{"id":13954,"date":"2007-06-01T15:42:09","date_gmt":"2007-06-01T19:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13954"},"modified":"2026-07-29T13:45:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T17:45:14","slug":"the-golden-fleece-by-susan-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13954","title":{"rendered":"The Golden Fleece (by Susan G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>:\u00a0 Joe lies trapped while Ben sets out to organize a rescue party.<\/p>\n

Word Count: \u00a09100 \u00a0Rated: \u00a0T<\/p>\n

The Golden Fleece<\/strong><\/p>\n

The thin shaft of sunlight coming from the escape hole at the top of the tunnel made only a small crack in the darkness that surrounded Joe Cartwright. The pale ray of light offered little illumination, but the beam was enough to keep Joe\u2019s feelings of panic and abandonment at bay. He didn\u2019t want or need much light anyway. He didn\u2019t need to see the blood oozing from the cuts on his face and hand; he could feel the warm, sticky liquid trickling down. Joe knew without looking that his right leg was broken. The throbbing pain was a constant reminder. And Joe certainly didn\u2019t need any light to show him that there was half a mountain of rock between him and the entrance to the mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reaching behind him, Joe brushed away a few small rocks and other pieces of debris as he tried to make himself more comfortable. He was sitting with his back against the side of the tunnel, with his legs jutting out in front of him. Joe looked up to the top of the tunnel, toward the escape hole about ten feet above him and a few feet to his right. The hole looked so close, yet Joe knew it had taken his father quite a while to inch his way up to the emergency exit, even with two good arms and legs. There was no way that Joe could have made it with his broken leg and injured hand, and his father would have never been able to carry him out. Both he and his father knew that leaving Joe in the tunnel while Pa went for help was the only possible way to ensure Joe\u2019s rescue; they had agreed on that without much debate. He had smiled encouragingly at his father when Pa started to climb up the side of the tunnel. Still, Joe had experienced a sinking feeling in his stomach when he saw his father disappear through the escape hole. He knew it would take hours for Pa to get to the town of Cottonwood, organize a rescue party and return for him\u2026longer if the horses were no longer waiting outside the mine entrance. Joe knew he would have to spend those hours alone in the dark tunnel, fighting both pain and fear.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning his head to the left, Joe couldn\u2019t see the wall of rock that blocked the entrance to the mine, but he knew it was there. He and his Pa had been several yards from where the explosion had brought down the roof of the mine. He wondered briefly if Steve Becker, the mine owner, and the other two men had made it out. Joe shook his head; he couldn\u2019t even remember the names of those two men. He only knew they had been looking at the mine for investment purposes, just as Joe and his father had been doing. The other three had been closer to the explosion, but they had also been closer to the entrance. Maybe they had been able to run out before the mine caved in; maybe they were already trying to bring help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe, thought Joe as he leaned his head back against the side of the tunnel and closed his eyes. What a word. Maybe. Maybe if he hadn\u2019t insisted his father go deeper into the tunnel, they might have escaped. But then, maybe if he hadn\u2019t dragged his father down the passageway, they would have been killed by the falling rock. And maybe if he hadn\u2019t insisted that the Ponderosa needed that herd from Arizona, none of this would have happened\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cIt\u2019s a good investment, Pa,\u201d Adam Cartwright argued, \u201cjust the kind of thing that can ensure a steady income for the ranch, no matter what else happens.\u201d Adam slammed his hand on his father\u2019s desk to emphasize his point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair behind the desk, Ben Cartwright studied his oldest son. Adam was standing at the side of the desk, papers in hand, convinced that his idea was sound. Ben turned his head to look at Hoss and Joe, his younger sons, who were seated in the chairs in front of the desk. \u201cWhat do you boys think?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re ranchers, not miners,\u201d answered Joe. \u201cI\u2019d rather spend the money on improving the herd then investing in some wild mining scheme.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do we have to spend the money anyway?\u201d Hoss asked, genuinely puzzled. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we just put in the bank so it\u2019s there in case we need it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause $25,000 is a lot of money to just leave lying around in the bank,\u201d answered Ben patiently. \u201cThe way to continue to grow and prosper is to use money to make sound investments or purchases. We invested $15,000 to buy a herd of cattle originally, and we sold it for $25,000. Now we need to decide how to best use the money we made to continue to make the Ponderosa flourish.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see how investing in some gold mine is going to make the Ponderosa flourish,\u201d grumbled Joe. \u201cSeems to me the best way to do that is to buy the cattle in Arizona that Pete O\u2019Brien has up for sale. We can grow that herd and sell it at a profit, just like we did before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d have too much of our capital tied up in cattle,\u201d insisted Adam. \u201cWe need to diversify to protect the ranch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are diversified,\u201d Joe argued. \u201cWe\u2019ve got cattle, horses, and timber. We don\u2019t need mining.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if the Army decides they don\u2019t need to buy remounts from us?\u201d countered Adam. \u201cThey could always decide to buy cheaper horses from someplace else? \u00a0Who are we going to sell all those horses to then? What if disease or bad weather decimates the herd? We won\u2019t have any cattle to sell, much less make a profit off of. And we can\u2019t cut timber in the winter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if that mine turns out to be a dry hole?\u201d said Joe heatedly. \u201cWe\u2019d have thrown away $25,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be,\u201d Adam assured his brother. He turned back to Ben. \u201cLook, Pa, Steve Becker is the cousin of one of my closest friends in college. He\u2019s not some old prospector just grubbing in the dirt. He\u2019s a geologist, and he knows what he\u2019s doing. Steve knows how to spot potential veins in rock, just like you know how to spot potential in a young horse. He\u2019s convinced there\u2019s gold in that mountain. All he needs is some financial backing to get the operation started.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we just wait and see if he\u2019s right?\u201d suggested Hoss. \u201cSeems to me that would be a whole lot less riskier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe bigger the risk, the bigger the profit,\u201d Adam explained. \u201cLook at the silver mines around here. Even if you could buy a share in one of those operations \u2013 and that would be hard to do \u2013 your return would be small because those mines have a lot of investors already. The only way to make real money is to get in on the ground floor. Our $25,000 would buy one-third of Steve\u2019s operation, and we\u2019d get one-third of the profits from his mine. We\u2019d have a steady stream of money coming in for quite awhile. We\u2019d make back our $25,000 in less than a year, and we receive regular payments from the profits for several years after that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you actually seen this mine, Adam?\u201d asked Joe. \u201cHow do you know it even exists? \u201cI mean, the name of the mine is The Golden Fleece. They say when someone tricks you, you got fleeced. Seems to me your friend might have a warped sense of humor if this is a swindle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Adam,\u201d Hoss added, \u201cyou wouldn\u2019t be the first one to be taken in by a lot of fancy reports on a mine that don\u2019t even exist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you seen the herd O\u2019Brien is offering?\u201d countered Adam. \u201cFor all you know, they could be a bunch of skinny, half-wild cows that he rounded up from the scrub brush. And The Golden Fleece is a perfectly good name for a mine. It refers to the rich prize that Jason searched for in mythology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you know we\u2019ve done business with O\u2019Brien for a couple of years,\u201d answered Joe with more than a touch of exasperation in his voice. \u201cHe\u2019s always given us a fair deal. There\u2019s no reason to doubt he won\u2019t do the same this time. I trust him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I trust Steve,\u201d Adam said, waving the sheaf of papers in his hand. \u201cI\u2019ve read his reports, his analysis of the minerals, and his preliminary findings. His reasoning and testing are based on sound, scientific principles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSound scientific principles,\u201d growled Joe. \u201cSeems like guesswork to me. You\u2019re just blinded by all that college hocus-pocus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re just too close-minded to see opportunities in anything other than cattle and horses,\u201d snapped Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd both of you ain\u2019t nothing but a pair of stubborn mules who won\u2019t listen to each other,\u201d interjected Hoss in a loud voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEnough!\u201d boomed Ben, sitting upright in his chair. \u201cI will not have this discussion deteriorate into name-calling and finger-pointing.\u201d Taking a deep breath, he noted with satisfaction that all three of his sons were staring at the floor with a look of guilt on their faces. \u201cNow, both Joe and Adam make good arguments,\u201d Ben continued in a much calmer voice, \u201cand neither of you seems willing to give in to the other. So I suppose it\u2019s up to Hoss and me to make the final decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh, Pa, I don\u2019t think I rightly know which one of them is right,\u201d said Hoss tentatively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure I do either, Hoss,\u201d Ben admitted. \u201cWe both need more facts. So here\u2019s what I propose. Hoss and Adam will go down to Arizona to look at that herd O\u2019Brien is offering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa,\u201d protested Joe, \u201call Adam will do is try to find something wrong with the cattle and give Hoss a good reason not to buy them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019m sure you will try to find a good reason for me not to invest in the mine when you and I inspect it,\u201d replied Ben. He saw the puzzled expression on his sons\u2019 faces. \u201cLook, boys, I think the only way to make a decision is to thoroughly investigate both opportunities. I have no doubt that Adam will point out every flaw, every problem with the herd to Hoss. But if he can\u2019t convince Hoss that his objections are valid, then we\u2019ll know the herd is a good investment. The same holds true with Joe and me at the mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if one of us is convinced it\u2019s a bad investment, then we\u2019ll know where to spend the money,\u201d said Hoss, nodding with understanding. \u201cBut, Pa, what if they both turn out to be bad deals? Or they both turn out to be good deals?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they both turn out to be unwise investments, we\u2019ll just hold on to our money and look for something else,\u201d Ben answered. \u201cIf they both turn out to be good opportunities\u2026\u201d Ben paused and smiled a bit. \u201cI wonder if I still have that coin I flipped when I was trying to decide who to vote for as mayor of Virginia City?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

A faint rumble caused Joe to snap out of his reverie and look around anxiously. He couldn\u2019t see\u00a0much in the dimly lit tunnel\u00a0and didn\u2019t know if he had heard the sound of the earth settling or the impending fall of more of the mine\u2019s roof. Joe swallowed hard, knowing that if rock started falling down around him, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn\u2019t run and he couldn\u2019t protect himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe listened hard for several minutes but heard nothing. Whatever had caused the rumble appeared to have stopped. Joe told himself not to worry about something that he couldn\u2019t prevent, but that was easier said than done. A mental picture flashed in his mind of tons of rock crashing down on him, burying him forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forget it, he told himself. Think of something else. Joe relaxed against the side of the tunnel and closed his eyes once more\u00a0as if not seeing could prevent something from happening. He turned his mind to a question that had been nagging at him faintly since the explosion. Why would someone throw dynamite into The Golden Fleece? Why would someone want to close the mine?<\/span><\/p>\n

Frowning, Joe tried to recall the minutes before the explosion. He had told his father that he wanted to show him the rock deeper in the tunnel, and the two had walked down the passageway, with Joe carrying the lantern. There had been a shout, the sound of running feet and then an explosion. What seemed to have be an entire mountain of rock then began to fall as the tunnel collapsed. Joe remembered dropping the lantern as he pushed his father away from the tumbling stone and debris. He had tried to run, tried to follow his father, but something had hit him in the back, knocking him to the ground. Then what he later found out was a support beam fell on his right leg and a rainstorm of dust and rock covered him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Somehow the lantern had managed to survive the cave-in. His father had found it in the pitch blackness of the now sealed-off mine, and re-lit it. Then his father had dug Joe out. Joe hadn\u2019t needed to see the look of frantic worry on his Pa\u2019s face. He could hear it in his voice as his father repeatedly called his name, and he could feel it in the way the rocks and debris were hastily pulled off of his body. Removing the support beam had been difficult. In the end, his Pa had lifted the beam and Joe had pulled his leg out from under it. Both of them had shouted for help for several minutes, and his Pa had spent a long time hitting a fist-sized rock against the wall of stone, signaling the two were alive and in need of rescue, before Joe had remembered the escape hole. With the lantern flickering and starting to fade, the two men had made their way down the tunnel. Joe remembered how they had found the escape hole just as the lamp used up the last of its oil and went dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Joe didn\u2019t want to remember was the agony he had felt as his father had literally dragged him down the tunnel toward the emergency exit Joe had recalled from his trip to the mine the day before. He also didn\u2019t want to remember the look on his father\u2019s face in the few seconds before his Pa had left him to climb up to the escape hole. There had been just enough light for Joe to see the pain in his father\u2019s eyes caused by knowing he had to leave his son behind. He remembered his Pa tightly holding his uninjured hand, his Pa gently wiping the blood from his face with the bandana his father always wore, and his Pa ruffling his hair before turning away to start the climb to the escape hole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think about that, Joe told himself sharply as he felt the knot in his stomach starting to form again. Think about something else. Think about who blew up the mine and why.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furrowing his brow in concentration, Joe tried to recall what was shouted just before the explosion. He knew he had heard it; the sound had echoed down the tunnel. He had a feeling that call would tell him who threw the dynamite. But no matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn\u2019t come to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trying a different tack, Joe thought about the reason someone might have thrown the dynamite into the mine tunnel. Did Becker want to kill him because he thought Joe had discovered some secret about the mine? Or maybe one of the men who didn\u2019t want to see the mine in operation had decided to close it down forever. Maybe it had nothing to do with the mine. Joe knew he had made an enemy in the short time he had been in Cottonwood. Maybe someone simply wanted to kill him. <\/span><\/p>\n

There was that word again \u2013 maybe. Joe shook his head. He was just guessing and that accomplished nothing. He needed to forget about maybe and concentrate on another word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who? Who could have done this? Joe closed his eyes and tried to think.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cPa, I think it might be better if I went out and looked at the mine while you finish studying all this\u2026material,\u201d Joe offered. He was seated at a table in Steve Becker\u2019s office in the small town of Cottonwood, Nevada. His father sat across from him, looking closely at the\u00a0paper on which projected costs were listed. Joe had tried for two hours to pay attention to the survey maps, mineral samples, and lists of projected operating expenses and profit. He had even listened carefully to Becker\u2019s explanation of the scientific testing he had done to prove gold was in the mine, although Joe had understood only about half of what Becker had said. But now Joe was willing to admit he couldn\u2019t stand being cooped in the office filled with papers and rocks any longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it might be better to wait until tomorrow\u00a0when I can go with you,\u201d suggested Becker.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking up from the paper in his hand, Ben asked, \u201cWhy? Is the mine unsafe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d Becker replied quickly. \u201cIt\u2019s just that Joseph may not understand what he is seeing, or rather not seeing in this case. Tomorrow, when the other potential investors are here, we can all go out together. Then I can show you why I think there is a large vein of gold in The Golden Fleece.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs there something in that mine you don\u2019t want me to see now?\u201d asked Joe with a slight frown on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, there\u2019s not,\u201d Becker stated firmly. \u201cI just don\u2019t think what you\u2019ll see will mean anything to you. Tomorrow, I can be there to explain things to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the mine is safe and there\u2019s nothing to hide, I don\u2019t see any reason why Joe can\u2019t go out and look around,\u201d said Ben, sounding slightly puzzled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, if that\u2019s what you wish,\u201d Becker agreed with a sigh. He looked at Joe and shook his head slightly, then turned back to Ben. \u201cFrankly, Mr. Cartwright, when you wired me that you were coming with your son, I expected Adam to be with you. I hadn\u2019t expected\u2026well, that is, I didn\u2019t think\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe would bring his son the cattleman?\u201d Joe finished the sentence. \u201cMr. Becker, I may be a cattleman, but I also know something about mines. Pa wouldn\u2019t have brought me with him if I didn\u2019t.\u201d Joe wasn\u2019t the expert on mining that his brother was, but still, he knew enough. One couldn\u2019t spend time in Virginia City — a town full of miners and mine-owners — without picking up bits and pieces about mining. Besides, thought Joe, I\u2019ve probably learned some things from those miners that were never written up in any textbook.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pushing back his chair, Joe grabbed his hat off the table and got to his feet. \u201cMr. Becker, I\u2019m going to ride out to your mine. I know where it is; you pointed it out clearly enough on the map.\u201d He turned to his father. \u201cPa, I\u2019ll meet you at the hotel around dinner time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Engrossed in studying the figures on the paper again, Ben merely nodded and mumbled \u201cFine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost an hour later, Joe was standing just inside the entrance to The Golden Fleece. He looked carefully at the timbering, making sure it seemed solid, before going further into the tunnel. One of the first things he had learned about mining was to make sure a mine was safe before going into it. Satisfied that the wood was firmly in place and showing no sign of aging or splintering, Joe picked up a lamp from a cluster of lanterns sitting by the entrance. He lit the lantern and then walked slowly down the tunnel.<\/span><\/p>\n

After walking about a mile into the mine, Joe had to admit that Becker may have been right. He didn\u2019t see much that told him anything one way or the other about the potential of gold. He had seen the mine was well constructed, with an escape hole about a half a mile from the entrance in case there was a cave-in. He also had seen various streaks of mineral in the rocks, dark lines which scored the side of the tunnel before petering out. Joe wasn\u2019t sure what, if anything, those streaks indicated.<\/span><\/p>\n

One thing Joe did find curious, however, was the quartz. He knew that, in most cases, wherever gold was found, traces of quartz were in the same area. Joe had noted a sprinkling of quartz in the front part of the mine but the deeper he went into the tunnel, the less quartz he had seen. Finally, the quartz seemed to disappear completely. Joe had lifted his lantern and moved it around, looking for the tell-tale sparkle in the rock but didn\u2019t find it. Now, almost a mile from the entrance, the side of the tunnel was glittering again as the quartz sparkled in the light from the lantern. But the pattern of the quartz was odd. Instead of streaking through the rock, the quartz seemed to be in a circular pattern. Joe had seen a pattern like this once before. In that case, a swindler had salted a mine by blasting gold into the rock with a shotgun.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he turned around and walked back to the entrance of the mine, Joe tried to figure out what the odd pattern of quartz meant. Had Becker salted the mine with quartz to convince investors that the gold was there? If he had salted the mine, why use quartz and not gold? Joe shook his head. There could be a logical explanation. The pattern of quartz simply could be some natural phenomenon, rather than evidence of a scheme to defraud investors. Joe had to admit he didn\u2019t know enough to figure it out. He decided to show the oddity to his Pa tomorrow. He was sure his father would be able to tell whether the strange pattern was natural or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Sitting in the darkness of his stone prison, Joe remembered with regret that he had never had a chance to show the odd pattern of quartz to his father. The two had been walking toward the strange configuration of minerals when the explosion had stopped them. Joe still wondered whether the pattern was natural or man-made, but he decided it probably wouldn\u2019t make any difference now. It was unlikely that The Golden Fleece would ever be mined. No one would be interested in removing a ton of rock from a mine that might or might not have gold in it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Joe winced as a stab of pain shot up his leg. He had tried to keep his leg as straight and still as possible, to prevent the bone from rubbing or displacing anymore. But he couldn\u2019t keep the leg from swelling or his muscles from cramping. Joe gritted his teeth as another wave of pain traveled up the limb. He took several deep breaths and tried to relax his muscles. The pain ebbed a bit. Joe\u2019s leg still throbbed but at least the ache was bearable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Joe turned his thoughts once more to Steve Becker. The more he considered the man, the less likely Joe thought it was that he had caused the explosion. Becker had no idea that Joe had spotted the odd pattern of quartz, and even if he did suspect that Joe had seen the strange splattering of mineral, he may have had a logical explanation for it. Joe felt it was unlikely the Becker would blow up the entrance to his own mine, and kill his potential investors. Even if the Cartwrights and the other two men declined to put their money into his venture, Becker could have sought out other investors or simply moved on. Unless, that is, he really was running some kind of con game. If he feared arrest, would Becker go so far as to try to get rid of all the witnesses? Joe didn\u2019t think so, but he couldn\u2019t be sure.<\/span><\/p>\n

It must have been one of those men he met in Cottonwood, thought Joe. One of them must have thrown the dynamite into the mind. But which one? Which of them felt strongly enough about the mine \u2013 or him \u2013 to commit murder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once more Joe felt a shooting pain in his leg. He grunted, then gasped for air. Try to relax, he told himself, try to think of something else. Think about those men in Cottonwood\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Sipping from his beer glass, Joe studied the cards in his hand. He had returned from the mine to Cottonwood about a half hour ago, and figured he had about two hours to kill until he was due to meet his father. What better way to spend the time than drinking a beer and playing a little poker? He could always claim he was trying to find out more about Becker and the mine from the people who lived in the town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see you and raise you two dollars,\u201d Joe declared, throwing three chips from the pile in front of him into the middle of the table. He looked expectantly at the other four men seated around the table. There had been the usual cursory introductions \u2013- an exchange of names \u2013 when Joe joined the game, but none of the men seemed interested in talking about themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two men sitting to Joe\u2019s right were older \u2013 gray-haired men in their 70\u2019s at least. Joe figured they were retired ranchers or farmers who were filling up some empty hours as he was. The man sitting next to the older men looked like a prospector to Joe; the man\u2019s faded striped shirt and dark brown pants were powdered with a faint covering of dust. He looked to be in his early 30\u2019s, and wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses which he kept pushing back up his nose as he studied his cards.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fifth man was the one Joe couldn\u2019t quite figure out. His tanned, weather-beaten face and hands were evidence of a man who had spent most of his 30 some years on the open range. Joe would have guessed he was a ranch hand, except that his fancy black vest and crisp white shirt belied that fact. Besides, no ranch hand would be in town playing poker in the middle of the afternoon. He also was too neatly dressed for a cowboy just passing through town. In addition, Joe was suspicious of the way the man played poker; he seemed to win every hand he dealt.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two older men threw their cards onto the table, indicating without words that they had dropped out. The prospector hesitated, taking a moment to push up his glasses before reaching down and taking three chips from the neat stack in front of him. \u201cI\u2019ll see you,\u201d the man said in a thin, reedy voice as he dropped the chips carefully into the middle of the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe turned his attention to the fourth man \u2013 he had called himself Randall — who looked at the cards in his hand with a blank expression on his face. His eyes darted to the left as he tried to read something in Joe\u2019s face which would tip his hand. But Joe looked back with a bland expression as he took another sip of beer. Finally, the man threw a couple of chips into the middle of the table and said, \u201cI call.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a smile, Joe laid down his cards, revealing the three queens in his hand. The other two men threw down their cards in a combination of disgust and irritation. Joe reached out and raked the chips from the middle of the table toward his pile of tokens.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy deal,\u201d growled Randall as he reached for the cards. Joe watched the man carefully as Randall gathered up the cards and began arranging them into a neat stack. He saw how Randall had the cards facing toward him as they were stacked, moving a card or two around to neaten the deck. Joe noted the way Randall shuffled, using a stiff, awkward movement as he mixed the cards in his hands. Joe looked carefully to see if he could identify the card on the bottom of the deck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone seated around the table threw a chip into the middle, their ante into the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

After dealing five cards to each man, Randall looked briefly at his own hand, then put it down and picked up the deck. \u201cHow many?\u201d he asked Joe. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d prefer you give yourself cards from the top of the deck,\u201d Joe declared suddenly, his voice cold and his eyes peering at Randall with intensity.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a moment, Randall looked startled, but his expression quickly changed to one of anger. \u201cYou think I\u2019m cheating?\u201d he snapped, the fury evident in his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say that,\u201d replied Joe in a deceptively calm voice. \u201cI just know the ace of hearts was at the bottom of the deck when you started to deal. I\u2019d be interested in seeing if the ace is still there or if it\u2019s in your hand now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a sudden move, Randall pushed his chair back from the table and jumped to his feet. But Joe had expected the move and he did the same thing almost simultaneously. Randall started reaching for the gun on his hip but froze when he saw that Joe\u2019s lightning fast draw was already done, and Joe\u2019s pistol was pointed directly at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swallowing hard, Randall eased his hand away from his gun and dropped it to his side. \u201cI wasn\u2019t cheating,\u201d he insisted in a sullen voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just see,\u201d Joe answered. Without taking his eyes off Randall\u2019s face or moving his gun, Joe added, \u201cPierce, why don\u2019t you see if the ace of hearts is in his hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The man wearing the glasses pushed his spectacles nervously up his nose before reaching across the table and turning over the five cards that Randall had dropped. The cards were a jack, a nine a pair of fives\u2026and the ace of hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat don\u2019t prove nothing,\u201d Randall shouted. \u201cYou were wrong about seeing the ace on the bottom of the deck. I dealt myself that ace from the top.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d said Joe in a voice full of disbelief. \u201cThen how did I know you had the ace of hearts? Lucky guess?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning his head to toward the men at the table, Randall whined, \u201cI wasn\u2019t cheating, honest!\u201d But his statement was met by three skeptical looks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019d better call it a day,\u201d Joe told Randall. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a friendly game anymore, at least not for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Glaring at Joe, Randall started reaching for the pile of chips in front of his chair. \u201cHold it!\u201d Joe ordered. Once more, Randall froze. \u201cYou started with ten chips,\u201d continued Joe. \u201cI think ten chips is what you should leave with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A look of pure hatred crossed Randall\u2019s face as he looked at Joe and the gun still pointed in his direction. Randall quickly counted ten chips from the pile, then snatched them up from the table. \u201cI\u2019ll get even with you for this, Cartwright,\u201d the man threatened as he put the chips in his vest pocket. \u201cYou\u2019re going to pay for this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe said nothing. He merely watched with cold eyes as Randall move away from the table, and then stomped out of the saloon. He kept his gun on the man until Randall disappeared through the swinging doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a deep breath, Joe holstered his gun and turned back to the table. \u201cI think I\u2019ve had enough poker for one day,\u201d he declared. The other three men nodded silently. Joe took the chips Randall left on the table, divided them evenly into four small stacks and pushed one stack in front of each of the three men. \u201cThat should make things even,\u201d he said. Joe picked up the remaining stack of chips, then gathered up the tokens piled in front of his chair. He left the table and headed toward the wooden bar at the front of the saloon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCash me in,\u201d Joe told the bartender, laying his chips on the polished oak surface of the bar, \u201cand give me a beer.\u201d The bartender nodded and began counting the chips.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to buy you that beer, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d said a voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning Joe saw Pierce, the bespeckled poker player, standing behind him. Joe smiled and nodded his agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwo beers,\u201d Pierce announced to the bartender. \u201cPay for them out of this.\u201d He laid his pile of chips on the bar also.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, I appreciate it,\u201d said Joe amiably.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the least I can do,\u201d Pierce replied. \u201cYou saved me and the others from being cheated. Even if I had discovered Randall\u2019s deception, I\u2019m afraid there\u2019s nothing I could have done about it. I wouldn\u2019t have had the nerve to confront the man.\u201d Pierce hesitated, then continued. \u201cI would recommend you be careful, Mr. Cartwright. Randall is known to hold a grudge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s he do?\u201d asked Joe. \u201cIs he a cowhand?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one seems to know for sure,\u201d Pierce admitted. \u201cHe disappears for a few weeks and then returns to town, usually looking rather worse for the wear but with his pocket full of money. He cleans himself up and lives well, enjoying himself until he runs out of money. Then he disappears again.\u201d Pierce leaned toward Joe and added in a low voice, \u201cMost of us suspect he is doing something illegal but no one can prove it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a sip from the glass of beer that the bartender had put down in front of him, Joe studied the man standing next to him. Pierce spoke in precise English and his demeanor implied a meekness of spirit. He looked and sounded like no prospector Joe had ever met. He was another oddity in a town which seemed to be full of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you?\u201d Joe asked the mild-mannered man, frankly curious. \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a scientist,\u201d Pierce replied. \u201cI\u2019m looking for evidence of dinosaurs in this area.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDinosaurs? What are they?\u201d asked Joe with a puzzled expression.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLarge creatures which roamed the earth thousands of years ago,\u201d Pierce explained. \u201cThe dinosaurs suddenly disappeared and no one knows precisely why. \u00a0My theory is that the streams and rivers which once flourished in this area dried up for some reason, and whatever caused that to happen also killed the dinosaurs. I\u2019m looking for bones, fossils and other evidence which will prove my theory. If I am successful, it will be an important scientific discovery.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would anyone care about some animals that died thousands of years ago?\u201d Joe clearly questioned the value of Pierce\u2019s efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can prove that rivers and streams were in the area\u00a0and that the dinosaurs thrived here, perhaps we can learn why both disappeared,\u201d replied Pierce. \u201cThen perhaps we can prevent the same thing from happening in the future. The best way to predict the future is to learn from the past.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you found anything?\u201d asked Joe, his curiosity now piqued.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found some indications that there was water which suddenly dried up,\u201d Pierce answered. Then he sighed. \u201cBut I admit I\u2019ve found little else. I\u2019ve been looking for close to a year for definitive proof, without success yet.\u201d Pierce smiled at Joe. \u201cBut I feel I\u2019m getting close. The signs have been hopeful lately. We scientists are a\u00a0persistent lot, and I don\u2019t plan to give up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it about Cottonwood that attracts scientists to this town?\u201d said Joe with a laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI presume you are referring to Mr. Becker.\u201d Pierce practically spat out the words. \u201cMr. Becker is not a scientist. He\u2019s a menace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Surprised by the anger in Pierce\u2019s voice, Joe asked, \u201cWhy do you say that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause that mine of his would destroy the whole area in which I am working,\u201d Pierce answered resentfully. \u201cFor the sake of a few nuggets of gold, he would destroy perhaps the biggest scientific discovery of this era. I\u2019ve tried to tell him that, but he doesn\u2019t care. He\u2019s nothing but a greedy philistine, willing to sacrifice anything to the golden idol of profit.\u201d Pierce pounded his fist on the bar several times to emphasize his point. \u201cMr. Becker should be stopped. He must be stopped!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe found it a bit difficult to reconcile the vehemence of Pierce\u2019s word with the meekness of the man\u2019s appearance. \u201cYou feel pretty strongly about stopping Becker, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do!\u201d exclaimed Pierce. \u201cI am not a violent man, Mr. Cartwright, but when I think about the damage Mr. Becker and his operation will do, I can understand how one could be driven to aggression.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I\u2019m in Cottonwood is that my family is thinking of investing in Mr. Becker\u2019s mine,\u201d Joe explained calmly. \u201cMy Pa and I are checking out his operation, trying to decide if we want to help finance it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t do it,\u201d Pierced practically begged. \u201cDon\u2019t give that philistine the funds he needs to destroy the evidence I have been looking for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t invest, someone else will,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cYou can\u2019t prevent him from getting the money he needs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sighing, Pierce nodded his head. \u201cI know,\u201d he admitted in a discouraged voice. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible to stop the flow of money.\u201d Then Pierce pulled back his shoulders and straightened his back. \u201cBut I will find a way to stop him,\u201d the scientist said in a determined voice. \u201cI suggest you stay as far away as possible from Mr. Becker and his mining operation. I promise you, Mr. Becker will not open that mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Looking up to the escape hole from the floor of the mine tunnel, Joe tried to tell if the light had faded. He wondered how long it had been since his father had left. It felt to Joe as if hours had passed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Joe shivered. His face felt warm, almost hot, but the rest of his body was cold. He wondered if he was suffering from shock or just feeling chilled by the cool rocks which surrounded him. His leg continued to throb and now his injured hand was beginning to burn. Joe\u2019s head ached and he was sure he was getting feverish. His mouth was so dry that he felt as if someone had stuffed it with cotton.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re a real mess, Joe Cartwright, thought Joe. And there\u2019s nothing you can do about it but just sit here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost without warning, Joe felt a surge of anger. Someone had done this to him. Someone had caused this agony he was enduring. Someone had deliberately exploded dynamite in the mine entrance, not caring who he killed or injured. Joe suddenly wanted to throttle that man, to beat him senseless, to make him suffer like he was suffering. <\/span><\/p>\n

As quickly as his anger had come, Joe\u2019s rage ebbed away, leaving him feeling deflated and discouraged. He had no idea who had done this. It could have been Becker or Randall or even Pierce. Randall had threatened him, and Pierce wanted to shut down the mine. Becker may have wanted to cover up the evidence of fraud. They all had a motive for setting off the explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n

But they weren\u2019t the only ones, thought Joe. No, there was one more. There was one more person who would be happy to see The Golden Fleece closed forever\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Sprawled in a chair on the hotel porch, Joe turned the page of the newspaper in his hand. After leaving the saloon, Joe had walked around Cottonwood but found little to interest him. The town had the usual collection of shops \u2013 a mercantile, blacksmith, dressmaker, and so on \u2013 but none of them offered the diversion Joe was looking for. He spent some time looking around in the mercantile, but none of the items offered for sale appealed to him. He finally bought a copy of the local newspaper and headed for the hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Joe was wasting time reading about people he didn\u2019t know and events he didn\u2019t care about in the thin pages of newsprint.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see you are enjoying the fruits of my labor,\u201d said a voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting down the newspaper, Joe looked up to see a middle-aged man wearing a gray suit smiling down at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou the editor of the newspaper?\u201d asked Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe editor, reporter, and printer,\u201d admitted the man. \u201cI also wash the office windows.\u201d He grinned and stuck out his hand. \u201cJohn Thornton.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe Cartwright,\u201d replied Joe, shaking the man\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what brings you to our fair town, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d Thornton inquired as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the stub of a pencil and a piece of paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust visiting,\u201d Joe answered vaguely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, no one comes to Cottonwood just to visit,\u201d Thornton stated with a smile. \u201cThis is a small town and everyone knows everyone else\u2019s business. The only reason they bother to buy my newspaper is to see who\u2019s been talking to me.\u201d Thornton poised the pencil over the paper in his hand. \u201cI understand you\u2019ve spent time in Mr. Becker\u2019s office.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sighing, Joe decided that evasion wasn\u2019t going to work. \u201cMy father and I met with Mr. Becker,\u201d he confirmed. \u201cWe\u2019re considering investing in his mining operation, but we haven\u2019t made a decision one way or the other yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking for the town, I hope you do,\u201d said Thornton as he scribbled something on the paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t speak for the whole town, John Thornton,\u201d boomed a voice. Both Joe and Thornton turned to look at the speaker who was stepping up onto the hotel porch. The man was wearing a black frock coat with a stiff white collar around his neck. Tufts of gray hair sprang in unruly tangles around his thin face lined by age. His piercing blue eyes looked at Joe with coldness, and his lips were pressed together in a stern line of disapproval.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Preacher, it\u2019s good to see you are consistent,\u201d Thornton observed with a smile. \u201cLet me do the honors. Mr. Cartwright, this is the Reverend Henry Brown, the minister of our church and our local prophet of doom. Reverend, this is Joe Cartwright. He and his father are considering investing in Mr. Becker\u2019s mine, the instrument which will lead to the destruction our town, according to your last sermon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taken aback by Thornton\u2019s comment, Joe sat still, not knowing what to do or say.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou make fun, John,\u201d said Reverend Brown, ignoring Joe. \u201cBut you know I\u2019m right. Opening that mine will only bring wickedness and evil to our town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOpening that mine will bring prosperity to Cottonwood,\u201d Thornton countered. \u201cIt will bring in new business, new money, and new people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNew people, bah!\u201d exclaimed Reverend Brown. \u201cThe people who will come to work in the mine will not be the kind of people we want in this town. They will be the papist Irish or worse, heathen Chinese.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat will give you a whole new group of people to try to convert,\u201d Thornton noted, apparently unfazed by the reverend\u2019s complaint.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s not just the miners who will come,\u201d the preacher continued. \u201cThey will be followed by gamblers, whiskey dealers, and women of ill-repute. They will turn our town into a brothel, a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Disturbed by the minister\u2019s ranting, Joe felt compelled to offer a comment. \u201cReverend, I think you may be over-reacting. We have plenty of mines in Virginia City, where I live. Most of the miners are decent, hard-working men who are just trying to make a living. I know quite a few miners who saved their wages so they could buy land and bring their families to join them. There are a lot of farms and ranches near Virginia City started by men who used to be miners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you saying there are no saloons in Virginia City?\u201d demanded Reverend Brown. \u201cNo gambling? No houses where women sell their favors?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir, I\u2019m not,\u201d admitted Joe. \u201cI\u2019m just saying that you can\u2019t blame the miners for that. The cattlemen and the farmers in the area visit the saloons just as much as the miners do, maybe more. But Virginia City isn\u2019t any worse than most other towns, and the mines aren\u2019t the reason why there are saloons and gambling there.\u201d Joe waved his hand toward the street. \u201cYou don\u2019t have a mine here yet and you have a saloon where I spent the afternoon playing poker.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe boy\u2019s got a point, Preacher,\u201d acknowledged Thornton with a grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHellfire and damnation!\u201d shouted the minister. \u201cThat\u2019s what that mine will bring to our town. You wait and see. Hellfire and damnation!\u201d With that, Reverend Brown turned on his heels and walked away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither Joe nor John Thornton said anything for a minute. Then Thornton cleared his throat, and commented, \u201cWell, um, I hope you don\u2019t think the reverend represents the way most people in this town feel about Becker opening his mine. Reverend Brown has\u2026strong feelings on the subject. Almost everyone else is in favor of what Becker is trying to do. I hope you\u2019ll remember that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll remember,\u201d Joe promised. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll remember what the Reverend said also.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019ll remember, I\u2019ll remember\u201d Joe murmured as he shifted his weight on the hard ground of the tunnel. He felt terrible. His leg was sending waves of pain upward again. His hand throbbed and his head ached. Rivulets of sweat were running down his face, mixing with the blood already there, and the salty moisture was causing the cuts on his face to sting. Joe\u2019s mind felt fuzzy, and he couldn\u2019t seem to put his thoughts in order any longer. He was tired, thirsty, and hurting in numerous places. His body cried out for relief from the hard ground on which he was sitting. Joe closed his eyes, hoping he could fall into a dark abyss of sleep, a place where he could feel nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Joe couldn\u2019t seem to turn his brain off, no matter how hard he tried. His mind kept replaying the events from yesterday, and the minutes before the roof of the tunnel collapsed. There was a connection between the two and his brain was working hard to find it. But the connection was elusive, a butterfly which fluttered away before his mind could capture\u00a0it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forget it; it\u2019s not important, Joe told himself. Concentrate on staying alive. Nothing else matters now. You have bigger problems than worrying about who blew up the mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the butterfly kept fluttering in his brain, teasing him with the idea that he knew the answer if he could only capture it. And then suddenly, Joe knew. \u00a0He knew what he had heard just before the explosion and who had thrown the dynamite. His mind had captured the butterfly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe! Joe! Can you hear me!\u201d a voice called down to him, reverberating through the tunnel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe answered weakly. \u201cPa?\u201d \u00a0The word was hardly more than a croak from his dry throat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, Joe!\u201d Ben shouted to his son from the escape hole. \u201cHang on, Joe. We\u2019re coming to get you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With an air of detachment, Joe watched as his father was lowered by rope from the escape hole to the floor of the mine. He saw his Pa rushing forward, pulling the strap of a canteen off his shoulder as he ran. Joe felt the gentle touch of his father\u2019s hand on his head for a moment, and then a canteen was put to his lips. Joe drank eagerly, trying to swallow as much of the water as possible. His Pa pulled the canteen back and then offered it again, making sure Joe didn\u2019t choke or make himself sick by drinking too fast.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Joe had quenched his thirst, he looked up at his father. \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d he murmured.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once more, Ben gently stroked Joe\u2019s head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry it took so long, Joe,\u201d he apologized. \u201cI got back here as soon as I could. I brought a lot of help with me. We\u2019re going to get you out of here.\u201d Ben glanced over his shoulder and noted with satisfaction that several men were being lowered by rope into the mine. He turned back to Joe. \u201cEverything is going to be all right now, son.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I have to tell you,\u201d said Joe, grabbing the front of his father\u2019s shirt with his uninjured hand. \u201cI have to tell you what he said before he threw the dynamite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d replied Ben puzzled. \u201cWhat are you talking about Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I remember!\u201d cried Joe. \u201cYou have to listen. I know what he said.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about that now, son,\u201d Ben replied in a soothing voice as he gently stroked his son\u2019s face. He could feel the heat of fever\u00a0and decided Joe was delirious. \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it later. The important thing is to get you out of here, to get you to a doctor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I heard what he said,\u201d insisted Joe, pulling harder on his father\u2019s shirt. \u201cI heard him yell \u2018Philistines\u2019. He said \u2018Philistines\u2019, Pa. Pierce was the one who threw the dynamite. It was Pierce who blew up the mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Epilogue<\/span><\/p>\n

Shifting on the bed, Joe moved his splinted leg closer to the middle. He tried to relax against the soft pillows that supported his back, but he couldn\u2019t. He was tense, apprehensive, and couldn\u2019t wait for his father to return to the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resting his heavily wrapped hand on his stomach, Joe used his good hand to push himself up a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position on the bed. Then he settled back and waited, watching for the door to open while he drummed his uninjured fingers anxiously on the bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The door opened so suddenly that Joe flinched a bit in surprise. \u201cWell, what did he say?\u201d Joe demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss says that herd in Arizona has some of the finest cattle he\u2019s ever seen,\u201d Ben answered with a smile. \u201cEven Adam had to agree. O\u2019Brien has included the son of one of his prize bulls in the deal, so the herd is worth every penny of that $25,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you tell Hoss to buy them?\u201d Joe asked eagerly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI sent him a telegram telling him to buy the herd as soon as I got his one,\u201d Ben replied, showing a paper to his son. \u201cI also told him the doctor said that you could travel in three or four days, and we\u2019d be back at the Ponderosa by the end of the week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctor is an old worry wart,\u201d grumbled Joe. \u201cI\u2019m fine. I could travel tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you were unconscious for almost a day,\u201d Ben said in exasperation. \u201cAnd it was two days after that before you felt strong enough to sit up. I think waiting another three or four days is wise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d Joe agreed grudgingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, I stopped by the sheriff\u2019s office on the way back here,\u201d Ben said offhandedly. \u201cThat fellow Pierce is still insisting that he didn\u2019t know anyone was in the mine when he threw those sticks of lighted dynamite into The Golden Fleece.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, right,\u201d replied Joe with skepticism. \u201cThat\u2019s why he yelled into the tunnel before throwing in the dynamite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s a good thing he did,\u201d said Ben. \u201cOtherwise, he\u0092d be facing the gallows instead of just a long stretch in prison. Becker and the others barely got out the tunnel in time. His call made them look back to the entrance, and when they saw the lighted dynamite, they ran for their lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor their lives. They didn\u2019t worry much about us,\u201d Joe complained bitterly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, they thought we were dead,\u201d advised Ben in a gentle voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey could have checked,\u201d insisted Joe. \u201cBecker knew where that escape hole was. If he had just checked instead of riding back to town\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he didn\u2019t,\u201d Ben interrupted. \u201cIt\u2019s over and done with, Joe. Forget it. Brooding about what might have been doesn\u2019t do any good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d acknowledged Joe. \u201cBesides, Becker will never be able to open that mine now. I guess that\u2019s punishment enough.\u201d He looked at his father curiously. \u201cDid you ask Becker about that strange pattern of quartz I told you about?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I did,\u201d Ben answered. \u201cHe believes it was caused by a stream that suddenly dried up. The quartz clustered when the water disappeared without warning. That was one of the reasons he was so confident that there was gold in the mine. He felt sure a mass of gold sunk into the rock, just as the quartz did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what Pierce thought,\u201d mused Joe. \u201cThat a stream drying up suddenly, I mean. Funny, both Becker and Pierce had the same idea, and they both wanted to dig up that area. But Pierce was looking for old bones, and Becker was looking for gold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid Mr. Pierce felt much too strongly about the need to protect the area so he proved his theory,\u201d Ben observed. \u201cHe was willing to sacrifice the present to preserve the past.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he was,\u201d Joe said, nodding. \u201cI think it was the one thing that Pierce really cared about. I think the need to find those bones was the only thing that could drive Pierce to commit murder\u00a0if he had to. He cared about those old bones more than anything, including people.\u201d Suddenly, a grin spread across Joe\u2019s face. \u201cSo Adam had to admit I was right about those cattle in Arizona, eh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he did,\u201d Ben agreed with a laugh. \u201cBut that doesn\u2019t necessary mean your brother was wrong. If Pierce hadn\u2019t blown up the mine, I think I would have considered it a good investment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you would have never invested your money in The Golden Fleece,\u201d declared Joe confidently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I wouldn\u2019t have, would I?\u201d said Ben, smiling. \u201cAnd why not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a cattleman, Pa,\u201d answered Joe. \u201cYou\u2019d never invest in something that would constantly remind you of sheep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 Joe lies trapped while Ben sets out to organize a rescue party.<\/p>\n

Word Count: \u00a09100 \u00a0Rated: \u00a0T<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10338,"featured_media":8478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1015,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-joe-pa","category-drama","wpcat-1015-id","wpcat-23-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/LJshadow1.jpg?fit=720%2C576&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13954","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\/10338"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}