{"id":14007,"date":"2005-12-13T10:27:02","date_gmt":"2005-12-13T15:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14007"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:10:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:10:32","slug":"lady-in-blue-by-susan-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14007","title":{"rendered":"Lady in Blue (by Susan G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>Taking an alternate route home with a wagon full of grain places Joe’s life in danger.\u00a0 While waiting to be rescued he encounters a lovely lady.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0\u00a0 (5,100 words)<\/p>\n

Lady in Blue<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to leave,\u201d called Joe Cartwright as he trotted down the stairs of the Ponderosa ranchhouse. He looked over to where his father and brothers were sitting around the desk in the den. The desk was littered with papers and ledgers.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, how come Little Joe gets to go over to Black River to pick up those grain sacks instead of getting stuck here with this dadgum paperwork, like the rest of us,\u201d Hoss complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just lucky that I can drive a wagon better than I can add,\u201d Joe grinned in reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is no pleasure trip,\u201d Ben said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cWe need that grain and we can\u2019t wait two more weeks for Virginia City Freight to finish that special hauling contract for the mines. Joseph, you go straight to Black River tonight, and start loading that grain first thing in the morning.\u00a0 I want you back here by no later than tomorrow afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat only leaves you one night to find some poor sweet thing who will have a broken heart when you leave her,\u201d Adam commented dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr one night to lose all your money in a poker game,\u201d added Hoss with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Joe said innocently, \u201cI plan to go straight to bed as soon as I get to Black River\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, right,\u201d snorted Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough, boys,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, you better get going. Like I said, I want you back here by suppertime tomorrow…no excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa,\u201d replied Joe.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be here.\u201d\u00a0 He strode to the door, cheerfully whistling while his brothers watched with a sour expression.\u00a0 He glanced back at the desk, grinned, and went out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, let\u2019s get back to work,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam kidded Hoss. \u201cWe need your genius to figure out these branding schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only genius in this family is our little brother,\u201d replied Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHe can figure out how to get out of work he don\u2019t like better than anyone I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

The next morning in Black River, Joe was at the freight barn, loading the last of the grain sacks to a full wagon.\u00a0 As he dumped a sack onto the back of the wagon, he heard his name being called.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe Cartwright, what are you doing here?\u201d asked a man with a slight Swedish accent.\u00a0 Joe looked up to see a heavy-set man in his 40\u2019s, dressed in working clothes and sporting a thick mustache.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Mr. Johannsen,\u201d Joe called.\u00a0 \u201cPa got tired of waiting on Virginia City Freight and sent me over here to pick up some feed grain.\u00a0 What brings you to Black River?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVisiting my brother,\u201d replied Johannsen. He looked at the wagon with a wistful expression.\u00a0 \u201cSure wish I had thought to bring a wagon rather than coming by horse,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI could use some of that feed myself but I have no way to get it home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be happy to carry your grain with ours,\u201d offered Joe.\u00a0 \u201cYou could pick it up tomorrow morning at the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johannsen looked at the wagon doubtfully.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said, \u201cYour wagon seems pretty full already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother five or ten sacks won\u2019t matter,\u201d Joe assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think you can handle it, I sure would appreciate it,\u201d Johannsen said gratefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, no problem,\u201d replied Joe.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go talk to the freight manager.\u201d<\/p>\n

Half an hour later, Johannsen\u2019s sacks were added to the already full wagon. Joe waved to Johannsen as he climbed onto the wage and headed the team out of the freight yard, concerned that he was already late in starting back.\u00a0 He remembered his father\u2019s warning about getting back on time.\u00a0 About a mile outside of town, he came to the bridge over the river which gave the town its name.\u00a0 Four men were working on the bridge, removing planks and sawing new timber.\u00a0 Joe pulled up the wagon just short of the area.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he yelled to the workmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cFixing the bridge…can\u2019t you tell?\u201d a man in a plaid shirt replied with a hint of disgust.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long will it take?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould be done by tomorrow,\u201d replied the man.<\/p>\n

Joe looked around with concern.\u00a0 The banks were too steep to try and ford the river with a heavy wagon.\u00a0 Without the bridge, he couldn\u2019t get across.\u00a0 Pa would really be mad if he showed up a day late, Joe thought, no matter what the excuse.\u00a0 \u201cIs there any other way to get to Virginia City besides this road?\u201d he shouted to the men.<\/p>\n

The man in the plaid shirt looked up again.\u00a0 \u201cWell, there\u2019s the mountain road over to the west,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt adds a couple miles to the trip but it gets you there. Don\u2019t nobody use it any more…not since this bridge and new road got built.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at the heavily loaded wagon.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t advise you going that way, not with that load.\u00a0 The road\u2019s steep, with lot\u2019s of rocks and holes.\u00a0 You\u2019ll more than likely get stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got no choice,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to get back today.\u00a0 Thanks.\u201d\u00a0 With that, Joe snapped the reins and turned the wagon west.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarn fool,\u201d muttered the plaid-shirted man.\u00a0 He watched the wagon heading west, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to work.<\/p>\n

A few hours later, Joe was still struggling along the mountain road.\u00a0 It was slow going, as the heavily-loaded wagon bounced and swayed over the ruts.\u00a0 This wasn\u2019t the best idea, Joe decided, but there was no going back.\u00a0 Even if he wanted to, there was no place to turn the wagon around.\u00a0 Besides, he was determined to get back to the Ponderosa by nightfall.\u00a0 The wagon came to the crest of a hill and Joe stopped the team.\u00a0 He looked at the steep down-grade, full of rocks and holes, with some concern.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s take it nice and slow,\u201d he said to the horses, then chucked them on.\u00a0 At first, the pace was fine, but as the hill became steeper, the weight of the wagon pushed the team and the horses began to go faster.\u00a0 Joe pulled hard on the reins, but the wagon picked up speed with every foot.\u00a0 Suddenly, the wagon bounced hard as it hit a deep hole in the road.\u00a0 The reins were torn from Joe\u2019s hands as a wheel shattered and the wagon tongue broke.\u00a0 The wagon lurched sideways, throwing Joe from the seat, and driver, grain and wagon tumbled haphazardly down the side of the hill.<\/p>\n

Joe was dimly aware of objects falling around him as he rolled down the hill but could do nothing to stop himself.\u00a0 He finally hit bottom with a thud, then blackness swept over him.<\/p>\n

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

The sun was high in the afternoon sky as Joe gradually – and reluctantly – began to pull himself out of the darkness.\u00a0 He had no idea how long he had been unconscious. His body ached even as he laid still, trying to get his bearings. He was laying in a grassy field, littered with stones and other debris from the mountainside. He began to move his head and arms gingerly, then started to shift his legs.\u00a0 Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his left leg, causing him to cry out.\u00a0 Joe propped himself up on his elbows and looked with some trepidation at his leg.\u00a0 The wagon, still half loaded with sacks, had come to rest on his leg, just below his knee.\u00a0 The lower half of his leg was hidden under the wagon.<\/p>\n

Joe looked up the hill but saw only any empty road.\u00a0 The horses were gone, and an almost eerie stillness confirmed he was alone.<\/p>\n

Knowing it was futile, Joe yelled \u201cHELP\u201d as loud as he could.\u00a0 He yelled again, and a third time, but there was no answer.\u00a0 He reached to his holster, but his hand felt only emptiness.\u00a0 His revolver must have been lost in the fall.<\/p>\n

Well, it\u2019s up to me, he thought.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to get myself out of this mess. Joe braced himself, putting his right leg against the side of the wagon.\u00a0 He took a deep breath, pushed with his right leg, and pulled with left.\u00a0 Suddenly, he screamed in agony.\u00a0 His left leg hadn\u2019t budged, but his effort had sent a wave of pain through it.<\/p>\n

Joe laid back on the ground, breathing hard and trying to control the pain.\u00a0 He was going to have to lift the wagon somehow in order to get his injured limb out from under it.\u00a0 A few inches, he thought, that\u2019s all it will take and I can slide the leg out.\u00a0 He pulled himself up once more and looked around.\u00a0 Sacks of grain were scattered all around.\u00a0 About half the load was still perched precariously in the wagon. Joe grabbed the nearest sack with his right hand and dragged it closer.\u00a0 He pushed it under his head, making a pillow, and laid back.\u00a0 Not the softest thing, he thought, but it\u2019s better than the ground. He closed his eyes, gathering strength for his next effort.<\/p>\n

Turning his head, Joe saw a tree limb poking out of the weeds, just beyond his right leg.\u00a0 It was gnarled and bent, and had the gray color of old wood.\u00a0 He extended his leg, catching the branch just under his heel, and dragged it closer. Twisting awkwardly, he reached for the tree limb with his right hand.\u00a0 He barely got his fingers on it.\u00a0 Joe stretched his arm further, trying to ignore the pain his movements were causing.\u00a0 This time, he got his fingers around the branch and pulled it closer. The effort had cost him, however.\u00a0 He laid back again, as a sudden feeling of weakness washed over him.<\/p>\n

Once more Joe rested, then forced himself into a sitting position. I better try and lighten the wagon, Joe thought, and began reaching for one of the sacks hanging over the edge of the wagon.\u00a0 He pulled hard, and the sack came free.\u00a0 Suddenly, four other sacks came tumbling after it, hitting him in the shoulder. The sacks knocked him back and half buried him. Joe laid there, breathing hard and trying to decide if he had hurt himself again.\u00a0 Nothing seemed to hurt worse than before, although that didn\u2019t mean much.\u00a0 Finally, he pushed the sacks aside.\u00a0 He seemed all in one piece.\u00a0 He looked at the wagon again, and decided against trying to remove any more sacks.\u00a0 The whole thing could come down and crush him.<\/p>\n

Joe moved the branch closer.\u00a0 He shoved one end under the wagon as far as he could, then pulled a grain of sack under the middle of it. He remembered Adam saying something about a lever being able to move the world.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you\u2019re right, Adam,\u201d Joe muttered. He positioned himself so he could put all his weight on the free end of the stick. He took a deep breath, and began pushing the free end down.<\/p>\n

The wagon started to rise, but no more than an quarter inch.\u00a0 Joe pushed harder and, at the same time, tried to move his injured leg.<\/p>\n

The wagon rose a bit more.\u00a0 Suddenly, there was a loud crack.\u00a0 The limb broke and the wagon came crashing down.\u00a0 Joe screamed in pain, and then slid into unconsciousness.<\/p>\n

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

The sun was setting as Ben Cartwright stood in the doorway of the ranch house, looking down the empty road. Ben angrily closed the door and walked to the dining room table where Adam and Hoss were finishing their dinner.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s that brother of yours?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI specifically told him to be back here by suppertime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam looked at each other knowingly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Pa,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cMaybe he ran into some trouble.\u00a0 The wagon could have broke down or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only trouble Joe\u2019s got is he can\u2019t follow orders,\u201d Ben replied angrily.\u00a0 \u201cWhen he is going to learn to be responsible? When is he going to learn to do what he\u2019s told!\u201d\u00a0 Ben walked back to the door. He opened it, and took another look down the empty road.\u00a0 Shaking his head, Ben slammed the door, and walked with quick strides to his desk.\u00a0 He sat down and snapped up the papers he had been working on earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

Hoss glanced at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s sure mad at Little Joe,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d answered Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI hope whatever has made him late was pretty enough to be worth the lecture he\u2019s going to get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss agreed happily.\u00a0 \u201cA lecture and about two weeks of chopping wood and cleaning the barn.\u00a0 You\u2019re right…I hope she was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Night had fallen by the time Joe managed to rouse himself again.\u00a0 He felt much weaker and his mouth was as dry as cotton.\u00a0 He desperately wanted a drink of water.\u00a0 He tried to sit up but this time the effort was too much for him, and he dizzily fell back against the grain sack.<\/p>\n

For sure, nobody will find me before morning, Joe thought, not in the dark along a seldom-used road. His leg throbbed with pain.\u00a0 I wonder how long I can last, he thought in a detached manner.\u00a0 Joe shook his head.\u00a0 Got to keep a clear head, got to think, he said to himself.\u00a0 He pulled some of the grain sacks close to his body, trying to keep the night chill out.\u00a0 \u201cSomebody will find me in the morning,\u201d he whispered. \u201cSomebody will find me.\u201d\u00a0 He said it over and over until at last he fell into a deep sleep.<\/p>\n

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

Ben was fixing a rail on the corral the next morning when Johannsen pulled into the yard in his wagon.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, Ben,\u201d he called cheerfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cSven, it\u2019s good to see you,\u201d Ben answered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat brings you to the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Little Joe didn\u2019t tell you?\u201d Johannsen asked, puzzled. \u201cTen of those grain sacks he brought home belong to me.\u00a0 I promised to pick them up this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe isn\u2019t back from Black River yet,\u201d replied Ben with some heat. \u201cHe\u2019s late again, as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how can that be?\u201d Johannsen said.\u00a0 \u201cI saw him pull out of Black River at mid-morning yesterday.\u00a0 He should have been home by nightfall at the latest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Ben looked worried.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure he left at mid-morning?\u201d he asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 I helped him load my ten sacks of grain on the wagon and then watched him as he headed down the road out of town.\u00a0 You don\u2019t think anything\u2019s happened to him, do you?\u201d Johannsen replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben said with a frown.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019m going to find out.\u201d He walked rapidly to the barn.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, Adam!\u201d he shouted. \u201cSaddle the horses.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to look for Joe.”<\/p>\n

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

The morning sun felt good as Joe woke after a long, cold night.\u00a0 It would be hot later, but for now, it warmed him. His leg hurt even worse, if that was possible, sending tremors of pain through his body. He was feverish, thirsty and tired. With a tremendous effort, Joe pushed aside the sacks he had pulled around him. He was so weak that this small task almost exhausted him. Joe ran his hands over the grass wet with the morning dew.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t much, but the few drops he gathered wet his dry lips. He reached out again with his hands, seeking any moisture he could find.\u00a0 He licked and sucked on his hands, seeking anything that would ease his thirst.\u00a0 He ran his hands over the grass again and again until finally there was no more dew to collect.\u00a0 His mouth still felt dry as a desert.<\/p>\n

Joe lay looking at the wagon that pinned his leg.\u00a0 What a stupid way to die, he thought.\u00a0 Suddenly, with a determined look on his face, Joe sat up and grabbed the broken end of the branch that was laying next to him.\u00a0 He began to dig frantically at the ground near his leg, trying to make a trench underneath it. The ground was hard as rock, and the broken branch wasn\u2019t sharp enough to break through the dirt.\u00a0 Sweat was beading on his face as he kept scratching at the ground with no result. With a grunt of anger, he threw the branch way in disgust.<\/p>\n

Joe crumpled back to the ground, breathing hard. \u201cSomebody will come,\u201d he said softly, as he closed his eyes to rest.<\/p>\n

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

Ben, Adam and Hoss arrived in Black River before noon. They immediately split up, with Adam and Hoss checking the hotel and stable as Ben went to the freight yard. He found the freight manager checking on a load of incoming goods.\u00a0 Ben explained the reason for his visit.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I remember him,\u201d the freight manager said after hearing Ben\u2019s description of Joe. \u201cHe left here yesterday morning with a wagon load of feed grain.\u00a0 In fact, the wagon was over-loaded but he said he could handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure he headed toward the Virginia City road?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, watched him until he was out of town,\u201d the freight manager replied.<\/p>\n

Ben thanked the man with a distracted air, and headed toward the saloon to meet Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 His sons were already at the bar when he walked in.\u00a0 \u201cAny luck, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked hopefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, the freight manager said he left yesterday, just as Johannsen said,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got the same story,\u201d added Adam. \u201cThe hotel clerk and stableman said he stayed the one night and left in the morning.\u00a0 We asked all over town, but nobody\u2019s seen him since yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere could he be?\u201d Ben said anxiously. \u201cIf his wagon had broken down, we would have passed him on the road.\u00a0 A man and a wagon load of grain can\u2019t simply disappear!\u201d\u00a0 The three looked at each other glumly, each trying to think of something else to do.\u00a0 Suddenly, a man in a plaid shirt walked up to the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou the fellows looking for a kid with a wagon load of grain?\u201d he inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, my son…he was due home yesterday and hasn\u2019t arrived,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cNo one seems to know where he went. Do you know where he is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas he wearing a green jacket and his gun on the left side?\u201d the stranger asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s him.\u00a0 Do you know where he is?\u201d repeated Ben.<\/p>\n

The stranger rubbed his chin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I can\u2019t say for sure where he is, but the boy drove up when we was fixing the bridge yesterday.\u00a0 He said he couldn\u2019t wait until the bridge was finished, that he had to get home.\u00a0 He asked if there was any other road to Virginia City.\u00a0 I told him about the old mountain road to the west.\u00a0 I also told him that it was a bad idea to try a take a heavy load over that road.\u00a0 But he was determined to try.\u00a0 Last I saw, he was headed in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe old mountain road…are you sure?\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 The stranger nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben said gratefully, then turned to Hoss and Adam.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, boys.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three walked quickly out of the bar, and climbed on their horses. With Ben in the lead, they turned to the west and rode out of town at a gallop.<\/p>\n

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

Joe knew he couldn\u2019t hold on much longer.\u00a0 He desperately tried to think of something, anything to free himself.\u00a0 The pain in his leg was getting worse, and he needed water.\u00a0 As his fever went higher, he began to imagine impossible methods of escape… everything from burning the wagon to tearing it apart piece by piece. In the back of his mind, Joe knew none of these would work but as long as he could plan and scheme, he felt there was still hope.<\/p>\n

By mid-afternoon, Joe knew the hope was gone.\u00a0 He simply couldn\u2019t stand the pain and thirst any longer.\u00a0 His head ached with fever, and his body had no strength left.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, God,\u201d he prayed.\u00a0 \u201cPlease help me.\u00a0 Please send someone to help me.\u201d\u00a0 He closed his eyes and slowly began to drift away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, don\u2019t go!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was startled to hear a voice.\u00a0 He opened his eyes, and turned his head to the right.\u00a0 Standing a few feet away was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.\u00a0 She was dressed in pale blue, with a matching hat.\u00a0 Her hair was yellow, the color of cornsilk, and her eyes as blue as the sky.<\/p>\n

Joe reached his hand toward her.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me!\u201d he croaked. \u201cPlease help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman looked at him and said gently, \u201cWhat would you have me do?\u00a0 I can\u2019t lift the wagon, and I don\u2019t have any water to give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, go for help,\u201d Joe begged.\u00a0 \u201cBring somebody to get this wagon off me\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Joe, help is on the way.\u00a0 You only have to wait a bit longer,\u201d the woman said.<\/p>\n

Joe stared at her.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know my name?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know all about you, Joe.\u00a0 Your mother told me all about you,\u201d she answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother?\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Suzanne, and your mother and I went to school together in New Orleans.\u00a0 She wrote me on the day you were born, telling me how proud she was and how much she loved you.\u00a0 Later, she told me how strong and brave you are. I always told her I would help look after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head in disbelief.\u00a0 His mother had died when he was a baby.\u00a0 This woman looked no older than 25 or 30.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t have gone to school with his mother.\u00a0 Besides, he was so little when she died.\u00a0 How could she tell someone about him being strong and brave?<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Joe was very, very tired.\u00a0 He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, don\u2019t go,\u201d the woman said again.\u00a0 \u201cYou must wait here for your father and brothers.\u00a0 It will only be a little while longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe opened his eyes slowly.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know they\u2019ll be here soon?\u201d he asked weakly.<\/p>\n

The woman looked at him and said, \u201cDon\u2019t you know that they are concerned about you?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you know they are looking for you?\u00a0 All you have to do is wait awhile longer and you\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 It\u2019s too soon for you to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cNone of this makes sense to me.\u00a0 I can\u2019t go anywhere…I\u2019m pinned under the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust wait,\u201d the woman said, \u201cJust wait\u201d.<\/p>\n

Joe stared at the woman in the blue dress with a confused expression. None of this made any sense.\u00a0 But at least somebody\u2019s here, he decided, and she did say help was on the way. The woman smiled at him with a knowing look.<\/p>\n

His eyelids suddenly felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t keep them open any longer.\u00a0 As he drifted off to sleep, he murmured, \u201cI\u2019ll wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben, Adam and Hoss were riding rapidly along the mountain road, looking for any sign of Joe.\u00a0 As they came to the crest of the hill, Adam pulled up suddenly and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cThere he is!\u201d he shouted, gesturing at the wrecked wagon at the bottom of the hillside.\u00a0 The three men spurred their horses to the wreck.<\/p>\n

Ben jumped off his horse as he spotted Joe laying among the sacks of grain that were strewn about. He glanced at the wagon and saw Joe\u2019s leg pinned underneath.\u00a0 He ran to his son and knelt at his side.\u00a0 He felt for a pulse and sighed in relief as he felt a weak throb in Joe\u2019s wrist.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s alive,\u201d Ben called to Adam and Hoss who were coming up behind him.\u00a0 \u201cBring me some water quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss handed Ben a canteen as Ben gently cradled Joe\u2019s head in his arms. He poured a small amount of water over Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 Joe moaned softly and slowly opened his eyes.\u00a0 Ben forced some water into Joe\u2019s mouth as he murmured, \u201cIt\u2019s going to be all right, Joseph.\u00a0 It\u2019s going to be all right\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe asked weakly. He blinked and looked up at his father. \u201cShe said you would come,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho said I would come?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lady in blue…she kept telling me to wait because you were coming,\u201d Joe explained in a soft voice.\u00a0 He turned his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is she?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cShe was right here a minute ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss looked at each other with a frown.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s he talking about, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Ben put his hand gently on Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s burning up with fever. He must be out of his head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Joe stiffened and grimaced with pain.\u00a0 Ben turned toward the wagon and then back to Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get this thing off him,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 The other two men nodded.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss moved to the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cGet ready to pull him out,\u201d Adam instructed his father.\u00a0 Ben shifted and grabbed Joe under the arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady?\u201d Hoss asked as the two men positioned their shoulders on the side of the wagon.\u00a0 Adam nodded.\u00a0 They both pushed on the wagon with all the strength they had.\u00a0 The wagon lifted slowly off the ground.\u00a0 They pushed harder, and suddenly, the wagon about six inches above Joe\u2019s leg.\u00a0 Ben pulled Joe back toward him, as his youngest son cried out in pain.\u00a0 Ben pulled again, and Joe was free.<\/p>\n

Joe fainted into his father\u2019s arms as Adam and Hoss dropped the wagon with a crash.\u00a0 Adam rush forward and began feeling Joe\u2019s injured leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it broken?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 His leg is swollen but I can feel the broken bone under the skin,\u201d replied Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, you begin making a travois and tie it to my horse.\u00a0 Adam, see if you can find something we can use as a temporary splint,\u201d Ben commanded.\u00a0 Both men nodded and went to work.\u00a0 Ben turned toward Joe again.\u00a0 He slowly forced a tickle of water through his son\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

Joe opened his eyes again.\u00a0 \u201cShe said you\u2019d come,\u201d he repeated. \u201cShe said you\u2019d come.\u201d\u00a0 Then Joe\u2019s head slumped back against his father\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

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

It was late evening as Dr. Martin made one last check of Joe\u2019s pulse.\u00a0 Joe was asleep in his bed at the Ponderosa. He was pale, and his leg, heavily bandaged and splinted, was poking through the covers. Ben, Adam and Hoss hovered around anxiously.\u00a0 Dr. Martin straightened up and turned to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThat pain-killer I gave him will keep him asleep until morning, Ben.\u00a0 After that, just keep him quiet and give him plenty of liquids.\u00a0 It will be several weeks before he\u2019ll be able to get out of bed, but the leg should heal fine.\u201d\u00a0 Ben nodded with relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good thing you found him when you did,\u201d the doctor continued.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure he would have lasted much longer out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, doc, people don\u2019t die from a broken leg,\u201d Hoss protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but they can die from\u00a0 shock, exposure, lack of water, even pain.\u00a0 Put them all together and it\u2019s a pretty deadly combination,\u201d answered Dr. Martin.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked at his sleeping brother again, more worried than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d the doctor reassured them again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll check on him again tomorrow\u201d.<\/p>\n

The days passed slowly for Joe as he regained his strength and his leg began to heal.\u00a0 About a week after the accident, he was sitting up in bed, reading a book as he finished the last sandwich on the tray on his lap.\u00a0 Ben knocked softly on the door and walked in.\u00a0 Joe looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing sent me up to get your lunch dishes,\u201d Ben said with a smile as he walked over to the bed.\u00a0 \u201cFinished?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust about,\u201d Joe replied as he chewed the last bit of his meal.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced at the book in his son\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you reading?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam gave this to me.\u00a0 It\u2019s all about Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans,\u201d Joe answered. \u201cI sure wish I could have seen that old pirate in action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother saw him once,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI remember her telling me how she and her friend Suzanne climbed a tree in the courtyard of their convent school when Lafitte was marching through town in a parade. She told me he was an impressive figure, riding a white horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at his father with a puzzled expression.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d inquired Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing, really,\u201d replied Joe. \u201cIt\u2019s just that I had the craziest dream when I was stuck under that wagon.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think I could hold on much longer and I was ready to give up.\u00a0 Suddenly, this women in a blue dress appeared out of nowhere.\u00a0 She kept telling me you were coming and that I had to wait for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said \u201cYou kept saying it over and over when we found you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut here\u2019s the strange part,\u201d Joe went on.\u00a0 \u201cThe woman told me her name was Suzanne and that she had gone to school with my mother.\u00a0 She said my mother told her all about me and she had promised to look after me. I wonder what deep dark memory that came from?\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it was Ben\u2019s turn to stare.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand it either,\u201d Ben said. \u201cWhen you were born, your mother wrote to her friend Suzanne but the letter was returned unopened.\u00a0 Suzanne had been killed in a carriage accident before the letter arrived in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe and Ben looked at each other.\u00a0 Finally, Ben shrugged his shoulders. \u201cPeople have strange dreams sometimes when they\u2019re sick, Joe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess so,\u201d Joe agreed.\u00a0 Suddenly, he yawned, and blinked his eyes with fatigue.<\/p>\n

Ben picked up the lunch tray. \u201cYou get some rest,\u201d he advised. Joe nodded, put the book aside, and slid down under the covers.\u00a0 Ben paused at the door and glanced back at his son.\u00a0 Joe was already falling asleep.\u00a0 Ben watched him for a moment then left the room.\u00a0 He walked\u00a0 down the stairs to the living room and put the tray on the table.\u00a0 Ben looked around slowly, then walked over to his desk.\u00a0 On the desk was a picture of Joe\u2019s mother in a gilt frame.\u00a0 Ben picked up the picture and looked at it for a long time.\u00a0 Then he said softly, \u201cThank you, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He put the picture back on the desk and walked away.<\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 Taking an alternate route home with a wagon full of grain places Joe’s life in danger.\u00a0 While waiting to be rescued he encounters a lovely lady.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0\u00a0 (5,100 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10338,"featured_media":14900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,41,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","category-halloween","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-29-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Blue.jpg?fit=236%2C312&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14007","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=14007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}