{"id":3819,"date":"2002-07-01T17:30:40","date_gmt":"2002-07-01T21:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3819"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:05:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:05:49","slug":"stranger-in-our-midst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3819","title":{"rendered":"Stranger in our Midst (by Rona)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>The prequel to ‘Payback Time’. A college friend of Adam’s comes home with him. 12 year old Joe is jealous. Or is he?<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T<\/p>\n

(5,745 words)<\/p>\n

Stranger in our Midst Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stranger in our Midst<\/a>
\nPayback Time<\/a><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stranger in our Midst\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben Cartwright thundered. \u201cWill you please sit still and eat your breakfast!\u201d<\/p>\n

Twelve-year-old Joe Cartwright wriggled on his seat once more before lifting meek, puppy dog eyes to his father. \u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d he said, contritely.<\/p>\n

Ben hid a smile in his napkin, knowing perfectly well why his youngest son could not sit still that morning. Adam, the oldest Cartwright son, was due home from college sometime that day. Adam had been away for several years, and was missed sorely by all the family.<\/p>\n

The middle son, Hoss, dragged his attention away from his plate to give Joe a smile. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Shortshanks, Adam\u2019ll be here afore you know it. Jus\u2019 you get them chores o\u2019 yours done, and the time\u2019ll speed past, you see if it don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe scowled at this, his handsome child\u2019s face screwed up in disgust. Chores were not Joe\u2019s favourite form of entertainment. However, after a glance at his father, he rearranged his face into more pleasant lines. \u201cIt seems ages till he gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Hoss said, Joe, time will pass more quickly if you\u2019re busy.\u201d Ben finished his breakfast and gave his youngest son a pointed look. Joe hastily took himself off to begin his chores.<\/p>\n

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

Shortly before suppertime, Adam rode into the yard. Joe had been in a frenzy of impatience all day. When he heard the hooves, he yelled \u201cIts Adam!\u201d and jumped to his feet, and ran to fling the door open.<\/p>\n

It was indeed Adam, but he wasn\u2019t alone. A stranger rode at his side, and he was saying something to Adam, who was grinning back at him. Joe skidded to a halt, taken aback by the unexpected company. Adam, attracted by the movement, slid from the back of his hired horse, and smiled at Joe. \u201cJoe!\u201d he exclaimed, and opened his arms wide.<\/p>\n

It was all the invitation Joe needed, and he threw himself into Adam\u2019s embrace. After a minute, he looked up. \u201cAdam, are you really home for good?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor good, Shortshanks,\u201d Adam assured him, and saw Joe\u2019s face light up with delight. Then Ben and Hoss arrived, and Adam was hugging his father and brother. After the greetings were exchanged, he introduced his companion. \u201cPa, this is Jeff Randall. We were in the same classes at college. I invited him to stay for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, Mr Randall,\u201d Ben said, shaking his hand, and smiling welcome.<\/p>\n

Joe, still in Adam\u2019s embrace looked at this unwanted newcomer, and was shocked to see that Jeff Randall had different coloured eyes \u2013 one blue, one brown. He found himself staring, although he knew it was rude. He felt Adam\u2019s arm tighten round his shoulders and looked up. Adam shook his head slightly, and Joe flushed. He knew then that Adam didn\u2019t want Joe to say anything to Jeff.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, call me Jeff,\u201d the man was saying to Ben. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to drop in like this, with no warning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIts no problem,\u201d Ben assured him. \u201cAny friend of Adam\u2019s is welcome here. Come inside. Joe, could you put the horses away?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Joe mumbled, and sulked off to the barn, feeling excluded, as Ben drew Adam into another hug, and laughed at something Jeff said. Joe took his time putting up the hired horses, and walked slowly back to the house.<\/p>\n

It looked like the family scene that Joe had dreamed of. Adam was sitting in his favourite blue chair, Hoss was perching on the fireplace, and Ben was in his big leather chair. But Jeff was sitting on the settee. Joe looked at the one seat left \u2013 beside Jeff \u2013 and went to sit on the arm of Adam\u2019s seat. Adam smiled at his younger brother, and rubbed his back gently, while listening to the conversation.<\/p>\n

Joe had been bursting to tell Adam everything that had happened to him lately, but his natural ebullience was dampened by Jeff Randall\u2019s presence in their midst. He didn\u2019t like the way Randall looked at him, Joe thought. And it wasn\u2019t just because of the strange eyes, although they played their part. No, there was simply something about the stranger that Joe didn\u2019t like.<\/p>\n

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

It was a relief to Ben when everyone went off to bed that night. The atmosphere had been a little strained by Joe\u2019s unaccountable silence. Even Jeff, stranger though he was, had seemed to notice that this was not normal behaviour. Of course, he was Adam\u2019s friend, and so had probably been told stories about Joe and his impulsive nature. It was also because Adam had been away from them for the last year. He was finally finished with college, and Ben was glad to have him home. His vacations were almost always too short to allow him to travel back from Boston, so they had only seen him in the summer time. Joe was at that difficult age, and Ben shrugged. He would need to watch the boy, but he was sure Joe would snap out of the mood as quickly as he\u2019d got into it.<\/p>\n

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

Joe seemed more like himself at breakfast next morning and Ben was thankful. Adam had to return the hired horses, and he asked Joe to go along with him. Joe lit up like a Christmas tree, and turned a smiling face to his father. Ben nodded approval. But Joe\u2019s happiness was dimmed when Jeff asked if he could go along, too. Adam saddled a couple of the ranch horses, and Joe saddled his pony. They set out, but it wasn\u2019t long before Adam and Jeff\u2019s horses had out distanced Joe\u2019s little pony. Joe\u2019s sulks returned in force.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t helped by Jeff calling Joe \u2018Little Joe\u2019, like his brothers did. Joe hated his nickname of \u2018Little Joe\u2019, because it reminded him of how much younger he was, and how much smaller. He\u2019d been a premature baby, and was undersized for his age. In fact, he could pass for a few years younger than he was, which only riled him the more. Ben assured him that he would grow when the time was right, but it was doubtful if he\u2019d be as tall as either of his brothers. Joe favoured his mother very much, and Marie had been slender and dainty.<\/p>\n

Reminded that he\u2019d brought Joe along, Adam turned to look for him. He recognised the rebellious set of his baby brother\u2019s mouth, and sighed. \u201cCome on, Little Joe, I\u2019ll buy you some candy when we get to town.\u201d Joe tried to keep the smile from his face, but he wasn\u2019t successful. Before long, Adam had Joe chattering away, and he hid the superior smiles, which threatened to break free.<\/p>\n

Not used to, and not liking, children, Jeff didn\u2019t bother to hide his smiles. He was an only child, and his parents hadn\u2019t been well off. They had left him enough money to get through college, but now he had to go and find a job. He did quite like Adam, but he assumed that because Ben Cartwright was rich, Adam didn\u2019t actually have to work unless he wanted to. Jeff was sure that if he hung around with Adam long enough, he would get a cushy job from Adam\u2019s precious Pa. But he hadn\u2019t counted on the kid hanging around them all the time, so he made no attempt to befriend Joe.<\/p>\n

When they reached Virginia City, Adam returned the horses, leaving Joe and Jeff standing together outside the general store. Joe patted his pony, and tried to pretend that Jeff wasn\u2019t with him. Jeff watched, amused for a few minutes. \u201cHey, kid, let\u2019s get this out in the open. I don\u2019t like you any more than you like me, so let\u2019s agree to stay away from each other. All right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s mouth was hanging open. He shut it hastily. \u201cAll right, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a nasty smile of Jeff\u2019s face, and he chuckled. Joe didn\u2019t like the sound of it. \u201cAdam says you\u2019re a smart kid. I\u2019m just giving you the chance to prove it. Keep out of Adam\u2019s way, and you\u2019ll keep out of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe had no idea what to say. He was still gaping at Jeff when Adam returned, but Adam didn\u2019t notice. He led Joe into the store, and bought all his favourite candies. Jeff persuaded Adam to tell him what Ben liked, and bought some tobacco and a bottle of brandy for him. Adam protested it wasn\u2019t necessary, and Jeff argued back, and had his way. Adam made several comments to Joe about how nice that was of Jeff, but Joe didn\u2019t respond. Adam shrugged, not having been home long enough to get irked by Joe\u2019s moods. When they set off for home again, Joe made sure that he led the way for the first little while. Once again, the horses\u2019 longer legs allowed Adam and Jeff to overtake Joe, and he could hear them comparing Boston with Virginia City.<\/p>\n

At the ranch, Joe took his pony into the barn, having been taught from an early age to care for his mount himself. He was unprepared for Jeff to follow him in, and give his and Adam\u2019s horses a very cursory seeing to. He went across to where Joe was grooming his pony, and grabbed the boy\u2019s shoulder, digging his fingers into the tender part between his collarbone and shoulder blade. Joe winced, and tried to shrug off Jeff\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember what I said, boy, keep away from Adam!\u201d Jeff gave a final squeeze, and let go, walking away from the boy, who dropped to his knees, tears oozing from his eyes.<\/p>\n

Joe was devastated. He couldn\u2019t really believe Adam didn\u2019t want him around, and yet Adam\u2019s friend had said so, twice. Joe decided that he\u2019d better talk to his Pa about it. He was frustrated in this desire, as Jeff was talking to his father when Joe went in. Joe hesitated, and caught a black look from Jeff. Confused and hurt, Joe headed for the stairs. Adam was on his way down, and put out his hand to stop Joe\u2019s headlong rush. \u201cHey, buddy,\u201d he said, \u201cyou\u2019ve been pretty quiet so far. Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

To his horror, Joe\u2019s eyes filled with tears. \u201cWhat do you care?\u201d he snapped, and fled up the stairs and into his room. The door slammed behind him.<\/p>\n

He had no idea how long he lay and sobbed on his bed before Ben appeared in his room. Some of the tears were simply reaction to what had happened in the barn. His shoulder was sore enough, and he could see bruises forming already. Some of the tears were because he thought Adam was playing a game with him, and it hurt. Joe idolised his big brother, and although they were often at odds, Joe had missed Adam more than he could say. Now, it seemed like Adam hadn\u2019t missed him at all.<\/p>\n

All this, Joe sobbed out incoherently to his father, who understood only that Joe was jealous of Jeff, but didn\u2019t understand the emotion. \u201cJoe, listen, of course Adam still loves you. But its only natural that he wants to spend some time with his friend. After all, Jeff will be leaving soon, and who knows when he and Adam will next see each other?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like him, Pa,\u201d Joe stormed. \u201cHe hurt me in the stable!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned, and Joe\u2019s sobs renewed. \u201cI knew you wouldn\u2019t believe me!\u201d he accused. \u201cLook!\u201d He ripped back the collar of his shirt, and showed Ben the bruises on his thin shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Ben said, gently, \u201ctell me what happened. I\u2019m sure Jeff didn\u2019t mean to hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did,\u201d Joe cried. \u201cHe grabbed me and told me to keep away from Adam, that Adam didn\u2019t want me hanging around all the time. He said so in town, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Confused, Ben tried to find out more, but Joe was crying too hard, and Ben was reluctant to push him too hard. Joe was volatile at the best of times; now he was working himself into hysterics. Finally, Ben was able to calm Joe down, and the exhausted boy fell asleep. Ben gently disentangled himself and tucked his youngest son in. He was deeply concerned. Even for Joe, this was a major tantrum. Perhaps puberty was about to make its mark on the youngest member of the family. It wasn\u2019t something Ben was looking forward to.<\/p>\n

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

Joe didn\u2019t wake for supper, and Ben apologised to Jeff. After the meal was over, Ben got Jeff alone, and asked him about the incident in the stable. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to bring it up, but Joe was upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand, Sir, but I didn\u2019t intend to hurt Joe. He tripped, and I reached out to grab him, and got his shoulder. He did say something about Adam, but I didn\u2019t catch what he said. He is very young, and I\u2019m sure it came as a surprise to him when Adam brought someone home with him. I certainly didn\u2019t tell him to keep away from Adam. I simply said that he was like Adam\u2019s shadow \u2013 something like that. Oh dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. \u201cNot to worry, Jeff. Joe has just picked you up wrongly. Its probably just his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor little chap,\u201d Jeff said, condescendingly. \u201cBut I suppose, he\u2019s never met anyone with odd coloured eyes before. It can be quite off putting. Please, Ben, tell Joe I must leave soon anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you just got here,\u201d Ben protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI must find a job, and start to earn my living,\u201d Jeff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Ben said. \u201cBut please stay as long as you like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Jeff said.<\/p>\n

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

Overhearing part of the conversation, Adam had an idea. Later, after Jeff and Hoss had gone to bed, Adam sat down near Ben. \u201cPa, can I ask you something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put aside his book. \u201cWhat is it, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I heard what Jeff said about a job. Couldn\u2019t we give him a job here? He could do the books for us. That would allow both of us to be outside working more. We would have to help him to start with, but it would be good to have someone like that around. Jeff doesn\u2019t have a family, so he\u2019s looking for someplace to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll think about it,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cIt would be nice to have somebody else to do the books, and you have known him for a while\u2026. I\u2019ll think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing he couldn\u2019t ask for more than that, Adam nodded. But the seed had been planted, and he thought his father might go for it.<\/p>\n

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

A few days later, Ben formally offered Jeff the job of bookkeeper to the Ponderosa. Jeff asked for time to think, and the following day accepted. Joe was horrified. He\u2019d managed to keep out of everyone\u2019s way over the past few days, and they had let him go, not anxious to have another major tantrum on their hands. Now, Joe tried again to explain to his father his feelings, but he was unable to articulate them enough to make Ben understand. What followed was a major row, more tears, and bad feelings all round.<\/p>\n

Except on Jeff\u2019s part. He was delighted that Joe was getting all this grief, and the feelings of jealousy weren\u2019t simply on Joe\u2019s side. But Jeff had had years of practice at hiding his feelings. At college, he\u2019d been jealous of nearly everyone, because they\u2019d had so much more money than he\u2019d had. They all seemed to have families, too, and Jeff didn\u2019t. Now, he wanted to be a part of this family, but he wanted rid of Joe.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cCan I ask you something?\u201d he said to Adam, the next day, as they sat drinking coffee on the porch, before tackling the books. \u201cYou say that you all had different mothers. So why do you all call Joe\u2019s mother Mama?\u201d He caught a look on Adam\u2019s face, and began to back off. He knew Adam could be as black as the clothes he habitually wore. \u201cDon\u2019t answer if its too personal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Adam said, slowly. \u201cYou see, Jeff, Marie was the only mother any of us really knew. My mother died when I was born, and Hoss\u2019 mother, Inger, when he was a babe in arms. Pa met and married Marie in New Orleans, without either Hoss or I meeting her. It was difficult for her at first, but then Joe was born, and Marie acted the same way towards us as she\u2019d always done \u2013 loving and kind. She treated us like we were her own. I knew what it was to have a mother. Hoss had called her Mama from the start, but I only did it after Joe was born.\u201d Adam cleared his throat. \u201cMarie was very special. We were good friends, and when she died, I promised that I would look out for Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a silence. Adam was remembering the terrible day when Marie died, and Jeff was thinking that his actions were reaping more reward than he\u2019d first imagined. \u201cThanks for telling me,\u201d he said, in what he hoped was an appropriate tone. \u201cIt must\u2019ve been tough on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, tough on us all, but especially Joe.\u201d Adam made a face. He wasn\u2019t comfortable being as open as he had just been, and his natural reticence was reasserting itself. \u201cBut that\u2019s the past, and life must go on.\u201d He rose, and walked towards the house. \u201cLet\u2019s get stuck into those books.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Summer was the busiest time of the year on the ranch. There was branding to be done, cutting out of barren heifers, horse breaking, hay making, and a million other chores. Everyone helped out where they could, but Joe was still too young to do a full day\u2019s work with the men, and much to small to ride herd. So he was often at home, under Hop Sing\u2019s watchful eye. It also meant that he came more into contact with Jeff, who was now doing the books unsupervised.<\/p>\n

The weather was good, so Joe was able to play outside quite a bit, and contrived to have his friend Mitch over a few times. But when it rained, Joe was stuck in the house, which was always a chore for him. The mis-understandings between Joe and his family had never really been resolved, despite the efforts of all concerned. Joe continued to suffer odd bruises given by Jeff during supposed \u2018play\u2019 wrestling matches. Jeff, to all intents and purposes, appeared to be making every effort to break past Joe\u2019s dislike. Joe was polite in company, but stuck to his dislike with all the tenacity of a much older person.<\/p>\n

Not being stupid, Joe realised that he looked very bad, and it gradually dawned on him that his family thought it was just his jealousy that made him act that way. Joe could admit to himself that he had been jealous of the time Adam spent with Jeff, but he seemed unable to tell his family that he wasn\u2019t jealous any longer. He was simply scared. Being Joe, he retreated into himself when questioned, and so became more isolated from the ones he loved. He had no idea how to resolve the situation.<\/p>\n

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

As the summer wore on, Joe found himself longing to get back to school. Everyone seemed to be on his back, and he could barely remember a time when he\u2019d been more miserable. He took to spending a lot of time at his mother\u2019s grave, where he poured out his woes. Ben had told Joe that his mother was his guardian angel, but she didn\u2019t seem to be helping him much this time.<\/p>\n

Belatedly becoming aware of approaching hoof beats, Joe looked up from his reverie, and recognised the horse that Jeff had been given to ride. Joe started to his feet, panic shortening his breath, and looked around for somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. His pony was tethered to the fence, and Jeff had already seen him. With a sinking heart, Joe lifted his chin, and waited.<\/p>\n

Sliding from his horse, Jeff could see Joe\u2019s fear. He smiled, and hitched his horse beside the pony. \u201cHello, Joe,\u201d he said, silkily. \u201cCome to talk to the only family member who doesn\u2019t hate you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Coloured drained from the boy\u2019s face. \u201cThey don\u2019t hate me!\u201d he cried, stung.<\/p>\n

Jeff raised an eyebrow. The gesture was so like Adam\u2019s. \u201cReally?\u201d he said, and the sarcasm whipped across the boy\u2019s strained nerves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate you!\u201d he screamed, and ran past Jeff to throw himself on the pony\u2019s back. He drove his heels into the little animals\u2019 flanks, and the pony gave a startled snort, and set off at a gallop.<\/p>\n

Watching, Jeff laughed, pleased with Joe\u2019s reaction. Then he saw that Joe\u2019s saddle was slipping. He opened his mouth to shout a warning, and stopped himself. He stared, fascinated, as the youth became aware of his peril, and tried to stop the pony. But Joe\u2019s panic had infected the pony, and it had the bit between its teeth, and nothing Joe did was going to stop its headlong flight.<\/p>\n

The saddle slid very slowly backwards, until the cinch was now around the pony\u2019s loins. There, it abruptly twisted sideways, dumping the young rider unceremoniously to the ground. It was quite a fall, and Joe lay still, knocked cold.<\/p>\n

Calmly, Jeff mounted his horse and rode away.<\/p>\n

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

The pony returned several hours later, his empty saddle still hanging sideways round his furry body. Hoss happened to be in the stable, and called for his father. Quickly, Ben, Adam and Hoss saddled their own mounts. Jeff offered to help, but Ben refused him. \u201cNo, Jeff, thank you. It\u2019s a kind offer, but you don\u2019t know the ranch, or Joe\u2019s favourite places, as well as we do.\u201d Ben swung into the saddle, and they left.<\/p>\n

Jeff stood watching them before going back indoors. He had a smile on his face. Hop Sing watched Jeff unnoticed from the kitchen. He was on Joe\u2019s side, because he, too, didn\u2019t like Adam\u2019s friend. Hop Sing had met prejudice from the moment he had come to America until he\u2019d arrived at the Ponderosa. Ben and the boys had treated him as one of the family, as had Marie after her arrival. He pretended to Jeff that he was just a stupid Chinese, because that was what Jeff expected him to be. But Hop Sing had been offended by several remarks Jeff had made about Joe, which he had disguised as humour. But Hop Sing knew that Jeff liked Joe no more than he liked Hop sing \u2013 not at all!<\/p>\n

It was nearly dark when the family rode back with Joe. Hop Sing had looked out bandages and potions in case the boy was badly hurt, but it seemed that Joe had just had a bad fall, and a bang on the head. Joe was as white as a sheet, and far too quiet. After a little probing, Ben discovered a gash behind Joe\u2019s ear. It had obviously been bleeding, and Ben cleaned it gently before Hoss lifted the boy and carried him upstairs.<\/p>\n

When Ben came back down stairs some time later, they were all waiting for him. \u201cWell?\u201d Adam said. \u201cDid he say what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben said, sitting down wearily. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t seem to remember what happened. Just that he woke up on the ground, and didn\u2019t feel well. I can\u2019t understand how that saddle slipped. After all, Joe knows to check the cinch each time he mounts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sliding forward on his seat, Ben poured himself a cup of coffee. Jeff drank deeply from his own cup, so no one would notice the smile he couldn\u2019t hide. \u201cJoe\u2019s not hurt bad, is he, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he\u2019s not really hurt much at all. Just that bang on the head. That could be enough to affect his memory. Don\u2019t pressure him to remember. We\u2019ll keep him as quiet as we can for the next day or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll sit with him,\u201d Adam volunteered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could, too if you like,\u201d Jeff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, that\u2019s very kind, but Joe and illness isn\u2019t the happiest combination,\u201d Adam replied. \u201cI\u2019ll go up now.\u201d He rose, and went upstairs.<\/p>\n

Eyeing Adam over the top of his cup, Jeff decided he didn\u2019t like the turn events were taking.<\/p>\n

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

An owl hooted outside, and Jeff looked at his watch for the hundredth time. It was 2 am. The house had been silent for over an hour now. Adam had sat with Joe all evening, and Ben had taken over later, and sent Adam to bed. Joe had been restless, and Ben had popped in and out of the room for a while, getting food and drink for the invalid. But all was quiet now, and Jeff rose and dressed, ready to put his plan into action.<\/p>\n

All these weeks on the ranch had bored Jeff to death. Adam seemed a different person on the Ponderosa than he had in Boston, and Jeff didn\u2019t like it. Adam was at home, and it showed. However welcoming the family had been, he was still an outsider. His battle of wills with Joe had been mildly entertaining, but he needed more challenge than a child could provide. Jeff had packed earlier that night, and now he carried his bag in one hand, and his boots in the other, and made his way quietly down to the main room.<\/p>\n

Going over to the safe, he knelt before it, and, using the combination he\u2019d been given, opened it. The wages were in there, and it amounted to a fairly tidy sum of money. Ben had been generous in paying Jeff, but it wasn\u2019t enough for him. This money, and the horse he\u2019d been riding, would allow him to move on, and maybe set up his own business somewhere.<\/p>\n

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

Upstairs, Joe was awake again. Ben had tried everything in his power to settle Joe, but when nothing worked, he realised that Joe had something big on his mind. Patiently, he waited, and presently, tears began to fall. Alarmed, Ben pulled Joe onto his lap, and hugged the child close, murmuring wordless sounds of comfort.<\/p>\n

Safe in his father\u2019s loving embrace, Joe cried out all the heartbreak and hurt he\u2019d suffered over the summer. It wasn\u2019t long before the words were pouring out of him as fast as the tears. \u201cJeff hurts me, Pa,\u201d he said. \u201cHe told me you all hate me. You don\u2019t, do you, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not, Joe,\u201d Ben responded, horrified. \u201cYou don\u2019t really believe that, do you? We all love you very much. If we hated you, we wouldn\u2019t have come to look for you this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJeff said so,\u201d the boy persisted. \u201cHe found me at Mama\u2019s grave, and said she was the only one who liked me. I was so frightened that I jumped onto Snowy without checking my cinch. I\u2019m sorry, Pa, I know I should have, but I was frightened of what Jeff would do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIts all right, son,\u201d Ben soothed. \u201cJoe, I believe what you\u2019re saying, but how exactly did Jeff hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe flushed. \u201cHe dug his fingers in here,\u201d and he showed his father. \u201cAnd he nipped me when he went past, and those times he said he was wrestling me, he wasn\u2019t. He trips me up, and twisted my arm up my back.\u201d The other little cruelties came pouring out, and Ben remembered all the bruises and sore places Joe had had that summer. All had be explained away by the fact that he was a normal, active boy. Ben was ashamed of his own short-sightedness. He had been wrapped up in Adam\u2019s return, and hadn\u2019t given Joe the attention he so desperately needed. Joe\u2019s appalling behaviour had been his way of telling his father that all wasn\u2019t well in his life, and he had been too pre-occupied to notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sorry I didn\u2019t believe you, Joe. Can you forgive me?\u201d Ben clutched his youngest son closer to his chest.<\/p>\n

Snuggled there, Joe couldn\u2019t believe his ears. \u201cForgive you? Pa, you ain\u2019t done anything wrong. Its been me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe, it hasn\u2019t been you. Tomorrow, I\u2019ll send Jeff away.\u201d Ben was reassured by Joe\u2019s sudden contented sigh. \u201cTell you what, how about you and I sneaking downstairs and seeing if we can find any of Hop Sing\u2019s cookies before you go back to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Joe exclaimed and jumped to his feet. Ben rose more slowly, and took Joe\u2019s hand, wondering how he could have been blind to the boy\u2019s unhappiness.<\/p>\n

They tiptoed across to the stairs, Joe giggling quietly, excited by the unexpected adventure. So it was difficult to tell who got the bigger shock when they rounded the corner of the stairs \u2013 the Cartwrights or Jeff.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat on \u2026.?\u201d Ben exclaimed. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he demanded, still half thinking there might be a rational explanation.<\/p>\n

Jeff cursed, and sprang to his feet, his hands still full of Ben\u2019s money and papers. He wasn\u2019t carrying a gun, and Ben approached him fearlessly, pushing Joe behind him, nevertheless. \u201cJeff, what are you playing at? Put the money back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way, old man,\u201d Jeff responded. \u201cYou\u2019ve had more than your money\u2019s worth outta me, and I\u2019m takin\u2019 my just due. Now, back off.\u201d He reached under his coat and pulled a knife.<\/p>\n

Ben drew in his breath sharply. \u201cStay back, Joe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jeff made a feint with the knife, which Ben ducked. Jeff lunged for Joe, who dodged backwards, and tripped heavily over the table. Ben let out a shout, and dived for Jeff. The man with the odd eyes avoided Ben easily, and went after Joe again. Joe, crying, couldn\u2019t get out of the way in time. Jeff caught his wrist and reeled the boy in to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay back,\u201d he warned Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of man are you anyway?\u201d Ben demanded angrily. \u201cPicking on a child?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever works, old man,\u201d Jeff said. \u201cI wanted Adam to be the same person he was at college, but here he had his precious family, and I was pushed out. He even preferred the kid\u2019s company over mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are you going to do?\u201d Ben asked, keeping a wary eye on the knife. Joe was white faced, his green eyes fixed pleadingly on his father\u2019s face. \u201cIts okay, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, its not okay, Joe,\u201d Jeff said, savagely. \u201cSee how not okay it is.\u201d He whirled Joe away from him, and punched the terrified boy in the face. Joe crumpled to the floor, bleeding.<\/p>\n

That was too much for Ben, who charged Jeff. They struggled for control of the knife, two tall, well-built men, both angry enough to do the other real damage.<\/p>\n

Sliding across the floor to avoid being stepped on, Joe wiped at his bleeding nose and mouth with his sleeve. \u201cPa!\u201d he cried. He scrambled to his feet, swallowing down the nausea he felt at the movement and staggered towards the stairs. \u201cAdam, Hoss!\u201d he screamed. \u201cHelp!\u201d<\/p>\n

He carried on screaming for his brothers for what seemed like an age, as his father wrestled back and forth across the room, still trying to get he knife away from Jeff. Joe was sobbing hopelessly, totally terrified.<\/p>\n

Adam barrelled round the corner, and halted at sight of his brother. Hoss was right behind him, and pushed past to help Ben. Adam bent down to Joe, and picked him up, just as Ben let out a great cry. Joe screamed, too, and Adam shielded his eyes from the sight of their father with a knife sticking out of his shoulder.<\/p>\n

It was all over. Hoss punched Jeff hard in the face as he stepped back from his victim, and he went down and out.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, are you all right?\u201d Hoss asked, anxiously, kneeling by his father.<\/p>\n

Ben was grey with pain, but he managed a grunt, which satisfied his middle son. \u201cGet the sheriff,\u201c he whispered, and passed out.<\/p>\n

Coming down the last few steps with his sobbing brother in his arms, Adam said, \u201cI think we could use the doctor, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

It was past dawn when Roy Coffee rode away from the Ponderosa with his prisoner. Paul Martin was still at the ranch, tending to Ben\u2019s injury. It wasn\u2019t very serious, but bled quite a bit when the knife was removed. Hoss had helped Paul, as Adam had been unable to disentangle himself from Joe. Paul had been shocked by Joe\u2019s hysterics, and had finally persuaded the boy to drink down a sedative, but even in his drugged sleep, he refused to relinquish his hold on Adam.<\/p>\n

Only later in the day did the whole story come out. The boys were all in Ben\u2019s room, Joe now snuggled up against his father\u2019s uninjured shoulder. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I was taken in like that,\u201d Adam said, after Ben had finished speaking. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all taken in, apart from Joe here,\u201d Ben said, squeezing his son\u2019s shoulder. Joe\u2019s solemn green eyes looked up at him with complete trust, but Ben had already had the story of how Joe wouldn\u2019t let anyone out of his sight. It was hard enough for the older boys to deal with, never mind someone so young. He knew that they would have to keep a close eye on Joe, and give him lots of extra love. Fortunately, that wasn\u2019t hard to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy says the circuit judge will be here in the next couple of weeks, Pa\u201d Hoss said. \u201cHe reckons Jeff\u2019ll go away for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Joe said. \u201cI really didn\u2019t like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone is like Jeff,\u201d Adam said. \u201cBut just remember something, Joe. When you have a family who loves you, you\u2019ve got the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gently took Joe\u2019s hand. Hoss put his huge paw over both their hands, and then Ben clasped his hands round his sons\u2019. \u201cThe world,\u201d he said, huskily.<\/p>\n

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

Next Story in the Stranger in our Midst Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Payback Time<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 The prequel to ‘Payback Time’. A college friend of Adam’s comes home with him. 12 year old Joe is jealous. Or is he?<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

(5,745 words)<\/p>\n

Stranger in our Midst Series, links to all stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":1229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,41,1007,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","category-joe-cartwright","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-30-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}