{"id":14149,"date":"2017-04-16T18:43:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T22:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14149"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:41:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:41:13","slug":"in-the-darkness-as-in-the-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14149","title":{"rendered":"In the Darkness As In the Light (by McFair_58)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>A burned out stagecoach lies on its side, the victim of an Indian raid. There’s a name on the coach manifest that makes Joe Cartwright’s heart stand still. Can it be that Elizabeth Carnaby is dead? And, as the man who robbed the coach seeks personal vengeance against Ben Cartwright’s youngest son \u2013 can Joe himself survive?<\/p>\n

Rated M. \u00a0The story is probably a PG-13 one, but for safety sake – and for the sake of one heavy duty romantic\u00a0scene – I am calling it ‘M’. \u00a0Contained in that PG-13 rating would be western brutality and violence, and torture.\u00a0 (101,760 words)<\/p>\n

Loaded with SJS, JPMs, JAMs,Summary:\u00a0 Romance, Action, Drama and just about everything including the kitchen handpump.<\/p>\n

Wet Bottom, Warm Heart Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wet Bottom, Warm Heart<\/a>
\nSunshine With a Little Hurricane<\/a>
\nIn the Light as in the Darkness
\n<\/a>Doubt that the Stars are Fire<\/a>
\nAn Unspeakable Dawn<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Light as in the Darkness<\/strong><\/p>\n

PROLOGUE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was a sound.<\/p>\n

A single match struck, followed by a flash of light.<\/p>\n

Then, near darkness.<\/p>\n

Then, light again as the man who held the match removed a glass chimney and touched it to the wick of the single oil lamp on the only table in the stolen room he occupied that was spare as his soul.<\/p>\n

As the pure white wick caught \u2013 curling twisting, blackening like skin on a spit \u2013 something kindled in the man\u2019s piercing eyes; something akin to the delight a demon felt when gazing upon a soul it had brought to damnation.<\/p>\n

For a moment the dark-haired man stood there, breathing in brimstone and relishing the taste and touch of it in his lungs.\u00a0 Then he slowly turned the thumbwheel, raising the wick and the light in the room to a point where he could read the newspaper he held in his hand.\u00a0 Kicking the table\u2019s single chair back with a mud-caked boot, he thrust the tails of his threadbare, well-worn, and much relied upon steel-gray long coat behind him and adjusted his low-slung gun on his hip before sitting down.\u00a0 The paper was a month old, but that didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 The article in the social column on page ten of its second section, right next to the notices of the entire sorry<\/em> scope of life \u2013 births, engagements, and deaths \u2013\u00a0 referred to an event six weeks away.\u00a0 That meant he had near two left to do what needed done.<\/p>\n

Two.<\/p>\n

His filthy fingers left their own sign as the man turned the paper over and over until the article was on top,\u00a0 folding it like a tall man dropped with a bullet to the brain.\u00a0 With a frown and a grimace he read it again and then released the paper, letting it waft to the battle-scarred surface of the table.<\/p>\n

With a shake of his head, he snorted, \u201cIdiots.\u00a0 Oughta be shot at sunrise, every one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s pale gray eyes returned to the newspaper where they lingered on a name \u2013 her<\/em> name.\u00a0 Then, \u00a0imperceptible to any but himself, they lost their hard edge as his scarred finger reached out to trace the letters.<\/p>\n

A.U.R.O.R.A.<\/p>\n

Well, maybe not that one.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse blew out a sigh as he kicked back in the chair.\u00a0 Five years had passed since he\u2019d left his sister Rory behind in Virginia City.\u00a0 Five years of bein\u2019 on the run, eatin\u2019 mud and drinkin\u2019 tequila in one stinkin\u2019 Mexican watering hole after another and managing to stay just one step ahead of the law.\u00a0 Weren\u2019t many banks to rob in good Ol\u2019 Meh-he-co<\/em>, but there were plenty of fat Patrons with fatter money belts and little or no brains.\u00a0 He\u2019d made a decent enough livin\u2019, fleecin\u2019 them like their over-stuffed sheep and stringin\u2019 their naked carcasses up to dry.\u00a0 Fleet snorted, picked at his teeth, and spit.<\/p>\n

Hell, the law should have thanked him.\u00a0 He\u2019d left a line of their lily-white asses danglin\u2019 clean across the border should have kept any Gringo out.<\/p>\n

Glancing again at the ragged and oft-read newspaper laying on the table, he leaned over and placed his hand on it.\u00a0 Using one dirt-caked fingernail, he ran it under every line, reading the information it contained there one last time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have it on the best authority that a certain young woman, who is just recently returned to Virginia City after a five year bereavement, has come into a glorious fortune.\u00a0 The woman \u2013 whom we shall name at the end of this article \u2013 who was forced to abandon the home she loved for the irreconcilable loneliness it brought her following the death of her beloved husband, Matthew, had only recently returned to this fair city a new bride when she was contacted by a California attorney with the most disturbing but eventful news.<\/p>\n

Unbeknownst to this young woman, who lost all of her family to the horror and utter degradation of an Indian raid when but a tender child, her late father had a distant uncle living in South Africa. The uncle, being an unfortunate man without children of his own, upon his death bequeathed the whole of his fortune \u2013 which rumor says runs in the tens of thousands of dollars \u2013 to the children of his beloved younger brother.\u00a0 Due to the savage nature of the attack upon the young woman\u2019s childhood home, there being nothing but a cinder left, she was cast upon the world alone and without succor.\u00a0 While this reporter knows that this gentle young woman was stricken to the heart to find out her last remaining relative had gone to a musty grave, there must have been a small spot of joy when the letter arrived informing her that, due her being the only member of the Rowse family still living, she was now a woman of some means.<\/p>\n

And who is this young woman you ask?\u00a0 While the name is being withheld until the matter is settled, our intrepid reporters have done their work and discovered it is none other than Virginia City\u2019s own Aurora Clark, late Guthrie!\u00a0 And we have it \u2013 again on the best authority \u2013 that Mrs. Clark will soon be taking the stage to San Francisco to meet with her late uncle\u2019s lawyer, with the intent of returning sometime during the first weeks of November.\u00a0 Once back in the bosom of those who love her, she will proceed to a local financial establishment located somewhere between that gallant city and our own in order to deposit the money which is, for a person of her fair sex, far too great a burden to bear for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

As\u00a0 Fleet finished, he stood.\u00a0 The busybody of a reporter had gotten everything wrong about his and Rory\u2019s past, but had done a damn good<\/em> job of predicting their future. \u00a0The outlaw reached for the lamp\u2019s thumbwheel and rolled it again, turning\u00a0 the wick so high a dark column of smoke spiraled up into the air like a portent of doom.\u00a0 A second later he backhanded the lamp, spilling its contents over the newspaper and the powder-dry table beneath.\u00a0 He watched with satisfaction as both burst into flame and then crossed to the door and stepped out into the night even as cries of \u2018fire!<\/em>\u2019 filled the air of the sleepy Mexican village he was leaving behind.<\/p>\n

It if he traveled fast and light, Virginia City was less than a week away.\u00a0 So was his sister.<\/p>\n

So was the money.<\/p>\n

As eldest, that fortune was his.<\/em><\/p>\n

Fleet laughed and spit again as he turned to watch the cheap hostel where he had rented a room go up in flames.<\/p>\n

He was gonna have one hell of a time relieving his sister of her burden<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PART ONE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ONE<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re youngest brother is going to do WHAT?\u00a0 Without my PERMISSION?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam winced.\u00a0 He\u2019d known it was coming.\u00a0 Thought he\u2019d prepared himself.<\/p>\n

He was wrong.<\/p>\n

The sound wave from Pa\u2019s shout probably rang the steeple bells in Reno.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Pa,\u201d Adam began calmly, \u201cJoe turned twenty-four last week and he doesn\u2019t exactly<\/em> need your permission to get a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or for much of anything<\/em> for that matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo son of mine is going to ride shotgun messenger on a stage!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t bring you up to be gunmen!\u201d\u00a0 Pa was heading for his hat, which hung on the peg by the door.\u00a0 One arm was already in his coat, anticipating the early November chill in the air before stepping out into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, leave him be.\u00a0 It\u2019s only for a couple of weeks while he covers for Phil.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sounded like whining.\u00a0 Was<\/em> he whining?<\/p>\n

God.\u00a0 Joe had him whining.<\/p>\n

His father pivoted on his heel.\u00a0 \u201cPhil Anderson?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam steeled himself.\u00a0 He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat miscreant!\u00a0 I should have known<\/em>,\u201d Pa growled.\u00a0 \u201cI warned Joseph that one day the hijinks that young man is fond of would lead him into trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cPa, they were twelve years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s no excuse for burning down a neighbor\u2019s chicken coop.\u201d<\/p>\n

And <\/em>cooking most of the chickens.<\/p>\n

It had cost his brother a complete month\u2019s free time to work off the price of that meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam caught the older man\u2019s sleeve as he reached for the door latch.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2019s been a man for some time now.\u00a0 He\u2019s old enough to make his own decisions \u2013 and mistakes \u2013 whether it be about a job or<\/em> a friend.\u201d\u00a0 He paused, swallowed, and then added, \u201cYou can\u2019t protect him forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

His pa had always been a big man \u2013 bigger than him, not only in size but in presence.\u00a0 A mountain of a man, his mettle forged by fire to a steely edge.\u00a0 As Pa aged \u2013 as they all<\/em> aged \u2013 he\u2019d seen that edge soften and nowhere so much as with Joe.\u00a0 If it had been him<\/em> who had killed a henhouse of chickens, a smile and a wink, a heartfelt apology, and offering to clean up fried chicken guts would have barely scratched the surface of \u2018sorry\u2019.<\/p>\n

At his words, the older man seemed to deflate.\u00a0 \u201cAdam,\u201d his pa said softly as he drew his arm back out of his sleeve and hung his coat on the peg beside his hat, \u201cwhat am I going to do with that boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Boy.<\/p>\n

Adam blew out a sigh.\u00a0 Since he was still a \u2018boy\u2019 at thirty-six there was little hope Joe would ever <\/em>be anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Joe do what he thinks is best.\u00a0 He\u2019s only doing what you taught him \u2013 his duty in helping out a friend.\u00a0 Phil\u2019s got a sick wife and no one to tend her, and the stage company told him that if he didn\u2019t show \u2013 or send a replacement \u2013 they\u2019d fire him.\u00a0 Phil can\u2019t afford to lose the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre there no women in the town who can look after Mrs. Anderson?\u201d his father asked gruffly as he crossed to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a brandy.<\/p>\n

Never<\/em> a good sign.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhil can\u2019t afford one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could pay \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe tried.\u00a0 Phil won\u2019t take charity.\u00a0 He wants them to make their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched that<\/em> effect his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can\u2019t fault him for that,\u201d the older man admitted as he stopped the bottle.\u00a0 \u201cStill, pride is a sin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam checked his tongue.\u00a0 If \u2018pride\u2019 was a sin, then their whole family was damned to Hell!<\/p>\n

He watched as his father dropped wearily into the big red chair.\u00a0 Pa took a sip and leaned back and closed his eyes, obviously relishing the warmth of the liquor as it coursed through him.\u00a0 Adam stared at him a moment and then went to join him, taking a seat on the settee.<\/p>\n

For a moment neither of them said anything.\u00a0 Then his father remarked, \u201cDo you remember the first time we feared your youngest brother was lost.\u00a0 I mean, really<\/em> lost?\u201d<\/p>\n

As in \u2018dead\u2019, Pa meant.<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re thinking of that day when we couldn\u2019t find Joe, when he ended up at the top of Eagle\u2019s Nest?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father nodded and then took another sip.\u00a0 \u201cAll night we hunted and most of the next day.\u00a0 Joe was only five.\u00a0 There was no way a child of that age should have been able to survive alone in the wilderness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam felt a chill snake through him that had nothing to do with the November cold encroaching on the house.\u00a0 He\u2019d been about eighteen at the time, all ready to go off to college and forge a new life.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s disappearance and subsequent rescue almost made him change his mind as he\u2019d realized, at that moment, just how much<\/em> his father needed him here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can still see him, Pa, all the way up at the top of the cliff, clinging on for dear life.\u201d\u00a0 He could hear Joe crying too.<\/p>\n

As well as their father.<\/p>\n

The older man had shed tears all the way up that near-vertical slope to his young son\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I took hold of him….\u201d\u00a0 Ben drew in air and let it out slowly.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I took hold of Joe he was trembling like an autumn leaf in a nor\u2019easter.\u00a0 His clothes were torn and he was covered with dust, scratches, and blood.\u00a0 Those green eyes of his were wide as wagon wheels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure they were, Pa.\u00a0 He was terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s dark gaze shot to his face.\u00a0 \u201cI thought that too.\u00a0 At first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you saying, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, your brother was terrified, but there was something else in his eyes of his that terrified me <\/em>even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cA relish of living on the edge.\u201d\u00a0 The older man downed the last of the brandy and then put the glass on the table by the chair.\u00a0 \u201cI knew at that moment that life with your youngest brother would be lived one day at a time, experiencing again and again what I felt when I reached him at the top of that cliff.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all joked about Joe\u2019s devil-may-care nature turning Pa\u2019s hair prematurely white.<\/p>\n

He had more than his fair share of white hairs too.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s older now, Pa.\u00a0 He\u2019s…mellowed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s dark eyebrows shot up at that.\u00a0 \u201cMellowed?\u00a0 Your brother just signed on to ride shotgun on one of the most dangerous routes through the territory.\u00a0 You know as well as I do just how many times the stage to Sacramento has been robbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wrinkled his nose. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean it will be this<\/em> time.\u00a0 Besides, Joe\u2019s only going as far as the exchange at Placerville before he turns back with a fresh load.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOnly<\/em> one hundred miles through the hills and mountains, with the possibility of outlaws hiding behind every rock.\u201d\u00a0 Those near-black eyes pinned him.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Red Pony and his renegades have been seen in the area of Webster\u2019s Station.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, he knew about Red Pony.\u00a0 He also knew about his father.\u00a0 If there was even the remotest chance of something happening to one of them, he\u2019d be planning what to do when it did.<\/p>\n

Pa had told him something after that incident at Eagles Nest.\u00a0 They\u2019d been pretty far out doing ranch work and it had come time for him to watch Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019d left his little brother sleeping \u2013 just to do what was necessary \u2013 and when he returned, Joe was gone.\u00a0 He\u2019d berated himself for weeks for shirking his responsibility, and even gone so far as to inflict his own punishment \u2013 abandoning his idea of schooling in the east. \u00a0His pa found him outside one night, looking up at the stars.\u00a0 As they stood there, Pa did something that surprised him.\u00a0 Instead of quoting the Good Book, the older man quoted Shakespeare\u2019s Midsummer\u2019s Night Dream<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it\u2019.\u00a0 Eh, son?\u2019<\/p>\n

He\u2019d remained silent a moment before answering.\u00a0 \u2018I\u2019m not going Pa.\u00a0 I can\u2019t leave you with the burden of the ranch and <\/em>Little Joe\u00a0 \u2013\u2018<\/p>\n

\u201cSo now your brother Joseph is a \u2018burden\u2019?\u2019<\/p>\n

He frowned.\u00a0 \u2018You know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Do you know what I<\/em> mean, Adam?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Yes.\u2019<\/p>\n

That was it, just \u2018yes\u2019.<\/p>\n

His father anchored his hands in his pockets as he rocked on his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve felt it too, you know.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018What?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The call of duty.\u00a0 I knew it the day you and I turned our backs on Boston and everything it held and struck out for the west.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018You mean the duty to those you were leaving behind?\u2019<\/p>\n

The older man had shaken his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe duty to ourselves<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Pa….\u2019<\/p>\n

His father smiled.\u00a0 \u2018A great man named Daniel Webster said recently, \u2018A sense of duty pursues us ever. It is omnipresent, like the Deity. \u00a0If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed or duty violated is still with us, for our happiness or our misery. If we say the darkness shall cover us, in the darkness as in the light our obligations are yet with us.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I know.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I can\u2019t<\/em> go \u2013\u2019<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s grip was unexpected.\u00a0 \u2018Son, it\u2019s why you have<\/em> to.\u00a0 The Bible says it is for each man to bear his own<\/em> burden.\u00a0 You\u2019re not to bear mine \u2013 or your baby brother\u2019s.\u2019<\/p>\n

Adam remembered shrugging; remembered telling his father that Joe wasn\u2019t really<\/em> a burden.\u00a0 His father had given him one of those looks and said, deadpan.<\/p>\n

\u2018You could have fooled me.\u2019<\/p>\n

He\u2019d sputtered.\u00a0 They\u2019d both had a good laugh.<\/p>\n

And he went to school.<\/p>\n

Adam cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIs this a good time to quote Daniel Webster?\u201d he asked his father, his full lips curling at the end.<\/p>\n

Pa scowled.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t fun to have your own words come back at you.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve raised all of us to have a strong sense of duty, Pa \u2013 to ourselves and to those we love.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s just trying to do what you\u2019ve taught him, to take responsibility and be a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother\u2019s intentions are always for the best, it\u2019s his judgment I question.\u00a0 Certainly something could have been done to help Phil other than Joseph putting his life at risk \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa stopped as the door opened and the subject of their debate blew in with the wind.\u00a0 Joe\u2019d obviously been to the barn and was chomping on one of the apples they kept there for the horses. When a glance at the somewhat full rack by the door showed him he would need two hands to hang his coat, he gripped the apple with his teeth.\u00a0 As he turned back into the room, he saw them staring at him.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s cheeks went as\u00a0 red as the Rall\u2019s Janet that popped out of his mouth and into his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I miss something?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam winced.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no.\u00a0 Not much, at least.\u00a0 Pa and I were just discussing \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

It was \u2018the\u2019<\/em> voice and it came down like a sailor lowering the boom.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour new<\/em> job.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe swallowed over more than the piece of apple stuck in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cMy<\/em> new job?\u201d he squeaked as his green eyes shot accusatorily to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou know about my…job?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t blame your brother, young man.\u00a0 I asked a direct question and he answered it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA direct question?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa was doing that \u2018thing\u2019 he did.\u00a0 Nodding his head up and down like a bull building up steam for a charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, a direct <\/em>question,\u201d the older man replied.\u00a0 \u201cUnlike certain other<\/em> members of the family, your older brother doesn\u2019t dissemble and dissimulate when it comes to his activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s brown brows popped up toward the curls dangling on his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cDis…what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLie,\u201d Adam translated, helpful as always.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t lie!\u201d he declared.\u00a0 \u201cI just…well…didn\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father folded his arms.\u00a0 \u201cAnd just when were<\/em> you going to mention it?\u00a0 From what Adam tells me, you leave tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reached into his coat and with two fingers drew a folded piece of paper out of his pocket.\u00a0 \u201cI was gonna leave you a note, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He blanched.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t want to have you worry any longer than you \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou…were…going to…leave…a…note?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He jumped on that last word.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how you are, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Turing to his older brother, he said, \u201cTell him how he is, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father pivoted.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Adam, tell me how<\/em> I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the Bard once said, \u2018the better part of valor is discretion\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 Adam pursed his lips and one black brow popped up toward his thinning hairline as he raised a hand to his ear.\u00a0 \u201cHark!\u00a0 I distinctly hear one of the horses calling my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

And before he or Pa could say another word, older brother used the better part of his valor and walked out the door.<\/p>\n

Coward.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Joe turned back to his father, the older man was staring at him \u2013 not glaring \u2013 staring.\u00a0 <\/em>Glaring would have been easier to take.\u00a0 He could have glared back, flown off the handle, shouted something about not being trusted or treated like a man, and eventually stormed up the staircase to his room.<\/p>\n

Yeah, he could handle glaring.\u00a0 Staring.<\/em>\u00a0 Well, that was another matter.<\/p>\n

There was a world of hurt<\/em> in that stare.<\/p>\n

In the end he simply said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.\u00a0 \u201cSo am I, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

That<\/em> was new.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re<\/em> sorry?\u201d\u00a0 Joe hesitated.\u00a0 Maybe it was a trick.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what?\u201d he asked guardedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you feel I have so little trust in you that you have to lie to me about what you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Pa, it\u2019s not that.\u00a0 I know you trust me.\u00a0 Well, some of the time.\u00a0 It\u2019s just….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust what?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s different kinds <\/em>of trust, Pa.\u00a0 I know you trust me to get my work done.\u00a0 You trust me with the horses and the men, and with the ladies, Pa.\u00a0 You taught me right.\u00a0 I\u2019m always<\/em> a gentleman.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, I know you aren\u2019t worried I\u2019ll come home some night with a little Joe.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cI mean a little<\/em> Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank Heaven for small favors,\u201d his father muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don\u2019t trust me to know what\u2019s best for me.\u00a0 It\u2019s like, well….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I\u2019m still a little kid who needs his hand held when he crosses the street.\u201d\u00a0 Joe grew serious.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not a kid anymore, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father was staring at him again, only this<\/em> stare was okay \u2018cause it was riding on the back of a twist to the lips that was almost a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old are you, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

He frowned at that.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you know, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPretend I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIf you say so.\u201d\u00a0 Joe silently counted up the toll. \u201cTwenty-four years and seven days.\u00a0 Oh, and a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man sighed.\u00a0 \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you be that old?<\/em>\u00a0 It seems just yesterday that you were a toddler sitting on your mother\u2019s lap in the big blue chair by the fire.\u201d\u00a0 Pa\u2019s eyes got that faraway look in them.\u00a0 \u201cThe fire always caught in her hair and in your eyes.\u00a0 It was like God had buried gold in both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa was \u2018waxing poetic\u2019 as Adam liked to say.<\/p>\n

It was kind of embarrassing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Pa,\u201d he said as he removed his gun belt and laid it on the credenza, not knowing what else to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother used to chide me, you know, for treating her the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

No, he didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know much about his mother at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take a seat by the fire, Joseph,\u201d the older man said, nodding toward it.\u00a0 \u201cI can feel the cold creeping in.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was true.\u00a0 He\u2019d ridden home with the wind at his back and after taking time to stable Cochise for the night, he still felt chilled to the bone.\u00a0 Ever since that time five years back when he and Adam had been caught out in freak early snow during Elizabeth Carnaby\u2019s visit and almost frozen to death, he found he had less tolerance for the cold.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to bundle up before he left tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Joe glanced at his father who was leaning against the hearth, studying the flames.<\/p>\n

If<\/em> he got to leave tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny,\u201d his father began, \u201coften what attracts a man to a woman is their differences.\u00a0 One is slow, the other hasty.\u00a0 One, thoughtful, the other just a little bit reckless.\u00a0 One fiery, and the other cool enough to put out the flame.\u00a0 With your mother and I, well….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were very much alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe snorted.\u00a0 \u201cYou and Mama?\u00a0 Adam said my ma was a hellion!\u00a0 That\u2019s nothing like….\u201d\u00a0 He halted at his father\u2019s look.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Adam didn\u2019t exactly use that <\/em>word, Pa.\u00a0 He called her….\u201d\u00a0 Joe thought hard.\u00a0 \u201cSpirited.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man was silent a moment.\u00a0 Then he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAdam was right.\u00a0 Your mother was more than spirited \u2013 she was a spitfire!\u00a0 Marie was never at a loss for an opinion, and crossing her was tantamount to taking your life in your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you aren\u2019t like that, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time he<\/em> snorted.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe puzzled it over.\u00a0 His Pa had<\/em> mellowed with age.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t too long ago he\u2019d have taken a rifle and chased anyone who came onto the Ponderosa without permission into the next territory, threatening to kill \u2018em if they trespassed again.\u00a0 And before that, well, his oldest brother had told him how hard their pa had become after his first wife\u2019s death.\u00a0 Adam said Pa had sulked for years, brooding on his loss and making everyone around him miserable until Inger showed up.<\/p>\n

Imagine that.\u00a0 Pa, wearin\u2019 his emotions on his sleeve\u00a0 just like his mama.<\/p>\n

Just like him.<\/p>\n

His father came over and sat on the table directly in front of the seat he had taken on the settee.\u00a0 He hung his hands between his knees before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll deny this if you ever bring it up in front of your brothers,\u201d Pa said, looking up without moving his head, \u201cbut of all my sons you are the most<\/em> like me.\u201d\u00a0 When Joe smiled, the older man held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that is why you worry me so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe considered that before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cDid you worry your<\/em> father?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNearly into an early greave,\u201d the older man snorted as his eyes rolled up.\u00a0 \u201cYou think this<\/em> head is white!\u201d\u00a0 After a moment, Pa reached out and placed a hand on his knee.\u00a0 \u201cI knew it that day at Eagle\u2019s Nest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnew what?\u201d<\/p>\n

His pa leaned back.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, do you know why I went to sea?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cTo see the world, I guess.\u00a0 For the adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he nodded, \u201cthere was that.\u00a0 But that wasn\u2019t the only reason \u2013 or the main one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He leaned forward.\u00a0 This was something new.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was it then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did you climb Eagle\u2019s Nest when you were afraid of heights?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean a few years back?\u201d\u00a0 That episode was still a sore one with him.\u00a0 In trying to overcome a childhood fear and be taken as a man, he\u2019d acted childish and nearly gotten both of them killed.\u00a0 He really <\/em>didn\u2019t want to talk about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, when you were five.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe relaxed. \u201cGosh, I don\u2019t know, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He thought a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I just wanted to see what was up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though you were afraid you might die?\u201d<\/p>\n

A chagrinned smiled curled his lips as he scratched at his sideburn.\u00a0 \u201cI figured I wouldn\u2019t \u2013 at least until I looked down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was exciting, wasn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Thrilling even.\u00a0 Cheating death?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at his pa with new eyes. \u201cAre you saying that\u2019s why you went to sea?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father reached out to touch his chest, just over his heart. \u201cI\u2019m saying that\u2019s why you<\/em> agreed to ride shotgun messenger for Phil, and why you hid the fact from me.\u00a0 Because you feared I would forbid it and something in you just has to go \u2013 just has to take a look.\u00a0 Just has<\/em> to take that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I….\u201d<\/p>\n

He was right.\u00a0 It was like there was something inside him, pushing him to take on every challenge, forcing him to look danger in the eye, to face it, to laugh at it and come out on top \u2013 just to prove that he could.<\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s hand fell to his own.\u00a0 The older man squeezed his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t beat death, Joe.\u00a0 No one can.\u00a0 No matter how<\/em> hard they try.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father squeezed his fingers again and then turned round and sat on the settee beside him.\u00a0 For some time the two of them remained there, side by side, saying nothing, just staring into the fire.\u00a0 Then Joe did something he hadn\u2019t done since he was a young boy.\u00a0 He laid his head on his father\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 As the older man\u2019s arm encircled him, Joe shifted closer, relishing the feeling of complete and total security.<\/p>\n

For the moment it was enough.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow, he\u2019d go about findin\u2019 that danger.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TWO<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you going in such a gosh-darned hurry, little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nearly lost his footing as Hoss caught him by the arm.\u00a0 He\u2019d been stepping off the porch, headed for Cochise who was already saddled and waiting, when his big brother had appeared from out of nowhere rising up from the early morning mist like a big old white whale beaching itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you tryin\u2019 to do, knock me to the ground?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t have to worry none about that if you had more meat on that skinny little hiney of your\u2019n,\u201d the big man replied, adding a crack!<\/em> to that hiney with the flat of his mammoth hand for emphasis.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s temper spiked.\u00a0 \u201cNow what\u2019d\u2019 you gotta go and do that for?\u201d he growled as he rubbed the offended part.\u00a0 \u201cI gotta board seat to sit me on for the next two weeks!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 blue eyes crackled with laughter.\u00a0 \u201cConsider it trainin\u2019, little brother.\u201d\u00a0 The big man paused.\u00a0 \u201cSo you really talked Pa into lettin\u2019 you run shotgun on the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pouted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have to talk<\/em> Pa into anything.\u201d\u00a0 He straightened his green corduroy coat and reclaimed his dignity.\u00a0 \u201cI just told him I was goin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u00a0 You told<\/em> him, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He loved Hoss.\u00a0 He really did.\u00a0 But there were times when talking to him was like talking to your Ma.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I told<\/em> him.\u00a0 Last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tipped back his ten gallon hat and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cMm-mm!\u00a0 I\u2019m sure <\/em>sorry I missed that.\u00a0 Must of been a better fireworks show than last Fourth of July.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor your information,\u201d Joe said as he turned back to Cochise who was watching the interplay between the brothers with his usual stoic forbearance, \u201cthere weren\u2019t any fireworks \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, those went off before<\/em> Joe got home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe winced.<\/p>\n

Adam.<\/p>\n

What was he<\/em> doing up so gosh-darned early?\u00a0 And, matter-of-fact, what was Hoss?<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you two nursemaiding me?\u201d he asked with a scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cFar be it from me to play nursemaid to one who has left his childhood behind.\u00a0 My duty has been discharged \u2013 forever!\u201d Adam declared, placing a hand over his heart and raising his face toward Heaven.\u00a0 \u201cYon nurse, bereft eternally of his churlish charge, is headed into yonder fair city to parlay with its merchant class, thence to repair back in time for Hop Sing\u2019s sumptuous evening repast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s nose wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes as he headed to the barn\u00a0 \u201cNot everything has to do with you, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was snickering.\u00a0 \u201cHe sure got you there, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little <\/em>Joe.<\/p>\n

Still, he could hardly argue \u2018size\u2019 with the mountain that was towering over him right now, blocking out the morning sun.<\/p>\n

Putting one foot in the stirrup, Joe sprang onto his horse.\u00a0 Now that he was taller than Hoss, he felt more in control.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are you<\/em> doin\u2019 up so early, if it ain\u2019t got to do with me?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Hoss snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWell, ain\u2019t the boot on the other foot now?\u00a0 It\u2019s usually one of us askin\u2019 you <\/em>that.\u00a0 I\u2019m here to tell you, little brother, that Adam\u2019s right.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t got nothin\u2019<\/em> to do with you.\u00a0 Matter of fact, I just rode in.\u201d\u00a0 His brother twisted his lips and popped one eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cIf you remember, I been at the sawmill pickin\u2019 up timber for repairin\u2019 the fence rail.\u00a0 So you see, Joe, you ain\u2019t <\/em>the center of the universe, no matter how much you like to think you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was only then Joe noticed the trail-dust on his brother and how tired he looked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man shook his head. \u201cDon\u2019t I wish I had me a nickel for every time you\u2019ve said that word since the Doc brought you kickin\u2019 and screamin\u2019 into the world.\u201d\u00a0 His brother walked over and placed a hand on the side of his saddle, near his leg.\u00a0 \u201cYou be careful, Little Joe.\u00a0 You hear?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss glanced at the house and then back at him.\u00a0 \u201cWords out that some of Red Pony\u2019s renegades have been seen along the route you\u2019re takin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed over just a little fear.\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cPony\u2019s Indians aren\u2019t much interested in stages.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother\u2019s clear blue eyes pinned him.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I\u2019ll admit there\u2019s truth in that.\u00a0 Them renegades ain\u2019t interested in bags of money or letters comin\u2019 through, but you know as well as I do, Joe, that what they is <\/em>interested in is worse than any robber or outlaw.\u00a0 Pony\u2019s type just want to see white men dead<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss paused and then he reached up and tapped him on the side of the face.\u00a0 \u201cThat curly head of hair you got there is gonna look mighty temptin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Adam came walking out of the stable, leading Scout.\u00a0 He eyed the two of them for a moment, but said only, \u201cI\u2019m ready to head into town, Joe.\u00a0 You want to ride together?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a second Joe balked.\u00a0 They\u2019d had it planned all along, the two of them!\u00a0 Hoss would delay him just long enough for Adam to be ready so he could ride with him into town and see him off.\u00a0 For all he knew, Adam didn\u2019t have <\/em>any business in town and he was gonna wait an hour or so and then follow the stage all the way to the Placerville station, watching over him like that little kid who needed his hand held while walking across the street.<\/p>\n

And you know what?<\/p>\n

It was all right.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Adam.\u00a0 Glad for the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss snorted approval as he backed away from Cochise.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you remember you got a job to do, little brother.\u00a0 No stoppin\u2019 by the saloon for a beer or gettin\u2019 distracted by some pretty girl in distress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe tipped his hat as he turned Cochise\u2019 nose toward the road.\u00a0 \u201cYou got it, middle brother.\u00a0 See you in a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had mounted and as he came alongside him, Joe heard the door to the house open.\u00a0\u00a0 He should have known.\u00a0 There was no way he could leave without the last member of the family being present.<\/p>\n

Glancing back, he saw the tall figure of his father framed by the door.\u00a0 The older man took a step forward and raised his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod go with you, son!\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Joe smiled as he turned back.\u00a0 God was with him, he knew that\u00a0 and he was grateful for it.<\/p>\n

But he was even more grateful for the family the Man upstairs had given him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was early afternoon when they rode into Virginia City.\u00a0 As it was a Monday, the growing town was up and rip-roaring to go, looking toward the new week ahead.\u00a0 Adam glanced at his kid brother who was leaning on the stage depot wall talking to his driver and grinned.\u00a0 In spite of Joe\u2019s promise to Hoss, he\u2019d already had to steer the kid clear of at least a half-dozen pretty young things hanging on their mother\u2019s arms who had cocked their heads, batted their eyelashes, pursed their plumped lips, and sent him signals that they were interested.<\/p>\n

The man in black sighed.\u00a0 As the philosopher\u2019s said, beauty was<\/em> a curse, no matter how you looked at it.<\/p>\n

Looking at him now, though, you would never have known that Joe\u2019d been anything but all business.\u00a0 He was standing shoulder to shoulder with Deke Jones, going over a map of their route.\u00a0 Jones was a wizened and widely experienced employee of the stage line, known for having successfully navigated more runs across the Sierra than his brother had dates.\u00a0 It gave him a little peace to know Deke was the one Joe would be riding shotgun messenger for.\u00a0 It would do the same for Pa.\u00a0 Deke was no kid.\u00a0 He was a well-qualified and cautious man of forty-five who knew the land like the back of his hand.\u00a0 Deke had a son just about Joe\u2019s age.<\/p>\n

His brother was in good hands.<\/p>\n

Joe was headed his way.\u00a0 \u201cYou ready to go?\u201d Adam asked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon as the passengers are aboard,\u201d his brother replied.\u00a0 \u201cDeke says that\u2019ll be another half hour or so.\u201d\u00a0 Joe grinned and nodded toward the saloon.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to get a beer while we wait?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore noon?\u201d\u00a0 Adam clucked.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Pa doesn\u2019t think that\u2019s proper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat Pa doesn\u2019t know won\u2019t hurt him, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waited until Joe met his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean like taking on a job to ride shotgun on a stage without telling Pa first?\u00a0 Or might you be thinking instead about not bothering to tell him that the stage you\u2019re riding on is carrying fifteen thousand dollars in gold bars in its Treasure Box?\u201d<\/p>\n

He dropped his voice when he said that last \u2013 after looking around to make sure they were alone.<\/p>\n

Joe winced.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo, you found out about that, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I found out about that<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was chewing his lip.\u00a0 \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI asked Deke what your cargo was.\u201d\u00a0 He stifled another sigh.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know what the gold is for?\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember Aurora Guthrie?\u201d<\/p>\n

God.<\/p>\n

Dear God.\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n

Were the fates just bent against his little brother?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t mean this<\/em> is the stage that\u2019s transporting the Henshaw fortune the paper so carelessly reported she\u2019d inherited?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe moved in closer and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.\u00a0 \u201cThe paper printed that on purpose, Adam.\u00a0 Anyone reading it won\u2019t expect the money to be on the move now.\u00a0 That\u2019s why this run is so important.\u00a0 The paper ran another article a couple of days back, saying the stage with the money would be leaving first thing in the morning.\u00a0 It\u2019s part of the reason we\u2019re<\/em> taking off midday.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was afraid to ask.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the other <\/em>part of the reason?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeke here don\u2019t like to get up any earlier than I do!\u201d his brother laughed.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded to Deke as he came alongside them.\u00a0 Deke Jones was a man who looked like he should have been six foot tall but too many miles spent under the blazing sun had shrunk him down to about five foot nine.\u00a0 His skin was baked a perpetual shade of brown and his blond hair bleached near white.\u00a0 A thin stubble of it coated his gaunt cheeks like snow.\u00a0 Deke\u2019s eyes were the blue of a desert sunset that tended \u2013 curiously \u2013 toward purple.<\/p>\n

Deke took the hand he thrust out and shook it firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you\u00a0 gonna give me for taking this rascal off your hands for a week or two, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy eternal gratitude for a portion of peace?\u201d he responded with a wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is such a thing as it being \u2018too\u2019 quiet, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was sure Deke did.\u00a0 Though the older man had made more successful trips than any other driver in the line, the wiry driver\u2019d had one or two bad runs.\u00a0 One robbery left him stranded alone in the mountains for five days.\u00a0 There was nothing as quiet as that.<\/p>\n

He glanced at his smiling brother.<\/p>\n

Or as deadly.<\/p>\n

Forcing a jovial air, the man in black replied, \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know \u2013 coming in after a long day\u2019s hard work, reading in silence, sitting by the fire with no war whoops to\u00a0 jar me out of my chair when Joe wins a game of checkers….\u00a0 I think I can live with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get too used to it, older brother,\u201d Joe said with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cTwo weeks will fly by so fast you won\u2019t even know I was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking at his baby brother, standing there, full in the freshness of youth \u2013 so alive, so<\/em> vibrant \u2013 and thinking of all that could go wrong, Adam felt a little chill.<\/p>\n

God, he hoped so.<\/p>\n

Holding his hand out, he waited.\u00a0 Joe stared at it a minute and then with a broad grin took it and shook it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest of luck, Joe,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019ll make it the safest and smoothest run Deke\u2019s ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n

For once, his little brother was at a loss for words.\u00a0 Finally he managed to stammer, \u201cTh…thanks, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam held Joe\u2019s gaze, probably a second longer than he should have, and then turned and walked away.<\/p>\n

There was nothing else left to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was at the mercantile haggling over prices with the store-keep when he heard the stage pull out.\u00a0 He glanced at the clock above the counter and noted the time. It was six after three.\u00a0 Nothing special about it other than it was the middle of the afternoon and an unusual time for the stage to head out.\u00a0 Still, for some reason, a chill shivered through him.\u00a0 He calmed his nerves by telling himself that he was jumping at shadows.\u00a0 Still, something lingered in the back of his mind, some portent of trouble ahead….<\/p>\n

Adam shook himself.\u00a0 What was wrong with him?\u00a0 He was acting like a superstitious school girl unsettled by saying \u2018he loves me not\u2019 as she pulled the last of the daisy petals.<\/p>\n

No, that wasn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n

He was acting like Pa.<\/em><\/p>\n

An hour later Adam was still in the mercantile and still wrangling with the owner over the price of nails.\u00a0 In the end he decided the man was just bored and arguing with him was his day\u2019s entertainment.\u00a0 He finally got some relief when Jim Edwards, the current foreman from the ranch one over from theirs, came in and said the store down the street was selling nails for two pennies on the dollar less than Ed and everyone should hurry over there.<\/p>\n

Adam stayed put and got them for three <\/em>pennies on the dollar less.<\/p>\n

As he triumphantly stepped out of the door, arms laden with his prize and several stout lads following behind carrying the rest of the supplies he\u2019d come to town to get, the afternoon stage rolled in.\u00a0 He looked up and saw that it was half past five.\u00a0 Joe had been gone for two hours.<\/p>\n

So why did it feel like two years?<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s a grown man,\u201d Adam scolded himself.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s ridden to other towns by himself plenty of times.\u00a0 You can\u2019t follow him everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, that was precisely what he and Hoss had discussed him doing, following Joe and the stage \u2013 at a discreet distance, of course.\u00a0 The problem was, the run to Placerville by stage took about five days and Pa simply couldn\u2019t spare either one of them that long. With winter coming on there was too much for them to do.\u00a0 That, of course, had been another sore point about Joe taking the job.\u00a0 Somehow, they\u2019d both ended up promising to do his work while he was gone.<\/p>\n

That boy really should be a politician.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood day, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nails in hand Adam turned toward the voice.\u00a0 It was Owen Saunders, one of the town\u2019s postal clerks.\u00a0 Owen had worked for them briefly about a year before.\u00a0 Last winter he and his wife had fallen on hard times and their farm had failed.\u00a0 Rather than leaving town, their pa had convinced Owen to stay and helped him get the job at the post office.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvening, Owen.\u00a0 How\u2019s Jennifer and your little one?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFit as fiddles,\u201d Owen beamed.\u00a0 He was a new pa and there was no smile quite like that one.\u00a0 \u201cI saw you coming out of the mercantile and thought I\u2019d bring your mail over to you rather than lock it up for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam placed his package on the wagon seat and nodded to the boys to begin loading the rest of the supplies.\u00a0 \u201cThat was thoughtful of you, Owen,\u201d he said, accepting the pile of envelopes.\u00a0 \u201cDid these come in with the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Owen\u2019s brown head bobbed.\u00a0 \u201cSay, was that Little Joe I saw riding out on the last stage with Deke?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded absentmindedly as he thumbed through the envelopes, stopping on one that was blue and had a distinct scent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one must be for Joe,\u201d the postman said with a wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think?\u201d\u00a0 Adam was about to check out the name on the envelope when the next one caught his eye.\u00a0 It was the confirmation of a contract from a company that Pa had been waiting for.\u00a0 \u201cPa will be happy to see this one,\u201d he said, wagging it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t answer about Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced to the west.\u00a0 \u201cYes, that was Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019s filling in for Phil Anderson on the run to Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owen frowned. \u201cI hear Phil\u2019s wife\u2019s not doing to well.\u00a0 Jenny said she was mighty low.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what Joe said,\u201d he responded while thumbing further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was kind of Little Joe to offer to fill in for him, considering.\u201d<\/p>\n

That last word stopped him.\u00a0 He looked up.\u00a0 \u201cConsidering what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Owen glanced at the five o\u2019clock stage \u2013 which Adam just realized had come in at five-thirty<\/em>.\u00a0 When the postman didn\u2019t say anything more, he looked.<\/p>\n

There were a half dozen arrows sticking out of its wooden frame.<\/p>\n

Shoving the stack of letters under the wagon seat, Adam started toward it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t find out anything there, Adam.\u00a0 Old Charlie, the driver, took himself right off to the saloon after he came in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned back.\u00a0 \u201cWas anyone hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so\u2019s I heard.\u00a0 Charlie said they was given chase, but the Indians never showed themselves.\u00a0 Just shot a few arrows off and then disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t follow through with the attack?\u201d<\/p>\n

Owen shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside of Moss, this side of Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was quite a ways down the line.\u00a0 That meant Joe and the stage he was protecting were probably safe as they would soon be stopping for the night.\u00a0 Adam drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing the fear that had clenched his chest like an iron fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou say Charlie is in the saloon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaid he was gonna drink until he was numb.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled. \u201cAnd how long ago was this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty, maybe thirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

More<\/em> than time enough to for Old Charlie to accomplish his dubious goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Owen.\u00a0 I appreciate it.\u00a0 Say hello to Jenny for me, will you?\u00a0 You got a gem there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owen beamed.<\/p>\n

Sometimes he wondered about the world and all its cruelty.\u00a0 It took so little to lift someone\u2019s spirits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill do, Adam!\u00a0 You take care.\u00a0 And don\u2019t you worry any about Little Joe.\u00a0 If there\u2019s anyone can take care of himself, it\u2019s that youngest brother of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waved.\u00a0 Then he closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

A little over two hours.<\/p>\n

It had to be a record.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The man in black heard it, saw it, and smelled it before the bat wing doors swung open on the riot of life that was a Monday night at the Bucket of Blood saloon.\u00a0 It was one of the newer establishments in town and catered to a different crowd that the Reisen or International House.\u00a0 While you might find the occasional drifter in those finer houses and maybe a miscreant or two, the Bucket drew from the bottom of the barrel and was peopled by every unsavory sort that might drift in and out of a frontier town.\u00a0 There were hard-bitten miners, loggers, and other sorts of handymen on one side and \u2013 almost as if there was a line running down the center of the main room \u2013 cowhands, drovers, and cattle drivers on the other.\u00a0 In the middle was that sort of man who was a mystery, the drifter and his ilk, men who rolled into town with the tumbleweeds and were most often tossed out at the end of the day with the slop.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hazel eyes narrowed as the bartender, Sam, shouted a greeting.\u00a0 He formed a \u2018W\u2019 with three fingers indicating he\u2019d like a whiskey and then plunged into the seething, roiling mob.\u00a0 Several of the saloon girls gave him a smile and a wave, looking to catch his eye.\u00a0 They liked waiting on the Cartwrights.\u00a0 In fact, the girls sometimes fought over who would tend to them.\u00a0 He liked to think that it was because they treated them with respect and not that it had anything to do with their money and his little brother\u2019s habit of throwing it around.\u00a0 One of them \u2013 a handsome blonde woman by the name of Nel \u2013 made it first to the bar to pick up his order, crowning herself queen of the day.\u00a0 He smiled at her as she gracefully wended her way through the boisterous throng, managing to avoid the filthy fingers clutching at her silk finery and the hands seeking to work their way underneath it.\u00a0 Nel was a tall woman with skin white as Parian marble.\u00a0 In some ways \u2013 though his father would have his hide if he ever mentioned it in his hearing \u2013 she reminded him of Inger.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s why he shown her the town a time or two.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 Nel named him as she sat the whiskey on the scarred surface of the table.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what brings the scholar of the Ponderosa to such a den of stupidity?\u201d<\/p>\n

He chuckled. \u201cWhy, I came to see you, Nel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, she was much like Inger.\u00a0 Pretty as a summer\u2019s morn.\u00a0 Though Nel had a few years on him, her skin was petal-soft and her lips and cheeks, pale roses.\u00a0 She was tall \u2013 nearly as tall as him \u2013 and willowy as a sapling, with a deep husky voice and a warm laugh.\u00a0 Her eyes were the same deep green as his brother\u2019s, with just a touch of golden-brown like Joe\u2019s.\u00a0 And her hair, well, her hair was a deep blond, not pale like Inger\u2019s but rich like Marie\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Adam ruminated for a moment on just what <\/em>it might mean that he was attracted to a woman who reminded him of two of his three mothers before asking her to sit down.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mind if I do,\u201d she said as she tossed her crimson skirts aside and took a seat.\u00a0 \u201cSo long as you\u2019re buying.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded toward the bar.\u00a0 \u201cOrder what you like.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t eaten.\u00a0 Can I get you something?\u201d<\/p>\n

The grin she favored him with was a tired one. \u201cThat would be lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look weary.\u201d\u00a0 Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 You\u2019re not supposed to say that to a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

She made a dismissive noise.\u00a0 \u201cI am<\/em> tired.\u00a0 It\u2019s this sickness that\u2019s going around.\u00a0 Jimmy has it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy was her son.\u00a0 The child of a love affair and her reason for turning to the life of a kept woman.\u00a0 Nel didn\u2019t service just anyone.\u00a0 Hers were long time affairs.<\/p>\n

Often bad ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to hear that.\u00a0 Do you have money for medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n

The blond woman leaned back.\u00a0 \u201cYou Cartwrights, always the good Samaritans.\u201d\u00a0 Her clear blue eyes studied him.\u00a0 \u201cYes, we have medicine.\u00a0 Thanks to an envelope with money I found stuffed under the door a few days back.\u00a0 Now, you wouldn\u2019t know anything about that, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cI have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a sip of his whiskey and then kicked back in his chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m looking for someone.\u00a0 Old Charlie, the stage driver.\u00a0 Have you seen him?\u201d<\/p>\n

She gestured with her head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s over there by the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u00a0 I don\u2019t see him at a table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because he\u2019s under<\/em> it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nel leaned in, pressing her elbows together and plumping her ample bust where it hung between them suspended in a nest of black lace and red silk.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t be getting anything out of him until morning.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled sweetly.\u00a0 \u201cI could put you up for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cI bet you could.\u201d<\/p>\n

She chuckled and rolled her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAlways the gentleman.\u201d\u00a0 With a hand she called one of the other girls over.\u00a0 After they\u2019d ordered food, Nel turned back to him and asked, \u201cWhat would you be wanting with that old lump, Charlie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was still working his whiskey.\u00a0 \u201cDid he say anything when he first came in, about the stage run?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid <\/em>he?\u201d\u00a0 She scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cThe old hermit was bragging and blowing about how he had defeated a whole tribe of Indians single-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Indians who shot at the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSo he said, but then you can\u2019t believe the half of it.\u201d\u00a0 Nel watched him a moment.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you care?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam considered it.\u00a0 There was no reason to tell her, but then there was no reason not<\/em> to.\u00a0 \u201cMy little brother is riding shotgun on a portion of Deke Jone\u2019s run to Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one that left this afternoon?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

There was something in the way she asked it that made the hackles stand up on the back of his neck. \u201cYes.\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nel\u2019s eyes went to the middle strata of the saloon, where the drifters and outlaws were seated.\u00a0 \u201cThere was a man in here late last night asking about that stage.\u00a0 Seemed he had a special interest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

The tall blond shivered.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited.\u00a0 When she wasn\u2019t forthcoming with any more information, he asked, \u201cWas there a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing I could put my finger to.\u00a0 He….\u201d\u00a0 She paused.\u00a0 \u201cIt was his eyes.\u00a0 They….\u00a0 The look out of them made my skin crawl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrecisely what <\/em>was he asking about the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

She frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t exactly ask<\/em>.\u00a0 He seemed to know a lot about it already.\u00a0 At first I thought he was a passenger, but when I questioned him, he told me \u2018no\u2019.\u00a0 I asked him then if someone he knew was riding on it and he said they weren\u2019t, but someone he<\/em> knew was meeting it.\u00a0 I asked him if he was gonna meet them in Placerville.\u201d\u00a0 She paused, obviously troubled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u00a0 What did he say?\u00a0 Was<\/em> he going to meet them in Placerville?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nel\u2019s blue eyes fastened on his.\u00a0 In them was real fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 He said he was going to meet them in Hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THREE<\/p>\n

Joe and Deke conferred and they came to a decision.<\/p>\n

They decided to press on through the night.<\/p>\n

There were only three passengers on the stage, a single man, and a husband and wife.\u00a0 Deke didn\u2019t tell him before they took off \u2013 because he\u2019d been under strict orders not to \u2013 that the husband was actually one of the officials of the New York City bank where the money Aurora Guthrie had inherited was first deposited.\u00a0 Albert Norris had come west with it and planned to continue on to see it delivered safely to the modern and efficient bank at Sacramento.\u00a0 He was all for pushing through without stopping.\u00a0 Joe wondered at the banker bringing his city wife along for the ride.\u00a0 While Norris was a no nonsense type, she was as jittery as a filly swishing her tail near a beehive.\u00a0 Mrs. Liberty Norris had never been out West before and she\u2019d spent the last two hours complaining loud enough for him and Deke to hear it about the weather and the wind, the dust, and the bumps and the jolts, even though she was inside the coach and they <\/em>were riding out in the fresh air.<\/p>\n

The single man traveling with them had eyed Mrs. Norris as he answered the question about pushing on.\u00a0 He said he didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 If they wanted to ride through the night, he\u2019d just prop his feet on one seat and his shoulders on the other, pull down his hat, and snore away.\u00a0 Joe grinned.\u00a0 The city woman hadn\u2019t liked that much.\u00a0 She\u2019d demanded he not snore.\u00a0 The man obliged by saying he was a hat salesman and he\u2019d chosen a hat with an especially thick brim just for the trip.<\/p>\n

The salesman \u2013 Jerolin Carlisle \u2013 was as odd a duck as his name, which he said came from his Latin teaching father winning a coin toss the day he was born.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t figure him out.\u00a0 Jeri, as he liked to be called, had arrived late and bought a ticket just as the stage was about to leave.\u00a0 Mr. Norris hadn\u2019t been too happy about a stranger riding with them.\u00a0 He and Deke had exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit uneasy too.\u00a0 Carlisle had no luggage to speak of, which was kind of odd for a salesman.\u00a0 When they questioned him, he said he was going to meet up with another rep and pick up a fresh supply of hats when they arrived in Placerville and take it on with him to California.<\/p>\n

They couldn\u2019t really argue with that.<\/p>\n

Joe cast a glance back and down at the coach window where Jeri\u2019s arm was anchored.\u00a0 There was nothing remarkable about the man.\u00a0 He had dark bushy hair and pale eyes, and a complexion burnt brown by traveling the West from town to town.\u00a0 His clothing was plain and well-worn \u2013 a somewhat long charcoal-gray Callahan frock coat and pants, with a white side button shirt and a canvas double-breasted vest.\u00a0 From the fashion choices he\u2019d made, he could have been anything from the hat salesman he claimed to be to a doctor or a maybe even a preacher.\u00a0 His speech was cultured and he spoke with a southern accent.<\/p>\n

When Mrs. Norris heard that<\/em>, she was sure they were traveling with a Confederate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you snickerin\u2019 at, boy?\u201d Deke asked him.<\/p>\n

Joe turned back.\u00a0 As he spoke he drew the collar of his heavy plaid coat up about his ears, relishing the warmth of the fur lining.\u00a0 \u201cJust thinking about Mrs. Norris.\u00a0 You know, it makes a feller wonder why a man ever gets married \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat so?\u201d\u00a0 Deke shifted in the seat.\u00a0 For the most part he was letting the horses have their head.\u00a0 They knew the route as well as he did.\u00a0 Their pace was neither quick nor slow but steady, and with one or two stops for water and a bite to eat, would carry them well into the night before they were forced to stop and rest the horses.\u00a0 \u201cAll women ain\u2019t like Mrs. Norris.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke had been married, but his wife had been killed ten years or so back during one of the Indian raids.\u00a0 Joe studied his profile for a moment, cut as it was against a sky backlit by a dying sun.\u00a0 Deke wasn\u2019t a handsome man but he was what women would have called \u2018striking\u2019, with a sharp nose, a straight jaw, and thin lips pulled tight with determination.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind my asking, how come you haven\u2019t remarried, Deke?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man paused a moment.\u00a0 Then he smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there ain\u2019t no other woman like Mrs. Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n

They fell into a companionable silence then.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s head lolled slightly beneath his tan hat as the miles rolled by.\u00a0 When it got so bad he felt his fingers slip on the sawed-off shotgun he held, he shook himself and looked at his companion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure could use some coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo keep you awake or to warm your toes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed. \u00a0\u201cBoth.\u00a0 I\u2019ll drink some and pour the rest in my boots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke indicated the road ahead of them with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a ramshackle cabin about three miles on.\u00a0 We\u2019ll stop there.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t a way station, but the man who runs it welcomes travelers.\u00a0 Old Jess is always ready to provide a pot of coffee and a quick meal \u2013 for a price.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he shifted to wake himself up, Joe grinned\u00a0 \u201cWell, we got plenty of cash,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s eyes went to his feet, beneath which the pine Treasure Box was stowed.\u00a0 \u201cKind of like ridin\u2019 on nitro, if you know what I mean?\u201d\u00a0 After a second, Deke turned toward him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad for your company, Joe.\u00a0 You\u2019re a good man.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t say I\u2019m glad you\u2019re along for this ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u00a0 Would you rather have someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke thought long and hard.\u00a0 Then he nodded.<\/p>\n

Silence descended again.<\/p>\n

A few minutes into it, Joe couldn\u2019t stand it.\u00a0 \u201cDid I do something wrong?\u00a0 I mean, I\u2019m sorry I almost fell asleep.\u00a0 I \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it wrong, Joe.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 you done.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was confused. \u201cWell, then, what is<\/em> it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou ever heard of the Gwylio Marwolaeth,<\/em> Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

That was a mouthful.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t say as I have.\u00a0 What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man leaned back in the driver\u2019s seat.\u00a0 \u201cMy father\u2019s mother \u2013 my nain<\/em> \u2013 she was Welsh.\u00a0 It\u2019s a belief held in the old country.\u00a0 It translates roughly to \u2018the death watch\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s agile brown brows met in the middle.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this sound, some thinks it\u2019s made by an insect.\u00a0 It\u2019s sort of a ticking sound, like a clock.\u00a0 It\u2019s heard when someone\u2019s going to die.\u201d\u00a0 Deke paused.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like the sound of the coach wheels as they go round and round.\u00a0 Tick<\/em>, tick.\u00a0 Tick, tick<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cI heard it last night when I was camping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as Joe shuddered, he heard his pa berating him for giving an ear to superstition.\u00a0 The modern age of science was upon them, Pa would say, and was doing away with such old wives\u2019 tales.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019d explain that such beliefs were nothing more than the ignorant mind trying to account for something it didn\u2019t or couldn\u2019t<\/em> understand.\u00a0 Still, Joe wondered.\u00a0 He and his brothers had spent long hours in the company of old cowhands on the trail; men who had delighted in scaring the living daylights out of Ben Cartwright\u2019s three young sons by regaling them with harrowing tales of their narrow escapes from Indian curses, skinwalkers, and such.\u00a0 Men, he respected.\u00a0 Men he knew didn\u2019t lie.\u00a0 Every culture had the same stories, Pa would say.\u00a0 The people who told them were to be respected, but their tales not believed.<\/p>\n

He really <\/em>didn\u2019t want to believe Deke.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t really believe that stuff, do you?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

Deke hesitated.\u00a0 He let out a long, low sigh.\u00a0 Then he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGot ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took a second.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for gosh sakes, Deke!\u201d Joe exclaimed.<\/p>\n

The older man chuckled as he picked up the reins and urged a little more speed out of the tired horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cBet you ain\u2019t sleepy anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the end, Adam decided to go home first rather than follow the stagecoach, though it took all the restraint he had within him not to do so.\u00a0 They really were<\/em> short-handed at the ranch due to the illness that was going around and the time of year and, what with Joe being gone, if he was going to go riding off, he felt he had better let his father know why.<\/p>\n

Or at least a part<\/em> of why.<\/p>\n

If he told Pa the whole truth there would be no stopping the older man from chasing down that stage and, while his little brother might forgive him<\/em> for showing up unexpectedly to thumb a ride and<\/em> add another gun, Pa showing up was another matter.\u00a0 It would embarrass his brother in front of Deke and the other men.\u00a0 Besides, the man in black told himself, the stagecoach should have stopped for the night by this time.\u00a0 He\u2019d only be a few hours behind them if he started off at first light.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t have made it more than twenty or twenty-five miles in the time they had been on the road.\u00a0 On horseback, he could cover that distance in half , if not less the time.<\/p>\n

It was late when Adam rolled into the yard.\u00a0 He was hungry and wondered if Hop Sing had kept his supper hot.\u00a0 He\u2019d intended to be home long before this, but had spent a couple of hours wandering around town making inquiries about Nel\u2019s unsettling drifter.\u00a0 It seemed the man had come into town about suppertime the night before and made his rounds of the saloons, sitting in on a game of poker here, dancing with a hostess there, and so on.\u00a0 He\u2019d asked a lot of questions, specifically about the stage that was leaving town at three o\u2019clock the next day.\u00a0 His story was that he\u2019d had bad news and was making his mind up about a trip to California.\u00a0 He\u2019d mentioned a sister to one of the girls who worked with Nel.\u00a0 Cat was sure he was the man who had bought a ticket for the stage at the last minute. \u00a0Nel said, no, it hadn\u2019t been him.<\/p>\n

Still, she couldn\u2019t swear it.<\/p>\n

Of course, there was nothing sinister about asking for information on a departing stage or in buying a last minute ticket.\u00a0 Maybe the man really did<\/em> have family in California and had decided on a whim to pull up stakes and go there.\u00a0 Nel said he\u2019d won a few rounds at the table, so he had money in hand for the ticket.\u00a0 When he\u2019d asked what the man looked like both women had said he had thick dark hair and light eyes and wore a dark gray coat.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam wondered, and not for the first time, if the women were talking about two different men.\u00a0 Cat had found the man she described exciting, while Nel seemed to think the one she saw was a demon from Hell.<\/p>\n

Whatever and whoever he was, he needed to find out.\u00a0 His little brother\u2019s life might depend on it.<\/p>\n

The best way to do that, of course, was to follow the stage and confront the man.\u00a0 Hopefully he would turn out to be some innocent clerk or sales rep who really did <\/em>have a sister in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

As he hopped from the wagon and headed for the rail, reins in hand, Adam stopped.\u00a0 It was dark and he\u2019d just noticed the pair of horses tied there.\u00a0 As he stood, staring at them, trying to place the light-colored one, the front door opened and his middle brother stepped out.\u00a0 Hoss glanced over his shoulder and then came out to meet him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat took you so long?\u201d the big man asked, a hint of trouble in his tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was making some inquiries.,\u201d he answered as he wrapped the lines around the rail.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He eyed the two<\/em> horses.\u00a0 \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn army man.\u00a0 Name of Eastwind.\u201d\u00a0 His brother\u2019s bright blue eyes narrowed as he frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Little Joe\u2019s in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

An army man?\u00a0 \u201cDid he bring word of Red Pony?\u00a0 Is he planning an attack on the stage?\u201d he asked, nearly breathless.<\/p>\n

To his surprise, Hoss wrinkled his nose and sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes and no, but that ain\u2019t the worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blinked.\u00a0 \u201cNo?\u00a0 Then what is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

The black-haired man pivoted to find their father standing in the open doorway.\u00a0 The older man\u2019s face was grave.\u00a0 In fact, it looked as if nearly all the color had drained out of it.\u00a0 \u201cPlease come inside.\u00a0 You need to hear what Captain Eastwind has to say as it concerns you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dropped the reins and followed his father and brother inside. \u00a0Roy Coffee was standing just within the door on the Indian rug.\u00a0 The lawman nodded as he passed.\u00a0 Adam headed for the settee but was brought up short when he noticed a martial straight individual occupying the front edge of the red chair his father normally sat in.\u00a0 His stripes marked him as a captain.\u00a0 The man rose as he approached and held out his hand and it was only then that Adam noticed the color of his skin.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t white.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister Cartwright,\u201d the soldier said as he shook his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, this is Captain Nathaniel Eastwind.\u00a0 Captain, my eldest son, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was trying not to stare.\u00a0 Adam considered himself an educated, well-rounded man, one not prone to the general prejudices of the West, so it shamed him just a bit to find himself dumbfounded that he was shaking the hand of a captain in the United States Army who was obviously a native.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard, of course, of Indians fighting on the side of the Union Army in the conflict between the north and south, but those had been mostly eastern tribes.<\/p>\n

Nathaniel Eastwind looked Paiute, or maybe Apache.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Eastwind is a scout out of Fort Henry, Adam,\u201d his father explained.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s come with some rather disturbing news concerning the recent increase in Indian activity along the stage line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shot a glance at Hoss. \u201cI thought you said this didn\u2019t have to do with Red Pony.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 lips were pursed.\u00a0 He had that look he got, like a little boy considering the next checker.\u00a0 \u201cListen to what Captain Eastwind has to say, Adam, and you\u2019ll understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I begin,\u201d Eastwind said, turning to their father, \u201cif\u00a0 might I have a glass of water, Mister Cartwright?\u00a0 It was a long dusty ride here.\u201d<\/p>\n

As his father went to get the water, Adam took the opportunity to study their unexpected guest, who remained standing before the fire.\u00a0\u00a0 Nathaniel Eastwind was obviously native though, if he had to guess, he would have said the captain was of mixed heritage with at least one parent \u2013 or more likely, a grandparent \u2013 being white.\u00a0 His skin was fairly light, though deepened by exposure to the sun.\u00a0 His hair was near-black, as would be expected, but in the fire\u2019s light there was a sheen to it that he might have called \u2018bronze\u2019.\u00a0 Eastwind\u2019s eyes were an unusual light brown, like chocolate mixed with cream.\u00a0 He was a handsome man with strong features that included a wide and generous mouth which quirked from time to time at the ends as if something amused him.<\/p>\n

Probably watching four white man try to figure him out.<\/p>\n

The captain took the water his father offered him. He sipped at it, as if used to making due with little, and then sat the glass down on the table by the red chair.\u00a0 Locking his arms behind him, he began to speak by asking a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, Adam Cartwright, what do you know of Red Pony?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Pony again, even though this wasn\u2019t<\/em> about Red Pony.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a renegade chief, in charge of a band of outlaw Indians \u2013 Paiute, Apache and a few others \u2013 who have burned and looted and killed, driving off our neighbors and friends,\u201d Adam replied, barely suppressing his anger. \u201cThey\u2019ve been active on and off in the area for years and for some reason have started to conduct raids again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRed Pony isn\u2019t behind the raids,\u201d Eastwind said.<\/p>\n

He glanced at his father.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean, Red Pony isn\u2019t behind the raids?\u00a0 He\u2019s been seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis men<\/em> have been seen,\u201d the captain corrected him.\u00a0 \u201cIt is only a rumor that the chief was among them and that he was the one who sent the men out to commit these recent acts.\u00a0 He is not.\u00a0 He is at the Paiute camp north of here near the Bannock\u2019s land.\u00a0 Red Pony has not been…well.\u201d\u00a0 Eastwind paused.\u00a0 \u201cAt this moment the chief could not even sit a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

That seemed like very specific information for an army captain to have.\u00a0 \u201cDo you mind if I ask how you know that for certain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause Captain Eastwind\u2019s just been with Red Pony!\u201d Roy Coffee declared, speaking for the first time. \u201cAin\u2019t that right, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy\u2019s admiration of the man was obvious.\u00a0 Again, Adam wondered just who<\/em> he was and why he was really here \u2013 and what it had to do with Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust been with Red Pony?\u00a0 How?\u201d Adam scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cI would think a red man wearing the uniform of the white man\u2019s army would be the first one Red Pony\u2019s men would cut down.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time, Nathaniel Eastwind smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThe answer is simple.\u00a0 I was not wearing this uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 You mean you travel with Red Pony as<\/em> an Indian?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, he does, Adam,\u201d Roy said, his tone laced with humor.\u00a0 \u2018Don\u2019t you know who the captain here is?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was so confused it felt like Joe was home again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to the enigma wrapped in blue and gold before him.\u00a0 \u201cJust who <\/em>are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d his father said, \u201cNathaniel Eastwind is Red Pony\u2019s son.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They\u2019d reached Jess\u2019 place and knocked on the door, rousing the old man with a grumble from the light sleep decades of living in a hostile land had taught him to practice.\u00a0 He\u2019d come out ranting and raving about the lateness of the hour until he saw Deke and then, with a grin, had set to haggling with the driver over the price of a pot of coffee and some jerky and biscuits.\u00a0 Mrs. Norris had never seen jerky.\u00a0 She near fainted away when Deke handed her piece, declaring loud enough for the residents of San Francisco to hear that she was not about to eat dead meat.\u00a0 Joe\u2019d scratched his head at that one.<\/p>\n

Was there any other kind?<\/p>\n

In the end they\u2019d decided to let the passengers take a little rest before starting out again.\u00a0 It was a clear night with the stars singing overhead, so they\u2019d have no trouble finding their way.\u00a0 There was some risk in traveling in the dark, but Deke felt it was outweighed by the danger of staying too long in any one place with the cargo they were toting \u2013 especially since its arrival and delivery had been the talk of the paper\u2019s social page for nigh onto six weeks now.<\/p>\n

As Mr. Norris took to working in his ledger and Mrs. Norris fell into an uneasy sleep in Jess\u2019 late wife\u2019s rocking chair, Joe moved outside.\u00a0 True to his word, Jeri was sleeping in the coach and\u00a0 Deke was taking care of his animals.\u00a0 That left him alone with his thoughts.\u00a0 He moved a little ways off and sat on a stump by the rail fence.\u00a0 Watching Deke as he talked to the lead horse and stroked its brown muzzle, Joe was suddenly struck with a longing for home \u2013 for Cochise, for the ranch house, for the scent of Hop Sing\u2019s cooking and a night spent before the fire teasing and tormenting Adam and beating the chaps off Hoss at checkers.\u00a0 Much as he would deny it, bein\u2019 grown-up wasn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 Or at least, it wasn\u2019t easy for him.\u00a0 Adam had put on adulthood before he went to second grade, and Hoss, well, Hoss had always been so big that he was thought of as a man before he could cinch his own saddle.\u00a0 Him, well, he guessed in a way \u2013 and boy, did it hurt to admit it \u2013 in a way he was a pampered little rich boy.\u00a0 Maybe that was why he felt he had to keep pushing so hard to prove he wasn\u2019t.<\/em>\u00a0 There\u2019d always been someone there for him \u2013 someone to take care, someone to look out; someone to pull <\/em>him out of trouble.\u00a0 Joe snorted as he wiped a bit of moisture from his eye.\u00a0 Pa was worried about him having some kind of a death wish.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t that.<\/p>\n

He just knew there would always be someone there to catch him when he fell.<\/p>\n

So, that was why he\u2019d agreed to help Phil.\u00a0 Of course, it had been the right thing to do \u2013 there was a sickness in the area and Phil\u2019s wife had been hit hard.\u00a0 She had a new baby and wasn\u2019t very strong and Doc Martin had told his friend that his wife needed constant care.\u00a0 Phil couldn\u2019t afford a round-the-clock nurse and he had no family left.\u00a0 He and Phil had been fast friends when they were boys, along with Seth and a few others.\u00a0 They\u2019d raised twelve-year-old hell and had a great time of it.\u00a0 His pa had never approved of Phil, calling him \u2018wild and undisciplined\u2019.\u00a0 Joe grinned.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d never forgiven Phil for the chicken coop fiasco.<\/p>\n

He wondered what Pa would say if he knew cookin\u2019 those chickens in<\/em> the coop had been his<\/em> idea.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, when Phil told him he couldn\u2019t make the run \u2018cause of Maggie\u2019s illness, he\u2019d gotten it into his head that he<\/em> could.\u00a0 He was good with a rifle \u2013 probably one of the best in the area \u2013 though his strong suit was with the pistol slung on his hip.\u00a0 He felt confident that he could guard the stage as well as any man and, well, being out here \u2013 without his family in the mountainous area of the Sierra \u2013 was another step toward proving he was a man and that he could function, well, without that safety net that he knew he had.<\/p>\n

After all, he was<\/em> twenty-four!\u00a0 A lot of men his age had their own spreads with a wife and children and all the responsibility that came with those three things.\u00a0 In a way, it was odd that none of them had married.\u00a0 He\u2019d come closer than Hoss or Adam even though he was the youngest, and truth to tell he was always chasing the dream of finding a girl and settling down. \u00a0But that was just it \u2013 it was a dream.\u00a0 In reality he feared he\u2019d wake up from one day and find himself alone.\u00a0 Not alone because he chose it, like now, but alone because the woman he loved had died.<\/p>\n

Just like his mama.<\/p>\n

Maybe that was why he tended to like older women.\u00a0 Not only did they remind him of his ma a little \u2013 at least of the picture of her he had in his head that was based on the paintings his pa had \u2013 but they\u2019d made it past thirty and had a firm hold on life.\u00a0 Weathering a storm made you stronger.\u00a0 Sure saplings could bend with the wind, but they were also easily uprooted.\u00a0 Gone in a breath of air.\u00a0 Like Amy.<\/p>\n

Like Laura.<\/p>\n

Joe sniffed again and stood up.\u00a0 Thrusting his hands into his pockets to warm them, he headed over to talk to Deke who had just finished with the horses and was heading back to the shack.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe!\u201d the older man called in greeting. \u201cHow come you aren\u2019t catchin\u2019 twenty winks or so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might ask you the same thing,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

Deke shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI got me <\/em>someone ridin\u2019 shotgun.\u00a0 I can sleep on the seat.\u201d\u00a0 The older man reached out and poked his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s you<\/em> as gotta have your wits about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked out into the night.\u00a0 \u201cHow much farther do you intend to go before stopping?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a way station about every twenty or thirty miles.\u00a0 The first leg is the longest since the company figures you fattened up and rested at the main branch before leaving.\u00a0 I think we got us about ten more miles to the first one.\u201d<\/p>\n

So they\u2019d covered near twenty miles already.<\/p>\n

Joe glanced at the stagecoach where it sat looking for all the world like the one that Eller girl\u2019s fairy godmother had magicked out of a pumpkin.\u00a0 He lowered his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you make of Mister Carlisle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNormally, I don\u2019t bother to put a make on the people I haul.\u00a0 They\u2019re just more cargo.\u00a0\u00a0 But with what\u2019s in the Box….\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shivered.\u00a0 He blew out a puff of breath vapor as he said, \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Me too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke\u2019s hand went to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re shakin\u2019, boy.\u00a0 You need to get inside and get warmed up and sleep for a bit.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at the moon that was near full.\u00a0 \u201cI figure we\u2019ll leave in an hour or so.\u00a0 Maybe ride two or three more hours.\u00a0 That should take us to the company station.\u201d\u00a0 The older man lifted his hand from his shoulder as he turned and looked out over the land in front of them and the range of hills surrounding it.\u00a0 \u201cIf we move at an even pace, the coach won\u2019t make too much noise.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like the fact that the moon\u2019s so high, but look over yonder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned west.\u00a0 The sky was dark there, almost like a blight.<\/p>\n

\u201cRain,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cOr snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u00a0 Maybe a mix of both.\u00a0 Good and bad for travel.\u00a0 It\u2019ll mask the moon and us, but it\u2019ll also make this hilly trail tricky tomorrow when it melts.\u201d\u00a0 Casting an experienced eye upward, Deke added, \u201cI think we can make it to the station house before it hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think it will slow us down much?\u201d Joe asked, still eying the western sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to say.\u00a0 Might add an extra day or two.\u201d\u00a0 The driver\u2019s voice softened.\u00a0 \u201cYou missin\u2019 home, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

He hated to admit it, but at the moment his great adventure was beginning to look like one long, hard, frigidly cold, uncomfortably hot, wet and uncomfortable journey.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cJust a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet you got a big old bedstead with a fine feather tick right next to a toasty fire in that big ranch house of yours.\u00a0 And if I know Hop Sing, there\u2019s always a cup of somethin\u2019 hot waitin\u2019 beside it.\u201d\u00a0 At his look, Deke chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGood fortune ain\u2019t a buckin\u2019 bronco.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to get thrown. \u00a0It don\u2019t mean you\u2019re spoiled, Joe.\u00a0 Just blessed.\u201d\u00a0 The older man took another step in the direction of the shack. \u201cNow, come on, I don\u2019t want no bleary-eyed boy ridin\u2019 beside me.\u00a0 I need a fully rested man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and together, they returned to Jess\u2019 place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On a slight rise in the ground, not too far away and hidden behind a clump of scrubby fir trees, a pair of native men watched the two white men disappear into Old Man Jess\u2019 hovel.\u00a0 The eldest of the pair looked at the warrior at his side.\u00a0 He was young \u2013 no more than two and twenty as the white man tallied years \u2013 as well as reckless.\u00a0 Shadow Walker was known to take action first and consider the consequences of that action later.\u00a0 It was different for him.\u00a0 He too had been young once, but his father had named him \u2018Thinks Twice\u2019 because that was what he did even then \u2013 think, and think again so that there would be <\/em>no consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should return to Many Kills and tell him what we have seen,\u201d the young warrior said, urging his mount to turn.<\/p>\n

Thinks Twice sighed.\u00a0 He was never content, this one.\u00a0 He was consumed by a need to prove himself that burned hotter than the sun and that was why his <\/em>name was Shadow Walker.\u00a0 Always he walked the edge of the night, waiting for the dawn, eager for the next hunt \u2013 the next kill.\u00a0 That was why, though among the youngest of the warriors who had left the ailing Paiute chief to follow his son, Many Kills, Shadow Walker had been chosen for the honor of leading the raiding party against the white man\u2019s stage the following day.<\/p>\n

He had counted the whites as they went into Jess\u2019 place.\u00a0 Four men and a woman.\u00a0 Three of the men were near his age; men old enough to have a son such as the one who sat beside him.\u00a0 The other was young as Shadow Walker.\u00a0 Thinks Twice sighed.\u00a0 He too had had a son of this age, but he had been sacrificed under this moon to the white man\u2019s guns.<\/p>\n

Perhaps, if the raid went well, he would have another one.<\/p>\n

Of course, Thinks Twice scoffed as he turned his pony\u2019s nose west and followed his companion silently into the hills, if all went as Shadow Walker desired, there would be no one<\/em> left alive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FOUR<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at the soldier beside him who was checking his cinch strap, making sure his saddle was secure.\u00a0 Nathaniel Eastwind had changed out of uniform and was dressed as a civilian now in an outfit that included a black slouch hat, a deep blue bib shirt, and Y-back braces.\u00a0 He had a black kerchief tied around his neck and\u00a0 wore brown canvas trousers.\u00a0 When Adam had jokingly asked him if he had a war bonnet hidden somewhere in his saddle bags as well as a full set of Indian regalia, Nathan \u2013 as the soldier told him to call him \u2013 had just smiled.<\/p>\n

The two of them were getting ready to set off in pursuit of the stagecoach Joe was riding shotgun on.\u00a0 They were going to travel fast and light.\u00a0 Hoss and his father, as well as Roy Coffee and half a dozen other men \u2013 among them some very irate ranchers \u2013 would follow two hours behind.\u00a0 This would give the two of them enough time to assess the situation and ride back in order to plan some kind of strategy.\u00a0 Adam shivered.\u00a0 Logic and common sense lay at the heart of any successful line of attack.<\/p>\n

How did one plan to deal a madman?<\/p>\n

\u201cI want one last word with your father, and then I\u2019ll be ready to ride,\u201d Nathan said and then, without a further word, walked to the ranch house and went inside.\u00a0 He\u2019d dealt with military men over the years \u2013 many of them buying horses \u2013 but it still took some getting used to when it came to dealing with such a steel trap mind.\u00a0 It was either open waiting for trouble, or closed tight and dealing with it.\u00a0 Nathan was not much of a conversationalist.<\/p>\n

Although he had talked more than enough the night before.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been right in assuming that Nathan had white blood.\u00a0 His maternal grandmother had been a captive, taken by the Paiute as a substitute for a daughter they had lost to the white man\u2019s plague.\u00a0 Her <\/em>daughter had married Red Pony.\u00a0 She was one of several wives the chief had and, as his youngest, had been favored.\u00a0 When Nathan turned thirteen \u2013 an age at which he and his brothers were still going to school and sticking girls\u2019 pigtails in inkwells \u2013 the Indian scout, then called Bluecoat for his love of watching the long lines of soldiers crossing the land, had been deemed old enough to join in the raids on settlers\u2019 farms.\u00a0 In one such raid the family \u2013 which fought with honor the soldier said, showing a bit of his native heritage \u2013 was massacred.\u00a0 One son survived.\u00a0 The boy was taken by Red Pony and reared as his son.<\/p>\n

The boy had been Fleet Rowse.<\/p>\n

Even now, just the mention of the outlaw\u2019s name made Adam shudder.<\/p>\n

Nathan explained that in time his father came to honor Rowse more than him, for the older man and the white boy were of a type.\u00a0 While Nathan questioned every destructive action the tribe took, Fleet was more than satisfied to ride at Red Pony\u2019s side and wallow in the blood of innocent men, women, and children.\u00a0 In time, though he was not disowned, Nathan ceased to be his father\u2019s son.\u00a0 His maternal grandfather, a wise old man who saw the future with dying eyes, told him on his deathbed to leave; that his destiny lay elsewhere.<\/p>\n

It lay among the men his father and white brother sought to kill.<\/p>\n

And so Bluecoat became Nathaniel Edward Eastwind.\u00a0 He sought out his grandmother\u2019s people and when they found he was the grandson of the child they had lost, they welcomed him.\u00a0 He knew he was fortunate.\u00a0 It could easily have gone the other way.\u00a0 They could have rejected him for being Indian.\u00a0 They did not, and as they were people of some substance, he was sent to the east to school.\u00a0 When the war between the states began, he saw it as his duty to fight for the Union, joining one of the eastern units of mixed Native tribes.\u00a0 After his service ended, Nathan decided to remain in the army.\u00a0 When he\u2019d asked him why, his companion had smiled sadly.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is the only family I have,\u2019 he replied.<\/p>\n

Adam leaned on Sport and looked toward the ranch house.\u00a0 After that the conversation had turned to the dire news Nathan brought to them.\u00a0 After the war he had requested a position on the frontier near the home of his childhood.\u00a0 His superiors agreed that he could do the most good here, and so he had returned to Nevada to live within the shadow of the life he had known \u2013 a part of it, and yet, not a part.\u00a0 He had served as a scout for many expeditions and was sometimes assigned to accompany the stagecoaches as they rolled across the land \u2013 if and when they carried army supplies, men, or money.\u00a0 Such had been the case a week and a half before when the stage had been attacked near Webster\u2019s Station.\u00a0 During the battle he had seen a lone figure watching from the top of a gorse-covered hill, observing the scene of carnage.<\/p>\n

It had been his brother, Many Kills.<\/p>\n

His white<\/em> brother.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse.<\/p>\n

Immediately after the raid ended, Nathan had ridden back to his unit and wired all the nearby forts and towns for information.\u00a0 From what information the army had supplied he believed the adopted son of Red Pony was in prison.\u00a0 It was then he discovered the truth.\u00a0 His white brother had escaped from the institution five years before.\u00a0 After killing several men, he\u2019d gone to Virginia City where he kidnapped one of Ben Cartwright\u2019s sons and nearly caused the death of him and his brother.\u00a0 Nathan also\u00a0 learned from the telegrams he received from Sheriff Roy Coffee, that Fleet had recently made inquiries in town about his sister.\u00a0 Her name was Aurora Guthrie Clark \u2013 the same Aurora Guthrie Clark whom the newspapers reported had only recently inherited a vast fortune.\u00a0 Nathan told them that Aurora was headed for Placerville at this very moment, traveling on the eastbound stage.\u00a0 According to what word the army had, the stage she rode was bound to pass the one Joe was riding shotgun on around Webster\u2019s Station.<\/p>\n

Instantly it had become clear what the outlaw\u2019s intentions were.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse was going to use the Indians to raid either one or both of the stages.\u00a0 He would take Aurora and<\/em> her fortune and kill anyone who got in his way.<\/p>\n

Due to the Indian uprisings further north, Nathan said, there were few soldiers to spare.\u00a0 A patrol of half a dozen men had been ordered to ride from one the California posts to overtake Mrs. Clark\u2019s coach.\u00a0 The soldier was sure that the growing storm would slow them down.\u00a0 Seeing this, Nathan had sought and gained permission from his commander to ride to Virginia City to warn the authorities .\u00a0 He was to raise a posse and meet both<\/em> stages.\u00a0 Before they left, he had considered it his duty to come to the ranch.\u00a0 It seemed the Cartwright name had come up often in the reports.\u00a0 Joe had been mentioned, and so had he.<\/p>\n

Apparently Rowse had been asking about them too.<\/p>\n

At the end of the evening all of them had been shaken hands, determined to set out at first light.\u00a0 So far the storm had held off.\u00a0 If God was with them, they would reach the stagecoach Joe rode shotgun messenger on before it made it halfway to Placerville \u2013 before Webster\u2019s Station and in plenty of time to prepare for the planned attack.<\/p>\n

Adam ran a hand over his face.\u00a0 Then again, this was his<\/em> little brother they were talking about.\u00a0\u00a0 And though he loved Joe more deeply than his own life, he had to admit that it wasn\u2019t Francis that was his brother\u2019s middle name.<\/p>\n

It was \u2018trouble\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe hadn\u2019t slept a wink.\u00a0 For the whole hour he laid in the shack, listening to Old Jess\u2019 soft snoring, he\u2019d heard a steady sound above it.<\/p>\n

Tick<\/em>-tick.<\/p>\n

Tick-tick.<\/em><\/p>\n

Even though he figured the old man had a clock hidden somewhere or maybe it was Mr. Norris who had a timepiece in his pocket \u2013 after all bankers always carried gold watches \u2013 all he could think about was Deke\u2019s grandma\u2019s mouthful of Welsh death.\u00a0 When Deke came to call him he was wide-awake.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it was that kind of \u2018awake\u2019 that put a man on edge and made him jumpy.<\/p>\n

The kind that caused him to make mistakes.<\/p>\n

Fighting stiffness and feigning cheerfulness, Joe climbed up and onto the driver\u2019s seat as Mister Norris and his ever-complaining wife came out of the shack.\u00a0 He wondered idly if the woman ever did anything other than complain.\u00a0 Of course, after spending a little time talking to her this morning during breakfast he understood a her little better.\u00a0 The world was a small place.\u00a0 She\u2019d known Adam\u2019s Boston grandmother and was a Massachusetts\u2019 girl herself.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t so much that she was angry or put out or just plain bothersome.<\/p>\n

She was scared.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d also discovered that she wasn\u2019t as old as he thought at first.\u00a0 While Mister Norris was a little younger than Pa and a little older than Deke, she looked like she was about Adam\u2019s age. \u00a0She told him this was her first trip out West and from what she had seen so far, it would be her last.\u00a0 He\u2019d smiled and promised her Sacramento was a lot more civilized and he thought she\u2019d be happy there.\u00a0 She\u2019d given him a smile then that had made him see what must have turned Mister Norris\u2019 head ten years before when they got married.\u00a0 She kind of reminded him of the picture of Inger his pa had on his desk.\u00a0 She had really light blond hair and pretty blue eyes.\u00a0 The only thing that marred her beauty was the worry lines on her face.\u00a0 They wrinkled her forehead and were plowed deeply in at the ends of her plump pink lips.<\/p>\n

Joe smiled at the woman again as she approached the stage and watched as her husband helped her in.\u00a0 Mister Norris was in a foul mood.\u00a0 Not only had he balked at the long delay, but he wasn\u2019t happy that Jeri Carlisle had disappeared.\u00a0 Deke informed him that the salesman had gone to relieve himself and that he\u2019d thought it was better to do it out of Mrs. Norris\u2019 sight.<\/p>\n

That was the first time he\u2019d heard the woman laugh.<\/p>\n

A moment later Carlisle reappeared, pulling his overcoat closed and buttoning it.\u00a0 The man gave the two of them a friendly wave before boarding, and then \u2013 with a salute to Jess for his kindness \u2013 they were off once again.<\/p>\n

Joe figured it had to be about one in the morning.\u00a0 With luck, they would pull into the station about dawn and in its relative safety take refuge from the approaching storm.\u00a0 Deke was still tossing coins as to whether it would be rain or snow.\u00a0 He was afraid it would be both.\u00a0 If old man winter decided to lay down a thick coating of ice that it would take the autumn sun hours to burn off, they might lose all the time they had gained. Deke said the way station was a nice one, built by some fancy dude who thought he could fleece the passengers coming through both ways.\u00a0 He\u2019d set it up with a Spanish cook and a cantina and thought he would be king of the Sierra.\u00a0 They\u2019d found him one day, nothing but bones, lost while out surveying his domain.\u00a0 After that it had passed into the hands of the stage line and they\u2019d kept it pretty much as it was.\u00a0 There were several beds and a good place to cook and eat, and most of the time it was manned by an old Mexican Indian couple who had ties with the American Army dating back to President Polk\u2019s War.\u00a0 After his less than restful night, Joe was looking forward to the stop.\u00a0 They\u2019d lay up there about half a day while the horses were changed out and they all got some rest, and then make another run, moving again under the cover of darkness.\u00a0 It was a hard push, but that way they\u2019d make it to Placerville in record time.\u00a0 As Deke urged a little more speed out of the horses, Joe pivoted on the seat, taking a look behind.\u00a0 At the moment he had little fear any trouble would come from there.\u00a0 After all, they\u2019d barely put two miles between them and the station.\u00a0 Still, something nagged at him.\u00a0 Something that left him uneasy.\u00a0 Maybe it was due to his being tired \u2013 to his heightened senses \u2013 or maybe it was due to the sound one that the coach wheels made as they rolled along.<\/p>\n

Tick-tick.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tick<\/em>-tick.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright yawned as he stepped out of the house, gear in hand for the early morning job he had to do in the barn.\u00a0 After a fitful night of sleep, the dawn had come and it found him in charge of the ranch.\u00a0 Their pa had insisted on joinin\u2019 up with the posse, so\u2019s he\u2019d ridden to town with Roy Coffee the night before.\u00a0 Adam, who was stepping into his stirrup and mountin\u2019 Sport, was headin\u2019 out with that there army man.\u00a0 That left him to manage things at home.<\/p>\n

He sure <\/em>wasn\u2019t happy about it.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d traded a few sharp words, him and Pa, not sayin\u2019 it, but tryin\u2019 to outdo each other for their worry for Little Joe.\u00a0 Adam loved Joe, he knew that, but for him and Pa there was somethin\u2019 that just went clean through and past that word when it came to the youngest Cartwright.\u00a0 One of his lady friends \u2013 a girl he\u2019d courted a short time who was as outspoken as his little brother \u2013 had called him an \u2018old mother hen\u2019 one day when he\u2019d been worryin\u2019 and fussin\u2019 about Joe not pullin\u2019 in yet for supper.\u00a0 \u2018You\u2019d think you were his mother,\u2019 she\u2019d chided.<\/p>\n

That was \u2018cause, in a way, he was.<\/p>\n

A memory stabbed the big man as he stood there, staring at his older brother sitting on Sport\u2019s back.\u00a0 Adam had just returned from college.\u00a0 Older brother had been heading into town and Little Joe\u2019d wanted to go with him.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t have been no more than ten.\u00a0 His big brother had been in a big hurry to join their pa and he left so fast he practically kicked dirt in Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 What Adam didn\u2019t understand was that Joe didn\u2019t want to tag along to annoy him or to get into trouble in town with his friends.\u00a0 Joe\u2019d missed him and wanted to be with him.\u00a0 He just didn\u2019t know how to say it.\u00a0 It weren\u2019t long after Ma\u2019s death when Adam left for the East and his goin\u2019 done cemented one fact in baby brother\u2019s active,\u00a0 agile mind.<\/p>\n

People who went away didn\u2019t always come back.<\/p>\n

Little Joe had thrust his lip out, brushed the dust off his shirt and pants, and then stomped toward the house and the door.\u00a0 The boy sure had been strong even then.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard the door slammin\u2019 clear out in the barn.\u00a0 Later, when he went inside, he found Hop Sing callin\u2019 his brother\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Where you be, Little Joe?\u00a0 Supper ready, Little Joe!\u00a0 Hop Sing tell father when he return if you no come to table now!\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019d sat down and ate his supper, but still Joe was a no-show.\u00a0 After the table had been cleared and Hop Sing had stopped shoutin\u2019 and started worryin\u2019, they both started huntin\u2019.\u00a0 Finally, he found his little brother up in Adam\u2019s room, on older brother\u2019s bed, sobbin\u2019.\u00a0 Pa weren\u2019t there, so he was the only one could comfort him and he had, taking Little Joe into his arms and holdin\u2019 him halfway through the night.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lips twitched.\u00a0 There was another memory.\u00a0 It was of Marie this time, on a day when she\u2019d been told Adam and his Pa were in danger and she should stay put until the search party found them.<\/p>\n

You should\u2019 a seen how fast that little woman could pull on a pair of dungarees!<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething funny, Hoss?\u201d Adam asked from his perch on Sport\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind had just settled on his horse.\u00a0 He turned to him and said in that way Indians\u2019 did.\u00a0 \u201cThat is not a smile of amusement, but one of affection and concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man snorted.\u00a0 \u201cTell me, Captain Eastwind, are all of you natives mind readers, or does it just seem that way to us white folks?\u201d<\/p>\n

Absolutely deadpan the soldier responded, \u201cOf course we read minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

His blue eyes blinked.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u00a0 Can you tell me what I\u2019m thinkin\u2019 right now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had lowered his head and was shaking it.\u00a0 \u201cOh, for goodness sake….\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind was like most of the Indians he\u2019d come to know while travelin\u2019 with his pa.\u00a0 There was a sense about him of being rooted to something so deep no white man could understand it \u2013 as if the land he walked, the wind and the water, were all a part of him.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t exactly that Indians didn\u2019t know fear \u2013 any smart man did \u2013 but he had a notion that death only meant going into that deep place and so there wasn\u2019t nothin\u2019 there a man like Eastwind was scared of.<\/p>\n

The soldier\u2019s eyes danced and his lip quirked.\u00a0 \u201cYou do not mean to remain behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beside him, Adam\u2019s head came up.<\/p>\n

Hoss sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cCourse, I\u2019m stayin\u2019 put.\u00a0 I promised Pa \u2013\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cYou promised your father not to argue with him anymore.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan\u2019s white teeth flashed within the framework his deeply tanned face.\u00a0 \u201cI believe your exact words were. \u2018It ain\u2019t no use arguin\u2019 with you, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just be about doin\u2019 what needs doin\u2019.\u2019\u00a0 Were they not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was watching him, a frown on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might of said that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, Pa needs you here to manage the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth you and I know, Adam, he don\u2019t need no such thing!\u201d he exploded.\u00a0 \u201cThe ranch hands can handle it for a few days.\u00a0 Pa just don\u2019t want all three of us out there exposed to those renegade Indians.\u00a0 He\u2019s already half out of his mind with worry about Little Joe, and now he\u2019s got to throw you into the mix and I\u2019m the one come up short!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss drew a breath and held it, fighting his temper.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gonna sit here at home nursin\u2019 cows while some dang renegades are out to kill my family!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan stared at him a moment and then opened his hand and held it out to Adam.\u00a0 Hoss frowned as his brother fished for and dropped a coin into it.<\/p>\n

The soldier laughed at his face.\u00a0 \u201cI told your older brother I could read minds.\u00a0 He bet I couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one didn\u2019t take much,\u201d Adam growled.<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s smile faded as he looked from him to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI would trade all I own to have brothers such as you.\u00a0 For many reasons, between Many Kills and me, there is nothing but hate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry about that, Captain,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNathan, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNathan.\u00a0 Now, you take care of that brother of mine you got there with you, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was looking at him.\u00a0 \u201cSo when are you intending on leaving, or aren\u2019t you going to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll let the posse get an hour\u2019s lead or so, and then head out,\u201d he said with a grim smile.\u00a0 \u201cThat way, while they watch your back, I can watch theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s, you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Little Joe, in their family, it was their Pa who seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded to him as he and Nathan pointed their horses\u2019 noses toward the road.\u00a0 Hoss watched for a moment and then he remembered something Pa had asked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSay, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother reined in his horse and looked back.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa asked if you got the mail when you were in town yesterday.\u00a0 Did you?\u00a0 He\u2019s lookin\u2019 for that contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam thought a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I did. When I got home and saw Roy\u2019s horse, I completely forgot about it.\u00a0 It\u2019s under the wagon seat.\u00a0 The confirmation is there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave him a thumbs-up.\u00a0 \u201cYou take care!\u201d<\/p>\n

His older brother flashed one of those devil-may-care smiles he had \u2013 the kind that made him look like an older version of Joe \u2013 and then, with a salute, he and the army man were gone.<\/p>\n

After finishin\u2019 his chores in the barn, Hoss came back outside, more than ready for the hot breakfast Hop Sing would be puttin\u2019 on the table.\u00a0 On the way he went to the wagon and fished yesterday\u2019s mail out from under the seat.\u00a0 Some of it had wedged behind one of the boards . He had to tug to get it out and tore the corner of a pretty pale blue envelope open in the process.\u00a0 When he got in the house, he tossed it along with the other mail on the credenza and went to eat.\u00a0 After helpin\u2019 Hop Sing clear the table, the big man was headin\u2019 back out when he noticed the blue envelope again.\u00a0 Curiosity won out and he crossed to the credenza and picked it up.\u00a0 He turned the letter over and saw that it was addressed to Little Joe.\u00a0 Liftin\u2019 if to his nose, the big man breathed in the perfume it was soaked in.\u00a0 As he did, he saw there was somethin\u2019 shiny in it.\u00a0 He shook it and a little silver paper ring fell out\u00a0 of the hole and onto his palm.\u00a0 As he eyed the trinket a phrase on the exposed part of the letter caught his attention.<\/p>\n

\u2018…be there soon\u2019, it said.<\/p>\n

Now, he wasn\u2019t one for readin\u2019 his brother\u2019s\u00a0 mail, but with Joe bein\u2019 gone and all he figured it was his duty just to make sure Joe didn\u2019t miss anythin\u2019.\u00a0 Hoss held the letter to his nose and smelled the perfume again.\u00a0 He sighed just a little as he did.\u00a0 Anythin\u2019 or any one<\/em> that was.<\/p>\n

After all, what were big brothers for?<\/p>\n

Crossing over to his father\u2019s desk, he located Pa\u2019s letter opener and slipped it into the torn envelope.\u00a0 It only took two motions and it was open.\u00a0 Placing the little paper ring in his shirt pocket, he began to read the letter.<\/p>\n

The first paragraph or two were filled with the kind of chit-chat girls\u2019 was prone to, talkin\u2019 about where they\u2019d been and tellin\u2019 all about the latest fashions and such things.\u00a0 As he continued to read, the writer mentioned havin\u2019 been away five years and lookin\u2019 forward to seein\u2019 Little Joe again.\u00a0 Hoss turned the paper over and looked for a signature. \u00a0Just as he found it, the paragraph above it jumped out at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he breathed.<\/p>\n

\u2018So, you see, I\u2019m all finished with finishing school now.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t seem to find anything left to polish, so they let me go.\u00a0 I now know how to sit, stand, walk with a book on my head while keeping my back in the proper position, yawn like I\u2019m bored but not gape, and bat my eyelashes with the best of them.\u00a0 The sole purpose of which is, of course, enticing young men and snagging the richest husband I can find.\u00a0 But you and I both know I\u2019ve already got a rich and handsome young beau, and I\u2019ll be expecting him to meet the 5 o\u2019clock stage from Sacramento on the seventh of November.\u00a0 Bring the ring with you.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019ll be aboard!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

It was signed with a kiss and the name, Bella Carnaby<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Carnaby was headin\u2019 for the Ponderosa and she was on the same stage as Fleet Rowse\u2019s sister.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe stretched and ran a hand through his unruly curls, trying to tame them before he put his hat back on his head.\u00a0 Dawn had come and gone along with storm, which had proven less potent than Deke feared.\u00a0 It had laid down less than an inch of snow over the spare hills and road and that had already vanished as the land heated up.\u00a0 There was another one the horizon, though, and the stage driver had awakened him an hour or so early so they could check the stage over again and care for the horses and be ready to head out by the time the others had finished breakfast.\u00a0 They were looking at a long day.\u00a0 The next way station was twenty-three miles on and Deke wanted to make it by dark and then lay over like they had the last night before taking off again and traveling through the wee hours of the morning.\u00a0 Joe looked at the older man as they worked in tandem on getting the horse\u2019s tackle in place.\u00a0 Deke was edgy.\u00a0 His eyes kept moving from the horizon and the storm to the road ahead.\u00a0 When he\u2019d asked him about it, the older man had shook his head and muttered something about it not being \u2018prudent\u2019 to speculate on what was going to happen \u2013 like saying it out loud might call it down on their heads.\u00a0 He hated to admit it, but he had a sense of it too.\u00a0 Like something hanging, waiting to happen.<\/p>\n

Then again, that could have just been the storm.\u00a0 They could do funny things with a fellow\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

When Deke was satisfied, it was a repeat of the day before with the passengers mounting the stage as the day pushed into afternoon and waving goodbye to the old Indian couple who had fed and given them a bed for the night.\u00a0 He\u2019d had a hard time falling asleep at first and had wandered out on the porch.\u00a0 When he did, he heard voices coming from the little stable that was attached to the side of the main house where they\u2019d sheltered the horses from the storm.\u00a0 Wandering over, he\u2019d realized it was Deke, talking to the man who ran the way station.\u00a0 When he heard the name \u2018Red Pony\u2019 his ears perked up.\u00a0 It seemed some of the earlier reports of the renegades actions in the area had come from the old Indian, whose name was Jacob.\u00a0 Some of Red Pony\u2019s men had been spotted, Jacob said, about ten miles down the road just before the Strawberry Valley stop.\u00a0 That was where they were aiming to halt for the day.\u00a0 Deke had decided to pass by Yank\u2019s station without stopping.\u00a0 After that, there were still some forty-five miles to go to Placerville.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d be about halfway there.<\/p>\n

Joe sat now, wide awake, his sawed-off double-barrel shotgun clutched in his fingers as he scanned the land both before and after the coach.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help that the pass they were going through was thick with pine trees and other ground vegetation, providing ample places for someone to hide.\u00a0 They\u2019d warned Mister and Mrs. Norris and Jeri Carlisle that they were going through a tricky bit of country. The banker had surprised him by pulling out a fancy pearl-handled pistol with silver fixings, saying he could take care of himself and his wife.\u00a0 Carlisle had merely grunted and told them he was prepared for anything.\u00a0 So far Joe hadn\u2019t seen anything, but like Deke his senses were heightened.\u00a0 He jumped at every bird call and once had even gone so far as to pivot and rise, sighting along his gun when he heard two of them answering each other.\u00a0 Still, as the evening progressed and nothing happened, he relaxed a bit \u2013 at least enough that he could carry on a conversation with Deke and even have a laugh or two.<\/p>\n

That stopped just about midnight as weariness overtook them and both he and the driver looked forward to gettin\u2019 the last five miles done.\u00a0 It was the dead of night and snow had begun to fall once again, coating the rugged trees and blanketing the already cold, barren land.\u00a0 The moon was full like the night before and its light caused the ribbon of road that ran before them to turn into a silver river.<\/p>\n

Joe saw it first.\u00a0 Just over the next rise.\u00a0 A thin trail of smoke, spiraling up into the sky like a spirit on its way to the next world.<\/p>\n

Deke clucked and slowed the horses.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep an eye out, Joe.\u00a0 This could be a trick to make us stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded as his fingers went white on the polished barrel of his shotgun.\u00a0 He licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cYou think it\u2019s Red Pony?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no tellin\u2019 \u2018til we get there.\u201d\u00a0 Deke shook the reins, picking up a little speed.\u00a0 \u201cYou just take hold, Little Joe.\u00a0 If it looks like trouble old Luke and Lutie know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke and Lutie were the horses pulling the stage.<\/p>\n

As they topped the rise, the source of the smoke became all too apparent.\u00a0 A partially burned stagecoach lay on its side in the center of the road, the smoke rising from a small portion of it that was still burning. \u00a0All around it were scattered suitcases and valises that had obviously been ransacked.<\/p>\n

Several bodies lay amidst the ruins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019ll we do?\u201d Joe asked, breathless.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see any sign of anyone hanging around?\u201d Deke asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI say!\u201d Mister Norris suddenly called, sticking half of his lean frame out the window.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down and shut up and keep that gun of yours ready!\u201d Deke ordered, all business.\u00a0 As he did, Joe heard Mrs. Norris gasp and a ripple of sympathy ran through him.\u00a0 Poor woman.\u00a0 This was more than she\u2019d asked for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he heard Carlisle ask.\u00a0 \u201cDeke?\u00a0 Report!\u201d<\/p>\n

The driver glanced at him.\u00a0 His look seemed to say, \u2018Sorry, Joe\u2019<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cBurned out stage.\u00a0 Looks like everyone\u2019s dead or dying.\u00a0 You want me to stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned. \u00a0Deke was taking orders from Jeri Carlisle?<\/p>\n

The other man\u2019s dark head was showing on the side of the stage.\u00a0 He was leaning out the window.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Roll on past.\u00a0 Slowly.\u00a0 If it seems safe, we\u2019ll stop on the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Joe turned to the driver with a puzzled look on his face, Deke mouthed, \u2018Pinkerton.\u2019<\/p>\n

He\u2019d wondered why the Treasure Box with the gold wasn\u2019t under Deke\u2019s feet anymore, but in the coach\u2019s hold.\u00a0 Now it made sense, as did Carlisle\u2019s rather cavalier attitude.\u00a0 Jeri must have been hired by the bank or the stage company to travel incognito so he could keep watch over their investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost there,\u201d Deke announced through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n

Joe heard Mrs. Norris take in a breath of air, cough, and then start sobbing as the smoke from the burning coach passed over them in a cloud, carrying with it the scent of roasted meat.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s stomach sickened and he wanted to turn away, but he forced himself to look at the bodies that lay beside the road out of respect as much as necessity.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much left, but he could tell there was an older man and woman, probably husband and wife.\u00a0 Their scalped and scorched corpses lay near one another. The woman\u2019s hand was stretched out.\u00a0 Beside them was the body of a young woman whose skirts were pulled up, indelicately displaying her partially burned legs.\u00a0 As they rolled by, he noted another figure amidst the ruins. A man who might have been the driver.\u00a0 He was partially hidden.\u00a0 One of the coach\u2019s horses had fallen on top of him before dying.\u00a0 It had several arrows in its brown hide.\u00a0 As Joe noted that the man had not been burned, he saw him move.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe driver\u2019s alive!\u201d he yelled, his voice low and shaking with rage.<\/p>\n

Deke nodded, his face grim.\u00a0 \u201cMister Carlisle?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a pause.\u00a0 Then, to Joe\u2019s relief, Carlisle called out, \u201cOkay, slow down.\u00a0 I\u2019m getting off.\u201d\u00a0 Before the coach had come to a halt Jeri was out of it and issuing orders.\u00a0 \u201cCartwright, you\u2019re with me.\u00a0 Deke, take the Norris\u2019 on another quarter mile or so and then stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at Deke.\u00a0 The older man shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got my orders.\u00a0 Guess you do too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stage was still moving, but climbing down and hopping off was a piece of cake compared to riding a bucking bronco.\u00a0 As Joe\u2019s boots hit the ground, Carlisle ordered him to bend low and follow him over to a clump of trees.\u00a0 \u201cI need to get over to the driver,\u201d he said, all business.\u00a0 \u201cCover me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 He hesitated, but he had to know.\u00a0 \u201cWhy me?\u00a0 Why not Deke?\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlisle shot him a look that rolled from his face to the gun slung low on his hip.\u00a0 \u201cI checked around, Cartwright.\u00a0 I know you know your way with a gun.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been told you\u2019re just about the fastest draw around.\u00a0 Deke\u2019s a good driver, but that\u2019s not what I need.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around briefly. \u201cI don\u2019t for one minute believe they\u2019ve gone, but I need to talk to the driver before he….\u201d<\/p>\n

He let the end of that sentence hang in the air just like the driver\u2019s life was hanging \u2013 by a thread.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed Pony, you mean?\u201d Joe asked as he pulled unbuckled the strap on his holster.<\/p>\n

Carlisle snorted. \u00a0\u201cYes, Red Pony.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Raising up a bit on his legs, the agent crouched and counted.\u00a0 \u201cOn three, use the shotgun to lay down some cover and then get that pistol up and ready.\u00a0 One.\u00a0 Two.\u00a0 Three!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe did as he was told, scattering shot from first one barrel and then the next before dropping the larger weapon and palming his six-shooter.\u00a0 When there was no answering fire, he took a moment to reload the shotgun and then sat there on his haunches waiting for further instructions.\u00a0 It was probably only a few minutes later, though it felt like an eternity, when Jeri Carlisle ran back to his side.\u00a0 Once there he crouched again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sign of anyone?\u201d Jeri asked, breathless.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about the driver?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDead.\u201d\u00a0 The agent paused.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s strange.\u00a0 I was sure he wouldn\u2019t leave without the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoney?\u00a0 Since when\u2019s an Indian interested in money?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeri Carlisle stood up.\u00a0 After a second, he holstered his weapon.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid, this particular \u2018Indian\u2019 is.\u00a0 You keep your gun at the ready, Cartwright. \u00a0I\u2019m going to talk to Deke.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Joe remained crouched where he was.\u00a0 Then as Carlisle moved off, he did too, walking over to look at the driver who lay trapped beneath the near ton-weight of the animal.\u00a0 He even knelt just to double-check that he was dead.\u00a0 As he did, Joe heard a horse whinny and nearly jumped out of his skin until he realized it was another of the coach team that was standing just off the road, munching on grass as if nothing of any moment had happened.\u00a0 In the distance he could hear Mrs. Norris shouting.\u00a0 She sounded hysterical.\u00a0 Within a few minutes her cries turned to sobs and she fell silent.\u00a0 Probably warned that if she didn\u2019t she\u2019d likely meet the same fate as the victims lying in the dirt.\u00a0 That, or be taken by the Indians as a captive.\u00a0 The curly-haired man made it to the end of the burnt coach, with the intention of paying respects to the dead, when suddenly he stopped.\u00a0 The girl he\u2019d seen as they rolled past was there.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t have been more than sixteen or seventeen years old.\u00a0 Just a child, really.\u00a0 A child who would never grow up to marry, to have her own kids, and to grow old in the bosom of a loving family.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nearly jumped out of his skin.\u00a0 A sheepish grin lit his face.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Deke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry I startled you.\u00a0 I…\u00a0 Well, I felt bad I had to keep from you who Carlisle really\u00a0 was.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u00a0 The only thing it might have done was make me feel a little better, you know, knowing a professional was on board.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarlisle\u2019s a good man.\u00a0 I\u2019ve run with him before.\u00a0 He has a lot of wartime experience with the Indians.\u00a0 Used to be in the army before he signed up with the Pinkerton\u2019s.\u00a0 Wells Fargo hired him to guard Mrs. Clark\u2019s money and wanted him to travel incognito.\u201d\u00a0 Deke smiled grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI guess he raised a few eyebrows hoppin\u2019 on the stage at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe sure raised mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cCarlisle found the stage roster.\u00a0 Looks like it was near full for the run.\u201d<\/p>\n

A concord coach could hold up to nine people on the inside alone.\u00a0 He\u2019d counted four bodies so far.\u00a0 \u201cNear full?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA Mister and Mrs. Parrish.\u00a0 We\u2019re betting they\u2019re the ones dead.\u201d\u00a0 He grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cThey were traveling with a son and daughter.\u00a0 Seems there were two more.\u00a0 Another young girl and Mrs. Clark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe blinked back surprise.\u00a0 \u201cAurora was on the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Deke looked wary.\u00a0 \u201cShe a friend of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

The vibrant redhead had been Aurora Guthrie <\/em>five years before when his pa had hired her to come out to the Ponderosa in order to watch over eleven-year-old Elizabeth Carnaby who\u2019d come to stay with them for the winter.\u00a0 Everything had gone south when Aurora\u2019s brother escaped from prison and came looking for her and the payroll money Pa usually kept in the safe….<\/p>\n

Joe paled enough that Deke put out a hand and caught him by the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

His green eyes wide, he pushed past Deke and headed over to where Carlisle was standing, talking to Mr. Norris.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s him, isn\u2019t it?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

The agent turned to look at him.\u00a0 \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t Red Pony was it, that did this?\u00a0 I bet it wasn\u2019t even Indians!\u201d<\/p>\n

The man caught his arm and directed him away from the stagecoach where Mrs. Norris was trying to rest.\u00a0 \u201cIt was Indians, all right,\u201d Carlisle said as he released him.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re the ones who usually travel with Red Pony, but they\u2019ve got a new leader since the old chief\u2019s sick.\u00a0 Goes by the name of Many Kills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Fleet Rowse, isn\u2019t it,\u201d Joe stated, his jaw tight and his nostrils flaring.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s taken Aurora and you think he\u2019s out there waitin\u2019 to take the money as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlisle shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s about the size of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCouldn\u2019t you have done something to prevent \u2013 this!\u201d\u00a0 Joe pointed to the coach, the lingering smoke; the dead bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe army was sent out on the western end.\u00a0 It appears they were held up by the weather.\u00a0 There\u2019s a army captain in Virginia City who is supposed to have organized a posse\u00a0 He should be coming this way.\u00a0 I<\/em> came as quickly as I could.\u00a0 Cartwright, what else were we supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s anger vanished as quickly as it flared.\u00a0 \u201cI…don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeri Carlisle was a good twenty years older than him.\u00a0 He placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s a lot\u00a0 to take in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hung his head and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cDo we know their…names?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s the Parrishes, like I said.\u201d\u00a0 The Pinkerton agent reached into his pocket and pulled out a singed piece of paper.\u00a0 \u201cMother, Mary, and father name of Charles.\u00a0 The missing boy is named Thom and their girl was Polly, or is Polly.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cThere was another teenage girl on the coach.\u00a0 There\u2019s no way of knowing which young woman\u2019s dead.\u00a0 They\u2019re both listed as being seventeen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe could see the girl\u2019s half-burned legs, the blackened skin grotesque where it fused with the pure white cloth of her torn pantaloons.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the name of the other girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

When he heard it, it was as if the world stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, it says here.\u00a0 Bella Carnaby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tick-tick<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Tick<\/em>-tick.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FIVE<\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright stood stock-still, gaping in horror at the ghastly scene that had unfolded as he and Nathan topped the rise.\u00a0 The estranged son of Red Pony was at his side, offering support without words.\u00a0 He\u2019d realized as a kid when he went with his father to treat with the various Indian tribes in the area, just how important silence was.\u00a0 Unlike most white men, the natives of this land valued<\/em> silence.\u00a0 They understood that there were some things that were simply too deep for words.<\/p>\n

Like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will look for him,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

Adam caught the other man\u2019s arm as he began to move.\u00a0 His own hand trembled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019ll look.\u201d<\/p>\n

He owed Joe that much.<\/p>\n

The two of them had ridden hard, using Eastwind\u2019s army authority to commandeer horses at each of the way stations they passed.\u00a0 With fresh mounts on the average of every twelve miles, they\u2019d made good time in spite of the fact that a light snow had begun to fall.\u00a0 They\u2019d expected to overtake Joe and the coach he was guarding long before dusk.\u00a0 When they\u2019d arrived at Jess\u2019 station, the old man there told them they were too late.\u00a0 The stagecoach was long gone.\u00a0 Deke had decided to do the same thing it seemed \u2013 press on without stopping and beat the approaching storm by driving his team through the night.<\/p>\n

The burnt-out skeletons of two<\/em> top-of-the-line Concord coaches that lay abandoned on the road before him told the story of just how spectacularly<\/em> wrong that choice had been.<\/p>\n

Without words.<\/p>\n

Still, being a white man he fought the need for them.\u00a0 After all, Adam Cartwright was a man of letters \u2013 a scholar of <\/em>the white man\u2019s words.\u00a0 He\u2019d need words to tell Pa what had happened when his father and the posse rode over that hill later in the day.\u00a0 His Pa would come to him for the words he wanted <\/em>to hear \u2013 that his little brother was all right; that Joe\u2019s vibrant presence hadn\u2019t been snuffed out in the wind of hate that blew through this place the night before in the form of a dozen bloodthirsty renegades mounted on the backs of painted ponies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Words.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want them now.\u00a0 Had come to hate them.\u00a0 Without words he could pretend everything was as it had been, that his little brother\u2019s mutilated corpse had not <\/em>been found among the half-dozen or so scattered across the land before him, some so badly disfigured only their clothing identified them as men or women.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s hazel eyes shifted to the far side of the eastbound coach.\u00a0 There was one grave.\u00a0 A shallow one.\u00a0 Above it someone had staked a makeshift cross.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s surface was splattered with blood.<\/p>\n

A hand came down on his shoulder.\u00a0 He braced himself for the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless your brother is in the grave, he is not here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s legs nearly buckled.<\/p>\n

Words.<\/p>\n

He had to remember, there were <\/em>other words.\u00a0 Not carnage or devastation, destruction, or<\/em> despair.\u00a0 He struggled for them.\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t come.\u00a0 What were they?\u00a0 Then, like the wisp of smoke spiraling into the sky above the far coach, almost impossible to catch, one came to him.\u00a0 Only one.<\/p>\n

It spilled out along with his tears.<\/p>\n

Hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot…not here?\u201d he stuttered.<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s jaw was tight; his chocolate-brown eyes narrowed with rage and purpose.\u00a0 \u201cTwo women and a girl.\u00a0 Many men.\u00a0 None of them young.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the men was Deke.\u00a0 They\u2019d come upon the stagecoach driver first, a little ways off from the scene of the bloodbath.\u00a0 He was lying behind a group of rocks surrounded by scrubby bushes, his gun in his hand and his body riddled with arrows.\u00a0 Beside him on the ground, crushed and battered and soaked in God only knew whose <\/em>blood, had been Little Joe\u2019s hat.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019d been another corpse a little ways off, so badly burnt it was impossible to identify.\u00a0 A thin layer of pristine white snow blanketed it as it did just about all of the land around them.<\/p>\n

The storm had arrived just in time to bury the dead.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d started for that second corpse, sure<\/em> it was Joe, and then \u2013<\/p>\n

That was when he lost it.\u00a0 At that moment everything that was in him had come roaring up and out in one great vomit of grief.\u00a0 He\u2019d fallen to his knees and remained there as Nathan came alongside and then passed him, moving from one violated corpse to the next, doing what he <\/em>should have been doing, searching for the little brother he loved and had failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of them…are Joe?\u201d he repeated, barely daring to believe those words.<\/p>\n

This time they were the anchor he needed.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I will go unearth the grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then Nathan and his hand were gone.<\/p>\n

Adam waited a moment and then sucked it in and rose to his feet.\u00a0 He\u2019d lived near a lifetime in the west and been party to a good many atrocities, but never had he personally seen wholesale slaughter on such a scale.\u00a0 It was as if whoever had done this had been filled with a rage that new no limits.\u00a0 The people who were dead had been killed, but that had not been enough. They\u2019d been scalped as well, mutilated, and their bodies burned.\u00a0 It was the work of…a madman.<\/p>\n

His fists tightened until he feared the skin over his knuckles would burst.<\/p>\n

Rowse.<\/p>\n

Nathan was walking toward him, his face long and thoughtful.\u00a0 There were more words to come.\u00a0 At first they brought him joy, but then immense sorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe grave was shallow.\u00a0 It is a female in it.\u00a0 I would guess, sixteen or seventeen years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam winced.\u00a0 Hoss had told them about Bella being on the eastbound stage.\u00a0 She was about that age.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Could it be….<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d he said after a moment.<\/p>\n

The captain frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI said it is not<\/em> your brother – \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 It was Joe buried her.\u201d\u00a0 Adam chuckled and the sound of it was madness in his ears.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the only one I know who would be crazy enough to bury someone in the middle of an Indian raid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI will be honored to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Will\u2019, not would have.<\/em><\/p>\n

There was that word again.<\/p>\n

Hope.<\/p>\n

As they buried the other victims the snow continued to fall, covering the brown earth and the crimson blood with a blue-white mask.\u00a0 They\u2019d been at it a couple of hours when he heard the sound of horses hooves thundering in the distance.\u00a0 Adam looked at Nathan who was kneeling beside the grave of the girl.\u00a0 He\u2019d just placed a fresh cross there, made with scrap wood from one of the coaches.\u00a0 The soldier rose and came to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 Somehow he knew it was.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at his companion and then at the row of shallow graves.<\/p>\n

Words.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright squinted, wiggled his nose, and tried to open his eyes.\u00a0 When that didn\u2019t work, he reached up and pulled at the dried blood that welded his eyelashes shut in an attempt to speed things up, but only succeeded in knocking some of the rust-colored matter into his eyes where it burned and brought tears.<\/p>\n

As if he hadn\u2019t cried enough.<\/p>\n

Gingerly, he reached around the back of his head to check the wound there and winced as his fingers found it.\u00a0 Pulling them back and looking at them, he sighed. \u00a0It had been some time since the Indian attack and the wound was still bleeding.\u00a0 That was probably not<\/em> a good sign.\u00a0 Still, at the moment his thinking was pretty clear, so maybe what he\u2019d taken was just a glancing blow.\u00a0 Scalp wounds bled like heck no matter what.\u00a0 Joe closed his eyes and leaned against the rock at his back, taking a moment to rest his eyes.\u00a0 He knew it was a stupid thing to do.\u00a0 After all, he was surrounded by hostile Indians, all of which wanted him dead.\u00a0 What he really needed to do was get on his feet and hightail it into the hills. But he couldn\u2019t do that.\u00a0 At least not yet.\u00a0 Shifting slightly, Joe glanced at the unconscious man at his side.<\/p>\n

Jeri Carlisle was still alive.<\/p>\n

Joe blew out a sigh.\u00a0 The others weren\u2019t.\u00a0 They were dead.\u00a0 All<\/em> of them were dead.\u00a0 The surly banker Mister Norris and his frightened wife.\u00a0 The Parrish family from the first coach.\u00a0 Deke.\u00a0 His friend, Deke.\u00a0 And God…dear <\/em>God….<\/p>\n

Bella.<\/p>\n

He was sure it was her.<\/p>\n

There was no reason to know other than that he just knew<\/em>.\u00a0 After Deke read the name off the roster, he\u2019d walked woodenly over to where the girl\u2019s body lay.\u00a0 She\u2019d been tossed there like something that had been used and discarded as trash.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen Bella in nearly five years.\u00a0 He\u2019d gone to visit her that spring like he promised, the one after she\u2019d come to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 They\u2019d had a grand time and she\u2019d agreed to come visit him again the next year but then, her family\u2019s fortune changed.\u00a0 They lost a crop and then there was a fire and they lost their beloved little house.\u00a0 The Carnabys tried to hold on for a time.\u00a0 Pa offered to help them rebuild, but Levi Carnaby was a self-made man and he politely refused, saying he couldn\u2019t accept\u00a0 charity.\u00a0 Instead he packed the entire family up \u2013 his wife Mary, Bella, Jack, and their dog, Scamp \u2013 and went to Oregon for some of that free land Pa was always talking about.\u00a0 Bella wrote him and he wrote her back over the next few years, letters and letters and letters.\u00a0 Through them he witnessed her growing up, going from that cute little twelve-year-old girl who never stopped talking and who had an answer for everything, to a young woman whose letters spoke of finishing school and dances, and the dream of getting married.<\/p>\n

Married.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s lips curled in a regretful smile.\u00a0 He\u2019d <\/em>promised to marry Bella one day.<\/p>\n

Instead, he\u2019d just buried her.<\/p>\n

Seeking to exorcise the demon vision of that blackened corpse, Joe thought about the last letter he\u2019d gotten from her a few months back.\u00a0 She was close to completing a two year course at a girl\u2019s school and had hopes of getting a job at a high-end ladies\u2019 store so she could help support the family.\u00a0 There were two more Carnabys now, another brother and another little \u2018Bella\u2019 named Sophie who he heard had the same spiraling golden curls.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d found one of those curls, hacked off and tossed beside her body.\u00a0 He\u2019d kept it.\u00a0 The lock of hair was tucked deep down in his pocket.\u00a0 When the despair and rage he felt got to be too much, he\u2019d reach in and wrap his fingers around it and its softness would remind him of her.<\/p>\n

And the tears would flow again.<\/p>\n

Using his gun hand, Joe ran a filthy sleeve over his face, striking back the ones that were falling now, and then hunkered down again.\u00a0 Leaning his head against the boulder, he listened for any sign of the Indians.\u00a0 They were like smoke, the Paiutes.\u00a0 Or maybe more like a morning mist that rose out of nowhere and disappeared just the same.\u00a0 He was so tired and his head hurt so<\/em> much.\u00a0 All he wanted to do was sleep, but he had to stay awake.\u00a0 He had to stay alive.<\/em>\u00a0 He just had<\/em> to.\u00a0 Someone had to tell these people\u2019s story.\u00a0\u00a0 Someone had to make the renegades pay….<\/p>\n

Someone….<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s head jerked up.<\/p>\n

God.\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d fallen asleep.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t <\/em>do that.<\/p>\n

If he fell asleep, they\u2019d take him.\u00a0 He knew what Indians did to their captives and, worse, what these <\/em>Indians would do to him<\/em> if they caught him.\u00a0 All along people had thought it was Red Pony who was leading these raids.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was Pony\u2019s adopted son, Fleet Rowse.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t seen Rowse, but he\u2019d heard him \u2013 laughing as the Indians hacked and scalped and burned their victims.\u00a0 He\u2019d have known that cold malevolent voice anywhere.\u00a0 \u2018Many Kills\u2019, that\u2019s\u00a0 the name Red Pony\u2019s people had given him, which was funny since he was only a boy then.<\/p>\n

Well, not funny really.<\/p>\n

Sad.<\/p>\n

What could make a child hate that much?<\/p>\n

Tasting blood, Joe spit it out.\u00a0 In the position he\u2019d taken, wedged in-between a pair of rocks, not quite standing up but not laying down, the blood from his wound ran along the curve of his jaw and into his mouth.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t remember being hit, but then, he knew from experience that was nothing unusual.\u00a0 Doc Martin told him it was a miracle he had any memories at all considering all the times he\u2019d been thrown from a horse and hit his head or been pistol-whipped.\u00a0 Apparently, a man\u2019s head could only take so much and when it was struck too hard he forgot a little ways back and a little ways forward.<\/p>\n

He wished he could<\/em> forget.<\/p>\n

Forget those blackened legs and those white pantaloons.<\/p>\n

That curly golden hair.<\/p>\n

God, no….<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s head didn\u2019t jerk this time.\u00a0 It lolled to one side and the motion woke him up.\u00a0 He was laying on the ground looking up at the sky.\u00a0 Carlisle was still beside him, coughing and breathing hard.\u00a0 He felt really guilty about Jeri.\u00a0 The Pinkerton man had fought him about burying Bella.\u00a0 He said they needed to get moving, that hanging around wasn\u2019t really a smart idea.\u00a0 That Fleet Rowse was out there somewhere.<\/p>\n

But it was…Bella.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t….<\/p>\n

He just couldn\u2019t<\/em> leave her like that.<\/p>\n

Finally, the agent relented.\u00a0 While Deke got the horses and the passengers ready, he told Joe he could bury the girl.\u00a0 Just <\/em>the girl.\u00a0 Jeri needed to get to Placerville so he could send off telegraphs and call in other agents.\u00a0 So he could alert the army.\u00a0 They\u2019d come, he said, to canvas the hills for Rowse and Aurora.<\/p>\n

Aurora.\u00a0 At least she<\/em> was alive.<\/p>\n

But Bella….<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s fingers fought to clench, but didn\u2019t quite form fists.\u00a0 What little strength he had was draining away fast, but it would be enough \u2013 it had<\/em> to be enough.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want<\/em> the army or the Pinkertons or Roy Coffee or anyone else to find Fleet Rowse.\u00a0 It would be their duty to bring the outlaw to justice.<\/p>\n

Duty.\u00a0 Justice.<\/p>\n

Words.\u00a0 Only words.<\/p>\n

Standing there looking at that shallow grave, taking a rock and hammering a cross with the name \u2018Bella\u2019 into the hard earth above what was left of his heart, he\u2019d been filled with such a soul-deep rage that his slender frame had been unable to contain it.\u00a0 He\u2019d dropped to his knees and let out a howl of anguish that echoed across the miles.<\/p>\n

Or so he thought.<\/p>\n

But, no.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t an echo.\u00a0 Not at all.<\/p>\n

It was a war cry.<\/p>\n

The renegades had returned.<\/p>\n

Deke rushed forward, seeking safety within a nest of rocks and taking the first shots.\u00a0 He\u2019d run to join him, but just as he arrived the driver fell with two arrows in his chest.\u00a0 After that it was a blur.\u00a0 Chaos exploded around him.\u00a0 Mrs. Norris was screaming.\u00a0 The stagecoach was on fire. \u00a0Smoke rose into the air, obscuring the view of what had suddenly become a battlefield.\u00a0 Joe remembered standing by Deke\u2019s body.\u00a0 His hat was gone and a warm breeze blew through his hair.\u00a0 One of the renegades was coming right for him and he took him out with last shot.\u00a0 Then, he was on his knees.\u00a0 As his senses caught up to what had happened, he raised a hand to his head and felt blood.\u00a0 A second later a hand caught his arm.\u00a0 Jeri hauled him up and shouted at him to \u2018run!\u2019.\u00a0 His feet obeyed, even though his brain was lagging behind, still wondering how it was gonna make them move.\u00a0 In the murderous frenzy that followed, somehow they managed to get away \u2013 him and Carlisle.\u00a0\u00a0 It must have been the smoke.\u00a0 There was so <\/em>much smoke.\u00a0 It billowed across the barren ground, mingling with the snow that had begun to fall.<\/p>\n

As Carlisle snapped another order and he fought to make his body obey, Joe remembered Deke telling him that the Pinkerton agent was an army man.\u00a0 When there was nothing left, Jeri\u2019s training took over.\u00a0 He got them away from the field of battle and, when he just couldn\u2019t get his feet to move, half-dragged him up into the rocks where he was now.\u00a0 Before he lost consciousness, Jeri said he was pretty sure the Indians knew where they were and would be content to wait until they\u2019d weakened enough that they could move in and finish them off.<\/p>\n

Joe wasn\u2019t so sure.\u00a0 He remembered that demon laugh, rolling across the hills.\u00a0 Somehow he didn\u2019t think it was over between him and that madman.<\/p>\n

Not by a long shot.<\/p>\n

The next time he opened his eyes, Carlisle had fallen silent.\u00a0 The wound in the agent\u2019s thigh had been a bad one and from the puddle of red underneath him, it looked like the man had bled out.\u00a0 Sucking back more tears, Joe looked up.\u00a0 A gentle snow was falling.\u00a0 He blinked as the big flakes settled on his eyelashes.\u00a0 The funny thing was, he wasn\u2019t cold.\u00a0 He was covered in snow, lying on bare ground, and he wasn\u2019t cold.\u00a0 Then again, maybe he was so <\/em>cold, he was numb.<\/p>\n

That, or he was dying.<\/p>\n

Yeah, that was probably it.<\/p>\n

He was dying.<\/p>\n

As he lay there, slipping in and out of consciousness on his way to eternity, Bella came to him.\u00a0 Not as he remembered her \u2013 not as the twelve-year-old girl she\u2019d been the last time he saw her \u2013 but as the woman he\u2019d glimpsed once or twice when he caught her staring at her image in the mirror primping, or watching him with something more than puppy love in her eyes.\u00a0 She knelt, took his hand, and spoke the words her younger self had spoken all those long years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2018You still gonna wait for me to grow up so I can marry you?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe chuckled as his eyes closed.\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cWell, now, how about…we check back…on that in four or five years?\u2019 he replied, just as he had before.\u00a0 \u2018Who knows, by then…you might have another feller.\u201d<\/p>\n

She fell into his arms then and held him tightly.\u00a0 He could feel her, smell her; hear her beloved voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, Little Joe,\u201d Bella whispered near his ear.\u00a0 Then her warm lips brushed his cold cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI love you.\u00a0 Please don\u2019t be dead, Little Joe.\u00a0 Please, please<\/em>, open your eyes….\u201d<\/p>\n

He should, he supposed.\u00a0 She was asking so sweetly.<\/p>\n

But it was such a nice dream, he really didn\u2019t care if he ever woke again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright was shaken.\u00a0 He had heard, of course, of such massacres, where the intent was to obliterate identification of the victims by stripping away both face and form, but he had never seen it so close up or had it hit so close to home.\u00a0 It seemed in the five years Fleet Rowse had spent in Mexico that he had given in completely to his darker nature.\u00a0 Ben remembered hearing \u2013 from someone, Atticus Godfrey perhaps \u2013 how as a boy Rowse had been known to kill animals just for the thrill of it, and how that sick pleasure had grown into a nature fully capable of the evil they saw here.\u00a0 He knew as well that there were among the Indians \u2013 as with any group of men \u2013 those who would follow Rowse\u2019s lead.\u00a0 Hate had done this \u2013 a great <\/em>hate.\u00a0 A hate so dark and so deeply rooted that it could only find relief in desolation.\u00a0 The older man stood up.\u00a0 He looked around noting the blood.\u00a0 There was so much, the snow had yet to cover it.\u00a0 It chilled him think about what Nathan Eastwind had said.\u00a0 The soldier believed Fleet Rowse\u2019s anger had been directed at these poor people, not because he hated them, but because the one he did <\/em>hate had escaped.<\/p>\n

Little Joe had not been among the victims.<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes and breathed out a prayer of thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew which son it was before he turned.\u00a0 Hoss had been quietly propping him up since shortly after they arrived to find his brother Adam standing, stunned to inaction, in the midst of the ruined and burned wreck of what had once been two majestic ships of the land.\u00a0 Though he had told him to stay at the ranch, he couldn\u2019t be angry with his middle son.\u00a0 Not after what had happened.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 place was here, with him.\u00a0 With Adam.<\/p>\n

And with their missing brother.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed before turning toward his giant of a son.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Hoss, what is it?.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked hesitant as he always did.\u00a0 As if what he was going to say was out of place, maybe unwanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam\u2019s hurtin\u2019, Pa.\u00a0 He won\u2019t talk to me.\u00a0 You think maybe you could….\u201d<\/p>\n

He had<\/em> tried, but for Hoss\u2019 sake, he\u2019d try again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man tilted his head toward the east.\u00a0 Ben looked.\u00a0 The sun was just rising after a long, cold night.\u00a0 His eldest son\u2019s black-clad figure was cast as a silhouette against its glory.\u00a0 Adam was standing with Joe\u2019s hat in his hands, his head bowed before the long line of graves.\u00a0 The older man patted his middle son on the arm and headed that way.\u00a0 When he arrived, he said nothin as he joined Adam in paying his respects.<\/p>\n

It was a few minutes before his eldest\u2019s shoulders rose and fell with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Pa?\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/em> he asked.<\/p>\n

Words felt false, wrong.\u00a0 <\/em>Not enough.\u00a0 But they were all he had.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not for us to know, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hazel gaze sought his face.\u00a0 \u201cIt could be Joe buried here.\u00a0 It might have been.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cIt still may<\/em> be.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man cleared his throat when the words refused to come.\u00a0 He knew as well as Adam that the fact that Joe \u2018s body had not been found meant little.\u00a0 It could <\/em>mean he had escaped, but more likely it meant Rowse had found him and taken him and if that was so….<\/p>\n

Adam turned toward him.\u00a0 The raw emotion on his face was like a blow.\u00a0 \u201cI want Rowse, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to have<\/em> him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though it nearly killed him, Ben had agreed to wait to begin the search.\u00a0 There was no way of knowing how many renegades they were facing.\u00a0 At the moment they were waiting for the soldiers who had set out from California a few days before to arrive.\u00a0 Roy was holding back his posse.\u00a0 Every man there was ready and eager to head into the hills in search of survivors, regardless of the danger to themselves.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t all altruistic.\u00a0 They understood that their families were in danger from these men.\u00a0 Maybe their whole way of life.\u00a0 Like him, the citizens of Virginia City who had come with Roy, recognized that whoever had orchestrated this attack was a monster \u2013 a spirit more malevolent than any of them had ever known \u2013 and that he had to be stopped.\u00a0 There was to be three parties \u2013 Roy\u2019s, the army\u2019s, and the one theirs, which would be led by Nathan Eastwind.\u00a0 He and his sons had volunteered for it.\u00a0 Insisted, really.\u00a0 Now he wasn\u2019t so sure Adam should go.<\/p>\n

Angry men made mistakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what you\u2019re thinking, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that.\u00a0 It\u2019s not revenge.\u00a0 It\u2019s….\u201d\u00a0 His son\u2019s eyes met his, pleading for understanding.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like a mission.<\/em>\u00a0 It\u2019s my fault, Pa.\u00a0 This, the other raids, they\u2019re all my fault!\u00a0 I was stupid that day on the hill five years back.\u00a0 All I could think of was Joe.\u201d\u00a0 His son fell silent, faltering, like a tall ship that had lost its wind.\u00a0 \u201cI let Rowse get away.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a ship lay becalmed, it often lost its way.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t let that happen to his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother had been hurt.\u00a0 He was lost in a blizzard.\u00a0 You found Joseph lying at the bottom of a ravine, hurt, perhaps dying, and knew he would quickly freeze to death.\u00a0 Of course, your first concern was for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa!\u00a0 If I\u2019d just thought!<\/em>\u00a0 I could have taken Rowse out first.\u00a0 I should <\/em>have \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stepped up to his son and did something he seldom did, with Adam at least.\u00a0 He cupped his hand around his boy\u2019s neck and made him look into his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cCould have.\u00a0 Should<\/em> have.\u00a0 But.\u00a0 If.\u00a0 Adam, words have power.\u00a0 They can break a man\u2019s soul or heal it.\u00a0 Saved.\u00a0 Restored.\u00a0 Blessed.\u201d\u00a0 Tears welled in his eyes and threatened to fall.\u00a0 \u201cYou found your brother.\u00a0 You <\/em>saved him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam drew in a breath and let it out slowly, regaining control.\u00a0 He straightened up and looked toward the rocky hills in the distance \u2013 in the direction Rowse and his renegades had gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly to lose Joe again, Pa.\u00a0 Maybe this time forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forever.\u00a0 Another word.\u00a0 A beautiful and terrifying one.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright\u2019s smile was rueful.<\/p>\n

He had to remind himself \u2013 as he would remind his eldest when Adam would hear it \u2013 that no matter what they found, Little Joe was safe forever<\/em> in God\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Someone was pawing at him.\u00a0 He hoped it wasn\u2019t some sort of scavenger.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t dead yet.\u00a0 Or, at least, Joe didn\u2019t think he was.<\/p>\n

If you were dead, did you know<\/em> you were dead, or did you just, well, get up and keep movin\u2019 until you stumbled on the Pearly Gates?\u00a0 After all, it seemed like Saint Peter would have to be a million places at once to rope everyone who died everyday and haul everybody up there.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s what angels were for.\u00a0 Pa said the Heavenly Host was past counting, numerous as the stars, so there\u2019d sure as shootin\u2019 be enough of them to find all those wandering souls.<\/p>\n

You know, maybe that\u2019s <\/em>what was pawing at him. \u00a0Not some scavenger, but an angel.<\/p>\n

Maybe you did<\/em> have to walk.<\/p>\n

Joe gave it a lot of thought and then tried to move his legs.<\/p>\n

Nope.\u00a0 Nothing.<\/p>\n

He kept it up for what seemed like a day or two and then sighed.<\/p>\n

Only it came out as a groan.<\/p>\n

That hand, the one that had been pawing at him, started in again.\u00a0 Fingers ran through his hair, touched his face, even pressed against his heart as a voice breathed near his ear. \u201cShush,<\/em> you have to stay quiet.\u201d\u00a0 The hand covered his mouth.\u00a0 A heavier weight pressed against his chest.<\/p>\n

What were they doing?\u00a0 Breathing was hard enough without whoever it was laying\u2019 on top of him!<\/p>\n

He meant to tell them about it.\u00a0 Instead, he moaned again.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe!\u00a0 Hush!\u00a0 They\u2019re right on top of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fingers clamped down more tightly on his lips.\u00a0 Leastwise, they left his nose clear so he could breathe.\u00a0 He guessed they didn\u2019t want him dead.<\/p>\n

If he wasn\u2019t already<\/em> dead.<\/p>\n

He thought he was<\/em> dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cShush,\u201d whoever it was ordered.<\/p>\n

He decided to try counting.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard once you couldn\u2019t count in a dream, so he figured maybe you couldn\u2019t count if you were dead either.\u00a0 He managed to do it, though it went something like \u2018one, two, four, six, five, ten.\u2019<\/p>\n

He was counting toes and fingers in his head, so he knew when he got to twenty-four something was wrong.<\/p>\n

The pressure on his chest increased and suddenly his chin was resting on something soft and warm.\u00a0 For a moment he thought it was Cochise nuzzling him, but then he remembered he\u2019d left his horse in town for his brothers to fetch and take back home.\u00a0 He was going to be gone for a while.\u00a0 For a week or two.\u00a0 Gone with…Deke…on the stagecoach…riding shotgun messenger.\u00a0 Deke…who was dead.\u00a0 Deke who had shown him that God-awful manifest.\u00a0 Deke who told him Bella was dead.<\/p>\n

Bella.\u00a0 Dead.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes shot open.\u00a0 He was staring at a dawn sky shot with purple, pink and orange.\u00a0 Whoever was laying on top of him blocked his line of sight, but he could hear them, panting, taking tiny little breaths like they were terrified.\u00a0 He could smell them too.\u00a0 Puzzled, his eyebrows worked their way toward the center.\u00a0 While he<\/em> smelled like leather, soot, and sweat as most any man would, whoever it was smelled, well, like a field of flowers on a fine spring day.<\/p>\n

Make that a field of lavender covered with snow.<\/p>\n

A moment later the hand released its hold on his lips and the pressure on his chest eased.\u00a0 He heard something that sounded like a sigh and then words.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank god!\u00a0 He\u2019s called them back.\u201d\u00a0 A little wind struck him, chilling him to the bone, as whoever it was slipped off the top of him onto the ground.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe!\u00a0 Did you hear me?\u00a0 They\u2019re gone!\u201d<\/p>\n

They were in his line of sight right now.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see them clearly, but he thought he knew who it was.\u00a0 Though their face was hidden in shadow, the rising light had come down to earth and settled in the halo of golden curls framing it.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s hand inched toward his pocket where the earthly form of one of those curls lay.<\/p>\n

Yep, Saint Peter sent angels all right.\u00a0 This one had come to take him home.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s dry lips parted.\u00a0 His hand trembled as he reached out for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

A word.<\/p>\n

Nothing more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SIX<\/p>\n

The army had arrived and the chase was begun.<\/p>\n

All together about two dozen men took to the snowcapped hills that lay close to a half-mile east of the road the stage traveled.\u00a0 They split into three parties, two of which were mounted and comprised of a mix of deputized civilians and Calvary men.\u00a0 The third contained Captain Eastwind, him, and his sons.\u00a0 They took off as soon as it was light, hoping to follow what tracks remained before the sun had time to burn them away.\u00a0 Roy Coffee headed the party that went north and Major Hamilton from California, the one that went south.\u00a0 He and Hoss, along with Adam and Nathan, abandoned their horses as soon as they reached the bottom of the hills and proceeded on foot.\u00a0 They were going to cover the roughest and rockiest terrain.<\/p>\n

The men they hunted, for the most part, were known to the Indian scout.\u00a0 Nathan had lived with them and, in some cases, fought at their side.\u00a0 Eastwind was a man of deep conviction and feeling.\u00a0 Jaw tight, his voice shaking with barely contained rage, he had argued against searching the flat lands to the north and south, insisting that they would only be wasting their time.\u00a0 If any of the passengers had gone that way, he declared, they would have been overtaken and killed.\u00a0 It was only in the hills that someone might find refuge from the threat of the ruthless men who had once been his brothers.\u00a0 In the end, he won permission to take a smaller party up into the rocks to look for signs.\u00a0 Their objectives was to locate survivors.<\/p>\n

Theirs was.<\/p>\n

His was to find his son.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright\u2019s grip on his pistol he held was white-knuckled.\u00a0 The best they could tell the attack had happened mid-afternoon to late evening the day before.\u00a0 That was some twelve to thirteen hours ago.\u00a0 A great deal could happen in that time.\u00a0 If those who survived were wounded and losing blood, they would be weakening by now or dead.\u00a0 If they escaped unharmed, the frigid temperatures overnight would have brought about the same result.\u00a0 The land was merciless.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t care whether people lived or died.\u00a0 It was what it was and it had never changed, nor would it, no matter what man desired.\u00a0 Fortunately, the army was well-provisioned and they had given each one of them a canteen and food, which they carried in two leather satchels.\u00a0 His only regret was that the army surgeon was not among their number.\u00a0 The man had orders to follow and he had gone with Major Hamilton.\u00a0 Nathan Eastwind told him not to despair.\u00a0 He knew something of the white man\u2019s medicine and even more of the red man\u2019s.\u00a0 His grandfather had been a healer and he had often assisted the older man, finding healing more to his liking than killing.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced at his two older boys.\u00a0 They were as grime-coated and grim-faced as he was.\u00a0 So far they had seen no signs, nothing at all to indicate anyone had come this way.\u00a0 When Adam mentioned the lack of a trail, Nathan\u2019s reply had been a nod and the single word, \u2018Good\u2019.\u00a0 It was hard to think of it that way, but then, it made sense.\u00a0 If they <\/em>couldn\u2019t find a trail then neither could Rowse\u2019s men.\u00a0 If Little Joe and any of the others had managed to climb these rocks, they just might have found shelter and safety.<\/p>\n

There was a chance they were alive.<\/p>\n

Major Hamilton had dispatched messengers before departing, aimed at Placerville and Virginia City.\u00a0 Soon this place would be crawling with army officers.\u00a0 The major held out hope that one of the renegades would lead them back to Red Pony\u2019s camp and they could put him out of business for good.\u00a0 At this point Ben didn\u2019t care about Red Pony.\u00a0 He accepted Nathan\u2019s word that the chief had not been involved in this raid.\u00a0 The man behind this horror, now as five years before, was Fleet Rowse.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Over here!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Hoss.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen the big man wandering off to the right where he disappeared behind a pile of large boulders.\u00a0 Ben arrived to find his son kneeling, his broad hand opened wide and\u00a0 encompassing a patch of ground soaked in blood.<\/p>\n

His middle son turned stricken eyes on him.\u00a0 \u201cPa, it\u2019s blood.\u00a0 A lot of it.\u00a0 Looks from the position to be from a head wound.\u201d\u00a0 He rose to his feet and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cLook over there.\u00a0 You can see prints.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took a moment to tear his eyes away from the pool of dried blood, but Ben did.\u00a0 He saw them then.\u00a0 Footprints.\u00a0 Two sets.\u00a0 A man and a woman\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre these your brothers?\u201d he asked, pointing at the ones obviously left by a man\u2019s boots.<\/p>\n

It was Adam who answered even as he knelt to look closer at them.\u00a0 \u201cSee that nick there, Pa?\u201d he asked, also pointing.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d bet the missing gold that\u2019s Joe\u2019s boot.\u00a0 He was complaining about losing a chunk of the heel the other day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scooted over and examined it. Then, with a grin, he announced.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Little Joe\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt a bit dizzy, so he anchored himself on a rock as he breathed, \u201cThank God.\u00a0 What about the woman?\u00a0 Is it Aurora?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man looked thoughtful as he tipped his ten gallon hat back and scratched his head.\u00a0 \u201cFrom what I remember, Mrs. Guthrie was about five foot six or seven.\u00a0 Them\u2019s awful tiny shoes, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was right.\u00a0 From the look of the print he would have guessed the woman or child to be five foot three at most.\u00a0 Ben exchanged a hopeful glance with his son.\u00a0 Could they be so fortunate as to have had both<\/em> of them survive?<\/p>\n

\u201cCould it be Elizabeth?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Pa, it could be,\u201d Hoss replied, brightening.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a dang shame we didn\u2019t find no manifest for that coach.\u00a0 We don\u2019t even know for sure she was on it, or how many other young women there were.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were five on the coach Joe was riding messenger on,\u201d Adam said, wincing at what he hoped was not a sore point.\u00a0 \u201cWe know Joe\u2019s alive, but it doesn\u2019t look like any of the others made it.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got five definitely deceased from the second stage.\u00a0 If we assume Rowse took his sister alive and Elizabeth or some other girl is with Joe, that leaves, what?\u00a0 Another possible four people missing if the second coach was full?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if no one was riding outside,\u201d Ben said thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly if there were other survivors one of them would have found us by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa,\u201d Hoss said, ever the optimist.\u00a0 \u201cThey could have gone north or south.\u00a0 That\u2019s why the major and Roy took off \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Nathan said as he joined them.\u00a0 \u201cI know my brothers.\u00a0 On open land, the passengers would have been east targets.\u00a0 Only here, in the hills, could they survive.\u201d\u00a0 He paused and then added softly, \u201cIf they were very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr very blessed,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n

Nathan looked at him.\u00a0 A moment later he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNathan,\u201d Hoss said, kneeling again, \u201ccome take a look at this.\u00a0 We\u2019re pretty sure these prints belong to Little Joe and one of the women.\u201d<\/p>\n

The army captain dropped at his son\u2019s side.\u00a0 He studied the ground and then stood up and walked a few feet away.\u00a0 At the bottom of a natural stair, he knelt again and fingered the earth.<\/p>\n

Coming back, he presented a hand whose fingers were tipped in red.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore blood,\u201d the scout said.\u00a0 \u201cThey went this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat way?\u201d Ben asked as he came alongside him.<\/p>\n

The native\u2019s chocolate-brown eyes lifted as he looked at the towering rocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cToward Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella Carnaby peered through the cascade of golden curls that dangled before her blue eyes and concentrated on her knees.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t had so many scrapes and scratches since she\u2019d spent her days chasing her little brother Jack who ran fast and always managed \u2013 somehow \u2013 to get into trouble.\u00a0 By the time they were settled in Oregon, it had been Jack running after Sophie and little Benjamin Joseph.\u00a0 \u2018Benjie-Joe\u2019, her little sister liked to call the baby, going into gales of giggles as she repeated his name over and over in a sing-song sort of way.\u00a0 Benjie-Joe.\u00a0 Benjie-Joe.\u00a0 He was named Benjamin for Benjamin Cartwright of course, and Joseph, after her other little brother,\u00a0 Joseph Francis.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d called his<\/em> name too, time after time, just like Sophie.\u00a0 Only Little Joe wouldn\u2019t \u2013 or couldn\u2019t<\/em> \u2013 answer.<\/p>\n

It was that last part that frightened her.<\/p>\n

Bella blew out a breath, shoved the filthy sweat-soaked curls out of her eyes, and stood up.\u00a0 Ten steps took her to where she\u2019d left Joe wedged under a rocky overhang that was barely tall enough to crouch beneath.\u00a0 Kneeling, she dropped to her hands and knees and crawled in.\u00a0 When she got to him, she found he was shivering again in spite of the warm temperature and<\/em> the warm winter coat he had on.\u00a0 Every so often, she\u2019d abandon the look-out position she\u2019d taken outside and come in here and lay with him to warm him up.\u00a0 Staying put where they were probably wasn\u2019t the smartest thing to do, but once the Indians rode away and the sound of gunfire stopped, she\u2019d decided it might be their only hope.\u00a0 There was no way anyone was going to see them up here once it was dark, and she didn\u2019t know if either of them could survive another night in the cold.<\/p>\n

Laying down, Bella wrapped her arms around Little Joe\u2019s middle and placed her cheek on his chest.\u00a0 Every time she did, it calmed her.\u00a0 It was the only time she could hear his heart beating and knew for sure\u00a0 he was alive.\u00a0 Sometimes when she went out to look, she\u2019d come back to find him lying so<\/em> still.\u00a0 On account of he was so pale, she\u2019d thought he was dead more than once.\u00a0 She just couldn\u2019t bear<\/em> the thought of him dying without knowing she was there.\u00a0 Without knowing he wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n

Without knowing how much she cared.<\/p>\n

Bella sniffed back tears as she snuggled in closer.\u00a0 Her ma would have told her to forget all her nonsense and say a prayer, and Pa would tell her to believe it was going to be answered.\u00a0 She knew that was true, but it was still hard because God didn\u2019t always answer prayers the way you wanted.\u00a0 She\u2019d prayed and prayed and prayed about making this trip \u2013 about coming to Nevada to surprise Little Joe \u2013 and now look at them!\u00a0 She\u2019d worked hard<\/em> at the dress shop, sewing her fingers to the bone and waiting on all the snobbish superior women who bought Mrs. Tucker\u2019s fine <\/em>wares, just to afford the ticket.<\/p>\n

People had no idea how hard it was to fit a corset to a woman with a forty-five inch waist when she insisted it was really thirty-four!<\/p>\n

But she\u2019d done it.\u00a0 She\u2019d earned the money.\u00a0 Pa had been so proud of her.\u00a0 Ma\u2019d been proud too, but she was kind of quiet about it, like she might have been happier if she hadn\u2019t been able to.\u00a0 Ma was funny like that.\u00a0 She\u2019d smile and nod, and then you\u2019d catch her sitting there, looking at you like you were a kettle with a lid and she thought if she looked away you\u2019d boil over.<\/p>\n

Pa told her it had something to do with being a woman and it wouldn\u2019t be too long before she understood.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, she\u2019d earned the money, and Pa and Ma had taken her to town to buy her ticket on the stage.\u00a0 They made it into a kind of holiday, buying Jack and her little brother and sister candy and letting them sit in the back of the wagon like they were watching a parade.\u00a0 Sophie only understood that her big sister was going somewhere, so she started to wave the minute they left home.<\/p>\n

Bella smiled.<\/p>\n

For all she knew, Sophie was waving still.<\/p>\n

The first part of the stagecoach ride had been horrible.\u00a0 It had been her and two maiden ladies who only talked to each other.\u00a0 At the next stop more passengers got on.\u00a0 There was a Chinese man who didn\u2019t speak English, a couple of stuffy old salesmen, and a dour Scottish lady who promptly informed her that she was the woman her pa had hired to be her chaperone.\u00a0 Her name was Mrs. MacTavish and she had a letter to prove it or she wouldn\u2019t have believed her.\u00a0 Mrs. MacTavish never stopped talking, but it was all about herself.\u00a0 At least she\u2019d only been hired to travel to Carson City with her and then she was done!<\/p>\n

God was good.\u00a0 Pa couldn\u2019t afford any more.<\/p>\n

As the miles dragged by, the Chinese man started smiling at her.\u00a0 That got her to thinking.\u00a0 Finally, she managed to remember a couple of the words of Cantonese that Little Joe had taught so she could say \u2018Good morning\u2019 and \u2018Good night\u2019 to Hop Sing during her visit five years before.\u00a0 At one of the stage stops she tried them on her fellow passenger.\u00a0 The man\u2019s face lit up like the sun rising and from then on they\u2019d been good friends, even if dour old Mrs. MacTavish frowned on her talking to a man.<\/p>\n

When she and her chaperone left the coach line they were on and transferred to the one that was going to take them to Virginia City, the Chinese man cried.<\/p>\n

Bella sat up a little and looked at Little Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 He\u2019d been crying in his sleep.\u00a0 She\u2019d wiped the tears away a couple of times already, but they always came back \u2013 like he was grieving for someone or something.\u00a0 Shaking him gently, she tried again to call his name, whispering it close to his ear.\u00a0 When he didn\u2019t stir, she lay back down.\u00a0 After a minute, she reached inside his shirt and laid her hand on his feverish skin.<\/p>\n

She wanted to make sure he knew he wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n

In the end sour Mrs. MacTavish got off early at Sportsman\u2019s Hall and headed back west because she got herself a new chaperone.\u00a0 When they got to Placerville, a whole bunch of people boarded.\u00a0 First of all there were the Parrishes, who had a teenage boy named Thom and a girl about her age named Julie.\u00a0 Julie was just a little older than her.\u00a0 There was Mister Smith too.\u00a0 He looked like a banker or maybe a lawyer, but he was nice enough.\u00a0 And then \u2013 just like a birthday surprise \u2013 the Widow Guthrie climbed onto the stage!\u00a0 Bella had to laugh as her memory of the \u2018old\u2019 lady Little Joe\u2019s pa had hired to take care of her during her stay at the Ponderosa gave way to the young woman in her thirties sitting beside her.\u00a0 She found out, of course, that the widow wasn\u2019t a widow anymore.\u00a0 She\u2019d remarried and her name was Clark now.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d also come into a fortune.<\/p>\n

After Aurora \u2013 she told her to call her that \u2013 sent Mrs. MacTavish packing, the two of them sat on one seat and talked up\u00a0 storm.\u00a0 At one point, the redhead leaned in close and told her all about it.\u00a0 She explained how the local newspapers had found out about her inheritance and printed just about every detail of how she was going to get it, including where the money was coming from and when it was going to be on the move.\u00a0 Mister Smith, she found out, was a Pinkerton man who had been had hired to protect her friend.\u00a0 He was going with Aurora all the way to the station at Strawberry Valley where they were going to meet with another stage and exchange the money.\u00a0 Then Mister Smith was going to go along with Aurora to Virginia City to see that the gold made it safely to the bank.\u00a0 The paper had said it was going to be at Placerville, but that and the time the stagecoach was to arrive had been changed due to the publicity.\u00a0 Both banks \u2013 the one in New York and the one in England \u2013 decided it would be safer that way.<\/p>\n

It was just like one of the fictional stories in the penny novels Little Joe mailed her from time to time!<\/p>\n

Elizabeth sobered quickly as her free hand moved to touch her little brother\u2019s matted hair.\u00a0 Or so it had seemed until the stagecoach rolled over a low rise just west of the Strawberry Valley station and everything became dreadfully and unalterably real.<\/p>\n

Mister Smith was the first one to spot the renegades since he was riding outside with the driver and the man with the shotgun.\u00a0 He called down to tell them to stay back from the windows.\u00a0 Mrs. Parrish gathered her children in her arms and retreated to a corner while her husband drew his gun.\u00a0 She remembered looking at Aurora and as one they moved to the window.\u00a0 It was the middle of the day and the sun was high so the shade was drawn.\u00a0 Aurora pulled on the cord that dangled from it and it flipped up.\u00a0 Outside there were a dozen Indians on horseback sitting on the top of a low rise.\u00a0 The only motion they made as the coach rolled past was to turn their feather-bedecked heads and follow it with their eyes.<\/p>\n

At first it seemed that was all<\/em> they were going to do \u2013 watch them.\u00a0 Then, one of them raised a hand.\u00a0 A second later there was a shout and then all of the Indians began to whoop as they kicked their horses into motion and thundered down the road.<\/p>\n

The driver was killed right away and the shotgun messenger too.\u00a0 Mister Smith tried to take the reins, but he didn\u2019t last much longer.\u00a0 They saw him fall to the ground with an arrow in his back.\u00a0 With no one to guide them, the horses ran wild and the stagecoach gathered speed.\u00a0 To the protests of his wife, Mister Parrish climbed out and headed for the driver\u2019s seat.\u00a0 Aurora looked at her and then at the door.\u00a0 Most of the Indians were riding ahead of the coach, jumping on the horses and hacking at the reins and tongue to separate them from the coach body.\u00a0 The rest were riding along the eastern side.\u00a0 Bella remembered looking at the scenery flying past fast as a magic lantern show and then feeling Aurora\u2019s hands on her back.\u00a0 Next thing she knew she was suspended in the air and then on the ground rolling over and over.\u00a0 When a low bush finally stopped her progress, she lay there stunned until Aurora caught her arm and urged her to get up and run toward the hills.<\/p>\n

They ran and they ran until their hearts were pounding hard in their chests and they were out of breath, and then they ran some more. Unbelievably, none of the Indians followed them.\u00a0 It seemed kind of strange, but she didn\u2019t think much about it at the time.\u00a0 She just kept running and running.\u00a0 As she ran, the sounds of battle \u2013 the screams, the shouts, the gunshots and wild whoops of\u00a0 merciless joy \u2013 dwindled to nothing.\u00a0 Everything receded until it seemed the whole horrid bloody thing had been nothing more than a nightmare.<\/p>\n

Then she heard it.<\/p>\n

A horse nickering.<\/p>\n

They both looked.\u00a0 A single horse and rider were coming toward them.\u00a0\u00a0 The man on the animal\u2019s back wasn\u2019t an Indian.\u00a0 He wore a long dark coat and black hat and had Western boots on his feet.\u00a0 Where they were \u2013 in the middle of an open space with few trees or anything else \u2013 there was no place to hide.\u00a0 So they just stood there, clinging to one another as the man pulled up and got off the horse.\u00a0 For a moment, she dared to hope they had been rescued, but then she saw Aurora\u2019s face and she knew.<\/p>\n

She knew who<\/em> he was.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d never seen him before, of course.\u00a0 The first time she\u2019d heard of him, it was when she was staying at the Ponderosa and Sheriff Roy talked about the outlaw who had taken Little Joe and was holding him for ransom.\u00a0 Even when she\u2019d borrowed Freckles the pony and ridden off to find little brother, even after tracking him down with Adam and then riding through the snow to get help, she\u2019d never seen the face of the man that most described as a devil.\u00a0 She\u2019d never seen Fleet Rowse.<\/p>\n

She saw him now and she knew they were right.<\/p>\n

Aurora turned to her then.\u00a0 The older woman took hold of her shoulders and told her to remain still, and then she went to meet him.\u00a0 Bella remembered standing there, watching them talk, shivering right down to her shoes from fear as much as from the light vanishing and the fresh snow starting to fall.\u00a0 It was about five minutes later when the redhead returned and told her she was free to go.\u00a0 The older woman cried as she touched her cheek and kissed her forehead.\u00a0 After that, she mounted the horse behind her brother and disappeared into the night.<\/p>\n

Leaving her alone.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d run so far she had no idea where the road was.\u00a0 She was so tired, she knew there was no way she could make it there anyway.\u00a0 So she spent about ten minutes crying, and then another fifteen hunting for shelter, which she finally found in a clump of low shaggy bushes.\u00a0 Lying down among the needles and thorns she cried herself to sleep.<\/p>\n

Only to be awakened by more shouting and gunfire.<\/p>\n

At first she thought she was dreaming, but then she realized that, no, something was actually happening.\u00a0 Still half-asleep, she\u2019d stupidly risen and staggered toward the sound, thinking only that it meant she\u2019d find people there.\u00a0 When she got close, she realized what was happening.\u00a0 The stage Aurora had come here to meet \u2013 the one with her fortune on it \u2013 had arrived and was under attack.<\/p>\n

Ducking down behind a clump of knotted bushes, she watched in horror as it happened again \u2013 the driver being hit by arrows, the man beside him leaping down, another man leaning out of the window of the stagecoach and then falling back in with an arrow to his heart.\u00a0 The wrecked coach being set on fire.\u00a0 It was only when one of the Indians grabbed an older woman by the hair and lifted his knife, that she looked away.\u00a0 Just as she did an impossibly familiar voice rang out.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t believe it.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t want <\/em>to believe it.\u00a0\u00a0 But it was true.<\/p>\n

The man who had jumped down was Little Joe!<\/p>\n

In spite of her fear, she grinned.\u00a0 Little brother was here!\u00a0 Little brother would save her <\/em>this time!\u00a0 Little Joe would know what to do \u2013 how to get them away and back to his beloved Ponderosa!\u00a0 Then she saw an Indian in front of him take aim with his bow at the same time one on horseback come\u00a0 rushing up from behind.\u00a0 Little Joe drew his pistol and fired so fast she missed it.\u00a0 He fired and the man coming toward him dropped.\u00a0 The other Indian \u2013 the one on the horse \u2013 kept coming and swung out with a club.\u00a0 Little brother ducked and the blow barely missed.\u00a0 A second later the Indian came back at a run.\u00a0 This time the club caught Little Joe on the back of his head and he dropped like a sack of stones.<\/p>\n

Elizabeth reached up with her fingers and ran them once again through Little Joe\u2019s matted hair.\u00a0 The golden-brown ringlets were caked with sweat, mud, and blood.\u00a0 It was thickest on his left side where the blood had run down his cheek and soaked the collar of his tan shirt and the thick woolen coat he wore.\u00a0 It had scared her at first \u2013 all that blood \u2013 but then she remembered the time Jack had fallen and cracked his noggin and the blood had just poured and poured.\u00a0 Ma\u2019d told her that scalp wounds bled like the dickens, but were most often nothing to worry about.\u00a0 Jack hadn\u2019t even passed out.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s finger moved to trace the cut on Little Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 She\u2019d realized something was wrong when he didn\u2019t wake up and had set to looking.\u00a0 It was then she found it \u2013 another<\/em> wound.\u00a0 The first time the Indian had swung at him the renegade hadn\u2019t<\/em> missed.\u00a0 The edge of the club had raked across little brother\u2019s skull, cutting the incision that was bleeding.\u00a0 But that wasn\u2019t the problem.\u00a0 When the Indian struck little brother the second<\/em> time, the club hit him on the back of his head.\u00a0 She\u2019d found another, smaller cut there, and a little bit of a bump.\u00a0 From how hard he was hit, there should have been a big<\/em> one.\u00a0 Ma said a wound like that had to swell, either out or in.<\/p>\n

\u2018In\u2019 was bad.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d watched then as the Indian on the horse made a circle around Little Joe where he lay on the ground, whopping with triumph, before riding on to the next kill.\u00a0 Her eyes had followed him a short distance and the, to her surprise, when she looked back little brother was on his feet!\u00a0 Joe staggered a few steps before he fell against a pile of rocks behind which another man lay all hunched over.\u00a0 Less than a minute later, a third man came alongside him and caught him by the arm.\u00a0 After pulling Little Joe to his feet, the man threw his arm around his waist and together the two of them stumbled into the smoke and disappeared.\u00a0 The battleground fell silent as the Indians exchanged their rifles and bows for torches and began to burn the bodies and the coach.\u00a0 At one point two of them rode off carrying the stagecoach\u2019s Treasure Box between them.\u00a0 She was sure it contained Aurora\u2019s gold.<\/p>\n

When they were all gone, she began to walk.\u00a0 Night had fallen and she had no idea where to go and so, in the end, she did her best to follow Little Joe\u2019s trail.\u00a0 It was silly, but she figured \u2013 if nothing else \u2013 at least they could die together.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take real long to find him.\u00a0 She\u2019d been walking maybe an hour when she heard a funny noise, almost like a chuckle.\u00a0 She\u2019d followed it and near stumbled over her little brother.\u00a0 He was half-sitting and half-laying on the ground beside the other man.\u00a0 The one who had saved him.<\/p>\n

The man who hadn\u2019t been able to save himself.<\/p>\n

Ignoring the dead man as best she could, she knelt down beside Little Joe and took his face in her hands and stared at him real hard.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t help herself, even bloody and near unconscious, he was just so beautiful.\u00a0 She ran her fingers through his matted hair, trying to free the curls, and then brushed some of the dried blood away from his eyes.\u00a0 He\u2019d stirred a little as she did and even opened his eyes once to look at her.\u00a0 His lips parted but nothing came out.\u00a0 She\u2019d thought for a moment that he recognized her, but then he started crying and slipped away again.<\/p>\n

A half-hour or so later she managed to get him on his feet, though she still wasn\u2019t sure how.\u00a0 He\u2019d opened his eyes again and was saying all kinds of crazy things about pearly gates and ropes that didn\u2019t make sense.\u00a0 She ignored them and concentrated on getting him moving so they could climb higher into the hills and hide.\u00a0 The climb wore him out.\u00a0 She found the little cave underneath a shelf and put him there so he could rest and then crawled in after him.\u00a0 During the hours of darkness she heard Indians calling to one another.\u00a0 They got awful close.\u00a0 So close she could hear what they were saying.\u00a0 One of them mentioned Aurora\u2019s brother\u2019s name and Little Joe\u2019s in the same breath.\u00a0 It was then she knew she had to keep Little Joe hidden.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse had let her go, but she knew he wouldn\u2019t do the same thing for the man she loved.<\/p>\n

It was Joe and his family that had stopped Rowse from getting his own way the first time and that kind of man wasn\u2019t about to let that go.<\/p>\n

As she continued to run her fingers through Little Joe\u2019s tangled mass of curls, he groaned softly and opened his eyes.\u00a0 He blinked several times before his lips parted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirsty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Bella answered as she sat up a little bit.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m thirsty too, but we don\u2019t have any water.\u00a0 Maybe we will tonight if it snows again.\u201d\u00a0 She stopped.\u00a0 He was staring at her.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shakily, he raised a hand.\u00a0 The tips of his fingers brushed the trailing ends of her golden-blonde hair.\u00a0 Little Joe smiled shyly and then said, so softly she almost missed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess Saint Peter…done found that rope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then his eyes closed again.<\/p>\n

Bella sat there staring at him for some time, her hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart.\u00a0 She was afraid to go to sleep.\u00a0 Afraid that, when she woke in the morning, he would be gone.\u00a0 Lying down again, she wrapped her arms around his waist and drew him close.\u00a0 Then she reached out and took one of his hot hands and drew his fingers to her lips and planted a kiss on them.<\/p>\n

Then she fell asleep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright blew out a breath as he lifted his hat and drew a damp dirty sleeve over his forehead.\u00a0 There was nowhere quite like the Sierra where you could wipe sweat from your face and shiver all in one motion.\u00a0 Night was on them.\u00a0 Reluctantly, Pa had called it quits.\u00a0 He\u2019d protested loudly, but fallen silent when he saw his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 They\u2019d all descended and had a bite to eat and then, weary beyond words, fallen silent and gone to sleep.<\/p>\n

Well, at least the others fell asleep.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t and so, even though he knew his pa would have tanned him if he\u2019d been younger, Hoss got up and stole away against the older man\u2019s wishes.\u00a0 It was the middle of the night and he knew it was near pointless to keep lookin\u2019 since there weren\u2019t no way of seein\u2019 signs.\u00a0 But he just had<\/em> to look.\u00a0 Somethin\u2019 kept drawin\u2019 him back to this one place they\u2018d been before.\u00a0\u00a0 It was way up in the rocks, pert near all the way to Heaven like Nathan said.\u00a0 Before the army men chased away the Indians, some of them had been seen movin\u2019 in these hills, searchin\u2019 for somethin\u2019 like they knew<\/em> it was there.<\/p>\n

Somethin\u2019 they wanted real<\/em> bad.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned and looked back the way he had come, down the rocky trail that rose in a near perpendicular natural stair.\u00a0 He was sort of surprised that older brother Adam hadn\u2019t been sent to fetch him back.\u00a0 Maybe Pa\u2019d decided to give him his own head for a while, figurin\u2019 he wouldn\u2019t sleep anyhow if he didn\u2019t try.\u00a0 It made never no mind anyhow.\u00a0 Even if Adam showed up, he\u2019d just tow him along in his wake.\u00a0 He was bound and determined to check that rocky outcropping one last time before he gave up and there weren\u2019t no one gonna stop him.<\/p>\n

The big man glanced down at the lantern he carried.\u00a0 It was lit, but he\u2019d kept it shuttered for the most part, fearful that one of them Indians was still around and might spot it.\u00a0 Considerin\u2019 his size, there weren\u2019t no point in makin\u2019 himself any more of a target than he already was.\u00a0 Why, the sleeves of his white shirt alone fairly flagged down trouble.\u00a0 Once he\u2019d reached the outcropping and was behind the wall of stone, he opened the lantern\u2019s shutter and let the light spill out along the ground.\u00a0 Just like Pa had said, there weren\u2019t much to see.\u00a0 Only stone and some gnarled fir trees, a clump of bushes, and a low overhang with a black pit of shadow underneath.<\/p>\n

That held a pair of light-colored boots.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 heart near stopped.\u00a0 He blinked, suddenly unsure of what he had seen.\u00a0 Crouching down, he swung the lantern in closer, letting its golden glow spill into the hollow.\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 Unless it was a mirage, he\u2019d done seen what he thought he saw \u2013 a pair of tan boots.\u00a0 Next to them was a tiny pair of shoes.<\/p>\n

Trembling, the big man rose.\u00a0 He parked the lantern on a nearby rock where its light would still penetrate the hidden chamber, and then crossed back over to where the man and woman lay.\u00a0 With a hand on the rocky overhanging, he leaned down and peered inside.<\/p>\n

A name escaped him, stabbing the darkness like a knife.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother didn\u2019t move, but the woman did.\u00a0 Wearily, she lifted her head from Little Joe\u2019s chest to peer at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho…who\u2019s there?\u201d she breathed, her voice robbed of strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss Cartwright, ma\u2019am,\u201d he answered, feeling like a fool for soundin\u2019 like they was bein\u2019 introduced at a cotillion.<\/p>\n

There was a pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d the small voice repeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that you, Miss Bella?\u201d he asked, not daring to hope that it was.<\/p>\n

The big man backed up as the girl began to crawl toward him.\u00a0 She stood as she emerged from the hollow and blinked in the lantern\u2019s light.\u00a0 Hoss watched as she put out a hand to steady herself.\u00a0 Elizabeth or Bella Carnaby didn\u2019t look like he remembered.\u00a0 She\u2019d been a pretty little filly that barely reached his chest the last time he\u2019d seen her.\u00a0 Her waist hadn\u2019t been no bigger than his bicep.\u00a0 She\u2019d been a bouncin\u2019, endlessly chatterin\u2019 bundle of energy and life.<\/p>\n

The girl before him looked wrung out as a week old washcloth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u00a0 Hoss, is…is it you?\u201d she stammered as tears poured down her filthy cheeks.\u00a0 Then she said, quite clearly, \u201cI found little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that, Miss Bella,\u201d he replied, one eye still on those boots.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m mighty happy you did, and that you done took such good care of him until I could get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella turned to look at Joe before returning her enormous blue eyes to him.\u00a0 She sniffed and then crumbled.<\/p>\n

Hoss caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground and held her, stroking her tangled and matted curls.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, there, Miss Bella, you just take it easy.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get you and Little Joe out of here, I promise.\u00a0 Everything\u2019s gonna be all right.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her fingers clawed at his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t find it, Hoss.\u00a0 I felt it for so long and then I couldn\u2019t find it anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, Miss Bella?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat cain\u2019t you find?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s tears began to flow in earnest.\u00a0 \u201cHis heartbeat.\u00a0 I can\u2019t find it anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Little Joe is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

END PART ONE<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

PART TWO<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SEVEN<\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright let out a heartfelt sigh as he walked the corridor from one bedroom to the next on the second floor of the Ponderosa ranch house.\u00a0 It\u2019d been\u00a0 three full days and a little bit of another since he\u2019d found Miss Bella and his little brother in that low cavern in the rocks.\u00a0 Even though he\u2019d thought at the time it might be a foolhardy thing to do, he\u2019d taken his pistol from the holster and fired off three shots.\u00a0 It was a poor way for a son to wake his father, but he figured \u2013 once Pa knew why he\u2019d done it \u2013 he\u2019d be forgiven.<\/p>\n

Weren\u2019t no way he could carry the two of them to the bottom alone.<\/p>\n

Miss Bella, well, she\u2019d cried and cried.\u00a0 In the end he had to leave her sitting there with her back against a rock, sobbing, while he went to check on his brother.\u00a0 He was too big to crawl into the space and so, with a mumbled apology, he\u2019d grabbed Little Joe by the feet and hauled the boy out into the growing light.\u00a0 His brother was awful pale and his head and shoulders was covered with blood.\u00a0 Fortunately, Miss Bella had told him about the scalp wound, so the sight of it didn\u2019t upset him too much.\u00a0\u00a0 She\u2019d told him too about the other wound too and so he\u2019d gently lifted Joe up to check the back of his head and found a sizeable knot forming there.\u00a0 With a muttered prayer, he\u2019d let his fingers drop to the base of his baby brother\u2019s neck and felt for a pulse.\u00a0 It took a second but he found it.<\/p>\n

Poor little Bella, she\u2019d been worried Little Joe\u2019s heart had stopped.<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed again.<\/p>\n

That girl\u2019s worry pert near stopped his<\/em> too!<\/p>\n

After working a little bit of water between Joe\u2019s lips, he\u2019d shinnied out of his coat and wrapped it around the boy and then carried him over to where Miss Bella was still weeping.\u00a0 Kneeling down, he touched her shoulder and waited until she looked up to see him holding Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle brother\u2019s alive, Bella.\u00a0 He\u2019s just plumb worn out like you.\u00a0 You can stop that cryin\u2019 now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danged, if that didn\u2019t make it worse!<\/p>\n

As soon as he\u2019d put Little Joe down beside her, Bella\u2019s arms done shot out.\u00a0 She pulled Joe close, planted a kiss on his forehead, and then laid her head on his chest.\u00a0 Hoss stood there a moment considerin\u2019 what he was seein\u2019, and then turned away to give the girl her privacy.<\/p>\n

It weren\u2019t five minutes later he heard three shots.\u00a0 Climbin\u2019 up on the rocks, Hoss searched for and spotted the party of three men at the bottom of the hill.\u00a0 He fired another answerin\u2019 shot and when he had their attention, waved them up.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter none that Pa was the oldest of the bunch.\u00a0 He reached the top first.\u00a0 Right after him came Adam and Nathan Eastwind.<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s eyes fastened on Little Joe where he lay in Bella\u2019s arms\u00a0 The girl was still cryin\u2019 a river.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d he asked, expressin\u2019 everythin\u2019 in that one word.<\/p>\n

He answered with one too.\u00a0 \u201cAlive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truth to tell, he didn\u2019t know much more.<\/p>\n

After that things moved fast as one of those steam locomotives that were headed their way.\u00a0 Pa was on his knees, running his hands through Little Joe\u2019s hair, brushing away some of the dried blood, feeling that there knot on the back of his head.\u00a0 Nathan went straight to Bella.\u00a0 He pronounced her \u2018unharmed\u2019, but that didn\u2019t fool him none.\u00a0 All that meant was that she didn\u2019t have no bullet or arrow holes in her.\u00a0 The poor little thing had been through just about more than a body could take.\u00a0 For all of their lack of women at the Ponderosa, he\u2019d been around more than his fair share.\u00a0 Durin\u2019 a crisis it was like they was made out of steel.\u00a0 While a man might give up, they\u2019d draw on some deep well of strength and keep on goin\u2019 in spite of everythin\u2019.\u00a0 But when it was over?\u00a0\u00a0 Well then, most often they shattered like one of those pretty figurines dropped on a stone hearth.<\/p>\n

Joe was another matter.\u00a0 Pa got up as Nathan moved over to see to little brother.\u00a0 The Indian scout ran his hands over all of him first and then checked the boy\u2019s head.\u00a0 Last of all, he gently opened Joe\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 The good news was little brother didn\u2019t have any bullet or arrow holes in him either.\u00a0 The bad news was he had a concussion and it was a severe one, and due to all the other \u2018extenuatin\u2019 circumstances as the soldier put it \u2013 meanin\u2019 the shock of the attack, a day without water, a night of exposure \u2013 he was in pretty rough\u00a0 shape.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d had to be mighty careful gettin\u2019 the pair of them down that rocky slope.\u00a0 Nathan told them things would go from bad to worse if Joe hit his head again.\u00a0 So there was a lot of holdin\u2019 tight and slippin\u2019 and slidin\u2019, but finally they made it down the hill.\u00a0 Most of the soldiers had returned by the time they got to the camp, though Roy and the other men weren\u2019t there yet.\u00a0 The soldiers had a wagon and they loaded both Little Joe and Bella on it.\u00a0 Pa was gonna take Joe home come hell or<\/em> the army doctor.\u00a0 The medic climbed in and took a look at them.\u00a0 He weren\u2019t right happy about the idea of the wagon bumpin\u2019 all over the road with a man what had taken a bad knock to his head, but he agreed.\u00a0 Between the heat of the day and the cold of the night, he said, they\u2019d be better to get Joe somewhere safe and warm.\u00a0 They made a stop overnight at Yank\u2019s, just to let everyone rest, and then headed home.<\/p>\n

Hoss ran a hand over his face and let out a sigh as he looked at the next door along the corridor.\u00a0 He\u2019d just left Miss Bella\u2019s room after checkin\u2019 on her.\u00a0 Hop Sing was with her and that was just about the best hands she could be in.\u00a0 He was headin\u2019 for Little Joe\u2019s room now.\u00a0 For one thing he wanted to check on his brother, but there was another reason.\u00a0 To fetch Pa.\u00a0 Roy Coffee, all caked mud and sweat, was waitin\u2019 in the great room to talk to him. Roy wanted him to come back down and hear what he had to say too.\u00a0 Adam was already there.\u00a0 Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 That\u2019d mean Pa leavin\u2019 Little Joe alone and he just didn\u2019t know if the older man was ready for that yet.<\/p>\n

For a time, they\u2019d thought little brother wouldn\u2019t make it.<\/p>\n

It was only the night before Joe\u2019s fever had broken and he\u2019d taken a little broth.\u00a0 Doc Martin told them that meant he was on the mend, but the road was gonna be rocky \u2013 especially considerin\u2019 which Cartwright it was they needed to keep in his bed.<\/p>\n

Especially when Little Joe found out about Bella.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 hand hovered above the latch as he considered the twists and turns of life, and then he entered Joe\u2019s room to find his father sittin\u2019 just where he\u2019d left him, to the right of his brother\u2019s bed.\u00a0 Pa was holdin\u2019 one of Joe\u2019s hands while brushing those thick curls back with his other and speakin\u2019 so low only the angels could hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s weary eyes found him.\u00a0 Pa done looked all in.\u00a0 He and Adam had taken a couple of turns, but for the most part Pa\u2019d been at Joe\u2019s side since they found him.<\/p>\n

\u2018Your brother was awake a little while ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss brightened.\u00a0 \u201cWell, now, that sure is the best news I heard in days!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t for long, but he seemed to know who he was and to recognize that he was in his room.\u201d\u00a0 His father paused.\u00a0 His fingers continued to stroke the boy\u2019s hair.\u00a0 \u201cHe thinks Elizabeth is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

That there smile he had turned upside-down.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019d you tell him, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat she was in the room down the hall and that she was all right.\u201d\u00a0 The older man sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t think he was strong enough for the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a hard one, that truth.\u00a0 Just like little brother\u2019d had done, battlin\u2019 that fever, Miss Bella was fightin\u2019 for her life.<\/p>\n

The funny thing was, she thought Joe was dead too.<\/p>\n

Hoss waited a moment and then he cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Roy Coffee\u2019s downstairs.\u00a0 Said he wants to talk to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those near-black eyes didn\u2019t miss anything.\u00a0 \u201cUs?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, all of us . You, me, and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t leave Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man waited a moment before saying, \u201cHop Sing can \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing has his hands full with Elizabeth.\u201d<\/p>\n

There it was, that tone that left no room for discussion.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t wanted to mention the outlaw, just in case little brother could hear, but he was gonna have to.\u00a0 \u201cPa, it\u2019s about Fleet Rowse and Miss Aurora.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t often his pa hated anyone, but he hated that man.\u00a0 The name came out as a growl.\u00a0 \u201cRowse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Roy\u2019s got news.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father cast one last look at Joe where he lay silent on the bed and then reluctantly rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll instruct Hop Sing to check in on him in a quarter of an hour or so.\u00a0 Joseph is going to need fresh cold water and some linens by then.\u201d\u00a0 As the older man came alongside him, he said, \u201cA half hour.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I\u2019m giving it.\u00a0 After that Roy can tell the two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss knew that his pa goin\u2019 downstairs and leavin\u2019 Joe was a hard thing for him to do.\u00a0\u00a0 He briefly rested his hand on the older man\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019ll be all right, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Then he added with a little wink, \u201cPunkin\u2019 ain\u2019t strong enough yet to get up out of that bed and go off and get hisself into trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father covered his hand with his own and nodded.\u00a0 Then he passed through the door and into the hall.<\/p>\n

Hoss hesitated before followin\u2019 him.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear that, little brother, don\u2019t you move.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t well enough yet.\u00a0 Fact is, we\u2019re all just a mite surprised you ain\u2019t dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t dead, not by a long shot, but he wasn\u2019t so sure about Bella.<\/p>\n

Joe had been half-awake when Hoss stepped into the room, and had pretended to be unconscious while the two men spoke.\u00a0 While his spirits had soared to learn that Bella was alive and only a door away from him, they had crashed at the guarded way the two men spoke.<\/p>\n

He thinks Elizabeth is dead.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019d you tell him, Pa?<\/em><\/p>\n

That she was in the room down the hall and that she was all right.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think he was strong enough for the truth.<\/em><\/p>\n

After they left, he laid there, counting off the minutes and waiting for Hop Sing to come.\u00a0 Joe hated what he was about to do, but it was something that had to be done.\u00a0 When the man from China came in he moaned and acted like he was fighting to open his eyes.<\/p>\n

The hand, almost as familiar as Pa\u2019s, that landed on his forehead made him groan at the fact that he was gonna make Hop Sing feel real<\/em> bad when he found out what he was up to.<\/p>\n

\u2018Little Joe awake?\u2019<\/p>\n

He fought a moment more before opening his eyes.\u00a0 Real feebly, he reached up and said, \u201cHop Sing?\u00a0 Is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure it me.\u00a0 How Little Joe feel?\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked a couple of times and then focused on the Chinese man\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I guess,\u201d he said and then licked his cracked lips.\u00a0 \u201cKind of hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s eyes lit with delight as he\u2019d known they would.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe want food?\u00a0 Hop Sing get it!\u00a0 Have broth in kitchen.\u00a0 Only take minute to heat up.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the little man bustled toward the door, Joe called out to him.\u00a0 When Hop Sing swung back, he said, \u201cI heard Pa and Hoss talkin\u2019.\u00a0 Roy\u2019s got somethin\u2019 real important to tell them.\u00a0 Don\u2019t…don\u2019t let Pa know I\u2019m awake \u2018til they\u2019re…done, okay?\u201d\u00a0 He smiled that smile \u2013 the one that melted women\u2019s hearts and seemed to be able to make men forget what they were about.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, Pa, he\u2019ll…drop everything just to come up here and…watch me eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment Hop Sing wavered between his loyalty to him and what he owed to the older man downstairs.\u00a0 Finally, he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing get soup.\u00a0 Not tell father.\u00a0 You stay put!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Hop Sing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Their cook was eying him suspiciously.\u00a0 \u201cNumber three son promise?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dang it!<\/em>\u00a0 He\u2019d have to ask that, wouldn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Joe frowned.\u00a0 Normally he\u2019d just make a promise that meant nothing but sounded<\/em> like it meant something.\u00a0 Then he could do what needed to be done with a clear conscious.\u00a0 But today his head was pounding like Adam was takin\u2019 a blacksmith\u2019s hammer to it and he couldn\u2019t think clear.<\/p>\n

So he lied.<\/p>\n

With a smile and a nod, Joe said, \u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as Hop Sing was out of the room Joe struggled to free himself from the myriad of blankets that covered him.\u00a0 When he was finally free, he sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed.\u00a0 He figured he had, maybe, fifteen minutes before Hop Sing returned.\u00a0 He really<\/em> couldn\u2019t afford to waste two or three clearing his head.\u00a0 Still, he knew if he stood up too fast the odds were he\u2019d end up on the floor.\u00a0 His pa would hear the \u2018thump!<\/em>\u2019 and that would be the end of it.\u00a0 Joe snorted as he worked his way slowly to his feet and then stood there, clinging onto the bedpost and waiting for a dizzy spell to pass.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d probably tie him down when he found out what he\u2019d done.\u00a0 But that\u2019d be okay.<\/p>\n

Just so long as he got to see Bella.<\/p>\n

Joe still couldn\u2019t quite believe she was alive.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so<\/em> sure the burned body of the blonde girl by the coach had been hers.\u00a0 And yet, from what his pa had said, even though Bella was here at the ranch house, she still wasn\u2019t safe.\u00a0 Maybe she\u2019d been hit by an arrow or \u2013 Joe swallowed over his fear \u2013 shot.\u00a0 Maybe she was fighting a fever like he\u2019d been.\u00a0 A rueful smile curled his lips.\u00a0 Even though she was all grown up, Bella was still about one of the tiniest things he\u2019d ever seen.\u00a0 Standing tall, he doubted she would come up to his chin.\u00a0 What she\u2019d witnessed out there in the hills would have been more than enough to lay someone bigger and stronger low, let alone the fact that she\u2019d been exposed to extreme temperatures and like him, gone without food or water for nearly a day.\u00a0 Women were awful strong when it came to carrying on for others, but he\u2019d found that \u2013 sometimes \u2013 they just didn\u2019t have the strength to do it for themselves.<\/p>\n

Since he\u2019d been standing for a minute, he decided to try walking.\u00a0 He ended up staggering like a sailor on dry land, but managed to make it to the door.\u00a0 With his ear to the crack Joe listened.\u00a0 He could hear Roy and the others talking below.\u00a0 The discussion sounded heated.\u00a0 There was a part of him that wanted to go listen since he knew his father and brothers would hide things from him, but that part didn\u2019t win.\u00a0 The part that wanted to see Bella did.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d already lost near five minutes.<\/p>\n

Opening the door quietly, Joe stepped into the corridor, shivering as a light breeze hit him.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until that moment that he looked down and realized he wasn\u2019t wearing anything but a thin night shirt.\u00a0 He puzzled about it a second and then went on, his bare feet making little or no sound on the floor.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a proper way to be dressed to see a young lady, but then, Bella wasn\u2019t just any <\/em>young lady.<\/p>\n

She was his big sister and friend.<\/p>\n

At the door to her room, Joe hesitated.\u00a0 Then he tripped the latch and went it.\u00a0 The curtains were drawn just like they\u2019d been in his room, so he had a hard time seeing anything other than her profile as it was cast by the single oil lamp sitting on the bedside table.\u00a0 Drawing a breath against what he would find, Joe moved through the room, using the furniture to prop him as he went.\u00a0 Once he reached the bed, he sank into the chair beside it.\u00a0 Reaching over, he turned up the wick and looked.<\/p>\n

A single tear ran down his cheek.<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s\u00a0 face was pale as the bed linens.\u00a0 Her chest rose and fell fast.\u00a0 Under the lids, her eyes moved rapidly, like they was being chased.\u00a0 Joe reached out and place a hand alongside her cheek, almost pulling back when he felt the heat radiating from her.\u00a0 Like me, he thought, she\u2019s got a fever.\u00a0 Unlike him, though, Bella\u2019s hadn\u2019t broken but was spiking.<\/p>\n

It seemed the crisis was at hand.<\/p>\n

Leaving the chair, Joe sat on the bed beside her and lifted her up into his arms.\u00a0 He ran his fingers through the tangled mass of her golden curls and then bent his head and whispered in her ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, it\u2019s Little Joe.\u00a0 Bella, you gotta <\/em>hear me.\u00a0 I\u2019m okay.\u00a0 I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

A little moan escaped her.<\/p>\n

He cupped her face in his hand and turned it toward him.\u00a0 Then he brushed her forehead with his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, come on.\u00a0 You\u2019re scarin\u2019 me.\u00a0 Wake up.\u00a0 Please<\/em>, wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another little moan and this time, her eyes opened.\u00a0\u00a0 They were fevered, but as they focused on his face, he thought she knew who he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella,\u201d he said, catching the hand she was lifting toward him and kissing it.\u00a0 \u201cBella, it\u2019s me \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle…Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

His tears were flowing freely now.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, its me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those wide blue eyes she had, round as the moon and deep as a well, fastened on his face.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re…not dead?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDead?\u00a0 Heck, no.\u00a0 You and I got…too much to do for that.\u00a0 You remember all the things we talked about?\u201d\u00a0 His head was spinning and throbbing…and<\/em> pounding.\u00a0 He hoped he <\/em>could remember.\u00a0 \u201cI told you we\u2019d go to town, so I could show you off.\u00a0 And I\u2019d take you to the dress shop and buy you a new hat.\u00a0 Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes were closed again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella?\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of his own fatigue, Joe gathered her silent form into his arms and sat there rocking her, speaking words in her ear, hoping against hope that they were getting through.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta fight, Bella.\u00a0 You gotta fight!\u00a0 You can\u2019t….\u201d\u00a0 Joe drew in a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t….\u201d\u00a0 He paused, gathering strength and breath before finishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I can live without you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been at this for fifteen minutes, Roy, and you\u2019ve told us next to nothing!\u201d\u00a0 Ben Cartwright shouted, forgetting to lower his voice for the sake of the two convalescents upstairs.\u00a0 \u201cMy son needs me.\u00a0 Now either you tell me what is going on with Fleet Rowse or I am heading back up there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow hold them horses of your\u2019n, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019m gettin\u2019 to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam really doubted that.<\/p>\n

Sitting in the blue velvet chair by the hearth, Adam had his cheek propped on his hand.\u00a0 Roy had spent the last ten minutes \u2013 not fifteen \u2013 detailing the hunt he and the posse had made for the Indians and Fleet Rowse.\u00a0 They were sure Rowse was behind the raid and had made off, not only with the gold the stage had been carrying, but with his sister.\u00a0 The lawman had spent the last day in town trying to calm down Aurora\u2019s new husband, Robert Clark, before heading out here to let them know the progress of the investigation.<\/p>\n

Which was nil.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting to it!\u00a0 Good Lord!\u00a0 If it had taken the men who started this great country of ours that long to \u2018get to\u2019 dealing with the British, we\u2019d be drinking tea and eating scones at four everyday!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s amused hazel eyes flicked to his brother, Hoss, who was standing by the hearth next to their father\u2019s vacated chair.\u00a0 They might not have tea and scones at four, but they certainly had the English china and silver to serve it!<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you or did you not locate Fleet Rowse?\u201d his father demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t that easy, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy<\/em> isn\u2019t it that easy?\u00a0 You either know where he is or you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, as of today we don\u2019t, but we thought we did.\u00a0 No, we was sure we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and them army men.\u00a0 Followed him right up into the hills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know it was Rowse you were following?\u201d Adam asked as he straightened up.<\/p>\n

\u2018Cause of that redheaded woman ridin\u2019 on the back of his horse.\u00a0 Had to be Mrs. Clark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you followed Rowse.\u00a0 You, your deputies, and over a dozen horse soldiers.\u00a0 But you lost<\/em> him?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s tone was harsh.\u00a0 It was the one he used with them when he was just about pushed beyond the limit of patience.<\/p>\n

Roy shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a mean one, and slippery than a snake shedding its skin.\u00a0 We was sure we had him cornered, Ben.\u00a0 We seen him and the woman going into this cave.\u00a0 Some of the army men circled round while me and my boys made a frontal attack.\u201d\u00a0 Roy pursed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe dang near fell over each other when we met in the middle!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Rowse had an exit out of the cave somewhere between the front and the back?\u201d Adam asked for clarification.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust have, but we couldn\u2019t find it.\u00a0 It was like that there outlaw just vanished into thin air and took Mrs. Clark with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the Indians?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cWas they there too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe killed about half a dozen on the way there.\u00a0 The rest, well, they vanished too.\u00a0 That don\u2019t surprise me none.\u00a0 Them Indians know those hills better than any white man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not better than Rowse,\u201d Adam said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cRemember Roy, he was one of them once upon a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why I was hopin\u2019 that Captain Eastwind would still be here.\u00a0 He ran with them once.\u00a0 Might of known where to look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNathaniel had to report back to the fort,\u201d his father said with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cHe said he\u2019d return as soon as he was granted permission.\u00a0 I know the Colonel there and sent a letter requesting it.\u00a0 It shouldn\u2019t be too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy was watching their father, concern etched into every craggy feature.\u00a0 \u201cHow is Joe doin\u2019 and the little gal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph\u2019s fever broke last night.\u00a0 He should mend soon so long as he behaves.\u00a0 Elizabeth,\u201d the older man paused, \u201cshe\u2019s still fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the Doc say, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does Paul always say?\u201d Pa answered, his tone short and slightly put out.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re both young and strong.\u00a0 He\u2019s done all he can.\u00a0 It\u2019s up to each of them and God now.\u201d\u00a0 The older man returned to his chair and sat heavily in it.\u00a0 \u201cSo what you are telling me is that that villain \u2013 that murderer <\/em>\u2013 is still out there somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Ben, Rowse\u2019s got his sister and her money.\u00a0 I\u2019m bettin\u2019 he high-tailed it back to Mexico.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 keepin\u2019 him here where the law\u2019s gonna be on his tail night and day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing but my son<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know as Rowse was lookin\u2019 for Little Joe or anyone else in particular.\u00a0 Could have been a coincidence.\u00a0 Weren\u2019t no way he could know the boy was riding shotgun on that stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless he was the one askin questions in town the night before the stage left.\u201d\u00a0 Adam met his father\u2019s stare.\u00a0 \u201cNel, a girl at the saloon I know, described a drifter that fit Rowse\u2019s description.\u00a0 He was asking about the time the stage was taking off, where it was going, and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he could have known Joseph was on it,\u201d the older man said, not looking at him but at Roy.<\/p>\n

Roy nodded his acceptance.\u00a0 \u201cCould have been lookin\u2019 to kill two or three birds\u00a0 with one stone, I suppose.\u201d\u00a0 At their father\u2019s look, he said, \u201cSorry, Ben.\u00a0 Just thinkin\u2019 out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Hop Sing came bustling in carrying a tray laden with a bowl of soup and a cup.\u00a0 Both were steaming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s that for, Hop Sing?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cIs little brother awake?\u201d<\/p>\n

Their cook halted at the bottom of the stairs.\u00a0 He paused and then stammered out.\u00a0 \u201cNot…not wake yet, but Hop Sing see signs.\u00a0 Take food up so ready when Little Joe is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat signs?\u201d Ben demanded as he rose to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cEyes move under lids.\u00a0 Make small sounds.\u00a0 I go up now and see.\u00a0 Call you if Little Joe awake.\u00a0 Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just got one more thing, Ben, and then you can go too,\u201d Roy said.<\/p>\n

His father scowled.\u00a0 The older man dismissed Hop Sing with a wave and a short \u2018thank you\u2019 as he turned back to the lawman. \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust wanted to know if you wanted me to leave any men posted on your land?\u00a0 I got a good dozen deputized from that there posse.\u00a0 If you\u2019re worried about Rowse….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Roy, but we\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 We\u2019ve of plenty of hands to patrol the ranch area.\u00a0 Let those men go home to their families.\u00a0 It seems there\u2019s nothing else they can do.\u201d\u00a0 As the sheriff moved toward the door, his father called him back. \u201cOh, and Roy….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell them thanks and that we appreciate them lending a hand in the search for Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawman grinned. \u201cMost everyone loves that youngest boy of your\u2019n, Ben, even if they do want to punch him half the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMistah Ben!\u00a0 Mistah Ben!\u201d <\/em>Hop Sing\u2019s voice rang out, high-pitched and panicked.\u00a0 A second later the Chinese man appeared at the top of the stairs, the tray still in his hands. \u201cLittle Joe no in his room!\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as his father exclaimed, \u201cGood God!\u201d, Adam was on his feet and moving.\u00a0 He made it up the stairs before everyone else and raced down to Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 Sure enough, the bed was empty.\u00a0 Several pieces of furniture in the room were out of place, as though Joe had used them to make his way to the door.\u00a0 But why?\u00a0 Where would he have gone?\u00a0 Adam stood there for a moment thinking hard.\u00a0 Where? \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Where?<\/em><\/p>\n

His fingers snapped.\u00a0 Bella!<\/p>\n

Joe must have been awake earlier when Pa and Hoss talked in his room.\u00a0 It was the only thing that made sense.<\/p>\n

Meeting Pa, who was closely followed by Hoss and Roy, in the hallway Adam held out a hand.\u00a0 He\u00a0 indicated the door next to Joe\u2019s with a roll of his eyes.\u00a0 The man in\u00a0 black waited for his father\u2019s nod and then slowly opened the door to Bella\u2019s room and stepped in.<\/p>\n

Joe was there.\u00a0 Dressed only his night shirt, he lay on the bed next to Bella, one arm thrown protectively over her small form.\u00a0 His brother was asleep.\u00a0 So was Bella \u2013 and it seemed, peacefully at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if that ain\u2019t a sight,\u201d Roy whistled softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess Joe just had to see for hisself that the little gal was still with us,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy lie, but not for self,\u201d Hop Sing agreed.<\/p>\n

Their father had crossed to the bedside where he stood looking down at the pair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want us to do, Pa?\u201d Adam asked, sensing his father\u2019s distress at what he considered an impropriety.<\/p>\n

The older man didn\u2019t hesitate\u00a0 \u201cGet another blanket.\u00a0 Cover your brother up.\u00a0 He\u2019s shivering.\u00a0 Joseph is going to get sick again if he doesn\u2019t keep warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked about as surprised as he<\/em> felt.\u00a0 \u2018Sure thing, Pa,\u201d he said and got to it.<\/p>\n

After the blanket was in place and the oil lamp turned down, they all stepped into the hall.\u00a0 Roy Coffee bid them goodbye, Hoss went to see the lawman to the door, and Hop Sing went back to the kitchen with his tray.<\/p>\n

That left him and his pa alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou going to leave Joe there?\u201d he asked, indicating Bella\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

His father favored him with a half-smile.\u00a0 \u201cNot all day, just for a little while.\u00a0 I think… I think maybe those two waking up and seeing each other will prove half the cure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cPa.\u00a0 Joe and Elizabeth.\u00a0 You don\u2019t think….\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s hand came down on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m trying not too.\u00a0 Now come on downstairs, Adam, it\u2019s time we got some breakfast and the ranch returned to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed as he followed his father down the stairs.<\/p>\n

He wondered what that <\/em>looked like!<\/p>\n

EIGHT<\/p>\n

Bella blinked as she opened her eyes.\u00a0 She felt weak and tired and just a little bit surprised to find that she was alive.<\/p>\n

More<\/em> than a little, really.<\/p>\n

The blonde woman looked around, noting the familiar \u2013 if long forgotten \u2013 details of a room she had occupied once before.\u00a0 Little had changed in the five years she\u2019d been gone.\u00a0 The same beautiful wooden dresser was pushed up against the far wall.\u00a0 The bedstead was the same too, though both seemed much smaller.\u00a0 The silk curtains were pulled back and the window opened to an early spring day of warmth and sun.\u00a0 She could hear birds chirping happily in the trees outside.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t know the world had ended the moment Little Joe died.<\/p>\n

Tears flooded her eyes and ran down her cheeks.\u00a0 Little brother\u2019s pa and his brothers were certain to have buried him by now.\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t have waited for her to wake up.\u00a0 After all, life had to go on.<\/p>\n

Or so she was certain everyone would tell her.<\/p>\n

Turning over in the bed, Bella shoved her face into the covers and pulled them up over her eyes and ears, wishing she could return to the oblivion of unconsciousness.\u00a0 At least there little brother was alive.\u00a0 When her fever was high, she\u2019d been there with him, sitting and playing checkers before the fire, enjoying Adam reading out loud, and listening to Ben Cartwright\u2019s tales of the sea.\u00a0 When she grew chilled and began to tremble, Little Joe was there too in the cold, bundling her in furs and holding her tightly in the sleigh, shaking the reins so the bells jingled; driving it a little too fast over the mounds of snow.<\/p>\n

Here, now, in the reality she occupied, there was nothing.<\/p>\n

Her face still buried, Bella gave way to her grief.\u00a0 Silent sobs wracked her small frame.\u00a0 She cried until she was exhausted and then she lay there, wondering how she could possibly go on.<\/p>\n

Then she heard them.\u00a0 Low voices, just outside her door.\u00a0 Men\u2019s<\/em> voices.\u00a0 Two of them, maybe three.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you rest was paramount.\u00a0 What was he doing out of bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s stubborn as a mule, you know that, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, that was Hoss talking.\u00a0 The other one was probably Doc Martin.\u00a0 The older man had moved in and out of her fever dreams as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know as well as I do, Hoss, that in the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, \u2018stubbornness\u2019 is simply another word for stupidity!.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother ain\u2019t stupid, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was angry.<\/p>\n

So was the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 And I suppose leaving his bed, wearing himself out, and falling back into a fevered state was a brilliant strategy?\u00a0 That young man\u2019s actions have put everything I did for him in jeopardy \u2013 as well as his life!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella was sitting up now.\u00a0 She swung her bare feet over the edge of the bed and headed for the door, careful to hold on as she went and not to make a sound.\u00a0 Once there she placed an ear to the crack.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul, I understand your anger.\u00a0 I\u2019m angry too.\u00a0 But, he\u2019s only a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt twenty-four, Ben, you had a child of your own and were headed across the country to build a better life for Adam and yourself.\u00a0 Youth is no excuse!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it was that, Doc,\u201d Hoss said quietly.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLittle brother just had to see that Miss Bella was doin\u2019 all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella felt her chest tighten.\u00a0 Little brother?<\/em>\u00a0 Hoss only had one little brother, didn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Did that mean that Little Joe \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph has been sheltered, Paul,\u201d Ben Cartwright said.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps it is my fault.\u00a0 Perhaps….\u00a0 Perhaps it is why he fights so hard to be thought of as a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her head was spinning.\u00a0 Little brother was alive?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not all he\u2019ll be fighting for, Ben.\u00a0 That boy is sick.\u00a0 Keep<\/em> him in bed this time and be sure to work on getting that fever down as quickly as possible. This relapse may be due to exhaustion, but it could just as easily be a sign of an underlying infection.\u00a0 Now, I have to go.\u00a0 Susan Carter is due to have her baby any time and I promised I would be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the three men\u2019s footsteps began to move down the hall toward the stair, Bella turned her back to the door and slid to the floor.\u00a0 Tears came again, but this time they were tears of joy.\u00a0 Little Joe.\u00a0 Her beloved Little Joe was alive!<\/em>\u00a0 Still, her joy was tempered by the doctor\u2019s words.\u00a0 Little brother was sick. He was hurting.<\/p>\n

She had to see him!<\/p>\n

Bella wiped the tears from her cheeks and rose to her feet.\u00a0 She was wobbly, but that wasn\u2019t going to stop her!\u00a0 She crossed to the bed first and tossed a wrap around the shoulders of her nightgown and then returned to the door.\u00a0 She stood for a moment with her hand on the latch and then carefully opened it and padded over to the rail.\u00a0 Once there, she peeked around the corner and saw Adam, Hoss, and Mister Ben following the doctor out the door.\u00a0 There were sounds from the kitchen as well \u2013 the banging and clanging of pans \u2013 so she assumed Hop Sing was busy.<\/p>\n

It was now or never!<\/p>\n

The walk was a short one, only a few feet from door to door, but by the time she reached Little Joe\u2019s room, Bella was winded.\u00a0 She stood outside it for a moment, resting her head on the smooth wood, and then turned tripped the latch and went inside.\u00a0 The room was hot and stuffy and the curtains were drawn.\u00a0 Even though it was the middle of the day, a large fire blazed in the heart, kindled no doubt to keep little brother warm and help break his fever.\u00a0 Bella closed the door behind her and stood just inside it . She was terrified that she was still sick herself, still deep in the throes of a fevered nightmare, and that this was not really<\/em> happening \u2013 that if she moved she would wake up to the reality that Little Joe was dead as she had feared.<\/p>\n

Then she heard a sound.\u00a0 A small one, like a little puppy whimpering for its ma.\u00a0 As she drew a deep breath, Bella moved forward, reaching out with a hand and catching the board at the foot of the bed.\u00a0 At first she couldn\u2019t see him. All she could see was a pile of blankets heaped up in the middle of the bed.\u00a0 Then, she saw his curls \u2013 Little Joe\u2019s glorious riot of dark brown curls \u2013 peeking out from under the blankets.\u00a0 Walking as if the carpet was made of egg shells, she hesitantly crossed to the side of the bed and looked down.\u00a0 Little brother was breathing hard and every so often, he\u2019d make that sound.\u00a0 Much as she wanted to touch him, she was afraid to.<\/p>\n

She was terrified that she\u2019d wake up and find this wasn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n

Bella drew a steadying breath.\u00a0 Her pa had told her once that courage didn\u2019t mean you weren\u2019t afraid.\u00a0 It was a choice \u2013 a choice that something else<\/em> was more important than your fear.<\/p>\n

Releasing the breath slowly, the blonde woman eased onto the side of the bed and reached out to pull back the covers. She gave a little gasp as the form beneath them was revealed.\u00a0 Little Joe was wearing\u00a0 a night shirt.\u00a0 It was opened down to his waist, revealing a well-muscled chest that rose and fell rapidly as if he had just finished running a race.\u00a0 His skin gleamed golden in the fire\u2019s light, lit by the fire within and without.\u00a0 Bella chewed her lip for a moment and then reached out to touch him \u2013 tentatively, hesitantly.\u00a0 As her fingers found his flesh, she sucked in air.<\/p>\n

His fever was shocking.<\/p>\n

Rising, Bella went to the washstand.\u00a0 Several white cloths hung on its side racks.\u00a0 Picking one up, she dipped it in the tepid water and then returned to Little Joe\u2019s side.\u00a0 Ever so gently, she ran it over his chest and arms.\u00a0 He sucked in air when it touched him, but then seemed to sigh as the water cooled his skin.\u00a0 Bella repeated the action several more times and then, with tears streaming down her cheeks,\u00a0 just sat there, staring at him.\u00a0 After a moment she reached out and touched his face and then bent down and kissed him on the forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, little brother,\u201d she breathed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she spoke Little Joe turned his head into the pillow.\u00a0 He frowned and made that little sound again and then seemed to struggle with something only he could see.\u00a0 She caught his hand with her free one and squeezed his fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe?\u00a0 Little Joe, it\u2019s \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

She gasped.<\/p>\n

His eyes were open.<\/p>\n

Joe looked past her at first, as though he was trying to understand where he was.\u00a0 But then those eyes \u2013 green as the pines and brilliant as a Ponderosa day \u2013 shifted to her face.\u00a0 He made a little sound, this one a tiny laugh, as his full lips curled in a pale imitation of his usual smile.\u00a0 She felt his fingers tighten on her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella….\u201d<\/p>\n

The tears flowed freely as her hand moved to his hair, touching the sodden curls that lay in a tangle across his forehead.\u00a0 She loved little brother\u2019s hair.\u00a0 It had so many colors in it \u2013 a deep sable brown, gold like sunlight through a storm, and slender silver streaks like lightning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s me, little brother,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201c…thank you,\u201d Joe breathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d she asked, wrinkling her nose and frowning.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor…saving me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes…did.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s eyelids were heavy.\u00a0 Like curtains they closed over his beautiful green eyes; the\u00a0 thick black lashes startling against the pallor of his cheeks.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201c…safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she agreed while stroking his hot brow, \u201cyou\u2019re safe, little brother.\u00a0 Thank God, you\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked.\u00a0 His eyes opened again and he looked right at her.\u00a0 Then he shook his head ever so slightly.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Thank God you\u2019re<\/em> safe.\u00a0 You\u2019re….\u201d\u00a0 For a second she thought he had fallen unconscious, but then she felt his hand tug at hers.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t leave….\u201d<\/p>\n

He was pulling her toward him.\u00a0 Bella glanced at the door, sure that Mister Ben would be none too happy to find her here.\u00a0 But then she decided, that didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

All that mattered was Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Bella shifted slightly and lay her head on his chest, listening to that heartbeat that she had thought was stopped forever.\u00a0 As she lay there, Little Joe\u2019s hand found her hair and his fingers worked their way into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove…you, Bella,\u201d he breathed before falling silent.<\/p>\n

She raised up and glanced at him sleeping peacefully now, and then she returned her head to his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe,\u201d she whispered, \u201cI love you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she didn\u2019t think she meant as her little brother.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Many miles away, in an abandoned cabin at the edge of Ponderosa land, Aurora Guthrie Clark gripped the edge of the window frame, her knuckles going white.\u00a0 She\u2019d kept count of the days since Fleet had brought her here, marking the wall with a lead pencil she\u2019d found in a drawer.\u00a0 This was the fourth day since the coaches had been attacked and all of those people murdered.<\/p>\n

All because of her.<\/p>\n

There were moments when she thought she couldn\u2019t bear it.\u00a0 When she wanted to run out the door, down the hill, and into the nearby river and drown.\u00a0 The only thing that saved her was the knowledge that Bella Carnaby had gotten away.\u00a0 She\u2019d promised Fleet she would stay with him \u2013 leave her husband and her home \u2013 if only he let the girl live.\u00a0 Unfortunately, there was no way to get word to Robert.\u00a0 Fleet had threatened to kill her husband if she contacted him.\u00a0 Her brother knew the law was smart enough to figure out that the renegade Indians hadn\u2019t acted alone.\u00a0 Someone had to have had a white man\u2019s knowledge of both stage coaches and their routes.\u00a0 He said Robert would believe she\u2019d died in the raid.\u00a0 She had to accept that.<\/p>\n

The consequences of crossing her depraved brother were simply too terrible to consider.<\/p>\n

About an hour after she and Fleet arrived at the cabin, the Indians came carrying the Treasure Box from the stage.\u00a0 On the way to this place Fleet had explained that the inherited fortune was his and not hers.\u00a0 In a way, he was right.\u00a0 He was<\/em> oldest.\u00a0 She\u2019d offered to let him have all the gold and not to press charges or contact the law if he would only let her return to Robert.\u00a0 Her brother\u2019s answer had been that this was not only about the money.<\/p>\n

It was about family.\u00a0\u00a0 Their <\/em>family.<\/p>\n

And revenge.<\/p>\n

A shudder passed through her.\u00a0 Aurora wrapped her arms around the light blouse she wore and looked down the overgrown path before the cabin, wondering when Fleet would appear.\u00a0 The place looked to have been abandoned for a year or two.\u00a0 Most likely it had belonged to a family who\u2019d not been able to make it and returned east.\u00a0 \u2018Family\u2019<\/em>, she mused.\u00a0 It was hard for her to apply that word to her relationship with her brother.\u00a0 Still, she had to remember, Fleet had not asked to be taken by the Indians as a youth and turned into a killer.\u00a0 He had, however, chosen to remain with Red Pony when he could have left.\u00a0 When she asked him why, he\u2019d said he wasn\u2019t made for four walls and a way of life that was confined by rules.\u00a0 With the Indians, he was free.<\/p>\n

Free.<\/p>\n

Free to burn, to loot and destroy, and to commit murder.<\/p>\n

Aurora closed her eyes and turned so her back was to the window.\u00a0 She had been terrified when the Indians arrived at the cabin.\u00a0 The older one, Thinks Twice , was frightening looking, but seemed to have some notion of honor.\u00a0 He actually sided with her, urging Fleet to keep the money, but to let her go.\u00a0 The young warrior who accompanied the older Indian, Shadow Walker, was another matter.\u00a0 He was just plain terrifying.\u00a0 She could see it in his eyes.\u00a0 The warrior hated whites, all <\/em>whites \u2013 with the apparent exception of Fleet who was his brother in blood.<\/p>\n

Pushing off the window, she went to the cabin\u2019s hearth where she had left a pot of coffee banked against the coals.\u00a0 She\u2018d made it for Fleet who was due back anytime.\u00a0 Filling a cup, she went to the table and sat down with it.\u00a0 She took a sip and then stared at the hand that held the cup, which was trembling.\u00a0 It had been five years since she had seen her brother, five years<\/em> where she dared to hope she might never see him again.\u00a0 Fleet had had his way until he took on the Cartwright family, kidnapping Ben\u2019s youngest son in an attempt to collect a ransom.\u00a0 He\u2019d almost killed Joseph \u2013 and Adam too \u2013 before the law caught up with him and he was forced to flee to Mexico.\u00a0 The lawmen were hot to capture Fleet and hang him.\u00a0 She\u2019d received a few letters from him early on, which she had passed on to the authorities.\u00a0\u00a0 Years had gone by with no contact.\u00a0 Then, just a few weeks back, she\u2019d received a note from her brother saying only, \u2018See you soon.\u00a0 Fleet<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n

She should have let the law know the minute it arrived, but never in her wildest dreams she had imagined that he would make such a bold and daring move.\u00a0 She had been so sure there was no way he could have heard of the inheritance.\u00a0 After all, he was in Mexico!\u00a0 The only person she mentioned anything about the note too was her husband.\u00a0 That was why Robert insisted on hiring Mr. Smith to be her companion and bodyguard.\u00a0 Aurora felt sick.\u00a0 She placed the cup on the table and cradled her head in her hands.\u00a0 Poor Mister Smith!\u00a0 He had done his duty and perished.<\/p>\n

Dear Lord! \u00a0All<\/em> those people….<\/p>\n

Aurora drew a shuddering sigh and straightened up.\u00a0 With a hand she struck the tears away, knowing she dare not show any weakness before her brother or the evil men he was with.\u00a0 Fleet had gleefully informed her that he\u2019d subscribed to the Territorial Enterprise just so he could keep up with her.\u00a0 The paper took a while to get it to Mexico, but it got there.\u00a0 He\u2019d read the article about her coming into their uncle\u2019s fortune and the others about her trip.\u00a0 Fleet was shrewd.\u00a0 He read between the lines and figured out that the information given in them was only a portion of the truth.\u00a0 He\u2019d high-tailed it to Virginia City as fast as he could and laid low for a few days asking questions, mostly in the more disreputable saloons.\u00a0 That was how he found out that the stage that carried the gold would leave at midday and not in the morning, and on a day and at a time other than the ones stated in print.\u00a0 Fleet said there\u2019d been a tall blonde saloon girl named Nel had who watched him closely \u2013 so closely he figured she was suspicious.\u00a0 He meant to kill her, but had been distracted when the Cartwrights showed up in town.<\/p>\n

Fleet had learned from the drunk and loquacious patrons of the saloon about not only the gold, but about Joseph riding shotgun messenger on the same stage.\u00a0 And while killing the young man had not been his chief reason for attacking the stage line \u2013 she was \u2013 Fleet told her it was fate that made it that way.\u00a0 When Joseph survived the attack and escaped, her brother sent Shadow Walker and the others to find him and finish the job.<\/p>\n

Thank God the army got in the way!<\/p>\n

Still, it wasn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n

Fleet meant to find and kill Joseph Cartwright and maybe the other Cartwright sons as well.\u00a0 She\u2019d spent the better part of the last day trying to talk him out of it.\u00a0 She reminded him that he was wealthy beyond belief now and could go anywhere and do anything.\u00a0 The atrocities he\u2019d committed were horrible, but in time the law would forget.\u00a0 But if he killed any of Ben Cartwright\u2019s sons, that would be the end of it.\u00a0 The rancher would hunt him down and bring him to justice if it took the rest of his life.<\/p>\n

To which Fleet replied, \u2018Then, I\u2019ll just kill him too.\u2019<\/p>\n

She knew he would.<\/p>\n

Aurora glanced at the window, wondering what was keeping her brother.\u00a0 Shadow Walker had shown up at the cabin late the night before and, after a few words with Fleet, the two of them had mounted up and ridden away.\u00a0 All night long she\u2019d tossed and turned as her conscience pricked her, wondering if her brother had gone to kill Joseph Cartwright.\u00a0 She should have gone for help, but she just couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 She knew what her brother was capable of.\u00a0 Every time she closed her eyes the image of childhood home going up in flames rose up her.\u00a0 Fleet knew where Robert was.\u00a0 He would slit his throat in a second and do the same to their house.\u00a0 Her brother was a killer\u00a0 He had become a killer after being kidnapped and indoctrinated into that way of life by the savage renegades who took him.\u00a0 The redhead reached up and struck away a tear that was shed, not for her brother, but the innocent son of the Parrishes.\u00a0 Thom Parrish was alive.\u00a0 Thinks Twice had taken the boy during the raid on the stagecoach to replace his own son whose death he blamed on white men.\u00a0 Thom was just about the age Fleet had been when he was kidnapped.\u00a0 Would he \u2013 would Thom one day also come to be a willing participant in such violent acts?<\/p>\n

With a trembling hand Aurora lifted her cold coffee and took a sip.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy, but she\u2019d forced herself\u00a0 to eat and drink in order to keep up her strength.\u00a0 For the time being she would play along with her brother in order to keep her husband safe.\u00a0 But if Fleet went back on his word \u2013 if she even got wind<\/em> that he might hurt Robert \u2013she intended to run fast and hard for the law.\u00a0 It might be the only way to save the man she loved.<\/p>\n

And she might just save the Cartwrights too.<\/p>\n

As she downed the last of the coffee, the redhead heard the sound of hoof beats approaching.\u00a0 She walked to the window again and looked out.<\/p>\n

Shadow Walker was alone.<\/p>\n

A moment later the latch lifted.\u00a0 As the door opened, Aurora stepped back, placing the table between her and the young warrior.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will come with me,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should I?\u00a0 Where\u2019s Fleet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her fingers gripped the chair-back.\u00a0 \u201cI will not <\/em>if you don\u2019t answer me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow Walker studied her a moment.\u00a0 She saw it in his eyes .\u00a0 He would as soon kill her as do whatever her brother had asked.<\/p>\n

Finally, he said, \u201cMany Kills wishes to conceal the gold.\u00a0 You are needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

She blinked.\u00a0 \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t he have you or one of the other Indians help him do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The warrior scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cEven though we have no desire for the white man\u2019s gold, Many Kills does not trust us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aurora masked her pleasure.\u00a0 Was it possible these evil men might fall out among themselves?<\/p>\n

\u201cWill I be coming back here?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cI have some things \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not know.\u00a0 I do not care about such things,\u201d the Indian replied.\u00a0 \u201cTake with you what you would not leave behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Give me five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI give you two.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, dad-blame it<\/em>, if that don\u2019t beat all!\u201d Hoss Cartwright said softly as he scratched his head at the scene before him.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t I just cart that boy out of Miss Bella\u2019s room!\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctor Martin was standing beside him, medical bag in hand.\u00a0 \u201cQuite the tenacious pair, those two.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was early evenin\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0 Pa\u2019d meant to come up to check on Little Joe sooner, but Paul had returned and they\u2019d got to talkin\u2019.\u00a0 Then Adam came in with news about the horses they were gettin\u2019 ready for the army.\u00a0 Before he was done, Hop Sing announced supper was on the table.\u00a0 The Doc hadn\u2019t eat all day, so Pa invited him and Paul sat down with them and they started to eat….<\/p>\n

It was about an hour later that they realized no one had checked on Little Joe all afternoon.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d volunteered right quick to do it, even though there was a big, juicy roast pig sittin\u2019 on a platter in the center of\u00a0 the table eyin\u2019 him.\u00a0 He\u2019d had to be right fast to beat Pa to it, but he\u2019d managed it.<\/p>\n

After all, Pa looked like he needed that pork more than he did.<\/p>\n

The Doc had followed him, anxious about his patients.\u00a0 He said he wanted to check both of them before he returned to the table.<\/p>\n

Hoss snickered.\u00a0 Well, he weren\u2019t gonna have much trouble doin\u2019 that since here they both was in the same bed!<\/p>\n

\u201cI see your father\u2019s house rules have grown somewhat lax,\u201d the older man said with a smile.<\/p>\n

The big man eyed him.\u00a0 \u201cYou just be glad it\u2019s me<\/em> found them instead of Pa.\u00a0 Once was sure-as-shootin\u2019 more than enough!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pickin\u2019 his big feet up and puttin\u2019 them down as gently as he could, Hoss made his way over to the bed.\u00a0 It looked like Miss Bella had been sittin\u2019 on Pa\u2019s chair, and then the side of the bed, and then just put her head down and fell asleep.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 gaze went to his baby brother and he smiled.\u00a0 Joe was sleepin\u2019 peacefully for the first time in a long time.\u00a0 That was the way little brother was, he didn\u2019t like bein\u2019 alone.\u00a0 Since his mama died, he always thought when he was alone, he was gonna stay that was for some reason.\u00a0 Leanin\u2019 over, Hoss put his hand on Little Joe\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cFever\u2019s broke,\u201d he said softly, lookin\u2019 at the Doc.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God!\u201d Paul replied.<\/p>\n

At the sound of their voices, Miss Bella stirred.\u00a0 She made one of those cute little female noises and then lifted her head and blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, m,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

Her giant blue eyes blinked away sleep.\u00a0 Then she looked down and said, \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe seems okay,\u201d Hoss assured her.\u00a0 \u201cYou been watchin\u2019 over him, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s cheeks went apple red as she looked from him to the Doc and back.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI…\u00a0 When I woke up, I thought Little Joe was…dead.\u00a0 Then I heard Doctor Martin and you all talking.\u201d\u00a0 She chewed her lower lip for a second.\u00a0 \u201cI just had<\/em> to see that it was true.\u00a0 That he was<\/em> alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe was done worried about the same thing with you.\u00a0 Do you remember him bein\u2019 in your room yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked puzzled, and then shook her head. \u201cNo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell he was, layin\u2019 right on top of you like you was on him….\u201d<\/p>\n

Now it was his <\/em>cheeks that went red.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot meanin\u2019 anythin\u2019 by that.\u00a0 I…er….\u201d<\/p>\n

He heard the doctor chuckle. \u201cHoss, why don\u2019t you return the young lady to her room while I check your brother over.\u00a0 If the fever\u2019s gone for good this time, Joe should mend fairly quickly.\u00a0 And you, young lady, I will come see you next,\u201d he added, his tone mock stern.\u00a0 \u201cMake sure you are in your own <\/em>room when I get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Bella had hold of one of Joe\u2019s hands.\u00a0 It was all she could do to let it go.\u00a0 Finally, she surrendered it with a quiet, \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to carry you, Miss Bella?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

She smiled at him as he moved to her side.\u00a0 \u201cJust \u2018Bella\u2019, Hoss.\u00a0 Call me Bella.\u00a0 And no, I can walk.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled up at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou are so sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGosh darn it, Miss…Bella, now you gone and made me blush again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella laughed.<\/p>\n

They entered her room and Bella crossed to the chair by the fire.\u00a0 Once she was seated, she frowned a little frown.\u00a0 \u201cI….\u00a0 I know what that looked like….\u201d\u00a0 She drew a deep breath. \u201cWell, I…we….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t go tellin\u2019 Pa, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re afeared of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella let out a small sigh of relief as tears welled in her big blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI just had to see that Little Joe was alive.\u00a0 Hoss, I was sure<\/em> he was dead.\u00a0 I saw that Indian hit him with that awful club and watched him fall…and then get up and get hit again.\u00a0 When that man picked him up and they disappeared into the smoke, I couldn\u2019t find him!\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t<\/em> find him!\u201d\u00a0 Her tears were flowin\u2019 freely now.\u00a0 \u201cI got him up into the rocks and then put him under the ledge and when I checked for his heartbeat that last time, I couldn\u2019t find it.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t find it!\u00a0 I was just sure <\/em>he had died!\u00a0 I was never<\/em> so scared in all my life.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I would have done if little brother was dead, I think….\u00a0 I think I just would have just died too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that<\/em> was the Elizabeth he remembered!<\/p>\n

Hoss walked over to her and knelt in front of her chair.\u00a0 Taking her birdlike hands in his own, he held them tightly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s over, Bella.\u00a0 You\u2019re safe and Joe\u2019s safe and that\u2019s only thanks to you.\u201d\u00a0 He felt a pit open up in his stomach as he said it, but it was the gospel truth.\u00a0 \u201cIf you hadn\u2019t sheltered him and kept him warm, Little Joe wouldn\u2019t be breathin\u2019 no more and we\u2019d both be shy one little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

She swallowed over the emotion that had silenced her.\u00a0 \u201cWere there…were there any other survivors?\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew his pa and Roy were wonderin\u2019 the same thing.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Bella.\u00a0 My pa was hopin\u2019 to talk to you about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She closed her eyes, as if tryin\u2019 to shut out what she had seen.\u00a0 \u201cAurora,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I think Thom Parrish.\u00a0 The Indians took him.\u00a0 His parents and his sister…died….\u00a0 There was another man.\u00a0 He tried to help Little Joe, but he didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That would have been Jeri Carlisle.\u00a0 They knew now from Little Joe that Carlisle had been a Pinkerton detective.\u00a0 It said somethin\u2019 for the men with Fleet Rowse that they\u2019d killed an experienced lawman like him.<\/p>\n

Nothin\u2019 good.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you just stop thinkin\u2019 on it,\u201d he said, chasing a tear from her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re just mended and you need your rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she does,\u201d a stern voice \u2013 not pretendin\u2019 now \u2013 said from close behind him.\u00a0 \u201cThere will be time enough for questions tomorrow,\u201d Paul Martin said as he stepped in the room.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was in for a tongue lickin\u2019 for sure<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe\u2019s awake.\u00a0 He\u2019d like to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle brother\u2019s awake?\u201d\u00a0 A big grin split his face.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t joshin\u2019 me?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s awake.\u00a0 Now, mind you, don\u2019t tire him out.\u00a0 Just a few minutes and then go tell your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded as he walked Bella to the bed and then headed for the door.\u00a0 Once there, he turned back.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Doc!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t thank me,\u201d Paul said as he took hold of the blonde girl\u2019s wrist and pulled out his watch.\u00a0 \u201cYou can thank my nurse here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t never <\/em>gonna stop doin\u2019 that, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few steps took him to his brother\u2019s room.\u00a0 The curtains were open now and the late afternoon light was streamin\u2019 into the darkened room.\u00a0 Joe was propped up against a mountain of pillows and looked just about as white as their linen covers.<\/p>\n

\u201cGosh, it sure is good to see you sittin\u2019 up with your eyes open, short shanks,\u201d Hoss said as he sat in the chair by the bed.<\/p>\n

Joe gave him a weak grin.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019m back among the living.\u201d<\/p>\n

His baby brother\u2019s voice was quiet.\u00a0 Haunted.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNow don\u2019t you go blamin\u2019 yourself for what happened, Joe.\u00a0 You couldn\u2019t \u2013\u201c<\/p>\n

Hot as the fire that had consumed him before, Joe\u2019s temper flared. \u201cI was ridin\u2019 shotgun!\u00a0 I was supposed to protect those people!\u00a0 I….\u201d\u00a0 He choked.\u00a0 \u201cI…failed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou tried, Joe.\u00a0 We all know you did.\u00a0 You was outnumbered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe leaned his head back.\u00a0 He winced and sucked in air as the pillow encountered his wound.\u00a0 He looked right at him, but didn\u2019t say nothin\u2019.\u00a0 It was like he had somethin\u2019 important to say, but just couldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n

Finally, it came out.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, all those…people….\u00a0 I…killed them….\u201d<\/p>\n

He fell silent again.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother sniffed and did as he was told.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose men who attacked them two stages meant to kill everybody.\u00a0 They wasn\u2019t interested in lettin\u2019 anyone go.\u00a0 It\u2019s God\u2019s own miracle that you and Bella are still alive, and Mrs. Clark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes brightened.\u00a0 \u201cAurora?\u00a0 She\u2019s alive too?\u00a0 Is she here?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know how much to tell his brother.\u00a0 He thought maybe Pa ought to be the one to mention Rowse bein\u2019 back.\u00a0 They wasn\u2019t sure if Joe knew it was him that done the killin\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe ain\u2019t here, Joe.\u00a0 She\u2019s mendin\u2019 elsewheres.\u201d<\/p>\n

That seemed to relieve him.\u00a0 His brother remained silent a moment and then said, \u201cI was afraid her brother got her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss fought a sigh.<\/p>\n

So he did<\/em> know.<\/p>\n

The big man decided to let it go even though he knew Little Joe\u2019d give him an earful later for doin\u2019 it.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Clark\u2019s safe, little brother, and so are you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s jaw tightened.\u00a0 His lips quivered as his fingers curled into fists.\u00a0 Hoss could tell he was fightin\u2019 back tears .<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss….\u201d\u00a0 This time Joe\u2019s voice did break.\u00a0 \u201cI thought it was…Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThought what <\/em>was Bella?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe girl with the golden curls.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took a second. Then he remembered the single grave with the cross.\u00a0 \u201cThe one you buried?\u201d\u00a0 At his look, the big man added, \u201cWe knew it was you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tear ran down his brother\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI got everybody killed!\u201d he all but shouted.\u00a0 \u201cI insisted on taking time to bury her.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t….\u201d\u00a0 A shudder ran the whole length of his body.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t <\/em>leave her lyin\u2019 there.\u201d<\/p>\n

They was fairly certain Joe would have buried any young girl what had been used like that, but they\u2019d suspected her thought it was Bella.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 hand reached out to take hold of his brother\u2019s wrist. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe.\u00a0 That had to be hard on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was lyin\u2019 there, Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0 On her back, looking at the sky.\u00a0 Her face was…gone.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe gasped with the memory.\u00a0 \u201cEverything from the waist up was burned so bad.\u00a0 Her dress was ripped.\u00a0 Her legs….\u00a0 God, Hoss, her legs were spread apart and the burned cloth was flappin\u2019 in the wind, and \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was on the bed and had his little brother in his arms faster than a comet.\u00a0 As Joe sobbed, he ran a hand through his brother\u2019s curly hair, careful to avoid where the club had struck.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you listen here, little brother, you done been through more than most men could bear.\u00a0 You got a sorrow in you that could eat a man alive.\u00a0 You gotta let that out afore it does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I can\u2019t \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can!<\/em>\u00a0 God didn\u2019t save you out of all them people for no reason, Little Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019s got somethin\u2019 right special waitin\u2019 for you and Bella, \u2018cause of he saved her too.\u00a0 If you give up, little brother, then you\u2019re lettin\u2019 those outlaws win and all those people done died for nothin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe had quieted enough to listen.\u00a0 His brother\u2019s face was turned into his shirt.\u00a0 The cloth was soaked through.\u00a0 As he sat there, cradlin\u2019 him, Hoss\u2019 own tears began to fall, wettin\u2019 that mass of brown curls that was free now of mud and blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta believe it, boy.\u00a0 You just gotta<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s body went slack against him.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Hoss,\u201d he sniffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, you\u2019re done tuckered out,\u201d the big man said, putting him at arms\u2019 length and lookin\u2019 at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was about to say the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned to find their father standin\u2019 in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Pa, short shanks,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s done come to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned slightly, smiled sweetly at the older man, and then went limp in his arms.\u00a0 Hoss placed his baby brother down carefully and pulled the cover up to his chin. After that, he went over to their father.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s plumb wore out, Pa.\u00a0 And it ain\u2019t only his body.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s carryin\u2019 a heap of guilt about them people who died.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man laid a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Marie\u2019s boy,\u201d he said softly, his eyes on Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think he\u2019s gonna be all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a loaded question and Hoss knew it, but like he\u2019d reassured Little Joe, he found he was in need of some reassurin\u2019 too.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime heals most everything, son, but you have to give time<\/em> time.\u201d\u00a0 His father looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cThank you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShucks, it ain\u2019t nothing, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it <\/em>may be nothing, but you most definitely <\/em>are something.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 His father placed an arm around his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNow, let\u2019s go let Adam finish that tale about the horses….\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NINE<\/p>\n

Adam reached up and batted one of the Chinese lanterns that hung from the ceiling rafters and watched it sway back and forth as he walked through the great room.\u00a0 The house was decked in finery and that included flowers and streamers, as well as the brightly colored paper orbs.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights were throwing a party.<\/p>\n

It had been three weeks since the raid on the stage coach line in which Bella and Joe had almost been killed.\u00a0 Their father wanted to do something to celebrate the pair\u2019s rescue from the jaws of death.\u00a0 It was also Bella\u2019s birthday.\u00a0 Today she turned eighteen and officially became a woman.<\/p>\n

He wondered if that<\/em> was the problem.<\/p>\n

Paul had granted Bella permission to get up and move about long before he did Joe.\u00a0 Baby brother\u2019s lungs had become inflamed and there was fear of pneumonia, so the doctor confined him to his room.\u00a0 For the majority of those next weeks, whenever Bella went missing, that was where they\u2019d find her \u2013 in Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 The blonde woman insisted on nursing Joe back to health.\u00a0 In the beginning his kid brother had eaten up the attention, but as the days turned to weeks, something changed.\u00a0 He\u2019d go to the room to check on Joe and find him pretending to sleep while Bella was there.\u00a0 He could tell, of course, since Joe had pulled that routine on him and Hoss more times than he could count.\u00a0 Joe would snuggle down under his covers until only the top of his curly head showed.\u00a0 Every once in a while he\u2019d make a little noise, shift, and then grip the pillows with his fingers.\u00a0 Adam ran a hand along the back of his neck as he glanced at the stairs.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think Bella had caught on.\u00a0 She always seemed cheerful when he came in.\u00a0 But there was something definitely<\/em> bothering his brother.<\/p>\n

Joe had literally gone green when he heard about the party.<\/p>\n

He and Hoss had discussed what it all meant.\u00a0 Joe was still having a hard time overcoming what happened and was, in his opinion, suffering from depression.\u00a0 He blamed himself for the deaths of the people who were on the stage he was supposed to have been protecting.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter what anyone said \u2013 him, Hoss, Hop Sing, Bella, or <\/em>Pa \u2013 Joe just wouldn\u2019t let it go.\u00a0 He felt responsible which, on one hand, was a sign of manhood, but on the other hand went a long way to show that Joe was still a child.\u00a0 The hardest day had been the one where Aurora Clark\u2019s husband had come to the ranch house to question him and Bella.\u00a0 Joe had been so distraught after Robert left, that he\u2019d actually suffered a setback.\u00a0 It took a lot for them to keep Pa from sending one of the hands for Doctor Martin.\u00a0 In the end, the older man said he\u2019d give it a day. \u00a0When Joe heard that, little brother had come down to breakfast the next morning with a smile on his face, seemingly fit as a fiddle.<\/p>\n

Seemingly.<\/p>\n

Joe had seemed<\/em> all right.\u00a0 The truth was, he was far from it, as his nightmare that night attested.<\/p>\n

Today was the last Wednesday in November.\u00a0 Thanksgiving was past and Christmas on its way.\u00a0 Unlike the time before when Bella had stayed with them and they\u2019d all ended up running around in a blizzard, the weather this year was temperate.\u00a0 Winter was definitely on the horizon, but so far the snow had held off.\u00a0 Hence the decision to go ahead and hold a party.\u00a0 The roads were clear and everyone was in a holiday mood.\u00a0 Bella was turning eighteen, and his little brother needed something to take his mind off of what had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a good time will be had by all!\u201d Adam declared with a roll of his eyes as he headed into the kitchen.\u00a0 Hop Sing was there, putting the finishing touches on just about the largest cake he had ever seen.\u00a0 It was covered with pink roses and other flowers made of marzipan with\u00a0 \u2018Happy Birthday Bella\u2019\u00a0 emblazoned on the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ve outdone yourself, Hop Sing.\u00a0 That cake\u2019s bigger than Bella,\u201d Adam teased as he walked to the Chinese man\u2019 side.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella little.\u00a0 Cake maybe not big enough for twenty people,\u201d the cook replied.<\/p>\n

Pa had invited most of the neighbors, plus Doctor Martin and Roy.\u00a0 \u201cIf Hoss sees it first, that\u2019s a given,\u201d he replied as he stuck his finger into the icing on the side opposite the name.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s eyes went wide as the plates on the wall.\u00a0 \u201cMistah Adam not make hole in cake!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned as he licked his finger.\u00a0 \u201cMy expert opinion is that you need to ladle a little icing into that wound before it festers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing was making a shooing motion with his hands.\u00a0 \u201cMistah Adam go away!\u00a0 Find someone else to bother!\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is hanging the banner outside.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s pretending to sleep.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s watching Joe, and Pa\u2019s watching both of them.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m open to suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chinese man repaired the hole in the cake and then squeezed some icing into a deep spoon and handed it to him.\u00a0 Adam smiled and accepted it and then shoveled the heaping portion into his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe sad,\u201d Hop Sing said, his voice tempered with concern.\u00a0 \u201cWhy he no better?\u201d<\/p>\n

How did he answer that?\u00a0 Physically, Joe was improving.\u00a0 But\u00a0 emotionally \u2013 spiritually?<\/em>\u00a0 That was another matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s said time heals all wounds, Hop Sing.\u00a0 I\u2019m not so sure it does.\u00a0 In time the mind builds up enough scar tissue to protect itself and the pain lessens, but the wounds are never truly gone.\u201d\u00a0 He drew a breath and let it out in a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Little Joe.\u00a0 He feels things deeply.\u00a0 It\u2019s going to take him some time to get over this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMissy Bella help.\u00a0 Good she here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was it?\u00a0 Adam wondered.\u00a0\u00a0 From what he had seen, it seemed Joe found Bella almost too <\/em>painful a reminder of what had happened.<\/p>\n

Adam ambled over to the side table in the kitchen where a plate of chocolate and cream dessert rolls lay.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve really outdone yourself today, Hop Sing.\u00a0 \u00c9clairs?\u201d\u00a0 They were one of Joe\u2019s favorites, which always amused him.\u00a0 The self-proclaimed bronco buster who wanted nothing to do with culture, enjoying a French delicacy.\u00a0 Adam glanced at the ice box.\u00a0 \u201cWhat else have you got in store for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing came over and snatched the plate out from under his wandering fingers.\u00a0 \u201cYou find out tonight at party with everyone else!\u00a0 Mistah Adam go away.\u00a0 No food left if he stay!\u201d<\/p>\n

He raised his hands in surrender \u2013 and then snatched one of the \u00e9clairs from the tray.\u00a0 Adam exited the kitchen to a barrage of Hop Sing\u2019s mock protests.\u00a0 As he took a bite, he headed back into the great room and arrived just as Hoss came in the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cBanner\u2019s up and blowin\u2019 in the wind!\u201d the big man proclaimed as he hung his ten gallon hat on the wall rack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWind?\u00a0 Oh no.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell me it\u2019s going to storm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019ll be after the party.\u00a0 Around sunrise. Maybe sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

As warm as it was, it would most likely be rain.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good.\u00a0 That way everyone will be home before it hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

His middle brother cast a glance at the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cYou seen short-shanks yet today?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was almost noon.\u00a0 Paul had told Pa to let Joe sleep as much as he wanted for at least a month, in order to build up stamina and strength.\u00a0 The fact that Joe was being obedient was another indication that something was wrong.\u00a0 Normally, any hint that he was not pulling his weight was enough to get him on his feet and out the door no matter how<\/em> tired he was.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t count the times the kid had come close to working himself to death.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I assume he\u2019s sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s watching Joe sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat little gal sure does have it bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leave it to Hoss to state the obvious.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019ve seen it too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019d reddish-blond brows popped toward his receding hairline.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d have to be blind as five bats not too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The black-haired shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThen it appears little brother is blind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinkin\u2019 maybe that\u2019s what\u2019s got him down, you know?\u00a0 Well, that along with everything else.\u00a0 You remember how hard it was for him to tell her they was just friends all those years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe saw Bella as that child, that was for certain.\u00a0 After all, he had just turned twenty-four and Bella was just eighteen.\u00a0 Seven years made a lot of difference where maturity was concerned.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips quirked.<\/p>\n

Bella was definitely <\/em>more mature than Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould be.\u00a0 I know Joe would fight tooth and claw not to hurt her feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember how she thought the two of them was gonna get married?\u201d his brother asked.<\/p>\n

He certainly did.\u00a0 It had been cute at the time, but Pa had made it clear to Joe five years before that if he <\/em>didn\u2019t make it clear to Bella that it wasn\u2019t going to happen, then he\u2019d hurt her twice over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that day Pa warned about has finally come,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 nod turned into an inclination.\u00a0 Adam turned to see Joe coming down the stairs, yawning and running a hand through his unruly curls, trying to tame them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if it ain\u2019t sleeping beauty,\u201d the big man jibed.<\/p>\n

Joe looked slightly puzzled as he came to rest at the bottom of the steps.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re lookin\u2019 for breakfast, you ain\u2019t gonna find it.\u00a0 Hop Sing\u2019s just about to put lunch on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna go out and saddle Cooch and take a ride.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d check out that fence Pa said needed mending.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa and Joe had had it out a few days back.\u00a0 After the relapse, their father had limited what Joe was allowed to do until Paul\u2019s return at the end of the week.\u00a0 Joe had abided by his edict for a few days and then boldly declared that he was twenty-four and Pa couldn\u2019t tell him what he could and couldn\u2019t do.\u00a0 Their father had responded that if he had one wit of sense in that curly head of his, he\u2019d let him make his own decisions, but since most of them seemed to be imprudent, this time \u2013 where his health was concerned \u2013 he was laying down the law.<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 Nothing new there.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t all that unusual for Joe to end up on the wrong side of the law.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa won\u2019t like it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s temper flared.\u00a0 \u201cPa can just take it and \u2013\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 He caught himself before he said something he was going to regret.\u00a0 He stood there a moment, roping in his anger, and then announced, \u201cI\u2019m not going to do any work.\u00a0 I\u2019m just gonna ride out and see<\/em> where it needs done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to come along, Joe?\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 \u201cSince we got that party tonight, it\u2019ll go quicker with the two of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew what Hoss was doing.\u00a0 Giving Joe an \u2018out\u2019.\u00a0 That was something else Pa had argued about with Joe \u2013 going out alone.<\/p>\n

It was always there.\u00a0 The possibility that Fleet Rowse might still be in the area.<\/p>\n

Roy was checking almost daily with the sheriffs in all the nearby towns.\u00a0 So far there had been no reports of the outlaw being seen.\u00a0 But Rowse had lived with Indians and like them, knew how to move silently and unseen.\u00a0 It was a constant fear they all had \u2013 Joe being out somewhere alone and Fleet finding him.<\/p>\n

Joe stood there, nostrils flaring, chin jutted out; his whole lithe form rigid.\u00a0 Then, he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCome if you want.\u00a0 Makes no difference to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that was about as gracious an invitation as he had ever heard.<\/p>\n

As Joe put his hand to the door latch, Hoss said, \u201cI\u2019ll be out in a minute.\u00a0 I got somethin\u2019 to get from my room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their little brother\u2019s glare showed that he saw\u00a0 through that ruse too.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t take too long talkin\u2019 about me,\u201d he grunted and slammed the door behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoo-ee!\u00a0 That was just about as much fun as handlin\u2019 a fumin\u2019 rattler,\u201d Hoss proclaimed.<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSeems he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning \u2013 afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t say nothin\u2019 about Bella.\u00a0 You suppose….\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam followed his middle brother\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 The object of that sentence was coming down the stairs.\u00a0 Bella had been with them for breakfast.\u00a0 She\u2019d come to the table wearing a\u00a0 simple day dress, with her hair pulled back in a tail.\u00a0 She\u2019d talked and chattered and simply been that little girl who had\u00a0 saved his brother\u2019s life and come to be their friend.<\/p>\n

The woman<\/em> descending the stairs right now was quite a different story.\u00a0 Pa had taken her to town the day before to the ladies\u2019 dress shop and told her to pick out what she wanted for the party.\u00a0\u00a0 She\u2019d chosen a deep crimson bustle style gown made of watermarked silk that shimmered as she moved.\u00a0 It had a square neckline and three-quarter sleeves.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a fancy dress, but an elegant one, and its plain nature emphasized the beauty of the one who wore it.<\/p>\n

Bella didn\u2019t wear make-up of any kind.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t need it.\u00a0 Her complexion was a natural warm ivory with blush that pinked her cheeks and delightfully tinted the end of her upturned nose.\u00a0 She had her hair down now.\u00a0 It was the color of tupelo honey; golden with undertones of amber.\u00a0 She had it pulled up on both sides and caught it in a set of ivory combs, causing a small cascade of curls to fall across her forehead and a larger wave that lay across her shoulders.\u00a0 A simple gold chain with a tiny cross adorned her neck and petite gold nugget earrings glinted in the lobes of her ears.<\/p>\n

As Hoss let out a low whistle, Adam applauded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeauty itself doth of itself persuade the eyes of men without an orator,\u201d he said. \u201cBella, you look stunning!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure that\u2019s Bella, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cI think someone done stole that little gal away last night and left a perfect rose in her place.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced at his brother with a smile, wondering if the big man knew he was waxing poetic.\u00a0 Bella for her part….\u00a0 Well, that blush-pink tint on her cheeks was now as deep as the color of her gown.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you like it?\u201d she asked, taking a little spin, allowing the gores to open and fan out about her tiny waist like the petals of that rose unfolding.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s perfect,\u201d he answered.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think it\u2019s perfect, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMm-mm, it sure<\/em> is!\u00a0 You\u2019re gonna have every feller at that dance tonight wantin\u2019 to put his name on your card.\u00a0 Fact is, you\u2019ll probably run out of room!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella smiled.\u00a0 She hesitated a second and then asked, \u201cDo you think Little Joe will think I\u2019m pretty?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if he doesn\u2019t,\u201d Adam said softly, \u201csomething has definitely<\/em> gone wrong with his eyes.\u201d\u00a0 As he opened\u00a0 his mouth to ask her if she would like to be escorted to the table Hop Sing was busy setting, the door opened wide and the object of the lovely lady\u2019s question stomped in.<\/p>\n

\u201cForgot my daggone hat,\u201d Joe growled as he headed for the stairs, only to pull up short at the angelic presence standing by the newell post.<\/p>\n

It was at that moment that Adam realized that Bella had a power no one else possessed.\u00a0 She\u2019d stopped Joe in his tracks.<\/p>\n

Behind him, Hoss chuckled quietly.\u00a0 Adam turned and gave him a wink.<\/p>\n

Bella was standing there, staring at Joe, a perplexed look on her beautiful face.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d she said at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cI…well…I….\u201d\u00a0 Joe stammered.\u00a0 \u201cI…forgot my hat…I left it…upstairs on the dresser.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her rose-petal lips quirked.\u00a0 \u201cI bet the dresser looks quite rakish wearing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was pulling at his collar now and the color of his ears matched Bella\u2019s cheeks.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cRakish?\u00a0 My…what?\u201d<\/p>\n

She twirled in a little circle, those crimson Moir\u00e9 panels spiraling out again to accentuate her tiny waist.\u00a0 \u201cDo you like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was dying behind him.\u00a0 Adam gave him a swift elbow in the ribs and a stern look worthy of Pa.\u00a0 Any sign of the situation being amusing to the two of them and Joe\u2019s temper would flare.\u00a0 Their kid brother hated <\/em>being made fun of \u2013 at least when there was truth at the bottom of the jab.<\/p>\n

Joe still hadn\u2019t moved.\u00a0 His back was stiff as a board.\u00a0 \u201c…like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy gown for the party tonight, silly.\u201d\u00a0 Bella stopped whirling and looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cAre you feeling poorly, little brother?\u201d she asked as she stepped up and placed her hand on his forehead.\u00a0 Joe had his head down.\u00a0 Probably not a good thing.<\/p>\n

That crimson Moir\u00e9 bustle-back gown had quite<\/em> the low neckline.<\/p>\n

Yep.\u00a0 That did it.<\/p>\n

Joe reared back like a wild mustang spying a saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine!\u201d he all but yelled, offering his usual mantra that let you know he was anything but<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019m feelin\u2019 poorly, it\u2019s only because people won\u2019t stop treating me like an invalid!\u201d\u00a0 He drew a breath, almost but not quite able to realize what his words would do to the sweet young thing standing before him.\u00a0 \u201cNow, if you\u2019ll excuse me, I gotta get my hat and get to work!\u201d<\/p>\n

With that Joe almost literally<\/em> flew up the stairs.<\/p>\n

Bella stood there for a moment as if stunned and then she ran past them and out the door, slamming it behind her.<\/p>\n

Adam pursed his lips and sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould be a wonderful<\/em> party.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a wonderful party.\u00a0 Hop Sing had outdone himself.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright stood by the staircase, leaning against the newel post, a glass of punch in one hand and a beautiful woman on his arm.\u00a0 Catherine Begg was one of Virginia City\u2019s finest catches.\u00a0 She was the proprietress of her own business and widowed for three years and had only recently come back into society.\u00a0 They had met at her establishment when he took Elizabeth to town to find a gown for her to wear tonight.\u00a0 Kate, as she liked to be called, had suggested the crimson Moir\u00e9 the girl was wearing.<\/p>\n

The choice was perfect.<\/p>\n

As he took a sip of his brandy, Ben looked over the rim at his youngest son who, uncharacteristically, was standing on the sidelines watching instead of dancing.\u00a0 A number of young beauties had come up to him, but after accepting the first one, Joseph had turned all the others down.\u00a0 If the boy wasn\u2019t twenty-four years old, he would have said he was pouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think we\u2019re in for a temper tantrum next, Pa?\u201d Adam asked as he walked past, not bothering to wait for an answer as he headed for the young lady he was currently sparking.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour sons are delightful, Ben!\u201d Kate remarked with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cAlike in so many ways and yet, so different.\u201d<\/p>\n

As different as the women who bore them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey keep me on my toes, especially that youngest one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, you mean?\u201d\u00a0 She leaned in closer.\u00a0 \u201cIf I was twenty years younger, that young man would be in trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at her and patted her hand.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019ll just have to settle for the older version.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.\u00a0 \u201cLike a fine wine, men only get better with age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you\u2019re havin\u2019 a good time, Pa,\u201d Hoss remarked as he walked past carrying a plate of food.<\/p>\n

The older man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cTime of my life.\u00a0 I just wish your younger brother was enjoying himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it ain\u2019t spoilin\u2019 Bella\u2019s time none.\u00a0 Look at that girl dance!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was right.\u00a0 At first Bella had asked Joseph to dance and they had taken one turn around the dance floor.\u00a0 After that, it seemed Joseph always had something else to do \u2013 help Hop Sing carry in the food, go for more wood; check that funny noise he\u2019d heard outside.\u00a0 After the girl had spent half an hour waiting for him, looking miserable, Adam had gone up to Bella and asked her to be his partner in a Virginia Reel.\u00a0 It took a few minutes, but soon she was smiling and laughing and Adam was giving way to a young man who had asked to cut in, and then that one gave way to the next.\u00a0 And the next….<\/p>\n

Bella was blooming right before their eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s jealous, you know,\u201d Kate said softly as his middle son moved away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u00a0 Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

She sighed and rolled her large brown eyes. \u201cMen.\u00a0 Blind as a noon day owl!\u00a0 No, Joseph<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf what?\u201d\u00a0 He looked again, noting his youngest\u2019s eyes were locked on Bella\u2019s twirling form.\u00a0 \u201cOf Bella dancing with other young men, you mean?\u00a0 Nonsense.\u00a0 They\u2019re just friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. \u00a0Just<\/em> friends.\u201d\u00a0 Kate ran a hand along the side of her face, pushing back a few errant strands of chestnut hair streaked with silver.\u00a0 \u201cThen why, may I ask, is he scowling instead of smiling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked again.\u00a0 She was right.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph probably feels protective of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he has feelings<\/em> for her all right,\u201d the older woman replied.\u00a0 \u201cProtective might<\/em> be one of them.\u00a0 Ben, I was a young woman at one time, believe it or not, and I\u2019ve seen that look before.\u00a0 I admit, there is something in it of an older brother \u2013 an older brother who would tear apart any man who so much as dared to look at that charming young creature in the way he\u2019s<\/em> looking at her now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t considered it.\u00a0 Joseph had known Bella since she was eleven years old, and though his son had promised to marry her when she grew up, they had all known he was just humoring a little girl who had a crush on him.<\/p>\n

A little girl….<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the penny drops,\u201d Kate laughed.<\/p>\n

Good Lord.\u00a0 It all made sense now.\u00a0 Joseph heading out of the house before Bella was up, asking for \u2013 no demanding<\/em> extra work that would keep him away from the ranch.\u00a0 Finding him in the barn brushing and brushing Cochise\u2019s patchwork coat until they all feared the poor horse would end up hairless.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s silence at meals.<\/p>\n

The look he was wearing now.<\/p>\n

Even though he didn\u2019t know it, Joseph was in love with Bella.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes flicked to the beautiful young woman who was taking a second turn on the dance floor with the handsome and charming son of Bill Curtis, a distant neighbor.\u00a0 As his gaze returned to his youngest, his eyes met Adam\u2019s.\u00a0 An unspoken understanding passed between them in that instant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose boys,\u201d he growled under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe parents are always the last to know,\u201d Kate chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Mister Benjamin Cartwright, if you are done with your brandy, this old lady would like to show the young ones how it\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cForgive me.\u00a0 All I\u2019ve been talking about is my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cEvery woman in the territory knows that comes with catching the eye of the handsomest man in the state.\u00a0 Never apologize for love.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he took Kate\u2019s hand and moved her onto the dance floor, Ben shot another look at Joseph.<\/p>\n

He hoped his son would come to understand that same thing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe knew he was sulking, but he didn\u2019t know what else he could do. Every time Bella took the hand of one of his friends and danced with them, smiling and laughing, he wanted to do two things \u2013 be happy<\/em> for her and deck<\/em> them.<\/em>\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what was wrong.\u00a0 He loved Bella with all his heart but, well, he was her \u2018little brother\u2019 as she called him.\u00a0 It was like they were…family.\u00a0 He knew he should be pleased that she was having such a grand time, but he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 He guessed this was what big brothers felt like when their little sisters got old enough to have beaus.\u00a0 From the look of her, she\u2019d gotten over thinking she was gonna marry him.\u00a0 Bella was hanging onto Geoff Curtis right now like she feared she\u2019d plunge off a hill if she didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Geoff was leaning in, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh.<\/p>\n

He wanted to take that smile on Geoff\u2019s face and wipe the floor with it!<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving fun, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam.<\/p>\n

Of course, it was Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it to you?\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa.\u00a0 Down, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t call me a \u2018boy\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have to call you one if you\u2019d stop acting like one,\u201d Adam retorted.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re spoiling Bella\u2019s party and that is the act of a self-centered child.\u201d<\/p>\n

He had a comeback, but it stuck to his tongue like nut butter.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen it.\u00a0 Every once in a while Bella would look over his way.\u00a0 When she did there was a smile on her lips, but not in her eyes.<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged as he didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go dance with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n

Why<\/em> he didn\u2019t was too embarrassing to admit to anyone.\u00a0 He\u2019d touched Bella plenty of times.\u00a0 Back when she was eleven, he\u2019d caught her by the waist and swung her around like on of those whirling dervishes in that Arabian Tales book he used to read to her from.\u00a0 Back when her \u2018little brother\u2019 had tucked her in at night and planted a kiss on her forehead.\u00a0 But today, when he took hold of the tiny corseted waist wrapped in soft crimson cloth, there\u2019d been a bunch of feelings wash over him that had nothing <\/em>to do with being a little brother.<\/p>\n

And it wasn\u2019t her forehead he wanted to kiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I just ain\u2019t feelin\u2019 up to it, Adam,\u201d he answered with a kind of half-truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feeling weak again?\u201d his brother asked with sudden concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Weak.\u201d\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t a lie either.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll just go outside for some fresh air.\u00a0 You go have some fun, Adam.\u00a0 Valerie\u2019s lookin\u2019 for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He had almost made it to the door when a small crimson form stopped him.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Trapped as he was, Joe turned and looked down at Bella.\u00a0 She\u2019d been dancing hard and her chest was heaving, making her little breasts rise and fall.<\/p>\n

Flustered he looked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I do something wrong?\u201d she asked in a little hurt voice.<\/p>\n

That made him feel about two inches tall.\u00a0 \u201cIts not you, Bella.\u00a0 Its me.\u00a0 I\u2019m…just tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached for his face, touching his cheek.<\/p>\n

That touch was electric.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t seem to have any fever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stumbled back.\u00a0 \u201cBella, you can\u2019t keep….\u00a0 You can\u2019t keep touching me like that.\u00a0 You\u2019re eighteen now.\u00a0 People will wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople?\u201d she snapped.\u00a0 \u201cWhat people?\u201d\u00a0 She turned to look at the crowd.\u00a0 \u201cNo one is even paying attention to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, you\u2019re livin\u2019<\/em> here.\u00a0 It just….\u00a0 It just ain\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 It isn\u2019t \u2018right\u2019?\u00a0\u00a0 Well, what is right?\u00a0 Treating me like I have the plague?\u201d<\/p>\n

People were looking now \u2018cause she was almost shouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, keep it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not \u2018keep it down\u2019!\u00a0 I can tell you that you<\/em> are the one with your mind in the gutter, Joseph Cartwright!\u00a0 You and I are just friends and \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Geoff Curtis had come up behind her.\u00a0 \u201cDo you need help, Bella?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 Just having a word with my \u2018little brother\u2019,\u201d she said, her tone somewhere between hurt and wanting to<\/em> hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Little brother\u2019, that\u2019s…cute,\u201d Geoff said.<\/p>\n

Boy, how he wanted to punch him in the nose, but he held back knowing Pa would be right upset if he got blood on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to make something out of it?\u201d Joe snarled.<\/p>\n

Of course, if it was Geoff who took the first <\/em>swing<\/p>\n

Bill Curtis\u2019 son looked a lot like him, except that he was taller and had curly\u00a0 black hair.\u00a0 He wore it long and it made him look kind of like a sheep that needed shorn.\u00a0 His eyes might have been called green, but there was a lot of brown in them too so he would have called it hazel.\u00a0 Geoff was a year or two younger than him, though they\u2019d gone to school together.\u00a0 He\u2019d been to college like Adam and had just come home that summer.<\/p>\n

Geoff held up his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not a brute.\u00a0 I don\u2019t settle things with fisticuffs, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe scowled.\u00a0 If I push you hard enough, you just might.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, is there a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father was standing behind Geoff with two full punch glasses in his hands.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes went from Bella to the other man.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c…that\u2019s good.\u00a0 Say, Geoff, I heard you have asked Bella to go to town with you.\u201d\u00a0 The older man paused.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, its not polite to stare with your mouth open.\u201d<\/p>\n

He closed it.\u00a0 He turned to Bella.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going out with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSince I had nothing else to do and no one else to take me to town to see a show, Geoff kindly said he would.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShow?\u00a0 What show?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a troupe of actors in town, Cartwright.\u00a0 They\u2019re performing tomorrow night at the Palace.\u201d\u00a0 Geoff sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s culture.\u00a0 Not the sort of thing a cowboy<\/em> would be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho says I\u00a0 ain\u2019t interested in culture?\u201d Joe countered quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen culture before.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hated<\/em> it, but he\u2019d seen it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve already asked Bella \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you say \u2018yes\u2019?\u201d he asked her.<\/p>\n

Bella had that look, the one he remembered from when she was eleven.\u00a0 It\u2019d put the fear of God in any man.<\/p>\n

She placed a finger beside her pale pink lips.\u00a0 \u201cNow let me think.\u00a0 I don\u2019t seem to recall.\u00a0 I think I was about <\/em>to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you ain\u2019t \u2013 you haven\u2019t said \u2018yes\u2019 yet, then I call first dibs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s blue eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to take me to the show?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure he did.<\/p>\n

Well, he thought he did.<\/p>\n

Just so long as he could put a seat between them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I do.\u00a0 What are we seein\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Abduction from the Seraglio<\/em>,\u201d Geoff said, his tone dry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Abduction of the who?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot \u2018who\u2019, Cartwright, \u2018what\u2019.\u00a0 The Seraglio<\/em> is a place.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled at his collar.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be my birthday present!\u201d Bella exclaimed, clapping like a little girl.\u00a0 Turning to Geoff, she said, \u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s been so<\/em> busy, we\u2019ve hardly seen each other in a week.\u00a0 Maybe you and I can do something later on?\u201d<\/p>\n

Geoff took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it.\u00a0 \u201cI await my lady\u2019s pleasure.\u00a0 Is it all right if I come back out in a few days and take you for a ride in my carriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Bella glanced at him.\u00a0 She was sure<\/em> enjoying this.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it is.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure little brother will be too busy working <\/em>to pay me any attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that just proves what they say,\u201d the black-haired man remarked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Geoff snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat Joe Cartwright is an idiot.\u201d\u00a0 With a nod, he added, \u201cSee you around, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Geoff moved off, Bella turned back to him.\u00a0 Joe saw it coming but with the door at his back there was no escape. \u00a0She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, pressing against him so he could feel every curve.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Little Joe, you\u2019ve made me<\/em> so happy!\u00a0 We\u2019ll have so<\/em> much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave fun doing what?\u201d Adam stopped and asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s going to take me to the Abduction from the Seraglio<\/em> at the Palace tomorrow night!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t think he\u2019d ever <\/em>seen his older brother\u2019s black brows leap higher.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 Well, that\u2019s…wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to go tell Sally!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally was the daughter of another neighbor.\u00a0 She and Bella seemed to have become bosom friends over the course of the party.\u00a0 As Joe watched her go, Adam held out one of the punch cups.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere.\u00a0 Drink this down.\u201d\u00a0 His brother\u2019s hazel eyes danced.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s spiked by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took it.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what The Abduction from the Seraglio<\/em> is?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSome kind of play?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Adam said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a kind<\/em> of a play.\u00a0 Have you ever heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, he had.\u00a0 He was one of those dead guys whose music his brother liked.\u00a0 Seemed mighty funny to him, all those little notes repeating over and over again and never getting anywhere.\u00a0 It was enough to give a man a headache.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d he shrugged.<\/p>\n

Adam leaned in.\u00a0 \u201cWell, The Abduction from the Seraglio<\/em> is by Mozart, Joe.\u00a0 It\u2019s an opera.\u00a0 That means people sing.\u00a0 Three hours<\/em> of singing, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at Adam and pulled a face, frowning as his eyebrows ran toward the center.\u00a0 Then he looked at the cup.\u00a0 Downing the punch in one gulp, he headed for more.<\/p>\n

He had a feeling he\u2019d better get good and drunk before he took that ride into town.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TEN<\/p>\n

He\u2019d lied to Rory.<\/p>\n

Well, not lied<\/em>, really, but left out the biggest part of the truth.\u00a0 He had<\/em> needed her to help him hide the gold.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t trust the Indians he rode with any more than they trusted him.\u00a0 But there was more to it than that.\u00a0 He\u2019d made some contacts in Bolivia and that\u2019s where they were gonna head, but before they went he had some unfinished business to attend to.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse put the match he\u2019d lit out with his thumb, tossed it in the dirt, and used the toe of his boot to grind it into the ground.\u00a0 Then he looked at the hide tent before him.\u00a0 It was one of three pitched along the hillside near the Paiute graveyard. \u00a0Rory was in there.\u00a0 Thinks Twice\u2019s woman, Spotted Deer, was gonna take care of his sister, making sure she didn\u2019t do anything stupid once she realized what he was about.<\/p>\n

As he took a drag on his freshly rolled cheroot, Fleet glanced at the sky.\u00a0 If he rode hard he could be in Virginia City in three hours, just about the time the men in the saloons were hitting their saturation point.\u00a0 He was looking for information and it was easiest to get when the ranch hands were out of control.\u00a0 He\u2019d been in town once or twice before and found out that Joe Cartwright had survived the raid on the stages along with that pretty little filly Rory had begged him to spare.\u00a0 The kid had been seen in town with his Pa getting supplies at the mercantile.\u00a0 Rumor was the brat almost died from his injuries.<\/p>\n

Now, that would have been a shame.<\/p>\n

The outlaw snorted.\u00a0 Revenge might be a dish best served up cold, but he was sure as Hell gonna turn the heat up on that boy before he left the country.\u00a0 Might be, he\u2019d reacquaint the kid with his knife.<\/p>\n

That there pretty<\/em> boy probably had a scar left from the last time they\u2019d met.<\/p>\n

Fleet snorted and took another drag.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought about burning the whole lot of them out, but decided that wouldn\u2019t do either.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t any pleasure in killing when you couldn\u2019t look a man in the eye.<\/p>\n

From the talk in the town it was Joe Cartwright the old man prized the most, being the baby in the family and all.\u00a0 The kid escaping from him the last time they met was a blot on an otherwise clean record of killing and he wasn\u2019t about to let it stand.\u00a0 When men came to hear that a snot-nosed coddled rich kid had got away from him, why, he\u2019d lose his reputation.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t no one be afraid of him.\u00a0 No, Joe Cartwright had to die and, if he could orchestrate it, die in such a way that that oldest Cartwright son \u2013 the one who\u2019d rescued the kid and taken him from him \u2013 went with him.<\/p>\n

As Fleet stood there, taking a third drag, his sister Rory came out of the tent with Spotted Deer in tow.\u00a0 Thinks Twice\u2019s woman was a handsome Shoshone, taken in a raid by the Paiutes two decades before. Handsome, but hard as nails.\u00a0 Right behind the pair came the little kid the Indian had taken during the raid.\u00a0 Name of Thom.\u00a0 \u2018Bout thirteen years old.\u00a0 The boy\u2019d cried so long and so hard when they first got to camp that Spotted Deer\u2019d finally struck him.\u00a0 After that, he\u2019d gone silent.\u00a0 It seemed at first that the kid had given up.\u00a0 That he had no fire in him.\u00a0 Now, he wasn\u2019t so sure.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen hate quickly masked in the boy\u2019s eyes when he stepped out of the tent.<\/p>\n

Might make a good warrior after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cFleet,\u201d Rory said as she drew close. \u201cTake the boy with you.\u00a0 Take Thom back to Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t mine to choose what to do with.\u00a0 Belongs to Thinks Twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThom doesn\u2019t belong to anyone!\u00a0 Fleet, please.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he has relatives.\u201d\u00a0 She paused as if unsure she should speak the next words.\u00a0 \u201cYou were about his age when you were taken.\u00a0 Don\u2019t make him go through what you had to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Indians done right by me,\u201d he said after a second.<\/p>\n

Rory held his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u00a0\u00a0 Did<\/em> they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were tears in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 No, you\u2019re not.\u00a0 My brother died the moment he decided to go back to the savages who enslaved and used him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes flicked to Spotted Deer. The Indian woman was standing with her head down, but he could tell by her rigid stance how angry she was.\u00a0 Spotted Deer\u2019s English might be broken, but she understood it well enough.\u00a0 Rory had better watch her back once he was gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that any way to speak of your hosts?\u201d he asked, his tone ironic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long do you intend to leave me here?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was fear in her voice.<\/p>\n

Good.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong as needs be for me to take care of business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat <\/em>business,\u00a0 Fleet?\u00a0 Not another robbery?\u00a0 We have more money than we can possibly use in a lifetime!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just got me some ends to tie up before we leave Nevada.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t no concern of yours what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

She paled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going after Joseph Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

He flipped the cheroot into the grass.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 Maybe not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFleet, he\u2019s so<\/em> young.\u00a0\u00a0 Is there no compassion in you at \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

He had her by the front of her blouse.\u00a0 As he pulled her in close, he said, \u201cNo, there ain\u2019t.<\/em>\u00a0 And don\u2019t you forget it. That husband of yours is there in Virginia City.\u00a0 I got me the address.\u00a0 Might be if I can\u2019t find Joe Cartwright, I\u2019ll just look him <\/em>up.\u201d<\/p>\n

His sister stared at him long and hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a monster,\u201d she breathed at last.<\/p>\n

Fleet snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why I gotta kill Joe Cartwright and maybe all the rest of the Cartwrights.\u00a0 I got me a reputation to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Thinks Twice arrived. The Indian warrior dismounted and came to their side.\u00a0 He greeted his wife and then turned to him.\u00a0 \u201cThe one you are hunting has left the white man\u2019s house and is headed for the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stupid kid.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t even gonna have to look for him.\u00a0 \u201cHow long ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI rode as the wind.\u00a0 Perhaps two of the white man\u2019s hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fleet nodded.\u00a0 If Joe Cartwright was in for a night on the town, he\u2019d probably be there until ten o\u2019clock or later.\u00a0 With a fresh horse and a spare, they could make it there by that time if not a little sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Shadow Walker waiting?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thinks Twice nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou have considered what will happen if you take the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw sneered.\u00a0 His old friend had sure<\/em> earned his name.\u00a0 The warrior did nothing without thinking it over half a dozen times.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJust what I want <\/em>to happen,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what is it you want?\u201d Rory snapped.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it really?\u00a0 Revenge?\u00a0 Some sort of sick satisfaction?\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced at the boy behind her, who was staring daggers at the natives, and the his eyes returned to his sister.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t about money, Rory.\u00a0 Its about justice.\u00a0 That snotty rich kid took something from me and I aim to get it back.\u201d\u00a0 At her dumbfounded look, he finished, \u201cA man\u2019s got his pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA killer has no pride!\u201d she countered sharply.<\/p>\n

Fleet\u2019s lips curled with a sneer.\u00a0 \u201cYou ask old Thom there if that\u2019s the truth.\u00a0 You\u2019d kill to get back what was taken from you, wouldn\u2019t you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d slit the throats of everyone in this camp,\u201d Thom shot back.<\/p>\n

He looked at Thinks Twice.\u00a0 \u201cSee, I told you he\u2019s got the makin\u2019s of a warrior, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Indian nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSoon, the boy will ride with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never ride with you!\u00a0 You killed my parents and my sister!\u201d\u00a0 Thom lashed out, shoving the Indian woman aside and going for the older man.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll kill you!\u00a0 I\u2019ll kill you all!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The warrior wrapped an arm around the boy and held him as he thrashed and screamed.\u00a0 When Thom\u2019s strength was spent, he picked him up and headed for the tent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will join you soon,\u201d Thinks Twice said as he ducked inside, dutifully followed by his wife.<\/p>\n

A moment later the Indian woman returned and took Rory by the arm.\u00a0 \u201cThe boy needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smart woman, Spotted Deer.\u00a0 She knew his sister couldn\u2019t resist.<\/p>\n

Defeated, Rory walked with slumped shoulders toward the tent.\u00a0 At the door she turned back.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, Fleet.\u00a0 Try to remember who you were<\/em>.\u00a0 Remember that there is such a thing as mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mercy, he scoffed as his sister disappeared.\u00a0 He knew all about mercy.<\/p>\n

It was up to God to have it on his enemies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright pulled at the black tie Adam had wound around his throat in a failed attempt to choke him.\u00a0 No one else seemed to be sweating, but he thought it was awful close in the Palace auditorium.\u00a0 Then again, that might of been due to the fact that Bella was awful close to him<\/em>, leaning over and holding onto his arm.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d lost the battle to keep that seat between them.<\/p>\n

They were in the box Pa sometimes rented up by the stage.\u00a0 Turns out big brother Adam had tickets too, only he didn\u2019t bother to tell him.\u00a0 Adam was across the way with Valerie Counts, in her parent\u2019s private box.\u00a0 Valerie\u2019s pa was a banker and he paid for it all the time even if no one was going.\u00a0 Older brother had his hand in the air, keeping time with the singing.\u00a0 Turns out the opera wasn\u2019t quite as bad as he\u2019d thought it would be, though it was kind of like watching one of those pantomimes, but with a bunch of people singing .\u00a0 Since nobody was singin\u2019 English, he had to figure out the plot from what they were doing.\u00a0 Seems this English woman and her maid were taken by Turks and the woman was gonna be forced to marry the pasha.\u00a0 She already loved this other feller, who was trying to break her out of the pasha\u2019s place.\u00a0 He and a friend were goin\u2019 to risk bein\u2019 beheaded and maybe boiled in oil if they got caught.<\/p>\n

Seemed to him they had a mighty fair shake of it since they stood around singing for ten minutes at a time instead of doin\u2019 something about it.\u00a0 If it had been him, he\u2019d of had that girl and been hopping that tall fence even if he had to put his hand over her mouth to keep her from singin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Act one had gone by quick enough.\u00a0 During intermission \u2013 the first <\/em>one, he was later to find out \u2013 he and Bella went out into the lobby to have some punch.\u00a0 At first he had to stifle a laugh at the looks he got.\u00a0 Joe Cartwright, at the opera!\u00a0 But then he started to get mad.\u00a0 He could be cultured if he wanted to!\u00a0 He just didn\u2019t want to.\u00a0 Well, not normally.\u00a0 Tonight was different.<\/p>\n

Tonight was for Bella.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d glared that message at every dandy who snickered when he turned his back.<\/p>\n

Bella for her part seemed right at home. That kind of surprised him as she\u2019d never said anything about liking all that screechin\u2019 and caterwauling before.\u00a0 She told him her pa was real musical and that when they got to Oregon, he\u2019d bought a piano.\u00a0 She said they all stood around it and sang the kind of music pa liked, which turned out be the same kind of music older brother Adam liked.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t Sweet Betsy from Pike, he was here to tell you.<\/p>\n

When the bell rang, they went back in and took their seats.\u00a0 In the second act, this fellow Pedrillo and the girl who had the funny name of Blonde \u2013 funny \u2018cause she was a redhead \u2013 came out and started singing.\u00a0 It was kind of amusing at first since she was tellin\u2019 him off and makin\u2019 him chase after her.\u00a0 But then…. \u00a0Well, then….\u00a0 Joe swallowed over the lump in his throat.\u00a0 He\u2019d had an idea what this place was supposed to be all about \u2013 the pasha\u2019s palace \u2013 but so far there hadn\u2019t been anythin\u2019 to tell him if he was right and wrong.\u00a0 Well, Blonde jumped right up behind that there Pedrillo feller and took his hands and put them right on her….<\/p>\n

Breasts.<\/p>\n

It was then Bella leaned in closer, her own bosom heaving, and whispered in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t it romantic?\u201d<\/p>\n

Romantic?<\/p>\n

It was downright scandalous!<\/p>\n

He\u2019d tried to make her leave during the second intermission, real afraid of what was comin\u2019 in Act Three, but she wouldn\u2019t hear of it.\u00a0 Catching Adam on the way past, he\u2019d asked him if it was gonna get any…well…more heated.\u00a0 Adam told him, of course Turkey was hot, but the opera was set\u00a0 at midnight so it had cooled down.<\/p>\n

Then Adam eyed him from head to toe, ending up staring at the part below his belt.\u00a0\u00a0 Older brother had lifted one eyebrow and said, before escorting Valerie back to their box.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you<\/em> better cool down too, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was gonna kill him!<\/p>\n

To his relief the last part of the opera was all about the pasha showing mercy to the lovers, though Pedrillo and Blonde still had a hard time keeping their hands off each other.\u00a0 It kind of confused him.\u00a0 The pasha kept shoutin\u2019 about boiling in oil and cutting fingers off and all kinds of torture, and then all of a sudden he just up and let them go!\u00a0 The dime novels he liked made more sense than that!\u00a0 Turns out the fellow named Belmonte was the son of a man who had fought the pasha and destroyed just about everything he owned and the pasha just let him go.<\/p>\n

Talk about fiction.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, by the time the opera was over his ears were hurtin\u2019 and his bottom was tired of sittin\u2019 and his head was poundin\u2019 from all the lights and noise.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought about takin\u2019 Elizabeth over to the International House for a late supper, but was real grateful when she said she just wanted to go home.\u00a0 It was almost midnight, and though he wasn\u2019t about to admit to the way he felt, he could tell he still wasn\u2019t top notch.\u00a0 It had been near a month since the raids on the stagecoaches and sometimes he went whole days without thinking about how he\u2019d failed all those people.<\/p>\n

And about that other<\/em> girl with the blonde curls.<\/p>\n

\u201cPenny for your thoughts,\u201d Bella said.<\/p>\n

She was seated beside him in the fringed rig.\u00a0 They were on their way back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Adam had taken off right before them, only he wasn\u2019t headed home.\u00a0 He and Valerie were gonna have that late supper and he said he\u2019d see him in the morning.<\/p>\n

Joe looked at her.\u00a0 He managed a grin.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll take two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a nickel.\u00a0 Can I get a conversation for that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He wrinkled his nose and apologized.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was looking right at him.\u00a0 \u201cSorry for what?\u00a0 Not liking me anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pulled back on the reins and halted the surrey.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you don\u2019t like to be around me anymore.\u201d\u00a0 She blinked and her eyes shone in the moonlight.\u00a0 There were tears in them.\u00a0 \u201cI just remind you of what…happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talkin\u2019 about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout the raid!\u201d she snapped as she turned away.\u00a0 \u201cI remind you of all those people who died.\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m sorry I survived!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was stunned.\u00a0 Joe turned toward her on the buggy seat.\u00a0 \u201cBella, you look at me.\u00a0 You look me in the eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hesitated but then did as he said, turning a tear-streaked face toward him.\u00a0 The moon was high and its light stole under the rig\u2019s canopy to alight in her hair like fireflies settling in dewy grass.\u00a0 She had a cloak on, but it was partially open and her breasts were showing, pushed tightly together by the corset he knew she was wearing underneath her crimson dress.\u00a0 For a moment he saw that little girl looking at him, the one who had chewed his ear off and been his partner in crime.\u00a0 The little girl who had risked her life to save him not once, but twice.\u00a0 The little girl who, even though she called him \u2018little brother\u2019, he\u2019d thought of for all these years like the little sister he never had.<\/p>\n

And that was the problem.<\/p>\n

Joe reached out and took her hand.\u00a0 It was trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, that ain\u2019t it.\u00a0 Sure, when I see you I think of that raid.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t think about the people who died, I just think of how my prayers were answered when I found out that girl I buried wasn\u2019t you.\u00a0 I….\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d have done if it had<\/em> been you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her lower lip was trembling too.\u00a0 \u201cThen why have you been avoiding me?\u00a0 And don\u2019t deny you have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pursed his lips and blew out a breath.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u00a0 I have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a whole gully washer of emotion packed in that single word.<\/p>\n

He took her other hand as well.\u00a0 \u201cBella, there\u2019s nothing wrong with you.\u00a0 It\u2019s…me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean it\u2019s you?\u00a0 You aren\u2019t making any sense, Little Joe Cartwright.\u00a0 My ma always said a man has to work his way around a thing with a hundred words before one that makes sense can come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed and then, at her look, said, \u201cYou just sounded like that little girl I met while sitting on my butt in a creek.\u00a0 Always answerin\u2019 a question with a question and talkin\u2019 about what her ma and pa said.\u201d\u00a0 Joe shifted in his seat suddenly uncomfortable.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s<\/em> the problem, Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was gonna make him spell it out, wasn\u2019t she?\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just ,well, I don\u2019t look at you the same way I did and I feel…guilty about that.\u00a0 I mean, all I can think about is that little girl coming up and hugging me, telling me about all the crazy things she thought and did \u2013 about well, my little sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

That made her smile \u2013 a little bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was your \u2018older\u2019 sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you are now, and that\u2019s the problem.\u201d\u00a0 He hesitated, not sure what to say.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, that opera we just saw?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.<\/p>\n

He released her hands.\u00a0 Mostly because his were sweating.\u00a0 As he rubbed one on his dress pants, he asked, \u201cYou remember when Blonde and Pedrillo were, well, sparkin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

A little smile tickled the edge of her lips.\u00a0 It kind of bothered him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know what he was thinking.\u00a0 That she was beautiful and he…\u201d\u00a0 God!\u00a0 How did he get himself into these things?\u00a0 \u201cAnd that he…wanted her?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was looking right at him.<\/p>\n

He winced.\u00a0 She was gonna hate him.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s the way I…feel about you.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t keep from seeing that little girl \u2013 my little sister \u2013 and it feels…wrong<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 His frown deepened.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, it is <\/em>wrong.\u00a0 I mean…\u201d\u00a0 Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was still<\/em> staring at him.<\/p>\n

A moment later Bella reached out and took his hand.\u00a0 She leaned closer, letting the light play on her exposed skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what my Ma always says, Little Joe Cartwright?\u201d she asked, her eyes smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.\u00a0 \u201cBehind every great woman is an tomfool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she kissed him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was on his way home.\u00a0 He\u2019d left Sport in the Counts stable during the opera and driven Valerie to the theater in the family\u2019s rig.\u00a0 After returning her to her parent\u2019s\u2019 house and bidding her goodnight, he\u2019d mounted his trusted friend and headed off at a steady trot for the Ponderosa.\u00a0 It was well past two in the morning.\u00a0 With the opera ending so close to midnight, both he and Joe were going to get in late.\u00a0 Knowing their pa, the older man would be in the red chair by the fire having fallen asleep there \u2018reading\u2019.<\/p>\n

As the opera came to mind, Adam couldn\u2019t help but smile.\u00a0 He\u2019d watched his little brother all the way through it as their boxes were directly across from each other.\u00a0 Joe had laughed, looked puzzled, then mortified, and finally bored out of his mind.\u00a0 In spite of what Joe thought, at two and a half hours, Mozart\u2019s Abduction<\/em> was one of his shorter works.<\/p>\n

It was a sure bet the poor kid would never have survived Don Giovanni!<\/p>\n

It had been interesting to observe Joe with Bella.\u00a0 He\u2019d actually had some sympathy for him.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be easy falling in love with someone who\u2019d been in pigtails and a pinafore the first time you met them.\u00a0 When you were eighteen and eleven, seven years seemed like a lifetime, but he knew plenty of men who were married to women that much younger \u2013 and more.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s own mother, Marie, had been a good deal younger than their father.\u00a0 So, at eighteen and twenty-five, there was no reason Joe and Bella shouldn\u2019t have feelings for each other.<\/p>\n

Except that his little brother just couldn\u2019t seem to wrap his mind around the fact that Bella was no longer that little girl who had held a rifle on him while he was sitting in the creek by her house.<\/p>\n

Sport snorted, suddenly bringing Adam\u2019s attention back to the road.\u00a0 It was unlikely he would run into any trouble on his way home, but one could never know that for sure.\u00a0 The black-haired man patted the animal\u2019s neck as he kept moving, his attention focused now where it should be \u2013 on the road ahead instead of his lovesick little brother\u2019s woes.<\/p>\n

Adam hadn\u2019t gone a half -mile when Sport shied again, snorting nervously this time as if sensing danger.\u00a0 The man in black drew his pistol as he continued on, wondering what it was he would find when he turned the next bend.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it was the fringed surrey his brother had been driving.<\/p>\n

Careful to keep his eye to the dark trees lining both sides of the road, Adam dismounted and approached the empty rig.\u00a0 There didn\u2019t seem to be any signs of a struggle.\u00a0 He peered into the surrey, seeking to penetrate the dark shadows filling it.\u00a0 One thing was odd.\u00a0 It was completely empty.\u00a0 There were no blankets inside.\u00a0 He was certain Joe would have brought plenty with them to keep Bella warm on the chilly ride back to the house.\u00a0 With a frown, Adam hopped down from the running board and started into the trees.\u00a0 He was walking briskly when something happened that made him run.<\/p>\n

A woman screamed.<\/p>\n

As he broke through the leaves and dangling branches, a horrific scene unfolded before his eyes, glimpsed as it was through the darkness of a cloudy night. The woman was Bella and she was shrieking.\u00a0 Her hands were formed into fists and she was pummeling a tall man with them.\u00a0 He was hard to see as he was dressed all in black and had a bandana mask covering half his face.<\/p>\n

Joe lay unmoving at her feet.<\/p>\n

Adam watched the man become aware of his presence.\u00a0 Instantly, the outlaw caught Bella by the wrists and twisted her arms, driving her to the ground.\u00a0 It was a show of the man\u2019s utter and complete control over the situation.<\/p>\n

\u2018I can kill her anytime,\u2019\u00a0 <\/em>his stare seemed to say.\u00a0 \u2018Just like I killed your brother.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Like he might<\/em> have killed his brother.<\/p>\n

Adam drew a steadying breath as Joe moaned and his fingers moved, clutching at the grass.<\/p>\n

Thank God!<\/p>\n

\u201cLet them go!\u201d Adam demanded as he moved into the clearing, his gun pointed at the man\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n

The outlaw lifted Bella and swung her in front of him like a shield.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoot me, shoot her,\u201d he snarled.<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 There was something familiar about the highway robber \u2013 about the way he moved \u2013 but he just couldn\u2019t place it.\u00a0 \u201cLet her go!\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cAnd get away from my brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Cartwright.\u00a0 This is just a warning.\u00a0 Any time, anywhere, I can take him.\u00a0 And I will<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 The man scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just let you stew on it a bit first.\u00a0 You and that pa of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d he demanded, beginning to fear that he knew only too<\/em> well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk your little brother when and if <\/em>he wakes up.\u201d\u00a0 The man shoved Joe with his boot as he spoke.\u00a0 \u201cSorry about that second knock on the head the kid took.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard that can cause real damage.\u00a0 Make a man an idiot, some say.\u00a0 Though I\u2019d say this one was already halfway there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was breathing hard.\u00a0 Anger pumped through his veins like a white-hot fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cRowse,\u201d he breathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe devil you thought you\u2019d defeated,\u201d the villain sneered.\u00a0 \u201cWell, here\u2019s new for you. When Lucifer fell, he just became stronger.\u00a0 Got himself a whole<\/em> planet and millions of souls to damn to Hell.\u201d\u00a0 Fleet Rowse began to back up, dragging Bella with him.\u00a0 She was looking at him, her eyes opened wide and showing over the outlaw\u2019s hand that was wrapped around her mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet her go!\u00a0 Rowse, I swear if you hurt her….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I will.\u00a0 Maybe I won\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 The outlaw sneered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d advise you see to your little brother first, Cartwright.\u00a0 He\u2019s bleedin\u2019 out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe hadn\u2019t moved since that first time.\u00a0 It was possible what Rowse said was true.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes had adjusted and he could see a little better, but it was impossible to tell what darkened Joe\u2019s suit coat \u2013 shadows or blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf my brother dies you will be hunted down, Rowse, and strung from the highest tree.\u00a0 I\u2019ll personally see to it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t need to hunt me down.\u00a0 If that molly-coddled pup lives, you\u2019ll be seeing me again \u2013 when I come to take him.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Rowse snorted.\u00a0 \u201cKind of hope he does.\u00a0 It\u2019s too easy this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw began to back away, taking Bella with him.\u00a0 Adam watched impotently.\u00a0 There was nothing he could do.\u00a0 If he shot at Rowse, he was likely to hit her.<\/p>\n

Besides, his brother could be dying.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella!\u201d Adam called as the pair disappeared.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find you!\u00a0 Take heart!\u00a0 Bella!\u201d<\/p>\n

The only thing that answered him was silence.<\/p>\n

The black-haired man took a step toward his brother and was stopped as a bullet struck the ground near his boot.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnywhere, Cartwright.\u00a0 Any time!\u201d Fleet Rowse called out from the darkness.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t be with him every minute of the night and day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waited and then took another step forward.\u00a0 When no new bullets flew, he knelt beside his brother.\u00a0 Taking hold of Joe\u2019s shoulder, he rolled him over<\/p>\n

And gasped.<\/p>\n

There was a thin dark line drawn in blood across Joe\u2019s throat.\u00a0 It was dripping and there was a sizeable pool forming beneath him.\u00a0 Terrified, Adam pulled the tie from the neck of his dress shirt and wrapped it around his brother\u2019s throat, hoping to staunch the flow.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t tell in this light how deep the cut was, or if it was that which had made the pool underneath Joe. There could be other cuts.<\/p>\n

Probably were<\/em> other cuts.<\/p>\n

As he lifted his brother up, preparing to carry him back to the rig, Adam\u2019s eyes alighted on the missing blankets from the rig.\u00a0 They were spread underneath a tree.\u00a0 On them was the impression of two bodies.\u00a0 Apparently Joe and Bella had come to an understanding about their feelings for one another.<\/p>\n

Just in time to have a madman take it all away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ELEVEN<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright stirred in his chair by the fire.\u00a0 He turned around and looked and only them realized that Hop Sing must have sneaked in before going to bed to tend it.\u00a0 It was nothing more than embers now, but still gave off a good amount of heat.\u00a0 As the older man sat there, thinking about his friend and cook and all Hop Sing had done for him over the years, the tall case clock by the door chimed the hour.<\/p>\n

It was four.<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t heard Adam or Joe and Bella come in, though that didn\u2019t mean they hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 They could have tiptoed in and left him sleeping.\u00a0 Hoss had wanted to stay up with him, but he had declined.\u00a0 The big man commented before he went that he was sorry he wouldn\u2019t get to see his little brother\u2019s face when he and Bella came in from their night at the opera.<\/p>\n

\u2018Joe\u2019ll probably have that look.\u00a0 You know, Pa?\u00a0 The one a deer gets when you got it in your sights?\u2019<\/p>\n

He\u2019d laughed, of course, and then taken a seat by the fire and picked up the book Kate had given him.\u00a0 It was called \u2018Sylvia\u2019s Lovers\u2019 and was a love story set in a small coastal town against the broad background of the Napoleonic wars.\u00a0 While not a sea-faring novel, the sea and the men who sailed it played a large part in it and she had thought he would enjoy it.\u00a0 Kate was somewhat fascinated by his years at sea and, though she tended to color it with a little bit more romance than it deserved, he found it charming that she was trying to understand him.\u00a0 She was a handsome woman, about ten years younger than him, with sparkling eyes and a deep throaty laugh.\u00a0 She was unlike any of his wives and he found that intriguing, even going so far as to wonder what her <\/em>son would have looked like.<\/p>\n

Rising from his chair, Ben laid the book down and then straightened and yawned.\u00a0 He wondered if the boys had decided to stay in town for the night.\u00a0 He knew both Adam and Joe had talked of taking the young ladies they were escorting to the International House for a late supper after the opera.\u00a0 Maybe it had been so <\/em>late they had rented rooms.<\/p>\n

One for the ladies and one for themselves \u2013 he hoped.<\/p>\n

As he stood there, considering the daunting task of raising three healthy young men to responsible adulthood, the older man realized he was peckish.\u00a0 There was no point in waiting up any longer, so he might as well go get a snack and then follow Hoss to bed.\u00a0 Stepping into the kitchen, Ben went to the ice box.\u00a0 There was plenty of food left from the party the night before, so much so he had offered to let Hop Sing have a few\u00a0 days off.\u00a0 The man from China had thanked him politely and refused.\u00a0 Hop Sing said with the winter almost come and Christmas so near, he had more than enough to do.\u00a0 He had smiled and nodded his head, but he thought he knew the truth.\u00a0 Hop Sing was very fond of Bella and he didn\u2019t want to miss a day while she was here.<\/p>\n

The older man smiled as he reached for the cheese.\u00a0 Bella certainly was a lovely young woman.\u00a0 Her parents had taught her well.\u00a0 She was polite and well-mannered, but full of life and spunk at the same time and, really, a perfect match for Joe.\u00a0 It worried him though, that their feelings for each other might have been intensified by the ordeal they had passed through together.\u00a0 Bella was still quite young.\u00a0 As Ben placed the cheese plate on the table, he thought about his son at eighteen.\u00a0 That was the year Joe had fallen in love with Julia Bulette, who had been near his mother\u2019s age.\u00a0 While he had challenged his youngest\u2019s choice, in the end he had come to see that what the pair felt for each other was real.<\/p>\n

As real as what Bella felt for Joe, who was seven years her<\/em> senior.<\/p>\n

The older man had just closed the ice box door and turned to the larder to retrieve a loaf of bread when he heard horse\u2019s hooves striking the hard packed earth of the yard.\u00a0 Two horses at least, so it must be the rig.\u00a0 Putting the bread down beside the cheese on the block table, Ben opened the side door and stepped out \u2013 just in time to see Adam kick in the front <\/em>door and carry something, or someone<\/em>, into the great room.<\/p>\n

The older man rounded quickly.\u00a0 He made his way through the kitchen and back into the great room, and emerged onto a scene of pure chaos.\u00a0 Adam was shouting \u2018Pa!\u201d at the top of his lungs as he made a beeline for the settee.\u00a0 Hoss was standing at the top of the stairs, his hair and night shirt askew, running a sleepy hand over his stubbled chin, muttering some kind of a reply.\u00a0 And from behind him \u2013 from Hop Sing\u2019s room \u2013 there came a long string of emotionally charged Cantonese.\u00a0 No doubt their cook wanted to know what was going on.<\/p>\n

So did he.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u00a0 What is this?\u00a0 Son, what has \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

The fire\u2019s light was low, but it was enough for him to see that his eldest son\u2019s dress suit was soaked with blood.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s young face was grim.\u00a0 \u201cIt was Fleet Rowse, Pa.\u00a0 He attacked Joe and Bella on the road.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s…been taken.\u201d\u00a0 He swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cJoe.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes went to the silent figure on the settee and then came back to land on Adam\u2019s coat.\u00a0 \u201cIs that blood your brother\u2019s?\u201d he asked, breathless.<\/p>\n

\u201cLord Almighty!\u201d Hoss exclaimed as he came alongside Joe.\u00a0 Looking down, he asked, \u201cIs he still breathin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another time he might have chided his middle son for taking the Lord\u2019s name in vain, but this time he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t being taken in vain.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was uttered as a prayer.<\/p>\n

Sinking to his knees beside the settee, Ben pulled the black tie away that circled Joe\u2019s throat, revealing the long cut beneath.\u00a0 Some scabbing had occurred, but blood was still forming along the edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this where all the blood is from?\u201d he asked, indicating Joe\u2019s clothes, as he tossed the sodden cloth aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly don\u2019t know, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam hesitated as Hop Sing came into the room.\u00a0 One look was all it took and the man from China was out of it again, headed to the kitchen for water and bandages.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t see.\u00a0 It was too dark.\u201d\u00a0 His eldest paused and then headed for the door. \u201cYou take care of him, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go get Doc Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t doin\u2019 any such thing, older brother,\u201d Hoss said forcefully as he strode across the room and caught Adam by the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re all done in.\u00a0 You let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to raise the hands.\u00a0 Someone has to go after Bella.\u201d\u00a0 His son visibly paled.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no telling what that monster is capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s name must have registered somewhere deep within Joseph\u2019s subconscious mind for his son began to writhe, calling out the girl\u2019s name.\u00a0 Ben rose and sat down at his side.\u00a0 Gripping Joe\u2019s arms with his hands, he spoke clearly and evenly.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph!\u00a0 It\u2019s your pa.\u00a0 Listen to me.\u00a0 You need to calm down.\u00a0 You\u2019re hurt, boy.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know how bad.\u00a0 If you move about, you\u2019ll only lose more blood.\u00a0 Joseph!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s movements lessened.\u00a0 His eyes opened without focus and whispered, \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben caught the hand he raised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa…it was…Rowse.\u00a0 He\u2019s…\u201d\u00a0 Joe began to thrash again and the blood on his throat flowed anew.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s…got Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was fear in that voice and a deep sense of helplessness, both so unlike his son.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find her, Joe, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Hoss.\u00a0 He was standing behind the settee, waiting.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet dressed, son.\u00a0 Go to town and find Paul.\u00a0 Send him on and then locate Roy if you can.\u00a0 Check his office first.\u00a0 By the time you get there, he\u2019ll probably be up and at work.\u00a0 Bring him here.\u201d\u00a0 Ben turned to look at his son again.\u00a0 Joseph was writhing, lost in a netherworld of pain and despair.\u00a0 Turning to his eldest, he said, \u201cAdam, I know you want to go after Bella, but I need you here.\u00a0 Your brother….\u201d\u00a0 The older man choked.\u00a0 \u201cJoe needs us both<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s dark brows knit together in the middle as he considered his request.\u00a0 A few seconds later, his son nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSure thing, Pa.\u00a0 Do you want to leave Joe on the settee or get him up to his room?\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Hop Sing returned, carrying a steaming basin of water.\u00a0 There were towels and strips of linen thrown over the arm of his silk shirt.\u00a0 Ben stood up to give him room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we better put Joe in the guest room for now.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid to move him too much until we know the full extent of his injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing was already opening the door.\u00a0 \u201cI get room ready,\u201d he said quietly as he disappeared.<\/p>\n

It was a sad thing that, when disaster struck, that they were able to fall into this kind of well-practiced rhythm so quickly.\u00a0 It was a simple truth that the West was a harsh mistress who cared little whom she hurt or discarded.\u00a0 All of his boys had been injured, and more than once.\u00a0 Sometimes it had been serious.\u00a0 But this?\u00a0 Ben\u2019s eyes returned to the cut on his young son\u2019s throat, which Hop Sing was cleaning.<\/p>\n

Adam had been wrong.<\/p>\n

\u2018Monster\u2019 was too good<\/em> a word for Fleet Rowse.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright, dressed once again in his black on black day clothes, paced the carpeted area in front of the hearth like a caged mountain lion.\u00a0 Hoss had come back with Paul Martin in tow and the news that Roy was not far behind.\u00a0 The sheriff had been in his office as their father predicted and when he\u2019d heard that they\u2019d had contact with Fleet Rowse, the lawman was up and on the move.\u00a0 Roy said he was going to find a half-dozen men willing to be deputized and then he, along with those men, would head their way.\u00a0 Upon his return Hoss had followed a jabbering Hop Sing into the kitchen and returned shortly with a plate of sandwiches and a pot of coffee.\u00a0 The big man was seated in the blue velvet chair by the fire now, staring at the front door.<\/p>\n

The coffee was gone, but the sandwiches remained untouched.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen do you s\u2019pose the Doc\u2019s gonna get here, Adam?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no telling.\u00a0 Someone else could have caught up to Paul before he left town.\u00a0 Maybe with a…more dire need.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was hard to imagine just what<\/em> that might be.<\/p>\n

While it appeared all the cuts \u2013 and there were a good dozen \u2013 that Joe had were superficial, they had been done in such a way as to let as much blood as possible.\u00a0 Under normal circumstances, while he would hurt like the Dickens, Joe could have been up and around tomorrow, albeit having to take it easy since he would be weak.\u00a0 But these weren\u2019t normal circumstances.\u00a0 Joe had just recovered from severe dehydration and a blow to the head.\u00a0 He was already <\/em>weak.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips pursed.\u00a0 Not that that was going to stop him.<\/p>\n

Bella was missing.<\/p>\n

The man in black\u2019s eyes went to the guest room.\u00a0 The door was closed.\u00a0 Behind it, a heated argument was going on.<\/p>\n

Adam winced at their father\u2019s\u00a0 voice, which was raised in anger.\u00a0 \u201cPaul better hurry,\u201d he said as he looked at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cPa might just kill Joe before he gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a lame joke, but he was too tired for a better one.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou s\u2019pose little brother\u2019s tryin\u2019 to get out of bed?\u201d the big man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you suppose he isn\u2019t<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded as he drew in a breath of air and released it very<\/em> slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI hate to think of that little gal bein\u2019 out there alone with a skunk like Rowse.\u00a0 It\u2019s about all I can do to sit still, even knowin\u2019 Roy\u2019s on his way.\u201d He looked toward the door of the guest room as well.\u00a0 \u201cI cain\u2019t even imagine what Little Joe\u2019s feelin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss hadn\u2019t seen the blanket spread out under the tree.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know the half <\/em>of it.<\/p>\n

Adam ran a hand along the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, short of hogtying Joe, there is no way Pa\u2019s going to keep him from riding with that posse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr followin\u2019 it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 Somehow they were going to have to convince their father to let their brother go.\u00a0 Joe riding with the posse \u2013 weak as he was \u2013 was bad enough, but Joe riding out after Fleet Rowse alone was even worse<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think Rowse took Bella for?\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d wondered that at the time.\u00a0 She would certainly be a detriment to him moving with ease.\u00a0 He was afraid the reason was only too clear.<\/p>\n

She was bait.<\/p>\n

Bait for Joe.<\/p>\n

At that moment the door to guest room opened.\u00a0 Their father slammed it behind him and stormed into the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour younger brother is the most stubborn, immovable, and inflexible<\/em> creature the Good Lord ever created!\u201d he proclaimed as he stomped over to his chair and threw himself into it.\u00a0 \u201cThat boy is going to kill himself!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shot Hoss a look.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d\u00a0 When his father looked up, Adam held up both hands.\u00a0 \u201cPromise to hear me out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Those near-black eyes, ringed with weariness and frustration, fastened on him.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose you<\/em> are going to tell me that you agree with your brother?\u00a0 That you think I should let Joseph go with Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked. \u201cWell, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man flung his arm out and pointed toward the downstairs bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother is lying in there was an four inch cut across his throat, not to mention more small nick and cuts on his body than I could count, and you are trying to tell me that I should let him mount a horse and ride off\u00a0 into danger when he can barely stand on his feet?\u201d\u00a0 he growled.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cOf all the hair-brained, foolhardy<\/em> ideas I have ever \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waved a finger.\u00a0 \u201cUh, Pa….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWHAT?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stood and walked over to where his father was seated and took a seat on the table in front of him.\u00a0 After a moment, he said, \u201cPa, I need that promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man was sitting with his hands knit together before him and his fingers pressed against his lips.\u00a0 \u201cWhat<\/em> promise?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo hear me out \u2013 without interrupting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cleared hi s throat.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Adam\u2019s got somethin\u2019 important to say.\u00a0 You need to listen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s dark eyes went from the big man to him.\u00a0 Then he leaned back with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cIt seems I am outnumbered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t that we\u2019re tryin\u2019 to gang up on you, Pa,\u201d his middle brother said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re as worried about Little Joe as you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, son, and I appreciate it.\u201d\u00a0 His father turned to him then.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Adam, speak your piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah, yes.\u00a0 And just how<\/em> to go about that?<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, Pa, I completely agree with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe is<\/em> stubborn, immovable, and inflexible, but <\/em>he\u2019s usually only that way when he knows he\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father forehead was furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Joe is right<\/em>, Pa, when he says he\u2019s responsible for Bella.\u00a0 You have to admit it.\u00a0 Not only was he escorting her home when she was taken, but most likely Rowse wouldn\u2019t have taken her if not for Joe.\u00a0 You know how Joe is when he thinks there\u2019s been an injustice, or if he knows someone he loves is in danger.\u00a0 There\u2019s just no stopping him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s eyes flicked to the closed door.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother is barely well enough to get out of bed, let alone go traipsing off with a posse \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter with<\/em> a posse then alone, and you know that\u2019s just what he\u2019ll do \u2013 sneak out and go off alone. Unless you are willing to actually tie him to the bed, it\u2019s going to happen the minute your back is turned.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s gaze moved to the door behind which his brother lay.\u00a0 Worry plowed lines in his brow.<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Joe wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 Would he?<\/p>\n

Not this soon.<\/p>\n

Returning to the case he was laying out, the man in black said, \u201cAt least if Joe\u2019s with Roy \u2013 and we go along \u2013 we can protect him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew that the older man saw the wisdom in his words, even though Pa\u2019s scowl hadn\u2019t lifted.\u00a0 Then, it did and \u2013 this was the biggest surprise \u2013 his father laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I say something funny?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou sound like your mother, only she was talking about another <\/em>young hothead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss leaned forward.\u00a0 He loved family stories.\u00a0 \u201cWas that you, Pa?\u201d the big man asked with a smile.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThere was this man.\u00a0 He was a friend.\u00a0 Someone accused him of embezzling from the company he worked for.\u00a0 He challenged them and was beaten for it \u2013 soundly.\u00a0 I was angry at the injustice.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I was incensed.<\/em>\u00a0 I headed out the door, intending to take the men who had accused him down, and ended up being escorted home myself by the constabulary, barely able to walk.\u00a0 The next day I was ready to set out again on my own, regardless of my injuries. Your mother, Adam, God bless her, encouraged me to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

His black brows popped up. \u201cShe did what?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The older man chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cShe told me to go and that I was right \u2013 I would be so <\/em>much better off if I went alone.\u00a0 After all, she said, what did I need the law for?\u00a0 The constable and his men would only get in my way with their guns and clubs and the might of the state of Massachusetts behind them.\u00a0 She kept talking and talking until she convinced me that I would be better off joining with them instead of trying to work against them.\u201d\u00a0 He paused, and his voice choked a little.\u00a0 \u201cShe probably saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was sad.\u00a0 His mother wasn\u2019t even a distant<\/em> memory for him.<\/p>\n

Just a void.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you understand what I\u2019m saying then, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying that it would be better to let your brother go with Roy and have someone to watch out for him, than to deny him going and force him to sneak off on his own.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cPoint conceded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, that<\/em> had gone better than he could have hoped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Adam rose.\u00a0 Just as he did, Hop Sing came around the corner bearing a loaded tray.\u00a0 He was headed for Joe\u2019s temporary room.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe no have supper, breakfast, or<\/em> dinner,\u201d the Chinese man announced.\u00a0 \u201cNumber three son too skinny as is.\u00a0 Take him soup.\u00a0 Make<\/em> him eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI was just going in to talk to him, Hop Sing, but I think you\u2019re right.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at his father.\u00a0 \u201cJoe needs to keep up his strength.\u00a0 You tell him I\u2019ll be in to get the tray in a few minutes, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded as he reached for the door latch.\u00a0 A moment later he stepped inside the spare room, closing the door behind him.\u00a0 Adam had barely had enough time to turn back toward their father when the door flew open again to admit the Chinese man into the room.\u00a0 He was shouting in high-pitched Cantonese.<\/p>\n

Their father was on his feet immediately.\u00a0 \u201cEnglish, Hop Sing.\u00a0 English, please!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s eyes were round as the bowl on the tray.\u00a0 \u201cWindow open!\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s clothes gone.\u00a0 Little Joe<\/em> gone!\u201d<\/p>\n

The three men stared at one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood God!\u201d their father said at last.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my fault.\u00a0 I told him there was nothing on God\u2019s green earth that could persuade me to let him go with the posse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Joe bein\u2019 Joe, he just had to leap before lookin\u2019,\u201d Hoss sighed as he stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go saddle up the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go with Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019ll wait here for Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to go, but his father caught his arm.\u00a0 In the older man\u2019s eyes was real fear.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, find Joe.\u00a0 Find him quickly and bring him home.\u00a0 Bring them both <\/em>home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do my best, Pa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He just hoped his \u2018best\u2019 was enough.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe hadn\u2019t left the area of the ranch house yet.\u00a0 He\u2019d slipped out of the window and gone to the stable.\u00a0 Taking Cochise out, he\u2019d tethered him a little ways off in the trees where no one could see him.\u00a0 Then he crossed over to the bunkhouse and disappeared into its cast shadow.\u00a0 He was waiting for his brothers, and maybe his father, to leave the house and go looking for him.\u00a0 He figured they<\/em> would figure that he was gonna take his horse and light out for where Adam found him.\u00a0 Most likely, the three of them would head straight for that patch of land without even looking for tracks.\u00a0 Joe wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips.\u00a0 Skippin\u2019 out had been kind of bold and kind of stupid.\u00a0 He knew if he was lucky that he would gain \u2013 maybe \u2013 a few hours lead at most, and knew as well with the way he was feeling, that his pa and brothers would probably catch that up right quick.\u00a0 Still, that hour or two would given him time to find Fleet Rowse first.\u00a0 The outlaw had taunted him as he cut him, telling him his plans for Bella.\u00a0 Rowse said he was gonna give her to someone named Shadow Walker to be his woman.\u00a0 Joe was pretty sure the outlaw was headed for the area of the old Paiute graveyard.\u00a0 That was where he\u2019d said his sister was.\u00a0 Along with the boy stolen from the stage.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d told him so he would come after him.<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed and ran the back of his sleeve over his forehead, driving the sweat back from his eyes.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse knew him all too well.\u00a0 The outlaw knew there was nothing that would stop him from following.\u00a0 It was just a game to Rowse, making him suffer more before he took him out.\u00a0 The curly-haired man also knew, weak as he was from blood loss, that if he met Fleet on his own terms, it would be the end of both him and <\/em>Bella.\u00a0 He had to take the man by surprise somehow.\u00a0 And much as he might want his pa and his brothers by his side, he was glad they weren\u2019t here.\u00a0 One hostage to fate was more than enough.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t going to chance them getting captured or killed.<\/p>\n

And he couldn\u2019t leave Rowse alive to carry out his threats.<\/p>\n

Joe eased back into the shadows as the door to the ranch house opened and the three men stepped out.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss had their gear in hand and were headed for the barn.\u00a0 His pa walked slowly behind them, as if he had a ball and chain dragging on his leg, weighing him down.\u00a0\u00a0 While his brothers went in to saddle their horses, Joe watched his father walk over to the hitching rail.\u00a0 The older man placed a shaking hand on it and stared toward town.\u00a0 Then his chin dropped to his chest.<\/p>\n

Pa was praying.\u00a0 Praying for him<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It was almost enough to make Joe step out of the shadows and show himself.<\/p>\n

Almost.<\/p>\n

But, he couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 He knew, if he did, pa would never let him go.\u00a0 Pa would say, and probably rightly too, that he was too weak to take on someone like Rowse no matter how or why he felt driven to do it.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t let it go.\u00a0 Bella was his<\/em> responsibility and he couldn\u2019t leave her in the hands of that madman one more minute than was absolutely necessary.\u00a0 Joe leaned against the side of the bunkhouse and closed his eyes as he listened to the thunder of his brothers\u2019 horses taking off.\u00a0 To the tune of that familiar nose, dark images flashed through his mind \u2013 Rowse bending over him with the knife in his hand, slowly dragging it across his throat, his arms, his chest, using the shining blade to slice his flesh in a dozen different places.\u00a0 He heard Bella scream and saw her hammering on the fiend\u2019s back with her fists, shouting that he had to \u2018stop!\u2019\u00a0 Then he watched helplessly as Rowse backhanded her, sending her flying.\u00a0 Her saw her hit the ground.\u00a0 There was a little \u2018oomph\u2019 and Bella lay there, unmoving.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so angry that even bleedin\u2019 his life out, he\u2019d found the strength to leapt at Rowse, his fists flying.<\/p>\n

That was when the villain pistol-whipped him.<\/p>\n

And it was over.<\/p>\n

Peering around the corner of the bunkhouse again, Joe saw his father heading back inside.\u00a0 He knew the older man would pace the floor and worry \u2013 not only about him, but about all of them \u2013 bringing more white hairs to that head of his.\u00a0 Hop Sing would try to talk to him and Pa would probably bite the cook\u2019s head off and then apologize and accept some food.\u00a0 Pa would sit there stewin\u2019 until the wee hours of the morning and then fall asleep in the chair.<\/p>\n

Joe sighed.\u00a0 No matter how many times that scene played out, and no matter how <\/em>bad it made him feel to know he\u2019d caused his pa to worry and fret, there was that moment when you came in the door \u2013 when Pa looked like he was ready to tan your hide and hang you out to dry \u2013 that was one of the most precious things he knew in his life.\u00a0 His pa would stomp over and stare at him, and then take hold of him in the fiercest grip \u2013 all of the raw power and energy of the man channeled into the arms that were wrapped around him.<\/p>\n

There was no safer place in the world.<\/p>\n

Joe sniffed and ran the back of his hand under his nose.\u00a0 That was for later.\u00a0 Now it was time to saddle up Cooch and get movin\u2019.\u00a0 He\u2019d ride east first and then straight up to the Paiute graveyard, stayin\u2019 away from the road.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse would be there, he knew, waitin\u2019 for him.<\/p>\n

God willing, he would find Rowse before Rowse found him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Several hours had passed since Adam and Hoss headed out in pursuit of their headstrong youngest brother during which time Ben Cartwright had paced the floor in front of the hearth, yelled at Hop Sing and apologized, eaten a bite of food and then, to his cook\u2019s displeasure, begun to pace again.\u00a0 He supposed a man should consider the consequence of the type of woman he fell in love with.\u00a0 When the blood ran hot, thinking <\/em>was about the last thing he did.\u00a0 It was all about impulse, about how that woman made you feel<\/em> and how much you wanted to possess her, and not about the kind of child she might produce.\u00a0 He\u2019d known when he met Marie that she was, to say the lest, spirited.\u00a0 When she was angry, she smoldered like a match dropped in slightly damp brush, only to explode unexpectedly as if there had been a hidden charge deep buried within it.\u00a0 The New Orleans\u2019 beauty seldom stopped to think, but reacted as if she had been thinking for a week or more and knew<\/em> that instantaneous choice was the only one she could<\/em> make.\u00a0 When Marie was confronted \u2013 old there was another way and it was wiser \u2013 she\u2019d shout and argue and insist she knew best.\u00a0 All together, she was a most difficult woman and he had loved her more than his own life.<\/p>\n

Just as he loved her son.<\/p>\n

Ben walked to the front door and opened it.\u00a0 He went to sit on the table in front of the office window and gazed out the way his older sons had gone.\u00a0 Adam, God bless him, was like his<\/em> mother \u2013 steady and reliable.\u00a0 A good man who thought things out and acted on them in a reasonable amount of time.\u00a0 Hoss, like Inger, was a gentle soul, always looking on the bright side, always trying to be helpful.<\/p>\n

Joseph Francis Cartwright was another matter all together.<\/p>\n

Everything he had loved in Marie was there \u2013 the boy\u2019s smile, the mischievous spark in his green eyes; his ebullient, unbreakable spirit.\u00a0 And that laugh!\u00a0 There was nothing like that boy\u2019s laugh.\u00a0 But there was a dark side to Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen it even before his mother had died in his youngest\u2019s obstinate nature, in the temper tantrums he threw; in that lower lip that jutted out as the little boy\u2019s body went rigid.\u00a0 \u2018Stubborn\u2019<\/em>, he had called him just that night.\u00a0 \u2018Unmovable<\/em>\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the mountains,\u201d Ben muttered to himself.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d promised Joseph\u2019s mother on her deathbed that he would take care of their boy and rear him up to be a superior man.\u00a0 He\u2019d succeeded in part.\u00a0 Joseph was<\/em> a superior man.\u00a0 It was the \u2018taking care of\u2019 part he was worried about.<\/p>\n

It worried him that Joseph was so much like his mother that he too wouldn\u2019t live to see the high side of thirty.<\/p>\n

\u201cMistah Ben need come in out of cold,\u201d Hop Sing said softly.<\/p>\n

Ben turned to find his old friend standing in the open doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be in shortly, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStaring into distance not make sons come home sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

He snorted. \u201cI know that.\u00a0 Somehow, though, it makes me feel closer to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe bad boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 They both <\/em>still thought of Joe as a \u2018boy\u2019.\u00a0 As \u2018little\u2019 Joe.\u00a0 His youngest was twenty-four now and far from being a boy \u2013 though his hasty actions often belied that fact.\u00a0 The truth was Joseph didn\u2019t need his permission for anything anymore.\u00a0 It was a sign of his three sons\u2019 respect, that they deferred to him as often as they did.<\/p>\n

The older man rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cYou and I have to stop thinking of that young man as a \u2018boy\u2019, Hop Sing. Hard as it is.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s a very capable man now and while I despair at times, he has learned to think things through before….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s voice trailed off.<\/p>\n

Terror gripped him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMistah Ben sick?\u201d his cook asked, concerned.<\/p>\n

Joe did<\/em> think things through now.\u00a0 Obviously<\/em>, he would have known that his brothers would take off after him the moment they discovered he was missing.<\/p>\n

Good God!<\/p>\n

Joseph had been here all along, listening and watching as they left the house and his brothers took off \u2013 while he<\/em> moped and brooded and paced the floor.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t gone back to where Fleet Rowse had attacked the rig, but gone some other way \u2013 perhaps to some place the villain had told him during <\/em>the prior attack that he would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing, saddle Buck!\u201d he shouted as he headed for the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Sheriff Roy?\u00a0 You no be here when he come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait.\u00a0 Joseph didn\u2019t head back toward town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing was following a few steps behind him like a duckling.\u00a0 \u201cWhere boy go then?\u00a0 Where you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben halted in midstride and they almost collided.\u00a0 Where was<\/em> he going to go?\u00a0 He thought a moment.\u00a0 The last time Fleet Rowse had darkened their door step, kidnapping Joe and demanding a ransom, the man had set the Paiute graveyard as a meeting place.<\/p>\n

It was as good a place to start as any.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Paiute graveyard, Hop Sing.\u00a0 Tell Roy to send half the men after Adam and Hoss and the other half after me.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s too weak to stop Rowse on his own.\u00a0 We have to find him before its too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man from China nodded and headed for the barn to do as he asked.\u00a0 As he did, Ben strode toward the house where his gear and gun were.\u00a0 At the door he stopped and looked up toward the sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cI promised you, Marie, that I would take care of our son and I will, but… if you can give me a little help I would appreciate it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like you, my love, that son of yours is a handful and a half!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TWELVE<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse had entered the tent and was staring hard at the feisty gal who\u2019d parked herself between him and his sister and the Parrish boy.\u00a0 It had taken a moment, but he\u2019d recognized the little hellion as the child who had thwarted him five years before; the one who led Adam Cartwright through the snow to rescue his little brother.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019d thought she was just some pretty thing Joe Cartwright was sparkin\u2019, but now he knew she was so<\/em> much more \u2013 just as he knew her presence in Thinks Twice\u2019s tent meant he had even greater control over the hotheaded young man he was hell-bent to make pay for what his cussedness had cost him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not taking Thom anywhere!\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n

Fleet rolled the match he was chewing from one side of his mouth to the other.\u00a0 She\u2019d amused him at first.\u00a0 Now she was gettin\u2019 plain tirin\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re gonna get out of my way, or you\u2019ll regret it, sister,\u201d he threatened.<\/p>\n

He had to admit she was handsome as a wild filly, with hair the color of ripe wheat and pert little breasts that heaved above the corset line.\u00a0 He liked her spirit too.\u00a0 Seemed she weren\u2019t afraid of nothin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Of course, that was mighty stupid<\/em> when it came to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s terrified,\u201d she countered, \u201ccan\u2019t you see?\u00a0 Leave Thom alone.\u00a0 He\u2019s just a boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fleet snorted.\u00a0 Just like he\u2019d<\/em> been a boy when Red Pony\u2019s men had come along and snatched him from his <\/em>folks.<\/p>\n

Best thing that could have happened to him.<\/p>\n

The outlaw moved forward until he towered over the petite girl.\u00a0 She weren\u2019t no bigger than a minute \u2013 if that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the way I see it.\u00a0 You can move aside and let me take Thom here to his new Pa, or I can move you aside and do the same thing.\u201d\u00a0 He let his words dangle for a few seconds.\u00a0 \u201cGonna be easier the first way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl stiffened her back.\u00a0 \u201cI am not going to \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBella.\u201d\u00a0 Fleet\u2019s eyes flicked to Rory.\u00a0 His sister had moved forward and placed a hand on the girl\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not worth it,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His lips curled in a sneer.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d listen to your elders if I was you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright\u2019s girlfriend scowled.\u00a0 He had to keep himself from chucklin\u2019 at her.\u00a0 She was a match for that one all right, just as stubborn and just<\/em> as stupid.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to bring Thom back?\u201d she countered sharply.<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 Maybe not.\u00a0 The boy ain\u2019t mine.\u00a0 He belongs to Thinks Twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t belong to anyone!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The \u2018boy\u2019 in question, who had been standing by silently, had grown a pair and shouted.\u00a0 \u201cAnd certainly not to any filthy savage!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was a cute kid.\u00a0 With pale hair and skin and the look of an overprotected son.<\/p>\n

That was all about to end.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t got no choice, boy,\u201d Fleet growled.\u00a0 \u201cYou go with Thinks Twice or I\u2019ll shoot you on the spot.\u201d\u00a0 To emphasize the threat, he drew his gun.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be murder!\u201d Bella declared.<\/p>\n

Fleet tipped his hat.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella seemed shaken by his response.\u00a0 Her voice trembled as she spoke and lost some of its fire.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t…don\u2019t you have a conscience?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you care <\/em>that you will go to Hell?\u201d<\/p>\n

He scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHeaven ain\u2019t for the likes of me.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t bowed me before no man and I don\u2019t intend to bow before no God<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019re damned,\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n

Fleet gave her a little bow.\u00a0 \u201cAnd damn <\/em>proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing we can do to stop him,\u201d Rory said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll<\/em> stop him,\u201d Thom growled, showing more grit.<\/p>\n

He eyeballed the boy.\u00a0 Maybe there was something to him more than a milquetoast city slicker.\u00a0 If so, Thinks Twice would have to break and rebuild that spirit, just like Red Pony had done with him.\u00a0 As his eyes returned to the blonde girl, Fleet noted Bella was holding the boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 It seemed she\u2019d had come to like Thom in the short time they\u2019d been cooped up together.<\/p>\n

He wondered if Cartwright would be jealous.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s what I\u2019ll do,\u201d the outlaw drawled, hiding a sneer.\u00a0 \u201cIf you help me kill Joe Cartwright, I\u2019ll let Thom go.\u00a0 How\u2019s that sound?\u00a0 Fair enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

The spitfire\u2019s golden brows knit together in the middle.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t help you do any such thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour choice,\u201d he shrugged.\u00a0 A second later that slow savage smile crept across his thin lips.\u00a0 \u201c\u2019Course I\u2019m gonna kill Cartwright anyhow.\u00a0 But if you lead him to me, I\u2019ll let the boy go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would never do that!\u201d Bella stated flatly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I figured,\u201d he sighed as he took a step toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cFleet,\u201d his sister breathed, \u201cwhat are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst thing, I\u2019m gonna take this here boy to Thinks Twice so he can start Thom\u2019s \u2018education\u2019.\u00a0 Then….\u201d\u00a0 He turned to Bella and fixed her with his cold stare.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna set me a trap.\u00a0 Joe Cartwright\u2019s bound to be on my trail by now and I\u2019m bettin\u2019 that older brother of his is on his <\/em>trail.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna give \u2018em somethin\u2019 worth fightin\u2019 for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFleet, why?\u201d Rory protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou have me.\u00a0 You have the money.\u00a0 We can go to South America and the law can\u2019t touch you.\u00a0 Why remain here?\u00a0 Why take the chance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fleet shook his head.\u00a0 Rory just didn\u2019t understand.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t about money or a fine place to live.\u00a0 And what would he do with a life spent not lookin\u2019 over his shoulder for the law?\u00a0 It was about makin\u2019 things right.\u00a0 About settin\u2019 the record straight.<\/em>\u00a0 About provin\u2019 to the people in these parts that he<\/em> was top of the totem pole, not some scrawny featherweight pampered son of a rich man who had made a fool of him and forced him to flee the country.<\/p>\n

It was about makin\u2019 the Cartwrights pay and pay dearly<\/em> for what they done.<\/p>\n

The only question was whether he killed one or all<\/em> of them.<\/p>\n

Fleet said nothing.\u00a0 His eyes met hers and his sister backed away.\u00a0 A second later he shifted his gaze to the little blonde filly in front of him who was blocking access to the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella shot a glance at Thom.\u00a0 To give the kid credit, he stepped past her and said, \u201cI\u2019ll go with you.\u00a0 Just don\u2019t hurt the women.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a split second Fleet hesitated as the past he had tried hard to forget dashed before his eyes like a herd of wild mustangs.\u00a0 He saw himself being snatched from his home and heard his own voice \u2013 high and tense like this kid\u2019s \u2013 screamin\u2019 for his pa and brothers.\u00a0 He saw himself crouchin\u2019 in his own filth, huddled in a skin tent away from light and water and food, slowly starvin\u2019 and dyin\u2019 of thirst and being told the only <\/em>thing that would bring relief would be to do as he was told.\u00a0 And last of all, he felt the dirt and stones cuttin\u2019 into his hands and knees as he crawled out of that hellhole into the waitin\u2019 arms of Red Pony who became his whole world when he fed and washed him and gave him water.<\/p>\n

When the old Indian chief made him his son.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Thom was in for.<\/p>\n

Fleet sniffed.\u00a0 He spit the chawed matchstick out of his mouth.\u00a0 As the boy passed him, he put a hand on his shoulder and directed him out of the hide tent.\u00a0 Thinks Twice and his woman were waitin\u2019 outside for their \u2018son\u2019.<\/p>\n

Hell had a new inmate.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s head jerked up and he caught himself just before he fell out of the saddle.\u00a0 Cooch was looking back at him, his black eyes wide with a question.\u00a0 Leaning forward, the curly-haired man patted his old friend\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m okay, Cooch.\u00a0 Just takin\u2019 a little rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

His horse snorted and stamped his foot, not fooled in the slightest.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d passed the line shack a ways back and was getting close to the Paiute graveyard.\u00a0 A few minutes before he had spotted the signs of at least one fire, maybe two.\u00a0 Since Rowse traveled in the company of Indians, it made sense the outlaw would be camped out with some of them.\u00a0 There was strength in numbers.<\/p>\n

Something he should have considered before taking off on his own.<\/p>\n

Joe was torn.\u00a0 If it was<\/em> Rowse up ahead, then he wanted more than anything to sneak into the camp, find Bella and Aurora, and free them.\u00a0 However, if the outlaw did<\/em> have Indians with him \u2013 even one or two \u2013 then chances were he would fail in the attempt and get both of them killed.\u00a0 The smartest thing would be to turn around and head back to the ranch house for help.\u00a0 Roy was probably there by now with a posse.\u00a0 Maybe Adam and Hoss too if they\u2019d realized he\u2019d fooled them and turned around.\u00a0 And Pa….<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes.\u00a0 Pa.<\/p>\n

Pa was gonna be so<\/em> mad.<\/p>\n

He could hear the older man now.\u00a0 \u2018Much as you may want to think you are, young man, you are not a one man army!\u2019<\/p>\n

Joe put a hand to his neck and felt the bandana he had wound about his throat.\u00a0 The cloth was wet with blood.\u00a0 All the other cuts he\u2019d suffered were smartin\u2019 to beat the band and several of them felt hot, as if infection might be setting in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I doin\u2019 out here, Cooch?\u201d he pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got the strength to blow a feather off a hen.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Joe heard a sound. \u00a0Unsure of what it was, he dismounted and quickly led his horse into a thicket of trees.\u00a0 They\u2019d been through a lot together and sometimes he thought Cochise really could read his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuiet, boy,\u201d Joe warned, placing a hand over his horse\u2019s velvet-soft muzzle.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t make a sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Fleet Rowse.\u00a0 The outlaw was leading a boy through the trees, headed west. Joe\u2019s jaw tightened when he saw the blond-headed youth.\u00a0 It had to be Thom Parrish, the son of the people Rowse and his Indians had murdered when they raided the coach Bella was riding; the one whose sister he had mistaken for Bella and buried.\u00a0 As Joe watched a tall Indian \u2013 an older one \u2013 met Rowse and the three of them continued on.<\/p>\n

This was his chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like God\u2019s smilin\u2019 on fools today, Cooch,\u201d Joe whispered as he tethered his horse\u2019s reins to one of the trees.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay here.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back shortly with Bella and Aurora.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooch backed up and shied.\u00a0 He blew air through his nose as if trying to warn him.<\/p>\n

Joe gave his old friend one last pat.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be okay, boy.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back quicker than Mooney\u2019s goose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaving Cochise behind, Joe moved quickly through the trees, driven by hope and a healthy dose of adrenaline.\u00a0 He moved as stealthily as possible, knowing Indians had a knack for hearing and seeing things a white man would miss.\u00a0 When he reached the camp, Joe saw it consisted of three hide tents erected near the entry to the old Paiute graveyard.\u00a0 Smoke was rising from one of them.\u00a0 As Joe crouched there and watched, an older Indian woman came out of the tent.\u00a0 She was carrying food and drink and took it into another one.\u00a0 She stayed inside a few minutes and then stepped out again with nothing in her hands and took up a position out front.\u00a0 He could see movement through the open tent flap.\u00a0 Joe caught a glimpse of a tall woman with red hair.<\/p>\n

It had to be Aurora.\u00a0 That meant Bella was in there too.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, I promise to be good for a month of Sundays if you\u2019ll just let her be okay,\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

And he meant it!<\/p>\n

With an eye to the third tent, unsure of whether or not it was occupied, Joe headed in the opposite direction, rounding the one that held the women.\u00a0 As he passed it and caught a whiff of the food the woman had delivered, his mouth watered and his stomach growled. \u00a0Clenching it with his hand, Joe stopped, breathing hard.\u00a0 He was two times<\/em> a fool for taking off without eating.<\/p>\n

Not only was his head woozy, but now his stomach was trying to give him away!<\/p>\n

\u201cGod keep Cooch and my belly quiet,\u201d Joe whispered as he began to move again.<\/p>\n

As he neared the back of the tent the women occupied, Joe crept in closer.\u00a0 He leaned his ear against the hide and listened.\u00a0 He could hear them talking.\u00a0 Two<\/em> women.\u00a0 One was Aurora and the other….\u00a0 Joe held his breath and focused, shutting out all other sounds.<\/p>\n

It was Bella.<\/p>\n

Long ago his pa had told him his tears were a strength; that they meant he was compassionate and felt things deeply.\u00a0 That he cared.<\/em>\u00a0 They fell unbidden now, trailing down his cheeks and wetting his bloody collar before soaking into the equally ruined fabric of his tan shirt.<\/p>\n

Bella was alive!<\/em><\/p>\n

Reaching along his belt, Joe unfastened the knife he\u2019d stowed there.\u00a0 He placed his hand on the hide tent and began to slice through it.\u00a0 When he finished and opened the slit to peer inside, there were two pale white faces looking back at him.\u00a0 He put a finger to his lips before either of the women could say anything and motioned that they should slip out.\u00a0 Rory came first and then Bella.\u00a0 She had twigs and bracken in her hair and her face was covered in mud and a little bit of blood.\u00a0 Her beautiful dress was in tatters and she had no shoes on her feet.<\/p>\n

She was magnificent!<\/p>\n

Joe wanted so<\/em> to take her and draw her close to him, to touch her hair, to kiss her on the lips and tell her everything was going to be all right, but he couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know<\/em> that yet.\u00a0 He had to get them away from this place and he still didn\u2019t know if the Indian woman was the only one in camp.\u00a0 In fact, he doubted she was.\u00a0 She had to have a husband.\u00a0 Maybe a son or two.<\/p>\n

Still, if God was with them….<\/p>\n

Joe held out his hand and Bella slipped hers into his.\u00a0 He squeezed her fingers and then nodded to Aurora and the three of them began to move, circling back the way he had come, headed for Cochise and safety.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to let the two women travel on the horse\u00a0 and walk.\u00a0 His thinking had been muddled when he left.\u00a0 He should have brought a second horse.<\/p>\n

Joe held his breath as they continued to navigate the underbrush undisturbed.<\/p>\n

It couldn\u2019t be this simple.<\/p>\n

Could it?<\/p>\n

The answer to that question came about thirty seconds later when he reached the trees to find Cochise was gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cLookin\u2019 for somethin\u2019, Cartwright?\u201d a steely voice asked.<\/p>\n

Before he could react, Joe felt Bella\u2019s hand slip from his own.\u00a0 She called out his name as she was torn away and then struck and driven to the ground.\u00a0 Aurora bent to help her just as the redhead\u2019s hellish brother moved out of a thick patch of leaves leading Cochise, his eyes blazing like a demon unleashed.\u00a0 With him came the older Indian he had seen before.\u00a0 Thom Parrish wasn\u2019t there, but there was another man \u2013 a young tattooed warrior whose chest was covered in war paint.\u00a0 Joe thought he looked familiar, but couldn\u2019t place him until the native sneered and raised his war club.<\/p>\n

It was the Indian who had struck on the head, almost killing him the day the stagecoach was attacked.<\/p>\n

Rowse handed Cochise off to the warrior and sidled toward him.\u00a0 Aurora\u2019s brother was a tall man, about Adam\u2019s height, and his presence was made even larger by the sinister shadow he cast \u2013 a shadow of unspeakable evil.\u00a0 As Rowse approached the warrior moved as well, taking his place behind Bella and Aurora.\u00a0 Joe knew what that meant.\u00a0 It was a warning that \u2013 should he try anything \u2013 it was they <\/em>who would pay the price.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou touch either of them and you\u2019ll live to regret it,\u201d Joe growled.<\/p>\n

The warrior held his gaze and then deliberately stepped forward to cup Bella\u2019s breasts in his hands.<\/p>\n

Joe heard her shout \u2018No!\u201d even as he moved.\u00a0 He knew Shadow Walker was baiting him, but he couldn\u2019t stop himself.\u00a0 Bella was his friend \u2013 his little sister \u2013 and maybe a whole lot more.<\/p>\n

He was gonna kill him.<\/p>\n

There was a sense of movement behind him.\u00a0 Joe spun and found Fleet Rowse standing there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Cartwright,\u201d the outlaw said.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s green eyes shot from one renegade to the other.\u00a0 \u201cFor what?\u201d he demanded, his chin thrust out and his eyes blazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor bein\u2019 so stupid<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Joe saw a shadow cast on the ground.\u00a0 He knew what it was before it hit him.<\/p>\n

Shadow Walker\u2019s club.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean<\/em> Ben ain\u2019t here?\u201d Roy Coffee demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 It was what?\u00a0 The third<\/em> time he\u2019d answered that question?\u00a0 \u201cI told you, Roy.\u00a0 Several times,\u201d he said patiently.\u00a0 \u201cPa set off after Joe once he realized he\u2019d sneaked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what\u2019s that fool brother of your\u2019n doin\u2019 goin\u2019 off chasin\u2019 after that devil on his lonesome anyhow?\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d lost count on how many times the sheriff had asked that<\/em> one.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, we\u2019re wastin\u2019 time standin\u2019 here goin\u2019 over how stupid you done think Pa and Joe are,\u201d Hoss interjected.\u00a0 \u201cWe gotta get after them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam eyed his giant of a brother.\u00a0 He had to hide a smile.\u00a0 Hoss had that look<\/em> \u2013 like he wanted to take one of his fists and hammer Roy into the ground like a post.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you<\/em> see here, Hoss,\u201d the lawman countered.\u00a0 \u201cMy men ain\u2019t here yet and we<\/em> ain\u2019t settin\u2019 out \u2018til they are!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut time\u2019s a wastin\u2019, Roy!\u201d the big man protested.\u00a0 \u201cJoe and Pa could be in real danger!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we could put them in even more danger by bargin\u2019 in afore we\u2019re ready!\u201d Roy shouted back.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy.\u00a0 Roy.\u201d Adam spread his hands wide in a show of peace.\u00a0 \u201cAll Hoss and I are suggesting is that you allow us to…scout ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was lame, but it was worth a try.<\/p>\n

The older man was no more fooled than their father would have been.\u00a0 One grizzled eyebrow shot toward his weather-beaten hat.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what do you take me<\/em> for,\u00a0 Adam Cartwright, a bigger fool than your Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you just wait there a minute, Roy….\u201d<\/p>\n

Here it came.\u00a0 Hoss was <\/em>going to pound the lawman into the dirt.<\/p>\n

Stepping between the two of them, Adam suggested, \u201cHow about this, Roy?\u00a0 You let Hoss and I go ahead and we promise,\u201d he crossed his heart, \u201csolemnly, on our mother\u2019s graves….\u201d\u00a0 Adam shot his brother a look that said, \u2018keep your mouth shut\u2019.\u00a0 \u201cWe promise we will not <\/em>charge Fleet Rowse\u2019s camp on our own.\u00a0 One of us will stay to keep watch and the other will come back to find you and the posse.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s black brows lifted and his lips quirked at the ends in some kind of a smile.\u00a0 \u201cDeal?\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawman looked at him like a father looked at a little boy who promised he was just going to the river to fish and had no intention of jumping in.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, boy,\u201d Roy said, jabbing a finger into his chest, \u201cyou\u2019re a Cartwright and you know what a Cartwright\u2019s word means.\u201d<\/p>\n

Damn<\/em> him.<\/p>\n

Adam cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy eyed the clouds.\u00a0 \u201cAnd your mama\u2019s up there watchin\u2019, seein\u2019 everythin\u2019 you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sainted<\/em> mother, yes,\u201d he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cW…e…l…l…\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d never heard a man drag a word out so long.<\/p>\n

\u201c…I guess as it would be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get the horses!\u201d Hoss declared and was gone.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later Roy watched them carefully as they mounted, fully aware that their horses had already been saddled and that they had been dressed for travel when he arrived.\u00a0 As he took Sport\u2019s reins in hand, the older man came over to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep your word, son,\u201d Roy said, anchoring him to the Ponderosa with a hand on his saddle.\u00a0 \u201cBuryin\u2019 one Cartwright would be plain Hell enough, let alone it bein\u2019 four.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will, Roy.\u00a0 You can count on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, you can,\u201d Hoss echoed.<\/p>\n

The sheriff hesitated and then removed his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be right behind you.\u00a0 Soon as Clem gets here with the rest of the men.\u00a0 It\u2019s a darn shame we was all out to the Curtis\u2019 fightin\u2019 that barn fire when your Pa\u2019s hand came lookin\u2019 for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tipped his hat in a signal to Hoss that it was time to move.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

About a half-mile down the road, Hoss reined Chubb in and put out a hand to stop him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you gonna do, Adam, if we find Pa or Joe bein\u2019 held captive by Rowse?\u00a0 Head back like you promised Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave my word,\u201d the man in black said quietly, \u201cand Roy was right about the word of a Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss hung his head.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam let out a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cStill, there\u2019s one thing Roy doesn\u2019t <\/em>know.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave my word to Joe first<\/em> when I found him with his throat cut.\u00a0 I promised him nothing <\/em>would stop me from making Fleet Rowse pay.\u00a0 Nothing.<\/em>\u00a0 Not my word given to Roy.\u201d\u00a0 His grin was lopsided.\u00a0 \u201cNot even a promise made on me sainted mother\u2019s grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re goin\u2019 in?\u201d Hoss asked, his crystal blue eyes narrowed and hard as ice.<\/p>\n

Adam gave Scout\u2019s reins a jingle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going in.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe thought he\u2019d known what torment was.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been wrong.<\/p>\n

Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the dribbles of blood that ran down his bare chest from the myriad thin cuts there.\u00a0 It had taken him a moment when he regained consciousness to realize where he was.\u00a0 He\u2019d expected to wake up trussed and tossed in a heap at the back of one of the tents.\u00a0 Instead he was outside.\u00a0 He\u2019d been stripped to the waist and bound to a framework of poles about ten feet long, set about five feet apart.\u00a0 A crosspiece was tied close to two feet off the ground and another one about five feet above it, forming a square frame.\u00a0 His wrists and ankles were bound with rawhide to the four corners.\u00a0 The frame was set firmly in the ground just outside the entrance to the old Paiute graveyard.\u00a0 Spotted Deer \u2013 the Indian woman who\u2019d been ordered to watch Bella and Aurora \u2013 was the first to come at him.\u00a0 She\u2019d lost face and took great joy in beating him about the chest with a strip of rawhide \u2018til his skin split and bled.\u00a0 Once the long braided piece hit his neck where it was already cut and he\u2019d blessedly passed out.<\/p>\n

But only for a moment.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse doused him with cold water, startling him back to consciousness and the torment began again.<\/p>\n

Now it was Shadow Walker\u2019s turn.\u00a0 The young warrior stood close by, heating the stone tips of a half-dozen arrows over a small fire.\u00a0 Joe knew what was coming.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard of it before.<\/p>\n

Rowse\u2019s companion was gonna press those red hot arrowheads against his skin and brand him.<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes for a second, shutting out the horrific vision of his future.\u00a0 He\u2019d grown up out west.\u00a0 He knew what hostile Indians did to their captives.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard the tales from those who\u2019d seen and experienced it themselves.\u00a0 He knew how they stripped men naked and shot them through with arrows, or beat them with clubs \u2018til they were senseless; how they fed them afterwards and gave them water just so the torment could last longer….<\/p>\n

A sound attracted his attention.\u00a0 Joe opened his eyes to find the Indian woman had gone back to guard the tent where the women were.\u00a0 He could hear Bella screaming his name over and over again.\u00a0 It shamed him to hear her calling out like that for him. \u00a0It shamed him because he\u2019d failed her.\u00a0 He was gonna die and Shadow Walker was gonna take her for his own and Bella\u2019s life would be nothing but one day after the next in Hell until she died.\u00a0 And all because of him.<\/p>\n

All because he thought he could save her on his own.<\/p>\n

The scent of smoldering rawhide brought Joe\u2019s attention back to his tormentor.\u00a0 Shadow Walker stood right in front of him now, holding a burning-hot arrowhead just under his nose.\u00a0 Joe swallowed and lifted his head.\u00a0 He learned another thing from those people who\u2019d been tortured.\u00a0 The worst <\/em>thing you could do with an Indian warrior was show fear.\u00a0 So, while denying his tears, Joe swallowed, drew what little spit he had forward, and let it fly in the warrior\u2019s face.\u00a0 Shadow Walker did not flinch.\u00a0 Nor did he hesitate to press the red hot arrowhead into his skin.<\/p>\n

But there was respect in his eyes as he did it.<\/p>\n

Joe screamed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s meaty hand shot out to grip the reins of his brother\u2019s horse and draw him back.\u00a0 What\u2019s he\u2019d just heard had chilled him to the bone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hear that, Adam?\u00a0 That\u2019s Little Joe!\u00a0 I\u2019d know his voice anywhere!\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother was pale as morning mist.\u00a0 Adam nodded once and inclined his head to the east.\u00a0 \u201cIt came from over there, near the place where the Paiute bury their dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where Rowse was afore!\u00a0 We gotta go, Adam.\u00a0 Now \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it was Adam who reached out and caught his <\/em>arm.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, think!\u00a0 What we have to do is go, but cautiously<\/em>.\u00a0 Getting ourselves killed is not going to help Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another scream brought both their heads around.\u00a0 It was weaker but longer this time, lasting several heartbeats.<\/p>\n

Tears entered the big man\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t stand it, Adam!\u00a0 It sounds like Joe\u2019s dyin\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRowse knows that.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s jaw was taut.\u00a0 His fingers lingered just above his gun.\u00a0 As he watched, the man in black flexed them and returned them to the reins.\u00a0 \u201cThat fiend is using Joe as…bait.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBait?\u00a0 I thought it was Joe <\/em>be wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he wants Joe, but he wants me too.\u00a0 And you and Pa.\u00a0 We Cartwrights may not have brought him to justice, but we thwarted his plans and we beat<\/em> him.\u00a0 Rowse didn\u2019t get his sister.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get the money.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get to kill Joe and he had to run.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse is not the kind of man to take being beaten lightly.\u00a0 He\u2019s like a mad dog.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter if the meat is ripped to shreds and trampled in the dirt, he\u2019s got to be the one to eat first.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was yet another cry.\u00a0\u00a0 Longer.\u00a0 Louder.<\/p>\n

Then it was cut short.<\/p>\n

A second later a familiar voice rang out.\u00a0 \u201cCartwright!\u00a0 Cartwright, answer me!\u00a0 I know you\u2019re out there!\u201d<\/p>\n

The two brothers exchanged a look.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould we answer him?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Adam held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet me think….\u201d<\/p>\n

But Rowse wasn\u2019t going to let<\/em> them think.<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwright.\u00a0 You got three seconds before I let Shadow Walker have his way<\/em> with young Joseph.\u00a0 One.\u00a0 Two….\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam opened his mouth, but it was their father\u2019s voice that answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d the brothers heard the older man cry out.\u00a0 \u201cLet my son go!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THIRTEEN<\/p>\n

\u201cDrop your gun, old man,\u201d Fleet Rowse ordered as the villain moved between him and the ghastly vision of his youngest boy stretched out on a wooden rack.\u00a0 \u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes never leaving Joe, Ben hastened to comply.\u00a0 He could see his son\u2019s chest rising and falling in ragged breaths, so at least he knew he was alive.\u00a0 But dear God!\u00a0 The boy had been tortured!\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s shirt was gone.\u00a0 He still had his pants, but they were rent and covered with blood as were his chest and face.\u00a0 It was obvious he had been beaten.\u00a0 Probably by the fierce-looking Indian woman who was standing guard before a nearby tent, a bloody rawhide whip in her hand.\u00a0 A young warrior, ferocious, cruel, stood beside his son.\u00a0 The man\u2019s black eyes were unforgiving.\u00a0 There was an arrow in his hand and a fire burning at his feet.<\/p>\n

The imprint of the arrow\u2019s head was burned into Joe\u2019s tanned flesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy…why have you done his to my son?\u201d Ben stammered as tears entered his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should of done a better job of parentin\u2019, old man,\u201d Fleet Rowse declared.\u00a0 \u201cThis one\u2019s right mouthy.\u00a0 Figured lettin\u2019 Shadow Walker have a go at him would take the spunk right out of him.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Rowse cast a glance over his shoulder at Little Joe where his son hung limp between the poles.\u00a0 The corner of the villain\u2019s lips lifted in a sneer.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like I was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCut him down!\u201d the older man demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, why should I?\u201d\u00a0 The outlaws black eyebrows peaked toward the progression of black waves on his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cThe way I look at it, Joe<\/em> owes me.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse\u2019s gun pointed directly at him.\u00a0 \u201cJust like all <\/em>you Cartwrights owe me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew a breath.\u00a0 His eyes remained fastened on his son.\u00a0 \u201cLet Joseph go, Rowse.\u00a0 You can do whatever you please with me.\u00a0 Just \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

One word.\u00a0 Only one.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tore his eyes away to look at Rowse.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u00a0 Why do you hate Joseph so?\u00a0 You got away \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly after that skinny-assed mollycoddled rich kid beat me at my own game!\u201d Rowse snarled.\u00a0 \u201cHim and that older brother of his, they owe me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Good God.<\/p>\n

Ben understood it then.\u00a0 Though Rowse would be happy to see them all dead, the trap had not been set for him, but for Adam.\u00a0 Ben steeled himself not to look around.\u00a0 The odds were his other sons were nearby.\u00a0 They knew their youngest brother as well as he did \u2013 if not better.\u00a0 They would know which direction Joseph had taken.\u00a0 He had to count on Adam.\u00a0 His eldest had a cool level head.\u00a0 He had<\/em> to trust the boy would think things through before taking action.<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s eyes shot to his youngest son, hanging on the rack like a slab of beef.<\/p>\n

If it was possible <\/em>to think things through in the face of such a sight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019re we gonna do, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in black could hear the panic in Hoss\u2019 voice.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t blame him.\u00a0 Their baby brother had obviously been tortured, and maybe to death.\u00a0 Their father was standing in plain sight with a gun trained on him \u2013 and the man holding the gun was a maniac.<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes.\u00a0 There was<\/em> a solution to this equation.<\/p>\n

He just had to find it.<\/p>\n

The simplest solution was, of course, to reveal himself.\u00a0 He knew it wasn\u2019t their father Rowse wanted but him.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019d been the one to get Joe away from the outlaw \u2013 even if Joe rolling over the edge of a ravine and him following close behind had kept him from bringing the villain to justice.\u00a0 He\u2019d plead with Rowse to release their father and at least save the older man\u2019s life \u2013 and maybe even his youngest brother\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Right.<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, he knew what type of man Rowse was.\u00a0 He would break any bargain made and kill him and Joe and <\/em>his father just out of spite \u2013 and probably kill Hoss and burn the Ponderosa to the ground as well.\u00a0 The man in black\u2019s hazel eyes flicked to the tent behind Rowse where the Indian woman stood.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen movement within it.\u00a0 Most likely Aurora Clark and Bella.\u00a0 He had to consider them too.\u00a0 From the tent, Adam\u2019s eyes moved to the warrior standing beside Joe, and then to the other two tents.\u00a0 So far he had counted only two men, Rowse and the young warrior standing by Joe.\u00a0 Two against two.<\/p>\n

Or was it three?<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes.\u00a0 He swallowed down bile.\u00a0 So far he had avoided it \u2013 fearful of what he would find.<\/p>\n

Now he looked directly<\/em> at Joe.<\/p>\n

The kid looked awful.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s chin was on his chest and he was either unconscious or dead.\u00a0 His body was covered in a network of cuts much like the ones Rowse had inflicted several days before.\u00a0 Adam recognized the pattern now and understood why the fiend had done that to Joe \u2013 it was a form of Indian torture.\u00a0 Because Rowse was a white man they tended to forget that his heart \u2013 by choice \u2013 was red.\u00a0 Not red like an Indian\u2019s skin, but the red of a monster evermore on the warpath. A man with murder in his heart.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s jaw tightened with something very close to hate.<\/p>\n

There was nothing to do but put him down like the dog he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He had almost forgotten his middle brother was there and that he had asked a question.\u00a0 \u2018What were they going to do?\u2019<\/p>\n

Their second choice was to go in with guns blazing and hope they could pick off Rowse and whoever else was with him with the least amount of casualties possible.\u00a0 That choice meant almost certain death for Little Joe, if he was still alive.\u00a0 And most likely for their father.<\/p>\n

They might get the women out alive, but….<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Hoss again, pestering him to come up with a solution, like a buzzing insect that needed swatting.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me time to think!\u201d he snapped and then regretted it.<\/p>\n

Hoss wasn\u2019t alone.\u00a0 There was a tall Indian behind him.<\/p>\n

He had a knife to his brother\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She\u2019d seen him.\u00a0 Dragged in front of the tent opening, barely conscious; his beautiful skin covered with dirt and blood.\u00a0 At first the sight had given Bella a small amount of consolation.\u00a0 She\u2019d feared Rowse had killed Little Joe when he took her prisoner \u2013 in fact, the villain had told her that he had.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t believe him \u2013 well, not really \u2013 but the doubt kept creeping up on her until she had pretty well convinced herself that Joe was dead and it was all her fault for not being faster and stronger and…<\/p>\n

\u2018Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble\u2019, her Pa used to tell her.<\/p>\n

In spite of everything, Bella smiled.\u00a0 She always thought her pa was so<\/em> smart \u2013 and he was \u2013 but he was also well-read.<\/p>\n

George Washington had said that one first.<\/p>\n

A noise drew her attention to the front of the tent.\u00a0 Aurora was standing between her and the opening.\u00a0 She saw the other woman stiffen.\u00a0 The redhead backed up and stepped aside as a man was thrust in.\u00a0 His hands and feet were bound and his face was bloody, as if he had been roughly handled.<\/p>\n

It was Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n

As the older man hit the dirt floor, Aurora\u2019s brother followed. \u00a0He glared at the two of them.\u00a0 \u201cYou leave him be as he is,\u201d he growled. \u201cI come in here and find him untied, that boyfriend of yours will be minus an ear \u2013 or somethin\u2019 more<\/em> important.\u00a0 You hear me?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s breath caught.<\/p>\n

Little Joe was <\/em>still alive!<\/p>\n

\u201cI…won\u2019t try to…get away,\u201d the older man\u2019s breath had been knocked from him.\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t hurt…my son anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fleet\u2019s dark eyes lit with an unholy mirth.\u00a0 \u201cYou got my promise, Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 He held the older man\u2019s gaze for a moment before adding. \u201cSeems I can\u2019t speak for Shadow Walker though.\u00a0 You know how it is with savages….\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Laughing, Rowse left the tent.<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s jaw was tight.\u00a0 \u201cDear God!\u201d he breathed.\u00a0 \u201cTo be so close and be able to do nothing!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Aurora bent beside him and asked softly, \u201cWhat about Adam and Hoss?\u00a0 Are they here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s eyes shot to the door.\u00a0 She could see the back of Spotted Deer\u2019s legs.\u00a0 A finger to her lip and a quick shake of her head cautioned that any answer be kept nearly inaudible.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright nodded, but said, just loud enough to be heard, \u201cMy sons are…waiting at the ranch house for…Roy and the posse.\u00a0 I figured out that Joseph had fooled us and came ahead alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella stared at him a moment and then went to get a bowl of water and a cloth.\u00a0 Sitting beside the older man, she began to clean the cuts on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not necessary,\u201d he grunted.<\/p>\n

She bit back tears and sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, it is.\u00a0 I can\u2019t do it for Little Joe….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s dark eyes met hers.\u00a0 He gave her a little smile and then fell silent.<\/p>\n

Aurora watched them, her face a mask.\u00a0 Bella knew the older woman felt responsible for everything that had happened five years before and for what was happening now.\u00a0 Suddenly, she turned toward the opening.\u00a0 Inching closer, the redhead peered outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Aurora held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone has come into camp.\u00a0 It\u2019s Thinks Twice.\u00a0 He has someone \u2013\u201d\u00a0 She gasped and turned toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright stood with a rope around his neck and another looped around his wrists.\u00a0 The Indian warrior who had come upon him and Hoss held the ends of both.\u00a0 His face was covered with mud and a bit of blood and his black clothing was ripped and shredded from rolling around on the ground.\u00a0 There were tears on his cheeks too.\u00a0 Tears of anger and of rage.<\/p>\n

And of sorrow.<\/p>\n

Thinks Twice drew back hard on the rope that circled his throat, halting him.\u00a0 The warrior opened his mouth to call to his companions, but Fleet Rowse chose that moment to appear so it wasn\u2019t necessary in the end.\u00a0 Shadow Walker struck Joe hard across the face, drawing blood, before following.<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t make a sound.<\/p>\n

Adam glared at the pair, merciless and savage as the land that had given them birth, as they halted before him.\u00a0 Again, he questioned his choice to remain here, so far from the civilized society that he loved.\u00a0 But then, civilized society lacked the one thing that kept him here.<\/p>\n

His father and brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the big one?\u201d Rowse demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam stiffened.\u00a0 It would be hard to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead,\u201d Thinks Twice said.<\/p>\n

Shadow Walker seemed unconvinced.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you overcome the mountain of a man?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older Indian sneered.\u00a0 \u201cYou know only your club and how to inflict pain.\u00a0 You have no honor, nor do you honor the one you fight.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cThe kill was clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse snorted.\u00a0 As the villain strode over to him, Adam braced himself for the blow he knew was coming.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t disappointed.\u00a0 It made his nose run red.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much for the mighty <\/em>Cartwrights!\u201d he mocked.\u00a0 \u201cYour baby brother\u2019s half-dead.\u201d\u00a0 He chortled.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe all<\/em> dead.\u00a0 Your Pa\u2019s beaten, and the one you probably thought no one could take down fell like one of your Ponderosa pines.\u00a0 And you \u2013 high-falutin\u2019, fancy talkin\u2019, college educated Adam Cartwright….\u201d\u00a0 Rowse drew his pistol and placed the tip of the barrel against his heart.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re dead too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that how it\u2019s to be Rowse\u201d Adam snarled.\u00a0 \u201cA shot and its done?\u00a0 I\u2019d call that a coward\u2019s way out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse pulled back on the trigger.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 Maybe I am<\/em> a coward.\u00a0 You ever consider that, Adam Cartwright?\u00a0 Maybe I like the easy path.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a warrior, or so you keep insisting,\u201d he countered quickly, his hazel eyes flicking, not to Thinks Twice, but to Shadow Walker.\u00a0 \u201cIf you were a coward, you wouldn\u2019t be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a second, and then Fleet released the trigger.\u00a0 \u201cYou got me there, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFight me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw scowled.\u00a0 \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father and brother\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t worth that much,\u201d Rowse replied.\u00a0 Then, his black eyes blazing, he said, \u201cI\u2019m feelin\u2019 generous today.\u00a0 You win, you can pick one<\/em>.\u00a0 Other two of you dies.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it was up to Joe or his father, he knew neither one of them would want to survive alone.<\/p>\n

But life was life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse bellowed . \u201cYou got a trick up your sleeve, Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes went to his bound wrists.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t have any sleeve,\u201d he countered dryly.<\/p>\n

Fleet was working his way out of his coat.\u00a0 Adam gestured with a nod to Thinks Twice.\u00a0 He felt the noose on his neck loosen as the Indian warrior released the cords he held.\u00a0 The man in black glanced at his baby brother where he hung on the rack, noted Shadow Walker\u2019s close proximity, and said a quick prayer before nodding again.<\/p>\n

Then all hell broke loose.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright glanced back at Hoss who barreled out of the tent right behind him.\u00a0 He had never been so surprised as when his middle son poked his head through the slit Joseph had cut in the hide tent earlier.\u00a0 He had overheard the conversation between Adam and Rowse and, for a moment, feared his gentle giant of a son was dead.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t have time to explain what was happening and he didn\u2019t question it.\u00a0 All he could figure was that, for some reason, Thinks Twice had turned on Rowse.<\/p>\n

As Hoss headed for the painted warrior who stood near Joe, Ben tackled the Indian woman who had turned to face them the moment they exited the tent.\u00a0 She put up little resistance as he caught her arms and drew them up behind her and secured then with the long piece of rawhide she held.\u00a0 Once she was subdued and he\u2019d placed her inside the tent, Ben turned back.\u00a0 He found his attention divided.\u00a0 Adam and Rowse were squared off against each other.\u00a0 Both had their guns out.\u00a0 All he could think was that the older Indian must have carried Adam\u2019s, hidden somewhere on his person.\u00a0 On his other side Hoss was struggling with Shadow Walker whose fierce war cries pierced the early afternoon.\u00a0 Even though the Indian was little more than half his son\u2019s size, he was putting up a ferocious fight.<\/p>\n

Through it all, Joseph hung there, unmoving.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Duck!\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s strident voice rang out.<\/p>\n

Reacting instantly, the older man dropped to the ground just as a bullet streaked over his head.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam had tried to take the outlaw\u2019s gun away and it had gone off.\u00a0 His son was breathing hard.\u00a0 Adam was tiring.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse fought like the demon he was.<\/p>\n

Behind him Ben heard a grunt and then a thud.\u00a0 He spun to find Shadow Walker on the ground with Hoss standing over him.\u00a0 The big man was bleeding from various cuts, but he was on his feet and favored him with a grim grin before turning to his quiescent brother.\u00a0 Ben wanted to run to his side, but there was still Adam to think about.\u00a0 His near-black eyes went to the older Indian first.\u00a0 The man was standing at the edge of the clearing, his arms folded, doing nothing.\u00a0 The rancher glanced around for a suitable weapon and, finding Shadow Walker\u2019s abandoned club on the ground, picked it up and headed into the fray.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes grew wide when he saw what he was doing, but that didn\u2019t deter him.<\/p>\n

This man \u2013 this monster<\/em> \u2013 had hurt all three of his sons and he was going to see that he paid!<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam backed away, breathing hard, just as the outlaw realized he was there.\u00a0 For several seconds, time froze.\u00a0 Rowse had a gun pointed at him.\u00a0 Adam had a gun pointed Rowse.\u00a0 Ben was armed with the war club, ready and willing to bash the villain\u2019s brains in if necessary.<\/p>\n

In the end it was another weapon that took Fleet Rowse down.<\/p>\n

Ben felt the rush of air as the arrow flew past him to lodge in the villain\u2019s shoulder, causing Rowse to drop his gun.<\/p>\n

The bow it flew out of was in Hoss\u2019 hands.<\/p>\n

Adam was on Rowse in a second.\u00a0 Straddling the outlaw\u2019s body, his son wrenched the man\u2019s arms back \u2013 with a little more force than was necessary \u2013 and quickly bound them behind his back.\u00a0 As Adam shoved Rowse face down in the dirt and planted a knee on his back, a familiar voice rang out.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo this is what you Cartwrights mean when you give your word!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pivoted to find Roy Coffee and half-dozen men standing in a loose semi-circle around the clearing.\u00a0 As he did, he saw Thinks Twice sprint away into the trees.\u00a0 Ben made to follow him, but Adam caught his arm and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet him go, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIf not for him, we\u2019d all be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man stared hard at his boy.\u00a0 He knew the tall Indian had been there when the stage was overrun and all those people died.\u00a0 He\u2019d kidnapped the Parrish boy.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAdam, no….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave it to God, Pa.\u00a0 Go look after Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe.<\/p>\n

The name stabbed Ben like a knife.<\/p>\n

Even as he turned, he saw Hoss cutting the last of the rawhide strips that bound his brother to the wooden structure.\u00a0 When Joe\u2019s limp form fell against him, the big man gently lowered his unconscious form to the ground.\u00a0 As he started toward them Ben heard a woman gasp.\u00a0 Bella was standing just outside the tent she and Aurora had been quartered in.\u00a0 She was white as the mainsail and shaking like a mast in the wind.\u00a0 Ben went to her and took her by the arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gaze was fixed on the tableau at the bottom of the rack.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe?\u201d she whispered, her voice robbed of strength.\u00a0 \u201cIs he….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben steeled himself.\u00a0 Then, with the same question in his black eyes, he looked at his middle son.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s alive, Pa,\u201d Hoss answered, though his voice shook and broke with emotion as he did.\u00a0 \u201cBarely.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he?\u201d Adam asked his father as he emerged from the smoke-filled tent where his little brother was fighting for his life.<\/p>\n

The older man said nothing.\u00a0 He simply shook his head.<\/p>\n

In the end they let Spotted Deer go to join her husband, even though they were fairly sure some of Joe\u2019s torture had been at her hands.\u00a0 In a way, it was a \u2018thank you\u2019 to the older Indian.\u00a0 Thinks Twice had been true to his name and, after considerable consideration, had decided that Fleet Rowse was a maniac and had to be stopped.\u00a0 Taking revenge on someone who had hurt or shamed you was part and parcel of the native heart, but Thinks Twice did not think Joe\u2019s \u2018crimes\u2019 validated such harsh treatment.\u00a0 When he came upon them he told them so, and together they put in place the scheme to free their brother and father.\u00a0 At first, Spotted Deer had been restrained.\u00a0 As they carried Joe into the tent she asked permission to go to one of the other structures and returned with a handful of herbs and a pouch filled with tiny pots of unguent.\u00a0 While they looked on, she built the fire up and tossed the sweet-smelling herbs on it.\u00a0 As smoke filled the tent she opened the jars and, with a finger, began to smear different salves over the burns and cuts on Joe\u2019s flesh.\u00a0 When she was done, she told them there would be little scarring.<\/p>\n

Should he live.<\/p>\n

The next day, as Roy and his men scoured the area to make certain none of Rowse\u2019s cohorts remained, Spotted Deer taught Bella how to administer the salve.\u00a0 Bella hadn\u2019t left Joe\u2019s side since he\u2019d been placed in the tent.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d fought it at first, insisting she needed to rest as well, but finally, the older man had recognized her need for absolution and turned most of Joe\u2019s care over to her.\u00a0 Hoss left the night before to ride to Virginia City to fetch Doc Martin and a wagon.\u00a0 They\u2019d drawn straws and the big man lost.<\/p>\n

None of them wanted to go, each fearing Joe might be gone before they could make it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo improvement then?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve said it before,\u201d his father answered with a weary smile.\u00a0 \u201cSomething is terribly wrong with the world when your youngest brother is still.\u201d\u00a0 His father looked toward the horizon where the sun was beginning to set.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s still.\u00a0 Very<\/em> still.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBella is with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s smile grew genuine.\u00a0 \u201cWith her whole being bent on making him well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wondered how she would stand it if \u2013 if the unthinkable happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill blaming herself?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man nodded and then he grinned \u2013 a small, self-effacing grin.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d think she was<\/em> a Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced toward the tent.\u00a0 \u201cWould you be happy if she was?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 I don\u2019t….\u201d\u00a0 Then he did.\u00a0 \u201cYou think they are that<\/em> serious?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in black shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just a feeling.\u00a0 I just think, well, if \u2013 when<\/em> Joe recovers, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we hear wedding bells.\u201d\u00a0 He was surprised when his father looked unhappy.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u00a0 I thought you liked Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father started.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t like that girl, Adam, I love <\/em>her.\u00a0 Still….\u201d\u00a0 He pulled at his chin.\u00a0 \u201cAdversity and danger make poor arrows for Cupid\u2019s quiver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou think they might just \u2018think\u2019 they\u2019re in love?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a long road ahead of your brother before he can even think of such a thing.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get him home and well before we borrow any trouble, eh?\u201d\u00a0 His father had just lifted his hand when they heard the rattle of wagon wheels.<\/p>\n

The older man beamed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Hoss!\u00a0 God grant he has Paul with him!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It near killed him to step inside that tent with the Doc.\u00a0 Hoss was a big man and it wasn\u2019t easy for him to fit, but his Pa wanted them all there to hear what the doctor had to say.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s biggest enemy, it turned out, wasn\u2019t the blood loss or the beatin\u2019, or even bein\u2019 strung up like a piece of meat and exposed to the elements.\u00a0 It was that thing that no one could see and was near impossible to beat.<\/p>\n

Infection.<\/p>\n

Paul didn\u2019t like the conditions Joe was in.\u00a0 He said, since the Ponderosa ranch house wasn\u2019t that far away, he wanted to take a chance and wagon little brother home as soon as possible.\u00a0 At the house there would be better sanitation and they\u2019d have ice to cool Little Joe\u2019s fever if it spiked.\u00a0 The Doc thanked Elizabeth and told her she done a good job takin\u2019 care of Little Joe, but it was plain as the nose on your face that she was all wore down herself and like to faint.\u00a0 They\u2019d listened with faces longer than a hound dog\u2019s to the Doc\u2019s prognosis for Joe\u2019s recovery \u2013 which weren\u2019t very chipper \u2013 and then set about gettin\u2019 ready to go.\u00a0 He\u2019d noticed when they did that Spotted Deer was gone and had asked Adam about it.\u00a0 Big brother said he and Pa\u2019d decided to let her go.\u00a0 The big man wasn\u2019t right sure about that.\u00a0 She\u2019d done hurt Joe bad and he was mighty angry about that.<\/p>\n

\u2018As you forgive, so are you forgiven<\/em>,\u2019 his pa had reminded him grim-faced, the words as much for himself as for his hurting son.<\/p>\n

Shortly after that Roy and the posse returned.\u00a0 Roy went straight to the tent where they had Fleet Rowse and that other Indian, Shadow Walker, trussed up.\u00a0 The lawman left two men to guard the tent.\u00a0 Aurora had fixed some grub and took it in to her brother and the other man.\u00a0 That Mrs. Clark, she was a right determined lady.\u00a0\u00a0 She\u2019d anchored her brother\u2019s gun around the hips of her dress and assured them all she would not hesitate to use it.<\/p>\n

After Roy and his men and the Doc had a bite to eat, Paul Martin said it was time to go.\u00a0 The doctor called on him to pick up Little Joe and carry him to the wagon that had been loaded down with blankets and pillows to ease the long ride home.\u00a0 As he lifted Joe\u2019s unconscious form, tears gathered in his eyes.\u00a0 It reminded him of the first time Marie\u2019d let him hold his new baby brother.\u00a0 His hands had been so big <\/em>and Joe had been so<\/em> little, he\u2019d been afraid he\u2019d snap him right in two.\u00a0 Truth was, he was afraid he might snap him in two right now <\/em>if he was too rough.\u00a0 Joe felt near as tiny in his arms as that little baby had so long ago, and just as fragile.\u00a0 The only difference was, this time, Little Joe wasn\u2019t all balled up and squealing.<\/p>\n

He was pale and ever so still.<\/p>\n

As Hoss placed his brother in the wagon, Bella climbed in and sat beside him.\u00a0 Paul and his pa exchanged a glance.\u00a0 Pa shook his head, and then the doctor climbed in on the other side.\u00a0 The Doc asked Bella to help him make Joe comfortable and then told her to lie down beside him.<\/p>\n

It weren\u2019t two minutes later she was fast asleep.<\/p>\n

Adam mounted Sport and he offered Chubb to Aurora.\u00a0 Pa had Buck and he<\/em> was gonna drive.\u00a0 Roy and his men, surrounding Rowse and Shadow Walker, were riding with them, but goin\u2019 on to town to take them two bad men to the jail.\u00a0 Since Fleet was an escaped prisoner, the authorities would have to be told.\u00a0 Most like, he\u2019d end up turned over to the army or the state.\u00a0 Roy hated to admit it, but they was probably gonna hang onto Shadow Walker so\u2019s they could exchange him for some Indian prisoner.<\/p>\n

Maybe Thom Parrish if they was lucky.<\/p>\n

Hoss glanced over his shoulder at his little brother and then sniffed and struck a tear away.<\/p>\n

A second later, his father\u2019s hand descended on his shoulder.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHave faith, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cHoss.\u00a0 What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s that \u2018faith\u2019, Pa.\u00a0 I believe in God. \u00a0But….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure does seem the Man upstairs has got it in for little brother sometimes,\u201d he said with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, you know, Joe\u2019s well…little.\u00a0 Seems someone\u2019s always pickin\u2019 on him \u2018bout somethin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your brother\u2019s behavior has nothin\u2019 to do with this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Little Joe can be a hothead,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cAnd, you know, the boy does<\/em> leap before he looks sometimes, but Pa, seems one of these times well….\u201d\u00a0 He sniffed again and his voice lost its strength.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe he just ain\u2019t gonna make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man nodded solemnly.\u00a0 After a moment, he asked, \u201cDo you remember that prize fighter \u2013 the one who nearly killed Little Joe, and whom you had a tough time taking down?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 How could he forget?<\/p>\n

\u201cAdversity has the same effect on a man that severe training has on the pugilist, son.\u00a0 It reduces him to his fighting weight.\u00a0 Yes, your brother is small-built and impulsive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 His father\u2019s smile was gentle.\u00a0 \u201cAll the more reason God has seen fit to train him so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two ready to go?\u201d Adam asked as he came alongside them.<\/p>\n

Their father glanced at the wagon back.\u00a0 \u201cPaul, are you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAs we can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reassuring as always, that was Doc Martin.<\/p>\n

His pa looked at his older brother, and then at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSons,\u201d he said, \u201clet\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

END OF PART TWO<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

PART THREE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FOURTEEN<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright laid his paper down on the dining room table and leaned back in his chair.\u00a0 He ran a hand over his face as he looked expectantly toward the stair.\u00a0 Three weeks had passed since they had found Joseph, freed Aurora and Bella, and captured Fleet Rowse and his Indian partner.\u00a0 This was the first day his youngest was due at the breakfast table.\u00a0 Joe had certainly been through the wringer.\u00a0 His fever had lingered for nearly a week as Paul Martin fought the infections that continued to arise as a result of dirt and other matter getting into the various cuts Rowse and his cohort had inflicted.\u00a0 The one on Joseph\u2019s throat had become quite inflamed as had another under his ribs.\u00a0 The fever had raged and ravaged his boy until he had grown to be but a shell of himself.\u00a0 His youngest had lost weight and stamina, which he was only now beginning to regain.\u00a0 At two weeks Paul had let him out of bed and Joseph had begun to take supervised walks around the upstairs.<\/p>\n

Always with Bella as a prop.<\/p>\n

They were deep into February now and the young lady would be with them throughout the rest of the winter.\u00a0 There was no way she could leave, and no way any of them would want her to try.\u00a0 The snow had finally flown and its feet-deep drifts confined them to the small world that was the ranch house and its surrounding yard.\u00a0 After the first night he had found Bella asleep in Joe\u2019s room, just as he had months before, he had had a stern talk with her.\u00a0 After all, a young lady\u2019s reputation was hard won and so easily lost.\u00a0 And even though Ben understood, finding the girl in his son\u2019s bedroom was simply not something he could let stand.\u00a0 After that Bella had gone to sitting with Joseph for several hours after supper and would then retreat to her room.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d hear her crying as he passed by on his way to bed.<\/p>\n

It tore at his heart as he stood there, listening, night after night in the hall.\u00a0 The sound of Bella\u2019s tears brought Joe\u2019s mother to mind.\u00a0 Marie had been as mercurial as her son.\u00a0 It took little to bring her to laughter and even less to send her into gales of tears.\u00a0 When she was angry with him \u2013 which was frequently\u00a0 \u2013 she would go into one of the spare bedrooms and lock the door.\u00a0 No amount of pleading would bring her out until she was ready.<\/p>\n

On one occasion it had been a full day before she showed her pale, tear-strained face.<\/p>\n

Last night, it had become more than he could bear.\u00a0 The poor girl had been sobbing.\u00a0 Taking courage in hand, he\u2019d knocked gently on her door and, upon receiving something that sounded like a welcome, opened it and went inside.\u00a0 Bella was sitting on the bed looking very much like that little girl whom he had first seen in her parents\u2019 house keeping watch over his injured son.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I?\u201d he\u2019d asked her, indicating the bed.\u00a0 When she nodded, he took a seat beside her and then reached out and took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph will be all right,\u201d he\u2019d said quietly.\u00a0 The doctor had assured him just that morning that it was true.\u00a0 His son\u2019s last fever had broken.<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s eyes lit with joy.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u00a0 You\u2019re not just telling me….\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d assured her it was true.\u00a0 After a moment, he had dared to ask, \u201cBella, are you in love with Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at her hands and not at him as she answered.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I love Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He remembered catching her chin and lifting her head, so she had <\/em>to meet his stare.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not what I asked.\u00a0 I asked if you are in<\/em> love with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes filled with tears.\u00a0 It was almost as if she was afraid to answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had fallen against him then, her tears wetting the fabric of his shirt.\u00a0 Her voice when she answered was that of a child, though she was anything but.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYes….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tried to remember \u2013 how old had his dear Elizabeth been when he met her?\u00a0 When she<\/em> first knew she loved him?\u00a0 Not much older than this child he\u2019d circled with his arm.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t dismiss Bella\u2019s feelings.\u00a0 They were real.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I ask something of you?\u201d he\u2019d inquired softly.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d nodded; her pale golden ringlets bobbing against the shoulders of the white gown she wore.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it slowly.\u201d\u00a0 Ben had smiled then, recalling his own youth and how hot his ardor had been.\u00a0 \u201cYou two have been through a great deal.\u00a0 You are bound to feel connected to one another.\u201d\u00a0 As she started to protest, he continued.\u00a0 \u201cI am not saying your feelings are not real, but you have been Little Joe\u2019s \u2018big\u2019 sister for so long, you both may have trouble sorting out your feelings for one another.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded that she did, and he knew that, no, she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Standing, he had kissed her on the head.\u00a0 \u201cBella, I would love to have a daughter-in-law like you.\u00a0 I would welcome it.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t want you and Joseph to make a mistake by rushing into anything.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d left her then to stand outside the door again and listen to her cry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if that don\u2019t beat all!\u00a0 Pa, look what the cat done dragged in!\u201d<\/p>\n

His middle son\u2019s jovial statement brought Ben out of his reverie.\u00a0 Hoss had entered the house, placed his hat on the hat rack and turned toward the dining room, only to stop and gape at the stairs.<\/p>\n

Joseph was at the top, leaning on Bella.\u00a0 He was pale and very thin, but he was on his feet and smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was about to say the same thing,\u201d Joe replied.\u00a0 \u201cOnly I decided what I was lookin\u2019 at was so pitiful the cat would have thrown it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that fever ain\u2019t burned any of the orneriness out of you, little brother,\u201d the big man snapped, pretending to be upset.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust fired it up, middle brother,\u201d his youngest replied as he came down the stairs by himself.\u00a0 Bella had moved a step away, but was watching Joseph closely.\u00a0 \u201cThat and my appetite.\u00a0 What\u2019s for breakfast?\u201d Joe said as he made his way to the table.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned from ear to ear.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear that, Hop Sing?\u00a0 Joseph wants to know what\u2019s for breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

A second later their Chinese cook appeared, babbling in Cantonese.\u00a0 \u201cWhat number three son do downstairs?\u00a0 Doctor say wait for him to say okay before coming to table!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was slipping into his seat.\u00a0 \u201cSince when have you known me to listen to Doc Martin?\u201d he asked as he reached for a piece of bacon.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing slapped his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cYou wait for Mistah Adam to come!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think Adam will mind if Joseph starts first \u2013or<\/em> if he eats the whole plate of bacon for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll dang sure mind!\u201d Hoss said as he sat down and reached for the plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou no sick!\u00a0 You leave bacon alone!\u201d the Chinese man ordered as he smacked Hoss\u2019 fingers.<\/p>\n

Hoss wiggled them.\u00a0 \u201cDang it!\u00a0 Where is older brother anyhow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all turned in time to see Adam remove his coat and hang it and his hat on one of the pegs.\u00a0 As he approached the table, he asked, \u201cNow what difficulty is it so early on this fine morning that you need my natural charm and ability to mediate?\u201d\u00a0 As his eldest sat down, he shot his youngest brother a grin.\u00a0 \u201cGood to see you at the table, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was hoarding the plate and munching on the bacon, looking like a cat with a fat mouse.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think middle brother agrees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s dark gaze shot to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t fair,\u201d the big man groused.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2019ll get fat eating all that bacon by hisself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached out and touched his youngest\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breakfast, after that, continued in its usual vein with jibes and pokes and \u2013 Heaven help him! \u2013 even a food fight in which Joe and Hoss tossed whole wheat rolls at one another.\u00a0 He let it go on for a while, enjoying his youngest son\u2019s delight.\u00a0 Hop Sing got into it in the end, yelling that he would never make rolls again if the boys were going to use them to play Cuju with \u2013 and then catching one in midair and lobbing it over to Adam who neatly dunked it in one of Marie\u2019s porcelain vases.\u00a0 The only one who seemed to half-heartedly join in was Bella.\u00a0 She was very subdued and he feared it had to do with their talk.<\/p>\n

Still, it had to be said.<\/p>\n

After the meal was completed, they retired with coffee and tea to the great room where Bella took Adam\u2019s accustomed chair by the fire and Joseph sat on the settee with his feet up and a blanket wrapped around his thin shoulders.\u00a0 The boy shivered entirely too much and had lost weight.\u00a0 Though from the look of things his youngest\u2019s appetite had at last returned and that would soon be remedied.\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s older brothers planned to head into town shortly and the conversation quickly turned to what supplies they needed and so on.\u00a0 The weather had broken the night before and, in spite of the cold, the crisp clear morning sky seemed to promise that spring indeed was on its was and so they had decided to venture into town.\u00a0 In truth the pair, like the rest of them, was feeling housebound.<\/p>\n

Joseph was disappointed that he couldn\u2019t go with his brothers.\u00a0 He said he was tired of being cooped up and asked if he could take on a few simple chores.\u00a0 He\u2019d hesitated, of course, to grant the request due to the boy\u2019s lack of stamina, but had at last given in.\u00a0 For the moment, the most strenuous chore he agreed to was Joe chopping wood and bringing it in to keep the fire in the great room supplied.<\/p>\n

Watching his son, he noted a restlessness about him.\u00a0 Almost like a caged animal.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s gaze went to Bella.\u00a0 He knew the source.\u00a0 There was a different<\/em> kind of fire in his youngest\u2019s eyes when they lighted on the beautiful young blonde woman who sat gazing into the fire.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed deeply.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething wrong, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben could hear the wry smile in the tone.\u00a0 Adam knew full well <\/em>what was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son.\u00a0 Just glad to sit for a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d his oldest said as he rose to his feet, \u201cI, for one, am ready to be on the move.\u00a0 Hoss and I had better get to it or the sun will be down before we reach town.\u00a0 Hop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chinese man was clearing the table.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Mistah Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep little brother eating.\u00a0 He looks like, if a strong wind blew in, it would take him right with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing cook plenty for too skinny number three son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Joe protested \u2013 meekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you, Little brother, I want a promise from you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those big green eyes went wide.\u00a0 Joe pointed to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cWho me?\u00a0 What do you want from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes flicked to Bella and back.\u00a0 \u201cMake sure you don\u2019t let yourself get too <\/em>hungry.\u00a0 There\u2019s such a thing as overindulgence, if you know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s ears always gave him away.<\/p>\n

They turned brick red.<\/p>\n

This time it wasn\u2019t a whole wheat roll that flew through the air toward his oldest.\u00a0 It was a pillow, and it barely missed knocking over the ginger jar on the credenza.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys!\u201d Ben roared \u2013\u00a0 because he knew he was supposed to.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d came those three precious voices.<\/p>\n

Bella giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what\u2019re you laughing at?\u201d Joe demanded, mock-serious.<\/p>\n

Her lashes were lowered.\u00a0 She looked at him out from under them.\u00a0 \u201cThe only funny thing in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

His youngest frowned.\u00a0 Then he realized she meant him<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t funny!\u201d he protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re \u2018not\u2019,\u201d Ben sighed.<\/p>\n

Joe flashed a look at him.\u00a0 \u201cNot what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe triumphantly crossed his arms and glared at her.\u00a0 \u201cSee!\u00a0 Pa agrees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben<\/em> was blinking now.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did I agree to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat I ain\u2019t funny!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was dying and Adam was close to rolling on the floor.\u00a0 The only thing that rescued Joseph was a knock on the door.<\/p>\n

His eldest\u2019s brows shot up.\u00a0 \u201cWho do you suppose that is in this weather?\u201d<\/p>\n

In answer, a gruff voice called out, \u201cMister Cartwright, it\u2019s Jim Appleby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss exchanged a look.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t he the man we got watching the team to the north?\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019d corralled a good many horses before the snow hit in one of the northern pastures and had taken them there to wait out the winter.\u00a0 Ben was on his feet in a moment and headed for the door.\u00a0 He gestured to his eldest as he went.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet him in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim blew in with a blast of cold air that set them all shivering.\u00a0 He removed his hat.\u00a0 After running a hand through his unruly shock of brown hair to straighten it, he said, \u201cMister Cartwright.\u00a0 Boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim Appleby was an older man close to his own age and had known his sons since they were barely old enough to ride.\u00a0 The three of them looked on him like a kindly uncle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Jim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that blasted wind we had, Ben. \u00a0It took out one of the older trees along with about thirty yards of fence.\u00a0 We caught some of the horses, but more than a dozen are running wild.\u00a0 I came to see if the boys would be willing to track them down.\u00a0 There\u2019s no one better than Hoss at tracking.\u201d\u00a0 Jim grinned and replaced his hat.\u00a0 \u201cSorry \u2018bout that, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam mock sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI know my place.\u00a0 I\u2019m the brains and Hoss is, well, everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what am I?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word was out before Elizabeth thought better of it.\u00a0 Ben turned to look at her and saw her hand go to her mouth as she blushed red as Joseph\u2019s ears.\u00a0 A second later she was on her feet and headed up the stairs.<\/p>\n

He went to Joseph then and placed a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 The boy was fighting to keep his composure. \u00a0Leaning in close he said, \u201cLet her be, son.\u00a0 You can check on her later.\u00a0 I think Bella needs some time alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

His youngest looked puzzled but he accepted his word.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man turned back to Jim who was trying his best to hide his smile.\u00a0 Jim had three girls, one of which was married and two he was sitting on.\u00a0 He was quite amused.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Hoss, I guess you\u2019ll have to forget your trip to town.\u00a0 We need those horses captured quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Pa,\u201d Hoss said as he pulled his heavy winter coat on and headed for the door.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get Chubb and Sport ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll go and politely ask Hop Sing to pack several days rations.\u00a0 I imagine it will take us a few to find and bring in the strays.\u201d\u00a0 His son\u2019s hazel eyes flicked to the back of Joseph\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cYou think you\u2019ll be all right here alone, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Little Joe protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re not quite up to speed, little brother.\u00a0 No offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cLeave one of the older men in the bunkhouse, Jim.\u00a0 Maybe Andy.\u00a0 He can help around the house until the boys get back.\u201d\u00a0 He held up a hand to stifle his youngest\u2019s protests before they were begun.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t be outside in that weather for long, Joseph, not until you\u2019re healed.\u00a0 Someone has to look after the horses and keep up with the harder chores.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy grumbled but said nothing more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A half an hour later the door to the house closed, leaving Joe and his pa alone.<\/p>\n

Joe was still on the settee.\u00a0 He enjoyed the fire.\u00a0 It seemed to him that the only time he felt completely warm was when he was near the giant hearth.\u00a0 The fire in his own room was large enough, but somehow the cold seemed to creep in to chill him even when he was under the covers.\u00a0 The only other time he felt completely warm and safe was when Bella snuck into his room and laid beside him.\u00a0 He knew Pa\u2019d banished her from it.\u00a0 She\u2019d said as much without really saying it.\u00a0 So she\u2019d taken to waiting until his pa was asleep to come to his room and slip under the covers and nestle in close to him.\u00a0 So far nothing had happened \u2013 other than sleeping that was.\u00a0 She\u2019d wake with the morning light and be gone, often before he opened his eyes.\u00a0 He\u2019d lay there then, touching the place where she\u2019d been, thinking about the only other time he\u2019d felt this way.<\/p>\n

That was with Laura.<\/p>\n

Oh, he\u2019d loved Julia Bulette, but that was in a defiant sort of way, like he knew what he felt and was damned determined to have his way since the world and his father saw it different.\u00a0 And he\u2019d cared deeply for Amy, but that had been a little bit the same.\u00a0 They were like Romeo and Juliet with their feuding families and there was something \u2013 Pa\u2019d shoot him for usin\u2019 the word \u2013 forbidden<\/em> about loving Amy that made it all the more intense.<\/p>\n

Laura White he had simply loved.<\/p>\n

It was Laura he had made a home for.\u00a0 Laura, whom Adam had carved that cradle for to hold their first child.\u00a0 Laura he had wanted to protect and cherish and had felt almost shy about touching, as if that touch might break whatever wondrous spell he found himself caught in.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought he would never feel that way again.<\/p>\n

He felt that way about Bella.<\/p>\n

It was hard.\u00a0 In many ways he couldn\u2019t get past her bein\u2019 that little twelve year old girl who had taken care of him after her parents pulled him out of a burning building.\u00a0 He\u2019d loved her since the day he\u2019d awakened in her house and been charmed to find she thought of him as her little brother.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought of her as his little sister, of course, without letting her know.\u00a0 Right then and there he\u2019d sworn to protect her and he\u2019d done that, right up until the time she saved his<\/em> life.\u00a0 It was Bella that led Adam to him when Fleet Rowse left him to die in the cold.\u00a0 She\u2019d protected him again, in the Sierra, when Rowse reappeared and slaughtered the people on the stage he was riding shotgun for.\u00a0 They\u2019d clung to one another and cried over that, and over the loss of the people they\u2019d traveled with.\u00a0 There was no one else who understood.\u00a0 No one else who could.<\/p>\n

No one like Bella.<\/p>\n

\u201cA penny\u00a0 for your thoughts, Joseph,\u201d his father\u2019s deep voice said.<\/p>\n

Joe started and looked toward the red chair his father occupied. \u00a0He grinned self-consciously.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d go broke, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought from the look of you, I might end up a millionaire.\u201d\u00a0 His father paused.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to talk about it, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at the fire.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of personal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed.\u00a0 From the tone of his voice, he knew his father really did <\/em>see.<\/p>\n

Joe was silent for some time.\u00a0 Finally, he asked, \u201cHow\u2019d you know, Pa?\u00a0 How\u2019d you know mama was the right one for you?\u00a0 I mean….\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 Words didn\u2019t come easy, which was unusual for him.\u00a0 \u201cI mean you\u2019d loved other women before.\u00a0 Did it feel the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEach time a man loves, it is as different<\/em> as the woman he loves,\u201d the older man said quietly.<\/p>\n

Joe swung around so he was sitting up.\u00a0 He waved his father\u2019s hand off and pulled the cover up around his shoulders himself.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI know you don\u2019t like to talk about Julia, Pa….\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou loved her.\u00a0 It matters little whether I approved.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled shyly.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Joe paused again.\u00a0 \u201cYou know with Julia, it was all about…well….\u00a0 It was like I was on fire.\u00a0 I wanted to…possess her.\u201d\u00a0 His green eyes flicked to his father\u2019s face, which was masked.\u00a0 \u201cI know she wasn\u2019t perfect, but I needed her.\u00a0 Do you understand what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit. May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples<\/em>,\u201d his father quoted softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that from, Pa?\u201d Joe asked, his voice surprised.<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s lips twitched.\u00a0 \u201cThe Song of Solomon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe felt his cheeks turning red.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s in the Bible?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, son.\u00a0 Marriage is sacred to God, as I hope I have taught you boys.\u00a0 God wants you to love, to take a wife, and to find pleasure in each other.\u00a0 Your mother and I had a passage read from the Song of Songs when we married.\u201d\u00a0 His pa leaned back and closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame\u2019.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t quite sure what to say to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, do you think you love Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 He was silent a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI know<\/em> I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure what kind<\/em> of love it is?\u00a0 Are you sure it\u2019s not just\u00a0 deep affection for a young girl whom you think of as your sister?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s blushes deepened.\u00a0 He was pretty sure his feelings had nothing<\/em> to do with Bella being his sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to marry her, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cSo this is different than with Julia?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe rose to his feet and began to pace.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s different, Pa.\u00a0 I only felt this one time before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Laura?\u201d<\/p>\n

He pivoted to look at the older man.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were deeply in love with Laura, Joseph, and not that long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been three years, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father unclasped his fingers and straightened up in the chair.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, given I accept that you are older and mature enough to know what you want, what about Bella?\u00a0 She\u2019s barely eighteen, and from what she says I don\u2019t think she\u2019s ever had a beau.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe scowled.\u00a0 Thanks, Pa<\/em>, he thought.\u00a0 He had enough trouble thinking of Bella as a woman without his father reminding him he\u2019d met her when she was eleven years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe knows what she wants, Pa,\u201d he said, his tone slightly defensive.<\/p>\n

His father looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cI hope so, Joseph.\u00a0 I truly do.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was kind of like his pa\u2019s words pulled the plug and let all the air out of him.\u00a0 Suddenly tired, Joe said, \u201cCan I go upstairs, Pa?\u00a0 I think I\u2019d like to lay down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you feeling all right?\u201d\u00a0 Before he could stop him, his pa was on his feet and had his hand on his brow.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem a little feverish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt comes back when I get tired.\u00a0 I just need a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s eyes went to the stairs and then back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you take it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first his pa\u2019s words had taken him aback.\u00a0 He knew how he was supposed to treat ladies and he\u2019d never do anything to Bella that would hurt her or<\/em> her reputation.\u00a0 Then he thought about the night before when she\u2019d been laying up against him, sharing her body warmth.\u00a0 He\u2019d felt her legs through the thin gown she wore and even though she still had her corset on, the tops of her breasts had pressed into the tender flesh of his back.\u00a0 Her smooth arms had circled his waist and he had wanted more than anything to roll over and take her in his arms and….<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Instead he\u2019d taken hold of her hands and pressed them in his own.\u00a0 He\u2019d kissed them and the two of them had fallen asleep.<\/p>\n

He wondered if she came tonight if he\u2019d have the willpower to do the same.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella Carnaby lay in her bed looking at the ceiling of the room the Cartwrights had given her.\u00a0 It was a beautiful room.\u00a0 One she had occupied twice now.\u00a0 She remembered when she was a little girl and had come to visit Little Joe at the Ponderosa, it had seemed the biggest bedroom in the world \u2013 bigger than her whole house and Pa\u2019s barn put together.<\/p>\n

She missed her pa and maybe even a little bit more, her ma.\u00a0 As she\u2019d grown older, she\u2019d come to see how right her ma was about men.\u00a0 Her ma loved her pa with a love as ferocious as a grizzly bear\u2019s hug, but she knew him for what he was \u2013 a philosopher and dreamer.\u00a0 It was really Ma who kept their place going.\u00a0 Oh, Pa worked hard \u2013 really hard \u2013 but it was her ma, she\u2019d come to realize, who was the glue that held everything together.\u00a0 When she was little, she\u2019d thought she\u2019d wanted to be just like Pa when she grew up.\u00a0 Now, she wanted to be like her ma.\u00a0 Of course, that wasn\u2019t anything unusual.\u00a0 After all, Ma was a woman too.<\/p>\n

That was something Pa was just never <\/em>gonna understand.<\/p>\n

The last year or so, with her living in town and working at the dress shop, she\u2019d come to find she really missed her Ma.\u00a0 When she was little, she thought the older woman was stern and needed to live it up a little.\u00a0 Ma was always saying she had work to do when Pa took time to sit with her under the stars or to go chasing down invisible ponies or something like that.\u00a0 She realized now that had been her Ma\u2019s gift to her as a child \u2013 time with her father.<\/p>\n

It was funny, now she was grown, all she longed for was the place she had neglected the most when she was little \u2013 sitting at her mother\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

Bella sighed and sat up.\u00a0 It was only midday and she was going to have to go back downstairs.\u00a0 She\u2019d asked Hop Sing if she could help him prepare a cake for supper and the Chinese man had agreed.\u00a0 She knew from Little Joe that their cook rarely let others in his kitchen.\u00a0 But they\u2019d become friends when she was little and they were friends still.<\/p>\n

Just like her and Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Not sure what else to do, Bella crossed over to the window and looked out.\u00a0 She\u2019d been waiting for Adam and Hoss to leave.\u00a0 She felt like a fool for what she\u2019d said.\u00a0 It had just come out on its own.\u00a0 She\u2019d been sitting there, pretending to stare at the fire, but really staring at Little Joe.\u00a0 Even though he\u2019d lost weight and muscle, she thought he was the handsomest thing there ever was.\u00a0 The firelight had caught in his hair, highlighting the tiny little streaks of silver that shot through it like lightning.\u00a0 The curls cascaded down onto his forehead, forming a little pile just above his upturned nose.\u00a0 He had the cutest little nose . She\u2019d told Little Joe once it looked like an elf\u2019s and he hadn\u2019t been impressed.\u00a0 She\u2019d tried to explain what she meant, but she knew he didn\u2019t understand.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t talking about the kind of elves he and Hoss had seen once, who had turned out to be tiny little men.\u00a0 She was talking about the elves of old \u2013 the ones like Oberon in Shakespeare\u2019s play A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream \u2013 <\/em>elves who were the perfect form of men.<\/p>\n

Little Joe was the perfect form of a man.<\/p>\n

Bella drew a breath and held it.\u00a0 She wanted so<\/em> to be with him.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t help it.\u00a0 She knew what men and women did when they loved each other \u2013 it was hard in a three room house where three siblings had been conceived not<\/em> too.\u00a0 Her body ached for his touch.\u00a0 It was all she could do when she laid down beside him not to kiss his neck, to caress the small of his back and to run her hands along his beautiful form.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d talked to her Ma about how to handle her feelings, asking her about the time before she and pa were married.\u00a0 She\u2019d counted up the days once and it seemed there was just enough<\/em> time for her to have been conceived after they married, but she\u2019d wondered.\u00a0 Her ma had caught her drift quick enough and told her she\u2019d most likely been made on their wedding night.\u00a0 Ma swore she was a virgin when she married and she believed her.<\/p>\n

Ma\u2019d looked at her then and said something that still astounded her.\u00a0 \u2018Elizabeth,\u2019 she\u2019d said, \u2018you\u2019re nearly a woman.\u00a0 You are going to meet a young man one day and you are going to want to be with him.\u00a0 God says you have to wait until you marry, even if it\u2019s the man you\u2019ll spend your life with.\u201d\u00a0 Her mother\u2019s lips had tweaked a bit at the end as she continued.\u00a0 \u201cBut He never said there weren\u2019t things you could do to pleasure one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mouth had gaped and she\u2019d listened to every word.<\/p>\n

Still, she wondered if little Joe felt the same way about her. After all, so far he\u2019d been a perfect gentleman.\u00a0 Maybe that meant he still thought of her as a child.\u00a0 Though the kisses they\u2019d shared in the woods before Fleet Rowse interrupted them had seemed to promise more.\u00a0 Bella sighed as she turned away from the window and crossed the room, ready to head downstairs.\u00a0 Maybe she\u2019d always be that child dressed in a pinafore to Little Joe \u2013 his dear friend and little sister.<\/p>\n

Bella opened the door and stepped out into the hall.<\/p>\n

The problem, was, she wanted to be so<\/em> much more.<\/p>\n

FIFTEEN<\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright stood in the blowin\u2019 wind, makin\u2019 a face and hangin\u2019 onto his tall ten gallon hat with his leather glove.\u00a0 The sun was shining.\u00a0 What little sleet remained on the grass was melting away, and he was starin\u2019 down a long line of damaged fencing.\u00a0 Where it hadn\u2019t been twisted up and out of the earth by the fallin\u2019 tree, the fence lay smashed and tangled beneath its thousand branches.\u00a0 It was an old tree, probably near one hundred years, and its corpse stretched out nearly seventy feet.\u00a0 Its upturned roots were taller than him and Adam put together.<\/p>\n

Jim Appleby\u2019s face looked as sour as his.\u00a0 \u201cYou can see the tracks there,\u201d he said pointing.\u00a0 \u201cAt least a dozen, maybe more.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could see them for sure \u2013 the tracks of the horses they had spent a week bringin\u2019 to this pasture with its hills and hidin\u2019 places not all that long before.\u00a0 It was as sheltered as it got and would have kept them safe and warm \u2013 if they\u2019d of been smart enough to stay put.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know them wild things.\u00a0 They\u2019d as soon die as be cooped up,\u201d the big man sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s what they\u2019ll do.\u00a0 Die,\u201d Adam said as he joined them.\u00a0 \u201cUnless we can round them up quickly.\u00a0 Have you looked at the sky lately?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaggone it!\u201d Hoss exclaimed.\u00a0 The sky to the west was growing dark and the clouds hung like full teats above the land.\u00a0 As warm as it was, it promised a wicked late winter storm.\u00a0 \u201cWhen did that move in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust now.\u00a0 It\u2019s traveling fast,\u201d his older brother said.\u00a0 \u201cThe storm will hit before we have time to make it home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like we\u2019ll have to take shelter in the line shack,\u201d Jim suggested.<\/p>\n

It was Adam\u2019s turn to scowl.\u00a0 They were north and the \u2018line shack\u2019 Jim was talking about was the one that had figured in their dealings with Fleet Rowse five years back.<\/p>\n

They tended to avoid it.<\/p>\n

Adam objected, citing the time Freckles the pony spent there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI imagine the smell is gone by now, older brother,\u201d Hoss said, not hiding a little smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more worried about being greeted by a sack of flour in the face,\u201d his brother replied, smiling himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to believe that pretty gal back at the ranch house is the same at that youngin\u2019 what smacked you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked thoughtful.\u00a0 \u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019re you thinkin\u2019, Adam?\u201d the big man asked as Jim walked away and began to collect their belongings.<\/p>\n

His brother looked surprised.\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u00a0 Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on now, older brother, you ain\u2019t foolin\u2019 me.\u00a0 You\u2019re worried about somethin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot what.\u00a0 Who.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Adam looked away, toward the ranch.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m worried that Joe\u2019s going to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had the same fear.\u00a0 \u201cYou worried like me that mean cuss Rowse might get away from those men comin\u2019 to take him back to prison?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for reminding me.\u201d\u00a0 His brother frowned.\u00a0 \u201cBut no, I wasn\u2019t thinking about that.\u00a0 I was thinking about our little brother\u2019s heart being broken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was stumped for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cBella, you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI think Joe thinks<\/em> he\u2019s in love with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s an awful sweet little thing.\u00a0 I could see her and Joe bein\u2019 happy together.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s had an awful hard time at love.\u00a0 I mean, look at what he\u2019s lost and he\u2019s barely twenty-five.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what troubles me.\u00a0 What if what Joe feels for Bella is, well, a protectiveness?\u00a0 Like she\u2019s his responsibility?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t that a part of marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA part,\u201d Adam acknowledged, \u201cbut not \u2018the\u2019 part.\u00a0 Love is…complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big brother should know after what happened with cousin Will and Laura Dayton.\u00a0 He\u2019d known it too, when Marjorie Owens fell in love with Mark Connors and all them false things that shyster promised her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cain\u2019t put our own troubles on little brother, Adam.\u00a0 It just ain\u2019t fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at him.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose you\u2019re right,\u201d he said with a smile, \u201cbut you know, after twenty-four years, it\u2019s hard to stop protecting him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFeels like fifty, don\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

As they both laughed, Adam tightened his collar.\u00a0 \u201cThe wind\u2019s picking up.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get out of it and in for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat little brother of ours, how come he always knows when its smart to get laid up?\u201d\u00a0 It was a standing joke with them.\u00a0 Somehow Joe always seemed to get injured at the ranch\u2019s busiest times.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the one loves horses.\u00a0\u00a0 Oughta be him freezing his hiney off out here.\u00a0 \u2018Stead of that he\u2019s probably sittin\u2019 by the fire sippin\u2019 a toddy and smooching with that pretty little gal while Pa ain\u2019t lookin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shot him a look as he took up Scout\u2019s reins and swung into the saddle.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t you learned yet, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLearned what?\u201d the big man asked as he did the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s always<\/em> looking.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Supper went smoothly.\u00a0 Or at least as smoothly as it could when two out of the three people at the table appeared not to be talking to each other.\u00a0 Ben stifled a sigh and leaned back in his chair.\u00a0 He and Hop Sing had exchanged several glances as their cook brought food to Bella and Joseph and then carried it away again practically untouched.\u00a0 The last thing Hop Sing brought out was a lovely chocolate cake decorated with chocolate roses.\u00a0 Apparently Bella had helped to bake it, knowing chocolate was one of Joseph\u2019s favorites.\u00a0 Ben had watched over folded hands as the cake was placed in the center of the table, and then as Hop Sing cut it and dished it out, and then \u2013 with wonder and not a little bemusement \u2013 as his chocolate-loving youngest son pushed away from the table without touching his piece, announcing he was tired and going to bed.<\/p>\n

Something was definitely<\/em> up.<\/p>\n

Ben had tried to draw Bella out once Joseph had gone, but she\u2019d simply sat there staring at the cake, sniffing.\u00a0 Being the father of three boys, he really had no idea how to bring her out of her shell.\u00a0 He tried complimenting her on her dress and then on her hair, and then, reaching far back into his memory, asked her if something had upset her.\u00a0 If he remembered right, Marie had always complained that he didn\u2019t listen to her or take her feelings seriously, and had been quite charmed when he had done that.<\/p>\n

Apparently he didn\u2019t remember right.<\/p>\n

Bella turned red-rimmed eyes on him, sniffed again, and then excused herself and flew up the stairs.<\/p>\n

Leaving him alone with Hop Sing and a most splendid<\/em> chocolate cake.<\/p>\n

His cook and friend had come in from the kitchen in time to see the girl\u2019s flight.\u00a0 \u201cWhat wrong with Missy Bella?\u201d Hop Sing asked.<\/p>\n

Ben threw his hands in the air.\u00a0 \u201cGod alone knows!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod very wise,\u201d the man with the queue remarked with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe not wise enough<\/em> to understand woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not.,\u201d the older man snorted.\u00a0 \u201cSay, what are you doing, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing had returned the untouched piece of cake to the main tray and was heading for the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cMistah Joe no eat cake.\u00a0 Put away for tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben slapped the tabletop.\u00a0 \u201cYou put that cake right back down and get yourself a plate and fork.\u00a0 If Joseph wants to sulk, that\u2019s his business.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and I are going to have dessert!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella stood with her ear pressed against the crack in the door as she had done so often before.\u00a0 It was past one in the morning and Joe\u2019s father had just come up.\u00a0 If she was going to go to Little Joe\u2019s room, she would have to do it now.\u00a0 She\u2019d considering staying in her own room tonight.\u00a0 Little Joe was getting better and didn\u2019t really need her anymore.\u00a0 In fact, he had barely looked at her at dinner, as if he was upset with her.<\/p>\n

Perhaps she had been too <\/em>forward.<\/p>\n

With a little sigh, the blonde woman leaned her head against the door, wishing \u2013 for just a moment \u2013 that she was that little curly-headed girl again, the one Little Joe had been so <\/em>at ease with.\u00a0 Her lips curled in a smile as she remembered their exploits, lingering on the time he\u2019d missed a throw and hit a tall pine tree and the shower of snow had nearly buried them.\u00a0 She remembered his hands on her as he pulled her out of a deep drift \u2013 so strong and so gentle at the same time.<\/p>\n

Bella shivered \u2013 and it wasn\u2019t with the cold.<\/p>\n

Returning to the area of the bed, she caught her shawl from the chair next to it and tossed it around her shoulders.\u00a0 She\u2019d made her mind up.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t <\/em>visit Little Joe tonight.\u00a0 She\u2019d just poke her head in and make sure he was sleeping normally.\u00a0 He was still subject to mild fevers.\u00a0 Doc Martin said they might not clear up until the summer when the warm sun could bake what was left of the infection out of him.\u00a0 Spring was just around the corner, so that wouldn\u2019t be too long.\u00a0 The thought of green grass and flowers made her smile.<\/p>\n

The thought of leaving the Ponderosa made her cry.<\/p>\n

Spring meant it would be time to go home.\u00a0 She\u2019d leave and who knew if she would ever see Little Joe again.\u00a0 Sniffing, Bella made her way back to the door and opened it.\u00a0 Stepping out into the hall, she\u00a0 headed for her best friend\u2019s room.\u00a0 Quiet as a mouse, she moved along the corridor and then stopped in front of his door.\u00a0 Pushing against the heavy wood, she opened it just enough to step in.<\/p>\n

And discovered Little Joe\u2019s bed was empty.<\/p>\n

Panic gripped her for a moment as she feared he had been kidnapped, but then common sense took over.\u00a0 The threat Fleet Rowse posed was over and there was no one else who wanted to do Joe harm.\u00a0 Today was the day when a small troop of soldiers were to arrive to escort the villain back to prison, ending his five year reign of terror over them. This time, for the act of savagery he had committed on the stage coaches, Rowse wasn\u2019t being imprisoned.<\/p>\n

He was going to be hanged.<\/p>\n

Stepping back into the hall, Bella closed the door and leaned against it.\u00a0 A little smile curled her lips when she thought of her friend, Aurora, who too would be freed from fear.\u00a0 After what happened Aurora and her husband had decided to relocate in Sacramento.\u00a0 They\u2019d bought a beautiful house there with the money she\u2019d inherited and had left a few days before to start their new life.\u00a0 It had been hard to say goodbye, but she understood the older woman\u2019s need to get away.\u00a0 Aurora had asked her to visit one day and she hoped to do so.\u00a0 She\u2019d like to do it with Little Joe….<\/p>\n

Bella frowned.<\/p>\n

Where was<\/em> he?<\/p>\n

With a little shrug, she decided it wasn\u2019t her business.\u00a0 After all, he could have gone out to the privy, though why he would have chosen to do so on such a damp wet night she didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 As she stood there, thinking, her stomach growled once and then growled again.\u00a0 Loud enough it seemed to rouse the house!\u00a0 Bella\u2019s lips curled in a smile.\u00a0 Her supper had consisted of three bites of meat and about as many of potatoes.<\/p>\n

She was starved!<\/p>\n

Pulling the shawl closer against the chill, the blonde woman headed downstairs for the kitchen and a big<\/em> piece of chocolate cake with her name on it.<\/p>\n

The great room was quiet.\u00a0 The fire still burned, but it was low.\u00a0 Its final gasps provided just enough light for her to move across the large area without bumping into anything.\u00a0 Once she reached the kitchen, she found she was hungrier than she\u2019d thought and opted for some cold beef, bread, and milk rather than the sugary dessert.<\/p>\n

A half-hour later, she returned to the great room with a cup of chamomile tea in hand.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t sleepy, so she\u2019d decided to remain downstairs to drink it.\u00a0 Since it was chilly, she made her was to the hearth and sat on the stones.\u00a0 As she did, the tall case clock struck three.\u00a0 Outside, there was a flicker of distant lightning and rain began to pelt the windowpanes.\u00a0 Bella closed her eyes and listened to the wind.\u00a0 The night had grown wild and there was a small part of her that longed to be out in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re like a May morning,\u201d a soft voice said, startling her.<\/p>\n

After she\u2019d recovered her composure, Bella cursed herself for a fool.\u00a0 How could she have missed him?<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you been there?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

The slight figure on the settee sat up.\u00a0 The firelight struck his tousled curls and glinted in his large green eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was here before you came down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella noticed a plate on the table.\u00a0 \u201cWere you hungry too?\u201d<\/p>\n

His head shook.\u00a0 \u201cPa must have left it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why are you down here?\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t you sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe was silent for a moment.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella rose and went to stand beside him.\u00a0 The storm light coming in the window made his large eyes look hollow \u2013 haunted, even.\u00a0 She knew Little Joe was prone to nightmares and she wondered if that was what had driven him from his bed.\u00a0 As she looked at him, sitting there one the settee, she recalled the day five years before when the time had come for her to leave.\u00a0 She\u2019d been sitting on the same cushion crying her eyes out.\u00a0 Little Joe had come into comfort her.<\/p>\n

Tucking her shawl tightly about her shivering form, she took a seat beside him.\u00a0 After a few seconds, she leaned her head on his shoulder.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t pull away.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to tell me about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.<\/p>\n

Bella took his hand in hers.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it will help?\u00a0 Telling someone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe let out a little sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI had a nightmare.\u00a0 Rowse was in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She snuggled in a little closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was back in the snowstorm, tied to the saddle and dangling head and foot off his horse.\u00a0 I tried to get loose, but nothin\u2019 worked.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s breathing was becoming labored, as if he was reliving that horrible night.\u00a0 \u201cI heard Adam calling me.\u00a0 I heard….\u201d\u00a0 He turned toward her.\u00a0 She could see his profile in the pale light \u2013 the upturned nose, the dimpled chin; his long lashes fluttering against his pallid skin.\u00a0 \u201cI heard you<\/em>, Bella.\u00a0 You were shouting my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did, you know,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI shouted and shouted until I didn\u2019t have any voice left.\u00a0 I was lucky Adam found me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 She sat up and looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cYes, he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in my dream.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe drew in a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cRowse threw me over that cliff and then he found you and he….\u201d\u00a0 The muscles of his jaw tightened.\u00a0 \u201cHe threw you down and into the ravine.\u00a0 I broke your fall when you hit me.\u00a0 You just laid there and didn\u2019t move.\u00a0 Bella, I \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Her fingers went to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here.\u00a0 I\u2019m safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hesitated and then took hold of her hand, looking at it as it if it was something new and wondrous.\u00a0 Then he dipped his head and kissed her knuckles.\u00a0 Bella felt the brush of his lips on her fingers; the touch of his soft brown curls against her skin.<\/p>\n

It was electric.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you cold?\u201d he asked as she shivered.<\/p>\n

She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cA little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shifted.\u00a0 He was wrapped in several blankets.\u00a0 He opened his arms and drew her in so her body rested against his, lending her his warmth.\u00a0\u00a0 Her hand went to his chest.\u00a0 Beneath the thin nightshirt he wore she could feel the rapid beat of his heart . The cloth was slightly damp, as though he had awakened in a sweat \u2013 that, or he actually was a bit feverish.<\/p>\n

Slowly, almost of their own volition, Little Joe\u2019s fingers found her face.\u00a0 They traced her cheek through her hair.\u00a0 One lingered on her lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella,\u201d he said, his voice soft as slippers on a satinwood floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember what you said the last time we were sittin\u2019 here alone together?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI asked you if you were still going to wait for me to grow up so I could marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He kissed the tip of her nose.\u00a0 It tickled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what did I say?\u201d Joe asked as his hand slipped lower, tracing a pattern on the part of her breasts that were exposed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me we\u2019d have to check back in four or five years, that I might have found another fellow,\u201d she answered, near breathless.<\/p>\n

Little Joe cupped her breasts in his hands and pushed them together.\u00a0 Then he planted a kiss in the hollow between them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been five years.\u00a0 Have you?\u201d he inquired, his mouth against her flesh.<\/p>\n

Her head was spinning.\u00a0 \u201cWhat…?\u00a0 Have I what?\u201d<\/p>\n

The fire gave its last gasp, flooding the room with a burst of golden light.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s green eyes sparkled with mischief.<\/p>\n

\u201cFound another fellow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella shifted so she was lying back on the settee.\u00a0 She lifted his shirt up and worked her hands under it, wrapping him tightly in her arms; pulling him so close their hearts beat as one.\u00a0 As Joe lowered his weight onto her she giggled.<\/p>\n

The handsome fellow she loved snorted.\u00a0 \u201cNow, that ain\u2019t exactly the reaction a man wants from his girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reared up and nipped his ear, and then whispered in it.\u00a0 \u201cJosie was right, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella felt his body go rigid at her touch.\u00a0 Joe gave a little gasp and then asked in a dreamy voice as he kissed the hollow of her throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Josie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s hands were in his hair now, combing through those long, spiraling curls; tugging on them as his body moved against hers, gently, sweetly, not intruding, but bringing her pleasure.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe…\u201d\u00a0 Bella\u2019s fingers curled into a fist as a spasm of joy rocked her.\u00a0 Breathless, she replied, \u201cDaisies….\u00a0 Daisies…under the chin, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d been eleven when she first saw Joseph Francis Cartwright.\u00a0 The night before he came into her life, she had leaned over the creek as her friend Josie instructed and rubbed a daisy against her chin.\u00a0 The full moon overhead shining on the water was supposed to reveal the face of her true love and it had.<\/p>\n

It had shown her him.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella woke sometime later on the floor in a tangle of blankets, arms, and curls.\u00a0 She remembered sliding off the settee as sensations she had never known overwhelmed her.\u00a0 Her mother had told her what to expect, but the reality was the difference between poking a toe in the lake and plunging in.\u00a0 She lay there half under Joe\u2019s weight, listening to his heavy breathing, delighting in the touch of her skin against his and, curiously, stifling laughter.\u00a0 Her mother had warned her about that too before she left home \u2013 almost as if she had seen this coming.<\/p>\n

Surprised by joy, she called it.<\/p>\n

Birdsong caused Bella to shift and look up.\u00a0 Outside the morning light was dawning.\u00a0 As she lay there, combing her fingers through Joe\u2019s hair, the tall case clock by the door struck half past four.<\/p>\n

If she had been Cinderella, it would have been the stroke of midnight.<\/p>\n

Bella looked at the Joe where he lay sleeping.\u00a0 She hated to wake him, but she knew his father was often up before five and if they didn\u2019t want to be discovered \u2013<\/p>\n

A string of startled Cantonese told her it was too late.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you doing on floor, Missy Bella?\u201d Hop Sing chided as he moved toward her.\u00a0 \u201cFire out.\u00a0 You cold.\u00a0 You catch death….\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the first time she\u2019d ever seen Hop Sing at a loss for words.<\/p>\n

Joe was stirring, rubbing his hand through his curls and sitting up.\u00a0 He winced, looked at her and grinned, and then kissed her on the lips.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing was on him in a heartbeat.\u00a0 Bella stifled a laugh as the man from China boxed Joe\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou no do that!\u00a0 Pull nightshirt down and stand up!\u00a0 Number three son in enough trouble lay on floor with pretty girl without kissing her!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cBut she\u2019s too pretty not <\/em>to kiss!\u201d<\/p>\n

The man from China was shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cSun not up yet.\u00a0 Too early make Hop Sing\u2019s head hurt.\u00a0 You get up off floor!\u201d\u00a0 One hand went to his hip while he used the other to jab a finger into Joe\u2019s chest.\u00a0 \u201cHonorable father find you, honorable Cartwright family have one…less…son!\u201d<\/p>\n

At the mention of his father, Joe paled.\u00a0 He glanced up the stairs and then back.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing, you…you ain\u2019t gonna tell him….\u00a0 Are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s black eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cThat depend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe glanced at her.\u00a0 He swallowed hard and then looked back.\u00a0 \u201cDepends on what?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the sound of a door opening upstairs, the man from China grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat for Hop Sing to know and you<\/em> to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe had come to her and was attempting to smooth her hair down.\u00a0 It was a worse tangle than his.\u00a0 Giving up, he backed her up to the blue chair Adam usually occupied and sat her down and then wrapped her shawl tightly about her, adjusting it a little bit where her open chemise showed.\u00a0 Then he handed her a book.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat boy do about self?\u201d Hop Sing asked, his tone wry.<\/p>\n

Joe looked down at his nightshirt and gasped.\u00a0 As his father\u2019s footsteps sounded on the stair Joe picked up a blanket, wrapped it around his lower quarters, and then dove for the settee.\u00a0 As he settled in he turned his head and looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor gosh sakes, Bella, at least look like you\u2019re reading!\u201d<\/p>\n

She opened the book Joe had handed her as Ben Cartwright\u2019s boots struck the great room floor.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, everyone!\u201d the older man declared.\u00a0 He looked from one of them to the other and then asked with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u00a0 Since when am I the last man down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe birds woke me up early,\u201d Bella replied.\u00a0 \u201cI was hungry so I came down for a snack and found Joe sleeping on the settee.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sleepy, so I decided to read so I wouldn\u2019t disturb him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was yawning mightily.\u00a0 His father eyed him and then headed for the steaming pot of coffee Hop Sing had just placed on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the look of those twisted covers, son, you had a wild night,\u201d Ben remarked as he turned back, cup in hand.<\/p>\n

Bella ducked behind the book and pressed her lips together as Joe flushed red.\u00a0 A second later he was fanning himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I still got fever,\u201d he said meekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNumber three son velly<\/em> hot last night,\u201d Hop Sing remarked deadpan.\u00a0 \u201cThrow off covers and most of clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

If looks could have killed….<\/p>\n

Joe stood up, holding the blanket around his middle and legs.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll go upstairs and change, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father eyed him over the rim of his cup, taking in his disheveled appearance.\u00a0 \u201cYou could use a haircut, Joseph.\u00a0 That hair of yours makes you look like a soaked river rat when its wet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst thing Adam comes back, I\u2019ll have him cut it, Pa,\u201d Joe said as he backed toward the staircase.\u00a0 \u201cI know how you hate it when its long.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwright\u2019s cook chimed in perfectly.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing think Missy Bella like Little Joe long.\u201d<\/p>\n

That did it.<\/p>\n

She was going <\/em>to die.<\/p>\n

Bella grabbed her cup of tea and sipped it as Ben turned toward her.\u00a0 \u201cAre you all right, Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n

She pretended to choke.\u00a0 Wagging a finger toward her throat, she finally replied.\u00a0 \u201cWent down the wrong way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she picked the book up again and pretended to read it, Joe\u2019s father took two steps toward him where he lingered halfway up the stair.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there something else you would like to tell me, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pursed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWho me?\u00a0 Tell you?\u00a0 Heck, I ain\u2019t….\u00a0 I mean, no sir<\/em>.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been sleepin\u2019, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s eyes didn\u2019t move, but she felt them on her anyhow.\u00a0 \u201cAlone<\/em>, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n

If angels walked the earth, they had to look like Joseph Francis Cartwright at that moment \u2013 a halo of golden-brown hair, wide innocent eyes, and a cherubic countenance that seemed to say its owner was incapable of sin.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust me and the fire, Pa.\u00a0 And Hop Sing, of course.\u00a0 Good old Hop Sing.\u201d\u00a0 He popped his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t that right, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing come down find Little Joe sleeping.\u00a0 Missy Bella sitting beside him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n

The look on Joe\u2019s face seemed to say he was afraid his father really did<\/em> see.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I go now, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well.\u201d\u00a0 The older man turned to their cook. \u201cHop Sing, how long until breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf an hour, Mistah Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake yourself presentable by that time, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Joe took two more steps and then turned back.\u00a0 \u201cBella, you coming up?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked up coyly.\u00a0 \u201cThis book is so fascinating, I want to finish this chapter first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u00a0 See you at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d never seen him run so fast.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s father stood staring after his son for a moment and then came to her side.\u00a0 \u201cSo, you find the book interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dear God \u2013 what if he should ask her the title?<\/p>\n

Ben made a clucking noise.\u00a0 \u201cIt must <\/em>be fascinating,\u201d he said as he reached out and took the book from her.\u00a0 Turning it over and\u00a0 around, he handed it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cOtherwise I imagine you would have a hard time reading it upside-down.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was morning and they\u2019d already been at it for hours, slogging through mud that had once held horse tracks, looking for fresh ones.\u00a0 The pounding rain of the night before had just about washed everything away.\u00a0 The temperature had dropped with the rising of the sun and a chill wind cut through their heavy winter gear as they made their way further north, drawing near the hated Paiute graveyard.\u00a0 A gelatinous fog had fallen overnight, lacing the tree branches and underbrush with a thin coating of ice which the sun had yet to burn away.\u00a0 If it hadn\u2019t been so aggravating, it would have been beautiful.<\/p>\n

Adam thought about waxing poetic, but decided he was just too damn<\/em> cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think Pa\u2019d be mad if we just let them horses go?\u201d Hoss asked, his tone hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Pa would take the value of them out of our pay for the next two years,\u201d he replied, chafing his hands together.<\/p>\n

At that moment Jim Appleby reappeared.\u00a0 He looked fresh as a day in summer.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you two?\u00a0 It ain\u2019t cold.\u00a0 It\u2019s bracing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d you grow up, Jim?\u201d Hoss snarked.\u00a0 \u201cThe arctic?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim\u2019s laugh echoed over the frozen land.\u00a0 \u201cYou two need to be home sippin\u2019 toddies.\u00a0 That younger brother of yours fair thrives on cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

That had<\/em> been true of Joe, though Adam had noticed \u2013 since the time they had nearly died together in a snow bank \u2013 his little brother seemed to have less enthusiasm for it now.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe don\u2019t need no toddy.\u00a0 He\u2019s got Bella to keep him warm,\u201d Hoss said with a wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sure is a pretty thing,\u201d Jim agreed.\u00a0 \u201cReminds me of that other girl \u2013 the one Joe was going to marry a few years back.\u00a0 Just plain sweet as sugar pie.\u201d\u00a0 The older man snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat she wants with an ornery cuss like him,\u00a0 it\u2019s hard to figure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s got his charms,\u201d Adam remarked quietly.\u00a0 While not highly schooled, his brother was quite intelligent.\u00a0 He also had a personality that wouldn\u2019t quit.\u00a0 And he was a gentleman when it came to the ladies.<\/p>\n

Of course, looking like a young Adonis didn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam.\u00a0 You hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned toward his brother.\u00a0 \u201cHear what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cThat<\/em>.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t that \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGun shots.\u201d\u00a0 Adam drew his gun.\u00a0 \u201cIt sounds like its coming from the graveyard, or near it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn that place!\u201d Hoss growled.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t we ever gonna be done with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed not.<\/p>\n

Jim had his rifle at the ready.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like a fire fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shots were being fired \u2013 and returned.\u00a0 They had grown closer at first and then moved farther away.\u00a0 The three of them went shoulder to shoulder, guns at the ready, and moved toward the sound.\u00a0 The trouble was they really had no idea what to do.\u00a0 It was hard to step into a gunfight when you had no idea which side was which.\u00a0 Sometimes all you could do was try to stop it before someone was killed.<\/p>\n

Including you.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, there\u2019s movement over there!\u201d Hoss said in a terse whisper, pointing to the right toward a clump of underbrush.<\/p>\n

He saw it.\u00a0 A flash of blue and gold cloth.<\/p>\n

Voices were raised in the distance and more shots fired.\u00a0 The man they had spotted rose up and returned fire.\u00a0 Then he jerked as if hit.\u00a0 A moment later he staggered out of the bushes, making it about five feet before he fell flat on his feet.<\/p>\n

As Hoss and Jim rushed past, Adam knelt at the man\u2019s side.\u00a0 He was a soldier.\u00a0 That\u2019s what the flash of blue and gold had meant.\u00a0 This man was a lieutenant in the United States Army.<\/p>\n

Looking at him, Adam\u2019s heart went cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, no….\u201d he moaned.<\/p>\n

The man opened his eyes.\u00a0 He reached up and caught Adam\u2019s sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cWho…?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Cartwright of the Ponderosa,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwright…was…looking for you.\u201d\u00a0 The man drew a shuddering breath.\u00a0 His lower half was bathed in blood.\u00a0 Whoever shot him had known where a bullet tearing into flesh would do the most damage. \u201cMessage for…your father.\u00a0 Tell him….\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned in.\u00a0 He held his breath, knowing before he heard the words what they would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell him…Fleet Rowse…escaped.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SIXTEEN<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright stood outside the house, pulling on his work gloves.\u00a0 Since Adam and Hoss were away and Joseph was still not up to full strength, he was headed out to do something he had not done in a long time \u2013 chop wood!\u00a0 Hop Sing insisted he could do it, but he<\/em> had insisted more firmly that the man from China had more than enough to do and he was quite capable of splitting wood \u2013 thank you!\u00a0 Of course, a bit of it was bravado, with maybe a little touch of pride.\u00a0 After all, he was heading toward sixty and he knew what kind of price his back would pay.<\/p>\n

Then again, there was always a glass of brandy to take away the pain and an comfortable chair to ease into when he was done.<\/p>\n

Joseph had argued even more strenuously that he could do the chopping and hauling.\u00a0 His youngest was right \u2013 he could<\/em> have done it.\u00a0\u00a0 He just didn\u2019t want him to.\u00a0 After the…interesting…beginning to the day, and after eating barely enough to keep a sparrow alive at breakfast, Joseph had gone out to the barn to do some simple chores.\u00a0 The boy had come in about four in the afternoon, pale and shaking.\u00a0 He\u2019d brushed the curls aside on his son\u2019s forehead and laid a hand on his skin.\u00a0 To his relief, he found no trace of fever.\u00a0 Joseph had mumbled something about how maybe he was pushing himself too hard and then gone up to lay down.<\/p>\n

It was six o\u2019clock and he still hadn\u2019t seen him.<\/p>\n

Which was why he had decided to chop the wood.<\/p>\n

The older man crossed quickly to the wood pile.\u00a0 Lifting a hefty piece, he placed it on the tree stump, careful to balance it so it would not fall.\u00a0 Then he walked over to where Joseph kept the ax and palmed the tool.\u00a0 Before starting, he raised the collar of his coat and buttoned it at the neck to stave off the chill.\u00a0 He\u2019d bundled up, but had dressed in layers knowing all too well how quickly a man could build up a sweat while chopping.<\/p>\n

Ben brought the ax down and its head sunk into the wood about two inches.\u00a0 Shifting it, he withdrew the ax and brought it down again and again, splitting his first piece.\u00a0 As he reached for another, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 That youngest boy of his!\u00a0\u00a0 What was he going to do with him?\u00a0 And with Bella, for that matter?\u00a0 It was quite<\/em> apparent what had transpired the night before in front of the fireplace.\u00a0 Joseph was a gentleman and he was sure that Bella had not been compromised.\u00a0 Still, he was just as sure that the two had taken their relationship up a step or two and it was going to take everything he had in him to keep it from reaching the top of the stair!\u00a0 He just wished he could really know the depth of their feelings.\u00a0 Joseph was twenty-four and had been in love before.\u00a0 Most likely his son knew what he was about.\u00a0 But Bella….<\/p>\n

In many ways Bella was still a child.<\/p>\n

Girls married, of course, at eighteen and even younger.\u00a0 It was just that Bella had led a fairly sheltered life.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t appear to be very worldly wise, which, of course, was part of her charm.\u00a0 She\u2019d been in love with his son since she was eleven years old.\u00a0 It was hard to know now if she was simply in love with the idea <\/em>of love, or if her feelings for Joseph were deep and true enough to sustain a lasting relationship that would \u2013 as was the course of all human relationships \u2013 be filled not only with love and joy, but with hardships and even tragedies.\u00a0 Ben brought the ax down on the second piece of wood a second time.\u00a0 In some ways, he hoped he was wrong and Joseph and Bella were right.\u00a0 She would make a darling, lovable daughter-in-law, a beautiful and caring wife for joy, and a wonderful mother for his grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Ah yes, someday<\/em> there would be grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Ben tossed the wood aside and reached for a third piece.\u00a0 It was ironic that his youngest might be the first to marry and have children.\u00a0 Though Adam said little, he knew the loss of two mothers had marked his eldest and wondered if he would ever marry.\u00a0 He was sure Hoss would, but it would take a special woman to see just how special his middle son was.<\/p>\n

The older man leaned the ax against the stump.\u00a0 He took off his hat and ran the back of his coat sleeve over his forehead.\u00a0 Glancing at the sky, which was darkening with the approach of yet another storm, he decided he would keep at it a half hour or so before he quit.\u00a0 Twilight had a grip on the land.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t be too long before it was dark.<\/p>\n

Ben took a moment to unbutton his collar and shinny out of his heavy coat.\u00a0 He laid it aside and then turned to face north, wondering how Hoss and Adam were doing.\u00a0 He\u2019d hate to lose those horses.\u00a0 Still, there were things a man simply couldn\u2019t control like a tree falling and taking out a portion of fence.\u00a0 Like two young people falling in love.<\/p>\n

Like the barrel of a gun pressed into his flesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cHands up, old man!\u201d a man growled, his voice deliberately distorted.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes went to the ax sitting on the ground beside him.\u00a0 He\u2019d left the house without a gun.\u00a0 The ax might be his only chance….<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t even think about it,\u201d the man said as he kicked the tool out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d Ben asked as he started to turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo looking, Cartwright!\u00a0 Face forward!\u201d<\/p>\n

As the tip of the weapon pressed against his ribs, Ben did as he was told.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it you want?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The man scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cFrom you?\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 I have a proposition to make your sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man\u2019s form grew rigid.\u00a0 \u201cMy sons?\u00a0 What do you want with my sons?\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s mind raced.\u00a0 Who was <\/em>this man?\u00a0 If he was altering his voice, he must know him.\u00a0 \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you pay that no nevermind.\u00a0 It don\u2019t matter who I am, just what they <\/em>owe me.\u201d\u00a0 The man jabbed his ribs with the gun barrel to emphasize his next statement.\u00a0 \u201cNow, let\u2019s me and you get goin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuits me.\u00a0 I can just pull this here trigger, or even better, tie you up and leave you outside here in the cold so you can freeze, while I go inside and sit by your warm fire and sip your brandy.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll just head upstairs.\u201d\u00a0 Again, a pause.\u00a0 When the man continued, his voice grew in menace.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where his room is.\u00a0 I remember.\u00a0 Upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

His<\/em> room?<\/p>\n

Whose….<\/p>\n

Ben drew in a sharp breath.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t<\/em> be!<\/p>\n

But it was.<\/p>\n

The name came out as a curse.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cRowse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw snorted.\u00a0 \u201cBet you didn\u2019t think you\u2019d be hearin\u2019 from me again so soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d hope to never<\/em> hear from him again.\u00a0 He hoped the man would hang.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, this is the deal, Benjamin.\u00a0 Either you go with me without makin\u2019 a fuss or a break for it, or I go into that house and find me that boy and press the barrel of this gun against his head and pull the trigger.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse paused.\u00a0 \u201cYour choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Either way, Ben knew Rowse had a plan that would end with the death of his youngest, and maybe his eldest son as well.\u00a0 Rowse meant to kidnap him.\u00a0 Take him to use him as bait \u2013 for leverage over his sons. \u00a0He would have to do something to stop it, but not now, not here.<\/em>\u00a0 He didn\u2019t fear what would happen to him, but there were three other lives at stake \u2013 Bella\u2019s, Hop Sing\u2019s, and Joseph\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gettin\u2019 tired of waitin\u2019, old man.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was it.\u00a0 He would attempt an escape, but he would wait to do it until he and Rowse were well away from the house.\u00a0 Ben had an idea of where the man was taking him.\u00a0 The former Indian captive seemed to have an almost lurid attraction to the graveyard where the Paiute buried their dead.\u00a0 Once he got away, he could take refuge in the line shack.\u00a0 The boys would check it.\u00a0 He was sure of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould I get my horse?\u201d he asked at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got one for you to ride.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t havin\u2019 you on no animal that knows you.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse spit again.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I already took yours and tied it up a ways from here, so\u2019s it would look like you left on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he nodded his acquiescence, Ben heard a loud voice coming from inside the house.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure, but he thought it was Joseph, awake at last and headed out to finish his chores.<\/p>\n

If the boy opened that door and looked this way….<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rowse heard it too. \u201cI could<\/em> just shoot him now and save myself some time,\u201d he breathed, close to his ear.\u00a0 \u201cBut that wouldn\u2019t be any fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt the outlaw\u2019s fingers lock on his arm.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse pulled him back into the shadows and began to bind his hands even as Joseph opened the door.\u00a0 The boy was looking back into the house.\u00a0 He had a piece of bread in his hand and was waving it at the same time he shouted something out in Cantonese.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just hold your horses, Hop Sing!\u201d followed in English.\u00a0 \u201cPa ain\u2019t at the table, so it ain\u2019t gonna matter if I take care of Cooch first.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of the danger, Ben smiled as his son shoved the bread into the pocket of his coat before adjusting his collar so the thick plaid fabric would stave off the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 It\u2019s be so<\/em> easy to pick him off right now,\u201d Rowse whispered in his ear.<\/p>\n

His blood ran just as cold as the night.\u00a0 Death was here in the shadows.\u00a0 At any moment, it could strike like a rattler, taking his boy\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bandana whipped around his head was pulled between his teeth, silencing him.\u00a0 As Rowse knotted it at the back, he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, old man, I ain\u2019t gonna kill you.\u00a0 I\u2019m just gonna let you see how much those boys of yours love you before I kill them.<\/em>\u00a0 And guess what, Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t want to guess.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to, really.\u00a0 He already knew what the fiend was going to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As Joe stepped out of the barn, munching on the tail end of the piece of bread he\u2019d pilfered from the kitchen, he couldn\u2019t help but laugh.\u00a0 Hop Sing was probably hopping mad and cursing him in four different dialects of Cantonese.\u00a0 Supper had been headed for the table when he left the house.\u00a0 Still, Pa always said livestock came first and he\u2019d felt he had to take care of Cochise before he could enjoy it.\u00a0 He\u2019d meant to do it before, but all of a sudden the lack of sleep from the night before had caught up to him and he\u2019d just about dropped where he stood.\u00a0 It took everything he had in him just to make it into the house and up the stairs.\u00a0 It was when his head hit his pillow that he remembered he\u2019d left his horse saddled and without any supper.<\/p>\n

Which was what he\u2019d come out to fix.<\/p>\n

Joe closed the barn door behind him and then leaned against it.\u00a0 Of course, it was more than just lack of sleep.\u00a0 Much as he liked to have pretended he was over what Fleet Rowse and his Indian \u2018friends\u2019 had done to him, he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 What he\u2019d told Bella when she found him on the settee had been a half-truth.\u00a0 He had<\/em> dreamed of her being hurt and lost in the snow, but before that there had been other dreams \u2013 nightmares of him bein\u2019 back up on that rack, of Spotted Deer drawing blood with her rawhide whip; of Shadow Walker heating those arrowheads and pressing them against his skin.\u00a0 He\u2019d awakened covered in sweat and shaking.\u00a0 That was when he went downstairs to sit before the fire.<\/p>\n

Since he\u2019d been little, sittin\u2019 or layin\u2019 on that settee when he was troubled seemed to be a cure for what ailed him.\u00a0 His earliest memory of doing it was with his mama.\u00a0 She\u2019d hear him yelling and come to his room and scoop him up in her arms.\u00a0 Then she\u2019d carry him downstairs so they could watch the fire.\u00a0 As the flames jumped and cracked, she\u2019d tighten those arms around him and draw him in close and whisper in his ear.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is nothing to fear, mon petit Joseph.\u00a0 It is only a night terror.\u00a0 Shh, my little one.\u00a0 You are safe here with me.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Yep, that old settee had seen a lot of his troubles.\u00a0 When his mama died, it was usually Adam who\u2019d come get him and carry him down the stairs and sit there with him.\u00a0 Older brother Adam who \u2013 smellin\u2019 of bay rum and hair oil instead of lavender and milk \u2013would draw him into the circle of his arms and tell him he was safe.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned as he pushed off the barn door and headed for the house.\u00a0 Poor Adam!\u00a0 Until their father sorted out his grief over losing Mama, he\u2019d had to be both Ma and<\/em> Pa to him.<\/p>\n

After Pa found his way back, well, things were different.\u00a0 Adam went to college and it was Pa who\u2019d come rescue him.\u00a0 Sometimes they\u2019d go down to the settee, but more often Pa would sit on the side of his bed and talk to him.\u00a0 Pa would place a hand on his arm, or maybe run it over his hair, and tell him in that deep commanding voice that he was safe.<\/p>\n

And he knew he was<\/em> safe.<\/p>\n

Joe was almost to the door.\u00a0 As his foot hit the porch, he paused and looked to the right.\u00a0 There was a small pile of wood by the stump.\u00a0 He\u2019d kind of expected to see Pa still at it when he came out of the house earlier.\u00a0 When he didn\u2019t, he figured he was in the barn.\u00a0 When got to the barn, there was another puzzle.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t there and neither was Buck.\u00a0 Joe scratched his head, wondering where his father had gone and why.\u00a0 Then he shrugged.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d probably told Hop Sing what he was doing. \u00a0\u00a0Most likely he\u2019d find out when he got inside.<\/p>\n

When he got inside where Bella was.<\/p>\n

The curly-haired young man anchored a hip on the porch table and stared out at the yard, thinking about the pretty girl waiting for him inside.\u00a0 He\u2019d found a different<\/em> kind of love on that old settee the night before \u2013 a deep hungry love that was only satisfied when Bella was in his arms.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think they\u2019d fooled Pa by much.\u00a0 The older man might have thought they\u2019d been sittin\u2019 there holdin\u2019 hands and kissing and not doing much more, but he knew they were doin\u2019 something.\u00a0 He could still feel her little body under him, feel her hands inside his night shirt; her soft lips pressed against his.\u00a0 He\u2019d wanted to possess her, to call her his own \u2013 to have <\/em>her.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019d never do that to her.\u00a0 Not until they were married.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what he was gonna do tonight.\u00a0 After supper, after all the chores were done, after Pa and Hop Sing were\u00a0 in bed, he was gonna ask her to marry him .<\/p>\n

Maybe he\u2019d even take her out to that piece of land Pa had given him, the one with the house he and his brothers had fixed up for Laura.\u00a0 The cabin was still there.\u00a0 It had fallen back into disrepair, but it wouldn\u2019t take much to fix it up.\u00a0 He\u2019d put so much of himself into that place \u2013 so much love, so many hopes and dreams \u2013 it seemed a shame to let it all disappear.\u00a0 Laura had wanted him to love again.<\/p>\n

Maybe she\u2019d was lookin\u2019 down and smilin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Joe rose and headed for the front door.\u00a0 As he reached for the latch, the door opened to reveal one very irate Chinese cook.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood cold if you not come in!\u00a0 Missy Bella waiting for you.\u00a0 Not eat \u2018til number three son come.\u00a0 You come in now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Hop Sing…I had that piece of bread.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cNot sure I can stuff anything more in there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty more for Mister Ben when he come in then!\u201d the Chinese man huffed as he turned back into the house.<\/p>\n

Joe caught his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean when<\/em> Pa gets back, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet back from where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured Pa told you where he was going.\u201d\u00a0 Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHe did, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cLast Hop Sing know, Mistah Ben chop wood since boy sick and should not do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d argued with Pa about that.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he\u2019d been surprised when he didn\u2019t find the older man at the stump splitting wood.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s not chopping wood and Buck\u2019s not in his stall.\u201d\u00a0 Joe paused, truly confused.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure<\/em> Pa didn\u2019t tell you where he was going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Mistah Ben ride out to check on Mistahs Adam and Hoss,\u201d the other man suggested.<\/p>\n

Joe ran a hand along the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cWithout tellin\u2019 anyone?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think Pa would…\u201d\u00a0 His voice trailed off at the sound of hooves striking earth.\u00a0 Relief flooded through him.\u00a0 \u201cThere he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen.\u00a0 Not one.\u00a0 Two<\/em> horses,\u201d Hop Sing said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Bella asked as she appeared in the doorway.<\/p>\n

He drew a breath at the sight of her and let it out slowly, fighting down the passion the sight of her aroused.\u00a0 \u201cIts seems,\u201d he swallowed. \u201cit seems Pa went out for a joy ride without tellin\u2019 anyone.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s him comin\u2019 right \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Only it wasn\u2019t Pa.\u00a0 It was Adam and Hoss and they looked like they\u2019d been ridin\u2019 hell-bent for leather for hours.<\/p>\n

Adam fairly leapt from his saddle.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Pa?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Joe glanced at Hop Sing and then turned back.\u00a0 \u201cI thought he was chopping wood.\u201d\u00a0 At Adam\u2019s look. He added, \u201cIt\u2019s a long story.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you later.\u00a0 Anyhow, I came out to take care of Cochise and found Buck and Pa gone. \u00a0I thought maybe he\u2019d ridden out your way?\u201d\u00a0 Joe laughed nervously.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Pa, he probably figured you needed help wiping your noses.\u201d<\/p>\n

His older brother shot his middle brother a look.\u00a0 It was grim.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That single word drove all the mischief out of him.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at Bella where she lingered near the door and then his eyes returned to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way to soften this, Joe.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse has escaped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe went pale.\u00a0 He felt sick.\u00a0 \u201cEscaped?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure enough, little brother,\u201d Hoss said as he joined them.\u00a0 \u201cSomehow that scoundrel broke free and got hold of one of the soldiers\u2019 guns.\u00a0 There was a firefight….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral of the soldiers are dead.\u00a0 The others are out canvassing the area to find him.\u201d\u00a0 Adam held his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cYou know<\/em> who he\u2019s coming after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Joe could say anything, a large hand came down on older brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you know, Adam, who Rowse\u2019ll be after, after that,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Adam dismissed their brother\u2019s concern with a gesture of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cThat fiend didn\u2019t take me <\/em>and tie me up to a rack and torture me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s jaw set against the memory of the pain and humiliation he\u2019d suffered at Rowse\u2019s hands.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo, he didn\u2019t torture you.\u00a0 He tortured me <\/em>to bait you<\/em> into comin\u2019 after him.\u00a0 Adam, he hates both of us.\u00a0 He thinks we beat him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His older brother pursed his lips.\u00a0 Then he smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they all shared a wary grin, Bella came to his side.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t stop her from slipping her arm around his waist.\u00a0 If he was gonna marry her, his brothers were gonna have to know!\u00a0 He caught her fingers and squeezed them, and then circled her with his arm.\u00a0 She was shaking.<\/p>\n

But then, so was he.<\/p>\n

Looking at each of his brothers in turn, he asked, \u201cYou don\u2019t think that Pa…\u00a0 Well, I mean, he wouldn\u2019t have gone after Rowse on his own.\u00a0 Would he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa has more sense that that,\u201d Adam responded, and then added, deadpan.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, he knew you<\/em> were safe at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I\u2019m not a kid!\u201d<\/p>\n

That black-haired head shook.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYes, you are, Joe.\u00a0 You always will be.\u00a0 At least until you have a kid of your own.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Adam shot Bella a look, then his eyes came back to him.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe then<\/em> Hoss and I will consider you grown up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella giggled.\u00a0 He drew her in even closer.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing had been listening to them talk.\u00a0 The Chinese man had said nothing more, but Joe could tell he was bustin\u2019 to say something.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think, Hop Sing?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cStill wonder where Mistah Ben is.\u00a0 Not like father to ride away without telling Hop Sing where he go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, since he is the patriarch of the clan, I guess Pa can head out if he wants without reporting to one of us,\u201d Adam sighed.<\/p>\n

Joe wasn\u2019t convinced.\u00a0 \u201cHe can, but he never does<\/em>, Adam.\u00a0 You know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was wrinkling his nose and sniffing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou catch cold, brother?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

The big man sniffed again.\u00a0 \u201cSay, Hop Sing, is that roast pork I\u2019m smellin\u2019?\u00a0 And maybe sweet po \u2013ta-toes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing serve supper half hour ago.\u00a0 No one eat.\u00a0 Should throw away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t gonna throw no roast pig away, Hop Sing!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss was horrified.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here now and I don\u2019t care if that pork\u2019s colder than snow.\u00a0 You just let me at it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is right,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cPa knows what he\u2019s doing.\u00a0 We should go in and eat.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be back soon or he\u2019ll send word when he can, one or the other.\u201d\u00a0 His older brother shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not like Pa can\u2019t look out for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stared down the path that led from the yard.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019re right.\u00a0 It\u2019s just….\u00a0 Well, I….\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hand came down on his shoulder.\u00a0 When he looked up into his brother\u2019s hazel eyes, Joe saw it.<\/p>\n

He was remembering those nights on the settee too.<\/p>\n

A second later Adam used his hands as a wedge and drove them between him and Bella.\u00a0 As he was about to protest, his big brother circled them both with an arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, you two lovebirds,\u201d he said as he aimed them for the door, \u201cyou\u2019ve got to eat something.\u00a0 You can\u2019t live on love alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s ears went red as Bella coughed.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know why not.<\/p>\n

It was every bit as good as roast pork.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Supper was over and it was going on eight o\u2019clock.\u00a0 Pa still hadn\u2019t showed.\u00a0 They were all sitting in the great room except for Hop Sing who was in the kitchen.\u00a0 He\u2019d apparently decided that tanning the hind ends of his pots and pans would ease his mind, \u2018cause he was makin\u2019 quite a ruckus.\u00a0 Bella was playing checkers with Hoss and beatin\u2019 the pants off of middle brother.\u00a0 Adam was reading a book.<\/p>\n

And he, well, he was pacing.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Adam called without looking up from his book, \u201cPa\u2019s a big boy now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could tell it amused his big brother no end that the boot was, so to speak, on the other foot.\u00a0 It was usually his pa pacing a rut into the floor, worrying about him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t shake the feelin\u2019 something\u2019s wrong, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, the famous Cartwright intuition,\u201d his brother said as he placed the book on the table by his chair.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s odd that yours<\/em> is the only one working right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both turned toward Hoss.\u00a0 He\u2019d finished his game with Bella and was looking right at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t only Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got that feelin\u2019 <\/em>about Pa too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their elder brother scowled.\u00a0 \u201cCome now.\u00a0 How many times has Pa gotten himself into some kind of trouble that he couldn\u2019t get himself out of?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was that time he got shanghaied in San Francisco,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the time Sam Bryant kidnapped him,\u201d Joe chimed in.<\/p>\n

His middle brother nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then there was that day that poacher shot him and we all thought he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was warming up to the subject now.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the time not all that long back when Pa got held hostage in that mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam threw his hands into the air.\u00a0 \u201cAll right! All right!\u00a0 I surrender!\u00a0 Good grief!<\/em>\u00a0 It would be nice if your memories were that clear when it came to doing your chores.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are we gonna do?\u201d the big man asked as he rose to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Adam.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

They were both looking to Adam.\u00a0 It probably wasn\u2019t fair.\u00a0 Just because he was older, they expected him to have all the answers.\u00a0 That had to get old.<\/p>\n

Big brother glanced out the window.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s dark now.\u00a0 There\u2019s not much we can do until morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t the answer he wanted.\u00a0 \u201cIf Pa is in trouble, that\u2019s a whole lot of hours for him to be out there on his own.\u00a0 I say we go after him now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe saw Hoss glance at Bella.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t said anything, like she felt it wasn\u2019t right to enter their family discussion.<\/p>\n

Family.<\/p>\n

Soon she\u2019d <\/em>be family too.<\/p>\n

That was, if he ever got to ask her if she wanted to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know,\u201d Hoss said as he came to stand beside him, \u201cwith Adam and me ridin\u2019 in and supper bein\u2019 ready, we never took a look around the yard and all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s horse is gone,\u201d Joe countered.\u00a0 \u201cHe had to have ridden off.\u201d<\/p>\n

His giant of a brother scratched his head.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe Buck broke lose and Pa went lookin\u2019 for him…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd something happened?\u201d\u00a0 Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get moving.\u201d\u00a0 The minute older brother made up his mind, he was on the move.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, gets some lanterns and then you take a look at the barn and outbuildings.\u00a0 I\u2019ll check the surrounding yard and then we\u2019ll fan out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 What about me?\u201d Joe demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam shot him a look.\u00a0 Then his eyes rolled over to Bella.\u00a0 \u201cWe need you to hold the fort, Joe.\u00a0 In case Pa comes back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe glanced at her.\u00a0 What was Adam…?\u00a0\u00a0 Then he realized.<\/p>\n

She was scared.<\/p>\n

Looking at her, standing there with her arms wrapped around her chest; her big blue eyes fixed on him and asking him to make it better, it hit him hard.\u00a0 Suddenly, he knew what Pa meant when he told him to take it slow.\u00a0 Bella was his responsibility now and when he married her, she\u2019d be his responsibility forever.<\/em>\u00a0 Her welfare would have to come before<\/em> that of his brothers and his pa.\u00a0 And women weren\u2019t like men.<\/p>\n

They needed a whole lot more upkeep.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook himself.\u00a0 \u201cSure thing, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ll hold the fort, like you said.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother reached out and gently slapped his face.\u00a0 Adam mouthed \u2018thanks\u2019 to him and then headed for the peg rack where their coats and hats hung.\u00a0 Once they were both bundled up, his brothers headed out the door.<\/p>\n

Joe turned back to Bella.\u00a0 For a moment neither of them said anything, then they both spoke at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, I\u2019m sorry….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I\u2019m sorry….\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed.\u00a0 She already sounded like a Cartwright.<\/p>\n

Crossing over to where she stood by the hearth, he took her hand in his. \u201cWhat are you apologizing for?\u00a0 You haven\u2019t got anything to be sorry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

A single tear slid down her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cIf not for me, you\u2019d be out looking for your father.\u00a0 I know<\/em> you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I want to,\u201d he said, reaching up and chasing the tear away.\u00a0 \u201cBut I want to be here with you even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mean that?\u201d she sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not a burden?\u201d<\/p>\n

He kissed her on the lips and then he drew her into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou couldn\u2019t ever be a burden, Bella.\u00a0 I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was softly sobbing into his shirt.\u00a0 He could feel the warmth of her tears on his skin.\u00a0 \u201cI love you too, Joe.\u00a0 So<\/em> much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d he said, suddenly realizing something, \u201cwhat happened to the \u2018little\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked up at him, puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle <\/em>Joe, remember?\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re callin\u2019 me just \u2018Joe\u2019 now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He felt her arms circle his waist.\u00a0\u00a0 She smiled a little teasing smile and then nestled against him.\u00a0 Her hand touched his inner thigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing little <\/em>about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t help it.\u00a0 He felt his body responding.\u00a0 In a panic to escape before he embarrassed himself again, Joe looked around for some avenue of escape.\u00a0 He found it in the dying fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you look at that?\u00a0 The fire\u2019s about out.\u00a0 Pa never did bring in that wood.\u201d\u00a0 He kissed her quick on the forehead as he pulled away and headed for the door.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a minute,\u201d he shouted over his shoulder as he stepped outside.\u00a0 \u201cYou just hold that thought!\u201d<\/p>\n

Outside the night air was cold and crisp.\u00a0 Above him the sky was a black piece of cloth punctured with white stars.\u00a0 Their light rained down and lit the yard enough that he could see.\u00a0 As he stepped off the porch and moved toward the wood pile, he breathed in deeply.\u00a0 After a minute or two, the combination of the cold night and the fresh air had the desired effect and he was able to think about something other than Bella and her tiny waist and soft little breasts.\u00a0 He was able to remember that the woman he loved was probably just as cold as he was with no fire.\u00a0 Joe shook himself and turned to pick up some of the wood his father had split earlier.\u00a0 As he did, he froze.<\/p>\n

There was a piece of paper on the stump, driven part way into it by the ax head.\u00a0 He could just make out some scratchy writing on the paper.<\/p>\n

With trembling hands Joe took hold of the ax and pulled it out.\u00a0 The paper came with it and fluttered to the ground in two pieces before he could catch it.\u00a0 Bending over, Joe picked them up and walked to the porch where the brightness spilling through his father\u2019s office window provided enough light to read them.<\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright. <\/em><\/p>\n

I bet you\u2019ve been lookin\u2019 for your Pa.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t gonna find him less I want you to, so you\u2019d best do as I say.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell no one else about this.\u00a0 You do and your pa is dead.\u00a0 You and that high and mighty older brother of yours\u00a0 need to find some excuse to leave the house.\u00a0 Follow the trail I\u2019m leavin\u2019.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find your pa at the end of it.\u00a0 If you want to find him alive, you\u2019d\u00a0 best do it by sundown tomorrow.\u00a0 Come with no guns or bullets, or a bullet is what he\u2019s gonna get. <\/em><\/p>\n

You know I say what I mean.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rowse<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe stared at the paper, horrified.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew <\/em>something was wrong.\u00a0 He just knew it!\u00a0 But not this.\u00a0 Not…Fleet Rowse kidnapping his father!<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

The curly-haired man looked up to find his middle brother approaching.\u00a0 Hoss was carrying a lantern and its light cast stripes of shadow and light on the hard frozen earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you got there?\u201d Hoss asked as he neared the porch.<\/p>\n

He folded the note and placed it in his pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou done checking the buildings?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

His brother nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t no sign of Pa.\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam ought to be back anytime.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019ll have better luck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe hesitated. \u201cWell, I better get this wood in.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s probably turned into an icicle by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother watched as he loaded an armful of wood and then said, \u201cYou never told me what was in that there letter you was holdin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s from Bella.\u00a0 You know girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was eying him suspiciously.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 What do you think?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know my own girl\u2019s handwriting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not as well as I know my youngest brother.\u00a0 You willin\u2019 to swear to me that note ain\u2019t got anythin\u2019 to do with Pa disappearin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cI promise you it ain\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so, the lying began.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

SEVENTEEN<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been right.<\/p>\n

For whatever reason, Fleet Rowse had a strange obsession with the Paiute graveyard and once again that was where Ben found himself.\u00a0 It was here Rowse had told him to leave the ransom money five years before when he took Joseph.\u00a0 And here just recently where the villain had tied his youngest to a rack and tortured him.\u00a0 He had no illusions about what the man who held him was capable of, or what the outlaw\u2019s intentions were now.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse had taken him in order to force Joe\u2019s hand \u2013 to draw his youngest into some sort of a showdown.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen Rowse leave the note on the stump.\u00a0 The outlaw had told him what it said.\u00a0 First and foremost, the villain hated Joseph.\u00a0 Adam came in a close second.\u00a0 He, he imagined, was third in line since he\u2019d been with the posse Roy had raised the day they had taken him down.<\/p>\n

Hoss, it seemed, was the only one who might be safe from the villain\u2019s need for revenge.<\/p>\n

The note instructed Adam and Joseph to come to the graveyard alone in order to secure his freedom.\u00a0 His boys knew as well as he did that this was a trap.\u00a0 Rowse would take and kill them, and then kill him.\u00a0 At least, he hoped he meant to kill him.<\/p>\n

If he had to witness the death of two of his sons, he wasn\u2019t sure he would have the ability…or the faith…to go on.<\/p>\n

Ben shifted to ease the pain in his back.\u00a0 Rowse had tied him to one of the two crossed poles that had been driven into the ground at the far eastern\u00a0 edge of the graveyard to give warning no one should venture farther.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried to rock it without success.\u00a0 He\u2019d attempted to loosen the ropes that bound his hands as well, but to no avail.\u00a0 Rowse\u2019s gag was still in his mouth.\u00a0 His hat was missing as was his coat.\u00a0 Sitting there, exposed to the dropping temperatures and pelted by the sporadic showers of sleet, he was quickly growing miserable.\u00a0 The fifty-plus years he\u2019d walked the earth had made him less able to withstand the elements.\u00a0 Still, he was determined to find a way to escape.\u00a0 He had too.<\/p>\n

He had to do it for his boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnjoyin\u2019 the view, Cartwright?\u201d Rowse asked.\u00a0 The man was sitting close to the fire.<\/p>\n

Of course, he couldn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

The outlaw looked up.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t too long \u2018til nightfall.\u00a0 Them boys of yours should be arrivin\u2019 any time.\u201d<\/p>\n

God willing, they hadn\u2019t even found the note.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse rose to his feet and came over to stand beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou got yourself a right good seat there.\u00a0 Front row, so you can see everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s jaw was tight.\u00a0 Even though he couldn\u2019t speak, he expressed his repulsion and rage with his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hate me, don\u2019t you?\u00a0 Well, that\u2019s all right. I like bein\u2019 hated.\u201d\u00a0 The villain sneered as he leaned down and undid the knot.\u00a0 The bandana that had silenced him fell to his shoulders and then to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou Cartwrights ain\u2019t like that \u2013 are you?\u00a0 You want people to think right well of you, to think you\u2019re good <\/em>men.\u00a0 Shows what they know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sons are<\/em> good men,\u201d Ben shot back.\u00a0 His throat was raw and his voice rough.\u00a0 \u201cBut then you wouldn\u2019t know if a thing was good or decent, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse stared at him for a moment.\u00a0 Then he snorted. \u201cI see where that young one of yours gets his mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was not about to discuss Joseph with a man who wanted him dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know this will never work,\u201d he said instead.\u00a0 \u201cMy sons will find a way to free me without surrendering to your plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill they now?\u201d\u00a0 Rowse sat on a rock close by him.\u00a0 \u201cYou and me, we\u2019ve known each other, what?\u00a0 Five years now?\u00a0 That youngest boy of yours, he\u2019s a pistol.\u00a0 Loudmouthed and just buckin\u2019 to be taken down.\u00a0 The way I figure it, there\u2019s only one thing on the earth that would make him docile like a lamb led to the slaughter and that\u2019s the fact that I got you. \u201cThought about takin\u2019 that little gal of his too, but I decided she\u2019d be too much trouble.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The villain spit.\u00a0 \u201cWomen.\u00a0 They\u2019re fit for only one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Odious.\u00a0 That was the only word he could think of.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse was an odious<\/em> man.<\/p>\n

Thank God his misogyny had kept Bella out of this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen there\u2019s that oldest son of yours.\u00a0 He\u2019s a lot like you too, only in a cold calculatin\u2019 kind of way.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t forgiven him for makin\u2019 me shed myself of that meal ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u2018meal ticket\u2019 being Joseph.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have money, Rowse.\u00a0 I will give you all I have, and my promise not to hunt you down.\u00a0 You can \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re forgettin\u2019, old man.\u00a0 I got me more money than I know what to do with.\u00a0 This ain\u2019t about money.\u00a0 It\u2019s about….\u201d\u00a0 The villain\u2019s smile was mocking.\u00a0 \u201cJustice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse lived in a world turned upside-down from his own, one in which he <\/em>was God, as well as judge, jury, and executioner.\u00a0 A world of malevolence and hatred.\u00a0 A world in which the only people who had a right to live were the ones who pleased him, and if they angered him, then they were his to dispose of.<\/p>\n

Just as he meant to dispose of Adam and Joe.<\/p>\n

Rowse rose slowly and crossed back to the fire.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna grab me some grub and bring you a plate too.\u00a0 I\u2019d advise you eat it.\u201d\u00a0 The outlaw snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLast meal and all, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

After that, he knew the gag would go back in.\u00a0 Rowse couldn\u2019t afford to let him shout a warning to his sons.\u00a0 Unless he could break free, Joseph and Adam would have to face this monster on their own.<\/p>\n

Like Goliath, he could only pray that his Davids slew him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam glanced at his younger brother.\u00a0 Joe rode at his side, silent and grim-faced.\u00a0 They were flying like the wind and it was all Sport could do to keep up with Cochise.\u00a0 His mount had given him several frantic pleading looks, but he\u2019d urged the horse on.<\/p>\n

Desperation<\/em> was a word he understood all too well at that moment.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d ridden back into the yard just in time to see the front door close behind whoever had stepped in.\u00a0 He was grateful they hadn\u2019t been there to greet him as he had Buck in tow.\u00a0 They would know what that meant.\u00a0 This way, he\u2019d reasoned, he\u2019d be able to ease the pain the revelation would bring.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d obviously had been kidnapped and he was fairly certain he knew who had done the deed.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d stabled both horses first and then walked to the house.\u00a0 To his surprise, Joe met him on the porch.\u00a0 The second his hazel eyes caught the look out of his brother\u2019s green ones, he knew something was horribly wrong.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t say a word, but held out two slips of paper.\u00a0 He\u2019d taken them with a puzzled look and quickly perused the writing on them by the light that fell out of the open door.\u00a0 He felt the color drain out of him until his face resembled that of his younger brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it shortly after you left,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you told anyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are we going to do, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

What could they do, except capitulate?<\/p>\n

And so here they were, after having told a mountain of lies to Bella and Hoss in order to escape, riding from hell to breakfast toward the far side of the Paiute graveyard where their father was being held, desperate to make it before sundown.\u00a0 The clues Rowse had left \u2013 Pa\u2019s kerchief pinned by a knife to the north side of a tall pine, a pair of Indian feathers tucked in the crevice of a tombstone-shaped rock, pointing east \u2013 had told them where they would find him.\u00a0 They\u2019d both suspected it would be there.\u00a0 There must have been something in Rowse\u2019s past that tied him to that place.\u00a0 An outlaw seldom returned to the scene of his former crimes.\u00a0 Of course, Fleet might have figured on that.\u00a0 The law would think he would steer clear of it and so, that was why he was there.<\/p>\n

The law.<\/p>\n

They had not gone to Roy and Adam knew the older man would be mad as spit on a griddle that they hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 Roy Coffee was a very old and very dear friend of their father.\u00a0 It was because of that, that they had agreed not to alert him.\u00a0 Roy was too close to the situation to think it through clearly and would be on their tales the minute he knew.\u00a0 He might even outpace them.\u00a0 Instead, they had sent a note via one of their hands to Nathan Eastwind.\u00a0 He and Hoss had found out from the soldiers the day before that Eastwind had been dispatched to track down Rowse, to bring him back into custody, and then escort him to the fort\u2019s prison.\u00a0 The army men had been deployed to search the hills for the outlaw, thinking he would head to whatever hideout he had used there after the stage robbery.\u00a0 Once the note reached Nathan, it would take him half a day to make his way to this area \u2013 far enough behind them that it would seem they had not violated Rowse\u2019s terms, and hopefully in time to help.<\/p>\n

They were riding as fast as they could and had passed the line shack an hour or so before.\u00a0 Uncharacteristically, Joe had remained silent for most of the ride.\u00a0 He was taking it hard.\u00a0 Joe knew that he, most of all, was the one Rowse wanted.\u00a0 Because of that, he was taking all the responsibility for their father\u2019s capture on his shoulders.\u00a0 It was strange, this reversal of things.\u00a0 Usually he was riding beside Pa, setting out to locate his lost and injured youngest brother.\u00a0 It had happened so many times that it was like an oft-rehearsed play where everyone knew their lines and what was expected of them.<\/p>\n

This time he didn\u2019t know what was expected of him.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s young, Pa.\u00a0 Even if he\u2019s injured, he\u2019ll make it, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

You know little brother, he\u2019ll find a way to free himself and get away.\u00a0 He\u2019s strong.\u00a0 He can make it through. <\/em><\/p>\n

He can survive the inclement weather.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

This was a man in his late fifties they were talking about and, while Pa was no slouch, he just wasn\u2019t going to be able to take what either of them could.\u00a0 The weather was worsening.\u00a0 Sleet was falling and it was abysmally cold.\u00a0 They had to find Pa and find him fast.<\/p>\n

Which meant they had to face Rowse.<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at Joe again.\u00a0 His brother wasn\u2019t happy with the plan he had come up with, but in the end, he had given in.<\/p>\n

He was going to walk into the camp and offer himself in exchange for their father.<\/p>\n

Joe would hang back while he negotiated with the outlaw and wait until Pa was free.\u00a0 Their horses were worn out, but Joe would tell Pa to mount Scout and head out in search of Nathan and his regiment.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried to get his brother to promise to go with Pa, but Joe had flatly refused.\u00a0 He said he would see Pa off and then come back and, together, the two of them would find someway to defeat Rowse.<\/p>\n

There were two variables to this plan, of course.\u00a0 Rowse and<\/em> their father.<\/p>\n

Plan A was to send Pa after Nathan.\u00a0 Plan B was unthinkable.\u00a0 He and Joe had agreed that, if he had to, Joe would overpower Pa and tie him up and leave him somewhere safe until it was all over.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips pursed.<\/p>\n

Maybe he should have let Joe go in to negotiate with Rowse.\u00a0 After all, there was no guarantee the one hundred and forty pound kid could <\/em>overpower their father.\u00a0 But then, what Joe lacked in stature and weight, he more than made up for in grit and willpower.<\/p>\n

The other variable, of course, was Rowse himself.\u00a0 He was banking on the fact that the man liked to play games.\u00a0 The dangers were twofold.\u00a0 The outlaw might be able to overcome him, thus making both him and his father hostages against Joe, or \u2013 and from past experience he did not expect this \u2013 just shoot him.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips pursed.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t like either <\/em>choice.\u00a0 Not one<\/em> bit.<\/p>\n

Still, there was little else they could do.\u00a0 Any idea of attacking the camp had faded in the reality of the vision of Rowse\u2019s first bullet going into their father\u2019s head.\u00a0 Bringing in the law would have done the same thing.\u00a0 As would taking their own guns in when they went to meet him.<\/p>\n

No, this was as good as it got.<\/p>\n

And it was time.<\/p>\n

Joe had reined in Cochise.\u00a0 He pulled Scout to a halt beside him as his brother raised up in his stirrups and pointed.\u00a0 Adam saw the thin trail of smoke too, rising in a spiral toward the sky.\u00a0 Rowse was a confident bastard.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t even trying<\/em> to hide.\u00a0 He knew them too well.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew they would come and it would be on time.<\/p>\n

He knew they would do nothing to risk losing their pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to go in closer?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

The man in black nodded and then dismounted. \u201cLet\u2019s tie the horses here and go the rest of the way on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

His little brother slipped from his own saddle, not as lithely as he should have.\u00a0 He had to remember that Joe was still hurting, not only from the physical torture he had suffered at the hands of Rowse\u2019s Indian cohorts, but from what they had done to him psychologically.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you okay, buddy?\u201d he asked, falling back into the name he had called his youngest brother as a child.<\/p>\n

Joe started and then smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI bet you wish as much as I do that we were sittin\u2019 on that settee after one of my nightmares instead of bein\u2019 out here, in reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was a man.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t really expected him to admit anything, though, in a way, he had.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be great if a warm glass of milk and a blazing fire would make this all go away,\u201d he replied with a wry smile.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, grateful to him for not \u2018going there\u2019.\u00a0 Then his brother inclined his head toward the smoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get on with the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella paced the floor in front of the hearth.\u00a0 There was something not quite \u2018right\u2019, but she couldn\u2019t put a finger to it.\u00a0 She\u2019d known Joe for more than seven years now and she knew he\u2019d been lying when he said he and Adam were riding to town to alert Sheriff Coffee to the fact that their father was missing. When she\u2019d asked why it took the two<\/em> of them, Joe had glanced at his brother and then replied that it wasn\u2019t safe for either of them to travel alone.\u00a0 His answer to her when she questioned him as to why Hoss was not going with Adam was that he could travel lighter and faster.\u00a0 Worst of all, when she demanded to know if there was any danger, Joe had laughed and kissed her and told her not to be a nervous Nellie.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t answered any of her questions.<\/p>\n

Not really.<\/p>\n

She was alone now in the great room.\u00a0 Hoss had stepped outside to see if anyone was coming.\u00a0 He\u2019d done it every hour on the hour since Joe and Adam had left, and that was three times now.\u00a0 Each time the big man opened the door, a blast of cold air blew in.\u00a0 She hated to think of Joe out in it.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t well.\u00a0 He was good at hiding it from everyone else, but not from her.\u00a0 What that horrid man let those Indians do to him had hurt him badly.\u00a0 When her hands had run along his chest, she\u2019d felt the scars from the burns.\u00a0 Hop Sing\u2019s medicines had softened them and Joe said in time they would disappear.\u00a0 But they were there now.<\/p>\n

The memory of his torture was burned into his flesh.<\/p>\n

She had a feeling there were other scars \u2013 ones Hop Sing couldn\u2019t tend \u2013 that would be with the man she loved for a long time.<\/p>\n

Bella turned as she heard the door open and Hoss stepped in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything?\u201d she asked, already knowing what the answer would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u00a0 Nary a sight or sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to go after them!\u201d she insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou know as well as I do that they were both lying.\u00a0 They knew something.\u201d\u00a0 Her jaw grew tight.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I think you know it too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest, Miss Bella, I don\u2019t know nothin\u2019.\u00a0 I….\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes were rimmed with tears.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re in danger. Aren\u2019t they?\u00a0 Hoss, what is it?\u00a0 Who….\u201d\u00a0 Bella paled.\u00a0 She remembered Joe and Adam\u2019s grim faces as they rode away, looking for all the world like they were riding out to face Hell itself.\u00a0 Suddenly, it made sense.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Fleet Rowse, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 He\u2019s escaped and taken your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man looked surprised, and then stricken.\u00a0 \u201cDamn them two!\u201d he exclaimed, and then apologized.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to go after them!\u201d she exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get Hop Sing and go to town and get Roy….\u201d\u00a0 She stopped at his look.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going?\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you go after them?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man\u2019s crisp blue eyes fastened on hers.\u00a0 The look out of them was apologetic but firm.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe made me promise him I\u2019d take care of you.\u00a0 I can\u2019t do that if I\u2019m gallavantin\u2019 all over the country tryin\u2019 to track the pair of them down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go with you then!\u00a0 That way you can look…after…me….\u201d\u00a0 Her voice dropped off.\u00a0 Hoss was shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cJoe made you promise you wouldn\u2019t let me follow him too, didn\u2019t he?\u201d she asked with a sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frustration threatened to make her do something stupid \u2013 like throw a hissy fit and fall to the ground kicking and screaming like a petulant child.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate being a woman!\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 smile was rueful but heartfelt. \u201cI think little brother\u2019s right glad you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella paused before saying, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked surprised.\u00a0 \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor accepting Joe and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAccepting you for what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know…the two of us…together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss came to her side.\u00a0 He was so<\/em> tall \u2013 more than a foot taller than her.\u00a0 She understood when he circled her in his arm what Joe felt.\u00a0 His gentle giant of a brother was a tower of strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Bella, I remember you from when you weren\u2019t no bigger than knee-high to a grasshopper,\u201d he began.\u00a0 \u201cI think that first time I saw you sittin\u2019 at little brother\u2019s side when he was ailin\u2019, that I knew there was something special there.\u00a0 You was cute as a bug in a rug back then, all pigtails and piss.\u00a0 Made me think of that kid Joe might have been if he\u2019d been a girl.\u00a0 Heck, I think you\u2019ve done been in trouble as many times as little brother since I met you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was that a compliment, or….?<\/p>\n

Hoss gave her a little squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cLittle brother knows it too.\u00a0 He knew you\u2019d go flyin\u2019 out of this place like a house on fire the minute you knew what he was walkin\u2019 into.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he asked me to keep watch over you.\u201d\u00a0 He looked down at her.\u00a0 \u201cI made him a promise that you\u2019d stay here, Bella, and its one I mean to keep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is Joe \u2018walking into\u2019?\u201d she asked, her voice hushed with fear.<\/p>\n

The big man shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t rightly know.\u00a0 Them two brothers of mine has got lips that lock tighter than any six tumbler safe.\u00a0 I think they know where Pa is and they\u2019re goin\u2019 to get him.\u201d\u00a0 He paused, obviously pained that he had been left behind.\u00a0 \u201cIf you ask me, I agree with what your thinkin\u2019.\u00a0 It\u2019s Rowse what took him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, no….\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss took her hand in his.\u00a0 \u201cYou know why I was willin\u2019 to make that promise to Little Joe, Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got faith in those two brothers of mine.\u00a0 You<\/em> gotta have faith too, \u2018specially in Joe.\u00a0 I know what it\u2019s like, lovin\u2019 that little cuss, and it ain\u2019t easy.\u00a0 He surefire finds his way into trouble faster than Moody\u2019s goose.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s got a good head on his shoulders.\u00a0 He just don\u2019t use it much.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t what moves him first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis heart.\u00a0 More often than not Joe\u2019s heart gets in the way of his head and he don\u2019t think, he just does<\/em>, and then he gets hurt.\u201d\u00a0 The big man sighed.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLovin\u2019 him ain\u2019t easy.\u00a0 It takes a toll on a person.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss paused.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta take that into account if you mean to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n

She paled a bit.\u00a0 \u201cYou know then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s plain as the nose on your face how you two feel about each other,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose it is.\u00a0 Are you….\u201d\u00a0 She looked up at him, \u201cAre you <\/em>happy about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Bella, I sure as shootin\u2019 would love havin\u2019 you for a sister-in-law and truth to tell, you two would make the cutest babies.\u201d\u00a0 At her blushes, he grew serious.\u00a0 \u201cBut you gotta understand that livin\u2019 with Little Joe ain\u2019t gonna be easy and,\u201d he hesitated, \u201cthere\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re gonna go through more than your fair share of pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.\u00a0 Tonight had shown her that more than any other thing she had been through.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you often get…left behind to worry?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes.\u00a0 Don\u2019t matter if I\u2019m here or on the trail, I\u2019m still worryin\u2019.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t no other way with that boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe being married would….\u201d\u00a0 She stopped.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 Change Joe?\u00a0 Did she want him to change?\u00a0 If she did, then did that mean she didn\u2019t love him for who he was?<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019<\/em> is gonna change that boy,\u201d Hoss insisted.\u00a0 \u201cNot love.\u00a0 Not marryin\u2019.\u00a0 He is who he is.\u00a0 What you gotta decide, Bella, is whether or not you\u2019re willin\u2019 to go along for the ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she opened her mouth to reply, there was a sharp rap on the door.\u00a0 For a moment, she hoped it was Joe, but then she told herself she was being silly.<\/p>\n

He wouldn\u2019t knock.<\/p>\n

Hoss shot her a look as he headed for the door.\u00a0 He picked up his gun before he called out, \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Captain Eastwind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss blew out his relief.\u00a0 Hers came out in tears.<\/p>\n

The big man opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cCome on in, Nathan.\u00a0 We sure are glad to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier removed his hat and ran a hand through his brown hair to straighten it.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could say the same.\u00a0 I understand Joe and Adam are in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shot her a look and then nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe think its Rowse.\u00a0 Is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier hesitated, then nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFleet escaped.\u00a0 It seems he has taken your father and your brothers have gone to bring him back.\u00a0 I had a note from Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cDang,<\/em> them two!\u00a0 I knew they was up to somethin\u2019!\u201d\u00a0 The big man stepped back, making way.\u00a0 \u201cCome on in, Nathan.\u00a0 Take a chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Eastwind inclined his head in thanks.\u00a0 Bella watched him cross to the fire to warm himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hungry?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cWe got lots left in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, thank you.\u00a0 Time is of the essence.\u00a0 Tell me what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst off, you tell me how you done got here so hard on the heels of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI was on my way here with a few of my best men to see your father when a courier stopped me and delivered your brother\u2019s note.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cMy commander believes Rowse has returned to the hills.\u00a0 I do not.\u00a0 It took some persuading, but I finally managed to prevail upon the major and he agreed to let me search this area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you think Rowse is?\u201d Bella asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Paiute graveyard,\u201d he said without hesitation.<\/p>\n

That puzzled her.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t that horrid man fear that would be the first place the law would look?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Nathan remained silent for a moment.\u00a0 Then he said, \u201cI will tell you, but first, might I have a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing\u2019s in the kitchen.\u00a0 What would you like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of that wonderful Pu-erh tea he has, hot, if you wouldn\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mind at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella eyed both men.\u00a0 There was something \u2013 something she couldn\u2019t put her finger on.\u00a0 It made her dreadfully uneasy and suddenly, she wasn\u2019t sure she wanted to hear what the captain had to say.<\/p>\n

Springing to her feet, she said, \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned at her.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t mind fetchin\u2019 it, Bella.\u00a0 You sure you don\u2019t want to hear what the captain has to say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, she was sure.<\/p>\n

Even though she didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind watched the young woman go, seeing in his mind\u2019s eye another beautiful petite creature with long spiraling golden hair and soulful blue eyes.\u00a0 The image pained him and he closed his own eyes for a moment to gain strength before facing Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Spirit put it in her heart to go,\u201d the soldier sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThe words I have to speak are not for the ears of an innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright\u2019s middle son frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to tell Bella to stay in the kitchen?\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes flicked that way.\u00a0 \u201cI believe she will stay until she is called.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man looked worried.\u00a0 \u201cHas this got to do with any of my family what\u2019s missin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way.\u00a0 But only in that Fleet Rowse has darkened your doorstep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss indicated the red chair next to the hearth.\u00a0 Nathan took it and waited as the big man sat in the blue one across from it.<\/p>\n

Then he drew a steadying breath and began.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you never wondered why Fleet is drawn to the place where the Paiute bury their dead?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and then asked, \u201cIs that where you think he\u2019s holdin\u2019 Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure of it.\u00a0 It is why I faced my commander\u2019s ire and a possible courts martial to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThe major was that mad, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s lips quirked at the end.\u00a0 \u201cYou might say so.\u00a0 You did not answer my question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we talked about him and that graveyard, Adam and me.\u201d\u00a0 The big man shifted into a more comfortable position.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna tell me why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan turned to look at the fire.\u00a0 The flickering flames took him back to a boyhood he would rather forget.\u00a0 \u201cYou recall that Fleet was taken by Red Pony and made his son when he was in his early teens?\u201d\u00a0 As Hoss nodded, he went on.\u00a0 \u201cLater, he participated in the raid on his birth family\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAurora said he killed them all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo she thought.\u00a0 Aurora was away when it happened.\u00a0 Not all were killed.\u00a0 There was one other survivor.\u00a0 Another sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was startled.\u00a0 \u201cDoes Mrs. Clark know?\u00a0 Is she still alive?\u00a0 Is…?\u201d<\/p>\n

He held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cI will tell you.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan rose and began to pace.\u00a0 \u201cThe girl was not in the house when it was set on fire.\u00a0 She arrived home as the flames died to embers.\u00a0 By that time we….\u201d\u00a0 He paused \u2013 yes, he had been there to his everlasting regret.\u00a0 \u201c…we had dispersed.\u00a0 Some had gone into the woods.\u00a0 Those who were with me were in the barn, taking what we could use.\u00a0 Fleet…Many Kills…was with Red Pony.\u00a0 They were hidden in the leaves.\u00a0 Watching.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching for what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Torie.\u00a0 My white brother knew she had not been among those killed.\u00a0 There were five children in the Rowse family, two boys and three girls.\u00a0 Aurora was the eldest, then Victoria or Torie as the family called her, and finally Bethia.\u00a0 As Torie was not within the house, Many Kills waited for her.\u00a0 He captured her and took her to Red Pony\u2019s camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old was she then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSixteen at the time of the attack.\u00a0 Seventeen when I married her.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan drew a breath as Torie\u2019s fresh face appeared in his mind\u2019s eye.\u00a0 \u201cAnd nineteen when she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew it would take a second for what he\u2019d said to register.<\/p>\n

Hoss blinked.\u00a0 \u201cYou…you<\/em> married Rowse\u2019s sister?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan looked toward the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cShe was much like Bella.\u00a0 Small.\u00a0 Blonde.\u00a0 Sweet and lovely and…innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d she die?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier\u2019s jaw tightened as he denied the tears that threatened to fall.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure you noticed that Many Kill\u2019s interest in Aurora seemed, at times, more<\/em> than brotherly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded but said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the same with Torie.\u00a0 Rowse loved her, but in a depraved way.\u00a0 He saw me, not as a brother but as a rival, and was angry when Red Pony agreed to our marriage.\u00a0 By that time, I was drawing away from my red father.\u00a0 Perhaps he thought I would go live in the white world if I married to a white woman and he would be rid of me.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan drew in a breath and let it out in a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI was blessed for nearly two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room was hushed.\u00a0 It took a few seconds before Hoss spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier returned to his seat.\u00a0 He looked to the window and the world outside.\u00a0 \u201cWe had just found out Torie was with child.\u00a0 Our joy brought new rage in the man I called my brother.\u00a0 While I was away with Red Pony, Many Kills came to her and told her they were leaving \u2013 that she was to go with him and together, they would raise her child.\u00a0 She fought him.\u00a0 He…\u201d\u00a0 Nathan sucked in air as the memory of what he had found upon his return came back to haunt him.\u00a0 \u201cFleet took her neck in his hands and broke it, and then left her body on our lodge floor for me to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy God,\u201d Hoss breathed.<\/p>\n

Nathan looked at the other man.\u00a0 \u201cTorie is buried in the Paiute graveyard, on the east side near its edge.\u00a0 I put her there, in the ground as a white woman would have desired.\u00a0 She told me she did not want to be burned if she died, because of what had happened to her family, and I honored that.\u00a0 The next day I left my father\u2019s people and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t go after Rowse?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThere was no proof that it was he.\u00a0 Red Pony would not listen to my words.\u00a0 I could have killed him as he killed her \u2013 murdered<\/em> him \u2013 but that was not my way.\u00a0 I went away to school and then became a soldier.\u00a0 I knew that, one day, I would be sent to find him and deliver him up to justice.\u201d\u00a0 The soldier glanced at the big man.\u00a0 \u201cThat day is now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite a story,\u201d Hoss said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan pivoted in his seat.\u00a0 The Great Spirit had permitted the woman\u2019s return.\u00a0 He had no idea how long she had been listening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI regret you had to hear that,\u201d he said flatly.<\/p>\n

Bella put his cup of tea on the table.\u00a0 Then she rested a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m<\/em> not.\u00a0 I know now what it feels to love a man more than your own life.\u00a0 Torie would not have traded those two years with you, Nathan, no matter how it ended.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her touch nearly unmanned him.\u00a0 With a sniff, he forced a sad smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou are much like her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you think, \u2018cause Rowse is tied to that graveyard, that\u2019s where he took Pa, and where Joe and Adam is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis guilt binds him to it.\u00a0 Yes, I believe that is where he and your father are.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan rose to his feet. \u201cHow long ago did your brothers leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man glanced at the clock by the door.\u00a0 \u201cThree, four hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier walked briskly toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cIt is time we go after them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNathan,\u201d Hoss called.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he asked without turning, his hand on the latch.<\/p>\n

\u201cRowse done said if we brung in the law he\u2019d kill Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan closed his eyes and sighed, sorry that he had not killed his white brother all those long years ago.\u00a0 So much pain \u2013 such great <\/em>evil could have been avoided.<\/p>\n

Turning to look at Ben Cartwright\u2019s middle son, he said, \u201cFirst of all, Many Kills will take your father\u2019s life whether the law comes or not \u2013 after<\/em> he makes Ben watch your brothers die.\u00a0 And secondly,\u201d he opened the door and stepped onto the porch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not a lawman.\u00a0 I am the hand of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EIGHTEEN<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright shifted to ease the pain in his arms and hands.\u00a0 He doubted he had ever felt so wretched in his life before.\u00a0 Oh, he\u2019d found himself in some tight spots \u2013 being held in a dank cave was one of them \u2013 but he\u2019d never been so wet and so cold and so, well….<\/p>\n

Terrified.<\/p>\n

Adam had just emerged from the tree line to the south of Fleet Rowse\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n

Just Adam.<\/p>\n

Fear pricked him.<\/p>\n

Where was Joseph?<\/p>\n

His eldest raised his hands as he approached.\u00a0 Adam wasn\u2019t wearing a gun, just as Rowse had demanded in the note he\u2019d left pinned to the stump for his boys to find.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s eyes quickly scanned the trees his son had left behind, wondering if there were others there, watching and waiting and looking out for an advantageous moment to strike.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s where Joseph was, along with Roy Coffee and a half dozen deputies.\u00a0 Or perhaps with a regiment of army men.\u00a0 He wanted to believe that his two sons had not honored Fleet Rowse\u2019s request and come alone.<\/p>\n

Even though he knew in his heart of hearts, they had.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your hands up, Cartwright,\u201d Rowse ordered as his son drew near.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m unarmed,\u201d Adam replied as coolly as if he was ordering a drink.\u00a0 \u201cYou can check.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn right, I will,\u201d the outlaw growled as he quickly covered the distance between them.\u00a0 Rowse patted Adam down and then in one swift, unexpected motion, struck him savagely in the side of the head with his pistol.<\/p>\n

Adam collapsed like a Chinese lantern.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse placed his foot on Adam\u2019s side and leaned down to anchor the end of his pistol in his son\u2019s black hair.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re out there, Jo-seph.\u00a0 <\/em>I\u2019d come out now if you don\u2019t want your brother\u2019s brains splattered from here to eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes went to the trees.\u00a0 Please Lord,<\/em> he pleaded silently, if Joseph is there, give him some sense.\u00a0 Keep him away.\u00a0 He\u2019ll sacrifice himself for nothing.\u00a0 This madman will kill Adam and me whether he shows himself or not.<\/em><\/p>\n

As his youngest stepped into the clearing, Ben closed his eyes.\u00a0 Knowing Joseph, he had charmed God into letting him do what he<\/em> thought was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Pa go,\u201d Joe said as he approached, hands up and empty.\u00a0 \u201cLet Adam go too.\u00a0 You know its me you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw straightened up.\u00a0 He pointed his weapon at his youngest boy.\u00a0 \u201cI got all three of you and I got me the upper hand, now why on earth would I let any of you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019re gonna kill me, Rowse,\u201d Joseph said, his jaw tight, \u201cand I know you want it to hurt.\u00a0 You let them go and you can do whatever you want to me \u2013 take as long as you like.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t, I\u2019ll use everything I\u2019ve got to make it quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw hesitated.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I want it to be quick.\u00a0 Maybe I just want you dead<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph was only a few yards from him.\u00a0 Ben could see his son\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 The look out of them was resolute.\u00a0 Even if he could have shouted, the older man knew there was no way he could have diverted the boy from the course he had chosen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you don\u2019t, Rowse.\u00a0 Killing ain\u2019t good enough for you.\u201d\u00a0 His son\u2019s nostrils flared.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the suffering that gives you a thrill.\u00a0 You\u2019re not a man, Rowse.\u00a0 You\u2019re not even an animal.\u00a0 You\u2019re a devil<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The villain snorted as he lifted his boot from Adam\u2019s supine body.\u00a0 \u201cYou got that right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse moved to Joseph and loomed over him.\u00a0 The outlaw was several inches taller and at least a third heavier than his son.\u00a0 He was also in excellent health.\u00a0 It was apparent now, looking at his boy, that Joseph had been fooling them for some time.\u00a0 His body trembled and sweat beaded on his forehead.<\/p>\n

Nevermind him looking pale as a ghost.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I got in mind for you, Jo-seph?<\/em>\u00a0 Where we\u2019re gonna go and what I\u2019m gonna do with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s smile was thin-edged. \u201cSorry, my dance card\u2019s full.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse looked puzzled, and then he roared.\u00a0 When his maniacal laughter stopped, he snorted.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s too bad I gotta kill you, kid.\u00a0 You\u2019re mighty entertainin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about my proposal, Rowse?\u201d his son demanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou let Adam and Pa go or I\u2019ll come at you right now with fists flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bit his tongue.\u00a0 Words might make it worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThem fists of yours ain\u2019t gonna do much against this,\u201d Rowse replied, indicating his gun.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t shoot me.\u00a0 You want to cause me pain \u2013 to own<\/em> my pain.\u00a0 You shoot me and its over.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s lips echoed his tormentor\u2019s for sheer deviltry.\u00a0 \u201cNow where would be the fun in that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are you proposin\u2019?\u00a0 Besides me lettin\u2019 these two here go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know how the game is played.\u00a0 Give me the length of an arrow shot.\u201d\u00a0 Joseph removed his coat.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got a gun and now, I ain\u2019t got an extra skin.\u00a0 All I got is two feet and a lot of grit.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make it a chase you won\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was struggling against his bonds, straining against the ropes.\u00a0 Unable to stand it any longer he shouted, \u201cJoseph, no!\u201d<\/p>\n

His son turned toward him.\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s eyes were misty.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the only way, Pa.\u00a0 If one of us has to die, I\u2019d rather it was me.\u00a0 I can\u2019t live with your death on my conscience.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes went to his eldest brother where he lay on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cPromise you won\u2019t tell Adam, but I feel the same about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a lamb to the slaughter, eh?\u201d the outlaw sneered.<\/p>\n

Joe held his head high.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to hear my conditions?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be damned if you ain\u2019t the orneriest cuss I ever met.\u00a0 What are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s eyes went to his brother and then to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou let them both go.\u00a0 Now, when I can see you do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t do that.\u00a0 You know they ain\u2019t gonna leave all polite-like.\u00a0 They\u2019ll just come after us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could see the wheels turning in his son\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Leave them tied up here then.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send Scout and Cochise back home so Hoss will know to come and find them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw thought a moment.\u00a0 \u201cDone.\u201d\u00a0 A sneer curled his lip up.\u00a0 \u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I last until morning, you let me go and you leave the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you last \u2018til morning, Cartwright, there\u2019s somethin\u2019 ain\u2019t right with the world.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse drew out a rope as he moved back toward Adam and prepared to bind him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be dead before sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr you <\/em>will,\u201d Joe snarled.<\/p>\n

Adam stirred as Rowse took hold of his hands and bound them behind his back.\u00a0 He blinked, obviously dazed, and looked up at Joe.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNever considered…there would..be..an option three,\u201d his eldest muttered\u00a0 just before the outlaw shoved a gag in his mouth and silenced him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe met his brother\u2019s gaze and smiled.\u00a0 Really<\/em> smiled.\u00a0 He was trying hard to tell Adam it was all right.\u00a0 That he\u2019d be fine, no matter what.<\/p>\n

In fact, Joe felt strangely free, as if nothing could touch him.\u00a0 His pa and his brother would survive.\u00a0 That was all that mattered.\u00a0 He\u2019d lead Rowse as far away as fast as he could.\u00a0 Certainly by now someone<\/em> was on their trail \u2013 Roy and his deputies, Hoss and some of the hands, or maybe even the army.\u00a0 After all, Fleet Rowse was a wanted man.\u00a0 They\u2019d find Pa and Adam and set them loose.\u00a0 They\u2019d have to go back home then, since they wouldn\u2019t have any idea where he was.\u00a0 He had no intention of leaving a trail.\u00a0 Pa and Adam would go home to the ranch house, to Hoss, to Hop Sing and his grousing, and to….<\/p>\n

Bella.<\/p>\n

God, this was going to kill <\/em>her.<\/p>\n

Joe shook himself.\u00a0 No, he couldn\u2019t think that way.\u00a0 With God as his witness, he was going to survive.\u00a0 He was going to beat Rowse at his own game.\u00a0 He\u2019d find some way to double-back, get behind the devil and take him down, and then he\u2019d go back to her.\u00a0 Bella had been through an awful lot in her short life, and most of it because of him.\u00a0 He loved her, but he didn\u2019t know if she knew what loving him<\/em> might cost her.\u00a0 If \u2013 when<\/em> \u2013 he got back to the Ponderosa they were gonna have to talk long and hard about what they felt and where they wanted to go with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, Bella,\u201d he whispered between chattering teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, Jo-seph?\u201d<\/em> Rowse asked as he came to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Hell, what\u2019s takin\u2019 you so long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI set them animals loose.\u00a0 The way they were meandering along the road, you ain\u2019t got much chance of anyone bein\u2019 here before noon tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse held his gaze.\u00a0 It was like looking into the face of evil.\u00a0 \u201cStill want to go through with this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 It was his only <\/em>chance.\u00a0 In some ways, he was astounded Rowse had agreed to it. Then again, the outlaw was certain he would catch, torture, and kill him.\u00a0 Since Pa and Adam would be gone, he probably meant to go to the Ponderosa and burn it down once he was dead.\u00a0 So, he couldn\u2019t be<\/em> dead.\u00a0 He had to win.<\/p>\n

He had<\/em> to.<\/p>\n

Rowse stared at him and then took hold of his hands and started binding them in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe! What are you doing?\u00a0 That ain\u2019t…\u201d<\/p>\n

The villain\u2019s dark eyes met his.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t fair, you say?\u201d\u00a0 Rowse snorted.\u00a0 \u201cNever said I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his hands bound, he would have a harder time running, and it would be almost impossible to cover his tracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were a warrior<\/em>,\u201d Joe countered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of honor is there in tracking and killing a man who can\u2019t defend himself?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse spit on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got any pride, boy.\u00a0 Call me a \u2018coward\u2019.\u00a0 See if I care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe cast another glance in his father and brother\u2019s direction.\u00a0 They were laying side by side, looking at him.<\/p>\n

He could hardly stand to see the terror in their eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get it over then.\u00a0 Let me start.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outlaw stepped back.\u00a0 He pulled a pocket watch out of the slit in his threadbare vest.\u00a0 \u201cTell you what, Jo-seph<\/em>, I\u2019ll be generous.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give you five minutes before I start out after you.\u201d\u00a0 The outlaw stepped back.\u00a0 \u201cBetter than a bow shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was at that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d Joe asked, ignoring the plea in his family\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

Rowse snapped the watch shut.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the end Hoss brought Bella with them.\u00a0 He turned in his saddle and looked behind to where she was riding with Nathan\u2019s men.\u00a0 He\u2019d told Joe he would watch out for her and he couldn\u2019t do that if she was at the Ponderosa and he was on the road.\u00a0 Since they\u2019d left the house, the little gal had been strangely quiet.\u00a0 Bella was usually a bundle of energy and ideas that never quit.\u00a0 She rode now in silence, her head down a little; her shoulders rising and falling regular as the tide with sighs.\u00a0 She was hurtin\u2019, for herself, but more so for Little Joe.\u00a0 Bella knew what kind of man Fleet\u00a0 Rowse was.\u00a0 She knew, like he did, that the likelihood was Little Joe was already dead.<\/p>\n

Joe, and his pa and his brother.<\/p>\n

Hoss steadied himself by puttin\u2019 those gloomy thoughts where they belonged \u2013 where the sun didn\u2019t shine.\u00a0 Their father always told them not to borrow trouble, like the Good Book said.\u00a0 He could hear Pa\u2019s deep voice now, rumblin\u2019 as he read that passage.\u00a0 \u2018Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.\u00a0 Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.<\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind\u2019s dappled gray horse came alongside him.\u00a0 They\u2019d been riding fast and, since it was the army, had been able to switch horses near every ten miles.\u00a0 Nathan had two other horses trailin\u2019 behind him \u2013 a handsome thoroughbred and a pinto.<\/p>\n

A certain<\/em> handsome thoroughbred and pinto.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d you find them?\u201d he asked, his stomach lurching.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the men came across them while scouting ahead.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan gave him a sympathetic look.\u00a0 \u201cLike I thought, they were in the area of the graveyard.\u00a0 It looked like they\u2019d been set free, but had stopped to eat supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you think Pa and my brothers are there?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier nodded.\u00a0 \u201cPrivates James and McIntire went ahead to see what they could find.\u00a0 I told them we would follow,\u201d he glanced at Bella, \u201cslowly.\u00a0 Just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far you think it is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a thin trail of smoke.\u00a0 About a mile ahead by the look of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stared at the line of soldiers behind them.\u00a0 \u201cYou goin\u2019 in with them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll wait until the scouts return and then they, and you and me, will approach the camp with caution.\u00a0 The rest of the men will stay here.\u00a0 They\u2019ll guard Miss Carnaby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think Rowse\u2019ll go…into the graveyard?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMany Kills does not believe the Paiute dead inhabit that place.\u00a0 There is only one spirit there he claims.\u00a0 She is why he always comes back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Torie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think he\u2019s hopin\u2019 she\u2019ll forgive him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier looked almost startled by the thought.\u00a0 \u201cFor what he did, there can be no forgiveness, no absolution.\u00a0 If that is what he desires, then he will be sorely disappointed.\u00a0 While a woman might forgive a man who treated her ill, a mother will not<\/em> when the one who is hurt is her child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pursed his lips and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you\u2019re right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben had no idea how long it had been since\u00a0 Fleet Rowse took off, gun in hand, in pursuit of Joseph.\u00a0 The day was waning, so he guessed it to be six hours or more.\u00a0 And still He and Adam sat trussed up like two prime pigs awaiting slaughter.\u00a0 The older man glanced at his eldest son.\u00a0 It was hard to make out Adam\u2019s black-clad form in the growing darkness, but he could just see him.\u00a0 He was working furiously to free his hands.<\/p>\n

Working, but not succeeding.<\/p>\n

It was no surprise that Rowse could tie one damn fine knot.\u00a0 After all, he\u2019d lived with the Indians for decades and that was among their specialties.\u00a0 Ben closed his eyes as he remembered his youngest bound hand and foot to the native\u2019s rack.\u00a0 It had taken Hoss several different knives and more than one attempt to free the boy from the knotted rawhide strips that had been used to suspend him there.\u00a0 This would be no different.\u00a0 Still, Adam was young.\u00a0 Fighting against impossible odds was simply part and partial of who and what he was.\u00a0 He, on the other hand, wasn\u2019t<\/em> young anymore.<\/p>\n

In fact, at the moment, he felt downright ancient.<\/p>\n

Adam grunted and he turned toward him.\u00a0 His eldest\u2019s son\u2019s head was bathed in blood on the left side, the result of the blow he had taken from Rowse\u2019s gun.\u00a0 Adam inclined his head toward the edge of the clearing.\u00a0 Ben followed his gaze and saw it too \u2013 a flicker of something shiny in the trees.\u00a0 For the first time he wondered if Rowse had accomplices that he had left behind to guard them.\u00a0\u00a0 Thinks Twice was still free for one, and though the tall Indian had turned coat on his chief\u2019s adopted son, that didn\u2019t presuppose that he might not join Rowse again.\u00a0 Indians were like that.\u00a0 Practical.\u00a0 Expedient.<\/p>\n

And when they wanted to be, deadly.<\/p>\n

He was afraid for Hoss.\u00a0 By now the big man had to be on their trail.\u00a0 Hoss was the only one of them who was not in jeopardy and his prayer was that the Almighty would keep it that way.\u00a0 Hopefully his middle son had run into Roy Coffee or maybe an army unit along the way and, together, they were riding to their rescue.\u00a0 Ben looked at the sky.\u00a0 It was still dark.\u00a0 Any hope of finding Joseph would have wait for morning.<\/p>\n

He had no idea how many hours that would be.<\/p>\n

As his spirits sank, Ben felt someone touch his wrists and then he heard a blessed voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s me.\u00a0 Is Rowse around?\u00a0 We can\u2019t see him.\u201d<\/p>\n

We.\u00a0 Hoss was not alone.<\/p>\n

Thank God!<\/p>\n

\u201cUse your head to let me know, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook it strongly.\u00a0 No.<\/em><\/p>\n

The big man stepped out of the leaves.\u00a0 \u201cNathan,\u201d he called, \u201ccome on out!\u00a0 Rowse ain\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that moment Ben understood what he had seen before \u2013 soldiers, moving through the thick leaves. The flickers of light had come from the moonlight striking their guns and uniforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got you, Pa,\u201d Hoss said as his gag came loose.<\/p>\n

Ben licked his lips.\u00a0 The word came out as a croak. \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had already moved to his older brother.\u00a0 He had Adam\u2019s chin in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s half out of it, Pa.\u00a0 Looks like he took a right hard hit to the head.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMedic?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 Clearing his throat, Ben tried again.\u00a0 \u201cDid you bring a medic?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we did, Ben,\u201d Nathan Eastwind answered as he too stepped out of the trees.\u00a0 \u201cJohn is right behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man slumped with relief as the army doctor appeared.\u00a0 There were two men behind him, bearing a hastily rigged travois.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s gag was out now too.\u00a0 Typically, he was dissenting.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m…fine, Pa.\u00a0 I can ride….\u201d<\/p>\n

He pinned him with a dark stare.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son.\u00a0 No, you\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wet his lips and winced as he tasted blood.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u00a0 Hoss, where\u2019s Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was about to ask that myself, big brother.\u201d\u00a0 The big man looked around.\u00a0 When he didn\u2019t see any sign of his youngest sibling, Hoss turned to him.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a long story \u2013 too long for his sore throat and weary body to relate.\u00a0 Ben fought a wave of dizziness as he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cLost.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rowse was playing cat and mouse with him.\u00a0 Joe was sure of it.\u00a0 The outlaw was fitter and faster than him.\u00a0 He was just takin\u2019 his time and wearin\u2019 him down.\u00a0 Already he suffered from several injuries.\u00a0 A bullet had clipped the left side of his forehead.\u00a0 He\u2019d twisted his ankle when he slid down a muddy slope and it was swelling.\u00a0 Worst of all, his arms were bleeding badly.\u00a0 He\u2019d had to use them instead of his hands to take hold of branches and pull himself up the ridge before him.\u00a0 He was near the top of now.\u00a0 Below him lay a sea of green, softly undulating with the wind that was blowin\u2019 from the north.\u00a0 Trees shifted and creaked in that cold wind, sounding like the masts of tall ships in a storm.<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t know how long the pursuit had lasted so far.\u00a0 At a guess he would have said six hours.\u00a0 It had been late afternoon when he\u2019d taken off running and he figured it was after midnight now.\u00a0 The temperature had dropped with the setting of the sun and the late season sleet had turned into late season snow.\u00a0 It was cold as blue blazes and he didn\u2019t have anything between him and it but a lightweight shirt, a pair of trousers, and his boots.\u00a0 He thought about his Pa and his brother tied to those two poles and hoped someone had found them.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d been putting up a good front, but the older man had looked like he was near the end of his rope.\u00a0 He just hoped he didn\u2019t get pneumonia from being exposed for so long.<\/p>\n

Adam hadn\u2019t looked good either.\u00a0 His face was covered in blood and he\u2019d been pale as paper.\u00a0 Hoss needed to show up and take them home.<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

Home.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d never see it again.<\/p>\n

Never see his family.<\/p>\n

Never see Bella again.<\/p>\n

It made him sad to think of her grieving for him like he\u2019d grieved for Laura.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t want to put her through that kind of pain.\u00a0 Still, Pa\u2019d told him often enough that that was the price of love.\u00a0 If you loved, you were bound to know pain and loss.\u00a0 You, or the one you loved.<\/p>\n

And he did<\/em> love her.<\/p>\n

Tears entered his eyes as Bella appeared before him, looking like an angel in the silver moonlight.\u00a0 He watched as she reached out to him \u2013 saw her hand coming close to his own.\u00a0 It vanished when he tried to catch it like dew on morning grass to reveal another figure standing there, looking down on him like he was God.<\/p>\n

Rowse probably thought he was<\/em> God.<\/p>\n

Joe winced as the barrel of a rifle contacted his head.<\/p>\n

Well, Mama, <\/em>he thought.\u00a0 Here I come<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe\u2019s gone and done what?\u201d Hoss Cartwright demanded.<\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind turned toward him.\u00a0 \u201cHe challenged my white brother.\u00a0 It is the Indian way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat don\u2019t make no nevermind.\u00a0 My little brother ain\u2019t no Indian!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but Joseph understands the ways of the native.\u00a0 He knew Many Kills would not be able to resist.\u00a0 Your brother is a good runner, and able to cover his tracks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can cover his tracks, if Rowse plays fair.\u00a0 As to how fast he could run, well, normally Little Joe could outrun a bee-stung stallion, but he ain\u2019t exactly in the best shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSo we should expect to find him in Rowse\u2019s hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan met Hoss\u2019 crystal blue stare.\u00a0 \u201cIt is best to look at things as they are and not as we wish<\/em> them to be.\u00a0 Rowse will not kill your brother in a hurried fashion.\u00a0 He will want to see him suffer.\u201d\u00a0 When the big man flinched, he added quickly, \u201cYou have to think of it in this way.\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s mistreatment will buy us time to rescue him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew from his Indian brothers that Ben Cartwright\u2019s middle son was a gentle giant who cared for wounded and lost animals.\u00a0 A man who could not bear to see others suffer.<\/p>\n

Perhaps….<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps it would be best if you stay here and care for your brother and father while I seek Joseph.\u00a0 Adam needs to be taken to a regular doctor for care, and from what I understand, it would be best to do the same with your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBella\u2019s taking care of that.\u00a0 She\u2019s helpin\u2019 your<\/em> Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe does not insist on seeking the one she loves?\u201d he asked, somewhat dubious.<\/p>\n

\u201cNah.\u00a0 She was right calm when she told me she\u2019d stay with Pa and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s mind returned to Torie.\u00a0 He had been missing once, after a battle, and she had been forbidden to seek him.\u00a0 It did not stop her from doing so.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long is it since you\u2019ve seen her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFive minutes.\u00a0 Maybe ten.\u00a0 She said she needed her privacy and you know, well…\u201d\u00a0 The big man\u00a0 looked embarrassed.\u00a0 \u201c…she\u2019s a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan stifled a sigh.\u00a0 The Cartwrights, for all their combined knowledge, their multiple business dealings, and their social standing in Virginia City, sorely lacked in one detail.<\/p>\n

Understanding women.<\/p>\n

After asking Hoss to check the camp, the soldier took off at a clip, covering the ground between them and the doctor\u2019s hastily pitched tent within seconds.\u00a0 As he pulled the flap\u00a0 aside, the regiment\u2019s physician looked up at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are they?\u201d Nathan asked, looking from one patient to the other.<\/p>\n

The medic rose and came to the tent door.\u00a0 Stepping out with him, he said, \u201cMister Cartwright is showing signs of pneumonia.\u00a0 His son has taken a bad blow to the head.\u00a0 Both men need to be out of this cold and in a warm place where they can recover, and they need to be there now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the young lady that was assisting you, John?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said she had business to attend to,\u201d the medic replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cBusiness?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I assumed it was something private.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t seem prone to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

And being a gentleman John, of course, hadn\u2019t pressed her.<\/p>\n

As Hoss returned the big man asked him,\u00a0 \u201cDid you find her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t thinkin\u2019 she went after Rowse and Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is exactly<\/em> what I am thinking,\u201d the soldier replied as he headed for his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d she know where to go?\u201d he asked as he followed.<\/p>\n

Nathan had mounted his horse.\u00a0 He thought a moment before he replied.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018And though she be but little, she is fierce\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hoss was headed for his horse.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u00a0 You quotin\u2019 someone?\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier nodded.\u00a0 \u201cShakespeare.\u00a0 Never underestimate a woman in love.\u00a0 Bella will lead us to the man she loves.\u00a0 It is up to you and me to find her before she does something foolish.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe groaned his way back to consciousness.\u00a0\u00a0 As he became aware, he tried to shift in order to ease the pain in his back, arms, and legs, but found he couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t stop the pain and he couldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

Not at all.<\/p>\n

It took about everything that was in him to force his eyes open.\u00a0 They were crusted with dirt and leftover tears, so he had to squint and blink several times to clear them.\u00a0 What he saw puzzled him.\u00a0 Sky.\u00a0 Nothing but sky.\u00a0 Black as onyx, still as a day without wind, with an overblown moon and brilliant diamond-white stars.\u00a0 From the position of the moon he figured it was heading toward morning but, as of yet, there was no sign of the new day.<\/p>\n

He had to be lying on his back.<\/p>\n

Why <\/em>was he lying on his back?<\/p>\n

His answer came a moment later when that placid sky was disturbed like a lake is when a stone hits its still surface.\u00a0 A face appeared above him, leering like one of those gargoyles on the castles in England he\u2019d seen in his childhood picture books.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, sleepin\u2019 beauty decided to wake up at last,\u201d a familiar voice mocked.\u00a0 \u201cSorry there wasn\u2019t anyone to wake you with a kiss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reality slammed into him.<\/p>\n

He was<\/em> lying on the ground.\u00a0 His arms and legs were stretched as far as they could go and were fastened by leather thongs to pins driven into the dirt.\u00a0 Joe lifted his head what little he could and looked along his body.\u00a0 He had his lower long johns on, but that was it.\u00a0 His chest was bare and his boots and socks were gone.<\/p>\n

Come to think of it, he was freezing!<\/p>\n

Rowse crouched beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, Cartwright, Red Pony and his Indians got it right.\u00a0 Just shootin\u2019 a man don\u2019t do nothin\u2019 for the one pullin\u2019 the trigger, or the one gettin\u2019 cut down.\u00a0 This way we both <\/em>get to see what you\u2019re made of before you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe opened his mouth to shout something back.\u00a0 It was only then he realized he was gagged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got a right smart mouth, boy.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t in a mood to listen to it.\u201d\u00a0 Rowse pulled at the strap on his wrist, making sure it was secure.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, we can\u2019t have you callin\u2019 out and lettin\u2019 anyone know where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where were <\/em>they, he wondered?\u00a0 He\u2019d run so fast and so hard, he\u2019d barely paid attention to the direction.\u00a0 Joe turned his head as much to the left and right as the rope around his neck allowed.\u00a0 Shadows loomed above him.\u00a0 Raised platforms with long legs made of tree branches, holding up woven litters of leaves and bark.\u00a0 Dangling from the litters were bits of old cloth, strips of weathered leather, feathers, and strands of beads.<\/p>\n

And the occasional skeletal arm.<\/p>\n

Rowse had doubled-back \u2013 or he<\/em> had without knowing it.\u00a0 They were somewhere in<\/em> the Paiute graveyard.<\/p>\n

What was it with the outlaw and this place?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know anythin\u2019 about Indian torture, Cartwright?\u201d Rowse asked as he checked the thong binding his leg on that side.\u00a0 He spoke as casually as if he was inquiring whether he had read the latest edition of the Times.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s jaw grew tight.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t answer, of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let me tell you then.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got it honed to a fine art.\u201d\u00a0 His captor rose from his side and went to stand at his feet.\u00a0 He pointed down.\u00a0 \u201cYou see this here fire?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked.\u00a0 Yes, he saw the fire, or rather, the beginnings of one.\u00a0 Several pieces of wood had been tee-peed close to his right foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what\u2019s that for?\u201d the outlaw asked.<\/p>\n

What was this?\u00a0 The man who meant to kill him, carryin\u2019 on a one-sided conversation as if they were friends?\u00a0 Joe wished more than anything he could tell the fiend to go to Hell.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rowse produced a match and a piece of paper from his pocket.\u00a0 He struck the match on a nearby rock and then set the paper on fire.\u00a0 After that, he shoved the burning paper into the dry leaves and bracken beneath the wood and kindled the fire.<\/p>\n

Immediately his bare foot felt warm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured your toes were gettin\u2019 a might cold,\u201d Rowse said. \u201cThough I\u2019d warm them up a bit for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a snort, the villain walked away.<\/p>\n

For a moment, Joe wasn\u2019t sure what was going on.\u00a0 Then, as his foot grew warmer \u2013 and warmer<\/em> \u2013 and his the bare skin of his sole rippled and tightened, he understood.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard of this torture before.\u00a0 The Indians would bind a man spread-eagled and build a fire at one foot and let it burn until the captive lost all feeling in it.\u00a0 Then they\u2019d do it to the next foot, and then each of his hands, and then, when he was all but out of his head and screamin\u2019 for someone to put him out of his misery….<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d build one on his naked chest and give him what he wanted.<\/p>\n

A single tear ran down his cheek.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t so much that he feared dyin\u2019.\u00a0 After all, he knew where he was goin\u2019 and he knew his mama was waiting\u00a0 there for him.\u00a0 No, it wasn\u2019t that.\u00a0 It was the idea of his Pa and brothers finding what was left of him and livin\u2019 the rest of their lives with the fact that they\u2019d let it happen.<\/p>\n

And for Bella who\u2019d have to live with the memory of what they might have had.<\/p>\n

Of what would now, never be.<\/p>\n

NINETEEN<\/p>\n

Bella knelt on the ground, her horse\u2019s reins in her hand.\u00a0 Her pa had taught her how to track and it hadn\u2019t taken her long to pick up Joe\u2019s trail.\u00a0 In her minds\u2019 eye she could see him running and running; his chest heaving hard as those muscled legs drove him forward.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d fall.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d get back up and run some more.\u00a0 And always there was another set of boot prints laying over his.\u00a0 Slow.\u00a0 Steady.\u00a0 Sure that the quarry they tracked wouldn\u2019t get away.\u00a0\u00a0 She\u2019d followed both sets up and into the hills.\u00a0 She stooped on top of a rise now, her fingers tracing the indentations in the earth that told her Joe had fallen and not gotten back up.<\/p>\n

Closing her eyes, she fought back tears and then stood.<\/p>\n

At the edge of the rise, she found something new.\u00a0 She knew Fleet Rowse had a horse.\u00a0 He\u2019d gotten on and off of it every so often to check the ground just like she was doing.\u00a0 Now, he was riding it and had gone down the\u00a0 hill.\u00a0 The poor thing\u2019s hoof prints were driven deeply into the soft earth.\u00a0 It was carrying a lot of weight.<\/p>\n

Carrying the outlaw and<\/em> Joe.<\/p>\n

Bella stood for a moment, allowing the cold breeze to stir her hair and drive it back from her face.\u00a0 Mister Cartwright and the others were going to be furious with her.\u00a0 Joe<\/em> would be furious with her when she found him.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t going to wait in the army camp and worry and wonder when she could be on her feet and doing something.\u00a0 The blonde woman closed her eyes against the image that rose before them of Rowse\u2019s former treatment of Joe.\u00a0 The outlaw\u2019s hate had become the driving force in his life.\u00a0 Nevermind he had enough money to go anywhere in the world he wanted.\u00a0 He was here, on or near Ponderosa land, his single-minded goal to make Joe suffer and maybe kill him and his entire family as well.\u00a0 Opening her eyes, Bella gazed down the hill that led back to the Paiute graveyard.<\/p>\n

That was something she was not about <\/em>to allow to happen.<\/p>\n

On her way out of the camp she had \u2018acquired\u2019 a holstered pistol belonging to one of the soldiers.\u00a0 The leather belt hung low on her hip, fastened over her dress.\u00a0 She had never killed anyone \u2013 never even contemplated doing so \u2013 but if she had to….\u00a0 If Rowse forced her….\u00a0 Nothing would stop her from pulling the trigger to save Joe.<\/p>\n

She loved him so<\/em> much.<\/p>\n

When she was little she had lost a friend.\u00a0 Jennie had been swimming in the creek on day and drowned.\u00a0 She\u2019d asked her ma why God would let such a thing happen, and Ma\u2019d told her that everything that happened was in God\u2019s hands and intended for the good of those who loved him.\u00a0 Jesus promised suffering for those who followed Him, and pain and grief were used to hone and refine those who belonged to Him.\u00a0 From that time forward she\u2019d looked over her shoulder, trusting God, but not trusting what He would do to make that plan work.\u00a0 If God\u2019s plan was for Joe Cartwright to die today, well….<\/p>\n

Bella struck away tears.<\/p>\n

Well, she\u2019d better die too.<\/p>\n

Moments later, returning to her horse, the blonde woman mounted and began to make her way down the hill, following the tracks Fleet Rowse\u2019s heavily laden horse had left.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was all Joe could do not to cry out.\u00a0 It felt like the fire was eating away at his foot.\u00a0 He knew in his head that the flames weren\u2019t touchin\u2019 him, but that didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

He thought his skin was gonna split.<\/p>\n

The thongs on his wrists and ankles held him so tightly he could barely move, but still he tried to writhe away from the blaze.\u00a0 Underneath him the rocks cut into his bare back.\u00a0 His neck muscles were cramped.\u00a0 He felt like Hell.<\/p>\n

But he refused to make a sound.<\/p>\n

He refused to give the bastard who was torturing him any <\/em>satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cBout done, Cartwright?\u201d a sneering voice asked, breaking into the rhythm of breathing Joe was keepin\u2019 up to deal with the pain.\u00a0 A second later something struck his burned foot.\u00a0 Pain shot through him, sucking that breath away and turning it \u2013 in spite of his best efforts \u2013 into a scream.<\/p>\n

A long, blood-curdling, gag-muffled scream.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d Rowse snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThink you\u2019re done on that side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nearly lost consciousness.\u00a0 In fact, he wished he had.\u00a0 He was panting now.\u00a0 There were stars before his eyes.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know how much he could bear.<\/p>\n

As he felt the skin of his other foot start to warm, Joe realized he was about to find out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella reined in her horse.\u00a0 A chill ran through her.\u00a0 There had been a sound \u2013 a horrible, inhuman noise.\u00a0 It had come from the east.\u00a0 She was in the graveyard now, on the far side opposite where the army camp was.\u00a0 The wind was rushing, breathing cold down her back.\u00a0 She figured the graveyard must have spanned at least a mile.\u00a0 There was a chance the soldiers had heard it, but it was a slim one.\u00a0 The sound had been a strange one, curiously muffled and not very loud.\u00a0 As she dismounted and tethered her horse to a low tree branch, Bella listened, wondering if she would hear it again.\u00a0 Instead, there was a voice.\u00a0 Someone was speaking.\u00a0 The voice was low and hard to hear, but she was pretty sure that\u2019s what it was.<\/p>\n

Drawing the pistol from her \u2018borrowed\u2019 holster, the blonde woman checked it to make sure it was loaded and then began to advance through the trees.\u00a0 Her pa had taught her how to shoot well in spite of her ma\u2019s protests.\u00a0 She\u2019d bagged deer before.\u00a0 Bella swallowed hard.\u00a0 Shooting a man couldn\u2019t be that much different.<\/p>\n

Could it?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind held out his hand, drawing Hoss Cartwright to a halt.\u00a0 They were at the bottom of a hill.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s tracks, as well as Joseph\u2019s and those of Many Kills, led up the hill.\u00a0 They had been just about to climb it when he heard a sound.\u00a0 It was nothing the soldier could distinguish.<\/p>\n

He knew only that it did not belong.<\/p>\n

The way they had come was the one Ben\u2019s youngest had chosen in a desperate attempt to escape.\u00a0 Joseph had run a straight line and then begun to dart left and right, most likely in a vain effort to throw the madman who pursued him off.\u00a0 Many Kills would not be deterred.\u00a0 His quarry was weak.\u00a0 All he had to do was wait until that weakness wore him down and Joseph grew tired or careless or both.<\/p>\n

Nathan wondered now if they should follow the tracks.\u00a0 Where they led was not the path Many Kills desired, but the way Joseph had chosen.\u00a0 If Hoss\u2019 brother had been captured, his own white brother would have taken the young man where he willed, and he was certain <\/em>that would be into the Paiute graveyard and to the place where Torie lay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Hoss asked, his voice hushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear that?\u201d Nathan asked.<\/p>\n

The big man shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Nothin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Had he<\/em> heard it then?\u00a0 He was certain he had.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard no sound of a creature in pain?\u00a0 Low.\u00a0 Muffled as if it came from an enclosure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr may someone with a gag in their mouth?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss narrowed his brilliant blue eyes and he growled.\u00a0 \u201cIf Rowse\u2019s done hurt that boy again, I\u2019ll break him in half with my bare hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan nodded.<\/p>\n

He had no problem with that.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear anythin\u2019 more?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

The soldier shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI would guess it to have come from the east.\u00a0 The wind carried the sound away and not to my ears.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up the hill and then at Joseph\u2019s brother.\u00a0 \u201cWe have a choice to make.\u00a0 Do we follow these tracks or head into that direction?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man thought a moment. \u201cYou think Rowse\u2019s got Joe in that graveyard, don\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

His dark eyes echoed the concern in his tone.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded as he turned his horse\u2019s nose back down the hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what are we waitin\u2019 for?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright was a very confused man.\u00a0 He\u2019d awakened in a tent to find his father next to him, pitching and tossing with fever.\u00a0 At first he had thought there were at one of the camps and Pa must have taken ill.\u00a0 Outside the tent he could hear the soft sound of men talking as if they didn\u2019t want to wake anyone.\u00a0 He wondered if that was Hoss and Joe, but then he remembered that Hoss was home and that he and Joe had set out to do….<\/p>\n

Something stupid.<\/p>\n

The black-haired man put a hand to his forehead and encountered a linen bandage.\u00a0 It was wound around his head.\u00a0 He frowned, which brought pain, and then he had a sudden burst of memory that brought pain so intense he wasn\u2019t sure he could bear it.<\/p>\n

Rowse.\u00a0 That devil<\/em> Rowse.<\/p>\n

He had Joe!<\/p>\n

Adam rose to his feet, thrust the tent flap back, and charged out of the tent.\u00a0 He stopped for a moment, getting his bearings and then looked around the army camp.\u00a0 It was full of soldiers some sleeping, others playing cards or resting.\u00a0 To the left of where he stood were trees and open land.\u00a0 To the right, about one hundred feet away, a sentinel leaned against a tree, watching for anyone trying to get into the camp.<\/p>\n

Not for anyone trying to get out <\/em>of it.<\/p>\n

The man in black placed a hand to his head.\u00a0 It was throbbing and his vision wasn\u2019t quite clear.\u00a0 He felt torn.\u00a0 Behind him lay his father, obviously ill and in need of his attention.\u00a0 But somewhere out there was his baby brother \u2013 the child he had practically reared \u2013 who was in the clutches of a madman bent on his destruction.<\/p>\n

The only problem was, he didn\u2019t know where.<\/p>\n

Adam stepped back into the tent.\u00a0 From its shadowy interior, he surveyed the camp.\u00a0 He was near where the horses were tethered and, even though Scout and Buck were there, Chubb was not.\u00a0 That meant his middle brother was on the move, seeking their youngest.\u00a0 And if the army had come, he was guessing \u2013 though he had no clear memory of it \u2013 that Nathan Eastwind was with him.\u00a0 Adam glanced again at his father.\u00a0 The older man was softly moaning.\u00a0 His exposed skin was bathed in sweat.\u00a0 Though it was just about all he could bear accept, Adam came to the conclusion that he could do more good here.\u00a0 Taking off into the night with no path to follow was sheer folly.\u00a0 He\u2019d probably end up hurting himself.\u00a0 If someone had to come looking for him, that meant they couldn\u2019t be looking for Joe.<\/p>\n

Moving into the interior of the tent, Adam gingerly lowered himself to the ground beside his father\u2019s sick bed.\u00a0 There was a basin of water and a cloth on a low table.\u00a0 He picked the cloth up, wet it, and placed it on his father\u2019s forehead in an attempt to lower his rising fever.\u00a0 As he did, he had a flash of someone doing the same thing to him.\u00a0 Someone with small, gentle hands.\u00a0 Someone who brushed his hair back and whispered that he would be all right.\u00a0 A woman….<\/p>\n

What was a woman doing in an army camp?<\/p>\n

Adam sucked in air.<\/p>\n

Dead God!<\/p>\n

Bella.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

No other sound had come, which worried her.\u00a0 If the cry had been Joe\u2019s, why was he silent now?<\/p>\n

Bella took several deep breaths to calm herself.\u00a0 Her Pa\u2019d like to say that the Good Book told you not to borrow trouble.\u00a0 \u2018Let the days worries be enough for the day,\u2019 he\u2019d tell her whenever she got to worryin\u2019 and frettin\u2019 about those things she thought God might let happen.<\/p>\n

Right now, she was terrified that the Almighty had <\/em>let something happen to Joe.<\/p>\n

The hand that held the army pistol shook.\u00a0 She knew she had to keep control of it so she could shoot straight if it came to that.\u00a0 Clenching her jaw, Bella concentrated on controlling her fear and stopping the shivers that shook her from head to toe as she advanced through the underbrush. The landscape before her was eerie.\u00a0 The moon was full, and both high and bright.\u00a0 Its silver light turned the forest\u2019s browns and greens to a myriad shades of blue.\u00a0 Underneath the trees were tall scaffolds made of branches and boughs, which were the resting places of the Paiute dead.\u00a0 Here and there spears with feathers had been stuck into the ground.\u00a0 There were cast-off possessions, left for the dead to use along there way \u2013 weathered drums and broken down looms, boards for carrying children, and other everyday items.\u00a0 At the far end of the graveyard, near a tumbled pile of rocks, there was something else.<\/p>\n

Light.<\/p>\n

Bella sucked in air and held her breath as she moved forward.\u00a0 The light flickered, so she assumed it was a fire.\u00a0 A small one.\u00a0 It did little to banish the darkness and wouldn\u2019t have served to cook a meal, so she wondered what it was.\u00a0 The blonde woman paid attention as her footsteps took her closer.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t see anyone in the camp.\u00a0 No one was standing or sitting by the fire.\u00a0 Bella narrowed her eyes.\u00a0 Maybe someone was<\/em> laying on the ground.\u00a0 Someone who was sleeping?\u00a0 Someone…<\/p>\n

She gasped.<\/p>\n

It was Joe!<\/p>\n

Holstering her gun, she made her way quickly to his side.\u00a0 What she found when she knelt by him made her go cold.\u00a0 Joe was half-naked and bound to the earth hand and foot by thongs tied to wooden pins that had been driven into the ground.\u00a0 But worse than that, the fire she had seen had been built next to his left foot, which was bare.<\/p>\n

She could smell flesh roasting.<\/p>\n

Horrified, Bella struck out with her left hand, heedless of what the fire would do to it, and shoved the embers away from Joe\u2019s foot.\u00a0 As she did, she caught a glimpse of his other foot and realized the damage had already been done there.\u00a0 Tears streamed down her face as she turned back to him.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t moved.\u00a0 He had in no way acknowledged she was there.\u00a0 Steeling herself, she laid her throbbing hand on his chest.\u00a0 His skin was so cold!\u00a0 When she felt nothing, she lowered her head and placed her ear over his heart and listened.<\/p>\n

It was beating.\u00a0 Thin. Thready.<\/p>\n

But there.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow ain\u2019t that just about the sweetest thing I ever saw,\u201d a man said, his tone laced with irony and menace.<\/p>\n

Bella was on her feet in an instant.\u00a0 A second later the gun was in her good hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get away from him, you bastard!\u201d<\/em> she shouted.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse, the devil from her nightmares, sneered.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t gonna shoot me, little lady. You ain\u2019t got it in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust you try me,\u201d she replied, her jaw tense.<\/p>\n

Rowse raised his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t armed.\u00a0 Is shootin\u2019 me and savin\u2019 your boyfriend here, worth bein\u2019 convicted of murder?\u201d<\/p>\n

With her injured hand, she steadied the gun.\u00a0 Her finger was on the trigger.\u00a0 Still, she hesitated.\u00a0 Would<\/em> it be murder?\u00a0 Her eyes flicked to Joe and back.<\/p>\n

If it was, it would be worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said,\u201d she answered, her tone matching his, \u201cyou just try me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowse stared at her a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou remind me of someone, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned toward a knee-high stone.\u00a0 At first she thought it was natural, but then she realized it was a tombstone.\u00a0 A white man\u2019s tombstone in an Indian\u2019s cemetery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Torie,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cMy little sister.\u00a0 She had spunk just like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you killed her for it,\u201d she said, knowing it was true.<\/p>\n

Rowse turned and faced her and what she saw was not a man but a demon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Just like I\u2019m going to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d lied.\u00a0 He had on of those long coats on \u2013 the kind with a hole in the pocket and a pocket with a shotgun in it.\u00a0 His hand was coming out, drawing the weapon, she had to….\u00a0 Had to….<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s finger closed on the trigger.\u00a0 The gun went off.<\/p>\n

Fleet Rowse went down.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sometime later \u2013 she had no idea how long \u2013 strong hands fell on her shoulders, gripping her and turning her into the man\u2019s embrace.\u00a0 At the same time she felt a large presence push past her.\u00a0 Whoever it was kicked the fallen gun from Fleet Rowse\u2019s hand and then knelt to check his pulse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs…is he…dead?\u201d she asked, her voice as shaken as she was.<\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s roastin\u2019 in Hell, just like he deserves,\u201d the big man replied as he knelt at his brother\u2019s side and tenderly cupped one of Joe\u2019s blistered feet in his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cDivine justice,\u201d the man holding her said.<\/p>\n

She looked up and realized it was Nathan Eastwind.\u00a0 At the sight of the man, she burst into tears and began to shake uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush.\u00a0 You are safe,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYour love for Joseph brought us here in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guilt racked her.\u00a0 Joe…\u00a0 Little Joe…\u00a0 He should be the only<\/em> thing that mattered.\u00a0 But she couldn\u2019t forget what she had done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI…killed him,\u201d she sobbed into the soldier\u2019s blue shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Nathan said, cupping her chin in his hand and making her look up.\u00a0 \u201cMy white brother died the day Red Pony took him as his son.\u00a0 If peace is possible for Many Kills, you have brought it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella blinked back tears and looked at the ground.\u00a0 Hoss was cutting the last of the rawhide strips that bound Joe to the earth \u2013 the one around his neck.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s flesh was raw beneath it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe…?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss was drawing off his coat.\u00a0 He looked up at her.\u00a0 His tear-streaked face echoed her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlive, Miss Bella.\u00a0 That bastard done it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked up at Nathan and he released her, knowing \u2013 somehow \u2013 what it was she needed to do.\u00a0 She stepped over to Hoss and using the big man\u2019s shoulder as an anchor, slipped to the ground beside him.\u00a0 Once there she placed her good hand on Joe\u2019s face and leaned in, softly calling him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u00a0 Joe, can you hear me?\u201d\u00a0 Her lips brushed his forehead. \u00a0\u201cJoe?\u00a0 It\u2019s Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gently took hold of her shoulders and shifted her aside so he could reach his brother.\u00a0 Gingerly, he\u00a0 lifted Joe up and wrapped him in his huge warm coat.\u00a0 Then he drew him into his arms and rose to his feet.<\/p>\n

Again, Joe made no sound.\u00a0 No moan or whimper escaped his lips.<\/p>\n

Nathan had gone to his horse.\u00a0 He returned with a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.\u00a0 She gave him a little smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m takin\u2019 Joe back to the camp.\u00a0 That there medic of yours need to look at him right quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou take my horse, Bella.\u00a0 I will follow on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes flicked to Fleet Rowse where he lay on the ground.\u00a0 She expected him to sit up at any minute.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t believe that he was dead.<\/p>\n

Or that she had killed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you will be all right alone?\u201d she asked the half-blood soldier.<\/p>\n

Nathan had turned away and was looking toward the white tombstone.<\/p>\n

When he turned back to her, it was with tears streaming down his cheeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not be alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam ducked and left the hide tent his father lay within.\u00a0 He, like the soldiers in the camp, had heard a shot.\u00a0 The army men were standing at the far end of the camp.\u00a0 Several will debating what they should do.\u00a0 The wind was strong and it had been impossible to tell what direction the gunshot had come from.\u00a0 It would be foolishness to set off into the night with no clear direction or purpose.<\/p>\n

And yet everything that was within him longed to do just<\/em> that.<\/p>\n

Haltingly, still hampered by his own head wound, Adam made his way over to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister Cartwright,\u201d the most senior among them, a lieutenant named David, said.\u00a0 \u201cI trust you are feeling better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s eyes went to the tent.\u00a0 \u201cAnd your father?\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAbout the same.\u00a0 No better. The fever is fairly high.\u201d\u00a0 Adam paused, almost afraid to ask. \u201cMy brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Davis nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHoss went with Nathan to seek your youngest brother.\u00a0 Of him, there is no word yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was one of the other men.\u00a0 He was pointing.<\/p>\n

Adam strained to see what it was the soldier had seen.\u00a0 The night was brilliantly lit by the risen moon, but that bright light also cast deep shadows.\u00a0 He saw movement.\u00a0 Then he saw two horses..<\/p>\n

Then he realized one was Chubb.<\/p>\n

Adam moved forward, drawn by a force that knew no stopping.\u00a0 Hoss wasn\u2019t alone.\u00a0 Before him, held in the circle of the big man\u2019s arm, was a pitiful creature.\u00a0 It was Joe \u2013 bare-chested beneath his middle brother\u2019s big coat, his skin ashen; his dark curls a tangle of sweat and bracken from the forest floor.<\/p>\n

Bella followed close behind.<\/p>\n

As he reached the horse, Hoss looked down at him.\u00a0 His middle brother\u2019s face was a mask.\u00a0 \u201cYou strong enough to take him, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 he asked.<\/p>\n

The man in black nodded and then steeled himself.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know if it was a live man or a corpse his brother had borne back to the camp.\u00a0 As soon as Joe dropped into his arms, he had his answer.<\/p>\n

He could feel his brother\u2019s heart beating against his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see you up, older brother,\u201d the big man said as his eyes went to the medic\u2019s tent.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

He failed to hide his scowl.\u00a0 \u201cSick.\u00a0 Probably pneumonia.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got two wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man slid from his saddle.\u00a0 As he moved toward Bella, he inclined his head toward their little brother, \u201cYou best put Joe in with Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did Rowse do to him?\u201d he asked, looking down at Joe\u2019s pale countenance.<\/p>\n

Hoss gave a small shake of his head.\u00a0 He had his arms around Bella\u2019s waist and was lowering her to the ground.\u00a0 As her feet touched, he shifted his hands to her shoulders and held her up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you doin\u2019, Bella?\u00a0 You okay to walk?\u201d<\/p>\n

The blonde woman looked at him, then she looked at Joe, and then she crumpled.\u00a0 Hoss caught her before she hit the ground.<\/p>\n

As he lifted her up into his arms, the big man said, \u201cLooks like we gotta make that three.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nathan Eastwind stood in the Paiute\u2019s holy place, his head bowed and his hat in his hands.\u00a0 Before him lay the grave of Fleet Rowse\u2019s little sister and his wife.\u00a0 Buried with her, was the child he had never known.\u00a0 The soldier stood a moment with the wind blowing his hair, and then knelt and placed his hand on the cold hard rock.\u00a0 Behind him the corpse of Torie\u2019s killer lay growing stiff and cold.\u00a0 If not for the fact that they would need to prove Rowse dead, he would leave it there to be desecrated by the creatures who walked the wild night.\u00a0 The madman who had been his white brother deserved no better.<\/p>\n

And yet….<\/p>\n

Many years ago Fleet Rowse had been an innocent boy, like Thom Parrish, who was still missing.\u00a0 A teenage boy abruptly taken from his family and the life he had known, proselytized and indoctrinated into one where life had little worth \u2013 turned into a monster by another monster who thrived on the death of the white men he claimed had come to conquer and destroy.<\/p>\n

An eye for an eye.\u00a0 A tooth for a tooth.<\/p>\n

Where did it end?<\/p>\n

Nathan sighed as he fell to his knees before the stone, wracked with grief not only for the loss of his beloved and the baby she\u2019d carried, but for the brother he might have had but never knew.\u00a0 He wondered what Red Pony would feel when he found out.\u00a0 From the little he had seen, he would spit on the memory of the man he had called \u2018son\u2019, just as he spit on the memory of the one who was his son.\u00a0 Fleet had been beaten.\u00a0 A warrior was never<\/em> beaten.<\/p>\n

There was no excuse.\u00a0 But there were reasons.<\/p>\n

Nathan remained with a hand anchored to the stone for some time, remembering his wife\u2019s gentle touch and her loving smile, and then he rose to his feet and turned his back.<\/p>\n

He would never come here again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He and Adam had been shooed out of the medic\u2019s tent.\u00a0 Hoss had tried to fight it, but only \u2018cause he felt he had too.\u00a0 He knew he wouldn\u2019t win. \u00a0He\u2019d been through this too many times with Doc Martin.\u00a0 Next to God, a doctor was the only one had the power to get things done the way he wanted.\u00a0 You were always afeared that if you didn\u2019t do as he said, then you\u2019d be responsible when someone…<\/p>\n

Died.<\/p>\n

A hand on his shoulder made him look up.\u00a0 When his eyes met those of his big brother\u2019s, Hoss felt a little better.\u00a0 Adam was here.\u00a0 Adam was the oldest.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t all on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s short shanks doin\u2019?\u201d he asked, almost afraid of the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe medic said Joe is holding his own.\u201d\u00a0 Adam made a face.\u00a0 \u201cHe bandaged his feet.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much else he could do other than put a salve on them.\u201d\u00a0 Older brother\u2019s jaw grew tight.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of an animal \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat ain\u2019t fair to animals, Adam.\u00a0 Rowse is \u2013 was, a man.\u00a0 It\u2019s men what are evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother nodded.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAbout the same.\u00a0 Holding his own.\u00a0 He\u2019s…pretty sick.\u00a0 The doctor wants to get them both back to the housee as soon as possible.\u00a0 Bella too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s that little gal holdin\u2019 up?\u00a0 How\u2019s her hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother looked toward the tent.\u00a0 \u201cThe hand is bandaged and as to how she is doing, I would say as well as can be expected.\u00a0 She won\u2019t leave Joe\u2019s side.\u00a0 She\u2019s….\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cQuiet.\u201d\u00a0 Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cToo<\/em> quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

His brother met his gaze, his own troubled.\u00a0 \u201cBella killed a man.\u00a0 No matter who or what Rowse was \u2013 or what he had done \u2013 you know as well as I do, that does something to one\u2019s soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou talked to her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t listen.\u00a0 She\u2019s hell-bent on taking care of Joe and Pa and I guess we should let her. There will be time later to deal with her<\/em> wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss rose to his feet.\u00a0 He nodded toward the east and watched as his brother turned.\u00a0 Nathan Eastwind had just entered the camp.\u00a0 The big man waited until the soldier was at their side to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you bring Rowse\u2019s body in?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Nathan nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 It is slung over my horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Adam said, expressing it for both of them.\u00a0 \u201cHe was evil, but I know he was your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier glanced at the horse on which the body was tethered.\u00a0 \u201cMany Kills died many years ago.\u00a0 I honor the boy he was as much as I dishonor the man he became.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you take him back to Red Pony?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are other crimes than this for which Many Kills owes.\u00a0 My men and I will take him to the fort where they may be accounted for by his death.\u201d\u00a0 Nathan was thoughtful for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cBut first we must see your family home.\u00a0 Does the doctor say they are well enough to travel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not happy about it,\u201d Adam answered, \u201cbut he wants Joe and Pa out of the cold and he wants Doc Martin to see them as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will start at dawn then.\u00a0 I will talk to John and see what is needed for transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss caught the soldier\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cIs there anything we<\/em> can do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The native\u2019s lips curled in a sad smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can mourn for what might have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TWENTY<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright shifted and opened his eyes.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t remember ever feeling quite as weak as he felt now.\u00a0\u00a0 The morning light was streaming in the window, which was cracked to let in the fresh air.\u00a0 The room was hot and smelled of sickness.<\/p>\n

It took him a moment to realize it was he who had been sick.<\/p>\n

As his mind cleared, the older man became aware of the fact that he was lying in bed and his nightclothes were soaked through.\u00a0 He could hear voices outside the room.\u00a0 Someone was yelling out something in a foreign language.\u00a0 Hop Sing.\u00a0 That would be Hop Sing.<\/p>\n

He must be home.<\/p>\n

After blinking several times to clear his vision, Ben shifted again, this time turning toward the window.\u00a0 A woman\u2019s slight form was silhouetted there, her profile cast against the rising light.\u00a0 As she shifted he saw that she had golden-blond hair, which was swept up high on her head, and was dressed in a pale blue gown.<\/p>\n

He raised a hand \u2013 or at least he tried to \u2013 and called out, \u201cMarie?\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman started at the sound.\u00a0 She hurried over to his side and caught his hand in her own.\u00a0 \u201cBen.\u00a0 You\u2019re awake!\u201d<\/p>\n

The name was right, but the voice was wrong.\u00a0 He frowned.\u00a0 \u201cMarie?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 It\u2019s Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s<\/em> Bella.<\/p>\n

His heartbeat quickened.\u00a0 Joe.\u00a0 There was something<\/em> about Joe.\u00a0 The older man fought hard against the fog that enveloped him.\u00a0 Joe.\u00a0 What <\/em>about Joe?\u00a0\u00a0 Why was it thinking about his youngest son brought him pain?<\/p>\n

He tried to get up \u2013 and failed miserably.\u00a0 As Bella placed a hand on his chest to keep him down, he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, \u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s alive,\u201d Bella said softly as she wrung out a cloth and placed it on his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s in his room.\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed.\u00a0 His throat was dry.\u00a0 So were his lips.\u00a0 \u201cAll…right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The young woman tried to hide her concern, but she failed miserably.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s getting better.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s been sick, just like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Her hand\u00a0 brushed his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYour fever\u2019s broken at last.\u00a0 You need to get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he breathed.\u00a0 \u201cNeed to see Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s white teeth gnawed her lip.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 I wish I could let you, but Doctor Martin \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor Martin says \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned his head slightly.\u00a0 A familiar form filled the open doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see you awake, old friend,\u201d Paul said as he came to the bed and took a seat beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou gave us all quite a scare.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wet his lips.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou Cartwrights.\u00a0 You have plenty to apologize for, but for the life of me I can\u2019t figure out why you think being sick is one of them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is Joe?\u201d Bella asked.\u00a0 \u201cCan I go sit with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m done in there for the moment.\u00a0 He\u2019s sleeping \u2013 normally at last.\u00a0 See to it you don\u2019t wake him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl nodded and then hastened out of the room.\u00a0 As soon as she did, Paul pulled back his covers and opened his shirt to reveal his chest.\u00a0 Then he placed a stethoscope against it.\u00a0 After a moment, the doctor sat back with a satisfied smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe congestion is breaking up at last.\u201d\u00a0 His friend shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been a sick man, Ben.\u00a0 You should thank the Almighty that you are still with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He remembered very little.\u00a0 Going outside to cut wood.\u00a0 Being taken by Rowse.\u00a0 Adam coming to get him.\u00a0 Joseph.<\/p>\n

Joseph.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul….?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSave your breath, Ben.\u00a0 I know what you want me to say and you know I can\u2019t say it.\u00a0 Joe is a strong young man, but he has been pushed to the limit.\u00a0 First the hold-up on the stage, and then the continual torment Fleet Rowse inflicted on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow…bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStandard for your youngest,\u201d he answered with a small smile.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just be grateful Joe\u2019s better and let it go at that for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He seemed to remember his oldest son being hurt as well, but wasn\u2019t sure.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to find his first son standing just inside the room.\u00a0 He raised a hand.\u00a0 As Adam came to take it, the man in black asked the doctor, \u201cHow is he, Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the road to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing has some fresh coffee in the kitchen.\u00a0 You look like you could use it,\u201d Adam said as he came to stand beside the other man.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take over here for a while.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s with Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat young lady!\u201d the doctor remarked with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cShe should be in bed as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

His son snorted.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s about as easy to direct as a wild mustang.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t I know it!\u201d\u00a0 Paul said as he headed for the door.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a good match for Joe, Ben.\u00a0 Piss and vinegar. That\u2019s what they\u2019re both made of.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since he\u2019d awakened, Ben relaxed.<\/p>\n

Paul expected Joe to make it.<\/p>\n

As the door closed behind the doctor, Adam took the cloth from his forehead.\u00a0 He dipped it in the cool water and rang it out, and then returned it to its former place.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could use…some water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course!\u201d\u00a0 Adam poured it for him and helped him drink before settling back in the chair.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wearily shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNothing to…apologize for.\u201d\u00a0 Ben drew in a breath and coughed.\u00a0 The action hurt his sides.\u00a0 \u201cTell me…what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the last thing you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRowse…hitting you.\u201d<\/p>\n

His son reached for his head.\u00a0 There was no bandage, but Ben could see an angry red line running down his boy\u2019s forehead from his scalp.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe ran the gauntlet, so to speak.\u00a0 He thought it was the only way he might escape Rowse.\u00a0 After they took off, the army found you and me.\u00a0 We were both wounded, so their medic cared for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRowse…tortured him, Pa.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s feet are badly burned.\u00a0 We\u2019re lucky Hoss and Nathan got there when they did.\u00a0 His hands would have been next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes against the image of his beautiful boy being roasted like a piece of meat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul says he will be…in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older man thought of the woman who had wakened him. \u201cBella?\u201d<\/p>\n

His son pursed his lips and paused, as if choosing what to say.\u00a0 \u201cShe killed Rowse, Pa.\u00a0 Bella saved Joe\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKilled him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she…all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, his son hesitated.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure she will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben remembered the first time he had been forced to take the life of another.\u00a0 It had been self-defense.\u00a0 In a way he carried the man with him still.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry….\u201d\u00a0 He was growing fatigued.\u00a0 The words were coming harder.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll heal, Pa,\u201d Adam said as he squeezed his arm.\u00a0 \u201cWe just have to give time, time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 His own words.<\/p>\n

And then he went to sleep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe heard the door open and close.\u00a0 He\u2019d only just awakened and found the room empty.\u00a0 He\u2019d been in and out for some time, aware of the birdsong outside his window and the breeze making his curtains billow; conscious of the sunshine streamin\u2019 in that told him not only was it late morning, but that spring had finally come.\u00a0 The wind, when it struck him, was warm.\u00a0 It eased the chill he felt without banishing it.\u00a0 He knew the feeling.\u00a0 He\u2019d just come out of a fever, and probably a bad one.<\/p>\n

One more time Joseph Frances Cartwright had beat the odds.<\/p>\n

The first time he\u2019d wakened it had been to the sound of Adam\u2019s voice, and then Doc Martin\u2019s.\u00a0 He\u2019d pretended to be asleep while the doctor examined him, not feeling up to answerin\u2019 any questions.\u00a0 And then he\u2019d really fallen asleep.\u00a0 This time when he woke up, someone was moving around the room.\u00a0 He could hear her skirts swishing.\u00a0 He knew that earlier \u2013 while he\u2019d been sick \u2013 he\u2019d thought that she was his ma.\u00a0 But it wasn\u2019t his ma.<\/p>\n

It was Bella.<\/p>\n

She was with him and she was alive.<\/p>\n

Bella <\/em>was alive!<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, sleepy head,\u201d her beloved voice said as the swishing grew closer.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s lithe form leaned over him and he felt her lips, warm, on his cool forehead.\u00a0 As she sat down beside him, she said, \u201cYour fever\u2019s gone. \u00a0Let\u2019s hope it\u2019s for good this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something in her voice told him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve….\u201d\u00a0 He cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve had more than one, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

That little nod of her head told him a lot.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Three.\u00a0 Every time one broke, we thought that was the end. \u00a0Then it would come again.\u00a0 The infection….\u201d\u00a0 She stopped as if she had said too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cInfection?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella sucked in a little breath and let it out.\u00a0 \u201cYour feet.\u00a0 The burns….\u201d<\/p>\n

And it all <\/em>came back.\u00a0 Fleet Rowse pursuing him.\u00a0 That devil<\/em> catching him.\u00a0 Being struck with a rifle butt and slung over the outlaw\u2019s saddle half-dead.\u00a0 Feeling Rowse\u2019s hands pulling him off it and tossing him to the ground like a sack of meal.\u00a0 Having his hands and feet and neck strapped to pins driven in the ground.\u00a0 And the fires….<\/p>\n

God<\/em>, the fires!<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s hands were on his chest.\u00a0 \u201cDoctor Martin said you mustn\u2019t become agitated.\u00a0 I shouldn\u2019t have said anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was breathing hard.\u00a0 Sweat beaded on his brow.\u00a0 \u201cMy feet?\u00a0 Are they….?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBurned.\u00a0 Badly.\u00a0 But they\u2019ll be all right in time,\u201d she assured him.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll heal.\u00a0 Joe, they\u2019ll heal!\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d sat up.\u00a0 He leaned back against the pillows now, slightly ashamed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0\u00a0 I just….\u201d\u00a0 Joe scowled, not sure of what to say.\u00a0 \u201cI just didn\u2019t want to spend my life…lamed.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached out and pushed an errant curl away from his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at her.\u00a0 Bella\u2019s eyes were ringed in dark shadows.\u00a0 Her color was pale and she seemed…sad?\u00a0 He noticed her bandaged hand and wondered what had happened.\u00a0 Gripping the fingers of her other one, he asked, \u201cHow are you?\u00a0 Really.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her lips quirked at the ends.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she said with a little shrug.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, dear, it\u2019s catching,\u201d someone said.\u00a0 They both turned to find Adam standing in the doorway.\u00a0 His brother looked pale, but otherwise okay.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s asleep.\u00a0 Paul wants you to get some rest too, Bella.\u201d\u00a0 When she started to protest, he added softly, \u201cDoctor\u2019s orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

He saw her resist, think about fighting, and then give in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could use some coffee,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cI smelled it brewing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go.\u00a0 I\u2019ll stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cIs that okay with you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGo. Get some rest.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be here when you come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stood and then leaned over and kissed him again, this time on the lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He and Adam watched her leave and then he asked his older brother. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cBella killed Rowse, Joe.\u00a0 She shot him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyebrows peeked toward the tangled curls on his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cShe what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe shot him.\u00a0 Bella saved your life, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was silent for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cAgain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem to need it about once a month.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a joke, but it fell flat.\u00a0 In many ways it was true.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think she\u2019s sorry she did it?\u201d he asked at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 She certainly doesn\u2019t regret saving you.\u00a0 But,\u201d his brother paused, considering his words, \u201cI think Bella is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she took a life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 He remembered the first time he had to kill a man.\u00a0 Even when it was to save your own life, it was hard.\u00a0 It changed you.<\/p>\n

Forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think she\u2019s gonna be all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reached over and squeezed his arm.\u00a0 \u201cGive her some room, Joe.\u00a0 She\u2019ll come to acceptance of it in her own time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

He wondered just how long that <\/em>would take.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It had been three days since he\u2019d wakened and Ben was downstairs and in his favorite chair for the first time.\u00a0 Hoss had helped him to make it down the stairs and Paul said he could sit there for a few hours \u2013 and a few hours only.\u00a0 Hop Sing had run to bring him everything he needed \u2013 a glass of brandy, a footstool, his pipe \u2013 and he had stoked the fire to keep him from catching a chill.\u00a0 Bella had come down a few minutes before, stating that Joseph was finally asleep.\u00a0 His son was mending, but it was tricky going with his feet.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s pain had intensified as they began to heal to such a point Paul had been forced to prescribe Laudanum.\u00a0 Bella rarely left his son\u2019s side, so it was a surprise that she had chosen to sit with him now in the great room.\u00a0 She\u2019d been reading, but slowly had lowered the book to her lap.\u00a0 Abandoning any pretense at the past time, she had given up and was staring into the fire.<\/p>\n

The poor girl looked worn out.<\/p>\n

Resting his hand on the book he\u2019d<\/em> been reading, Ben asked, \u201cHow are you, Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned a pale face to him and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u00a0 It makes me happy to see you out of bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

He heard the unspoken end to that sentence.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t be long until Joseph can leave his bed too,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

Paul had told them to keep Joseph confined until the end of the week, which was three days away.<\/p>\n

They might <\/em>make it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what exactly does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018what does that mean\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, lets see,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph\u2019s<\/em> \u2018fine\u2019 has covered everything from emotional trauma to him being wounded and not telling anyone.\u00a0 I hope you<\/em> are not hiding anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her frown deepened.\u00a0 Then, she came out with it.\u00a0 \u201cHave you ever killed anyone, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Regrettably.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella\u2019s jaw was tight and so were her fingers.\u00a0 They formed small fists.\u00a0 \u201cThat man was so<\/em> evil.\u00a0 He deserved to die!\u00a0 Why can\u2019t I….\u00a0 Why<\/em> can\u2019t I accept that?\u00a0 Why do I feel….\u201d\u00a0 Bella stopped.\u00a0 Tears rolled down her cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do I feel I am no better than him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wanted to rise.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t have the strength and so he beckoned her over to his side.\u00a0 When she arrived, her drew her close and indicated she should sit on the footstool Adam had drawn up to the chair for him to use.<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, do you trust me?\u201d the older man asked.<\/p>\n

She nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think what you did was murder?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl shivered.\u00a0 Tears entered her eyes as she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI killed him.\u00a0 I…shot him before he could get his gun out.\u00a0 I….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 But….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBella, what you did was in self-defense.\u00a0 Any judge or jury would rule it that.\u201d\u00a0 Ben paused, thinking of what else to say .\u00a0 \u201cDo you believe in what the Bible says?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded \u2013 and sniffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Luke, the Bible tells us, \u2018When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace<\/em>.\u2019\u00a0 Yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her blue eyes were fastened on his face.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou saved Joseph\u2019s life, and most likely the lives of countless others that monster would have killed if he had lived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella remained silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

After a moment she nodded.\u00a0 Then she asked, \u201cHow did your wife…?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did my wife what?\u201d\u00a0 He assumed she meant Joe\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did she…stand it?\u00a0 Ma and Pa and I, we\u2019ve been living in a city. Things are hard, but not like….\u201d\u00a0 She drew a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cNot like it is here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the frontier, you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward and took her hands in his own.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Bella.\u00a0 At times it seems that everything that is not you that is here, is out to kill you.\u00a0 The West is a harsh mistress.\u00a0 It is raw and rough and barely formed, but it is also beautiful.\u00a0 If you give to it, it gives back \u2013often a hundred fold.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was looking at her hands.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s very demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cIs this about Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl started as if guilty.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I love him so<\/em> much….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid….\u00a0 I don\u2019t know….\u201d\u00a0 Bella looked up at him, tears in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know if I am strong<\/em> enough to love him when….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen any moment, any day, he might be hurt \u2013 or die.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI know life is uncertain, but, well, here<\/em>, it seems so much more so.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reached out to cup her face in his hand.\u00a0 Looking at her, he realized just how <\/em>young she was.\u00a0 \u201cHave you talked this over with Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not well….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s well enough.\u201d\u00a0 He released her.\u00a0 \u201cTalk to him.\u00a0 Tell him how you feel.\u201d\u00a0 Ben paused.\u00a0 \u201cOnly the two of you can deal with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s giant blue eyes fastened on him.\u00a0 \u201cI do<\/em> love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 He knew she did.<\/p>\n

But sometimes, love was simply not enough.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bella sat at the side of Joe\u2019s sickbed, looking at him.\u00a0 The noon light was streaming in the open window and it gloried in the spiraling curls of his hair, turning them from brown to gold.\u00a0 He was sleeping and his long black eyelashes lay on his cheeks in stark contrast to his too-pale skin.\u00a0 It had been nearly two weeks and his feet were healing, as were the other wounds he had suffered at Fleet Rowse\u2019s hands.\u00a0 She\u2019d traced the path of Rowse\u2019s anger as it was written on his wrists and ankles with her finger and as she did, was so overwhelmed with emotion that she wanted to run from the room.<\/p>\n

She felt like a coward.<\/p>\n

As she rose to leave, she felt fingers touch her hand.<\/p>\n

Joe licked his lips and then asked, \u201cWhere…you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

To her surprise, he shifted and righted himself against the pillows.\u00a0 \u201cFor now,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut you are going.\u00a0 Aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She hung her head.\u00a0 How could she explain why<\/em> when she didn\u2019t know herself?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u00a0 I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you?\u201d she snapped.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s fingers found hers.\u00a0 His precious lips curled in a slight smile.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I don\u2019t want you to take my head off.\u00a0 Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her jaw was tight.\u00a0 Of course, that\u2019s because she was fighting back tears.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re awful young, you know?\u00a0 It\u2019s all right to be scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not scared \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you are.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cYou forget I was eighteen once too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you are ancient<\/em> now, I suppose?\u201d<\/p>\n

His head pressed back into the pillows.\u00a0 \u201cThere are times I feel like it.\u201d\u00a0 Joe looked at her and then he asked, \u201cIs it okay if I tell you something that might hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She had to think about it.\u00a0 Finally, she nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was this woman.\u00a0 I loved her.\u201d\u00a0 Joe paused.\u00a0 \u201cI was only eighteen and she was in her thirties.\u00a0 Her name was Julia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella frowned.\u00a0 She supposed she knew he\u2019d loved other women, but it did hurt to hear Joe say it.\u00a0 \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe died.\u201d\u00a0 He drew in a breath.\u00a0 \u201cJulia was murdered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears entered her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOh, how awful!\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it was awful all right.\u201d\u00a0 Joe squeezed her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cAfter she died, I vowed I would never love again.\u00a0 It was…too hard.\u00a0 Loving and losing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on now, Bella.\u00a0 We don\u2019t lie to each other.\u00a0 You\u2019re feelin\u2019 the same way, aren\u2019t you?\u00a0 That you can\u2019t stand to love me because you might lose me?\u201d\u00a0 He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHeck knows how close I\u2019ve come to dyin\u2019 and how many<\/em> times since I met you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her lips quirked.\u00a0 \u201cYou are kind of accident prone.\u201d<\/p>\n

He snorted.\u00a0 \u201cKind of?<\/em>\u00a0 Just ask my brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella looked down.\u00a0 She began to pick at her dress like she was looking at the fabric in an attempt to hide her tears.<\/p>\n

She failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to go home, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Home.<\/em><\/p>\n

Contained in that one word was sanctuary and security.<\/p>\n

When she didn\u2019t answer, Joe prompted.\u00a0 \u201cBella?\u201d<\/p>\n

As tears slipped from her eyes, she asked him. \u201cDo you hate me?\u201d\u00a0 When he said nothing, she looked up, terrified of what she would see in his eyes.<\/p>\n

All she saw was love.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeck no.\u00a0 I love you Bella.\u00a0 I always will.\u00a0 And whether it\u2019s as the woman I want to marry or as my best friend and little sister, it\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was so torn.\u00a0 She wanted to be with him but, she was afraid <\/em>to be with him.\u00a0 She was afraid of her feelings \u2013 of loving someone so <\/em>much that she knew she would die if something happened to him.<\/p>\n

As more tears fell, she said, \u201cOh, Joe, what are we going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited a moment and then said, \u201cGo over to my dresser.\u00a0 You see that little box there.\u00a0 Will you bring it to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked and saw it, and then looked back at him. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust do it.\u00a0 Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Puzzled, she rose and went to get it.\u00a0 Upon returning to his bedside, she went to hand it to him, but he refused.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou open it.\u00a0 Show me what\u2019s inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella frowned but did as she was told.\u00a0 When she saw what was in it, she gave a little gasp.<\/p>\n

It was the silver paper ring she had sent him in her last letter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss kept it for me,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cYour letter got torn and he read it.\u00a0 He put the ring in his pocket when they took off to find out what had happened to the stage coach.\u00a0 He found it there later and tucked it away in the drawer of the table in his room.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was staring at it. \u201cWhen did he give it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night.\u201d\u00a0 Joe smiled as he took the ring from her.\u00a0 \u201cI think he thought we might be needing to pledge somethin\u2019 to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bella blinked back tears.\u00a0 \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reached out and slid the ring on her finger.\u00a0 \u201cWell, now, how about in four or five years we check back in on how we feel?\u201d\u00a0 That smile that she loved so much lit his face, bringing life and color back into it.\u00a0 \u201cWho knows?\u00a0 By then, you\u00a0 might have another feller.\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know how to let him go, but she did <\/em>know that she wasn\u2019t ready to marry him and to commit to the life she would lead if she was Mrs. Joseph Cartwright.<\/p>\n

Reaching out, Bella touched his face.\u00a0 Her fingers slipped into his hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, little brother,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

He caught her hand and drew her onto the bed next to him where he circled her with his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig sister,\u201d he said as he laid his chin on top of her head.\u00a0 \u201cI love you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

———END———<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next Story in the Wet Bottom, Warm Heart Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Doubt that the Stars are Fire<\/a>
\nAn Unspeakable Dawn<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Family,\u00a0Hop Sing,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0JAM,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright,\u00a0JPM,\u00a0revenge,\u00a0Roy Coffee,\u00a0SJS<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 A burned out stagecoach lies on its side, the victim of an Indian raid. There’s a name on the coach manifest that makes Joe Cartwright’s heart stand still. Can it be that Elizabeth Carnaby is dead? And, as the man who robbed the coach seeks personal vengeance against Ben Cartwright’s youngest son \u2013 can Joe himself survive?<\/p>\n

Rated M. \u00a0The story is probably a PG-13 one, but for safety sake – and for the sake of one heavy duty romantic\u00a0scene – I am calling it ‘M’. \u00a0Contained in that PG-13 rating would be western brutality and violence, and torture.\u00a0 (101,760 words)<\/p>\n

Wet Bottom, Warm Heart Series, links to stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10058,"featured_media":30539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,23,4,41,690,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-drama","category-humor","category-hurtcomfort","category-ma-rated","category-romance","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-690-id","wpcat-3-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":6082,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Joe-chin-scaled.jpg?fit=2099%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13630,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13630","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":0},"title":"A Cry for Freedom (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 7, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 It started with Ben giving Little Joe more responsibility for the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Little did the family realize the course Ben was setting in motion. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (65,725 words) Due to subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1281,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1281","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":1},"title":"A Child’s First Christmas (by KateP)","author":"KateP","date":"December 20, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Ben Recalls each of his sons' first Christmas Rated: K (620 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15530,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15530","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":2},"title":"Cooking with Steamy Julia (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"December 4, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Cooking isn't the only thing happening in the kitchen, and elsewhere. Rating:\u00a0 M\u00a0 (715 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ARLE-e1497282889671.png?fit=570%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ARLE-e1497282889671.png?fit=570%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ARLE-e1497282889671.png?fit=570%2C416&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12120,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12120","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":3},"title":"Blundered Seduction (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"December 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Caught with his pants down and in a compromising situation by the one person he'd least likely want to find him as such, Joe learns three valuable lessons; no one ever died of embarrassment, chose your friends carefully, and being 16 and still a virgin is nothing to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13631,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13631","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":4},"title":"Freedom from Fear (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The aftermath of Joe's kidnapping and subsequent rescue. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (33,760) Due to the subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12147,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12147","url_meta":{"origin":14149,"position":5},"title":"He Said Not To Tell (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"May 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"The author requests those who wish to read this series contact her via eMail: DLB1234@aol.com","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/1-joe.jpg?fit=238%2C226&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\/14149","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\/10058"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}