{"id":23095,"date":"2019-07-13T18:00:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-13T22:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=23095"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:39:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:39:40","slug":"stagecoach-by-vcls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=23095","title":{"rendered":"Stagecoach (by VCLS)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/strong>A call for help and a stagecoach ride into trouble, brings danger for the Cartwright brothers.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/strong> \u00a0T \u00a0WC \u00a017,185<\/p>\n

Story Notes: \u00a0<\/strong>A summer 2019 Round Robin Challenge. \u00a0Bonanza Brand writers were invited to submit an opening chapter that would leave the reader wanting to know more. \u00a0Members voted on their favorite submission and the top three openings were selected for completion.\u00a0 Over the summer, six to eight authors participated in finishing the story, including working through developmental and line edits and re-writes as needed.<\/p>\n

The participants in this story were (in alphabetical order): \u00a0BakerJ, Cheaux, ForeverFree, JFClover, MicheleBE, Puchi Ann, SJR Cartwright, and sklamb.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stagecoach<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 1<\/p>\n

Hoss grunted as a particularly rough bump in the road slammed his little brother\u2019s body, inert and uncontrollable with sleep, into his shoulder.\u00a0 That it had happened at least six times along this rocky stretch of barren road made it no surprise but didn\u2019t improve his attitude toward it.\u00a0\u00a0It had been a long trip, which made him ask, as he had more than once, what had taken his older brother to an out-of-the-way place like Franklinville to begin with.\u00a0\u00a0It wasn\u2019t where he\u2019d said he was going when he left home.\u00a0\u00a0But Franklinville was where that mysterious telegram had come from:<\/p>\n

Hoss (Stop)<\/p>\n

Come to Franklinville (Stop)<\/p>\n

Bring money for bail (Stop)<\/p>\n

Soon (Stop)<\/p>\n

Adam (Full Stop)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The fact that the telegram was addressed to him, and only him, told Hoss clear as day that Adam had wanted him alone to know about his trouble.\u00a0\u00a0By a stroke of good fortune, Pa hadn\u2019t been home when the wire arrived; to counterbalance that with fortune of exactly the opposite kind, Little Joe had been.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Predictably, the price of his silence had been coming along on the trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter all,\u201d Little Joe had pointed out, \u201cain\u2019t often older brother finds himself penniless\u2014probably gambled it all away\u2014and<\/em>\u00a0in trouble with the law.\u00a0\u00a0This has all the earmarks of prime blackmail material, brother, and I\u2019m the best one to take full advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

No arguing with that obvious truth or the equally obvious one that Little Joe was also the best person to wheedle permission for the trip out of Pa without letting on the real reason behind it.\u00a0\u00a0It was a wonder how that young\u2019un could wrap Pa around his little finger, because there was no way under heaven Hoss could\u2019ve gotten away with saying that they missed Adam so much they just had to ride out and meet him on his way home.<\/p>\n

That Pa had actually seen through the transparent reason and chosen to turn a blind eye in the interest of brotherly bonding never occurred to the guileless middle brother.<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe awoke abruptly, assuming at first that the jolting of the stagecoach had caused it.\u00a0\u00a0Then the female passenger\u2019s screams and a succession of gunshots pierced his quickening consciousness.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWh-who\u2019s shootin\u2019?\u201d he asked, shaking his head to clear his still-blurred senses.<\/p>\n

Hoss fired off another round through the window.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBesides me, you mean?\u00a0\u00a0Those three robbers chasin\u2019 us, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019d bother robbing\u2019 a stage for the puny pickin\u2019s we got?\u201d Little Joe sputtered.\u00a0\u00a0Nonetheless, he drew his own revolver and moved to the opposite window.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who knows what we\u2019re carrying,\u201d the other male passenger scoffed, \u201cand that\u2019s just about anyone within a hundred miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss asked, \u201cWhat we carryin\u2019, Mr. Welby?\u00a0 We ain\u2019t from around these parts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWeekly payroll for the Franklin mine,\u201d Tobias Welby replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right; you said you was some kind of mine manager, didn\u2019t you?\u201d Hoss fired off another shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegional manager,\u201d Welby stated proudly.\u00a0 \u201cFrankinville\u2019s payroll is small by the standards of other mines in my district, but still several thousand dollars.\u00a0 Please control yourself, Mrs. Sanders!\u00a0 If need be, we\u2019ll just give these assailants the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral thousand, huh?\u00a0 That would do it,\u201d Little Joe muttered.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWish we\u2019d known.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He squeezed off a shot and thought he\u2019d hit one of the pursuing bandits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t\u2019ve mattered,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019d\u2019ve took the first stage out, anyway, \u2018cause of Adam needin\u2019 help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conversation dropped then, the two Cartwrights occupied with the oncoming threat, while Welby, apparently unarmed, had his hands full, trying to calm down the still-shrieking Mrs. Sanders.<\/p>\n

As Little Joe sat on the floor of the rocking coach to reload his gun, the stage began to careen from side to side of the narrow road between the high embankment to their right and the steep canyon, dotted with spindly pines to their left.\u00a0\u00a0Unexpectedly, he jumped up and flung open the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be a fool, boy!\u201d Welby protested.\u00a0 \u201cStop your brother, Mr. Cartwright!\u00a0 He\u2019ll be killed!\u201d\u00a0 From the intensity of his concern, one might have thought Little Joe was his own kin, instead of a man he\u2019d only met after boarding the stage in Virginia City.<\/p>\n

Joe stretched for the handgrip above him.\u00a0 \u201cI think the driver\u2019s hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss called.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful, boy!\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like the risk his brother was taking, but someone had to do it, and Joe was probably the best choice they had on board.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways am!\u201d Joe hollered back and began to climb atop the weaving vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss muttered to himself, \u201cand Lake Tahoe drains dry every summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clambering up onto the roof, Little Joe saw at once that their predicament was worse than he\u2019d feared.\u00a0\u00a0The driver was shot, slumped to one side, blood seeping from his back, but what Joe hadn\u2019t suspected, though maybe he should have from the way the coach was lurching, was that the team had broken loose, and gravity and momentum alone were propelling them down the steep road.\u00a0\u00a0The driver was being tossed every which way with the movement of the coach, so he was probably dead, but Joe had to check.\u00a0 Keeping low, he crawled toward the man, but never reached him.\u00a0\u00a0With nothing guiding it, the stagecoach missed the curve in the road and headed straight for the gorge below.\u00a0\u00a0As it began to plunge downward, Little Joe grabbed the iron luggage rack.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He held on briefly but moments later was flung off, falling freely through the air toward the rock-strewn side of the canyon below him.<\/p>\n

Seeing his brother\u2019s dangling boots, Hoss made a desperate grab, but watched in horror as Joe flashed past his outstretched fingers.\u00a0\u00a0He had time only to pull his arm back in before he, along with the other passengers, bounced around the interior of the coach as it tumbled down the hill, spilling off the driver\u2019s dead body and bits and pieces of the luggage along the way.\u00a0\u00a0The hanging side door broke off as it collided with one of the larger pines, and Hoss fell through the opening, his head striking a small boulder as he hit the ground.\u00a0\u00a0The coach arched over him and continued to roll downhill.\u00a0\u00a0As he lay among the luggage and debris, his last conscious thought was of his brothers: Adam, who wasn\u2019t going to get his bail money anytime soon and Little Joe, who was somewhere on this barren hillside, probably in an even worse pickle.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 2<\/p>\n

He paced the boardwalk like an impatient child.\u00a0 Except for the crushing sound of a stamp mill, his bootheels made the only other noise in the sleepy, little mining town of Franklinville.\u00a0 The sheriff had set bail, and Adam would pay the outrageous fine, but he would replace his father\u2019s money out of his own account as soon as he returned home.<\/p>\n

Without question, Hoss would do his bidding, and Adam had come to meet the four o\u2019clock stage, but patience wasn\u2019t his strong suit and by a quarter to five, he felt more like his hotheaded youngest brother than a grown man who knew coaches rarely arrived on time.\u00a0 He took a seat on the wooden bench, but his eyes were drawn to the east and the dust cloud that would fill the narrow street as soon as the coach arrived.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t ready to explain the situation to his father and hoped Ben hadn\u2019t intercepted the wire.\u00a0 Worse, though, would be Joe getting hold of the telegram and heading to Franklinville alone with a pocketful of cash.\u00a0 Hoss had been his only option, and if that damn stage didn\u2019t arrive soon with the right brother and the right amount of cash \u2026<\/p>\n

He stepped up to the window and asked the clerk a question he couldn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 \u201cAny word on the incoming stage from Virginia City?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know as much as I do, fella.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it usually late?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore often than not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been a big help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The past couple of days had been a whirlwind of exasperation and determination to set things right.\u00a0 Adam wanted answers but he\u2019d have to tread carefully.\u00a0 One misplaced word or phrase could end things before they began and bring the world crashing down around them.<\/p>\n

Franklinville, a town he\u2019d nearly bypassed, had provided a chance meeting at the local saloon.\u00a0 Recognition was a funny thing.\u00a0 Once the mind processed, it couldn\u2019t be dismissed, and that\u2019s why the desperate wire to Hoss had been sent.\u00a0 But that was only part of the problem.\u00a0 Once he paid the bail, what revelations would come next?<\/p>\n

The saloon brawl he\u2019d witnessed two days prior had been ugly.\u00a0 Three against one were never good odds and the outcome had been predictable.\u00a0 With rifle in hand, the town sheriff stood and watched but did nothing to end the fight.\u00a0 An outsider had been put in his place.\u00a0 The battle had been won and drinks throughout the saloon were raised in a victory toast.<\/p>\n

Leaving his unfinished beer on the table, Adam had elbowed several drunken miners from his path and knelt down beside the unconscious man.\u00a0 His features were strikingly familiar.\u00a0 Dark hair, tanned face, and pearl-white teeth.\u00a0 The fancy coat and tie and clean, starched shirt was a dead giveaway.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe needs a doctor.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s deep baritone silenced the celebration.\u00a0 Someone give me a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

His outcry was met with laughter.\u00a0 Lifting deadweight was next to impossible and without a man like Hoss to lend support, he was on his own.\u00a0 When a familiar set of eyes began to flutter, Adam felt hopeful and slipped his hand under the fallen man\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on there,\u201d the sheriff barked.\u00a0 Adam turned his gaze upward.\u00a0 \u201cThis man ain\u2019t going nowhere except to jail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJail?\u00a0 For what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCausing\u2019 a disturbance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the other three, the men who beat him senseless?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re just protecting their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the toe of his boot, the sheriff nudged at ribs that might already be broken.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes narrowed in disgust as he slid his hand farther under wide, sturdy shoulders and hauled the man to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI have you.\u00a0 Just hang on.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the injured man\u2019s arm draped over his shoulder and a rifle aimed at his back, Adam made his way across the dusty street to the sheriff\u2019s jail.\u00a0 The cell door was unlocked, and he slipped through the iron bars to the narrow cot.\u00a0 \u201cHe needs a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff stepped up behind him.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t nothin\u2019 wrong that time won\u2019t cure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s this guy to you anyhow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a minute before answering.\u00a0 The man lying on the cot wasn\u2019t a stranger, but what was he exactly?\u00a0 Family?\u00a0 A caustic whirlwind?\u00a0 A cause for disappointment?\u00a0 How would he address such a simple question?<\/p>\n

\u201cA man\u2019s in trouble.\u00a0 He needs medical attention.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter whether I know him or not; it\u2019s the humane thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff couldn\u2019t have cared less about his prisoner\u2019s condition, and Adam had no other choice but to take charge.\u00a0 Head wounds were tricky.\u00a0 He\u2019d learned that the hard way and summoned the doctor immediately.\u00a0 But he was a stranger in town and Doctor Josiah Hall, dressed in a nightshirt and cap and not overjoyed by his late-night caller, hesitated to follow Adam back to the jail.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this is an emergency, why didn\u2019t the sheriff come for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stayed with the prisoner.\u00a0 I came in his stead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well.\u201d\u00a0 When the front door closed in his face, Adam remained on the stoop.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t dare leave without the good doctor in tow.<\/p>\n

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

Sporting a worn suit of clothes and carrying his medical bag, Dr. Hall headed toward the jail.\u00a0 Adam followed and stood outside the cell while the patient was examined.\u00a0 He checked the eyes first then ran his fingers down the torso, feeling for broken bones.\u00a0 He glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing you sent for me, Hector.\u00a0 This bottle cut on his head is deep and will need stitches, plus the man is concussed.\u00a0 He shouldn\u2019t be moved for a day or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked inside the cell.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about his ribs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t seem broke, but there could be bruising or cracks.\u00a0 I\u2019ll need help strapping him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam studied the helpless man lying prone on the jailhouse bed.\u00a0 Without an advocate, anything could\u2019ve taken place even another beating, but how many times had this happened?\u00a0 Was it a common occurrence?\u00a0 A man alone in the world had to fend for himself.\u00a0 No one had his back.\u00a0 No one fussed or cared whether he lived or died.<\/p>\n

Maybe it was wrong to care, but Adam couldn\u2019t walk away.\u00a0 Whether he agreed or disagreed with the man\u2019s lifestyle or was reminded of the turmoil he\u2019d put his young brother through, he wouldn\u2019t leave him alone.\u00a0 We take care of our own.\u00a0 He might not have the Cartwright name, but he\u2019s my brother\u2019s brother.<\/em>\u00a0 Like it or not, Clay Stafford was part of the family.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s leg took the first blow.\u00a0 His shoulder hit next when he slammed against the rocky slope.\u00a0 As he came to, he lay face down between two boulders.\u00a0 Resting his cheek against the hard rock, he forced his brain to clear.\u00a0 His leg burned like a raging fire and his arm hung useless at this side.\u00a0 The pain kept him immobile, and that was no good.\u00a0 He was in big trouble.<\/p>\n

After dragging himself upright, he reached for his gun, but his holster was empty.\u00a0 He remembered the robbers and climbing out the window to find the driver shot and slumped in the seat.\u00a0 The broken hitch.\u00a0 The coach rolling from one side to the other and then nothing.\u00a0 Nothing but pain.<\/p>\n

He cried out.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone there?\u201d\u00a0 He sagged between the two boulders.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone?\u201d\u00a0 His effort was fruitless.\u00a0 No one called back.\u00a0 No one came to his rescue.<\/p>\n

Hoss \u2026 where was his brother<\/em>?\u00a0 Thoughts flickered like bolts of lightning through his head.\u00a0 The woman named Sanders.\u00a0 The man who rode with them . . . what was his name?\u00a0 Tobias Welby?\u00a0 Were they all dead?<\/em><\/p>\n

Below him, a carpetbag had split open.\u00a0 The woman\u2019s clothing lay scattered over rocks and brush and not far beyond was Hoss, unmoving.\u00a0 He tried to focus and blinked repeatedly.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

A man dressed in a fancy suit coat stood up right next to the wrecked stage at the bottom of the ravine.\u00a0 Thank God.<\/em>\u00a0 Not one of the robbers.\u00a0 Welby maybe<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cUp here,\u201d Joe yelled.\u00a0 \u201cI need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he didn\u2019t seem in a hurry, the man started to climb the steep slope.\u00a0 Stopping next to Hoss, he knelt down and felt for a pulse before proceeding toward Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs my brother alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is indeed.\u00a0 Unconscious, though, so let\u2019s get you fixed up first.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll deal with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby glanced around and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t see her.\u00a0 So what\u2019ve we got here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy left leg and shoulder.\u201d\u00a0 Joe studied the man who could help him. \u00a0Barely a scratch.\u00a0 No broken bones.\u00a0 How had he been so lucky?\u00a0 \u201cHurry.\u00a0 I need to check my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about him.\u00a0 He\u2019s not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t like the man\u2019s tone, but he\u2019d have to play nice or he could leave both of them to die on a hillside a few miles out of Franklinville where they\u2019d never be found.\u00a0 Hoss carried the bail funds in a money belt around his middle, funds which put three lives in danger if they didn\u2019t get to town soon and spring Adam from jail.<\/p>\n

Welby disappeared behind him.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t turn; he couldn\u2019t see around the damn boulder.\u00a0 When he returned, his savior carried two sticks and what looked to be some of the woman\u2019s lace underclothes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll use these to splint the leg.\u00a0 Then, we\u2019ll work on your shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe tried to hold steady as Welby gave a good yank on his leg.\u00a0 Tears formed in his eyes, but he didn\u2019t cry out.\u00a0 Swallowing the lump in his throat, his breathing became rough when the splints were tied in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arm will hurt worse, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sagged against the rock. \u00a0\u201cJust get it over with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to lay flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou done this before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust lie down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby raised Joe\u2019s left arm and fixed the sole of his boot against Joe\u2019s ribs.\u00a0 \u201cReady?\u201d\u00a0 Not waiting for a response, he aligned Joe\u2019s arm with his shoulder and pulled until they both heard a click.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t move yet.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need a sling till the muscles heal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou some kind of doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 Just trying to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Welby tore a square of lace petticoat and secured his left arm, Joe didn\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry.\u00a0 If his friends could see him now, he\u2019d be the laughingstock of Virginia City.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp me down to my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby pulled Joe to his feet and wrapped his good arm over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Joe dropped next to his brother, Welby said \u201cI\u2019ll go look for Mrs. Sanders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOkay,\u201d and began tapping his brother\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u00a0 Wake up.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you dare leave me.\u00a0 Do you hear me?\u00a0 Please wake up, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

A desperate moan escaped first followed by unclear murmuring.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man\u2019s head fell to one side.\u00a0 Dried blood caked his cheek; his jaw fell slack.\u00a0 He moaned again.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I\u2019m here.\u00a0 Hang on.\u00a0 I\u2019ll help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check for breathing, bleeding, and shock.\u00a0 Keep the victim warm<\/em>.\u00a0 Adam had better be right about his life-saving lessons.\u00a0 Though he felt sick and wanted to throw up, when a man came up from behind and put a hand over his mouth, the nausea faded, and a sense of fear took hold.<\/p>\n

Where was Welby?<\/em>\u00a0 If he could get a jump on the robbers, they had a prayer of living one more day, but the man was nowhere to be seen.\u00a0 With Hoss suffering from a concussion and who knew what else, Joe couldn\u2019t act alone; he needed Welby to take charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a gun pointed at your spine.\u00a0 Get up and start moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t!\u00a0 I have a broken leg for God\u2019s sake.\u201d The plea meant nothing and when the man grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked his head back, Joe pushed up to his feet.<\/p>\n

The petticoat sling flapped in the wind and the man started laughing.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe recognized the plaid shirt of the robber he thought he\u2019d winged.\u00a0 \u201cYou should know.\u00a0 You ran the stage off the road.\u201d\u00a0 He was rewarded with a balled fist to the face.\u00a0 A warm trickle of blood dripped from his lip.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust what I need.\u00a0 A smart mouth.\u00a0 I could kill you here and now, you know.\u00a0 Bring the horse over here, Jake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Judd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead and shoot,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 Shadowed by fatigue, his breathing increased and turned shallow.\u00a0 His field of vision began to flicker.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have the strength for this, didn\u2019t want this.<\/p>\n

Judd pushed Joe back against a spindly tree and pressed the gun\u2019s muzzle against Joe\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so fast.\u00a0 Jake will kill sleeping beauty first,\u201d Judd said. \u00a0Joe looked toward Hoss to see another of the robbers holding a gun to his brother\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cThen, I\u2019ll kill you.\u00a0 Unless,\u201d he said and paused so Joe would fully understand, \u201cyou help us with a little favor.\u00a0 Someone you know owes me money, and you\u2019re our best chance of getting it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes. They might have had a chance with Welby on their side.\u00a0 Now there was Jake and Blake to contend with in addition to Judd.\u00a0 The odds of an escape had shifted from hopeful to hopeless.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s oft spoken words echoed in his mind. Where there is life, there is hope. <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t have the money.\u00a0 The other passenger, I think his name\u2019s Welby, talked about the mine payroll.\u00a0 My brother and I have nothing to do with any money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what we\u2019re after.\u00a0 We want your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, Joe glanced at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAre you deaf?\u00a0 My brother has nothing to do with this, and I\u2019m not leaving him here to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that brother.\u00a0 Get on the horse, damn you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pushed from behind, Joe fell to the ground and cried out as a wave of pain seared through his leg, his shoulder, and engulfed his entire body and mind.<\/p>\n

Hearing the kid\u2019s agony was like music to Judd\u2019s ears, almost as lovely as the sound of coins slipping through his fingers after a night of poker, whiskey, and a couple of females to entertain him.\u00a0 He snickered at the thought.<\/p>\n

He grabbed the brown curls again and whispered in his victim\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to help me find your conniving, drunken brother and save him from a very painful death.\u00a0 Get!\u00a0 On!\u00a0 The!\u00a0 Horse!\u201d<\/p>\n

Covered in sweat, Joe\u2019s eyes glazed with pain and his attempt to mount the tall chestnut failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen here, Joe Cartwright<\/em>.\u00a0 You\u2019re coming with me or Clay Stafford\u2019s death will be more miserable than his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay?\u00a0 <\/em>Had he heard the man right or was this some kind of bizarre dream that made no sense at all?\u00a0 \u201cClay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStafford is not particular about whether he lives or dies, but he has one Achilles\u2019 heel:\u00a0 his little brother. \u00a0And you will persuade him to give us what we want.\u00a0 If he doesn\u2019t, the price will be your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake still stood over Hoss ready to pull the trigger if Judd ordered him to.\u00a0 Joe tried to think fast but his mind was cluttered with thoughts of so many brothers in danger.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to sacrifice one brother to save another?\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd spat.\u00a0 The plan started out simple and had become a farce of broken bodies and a smart-mouthed kid he hadn\u2019t planned to argue with.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 We\u2019ll take that big fat brother of yours with us.\u00a0 There\u2019s a doctor in Franklinville.\u201d\u00a0 Judd looked at his pathetic captives.\u00a0 \u201cBlake!\u00a0 Cut some branches and make two travois for our \u2018guests.\u2019\u201d Then turned back to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cThink about it, Kid.\u00a0 You can save three brothers and your own life too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree?\u00a0 Adam\u2019s with Clay?\u00a0 Is that what this is all about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sweet-talk Clay into giving us what we want, or we\u2019ll kill him and that dark-haired brother of yours who thinks he can protect him.\u00a0 Then, sleeping beauty.\u00a0 And then the grand prize.\u00a0 You.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jumbled thoughts ran through Joe’s mind.\u00a0 What would Pa think if he knew Clay had put all his sons in danger.\u00a0 Adam needs bail.\u00a0\u00a0Clay needs money.\u00a0\u00a0As always, Big Brother is an unwilling Good Samaritan.\u00a0\u00a0How do we get to Franklinville?<\/em><\/p>\n

In answer to his questions, a shot rang out.\u00a0\u00a0Joe looked around frantically to pinpoint the source.\u00a0\u00a0Had help arrived?\u00a0\u00a0Please God, let that be.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/p>\n

Clay had fallen asleep as soon as the doctor left and didn’t rouse again until near dawn. He blinked up at Adam and mumbled in a sleep-thickened voice, “Not<\/em> the face I was expecting to see.”<\/p>\n

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Adam said lightly.<\/p>\n

“What is it with you Cartwrights? I can see Hoss going along with whatever Joe wants, but why should you<\/em> bother with me? I’ve no blood of yours.”<\/p>\n

“You’re as much Joe’s brother as I am. Far as I’m concerned, that makes you kin. Maybe not close-as-a-brother to me, but probably closer than my cousin Will.”<\/p>\n

“You may change your mind soon,” Clay grunted. “Things were messy enough before you poked your nose in. \u00a0With you here, I’ve got more than my own skin to look after, and I’m not used to that. May not be much good at that, either.” He pushed himself up to a half-sitting position and gave Adam an accusing frown. “Worst thing is you’ve got me pinned down here now. Not that I was planning to go anywhere before, but I liked having the others wondering if I would, or when I might.”<\/p>\n

“Those miners seemed pretty clear you weren\u2019t leaving any time soon\u2014except maybe in a coffin.”<\/p>\n

“Oh, the miners will be fine once they get paid\u2014at least for four-five days, anyway. Then they’ll get worried about the next payday. Some of them would rather try winning money off me at poker than asking for a loan against work they haven’t done yet. Mostly I let them win a little; makes for better feelings all around. Trouble is I get paid the same time they do, and last night I was running short myself.”<\/p>\n

Adam’s eyebrows had come together as he listened. “Who’s paying you?<\/em>”<\/p>\n

“Oh, I’ve become a respectable man, Cartwright. I keep the books and oversee operations at the Franklin mine. Something to tell Joe if I ever wrote him a letter … except I never found the time.” Beneath the easy drawl lurked a momentary discomfort. “Respectability hasn’t been all that relaxing for me.”<\/p>\n

“You don’t look much like an accountant,” Adam conceded.<\/p>\n

Clay snorted. “I’ve always been good with numbers, and better still with money. That’s not why I’m here, though.” He dropped his chin into his hands, took a deep breath, and met Adam’s eyes again. “Look here, do you know a man named Alfred Grayson?”<\/p>\n

As it happened, Adam did; for a moment he wondered if he should admit that, then realized he’d already betrayed the truth to anyone who played poker as well as Clay. “I’ve done business with him in Sacramento,” he said cautiously.<\/p>\n

“He wasn’t always such a\u2014respectable fellow. Our paths crossed, a time or three. You couldn’t call us friends, but … well, last time I was in Sacramento he tracked me down. Said he had a job I might find interesting. It was. Running a mine’s a lot simpler than a poker game, you know; the ore goes out, the money comes back. Only at the Franklin the two don’t quite<\/em> match up. Grayson’s on their Board; he needed to know why\u2014especially once the site manager suddenly died.\u00a0 So he sent me here to find out.”<\/p>\n

“And the miners caught you out?”<\/p>\n

Clay shook his head carefully. “Nah, all this\u2014” he gestured to include his bandaged head and strapped ribs\u2014”I reckon it’s a misunderstanding. They’re a rough lot, but they\u2019re honest enough.\u00a0 Wish I could say the same for the payroll coming in.\u00a0 And seeing as I\u2019m management, guess who gets the blame?\u201d<\/p>\n

A clatter of dishware from the next room announced the sheriff arriving with breakfast\u2014his own and his prisoner’s, at least\u2014and a strong suggestion that Adam find a place to stay other than the town jail. Despite the man’s unfriendly tone, Adam noted that he’d brought the same food for Clay as himself and handled the injured man gently enough. There didn’t seem much point in arguing.<\/p>\n

They were changing shifts at the mine, and the main street was crowded with men headed towards or away from it. More than a few of them paused to glance at Adam with narrowed eyes, and one even muttered, “Heard Stafford got hisself a guard dog last night.” Someone else gave a short, harsh laugh as the group moved on.<\/p>\n

A sense of being watched remained with Adam as he paid a quick visit to the telegraph office and another to Franklinville’s lone hotel. Somehow, the bellhop’s query, “Planning a long stay, sir?” sounded more inquisitorial than friendly; Adam only shrugged in reply and didn’t mention he expected company in a day or two.<\/p>\n

The hotel restaurant was still serving breakfast, filling the ground floor with the smell of good coffee and frying bacon. Adam had planned to catch a few hours’ sleep but settled on a splash of cold water and a quick shave before going back downstairs. He was pleased to see that the only person waiting tables was a girl pretty enough Clay would surely have flirted with her, if only out of habit.<\/p>\n

She’d been happy to chat with Adam, at least until the bellhop beckoned her over to whisper something. After that she was all business except for murmuring, as she was clearing his place, “Thanks for getting Clay somewhere safe.”<\/p>\n

“What do you mean, safe?” he’d asked in surprise, but she’d only stared wide-eyed at him as if she’d never spoken. Her innocence seemed false, but her fear very real.<\/p>\n

Back at the jail, the sheriff was shooing away a clump of scruffy-looking men, one or two with hefty pickaxes they handled with ominous ease. “No one sees Stafford unless he’s a lawyer.” Swinging around to face Adam, he went on, “That goes for you too, less you got his bail. This here’s a jail, not a flophouse.”<\/p>\n

Franklinville Jail, Sheriff Hector Martins, the sign on the nail-studded door read. Remembering the doctor’s casual “Hector,” Adam trudged back down the main street again, just in time to catch Dr. Hall locking his office door.<\/p>\n

“Martins is a good enough man, just not fond of strangers. What sheriff is?” the doctor said gruffly. “Your friend’s safe enough. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my rounds to make.”<\/p>\n

That was something Adam couldn’t argue with. He gave up and went back to the hotel for some sleep.<\/p>\n

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

Stagecoaches ran only so often, and only so fast; Adam knew Hoss couldn’t get to him in less than a couple of days. He wondered briefly when the payroll everyone seemed to be waiting for would arrive but decided against trying to find out. The sense of being watched never left him, even alone in his room … and yet, nothing happened. It was as if the whole tiny town was holding its breath.<\/p>\n

By the time he figured Hoss should be getting into town\u2014always assuming he’d even gotten the telegram\u2014Adam’s nerves were beginning to fray. It took real strength to keep from yelling at the insolent clerk at the stagecoach office. For what felt like the thousandth time, he made his way back to the squat little jail with its thick adobe walls and heavy slate roof. Adam had seen army forts that looked less defensible.<\/p>\n

To his surprise, the door opened as he approached. Sheriff Martins had a shotgun in his free hand, and another lying on his desk along with an open box of cartridges. The door to the cells was open; Adam caught a glimpse of Clay sitting up on his cot, looking considerably more focused than when he’d last seen him. It was Clay who called out, “Stagecoach not here yet?” He sounded downright anxious.<\/p>\n

He<\/em> doesn’t know Hoss should be on it, Adam thought, and finally made the connection. As he spun back towards the sheriff, Martins slapped the shotgun into his hands and reached for a rifle on the wall. Automatically Adam checked to see the gun was loaded, even as he burst out, “Look, I know you’re not on my brother’s side. So are you with the miners, or the thieves?”<\/p>\n

Martins dropped a heavy iron bar across the door before answering. “What on earth makes you think it\u2019s as simple as that<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 5<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell are you doing?\u201d Judd asked.<\/p>\n

Blake holstered his gun and turned to face his boss.\u00a0 \u201cI could only reach three branches, so I shot down the fourth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIdiots.\u00a0 I have idiots in my employ,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cFinish making the travois and then go find them stage horses.\u00a0 They gotta be somewhere nearby since they\u2019s still in harness.\u00a0 And bring the tack, too,\u201d he yelled over his shoulder as he made his way down the hill to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook what I found, Judd,\u201d Jake said, holding Welby by the arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have we here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFound him sneakin\u2019 around Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Tobias Welby.\u00a0 Unhand me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.\u00a0 \u201cDid you search him?\u201d he asked Jake.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, no weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud scream penetrated the air.\u00a0 It was the woman who had been in the stagecoach.\u00a0 “Help!\u00a0 Somebody!”<\/p>\n

Joe said, “That\u2019s Mrs. Sanders.\u00a0 You need to find her!”<\/p>\n

Judd grumbled but sent Tobias and Jake to investigate.\u00a0 They found the woman lying face down, her skirt pinned under a heavy piece of the shattered stagecoach.\u00a0 Jake yelled at her, “Quit yer catterwallin\u2019!\u00a0 We gotta cut yer skirt off or we won’t be able to free ya!”<\/p>\n

The woman nodded her assent.\u00a0 She was left with her blouse, corset and pantaloons.\u00a0Tobias helped her stand and each man took an elbow to haul her up the hill.<\/p>\n

“Why did we even bother?\u201d\u00a0 Jake said.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain’t even pretty!\u00a0 Yer fat, too!\u00a0 You ain\u2019t worth a plug nickel!”<\/p>\n

Horrified, the woman began another round of shrieking.<\/p>\n

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

Judd was furious.\u00a0 Getting Joe Cartwright loaded onto the first travois and strapped in had been easy, but it took himself, Jake and Welby to carry the unconscious Hoss up the hill to the second travois.\u00a0 By the time they had secured him in place, Judd, who reeked on a good day, was drenched in sour sweat that made everyone near him gag, including himself.<\/p>\n

One stage horse was hitched to each travois, leaving the other two for the woman and Welby.\u00a0 Everyone had mounted and was ready to head out on a side trail that would take them to the outskirts of Franklinville. Everyone, that is, except Blake.<\/p>\n

\u201cJake!\u00a0 Where\u2019s that worthless brother of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWent to find the payroll that young Cartwright said was on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf all the blasted . . . we don\u2019t have time for this!\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 Help me find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the prisoners?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s goin\u2019 anywhere, ain\u2019t that right,\u201d Judd pointed his gun at the woman and Welby, before turning his horse back towards the main road.<\/p>\n

“As if we could,” Joe muttered to himself.<\/p>\n

“They\u2019ll be back, won’t they?” the woman asked, fearful they would but terrified to be left with two wounded men.<\/p>\n

“Maybe, maybe not.\u00a0 It depends on if they find the payroll money and how much is there.\u00a0 The box could have broken open and the cash scattered around,\u201d Welby said.<\/p>\n

This was the chance Joe had prayed for.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to go.\u00a0 Now!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 6<\/p>\n

Adam shifted his grip on the shotgun, his eyes flicking to the barred window.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t have to wait long before the mob appeared.\u00a0 The crowd of miners strode down the street toward the jail.\u00a0 About twenty of them, getting louder as they approached and worked themselves up.\u00a0 Adam glanced over his shoulder, checking the door to Clay\u2019s cell was safely bolted.<\/p>\n

As the miners drew level with the jail, the sheriff opened the window and eased his rifle through, pointing it right into the middle of the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold it right there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t got no quarrel with you sheriff.\u00a0 We jest want Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome ahead,\u201d the Sheriff invited.\u00a0 \u201cThe first man who steps foot on the boardwalk gets the first bullet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sideways looks were nervously exchanged.\u00a0 Pickaxe handles shifted as the men sized up the odds.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon sheriff, we jest wanna know what\u2019s happened to our pay an\u2019 we ain\u2019t goin\u2019 \u2018till we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martins looked back at the cell as if he could see the man inside.\u00a0 He was a man of the law first and foremost, but these miners were the town and Stafford?\u00a0 Well, Stafford was an unknown quantity.\u00a0 He reached over to remove the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cSheriff?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand these men, I\u2019m gonna talk to them,\u201d he replied, in answer to Adam\u2019s worried look.<\/p>\n

Opening the door, he stepped outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou men know me.\u00a0 I follow the law. Stafford\u2019s in jail for disturbing the peace and that\u2019s where he\u2019s gonna stay until his lawyer sees him or he posts bail.\u00a0 I aim to keep things peaceable, but I\u2019ve never let a man get taken out of my jail yet, and I ain\u2019t planning to start now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam decided it was time to be seen and moved through the door.<\/p>\n

Faced with two determined men, the crowd wavered.\u00a0 Martins took a step forward to reinforce the point.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow y\u2019all go about your business!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam relaxed slightly as the group began to drift.\u00a0 A voice from the middle tightened it up again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have to take that!\u00a0 Stafford\u2019s up to somethin\u2019.\u00a0 We gotta right to ask him!\u201d<\/p>\n

The speaker whipped up the men as he pushed to the front.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s keen eyes narrowed.\u00a0 There was something off about him.\u00a0 The others were worked up on angry words and drink, but that wasn\u2019t the case with this loudmouth.\u00a0 His sixth sense pricking him, Adam moved the shotgun and hooked it under his left arm, leaving his right hand free to drift over his pistol.<\/p>\n

Turning to the man, Martins snapped, \u201cYou know better than that.\u00a0 You\u2019re their foreman, you should be talking these men down, not encouraging them to break the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTalkin\u2019 ain\u2019t breakin\u2019 no laws.\u00a0 These men gotta right to their pay.\u00a0 We want to know what Stafford\u2019s really doing with it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Egged on, the group surged forward.\u00a0 Adam saw the loudmouth pull a gun from under his vest and with one swift movement, he drew and fired.<\/p>\n

Everyone leapt back at the shot.\u00a0 The gun dropped from the man\u2019s grazed hand.<\/p>\n

Martins snarled, turning his rifle directly on the injured man.\u00a0 \u201cI ought to chuck you in the hoosegow along with Stafford, but somehow I think you might want that.\u00a0 Now git!\u00a0 All of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rattled, the miners broke up.\u00a0 After casting Adam a venomous look, the loudmouth followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re mighty handy with that shootin\u2019 iron, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laying the shotgun back down on the sheriff\u2019s desk, Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI know how to use it if I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff glanced through the bars at Clay\u2019s drawn face.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better hope that payroll gets here soon, Stafford.\u201d\u00a0 Turning to Adam, the sheriff cocked an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou stayin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam drew up a chair.\u00a0 \u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 7<\/p>\n

Joe could see the uncertainty in their eyes.\u00a0 But he had to convince them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to go.\u00a0 If we can get back to the main road we stand a chance.\u00a0 We might run into help there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He saw Mrs. Sanders glance at Mr. Welby for guidance.<\/p>\n

Joe pressed his argument, \u201cThe only chance we have is to get to Franklinville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby interrupted, \u201cWait a minute; is that a good idea? \u00a0They might come back at any moment and catch us.\u00a0 What will they do if they see us trying to escape?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Sanders eyes widened.\u00a0 She nodded, agreeing with Welby.<\/p>\n

Tamping down his irritation, Joe explained, \u201cThey must have a sheriff in Franklinville.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, that\u2019s where my older brother, Adam, is.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be safe with him.\u201d\u00a0 When they still failed to move, he pleaded, \u201cPlease, my brother needs a doctor bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe could see Mrs. Sanders wavering, but Welby shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ought to think about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Welby, there\u2019s no time.\u00a0 We have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sighed, \u201cThank you, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Mr. Welby?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man thought for a moment, Joe bit his lip.\u00a0 Finally, he nodded, \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe let out a breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to move quick. Mr. Welby, tie one of the lead ropes to Mrs. Sanders\u2019 saddle.\u00a0 You take the other and get the horses moving fast.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Sanders gasped, \u201cBut your leg\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be fine, getting away from here is more important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe gritted his teeth and shut his eyes as the travois began to move.\u00a0 He prayed it wasn\u2019t far to Franklinville.<\/p>\n

A lurch alerted him to the fact they stopped.\u00a0 Focusing on the road behind them, he saw one man approach at a gallop while the other two trailed behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d demanded Judd as he skidded to a halt and dismounted.<\/p>\n

Joe shifted nervously.\u00a0 Now angry, Judd looked meaner than ever.\u00a0 Mrs. Sanders was dragged roughly off her horse and tossed to the ground.\u00a0 Welby slid from his saddle without being told.\u00a0 Judd hunkered down next to Joe, a nasty smirk contorting his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you think you were goin\u2019, Cartwright?\u00a0 I told ya, me and my friends need you.\u201d\u00a0 Grinning, he glanced across at Hoss, \u201cHow\u2019s fatso doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a mistake; Joe knew it before he felt the back of Judd\u2019s hand strike him.\u00a0 Fresh blood trickled from the cut on his lip.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta learn to take yer own advice, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the other men pulled up, Joe saw a tin box hanging from Blake\u2019s saddle.\u00a0 It seemed they\u2019d been successful in finding the payroll.<\/p>\n

Dismounting, Blake was taken by surprise by a backhanded blow across the face from Judd.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot, this is your fault!\u00a0 What if they\u2019d gotten away?\u00a0 You\u2019d risk the whole operation for a few thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned.\u00a0 Operation?\u00a0 Weren\u2019t they after money they\u2019d lost betting on Clay in a poker game?\u00a0 What the hell was going on here?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Judd, I jest thought, as it were there, we might as well take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pushing him away, scorn dripped from Judd\u2019s mouth, \u201cYou ain\u2019t capable of thinking.\u00a0 Get on your horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd stalked over to Mrs. Sanders and pulled her to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t touch me!\u00a0 Let me go! Let me go!\u201d she screamed, slapping and kicking.<\/p>\n

Joe twisted on his travois, desperate to help the woman.\u00a0 To Joe\u2019s surprise, Welby stepped forward and grabbed Judd\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cThe woman\u2019s hysterical, you have to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd shook off the hand and slapped her in the face which only served to escalate her screaming.<\/p>\n

Joe cried out to her, \u201cMrs. Sanders it\u2019ll be all right.\u201d\u00a0 Then to Judd he pleaded, \u201cWe can\u2019t just leave her here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd turned to Joe.\u00a0 The coldness in the man\u2019s eyes filled him with dread.\u00a0 Judd drew his gun and cocked it.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Cartwright, I don\u2019t plan on leaving no witnesses behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horror coursed through Joe.\u00a0 His chest heaved as two shots rang out.\u00a0 He saw Welby, white-faced, stagger back, the back of his hand across his mouth in shock.<\/p>\n

Struggling to hold down the bile, Welby watched Judd callously push the body of Mrs. Sanders into the bushes with his foot.<\/p>\n

Joe glared at the man.\u00a0 \u201cYou son of a bitch.\u00a0 You murdered her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, boy.\u00a0 Now you jest think on that.\u00a0 What am I likely to do to you and that fat brother of yourn if we don\u2019t get what we want?\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd motioned for Welby to mount up when he did and the cavalcade began to move.<\/p>\n

Joe collapsed back.\u00a0 What had Clay gotten into?<\/em>\u00a0 Fear flickered in his heart for Adam.\u00a0 Was he all right?<\/em><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 8<\/p>\n

The itch like a million ants biting his skin grew as every minute passed.\u00a0 Finally, Adam could take no more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stage is three hours overdue; something must\u2019ve happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, maybe not.\u00a0 The stage is often late.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, ain\u2019t nothing\u2019 I can do.\u00a0 Can\u2019t leave my prisoner alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frustration coursed through Adam.\u00a0 He was right.\u00a0 If he left, those men would be right back.\u00a0 But Hoss was on the same damn stage that was carrying the payroll.\u00a0 The sheriff might be stubborn and have no liking for Clay, but at least he seemed honest, and Clay was safe in the cell.\u00a0 Could he leave them alone and go look for the stage and his brother?\u00a0 <\/em>He cast a look at Clay, unsure what to do.\u00a0 For once, Adam\u2019s face gave him away.<\/p>\n

Lifting one side of his mouth in a smile, Clay told him, \u201cGo find your brother.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be fine here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wasted no more time.<\/p>\n

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

Joe was lapsing in and out of consciousness by the time the horses were drawn to a halt.\u00a0 Overwhelming relief flowed over him that the agonizing movement had stopped.\u00a0 The road they\u2019d taken had been rarely used, judging by the bumps and bouncing Joe had endured.<\/p>\n

He blinked sweat away from his eyes to look about him.\u00a0 In the gathering dusk, he could see they had stopped in front of a barn.\u00a0 Opposite, a house stood in darkness.\u00a0 Joe watched Judd enter, and windows began to glow as lamps were lit.<\/p>\n

Joe turned, anxious to see Hoss.\u00a0 He could make out the rise and fall of his chest; for now, that was good enough.<\/p>\n

Being manhandled off the travois almost sent Joe over the edge into unconsciousness.\u00a0 He bit back the scream that rose in his throat as he was dragged inside, through to a bedroom and dumped onto a bed.\u00a0 His back arched when he hit the mattress at the agony that pulsed through his leg.<\/p>\n

Grunting noises told him the men were carrying Hoss in.\u00a0 Joe winced, seeing Hoss\u2019 shoulder crash into the doorframe.\u00a0 The exhausted men dropped Hoss on the bed to the left of Joe, who twisted around to see him better.<\/p>\n

Seeing the men start to leave, he called out, \u201cI need to take care of my brother.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes held Judd\u2019s; he didn\u2019t want to beg, but for Hoss, he\u2019d do anything.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, let me have some water, so I can take care of him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd grunted and left.\u00a0 In a moment Blake returned with a cup of water, which he placed on the table next to the bed.\u00a0 Joe stiffened and gritted his teeth as the man pulled out a knife and cut off a piece of his torn pant leg.\u00a0 Sneering, Blake left with his prize.<\/p>\n

Ignoring the excruciating pain, Joe pulled himself up the bed to bring himself level with Hoss\u2019 head.\u00a0 With his right hand, he grabbed the cup and held it to Hoss\u2019 lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, drink this, it\u2019s water.\u201d<\/p>\n

He almost dropped the cup from relief when Hoss responded and sipped down the liquid.\u00a0 Even though Welby had popped back his shoulder, moving his left arm was torture.\u00a0 But he managed to hold the cup with it, leaving his right hand free to drag his handkerchief from his pocket and wet it in the water.\u00a0 Tenderly, he wiped Hoss\u2019 face and head, which was how he found the gash.<\/p>\n

His hand froze when he spotted the matted, congealed blood.\u00a0 Moving Hoss\u2019 hair, he gasped at the ugly wound underneath.\u00a0 It had stopped bleeding, but it looked deep.\u00a0 Tucking the handkerchief under Hoss\u2019 head to catch the spillage, Joe poured the rest of the water over the wound to clean it as best he could.\u00a0 By the time he\u2019d finished Joe was shaking like a leaf.<\/p>\n

One thing Joe now knew, if it hadn\u2019t been for him, Hoss wouldn\u2019t be lying here injured.\u00a0 If he hadn\u2019t insisted on coming along these men would\u2019ve had no reason to stop the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u00a0 It\u2019s all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if the words pricked the big man\u2019s consciousness, his eyes shifted beneath his lids and slowly opened.<\/p>\n

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

Every part of Hoss seemed to hurt.\u00a0 He could barely think through the hammer that was pounding his skull, but he could feel Joe\u2019s hand on him and how it was quivering.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Swallowing back the lump that had risen in his throat, Joe gave a shaky laugh, \u201cYeah I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHurts \u2026 head.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he started to rise, Joe\u2019s hand pressed him down.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t move, you\u2019ve hurt your head remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe dropped his head to Hoss\u2019 shoulder and dragged in a breath to steady himself.\u00a0 Why did I have to come along?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYes, you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou \u2026 okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed.\u00a0 He knew he should ask questions, take charge, but the tiredness dragged him down.\u00a0 Giving in, he drifted off again.<\/p>\n

A disturbance behind the door pulled Joe\u2019s attention away from his brother.\u00a0 He heard Mr. Welby begging for mercy.\u00a0 Two shots rang out.\u00a0 Then silence.<\/p>\n

Panic gripped him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

The door opened.\u00a0 A hideous smile on his face, Judd leaned against the frame, gun in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t nothin\u2019 to fret about, Cartwright. \u00a0I jest killed me another witness is all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terror, Joe instinctively covered Hoss with his arm.\u00a0 Laughing at the protective gesture and the anguish in Joe\u2019s face, Judd shut the door.<\/p>\n

Joe trembled uncontrollably.\u00a0 The shock, pain and anxiety washed over him, dragging him into unconsciousness once again.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 9<\/p>\n

The place where the wheels left the road wasn\u2019t hard to find.\u00a0 Seeing the overturned stage at the bottom of the ravine sent Adam down the side of the hill shouting Hoss\u2019s name.\u00a0 Finding no sign of his brother, he began frantically searching while making his way back to the top foot by foot.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 hat was unmistakable.\u00a0 Now he knew for sure he had to have been there.\u00a0 The absence of the team made him wonder if they\u2019d been used to travel on, but if that was the case why hadn\u2019t they arrived in town, or he\u2019d passed them on the road?<\/p>\n

The oncoming dark was making his search almost impossible.\u00a0 It tore him apart to admit it, but he\u2019d have to give up for tonight and come out again the next day with help.\u00a0 The toe of his boot catching something hard had him reaching down to pick it up.<\/p>\n

He stared down at the pearl handled revolver.\u00a0 The breath caught in his throat when he turned it to see the familiar initials scratched into the surface, JFC \u2013 Joseph Francis Cartwright.\u00a0 Dear Lord, Joe had come too.\u00a0 Now he was missing two brothers.<\/p>\n

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

Smirking, Judd walked back into the parlor with a swagger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Worked like a charm.\u00a0 The kid\u2019s so terrified I\u2019ll kill his brother he\u2019ll do anythin\u2019 I say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd\u2019s smirk spread into a grin at the man opposite.\u00a0 Tobias Welby sat with one leg crossed over the other, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, fingertips steepled together.\u00a0 Over the top of them, his eyes glittered as he watched his grinning employee.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a dead man, you sure look fine, Boss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby sped across the room, striking a blow that sent Judd slamming back against the wall.<\/p>\n

Judd spluttered, \u201cWhat the hell\u2026?\u201d\u00a0 He froze, feeling the derringer pressed hard under his chin.<\/p>\n

At the table the two brothers stared, unsure what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell were you doing attacking the stagecoach?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe \u2026 we were gonna hold it up and take Cartwright off, using the payroll as cover.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd swallowed.\u00a0 \u201cI thought this was a better plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA better plan?\u00a0 You almost killed me you fool!\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd scanned his employer\u2019s angry face, and admitted, \u201cIt weren\u2019t meant to crash.\u00a0 That was an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby glared at Judd, who held his breath.\u00a0 Finally, Welby stepped back.\u00a0 \u201cYou idiots have really messed things up.\u00a0 It should\u2019ve been a nice, clean, quiet affair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd glanced at his two cohorts, a sullen look on his face.\u00a0 Still bemused at finding out the fourth passenger was in fact their boss, Jake and Blake could only gawk.<\/p>\n

Judd looked back at Welby and grumbled, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about witnesses.\u00a0 The driver\u2019s dead and you saw what happened to the woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby cast him a look of disgust.\u00a0 Kicking open the door to another bedroom, he told them, \u201cI\u2019m going to get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s my\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd shut his mouth tight at the look that was fired at him.<\/p>\n

Welby repeated, \u201cI\u2019m gonna get some sleep.\u00a0 Meanwhile, send one of those blockheads into town with the note for Stafford.\u201d\u00a0 Welby paused, thinking about his inside man at the mine.\u00a0 \u201cFind Olson and tell him what\u2019s happened.\u00a0 Then fetch the doctor for the Cartwrights.\u00a0 I\u2019ll stay in here out of sight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake snorted, \u201cA doctor, what fer?\u201d<\/p>\n

Between clenched teeth, Welby replied, \u201cBecause, you fool, we don\u2019t want the boy to die before we can use him to get Stafford to tell us what we want, and if the big one dies, there\u2019s no way he\u2019ll cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Joe woke with a jolt, instantly aware of cold and pain.\u00a0 Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lurched away from it, hissing as he jarred his leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, it\u2019s okay; it\u2019s just me.\u201d\u00a0 Joe groped in the dark to grip his brother\u2019s arm.\u00a0 He could hear the worry permeating Hoss\u2019 voice, \u201cYou\u2019re burning up.\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cL\u2026 leg broke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDagnabbit, Little Joe.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t ya tell me?\u00a0 You need a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying to sit up, Hoss stopped as the world spun.\u00a0 The hammering in his head told him movement was not a good idea.\u00a0 Shutting his eyes to block the sparks before them didn\u2019t work either.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s hand pulled feebly at his brother\u2019s shirt.\u00a0 \u201cH\u2026Hoss, you\u2019ve hurt your head.\u00a0 Be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Careful be damned.\u00a0 His brother needed help, and nothing was gonna stop him from getting it.\u00a0 Just as he was building up his resolve, the door opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn here, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctor Hall entered the room telling Judd to bring in another lamp and put it on the table.\u00a0 Each man on the bed promptly begged him to take care of the other first.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, don\u2019t worry.\u201d\u00a0 The doctor assured them.\u00a0 Turning back to Judd he requested hot water and towels.<\/p>\n

Blake returned carrying the requested item and then went to stand just outside the door where the doctor could see him listening.<\/p>\n

After a cursory glance at both of his patients, the doctor removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and went to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, Doc.\u00a0 Take care of Hoss, his head \u2026 hurt bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, I\u2019m the doctor here, let me decide that.\u201d\u00a0 When he examined Joe\u2019s leg, whatever grip on consciousness his patient had, vanished.\u00a0 Seeing the anxious blue eyes of the other man on, the doctor told him, \u201cIt\u2019s for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss watched; his face scrunched in distress as the doctor went about his work.\u00a0 Looking through a fog, Hoss fought an overwhelming desire to sleep.\u00a0 Seeing the pale face of his younger brother, he poured his heart and soul into focusing on Joe.\u00a0 He had to make sure he was all right.<\/p>\n

When it was his turn, he bit his lip hard while his wound was cleaned and stitched but didn\u2019t take his eyes off Joe.\u00a0 He had to stay focused.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoc \u2026 how is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jumping at the question, the doctor moved away, \u201cYour brother\u2019s leg will mend.\u00a0 There was some infection.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he\u2019s feverish. \u00a0His shoulder no doubt hurts like hell, but he\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 Here are some packets of medicine for the pain.\u00a0 Give one to your brother when he wakes.\u201d\u00a0 To Blake, the doctor said, \u201cI\u2019m finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pain was becoming a little too familiar for Joe\u2019s liking.\u00a0 As he regained consciousness, he could hear Judd\u2019s unwelcome voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey gonna live, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they\u2019ll be fine with rest and care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe forced open his eyes hearing the scuffle.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to see the gun to know there was one stuck right in the doctor\u2019s belly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou tell anyone about this, Doc, and you know what you\u2019ll get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe saw the whites of the man\u2019s eyes as he agreed before fleeing.<\/p>\n

Grinning, Judd ambled over to the bed.\u00a0 \u201cNow you\u2019re all fixed up we\u2019d better tie you up.\u00a0 Can\u2019t have you tryin\u2019 to escape now, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n

He bound Hoss first and then moved around the bed to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to tie him, not with a broken leg and a busted-up shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smirking, Judd pulled the rope a little tighter.<\/p>\n

His eyes still on Joe, Hoss could see the pain radiating from the tension in his face.<\/p>\n

Hoss pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cThose packets are pain medicine, he\u2019s \u2018posed to have one.\u201d He watched hopefully as Judd went to the dresser and picked up the packets the doctor had left.\u00a0 Seeing them crushed in the man\u2019s hand, Hoss hissed, \u201cMister, you crawl lower than a snake.\u201d<\/p>\n

The smirk hardened on Judd\u2019s face.\u00a0 The door slammed shut.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 10<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The anxiety raging in his chest pressed Adam to run his horse hard back to Franklinville.\u00a0 Marching into the sheriff\u2019s office, he began pouring out news of the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find any sign of the passengers.\u201d\u00a0 Turning to Clay sitting in his cell, he told him, \u201cand it wasn\u2019t just Hoss on the stage.\u00a0 Joe was on it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stony-faced, Clay said, \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 How do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff handed Adam a piece of paper.\u00a0 \u201cIt was shoved under the door about a half-hour ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam unfolded the letter and read.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got your brother Joe Cartwright.<\/em><\/p>\n

You know what we want.<\/em><\/p>\n

To see him and Hoss Cartwright again, come to Fisher Flats at dawn and tells us where it is.<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll let them go once we have it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis came with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s throat tightened as he took the item.\u00a0 He\u2019d know it anywhere.\u00a0 It was a piece of pants leg of the same material his youngest brother wore, soaked in blood.<\/p>\n

The sheriff\u2019s rules be damned\u00a0 He was going back to talk to the prisoner.\u00a0 Just let the sheriff try and stop him.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Standing over Clay, he demanded, \u201cYou need to tell me what\u2019s really going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down.\u00a0 I figured out that someone\u2019s been skimming\u2014diverting bags of ore from each wagon exiting the mine.\u00a0 I found where they stashed it, so I hid it someplace else.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he leaned against the outer door listening, Martins whistled.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, talk about poking the bear.\u00a0 What did you expect to happen when you did that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to flush out who did it.\u00a0 But then all this happened and I figured they wouldn\u2019t kill me until they got it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Adam broke in harshly, \u201cinstead, they took something they could use against you.\u00a0 That stage wasn\u2019t stopped for the payroll.\u00a0 They were after Little Joe.\u00a0 They grabbed him and got Hoss as a bonus!\u201d<\/p>\n

The color drained from Clay\u2019s face, but his answer was defiant.\u00a0 \u201cLike I said, I didn\u2019t ask you to poke your nose in, or send for Joe and Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t, but he should have expected his little brother to wheedle his way along.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me about the hidden wagon earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s eyes flicked to Adam\u2019s then away again, \u201cI didn\u2019t know if I could trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared.\u00a0 After all that he\u2019d done, it came down to that.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t trusted.\u00a0 Watching Clay shift nervously on his bunk Adam realized it must always be that way with him.\u00a0 For Adam, who had his family to rely on his whole life, he couldn\u2019t imagine being so totally alone.\u00a0 But when Clay had the chance to become a member of their family, he had walked away from them.\u00a0 Maybe that was the problem?\u00a0 When you\u2019ve spent your whole life trusting only yourself, giving that up was too hard.<\/p>\n

Adam pinched his nose.\u00a0 \u201cSo, they want the ore back?\u201d\u00a0 He drew a breath.\u00a0 \u201cYou know as soon as you tell them they\u2019ll probably kill them both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay snarled, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Fisher Flats turned out to be a good place for such a meeting \u2026 for the kidnappers.\u00a0 The area provided plenty of cover where the gang was waiting, but only a small clump of flat boulders for Adam and Clay.<\/p>\n

In the early morning light, Adam\u2019s eyes caught the glint of five rifles.<\/p>\n

A man with a bandana over his face and hat pulled low appeared.\u00a0 \u201cStafford, tell us where the wagon is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s my brother and Hoss Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the jerk of his head, two more masked men stepped out.\u00a0 Hoisted between them Adam could see the familiar form of his youngest brother.\u00a0 Air hissed between his teeth when he saw Joe\u2019s splinted leg and injured arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s your brother.\u00a0 Now tell us what we want to know.\u00a0 Once we get it, we\u2019ll let the young fella and the other one go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay laughed, harsh and cynical.\u00a0 \u201cD\u2019ya think I\u2019m an idiot.\u00a0 Once you get it, you\u2019ll kill them.\u00a0 There\u2019s only one way you\u2019re getting\u2019 the ore, and that\u2019s with a straight up trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd turned to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cYou better convince him to tell us, or your other brother\u2019s a dead man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire burned in the green eyes that stared back defiantly.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t forgotten the fate of the others.\u00a0 \u201cClay\u2019s right, you\u2019ll kill us if he tells you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd pressed the hard tip of his gun into Joe\u2019s temple, painfully arching his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cStafford, you tell me now, or I blow his brains out right here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo that, and you\u2019ll never see the ore.\u00a0 I\u2019m offering a trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not seeing any sign of his middle brother, Adam called out, \u201cJoe, how\u2019s Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis head\u2019s hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n

The breath left Joe\u2019s body as Judd\u2019s fist slammed into his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cShut yer mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the punch, Adam flinched.\u00a0 His own fists clenched as he longed to get his hands on the villain.<\/p>\n

Incensed, Clay yelled, \u201cLay off him!\u00a0 You\u2019ll get your wagon when we get Joe and Hoss.\u00a0 We meet here at six o\u2019clock tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The air hung thick with tension as everyone waited.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes fixed anxiously on Joe\u2019s slumped frame.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better not be late, Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n

The kidnappers departed, dragging Joe away.\u00a0 Clay and Adam mounted their horses and headed back to town.<\/p>\n

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

The three sat around the sheriff\u2019s office, eating the breakfast he\u2019d made for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you fellas gonna do?\u00a0 When you turn up with that wagon, they\u2019ll most likely kill you and everyone else.\u00a0 They can\u2019t afford to leave you alive knowing what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dropped his half-eaten plate on the desk.\u00a0 \u201cWe know that.\u00a0 What choice do we have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay heaved a shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI can at least send a telegram to Grayson and let him know what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019d get through.\u00a0 This goes deeper than you or Grayson guessed.\u00a0 Think about it.\u00a0 Who have you told that you have a brother, and his name is Joe Cartwright?\u00a0 And how did they know he was even on that stagecoach?\u00a0 Someone must have known I telegraphed Hoss and then found out who got on the stage.\u00a0 No, the telegraph\u2019s out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s face darkened as the implication of Adam\u2019s words sank in, and his stomach did a flip.\u00a0 Only Grayson knew about Joe. Could he be behind the thefts after all?\u00a0 Clay gave himself a mental shake and dismissed the idea.\u00a0 His mind went to Tobias Welby.\u00a0 Apart from Grayson, he was the only other person who knew his real purpose here.\u00a0 He oversaw all the Nevada mines for the Franklin Mining Company, including the one in Franklinville.\u00a0 Clay knew the man had carried out background checks on him.\u00a0 Could he have found out about Joe?<\/em>\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t much liked the man, but would he be involved in this?\u00a0 After all, he already had money and status.\u00a0 For some men though greed was a monster that could never be satisfied, and he was unquestionably in a position to organize an operation like this.\u00a0 Adam words pulled him from his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you ask the miners to help?\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff snorted, \u201cWith them not being paid?\u00a0 More likely to beat Stafford up again than help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam crossed his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if they knew those men have their payroll?\u00a0 I checked that wreck pretty good, and I didn\u2019t find any sign of it.\u00a0 I reckon the kidnappers decided to help themselves, seeing as it was just lying there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff scratched his chin.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to take on Stafford and another to go up against a bunch of armed men in a place where they\u2019ve got all the cover and advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes pinned the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 11<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Welby stood in the parlor, looking out of the window.\u00a0 Finally, his plans were getting back on track.\u00a0 He\u2019d put too much into this operation to see it fail.<\/p>\n

Franklinville had been a natural choice for his scam.\u00a0 A small mine in a small out-of-the-way town.\u00a0 Finding an inside man didn\u2019t take too long.\u00a0 Greedy and easily corrupted, Mark Olson was the perfect candidate and, as mine foreman, he was perfectly placed to sidetrack ore out to Judd and his cohorts.<\/p>\n

His eyes darted around the room to the other three men in his employ.\u00a0 He was beginning to wonder if he\u2019d been right to hire these dolts, but he needed men like Judd.\u00a0 Men prepared to do whatever they were told, even killing.\u00a0 Although the murder of the woman had shaken him.\u00a0 It was one thing to order, another to see.\u00a0 Like the dead Site Manager.<\/p>\n

Welby silently cursed the man.\u00a0 Finding out the blasted fellow had gone over his head direct to Grayson with his concerns over the tallies had infuriated him.\u00a0 If only he\u2019d known that before he\u2019d ordered him disposed of.<\/p>\n

After the bags of ore they\u2019d accumulated went missing, he\u2019d decided to take charge firsthand.\u00a0 The money he\u2019d lavished at the telegraph office in Franklinville had been well spent.\u00a0 Judd\u2019s wire was waiting when he reached Virginia City and he couldn\u2019t believe his luck when seeing who else was on the passenger list for the stage.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take a moment to wire Judd back with instructions for Olson to grab Joe.<\/p>\n

Olson!<\/em>\u00a0 Welby seethed, another brainless fool!\u00a0 He was sure that whichever of those dimwitted brothers spoke to him last night, tipped him off that he was angry.\u00a0 Olson had kept well away from him that morning and skedaddled back to the mine as soon as they\u2019d left Fisher Flats.<\/p>\n

Absently, he rubbed his arm, still painful from being thrown around in the stage.\u00a0 Well, if the numbskull thinks he\u2019d gotten away with it, he\u2019ll find out his mistake!<\/em><\/p>\n

Bringing his mind back to the meeting later, he smiled.\u00a0 Once they got the ore back everyone else could be dealt with.\u00a0 No one need ever know of his involvement.<\/p>\n

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

Dr. Hall stared down at his breakfast and realized he couldn\u2019t eat it.\u00a0 He\u2019d endured a sleepless night.\u00a0 All he could think about were those two young men in that room.\u00a0 The way they\u2019d begged him to tend the other first haunted him.\u00a0 He knew what was going to happen.\u00a0 He\u2019d patched them up long enough for Judd to use them, then they\u2019d both be killed.<\/p>\n

He watched his wife as she busied about the stove.\u00a0 He owed her so much.\u00a0 She\u2019d stuck by him even though she\u2019d seen his fear and cowardice.<\/p>\n

The image of Joe and Hoss hit him again.\u00a0 He clenched his fists into balls.\u00a0 He was sick of being frightened.\u00a0 Terrorized by Judd and those he worked for.\u00a0 Tired of keeping quiet.\u00a0 Two more lives weren\u2019t going to be lost because he was too scared to do anything.<\/p>\n

Getting up he went to the door, plucked his hat off the hook and bag from the credenza.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosiah, you going out?\u00a0 What about your breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, he replied, \u201cKeep it warm for me, Beth.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be able to eat when I get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he stepped out the door, her heart skipped a beat.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t looked her in the eye or held his shoulders straight like that in a long time.<\/p>\n

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

Chapter 12<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Joe whispered. \u00a0When there was no response, he nudged his big brother with his elbow. \u00a0\u201cHoss, you\u2019ve got to stay awake.\u201d\u00a0 No response.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u00a0 Wake up ya big galoot!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLemme be, Joe. \u00a0My head hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why you have to stay awake. \u00a0You\u2019ve got a concussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brother didn\u2019t move. \u00a0He didn\u2019t snore either, a bad sign as far as Joe was concerned. \u00a0\u201cHoss!\u201d \u00a0A sharp jab to the ribs produced the desired result.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWake up!<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t. \u00a0My head is killing me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it is, but that\u2019s the reason you can\u2019t sleep. \u00a0Talk to me.\u00a0 Do you remember what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly so much.\u00a0 Need your help to piece it together.\u201d In fact, Joe remembered it all, but he had to keep Hoss awake. \u00a0Despite the doctor\u2019s assertion that his brother was fine\u00a0Joe knew from personal experience that you shouldn\u2019t sleep following a severe concussion.\u00a0 \u201cI went up top to help the driver. \u00a0Next thing I knew the coach was rolling downhill. \u00a0\u00a0What happened then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTried to grab you. \u00a0Missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found you halfway to the bottom. \u00a0Lucky that boulder stopped you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you say so,\u201d Hoss mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were both a sorry mess.\u00a0 I cleaned you up some and Welby\u2014the man on the stage with us\u2014splinted my leg.\u201d \u00a0 There was no point in telling Hoss about the woman, may she rest in peace.\u00a0 \u201cDoctor stitched your head.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause Adam\u2019s the one with the granite head\u2014not you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get testy with me, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of the pain in his leg, Joe smiled.\u00a0 That\u2019s it, brother, keep talking.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFranklinville, I think, but I can\u2019t be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hurt any?\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, Hoss.<\/em><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 13<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam scraped the breakfast leavings onto one plate and set it outside the jailhouse door for one of the stray dogs he had seen wandering around.\u00a0 Despite a producing mine, this was not a thriving town and it appeared any wealth generated did not trickle down to its citizens.\u00a0 Was Grayson a part of the scam?\u00a0 His dealings with the man had been on the right side of legal, but that was some time ago.\u00a0 Still, Clay trusted him and that was saying something.<\/p>\n

Clay was back in his cell drinking coffee when Adam closed the door.\u00a0 The sheriff sat on the edge of his desk one elbow resting on his leg, the other holding a mug.\u00a0 Adam turned a chair around backwards and positioned himself in the opening between the office and the cells.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeen meaning to thank you, Sheriff, for taking a chance on letting Clay out of jail last night,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the way you handled yourself with the crowd, I figured I could trust you to bring the prisoner back.\u00a0 Besides, the ransom note put a different spin on things, kidnapping being a mite more serious than bustin\u2019 up a saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the nearest town with a telegraph?<\/p>\n

\u201cTurnerville . . . about 20 miles due south.\u00a0 A bit tricky if you intend to be here for the exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking of sending someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWho do you know in this town that we can trust?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cMight there be a sweet young thing at the hotel restaurant that would do you a favor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiranda Olson?\u201d\u00a0 Clay\u2019s voice rose in surprise.\u00a0 After blinking a few times, his eyes shifted back and forth while he calculated the risk.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 She\u2019s a good rider; adventurous sort,\u201d he added, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cIf she can get away from her father, she could do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer father?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the miners from last night,\u201d Martins said.\u00a0 \u201cThe one you shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, he\u2019s her stepfather and there is no love lost between them.\u00a0 She\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dropped his chin to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cOf course.\u00a0 Just like Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever do you mean?\u201d Clay asked in all earnestness.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave it to you\u2014both of you\u2014to find the prettiest girl in town with family problems.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shook his head and then began to ponder whom to notify and what to say.\u00a0 In the end, he decided they\u2019d send two telegrams:\u00a0 one to Grayson, which Clay wrote out, and one to Tom Beaudry, a longtime friend of the Cartwrights who owned the Bar B in nearby Coloma.\u00a0 Adam was confident Beaudry would grant his request for men and guns would be granted without question.<\/p>\n

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

Josiah Hall drew himself up to his full height, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door of the ramshackle one-story house on the outskirts of Franklinville.<\/p>\n

Judd Parker was about the meanest man the doctor had ever met but at least he never pretended otherwise.\u00a0 What you saw was what you got.\u00a0 The man hadn\u2019t bathed in six months, if that, and reeked of tobacco juice from the ever-present wad of chaw he kept tucked in his cheek.\u00a0 Judd opened the door and spat, then said, \u201cWhaddaya want, sawbones?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to check on my patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one asked you to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth men are injured and if you want them to live long enough for your purposes\u2014whatever those might be\u2014you\u2019ll let me in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd spit again and then opened the door wider.\u00a0 \u201cYou know where they\u2019re at.\u00a0 And no talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah held his breath as he entered and hurried down the hall to the bedroom.\u00a0 What he found did not please him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho trussed these men up?\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhaddya bellyaching about, Doc?\u201d said Blake Reynolds, one of Judd\u2019s underlings who was guarding the prisoners.\u00a0 He and his brother Jake were as stupid as the day was long.\u00a0 The doctor figured Judd kept them around so he\u2019d look smart.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntie these ropes now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t do that, Doc.\u00a0 They\u2019s dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor pointed at Joe.\u00a0 \u201cThis man has a compound fracture and a fever.\u00a0 You could knock him over with a feather.\u00a0 And this man,\u201d he pointed at Hoss, \u201chis skull is likely fractured.\u00a0 I doubt he can remember his own name, much less where he\u2019s from or how to get there.\u00a0 Neither are going anywhere.\u00a0 Now untie them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw right, aw right.\u00a0 Quit your bitchin\u2019.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Blake loosened the knots on the ropes binding the Cartwright brothers.\u00a0 Neither appeared to stir, but the doctor caught the eye of the younger one and shook his head cautioning silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, fetch me some hot water and make sure the basin is clean!\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake grumbled but headed to the kitchen as he was told.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t too good at thinking, but he could follow orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoc,\u201d Joe whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI tried to keep him awake, but he fell asleep anyway.\u00a0 Is his skull really busted?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a concussion\u2014a severe one, but nothing fractured.\u00a0 Now, let\u2019s take a look at your leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grimaced as the doctor poked and prodded the wound.\u00a0 What had started out as simple fracture had turned into a compound one with the rough treatment he\u2019d received.\u00a0 The stitches were pulled apart, and infection had reasserted itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing I came back to look at this.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to have to open the incision and clean it out.\u00a0 When was the last time you had one of those powder packets?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever did, Doc.\u00a0 That stinky guy threw them away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat!\u201d\u00a0 The doctor shuddered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll give you a shot of morphine for the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 Gotta take care of Hoss.\u00a0 Can\u2019t be doped up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to hurt like hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd entered the room.\u00a0 \u201cI said no talking!\u00a0 What are you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to clean out this wound. I told him it was going to hurt without morphine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s ya water, Doc,\u201d Blake said as he put the basin on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u00a0 Now let me proceed, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd scowled.\u00a0 \u201cHurry up about it.<\/p>\n

Judd spit in the corner and left taking Blake with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank goodness he didn\u2019t notice the ropes,\u201d the doc whispered to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to leave you this in case he ties you up again.\u00a0 Be careful.\u00a0 It\u2019s not new, but it\u2019s still sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and slipped the scalpel up his right sleeve.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we go.\u201d\u00a0 With another instrument, the doctor deftly slit open the incision as Joe\u2019s eyes rolled up in his head.<\/p>\n

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

Perspiration soaked through Doctor Hall\u2019s shirt and coat, not from the heat of the day which was tolerable for the time of year, but from anxiety and stress associated with his unaccustomed bravado in facing Judd and his cronies.<\/p>\n

On the way home for that meal he promised his wife he\u2019d eat, he made a few stops to look in on patients.\u00a0 The visits were designed to throw off anyone who might be following him.\u00a0 He remembered all too well the pistol in the belly and threats of the day before.\u00a0 His last stop was the jail to check on the prisoner.<\/p>\n

Sheriff Martins looked up when the doctor entered his office looking pale and flushed at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything wrong, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I just need some water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing.\u00a0 Have a seat.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get some fresh from the pump.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor picked up a wanted poster off the desk with which to fan himself.\u00a0 It was then he noticed Adam leaning against the door frame leading into the cells.\u00a0 Flustered, he began to back away and stumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy,\u201d Adam said, guiding the doctor by the elbow into the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s that water, Josiah.\u00a0 How about a shot of whiskey with it?\u00a0 You look like you could use one,\u201d the sheriff said.<\/p>\n

The doctor gulped the water down and asked for a refill.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t mind if I do, Hector.\u00a0 There\u2019s something I have to tell you.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes darted towards Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be in with Clay.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned and entered the cell area closing the double doors behind him.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later the sheriff opened the doors and escorted the doctor inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to hear this,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut first let me close up.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The sheriff locked the front door and drew the shades before returning to the cells.\u00a0\u00a0 He brought a chair for the doctor.\u00a0 \u201cDoc, reckon you know your patient, Clay Stafford, paymaster at the Franklin Mine.\u00a0 And this man you met the other night is Adam Cartwright, Clay\u2019s stepbrother.\u00a0 His two other brothers were on the missing stagecoach.\u00a0 We have reason to believe the stage was held up and the brothers taken as hostages.\u201d\u00a0 The Sheriff showed the doctor the ransom note, and the bloody cloth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould one of them be a big guy, the other of shorter stature, slim, wearing a green jacket?\u201d asked the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHave you seen them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I came here to tell Hector.\u00a0 They are being held at the old Matthews place outside town.\u00a0 Both of them are hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay jumped up and both he and Adam asked, \u201cHow bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bigger man\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss.\u00a0 He had a deep laceration on his scalp which required stitches.\u00a0 Also a severe concussion with some memory loss according to the younger man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss\u2019ll be all right, but he should remain in bed for a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Joe,\u201d Clay asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDislocated shoulder which was attended to on site.\u00a0 The more serious injury is his leg; compound fracture through the skin, I\u2019m afraid.\u00a0 I\u2019ve cleaned it out twice, but he\u2019s running a fever and he wouldn\u2019t take any pain medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d said Adam slamming his right fist into his left palm.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was afraid drugs would impede his ability to care for his brother.\u00a0 They seem quite devoted to each other, if I may say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s putting it mildly,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He locked eyes with Clay.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re a very close family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither of them should be moved right now, but I take it from this ransom note that an exchange has been arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 Tonight at 6 p.m. at Fisher Flats.\u00a0 Their lives for a wagon full of gold ore,\u201d said Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cGold?!\u201d exclaimed the doctor.\u00a0 He turned to Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlfred Grayson hired me to look into some discrepancies at the Franklin Mine.\u00a0 It was all very discreet, hence my undercover role in payroll.\u00a0 It gave me the opportunity to talk with everyone in the mining operation regardless of position, no questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sheriff stepped in.\u00a0 \u201cThe miners took exception to events at the poker table a few nights ago and decided to wipe the saloon floor with Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took up the narrative.\u00a0 \u201cI was passing through.\u00a0 Hadn\u2019t seen Clay in years and had no idea it was him at the bottom of the dogpile until I tried to help.\u00a0 I wired Hoss for bail money and told him to come alone.\u00a0 No one knew that he would be on that stage . . . except the telegraph operator.\u00a0 And I didn\u2019t know Joe would tag along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrection,\u201d Sheriff Martins said, \u201cthe telegraph operator only knew you had made a request.\u00a0 As you pointed out earlier, someone in Virginia City must have confirmed the presence of both brothers on the stage and knew enough that Joe Cartwright is Clay Stafford\u2019s half-brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone turned to look at Clay.\u00a0 \u201cThe only person in the area who knew I was related to Joe was the regional manager of all the Franklin Mines\u2014Tobias Welby.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 14<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot!\u201d\u00a0 Welby slapped the face of Mark Olson with the back of his ring-laden hand, leaving a red welt that began weeping immediately.\u00a0 \u201cI asked you and your men to handle one simple thing:\u00a0 bring me Joe Cartwright.\u00a0 All you had to do was wait until he checked into the hotel and then grab him.\u00a0 Now we\u2019ve got him and his lug of brother to transport, and two other brothers to deal with.\u00a0 Egad, man!\u00a0 Can you do nothing right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 I mean yes, sir.\u00a0 I suggested to the miners that Stafford was skimming the payroll.\u00a0 They\u2019re pretty pissed.\u00a0 They almost hauled him out of jail the other night until that other Cartwright shot me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fool!\u00a0 I had Stafford set up to take the fall for the ore scam.\u00a0 The payroll is nothing by comparison!\u00a0 If he gets lynched before I find that missing wagon, we\u2019re all dead!\u00a0 I need Stafford alive for my plan to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

As prearranged, Adam rode out in the early afternoon to the bluff above Fisher Flats.\u00a0 Tom Beaudry and 15 of his ramrods were there outfitted with pistols, repeating rifles, and plenty of ammunition.\u00a0 The men dismounted.\u00a0 Adam sketched the layout of the flats. They made plans for gun placement and contingencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cTom,\u201d Adam said, grabbing the man\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cAll of you.\u00a0 Thank you for coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d do the same for the Bar B. \u00a0When is Ben expected?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t know.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he does now; I sent him a wire confirming what you told me and that the Bar B was assisting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam felt sick.\u00a0 It was bad enough he hadn\u2019t notified Pa as soon as he knew Joe and Hoss were missing, let alone hurt.\u00a0 Of course, if everything went as planned, it wouldn\u2019t matter. On the other hand, if it went badly, he\u2019d never be forgiven.\u00a0 \u201cThanks.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t trust the telegraph in Franklinville.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh huh.\u201d\u00a0 Tom knew.\u00a0 \u201cTough call to make son.\u00a0 Let\u2019s make sure it comes out all right.\u00a0 Can\u2019t disappoint my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got her wedding to Joe all planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCindy\u2019s ten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd got her heart set.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to be the one to tell her Joe\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

From your mouth to God\u2019s ears, <\/em>Adam thought has he circled back to Franklinville.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cSheriff, is there any chance we can get them out of the Matthews\u2019 place without risking lives?\u201d\u00a0 Adam had to ask.\u00a0\u00a0 As happy as he was to have Tom and the Bar B boys on their side at the Flats, the risk of crossfire was too great, especially since neither Hoss nor Joe could move on their own, let alone fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see how.\u00a0 The house backs up to a hill, entry only from the front.\u00a0 Barn facing the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoc, how many men are in there?\u201d Clay asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis morning there was Judd\u2014he\u2019s in charge; then Blake and Jake Reynolds.\u00a0 They\u2019re dumber than dirt but will do anything Judd asks of them.\u00a0 And there were at least two more.\u00a0 I heard voices, but I couldn\u2019t distinguish them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo three, possibly five, guns.\u00a0 There were five rifles this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wanted an easy rescue.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t going to get it.<\/p>\n

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

At five o\u2019clock, a wagon emerged from the barn and pulled up to the front door.\u00a0 Five men carried Hoss out and grunted as they struggled to lift him into the bed of the wagon.\u00a0 His feet and hands were bound.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later Joe emerged hopping on one foot, one arm in a sling.\u00a0 Two men got on either side and lifted him under the armpits.\u00a0 They were none too gentle going down the steps and they tossed him into the back of the wagon with no regard for his injuries.\u00a0 His scream echoed through the canyon as they lashed the canvas tarp down over the bed of the wagon.<\/p>\n

Clay shook with rage at the treatment of his brothers.\u00a0 He put down his binoculars and wiped his eyes. After several deep breaths, he got on his horse and rode to the rendezvous point.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 15<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe shook his right arm and felt the scalpel slide into his palm.\u00a0 Carefully rotating it, he began slicing through the rope that bound Hoss\u2019s feet, leaving just enough hemp intact to have it appear the rope was still tied.\u00a0 A good tug and Hoss would be able to break the bond.\u00a0 When he was finished, he inched his way up as far as he could go with the splint on his leg and dealt with the ropes binding Hoss\u2019s hands in the same manner. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss whispered, \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPiece of cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mention cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCheese then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart aleck.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cStop right there, Cartwright,\u201d\u00a0 a disembodied voice from behind a boulder bellowed.\u00a0 \u201cGet off your horse and toss your gun over here.\u00a0 Then put your hands up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam complied, all the while searching the rocks for a sign of where the voice was coming from.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoo your horse away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slapped Sport on the rump and the horse took off.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are my brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming.\u00a0 Where\u2019s Stafford?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, we\u2019re just gonna have ourselves a little waiting game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes passed.\u00a0 The sun was merciless, and Adam\u2019s shirt was soaked through by the time he heard the faint creak of the wheels on an ore wagon.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank God!<\/em>\u00a0 Ashamed of himself for considering even a moment that Clay wouldn\u2019t appear, he was nonetheless grateful when he did.<\/p>\n

Clay stopped the wagon just out of rifle range and stood up.\u00a0 He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, \u201cThis is as far as I come until I see my brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI give the orders here, Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay picked up the reins and started to turn the wagon.<\/p>\n

Adam held his breath.\u00a0 They had planned this strategy together, but it was a risky move and both brothers knew it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait! They\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The rumble of a freight wagon grew louder as it approached and stopped twenty feet from Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Stafford, come forward next to my wagon, and climb down.\u00a0 My man will check your load first.\u00a0 Then Cartwright can check on your brothers.\u00a0 Then we switch teamsters and drive away.\u00a0 Agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed,\u201d both Adam and Clay said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, my man first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judd climbed down from the freight wagon and ran to the ore wagon.\u00a0 He opened a couple of random bags to be sure of the contents, then signaled okay.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, now you Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

With racing heart, Adam approached the freight wagon, lifted the canvas and stared at an empty bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trick is this?\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are my brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d answered Welby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not here.\u00a0 The wagon\u2019s empty.\u00a0 Come see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

While all eyes were on Welby as he exited from the rocks and pulled the canvas back, Clay sprinted to the ore wagon with his pistol in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet down now!\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

When Judd made a play for his gun Clay shot him in the arm, pulled him off the seat into the sand, and climbed aboard.\u00a0 Gunfire erupted around the wagon as he drove out of range.<\/p>\n

Stunned at the turn of events, Welby dropped his weapon and surrendered.\u00a0\u00a0 Jake and Blake Reynolds, unsure of what to do, emerged from the rocks with their hands in the air.<\/p>\n

Sheriff Martins cuffed the men and put them in the back of the empty freight wagon, but not before firing three shots in the air.<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t breathe.\u00a0 Where the hell are my brothers?\u00a0 <\/em>Lightheaded, he bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking for these?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up to see Tom Beaudry smiling from the high seat of a Bar B buckboard with its distinctive black and yellow wheels.\u00a0 In the bed were Hoss and Joe.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 16<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After a night in a far-from-comfortable bed, Ben Cartwright pulled back the frayed curtains framing his window in the hotel and gazed at the street below, the false fronts opposite forming a slim silhouette against the pale light of the rising sun.\u00a0 The Franklin House offered nothing so commodious as the suites offered by any quality hotel in Sacramento, San Francisco, or even Virginia City.\u00a0 A sitting area they could all have shared, complete with settee, armchairs and writing desk, would have been welcome, especially for restless nights like this had been, but he had cobbled together a set of rooms that served as the best approximation of a suite one could find in the rough mining hamlet of Franklinville.\u00a0 Adjoining rooms could be linked together by unlocking a door between them, so he had rented two such sets, to the everlasting appreciation of the proprietor.\u00a0 Across the hall Adam had a room joining the one where Hoss now so contentedly snored, while Ben purportedly had the same easy access to his youngest son.<\/p>\n

Bah!<\/em> he grunted as he moved away from the window.\u00a0 If only he actually did have that access, but his place was being usurped by an unexpected and not particularly welcome intruder.\u00a0 Clay Stafford, who had his own quarters in Franklinville, had, instead, taken up residence in his brother\u2019s room, as attentive a nursemaid as any mother\u2014or father\u2014hen should have been and, sadly, Joseph seemed content to have it so.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t deny his battered boy that comfort, but he couldn\u2019t forget that night when Little Joe had fallen, weeping, into his arms, shattered by his newfound brother\u2019s insistence on leaving the Ponderosa, heedless of the wreckage he\u2019d left behind.\u00a0 At least, he\u2019d be here, only steps away, when it, inevitably, happened again.<\/p>\n

Ben was thoroughly put out with all his sons, the three of his own flesh, as well as the one who should have been his by adoption, for dear Marie\u2019s sake.\u00a0 His greatest ire, however, fell on the hapless head of his eldest.\u00a0 It was, after all, Adam\u2019s decision, to send surreptitiously for Hoss, and while he understood the boy\u2019s commendable desire to shield Little Joe, that was a father\u2019s prerogative!\u00a0 Sometimes that oldest boy of his seemed to forget just who the parent was in this family.<\/p>\n

The ever-compliant Hoss, of course, had only done what he was asked, and Ben could hardly task him for trusting his older brother, however much he might wish to; nor could he bring himself to berate a boy whose concussion had rendered recollection of recent events hazy at best.\u00a0 As for Joseph, he had simply acted true to nature, ever-ready for reckless adventure, ever-heedless of potential danger.\u00a0 Once he was fully recovered, his father would have a few choice words to say about the need to curb that tendency, but for now Joseph was safe from so much as a harsh word.\u00a0 Well, he might as well admit it given his physical injuries and the impending damage to his tender heart, Joseph was likely to go scot free for his part in this fracas.<\/p>\n

That left Adam as a convenient scapegoat, but it was hard to stay angry with him when, in the end, he\u2019d brought all Ben\u2019s boys, both flesh and adopted, through safely and, if not in one piece, at least in pieces that could be put back together.\u00a0 And in all fairness, Clay deserved a measure of credit for that, as well, so there wasn\u2019t much point in harboring ill will toward him, either.\u00a0 That left him no one to yell at, and frankly, he needed an outlet for the frustration he felt about the whole, mystifying situation.\u00a0 Ben quietly pushed open the slightly ajar door to his youngest son\u2019s room and moved to the side of the bed.\u00a0 He laid his hand lightly across the boy\u2019s forehead and frowned.<\/p>\n

A voice came from the dark corner on the other side of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s still running a fever,\u201d Clay said, \u201cbut I think it\u2019s down some.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his confirmation.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s he been?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay moved side to side, unkinking muscles tightened by a night in a hard chair.\u00a0 \u201cRestless, early on, but I gave him another dose of laudanum and he settled down.\u00a0 Been sleepin\u2019 good since.\u201d \u00a0In answer to Ben\u2019s arched eyebrow, he added defensively, \u201cIt was time, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I know better\u2019n to give a man too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling wryly, Ben lowered the eyebrow.\u00a0 With Joe, it was usually a case of too little painkiller, rather than too much, but neither Dr. Hall nor Ben nor, apparently, Clay had brooked any argument.\u00a0 One thing evoked concern: once Little Joe had realized that Hoss was safe and receiving care, there hadn\u2019t been much argument about medication, and that indicated a high level of unacknowledged pain.\u00a0 \u201cLook, you\u2019ve been with him all night,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you take my bed, get some rest?\u201d\u00a0 And leave this room\u2014and everything in it<\/em>\u2014to me<\/em>.\u00a0 He had the grace to leave the thought unspoken, as well as its companion conclusion that Adam was not the only Cartwright\u2014or quasi Cartwright, in this case\u2014who had forgotten who the parent was here.<\/p>\n

Clay stood up, further working the stiffness from his muscles.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, but Mr. Grayson\u2019s coming in on the morning stage.\u00a0 I\u2019m goin\u2019 down to my place, get washed up and change clothes before I meet him.\u201d\u00a0 His nose wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cThese are gettin\u2019 ripe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben said, the words carrying no emotion.\u00a0 For Joe\u2019s sake\u2014and Marie\u2019s\u2014he was determined to treat Stafford like family, but he was just as happy to be alone with his boy at last.\u00a0 With a final brush of the rampant chestnut curls, he settled into the chair Clay had just vacated and tried, once again, to make sense of the hash that had been served up as explanation for his sons\u2019 latest escapade.<\/p>\n

In a way it had been heartening to learn that Clay, while still pursuing gambling as a livelihood, had, at least, established a more stable source of income, as well.\u00a0 True to form, however, he\u2019d found one fraught with danger.\u00a0 True to form, indeed, he thought with a glance at the son sleeping beside him and decided, with a certain degree of satisfaction, that while Little Joe came by his tendency toward recklessness honestly, it did not come from the Cartwright side of the family.\u00a0 Cartwrights frequently managed to find trouble, too, but it was usually other people\u2019s, as Adam had stumbled into Clay\u2019s in this affair.<\/p>\n

Hard as it was to follow the assorted players in this latest drama, it was, at least, gratifying that all his sons had held true to the Cartwright traditions of love, loyalty and each putting the others before his own interests.\u00a0 Adam had even extended those traditions to a brother not his own.\u00a0 As he had privately put it to Ben, \u201cThe brother of my brother is family, too.\u201d\u00a0 Ben could not have been prouder, and in that moment of realization, his eldest son lost his status as designated scapegoat.\u00a0 He\u2019d done just as he should; so had they all, even Clay.<\/p>\n

And that was how they\u2019d survived: love, loyalty and putting others first, the final example of that being his two younger sons\u2019 escape.\u00a0 Once Little Joe had sliced through the ropes holding his brother captive, in hushed tones he\u2019d urged his big brother to leave him behind.\u00a0 Despite his muddled thinking, Hoss had seen through that act of sacrifice, and with a firm, but silent shake of his head, he\u2019d lifted his little brother and carried him to a hiding place in the barn.\u00a0 Because their captors were still nearby, Little Joe had been forced to keep quiet and accept what he wanted desperately to refuse.\u00a0 Thankfully, no one had thought to check either the interior of the wagon or the outbuilding, and once the outlaws left, Hoss had ignored Little Joe\u2019s protests about slowing him down and carried him away, though his sense of direction was so distorted he ended up going around in circles.\u00a0 By the grace of God, Tom Beaudry had come across them and brought them straight to Adam.<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe grinned as Clay came into the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cHey, brother,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d it go?\u00a0 Pa said you had a meeting with your boss. \u00a0Guess you had a lot of explainin\u2019 to do, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but it went fine,\u201d Clay said.\u00a0 He frowned slightly.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s your pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross the hall, seein\u2019 to Hoss,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure.\u201d\u00a0 It figured.\u00a0 Seein\u2019 to each other was what Cartwrights did.\u00a0 \u201cHow you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Little Joe replied, although his wince as he shifted his weight on the bed belied the time-honored response.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh.\u00a0 I can see that.\u201d\u00a0 Clay turned the wooden chair around and straddled it, facing his younger brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doin\u2019 fine,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 \u201cDoc says so.\u00a0 Even said we could head for home in a couple of days, so long as we take it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, that\u2019s good,\u201d Clay said, though he sounded disappointed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s been good seein\u2019 you, Joe, even if the circumstances were a tad less than ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a tad!\u201d Joe laughed.\u00a0 Then he sobered.\u00a0 \u201cSure wish you\u2019d come with us, Clay.\u00a0 You know you\u2019ve always got a place at the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s tongue gave his lips a nervous lick.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t give you what you want, Joe.\u00a0 Wish I could, but I just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s stopping\u2019 you,\u201d Joe pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so,\u201d Clay said.\u00a0 \u201cI got a job here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s over, ain\u2019t it?\u201d Joe asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou found out who was stealing the ore, so you\u2019re out of a job again, aren\u2019t you, brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still payroll manager,\u201d Clay said with a grin.<\/p>\n

Little Joe snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLike that\u2019s gonna satisfy you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think it will, for a while, at least,\u201d Clay said, chuckling at the look of surprise on his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cLike I told Adam, I\u2019ve become respectable, and I\u2019m kind of liking the feel of it.\u00a0 So, yeah, it\u2019ll satisfy me for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd later?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe couldn\u2019t hide the hope in his voice.<\/p>\n

Clay shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot cut out to herd cows, little brother.\u00a0 Too day-in, day-out for me.\u201d\u00a0 Then he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cKind of liked playing detective, though.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll hire out with the Pinkertons someday!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll join you then.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done a speck of detecting myself, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid to ask,\u201d Clay said with a shake of his head, secretly planning to hit Hoss up for the details later.<\/p>\n

Little Joe pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cSo, it\u2019s not that far from Franklinville to the Ponderosa, Clay.\u00a0 Maybe we could see each other from time to time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s smile this time was softer, warmer.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like that, brother, but maybe you could come here, at least some.\u00a0 Your boss might be a mite more understanding than mine about time off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe a mite, but not more.\u00a0 Hey, it\u2019s only a few months \u2018til Christmas, so how about it?\u00a0 Home for Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ponderosa wasn\u2019t home to Clay, and he doubted it ever would be, but the light in his brother\u2019s eyes was like a home fire, beckoning him.\u00a0 \u201cHome for Christmas,\u201d he promised, staring straight into that fire.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Epilogue<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The three Cartwrights not party to that bargain were not professional gamblers, but they\u2019d each have laid odds that Clay\u2019s promise would be unkept and that they\u2019d be left to pick up the pieces, come Christmas.\u00a0 Little Joe was the only one willing to gamble on Clay, with his heart as the stakes, and as the day approached, he frolicked around with all the eagerness of a frisky puppy, while the others braced themselves for a holiday catastrophe.<\/p>\n

At midday on the eve of Christmas, a knock at the door interrupted their decorating of the ceiling-scraping tree.\u00a0 Little Joe, high up the ladder when it was heard, almost toppled from the top rung.\u00a0 Hoss steadied him just in time to avoid another broken leg, while Adam opened the door and stood there, struck silent at the sight of the brother of his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you gonna let me in?\u201d Clay asked dryly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s kind of cold out here, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u00a0 Come in,\u201d Adam said, opening wide the door, while Little Joe scrambled down the ladder to engulf his mother\u2019s other son in a bear hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew it!\u201d Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cI knew you\u2019d come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaid I would,\u201d Clay reminded him, amused by both his little brother\u2019s enthusiasm and the astounded looks on the faces of the rest of the family.\u00a0 Soon he was surrounded by Cartwrights and nearly floored by Hoss\u2019s hearty clap on the back.\u00a0 It was the beginning of a holiday celebration unlike any he\u2019d ever experienced.<\/p>\n

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

As he always did, Ben took a few private moments as the new year began to mull over the events of the past year and his hopes for the next.\u00a0 His thoughts lingered on the member of the family\u2014yes, family!\u2014who had left for Franklinville just that morning.\u00a0 Recalling the incident that had brought Clay Stafford back into their lives, he reflected on the conclusions he\u2019d drawn then about what had brought them through the critical situation: love, loyalty and placing the needs of another above one\u2019s own.\u00a0 That was what had brought Clay to the Ponderosa for Christmas, his willingness to set aside his own desires for those of his brother, Ben\u2019s beloved son.<\/p>\n

Clay had not grown up with the Cartwright traditions; he had, instead, been raised by one of the most selfish women Ben had ever met.\u00a0 Yet in his brief time with Ben and his three sons, he had apparently absorbed some of their values and learned a little of what it meant to be part of a family.\u00a0 His name was Stafford, but as far as Ben was concerned, Marie\u2019s other boy was on his way to becoming a true, not a quasi, Cartwright.\u00a0 And who knew?\u00a0 Maybe one day he\u2019d even be willing to carry the name, as she would have wanted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: A call for help and a stagecoach ride into trouble, brings danger for the Cartwright brothers.<\/p>\n

Rated: T WC 17,185<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,1009,40],"tags":[916],"class_list":["post-23095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-brothers","category-challenges","tag-rrc","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-1009-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2802,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bonanza-1.jpg?fit=193%2C140&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12750","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":0},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #3 – A Quarter\u2019s Worth of Glory: Joe in the Infernal Machine (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Headlines ripped from the daily newspaper in this modern era tale of the Cartwrights. Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 (775 word) A Modern Cartwright Story Series, links to stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7320,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7320","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":1},"title":"The Stagecoach Robbery (by Sibylle)","author":"Sibylle","date":"May 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Adam wonders what his brothers are doing downstairs in the big room .... Rated:\u00a0K+\u00a0 (595 words) Adam Vignette Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7367,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7367","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":2},"title":"Monday Morning (by Sibylle)","author":"Sibylle","date":"May 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0A short vignette about a morning on the ranch Rated:\u00a0K+ WC: 570 Adam Vignette Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Adam \/ Hoss"","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Hoss","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1090"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Showdown3.jpg?fit=761%2C669&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Showdown3.jpg?fit=761%2C669&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Showdown3.jpg?fit=761%2C669&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Showdown3.jpg?fit=761%2C669&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12747,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12747","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":3},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #2 – Substitutes in the Cemetery (by GinnyF)","author":"Ginny F","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A continuation of A Modern Cartwrights Story.\u00a0\u00a0 Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0 (1,215 words) A Modern Cartwrights Story Series, links to stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/frontporch.jpg?fit=439%2C305&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7024,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7024","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":4},"title":"Try the potato salad. It’s delicious. (by mumu74)","author":"mumu74","date":"May 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Seedlings Challenge, May 5, 2014 1,006 words Rated:\u00a0 K \u00a0WC \u00a01000","rel":"","context":"In "Ben Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Ben Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1004"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1742,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1742","url_meta":{"origin":23095,"position":5},"title":"The Crucible – WHN (by BluewindFarm)","author":"BluewindFarm","date":"October 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: This is what happens when a writer responds to a Pinecone challenge, and then is reminded how easily she could have incorporated another existing challenge that few dared to attempt.\u00a0 But hey, can one writer incorporate the requirements of all three challenges into\u00a0one story to create a fourth edition?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/BONANZA-MARVIN-2-.jpg?fit=599%2C324&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/BONANZA-MARVIN-2-.jpg?fit=599%2C324&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/BONANZA-MARVIN-2-.jpg?fit=599%2C324&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23095","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\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}