Summary:\u00a0 After going into town to buy a present for Hoss, Little Joe runs into a mysterious stranger with a bag of golden coins. Come follow along as Little Joe tells the story of one of his greatest adventures.<\/p>\n
To Note: This story started from a Pinecone challenge waaaaay back in 2011.\u00a0 Thanks Cheaux!<\/p>\n
Rating: PG<\/p>\n
Word Count: 28182<\/p>\n
The Misadventures Series<\/strong><\/p>\n The Misadventures of Little Joe Cartwright – Book I<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Misadventures of Little Joe Cartwright ~ Book I\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n The phrase it is better to give than to receive kept floating through my mind all during my clandestine adventure. I knew exactly what I would be receiving if Pa ever found out about this whole ordeal, and I definitely have to agree that it would be better to be the one giving that particular \u201cdiscussion\u201d than to be the one receiving it. How I manage to get myself into these messes is something I\u2019ve been contemplating a lot lately. I\u2019ve only been alive for ten years and in that time, I\u2019ve been in more trouble than my two older brothers combined.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do I know that?\u201d you ask.<\/p>\n I know because my brothers have been telling me repeatedly for about as long as I can remember. Pa and I feel differently than my brothers. We agree that what\u2019s in the past should stay in the past, and he\u2019s always more than willing to wipe my slate clean and let me start over; after he\u2019s delivered the consequences, of course. Somehow, I think that if I spent just a little more time going over those past consequences, it might help me to stay out of trouble.<\/p>\n This particular mess that I was mixed up in wasn\u2019t my usual kind of mischief though. Adam calls that kind, \u201cmy true nature coming out.\u201d This time it was the kind of trouble that just seems to follow me. It started out simple enough a few days ago. I\u2019d gone to town with my Pa, went into Mr. Cass\u2019s store, and presented him with my list. I always write down what I want in a list, just like my Pa. Hoss said he thinks that\u2019s silly since I usually just want candy or marbles, but Pa says it\u2019s real clever of me, so I do it anyway. Everything was going smoothly until Mr. Cass came to the last item.<\/p>\n \u201c\u00c9p\u00e9e? Like a sword? I\u2019m sorry, \u201che\u2019d said. \u201cBut we don\u2019t carry \u00e9p\u00e9es this side of the country, and even if I did, I don\u2019t think your father would appreciate my selling one to you without his permission.\u201d<\/p>\n Now I know what you\u2019re thinking, but the \u00e9p\u00e9e wasn\u2019t for me. I wanted it for Hoss, so that we could practice together. Being French and all, when my mother died, she left her \u00e9p\u00e9e to me. When I\u2019d asked Pa about it a couple of years ago, he\u2019d said I wasn\u2019t to touch it until I was much older, and only than if he or one of my older brothers was with me. I practiced with it for a bit one time just because I wasn\u2019t sure if he\u2019d really meant it or not. He\u2019d meant it, and I haven\u2019t touched it since.<\/p>\n Well, as I said, that was a couple of years ago. I\u2019m much older now and I figured if Hoss has one too, it\u2019s more likely that he\u2019ll be willing to practice with me. I was awfully disappointed when I\u2019d found out the mercantile didn\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t carry them, and I sat outside by myself for a spell while waiting for Pa. I wasn\u2019t pouting mind you, just mulling over how I could get my brother that \u00e9p\u00e9e. That\u2019s when I met a tall dark stranger and this whole crazy mixed up story got started.<\/p>\n He just sort of came out of nowhere.<\/p>\n \u201cHey there,\u201d he\u2019d said as he leaned against the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d I answered back trying hard to keep my voice from squeaking.<\/p>\n Now, I wasn\u2019t scared, but I have to tell you this guy was pretty strange. Like I said he was real tall, almost as tall as my brother Hoss, but much skinnier. He had dark hair that stuck out every which way, and he really needed a shave. He wore a real long leather coat all the way down to his knees and his pant legs were rolled up to the tops of his boots. What I thought was most strange was the fact that he was covered in wood chips. I kept staring at a particularly large one on his left shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you lookin at?\u201d he asked me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got a chip on your shoulder,\u201d I answered pointing to the large wood shaving.<\/p>\n The man looked himself over and I think he had just realized what a mess he was, \u2018cause he started hitting the dust off his jacket and made me sneeze. He smoothed back his greasy hair and then looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cYou all alone?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m waiting for my Pa,\u201d I answered. \u201cHe\u2019s over at the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n I know, you don\u2019t have to say it. I shouldn\u2019t have told him I was alone, but hey I\u2019m only ten after all, and have gotten into the habit of answering my elders truthfully. Well, most of the time. He surprised me with his next question.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you like to make some money?\u201d he asked, bending down to look me straight in the eye.<\/p>\n My eyes grew as wide as saucers for two reasons. First, because as he put his face close to mine, I noticed his breath smelled like the inside of a saloon. If you want to know how I know what the inside of a saloon smells like, you\u2019ll have to wait until after I finish telling this story. Anyway, the second reason was because as he spoke, he took a small pile of gold coins out of his pocket and jingled them together in his hands. I had no idea what he wanted me to do, but I knew I wanted those coins, so before taking the time to think things through, as Hoss would say, I slowly nodded my head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want me to do?\u201d I asked holding my breath.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a few simple errands,\u201d then standing up he looked around anxiously again. \u201cIt\u2019s not safe here though, come into the alley and I\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned and walked around the corner without even glancing to see if I was following or not.<\/p>\n I can hear you screaming at me right now not to follow him, but the trouble is I couldn\u2019t hear you then. All I could hear was the jingle of those coins. And we\u2019ve been living in Nevada now for so long that I think I might have had a touch of what some of the old miners get around here called gold fever. I hesitated for just a minute, only because I was worried Pa would come back and find me missing. Looking across to the bank, there was no sign of him, so I decided to risk it and ran around the corner.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was it you needed?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst one\u2019s easy,\u201d he smiled crookedly. \u201cI need you to deliver this package for me. In two days, you need to deliver it to the loft above the blacksmith\u2019s shop precisely at midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n I figured the guy was crazy if he thought that was gonna be easy! He must have noticed the worried expression on my face because he took out the coins again and handed me one.<\/p>\n \u201cConsider this an advance payment,\u201d he said. \u201cYou get five more when the package is delivered, and five more for every job after that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s after that?\u201d I gulped.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry yourself about that. You just be at that livery in two days, and my partner will give you the rest of the instructions then, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n I thought about refusing, but a small patch of sunlight shone down on my open palm just then, making the coin glimmer in the sunlight.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d I agreed.<\/p>\n The man chucked me under the chin and then took off down the alley.<\/p>\n I had made it around the corner and back to the bench just before Pa came out of the bank, and while I helped him load the supplies into the wagon, I carefully slipped the small package into one of the boxes. It was a pretty quiet ride home, which was enough to get Pa suspicious.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything okay, son?\u201d he asked. \u201cDid something go wrong in town?\u201d<\/p>\n I froze for a minute not sure how to answer. My Pa is real particular about his sons telling him the truth, which makes his sons real particular about the way we answer his questions. Somehow I didn\u2019t think he would be too pleased with the secret meeting I\u2019d just had with a strange man, so I decided a half-truth would probably be my best option.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just disappointed because Mr. Cass didn\u2019t have the gift I wanted to get Hoss,\u201d I answered, hoping it would be enough to satisfy him.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I see,\u201d he answered. \u201cWell, Hoss\u2019s birthday is still a few months away. You know he\u2019s been talking about that nice pair of leather gloves for quite a while now. If you need more money, I have a few extra chores you could do for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got plenty of money, Pa,\u201d I quickly assured him, fingering the coin in my pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n I could have slapped myself, but instead I just changed the subject. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s not the money. I just want to get him the perfect gift,\u201d<\/p>\n The perfect gift being that \u00e9p\u00e9e. I hadn\u2019t told Pa about that either. As a matter of fact, my list of things I couldn\u2019t tell him about was getting so long that it was becoming just plain dangerous to talk. Pa must have accepted my excuse \u2018cause he didn\u2019t press me any further and much to my relief, we finished the ride in silence.<\/p>\n As soon as we got home, I jumped down and grabbed for the box with my package.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get those, son,\u201d Pa said taking the box from me. \u201cI want you to take the buckboard over to your brothers. They should be just about done fixing fences and they\u2019ll need to load up all those supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n Normally, I would have been jumping up and down in excitement that Pa was going to let me drive the buckboard by myself, but I really needed to get that package.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, couldn\u2019t you do it for me. My arms are feeling kind of weak,\u201d I said lamely.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t laugh, I\u2019ve never been good at coming up with excuses on the spot. That\u2019s my oldest brother\u2019s specialty. He can get out of trouble quicker than I get into it, and that\u2019s saying something!<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, don\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d he answered as he pointed to the wagon seat. \u201cYou\u2019ll do fine, just take it slow.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, pride overrode my common sense and I puffed myself up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not afraid, Pa,\u201d I answered as I climbed up on the seat.<\/p>\n I took the reins and carefully maneuvered the horses around the barn. My brothers weren\u2019t very far away, just over by the old corral making repairs. Pa wasn\u2019t willing to let me drive out of sight of the yard just yet.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss yelled as I got close.<\/p>\n I made the mistake of trying to wave and the horses and I took a little detour. I circled back around as my brothers leaned against the fence watching me with smirks on their faces.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d I questioned. \u201cThere was something I wanted to check over there.\u201d<\/p>\n They both started laughing. I tried hard to look dignified.<\/p>\n Anyway, I helped them load up the supplies and let Hoss drive back. It wasn\u2019t until about thirty minutes later when we pulled up in the front yard that I remembered about the package. I took off on the run toward the house, hoping our cook hadn\u2019t started opening things up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa there,\u201d Adam said grabbing my arm. \u201cWe\u2019ve got chores to do before you go running off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d I told him, trying to free my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll do your chores first,\u201d he said and tightened his grip.<\/p>\n As I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve noticed, Adam is pretty bossy. Pa says it comes from being the oldest, but I think it\u2019s just because he likes having things his own way. Of course, I do too which is why we butt heads so much.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t in a very good mood as I stomped into the barn. I hurried through my chores as fast as I dared and then snuck to the house before Adam could check them. As luck would have it, our cook was just leaving the house as I got to the kitchen. I looked around for a minute and spotted the box over in the corner by the cellar door. Thank goodness none of the packages were opened yet. I ran over to the box and that\u2019s when I realized I had a serious problem. About six of the packages all looked the same. I did the only thing I could of. I grabbed them all and stuffed them into my coat. I\u2019m not sure why I thought that would help since it made me round enough to rival Hoss and I crinkled when I walked. Like I said, I don\u2019t always have the best ideas. Well, luck was on my side and the house was empty when I tiptoed through the living room. I ran up the stairs and into my room slamming the door behind me, which was my first mistake. Pa was in his room, and he hates it when I slam doors.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n I had just finished shoving the packages under my bed when he walked in.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, how many times do I have to tell you not to slam the door?\u201d he asked glaring down at me.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when I made my second mistake. I decided to get smart-alecky. I know, I should have known better, even Adam only gets away with that once in a while.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout twenty more times, Pa,\u201d I answered and grinned.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t amused.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung man, just for that you can come over here and practice shutting the door quietly until supper time,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Pa, that\u2019s not fair,\u201d I gasped. \u201cSupper isn\u2019t for another half an hour!\u201d<\/p>\n That was my third mistake; I realized it just after I\u2019d said it and slapped my hand over my mouth. I saw Pa\u2019s face turning darker and gulped. He walked over to me, leaned in close, and his voice got real deep.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m your father, I don\u2019t have to be fair!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir,\u201d I answered as I quickly made my way to the door.<\/p>\n I held it open for him as he passed and then wasted my life away for the next half hour. I thought about going for the packages when Pa had walked down the stairs but decided I had pushed my luck far enough for the time being. Finally, I heard Hoss calling me for dinner and I ran down the stairs. I sat down without saying a word to anyone and put just enough food on my plate to please my father. I was in a hurry to get back to my room before anyone noticed the missing packages, so I didn\u2019t realize how much I was stuffing into my mouth until Hoss asked me a question.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, mmm, mmm,\u201d was all I could get out, and I could feel my pooched-out cheeks turn bright red as everyone turned and stared at me.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, swallow your food please,\u201d Pa said and then glared at my brothers who were both trying hard to hide their snickering.<\/p>\n I decided I\u2019d better slow down a bit or Pa would get suspicious. I think Adam already was, cause he kept giving me strange looks all during supper and that worried me. I know you probably don\u2019t think it\u2019s a big deal, but that\u2019s \u2018cause you don\u2019t live with my oldest brother. Once he gets an idea in his head, he\u2019s like an old dog with a bone. Now don\u2019t laugh, you\u2019ll see what I mean in a little bit when he gets tangled up in this story right along with me. Anyway, I\u2019m getting ahead of myself.<\/p>\n So, after dinner I asked to be excused. Pa always makes me do that \u2018cause it\u2019s polite. I ran upstairs and closed my door. Quietly. I decided to open the packages from under my bed in case anyone just up and walked in, which when you\u2019re the youngest in the family tends to happen a lot. If I hadn\u2019t been so worried about getting caught, it would almost have seemed like Christmas. Except if these were presents, they were really boring. I got down to the last package and decided I\u2019d better open it up just to make sure I hadn\u2019t missed one. Sure enough, unless that mysterious man wanted tea or spices delivered to the livery stable at midnight, I had missed a package. I quickly rewrapped the food stuffs and then, dumping my pillow onto the ground, stuffed them into my pillowcase then ran out the door for the kitchen.<\/p>\n Hop Sing!\u201d I yelled from the doorway.<\/p>\n I\u2019d made it just in time \u2018cause our cook was about to open my small package.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you yell for?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUm . . . cause . . . well uh . . .\u201d I stammered as I looked around for some excuse, \u201c\u2018cause I think some of your packages got left in the wagon, you should go check.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing busy,\u201d he answered. \u201cYou check wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Hop Sing, I\u2019m the one that missed them the first time, so I\u2019m the one most likely to miss them again if I go look. Don\u2019t you think you better go and check instead.\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing looked at me strangely for a moment and then muttering something under his breath stormed out the side door. After I breathed a sigh of relief, I quickly dumped the contents of the pillowcase, that I had been hiding behind my back, onto the table, and grabbed the package Hop Sing had left behind. I stuffed it in my shirt and then decided since I was already there, I would try for a donut or two. Hop Sing came back just in time to watch me stuff one into my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cOut Hop Sing\u2019s kitchen!\u201d he yelled and grabbed the broom.<\/p>\n I ran out of there as fast as I could and headed back upstairs. In case you were wondering my Pa and brothers had all gone out to the corral to look over a couple of new horses, so they weren\u2019t around to hear any of Hop Sing\u2019s yelling.<\/p>\n Once I was safely back in my room, I went over to my desk and set the package down. I stared at it for a few minutes trying to decide whether or not to open it. I\u2019m sure you\u2019re not wasting any time wondering what I decided. I tore open the paper and picked up a soft piece of leather tied up with a string and could feel at least two hard objects inside. I slowly untied the string and opened the leather. My eyes grew round as saucers at what I saw, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n I was so mesmerized by what I was looking at that I never even heard anyone come into my room. I screamed as a heavy hand came down on my shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you scared the life out of me!\u201d I yelled as he broke into a fit of laughter.<\/p>\n When he finally stopped laughing he tried to look over my shoulder, which wasn\u2019t too hard for him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatcha looking at?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n I grabbed the bundle and turned around putting it behind my back.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d I squeaked.<\/p>\n That has been my standard answer since I was about four, and I\u2019m thinking of coming up with a new one, since nobody ever believes it anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that nothing must be pretty interesting if you\u2019re hiding it behind your back. Come on, let me see,\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n Now everyone thinks I\u2019ve got the puppy dog expression down, but let me tell you, it\u2019s nothing compared to when Hoss turns his baby blues on you. Besides I would have told him anyway. This secret was too good not to share. I quickly walked over to the door and poked my head out to make sure no one else was coming, then closed the door and motioned Hoss over.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you promise not to tell?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIs whatever you got there gonna hurt anyone?\u201d he asked back.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Hoss, these things couldn\u2019t hurt a fly,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, show me,\u201d he said, and his eyes lit up with excitement.<\/p>\n I handed him the leather and he opened it up slowly. I watched his face go from puzzled, to curious, to awestruck.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, is this . . . is this a map?\u201d he asked spreading the leather out flat on my desk.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and that\u2019s a compass,\u201d I said pointing to one of the objects. \u201cAnd get a good look at that key will ya?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss gave a low whistle as he turned the key over in his hand. It was made of real old metal. I could tell because it was covered in rust. The top of the key was shaped to look like a human skull.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019d you get this stuff, Little Joe?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n I\u2019d been smiling up to that point, but I frowned as I thought about how much I should tell him. Now I know I can trust Hoss with just about anything, but he might think that getting mixed up with a crazy man could get me hurt, which meant either he would tell Adam or Pa. I had to think fast.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I started carefully. \u201cI met a man in town today. He paid me to deliver a package for him.\u201d I handed him the gold coin that had been weighing down my pocket all day. He looked it over and then bit down on it.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is real gold,\u201d he said in amazement.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it is.\u201d I grinned.<\/p>\n He must have noticed the gleam in my eye ’cause he handed the coin back real cautious like.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this stuff what was in the package?\u201d he asked pointing at the objects. \u201cAnd were you supposed to open it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had to Hoss,\u201d I answered quickly. \u201cThe package got all mixed up with the ones from the store and I wanted to make sure I had the right one.\u201d<\/p>\n That was mostly true, although I did feel just the slightest bit guilty.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen are you supposed to deliver this package?\u201d he asked next.<\/p>\n That was the question I had been dreading.<\/p>\n \u201cIn two days I\u2019m supposed to take it to the loft over at the livery in Virginia City,\u201d I paused and watched his face closely. So far so good.<\/p>\n \u201cAt midnight,\u201d I finished.<\/p>\n His face changed.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, before you say anything hear me out,\u201d I continued in a rush. \u201cI know it seems kind of strange, maybe a little dangerous even, but if you go with me then you\u2019d be there to protect me in case anything goes wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, you can\u2019t be serious!\u201d he spluttered. \u201cYou don\u2019t even know this man. He could be a bank robber, or a kidnapper, a murderer even.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wanna know what I think?\u201d I asked him my voice getting real low.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure, but what?\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s a pirate!\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s a pirate?\u201d Adam asked coming into my room. He tossed his hat toward my desk, but he missed.<\/p>\n Hoss and I both jumped at the drop of the hat. Hoss bent to pick it up and managed to hand me the map without Adam seeing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou two are awfully jumpy,\u201d he said, looking suspicious.<\/p>\n I told you. He knew I was up to something, and he wasn\u2019t gonna rest until he figured out what it was. I looked at Hoss and I could see him starting to buckle under our oldest brother\u2019s steely gaze. When Adam\u2019s trying, he can do a pretty good impersonation of Pa. I was wracking my brain for an idea when suddenly from out of nowhere came the loudest explosion I\u2019d ever heard.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n My brothers and I raced down the stairs at top speed. I was sure half the house would be gone when we got down there. The first thing we noticed was that Pa\u2019s favorite red leather chair had tipped over. The second thing we noticed was that Pa was in it. Hoss and I ran over to him while Adam grabbed a blanket and worked on putting out the tiny fires in various places around the room.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, what happened?\u201d Hoss asked reaching to help him up.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Hoss! Don\u2019t touch me!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n Adam had finished putting out the fires and joined us looking over our obviously injured father.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? What is it?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cMy back!\u201d was all Pa said and then cringed in pain.<\/p>\n By now Hop Sing had joined our huddle and the three of us all looked to him for instructions.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d he started, \u201cyou go for doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight!\u201d he answered and hurried out the door.<\/p>\n It took me, Hoss, and Hop Sing almost an hour to get Pa into the down stair\u2019s bedroom, with him yelping out in pain the whole time. I was more than a little worried, since Pa hardly ever complained, even when he was real sick. I knew it must be pretty bad. Once we got him settled, Hop Sing made him some of his special tea. I hate that tea \u2018cause it tastes awful, but it sure does make you feel better if something is hurting. Adam came with the doctor after what seemed like hours and then we all got sent out of the room. Hoss sat by the fireplace with his head in his hands, Adam paced back and forth, and I mostly just watched him. I was just starting to get a crick in my neck when the doctor finally came out.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, boys,\u201d he said, \u201cit seems your father has a pretty significant back sprain and will be laid up for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n He must have noticed how concerned we all looked \u2018cause he hurried on.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. He\u2019ll be just fine. It\u2019s painful, but not serious. He just needs to stay still and get lots of rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he say what happened?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what I gathered, your father had found an old box with bits of paper and was adding them to the fire, when there was suddenly a huge explosion. He fell backwards over the chair and that\u2019s how he hurt his back. He wasn\u2019t sure what caused the explosion, so I think you\u2019d better check it out Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, doctor. I intend to,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n When the doctor left, we started looking around the room for any clues as to what could have caused the explosion. After a few minutes, Hoss came over with a small box he\u2019d found by the dining room table.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess this is the box Pa found,\u201d he said holding it up for us to see.<\/p>\n As soon as I saw the box, I knew what had caused the explosion and I could feel my heart drop down into my stomach. You see, earlier that year, in the summer, during the town\u2019s Fourth of July celebration, I had gotten a few firecrackers from . . . Well, never mind, that\u2019s a whole other story, but anyway when Pa found out I had them he told me to get rid of them. Well, I didn\u2019t want to waste them, but I knew if Pa found them there would be a whole other kind of fireworks, so I hid them in the box Hoss was holding now. I had wrapped them in pieces of old newspaper and then stuck it way back in a closet under the stairs. Well, I guess I had kind of forgotten about them.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, buddy, you, okay?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n I looked at him, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn\u2019t get any words to come out. I knew that if Adam found out what really happened, I would be dead meat. Thankfully, he was currently too busy checking out the fireplace to notice me, but Hoss did and, guessing I was in some sort of trouble, took the box and quietly made his way outside. By the time he got back, I was breathing again, and I gave him a crooked smile.<\/p>\n \u201cLater,\u201d I whispered to him when I was sure Adam couldn\u2019t hear.<\/p>\n He nodded at me, and I knew he would wait. Sometimes I think Hoss is just about the best guy in the whole world.<\/p>\n Well, after a while, Adam told us that it must have been an air pocket caught between the logs, although he didn\u2019t quite look like he believed it. Hoss and I went along with his theory almost a little too eagerly, earning us another suspicious glance, and then escaped up the stairs back to my room.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, I just have one question,\u201d said Hoss after I\u2019d closed the door. \u201cDoes this whole mess have anything to do with those firecrackers you were supposed to get rid of this summer?\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded my head.<\/p>\n \u201cAre there anymore?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust what was in that box,\u201d I answered, thinking that was actually two questions.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I hid it out behind the house,\u201d he said, \u201cYou make sure you get rid of it first thing.\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded and let out a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d I said after a minute, \u201cI feel real bad about Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n I could feel my ears burning red. Hoss could see that I was feeling pretty guilty, so he didn\u2019t lecture me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t mean for anyone to get hurt, just let that be a lesson to you,\u201d he said pulling out the chair by my desk.<\/p>\n I plopped down on my bed and we sat real quiet for a few minutes before I suddenly remembered the map in my pocket. I looked over at Hoss and decided, after all that had happened, I\u2019d better wait until tomorrow to try and convince him to help me make that delivery. Besides there were a few things I wanted to do first that I wasn\u2019t sure I wanted to tell him about yet.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n The next morning, the first thing I did was to go check on Pa. He was asleep. Everyone was, probably because it was only four o\u2019clock in the morning. I knew Adam would be in charge now that Pa was in bed for a while, so I wanted to be sure and get on his good side. I went out to the barn and got started on my chores, then Hoss\u2019s, and then even Adam\u2019s. I was just finishing up when Adam walked into the barn whistling. In case you didn\u2019t know, Adam whistling is always a good sign. It means that he\u2019s in a good mood and I really needed him to be in a good mood. I wanted to go see my friend Mitch and with Adam on my case, I knew that wouldn\u2019t be likely to happen. He stopped and looked around the barn in surprise. I expected him to tell me what an amazing job I did and how proud he was of me. I don\u2019t know what I was thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, what do you want?\u201d he asked folding his arms across his chest.<\/p>\n I tell you sometimes I really wish I was as big as Hoss so I could wipe that silly smirk off his face. Of course, the fact that he was right to be suspicious doesn\u2019t matter at all, he\u2019s my brother and he\u2019s supposed think nice things about me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you think I want anything?\u201d I asked pretending to be really hurt. \u201cI just wanted to help out what with Pa being laid up and all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm,\u201d he said and leaned against one of the stalls. \u201cCould it be that you\u2019re trying to relieve a guilty conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried really hard not to look guilty. He couldn\u2019t possibly know about those firecrackers unless Hoss had told him. I knew he\u2019d never tell, so that meant Adam was just guessing. I decided that letting him think he was right was probably my best option at that point.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, Adam,\u201d I started, looking down at the ground. \u201cI was really hoping you would let me go fishing today. That\u2019s why I did all these chores.\u201d<\/p>\n I gave him my best impersonation of a pitiful puppy dog expression. It\u2019s a delicate art that I\u2019ve been developing for years now and works on just about everyone. Except Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cNice try,\u201d he answered. \u201cNow what do you really have planned?\u201d<\/p>\n That got my blood to boiling and suddenly, it was as if I was standing over by Adam watching myself spill my guts.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, you want the truth? Fine!\u201d I shouted. \u201cThe truth is I met a crazy pirate in town who paid me in gold to deliver a map for him, but before I deliver the map I want to take it over to Mitch so he\u2019ll draw me a copy and then I can follow the map myself and find the treasure first.\u201d<\/p>\n I stopped when I ran out of breath and couldn\u2019t believe what I\u2019d just done. Adam was staring at me; his cold dark eyes drilling straight through my skull.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Little Joe,\u201d he said finally, \u201cif you don\u2019t want to tell me fine. But rest assured,\u201d he continued as he walked slowly toward me, \u201cI will find out what you\u2019re up to, one way or another.\u201d<\/p>\n He started to walk out of the barn while I just stood there in a daze.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose,\u201d he said turning around, \u201cif you want to go fishing, it\u2019s okay with me.\u201d<\/p>\n I stood in the middle of the barn for what must have been a full ten minutes. Then it slowly dawned on me that Adam hadn\u2019t believed me. Ha, and he thinks he\u2019s so smart. Now, I was still in the clear and I even had his permission to go. Things were working out much better than I had expected. Now, if things would just go as smoothly for part two of my plan, I might be able to get through this day in one piece.<\/p>\n After breakfast I checked in on Pa once more, but he still hadn\u2019t woken up. Hoss said it was because the medicine the doctor gave him made him sleepy. I said goodbye to my brothers and then left to find our newest ranch hand. I\u2019d heard some of the other hands saying he would be working over in the new field that was being cleared, so I saddled up Cochise, he\u2019s my horse, and rode out. I could smell him working before I ever saw him. As I came over the top of the hill, I saw the huge fire where he was throwing in brush and stumps that needed to be cleared. He was dragging a big log over to the pit when I rode up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatcha doin?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m adding fuel to the fire, kid,\u201d he answered and stopped to wipe some of the sweat off his forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, can I help?\u201d I asked jumping down from Cochise.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, boy,\u201d he said, \u201cbut your older brother sent word that he doesn\u2019t want you anywhere near this fire.\u201d<\/p>\n I should have known.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t need anything, you better be going or we\u2019re both gonna be in trouble,\u201d he told me looking around as if Adam would suddenly appear at any moment.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I did need something,\u201d I told him and fished the key that had been with the map out of my pocket. We need a copy of this key made and I heard you were going to town later this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n I kept my fingers crossed behind my back hoping that he wouldn\u2019t ask who the \u201cwe\u201d was. It was actually me and Hoss, even though Hoss didn\u2019t know anything about it yet.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, okay,\u201d he said and put the key in his vest pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d I answered and started to mount up. \u201cOh, um . . . I\u2019ll come get the key from you tonight okay.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at me kind of strange, so I added quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cMy Pa\u2019s not feeling so good right now and we don\u2019t want anyone coming to the house unless it\u2019s an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you say,\u201d he shrugged. \u201cI should be back around eight o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n I told him thanks and then headed for Mitch\u2019s house. Mitch and his family had just moved to the area about six months ago. We met during my escapade with the firecrackers in Virginia City. I guess you could say we sort of became partners in crime, but like I said that\u2019s another story. Anyway, Mitch is just about the best drawer I\u2019ve ever seen, other than my brother Adam, and I had no intention of asking him.<\/p>\n I was starting to feel like a real adventurer. Kind of like Robinson Crusoe from the book Pa had read to us last winter. If I had known then what I know now, I would have burned the map and headed for home as fast as I could.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Mitch finished copying the map for me in no time at all. He never asked me a single question about it, but I\u2019d known he wouldn\u2019t. After the trouble we\u2019d gotten into over the summer, he\u2019d been being real careful to stay out of my schemes, as Hoss would say. I tucked the map into my saddle bag and then headed for my special fishing spot. Surprised? Well, you shouldn\u2019t be. I really was telling Adam the truth when I said I wanted to go fishing. I just didn\u2019t tell him about the other things I wanted to do first, actually I guess I did, he just didn\u2019t believe me. I fished for a while and after I\u2019d caught a nice string of big fat trout I headed back for the ranch. The compass from the package was still hidden under my bed and I wanted to get a good look at it before supper.<\/p>\n The first thing I noticed when I rode into the yard was that I could hear Pa bellowing and Hop Sing ranting. I smiled since I knew that was a sign Pa must be feeling better. I ran to the porch and, using the side door, rushed into the spare room.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d I yelled. \u201cAre you feeling better?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, don\u2019t shout,\u201d he answered. \u201cAnd close the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Yep, he was feeling better.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I was just telling Hop Sing,\u201d he said to me but looked to our cook, \u201cI\u2019m feeling much better and would like to have something to eat besides toast, tea, or broth.\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing just threw up his hands and stomped out of the room muttering under his breath. Pa was sitting up some. It looked like somebody had brought him just about every pillow in the house, and he was leaning back with an open book on his lap.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re feeling a little better, Pa,\u201d I said. \u201cCan I get you anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son,\u201d he answered. \u201cWould you hand me my medicine on the dresser over there? My back is starting to seize up some again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Pa,\u201d I answered and grabbed the bottle.<\/p>\n I walked over to the bed and plopped down on it, which I probably shouldn\u2019t have done.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, my back,\u201d Pa said, squeezing his eyes shut.<\/p>\n I stood up real quick, which jiggled the bed again and made him wince even more.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d I said reaching for the spoon on the nightstand. \u201cHere\u2019s your medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n After a minute he opened his eyes and let out all the air he\u2019d been holding. He ignored the spoon I was trying to hand him and reached for the bottle. My eyes practically popped out of my head when he took the cork out and drank two big swigs full, then sank slowly into the mound of pillows and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cGee, Pa,\u201d I said, \u201cyou act like you like that medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, son, I do,\u201d he answered me.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I taste it?\u201d I asked, reaching for the bottle.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, the next time you get sick you can have a taste your own medicine,\u201d he answered pulling the bottle away from me. \u201cThis is my medicine, and I don\u2019t want you to touch it, understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir,\u201d I answered and watched while he took another long drink before putting the cork back on.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to get some rest now,\u201d he said looking at me. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you run along and do your chores now.\u201d<\/p>\n I panicked when he mentioned chores. I\u2019d been so anxious to go see him that I hadn\u2019t even bothered to stable Cochise. I said goodbye and then raced out the door. Sure, enough Cochise was gone. I ran for the barn and saw that he was stabled already. My saddle was put away and Adam was picking my saddle bag up off the ground. He must have dropped it and the map was lying on the ground. He picked it up and started to unfold it before I could finally get my legs to work. I snatched it from him just in time.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s mine,\u201d I said a little louder than I\u2019d meant to.<\/p>\n He looked at me surprised for a minute and then his eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother secret?\u201d he asked handing me my saddle bag.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d I answered shoving the piece of paper into my back pocket. \u201cJust the map I was telling you about this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n He crossed his arms and looking kind of frustrated said, \u201cYou\u2019re still sticking to that story? Okay, but like I said Little Joe, I will find out what it\u2019s all about sooner or later and you\u2019d be helping both of us out if you would make it sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t say anything, just glared at him. This telling the truth thing was really working for me. He sighed and started to leave, but then stopped and put his hand on my shoulder, turning me around.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, if you\u2019re in trouble you can talk to me,\u201d he said softly, \u201cI can\u2019t promise there won\u2019t be consequences, but I can promise that I\u2019ll help you anyway I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Every once in a while Adam surprises me and says or does something real nice. He looked so sincere that I almost started to tell him what was going on, almost.<\/p>\n \u201cIf however,\u201d he continued and his voice got louder, \u201cyou\u2019re not in trouble but are thinking of getting into trouble, don\u2019t. Because then I promise you there will be consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n I was suddenly very glad I had kept my mouth shut. He turned around and walked away.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for stabling my horse,\u201d I yelled after him sarcastically.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he called back. \u201cYou\u2019ll be making it up to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes he makes me so mad I could spit. So, I did and, believe it or not, I felt better. I finished my evening chores up real quick and then ran for my room. I slid under my bed way back against the wall and took the compass out of my secret hiding place. I\u2019d tell you where it is but then it wouldn\u2019t be a secret anymore. Anyway, I opened it up and looked it over real careful. The problem was that I couldn\u2019t see very well under the bed because it was too dark. I crawled out and then grabbed my desk chair. I positioned it under the knob of my door so that no one would be able to just walk in. I would never have done that if Pa was up and walking around, but with him in bed, I was starting to feel much braver. I took the compass over to my lamp and turned it around slowly, checking each side. It was real old and covered with rust just like the key. I took off my bandana and used it to rub some of the grime off. That\u2019s when I first noticed the inscription. It was in another language that for some reason looked familiar. I thought real hard, trying to remember where I\u2019d seen it before. I looked up and my eyes settled on my bookcase. That\u2019s when it came to me. It was in one of Adam\u2019s books from college; the language must have been Latin or Greek or something. I was just about to head for Adam\u2019s room when suddenly, someone burst through the door breaking the legs clean off my chair.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n \u201cGosh, Little Joe,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cSorry about your chair but what in the world did you have it blocking the door for?\u201d<\/p>\n Putting my hands on my hips I answered, \u201cTo keep people out that forget to knock.\u201d<\/p>\n I guess I shouldn\u2019t have blamed Hoss. He doesn\u2019t realize his own strength sometimes. Walking over to the chair I sighed and picked up one of the legs, shaking my head sadly.<\/p>\n \u201cUm . . .\u201d said Hoss. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I can get that fixed up for you before Pa notices.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n Hoss looked as if he was feeling kind of guilty, so I figured it was the perfect time to bring up the delivery for tomorrow night. I held my hand out to show him the compass I was still holding.<\/p>\n \u201cTake a look at the back,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n When he saw the compass, his guilty look turned to worry, but he took it anyway. He looked at it for a few minutes and then, without saying a word, handed it back.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d I asked him. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to think,\u201d he answered shrugging his shoulders. \u201cI don\u2019t speak French.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course I should have known it was French. Our mother had spoken French fluently and had given Adam several books written in French. I\u2019d looked them over from time to time. Suddenly I had an idea and I headed for the door motioning for Hoss to follow. I was surprised when he reached out to stop me.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing some thinking on this and I think that you should tell Adam about your meeting with that man and what he asked you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n I took a step back and looked at him like he was crazy.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, just hear me out,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo far you haven\u2019t really done anything wrong and there\u2019s still time for you to back out of this before you get yourself and me into any real trouble. Maybe Adam would even make that delivery for you, and then you could still keep the gold coin the man paid you.\u201d<\/p>\n Now I knew he was crazy. There was no way Adam would ever make that kind of delivery.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I started, \u201cI already promised the man I\u2019d do it. You wouldn\u2019t want me to break a promise would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, no,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n I could feel him starting to waiver so I hurried on.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Hoss, if you\u2019ll go with me then I promise I won\u2019t take any more of those jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t mind losing out on the money from any future jobs because if what I had planned worked out, I should end up with way more money than I could make running errands anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Hoss,\u201d I pleaded clasping my hands and making my lower lip quiver.<\/p>\n He sighed and I knew I had him.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d he agreed. \u201cBut you promise there won\u2019t be any more deliveries?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCross my heart and hope to die,\u201d I answered. \u201cNow let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait a minute,\u201d he said. \u201cWhere are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo see Henri,\u201d I answered. \u201cHe can tell us what that inscription says.\u201d<\/p>\n Henri was one of our older ranch hands Pa had hired years ago. He was from New Orleans, close to the same area my mother had been from. I think that\u2019s why Pa had hired him. Anyway, he and Adam had become pretty good friends. I\u2019d heard them speaking in French one day in the barn when I was hiding in the loft. I didn\u2019t really count it as eavesdropping, since I couldn\u2019t understand a word, they were saying. Adam\u2019s always offering to teach me some French, but I have enough trouble in school just trying to learn English.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re gonna show him the compass?\u201d Hoss questioned.<\/p>\n He had a point. That would probably raise some unwanted questions.<\/p>\n \u201cHang on a minute,\u201d I said, going to my desk.<\/p>\n I quickly wrote out the inscription on a piece of paper, checked it over once to make sure I\u2019d gotten all the little lines in the right places, and then showed it to Hoss.<\/p>\n Nord, sud, est et ouest \u201cLooks good to me,\u201d he said. \u201cLook, why don\u2019t you take it out to Henri, and I\u2019ll take this chair out to the barn?\u201d<\/p>\n That sounded good to me and a few minutes later, I was knocking on the door of the bunkhouse. I got lucky and Henri was the one that answered. Some of the other men like to give me a hard time when my Pa or brothers aren\u2019t around, and I usually try, and steer clear of the bunkhouse. He looked a little surprised when I handed him the paper.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this a project you\u2019re doing for school?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, yeah sure,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n I figured I could use it for some paper or other that would be due later on so I wasn\u2019t really lying.<\/p>\n He took out a pencil and wrote the inscription out in English for me. As soon as he handed it back, I took off, yelling out a thank you. I didn\u2019t want to give him a chance to ask me any more questions. I ran to the barn and found Hoss already working on the chair.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I got it,\u201d I told him trying to catch my breath.<\/p>\n We both scooted closer to the lantern and I read it out loud.<\/p>\n North, south, east and west. \u201cWhat do you suppose it means?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means there\u2019s treasure,\u201d I answered with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d said Hoss, \u201cI know that look and I\u2019m telling you right now that you can just forget it. You aren\u2019t going after no treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, don\u2019t worry,\u201d I answered patting his arm, \u201cdon\u2019t you think I\u2019d let you know if I was going on a treasure hunt?\u201d<\/p>\n He gave me a look that said he had serious doubts, but he never got a chance to say anything more because we heard Adam\u2019s sharp whistle that was a signal for us to come inside.<\/p>\n Supper was pretty quiet that evening. Hardly any of us said anything, but we all kept catching each other\u2019s eye. I was busy going over my plans in my mind. Hoss was looking kind of worried and I figured he was trying to figure out what plan I was coming up with and I knew that\u2019s what Adam was thinking about.<\/p>\n I helped Hop Sing to clear the table after we\u2019d finished eating and then asked Hoss if he wanted to play checkers. I had no doubt that if I headed up to my room this early Adam would know for sure something was up. We played three games, which I won. That proved Hoss\u2019s mind was on other things. Honestly, I don\u2019t know why he worries about me so much. He asked if I wanted to play another game, but I yawned and stretched pretending I was real tired.<\/p>\n \u201cNo thanks,\u201d I said. \u201cI think I\u2019m gonna say goodnight to Pa and then hit the sack a little early.\u201d<\/p>\n I could feel their eyes boring into my back as I made my way to the spare room. You would think that with two brothers that are that suspicious I would never be able to get away with anything and most of the time you would be right. This time though I was determined to outsmart them. I knew I could get Hoss on my side eventually, and I was working on an idea that would get Adam off my case. I just needed to give him a bigger problem than me to worry about, but I\u2019d take care of that tomorrow.<\/p>\n Pa was sound asleep when I entered the room, but I stayed there for about fifteen minutes anyway. I wanted to give my brothers a chance to get busy doing something besides think about me. I noticed his medicine was back on the dresser and that it was almost empty. Pa had said that he actually liked it. I had never had any medicine that tasted good before, and I really wanted to try some, but Pa had said I wasn\u2019t to touch it. I stood there staring at the bottle for a few minutes and then realized that he hadn\u2019t actually said I couldn\u2019t taste it. I noticed a small bucket over by the door and quietly went and got it. I pulled my handkerchief out of my pocket and used it to pick up the bottle, that way I wasn\u2019t really touching it. I pulled my hand into my sleeve and used my shirt to pull the cork, then poured a drop in the bucket. I put the cork on and managed to get the bottle back onto the dresser without making a sound, then I used my finger to get the drop and stuck it into my mouth. It was too small of a drop for me to get a good taste, so I grabbed my handkerchief and reached for the bottle again. That\u2019s when I heard the words that almost gave me a heart attack.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, what do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n I froze with my arm in the air, trying frantically to think up a good excuse. I could have sworn Pa had been asleep. I dropped my hand and turned around slowly. I was tripping over my words as I tried to explain what I was doing when it suddenly occurred to me that I was the only one talking.<\/p>\n \u201cPa,\u201d I said softly.<\/p>\n The only response was a snort and then he started mumbling something I couldn\u2019t understand. That\u2019s when it dawned on me that he was talking in his sleep. I took a minute to still my beating heart and then decided I\u2019d better quit while I was ahead. I left the room quietly and just as I\u2019d hoped, my brothers had found something to amuse themselves. Hoss was busy braiding a lariat and Adam was plunking away at his guitar. They barely looked in my direction when I said goodnight and headed up the stairs.<\/p>\n Once I got to my room, I turned up the lamp and pulled out a piece of paper from my desk. I spent the next twenty minutes making a list of all the things I needed to do. I like making lists. Hoss says it\u2019s just a phase I\u2019m going through, like my list for the mercantile, but the reason I really like doing it is because it feels so good to check things off as I get them done. When I finished my list, I folded it and tucked it inside my boot so no one would find it. Next, I started collecting all the items I would need for my adventure tomorrow. In case you\u2019re wondering, the answer is yes. I was planning on going after the treasure myself. I piled all of my supplies under my bed and then decided to turn in early after all. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and I would need a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n The next morning, I woke up early. Have you ever noticed that when you have something exciting planned you always wake up real early? Anyway, I got dressed in a hurry and headed to the barn to get my chores done. Adam was already in there and looked surprised when he saw me.<\/p>\n \u201cUp early two days in a row?\u201d he said raising an eyebrow. \u201cI hate to say it, little brother, but whatever it is you\u2019ve done or are planning to do must be bigger than I\u2019d thought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, you have a suspicious mind,\u201d I retorted. \u201cIt could be that I\u2019m just deciding to become more responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm,\u201d he said pursing his lips. \u201cCould be. But I seriously doubt it.\u201d<\/p>\n I clenched my fists against my legs and bit my tongue so I wouldn\u2019t say anything stupid. If he hadn\u2019t been right about me being up to something, I would have really let him have it. Instead, I just turned my back on him and started my chores. He finished raking out the last stall and then headed for the house. I turned around to make sure he\u2019d left and was surprised to see him watching me. Boy, he was making me nervous. I flashed a smile at him and then turned back to milking the cow, praying that my plans to get rid of him for the day would work. Finally, I heard him sigh and then the sound of his boots walking away. When I\u2019d finished my chores, I went into the house for breakfast. I sat down at the table and the first thing I noticed was that Hoss was glaring at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n Just then Adam came down the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to talk to you after breakfast,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/p>\n I had no idea what he wanted but he looked kind of mad. I decided to worry about him later because it was time for me to take care of Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d I said making sure not to look at my oldest brother.<\/p>\n \u201cHm,\u201d he grunted around a mouth full of flapjacks.<\/p>\n \u201cI was hoping that if Miss Jones comes by today and I\u2019m not around that you would give her back the book she lent me. It\u2019s upstairs in my room.\u201d<\/p>\n Out of the corner of my eye I could see Adam stiffen in his seat.<\/p>\n \u201cGotcha,\u201d I thought to myself.<\/p>\n Hoss looked confused, but before he could say anything, Adam spoke up-or should I say squeaked up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would Miss Jones be coming here today? Does it have anything to do with whatever it is you\u2019re trying so hard to keep me from figuring out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeck no, Adam,\u201d I answered, managing quite well to look offended. \u201cIt\u2019s just that she\u2019s in charge of the ladies\u2019 group at church that care for the sick and needy and what with Pa bein\u2019 laid up, I expect she\u2019ll be around anytime now.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ll tell you just in case you didn\u2019t know that Miss Jones is cow eyed over my oldest brother. She has been since the minute she saw him walk into church that first Sunday after he got back from college. Since then, she tries everything she can to be around him, and Adam does everything he can to stay away from her. She most likely would be coming by, so again I wasn\u2019t lying. Just using the truth to my advantage, I guess you could say.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss are you gonna be around or do you have to clear out that drainage ditch today?\u201d I asked and risked a peek to see if Adam was gonna bite.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s face fell. Cleaning out ditches and water ways was a cold, wet, and messy job. I put both my hands under the table and crossed my fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, Hoss,\u201d Adam said clearing his throat. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you stay close to home today and I\u2019ll go take care of clearing that ditch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally, Adam, you mean it?\u201d Hoss asked, his whole face lighting up.<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Adam answered. \u201cI\u2019ll leave you a list of things to get done around here and you can keep an eye on Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if Miss Jones doesn’t come until this afternoon, do you want me to tell her to wait for you so you can say hi?\u201d I asked just for some extra insurance.<\/p>\n \u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary, Joe,\u201d he answered. \u201cIf I finish with the ditch early, I\u2019ll probably go and check the fence line over by the creek.<\/p>\n I quickly took a drink of milk in order to hide my smile. The creek was a good distance from the ditch so I knew he would be gone at least up until supper time.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, okay,\u201d I answered sweetly. \u201cWell, I\u2019ll give her your regards.\u201d<\/p>\n He just nodded at me, and we all finished our breakfast in peace.<\/p>\n Adam was gone before the table was even cleared and I was about to run upstairs for my gear when Hoss grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on a minute,\u201d he said. \u201cI told you I wanted to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout what?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout this,\u201d he said and held two keys out with the shape of a skull on them.<\/p>\n How could I have forgotten to pick up those keys?<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you get those?\u201d I asked grabbing for them.<\/p>\n He pulled his hand away before I could get them and answered. \u201cFrom that new ranch hand Pa hired. He found me in the barn this morning and asked if I would give them to Pa. Said he would have brought them over last night but knew we didn\u2019t want anyone coming around unless it was an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n He folded his arms and glared at me. If I didn\u2019t know he was really made of butter I might have been scared.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad he gave them to you instead of Adam,\u201d I said. \u201cNow come on and give them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he answered. \u201cNot until you tell me what you\u2019re planning on doing with them.\u201d<\/p>\n I thought about making up some excuse, but to tell you the truth, I really wanted him in on it so I told him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to go look for the treasure before I deliver the map tonight,\u201d I said excitedly. \u201cI had another copy of the map and key made so I can leave the real ones here. I wouldn\u2019t want anything to happen to them. You\u2019ll come with me, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n My brother\u2019s face changed expressions at least ten times while I was talking so I had no idea what he was thinking. I soon found out.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, this is about the craziest idea you\u2019ve come up with yet,\u201d he all but yelled.<\/p>\n That was quite a statement considering some of my other plans we\u2019d managed to survive.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know anything about these men. Heck, you don\u2019t even know if it\u2019s a treasure map.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it\u2019s a treasure map,\u201d I retorted. \u201cWhat other kind of map could it be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, uh, could be anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, could lead to a mine or new piece of land or uh, watering hole,\u201d he finished lamely.<\/p>\n \u201cA watering hole,\u201d I repeated sarcastically. \u201cIt\u2019s a treasure map and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m telling you it ain\u2019t no treasure map,\u201d he answered, and his face started to turn red.<\/p>\n \u201cHa,\u201d I shouted. \u201cShows how much you know about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll prove it to ya,\u201d he answered. \u201cWe\u2019ll just follow this here map and then when you see I\u2019m right you can just apologize to me, that\u2019s what.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, fine,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n I told you things would work out okay with Hoss. Now he was going with me, and he even thought it was his idea. Sometimes I\u2019m so sneaky, I scare myself.<\/p>\n Well, we were ready to go in no time and after having Hop Sing pack us a lunch we were off. Hoss asked about the list of chores Adam had left, but I told him I\u2019d taken care of them. I didn\u2019t tell him I had taken care of them by pawning them off on the new ranch hand. Like I said, he was new, and nobody had told him not to listen to me yet, besides I figured he had it coming for almost getting me into trouble with Hoss for the keys.<\/p>\n I showed Hoss the map and we both agreed that the best place to start would be Devil Wind Hill. At least we were pretty sure from the drawing and the description that it was Devil Wind Hill. Once we got there, the directions were pretty clear and simple up until we reached the opening of a dead-end canyon. I thought it looked like we were supposed to go up and around, but Hoss thought it looked like we were supposed to go through.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a dead end. We can\u2019t go through,\u201d I explained for the umpteenth time.<\/p>\n \u201cThere must be a way out that we don\u2019t know about,\u201d he answered. \u201c\u2018cause those directions say to go straight through.\u201d<\/p>\n I could tell he wasn\u2019t going to budge, so rather than waste any more time arguing, I agreed to try his way first. I was just a little grumpy and the whole way through the canyon, I was planning my, \u201cI told you so\u201d speech in my head. When we reached the steep rock wall at the end of the canyon I was about to start my speech when Hoss stole the words right out of my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cSee, told you so,\u201d he said grinning.<\/p>\n I looked where he was pointing and, sure enough, there was a small path leading up the side. It was going to be a rough climb, but according to the map our destination was just at the end of that path. We tied up the horses and then started climbing. You\u2019re thinking one of us is going to slip and find ourselves wounded and helpless at the bottom of the canyon aren\u2019t you. Well, sorry that\u2019s not what happened, although Hoss did twist his ankle a little on a rock that was sticking up out of the ground.<\/p>\n We followed the path for quite a ways and then it ended. I mean really, it just ended in the middle of nowhere. We weren\u2019t at the top of the canyon and there were no caves or trees. Nothing but solid rock. Hoss and I both sat down to rest a spell and tried to figure out what we\u2019d done wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know about you,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019m getting awfully hungry. I say we climb back down and eat some lunch. Then we can come at this again with a full stomach.<\/p>\n If you knew my brother Hoss you would realize that to him a full stomach and a clear head go hand in hand. I agreed, even though I really wanted to stay and check things out some more, but he promised we\u2019d come back up after we ate. We started down the steep hill and that\u2019s when I slipped. I had hit my foot on that same stupid rock that Hoss had on the way up. I lost my balance and in no time, I was slipping, sliding, and finally rolling down the hill. I landed in a heap at the bottom and the first thing I noticed was that somebody had started a fire in my shoulder. Well, not really but it sure felt that way. I sat up shakily and grabbed my burning arm. Hoss and a shower of rocks were next to me in no time.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, you alright?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n I started to say yes but then winced. He saw me holding my shoulder and made me move my hand away. I was surprised when I saw that it was covered in blood.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like you\u2019ve got a pretty nasty cut there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He put my hand back onto the cut and told me to hold it tight, then he ran over to the horses and grabbed my saddle bag. I was glad Pa had insisted we always carry a little bundle of medical supplies. Hoss used water from the canteens to clean the wound, then put some of this horrible medicine that stings like all get out on it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re doing real good, Little Joe,\u201d he said when he saw me biting my lip to keep from crying out. \u201cI think we better head back. It doesn\u2019t look too serious, but Hop Sing should probably take a look at it just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n After he finished wrapping it, he helped me up and we untied the horses. We mounted up and just before we turned to head for home, I glanced one last time up the hill. That\u2019s when I saw the opening that I could have sworn hadn\u2019t been there just a few minutes before.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d I yelled, \u201clook.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll be,\u201d he said squinting toward where I was pointing.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d I said and slid off Cochise grabbing my saddle bag.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, we need to get your arm looked after,\u201d Hoss said, but I could tell he wanted to go check out the opening as much as I did.<\/p>\n Not a lot of people know it, but my brother Hoss has just as much of a sense of adventure as I do. It’s just that his sense of self-preservation is a little stronger than mine.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Hoss,\u201d I answered. \u201cYou did a good enough job wrapping it and it hardly even hurts anymore. We\u2019ve gotta check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at me and then back up at the opening and I could tell he was having his own private discussion trying to decide what to do. Pa always says there are really two voices inside of us telling us what to do and it\u2019s up to us to decide which one to listen to. Hoss had told Pa that he usually didn\u2019t have any trouble deciding which one to listen to, unless the little voice was mine. Pa had answered him that if he wanted to make it to his next birthday in one piece that he\u2019d better get over that. I would have spoken up for myself, but considering the topic, I figured it would be better not to draw attention to myself.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you\u2019re sure you\u2019re all right?\u201d he said finally.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d I smiled and we started back up the hill.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you suppose that opening came from?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n When Hoss didn\u2019t answer, I turned to see what he was doing and saw him staring at the rock we had both tripped over.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder,\u201d he said quietly and then kicked it hard.<\/p>\n I jumped when I heard what I thought was a rock slide and looked up. The opening that had been there a minute ago was now gone.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, do that again,\u201d I said turning to Hoss.<\/p>\n He kicked the rock again and sure enough the opening reappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder why it didn\u2019t open up when you tripped the first time?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it was just stuck,\u201d he answered. \u201cYou hit it pretty hard on the way down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s open now,\u201d I said taking off on a run.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, slow down,\u201d Hoss yelled, but I didn\u2019t pay him any attention.<\/p>\n When I got to the entrance it was real dark and I couldn\u2019t see in more than a few feet, so I waited for Hoss to catch up. By the time he arrived huffing and puffing, I had a lantern lit and was scarfing down one of the sandwiches Hop Sing had packed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, let me have one of those,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n It was all I could do to wait for him to finish eating. I was sure that in just a few minutes I was gonna be the richest kid this side of the Mississippi river.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me carry that saddle bag,\u201d Hoss said, and I handed it over. I was glad to get rid of it. I wouldn\u2019t have told him in a million years, but my shoulder was killing me. We stepped inside the opening and looked around a small hollowed out room. There was an old table and some wobbly looking chairs and a shelf with all kinds of jars and cans covered in dust. There was a filthy old cot in the opposite corner and another shelf that was full of some really old looking books. My brother Adam would have figured he\u2019d found his treasure if he could have seen them.<\/p>\n Hoss headed over to the shelf with all the jars and started dusting things off while I checked over every nook and cranny.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I said after a minute, \u201cthis is dumb. There\u2019s nothing here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say nothing, little brother,\u201d he answered. \u201cI just found a whole stash of canned peaches, apples, and even cherries.\u201d<\/p>\n I rolled my eyes not even bothering to comment. It seemed this place held a treasure for everyone but me. I picked up one of the chairs that had fallen over, plopped down on it, then went crashing to the floor when it broke. I guess it was older than I thought. Hoss found my predicament highly amusing and was roaring with laughter. I might have laughed too except for the burning pain in my shoulder. Hoss helped me up and then turned back to his shelf full of food. I decided to examine the bookshelf. It looked like they were mostly books on geography and history and boring stuff like that, but there was one that looked like it might be interesting, \u201cThe Best Short Stories\u201d by O. Henry. I tried to pull it out and was surprised when it would only come halfway. I was even more surprised a second later when the whole bookcase started to move.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I yelled as I jumped back.<\/p>\n We both stood and watched as the case slowly swung open to a short tunnel. At the end of a tunnel sitting up on a pedestal was a huge chest.<\/p>\n \u201cThe treasure,\u201d I squeaked and started forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWait a minute,\u201d Hoss said holding me back. \u201cSomething doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, what are you talking about?\u201d I questioned. \u201cThat\u2019s the treasure, all we\u2019ve gotta do is go and get it and we\u2019ll be rich.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just seems too easy,\u201d he said looking around suspiciously.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, I told you not to worry didn\u2019t I,\u201d I answered and stepped into the tunnel. I\u2019d only made it about two feet when once again, I tripped over something. I was really starting to become a world class klutz. This time I didn\u2019t make it all the way to the ground before Hoss caught me and it was a dang good thing he did too. Whatever I\u2019d just tripped over had created another opening in the floor in front of me. Hoss had stopped me from falling by grabbing the back of my shirt and I was now dangling over a deep pit with razor sharp spikes sticking up from the bottom.<\/p>\n \u201cPull me back,\u201d I screamed.<\/p>\n He jerked me to safety and we both stood wide eyed trying to catch our breath for a few minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you it was too easy,\u201d Hoss said glowering at me.<\/p>\n I was still a little too shaken to answer so I just nodded my head.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d he said with a sigh. \u201cLet\u2019s see if we can get around this pit.\u201d<\/p>\n By hugging tight against the wall, we made it past easy enough. Hoss got the idea of throwing some stones ahead of us as we walked to watch out for any more holes, but we made it to the chest without any further problems. This time it was me who decided to be cautious.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s check it out real careful before we open it,\u201d I said. \u201cIt could be booby trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss turned the lantern up real high so that we could see, and we examined the outside of the box carefully. Sure enough, we found a wire running out of the box onto the ground. We followed the wire and saw that it led up the side of the wall and connected to a pretty shaky looking pile of huge rocks. The rocks were being held back with nothing but a small board and a wedge. It all came down to the wire; from what we could tell, if we had opened the lid, it would have pulled the wedge and we would have been crushed. Hoss took out his pocketknife and cut the wire and after we made sure there weren\u2019t any more, we lifted the lid.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d Hoss said with a frown.<\/p>\n We were both looking down at what was mostly a big empty chest. The only thing in it was a little bundle tied up with a string that looked awfully familiar. I picked it up and quickly unwrapped it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Hoss asked holding the lantern higher.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s another key,\u201d I said disgustedly, holding it out for him.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cIt\u2019s like I\u2019ve been trying to tell you all along\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know. It\u2019s too easy. I wonder why anyone would go to all the trouble of putting this place on a map just to hide another key?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he answered and handed the key back to me.<\/p>\n I held both keys up in the light. The second key looked a lot like the first except, instead of a skull, it had wings on the end, and it was silver.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d said Hoss tapping my arm and I put both keys in my pocket.<\/p>\n We had just started back down the tunnel when an enormous crash sounded right behind us. We spun around and saw that the wedge holding that big rock hadn\u2019t been as sturdy as we had thought.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d Hoss said after the dust had settled, \u201cthat could have been us under that pile of rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n I was too busy gaping at the now smashed remains of the chest to do anything but nod. This whole business was getting a lot more dangerous than I had figured on.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d I gulped, \u201call we have to do now is deliver that package tonight and then we\u2019ll be done with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss waited until we were out in the sunlight again before he said anything.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, you don\u2019t honestly think it\u2019s gonna be as simple as that do you? I mean once those fellows follow that map, they\u2019re gonna know someone\u2019s been here.\u201d<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t thought of that. I suppose the broken chair, open pit, and the smashed chest just might give us away though.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe they won\u2019t know there was a map in the first package,\u201d I answered. \u201cMaybe we can just give them both keys and they won\u2019t know any different.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss was quiet again and I knew he was thinking. We had reached the spot with the rock trigger. He kicked it and I watched as the opening closed. You would never know there was anything but a solid rock wall.<\/p>\n Finally, he spoke. \u201cI think we\u2019re in over our heads. We really need to just tell . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not telling Adam anything,\u201d I said desperately.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, calm down,\u201d he said. \u201cI was going to say we should tell the sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, we can\u2019t tell the sheriff,\u201d I answered frantically. \u201cThe first thing he would do is ride on out and tell Pa everything that\u2019s happened, and you\u2019d be in an awful lot of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe,\u201d Hoss squeaked. \u201cThis whole thing was your idea. I just came along to keep you from getting killed. Which hasn\u2019t been easy!\u201d<\/p>\n The whole time he talked I was shaking my head.<\/p>\n \u201cThey won\u2019t see it that way, Hoss,\u201d I explained. \u201cNope, Pa and sheriff will hold you responsible because you\u2019re older than me. If those men turn out to be criminals, then the sheriff might even feel the need to throw you in jail for a while for even thinking about helping them out, and I hear what they feed you in jail is just awful.\u201d<\/p>\n I stopped talking and let my words sink in. I knew that last statement would probably win him over, but I crossed my fingers just in case.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d he answered with a sigh. \u201cWe\u2019ll do it your way but so help me if you get hurt, I\u2019ll pound you into the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n It was almost dark by the time we got home but, thankfully, there was no sign of Adam yet. Hoss offered to put up the horses so that Hop Sing could look after my shoulder. I found him in the kitchen pulling a big fat roast chicken out of the oven. My mouth started watering so much I almost couldn\u2019t talk. He noticed my torn and bloody sleeve right away and ordered me to take my shirt off. He took off Hoss\u2019s bandage and started mumbling under his breath. I guess my shoulder wasn\u2019t too bad though ’cause he didn\u2019t mention anything about needing a doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happen?\u201d he asked while he got some hot water and a rag.<\/p>\n \u201cI fell down a hill,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n I was really on a roll for telling the truth lately.<\/p>\n He cleaned the cut, put some more of that stinging medicine on it, and then bandaged it up.<\/p>\n \u201cWash up for supper,\u201d he said and then scooted me out of the kitchen.<\/p>\n Hoss and I had just finished eating when Adam finally walked in. He was soaked from the waist down and covered in mud. The only thing he said was, \u201cbath\u201d. I think it was safe to say that he hadn\u2019t had the easiest time cleaning out ditches.<\/p>\n Hoss and I both went in to see Pa and I was relieved to see that he looked much better. We didn\u2019t talk long because he was still real sleepy. I noticed he had a new bottle of medicine sitting on the dresser and it was already half empty. After we left Pa, we told Hop Sing to tell Adam that we were calling it an early night and headed upstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get some sleep,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cI\u2019ll wake you up when it\u2019s time to go.\u201d<\/p>\n I smiled at him and went into my room, but I knew I wouldn\u2019t be doing any sleeping. I was too nervous and excited. I slid under my bed and took out the gold coin I\u2019d been paid. If everything went right, then in a few short hours I would have five more to add to my collection. I put the coin back in my secret hiding spot along with the two keys and the maps and then slid out from under the bed. I stood up and almost had a heart attack when I saw Adam standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips. I tell you it\u2019s a good thing my heart is in excellent condition because that was only the beginning of my scares for the evening.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you knock?\u201d I hollered.<\/p>\n \u201cI do when the door is closed,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n \u201cOh…yeah…well you could have let me know you were there instead of scaring me to death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a little early for spring cleaning isn\u2019t it?\u201d he said pointing to the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cVery funny,\u201d I answered. \u201cI was just looking at something.\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed and leaned against the door frame.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make you a deal, Little Joe,\u201d he said. \u201cYou confess now, and I promise to go easy on you.\u201d<\/p>\n That may sound like a good deal to you, but I happen to know what Adam considers \u2018going easy\u2019 and trust me, it\u2019s not worth it.<\/p>\n \u201cI have nothing to confess,\u201d I said out loud. \u201cTo you,\u201d I said to myself.<\/p>\n He slowly shook his head and then turned to leave.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night,\u201d he said over his shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cNight,\u201d I answered and stuck my tongue out at his back.<\/p>\n \u201cPut your tongue back in your mouth, Little Joe,\u201d he said without turning around.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know how he does that.<\/p>\n After I made sure to close the door this time, I got out my nightshirt and just put it over the top of my clothes. Sometimes Adam comes to check on me when he thinks I\u2019m asleep and I didn\u2019t want him to see that I hadn\u2019t undressed. I turned off the lamp and got in bed, but my mind was racing a million miles an hour. I guess I must have fallen asleep at some point though because the next thing I knew, Hoss was standing over me and telling me it was time to go. I slid under the bed and grabbed the keys and map, making sure to leave behind the duplicates. I forgot all about the compass which was tucked away in my desk drawer. Hoss and I decided it would be better to go out my window than to try and make it to the front door. Over the years we\u2019ve learned where every squeak and creak is and there\u2019s one that\u2019s real tricky to get over right in front of Adam\u2019s door. Of course, I didn\u2019t know it then, but we could have paraded past his room with a marching band, and it wouldn\u2019t have made any difference, because he wasn\u2019t there. But hold on, I\u2019m getting ahead of myself again.<\/p>\n I was halfway down the tree and Hoss was out on a limb below me when suddenly, it snapped, and he fell to the ground with a crash. Almost instantly there was a light coming from the kitchen window and Hoss barely had time to roll behind a bush before Hop Sing came charging out the door with a huge kitchen knife in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cWho there?\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n Hoss did some quick thinking and started yowling like one of our barn cats do when they\u2019re trying to court each other. Hop Sing yelled out towards him shaking his fist and then stomped back into the house.<\/p>\n \u201cWhew, that was close,\u201d I told him after I\u2019d dropped out of the tree. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s get the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n We quickly saddled up and if we\u2019d been paying any attention we would have noticed that Adam\u2019s horse was gone, but we weren\u2019t, so we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n It was one of those nights we get out here in the West where the moon is so big and bright that if the sky wasn\u2019t black, you would think it was daytime. Because it was so easy to see, we made good time into town. We had decided to tie up the horses over by the schoolhouse and then walk to the blacksmiths. We used the side streets and made it to the backside of the livery at ten minutes to twelve.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I\u2019ve been thinking,\u201d I said. \u201cMaybe I should make the delivery alone.\u201d<\/p>\n I saw he was about to argue so I hurried on, \u201cJust listen. I can give them both keys and tell them my curiosity got the better of me. They should believe that \u2018cause I\u2019m just a kid. If they see you, they might think we were trying to pull something over on them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, all right,\u201d he answered after a minute. \u201cBut I\u2019m going to be just below the loft. I\u2019ll hide in one of the stalls and you call out if you think anything\u2019s going wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will,\u201d I answered and we both quietly snuck into the livery.<\/p>\n I waited until Hoss had positioned himself, hoping that whoever I was supposed to meet wasn\u2019t already in the loft watching us. When he was hidden real good, I slowly climbed the ladder. My heart was beating so hard that I had to stop for a minute to catch my breath. I looked around once I got to the top and didn\u2019t see anyone, so I sat down on a bale of hay and waited. And waited…and waited. Just when I was about to climb back down, I heard a creak coming from the main door and then the sound of solid heavy footsteps. When the ladder to the loft began to crack and groan, I realized that whoever this guy was he was a lot bigger than his partner. I quickly ducked behind the bale I\u2019d been sitting on and waited to see who would appear at the top. What I saw almost made me think I was back at home still asleep and having a nightmare. The man that came to the top was huge. He was burly, bald, and ugly as all get out. He wore a leather vest with no shirt so I could see his hairy chest and arms. I thought about calling for Hoss, but for some reason, what Pa always says about not judging people by their appearances kept floating around my head.<\/p>\n \u201cPsst, hey boy,\u201d he said, \u201cI know you\u2019re up here. Come on out. I won\u2019t hurt ya.\u201d<\/p>\n I was too scared to come out from behind the bale, so I took the two keys and threw them towards the guy. They landed with a clunk at his feet, and he jumped back startled. He bent down and picked them up then barreled toward me, but I was frozen to the spot and couldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n He stood towering over the bale and his deep voice rumbled down to me. \u201cWhy\u2019s there two keys here? You was only supposed to deliver one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause…uh…well…\u201d I whimpered.<\/p>\n I\u2019d really been hoping he wouldn\u2019t know there had only been one.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak up,\u201d he said and then lifted me clear off the ground by the front of my shirt.<\/p>\n That was about the time that I heard a rustling from down below and knew that if I didn\u2019t pull myself together, Hoss would be up here in a second and I didn\u2019t think even he would be able to beat this guy.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just curious, mister,\u201d I answered gaining some courage. \u201cI opened the first package to make sure I had the right one and then saw the map and I just had to follow it, and then I did and found this hidden chamber on a hill, and there was another key at the end of the tunnel, but the rocks fell and so now the chest is smashed…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay, relax,\u201d he said with a chuckle. \u201cI guess I can\u2019t be upset with you for doing the next job ahead of time.\u201d<\/p>\n I finally realized I hadn\u2019t been breathing and sucked in a huge breath of air. At that moment, all I wanted to do was get away from this guy. After I got paid of course.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s your coins, kid,\u201d he said, setting me down as he fished around his pant pocket. I was surprised when he handed me not five, but ten gold coins.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a bonus for getting the second package,\u201d he said when he saw my bewildered expression.<\/p>\n I smiled at him and turned to run when he grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me roughly back to the bale I\u2019d been hiding behind.<\/p>\n \u201cNot so fast, kid,\u201d he said forcing me to sit, \u201cwe need to talk about your next assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n “That\u2019s okay, mister,\u201d I said quickly. \u201cI don\u2019t want any more assignments.\u201d<\/p>\n He gave a low, throaty sort of laugh and if I\u2019d thought he was friendly before, I knew better now.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t got a choice,\u201d he said bearing down on me.<\/p>\n \u201cMister, he doesn\u2019t want any more assignments,\u201d came Hoss\u2019s voice from somewhere in the dark below, \u201cI\u2019ll thank you to just leave him be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d the man answered whirling around.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one you need to worry about as long as you let the boy go,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/p>\n The man moved away from me and started down the ladder.<\/p>\n \u201cThis kid made an agreement,\u201d he said as he looked around the livery, \u201cMy partner and I don\u2019t take to kindly to people that don\u2019t hold up their end of the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n I poked my head over the side of the loft and watched as the man continued to search for Hoss. I gasped when he pulled a knife from his boots. I tried to yell a warning but the man stuffed his dirty hand hard over my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cYou let him do the job,\u201d the giant man continued, \u201cand no harm will come to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s already put his life in danger for you once,\u201d Hoss answered his voice now coming from the other side of the livery.<\/p>\n Even though Hoss is big he can move as quiet as a forest animal when he has a mind to.<\/p>\n \u201cHis life won\u2019t be worth anything if he doesn\u2019t finish,\u201d the man snarled and tossed an empty barrel to one side.<\/p>\n Everything was quiet for a minute and then Hoss stepped out from the stall he\u2019d been hiding in. He was right behind the big man and I thought for sure he was going to try and knock him out.<\/p>\n \u201cRight behind you, mister,\u201d he said and then dodged as the man whirled around swinging his knife.<\/p>\n \u201cNo need for that,\u201d Hoss shouted holding his hands out peacefully, \u201cthat\u2019s my little brother you\u2019re holding and if he\u2019s in trouble I just want to help.\u201d<\/p>\n The man eyed him for a minute and then slowly lowered his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to help him, then make sure he does what he\u2019s supposed to,\u201d he snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just tell me just what it is you\u2019re wanting him to do and then I\u2019ll decide,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/p>\n I hope when I\u2019m grown I\u2019m as brave as my brother was that night with that big ugly man standing over him.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an old house at the edge of town,\u201d the man started, \u201cbrown, with a picket fence and an old elm tree in the front yard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s the Hampton\u2019s place,\u201d Hoss answered. \u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese Hamptons have something that belongs to us,\u201d he continued. \u201cUp in the attic you\u2019ll find and old doll house. I need you to bring me the key that opens it. The boy needs to deliver it to my partner over in the mill tomorrow night at midnight. If he\u2019s there on time, he\u2019ll be paid. If he\u2019s not, well, let\u2019s just say he\u2019s the one that will be paying.\u201d<\/p>\n The man sneered and then stepped back waiting for an answer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make that delivery,\u201d Hoss answered after a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, my partner wants . . . well, the boy\u2019s the one that made the agreement\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019ll both be there,\u201d Hoss said refusing to back down.<\/p>\n The man thought for a minute and then slowly nodded his head.<\/p>\n \u201cHave it your way. I\u2019ll tell my partner to expect both of you,\u201d he said, \u201cbut be warned. We know where you live. Any trouble from either of you and that sick daddy of yours will have two less sons to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n With that, he turned and walked out into the night. I shakily climbed down the ladder and before I could stop myself I had wrapped my arms around Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said trying hard to stop trembling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, just calm down now,\u201d he said patting my back, \u201cCome on let\u2019s get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n We snuck out the same way we\u2019d come in and started down the side street toward the school. It was just starting to hit me what a mess I\u2019d gotten us into. I looked back at Hoss to apologize once again when suddenly, strong arms reached out from behind some old crates and quickly pulled me around the corner. Hoss came running, but we both froze instantly when the man put a knife to my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cStop right there,\u201d he said to my brother.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t need any trouble, mister,\u201d Hoss said putting his hands in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cGood then we at least agree on one thing,\u201d the man said lowering the knife a bit, \u201cit\u2019s only the boy that I need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe boy\u2019s with me,\u201d Hoss answered. \u201cWhatever you want with him, you\u2019ll just have to take up with me.\u201d<\/p>\n The man hesitated and then with a sigh let me go.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for scaring you,\u201d he said, \u201cI had to make sure you weren\u2019t one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of who?\u201d my brother asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the men I\u2019m after,\u201d he answered and pulled a small red leather case out of his jacket pocket.<\/p>\n He quickly opened it and flashed it at us, then said in a hushed voice. \u201cYou can call me Graham. I\u2019m a detective that\u2019s been hired to track down a band of criminals. I\u2019ve been tracking these men for years and I\u2019m finally getting close. I need the boy\u2019s help to be able to finally apprehend these desperate men.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t believe it. A real detective was here in Virginia City, asking for my help. I looked at Hoss with a huge smile on my face, but Hoss wasn\u2019t smiling. Instead, he was looking at the man suspiciously.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a detective, why don\u2019t you go to the sheriff?\u201d he asked. \u201cHe\u2019s the one that should be helping you, not a little boy.\u201d<\/p>\n I elbowed Hoss in the stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to involve any more people than I have to,\u201d Graham said. \u201cThe boy is already involved. I know all about their plans to have the him make the next delivery. All I need him to do is make the delivery to me instead. I can use what he brings me as bait to catch these men.\u201d<\/p>\n I had to admit that I liked the idea of making deliveries to this guy instead of the other man a lot better. Hoss still didn\u2019t look sure.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t make any sense, mister,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy can\u2019t those other men, and you for that matter, do all this yourselves? Why do you need a kid to help you out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suspect their reasoning is the same as mine,\u201d he answered. \u201cThey don\u2019t want to risk being seen. These are wanted men, after all. As for me, if they got wind that I was near then they would soon be off again. Please, trust me. Make the delivery to me behind the schoolhouse tomorrow night at eleven o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at me and I eagerly nodded my head. He had a badge after all. My brother just stared at me for a minute and then sighed. We would be making the delivery to Graham. I whipped around to tell him yes and was surprised to find the street empty. He had disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d I thought to myself. I decided right then that I wanted to be a detective when I grew up. I was walking on air as we made our way out of town. I was so excited that I didn\u2019t bother to listen to see if anyone was coming before I turned the next corner. The sight that greeted me was the scariest thing I had seen all night and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d I gasped.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n I turned to run but bumped into Hoss which gave Adam enough time to reach out and grab me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you two doing here?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n He was shaking me slightly as he spoke, and my mind went completely blank. I looked at Hoss helplessly; he seemed to have all the answers tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cOh…hey, Adam,\u201d he said, \u201cwe…uh…well we were just…\u201d<\/p>\n He stopped and cleared his throat. I found it kind of funny that Hoss could face two dangerous men in dark places in the dead of night and hardly bat an eyelash and then we run into my oldest brother and suddenly he can\u2019t remember how to talk. I couldn\u2019t for the life of me figure out what Adam was doing in town.<\/p>\n My senses slowly returned, and I noticed that Adam was almost as panicky as we were. I heard a small voice come from behind him and suddenly everything made sense.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I\u2019ve got to get home,\u201d a girl said urgently.<\/p>\n I knew as soon as I heard her speak that we would be having no trouble from Adam, \u2018cause if Pa ever found out he was in town this late at night with none other than Savannah Banks, he wouldn\u2019t live long enough to tell on me and Hoss.<\/p>\n In my ten years of life I\u2019ve only seen Adam in trouble with Pa a handful of times and Savannah Banks was a name that had burned itself into my memory. Adam had just turned sixteen and was a little full of himself, if you ask me. He started courting Savannah a few weeks after his birthday. Well, not long after that, her father came barreling over to the house just as we were all getting ready for bed one night. I still haven\u2019t figured out yet just what Adam did but I remember Savannah\u2019s father saying that if he ever caught Adam near his daughter again, he would skin him alive. He then galloped off on his horse and Pa turned to Adam who was as white as a sheet. The only thing I heard him say before he dragged Adam outside was: \u201cYou don\u2019t need to worry about Mr. Banks carrying through on his threat, son, because if I ever hear of you going near his daughter again you won\u2019t have any skin left for him to take!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and I had both decided it would be a good idea to go to bed at that point and for the next two months, Pa kept Adam so busy around the ranch he didn\u2019t have time to do any courting. Course that was a long time ago and Adam is much older now, but I\u2019d heard Hoss and Pa talkin\u2019 about Savannah one day and they\u2019d said that as much as her pa had tried to protect her she had developed quite a reputation anyhow. I\u2019d asked Hoss about it later but all he\u2019d done was turn red as a beet and tell me to mind my own business. Anyhow, whatever reputation meant, I knew pa wouldn\u2019t be happy about Adam being with her now. Alone. In Virginia City. In the middle of the night.<\/p>\n Hoss and I both looked at each other and grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, brother,\u201d Hoss said, finally finding his tongue, \u201cdon\u2019t you think you\u2019d better get the pretty little lady back where she belongs?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes went completely black.<\/p>\n \u201cI intend to do just that, Hoss,\u201d he answered, \u201cand then I\u2019m heading straight home where I expect to find you two waiting for me in the barn!\u201d<\/p>\n He took Savannah\u2019s arm and the two hurried down the street toward her house. Even though I knew we had my oldest brother up a tree, I still couldn\u2019t help but feel just a little bit anxious.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think he\u2019ll tell on us, do you Hoss?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNot unless he doesn\u2019t mind Pa finding out about what he\u2019s been up to,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n We managed to make it over to the horses without bumping into anyone else and headed for home. The long scary night was starting to catch up with me and by the time we got into the yard, I was bone tired. Hoss looked in worse shape than I did. I\u2019d at least gotten a little bit of sleep. After we took care of the horses, we both flopped onto a pile of straw to wait for Adam. As tired as I was, I couldn\u2019t fall asleep because I was worried about what Adam would say when he got back.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, what if Adam had permission to start seeing Savannah again?\u201d I asked, suddenly worried.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, even if he did,\u201d he answered, \u201cit wouldn\u2019t be in the middle of the night. Don\u2019t you worry about big brother. He\u2019s in just as deep as we are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think he\u2019ll try to stop us from making that delivery, do you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n You know, if I spent as much time worrying about getting into trouble before I did the thing that got me in trouble, I\u2019d probably get in trouble a lot less often. I\u2019ll have to add that to my list of things to think about.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat delivery?\u201d Adam said coming into the barn.<\/p>\n Hoss and I both shot up and moved as far away from him as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Adam,\u201d Hoss spoke up, \u201cjust give Little Joe here a chance to explain before you do anything he\u2019ll regret.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGee, thanks, Hoss,\u201d I said rolling my eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mention it, little buddy,\u201d he answered, \u201cI\u2019m right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n Somehow I would have felt a whole lot safer if he were right in front of me. Anyway, it took about half an hour for Adam to drag the story out of me. I probably could have told it faster, but I had to stop every time he started hollering. Of course, I left out a few teensy details here and there. Hoss noticed, but he didn\u2019t seem to feel inclined to point them out. I finished my tale and then Hoss and I sat back down to wait for judgment.<\/p>\n Adam was fuming. He paced back and forth for a while, and I almost wished he would just punish me so that I could go to bed. Almost.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I ought to do is take that horse whip over there,\u201d he said, \u201cand use it to beat some sense into the both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed and then turned away from us crossing his arms. After a few minutes his shoulders slumped, and I knew then that we were safe. Apparently punishing us wasn\u2019t worth getting himself in trouble. Neither of us had actually said we would tell on Adam if he did anything to us, but it wasn\u2019t exactly something that had to be said-he just knew.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you two understand just how dangerous this situation is,\u201d he said without turning around.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he knows how dangerous his situation is,\u201d Hoss whispered to me.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t help but giggle and Adam whipped around.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no laughing matter,\u201d he said angrily. \u201cThose men are dangerous!\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed again and rubbed his hand roughly over the back of his head. \u201cOkay, here\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n As I\u2019m sure you can imagine, we all slept in the next morning. Or at least we tried to. It seemed that Pa was finally feeling well enough to come to the table for breakfast and he hadn\u2019t been too happy to learn that his sons had not only skipped their chores, but that we weren\u2019t even out of bed yet. He had Hop Sing come and wake us up with instructions for us to be downstairs and dressed in ten minutes. Thankfully, we\u2019re all pretty quick when we need to be. We settled around the table in just under seven minutes looking only a little worse for wear. Adam\u2019s hair was sticking up in a few places, plus he hadn\u2019t shaved, and Hoss had a big red pillow mark across his cheek. Thankfully nobody could see that I only had one sock on and that my long johns were inside out. I don\u2019t recommend wearing long johns inside out by the way. They\u2019re itchy enough wearing them the regular way.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Pa said, giving each of us a long look, \u201cI see you\u2019ve all been enjoying yourselves while I\u2019ve been recuperating.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam started to say something but changed his mind and reached for the coffee instead. I thought it might be a good idea to try change the subject.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, all the chores got done yesterday,\u201d I said and gave him a winning smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he answered. \u201cOur foreman came over this morning while you were in bed and wanted to know if it would be all right if the new ranch hand did his own work this morning or if we still needed him to cover yours.\u201d<\/p>\n I should have stuck with the subject we were on. Pa, Hoss, and Adam were all glaring at me and in an act of desperation, I decided to choke on the piece of toast I was chewing. That ended up working against me though when Adam slapped my back much harder than was necessary. Hoss almost drowned in his water glass he was trying so hard not to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Pa said after we\u2019d all settled down.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still not able to be up and about much, so I\u2019m counting on you to make sure these two,\u201d he said gesturing to me and Hoss, \u201cget their \u2018own\u2019 work done and stay out of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam suddenly looked very tired, but he answered sensibly. \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n I would have almost felt sorry for him if my back wasn\u2019t still stinging. We finished breakfast and Hoss helped Pa back to bed. Hop Sing brought him some tea and mixed a good amount of his medicine with it. Pa was out like a light after just a few minutes.<\/p>\n Hoss and I met in the barn waiting for Adam once again.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Adam said clapping his hands together as he walked in, \u201cI was going to ask the new ranch hand to do our chores today, but since it seems that\u2019s already been done we\u2019re just going to have to do them ourselves. Quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n There was no mistaking the tone in his voice and Hoss, and I wasted no time in getting busy. Like I said, we can be pretty fast when we have to be and in record time we were done and on our way to Virginia City, praying the whole way that no one would notice all the shortcuts we\u2019d used while doing our chores.<\/p>\n Adam had spent a good deal of time the night before going over the plan with us. Adam likes plans, especially when they\u2019re his, so Hoss and I knew exactly what to do. We left our horses at the livery and walked over to the Hampton\u2019s place. I don\u2019t mind telling you that we were more than a little nervous. Mrs. Hampton was a nice enough lady, but her husband was one of those men that just doesn\u2019t seem to like young people. He told Pa after church once that he thought children should be seen and not heard. Normally, Pa wouldn\u2019t have agreed with him, but since I had developed a particularly bad case of hiccups during the middle of the sermon, he\u2019d just nodded his head and steered me toward the buggy. Adam had decided that since he was the closest to being old, okay so those were my words, he would try and get Mr. Hampton outside to look over his barn design. Hoss was to keep Mrs. Hampton busy over tea, which she was sure to offer, and I was to sneak up to the attic and collect the key. You would think that should be simple enough. Think again.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Hoss and I waited behind a bush while Adam knocked on the front door. Mr. Hampton answered, looking as grumpy as usual, but he seemed to cheer up quite a bit when Adam told him how impressed he was with the designs on his barn. Mr. Hampton had been only too happy to take him out back and show him his work.<\/p>\n When they had walked around the corner, Hoss took his turn knocking on the door. He had to knock twice before Mrs. Hampton finally answered. Her apron and hands were covered in flour. She invited Hoss in, but he managed to keep her outside long enough, by asking about her rose bushes, so that I could sneak in ahead of them. I raced up the stairs and then took a minute to collect my breath. I guess if I\u2019m going to be a detective someday, I\u2019ll have to get used to all this sneaking around. Of course, Hoss says I\u2019m already the sneakiest person he knows.<\/p>\n I wandered the halls for a little while and tried a few wrong doors before I found the one leading up to the attic. I climbed the rickety stairs as quietly as I could, but I had to push pretty hard on the attic door to get it open. It finally gave way and slammed nosily into the wall. I froze holding my breath and hoping that Hoss, could manage on his end of things. After I was sure no one was coming I looked around. I figured it would be a small, cramped attic like ours but, unfortunately, that wasn\u2019t the case. I was standing in what had to be the biggest room in the whole house and every single thing in there was covered with white sheets. I groaned and decided to start with the far, left wall. I lifted sheet after sheet and found just about everything you can imagine, except for a dollhouse. This guy must have been some kind of collector or something because he had a lot of weird stuff. I finally got down to where I had one small corner left to check and sighed as I grabbed the first sheet from an odd, shaped lump. I coughed as another shower of dust came down around me. After the dust had settled, I almost yelled for joy when I saw a large very realistic looking dollhouse underneath. I was just reaching to open it up when I heard the attic door slam shut from behind. I yelped and spun around.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s taking you so long?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you stop sneaking up on me?\u201d I yelled, \u201cAnd what are you doing up here anyway? Where\u2019s Mrs. Hampton?\u201d I looked around him nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cShe had to go into town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she left you here alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I followed her out and then snuck back in to see if you were all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m fine,\u201d I answered, still a little miffed with him for scaring me to death.<\/p>\n I showed him the dollhouse and we walked around it looking for the key. Finally, Hoss elbowed me and pointed to the little front door. In the keyhole was the tiniest key I\u2019d ever seen. I pulled it out and examined it. I could have fit ten more of them in my hand just to cover my palm, that\u2019s how small it was, and it was crystal clear with a teensy diamond carved on the top. I grinned at Hoss. He was looking a little nervous.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I just don\u2019t feel right about this,\u201d he said, \u201cI don\u2019t care what Adam says, Pa would call this stealing.\u201d<\/p>\n I rolled my eyes and tried to explain things to him one more time.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I started, \u201cwe\u2019re gonna return this after Adam captures the bad guys, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell. . . yeah,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it\u2019s not stealing, it\u2019s borrowing,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that\u2019s what you and Adam are calling it,\u201d he answered, \u201cbut I also know what Pa said the last time I \u2018borrowed\u2019 something without permission.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you quit worrying about Pa?\u201d I snapped. \u201cHe\u2019s never gonna know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere, Little Joe, you see,\u201d he snapped back, \u201cNow I know I should worry \u2018cause every time you tell me not to worry, that\u2019s exactly when it is time to worry.\u201d<\/p>\n We argued back and forth a few more minutes before Hoss finally gave in and we decided we\u2019d better hurry and leave before Mrs. Hampton got back. I pulled on the attic door, but it wouldn\u2019t budge.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, let me try,\u201d Hoss said and pulled with all his might.<\/p>\n It was no use, the door was stuck solid. We both stood staring at it for what must have been five minutes before Hoss finally spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t I tell you it was time to worry?\u201d<\/p>\n That started a whole fresh argument which wasted another ten minutes and got us absolutely nowhere. We decided to part ways and see if we could find something to force open the door. That\u2019s when I noticed a window and came up with a plan.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss, look,\u201d I said pointing excitedly.<\/p>\n He looked at the window, looked at me, and then round three of our arguing commenced. But, after trying the door one last time he finally decided to go with my plan. Well, part of my plan anyway. I thought we should tie all the sheets together to climb down, but Hoss found a rope instead. He tied the rope to a big heavy trunk and piled lots of other boxes and things on top of it so it wouldn\u2019t slide. Hoss wanted me to go first but I convinced him that as the elder brother, it was only right that he should go first. I didn\u2019t tell him the real reason was because if he fell, I didn\u2019t want to be crushed. He climbed out the window and started down the rope and I followed after. We were about halfway down when I heard a crash and the rope started to slip. I guess our boxes hadn\u2019t held very good after all. I thought for sure we were gonna die, but suddenly, the rope went taut as the crate hit the wall under the window. I lost my grip and fell, but Hoss managed to catch hold of my foot as I flew past him. He was holding onto the rope with one hand and me with the other and that\u2019s exactly the position we were in when Adam walked around the corner with Mr. Hampton.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n That Adam sure is a quick thinker. Faster than you can even blink, he grabbed Mr. Hampton\u2019s arm and turned him toward a small corral where there were a couple of draft horses.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Hampton . . . uh . . . I wonder if you would tell me about your horses,\u201d I heard him say. \u201cThey sure are a couple of fine-looking animals.\u201d<\/p>\n Even from my upside-down position, I could tell that the two horses were nothing but a couple of old nags. I said he was a fast thinker, I never said that what he comes up with makes a whole lot of sense. The amazing thing about my oldest brother though, is his ability to spout off a bunch of nonsense and have you believing it hook, line, and sinker. I\u2019ve seen him do it a lot of times with Pa. Anyway, I couldn\u2019t quite make out Mr. Hampton\u2019s answer, but he did follow Adam over to the corral.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I whispered, \u201cwe\u2019ve gotta hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll say,\u201d he gasped. \u201cYou\u2019re heavier than a bucket of nails, you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n He swung me over just a bit and I was able to catch hold of the rope. I shimmied down as quick as I could. With Hoss now above me, I was in a particular hurry and not without reason because, sure enough, he ended up falling the last couple of feet. He always does that. We signaled to Adam, who had been glancing over his shoulder frantically and waving us to hurry, that we were clear and took off around the side of the house. We didn\u2019t stop running until we reached the livery.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d Hoss said gasping for air, \u201chow come every time I end up in one of your schemes it seems like I spend the whole time running?\u201d<\/p>\n A few smart-alecky comments floated through my mind, but I didn\u2019t have enough breath to use any of them.<\/p>\n By the time I could breathe again, Adam had joined us. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, rocking back and forth on his heels. I took a step behind Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, you don\u2019t,\u201d Hoss said, and pulled me in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam,\u201d I said, giving a little wave and forcing a smile on my face.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam?\u201d Adam repeated.<\/p>\n He was getting to be more and more like Pa every day.<\/p>\n \u201cJust what part of the plan did you two not understand?\u201d he asked, his voice getting louder with each word.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t me,\u201d I squeaked. \u201cHoss is the one that came up to the attic and got us locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt a little bad shifting the blame like that, but Hoss is big enough to take Adam, I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cjust calm down. We got out all right and no one saw us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one saw you,\u201d he repeated again, \u201cand just what do you think is gonna happen when Mr. Hampton sees his attic window open with a rope hanging down the side of the house?\u201d<\/p>\n He had been slowly moving toward us as he talked and we had been slowly backing away from him until we were now pinned against the wall. Hoss and I looked at each other, then at Adam, and shrugged our shoulders helplessly.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, with you two as brothers it\u2019s amazing, I haven\u2019t gone to prison yet!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n I knew I probably shouldn\u2019t ask, but I did anyway. \u201cWhy would you go to prison, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n He got real close then and looked me straight in the eye. \u201cFor killing you,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n I gulped and scooted as close to Hoss as possible.<\/p>\n Well, after having to suffer through about another fifteen minutes of him carrying on, we finally left for home. By the time we got back it was time for lunch. Hoss was starving, but I mostly just wanted to go to sleep. If you remember, we hadn\u2019t had much time for sleeping the night before and chances of getting any that night weren\u2019t looking good either. Pa wasn\u2019t up; I guess coming to the table for breakfast had set him back a little bit, so he wasn\u2019t feeling up to joining us. It\u2019s a good thing he didn\u2019t too, \u2018cause it wouldn\u2019t have taken a genius to tell that we weren\u2019t our usual selves. Adam grumped and grumbled through the whole meal; Hoss ate like it would be his last, okay, I suppose at least one of us was normal; and I almost fell asleep in my soup. When we finished eating, Adam suggested we take a nap and, for the first time since I was three years old, I didn\u2019t complain. I trudged up the stairs and collapsed on to my nice soft bed.<\/p>\n I had a dream that I was being chased by a giant dollhouse that was searching for its missing key. Needless to say, I woke up covered in sweat and discovered that I had slept straight through to suppertime. I guess my brothers managed to get some sleep too, because we were all a lot nicer to each other during that meal. Hoss and I even helped clear the table after we\u2019d finished eating. I was feeling kind of lonesome for Pa, so I decided to go and see if he was awake. I was happy to see him sitting up reading.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Pa,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, son,\u201d he answered with a smile.<\/p>\n Something about seeing his smile and him calling me son made me suddenly want to spill my guts, but I managed to hold it back. Pa must have noticed my look.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there something you want to tell me, Little Joe?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa, there\u2019s nothing I want to tell you,\u201d I answered with a sigh.<\/p>\n I think that was the first real lie I\u2019d told since this whole thing started, because a small part of me desperately wanted to just get everything off my chest. Years of practice helped me to ignore that small part, however. I sat with Pa for a few minutes but found that I had so many secrets I was keeping that there wasn\u2019t much I could talk about without giving myself away. I told him goodnight and left the room feeling kind of sad. All of a sudden, I couldn\u2019t wait to just be done with this whole mess.<\/p>\n Hoss and I tried to play checkers for a while, just like Adam tried to read the paper, but we were all too nervous. Finally, we told Hop Sing we were going to bed, and we all met in Adam\u2019s room to wait until it was time to go. For some reason, he had lost confidence in Hoss and I to carry out our end of the plan and he went over it so many times that I was sure I would still be able to quote it word for word to my future grandchildren. It really was a nice plan. It\u2019s too bad we didn\u2019t get to use it.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Later that night, we tied our horses just outside of town and then we split up. Hoss and I headed over to the school with the tiny key and Adam went to the mill to wait for us. I was shivering a little bit as we hid behind some trees near the school. Whether it was because of the cold or because I was nervous, I\u2019m not sure. I had one of those funny feelings you get sometimes when you\u2019re just sure something\u2019s about to go wrong. I should have trusted my instincts. At exactly eleven o\u2019clock, there was no sign of Graham. We waited for another ten minutes before Hoss decided we should maybe check around the front. We didn\u2019t find Graham, but we did notice a little pile of rocks near the porch. Underneath the top rock was a piece of paper fluttering in the breeze. Hoss grabbed the note and as he read it his face turned an odd color.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me see it,\u201d I said taking it from his hands.<\/p>\n Boys, I let my hand drop to my side and gaped at Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, we\u2019ve got to hurry,\u201d I said pulling at his arm. \u201cThe note says we\u2019re in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, we can\u2019t go in a saloon,\u201d he whispered, \u201cespecially . . . upstairs!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d I asked. \u201cIt\u2019s just a bunch of bedrooms up there, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s face went from a chalky white to cherry red in about three seconds flat.<\/p>\n \u201cWell . . . yeah,\u201d he stammered, \u201cthat\u2019s just the point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t make any sense at all,\u201d I answered. \u201cNow come on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, we\u2019ve gotta go tell Adam about this,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s waiting for us over at the mill remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but he doesn\u2019t know about this note saying that we\u2019re in danger.\u201d I argued. \u201cWe\u2019ll tell Graham about Adam when we get there. Now come on.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss moved like he had rocks in his boots all the way over to the saloon and I was just sure we were gonna be late. We snuck through the back door easy enough. It was wide open, and the cook was snoring away over in the corner. Hoss poked his head out of the kitchen door to check the main room.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know about this Little Joe ,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s sure an awful lot of people in there.\u201d<\/p>\n I could tell Hoss was gonna chicken out, so I did what I thought I had to. When he turned his head to check around the corner again, I slipped around him and before he could grab me, I was halfway across the bar. I managed to make it to the stairs by staying low and ducking under tables as I went. There were a bunch of chairs piled up next to the stairs and I hid behind them waving for Hoss to join me. Would you believe he tried to get across the room the same way I did? I mean he was bigger than half the men in that room and sure enough he\u2019d made it about two feet before he bumped into a fellow carrying a bunch of drinks. He spilled the stuff all over Hoss and then hollered at him something fierce. After that, everyone in the bar was staring right at him so he stood up straight and cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry about that, mister,\u201d he said making his voice go real deep. \u201cI\u2019ll just step over here out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, brother,\u201d I thought.<\/p>\n He had almost made it over to the stairs when someone from across the room called his name. It turned out to be one of Hoss\u2019s buddies that he palled around with sometimes.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d he shouted, \u201cyour old man let you out, did he? Come on and join us.\u201d Hoss looked toward me desperately and I shook my head no.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry fellows, not tonight,\u201d he shouted back.<\/p>\n But they weren\u2019t going to take no for an answer. Two of them got up and practically dragged him over to the table. I could tell they weren\u2019t planning on letting him go anytime soon. I waited a few more minutes trying to decide if I should come up with some kind of distraction, but before I could come up with a plan, I was the one that got distracted. One of Hoss\u2019s friends waved the bartender over and, very loudly, ordered a bottle of the finest whisky. The man brought over a big bottle that looked just like Pa\u2019s medicine and a bunch of little tiny glasses.<\/p>\n \u201cCheers,\u201d the fellow said, handing Hoss a drink and raising his glass.<\/p>\n I could hear Hoss trying to make up some excuse, but the other guys all started laughing at him, asking him if he was afraid and stuff like that. I thought for sure Hoss would get up and leave. I never in a million years would have guessed he would take a drink, and I don\u2019t know which one of us was more shocked when he drank that whisky, but he sure did have a coughing fit. His friends laughed at him some more and patted him on the back.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, guys,\u201d he gasped, \u201cI really have to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t work any better than the first time he\u2019d tried to leave and before you could say, \u201cJack be nimble\u201d he\u2019d downed another glass which brought on an even stronger coughing fit. It sure didn\u2019t look like the stuff tasted very good to me. Hoss started acting kind of funny after that and I just shook my head sadly as I watched him have a third glass. I looked at the clock above the bar and was startled to see that it was eleven forty-five.<\/p>\n I decided I would have to leave Hoss for now and go meet Graham by myself. I would have been better off joining Hoss at the table drinking whiskey, but I didn\u2019t know that then , so I waited until I was sure no one was looking and ran up the stairs.<\/p>\n Looking down the long hallway I suddenly couldn\u2019t remember if the note had said the second door on the left or the second door on the right. I checked my pockets and then remembered that Hoss had the note. I crept slowly down the hall and stopped and looked back and forth between the two doors, I finally decided to knock on the one to the left. I turned and raised my hand and that was when someone grabbed me from behind. I would have screamed, but they covered my mouth and dragged me into a dark room down the hall. My hands and feet were bound in seconds and a gag tied around my mouth. I struggled the best I could until whoever was holding me slapped my face hard. I was as scared as a rabbit cornered by a fox and boiling mad all at the same time. They tied me to a chair and I could hear somebody walking toward me from across the room. They struck a match and lit a lantern, slowly turning it up. Lee shoved a smelly rag over my face and then everything went black.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n I woke up a little while later and tried to open my eyes. After a few minutes I realized that my eyes actually were open, it was just so black that I couldn\u2019t see anything. The last thing I remembered was that skunk making me drink some kind of nasty liquid and then everything got kind of fuzzy after that.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t quite think straight for some reason, but I was pretty sure I was alone wherever I was \u2018cause I couldn\u2019t hear a sound other than some water dripping from somewhere. It was pretty cold, and I guessed that I was in some kind of cave. My hands were untied and thankfully the gag was out of my mouth; that stupid rag sure had made me thirsty. I started to feel around to see if I could find where the water was coming from and that\u2019s when I bumped into a body. That\u2019s right, I said a body! I screamed and tried to back away but ended up tripping over what must have been legs. I slowly felt along the ground and when I found a wall, I scooted as close to it as I could, hugging my knees to my chest. At that particular moment, I didn\u2019t think anything in the world could be scarier than being trapped in the dark with a dead body. I was wrong. The only thing worse than being alone with a dead body is being alone with a live body, as I found out a few minutes later, when a horrible moan came from the corpse. I felt my blood run cold when it started to stir, and I did the only sensible thing to do under the circumstances. I started hollering for all I was worth, as a matter of fact, I yelled so loud that I was hurting my own ears. After a minute or so, I finally quit screaming, not because I wasn\u2019t scared anymore, but because the body had grabbed me and put its hand over my mouth. You would think that I might have put two and two together at that point, but it had been a really long night and like I said, I was half crazed with thirst.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, would you quit that racket?\u201d came Hoss\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n I thought it was a little odd that the dead body should have Hoss\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we?\u201d he asked, his words sounding a little slurred, \u201cand. . .ugh. . .I don\u2019t feel so good.\u201d<\/p>\n I found myself being suddenly dropped and the body that talked just like Hoss ran a few feet away and lost its dinner. That\u2019s when it dawned on me that the body really was my brother Hoss. I wondered for a moment how he could have died. I did tell you that Lee had given me something nasty to drink, right? Well, whatever it was had not only made me tired, but I wasn\u2019t thinking very clearly either. You may have noticed that already.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d I said, \u201cWhat are you doing here? Pa\u2019s gonna be really mad when he finds out your dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d he answered, coming back over and falling onto the ground, \u201cwhatever it is you\u2019re talking about, can you talk about it quieter? I\u2019ve got an awful headache.\u201d<\/p>\n Come to think of it, I had a headache too and I was feeling a little woozy.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Hoss,\u201d I answered, lowering my voice a little, \u201cwe\u2019ve got to get out of here. Lee could be back any minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, I\u2019m perfectly comfortable right here,\u201d he answered and tried to lean on my shoulder. That\u2019s when I got a whiff of his breath and that alone was enough to clear my head.<\/p>\n \u201cGood grief, Hoss,\u201d I said pushing him away. \u201cYou stink!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he answered with a groan, \u201cand I don\u2019t smell so good either. Come on, we\u2019ve gotta get out of here. That smell is making me sick.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m telling you we were quite a pair. We bumbled around for a few minutes making sure to steer clear of the area where Hoss had lost his. . . well, you know. It was no use though because we couldn\u2019t see a blasted thing.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said after a minute. \u201cWhat in tarnation am I doing here? And where are we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow should I know?\u201d I answered. \u201cLee poisoned me with something and the next thing I knew I woke up here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLee, huh?\u201d he questioned, sounding puzzled. \u201cThat\u2019s right, I seem to remember seeing Lee leaving the bar. I must have followed him and I think at some point he hit me on the head and knocked me out \u2018cause my head sure is aching something awful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, quit whining and find us a way out,\u201d I snapped.<\/p>\n Being locked up in a dark, smelly place was not agreeing with me and I was pretty sure that if I didn\u2019t get out soon I was going to explode.<\/p>\n Thankfully, that didn\u2019t happen. What did happen though was much worse.<\/p>\n Hoss and I both heard a loud sound like rocks scraping together and whipped around. There was a dim light coming from an opening in the wall. We hadn\u2019t been in a cave at all. Apparently, we were inside of the secret canyon cave where Hoss and I had gotten the second key.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, boys,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI thought you might be ready for this.\u201d<\/p>\n He tossed a canteen in my direction, and I dove for it. I had guzzled down half the container before Hoss yanked it away from me.<\/p>\n \u201cSlow down,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna make yourself sick.\u201d<\/p>\n I took a good look at my brother and could tell that he didn\u2019t have to worry about getting sick because he already was. He was squinting against the light and his skin was kind of pasty. There was dried blood on his forehead which meant he must have been right about getting knocked out.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want with us, mister?\u201d Hoss asked rubbing his head gently.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want anything from you,\u201d Lee sneered, \u201cjust the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSay goodbye to your brother, Little Joe,\u201d the man sneered.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d I shouted but try as I might I couldn\u2019t get my feet to move.<\/p>\n \u201cMister, this doesn\u2019t make any sense,\u201d Hoss stammered. \u201cIf you were going to kill me, why wait until now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what I was wondering,\u201d came another voice I recognized.<\/p>\n My heart lurched as I heard the click of a gun and Lee suddenly went still.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n \u201cJust set her down, nice and easy,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n Lee twisted his mouth into a snarl. He was boiling mad, but he did what he was told and carefully set the gun on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, move over to the corner,\u201d Adam said, waving his gun in that direction.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d Lee huffed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d said Hoss with a grin, \u201cI\u2019d like you to meet our other brother, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother brother,\u201d the man said with disgust. \u201cHow many of you are there?\u201d<\/p>\n I started to tell him that the three of us were it but Adam cut me off.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not answering any questions, mister, until you answer some of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook,\u201d Lee said, pasting a fake smile on his face, \u201cI was just giving the kid a hard time. I wasn\u2019t really gonna shoot the big one over there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were too,\u201d I shouted, giving him an angry glare.<\/p>\n Adam turned and gave me a look that said shut up and, in that split second, Lee made his move. He punched my brother hard in the stomach and in a flash had taken the gun and had it pointed at Adam. Hoss took a couple of steps toward him while I just sat there staring like a ninny, but Lee cocked the gun and fired a shot in the dirt next to his feet. Hoss stopped moving and put his hands in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I was saying,\u201d Lee sneered, \u201cthe boy will be working for me from now on. I guess I will have two forms of incentive to motivate him. Unless one of you decides to try and be a hero, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want with-\u201d Hoss started, but he didn\u2019t get a chance to finish.<\/p>\n This time, we all froze to the sound of two rifles being cocked.<\/p>\n \u201cDrop it!\u201d shouted a big man.<\/p>\n \u201cPete, Slim,\u201d the man stammered, \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting to see you here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou shut your mouth you filthy weasel,\u201d said the one I guessed to be Slim on the count of his being so skinny. \u201cWait till Boss hears about you betraying him.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t mind telling you, I was more than a little nervous when Lee started chuckling.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Pete asked, glaring at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou thinking I would set out on my own and leave him alive is what,\u201d Lee answered.<\/p>\n He gave them a cold smile and I watched as it dawned on the other two just what he was saying.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean he\u2019s dead?\u201d Slim asked in shock.<\/p>\n \u201cYou killed him?\u201d Pete stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Lee answered. \u201cTook care of him before I left. Looks like you boys are working for me now.\u201d<\/p>\n I watched Pete and Slim as they stood facing each other, looking very confused. Something told me they were going to fall for Lee\u2019s story and if they did, that would mean big trouble for me and my brothers. I looked around for something, anything, that might help us, but it was hard to see in the room, what with there being only one lantern. That\u2019s when it dawned on me. If I could somehow get to the lantern and snuff, it out, then my brother\u2019s and I might be able to make a run for it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you have planned?\u201d asked Pete, slowly lowering his rifle.<\/p>\n Lee stepped forward and the three started talking. I took a chance and scrambled for the lantern. Picking it up, I swung it hard against the bookcase. It wasn\u2019t the smartest thing I\u2019ve ever done. The kerosene from the lantern splattered all over the musty old books and instead of putting out the flame, I started a bigger one. At least I\u2019d managed to create a distraction, I thought, before the room exploded in confusion.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never seen Hoss and Adam move so fast in all my life and I\u2019d never seen either of them in a full-on fight before. I didn\u2019t know what a good thing I was missing. Both my brothers are both pretty big fellows and, of course, Hoss is a force to be reckoned with at any time. I knew there was no way I could fight any of those men, but I managed to dodge my way around most of the scuffling, collecting guns as I went. The room was filling with smoke pretty fast as the fire grew and the man abandoned the fight to try and put out the flames. I noticed Pete had Hoss pinned in a corner, and I took one of the rifles and swung it hard at his back. It gave Hoss enough of a break to land a few good punches. I hit him once more with the butt of the gun and he fell to the ground in a heap. Hoss and I both turned to Adam who had just finished laying Slim out cold.<\/p>\n It was too early for us to celebrate yet, though. Lee, who had just finished putting out the fire, had one last trick up his sleeve. Well, it was actually a gun. He pulled it out and aimed it at me!<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve changed my mind, kid,\u201d he said, \u201cYou\u2019re more trouble than you\u2019re worth.\u201d<\/p>\n My eyes grew wide and the last thing I remember hearing before a shot rang out was Hoss yelling my name.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Everything was black. I couldn\u2019t see. I was floating in darkness, but from somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of a voice. The voice was calling to me, pulling me back to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, wake up now, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d I questioned, \u201cLee, he . . . he.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re fine, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said softly. \u201cYou fainted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI what?\u201d I snapped suddenly feeling very much awake.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, Little Joe,\u201d said Hoss, \u201cthankfully the sheriff got here just in time and shot the gun out of Lee\u2019s hand.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re probably feeling just as confused right now as I was back then, so I\u2019ll back up and explain it to you the way Hoss told me it happened.<\/p>\n The sheriff, during his rounds that night, had noticed our horses tied up. As he\u2019s a pretty good friend of my pa\u2019s and knew that we probably shouldn\u2019t have been in town so late at night, he began looking around and asking questions. Hoss\u2019s friends from the bar told him about Hoss leaving to follow Lee. He wasn\u2019t able to find Adam, but he did notice two shady characters, Slim and Pete, heading out of town. On a hunch, he decided to follow them from a distance and had arrived up in the secret cave just in time to save me from getting shot. I guess when I heard the gun go off I . . . well . . . dog-gone it I was tired, thirsty, and all shook up from the fire and the fighting, so you can\u2019t really blame me for passing out. I still say it was partly \u2018cause of whatever Lee had made me drink. Anyway, I sure was glad to see the sheriff. We helped him get the three criminals into town and it wasn\u2019t until after they were locked in a cell that I started to worry about how we were going to explain all of this. Honestly, I was a bit more worried about what the sheriff would tell my pa.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, boys,\u201d the sheriff said setting his keys on the desk, \u201cit would seem that you have some explaining to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss, who was sitting in a chair holding his head didn\u2019t even look up. The sheriff had sent for the doc to come take a look at him, but he hadn\u2019t arrived yet. I looked at Adam and gave him my, \u201cplease help me, I\u2019m your baby brother,\u201d expression. He rolled his eyes and then turned to the sheriff, clearing his throat about six times before he finally told him what happened. I noticed he never mentioned why he had been in town, or about me and Hoss going out the attic window at Mr. Hampton\u2019s, or about Hoss drinking in the bar. My oldest brother is real good at giving just the right amount of information. I\u2019ve learned a lot from him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the craziest story I\u2019ve ever heard,\u201d the sheriff said when Adam had finished.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m telling you it\u2019s the truth,\u201d Adam pleaded.<\/p>\n That\u2019s about the time the doc arrived, and Adam got a small break from being questioned. After the doc had finished, he told Adam that most of Hoss\u2019s headache was caused from having too much to drink and that he just needed a good night\u2019s rest. Adam and I both cringed and looked at the sheriff. He was looking at us too and I tell you, his look was enough to send chills down my spine.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not even gonna ask about Hoss\u2019s drinking if that\u2019s what you two are looking so worried about,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll leave that particular line of questioning to your pa. But I do have a few more questions about the men in those cells. For instance, why in tarnation were they trying to kill you?\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s when the sheriff looked straight at me. I gulped and tried hard to think like Adam. I guess I needed more practice, \u2018cause I ended up telling him all about breaking into Mr. Hampton\u2019s and stealing the tiny key. When I finished, he looked just about ready to blow his top and I turned to Adam for help. I saw that he had taken a seat next to Hoss and was now holding his head too.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you boys sure have been busy, haven\u2019t you?\u201d the sheriff said folding his arms across his chest.<\/p>\n He paced around for a minute and then marched back toward the cells, but not before telling us we had better not move a muscle. We waited for what seemed like forever while he talked to the prisoners. I was getting pretty bored and trying hard to stay awake. Hoss had given up trying and was snoring softly with his chin resting on his chest. Adam looked like a cannon about to explode and started pacing the room. He wandered over to the sheriff\u2019s desk and picked up the little key, turning it around in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems like a whole lot of trouble for something so little,\u201d said the sheriff, coming back in. \u201cWell, from what little information I could gather from them,\u201d he nodded his head toward the cells, \u201cit seems you boys stumbled onto something pretty big. I\u2019ve got wanted posters on both Slim and Pete. Don\u2019t know much about that other one though. He\u2019s shut up tighter than pickle jar.\u201d<\/p>\n I was feeling pretty excited that we had helped to capture real, live, wanted criminals, but what the sheriff said next had me jumping up and down like a little kid.<\/p>\n \u201cOh . . . yeah, I guess I should tell you that there\u2019s a reward for the capture of those two. Quite a bit of money too,\u201d he said scratching his chin.<\/p>\n I turned to Adam, about ready to bust, and then stopped when I noticed that certain look in his eyes. He had a plan.<\/p>\n Adam turned that look toward the sheriff and I decided to just sit back and watch the master at work.<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff,\u201d he began, \u201cdon\u2019t you have an election campaign coming up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he answered, looking a bit confused, \u201cwhat\u2019s that got to do with anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think if we cooperate we just might be able to help each other out,\u201d Adam said with a grin, \u201cHow would you like me to run your campaign for you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right nice of you to offer,\u201d he said, \u201cbut if you think that\u2019s gonna stop me from talkin\u2019 to your pa, then you\u2019ve got another thing comin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Up until now I had thought for sure there was no way we\u2019d get out of this with our hides intact, but with Adam now working on the sheriff, my hopes started to rise.<\/p>\n \u201cNow just hear me out,\u201d he tried again. \u201cMy brothers and I want to stay out of the limelight if it\u2019s at all possible. But you bringing in three desperate criminals would look pretty good to the people of Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n I watched the sheriff\u2019s face. He wasn\u2019t looking quite convinced yet. I sent up a silent prayer that Adam\u2019s charms would convince him. I\u2019m not sure if God answers those kinds of prayers, but I thought it couldn\u2019t hurt to try.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it hadn\u2019t been for you, those men wouldn\u2019t even be in those cells right now so there is nothing wrong with you taking the credit for their capture,\u201d Adam added.<\/p>\n He still didn\u2019t look convinced, so I tried crossing my fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as for the reward money,\u201d Adam continued, \u201cwe would be happy to donate it towards your campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n At first, I was mad at Adam for suggesting that, but when I thought about having to face pa, I realized the money wasn\u2019t worth it. Besides, I had eleven gold coins at home just waiting for me.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d Adam said, \u201cyou get credit for capturing wanted fugitives, money for your campaign, plus a campaign manager and all you have to do is save yourself a trip out to see our pa by letting us handle things at home in our own way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I just can\u2019t do that,\u201d he answered and my heart sank. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be right. It\u2019s not that I want to get you boys into trouble, but your father\u2019s a personal friend of mine. He wouldn\u2019t take too kindly to me takin\u2019 your side against his.\u201d<\/p>\n We were doomed, Adam had failed. I had never before in my life seen my oldest brother lose when he set out to get something and it just figured that the one time he did was the time it was going to hurt me just as much as him. Or so I thought, it turned out he wasn\u2019t done just yet.<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff, you do know that Pa is laid up right now with a bad back, don\u2019t you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I heard about that. Too bad, I hope he starts to feelin\u2019 better soon,\u201d the sheriff answered.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to help his recovery any to find out that his sons were almost killed trying to help capture a bunch of criminals,\u201d Adam continued. \u201cThat was our plan after all. Little Joe here was just being used by those men.\u201d<\/p>\n He waved his arm toward me, and I must say, I think I played my part very well. I already had a pitiful expression on my face, and I slumped my shoulders and made my chin quiver at just the right moment.<\/p>\n Well, with Adam and me working together, the sheriff didn\u2019t stand a chance and he reluctantly agreed not to say anything to pa. This time! And, only as long as Mr. Hampton didn\u2019t come in to report a burglary . Next, he woke up Hoss and gave us all a long-winded lecture about safety and responsibility. Hoss said he probably felt he had to do that to help ease his conscience.<\/p>\n Adam, Hoss, and I made it into our yard just as the sun was coming up and boy, were we dragging. I can\u2019t remember a single time in my life when I\u2019ve ever felt that tired. Hoss had moaned and groaned most of the way home and Adam told him that\u2019s what he deserved for letting his friends talk him into drinking.<\/p>\n We put the horses up, then did our morning chores. We had them finished just before the time we would usually be getting up to start them. When we walked in the front door, I could smell Hop Sing cooking breakfast, but even though my stomach was rumbling, I was too tired to even think about eating.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, boys,\u201d came Pa\u2019s voice and we all whipped our heads around toward the dining table, \u201cwhat are you doing up so early?\u201d<\/p>\n We just stood there, staring silently for a few minutes, before Hoss finally answered.<\/p>\n \u201cJust finished up the chores, Pa,\u201d he said with a sort of hysterical chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d he questioned. \u201cYou boys have something you\u2019re planning to do today that you needed to get them done this early for?\u201d<\/p>\n That sounded like a good enough excuse to me, so I piped up, \u201cYeah, Pa. We\u2019re goin\u2019 fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss both glared at me so hard that I thought it would be a good idea to move a little closer to Pa. I hurried over to the table and sat down next to him.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to join us, boys?\u201d Pa asked as Hop Sing started bringing in the food. The inside of my mouth still felt like cotton from whatever had been in that stuff Lee gave me and I must have drunk about six glasses of water. That filled me up, so I wasn\u2019t hungry anymore. Neither were my brothers, especially Hoss. Pa kept looking around at us kind of concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cYou boys do look awfully tired,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s good that you take the day off and do a little fishing. I\u2019m sorry I haven\u2019t been much help to you. Little Joe, I hope you haven\u2019t been giving your brothers any trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss both started choking at the same time and it was my turn to glare at them. We managed to make it through breakfast in one piece and then left to \u201cgo fishing\u201d. As I\u2019m sure you can imagine, we didn\u2019t catch many fish. As soon as we got to the creek, we all fell on the ground and I\u2019m not sure about my brothers, but I was asleep before I\u2019d even closed my eyes.<\/p>\n I had a very strange dream filled with pirates, and treasure, and keys, and something about a . . .<\/p>\n \u201cCompass!\u201d I shouted waking from my dream.<\/p>\n I looked around and saw Adam staring at me from over by a tree he was propped up against. Hoss was still out, snoring loud enough to wake the dead.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything all right, Little Joe?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh . . . yeah,\u201d I answered then stretched and gave a loud yawn. I couldn\u2019t believe I had forgotten about that compass; it was still upstairs tucked away in my desk drawer. Suddenly, I couldn\u2019t wait to get home so I could look it over again. I wondered what all the keys could have been for.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Later that night, I slid under my bed and took out my secret treasures. I had the duplicate key, the compass, the piece of paper I had written the numbers and address on, and a small bag of gold coins. The sheriff had the other two keys that he\u2019d confiscated from Lee and his men. I put everything away except for the compass and played with it for a while. I knew it was a clue to another key, but it didn\u2019t make any sense to me. Finally, I put it away. I would have to invite my friend Mitch over soon and maybe together; we could figure it out. There was no way I was going to ask my brothers for help.<\/p>\n That night at dinner, for the first time in quite a while, things felt back to normal. Pa was getting much better and ate with us. Hoss had taken a bath and his headache was finally gone, and Adam even seemed to be in a good mood. I couldn\u2019t believe how well things had turned out. I was rich, the bad guys were captured, and Pa didn\u2019t know a thing about any of it. If I had known that not too long from now one of us would suddenly turn Judas and spill out the whole story, I would have headed for the hills.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Imagine my surprise when I ended up being the one to crack. Here\u2019s how it happened, about three days after the whole ordeal we were sitting around the table poking nervously at our plates. Pa had been unusually quiet during the meal and my brothers, and I kept glancing over at him. Pa has several different types of quiet and this was the type that let us know one of us was in trouble. I was pretty sure that if Pa had found out anything about our adventure that we wouldn\u2019t even be sitting down eating right now, so I racked my brain trying to come up with anything else one of us might have done wrong. I glanced again at the food on my plate; my goose was cooked perfectly but I was too worried to eat. It wasn\u2019t until Hop Sing brought out the apple pie that Pa lowered the boom. I wish he would have waited until after we\u2019d actually eaten the pie, \u2018cause as soon as he started talking, I lost my appetite.<\/p>\n \u201cBoys,\u201d he began, looking real serious, \u201cI found out something today.\u201d<\/p>\n I tried hard to look not guilty, but I figured if my face had gone as white as my brother\u2019s just had, it was a hopeless cause.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, you boys know me well enough to know that if you confess, and tell me the truth that things will go easier on you,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n Of course, Pa focused his gaze on me first. I\u2019m not exactly sure what it was that made me snap. Maybe, the fact that I had been holding so many secrets inside that I was near to bursting anyway, or the fact that his look had me terrified, but I ended up telling him everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I told him about my first meeting Lee, and about Hoss getting drunk, and even about Adam being in town with Savannah. I think I even told him everything me, Hoss, and Adam had eaten in the past week. Pa never interrupted me, just sat there quietly.. My brothers however, looked as if they were going to be sick.<\/p>\n I finished my tale and glanced anxiously around the table. From the looks I was getting, I figured I was gonna be in for a long night. Finally, Pa stood up and walked into the kitchen. I wondered for a minute if he was getting a knife to kill us with. When he came back, he was holding something in his hands that looked frighteningly familiar.<\/p>\n \u201cI found this behind the house,\u201d Pa said, setting a box on the table, and then looking to me said, \u201cLittle Joe, this is what I was asking about just now.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss both gasped and I felt all the breath I\u2019d been holding leave my body in a rush. Pa took a small piece of old newspaper out of the box and unwrapped one little firecracker.<\/p>\n \u201cAre these the firecrackers I told you to get rid of over the summer?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t speak, so I just nodded my head very slowly. I was feeling so weak, I was afraid it might fall off if I shook it too hard.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d he said setting the box aside, \u201cWe\u2019ll discuss that later. Now, about this other story you\u2019ve just told me. I want you to tell it again, slowly, and from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n I learned something very important that day and that was to never confess to anything unless you know what it is you\u2019re supposed to be confessing. Stupid firecrackers.<\/p>\n I looked at Adam and Hoss, hoping against hope that one of them would take over, but they had both dropped their heads into their hands and wouldn\u2019t even look at me. Telling the story, the second time was much harder than the first time. Mostly because Pa kept stopping me to ask questions and I kept stopping myself every time his face started to turn a dark red. My brothers ended up helping me out a little bit because Pa kept asking them questions too. Finally, it was all out in the open and I sat back feeling more spent then I had after that long night a few days ago. Pa just sat there for a while, like a pot simmering on a stove, and we all waited silently for him to boil over. Instead, he quietly told me and Hoss to go up to our rooms and that he wanted to see Adam outside. Hoss and I made our way slowly up the stairs and would you believe that big galoot tripped? He tripped over his own feet and went crashing back down the stairs, through the banister, and onto the floor. He immediately grabbed his leg and started hollering somethin\u2019 awful. Pa looked him over and decided, that since his foot was turned at kind of a funny angle, we\u2019d better have the doctor take a look at it. Adam and I both volunteered to go, a little too anxiously, but Pa said he didn\u2019t want either of us going anywhere near Virginia City, so he sent one of the ranch hands instead. By the time the doc left that night it was pretty late, so Pa told us to go to bed and he would deal with us in the morning.<\/p>\n Well, as I\u2019m sure you figured, Hoss got off the easiest. I talked to him about it later and he said that because he\u2019d mostly been an unwilling participant, as Pa put it, and because he ended up with a broken ankle, that Pa hadn\u2019t thought it necessary to punish him any further. Although he said Pa gave him a fierce lecture about giving in to temptation and the dangers of drinking. Hoss asked me to check his ears for blisters, but they must have been on the inside \u2018cause I couldn\u2019t see any.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t get off so easy. You see, Pa had just signed a deal to sell some of our lumber to a big company in Sacramento and if he had his way, Adam would be personally chopping down every tree needed to fill that contract. Pa usually gets his way. Hoss and I figured he\u2019d finish the job just in time to get snowed in for the winter, but at least he still had his skin. I watched him ride out of the yard toward the hills that first day and I\u2019m pretty sure I did see blisters on the back of his ears. I felt a little bad for him and decided that as soon as I was allowed to leave the yard again, I would go up to the secret cave and see if any of those old books had survived the fire.<\/p>\n Me being the youngest, I got the worst of things, well that and the fact that most of the whole mess had been my idea. I was lucky Pa didn\u2019t take me out to the barn, although I didn\u2019t feel too lucky after he took all but one of my gold coins and said I had to use that one to buy Hoss a birthday present like I\u2019d started out to do . He\u2019d said it wouldn\u2019t be fair for Hoss not to get a present just because I didn\u2019t deserve to be rewarded. I think I\u2019m gonna get Hoss that \u00e9p\u00e9e after all, but since I\u2019m not sure just what Pa will think of that idea, I\u2019m waiting to order it until he starts smiling at me again.<\/p>\n I went into town with Pa a few days later. He made me apologize to Mr. Hampton and give him one of the coins to make up for his missing dollhouse key and the mess we\u2019d left. Mr. Hampton didn\u2019t say much, but he frowned at me the whole time and I decided after we left that I wasn\u2019t really sorry after all. I was smart enough to keep that information to myself though. Next, we stopped by the jail and Pa made me wait in the wagon while he went inside. I\u2019m not sure what went on exactly, but Pa sure did do some yelling. He and the sheriff made up eventually and we found out from him later that Pete, Slim, and Lee had all been sent to prison. I\u2019ve decided that as soon as I become a real detective, I\u2019ll make finding out what they were all after my first case, after all, I still had a lot of the clues in my possession.<\/p>\n Thankfully, me and my brothers have the type of Pa that doesn\u2019t hold a grudge and things eventually returned to normal, although it was a long time before the three of us saw any place other than our own yard for quite a while. I asked Pa when we\u2019d be able to go into Virginia City again and he said not till the cows come home. Since we just finished moving them all up into the high pastures, I knew it would be a while.<\/p>\n It was a few months later that I had a strange dream during the night. A lot of time had passed, and I was much older. I was on a ship somewhere in the Pacific ocean and Hoss and Adam were with me. In my right hand were two keys and in my left hand was the compass. I turned to the man standing beside me and it was none other than Lee himself. We were going on another adventure filled with mystery and danger.<\/p>\n I told Hoss about my dream later and he said that if I was smart, I\u2019d go bury the compass and keys somewhere where no one could ever find them. Of course, I didn\u2019t. I wonder if dreams really do come true.<\/p>\n To be continued . . .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nThe Misadventures of Little Joe Cartwright – Book II<\/a><\/p>\n
\ntu peux chercher toute la journ\u00e9e sans trouver le repos.
\nPour trouver le tr\u00e9sor que tu convoites
\nLl te faudra regarder \u00e1 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur<\/p>\n
\nYou may search all day but you\u2019ll find no rest.
\nFor the treasure you seek to win,
\ncan only be found if you look within.<\/p>\n
\nYou are in grave danger. I can\u2019t explain but you must meet me
\nat the Bucket of Blood Saloon no later than eleven-thirty.
\nI\u2019ll be upstairs in the second room to the right. Trust me!
\nGraham<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHey, kid,\u201d the man said with a crooked smile, \u201cThe name\u2019s Lee. I\u2019m afraid Graham won\u2019t be able to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n