{"id":3323,"date":"2003-04-08T11:16:12","date_gmt":"2003-04-08T15:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3323"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:06:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:06:44","slug":"dead-mans-canyon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3323","title":{"rendered":"Dead Man’s Canyon (by J7339)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/span>Summary:\u00a0 Little Joe thinks that his family doesn’t love him anymore. He is always being yelled at and getting into trouble. To add to his problems there is a substitute teacher at the school that has also taken a disliking to Joe. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ (49,570 words
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Dead Man’s Canyon<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Seven year old Joseph Cartwright<\/strong> sat at his father’s business desk with a sheet of white butcher’s paper and an overly large crayon.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The little boy thought for a moment about what he might draw to please his father and older brothers Adam and Hoss. Suddenly an idea came to him.\u00a0 He sprawled his right hand out over the sheet of paper and gripped the black crayon in between his thumb and fingers of his left hand.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Slowly and as carefully as he could he started to trace around the shape of his hand onto the paper. When he got to the end, he laid the crayon back on the desk and picked up the piece of paper to examine his work.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fingers were a little on the skinny side. It was harder than he thought to hold his hand still enough to draw around it. Plus it took all of his five little fingers to hold the crayon just right with enough pressure to make an impression.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was surveying his handiwork with a smile on his face when he heard a voice bellow from behind him:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Little Joe!\u00a0 What are you doing?” came the angry question from his big brother Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe hadn’t heard anybody approach him from behind and almost jumped out of his skin as his brother yelled at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I….. I was just making a picture for you and Hoss and Pa, Adam,” he said in a small voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam wasn’t concerned about what the little boy was holding up to show him. He was just worried that this was the second time in a week that the boy had been caught at his father’s desk when he was told not to.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What were you told about going to Pa’s desk, Little Joe” Adam asked with his hands on his hips. He had been outside in the yard all day while it was hot and was in no mood for the explanations of a overactive seven year old.<\/span><\/p>\n

“But Adam,……… ” Joe tried to answer in his\u00a0defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

“No buts, Little Joe, except yours over my knee if I catch you at that desk again,” Adam said hotly. He didn’t wait for a reply and walked out the door ready to resume his task outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was out the door when the crocodile size tears fell from his little face. He didn’t know what he had done to make his big brother so angry. He thought he was drawing his family a lovely picture. He didn’t think he was doing anything naughty. Not naughty enough to receive a trip over Adam’s knee.<\/span><\/p>\n

He ran upstairs to his room with his picture tuck safely under his arm. He dived on his bed, head first and buried his curly head into the pillow and cried. He lifted his head up and spotted his teddy bear friend Bo and clutched it close to his little chest and proceeded to cry tears all over the stuffed animal.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Why don’t they want to play with me, Bo?” he said through tears. There was nobody else on the ranch to play with. His father was always out with the men tending to the cattle with Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was too busy handling the timber contract to bother about a lonely little brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth was he was lonely. Very lonely. He was banned from going into the barn without his father or brothers. He couldn’t go to the corral without being under somebody’s watchful eye. When everyone got fed up with him or couldn’t afford the time to be with him, he was banished to the inside of the house. This is where he had found himself this afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The teddy bear just looked back at him with large black eyes. His face was always poised with a smile no matter what his master had been accused of. Bo never yelled at him. Bo always had time to play with him. Bo never got bored with the endless stream of questions. Bo was the only true friend he had.<\/span><\/p>\n

He had been to school today. Hoss had come with him as far as the school house but he had to return to the ranch to help his father and the rest of the hands. Hoss was big for his age and when the hands were low in numbers, Hoss was usually first to put up his hand to help out.<\/span><\/p>\n

He didn’t enjoy school anyway. Hoss always felt left out with his peers due to his size.\u00a0 Little Joe didn’t understand why he had to go to school and his brothers got to stay at home with Pa. Little Joe had always staying at home with Pa. Since his mother Marie had passed away a little over two years ago, he was always when Pa went away that he wouldn’t come back.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Adam had come to pick him up from the schoolhouse, Joe had been happy enough.\u00a0 His day had been a quite one. First up he had a spelling test from Ms Jones. He had spent his recess time talking to the new boy in school. He was a strange looking kid with dark hair and olive skin. Joe had talked to him because he seemed to be sitting all on his one like Joe was. His name was Johnny Scott. He was seven and a half.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was after they returned home that Joe began to feel all alone again. He had put his little horse Star away in the barn with the help of his brother Hoss. His big brother had shown him<\/span><\/p>\n

how to comb the little horse’s mane and coat. He showed Little Joe how much to feed the little horse at night time. It had been Hoss who attended to most of the physical parts of the lecture. Joe just listened to what his brother was telling him. Later when he was as big as Hoss and Adam he wanted to ride all of the horses on the ranch. He had to listen now to know what to do then.<\/span><\/p>\n

Around the dinner table that night, the mood was sombre. Pa had only returned just upon dusk.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was very tired and wasn’t ready for the energy of his youngest son. He gave him a half-hearted hug as the little boy wrapped himself around his legs when he walked through the<\/span><\/p>\n

door. As soon as he managed to pry Little Joe free, Ben was telling his son to wash up for supper. There wouldn’t be any time for play tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben could see the depressed look on his youngest son’s face. He had his head bowed and was trying to stab a wayward pea on the plate with his knife. The attempts he made failed and only resulted in a sharp screeching sound of metal on porcelain which put the older Cartwright’s nerves on edge.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Little Joe do you really have to do that,” Adam said impatiently. He had a throbbing headache.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe just slumped lower in his chair and forgot all about the food on his plate. Adam was yelling at him for the second time this afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben tried to ease the tension a little “Little Joe, what did you do after school this afternoon?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Got roused on by Adam,” came the hot reply from the youngster.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Watch your tone, young man,” Ben warned, “You don’t have to be so rude at the dinner table, Little Joe.”<\/span><\/p>\n

This scolding only got the little man’s temper up more. “Fine, may I be excused, Pa?\u00a0 Everybody picks on me anyway.” He didn’t wait for his father’s reply. He stomped his way upstairs and went into his bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What had gotten into your younger brother,” Ben asked his remaining two sons.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Don’t know, Pa,” Hoss replied “Me and him helped brush Star down and he seemed alright then in the barn.” Hoss didn’t like to see his little brother upset. He would have to find out what was wrong with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I found him at your desk this afternoon, Pa,” Adam chimed in “He was told twice earlier this week to stay away. It doesn’t seem to matter what I tell him these days, he just the complete opposite.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Oh Adam, I sure it’s not as bad as all that” Ben said trying to defend Little Joe somewhat.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Joe’s a growing boy and needs things to keep him occupied. He gets bored easily. You will just have to make some small allowances for him. The school holidays are coming up at the end of this week. Maybe you can all go fishing and get him out of the house for a day.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam just mumbled some other words under his breath and then excused himself and went into his own room for a while. Pa was right. Little Joe was just being a kid. He regretted that he had yelled at Joe at the desk, but he was just tired and let things get the better of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe was probably asleep now so he would offer his apologizes in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Ben climbed the stairs and went to knock on the door of Joe’s room. Like Adam he fully expected the boy to be sleeping. Instead, he found that the little boy hadn’t noticed his presence yet and he was able to listen to the heart to heart conversation he was having with his bear Bo.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Bo, I wish Mama would come back,” he said on the verge of a fresh set of tears.\u00a0 “Adam wouldn’t be so mean with Mama here. I didn’t mean to make him angry today.\u00a0 I just wished there was somebody for me to play with.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben listened to his son’s words and felt his own heart grow heavy at the emotion displayed.\u00a0 His little boy was hurting. Ben was even sadder that his son was still so upset over Marie’s death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben coughed to alert his presence in the room. Little Joe was startled at first that somebody else was in the room. He looked up and saw that it was his father, but the tears couldn’t be hidden.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Little Joe,” Ben started to say. He sat beside his son on the bed and was greeted by the boy wrapping his thin little arms around his broad chest and burying his head in his embrace and crying.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I just want somebody to play with, Pa,” the little boy sobbed. Ben had to fight back tears of his own at his son’s obvious distress. He rarely thought about there not being many children for Joe to associate with. With the running of the ranch keeping him busy from sunrise to sunset, some of his youngest son’s most basic needs weren’t being met.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’ll try and put it right son,” Ben said softly. “I promise, please don’t cry.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben just held his son for a bit longer. The little boy kept his grip tight around Ben’s middle.\u00a0 Soon Ben could feel the steady heart beat and rhythmic breathing of Little Joe signalling that the boy had fallen asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben laid his son’s curly head on the soft pillow and ran his hand gently down his face over the tear trails left behind. He brushed back a few unruly curls and promised to make an effort tomorrow. He would speak to Hoss and Adam too about spending some much needed time with their brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Goodnight, my angel,” Ben said as he dimmed the lantern and kissed his son on the forehead.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The next day was Tuesday, a school day. It started out like all the others:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hoss will you go and rouse Little Joe out of bed please and tell him to get dressed for school,” Ben said over his morning cup of coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Sure, Pa,” Hoss replied to the request.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later a very grumpy Little Joe came down the stairs with his shirt buttoned in the wrong holes and no shoes on his feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Come here Joseph, please,” Ben said trying not to get cross this time of the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe obediently went to his father while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.\u00a0 Ben re-buttoned the shirt into the right holes and tucked his shirt into his trousers. “Go and get your boots please Little Joe. It’s almost time for you to leave. I want you to be able to eat a reasonable breakfast before you start the day.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yes, Pa,” Joe answered and went back upstairs to fetch his sock and boots.\u00a0 He only managed to shovel a few mouthfuls of scrambled eggs and toast into his mouth before Adam was hollering at the front door that it was time to leave.<\/span><\/p>\n

“See you this afternoon Pa and Hoss,” the little boy said as he scrambled out the door. Ben just shook at his head in dismay as the morsel of food the boy managed to eat. That few mouthfuls was supposed to sustain that endless energy until lunch time. Ben just hoped that Hop Sing had packed a good lunch for the little boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ride to the schoolhouse was very quiet. Adam was too busy thinking about the day’s projects ahead to talk to his little brother. Joe was still angry at his big brother for rousing on him for no reason, so he said nothing to Adam either.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hoss or Pa will pick you up this afternoon, Little Joe,” Adam said as he prepared to leave his Little brother in the hands of Miss Jones.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Aren’t you going to pick me up?” Joe inquired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was angry at Adam but he knew that his big brother would be leaving for University in a few months and he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Even if it meant both of them didn’t talk to each other. Once Adam left for Boston, the only communication would be by letter and that just wasn’t the same as being able to look at his brother Adam when he needed to talk about something.<\/span><\/p>\n

“No I haven’t got time for that today, Joe,” Adam said in reply. He didn’t realize that his little brother would read a different meaning into those words altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘Yeah, don’t have enough time for me’<\/em>\u00a0Joe thought to himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’ll see you at home tonight Joe” Adam said trying to make up for not being able to pick Little Joe up from school. He intended to be at the lumber camp today and he wouldn’t have enough time to ride back in time to pick his little brother up.<\/span><\/p>\n

His brother didn’t intend to hear any of Adam’s explanations about his excuses. He just walked towards the school room with his shoulders hunched and his head hung low.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The morning passed quickly enough. Joe handed in his homework as requested by Miss Jones.\u00a0 The teacher looked at his work while see set the children working on a few simple arithmetic problems on the blackboard at the front of the room. She frowned at first as Joe’s homework assignment. It was all smudged but seemed to be correct enough. She promised to herself that when she returned from her break, she would spend some extra time with Joe so that he could improve his writing skills. The smudges occurred because his hand would move across the freshly written words and cause to ink to be spread over the page by his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

She had thought it odd when she first seen the little curly head boy writing with the opposite hand to everyone else. But in the end, if he was comfortable enough in writing with his left hand, who was she to tell him any different. He just needed some guidance and self confidence and she was sure that his penmanship would improve considerably.<\/span><\/p>\n

They all went out to lunch and Joe said with Johnny Scott again for companionship.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What does your father do, Joe?” Johnny asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

“He and my brothers run a big place for cows. It’s called the Ponderosa. It goes for miles and miles. You can’t even see some parts of it,” Joe answered with pride.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Wow!” Johnny replied in earnest “My Pa and me just moved to town. He’s a blacksmith. He started working at the Livery stable day before yesterday.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“What about your Ma,” Joe asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny was a little hesitant is answering at first. “She’s not here anymore,” he said without going into any more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe could see that the boy didn’t want to talk about his mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yeah, my Ma died too” Joe said. He was ashamed to talk about his mother Marie. But it still hurt inside sometimes.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I bet your Pa takes real good care of you don’t he?” Johnny now asked trying to change the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yeah mostly,” Joe replied, this time the hesitation was in his voice. “But lately nothing I do seems to make them happy. Especially Adam my big brother. Yesterday I was just drawing a picture and he roused at me for drawing at Pa’s desk. Told me he was going to give me a tanning just for drawing a picture.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“I know what you mean, Joe,” Johnny said. “I have been in trouble some myself the last few days with my Pa. Just wish sometimes there was somewhere we could go. Just to be on our own. Know what I mean?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yes, I know what you mean” Joe said. “And I’ve know the perfect place. It’s called\u00a0Dead Man’s Canyon.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>I don’t know how it got it’s name. But it’s really neat. Me and my other big brother Hoss went there once and we called it our “Happy Place’. There’s all sorts of caves and rocks to climb over. Lots of shady trees and a neat little stream that runs right through the middle of the whole place. Someday I’m gonna go there.\u00a0 Just me.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe thought the need to escape to his little hiding place might come sooner than everybody thought, but before he could explain to his friend Johnny anymore, Miss Jones rang the bell and told them that recess was now over.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Want to meet me after school at the lake for some fishing, Little Joe?” Johnny asked before the two new friends separated inside the class room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe thought a moment. His Pa didn’t normally let him go off without one of his brothers looking after him. Maybe he could do his chores quickly enough and sneak away for a few minutes anyway. It wasn’t as though anybody would notice him not being there anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Sure Johnny, but I have to do my chores first. I’ll meet there after that” Joe replied and they quickly rejoined the rest of their class in the schoolroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The afternoon then seemed to drag for the little boy who was for the first time in his life eager to get home and complete his chores on time. Of course there was another reason behind it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Miss Jones told them how they had done with the problems on the blackboard. Joe had managed to get three of the five problems correct. He would have got all five right, but his concentration had started to waver towards the end of the lesson and he had just made a couple of adding up errors.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Class before you are dismissed this afternoon, I have a couple of announcements” Miss Jones said to the children.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Firstly, there will be a new homework assignment for tonight” she said and got innumerable groans for her efforts. She smiled slightly at the children’s over exaggerated response to the idea of homework.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Secondly, tomorrow I will not be here.” she continued. This comment was met be stone cold silent from the class. The children had never known in their short two years at school for the petite little school teacher not to be there waiting for them every morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’m sorry to disappoint you all, but I have to travel urgently back East. There are only three days left for this school semester, I will be back before school starts again.”<\/span><\/p>\n

A little blond girl Carrie in the front of the class spoke up for everyone else “Who is going to teach us Miss Jones” she said in a small voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

“A nice man by the name of Mr Watson will be here to meet you in the morning. I expect that you will all complete that homework assignment for me because I have left instructions for Mr Watson to check them all first thing in the morning. Don’t worry children, I will miss you all terribly over the summer break, but I will be back before you know it. Class dismissed.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Miss Jones failed to note that the most confused look about her news came from a certain little boy in the back of the classroom. He got up from his chair and carried his books outside, but his mind was still trying to comprehend what she had just told them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe had never had any other teacher but Miss Jones. He didn’t like the idea of a stranger in the class room. He just hoped that the three days Mr Watson was here went very quickly indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss was waiting for Little Joe as promised and holding the reins of his little pony Star.\u00a0 He could see the confusion written all over the youngster’s face: “What’s up punkin?” he asked<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked up in surprise when he heard Hoss talking to him “Oh nothin’ Hoss” he answered as he climbed aboard his small mount. “Miss Jones says she is going away tomorrow. There is going to be a new teacher for the next few days.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Don’t worry Little Joe” Hoss said trying to reassure his nervous sibling. “I’m sure this new teacher is nice too like Miss Jones. Come on you’ve got chores to do at home and Adam’s waiting for you”<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had almost forgot about doing his chores quickly enough to meet Johnny down at the lake. Without saying another word he spurred his little horse into the fastest pace the little horse could manage. He needed to get home in a hurry and get them done.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss just looked at his brother’s back in amazement. One minute the kid looked like he had just lost his best friend, the next, he was riding so fast he could barely keep up.\u00a0 He just shook his head and tried to catch up to his young brother before he fell off the little horse and hurt himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Hoss arrived back at the yard, he rode Chubb into the barn and saw his little brother trying to unsaddle his horse Star. Even though the horse was small enough in size for it’s rider, Star’s saddle was still too heavy for Little Joe and the little boy tumbled backwards into the soft hay from the unexpected weight of the leather saddle as he lifted it off his mount.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss chuckled out loud and immediately got a scowl from his little brother in response.<\/span><\/p>\n

He immediately got of his own horse and went to help his brother right himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I can do it myself Hoss” Joe yelled back hotly, a little embarrassed at having fallen over.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I was only gonna help you Little Joe” Hoss said to the annoyed little boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Why don’t you go and start your egg collecting for Hop Sing” Hoss suggested, trying to avert his little brother’s hostility from the barn.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Can I go and play after I finish my chores Hoss?” Joe now asked trying to hide the fishing afternoon he had planned with Johnny Scott.<\/span><\/p>\n

“You can do what you want as long as your chores are done first Little Joe” Hoss said in a warning voice “You know what Adam will say if you forget to do them.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe smiled to himself at the answer he had gotten from his bigger brother and had no reason to think that he couldn’t meet Johnny down at Lake Tahoe like he had arranged.<\/span><\/p>\n

So for the next half an hour, Little Joe went happily about collecting the eggs from the hen house and then gathering some of the kindling from the wood box outside the barn to take into Hop Sing so he could start cooking dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had been inside the house when Little Joe dropped the wood beside the stove in the kitchen. Little Joe walked out to see his big brother sitting at Pa’s desk looking over some of the ranch’s accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hi Adam” Joe said trying to sound cheerful. “I’m home” he said in a voice that was probably a little loud for inside but Joe didn’t seem to notice the volume.<\/span><\/p>\n

“So I hear from your shouting” Adam replied without looking up from his books. “Have you got them chores done yet?” he asked his younger brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yep, almost done” Joe said trying not to let Adam’s dark mood get to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Fine” Adam said without to much interest, “Supper will be ready in about an hour or so.”<\/span><\/p>\n

he continued as he kept his mind on the figures in front of him. He wasn’t actually trying to ignore Joe but at the moment with his father busy at the lumber yard for most of the day, it was up to him to make sure that the other chores around the ranch were done every day and that included the awful job of paperwork.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe’s shoulder slumped slightly before he took himself back out the kitchen door. He tried hard not to let Adam’s lack of interest get to him. He went into the barn and got out his fishing pole and hooks and started walking towards Lake Tahoe to meet his new friend Johnny.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss had not seen his little brother headed towards the lake. He was busy trying to get a stubborn cow into the corrals and his full attention was needed to avoid the animal becoming aggressive and causing trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time he made the quick five minute walk to the lake, Little Joe’s mood had improved somewhat and he was whistling once he reached the banks of the lake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Scott was already sitting on a rock with his fishing line in the water when he spotted Joe and called him over. “Hi Ya, Little Joe,” Johnny said with a grin. “Didn’t think you were coming?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Had to do some yucky chores first” Joe replied “That big brother Adam of mine is in a bad mood again.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Boy, by the sound of that brother of yours, I’m glad he’s not my brother.” Johnny said “Oh he’s alright some times, but he had been mad at me almost everyday this week. He does it when Pa’s away. I can’t wait for Pa to come back tonight. He’ll want to spend time with me.”<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next forty minutes, the two young boys sat on the rock beside the lake with their fishing lines in the water. Johnny didn’t have much luck at catching anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had a fish on his line and was tugging pretty hard to try and reel it in. He stood up to try and get some more strength in his actions but no sooner then he had yanked back on the line, the fish pulled hard again on the other line. So hard in fact that Little Joe was caught unexpectedly and ended up on his knees in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe stood up and tried to get a good look at himself. The fishing pole was forgotten and started to float away into the deeper water away from him. Joe could see that most of his trousers had gotten soaked from the water as had his shirt. He knew that he would have to get home and changed quickly before Adam or his Pa saw him otherwise he would be in big trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter Two – In Trouble by J7339<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Adam and Hoss were already seated at the dinner table when Joe walked into the house with his sodden trousers and his sodden boots. He was more worried about what Adam’s reaction would be and so almost jumped out of his skin at Hop Sing’s voice berating him for walking his wet and muddy boots all over the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Lil boy all wet and dirty. No supper to get washed up and clean. Lil’ Joe always make mess for Hop Sing to clean up,” the little oriental man said. He turned around and stomped back into the kitchen muttering to himself about having to reheat meals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe had been startled at his little cook’s words, but now decided he best do as he was told and get cleaned up so he could eat. He hadn’t even reached the bottom step of the staircase when he heard another accusing voice behind him yet again:<\/span><\/p>\n

“And just where do you think you are going?” came the voice dripping with sarcasm. Joe turned around and looked full on into the angry face of his big brother Adam. Joe proceeded to roll his eyes at Adam in response to what he knew was inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

The look on Adam’s face when he saw the gesture only made the lines in his face deepen with frustration at the young boy. His eyes narrowed and he widen his stance and placed his hands on his hips in a demanding pose.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I asked you a question Joe. Where have you been all afternoon?” Adam now asked putting aside the wet and muddy clothes for the moment. When he had first discovered his young sibling missing he went through the various stages of anger for the boy’s disobedience, fear about where the boy might by and worry about what sort of trouble he might get himself into all alone. Now it was back to anger as he could see Joe standing before him, obviously less than hurt but deciding to be rude and obstinate instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe suddenly turned his attention to the flood boards and mumbled his reply “Just went fishin”.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What was that, and stand up straight and face me when I am talking to you?” Adam now barked back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe stood there for a minute tracing a pattern on the wooden floor with his muddy boots. Finally he looked back into the brown eyes of his brother and repeated “I just went fishin’ with a friend, that’s all.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam could feel his temper boiling over and knew that he would need to cool down before dealing with this child any further tonight. “Get upstairs and when you are cleaned up Hop Sing will bring your supper to your room.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can wait for Pa to come home and explain your behaviour to him” Adam said as he made himself turn and walk away from the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was now angry too. He knew he was wet and muddy, but didn’t think that was enough cause for Adam to be so cranky at him. He made his displeasure known by beginning to stomp loudly up the wooden stairs one at a time and making sure that the noise sounded out hollow from each one as he went.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam knew what the kid was doing and could see the kid’s defiant manner as turned at the stomping noise: “And you are restricted to the yard for the next week” he said harshly back at the mop of curly hair. He really want to say “For the rest of your life”<\/em>\u00a0but refrained.<\/span><\/p>\n

“So what else is knew” Joe said in an uninterested tone. It wasn’t as if he had any free time off the ranch lately anyway. He was always being restricted to the house or yard. What made today any different? Adam could see that the boy was determined to undermine him at every turn and so ignored any more attempts to rile him.<\/span><\/p>\n

About half an hour later he noticed still cranky but somewhat calmed down boy walk down the stairs to the bathhouse.\u00a0 Joe had taken about twenty minutes to scrub the dried mud from his body. He gave his hair a wash too because he could feel the bits of grit and sand through it as he ran his hair through the curls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe walked from the bathhouse in his nightshirt and spotted Hoss and Adam sitting in the living room. His father still wasn’t home and he started to worry in the back of his mind about why his father might be so late. He looked from brother to brother before climbing the stairs once more. Adam wouldn’t even give him the satisfaction of looking at him. He got a quick and concealed wry smile from his brother Hoss which said volumes without hearing the words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe could even see the disappointment in the one brother he thought would stand-by him no matter what.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Night, Hoss,” Joe said loud enough to emphasis that he had no intentions of saying goodnight to his older brother Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe’s attempts to give him the cold shoulder treatment actually brought a slight chuckle to Adam’s lips and he fought to keep it in until the kid’s bedroom door was closed again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sat on his bed with his hands behind his head for a long time that night. His meal tray sat where Hop Sing had left it, untouched. He really had no stomach for any food tonight. He had too many thoughts going around his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

About an hour after Little Joe went to bed, the front door of the house opened and in came Ben Cartwright. He had a little mud on his own boots and was dog tired. All he wanted was a hot meal, a hot bath and a nice bed before going out again in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam could see the tiredness etched on their father’s face as he hung his hat on the peg behind the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben had only just managed to unbuckle his gun belt and place it on the credenza when he was greeted by the same tirade from Hop Sing that Joe had come home too.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Boss walk mud all over Hop Sing’s floor just like son. How son get in trouble when Boss do it too. Nobody listen to Hop Sing. Move back to China and cook for clean family,” he said and went back into the kitchen to heat Ben’s dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was really tired and in no mood for the little oriental man’s lectures he did however catch something about his son getting into trouble. It didn’t take much nous to work out which son Hop Sing meant as he looked over and could see Hoss and Adam sitting in the living room. He sighed loudly and walked over to hear all about the day’s events involving his youngest son Little Joe. He could see from the way Hoss tried not to look at his father and the less than impressed look on Adam’s normally handsome features that something else had happened earlier in the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Okay, out with it” he said in a no-nonsense tone. “What’s being going on here while I have been gone?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hoss you care to start the conversation,” Ben said. Hoss never was good at hiding his feelings or emotions. His facial expressions gave him away immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Better ask Adam Pa. I ain’t coming between those two at the moment. Liable to get my head taken off by them both,” Hoss said genuinely.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Well, Adam?”, Ben said now standing in a similar fashion as Adam had done with Little Joe earlier. Hands on hips and in a questioning stance.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Little Joe and I just had a little disagreement Pa that’s all. I left things alone because I was too mad. I’ll talk to him again in the morning when he’s cooled down some,” Adam said in exasperation. He really didn’t know how his father coped all the time. Adam thankfully only had to do it every now and then. His relationship had been a positive one up until now, but with his absence at college looming, the two could barely look at each other without arguing.<\/span><\/p>\n

“And just what do you need to talk to him about in the morning may I ask?” Ben said getting cranky himself about his two eldest son’s dancing around the problem instead of just coming out plain and saying it.<\/span><\/p>\n

“He took off from the ranch this afternoon without telling anybody and when he walked in the door he was dripping with mud,” Adam said as he explained the scenario.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben sighed out loud again and now guessed at why Hop Sing had gone off at him walking mud onto the floor as he walked in. He rubbed at his temples tiredly and then glanced up the staircase to the closed door.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’ll go talk to him son,” Ben said and started climbing the stairs. Hop Sing had just laid Ben’s hot meal out onto the table when he saw his Boss climb the stairs towards Little Joe’s room. Once again he went off into a tirade of Cantonese as he pulled the plate off the table again and mumbled out loud as he took it back into the kitchen to keep it off.<\/span><\/p>\n

He knew of course that Ben wouldn’t take anytime for himself until the problem with his youngest son was sorted out first.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had also mumbled some words under his breath about Ben babying his brother too much. He wasn’t too annoyed though and was a little grateful to have someone willing to take the responsibility for a little while. Hoss and Adam soon retired to their own beds knowing that the following day would be a full one if not a tiresome one.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Ben now carefully opened the door to his son Joseph’s room to check if the boy was awake or not. He looked over and could see the boy turned on his side towards him, appearing to be asleep. Truth was, Joe still had not succumbed to sleep and heard his father climb the stairs. He evened out his breathing and closed his eyes so as to act asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Normally Joe would crave his father’s touch and presence, even just to say goodnight. But tonight, Joe was still feeling angry with every one in the world. He didn’t feel like being cuddled and babied just to make things better.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben quietly closed the door behind him and walked towards the bed. It was now that he could see the full tray of food left behind by the ever faithful Hop Sing. He sighed wearily at the uneaten food and knew that it was another battle yet to be won with his son. The battles at the moment just seemed never ending.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben could see that he wasn’t going to have much conversation with the boy tonight. He had no intentions of waking the sleeping boy. He sat on the bed giving his tired legs a rest, being careful enough not to disturb Joe. He was still close enough to be able to reach out and brush back the few stray curls that hung over the boy’s forehead.<\/span><\/p>\n

It took all Joe’s inner concentration from opening his eyes and tumbling into the embrace that his father would no doubt offer. He was determined not to let his weakness show. He knew that Adam would have told his father everything that happened today. He knew that his father would be unhappy and disappointed in his behaviour once again.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Help me Marie,” Ben said as he gently placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Tell me were I am going wrong with our son. What do I have to change to make things better?”<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe could scarcely hold back his tears as he heard his father’s words to his mother’s picture on the bedside table.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I need your help too O Lord. Hold my hand as I guide him through the years. Show me the patience and understanding that I need to learn to help Joseph overcome these troubled times.” Ben then gently kissed his sleeping boy and left the room to go to his own bed for the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Early the next morning a still tired but awake Ben sat at the breakfast table sipping his coffee whilst discussing the day’s events with his eldest son Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’ll have a talk with him when he comes down to breakfast son,” Ben told Adam. But I’m afraid with all the problems at the lumber yard at the moment, I probably won’t be back until late tonight again.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“How long do you expect the delays to continue Pa” Adam now asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Well with one of the blade’s broken and some of the men refusing to compensation with some extra work, the schedule is getting further and further behind. I have tried to hire more men, but there just aren’t many men willing to do the work. I’m sorry son but I need you to run things here at the ranch for the next couple of days,” Ben said with genuine gratitude in his voice. There were many times in the past that he wondered what he would have down without the steady guiding hand of his son Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Don’t worry Pa, we’ll manage here. Hoss has been a great help. As much as any full grown man,” Adam admitted thinking about his 13 year old brother. He might be only a teenager in years, but Hoss’s willingness to put in a good day’s work matched his size and strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I know you will son, but I hate to leave all of the responsibility to you all the time. This trouble with Little Joe isn’t helping any either,” Ben said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and his father were now joined at the breakfast table by Hoss. “Morning Pa, Morning Adam,” Hoss said in his usual cheery voice. It took a lot before Hoss showed his grumpy side. Something which the rest of the Cartwright family sadly lacked.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Morning, Hoss,” came the reply from both men. “How did you sleep son?” Ben asked Hoss. This was his usual question to his son’s in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Great Pa, I’m hungry though” Hoss replied and started to fill his plate with bacon and eggs. Ben smiled to himself. He knew that the only time he needed to worry about Hoss in this house was when the boy said he wasn’t hungry.<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy ate a grown man’s size meal and a bit more almost every day and was still growing. Sometimes Ben wondered if Hoss was eating for himself and his little brother Joseph. Considering how much the youngest Cartwright brother ate, he could very well believe it sometimes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked towards Little Joe’s closed bedroom door a number of times whilst sipping at his coffee. He tried to hide his glances but knew Adam was intently watching what he was doing. The look on Adam’s face told Ben that his eldest son wanted the problems with Joe sorted out by his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hoss will you go and rouse your younger brother for school please,” Ben said as he glanced yet again at the closed bedroom door. He could not hear any noises on the floor above signalling that Joseph had awoken on his own and taken the initiative to get dressed before anybody came looking for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Sure, Pa,” Hoss said in a cheery voice. Hoss had forgotten about most of the trouble his brother had been in the night before. Hoss was one to easily forgive and forget and get on with life as though nothing had happened. He was ready to start the new day afresh with everybody being friendly towards each other again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss was surprised though when he did knock on Little Joe’s room and opened the door to see his brother pulling on his socks and shoes. “Morning short shanks” he said happy that he didn’t have to go through the almost daily routine of pulling the bedclothes back and yanking Joe to his feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Morning Hoss” Joe said in reply but his voice was already full of annoyance and frustration at the day. It wasn’t even 8.00am and already Little Joe was in a bad mood. The bad mood came from being away a great majority of the night trying not to think about the things that had been happening between him and Adam lately.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Pa is waiting to talk to you downstairs and he ain’t about to take any of your sass this morning, Joseph,” Hoss warned his brother before they exited the room and headed down the stairs towards the breakfast table. Joe just proceeded to poke his tongue out at Hoss as though telling him that he didn’t need to be told what to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss just sighed to himself and rubbed the bridge of his nose knowing how Adam lost his temper sometimes with this most of willful of children. He just hoped that Joe knew better than to act badly in front of his father. Tired or not, Ben Cartwright never did put up with back chat or saucy words from any of his sons and they had all come to know it. Joe just like to push the limits as far as he could at his age. Hoss could never remember acting the way that Joe had been lately. Sure he had gotten into his own fair share of trouble when he was younger but never to the extent that his brother did. Joe just seemed to have a knack to attracting trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe reached the bottom of the stairs and seemed to drag his feet as he walked to the table with his head hung low. He knew that his father was about to talk to him about his adventures yesterday and he wasn’t very happy about getting a dressing down this early in the morning. He looked at his older brother Adam briefly and thought he saw a scowl about the dragging of the feet and the overdrawn out walk to the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Morning, Little Joe,” Ben said in a greeting voice. He did want to have a talk with his youngest son about his latest behaviour, but he also wanted to start the day out on the right foot. He could see the unhappy expression on Joe’s handsome boyish features and the efforts the boy used to avoid direct eye contact with everybody seated at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Mornin,” came the barely audible mumble as Joe took his seat. He pulled the empty plate in front of him closer as though to put some food on it. He glanced briefly at Adam again and muttered the same mumble of “Good Morning,” to his brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam responded in kind with a bare mumble of his own but his voice betrayed his annoyance slightly and his face still bore the scathing words that he was thinking about saying to Joe about his trip to the lake and his disrespectful tones when he returned home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben waited a few minutes for Joe to have some breakfast before he asked him any questions. He knew that if an argument started from it then Joe would be too upset to eat anything and he would go to school skipping meals again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam thought this ploy merely a delaying tactic on his father’s part but didn’t say anything out loud to anybody.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had eaten half a dozen mouthfuls of food before setting his fork down on the half-empty plate and picking up his glass of milk to wash it down. It was now that Ben decided to start the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Do you have anything to tell me, Joseph?” Ben asked, wanting to know if Joe realised the effects of his own behaviour yesterday. Hopefully the boy would realise that he couldn’t continue on in the same manner he had been. If he could see the wrongfulness of his behaviour then half of the result had already been achieved.<\/span><\/p>\n

“About what, Pa?” Joe said using his best angelic face. When all else failed, Joe always resorted to using his boyhood charms and puppy dog eyes on his father. They had worked for him many times in the past on both his father and brothers, especially Hoss. He could only hope that they would work for him again today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben sighed aloud and told himself that Joe wasn’t really playing mind games with him. Now he decided to use the direct approach to show his displeasure at Joe’s vague answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Tell me about what happened to you yesterday when you left the ranch when you weren’t supposed to,” Ben said in a sterner voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hoss told me I could,” Joe said with all the innocence he could muster. He knew that he had gone about getting his brother’s approval in a round about manner, but it had worked and that was all that mattered. All he had to do now was get Adam and his father to believe his story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss looked the most confused at the mention of his name. He could feel the questioning glances of his father and brother Adam on him as if to dare him to say that he had given the younger boy permission to leave the Ponderosa on his own. Hoss knew that Joe wasn’t allowed to go off on his own without telling anybody. He was trying to think back to the various conversations he had with Joe yesterday and when he exactly came out with this agreement he knew nothing about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben wasn’t fooled though. One look at Hoss’s face and Ben knew that Joe had taken advantage of Hoss’s good nature and twisted it to his own gains. Adam just shook his head slightly and also knew that Hoss had been taken in by Joe’s cunning and sly game.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Just exactly what did your brother Hoss say to make you think you could go off without anybody?” Ben now asked of his youngest son, trying not to loose his temper at the child.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe however just put on the same angelic mask as he had done before. He too was determined not to loose his temper this morning. Loosing his temper would not only cause his father to get angrier at him, but to Joe would also make the story he was trying to weave fall apart and admit his knowledge and guilt in the whole affair. If he looked genuinely innocent enough and told his father just how he saw the words spoken to him, there was nothing to say that his father wouldn’t believe him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I asked Hoss if I could go off and play after I finished school and he said that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I finished my chores,” Joe said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben smiled inwardly as he could plainly see that Joseph had intentionally left out certain bits of information to Hoss that would have shed more light on what the smaller boy exactly planned to do after school.<\/span><\/p>\n

“That’s not what I meant and you know it, Joe,” Hoss said a little annoyed at his brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What did you exactly mean Hoss?” Adam asked with a voice that dripped of cynicism. Adam looked at Hoss with a face that shouted he was just itching to know what Hoss had meant when he said the words.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I think we all know that Joe knew all to well that Hoss didn’t mean for you to be wandering off on your own, don’t we Joseph” Ben said and looked at his youngest son with scolding words in his tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n

The look was enough though and Joe felt himself shrinking into the seat trying to avoid his father’s intent gaze.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now changed the tone of the conversation all together and now spoke in a very gentle voice. One that sounded like he was more worried that angry. “Joseph,” he said and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder for emphasis, “You brothers and I just want to make sure you are safe. That’s why there are rules about where you can go and where you can’t on your own. It’s not that we want to keep you from playing or meeting your friends. There are many things that could happen to you when we don’t know where you are. You might get into trouble and nobody will be there to help you because we don’t know where you are. Do you understand son?”<\/span><\/p>\n

The softer touch had done it’s job as Ben watched tears trickle down the young boy’s face in remorse. The idea that Joe worried his family was a better weapon than threatening the boy for lying and conniving against them.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yes, Pa,” Joe said as he tried to choke back his tears. He wiped them onto his sleeve and then shyly said he was going to be late for school.<\/span><\/p>\n

“See you this afternoon Joseph,” Ben said as he gave his son an awkward hug.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss felt just as awkward as Joe after a while and excused himself saying that he would go with Joe to make sure he got to school okay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Ben sat at the table for a while without saying anything. Both of them had different approaches as to how they handled the youngest member of the family, but Adam had to admit that his father often got the better results. His method might be more flawed or be gentler and softer in punishment, but they had the same impact almost as the boy getting a stern lecture or spanking.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I have to be going too son,” Ben now said to his eldest son. He apologized a few more times about being away from the ranch for such long periods of time and leaving Adam in charge again. He promised he would let Adam know how things were going later in the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sat at the table sitting at his coffee and trying to figure out how to mend the relationship between him and Little Joe. He was planning to go away to college very soon and different want to leave the current tension between them all that time. He finally made himself get up and attend to the work that needed to be done outside. These thoughts were never far from his mind the entire day though and he went about the chores.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Chapter 3 – Substitute Teacher by J7339<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The next day saw a whole new routine happening on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Joe was still asleep while the rest of his family were already seated at the breakfast table discussing what each was to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it would hurt for just one or two days, Pa,\u201d Adam now said as he took a sip from his coffee cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss had just finished trying to explain to a dubious Ben about Hoss being allowed to stay home today and the next to help Adam out on the ranch.\u00a0\u00a0 They had already lost some of the men at the lumber yard where Ben was needed that day.\u00a0 A few hands had been told to move on by Adam over the last few days because of their laziness and like of something to drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI promise I will do my best, Pa,\u201d Hoss now said pleading with his father.\u00a0 It was no secret that Hoss would rather be working on the ranch like the rest of the men rather than sitting in a hot school room all day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be the summer holidays after tomorrow anyway,\u201d Adam said, seeing the hopefully look in his brother\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 Although Adam wasn\u2019t normally a supporter of ditching school, he did have some knowledge of his brother\u2019s yearning to be with the livestock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about his schoolwork that\u2019s left?\u201d Ben now said, playing with Hoss\u2019s emotions a little. He knew that being this close to the school holidays that there wouldn\u2019t be too much study left to be done.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAw Pa, Miss Healy says that we only got to go over the same stuff we have being doing the last few months,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He knew all about what Ben thought of a good solid education in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had gone all the way through school and would soon be heading off to college in San Francisco.\u00a0 Deep down Hoss just hoped that his father didn\u2019t want him following in his older brother\u2019s footsteps.\u00a0 Learning books had never had much of a hold on the middle Cartwright son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay Hoss, you can stay home from school for the next couple of days,\u201d Ben finally said, letting his son of the hook.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s shoulders sagged in relief\u00a0 and he happily began eating his breakfast again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither of the Cartwright\u2019s seated at the table had been aware that a certain younger member of the family had just heard Ben tell Hoss that he could stay home from school.\u00a0\u00a0 That certain younger member was now staring intently at the family eating words, trying to find the right scathing words to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few minutes earlier upstairs\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had awoken on his own this morning.\u00a0 The first thing he noticed was just that.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t very often that he woke on his own.\u00a0 Normally one of his brothers would be dragging him from his warm bed by this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This morning however, Joe woke slowly and in his own time.\u00a0 Stretching his sleep limp muscles and enjoying the sun coming through the window and gently warming his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he felt a little more awake and alert he got up from his bed and prepared to get dressed for the day.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The trousers he had had on last night were hanging over the back of a chair in his room waiting for Hop Sing to gather them later that morning for wash day.\u00a0 The note that Mr Watson had given Joe was still folded neatly in the envelope in the pocket of his trousers.\u00a0 Completely forgotten about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe dressed in a clean pair of trousers and a fresh shirt followed by socks and shoes before heading downstairs to the breakfast table and his family.\u00a0\u00a0 It was when he was almost at the bottom of the staircase that he had heard his father tell his brother Hoss that he was allowed to stay home from school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow come he gets special treatment?\u201d Joe said in a tone of voice that sounded more harsh than he would have liked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Ben turned to face the youth, surprised to see him not only awake but dressed on his own and ready for school.\u00a0\u00a0 His hair was still in need of a brushing before he left, but all in all Joe had done pretty well for himself they thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben could hear the displeasure in his son\u2019s words about favourable treatment that didn\u2019t include him.\u00a0 Whilst he wasn\u2019t happy about his son\u2019s tone of voice this early in the morning, he wanted to try and defuse the situation without getting involved with a full scale argument with his son before breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNobody is getting special treatment, Joe,\u201d Adam interjected before Ben could say anything.\u00a0 \u201cWe are pretty short handed with men at the moment and some of the stock need more attention than I can spare them for right now,\u201d he attempted to explain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh and Hoss being allowed to stay home for two days isn\u2019t special treatment huh, Adam!\u201d Joe spat back at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI could help out with the animals too you know, Adam,\u201d he said in his own defence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWatch your tone of voice,\u201d Ben warned his son for the first time that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is only being allowed to stay home because Adam needs him.\u00a0\u00a0 I know you think you are big enough to help out but your education is more important at the moment.\u00a0 Hoss is a long way further through his schooling days, yours have only just begun Joseph,\u201d Ben explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t like school anymore than Hoss does,\u201d Joe said trying to plead with his father.\u00a0 He was now shuffling his feet about on the wooden floor and refusing to look at this father as he spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNevertheless you will be going Joseph, so I suggest you sit at the table and eat your breakfast before you go.\u00a0 Is that understood?\u201d Ben said in a no nonsense voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa,\u201d Joe replied, still looking at the floor and mumbling his answer.\u00a0 He complied with his father\u2019s request to sit that the table and picked up his spoon.\u00a0 He looked down at the bowl of oatmeal in front of him and began stirring the lumpy mixture around and around the bowl but refusing to put any of it into his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben drew his hand down his face, trying to wipe away some of the frustration he was already beginning to feel towards his youngest\u2019s attitude.\u00a0 The boy had only been awake for less than an hour and it was already beginning to feel like an incredibly long day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was thankful that Joe was not a willful child.\u00a0\u00a0 He had seen some youngsters at the Church picnic\u2019s and at the school yard that were turning out to be royal pains for their parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst Ben expected respect and discipline he didn\u2019t think that physical force was the way to achieve such goals.\u00a0\u00a0 He would rather try and talk out problems with his sons first and let them know that they could come to him at any time with their worries and concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben however knew that Joe was at an age where he was beginning to find out what it meant to be rebellious towards anything that resembled rules and regulation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that the more he pushed his son to do the right thing, the more Joe would just pull in the opposite direction, trying to prove his sense of independence at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was this sense of independence that drove children of Joe\u2019s age.\u00a0 They were a long way from being adults yet, but beginning to experience the real world and wanting to do it without their families more and more everyday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, eat your breakfast please, don\u2019t play with it,\u201d Ben said sternly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe now complied with his father\u2019s request but was not entirely happy about it and so to show his displeasure in a subtle way, he made sure that the spoon barely had any oatmeal on it when he forced it into his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time he had done this, with his father watching every attempt, the little boy had barely eaten but a few spoonfuls of the lumpy mixture anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss had watched the entire episode as well and were waiting for the imminent explosion from their father towards their brother and his antics.\u00a0 To their surprise though and Joe\u2019s as well, it didn\u2019t come.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was secretly counting to ten inside his head, trying not to do what they all expected him to do.\u00a0 Instead, he slowly got up from the table and went about carrying out the rest of his tasks before heading to the timber yard that morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben watched his son from the corner of his eye and from the other side of the room and thought that his alternate method had seemed to work at least momentarily.\u00a0 Joe was watching his father move about the room preparing to leave, wondering whether he had been let off the hook or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t like this game his father was playing.\u00a0\u00a0 He would have rathered Ben just yell at him and get it over with.\u00a0\u00a0 This delaying tactic his father was suddenly using was a little unnerving to say the least.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe his father was going to wait until he came home this afternoon to dish out the expected punishment.\u00a0 That would mean Joe would have all day at school to ponder what list of chores his father would dream up by that time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I still want you to take your brother to school before you do any of the caring for those animals.\u00a0 He is still too young to be riding to school on his own,\u201d Ben now instructed as he put on his leather vest and his hat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was about to object and opened his mouth to protest about the baby treatment he was going to be getting by being lead to school like a five year old.\u00a0\u00a0 He looked up at his father though who was now buckling on his gun belt.\u00a0 The words died on his lips before they were spoken.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben\u2019s look was one of\u00a0\u00a0\u2018I dare you to say anything Joseph<\/em>\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was satisfied that his son was still trying to work out what punishment he had in store for his earlier demonstration of childishness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018How is that burn on your arm this morning Joe?\u201d Adam now asked, genuinely making sure that it didn\u2019t need any tending to before the youngster left for school shortly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d came the curt reply with no real indication of whether it was okay or Joe was just being obstinate.\u00a0 Probably the latter Adam assumed knowing how difficult any kind of conversation had been between Joe and any of the family lately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like me to have a look at it for you?\u201d Adam now asked, keeping his own temper in check.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope it\u2019s just fine like I told you,\u201d Joe said and quickly got up from the table before anybody could question him further about the truthfulness of his statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe quickly raced up the staircase to grab the shoes he had forgotten when he came to the breakfast table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben, Hoss and Adam just looked at one another trying to work out whether or not they should be chasing after him and physically looking at the injury themselves to see if it needed any attention or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was trying to decide if he should be chastising Joe for the way he had spoken to his older brother when Adam had asked about his arm.\u00a0 At the end of the day, Ben rationalised that it would only cause more animosity at the table that morning.\u00a0\u00a0 Whilst he was unhappy about Joe\u2019s lack of manners, he hoped that by the time he had returned from the timber yard and Joe had returned with Hoss from school that his son would be in a better frame of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was right about now that Joe came running back down the staircase, this time with his shoes on and laces tied.\u00a0 He had his books tucked underneath the arm that wasn\u2019t injured.\u00a0\u00a0 It looked as though he had made some sort of effort to comb his hair.\u00a0\u00a0 The curls had a mind of their own today though and were going in all directions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome here Joseph please before you go,\u201d Ben now said in a gentle tone of voice as his son attempted to escape out the door with as little contact with his family as possible.\u00a0\u00a0 He was trying to avoid them for the baby treatment he was getting that he deemed unfair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe almost rolled his eyes to his father\u2019s request as he had done with Adam but did it somewhat more discreetly knowing that his father\u2019s reaction to such cheekiness wouldn\u2019t be so restrained as his older brother\u2019s had been.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now stood in front of his father with his eyes downcast to the floor.\u00a0 \u201cYes Pa?\u201d he said in the smallest possible voice, as if he were trying the innocent look that usually work for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss now both looked at each other and rolled their own eyes at the well known antics of their younger brother.\u00a0 They both knew that it wouldn\u2019t take too long for Joe to wrap their father around his finger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, I want you to take care of yourself at school today,\u201d Ben began.\u00a0 \u201cIf your arm starts hurting too much make sure you let your teacher know.\u00a0 Somebody can get word to your brothers to come and bring you home if necessary.\u00a0\u00a0 Although I don\u2019t think that will be necessary\u201d he added, seeing his son\u2019s eyes light up with the prospect of being allowed home from school early.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa,\u201d Joe repeated in the same tone of voice as though butter wouldn\u2019t melt in his mouth. \u201cI\u2019ll be okay\u201d he said, knowing that Mr Watson would be the last person in the world he would tell that he had an injured arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Hoss or we will be late,\u201d Joe now said giving his father a quick embrace and pulling away from his father\u2019s grasp, \u201cBye, Pa,\u201d he said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t help but grin at his son as he scampered out the front door, pulling Hoss along with him.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss protesting that it was too early to leave just yet and that he hadn\u2019t finished eating his own breakfast yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter how subdued Joe appeared sometimes, it didn\u2019t take much of a change in circumstances to see him bounce back to his normal vibrant exuberant self.\u00a0 His energy was what kept his family his family on their toes all the time.\u00a0 And they wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Joe and Hoss now headed to the barn to saddle their horses and shortly thereafter the schoolhouse, Ben rose from the table, informing Adam that the day was going to be a long enough anyway.\u00a0 He too would be headed to the barn shortly to saddle his own horse and then head in the opposite direction to the timberyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam too went on his way.\u00a0 With the men being so short-handed lately, he knew that he would be needed at a number of locations that day.\u00a0 Hopefully he would be home in time for when Little Joe returned home from school.\u00a0 If not, he would remind Hoss before he left to keep an eye on the time in case he didn\u2019t get back in time. One of them would need to be at the schoolhouse when school was let out that afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Joe\u2019s real reason for going to school a little earlier had nothing to do with Mr Watson. He was hoping that he would meet up with his new little friend Johnny Scott before class started.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Hoss and Joe rode along, Hoss tried to encourage his brother into some light hearted conversation to make the journey seem shorter.\u00a0 He tried all sorts of topics he thought might interest Joe, like the fishing hole or the animals that he was going to take care of when he returned home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe however seemed very distracted as they rode along the rode to Virginia City.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s mind was occupied with thoughts about what Mr Watson had said to him the<\/span>
\n day before about being backwards and falling behind all the other kids in the class because he used a different hand to write with.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe got closer to the town and could see the school-house come into view, the words Watson had said seemed to get louder and louder until they were echoing inside his head.\u00a0\u00a0 He silently hoped that Mr Watson had forgotten all about what had happened the day before and that the last two days of school could just progress without much interaction between the two of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe rode his horse towards the stable situated behind the school yard, Johnny Scott spotted his friend and ran up to greet him as Joe dismounted from his mount and started taking the saddle off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Joe,\u201d Johnny said excitedly, in the short time they had known each other, he too had come to value the brief friendship they shared.\u00a0 He, like Joe hoped that the more time they were able to spend together, the stronger that friendship would become and they would soon be the best of friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Johnny,\u201d Joe said in reply, his mood lifting a little at the sight of his friend.\u00a0 Hoss watched on with a smile on his own that Joe had found someone his own age with similar interests to play with.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t mentioned too much bout his new friend except the day he had come home sodden and had explained he had been fishing with Johnny.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUm Little Joe, I\u2019ll leave you to it,\u201d Hoss said not wanting to intrude too much on the younger boys.\u00a0 With his large size sometimes Hoss felt out of place even with his own brother\u2019s classmates.\u00a0 Sometimes with his own classmates too.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be here to pick you up this afternoon\u201d he reminded his younger sibling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s grin quickly turned to a sneer again at the mention of the babying treatment of being picked up from school like a first grader.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to you know, Hoss,\u201d Joe tried to reason with his larger sibling.\u00a0 \u201cI can ride home and you can be there waiting at home before Pa and Adam even know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I will know Little Joe and you know how much trouble both of us would get into if Pa or Adam knew that I let you ride from school all by yourself,\u201d Hoss said with a lump rising to his throat as he tried to imagine what would his father say to such an episode.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I want to make sure nothing happens to you.\u00a0 You might fall off your horse on the way home and get hurt.\u00a0 Nobody would be there to help you,\u201d\u00a0Hoss\u2019s protectiveness over his smaller brother was now shining through.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am big enough not to fall off my own horse, Hoss,\u201d Joe said gruffly and turned away from his brother, dragging Johnny with him towards the school house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss watched sadly as the two boys headed to school.\u00a0 Deep down he knew his brother was probably right about not falling off his horse.\u00a0 From a young age Joe had displayed very good horsemanship.\u00a0 Ben assumed much of it had been passed on genetically by his mother who had also been an excellent rider.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss was more upset that his brother was angry at him rather than what Joe was angry at him about.\u00a0 Like Ben earlier that morning, he hoped Joe was in a better mood when he arrived at the school house to pick him up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss now returned home to take care of the animals that he had been allowed to stay home for.\u00a0\u00a0 The various tasks of nursing, feeding, cleaning their bedding would now keep Hoss\u2019s attention for the majority of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back at the school house, Joe and Johnny had been happily sitting down sharing various tales when the bell rang signalling the start of lessons.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Without really meaning to Joe and Johnny found themselves at the rear of the line of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny had managed to take his seat in the classroom without any remark from Mr Watson who was towering over the youngsters at the door.\u00a0 Joe however was not so fortunate to avoid the scrutiny of the harsh teaching master.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson\u2019s brows furrowed together in a frown as he watched the boy known as \u201cLittle Joe\u201d amble into the class behind everybody else.\u00a0 He however did not think of it as Joe just being in line waiting his turn.\u00a0\u00a0 He saw the gesture as a defiance of his authority and knew that the boy was out to rile him from the outset this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Cartwright in future I want to see you seated at your desk before the bell rings for class, is that understood?\u201d he said, determined to chastise the boy in front of all his classmates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Mr Watson,\u201d Joe replied, inwardly groaning that the personal attack on him had begun almost before he even walked into the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am keeping my eye on you boy, so you had better watch your step young man,\u201d Watson sternly warned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning his attention away from Joe momentarily, Mr Watson now assumed the role of teacher for the morning and now stood at the front of the class.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I trust that you all did your homework assignments last night,\u201d he said, \u201cPlease come up to the front of the classroom in an orderly fashion and place your work on my desk.\u00a0 I will check it throughout the day.\u00a0 Any work that is found to be inadequate or messy will have to be redone,\u201d he added, smirking a little as he knew that this would indeed involve at least half of the class.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe swallowed inwardly because now was genuinely the first time he had thought about the homework assignment since Mr Watson had given it out at the end of class yesterday afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he had gone home, he had tried to help out with the chores and then his arm had been burned in the kitchen and he had forgotten all about doing homework.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking about the room as the children filed one by one up to the front of the classroom as instructed and placed their work on his desk, Watson could distinctly see that his\u00a0\u2018star\u2019\u00a0<\/em>pupil did not move from his chair or even attempt to.\u00a0 Just the opposite, the child was squirming about in his seat with a worried look on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson immediately knew that he had caught the boy out about not doing his homework.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Cartwright, do you have any work for me to check?\u201d Watson said in a very casual manner.\u00a0 It was a tone of voice the man had solemnly used and anybody else but Joe could have sworn that the man was genuine in his question.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe however glanced up at the man and spotted a totally different look in the man\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Even for a seven year old, the boy was able to see that the man was annoyed at the child\u2019s disobedience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUm, I am sorry Mr Watson but I hurt my arm when I went home yesterday and I went to sleep before my father came home,\u201d Joe said telling almost the whole truth.\u00a0 He decided that the teacher didn\u2019t need to know that he had woken up after his father came home and talked with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson took in every word that the child had said and made a mental note for future reference about the injured arm.\u00a0 With the information given though he understood there to be another missed task assigned to Mr Cartwright:\u00a0\u00a0 the note.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would take it then Mr Cartwright that you failed to give your father the note I wrote to him yesterday?\u201d Watson now asked, deliberately leaving out the subject of the note from the rest of Joe\u2019s classmates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I did take it home Sir but my father has had trouble at the timber yard lately and hasn\u2019t been getting home until long after dark.\u00a0\u00a0 I will give it to him tonight when he gets home,\u201d Joe added hoping that the promise might get him of the hook of trouble he was already dangling from.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Cartwright you and I will discuss these matters out of class hours in your recess break,\u201d Watson now said, seeing that the other students were listening in to everything that was being said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t know what to think for a moment.\u00a0 The man didn\u2019t sound as if he was upset about the homework and the note at all.\u00a0\u00a0 He was saying that he just wanted to discuss it at lunch time.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe told himself that he could handle that if the teacher only wanted to talk.\u00a0\u00a0 He could take any amount of yelling from Watson after what he had been getting off Adam at home lately.\u00a0\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help but think a few minutes ago that his punishment would be worse than that.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the rest of the time from then until the lunch hour, Watson refrained from talking to Joe unless necessary.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to alert any attention to what he had in mind for his disobedient student.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Whilst the boy worked however, he noted that the boy had ignored his advice from yesterday about writing with his left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

That coupled with the no homework and the note was enough to fuel his temper.\u00a0\u00a0 He told himself that if the boy\u2019s father wasn\u2019t going to do anything about discipline for the child, note or no note from him, then he took it upon himself to show Joe what was right and wrong in his classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the hour wore closer to 12 noon, Watson could feel his temper rising further and further.\u00a0 He could see from the boy\u2019s participation in class that he was a child that thrived on the group atmosphere a class room offered.\u00a0\u00a0 The other children looked to Joe and almost came to judge their own behaviour and sense of where they were in the class according to where Little Joe Cartwright was.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was just the scenario that he had seen in a number of older boys at other schools. They became the leaders of the class and other students who could be persuaded to do well with their academic futures, went down a path of disobedience and intolerance of other students.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had been forthright about setting such disruptive troublemakers apart from the class before.\u00a0\u00a0 Although the boy in question was only seven, he didn\u2019t see the age difference as any excuse to let the behaviour continue any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

If he made an example out of Joe Cartwright for the other youngster\u2019s to see, then the other students would see that discipline and hard work were the way for them to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

He continued to watch the boy throughout the morning, making mental notes of the times Joe was day-dreaming or lost his concentration.\u00a0\u00a0 There were a few occasions that the boy stopped working and rubbed at his right arm just below the shoulder area. He had not believed the kid at all earlier in the morning when he used an injury as an excuse for failing to do his homework.\u00a0\u00a0 He could see now that maybe the boy had a injury at least.<\/span><\/p>\n

The thing that provoked the teacher\u2019s temper the most though was Joe\u2019s continual use of his left hand when he had explicitly explained how much it would cause him to fall behind the rest of the class.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He thought he had explained it enough and made it clear that he didn\u2019t want him using his left hand at all.\u00a0 Even if the note had never made it to his father like intended, the boy at least had heard the arguments for such a change and should have complied as such.<\/span><\/p>\n

At one point his temper had boiled over as he watched the boy\u2019s writing style.\u00a0 He had been holding onto a pencil to mark the previous day\u2019s homework.\u00a0\u00a0 The pencil had suddenly snapped without warning, making a few of the students in the room jump at the sharp sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had briefly looked up but put his head back down knowing that he would be in trouble yet again if he didn\u2019t at least look as though he was doing his work.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He only had to make it through the rest of today and tomorrow and then the school holidays would be here and he would be free of Mr Watson forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Little Joe tried to do what was asked of him for most of the morning and so did not notice too many of the dark looks directed at him from the teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon the bell was ringing, signalling that it was time for recess.\u00a0\u00a0 Normally the children would have already scattered by now, but with Mr Watson as their teacher, they all waited for his signal to file outside in an orderly fashion to play.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChildren you may all go outside,\u201d Mr Watson informed them,\u00a0 \u201cExcept Mr Cartwright of course,\u201d he added, deliberately reminding Little Joe about that little talk they were supposed to be having.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sighed at the thought of the talk.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He hoped it wouldn\u2019t go for too long because he was genuinely hungry today.\u00a0 He had very little dinner the night before and equally as little breakfast before he left that morning.\u00a0\u00a0 Hop Sing would be surprised to see that the boy had eaten most of what he had packed for once.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was now the only student seated at his desk.\u00a0\u00a0 Watson\u2019s false smile quickly faded as he walked behind Joe and closed the front doors to the classroom.\u00a0\u00a0 He saw the look of surprise on the boy\u2019s face and increased Joe\u2019s apprehensiveness by going towards the back of the classroom and making sure that the back door was also closed.\u00a0 He wanted to make sure that there was no unwelcome visitors when he and his little friend had their\u00a0\u2018little talk\u2019.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t want to be disturbed now do we?\u201d Watson said casually to Joe answering the boy\u2019s unasked question about why he was closing the doors.\u00a0\u00a0 The tone of voice was a little too casual for Joe\u2019s liking.\u00a0\u00a0 He began moving about in his seat again, displaying his nervousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the attitude you displayed today Mr Cartwright, I take it that you like ignoring my advice and disobeying my instructions.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In fact I see you take an active part in doing the complete opposite to what I ask of you and the rest of my students,\u201d Watson started to say.\u00a0\u00a0 By this time he was standing beside Joe\u2019s desk, looming over the boy in an ominous stance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I haven\u2019t done anything wrong,\u201d Joe began to say in his own defence.\u00a0\u00a0 True he hadn\u2019t done the homework assignment, but he thought he had explained that enough. He was trying to think back over the rest of the morning to see where he had disobeyed any of the teacher\u2019s instructions.\u00a0 He thought he had actually done better than he ever did in one of Miss Abigail\u2019s classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t done anything wrong,\u201d Watson said calmly.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t done anything wrong !\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..\u201d he now bellowed angrily and grasped Joe\u2019s right arm right were the bandage covered his burn mark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOww your hurting me, Mr Watson,\u201d Joe cried out, cringing a little at the man\u2019s sudden explosion of anger.\u00a0 He now was fully aware of why the teacher had closed the doors.\u00a0\u00a0 He was now becoming afraid of the teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t even begun to hurt you yet, Mr Cartwright,\u201d Watson replied and deliberately made his grip over the injury even tighter.\u00a0 Joe cried out in pain once again at the pressure being applied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome with me boy,\u201d Watson asked through gritted teeth, not waiting for the boy to stand but literally dragging him out of his small seat and pulling him across the room towards the back door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia City school was made up of two rooms, one larger enough for the class room and smaller area out the back were Miss Jones often prepared the work for her classes. In addition to these two rooms, there was a small storage room, not much bigger than a broom closet.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was here that the stationary supplies and other books were kept when they weren\u2019t being used.\u00a0\u00a0 Because of its size, the room was very dark and often held a musty smell to it after rain due to the lack of air circulation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo you can\u2019t put me in there,\u201d Joe said as he tried pulling himself away from the teacher.\u00a0 He was using his other hand to try and pry the teacher\u2019s hand from his arm.\u00a0\u00a0 If he could just get free he could try and make it to the door and get out before the teacher caught up with him again.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that the room was so dark was the thing that scared Joe the most.\u00a0 It was no secret in his family that the youngest had a phobia about being in the dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will wait in there until the end of school where we will continue this little necessary discussion.\u201d Watson told him.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe knew that the teacher had no intentions of talking about anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was still trying to pull away.\u00a0\u00a0 Watson now jerked the door open by the handle and with a hard thrust, shoved the boy through the door.\u00a0 The force made Joe unsteady on his feet, unable to stop for a brief moment and the boy found himself falling over a fallen book on the floor and cracking the back of his head against a shelf.<\/span><\/p>\n

The blow to the back of his head was enough to make him fall to the floor stunned. Because of the dizziness that he was experiencing, he made no attempt to get back to his feet and get out the door.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Watson too his opportunity to close and lock the door, imprisoning his young student inside the small,\u00a0 poorly aerated room.\u00a0 He made sure that the boy heard his laughter about his misery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now pulled himself to his feet, although a little unsteady, and began banging on the other side of the storeroom door and shouting for someone to let him out.\u00a0 He could only hope that somebody outside might hear his cries for help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me out!\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. You can\u2019t lock me in there! \u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d Joe shouted at the top of his voice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was almost on the verge of tears from fear of the room as well as what the teacher had in store for him later on.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had to get out he told himself.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLet me Oooouuuuttt!\u201d\u00a0 he screamed again.<\/span><\/p>\n

This time his efforts did cause the door to be opened, but it was not anybody to help him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Watson now stood in front of him in the doorway.<\/span><\/p>\n

The teacher grabbed the front of the boy\u2019s shirt and lifted him off the ground slightly as he uttered his warning:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better be quiet boy if you know what\u2019s good for you,\u201d Watson snarled. Although he taken the precautions of closing the door, he wasn\u2019t prepared to take the risk of how far the boy\u2019s shouting would carry.\u00a0 Maybe somebody outside would hear him and come to help.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe one of his classmates might hear him and go get another adult.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want anything disrupting his plans for later that afternoon. \u00a0He would have to make sure that the boy remained quiet inside his prison for the remainder of the afternoon until the other children had gone home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t keep me in here,\u201d Joe said, tears now running down his face, unable to stop them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh but I can,\u201d Watson answered and roughly shoved the boy back inside the room locking it again to prevent the boy\u2019s escape.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI will keep you and your disruptive behaviour away from the rest of your classmates,\u201d the teacher added, trying to justify his harsh methods to himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe fell heavily on his backside on the storeroom floor.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The room was now almost completely devoid of light.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe could hear the sounds of his own sniffling in the silence.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With nobody to help him he didn\u2019t know what the afternoon had in store for him that afternoon.\u00a0\u00a0 That almost scared him as much as the darkness of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now moved up against one of the walls of the storeroom and grabbed his knees up towards his chest and laid his head on top of his knees as he cried softly to himself and wondered when his family were going to come and get him.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 4 – Punishment by J7339<\/span><\/p>\n

There was almost half and hour of time to pass between when Watson locked Little Joe in the small cramped storeroom until the other children returned from recess break.<\/span><\/p>\n

At first, Joe sat against the wall with his legs tucked up wondering what he was going to do about getting out of there.\u00a0\u00a0 When he had first been thrown into the room he had begun shouting to try and alert somebody else\u2019s attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

His efforts to free himself however only resulted in threats of what would happen if he continued from Watson as he loomed over the much smaller boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had not eaten much dinner the night before at home nor this morning as he got dressed ready to leave for school.\u00a0\u00a0 The lunch Hop Sing had packed for him was still sitting in his satchel unopened with no way for him to retrieve it.\u00a0 He had not had so much as a drink of water since leaving home.<\/span><\/p>\n

His stomach was beginning to protest loudly from the lack of food and water but Joe paid his body no attention as his curly head silently and slowly drifted downwards. His arms were leaning over his knees and made enough of a crudely soft pillow. He didn\u2019t feel himself falling asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson had been showing a little uneasiness when he hadn\u2019t heard any noise coming from the boy for quite a few minutes.\u00a0\u00a0 He placed his ear up against the door before the class filed back into the room.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giving into his curiosity he opened the door slightly and peered into the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled to himself though as he saw that the boy had only fallen asleep.\u00a0\u00a0 He was happy enough to assume that the boy would remain so for the remaining class time left.\u00a0 His classmates would not even know he was there unless he woke up unexpectedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson started putting his thoughts together as he closed the door again and relocked it.\u00a0 He had to come up with a plausible excuse for the missing Joe Cartwright for the rest of his classmates so they wouldn\u2019t become overly suspicious and start asking the wrong sort of questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the children did come into the classroom from their lunch, Watson was careful to watch all of their facial expressions to see if they noted anything different.\u00a0 When he looked at the face of Johnny Scott he could see the youngster looking about the room trying to locate somebody.\u00a0 He had seen the boy talking to Joe Cartwright for the last two days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny decided to pluck up enough courage and ask about his missing friend.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen Joe during the entire lunch break.\u00a0 He was also worried that he hadn\u2019t seen Joe eating his lunch anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, Mr Watson,\u201d came the small voice from Johnny.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson waited a few minutes as though he hadn\u2019t heard the question.\u00a0 It was only after the boy was forced to reiterate his question that Watson gave him any sort of response.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Mr Scott,\u201d Watson said walking over to Johnny\u2019s seat and towering over the boy in a looming stance so as to baulk the boy into asking only what was absolutely necessary.\u00a0 \u201cWell come on boy, speak up, your wasting valuable class lesson time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Watson, I was only going to ask about my friend Little Joe,\u201d Johnny said and swallowed hard as he looked up into the uncaring face of his tutor.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t see him at lunch and I was just wondering was he alright.\u201d he added, voicing his concerns. Joe still hadn\u2019t made an appearance in the classroom yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson forced his face to relax slightly so as to give the impression of a caring reply \u201cMr Cartwright said he didn\u2019t feel well.\u00a0 He came to me just as you all began eating your lunch.\u00a0 I thought it better that he seek attention from his family.\u00a0 He has gone home,\u201d not wanting to add too much unnecessary information that may make the boy ask more questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean he\u2019s sick?\u201d Johnny answered, repeating what the teacher had just told him.\u00a0\u00a0 He wondered if he should stop to see Joe on his way home to make sure he was alright.\u00a0 \u201cBut his horse was still in the stable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Cartwright went to see the town doctor first.\u00a0 I assume the doctor took him home in his buggy.\u00a0 One of his family will come for the horse later on this afternoon or tomorrow,\u201d Watson said, fumbling his way through the answer at first.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t have much knowledge about the doctor at all.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even know if the man had a buggy for that matter.\u00a0 He was just hoping the na\u00efve boy would believe what he was told.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson inwardly kicked himself for forgetting about the horse. Only immature boys would remember something as unimportant as a horse.\u00a0 Unfortunately Joe Cartwright\u2019s horse had rather unusual markings and colouring that made it difficult to forget.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Mr Cartwright will not be with us for the rest of the afternoon to finish his lessons but you Mr Scott are, as are the rest of the class.\u00a0 Open your books children to the first page,\u201d Watson now said, walking away from the students towards the front of the classroom again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

For the rest of the afternoon, Johnny Scott did his lessons in silence as he was asked. His mind couldn\u2019t help but wonder about his friend though.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t whispered anything in class to him about feeling sick.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had been a little bit cranky lately about how his family was treating him and knew he was going to be in trouble about falling into the water when he went fishing without permission.\u00a0 But there had been no mention today or the day before about him not feeling well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny promised himself that he would take Joe\u2019s horse home that afternoon if his family hadn\u2019t come it get it.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had told Johnny right from the beginning about how fond he was of his horse Blackie.\u00a0\u00a0 Johnny knew Joe wouldn\u2019t deliberately want the horse to be left at the school stable overnight.\u00a0\u00a0 His family might get too busy to come and bring it home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back at the Ponderosa, Hoss had been tending to the animals for most of the day. He had feed them and tendered to their every need.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Animals were just something that he understood better than people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animals might be a little demanding sometimes, especially when they were young or injured.\u00a0 But mostly, as long as they had something to eat, clean fresh water to drink and somewhere dry and warm to sleep, animals didn\u2019t bother you at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

People on the other hand never stopped bothering you Hoss told himself.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t his teacher at school pushing him to do better in his studies, it was the kids in the \u00a0schoolyard making fun of him because of his size.\u00a0\u00a0 Or his young brother demanding that he play with him after school even though Hoss had chores that his father and older brother expected to be done.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had been further out in the pastures for most of the morning.\u00a0 He had met his father at the Timberyard just after lunch to try and see how they were doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben grimly told his eldest son that things weren\u2019t going very well at all and that he didn\u2019t expect to be back at the house until well after dark.\u00a0 He apologized to Adam for unloading the responsibilities of his two youngest sons on him again.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben promised he would try and spend a little time with them all tonight if it wasn\u2019t too late.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had assured his father that he understood that there were major problems at the Timberyard at the moment.\u00a0 He promised his father that he would soon return home before Joe got home from school to see that his two younger brothers did their evening chores and had supper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had stayed a little longer then he would have liked though at the Timberyard and as he glanced down at the time as he rode away, he knew he wouldn\u2019t make it back to the ranch until well after school was let out.\u00a0 He just hoped that his larger younger brother didn\u2019t get too tied up in his animal care to remember to collect Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

For Watson the afternoon began dragging about half an hour before the end of class. He found himself constantly looking back and forth at the clock on the wall, nervously wondering if the boy was awake yet and hoping that he didn\u2019t start yelling out again from the storeroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the clock struck 3.00 p.m. all of the children remained seated at their desks.\u00a0 They had learned yesterday not to rile the teacher and so waited patiently for him to dismiss the class.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChildren you may go home for the afternoon.\u00a0 There will be no homework this afternoon,\u201d Watson said, trying to hurry the children out of the classroom before the Cartwright boy starting making any noise from the back room.<\/span><\/p>\n

The children filed out of the classroom and headed out the gate.\u00a0 Some of them, who had further to go walked towards the horse stable to ready their mounts for the ride home.\u00a0 Watson watched each and everyone of them from the front of the school-house to make sure that children were actually leaving.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Scott had saddled his own mount and then looked over Joe\u2019s horse Blackie and reminded himself that he was going to take the horse back for his friend.\u00a0 He then went about saddling Blackie although there wouldn\u2019t be a rider this afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

He led both horses out to the front of the school ready to mount and then quickly realised that he had forgotten his lunch satchel from inside the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

He hitched both animals up to the fence outside temporarily.\u00a0 Just long enough to get his bag and get started home.\u00a0 With the extra distance he had to divert to the Ponderosa, he would be late if he dawdled too much.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was only as he neared the stairs that he could now hear voices coming from inside the classroom.\u00a0 He figured this to be rather strange at first because he thought the teacher was all alone.\u00a0 Maybe one of the parents had come to talk to him after school he thought logically.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny didn\u2019t want to intrude on the conversation in case it was adults talking and so waited near the bottom of the stairs.\u00a0\u00a0 It was after he heard a few more words of the conversation that he shrunk back towards the outer wall of the school-room, fearing he would be discovered.<\/span><\/p>\n

a few minutes ago while Johnny was at the stable:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

With the classroom now empty, Watson was careful to make sure that the back door to the school house was securely locked.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want his star pupil managing to escape once he allowed him out of the storeroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

His attention was drawn to this boy that seemed to get under his very skin for some reason.\u00a0 He failed to note that the front door to the classroom was still open and that there would be an audience listening outside to everything that was going on.<\/span><\/p>\n

He opened the storeroom door and was pleasantly surprised to see two small green eyes looking back at him.\u00a0 The boy was indeed awake.\u00a0 His face was smudged from the dirt from the floor of the room when he had wiped his tears away.\u00a0 There was a look of fear in the boy\u2019s expression and that\u2019s just how he wanted it to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want with me?\u201d Joe asked in a small voice, hoping to use his size as a deterrent for the teacher, hoping that Mr Watson only wanted to talk as he had said before locking him in the room.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 However, even at the age of 7, Joe was astute enough to realise that the teacher hadn\u2019t locked him away from the rest of the class to merely\u00a0\u2018talk\u2019\u00a0<\/em>after everybody had gone home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou chose to defy me Mr Cartwright and I cannot allow that disrespect to happen in my classroom.\u00a0 I need to punish you in a way that will afford you to do as you are told in future,\u201d Watson said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I have a drink of water please?\u201d Joe now said, his throat was really dry from all that time without any liquid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may get a drink from the jug over there,\u201d Watson said as he pointed to a small table outside the storeroom where a jug of water and glass were stored during the day. He needed a reason to get the kid to come out of the room on his own anyway, rather than drag him out kicking and screaming.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe slowly got to his feet and shuffled his way past the teacher, worried that the man would change his mind in an instant and relock him in the musty smelling room.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he took the glass drinking his fill, Joe carefully looked about the classroom, trying not to draw the attention of the teacher.\u00a0 He was looking for any sign of someone left behind in the school house he could signal for help.\u00a0 He prayed desperately that his brothers Hoss or Adam were about to walk in the room and take him home before the teacher got a chance to deal out his\u2018punishment\u2019.
\n<\/em><\/span>
\n back at the Ponderosa:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Adam rode into the yard knowing that his day of work was not yet complete.\u00a0 He still had to make sure that this two younger brothers did their chores in time for supper and then he had to try and spend some time on the account books.<\/span><\/p>\n

With his father delayed until well after dark for the last couple of days and Adam trying to at least make up the numbers to help out the hands doing the more physically demanding jobs, the books were not getting very much attention at all at the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Adam stopped his horse near the barn and got off the saddle, he put his hand to his head, knowing that another problem had just arisen.\u00a0 From where he was standing, he could already see that Hoss was still tending to the animals, almost in the same position when he had ridden away this morning.\u00a0 Obviously Hoss hadn\u2019t left yet to pick up his younger brother from school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss you didn\u2019t leave to get Little Joe yet, school would have already been let out ten minutes ago,\u201d Adam said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh no,\u201d Hoss declared, \u201cAdam, I am sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to forget Joe.\u00a0 Time just sorta got away from me.\u00a0 I just finished feedings those babies a little while ago and I just turned around to change their bedding straw and they are complaining that they are hungry again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know of somebody else who is going to be complaining too when you get there,\u201d Adam said with a slight grin on his face.\u00a0 He could already imagine what hot tempered little words would come from the seven year old when his big brother showed up over 45 minutes late.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was worried that boredom would get the better of the energetic youngster and he might just decide to come home on his own. Or even worse find something else to fill in the time, like heading off to a fishing hole on the way home without telling anybody where he was going.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am going right now, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, already half way through saddling his mount.\u00a0 \u201cI will try and be as quick as I can to get there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t try and go too fast along that road, Hoss,\u201d Adam warned. \u201cDon\u2019t do anything foolish like your younger brother and ride along there like the wind was after your tail.\u00a0\u00a0 Lord knows Pa has enough to worry about without having you or him or both of you hurt to add to it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be careful,\u201d Hoss reassured his brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am going inside to get cleaned up and then tackle some of the book work at Pa\u2019s desk,\u201d Adam told his brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his head but was glad that all the responsibilities of running the ranch had been left to somebody like Adam when his father was forced to be away.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know how Adam remembered to do everything that needed attending.<\/span><\/p>\n

No wonder Joe tested Adam\u2019s patience sometimes at the end of the day.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam must be completely worn out by supper time Hoss surmised as he started along the way to Virginia City and the school house to pick up his younger brother.\u00a0 He prayed that Joe would be in a better mood than he had been in this morning when they got to the school.<\/span><\/p>\n

back at the school house:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like your family doesn\u2019t want to come and get you,\u201d Watson teased his reluctant student.\u00a0 He knocked what remained of the water and cup out of Joe\u2019s hand. The cup hit the floor spilling its contents and breaking into three or four pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey will be coming,\u201d Joe said with as much courage as he dared.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to rile the teacher too much for he knew that it would only result in him bearing the brunt of his anger.\u00a0\u00a0 Secretly again he prayed that his family would soon come for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet over to my desk you little imp,\u201d Watson now said shoving Little Joe roughly out of the back of the school house towards the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Scott swallowed uneasily as he heard the teacher\u2019s harsh words towards his friend.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if he should identify himself or divulge his hiding place to Watson.\u00a0\u00a0 At the shout of Joe to get over to his desk, Johnny became too afraid to even let the sound of his breathing be heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe fell against the desk awkwardly, needing his hands to steady himself and prevent himself from falling to the floor altogether.\u00a0 During the time it took to regain his balance, he could see Watson reach into a small travelling bag from behind his desk. He was now pulling something long and thin out with his right hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe could feel the fear in him starting to gain momentum as he tried to see what the teacher was holding.\u00a0 It soon came into view and he wished he couldn\u2019t see it again\u2026\u2026..\u00a0 it was a long thin wooden ruler about 16 inches in length.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hate having to teach some harsh lessons to my students, Mr Cartwright,\u201d Watson now said from behind the desk, making sure that his pupil could see the instrument in his hand the whole time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut your behaviour over the last couple of days is disturbing to me and I believe I have no other choice than to punish you in a way that you won\u2019t soon forget,\u201d Watson stated, knowing there really wasn\u2019t an ounce of truth in what he was saying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Truth was, Little Joe Cartwright was just one of those kids who got under his skin from the very beginning and he didn\u2019t know quite why.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I haven\u2019t really done anything wrong, Mr Watson,\u201d Joe said in his own defence. \u201cI did what you asked in class most of this morning,\u201d he added, trying to at least reason with the bullying teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you do your homework yesterday, Mr Cartwright?\u201d Watson now shouted at the youngster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026,\u201d Joe started to say before he was savagely cut off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes or no Mr Cartwright, it is a simple question.\u00a0 Did you or did you not do the homework assignment given to you yesterday afternoon?\u201d Watson shouted, daring the boy to lie to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe shook his head in a negative response but didn\u2019t say anything further.\u00a0\u00a0 It was obvious the teacher wasn\u2019t going to believe anything he had to say anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you give your father the note I instructed you to give him about your improper writing technique?\u201d Watson now asking a second question.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo but he wasn\u2019t home until\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.,.\u201d Joe said before he was cut off rudely again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn excuse Mr Cartwright.\u00a0 An excuse that doesn\u2019t hold water in my eyes.\u00a0 Yes your father probably didn\u2019t get the note, but it is probably more the case that you chose not to give it to him isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Joe shouted back hotly, forgetting about the ruler for a second, his temper quickly rising at the insinuation that he had deliberately lied to his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Watson yelled back, his face now bright red and the tendons in his neck taunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour lack of respect boy has earned you a more physical form of punishment,\u201d Watson now said, moving out from behind the desk and behind Joe.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe tried to turn around to face the teacher, his fear still rising within him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without so much as a warning of what he was about to do, Watson brought the ruler back in his hand slightly and before Joe had time to react he felt a stinging sensation to the back of his thighs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeoww!\u201d Joe said out loud, unable to hold back his cry of pain.\u00a0 His hands went immediately to the area.\u00a0 His had on trousers, but the blow from the ruler had been hard enough to still allow him to feel it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeep quiet you little brat,\u201d Watson said to him, looking nervously around the room in case the boy\u2019s cry of pain was heard by somebody passing by in the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was only as he looked about the classroom towards the front door that he could make out the outline of another small figure hiding by the stairs outside.\u00a0 A brief glimpse of hair allowed him to identify the person as Little Joe\u2019s friend and classmate Johnny Scott.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Watson was a little afraid now that more than one boy knew what had been going on, he was equally sure of his abilities to silence the two boys through fear. He was determined to leave a lasting impression on Joe Cartwright that would ensure he didn\u2019t say anything to his family and Johnny Scott would be warned what could happen to him if he breathed a word to anybody.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was about to say something to avoid another assault from the teacher\u2019s ruler when he felt a second sting to the back of his leg.\u00a0 This one felt even harder than the last. The pain took his breath away momentarily and all he could do was look at the teacher with a surprised look on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I assure you more of the same Mr Cartwright if you or anybody else breathes a word of what has happened here today to anybody, understand?\u201d Watson demanded, making sure he put the right amount of emphasis on the words\u00a0\u201canybody else\u201d.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Scott had indeed heard the teacher\u2019s warning and knew that Mr Watson knew he was there.\u00a0\u00a0 He slowly crept out from behind the stairs and walked as calmly as he could towards the front fence and his waiting horse.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a few minutes he didn\u2019t know what he should do.\u00a0\u00a0 Should he stay and help his friend Little Joe.\u00a0 Should he run and tell Sheriff Roy Coffee what he had seen or Joe\u2019s family?<\/span><\/p>\n

Back inside the classroom, Watson had put away the ruler, knowing that he was taking unnecessary risks by prolonging the punishment any longer.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s family had been delayed, much to his advantage, but he was under no misgivings that somebody would soon arrive.\u00a0 He had seen a dark haired man pick up the boy yesterday afternoon promptly enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemember what I said boy,\u201d Watson hissed in Little Joe\u2019s ear as he went back behind the desk to hide his crime.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I promise you more of the same tomorrow afternoon as well if you show the same level of disrespect and disobedience that you have displayed in class over the last two days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will write with your proper hand in class and I expect to see a marked improvement in the quality of work produced from you Mr Cartwright.\u00a0\u00a0 Your father may not be interested in your education but I see it as my duty to teach you right from wrong,\u201d Watson added.<\/span><\/p>\n

By now Joe\u2019s voice was totally gone.\u00a0 He stood with tears streaming down his face, both from the physical pain he felt from the ruler and the captivity he had been forced to endure.\u00a0 But also from the frustration and humiliation he had endured at the hands of such a bitter and angry man.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may leave, Mr Cartwright,\u201d the teacher finally said as he gathered his bag and headed towards the back of the school house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe stood there for a few minutes, unsure of what to do.\u00a0\u00a0 At first he thought it might be a joke and that the teacher was just waiting for him to move again and inflict more marks on his body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the confusion started to set in about what to do about all that had happened today.\u00a0 His head of course told him to tell his father immediately when he got home. But it was the fear of another day of school yet to come and what could happen if he did decide to tell someone and the teacher found out about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

He decided to think more about what to do on the way home and later that night.\u00a0 His father would know what to do about Mr Watson.\u00a0 Little Joe started to gather his books together in his satchel.\u00a0\u00a0 The brown paper parcel with his lunch in it from Hop Sing was still wrapped up neatly and tidily as it had been when he arrived at school this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside the school house, Johnny Scott was still wrapped up in his own thoughts about what to do.\u00a0\u00a0 His hands were still trembling a little as he near his mount and tried to gather the reins.\u00a0\u00a0 He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice call his name from behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny,\u201d Hoss greeted the boy he had known to become his brother\u2019s friend and in some cases, partner in crime.\u00a0 He looked a little worried though when he saw the boy\u2019s unusual reaction.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant to scare the youngster, when Johnny turned to face the voice, Hoss noted a slight paleness to the boy\u2019s features as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUm Joe\u2019s inside, Hoss,\u201d Johnny said and hurriedly mounted.\u00a0 He reminded himself to release Blackie\u2019s reins and took off before Hoss got a chance to apologize for startling him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry but I have to go, my mom will be waiting for me,\u201d Johnny said, coming up with a lame excuse for his departure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee you then,\u201d Hoss said, scratching his head a little at the boy\u2019s evasiveness.\u00a0 Johnny hadn\u2019t shown any such inkling on the other times he had seen him.\u00a0 Exactly the opposite actually.\u00a0 The boy normally displayed the same amount of exuberance and energy as his brother Joe did.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss now climbed the three steps that led to the classroom.\u00a0 He stood at the doorway momentarily, allowing his eyes to adjust from the brightness of outside to the darkness that seemed that seemed to fill the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey Joe are you in here boy?\u201d Hoss said, not being able to make out his brother\u2019s shape at first due to the poor light.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had been so lost within his own thoughts that he almost jumped off the chair he was sitting on when he heard Hoss shout his name.\u00a0\u00a0 He quickly got up, grimacing slightly at the immediate pain to his thighs that resulted.\u00a0\u00a0 He quickly wiped his shirt sleeve across his face to hide any tears that may have been visible to someone else.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m over here, Hoss,\u201d Joe replied in a very small voice.\u00a0 He fought very hard against the tide of emotions within him to fall into his bigger brother\u2019s embrace right here and now and force himself to tell his horrid tale.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright punkin\u2019?\u201d Hoss asked, noting the somewhat subduedness of his younger sibling.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSorry I am so late.\u201d he added, thinking that the boy\u2019s lack of enthusiasm might be in reply for him being late and the boy being forced to wait quite a spell on his own in the school house.\u00a0 Joe was a boy who didn\u2019t really relish waiting for anything under normal circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour late,\u201d Joe shot back in reply, suddenly remembering how late Hoss had been in coming.\u00a0 Whilst he knew Hoss wasn\u2019t late deliberately, he couldn\u2019t help but think of how none of the punishment he had received may have happened at all if one of his family had been there to protect and defend him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am sorry Little Joe, I got a bit held up looking after all those little critters,\u201d Hoss said apologetically as he shuffled his feet on the floor knowing that his brother was completely correct in his statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it now anyway,\u201d Joe said brushing away the subject as quickly as it had been brought up.\u00a0 He know walked across the room and passed his brother to outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had let out a quiet wince or two at the pain he still felt at the back of his legs as he walked.\u00a0 He was careful not to make too much noise as to alert his brother to the fact that he was hurt in any way.\u00a0 However he was unaware that he was walking in a manner that drew attention to his gait.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was a little surprised to see his mount Blackie happily standing quietly at the front fence of the school house instead of the school stable yard.\u00a0 But right at this minute in time he was equally uninterested about how he came to be already saddled and waiting for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss found himself looking at the back of Little Joe as he walked.\u00a0 He thought he spotted the youngster walking a little awkwardly on the stairs a few seconds ago as he passed.\u00a0 But looking now with a better view, he could definitely see the boy walking differently than usually.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright Joe?\u201d Hoss asked plainly, trying not to suggest about the walking action. He would see how the ride home was and wait until they got home to see if there was still a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Joe said in a low almost tight lipped response.\u00a0 No other hint of an explanation even looked like being given.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the look of the sullen facial expression of Joe, it was clear to the bigger boy that he was going to get the silent treatment all the way home.\u00a0\u00a0 He shrugged his shoulders and walked to the gate and his own horse, knowing that the boy\u2019s mood would only get worse if he tried to pry what was bugging Joe any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go home, Joe,\u201d Hoss said in a cheery voice, trying to lighten the boy\u2019s mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Hoss had ridden in front of his brother as they turned towards the road that would lead them back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0\u00a0 He failed to see the winces of pain uttered through the boy\u2019s lips or the screwed up face as the saddle rubbed against the marks left on his legs from the ruler.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the way home, Joe did exactly like he wanted to and tried to figure out the best way to tackle his problem when he finally reached the ranch.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was still in two different minds about the whole thing and fear in the form of retribution from Mr Watson was still clear in his mind if the teacher was to find out he told somebody.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they reached the Ponderosa, Hoss offered to stable Joe\u2019s horse and rub him down as a sort of peace offering to fill in for being late to pick him up from school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think Adam\u2019s inside, Joe,\u201d Hoss informed him still trying to drum up casual conversation to get the two of them talking again this afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s not home yet?\u201d Joe asked, unable to hide his disappointment.\u00a0 Pa was the one person he hoped was home this afternoon. With two voices in his head at the moment about what to do, he hoped his father could sort out which voice to listen to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam says he is not going to be home until after supper again Joe, sorry,\u201d Hoss said, feeling a little sorry for the forlorn expression on his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 It was no secret of Joe\u2019s affection for his father and the need to have the man\u2019s love shed over him on daily basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing probably has some of those sugar cookies you like inside for afternoon tea,\u201d Hoss now said, hoping to change the subject and take Joe\u2019s mind of his father\u2019s absence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe turned to walk inside but he didn\u2019t voice to his brother that he didn\u2019t feel much like eating anything at the moment.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He entered through the front door, avoiding Hop Sing\u2019s kitchen all together and the prospect of telling the little Cantonese man that his packed lunch was still untouched.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t announce his presence, but instead quietly opened the door just in time to hear the voice of his older brother.\u00a0 Apparently he was not entirely happy about something.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDarn it all,\u201d Adam said only to look up and see his younger brother looking back at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had even contemplated on the way home of telling Adam about what had been happening at school with Mr Watson.\u00a0\u00a0 Upon hearing his brother\u2019s angry outburst though coming through the door, his unspoken words quickly fell away without being heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUm hi, Joe,\u201d Adam said sheepishly, a little embarrassed at being caught out by his youngest brother.\u00a0 He was the one always telling Joe to learn patience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow was school today?\u201d Adam asked, this being the usual question the boy was asked upon his return every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, I guess,\u201d Joe mumbled under his breath, barely loud enough for Adam to hear.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell if you want something to eat you will have to go and annoy Hop Sing because I am totally snowed under here I am afraid little buddy,\u201d\u00a0 Adam said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am afraid this ranch has many more problems than I can handle at the moment and I hate even the thought of another one coming up anytime soon,\u201d Adam said, forgetting that he was talking to a seven year old who was not likely to have much impact on the ranch\u2019s problems for a few more years yet anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon hearing this statement, however innocent in meaning, Joe knew that Adam was too busy to hear of any problems he may be having at school with a teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

He started walking up the stairs and turned around almost ready to tell Adam about the beating he had received.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAdam what do you do when you know someone has done something very bad?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s concentration though had been totally immersed in the account books in front of him.\u00a0 His brain triggered that someone was speaking to him and as he looked up he could see a questioning look on his brother\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that Joe?\u201d Adam said thinking that Joe was asking him something of a trivial nature.\u00a0\u00a0 His eyes were already cast back down towards the desk he was leaning over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot important right now,\u201d Joe said, turning his head away before Adam could see any sign of the tear running down his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe closed his bedroom door and climbed on his bed only to lie face down in his pillow and let all of his emotions and frustrations out at once.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Chapter 5 – Left-Handed by J7339<\/span><\/p>\n

About an hour after he went into his room, Hoss walked into his brother\u2019s room and went towards the bed to wake him for supper time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss paused a minute though as he gazed down at Joe\u2019s peacefully sleeping face.\u00a0 From the angle where he was standing it looked to him as if the boy had tear stain tracks running down his face.\u00a0 As though he had been crying before he went to sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss frowned a little and moved his head a little, making sure it wasn\u2019t the reflection of the sun shining through the glass window playing tricks on his eyes.\u00a0\u00a0 He finally decided that he couldn\u2019t be sure but deep down, from expressions that he had seen on his younger brother\u2019s face over the last two days, he was sure that Joe was keeping something from his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Hoss said in a quiet voice, so as not to startle his brother awake.\u00a0\u00a0 He waited a few seconds to see if there was a response.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t so he repeated the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This time, his brother mumbled a few incoherent words and attempted to roll away from the voice that was talking to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Joe wake up,\u201d Hoss said a third time.\u00a0 This time he was rewarded with the boy at least opening his eyes and trying to work out why he was being disturbed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked a little confused around the room and looked a little embarrassed as he noticed the shadows on the walls of his room.\u00a0 He now knew that he must have fallen asleep after coming into his bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry Hoss, I didn\u2019t mean to fall asleep,\u201d Joe said sheepishly.\u00a0\u00a0 He know pulled himself up into a sitting position and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.\u00a0 It was now with the sudden movement that the pain from the back of his thighs was brought to life again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe winced slightly, loud enough for his older brother to hear and then inwardly kicked himself for letting on.\u00a0 He hoped he could cover his tracks enough<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright short shanks?\u201d Hoss said as he heard his brother gasp in what sounded like pain.\u00a0 He looked intently at Joe\u2019s face as he asked the question, waiting to see if there was any deception that couldn\u2019t be heard when the boy spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine, Hoss,\u201d Joe said innocently, \u201cJust got up too quick that\u2019s all and got a cramp in my leg\u201d he lied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now got off the bed altogether and stood in front of\u00a0 Hoss to prove that there was nothing wrong with him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He battled hard to keep his face rigid as his legs threatened to betray him.\u00a0\u00a0 The pain was now a dull ache that seemed determined to hang around for a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam sent me up to tell you that supper will be ready soon,\u201d Hoss now said, relaxing his guard a little when Joe seemed to be okay.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just wash my face and hands then Hoss and be down in a minute,\u201d Joe replied with a winning grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Hoss said and left the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sighed a little as he watched Hoss leave, knowing he had at least a few minutes to gather himself together before facing his brothers downstairs at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s attention was now drawn to the fact that his jacket from the day before was still hanging over the chair near his bed.\u00a0\u00a0 As he remembered the events of the day and what the teacher had shouted at him, he was reminded that Mr Watson\u2019s note was still tucked neatly away in the pocket.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe made a mental note to himself to read the note later that night after his brother\u2019s had gone to bed, before his father had a chance to look at it.\u00a0\u00a0 He wanted to make sure that the words written about him weren\u2019t too harsh and wouldn\u2019t cause him to get into too much trouble with his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe now walked out of his own bedroom, his thighs still hurt at the walking action. The stairs seemed to make the muscles hurt even more as he descended them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThought you must have gotten lost up there,\u201d Hoss joked at this brother as he saw Joe come down the stairs and approach his chair at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing was busy bringing out the various platers of meat and vegetables.\u00a0\u00a0 The aromas invaded his senses, letting him know just how many meals he had missed<\/span><\/p>\n

over the last day or so and how hungry he really was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe pulled out the hard wooden chair and looked down at the seat before sitting down. He inwardly gulped a little as he thought about how his thighs might ache even more without a little padding to ease the injured area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sat down very carefully and now concentrated on putting some food onto his plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next few minutes, all three brothers concerned themselves with the task of eating. \u00a0Adam and Hoss were a little surprised at the level of silence at the table tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On any other given night, Joe would be chatting idly, telling them all about the big adventures he had planned with his friend for the school holidays when they arrived the day after tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight proved to be the absolute opposite, with the boy not offering any topic for conversation at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The hard seat began to cause the pain in Joe\u2019s legs to be more noticeable.\u00a0\u00a0 Unintentionally he began to squirm around in the seat to alleviate the aching.\u00a0\u00a0 Trying to find a comfortable position was proving very difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam watched his brother with raised eyebrows for a few minutes and questioning glances at Hoss as he noticed the squirming action of his brother.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eating was being disturbed continually because it seemed that the boy couldn\u2019t sit still in the chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy would take a mouthful of food and then move, only to take another bite of\u00a0 food and move back again to another position.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t work out why the boy was moving around in the chair so much.\u00a0\u00a0 He was beginning to become frustrated and wished Joe would tell him what was wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam refrained from voicing his concerns though because Joe was actually eating and he knew that if an argument ensued over his moving about, then the boy would end up pouting and refusing to eat anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally after twenty minutes or so, the constant moving about even seemed to be annoying Joe himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He decided he had to taken other alternate action or he would have to remain standing for the rest of the meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy could feel his brother\u2019s curious looks at him as he now walked over to the living room area and took a smallish cushion from the settee and placed it on the hard seat of the chair before sitting down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he looked up, fork in hand, he could see Adam\u2019s eyes still on him, waiting for an explanation about the cushion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told Hoss this afternoon that my saddle is chafing my legs a little lately and they are a little bit sore,\u201d Joe said, hoping that wouldn\u2019t read anymore in his explanation<\/span><\/p>\n

than was necessary.\u00a0 At least he wasn\u2019t telling an outright lie.\u00a0 Some of what he was saying about his legs being sore was actually true.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam seemed happy enough with his younger brother\u2019s explanation and now turned his attention to his own meal that was now rapidly turning cold.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe\u2019s explanation still didn\u2019t tell him why the boy was so quiet tonight.\u00a0 He thought it best to explore that avenue after they had all eaten.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam glanced up at the grandfather clock and hoped that Ben wouldn\u2019t be delayed to much longer tonight.\u00a0 The time was already showing 6.30pm.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

As the evening meal came to a close and Hoss filled his plate with another spoonful of desert, Joe announced that he had finished eating as asked to be excused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure Joe.\u00a0 How about you get ready for a bath then before bed,\u201d Adam suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo I really have to go for a bath Adam?\u201d Joe asked in a disappointed tone of voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes you do, it won\u2019t hurt you, now off you go,\u201d Adam said, not raising his voice too much for fear of the boy rebelling even more against his request.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Yeah, won\u2019t hurt much\u2019\u00a0<\/em>Joe thought to himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bath time was normally a battle between Joe and his family.\u00a0\u00a0 On some occasions he would take his bath without so much as a word, but the majority of the time it was a real battle between father and son or in this case older brother and younger brother.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What Adam didn\u2019t realise it that\u2019s Joe\u2019s refusal tonight came from the prospect of just how much it really would hurt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing make nice warm bath for Lil\u2019 Joe,\u201d the little oriental man said as he heard the beginning of the argument between the brothers.\u00a0 He hoped the soothing water might calm Joe\u2019s temper as well as relax him enough for bed shortly thereafter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t put any of that smelly soap in tonight, Hop Sing,\u201d Joe said genuinely, afraid of how much the water on the marks the teacher had left.\u00a0\u00a0 Soap would just make them sting Joe said to himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou do as Mr Adam says and Hop Sing not put any in,\u201d the little man replied, muttering to himself as he headed back to the kitchen towards the bathhouse.\u00a0 How was the boy supposed to have a bath without soap he asked himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing soon announced that the bath was ready and warm enough.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had been sitting very carefully on the settee so as not to move around too much and now very reluctantly got up and walked towards the bathhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam watched the boy\u2019s deliberate and stiff walking action from behind and noted that the boy must be telling the truth about his legs hurting from the saddle.\u00a0 He made a note to himself to have a look at Joe\u2019s saddle after he came home from school tomorrow in an effort to make it more comfortable to ride for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe say anything to you this afternoon Hoss?\u201d Adam now asked his larger framed brother, trying to get an angle on what had caused Joe\u2019s sullen mood this evening at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ask me.\u00a0\u00a0 I think he is still not talking to me after I turned up late to pick him up,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0\u00a0 He had truly believed that was the reason Joe had not spoken to him during the whole of dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam now sat back and attempted to go back to reading his book.\u00a0 Truth was his thoughts were still on what was troubling his youngest brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the bathhouse, Joe was just beginning to get undressed.\u00a0 He had made sure that he was all alone for a few minutes before getting started.\u00a0 The last thing he wanted tonight was for one of his brothers or Hop Sing to accidentally walk in and see the marks on the backs of his legs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst in his heart he knew he should be telling his family exactly what had happened that day.\u00a0 The fear of the man\u2019s words about what might happen if he did tell remained strong in his mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He had another day of school to get through yet and he would prefer to get through it sitting in the classroom and not being locked away in the back storeroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was just about to get into the large metal tub when he saw the mirror standing up against the wall of the bathhouse.\u00a0\u00a0 Normally Joe didn\u2019t take much note of what he looked like before or after a bath, but as he stood there with nothing on, and turned to the side slightly, it was hard for his eyes to avoid the red welts that now adorned the skin on his thighs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The welts, whilst not bleeding or such, they still stood out against the white skin on the boy.\u00a0 Joe had no doubt that there would be some bruising present in a few days. He would need to make sure very carefully that nobody saw his legs until after the bruises had healed fully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now tried to put the images out of his head as he put his feet into the tub and to sit down for his bath.\u00a0\u00a0 The water on his toes was surprising very warm and the steam rising up from the water had an almost immediate relaxing quality to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe tried to clear his head of all thoughts and events of the day as his knees and lower legs came into contact with the warmth of the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy was forced to clamp a hand over his own mouth though and clench his teeth together to avoid releasing the cry of pain as the welted area now came into contact with the water.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had tears in his eyes at the stinging sensation he felt as he forced his body further and further into the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next few minutes all Joe could do was keep his eyes shut and his face taunt as he waited for the stinging to abate.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luckily this didn\u2019t take too long and Joe once again found there only to be a dull ache in the back of his thighs.\u00a0 The ache was slowly becoming less and less and the water soothed the reddened area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had removed the bandage around his burn mark before getting into the tub. He dabbed gentle at the area with the warm water and was happy to note that it<\/span><\/p>\n

didn\u2019t look as red today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe washed his body before the water became too cold.\u00a0 He hoped that the warm water would also help to quicken the healing process of his legs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When he was clean enough and whilst the water still felt good on his skin, he lay his curly head back against the metal rim of the tub.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The steam was now lessening due to the cooling off of the water, but there was still enough inside the bathhouse itself to massage Joe\u2019s senses and let his mind and body relax.\u00a0 Another five minutes without movement and Joe\u2019s eyes began to slid close.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Half an hour had now passed since Joe had been sent for his bath.\u00a0 Adam looked up at the clock and wondered what the boy was doing in there.\u00a0\u00a0 First he wanted to argue about going at all and now it looked as though he didn\u2019t want to come out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sighed as he put his book aside temporarily and now strode out through the kitchen\u2019s back door to the bath house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of courtesy for his brother, Adam knocked on the wooden door.\u00a0\u00a0 He put his ear up to it but couldn\u2019t hear any sounds coming from inside.\u00a0 There was no answer so he knocked again a little harder and more impatiently this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, are you finished in there?\u201d Adam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sound of the knocking on the door and the calling out, startled Joe awake from his fitful doze.\u00a0 He looked around a little confused at first as he had done when Hoss awoke him before dinner.\u00a0 Again he hadn\u2019t even realised that he had fallen asleep. Better not tell Adam he had fallen asleep in the tub, he reminded himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d came the reply a few seconds later.\u00a0 Adam could now hear the sound of sloshing water as Joe scrambled out of the tub and grabbed a towel to dry himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWant some help?\u201d Adam now asked and attempted to open the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe gasped in alarm as he saw the handle turn and the door open slightly.\u00a0\u00a0 He jumped up against the door and used all of his weight behind it to stop his brother from opening the door any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo Adam, don\u2019t come in,\u201d Joe said\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be out in a minute.\u201d he added, trying to hold the door against Adam and trying to prevent the towel around his waist from falling to the floor with the other hand.\u00a0\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t risk Adam coming in and seeing the marks from the teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, alright, just hurry up so others can have a bath too,\u201d Adam said a little annoyed at Joe\u2019s sudden display of independence.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew there would come a day when Little Joe got embarrassed about being naked in front of his brothers, but at seven years old, he thought he had at least another 4 or 5 years before that started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe heard the sound of Adam\u2019s retreating footsteps, he released his weight against the door and let out the breath that he had been holding in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few minutes later, Joe emerged through the kitchen into the living room, fully dressed but when wet curls hanging over his forehead.\u00a0 A towel was still hanging over one shoulder to catch the drops of water from his hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to wrap your arm back up tonight?\u201d he added, remembering to keep a check on the burn from yesterday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNah, it\u2019s fine thanks Adam.\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t even hurt anymore and it\u2019s better already,\u201d Joe said holding his arm out slightly so that his brother could see the slightly pink area encircling the boy\u2019s upper arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll clean little buddy?\u201d Adam now asked casually, trying to clear the tense air from before.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t quite convinced that the burn was as healed as Joe said it was but from a distance, the mark didn\u2019t look swollen or blistered at all.\u00a0 He decided to take a look at it later on after the boy was asleep to save arguments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah thanks, but I have got homework to do so I am going up to do that in my room.\u201d Joe replied using the homework that he hadn\u2019t done the previous night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHomework, on the second last day before schools ends,\u201d Hoss stammered. \u201cBoy that new teacher you have must be a real tough nut Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you could say that, Hoss,\u201d Joe said glumly and headed up the stairs without getting any further into the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe that teacher has been rough on him,\u201d Hoss remarked to Adam as he tried to figure out the earlier question of what might be wrong with Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam said looking up briefly from his book.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Joe could relax just that little bit more now that he was in the sanctuary of his own room.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that he would be able to hear his brothers coming before they came into his room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he lay the wet towel over the other end of the chair beside the bed, the sight of the jacket, reminded him to pull out the note from Mr Watson and read it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now pulled out the small envelope with his name printed on the front.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He waited until he was sitting on the bed again before attempting to open it.\u00a0\u00a0 He winced again as he had temporarily forgotten about the welts on his legs and they rubbed harshly against his trousers and the bed covers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He turned the envelope over in his small hands for a few minutes, thinking about what the consequences might be once his father saw the envelope already opened.\u00a0 Then again he told himself he hadn\u2019t fully made up his mind to give the note to his father yet.\u00a0 He had told Mr Watson he would but that all depended on what the contents of the note were.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With a audible sigh he placed a thumb under the back flap of the envelope and then very carefully started to lift it open.\u00a0 If it didn\u2019t tear too much he might be able to<\/span><\/p>\n

reseal or re-close it as though it hadn\u2019t been opened at all.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take much effort to open it, revealing the neatly folded piece of white paper inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As innocent as the piece of paper might have seen from within the envelope, Little Joe couldn\u2019t help but swallow nervously as he used two fingers to take it out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He placed the now opened envelope on the bed beside him and now stared intently at the folded paper, hoping secretly there was some way of knowing the contents without creasing it any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing full well that he really couldn\u2019t know what it said unless he unfolded it, Joe carefully started to read the contents.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The note read as such:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Cartwright,<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My name is John Watson and I have been appointed as the replacement teacher for the Virginia City school until the school holidays in the absence of Ms Jones.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It has come to my attention that your son Joseph has been using his left hand to write with.\u00a0\u00a0 Upon approaching your son about this subject he informs me that this inappropriate method of writing has been allowed to continue for quite a considerable time.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My duty as a teacher has lead me to write this letter to inform you that if Joseph continues to use his improper hand then he will soon sadly lag behind the rest of his classmates.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will not be able to successfully complete his studies to an acceptable standard and his education as a whole will suffer greatly.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I write to you as his father in the hope that you will be able to point out to him why this practice has to cease immediately.\u00a0\u00a0 I see it as your duty as a parent and guardian to ensure that he changes his habits to enable him to be regarded as a successful student.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I must point out that Joseph\u2019s behaviour during my appointment has been most disturbing of late.\u00a0 The boy doesn\u2019t seem to be able to follow the simplest of instructions and is very disruptive to the rest of the class room.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I demand to see a dramatic improvement in your son\u2019s behaviour within a very short period of time or I will be forced to take drastic measures of my own to ensure that he is more obedience and respectful.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yours sincerely<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

John Watson<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Teacher<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s bottom lip began to tremble as he read the last paragraph of the letter. How could he show such words to his father and not expect him to believe every word that Mr Watson had written about him?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The seed of self-doubt had begun to grow inside Joe\u2019s mind again, leaving him with very little self-confidence.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With a heavy heart about what the teacher thought of him, Joe folded the letter back up again and placed it back inside the envelope.\u00a0\u00a0 He then placed the envelope in the pocket of his jacket again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The little boy cuddled into his toy bear Bo and laid down on his pillow, his face turned away from the doorway in case somebody came in and saw the tears falling down his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His mother Marie had taught him to write when he was very small.\u00a0 He had always used his left hand.\u00a0\u00a0 She had never gotten mad at him or told him it was wrong. Why was everybody telling him now it was wrong?\u00a0 Why was it wrong?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe told himself that he didn\u2019t feel any different to the rest of this family because he wrote with the opposite hand.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t fall behind any of his class mates now because he wrote his work using his left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The worries of the day soon caught up with the boy and the heaviness in his heart remained as his eyelids slid closed and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

It was only about half an hour after Joe went to sleep in his room, that Ben Cartwright opened the front door to the house and walked in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He looked over at the living room as he removed his hat and gun belt and placed them on the credenza.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello boys,\u201d Ben said again looking over at his sons, but this time noticing the youngest boy was missing from the room.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Little Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSaid he had some homework to do and went to his room a little while ago Pa,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe actually offered to do his homework tonight Hoss?\u201d Ben said with a little surprise in his voice.\u00a0\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t very often that Joe actually volunteered to do homework.\u00a0 This admittance by his middle son prompted Ben to think that more had occurred tonight than he was being told.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah Pa, but he was soughta moody all night.\u00a0 Hardly spoke to Adam and me and when he did he got in a huff,\u201d Hoss said with downcast eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoved around a lot at the table is what I remember,\u201d Adam chose to add.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy was he moving around at the table Adam?\u201d Ben now found himself asking.\u00a0 Getting any sort of coherent explanation from any of his sons was proving more<\/span><\/p>\n

of a chore than he would have liked.\u00a0\u00a0 Unfortunately all of his sons had become quite adept at it, even Joseph who was only seven years old.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSaid his saddle was chafing his legs, Pa,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cI have already offered to take a look at it after school tomorrow\u201d he quickly added noting the smile on his father\u2019s face at his offer of help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks son,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 Hop Sing was now placing his boss\u2019s evening meal on the dining room table.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben went over towards the table, looking as though he was about to sit down.\u00a0\u00a0 Sure enough though his eyes drifted towards the stairs and the doorway at the end of the hallway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben sighed loudly to himself and knew that he was in no mood for eating until he went up to talk to his youngest son about his avoidance of his brothers earlier in the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing began mumbling to himself about why he bothered cooking meals for such an unappreciative family.\u00a0 But by the time the little Cantonese man had reached the doorway to the kitchen, he watched Ben climb the stairs with a smile on his face knowing that he would put things right with the youngest Cartwright.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben briefly knocked on Joe\u2019s bedroom door when he got to the top of the stairs. He waited a few seconds and like Adam, knocked a second time and waited for a ,response before turning the door handle and walking inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he entered the room, Ben soon saw why his knock at the door hadn\u2019t been answered.\u00a0 He could see Joe laying on his side on the bed, his face turned away from the door.\u00a0 As he walked closer, quietly so as not to wake the sleeping child, Ben found himself gazing down at Joe as he slept, unaware of his visitor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It concerned Ben that Joe had gone to bed reasonably early two nights in a row. He knew the extra sleep wasn\u2019t a problem, but Joe was not normally a boy who went to bed early.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Normally he would fall asleep on the couch downstairs trying to keep up his two older brothers before being chased upstairs and having a story read before being tucked in, usually by Ben himself or Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was tempted for a moment to wake his son and try and find out what was bothering him.\u00a0\u00a0 He decided against it and thought it best to wait until morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He now picked up the covers on Joe\u2019s bed and was about to drape them across the boy to keep him warm when he noticed that his son was still wearing trousers.\u00a0 Adam had told him about having a bath and Joe\u2019s efforts to be independent, but he hadn\u2019t changed into a night shirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben bent down and was about to start undressing his son for bed.\u00a0 Unknowingly he had placed his hand on the back of Joe\u2019s right thigh, across the welt marks that Mr Watson had caused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The action reignited the ache that had been there earlier, and although he didn\u2019t wake fully, Joe began to moan slightly at the pain he did feel.\u00a0 Ben withdrew his hand, afraid that the child would wake fully and then have trouble sending him back to sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now reminded himself about the burn on Joe\u2019s arm and he now moved to take off the boy\u2019s shirt so that he could take a look at the healing injury.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This too proved to be easier said then done as the boy swatted Ben\u2019s hand away at the gentle jostling he was receiving.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben tried a second time to try and get the boy into a night shirt, but the reaction and the mumbling at the pain had been the same.\u00a0\u00a0 For one night he decided that it was okay for the boy to remain in his trousers.\u00a0\u00a0 He would have a talk with Joe in the morning about remembering to change in to a night shirt before going to bed in future.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight son,\u201d Ben whispered as he gently caressed the boy\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 He truly hoped that Joe would open up to him about what was causing him to feel so sad at the moment.\u00a0 He remembered overhearing Joe say that he wanted someone to play with but with all the action that had happened since then, he thought that problem may have worked itself out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At least with the timber yard back on track to a certain degree, he could devote a few days over the school holidays to his son after he came home from school tomorrow.\u00a0 He might be able to organize a short camping trip with the whole family for Joe to try and pluck up his spirits.\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully in a few days Joe would be back to his happy, energetic self without a care in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now came downstairs to the curious looks of both Adam and Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s asleep,\u201d he said to their questioning glances and noting the brief time Ben had been in Little Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cHe went to sleep in his clothes but it was going to disturb him too much to try and change him into a night shirt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss both nodded at their father\u2019s comments and knew what trouble their father would have been in for if the boy was disturbed after he had fallen asleep. It would be a rather worse episode of when Hoss went to wake the youngster on a school morning.\u00a0 Not something to look forward to at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I get something hot to eat now please Hop Sing?\u201d Ben asked kindly, tired and worn out from a long day.\u00a0 But to his dismay the little Cantonese man went back into his kitchen to reheat Ben\u2019s dinner, clashing pans and pots as he went.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Adam and Hoss had to hold back their mirth to just wide grins at the cook\u2019s antics.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The next morning, surprisingly Little Joe awoke before Hoss came in and yanked the blankets off him.\u00a0\u00a0 He laid in his bed for a moment, enjoying the silence and the solitude before attempting to stretch some of the tiredness out of his muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe noticed that his thighs weren\u2019t as sore this morning as they had been the day before.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He got up off the bed and let his trousers fall to the floor.\u00a0\u00a0 With an awkward turn of his head over the back of his shoulder, he tried to get a glance at the welts and see if there was any noticeable healing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To his relief, the welt themselves were gone this morning.\u00a0 There were faint outlines of bruises where the horizontal red marks had been but other than that, his skin was devoid of any other injury from the previous day\u2019s events.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had heard somebody climbing the stairs and quickly re-buttoned his trousers before the person reached the door.\u00a0 By the sound of the heavy foot-steps, he picked the person on the stairs to be his father this morning rather than Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe quickly filled the basin on his bedside table with water from a jug and submerged his hands into the cool liquid just as Ben opened the door to greet his son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I must say this is a pleasant surprise Joseph,\u201d Ben said with a genuine smile on his face.\u00a0 Maybe his son was trying to amend his normal morning ritual of being dragged out of bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMorning Pa,\u201d Joe replied, giving his father a flashy smile before resuming his pretence of washing his face and hands.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI will be down to breakfast in a minute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben took note of the boy\u2019s mood and noted it to be decidedly more cheerful this morning than Adam or Hoss had hinted at last night when he arrived home.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe the boy had just had a bad afternoon and a good night\u2019s sleep had done it\u2019s job of replenishing the boy\u2019s youthful outlook.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee you downstairs then Joe, after you have changed your clothes of course,\u201d Ben said, making sure that his son understood about the habit of sleeping in his clothes at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry Pa, guess I was just over-tired last night.\u00a0 I will change before breakfast,\u201d Joe replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben left the bedroom so that his son could get changed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He hoped that the boy\u2019s pleasant manner would continue throughout the rest of the day and certainly through the school holidays that were upon them already.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After Ben had left, Joe had started to change into fresh clothes as he said he would. But after seeing the slight bruising on the back of his legs again his thoughts quickly turned to the schoolhouse and what might be in store for him today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he changed clothes, he seriously thought about feigning illness to avoid going to school on the last day.\u00a0 But given that his father had already seen him once this morning with very little indication that he was sick, he didn\u2019t think that would work in his favour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then Joe thought to himself about all of the things Mr Watson had said about him. The note he had read last night, the jibes in class about him not paying attention and him being called a troublemaker.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe felt as though he was being constantly picked on and harassed by this teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If he didn\u2019t turn up at school today, then Mr Watson would think he had won the battle.\u00a0\u00a0 He would say that Joe Cartwright couldn\u2019t face the man after receiving the unnecessary punishment and rough handling of the last two days.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t let the teacher think that he had bullied the boy into submissiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the teacher tried to tighten his grip to prevent the young man from getting out of line, Joe decided to actively challenge the man and show him that he wasn\u2019t going to be threatened by anybody.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe finished dressing and ran a comb through his unruly curls once before heading out his bedroom door down to the breakfast table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTook your time didn\u2019t you son,\u201d Ben commented as he noticed a full ten minutes had expired since his son said he would join the family for breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd even then he couldn\u2019t be bothered combing his hair properly,\u201d Adam said as he spied the untamed locks over the boy\u2019s forehead.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew as well as any of the family that Joe\u2019s hair was hard to maintain at any given time but he thought he would try and keep his brother in the good mood his father told them Joe had woken in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTis too combed properly, Adam,\u201d Joe said with a scowl on his face before quickly shoving a buttered piece of toast into his mouth.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t even sat down at the table properly yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph will you please sit down before you eat,\u201d Ben said, trying not to sound impatient first thing in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Joe replied innocently before turning to Adam when he thought his father wasn\u2019t looking and giving him a second frown at the comments about his hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you got planned for the school holidays Joe?\u201d Ben now asked, hoping to gain a little inside information about his son\u2019s plans before springing the surprise of the camping trip on him later that night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothin much Pa, probably go fishing with Johnny or something,\u201d Joe said, having not really given it much thought until his father asked just now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, you had better get started to school then if you want the day to be over,\u201d Ben now said with a grin.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that Joe would probably think the whole day was going to drag with the holidays coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee you later Pa,\u201d Joe said as he gave his father a brief embrace once he scrambled from the table.\u00a0 Hop Sing was standing only a few metres away with his lunch satchel in his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy make sure eat lunch today, not eat lunch two day now, Hop Sing not make lunch not to eat,\u201d the cook said in a friendly way.\u00a0 He was a little concerned though that Joe\u2019s lunch hadn\u2019t been touched for two days in a row.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing tried to put things in there today that he knew the boy liked and hoped would eat.\u00a0\u00a0 At least with the holidays coming, he would be able to monitor what the boy was eating during the middle of the day a little better.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Hop Sing,\u201d Joe promised briefly glancing back at his father, hoping Ben hadn\u2019t heard too much about him not eating at lunch time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBye Hoss and Adam, see you when I come home,\u201d Joe said as he scurried out the door towards the barn to saddle his horse Blackie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBye Short Shanks,\u201d Hoss tried to say to his brother, but by the time he had completed the sentence, the doorway was empty and Hoss was talking to thin air.\u00a0 At least Joe hadn\u2019t commented about him being allowed to stay home again today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bye Joe\u00a0<\/em>Adam thought to himself knowing that the boy was just full of energy. Adam didn\u2019t reply to his brother\u2019s words but smiled to himself as he sipped at the remainder of his coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

On\u00a0 the way to school, Joe told himself that he would try and comply with whatever Mr Watson wanted today just to get through the day.\u00a0 After today, the teacher would be gone and after the school holiday\u2019s break Miss Jones would be back and things would be a lot better.\u00a0 He just had to manage to get through this one more day and then he would have the entire school holidays to forget all about Mr Watson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

John Watson had left his hotel room early that morning, about the same time as Little Joe was leaving home.\u00a0\u00a0 He intended to purchase his ticket for the evening stage and be on it as soon as it departed this afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With all he had been made to endure with teaching in an environment and school he believed beneath his capabilities, he planned to be out of Virginia City as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he arrived at the school house he noticed the Cartwright boy had also just arrived and was still unsaddling and tending to his horse in the school stable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy seemed to be laughing and joking with another boy Tommy Wilkins.\u00a0\u00a0 Watson frowned at the two boys.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think either of them had anything to laugh about.\u00a0 Neither of them had been paying attention in school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson recalled the events of the previous day and wondered if the Cartwright boy had gone home and told his family what had happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With no sign of any family or adults waiting out the classroom, Watson assumed that the Joe had not breathed a word to anyone.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see the Scott boy for the time being and so it was only Joe\u2019s word against his at the moment with nobody else in sight to back him up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if they decided to tell their families after school today, Watson would be on the stage by the time their families knew and wouldn\u2019t be reachable by any of them or answerable to any demanding questions about his harsh teaching methods.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Precisely at 9.00am, Watson stood at the top of the stairs inside the school room and rang the bell, signalling all students that they should be now seated at their desks to begin the day\u2019s lessons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the second time in as many days, Joseph Cartwright was the last student to enter the building.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe never spoke to the teacher and Watson didn\u2019t utter a word to the boy, but both had looked at each other as they passed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson\u2019s eyes had been hard and cold as Joe looked at the teacher.\u00a0\u00a0 When Watson stared back into the boy\u2019s emerald green eyes, he thought he saw a hint of fear but there also looked to be a sparkle of defiance there as well.\u00a0 The teacher was determined to make sure that any sign of rebellion was quickly thwarted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe took his place as his desk and tried his best to ignore the stares from the teacher. Although he was sure that the man\u2019s eyes were boring into the back of his skull.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe decided to try and forget all that had happened and just try and get through the day as best he could without riling Mr Watson.\u00a0 Once the day was over, the holidays would begin and he would be able to relax just a little easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had noticed the absence of his friend Johnny Scott this morning.\u00a0 Johnny hadn\u2019t mentioned anything about feeling sick the day before and he couldn\u2019t think of any other genuine reason for his friend missing school.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe he was required to stay home and help his father at their ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He was totally unaware that his friend Johnny had seen and heard every words of the conversation that had taken place between him and Mr Watson.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know that Johnny had seen the beating with the ruler or that the teacher had noticed Johnny\u2019s presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next half hour, Joe tried his hardest to bend to the teacher\u2019s rules and listen to any instructions very carefully.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He even attempted to write with his right hand as awkward as it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Normally when Joe wrote with his left hand, he was easily able to turn his work on an angle to improve his wrist position.\u00a0\u00a0 When he tried to write with his right hand like the teacher wanted him to, he found it increasingly difficult even to grip the pencil with his fingers enough to be able to make any mark on the paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson had been watching Joe with his efforts to right with his right hand and smiled to himself as he thought his threats and caning had done its job.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The next action the child did though made him see red.\u00a0\u00a0 He also believed that the child had only been pretending to trying to follow the rules and instructions as given.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The child was trying to mock him in his own classroom Watson told himself.\u00a0 Something which he wouldn\u2019t tolerate under any circumstances and certainly not in front of a room full of seven and eight year olds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had been trying to do his lessons and was not watching Watson\u2019s face to notice in facial colour.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had briefly put the pencil back on his desk and tried to rub some of the cramping out of his hand from writing at such an awkward new angle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he went to resume his work, Joe didn\u2019t realise that his brain had automatically reminded him to pick up the pencil in his left hand and proceed to write with it.\u00a0 Writing with his left hand had been so natural for Joe over a few years and he didn\u2019t even realise what he had done.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the rest of the students had been doing their own work, Watson was determined to make an example out of this child in front of the whole classroom.\u00a0 He had tried to chastise the boy by sending notes home to his father.\u00a0\u00a0 The boy hadn\u2019t even given such a note to his father to read.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When that didn\u2019t seem to have worked and he had felt it necessary to discipline the child after school when the inappropriate behaviour had continued unchanged yet again.\u00a0 Now the boy was openly defying him again after such disciplinary action had been taken.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was time to teach the boy a lesson in front of his class mates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson had walked around to his desk and pulled out the ruler that he had used on the back of the boy\u2019s legs the previous day.\u00a0\u00a0 He now held it to the side so as not to draw attention to himself or what he actually intended to do.\u00a0\u00a0 A few of the other student looked up and saw him walking through the rows of desks, but a quick frown from the teacher saw them studiously put their heads back down towards their own desks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think you are doing Mr Cartwright?\u201d Watson now barked as he stood in an imposing stance over the desk of Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had been concentrating on the maths problems in front of him and had not heard the teacher\u2019s approaching footsteps.\u00a0\u00a0 It was at the shouting voice of Mr Watson that Joe was startled and jumped slightly in his chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe found himself trying to regain his composure and swallowing in fear slightly before answering the teacher\u2019s question.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson saw this as another act of defiance.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnswer me!\u201d he said through clenched teeth as he tried to reign in the anger he felt at such a disobedient child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was doing my work Sir,\u201d Joe said in a small voice, moving away from the teacher slightly as he remained in his seat.\u00a0 It was only now that the boy noticed that the pencil was clasped in his left hand and he now looked back up at the teacher, knowing that this is why the teacher looked so angry at the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoing your work Mr Cartwright, with your left hand,\u201d Watson shouted.\u00a0 By now most of the other children were looking on at the scene being played out in front of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Joe or any of them could react, Watson due his hand up and brought down the implement in his hand.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe\u2019s left-hand had been resting on the desk innocently enough, but the ruler in Watson\u2019s hand now came down on the boy\u2019s wrist with considerable force.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe was forced to release his grip on the pencil as his cry of pain rang out through the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tears were now spilling down Little Joe\u2019s cheeks as he got out of his chair and began backing away from the angry teacher towards the front of the room.\u00a0\u00a0 His wrist was carefully being held against his chest and nursed protectively by his other hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the other children in the room had let out a cry of fear as they saw what the teacher done to Joe and as they now gazed upon their frightened and injured friend. None of them could scarcely believe what they had just seen Mr Watson do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson himself was now standing with a shocked expression on his face with the ruler clearly visible to all the students.\u00a0\u00a0 He had meant to strike the child but not as hard as had occurred.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what was going to happen to him once word got around about what he did, but at the moment all he could do stand fixated to the one spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without so much as a word, Joe Cartwright now escaped to the outside of the class room and stumbled along the pathway to the front gate.\u00a0 Tears were still spilling down his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he first reached the fence he was a little dazed and confused with the pain from his wrist and unsure of what direction to take.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had temporarily forgotten about his mount Blackie in the school stable.\u00a0 He looked briefly in the direction of home and wondered whether he could find his way back to the Ponderosa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the pain in his wrist spiked again, his mind told him that he should be seeking help for his arm.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The next person he thought of was Doctor Paul Martin, whose office was only a short walk from the school in Virginia City.\u00a0\u00a0 As much as Joe normally tried to avoid the man of medicine, the pain he was feeling at the moment told him that he needed to have his wrist looked at.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back at the school house, the rest of Joe\u2019s class mates were now huddling together in a small group in a corner of the class room away from the teacher Mr Watson.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some of the smaller girls were at the back and crying, the boys were at the front trying to act as brave as they dared.\u00a0 Most of them were wondering where poor Little Joe was.\u00a0\u00a0 The hoped somebody would come along and get them away from this monster before too long.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

As his friends wondered where he was, Little Joe was half-running, half-walking along the main street of Virginia City.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He soon reached a familiar brown wooden door that he had seen on previous occasions.\u00a0\u00a0 The sight of the door brought a little relief for Joe in the hope that the person inside would be able to help him and alert his family that he needed him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As it turned out, Paul Martin was on his own in his surgery when he heard the front door open.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had been completing some paper work and trying to catch up on\u00a0 reading some new medical newsletters from back east.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was curious to know who it was at his door because he didn\u2019t remember having any scheduled appointments until later on that afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul had only just reached the doorway to his office when he was met by a very distraught Joe Cartwright.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoc\u2026\u2026\u2026 you gotta help me please!\u201d, the boy pleaded as he tried to grab a hold of Paul\u2019s jacket with his right hand.\u00a0 His left hand remained instinctively held curled against his chest in a protective position.\u00a0\u00a0 Tears were still streaming down the young boy\u2019s face and he was trying to catch his breath from the running he had just done in getting to Paul.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSlow down, Little Joe,\u201d Paul said, putting a reassuring and comfortable arm around the boy as he led him into his treatment room.\u00a0\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t taken but a moment\u2019s glance to recognize the curly head that was resting against him.\u00a0 \u201cTell me what\u2019s the matter son.\u201d he added, trying to give a skilful look over the lad in search of the boy\u2019s distress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The added tension of trying to tell the doctor what was wrong with him though and what the teacher had done, only seemed to make the child\u2019s distress even worse.\u00a0 Joe now clung into the sleeve of Paul\u2019s jacket, unable to put the words together to describe his ordeal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe hit me,\u201d was the only words that Paul could honestly work out and even they were sketchy at best.\u00a0\u00a0 Paul didn\u2019t know who Joe meant by\u00a0\u2018him\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Maybe Joe had been in a schoolyard fight with one of the older boys.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul now turned his attention to Joe\u2019s injury, knowing that the boy wouldn\u2019t have sought the safety of his clinic unless he was truly hurting.\u00a0\u00a0 Very gently the doctor tried to pry Joe\u2019s left hand away from the boy\u2019s chest.\u00a0 From a distance he could see various stages of discolouration and swelling present around the boy\u2019s wrist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Joe cried out as soon as he felt his hand being moved.\u00a0 His mind was too concerned with the pain and the other things that had happened to identify who it was that was touching him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul loathed to make the child\u2019s distress even more so and made every effort to be as gentle as possible, he pulled Joe away from himself and sat the child on an bed for examination.\u00a0\u00a0 He briefly left the boy along to get a soft damp cloth and a small bottle of medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was still sniffling and attempting to wipe his tears away as he watched the doctor, but he was now becoming more wary of the man as he saw the medicine bottle.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He saw the doctor pour water into a small glass and take a small copper spoon out of a drawer nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc Martin now poured a small amount of medicine from the bottle on the spoon and walked towards Joe with it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He held it out towards the boy together with the glass of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will help it stop hurting, Joe,\u201d Paul said in a soothing voice, trying to get the child to calm down.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Secretly Paul was trying to work out a way to get word to the boy\u2019s family but was worried about leaving the child alone for too long.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe winced again as he unconsciously moved his injured wrist.\u00a0 With the pain echoing in his arm, he now looked towards the medicine on the spoon.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Without another word he took the spoon from the doctor and swallowed the thick syrup and quickly washed it down with the glass of water.\u00a0\u00a0 He scrunched his face up with the taste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow you just lay back and rest for a minute while I get the other things I need to take a look at your wrist,\u201d Paul suggested, placing a small pillow at the head of the bed behind Joe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that the boy would soon be feeling the drowsy effects of the medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want Pa,\u201d Joe said on the verge of tears as he waited for the pain in his arm to ease.\u00a0 Wearily he laid down on the pillow like the doctor asked but his mind was full of questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you do son and I promise I will get him for you just as soon as I can,\u201d Paul said trying to comfort the child.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou just rest and leave everything to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that Paul saw the child laying back on the bed he thought he had enough time to find the medical supplies he needed to examine Joe\u2019s injured wrist.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what had caused the injury, but concerned by the swelling and bruising thought it best to assume the worst and splint the wrist as soon as possible to prevent any further pain for the boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The medicine was now beginning to make the boy very sleepy and his eyes were starting to droop.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His mind however was still rather alert.\u00a0 He had remembered asking the doctor about getting his father, but couldn\u2019t quite remember getting a reply to his request.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s mind told him that if the doctor was too busy at the moment, then he would be okay to make it home on his own.\u00a0\u00a0 His horse was still at the school and the pain was now numbing in his wrist.\u00a0\u00a0 He told himself that he would be able to manage to ride home to his father so that the doctor didn\u2019t have to worry about bringing his father to town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the little confidence that the relaxation provided, Joe very quickly and quietly got off the bed and walked over to the door.\u00a0\u00a0 His steps were a little unsteady at first due to the medicine, but he made it to the door before Paul had even noticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now walked out the doctor\u2019s door into the bright sunshine of the morning. He squinted his eyes at the brightness and made sure of the direction he intended to travel before walking slowly along the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His confused sense of direction though had led him in the opposite direction, away from the doctor\u2019s office towards the livery stable.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A few people noticed the boy walking but didn\u2019t think it unusual at this time of day.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They paid him no heed as Joe made his way further away from his family, still holding his wrist protectively against him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

back at the Ponderosa:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was about to attend to some of the paperwork that had troubled Adam later that morning when there was a knock at the front door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss had finished their breakfast and were about to leave to do their various tasks for the day when they too wondered who would be visiting the household this early in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe it was Joe coming back after he had forgotten his school books or something they thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood Morning Sir,\u201d Ben greeted the stranger on the other side of the door.\u00a0\u00a0 He looked down and saw a boy about Joe\u2019s age with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny,\u201d Hoss exclaimed as he recognised the youngster standing at the door.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know who the man was but assumed it to be the boy\u2019s father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Hoss, this is my dad Richard Scott,\u201d the boy said, introducing his father to the three older Cartwrights.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse my poor manners, Mr Scott is it?\u201d Ben said, feeling a little embarrassed that he didn\u2019t know who they were.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome in won\u2019t you, Mr Scott,\u201d Adam now asked and motioned for them to enter the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr Cartwright,\u201d Richard Scott said as he removed his hat and walked into the spacious living room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen please,\u201d the patriarch said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat brings you out here Mr Scott?\u201d Hoss asked, a little curious to know why Johnny wasn\u2019t in school with his brother Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how to tell you folks this, Johnny hasn\u2019t told me a great deal about you yet but I have heard what a caring family you were in town,\u201d Scott said, a little nervous because of his newness to Virginia City.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny was supposed to go to school this morning like always,\u201d Richard began, answering the unasked question that he saw written on Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cBut he refused to go and when I asked him why he said because he was afraid of the teacher Mr Watson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfraid of the teacher,\u201d Ben repeated, a little confused by the conversation.\u00a0 Johnny\u2019s teacher would also be Joe\u2019s teacher and he couldn\u2019t remember his son telling him anything about being frightened of the man.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had left for school this morning without any noticeable refusal or complaint.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to tell me what\u2019s been happening at school Johnny?\u201d Ben said in a gentle voice, noticing the boy becoming more and more withdrawn about the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny now looked around the room and was looking for Joe, hoping that his friend had successfully convinced his family to stay home or at least had told them about what he had seen yesterday.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d the boy asked plainly as he and his father took a seat on the settee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe went to school this morning Johnny,\u201d Ben said as he felt a feeling of dread begin to wrap itself around his heart.\u00a0\u00a0 Why would this boy not want Joe to go to school?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Mr Cartwright, you have to go after him and make sure he\u2019s alright,\u201d Johnny said barely able to hold back his emotions and letting tears of his own run down his face.\u00a0 He was truly afraid for his friend\u2019s well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you so afraid of the teacher, Johnny?\u201d Ben tried to ask calmly.\u00a0 His own concerns were beginning to mount by the second but he needed to get the full, story before knowing why he had to worry about Joe at school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny looked a little confused when Ben asked this question, \u201cDidn\u2019t he tell you what happened when he came home yesterday?\u201d he asked, thinking that Joe would have said something to his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTell us what?\u201d Adam now said impatiently, not trying to frighten Joe\u2019s friend but more out of his own concern for his brother.\u00a0 He could see the same concern reflected on the faces of his father and brother.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t noticed anything out of the ordinary when Joe arrived home yesterday and Joe hadn\u2019t said anything happened.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam was now looking at Hoss for an answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe didn\u2019t tell me anything when I went to collect him yesterday afternoon,\u201d Hoss said in his own defence.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWas a little moody but I thought he was mad at me for being late to pick him up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Watson has been mean to Joe since he got here Mr Cartwright,\u201d Johnny explained to Ben.\u00a0\u00a0 He made Joe stay in at lunch time without eating his lunch and forced him to write with his left hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe did what?\u201d Ben said as he felt his anger rising at hearing of his son\u2019s unfair treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the worst of it though,\u201d Johnny added trying to continue so that Joe\u2019s family would know why he was so worried about his friend.\u00a0 \u201cYesterday, Joe was missing from the classroom after lunch.\u00a0\u00a0 I asked the teacher where he was and he said that Joe was sick and went to the doctor\u2019s and was then coming home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe didn\u2019t complain about feeling sick yesterday Johnny,\u201d Hoss interrupted before the boy finished.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes I know, but I saw Joe in Mr Watson\u2019s class after school yesterday.\u00a0\u00a0 I don\u2019t know where Joe was for the rest of the time.\u00a0\u00a0 I snuck up beside the stairs where I thought they couldn\u2019t see me.\u00a0\u00a0 Mr Watson had some sort of ruler in his hand. When he didn\u2019t think anybody else was watching I saw him hit Joe with the ruler.\u00a0 And he hit him again.\u201d Johnny added, saying how Joe was hit more than once.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe teacher hit Joe,\u201d Ben said with his anger boiling over that somebody else had laid a harsh hand on his child.\u00a0 Also concern that Joe might have been injured and not told anybody.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry Hoss that I didn\u2019t tell you yesterday.\u00a0 I was just too scared.\u00a0\u00a0 He did see me there and he threatened to do the same to me if I breathed a word to anybody,\u201d Johnny said but was truly ashamed of his cowardly actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t blame you Johnny,\u201d Hoss said as he let the younger boy know that he understood why he had been secretive until know.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It also explained why the boy was acting so out of character at the school house yesterday when he arrived to collect Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow you know why I brought Johnny here this morning, Ben,\u201d Richard Scott interjected, noting the Cartwright\u2019s reaction to the news about their youngest member.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s why he was moving about in his saddle so much,\u201d Hoss said out loud as he recalled Joe using another excuse.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd at the dinner table last night Adam.\u201d he added sadly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why he couldn\u2019t sit still and I didn\u2019t even know,\u201d Adam said as the guilt began to take hold of him.\u00a0 Why hadn\u2019t he noticed the signs that anything had been wrong with his brother?\u00a0\u00a0 Why hadn\u2019t he noticed that Joe was hurting?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam now told his father about the table incident and about how he suspected that\u2019s why Joe hadn\u2019t wanted anybody to walk in on him in the bath house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart fell heavy as he realized that Joe had gone through all of this on his own. Thinking that his family didn\u2019t want to know or couldn\u2019t know, he wasn\u2019t sure which. They had to go to the school and make sure that Joe was alright, then he would deal with his so-called teacher and his treatment of Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam now knelt in front of the boy, knowing what he was about to do might be difficult for Johnny.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think you could come with us Johnny and tell Sheriff Coffee what you just told us?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s alright with you, Richard,\u201d Ben added, making sure that the boy\u2019s father was comfortable with what they were asking Joe\u2019s friend to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny and I will do anything to help Ben.\u00a0\u00a0 I just hope your boy is alright,\u201d Scott replied.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The boy nodded his head in acknowledgement of his willingness to help out his best friend.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t want to see any more bad things happen to Joe at the hands of Mr Watson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I Richard, so do I,\u201d Ben said as he strapped on his gun-belt and grabbed his hat from the peg behind the front door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTime to go teach a lesson of our own to a certain teacher Mr Watson,\u201d Adam said as he strapped on his own gun-belt and prepared to face the man who had tormented his little brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet those horses saddled boys, we are going after your brother,\u201d Ben said in a no-nonsense tone of voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 6 – Missing\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright was slightly confused as he was currently walking down the main street of Virginia City.\u00a0\u00a0 The bright morning sunshine made him use his good arm to shield his eyes from the harsh light.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sunshine together with the effects of the medicine that Paul had administered were making his eyes feel very sore at the moment.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe now sought somewhere more shady to get out of the direct light and get some relief for himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His wrist wasn\u2019t hurting as much now but the swelling of the tissue around the area was quite noticeable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sought refuse inside the nearest building away from the sunshine.\u00a0\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until he let his mind adjust to the darkness and the surroundings that he recognized the livery stable.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The smell of horses and hay now invaded his senses.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His eyes were growing heavier and heavier and he didn\u2019t quite have the energy to keep going at the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was to Joe\u2019s relief that he saw nobody in the livery stable.\u00a0\u00a0 Normally the place was a hive of activity with people coming and going with their animals.\u00a0 But today for some reason there was an eerie silence within.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t even see Charlie, the stable keep who looked after the animals for people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked in each of the stalls and was happy to see that the last one was vacant.\u00a0 It looked like it had just had fresh straw forked into it and the fresh hay told Joe just how tired he was.\u00a0\u00a0 Because it was the last stall in the building, there was no window above to shine bright light in through the roof.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sank gratefully onto the soft bed of fresh hay near the corner.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The shadows hid his small frame from the front of the stall.\u00a0\u00a0 With a tired sigh the boy lay his<\/span><\/p>\n

head back onto the soft material underneath him and with just a few brief flutters, his eyelids closed and he drifted off into an exhausted sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe would remain undetected in his place of rest for quite some time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Ben and his two boys had ridden at a quick pace to Virginia City.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They didn\u2019t want to leave Joe in the company of the man that had hurt him any longer.\u00a0 Richard Scott and his son Johnny were a few steps behind on their own mounts, ready to assist the Cartwright family where they could.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben pulled Buck to a halt outside the school house and strode purposefully towards the front door before anybody else had even dismounted from their horses.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam and Hoss didn\u2019t take long though to follow their father to the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As they got to the front door, not only did they hear the distinct crying of children, but in front of their eyes, they were able to see Joe\u2019s school friends huddled together on the opposite wall.\u00a0\u00a0 They were distressed and cowering away from the man in front of them wielding a ruler in his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben assumed the man with the ruler must have been this Mr Watson who had been Joe\u2019s teacher for the past three days.\u00a0\u00a0 Watson had yet to note the presence of others. He spun around startled when he felt another hand grab at the ruler in his hand. At first he thought it must have been one of the class until he came face to face with the angry face of Ben Cartwright.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will release the ruler Sir, or I will break your hand,\u201d Ben threatened, without knowledge that Watson had already done as much to his youngest son.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam was now standing behind his father ready to add his muscle against the teacher if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss went towards the frightened and distressed children and tried his best to console them.\u00a0\u00a0 A few of the kids recognized the big boy immediately and sought comfort and protection from their attacker.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Scott was now in the classroom and could scarcely believe what torment Mr Watson had forced his friends to endure while he was away.\u00a0 His eyes were immediately scanning the children in front of him for Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Little Joe?\u201d Johnny asked one of the little girls from the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard him, what have you done with my son?\u201d Ben demanded of the teacher. It wasn\u2019t until now that Watson even suspected who the man was.\u00a0\u00a0 He had initially thought that the strangers had been brought to the school by the sounds of the children crying.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson now realised that this must be Joe\u2019s father and he swallowed slightly as he looked back at the silvery-haired man.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He could see that Ben was in no mood for any delaying tactics or idle chit chat of any kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Watson found himself saying, not really knowing why he answered the way he did.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe hurt Little Joe, Mr Cartwright,\u201d one of the boys said on Watson\u2019s behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes I know he did,\u201d Ben answered, looking directly at the teacher as he replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo you don\u2019t understand Sir,\u201d the youngster continued.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe hurt him with the ruler.\u00a0 He ran out a while ago.\u00a0 I think he might have a broken hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now realised that the child was trying to say that the teacher had hurt his son again this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did the man hurt Joe, Timmy?\u201d Hoss asked the boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe was trying to do his lessons when Mr Watson just came up and hit him with the ruler,\u201d the boy said, barely able to contain his emotions.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe hit him hard Hoss, I heard it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny you said that the teacher hit his legs with the ruler yesterday,\u201d Richard Scott now asked his son.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure it wasn\u2019t his hand?\u201d\u00a0 he added, making sure that the abuse they were hearing of was only new.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Johnny could answer his father, hurried footsteps could be heard behind the Cartwrights, coming into the school house.\u00a0 Everybody turned to see the worried and concerned faces of Sheriff Roy Coffee and Doctor Paul Martin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I am so glad I found you,\u201d the doctor commented, almost out of breath from the running he had done from his own office.\u00a0 He had seen Ben and his boys approaching the school on horseback.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had stopped briefly to tell Roy about Joe\u2019s accident and disappearance and about seeing Ben at the school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here Paul and Roy?\u201d Ben asked genuinely.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been to the Sheriff to tell him about Joe\u2019s assault by the teacher yet and he didn\u2019t think that Paul had been informed of any mistreatment yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPaul came to tell me what happened after Joe ran away,\u201d Roy answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRan away, what are you talking about?\u201d Ben asked out of confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul could see that Ben had come into the conversation at the tail end and decided it best to tell him what had happened from the start.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He proceeded to tell the family as fast as he dared about the hurt and injured Little Joe coming to his office in great distress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Doctor went on to tell Ben about how he had tried to get the youngster to calm down and the swelling and bruising that he had been able to see on Joe\u2019s left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The description they were being given seemed to fit in with what Timmy had told them about the teacher hitting Joe\u2019s hand hard with the ruler.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If they had been concerned about his safety before arriving, they were now close to out of their minds with this new piece of information about fresh injuries and pain that Joe had been feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI managed to get him to swallow a small amount of medicine for the pain Ben, but when I went to get the splints for his wrists, by the time I came back into the treatment room, he was gone,\u201d Paul explained.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t gone more than twenty seconds or so, but by the time I reached the front door of my office, I couldn\u2019t even see him down the street.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat effect is that medicine likely to have on him and his frame of mind now Paul,\u201d Adam asked, concerned that his brother was already wandering around<\/span><\/p>\n

with a considerable amount of pain for a small boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now it seemed that his senses may be somewhat hazy from the pain killer that he had been given by the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe might not even know where he was let alone what direction to head in.\u00a0 And where was he intending to go anyway?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell Adam, he was pretty distressed as I said when he came into my office.\u00a0 The medicine was already working before I left to get the splints I needed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If he has gone, I wouldn\u2019t have thought he would get very far before tiredness would overtake him.\u00a0\u00a0 The medicine should help with some of the pain, but it won\u2019t go away all together and that hand looked very badly swollen when he was holding it against his chest,\u201d Paul answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watson had heard all the details as it was told by the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His face never showed any feeling of remorse when they spoke about his striking the boy with the ruler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what have you got to say for yourself?\u201d Ben said, shaking the man by the front of his shirt slightly to make him answer the question.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to voice my concerns to you Mr Cartwright in a letter the day before yesterday, but that son of yours was a troublemaker from the outset and was determined to do exactly the opposite of what I thought was best for him.\u201d Watson said without any emotion in his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was best for him?\u201d Ben said in a low angry voice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat was best for him?\u201d he repeated, shouting the words fully into the teacher\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t write with his right hand Mr Cartwright.\u00a0\u00a0 The boy\u2019s education would have suffered if I hadn\u2019t tried to intervene and stop such a ridiculous practice.\u00a0\u00a0 You as a parent should understand such matters,\u201d Watson now said, voicing his strong-willed opinions about his methods of teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Watson, you listen and you listen well,\u201d Ben warned.\u00a0 \u201cMy son writes with his left hand because his is left-handed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His writing does not need correcting so far as I am concerned.\u00a0\u00a0 As for suffering, you have struck my son with a ruler on two occasions.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of you my son is hurt and in pain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of you my son had to seek medical attention from which he has now run away from in fright. Mark my words Mr Watson, if I don\u2019t find my son within a very short period of time from now, you will begin to understand the true meaning of the word\u00a0suffering<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Ben now released the man\u2019s shirt but never took his eyes away from him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa we need to start searching for Joe,\u201d Adam now said trying to get a search party organized as soon as possible.\u00a0 Hopefully if the medicine was working like the doctor said, they might be able to find Joe before he got too lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRoy will you take this scum bag over to the jail and make sure he stays put until I can find Joe,\u201d Ben now said to the Sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cMr Watson, when I return with my son, I will endeavour to do everything in my power to stop you from ever teaching in a classroom again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I have a stage to catch this afternoon,\u201d Watson said indignant that these people thought they were going to stop him leaving this town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr, the only stage you are going to be catching is the prison wagon when it leaves Virginia City in a few weeks,\u201d Ben said in a cool, icy voice.\u00a0 \u201c I aim to see charges pressed against you for the assault you committed and the injuries that you have caused to my son.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry Ben, I will take him over to the cells right now and get the search party underway,\u201d Roy offered.\u00a0\u00a0 The Sheriff had known the Cartwright\u2019s and Little Joe for a long time and hated to think of anything bad happening to the young boy.\u00a0\u00a0 He aimed to make sure that the teacher would be having a most uncomfortable night in his jail cell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you like Ben, I will make sure my medical equipment is all ready for when you bring Joe back to my office,\u201d Paul Martin now suggested.\u00a0 It was no secret that the doctor was not a competent rider and he would only slow any search party down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks Paul, I appreciate it,\u201d Ben said but his mind was already on the whereabouts of his youngest son.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhere would he go Paul?\u201d he asked without even realising it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was now that Johnny Scott decided to tell Joe\u2019s family about his secret.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMr Cartwright, I don\u2019t know if I should be telling you this or not but Joe told me of a place he might like to visit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere Johnny?\u201d Hoss now asked anxiously, kneeling in front of Joe\u2019s friend and hoping he knew the answer to everyone\u2019s burning question.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know if he would really go there.\u00a0 It is only a little way away but if he is hurt, then maybe he couldn\u2019t make it that far,\u201d Johnny started to say.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He could see the faces of the adults around him and their real need to find Joe quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut for the last couple of weeks, Joe has been talking about your happy place Hoss,\u201d the boy now said.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDead Man\u2019s Canyon.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe\u2019s was saying how much he would like to go there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven that place seems a little bit out of the way Ben,\u201d Paul Martin now interjected.\u00a0 He rather thought that the search for Little Joe would find him laying down somewhere for a rest in town.\u00a0 \u201cHe could have gone in any number of directions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Paul, we can\u2019t be sure and can\u2019t afford to take risks,\u201d Ben now said as he thought where to start searching first.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe can start having a look around the areas of town that we think Little Joe might have gone.\u00a0\u00a0 Then after an hour or so if we can\u2019t find him we can head out of town a little and up towards Dead Man\u2019s Canyon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long walk from here for a little boy but he might get part of the way by dark if he has truly gone in that direction,\u201d Adam now added to the conversation.\u00a0\u00a0 He too hoped like his father that Joe would be found in Virginia City somewhere.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The road to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon wasn\u2019t the best for travelling at anytime and especially for one hurt and alone boy of Joe\u2019s age.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would be glad to help out with the search Ben, but I would like to take my son home first,\u201d Richard Scott now stated.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The emotions of the day were clearing playing out across the young boy\u2019s face as well as his classmates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy all means Richard,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss why don\u2019t you take the smaller children home to their parents and tell them that school has been let out early.\u00a0 When your finished, you can help us look for your brother,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his head at his father\u2019s request and started taking a couple of the children by the hand and leading them out of the classroom.\u00a0 A few of them still shrank back behind Hoss\u2019s larger frame until they were far enough out of the reach of Mr Watson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Roy now started taking Watson over to the jailhouse but promised Ben he would be back shortly with as many people as he could find.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While they waited for Roy to return, Ben, Adam and Paul now set to work about making plans for the search for Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Roy did return to the school house, much to his shame he had only been able to extract the help of his deputy Clem for their search.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He apologised for the lack of help offered by the citizens of Virginia City but added that a few mothers had offered to keep an eye out for the youngster from their own doorsteps and front yards.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben told the Sheriff that he had done as much as he could and although small in number,\u00a0 they would manage as best as they could and cover as many areas as thoroughly as possible within the shortest possible time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter what, Ben Cartwright and his son Adam resolved themselves to doing everything they possibly could to finding Joe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t rest until he was safely tucked away in his own bed and had been seen to by Paul.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

At about the time that his friends and family were making efforts to try and find him, Little Joe awoke from the short sleep he had fallen into at the livery stable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He had been awoken mainly by the pain in his wrist that seemed to be now as bad as when it had first happened.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The medicine that Doc Martin had made him swallow was no longer working it\u2019s magic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sat on the straw for a few minutes trying to get his bearings.\u00a0\u00a0 There was enough residual effect from the pain killer to make his head still a little fuzzy.\u00a0 His eyes still felt gritty and sore and he still felt incredibly tired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was suddenly startled by the sound of voices inside the livery stable.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know who they were and he didn\u2019t recognize them immediately.\u00a0\u00a0 He was worried about what they might say or do if they found him there in the stable without a reason.\u00a0 He curled himself up against the wall of the stable as much as possible and used the darkness as his shield against being seen or noticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHear that Ben Cartwright is still out looking for his youngster,\u201d came one of the voices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s what Sheriff Coffee said when he was here a while ago.\u00a0\u00a0 Said Ben was angrier than he had even seen,\u201d the second voice responded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d hate to be in his shoes right about now,\u201d the first voice stated, meaning the fate of Mr Watson the teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a very confused seven year old though, the words he heard seemed to tumble all together somehow until he was sure that they were talking about his family being angry about him missing from the school house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t know why his father had come looking for him in the middle of the day.\u00a0\u00a0 Part of him sagged in relief that his Pa had come to town.\u00a0\u00a0 If only he weren\u2019t angry at him he would be able to tell Pa what Mr Watson had done to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the man had just said that Ben was angry about his missing boy.\u00a0 And somehow the Sheriff was now involved which made Joe think he was in trouble even more.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if he could face whatever was in store for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe he could go away for a little while until things calmed down at home.\u00a0 If they began to miss him then maybe they wouldn\u2019t be so angry anymore and he could come home.\u00a0 But where could he go?\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have any food or even a horse to go anywhere.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To add to his worries, his wrist began throbbing in earnest again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then he suddenly remembered where he was.\u00a0 The Livery Stable.\u00a0 Of course, there were horses here.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 None of them belonged to him but if he just borrowed one for a little while it would surely be okay, Joe persuaded his inner self.\u00a0\u00a0 His arm was sore but by morning maybe it wouldn\u2019t be so sore anymore.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully he wouldn\u2019t need to be away from his family for much more than a night before he was missed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As if in protest at his thoughts, Joe\u2019s empty stomach grumbled badly at the thought of an entire night without food.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t had much today at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before he could change his mind again, Joe waited for a few minutes to make sure that the two men he had heard were now gone.\u00a0\u00a0 He peeked out around the stall and began looking at the other stalls and what mounts they had that he might be able to use.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first stall had a great big white horse that was snorting and stamping his feet about as though frustrated at being kept in such as place.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The stall next to that one had another horse that seemed very big.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon looking into the third stall, Joe began to think that he just might be able to ride that particular horse.\u00a0 It was smaller than the first two but big enough to be ridden by an adult.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s coat was almost chestnut in colour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked to check the coast was clear and then tiptoed across the straw floor of the livery stable and held out his uninjured hand to the horse.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The horse was a little bit wary of the strange hand at first but put it\u2019s soft pink nose against the boy\u2019s palm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had to stifle back a giggle at the tickling that the soft nose made on his hand.\u00a0\u00a0 He looked around worriedly, knowing he couldn\u2019t let himself be found or he would be in serious trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe looked down at his injured hand and winced at the pain that was still coming from the swollen wrist.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that he would not be able to saddle the horse on his own.\u00a0 He normally needed a little help to saddle his own pony back at the Ponderosa, even if he didn\u2019t like to admit it.\u00a0\u00a0 Today he would have to ride without a saddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now started to untie the halter rope that was tied to a hook on the pole between the two stalls.\u00a0 Being one-handed, it took a few seconds for the loops to loosen enough for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The smaller horse didn\u2019t seem to be worried by the fact that a strange little boy was untying and attempting to lead him out of the stall.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With relative ease and a small gentle pull on the rope, Joe found the horse following his command and now standing beside him outside of the stall.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next tricky part about this whole thing Joe realised was how to mount the horse with only one hand.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He looked down at his left hand and the pain he was still feeling was enough to convince him that he would have to try with his right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now led the smaller chestnut coloured horse to the rear door of the stable.\u00a0 Most horses and riders left via the bigger and wider doors near the front of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hopefully, if he used this particular door, nobody would see him or the horse he was borrowing for a while.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was sure that they would understood he would bring the horse back safely.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Or at least that\u2019s what his tired mind told him the person who owned the horse would think.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe now tucked a tuft of the horse\u2019s mane in between the fingers of his right hand to give him more leverage and assistance to mount.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Even doing this though it was much more difficult trying to climb onto the animal\u2019s back with only one hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After much effort and a few winces from the pain in his left hand as it made contact, Joe managed to sit straddled on the horse\u2019s back.\u00a0 It had taken much more out of him to get onto the animal and the boy now took some long deep breaths in order to stop himself falling off again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With his mind slowly turning over with the words he had overheard, Joe was sure that his family would not be happy about how late he was.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He persuaded himself once again that the way to get his father forgive him for his lateness was to wait until his family missed him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If they were worried about him and he finally came home with his injured hand, they would soon forget all about his tardiness and all about him leaving school early without permission.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe now nudged the horse forward into a slow walk away from the livery stable and towards the end of the town.\u00a0\u00a0 For the next half an hour he didn\u2019t think of anything very much at all.\u00a0 His body was beginning to slowly relax due to the soft rocking motion that the walking horse provided.\u00a0\u00a0 It was very difficult for the still tired and injured boy to stop from falling asleep over his mount\u2019s neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After an hour, he found his mind thinking again which he was slightly grateful for.\u00a0 The alertness of his mind would stop him from drifting off to sleep again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Joe found himself wondering about what he was going to do for the rest of the night.\u00a0\u00a0 He had no supplies with him or the horse, not even a canteen of water to share\u00a0 between them.\u00a0\u00a0 There was not a bite to eat and his stomach had already put in another round of protests a few miles back about feeling so empty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sun would soon be setting and with the darkness, the night temperature would soon begin to drop also.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t even have a match that he could use to start a campfire with.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He knew how.\u00a0 Hoss had shown him a couple of times how to light a small fire.\u00a0 But now that didn\u2019t really make much of a difference because there wasn\u2019t anything to light it with.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe tried to think of somewhere that maybe slightly sheltered and where there might be a waterhole nearby so that he and the horse could at least get a drink of water.\u00a0 That\u2019s when the place that he and Hoss had visited came to him:\u00a0Dead Man\u2019s Canyon.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe didn\u2019t quite remember how many miles it was to the\u00a0\u2018Happy Place\u2019<\/em>\u00a0that Hoss had taken him too.\u00a0\u00a0 It was quite a long time ago and the reason he remembered it so well was because of the good memories it provided him of with his brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked around the landscape that he was currently travelling in and although he could scarcely keep from falling asleep, he tried to remember if any of the rocks or trees seemed familiar to him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After another mile of trying to watch the things around him,\u00a0 Joe was satisfied that he was at least travelling in the right direction to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Back in Virginia City, Ben was getting more and more worried about his missing and injured son.\u00a0 He and his boys had been searching for over two hours now and no sign of the youngster had been found anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Together, each of them had searched every nook and cranny they could think would harbour a small frightened boy.\u00a0\u00a0 Until now they had come up empty handed each time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The more they searched, the more frustrated and worried they all became, especially with the knowledge that Joe was hurt and in need of doctoring.\u00a0 That made the need to find him even more urgent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The family had talked to many citizens on the streets of Virginia City to see if they had seen Little Joe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Many of them had not and shook their heads when asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A couple had agreed that they had seen him but they hadn\u2019t noticed that he was hurting at all or even that it was unusual for him to be wandering the streets alone when he should have been in school.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They had not seen any need to keep track of what direction he had travelled in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now thought back to the conversation that he and the rest of the family had had with Johnny Scott.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe he had to start facing the fact that maybe in his haze of pain and fright from what the teacher had done, Joe may have sought comfort and solace somewhere he felt he was safe.\u00a0 Somewhere like Dead Man\u2019s Canyon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The search party had now gathered back at the front of the jailhouse to determine what direction to take next.\u00a0\u00a0 It was Ben who took charge of the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, Roy, Paul,\u201d he began, \u201cI think we have to face the fact that Joe isn\u2019t in town anymore.\u00a0 I think we have to start putting things together to look further afield for Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean like heading up to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon?\u201d Hoss now asked his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Hoss,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know if he has gone there or not but he have to expand our search and we can\u2019t rule such an idea out at the moment.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s almost on sunset now.\u00a0\u00a0 He probably doesn\u2019t have any supplies with him.\u00a0\u00a0 He is alone, frightened, scared, hurt and probably not thinking very straight at the moment.\u00a0 We have to keep searching for him as long as it takes to bring him home safely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of them nodded their heads in agreement at Ben\u2019s words knowing by now that the search for Joe must start becoming more determined in its efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you arrange for some food and water supplies, Hoss you try and get some warm blankets and bed rolls together for us.\u00a0\u00a0 I will get some medical supplies of you Paul and hopefully we can be on the trail very soon,\u201d Ben explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut how do we know what direction to head in Pa,\u201d Hoss asked honestly.\u00a0 Just because they thought Little Joe may have gone to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon didn\u2019t mean that he had.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe he had tried to make his way home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The search party now turned around at the sound of a voice shouting to them from behind.\u00a0 As they all turned, they could see Charlie, the man who ran the livery stable running up to them as fast as he could.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t quite able to make out what he was trying to say to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSlow down Charlie,\u201d Ben said as he stopped the man as he approached the group.\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou been looking for that boy of yours Ben,\u201d the man said as he tried to regain his breath after running so hard.\u00a0\u00a0 He could see the looks of fatigue of the group suddenly change to ones of hope and anticipation as he spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you seen Little Joe Charlie?\u201d Ben asked immediately.\u00a0\u00a0 He could feel his heart thumping inside his chest at the thought that somebody might have some useful information about his missing child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo I ain\u2019t seen him, just like I told Adam when he came by searching a while ago, but I just noticed that one of the horses is missing from the stable.\u201d Charlie explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think Joe might have had something to do with taking the horse?\u201d Adam now asked, not worried that his brother was stealing the animal but rather probably trying to find a method of finding his way home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell the horse that is missing Mr Cartwright is smaller in size than the other ones in the livery stable at the moment.\u00a0\u00a0 If it was Joe that needed to take the horse, it might just be the clue you have been looking for.\u201d Charlie replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt still doesn\u2019t tell us which direction the boy might have travelled in,\u201d Roy Coffee now said as he tried to put himself in Joe\u2019s shoes.\u00a0 What would an injured and frightened boy on a strange horse do?\u00a0 Where would he go?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo Sheriff, but the horse\u2019s feet should tell us,\u201d Charlie said, and immediately saw the confused looks on those around him.\u00a0 \u201cYou see that horse got reshoed only this morning.\u00a0 And Mr Withers, his owner makes sure that I put particular shoes on that animal.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They have a distinctive pattern gouged into the edges of the shoe that would make a pattern on the ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHot Diggerty Charlie, that means once we find that particular pattern on the road, we can follow it to Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said with hope in his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get those supplies together boys and then meet at the livery stable in a few minutes and see if we can\u2019t find those horse shoe prints,\u201d Ben said finding it hard not to go racing to the stable right now.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that they needed to be prepared for the night ahead in case they didn\u2019t find Little Joe right away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About twenty minutes later, each of the Cartwright family had attended to his assigned task of water, food and bed rolls.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Paul had given Ben a makeshift kit with bandages and some medicine.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The doctor gave Ben careful instructions about what dose to give Joe in case they came across the boy and he needed attention before they could get him back to Virginia City.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheriff Roy Coffee had already offered to join the Cartwright\u2019s in the search for the youngest member of the family.\u00a0\u00a0 His deputy Clem would be adept at handling any problems that may arise in the town whilst they were gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul Martin said that he would be waiting at his office when the search party returned and Joe was to be taken straight to him to have his wrist attended to.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to mention or add the prospect of any further injuries the young boy might incur.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The party now moved back to the livery stable to see Charlie waiting for them.\u00a0\u00a0 The stable keep had already been scowering the ground around the stable in search of the distinctive pattern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found one right away Ben, just outside the rear door.\u00a0 There should have been others but they seem to have been covered over by other horses in the meantime,\u201d Charlie said hoping the news would dash any hopes that the search party had built up for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss had walked away from the party for a few minutes, trying to look at the horse shoe prints on the ground.\u00a0\u00a0 Trouble was that they all looked remarkably the same to him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He just had to find his little brother.\u00a0 He just had to he told himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs this one Charlie?\u201d Hoss suddenly shouted in triumph as he noted one set of prints quite a few metres from the livery stable.\u00a0 The print looked to have a funny squiggly mark along the edges of the shoe.\u00a0\u00a0 Was it the distinct pattern that the stable keep had been talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben and the other quickly came running over to the area on the ground that Hoss was pointing to.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It took a few seconds for them to see the differences in the pattern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it my boy,\u201d Charlie said excitedly.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cReckon you could recognize it again Hoss?\u201d he now asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss grabbed the reins of his horse and slowly walked with his mount behind him, trying to locate a second same print.\u00a0\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long to find one and then a third and fourth.\u00a0 His heart swelled as he thought they were finally on the right trail to finding the way Little Joe had gone in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben and the rest of the search party quickly mounted their horses and travelled behind Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0 They noted the concentration on Hoss\u2019s face to follow the correct trail.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A few times he seemed to lose sight of the right trail when other horse prints covered over the one he was looking for.\u00a0 But his patient nature paid out and he quickly was able to find another print again not too far ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as the sun gave the sky an orange hue across the horizon, signalling almost the end of the day, the search party walked slowly out of Virginia City following Hoss who was still walking a good deal of the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After walking about a mile or so out of time, Joe\u2019s horse seem to be easier to spot without the competition from other prints.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss found even though he mounted his horse, he could still locate the right trail fairly easily and continue on their way at a slightly faster pace.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

While Joe\u2019s family had been making the preparation to try and find him, the youngest member of the Cartwright family was still working his way towards Dead Man\u2019s Canyon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The night sky was now getting darker and darker and Joe was a little worried that the little chestnut horse may not be able to find his way through the shadows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By now the young boy had travelled about fifteen miles on the horse.\u00a0\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t aware of the distance however.\u00a0 At first he had tried to talk to himself and the horse to keep himself awake.\u00a0\u00a0 He told his horse all about his family and about his recent troubles with the teacher that found him travelling along this road.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiredness, fatigue and pain however soon overcome Joe and he had fallen over the horse\u2019s neck in a restless doze for about the last two miles or so.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe was quickly brought out of his doze by the sharp snap of a breaking stick awoke him.\u00a0\u00a0 The horse was also startled at the noise and tried to shy away from whatever had made the sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had to use most of the waning strength he had left to say on the horse\u2019s back.\u00a0\u00a0 There was no saddle to prevent him falling off the smooth coat and there was no reins to grip onto either.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He cried out into the darkness in pain as his injured wrist was inadvertently used with his good hand to stop him falling off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The horse came to a halt at Joe\u2019s cry of pain and the boy now brought his tear-stained face up slightly to look at his surroundings.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had to let his eyes adjust to the darkness for a few seconds, but he could then make out the shapes of large rocks and a few large trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now down very gingerly from the horse, afraid his rubbery legs would betray him.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think he had the strength to keep getting back onto his feet.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He told himself and the little horse that he needed to rest of a few minutes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The other thing he needed right now was a drink of water.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was feeling slightly light headed at the moment and he felt a little hot despite the cool breeze ruffling his hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now began walking over to the large rocks he had seen a few moments ago.\u00a0\u00a0 He beckoned for the horse to follow and was happy to see the soft nickers from the animal as the horse followed his smaller master.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The area around the large rocks was slightly even darker due to the canopy of the trees.\u00a0 Joe could see a few twinkling stars in the sky above him but the moonlight that had given him a little light to travel over the last few miles was now hidden from sight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cool breeze blew again and Joe shivered at the chill his body felt.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His head felt hot still though.\u00a0\u00a0 He was unaware that his injured hand had caused a slight fever to begin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked to his right and was delighted to see a small trickle of a stream very nearby.\u00a0\u00a0 He walked unsteadily towards the water and knelt beside it, cupping his hands into the cool liquid and affording himself a drink of the thirst quenching wetness.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The little horse had followed his rider to the stream and now bent his head down to take a drink as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once he had drank his fill, Joe sat down on the edge of the stream, trying to get his thoughts together.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think his tiredness would allow him to ride any further tonight.\u00a0\u00a0 Even though they hadn\u2019t travelled an excessively long way, he didn\u2019t want to put the little horse at risk of injury by riding by the moonlight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The only thing left to do until morning was to rest his weary head for a little while. It might stop the dizziness he felt and when the sun came up the next morning, he would be able to travel the rest of the way to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon in the daylight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once there, hopefully he would be able to find some berries or fruit to eat and some fresh grass for the horse as well.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For tonight his belly would have to be satisfied with the cool drink of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now got to his feet, his gait still unsteady as his legs begged for him to lay down and sleep for a while.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have any blanket with him for warmth and he couldn\u2019t light a fire.\u00a0 It was going to be a rather cool night for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sat with his back resting against one of the large rocks.\u00a0\u00a0 He used his right hand to gather a few dried leaves in a pile.\u00a0 That would have to suffice for a rough pillow tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now swallowed slightly and wondered if his plan of waiting until his family was worried about him was such a good idea after all.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was cold, tired, hurt and hungry and his family was far away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The little chestnut horse now stood under the canopy of the trees as if a lookout for his young charge.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He nickered softly at a few night-time sounds as an owl made his presence known in the tree above.\u00a0 There was also crickets chirping their nightly song.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now lay down wearily on the cold hard ground.\u00a0\u00a0 After removing a few uncomfortable stones from underneath him, the young boy lay his head on the pillow of leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He briefly thought the ground might be a little softer at first, but the idea slowly fell away as his eyes grew incredibly heavy and he could no longer keep them open.\u00a0\u00a0 His injured wrist tucked up closely to his body, the tissue around the bones now very swollen and bruised.\u00a0 A few grunts of pain and a few whimpers escaped the boy\u2019s lips as sleep stole him away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over him, the stars still twinkled and the cool night air still blew into the trees.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s mind didn\u2019t note the cold or the pain, he was just too worn out.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The boy\u2019s body began shivering slightly despite the fever that burned in his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a little nook created by a few of the large rocks not too far away, Joe and the little horse were unaware that they were being watched.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The niche provided the perfect hiding place for the creature and it\u2019s scent was masked from the horse. Two bright eyes now watched the sleeping figure of the young boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The progress of the search party had been slowed somewhat due to the same reason as Joe: the darkness.\u00a0\u00a0 Even by the moonlight that was above, it was now almost impossible for Hoss to make out the horse prints on the roadway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Ben suggested that they stop for the night and make a campfire.\u00a0\u00a0 There was a few words of argument from his two sons about stopping the search for their lost brother.\u00a0 But when Ben had explained the risks to their horses being injured in the darkness if they continued, common sense prevailed in the end and they too agreed to stop for the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Hoss and Adam took the saddles off the horses and tethered them to nearby trees, Sheriff Roy Coffee and Ben cleared an area on the side of the road to make a fire.\u00a0\u00a0 Once the flames were happily dancing in the cool breeze, they prepared to cook some food and make some coffee for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The group now wore warmer coats against the coolness of the breeze.\u00a0 But as they felt the warmth of the folds of fabric of their coats and they tasted the food in their plates, they were reminded that Joe had so such luxuries with him.\u00a0 The boy had no food that they were aware of and no warm clothes against the night chill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was found to be staring into the flames, deep in thought, whilst sipping at the hot cup of coffee in his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry Ben, we\u2019ll find him quicker in the morning with the break of day,\u201d Roy said, trying to reassure his old friend.\u00a0\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much more he could say at a time when they all felt useless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know it\u2019s funny,\u201d Ben found himself saying to the group, \u201cWe were angry at the way that teacher Mr Watson treated Little Joe over the last couple of days. But you know we haven\u2019t treated him much different you know.\u201d he added, the words meant for his two sons rather than the Sheriff listening in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Together they might not have caused any physical scars on Little Joe, but what about the emotional ones.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben had heard his little boy\u2019s hope of having someone to play with and still he put his own needs and those of the ranch in front of his youngest son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah I know what you mean Pa,\u201d Adam said as he looked guiltily into his own coffee that had grown cold.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI have made all the excuses in the world over the last few days of why I couldn\u2019t spend time with Little Joe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now all I want to do is tell him how sorry I am and just find him safely and bring him home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI could have played with him a little more too Adam,\u201d Hoss admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our own way, each of us has been pushing him away without even realising it,\u201d Ben now said as he tried to justify his time away from his family at the timber yard.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe knew that there was a great deal of work to be done on a ranch, but somehow his simplest of needs such as companionship and someone to be there for him when he needed it were put aside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cForgive me Marie my love.\u00a0\u00a0 I will bring him home, I promise.\u201d Ben said to himself. When he found his little lost boy tomorrow and took him home to his own bed, he vowed he would find more time to spend with all of his boys .<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The search party all turned into their bedrolls early, knowing that they wanted to make an early start as soon as the sun was visible in the sky in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Chapter 7 – Half-Tail by J7339<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Despite his overwhelming sense of fatigue, Little Joe\u2019s sleep was not a peaceful one that night.\u00a0\u00a0 The cold seemed to seep deep within him until he could scarcely stop from shivering.\u00a0\u00a0 The only heat present was that from the fever that still burned within him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By dawn\u2019s early light, Joe opened slightly glazed eyes to greet the day.\u00a0\u00a0 He was feeling incredibly light headed from lack of food and sleep.\u00a0\u00a0 The pain in his hand had dulled to a constant throb but as the boy gazed down at the injury itself, he truly began worried.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The skin was now grotesquely swollen and the bruising more prominent in the early sunshine, varying from dark black and purple to a motley shade of gray where the skin was least discoloured.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe gathered all the strength he could muster and walked slowly down to the small waterhole he had taken a drink from the night before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily for him, the water was icy cold due to the over night chill.\u00a0\u00a0 He winced slightly as he placed the injured limb in the frigid water and almost made a move to pull his hand back out again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Joe was truly afraid of his hand\u2019s appearance and was worried what sought of damage had been done to his hand.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was a little frightened that the doctor wouldn\u2019t be able to fix it properly and he might lose some permanent use of his left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked up from his submerged hand when the chestnut horse made a soft noise as if gesturing good morning to his young master.\u00a0 Although the night had been cold for both animal and human, the horse seemed to have come through it better.\u00a0\u00a0 He showed very little sign of any distress from the previous night and now nibbled at some green grass shoots underneath the tree he stood beside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was only now that there was a movement amongst the rocks over yonder that the horse now made noises towards the pair of eyes it could see peering back at it.\u00a0 At first the eyes made the horse take a few steps backwards as if ready to flee, but it was only as the creature started to stir further and moved forward that the horse determined he was of no real threat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked towards where the horse keep it\u2019s attention and noted a small animal coming out from the niche in the rocks.\u00a0\u00a0 It took a few seconds to recognize the animal as a cat of some kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few more seconds and Joe was able to tell that it was a mountain lion cub.\u00a0\u00a0 A very young one, possibly only three or four months old at the most and that\u2019s why the horse had decided that the cub\u2019s size was of no real threat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s dull, bloodshot eyes lit up slightly at the small fuzzy animal and he held out his right hand and made slightly clicking noises with his tongue and teeth, gesturing for the cub to come forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At first the cub took a couple of steps backwards, a bit wary of the human boy\u2019s presence.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was now on closer observation that Joe was able to see that the cub was injured.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of having a normal inquisitive like tail that didn\u2019t stay still, this little cub only had about a foot long stump of a tail.\u00a0\u00a0 There was dried blood on the end signalling that the injury was only very recent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe beckoned for the cub to come closer again and this time after hesitating and almost taking a step back, the mountain lion put the foot in front of him and moved closer to the smaller human.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cub was finally close enough for Joe to reach out with his uninjured right hand and place it on the soft fur of the cub\u2019s back.\u00a0\u00a0 The cub made a small mewing sound at the strange touch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now began to stroke the little cub\u2019s back in an attempt to gain it\u2019s trust.\u00a0\u00a0 The cat began to relax and enjoy the boy\u2019s hand through his fur.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe now pulled the cat\u2019s small furry body onto his lap and continued the stroking action, finding it therapeutic for both the cat and himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cat\u2019s fur felt so soft under his fingertips Joe said inwardly to himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The little cub began making slight purring noises as it lapped up the attention it was being afforded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the trust between animal and human grew, Joe\u2019s hand moved from the cub\u2019s back to the top of his head and down his front legs.\u00a0 Joe was careful to avoid the injured tail, knowing that it might be still hurting the cub.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There were no flies around the wound due to the coolness of the morning, but he could still see the dried blood and pieces of torn skin surrounding the stump.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you should be called\u00a0Half Tail\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Joe whispered to the cub.\u00a0 But the cub didn\u2019t hear the words spoken as its eyes began closing and the small body began fully relaxing at the boy\u2019s touch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a few minutes, Joe realised that the cub was asleep.\u00a0\u00a0 He gently moved the cub from his lap and placed it on top of the pile of leaves he had used as a pillow the night before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now looked over towards the horse he had ridden and noted that it was happily munching away at some grass it had found not too far away.\u00a0 \u201cWell at least one us is getting breakfast this morning,\u201d\u00a0 Joe said grimly as his stomach grumbled loudly at its emptiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe decided to sit back against the large rock while he waited patiently waited for the horse to eat his fill.\u00a0\u00a0 He was in no particular rush to get going this morning even though he had had definite plans the night before.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He began wondering whether he should turn back despite the trouble he would find himself in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pain in his wrist flared again, only adding to these feelings.\u00a0\u00a0 At least if he went home he could sleep in a nice soft warm bed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The nice soft bed may be even more inviting if he got the tanning he almost expected off his father when he did get home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking down at the little mountain lion cub, Joe\u2019s attention was drawn away from his own pain and loneliness to the cub\u2019s injured tail.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It really did look as if it needed some attention to stop it from getting infected.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have any supplies with him to use, but the water in the stream had been nice and cold when he had submerged his own hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now slowly got to his feet, the weariness and heat his body felt still very evident as he used the rock briefly to steady himself.\u00a0 Joe now tore a piece of cloth from the right sleeve of his shirt and dipped it into the cold water.\u00a0\u00a0 He wrung out the excess moisture and walked back to where the little cub was peacefully sleeping.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe knelt beside the little furry ball and gently placed the damp cloth on the bloodied stump of what was left of the cat\u2019s tail.\u00a0\u00a0 He was unprepared for the reaction he was about to receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without warning, the little cub suddenly came awake with a start at the pain that the cold, wet fabric caused to his tail.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He used the only instincts he knew and lashed out with his claws at the source of the discomfort.\u00a0 The cub had yet to grow any adult claws, but the ones he had were sufficiently sharp to slice easily through the young skin of the boy\u2019s arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe yelped out with fright as he attempted to jump back from the agitated cub.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He felt something warm and sticky on his arm and now saw three long gashes down his upper arm where his shirt had been torn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe dropped the piece of sleeve he had been using on the cub and attempted to pick it up with his injured left wrist.\u00a0\u00a0 He was going to use the other end of it to stop the blood coming from the claw marks but stopped up short at the sudden wave of pain that he caused my moving the injured wrist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked up slight, his damp curls falling over his forehead due to his fever, to where the cub was now sitting.\u00a0\u00a0 The cub had moved quite a few feet away from the boy but had briefly stopped and sniffed at stump of his tail.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He now looked back at the human who had caused the pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the brown eyes of the cub met and locked with the glassy green ones of the boy, there was a look of understanding between the two.\u00a0\u00a0 The boy didn\u2019t speak and the cat didn\u2019t make any noise.\u00a0\u00a0 There was no further physical contact between them, but somehow both of them felt a distant connection with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that the cub turned and ran back into niche it had been hiding in the night before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The little chestnut horse that Joe had been riding, now walked over towards his young master who was still kneeling on the ground, gritting his teeth at the pain through his wrist and the dull ache from the scratches on his arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s head was hurting from the headache he had caused by the fever that was present. And whilst his forehead felt hot to the touch, the rest of him felt incredibly chilled still.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe now started to realise that all of the symptoms he was feeling was due to his injuries.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was about now that Joe made the decision he should mount the horse and try heading back to Virginia City and his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The little horse wasn\u2019t standing too far away from Little Joe and when it recognized, the gestures from the boy\u2019s hand, it obediently walked towards him.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe was grateful that he didn\u2019t have to walk any sort of distance to get to the horse.\u00a0 At the moment, the world was very hazy to him indeed and he found himself leaning against the wide berth of the horse\u2019s rump just to stay on his feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe used a similar method to mount the horse as he had used at the livery stable, with three fingers inter-twined in the horse\u2019s mane to gain the steadiness he needed.\u00a0 But as soon as he was on the animal\u2019s back, the boy found that from this height, the world only seemed to spin more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe put his right hand to his temple and tried to massage the throbbing away with his fingers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With a gentle nudge with his feet, the horse began to walk forward, back through the trees that they had passed the night before.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe watched through glassy eyes to make sure the horse was headed back towards the town, his strength was quickly waning and he hoped that he reached the town and his family very soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

a few miles away:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben and the search party had not had much sleep the night before but where determined to get started at first light.\u00a0\u00a0 They had forgone breakfast to save time and only had last night\u2019s brewed black coffee to fill their bellies as they mounted their saddled horses and headed out once again in search of Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They had only gone about ten miles past their campsite when they spotted a lone horse standing alone the long, quite a way in front of them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There didn\u2019t appear to be a rider at first, but then upon second glance, it looked as though there was.\u00a0\u00a0 The rider however, looked to be laying over the horse\u2019s neck rather than sitting upright in the saddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart filled with anxiety and anticipation that this might be his son they were looking for.\u00a0 If it was truly Little Joe and his horse, Ben\u2019s worry now only doubled at the sight of the motionless rider.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben now spurred Buck into a full gallop to get closer to the horse in front of the search party.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam, Hoss and Roy had quickly followed Ben as they saw him race towards the inert rider and mount.\u00a0\u00a0 It looked so out of place to see a horse just standing there on the roadway, in the middle of nowhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben shouted as he jumped off his horse before it had barely pulled up beside the chestnut one.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He could see the curly head slumped over the horse\u2019s neck did indeed belong to his missing boy.\u00a0 He was alarmed even more though when there was no response to his call or his shouting.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was now close enough to reach out for his son and immediately felt the warm radiating from the small body.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam and Hoss were now standing beside their father, both equally concerned by the lack of response from their younger brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph can you hear me boy?\u201d Ben asked, almost pleading with the boy to open his eyes.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOh boy, what has he done to you?\u201d he added when he saw the streaks of dried blood down the boy\u2019s right arm and the torn sleeve of his shirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben tried to gentle awaken his injured son again and was rewarded by the curly head lifting slightly and looking back at him with dull, glassy green eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHi Pa,\u201d Joe managed to croak, the effort almost too much for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t mean to do it Pa,\u201d Joe now said, meaning the cat\u2019s scratches to his arm. He didn\u2019t want Ben to get angry at the little mountain lion cub.\u00a0 The cub had only been doing what came naturally to it when it felt threatened or hurt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked back at the boy with astonishment at first.\u00a0 He thought the boy meant Mr Watson the teacher.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But before he could ask another question, Joe\u2019s strength finally came to an abrupt end and he gasped out loud as Joe all but tumbled out of the saddle and into his father\u2019s arms.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben had scarcely recovered enough to catch his son as he fell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cQuick boys, give me a blanket to wrap him in,\u201d Ben cried out as he looked down at his son\u2019s unconscious face.\u00a0\u00a0 He could see beads of sweat forming on the boy\u2019s forehead from the fever that was present, but he could feel the trembling from the rest of his body, signalling he may have caught a chill from the overnight temperature.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss quickly untied his bedroll and tossed Ben his warm blanket to wrap around Joe\u2019s body.\u00a0 \u201cIs he alright Pa?\u201d he now asked, knowing it was a silly question before the words left his lips.\u00a0 He could see the blood on his brother\u2019s arm and noted the fever glazed eyes before he had fainted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was also worried about his brother\u2019s condition, but his attention was drawn to the injured wrist that was now very discoloured and swollen.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He swallowed hard to think that they may have been too late in finding Joe before further injury was caused to his hand.\u00a0\u00a0 Would he ever be able to write with it again, left-handed or not Adam found asking himself secretly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere Pa, try and get some water into him,\u201d Adam suggested, noting that there was no canteen tied to the chestnut horse.\u00a0 He wondered how long Joe had been without food and water.\u00a0 Probably most of the night and certainly since he left Virginia City he reasoned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben took the canteen from his eldest son and whilst Hoss helped to hold Joe, gentle trickled the water over the boy\u2019s lips and into his mouth.\u00a0 Only small amounts at first due to the boy\u2019s unconscious state.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want him choking.\u00a0\u00a0 That would only sap his already depleted strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, the group could see Joe\u2019s throat working slowly to swallow the water. Ben stopped the process when he was satisfied that Joe had enough in him to see him through to Virginia City.\u00a0 It was only a relatively short distance, but Joe was obviously in need of urgent attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll ride back as fast as I can and tell Paul to get ready Ben,\u201d Sheriff Roy Coffee now offered and spurred his horse into a gallop towards Virginia City at Ben\u2019s slight nod of gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss held his brother for Ben while his father mounted, then making sure that his sons was safely secured on the saddle in front of him, tucked the blanket tails around Joe to keep him warm for the remainder of the ride into town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The trio of horses now rode as quickly as Ben dared to Virginia City.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s small sleeping form was almost invisible as he laid against his father\u2019s embrace and under the cloak of the blanket. \u00a0The whole family just prayed that the boy would be okay once they got him back to Paul.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The time was approximately 10 am that morning, when Ben and his boys rode down the street of Virginia City towards the doctor\u2019s office.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The ride though only a short distance in miles, had been a very long one for Ben\u2019s heart to bear knowing that his son was sick and hurt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere they come,\u201d Roy Coffee shouted to Paul, who quickly strode out of his office and stood on the edge of the wooden decking.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben pulled up along side of the hitching rail in front of the doctor\u2019s office.\u00a0 Adam got of his own mount and now tied both horses to the railing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t moved at all since we started riding back here Paul,\u201d Ben found himself explaining to the doctor as Adam now took his unconscious brother from Ben\u2019s horse and began carrying through to the doctor\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLay him down here, Adam,\u201d Paul said quickly, forgetting all about idle conversation and concentrating on the condition of the patient in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam did as he was requested,\u00a0 he too alarmed at the amount of heat he could feel through the blanket.\u00a0\u00a0 The shivering Ben had felt earlier had now been entirely consumed by the fever in Joe and he wasn\u2019t quite sure whether that was a positive sign or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHas he been conscious at all Ben?\u201d Paul asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly for a few seconds back when we first found him doctor.\u00a0 It took a few attempts to get him to rouse.\u00a0\u00a0 We found him slumped over the horse\u2019s neck.\u00a0 I am not sure how long he and the horse had been standing there before we arrived.\u201d Ben explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid he seem to recognize you at all?\u201d Paul enquired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes Paul he did, you won\u2019t believe it but he asked me \u2018Not to be angry at him\u2019 Ben said as he repeated the few brief words Joe had spoken.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all he said and then collapsed and fainted into my arms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry Ben, we will fix him up, you\u2019ll see,\u201d Paul said, trying to reassure his friend.\u00a0\u00a0 He could see that Ben was almost beside himself with guilt and worry over Joe\u2019s condition.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHoss and Adam why don\u2019t you see if you can get something to eat and then wait outside while your father and I attend to Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam were about to object, wanting to be there to help out as much as possible.\u00a0 \u201cAnd get something for your father as well, he looks as though he could use it too,\u201d Paul said as he saw the lines of tiredness around Ben\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam reluctantly agreed, for their father\u2019s sake.\u00a0 Because like them, they knew all too well that Ben would even consider taking time for himself before Joe was better again.\u00a0\u00a0 They now left to go to the hotel and get some meals ordered up for themselves and their father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next half an hour, as Adam and Hoss waited impatiently outside for news of how their brother Joe was doing:\u00a0 Inside Ben and Paul worked together as a team to assess the injuries of the little boy and make him as comfortable as they could.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese gashes here were made by an animal Ben,\u201d Paul said as he expertly examined the claw marks the mountain lion cub had made on Joe\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cThey are not very deep fortunately,\u00a0 but they need cleaning out thoroughly all the same to avoid infection.\u00a0\u00a0 Animals bites and scratches can be quite nasty if they are not treated quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes my blood run cold to think that Joe was out there all alone Paul and was anywhere that he could have come across a wild animal,\u201d Ben said as he gently used a ball of cotton wool in a solution the doctor had prepared to clean the scratches.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault Ben,\u201d Paul said, trying gently to admonish his friend and get him to let go of the guilt he was holding onto with an iron grip.\u00a0 \u201cThat teacher has a lot to answer for as far as I am concerned.\u00a0 We are just lucky that you found Joe so quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Ben went about cleaning out the scratches on Joe\u2019s arm, Paul now could go about taking a look at the boy\u2019s wrist.\u00a0 It obviously needed the most attention and was more than likely the cause of Joe\u2019s fever.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul noticed that the wrist itself was still protectively held against Joe\u2019s chest, even in sleep.\u00a0 He looked quite concerned at the amount of discolouration and swelling, but didn\u2019t voice his opinion out loud.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He used his finger and thumb to try and carefully pry it out in the open so he could take a closer look.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But even that slight movement caused Joe to release a moan at the pain that resulted. He started to turn his head from side to side as it rested on the pillow and attempted to pull his injured wrist away from the doctor\u2019s probing touch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright son,\u201d Ben cooed to his son as he brushed the damp curls away from his forehead, trying to help him cope with the pain but allow the doctor to do his job.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo don\u2019t!,\u201d Joe said in his fevered sleep as Paul attempted to examine his wrist again.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t do this,\u201d he said caught somewhere between reality and his subconscious about what Mr Watson had done.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI need to examine this wrist, Ben,\u201d Paul said in a serious tone of voice but understanding that Joe called out because he was in pain.\u00a0 \u201cI will give him a light sedative which should give him a break from the pain and allow me to set in while he sleeps.\u00a0 When he wakes it should be splinted and bandaged and the pain should not be so bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben nodded his head in agreement to the medication being administered to his son and watched as Paul prepared a small amount of clear liquid in a syringe.\u00a0 He gently held his boy\u2019s right arm still as the doctor inserted the needle and injected the fluid into Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for the medicine to work and although Joe never opened his eyes, his slight struggles ceased all together and his head lolled to one side on the pillow, signalling he had fallen asleep.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It almost brought tears to Ben\u2019s eyes that he had to adopt harsh methods against his son because of the abuse and cruelty of others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With his patient now sleeping soundly and oblivious to any examination, Paul now got on with the examination of the injured wrist.\u00a0 He still took every care to be as gentle as possible although he knew that Joe wouldn\u2019t be able to feel very much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is definitely broken Ben, that\u2019s why there\u2019s so much swelling and discolouration to the skin,\u201d Paul now commented as he continued his doctoring.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt looks as though it has lost some of the inflammation around the bone.\u00a0 That\u2019s a good sign because it means that the break may only be a small one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWill you need to splint it?\u201d Ben asked, remembering the general cause of remedy for a broken bone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and with a boy Joe\u2019s age that\u2019s the best thing to do.\u00a0 He may feel a little poorly now, but knowing this young man, once he is beginning to recover, he is undoubtedly going to knock his hand around by just doing general day to day activities,\u201d Paul stated in earnest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A little while later, Adam and Hoss could no longer stand to just stand outside and wait for news of how Little Joe was doing.\u00a0 Adam silently turned the door knob and pushed the door open slightly to gaze in and watch what their father and the doctor were doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you two doing in here?\u201d Ben asked in mock sternness.\u00a0 Paul could see the worried looks on two older boy\u2019s faces and didn\u2019t have the heart to send them back out of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just wondering how he was doing, Pa,\u201d Adam said for the both of them. Hoss\u2019s eyes were wide with concerned as he saw the amount of bandaging around his little brother\u2019s hand.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He seemed so still.\u00a0 Not the little brother he was used to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Ben looked down at his youngest son, Joe appeared to be still sleeping very soundly so he saw no reason that Adam and Hoss couldn\u2019t see how their brother was doing, so long as they remained quiet and didn\u2019t disturb him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s doing okay boys,\u201d Paul answered for Ben.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe needs a lot of rest and care over the next few days.\u00a0 But he will okay after a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about this fever Paul?\u00a0 Is that anything to be overly worried about?\u201d Ben now asked as he felt his son\u2019s forehead and noted the fever still holding on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably a little higher than it should be for such an injury Ben, but given that he has spent a very cold night out on his own with no food and little water, it\u2019s not out of the question.\u00a0 I think he is suffering from a little bit of exposure to the elements but after a day or so the fever should be sufficiently lower if not gone altogether.\u201d Paul said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWill he have to stay in town tonight doctor?\u201d Hoss now asked.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like the idea of his little brother having to stay in the doctor\u2019s office.\u00a0 Hoss wanted him back home in his own warm bed where the rest of the family was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul looked briefly at Ben and winked slightly before giving his reply, \u201cWell Hoss, normally I would say yes he would have to stay here.\u00a0 He is still a quite sick little boy. But given the amount of stress that he has been under the last couple of days, I think a strange environment such as this office or even the hotel would be unjust.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat he should have is his own bed with lots of good food and rest.\u00a0 But there will have to be somebody watching over him, maybe more than one,\u201d Paul suggested with a grin and a sparkle in his eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh me doc, me,\u201d Hoss declared with excitement.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t have thought of anything more he would like to do than to take care of Little Joe when he was sick and hurt.\u00a0 He was sure that big brother Adam would be there to help out too and Pa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam smiled at his larger younger brother and then at the doctor and his father. He knew that the doctor was trying his best to cheer Hoss up as well as the rest of the family about taking care of Joe.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss was well known for his care of injured and sick animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was sure that Hoss\u2019s care for Little Joe would benefit both Hoss and Joe.\u00a0 And he knew that if he and Hoss helped out, then their father would have an excuse to get some rest of his own and take care of himself too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam you go down to Charlie at the livery stable and tell him that we found Joe okay and to pass the word around.\u00a0 After that can you organize to get a wagon from him to take your brother home,\u201d Ben now instructed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss I want you to go and collect Joe\u2019s horse from the school and bring it back here. We can pull him along with the other horses as well,\u201d Ben continued.\u00a0 \u201cWhile you two are doing that, the doctor and I will finish up here and get your brother ready to go home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss just smiled at each other and then went to do exactly what was asked of them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They were both bursting with happiness that Joe was going to be alright and home very soon.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This day was certainly turning out to be a happier one than yesterday had been.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After Adam and Hoss had gone to do their assigned tasks, Paul concentrated on making sure the splints around Joe\u2019s wrists were in place correctly and the bandaging around them tight enough to prevent movement of any kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The doctor then wrapped a light bandage around the scratches that Ben had cleaned. He gave Ben a small bottle of the solution he had prepared and instructed Ben to use it twice a day to continue cleaning out the scratches on a daily basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will give you some powders for any pain Joe might have over the next day or so Ben, but after the swelling goes down on that wrist, I think he should be fine.\u00a0\u00a0 Give him only a small dose and see if that helps.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have also given you two sleeping powders, just in case the trauma of what has happened starts making him have bad dreams or sleepless nights.\u00a0 He really does have to rely on rest to get him back on his feet now.\u00a0 It is the best medicine I can prescribe other then a great deal of love and understanding over the next few weeks,\u201d Paul said to Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow much of an effect do you think this whole teacher thing will have on him, Paul?\u201d Ben asked honestly.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Apart from the physical injuries he had been asked to endure, Joe had been humiliated in front of his class mates and made to feel an outcast.\u00a0 He wanted to know how long before he got his Little Joe back again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t answer you that right now Ben,\u201d Paul replied truthfully. \u201cOnly time will tell how he handles the memories and flashbacks.\u00a0 He may be jumpy around people at first, particularly strangers, so try and limit the number of visitors until he is fully recovered.\u00a0\u00a0 Just try and include him in the normal everyday activities of the household and I think he should bounce back fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will come out to check on his wrist late tomorrow Ben,\u201d Paul said as Adam and Hoss arrived back at his office, informing their father that the wagon was ready.\u00a0 \u201cI think he will sleep most of today and tomorrow anyway.\u00a0\u00a0 You might want to try and get some food into him once you get him home.\u00a0 The roughness of the wagon might be enough to wake him gently once he is in his own bed. \u00a0\u00a0Just a bowl of meaty broth or something light but filling at the moment.\u00a0 He can have something more substantial once he has had a good sleep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for everything Paul, truly,\u201d Ben with meaning in the words.\u00a0\u00a0 Lord knew that this family had come to rely on the good doctor\u2019s services and advice more and more all the time lately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now very gently lifted his deeply sleeping youngster from the treatment table and carried him close to his chest.\u00a0\u00a0 At the moment he felt as if he never wanted to let his boy out of his sight again.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He had felt so guilty about what had happened to Joe over the last few days and now had everything to be genuinely thankful for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou just get that boy home and show him how much he is loved Ben,\u201d Paul answered.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all I ask in return,\u201d he added.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes being all alone had it benefits. He had always been made feel welcome and part of the Cartwright family. He hoped that tradition continued for a good many years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the journey towards the Ponderosa, Ben had used his hat as much as possible to shade Joe\u2019s face from the harsh sunlight that prevailed.\u00a0 It was now just after 1pm and the sun was right over head as they made their way back to the ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had driven the wagon team with Hoss opting to ride beside the wagon on his own mount.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 From time to time he would look back into the wagon to make sure his brother was doing okay.\u00a0 Ben saw his son\u2019s attempts and would gesture with his hand to let Hoss know that everything was just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When they got to the ranch itself, Hop Sing came out at the sound of the wagon pulling up out front.\u00a0\u00a0 He had heard the conversation between the Cartwrights, Mr Scott and Joe\u2019s friend Johnny.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When the family hadn\u2019t returned that night, the little oriental man had lain awake much like the rest of the family out of worry for them all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing will you get Joe\u2019s room ready for me please,\u201d Ben asked as he got down from the wagon and immediately went to lift his son out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRoom already Mr Cartwright,\u201d Hop Sing said with a smile.\u00a0 He had made sure that the boy\u2019s room was already prepared yesterday after they left for the school.\u00a0 He also had a pot of broth already heating on the stove.\u00a0 If it had turned out that it wasn\u2019t needed then so be it, but Hop Sing knew from experience that it wouldn\u2019t go to waste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you Hop Sing,\u201d Ben said, returning the smile.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what he would do without the little helper at times.\u00a0\u00a0 Hop Sing was more than just their house keeper and cook.\u00a0\u00a0 He too was a member of the Cartwright family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now walked through the front door as Adam opened it and made his way up the stairs towards Joe\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 Making sure that he didn\u2019t jostle the boy too much. He hadn\u2019t come fully awake yet after the Doctor\u2019s medication, but like Paul assumed, the ride in the wagon saw him open his eyes a few times just before they pulled up in the front yard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben laid Joe down onto the bed and then went about removing the boy\u2019s shoes. After he unwrapped his son from the blankets, he removed what was left of his torn shirt and threw it towards the door to be discarded later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss had gotten a bowl of cold water from Hop Sing after his father and Adam had taken Joe upstairs.\u00a0 He also had a cloth and now, as the other went about making Joe more comfortable in the bed,\u00a0 in between their fussing, Hoss tried his best to help out by wiping Joe\u2019s still warm forehead with the damp cloth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The coolness of the cloth seemed to revive Joe just that little bit more and he now moaned audibly for everyone to hear as he moved about slightly on the bed and tried to become with his surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once Joe was dressed in a clean night shirt and his wrist was elevated on two pillows beside him, Adam helped prop him up into a sitting position.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben took the bowl of just warm broth from Hop Sing and tried to get his son to each some before he got too tired again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben only managed to get about half a dozen spoonfuls across Joe\u2019s lips before the boy\u2019s head bowed, signalling that he was asleep again.\u00a0\u00a0 He had only opened his eyes to slits the whole time and made no attempt to talk to his family during that short period of half wakefulness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At least they had gotten some nourishment into him Ben conceded.\u00a0 They could try again when the boy was more awake and alert.\u00a0 For now his stomach was satisfied and Joe seemed content enough just to sleep and regain his strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, are you okay?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss asked, not able to keep from asking the question.\u00a0 He knew that getting his brother to talk might be too taxing for him right now.\u00a0 But he still needed to know for his own peace of mind.\u00a0\u00a0 His father hadn\u2019t voiced any objections to his asking and neither had Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine Hoss, just a little tired is all,\u201d came the mumbled reply.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t get my homework done yet Hoss, sorry,\u201d he added.\u00a0 \u201cWill do it in the morning before school, promise.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell Pa on me yet,\u201d the boy said just as sleep stole him once again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t help but grin at the boy\u2019s incoherent speech.\u00a0\u00a0 Obviously Joe had no idea of where he was at the moment and what had happened earlier in the day.\u00a0 He certainly didn\u2019t remember that it was school holidays tomorrow and that there wouldn\u2019t be any homework for a few weeks at least.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry Hoss, it\u2019s just all the medicine working in him that makes him sound a little confused,\u201d Adam now said to Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 However Hoss hadn\u2019t even heard much of what his brother had said.\u00a0 He was just happy to have him home again in his own bed and be with his family who loved him.\u00a0\u00a0 Starting tomorrow, Hoss made a solemn vow to show Joe just how much he meant that and make time to be with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the rest of the day, Joe was left to rest as much as possible just like the doctor ordered.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss had offered to spend the first few hours with his brother and try and cool him down slightly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Ben had agreed mostly due to them seeing the desire and need for Hoss to get over his selfishness and guilt.\u00a0 They too would have to do that themselves but they could do the late and early morning hours while Hoss slept.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By dawn\u2019s early light the next day,\u00a0 Adam was dozing in a chair beside his brother\u2019s bed after relieving his father some hours ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe had remained asleep throughout the night and with the constant application of cool compresses to his forehead, his fever was now almost gone completely.\u00a0\u00a0 His forehead only slightly warm to the touch and part of that was probably due to his cocoon of blankets during the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe opened his eyes slowly and tried to focus his mind on where he was.\u00a0\u00a0 He turned his head slightly and now could make out the familiar looking furniture and ornaments that decorated his own bedroom.\u00a0\u00a0 He could scarcely hold back the gasp of relief that he felt once he realised where he was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He looked over at the figure beside him and noted Adam sleeping in the uncomfortable chair.\u00a0 His brother looked as though he had been there for quite some time and would wake up with a sore back and neck no doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To get a better look around without waking his brother, Joe now attempted to pull himself up into a sitting position.\u00a0\u00a0 When he had first awoken, he had momentarily forgotten about his wrist or the scratches on his right arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately he had mistakenly tried to put his weight instinctively on his left arm as was normal for him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But he bit his lip and couldn\u2019t hold back the cry of pain that he emitted when the wrist collapsed underneath him and fell back against the pillows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was startled awake by the cry of pain from his brother.\u00a0 He immediately tried to put a restraining gentle hand on his brother to stop him from attempting to get up any further.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe was holding onto his bandaged arm with his eyes squeezed shut and a few tears were now trailing down his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, are you alright buddy?\u201d Adam asked softly with fresh concern over his brother.\u00a0 They hadn\u2019t quite counted on the fresh pain that Joe would feel first thing this morning when he awoke from his long sleep.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The medication that Doc Martin had given him had long since worn off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe said shakily as he tried to put the pain out of his mind.\u00a0 It was very hard to do so though and he could help but wince quite a few more times as Adam helped to prop him up higher in the bed again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss now appeared at Joe\u2019s bedroom door, drawn in by the sound of his pain.\u00a0 He repeated the same question as Adam, \u201cYou okay Little Joe?\u201d he asked as he sat on the other side of Joe\u2019s bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks Hoss, yeah I will be okay,\u201d Joe replied, but his face showed a very different truth.\u00a0\u00a0 Even after a long sleep, Joe\u2019s eyes were still blood shot and his face still drawn at the mouth and eyes in tiredness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow about I get you some breakfast Joe?\u201d Hoss now offered, sensing his own need for food but putting Joe first this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe a little,\u201d Joe admitted, as his stomach grumbled slightly at the mention of food.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThanks Hoss,\u201d he added and gave an award winning smile that sent Hoss\u2019s heart into cartwheels.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss was so happy that his brother was a getting better.\u00a0 He could scarcely hold all the happiness inside.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss now went downstairs to get Joe\u2019s breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow else are you feeling Joe?\u201d Adam now asked, knowing that the wrist was already brothering him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He waited patiently for Joe to take check of all of his hurts before answering.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cArm hurts some where that cat scratched me,\u201d Joe now said in a uninterested tone of voice.\u00a0 \u201cBut the rest of me feels okay.\u00a0 Just a little tired still.\u201d he admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat cat scratched you?\u201d Adam asked now in confusion.\u00a0\u00a0 It was the first time he had heard anything about any animal being near Joe yesterday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell while I was camped out near those rocks a little mountain lion cub came out. He had had his tail partly chopped off, that\u2019s why I called him \u201cHalf-tail\u201d Joe explained as he spoke all in a rush.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI tried to clean the area up with a piece of my shirt, but he got a bit frightened and that\u2019s when he scratched me.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mean to.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was just hurt.\u00a0 Anyway he ran off into the rocks again and I haven\u2019t seen him again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam tried to take in everything that his brother was telling him.\u00a0 At least now they had a plausible explanation for the torn shirt sleeve and the scratches on his arm.\u00a0 Somewhere in Joe\u2019s story there was the whole reason behind it all.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe just spoke too fast for Adam to fully understand what had happened out there while he was all alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss now walked back into the room, holding a tray of freshly made toast, a boiled egg and a glass of orange juice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He placed it in front of Joe and waited to see if his brother approved of the morning menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe gave his thanks in return and to show his appreciation, started eating what was on the tray.\u00a0 Whilst he was eating, Adam reiterated to Hoss, the parts of Joe\u2019s story that he had understood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s worry had turned into envy when Adam told about Joe\u2019s encounter with the young mountain lion cub.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell Good Morning all of you,\u201d came a voice from the bedroom door.\u00a0 Everyone turned their gaze towards the source and found Ben smiling back at them.\u00a0 The sight of his three son\u2019s sitting around enjoying each other\u2019s company for the first time in weeks was one to behold indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how are you young man?\u201d Ben asked his youngest as he walked over to Joe. He was grateful to see that Hoss and Adam had been taking extra care of their brother and that they had already seen to his breakfast needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine, Pa,\u201d Joe said quietly before putting another piece of toast in his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam once again found himself telling Ben about Joe\u2019s encounter with the mountain lion and how he had gotten the scratches on his arm.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben then informed Adam what the doctor had said the day before about keeping them extra clean and bandaged for the next few days.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was about to motion for some time alone with his youngest son when Hop Sing appeared at the door.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSheriff Coffee need to see you downstairs Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you Hop Sing,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cJoe I will be back to talk to you in a minute, I promise.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 He briefly even contemplated whether he should talk to Joe first and ask the Sheriff to wait or come back later.\u00a0 Especially seeing the promise he had made to himself about spending more time with the boys and putting them first from now on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon consideration though, Roy didn\u2019t come out to the ranch very often just for a social call.\u00a0 He had better see what it was all about.\u00a0 Then he could spend some quality time with Joseph without being interrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood Morning Roy,\u201d Ben greeted the lawman, stepping aside from the door to let him in. \u201cWhat brings you out here this early in the morning?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to disturb you so soon again Ben, I know Joe only just came home from the doc\u2019s yesterday,\u201d Roy said, playing with the brim of his hat out of nervousness of the news he had come to deliver.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben could see that Roy was having a difficult time getting out whatever was on his mind.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOkay Roy, out with it, what\u2019s got you all tongue tied?\u201d Ben asked with a raised eyebrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell Ben,\u00a0 I know you got your hands full getting Little Joe better at the moment, but I thought you might like to know\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.,\u201d he started to say, leaving the question unfinished.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike to know what?\u201d Ben asked good naturedly.\u00a0 Something inside told him that whatever it was,\u00a0 it couldn\u2019t be particularly good news.\u00a0 But Roy was only the messenger, not the source.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe judge spoke to me about that teacher Mr Watson this morning,\u201d Roy said, leaving it for Ben to digest that part of the conversation first.\u00a0 \u201cHe said that even though he assault Little Joe, he didn\u2019t think it was very likely that the man would get any real jail time for it,\u201d Roy now continued.\u00a0\u00a0 He could see the look on Ben\u2019s face change a dozens times during that sentence.\u00a0\u00a0 A dozen different emotions, but only one outcome:\u00a0 anger and disappointment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to let him get away scott-free is he?\u201d Ben said, trying to keep his temper in check like had taught his sons.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even want to think that all the pain and anguish that Little Joe had gone through was for nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo Ben, he will get some hefty fines for his deeds and probably ordered to do a good deal of community work when he gets back home,\u201d Roy said, indicating that the man would go free.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s letting the man go back to his former life?\u201d Ben said as he felt the outrage pouring out of him but not willing to put the feelings into words or actions.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t he realise that the man will only go back teaching the way he has to Joseph\u2019s class?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and the judge said that he would do everything he could to see that the man didn\u2019t teach again anywhere.\u00a0 But he also said that in reality that was totally out of his jurisdiction and he doubted be could get the school board to just sack the man. There are a lot of other teachers in the system that victimise their students for various reasons including left-handedness.\u201d Roy said as he gave the judge\u2019s speech.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am more sorry than I can say Ben, I really am,\u201d Roy stammered, not really not knowing what else to say that would make the situation more just for the family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks Roy, I appreciate you coming all the way out here to tell us,\u201d Ben said knowing that it wasn\u2019t the lawman\u2019s fault.\u00a0\u00a0 It was supposed to be called a justice system but right now that sense of \u201cjustice\u201d seemed a long way off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow is Joe, Ben?\u201d Roy asked, genuinely concerned for the boy.\u00a0 He had seen the sick state they had found him in earlier on the road out of Virginia City.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell he\u2019s awake a few hours earlier than the doctor said he would be Roy,\u201d Ben replied, thankful for the change of topic.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think that will last long though.\u00a0\u00a0 I was just about to talk to him about what happened when you knocked on the door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will let you get back to him then Ben.\u00a0 Sure glad he is going to be okay.\u00a0 Tell him I said hello for me and hope he gets well real soon,\u201d Roy said as he went towards the door and bid Ben good day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although he wasn\u2019t happy with the outcome, he didn\u2019t want to keep his son waiting any longer.\u00a0\u00a0 They would just have\u00a0 to deal with the outcome of the teacher\u2019s fate as time went by.\u00a0 For now he decided to keep the information from his young son until he was doing better physically and able to understand why people made the decisions they made.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now climbed the stairs towards Joe\u2019s room again.\u00a0 As he got nearer, he could overhear the two voice of his two older son\u2019s still in the room.\u00a0 He then could hear the sound of giggling and laughing and that brought a smile to his face and made his heart feel a little lighter before he walked through the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told ya to keep still Little Joe,\u201d came Hoss\u2019s voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of you aren\u2019t making this any easier,\u201d came the deeper baritone voice of Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben decided now was the time to see exactly what his three sons were up to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be better if you weren\u2019t tickling me Hoss,\u201d Joe exclaimed and then began giggling again.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben could now see all three sons sitting on the bed.\u00a0 The tray that had held Joe\u2019s breakfast was still sitting on the boy\u2019s lap, but now there was a large sheet of white paper covering the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Adam\u2019s left hand was a large pencil.\u00a0 Hoss was gently holding Joe\u2019s right hand splayed onto the paper and Adam was trying to trace around the little boy\u2019s fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere all finished,\u201d Adam declared and Hoss let go of Joe\u2019s hand so he could lift it from the paper.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They all stood staring at the outline for a few seconds.\u00a0 One or two of the fingers looked slightly on the too skinny side and the thumb looked way too long.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They all looked at each other and began laughing at the time they were spending together.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t care what they were doing, so long as he was doing it with the two brothers he adored most.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben now looked at Adam for a second, their eyes locking so that Adam knew his father had some information to share with him later on with the younger two boys were not listening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever it was, Adam could see that it didn\u2019t sit well with his father, but Ben was trying hard to make an effort for his brother Joe.\u00a0\u00a0 They all had to pour their efforts into helping him get over this ordeal and becoming a family again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Hoss, you and I can start on those chores outside,\u201d Adam said, slightly prodding his younger brother so that Pa and Joe could talk.\u00a0 Or Joe could get some more sleep, which ever came first.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure Adam,\u201d Hoss replied, sensing the need for his younger brother and his father to have a father and son chat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam now walked out Joe\u2019s bedroom, but curiosity got the better of both of them and what Pa might say to help Joe through his emotional pain and distress.\u00a0 They now stole up beside the door, thinking that neither of them could be seen.\u00a0 They almost held their breaths so that their father wouldn\u2019t hide them either.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Ben smiled to himself.\u00a0 He knew all three of his sons better than they thought he did.\u00a0 He knew perfectly well Hoss and Adam were listening outside the door.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mind though.\u00a0 He hoped that somehow he could help his youngest son to start the healing process, but some of what he was going to say would be relevant to all of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben sat on the bed, but he waited for Joe to say the first words.\u00a0 He was a little worried about what his son\u2019s first question might be.\u00a0 He could see the fatigue etch on the young boy\u2019s face and knew it wouldn\u2019t be long before Joe was needing to sleep again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am sorry you had to come and find me Pa,\u201d Joe said, his bottom lip trembling slightly as he said the words.\u00a0 \u201cAt first I wanted to run away, but then after I did, I knew it was wrong and I didn\u2019t want to do it anymore.\u00a0 But by then I wasn\u2019t feeling too great and it was harder than I thought trying to get back to town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTell me something Joseph,\u201d Ben asked, trying to respond to his son\u2019s comments.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you run away from the livery stable.\u00a0\u00a0 I know you were hurting son because of what Mr Watson did to you, but that wasn\u2019t the whole reason you ran away was it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe could only look back at his father with amazement and shock at first.\u00a0 How could this man come to know so much about him.\u00a0 More than Joe could ever say he knew about himself.\u00a0\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t remember saying anything about running away before his hand was hurt.\u00a0\u00a0 He decided it best to answer the question with honesty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI ran away because I heard those men talking about you being angry.\u00a0 I thought you might be mad at me for leaving school early and then for taking the horse without permission,\u201d Joe replied.\u00a0 There were probably a few other reasons he had thought of back then that escaped his memory right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, I know that you have been feeling a little bit lonely around here lately.\u00a0 Maybe a lot lonely right?\u201d Ben now asked and saw his son nod his curly head in a silent yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am right in thinking that you were beginning to feel a little unloved around here?\u201d he now added.\u00a0\u00a0 Again the boy nodded in reply.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell let me tell you a little secret son,\u201d Ben began, knowing that his other two sons were listening intently.\u00a0 \u201cThis was something that my father said to me when I was about your age.\u00a0 And he said that it was a secret just between me and him, just like I am telling you now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy\u2019s just don\u2019t love their children every now and then, Joseph,\u201d Ben continued seeing tears coming into his son\u2019s eyes as he spoke the words.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s love without end amen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will always try to be there for you Joseph,\u201d Ben now said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I am not, I want you to remind me, okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe couldn\u2019t hold his tide of emotions back any further and collapsed his father\u2019s broad chest, wrapping his good arm around him and snuggling against him as close as he could get.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In response, Ben wrapped his son with both arms and allowed his son to dwell in the safety of his embrace for as long as he needed to.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben could hear a few soft sniffles from the boy.\u00a0 A few moments later when all was silent, he looked down and could see that Joe had fallen asleep.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t release his embrace straight away though.\u00a0 He wanted to hold his boy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hold him through the good times and the bad.\u00a0 Through all the happy times and the not so happy times.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Love without end\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026 Amen<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE END<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

End Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Firstly, I finally reached the end YAYYYYYYYYYYY.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, a few people may not be entirely happy with what did or didn\u2019t happen to Mr Watson.\u00a0 Let me explain why I wrote that he didn\u2019t much of a punishment:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My Dad was born in 1938 and was left-handed, as was all of his family.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Even during his school years in the 1950\u2019s, there was wide-spread victimisation of students who didn\u2019t fit in, lagged behind a little in their studies, had the wrong skin colour or were left-handed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most of the teachers during that time and well before then, right back to Little Joe\u2019s time were bound by their own sense of what was right and wrong with little or no fear of any reprisals or repercussions should they over step the mark between teacher or abuser.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And I still believe strongly that even back then there would have been little or no retribution for a fictional character like Mr Watson.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Sorry if I disappointed some of you readers about him getting his just deserts and a good smack in the mouth by Ben and his boys. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Thirdly,\u00a0 hope you enjoyed this story and hope you will read future one.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Fourthly and finally \u2013 the little mountain lion cub Half-Tail will make a come-back. The story will be called The Mountain Lion.\u00a0 It is not a sequel to Dead Man\u2019s Canyon and will commence about 12 years from now when Joe is 19 or so.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I needed a way to introduce him when he was younger and thought this story was the perfect way to do just that.\u00a0\u00a0 He will survive his severed tail but will he remember the boy who afford him some tenderness when he was only a cub.\u00a0\u00a0 They find themselves as foes rather than friends.<\/em><\/span>
\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\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.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 Little Joe thinks that his family doesn’t love him anymore. He is always being yelled at and getting into trouble. To add to his problems there is a substitute teacher at the school that has also taken a disliking to Joe. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K+ (49,570 words<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":2687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":9321,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/hollow.jpg?fit=1567%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3678,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3678","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":0},"title":"Pa’s Favorite (by Meg)","author":"Meg","date":"August 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Ages: Amelia 1; Little Joe 7; Hoss 13; Adam 19 \u00a0Description: Little Joe becomes jealous when Ben starts to pay more attention to little sister Amelia prompting Joe to think that Amelia is Pa's favorite. Joe's P.O.V\u00a0 Rating K (3,900 words) Amelia Series, links to all the stories within\u2026","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\/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":3828,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3828","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":1},"title":"Who Kidnapped Joseph Cartwright? (by lolo1999)","author":"lolo1999","date":"April 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Annie, Sarah, and Katie kidnap Little Joe while he's on business. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (875 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47673,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=47673","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":2},"title":"The Old Teacher (by StephyL)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"January 10, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Synopsis:\u00a0Joe has a run in with a sub that Adam once had and soon things go from bad to worse. Rating:\u00a0 PG Words:\u00a0 3,600","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10357,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10357","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":3},"title":"Hide and Seek (by bahj)","author":"bahj","date":"September 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Be careful what games you play! Rated: Family Friendly \/ Word count: 1074","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ponderosapine.jpg?fit=270%2C404&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3757,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3757","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":4},"title":"Shatter Bond (by Meg)","author":"Meg","date":"February 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe jeopardizes his relationship with his sister by dating her teacher. Will she ever be able to forgive him? Will he ever be able to gain her trust back? Ages: Amelia 13; Joe 20; Hoss 25; Adam 31 \u00a0Rated:\u00a0K+\u00a0 (6,060 words) Amelia Series, links to all the stories within\u2026","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\/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":12177,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12177","url_meta":{"origin":3323,"position":5},"title":"You Just Wait and See (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"November 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: When Little Joe tries to keep his friend from getting in trouble things go all wrong for the youngest Cartwright. 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