from the lashing of the sticks and Joe could hear Josh whimpering nearby.\u00a0 Joe, himself, felt much like crying, but he steeled himself against doing so, refusing to let his tormentors see him as a weakling.\u00a0 He longed to speak to the chief, but Red Cloud had put enough fear into him what with sticking the long, sharp knife into his throat, that Joe was reluctant to speak aloud; he even tried to stay his own piteous cries each and every time that the Indians laid the sticks across his back and chest.\u00a0 His whole upper body felt as if a fire had been lit just under the surface of his skin and he wondered if the savages had dipped the sticks into some concoction that added to his misery by setting his body to burning as such.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The tribe had grown quiet and the eerie stillness was unsettling for Joe.\u00a0 He strain his neck around to see if he could see Josh, but when he did, he suddenly wished that he had not attempted to do so.\u00a0 His friend\u2019s head rested on his chest.\u00a0 Josh\u2019s body sagged heavily on the rawhide ropes that held his arms spread wide and high over his head.\u00a0 Blood dripped from every inch of the boy\u2019s chest and Joe could only suppose that Josh\u2019s back looked as pitiful as the front of his upper body.\u00a0 The sight was sickening and made his stomach churn violently.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the glow of the campfire, Joe glanced down at his own body, and gasped loudly.\u00a0 His entire upper chest was swollen with bright red welts that seeped blood.\u00a0 In places the blood still rolled downward, in other spots it had begun to congeal.\u00a0 Joe swallowed hard, trying to wash down his rising fear.\u00a0 A big green fly buzzed over his head\u2026a sign that dead was drawing near and that soon\u2026NO!\u00a0 Joe refused to allow his thoughts to linger any longer\u2026he forced himself to think of other things, like his family\u2026his home\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGod\u2026please,\u201d prayed Joe softly, \u201csend Pa\u2026I need him, God\u2026please,\u201d Joe said, his resolve breaking as tiny droplets of water rolled from the corner of his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAWWW!\u201d screamed Joe as he felt the sting of the sticks strike his back time after time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The boy\u2019s body jerked and twisted in it\u2019s attempt to avoid the sticks until at last, his endurance gave way to the blackened world of obscurity and Joe was lost to his suffering and to the torment that toyed with his fading life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was unaware that the punishment had ended, for now.\u00a0 Red Cloud walked up to his prisoner, grabbed a hand full of chestnut curls and yanked back on the boy\u2019s head.\u00a0 For several moments, the brave studied the bloodied and bruised face of his victim, and then he laughed loudly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen the sun crests the mountain peaks, you will die!\u00a0 I will not listen to the words of my chief, he is an old man\u2026afraid of the white man and of war\u2026but Red Cloud fears no man, not even Chief Winnemucca.\u201d he muttered into the ear of the unconscious boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe have to keep going,\u201d Ben said, though he was weary to the bone from riding all night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa, we have to stop and rest the horses\u2026they can\u2019t keep going like this,\u201d advised Adam as he pulled his mount to a halt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss rode up beside his brother.\u00a0 Ben had pulled back his mount as well, giving his sons a look that spoke volumes, silently daring his sons to defy him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDang the horses, your brother\u2019s life is more important to me than these animals.\u00a0 Rest if you must, I have to get to my son!\u201d he said in no uncertain tones.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben turned Buck around and headed on.\u00a0 His thoughts remained locked in fear of what he might find.\u00a0 They had already come across the bodies of the other three boys.\u00a0 Freddy was dead, there was no doubt, but Willie had somehow survived his fall and the whack on the head from the Indian\u2019s tomahawk.\u00a0 He\u2019d have one hell of a headache, but Ben had felt certain that the young man would live.\u00a0 Rusty had not been as fortunate, he had been found dead as well, and Freddy and Rusty\u2019s bodies had been returned to their families by the extra men who worked for the Cartwrights and who had chosen to ride along to help search for Little Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben rode into Chief Winnemucca\u2019s camp just before the sun began to rise.\u00a0 It was quiet, only a few braves wondered about camp, stopping to stare at the three white men who had so brazenly entered their camp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben dismounted and waited, looking about, hoping to catch a glimpse of his son and his son\u2019s friend.\u00a0 The trio had only been standing in the open for a moment waiting for someone to notice them before Ben spied a young woman about the same age as his youngest son, enter the largest teepee.\u00a0 Ben recognized the girl as Sarah Winnemucca, the chief\u2019s daughter.\u00a0 Seconds later, the Chief appeared, looking as if he had just been woke up.\u00a0 As he came closer, recognition appeared on his face and Chief Winnemucca smiled a warm greeting at his visitors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen Cartwright,\u201d greeted the Chief, \u201cwhat brings you to my village so early in the morning?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben smiled and extended his hand, which the chief readily accepted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cChief Winnemucca\u2026I come in peace\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPeace, Ben Cartwright?\u00a0 I am sure you know by now, that the white man has so soon broken their promises.\u00a0 They have crossed the boundary and entered into our sacred grounds\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026we have heard, and that is why I must speak to you.\u00a0 My sons and I,\u201d Ben waved his hand around to indicate Adam and Hoss, \u201chave come alone to talk.\u00a0 There is great unrest among my people for what has happened.\u00a0 Two young men have been killed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRed Cloud tells me that three white men have been killed, and two more will be severely punished, soon.\u201d\u00a0 Chief Winnemucca pointed to the sky and the rising sun.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the sun crests the mountain\u2019s peak, the ones who break their promises will be tortured.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben felt his stomach flip several times, but he willed himself to remain calm.\u00a0 At least he knew now that Joe was still alive and that he had but minutes to plead with the chief for the boy\u2019s life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy son, Chief Winnemucca\u2026and his friend,\u201d Ben said with a thick voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour son?\u00a0 These are your sons,\u201d the chief stated, pointing to Hoss and Adam who stood silently beside their father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy youngest son, Joseph\u2026he\u2019s just a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo the white man, but in our camp, he would be considered a young brave, ready to earn his feathers,\u201d argued the chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps\u2026Chief, remember in the days past, I came to you, bearing gifts of trade.\u00a0 Five stallions for one painted pony?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI remember\u2026a gift, you said, for your youngest son.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2026the one you hold prisoner\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat boy is your son?\u201d the chief seemed surprised.\u00a0 \u201cYou allowed your son to trespass on sacred ground!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026I did not allow it\u2026he was there by\u2026accident.\u00a0 You see, the other young men that Joe was with, wanted to find out what was so special about your sacred ground, but Joe, my son\u2026tried to stop them from going across the boundary.\u00a0 He was only there to prevent\u2026all of this from happening.\u00a0 In the process, he was captured and brought here\u2026to be\u2026killed,\u201d gulped Ben.\u00a0 \u201cFor something he tried to stop\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben placed his hand on the chief\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 Even the war-hardened warrior could plainly see the distraught father\u2019s heart in his dark eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlease\u2026I ask you, as my friend\u2026and as one father to another\u2026spare my son\u2019s life, and that of his friend,\u201d pleaded Ben, unashamedly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI believe you speak the truth, you speak with a father\u2019s heart, and it is hard for me to refuse you\u2026the boys will be tortured\u2026if they die as a result\u2026so be it,\u201d the chief explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour son\u2019s life belongs to Red Cloud, and the other young man\u2019s life belongs to Running Fox.\u00a0 It is law among my people, those that capture an enemy, has the soul right to deal with that man as he sees fit.\u00a0 It is Red Cloud\u2019s wish that your son die\u2026but I have spoken, the boys will pay for their crime\u2026here comes Red Cloud now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben watched with a growing hatred toward the man who held his son\u2019s life in his hands, but he refrained from allowing that hate to show in his eyes, or in his expression.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRed Cloud,\u201d said the chief, \u201cour friend, Ben Cartwright, comes to plead for the life of his son, whom you captured\u2026and for the prisoner of Running Fox,\u201d explained the chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere is no reason to plead\u2026the prisoners will suffer much\u2026soon,\u201d Red Cloud said, glancing upward at the sun.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the sun is over the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve explained to your chief why my son was on the sacred ground, it was to prevent his friends from going any further.\u00a0 He knew it was forbidden to the whites to cross the boundary, but he only wanted\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud\u2019s eyes grew dark with hate for the white men who stood before him.\u00a0 He tossed aside the warnings of his chief, his heart set on killing the two prisoners.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHE WILL DIE!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud turned to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoes it make you less a man to forgive a boy his crime?\u00a0 Or does Red Cloud need the death of one so young to make him feel like a brave and strong man?\u201d snorted Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud pivoted around and walked back to Ben, stopping just inches away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRed Cloud is not afraid of any man, especially a white man who speaks so loud that he strains to be heard.\u00a0 The boys have broken the promises of their fathers, they must die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud\u2019s black eyes suddenly began to sparkle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoes the father with the loud voice, wish to die in stead?\u201d he said, taunting Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI would die for my son\u2026and his friend,\u201d Ben said without hesitation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben heard his two sons gasp at this words.\u00a0 He felt Adam\u2019s hand pressing onto his shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy life for that of my son, and the other boy,\u201d Ben said to Red Cloud, without batting an eye.\u00a0 \u201cI will fight you, so that my son might live\u2026if you are not all talk,\u201d he added as an insult.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brave tossed back his head and laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI fear nothing, not even death.\u00a0 I will fight you, Ben Cartwright, but if you should lose, you and the two boys will die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d Hoss said, stepping between his father and the warrior.\u00a0 \u201cI will fight you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, no!\u201d Ben said, pulling free of the hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 He spun around to face Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou will stay out of this, this is my fight, he\u2019s my son\u2026and I\u2019ll willingly die for him if I have too\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut, Pa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo butts, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa,\u201d Adam said in a low voice, \u201cif you lose, you and Joe both will die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026if it looks as if I\u2019m about to lose, I want the two of you to break this camp apart\u2026do anything you have to, to get Joe and Josh out of here, do you understand me?\u201d whispered Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss and Adam swapped troubled looks but both nodded their heads, agreeing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben turned again to Red Cloud and the chief.\u00a0 He began removing his gun belt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBare hands,\u201d he said to the brave, who grinned wickedly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I win, my son and his friend leave with me and his brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo weapons,\u201d Red Cloud agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou will not win, you cannot, for you are old and weak while I am young and strong.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll just see about that,\u201d spat Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI may be older than you, but I\u2019m not as weak as you\u2019d like to think.\u00a0 I\u2019ve worked hard all my life, these hands,\u201d Ben held them up, \u201care going to make you wish you\u2019d never put your nasty hands on my boy!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben tossed his sidearm to Adam.\u00a0 He looked across the wide campfire, seeing for the first time, the two boys tied to the posts.\u00a0 The sight caused his heart to skip a beat and he had to swallow to wash down the burning acid that boiled into his throat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben turned to the chief.\u00a0 \u201cA word with my son, first?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Winnemucca looked to Red Cloud, nodding his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA father has the right to tell his son goodbye,\u201d he said firmly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud puckered up his face in disgust, but did not defy his chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSpeak quickly, and be ready to die,\u201d Red Cloud muttered as he watched Ben walk across the camp to where the boys were kept.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben\u2019s heart was in this throat.\u00a0 His insides were burning with a sick feeling as he approached his son.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s upper body was covered in welts, blood dripped from nearly every place that the vicious sticks had come in contact with the boy\u2019s flesh.\u00a0 Even his arms were covered in the welts, slowly beginning to bruise.\u00a0 Bright red marks marred the boy\u2019s face, Joe\u2019s eyes were swollen and there was a place on his son\u2019s lower lip where Ben felt sure Joe had bit down.\u00a0 Ben noted the broken leg.\u00a0 The sight, make him wince.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s leg was obviously swollen and in much need of care; it was pulled taunt and tied tightly with rawhide that appeared to be cutting into the flesh, even through the thick trousers.\u00a0 Ben inspected the wraps of rawhide, disgusted by what he saw was happening to his son\u2019s wrists by the shrinking ties.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tenderly, Ben lifted Joe\u2019s head, holding the battered face between his two hands.\u00a0 Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered softly, his son\u2019s name.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2026Joe\u2026it\u2019s Pa, precious,\u201d gulped Ben.\u00a0 \u201cOpen your eyes for me, son\u2026look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe began to move his head about, slowly; his eyelids flickered, bringing hope to his father\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, son, open your eyes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d murmured Joe weakly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here, Little Joe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHome\u2026I\u2026wanna\u2026go home,\u201d whispered Joe, his voice trailing off until Ben could no longer make out the words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe will, son\u2026soon.\u00a0 You just hang on a little while longer, and I\u2019ll take you home\u2026I promise you, Joe\u2026we\u2019ll go home\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is time, Ben Cartwright\u2026\u201d growled Red Cloud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben tenderly ran his hand down Joe\u2019s cheek before turning to the warrior.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right back, Joe,\u201d Ben promised in a hushed whisper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam and Hoss gathered with the men of the tribe; they stood with the chief, keeping a close watch on both their father and younger brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud, confident that he was about to avenge his hatred of the white men, slumped forward, walking cautiously in a circle, as if stalking his prey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His large, strong fist flew out, toward Ben, but Ben ducked, avoiding the brave\u2019s first attempt to hit him.\u00a0 Ben followed the pattern of the circle, never taking his eyes off the man in front of him.\u00a0 When he was ready, Ben charged at the brave, hitting the unsuspecting man in the gut.\u00a0 Red Cloud groaned loudly as he toppled over backwards.\u00a0 He tried to get up, but Ben was on top of the man before the Indian had time to think.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pair tossed about on the ground, delivering punch after punch to the other.\u00a0 Red Cloud had managed to twist Ben over until Ben lay on his back.\u00a0 Strong red fingers attempted to tighten about the white man\u2019s throat, but Ben, his own hands and fingers just as strong, if not stronger, forced Red Clouds fingers away from his neck.\u00a0 Ben managed to hit Red Cloud with his fist, dazing the man enough that Ben was able to shove the warrior off and get to his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The fight continued for several minutes, each man desperately trying to stay alive.\u00a0 Red Cloud\u2019s hands were intertwined with Ben\u2019s.\u00a0 He somehow managed to force Ben down on his knees and then when Ben was most vulnerable, kicked him in the face.\u00a0 Ben went reeling backwards, groaning in pain.\u00a0 Blood spurted from his nose, running into his mouth.\u00a0 He spat and wiped it away with his shirtsleeve.\u00a0 Red Cloud yelled in a high, shrill voice and charged Ben.\u00a0 Ben was on his feet and ready for the attack.\u00a0 Again their hands and fingers locked together.\u00a0 Each man struggled for control and for a moment, it looked as if the younger man was going to over power the older man.\u00a0 But fate was on Ben\u2019s side, love for his son powered his determination.\u00a0 He pushed forward, forcing Red Cloud to step backwards until his back was against a rock.\u00a0 The red man\u2019s body bent back, his upper body pressed into the hard, cold stones.\u00a0 Ben doubled his fist and plowed it with all the strength he could muster, into the red man\u2019s stomach.\u00a0 Red Cloud cried out in pain, grabbed his belly and slumped to the ground.\u00a0 Ben, not yet satisfied, grabbed the Indian by the front of his clothing and hauled the brave to his feet, smashing his fist into the man\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Cloud\u2019s head snapped backward, hitting the rock and then the once confident Indian, staggered forward, falling into Ben\u2019s arms.\u00a0 Ben guided the man\u2019s body to the ground, where he allowed the approaching Indians to take Red Cloud\u2019s battered body, away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam and Hoss rushed to their father\u2019s side and helped Ben to his feet.\u00a0 Hoss held his father\u2019s arm, to steady him.\u00a0 Ben glanced up; his face was dirty and covered in blood, but he managed a smile for his sons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGo get your brother,\u201d he muttered, turning to the chief.\u00a0 \u201cWe will go now, Chief Winnemucca.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ben Cartwright, you may go\u2026and tell your white brothers that the death of their sons has been amended.\u00a0 Indian law for those that trespassed on Indian land\u2026it is our right, Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 Had the deaths of the white boys been on white man\u2019s land, white man\u2019s law would rule.\u00a0 The deed has been punished; you and your sons are free to go.\u00a0 Tell them, Chief Winnemucca promises this\u2026that Red Cloud will kill no more.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will tell them, Chief Winnemucca.\u00a0 I will do all in my power to keep peace among our people.\u00a0 I can only hope that your promise will be enough\u2026that my white neighbors will understand and that our people can still live in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben spun around; his blood ran cold at the sight of his youngest son.\u00a0 Hoss carried the boy in his arms due to Joe\u2019s broken leg. Joe\u2019s head was resting against his brother\u2019s chest, but when he saw his father, Joe reached out his hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2026were almost\u2026killed\u2026\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot a chance,\u201d smiled Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe\u2019s chin quivered, but he fought not to cry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlease\u2026get me\u2026outta\u2026here,\u201d he whimpered, closing his eyes and turning his face into his brother\u2019s breast.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben brushed his fingers through the tangled curls and nodded with his head.\u00a0 Hoss, taking the hint, walked away from the camp, cradling his brother in his massive arms.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam led Josh around the Indians who still gathered about.\u00a0 The weary, battered boy leaned heavily against Adam for support as they made their way to the horses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gonna be hurtin\u2019 pretty bad, Pa,\u201d Hoss cautioned as he helped Joe into the saddle, in front of his father.\u00a0 \u201cThat leg needs to be set, and quick like,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know, Hoss, but not here\u2026I want these boys as far away from this place as possible before noon.\u00a0 Easy now, Joe,\u201d Ben said as he tried to make the boy comfortable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHurts\u2026Pa\u2026\u201d Joe whined.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Ben said softly, \u201cbut we have to move out\u2026I promise you, son, just as soon as I can, I\u2019ll set that leg for you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe nestled against his father, feeling safe for the first time in two days.\u00a0 His emotions were raw and he longed to sob out his story to his father, he felt as if he needed to explain his actions, but his pain and discomfort over took him and before they had ridden more than half a mile, Joe succumbed to his injuries and had passed out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBoys, hold up,\u201d Ben called.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He glanced over at Josh who was riding with Adam and nodded his head toward the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe best stop for the night, these two boys are worn out.\u00a0 Josh is asleep in the saddle, Adam, and Joe here; he\u2019s been out for quite sometime.\u00a0 If we stop now, while he\u2019s still out cold, we can set his leg and then fashion a couple of travois to haul them home on,\u201d Ben said as he waited for Hoss to dismount and help him with getting Joe down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOver here, Pa,\u201d Hoss called, leading his horse to a small clearing.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s out of the wind and kinda protected,\u201d he said as he looped his horse\u2019s reins over a low branch and turned to take his brother from his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With all the care that he was famous for, Hoss gently lifted Joe from his father\u2019s saddle and carried the boy to a nearby tree.\u00a0 He held the boy, lovingly in his arms while Ben spread his bedroll on the ground before laying Joe down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe moaned softly.\u00a0 The sound caused Hoss to look down at the expression his brother was making.\u00a0 The pitiful sight made the tender hearted man cringe, knowing that even in the darkest corners of his mind, Joe was still feeling the affects of his suffering.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss felt a hand press into his shoulder.\u00a0 Looking up, he looked into his father\u2019s dark, compassionate eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine, Hoss,\u201d Ben muttered softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYessir, I know that, but right now\u2026he\u2019s sufferin\u2019 somethin\u2019 fierce\u2026and it\u2026breaks my heart, seein\u2019em like this,\u201d Hoss said, covering the frail body with a warm blanket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see to Josh while you and Adam set Joe\u2019s leg, and then I\u2019ll start on the those travois so\u2019s we\u2019ll be ready to ride out at first light.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben smiled at his son, \u201cAlright son, you do that, we\u2019ll tend to Joe\u2026and Hoss, please, try not to worry\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t ya\u2019cha worried about\u2019em?\u201d Hoss asked, pausing to look down at the boy\u2019s face one more time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben grinned; he wasn\u2019t surprised that his middle son knew him so well.\u00a0 Both Adam and Hoss knew how he worried about Joe\u2026in any capacity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m trying not too, son,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019ll try not to,\u201d Hoss smiled and then went over to where Adam was making Josh comfortable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa said for me to look after this here young\u2019n.\u00a0 He wants you to help him set Joe\u2019s leg,\u201d Hoss explained, kneeing down beside his younger brother\u2019s friend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded and rose, taking Hoss by the arm and leading him a short distance from the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not doing to well, Hoss,\u201d Adam began to explain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss glanced at the boy, who sat propped against a tree and who seemed to be staring off into the distance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t said one word since we found him,\u201d cautioned Adam.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t take your eyes off him, he looks as if he would bolt free and run off\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlrighty, Adam, I\u2019ll stay close by, ya just get Joe took care of, he\u2019s hurtin\u2019 pretty bad, even bein\u2019 passed out ain\u2019t helpin\u2019 with the pain much.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou want to set it, or hold him down?\u201d Adam asked as he and his father hovered over Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben was reluctant, though he knew the bone needed to be set, he was concerned about causing the boy any more pain than what he was already feeling.\u00a0 The fact that Joe had come to, just as he and Adam had prepared to work on the broken leg, was another factor in the anxious father\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGet that bottle of whiskey out of my saddlebags first\u2026that should help to dull the pain some,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He waited until Adam had walked away and then leaning down next to Joe, lifted the boy\u2019s head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here son, your brother and I need to set your leg\u2026it\u2019s going to hurt something awful I\u2019m afraid\u2026think you can stand it for just a few more minutes?\u201d Ben asked softly, cradling Joe\u2019s head in his hands.\u00a0 He forced a smile onto his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI want you to drink some of this, son,\u201d he said, taking the bottle from Adam\u2019s outstretched hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam squatted down next to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you feeling, kid?\u201d he said, grinning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe turned his head slightly and studied his older brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 Even with his senses dulled by the pain, Joe could still see the worry that Adam tried to mask.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike\u2026hell\u2026oops, sorry, Pa,\u201d Joe said, turning to look up at his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe made a smile, but it looked more like a frown, but Ben wasn\u2019t to be put off.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWatch your mouth, young man\u2026I am still capable of taking a strap to your behind,\u201d he said sternly, but smiled down into the tormented face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d muttered Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cForget about it, here Joe, try drinking some of this.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam helped his father raise Joe\u2019s head a bit higher and held his brother upright while Ben helped Joe with the bottle.\u00a0 Joe took a long swig of the whiskey and immediately began coughing as if he were choking.\u00a0 For several moments the boy coughed and sputtered, trying to catch his breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYuk,\u201d he whispered, \u201chow do you guys stand this stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re men, that\u2019s how, and when you get as old as we are, you\u2019ll find it tastes a lot different, now be quiet and drink some more,\u201d ordered Adam with a slight smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe downed another long drink, this time more slowly and with less coughing.\u00a0 When Ben felt sure that the boy had had enough, he lowered Joe\u2019s head onto the makeshift pillow and then turned to Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll hold, you set the bone,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe had closed his eyes, but Ben knew that the boy was not asleep.\u00a0 He leaned across Joe, seeing a small stick and offered it to his son.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBite down on this, Joe\u2026\u201d he ordered as he placed the stick between Joe\u2019s teeth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben glanced at Adam and nodded his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReady when you are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam placed his hands on his brother\u2019s leg at just the right spot.\u00a0 He could feel the bone moving beneath his hands and when he had it placed properly, he glanced once at Joe\u2019s face, seeing his brother watching him.\u00a0 With a slight nod of his head, Joe bit down hard on the stick.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam pulled back hard on the leg; Joe\u2019s body arched in pain as his chin tilted upward; the stick slipped from his mouth as his cry of agony echoed on the night breeze.\u00a0 Everything above him seemed to be spinning in a circle, getting darker and darker until at last Joe saw nothing else but the blackness to which he had escaped.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s out,\u201d whispered Ben.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get finished before he wakes up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Across the small camp, Hoss turned at the shrill cry, puckering up his face in distaste.\u00a0 His expression showed his own inner hurt that he suffered for his brother.\u00a0 The kind man turned away, willing himself to shut out the piteous sound and focus on the young man with him, who had his own kind of suffering going on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Josh seemed unaffected by the night cries of his friend.\u00a0 His eyes were glazed and the boy stared straight ahead, not really seeing anything.\u00a0 He was not even conscious of his surroundings, or the fact that Hoss worked with tender hands, soothing the welts with an ointment from the first aide kit that they had brought along.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss made sure that each welt was cleaned and disinfected before applying the ointment; he then wrapped the boy\u2019s upper body with long strips of bandages.\u00a0 When he had finished, Hoss lowered Josh down on the bedroll and covered him up.\u00a0 He waited until he was sure that the boy had gone to sleep and then stood up, glancing over to see how his father and brother were faring with Little Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere, that should do it,\u201d Ben said, making his son as comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben looked up as Hoss approached, standing and stretching the kinks from his body.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s sleeping,\u201d Ben told his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not likely to wake up any time soon, I suppose we should make the travois and then try to get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got one made already,\u201d Hoss informed his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make the other one,\u201d Adam volunteered as he walked away.\u00a0 \u201cGet yourself something to eat, Hoss\u2026I\u2019ve already had all I want.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Hoss said, turning to his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss glanced down at his little brother.\u00a0 An urge to touch the boy swept over the big man and Hoss squatted down, brushing back a stray lock of hair from his brother\u2019s brow.\u00a0 Ben heard the young man sigh deeply, as if a sob had caught in his son\u2019s throat, but he held back making a comment, deciding instead to let Hoss work through his own thoughts and feelings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a moment, Hoss stood and faced his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe looks so\u2026young, lying there all bandaged up,\u201d he said in a tender voice.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d give anythin\u2019 if\u2019n that were me, stead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben felt the swelling of pride in his heart for this big man with the tender heart.\u00a0 He placed his hand gently on Hoss\u2019 arm and smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think we all would, son.\u00a0 Come on, let\u2019s get you something to eat and then I want you to get some sleep, I\u2019ll sit with Joe for awhile and then, if you like, you can have a turn.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlrighty, Pa\u2026I\u2019d like that,\u201d muttered Hoss, finally moving away from the sleeping boy and over to the fire where he dipped himself a plate of beans and bread.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam woke some time later to the sound of soft whimpering.\u00a0 He had remained close to Josh, fearful for the boy\u2019s state of mind.\u00a0 When he rose up on one elbow, he saw Josh standing just outside the glow of the campfire.\u00a0 Josh had his back to the fire, and Adam thinking that perhaps the boy was just trying to get warm, laid back down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unaware that he was being watched, Josh moved further into the woods.\u00a0 Adam, hearing the snapping of twigs, crawled from his warm bed, deciding that it was not safe for the obviously disturbed young man to be traipsing about in the woods, alone at night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam reached for his gun, surprised to see that it was missing from his holster and assuming that Josh had taken the pistol.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For several yards, Adam followed the boy.\u00a0 Several times, Josh stopped and glanced around him.\u00a0 After the boy had wandered a good distance from the camp, it became apparent to Adam that the boy was wandering in circles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJosh?\u201d Adam called softly, using caution.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He feared what the lad might do with the pistol he had taken.\u00a0 Adam was keenly aware that the young man was not himself, so he readied himself for the unexpected.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The boy stopped, standing dead still, as he twisted his neck around, looking for the one who had called out to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJosh, where are you going?\u201d asked Adam as he stepped into view of the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam was appalled by the haunted, frightened look in the young man\u2019s eyes and quickly realized that the boy had no idea who he was or where he was for that matter.\u00a0 Cautiously, Adam approached the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNO!\u201d screamed Josh, shattering the tranquility of the night and sending the night creatures scurrying for a hideout.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before Adam could collect his thoughts, Josh bolted and took off running through the woods, screaming as he fought his way around trees and rocks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Within the camp, Ben bolted upright from his bedroll, and instantly looked over at Joe, who seemed not to have heard the ear shattering wails.\u00a0 Hoss was immediately on his feet and met his father halfway across the camp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat in blazes was that?\u201d he asked as he checked his rifle to be sure it was loaded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben said, looking about.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s gone\u2026and Josh!\u201d Ben announced in a near panic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cADAM!\u201d Ben called from the perimeter of the camp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He waited for an answer, but none came forth.\u00a0 Suddenly a shout rang out, causing Ben to reach out and grab Hoss by the arm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou stay here and keep an eye on Joe, I\u2019m going after Adam,\u201d Ben called as he turned to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPA!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben stopped in his tracks, turning to see his youngest son trying to get up.\u00a0 Ben ran the short distance to Joe\u2019s bedside and gently forced the boy back down against the bedding.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re coming!\u201d Joe said in a frightened voice.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re going to take me back!\u00a0 Pa\u2026Pa\u2026please\u2026don\u2019t let them!\u201d wept Joe as he flung his arms about his father\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben\u2019s arms automatically wrapped the boy in a tight hug, holding his frightened son close to his chest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShh\u2026it\u2019s not the Indians son, everything is alright,\u201d Ben whispered in a soothing voice, all the while cradling Joe tenderly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben glanced up at Hoss but saw that Hoss had gone in search of Adam.\u00a0 He held Joe in his arms, listening to the soft whimpering sounds.\u00a0 His son was burning up with fever and had no clue what was going on around him, other than he was nestled in his father\u2019s arms, protected from the Indians that he envisioned around him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another shot ripped through the night.\u00a0 Ben could hear Hoss calling for Adam; he listened for a response from his eldest son, and felt a sick, gnawing fear growing in the pit of his stomach when Adam failed to respond to Hoss\u2019 shouts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deep within the brush, Hoss found his brother.\u00a0 Adam was lying face down on the moss-covered ground.\u00a0 Kneeling down, Hoss made a quick survey of the area and then carefully turned Adam over on his back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss inhaled deeply, Adam had been shot!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d muttered Hoss, keeping a sharp eye out for whomever it was that had shot his brother.\u00a0 As of yet, Hoss had not determined that it could have been Josh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe got my gun, Hoss, be careful,\u201d Adam said in a strained voice.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s out of his head\u2026he thought I was an Indian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019d he go?\u201d whispered Hoss as he helped Adam into a sitting position.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026ouch,\u201d Adam muttered, glancing at his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s only a flesh wound, I can\u2019t tell in the dark.\u00a0 Come on, help me back to camp\u2026we\u2019ll have to look for the boy come morning,\u201d said Adam as he allowed Hoss to help him to his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam leaned heavily on his brother as the two made their way back to camp.\u00a0 Ben was waiting anxiously by the fire and rushed forward to help Hoss with Adam as soon as the pair walked into the glow of the campfire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once Adam was made to sit down by the fire, Hoss hurried to fetch the medical supplies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure, Pa.\u00a0 The kid must have woke up, confused.\u00a0 He swiped my pistol from the holster and took off.\u00a0 When I called out to him, he shot at me\u2026the second shot hit my shoulder,\u201d explained Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben ripped the shirtsleeve from the shoulder so that he could examine the wound.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a scrape\u2026any closer though and it would have gone straight through your arm,\u201d Ben said as he began cleaning the wound.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Josh now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t find\u2019em, Pa.\u00a0 It was too dark and I thought it best to get Adam back here to tend to that bullet wound,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have to look for him as soon as it\u2019s light.\u00a0 There, that should do it,\u201d Ben said, finishing wrapping a bandage around his son\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Little Joe?\u201d questioned Adam, glazing over in the direction where his brother now lay sleeping.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s burning up with fever,\u201d Ben said, following Adam\u2019s glaze.\u00a0 \u201cYou and I will take him on home in the morning, Hoss can stay behind and search for Josh.\u00a0 As soon as I can, I\u2019ll have some of the men come back and help your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cToo bad the boy don\u2019t have any parents\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know son\u2026\u201d Ben said sadly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a shame.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to\u2019em?\u201d Hoss inquired.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The three sat around the fire, unable to sleep.\u00a0 Ben explained about Josh\u2019s parents.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey were killed\u2026by Indians no less\u2026when Josh was just a boy.\u00a0 He\u2019s lived with his grandparents up until they died about two months ago\u2026since then he\u2019s been living with the Reverend and his wife.\u00a0 His aunt and uncle from back east are suppose to be on their way to Virginia City to stay with boy\u2026until he becomes of age and be able to take over his grandfather\u2019s ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe best try to get some sleep, boys.\u00a0 Adam how\u2019s your arm?\u201d Ben inquired, rising to his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Pa\u2026hurts some, but nothing I can\u2019t endure.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n By the time that the sun had risen, Ben had the horses saddled and ready to move out.\u00a0 The only thing left for him to do, was to secure Joe to the travois.\u00a0 Joe was still sleeping; his fever had come down some, but not enough to satisfy his father who worried constantly over the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, help me get Joe ready, please,\u201d asked Ben, kneeling down next to Little Joe and gently trying to rouse the boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2026wake up son\u2026it\u2019s time to go home,\u201d Ben said, smiling down at Joe when he saw the boy\u2019s eyes flicker opened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was easy for Ben to see how weak his son had become.\u00a0 Even lifting the boy from his bedroll caused Joe to moan softly and complain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHurts\u2026\u201d Joe whined, rolling his head sideways, against his father\u2019s chest.\u00a0 \u201cMy leg\u2026oh\u2026and my\u2026back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know son, and I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben apologized.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Carefully he placed Joe on the travois and once secured, Ben mounted up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll ride a ways with ya, Pa,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then I\u2019ll bear north and look for Josh.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rode only a short distance before Hoss held up his hand, signaling them to stop.\u00a0 Quickly he swung down from his saddle and ran through the shrubs toward a prone figure lying face down in the tall grasses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss approached with caution and leaned down, turning the body over.\u00a0 Ben and Adam heard the big man gasp aloud as they approached from behind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho is it\u2026is it the boy?\u201d Ben said, reaching his son just as Hoss had flipped the body face up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss scrunched up his face, his blue eyes turned dark as the looked sadly at the dead boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Josh alright, Pa\u2026and\u2026he\u2019s dead,\u201d Hoss finished in a whisper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben and Adam squatted down to observe the boy\u2019s body.\u00a0 Carefully Ben check it for signs of injuries other than what the Indian\u2019s had done to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see anywhere that he might have been hurt,\u201d Ben said in a low tone, glancing from Hoss to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t tell what killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam had risen and began searching the area.\u00a0 He stopped after only minutes and leaned down, picking up his pistol.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI found my gun,\u201d he told his father as he checked the weapon and put it back into his holster.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there\u2019s nothing that can be done for the lad now,\u201d surmised Ben.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, lets cover him up and take him home.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have the sheriff notify his aunt and uncle when they arrive, about\u2026this,\u201d he said, pointing to the dead boy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben was surprised to see the group of men standing around in his yard as he and his boys rode up to the house.\u00a0 He looked questioningly at his neighbors as he dismounted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve come to find out from your boy, what all of this is about!\u201d barked one man who stepped forward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlright\u2026we\u2019ll talk, but not until I get my son in bed, he\u2019s hurt and running a fever,\u201d Ben stated firmly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, why don\u2019t you help Pa take Joe inside and I\u2019ll talk to the men,\u201d suggested Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe doctor is inside, Ben, and Sheriff Coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charlie Devlin was among the group of men who had gathered and he stepped forward, around the first man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMitch and Seth explained most of it to us\u2026and when your men brought home the others, Willie Barns admitted that it was all his idea\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought the Barns boy was dead?\u201d Ben said, surprised because Joe had claimed he had seen the older boy killed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, he has a pretty messed up head, but Doc Martin says, he\u2019ll live,\u201d explained Charlie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank the Lord,\u201d muttered Ben.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, make sure Adam doesn\u2019t over do it, he\u2019s been shot\u2026and Charlie, the Myers boy is dead too.\u00a0 Will you look after his body?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure Ben, you take care of Joe, I\u2019ll see to everything out here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Charlie,\u201d Ben called over his shoulder as he hurried inside.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss had already carried Joe upstairs and by the time that Ben pushed opened the bedroom door, Doc Martin was already working on removing the boy\u2019s clothing so that he could examine the broken leg.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you set this?\u201d Doc asked Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2026I couldn\u2019t bring myself to hurt him further\u2026nor to take him out of my arms,\u201d Ben freely admitted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul smiled in his warm understanding way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s perfect, all I\u2019ll need to do is to apply a plaster cast.\u00a0 But first, I\u2019ll have a look at these marks on his upper body.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to be alright\u2026isn\u2019t he?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at the doctor with more than a touch of concern written into his expression and showing in his dark eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The doctor continued to remove the soiled bandages from around Joe\u2019s chest, but he paused, hearing the slight tremor in his friend\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll know more once I check him out, Ben.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you go downstairs and see if you appease those men, I\u2019m afraid they\u2019ve worked themselves into a mob, about to start a revolution against those Indians,\u201d the physician warned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben moved to the window and pulled back the sheers.\u00a0 The doctor was right, the small crowd of men was getting louder and louder and it appeared that Adam and the sheriff had their hands full trying to calm everyone down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The instant that Ben stepped outside, all the men turned and swarmed him, demanding to know what was being done about the murdering Indians who had claimed the lives of three of the town\u2019s young men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened up there, Ben?\u201d demanded one man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat were those boys doing on Indian land in the first place?\u201d another shouted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s come my boy is dead\u2026and yours ain\u2019t?\u201d stormed Rusty Holloway\u2019s distraught father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben took a deep breath.\u00a0 Roy Coffee elbowed his way through the crowd to stand at Ben\u2019s right, Adam was already on his father\u2019s left and Hoss stood directly behind all of three of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sheriff held his hand up to silence the men.\u00a0 Everyone fell silent as they waited for Ben to begin speaking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFirst thing, I\u2019d like to tell the Holloway family and the Wilcox, just how sorry I am about their sons.\u00a0 Josh Myers has also died as a result of what happened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was tragic, that these boys died, but their deaths was something that could have been avoided, if those boys had respected the treaty that had been just recently made with the Paiutes regarding their sacred grounds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now I\u2019m not pointing a finger at any of them, my youngest son was among those who crossed into the forbidden territory.\u00a0 He did so, from what Seth Pruitt and Mitch Devlin has told me, to prevent the others from going any further into Indian land.\u00a0 But because he did so, he was forced to suffer cruel and inhumane treatment.\u00a0 It was but for the grace of God that I was able to get him out, alive.\u00a0 That\u2019s not to say he still might not survive the abuse he suffered, or the mental anguish that a boy as sensitive as Little Joe is, will most likely have to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut Ben\u2026why\u2026just tell us why those boys went there in the first place!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben\u2019s lips were drawn tight as he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure, all I know is what my son has tried to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd that is?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCuriosity, I suppose.\u00a0 They wanted to see what so special about the Inidan\u2019s sacred ground.\u00a0 Little Joe, my son, tried to talk them out of it, but they refused to listen, they refused to turn back\u2026and then, before any of them knew what was happening\u2026they were spotted and\u2026the Paiutes took their revenge on the boys\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurdered them, that\u2019s what they did!\u201d shouted one angry father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mob began to shout and making threats of going after the ones responsible for the deaths of the three boys.\u00a0 Roy Coffee quickly stepped forward, holding up his hands and shouting at the men to be quiet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2026BE QUIET!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam fired his pistol into the air to draw the angry mob\u2019s attention.\u00a0 Immediately, they fell silent as they turned to the sheriff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs sheriff of this here county, I gotta tell ya men this, and ya might not like it, but it\u2019s the law and that\u2019s a fact.\u00a0 What these boys did, was wrong\u2026they broke the law for sure.\u00a0They trespassed on Indian Territory and once they were inside that boundary, they were outside of my jurisdiction.\u00a0 According to the federal law, Chief Winnemucca and his men had every right to punish those boys\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mob began muttering amongst themselves in protest of the sheriff\u2019s declaration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cListen up!\u201d shouted Roy.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t finished yet\u2026now I have to be honest with all of ya\u2026I don\u2019t agree on the killin; of young boys, young men\u2026but the laws plainly state\u2026If an offense occurs on Indian land, the Indians have the right to try and punish the offenders by any means in which they deem fair.\u00a0 Now if\u2019n those same Indians had kilt them boys while on public land\u2026white man\u2019s land\u2026then those same Indians would have to answer to white man\u2019s law, trial and punishment.\u00a0 I\u2019d be the first on to go after Red Cloud and Running Fox, but folks, my hands are tied.\u00a0 According to the laws, the Paiutes were within their rights\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The stood quiet for several moments.\u00a0 Some whispered amongst themselves and a few began gathering their horses and leaving.\u00a0 The few that remained approached Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen we can\u2019t do anything about them savages killing my boy?\u201d Jeb Holloway asked in a sullen voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben, his expression one of sorrow and remorse shook his head no.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou heard what the sheriff said\u2026your son, and Fred Wilcox\u2019s son, Freddy, were rightly tried and sentenced\u2026according to Indian law\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t stand by Injun law!\u201d stormed Holloway.\u00a0 \u201cI stand by this!\u201d he shouted at Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The man tapped his hand to his side, pulling his pistol from his holster and waving it frantically in Ben\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPut that thing away,\u201d ordered Roy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll put it away\u2026but not for long.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make those redskins pay for what they done to my boy\u2026you just wait and see!\u201d shouted Holloway as he turned and stormed off.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben sighed heavily and turned to Roy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat man is set on trouble,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Fred?\u201d Ben said to the Wilcox man who approached him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I suppose, as hard as it is to admit\u2026I know my boy done wrong.\u00a0 He hated them Indians\u2026and I told\u2019em plenty of times, that his hate would get\u2019em killed one of these days.\u00a0Guess he didn\u2019t believe me,\u201d Fred Wilcox said sadly as he turned to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFred,\u201d Ben called, stopping the man by putting his hand on the other\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf there is anything\u2026anything at all that me or my boys can do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mr. Cartwright\u2026but there ain\u2019t nothing ya can\u2026it\u2019s too late now, to help my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fred Wilcox took several steps toward his horse and then stopped, turning back around to face Ben, who was still standing on the porch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen\u2026take care of that boy of yours\u2026I truly hope he gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben swallowed the lump of sorrow that had jammed in his throat and nodded his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Fred\u2026I hope he gets well, too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben turned and re-entered the house.\u00a0 The physician was just coming down the stairs and Ben hurried meet him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Joe?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cResting for now, Ben.\u00a0 He should sleep for several hours,\u201d the doctor assured the worried father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs he going to be alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn time.\u00a0 His injuries look worse than what they actually are\u2026not saying that they were minor, but nonetheless, not as bad as I first expected.\u00a0 The swelling of the welts will begin to go down in a day or two, but there will be many bruises and sore spots.\u00a0 Adam set the broken bone perfectly so I just applied a plaster cast on the leg.\u00a0 He\u2019ll have to stay in bed quite some time anyway, so by the time I let him up, he should be able to hobble around on it if he\u2019s careful.\u00a0 What I\u2019m most worried about Ben, is Little Joe\u2019s attitude\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Ben said, sitting on the end of the wooden table and waiting for Paul to sit down in the blue chair across from him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul sat down on the edge of the cushion and leaned forward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen, Joe woke up while I was working on his back\u2026he asked me about the other boys.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know for sure how much he might remember so I told him the truth, Mitch and Seth were safe and unhurt, Willie was hurt, but would live\u2026and the others\u2026didn\u2019t make it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat did he say?\u201d Ben asked, more worried than ever now, about his son\u2019s state of mind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe looked as if he wanted to cry, but wouldn\u2019t, he held it in.\u00a0 He remembered Josh being with him and was most shocked to learn that the boy didn\u2019t make it.\u00a0 I\u2019m worried that Joe might feel as if it were his fault because the others met their fate and he survived.\u00a0 You know how emotionally he feels things like this, Ben.\u00a0 I would advise keeping a close eye on him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben\u2019s mouth flew opened and he stood to his feet, glancing up at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t believe that Joe would\u2026harm himself because of all of this\u2026do you?\u201d stammered Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026I certainly hope he wouldn\u2019t\u2026but he is bad about keeping things inside until he nearly makes himself sick, you know that, Ben\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben sighed deeply, nodding his head in agreement.\u00a0 The family physician knew his youngest son, almost as well he did, reasoned the anxious father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen he wakes up, I\u2019ll talk to him, somehow I\u2019ll make him see that none of this was his fault\u2026he tried to get those boys to turn back, they chose to ignore the warning\u2026unfortunately, they had to pay the price in doing so,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The physician stood to his feet, tapping Ben on the back.\u00a0 Paul made his way slowly toward the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what you should tell him, too.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back out tomorrow sometime, Ben.\u00a0 If you should need me for anything\u2026send word, I\u2019ll come right away,\u201d smiled the good doctor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben handed the doctor his hat and helped his friend with his coat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Paul\u2026I just don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do without you\u2026you\u2019ve always come to our rescue when we need you the most,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The doctor chuckled softly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my job, Ben\u2026that\u2019s what I went to school for\u2026but I do appreciate the business\u2026not that I like seeing any of you sick or injured\u2026believe it or not\u2026when I have to work on my best friends\u2026it hurts me.\u00a0 I know doctors are not supposed to become emotionally involved with their patients\u2026but sometimes, like right now, it\u2019s hard not to do, especially with a young person whom I helped bring into this world.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that you are right\u2026it would be a hard thing to do\u2026it\u2019s hard for me, watching one of my sons suffering.\u00a0 Thank you, Paul for everything,\u201d Ben said, shaking the physician\u2019s hand in appreciation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnytime, Ben\u2026take care, I\u2019ll see myself out, you go sit with Joe,\u201d smiled Paul, releasing his friend\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026Paul\u2026will you check on Adam before you leave, he was grazed by a bullet\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2026why on earth didn\u2019t he tell me, of course, I\u2019ll go have a look.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry, Ben, I\u2019m sure if he\u2019s able to stand out there jawing with those men, he should be fine,\u201d assured the doctor as he hurried to find his next patient.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Joe finally woke up, hours later, he found his father sitting next to the bed, dozing in a chair.\u00a0 For several moments, Joe watched his father sleeping, and decided from the looks of Ben\u2019s unshaven face and the tired expression that could not be hidden behind the mask of dark whiskers, to let his father continue with his nap.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was only when Adam slipped into the room and laid his hand on his father\u2019s shoulder, that Ben raised his head, aware that his eldest son was present.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa,\u201d whispered Adam, nodding his head toward the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben glanced at Joe, assured that the boy was still sleeping and then slipped out into the hallway with Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSomething wrong, son?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlenty\u2026there\u2019s been trouble,\u201d Adam explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben saw the worried expression on his son\u2019s face and placed a hand on Adam\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIndians\u2026Jeb Holloway and some others raided Chief Winnemucca\u2019s village last night\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh dear God\u2026no\u2026\u201d stammered Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHolloway was taken captive, along with two more men\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben sighed deeply, concern and fear for all involved were written deeply into his features.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, you and Hoss stay here, with Joe\u2026I\u2019m going to have a talk with the Chief\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2026you can\u2019t, this is turning into an all out war\u2026Roy has sent for the Army\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cArmy?\u00a0 That will only make matters worse\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot according to Roy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben took a deep breath and peeked back into the room where Joe was sleeping.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStay with the boy, Adam, please\u2026if anything happens to me\u2026you and Hoss take care of him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben turned to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2026no\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was no use arguing with his father; Ben was set on seeing the chief.\u00a0 Adam walked slowly into the room, moving to the window where he stood watching as Ben stopped in the yard and spoke a few words to Hoss.\u00a0 Adam saw his brother glance up at the window and then hurry to the house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d Joe called weakly, drawing his brother\u2019s attention from the window.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam forced a smile and moved across the room, sitting down in the chair his father had vacated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, little buddy, about time you woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Pa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe had to go out, don\u2019t worry\u2026how are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSore\u2026when\u2019s Pa coming back\u2026I need to talk to him,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Joe,\u201d Adam answered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked up as Hoss walked into the room.\u00a0 Adam caught Hoss\u2019 look but quickly turned back to his younger brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnything I can help you with, Pal?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNaw\u2026I was just wondering what happened to Josh, that\u2019s all,\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you remember, Joe?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe\u2019s middle brother stood at the foot of the bed, swapping worried glances with Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI only remember Pa\u2026and the two of you coming to get us\u2026what happened after that?\u00a0 How\u2019d I get home\u2026and how is Josh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam took a deep breath, realizing that it would serve no purpose lying to the boy.\u00a0 Apparently Joe had forgotten that the doctor had already explained about his friends.\u00a0 Adam decided then that as hard as it might be for Joe to take, the truth would be better coming out now than later.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe got Josh out when we went for you, Joe.\u00a0 He was hurt as badly, except for the broken leg, but his mind\u2026it was as if\u2026he wasn\u2019t really there.\u00a0 That first night, after we left the Indian\u2019s village, we thought Josh was probably in shock\u2026and he was.\u00a0 After we fell asleep, he took my gun and ran off into the woods.\u00a0 When I went after him, he\u2026tried to kill me, I suppose the lad thought I was an Indian\u2026we couldn\u2019t find him, Joe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUntil the next mornin\u2019,\u201d Hoss added.\u00a0 \u201cWe found him dead, Little Buddy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen I didn\u2019t dream it,\u201d muttered Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam moved to sit on the bed, along side his brother.\u00a0 He saw Joe\u2019s chin begin to quiver.\u00a0 The painful expression on the boy\u2019s face, tugged on his older brother\u2019s heartstrings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Adam,\u201d Joe said, brushing his hands over the front of his face.\u00a0 \u201cIt was bound to happen\u2026I tried to warn them, but they wouldn\u2019t listen to me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe know, buddy, Mitch and Seth told us all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe swallowed down his sorrow and then looked from one to the other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll that killing\u2026for what, Adam\u2026what\u2019s so special about that piece of land the Indian\u2019s call their sacred ground anyway, that would be worth so many men dying over?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2026I can only explain it this way\u2026it\u2019s sort of like their place of worship, sort of like our churches\u2026their people are buried there, in parts of it, so some of it is like our cemeteries.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t stand for\u2026say\u2026your mother\u2019s grave being desecrated, would you?\u00a0 Or having our church destroy for no good reasons?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course not, I\u2019d kill someone for doing that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe paused and looked first at Adam and then at Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow I understand\u2026I\u2019m sorry, Adam\u2026I didn\u2019t understand at first.\u00a0 It\u2019s like holy ground to the Indians\u2026it\u2019s special, like when I\u2019m visiting my mother\u2019s grave\u2026it\u2019s like she\u2019s right there with me.\u00a0 I can almost feel her presence\u2026I guess the Indian\u2019s aren\u2019t much different, are they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joe\u2026they are not any different, just the color of their skin, that\u2019s all,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you need to rest, close your eyes,\u201d he ordered gently as he rearranged the covers and stood up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was because\u2026\u201d Joe paused.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause why, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe shrugged his shoulders, refusing to say anything further.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Joe said as Adam paused in the doorway with Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s gonna be more trouble, isn\u2019t there?\u00a0 That\u2019s why Pa\u2019s not here, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019s only gone to see if he can prevent more trouble, don\u2019t you worry any about it\u2026now close your eyes!\u201d Adam said again, as he pulled the bedroom door closed softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two Indian\u2019s held Ben tightly in their grasp as he struggled to free himself.\u00a0 The pair pulled him along with them and then stopped in front of the chief who had appeared from his teepee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the Chief approached, the two braves lessened their hold, thus giving Ben the opportunity to wrench his arms free.\u00a0 He stood before the chief, anger showing in his dark eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs this the way you greet an old friend?\u201d he demanded of the red man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook about you, Ben Cartwright,\u201d Chief Winnemucca answered waving his arm about at the destruction that was evident.\u00a0 \u201cIs this the way that my white brother keeps his promise?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI cannot be held responsible for this\u2026I\u2019m sorry, Chief Winnemucca\u2026this is the doings of a very distraught father.\u00a0 A man\u2019s son was killed, three sons in fact, it was because of his grief, this white man sought his own revenge, it is the doings of only a few\u2026not all of us\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe white men responsible have been taken prisoner and will die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cChief, listen to me\u2026please,\u201d Ben said with deep emotion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat those men have done was wrong\u2026very wrong\u2026and it served no purpose, raiding your village did not bring back the sons that they lost.\u00a0 They broke the law\u2026let me take the men back to town\u2026they will be punished for what they have done\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhite man\u2019s law?\u201d stormed Red Cloud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026by white man\u2019s law.\u00a0 They will be locked up and they\u2019ll have to stand trial for this\u2026most likely they will be sent away, Red Cloud, to prison, for a very long time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut that will not bring back our wives and our little children\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNor will it bring back their sons\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe speaks the truth, Red Cloud\u2026there has been enough killing.\u00a0 Both our white brothers and ourselves have lost those that we love\u2026it is time for the killing to end.\u00a0 Bring the prisoners to me,\u201d the chief ordered, turning to Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou are an honest and fair man, Ben Cartwright\u2026I have your word that these men will be punished?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026I give you my word,\u201d Ben answered, holding out his hand to the chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Winnemucca took the offer of friendship and shook Ben\u2019s hand hard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jeb Holloway and the other two men were brought before the chief and Ben.\u00a0 Ben looked at the trio with narrow eyes, anger glimmering in their dark depths.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you have any idea the trouble you\u2019ve caused?\u201d he stormed at Jeb.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI told ya, I\u2019d make these savages pay\u2026\u201d he shouted at Ben.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a fool, Holloway\u2026because of what you\u2019ve committed here, you\u2019re going to go to prison\u2026probably for the rest of your life, unless they hang you!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jeb pulled free of the Indian holding his arm and stormed Ben, catching him off guard and knocking him to his feet.\u00a0 Before Ben could react, Jeb grabbed Ben\u2019s pistol from his holster and turned it on Red Cloud.\u00a0 The blare from the gun rang loudly as the brave staggered forward and then fell dead, at his Chief\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The small band of Indians charged Jeb Holloway and before either Ben or Winnemucca could pull the braves off Holloway, Jeb was hammered with tomahawks until life slipped quickly from the vengeful man.\u00a0 When the scuffle was over, the band of red men stood back, chattering in victory.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two white men with Holloway looked terrified at Ben, who stood in muted silence over the dead man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben looked up, meeting the dark eyes of the Paiute chief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake your prisoners, Ben Cartwright, and leave us\u2026it is finished,\u201d the chief said, turning away from his white brother, he ordered his braves to pick up Red Cloud\u2019s body and begin preparing it for the burial ceremony.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben rode into the yard, exhausted as he dismounted and handed the reins to one of the hands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake care of my horse for me, please,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam and Hoss hurried from the house, anxious to know the outcome.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened, Pa\u2026ya alright?\u201d Hoss asked after spying the smudges on his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright, son.\u00a0 Holloway is dead; the other men are safely locked in Roy\u2019s jail cell.\u00a0 They\u2019ll have to stand trial for the raid\u2026oh\u2026Red Cloud is dead too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben glanced toward the top of the stairs, his mind obviously on the boy upstairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWaiting for you\u2026Pa\u2026he knows everything,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cHe asked about the others and where you\u2019d gone\u2026I didn\u2019t see any point in putting off telling him, or by passing the truth\u2026he was going to find out soon enough as it were.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did right, son\u2026I wouldn\u2019t want you to lie to the boy\u2026there\u2019s been enough of that as it is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do ya mean by that, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I took those two men in to Roy, Willie Barns and his father were there, talking to Roy.\u00a0 Seems like the boys had another motive for crossing that boundary line besides just being curious.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026and what was it?\u201d Adam inquired.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey were planning on stealing some of the artifacts.\u00a0 Willie confessed to having connections with a dealer in Philadelphia who offered top dollar for some genuine Indian relicts\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYa mean to say\u2026all this killin\u2019, Joe\u2019s being made to suffer\u2026was all for a few dollars?\u201d stammered Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid so, son\u2026senseless\u2026useless\u2026horrid,\u201d Ben said, shaking his head in disbelief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYa reckon Little Joe knew about what was happenin\u2019, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked reluctantly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026of course not\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t\u2026honest\u2026I only went along because Willie said we were looking for treasure. Mitch, Seth and I thought it might be fun\u2026so we tagged along, until we came to the Indian\u2019s boundary line.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I told the others to turn back\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJOE!\u201d Ben said, running up the stairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He stopped in front of the boy, placing both hands on either of Joe\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be out of bed\u2026especially with that heavy cast on your leg\u2026now lets get you back to your room\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut Pa\u2026I have to explain\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Joe\u2026its over.\u00a0 What\u2019s happened was a terrible, terrible thing, so many lives lost\u2026because of greed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know, but please Pa\u2026ya gotta believe me, I didn\u2019t know anything about what Willie and the others were planning\u2026neither did Seth nor Mitch\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course I believe you son, I\u2019ve never doubted you\u2026now, back to bed,\u201d Ben ordered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once Ben had his son situated in bed, he sat down, drawing the chair as near as possible.\u00a0 He smiled at his son, brushing back the untamed locks of hair from Joe\u2019s brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSon,\u201d Ben began gently, \u201cI hope you don\u2019t blame yourself for anything that happened\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t, Pa\u2026really\u2026I just hated that I was a part of it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut you weren\u2019t, Joe, not really\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben saw Joe lowered his head and wondered at the frown that creased his young brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2026is there something that you aren\u2019t telling me?\u201d Ben prompted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe nodded his head and finally looked up.\u00a0 Ben saw the tears that had collected in the boy\u2019s troubled eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I said I didn\u2019t blame myself for the deaths of my friends\u2026I wasn\u2019t actually telling the truth, Pa,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI did try to tell them not to go on\u2026but they decided that I was just being chicken.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t care what they thought of me\u2026but I did care about what they were going to do\u2026or what I finally figured out they were up too\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, are you saying that you knew those boys were going to steal artifacts from the Paiute\u2019s sacred ground?\u201d Ben asked, astonished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNO, Pa\u2026honest\u2026at least, not in the beginning, I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 But\u2026well\u2026a few days ago, Willie asked me if I knew where there were any neat Indian relicts\u2026I thought he was just curious, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 I told him about all those neat things that the Paiutes buried with their dead\u2026and the things they used in worship\u2026you know\u2026when they have their ceremonies out on that sacred ground of their\u2019s.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know that Willie, Rusty and the others were planning on stealing those things and selling them to some man back east\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe swallowed hard and brushed his hands over his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf I had, I swear, Pa\u2026I\u2019d never have told them about that place\u2026honest,\u201d stammered Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAw\u2026Shortshanks, ya had no way of knowin\u2019, lessen them boys told ya aforehand,\u201d Hoss said as he stood by the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course you didn\u2019t, son,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did the right thing, Joe, trying to make those boys turn back\u2026unfortunately they didn\u2019t heed your advice\u2026their deaths were their own doings\u2026not yours,\u201d explained Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour brother is right, Joe\u2026their greed is what drove them to do something they shouldn\u2019t have\u2026and it cost them\u2026and their families dearly.\u00a0 The Good Book plainly says that, \u2018he that is greedy of gain, troubleth his own house\u2019\u2026and that is exactly what those young men did.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019re right, Pa\u2026but it still doesn\u2019t change the fact that if I hadn\u2019t told Willie about the artifacts, he would never have known they were there and he and the others would not have gone looking for trouble,\u201d Joe said as he leaned his head back against the pillows.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t forgive myself for that,\u201d murmured Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen forgive them for putting you in the situation, son\u2026they knew of the treaty, they knew that it was newly established and that there would be consequences if the treaty were broken\u2026they chose to ignore, not only your warning, but the white man\u2019s law\u2026and the red man\u2019s law\u2026about entering,\u201d Ben went on to explain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Oh, the tangled webs we weave, when first we practice to deceive,\u2019\u201d Adam quoted softly.<\/p>\n Joe glanced at his brother and made somewhat of a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cShakespeare?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, little brother, Sir Walter Scott, 1808.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe puckered up his mouth, drawing his brow together.<\/p>\n \u201cFigures,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s laughter was joined by that of Hoss\u2019 and finally Adam\u2019s.\u00a0 Joe stared at the three with a dark expression of disapproval, but inside, he was content and thankful that he had a family that consisted of men such as his father, and his oldest brother, Adam, and his best friend, Hoss\u2026he was proud too, to be a part of each one.\u00a0 Joe realized that it would take a long time to overcome the intense grief he felt over the loss of his friends, but he also knew that when he was down, his loving family would always be there to help him up.\u00a0 Joe smiled briefly, forgiveness flushed his soul and slowly he closed his eyes.\u00a0 Minutes later he was asleep.<\/p>\n THE END<\/p>\n December 2004<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Warned on numerous occasions to stay off the Indian’s sacred ground, Little Joe makes a daring attempt to keep a group of young curiosity seekers from making a fatal mistake…will his attempt came too late to prevent a tragedy? \u00a0<\/p>\n Rated PG \u00a0WC 16,000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9052,"featured_media":3981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1008],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sacredground.png?fit=983%2C766&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9052"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}