{"id":4880,"date":"2010-05-29T13:40:38","date_gmt":"2010-05-29T17:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4880"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:23:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:23:49","slug":"camilla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4880","title":{"rendered":"Camilla (by pjb)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>SJS for Devonshire (belated).\u00a0 A local girl disappears on the same day Joe is assaulted.\u00a0 Coincidence?\u00a0 Maybe . . . or maybe not.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a028,000<\/span><\/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 \u00a0Camilla<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It was the last thing Joe had said to him, his voice edged with irritation as he\u2019d hurriedly fastened his gun belt and plucked his hat from the sideboard. He\u2019d been eager to leave\u2014even more so than usual thanks to the hovering attention of a concerned father.Yet Ben couldn\u2019t shake the nagging feeling in his gut he\u2019d felt from the moment he had awakened that morning. A feeling that something was off, or wrong, or something was going to happen, and that it would surely involve his youngest.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

The morning passed without incident, and soon logic reared its head and effectively stifled the nervousness to a mere hum, easily ignored as Ben busied himself with his daily tasks. There was nothing to worry about, after all. Joe was just going into town for the mail; something he\u2019d done a hundred times before. Nothing to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet a father\u2019s instinct is a stubborn thing, and Ben found himself surrendering to the feeling of unease as the day progressed. Adam later came upon him pacing the floor and glancing anxiously at the clock. He didn’t need to be told why his father was so agitated.\u201cHow late is he?\u201d Adam asked quietly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLate,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cHe should have been back two, three hours ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, he’ll be fine,\u201d Adam admonished. \u201cJoe\u2019s not a little kid anymore. You’ve got to stop doing this to yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben forced a smile. \u201cI know. Old habits die hard, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sighed. \u201cI think I\u2019ll head out and see if Hoss needs any help in the barn,\u201d he said, clearly in a hurry to rid himself of the company of an over-anxious parent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben picked up the newspaper and tried to concentrate on the words in front of him. Adam was right, of course he was right. It was perfectly fine for a parent to worry, but not so fine to be consumed by it. Ben knew he could go on and on listing the numerous perils that could befall his son\u2014both real and imagined\u2014and he couldn\u2019t help but chuckle at the absurd direction of his thoughts. He\u2019d have to tell Joe later how silly he\u2019d been.<\/p>\n

His amusement, however, was abruptly extinguished at the sound of the slamming door, and Adam\u2019s urgent voice on its heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa! PA! Come quick!\u201d<\/p>\n

The paper fluttered to the floor as Ben lurched from his chair. He yanked open the front door and ran, his boots pounding against the wooden porch until the moment they stopped dead.<\/p>\n

Dead.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

As dead as the green-jacketed figure tied facedown across the back of the pinto.<\/p>\n

For an endless moment, he couldn\u2019t move. His chest hitched, and the pain, the sheer stabbing agony, froze his voice when he opened his mouth to\u2014to what? To ask\u00a0if.<\/em>\u00a0To beg that it not be true. To plead for one more chance, one more hour. To howl in rage against the impossible wrongness of a vibrant, passionate life ended so much too soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa! Give us a hand!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s voice was unexpectedly sharp, but it told Ben the one thing he needed to know above everything else: the man on that horse was still alive.<\/p>\n

Dear God, thank You. Thank You.<\/em><\/p>\n

His legs were still unsteady, but cool, damp air filled his lungs again. He stumbled to the horse while Hoss said, \u201cEasy, Joe, I got you,\u201d just like the limp form draped over the saddle could actually hear him. \u201cJust cut it, Adam,\u201d Hoss added as his elder brother fumbled with the knots that bound Joe\u2019s wrists to the cinch.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t,\u201d said Adam. \u201cIt\u2019s too tight\u2014I\u2019m liable to cut Joe. See if you can slide him over this way a little\u2014it might loosen the ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he all right?\u201d Ben managed, just as though there was any way his sons could know that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s alive,\u201d said Hoss, his voice grim with the recognition that things might not stay that way. \u201cHow\u2019s that, Adam?\u201d he asked as he lifted Joe\u2019s legs and hips and slid him just a bit toward the horse\u2019s left where Adam was working.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get his head,\u201d Ben said. He reached past Adam to lift his youngest son\u2019s head, and he gasped at the sight. Blood and bruises he was used to, but the dark purple swelling on the left side of his son\u2019s face, from his hairline halfway down his cheek, hadn\u2019t come from just any fight. As tenderly as any mother, he cradled the unbruised parts of Joe\u2019s face, murmuring reassurance as Adam struggled with the knots.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, a little more. That\u2019s better. Pa, can you\u2014yeah, that\u2019s good.\u201d Adam nodded as Ben moved slightly to one side, not letting go of his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to be all right, boy,\u201d Ben murmured. \u201cWe\u2019re going to find the men who did this, and you\u2019re going to be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got it!\u201d Adam announced. \u201cHoss, take him off your side.\u201d With Ben still supporting Joe\u2019s head, Hoss slid the inert form back. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground, unnoticed. Adam came around the horse\u2019s head, and the two brothers lifted their third. It pained Ben to let go, but as soon as Joe was in his brothers\u2019 arms, Ben ran ahead to open the door so that there would be no more time lost.<\/p>\n

With skill born of too much practice, Hoss and Adam carried their brother up the stairs and down the hall to his room. The hallway wasn\u2019t wide enough for three men, especially when one was Hoss, but they\u2019d done it enough times to know how to maneuver the corners and doorways without discussion. They laid Little Joe on the bed as gently as if he was made of fine crystal, and then they knew to step back as their father took over.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, ride for the doctor. Hoss, help me get him undressed and then heat some water and bring up the bandages and alcohol.\u201d The instructions were unnecessary except insofar as they designated who would do what. The Cartwrights had tended to enough injured men, their own and others, to know what needed to be done.<\/p>\n

Ben tried not to focus on the horrible purple swelling that dominated his son\u2019s handsome face. He unbuttoned Joe\u2019s jacket and shirt, and as carefully as possible, they tried to slide the garments from Joe\u2019s shoulders and off his arms. The right sleeves came off fine, but when they started to remove the left, Ben said, \u201cWait.\u201d He nodded to Joe\u2019s left hand, which was nearly as swollen as his face. Hoss slit the sleeve of the jacket and unbuttoned the shirt cuff, but the wrist was too swollen, and he had to cut the shirt as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s gonna have a fit about that,\u201d his big brother muttered. \u201cHe just got that shirt. Wonder what he was all duded up for, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blood on the upper right pant leg was spreading slowly. It didn\u2019t take a doctor to recognize that the boy had been shot and it had happened at least a couple hours ago, long enough for the blood to start to clot. Ben breathed a prayer of thanks that the bullet clearly hadn\u2019t hit anything vital; if it had, Joe would likely have bled to death before he ever got home.<\/p>\n

Ben unfastened Joe\u2019s belt and dropped it to the floor. For just a moment, he considered trying to remove his son\u2019s boots, but then, he looked up to see Hoss shaking his head, and he nodded his agreement. They still didn\u2019t know the extent of Joe\u2019s injuries, and tugging on his boots could hurt him worse. Hoss cut the boots off, and Ben frowned, puzzled. They weren\u2019t Joe\u2019s regular work boots; this was the new pair he\u2019d gotten just a few weeks ago. He peered at his son\u2019s discolored face as though it might offer a clue about what had happened and why Joe was so dressed up just to fetch the mail, but all he saw were dark, sooty eyelashes resting against dirty, bloody flesh that was too pale except where it was so puffed up that it threatened to burst.<\/p>\n

He swallowed hard and rested his hand on Joe\u2019s hair, well clear of the swollen area. \u201cWe\u2019re going to find the men who did this,\u201d he whispered, his voice husky.<\/p>\n

Hoss was cutting off Joe\u2019s pants and drawers by the time Ben could make himself turn from his son\u2019s face. Moments later, the last pieces of clothing lay on the floor, and for the first time, they could assess the boy\u2019s injuries. With practiced hands, they felt one leg, then the other, and then his arms and torso. Carefully, so carefully, they turned Joe over to check the back of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBullet didn\u2019t pass through,\u201d Hoss commented when there was no blood on the back of Joe\u2019s thigh.<\/p>\n

With the inventory of injuries complete\u2014wounded right leg, broken left wrist, miscellaneous cuts and bruises on his torso, scraped knuckles evidencing his attempts to fight back\u2014they turned Joe onto his back and drew the sheet over him. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d said Hoss. He patted his brother\u2019s shoulder, his lips pressed together to keep from saying what his father knew he likely wanted to say. As a rule, Hoss didn\u2019t swear, but at this moment, Ben wouldn\u2019t have faulted him for anything that might have come out of his mouth.<\/p>\n

Ben poured water into the washbowl and carried it to the bedside table. \u201cLet\u2019s see if we can\u2019t you cleaned up a little bit,\u201d he said as he dipped a cloth into the water. It was an old habit, this tendency to talk to his sons even when they couldn\u2019t hear him. He did it when they were unconscious and injured, but he was just as likely to talk to them when they were asleep or not in the room at all. Sometimes, he felt as though he didn\u2019t quite know himself apart from them, and this running conversation kept him connected to who he truly was.<\/p>\n

When he was growing up, he\u2019d never thought much about being a father except that he figured in a vague way that he\u2019d marry and have children someday. His thoughts had involved sailing, exploring, and ultimately heading west to start a ranch and build it into an empire. They were typical of a young man\u2019s thoughts and dreams, but from the first moment he\u2019d held infant Adam, Ben Cartwright knew that being a father was truly what he\u2019d been meant to do. The rest of it\u2014the Ponderosa, all his material blessings, the other people he loved and cared for\u2014all would have meant nothing without his boys.<\/p>\n

The tiniest groan from his youngest, almost muffled by the splash of water into the bowl, set Ben\u2019s heart pounding. He dropped the cloth back into the bowl and touched the unbruised side of Joe\u2019s face as lightly as he could manage. \u201cCan you hear me, son?\u201d he asked, his face so close to Joe\u2019s that his breath stirred the boy\u2019s curls. \u201cIt\u2019s Pa, Joe. I\u2019m right here with you. You\u2019re going to be fine. Adam\u2019s gone to fetch the doctor, and you\u2019re going to be just fine.\u201d He stroked Joe\u2019s hair, and another faint groan escaped his son\u2019s barely-parted lips. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, son. Don\u2019t you worry about a thing. Hoss will be right back, and he and I will get you cleaned up and make you comfortable while we wait for Doc.\u201d Joe\u2019s right eye opened ever so slightly; the left was swollen shut. Ben forced a reassuring smile as he\u2019d done a thousand times before; it was the best way he knew of keeping his sons from seeing how close to panic he was. \u201cI\u2019m going to wash your face a little, okay? Get some of that blood off you. Looks like it was quite a fight. You\u2019re going to have to tell us all about it later.\u201d He kept up the soft, meaningless patter as he pressed the wet cloth against the dried blood just firmly enough to soften it so that he could wipe it away.<\/p>\n

By the time Hoss returned with a tray bearing a bowl of hot water, a stack of cloths, and various medical supplies, Ben had succeeded in cleaning the dried blood and dirt from Joe\u2019s face and was considering the bullet wound. \u201cYou think we ought to wait for Doc?\u201d he asked without preamble as Hoss set down his load.<\/p>\n

\u201cLemme look.\u201d Ben stepped aside to allow his middle son to examine the wound. After a minute, Hoss straightened. \u201cI\u2019ll get my bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even under the circumstances, Ben couldn\u2019t help smiling at how much like a doctor Hoss sounded when he said that. The bag in question was a medical bag which had belonged to a young nun Hoss had met on a stagecoach. She and the older nun with whom she\u2019d been traveling were nurses who were traveling to Denver to establish a hospital. The young postulant had died after being kicked by a horse, and the other nun had given Hoss her medical bag. No one else\u2014not even Hop Sing\u2014was permitted to touch the bag, a prohibition so out of character for his genial son that Ben remained convinced that Hoss had had feelings for the girl\u2014feelings he had undoubtedly suppressed from respect for her vocation, but feelings which no doubt lived on in the big man\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

Now, as Hoss spread out the bag\u2019s contents on his brother\u2019s bed, Ben gave silent thanks for the older nun\u2019s generosity. A ranch house would never have contained such items as the long, pointed tweezers and razor-sharp scalpel. Ben held Joe\u2019s right hand and murmured reassurance to the boy as Hoss probed the bloody bullet hole with the tweezers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I can get it,\u201d Hoss said finally. More loudly, he said, \u201cLittle Brother, I\u2019m gonna take that bullet out. You just hang onto Pa, and it\u2019ll be over in a jiffy. Ready?\u201d Without waiting for an answer, he spread a cloth on the side of the bed, tucking it under Joe\u2019s thigh. Nodding to his father, Hoss took up his instruments and, with infinite care, began to probe the hole in his brother\u2019s leg for the lead projectile lodged there.<\/p>\n

Not until Hoss laid the bloody piece of lead on the cloth did Ben realize that he\u2019d been holding his breath. He clutched Little Joe\u2019s hand and stroked the boy\u2019s hair as Hoss considered the wound. Then, his middle son picked up the bullet for Ben to see, and it was all Ben could do not to let loose with an expletive of his own. The bullet\u2019s point was flattened, which meant that it had been fired at close enough range to strike the bone with a fair bit of force, undoubtedly breaking it. \u201cHang onto him,\u201d Hoss said, and Ben did so as his son manipulated the leg until the bone was in place. Then, Hoss wiped the excess blood from the leg and bandaged the wound, his clenched jaw the only sign of his anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s done, anyway,\u201d Hoss said finally. \u201cI\u2019ll get some wood to splint it. Don\u2019t reckon he\u2019ll be up any time soon, but just in case.\u201d He patted Joe\u2019s hair as he said, \u201cGood work, Little Brother. Now all you gotta do is rest up, an\u2019 that leg\u2019ll be good as new in no time.\u201d The lid of Joe\u2019s right eye fluttered slightly; it was hard to tell whether he could hear his brother\u2019s words, but it likely didn\u2019t matter. Just the sound of Hoss\u2019s voice, so deep and reassuring, would have been enough for Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the wrist?\u201d Not releasing his youngest son\u2019s right hand, Ben nodded toward the left one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon we better let Doc set that,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cIf it was just his arm, I\u2019d say let\u2019s do it, but the wrist is tricky. I\u2019d be a sight more comfortable if Doc did that one himself.\u201d As he spoke, he collected his instruments, the cloth, and the bullet so that Ben could draw the covers up over Joe. Then, Hoss rested his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWhen I get my hands on the bastards who did this to you. . . .\u201d he whispered. The words were clearly not meant to be overheard by his father, and so Ben gave no sign that he\u2019d heard. Under all the circumstances, he still felt Hoss\u2019s choice of epithet to be far milder than Joe\u2019s assailants deserved.<\/p>\n

After that, there was nothing to do except wait. The sky grew darker, and rain began to pelt the windows. At the proper time, Hoss headed out to tend the stock, but Ben never left the boy\u2019s side. Other than the occasional soft groan, Joe had shown no more signs that he was aware of anything\u2014his surroundings, his family\u2019s voices, the violence inflicted on his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cI forgot to tell Adam to fetch the sheriff,\u201d Ben said when Hoss came back, his normally-wispy hair plastered to his head and his wet shirt stuck to his broad back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cDid Joe wake up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head. He couldn\u2019t bring himself to meet his son\u2019s eyes. If his own fears were mirrored there, confirmed by the son who was always the most hopeful\u2014well, he just couldn\u2019t think that way right now. \u201cGo put on some dry clothes,\u201d he said instead. \u201cYou\u2019ll catch your death of cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll rustle up some supper,\u201d Hoss said. With Hop Sing out of town, cooking duties fell to whoever was willing\u2014or hungriest. The big man left before Ben could tell him not to bother. Right now, he could no sooner have choked down food than flown to the moon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere could Adam and the doctor be?\u201d Ben muttered as Hoss returned to the room with a tray bearing coffee, plates of scrambled eggs and toast, and a cup of broth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam probably had to go out looking for him,\u201d said Hoss reasonably. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry, Pa, they\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what your brother said about Joe,\u201d Ben said darkly.<\/p>\n

In a low voice, Hoss said, \u201cPa, you need to stop that now. If Joe can hear you, he don\u2019t need to know there\u2019s any cause to be worrying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had to bite back a sharp retort. He knew his son was absolutely right, but he also knew that the only thing worse that one son in this kind of shape would be two. If the people who had done this to Joe had gotten their hands on Adam\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cPa! We\u2019re back!\u201d<\/p>\n

His eldest son\u2019s voice had never been more welcome. Hoss gave him the slightest \u201ctold you so\u201d nod as he called, \u201cWe\u2019re up here!\u201d just like there was any chance they\u2019d have been anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Adam and the doctor were both dripping when they came through the door. \u201cSorry I took so long,\u201d Adam said to his father. \u201cI had to follow Doc to three different ranches before I caught up with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fellers are just in time for some supper,\u201d said Hoss with a meaningful look at his father. When Ben worried about his boys, he had a tendency to forget about little things like what a long day the doctor had already had even before riding through the cold rain to get to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, of course,\u201d said Ben, but Paul Martin hadn\u2019t been the family doctor for more than twenty years for nothing. The doctor removed his hat and coat as he said, \u201cLet me take a look at Joe first, and then we can talk about supper.\u201d He rolled up his damp sleeves and turned up the lamp beside Joe\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n

To say that the Cartwrights hovered as Doc examined his patient would be putting it mildly, but the doctor was well accustomed to such behavior on the Ponderosa. He inspected the bullet wound, nodding at Hoss\u2019s handiwork. He set and plastered the left wrist and hand, commenting that it looked as though a horse might have stepped on them.<\/p>\n

But the doctor was conspicuously silent as he examined the head injury. He lifted the lid of Joe\u2019s right eye, but the boy did not respond. Only the tiny whimpers of pain during the bone-setting had given reason to believe that Joe had any awareness of what was happening.<\/p>\n

Finally, Doc stepped back. \u201cHow much did you move him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights exchanged sharp glances. \u201cHe came in tied facedown over his horse,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWe had to get him off, and we carried him up here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce he was in bed, we kept him pretty still,\u201d said Ben. \u201cWe turned him over when we were checking for injuries, but other than that, he hasn\u2019t moved. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor regarded each of them. \u201cThere\u2019s a very good chance that that hard Cartwright skull has finally been cracked,\u201d he said, gesturing to the swollen area. \u201cFrom here on out, I want him to be as still as possible. You\u2019ll need to turn him to avoid bedsores, of course, but be as smooth and gentle as you can. At best, he\u2019s got a bad concussion. Either way, keep him as quiet as you can.\u201d He regarded the boy who lay so uncharacteristically still. \u201cIronically, his other injuries will likely be helpful,\u201d he commented. \u201cWith the thighbone broken, he won\u2019t be able to walk for several weeks, and with the those broken bones in his wrist and hand, he won\u2019t be able to manage crutches, so he\u2019s going to be laid up anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut his head . . . when will we know if\u2014I mean, what\u2019s going to happen?\u201d Ben had to swallow hard to get the words out.<\/p>\n

The doctor met his gaze squarely. \u201cFirst, we wait for him to wake up,\u201d he said. \u201cUntil then, there\u2019s no way to know what\u2019s happening in his brain.\u201d The silence that met those words was heavy with dark, bitter fear.<\/p>\n

Adam raised his chin slightly. \u201cIs there a chance that he won\u2019t wake up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss hissed.<\/p>\n

But the doctor said, \u201cIt\u2019s a fair question, but at this point, it\u2019s premature. We know he\u2019s got some level of awareness, because he responded to the pain when I set his wrist. That\u2019s a good sign right there. He didn\u2019t move his other hand when I asked him to, which could mean either that he didn\u2019t hear or he didn\u2019t understand. What time did he leave this morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout eight,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what time did he come back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nearly two o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s just past nine now, which means that his injuries could have occurred no more than thirteen hours ago. That\u2019s not all that long in these situations. What it means is that we\u2019ve got some waiting to do. The next twenty-four hours should tell us a fair bit.\u201d He waited as the family digested this information. Then, he turned to Hoss. \u201cCould I trouble you for some of that coffee now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Oh, sure, Doc.\u201d Hoss poured a cup and handed it to the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two should get out of your wet clothes,\u201d Ben said to Adam and Doc. Something about having the doctor present soothed his frazzled heart a bit, even if they didn\u2019t really know much more than they had before he came. \u201cHoss, can you put some supper together for them? I\u2019m going to stay here with Joe.\u201d He ignored the looks the others exchanged as he pulled the bedside chair closer to the bed and rested his hand on Joe\u2019s arm above the cast, rubbing it gently in a gesture the others had seen a thousand times, though none of them had ever quite worked out whether its purpose was to comfort Joe or his pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you need to eat something, too,\u201d said the doctor. His words were firm, but not unkind. When Ben said nothing and simply continued to rub Joe\u2019s arm, Doc reached over and took a plate off the tray as he continued, \u201cThis isn\u2019t going to be a short one this time. Joe\u2019s recovery is going to take quite a while, and you\u2019ve got to keep up your strength. You\u2019re not going to be of any use to him if you let yourself get run down.\u201d Holding out the plate, he added, \u201cI know you\u2019re not hungry, but right now, taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for your son. Now, eat this or I\u2019ll have Hoss hold you in your chair while I feed you myself.\u201d He smiled, but his friend didn\u2019t appear to hear him. When Ben finally looked up, his eyes glistening, the doctor handed him the plate and a fork, and he took them. As the others watched, he forced himself to eat a bite of egg. As soon as they left the room, though, he set the plate on the floor and pulled his chair closer to his son\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to be all right,\u201d he murmured, his hand light on Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cJust hold on, boy. You\u2019re going to be all right.\u201d The rain rattled against the windows, and faint voices drifted up the stairs, but the only thing Ben could hear was the occasional tiny sound that let him know his boy was in pain, and every time he heard it, he felt his own heart tear, just a little.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Adam, Hoss and the doctor were just finishing their meal when there was a knock on the front door. Adam rose immediately, dropping his napkin on the table. \u201cThat could be the sheriff. He wasn\u2019t around when I stopped by to let him know what had happened. I had to leave a note.\u201d<\/p>\n

The others rose as Adam opened the door to admit a drenched Clem. \u201cEvening, Adam, Hoss, Doc,\u201d said the deputy. He stood carefully on the rug just inside the door as rain rolled off his oilcloth slicker.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about your slicker,\u201d he added as the deputy hesitated. \u201cHop Sing ain\u2019t here to yell at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d Clem shed his slicker and hat, hanging them on the peg next to the door. To Adam, he said, \u201cI came as soon as I got your note. Roy\u2019s still out with the posse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPosse? You already got men together to find out who done this?\u201d Hoss was frankly impressed.<\/p>\n

Clem shook his head as he seated himself on the settee and accepted a cup of coffee. \u201cPosse\u2019s been out since about midday. You fellows know a Sarah Jane Perkins?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head, but Adam frowned. \u201cName sounds familiar,\u201d he said after a minute. \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you who she is, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNed Perkins\u2019 daughter,\u201d said Clem. \u201c He\u2019s the fellow that just bought the sawmill in town last fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cI seen her in there, helpin\u2019 out with the books and such. Quiet sort. What\u2019s goin\u2019 on with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s gone missing,\u201d said Clem. \u201cHer pa said she was supposed to be going over to the mercantile this morning, but she never got there. There\u2019s some talk that she was seeing some fellow, sort of quiet-like, but nobody seems to know who it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny chance her pa found out about this fellow and didn\u2019t like him?\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

Clem shrugged. \u201cI can come up with about a dozen different guesses about what went on, but so far, nobody knows anything. Roy\u2019s probably going to end up bringing the posse back anyway. With all this rain, nobody\u2019s going to be able to track anything.\u201d He drank his coffee. \u201cNow, tell me what happened to Little Joe. Damnedest day I ever did see, I\u2019ll tell you that much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam recounted what had gone on in the yard. Then, Hoss and the doctor described Joe\u2019s injuries. \u201cI\u2019m very concerned about the head injury,\u201d the doctor admitted. \u201cIt looks as though somebody slammed him on the head with a rock or a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo chance it was an accident?\u201d asked the deputy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone,\u201d said the doctor firmly. \u201cAs best I can tell, it\u2019s the kind of a blow that\u2019s meant to kill a man. The fact that Little Joe is still alive is just another testament to how hard-headed these Cartwrights are.\u201d He glanced from brother to brother, but neither smiled at the well-worn joke.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there weren\u2019t any kind of marks on the horse or the saddle that didn\u2019t belong?\u201d Clem asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept for Joe\u2019s blood, no,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Adam got to his feet. \u201cWait a minute,\u201d he said. He sprinted up the stairs, returning a minute later with a piece of paper. \u201cI found this in the yard when I was putting Joe\u2019s horse away before I went for the doctor,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know whether it has anything to do with Joe, but it didn\u2019t look like it had been on the ground very long\u2014it wasn\u2019t too dirty or trampled or anything.\u201d He handed the paper to Clem, who studied it carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Leave that girl alone,\u2019\u201d he read aloud. \u201cWhat girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, but\u2014\u201d Hoss stopped as if unsure whether to continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what?\u201d Adam prodded when his brother said no more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if this means anything, but when Pa and me were undressing Joe, I noticed that he was wearing his good shirt and his new boots. Seemed to me to be pretty fancy get-up for just fetching the mail. I wonder if he was meeting a girl and mebbe that\u2019s why he was all dressed up and in such a hurry to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould be,\u201d said Clem. \u201cI don\u2019t suppose there\u2019s any chance he knew Sarah Jane Perkins, is there? I mean, she\u2019s got a couple years on him, but she don\u2019t look it. He might think she\u2019s his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never heard him mention her,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, neither,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was worth a try,\u201d said Clem. \u201cIf she was meeting Little Joe and somebody beat him up, that might explain at least some of where she was, and if we can find her, she might know something about what happened to Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t reckon the same people who beat up Little Joe mighta kidnapped Sarah Jane, do you?\u201d Hoss frowned at the notion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just guesswork,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWe don\u2019t even know if Joe knows Sarah Jane. Could be that she just ran off with her fellow and her father\u2019s going to get a telegram announcing that they eloped or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if it was somebody who wanted Joe out of the way?\u201d Hoss suggested. \u201cIf\u2019n Joe and Sarah Jane were together, and some fellow who wanted her decided that Joe was sparking his gal, I could see the fellow fighting with Joe and taking Sarah Jane out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t explain why he\u2019d have put Joe on his horse and sent him home,\u201d said Adam. \u201cBesides, whoever it was didn\u2019t just fight with Joe\u2014he shot him, too. If that note really did have something to do with Sarah Jane, it\u2019s clear that somebody was trying to send a message, but they weren\u2019t necessarily trying to kill Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know about that,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cThat blow on the head was more than just a message. Hit like that, and draped head down? He\u2019s extremely lucky he wasn\u2019t dead when he got here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou reckon there\u2019s any chance Sarah Jane got scared and ran off when Joe and the other fellow started fighting?\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still assuming they were together,\u201d Clem said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat note and Joe\u2019s fancy clothes certainly suggest that he was with some girl,\u201d Adam said. \u201cThis Sarah Jane is as likely a possibility as anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Little Joe we\u2019re talking about,\u201d Clem said. \u201cAin\u2019t he usually sparking three or four girls at a time?\u201d He chuckled at his own wit, but the chuckle died at the others\u2019 stony gazes. \u201cSorry,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast girl I remember Joe talking about was Camilla Morgan,\u201d said Adam. \u201cThat didn\u2019t last too long, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d the deputy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDunno exactly,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cJoe don\u2019t talk that much about his girls unless it\u2019s serious, and he warn\u2019t serious about Camilla.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw them in town a few times,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cGranted, I barely know the young lady, but she did seem to be the type to cling. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if Joe found that a little tiresome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s definitely not Joe\u2019s kind of girl,\u201d Adam agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe gave me notes for him a bunch of times,\u201d Hoss recalled. \u201cOne of them was just last week. I don\u2019t know what that was about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it possible Joe was meeting her today?\u201d Clem asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, considering. \u201cNot likely,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019d have gotten all dressed up to meet a gal he ain\u2019t sparking any more. \u2019Sides, he never seemed all that happy when I gave him one of her notes. He\u2019d just kinda make a face like Pa just told him to dig a hole for a new outhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s not possible that a little thing like Camilla Morgan did all that damage to Joe, even if he wasn\u2019t excited about hearing from her,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cBesides, she\u2019s always seemed like a perfect lady. In fact, I\u2019m certain that if she was sending notes to Joe, they were about some legitimate question or problem that she needed his help with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if somebody wanted Joe to stay away from Camilla,\u201d said Adam. \u201cThe note doesn\u2019t say who \u2018that girl\u2019 is. Maybe Joe was meeting up with Camilla to help her with her problem and somebody didn\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clem got to his feet. \u201cAll this guessing is interesting, but it doesn\u2019t get me any closer to finding out who beat up Little Joe or why,\u201d he said. He handed the note back to Adam, who tucked it into his shirt pocket. \u201cI reckon I should get going,\u201d he said. \u201cIf Little Joe wakes up and tells you anything else, you be sure to let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d said Adam. \u201cLet us know if Sarah Jane Perkins turns up and knows anything about what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d said Clem. He put on his slicker and hat and bid the Cartwrights and the doctor a good night.<\/p>\n

Hoss closed the door behind the deputy and turned to the others. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said. \u201cA gal missing, Little Joe all beat up, and somebody wants him to stay away from some other gal. I don\u2019t know about you fellows, but I think it\u2019s all tied up together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged. \u201cI have no idea,\u201d he admitted. \u201cWith what we know, I could make just as good an argument that Sarah Jane is somewhere else, Joe got bushwhacked by somebody who got scared and put him on his horse, and the note was dropped earlier by one of the hands who\u2019s gotten himself into some trouble. What do you think, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor\u2019s lips were pursed as though he was tasting something sour. Getting to his feet, he said, \u201cI think I\u2019m going to check on my patient. Sheriffing isn\u2019t my great talent. I\u2019m going to try to get your father to take a break for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck with that,\u201d said Adam. \u201cYou\u2019ll likely have better luck trying to track down Sarah Jane Perkins in the rain.\u201d The doctor waved him off and headed upstairs, and the brothers regarded each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you figure we ought to do?\u201d Hoss asked finally.<\/p>\n

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI think we\u2019ve got to find out if there\u2019s some connection between Joe and Sarah Jane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause with Joe out cold, I only know of one way to do that right now. We\u2019ve got to go through his things and see if we can find anything that ties the two of them together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lip. \u201cThat don\u2019t seem right. \u2019Sides, you always complained when he snooped through your room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe never had as good a reason,\u201d Adam retorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou reckon Pa\u2019s gonna mind? Don\u2019t forget, he\u2019s sittin\u2019 right there next to Joe\u2019s bed. It ain\u2019t like we\u2019re gonna get him out of the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point, I imagine that anything that helps us find Joe\u2019s attackers will be all right with him,\u201d said Adam with more confidence than he felt. Pa could be a stickler for things like privacy. Still, under the circumstances, it wasn\u2019t likely he\u2019d object to his sons going through Joe\u2019s desk and bureau drawers. Even Joe would have to admit that they\u2019d only done what they had to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope we find something useful,\u201d he muttered as they climbed the stairs. Clem was right: it had been the damnedest day he ever did see. And even if they found out the name of Joe\u2019s attacker, Adam had a sudden feeling that this was only one piece of a strange, convoluted puzzle.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Pain. Pounding pain in his head. The left side throbbed hot and fierce, like somebody was ramming a branding iron against his temple again and again. All through his body, he could feel the flames of pain licking at him. He tried to move away from them, but at the slightest motion, the pain in his head exploded white-hot, and his stomach roiled.<\/p>\n

He fought to open his eyes. Only his right eye responded, revealing gray cloudiness. He opened his mouth to speak, but then he realized that he didn\u2019t know what he wanted to say. The urge was there, but nothing in his mind made any sense. He knew that he wanted to make noise, to communicate something, but he had no idea what. So confusing. So much pain. What happened?<\/p>\n

He tried to speak, but succeeded only in making a small sound. It was enough, though, to cause movement in the grayness. He blinked hard, and the clouds cleared slightly. His father\u2019s blurry face hovered over him. Pa looked terrible. He looked like he hadn\u2019t shaved in days, and his eyes were rimmed with red.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Pa breathed his name, gently resting his hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Joe tried to reach up with his left hand to touch his father\u2019s face, but a weight held the arm in place. Nothing held down his right hand, though, and he lifted it to his father\u2019s stubbled cheek and made a questioning noise.<\/p>\n

Through the clouds, he could see movement as though Pa had smiled. He felt Pa close his own hand over Joe\u2019s and hold both to his face. \u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d Pa whispered. \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe heard the door open. A familiar voice said, \u201cAny change?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s awake.\u201d Pa\u2019s voice sounded almost breathless, like he couldn\u2019t quite believe he was saying it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d said the voice. Doc. It was Doc Martin. Joe tried to see him through the clouds, but he was too far away.<\/p>\n

The effort of keeping his eye open was great. Even lying flat, Joe felt dizzy. A wave of nausea overtook him. He tried to speak, to warn his father, but all he could do was to turn his head, knife-like pain slicing through his consciousness as he vomited on his own shoulder and on the bed, moaning and nearly crying from the stabbing pain in his head as he retched. Embarrassed, he closed his eye. If his father said anything, it was inaudible over the roaring in his ears.<\/p>\n

The cool hardness of the glass pressed against his mouth. He tried to peer through the clouds as he parted his lips slightly, and the tepid liquid moistened his tongue and throat. After a couple sips, he closed his eye, and the glass disappeared. A cool, wet cloth dabbed at his face and shoulder, and then a dry one rested gently against the wet places.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, look at me,\u201d said the doctor. Joe forced himself open his eye again even though he was already worn out. The doctor continued, \u201cHow many fingers am I holding up?\u201d Joe squinted, but any fingers were lost in the clouds. \u201cHow many fingers, Joe?\u201d the doctor insisted.<\/p>\n

Frustrated, Joe reached up, groping for the doctor\u2019s hand. When he found it, he pulled it so close to his face that it almost touched his nose. But\u2014what was the question again? Just as he was about to let go, the doctor asked again, \u201cDo you know how many fingers I\u2019m holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank God, an easy one. Or it should have been easy. It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t know what the doctor was asking. The problem was that the answer kept changing as he saw more fingers and then fewer. Finally, he took a guess. \u201cBarn,\u201d he managed. He was absurdly pleased with himself for saying a word until he realized that it wasn\u2019t the one he\u2019d intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Silly thing to have said. He knew the answer. Two fingers. \u201cFly,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEat.\u201d Wait\u2014eat?<\/em>\u00a0That wasn\u2019t what he\u2019d meant to say at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you hungry, Joe? Do you want something to eat?\u201d The doctor sounded just a little bit confused.<\/p>\n

All right, they were on a different question. Was he hungry? \u201cBoot,\u201d he said, his frustration mounting. \u201cRide. Holster.\u201d The words were running together so much that it was a wonder anybody else could understand them, but Joe knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul, what\u2019s going on?\u201d Pa asked, concern evident in his voice. Pa knew, too. Pa was worried. Joe\u2019s frustration began to slide downward into a knot of fear in his gut.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust calm down,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cJoe, listen to me. I\u2019m going to say a word, and I want to you repeat exactly what I say. Mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClock.\u201d Ridiculous tears were threatening. What was happening? Was this a dream?<\/p>\n

\u201cTry again. Mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp.\u201d It wasn\u2019t what he\u2019d intended, but at least it made sense.\u00a0Help me. Help me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Oblivious, the doctor said again, \u201cMouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDesk.\u201d It sounded less like a word than a whimper, and Joe closed his eye, mortified.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, that\u2019s enough.\u201d Doc\u2019s voice had that familiar soothing sound that meant he wanted Joe to calm down. \u201cJoe, you just rest for now. Drink some more water and try to relax.\u201d Joe felt the glass against his mouth again, and even though he didn\u2019t want it, the glass was being tipped enough that he had to choose between drinking and letting water run all over his face. It seemed hours before the glass was taken away.<\/p>\n

Vaguely, he could hear his pa and the doctor talking. \u201cPaul, what\u2019s happening?\u201d Pa asked. Joe wanted to thank him for asking, but even the thought of moving made his head pound.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like something called aphasia,\u201d said the doctor, sounding weary. \u201cIt\u2019s from the head injury. A French doctor has been doing some studies about the brain and how different parts of the brain govern different abilities. From what I\u2019ve read, if this Dr. Broca is right, the part of Joe\u2019s brain that controls speech has been bruised and is swollen. If that\u2019s the case, the problem may resolve on its own when the swelling goes down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d Pa asked, sounding even more worried.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now, we let Joe go back to sleep,\u201d said the doctor firmly. \u201cThe most important thing for him is to stay as quiet as possible. In a few days, we\u2019ll try again.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few days? A few days?<\/em>\u00a0He was just supposed to lie here and talk nonsense for a few\u00a0days?<\/em>\u00a0He made a sound to let them know he was still awake, but they didn\u2019t seem to notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t there anything we can do?\u201d asked Pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid not,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cThe only thing anyone\u2019s found that seems to help are time and rest. The swelling has to go down, and there\u2019s no way to hurry that along, so you just keep the patient as quiet as you can so he doesn\u2019t fall or hit his head and make matters worse. Then, once the swelling\u2019s down, we can get an idea about what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d said Pa, except that he didn\u2019t sound like he didn\u2019t understand. He sounded like he did, but he didn\u2019t like it, and he was asking the doctor to tell him he was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese studies haven\u2019t been going on that long,\u201d said the doctor. His voice was so deliberately calm that Joe knew he\u2019d heard the same thing in Pa\u2019s voice. \u201cSo far, it seems as though some people recover completely, and others\u2014well, it\u2019s like any other injury. Everybody\u2019s different. But there aren\u2019t any medicines that will help with this. There\u2019s nothing we can do except wait, so you just need to take it easy and keep Joe as quiet as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if this doesn\u2019t\u2014\u201d Pa began.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne step at a time, Ben,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cGive the swelling time to go down, and let\u2019s see how he\u2019s doing then. Now, I think it\u2019s time for you to take a break. I\u2019ll sit with him for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t hear Pa\u2019s answer, because the doctor\u2019s words were swirling around in his head like dry leaves in a windstorm.\u00a0Brain. Injury. Swelling. Time.<\/em>\u00a0Cold fear seized him, and all he wanted was to speak up, to say something that would stop Pa from leaving. He made a sound, but if anybody heard, they didn\u2019t let on. He heard the click of boots on the wooden floor as they moved away from his bed, and he made the sound again, just in case they might turn back, but they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

The two men who came into the kitchen not only had the same dark coloring and unremarkable features, but they wore the same clothes. This was deliberate: if anybody claimed to have seen one, the other could easily refute the charge by explaining how he\u2019d been somewhere else entirely.<\/p>\n

The plump, dark-haired woman who stood by the stove, stirring a large pot of stew, regarded them. \u201cWell?\u201d she said when neither spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d said one man.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, he\u2019s still alive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The men shrugged. \u201cI reckon so,\u201d the other said. \u201cOtherwise, folks\u2019d be talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou reckon so,\u201d she said scornfully. \u201cYou\u2019d better hope he stays that way. If he dies, I will personally see to it that both of you hang.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shucks, Camilla, you can\u2019t do that,\u201d said one of the men. \u201cImagine what Ma would have said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Sides, you\u2019re the one who told us to do it,\u201d the other chimed in.<\/p>\n

Camilla glared at the men. \u201cI did not tell you to nearly kill anyone,\u201d she said, biting off each word. \u201cI told you simply to make sure that he left that girl alone. I didn\u2019t think I had to tell you to be careful not to hurt him. I expected that that would be obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two men squirmed under her relentless gaze. \u201cIt was Cal\u2019s idea,\u201d one said finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cJake\u2019s the one who hit him!\u201d Cal retorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care who did what,\u201d Camilla said. \u201cYou\u2019re both responsible for harming him, and if he dies, you\u2019ll be responsible for his death.\u201d The slightest smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she said, \u201cEven if you tried to blame me, no one would believe you. They know that he and I are in love.\u201d She rose, her fingers reaching into her pocket for the paper that she carried with her at all times. For a minute, the room was silent as her fingertips caressed the well-worn note that bore his handwriting.<\/p>\n

A knock on the front door startled the three of them. \u201cBoth of you, upstairs,\u201d she whispered. She waited until they had disappeared up the stairs before she walked unhurriedly to the front door, opening it as calmly as though she was expecting the ladies for a sewing circle.<\/p>\n

\u201cMornin\u2019, Miss Morgan,\u201d said the sheriff, touching the brim of his hat.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Sheriff Coffee,\u201d she said. \u201cWon\u2019t you come in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, miss.\u201d She stepped back to allow him to enter her front room, but she did not invite him to sit. The line between innocent and stupid was finer than it might appear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I do for you, Sheriff?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust wondering if you\u2019ve seen any sign of Sarah Jane Perkins,\u201d said the sheriff.<\/p>\n

Camilla suppressed a sigh of impatience. \u201cAs I\u2019ve told you several times now, I didn\u2019t see her that day. I spent the entire day here, reading. Why do you keep asking me? Do you think I\u2019m lying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m asking everybody, miss,\u201d said the sheriff. \u201cAfter almost a week, I figger it\u2019s possible that somebody\u2019s seen something somewhere in their travels, even if they didn\u2019t see her the day she disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize for misunderstanding,\u201d she said. What an idiot she was. Far too defensive. It was the kind of thing that could make a sheriff start poking around. \u201cBut no, Sheriff, I\u2019m sorry to tell you that I haven\u2019t seen her at all in the past week. If I do see her, though, I\u2019ll certainly let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate that, Miss Morgan,\u201d said the sheriff. \u201cWhat about your brothers? Are they around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey went up to Genoa on an errand,\u201d she replied. \u201cI don\u2019t expect them back until late.\u201d She didn\u2019t offer to have them stop by the sheriff\u2019s office. The longer she could keep them from talking to anybody, the less chance there would be of them blurting out something they shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right then, miss. Thank you for your time,\u201d he said, touching the brim of his hat again. She closed the door behind him, listening as his boots descended her porch stairs, and then she let herself lean against the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, he\u2019s gone,\u201d she called.<\/p>\n

Her brothers came down the stairs. \u201cHey, Camilla, is this yours?\u201d Cal asked, holding a small silver ring.<\/p>\n

Camilla\u2019s mouth grew tight. \u201cI\u2019ve been looking for that all week. Where did you find it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the hall,\u201d said Cal. \u201cIs it yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d She snatched it from him and tried to slide it onto her ring finger, but it was too small. She jammed it onto her pinky as she added, \u201cGo wash up. Dinner is almost ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal and Jake exchanged worried glances. \u201cWhat\u2019s for dinner?\u201d Jake asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cStew,\u201d said Camilla. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s plenty. I already ate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their eyes grew wide. \u201cCamilla\u2014you ain\u2019t\u2014I mean, you didn\u2019t\u2014that stew\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? What are you talking about?\u201d Her fists rested on her rounded hips, daring them to say it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d you get the meat?\u201d Cal asked after a long minute.<\/p>\n

Camilla leveled her gaze at him. \u201cWhat do you really want to know?\u201d She waited, and when neither of them spoke, she allowed her countenance to soften slightly. \u201cI got the meat from Nate Pierce. He just butchered one of his sheep, and his wife doesn\u2019t like mutton. I put the rest in the root cellar. It was a big ewe.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a few minutes, the only sound was the bubbling of the stew. At last, Jake said, \u201cI don\u2019t think I ever had mutton before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you did,\u201d Camilla said. \u201cRemember how Aunt Florence used to make mutton stew, with beans and carrots and onion? I used her recipe. I bet it\u2019ll taste just the same. Now, go and wash up.\u201d As she knew they would, her brothers headed out the back door to the pump. She took down two bowls and filled them, musing as she did about her darling\u2019s condition. Perhaps she should go and visit him. She could take him some jam or a pie.<\/p>\n

Then again, since he was so fond of mutton\u2014at least, mutton dressed as lamb\u2014she could always take him some stew.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

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

Ben woke abruptly. The hand on his arm was gentle, but insistent. For a moment, he was flustered, as if he\u2019d been caught in an unseemly act. Then, he relaxed, a rueful smile playing on his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, boys,\u201d he said, taking up his fork. He focused on his plate as if falling asleep at the dinner table were a commonplace occurrence.<\/p>\n

After a minute, he stopped eating and met the concerned eyes of his two older sons. \u201cYes?\u201d he said with exaggerated patience.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss exchanged a reluctant glance before Adam spoke. \u201cPa, Hoss and I have been talking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d Ben prodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we think you need to consider what Doc Martin said,\u201d Adam finished.<\/p>\n

Ben slammed down his fork. \u201cWe have been over this already,\u201d he said, holding his temper only by great effort. \u201cI am quite capable of taking care of my own son!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you\u2019re exhausted,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWhen was the last time you slept through the night? Even when Hoss and I stay with him, you\u2019re still in and out of the room six or seven times before dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe almost lost him,\u201d Ben snapped. \u201cAnd we still don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen, not really. Are you saying I\u2019m wrong to be concerned about my own son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not, Pa, but\u2014dadburnit, you\u2019re worn out.\u201d Hoss was trying to make his point without infuriating Pa further, but it was a delicate balance. \u201cI mean\u2014well, look at you. You ain\u2019t even been past the front door in almost two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need to be out of the house, I need to be with Joseph,\u201d snapped Ben. \u201cAnd he needs me. If it\u2019s too much trouble for the two of you, though\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, we\u2019re not saying that,\u201d cut in Adam. \u201cYou know we\u2019re not. We\u2019d do anything for Joe. But you\u2019ve been running yourself ragged, and you can\u2019t keep up this way. It\u2019s going to be weeks before Hop Sing gets back, and with Joe laid up, Hoss and I are both going to have to go on that drive to Sacramento. You can\u2019t keep this up. You won\u2019t be able to run the house and take care of Joe all by yourself. You\u2019ve got to get some help in here.<\/p>\n

Fuming, Ben snatched up his fork and stabbed a piece of beef. He hated to admit it, but his sons were right.<\/p>\n

If only Hop Sing were here. The little man had left for his great-uncle\u2019s eightieth birthday celebration in San Francisco only three days before Joe was hurt. The doctor had suggested that they might want to wire Hop Sing and ask him to come back early, but the Cartwrights had rejected the notion. Elders were revered in the Chinese culture, and Hop Sing had been looking forward to this trip for months.<\/p>\n

Once Joe had started to come around, the question had come up of contacting Hop Sing not to ask him to return, but to let him know what had happened to his Li\u2019l Joe. \u201cWe\u2019ll let him know Joe had an accident, of course, but we\u2019ll just wait a few days,\u201d Ben had said. He knew\u2014they all knew\u2014that Hop Sing would somehow divine just how bad it was without being told anyway. It was impossible to keep anything from Hop Sing. And as soon as he figured out how seriously Little Joe was hurt, he\u2019d be on the next boat from San Francisco to Sacramento, and he\u2019d get himself back from Sacramento to the Ponderosa if he had to walk all the way. At least if they waited to tell him, he\u2019d get to spend some time with his great-uncle before he came barreling home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gonna have a fit that we didn\u2019t tell him right off, though,\u201d Hoss had pointed out. They all winced at the fury that they knew would blow through the door when the little man returned. Hop Sing was fiercely protective of \u201chis\u201d family, and most of all the boy he had tended and scolded and doted on since the first day Marie had laid the baby in his arms. They would pay in scalded eardrums for not having wired Hop Sing the moment they learned of Joe\u2019s injuries, but it would be worth it to know that Hop Sing had had at least a few days to celebrate his great-uncle\u2019s milestone. None of them said aloud what a relief it would be when he returned to take charge of the house, Joe\u2019s recuperation, and everything else within range.<\/p>\n

But they hadn\u2019t reckoned on Hop Sing, who always took care of everyone else, slipping on a wet stair on his very first day in San Francisco and breaking his leg. Of course, the telegram that reported Hop Sing\u2019s accident was mild compared to the one that came in response to their telling him about Joe. It was a marvel the paper wasn\u2019t actually hot. The Cartwrights could only imagine what Hop Sing\u2019s relatives had had to listen to\u2014and were probably still listening to.<\/p>\n

All of which meant that there would be no one to lend a hand while Hoss and Adam were on the cattle drive. Ben was about to tell them again that he could manage when the jingle of a bell sounded from upstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust stay there, I\u2019ll get him,\u201d said Hoss, pushing back his chair and heading up the stairs before his father could speak.<\/p>\n

Adam waited until Hoss was out of sight before he said quietly, \u201cWe\u2019re not saying that you\u2019re not capable of taking of Joe. Just get somebody in to cook and clean so you can spend more time with him. It\u2019ll only be for a few weeks. Besides, when Joe starts feeling better, you\u2019re going to have your hands full just keeping him quiet\u2014you won\u2019t have time for housework.\u201d He smiled conspiratorially, but Ben shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said finally. Adam was careful not to reveal his enormous sense of victory that he\u2019d even gotten that far with the idea. His father continued, \u201cI don\u2019t like the idea of bringing in a stranger. Not right now. Joe\u2019s got enough to cope with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t have to be a stranger,\u201d said Adam. \u201cI\u2019ll see if Mrs. Guthrie\u2019s available. She\u2019s been here enough times\u2014you wouldn\u2019t have to spend any time at all showing her where things are or what has to be done. Besides, she won\u2019t go in Joe\u2019s room if you tell her not to. Joe doesn\u2019t even have to know she\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed. \u201cI\u2019m being an old fool, aren\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe just a little,\u201d Adam said gently. \u201cBut it\u2019s understandable. This was a bad one.\u201d\u00a0And it\u2019s not over yet,<\/em>\u00a0he almost added. In the two weeks since that terrible day, Joe\u2019s periods of consciousness had gradually increased in frequency and duration and the bruising on his face had started to fade, but there were no other indications that his head injury was healing. Even the slightest movement of his head brought a quick gasp of pain. He still couldn\u2019t produce a word on command, and the words he did say were still so slurred that he sounded as though he\u2019d been drinking heavily. \u201cTo be honest, if there were a way to put off this drive for a few weeks, I\u2019d do it,\u201d Adam admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to leave him like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was instantly alert. \u201cDo you think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, it\u2019s not that I think anything\u2019s going to happen,\u201d Adam broke in hastily. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2014I know it\u2019s got to be rough for him\u2014not being able to say what he\u2019s thinking, just lying there, hurting, and not even being able to tell anybody. It\u2019s hard to walk away from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss appeared at the top of the stairs. \u201cHey, Pa, is that beef broth still on the stove? I think Joe\u2019s hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instantly, Ben was on his feet. \u201cI\u2019ll bring it right up,\u201d he said. He hurried into the kitchen, returning moments later with a cup of steaming broth. \u201cYou go finish your supper, I\u2019ll take it to him,\u201d he said to Hoss, who had come down the stairs and was reaching for the cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Pa, I got him,\u201d said Hoss, but to no avail. His father moved past him as though the big man wasn\u2019t even there, hustling up the stairs. As his footsteps receded, Adam and Hoss exchanged a long, sad look.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Doc comes tomorrow, I\u2019m going to ask him to check around for somebody to help out while we\u2019re gone,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

Hoss licked his lips thoughtfully. \u201cAdam, you reckon you could handle this drive without me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised his eyebrows. \u201cYou figuring on being the house help?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head. \u201cI think we still gotta get somebody out here to cook and clean,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just thinkin\u2019 that if Pa doesn\u2019t have to worry about tending to the stock and such, it might help. \u2019Sides, if we get a lady to help, she ain\u2019t gonna be able to do for Joe when he needs\u2014well, personal stuff. And the less Pa has to lift him, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam considered his brother\u2019s words, mentally kicking himself for not having thought of the idea first. Still, it probably made more sense for Hoss to stay, since of all of them, he was the one who could most easily lift Joe when that was needed. \u201cI\u2019ll head into town tomorrow and see if I can hire a couple extra men,\u201d he said. \u201cBut don\u2019t tell Pa\u2014at least, not until we\u2019ve got Mrs. Guthrie lined up. Otherwise, he\u2019ll say he doesn\u2019t need both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss chuckled as he took his seat at the table. \u201cHow do you reckon such a consarn stubborn old coot like our pa ended up with such sweet, easy-going sons like us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted. \u201cTell you what,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go on up and ask him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss reached for the platter of cooling beef. \u201cNot me,\u201d he said. \u201cI always leave the dangerous stuff to my older brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t I know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Camilla!\u201d called Jake as he slammed the back door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to yell.\u201d Camilla laid the pen on the blotter, blowing gently on the page to dry her latest words.<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me, you\u2019re gonna want to hear this.\u201d Jake was rubbing his hands as though he expected a prize. She raised an eyebrow, and he said, \u201cGuess who\u2019s lookin\u2019 for house help?\u201d When his sister said nothing, he announced, \u201cThe Cartwrights!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous. They have that little Chinese man to do for them.\u201d She turned back to her letter and took up the pen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot right now, they don\u2019t! I dunno where he is, but I heard Adam Cartwright talkin\u2019 this morning. He\u2019s in town to hire men for a drive, and he was sayin\u2019 that they\u2019re lookin\u2019 for somebody to help out at the house for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose they\u2019re going to hire Ruth Guthrie,\u201d Camilla said slowly. \u201cI\u2019ve heard that\u2019s what they usually do when their man is away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake shook his head with a gleeful grin. \u201cMrs. Guthrie\u2019s already takin\u2019 care of the Morrisons. Frank Morrison\u2019s wife just had another, an\u2019 he got Mrs. Guthrie in there to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother? How many children is that now? Eight? Nine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake shrugged, clearly not knowing nor caring. \u201cSo, the Cartwrights is gonna need somebody to help out around the house, an\u2019 I thought\u2014well, you bein\u2019 such a close friend of the family and all, maybe you might want to step up.\u201d He winked as though there was the slightest chance that she might not know what he meant.<\/p>\n

Camilla laid down the pen and sat back. Normally, she\u2019d have lambasted her brother for the notion that she might be willing to hire out as a housekeeper, but in this particular case. . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you and Cal?\u201d she said. Not that she was particularly worried about how they would manage meals without her, but leaving them unsupervised was liable to be a bad idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could come out to the Ponderosa with you,\u201d Jake suggested, but she shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last thing we need is you two loafing around all day,\u201d she said. \u201cNo, I think I know how you can be useful. You said that Adam Cartwright is hiring for a cattle drive?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake groaned. \u201cAw, Camilla, we don\u2019t know nothin\u2019 about driving cattle!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d she said briskly, rising. \u201cIt\u2019s the ideal solution. With you two gone, it would make perfect sense for me to go and help out at the Ponderosa.\u201d She laid a blank sheet of paper over her letter to keep it from prying eyes. \u201cYou get down there and sign on before Adam Cartwright gets all the men he needs. I\u2019ll go with you, and I can talk to Adam about coming out to help. It\u2019ll be perfect.\u201d A dreamy smile crossed her face. \u201cJust perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head in wonder as he forked hay into the stalls. Camilla Morgan. If that didn\u2019t beat all. Joe hadn\u2019t said much about her after he\u2019d stopped sparking her, but Hoss had had a feeling that something was still going on there. Nothing he could put his finger on, but he\u2019d seen Joe and Camilla talking one time in town. They\u2019d almost looked like Joe was arguing with her and she was sweet-talking him back. Her hand had been resting on his arm the whole time. It was the strangest thing. He wondered how his little brother was going to feel to find out that she was the one fixing his meals and washing his sheets. Something told him Joe wasn\u2019t going to be too pleased.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the last one I\u2019d have expected, but she offered,\u201d Adam shrugged when Hoss pulled him aside to ask about this most curious choice. \u201cHer brothers are coming on the drive, so she was going to be all alone, and she said she\u2019d be happy to help out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon I just never thought of her as the house help type,\u201d Hoss said. Somehow, he\u2019d have figured her for one who would have a housekeeper, rather than being one. It occurred to him that if something had been happening between Joe and Camilla, that must mean that Joe hadn\u2019t been sparking Sarah Jane Perkins after all.<\/p>\n

Hoss considered this as he pitched hay into the stalls. Nobody had seen hide nor hair of Sarah Jane Perkins since that day she went missing. Her pa was still frantic, but more and more, folks seemed to hold with the notion that Sarah Jane had run off with the fellow who\u2019d been courting her.<\/p>\n

And whoever that fellow was, it wasn\u2019t Joe. Besides the obvious fact that Joe hadn\u2019t gone anywhere in the past two weeks, Adam and Hoss had gone through Joe\u2019s desk, his bureau drawers, and even his jacket, but they hadn\u2019t found anything with Sarah Jane\u2019s name on it. The only paper that even seemed remotely relevant was a note that had apparently been shoved into Joe\u2019s pocket. It said, \u201cMeet me at the old oak tree at ten o\u2019clock.\u201d There was no signature, but somebody had drawn a heart below the message. They compared it to the other note to see whether the handwriting matched, but one was in script and the other was printed, so they couldn\u2019t tell.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe the other fellow didn\u2019t like the thought of Joe sparking Sarah Jane, and he tricked Joe into meeting him,\u201d Adam had mused as they compared the notes. They even offered that theory to Roy Coffee, but without some evidence of who wrote either, the sheriff could do nothing more than shrug and tell them to send for him as soon as Joe was able to talk about anything.<\/p>\n

Well, there was nothing to be done. Sarah Jane was apparently gone, and Camilla was here on the Ponderosa. Unless they wanted to drag Hop Sing and his broken leg back from San Francisco, there weren\u2019t any other choices. Hoss was just about run ragged, taking care of the house and the ranch while Pa tended to Joe. He never realized just how big a job the house was until Hop Sing was away, and even then, there was usually at least a couple of them to spread the work around. He was glad to give as much to Camilla Morgan as she was willing to do. He hoped that she could cook. As gifted as Pa might be at other things, he was, hands down, one of the worst cooks Hoss had ever met. There was always plenty when Pa cooked, partly because nobody\u2014not even Hoss\u2014ever wanted seconds. Hoss couldn\u2019t figure out what it was that his pa did to food to make it so tough and tasteless. Privately, the three brothers had long ago agreed that it was lucky that sales of Ponderosa beef weren\u2019t made to people who had tasted their father\u2019s preparation of it. \u201cIf it were, we\u2019d have the biggest alfalfa farm in the west,\u201d Adam once said ruefully.<\/p>\n

Remembering that conversation, Hoss chuckled. He set the pitchfork in the corner and headed for the house. As he crossed the threshold, he lifted his head, sniffing. The girl hadn\u2019t been here an hour, but she already had something on the stove, and it smelled mighty fine. Hoss sighed with pure pleasure. Camilla Morgan was a godsend.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Joe. You need to eat a little more.\u201d Pa held another spoonful of oatmeal to his lips, but Joe turned away, wincing at the stabbing pain that any movement still caused. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he fought the nausea that so often seemed to accompany the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, son. We\u2019ll try more in a little while.\u201d Pa probably meant to be encouraging, but Joe couldn\u2019t help feeling that the words sounded almost ominous, like the storm cloud hovering on the horizon. It wasn\u2019t here yet, but it would be, and there was no place he could go to escape.<\/p>\n

Leave me alone,<\/em>\u00a0he wanted to say, but there was no point in trying. Like everything else, it would come out as gibberish.<\/p>\n

There were times when all he wanted was to fling a boot through the window from sheer frustration. He didn\u2019t know what he hated most about this whole thing. Sometimes, it was not being able to make himself understood; other times, it was his inability to lift his head from the pillow without the room spinning as though he\u2019d had way too much whiskey; still other times, it was the unending drumbeat pounding inside his skull that turned in an instant into a machete slashing into his brain as soon as he tried to move his head. Sure, his leg ached, and having his wrist and hand encased in plaster was mildly inconvenient, but those troubles paled compared to such infuriating indignities as having to be fed like a child because his attempts to feed himself while lying flat and using his right hand had meant that he spilled much more than he swallowed.<\/p>\n

Maybe he was lucky that he couldn\u2019t talk. Pa would have tolerated all this self-pity for about ten seconds before he started lecturing Joe in that booming voice about how fortunate he was and how close they\u2019d come to losing him and how he should be grateful for how well he was doing, and on and on until Joe really would have flung a boot through the window, just to get the thundering to stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, the doctor\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes opened at the sound of a female voice. What the\u2014what was going on? That voice sounded familiar. Who was she? What was she doing here? Nobody had told him they had visitors. What a strange time to decide to have houseguests\u2014or had they had plans before he was hurt and he just didn\u2019t recall?<\/p>\n

It was too much to think about. He waited, careful not to move his head again, as the doctor came in and he and Pa greeted each other. Doc was here pretty much every day, and Hoss had told him that when he first got hurt, the doctor had been here around the clock for days. Not that Joe remembered anything about those first few days, of course. He wasn\u2019t even certain how long ago it had all happened. It could have been a couple days, or it could have been a month ago. He tried sometimes to remember, but he never seemed to stay awake long enough to focus on anything more than what was right in front of him.<\/p>\n

Everybody kept telling him that the word problem would get better on its own. Doc had told him more than once that it was going to take time, but that little by little, Joe would be able to find his words. It was because he\u2019d been hit so hard, the doctor said. Some long explanation had followed that included words Joe was sure he\u2019d never known before, and he didn\u2019t bother trying to figure them out. He didn\u2019t care what the doctor called his condition; he just wanted to know when it would be over and he\u2019d be back to normal. Until somebody could tell him that, they didn\u2019t have much to talk about.<\/p>\n

The examination went pretty much the same every day. First, the doctor would take Joe\u2019s uncasted hand and feel his wrist, counting. Then, he\u2019d hold a candle close to Joe\u2019s eyes and look at them. After that, he\u2019d do some poking and prodding, and then he\u2019d finish by asking Joe his name. Joe hated that part. Of course he knew his name; he might be hurt, but he wasn\u2019t stupid. But somehow, he could come up with every answer under the sun except the right one. Yesterday, he\u2019d said his name was\u00a0rug, bramble<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0swim.<\/em>\u00a0It was humiliating.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me your name,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe glared at him. The doctor knew perfectly well that he couldn\u2019t say it on command. Ironically, he\u2019d said his name yesterday, but it was in response to Pa asking if he was hungry.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, tell the doctor your name,\u201d Pa said, just like there was any reason to believe he could.<\/p>\n

Fine. If they wanted to know his name, he\u2019d tell them. Still glaring, he held up his right hand and made the sign language letters for J-O-E.\u00a0Happy now?<\/em>\u00a0he wanted to ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Hoss asked. Joe hadn\u2019t even realized Hoss was in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like sign language,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cDoes Joe know how to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sure does,\u201d said Pa. \u201cFor a while, he was teaching it to Ann Croft.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSam Croft\u2019s girl? The deaf one?\u201d The doctor sounded impressed. \u201cHow on earth did Joe learn sign language?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got a book. This was last year, when Sam had that little place upon the mountain. Joe went up there every day for months to teach Ann.\u201d The pride in Pa\u2019s voice soothed Joe\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cOl\u2019 Sam took Ann and moved to Placerville after that ruckus with that Albie fellow,\u201d Hoss recalled. \u201cBut they stayed here for a while after Sam got hurt. I remember Joe teaching Sam sign language so\u2019s he could talk to Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo either of you know any sign language?\u201d the doctor asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we did,\u201d said Pa. \u201cJoe did all the interpreting while Sam and Ann were here. I think Adam might have picked up a little bit, but Hoss and I just relied on Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just wondering whether Joe can communicate if he uses sign language instead of speech,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cIt\u2019s too bad he can\u2019t write, but if he can sign, it might give us an indication of just how far the problem goes\u2014whether it\u2019s just his speech or whether it\u2019s a problem with all communication or even with his ability to understand. Do you still have that sign language book?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Joe gave it to Sam,\u201d said Pa, sounding regretful. \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you\u2019ve got one in your office?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately not,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cI wonder if the Millers might have such a thing at the mercantile. I\u2019ll check when I go back into town. If Joe can talk to us in sign language, he might even be able to tell us who did this to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Millers don\u2019t have a sign language book, see if they can order one,\u201d said Pa. \u201cI\u2019ll pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll check on it,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cNow, young man, I\u2019m going to ask you again, and this time, I want to tell me the answer with your voice. What is your name?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pressed his lips together. He couldn\u2019t do it, and they all knew it. There was no reason to keep putting him through this humiliation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, son, you can do it,\u201d said Pa. A lot he knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me your name,\u201d said the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do it, Little Brother.\u201d Hoss sounded like he did when he was trying to encourage one of the critters to do something. \u201cJust take it easy an\u2019 don\u2019t even think about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTable!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe could feel his face turning red. He hadn\u2019t meant to shout. He was horrified to feel tears starting, and he closed his eyes so that nobody would know. Even Mitch and Kathleen Devlin\u2019s little boy, who was barely a year old, could say his name when somebody asked. Now everybody would know that Joe Cartwright couldn\u2019t even talk as well as a baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d said Doc, patting his arm. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Joe. One of these days, when you least expect it, you\u2019ll be able to do it. For now, you\u2019ve just got to rest and let your brain heal. Take it easy, and I\u2019ll see you tomorrow.\u201d Joe kept his eyes closed as footsteps and voices headed out the door and down the hall. Just as he was about to open his eyes, he heard that female voice again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I was\u2014oh, I\u2019m sorry. Is he sleeping?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s pretty tuckered out,\u201d said Hoss when Joe didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d like to go out and tend to your chores, I can sit with him for a while,\u201d the female offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s mighty nice of you, Miss Camilla, but I\u2019m going to stay here for a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla?\u00a0Camilla?<\/em>\u00a0What the hell? Camilla\u00a0Morgan?<\/em>\u00a0What was she doing here? Joe\u2019s eyes snapped open, and he braced himself for the knife-like pain as he turned his head so that he could see the doorway, but she was gone. He turned a slight bit more to see Hoss smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you might be playin\u2019 possum,\u201d his big brother said. Joe pointed toward the doorway, and Hoss nodded. \u201cYep,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was Camilla Morgan. She\u2019s helping out until Hop Sing gets back. He\u2019s still in San Francisco. Turns out you ain\u2019t the only one who broke your leg.\u201d Joe scrunched up his face to show that he was confused, but Hoss just chuckled. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry, Little Brother,\u201d he said. \u201cOl\u2019 Hop Sing\u2019s gonna be just fine, and he\u2019ll be back here before you know it. Now, how\u2019s about you get some sleep, and maybe later we can read a little more in that detective book?\u201d He pulled the quilt up over Joe\u2019s shoulders just like Joe had answered him and agreed with everything he\u2019d said, and then he turned to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cFiddle corn!\u201d Joe called. \u201cStirrup two!\u201d\u00a0Come back. Don\u2019t leave.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJust go to sleep, Joe.\u201d Hoss pulled the curtains closed and tiptoed out of the room as quietly as a person in size sixteen boots could, closing the door after him and leaving Joe to stare in confused disbelief.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

The moonlight spilled into the room, casting a delicate glow across the bed. It touched his face as softly as a lover. As gently as her fingertips brushed his cheek.<\/p>\n

Perhaps somebody should shave him tomorrow,<\/em>\u00a0she mused, caressing the roughness of his whiskers. Probably no one had even thought of such a thing; after all, his beard was light. Undoubtedly, it always had been. Likely they hadn\u2019t noticed the scruffiness. In daylight, it was barely visible, evident only to a lover\u2019s touch.<\/p>\n

It was a good thing she was here. A shave and a wash would undoubtedly make him feel better. She wondered idly if it would be overstepping to offer to take care of it herself. But she\u2019d only been here for one day. Maybe she should wait. Such an offer might be seen as too intimate at this point. Once the Cartwrights had had time to see how things were between Camilla and Joe, they would likely be much more comfortable with leaving his care in her hands.<\/p>\n

His eyelashes fluttered, and she smiled, stroking his cheek a bit more firmly. As she\u2019d hoped, his eyes opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, dear, it\u2019s me,\u201d she whispered. His brow furrowed as though he didn\u2019t understand. \u201cI\u2019ve come to take care of you,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll be by your side every minute until you\u2019re well again.\u201d He squinted in the dim light, and she continued, \u201cYou know this was an accident, don\u2019t you? Accidents happen. Sometimes, people are trying to do one thing, and they end up doing another. You can\u2019t hold them responsible for something they didn\u2019t mean to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElbow?\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

She allowed herself a quiet, silvery laugh. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry about a thing,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m right here with you, and I\u2019m never going to leave you. There won\u2019t be any other girls bothering you any more. I\u2019ll see to that.\u201d She stroked his hair, the slightest frown wrinkling her brow as he moved his head a bit, almost as though he was trying to dodge her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla whirled, knocking over the water glass on the bedside table and barely catching it before it rolled off. Water splashed on the table, the floor, the edge of the bed, and her dressing gown as she set the glass back on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Mr. Cartwright! You startled me!\u201d She brushed past him to the washstand for a towel and hurried back across the room to wipe up the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing in here?\u201d Ben Cartwright asked again. He sounded concerned, but Camilla detected a tinge of something else. It would be overstating to call it suspicion, but it was far more than mere curiosity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going downstairs to the\u2014\u201d She let her voice trail off to suggest something a lady would not mention to a gentleman. Then, she continued, \u201cAs I was passing, I heard Joe calling, so I came in to see if I could do anything. I thought perhaps he\u2019d like a drink of water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d Mr. Cartwright sounded completely reassured by her explanation. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my pleasure, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m happy to help out taking care of Joe any way I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very nice, but you really don\u2019t need to worry about that,\u201d he said. \u201cHoss and I will tend to Joe. You don\u2019t need to worry about anything other than the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, you think I\u2019m just a housekeeper? How little you know.<\/em>\u00a0The urge to correct him was so strong that she had to bite her lower lip for a moment. He clearly didn\u2019t understand about his son and Camilla. Hadn\u2019t seen the ring on her finger. Not that it was his fault. Obviously, Joe had kept their relationship private. Such a gentleman, her sweet Joe. So considerate, so discreet. It was one of the many things she loved about him.<\/p>\n

Not that she would have minded if he\u2019d let people know how he felt about her. It would have made things so much easier. It would certainly have saved everyone a lot of trouble, anyway.<\/p>\n

She smiled at Joe, who was still watching her. He looked . . . perplexed, she decided. He was merely perplexed. It wasn\u2019t worry that she saw in his eyes, and it certainly wasn\u2019t fear. He simply hadn\u2019t expected to see her by his bed in the middle of the night. She\u2019d caught him off-guard, that was all.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood night,\u201d she said, patting his hand. She considered kissing his cheek, but with his father standing right there, it seemed too forward. Especially if Joe was so intent upon keeping their love a secret until he was ready to announce it. She wasn\u2019t going to spoil that for him. She allowed her hand to linger on his for just a moment longer, and then she turned away.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood night, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said as pleasantly as she could manage. Oblivious he might be, but one day, he would be her father-in-law, and it would be best for everyone if they remained on good terms. She stepped out into the hall, and when he didn\u2019t follow her, she paused. She heard his low voice, but she couldn\u2019t make out the words. Then, she heard the water, and she relaxed. He must have figured out that Joe hadn\u2019t gotten anything to drink. She smiled to herself as she went back to her room. Taking off her dressing gown, a thought struck her, and she couldn\u2019t help giggling.<\/p>\n

I wonder if he was even thirsty.<\/em><\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Hey, Jake, gimme that!\u201d Cal lunged toward where his brother sat with his back against the rock, eyes half-open. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna spill it, you dumb galoot!\u201d He snatched the bottle from Jake\u2019s hand and sat back as he took a swig. \u201cDoggone it, this stuff tastes like sheep dip! Couldn\u2019t you have gotten anything better?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake let loose with a long, deep belch. Smacking his lips, he said, \u201cTastes fine to me.\u201d The brothers chortled, and Jake held out his hand for the bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you two doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

The deep voice from above startled the brothers almost as much as if God Himself had been calling them to account. Cal dropped the bottle as Adam Cartwright, mounted and stern, looked down at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you there was no drinking on this job.\u201d They squinted up at the man in black, silhouetted by the sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just thirsty,\u201d said Jake.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd real tired,\u201d said Cal. \u201cWe got every last head through the draw, just like you said to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you were getting paid to do.\u201d Cartwright seemed unimpressed by their accomplishment.<\/p>\n

Jake and Cal exchanged tipsy looks. If they got fired, they\u2019d have to go home, and then Camilla would have to leave the Ponderosa. Trouble here or trouble at home. That was the choice.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t have to think twice. They got to their feet unsteadily, and Jake pitched the bottle away. \u201cSorry, boss,\u201d he said. \u201cWe won\u2019t do it again. We promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPromise,\u201d Cal echoed. They stood, swaying only slightly, as Cartwright sat on his horse, looking at them. Finally, he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that you don\u2019t,\u201d Cartwright said. \u201cNow, get up there and relieve Mack and Rusty.\u201d Without waiting for a response, he rode off toward the herd.<\/p>\n

Cal and Jake stood, watching. \u201cThat was close,\u201d Cal said finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla would have killed us,\u201d Jake agreed. \u201cEven though it wouldn\u2019t have been our fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t buy that last time,\u201d Cal pointed out. He fell silent as the brothers reflected on their sister\u2019s response the last time they\u2019d messed up.<\/p>\n

It was a wonder she hadn\u2019t beaten them over the heads with the same gun they\u2019d used on the kid. Not that they\u2019d meant to. It was an accident. Once they\u2019d shot Little Joe in the leg\u2014well, at that point, any sane person would have just fallen down and that would have been that. Only that Cartwright kid would have kept coming at them even when he could barely walk.<\/p>\n

With all that, they still hadn\u2019t meant to hit him so hard. They were just trying to stop him. After all, they had instructions: keep him from going after the Perkins girl. That really was all they meant to do. Camilla had told them that if the girl wasn\u2019t at the oak tree, he\u2019d probably go into town to find her, and their job was to make sure he didn\u2019t do that. They\u2019d tried to point out to her that they did exactly what she wanted them to, but she still wasn\u2019t pleased.<\/p>\n

Fact was, Camilla probably would have spit nails when they got home and told her what happened if it hadn\u2019t been for the fact that she already had her hands full with that fool girl who apparently couldn\u2019t even manage a flight of stairs. She\u2019d sent Cal over to the Silver Dollar, the Bucket of Blood and a couple other saloons and told him just to have a beer and maybe play some cards\u2014pretty much anything to establish that he\u2019d spent the day around town. Since nobody could tell the difference between him and Jake anyway, that would likely serve as a decent enough excuse for both brothers. In the meantime, Jake helped Camilla deal with the girl.<\/p>\n

It did seem strange that such a nice, law-abiding family as theirs had gotten into so much trouble in one short day. Luckily, that was all behind them now, or so Camilla said.<\/p>\n

In any event, they didn\u2019t need to get into any more trouble, and if they got fired from this job, that was exactly what would happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d said Cal. He mounted up and looked back for Jake. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t find my hat,\u201d said Jake. \u201cI had it before, but it\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal looked around. He didn\u2019t see a hat, but he saw Cartwright looking their direction. \u201cHere,\u201d he said. \u201cTake this one.\u201d He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a crumpled cream-colored hat.<\/p>\n

Jake took it, frowning. \u201cYou had this in there all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForgot to throw it away,\u201d said Cal. \u201cAnyway, it\u2019s just a hat. He\u2019ll never know the difference.\u201d Jake looked skeptical, but when Cartwright started in their direction, Jake crammed the hat onto his head and mounted up. They kicked their horses\u2019 sides, waving to Cartwright like nothing could possibly be wrong as they rode off to relieve Mack and Rusty.<\/p>\n

And with any luck, they\u2019d be able to stay far enough away from Adam Cartwright that he wouldn\u2019t recognize his little brother\u2019s hat.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Joe knew that something was different even before his door opened. Something serious was in the air. He listened to the low voices outside, straining to identify them. Then, the door opened, and his stomach dropped, because nobody\u2014not even Pa\u2014was looking at him at first.<\/p>\n

\u201cMornin\u2019, Little Joe,\u201d said the sheriff. He stood at the foot of the bed, his hands behind him. Pa stood on the left of the bed, as close to Joe\u2019s head as he could get, and the doctor stood on the right. When they\u2019d all taken their places, Sheriff Coffee cleared his throat and announced, \u201cDoc here says you might be up to answering some questions today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a few, Joe,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cIf you get tired, you just let us know.\u201d To the sheriff, he said, \u201cHe holds up one finger for \u2018yes\u2019 and two for \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I need to know everything you remember about the day you got bushwhacked,\u201d said Sheriff Coffee. Moving his eyes only, Joe looked at Pa, who nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo the best you can, son,\u201d Pa said. \u201cDo you want to try sitting up a little?\u201d Joe held up one finger and clenched his jaw against the inevitable stabbing pain in his head as Pa and the doctor helped him to sit up a bit, easing him back against the pillows. He still couldn\u2019t sit completely upright without getting so dizzy it made him sick to his stomach, but at least he didn\u2019t have to stay flat any more, and that was something. Doc had said that as he healed, the headaches and dizziness would eventually go away completely. As far as Joe was concerned, that day couldn\u2019t come soon enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere were you attacked?\u201d asked the sheriff.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, you\u2019ve got to stick with \u2018yes\u2019 and \u2018no\u2019 questions,\u201d the doctor reminded him.<\/p>\n

But Joe was biting his lip, thinking. Snippets of memory had returned over the course of several days, and while he wasn\u2019t completely sure, he had an idea. If only he could write with his right hand. They\u2019d tried that before, but his handwriting was hard for others to read even when he used his left hand; when he wrote with his right, nobody could make it out. He held up his hand in a \u201cwait\u201d gesture, and the sheriff perked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember where it was?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Joe made the \u201cwait\u201d gesture again. He could almost picture the area. A clearing . . . an enormous tree. Something about the tree . . . he narrowed his eyes, almost as though he could see it if he focused just right.<\/p>\n

But whatever it was about the tree\u2014if it was the tree at all\u2014stayed just out of reach. He closed his eyes, fighting back the frustration that was so much a part of his life now. Somebody was asking something else, and he held up his hand in the \u201cwait\u201d gesture again.<\/p>\n

After a minute, he opened his eyes and blew out his breath. He pointed to the bedside table, and Pa poured him a glass of water. At least the glass was easier to manage without spilling when he was sitting up. Lying flat, he had to have somebody help or he was liable to pour it all over himself, which had already happened so many times that it was a wonder he hadn\u2019t mildewed. He drained the glass and handed it back, looking to the sheriff to signal that he was ready for the next question.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho attacked you?\u201d asked the sheriff.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy,\u201d the doctor began.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry. Um\u2014do you know who attacked you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe considered the question. The faces in his mind were familiar, but he couldn\u2019t put names to them. He didn\u2019t know whether it was because he didn\u2019t know the names or just couldn\u2019t remember them. Not that it mattered much, he supposed. He held up two fingers. No.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know how many of them there were?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think there was more than one?\u201d Pa asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering what you said about how Little Joe was hurt and tied on his horse\u2014yeah, I figure there could have been. That\u2019s a lot for one man to do. Do you know how many it was, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe held up two fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t know.\u201d The doctor sounded disappointed.<\/p>\n

No!<\/em>\u00a0Joe thought for a moment. Then, he held up one finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows?\u201d One finger again. \u201cHow many?\u201d Two fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell what\u2019s he\u2019s saying,\u201d said the sheriff. \u201cDoes he know or doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe slammed his hand on the bed. When they were all looking, he slammed it down twice in succession. Then, he looked up, daring them not to understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying there were two of them?\u201d Pa sounded unsure, but Joe grinned and held up a single finger. If he could have nodded without excruciating pain, he would have.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019re getting somewhere!\u201d Relief was obvious in the doctor\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d asked Sheriff Coffee. \u201cHe knows it was two men, but he doesn\u2019t know who or where, and there ain\u2019t much else I can ask. Unless. . . .\u201d His voice trailed off as though he was thinking. Then, he leaned forward, his mouth pursed in the way that usually meant he had an idea. Still, the words that came out of his mouth were completely unexpected: \u201cHey, Joe, you don\u2019t by chance know a girl named Sarah Jane Perkins, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

One finger, accompanied by a furrowed brow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was the last time you saw her?\u201d<\/p>\n

A slow smile spread across Joe\u2019s face. This, he remembered. Not so much the when, but being together\u2014he remembered it well. Riding together in the buggy as the moonlight dappled the horses and the road. Listening to her soft, musical voice as she spoke of everyday things that somehow seemed special because it was she who said them. The diamond sparkle of light on the water when they stopped by the lake. The light, sweet scent of her hair as he pulled her close. The gentle brush of her lips against his. Sliding the silver ring on her delicate finger. The promise of the future. . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe? Do you remember the last time you saw her?\u201d<\/p>\n

One finger.<\/p>\n

The sheriff\u2019s voice grew more serious. \u201cJoe, were you courting Sarah Jane Perkins?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wariness stopped him from answering right away. He couldn\u2019t remember now why they\u2019d kept their love a secret. Somehow, in some far corner of his mind, it seemed like there was somebody they were concerned about, but who? Why? Was it her family who had objected? His? Somebody else? He started to raise one finger, and then something else in the sheriff\u2019s question caught his attention:\u00a0were you courting Sarah Jane Perkins?<\/em><\/p>\n

Were you courting Sarah Jane Perkins?<\/p>\n

Not \u201care you.\u201d Were.<\/p>\n

He looked from one to another. They all looked serious now. Something was wrong.\u00a0What\u2019s wrong?<\/em>\u00a0he asked in sign language.\u00a0What\u2019s the matter?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, we don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re saying,\u201d said Pa. \u201cThat sign language book hasn\u2019t come yet.\u201d He reached for Joe\u2019s right hand, but Joe shook him off.<\/p>\n

Is something wrong with Sarah Jane?<\/em>\u00a0he demanded. The cast on his left hand wasn\u2019t slowing him down now.\u00a0Is that why I haven\u2019t heard from her?<\/em>Because he knew in his heart that if she\u2019d known he was injured, she\u2019d have come to see him. He didn\u2019t know how long it had been since he was hurt, but suddenly, her silence loomed large.\u00a0What\u2019s the matter with Sarah Jane?<\/em>\u00a0he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow down, boy,\u201d said the sheriff. \u201cOne question at a time. Were you courting Sarah Jane Perkins?\u201d<\/p>\n

One finger, trembling slightly. They weren\u2019t asking because they wanted to know about his social life. His gut clenched. Something was wrong, and it involved Sarah Jane.<\/p>\n

Mindless of the pain of movement, he turned to face Pa. His eyes implored Pa to explain, and he saw sorrowful understanding in Pa\u2019s face. Then, Pa sat on the edge of the bed, his back to the sheriff and the doctor, and a cold rush of fear coursed through Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, Sarah Jane Perkins is missing,\u201d Pa said. \u201cShe vanished the same day you were hurt. Nobody\u2019s seen her for almost three weeks.\u201d Joe clutched Pa\u2019s arm. It didn\u2019t matter that he couldn\u2019t talk sense, because he couldn\u2019t have gotten a word out if he\u2019d tried. Pa continued, \u201cThere was talk that she\u2019d eloped with some fellow who was courting her.\u201d His voice was gentle. \u201cJoseph, were you courting her?\u201d<\/p>\n

One finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas there anybody else who was courting her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Two fingers, thrust into the air for emphasis.\u00a0No. Nobody else.<\/em>\u00a0He\u2019d stake his life on it.<\/p>\n

His life. But what about Sarah Jane\u2019s life? Three weeks. She\u2019d been missing for three\u00a0weeks.<\/em>\u00a0While he\u2019d been lying here, worrying about mundane things like talking and sitting up, she\u2019d been God alone knew where. She could be frightened, injured, even\u2014 But he wouldn\u2019t let his mind go there. Instead, he glared at the sheriff, signing without giving a damn who understood.\u00a0What have you done to find her? Have you talked to her father? Where did you go? Is there a posse looking for her?<\/em><\/p>\n

Oblivious, the sheriff harrumphed. \u201cLooks like these two might be connected after all. Listen, Joe\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re done for today,\u201d Pa interrupted, not looking away from Joe\u2019s face. He placed his hands on Joe\u2019s, stilling the questions that had no answers. \u201cYou can come back tomorrow, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa understood. He understood it all. He stayed right there as the sheriff and the doctor left, and he held onto Joe\u2019s uncasted hand as if somehow, that might make something\u2014anything\u2014all right.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa!\u201d called Adam as he strode into the main room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d His father\u2019s face lit up. Adam extended his hand, but Pa took it in both of his and pumped it as a wide smile threatened to split his face in two. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, son. How did everything go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust fine,\u201d said Adam. \u201cTen dollars a head, and Mackley was pleased to pay it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows good beef when he sees it,\u201d Pa said. \u201cAny problems?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d Adam never bothered Pa with silly little details like the Morgan boys drinking on the job. As far as he was concerned, he\u2019d handled the matter, and there was no need to talk about it any further. Besides, with as many men as he\u2019d been overseeing, having only one such incident counted as a success. Granted, he\u2019d barely seen the Morgans after that day; they\u2019d ridden on the far side of the herd whenever possible, almost as though they were afraid of what might happen if they got too close to him. Of course, they\u2019d only had a couple more days after that, but Adam took a certain quiet satisfaction in knowing that he\u2019d intimidated them into shaping up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s everything here?\u201d he asked as he took off his gunbelt and coiled it on the credenza.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing fine,\u201d said Pa, but his smile faded a bit, and he sounded as though he was trying to persuade someone\u2014maybe Adam, maybe himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Joe? Everything all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s coming along,\u201d said Pa. \u201cLooks like the headaches and the dizziness are lightening up a little, and he\u2019s starting to be able to say what he means. Not much, but a few words here and there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned. He knew he didn\u2019t need to point out that it had been more than five weeks since Joe\u2019s injury. Adam was no doctor, but this seemed to be quite a long time for so little healing. He hesitated before he asked the next question. \u201cDoes Doc have any idea how much longer it\u2019s going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa shook his head. \u201cWeeks, months . . . there\u2019s no way to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Doc feels sure that Joe will recover?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s face was stoic now. \u201cDoc\u2019s taking it day by day, just like the rest of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIncluding Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa shrugged slightly. \u201cHe has his days,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know your brother. Gets pretty frustrated sometimes. Other times. . . .\u201d At Adam\u2019s questioning look, he continued, \u201cTurns out he was courting that girl who went missing\u2014Sarah Jane Perkins. Roy asked him about her last week. Joe\u2019s having a hard time with the idea that she seems to have vanished into thin air.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s heard from her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa shook his head. \u201cRoy\u2019s pretty much convinced that, whatever happened, she didn\u2019t leave here on her own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thinks somebody kidnapped her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he hopes so. If they did, there\u2019s a chance she\u2019s still alive. Otherwise, it could be anything\u2014she could have gone out riding on her own, and. . . .\u201d He shook his head at the myriad of fates that could befall a woman alone in this part of the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Joe see her that day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough sometimes to know what he remembers about the whole thing. There\u2019s only so much information we can get out of \u2018yes\u2019 and \u2018no\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat reminds me\u2014Doc said to give you this.\u201d Adam reached into his coat pocket and drew out a small book. \u201cSaid it just arrived today.\u201d He handed it to Pa, whose smile widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, son,\u201d he said. He flipped through the pages. Line drawings of hands and faces in dozens and dozens of gestures, plus a page with twenty-six drawings of fingers representing the letters of the alphabet. \u201cThis should help a lot. Hoss and I couldn\u2019t remember any of that sign language Joe taught the Crofts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan Joe actually converse in sign language?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to say. He\u2019s certainly been trying, but none of us could understand him, so we don\u2019t know. It could be as much nonsense as his spoken words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s no time like the present for finding out.\u201d Adam took the book and gestured toward the stairs. \u201cShall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

When Adam opened the door to Joe\u2019s room, he couldn\u2019t help feeling as though something odd was going on. Camilla Morgan was sitting by Joe\u2019s bed, looking for all the world as though she was on her front porch swing with a boy she fancied, while Joe\u2019s jaw was clenched, his nostrils were flared, and he was glaring at the far corner of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Miss Morgan,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

The girl jumped to her feet. \u201cOh, Adam, I didn\u2019t know you were back!\u201d She smoothed her skirt and patted her hair. \u201cJoe and I were just visiting a bit. If you\u2019ll excuse me, I need to get lunch started.\u201d She slipped past Adam and Ben and out the door before anyone could respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Little Brother,\u201d said Adam. Joe raised a hand in greeting. \u201cSorry about that,\u201d Adam added. \u201cDidn\u2019t mean to interrupt anything.\u201d Joe rolled his eyes, and Adam nodded even though he didn\u2019t really understand. \u201cHow\u2019re you feeling?\u201d Joe shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sign language book arrived, Joe,\u201d Pa said. \u201cFeel like testing it out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me see what I remember,\u201d said Adam. Slowly, he began to sign.\u00a0How are you?<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe rolled his eyes again.\u00a0You don\u2019t have to sign, you dumb jasper. I can hear you.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d asked Pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure what he called me, but I think he said I don\u2019t have to sign because he can hear me. It\u2019s hard to tell with that cast. Sort of like if he had a lisp.\u201d He winked at Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Pa chided, but Joe waved off the reprimand.<\/p>\n

You got it right,<\/em>\u00a0he told Adam.\u00a0And I called you a dumb jasper.<\/em>\u00a0The last two words were slowly spelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little respect for your elders wouldn\u2019t kill you,\u201d Adam commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you two talking about?\u201d Pa asked, frantically flipping through the pages.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing much,\u201d said Adam. \u201cBut Joe\u2019s making sense\u2014at least, as much sense as he ever does. You\u2019d better watch yourself,\u201d he added as Joe spelled a response using words he would most definitely not have wanted Pa to understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s just his spoken words that are jumbled up,\u201d said Pa. \u201cThe rest of his mind is fine.\u201d His deep brown eyes glistened, and for a moment, he seemed to be nearly overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.<\/p>\n

Joe and Adam exchanged tiny grins as Pa turned away to compose himself.\u00a0You knew that would happen,<\/em>\u00a0Adam signed. As tough as Ben Cartwright was about most things, it sometimes seemed that you could move him to tears with practically any news, good or bad, about his sons.<\/p>\n

I know,<\/em>\u00a0Joe responded, but he was watching Pa. Adam considered mentioning that he could see just the tiniest bit of moisture in Joe\u2019s eyes at their father\u2019s reaction and how the apple clearly hadn\u2019t fallen far from the tree, but he decided that just this once, he\u2019d go easy on his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when are you going to be out of bed?\u201d Adam asked him aloud as Pa turned back to rejoin the conversation.<\/p>\n

Already am a little,<\/em>\u00a0said Joe.\u00a0Couple times a day.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIs the leg still that bad?\u201d Adam knew that the bullet had broken Joe\u2019s thighbone, but it seemed a little odd that his brother was still completely bedridden.<\/p>\n

Not the leg,<\/em>\u00a0said Joe.\u00a0I get dizzy when I sit up. And the headaches are bad. Especially when I move my head.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHow bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam considered this. Joe wasn\u2019t one to complain. If he was saying that the headaches were bad\u2014bad enough that he was willing to stay in bed\u2014they were probably severe enough that most men would be taking large and frequent slugs of painkiller to knock themselves out. Joe didn\u2019t seem particularly woozy, though. \u201cYou taking anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t. Doc says laudanum could make things worse.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you\u2019re just waiting them out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing else to do.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes anything help?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cold compresses sometimes. Not moving. Dark. Quiet.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam resisted the urge to ask whether the headaches and dizziness were expected to last as long as the aphasia. If they were, it sounded as though his brother could be incapacitated for months. Instead, he asked, \u201cFeel like getting up for a little while now? I can give you a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

No,<\/em>\u00a0said Joe.\u00a0Tired.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll let you get some sleep,\u201d said Adam. He knew from experience how pain could wear a man out. He poured cool water from the pitcher into the washbowl, soaked a cloth, and wrung it almost dry. Then, he laid it across Joe\u2019s eyes, easing it into place. \u201cSee you later, buddy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Thanks, brother.<\/em>\u00a0Joe reached up, and Adam gave his uncasted hand a quick squeeze.<\/p>\n

Out in the hall, Pa still seemed overwhelmed by what had happened. \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re back,\u201d he said as he drew Joe\u2019s door closed. \u201cEven with that book, I couldn\u2019t keep up with what Joe was saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes time,\u201d said Adam as they headed for the stairs. He didn\u2019t add that, from what he could tell, there would be plenty of time for the entire family to learn sign language before Joe recovered fully. Pa was so thrilled that his son could communicate at all; there was no point in throwing cold water on his joy.<\/p>\n

As they reached the foot of the stairs, Camilla was coming into the room, carrying a tray. \u201cI\u2019ve got some broth for Joe,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s sleeping,\u201d said Pa.<\/p>\n

Adam watched as consternation flashed across her face. Then, she smiled in a way that seemed oddly determined to look happy. \u201cThen I\u2019ll keep it for later.\u201d She turned and went back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurious one, isn\u2019t she?\u201d Adam murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she might still have feelings for Joe,\u201d said Pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Joe? How does he feel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the sense that he returns her feelings,\u201d Pa said. \u201cOn the other hand, between his own situation and Miss Perkins\u2019 disappearance, I doubt he\u2019s even thinking about Camilla Morgan right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam considered this as the conversation shifted to the cattle drive. Of course, it wasn\u2019t the first time a girl had had feelings for Joe that he hadn\u2019t reciprocated. Still, there was something peculiar about the whole thing.<\/p>\n

Well, it didn\u2019t matter. Hop Sing would be home soon, Camilla would go back to taking care of her brothers, and life would return to normal. Adam forced his attention back to what his father was saying, pushing away that strange sense of foreboding that he\u2019d had when he opened the door to Joe\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

When Joe opened his eyes, everything was dark. For a moment, he started to panic. Then, he remembered the compress. Relieved, he moved the damp cloth from his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take that,\u201d said Camilla. She practically snatched the cloth from his fingers and bustled over to the washstand, where she hung it to dry.<\/p>\n

Joe bit his lip to keep from groaning. Camilla Morgan again. It seemed as though whenever he woke up, she was there. He couldn\u2019t figure out why they felt somebody had to sit with him all the time now. It had been one thing in the early days of his recovery, but now, he certainly didn\u2019t need a keeper. He could ring the bell if he needed something.<\/p>\n

And if he had needed someone, it wouldn\u2019t be Camilla Morgan.<\/p>\n

He started to ask her in sign language what she was doing there, but he stopped when he remembered that she didn\u2019t understand. He tried to figure out whether there was some way that he could ask her to get Adam. At least Adam understood him. He couldn\u2019t believe how good it felt to know that he could actually talk to somebody and they\u2019d understand more than \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno.\u201d He\u2019d have to remember to tell Adam later that he didn\u2019t need to have someone sitting with him all the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like some water?\u201d she asked. He held up two fingers to signify \u201cno,\u201d but she poured a glass of water anyway. \u201cHere you go, darling,\u201d she said, lifting his head with one hand as she held the glass to his lips. He tried to turn away, but she was holding his head more firmly than he\u2019d thought. In fact, her fingertips were almost digging into the back of his skull. He tried to move his head away, but he moved too quickly. The stabbing pain made him gasp, and he choked on the water that sloshed into his mouth. For a few minutes, he coughed, his eyes closed and tearing against the sensation of knives slicing into his head over and over. Vaguely, he could hear Camilla speaking, but he couldn\u2019t understand her over the thunderous ringing inside his head. She was trying to reach for him, but he shoved her hands away, rolling away from her as he tried to hold his body stiff to minimize the movement of his head.<\/p>\n

A hand rested on his shoulder. Impatiently, he shoved it off. He couldn\u2019t form words even in his head, but if he\u2019d been able to, he\u2019d have told her to go away.<\/p>\n

Finally, the spasm eased. His chest still heaved, but he was able to keep his head from moving. Slowly, coherent thought returned, and he began to hear the voices in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, Joe,\u201d came Pa\u2019s voice, deep and soothing. \u201cYou all right?\u201d Joe held up one finger, and Pa patted his shoulder. \u201cJust stay still for a minute, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what happened, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d came Camilla\u2019s plaintive voice. \u201cHe was just having a drink of water and he started to choke. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t your fault, Camilla,\u201d said Pa.\u00a0Yes, it was,<\/em>\u00a0Joe\u2019s fingers tried to say, but it was hard to sign when he was lying on his side, facing away from everybody. Oblivious, Pa stroked Joe\u2019s hair. \u201cYou just get some rest, Joseph,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can stay with him, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Camilla offered.<\/p>\n

Joe rolled onto his back, biting his lip against the pain of movement.\u00a0She doesn\u2019t need to,<\/em>\u00a0he said.\u00a0I don\u2019t need anybody watching me sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s necessary,\u201d said Pa as though he understood. \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks, Pa.<\/em>\u00a0Joe reached for the blanket that had slid down when he moved, but Camilla was already pulling it back up. For just a moment, something\u2014he couldn\u2019t have said what\u2014reminded him of Sarah Jane. He squinted to get a better look as she adjusted his covers, but whatever there was about her face or hands that reminded him of his beloved Sarah Jane was gone now.<\/p>\n

Has anybody heard anything more about Sarah Jane?<\/em>\u00a0he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? I\u2019m sorry, Joe, I don\u2019t understand,\u201d said Pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you doing that?\u201d Camilla asked. She sounded almost angry, like she\u2019d caught Joe doing something wrong.<\/p>\n

Why not?<\/em>\u00a0Even if she didn\u2019t understand his words, his defiance could not have been difficult to comprehend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve found that Joe can communicate using sign language,\u201d said Pa. \u201cWe even have a book about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, really? I\u2019d love to see that.\u201d But she sounded anything other than pleased by the news. Somehow, Joe had the sudden sense that she would have been happier if he couldn\u2019t speak or make himself understood.<\/p>\n

Why don\u2019t you just get out of my room? In fact, why don\u2019t you just go home?<\/em>\u00a0In a childish way, he felt better for having said it even though he knew she didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n

He was glaring at her when a glint of silver caught his eye. Startled, he tried to see where it was, but Camilla and Pa were talking and nobody was paying any attention to him. \u201cElephant?\u201d he ventured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, son?\u201d Pa immediately turned from Camilla.<\/p>\n

Joe looked Pa up and down. Nothing on him resembling silver. Where had he seen it?<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you hungry, Joe? Would you like me to bring you something?\u201d Camilla moved closer to the bed and\u2014there it was. On the little finger of her left hand. A delicate silver ring. He hadn\u2019t noticed it before, and he wasn\u2019t quite certain why it was catching his attention now. Her jewelry was her own business. It had nothing to do with him.<\/p>\n

Still, he found himself watching her hands as she spoke. He wondered who the fellow was who had given her this ring. He didn\u2019t remember ever seeing it when he was sparking her, so she must have gotten it later. He wondered whether her beau had gotten that ring at the same place he got Sarah Jane\u2019s. Not that the rings would look alike, of course\u2014Sam Carson, the jeweler, had assured him that Sarah Jane\u2019s ring was unique. \u201cSee this?\u201d he\u2019d asked, pointing to the delicate roses and leaves engraved on the band. \u201cI only did this once. Took me a real long time. Too long to make it worth doing again. Your girl\u2019s ring will be one of a kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like her,\u201d Joe nodded. A uniquely beautiful ring for a uniquely beautiful girl. Later that night, as he slipped it onto her finger, he whispered, \u201cThis is only the first ring I\u2019m putting on your hand.\u201d And then, they kissed. . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe? Do you want something to eat?\u201d Camilla\u2019s voice cut rudely into the memory.<\/p>\n

Joe clenched his teeth to keep from spouting nonsense that would nonetheless make it clear that he was sick to death of Camilla Morgan and her incessant hovering. Glaring for all he was worth, he held up two fingers. Not that he wasn\u2019t hungry, but he was damned if he\u2019d take anything from her. He\u2019d ask Adam for something later.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d she said, sounding disappointed. \u201cIf you change your mind, you just ring your bell. I\u2019ve got to go and cook supper for the rest of the family.\u201d She was gone before he could protest that they weren\u2019t her family.<\/p>\n

That night, as his father and brothers gathered in his room as they used to sit in the living room. They brought him news of the outside world, but tonight, Joe found his mind wandering back to Sarah Jane\u2019s ring. He tried to tell himself that she\u2019d taken it with her to wherever she\u2019d gone, but that didn\u2019t make sense. If she\u2019d left with another man, she wouldn\u2019t have taken Joe\u2019s ring. They would have found it in her room. He\u2019d have to remember to ask.<\/p>\n

And even though it would break his heart a thousand times over to believe that she\u2019d walked out on him, he\u2019d still prefer that to the alternative. But try as he might, though, the leaden lump in his stomach wouldn\u2019t let him believe that she\u2019d left voluntarily. She\u2019d promised herself to him, just as he\u2019d promised himself to her. He was going to ask her pa for her hand in marriage. He\u2019d put on his new shirt and his new boots, and he\u2019d tucked his tie into his pocket so that nobody would notice. Then, after Mr. Perkins had given permission, Joe would come home and announce to everybody that he and Sarah Jane were going to get married.<\/p>\n

But then, that note had come, saying . . . saying . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cOrange,\u201d he said, not aware that he was interrupting.\u00a0Listen.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Joe?\u201d Pa leaned forward, immediately concerned.<\/p>\n

There was a note,<\/em>\u00a0Joe signed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d asked Adam. \u201cHe says there was a note,\u201d he translated for Pa and Hoss.<\/p>\n

Before I left that morning. Somebody gave me a note.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember what it said?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

It said . . . it said to meet her someplace. We weren\u2019t supposed to meet, but she sent me a note saying to meet her.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, hand me the book,\u201d said Adam. \u201cJoe, you\u2019re going to have to slow down. I\u2019m not following you. Tell me again. What\u2019s this?\u201d He imitated one of the signs.<\/p>\n

Supposed to,<\/em>\u00a0Joe spelled.\u00a0We weren\u2019t supposed to meet.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren\u2019t supposed to meet,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWhy not? Who weren\u2019t you supposed to meet? Camilla?\u201d<\/p>\n

No,<\/em>\u00a0Joe said impatiently.\u00a0Sarah Jane. I was supposed to go to her house in town, but somebody brought me a note.<\/em>\u00a0Again, he waited as Adam translated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he say what the note said?\u201d asked Pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m telling you everything he says.\u201d Adam sounded slightly impatient. \u201cJoe, what did the note say?\u201d<\/p>\n

It said to meet her . . .<\/em>\u00a0Joe squinted, trying to remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute.\u201d Hoss yanked open Joe\u2019s desk drawer and held up a piece of paper. \u201cIs this the note?\u201d He handed it to Joe.<\/p>\n

It was like getting punched in the gut to see it. Joe could feel the color draining out of his face.\u00a0Yes,<\/em>\u00a0he managed. He closed his eyes as the memories came rushing back. . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe, glad I caught you,\u201d said Cody. They\u2019d just hired him a couple days earlier, but he seemed to be a hard worker. Now, he swung off his mount and fished in his jacket pocket. \u201cLady asked me to give this to you,\u201d he said with a wink.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was this?\u201d Joe asked even though he was already unfolding the note.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn town this morning,\u201d Cody said. \u201cWhen me and Adam went to try to get men for that ditching job. She saw me with Adam and asked was I from the Ponderosa, and when I said \u2018yeah,\u2019 she asked was I coming back soon, and when I said \u2018yeah,\u2019 she asked would I give you this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Cody.\u201d He read the note, trying not to grin stupidly at the heart she\u2019d signed it with instead of her name. He didn\u2019t know why she wanted to meet him at the old oak tree instead of in town, but the truth was that he\u2019d have met Sarah Jane Perkins any place, any time. All she had to do was say so, and he\u2019d be there. Just like any fool in love, he guessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood note?\u201d Cody asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d said Joe. The kid probably just wanted to be friendly, but Joe wasn\u2019t anxious to have his private life be the talk of the ranch. That happened enough as it was.<\/p>\n

He was at the old oak tree with time to spare, and it gave him a chance to wonder what was going on. Had she changed her mind? Didn\u2019t she want him to talk to her father? Had something happened?<\/p>\n

Engrossed in his thoughts, he hadn\u2019t even heard the riders stop. Only when one belched did he look up. They were nearly identical, and they were both scowling at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d he demanded. Whatever their purpose, he wanted them out of here before Sarah Jane arrived. He wouldn\u2019t take a chance on her getting hurt because of a couple of drifters.<\/p>\n

Except that these fellows weren\u2019t drifters. They looked familiar, like he\u2019d seen them around town or something. \u201cWho are you?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Who are you . . . who are you . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe? Joe, are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s voice broke into the memory. Joe opened his eyes to see his father and brothers watching him anxiously. \u201cSomething wrong, boy?\u201d Pa asked. He looked like he was ready to send for the doctor, and Joe had to shake his head slightly in spite of the pain.<\/p>\n

She sent me a note,<\/em>\u00a0he signed. Adam nodded to show that he understood.\u00a0This one. I was supposed to meet her in town, but she said in the note to meet her at the old oak tree instead. Except when I got there, she wasn\u2019t there yet. While I was waiting, two fellows came along, and . . .<\/em>\u00a0He squinted, trying to remember more as Adam translated.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your time, son,\u201d said Pa.<\/p>\n

I asked them who they were, and they said . . . they said they had a message for me. They held out a piece of paper, and I told them that if they wanted me to read it, they\u2019d have to bring it to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOrnery, ain\u2019t you?\u201d Hoss commented as Adam continued translating. \u201cWhat did they do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe thought.\u00a0We fought,<\/em>\u00a0he said after a minute.\u00a0There was a gunshot, and I went down, but then, they said something about Sarah Jane\u2014I don\u2019t remember what, but I remember trying to get back on my feet and swinging at them. And that\u2019s all I remember until I woke up here.<\/em><\/p>\n

The others exchanged long looks as Adam finished speaking. \u201cDid you recognize either of the men?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Not by name,<\/em>\u00a0Joe said.\u00a0They looked familiar.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you know them if you saw them again?\u201d Adam pressed.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t know.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you describe them?\u201d Pa asked.<\/p>\n

Joe bit his lip as he thought.\u00a0Nothing special about them,<\/em>\u00a0he said finally.\u00a0Only that they looked alike.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean like twins?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t know about that,<\/em>\u00a0Joe allowed.\u00a0But maybe brothers.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re sure there were just two of them?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all I remember,<\/em>\u00a0said Joe. He looked from one to another. His stomach twisted, but he had to ask.\u00a0Did anybody ever find Sarah Jane?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Pa said gently. He rested his hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder as Joe dropped his gaze to the blanket. \u201cThe sheriff had posses out for almost two weeks. No sign of any tracks or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about tracks out near the old oak tree?\u201d Adam asked suddenly. At the others\u2019 startled looks, he said, \u201cIf she was going to meet Joe, she\u2019d have been heading out of town to the old oak tree at the time Joe was getting beaten up by those two men. If there weren\u2019t any tracks, then she wasn\u2019t meeting him there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you gettin\u2019 at?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis note,\u201d Adam said. \u201cSomebody wanted Joe to go to the old oak tree instead of into town the way he was planning. Most likely, the same somebody who had those two men beat Joe. They could have ridden off with the girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, who knew about you and Sarah Jane?\u201d Pa asked.<\/p>\n

Nobody,<\/em>\u00a0Joe said.\u00a0We were keeping it a secret.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut why?\u201d Hoss\u2019s round face was creased in puzzlement.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember,<\/em>\u00a0Joe admitted. There was a reason, he knew that much. He had the vaguest recollection of Sarah Jane being nervous, but he couldn\u2019t remember if he\u2019d know about what or why.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019ve done enough remembering for one night, young man,\u201d said Pa in that tone that would brook no interference. \u201cIt\u2019s time for you to get some rest. In the morning, your brothers will go into town and let the sheriff know what you\u2019ve recollected so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

No,<\/em>\u00a0Joe protested.\u00a0They need to go out and look for Sarah Jane.<\/em>\u00a0The others exchanged sad looks, and Joe slammed his hand on the blanket.\u00a0You have to look for her,<\/em>\u00a0he insisted.\u00a0You have to.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it in the morning,\u201d said Pa. \u201cFor now, you need to get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRing,\u201d Joe said. It wasn\u2019t what he\u2019d meant to say, but somehow, it made sense. He\u2019d repeat that. \u201cSugar,\u201d he said.\u00a0Damn.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cSage elk running,\u201d he said, his agitation building. \u201cStagecoach tooth sneeze. Gunbelt branding dust.\u201d\u00a0Go find her. Go find her. Go find her.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSettle down, Joe.\u201d Pa sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Joe\u2019s hair. \u201cYou need to take it easy. There\u2019s nothing anybody can do tonight. Tomorrow, we\u2019ll let the sheriff know what\u2019s going on, and maybe he\u2019ll have some other ideas about where to look for Miss Perkins.\u201d<\/p>\n

But. . . .<\/em>\u00a0Anything could happen between now and then. She could be anywhere, cold and alone and frightened. Worse, she could be with the men who had beaten him, men who might think nothing of doing even worse to a woman. Tomorrow might be too late.<\/p>\n

All at once, the idea of just lying here, doing nothing to find her, was too much. Abruptly, he sat right up. Before he could make a move to get out of bed, though, he was overtaken by such blinding pain that he was only vaguely aware that he was doubled over and retching, each spasm sending a fresh lighting bolt through his head. From somewhere, he heard someone yelling like he was in agony, but it wasn\u2019t until he was lying back down, with Pa sponging his face with a wet cloth, that he realized that someone must have been him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust lie still, boy,\u201d said Pa, his normally calm voice shaky. Like Joe could have done anything else. He lay as still as he could while Hoss removed the blanket now covered with his supper and Adam brought over a fresh compress to lie across his eyes, the moist coolness almost as soothing as the dark. Slowly, his heart\u2019s pounding quieted and his breathing returned to normal, but even with his eyes closed, he could see her beautiful, terrified face.<\/p>\n

Help her,<\/em>\u00a0he managed at last. He didn\u2019t even know if anyone was watching his hands, but it was the only thing he had left.\u00a0Somebody, help her.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, son,\u201d said Pa, his hand resting on Joe\u2019s. \u201cI know you\u2019re worried, but there\u2019s nothing we can do now. First thing in the morning, your brothers will go into town and fetch the sheriff. For now, you need to get some sleep, okay? Just try to settle down now. Take it easy, Joe.\u201d Joe could hear in Pa\u2019s voice that he wanted to promise that everything would be all right the way he usually did, but they both knew it would be a lie. The chances of finding Sarah Jane after all this time were slim\u2014as slim as the lovely finger on which he\u2019d placed the engraved silver ring.<\/p>\n

At that thought, he had to squeeze his eyes shut and bite his lip to hold back the tears. Pa stroked his arm, and Hoss and Adam sat quietly with him, all of them recognizing the hard, unspoken truth.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Camilla kept glancing at the kitchen doorway as she tried again to pull the ring off her finger. If only Joe had gotten the right size for a real woman instead of making it small enough to fit the bony fingers of that stringy old maid. Bad enough that it only fit on Camilla\u2019s little finger; now, it seemed to be stuck there.<\/p>\n

Not that she\u2019d have worried, but when she was upstairs earlier, she thought she saw Joe looking at it like he recognized it. She did her best to keep her hands moving so that he couldn\u2019t get a good look, and it was nice to have him watching her so intently, but it still probably wasn\u2019t a good idea for to wear it around him yet.<\/p>\n

If it hadn\u2019t been for that stupid sign language book, she wouldn\u2019t have thought a thing about it. After all, as long as he couldn\u2019t tell anybody what he saw, it almost didn\u2019t matter, did it? Besides, it was important to give him time to remember that he really had meant to give the ring to her rather than that Perkins girl, and from what she\u2019d overheard just now, it didn\u2019t sound like he was even close to reaching that conclusion.<\/p>\n

She sighed as she dipped her hand into a bowl of cold water to try to make the ring slide more easily. It wouldn\u2019t be fair to say she\u2019d been eavesdropping\u2014after all, she was entitled to go to her own room, wasn\u2019t she? And if it just so happened that she overheard the family talking as she was moving quietly past Joe\u2019s room to get to her own\u2014well, that was hardly her fault, was it? If they didn\u2019t want her to hear them, they shouldn\u2019t have been talking so loudly.<\/p>\n

Not that they\u2019d said anything about the ring. It was clear, though, that they were talking about Joe and Sarah Jane Perkins. Sarah Jane. What a ridiculous name, plain and somehow silly. Her own mother had named her for a beautiful, exotic flower\u2014at least, that\u2019s what she\u2019d tried to do. Camilla was twelve before she found out that her name was actually a misspelling of \u201ccamellia.\u201d Well, no matter. Even misspelled, it was a far better name than Sarah Jane, which was as dull as a plank.\u00a0Just like the girl,<\/em>\u00a0she reflected with grim satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw!\u201d she muttered as she tugged at the ring. The more she tried to force it off, the more swollen her finger got. Maybe she should just leave it. After all, hers was the hand it belonged on anyway.<\/p>\n

But what if Joe recognized it? No question about it, she\u2019d been foolhardy to wear it in front of him. He wasn\u2019t ready for that yet. He would have to wait a decent interval before he could admit his feelings for Camilla, even to himself.<\/p>\n

But she just loved it so much\u2014the ring itself and what it represented. Sure, most people would have said that the flowers on it were roses, but they were so small that would be an honest mistake. She knew in her heart that the ring had been engraved with tiny camellias. It was just another sign that he\u2019d really meant that ring for her, even if he\u2019d given it to the Perkins girl.<\/p>\n

It was her own fault, of course. She hadn\u2019t been clear enough about how she felt, and he must have thought she didn\u2019t love him. That was why he\u2019d taken up with Sarah Jane Perkins\u2014to make Camilla jealous.\u00a0Well, it worked,<\/em>\u00a0she admitted to herself as she twisted the ring. Seeing the two of them together had been like a knife in her heart. Oh, they were subtle, but Camilla knew. Probably nobody else would have noticed, but Camilla saw how they looked at each other, how Joe was suddenly spending so much time at Ned Perkins\u2019 sawmill and how Sarah Jane would just happen to be there, doing the books, on Thursday mornings when Joe came to town. She\u2019d seen Joe standing beside Sarah Jane\u2019s desk like they were just talking about business, and then his hand would brush hers as he pointed to something on the paper in front of her, and Sarah Jane would look down with that ridiculous demure little smile of hers, blushing like she actually believed Joe had done it on purpose. Why, if Camilla hadn\u2019t known better, she\u2019d have thought that Joe was deliberately planning his trips to the sawmill to coincide with the times when Sarah Jane was there. She certainly didn\u2019t recall his trips to town being on any kind of a regular schedule when he was sparking her, but all of a sudden, he was in town every Thursday, just like clockwork.<\/p>\n

Not that she\u2019d been actually watching the sawmill, but a person could see it pretty well from the upstairs front bedroom. It wasn\u2019t but four blocks away\u2014just down the hill, and not even completely blocked by the newspaper office. She didn\u2019t even really need her opera glasses; anybody could see who was coming and going just fine without them. Besides, all she had to do was decide to go out for a buggy ride, and she\u2019d walk right by it on the way to the livery stable\u2014that is, if she went to Jensen\u2019s out on the edge of town instead of heading half a block the other way to Sam Bell\u2019s place. And why wouldn\u2019t she? Jensen\u2019s horses were so much nicer, and his buggies were much cleaner. And so what she liked to go out on fine warm days when the windows to the sawmill office just happened to be open? If people walking past could hear what was being said inside, it wasn\u2019t eavesdropping.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t want to admit it, but this business about the sign language was making her the tiniest bit nervous. What if he told someone that this was the ring he\u2019d given Sarah Jane? Would they believe her if she said that it was just similar? She could say it had been left to her by her mother. Or what if she just said that she found it? That was the truth, or at least sort of\u2014after all, her brother had found it. That he\u2019d found it in their house\u2014well, that was a detail nobody needed to talk about. Besides, if that silly, stubborn girl had just taken it off when she was told to, none of the rest of it would have happened. She should have just handed it over, and then Camilla wouldn\u2019t have had to try to get it from her, and Sarah Jane wouldn\u2019t have tripped, and. . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cYou all right, miss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla whirled to see Hoss standing in the doorway. He had such a sweet face\u2014round and concerned and utterly innocent\u2014that she held out her hand. \u201cMy ring is stuck,\u201d she said, pouting prettily. \u201cI can\u2019t get it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss took her hand, examining it. \u201cYou tried soap on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she admitted. She\u2019d been too busy thinking about Joe and that girl. She let Hoss soap her finger, and within moments, he was sliding the ring off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you go, Miss Camilla,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a mighty pretty ring. I don\u2019t reckon I\u2019ve ever seen a prettier one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla dimpled. \u201cThank you. It\u2019s very special to me.\u201d She dried the ring on her apron and slid it into her pocket.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded as if he understood. \u201cA fellow who gives a girl a ring like that must be mighty fond of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla kept the smile on her face by a massive effort. \u201cWe\u2019re not really saying anything to anybody yet, so. . . .\u201d She let the thought trail off, and Hoss\u2019s gap-toothed grin widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry, Miss Camilla. Your secret is safe with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Hoss,\u201d she said. \u201cWas there something you wanted?\u201d Best to change the subject before he decided that he wanted to hear more about her fellow.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that you mention it, I was just wonderin\u2019\u2014is there any of that cake left from supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, of course. Let me get you a piece.\u201d She busied herself slicing the cake, and when he wasn\u2019t looking, she patted her pocket to be sure the ring was safe. She handed him a plate bearing a large piece and smiled brightly as she said, \u201cYou just enjoy that. I think I\u2019m going to turn in. Good night, Hoss.\u201d Before he could respond, she was out of the kitchen and up to her room, where she would be able to hear when Joe\u2019s father and Adam left his room and went to bed.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t be long now,<\/em>\u00a0she promised the miniscule circle of silver as she set it carefully on her bureau. Soon, she would be able to wear it all the time. Just as soon as Joe gave up on the notion of finding Sarah Jane Perkins and admitted to himself and the world that, in truth, it was Camilla he loved.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

The ride into town the next morning was practically silent. Every time Hoss spoke, Adam answered with a grunt. Finally, Hoss said, \u201cDadburnit, what\u2019s goin\u2019 on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Adam sounded like Hoss had just wakened him up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t said two words the whole way. What in tarnation is bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave him one of those looks that always said clear as day that Hoss wasn\u2019t nearly as bright as Adam had been giving him credit for. \u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d he said. \u201cOur little brother was lured into a trap and beaten nearly to death by two men, and it sounds as though that little escapade was related to the disappearance of a girl who, as it turns out, Little Joe was planning to marry. Gee, I don\u2019t know. Why on earth would anything be bothering me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, don\u2019t you be a smart aleck,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cYou know and I know that it\u2019s more than that, so whyn\u2019t you just say what you\u2019re thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised his eyebrows, but Hoss\u2019s gaze was steadfast. \u201cThere\u2019s something I\u2019m trying to remember,\u201d Adam said finally.<\/p>\n

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

Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cIf I knew that, I wouldn\u2019t be\u00a0trying<\/em>\u00a0to remember it. I\u2019d be remembering it.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Hoss had been twenty years younger, he\u2019d have stuck out his tongue at that kind of comment. As it was, he had to content himself with an eyeroll of his own. \u201cWell, is it something somebody said?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Adam. \u201cMore like something I feel like I should have noticed and I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded. It sounded peculiar, but he knew just what Adam meant. He tried to think of anything that might help to jog Adam\u2019s memory, but he couldn\u2019t come up with anything, and so they rode the rest of the way to town in silence.<\/p>\n

When they got to the sheriff\u2019s office, there was no one around except Danny Carver, snoring in a cell with the stale odor of alcohol surrounding him like a cloud. \u201cHey, Danny!\u201d bellowed Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWha\u2014what? What the\u2014dadburnit, Hoss Cartwright, what do you want, wakin\u2019 a man from a peaceful night\u2019s sleep?\u201d Danny started to sit up, but almost at once, he lay back down, reaching below the cot for the slop bucket as he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Roy?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow in blazes would I know? I was asleep!\u201d Danny was still slurring his words a bit, and the Cartwright brothers exchanged knowing glances. Danny hadn\u2019t even sobered up yet. Must have been quite a night, and it probably hadn\u2019t ended too long ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t been in there but a couple hours,\u201d Hoss said. Danny looked startled at the pronouncement, but he nodded. \u201cNow, where\u2019s Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno,\u201d said Danny. \u201cHe brought me in here an\u2019 told me to go to sleep, an\u2019 that\u2019s just what I done. I didn\u2019t hear him go nowhere. In fact, I\u2014\u201d But the rest of the sentence was lost as the little man retched into the slop bucket.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights stepped out into the main office, closing the door to the cell area behind them. \u201cWant to go lookin\u2019, or you want to wait here?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMight as well walk around a little,\u201d said Adam. He scribbled a note and set it in the middle of the desk. \u201cJust in case he comes back,\u201d he said. Hoss nodded, and the two set out into the nearly empty streets of Virginia City.<\/p>\n

As they crossed C Street, Adam stopped so short that Hoss nearly ran into him. \u201cLook,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Hoss followed his brother\u2019s gaze. \u201cWho\u2019re they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla Morgan\u2019s brothers,\u201d said Adam. \u201cThey came on the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights watched as the Morgan boys pushed unsteadily past the bartender who was dumping a pail of wash water on the sidewalk. The younger men stumbled into the Bucket of Blood, and Hoss and Adam regarded each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot twins, but they look an awful lot alike,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cSame thing can be said of lots of fellows in this town,\u201d Hoss pointed out. \u201cWhat about Fred and Charlie Chase? And the Davenport boys\u2014heck, there\u2019s five or six of them, an\u2019 can\u2019t nobody tell \u2019em apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill, it wouldn\u2019t hurt to have a chat with our former employees,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWho knows? Maybe we can use them out at the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn\u2019 if it just so happens Joe can get a look at them and says they\u2019re the fellows who beat him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts exactly, Younger Brother,\u201d said Adam. He and Hoss headed across the street and into the saloon, nodding to the bartender as they leaned against the bar.<\/p>\n

Then, at the same moment, they saw it. A bit crumpled, to be sure, but recognizable as the same cream-colored hat with the braided leather band that Little Joe had purchased only three months earlier.<\/p>\n

Under his breath, Hoss said, \u201cWhen Joe came home that day, do you recall seeing his hat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Adam. \u201cBecause he wasn\u2019t wearing it. He was face down over the back of his horse. His hat would never have stayed on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna tear them limb from limb\u2014\u201d Hoss\u2019s breath was starting to come hard and fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on.\u201d Adam grabbed his brother\u2019s arm. \u201cLet me talk to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better talk fast,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n

They approached the table where the Morgan brothers sat with a bottle and two glasses. \u201cHowdy, boys,\u201d said Adam. \u201cMind if we ask you a couple questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake hiccupped. \u201cHey, Cal, the boss wants to ask us a couple questions. Whaddya think? Can he?\u201d He upended his glass, swallowed, and hiccupped again.<\/p>\n

Cal belched. \u201cWe don\u2019t work for him no more,\u201d he giggled. \u201cSo, I don\u2019t think we gotta answer any questions.\u201d He tipped the cream-colored hat down over his eyes and started to put his feet up on the table, but Hoss yanked him to his feet, holding him by his shoulder so that his feet barely touched the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys need to learn some manners,\u201d Hoss growled. \u201cNow, my brother said we got some questions for you. First off, where\u2019d you get that hat?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s round eyes got even rounder so that the whites were visible all the way around. \u201cI found it,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou found it,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cWouldn\u2019t by chance have been by that old oak tree just outside of town, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm. . . .\u201d Hoss shook him hard, and Cal managed, \u201cYeah, that\u2019s where I found it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen did you find it there?\u201d asked Adam evenly, just as though he didn\u2019t have one hand clamped on Jake\u2019s shoulder to hold him in his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cFew weeks. Mister, come on, put me down.\u201d Cal was whimpering now.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas that before or after you beat up the fellow it belonged to?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t our fault!\u201d Jake blurted out.<\/p>\n

Hoss glared at the boy in the chair. He slammed Cal into the other chair and put his face up real close to Cal\u2019s. \u201cYou got about two seconds to tell me everything, or you\u2019re gonna regret the day you was born.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later, Adam and Hoss marched the Morgan boys into the sheriff\u2019s office just as Roy Coffee came in from the cell area. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d the sheriff demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face was grim. \u201cRoy, these are the fellows who beat up Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that ain\u2019t all,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cThey got a few things to tell you about that Perkins gal, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Camilla\u2019s mind wasn\u2019t on the pot of oatmeal she was supposed to be stirring. All this business about sign language was unnerving. Not that there was really anything Joe could tell anyone, but still. And now Hoss and Adam had been gone before she was even up this morning. When she asked, Mr. Cartwright just said they\u2019d had to go into town, but Camilla was no fool. There were only two reasons you\u2019d go into town before dawn: to get the doctor or the sheriff. Since Joe was doing better, there was no reason to be getting the doctor.<\/p>\n

So it had to be the sheriff.<\/p>\n

She wrapped the pot handle in a towel and lifted the pot off the stove. The coffee wasn\u2019t ready yet. She\u2019d already set the table for Mr. Cartwright, and she\u2019d done up the tray for Joe, so all she had to do was to wait for the coffee. It didn\u2019t pay to have so little to do. It gave a person too much time to think, to worry.<\/p>\n

Not that there was anything to worry about. As she\u2019d told Joe, accidents happened. It was a fact of life. The only way anybody could have connected her with this particular accident was if Jake or Cal said something, and they knew better.<\/p>\n

She twisted the ring on her little finger to reassure herself. There was no question it had been meant for her. Just because it was a little bit small didn\u2019t mean that that skinny old maid was supposed to have had it. All right, maybe she hadn\u2019t been an old maid quite yet, but she was close. She was almost twenty-two years old, for heaven\u2019s sake. Any self-respecting woman would have been long married by then. Camilla, on the other hand, was nineteen, same as Joe. They were the perfect age to marry and start a family. Their children would be strong and sturdy\u2014no frail little waifs like certain people would likely have produced. It was just better all the way around that things had turned out the way they had.<\/p>\n

But the sheriff was coming.<\/p>\n

She tried to remember some of the things she\u2019d said to Joe as she\u2019d sat by his bed. Not that he\u2019d seemed terribly interested, but she knew that he had to act that way until everyone gave up hope of finding the Perkins girl. Otherwise, people would think he was fickle, and they\u2019d tell her to find someone more constant in his affections. If only they knew how constant her Joe really was. Even as the Perkins girl had hounded him and tried to charm him, he\u2019d never stopped being in love with Camilla. She just knew it. Sure, he\u2019d been a little impatient with her sometimes, and he kept saying things like how everything between them was over, but she knew he didn\u2019t really mean it. It was just the way men were sometimes. Lucky for him that she understood him. If she were the kind of girl who took a man at his word, she might have thought he didn\u2019t really love her.<\/p>\n

The coffee was ready. She poured some into a small pot for the tray, and she set the big pot on a pad on the table. \u201cMr. Cartwright!\u201d she called. \u201cBreakfast is ready!\u201d<\/p>\n

She was putting Joe\u2019s breakfast on the tray when Mr. Cartwright came into the kitchen. \u201cJust give me a moment, and I\u2019ll dish up for you,\u201d she said. \u201cYour coffee is already on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite all right,\u201d said Mr. Cartwright. \u201cI\u2019m going to eat with Joe this morning, so if you don\u2019t mind, you can just put everything on the tray.\u201d<\/p>\n

She kept the smile nailed firmly to her face. So, Mr. Cartwright would be eating with Joe. She probably could have joined them. As his intended, there should have been no reason not to. Still, since Joe hadn\u2019t yet told his father about his feelings for her, it might be awkward. Besides, she could always go up and sit with Joe later, when his father was working.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you go, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said, handing him the loaded tray. She watched as he left the kitchen.\u00a0You can have him for now,<\/em>\u00a0she thought.Later, he\u2019ll be all mine.<\/em><\/p>\n

She was scrubbing the pot when the knock came at the front door. Drying her hands on her apron, she hustled to answer it.<\/p>\n

Camilla wasn\u2019t certain who was more startled when she opened the door\u2014she or Amanda Shepherd. \u201cCamilla,\u201d said Amanda, not even bothering to hide her surprise. \u201cWhat on earth are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m helping out,\u201d Camilla said frostily. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d As casually as she could, she slipped her left hand into her apron pocket. Amanda had been a good friend of Sarah Jane\u2019s. It was possible that she might recognize the ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014I heard that Joe had an accident, and I thought I\u2019d stop by and see how he\u2019s doing. Maybe he\u2019d like a visitor?\u201d Amanda looked uncertain now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not up for visitors yet,\u201d said Camilla. \u201cBut it was sweet of you to call. When he wakes up, I\u2019ll let him know you were here.\u201d She closed the door before Amanda could ask anything more, listening as the buggy drove away.<\/p>\n

The little tramp. Who did she think she was, anyway? Coming to visit, she said. Visit, my eye, Camilla thought. Amanda was there because, with Sarah Jane gone, she wanted Joe. Apparently, everyone thought that it was open season on the youngest Cartwright. They didn\u2019t seem to understand that he was spoken for.<\/p>\n

Well, they\u2019d know soon enough. If there was anybody in town who was a bigger gossip than Amanda Shepherd, Camilla had yet to meet her. By nightfall, everyone would know that Camilla was the one who was living out at the Ponderosa and taking care of Joe. Only a very, very close friend of the family would be welcomed at such a difficult time. So, now everyone would know how close Camilla was to the Cartwrights. From there, it was a short step to actually becoming a member of the family.<\/p>\n

Camilla headed for the kitchen. Amanda\u2019s visit might turn out to be the best thing that could have happened after all.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

After breakfast, Joe usually napped while Pa worked downstairs at his desk. Lately, though, it seemed like every time he woke up, Camilla was sitting beside his bed. He\u2019d tried to tell Adam that he didn\u2019t like having her there, but Adam just seemed to think it was funny. It wasn\u2019t funny, he wanted to say. It was downright unsettling, in fact. The idea that she was sitting there, holding his hand and watching him sleep, made his flesh crawl.<\/p>\n

So, he\u2019d try to stay awake, but he never seemed to manage for long, and today was no exception. The only difference was that when he woke up, he saw her taking the sign language book off the bureau and slipping it into her apron pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he said. For a moment, he was so pleased at actually having said what he intended that he didn\u2019t think about how she would respond.<\/p>\n

In fact, she whirled around like she\u2019d been caught doing something terrible. Her eyes were wide, her mouth an almost perfect O. Then, she seemed to force herself to relax. \u201cI didn\u2019t know you were awake,\u201d she said. She patted her pocket. \u201cI thought it would be good to study sign language since nobody seems to know how long it\u2019ll be before you\u2019re talking normally again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words made sense, but Joe didn\u2019t believe her. She was too nervous. Besides, there was no reason for her to take the book away to study when she was always in here anyway.<\/p>\n

Just then, Pa came in. At Joe\u2019s questioning look, he said, \u201cYour brothers aren\u2019t back yet. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s keeping them. Hopefully, they won\u2019t be too much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe they found something out,<\/em>\u00a0Joe signed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Joe, I didn\u2019t get that,\u201d said Pa. He looked over at the bureau and then at Camilla. \u201cWhere did the sign language book go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Liar!<\/em>\u00a0\u201cSaloon!\u201d Joe snapped. He pointed at her pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, son?\u201d Pa asked.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s got it in her pocket,<\/em>\u00a0Joe signed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Adam or Hoss borrowed it,\u201d offered Camilla. \u201cWould you like for me to check in their rooms?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need,\u201d said Pa. \u201cThey\u2019ll be back from town soon enough.\u201d Joe slapped the blanket in frustration, and Pa said, \u201cSettle down, son. I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be back soon. I\u2019ll be downstairs if you need me.\u201d With that, he left the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see? You don\u2019t need this at all,\u201d said Camilla, patting her pocket. \u201cIn fact, I\u2019ll bet that if it never turned up at all, you\u2019d get along just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing!\u201d Joe shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re being silly,\u201d she said. \u201cHere, let me get you some water.\u201d She poured a glass and handed it to him.<\/p>\n

And then, he saw it, and he grabbed her hand, spilling the water and not even noticing.<\/p>\n

The silver ring glinted on her little finger. Delicate roses and leaves were etched into the silver. It was too small for Camilla\u2019s sturdy hand, but it would have been perfect on a slender finger like Sarah Jane\u2019s.<\/p>\n

His mouth went dry. He looked up at her, and she stared back, nervous and defiant. He smacked her hand and then pointed to the ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn\u2019t release her. \u201cLet go of me. You\u2019re hurting my hand.\u201d In response, he yanked on her hand, hard, and she yelped. \u201cLet go of me!\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

He tried to sandwich her hand in between his cast and his other palm while twisting the ring off, but she curled her finger. \u201cYou can\u2019t have it,\u201d she snapped. \u201cIt\u2019s mine. It was always meant to be mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He needed help. Where was Pa? \u201cRing!\u201d he shouted. \u201cApple! Sheriff! Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush!\u201d Camilla hissed. \u201cIt\u2019s time to just admit it, Joe. We belong together, you and I. It\u2019s a shame about Sarah Jane, but that\u2019s all behind us now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKitty tree smoke desk?”\u00a0What about Sarah Jane?<\/em><\/p>\n

Camilla didn\u2019t seem to have heard him. \u201cI\u2019ve been very patient with you, and now you need to be honest with your family about us. It\u2019s clear from the way they act that they have no idea we\u2019re in love. I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve never even told them how you feel about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCochise!\u201d Joe shouted. What was keeping Pa?<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d came Pa\u2019s voice from downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Camilla called. She slipped across the room and closed the door. Then, she turned to face Joe. \u201cJust be honest, darling. That\u2019s all you have to do. Let\u2019s practice. I\u2019ll be your pa.\u201d In the voice clearly intended to mimic his father\u2019s deep tones, she said, \u201c\u2018Joseph, tell me the truth. Who\u2019s your girl? Who\u2019s the one you love?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah Jane!\u201d For a moment, she looked as dumbfounded as he felt. At last, at last, he\u2019d said something right. He glared at her with all the defiance he could muster.<\/p>\n

Camilla took a deep breath. \u201cI know, I know. You can\u2019t control what you say. Let\u2019s try it again any way. \u2018Joseph, tell me the name of the girl you love.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah Jane Perkins!\u201d he shouted triumphantly.\u00a0Sarah Jane, Sarah Jane, Sarah Jane,<\/em>\u00a0he spelled. He would say her name every way that he could.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Camilla grabbed his uncasted hand. \u201cSay \u2018Camilla. Camilla Morgan.\u2019 Say, \u2018I love Camilla Morgan.\u2019\u201d She started to manipulate his fingers, and he clenched them into a tight fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Sarah Jane!\u201d He felt positively giddy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you don\u2019t! You can\u2019t! You love me! Say you love me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d He was getting lightheaded. Fury was blazing in her eyes, fury and something more, something beyond rage. If he didn\u2019t know better. . . . \u201cTadpole silver sleep!\u201d he called out.\u00a0Pa, come here!<\/em>\u00a0Vaguely, he could hear horses in the yard, but he didn\u2019t dare take his attention from her face now.<\/p>\n

\u201cSay my name,\u201d she demanded. \u201cSay, \u2018I love Camilla.\u2019 Say it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWalk blue hoof spelling,\u201d he snapped.\u00a0I love Sarah Jane.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to say it,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you can say her name, you can say mine. Now, say it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cManure!\u201d he spat.<\/p>\n

Her hand cracked across his face. \u201cI hate you!\u201d she shrieked. \u201cYou\u2014you big\u2014you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Bizarre as it was, he couldn\u2019t help laughing at her. Let her fumble for words for a change. His head was throbbing, but he couldn\u2019t stop laughing. \u201cSarah Jane!\u201d he crowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s dead, you fool! Say that, why don\u2019t you? Sarah Jane Perkins is\u00a0dead!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

And then, everything was dark. It took a moment for him to realize that it was his own pillow covering his face, smothering him. In the next instant, he realized that she was pressing on it, hard. He gasped for enough breath to yell, but as he did, she pressed even harder, climbing on top of him, straddling his chest as she yelled things he couldn\u2019t hear over the roar of pain in his head.<\/p>\n

Using his uncasted hand, he grabbed for her hand, trying to pull it away, but the pillow pressed harder, as though she was putting her other arm across it and leaning. He tried to buck beneath her like a bronc trying to unseat a rider. He let go of her arm and groped for her neck, and when he found it with his right hand, he held on tight and slammed the cast on his left hand against her head with all his strength. Nausea threatened to overwhelm him as bright white stars danced. The pressure on the pillow lessened, but he felt smothered by dead weight, and he could still feel her pulling at him. There was too much noise. It was as if she were grabbing at him from everywhere. He fought the hands that tried to hold him still.<\/p>\n

Then, the pillow was gone. He couldn\u2019t see, couldn\u2019t think, as he drank in great draughts of fresh, cool air. Through the roaring in his ears, he heard a voice that was neither hers nor his. His own name, spoken gentle and warm, in deep tones he could feel more than hear. Trembling, braced against nausea and pain, he reached out, his hand shaking, and he felt his father clasping his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cSsssh,\u201d Pa was saying. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Joseph, I\u2019ve got you. Don\u2019t try to move, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah Jane,\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Pa\u2019s voice was so sad that Joe knew it was true, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to escape from chaos and anguish and knowledge.<\/p>\n

By the time he opened his eyes again, everything was strangely quiet. Pa was stroking his hair. His breath was rough, as though he\u2019d been running a long way. His stomach felt queasy, like he\u2019d eaten a piece of bad meat. He reached for Pa, and his hand was trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it easy, boy,\u201d said Pa in that deep, gentle voice that he used when both of them needed to calm down. \u201cIt\u2019s all over.\u201d He caught Joe\u2019s hand, holding it against his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he?\u201d came Adam\u2019s voice from the doorway. He and Hoss came in, looking every bit as shaky as Joe felt.<\/p>\n

Pa didn\u2019t answer. He just kept stroking Joe\u2019s hair like it would make any difference at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cPuddle milk king?\u201d Joe murmured.\u00a0Where is she?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe sheriff\u2019s got Camilla,\u201d said Hoss, just like he\u2019d understood what Joe meant. \u201cShe ain\u2019t gonna bother you no more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pulled his hand away from Pa\u2019s.\u00a0That ring,<\/em>\u00a0he signed.\u00a0It\u2019s the one I gave to Sarah Jane.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cI know,” he said. “Camilla told us everything.\u201d He fished in his pocket and drew out the ring, pressing it into Joe\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can talk about all that later,\u201d said Pa. \u201cJoe\u2019s got to rest now. You sent for the doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d said Hoss. \u201cYou gave us a pretty good scare that time, Little Brother, but it\u2019s all over, so you just rest like Pa says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked from one to another. Carefully, he laid the ring on top of the blanket, right over his heart.\u00a0What happened to her?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla?\u201d Adam looked confused. \u201cWell, you hit her pretty good with that cast. Didn\u2019t quite knock her out, but close enough. Lucky thing Hoss and I had gotten back with the sheriff by then. It took all three of us to haul her off you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not her. Sarah Jane.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam looked at that moment like he\u2019d have given anything not to understand. Pa started to say again that Joe needed to rest, but Adam sat down on the other side of the bed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe,\u201d he said. \u201cCamilla says it was an accident. Says she just wanted to talk to Sarah Jane, so she sent her brothers to keep you from going to see Mr. Perkins while she got Sarah Jane over to her house. It\u2019s not clear why they were upstairs, but when Sarah Jane tried to leave, Camilla tried to stop her and Sarah Jane fell down the stairs and\u2014well, Camilla says she must have broken her neck.\u201d He patted Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cCamilla claims she was afraid that if she told anybody, they\u2019d say she did it on purpose because Sarah Jane tried to come between the two of you, so she\u2014well, the details don\u2019t matter now.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me\u2014no. Sarah Jane\u2019s not dead. No.<\/em>\u00a0Joe\u2019s hands were shaking as he signed the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid she is, Joe. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d Adam sounded sadder than Joe could ever remember.<\/p>\n

It still didn\u2019t make sense.\u00a0And Camilla\u2014you\u2019re saying she killed Sarah Jane?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cShe says it was an accident,\u201d Adam reminded him. \u201cThere\u2019ll be a coroner\u2019s inquest, and if she ends up standing trial, a jury will decide whether it really was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Little Brother,\u201d said Hoss from the foot of the bed. He rested his hand on Joe\u2019s leg. \u201cYou do what Pa says now. Get some rest. Doc\u2019ll be here soon. He\u2019s gonna want to check your head and make sure Camilla didn\u2019t hurt anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a long minute, Joe lay still as the harsh, unavoidable truth sank into every corner of his being. Dead. She was dead. Sarah Jane Perkins . . . was dead. Dead.<\/p>\n

Deep, gutteral moans escaped him. Vaguely, he heard Pa asking if he was all right, but he couldn\u2019t answer, couldn\u2019t make any coherent words. Mindless of the searing pain in his head that was so much less than this new pain in his heart, he turned on his side, curling into himself as wrenching sobs overtook him. Eventually, he would quiet enough to know that Pa was rubbing his shoulder and Adam was holding his arm and Hoss was resting his hand on Joe\u2019s leg, but that would come later. Then, he would hear Pa murmuring that he should just let it all out, that they were here with him. He would lay still, allowing Pa to sponge his face with a moist cloth and help him roll onto his back so that he could lie flat and still as Hoss retrieved the ring from his blankets, setting it with infinite care on his bureau. Damp and fragile as a newborn chick, Joe would allow them to do whatever they chose\u2014arrange his pillows, feed him broth, wash away his tears as if in so doing, they could hope to wash away his grief. As days and weeks passed, as more of his words returned and he was able to sit up in an armchair for longer periods, he would stare out the window and wonder how they had all missed what was, in the end, so obvious. As summer turned to fall, and fall to winter, he would even be able to smile sometimes when he remembered his Sarah Jane\u2014her beauty, her sweetness, her love.<\/p>\n

But all of that was yet to come. For now, he knew only that his beloved had died at the hands of a lunatic. She had been right to be afraid of Camilla. She\u2019d insisted that Camilla was watching her, following her. He\u2019d thought her fear was silly, told her she was imagining it, but she\u2019d been right, and now she was dead.<\/p>\n

He would never see Sarah Jane again, never hear her sweet voice, her musical laugh. Never inhale that light, sweet scent right behind her ear. Never know her touch, at once ladylike and so sensual.<\/p>\n

Her soft, gingery curls, always trying to escape from the knot she\u2019d tried to pin them into. The slight blush on her pale cheek when he told her how beautiful she was. The surprisingly dark blue eyes that he sometimes felt he could dive into like deep, clear lake water. The graceful way she moved, more like dancing than mere walking. The sound of his name on her lips.<\/p>\n

She would never be Sarah Jane Cartwright. There would be no home for the two of them. No evenings by the fire as the snow fell. No marvelous, passionate lovemaking. No cradle for their babies. No slender, elegant daughters with their mother\u2019s exquisite features. No strong sons to carry on their name, their legacy. No grandchildren tumbling across the threshold and into their waiting arms.<\/p>\n

Nothing except memories and a silver ring decorated with roses.<\/p>\n

And so, he wept.<\/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
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0SJS for Devonshire (belated).\u00a0 A local girl disappears on the same day Joe is assaulted.\u00a0 Coincidence?\u00a0 Maybe . . . or maybe not.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a028,000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":2568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,40],"tags":[438,16],"class_list":["post-4880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-challenges","tag-devonshire","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2819,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Joe.jpg?fit=720%2C576&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4918,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4918","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":0},"title":"The Artist’s Touch (by pjb)","author":"pjb","date":"March 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0A tongue-in-cheek kickoff for SJS Month 2011. The smallest crumb can become a masterpiece in the hands of an artist. . . . Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC 3000","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/adam-joe.jpg?fit=246%2C318&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4008,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4008","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":1},"title":"From Joe to Adam (by Trinity)","author":"Trinity","date":"April 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0A type of poem I learned how to write in my English 3 class. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a033","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/adamjoe4.jpg?fit=400%2C319&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6742,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6742","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":2},"title":"Grazed (by Jayne)","author":"Jayne","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0When Adam finds a slightly injured Joe, they share a strangely special moment. \u00a0A Young Cartwright short story. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a0767","rel":"","context":"In "Adam \/ Joe"","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4516,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4516","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":3},"title":"Coming Home (by Storm)","author":"storm","date":"October 28, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0This was written in response to the October Chaps and Spurs challenge. I hope you like it.\u00a0 A story as it should have happened. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0WC 1200","rel":"","context":"In "Chaps and Spurs"","block_context":{"text":"Chaps and Spurs","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=39"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3854,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3854","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":4},"title":"A Father’s Justified Instincts (by No1butJoe)","author":"No1butjoe","date":"March 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Birthday present for devonshire. Originally posted on Bonanza World. He was just going to retrieve the mail. What he found instead was a whole lot of trouble. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K (2,055 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Resitution-Small.jpg?fit=720%2C480&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3828,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3828","url_meta":{"origin":4880,"position":5},"title":"Who Kidnapped Joseph Cartwright? (by lolo1999)","author":"lolo1999","date":"April 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Annie, Sarah, and Katie kidnap Little Joe while he's on business. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (875 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4880","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\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}