{"id":5342,"date":"2000-11-01T02:14:25","date_gmt":"2000-11-01T07:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5342"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:04:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:04:40","slug":"solitary-witness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5342","title":{"rendered":"Solitary Witness (by Puchi Ann)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>A day of skipping school turns tragic for Little Joe, who must then find the courage to stand alone in the defense of justice. \u00a0This story is based on a little known incident in the annals of Virginia City justice.\u00a0 While I do not know the outcome of the actual case, this is what I think might have happened had Little Joe Cartwright been the only witness.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0(9,500 words)<\/p>\n

Solitary Witness<\/strong><\/p>\n

The snowy streets of Virginia City glittered jewel-like under the pale rays of a mid-morning sun as Little Joe Cartwright made his way through back alleys toward an anticipated rendezvous.\u00a0 Not that specific plans had been made, of course.\u00a0 It just went without saying that an opportunity like this was not to be missed, especially this near the end of winter.\u00a0 After all, how many more chances could a boy expect just the right amount of snow to fall?\u00a0 The side streets were slicker than the more highly trafficked C Street, but Little Joe couldn’t afford to be seen by any of his father’s many friends.\u00a0 Three, maybe four, times in the last couple of years, Joe had flaunted his father’s wishes in this way, and while he’d never been caught yet, the consequences, if he were, were just too terrible to contemplate.<\/p>\n

Teeth gleaming almost as brightly as the glistening snow, the twelve-year-old flashed a brilliant grin as he spotted the cluster of boys at the top of Union Street and trotted to meet them.\u00a0 He slipped once on the icy surface of the hill, but, lurching forward, caught the pole of a gas lamp and, laughing gleefully at his escape, pulled himself upright.<\/p>\n

Arms extended to each side for balance, his friend Seth Pruitt carefully slid across the street, grabbing the same pole to stop his forward momentum.\u00a0 “Hey, Joe, I’d about give you up!”<\/p>\n

“I was beginning to wonder myself,” Joe laughed.\u00a0 “Never thought I’d have to talk Pa into letting me go to school!”<\/p>\n

“Big storm last night,” Seth commented, understanding at once the reason behind Ben Cartwright’s unaccustomed reluctance to send his youngest son to school.\u00a0 The roads between the Ponderosa and Virginia City could be treacherous after a snowstorm.<\/p>\n

“Yeah.\u00a0 Not as much out our way, though,” Joe said.\u00a0 “I convinced Pa it probably wasn’t any worse here in town.”<\/p>\n

Seth scowled in skepticism.\u00a0 “And he’s not the least bit suspicious about you actually wanting to go to school?”<\/p>\n

“Naw, I just told him that Miss Jones was gonna be reviewing us for a big geography test on Monday,” Joe explained, “and convinced him I really needed to know what to study up for this weekend.\u00a0 As bad as I’ve been doing lately, he didn’t have any trouble believing that, and I can count on Mitch to let me copy his notes, so I\u2019m covered.”<\/p>\n

“Yeah, well, we better get to studying some geography, then,” Seth snickered, laugh lines crinkling at the edges of his blue eyes as he pointed down the hill Joe had just climbed.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned back, and the two laughing truants pushed and pulled each other over to join the others.\u00a0 Joe was met with shouted welcomes and hearty claps on the back, for he was a popular member of the group, whose ages ranged from ten to fourteen.\u00a0 “How many sleds we got?” Joe asked.<\/p>\n

“Just three,” Howie Barton, one of the older boys, replied, “so we’ll have to take turns.”<\/p>\n

“We’ve all had a go,” Seth said, “except Joe.\u00a0 He ought to be next.”\u00a0 A chorus of agreement met the suggestion, so Little Joe eagerly took the offered sled, balanced buttocks and boot heels atop it and whizzed down the icy hill with Seth and Howie close behind.\u00a0 Joe threw his head to the sky and laughed with exhilaration as the wind blew curly brown hair back from ruddy cheeks.<\/p>\n

Three-fourths of the way down the hill, Joe lowered his head, just in time to see a white-haired Paiute pulling a two-wheeled wooden cart, loaded with knots of pi\u00f1on pine, start across the street.\u00a0 At the same moment, the Paiute saw the sled racing toward him and started scrambling forward to avoid the almost inevitable collision.\u00a0 In his haste the man slipped on the icy street and cried out in terror as the sled sped ever nearer.<\/p>\n

Swiftly swerving to the right, Joe managed to miss the fallen man, but the runner of his sled hit hard against one of the cart\u2019s wheels, knocking the vehicle off balance and spilling its load of firewood into the street.\u00a0 Joe tumbled off the sled among the fallen wood, bruised, but unhurt otherwise.\u00a0 Seth and Howie, further back, had time to steer clear of the roadblock and skid to a stop when the hill leveled out at C Street.<\/p>\n

Dragging his sled, Seth ran to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay?\u201d he asked as Joe clambered awkwardly to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s the old man?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned at the other boy\u2019s lack of concern and walked over to help the elderly Paiute to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cYou all right?\u201d he asked the man.<\/p>\n

Once on his feet, the Paiute pulled away from the white boy, gesticulating angrily at the wood scattered over the street.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it was all my fault.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t watching where I was going,\u201d Joe apologized quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll pick it up for you.\u201d\u00a0 Then, fearing the old Indian\u2019s grasp of English might be minimal, he pointed to himself and then the wood as he added, \u201cMe help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Indian nodded his understanding and seemed appeased when the white boy started at once to reload the stumps and knots back onto the cart.\u00a0 Seeing Seth and Howie just staring at him, Little Joe hollered, \u201cWell, come on!\u00a0 Help me,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, he can do it himself,\u201d Seth muttered, \u201cand he\u2019s just\u201d\u2014the sparks flaring in Joe\u2019s green-gold eyes warned Seth not to finish a remark sure to infuriate his friend.\u00a0 Seth, whose parents had been killed in an Indian raid crossing the plains, had no great love for Indians of any variety, but he\u2019d learned long ago that his best friend didn\u2019t see redskins the way he did and could get downright fierce in their defense, if pushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Joe urged persuasively, sensing that his friend was torn between his own prejudice and his desire to avoid a quarrel.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t do any more sledding until the street\u2019s clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you\u2019re right,\u201d Seth agreed reluctantly and bent to pick up a gnarled pi\u00f1on limb.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Howie.\u00a0 Might as well pitch in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot me.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t doin\u2019 some mangy Paiute\u2019s work,\u201d Howie snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake yourself useful, then, and pull the sleds back up the hill,\u201d Joe snapped.\u00a0 \u201cTell the fellows I\u2019ll signal when it\u2019s safe to coast down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie sneered to demonstrate his disdain of the younger boys, but he gathered up the pull ropes of the three sleds and trudged up the hill, since that was in his best interest, anyway.<\/p>\n

Within minutes, the road was clear, and Little Joe waved to his friends at the top of the hill.\u00a0 The sledding fun recommenced, and for the better part of an hour the boys took turns amiably, cheering the other sledders on with as much gusto as they felt, racing down the hill when it was their turn.<\/p>\n

Little Joe had just taken possession of a sled for another run when he felt it snatched out of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll show you how it\u2019s done, kid,\u201d a boy several years Joe\u2019s senior, with the build to match his years, snorted as he pushed the smaller boy aside.<\/p>\n

As Joe lunged for the sled, he felt his arms grabbed from behind.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be an idiot,\u201d Seth hissed in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Bear Hoggins, toughest bully on the Comstock, and he\u2019s not alone.\u00a0 Besides, he\u2019s got a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe noted the holster slung low on Bear Hoggins\u2019 hip, then took a quick glance to the side and saw two other boys, also past school age and similarly armed, confiscating the other sleds.\u00a0 The cowed youngsters holding them moments before obviously had no intention of struggling for possession of the sleds, and even as feisty a fighter as Little Joe recognized a pointless battle when he saw one.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, let me go,\u201d Joe muttered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll let \u2018em have their fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, they\u2019ll get bored with it quick,\u201d Seth said, releasing his friend.<\/p>\n

Folding frustrated arms, Joe stood back and watched the three bullies go screaming down the hill.\u00a0 One trip down didn\u2019t satisfy the ruffians, however, and they pulled the sleds back up and slid down again.\u00a0 As the trio of older boys headed down a third time, Joe turned to his friend.\u00a0 \u201cNot getting bored very quick, are they?\u201d he grunted sarcastically.<\/p>\n

Seth gave a rueful shrug.<\/p>\n

Bear Hoggins and his cohorts again climbed to the top of the hill.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, we\u2019re gonna race this time,\u201d Bear announced.\u00a0 \u201cFirst one to the foot of the hill gets treated to all the beer he can drink by the other two, agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Bear,\u201d one of the others said.\u00a0 \u201cSounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d put in the other, \u201cespecially since I aim to be the one doin\u2019 all the drinkin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bear gave a harsh laugh.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir!\u00a0 Ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 gonna keep me from winnin\u2019 this here contest, not with free beer on the line!\u201d<\/p>\n

Anticipating the soon return of their sleds, the younger boys relaxed and crowded together to watch what was sure to be an exciting contest.\u00a0 The sleds skimmed over the slick ice, first one, then another pulling ahead.<\/p>\n

As Bear flew into the lead, Little Joe looked downhill to see how close the racers were to the finish line.\u00a0 Suddenly, his eyes flared wide as he saw a Chinese laundryman and his wife step into the street.\u00a0 Joe shouted a warning, but he was too far away for the Oriental couple to hear him.<\/p>\n

Bear Hoggins also saw the people in his path and hollered, \u201cOut of the road, you chinks!\u201d\u00a0 When the startled couple didn\u2019t respond, Bear pulled the revolver from his holster and fired.\u00a0 The woman shrieked in terror as her husband crumpled to the ground, and Little Joe Cartwright instinctively started running down the hill toward the victim.\u00a0 Exhaling with exasperation, Seth Pruitt charged after him, while the other boys at the top of the hill scattered in all directions.<\/p>\n

Bear swerved slightly to avoid the obstacle in his path and careened onto C Street.\u00a0 \u201cI won!\u201d he shouted, thrusting his arms victoriously overhead.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot!\u00a0 You killed him,\u201d one of his friends yelled.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be hell to pay if you\u2019re caught.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on; we gotta make tracks,\u201d Bear\u2019s other friend shouted, for heads were already beginning to peer from saloon doorways and upstairs windows all along C Street.<\/p>\n

Bear took one last look at the slain Oriental and saw a brown-haired boy bending over him.\u00a0 Then he responded to the urging of his friends and ran.<\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright knelt at the side of the Chinaman and felt for a pulse.\u00a0 There was none, and with trembling lips the boy glanced up into the dazed, almond-shaped eyes of the widow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he murmured, not knowing what else to say.<\/p>\n

Seth tugged at his friend\u2019s jacket sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2014Joe, we gotta get out o\u2019 here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need help,\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll need help worse than them if we don\u2019t get out o\u2019 here now!\u201d Seth snapped.\u00a0 \u201cDeputy\u2019s headed this way\u2014on the run!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what?\u201d Joe flared.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth jerked his friend around by his collar.\u00a0 \u201cNothin\u2019 except play hooky.\u00a0 Maybe you wanna chance your pa findin\u2019 that out, but my uncle\u2019ll skin me and sell my hide for shoe leather.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe blanched, considering that an accurate, although possibly mild, description of his father\u2019s reaction.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right; let\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and took off for the nearest alley with Seth at his heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 You boys, stop!\u00a0 Get back here!\u201d the deputy yelled at the fleeing figures, but the demands of the law officer went unheeded as the two truants raced to see which could disappear faster.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Huddled in the darkest corner of a little-used livery stable, Joe Cartwright and Seth Pruitt waited out the long hours they should have spent in school.\u00a0 Mostly, they sat in silence.\u00a0 Seth had tried to make conversation earlier, but Little Joe had gotten morosely quiet on him, the way he sometimes did when he had things twisting in his gut.\u00a0 \u201cHey, I\u2019ll trade my dinner pail for yours, sight unseen,\u201d Seth finally suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat Hop Sing always packs a hefty dinner, and I\u2019m gettin\u2019 hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stared at the other boy, wondering how Seth could have any appetite when he himself couldn\u2019t even think about food without feeling to urge to puke in the stale straw.\u00a0 \u201cBe my guest,\u201d he said bitterly.<\/p>\n

Seth helped himself to the dinner pail, taking out a ham sandwich.\u00a0 Drawing his knees to his chest, Little Joe twisted his face toward the splintered slats of the stall.\u00a0 \u201cAw, come on, Joe,\u201d Seth urged between bites.\u00a0 \u201cNo sense takin\u2019 on so.\u00a0 There wadn\u2019t nothin\u2019 we could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe glanced back, the natural iridescence of his emerald eyes clouded by unassuaged guilt.\u00a0 \u201cWe could\u2019ve stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s foolishness,\u201d Seth declared, polishing off the sandwich and reaching for a flaky fried apple pie.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t\u2019ve done the China folks any good and would\u2019ve landed us in a peck of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could\u2019ve told what we saw,\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

Seth dropped the pie and shoved Joe\u2019s shoulder in disgust.\u00a0 \u201cNow you\u2019ve gone from foolish to just plain crazy!\u00a0 Bear Hoggins wouldn\u2019t think any more of putting a bullet in one of us than he did in the yeller.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t call him that!\u201d Joe snapped.\u00a0 \u201cHe was a man, same as any other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Seth said.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t pay to quarrel with Joe when he got on one of his righteous kicks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWish I\u2019d just gone to school today,\u201d Little Joe sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Seth commiserated, brushing wisps of hay from his salvaged dessert.\u00a0 \u201cFor that matter, I wish I could just go on home\u2014or better yet, go fishin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019 stoppin\u2019 you,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cMe, I gotta stick around \u2018til school lets out so I can meet Mitch and see what\u2019s gonna be on that geography test.\u00a0 After the fit I pitched, Pa\u2019s bound to ask.\u201d\u00a0 Joe sighed again, wondering, as he had many times before, why he couldn\u2019t be as diligent in his duties as his friend Mitch Devlin.\u00a0 Sure would save a heap of trouble if he\u2019d learn to follow good examples instead of bad, as Pa was always pointing out.<\/p>\n

Seth, a year older, didn\u2019t have an upcoming test, and, thus, no real motivation to stay in town.\u00a0 Nonetheless, he punched Joe on the arm and said, \u201cAw, I\u2019ll stick by you.\u00a0 You\u2019d do the same for me, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since seeking shelter in the livery, Little Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, buddy, I\u2019d do the same for you\u2014and thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hours passed slowly and in ill comfort.\u00a0 The dilapidated stable was cold, dark and acrid.\u00a0 Joe was so bored he even considered pulling out one of his textbooks and studying, but there wasn\u2019t enough light to see the printed page.\u00a0 Finally, it was time to collect his horse, meet Mitch and head for home.\u00a0 Joe Cartwright was never so glad to see an afternoon end.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Saturday morning the two older Cartwright brothers were on either end of a two-man saw, cutting trees into the proper length for the fireplace.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s task was to take the cut logs and pile them against the house, and he was doing the job carefully, without a single complaint.\u00a0 That in itself was suspicious, but neither Adam nor Hoss commented on their younger brother\u2019s unaccustomed cooperativeness.\u00a0 They\u2019d all known since supper the night before that something was bothering Little Joe.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t touched his meal, and the nightmare screams that roused all the Cartwrights around midnight had been a further confirmation.\u00a0 Joe, however, had denied that he was feeling unwell or troubled by anything, and, as the entire family knew from experience, when Joe clammed up, there was nothing anyone could do to make him open his shell until he was good and ready.<\/p>\n

Little Joe picked up two more logs to carry to the woodpile, then dropped them to stare wide-eyed at the rider who\u2019d just entered the Ponderosa yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeow!\u201d yelled Hoss, for one of the logs had landed on his foot.\u00a0 \u201cWatch what you\u2019re doin\u2019, youngun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Joe muttered softly and bent to retrieve the log.<\/p>\n

Adam gave the boy an appraising glance.\u00a0 \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t know why Sheriff Coffee is paying us a visit this morning, would you, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should I?\u201d Joe replied, keeping his face to the ground to cover the flush he could feel creeping up his neck.<\/p>\n

With a sardonic smile, Adam sauntered over and extended a hand to the visitor.\u00a0 \u201cRoy, good to see you.\u00a0 What brings you out our way?\u201d<\/p>\n

As he shook the eldest Cartwright brother\u2019s hand, Sheriff Roy Coffee flashed a fleeting look at the other boys.\u00a0 \u201cBusiness, I\u2019m afraid, Adam,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cI need to talk with your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 He\u2019s in the house and will be glad for an excuse to take a break from the books.\u00a0 I\u2019ll walk you in,\u201d Adam offered.<\/p>\n

As Adam and the sheriff went into the house, Hoss laid aside the saw.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019m all for takin\u2019 a break, seein\u2019 as how I cain\u2019t work this thing alone, and you ain\u2019t got the muscle for the job.\u00a0 What do you say we sneak into the kitchen and see what we can pry out of ole Hop Sing for a snack?”<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, you go ahead,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cI got chores in the barn.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think there was any way that deputy had recognized him the day before, so surely Roy Coffee was here for some other reason.\u00a0 Whatever business brought him here, however, Joe\u2019s guilty heart had absolutely no desire to be under the same roof as the sheriff of StoreyCounty.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head as his younger brother aimed for the barn.\u00a0 Skippin\u2019 meals and volunteerin\u2019 to do more chores\u2014yup, sure signs that something was chawin\u2019 on Little Joe\u2019s innards.\u00a0 Gotta get him to talk to me soon<\/em>, Hoss concluded, or he\u2019s gonna plumb pine away<\/em>.<\/p>\n

After handing cups of coffee to his father and the sheriff, Adam poured one for himself and settled into the blue chair by the fire across from his father.\u00a0 Though Ben arched an eyebrow at him, neither he nor Roy Coffee asked the young man to leave, so Adam simply chose to ignore that slight indication of disapproval and kept his seat.\u00a0 The sheriff\u2019s visit had aroused his curiosity, as well as his suspicion that Roy might be able to explain a certain younger brother\u2019s guilt-ridden behavior of the last half day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what is it, Roy?\u201d Ben inquired light-heartedly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be worried that one of my boys had torn up a saloon, except I know they haven\u2019t been to town for a couple of weeks\u2014except Joe for school, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle more serious than a busted-up saloon, I\u2019m afraid, Ben,\u201d the sheriff answered soberly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m investigating a murder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Ben\u2019s and Adam\u2019s countenances suddenly grew grave.\u00a0 \u201cMurder?\u00a0 Who\u2019s been killed?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cChinese laundryman name of Ah Toy,\u201d Roy Coffee replied.\u00a0 \u201cShot down on the street for no reason at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s tragic, of course,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t see how we can be of any help.\u00a0 As I said, none of us has been to town lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept for Little Joe,\u201d the sheriff added.<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged the comment aside.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes.\u201d\u00a0 Then, catching Coffee\u2019s serious expression, he gasped.\u00a0 \u201cSurely, you\u2019re not suggesting that Little Joe is involved in a murder.\u00a0 For the love of mercy, Roy, the boy\u2019s twelve years old!\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy raised a palm to arrest further comment.\u00a0 \u201cLet me tell you what I do know, Ben.\u00a0 A group of boys evidently played hooky yesterday to go sledding on the Union Street hill.\u00a0 Now, I try to discourage that kind of thing because C Street is so busy accidents can happen real easy, but I can\u2019t be everywhere at once, and, well, truant schoolboys come kinda low on my list of problems to solve\u2014until yesterday, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

After taking a sip of coffee, the sheriff continued.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like one of these schoolboys yesterday was toting a gun and when the Chinaman didn\u2019t get out of his way fast enough, the boy up and shot him.\u00a0 I questioned the widow\u2014had to use an interpreter, which made things tougher\u2014and she gave me a rough description of the boy, but couldn\u2019t identify him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot likely she could, is it?\u201d Adam inserted.\u00a0 \u201cAn Oriental woman wouldn\u2019t normally have much contact with Virginia City schoolboys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Roy said, nodding in agreement, \u201cso I\u2019m looking for witnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other boys who were sledding,\u201d Ben concluded, his face darkening as he slowly began to comprehend the reason for the sheriff\u2019s appearance at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you think that Little Joe\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy set his coffee cup on the table before him.\u00a0 \u201cI talked to Miss Jones and got a list of everyone who was absent yesterday\u2014and Joe\u2019s on it, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at least, you\u2019ve solved a mystery for us, Roy.\u00a0 Now we know why Little Joe begged so persuasively to go to school yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s breath spewed forth in exasperation.\u00a0 \u201cThat little\u2014oh, he\u2019s quite the little actor, that one!\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the seriousness of his visit, Roy Coffee had to chuckle at his friend\u2019s livid face.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, he pulled one over on you, Ben, and you got every right to blister his britches over it, but if you could hold off long enough for me to question the boy, I\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d\u00a0 Sobering, the sheriff added, \u201cI\u2019ve already talked to the other absentees, and so far no one will admit seeing anything.\u00a0 The only witness I have is the man\u2019s wife, and I can\u2019t use her.\u00a0 You know the law, Ben.\u00a0 No Chinese is allowed to testify in court either for or against a white man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA bad law,\u201d Ben grunted, \u201cone I\u2019ve been working to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Roy Coffee acknowledged, \u201cand I hope you succeed, but I can only enforce the laws on the books right now.\u00a0 I need a witness, Ben, and Little Joe\u2019s my last hope.\u00a0 Now, I need him to be cooperative, so let me ask my questions before you strike the fear of God in him.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben nodded, his heart sank.\u00a0 He took a dim view of deception, as all his sons well knew, but more important was the sudden realization that his youngest son, his baby, had in all probability witnessed a murder and was holding that horrible secret inside.\u00a0 No wonder the boy hadn\u2019t touched his supper the night before; no wonder he\u2019d awakened screaming in the midst of a nightmare.\u00a0 All thought of punishing the child fled from his mind as he quietly told Adam to call his brother in.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, Pa wants to see you,\u201d Adam called into the barn, having learned from Hoss where the boy was.<\/p>\n

Though Adam\u2019s voice gave no hint of doom about to descend, Little Joe felt his lower lip start to quiver.\u00a0 Pa knew.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a doubt in his mind that Pa knew, and Joe\u2019s hands instinctively reached back to cover the place likely to bear the brunt of that knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet goin\u2019,\u201d Adam said firmly, but kindly.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and started to drag across the yard like a prisoner approaching the scaffold.\u00a0 Adam felt a smile tug at his lips.\u00a0 Poor kid, hasn\u2019t learned yet that anticipating the pain is nine-tenths of the punishment<\/em>.<\/p>\n

With one eye on his younger brother, Hoss sidestepped over to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d he asked, and although he would have preferred to observe the interrogation in the house, Adam remained outside to fill Hoss in.<\/p>\n

Little Joe closed the front door quietly and stood staring at the two men who had swiveled in their seats to watch him enter.<\/p>\n

If Ben had had any doubts before, one glance at his son\u2019s face silenced them.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes, riveted on the sheriff, were wild with terror, and, seeing that, Ben realized his son knew exactly why the law officer was there.\u00a0 He stretched a hand toward Joe and beckoned softly, \u201cCome here, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly Joe made his way across the room to his father\u2019s side, giving Roy Coffee a wide berth.<\/p>\n

Ben drew the boy to one knee, a perch Joe normally disdained as beneath his twelve-year-old dignity.\u00a0 Today, however, the youngster snuggled against his father\u2019s arm, casting anxious glances between the faces of his two elders.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, the sheriff needs to ask you a few questions,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cand I want you to answer them as honestly as you can, without fear of the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe started to shiver, but his father drew him close and whispered a word of encouragement in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right, son; Pa\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, although hesitantly, and fixed his attention on the man on the sofa.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, did you play hooky yesterday?\u201d the sheriff began.<\/p>\n

Little Joe glanced fearfully into his father\u2019s face, lowered his eyes and murmured, \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Then, looking up again, he added, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben kissed the boy\u2019s temple.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with that later.\u00a0 Just answer the sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you part of a group of boys that went sledding on Union Street, son?\u201d the sheriff pursued.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Joe replied quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, I understand this may be hard to talk about, but I need to know if any of those boys was carrying a gun,\u201d Roy Coffee continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of them,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cBigger boys\u2014they\u2014they come and made us give up the sleds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d the sheriff said.\u00a0 \u201cBut you stuck around, didn\u2019t you, hoping to get those sleds back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we did,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I need to know, son, is whether you saw any of those bigger boys use a gun.\u00a0 Anyone shoot one off, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

As the boy began to shake harder, Ben wrapped both arms around him.\u00a0 \u201cThe truth, Little Joe; just tell the sheriff the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2014yes, sir; one of \u2018em fired his gun\u2014and\u2014and he hit a Chinese man.\u00a0 He\u2014he killed him,\u201d Little Joe blurted out, figuring he might as well get it all over with at once.<\/p>\n

The sheriff smiled gratefully at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I needed to know, Little Joe.\u00a0 You\u2019re being real helpful.\u00a0 Now, there\u2019s just one more question I need to ask you.\u00a0 Did you recognize the boy who did the shooting?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, then pressed his face to his father\u2019s chest.\u00a0 Ben stroked the boy\u2019s head soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, you need to give the sheriff the boy\u2019s name.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid.\u00a0 No one will hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked up, fearful, but trusting.\u00a0 He knew Pa would never let Bear Hoggins hurt him, nor would Hoss or Adam, so he gave the sheriff the guilty boy\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee stood to leave and patted the boy on his curly head.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, son.\u00a0 Now I know who to arrest, and I\u2019m gonna get a warrant and give Bear Hoggins a personal invite to jail.\u201d\u00a0 He shook Ben\u2019s hand in farewell.\u00a0 \u201cI imagine the prosecutor will be in touch with you; he\u2019ll want to question Joe before the trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Ben said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cYou tell him we\u2019ll be at his disposal whenever he chooses.\u201d\u00a0 Though he would customarily have seen the sheriff out, Ben remained seated, his arms around his son.\u00a0 Roy Coffee touched his friend\u2019s shoulder sympathetically and left without further farewell.<\/p>\n

Little Joe rested a few moments in his father\u2019s embrace, then raised up.\u00a0 \u201cPa, what the sheriff said about a trial\u2014I\u2014I gotta tell what I saw there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben caressed the boy\u2019s cheek with tender fingers.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I would never force you to testify, but I am asking you to do what you know is right.\u201d\u00a0 He explained briefly about the law against Chinese people testifying against white defendants.\u00a0 \u201cSo you see, Joe, Ah Toy\u2019s wife needs witnesses like you if she\u2019s to see justice done,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not just me,\u201d Joe pressed.\u00a0 \u201cThe other boys, they gotta testify, too, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took his son\u2019s face in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Joe.\u00a0 So far, none of the others will admit they were there.\u00a0 Now, it may be that when they know you\u2019ve come forward, they\u2019ll find the courage to testify, too, but I can\u2019t promise that.\u00a0 You may be the only witness, Joe, but you won\u2019t be alone.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right there with you every minute, and so will Hoss and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I guess I can do it then,\u201d Joe murmured.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou make me real proud, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cUh, Pa?\u00a0 About me playing hooky.\u00a0 You\u2014you gonna tan me?\u201d<\/p>\n

With effort Ben stilled his twitching lips.\u00a0 \u201cWell, let\u2019s see:\u00a0 you lied to me; you skipped school; you engaged in a dangerous activity.\u00a0 Can you deny that you\u2019ve earned yourself a good, hard tanning, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe squirmed, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but Pa\u2019s lap.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I can\u2019t,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree,\u201d Ben said with feigned severity, then pulled the boy close.\u00a0 \u201cSeeing as how you\u2019ve got a rough road ahead of you, though, I\u2019m inclined to be lenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked up hopefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of the tanning, I believe I\u2019ll sentence you to spending every spare minute this weekend in your room, studying for that geography test you\u2019re so eager to pass.\u00a0 Time out for chores and meals, of course, but otherwise I\u2019ll expect to see your nose in your geography text.\u00a0 Is that clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe moaned.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t I just take the licking and get it over with, Pa?\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The weekend of enforced study seemed interminable to Little Joe, and Monday morning brought no reprieve.\u00a0 Miss Abigail Jones seemed disinclined to show mercy to the boys who had absented themselves from the classroom on Friday, so she kept Joe and the other miscreants confined to their seats during recess with instructions to write \u201cI will not play hooky\u201d one hundred times.\u00a0\u00a0 With his attention continually drawn to the window, through which he could see his more dutiful friends enjoying the rewards of right behavior, Joe barely finished the hated sentences in the prescribed time.<\/p>\n

The only pleasurable part of the morning, to Joe\u2019s surprise, had been taking the dreaded geography test.\u00a0 The additional hours of study had paid off, as almost every question covered an area the boy had perused repeatedly that weekend. \u00a0When the papers were handed back shortly before noon, Joe was amazed to see that he had missed only one question and earned a grade certain to please his father and even impress his scholarly brother Adam, who frequently chided Joe for his sloppy study habits.<\/p>\n

Excited as Joe was by the unexpected sight of an A at the top of his test paper, however, he could scarcely wait for Miss Jones to dismiss the class for lunch.\u00a0 There were fellows he needed to talk to, and heading the list was the boy he considered one of his best friends.\u00a0 Grabbing his lunch pail, Joe made a beeline for Seth Pruitt.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Seth, wait up!\u201d he called, for Seth seemed determined to avoid the boy with whom he normally shared the noon meal.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s other habitual meal partners, Mitch Devlin and Aylsworth \u201cTuck\u201d Tucker, trailed behind him as he caught up to the fourth member of their group.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Joe,\u201d Tuck asked urgently.\u00a0 \u201cIs it true you seen Bear Hoggins shoot a man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Joe said absently, intent on catching up to the other boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re gonna speak out against him in court?\u201d an awed Tuck pumped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Joe replied, waving his shadow off as he hurried forward.\u00a0 \u201cSeth!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cYou get back here right now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Seth turned to face his friend.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Joe,\u201d he mumbled weakly.<\/p>\n

Tossing his lunch pail down, Joe glared at his friend, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cHi, yourself,\u201d he grunted.\u00a0 \u201cSome reason you don\u2019t want to eat with us today?\u201d\u00a0 Mitch and Tuck moved to flank Joe and, taking their cue from the group\u2019s leader, stared down the older boy.<\/p>\n

Seth raked a nervous hand through his straight, tawny hair.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, \u2018course not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t look that way to me,\u201d Mitch, who considered Seth a rival for Joe\u2019s esteem, accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind your own business, Devlin,\u201d Seth snapped.\u00a0 \u201cLook, if you wanna eat, let\u2019s eat.\u201d\u00a0 He plopped down next to the schoolhouse and pulled the lid off his lunch pail.<\/p>\n

Eyes narrowing, Joe squatted beside his friend.\u00a0 \u201cMy pa says no one but me \u2018fessed up to seein\u2019 that shootin\u2019 the other day.\u00a0 That true?\u00a0 You lie about it, Seth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBet Seth\u2019s scared of Bear Hoggins,\u201d Mitch snorted as he, too, sat down and examined the contents of his lunch pail.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it back, Devlin,\u201d Seth demanded, knuckles tightening.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t scared of nothin\u2019.\u201d
\n\u201cWell, I sure would be,\u201d timid Tuck inserted quickly, sensing tempers about to flare.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t see how either of you can even think about takin\u2019 on someone the size of Bear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pa and Hoss and Adam\u2019ll see to it he don\u2019t bother me,\u201d Joe advised Tuck confidently, then turned back to Seth.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll look out for you, too, if that\u2019s really what\u2019s bothering you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you I ain\u2019t scared,\u201d Seth protested, \u201cleastways not of Bear, but I can\u2019t cross my uncle, Joe.\u00a0 He said he\u2019d flail me alive if I took up for a Chinaman over a white man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned, knowing his friend\u2019s concern to be a valid one.\u00a0 Elijah Pruitt always took a hard line with the nephew with whose upbringing he\u2019d been saddled after the death of Seth\u2019s parents and had been known to lay a whip across the boy\u2019s back on more than one occasion.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone,\u201d Joe muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI was hopin\u2019 we could stick together on this, Seth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Seth said, \u201cbut I just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, okay, I guess,\u201d Joe sighed, standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t you gonna eat your lunch, Joe?\u201d Mitch queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I gotta talk to the others that was there,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cDivide it up among yourselves.\u201d\u00a0 The offer was eagerly accepted, for each member of the group knew any lunch pail packed by Hop Sing was likely to contain culinary treasures.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s quest to find someone to join him in his stand against Bear Hoggins proved fruitless. All the potential witnesses were either afraid or had parents who felt the way Seth\u2019s uncle did.\u00a0 In fact, Howie Barton\u2019s adamant declaration that he wasn\u2019t about to face down the bully for the sake of \u201csome dirty yeller chink\u201d led to an exchange of fisticuffs that cost Little Joe his afternoon recess.\u00a0 When, in addition to making him write one hundred promises not to fight on the school grounds, Miss Jones also handed him a note for his father, Joe feared that not even an unexpected A on a test paper would save him from a painful trip across Pa\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Once he knew the cause of the fight that precipitated the teacher\u2019s note, Pa had been much more understanding than Little Joe had dared hope.\u00a0 The seat of the boy\u2019s pants remained cool and his pocket even drooped pleasurably with the nickel with which Pa had rewarded his high mark in geography.\u00a0 With a smile on his face, Joe headed for the bakery after school on Tuesday to buy a square of gingerbread to nibble on the ride home.<\/p>\n

His purchase made, Joe licked the white icing atop the cake as his boot heels clicked briskly along the wooden sidewalk toward the hitching rail where his horse was tethered.\u00a0 He was blissfully unaware of the pairs of eyes that had watched him enter the bakery and now peered from the shadows of a nearby alley.\u00a0 As Little Joe passed that alley, four hands grabbed him and jerked him into the narrow passageway.\u00a0 The gingerbread landed, icing down, in the dirt, and the toe of Joe\u2019s boot smashed through it as he was dragged further from the street.\u00a0 Joe started to yell, but a hand came across his mouth, silencing him.\u00a0 With one brawny arm the assailant pinned both of Joe\u2019s slim limbs behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up, kid,\u201d the boy holding him ordered.<\/p>\n

A second aggressor poked Joe in the stomach with his stubby index finger.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re here to teach you, boy\u2014how to shut your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes widened as he recognized one of the bullies who had confiscated the younger boys\u2019 sleds the previous Friday.\u00a0 He correctly assumed that the one restraining him was the other who had been with Bear Hoggins that morning.\u00a0 Joe kicked and squirmed, trying to break free, and his boot made contact with the knee of the boy in front of him.\u00a0 Maddened by the sharp pain, the ruffian drew back his fist and drove it fiercely into the pit of Joe\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n

Joe gasped in shock at the first blow, then in pain as the bully continued to pummel his midriff.\u00a0 Again and again Joe felt the fist slam into his gut, and when the fellow pinioning his arms and strangling his cries for help finally released him, he fell breathless to the ground.<\/p>\n

A stubby finger wagged in front of his face.\u00a0 \u201cKeep your mouth shut about Bear, boy, or you\u2019ll hurt worse next time,\u201d his chief assailant threatened.<\/p>\n

Joe was slow to rise, but he finally struggled to his feet and stumbled onto busy C Street.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t recognize the man who caught him as he fell forward, but sensing the man was a good and caring person, he let himself relax in those strong arms as if they had been those of his own father.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The door to Paul Martin\u2019s office flew open and Ben Cartwright burst through.\u00a0 The doctor, who had been writing at his desk in the reception area, stood at once and laid calming hands on his old friend\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s all right, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right?\u201d\u00a0 Ben asked anxiously.\u00a0 \u201cBut Roy\u2019s message said he\u2019d been badly beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s badly bruised, and he\u2019ll be very sore for several days, but I\u2019ve checked him carefully, Ben, and there are no cracked ribs, no internal injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben exhaled slowly.\u00a0 \u201cThank God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll want to see him, of course.\u00a0 He\u2019s in there.\u201d\u00a0 The doctor gestured toward a door labeled Sick Room.<\/p>\n

Ben opened the door and stepped through, his eyes drawn like a magnet to the small figure in the middle bed.<\/p>\n

Little Joe turned at the sound of his father\u2019s step, and his slender arms stretched yearningly toward the source of all comfort.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he whimpered softly.<\/p>\n

Ben rushed forward, engulfing the boy in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Joe,\u201d he cried, stroking the soft brown curls.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right; Pa\u2019s here now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nestled into the safety of his father\u2019s embrace as Ben gently stroked his son\u2019s bruised cheek.\u00a0 Although no fist had struck Joe\u2019s face, the dark imprint of broad fingers declared how tightly he had been held during the abuse.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all over, Little Joe,\u201d Ben soothed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2014he said they\u2019d do it again if I talked about Bear,\u201d Joe said, then with a stubborn set of his jaw added, \u201cbut I\u2019m gonna, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna tell what I saw, no matter what they do, \u2018cause it just ain\u2019t right not to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat back and looked with amazement at that determined young face, knowing how few grown men would have made as stalwart a statement.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a very brave boy, Little Joe,\u201d he said, \u201cbut don\u2019t you worry about those bullies.\u00a0 From now until the trial, either one of your brothers or I will see you to school and home again.\u00a0 They won\u2019t touch you, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ordinarily, the idea of being escorted to and from school would have horrified Little Joe, but he simply nodded with a look of relief.\u00a0 He knew he was no match for the older boys who had threatened him, but just let them try to touch him with Hoss or Adam near at hand!\u00a0 In fact, just picturing the ruffians\u2019 fate at the hands of Hoss was enough to bring a grin to Joe\u2019s lips as Ben lifted him up to carry him home.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Little Joe hugged his father\u2019s side as they entered the Storey County Courthouse on the day of the trial, though not because he feared that anyone would hurt him.\u00a0 As promised, his family had faithfully guarded him whenever he was in Virginia City, and they were all with him today to see that no one interfered with his testimony.\u00a0 It was the thought of giving that testimony, however, that made Joe take comfort in his father\u2019s closeness.\u00a0 He\u2019d never even been inside a courtroom before, and the idea of sitting in that chair at the front of the room and speaking out before so many people was making him edgy.<\/p>\n

Placing a supportive hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder, Ben guided him into a seat in the front row.\u00a0 Hoss quickly took the chair next to his little brother, and put a protective arm around the boy.\u00a0 \u201cAll over soon,\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n

Nibbling his lower lip, Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

Noticing the nervousness, Ben leaned his head to touch Little Joe\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cJust answer the questions honestly, son.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing to fear if you do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I will, Pa,\u201d Joe promised.<\/p>\n

Since he was the only witness for the prosecution, Little Joe soon got his chance to keep that vow.\u00a0 When his name was called, he walked toward the front of the room.\u00a0 Bear Hoggins hissed at him as he went past the defendant\u2019s table, but Joe just ignored it, knowing there was nothing Bear could do to him with a roomful of people looking on.<\/p>\n

Little Joe placed his hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.\u00a0 Then, with a smile, the county prosecutor walked toward his star witness.\u00a0 The lawyer had been to the Ponderosa a couple of days before, and the questions he asked were the same ones Joe had answered then, so the boy had no problem answering them again.<\/p>\n

As Bear Hoggins\u2019 defense attorney approached, though, Joe felt his stomach churn.\u00a0 This was a stranger, one determined to make Joe look bad, and Joe couldn\u2019t help feeling a little intimidated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well,\u201d the lawyer smirked.\u00a0 \u201cSo you say you were sledding down Union Street hill on the morning in question, were you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Little Joe answered respectfully, as both Pa and Adam had repeatedly told him he must in a court of law.<\/p>\n

Unseen by the jury, the lawyer gave the small witness a snide leer. \u201cNot where you were supposed to be, was it, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head, embarrassed at having to admit his misdeed before the whole town.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir; I was supposed to be in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s where your father thought you were, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe cast an unhappy look at his father, who smiled back encouragingly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s where I told him I\u2019d be.\u201d<\/p>\n

A glint of triumph sprang into the lawyer\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAh ha!\u00a0 You lied to him, didn\u2019t you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes fell to his lap.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak up, boy,\u201d the lawyer ordered briskly.\u00a0 \u201cThe jury has a right to hear of your dishonesty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObjection, your honor,\u201d the prosecutor protested, rising from his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cSustained,\u201d the judge ruled and turned to admonish Hoggins\u2019 lawyer.\u00a0 \u201cThe jury will decide who is being dishonest and who is not, Mr. Sloan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, your honor,\u201d Mr. Sloan replied smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cMy only concern is that the witness speak up so the jury can hear his testimony and be able to make that decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe witness is instructed to speak loudly enough to be heard,\u201d the judge said, then with a kindly look at Little Joe, added, \u201cDid you understand that, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe, staring up in awe at the magistrate, could only nod his affirmation.<\/p>\n

Mr. Sloan stood before the youthful witness, stroking his pointed goatee in apparent thought.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you admit lying to your father on the morning in question.\u00a0 Is that the only time you\u2019ve ever lied to him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Joe swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn\u2019t be pressed for details.\u00a0 If there was one crime more likely to bring swift retribution in the Cartwright home than any other, it was lying, and while Pa had an uncanny talent for sniffing out falsehoods, Joe had uttered a few his father had yet to discover.\u00a0 Joe definitely hoped his interrogator was not about to have him list all the lies he\u2019d ever told.<\/p>\n

Lawyer Sloan, however, seemed content simply to establish that Joseph Cartwright had a history of telling untruths.\u00a0 \u201cIs your father the only person to whom you\u2019ve ever lied?\u201d he next demanded.<\/p>\n

Little Joe squirmed uncomfortably.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no,\u201d he finally admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else has been a victim of your propensity for falsehood?\u201d Sloan inquired loftily.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s shoulders rose in a vague shrug.\u00a0 \u201cMy brothers, my teacher\u2014\u2014I don\u2019t know who else.\u201d<\/p>\n

A look of apparent shock transfixed the lawyer\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou \u2018don\u2019t know who else\u2019?\u201d he asked, spreading his hands in evident amazement.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean, you\u2019ve told so many lies to so many people that you cannot even recall them?\u201d\u00a0 Leaning so close to the witness that his long, pointed nose was inches from Joe\u2019s small one, he said loudly, \u201cYou are, in fact, a habitual liar, are you not, Joseph Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe drew back and answered through trembling lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t know; I don\u2019t know what that means.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, since your answers are likely to be based on either lies or ignorance, I see no point in questioning you further,\u201d Sloan announced and, turning his back disdainfully on the boy, strode back to his seat beside his client.<\/p>\n

Feeling tears of embarrassment welling up in his eyes, Joe looked toward his family.\u00a0 Fury flared across Hoss\u2019s features, and Adam had his arm thrown across the big man\u2019s chest, obviously holding him back from tearing Lawyer Sloan to pieces.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s mouth was set in a taut line, and for a moment Joe thought the anger was directed at him, but his father\u2019s lips suddenly softened as he met Joe\u2019s gaze, and the look in his velvet eyes became one of love and concern.\u00a0 With a sigh of relief, Joe slipped out of the witness chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a moment, Little Joe,\u201d the prosecutor said gently as he walked toward the youngster.\u00a0 \u201cI have a couple more questions to ask you, my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though visibly upset by having to take that hated chair once again, Little Joe did as he was told.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor patted the boy\u2019s hand to assure him the ordeal would soon be over.\u00a0 \u201cI just wanted to ask you why you lied to your father about going sledding that morning, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer to that was so obvious Little Joe couldn\u2019t imagine why anyone would even ask.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t want Pa to tan me,\u201d he replied honestly.\u00a0 A wave of titters rippled through the courtroom.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor let the audience see that he shared their appreciation of the little lad\u2019s confession to a common foible of youth.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you knew that would happen if he found out you\u2019d played hooky, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, \u2018course I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese other lies you\u2019ve told on occasion, Little Joe, were they pretty much for the same reason, to stay out of trouble?\u201d the prosecutor pursued.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh huh, sure,\u201d Little Joe responded readily.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor turned slightly sideways, so the jury could have a better view of the boy\u2019s guileless face.\u00a0 \u201cTell me, Little Joe, have you ever told a lie to get someone else in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked astonished.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir!\u201d he declared adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t ever do that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo when you say that you saw Bear Hoggins murder the Chinese laundryman, you\u2019re not trying to get him in trouble.\u00a0 You\u2019re just telling the truth, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure am,\u201d Little Joe announced with a determined nod of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no more questions for you, my boy,\u201d the prosecutor stated, favoring the young witness with a broad smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou may go sit with your family now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned with relief and all but jumped out of the witness box and scuttled over to his father\u2019s welcoming embrace.<\/p>\n

After the defense presented a couple of alibi witnesses for Bear Hoggins, each lawyer next addressed the jury, trying to persuade those twelve men to his point of view.\u00a0 Then after sending the jurors out to deliberate the case, the judge dismissed court until such time as a verdict had been rendered.\u00a0 As everyone stood, Ben took his youngest son\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cReady for some lunch, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe, who had for days been described by Hoss as \u201coff his feed,\u201d suddenly felt ravenous.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m half-starved, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pleased to see a more carefree attitude in his little boy, Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then, how does the Caf\u00e9 de Paris sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe beamed as though the sun had just burst through gray clouds.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah!\u00a0 Thanks, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Eating at a French restaurant always reminded him of his mother, and Joe knew it was a treat Pa saved for special occasions.<\/p>\n

Adam, who also enjoyed French cookery, looked pleased, while Hoss just shrugged.\u00a0 He preferred plain fare personally, but was so happy to see Little Joe\u2019s eagerness for the meal that he didn\u2019t mind putting up with a fancy place for once.\u00a0 And for once Hoss couldn\u2019t complain about the amount his little brother packed away.\u00a0 Joe shoveled in food as though he were trying to make up for all lost opportunities of the past, chattering while he chewed in a determined effort to cancel out his unnatural quietness of the past several days.<\/p>\n

After eating, the Cartwrights left the Caf\u00e9 de Paris and made their way back toward the courthouse.\u00a0 On entering C Street, they saw a throng of other people headed that direction, too.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Ben asked a man rushing past him.<\/p>\n

\u201cVerdict\u2019s in!\u201d the man shouted over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked excited.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he shouted, grabbing his brawny brother\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go see Bear get what\u2019s comin\u2019 to him!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss grinned at his little brother and let himself be pulled toward the courthouse.\u00a0 Ben and Adam, on the other hand, both frowned as they followed the boys, each fearing that the quick decision indicated the verdict was not the one which they had hoped, and the youngest member of the family obviously believed, would result.<\/p>\n

Little Joe sat in silent shock when the foreman of the jury pronounced Bear Hoggins not guilty.\u00a0 With eyes raised in anguish to his father\u2019s face, he never saw the triumphant sneer Bear directed his way as he left the courtroom a free man.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2014I thought he\u2019d go to jail if I told what I saw,\u201d Joe said, his face poignant with disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimple justice is too much to ask of Virginia City\u2019s fine citizens, I suppose,\u201d Adam, standing in the aisle, muttered harshly.<\/p>\n

Ben turned a stern gaze on his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cIf that\u2019s the most helpful comment you can make, get out of here,\u201d he snapped and jerked his head toward the door.<\/p>\n

Adam bit his tongue as he acknowledged his father\u2019s rebuke with a nod.\u00a0 Pa was right.\u00a0 Cynicism, however justified, was not what his youngest brother needed to hear, not at twelve years innocent.\u00a0 Tapping Hoss on the arm, he motioned with his head for the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019ll be okay, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said, tousling his brother\u2019s brown curls.\u00a0 \u201cThat Bear ain\u2019t gonna bother you none.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, come on,\u201d Adam urged softly, realizing his father wanted to talk to Joe alone.<\/p>\n

Ben slipped an arm around his youngest son\u2019s shoulders and drew him close.\u00a0 \u201cAre you worried about retaliation?\u201d he asked after they had sat silently in the now empty courtroom for a few moments.<\/p>\n

Joe looked up, puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed at himself as he realized he\u2019d used a word beyond Joe\u2019s understanding.\u00a0 \u201cI meant, are you worried about Bear trying to get back at you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u00a0 No,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, then?\u201d Ben probed gently.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s chin started to quiver.\u00a0 \u201cThey didn\u2019t believe me, Pa.\u00a0 They think I lied, like that lawyer said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben squeezed the narrow shoulder into his broad side.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joe,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cThey don\u2019t believe that; everyone could see you were telling the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cBut they said \u2018not guilty,\u2019 Pa.\u00a0 How could they say that if they believed me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed, wishing with all his heart that his young son could be spared this harsh lesson in reality.\u00a0 \u201cBecause Ah Toy was Chinese, Joseph.\u00a0 For that reason and none other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s small features screwed up in bewilderment.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t see what difference that makes, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took both his son\u2019s slim arms in his hands and turned the boy to face him.\u00a0 \u201cNo difference, Little Joe, no difference except in men\u2019s hearts.\u00a0 Some people, like you and I, look at a person like Ah Toy and see the person.\u00a0 Others, like the men on the jury, can\u2019t see past the color of his skin, and that inability to see the real person is what shaped their verdict.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s head drooped.\u00a0 \u201cThen it didn\u2019t do no good to testify, did it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted the boy and hugged him tight as he set him on his knee.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yes, Little Joe, it did do some good.\u00a0 There\u2019s always good accomplished when you do the right thing.\u201d\u00a0 He raised Joe\u2019s chin so he could look directly into his shimmering emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cListen to me, son.\u00a0 Prejudice is not a problem that can be overcome in a single day, but each time someone finds the courage to stand against it, it makes it a little easier for the next person to do the same.\u00a0 Today, Little Joe, everyone in Virginia City saw a twelve-year-old boy exhibit that courage, and I guarantee that the next time a case like this comes to trial, someone will remember that little boy, and his courage will challenge them to do what they know is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hopeful smile touched the youngster\u2019s lips.\u00a0 \u201cYou really think so, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, Joe,\u201d Ben said with conviction.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like a sculptor who starts with an ugly block of marble and gradually chips away at it with chisel and mallet until a beautiful statue emerges.\u00a0 You knocked off some of the first chips of prejudice today, Little Joe, and if people keep chipping away at that ugliness, someday acceptance for all people will emerge, and it\u2019ll be a beautiful sight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReal beautiful,\u201d Little Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben agreed as he set Joe on the floor.\u00a0 He stood to his feet and laid a broad palm on each of his son\u2019s small shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you and I are going out on that street, and I want you to hold your head high, \u2018cause you\u2019ve got every right to be proud.\u00a0 I know I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0To the rest of his family\u2019s surprise, Little Joe decided to return to school to finish out the afternoon session.\u00a0 Miss Jones welcomed him and, without making reference to the reason for his absence that morning, calmly told him to take his seat.\u00a0 As Joe walked toward the back of the room, he felt everyone\u2019s eyes follow him and noted the reactions of his special friends.\u00a0 Unable to meet Joe\u2019s forthright gaze, Seth kept his eyes glued to his desk, but Mitch smiled and gave a nod of approval.<\/p>\n

It was the look on Tuck\u2019s face, though, that made the sharpest impression on Little Joe.\u00a0 Tuck\u2019s brown eyes were alight with unconcealed hero worship, and he was sitting up straighter than Joe had ever seen the self-effacing boy do before.\u00a0 As Joe paused in the aisle beside his friend\u2019s desk, both boys were framed in the square of warm sunlight pouring through a nearby window.\u00a0 Their eyes met in a telegraphed message, and in that instant Joe knew that a new spark of courage had ignited in his shy friend\u2019s heart and that here was a boy to whom he might pass the chisel. He knew now, with certainty, that Pa had been right.\u00a0 Testifying in court that morning might not have produced the result Joe hoped for, but it had borne fruit, and he had a strong feeling Tuck would not be the only apple to fall from that tree.<\/p>\n

\u00a0THE END<\/p>\n

\u00a9 November, 2000<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:<\/strong> Ben Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Mitch Devlin, Trial<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: \u00a0A day of skipping school turns tragic for Little Joe, who must then find the courage to stand alone in the defense of justice. \u00a0This story is based on a little known incident in the annals of Virginia City justice.\u00a0 While I do not know the outcome of the actual case, this is what I think might have happened had Little Joe Cartwright been the only witness.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0(9,500 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":5343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1007,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2170,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/WitnessStand.jpg?fit=292%2C173&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12750","url_meta":{"origin":5342,"position":0},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #3 – A Quarter\u2019s Worth of Glory: Joe in the Infernal Machine (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Headlines ripped from the daily newspaper in this modern era tale of the Cartwrights. 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