{"id":5037,"date":"2003-03-12T22:29:53","date_gmt":"2003-03-13T03:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5037"},"modified":"2025-09-09T14:28:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T18:28:59","slug":"god-so-loved-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5037","title":{"rendered":"God So Loved the World (by Rona)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>The true meaning of Easter is shown to the Cartwrights after Joe and Adam go missing.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0 \u00a0(10,635 words)<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\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.<\/p>\n

God So Loved the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I don\u2019t want anyone touching that black filly,\u201d Joe said, pointing to the glossy black mare in the corral along with the other mustangs. \u201cI want to break her myself. I think she might prove to need special attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, Joe,\u201d said Jeb, who was in charge of the horses under Joe. \u201cShe does look kinda dainty, don\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she\u2019s as good as I think she might be, I think she\u2019s just what Mr. Jackson is looking for his wife,\u201d Joe admitted. \u201cShe\u2019s the right sort for breeding from, too, so that\u2019s an option if Jackson doesn\u2019t want to buy her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen do you want to get started on the rest?\u201d Jeb asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis afternoon,\u201d Joe answered, looking at the sky to gauge the time. \u201cI\u2019m expected back at the house for lunch, then I\u2019ll be back. An hour and a half, say?\u201d He collected a nod from Jeb and glanced to where the hands were gathered. \u201cBreak for an hour and a half boys,\u201d he called. \u201cThen we get begun.\u201d He saw the men start to move, heading to get their lunch, and went across to his horse and mounted easily.<\/p>\n

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

The family were just sitting down as Joe strode into the house. \u201cHi, Pa,\u201d he said, cheerfully and vanished into the kitchen for a quick wash up. He was soon at the table and lunch began. It wasn\u2019t customary for the Cartwrights to be home at lunchtime, but this day Ben had news for them that he wanted to impart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI received a telegram from Geoff Smith, owner of the Silver Dollar Mining Company in San Francisco. He urgently needs a hundred thousand feet of timber to fill a contract that fell through. I\u2019m going to meet him in Placerville day after tomorrow. Hoss, I need you to move the herd like we planned, and settle them into the new grazing in the west pasture. Adam, I need you to go and mark out a hundred thousand feet of timber for the mine.\u201d He collected nods from his two oldest sons and turned his smile on the youngest. \u201cJoe, I\u2019m leaving you in charge here. You have the horses to work on, and I trust you to take care of anything else that crops up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Pa,\u201d Joe agreed, easily. He no longer felt snubbed when he got orders like this. He knew that his contribution to the ranch was as important as anyone else\u2019s, and the horses were his responsibility. He would have been loath to leave the horses to move the herd or mark timber for cutting. \u201cWhen do you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow morning,\u201d Ben said. \u201cI\u2019ll get an early start, and I should be there by nightfall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny idea what kind of deadline Smith wants on this?\u201d Adam asked, and they drifted into intense conversation about the timber. Joe didn\u2019t listen very closely. He was thinking about the horses he would start breaking that afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d he said, throwing down his napkin and pushing his chair back. \u201cI have to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t eaten much,\u201d Ben said, doubtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe said, grinning. \u201cBesides, it\u2019s better not to bust broncs on a full stomach! See you later.\u201d He threw them all a jaunty wave and headed out of the door, buckling on his gun belt as he went.<\/p>\n

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

It was a punishing afternoon. Even the best riders \u2013 and Joe\u00a0was<\/strong>\u00a0the best \u2013 got thrown occasionally. But that wasn\u2019t the problem. As far as Joe was concerned, it was part and parcel of the job. The thing that got him down was the attitude of one of the hands.<\/p>\n

Dennis Hardy was a bit older than Joe \u2013 somewhere in his late thirties or early forties \u2013 and quite clearly resented the young man who was his boss. Any order that Joe gave had to be repeated at least twice and Joe had little enough patience for that kind of nonsense. He was riding one horse when he saw Jeb talking to the man, but he was sure that wouldn\u2019t do any good. Joe had met this kind of feeling before, and he knew it would likely end in only one way.<\/p>\n

What Joe hadn\u2019t expected was that Hardy would blatantly disobey an order that had come through the foreman. Joe took a long drink from his canteen and looked at the chute to see if the hands were ready with the horse he\u2019d just come off. And there was Hardy, trying to force a bridle onto the black filly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHardy!\u201d Joe shouted. He stalked across, anger in every line of his body. \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d he demanded. \u201cI gave express orders that no one was to touch this filly! What part of that didn\u2019t you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Glowering at Joe from under the brim of his hat, Hardy didn\u2019t reply. He continued trying to force the bit into the filly\u2019s mouth and Joe was even more enraged. \u201cDrop that bridle, mister, and leave that filly alone!\u201d he said, and the quiet tone of his voice would have sent shivers down anyone else\u2019s spine. But still Hardy didn\u2019t take the hint.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t the boss here, Cartwright,\u201d he said. \u201cYour pa is, and I don\u2019t orders from no one but him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you might find you\u2019re wrong there,\u201d Joe said. \u201cI\u2019m in charge of the entire ranch for the next week, and if you don\u2019t start doing what I say, you\u2019ll be out on your ear! Is that clear?\u201d He jerked the bridle from the man\u2019s hand and pushed him away. The nervous filly snorted and danced over to the other side of the corral. Joe let her go. He knew that she would need time to settle down before he tried to work with her, and he was furious. Anger and horses didn\u2019t mix.<\/p>\n

Turning away, Joe didn\u2019t see Hardy jumping at him. Jeb let out a cry of warning, but it was too late. Joe went down under the other man\u2019s weight, but he came up fighting. They started to slug it out with Joe pinned under Hardy\u2019s weight. However, it wasn\u2019t long before Joe managed to throw Hardy off, and both men got to their feet.<\/p>\n

There was blood on both their faces, but neither seemed aware of it. They wrestled back and forth across the corral, and Jeb decided it would be safer for both the fighters and the horses if he got the mustangs out of the corral. Quickly, he organized the watching hands into shepherding the horses into the adjoining corral. Turning his attention back to the fight, Jeb saw that Joe had almost got Hardy where he wanted. The older man had fallen, but Jeb let out a cry as he saw Hardy grab the forgotten bridle and slash Joe across the face with it. Joe cried out, and his hands automatically flew to his face.<\/p>\n

There was no longer a question of letting Joe fight this to a conclusion in Jeb\u2019s mind. He gestured to the hands and they spilled into the corral. But despite the pain from his face, Joe had no intention of letting Hardy win. He dived at the other man, who had relaxed slightly, assuming he\u2019d won.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s uppercut caught Hardy right on the point of the chin, and all but lifted him off his feet. Hardy went down, too dazed to try and fight back. By then, Jeb and the hands had reached them and Jeb left Hardy to the others while he looked at Joe with concern.<\/p>\n

His young boss peered back at him through the blood running into his eyes. Joe\u2019s left eyelid was badly cut and swelling rapidly. There was a long cut down his left cheek, and a nasty bruise forming where the bit had hit him near the mouth. Joe managed a grin. \u201cI got him,\u201d he slurred, for his lips were split and swollen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to get home, Joe, and get your face seen to,\u201d Jeb said, letting go of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah yeah,\u201d Joe replied, indifferently. He wiped some blood out of his eyes, and walked across to Hardy. \u201cYou got a choice,\u201d he said. \u201cYou work for me, and do what I say, or you can get your wages and get out. The choice is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn your wages and damn you!\u201d Hardy shouted, roughly. He had never been humiliated like that before. \u201cYou\u2019ll be sorry, Joe Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out,\u201d Joe said, quietly, and nodded to the men to let him go. Picking up his hat, Hardy walked stiffly out of the corral and off towards the bunkhouse. Joe watched him go, then looked round at the men. \u201cSee you in the morning,\u201d he said, and they reacted with relief, heading off towards their supper, chatting animatedly about the fight they had just witnessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you get home alone?\u201d Jeb asked, seeing that Joe was now feeling the effects of the fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe assured him. \u201cSee you tomorrow.\u201d He patted Jeb on the shoulder and headed back to his horse. Joe knew that he would be sore the next day, but he didn\u2019t worry about that. He was more than sore enough now without borrowing trouble.<\/p>\n

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

At home, Joe lingered as long as he could in the barn, reluctant to face the reaction he knew he would get when he walked in. But finally, he couldn\u2019t put it off any longer and he trekked reluctantly across the yard.<\/p>\n

The family were already in, as Joe knew, since their horses were all in the barn.\u00a0 He opened the door to the house and slowly took off his hat, jacket and gun belt, rolling the latter neatly before laying it on the credenza. He hesitated before turning to face the family, who were all sitting in front of the fire.<\/p>\n

It was Adam who looked at him first. \u201cJoe, what happened?\u201d he said, rising from his seat in the blue velvet chair.<\/p>\n

Glancing over, Ben was stunned by the blood and bruising on Joe\u2019s face. He was on his feet, hurrying to Joe\u2019s side before he made the decision to do so. Hoss was at his heels. They managed a dead heat, Joe noted, wryly. \u201cI had a small problem with one of the hands. It\u2019s sorted now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA small problem?\u201d Ben repeated. \u201cJoe, your eye\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t duck fast enough,\u201d Joe said. \u201cHe was wielding a bridle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting a story out of Joe was like pulling teeth, Ben thought, as he guided his youngest over to the settee, so he could take a closer look. Joe\u2019s left eye was completely shut, and the lid badly cut. His cheek had a huge welt on it, and the bruise by his mouth was quite clearly made by a bit. All in all, it looked very painful.<\/p>\n

Bending in for a closer look, Hoss\u2019 face was full of sympathy. However, he wasn\u2019t above pulling his brother\u2019s leg over this accident. \u201cGood thing it weren\u2019t Buck\u2019s bridle,\u201d he said. \u201cAll them medallions would\u2019ve spoiled yer beauty forever, Shortshanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Ben protested, and Joe threw Hoss a baleful look from his one open eye. \u201cFetch me some water and the liniment,\u201d he ordered curtly, and Hoss, not quite sure why his quip had backfired, obediently went off.<\/p>\n

The worst thing about a fight, Joe reflected, was the aftermath. Not only did you end up stiff and sore, but you had to put up with stinging liniment and fussing! For the liniment did indeed sting, and Ben fussed endlessly, it seemed to Joe. At that point, he hadn\u2019t seen his face, and so didn\u2019t realized the extent of the damage. He tried to stop Ben from bandaging his eye, which of course involved bandaging round his head, too, but Ben was not to be thwarted!<\/p>\n

Gradually, the story came out. Hardy hadn\u2019t worked for the family for long, but he already had a reputation for being surly. None of the others had had any problems with him, but they were all aware that problems often arose with Joe because of his relative youth. For all that Joe was in his twenties, he could almost pass for a teenager. It didn\u2019t usually take long for hands to discover that Joe never asked anyone to do something he wouldn\u2019t do himself, a credo that they had all learned from Ben, and then problems disappeared. But occasionally, they came across someone who stubbornly refused to work for Joe. The outcome was almost inevitable; Joe fought whoever it was and the man either knuckled under or quit.<\/p>\n

Looking at Joe\u2019s face as they ate their supper, Ben wondered if he ought to stay at home, but when he hesitantly suggest this, Joe all but jumped on him. \u201cOh, Pa, you can\u2019t do that!\u201d Joe said. \u201cYou have to meet Mr. Smith, and I\u2019m quite capable of taking care of the ranch. I\u2019m all right, honest. I can manage. Don\u2019t you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I trust you, son,\u201d Ben said. \u201cI just wondered if you felt all right. I\u2019d hate to go away and leave you in charge if you aren\u2019t all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe assured him in an exasperated tone. \u201cAnd if something did come up, Adam and Hoss aren\u2019t gonna be that far away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could go and mark trees, and I\u2019ll break the horses,\u201d Adam joked, and Joe glared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stick to your job, big brother, and I\u2019ll stick to mine!\u201d he retorted. \u201cI\u2019m running the ranch when Pa\u2019s away and that\u2019s final!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir!\u201d Adam responded and saluted smartly.<\/p>\n

They all had to laugh, Joe included.<\/p>\n

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

Early next morning, the family dispersed to their various tasks. Ben rode off to Placerville to meet Mr. Smith to discuss the contracts; Adam headed off to mark out the necessary amount of timber, and Hoss went with the majority of the hands to move the herd to fresh grazing.<\/p>\n

Alone in the yard for a few moments after the others had gone, Joe felt a sudden pang of loneliness. Of course, he wasn\u2019t really alone. There were the hands who were assisting with the breaking, and back at the house was Hop Sing, who, in all truthfulness, probably ran the Ponderosa! But the centre of the Ponderosa had always been his family, and Joe was never entirely comfortable when they were absent.<\/p>\n

Shaking off the feeling, Joe mounted Cochise and went off down to the breaking corral. He had plenty of work to keep him busy over the next few days, and then the family would be back, and they would each have plenty to tell the others. It was only as Joe dismounted, prepared to start work, that he realized that this coming Sunday was Easter. He paused for a moment, then shrugged. He would just have to make up his mind to be alone that Sunday.<\/p>\n

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

The days were busy, but the evenings stretched out ahead of Joe. He was recovering quickly from his beating, and although his left eye would take a little longer to heal than the rest of his face, it was no longer quite as sore. He read, but he missed the companionship of his family. He had a lot of time to think, and main thing to occupy his thoughts was the sudden harassment he was suffering. Several times, Joe had been pounded by a hail of stones thrown hard. Despite chasing after the perpetrator, Joe hadn\u2019t caught him. He had a shrewd idea of who was at the back of it though\u2013 Hardy!<\/p>\n

Mentioning it casually to Jeb, Joe discovered that Jeb, too had suffered. He\u2019d put the loosened cinch down to a practical joke the first time, but when his cinch had proven to be consistently loose, he began to suspect that something was up. \u201cD\u2019you reckon its Hardy?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cKeep a close eye on things, Jeb. I\u2019d hate to see anything happen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou be careful, too, Joe,\u201d Jeb said. \u201cYou\u2019re ridin\u2019 back and forth to the house all the time alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am careful,\u201d Joe responded. He looked at the horses in the corral. They were all broken, apart from the black filly. Of course, there was still work to do on the horses, getting them a bit more than just green broke, but the majority of the hard work was behind them. \u201cI\u2019m gonna start on that filly tomorrow, Jeb,\u201d he said, changing the subject. \u201cI think she\u2019s ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s sure enough gentled down,\u201d Jeb agreed, joining Joe as he went over to pet the filly. \u201cReckon there\u2019s some warm blood in her, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t surprise me,\u201d Joe said. \u201cShe\u2019s a might better bred than the rest of this bunch. Wonder where the stallion picked her up from?\u201d Joe stroked his hand down the filly\u2019s glossy neck, and she turned her head to nuzzle his hand.<\/p>\n

With a final pat, Joe and Jeb turned away from the corral. \u201cI\u2019ll send a wire to the army to let them know we\u2019ll be ready for them the week after next,\u201d Joe said. \u201cThat sound about right to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem,\u201d Jeb responded.<\/p>\n

There was a sudden shot, and both men ducked. Another shot rang out, and since they were both unarmed, Joe and Jeb raced for the dubious shelter of a wagon. \u201cWhere is he?\u201d Joe breathed, looking all round. He didn\u2019t spot the gunman, but what he saw froze the blood in his veins. Slowly standing, heedless of his own safety, Joe saw the black filly lying on the ground, a bullet hole in her neck.<\/p>\n

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

It was late when Joe got back to the house that night. He was still angry, and sorrow for the loss of a promising horse was laid over it. He silently took Cochise into the barn, and was surprised to see Sport standing in his stall. He hadn\u2019t expected Adam back so soon.<\/p>\n

Feeling unexpectedly cheered by this, Joe settled his own mount for the night and headed eagerly towards the house to tell Adam all the news. He frowned as he thought of the dead filly once more, and vowed that if he ever got his hands on Hardy, the cowboy would pay for her death!<\/p>\n

So it came as a huge shock when he opened the door, and saw Adam lying unconscious on the floor, with his hands bound behind his back. Joe\u2019s eyes opened wide. \u201cAdam!\u201d he exclaimed, and rushed over to kneel by his brother.<\/p>\n

The ominous sound of a gun being cocked froze Joe to the spot, his hands reaching to untie the ropes binding his brother\u2019s hands. \u201cDon\u2019t move, Cartwright,\u201d said Hardy\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want, Hardy?\u201d Joe asked, as the man removed his gun from his holster. \u201cWhat have you done to my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust hit him on the head,\u201d Hardy replied. \u201cI wasn\u2019t expectin\u2019 him to be here, but he\u2019s proved right useful. Get the right bait, you can catch anythin\u2019.\u201d Hardy laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Joe repeated. He still knelt on the floor, his hands raised. He wondered what his chances were of catching Hardy off guard, but decided they were small when the gun came to rest on the back of his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to humiliate you the same way you did me,\u201d Hardy snarled. \u201cYou think you\u2019re such a big man don\u2019t you? The boss, huh? You\u2019ll learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kneeling there, Joe didn\u2019t doubt for a single minute that Hardy meant every word.<\/p>\n

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

Jolting along in the back of the wagon, Joe glanced once more at Adam. His brother was tied up on the other side of the vehicle, and looked to have no more chance of breaking free than Joe himself had. Hardy had forced Joe to hitch up the wagon, and then had tied up the young man before throwing him into the wagon and tying him to the wagon itself. Joe struggled fruitlessly against the restraint while Hardy went back into the house. To Joe\u2019s horror, Hardy came back with Adam, and tied the older son to the side, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right, Adam?\u201d Joe asked. He knew his talking irritated Hardy, but he had to know if Adam was all right. His brother had seemed dazed for quite some time before he finally acknowledged Joe\u2019s questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d Adam repeated. His head thumped appallingly, and he felt a bit sick, but he was basically all right. He was too tired to carry on a conversation, though and he lapsed into silence once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop your talkin\u2019, Cartwright,\u201d Hardy called back.<\/p>\n

It was on the tip of Joe\u2019s tongue to retort that Hardy couldn\u2019t make him be quiet, but he knew that in fact he could. So he bit his tongue and said nothing. Once more, he peered into the darkness around him and wondered where they were headed. They had been traveling for hours, and by Joe\u2019s reckoning it must be almost 3 am.<\/p>\n

The wagon stopped, and Joe was grateful that the jolting was over. Adam raised his head and looked around. Nearby, they could hear the slap of water on land, and Joe guessed they were near Lake Tahoe. He looked with distaste at Hardy as he untied Adam and dragged him from the wagon. It was Joe\u2019s turn next.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we walk,\u201d Hardy said, and gave Joe a push that almost floored him. The shove he gave Adam was scarcely less violent and Joe seethed at the treatment his brother was being forced to endure. But he was afraid to say too much in case Hardy took his anger and resentment out on Adam. He wouldn\u2019t put anything past this madman.<\/p>\n

They walked for a long time, stumbling in the uncertain light. Adam was practically out on his feet when they reached a cave. It seemed this was it, and Hardy shoved them unceremoniously inside. Adam collapsed to the damp stone floor, barely conscious. Joe moved to go to his side, but Hardy stopped him. \u201cGet over there, Cartwright!\u201d He gave Joe another push to emphasize his control of the situation, and Joe had no choice but to go where he was told.<\/p>\n

He was pushed down and his feet were tightly bound. He glared at Hardy as Adam was subjected to the same treatment, but Hardy was oblivious. He flicked a contemptuous glance at Joe. \u201cNow you\u2019re gonna work for me,\u201d he said. \u201cSee how you like being bossed about, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re crazy!\u201d Joe stated, defiantly. \u201cWhy did you kill that horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

This was the first Adam had heard of this, and he raised his head and tried to focus on what Joe was saying. Which horse had been killed? Not Cochise, surely? The world swam and he blinked to clear his vision. He focused on Joe, who was clearly angry, despite his cramped position. Adam wanted to say something, warn Joe not to provoke this madman, but he couldn\u2019t find his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat horse was gonna be special to you, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d Hardy snarled. \u201cAn\u2019 you showed me up over it. So what else did you expect me to do? Let you sell it and get praise for it? You must be stupider than you look, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sick!\u201d Joe said, disgustedly. Only too late did he see the blow coming and hadn\u2019t time to duck away from it. His head rocked to the side, and he felt blood on his lips. Still defiant, he glared at Hardy. Outside, he could see the sky lightening as dawn approached.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t seen nothin\u2019 yet,\u201d Hardy said as he went deeper into the cave.<\/p>\n

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

Shortly after the sun rose, Hardy came for Joe. He untied his feet and yanked him upright. \u201cNo!\u201d Adam protested weakly. \u201cLeave him alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up!\u201d Hardy said, aiming a kick at Adam.<\/p>\n

Seeing red, Joe threw his weight at Hardy and deflected the kick enough that Adam wasn\u2019t touched, but Hardy was furious. Joe seemed to show him up all the time. Once, long ago, Hardy had had a younger brother, who was better looking, and more charming, and who got an awful lot of attention. He had been consumed by jealousy, and had engineered an accident for the child when he was barely ten. His brother had died, and nobody suspected that Hardy had been at the back of it. Being made to work with Joe had just reminded him of his younger brother and Hardy had been at breaking point when he and Joe had had the fight.<\/p>\n

Dragging Joe to his feet, Hardy began to beat Joe up. He stopped when Joe collapsed, bleeding, to his knees, dragged the young man to his feet again and shoved him outside. He glanced at Adam on the way past. \u201cI\u2019d have thought you\u2019d be glad to be rid of him,\u201d he said, cryptically.<\/p>\n

Not understanding the remark, Adam frowned. \u201cIf you harm him, I\u2019m not going to rest until you\u2019re hunted down, Hardy,\u201d he vowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarm? I\u2019m not gonna harm him, Cartwright,\u201d Hardy sneered. \u201cI\u2019m gonna kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Hardy left the cave, Adam made a gargantuan effort to stop him, but his attempt to get to his feet failed, and he crashed to the stone floor. For a minute, Adam lay there, panting, his active imagination following Joe and their captor away from the cave and up onto the hillside above. He was almost sobbing.<\/p>\n

But Adam wasn\u2019t the type to let his imagination run away with him. He was firmly grounded in reality, and his reality was to get free from his bonds and find a way to rescue Joe. He had no idea when Ben and Hoss would return home, but he knew that Hop Sing, their cook, would have come back from wherever it was he had been and notify the sheriff that they were missing. Or at least, that was what Adam hoped. But he had no idea of Hop Sing had been in the house before he himself had gone in or not. He could only hope.<\/p>\n

So Adam struggled against the ropes that bound him. He fought them all day, but when evening came, he was exhausted and still a captive. And Hardy returned with the sunset \u2013 alone.<\/p>\n

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

Hardy forced Joe up the hill, with frequent vicious shoves. Joe fought to keep his footing in the uncertain light. He didn\u2019t know what Hardy wanted of him, but as long as it kept Adam safe, he didn\u2019t care. Adam had clearly taken a severe blow to the head and Joe was deeply concerned about is brother\u2019s welfare. He would have done or said anything to keep Adam safe.<\/p>\n

But he hadn\u2019t quite envisaged someone like Hardy. Hardy was unlike anyone Joe had ever met. He wasn\u2019t quite sane, Joe thought. He wondered what was in store for him. What did Hardy have in mind? What did he really think?<\/p>\n

What Hardy really thought was that Adam would be quite glad to be rid of Joe, the way he had been quite glad to be rid of his charming little brother. It never occurred to the man that not everyone felt the same way he did.<\/p>\n

Reaching a large oak tree about a mile away from the cave, Hardy told Joe to stop. It was none too soon as far as the youngest Cartwright was concerned. Stumbling along with his hands tied tightly behind his back, after the beating he had taken, had been quite a chore. But Joe had been determined not to break down in front of Hardy. It was sheer stubbornness that had kept him on his feet, but he had managed to keep going. Now, he fell gratefully to his knees and waited to see what Hardy had in store.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t seem terribly onerous at first. Hardy forced Joe to sit down \u2013 not a hardship at that point – and bound his feet tightly together again. He drew his gun, and pointed it at Joe\u2019s forehead. \u201cReady to meet your Maker, Cartwright?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Swallowing with difficulty, Joe met his gaze. \u201cI don\u2019t have anything on my conscience,\u201d he replied. \u201cCan you say the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA conscience is a fairy tale,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cSomeone made it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIts real,\u201d Joe answered, having suffered through several crises when he was younger. He had quickly learned that a guilty conscience could make you as physically sick as an illness. It wasn\u2019t something he took lightly anymore, if he ever had. He wondered if there was something in Hardy\u2019s life that pricked his conscience and made him act this way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho made you better than me?\u201d Hardy asked. The question was serious.<\/p>\n

Looking at him, Joe said nothing. He didn\u2019t think he was better than Hardy. He worked just as hard, and got paid almost the same amount. He didn\u2019t know where this resentment had come from. He didn\u2019t try and put on airs and graces when working with the men \u2013 just the opposite in fact. He tried to show them he wasn\u2019t afraid of hard work when it counted, and expected no less from his cowboys. But there was almost always one in the bunch; one who thought he should be handed an easy job with good wages on a plate, and resented Joe and\/or his brothers for having this mythical job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not better than you,\u201d Joe responded, having had a lot of time to contemplate this sort of thing as Holy Week had gone on. Normally, Joe had a moderate respect for religion, but didn\u2019t think about it deeply. But something about being alone on this most special week had moved him to think about his own good fortune, and he wasn\u2019t slow to thank the Almighty for it. \u201cI\u2019ve just had different luck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou youngsters always get everything handed to you,\u201d Hardy said, almost absently. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to work for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not true!\u201d Joe protested, although he\u2019d intended to hold onto his temper. It was always easier said than done, and he seldom succeeded. \u201cI worked to gain control of the horses. If I hadn\u2019t been capable, Pa wouldn\u2019t have turned it over to me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Hardy said, scornfully. \u201cLike your rich papa wouldn\u2019t have given you a bit of the ranch to play with. Those brothers of yours must be sick fed up of wiping your snotty nose for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

But that was one area where Joe was no longer vulnerable. He had long ago learned that his father and brothers wouldn\u2019t have let him be in charge of Hop Sing\u2019s kitchen garden if he wasn\u2019t up to it. However, Joe still hadn\u2019t learned to think before he acted or spoke.\u00a0 \u201cYou must have led a sad life,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

With a strangled cry, Hardy flew at Joe once more. The youth ducked and rolled away, trying to avoid the brutal punishment that Hardy intended him to receive. He was only partially successful. Within a few moments, Hardy had him pinned to the ground, and was looming over him with evil intent clearly in mind. \u201cLittle kids don\u2019t deserve to live!\u201d he muttered almost under his breath. \u201cYou ain\u2019t as good as me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying to protect his vitals, Joe was soon wishing he\u2019d kept his mouth shut. The world was swirling in large circles when Hardy finally straightened. The older man blew on his skinned knuckles and looked down on the barely conscious Joe with satisfaction. \u201cI\u2019ll rid your family of you, and they\u2019ll be happy,\u201d he said, and his conviction rang in his voice. He truly believed that getting rid of the youngest Cartwright would make the rest of them happy, although he hadn\u2019t noticed any such thing in his own family when he\u2019d murdered his brother.<\/p>\n

Moving quickly, while Joe was still dazed, Hardy untied the ropes binding his hands. He stripped off Joe\u2019s jacket and shirt and changed Joe\u2019s position so that he was standing awkwardly on his bound feet, re-tying Joe\u2019s hands so that they were stretched above him, attached to the branches of the tree. He laughed at the pain etched on Joe\u2019s face. \u201cDon\u2019t go away, Cartwright,\u201d he sneered. \u201cI\u2019m just goin\u2019 to go an\u2019 deal with your brother.\u201d He paused. \u201cUnless you don\u2019t want me too.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no hesitation in Joe\u2019s soul. He ached from every place in his body, and he knew that he would suffer more. But he didn\u2019t count the cost or hesitate for a single second, for he loved his brother more than life itself. He knew how often Adam had put his own life on the line for Joe\u2019s and he was more than willing to do the same. \u201cDo what you want to me, just leave Adam alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Hardy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally, just leave Adam alone!\u201d Joe had no idea what Hardy intended to do to him, but he knew it would be bad. He was stretched almost on tiptoe, but couldn\u2019t reach the branches above to help himself balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell you what,\u201d Hardy said, leaning in close to Joe. \u201cYou take what I give you an\u2019 I\u2019ll let your brother go free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking at the crazy eyes inches from his own, Joe knew he had no way to know if Hardy meant this, or if it was just another way to torment him. But he couldn\u2019t refuse, for Adam\u2019s life might depend on him. \u201cAll right,\u201d he said, shakily.<\/p>\n

Laughing, Hardy turned on his heel and walked a short distance away. Joe watched him go, his heart in his mouth. What if he were lying about Adam? Opening his mouth to shout, he saw Hardy stoop and reach under a large bush. What he drew out caused Joe to draw in his breath. He\u2019d never seen one before, but he knew what it was \u2013 a cat o\u2019 nine tails.<\/p>\n

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

The beating went on and on, and Joe could barely breathe. He longed to pass out, but every time he looked like he was fading, Hardy would stop, and throw water into his face, bringing him back to full, hellish wakefulness. Joe choked on the water, too tired and sore to even shake his head to get rid of the sopping hair that dangled over his face.<\/p>\n

Finally, after a time, Joe realized that the beating had stopped. His back was aflame and his arms ached mercilessly. He could barely support his own weight, and his legs trembled from the effort. Blinking, Joe looked to see if his tormentor was still nearby. To his immense disappointment, he was. He was drawing something from a canvas bag, and Joe gaze at the object without recognising it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEver seen one of these, Cartwright?\u201d Hardy asked, displaying the\u00a0 – thing \u2013 to his pitiful prisoner. He didn\u2019t wait for a response. \u201cIts used in asylums to force feed the lunatics. It keeps their mouth open, and\u2019stops them talkin\u2019. What a useful doo-dad, don\u2019t yah think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adrenalin began to pump through Joe\u2019s system and he fought against his bonds once more. It didn\u2019t matter. Hardy was exhilarated by Joe\u2019s struggles, and he showed no mercy in forcing the awful contraption onto Joe\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

There were straps, which went round his head, and two flat metal pieces went into his mouth. Joe resisted, and his mouth was cut and bleeding when the pieces of metal were finally slipped between his teeth. In truth, Joe was fortunate that none of his teeth were broken as the metal was shoved home.<\/p>\n

As Hardy buckled the straps behind Joe\u2019s head, he thought it didn\u2019t seem quite as horrific as he\u2019d first thought. Although the taste of the metal in his mouth was awful and his tongue was firmly pressed against the bottom of his mouth, at least his mouth was closed.<\/p>\n

But then Hardy began to crank a cog on the device, and Joe\u2019s mouth was forced open. The pain was appalling as the metal cut into the tender corners of his mouth. Joe could feel the blood trickling into his mouth and he discovered that it was almost impossible to swallow.<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of lunatics choke to death wearing one of these,\u201d Hardy whispered. \u201cI might come back an\u2019 feed you later. Would you manage to eat without choking to death, I wonder?\u201d He laughed at the look of panic in Joe\u2019s eyes. \u201cOr I could just go an\u2019 kill your brother now.\u201d He saw quite clearly that Joe was willing to endure anything for Adam\u2019s life, even this. \u201cWell, I have some more entertainment in mind. You just wait there.\u201d He slapped Joe on the back, and the pain, which had temporarily been subjugated by the new torture, re-awoke with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, God, help me,\u201d Joe prayed, silently. It occurred to him that this was Good Friday, the day that Christ had hung and suffered on the cross, and Joe wondered if He had ever regretted his decision to save others. Joe\u2019s jaws ached from their unnatural position. What else did Hardy have in mind?<\/p>\n

Fortunately, what he had in mind didn\u2019t involve any more physical abuse, but was unpleasant enough. He returned with a sackful of ants and bees and emptied it all over Joe. Then he threw more water over him, and the enraged insects stung Joe in several places. The ants walking all over his skin made Joe itch like mad, and he could feel them on his abused back. Some even went into his mouth, and he retched uncontrollably. Hardy found the whole thing hysterical.<\/p>\n

As the afternoon waned, he seemed to grow bored. It grew colder, and he smiled to himself. Joe hung there, his hands totally numb, barely able to hold himself on his feet. Hardy was highly entertained by the whole thing. Only one more thing was left to do. Joe had to die.<\/p>\n

Crossing to his captive, Hardy unbuckled Joe\u2019s belt and yanked his pants and drawers down. Joe began to struggle at once, and received a terrible blow to the stomach to quieten him. Quickly, Hardy untied his feet, stripped off Joe\u2019s boots, socks, pants and drawers and stood back to look. Joe was totally naked, and Hardy grinned. He re-tied Joe\u2019s feet, and then went away. Shortly after, he returned with more water and systematically soaked Joe from head to foot.<\/p>\n

Goosebumps rose on the young man\u2019s abused flesh as he stood there shivering in the icy wind that had risen from the lake. The sun was heading down fast, and Joe could see from the clearness of the sky that there would be a frost that night. He knew he wouldn\u2019t survive it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been fun, Cartwright,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cI won\u2019t bother feedin\u2019 you. Why should I feed a dead man? I\u2019ll take your brother home, don\u2019t you worry. Aren\u2019t you even going to say goodbye?\u201d He laughed as Joe raised dull, pain-filled eyes to him. He lifted his cat o\u2019 nine tails again and gave Joe a couple of strokes across his stomach. For a moment, he looked at the youth and then he simply walked away.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d Adam demanded. He had struggled all day against his restraints, and had failed to get free. \u201cWhat have you done with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got rid of him for you,\u201d Hardy said, sounding surprised. \u201cHe agreed to give up his life for you. Good of him, weren\u2019t it? Bet it\u2019s a relief to know that he won\u2019t be around no more. He were entertaining. I got a lot o\u2019 fun outa him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He dropped a bundle in one corner, and Adam recognized Joe\u2019s blood-splattered clothes. He could feel the world graying around him, and was glad to let go. He had failed Joe. He didn\u2019t know if he could live with that knowledge. He was dimly aware that Hardy was moving him around, dragging him painfully across the stone floor of the cave, but he was too far gone to resist. When he did come to again, he found himself out of the cave.<\/p>\n

Realizing that his captive was back among the land of the living again, Hardy untied Adam\u2019s feet, yanked him upright and forced him to walk. Eventually, they reached the wagon, which Hardy had abandoned the previous night. \u201cGet in,\u201d Hardy said, giving Adam an appalling shove.<\/p>\n

The older Cartwright was quite glad to be sitting down, although he was once more tightly bound to the side of the wagon. His head still throbbed miserably, and the ache in his heart was little less. Adam could think only of Joe, picturing his broken body lying alone on the hillside somewhere.<\/p>\n

It was still dark when the wagon rumbled into the yard of the Ponderosa. Hardy jumped down from the seat and disappeared at once. Adam yelled angrily after him, and fought against the ropes once more, but they still defied his efforts. He had no idea how he would get out of this mess, but as he slumped hopelessly down, there was a sound behind him, and a voice spoke sharply. \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Adam said. \u201cPa?\u201d He could hear footsteps coming nearer, and twisted, trying to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Ben exclaimed, horrified. \u201cAre you all right?\u201d He was immediately slicing through the ropes binding his son. \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s dead,\u201d Adam said, and was overcome by remorse once more. He could barely bring himself to gasp out the story, and see the tears standing in his father\u2019s white, pinched face. \u201cIt\u2019s my fault,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush,\u201d Ben said, supporting Adam into the house. He could see the dried blood on Adam\u2019s head, and the blood on his wrists where he\u2019d been tied. Ben\u2019s heart was swelling, and he thought he might die from the grief coursing through his body for his youngest son. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before Ben had the household roused. Adam found himself bathed, changed and tucked securely into bed, while Ben brought him up to date with what had happened on the ranch. Hop Sing had returned on Good Friday morning from Virginia City, where he had been visiting cousins. The door had been standing open, and when he went in, he found signs of a struggle. A quick search showed that Joe was missing, and since Sport was in the barn, too, he assumed Adam was missing as well. He had sent a hand to get the sheriff, and the hand had met Ben on the road, returning early from Placerville.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss should be back by daylight,\u201d Ben said. \u201cWe\u2019ll track the wagon back and find Joe, don\u2019t worry. Perhaps he\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHardy said he\u2019d killed him,\u201d Adam said. His exhaustion was beginning to get the better of him, and his eyes were closing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep,\u201d Ben soothed him, and when Adam was resting, left the room. He sat in front of the fire, waiting for dawn to break. After the initial moment of heart-rending grief, Ben now wondered if Joe was dead. Hardy might have said so, but there was no body \u2013 yet, he had to add. Perhaps Joe had somehow survived.<\/p>\n

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

Dawn broke, and although Hoss had been riding for most of the night, he made no complaint at riding off with Ben to hunt for Joe. Adam had roused briefly and wanted to go with them, but he wasn\u2019t fit enough, and to his intense disgust, he\u2019d been left at home. However, he realized that he wouldn\u2019t have been able to keep up, as he hadn\u2019t eaten in over 24 hours and was as weak as a kitten. Still, it was galling to be left behind.<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss tracked steadily for most of the morning before they finally found the cave Adam had described to them. They found Joe\u2019s jacket, shirt and boots, but his pants were gone. Collecting these items, they pushed on up the hill, following some faint tracks Hoss had found.<\/p>\n

Beneath an oak tree, they found a confusion of mixed tracks, showing someone had come and gone a lot. There was a bloodstained cat o\u2019 nine tails lying abandoned on the ground, and an odd looking contraption of metal and leather. They both looked at it blankly. There was rope and a broken branch, but no sign of Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think he come back an\u2019 took Joe somewheres else, do ya, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked. He was furious that someone had mistreated his brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, son,\u201d Ben answered, genuinely perplexed. \u201cLet\u2019s see if we can find any tracks.\u201d They separated and began looking.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019,\u201d Hoss said, in disgust. \u201cYou find anythin\u2019, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben replied, discouraged. They had hunted around for well over an hour. He glanced around. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be dark shortly,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more we can do here. Let\u2019s go home and see if there\u2019s been any word from Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure hate to leave,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I,\u201d Ben admitted. \u201cBut we don\u2019t really have any choice. Joe isn\u2019t here.\u201d He led the way back down the hill.<\/p>\n

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

After Hardy had gone, Joe hung there, shivering in the cold wind, his body rebelling against even that slight movement. His jaws ached from being stretch so widely. He wished he could die, just to get it over with and spare himself any more misery.<\/p>\n

And then a thought occurred to him, a thought so monstrous that his eyes opened again and he stared blindly into the distance. What if Hardy was going back to kill Adam regardless? What if he did to Adam the things he\u2019d done to Joe? Joe was so over wrought by this thought that he didn\u2019t notice the whip lying at his feet.<\/p>\n

But it gave him a reason to renew his efforts to escape and he fought his bonds, twisting and turning against them, heedless of the cost in pain from his back. He panted desperately, almost choking on his own saliva, for he could hardly swallow. He broke into a sweat, which the brisk wind chilled on his body. He didn\u2019t notice any of these things. He was intent on getting free to rescue Adam.<\/p>\n

It had been dark for some time when the branch above him broke. Joe had long ago given up expecting to get free. His movements had slowed to a standstill, and he sagged in his bonds. It was this sudden introduction of his weight that did the job for him. The branch snapped and he tumbled headlong to the cold ground.<\/p>\n

Bruised, winded, Joe lay still, not believing his luck. As the blood began to return to his arms, they throbbed painfully. Gradually, Joe was able to sit up. For a time, he just sat there, but he knew he had to get free. Shuffling over the ground, he came to a boulder with a jagged edge, and began to draw the rope on his wrists over and over it.<\/p>\n

It was incredibly painful and difficult, for Joe\u2019s arms were leaden and he had little feeling in them. But he persevered, resting frequently, until finally the strands parted and his hands were free. Gazing at them in disbelief, Joe realized how swollen his fingers were. Would he be able to unfasten the straps holding the hated contraption round his head? After a couple of minutes rubbing his hands together, he began to fumble with the straps. It took several attempts, but finally the buckles yielded and the thing came loose. Gently, Joe drew the metal out of his aching mouth, gratefully closed his jaws and swallowed.<\/p>\n

For a while, that was all Joe was able to do. He leaned against the rock and drifted in a sort of stupor. However, he roused as a particularly cold gust of wind hit him, and began the awkward task of freeing his feet. It must have taken him another hour to get them free, and by then, Joe was shivering uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

Resolutely, he got to his feet and started down the track to the cave. Part of the way there, he came across his pants, and gratefully slid them on. After a resting, Joe set out again, aiming for the cave, but he was exhausted and his sense of direction had got turned around, and Joe wandered for quite some time before realizing that there was no way he was going to find the cave.<\/p>\n

But his sub-conscious must have been helping him out, for he was heading towards home. Joe knew it would be a long walk, and he was barefoot, but he set off.<\/p>\n

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

As dawn crept into the master bedroom at the Ponderosa, it found Ben Cartwright still awake. All the previous day, he had searched for Joe, and finally had been forced to stop by the onset of night. He had made Hoss and Adam go to bed, and had lain down himself, but he had never closed his eyes. Joe was out there somewhere and he didn\u2019t know where. As of last night, Roy Coffee had had no luck locating Dennis Hardy either. Ben seldom felt the need to take the law into his own hands, but he knew that if he met Hardy, he wouldn\u2019t be responsible for his actions.<\/p>\n

Rising stiffly, Ben dressed and went downstairs. The house was silent, and he was alone with his thoughts. He poked up the fire, and went to make some coffee. The clock read 5.30am. Ben hoped his sons would be able to sleep for a while longer. His eyes burned and he rubbed them.<\/p>\n

From outside, there came a sound. Ben cocked his head, wondering what on earth it could be. He rose from his chair by the fire, and was shocked rigid when the bell rang. He stood frozen for an instant before dashing across the room, throwing the bolt and yanking the door open.<\/p>\n

An apparition stood there, clinging onto the bell-string. Ben gaped in astonishment. \u201cJoe?\u201d he ventured, disbelieving.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Easter,\u201d Joe said, obviously disoriented, and collapsed in a dead faint at his father\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

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

Complete pandemonium ensued as Ben called for help to get his unconscious, badly beaten son into the house. Joe was filthy and exhausted. Hoss, once roused, carried Joe tenderly upstairs and then hastened to get the doctor. Adam dragged himself out of sleep and hurried to help.<\/p>\n

As Ben washed the dirt off Joe\u2019s face with warm water, his son roused, and peered at him blearily. \u201cPa, he\u2019s got Adam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, buddy,\u201d Adam said, leaning in so Joe could see him. Of necessity, Joe was on his stomach, his back being too inflamed to risk laying him on it. \u201cI thought you were dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost was,\u201d Joe said, and slid off into a deep sleep.<\/p>\n

They left him undisturbed until Paul Martin arrived with Hoss and Roy. Ben and Adam had speculated endlessly on where Joe had been, but they knew they wouldn\u2019t get any answers until Joe was well enough to tell his story.<\/p>\n

Escorting Paul upstairs, Ben told the little he knew. Paul went over to the bed, drawing aside the covers and gasping as he saw the broken, lacerated flesh there. He got to work at once, gently wakening Joe to peer into his eyes and check for a head injury before giving Joe a painkilling injection that sent him once more into the arms of oblivion.<\/p>\n

For a long time afterwards, Paul was busy cleaning and stitching and generally working his magic on Joe. When Ben was finally allowed back into the room, Joe was awake, and lying on a huge pile of pillows. He was swathed in bandages, and had dark shadows under his eyes. However, when he saw Ben he smiled, then winced. \u201cPa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you feel?\u201d Ben asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSore,\u201d Joe responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve given him something for the pain, Ben,\u201d Paul said. \u201cEverything will settle down again now that I\u2019m finished with him. But he\u2019ll be there for some time to come. You\u2019ll have to be careful with his back. There\u2019s some infection there, and on his feet, obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis feet?\u201d Ben said, not having consciously noticed that Joe had no boots on when he arrived home. He glanced down the bed in time to see Paul draw the covers back slightly and reveal huge puffballs where Joe\u2019s feet should be. He looked back at Joe. \u201cYour boots are downstairs,\u201d he said, and Joe laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I couldn\u2019t find them then,\u201d he joked weakly.<\/p>\n

Smiling, Ben ruffled Joe\u2019s hair. \u201cCan you tell us what happened to you?\u201d he asked, gently, and the smile ran away from Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he said, but there was the faintest tremble in his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be best if we had Roy Coffee up here, too,\u201d Ben said, in warning, and Joe simply nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet everyone come,\u201d he said, and he sounded tired. \u201cThen I won\u2019t have to tell it again.\u201d He lay back against the pillows while Paul went to call the others. Ben put his hand on Joe\u2019s, and found his son clutching his hand like a lifeline. Joe\u2019s fingers were swollen and cold, and Ben gently chafed them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this, you know,\u201d he said softly, and Joe looked at him, his eyes suddenly very green.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Joe said, resolutely. \u201cI must.\u201d He swallowed. \u201cBut it\u2019ll be hard,\u201d he added, and tears suddenly slipped from his eyes.<\/p>\n

Gathering Joe carefully into his arms, Ben held him close. \u201cI\u2019m here for you, son,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m always here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

They heard the others at the door, and Joe moved slightly. Ben took the hint and helped Joe lie carefully back. Joe glanced over and smiled, wincing once more, at his brothers. \u201cHi,\u201d he offered, and they both responded in kind, but although little was said, much was meant and felt.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you tell us what happened, Little Joe?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n

Starting at the beginning, with the confrontation over the filly, moving on to the harassment of stone throwing, via the shooting of the filly, to his kidnap along with Adam, Joe told it all. When he began to catalogue what happened to him on the hill, his voice quavered and broke. He couldn\u2019t contain his tears, and the other men looked away, to allow him to regain his control. Ben helped him drink. Thanking Ben, he continued on, and told them of how he agreed to whatever Hardy wanted, to spare Adam\u2019s life. Adam colored as Joe threw him a loving glance. It was plain to see his delight that Adam was indeed alive. Finally, he told them how he had broken free and trekked home. It had taken him all day, as he had to rest, and fell asleep.<\/p>\n

When he finished there wasn\u2019t much anyone could say. Adam had already crossed to the bed, and was sitting close by Joe, not saying anything and not touching him, but conveying what he felt nonetheless. It was humbling to realize that Joe had agreed to all that simply to keep him alive.<\/p>\n

Mumbling something about a posse, Roy shuffled out of the door. Paul Martin, after giving Joe a final check over, followed him. None of the family moved. Hoss stood by the window, twisting his handkerchief aimlessly. Ben\u2019s eyes were glued to Joe. He knew this boy, inside out, and it didn\u2019t surprise him that he cherished his brother so much. He knew Joe cherished them all that way. But it didn\u2019t detract from Joe\u2019s bravery. He wanted to say something, to thank Joe, but he feared all his words would be trite and meaningless. So they just stayed there, in silence, but none of them felt isolated or alone. The atmosphere in the room was warm and loving, and Joe soon fell asleep. Only then was the spell broken, and the others went back downstairs.<\/p>\n

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

When Joe woke later, he looked a lot better. The shadows were going from under his eyes and his eyes had regained their sparkle. But as Ben fed him some soft eggs, Joe was quite serious. \u201cThis is Easter, isn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost supper time,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut yes, it\u2019s still Easter. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I was thinking about that a lot this week when I was on my own,\u201d Joe said. \u201cAnd what happened to Adam and I was sort of like the Easter story.\u201d He flushed as he realized exactly what he\u2019d said. \u201cI don\u2019t mean to sound presumptuous,\u201d he said, hastily. \u201cBut there was a willing sacrifice, and a resurrection of sorts.\u201d He frowned and Ben forbore to interrupt him. \u201cAnd I got a glimpse \u2013 the barest of glimpses \u2013 of how it must have been for Christ on that cross, Pa. The pain, and humiliation, and yet how it was worth it. I also know why he began to despair, for when something feels like its never going to end; you can\u2019t keep trying to be cheerful. It all gets on top of you Do you understand? It made the true meaning of Easter so much plainer to me. \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said, huskily. \u201cI understand, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Very quietly, Joe said, \u201cGod so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whoso believeth in Him shall have everlasting life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had never heard it said with any more meaning.<\/p>\n

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

When Hardy hadn\u2019t been found by the next day, Adam and Hoss both went out with the posse hunting for him. They had no better luck. By then Adam had told the odd story of how Hardy had thought he would be glad to learn that Joe was dead. Roy sent out enquiries, which came back with the news that Hardy\u2019s younger brother had died at an early age. They assumed he was jealous that Adam still had Joe.<\/p>\n

It was Jeb who unexpectedly found Hardy a few days later. He was on his way up to the big house to tell Joe that they were still on target with the training of the horses. He wanted to see how his young boss was doing, too.<\/p>\n

As he rode into the yard, a shot rang out, and the bullet whizzed past Jeb\u2019s cheek. Without hesitating, Jeb urged his horse into the barn, ducking as he went through the door. Safe for the moment, he slid from his horse and went cautiously to the door. The door to the big house opened and Ben stepped out onto the porch. A shot bit into the post near his head. With a startled sound, Ben ducked back to safety.<\/p>\n

The second shot had given Jeb the chance to locate the gunman, and he slipped out the side door of the barn and eased through the corral. The horses there were milling about anxiously, and Jeb was able to use them for cover quite easily. Behind the bunkhouse, he looked up, and there was Hardy, lying on the sloped roof. His attention was fixed on the big house, and Jeb cocked his gun. \u201dDon\u2019t move,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n

Hardy turned and fired a quick shot, but Jeb was ready for him, and was no longer standing there. He was no longer alone, either, for Adam had been in Joe\u2019s bedroom, heard the shooting and located the gunman, too. He had come out of the side door, and round the end of the bunkhouse, safely unseen. \u201cHold it!\u201d he ordered, and Hardy took heed of the steely tone of Adam\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

Herding the man into the house, Adam felt an almost uncontrollable urge to crash the butt of his gun over this man\u2019s head, as a small payment for all that had happened to Joe. But that wasn\u2019t Adam\u2019s way, and he did manage to control himself.<\/p>\n

It was difficult to say which of the Cartwrights was angriest, but Hardy didn\u2019t seem to care. He slouched on the hard chair he was thrown into, and looked around with interest. \u201cNot much sign of mournin\u2019 here,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph is not dead,\u201d Ben said, clearly, and they saw the shock on Hardy\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can finish the job if\u2019n you like,\u201d he offered. \u201cThese little ones is a real pest to get rid of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although rage was nearly choking him, Ben decided to play along to get the man to tell them why he had done it. \u201cHave you any experience?\u201d he asked, shooting a glare at each of his sons, daring them to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I done in my little brother afore I was 10,\u201d he said, proudly. \u201cNobody guessed it weren\u2019t an accident.\u201d He scratched his head. \u201cThere was others, but I ain\u2019t always too clear on the details. But I strung a few o\u2019 \u2018em up. Want for me to finish the job?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet the sheriff,\u201d Ben said, disgust clear in his voice. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be busy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss headed off to do his father\u2019s bidding. Adam and Jeb kept their guns trained on the prisoner. \u201cWhy\u2019d you shoot at me?\u201d Jeb asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the youngest, ain\u2019t cha?\u201d Hardy asked, sounding surprised. \u201cDidn\u2019t cha tell me you was the youngest?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Mr. Cartwright?\u201d Jeb persisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was gonna try and stop me,\u201d Hardy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be upstairs,\u201d Ben said, and left before he could throttle the deranged creature before him.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cDon\u2019t drop me!\u201d Joe said, sounding slightly panicked as Adam and Hoss carried him gingerly downstairs a few days later. Joe was feeling much better, but it would be a while before his feet were up to bearing weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u2019n you don\u2019t stop wrigglin\u2019 like that,\u201d Hoss puffed, \u201cI\u00a0am<\/strong>\u00a0gonna drop ya!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPromises, promises!\u201d scoffed Adam, who had to admit that their stairs were not built to take three abreast \u2013 or at least not when one of them was Hoss\u2019 size. He tightened his grip on Joe\u2019s leg as he felt his brother slip.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Joe protested, his hand clutching harder at the material of his brothers\u2019 shirts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest to goodness,\u201d Ben said, coming into the room and failing to hide his laughter. \u201cDo you boys have to make such a meal of this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t gonna eat\u00a0him<\/strong>,\u201d Hoss protested. \u201cAnd I ain\u2019t takin\u2019 him back upstairs if\u2019n he\u2019s gonna wriggle like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not wriggling!\u201d Joe exclaimed, indignantly. \u201cYou almost dropped me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Still bickering amiably, Adam and Hoss carried Joe over to the table and deposited him in his usual place. \u201cSupper downstairs,\u201d Joe said, grinning. He was tired of being stuck upstairs. He didn\u2019t even complain when Ben stuffed a pillow down his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may be a little late,\u201d Ben said, when they were all seated, and before Hop Sing brought out the food. \u201cBut I thought about what you said, Joe. Easter is past, but this Easter I learned the story anew, and it means even more to me now than it did.\u201d He bowed his head. \u201cLord, thank You for the gifts You have given us, and for the love You bore the world when You gave us Your Son. Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmen,\u201d his sons echoed, and seldom had the simple prayer of blessing seemed so profound.<\/p>\n

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoso believeth in Him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 The true meaning of Easter is shown to the Cartwrights after Joe and Adam go missing.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0 \u00a0(10,635 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":49059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1091,23,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-joe","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","wpcat-1091-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1815,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/7c73a4191d93945cb7be6df1caf72db0.jpg?fit=236%2C177&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6628,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6628","url_meta":{"origin":5037,"position":0},"title":"Forever – The Love of My Life – #3 (by Rider)","author":"Rider","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe and Alice think about their relationship on the eve of their wedding. 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