{"id":14141,"date":"2001-03-03T08:34:58","date_gmt":"2001-03-03T13:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14141"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:04:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:04:36","slug":"a-shot-in-the-dark-by-krystyna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14141","title":{"rendered":"A Shot in the Dark (by Krystyna)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Summary<\/strong>: The question the Jury wanted answered was who shot Judd Clancy? It was a question to which the Cartwrights also required an answer as one of their own faced the charge of murder.<\/p>\n<p>Rating: \u00a0G \u00a0(3,320 words)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>A Shot in the Dark<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Joseph Cartwright gripped the arms of the chair until the knuckles showed white. Other than that there was no outward sign of nervousness. His eyes flicked over to look at his father who was sitting on the front row and looked mighty stern, but straight backed and proud. Hoss was looking thoughtful, a slight crease in his brow indicating that his mind was concentrated on the matter on hand. When Joe\u2019s eyes met those of his brother, Adam, they held fast for a fraction of a second and were released when Adam gave a brief nod of acknowledgement.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The air was stiflingly hot and oppressive within the confines of the Court room. Despite the open windows little air drifted in to cool the packed room. Women were waving pieces of paper, fans and anything else they could use to cool themselves while the men wiped their brows on the back of the sleeves, with handkerchiefs or just perspired freely. Along with the heat was the stale smell of too many bodies packed into too small a space.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It seemed that no one wanted to miss out on this particular trial. At the back people were standing, or rather lounging against the wall. The heat was taking its toll on those who had arrived too late for a seat. The men who had offered their seats to the women were now bitterly regretting their chivalry. Roy Coffee sat at the end of the row at the back, his spectacles glinting as he stared straight ahead of him at the Judge.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJoseph Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemember that you are under oath.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The little man representing the widow of the deceased stared at the young man. Clayton Winters was mean minded and had a mind like a ferret. He was short in stature and had developed an oversized ego to make up for it. His eyes, too closely set together, and the small thin lipped mouth made men feel uncomfortable. One look at him and the hair on the back of ones neck stood on end. Somehow one just knew that there was no tender hearted lawyer here, just a man out for quick bucks and a good performance before the jury. He won most of his cases.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He was intensely disliked despite having more clients on his books than any other lawyer in town. He got results and that was what mattered. Feeling uncomfortable when in his presence was just something one had to adjust to if you wanted a lawyer with the winning touch.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemember that you are under oath. Please tell the Jury what occurred on the evening of June 12th.\u201d Winter\u2019s thin lips slipped over his teeth in a grimace, his eyes were small and narrow and made the young mans heart quiver.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Joe frowned; he inhaled deeply and began to speak. His eyes glanced to his father, his brothers as his clear voice trembled on the air around the courtroom. He forced his mind back to the events of that night, events that had propelled them into this present situation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell,\u201d he licked his lips, \u201cI was in the saloon, there was a single shot from outside. I ran out along with some other men and found Judd Clancy dead. He had been shot in the back. It was dark but we could see his body there in the light that came from the door.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease go on, Mr. Cartwright, we are all very interested in what you have to tell us\u201d the lawyers voice was silky smooth, clear and sharp, the words rang through the court room. Perhaps Ben was the only man present who detected a slight tremor of excitement, euphoria in the words.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more to tell really,\u201d Joseph replied, looking thoughtfully over at his father, \u201cI think -\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are not here to think, Mr. Cartwright. You\u2019re here to give us your clear testimony to events that led up to the murder of Judd Clancy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Joseph said nothing, he realised that rash words spoken in anger would do nothing beneficial. He swallowed, \u201cI saw someone standing beside Judd. He had a gun in his hand and was looking down at the dead body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that man in court today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you please point to him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Joseph instinctively clasped his hands together as though he could not possibly allow them to do the Judas thing and point out the man that Winters demanded be identified. He glanced once again at his father who gave a slight nod of the head. Slowly Joe raised his hand and pointed to the man seated only yards from him.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease note that Mr. Joseph Cartwright has identified Mr. Adam Cartwright as the murderer of Judd Clancy\u201d Winters voice intoned.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNO!\u201d Joe rose to his feet in protest. A ripple of voices trickled around the court room. This is what they had come to see. This is what they wanted to know all about. Adam Cartwright. Murderer. Joe shook his head, \u201cNo, that\u2019s not true. I pointed to Adam as the man standing beside Judd, not his murderer. He didn\u2019t murder Judd.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObjection-\u201dJefferson Murphy yelled, \u201cObjection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Jefferson Murphy was a middle aged ponderous man. He was sweating profusely and his eyes bulged in a fat face. He was the exact opposite of Winters and many wondered as to why exactly the Cartwrights had hired him for the defence of one of their own. He mopped his face with a limp handkerchief, and glared at Winters who shuffled some papers in his hand without any sign of concern.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObjection sustained. Mr. Winters, please rephrase your statement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe, Mr. Cartwright, that you said the man standing by the side of Mr. Clancy had a gun in his hand?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo he did too, but that did not mean he shot Judd. There was only a single shot fired. The one that killed Judd. The sheriff \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe sheriff will have his own chance to speak. We all know how friendly Mr. Coffee is with you Cartwright boys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There was a ripple of voices in the courtroom at that statement. Jefferson was on his feet shouting \u2018Objection\u2019 at the top of his voice and the Judge thumped down the gavel and advised Winters to refrain from making such statements. A woman\u2019s voice was heard to say \u2018Shame on you\u2019 and there was a titter of laughter because no one knew whether she was speaking on behalf of Roy or against the Judge\u2019s ruling. Ben straightened his back and shook his head, while in his seat at the back Roy tightened his lips and wondered how he could run the runt of a lawyer out of town &#8211; legally &#8211; so that he would never come back.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Adam Cartwright twitched a shoulder and stared at the picture above the Judge\u2019s head. Ben, casting a glace at his son, wondered if he were as calm inside as he appeared to be on the outside.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Cartwright -\u201d Winters said once order had been resumed, \u201cIsn\u2019t it true that there had been a fight in the saloon between your brother and the deceased only hours before the shooting?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA fight?\u201d Joe looked surprised, grimaced slightly and shook his head, \u201cNo. I don\u2019t think you could call it a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally? Several witnesses swear to there having been a fight. So what would you call it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was just &#8211; well &#8211; just a bit of push and shove. Judd was drunk and Adam advised him to stop drinking and go for a walk. Judd threw a punch, Adam ducked but caught the next one so he thumped Judd back. Then that was it really.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t it true you had to step in between them and break the fight up?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho? Me?\u201d Joe\u2019s voice rose a pitch, his eyebrows rose in surprise, \u201cSeparate old Judd and Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There was another ripple of laughter that ended almost as quickly as it had begun. Mrs. Clancy snivelled and wiped her eyes and wished she were back home cooking lunch for the children rather than here in a court room fast becoming more like a steam house every minute.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was the real reason for the fight, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d Winters continued, pressing the point with his sharp little eyes gleaming \u201cWas it sufficient grounds for a killing later on?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, it wasn\u2019t. I told you already the reason for it so don\u2019t try making something more of it than necessary, Mister, just to -\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Cartwright? If you don\u2019t mind, arguing won\u2019t achieve anything.\u201d Winters spread out his hands in appeal, and Joe bit his bottom lip as though he had said something close to perjury. \u201cLet\u2019s go back to this matter of the gun. You say that there was no shot fired from the gun, but your brother had it in his hand, and there was a bullet missing from the chamber. Isn\u2019t that so?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure there was a bullet missing, but it hadn\u2019t been fired for a while, not during the time that shot was fired any rate.\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNevertheless, there was one shot fired, and one bullet missing.\u201d Winters said with a shrug of the shoulders and a look at the Jury that implied \u2018Draw your own conclusions from that if you will.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Joe said nothing but glanced at Adam who was now observing his boots. When Winters dismissed him Joe slowly left his chair, his mind going over and over his answers, searching for the ones that may have left his brother in more danger than ever. Winters now called Hoss to the stand.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hoss put down his hat and got to his feet. He ran his fingers through his hair and then strode over to the stand. He confirmed his name and took the oath before sitting down. His blue eyes turned to his brother, Adam, who gave him a brief nod and smile.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Cartwright, let\u2019s cut right to the heart of the matter, shall we?\u201d Winters said silkily, \u201cTell us about this fight between Judd and your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat fight? That weren\u2019t no fight. Shucks, all that happened was Judd got drunk &#8211; \u2018scuse me saying so, Mrs. Clancy, but that\u2019s a fact -\u201d he looked regretfully at Mrs. Clancy who was wiping her eyes again, \u201cJudd was a big man, bigger\u2019n me even, but he couldn\u2019t take his drink. Adam told him to go and take a walk to cool down, but Judd lost his temper and took a swing at Adam, but then the next time he got Adam a real belter so Adam punched him back and I stepped in before Judd could take Adam apart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo? You don\u2019t call that a fight?\u201d Winters rolled his eyes theatrically.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShucks no, that was jest a itty bitty scrap. Judd just gets drunk and then cools down pretty quick. The best thing is to stop it going too far before he starts really tearing things to pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich you succeeded in doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuess so, \u2018cos he got his hat and walked out. We just got on with what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow long after the fight was it before Mr. Clancy was shot?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn hour perhaps. Adam got up and went out, there was a shot and Judd was killed.\u201d again Hoss glanced over at Mrs. Clancy, feeling uncomfortable about having to talk about her husband in her presence in such a situation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you see what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShucks no, I was in the necessary when the shot was fired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A titter of laughter rippled through the court room. At the back the doors opened and a deputy entered the room and walked quietly to Roy\u2019s side. After a brief whispered conversation Roy got to his feet and followed the deputy out of the court room. As the doors closed a waft of cool air drifted over the assembly. No one but the persons immediately seated by Roy were aware of his leaving.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you brother talk to you about the shooting?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said he didn\u2019t shoot Judd.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the bullet that killed Mr. Clancy came from a gun like his, the same calibre, and a bullet was missing from his gun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDang it, Mister, I got a gun the same as his, and so has a whole passel of folk in town. You going to arrest everyone jest because of that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne shot, one missing bullet &#8211; I ask you -\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, Mister, ain\u2019t no point in you asking me nothing else, because if my brother said he didn\u2019t shoot Judd then he didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite the evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll stand by what my brother says against any danged evidence you\u2019re likely to come up with, Mister.\u201d Hoss retorted angrily.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Winters stepped back and looked at the Judge who seemed unaware of any provocation or that the witness was turning \u2018hostile\u2019. Ben sighed and chewed on his bottom lip and Joe slumped lower in his seat. Adam was frowning but appeared to be more interested in a scrap of paper he was turning round and round between his fingers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny questions for the witness, Mr. Murphy?\u201d the Judge asked when he suddenly realised that Winters was not going to pursue the matter further with Hoss.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Murphy wiped his face from perspiration and walked towards Hoss. The younger man stopped giving Winters a cold blue glare and turned his attention to the lawyer,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis fight &#8211; you say it wasn\u2019t really a fight, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShucks, it weren\u2019t nothing like a fight. Judd just wanted to make a point, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd there was no other reason behind it? No bad falling out between your brother and Judd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNope. Judd would just punch whoever\u2019s standing next to him to let \u2018em know he wasn\u2019t going quietly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo there jest ain\u2019t no reason whatsoever for your brother to have shot Judd, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Winters is mighty concerned about this missing bullet, Hoss. You got any idea what your brother last shot at and when?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hoss frowned, wondering if it had been a trick question and he had given the wrong answer. He glanced anxiously at his father but Ben was deep in thought at the time and didn\u2019t notice the unspoken appeal.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo more questions.\u201d Jefferson said and lumbered back to his seat.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCall Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There was a palpable silence. Everyone craned their necks forward to catch a glimpse of this would be murderer. Adam stood up, twitched his shoulders slightly and walked to the stand where he was sworn in. He took his seat and watched as Winters approached him,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell us, Mr. Cartwright, what took place in the saloon the night Judd Clancy was murdered?\u201d Winters asked, trying to add a few inches to his height but failing miserably.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Clancy gave a sob and blew her nose. There was a murmur of sympathy for her but then the silence as Adam began to speak. His deep voice resonated through the room,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t add to what has already been said.\u201d he replied (no \u2018sir\u2019 from this young man, he was innocent and no thin lipped miserable looking speciman of a lawyer was going to get a sir out of him.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut please try.\u201d came the sarcastic response.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was in the Bucket of Blood and had just finished a game of cards. It was hot and I thought it was time for us to make the journey home. I went to the door. A shaft of light from the saloon was cast upon the boardwalk. There was a single shot. I caught the glimpse of the flash from a gun and took my own gun out to fire back when I realised there was a body at my feet. I looked down and saw it was Judd. He had been shot in the back. I stood up to go in pursuit of the gun man but then a crowd of men came out of the saloon and prevented me from doing so.\u201d he frowned as though such actions still frustrated him.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was the usual hollering and shouting going on. Someone took my gun, and someone else decided I had killed Judd and pinned my arms behind my back. Roy came and asked what had happened, he took my gun and verified that it had not been fired recently.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it had been fired?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot recently, not during the time period of the murder. As has already been stated there was just a single shot, Judd was dead, my gun unfired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know what I think, Mr. Cartwright? I think that you are telling us one big fat lie. The fight you had with Mr. Clancy earlier that evening \u2026 why don\u2019t you tell us what the real reason of the fight was all about?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Adam sighed and looked down at his boots, then with a quizzical look on his face he looked up at the lawyer,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you tell us what you think was the reason, Mr. Winters. You\u2019ve had several explanations so far and don\u2019t seem too happy to accept them. Perhaps you have reasons of your own for not doing so, perhaps we should all like to know them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Cartwright, you\u2019re the one accused of murder, not I. So why don\u2019t you just refrain from the smart remarks and tell us what really happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Adam scratched the side of his nose and pursed his lips,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe that Judd was coming back to the saloon to apologise for the fight. He was not a hot tempered man as a rule and once he had cooled down would always apologise. I believe that there was a gunman waiting to shoot someone. It was a dark night. When I opened the door the light illuminated whoever was there &#8211; in this instance it was me. The bullet that was fired was meant for me, not Judd. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what makes you think you were meant to be the victim of this gun man?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause a few days earlier I had received a cable from the Governor of Yuma Territorial Prison to warn me that Bill Enders had escaped and was on his way to Virginia City to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There was a gasp from the assembled people. Winters went pale, then red. He narrowed his eyes<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI find that story rather far fetched,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes the truth can be like that,\u201d Adam said slowly, \u201cBut I believe that Judd died in place of me. He saved my life, unknowingly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Judge looked at Adam and nodded. He looked at the lawyer and was about to speak when the big doors at the back were opened. Heads turned as Roy entered followed by Mary Enders, several deputies and a hand cuffed man.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheriff?\u201d the Judge inclined his head towards Roy by way of a request for an explanation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Roy walked to the stand and turned to face the townsfolk. He took off his hat and cleared his throat,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf an hour ago Bill Enders was arrested for the murder of Judd Clancy. He was hoping to see Adam hanged for the murder before he left here with his wife, Mary. Thankfully she saw reason and pleaded with him to surrender himself which he has done so now, although not willingly. Adam Cartwright didn\u2019t kill Judd. The bullet was meant for him, and Judd just happened to be in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ben was first on his feet, striding over to his son and closely followed by Hoss and Joe. Judd Clancy\u2019s widow continued to sob into her handkerchief. The ordeal was over but for Bill Enders it had just begun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The End<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tags:<\/strong> Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Trial<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_14141\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"14141\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif?resize=16%2C16&#038;ssl=1\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: The question the Jury wanted answered was who shot Judd Clancy? It was a question to which the Cartwrights also required an answer as one of their own faced the charge of murder.<\/p>\n<p>Rating: \u00a0G \u00a0(3,320 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":14045,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-whn","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-13-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2284,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ETG-14.jpg?fit=687%2C544&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6298,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6298","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":0},"title":"I&#8217;ll Protect You (by CwrightGirl)","author":"Cwright Girl","date":"May 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A WHIB for \"My Brother's Keeper\". Adam's POV. This is a rewrite of the scene where Joe is deliriously calling out to Adam when Joe has a fever. In this version, Adam tries to calm Joe down. There is no Shelia in the version. A look at brotherly love.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Drama&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/brotherskeeper2.jpg?fit=452%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6742,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6742","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":1},"title":"Grazed (by Jayne)","author":"Jayne","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0When Adam finds a slightly injured Joe, they share a strangely special moment. \u00a0A Young Cartwright short story. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a0767","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam \/ Joe&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12865,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12865","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":2},"title":"The Price of Courage (by Gwynne)","author":"Gwynne &amp; JennyG","date":"January 7, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The following script was submitted to Bonanza in early 1963 by a kind agent willing to take on an unsold writer.\u00a0 The script was rejected as \u2018well done, but too expensive in production.\u201d Let\u2019s call it PG13. \u00a0(19,427 words)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Alternate Universe&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/four-Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":36485,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36485","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":3},"title":"A Rose for Mama (by AC1830)","author":"AC1830","date":"April 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Adam and Hoss have a surprise for Marie Rating - K, Word Count - 748","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam \/ Hoss&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Hoss","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1090"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/A-Rose-for-Mama.png?fit=419%2C314&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13623,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13623","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":4},"title":"The Prisoner (by gaerwn)","author":"gaerwn","date":"January 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: In an effort to keep Paul Martin alive and well, the Cartwrights have to match wits with someone whose reality is a very dark place indeed. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (18,800 words)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Drama&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-3.jpg?fit=272%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5550,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5550","url_meta":{"origin":14141,"position":5},"title":"Held (by gaerwn)","author":"gaerwn","date":"May 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe makes a promise. Rated:\u00a0K+ (2,375 words)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam \/ Joe&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Friendship-4.jpg?fit=500%2C373&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14141","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\/145"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}