{"id":13829,"date":"2006-12-27T07:14:17","date_gmt":"2006-12-27T12:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13829"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:10:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:10:15","slug":"mercy-or-murder-by-helenb-jennyd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13829","title":{"rendered":"Mercy or Murder (by HelenB & JennyD)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>WHN for the episode The Quality of Mercy<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (21, 110 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\n
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Mercy or Murder<\/strong><\/p>\n

A WHN to \u201cThe Quality of Mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth Pruitt,\u201d the Judge said, \u201cYou have been found not guilty of the murder of Tom Miller. You are free to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The courtroom erupted as people who either agreed or disagreed with the verdict started to argue with each other. \u201cOrder, order,\u201d the Judge shouted, \u201cI will have order in this courtroom, now!\u201d The Judge waited until everyone was quiet and then said, \u201cMr Pruitt has been found not guilty. That is an end to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the Judge left the courtroom, everyone else started to leave, talking about the case as they went. The four Cartwrights sat in the first row. They waited until nearly everyone else had left the courtroom before they started to make their way out. Seth walked up to Joe and held his hand out, \u201cNo hard feelings, Joe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Joe just stared at him for a moment and then said, \u201cI know you\u2019re guilty.\u201d Joe then turned and walked away. Hoss quickly followed him out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr Cartwright,\u201d Seth said, once more holding his hand out, this time to Ben. Ben hesitated before he reached out to shake the younger man\u2019s hand. \u201cI hope in time,\u201d Seth said, \u201cJoe will realize the truth. That I did what I did to help Sarah\u2019s father. I didn\u2019t want to kill him. I had no other choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always a choice,\u201d Ben replied quietly.<\/p>\n

Seth nodded. \u201cI know your feelings on this, Sir, but not everyone holds the same opinion as you. Sometimes it\u2019s better to help someone to end their pain rather than letting them suffer when there\u2019s no hope. You might not think so but I know I did the right thing,\u201d he smiled, \u201cand the jury agreed with me.\u201d With that he turned and walked out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to make of him, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s sure a hard one to figure out,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cI hope he doesn\u2019t make trouble for Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think he might?\u201d Ben asked, concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey used to be friends, good friends. I think in Seth\u2019s opinion, Joe betrayed him. Not only was Joe the one who turned him in, he testified against him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was found not guilty though, surely he\u2019ll just want to put all of this behind him now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam said, but he didn\u2019t sound convinced.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Ben started walking towards the door quickly, feeling a need to check on his youngest son.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

When Ben and Adam walked out of the courtroom they found Hoss and Joe standing outside waiting for them. Ben glanced up the street to where he saw Seth walking away from them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Seth say anything when he came out?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just said he\u2019d see me around,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned unable to know if that was a threat or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go home,\u201d Ben wanted to leave quickly and put some distance between Joe and Seth for a while.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

For the next two weeks, life went on normally for the Cartwrights. Joe had been to town a few times and Seth was always friendly when they saw each other. Ben was relieved that Seth had decided to just go on with his life and not make trouble for Joe.<\/p>\n

One evening Adam returned to the ranch after a trip to town on business. \u201cAdam,\u201d Ben looked up and smiled at him as he came inside, \u201cYou\u2019re just in time, we\u2019re about to sit down to eat. How did the meeting go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, Pa,\u201d Adam answered, \u201cNo problems at all. I\u2019ll just wash up,\u201d he said as he walked into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

After Adam came back into the room and sat down at the table, he pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Joe. \u201cI picked up the mail. Letter for you, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe opened the envelope and took out the letter. \u201cIt\u2019s from Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does she have to say?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s coming home,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlready?\u201d Ben said, surprised, \u201cshe hasn\u2019t been away very long. The sale of the mine isn\u2019t even through yet.\u201d Ben had held off selling the mine for Sarah until he got the best price he could for her. The contact for the sale was due to be signed in a couple of weeks. \u201cWhen is she arriving?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe quickly scanned the letter. \u201cSarah wants you to hold off on the sale, she has decided she doesn\u2019t want to sell the mine yet. She\u2019ll be here next month.\u201d Ben frowned worriedly, he couldn\u2019t help but wonder how Seth would react to this news.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben had spoken to Seth occasionally when he was in town. He\u2019d been worried when the trial first ended that Seth would cause trouble but he was pleased that he\u2019d been wrong. A week before Sarah was due to arrive, Ben ran into him again. After they talked for a few minutes, Ben thought it would be better if Seth heard the news from him. He said, \u201cSeth, we got word that Sarah\u2019s coming back, she\u2019ll be here next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile slipped from Seth\u2019s face for a moment but then it was back again and he said, \u201cThat\u2019s wonderful news. I know we\u2019ll never get back together again but I hope one day Sarah can forgive me. I really did only want to help her father.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Later, at the table that night, Joe flung down his fork and stood up after hearing what Seth had said, \u201cAnd you believed him?\u201d he said angrily, \u201cHe didn\u2019t do it to help Mr Miller, he did it for himself. For the silver.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice had risen until he was shouting at his father.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up. \u201cSit down,\u201d he said, his voice was quite but everyone at the table knew it held anger, \u201cand do not shout at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took a deep breath, trying to get his anger under control. Knowing he needed time by himself to think, he turned and walked away from the table and out the front door.<\/p>\n

Hoss stood up and started to go after his brother. Ben put a hand on his big son\u2019s arm. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Hoss. Let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walking outside, Ben couldn\u2019t see Joe anywhere in the yard and guessed that he\u2019d gone to the barn to saddle his horse.<\/p>\n

Going into the barn, Ben saw Joe standing with his head down and his hands tightly clenching the top rail of his horses stall. \u201cJoe,\u201d Ben called quietly. Slowly Joe\u2019s hands released the rail and he turned to look at his father. \u201cAre you all right, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa. I shouldn\u2019t have spoken to you like that. I wasn\u2019t angry with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, son,\u201d Ben replied, worried by the anger he still saw in Joe. Anger, Ben knew, that was directed towards Seth Pruitt. Ben walked over and put his hand on his son\u2019s back, feeling the tension that dwelt in the young man. Joe took a deep breath and Ben could feel him start to relax. \u201cLets go for a walk,\u201d Ben said as he gently motioned Joe to go with him.<\/p>\n

Walking outside the barn, the two men went over to the corral. \u201cThis has got to stop, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Resting his arms on the top rail of the corral, Joe stared out at the surrounding darkness. \u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean, Pa?\u201d Joe replied, without looking at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know very well what I mean. This thing with Seth. It has to stop. And it has to stop now.\u201d Seeing his son was about to interrupt him, he held up a hand, \u201cLet me finish and then you can have your say.\u201d Ben leant on the rail next to Joe and continued, \u201cThe jury found Seth innocent, Joe. They believed him when he said he killed Tom Miller because Tom begged him to. They believed Seth when he said he wanted to spare Tom a painful death. They believed Seth when he said he did it for no other reason.\u201d Ben felt Joe tense beside him and he laid his arm across the young man\u2019s shoulders. \u201cI know that\u2019s not what you believe, son, but maybe, just maybe, you are wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head and Ben gently squeezed his shoulders. \u201cThere\u2019s a possibility that you\u2019re wrong, isn\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Seth first told me what he\u2019d done, I believed him when he said he\u2019d only been thinking of Mr Miller but later when Seth and I fought at the mine, it was like I saw a different Seth. It was then that I knew he\u2019d killed Mr Miller because he wanted the mine. I didn\u2019t want to believe it then and I don\u2019t want to believe it now but I know it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head at his youngest son\u2019s stubbiness, \u201cYou can\u2019t be sure of that. I am not saying you are wrong. But you have to accept there is a possibility that you are.\u201d Ben believed that Joe was right in what he thought but he also knew there was a possibility that Seth had told the truth and he wanted to get Joe to accept that. Ben tried to choose his next words carefully, \u201cIt\u2019s possible that Seth is telling the truth.\u201d Joe frowned but before he could interrupt, his father continued, \u201cIt is possible, son. You can\u2019t deny that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For all of Joe\u2019s life, whenever he\u2019d been confused or worried about something, his father had always been there to offer what advice he could and when Joe just needed to talk so he could try to work out the problem himself, Ben listened. Without even realizing he was doing it, once more, Joe opened up to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth and I have been friends since we were kids. I\u2019d have trusted him with my life, Pa,\u201d Joe laughed and Ben heard the bitterness in it, \u201cThat would have been a big mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Ben squeezed his son\u2019s shoulders again. \u201cWe may never know for sure what happened that day but the jury found Seth not guilty of murder. You must accept that and put this behind you. I\u2019m not saying you go back to being friends with Seth like you were before this happened. I don\u2019t think that would be possible but since there will be occasions when you run into him in town, you at least need to try and get along with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m wrong about what Seth did, Pa.\u201d Joe looked into his father\u2019s eyes, \u201cBut I won\u2019t start any trouble with him. I\u2019ll do my best to get along with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019m asking of you, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

A week later, Ben and Joe watched the stage bringing Sarah home come down the street and stop in front of the depot. Joe opened the door and smiled at his friend. \u201cSarah,\u201d he said, \u201cIt\u2019s so good to see you again.\u201d Reaching for Sarah\u2019s hand he helped her out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou too, Little Joe,\u201d Sarah said, smiling back. Despite the fact that it wasn\u2019t considered proper, the two friends embraced, ignoring the frowns of a couple of women who walked past.<\/p>\n

When they released each other, Sarah turned to Ben. \u201cWelcome home, Sarah,\u201d he greeted her warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich ones are your bags, Sarah?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cThe buggy\u2019s\u2026.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice trailed off at the sight of Seth Pruitt walking towards them.<\/p>\n

Sarah turned to see what had caught Joe\u2019s attention, the smile slipping from her face when she also saw Seth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Sarah,\u201d the young man said, removing his hat, \u201cYou\u2019re looking well. I\u2019m glad you\u2019ve come back. I\u2019d like to talk to you,\u201d he hesitated, \u201cprivately.\u201d When the young woman started to shake her head, he said almost desperately, \u201cPlease, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah stood there for a moment without speaking. Joe reached for her arm and started to lead her away as Seth called, \u201cPlease, Sarah, I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah stopped and turned back to face the young man she had once intended to marry. Looking at Seth now, Sarah\u2019s feelings were in turmoil. \u201cI just want to talk,\u201d Seth said. \u201cI have to go away tomorrow. I have a freighting job, I\u2019ll be away for two months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo months won\u2019t change anything between us,\u201d Sarah replied.<\/p>\n

Seth shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ll give up the job. If I stay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Sarah interrupted, \u201cI\u2019ll see you in two months,\u201d she said firmly. \u201cIf it\u2019s all right with the Cartwrights you can come out and see me when you get back. We can talk then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben avoided looking at Joe as he said, \u201cOf course it\u2019s all right. We\u2019ll see you then, Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth looked at Joe who simply nodded and turned away.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you then,\u201d Seth replied as he looked at Sarah, before turning and walking away.<\/p>\n

Ben patted Joe on the back, pleased at the maturity and restraint the young man had shown.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

That night after Adam and Hoss returned home from work and the evening meal was eaten, the family and Sarah sat talking.<\/p>\n

Covering a yawn Sarah said, \u201cPlease excuse me. It\u2019s not the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re forgiven, my dear. You\u2019ve had a long trip. Why don\u2019t you go up to bed. They\u2019ll be plenty of time for talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I will,\u201d Sarah replied. The men stood and said goodnight. Joe escorted Sarah to her room. Pausing at the door he kissed her lightly on the cheek. \u201cGoodnight, Sarah,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Over the next few weeks Joe and Sarah spent many hours together and although neither would admit it to themselves their feelings for each other were changing; the bond of friendship they shared from childhood was blossoming into something more.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, will you take me to my house?\u201d Sarah asked one morning. Ben had talked to Sarah to try and find out why she had decided not to sell the mine and the house that went with it, she didn\u2019t want to live in her old house anymore but seemed unable to let it go. Ben felt they shouldn\u2019t be left there to just deteriorate when she could get a good price for them but Sarah had been firm, she didn\u2019t want to sell.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah, I \u2026 I don\u2019t think you should,\u201d Joe replied, hesitantly. \u201cAre you really sure?\u201d Joe knew visiting the house where Sarah and her father had lived would cause a lot of anxiety for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Little Joe, please I need to go there,\u201d Sarah was insistent so Joe finally agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take you today, if you\u2019re sure that\u2019s what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Sarah stopped as she stared around the small room of the cottage she had called home for almost all of her life. Memories flooded back of her father\u2019s sudden death.<\/p>\n

Joe noticed her prolonged silence and gently held her around the shoulders in comfort. He felt Sarah lean into his embrace. \u201cThis house has such mixed memories for me, Little Joe. I just had to come back to see it. I can\u2019t tell you what it means to me for you to be here with me now. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be anywhere else, Sarah,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Over the next few days Sarah and Joe were virtually inseparable. Joe would ask her to go with him on errands for the ranch or Sarah would offer to help Joe with his chores. On one occasion Joe found himself watching Sarah from the barn as she sat on the porch reading. He wondered to himself where all the years had gone from when they had been children, the time they\u2019d spent together, fishing and riding and even on one occasion catching bears. His childhood friend certainly had changed into a beautiful woman right before his eyes. He couldn\u2019t help wondering why he hadn\u2019t noticed this before.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

One day Sarah accompanied Joe to town, as he was helping her down from the buckboard, Seth approached them. \u201cHello, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth,\u201d Sarah was surprised to see him, \u201cWe weren\u2019t expecting you back for a couple of weeks yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI pushed hard. Got back last night. I wanted to get back to see you. Can I talk to you?\u201d he looked pointedly at Joe, \u201cAlone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet lost, Seth,\u201d Joe said, \u201cSarah doesn\u2019t want to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth glared at Joe. \u201cSarah can talk for herself. She doesn\u2019t need you doing it for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took an angry step towards Seth and Sarah put her hand on his arm. \u201cLittle Joe, why don\u2019t you go and get those things your father wants while I talk to Seth for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned not wanting to leave Sarah alone with Seth. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Sarah nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sure. I\u2019ll meet you at the store.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reluctantly walked away, giving Seth a glare as he left. Just before he entered the store Joe turned back and saw Seth reach for Sarah\u2019s hand and she allowed him to take it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow have you been, Sarah?\u201d Seth asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, Seth. You?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. I\u2019ve missed you. I\u2019ve thought about you every day. Sarah about your father\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah cut him off. \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it, Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to. Sarah, I have no right to expect you to forgive me, but I need you to understand. I need you to know the truth and believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know the truth,\u201d Sarah said quietly.<\/p>\n

Seth took a deep breath. \u201cI killed your father, Sarah,\u201d he saw the young woman flinch away from him and he quickly continued, \u201cand I\u2019m sorry. But if I was in the same situation again, I can\u2019t say I wouldn\u2019t do the same thing. Your father was in terrible pain, Sarah. He begged me to end it for him. I couldn\u2019t let him go on suffering like that when I knew there was no hope that he would live. Despite what you think, I did it for him. My conscience is clear.\u201d Sarah wiped away the tears that had started to slip from her eyes. \u201cI know it doesn\u2019t change what I did but I can\u2019t stand the thought of you thinking badly of me. Please say you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father\u2026.\u201d Sarah paused and then began again, \u201cMy father would never have wanted to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was suffering, Sarah. I\u2019m sorry that I have to tell you how painful his last moments were. I wanted to spare you that. If I had been in his situation, I would have wanted the same thing. I would have wanted someone to end my suffering for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth looked around and noticed that a few people were watching them. \u201cCan we go somewhere and talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot right now, Seth. I need time to think and Little Joe will be waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do believe me, don\u2019t you, Sarah? About your father I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

A strange look came over the young woman\u2019s face and Seth asked, \u201cAre you all right,\u201d Sarah remained silent and just stared at him. Seth gently shook her. \u201cSarah, are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah blinked, \u201cFine,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cI\u2019m fine. I have to go.\u201d As Sarah started to walk away, Seth reached out and grabbed her hand. \u201cCan I come out and see you again tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah nodded, \u201cYes, I\u2019d like that, Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

On the way home to the Ponderosa, Sarah told Joe of her plans to see Seth again the following day. Joe was furious and at a loss to understand why she would want to have anything to do with Seth. They barely spoke a word to each other after that for the rest of the journey home.<\/p>\n

It was a quiet meal that was eaten at the Ponderosa that night. Neither Sarah nor Joe had told the family what had happened in town but the elder Cartwrights knew something had. When Sarah went to bed, Joe told his family and then said, \u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe struggled for control of his temper. \u201cWhy would she want to see him again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes when you\u2019re in love it\u2019s hard to let go,\u201d Ben said, watching Joe carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah doesn\u2019t love him anymore. It\u2019s over between them,\u201d Joe snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s not,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to bed,\u201d Joe turned and went upstairs without another word.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

For the next two weeks Seth and Sarah saw each other almost every day. The more Sarah saw of Seth, the less she saw of Joe. It seemed that now she could barely find the time to even talk to Joe and Joe was growing more and more hurt with each passing day.<\/p>\n

Coming in the front door after work one day, Joe saw Sarah walking up the stairs. \u201cSarah,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Sarah turned and replied, \u201cHello, Little Joe. I\u2019ve been out riding with Seth. I\u2019m going up to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow?\u201d Joe asked, he turned and looked at the clock, then back at Sarah. \u201cIt\u2019s only five o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know but I\u2019m tired. Goodnight, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned as he watched the young woman go up the stairs. Ben, Adam and Hoss came inside and looked at him curiously, as he was still staring at the staircase.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t really know. Sarah\u2019s gone up to bed. I never even get to talk to her anymore. I know she\u2019s avoiding me but I don\u2019t know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just you, Joe,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cShe\u2019s avoiding all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Seth!\u201d Joe said angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know that he\u2019s the reason,\u201d Ben said calmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has to be!\u201d Joe replied, anger making his words sound sharp.<\/p>\n

Ben ignored the tone and tried to reason with his youngest son. \u201cIt could be a lot of things. We\u2019ll just have to be patient and wait until Sarah\u2019s ready to tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben was working at his desk the next morning when Sarah came downstairs. \u201cGood morning, Sarah,\u201d he called when he saw her.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Mr Cartwright,\u201d Sarah said, walking over to the desk. \u201cIs Little Joe home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he left with his brothers a couple of hours ago. They\u2019re doing some fence repairs today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah seemed nervous as Ben watched her, avoiding his eyes the young woman said, \u201cI\u2019m moving into a boarding house in town today. Could you drive me in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s what you want to do, of course I will,\u201d Ben said, surprised at the news. \u201cMay I ask why? I hope we haven\u2019t made you feel unwelcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Sarah cried, \u201cPlease don\u2019t think that. It\u2019s nothing any of you have done. I can\u2019t stay here forever though and I really should look for a job. I just think it\u2019s time I moved to town, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Ben asked, when Sarah nodded, he said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you at least stay here one more night so that we can have a goodbye dinner. The boys will be sorry to see you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah shook her head. \u201cNo, it\u2019s better if I leave now. I\u2019m already packed.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Sarah was very quiet during the ride into town. Ben took her to the boarding house and carried her bags in. When Ben was about to leave, Sarah put her hand on his arm. \u201cThank you, Mr Cartwright. For everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll miss you Sarah. I hope you\u2019ll come out and see us sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah didn\u2019t reply. Looking away from Ben she said, \u201cWill you tell Little Joe that I want some time to myself?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you trying to tell me that you don\u2019t want to see Joseph?\u201d He couldn\u2019t understand why the girl was acting so strangely.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust for a little while. I\u2019m not angry or upset with him. I just don\u2019t want to see him right now. Please make him understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked to the door, before walking out, he turned back towards Sarah and said, \u201cI\u2019ll do my best but I don\u2019t know how I\u2019ll be able to explain something to him that I don\u2019t understand myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Late that afternoon, Ben sat in his red leather chair waiting for his sons to come home. He held a newspaper in his hands but found he was too distracted to read. Hearing horses enter the yard, he put the paper aside and waited for his boys to come in after seeing to their horses.<\/p>\n

The door opened, Hoss was the first one to enter, rubbing his hands together, he said, \u201cI hope Hop Sing\u2019s cooked plenty because I\u2019m just about plumb starved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Joe joked as he pushed past, \u201cIt would take you six months to starve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed and Hoss frowned at both of his brothers as he sarcastically said, \u201cHa Ha, brothers, very funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. He always enjoyed hearing his sons joking with each other. The smile didn\u2019t linger long though when he thought of the news he had to tell his youngest son.<\/p>\n

As his sons started to walk towards the kitchen to wash up, Ben called, \u201cJust a minute, Joe. I want to talk to you.\u201d Adam and Hoss looked at Joe curiously, wondering what trouble he\u2019d gotten himself into now. After his brothers had left the room, Joe walked over to his father and asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down, son,\u201d Joe did as he\u2019d been asked and waited for his father to continue. \u201cSarah\u2019s moved into town, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sat in shocked silence for a moment and then asked, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said she wants to try and find some work in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s sudden. She never said anything about doing that before. I\u2019ll go in tomorrow to see her and\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cut Joe off. \u201cJoseph, Sarah said that she wants some time to herself for a while. She doesn\u2019t want to see you right now.\u201d Ben hated saying those words to his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Joe replied coldly, standing up he walked over to the stairs, \u201cI\u2019m going to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to the great room, Adam and Hoss saw Joe walking slowly up the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe,\u201d Hoss called. When Joe didn\u2019t answer, Hoss looked at Ben and asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing Hop Sing putting dishes of food on the table, Ben said, \u201cYou\u2019ve had a hard day, let\u2019s eat while the foods hot and I\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

After hearing the news about Sarah leaving, Adam put down his fork and said, \u201cYou know, Pa, I think Joe has strong feelings for Sarah. Maybe he hasn\u2019t even admitted it to himself yet but I think he loves her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded slowly, \u201cI think the same thing, Adam.\u201d Ben slowly stood up, \u201cBoys you finish eating. I\u2019m going upstairs to talk to your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben knocked quietly on the door and called, \u201cJoe, can I talk to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome in,\u201d Joe answered. Ben walked in to find Joe sitting on his bed with his back against the headboard. Joe swung his legs off the bed and sat on the edge. His father sat down beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you must be hungry, why don\u2019t you come down and have something to eat or I\u2019ll bring something up for you if you prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cThanks, Pa, but I\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you feel like talking about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there is. Joe it\u2019s obvious that you love Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Joe snapped, \u201cI don\u2019t love her. She\u2019s a friend, that\u2019s all. Anyway, I guess I should say that she was a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stood up and started to pace the floor. Ben waited, silently. Joe stopped pacing and turned to his father. \u201cI don\u2019t, I\u2026\u201d the words trailed away as Joe looked into his father\u2019s eyes. \u201cI never could lie to you,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

Ben patted the bed. \u201cSit down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even know when my feelings for her changed,\u201d Joe said as he sat back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you told Sarah how you feel?\u201d Ben asked, Joe shook his head, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Sarah and I have been friends for so long. I guess I didn\u2019t want to risk ruining that friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the whole reason though, is it? Ben asked knowingly. When Joe didn\u2019t reply, Ben prompted, \u201cSeth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Joe said so quietly that Ben barely heard him. \u201cI thought it was over between Sarah and Seth and I don\u2019t consider Seth a friend anymore so I shouldn\u2019t feel guilty but I\u2026\u201d Joe\u2019s voice trailed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, like Sarah, Seth was a good friend for a lot of years. I know how difficult it is with him now but I guess sometimes old loyalties die hard.\u201d Joe nodded sadly and Ben put an arm around the young man\u2019s shoulders. \u201cI wish I had a magic solution, Joe, but only you can decide what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to decide. Sarah\u2019s already made the decision for me. She doesn\u2019t even want to talk to me anymore. She obviously believes Seth\u2019s version of what happened in the mine. You know how I told you what Seth said before we fought at the mine, about him knowing there was silver just below the surface but he hadn\u2019t told Sarah\u2019s father?\u201d Ben nodded and Joe continued, \u201cWhen I told Sarah what Seth had said and that I believed Seth had killed her father for the mine, Sarah didn\u2019t want to have anything to do with him again. She didn\u2019t want to see him. Now she\u2019s behaving like Seth didn\u2019t do anything wrong. I feel like she hates me for saying what I did about Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe,\u201d Ben said consolingly, \u201cI\u2019m sure that Sarah doesn\u2019t hold that against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked into his father\u2019s eyes. \u201cHow can you be sure? There has to be a reason why she won\u2019t talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you do as she says and stay away,\u201d when he saw Joe was about to interrupt, Ben held up his hand and continued, \u201cjust for a few days. Then, go and see her. I\u2019m sure that once you talk it will all be straightened out and you\u2019ll find Sarah holds nothing against you.\u201d Ben hoped that what he was saying was true. His son didn\u2019t answer but Ben knew that Joe was thinking about what he\u2019d said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d Ben patted Joe\u2019s arm, \u201cthere\u2019s no point in you brooding about this, that won\u2019t do anyone any good, so why don\u2019t you come down and have something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled slightly and stood up. \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy,\u201d Ben said as he also stood and put his hand on Joe\u2019s back as they left the room and went downstairs.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Three days later, Joe went into town with Hoss. They had a few errands to do and Joe was going to go and see Sarah.<\/p>\n

Stopping the buckboard at the store, Hoss climbed down. Jumping down from the other side, Joe glanced across the street and saw Seth and Sarah walking arm in arm. Sarah laughed at something Seth said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much for wanting time alone,\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d you say?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019\u201d Joe replied, \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he headed for the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can get the supplies,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go and talk to Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe said angrily, \u201cThere\u2019s no point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, not understanding why his brother was suddenly so angry. Shrugging, Hoss started to turn to follow Joe into the store and he caught sight of the young couple across the road. Sarah\u2019s eyes were fixed on the door that Joe had just gone through. When Hoss caught her eye, Sarah quickly looked away and continued walking down the street.<\/p>\n

After the supplies were ordered and the other business attended to, Hoss turned to his young brother. \u201cLet\u2019s have a beer before we go back and load the supplies what do ya say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly Joe realized how badly he\u2019d been treating Hoss all afternoon, he\u2019d hardly said two words to him since seeing Sarah with Seth. Joe nodded, \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting at a table in the saloon, Hoss said, \u201cI saw \u2018em, too, Joe.\u201d Joe didn\u2019t have to ask who his brother was talking about. All afternoon Hoss had tried to broach the subject of Sarah with Joe but his brother had snapped at him every time he\u2019d so much as opened his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Hoss,\u201d Joe said, \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have taken it out on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right, little brother. I figured you\u2019d cool off eventually. Do ya wanta talk about it?\u201d As well as being his brother, Joe was Hoss\u2019 best friend. The older brother had always felt a need to watch out for the younger, wanting to help whenever he could.<\/p>\n

About to say no, Joe stopped. Looking across the table at his brother now, Joe remembered all the years of his childhood when Hoss was always there to make the hurt better. He doubted there was anything his brother could say that would ease this hurt but he felt a need to talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah, Seth and I used to be such good friends and suddenly it\u2019s all changed. Things will never be the way they used to be between any of us again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, do you feel guilty about turning Seth in?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Joe looked down into his beer and answered, \u201cI know I did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I asked,\u201d Hoss persisted.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and blew out a deep breath before answering. \u201cSeth and I have always stuck up for each other. Even though I know I did the right thing, it felt wrong testifying against him. Joe ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. \u201cBut I know Seth killed Sarah\u2019s father for the mine. I know I am right about that. I know it!\u201d Joe shook his head again in confusion, \u201cSo why do I feel guilty? It doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth was a friend and sometimes it\u2019s hard to let go of a friendship. People change, Little Joe. Seth isn\u2019t the same person you knew when you were kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cI said pretty much the same thing to him in the mine when we fought.\u201d Joe shook his head and said quietly, \u201cIt\u2019s just that I thought we\u2019d always be friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Later as Joe and Hoss were about to climb up onto the buckboard they both saw Seth ride out of town. Hoss looked at Joe and said, \u201cGo and talk to Sarah.\u201d Joe started to shake his head but Hoss was insistent. \u201cNothin\u2019 is goin\u2019 to be settled between you both until you do. You know you want to. Go on. I\u2019ll wait here for ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cI won\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knocking on the door to Sarah\u2019s room, Joe called softly, \u201cSarah. It\u2019s Joe. Can I talk to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Opening the door, Sarah smiled hesitantly. \u201cHello, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I come in?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

Sarah shook her head. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be proper. People will talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet them,\u201d Joe replied sharply. Trying to calm down he asked, \u201cCan we go for a walk?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to argue with you, Little Joe,\u201d Sarah said sadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to argue with you either. I just want to talk to you.\u201d Joe reached for Sarah\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

Sarah pulled her hand away. \u201cI know you don\u2019t agree with me seeing Seth again,\u201d at the look of disappointment in Joe\u2019s eyes, Sarah\u2019s voice rose, \u201cIt\u2019s my life, Little Joe. I have to do what I think is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you think it\u2019s right to keep company with the man who killed your father?\u201d Joe said angrily. At the look of hurt in the girl\u2019s eyes he was immediately sorry. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Sarah. I shouldn\u2019t have said that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said you didn\u2019t want to argue,\u201d Sarah said.<\/p>\n

Joe bit his lip in indecision. Now wasn\u2019t the right time to say it but he knew he might not get another chance. Quietly Joe said, \u201cI love you, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah stared at Joe for a moment and then started to close the door. Joe put his hand out and held it open. \u201cAren\u2019t you going to say anything?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t love you, Little Joe,\u201d she said and looked away when she saw the hurt in his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye, Sarah,\u201d Joe said quietly. \u201cI hope you\u2019ll be happy.\u201d He turned and walked away.<\/p>\n

Sarah closed the door and leant back against it, the tears streaming down her face.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

One look at his brother\u2019s face told Hoss that things had not gone well. He waited for Joe to climb up and then started the team moving. When they were out of town, he asked, \u201cIt didn\u2019t go well, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cI made a fool of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled the buckboard up and asked, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d After hearing what had transpired, he said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe. You ain\u2019t got no cause to feel like a fool though. You just told her how ya feel, there\u2019s no shame in that.\u201d When Joe didn\u2019t answer, Hoss looked at his brother sadly and got the horses moving again.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Two weeks went by. Two weeks in which Joe avoided all mention of Seth or Sarah. Hoss had told Ben and Adam what had happened in town. Both had tried to talk to Joe but he had made it clear that he didn\u2019t want to discuss it.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the third week, Adam was late returning from town and the other members of the family were sitting at the table when he came in. \u201cAdam,\u201d Ben called, \u201cCome and sit down. I thought you must have decided to eat in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry I\u2019m late, Pa,\u201d Adam replied as he sat down. \u201cThe meeting with Mr Dyson took longer than I thought it would. He\u2019s signed the contract and wants the timber in four months so we have plenty of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s excellent news, Adam. We\u2019ll get on to marking the trees for cutting next week,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have some other news,\u201d Adam looked across the table at his youngest brother, \u201cSeth and Sarah have announced their engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s hand froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, after a moment he continued eating as though he hadn\u2019t heard what Adam had said. The others looked at each other but said nothing.<\/p>\n

Later that night while he was playing a game a checkers with Hoss, Joe turned to his father and said, \u201cPa, I might make a start on marking the trees tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knew it was Joe\u2019s way of saying that he wanted some time alone. \u201cAll right, son,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want me to give you a hand?\u201d Hoss asked, letting Joe know he\u2019d go with him if he wanted company.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks, Hoss,\u201d Joe said, knowing his brother would understand and wouldn\u2019t be offended, \u201cI think I\u2019d like to be on my own for a bit.\u201d Joe put down the checkers in his hand. \u201cI might go to bed. Get an early start tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

After hearing the bedroom door shut, Hoss said, \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t let him go up there alone, Pa. Not in the mood he\u2019s in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a grown man, Hoss. We can\u2019t force our company on him if he wants to be alone.\u201d Ben didn\u2019t like it any more than Hoss did but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop Joe from going.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Adam said, trying to ease everyone\u2019s worry but not succeeding.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

The next morning, Joe was heading towards the trees he had to mark when he saw a rider coming. As the rider drew closer, Joe recognized him. \u201cSeth,\u201d he muttered under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are doing here?\u201d Joe asked when Seth drew up next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on my way over to the mine,\u201d Seth replied, \u201cSarah asked me yesterday if I\u2019d go and check it out for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Joe asked, \u201cI didn\u2019t think she\u2019d want anything to do with that place again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of her father\u2019s tools were left there. Sarah wants me to go and see if they\u2019re still there. She said she\u2019d like to have them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to come this way to reach the mine. What are you doing on Ponderosa land?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth shrugged, looked away and mumbled something Joe didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

Seth turned back to his former friend. \u201cI said, I guess I was hoping to see you. I think it\u2019s time we settled things between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at Seth warily, wondering what he was up to.<\/p>\n

Seth noticed the look and said, \u201cWe were friends once, Joe. Good friends. You were the best friend I ever had. I don\u2019t want to loose that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can never be the same between us again. Too much has happened,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it can\u2019t but then again, maybe it can. We won\u2019t know if we don\u2019t try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe almost laughed. \u201cYou sound like my father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth was unable to hold back his laughter. \u201cWell, I had enough lectures from your father over the years, guess some of them stuck. Feel like going to the mine with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

About to say no, Joe stopped. The mine held a lot of bad memories for Joe now, the death of a man that he\u2019d known for almost all of his life. That had led to a ruination of a friendship. He didn\u2019t know if it was possible but Joe wanted to try and put those memories behind him.<\/p>\n

Seth sat quietly waiting for Joe\u2019s answer. Finally, Joe nodded. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arriving at the mine, the two young men loosely tied their horses. Seth unhooked a lantern that he\u2019d brought with him and lit it before they entered the mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go this way,\u201d Seth said, leading the way. \u201cI think there are a few picks and things over here somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still don\u2019t know why Sarah wants this stuff,\u201d Joe said, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

They hadn\u2019t gone far when suddenly Seth tripped on something, \u201cWhat the\u2026.\u201d He started to say, wondering what he had tripped over.<\/p>\n

Both young men heard the rumble and knew what it meant. \u201cCave in! Run, Joe!\u201d Seth shouted. Before they had time to take more then a step, rock and dirt was falling onto them.<\/p>\n

When the rocks stopped falling, there was quiet and stillness in the mine. The silence was broken when someone started to cough. Slowly the young man sat up, checking to feel if he had any broken limbs. Finding only cuts and bruises, he pushed himself to his feet and carefully started to search for his companion.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Seth called, \u201cJoe, are you all right?\u201d The lantern had been broken, so the only way to search was with his hands. Finally Seth located Joe. He was shocked and dismayed to feel the beam that lay across Joe\u2019s stomach and upper legs. With shaking hands, Seth felt for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the movement beneath his fingers. It was weak but at least it was there.<\/p>\n

Seth tried to rouse Joe but had no success. Reaching down he felt the beam again and decided to try and move it. At the first movement though, the mine started to creak and he immediately stopped not wanting to bring the whole lot down on them.<\/p>\n

Seth stood undecided about what he should do next when he heard Joe groan.<\/p>\n

Carefully sitting down by Joe, Seth reached out and put a hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019s all right. Just lie still, don\u2019t try to move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly as more awareness came to him, Joe groaned again and whispered faintly, \u201cHurts.\u201d Joe felt the weight of the beam pressing down on him and cried out in pain when he tried to pull away from it.<\/p>\n

Seth put his hand on Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cI know it hurts, Joe, but I can\u2019t move it, this place is too unstable. We\u2019ll have to wait for help. It\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Seth wasn\u2019t sure if he was trying to comfort Joe or himself, \u201cWhen I don\u2019t make it back to town, Sarah will know something is wrong. They\u2019ll know where to look, Joe. They\u2019ll find us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait that long, Seth. I\u2026.\u201d Joe started, quietly.<\/p>\n

Seth cut him off. \u201cDon\u2019t talk like that Little Joe. Don\u2019t even think it. We\u2019re not completely sealed in. We\u2019re getting enough air. We know they\u2019re gonna be coming.\u201d Seth squeezed Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cJust hold on.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Hours passed, hours that felt like days to the two young men trapped in the mine. Seth wondered when Sarah would notice he was over due. He\u2019d told her he would go in and see her in the dress shop where she now worked, when he got back to town.<\/p>\n

Joe tried to move and felt a wave of pain wash over him. He bit his lip, drawing blood. Clear thought was lost to Joe now. The only thing he was conscious of was the unrelenting and overwhelming pain. He wanted to stop it. Anyway he could.<\/p>\n

Joe slowly reached down to his side, his fingers questing for the gun at his hip.<\/p>\n

Seth heard Joe\u2019s movement and reached out to try and comfort him. Seth ran his hand down Joe\u2019s arm in search of his friend\u2019s hand. Seth frowned as his hand found Joe\u2019s, clutched around the butt of his gun and trying to pull it free.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Seth asked, shocked, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Joe fought against him but in his weakened condition he was no match and Seth easily pulled the gun from him and placed it out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d Joe begged, \u201cI can\u2019t stand it. It hurts too much. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Seth was struck by the feeling of having been in the same situation with Sarah\u2019s father. He knew this time though that it would not have the same outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe,\u201d Seth said comfortingly, \u201cYou don\u2019t want to do that. Help\u2019s coming. They\u2019ll be here soon.\u201d Wanting to get Joe to think about something else, Seth said, \u201cYou know we\u2019ve been in some tight spots before but we\u2019ve always managed to get ourselves out of them. Do you remember the time we were about eight and we were following those deer tracks and got lost? We were out there all night and it took us all the next day to find our way back to your house. Your Pa had everyone out looking for us.\u201d Seth shook his head and laughed, \u201cAnd you told your Pa we hadn\u2019t been lost, we just took the long way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grunted and Seth wasn\u2019t sure if Joe was answering him or not but he continued, \u201cWell, we always managed to get out of trouble somehow and we\u2019ll get out of here,\u201d Seth said confidently.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

As more hours slipped by, Seth began to wonder what was taking so long. It was hard to tell how long they\u2019d been trapped there but he was pretty sure night had fallen.<\/p>\n

Joe had slipped into a restless sleep and Seth heard him moan as he woke. Although still in a great deal of pain, Joe seemed more aware of where he was and what was happening than he had been before. \u201cSeth,\u201d he called, the word almost a croak as he desperately needed water for his dry throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d Seth replied, reaching out and touching Joe\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth,\u201d Joe whispered, \u201cCan I ask you something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Joe,\u201d Seth replied reluctantly, knowing what Joe was going to ask and knowing that this time he was going to tell the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you kill him for the mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was hurt bad. He begged me to end it for him, that\u2019s the truth. But, there\u2019s also more to that truth. You\u2019re right, Joe. Old Tom, he didn\u2019t think I was good enough for Sarah. I was worried she\u2019d start listening to him. I put a lot of work into this mine. When Tom was trapped and begging me to finish him off, I knew that if he was dead the mine would belong to me. Me and Sarah. I did kill him for the mine. I did, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth took a deep breath. \u201cIt was over in a moment, Joe. A moment I wish I could take back. I\u2019ve lain in bed so many nights wishing I could turn back time and make it all right again.\u201d
\n**********<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright paced across the floor. Adam looked up from the book he was reading. \u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s no need to worry, Pa. Joe probably just decided to camp up there for the night. Adam was also worried but he wanted to try and allay his father\u2019s fears.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head. \u201cHe didn\u2019t even take a bedroll with him. He should be back by now.\u201d Ben looked at the door, willing it to open. \u201cI\u2019m worried that Seth might have done something\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam said, \u201cSeth hasn\u2019t given any sign that he holds bad feelings towards Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat other explanation can there be?\u201d Ben replied anxiously, looking at Adam and then back at the closed door.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Hoss said quietly, Ben reluctantly turned his eyes from the door and looked at his middle son, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing we can do tonight. I\u2019ll have the horses ready to leave first thing in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and Adam stood, putting his hand on his father\u2019s arm. \u201cTry and get some sleep, Pa,\u201d he said, although he doubted any of them would sleep until they knew that Joe was all right.<\/p>\n

***********<\/p>\n

As planned, the three elder Cartwrights set out early the following morning. They left before the first rays of sunlight lit the sky, wanting to reach the area where Joe had been heading, as soon as possible. When they arrived there, they were disappointed to see no sign of Joe.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head. \u201cDoesn\u2019t even look like he\u2019s been here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere could he be?\u201d Ben said worriedly, his concern growing even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go to town and see if anyone there\u2019s seen him,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned. \u201cJoe wasn\u2019t planning on going to town. It would be a waste of time to go there. He\u2019s somewhere on the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cIt\u2019s a big ranch and we have no idea where to even start looking. If Joe didn\u2019t come up here like he planned to, he could have gone anywhere. We have to start looking somewhere. If we have no luck in town, at least we will be able to get some more men to help us search.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded reluctantly and turned his horse towards Virginia City.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

After riding into town, the three Cartwrights split up to ask around if anyone had seen Joe.<\/p>\n

Sarah looked up from a dress she was sewing when the bell above the door signalled that someone had entered the shop. \u201cHello, Adam,\u201d she said when she saw who it was. \u201cWhat brings you in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking for Joe,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cHave you seen him? He\u2019s been missing since yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah frowned and shook her head. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen Little Joe for about two weeks. We parted on bad terms that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cI better keep looking then.\u201d He started to leave but then stopped and asked, \u201cDo you know where Seth is?\u201d Adam wondered about the look that appeared on Sarah\u2019s face at the mention of Seth. The young woman appeared to be nervous.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said, although the hesitation caused Adam to suspect that she was lying, \u201cI haven\u2019t seen him since the day before yesterday. You don\u2019t think Seth has something to do with Joe\u2019s disappearance, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be any other explanation,\u201d Adam replied, looking into the young woman\u2019s eyes, \u201cPlease, Sarah, if you know something you have to tell us.\u201d When Sarah looked away, Adam said sharply, \u201cWe don\u2019t even know where to start looking for him. If Joe\u2019s hurt his life could depend on us finding him quickly. If you know something, tell me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth was going to my father\u2019s old mine yesterday,\u201d Sarah said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Adam asked, \u201cWhy would he want to go out there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Sarah replied, \u201cHe just said he was going up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned in thought. \u201cHe might have cut across the Ponderosa to go there. It\u2019s possible that he ran into Joe. I better find Pa and Hoss and we\u2019ll head up there and start looking around.\u201d He walked quickly towards the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Sarah called, \u201cI\u2019ll get changed and go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Sarah to lock the shop and get changed into riding clothes. Adam had found his father and Hoss and told them what he\u2019d learned from Sarah. They had saddled a horse for her and soon the small group was riding towards the mine.<\/p>\n

Upon their first sight of the mine when it came into view, Ben drew his breath in sharply. Joe\u2019s horse Cochise and another horse were standing not far from the entrance that was blocked with boulders and rubble.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Ben shouted as he leapt out of the saddle and ran towards the mine. He quickly started to try and clear the rubble away. The others were right behind him.<\/p>\n

As Hoss rushed to help his father, Adam grabbed his arm. \u201cWe need more help. You stay with Pa and do what you can here and I\u2019ll get some more men.\u201d Hoss nodded and set to work.<\/p>\n

Adam turned to Sarah who was staring at the mine in shock. \u201cSarah, are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean for Joe to be hurt,\u201d putting a hand up to her face she started to cry, \u201cOh, Adam, you have to believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I believe you. It\u2019s not your fault,\u201d Adam reached out and gently shook her. \u201cI need your help, Sarah. Joe needs your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young woman\u2019s head snapped up, \u201cWhat do you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to find some of our hands to help. You go back to town and tell Sheriff Coffee what\u2019s happened. Tell him we need some men out here to help us.\u201d Adam paused and then added, \u201cAnd tell Doctor Martin we\u2019ll need him.\u201d Sarah blinked back tears and started to turn away to get her horse but before she did, Adam nodded towards the horse with Cochise and asked, \u201cIs that Seth\u2019s horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is,\u201d Sarah replied quietly before running to her horse, she was soon on her way back to Virginia City.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Within hours more men had arrived to help but Ben, Adam and Hoss knew Joe must have been trapped in the mine for a long time. Although they didn\u2019t want to voice their fears aloud, they all knew it might be too late.<\/p>\n

The work continued for a long time. Adam had tried to get his father away from the mine, wanting him to go back to the house. The longer it took to reach the trapped men, the more Adam began to dread that they would be pulling his young brother\u2019s dead body from the mine and he didn\u2019t want his father to see that. Ben wouldn\u2019t leave though. Dead or alive, Joe needed him and Ben was staying until they got his son out.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Although they were able to get enough air to stay alive, it was stale and breathing was difficult for Joe and Seth. They were no longer talking, wanting to conserve the little energy they had left.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear something,\u201d Seth sat up excitedly. Looking around he tried to work out where the sounds were coming from. \u201cDo you hear it, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Barely conscious, Joe tried to make sense of what Seth was saying.<\/p>\n

There was an ominous creak from above them as a piece of unstable rock moved, Seth threw himself over Joe seconds before it crashed down on them.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

When the men working to clear the blocked section heard the crash within, they stopped. Hoss stood there, breathing hard, his hands were bleeding but he didn\u2019t notice. His thoughts were concentrated only on his young brother trapped just beyond him. When no further sounds came they continued working.<\/p>\n

Finally Hoss called back to the others, \u201cWe\u2019re almost through! We\u2019re almost through!\u201d Ben and Adam moved forward just as Hoss pulled another piece away, revealing the opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going through,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Adam put his hand on his father\u2019s arm stopping him, \u201cLet me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and said simply, \u201cI\u2019m his father.\u201d Ben quickly went through the opening but Adam was right behind him.<\/p>\n

Both men held lanterns and as they turned searching the area, the light hit on a terrible sight.<\/p>\n

Seth lay across Joe, a sharp piece of rock like a knife protruding from his back. Ben and Adam rushed over. Adam quickly placed his hand on Seth\u2019s neck and felt for a pulse. \u201cHe\u2019s dead,\u201d he said, pushing Seth away to reach his trapped brother. With a hand that this time shook unsteadily, Adam once again reached to feel for a pulse. \u201cHe\u2019s alive,\u201d he said in a rush of relief. His father let out an audible sigh and Adam called, \u201cHoss, Joe\u2019s alive! Joe\u2019s alive!\u201d He looked around and quickly assessed what would need to be done. \u201cHe\u2019s pinned by a beam. I\u2019m going to need help in here to get him free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hole\u2019s nearly big enough,\u201d Hoss called back, \u201cI\u2019ll be through in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was crouched next to Joe, holding his hand and stroking his face, begging his son to open his eyes but Joe remained unresponsive.<\/p>\n

\u201cBring a canteen with you, Hoss,\u201d Ben called out, \u201cJoe needs water badly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting through as quickly as he could, Hoss went to his father and brothers and handed Ben a canteen. Adam carefully lifted Joe\u2019s head as Ben tried to get some water into him. Ben was upset that most of it went unswallowed. Adam lay Joe back down, looking at Hoss and some other men who had come through to help, he explained what he wanted them to do.<\/p>\n

Ben was running his hands and eyes over Joe\u2019s body, looking for injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Adam questioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis right arm is broken but with this beam across him, I don\u2019t know what else might be wrong. We need to get it off him,\u201d Ben said urgently.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, already working out what they should do. \u201cWe are going to have to be extremely careful. Look at this,\u201d he pointed to another piece of timber beside Joe that was under the large beam, \u201cthat is supporting the beam. It\u2019s keeping a lot of the weight off Joe. We have to make sure we don\u2019t dislodge it.\u201d Ben and Hoss nodded worriedly as they looked at where Adam was pointing.<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t much room to move so Ben, Adam and Hoss were the only ones working to move the beam while the other men waited on the other side of the cave-in. They had to move carefully and it took a long time before they had Joe free, the family worried constantly that one slip could cause Joe\u2019s death. They breathed a sigh of relief when the beam was finally off Joe and the last piece of debris was pulled away from the trapped young man.<\/p>\n

Ben quickly checked Joe\u2019s legs. He was relieved to find that they didn\u2019t appear to be broken but he worried that there might be damage to Joe\u2019s stomach that they couldn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n

The relief of finally freeing Joe from the beam that had pinned him to the hard ground was short lived. Next they had the difficult process of getting Joe out of the still partly blocked section. Slowly and carefully Hoss lifted his young brother into his arms and manoeuvred with him, through the hole and back into the other side. Once through, Joe was placed on a make shift stretcher and quickly carried from the mine. Other men followed carrying the body of Seth Pruitt.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

When Sarah had gotten back to town and told Roy Coffee what had happened, she then went straight to Doctor Martin\u2019s office only to find that the doctor was out of town. Paul had gone out to a ranch and wasn\u2019t expected back for hours. Word was sent out to him that he was needed back in town as soon as possible. Paul had just arrived back and was preparing to go out to the mine when Joe was brought in.<\/p>\n

Ben paced the waiting room of Doctor Paul Martin\u2019s surgery. Adam and Hoss sat waiting with their father, their nerves stretched as tightly as his. They had tried to get their father to sit down and rest but to no avail, Ben was too worried.<\/p>\n

Ben continued to pace, his mind in a whirl. He prayed his son would survive. He was plagued by thoughts that after struggling so hard to free the boy, Joe would die before he even had a chance to talk to him again.<\/p>\n

The door to the surgery finally opened and Paul Martin came out, closing it behind him. Ben practically pounced on the man. \u201cHow is he?\u201d the worried father asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs well as can be expected,\u201d Doctor Martin replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d Ben snapped, anger getting the better of him in his frustration and worry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter an accident like you described to me, I\u2019m amazed that Joe\u2019s injuries aren\u2019t a lot worse. The bruising on Joe\u2019s legs and stomach is severe but there are no breaks or even fractures in his legs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd his stomach?\u201d Ben prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be any internal bleeding,\u201d the doctor replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t seem to be,\u201d Ben repeated and then said, \u201cBut you\u2019re not sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul shook his head. \u201cNot completely. And even if there is no bleeding that doesn\u2019t mean there is not some damage there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will you know for sure?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Paul looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost 6pm. \u201cBy Morning. If there is something wrong inside Joe, we\u2019ll know by morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s pale face signified his worry and Adam asked for his father, \u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis right arm, he\u2019s also broken a bone in that hand, two broken ribs, a lot of cuts and bruises all over and he\u2019s severely dehydrated,\u201d the doctor paused for a moment, \u201cand most worrisome at the moment, a head injury.\u201d Seeing everyone about to ask the question he knew they would, Paul held up his hand and said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry but until Joe wakes up there\u2019s no telling how serious that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be with him,\u201d Ben said, leaving no doubt that there was no possibility of the doctor denying him. Paul tried anyway, worried about the health of his old friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might be a long time, Ben,\u201d Paul said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go to the hotel and get some rest or at least go and sleep in my spare room. I\u2019ll\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cut him off. \u201cNo, thank you, Paul. I\u2019m staying with Joseph.\u201d With that said he walked past Paul, opening the door and going into the room where his youngest son lay, followed by Adam and Hoss.<\/p>\n

Joe lay on the bed with a sheet pulled up to his waist, the livid bruises standing out in stark contrast to the white sheets and bandages. Ben sat down in a chair beside the bed and took Joe\u2019s left hand, squeezing it gently, he said, \u201cPa\u2019s here, Joseph and your brothers are with me. Everything\u2019s going to be all right, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s body was glistening with sweat. Ben reached up to stroke the hair back from his son\u2019s forehead and felt the heat burn his hand. \u201cHe\u2019s very hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Paul replied, coming to stand next to Ben. \u201cHopefully it won\u2019t go any higher. Hoss can you come through to the kitchen with me and we\u2019ll get some ice water to try and bring it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Doc,\u201d Hoss said and left the room with the doctor.<\/p>\n

Adam said, \u201cPa, I better go and tell Sarah how Joe\u2019s doing. She\u2019ll be worried.\u201d Ben nodded, his eyes never leaving Joe\u2019s face. Adam put a hand on his father\u2019s shoulder before leaving. \u201cI won\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah had returned to the mine with Roy Coffee and the men. She\u2019d been distraught when Joe and Seth had been brought out. When they arrived back in town, Paul Martin had given her something to calm her down. Adam had then escorted Sarah to her room, promising he would let her know as soon as there was any word about Joe.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

After Adam had spoken to Sarah he returned to be with his family. Roy Coffee came to see them, to tell them what he\u2019d found at the mine. He told them that he\u2019d had a look around and it appeared that someone had set some ropes, rigged to pull down sections of rock when someone tripped over them. \u201cLooks like Seth set out for a taste of revenge and got caught in his own trap,\u201d the old lawman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat lying, stinking pond scum,\u201d Hoss spat the words furiously, \u201cAll the time he was saying that he wanted to put what had happened behind him, he was really plotting to kill Little Joe.\u201d Hoss balled his big fists in anger. \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing he\u2019s dead because if he weren\u2019t, I\u2019d be seeing to it that he never drew another breath.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was nothing Ben or Adam could say to lessen Hoss\u2019 fury because in truth, they felt the same way.<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t take his eyes off Joe as he spoke. \u201cJoseph was wary of Seth. I encouraged Joe to try and get on with him,\u201d Ben swallowed hard, fighting the tears that formed in his eyes. \u201cI should have been warning the boy to stay away from him but I didn\u2019t know just how much treachery Seth was capable of.\u201d He reached for Joe\u2019s hand and squeezed it gently. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, son. Please forgive me. I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam put a hand on his father\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right, Pa,\u201d he comforted and prayed that he was right.<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee quietly left and the family settled in for a long wait, doing what they could to keep Joe comfortable.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

As a new day dawned and the shadows of the night left, the worry that had been with the family all night remained. Joe was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking.<\/p>\n

Paul Martin came into the room to check on his patient. \u201cAny change?\u201d he asked, as he walked over to the bed. He\u2019d gotten up a few times through the night to check on Joe.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul checked Joe\u2019s temperature and was relieved to find that it hadn\u2019t risen. \u201cHis temperature hasn\u2019t gone up any further.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it hasn\u2019t gone down either,\u201d Adam said, worriedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Paul agreed, \u201cbut it\u2019s understandable after everything Joe\u2019s been through. His body is just taking a while to settle back down. I think we can rule out any serious internal damage. Joe would be showing more signs than this if that were the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you expect Joe to have woken up by now?\u201d Ben asked. With each passing hour he had grown more concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping he would have,\u201d seeing the anxious expression on his friend\u2019s face, Paul tried to ease his fears, \u201cHe could wake any time, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and turned back to his youngest son, continuing to do what he\u2019d done all night. He put his hand on Joe\u2019s arm and quietly talked to him as he stroked his arm, urging Joe to open his eyes.<\/p>\n

Hours passed with still no change. No one wanted to admit that secretly they were all beginning to wonder if Joe would ever wake. None of them wanted to face that possibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, Pa,\u201d Adam passed his father a glass. They\u2019d been forcing liquids into Joe on a regular basis. Although thankful that they were managing to at least get some water into him, they knew it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

As Ben started to lift Joe\u2019s head, his son moaned, startling them all. Ben quickly lowered Joe\u2019s head and put the glass down. Leaning forward he bent over Joe and begged, \u201cJoe, open your eyes. Please, son. You can do it. Just try. Open your eyes for me.\u201d Ben continued to repeat the words, until finally after what seemed to be a monumental struggle, Joe\u2019s eyes slowly opened. The curtains had been drawn to keep a lot of the bright sun out because they hadn\u2019t wanted it to hurt Joe\u2019s eyes when he first opened them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, son,\u201d Ben smiled as he gently touched the side of Joe\u2019s face, \u201cWelcome back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Joe said faintly and winced at the rawness of his throat.<\/p>\n

Ben reached for the glass again and lifted Joe\u2019s head. \u201cHere you go, drink this.\u201d Hoss took the glass from his father when Joe had finished and went to get Doctor Martin. Ben moved to carefully sit on the edge of the bed. \u201cHow do you feel?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSore,\u201d Joe answered, looking confused, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam squatted down beside the bed so he could look into Joe\u2019s eyes and asked, \u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned as he thought. \u201cYou came home and told us we\u2019d won the contract with Mr Dyson and about Sarah and Seth getting engaged. I went to bed and \u2026.\u201d Joe paused, obviously confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember what happened after that, Joseph?\u201d Ben prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cI remember I was going to mark trees the next day but I don\u2019t remember doing it. Did I? Pa, what happened? Why don\u2019t I remember?\u201d Joe started to become agitated.<\/p>\n

Doctor Martin walked into the room followed by Hoss. Seeing the distress on Joe\u2019s face, he asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Are you in pain, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe can\u2019t remember what happened, he doesn\u2019t remember that day at all,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Joe,\u201d Paul said comfortingly, \u201cThat\u2019s nothing to worry about. You\u2019ve been hurt and taken a serious blow to your head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes started to droop, \u201cMy head hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet it does. You just stay awake for me for a few minutes while I examine you, then I\u2019ll give you something for the pain and you can go back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Paul had finished the examination and Joe was once again sleeping, he turned to the family, \u201cEverything looks good. There is no sign of infection in any of the wounds. He\u2019s going to be in a lot of pain for a long time while he recovers though. As I said earlier, there doesn\u2019t appear to be any internal bleeding but Joe\u2019s organs have taken a terrible blow. The pain while that beam was on him must have been agonizing. We need to keep him in bed and resting,\u201d Ben slowly stroked Joe\u2019s arm and Paul saw the worry on his friend\u2019s face, and said, \u201cWith rest he will be fine, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd his memory?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Paul shrugged. \u201cWe just don\u2019t know enough about head injuries and the effects they can cause. Joe\u2019s memory might return tomorrow or it might never come back, I just can\u2019t say. After what he went through though, it might be a blessing if he never remembers what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Joe doesn\u2019t remember, we\u2019ll never know what happened in there,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt don\u2019t matter none now,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cWhatever happened, Seth was behind it and he\u2019s paid for it with his life. He\u2019s dead and Joe don\u2019t have to worry about him none anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you\u2019re right,\u201d Adam agreed. \u201cDo you think we should tell Joe about Seth when he wakes up again, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked at Paul who replied, \u201cIt\u2019s up to you. He\u2019s still very weak but I think he\u2019s out of danger and he\u2019s going to have to be told eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben thought for a moment and then said, \u201cIt won\u2019t hurt to wait a few days. We\u2019ll wait until Joe\u2019s feeling a little better.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Two days later, Joe asked about Sarah, he wanted to see her. The family knew there was no putting it off any longer. Joe had to be told about Seth\u2019s death before he saw Sarah.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, there\u2019s something I have to talk to you about, son,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss quietly left the room, thinking it would be better for their father to talk to Joe in private.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d Joe asked anxiously, knowing immediately that it was something serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish there was an easier way to tell you this, Joe,\u201d Ben pulled his chair closer to the bed where Joe was sitting up, resting against pillows, \u201cSeth\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cNo, he can\u2019t be.\u201d But looking into his father\u2019s eyes, he knew the man was telling the truth. \u201cHow? What happened\u2026..\u201d Joe\u2019s voice trailed away as he looked down at his own injuries and then back at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas I involved, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was shocked at Joe\u2019s question but he knew the young man was still very confused about everything. \u201cNot the way you are thinking,\u201d he replied immediately, \u201cSo you get any of those thoughts out of your head right now.\u201d Ben leant forward, \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what we know,\u201d and he started to explain to Joe what they knew about the day Seth had been killed.<\/p>\n

When Ben finished talking, Joe was silent for a moment and then asked, \u201cBut why would I have gone to the mine with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know for sure, Joe. I can only guess that he forced you to go with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if he\u2019d planned to kill me, how come he\u2019s the one who\u2019s dead?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knew Joe was clutching at straws because it was so hard for him to accept what his former friend had done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may never know for sure how it all happened, Joe, but something went wrong with his plan.\u201d When Joe remained silent, staring at the wall in front of him, Ben asked, \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I knew him at all, Pa. Not really. He killed Mr Miller and he tried to kill me. I just don\u2019t understand how he could do those things. He got into some trouble when we were growing up but that was just kid stuff, you know. I\u2019d never have thought he was capable of murder. I don\u2019t know what happened to him, Pa. It\u2019s like there was no good left in him. He was just bad.\u201d Tears came to Joe\u2019s eyes and he turned away, saying quietly, \u201cAnd I don\u2019t want to believe that of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Ben reached out and squeezed Joe\u2019s hand, \u201cI\u2019ve heard it said that there\u2019s a little bit of good in the very worst of men and a little bad even in the very best. I think there was still good in Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben was sitting talking to Joe when there was a knock on the door. Ben smiled when he opened the door and saw Sarah. “Hello, Sarah. It’s good to see you,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Doctor Martin said it was all right for me to come through and see Joe,” Sarah said.<\/p>\n

“Of course,” Ben moved aside to allow the young woman to enter.<\/p>\n

Tears came to Sarah’s eyes when she saw Joe. She slowly approached the bed and then stooped down to gently kiss him on the cheek.<\/p>\n

Joe fought to stop his own tears from falling. With his left hand he reached for Sarah’s hand, holding it tightly.<\/p>\n

Joe’s feelings for Seth were mixed. He still hadn’t remembered what had happened in the mine, he didn’t know why he had gone there with Seth but the only logical explanation seemed to be that Seth had meant to cause Joe’s death there. But despite that Joe felt sorrow at the death of someone who had been a friend since childhood.<\/p>\n

Joe hadn’t understood how Sarah could forgive Seth after what he’d done to her father but he had to accept that she’d loved Seth and he was sorry about the pain he could see that she was feeling at his death. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I wish there was something more I could say to make it better for you. I know you loved him.”<\/p>\n

“Oh, Joe,” Sarah said gently as she sat in the chair that had been pulled close to the bed, “Don’t worry about me. I’m just so glad that you’re going to be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe’s eyes started to close. He blinked them open trying to stay awake, only to close them again tiredly. Ben who had been standing at the door walked over to the bed and said quietly, “Sarah, Joseph needs to sleep now. You can come back and see him again later.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I’m not tired,” Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. “Well, just rest your eyes then,” Ben said as he gently stroked the hair away from Joe’s forehead, knowing Joe would be asleep within minutes.<\/p>\n

When Joe’s breathing signalled that he was sleeping, Sarah asked, “Mr Cartwright, will it be all right if I just sit with Joe for a while?”<\/p>\n

“Certainly it’s all right. Adam and Hoss have gone back to the Ponderosa for the day to check on things there and there are a few things I should do here in town. I’ll get that done now if you’ll stay here with Joe. I won’t be long.”<\/p>\n

Sarah nodded. “Take as long as you want, Mr Cartwright. I’m in no hurry to leave.”<\/p>\n

Sarah waited until Ben had left before she learnt forward and softly kissed Joe on the lips. Careful not to wake him, she whispered, “I love you so much, Joe.”<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Three days later, Ben helped Joe to get dressed after Paul finally said he could go home. Joe\u2019s memory of the accident still hadn\u2019t returned but Paul had explained to them that if and when some memory of it returned, Joe would probably remember it all. Adam and Hoss had brought the buckboard into town, it was well padded with a mattress and also contained blankets and pillows.<\/p>\n

As they walked slowly out, Ben realized just how sick and weak Joe was still feeling when instead of insisting that he wanted to sit up front, he quietly allowed his father to help him into the back and lie down. Ben sat in the back with Joe. Adam and Hoss climbed up onto the seat and Hoss moved the horses on. Paul had given Joe something to help with the pain and he slept most of the way home.<\/p>\n

Late that night the elder Cartwrights were woken by shouting. Three men rushed to one door. Adam and Hoss stepped back and allowed their father to go into Joe\u2019s room first. They stood at the door to make sure their little brother was all right but they didn\u2019t want to intrude.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth. Seth. No, don\u2019t do it, Seth!\u201d Joe\u2019s cries grew louder and more urgent, as he thrashed around on the bed.<\/p>\n

Ben rushed over, fearing his son would hurt himself. \u201cJoseph, wake up. It\u2019s all right, Joe. Wake up, son,\u201d Ben held Joe down as he talked to him. Joe\u2019s eyes shot open and he stared up into the eyes of his father. Joe\u2019s breath was coming in gasps and sweat and broken out all over his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Joe,\u201d Ben said calmly, hoping to settle him down. You\u2019re home. It was just a bad dream.\u201d Ben sat quietly with Joe, not breaking physical contact with him as Joe slowly calmed down and his breathing slowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeeling better?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, not trusting his voice to speak yet.<\/p>\n

Ben poured a glass of water from the jug on the dresser near the bed and pretended not to notice the shaking of Joe\u2019s hands while he drank it and then handed the glass back.<\/p>\n

Ben saw his two older sons at the door. \u201cJoe will be fine, boys. Why don\u2019t you both go back to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctant to leave, Hoss asked, \u201cAre ya sure there\u2019s nothin\u2019 you need?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo we\u2019re fine. I\u2019ll sit with Joe for a while. Go on,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll see ya later, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNight, Joe,\u201d Adam added.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry I woke you,\u201d Joe said quietly, embarrassed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry none about that,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cYou just try and get some sleep, okay?\u201d When Joe nodded, Hoss and Adam quietly left the room.<\/p>\n

Ben tipped some water from the jug into the bowl and soaked a cloth in it. Joe hadn\u2019t bothered with a nightshirt and sweat glistened on his bare skin. Ben sat on the bed and pulled the sheet down to Joe\u2019s waist. He gently wiped the sweat from Joe\u2019s body, softly talking to him while he did it. \u201cDo you feel like talking about it?\u201d When Joe shook his head, he added, \u201cIt might help. You can\u2019t keep everything bottled up, son. Talk to us. Let us help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to talk about, Pa,\u201d Joe replied quietly, looking away from his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there is. Seth tried to kill you. You can\u2019t honestly expect me to believe that\u2019s not on your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe refused to look at his father and didn\u2019t answer. His eyes remained fixed on a wall, staring at nothing.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

The next morning, after washing and shaving in his room, Ben walked down the stairs and joined Adam and Hoss who were sitting at the table eating breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou looked tired,\u201d Adam said, noting the dark circles under his father\u2019s eyes. \u201cDid you get any sleep last night?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Ben replied, although in truth Ben hadn\u2019t gone back to sleep after being woken by Joe\u2019s nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow was Joe last night? We looked in on him this morning and he was sleeping,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried talking to him but got no where. He wouldn\u2019t or couldn\u2019t go back to sleep. He was just lying there brooding. I finally gave him one of those powders Paul said to use if he needed them. At least he got some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Which is more than I can say for you,\u2019 Adam thought to himself. \u201cI\u2019ll try talking to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can try,\u201d Ben replied, \u201calthough I don\u2019t think you will get anywhere with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take his breakfast up,\u201d Adam said as he stood up, \u201cand see how I go.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Adam knocked and opened the bedroom door. Adam saw Joe open his eyes and turn his head away as he said, \u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad, you\u2019re going to eat it anyway,\u201d Adam said as he walked over to the bed. \u201cPa\u2019s already missed out on a night\u2019s sleep worrying about you. I\u2019m not going to have him start worrying next because you won\u2019t eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned back to face Adam and Adam saw the anxious look in his brother\u2019s eyes. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to worry Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d Adam comforted, he hadn\u2019t wanted to upset Joe but he was as worried as their father and he didn\u2019t want Joe to emotionally pull away from them. \u201cDon\u2019t you go worrying about Pa now,\u201d he joked gently.<\/p>\n

Adam put the tray down and helped his brother to sit up before placing it on his lap. \u201cEat!\u201d he said, pointing at the food.<\/p>\n

Adam sat silently and watched Joe eat. He was relieved when his brother finished all the food on his plate. When Joe placed his empty cup back on the tray, Adam removed the tray and put it on the dresser. Pulling up a chair close to the bed he said, \u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe started to reply, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to talk about\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cut him off. \u201cDon\u2019t say it, Joe. You tried that line with Pa and he didn\u2019t believe it anymore than I do. We\u2019re all worried about you. Don\u2019t shut us out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was silent for so long, Adam didn\u2019t think he was going to answer. Finally he said, \u201cI don\u2019t mean to. It\u2019s just so confusing, Adam. It\u2019s all mixed up in my head and I don\u2019t know what to believe anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t believe that Seth tried to kill you?\u201d Adam prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess the truth is that I don\u2019t want to believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, when all this first started, when Sarah\u2019s father was killed, you were having nightmares. You finally opened up to me, Joe. I\u2019m sorry I told Pa what we talked about. I think he had a right to know but I shouldn\u2019t have broken a confidence with you. I hope you don\u2019t feel like you can\u2019t trust me. That you can\u2019t come to me and talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cNo. You were right when you said Pa already knew. I think I wanted him to know but I didn\u2019t know how to come right out and tell him. I don\u2019t blame you for telling him. I owe you an apology for how I treated you when you told me that you\u2019d told Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t owe me an apology. You were upset. I understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still shouldn\u2019t have acted like that when you were only trying to help.\u201d Joe thought about that day and suddenly remembered Hoss. Hoss had been treating a horse with a hurt leg. Hoss and Adam had thought that the horse had a good chance of recovering. Joe, his mind on Sarah\u2019s father had told Hoss that the horse would always be crippled and they were just making it suffer. When Hoss had excitedly tried to tell Joe the horse had recovered, Joe had brushed past without a word. Now Joe remembered the hurt look on his brother\u2019s face. \u201cAnd Hoss,\u201d Joe said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to apologize to him, too. Remember the black horse that Hoss was treating, the one with the bad leg?\u201d when Adam nodded, Joe continued, \u201cJust after you told me that you\u2019d told Pa about Seth killing Sarah\u2019s father, Hoss tried to tell me that the horse was fine but I was so mad, I heard what he said but didn\u2019t take any notice. I know I hurt his feelings. I didn\u2019t mean to, Adam. I don\u2019t know why I\u2019ve been acting the way I have. I\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Adam cut him off gently, \u201cYou\u2019ve been under a lot of pressure. Anyone in your position would have acted the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cYou would never have been in that position. I did the wrong thing when I went along with Seth in the first place. I should have told the truth from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be so hard on yourself, Joe. Your intentions were good. It\u2019s easy in hindsight to know what we should have done but at the time it\u2019s not so easy. I don\u2019t know what I would have done in your place, Joe. You thought Seth killed Mr Miller to end his suffering. You did what you thought was right at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wish I could remember what happened when I was trapped in the mine with Seth.\u201d Joe put his hand up to his forehead.<\/p>\n

When Adam saw the movement, he asked, \u201cAre you getting a headache?\u201d When Joe nodded, he said, \u201cStop trying so hard to remember. Paul said you can\u2019t force it. Joe, every time you do try you get a headache. That\u2019s no good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam straightened the blankets and said, \u201cJoe, why don\u2019t you close your eyes and try to rest for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you tell Hoss that I want to see him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew Joe wouldn\u2019t rest until he\u2019d spoken to Hoss so he nodded and said, \u201cAll right. I\u2019ll go and get him.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few moments later, Hoss walked into the room. \u201cJoe, what\u2019s wrong? Adam said you wanted to talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked blankly at Joe. \u201cWhat on earth for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way I acted when you were working on the leg of that horse Adam bought. And the day you tried to tell me he was better and I just brushed you off. I\u2019m sorry, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe that was months ago. Don\u2019t go frettin\u2019 over that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked upset and Hoss knew that his brother wasn\u2019t just going to forget it so he said, \u201cI\u2019ll accept your apology on one condition,\u201d Joe nodded and Hoss continued, \u201cthat it\u2019s forgotten now. I don\u2019t want you worrin\u2019 about a silly thing like that when you should be concentratin\u2019 on gettin\u2019 better.\u201d When Joe didn\u2019t say anything, Hoss looked at him sternly and asked, \u201cDo you accept that condition?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and smiled and a smile lit Hoss\u2019 face. \u201cGood. Now go to sleep.\u201d Hoss sat down beside the bed to make sure his brother did as he said.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Two months later, Joe\u2019s broken bones had healed and he was almost fully recovered, Doctor Martin had been out that morning and told Joe he could start back on light work in two weeks.<\/p>\n

Usually boredom would have gotten the best of Joe by now and he would have been begging and conniving to get back to work but Sarah had been coming out and spending hours with Joe every day. She usually brought some sewing with her and worked while they talked.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s feelings were still confused where Sarah was concerned. He could feel his love for her growing more each day but every time he thought about Seth he felt stirrings of guilt.<\/p>\n

One day Joe took Sarah out for a ride in the buggy. As they approached a secluded spot near the lake, Sarah asked Joe to stop. They both sat and looked out at the sight in front of them, until the young woman turned and looked at Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right, Little Joe?\u201d Sarah asked, \u201cYou\u2019re very quiet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust thinking,\u201d Joe replied as he stared out at the water. \u201cDo you remember all the days you, me and Seth spent here when we were kids. They were great times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk about him,\u201d Sarah said sharply and Joe turned to look at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t pretend he never existed, Sarah,\u201d When the young woman didn\u2019t answer, Joe continued, \u201cSometimes when I\u2019m with you I feel guilty, Sarah. Seth and I had an agreement that we\u2019d never take the other\u2019s girl,\u201d Joe paused and then said quietly, \u201cI feel like I took you from Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t take me, Little Joe. It was over between Seth and I. It was you I wanted to be with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned and shook his head. \u201cBut you and Seth just got engaged the day before he was killed. Adam told me that night. It\u2019s still about the last thing I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I don\u2019t want to talk about him, Little Joe,\u201d Sarah snapped, \u201cHe\u2019s in the past. Maybe we can\u2019t pretend that he never existed but we can do our best to forget him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe wasn\u2019t surprised by Sarah\u2019s reaction. For the last two months, any mention of Seth had produced a similar reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s talk about something else, Little Joe,\u201d Sarah said, trying to lighten the mood. \u201cIt\u2019s such a beautiful day. Too beautiful to spend arguing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled and tried to push away his thoughts of Seth. He learned over and kissed Sarah gently, his lips brushing softly against hers, making them both want more. To Joe\u2019s surprise Sarah returned the kiss with more passion. Wordlessly they stayed together until darkness enveloped them, each one discovering a new level to their relationship.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Finally, Sarah reluctantly pulled away, standing up she straightened her clothes. \u201cWe should be getting back, your father will be wondering where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Sarah,\u201d Joe said, afraid he\u2019d gone further than Sarah wanted to.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be sorry,\u201d Sarah\u2019s cheeks flushed, \u201cI want you as much as you want me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned and jumped to his feet. \u201cWell, I guess there\u2019s only one thing we can do,\u201d he said as he hugged her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pulled back and holding Sarah\u2019s hands in his, he got down on one knee and asked, \u201cSarah, will you marry me?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment Sarah stared at him in shock and then she smiled brightly. \u201cYes, Joe. Yes.\u201d When Joe got to his feet, she looked into his eyes and asked, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cVery sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Joe, I do love you,\u201d Sarah said as she allowed herself to be pulled into Joe\u2019s arms again.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

The young couple rode back to the Ponderosa ranch house, the smiles never leaving their faces. After they got home, Joe grabbed Sarah\u2019s hand and pulled her towards the house. \u201cLet\u2019s go and tell Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think he\u2019ll be happy, Joe?<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he will,\u201d Joe replied confidently. Joe stopped walking and turned puzzled eyes to the young woman he\u2019d just asked to be his wife. \u201cSarah, you\u2019ve always called me Little Joe but now you are calling me Joe. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah laughed. \u201cI\u2019ve called you Little Joe since we were kids. I guess the habit was hard to break but after today, by the lake, I realized that you were no longer the little boy I used to catch frogs with at the pond. No longer, Little Joe. Just, my Joe.\u201d She kissed him softly on the cheek and pulled him forward. \u201cLet\u2019s talk to your Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rushing to the door of the large ranch house and pushing it open, Joe called, \u201cPa!\u201d as he came into the house. \u201cPa, where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, Joe,\u201d Ben said as he came from the kitchen carrying a cup of coffee. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s wrong, Pa,\u201d Joe grinned, \u201cEverything\u2019s right. I\u2019ve asked Sarah to marry me and she said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the cup half way to his lips, Ben paused and lowered it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Joe prompted when his father didn\u2019t say anything. \u201cI thought you\u2019d be happy for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put his cup down and smiled. \u201cYou just took me by surprise. I am happy. Are you sure though. Really sure this is what you both want. You\u2019ve both been through a lot recently. There\u2019s no harm in waiting a bit longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe shook his head, \u201cThis is what we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook Joe\u2019s hand and then pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly. \u201cThen I couldn\u2019t be happier, Joseph.\u201d Releasing his son, he hugged his future daughter-in-law, \u201cWelcome to the family, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

When Adam and Hoss walked into the house that night, they noticed the dining room table had food laid out as if in a celebration. Looking across to the great room, they noticed their father and young brother wearing string ties. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Adam asked, \u201cWhat are we celebrating?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy engagement,\u201d Joe answered simply and watched shocked expressions appear on the faces of both his brothers. Once they had recovered from the surprise, they quickly congratulated the young couple.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Later that night after the meal had been eaten and toasts made, Joe stood up and said, \u201cWell, I better take Sarah home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah smiled. \u201cI\u2019ve had such a wonderful day,\u201d she said excitedly, \u201cI wish I could turn back time and we could do it all over again tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and was about to comment on all the happy days Sarah had ahead of her when he heard Joe\u2019s shocked voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth,\u201d Joe whispered suddenly and everyone\u2019s eyes turned to him. Joe paled and closing his eyes, he rubbed at his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Ben went over to his son, placing a concerned hand on Joe\u2019s back, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mine,\u201d Joe mumbled, \u201cI remember when we were in the mine, Seth said he wished he could turn back time.\u201d As flashes of memories started to come, Joe\u2019s face, already as white as a sheet, paled even further and Hoss caught him as he swayed on his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, little brother. Let\u2019s get you upstairs,\u201d Hoss put his arm around his brother\u2019s slender waist.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah,\u201d Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about Sarah. I\u2019ll take her home,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n

Ben, Adam and Sarah watched with concern until Hoss and Joe were out of sight and then Ben turned to Adam. \u201cAsk Paul to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cDo you think Joe\u2019s memory of the cave-in is coming back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it might be,\u201d Ben replied and as he and Adam looked at each other, they failed to see the look of fear on Sarah\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

On the way into town, Sarah asked, \u201cDo you really think Joe\u2019s memory is coming back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems like it. Paul said that if it started to return, Joe would probably find it would all come back to him. He just needed that first piece to start it off. We\u2019ll finally find out what happened in that mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah bit her lip and looked away, knowing the consequences of Joe\u2019s memory retuning could cost her everything.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Joe,\u201d Paul Martin said as he walked into the room with Adam. Joe\u2019s eyes were bleary and he sleepily answered, \u201cHello, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling,\u201d Paul asked, reaching for Joe\u2019s wrist to check his pulse.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so good,\u201d Joe replied, \u201cMy head really hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you feel sick or hurt anywhere else?\u201d Paul asked as he looked into Joe\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe answered softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s having some memories of the mine cave-in,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Paul nodded. \u201cAdam told me. And that\u2019s when the headache started?\u201d<\/p>\n

At Ben\u2019s confirming nod, Paul reached into his bag and took out some powders. \u201cCan you get me a glass of water?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul carefully examined Joe and then reached for the glass of water Hoss had poured from the pitcher on the dresser. Paul mixed one of the powders into the water. \u201cThis should help with the headache, Joe, and let you sleep. You\u2019ll feel better when you wake up.\u201d Paul lifted Joe\u2019s head so he could drink the mixture down.<\/p>\n

Everyone waited until Joe\u2019s eyes closed in sleep and then quietly left the room. Ben left the door open so he would hear if Joe needed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill he be all right?\u201d Ben asked as he poured everyone a drink downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, Ben. I don\u2019t know what caused the headache, I can only guess it was the shock of the memories starting to come back. I\u2019ve left some more powders upstairs. Give them to him if he needs them and send for me.\u201d He finished his drink and stood up. \u201cI better be getting back to town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for coming out, Paul,\u201d Ben said, shaking the doctor\u2019s hand and seeing him to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no trouble at all, Ben. Don\u2019t hesitate to call me if you feel Joe needs me.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Joe woke the next morning and found his father asleep in a chair next to his bed. Reaching out a hand, he shook his father\u2019s leg.<\/p>\n

Ben blinked open his eyes. \u201cGood morning, Joe,\u201d Ben smiled, \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Joe smiled back. \u201cMy headache\u2019s gone. Did you sleep there all night?\u201d he asked, concerned that his father couldn\u2019t have been comfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was worried about you,\u201d Ben said simply.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought we heard voices,\u201d Adam said as he came into the room with Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feelin\u2019 better little brother,\u201d Hoss asked. He was relieved when Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

The elder Cartwrights wanted to know if Joe\u2019s memory had fully returned but everyone was afraid to ask in case it caused a return of his headache.<\/p>\n

When Joe frowned, Ben learnt forward, concerned. \u201cAre you all right? Is your head hurting again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cNo, just thinking. Pa,\u201d Joe said slowly, \u201cI can remember what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben waited patiently, not wanting to force Joe to talk. Joe closed his eyes as the images flashed through his head. Suddenly his eyes flew open. \u201cSeth saved my life,\u201d he said as he stared up at Ben. He tried to sit up. Ben pushed Joe back down onto the bed, worried that he was getting too upset. \u201cCalm down, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe clutched as his father\u2019s arm. \u201cSeth didn\u2019t try to kill me. He saved my life!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam and Hoss looked at each other in confusion, Ben reached for Joe\u2019s hand and squeezed it tightly. \u201cTry to calm down, son. Start from the beginning of that day and tell us what you remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly Joe began. \u201cI left early. I was going up to start marking those trees for cutting. I ran into Seth. We talked for a bit. He wanted us to try and patch up our friendship. I didn\u2019t think we could but when he asked me if I wanted to go to the mine with him,\u201d Joe shrugged, \u201cI don\u2019t know, I guess I thought if I went there it might help me sort everything out in my head. Seth said that Sarah had asked him if he would go and get some of her father\u2019s things out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss had pulled chairs up beside the bed and Adam learnt forward at this news and asked, \u201cAre you sure it was Sarah who asked Seth to go to the mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s what Seth said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned and when Ben looked at him, he shook his head and mouthed the word \u2018Later,\u2019 leaving Ben wondering what was wrong.<\/p>\n

Ben looked back at Joe as he started to talk again. \u201cWe went to the mine. When we were inside Seth tripped over something. I don\u2019t know what it was but suddenly the mine started to cave in. I was knocked out and when I woke up, I found I was trapped.\u201d Joe shuddered at the memory. \u201cIt was awful, Pa. I was so afraid that I was going to die in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben nodded understandingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe shook his head, \u201cYou don\u2019t understand, Pa. It hurt so bad. I wanted to die. I don\u2019t know what I was thinking. I was all mixed up. I had my hand on my gun,\u201d Ben stared at his son in shock as Joe continued, \u201cBut Seth wouldn\u2019t let me. He said help would come. I don\u2019t know if he really believed that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s thoughts went back to a conversation he\u2019d had with his youngest son not all that long ago. Joe had asked his father if he thought it was right to go along with a man\u2019s wishes if that man was in terrible pain and going to die and he asked for his life to be ended. Ben remembered what he\u2019d told Joe, that, \u2018A man in bad pain really doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s saying, his body is fighting for survival and his mind isn\u2019t always aware of that, it\u2019s suffering the pain, so he begs to die but he shouldn\u2019t be listened to. A friend should listen only to the pulse of life, fight with it, not against it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ben felt sick at the thought of how much pain Joe must have been suffering to have had those thoughts and he thanked God that Seth hadn\u2019t listened to Joe. He squeezed his son\u2019s hand again. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry you went through that, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked into his father\u2019s eyes. \u201cWhile we were trapped, Seth and I talked about a lot of things. I think Seth was worried we would die there and he wanted to clear his conscience. He told me that it was true that Sarah\u2019s father did beg Seth to kill him but Seth killed him because he wanted the mine. He was worried that Mr Miller would talk Sarah out of marrying him.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one else spoke as Joe continued. Now that he had started talking, he wanted to tell his family everything. \u201cWhen the mine started to creak and rumble, I knew it was going to come down again. Seth threw himself over me and then something hit my head and the next thing I remember was waking up and you were with me at Doc Martin\u2019s. Seth murdered Sarah\u2019s father for the mine. But he died saving me. He didn\u2019t have to do it. He could have saved himself.\u201d Joe looked into his father\u2019s eyes. \u201cYou were right, Pa. There was still good in Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cThere was still a lot of good in Seth.\u201d Ben knew that for the rest of his life he would forever be grateful to the young man who had given his life to save his son\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what happened to cause the mine to cave in but it wasn\u2019t Seth, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and then said, \u201cThat\u2019s enough talking, Joe. You need to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cCan I get up?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cI have to go and see Sarah and tell her what I\u2019ve remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can get up after you have something to eat. I\u2019ll get Hop Sing to make you some breakfast,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not hungry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to try and eat something,\u201d Ben said, catching Adam\u2019s eye, he continued, \u201cI\u2019ll go and see Hop Sing now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood up. \u201cI\u2019ll come with you, Pa. I want to make sure the men know what work needs to be done today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay with Joe, Hoss. I won\u2019t be long,\u201d Ben said as he left the room with Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Ben asked when they were downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe said that Seth told him Sarah asked him to go to the mine that day. That\u2019s not what Sarah told us,\u201d Adam paused and waited for Ben to realize what that meant.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned. \u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking about what Sarah had told us. She said it was Seth\u2019s idea to go there.\u201d Ben rubbed his chin in thought, \u201cMaybe she just got confused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that\u2019s all there is to it, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah knows a lot about mines, Pa. Growing up, she spent a lot of time with her father over the years. I think she\u2019d know how to rig one to cave in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked at Adam sharply and shook his head. \u201cNo,\u201d he said adamantly. \u201cAdam, that\u2019s not possible. We\u2019ve known her since she was a little girl. Sarah\u2019s not capable of something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I don\u2019t want to believe it either but I think we need to accept that it might be a possibility. I didn\u2019t think much of it at the time but you know, when Joe and Seth were trapped, Sarah said that she hadn\u2019t meant to hurt Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt the dread rise in him at the possibility of what the young woman might have done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have to talk to Sheriff Coffee, Pa. Tell him about our suspicions.\u201d Ben nodded in agreement. There was no other choice, Roy had to be told.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t tell Joe yet,\u201d Ben said, \u201cNot until we know for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

After riding into town and talking to Roy Coffee, Adam went with the sheriff to talk to Sarah. They went to the dress shop but Mrs Marks told them Sarah hadn\u2019t come into work that day. Adam and Roy started to walk to the boarding house where Sarah was staying, when Adam looked across the street and saw her at the stage depot.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, look,\u201d Adam nodded in her direction.<\/p>\n

With her back to them, Sarah didn\u2019t see the two men approach and was startled when she heard Adam say, \u201cHello, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly Sarah turned around, her face showing her fear at the sight of the sheriff standing with Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Adam. How\u2019s Joe?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s fine,\u201d Adam replied. \u201cHe remembers everything, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you to come to my office, Miss Sarah, so we can have a talk,\u201d Roy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to kill him,\u201d Sarah suddenly sobbed the words out, almost collapsing into Adam\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

Aware of the looks being cast their way, Adam gently led the crying young woman over to the sheriff\u2019s office and sat her down.<\/p>\n

The two men waited patiently until Sarah got her emotions under control and then Adam asked, \u201cWhat did you do, Sarah?\u201d When she stared down at her lap, he said, \u201cYou rigged the mine, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah nodded. Taking a deep breath she said, \u201cI don\u2019t know what I wanted to happen to Seth. I wanted him to pay for what he did to my father but I didn\u2019t mean to kill him. I just wanted him to experience some of what my father did.\u201d She looked at Adam. \u201cI never expected Joe to go there with Seth. I\u2019d never have intentionally endangered Joe. You have to believe that,\u201d she pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, Sarah,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cBut you did intentionally endanger Seth, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah shook her head, the tears streaming down her face. \u201cI told you. I meant to frighten Seth, that\u2019s all. I never meant to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been around mines all your life, Sarah. You know how unpredictable a rock fall can be. When you set those ropes, you must have known there was a chance that Seth would be killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah stared at Adam in shock as the truth of the words hit her. She had tried to fool herself into believing that wasn\u2019t what she had meant to do. She\u2019d managed to convince herself that she\u2019d only meant to frighten Seth. Now that Adam had forced her to face the truth, she knew she could no longer deny it.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, help me,\u201d Sarah buried her face in her hands and her body shook as she sobbed, \u201cI\u2019m no better than Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Roy Coffee looked at each other sadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have to lock her up, Adam,\u201d Roy said quietly. \u201cI feel sorry for her but murder is murder and that\u2019s what she\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll have to go home and tell Joe what\u2019s happened. I don\u2019t know how he\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell him I\u2019m just doin\u2019 my job, Adam. And right now it\u2019s not a job I like doin\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll know, Roy,\u201d Adam said and patted the old lawman\u2019s back, \u201cHe\u2019ll know.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben had wanted Joe to rest for the day and had argued strongly against Joe going into town. Joe had finally given in to his father\u2019s wishes. Ben had told Joe that Adam had gone to town to see Roy Coffee and would let Sarah know that Joe was feeling a lot better.<\/p>\n

Ben had earlier told Hoss about his conversation with Adam and their suspicions. Hoss had wanted to stay around the house and wait for the news when Adam returned. Like his father, Hoss was worried how Joe would react if it turned out that Sarah was somehow involved in Seth\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Joe knew something was going on but when he asked, his father and Hoss denied that anything was wrong. Hoss tried to distract him by playing some games of checkers. Ben pretended to read but found his eyes more often on the clock rather than the book he held in his hands.<\/p>\n

When Adam arrived home and walked into the house, the look on his face immediately told the others that something terrible had happened.<\/p>\n

Adam looked sadly at Joe for a moment and then at their father, wondering if he should talk to Ben privately first but Ben nodded and said, \u201cTell us, Adam.\u201d Ben knew that whatever it was, Joe had to know.<\/p>\n

Adam walked over to his blue chair and sank down into it. Focusing his eyes on his young brother, he said, \u201cJoe, Sarah told us that it was Seth\u2019s idea to go to the mine. When you woke up this morning and remembered that Seth had told you that Sarah had asked him to go there, it made me start to wonder about Sarah\u2019s involvement in what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInvolvement,\u201d Joe asked, looking at Adam in confusion, \u201cWhat do you mean, involvement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Adam leant forward, \u201cthis isn\u2019t going to be easy to hear, but Sarah caused that cave-in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a stupid thing to say!\u201d Joe shouted, jumping to his feet.<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss both stood and Joe turned on them. \u201cYou believe him!\u201d Joe shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben reached for his son\u2019s arm, \u201cCalm down and listen to your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his father\u2019s hand off his arm. \u201cI don\u2019t have to listen to his lies.\u201d Glancing at Adam, he asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s Sarah now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a deep breath, fearing a bigger explosion when Joe heard, \u201cRoy has her locked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t say another word, he just turned and walked out the front door, the others started to follow but suddenly they heard the sound of hooves.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s taken my horse,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to stop him,\u201d Ben rushed out the door, \u201cbefore he does something he may be sorry for later.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Riding up to the jail, Joe dismounted before the horse had stopped, he quickly looped the reins around the rail. Going to the door, he flung it open angrily. Roy looked up in surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d he said warily. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Joe snapped. \u201cI want to see Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy noticed that Joe wasn\u2019t wearing a gun and allowed himself to relax a little. \u201cAll right,\u201d he nodded, \u201cCome on.\u201d In the back room, Roy opened Sarah\u2019s cell door and allowed Joe to go in.<\/p>\n

Roy shut and locked the door. \u201cI\u2019ll leave you alone for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy had just gotten himself a cup of coffee and sat down when the door flew open again. Ben Cartwright walked in followed by his two oldest sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Ben,\u201d Roy said quietly, seeing the worry on all their faces. \u201cHe\u2019s in the back talking to Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sunk down onto a chair in relief.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Joe sat on the bed next to Sarah. She\u2019d been crying since he came in and had refused to talk or even look at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Sarah. It\u2019s going to be all right. It\u2019s just a mistake. We\u2019ll sort it out. Don\u2019t worry.\u201d Joe tried to comfort her.<\/p>\n

Finally Sarah turned to look at Joe. \u201cIt\u2019s not a mistake, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe drew in his breath sharply and shook his head silently, not wanting to believe her words.<\/p>\n

Sarah took a deep breath and willed herself not to cry. \u201cI was only pretending that I\u2019d forgiven Seth,\u201d she touched the side of Joe\u2019s face, \u201cI knew what you and your family would think of me if you knew why I was doing it. I felt so guilty. I couldn\u2019t face you. That\u2019s why I spent so little time with you, back then, Joe. I was so afraid you would see through me and I couldn\u2019t let that happen. I had to make Seth pay. I wanted him to know what it felt like to be betrayed by someone he trusted. Like he betrayed my father. I set those ropes in the mine. I knew it would cave in when someone tripped over them. I asked Seth to go and get some of my father\u2019s things out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you mean to kill him?\u201d Joe asked, finding it almost impossible to accept what Sarah was telling him.<\/p>\n

Sarah bit her lip. She knew Joe deserved the truth even if it destroyed his love for her. \u201cYes,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

Joe stood and turned to face her. \u201cHe was truly sorry for what he\u2019d done, Sarah. He really did wish he could turn back time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah stood up and went to Joe, looking into his eyes. The tears that pooled in her own eyes, slowly slipped down her cheeks. \u201cI know just how he felt, Joe. But there\u2019s no way to turn back time. I\u2019m so sorry for what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee came back into the room followed by Ben. \u201cJoe,\u201d Roy said, \u201cIt\u2019s time to leave now, son. You can come and see Sarah again tomorrow.\u201d Roy opened the cell door.<\/p>\n

Sarah reached out and grabbed Joe\u2019s hand, squeezing it. \u201cI love you, Joe. Please don\u2019t think too badly of me. When you think of me, think of all the good times we shared. Don’t grieve for me, Joe. I don’t deserve your sorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was struggling to keep his own tears from falling. \u201cDon\u2019t talk like that, Sarah. I\u2019ll come and see you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe,\u201d Sarah said quietly as she stepped away from Joe and nearer to Sheriff Coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah!\u201d Roy shouted, alarmed as he felt her slip the gun from his holster, his hand moving too late to stop her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah, No!\u201d Joe shouted when he saw what was happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always love you, Joe. My Joe.\u201d Sarah held the gun in her hand.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss rushed in at the sound of a shot and stared in shock at the body that lay on the floor.<\/p>\n

Joe dropped to his knees beside Sarah\u2019s body. Heedless of the growing pool of blood, he pulled her into his arms and whispered, \u201cI\u2019ll love you always, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He\u2019d been looking forward to having Sarah as a daughter-in-law. Now all the hopes and dreams were gone. Ben knew Joe would need all the strength his family could give him so he didn\u2019t allow his tears to fall. He turned to his older sons. Quietly he said, \u201cHoss, go and get us a room at the hotel, have a bath drawn for Joe and buy him some clothes. He looked down at the blood on his own clothes and added, \u201cAnd something for me, too.\u201d Hoss nodded sadly and looked at Joe. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Hoss. Go on. I\u2019ll take care of Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Hoss left, Ben turned to Adam. \u201cAdam, go and tell Paul what\u2019s happened. Tell him I want him to look at Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded solemnly before leaving, knowing his father faced the hardest task \u2013 getting Joe to leave Sarah.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at Roy and slowly walked over to Joe, squatting down beside him. \u201cJoe,\u201d he said quietly, putting a hand on his son\u2019s back. \u201cWe have to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Joe didn\u2019t move or speak, Ben motioned for Roy to help him. The Sheriff knelt down beside them and carefully started to pry Sarah from Joe\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

When Joe resisted, Ben put his hand on Joe\u2019s cheek and turned Joe\u2019s face to him. \u201cSarah\u2019s gone now. You have to let her go, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe allowed the Sheriff to take the young woman from his arms and Roy laid Sarah on the floor. Ben helped Joe to his feet. Joe stood shakily and Ben put an arm firmly around his waist.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Later that night, Ben and Joe sat on the settee back at the Ponderosa. Paul and Ben had tried to convince Joe to stay in town. They were concerned after the terrible shock he\u2019d had but Joe had been adamant that he wanted to go home.<\/p>\n

Sitting in the blue chair, Adam looked over at his brother. \u201cJoe,\u201d he said hesitantly, he was worried that his young brother would hold him responsible for Sarah\u2019s death, maybe believing that Adam should have kept quiet about what he knew. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I wish I hadn\u2019t had to tell Roy. I \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, cutting Adam off, \u201cYou had no choice. There have been too many lies told. You did the right thing,\u201d Joe\u2019s voice broke. He cleared his throat, feeling he owed Adam an apology. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam. I shouldn\u2019t have accused you of lying when he tried to tell me what Sarah had done. Seems like I\u2019m always needing to apologize to you lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you the same thing I told you last time, you don\u2019t owe me an apology.\u201d Adam could see the stress of the day\u2019s events written clearly on Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Joe gave Adam a look of gratitude, thankful for his brother\u2019s understanding and then he looked over at his father and said, \u201cI have to make arrangements for Sarah\u2026.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice broke and he looked down at the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben put a hand on his son\u2019s back and rubbed it softly, \u201cYou\u2019re brother\u2019s and I will see to everything. We\u2019ll bury her tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Joe took a deep breath and looked up into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

The sadness and pain in his son\u2019s eyes tore at Ben\u2019s heart. \u201cJoseph,\u201d he said softly, \u201cIt\u2019s a terrible, terrible thing that happened today and I know the pain of it will stay with you for a long time. I wish I could say something to ease the pain but I know there is nothing I can say that will do that. But I will say, Joe, that everyone makes their own decisions and everyone leads their own life. I don\u2019t want you to burden yourself with guilt for the deaths of Seth and Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned his face away and Ben said, gently but firmly, \u201cJoseph, look at me please.\u201d When Joe turned back towards him, Ben continued, \u201cYou are not to blame. Greed was responsible for Seth\u2019s downfall, Joe. His actions and his actions alone started a chain of events that caused his own death as well as Sarah\u2019s. I spoke to Paul about Sarah. He thinks her mind just snapped when she found out Seth killed her father. He said Sarah probably started thinking about a way to get revenge from that day, but she kept it hidden. She was unstable, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head. \u201cIf I had told her the truth from the start\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben broke into Joe\u2019s words. \u201cI don\u2019t think that would have made any difference to how she felt, Joe. The reason for Seth killing her father, whether it be the lie Seth told at first, that it was to spare Tom the pain or the truth that was revealed later, that he wanted the mine, made no difference to Sarah. She hated Seth for killing him. Whenever she\u2019d found out, her feelings would have been the same.\u201d Ben put his hands on Joe\u2019s shoulders. \u201cYou know I\u2019m right, don\u2019t you?\u201d When Joe nodded, Ben said, \u201cThen let the guilt go. You are not responsible for Sarah\u2019s actions. Joseph, sometimes when we search for reasons for why something happened, we can search our whole life and not find them. We just have to accept that it happened and go on. As hard as it is right now, you have to accept Sarah\u2019s death and go on with your life. Sarah loved you, Joe, and that\u2019s what she would want you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and blinked his tears away. \u201cI know you\u2019re right, Pa, but I loved her so much and it\u2019s hard to think of going on without her in my life now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

The next day the Cartwright family stood alone in the graveyard after the service was finished and everyone else had left.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to go to Seth\u2019s grave, Pa. I need to,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at Adam and Hoss and then back at Joe. \u201cYour brothers and I said some harsh things about Seth when we thought he had tried to kill you. I think we should all pay our respects to Seth.\u201d Adam and Hoss nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

The family walked over to Seth Pruitt\u2019s grave. The headstone when first placed on his grave had been stark, simply stating a name and two dates. Yesterday, before leaving town, Ben had sent word to the engraver. At his request, an inscription had been added.<\/p>\n

Joe reached out and gently ran his fingers over the words. He gave his life for a friend. \u201cThank you, Pa,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

Thinking that Joe might want some time alone to talk to their father, after they\u2019d said a prayer over the grave, Adam put a hand on Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cHoss and I will wait in the buggy. You take your time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded a silent thank you and Hoss patted his back as he left with Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like some time alone, Joe?\u201d Ben asked. \u201cI can go and wait with your brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, glad to have the comforting presence of his father with him.<\/p>\n

Ben rested a hand on Joe\u2019s back as the young man looked over towards Sarah\u2019s grave, then back at Seth\u2019s, saying, \u201cI hope they\u2019ve found peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure they have, Joseph. All that\u2019s happened can\u2019t be undone and the loss of their lives is a terrible thing but before Seth and Sarah died, they both told the truth about what they\u2019d done and were sorry for it. I think they found peace before they left this world and I believe they will find forgiveness in the next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so hard to except that they both murdered someone,\u201d Joe spoke the words so quietly, as if he were afraid the dead could hear, and Ben had to strain to hear him. \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about all the things we did together when we were kids,\u201d he shook his head, \u201cand then I think about the way their lives ended and I \u2026.\u201d Joe broke off, unable to go on.<\/p>\n

Ben moved his hand from Joe\u2019s back to his shoulder and pulled his son close to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey paid a high price for what they did, Joseph. A life for a life. So put that behind you and let it go. Just try to remember the good times. The laughter, the fun, the happiness, the many years of good friendship you had with them. Don\u2019t taint the memories of those years with what came later.\u201d Joe nodded and Ben continued, \u201cI know it seems hard now but like most things it will get easier with time, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing that his son was tired and feeling it was time that he got Joe home, Ben gently turned his son away from the graves of his friends and they walked to the buggy where Adam and Hoss waited.<\/p>\n

On the way home, Ben turned to check on Joe who was sitting behind him. Joe was asleep, his head resting on Hoss\u2019 shoulder.<\/p>\n

Ben knew the coming days would be hard ones for Joe but he also knew that with his family beside him and their love for him to support him, Joe would get through it. And there would be better days ahead.<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

Note. The segment where Ben thinks about the conversation he had with Joe about mercy killing is from the episode.<\/p>\n

December 2006<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 WHN for the episode The Quality of Mercy<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (21, 110 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10321,"featured_media":9765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,13],"tags":[14,15,17,16],"class_list":["post-13829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-whn","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-ben","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-13-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1569,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21953,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=21953","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":0},"title":"Epilogue: The Quality of Mercy (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"May 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0A WHN\/alternate ending for the episode The Quality of Mercy.\u00a0Joe goes to see Seth Pruitt in jail. Rating:\u00a0K+ Word Count:\u00a0613","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2396,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2396","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":1},"title":"A Travesty of Justice (by Dodo)","author":"Dodo","date":"April 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: WHN for The Quality Of Mercy....The trial of Seth Pruitt and its aftermath Word Count:\u00a0 25690\u00a0\u00a0Rated:\u00a0 T","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13827,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13827","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":2},"title":"Mercy or Murder (by JennyD & HelenB)","author":"JennyD","date":"December 27, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 WHN for the episode The Quality of Mercy Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (21, 110 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11839,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11839","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":3},"title":"Do as I Say (by frasrgrl)","author":"frasrgrl","date":"September 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Ben has always tried to teach by example, tried to get it through to his sons how he expects them to act. But do they ever listen? A 2015 Camp in the Pines story and a WHN for Quality of Mercy.\u00a0 Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 (1,255 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-pa.jpg?fit=640%2C514&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6746,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6746","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":4},"title":"In Defense (by pbeaking)","author":"pbeaking","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Joseph Francis Cartwright awaits sentencing. The judge is quick to blame the adults in his life for the boy\u2019s actions. What can Joe say in defense? Rating:\u00a0 K+ \u00a01500","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-angst.jpg?fit=400%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6355,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6355","url_meta":{"origin":13829,"position":5},"title":"Cartwright v, Cartwright (by debpet)","author":"debpet","date":"August 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0One of Ben Cartwright's sons is suing another! Rated:\u00a0K \u00a0WC \u00a02600","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/VC-Courthouse.png?fit=680%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/VC-Courthouse.png?fit=680%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/VC-Courthouse.png?fit=680%2C512&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13829","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\/10321"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}