{"id":13915,"date":"2006-12-12T10:20:27","date_gmt":"2006-12-12T15:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13915"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:10:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:10:18","slug":"between-heaven-and-earth-the-aftermath-by-susan-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13915","title":{"rendered":"Between Heaven and Earth: The Aftermath (by Susan G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong>\u00a0 A WHN for the episode, Between Heaven and Earth.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (5,480 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Between Heaven and Earth: \u00a0The Aftermath<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he stopped his horse in front of the Silver Dollar Saloon, Joe Cartwright swallowed hard, gulping down a knot of nervousness as well as a good deal of pride. He had made his peace with his father and brother, explaining his unreasonable fear of climbing to the top of Eagle\u2019s Nest and apologizing for his strange behavior. Now Joe had to face Mitch Devlin, and he knew fixing things with Mitch wouldn\u2019t be nearly as easy as patching up his relationship with his family.<\/p>\n

After dismounting and tying the reins of his horse to the hitching post, Joe stood in front of the saloon, staring at the swinging doors as he bit his lip a bit. He had no idea what he could say to Mitch to repair their friendship, but he knew he had to try. Joe took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then walked through the doors.<\/p>\n

Entering the saloon, Joe saw it was crowded as usual on a Friday night. Almost all the ranch hands in the area had received their weekly pay earlier in the day, and many of them had come to town to spend some money. A large number of cowboys were crowded together at the wooden bar, laughing and talking loudly as they drank from their mugs of beer or glasses of whiskey. Several tables were surrounded by sitting men who were playing poker or being entertained by the hostesses, or both.<\/p>\n

For several minutes, Joe stood by the end of the bar, unnoticed in the crowd of people. His eyes surveyed the saloon, looking for a familiar face. He finally spotted Mitch Devlin sitting by himself at table in the far corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I get you something, Joe?\u201d shouted Bruno, the bartender, trying to make himself heard over the din of the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Bruno, two beers,\u201d answered Joe, giving a quick nod.<\/p>\n

After throwing some coins onto the wooden bar, Joe picked up the two glasses of foaming beer that Bruno had placed in front of him. Once more, he took a deep breath, then headed across the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Mitch,\u201d Joe greeted his friend with a too bright smile and a too cheerful voice. He sat in a chair across the table from Mitch. \u201cI bought you a beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch\u2019s head barely moved as he lifted his eyes from staring at the table to look at Joe. \u201cAlready got a beer,\u201d replied Devlin gruffly as his eyes returned to gazing at the table. He slowly moved the half-empty mug in front of him in small circles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, have another one,\u201d encouraged Joe a bit too enthusiastically. \u201cYou can never have too many beers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ignoring Joe\u2019s offer, Mitch continued to stare at the table and move his glass around slowly.<\/p>\n

Nervously taking a large drink from his own beer mug, Joe waited for some type of response from his friend. After what seemed like an hour to Joe, Mitch finally lifted his eyes and looked across the table. \u201cWhat do you want, Joe?\u201d asked Devlin pointedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, Mitch, I want to say I\u2019m sorry about what happened last week,\u201d answered Joe earnestly. \u201cI know how much that arm wrestling title meant to you. I should have never challenged you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did you?\u201d Devlin asked bluntly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Joe replied, shaking his head. He hesitated; he wanted to tell the truth but even now he couldn\u2019t bring himself to explain about his unreasonable fear of Eagle\u2019s Nest and the self-loathing that fear had caused. \u201cI was feeling bad about myself and I guess I was looking for something to make me feel better. It was stupid. I didn\u2019t even think about what it meant to you. All I was worried about what making me feel like a big man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFeel like a big man?\u201d said Devlin in surprise. \u201cYou already are a big man, Joe. You can outride me and outshoot me. Hell, you can even outfight me. The only thing I could do better than you was arm wrestle. And now I can\u2019t even do that. You\u2019re the big man, Joe. I\u2019m just nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not true, Mitch,\u201d insisted Joe earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is true, Joe.\u201d Devlin shook his head sadly. \u201cWhy\u2019d you have to do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just being stupid,\u201d Joe repeated. He took another sip of beer, trying to think of what to say next. \u201cLook, Mitch, we\u2019ve been friends for too long to let this ruin things between us. Let me make it up to you. How about we have another arm wrestling contest?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you let me win?\u201d asked Devlin in a flat voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t let<\/u> you win,\u201d replied Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no? Well, that\u2019s what people would say,\u201d Devlin stated. \u201cPoor Mitch Devlin. His friend Joe Cartwright felt so sorry for him that he let him win at an arm wrestling match.\u201d Devlin shook his head. \u201cNo thanks, Joe. I\u2019ve got my pride and I want to keep it, at least the little of it that you left me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A look of dismay crossed Joe\u2019s face. He knew Mitch was right, just as he knew the importance of pride to a man. Hadn\u2019t he rejected his family\u2019s concern and thrown away a friendship for the sake of his own foolish pride? \u201cMitch, I don\u2019t want bad feelings between us,\u201d Joe said. \u201cWhat can I say or do to make things right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Joe,\u201d admitted Devlin honestly. \u201cI just don\u2019t know.\u201d He took a quick gulp from his almost empty beer glass and pushed back from the table. \u201cThanks for the beer,\u201d mumbled Devlin as he walked away from the table.<\/p>\n

With a look of misery on his face, Joe stared at the untouched beer sitting in the middle of the table.<\/p>\n

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

Sighing with relief, Hoss Cartwright sat back against the old oak tree. \u201cI\u2019m so tired I can barely move,\u201d he complained. \u201cI must have ridden around half the state of Nevada this morning, and all I found was six strays.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re tired?\u201d retorted his brother Adam, who was crouching a few feet away near a small fire. \u201cWhat about your horse? He had to cover the same distance and on top of that, he had to carry you all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOl\u2019 Chubb don\u2019t mind carrying me as long as he just has to walk,\u201d replied Hoss with a grin. \u201cHe\u2019ll walk all day. It\u2019s running he don\u2019t like much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like the person on his back,\u201d Adam commented dryly.<\/p>\n

Reaching into the leather saddlebag laying next to him, Hoss pulled out an apple and took a big bite out of it. As he chewed noisily, he turned to his right and looked at the young man sitting in the grass nearby. \u201cHey, Joe, you want an apple? There\u2019s one left. Actually, it\u2019s the only thing left out of that lunch Hop Sing packed for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks,\u201d answered Joe with a distracted air. He picked up an acorn from the grass and idly played with it in his hands, then fixed his gaze on some unseen object in the distance.<\/p>\n

Looking back to Adam, Hoss raised his eyebrows in a quizzical expression and jerked his head a bit toward Joe. Adam merely shrugged in response as he reached to pour himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting on the edge of the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d said Hoss, turning back to his younger brother, \u201care you still worried about me being mad at you? \u2018Cause if that\u2019s what\u2019s bothering you, forget it. I already done told you I was over it, and I meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised his head quickly as he listened to Hoss. \u201cYou and Joe had a fight while I was gone? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

A few feet away, Joe silently groaned. Adam had been at the railhead when Joe was dealing with his fear of Eagle\u2019s Nest and then subsequently making things up with Pa and Hoss. The oldest Cartwright brother had returned only yesterday, and so far, no one had seen it necessary to mention Joe\u2019s abnormal fit of behavior to him. Joe had hoped he could get by without having to explain the whole thing to Adam, not only because it was embarrassing but also because it would force him to relive his terror.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Adam, it was nothing\u201d said Hoss quickly, before Joe could reply. \u201cMe and Joe just had a disagreement about how to break a horse, and things got a little out of hand. But, like I said, it\u2019s over.\u201d He turned to Joe and gave his youngest brother a meaningful look. He smiled a bit at the relief on Joe\u2019s face, and acknowledged it with a brief nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what\u2019s bothering you, Joe?\u201d persisted Adam. \u201cYou haven\u2019t said two words since breakfast, and you volunteered to ride all the way up to the ridge looking for strays. Silence and wanting to be far away from us usually means something is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Joe didn\u2019t answer, then he sighed. \u201cYou\u2019re right, Adam, something is bothering me,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI had a falling out with Mitch Devlin, and when I tried to patch things up, he wasn\u2019t interested. I\u2019m just not sure what to do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had a fight with Hoss and a falling out with Mitch?\u201d commented Adam. \u201cSounds like you were your usual pleasant self while I was gone. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI went into town about a week or so ago, and I beat Mitch at arm wrestling,\u201d Joe answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it? You beat him arm wrestling?\u201d said Adam, clearly confused. \u201cMitch is upset because you beat him at arm wrestling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand, Adam,\u201d Joe explained. \u201cSee, Mitch was kind of the unofficial champion arm wrestler in Virginia City. Every Friday, the hands from all the ranches would come to the Silver Dollar and challenge him. Mitch beat them all, and he was really proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil you came along and beat him,\u201d Adam stated, showing his understanding with a nod. \u201cWhy did you challenge him, Joe? You and Mitch are such good friends I would have thought you\u2019d be happy to let him be the champ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked away as he tried to figure out how to answer Adam without giving away too much. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I did it,\u201d sighed Joe, \u201cI really don\u2019t. I was feeling kind of low after the fight with Hoss and\u2026well, some other stuff that didn\u2019t go the way I planned. And when I got to town, there was Mitch, crowing about how he beat everyone again. I guess I just figured I\u2019d feel better by taking Mitch down a notch and showing everyone I was better than he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it work?\u201d asked Adam quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d replied Joe, shaking his head. \u201cAfter I beat him, Mitch was so upset it just made me feel worse.\u201d He shook his head again. \u201cIt was a stupid thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it was,\u201d agreed Adam. \u201cAnd pretty selfish, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe winced at Adam\u2019s words but acknowledged the truth of them with a slow nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you try talking to Mitch?\u201d Hoss asked, trying to help. \u201cHe\u2019s a good fellow. Maybe if you explained things to him, he\u2019d understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI already tried that,\u201d Joe answered. \u201cI rode into town last Friday and tried to explain things to Mitch. I told him I\u2019d do anything to make up for what I did, but he said there was nothing I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you fellows have another match?\u201d suggested Hoss. \u201cHe might win this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI offered to do that too,\u201d Joe said. \u201cBut Mitch wasn\u2019t interested. He figured if he won, people would say I let him win. It would sort of add insult to injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it sounds like Mitch\u2019s pride has been hurt,\u201d remarked Adam. \u201cIt can take a man awhile to get over that. Maybe you just need to give him some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d replied Joe doubtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Adam\u2019s right; give Mitch some time. He\u2019ll come around,\u201d Hoss assured his younger brother. \u201cHe don\u2019t strike me as the kind of fellow drops a friend just because of one mistake. And if he is, then you don\u2019t need that kind of friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody is perfect, Joe,\u201d added Adam with a wry smile. \u201cEspecially you. We all make mistakes, or do stupid things we regret later. Sometimes feelings get hurt. But a true friend will forgive and forget. Just give Mitch some time to get over his hurt feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you\u2019re right,\u201d Joe said with a sigh. \u201cBut I think there\u2019s more to this than just hurt feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just it — I don\u2019t know exactly,\u201d admitted Joe. He shook his head. \u201cI need to think about this some more. Maybe if I can figure out what\u2019s really bothering Mitch, I can fix things between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe you\u2019re right,\u201d said Adam as he got to his feet. His tone of voice clearly indicated that he considered the discussion over. He poured the coffee from the pot on the fire, dousing the flames, and then kicked dirt over the wet wood to make sure the fire was out. \u201cLunch is over,\u201d he announced. \u201cWe\u2019ve got strays to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following his brother\u2019s example, Hoss got to his feet also. \u201cCome on, little brother, time to get back to work,\u201d he ordered as he hitched up his pants a bit. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you ride down toward the lake and see if there are any strays there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good five miles,\u201d Joe protested. \u201cIt\u2019ll take me the rest of the day to cover that ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess it might,\u201d agreed Hoss with a grin. \u201cBut just think of all the time you\u2019ll have to do your thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

As he started to undress and prepare to go to bed, Ben Cartwright was a bit surprised to hear the sound of footsteps passing by the bedroom door which he had left ajar. He had stayed downstairs in the great room for quite awhile after his sons had gone to bed, reading the last chapters of the latest Dickens novel, and thought that Adam, Hoss and Joe would have been in a deep sleep by now. He was mildly curious why Adam or Joe was roaming the hallway at this hour. He knew it was Adam or Joe; Ben could hear the faint rumble of Hoss\u2019 engine-like snoring from down the hall.<\/p>\n

As he continued to get ready for bed, Ben half-listened for the sound of one his sons returning to his own bedroom. His curiosity grew when the minutes passed and only silence filled the hallway. Ben knew there were a dozen mundane reasons why Adam or Joe could have found it hard to sleep and decided to go downstairs for awhile, that it was silly to check on a grown man who probably had decided he wanted something to eat or wanted to read for a bit. Nevertheless, Ben gave into his paternal instinct; he slipped on his robe and headed for the bedroom door.<\/p>\n

The clock was striking midnight when Ben reached the top of the stairs. He descended three steps, then stopped to look down into the room below. He was only somewhat surprised to see Joe, clad in a pair of pants and a shirt that hung open, sitting on the low table in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. Ben knew his youngest son was the most likely candidate to find sleep hard to come by when something was troubling him, and over the past few weeks, Joe had had a lot on his mind. Walking quietly, Ben descended the stairs and stopped a few feet from the bottom.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you have another nightmare?\u201d Ben asked softly.<\/p>\n

Startled by the voice, Joe jumped a bit. He had been deep in thought and hadn\u2019t realized anyone else was in the room. As he turned toward his father, Joe felt the same sense of only slight surprise that Ben had experienced earlier. Somehow, he thought, Pa always knew when something was bothering him. He should have expected his father to come down to check on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t have another nightmare,\u201d answered Joe, then he smiled. \u201cI haven\u2019t had a nightmare since you tricked me into going to the top of Eagle\u2019s Nest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t trick you,\u201d Ben protested mildly as he walked toward his son. \u201cI simply took your mind off your fear of falling. You did the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, whatever you did, it worked,\u201d said Joe. \u201cI haven\u2019t had a nightmare since I came down off that mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to talk about whatever it is that is bothering you?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

For a minute, Joe didn\u2019t answer. He turned to stare into the flames of the fire, biting his lip with uncertainty. Ben waited patiently, moving to sit in the worn blue chair nearby and making himself comfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this thing with Mitch,\u201d Joe finally blurted out. \u201cI hate it that he doesn\u2019t seem to want to be friends anymore. We\u2019ve had our disagreements in the past, but we\u2019ve always got over them. This time, though, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s going to get over this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis friendship means a lot to you, doesn\u2019t it,\u201d stated Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it does,\u201d Joe acknowledged. \u201cWe\u2019ve been friends almost as long as I can remember. I hate the thought of losing that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you talked to him?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried,\u201d answered Joe. \u201cBut he didn\u2019t want to talk. Adam and Hoss suggested that I just give it some time. They said he\u2019ll get over being mad at me eventually. But I don\u2019t know. Somehow, I think there\u2019s more to it than just being mad.\u201d He shook his head ruefully. \u201cI don\u2019t know exactly what\u2019s bothering Mitch, or how to fix things between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it was Ben who sat quietly for a minute, as he mulled over Joe\u2019s dilemma and tried to find the right way to help his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re right,\u201d Ben said finally. \u201cI think there\u2019s more to the situation than Mitch feeling mad or hurt. I think he feels betrayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetrayed?\u201d replied Joe in surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeep down, Mitch had to know that he was going to lose a match some day, that someone would come along who was stronger or quicker than he is,\u201d explained Ben. \u201cNo one goes unbeaten forever, no matter if its arm wrestling or anything else. But I think that Mitch felt that when that day came, you\u2019d be there to commiserate with him, to \u2013 I don\u2019t know \u2013 slap him on the back, buy him a beer and tell him how great he was despite the fact he lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd instead, I\u2019m the one who beat him,\u201d said Joe, nodding in understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did you beat him, but you weren\u2019t there to console him for his loss,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cI think he feels you betrayed his friendship by not only showing him up, but by abandoning him, so to speak, after you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told him I was sorry,\u201d insisted Joe. \u201cI told him that after the match and the other day in town. Mitch was interested in hearing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t about being sorry, Joe,\u201d Ben advised his son. \u201cThis is about trust. Mitch trusted you not to try to beat him, and to be his friend when he did lose. I think he feels that you betrayed that trust he had in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting quietly, Joe thought over what his father had said. \u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he said slowly, the sadness he felt about what he had done evident in his voice. \u201cI always told Mitch that there was no need for me to challenge him. Then, one day, out of the blue, I sit down and not only challenge him but beat him.\u201d Joe shook his head. \u201cIt was such stupid, stupid thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes it was,\u201d agreed Ben in a quiet voice. \u201cYou wanted to make yourself feel better, even if it was at Mitch\u2019s expense. You traded your friendship with Mitch for a few moments of self-gratification.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe acknowledged, turning to face his father. \u201cI did a lot of stupid things, hurt a lot of people, just because I didn\u2019t want anyone to know I was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the misery in his son\u2019s face, Ben tried to comfort Joe. \u201cSon, we all make mistakes. It\u2019s hard sometimes to admit it, but none of us is perfect. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I think we can pretty much agree that I\u2019m not perfect,\u201d Joe said, giving his father a shaky smile. \u201cAdam and Hoss made that point clear to me this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I think we can agree on that,\u201d Ben concurred with a grin.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s face sobered. \u201cBut I still don\u2019t know how to fix things with Mitch. How do I get him to trust me again, to want to be friends again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not going to be easy, Joe,\u201d acknowledged Ben with a shake of his head. \u201cTrust isn\u2019t something you can demand. It has to be earned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how do I earn Mitch\u2019s trust again?\u201d persisted Joe. \u201cHe won\u2019t even talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all I can suggest is that you show him that you can be trusted, that you\u2019ll back him up without being asked,\u201d advised Ben. \u201cShow him that he can rely on you to be there when he needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s easier said than done,\u201d countered Joe. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to back up Mitch when all he does is push me away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen don\u2019t let him push you away,\u201d Ben suggested. \u201cKeep coming back. Don\u2019t give up on Mitch, Joe, not if you really want him for a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d Joe blew out a breath of air. \u201cI really messed things up. It\u2019s going to be hard to get Mitch\u2019s trust again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll you can do is try, son,\u201d said Ben. He rose from the chair and stretched a bit. \u201cI\u2019m ready for bed. How about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding, Joe got to his feet also. \u201cI think I can sleep now. I haven\u2019t really solved things, but at least I have an idea of what the problem is.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The Cartwright brothers weren\u2019t surprised to see the Silver Dollar saloon was only about half full on the Saturday night they entered the bar. Most cowboys thought Friday night was the time for drinking and brawling; Saturday night was the time for courting and wooing if they could find a girl who would give them some time and attention. None of the Cartwrights currently had a girl with whom there was a mutual interest, so they joined the rest of the unattached males in Virginia City looking for a drink and maybe a little fun at the Silver Dollar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree beers, Bruno,\u201d called Adam as he and his brothers stepped up to the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cGee, Adam,\u201d said Hoss in mock despair as he patted his vest, \u201cI think I left my money at home. Guess you\u2019re going to have to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then you\u2019d better enjoy that beer and make it last,\u201d retorted Adam, throwing some coins down. \u201cBecause that\u2019s the only one I\u2019m buying for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow is that any way to act toward your brother?\u201d asked Hoss, looking as innocent as possible. \u201cDon\u2019t you think Adam is being awfully mean, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d replied Joe, sounding distracted. He wasn\u2019t really listening to his brothers\u2019 jibes. His eyes were fixed on a table in the middle of the saloon where five men were playing poker. Joe recognized two of the men as hands from the Bar B, but two of the others at the table were strangers. The fifth man was Mitch Devlin \u2013 and there was an empty chair at the table right next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Joe mumbled to his brothers as he walked toward the poker table, carrying his beer. When he reached the table, Joe hesitated, then asked, \u201cMind if I join in?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking up over his shoulder, Mitch\u2019s face showed a bit of shock before quickly reforming into a neutral look. \u201cIt\u2019s a free country,\u201d Devlin said with a shrug, turning back to look at the cards in his hands.<\/p>\n

For an hour, Joe sat next to Mitch with neither of them saying a word to each other except to ask for cards when one of them was dealing. Joe won a few hands but that paled in comparison to the winning streak of the man sitting next to him. Mitch won several hands in a row, lost a few, then won again. Between the two of them, Joe and Mitch were taking all of the money from the other men at the table. Joe couldn\u2019t help but smile when Mitch beat the two pair proudly shown by one of the Bar B hands with three aces.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, what\u2019s going on here?\u201d demanded the cowhand heatedly. \u201cEver since Cartwright sat down, nobody\u2019s won a hand but you two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou accusing me something?\u201d Devlin asked with a frown.<\/p>\n

Sensing trouble brewing, Joe studied the two men across the table. He knew the cowboy who was giving Mitch a hard time was named Johnson \u2013 a big man with a reportedly short temper. Mitch had beaten him arm wrestling at least twice. The other hand from the Bar B was known to Joe only as Billy, and even though he was smaller than Johnson, Billy was known to throw a mean punch. Joe noted the faces of the other two men at the table showed more confusion than anger, so he kept his eyes focused on the two Bar B hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is that you and Cartwright are friends,\u201d Johnson continued angrily. \u201cHe sits down next to you and suddenly you\u2019re winning every hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you accusing me of cheating?\u201d Devlin said in a flat voice. \u201cBecause if you are, I\u2019d like to know how you think I\u2019m doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how,\u201d Johnson admitted. \u201cBut something\u2019s going on. Maybe you two are passing cards under the table, or Cartwright\u2019s setting you up somehow. All I know is something funny is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe doesn\u2019t cheat and neither do I,\u201d stated Devlin, his voice reflecting his anger. \u201cI think maybe I\u2019ve had enough of playing cards with you.\u201d With that, Mitch pushed his chair back from the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you ain\u2019t leaving here with my money,\u201d yelled Johnson as Mitch stood up. He rose to his feet also, as did his friend Billy. Joe quickly got to his feet and stood next to Mitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you two better be the ones who leave,\u201d Joe said in a voice so low that it was almost a growl.<\/p>\n

For a moment, the four men simply stared at each other across the table. Then Johnson licked his lips a bit and started to walk around the table, followed by his friend. Joe relaxed, thinking that the confrontation was over. He didn\u2019t expect Johnson to suddenly wheel around and punched Mitch in the jaw.<\/p>\n

Mitch staggered back a step and Joe caught him with his hands. The two exchanged a look for only a second, but that was enough. Both men started forward toward the Bar B hands, and the fight was on. Mitch threw a punch at Billy, who was closest to him, while Joe flung himself forward at Johnson. All four men were swinging wildly, landing only about half their blows. One of the men would be knocked to the floor and the combatant would scramble to his feet to attack his foe once more. The table was knocked over and the other two players quickly hurried to the back of the bar.<\/p>\n

Hearing the noise from the middle of the bar, Hoss got up from the table where he had been trading hunting stories with two trappers. Adam also rose from the poker game he was involved in. Both of the older Cartwright brothers walked toward the middle of the bar and then stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink we should help?\u201d asked Hoss casually as he watched Mitch and Joe trading blows with the two cowboys from the Bar B.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks pretty even to me,\u201d replied Adam. He winced a bit as Johnson knocked Joe to the floor. \u201cI\u2019d put my money on the big guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Joe\u2019ll take him,\u201d Hoss told his brother as he watched Joe get up and throw a punch into Johnson\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n

From the corner of his eye, Joe saw Mitch punch Billy hard in the jaw. The smaller man crumpled to the floor and Mitch stood over him, breathing heavily. Joe threw another punch into Johnson\u2019s midsection and knew that one more would probably finish off the big man. He hesitated, though, as Mitch moved into his line of vision, standing only a foot or so away from the big cowboy. Joe saw Johnson aiming a fist toward his face. Making an instant decision, Joe dropped his hands. Johnson\u2019s punch knocked him backwards, over a table and onto the floor. Joe laid still for a moment, stunned.<\/p>\n

But Joe wasn\u2019t too stunned to see Mitch hurry to block Johnson\u2019s advance toward Joe. Mitch threw two quick punches into Johnson\u2019s midsection, and the big man bent over. Mitch\u2019s fist then hit the cowboy on the jaw, and Johnson fell to the floor.<\/p>\n

Joe sat up and started rubbing his jaw slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe, are you all right?\u201d asked Devlin with concern as he came over to Joe. Mitch extended his hand and helped Joe to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m all right,\u201d answered Joe. \u201cThanks for taking care of that cowboy for me, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch looked down at Johnson sprawled on the floor, then glanced back at Joe. He rubbed his hand for minute, almost as if he didn\u2019t believe it belonged to him; then a look of inordinate pride came across Mitch\u2019s face. \u201cYou ought to leave those tough ones to those of us who know how to fight,\u201d he said with a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess I should,\u201d agreed Joe. He looked around the saloon. Considering the amount of punches that had been thrown, the fight hadn\u2019t caused much damage. Two tables had been turned over and there was money and chips scattered on the floor. Joe scooped up the bills and coins, then got to his feet. \u201cI think this belongs to you, Mitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Devlin replied, taking the money from Joe. As he slowly stuffed the money into his shirt pocket, Mitch seemed to be studying Joe. \u201cHey, Joe, you coming to town next Friday?\u201d he asked suddenly.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d Joe answered. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I might buy you a beer,\u201d Devlin offered. \u201cMaybe we can find ourselves a poker game to join.\u201d A wide grin broke out on Mitch\u2019s face. \u201cI promise I\u2019ll protect you if there\u2019s a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll protect me?\u201d said Joe incredulously. Then he grinned also. \u201cWell, maybe we can protect each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of like we did tonight,\u201d Devlin commented with a nod. He looked down at his hand and shook his head, almost in wonder. As he raised his eyes, a small smile crossed Mitch\u2019s face. \u201cI\u2019ll see you Friday, Joe.\u201d Turning on his heels, Mitch walked out of the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Bruno, give me a beer,\u201d called Joe as he walked to the bar. Behind him, men were righting the tables and returning to their own drinking and card playing. The two Bar B hands were slowly getting to their feet, both holding their heads as they did so.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I was sure you were going to take that fellow,\u201d Hoss remarked as he and Adam came up to the bar and stood next to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got in a lucky punch,\u201d answered Joe with a shrug.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it looked almost like you dropped your guard at the end there,\u201d Adam commented. \u201cIt was almost like you wanted him to knock you down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow why would I do that?\u201d asked Joe, gazing evenly at his oldest brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam said reflectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like you and ol\u2019 Mitch are back to being friends,\u201d Hoss added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think we are,\u201d agreed Joe. He quickly drained his beer. \u201cI think it\u2019s time we headed for home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to leave? You\u2019re the one who is telling us it\u2019s time to go?\u201d said Adam with astonishment. \u201cThat fight must have knocked you around harder than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe told Pa we\u2019d be home early,\u201d Joe stated firmly. \u201cHe\u2019s trusting us to keep our word. I don\u2019t want to disappoint him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all right,\u201d Adam agreed, still sounding a bit shocked. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he trailed his brothers out of the saloon, Joe suddenly stopped and looked back to where the now empty poker table sat. He rubbed his jaw lightly, then grinned. Nodding with satisfaction, Joe turned and left the saloon.<\/p>\n

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

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 A WHN for the episode, Between Heaven and Earth.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (5,480 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10338,"featured_media":13916,"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-13915","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":1786,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Between-Heaven-and-Earth.png?fit=689%2C465&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13823,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13823","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":0},"title":"Between Life and Death (by JennyD & HelenB)","author":"JennyD","date":"February 27, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A WHN for Between Heaven and Earth Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0\u00a0 (15, 170 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\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13824,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13824","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":1},"title":"Between Life and Death (by HelenB & JennyD)","author":"HelenB","date":"February 27, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A WHN for Between Heaven and Earth Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0\u00a0 (15, 170 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\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Promises-to-Keeep.png?fit=759%2C568&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15348,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15348","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":2},"title":"Joe Cartwright – Magician! (by Questfan)","author":"Questfan","date":"October 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"SUMMARY: A Bonanza story celebrating that fun side of Michael in his role as Joe Cartwright. Make it scary, funny, or dramatic . . . or all three! Rating: K Word Count: 660","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1C673A90-35E7-41AC-8BB3-F8707550AF36.jpeg?fit=700%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1C673A90-35E7-41AC-8BB3-F8707550AF36.jpeg?fit=700%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1C673A90-35E7-41AC-8BB3-F8707550AF36.jpeg?fit=700%2C525&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1C673A90-35E7-41AC-8BB3-F8707550AF36.jpeg?fit=700%2C525&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36062,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36062","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":3},"title":"Something to Prove (by Andrina)","author":"Andrina","date":"February 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: After having a fall out with his friend Mitch, Joe has trouble finding a way to make things right. WHN to the episode \u201cBetween Heaven and Earth\u201d. Rating: K+ Word Count: 2281","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-8.jpg?fit=747%2C569&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-8.jpg?fit=747%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-8.jpg?fit=747%2C569&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-8.jpg?fit=747%2C569&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7137,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7137","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":4},"title":"Another Mountain To Climb (by Rona)","author":"Rona","date":"December 22, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A WHN To Between Heaven And Earth. Rated:\u00a0 T (9,590 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\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30607,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=30607","url_meta":{"origin":13915,"position":5},"title":"Eagle’s Nest (by Sierras)","author":"Sierras","date":"October 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 It is spring, and the winter has passed. Five-year-old Little Joe wanders off to find his mama who died a couple of months earlier. 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