The Trail Riders is a collection of authors who collaborate on a story. This particular story was written for the Round Robin Challenge, September 2019. The following authors participated (listed in alphabetical order): AC1830, AH83, BettyHT, Hart4Ben, Lizabeth, and Mo1427.<\/p>\n
Summary – Little Joe, with Hoss as his partner, has come up with another scheme to make money, but this time it’s for a worthy cause. However, there are some who are not happy at all with his business plan. Will the Bride Train arrive on time or will it be derailed before it ever leaves the station?<\/p>\n
Rating: G, Word Count: 7268<\/p>\n
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The evening had been a relaxing one, although Ben couldn\u2019t get over the feeling that something was going to make him regret spending his time reading while savoring two glasses of his finest brandy. The past week had been contentious as Joe had ensnared Hoss into yet another one of his schemes. While the plan had been meant to help, the results were certainly not expected. Ben did his best to stay out of it all, and Joe had assured him that everything was under control. Therefore, when Adam came home from San Francisco, Ben had implored him to convince his two younger brothers to go to the social in town and try to forget their frustrations over their apparently failed plan. Amused by it all, Adam had agreed, but now Ben worried if Adam was aware of all that had transpired while he was gone. Noise alerted him to his sons\u2019 return, but apprehension grew rapidly when they came directly to the house instead of going to the barn to take care of their horses. Opening the door, he was met with a sight of bruises, abrasions, and cuts as well as the distinct odor of whiskey which he knew was not served at the dance. Two sons leaned on the third who stood in the middle of them looking contrite.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Pa. You still up?\u201d Hoss gave his father a nervous smile and tightened his grasp around Adam\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n
Ben grimaced and jerked his head toward the kitchen. It was obvious by the look on his face and his muffled groan that Adam was not in a good mood. Ben considered it a small blessing that his oldest was keeping his mouth shut and averting his gaze. Coming alongside, Ben relieved Hoss of the lesser of his burdens. Joe moaned loudly when his father slid under his arm and grabbed hold of his waist. Ben\u2019s scowl grew deeper at the familiar smell of alcohol emanating from his youngest.<\/p>\n
Once in the kitchen, Hoss kicked back two chairs and eased Adam into one of them. The big man removed his hat and mopped his brow. Despite his father\u2019s best efforts, Joe landed with a bit of a thud in the other chair and then slumped over on to the table with his head resting on his arms. Ben went directly to the cupboard to retrieve the necessary supplies to clean and disinfect the cuts on his sons\u2019 faces and hands.<\/p>\n
Hearing the commotion, Hop SIng emerged from his room muttering and grumbling. He poked at the fire and began making a fresh pot of coffee. While the cook banged around the kitchen, Ben worked on Adam. However, after a few minutes of dabbing and wiping, Adam wordlessly pushed himself out of his seat and lurched toward the door to the dining room. Pausing momentarily to watch his oldest stagger away from his ministrations, Ben knew better than to say anything or go after Adam; so he turned his attention to Joe. Hoss peeked out the doorway to make sure Adam made it up the stairs.<\/p>\n
Ben proceeded to work on Joe the best he could given his youngest was practically lying on the table. Whether unwilling or unable, Joe did not lift his head while his father worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Shortshanks. Time for bed.\u201d Hoss pulled Joe to his feet amid protests and then hoisted him over his shoulder. \u201cNight, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHoss? You are coming back down, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Ben needed information about what had happened to his sons in town.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m beat. Gonna put little brother ta bed and then do the same. See ya in the mornin\u2019.\u201d Hoss\u2019 voice faded as he lumbered out of the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Ben slapped the rag he had been using on the table. \u201cThunderation!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want coffee?\u201d Hop Sing stood holding the big pot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Uh — no, thank you.\u201d Ben heaved a big sigh.<\/p>\n
Hop Sing set down the pot with a clang and muttered in Chinese as he huffed away.<\/p>\n
~o~o~o~<\/p>\n
It was no surprise to Ben that he was alone at the breakfast table only a few hours later. Not even the normally ravenous Hoss had showed his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve apparently raised a bunch of cowards,\u201d Ben muttered.<\/p>\n
Hop Sing was in a foul mood after being rousted in the middle of a good sleep for no reason the night before. Finding only one Cartwright present when he delivered a platter of steaming food to the table did not help his disposition. Ben did his best to ignore the cook\u2019s complaints. He ate quickly and headed for town with plans to attend church and speak with Roy Coffee. Ben thought he might then be able to piece together what had transpired the prior evening. He was met with some interesting looks and whispers as he entered the church. When he attempted to strike up conversations with friends and acquaintances after the service, Ben found them evasive or suddenly in a hurry to get home for Sunday dinner. Frustrated, he went directly to the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Virginia City was eerily silent as Ben walked the short distance from the church to Roy\u2019s office. He tipped his hat politely to the few souls he met, but they either ignored him or seemed fascinated by whatever storefront they passed. If it weren\u2019t so annoying, he would have burst out laughing at the lengths the townspeople were going to avoid him.<\/p>\n
What could two childless widows find so fascinating about the men\u2019s clothing display?<\/em><\/p>\n As he stepped up onto the sidewalk in front of his destination, he felt he was being watched. Turning quickly, he saw three cowboys across the street who appeared to be casually leaning against the building. Except that he noticed their hands were resting on their guns, ready to draw. As he glared at them, they quickly looked away and dropped their hands to their sides. Surprised at their behavior, Ben looked more closely but he didn\u2019t recognize them. He decided to add that to the list of questions he had for Roy. This time of year it wasn\u2019t unusual to find strangers in town looking for work. He didn\u2019t remember any ranchers who were hiring, though. He debated about whether or not to demand to know what they were staring at. Deciding that he needed honest answers from Roy more urgently, he turned back and reached for the doorknob. With each step his temper rose. Hoss and Adam had avoided discussing the events of last night, and Joe was in no shape to talk. Surely they must have known he\u2019d get a strange reception in town. Why hadn\u2019t they given him the courtesy of an inkling of what to expect? He reached for the doorknob of the doctor\u2019s office and was pleased when it turned in his hand.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n Twelve hours earlier:<\/p>\n Adam pushed his father\u2019s hands away from his face and left the kitchen. He was in no mood for his ministrations, which he knew would be followed by an inquisition of what had happened. And as the oldest, he was responsible for the conduct of his younger brothers. Even though they were grown men! It was about time they took responsibility for their own actions.<\/p>\n How dare my family send me into the lions\u2019 den, otherwise known as the town social, without telling me the extent of the damage Joe\u2019s latest scheme had inflicted? Was it only a few days ago that I was enjoying myself after successfully negotiating those contracts? And what\u2019s my reward? Sent to nursemaid my brothers and ending up bruised and battered.<\/em><\/p>\n He made his way shakily to the stairs and slowly climbed to his room. For the first time since returning from college, he locked the door behind him. He was in no mood to discuss the evening with anyone. He felt betrayed, unable to remember ever being more hurt and angry at his family.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n Instead of sleeping, Adam dozed intermittently, waking from pain and anger. When he heard his father walking past his door, he remained perfectly still and breathed quietly. His anger had not cooled one bit overnight, and he knew a confrontation would end badly.<\/p>\n When he heard the front door slam shut, he assumed his father was going to church. Adam could hear Hoss snoring, and he guessed Joe was either asleep or passed out. Rolling out of bed, he worked the stiffness out of his muscles before getting dressed and heading downstairs. The bruises on his face prevented him from attempting to shave. If his father saw him at the table unshaven, there would be an angry outburst. One with an irate Hop Sing was all he could handle. He also knew someone should care for the horses and do the morning chores. As quickly as he heard Buck leaving, he knew once again he needed to do them. He was tired of being the responsible one. It was past time there needed to be some changes if he was to remain on the Ponderosa. Steeling himself for a rough day ahead, he silently stepped into the hall.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n As the church crowd finally dispersed, the three cowboys leaning up against the building with their hands draped over their pistols continued to watch Ben Cartwright as he made his way over to Dr Martin\u2019s office. They lowered their eyes when Ben looked over at them before he went into the office. They hurried back to the stable where they left their horses and quickly got everything together. A dark-haired, mountain of a man came in and handed them a piece of paper with instructions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should have no trouble at the Ponderosa. I will try keep Mister Cartwright busy here. Remember two of you need to take out Adam and Hoss first. That way they can\u2019t stop you from getting Little Joe an\u2019 bringin\u2019 him to town.<\/p>\n \u201cRight Boss, we need Little Joe for leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n Three sets of eyes rolled. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNevermind, I\u2019ll explain it to you as we ride.\u201d<\/p>\n They all nodded in agreement and the three cowboys got on their horses and headed for the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n Sitting in his friend\u2019s office, Ben got quite a story from Doctor Martin.<\/p>\n \u201cThe social was in full swing by the time Adam, Hoss and Little Joe arrived. Immediately Little Joe had gone over to where Mary Alice was standing and asked her to dance. Hoss didn\u2019t waste any time either and soon he was dancing away with Emily. Adam leaned back against the wall nursing a drink in his hands, taking in all that was going on before his eyes. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. He even watched as Little Joe and Mary Alice walked outside for a breath of fresh air. No longer enjoying himself, he headed outside as well, apparently unhappy about not having anyone to dance with.<\/p>\n Not long after, a piercing scream ripped through the air and stopped everyone in their tracks. Quickly we all ran outside and to the barn where lo and behold, Little Joe and Mary Alice lay tangled up in the hay, hair all mussed up, faces flushed with embarrassment. A look of horror had crossed Little Joe\u2019s face as he realized that everyone was staring at them and I noticed that her bodice had a tear in it. Joe tried covering her up with hay at the moment that her father walked in. That was also when Adam and Hoss appeared, although I noticed Adam was moving rather stiffly. Before any explanation could be offered Mary Alice was escorted out through the crowd by her irate father. Hoss hauled Joe up and out the back way followed by Adam. I ended up helping to disperse the crowd, and was left wondering what had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n Not finding his brother in the house, Hoss arrived at the barn about the time Adam was finishing up chores. Greeted with a glare that could cause most men to turn and hurry in the opposite direction, Hoss bravely came in and helped finish the chores working silently beside his brother. As they put the tools away, Adam had to say something.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe you didn\u2019t tell me about the poster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’m real sorry but you gotta believe I didn\u2019t know it was going to be such a big thing. We needed a picture for the advertising and you look real good on posters. Joe looks too young, and you know my picture would never have worked.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the use of my picture that I find so objectionable although it would have been polite to ask first. It\u2019s what was printed underneath. What possessed you to invest your money in such a hare-brained scheme anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Joe said those orphan trains were working so well that he thought a bride train might work really well. I mean ifn folks would take in orphans, wouldn\u2019t men here in Nevada want women they could marry up with? There ain\u2019t hardly enough women to go around. Heck, there must be fifteen or twenty men for every woman in this territory. Maybe except for the Irish. Those men seem to bring their women with them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut the poster has my picture and says \u2018this man couldn\u2019t find a decent woman to marry in Nevada\u2019. Did you have to use that word?\u00a0Decent?\u00a0<\/em>You’ve got to know what that implies, what everyone is thinking because they think I said that. Every father of every woman I was ever with, every brother of every one of them, and every husband married to every woman I was ever with took exception to that as well as every one of the women. They all wanted to let me know how they feel about it too. There I was at the dance, minding my own business out in the fresh air, and someone hit me. I thought it was because they were angry at Joe\u2019s scheme, but, no. It was because they wanted a piece of me because of that poster.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam was on a tear and there was no stopping him. The words spewed out as all the frustration, anger, and hurt were released.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t understand what was wrong last night. Every woman I asked to dance either turned away or said her dance card was full. It was like I was a pariah. I took a bath. I wore clean clothing. I hadn\u2019t said or done anything that I could remember that offended anyone recently. I went outside to get some fresh air and that\u2019s when I was attacked. After I got hit a few times, one of them waved that poster under my nose. I grabbed it and took a look. One finger pointed at that word just before I got hit a few more times. Now it\u2019s unlikely I\u2019ll ever find a woman to kiss much less dance with, and you can bet there won\u2019t be a woman who\u2019ll consent to me courting her after that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe if Joe was to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can he explain after what they think he did last night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that would be a problem. This should all blow over in a couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I can\u2019t go a couple of months without kissing a woman, and you know, other stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that could be a problem. Maybe you need to take a couple of trips.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking that too. What about this bride train? Is it coming?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we sorta ran out of money and the men who paid to bring the women here are mad \u2018cause they figure we lost it all, and well, nobody will give us any more. We printed the posters and sent them out, got some ladies who said they were coming, and sent money for tickets. We don\u2019t know if they\u2019re coming or not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sent cash to women who saw the posters and said they were coming without any guarantee that they would come? What was to stop them from simply keeping the money and staying where they are?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we never thought about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how were you going to get any money out of this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe men paid us up front for the cost of the tickets and a finder\u2019s fee for bringing the ladies here. The more who paid, the more money we made.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA finder\u2019s fee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was all Joe\u2019s idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, the Finder\u2019s Fee is paid AFTER the product, or in this case, the bride is delivered. Not before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n “Oh.”<\/p>\n The next thing they heard was the sound of three guns being cocked. Turning, they saw three cowboys standing in the door of the barn with pistols leveled at them.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, where is that little brother of yours? We want him. We need to return him to our employer to be used for leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking at each other and then back at the menacing cowboys, Hoss and Adam both had the same question. \u201cLeverage?\u201d<\/p>\n The three didn\u2019t look quite so confident then. The one who had spoken had thought he could impress the two with his highfalutin word, but clearly they didn\u2019t know what leverage meant either. He looked at his accomplices.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you said they\u2019d know what it meant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI figured they would. It was in that book I was a readin\u2019 and the outlaws grabbed a guy and took him to use him as leverage. The other folks just done what they was told \u2018cause the outlaws had leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n The third cowboy added his opinion then. \u201cMaybe they don\u2019t know the rules about leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n The man who had spoken first responded then. \u201cI ain\u2019t so sure I know either. I thought we just had it and then they did what we told \u2018em to do. Mister Peters said to bring Joe back to him so he could take what was owed out of his hide. He said this other one would follow and he could settle up with him then too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMister Peters ain\u2019t gonna like it if we don\u2019t bring that Little Joe back with us. He\u2019s a big one too. He could hurt all three of us if we don\u2019t do what he says to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss interjected a question then. \u201cHey, you talkin\u2019 \u2018bout Montana, the big dark-haired fella that works for us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, maybe we are. It ain\u2019t no nevermind of yours. We\u2019re just gonna take your little brother with us and you\u2019re supposed to follow along behind. Don\u2019t bring no guns or nothing though or your little brother could get seriously hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n It was up to Adam to point out the obvious. \u201cI thought you said Montana was going to hurt him anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou stop trying to confuse us or I\u2019ll shoot you right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind the three cowboys, there suddenly was what sounded like the voice of Zeus making a thunderous pronouncement from Olympus. \u201cPut down those pistols now!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam grinned at first but remembered they had loaded pistols aimed at their midsections. It had a sobering effect. They knew this was all a long way from being over.<\/p>\n A few minutes prior to the arrival of the outlaws, Joe woke up with a splitting headache and had been looking for his brothers after seeing the breakfast table empty. Going outside he squinted at the bright sunlight and thought he saw three strange men at the barn door with pistols drawn. Sneaking up on them in a wobbly fashion, Joe called out trying to mimic his Pa\u2019s booming voice. Nothing happened. The voice thundered again \u201cPut down those pistols now!\u201d He smiled as the men started to obey him.<\/p>\n As two of the cowboys bent over as if to put their guns down, they nodded to each other then swung out to attack Adam and Hoss. Adam fell pretty easily due to the beating he took the night before. It took a hit to the eye and an uppercut to the jaw to knock Hoss out.The third moved quickly to point his gun at Joe. Joe automatically reached for his pistol by his left hip and came up empty handed. He gulped, and tried a little smile before raising his hands in surrender, wobbling in front of the third man trying not to fall to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re comin\u2019 with us. The boss says we need you for leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n That was Joe\u2019s last thought as he was forced onto one of the men\u2019s horses. As they rode out Joe\u2019s last view was of his brothers laying sprawled out on the barn floor.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n After Ben shared a brandy with Paul, and he surely needed it after hearing the story about Joe and Mary Alice, he headed for his horse. In his fury, something kept niggling in the back of his head about why Adam was in such bad shape last night. As he yanked the reins off the rail his eyes landed on a poster with Adam\u2019s picture on it. The words below it shocked him, \u2018This man couldn\u2019t find a decent woman to marry in Nevada\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThunderation!! What is going on here?\u201d He grabbed at the poster and mounted his horse, reining him toward home. \u201cThose sons of mine have got a lot of explaining to do, and I don\u2019t care how bad they feel after last night.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben had had two hours to try to make sense of it all, but the more he thought about it the madder he got. When he rode into the yard his eyes were coal black and his face red with anger. Looking around the empty yard he heard moaning coming from the barn. Adam and Hoss stumbled out and leaned against the corral fence, both rubbing at their jaws.<\/p>\n Adam rubbed his eyes then noticed an angry father sitting atop his horse. He elbowed Hoss who followed his brother\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n Seeing his sons\u2019 condition his anger melted into concern. Ben dismounted and reached for their faces, turning them side to side to examine the bruising.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to you two?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stood a bit straighter and began to explain about the three men getting the drop on them but Joe snuck up on them, then the next thing they knew they were on the ground and the men were riding out with Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said something about \u2018leverage\u2019, whatever that means.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben pulled a folded paper from his pocket and opened it up. \u201cCould it have something to do with this?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss scrunched up their faces in a sickly fashion and shrugged. Hoss told that long, sad story about the bride train and Adam added about the men who attacked him over the poster. When it was over the sons were saddling up and heading out with Ben to find their wayward brother.<\/p>\n About halfway to town, the three Cartwrights met up with their missing Sheriff. He had been looking into the story about Mary Alice and found out some other interesting news. After Hoss explained what had happened back at the ranch, Roy had a pretty good idea what was going on and how to fix it. Turning their horses they headed into town and straight to the saloon.<\/p>\n In the saloon, Mike Peters, better known as Montana since he was born in that territory, was holding Joe as leverage to get Adam to show up. He was mad about the insinuation Adam had made about the women in the town. He felt it was just plain wrong all the way around. He also was mad about Joe\u2019s scheme to make money off men who wanted more women to come to their little hamlet in the West.<\/p>\n Montana was a big burly cowboy who worked as a drover for Ben Cartwright. While he was as big as Hoss, he had a mean look with his dark hair and scruffy beard. Anyone who got close to him learned he’d had a tough life but also that he felt a need to right the wrongs in the world. He was a hard worker and generally got along with everyone, but his temper showed if he felt there was an injustice. And boy did he feel there was an injustice running right now. He knew his job on the Ponderosa was over after taking Joe the way he did, but he had to set things right in the town he called home, after never having much of a home his entire life. The big man paced the room impatiently causing Joe to roll his eyes more than once.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019d just let me explain\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ain\u2019t ready to listen to you yet Little Joe. I\u2019m waitin\u2019 for Adam to show up an\u2019 say he\u2019s sorry about what he said on that there poster. That was just plain mean to say somethin\u2019 like that about all the nice women in this town. So you just sit quiet and eat yer breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI keep trying to tell you, Adam didn\u2019t say that. It was Hoss who put that on the poster. Adam wasn\u2019t even here. He was away on business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s his face so it\u2019s gotta be his words. Now I ain\u2019t listenin\u2019 to no more till he gets here.\u201d Montana gave Joe such a hard glare it made Joe duck his head and shovel eggs into his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cWell that might be awhile. When your buddies there brought me in, Adam and Hoss were laid out on the barn floor. I don\u2019t think their comin\u2019 anytime soon.\u201d Joe suddenly regretted mentioning that small detail.<\/p>\n Montana\u2019s face grew red as he leaned over Joe who shakily pointed to the three men across the room. Montana swung around and shouted at them. \u201cYou idiots were just supposed to rough \u2018em up to get \u2018em out of the way, not knock \u2018em out cold!\u201d<\/p>\n The three man shrunk back against the wall as Montana returned to his angry pacing.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n On the edge of town Roy reined his horse to a stop, effectively blocking the road. The three Cartwrights had no choice but to stop.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are we stopping here for, Roy? My son\u2019s in trouble and we don\u2019t have time to waste!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow you hold on there Ben. I got some things I gotta say before we ride in.\u201d Roy held Ben\u2019s gaze for a long moment before Ben backed down. \u201cAlright, first things first. I been out to the Simmons place, talkin\u2019 to Miss Mary Alice an\u2019 her folks. I got everything clear there and weren\u2019t nothing happened last night that Little Joe\u2019s in trouble for.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben, Hoss, and Adam exchanged looks.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, they snuck out to the barn to share a kiss but nothin\u2019 else happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Roy, we saw\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Roy held up his hand. \u201cHoss I know what you an\u2019 Adam think you seen. Fact is, the girl tripped on a loose board and was fallin\u2019 toward the stall wall. Joe grabbed her to make her fall into the hay instead, but he lost his balance and fell down beside her, hitting his head on the other stall wall. Her dress got torn when Joe grabbed her. That was when everybody else came in after hearing her scream from the fall.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that kinda fits the picture me and Adam saw. Guess we should have let Joe explain but Mister Simmons was already takin\u2019 his daughter out so I grabbed Joe, an\u2019 me and Adam headed out the back way. Joe wasn\u2019t too alert so we got him on his horse an\u2019 we headed home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell that explains why Joe was nearly unconscious but what about the whiskey I smelled on him?\u201d Ben\u2019s glare made Hoss look away and Adam flinch.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was my doing. On the way home, Joe got sick. I gave him some water then pulled my flask out of my saddle bag and let him have a swallow, thinking it would help him feel better. He only had a swallow but his hand was so shaky he spilled the rest all over his shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHrmph!\u201d Ben shook his head, then looked back at Roy. \u201cSo I guess that story will get told and folks will know Joe didn\u2019t do anything wrong there.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded. \u201cThe girl\u2019s friends are already workin\u2019 on that, so we can move on to why Little Joe was takin\u2019 into town by Montana. You see Montana is mighty upset about the way Adam seems to feel about the women in Virginia City, and about Little Joe\u2019s scheme to bring more women here for the men to marry.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben was growing impatient. \u201cRoy we know all that. I just want to get Joe back and make sure Montana hasn\u2019t hurt him. If he has I\u2019ll be pressing charges.\u201d Black brows knit together to form an angry scowl.<\/p>\n \u201cBen, that\u2019s exactly why I had us stop right here. I\u2019m gonna tell you what you three are gonna do to fix all this, and ifn you don\u2019t follow what I say, all four of you will be in my jail for disturbin\u2019 the peace and upsettin\u2019 folks to no end.\u201d<\/p>\n A chorus resounded, \u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n Roy squinted his eyes and glared back.<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Now here is what you three are gonna to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifteen minutes later the four men rode slowly down the main street toward the biggest saloon in town.<\/p>\n Roy hoped he\u2019d gotten through to his friends on what each one needed to do. He knew Ben would most likely be the wild card in the solution, but it had to be that way if things were going to be fixed. He frowned when he recalled his return to town from the Simmons home and saw Little Joe being led to the saloon by Montana and his friends, followed by half the town. Heading to the saloon himself, he was waylaid by Paul Martin who told his story of filling Ben in on the whole sordid mess from the dance. Learning that Ben had left town, Roy chose to get Ben and his other sons first, then deal with Montana and the town. He felt confident Montana wouldn\u2019t harm Joe, just rattle him a bit. Roy had to smile at that as he himself had had enough of Little Joe\u2019s schemes to last the rest of his life.<\/p>\n Slowing their horses in front of the saloon, Roy and the Cartwrights dismounted. Wrapping the reins around the rail, each looked at the others, then followed Roy into the saloon.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright everybody, listen up!\u201d<\/p>\n Voices dropped to whispers and all heads turned to see the four formidable men standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s dark eyes darted around the room and finally landed on Little Joe who was sitting by himself near the bar. He looked unharmed but refused to meet his father\u2019s gaze. At the bar, Sam kept watch with his shotgun laying quietly within reach on the counter behind him.<\/p>\n Roy nudged Ben to take his spot near the door, out of the way of all the patrons. Ben begrudgingly moved to lean against the wall with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. Adam smirked when he noticed everyone quickly turning their heads away and some quietly shifting their chairs to get away from the smoldering patriarch.<\/p>\n As Roy began to explain the plan, Adam and Hoss moved along the bar to be closer to Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cYou alright?\u201d Hoss whispered to his little brother.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, just dandy.\u201d Joe replied with a sickly look.<\/p>\n With Roy acting as moderator, Montana got his chance to air his grievances. The burly man glanced around at his friends who\u2019d paid into the Bride Train, and receiving nods from each one, he stepped to the center of the room. When he spoke he kept his eyes on the Cartwright brothers, purposely avoiding his boss standing by the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t a very good speaker but me an\u2019 my friends here feel some things have to be said about how Joe here and his brothers have done these men and the town wrong. First off, what was on them posters was just plain insultin\u2019 to the good women-folk here in town, and some apologies need to be said \u2018bout that. Next, these men do want to get hitched, and ain\u2019t got \u2018nuff money to go to them bigger cities. Joe\u2019s plan sounded pretty good at first, but it\u2019s been a while and now we want to know why there ain’t no word on any women comin\u2019 this way. The last thing I gotta say is that we don’t think it\u2019s right for Joe to take extra money, meanin\u2019 his finder\u2019s fee, for gettin\u2019 some ladies here since the men don\u2019t have that much to spend in the first place. And that\u2019s all I got to say.\u201d<\/p>\n Satisfied to have his thoughts heard, Montana stepped back to await the forthcoming apologies.<\/p>\n As Adam stepped forward to defend himself, Hoss held him back and took a step forward. \u201cIt was my fault that Adam got messed up in this. The whole idea for bringin\u2019 more women here was Joe\u2019s, but I agreed to help. I made the posters an\u2019 put Adam\u2019s picture on \u2018em. All I thought about was now I\u2019d heard men say they couldn\u2019t find a woman to marry, and I thought of how much trouble me an\u2019 my brothers seemed to have too, so I put Adam\u2019s picture on the poster and wrote the comment. It weren\u2019t till Adam came home an\u2019 saw it, and explained about how insulting it sounded that I realized I didn\u2019t word it right. I\u2019m sorry if it got some folks mad, an\u2019 I didn\u2019t mean to say anything bad about the nice ladies we got in this town. My brothers and me all agree we have lots of real nice ladies here, and…\u201d<\/p>\n Adam elbowed Hoss in the ribs to get him to stop talking when he saw a few married men starting throw glares at him.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, well, that\u2019s all I got to say.\u201d Hoss looked down at his boots and moved back to the bar.<\/p>\n Adam twirled his hat through his fingers and cleared his throat. \u201cAlthough the posters were made without my permission, I, too, will apologize about what they implied. We have a good town here, and I hope all can be quickly forgiven due to the faux pas my brothers made in their plan to help a few men find wives.\u201d He leaned back against the bar and waited.<\/p>\n Montana glanced around at his friends, and receiving confirmation, he stepped forward. \u201cWell, I reckon we can accept what you fellas have said. But Little Joe still needs to do something about his plan. Some of my friends who invested have been askin\u2019 where all the money\u2019s gone, and is it really right for Joe to be keepin\u2019 part of their hard earned money to help them get brides?\u201d<\/p>\n Loud voices erupted as Roy tried to bring about order.<\/p>\n Joe slowly stood up to try to explain, but another loud voice broke through the angry talk. \u201cIf I may say something here.\u201d<\/p>\n All eyes turned in unison to Ben Cartwright. The silver haired man drew himself up tall and strode to the center of the room, ignoring Roy\u2019s angry glare.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I don\u2019t in any way condone the particular methods used by my youngest sons in their plans to bring more women to Virginia City, I\u2019d like to speak to Montana\u2019s complaint about Joe making money off it. For those of you in business, you understand that you need to make some money off the cost of your services, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n Heads nodded, and murmurs confirmed Ben\u2019s words.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, there is a limit to how much profit is reasonable. Now, in this case, my sons were trying to help a few men who really wanted to get married but could not find the right girl for them. It is agreed that many of our women are either already married or rather young for that consideration. So Joe had his heart in the right place to want to help, and collecting a Finder\u2019s Fee might be in order. However, the fee should have been collected after the ladies arrived. Therefore, in fairness to all, and for the sake of bringing peace back to our town, I propose,\u201d Ben turned to lock his black eyes with Joe\u2019s timid green eyes, \u201cthat Joseph return any fees he has collected back to the rightful owners, and consider altering his plan to find a better way to help the situation, without the use of the aforementioned posters or extra fees. Since money has already been paid for tickets to bring a few ladies here, then it shall stand. However, if nothing comes of this plan by the end of next month, my sons will repay all costs back to those who paid. Also, all posters connected with this plan will be removed from the town, and destroyed.\u201d Ben cleared his throat and moved to stand by his youngest son. He flashed him a small smile, to which Joe gave a tentative nod of acceptance.<\/p>\n The voices in the saloon soon changed to agreeable sounds, as Joe and Hoss moved around the room, returning the finder\u2019s fees they had collected. Ben motioned for Montana to join him outside the saloon where the drover cautiously looked into the angry, black eyes and crossed arms of his boss.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, Mister Cartwright, I\u2019m right sorry about what I did, about takin\u2019 Joe and knockin\u2019 Adam an\u2019 Hoss out. You have every right to fire me for all that.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s look didn\u2019t soften and his voice was cold. \u201cYou\u2019re right about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I felt\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you felt Joe and Hoss, and Adam by association, didn\u2019t handle the men\u2019s requests right. You thought you saw an injustice and had to correct it. Is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYessir.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben dropped his arms to his side. \u201cListen Montana and listen good. You\u2019re a good man, and you work hard on the ranch. For that reason I don\u2019t want to see you leave.\u201d Montana let out a sigh. \u201cBut you have to rein in this notion that you have to right every wrong you think you see. Your heart was in the right place here, until you attacked my sons. I can\u2019t easily forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo sir. I\u2019m sorry sir. I\u2019ll head back to the ranch an\u2019 clear out of the bunk house right now. You don\u2019t even have to pay me fer this month.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s look softened just a smidgen at the man\u2019s repentance. \u201cTell you what I\u2019ll do. You don\u2019t try to fix any more injustices without first talking it over with me or one of my sons, and you can stay.\u201d Montana found a long finger in front of his face. \u201cBut step out of line one time, and you\u2019re gone. You understand, Montana?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean it? I mean, uh, yessir, I understand, Mister Cartwright.\u201d Montana shifted from one foot to the other trying to contain his happiness at his boss\u2019 generosity. \u201cI won\u2019t let you down none. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSee that you don\u2019t. And to make sure. You\u2019ll be working on clearing out the watering holes and digging a new latrine for the bunkhouse. All this will take place until the next round up in two months, after which you will ride drag for the cattle drive.\u201d<\/p>\n Montana\u2019s new found joy vanished as he hung his head. \u201cYessir. It\u2019s only fittin\u2019 I guess.\u201d He reached out his hand, which Ben took. \u201cThank you, Mister Cartwright. You been mighty gracious. I\u2019ll go get started on my new tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n Montana headed to retrieve his horse with his shoulders slumped, taking about three inches off his height. Ben couldn\u2019t hide his smile. This time he felt certain the man would learn his lesson, and he wouldn\u2019t lose a good drover in the process.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore you go, I think I heard that my sons are buying drinks all around. How about one for the road.\u201d<\/p>\n Montana smiled at the offer, following Ben back inside.<\/p>\n ~o~o~o~<\/p>\n When all was said and done in town , the four Cartwrights sat in their great room that evening, enjoying a roaring fire and some of Ben\u2019s fine whiskey. Once Ben gave his expected lecture about no more schemes, the matter was dropped, never to be mentioned again.<\/p>\n Each man sat silently, lost in his own thoughts hoping that would indeed be the end of it. Ben secretly eyed each of his sons over the top of his newspaper. Joe rubbed his sore head, wishing he could focus on his book. Adam stared into the fire, trying to ignore his aching jaw and ribs, injuries he received from the fight in the barn. Hoss held a raw steak against his right eye thanks to a punch from one of Montana\u2019s friends. Joe and Hoss each privately hoped that at least one or two ladies would come because they weren\u2019t quite sure how they would pay back all the money for the train tickets. Adam was contemplating an extended trip to San Francisco for a little work and fun. The long clock ticked on in the silent room as Ben returned to his reading, a smile playing at his lips.<\/p>\n Into the peacefulness of the cozy room, a quiet knock intruded. Four pairs of eyes looked at the others until three pairs landed on Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat! Why is it always me?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rolled his eyes and gracefully, through a bit stiffly, rose out of his blue chair. He sauntered to the door and opened it just after a second round of knocking. Standing in the dark with the porch light highlighting her red curls was a lovely young woman with very blue eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHello. I\u2019m looking for Mister Joseph Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n A smile and a raised brow graced Adam\u2019s dark features as he glanced over his shoulder to see his father and brothers rising from their seats. Ben made it to the door first and took the young lady\u2019s hand in his, as Adam stepped back to share a look with Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Ben Cartwright. Won\u2019t you come in, Miss? How can we help you?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked around at the four handsome men and smiled a sweet smile that made her eyes twinkle. \u201cI\u2019m Felicity Jones, and I\u2019m here to find a husband.\u201d<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the Brandsters.\u00a0 The story was originally written and published on the Bonanza Trail Riders site.\u00a0 Brand is happy to offer this story a new home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary – Little Joe, with Hoss as his partner, has come up with another scheme to make money, but this time it’s for a worthy cause. However, there are some who are not happy at all with his business plan. Will the Bride Train arrive on time or will it be derailed before it ever leaves the station?<\/p>\n Rating: G, Word Count: 7268<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12475,"featured_media":62121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1092,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hoss-joe","category-humor","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1092-id","wpcat-4-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48188","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\/12475"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHe was astonished to find that it was locked. Normally, Roy or Clem were in the office on Sunday morning. Puzzled, Ben stood deciding what to do next. After some thought, he headed for Paul Martin\u2019s office. He reasoned that perhaps Roy was there. In any event Paul should be able to tell him what happened last night. And hopefully he\u2019d explain the strange behavior of the people in church.<\/p>\n