{"id":4540,"date":"2007-07-02T20:14:43","date_gmt":"2007-07-03T00:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4540"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:11:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:11:22","slug":"brother-daniel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4540","title":{"rendered":"Brother Daniel (by pjb)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0<\/span>Well-meaning monks try to protect amnesiac Joe after he witnesses a bank robbery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a018,500<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Brother Daniel<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Chapter 1\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

The monastery had been on the hill since before the town was built.<\/strong>\u00a0 As long as people had visited and worked at and lived in San Pedro, they had shared the streets and businesses with the monks.\u00a0 With their rough brown robes, hoods often drawn up, and their quiet ways, the town folks found the monks to be generally indistinguishable from one another.\u00a0 And even though there were some who might have stood out a bit, like skinny Brother Clarence who was six and one-half feet tall, or round Brother Charles who was only five-foot-nothing but weighed well over two hundred fifty pounds, no one could ever keep them straight.\u00a0 Brother Charles had been called Brother Clarence more times than he could count, if he\u2019d bothered counting at all.<\/p>\n

So, it came as no surprise later that, although there were monks in the bank at the time of the robbery, no one was quite certain which ones they were.\u00a0 And for some strange reason, even the monks themselves seemed unsure.<\/p>\n

The monks always traveled in groups of two or three.\u00a0 On this lovely morning in June, Brother Thomas and Brother Nathaniel were headed to the bank, while Brothers Andrew, Gabriel and Thaddeus were at the mercantile.\u00a0 The monks kept three cows, several pigs and a herd of goats.\u00a0 They used some of the milk for their own needs, and they sold or made cheese from the rest.\u00a0 They also had a flock of chickens, and they sold all the eggs they didn\u2019t use.\u00a0 Keeping the herb and vegetable gardens watered took constant vigilance in the dry climate, but they managed so well that some in the town claimed that God was showing them special favor.\u00a0 It was their goal to be as self-sustaining as possible, although there some things they just couldn\u2019t quite manage with such a small group.\u00a0 They purchased such items as flour and corn, and they made do with surprisingly little meat for a group of men.<\/p>\n

On the morning in question, Brothers Thomas and Nathaniel were on their way to deposit the egg money in the bank while the others used the milk money to purchase flour.<\/p>\n

There was a young man in the bank when they entered.\u00a0 He was a very nice-looking man, lean and muscular, wearing a green jacket and a tan hat.\u00a0 He looked at the monks with only slight curiosity when they came in.\u00a0 They nodded to him, and he nodded back.<\/p>\n

Just as the young man turned to the teller and opened his mouth to speak, the door was flung open, and three men burst in, guns cocked.\u00a0 Brother Thomas, who was well on in years and had been in the monastery since he was fifteen, was quite taken aback.\u00a0 His watery blue eyes grew round.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard of bank robberies, of course, but this was the first time he\u2019d ever seen one.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t wait until he got back and told the others all about it.<\/p>\n

Brother Nathaniel was in his mid-fifties.\u00a0 Before taking his vows, he worked as a cowhand on ranches all across the west.\u00a0 It was out on the prairie, under the stars, that he first felt the call of God on his life.\u00a0 Eventually, he turned in his six-shooter and spurs for a Bible and a robe.\u00a0 Even so, Brother Nathaniel had not lost his edge.\u00a0 He had an excellent sense of people.\u00a0 And he knew that, although he wasn\u2019t supposed to think this way, these three men were bad clear through.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody!\u00a0 Hands up!\u201d\u00a0 The leader of the gang was an older man with a squarish face and white hair.\u00a0 Brother Thomas envied him his rich baritone voice; Brother Thomas\u2019 voice had always been a bit wispy, and he wished that he had a deep, authoritative voice like this man.\u00a0 Obediently, though not hurriedly, Brother Thomas raised his hands.\u00a0 He looked around to see whether everyone else had done so.\u00a0 They had, but none of them looked peaceful about it.\u00a0 The two tellers, a pair of wiry young men who looked like brothers, seemed to be terrified.\u00a0 Brother Nathaniel was carefully expressionless, a state which, Brother Thomas knew, meant that he was angry.\u00a0 And the young man in the green jacket was glaring daggers at the robbers.<\/p>\n

One of the robbers was nearly as tall as Brother Clarence and probably weighed twice as much.\u00a0 The third was more of a medium size, with dark hair and a permanent-looking sneer.\u00a0 They were much younger than the leader, but they didn\u2019t seem to Brother Thomas to be any nicer.<\/p>\n

\u201cDown on the floor!\u00a0 Now!\u201d barked the leader.<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas frowned; the floor was dusty, and he did not like to get dirty.\u00a0 He hesitated, and the dark-haired robber reached over and shoved him to his knees.\u00a0 \u201cAre you deaf, old man?\u00a0 He said \u2018down on the floor\u2019!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave him be!\u201d snapped the young man in the green jacket.\u00a0 Brother Thomas turned to smile at him.\u00a0 He was horrified to see that, for his trouble, the nice young man was struck on the head with the gun of the biggest robber.\u00a0 In fact, the big man hit him so hard that the nice young man dropped to the floor, unconscious, blood running down the side of his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas started to get up to go to him, but the dark-haired man shoved him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll do as you say, don\u2019t worry,\u201d said Brother Nathaniel.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Thomas, you need to lie down on the floor now.\u201d\u00a0 The monks had recognized in recent years that Brother Thomas required more and more supervision, although none would have spoken aloud of this development.\u00a0 They simply looked out for him as they would for a small child.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that nice young man is hurt!\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas was the most innocent and good soul that Brother Nathaniel had ever met.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t surprise Brother Nathaniel in the least that Brother Thomas would believe that the bank robbers should wait while he tended to the nice young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Brother, but you need to lie down now.\u201d\u00a0 As he spoke, gentle but firm, Brother Nathaniel lay down on the floor.\u00a0 He nodded to Brother Thomas to do likewise.\u00a0 With a frown that would have been petulant in a child, Brother Thomas lay down unhappily, still watching the motionless young man.<\/p>\n

The large man nudged the nice young man with his foot.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like he\u2019s got prob\u2019ly some money,\u201d he observed.\u00a0 He rolled the young man over and reached into the green jacket for the man\u2019s wallet.\u00a0 Apparently satisfied, he tucked it into his vest pocket.\u00a0 Then, he gestured to one of the tellers with his gun.\u00a0 \u201cOpen the vault,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n

Wide-eyed, the teller said, \u201cI can\u2019t.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know the combination.\u201d\u00a0 Which turned out to be the last words he ever spoke.<\/p>\n

Cursing with disgust, the large man shot the teller, who fell to the floor.\u00a0 He turned to the other one.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about you?\u00a0 You gonna play games, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t playin\u2019 games, mister,\u201d whimpered the second teller.\u00a0 \u201cOnly person who knows the combination is Mr.\u00a0Samson, and he ain\u2019t here yet.\u00a0 But he should be here any minute,\u201d he added nervously, as if hoping that his helpfulness would save his hide.<\/p>\n

No such luck.\u00a0 As casually as he might choose one steak over another, the large man pumped two bullets into the second teller.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough,\u201d said the older man.\u00a0 Brother Thomas saw him frown.\u00a0 He opened his mouth to say something to the man, but Brother Nathaniel caught his eye and shook his head.<\/p>\n

The dark man kicked Brother Nathaniel in the side.\u00a0 \u201cYou think just because you\u2019re men of the cloth, we won\u2019t kill you?\u201d he sneered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ll kill pretty much anybody who gets in your way,\u201d said Brother Nathaniel evenly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I know that God will judge you for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Him judge this,\u201d laughed the dark man.\u00a0 He aimed his gun at Brother Nathaniel\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the sheriff!\u201d\u00a0 The older man shoved him aside, crouching down beneath the window.\u00a0 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than gunfire began from outside, sharp and loud, and the dark man\u2019s attention was distracted from the monks.\u00a0 Brother Thomas was more surprised than anything else.\u00a0 Brother Nathaniel flung himself on top of Brother Thomas.\u00a0 The nice young man was just coming to, but he pushed the monks back against the wall, trying to shield them from the gunfire.\u00a0 Brother Thomas heard shouting, doors banging, guns firing.\u00a0 Then, everything was quiet.<\/p>\n

Cautiously, Brother Thomas lifted his head.\u00a0 The three bad men were gone.\u00a0 The nice young man sat up.\u00a0 He pressed his hand to his head as if he were in serious pain.\u00a0 Brother Nathaniel lay heavily on top of Brother Thomas.\u00a0 Blood puddled onto the floor, but Brother Thomas couldn\u2019t see where it had come from.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Nathaniel!\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas hissed.\u00a0 No answer.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Nathaniel!\u201d<\/p>\n

The nice young man was breathing heavily as he rolled Brother Nathaniel off the older monk and onto the floor.\u00a0 He pushed back the hood of Brother Nathaniel\u2019s robe and felt the monk\u2019s neck.\u00a0 His green eyes were sad when they met Brother Thomas\u2019.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas considered the situation.\u00a0 He knew that Brother Nathaniel was with God, but he liked Brother Nathaniel, and he did wish that the younger monk had remained with him a while longer.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to find the other brothers,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to get Brother Nathaniel back to the monastery.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nice young man nodded.\u00a0 Blood was still trickling down the side of his face from where the bad man had hit him with a gun.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and began to dab at the nice young man\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d the nice young man said.\u00a0 He started to stand up, but he lost his balance and nearly fell, grabbing at the counter.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not fine at all,\u201d said Brother Thomas, rising.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t your parents ever tell you not to lie to a man of the cloth?\u201d<\/p>\n

The nice young man looked perplexed for a moment before he smiled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t reckon they ever got that specific,\u201d he said smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cThey probably just told me not to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd here you\u2019re doing it anyway,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cFor shame.\u00a0 Now, you stay here with Brother Nathaniel, and I\u2019ll go and find the others.\u201d\u00a0 He helped the nice young man to sit back down on the floor.<\/p>\n

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

Before Brother Thomas could answer, the sheriff and his deputy came banging through the front door.\u00a0 They looked perplexed to see only the three men.\u00a0 The sheriff\u2019s face quickly became somber when he realized that Brother Nathaniel was dead.\u00a0 \u201cAnybody else?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The nice young man shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI was out for part of the time.\u201d\u00a0 He looked to Brother Thomas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were two lads working behind the counter,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cI believe they were both shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deputy hustled back behind the counter.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re dead,\u201d he confirmed.\u00a0 Coming back to the front, he said, \u201cYou two are lucky to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not luck,\u201d protested Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re alive by God\u2019s grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff looked askance at Brother Thomas, who stood next to Brother Nathaniel\u2019s body.\u00a0 If this was an example of God\u2019s grace, he sure didn\u2019t want to see God\u2019s wrath.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to take him over to the undertaker for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sheriff, we\u2019ll take him back to the monastery,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cWe always bury our own there,\u201d he added to the nice young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019re you, son?\u201d asked the sheriff.<\/p>\n

The nice young man opened his mouth to answer and stopped.\u00a0 He suddenly looked unsure, worried, and a tiny bit frightened.\u00a0 As he struggled to his feet, Brother Thomas offered, \u201cHe\u2019s with us.\u00a0 He\u2019s helping us.\u00a0 He\u2019s a very nice young man.\u201d\u00a0 He reached out to steady the nice young man, who was swaying and grabbing for something to hold onto.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this very nice young man looks like he could use a doctor,\u201d said the sheriff.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Brother Dominic will take care of him, no need to worry,\u201d said Brother Thomas, holding him steady.\u00a0 The uncertainty in the nice young man\u2019s face was turning into panic.\u00a0 Brother Thomas knew exactly how he felt, and he knew that, whenever he felt that way, the best thing to do was to go back to the monastery.\u00a0 \u201cSheriff, if you\u2019d be good enough to find Brother Andrew, Brother Thaddeus and Brother Gabriel\u2014they should be at the mercantile\u2014and have them come back here with our wagon, we\u2019ll take care of getting Brother Nathaniel out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever you say, Brother,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He was pretty new to this town and, like most of the townfolk, he couldn\u2019t tell most of these monks apart, but he\u2019d seen this old guy around a lot.\u00a0 Nicest fellow you\u2019d meet in a day\u2019s walk, even if he was a few cards short of a deck.<\/p>\n

After the sheriff and the deputy left, Brother Thomas turned to the nice young man.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to sit down until the others get here,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 The nice young man did not appear to be listening.\u00a0 He looked very, very troubled.\u00a0 Brother Thomas took his arm and pulled him down to the floor so that he was sitting with his back against the wall.\u00a0 Lightly, the old monk ran his fingers over the nice young man\u2019s wound.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to have a lump there,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bet it hurts, too.\u00a0 Well, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 Brother Dominic is very gifted.\u00a0 He takes care of our animals, and he does a fine job with us, too.\u201d\u00a0 When the nice young man said nothing, Brother Thomas smiled gently.\u00a0 \u201cThe rest of it will sort itself out,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

The nice young man jerked around as if startled at the comment.\u00a0 Immediately, he put a hand to his head from the pain of the sudden movement.\u00a0 He looked up at Brother Thomas warily.\u00a0 Brother Thomas noticed that he had green eyes and wondered if he\u2019d chosen his jacket to match them.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust wait and talk to Brother Dominic,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 He knew just how the nice young man felt.\u00a0 Even though he should have been used to it by now, he still found it frightening when he forgot things that he used to know.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know why the nice young man hadn\u2019t seemed to be able to remember his name for the sheriff, but it didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 The brothers would take care of him until he remembered again, just the way they always did for Brother Thomas.<\/p>\n

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

Ben Cartwright watched as the last person stepped from the stagecoach.\u00a0 For the third day in a row, his youngest son was not among the passengers.\u00a0 His annoyance at the young man\u2019s tardiness was starting to teeter on the edge of concern.\u00a0 Usually, if Joe was delayed, he\u2019d send word.\u00a0 Ben tried not to think of all the things that could happen to a man carrying a bank draft for twenty-five thousand dollars.<\/p>\n

The money represented the price of the timber they\u2019d sold to Gus Starr and the price of the land they were buying from Gary Hanson.\u00a0 It had seemed such an efficient method of closing both transactions:\u00a0 have Joe pick up the draft in one town and take it to the other.\u00a0 Simple, but the substantial amount was the whole reason he\u2019d insisted on Joe traveling by stage instead of riding, as Joe had wanted.\u00a0 It had been a tradeoff:\u00a0 send one man alone by stage, or send at least two on horseback.\u00a0 Given how shorthanded they were this spring, the idea of having only one of his boys gone had seemed preferable.\u00a0 Now, Ben wasn\u2019t so sure.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d\u00a0 His middle son, Hoss, hustled up the sidewalk.\u00a0 The big man\u2019s face, usually jovial, was creased with concern.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s heart lurched.\u00a0 Of all his sons, Hoss was the one who usually took things in stride.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, son?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 It\u2019s not time to worry.\u00a0 It\u2019s nothing serious.\u00a0 It\u2019s something that can be fixed.<\/em>\u00a0 Ben\u2019s face remained impassive as he fought down the sudden urge to panic.<\/p>\n

Grimly, Hoss handed his father a piece of paper.\u00a0 \u201cWire came from Mr. Hanson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the wire.\u00a0 He felt his face grow pale as he read it.\u00a0 \u201cDRAFT HAS NOT ARRIVED STOP PLEASE ADVISE RE REASON FOR DELAY STOP TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE STOP.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was to supposed to have picked up the bank draft in San Pedro.\u00a0 He and the draft were supposed to have arrived at Gary Hanson\u2019s office in White Springs on the twenty-fifth.<\/p>\n

Ten days ago.<\/p>\n

But Joe had never arrived.<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes for a moment.\u00a0 All around him, daily life went on.\u00a0 The stage pulled away from the station.\u00a0 Across the street, three young men loaded sacks of grain onto a buckboard.\u00a0 A cluster of women in soft-colored dresses tried to squeeze past Hoss, and the big man automatically tipped his hat as he stepped aside to let them pass.\u00a0 The cheerful tinny music of a saloon piano provided ironic counterpoint.<\/p>\n

Finally, Ben found his voice.\u00a0 \u201cHave Adam wire the bank in San Pedro,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cFind out if Joe ever picked up the draft.\u00a0 Then, meet me at the mercantile.\u00a0 We\u2019ll need supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded.\u00a0 Nothing more needed to be said.\u00a0 They were going after Little Joe.<\/p>\n

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

Brother Dominic looked somber as he entered the dining room to find the brothers gathered at the table, waiting for him.\u00a0 The large, rough-hewn table had been one of the first pieces of furniture made by the brothers for their new monastery, some sixty years earlier.\u00a0 Originally intended simply as a dining table, it had served many other purposes over the years.\u00a0 Some of the gouges in its surface came from its periodic use as a carpenter\u2019s bench.\u00a0 When they held school for the local children, the boys and girls could be spread out around the table, far enough apart to minimize poking and whispering and tugging of pigtails.\u00a0 On more than one occasion, the table, heavily draped with sheets, had served as an operating table, and on one memorable occasion, a young woman had given birth there.\u00a0 The brothers scrubbed the table\u2019s surface very, very well after such uses.<\/p>\n

The table also served as the brothers\u2019 central meeting place for discussion of business.\u00a0 It was an unspoken rule that business was not discussed in the parlor; the parlor was for rest and refreshment on the Sabbath.\u00a0 Through the years, many serious matters pertaining to the operation of the monastery had been raised, discussed and resolved at that table.\u00a0 It was an article of faith among the brothers that, however heated the debates might be while at the table for a meeting, such discord was left behind when they rose.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he?\u201d asked Brother Gabriel.\u00a0 A small, slim man in his mid-forties, Brother Gabriel looked as if he would have been quite the dapper dresser, had he had occasion to wear anything other than rough brown robes.\u00a0 He had a fondness for tea that was unequaled in the experience of the other brothers, and even now, he still occasionally extended his pinky when he drank, much to the amusement of the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s asleep,\u201d said Brother Dominic, sliding into his accustomed place between Brother Thaddeus and Brother Charles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it true that he really doesn\u2019t remember anything?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thaddeus\u2019 hair had been gray since before he came to the monastery at the age of twenty-three, forty years earlier, and it flopped on his forehead when he walked quickly.\u00a0 His blue eyes bulged slightly, giving him the appearance of being awestruck at whatever was being said to him.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNothing before he came to in the bank,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t know his name, where he\u2019s from, why he was there\u2014nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut didn\u2019t he have anything with him that would explain this?\u201d asked Brother Charles reasonably.\u00a0 Brother Charles had, at one time, struggled between a desire to practice law and a sense that God was calling him to join the ministry.\u00a0 His tendency to challenge and question gave the other brothers ample opportunity to practice patience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe robbers stole his wallet,\u201d Brother Thomas reminded them.\u00a0 As the only other eyewitness of the robbery, he had already told them what he\u2019d seen.\u00a0 He was a bit disturbed to find that there were parts that he didn\u2019t recall as clearly as he might have expected, but the others did not seem to be either surprised or displeased by this turn of events, and so he did not linger on this failing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing he had in his pocket was a picture of a woman,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t know who she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brothers perked up at this information.\u00a0 They had, of course, all taken a vow of chastity upon joining the monastery.\u00a0 Being normal, red-blooded men, they had all had occasion to struggle with their fidelity to this vow over the years, but they supported each other through the struggles.\u00a0 Privately, each felt he was somewhat entitled as a result to live vicariously through the romantic experiences of others, and so the announcement that their guest had a woman in his life whose picture he carried provided the possibility of fresh stories upon which to ruminate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does she look like?\u201d asked Brother Gabriel somewhat tentatively.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s quite beautiful,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cBut our young friend has no idea who she is.\u201d\u00a0 He was well aware of which piece of information was more intriguing to the brothers at that moment, but he felt a responsibility to keep their minds on the real question.<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly, she must be important to him, if he\u2019s carrying her picture,\u201d said Brother Clarence.\u00a0 Brother Charles nodded his approval of the tall monk\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she is,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cBut he doesn\u2019t remember her.\u00a0 She could be his wife, and he doesn\u2019t know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would imagine that she probably is,\u201d said Brother Andrew.\u00a0 \u201cWhat other woman\u2019s picture would he carry?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Andrew\u2019s dark hair and ruddy complexion made him look even younger than he was.\u00a0 In fact, in his early thirties, he was the youngest of the brothers.\u00a0 His wife had died eight years before he entered the monastery.\u00a0 Long discussion and debate had surrounded the issue of whether he would be permitted to keep a picture of her.\u00a0 Brother Charles argued that doing so would constitute Brother Andrew\u2019s hanging onto his old life and would prevent him from wholeheartedly stepping into this new world as a servant of God.\u00a0 Brother Clarence claimed that it was unrealistic to pretend that the man had had no life before entering the monastery and that, since the woman had been his lawful wedded wife, there was no sin in the fact of the relationship which could cause him to stumble.\u00a0 The debate had been fierce, threatening to degenerate into an all-out battle, complete with pounding on the table.\u00a0 At last, Brother Dominic called a halt and asked that they all bow for a time of silent prayer.\u00a0 Fully an hour passed before another word was spoken aloud.\u00a0 When the monks finally rose from the table, stiff from sitting so long, agreement had been reached:\u00a0 Brother Andrew would retain the daguerrotype, but he would not display it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she is, it\u2019s all the more reason we need to see what we can do for him,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.\u00a0 \u201cSuppose they have children?\u00a0 They\u2019ll be needing him to come home and take care of them.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around the table.\u00a0 \u201cDoes anybody have any idea what we would need to do to help him get his memory back?\u201d\u00a0 All eyes turned expectantly to Brother Dominic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea,\u201d the older man confessed.\u00a0 \u201cThe animals never seem to have this problem.\u201d\u00a0 Although Brother Dominic had been doctoring the monks, members of the community and passing strangers ever since he\u2019d arrived in San Pedro nearly fifteen years earlier, his training was in animal medicine.\u00a0 His father had owned a livery stable, and young Dominic had trailed after him as he tended the horses and any other animals that people needed to have treated.\u00a0 No one disputed that Brother Dominic had a special gift for healing.\u00a0 From the harvest of his extensive herb garden, he concocted brews and poultices, the effectiveness of which rivaled anything prescribed by the town doctor, who resented him mightily as a result.\u00a0 Last spring, Brother Dominic\u2019s little book of herbal remedies had gone missing.\u00a0 Though none of the brothers would have admitted it, they all suspected the town doctor of having purloined it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is, however, a more immediate problem,\u201d Brother Dominic added.\u00a0 At the raised eyebrows of his brothers, he smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHe has no idea what his name is.\u00a0 We need to call him something.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was precisely the type of debate the brothers enjoyed most.\u00a0 Brother Gabriel poured tea as they suggested and argued and advocated, flipping pages of the Bible for suitable candidates.\u00a0 James, Michael, Joseph, Peter, and David were all considered and rejected, as were Malachi, Habbakkuk, Abraham, Zephaniah, and Brother Charles\u2019 ironic suggestion that they call the young man Methusaleh.\u00a0 Finally, as the softening of the late afternoon light signified time for evening prayers, they reached agreement.\u00a0 Satisfied, they dispersed to the chapel to ring the bell and pray for the protection and healing of their new friend, Daniel.<\/p>\n

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

Daniel leaned his face against the cow\u2019s warm flank for a moment as milk spurted into the pail.\u00a0 The systematic squeezing of the teats, one finger after the other rolling downward again and again, felt so automatic that he knew he must have done it before.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t needed to have it explained to him, but it didn\u2019t trigger any memories.\u00a0 Nothing did\u2014not his clothes, the picture of the woman that was in his jacket pocket, or even his own face in the glass.\u00a0 It was as if he\u2019d been born at however old he was\u2014he didn\u2019t even know his age or birthday, simple things that a child knows.\u00a0 He wondered if he had any children.\u00a0 His parents might still be alive, or maybe not.\u00a0 The monks seemed to assume that the woman in the picture was his wife, and he couldn\u2019t say one way or the other.\u00a0 She might be a friend, a sister, a mother, or a lost love, for all he knew.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if he had any brothers or sisters, or other family members or even close friends, or if he walked this world alone.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know where he lived or what he did for a living.\u00a0 He seemed to have an affinity for the animals, especially the horses, but he had no idea whether he\u2019d worked with them before.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019d owned a livery stable, or worked in one.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019d been a cowboy.\u00a0 Then again, maybe he\u2019d stood behind a counter in a store, wearing an apron and watching as other men lived those lives.<\/p>\n

He knew that the brothers were watching him, trying to piece together clues about him.\u00a0 He wanted to be able to tell them about himself.\u00a0 All he knew were his physical characteristics\u2014slight build, green eyes, left-handed, curly hair a bit too long.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t wear spectacles.\u00a0 The pearl-handled gun they\u2019d recovered at the bank felt natural in his hand, and so he thought it was probably his, but he didn\u2019t know if he\u2019d ever killed anyone with it.\u00a0 He had some scars at various places on his body, but he had no idea what had caused them.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t resist when they wanted to name him Daniel.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t his name\u2014of this, he was certain, simply because it didn\u2019t sound familiar\u2014but it was as good as anything else.<\/p>\n

Daniel stripped the cow dry and sat back on the stool, patting her flank.\u00a0 \u201cGood girl,\u201d he said, getting to his feet.\u00a0 The cow stepped forward, and her right back hoof landed squarely in the milk pail, spilling it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou damn fool cow!\u201d\u00a0 He reached down for the pail just as she kicked her hoof free of it.\u00a0 Hoof and pail connected squarely with Daniel\u2019s right temple, sending him sprawling backward to land flat on the floor of the barn, out cold.<\/p>\n

The next thing he knew, he was in bed.\u00a0 A cold, wet cloth was being pressed against his aching head.\u00a0 He forced his eyes open, immediately squeezing them shut against the incredibly bright light.\u00a0 After a minute, he opened them just a tiny bit and saw a blurry Brother Dominic looking serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome back,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d said Daniel, wondering why he said it even as the word left his mouth.\u00a0 He was far from fine.\u00a0 His head was throbbing, he felt sick to his stomach, and it was hard to focus.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic snorted gently.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt that very much,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHow many fingers am I holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel squinted.\u00a0 \u201cTwo.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite a guess, and Brother Dominic seemed to be satisfied.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cow stepped in the milk,\u201d Daniel said.\u00a0 \u201cI tried to get the pail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd she kicked you,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have done that.\u00a0 You could have been killed.\u201d\u00a0 He dipped the cloth into a bowl of cold water, wrung it out and reapplied it to the young man\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel considered the question.\u00a0\u00a0My name is\u2014,\u00a0<\/em>he thought, but he had no idea how to complete the sentence.\u00a0 He started to shake his head in response, but the slightest movement sent jolts of pain through his skull.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t move,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cJust tell me yes or no.\u00a0 Do you remember anything from before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Daniel whispered.\u00a0 He wanted so much to be able to say yes.\u00a0 \u201cShould I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can happen that way,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s rare, but it can happen.\u00a0 More likely, some event will trigger a memory, probably when you least expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t expect it now,\u201d offered Daniel.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic smiled.\u00a0 The bitter disappointment on the handsome young face was hard to watch.\u00a0 \u201cGive yourself some time,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve had two head injuries in the space of a few days, and it appears that you have a concussion this time.\u00a0 You need to stay quiet for now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want you out of this bed before Sunday.\u00a0 That\u2019s four days from now,\u201d he added as Daniel frowned.<\/p>\n

Just then, Daniel saw another blurry brown shape approach.\u00a0 \u201cHow is he?\u201d asked Brother Thaddeus.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s awake,\u201d said Brother Dominic, as if he weren\u2019t.\u00a0 \u201cConcussion.\u00a0 Sensitive to light.\u00a0 Probably nauseated.\u00a0 How\u2019s your stomach?\u201d he asked, switching his focus to Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot great,\u201d Daniel admitted.\u00a0 It was an understatement.<\/p>\n

\u201cMemory or not, he\u2019s going to be with us for a while,\u201d concluded Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cDid Brother Gabriel make the tea I asked for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWater\u2019s boiling,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.\u00a0 \u201cHe was just waiting until Daniel woke up.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t want the tea to steep too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBring the tea in, please,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not going to be up for anything solid tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still here, Daniel wanted to say, but he was suddenly terribly tired.\u00a0 Without another thought, he closed his eyes and slid back into blessedly pain-free sleep.<\/p>\n

True to his word, Brother Dominic managed to keep Daniel in bed until Sunday.\u00a0 By that time, the young man was chafing at his confinement.\u00a0 His eyes were still inordinately sensitive to light, to the point where Brother Charles procured a pair of dark glasses which the younger man initially scoffed at, but ultimately wore.\u00a0 As the days passed, the headaches lessened, but a sudden movement could still cause a shaft of pain to pierce his skull with such intensity as to cause him to double over, gasping for breath.<\/p>\n

In an effort to keep Daniel simultaneously occupied and quiet, Brother Andrew commandeered him to assist in preparing dinner.\u00a0 He placed a large pile of vegetables before the younger man and handed him a knife, and they both began chopping vegetables for the soup.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you been here?\u201d Daniel asked after a few minutes of silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree years,\u201d said Brother Andrew.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a telegraph operator,\u201d said Brother Andrew.\u00a0 \u201cMy wife and I lived in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something flitted through Daniel\u2019s brain, but it was gone too fast.\u00a0 Had he, too, been a telegraph operator?\u00a0 Did he have a wife?\u00a0 Mentally, he shrugged.\u00a0 He was becoming accustomed to this feeling that the answers were ever so slightly out of reach.\u00a0 Better not to dwell on it, or so Brother Dominic said.\u00a0 So, he asked, \u201cYour wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Andrew nodded.\u00a0 \u201cElena,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe met when we were seven and married at sixteen.\u00a0 She died when we were twenty.\u00a0 Scarlet fever,\u201d he said at Daniel\u2019s questioning look.\u00a0 \u201cI fought God hard on that one.\u00a0 She was the best person I ever knew.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t make any sense at all, and I made certain that God knew I thought so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re here,\u201d said Daniel.<\/p>\n

Brother Andrew nodded again.\u00a0 \u201cThe funny thing is that, after I\u2019d finished yelling at God for messing up, I started to think about other things, like the fact that He\u2019s the sovereign God of the universe and He doesn\u2019t owe anybody anything, including an explanation.\u00a0 \u2018\u201cFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,\u201d declares the Lord.\u2019\u00a0 Does that sound familiar?\u201d\u00a0 Daniel shook his head, wincing at the pain caused by the instinctive movement.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s from the book of Isaiah.\u00a0 I must have read that verse a hundred times.\u00a0 And I spent a lot of time in the last few chapters of Job, where God calls Job to account for having questioned Him.\u00a0 It took a long time, but I started to consider the idea that, just maybe, the God who made the world knew what He was doing when he took Elena and left me in a world that didn\u2019t have her in it.\u00a0 And finally, I understood:\u00a0 God is God, and I\u2019m not.\u00a0 And that was when I started to think about a life where I could focus on serving Him, and praying and studying and meditating.\u00a0 So, I came here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut surely this wasn\u2019t the only place around, was it?\u201d\u00a0 Daniel was trying to be tactful, but he couldn\u2019t understand why someone would choose dry, dusty, sleepy little San Pedro.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d said Brother Andrew.\u00a0 \u201cThere are some very large missions in California and Arizona, but I didn\u2019t want that life.\u00a0 I wanted a small community\u2014a family, if you will.\u00a0 I had no family except for Elena.\u00a0 I was wandering from town to town when I came upon this place by accident\u2014if, of course, it can ever be said that a child of God does anything by accident.\u00a0 And I stayed in town and watched, and I talked with the brothers, and they allowed me to worship and pray with them.\u00a0 Eventually, we all agreed, and I took my vows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014what kind of monks are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re sort of Franciscans, but not really,\u201d said Brother Andrew.\u00a0 \u201cI think that\u2019s how the monastery started, but it\u2019s always been a very independent little place.\u00a0 I\u2019m not at all certain that any order would claim us now, even if we wanted to be claimed.\u00a0 We\u2019re just here, serving and worshipping God as best we can.\u201d\u00a0 He gathered up a large pile of carrots and onion from his side of the table and dropped them into the pot.\u00a0 \u201cJust a few more potatoes, and we should be ready,\u201d he said approvingly.\u00a0 He rose and reached for the chicken carcass that Brother Thaddeus had cleaned and plucked earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Andrew?\u201d\u00a0 The voice was so tentative that the monk turned back in surprise.\u00a0 Daniel\u2019s eyes were hidden by the dark glasses, and his growing beard further obscured his face, but the furrowed brow evidenced concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d Brother Andrew said when Daniel said no more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u2014if I were to stay like this forever\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d coaxed the monk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith no memory,\u201d said Daniel, the words clearly costing him.\u00a0 \u201cIf I were\u2014do you think that\u2014maybe\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He sounded so uncertain, so young.\u00a0 Brother Andrew doubted that he had as much as ten years on the younger man, but suddenly, he felt very old and wise.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure that won\u2019t be an issue,\u201d he said reassuringly, although he was far from certain.\u00a0 What he was certain of was that, memory or not, the brothers would never turn Daniel out.\u00a0 And deep in his heart, he was equally certain that, memory or not, the day would come when Daniel would choose to leave.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss walked slowly toward the horses, shaking his head.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to say more.\u00a0 Ben and Adam knew.\u00a0 Another town that Joe had passed through and left, presumably intact.<\/p>\n

They had been riding for two weeks, stopping in every town the stage went through and asking around.\u00a0 In each town, somebody\u2014usually somebody in a saloon\u2014remembered the good-looking young man in the green jacket.\u00a0 A charmer and a flirt, a bad poker player, a surprisingly good brawler\u2014the comments would have identified Joe Cartwright even if the physical description hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 The sheriffs in those towns all shook their heads when asked if the young man had been involved in any disturbance.\u00a0 As far as anyone knew, he had left each of those towns peaceably, boarding the stage and moving on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest get some fresh supplies,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s almost a full day to San Pedro.\u201d\u00a0 None of them looked forward to San Pedro.\u00a0 That was where the trail went cold.<\/p>\n

The bank in San Pedro had confirmed by wire that Joe had never picked up the draft.\u00a0 It was still sitting in Mr.\u00a0Samson\u2019s top desk drawer, as it had been for nearly four weeks.\u00a0 No one, of any description, had asked for it.<\/p>\n

Samson hadn\u2019t mentioned the robbery in his wire.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t as if it had anything to do with the fact that the Cartwright boy had never arrived.\u00a0 Besides, Samson wanted to continue doing business with the Ponderosa, and he didn\u2019t want Ben Cartwright thinking that his bank was not secure.\u00a0 So, he kept mum, hoping that no one else would tell the Cartwrights about the robbery.<\/p>\n

In any event, it didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 There were only two explanations for the draft still being there.<\/p>\n

Joe had never gotten to San Pedro.<\/p>\n

Or he had never made it to the bank.<\/p>\n

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

Brother Daniel looked around as Brother Clarence drove the wagon into town, with Brother Andrew beside him.\u00a0 The street looked vaguely familiar, but he didn\u2019t know if it was because he\u2019d seen it when they\u2019d left the bank after the robbery, or if he was actually remembering something.\u00a0 He felt hot and sticky inside the rough brown robe.\u00a0 He wished that he could wear his own clothes and carry his gun, but the brothers had been adamant.\u00a0 No one knew if the robbers were around, and they weren\u2019t likely to be able to distinguish one monk from another any better than the townspeople.\u00a0 Especially with the dark glasses and his new beard, Brother Daniel was virtually unrecognizable as the young man in the green jacket who had seen the robbers commit cold-blooded murder.<\/p>\n

The disguise had come at a cost.\u00a0 Brother Daniel had argued hotly that he was quite capable of defending himself if he should encounter the robbers, and for a while, it looked as if he were going to insist over the objections of the monks.\u00a0 But finally, when they all stopped shouting, Brother Thomas spoke up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the robbers were to kill you, we wouldn\u2019t know how to contact your family to tell them you were dead,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0 \u201cAll they would ever know is that you left them and didn\u2019t come back.\u00a0 They would never know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stricken, Brother Daniel stared at the old monk.\u00a0 His eyes appeared to be filled with tears for a moment, though whether at the thought of his unknown family or of their believing he abandoned them, no one could tell.\u00a0 He swallowed hard and pushed himself from the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d he said huskily.\u00a0 He strode from the room, leaving the others in silence around the table.\u00a0 Brother Andrew started to rise as if to follow, but Brother Dominic restrained him with a hand on his arm.<\/p>\n

Now, as the others transacted business at the feed and grain store, Brother Daniel looked around, trying to jog his memory.\u00a0 Each time something seemed to nudge at him, he attempted the same sentence:\u00a0 \u201cMy name is\u2014\u201d\u00a0 But again and again, he had no idea how to complete the thought, a fact that left him feeling disturbingly vulnerable.\u00a0 He would never have admitted it, but a part of him was glad for the anonymity of the robe, the beard and the glasses.\u00a0 If he didn\u2019t know who he was, it was just as well that no one else did, either.<\/p>\n

After the feed store, they walked along the board sidewalk to the mercantile.\u00a0 Brother Daniel slowed his steps as they approached the saloon.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Brothers, think we can stop in here for a minute?\u201d\u00a0 As the words left his mouth, he realized that they sounded familiar.<\/p>\n

Brother Andrew and Brother Clarence looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

There were a lot of things Brother Daniel didn\u2019t remember, but he was pretty sure that he\u2019d never heard a man ask why he should stop into a saloon.\u00a0 \u201cJust for a quick beer,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Seeing their faces, he said slowly, \u201cYou do drink beer, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Brother Clarence.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t drink alcohol of any kind, except for wine when we celebrate the eucharist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNone?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Daniel was flabbergasted.\u00a0 He took off his dark glasses, squinting even in the shadow of the overhang as he tried to see whether the tall monk might be joking.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone,\u201d said Brother Clarence calmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that one of your vows, too?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Daniel tried to keep the incredulity out of his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in so many words, but it\u2019s the way we choose to live,\u201d said Brother Clarence.\u00a0 His calm, slightly patronizing demeanor reminded Brother Daniel of someone.\u00a0 He tried to reach down into the recesses of his brain for the memory, but he couldn\u2019t grasp it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, how would we pay for it?\u201d said Brother Andrew reasonably.\u00a0 \u201cWe do take a vow of poverty, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I didn\u2019t take a vow of poverty,\u201d said Brother Daniel somewhat heatedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen feel free to spend all\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0money in the saloon,\u201d said Brother Clarence, looking him squarely in the eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u201d\u00a0 Brother Daniel bit off the word.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0 If there was one thing almost as bad as not knowing who he was, it was not having any money to get out of this place.\u00a0 He hooked the dark glasses over his ears, jammed his fists into the pockets of his robe and stormed past the saloon, unaware that a certain saloon girl was watching him, her jaw hanging as she saw how he was dressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat rotten, no-good, son of a\u2014\u201d\u00a0 She flounced over to the bar.\u00a0 \u201cCarl!\u00a0 I need a whiskey, now!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam and Hoss stopped just inside the saloon door to let their eyes adjust after the bright daylight.\u00a0 When they could see in the dimness, they scrutinized the patrons.\u00a0 Lucky for Joe, he was nowhere to be seen.\u00a0 Adam reflected grimly that if they\u2019d come in to see him trying to draw to an inside straight, there probably wouldn\u2019t have been enough pieces left of him to take back to Pa.<\/p>\n

The two men got themselves beers and looked around, trying to decide which saloon girl was likely to be Joe\u2019s type.\u00a0 After a minute, they saw her:\u00a0 petite but bosomy, soft red curls, doe-like brown eyes, ladylike attitude.\u00a0 They nodded to each other and approached her.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, miss,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re lookin\u2019 for a feller.\u00a0 Wondered if you mighta seen him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d said the girl softly.\u00a0 She adjusted the feather in her hair and pushed the lace trim of her bodice down a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a good-looking young fellow, green eyes, nice smile,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cVery charming.\u00a0 Bad poker player, but won\u2019t give up until he\u2019s tapped out.\u00a0 Probably came through in the last few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s eyes grew wide.\u00a0 \u201cHim?<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 She spat the word out with venom.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I remember him, all right.\u00a0 That rotten, no-good, son of a\u2014\u201d\u00a0 The epithets spewed forth with such ferocity that Adam and Hoss almost ducked to avoid them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that sounds like him,\u201d Adam said when she stopped for breath.\u00a0 \u201cWhat exactly did he do to get you this upset?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came in here, all sweet and flirty, and he was gonna come back the next day to\u2014well, you know\u2014and not only did he not come back the next day, but it turned out that wretched excuse for a man was lyin\u2019 the whole time!\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t ever gonna come back!\u00a0 I was just his last fling before he went over to that blasted church and took those blasted vows!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore he what?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 voice skidded up at least an octave.<\/p>\n

\u201cTook.\u00a0 Those. Blasted.\u00a0 Vows!\u201d\u00a0 The girl glared from one Cartwright to the other.\u00a0 \u201cWho the hell are you, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2014we\u2019re his brothers, ma\u2019am,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n

The girl slapped him with all her strength.\u00a0 \u201cYou be sure to give that to your brother for me,\u201d she said.\u00a0 Hoss rubbed his stinging cheek as she turned on her heel and marched across the room.<\/p>\n

Stunned into silence, Adam and Hoss stared at each other.\u00a0 \u201cDid she just say what I thought she said?\u201d Hoss said finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sure did,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSeems our little brother went and got himself married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout even tellin\u2019 anybody?\u00a0 That don\u2019t make no sense.\u00a0 Unless\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He broke off, and Adam nodded.\u00a0 Together, they articulated the same conclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cShotgun wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Two hours later, Hoss poured himself another shot.\u00a0 \u201cI jest can\u2019t believe it,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cHow could he do such a dang fool thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to say it, Younger Brother, but it was probably just a matter of time,\u201d said Adam, holding out his glass for a refill.\u00a0 \u201cRemember Molly Conway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they were just kids!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey may have been just kids, but they were, shall we say, dabbling in some grownup behavior.\u201d\u00a0 Adam remembered well the day he\u2019d found his little brother hiding down by the lake, looking as scared as it was possible for one person to look.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t taken much to pull the story out of the boy, who kept insisting that it wasn\u2019t fair, it had only happened once.\u00a0 The notion of his sixteen-year-old brother being dumb enough to get himself and this girl into such a fix made Adam want to punch something, but he put his own feelings about Joe\u2019s possibly being a father on the shelf and concentrated on keeping the kid from falling completely to pieces while they waited three unending days until Molly said that no, it was a false alarm.\u00a0 It had taken some fancy maneuvering to keep the kid away from Pa until they knew\u2014Little Joe was so rattled that he would have spilled everything, and false alarm or not, Pa would have had him marching down the aisle in a heartbeat.\u00a0 Adam would have thought that a scare like that would have put the fear of God into his little brother, but apparently, Joe\u2019s memory was not all it could be.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is gonna kill Pa,\u201d muttered Hoss.\u00a0 Normally, drink made the big man even more genial.\u00a0 On occasion, though, it had the opposite effect.\u00a0 This looked like it was going to be one of those occasions.\u00a0 He was starting to grumble threats at Little Joe for doing such a dang fool thing and upsetting their pa.<\/p>\n

Adam pushed back his chair.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwright brothers left the saloon.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna beat the daylights out of him.\u00a0 In fact, I\u2019m gonna tear that little brother limb from limb,\u201d announced Hoss loudly, weaving slightly and slurring a bit more.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna smash that dadburned little turnip into the ground.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna wring his scrawny neck until his eyes pop out of his skull.\u00a0 Then, you know what I\u2019m gonna do?\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna put him back together so\u2019s I can do it all over again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, now,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 Why did it always fall to him to be the voice of reason?\u00a0 \u201cSave some for me.\u00a0 I get to tear him apart him, too.\u00a0 And then Pa\u2019s going to want to have a piece of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna take that dang green jacket of his and string him up with it, and then I\u2019m gonna use Little Brother as a punching bag!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss slammed a fist into his palm.\u00a0 \u201cAnd when I\u2019m done, there ain\u2019t gonna enough of him left to put in a coffee cup!\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither man noticed as they stumbled past the two monks, who were wide-eyed with horror.\u00a0 At the mention of the green jacket, Brother Gabriel and Brother Thaddeus turned and fled down the sidewalk to the mercantile.\u00a0 These men didn\u2019t look as if they were going to go shopping, but Brother Daniel needed to get out of town, just in case.<\/p>\n

They hurried along the dusty sidewalk so fast that they nearly ran into the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cSheriff!\u201d\u00a0 Brother Gabriel exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cJust the man we needed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow so, Brother?\u201d\u00a0 The sheriff had long since given up on calling them by name, but they didn\u2019t seem to mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose bank robbers are back!\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff\u2019s languid expression vanished.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thaddeus\u2019 head bobbed vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cThey were walking down the sidewalk, drunk in the middle of the day, and they were threatening Brother Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey threatened him?\u00a0 Was he with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sheriff, but they were threatening him,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.\u00a0 \u201cThey said the most awful things about what they would do to him, and\u2014well, you remember how, when he got here, Brother Daniel was wearing that green jacket?\u201d\u00a0 The sheriff nodded.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t see a lot of those in San Pedro.\u00a0 \u201cWell, the big one even said that he was going to string Brother Daniel up by his green jacket!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s good enough for me,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cJust tell me where they are, and I\u2019ll take them in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The monks looked around.\u00a0 \u201cThere they are!\u201d said Brother Gabriel triumphantly, pointing.\u00a0 \u201cThe big one and the one in the dark outfit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure it\u2019s them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPositive,\u201d said Brother Gabriel.\u00a0 Now, all they had to do was to find the third one, and Brother Daniel would be safe until he remembered his name and they could send him back to his wife.\u00a0 They watched from across the street as the sheriff approached the two men, who seemed awfully unhappy about being arrested.\u00a0 The sheriff drew his gun and took theirs, and the monks watched, quite satisfied and relieved, as the two men were escorted over to the jail.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhere are my sons?\u201d\u00a0 Ben Cartwright\u2019s thundering baritone nearly rattled the windows of the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

The sheriff looked unimpressed.\u00a0 \u201cYour sons,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sons,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThe two men you pulled off the street and threw into your jail for no reason whatsoever.\u201d\u00a0 He threw onto the sheriff\u2019s desk the note from Adam that the deputy had delivered to the hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I had a reason, all right,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to see your sons?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you will,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 He unfolded his lanky frame from behind the desk and picked up the keys to the jail.\u00a0 \u201cThis way,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He led the way into the back, where Adam leaned against the bars of the cell and Hoss had flopped onto the cot.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Thank God you\u2019re here!\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch your use of the Lord\u2019s name, young man,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou,\u201d said the sheriff to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cStep away from the bars.\u201d\u00a0 Adam did so, and the sheriff unlocked the door, allowing Ben to enter.\u00a0 Once Ben had walked into the cell, the sheriff closed the door behind him, locking it with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cSheriff, I\u2019m not going to be here that long,\u201d called Ben as the sheriff turned to leave.<\/p>\n

The sheriff turned back with a big grin.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I think you are,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI got me three bank robbers, and you ain\u2019t goin\u2019 nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBank robbers!\u201d\u00a0 Ben was dumbfounded.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss nodded wearily.<\/p>\n

\u201cBank robbers,\u201d smirked the sheriff.\u00a0 He was immensely proud of the way he\u2019d outsmarted the leader of the gang.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the bank hasn\u2019t even been robbed since we\u2019ve been in town!\u201d sputtered Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot this time,\u201d allowed the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cThis is from when you were here a few weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019ve never been here before!\u201d\u00a0 stormed Ben.<\/p>\n

The sheriff was unflapped.\u00a0 \u201cYou say you ain\u2019t been here,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI got two monks who can put you at the scene.\u00a0 Now, I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re a poker player, mister, but I think in this case, a pair of monks beats three bank robbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonks?\u201d\u00a0 Ben had a vague recollection of seeing a couple of men in brown robes but, like most of the town, he hadn\u2019t paid them any mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonks,\u201d said the sheriff firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are they?\u201d demanded Ben.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are their names?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Adam said softly.\u00a0 \u201cWhy does it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know any monks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014no, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why could it possibly matter what their names are?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to talk to them,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 He was nearly as frustrated by his eldest son as by the sheriff, who was slouching against the doorway with an insouciant grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can talk to them at the trial,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you tell \u2019em why you killed those two tellers and Brother Nathaniel.\u201d\u00a0 He straightened and started through the door.\u00a0 \u201cDinner\u2019s at five,\u201d he added over his shoulder, chuckling.<\/p>\n

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

The lawyer had a florid complexion and a round belly that strained against his waistcoat.\u00a0 His smile, though broad, was unconvincing.\u00a0 He shook hands with the Cartwrights through the bars of the jail.<\/p>\n

\u201cMalcolm Albert, at your service, gentlemen,\u201d he said, pulling up a chair to the bars.\u00a0 He shuffled the papers he carried.\u00a0 \u201cHmmm.\u00a0 Robbery, assault, murder\u2014oh, three counts of murder.\u00a0 And one of them a monk.\u00a0 Ouch.\u00a0 That\u2019s not going to go well for you.\u00a0 The brothers are very well-liked in this town.\u00a0 Been here a long time.\u00a0 They run that little school for the local children.\u00a0 Very good cheesemakers, too.\u201d\u00a0 He read a bit more, the dropped the papers into his lap.\u00a0 \u201cNow, why don\u2019t you tell me what happened?\u201d he said conspiratorially.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was it?\u00a0 Money was tight, you thought you\u2019d pick up some quick cash, things went wrong and you made a mistake?\u00a0 It happens.\u00a0 If that\u2019s it, I\u2019ll see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d demanded Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need to shout,\u201d said the lawyer, unfazed.\u00a0 \u201cPeople are always a little upset at this point.\u00a0 We can try to work something out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWork what out?\u00a0 We\u2019re innocent!\u201d\u00a0 Ben glared for all he was worth.<\/p>\n

The lawyer held up his hand.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, no, no,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cPlease don\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d asked Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawyer waved both hands, as if shooing away gnats.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to stop doing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoin\u2019 what?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaying you didn\u2019t do it,\u201d said the lawyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why\u2014?\u201d\u00a0 The Cartwrights exchanged startled looks.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I can\u2019t put you on the stand if I know you\u2019re going to lie under oath,\u201d said the lawyer.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as you\u2019re going to take the stand and say you didn\u2019t do it, I\u2019m honor bound not to put you on the stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we didn\u2019t do it!\u201d thundered Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m telling you, you have to stop this,\u201d said the lawyer.\u00a0 He focused on Hoss, apparently deeming him the most reasonable.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been a lawyer for a long time, and I can tell you, it\u2019s going to go easier for you if you just tell the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are telling the truth,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as you keep up this claim of innocence, we\u2019re never going to get anywhere,\u201d said the lawyer.\u00a0 \u201cNow, tell me what happened when you first entered the bank.\u00a0 There were two monks there, weren\u2019t there?\u00a0 No, wait\u2014it looks like there were three.\u00a0 Brother Thomas, Brother Daniel and Brother Nathaniel.\u00a0 Daniel and Nathaniel\u2014they rhyme!\u00a0 Do you suppose they planned that?\u201d\u00a0 None of the Cartwrights looked at all pleased with the lawyer\u2019s linguistic discovery.\u00a0 His delight faded as he turned his attention from the papers to the men in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cNow, which one of you killed Brother\u2014Nathaniel, I guess it was?\u201d\u00a0 He looked expectantly from one Cartwright to another.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of us killed anyone!\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s patience was long exhausted.<\/p>\n

The lawyer sighed with exaggerated patience.\u00a0 \u201cMr.\u00a0Cartwright, we really do need to move on,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI need to know exactly what happened in the bank on the morning of June 22nd.\u00a0 Did someone draw on you when you were in there?\u00a0 If so, I can claim that you shot in self-defense.\u00a0 Monks don\u2019t carry guns, do they?\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to check on that.\u201d\u00a0 He made a note.\u00a0 \u201cSo\u2014yes or no on self-defense?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out!\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s voice rattled the bars.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out!\u00a0 You\u2019re fired!\u00a0 Go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, wait a minute,\u201d said Adam in a low voice.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to need a lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d said the lawyer.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m the only one for fifty miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll represent ourselves!\u00a0 Now, get out of here before I come out there and throw you out!\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawyer shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSuit yourselves,\u201d he said, gathering his papers.\u00a0 \u201cNo hard feelings, gentlemen.\u00a0 Best of luck to you.\u201d\u00a0 With a wave, he was gone.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s sons watched as their father flung himself onto a cot.\u00a0 Finally, Adam said, \u201cThat may not have been your best idea, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you hear him?\u00a0 He thinks we\u2019re guilty!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo does everybody else in this town,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThe difference is, they know him.\u00a0 They don\u2019t know us.\u00a0 If we go in there without him, we\u2019re just the strangers who robbed a bank and killed a monk.\u00a0 They\u2019ll stretch our necks before the day\u2019s out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like that\u2019s what they\u2019re plannin\u2019 anyway, if that feller is like the rest of \u2019em,\u201d said Hoss, sitting down on his own cot.<\/p>\n

Adam sat down next to his brother, mulling over what little the lawyer had told them.\u00a0 Three dead people.\u00a0 Two monks had apparently witnessed the robbery.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know who had been assaulted, whether it was one of the dead people or someone else.\u00a0 As Ben fumed and Hoss watched him, Adam turned over the scraps of information.\u00a0 Again and again, he came back to the same conclusion.<\/p>\n

They needed to talk to the monks.<\/p>\n

And he knew without asking that nobody in this town was going to allow it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Chapter 2 by pjb<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

\u201cSheriff, may we speak with you a moment?\u201d\u00a0 Brothers Thaddeus and Charles stopped the sheriff on his way out the monastery door.\u00a0 The sheriff had made the trek up the hill to discuss with the monks the upcoming trial of the bank robbers.\u00a0 They\u2019d all sat around the table as he outlined what would happen, and they\u2019d all nodded seriously, as if they understood and agreed with him.\u00a0 Now, the other brothers were already returning to their regular duties.\u00a0 Brother Daniel looked as if he was having one of his headaches, and Brother Dominic was trying to get him to go and lie down for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thaddeus lowered his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2014how important is it that Brother Thomas and Brother Daniel testify?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the whole case,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 He thought he\u2019d made this clear.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sheriff\u2014you see, Brother Thomas\u2014well, he tends to get a little bit confused in the best of circumstances, and Brother Daniel is still having problems with headaches, and I think it would be best if they could just stay here.\u00a0 Maybe somebody else could go and testify.\u201d\u00a0 Brother Charles knew full well that the sheriff should not agree to this, but he was not above being disingenuous if it was necessary to protect the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they\u2019re the ones who were in the bank,\u201d said the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re the only eyewitnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was Brother Gabriel and Brother Thaddeus who identified them on the street,\u201d Brother Charles pointed out.<\/p>\n

Brother Thaddeus nodded vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cWhy can\u2019t we testify instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you didn\u2019t see the robbery,\u201d said the sheriff with forced patience.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they know who the men are, why does it matter if they saw the robbery?\u00a0 They heard the men threatening Brother Daniel.\u00a0 Why isn\u2019t that good enough?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Charles\u2019 hands rested on his round hips, and his bearded chin jutted out ominously.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause that ain\u2019t the way the law works!\u201d\u00a0 The sheriff reined in his temper.\u00a0 Brother Charles looked up at him, unfazed.\u00a0 \u201cThe way the law works is that if you see something, you\u2019re the one who has to testify about it.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just tell somebody else and have them do it.\u00a0 It don\u2019t work that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The monks nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then,\u201d Brother Charles said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see about maybe getting them there.\u201d\u00a0 He hoped that the sheriff hadn\u2019t heard the \u201cmaybe\u201d.\u00a0 The truth was that he did want Brother Daniel to testify so that the robbers could be convicted, but he just didn\u2019t see how it was going to be possible with the young man feeling as poorly as he had since the cow kicked him.\u00a0 It figured that this would be the one time the circuit judge was prompt in getting to town.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrothers, there ain\u2019t no \u2018maybe\u2019 about it!\u201d\u00a0 The sheriff clenched his teeth.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Thomas and Brother Daniel have to come to court tomorrow and testify.\u00a0 That\u2019s all there is to it.\u00a0 You have them there tomorrow morning at nine o\u2019clock when the courthouse opens, or else.\u201d\u00a0 He hoped that the brothers didn\u2019t ask, \u201cOr else what?\u201d\u00a0 Frankly, he couldn\u2019t think of any threat he\u2019d use against a holy man.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do our best,\u201d said Brother Charles.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t do better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

All right.\u00a0 He had a monk\u2019s promise to do his best.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t ask for more than that.\u00a0 \u201cFine,\u201d the sheriff growled, stomping out to his horse as the brothers gently closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n

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

The next morning, after prayers, the monks gathered around the table.\u00a0 Unexpected rain pelted against the windows.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Brother Daniel?\u201d asked Brother Charles as thunder rumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still in bed,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cHe had a pretty rough night.\u00a0 The headaches were bad.\u00a0 I gave him something for the pain and told him just to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo we need to call in the town doctor?\u201d asked Brother Gabriel hesitantly.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mean to offend Brother Dominic, but it did seem to him that injuries were supposed to get better, not worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d give him another day or so,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cIf he\u2019s not better then, we might want to see what the doctor says.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we promised the sheriff that we\u2019d do our best to get him to the courthouse,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he can\u2019t go, he can\u2019t go,\u201d said Brother Charles.\u00a0 Brother Gabriel nodded his agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if the men who killed Brother Nathaniel go free because Brother Daniel isn\u2019t there to identify them?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Andrew looked around the table.\u00a0 The others were somber.\u00a0 They knew that vengeance was the Lord\u2019s, but as far as it was possible on this earth, they wanted to see justice done.\u00a0 Had they been different men, they\u2019d have said point blank that they wanted to see the bastards hang.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, I can testify,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 He looked around the table.\u00a0 None of the brothers was looking at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Thomas,\u201d said Brother Clarence gently.\u00a0 \u201cHow much do you remember about what happened that day at the bank?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember everything,\u201d declared Brother Thomas.\u00a0 The others looked gently skeptical.\u00a0 \u201cAlmost everything,\u201d he amended.\u00a0 \u201cEverything that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you describe the robbers for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas thought.\u00a0 \u201cThere were three of them,\u201d he said finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did they look like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas concentrated.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t quite recall,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019d know them if I saw them.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure of it.\u201d\u00a0 The brothers were silent.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Thomas, these men are on trial for their lives,\u201d said Brother Clarence quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIf Brother Daniel can\u2019t be there, three men will die on your word.\u00a0 Now, tell us.\u00a0 Are you absolutely sure you\u2019ll know whether these are the men?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas looked around the table.\u00a0 All of the brothers were much younger than he was.\u00a0 He\u2019d been one of the first to come here to serve God in this place.\u00a0 He\u2019d built this room.\u00a0 He sawed the planks that became the table they were sitting around.\u00a0 He knew that pride was a sin and humility a virtue.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t pride, really.\u00a0 If he could get the job done on his own, Brother Daniel could get some much-needed rest.\u00a0 The fact that testifying might make the younger brothers look up to him a bit .\u00a0.\u00a0. well, that was just a little something extra.<\/p>\n

His usually wispy voice was strong and clear.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAll rise.\u00a0 Court is now in session.\u00a0 The Honorable Horace J. Bimler presiding.\u201d\u00a0 The bailiff stood by the door, alert and stern, as the judge entered.\u00a0 His blue eyes were fierce under his bushy white brows.\u00a0 The light glinted off his shiny dome.\u00a0 He sat down and banged his gavel unnecessarily.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe seated,\u201d he barked.<\/p>\n

Judge Bimler wasn\u2019t usually this rough at the beginning of a trial, but he\u2019d been a judge for a long time, and he was no fool.\u00a0 This trial already had the feeling of a hanging party:\u00a0 three strangers at the defense table with no lawyer, three dead people who had been known and liked, and townspeople crowding the gallery and standing along the back and sides.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried cases here before, and he knew that some of them knew to respect him, but he was going to make sure that this trial went according to Hoyle, and that meant throwing his weight around now, before things got out of hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the case of the people versus Benjamin Cartwright, Adam Cartwright and Erik Cartrwright,\u201d said Judge Bimler.\u00a0 \u201cNow, let\u2019s clear up a few things right from the start.\u00a0 This is no Sunday school picnic.\u00a0 This is serious business, as serious as business gets.\u00a0 These men are on trial for their lives.\u00a0 I will not stand for any disturbances of any kind.\u00a0 I have no problem clearing the courtroom if I have to and trying this case with just the defendants, the prosecutor, the witnesses, the jury and yours truly.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care what you think about these men.\u00a0 Nobody but the jury gets to decide their fate.\u00a0 And if you think for one minute that I\u2019m going to stand by and let you folks take matters into your own hands, you\u2019ve got another think coming.\u00a0 I will throw each and every person in this room into the jail before I\u2019ll let this trial be compromised, and you\u2019ll rot there until the next time I get around this way, which could be a very, very long time if I have anything to say about it.\u00a0 Am I making myself clear?\u00a0 No funny business!\u201d\u00a0 He glared until he felt comfortable that the spectators were suitably cowed.\u00a0 Then, he sat back and nodded to the prosecutor.\u00a0 \u201cYour opening statement, counselor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outside, the sheriff was pacing.\u00a0 There had been no sign of any of the monks.\u00a0 The prosecutor had nearly ridden up to the monastery himself, but he\u2019d tried enough cases with Judge Bimler to know that there would be hell to pay if he was late.\u00a0 \u201cYou said they\u2019d be here!\u201d he\u2019d hissed to the sheriff as they watched nervously for the bailiff to stride into the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will,\u201d said the sheriff with conviction that he didn\u2019t feel.\u00a0 And so, he paced in the rain, peering up the street.<\/p>\n

The monks\u2019 wagon came around the corner.\u00a0 Several brown-hooded figures were crowded into the seat and the back.\u00a0 It was impossible to tell who was present.\u00a0 The sheriff breathed a quick prayer that the monks he needed were among the group.<\/p>\n

The wagon drew up in front of the courthouse, and a covey of soggy monks disembarked.\u00a0 As they reached the shelter of the overhang, they pushed their hoods back.\u00a0 The sheriff breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the old monk, but his relief faded when the young one did not appear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the new guy?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Brothers Charles and Clarence exchanged a glance at the appellation.\u00a0 Wordlessly, they decided to let the disrespect pass, since Daniel wasn\u2019t really a monk anyway.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s back at the monastery,\u201d said Brother Clarence.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s having terrible headaches, and he can\u2019t come.\u00a0 But Brother Thomas is here, and he can testify to everything Brother Daniel could.\u00a0 More, actually, because Brother Daniel was unconscious for part of the time.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced down at Brother Charles, who nodded slightly at this touch.<\/p>\n

The sheriff suppressed a groan.\u00a0 They might be men of the cloth, but they could drive an ordinary man to drink.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019d better,\u201d he muttered, shepherding them into the courtroom.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prosecutor was just wrapping up his opening statement as the sheriff and the monks entered the room.\u00a0 A quick glance told the sheriff that the prosecutor had, in fact, been dragging his statement out in the hope that his witnesses would arrive by the time he finished.\u00a0 \u201cAnd so, gentlemen, when you have heard all the evidence, I believe that you will have no choice but to return a verdict of guilty as to all three of the defendants,\u201d he announced with a relieved flourish.<\/p>\n

Judge Bimler nodded as the prosecutor strode back to his seat.\u00a0 Then, he turned his attention to the defendants.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re entitled to make an opening statement,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cJust one of you, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rose and approached the jury.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, my name is Ben Cartwright,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThe men at the table with me are my sons, Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 We live on the Ponderosa, outside of Virginia City.\u00a0 Until we arrived here three days ago, none of us had ever been to San Pedro in our lives.\u00a0 Now, we don\u2019t know what happened here when the bank was robbed, and we\u2019re mighty sorry that you folks apparently lost some good friends in that robbery, but gentlemen, I tell you the truth, we had nothing to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObjection!\u201d\u00a0 The prosecutor was on his feet.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s testifying!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSustained,\u201d said the judge.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright, you can\u2019t testify yet.\u00a0 You haven\u2019t been sworn in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to the judge.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Your Honor,\u201d he said, sensing that cooperation would be more likely to earn them some leniency.\u00a0 A few minutes ago, the man seemed to be determined that the Cartwrights would have a fair trial, and now, he wouldn\u2019t let Ben talk about what happened.\u00a0 With a fleeting dart of regret for having discharged the lawyer, Ben turned back to the jury.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, I believe that, when you have heard all the evidence, you will find that my sons and I are not the men who committed the crime for which you seek retribution.\u00a0 We are not guilty, and we ask that you so find.\u00a0 Thank you.\u201d\u00a0 He returned to the defense table, wishing that he could shake the sense that this entire trial was a farce, that their fates were not already sealed.\u00a0 As he turned his attention to the judge, Ben also felt a brief, sharp pain at the thought that, if they were to hang in this little town, Joseph would never know what had happened to them.<\/p>\n

Assuming, of course, that his son was even alive.<\/p>\n

No.\u00a0 The father\u2019s heart rejected this thought uncategorically.\u00a0 If Joseph were dead, Ben Cartwright would know it.\u00a0 He was certain.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if he\u2019d ever see his son again, but he felt absolutely sure at that moment that the boy was alive.<\/p>\n

He forced his attention back to the courtroom as the prosecutor rose.\u00a0 \u201cThe prosecution calls Brother Daniel to the stand,\u201d the lawyer announced so enthusiastically that you might have thought he expected applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2014Mr. Warren?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Charles leaned forward from his seat in the row of monks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Brother Daniel?\u201d the prosecutor said impatiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Charles,\u201d the round monk said.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Daniel isn\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prosecutor looked down the row.\u00a0 Six monks, and none was Brother Daniel.\u00a0 The sheriff had told him that Brother Daniel, the newest monk, was the preferred witness, because the old monk had a tendency to get confused.\u00a0 Resisting the urge to swear under his breath\u2014he knew from past experience that swearing was expensive in Judge Bimler\u2019s courtroom\u2014he leaned in close to Brother Charles.\u00a0 \u201cWho have you got who was in the bank?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Thomas,\u201d Brother Charles said, nodding acknowledgement to the monk on his right.<\/p>\n

Damn.\u00a0 The old guy.\u00a0 Well, he was going to have to make this work.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, let\u2019s go,\u201d he said unceremoniously.\u00a0 In a louder voice, less enthusiastic than before, he said, \u201cThe prosecution calls Brother Thomas to the stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas rose.\u00a0 He pretended not to notice that all eyes were on him as he walked the short distance to the witness chair.\u00a0 As instructed, he placed his left hand on the Bible, raised his right hand, and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor asked him some preliminary questions about his name and where he lived before getting to the meat of his testimony.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Thomas, were you in the bank on the morning of June 22nd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I was,\u201d said Brother Thomas, almost proudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else was in the bank?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Nathaniel, Brother Daniel, and the tellers.\u00a0 Oh, and the bank robbers, of course.\u201d\u00a0 A chuckle ran through the courtroom, and Judge Bimler pounded his gavel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere the robbers in there when you arrived?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d Brother Thomas said.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Daniel was already in the bank when Brother Nathaniel and I came in.\u00a0 Then, the robbers came in.\u00a0 They hit Brother Daniel on the head and knocked him out, and they made Brother Nathaniel and me lie down on the floor.\u00a0 The floor was very dirty, but Brother Nathaniel said that we had to do it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prosecutor referred to his notes so that Brother Thomas and the judge wouldn\u2019t see him rolling his eyes at this detail.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened next?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas considered the question for a long time.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Thomas?\u00a0 What happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust give me a moment, please,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cIt was all very confusing.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember who got shot first.\u00a0 It might have been Brother Nathaniel\u2014no, I think the tellers\u2014no, it was Brother Nathaniel.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u00a0 The big man shot\u2014no, it was the one in the dark clothes\u2014no, I think he just threatened us, but the big man shot somebody.\u00a0 He shot Brother\u2014no, that\u2019s not right, because Brother Nathaniel said something after one of the tellers was shot, so he must have been alive, musn\u2019t he?\u201d\u00a0 He was starting to feel agitated.\u00a0 Sweat was rolling down the back of his neck.\u00a0 This happened sometimes, when he tried too hard to remember.\u00a0 He wished that the prosecutor would ask an easy question so that he could get his bearings back.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor poured Brother Thomas a glass of water and handed it to him.\u00a0 \u201cJust take it easy,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 All he needed was for the old guy to keel over right there.\u00a0 The judge would have to declare a mistrial.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Thomas, do you see the bank robbers in this courtroom today?\u201d asked the prosecutor.\u00a0 He moved so that the monk had an unobstructed view of the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas squinted at the three men.\u00a0 There was an older one, a big one, and a dark one, all right.\u00a0 But something seemed\u2014well, off.\u00a0 There was something about these men that didn\u2019t seem quite the same as the men who had been in the bank that morning.\u00a0 He scrutinized each defendant.\u00a0 The older man didn\u2019t have the hard, mean look that he\u2019d had in the bank.\u00a0 The big one looked serious, but quite pleasant now.\u00a0 The dark one looked annoyed, maybe even angry, but he didn\u2019t seem like the man who had held a gun on Brother Nathaniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Thomas?\u201d<\/p>\n

The monk jumped guiltily.\u00a0 The judge was peering at him.\u00a0 \u201cBrother, are the defendants the men you saw in the bank on the morning of June 22nd?\u201d asked the judge point-blank.<\/p>\n

Brother Thomas hung his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to look at the other brothers.\u00a0 He had taken the stand because of his own pride, and look where it had gotten him.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so sure that he\u2019d know the men when he saw them, and now, it seemed that he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 He thought briefly of saying that these were the men and burying that niggling doubt in his head, but Brother Clarence\u2019s statement about these men dying on his word, and his own sense of right, wouldn\u2019t allow it.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t say for sure,\u201d he said again.<\/p>\n

For a moment, the prosecutor looked furious.\u00a0 Then, decorum reasserted itself, and he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Brother Thomas,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou may step down.\u201d\u00a0 As the older monk rose, the prosecutor turned to the judge.\u00a0 \u201cYour Honor, I would like to request a brief recess.\u00a0 My next witness is not yet in the courthouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s your next witness, Mr.\u00a0Warren?\u201d\u00a0 The judge counted six monks in the front row.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Daniel,\u201d said the prosecutor.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m told that he\u2019s not here yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The judge scowled.\u00a0 To the monks, he said, \u201cNone of you is Brother Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Your Honor,\u201d said Brother Charles, rising.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Daniel is back at the monastery.\u00a0 He\u2019s in poor health at the moment, and we felt it best that he stay home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou felt it best,\u201d the judge repeated.\u00a0 \u201cWell, brother, whatever Brother Daniel\u2019s state of health, these three men are going to be in much worse shape if they\u2019re convicted, so I\u2019m ordering you to get Brother Daniel in here.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to take a recess for one hour, and when court resumes, Brother Daniel is going to testify about what he saw in the bank that morning.\u00a0 Is that clear, brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Your Honor,\u201d said Brother Charles, refusing to be cowed.<\/p>\n

The judge banged his gavel in disgust.\u00a0 \u201cCourt stands in recess.\u00a0 Bailiff, take the defendants back into custody.\u201d\u00a0 The judge marched off the bench, slamming the door to his chambers behind him, as the bailiff, the sheriff and the deputies seized the Cartwrights and hauled them into the little room in the back.<\/p>\n

Brother Charles scribbled a note and handed it to young Marcus Damon, who was ten years old and the best math student he\u2019d ever had.\u00a0 \u201cRun as fast as you can and take this to Brother Dominic at the monastery,\u201d he said.\u00a0 As the boy lit out in the rain, Brother Charles looked up to see Brother Thomas sitting in the front row, eyes downcast.\u00a0 Before Brother Charles could do anything, Brother Thaddeus sat down next to the older monk.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault,\u201d Brother Thaddeus said softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou tried.\u00a0 If you weren\u2019t sure, you had to say that.\u201d\u00a0 He draped his arm around Brother Thomas\u2019 shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know,\u201d said Brother Gabriel.\u00a0 He and the others pulled their chairs closer to Brother Thomas, and the brothers sat in silence as the spectators milled about and everyone awaited Brother Daniel\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

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

Even with the rain, the daylight was bright enough that Brother Daniel kept the dark glasses on and his hood pulled up to shield his eyes.\u00a0 His head pounded, and his stomach felt queasy.\u00a0 He hoped he wouldn\u2019t be sick in the courtroom.\u00a0 Bad enough he had to show up dressed as a monk.<\/p>\n

A thought occurred to him.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019m I gonna take the oath?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d asked Brother Dominic.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t I have to tell them my name?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic considered this.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I think that, for now, you can fairly say that your name is Brother Daniel.\u00a0 If you remembered your real name and didn\u2019t use it, that would be lying, but since the only name you have right now is Brother Daniel, I think it\u2019s fine to say that\u2019s your name and that you live with us.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at the young man beside him.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if you need to take a break, just say so, and they\u2019ll let you.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like the way Brother Daniel looked at all.\u00a0 The young man was far too pale.\u00a0 If only this hadn\u2019t been necessary.\u00a0 If only Brother Thomas could have been sure.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic reined in the horse and secured the reins.\u00a0 He climbed down from the wagon and reached up to give Brother Daniel a steadying hand down.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re up to this?\u201d he asked once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just get it over with,\u201d said Brother Daniel.\u00a0 He felt himself losing his balance and reached for the older man.\u00a0 Without comment, Brother Dominic tucked Brother Daniel\u2019s hand into the crook of his arm.<\/p>\n

All heads turned as the monks crossed the threshold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s jaw dropped.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re not serious about this.\u00a0 They can\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the one who\u2019s gonna say whether we were there?\u00a0 But\u2014Pa\u2014he\u2019s\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Hoss couldn\u2019t finish the sentence.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014blind.\u201d\u00a0 Ben was seething.\u00a0 For the life of him, he couldn\u2019t figure out why this town seemed to have it in for them.\u00a0 First, the old monk thought he was so sure, right up until he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 Now, they had brought in a blind man to identify them as the robbers.\u00a0 Absolutely unbelievable.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights huddled together at the defense table, trying to make sense of this latest turn of events.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t notice as the rotund monk seated the blind monk in the front row, between two other monks, and asked him if he was all right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d said Brother Daniel.<\/p>\n

Quiet though they were, the words penetrated Ben\u2019s consciousness.\u00a0 For a moment, he\u2019d have sworn Joseph was in the room.\u00a0 He looked up, half-expecting to see the familiar green jacket and lopsided grin.\u00a0 But, of course, he didn\u2019t see his son.\u00a0 Silly to expect to.<\/p>\n

The judge resumed the bench and pounded his gavel as he called court back to order.\u00a0 The blind monk winced at the noise.\u00a0 The bailiff intoned, \u201cWill the witness please take the stand?\u201d\u00a0 The Cartwrights exchanged grim, furious looks.\u00a0 They were being railroaded, and they didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n

Brother Daniel shook his head slightly as he got to his feet, pulling the hood close around his face to block out light and smoothing his beard.\u00a0 What a rotten time for a headache, and it just kept getting worse.\u00a0 He tried to breathe deeply as he walked the few steps to the witness chair.\u00a0 He placed his hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God.\u00a0 His voice was weak and breathy, and as the rain pounded on the roof, it was nearly impossible to hear him.\u00a0 The judge had to tell him to speak up, but the prosecutor could tell that even that was going to do little good.\u00a0 It would be a miracle if the jury could hear the monk\u2019s testimony.\u00a0 The prosecutor would probably have to repeat everything in his closing.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor approached.\u00a0 Without asking, he poured Brother Daniel a glass of water and handed it to him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll make this fast,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 Unintentionally blocking the defendants\u2019 view of the witness, he began his questioning as thunder rumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you please state your name and address?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Brother Daniel,\u201d said the witness, wondering how this comported with the oath he\u2019d just taken.\u00a0 \u201cI live at the monastery on the hill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben craned his neck to see around the prosecutor.\u00a0 From the moment he saw the monk rise to approach the stand, something had shifted.\u00a0 Everything in him was humming, alert.\u00a0 He could barely hear the monk\u2019s soft voice over the pelting of the rain on the roof and the rolling thunder, but it wasn\u2019t the substance of the testimony that had his attention.\u00a0 He fought the urge to shove the lawyer aside so that he could see the witness.\u00a0 He spared a quick glance at his sons beside him.\u00a0 They, too, were fixated on the witness.\u00a0 There was something about this man.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you lived there?\u201d the prosecutor continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you present in the bank on the morning of June 22nd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 He sipped the water.\u00a0 His head was pounding so hard that it was a wonder everybody couldn\u2019t hear it, even over the rain and the thunder.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you tell the court what happened on that date?\u201d\u00a0 The prosecutor had barely finished the question when one of the spectators began to cough.\u00a0 He tried to signal the witness to wait with his answer so that the jury could hear him, but Brother Daniel was already responding, even though probably no one could hear him except the lawyer and the judge, both of whom were within arm\u2019s length of the witness stand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree men came in and held up the place.\u00a0 They killed Brother Nathaniel and a couple other people.\u201d\u00a0 Brother Daniel took off the dark glasses and rubbed his eyes.\u00a0 The room was starting to spin.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know how much longer he could hold out.\u00a0 He replaced his dark glasses.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you see those three men in this courtroom today?\u201d\u00a0 With a flourish, the prosecutor stepped aside.<\/p>\n

Brother Daniel looked up.\u00a0 What he saw made him blink hard.\u00a0 The men were fuzzy, but there was something familiar about them.\u00a0 Images swirled in his brain like dry leaves in an autumn windstorm.\u00a0 He knew them from somewhere, he was sure of it.\u00a0 But not the bank\u2014someplace else.\u00a0 He needed to get closer, to get a good look.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t see them very well from here,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cCan I\u2014\u201d\u00a0 The prosecutor glanced up at the judge, who nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBailiff, escort the witness to the defendants\u2019 table,\u201d said the judge.<\/p>\n

Carefully, Brother Daniel set down the water glass and stood.\u00a0 The monks watched intently, the defendants more so.\u00a0 Unsteadily, the young man approached the defendants\u2019 table, brow furrowed above the dark glasses.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights watched the monk walk slowly toward them.\u00a0 The bailiff walked beside him, but it was hard to know whether he was there to protect the monk from the defendants or to catch him if he fell.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s heart pounded.\u00a0 This wasn\u2019t an ordinary witness.\u00a0 There was something familiar about this man, about the way he held himself and the way he moved, about his coloring and his demeanor and the spark of something that showed through even though he was blind and dressed as a monk.\u00a0 If Ben hadn\u2019t known better, he\u2019d have sworn\u2014<\/p>\n

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

The room erupted into chaos.\u00a0 The young man, reaching out to him, collapsed and fell to the floor.\u00a0 Ben lunged for him, only to be slammed back into his chair by the bailiff.\u00a0 The sheriff and his deputy sprang forward to restrain Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 The witness disappeared in a sea of rough brown robes as the monks clustered around him.\u00a0 The judge pounded his gavel on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrder!\u00a0 Order in the court!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my son!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet back here!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cBailiff!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Daniel!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down this instant!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody get a doctor!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOrder in the court!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Brother Dominic?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Daniel!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJOSEPH!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes.\u00a0 Brother Dominic sat beside him, wiping his face with a cool, wet cloth.\u00a0 He squinted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it too bright in here?\u201d\u00a0 Brother Dominic reached into his pocket and handed him the dark glasses.\u00a0 Gratefully, the young man put them on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe judge\u2019s chambers,\u201d Brother Dominic said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the judge?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill in the courtroom, I\u2019d imagine.\u201d\u00a0 He dipped the cloth into the bowl of water and wrung it out, laying it across the young man\u2019s brow.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember what happened in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

He thought.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I saw my pa.\u00a0 He was there.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember his name?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t have to think this time.\u00a0 \u201cBen Cartwright.\u00a0 Was he really there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s really out there,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cSo are your brothers.\u00a0 Do you remember their names?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam and Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned weakly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd my name is\u2014my name is Joe Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 It felt so good to finish that sentence.\u00a0 Relief washed over him.\u00a0 He was back.\u00a0 At last.<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to meet you, Joe Cartwright,\u201d said Brother Dominic, his casual tone masking his relief and gratitude for the gift of the young man\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s grin faded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat were my pa and brothers doing out there?\u00a0 Why aren\u2019t they in here?\u201d\u00a0 His heart began to beat faster.\u00a0 Something was wrong, he was sure of it.\u00a0 There was no way that his family would have stood aside and let a stranger, however kind, tend to him.\u00a0 Not unless something was very, very wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014it\u2019s kind of complicated,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 The fact was that Cartwrights were still defendants in a murder trial.\u00a0 As such, they were still in custody.\u00a0 He saw the growing panic in Joe\u2019s face, and he hedged a bit.\u00a0 \u201cThere are a couple little things that need to be cleared up.\u00a0 Just tell me this.\u00a0 Were your father and brothers present at the bank on the morning of the robbery?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not.\u00a0 Why would they be?\u201d\u00a0 His voice grew louder, more agitated.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic rose, his gentle smile masking his vast relief.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, take it easy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou just stay here for a little bit and rest.\u00a0 I need to go and have a talk with the judge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see my family,\u201d said Joe, trying to rise even though the room started to spin as he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will,\u201d promised Brother Dominic as he pushed the young man back on the settee.\u00a0 \u201cIt may take a few minutes, but you\u2019ll see them.\u00a0 You have my word.\u00a0 Just lay quiet, and I promise you, you\u2019ll see them.\u201d\u00a0 Slightly to his surprise, the soothing tone that he used so effectively with the animals worked on this young man who had come to mean so much to the brothers.<\/p>\n

He patted Joe\u2019s shoulder and stood.\u00a0 As he started to turn toward the door, Joe reached up and caught his hand.\u00a0 Surprised, the monk looked down at the former Brother Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

Brother Dominic smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a few minutes.\u201d\u00a0 He adjusted the cloth on Joe\u2019s brow as the young man\u2019s eyes closed.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cJoseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe opened his eyes and caught his breath.\u00a0 The most beloved face in his world hovered over him, lamplight creating a halo.\u00a0 He reached up, and Ben pressed his son\u2019s hand against his own face.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d Joe murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you done to yourself now, young man?\u201d\u00a0 His father smiled gently, hiding the effort that it took to keep his voice steady.\u00a0 Between nearly being convicted of murder and finding his missing son, it had been quite a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot hit in the head,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cA couple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I heard,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYou should stop doing that,\u201d he added, hoping to coax a smile from his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing I got that thick Cartwright skull,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 It was so hard to keep his eyes open, but he didn\u2019t dare close them for fear that he would waken to find this moment a mere dream.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at his son\u2019s effort.\u00a0 \u201cYou just rest now,\u201d he said.\u00a0 The deep, soothing voice that Joe remembered so well was soft with unshed tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we?\u201d\u00a0 The room was unfamiliar and yet familiar, all at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo of the monks gave us their room,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 While he was infinitely grateful to them for all they\u2019d done for Joe, he was especially touched that these childless men understood how a father would want to stay with his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich two?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned closer.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure,\u201d he admitted in a conspiratorial whisper.\u00a0 This time, Joe smiled, and Ben caught his breath at the realization that he might easily have died without ever seeing that smile again.\u00a0 \u201cYou go to sleep now, son,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right here when you wake up.\u201d\u00a0 He watched as the pain medicine the doctor had administered before they left the courthouse claimed Joe again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll stay right here,\u201d he whispered again, a promise to his sleeping son.<\/p>\n

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

Joe awoke to the sound of low voices in another room.\u00a0 He struggled to open his eyes, wincing slightly at the light that filtered through the drawn shades.\u00a0 He would never have believed he could be so tired.\u00a0 He felt as if someone had drained all the blood out of him.\u00a0 He would have closed his eyes and gone back to sleep, but the smell of bacon frying reminded him that he hadn\u2019t eaten anything since breakfast yesterday.<\/p>\n

He was just pushing himself to his feet when the door opened.\u00a0 \u201cAnd just where do you think you\u2019re going?\u201d said his father with mock sternness.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo get some breakfast,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 \u201cA man could starve to death around here.\u201d\u00a0 He took a step, but he began to sway and would have fallen if his father had not caught him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreakfast will be ready in a minute,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you lie down, young man.\u201d\u00a0 Firmly, he grasped his son\u2019s arm and maneuvered him back into bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t try so hard to keep me in bed,\u201d said Joe as his father drew the light covers over him.\u00a0 \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t gotten up yesterday, who knows what would have happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Brother Thomas couldn\u2019t identify them, maybe nothing,\u201d said Brother Charles from the doorway.\u00a0 He bore a tray containing a cup and a plate with two slices of bread and some jam.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head quickly, as if to clear it, and immediately regretted doing so.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I smelled bacon,\u201d he said, pressing his fingers to his temple.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did,\u201d said Brother Charles.\u00a0 \u201cBut Brother Dominic says that you\u2019re to eat lightly today after everything that happened yesterday.\u00a0 So, this is your breakfast.\u00a0 The tea is one of Brother Gabriel\u2019s special blends,\u201d he added encouragingly.<\/p>\n

It was on the tip of Joe\u2019s tongue to protest such treatment.\u00a0 Tea and bread, while the others had bacon and coffee and who knew what else.\u00a0 But he had learned a few things in his weeks at the monastery, and one was that, whatever the result might be, the brothers meant well.\u00a0 And so, he held back his complaint, ignoring the amusement in his father\u2019s eyes as the older man positioned the pillows behind him and settled the tray on his lap.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe least you could do is steal me some bacon,\u201d Joe muttered once the monk had left the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd go against Brother Dominic\u2019s orders?\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled, pulling the chair close to the bed.\u00a0 The truth was that, right then, he\u2019d have gotten his son whatever he wanted, no matter who had ordered what.\u00a0 Although Joe had slept soundly through the night, Ben had wakened regularly.\u00a0 Each time, he crossed the small room to sit on the edge of his son\u2019s bed, with gentle touches on hand, arm, cheek, and brow reassuring him that the young man was really there, safe and whole.<\/p>\n

Joe raised his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cSince when do you do what the monks say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince they may well have saved my son\u2019s life,\u201d Ben said with sudden seriousness.\u00a0 Deep brown eyes met green ones as father and son acknowledged without words all that they had come so close to losing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, there, Little Brother,\u201d said Hoss as he and Adam came in, stretching.\u00a0 The older Cartwright brothers had insisted on sleeping in the parlor, over the strenuous objections of the monks.\u00a0 The Cartwrights reasoned that, unlike the monks, they had bedrolls, and so it made perfect sense that they should be the ones to use them.\u00a0 The monks, concerned that they were being bad hosts, insisted that they at least take the pillows from the beds, a compromise that was deemed acceptable to all.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Big Brother,\u201d grinned Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeant to tell you yesterday, that\u2019s quite a fine beard you\u2019ve got,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, don\u2019t get too used to it,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 \u201cNow that my monk days are behind me, I\u2019m having a shave, first chance I get!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour monk days,\u201d snorted Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHow on earth did you come to be masquerading as a monk, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not quite sure,\u201d admitted Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was for his own safety,\u201d said Brother Clarence from the doorway.\u00a0 The other brothers clustered behind him.\u00a0 \u201cWe were concerned that the bank robbers would come back and find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we didn\u2019t think anyone would be able to tell the difference between your brother and the rest of the brothers if he dressed the way we do,\u201d said Brother Gabriel.\u00a0 \u201cAnd we were right.\u00a0 No one ever suspected a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even the sheriff, and he was the only one, besides us, who ever saw Brother Daniel in street clothes,\u201d added Brother Andrew.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just told him that Brother Daniel was new to the monastery\u2014which, of course, he was,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t just leave him to fend for himself,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cNot after all he did for Brother Nathaniel and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, he had a concussion,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s sort of a stubborn patient, though, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Brother, he is,\u201d said Ben wryly as Adam and Hoss snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur doc at home\u2019s had that problem for years,\u201d added Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not that bad,\u201d protested Joe.\u00a0 He looked up to see his family and the brothers, all nodding.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not!\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 All ten men rolled their eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAt least nobody thought I was a bank robber,\u201d he added, switching tactics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth did they think we\u2019d robbed that bank, anyway?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there were three robbers, and they sort of looked like you three,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 \u201cNot if somebody knew you, but if they\u2019d only gotten a quick look\u2014yeah, you could have passed for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut who knew that besides you and Brother Thomas?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody,\u201d said Joe, sipping his tea and trying hard to refrain from making a face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I\u2019m confused,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHow did the sheriff know to arrest Hoss and me?\u00a0 Did you point us out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot me,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Brother Thomas wasn\u2019t even in town that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen how\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid we\u2019re to blame,\u201d said Brother Gabriel.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Thaddeus and I heard you threatening to kill Brother Daniel, and we assumed you were the robbers, because nobody else knew he was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard what?\u201d\u00a0 Ben gaped.<\/p>\n

Brother Thaddeus nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe were walking down the street, and these two were talking about how they were going to kill Brother Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never\u2014I didn\u2019t say I was gonna kill no monk!\u00a0 Honest, Pa!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked frantically around the room for something to swear on.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither did I, Pa!\u201d Adam chimed in.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did,\u201d said Brother Gabriel to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou said you were going to tear him limb from limb, and you were going to wring his neck.\u00a0 I remember specifically how you were going to string him up by his green jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked at Adam, who was beginning to grin as the light dawned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were,\u201d confirmed Brother Thaddeus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said that?\u201d\u00a0 The big man was horrified.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral times,\u201d nodded Adam.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you were most descriptive about how you would do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were gonna kill me?\u00a0 Any particular reason?\u201d\u00a0 Joe sipped his tea to hide a grin as he watched his brothers squirm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about it,\u201d said Adam to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll come back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss thought hard for a moment.\u00a0 Then, his eyes widened as the memory clicked into place.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re married,\u201d he blurted, and immediately wished he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 Joe sputtered, spraying tea on his father.\u00a0 He doubled over, choking on a sip of tea that had gone down the wrong way, until Ben pounded on his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Little Brother, we know all about it,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll about what?\u201d\u00a0 Joe squeaked, ignoring the pounding in his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll about what, indeed?\u201d demanded Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour marriage,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a beautiful woman,\u201d Brother Thomas added helpfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is?\u201d\u00a0 Ben and Joe stared at each other, then at the monk.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour wife, of course.\u201d\u00a0 Brother Thomas couldn\u2019t understand why everyone seemed to be so upset.\u00a0 The lady in the picture looked quite nice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat wife?\u201d\u00a0 Joe looked at the men around him.\u00a0 His father looked as blank as he felt.\u00a0 All the others were nodding knowingly.\u00a0 He saw Adam and Hoss exchanged a quick look.\u00a0 \u201cWhat wife?\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat wife indeed?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Daniel\u2019s wife,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cThat beautiful young woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about it right now,\u201d said Brother Dominic with a warning look at the others.\u00a0 \u201cMemory doesn\u2019t always return all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I ain\u2019t got a wife!\u201d\u00a0 Agitated, Joe started to sit up, only to have his father push him back against the pillows.\u00a0 Brother Gabriel reached past Ben to remove the tray, lest it go flying with the next outburst.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up at his older sons, who had remained uncharacteristically silent.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys know anything about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Pa\u2014from what we could gather, it seems\u2014well, it looks like Little Brother done gone and gotten hisself married,\u201d said Hoss, not meeting anyone\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d screeched Joe.\u00a0 His own voice sent a shaft of pain through his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Brother Daniel, there\u2019s nothing to worry about,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cShe looks like a lovely woman, and I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll be very understanding.\u00a0 Will you be sending for her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSending for her?\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know who you\u2019re talkin\u2019 about!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you need to send for her?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t she here?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know who you\u2019re talking about!\u201d shouted Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cSettle down, Joseph,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll get to the bottom of this.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to the group of men.\u00a0 \u201cDo any of you know who this supposed wife is?\u201d\u00a0 Cartwrights and monks shook their heads.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know her name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Cartwright, I\u2019d imagine,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus helpfully.<\/p>\n

Ben ignored him.\u00a0 \u201cSo none of you have met her?\u201d\u00a0 More head-shaking.\u00a0 \u201cHave you even seen her?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen her picture,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus.\u00a0 \u201cBrother Daniel keeps it beside his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a picture?\u201d\u00a0 So, the woman was real.\u00a0 Ben gritted his teeth.\u00a0 Only the father\u2019s concern for his son\u2019s headache kept Ben from shouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my wife?\u201d\u00a0 Joe squeaked.\u00a0 Somehow, as beautiful as the woman in the picture was, she had never inspired those kinds of feelings in him.\u00a0 He looked helplessly at his father.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I don\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t remember any of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, have you seen this picture?\u201d\u00a0 A thought was beginning to surface.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, wincing at the pain of movement.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she\u2019s as beautiful as they say she is,\u201d he said.\u00a0 A fragment of memory surfaced, and he quoted, \u201cLike having spring in the house all year round.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d\u00a0 His puzzlement gave way as his father smiled with vast relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould one of you please bring the picture here?\u201d asked Ben.\u00a0 Brother Andrew retrieved it, handing it to Joe, who nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s her,\u201d he said.\u00a0 To the monks, he explained, \u201cThis was my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, she\u2019s still very beautiful,\u201d said Brother Thaddeus loyally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 Relief washed over him.\u00a0 Except .\u00a0.\u00a0. his brow furrowed, and he and his father turned to Adam and Hoss at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat explains why these gentlemen thought Joe had a wife,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t explain you two.\u00a0 Now, where did you get the idea that your brother had gotten married?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014y\u2019see, Pa\u2014there was this little redhead over at the saloon\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarrie?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes grew round.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re telling me I married Carrie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you didn\u2019t marry her\u2014but she said\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Hoss fumbled for the right words.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help when Adam began to laugh.\u00a0 He laid a hand on Hoss\u2019 arm, but he was laughing so hard that he couldn\u2019t get words out.\u00a0 \u201cDadburnit, Adam, cut it out, this is serious.\u00a0 That little gal said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThink hard for a minute, Younger Brother,\u201d Adam managed, gasping for breath.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember what she said?\u00a0 Not that part,\u201d he added as Hoss fixed him with a look of pure horror at the notion of quoting the girl in front of his father and a bunch of monks.\u00a0 \u201cWhat she said about what Joe did after she saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said\u2014she said\u2014\u201d\u00a0 The light began to dawn.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said he went to the church and took vows,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSeems there are different vows for different men.\u201d\u00a0 He reached over and tugged at the hood of Brother Dominic\u2019s robe.\u00a0 \u201cKnowing our brother as we do, we assumed that she meant marriage vows.\u00a0 We certainly would never have pictured Joe taking the kinds of vows that you gentlemen have taken.\u201d\u00a0 He winked at his youngest brother, dimples barely showing his vast amusement at the notion of Joe Cartwright taking vows of poverty, chastity or obedience.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2014Joseph isn\u2019t married?\u201d\u00a0 Ben was still trying to catch up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as far as we know,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cUnless there\u2019s something Little Brother hasn\u2019t told us,\u201d he added slyly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, believe me, as far as I know, I\u2019m not married to anybody,\u201d said Joe fervently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as you know,\u201d said his father dryly.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how that comforts me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

It took the combined efforts of three Cartwrights and seven monks, but Joe remained in bed, resting and not sustaining any more head injuries, for five whole days after the trial.\u00a0 On the sixth day, he dressed in his own clothes for the first time in weeks.\u00a0 He took one last walk around the monastery grounds on his own, committing the place and the men to memory.\u00a0 Then, he climbed into the wagon with the monks and rode down into town, where his father had rented a buckboard for the trip home.<\/p>\n

As Hoss tied Ben\u2019s horse to the back of the buckboard, the men made their farewells.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you\u2014for everything,\u201d Ben said quietly to Brother Dominic.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what would have happened if it hadn\u2019t been for you gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was our privilege,\u201d said Brother Dominic.\u00a0 He had never had a son, but as he watched Joe, he felt a tug which, he imagined, might be a tiny version of what a father would feel as his son left home.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou take care of yourself, Brother,\u201d said Brother Andrew.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do the same, Brother,\u201d said Joe, shaking the young man\u2019s hand.\u00a0 There was definitely something about these gentle fellows.\u00a0 In just a few short weeks, they had indeed come to feel like brothers.<\/p>\n

Joe turned to Brother Thomas, clasping the older monk\u2019s hand in both of his own.\u00a0 \u201cYou were right, Brother,\u201d said.\u00a0 At Brother Thomas\u2019 cocked head, he said, \u201cYou said it would all sort itself out.\u00a0 That morning in the bank, when I couldn\u2019t remember anything and didn\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 You took me in and told me that it would all sort itself out.\u201d\u00a0 Without quite realizing it, Joe had adopted the brothers\u2019 quiet way of filling in the gaps for Brother Thomas.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it did,\u201d said Brother Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cGod go with you, Brother.\u201d\u00a0 A peaceful smile lit the wrinkled face.\u00a0 He might not remember everything, but he felt certain that he would never forget this nice young man.<\/p>\n

Brother Clarence watched thoughtfully as Joe said his goodbyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou know,\u201d he said to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s got a few rough edges, but in time, I think he\u2019d make a fine monk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not at all sure my little brother really wants to smooth off those particular edges.\u201d\u00a0 The two men watched as Joe started to climb into the buckboard, then stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a minute, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI see someone I need to say goodbye to.\u201d\u00a0 Without waiting for an answer, Joe loped across the dusty street toward a petite redhead.\u00a0 Hoss rolled his eyes at Adam as Joe approached the girl, his most charming smile flashing.\u00a0 A moment later, the smile was gone, and he was trying to protect himself as she smacked repeatedly him over the head with her handbag and shouted things that made the monks want to cover their ears.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThen again,\u201d he said, \u201ca monastery might just be the safest place for Joe after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0Well-meaning monks try to protect amnesiac Joe after he witnesses a bank robbery.<\/p>\n

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