Summary:\u00a0 Adam and Joe cope with trouble.<\/p>\n
Rating: T
\nWord Count:\u00a0 6,198<\/p>\n
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\u201cAdam, what\u2019s on your mind? You\u2019ve barely touched your dinner which is an incredible shame. The veal is exquisite. And you can hardly blame the lively conversation since you\u2019re sharing silence rather than your usual charming stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hmmm. He didn\u2019t realize he\u2019d been so rude. It wasn\u2019t intentional, and this visit to Maggie and Everett\u2019s lovely San Fransisco home had been a treat he\u2019d been anticipating for months.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right, Maggie. The food is delicious, and the company\u2019s delightful. Please forgive a dusty cowpoke for his churlish behavior.\u201d That seemed to do the trick. Maggie blushed and patted his hand in forgiveness.<\/p>\n
\u201cDusty cowpoke?\u00a0 Hah! However, that does remind me of one of those colorful western phrases I heard just yesterday.\u201d Everett glanced at his wife and with a broad wink in her direction, he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was discussing some details of this contract I told you about with my lawyer, and he said . . . and I quote, \u2018Careful what you ask for, Mr. McDowell. Out here, there\u2019s a saying: don\u2019t squat with your spurs on.\u2019\u00a0 Well, for a moment, I was flummoxed. Frankly, the obvious meaning doesn\u2019t seem apropos to business.\u00a0 What do you think? Have I missed something?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dead silence for a moment as all three of them considered the possible meanings of the phrase. Laughter quickly followed. Maggie giggled behind her napkin while her husband and guest laughed until tears came, and they were reduced to gasping for breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a bad man, Everett!\u201d Adam wheezed. His sides were aching from laughter. \u201cYou know exactly what that means.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Adam, you needed to laugh. Maggie is right as always. What\u2019s on your mind?\u00a0 If we can\u2019t help, we can at least listen.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Adam knew they would help if they could, not that it mattered now.\u00a0 The problem was that he couldn\u2019t get it out of his mind. Well, if they were willing, Adam couldn\u2019t imagine a better audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you. Something happened about a month ago. Honestly, it\u2019s shaken me down to my bones. It\u2019s just not a burden I want to put on friends. I\u2019ll tell you if you promise to stop me if it becomes too upsetting, Maggie. I\u2019d rather share silence than distress you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the better reason to tell us, Adam. We\u2019d be poor friends if you couldn\u2019t share your troubles with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam took a deep steadying breath and a sip of wine. Hard to believe this was his first time relating the entire tale, start to finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all began with Little Joe misbehaving.\u201d<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
\u201cOuch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOuch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOuch. Ouch. Ouch. OUCH!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKnock it off, Joe. This road has more holes in it than you have hairs on your head. I\u2019m driving as carefully as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearly \u201cas carefully as possible\u201d wasn\u2019t good enough.\u00a0 The look Little Joe favored him with was chock full of disbelief and resentment in the way only 13-year-old boys could manage. Okay, Adam got it.\u00a0 His little brother was hurting. It had hurt the boy to bump his head crawling through his bedroom window. No doubt it had been uncomfortable to lose his balance and slide down the porch roof on his backside.\u00a0 Clearly, when the slide ended with Little Joe being launched from the roof to the front yard like a cowboy thrown from a bronc, that had been painful.<\/p>\n
Of course, all that anguish could have been avoided if Joe had minded Adam and gone to bed as directed. Let that be a lesson: sneaking out in the middle of the night to play poker in the bunk house led to painful consequences.<\/p>\n
Something like this happened every time Pa left the ranch with Adam in charge. Joe found a way to cut up, act up, or act out in some way that was already putting gray into his oldest brother\u2019s hair. It just so happened that this time, Little Joe had added getting busted up to his \u201cPa\u2019s not home, and I can be a brat\u201d repertoire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Hoss were here, he woulda doctored me up at the house.\u201d My, my, yet another way Adam had failed as a brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, he\u2019s not here, obviously. I\u2019m even willing to bet that if he had witnessed your latest shenanigans, he might have added a necessary talk to the doctoring.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would never,\u201d Joe sniffed loudly. \u201cHoss<\/em> loves me. He woulda understood why I had to get out. AND he woulda understood how much I hate goin\u2019 to the doctor, especially when I\u2019m hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost people would say going to the doctor when you\u2019re hurt is the best reason. Pa would certainly say it. If he and Hoss were to return home and see you now without the benefit of medical treatment, I<\/em> would probably need to go to the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOuch, Adam. You\u2019re hitting every hole on purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cPoor dear.\u201d<\/p>\n Everett snorted at his wife\u2019s sympathy. \u201cHe sounds like a real handful. Was he like that all the way into town?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery step.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Doc Martin finally stepped away from the exam table, revealing Little Joe shirtless and in his bruised glory.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, young man, you aren\u2019t hurt seriously after all. Bruised ribs — deeply bruised, I would say — but not broken. Head tender from the bump, but no concussion. That left shoulder had me worried, but it went back into the socket well enough.\u00a0 Here\u2019s some ointment for the cuts. Keep them clean if you don\u2019t want an infection.\u00a0 Adam, this is laudanum.\u00a0 Use a few drops in a glass of water if he has trouble sleeping tonight. Joe, you can get dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, doc. I figured it would be best to spend the night here in town and head home in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSound reasoning. Shall I put this on your tab? Little Joe, I\u2019m thinking I can build an addition onto this office just from taking care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t appreciate the joke. \u201cI hate this place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you do. Off you go. Use the door rather than the window, please.\u201d<\/p>\n At least Adam enjoyed the doctor\u2019s sense of humor. \u201cCome on, Joe.\u00a0 Would you rather eat in the restaurant or have something in our room? Don\u2019t mutter at me. You have to eat something if you\u2019re going to take any of this painkiller later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanna go to the hotel.\u201d\u00a0 Fine. Adam could make that happen.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cHe was probably exhausted and didn\u2019t want to admit it,\u201d Everett suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Little Joe didn\u2019t want any of the girls in town to see him,\u201d Maggie said.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know that? I thought the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you are any example, I would imagine that your brother is a fine-looking boy accustomed to some attention from the girls his age.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaggie? If \u2018Adam is any example\u2019? Should I be jealous, sweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHush, you. Adam, please go on.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam requested a room on the top floor of the hotel to discourage any night-time excursions. Fortunately, he was a master at planning ahead and had packed the necessities for an overnight stay.\u00a0 Getting his brother into a night shirt and into bed was a predictable struggle. Joe argued for fun these days.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I\u2019m going downstairs to place an order with the restaurant. I\u2019m leaving you alone for just a few minutes. Don\u2019t do anything dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cSo, did he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he do something dumb?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you hanging out of that window!? You aren\u2019t even dressed, and this is just the behavior that got you hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDang it, Adam. I ain\u2019t goin\u2019 anywhere. Take a look for yourself. See those fellers? No, not there. There! Yeah, why are they chained up to the hitching post like that? Are they prisoners? If they\u2019re prisoners, why ain\u2019t they in prison?\u00a0 Do you think being chained up like that hurts? They sure don\u2019t look happy.<\/p>\n Where had he put that laudanum?\u00a0 A few drops and Joe wouldn\u2019t be the only one getting a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a chain gang, Joe. I know you\u2019ve heard of them. The front desk clerk said that they\u2019re being used to make road repairs.\u00a0 I\u2019m inclined to agree with you; they are definitely not happy. They don\u2019t look particularly well-cared for either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think they look like they\u2019re starving, especially the guy on the end, kinda by himself. Are prisons allowed to do that? Starve prisoners?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they aren\u2019t allowed to starve the prisoners . . . but see? The chain gang boss is back with food and water. Joe, come on away from the window. I can hear the dinner cart coming down the hall. Do you want the bellhop to find you in your night shirt?\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a good-hearted boy your brother is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, absolutely. \u00a0A kind heart is one of his best qualities. It turns out he has good instincts as well.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe seemed to inhale his dinner, along with a portion of Adam\u2019s meal. A full belly made the kid sleepy and easy to tuck into bed. Adam didn\u2019t even have to use the laudanum\u2014which was well and good. He never really trusted the drug.<\/p>\n Adam turned down the lamps and crawled into his own bed. The quiet was a nice change. It gave him time to think about something other than putting a sock in Joe\u2019s mouth just to hush him up for five minutes.<\/p>\n Had he been as stupid as Little Joe at thirteen? He didn\u2019t remember anything that amounted to much, but it was possible he wasn\u2019t the best judge.\u00a0 Maybe, some time, he would ask Pa.<\/p>\n From his little brother\u2019s point of view, the entire episode was completely rational. Adam had sent him to bed without inquiring if he\u2019d had plans for the evening. Joe\u2019s excuse for crawling out of his window? He knew Adam would never let him be part of the poker game in the bunk house.\u00a0 Why would he want to join the poker game? Well, \u201cwhy not?\u201d had been the kid\u2019s reply. The ranch hands had invited him, and he didn\u2019t want to be stand-offish. He\u2019d never been in a poker game before, and he wanted to see what it was like.<\/p>\n Adam had to admit that, in his own unique way, the boy was completely honest. He might try to sneak around you, he might leave a great deal unsaid, but he never lied to you.<\/p>\n Knowing Little Joe as he did, Adam fully expected the chain gang was going to be on the kid\u2019s mind in the morning. After seeing the prisoners, Adam felt it best to assure himself, as well, that they were being treated humanely.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you and your little brother are more alike than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t go that far.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam awoke to a moment of disorientation from being in an unfamiliar space and the familiar feeling that Little Joe had managed to sneak around him again. The other bed was rumpled, but empty. The night shirt was abandoned, and the day clothes and boots were missing.\u00a0 For someone who\u2019d taken a fall from the roof only a day before, the kid could move quickly and quietly when he wanted to.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t too concerned. Adam figured he knew right where he could find the boy. As it turned out, Joe wasn\u2019t too far ahead of him. \u00a0In fact, he was able to follow the boy without detection all the way to the warehouse where the prisoners were being quartered. As usual, Adam had arrived just in time to witness the latest Joe-kerfuffle.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only sandwiches,\u201d Joe explained to the rather large and seemingly unimpressed chain gang boss.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought that since these guys are doing all this hard work, a little extra somethin\u2019 to eat would be appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoy, are you sayin\u2019 I ain\u2019t doin\u2019 my job? \u2018Cause that dog don\u2019t hunt!\u201d \u00a0Unimpressed was starting to look downright mean. Something about the man nagged at Adam, but he couldn\u2019t put a finger on it. The guy absolutely oozed confidence, but he continually tugged at his black leather gloves like he was nervous about something.<\/p>\n Time to step in. \u201cNot at all. It\u2019s just a gift. My name is Adam Cartwright, and this is my brother, Joe. He\u2019s only offering something he\u2019d give to anyone in a similar situation.\u201d At his side, Adam could sense the tension seep from Joe, just a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cMust be nice to have enough to just give it away. Cartwright? Why is that name familiar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur father, Ben Cartwright, is on the territorial prison board of directors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. I guess that explains it.\u00a0 I\u2019m Asa Calhoun. My job is to keep these men working on improvin\u2019 the road. I run a tight ship, and I don\u2019t like interference. But . . .\u00a0 seein\u2019 how it\u2019s meant as a kindness, I\u2019ll let it pass this time. Boy, put that bag of food down on the wagon tailgate and move away.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to see no tricks from this lot \u2018cause of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Calhoun might run a tight ship, but it looked to Adam as if the ship rations were a bit lean. The group of prisoners crowded around the food eagerly. Keeping an eye on the boss, they shared out the food amongst themselves, with the exception of one sad looking soul who stood apart from the rest.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d Joe complained, \u201cthat guy didn\u2019t get any of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t do him any good.\u201d For the first time, the man looked pleased.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I ask why?\u201d Adam was getting a little sick of the man\u2019s attitude.<\/p>\n \u201cBuckner, get over here.\u201d The prisoner obeyed, but he kept a watchful eye on the boss. Up close, the man looked pitiful.\u00a0 He was covered in filth and much scrawnier than the rest of the crew.<\/p>\n \u201cThis here lowlife ran afoul of the other prisoners. They don\u2019t like his kind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis kind . . .\u201d\u00a0 The man in question began shaking his head vigorously.<\/p>\n Calhoun leaned in a bit, dropping his voice while smirking at Little Joe. \u201cThis is Tweed Buckner. Likes to meddle with kids. Ah, stop shuffling and carrying on\u2014it ain\u2019t no use denying what was proved in court. Anyhow, he\u2019s an example of what you call prison justice. Some of the men take out their frustrations on him, and they got tired of having him complain to the warden.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam thanked his lucky stars that Joe hadn\u2019t understood much of what Calhoun said.\u00a0 He was certain there was going to be a difficult conversation about it later.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t . . . why can\u2019t he eat then?\u201d Joe\u2019s face was screwed up in a frown. He clearly knew he was missing something.<\/p>\n \u201cThey cut out his tongue, boy. Made themselves an Arkansas toothpick out of a trowel and did a number on him.\u00a0 He can\u2019t talk now, and he\u2019s gotta heap of trouble chewin\u2019 and swallowing. Serves the pervert right. What did I tell you, Buckner? Mind your manners and quit throwin\u2019 dirt around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d Adam wanted to make sure he had this story straight. \u201cYou have a prisoner who can\u2019t eat and swallow properly working on a chain gang?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I do. Gotta a problem with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Little Joe inserted himself into the conversation before things got too heated. \u201cCan we please go back to the hotel?\u201d\u00a0 What? Had he heard the boy correctly? Joe usually considered an argument high entertainment. If the argument went from words to fists, Little Joe was in hog heaven. Could the kid be feeling poorly?\u00a0 Adam promptly lost interest in the dispute and led his brother away from Calhoun and his band of unfortunates.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cSo, did you have that difficult conversation?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Little Joe, unfortunately there are some awful people who will take advantage of others, even kids, for their own . . . umm . . .\u00a0 shocking purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, not . . .\u00a0 that. I mean I don\u2019t believe that Buckner did it.\u201d<\/p>\n What on earth? Adam knew Little Joe tended to trust his instincts, but this was going pretty far.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, a jury must have believed the evidence, or he wouldn\u2019t be in prison now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you see him?\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t shufflin\u2019 around and makin\u2019 a mess in the dirt while Mr. Calhoun was talkin\u2019 \u2013 he was writing a message.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam had not seen that. It stung a little bit that his brother had noticed something when he, himself, had been oblivious.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep. He wrote LIAR in the dust with the toe of his boot.\u00a0 When he knew I saw the message, he brushed it away so Calhoun wouldn\u2019t catch him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, the thing is\u201d Adam said, \u201cpeople who do those sorts of things to kids are very good at seeming to be innocent. They make it look like any accusations against them are ridiculous . . . or that they were misunderstood. It doesn\u2019t make it right about how he\u2019s being treated, but him accusing Calhoun of lying doesn\u2019t really prove anything. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I understand. Can we go to Missy\u2019s caf\u00e9? I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Maggie was in a high temper. \u201cWhat an odious man, trying to take advantage of the boy\u2019s kindness and innocence!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d think so, would\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n There was a standing rule in the Cartwright household: if Little Joe asked to be fed, it should be taken care of quickly before the boy fell out of the mood. Since Adam hadn\u2019t had a chance to even sip coffee before trailing Joe, a late breakfast at the caf\u00e9 seemed to be just the ticket.<\/p>\n The two of them did have a pleasant meal: the coffee was hot, the food was tasty, and the conversation was friendly.\u00a0 A good night\u2019s sleep seemed to have done Joe a world of good physically.\u00a0 Only time would heal the bruises and lacerations, but otherwise the boy was as nimble and energetic as always. Adam could only shake his head at the miracle of youthful healing; he was sure he would be nowhere near as cheerful and spry a mere 24 hours after bouncing off a roof.<\/p>\n Adam realized soon after paying the check he should have been suspicious \u2013 no good would come from a friendly and cooperative Little Joe. He had turned his back on Joe for just a moment . . .<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cMy word, where did the scamp go this time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure at first. I stepped outside the caf\u00e9 and paced around looking east and west trying to catch a glimpse with no luck. That\u2019s when I heard him \u2013 he was inside the jail house, which was conveniently<\/em> located next to the caf\u00e9 Joe had requested, having an energetic conversation with the sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here. Can you help me explain things to your brother?\u201d Sheriff Coffee was looking worn out, and he\u2019d only been arguing with Joe for a few minutes.<\/p>\n Joe was seated in one of the chairs in front of the sheriff\u2019s desk, arms crossed with an expression of mulish obstinacy across his face.\u00a0 Appeared that neither Joe nor the sheriff had managed to \u201cexplain things\u201d to each other.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, why are you here bothering Sheriff Coffee when you should be on the road to the Ponderosa bothering me?\u201d\u00a0 All right, that had been a trifle caustic, but Adam and his wit\u2019s end were about to meet.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep tellin\u2019 the sheriff that something ain\u2019t right about Mr. Calhoun and his prisoner. I want him to go talk to them, but he says he ain\u2019t got the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, boy,\u201d Roy Coffee was getting as worked up as Joe. \u201cThat is not what I said! I said I can\u2019t go this very minute. As it happens, I got other town folks telling me they don\u2019t like the looks of that guard, and his crew looks like they can\u2019t drag their own chains, much less improve the road. I\u2019m fixin\u2019 to go on down in a bit to see things for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d Adam was going to do his best to take charge. \u201cGo get the horse from the livery and have it hitched up to the wagon. Meet me in front of the hotel in no more than 15 minutes, ready to go.\u00a0 If you pull any more tricks, you can bet I\u2019m going to tell Pa Every. Single. Detail. of what went on while he and Hoss were in Carson City.\u00a0 Understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Roy awaited Joe\u2019s reaction. Would he cave or would he fight? The boy sat there for a moment, head down and sniffing hard as he usually did when feeling emotional. Finally . . .<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. I\u2019ll meet you there in 15 minutes.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe rose and with the dignity peculiar to a 13-year-old, Joe exited the jail house, closing the door quietly after him.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, that was wonderful! You\u2019re going to make a fine father someday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Maggie, don\u2019t . . . I can\u2019t stand it.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cRoy, did you know that one of Calhoun\u2019s prisoners has had his tongue cut out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in tarnation? When was that? How does the poor fellow manage?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalhoun claims that this man, Tweed Buckner, was being abused by the other prisoners. Apparently, his fellow prisoners took exception to the man complaining about the abuse and cut out his tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTweed Buckner? Yep, I heard about that scoundrel. No, I don\u2019t suppose Buckner would be popular with the other inmates. Funny, I heard Buckner was a bit of a tough guy, he\u2019s more of the kind to do the cutting than take the cutting.\u00a0 Tell Little Joe I promise to go fetch Doc Martin, and we\u2019ll go see about the situation. If anyone needs doctoring, we\u2019ll make sure it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Roy. I\u2019ll tell him.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cDid the two of you ever manage to get on the road?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we did. Joe was a good as his word \u2013 he had the wagon ready in front of the hotel as promised.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Leaving Joe sitting on the wagon (under threat of even more grievous bodily harm should he move), Adam took a quick jaunt down to the warehouse to see how the chain gang was getting along.\u00a0 Seeing the place empty, he presumed they had gotten a start on work while he and Joe had been eating. Thinking it would be wise to let Roy know that the men had started their workday, Adam made a quick pass through the jail house only to find the sheriff missing. It took only a few minutes to locate some paper and a pencil, and Adam was headed back to the wagon.<\/p>\n With any luck, they\u2019d make it home in time for dinner.\u00a0 With a great deal of luck, they\u2019d make it home before Pa and Hoss arrived.\u00a0 It never ended well to have Pa waiting, wondering, and worrying, especially where Little Joe was concerned.\u00a0 Adam had no doubt that if he and Joe didn\u2019t make it home first the ranch hands would be eager to regale their employer with what had happened to the youngest Cartwright.<\/p>\n He was pleased to see that Little Joe was right where he left him. Quickly, he climbed into the wagon, slapped the reins, and pulled into traffic.<\/p>\n Adam had to admit, many of the holes in the road had been filled.\u00a0 This made for fewer complaints from his passenger \u2013 which was a welcome change. Even so, he decided not to press his luck, or the horses, and took the road home at a slow and easy pace.<\/p>\n The problem with slow and easy was that his passenger was getting bored and antsy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to poke along so much! At this rate, it\u2019ll be dark before we get home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just can\u2019t win with you, can I? You know, your ribs and shoulder haven\u2019t magically healed over night? The road is better, but it\u2019s hardly smooth. All you did yesterday was yell that I wasn\u2019t being careful enough to suit you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m bakin\u2019 hot, and we ain\u2019t goin fast enough to stir up even a little breeze.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood point. We need to stop at the next watering hole to let the horses drink and rest.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cHow long does it take to get from town to the house?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good question. Sometimes, it seems to take forever. Sometimes, it seems like it takes no time at all.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n By and by, after rounding a sweeping curve, the brothers arrived at the watering hole Adam had in mind.\u00a0 Generally, it was a pleasant spot. Shady trees and soft grass surrounded the good-sized pool of water that bubbled up from an underground spring and trickled out to join a small creek nearby.<\/p>\n Today, the spot was also being used by the chain gang.\u00a0 Calhoun had the wagon parked near the road, and the team of horses had been unhitched. Hobbled, they ambled around a bit and nibbled on the sparse grass.\u00a0 The prisoners, it seemed, were also being rested.\u00a0 Most of them were shackled to the largest tree \u2013 at least they had shade and water if not freedom of movement.<\/p>\n Buckner\u2019s situation was noticeably different. He was shackled by the wrist to the wagon itself, using a short chain that prevented him sitting down or even standing comfortably. There was no sign of a canteen, or even a hat to keep the sun off his head.<\/p>\n For the love of God . . . Adam had had enough of Calhoun and his mistreatment of the people he was responsible for. It was past time for a direct discussion. He pulled the wagon up sharply, close to the prison vehicle, and set the brake.<\/p>\n \u201cCareful,\u201d Joe said. \u201cThat guy is plain mean, and I don\u2019t think he\u2019d know a fair fight if it bit him in the . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo not finish that sentence. Stay. Here. I mean it, Joe. Having you in the middle of things will only make it worse.\u201d Adam took a moment to remove his gun belt before jumping down from the wagon. No need to tempt escalating this discussion into fatal violence.<\/p>\n The varmint in question was striding in their direction, a glint in his eye and wicked grin on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy am I not surprised to see you two?\u00a0 Can\u2019t stand to keep your nose outta things that ain\u2019t your business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you\u2019re doing to these men is everyone\u2019s business. Move Buckner to the shade with the other men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy men, my choice. Get lost, Cartwright, before something happens to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe I\u2019ll take my chances. Joe, hand me the canteen.\u201d Adam had turned his back for barely a moment before he heard his brother yelp a warning.\u00a0 Luckily, the yell made him flinch just enough that Calhoun\u2019s swing left only a long, shallow cut down his back rather than piercing the flesh between his ribs as the man had no doubt intended.<\/p>\n Little Joe had been correct; Calhoun wouldn\u2019t know a fair fight if it bit him in the ass\u2014which relieved Adam of any requirements to play nice. Adam twisted around to face Calhoun, ducking under the hand holding a sharpened trowel, and plowed his fist into the man\u2019s gut.<\/p>\n The blow was hard enough to make Calhoun falter and stagger back a few paces. He even leaned over, grabbing his knees and gagging before spitting into the dirt. Wrapping one hand around his middle, he raised the other in supplication.<\/p>\n \u201cHad enough?\u201d His back was smarting like no one\u2019s business, but Adam was perfectly fine to continue. If the guard was willing to give up, Adam was willing to accept his surrender.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah. I give up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrop that trowel. Seems a strange weapon for a prison guard to carry around. Funny, isn\u2019t a trowel what you told us was used to mutilate \u2018Buckner\u2019? Sorry, that\u2019s your name, isn\u2019t it? Just how long have you been impersonating Asa Calhoun?\u201d \u00a0The man had the audacity to look Adam right in the eye and grin \u2013 before launching himself headfirst into Adam.<\/p>\n The blow knocked the wind right out of him, and he hit the ground hard.\u00a0 Even so, he should have been able to recover quickly. But on the way down, Adam banged his head good and hard against the wagon wheel. The pain was excruciating, and his vision tunneled to a pin prick.<\/p>\n In a daze, Adam was aware that he was laid out prone, face in the dirt with his brother at the mercy of this scoundrel. No amount of will or fortitude was going to get him back on his feet to defend Joe, and he could do nothing but listen to his brother shouting his name.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Maggie\u2019s eyes were wide with horror, her hands clasped over her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Maggie. I tried to warn you. I\u2019ll stop now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you dare! Just . . . tell us that Little Joe is all right.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam heard the scuffling sound as the brute stood up, and then felt the man kick him in the ribs. He would have liked to have taken the blow manfully, without making a sound. That wasn\u2019t in the cards. He tried to lift his head, to move toward Little Joe, speak some encouragement \u2013 anything to make a difference.<\/p>\n Staying barely conscious was all he could manage.<\/p>\n \u201cThere, kid, you can quit your squalling. He ain\u2019t dead.\u201d The wagon creaked loudly as Joe shifted around. To his horror, Adam heard the distinct click of a revolver\u2019s hammer being pulled back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard my brother. Drop that trowel, and then move over there away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoy, what do you think you\u2019re going to do with that gun? You been havin\u2019 gun fights in the school yard? Your arm\u2019s shaking like a leaf. \u00a0Just drop that over the side of the wagon before you hurt yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d better worry about yourself. Quit moving! Don\u2019t go near my brother! I\u2019ll shoot you. Don\u2019t you think I won\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cListen, boy\u201d Tweed Buckner\u2019s voice was silky smooth, oily and leering. \u201cI\u2019ll make you a deal. You be nice to me for a few minutes, and I won\u2019t hurt your brother. In fact, after I\u2019m done making you feel good, I\u2019ll vamoose outta here.\u201d<\/p>\n A gun shot rang out in answer. Adam\u2019s heart skipped a beat while the pain in his head surged unmercifully.<\/p>\n \u201cBoy, you missed me by a mile. You are like your brother \u2013 all hat and no cattle. Okay, then, gotta do things the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n No, no, no! Little Joe, please run, get away . . .<\/p>\n A loud commotion erupted. Adam could pick out the sounds of scuffling feet, the smack of a weapon against flesh, and the sound of someone hitting the ground. After that . . .\u00a0 silence, except for loud panting breaths.<\/p>\n Adam had bever considered himself a coward, but he couldn\u2019t call what happened next anything other than cowardice. He just couldn\u2019t listen to what he knew was coming. Instead, Adam allowed himself to fall into the looming darkness he\u2019d been fighting off.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cMerciful heavens! Please, God, no!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaggie, hold on, let me tell you the rest of it.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam woke up coughing, the pungent scent of smelling salts filling up his nose. Above him, was a blurry face or maybe two blurry faces \u2013 that when finally merged proved to be Doc Martin.<\/p>\n \u201cThere you are, Adam. Glad to see you awake. You had Little Joe scared.\u201d Before Adam could protest, the doctor was in his face even more closely, peering into his eyes intently.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe! Where is . . . he?\u201d Attempting to turn his head proved to be a bad idea. Everything in his line of vision swooped and gyrated. Adam\u2019s stomach tried to enter the dance, and it took a couple of minutes to settle things down.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy there, I guess I don\u2019t have to warn you now to not move too fast.\u00a0 Joe, come over here, and sit by your brother. I\u2019m going to wrap a bandage around Buckner\u2019s head before Roy tosses his sorry carcass into the prison wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s filthy, tear-stained face came into view.\u00a0 Adam wanted to touch him, just to make sure he wasn\u2019t seeing things after all. As it turned out, he could barely lift his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, what do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGod, don\u2019t make me repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing like that.\u00a0 Did you hear me stalling him?\u00a0 I had your gun pointed right at him. No matter what, he wasn\u2019t going to touch you again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStalling? I don\u2019t get it . . . you\u2019re going to have to use simple words . . . in a soft voice, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Mr. Calhoun, can you come over here?\u201d The sad-looking soul, formerly identified as Tweed Buckner, came into view. He didn\u2019t look nearly as pitiful as he had just a few hours before if you didn\u2019t count the massive swelling of his right hand.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the real Mr. Calhoun,\u201d Joe continued. \u201cOf course, you had that figured out. Anyway, almost as soon as you and the real Buckner started fighting, Mr. Calhoun started working at getting out of his handcuff. I could see what he was doing, and I was afraid Buckner would catch him at it.<\/p>\n You fell and hit your head. I remembered your gun and pulled it loose. Buckner, he started sayin\u2019 those things and moving around like he was going to hurt you worse . . . and all I could think of was to keep him talking. Finally, Mr. Calhoun, he . . . well, he broke his thumb to get loose of the cuff.\u00a0 And he couldn\u2019t keep himself from yelping about it . . .\u00a0 that must have hurt like no one\u2019s business, sir . . . so I pulled the trigger to cover it up. Don\u2019t worry, Adam, I didn\u2019t hit nothin\u2019. Luckily, there was a shovel inside that prison wagon. Mr. Calhoun slapped Buckner right across the back of the head with it, and Buckner went down like a sack of potatoes. We tied him up quick in case he started to wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy Coffee ambled into view and kneeled down in the dirt to join the conversation. \u201cThat\u2019s right about when we got here. I\u2019ll tell you, when we heard that gun shot, we sure picked up the pace. Mr. Calhoun, the doctor\u2019s ready to fix up your hand and take a look at your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut . . . what . . . how . . .\u201d Adam\u2019s mind was in such a jumble, he couldn\u2019t even string sensible words together.<\/p>\n Roy continued his story. \u201cFrom what the other prisoners have to say, Buckner got the drop on Calhoun not too far from the prison gates. He used that infernal trowel on him, and he made Calhoun exchange clothes with him. Seems Buckner decided to play chain gang boss mostly out of meanness, so he could torment Calhoun and the other prisoners. Ya got any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t think of one . . . right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. We\u2019ll have more time to talk later. Little Joe, catch hold of your brother on that side and see if we can\u2019t ease him on up and over to Doc Martin\u2019s buggy. Adam, you, Little Joe, and Calhoun are going back to town with the doctor. He\u2019ll tell my deputy to hightail it out here with some men while I guard these prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cI think we could all use something to calm our nerves,\u201d Everett said quietly. Moving quickly to the sideboard, he poured a modest amount of brandy into one glass for his wife, and a not-so-modest amount into glasses for himself and Adam.<\/p>\n Maggie cleared her throat. \u201cAdam, I am so sorry for making you tell us that story . . . making you relive those moments. We had no right.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam swallowed his brandy in a few gulps and sank back into his chair. \u201cDon\u2019t be sorry. You know, I think I feel a little bit better for having talked about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNext, well, it turned out that Buckner hadn\u2019t managed to completely mutilate Calhoun. He\u2019s healing better than expected. Buckner has had several years tacked on to his prison sentence. I promise you, he\u2019s even less popular with his fellow prisoners than he was before. As for me and Joe, we ended up back in the hotel \u2013 this time due to my injuries rather than his.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas Joe been devastated by all that happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSleeping\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you were really asleep, you wouldn\u2019t say you were sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to sleep. I\u2019m going to need all my strength to explain this to Pa when he gets here tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah . . . it\u2019s a good story. Pa\u2019s gonna be riled up.\u201d<\/p>\n Really? A good story? Nearly being killed . . . or assaulted . . . made for a good story?\u201d Adam would never understand the kid.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything about what happened today that\u2019s bothering you? Something you\u2019d like to talk about?\u201d<\/p>\n Nothing. Silence. Not a peep from the kid until Adam was nearly asleep again. Hearing the rustle of bed clothes as the boy turned toward him, Adam braced himself.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I was wondering. Do guys like Buckner, you know \u2013 bad guys, do they do that all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo what, Joe?\u201d Adam kept his voice soft and gentle.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, just talk and talk. It was like he almost made a speech.\u201d<\/p>\n *** The End***<\/p>\n A\/N:\u00a0 Written for Bonanza Brand\u2019s 2023 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.\u00a0 The words\/phrases dealt to me were:<\/p>\n chain gang <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Adam and Joe cope with trouble.<\/p>\n Rating: T Word Count:\u00a0 6,197<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":23243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,1008,40],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-46191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-family","category-challenges","tag-pppt","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PPPT-pic.png?fit=588%2C325&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cthat dog don\u2019t hunt\u201d
\ntrowel
\n\u201cHe\u2019s all hat and no cattle\u201d
\ngun fight<\/p>\n