Summary: A shadowed room, thick with the scent of incense, reverberates with the whispers of the Ancestors. What do they seek, and can anyone defy their mystic call? For He Xing\u2014known to the white man as Hop Sing\u2014questions crowd the silence, yet only one answer emerges, undeniable and unyielding.\u00a0\u00a0Xu\u00e8 h\u01cei xu\u00e8 ch\u00f3u.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>Blood revenge.<\/p>\n
Rating: T+
\nWord Count: 55,685<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fragrance of Violets<\/p>\n
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Prologue<\/strong><\/p>\n Many years had passed since he occupied this place.\u00a0 A telegram delivered to Mistah Ben\u2019s beautiful house had brought him here, to Chinatown in Lake\u2019s Crossing.\u00a0 He came even though he had no wish to do so, for not<\/em> to come would have meant to dishonor his ji\u0101t\u00edng<\/em>.<\/p>\n His family.<\/p>\n Hop Sing closed his bleary eyes to rest them. The place he inhabited was darkly lit; colorful red and blue paper lanterns emblazoned with golden characters masked waxy pillars of light within.\u00a0 The air was thick with their smoke as well as the heady scent of exotic spices.\u00a0 He sat on the floor in a circle of men.\u00a0 Around them was another circle; this one of women.\u00a0 Clothed in traditional garb, the wives, mothers and daughters of the H<\/em>\u00e9 clan <\/em>chanted prayers seeking the intercession of the ancestors.<\/p>\n The eldest of the Hop family sat opposite him.\u00a0 His honorable father Hop Ling was an old man, but H<\/em>\u00e9 Zh\u00ecming<\/em> was older still.\u00a0 The old man\u2019s mind was sharp and his black eyes, keen and knowing.\u00a0 Each contained the knowledge of all that had gone before.\u00a0 An ancient parchment, bound with ribbon, lay unfurled on the patterned carpet before him, alive with azure and crimson dragons; its contents penned by many hands.\u00a0 Upon Zhiming\u2019s death the timeworn scroll would pass to Hop Ling and, in time, to him as eldest son of the eldest son.\u00a0 Then, the honor and most heavy burden of embracing the ancestors\u2019 immense wisdom would be his.<\/p>\n He did not want it.<\/p>\n Even though honor was as necessary to him as breathing.<\/p>\n \u2018A family’s honor is its most valuable treasure.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018A family without honor is like a tree without roots.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018A man’s honor reflects the honor of his family.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018In the eyes of the world, a family’s honor is its greatest legacy.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n Hop Sing sighed.<\/p>\n At times it was a family\u2019s only<\/em> legacy.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething troubles you, my son?\u201d Hop Ling asked, his aged voice pitched low so as to disturb no others.<\/p>\n The younger man indicated the circle of which they were a part.\u00a0 \u201cWhat right have we to come together for such a purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n Infinite sadness was expressed in a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cThe only right there is.\u00a0 We do so to preserve our family\u2019s honor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut at what cost?\u201d<\/p>\n “Honor is a steep island without a shore,\u201d a rasping voice remarked, entering the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cOne cannot return once one is outside.\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing steeled himself before turning to face the eldest of the H\u00e9.\u00a0 \u201cHonorable Zh\u00ecming.\u00a0 May this one speak what is on his heart?\u201d<\/p>\n The elder nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIs forgiveness not the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel of the one who has crushed it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy son\u2026,\u201d Hop Ling warned.<\/p>\n Zh\u00ecming raised a wrinkled hand; his words \u2013 like that hand \u2013 were indisputable.\u00a0 \u201cWhile it is true that forgiveness is the key to happiness and inner peace, my son Xing<\/em>, one cannot forgive the dead.\u00a0 This <\/em>is wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n The elder spoke a few words to the crowd before \u2013 with deepest reverence \u2013 he unrolled the parchment that contained the ji\u0101p\u01d4<\/em> of their family and began to read aloud; his most venerable eyes moving from right to left as they traced the lives of each and every member of the H\u00e9 clan.<\/p>\n Hop Sing listened; his heart at war with his head. \u00a0These words were more than a litany of the names of the dead.\u00a0 They were magic that wove a spell and called the ancestors to this place.\u00a0 He could feel them; they clustered around him and whispered in his ear, urging him to choose the path of honor. \u00a0The elder H\u00e9 paused as he came to the end of the scroll and the names became those of the living.\u00a0 Zh\u00ecming articulated the last few clearly, designating Hop Ling and his many sons.<\/p>\n All but one.\u00a0 The last name was left unspoken.<\/p>\n This was what Hop Ling meant by saving the honor of their family.\u00a0 This<\/em> was what he must achieve.<\/p>\n Xu\u00e8 de f\u00f9ch\u00f3u.<\/em><\/p>\n Revenge of the Blood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter One<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t his fault.<\/p>\n Well, not really.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t that he tried<\/em> to get into trouble.\u00a0 Actually, it was just the opposite.\u00a0 He did his darnedest to stay out<\/em> of trouble, but somehow he always managed to slip or trip and just plain plunge<\/em> into it anyway.<\/p>\n Like now.<\/p>\n Handsome, devil-may-care, and \u2013 at times \u2013 just plain na\u00efve sixteen year-old Joseph Francis Cartwright knew he was in trouble.\u00a0 First of all he\u2019d defied his pa to come to the settlement alone. \u00a0The second notch in the gun-handle was that the girl he\u2019d come here to court wasn\u2019t exactly the type you\u2019d take to the church social.\u00a0 The third \u2013 and this was the deepest <\/em>cut \u2013 was the fact that the saloon girl hadn\u2019t let him know she was married\u2026until tonight when her husband burst into the Soap and tried to mop the floor with him!<\/p>\n It was a good thing he was fast.<\/p>\n Joe swallowed over the catch in his throat as the circle of thick-necked brutes clad in coal dust tightened around him.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, not quite fast<\/em> enough.<\/p>\n The teenager took a step back.\u00a0 A few choice <\/em>words his proper pa would definitely not<\/em> have approved of crossed his full lips when he felt the heel of his boot make contact with the wooden fence that marked the end of the poorly lit alley.\u00a0 He\u2019d been hot-footing it back to Cochise when one of the gang caught sight of him. \u00a0That<\/em> brought the whole lot \u2013 Joe wasn\u2019t sure how many there were, he\u2019d lost count at eight \u2013 down on him.\u00a0 With mounting terror he\u2019d zipped to the right when he should have zagged to the left and ended up here.<\/p>\n It was hard for a man to think clearly when someone was shouting for a rope!<\/p>\n Miners sure enough had no sense of humor.<\/p>\n He\u2019d seen the foul-mouthed rough and tumble crew before frequenting the saloon.\u00a0 The hugest one \u2013 who would, of course<\/em>, turn out to be Tabby\u2019s husband! \u2013 was named Knox, which was kind of appropriate since he was big and stupid as an ox. \u00a0The others were always hanging around him, so he guessed they worked together.\u00a0 The miner\u2019s clothes were thick with coal dust, their faces blackened, and they smelled sulfurous as gunpowder.\u00a0 Now that he thought about it, that<\/em> was one of the things Tabby kept saying over and over \u2013 how she liked the fact that he smelled clean and sweet, like soap and bay rum.<\/p>\n It was a sure bet ol\u2019 Knox wouldn\u2019t know a bar of soap from his backside!<\/p>\n How a pretty little filly like Tabitha Katherine Tryon ever hooked up with a hulk like Knox Knowles he\u2019d never guess.\u00a0 Tabby was no bigger than a minute.\u00a0 He thought she might be twenty or twenty-one, though she\u2019d never said and he\u2019d decided it was best not to ask.\u00a0 The dance-hall girl wore her dark-amber hair piled high on her head.\u00a0 Her blue eyes were clear and bright as the waters of Bigler Lake; her lips plump and pink as the blush on a peach.\u00a0 Being what she was and doing what she\u2026did\u2026Tabby had laced her corset tightly and pulled her waist in until a man could ring it with two hands and \u2013 hoo-doggy! \u2013 was there plenty above it to fill them!<\/p>\n Not that he\u2019d ever\u2026.<\/p>\n Well\u2026you know.<\/p>\n But he\u2019d thought about it plenty.<\/p>\n He\u2019d met Tabby a while back on a late September day when Adam and Hoss\u2019 thirst had outweighed their better judgment and they\u2019d agreed to take him into the saloon with them.\u00a0 He\u2019d been fifteen at the time.\u00a0 Before they walked through the batwing doors, his brother swore him to secrecy.<\/p>\n Like he<\/em> was gonna tell their Pa!<\/p>\n Anyhow, after<\/em> making him swear he wouldn\u2019t stand up, walk around or even breathe,<\/em> his brothers left him sitting alone at a table in a dark corner while they went to talk with their friends.\u00a0 Twenty minutes later he was still <\/em>sitting there \u2013 fuming, mind you \u2013 when a vision of heaven visited him bringing along a sarsaparilla and a smile.\u00a0 At the time he couldn\u2019t understand why Hoss and Adam got so hot when they saw him talking to Tabby.\u00a0 He told himself it was because they were jealous.<\/p>\n Joe shrank back as the miners\u2019 shadows overtook him.<\/p>\n Now he knew it was because they wanted to keep him alive.<\/p>\n Tabby had bold-faced lied to him for going on six months now.\u00a0 He\u2019d met her in September, snuck out and sparked with her a couple of times through the winter when the way to town was clear and fallen head-for-heels in love with the bloom of spring.\u00a0 He was sure<\/em> she was the \u2018one\u2019.\u00a0 Then again, he\u2019d been sure of that a couple of times before and found out the word \u2018sure\u2019 had what brother Adam liked to call \u2018multiple definitions\u2019.\u00a0 He\u2019d been wrong then.<\/p>\n But not near<\/em> as wrong as now.<\/p>\n Joe pressed his back into the rough fence as the mob of miners parted and Knox Knowles stepped forward with all of the righteous indignation of Moses cleaving the Red Sea.\u00a0 He\u2019d considered trying to explain, but in the end decided telling a man his wife was really<\/em> good at leading other men on was probably not <\/em>the smartest thing to do.<\/p>\n Not if he wanted to live.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The shadow was supple; it\u2019s owner lean and lithe and sure as a cat on the prowl.\u00a0 The man made no noise as he merged into one with the gloom lining the noisome alley behind the saloon.\u00a0 The shingle that swung in the chill May wind before its ramshackle exterior \u2013 listing to the port and starboard like a schooner in a Nor\u2019easter \u2013 did not yet bear the establishment\u2019s chosen name.\u00a0 In time it would become known as \u2018The Bucket of Blood\u2019.\u00a0 The shadow agreed with the choice.\u00a0 Since he had come to the white man\u2019s settlement he had witnessed three brawls, each ending in slaughter.<\/p>\n If he did not choose to intervene, it would soon be four.<\/p>\n A pack of vultures with darkened faces surrounded a baak nan hai<\/em> bent on his destruction.\u00a0 He had been in the saloon and watched as this young one play with fire.\u00a0 It did not take the wisdom of an elder to know that trouble was soon to come.\u00a0 Once\u2026long<\/em> ago\u2026he also had been a pretty boy with wide eyes cloaked by lush obsidian lashes; a boy who knew well how to use them as an invitation to pleasure.<\/p>\n As with all things, in time his pleasure turned to pain and robbed him of all he had \u2013 family, friends, country; home.\u00a0 He became a shadow; a form without substance.<\/p>\n He was Jiangshi.<\/em><\/p>\n A cry of fear masked as defiance roused the Asian man from his reverie and returned his attention to the task at hand.\u00a0 The white boy\u2019s strength was no match for his enemies. They were voracious as wolves.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Such a thought did brother wolf a dishonor.\u00a0 A wolf defended.\u00a0 It killed only to live.<\/p>\n These men sought death for death alone.<\/p>\n They would prevail.<\/p>\n Unless the Jiangshi chose to intervene.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n It was like trying to reason with a rain-soaked mountain hell-bent on an avalanche.<\/p>\n Joe cleared his throat and tried again.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I\u2019m sorry\u2026Mr. Knowles.\u00a0 I swear I didn\u2019t know Tabby\u2026er\u2026Tabitha was married.\u00a0 I sure wouldn\u2019t have\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Joe swallowed hard as he felt the fence\u2019s splintery boards press through the sheer cloth of his Sunday shirt.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, if she\u2019d told <\/em>me\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you insinuatin\u2019 my wife lied<\/em> about her bein\u2019 married!?\u201d<\/p>\n It took Joe a moment to get past the fact that the mountain<\/em> knew one of Adam\u2019s ten dollar words.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t do a lot of talking,\u201d he replied \u2013 and instantly regretted it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you wasn\u2019t talkin\u2019,\u201d the mountain snarled, \u201cthen what the Hell was<\/em> you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n Playing cards.\u00a0 Singing a tune.\u00a0 Knitting.<\/p>\n Anything but kissing!<\/p>\n \u201cUh, well\u2026.\u201d Joe used a trembling finger to pull at the collar of his dress shirt.\u00a0 How was it he sweating when it was cold enough to freeze the toes off a well-digger? \u00a0\u201cEr\u2026Tabby tells a good story?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI bet she does.\u201d\u00a0 The mountain rose before him, blocking the meager light of the May moon.\u00a0 \u201cI bet she told you some sob story about how bad<\/em> her man treats her and how she needs the kind of man who understands a woman like her \u2013 a cheap, no-good, two-timin\u2019 whore!\u201d<\/p>\n Considering the circumstances it was kind of hard to argue with that.<\/p>\n Joe smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cActually, she told me she was\u2026lonely?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLonely, eh?\u201d\u00a0 Knox caught hold of his collar and hauled him up, leaving Joe balanced on the tips of his dress boots.\u00a0 The miner looked him up and down and spat, expressing his distaste at what he found.\u00a0 \u201cYou been keepin\u2019 her company, fancy boy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d\u00a0 The teen winced.\u00a0 His pa taught him not to lie.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe now and then.\u00a0 We\u2019ve \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cIn my bed???!!!\u201d <\/em>Knox roared.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t!\u00a0 I haven\u2019t\u2026.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t!\u201d<\/em> \u00a0Joe gasped as Knox brought his free hand up to circle his throat with massive fingers.\u00a0 \u201cHonest! I \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n Knowles cocked his head like a rooster.\u00a0 \u201cHonest?\u201d he scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHonest!<\/em>\u00a0 You bed another man\u2019s wife and you expect him to believe you\u2019re bein\u2019 honest?!\u201d\u00a0 The furious miner shook him hard.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of a fool do you take me for, boy?!\u00a0 You\u2019re just beggin\u2019 to die!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one would beg to disagree.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe gazed over the summit of the mountain\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 There was something familiar about the newcomer\u2019s voice.\u00a0 He\u2019d half-expected to find Hop Sing standing at the end of the alley, glaring at him; his look one of annoyance.<\/p>\n \u2018Mistah Joe bad boy.\u00a0 Make father velly, velly<\/u> angry!\u00a0 You come home now!\u00a0 Too big wash mouth out with soap, but not too big to wash every pan in kitchen!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t Hop Sing.\u00a0 So far as he could see, it wasn\u2019t anybody.<\/em><\/p>\n The opposite end of the alley was empty.<\/p>\n Knox was apparently having the same trouble.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d the miner grunted as he peered into the darkness.<\/p>\n There was no sign of movement.\u00a0 Whoever it was must be dressed in black, Joe thought absurdly \u2013 as if a man\u2019s fashion sense mattered at a time like this!<\/p>\n \u201cThis one has beheld men who beg to die and offered guidance for their journey.\u201d\u00a0 It was definitely a man and, by the voice, a young one.\u00a0 \u201cThis nan hai<\/em> does not seek to die, but to live.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSleepin\u2019 with another man\u2019s wife ain\u2019t the way to do that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I \u2013 gasp!\u201d <\/em>Joe forgot to breathe \u2013 because he couldn\u2019t <\/em>breathe.\u00a0 Knox\u2019s fingers had tightened on his throat and he was seeing stars.\u00a0 The teenager clawed at the big man\u2019s hand, desperate to break free.<\/p>\n The newcomer remained calm. \u201cAnd have you never?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever what?\u201d\u00a0 the miner shot back.<\/p>\n \u201cSlept with the wife of another?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Knox took a step forward \u2013 taking Joe with him.\u00a0 \u201cWho the HELL<\/em> are you?!\u201d<\/p>\n When the mountain moved, the stars departed.\u00a0 Joe still couldn\u2019t draw a breath, but he could see again.\u00a0 Curiously, what he saw was that he and Knox were the only ones in the alley.<\/p>\n Where were the mountain\u2019s<\/em> men?<\/p>\n \u201cWho am I?\u201d the unseen man echoed.\u00a0 \u201cI am no one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure as Hell are mouthy for \u2018no one\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 Knox\u2019s grip shifted as he took another step and the stars winked back into existence.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a coward!\u00a0 Show yourself, you damn canary!\u201d<\/p>\n The veils over Joe\u2019s eyes were dark as a senorita\u2019s mantilla.\u00a0 Still, he saw something<\/em>.\u00a0 Someone was<\/em> there; slender as a girl, but with a man\u2019s build.<\/p>\n \u201cJust so,\u201d the newcomer said.\u00a0 \u201cThe canary is a sign of happiness and auspiciousness.\u00a0 These I do<\/em> bring.\u201d\u00a0 His tone darkened.\u00a0 \u201cBut not for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Knox Knowles grunted.\u00a0 \u201cBarker!\u00a0 Snipes!\u00a0 Come on, you rock rats!\u00a0 Step up and take this half-a-piss out!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s spirits plunged.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t thought of that.\u00a0 Maybe Knox\u2019s men were<\/em> there, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the word from their boss.\u00a0 He held his breath and waited.<\/p>\n And waited\u2026.<\/p>\n And\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cMost unfortunate.\u00a0 Most dishonorable p\u00e0ngzi <\/em>seems to be alone.\u00a0 Would it not perhaps be wise to release the nan hai and go on your way?\u201d<\/p>\n The miner snorted. \u201cNow that\u2019s something I ain\u2019t never been accused of \u2013 bein\u2019 \u2018wise\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one is not surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe gasped as Knox\u2019s grip shifted yet again.\u00a0 Suddenly, the mountain was behind him and the sharp edge of a Barlow knife was anchored beneath his jaw.<\/p>\n \u201cYou come forward where I can see you, chink, or I\u2019ll stick this little home-breaker like a pig and you can watch him bleed out!\u201d<\/p>\n There was an imperceptible shift in the shadows; like a ripple on dark water.\u00a0 A man appeared, his slender form entirely encased in black \u2013 black boots, black canvas pants, a black shirt, and a black work vest with a black duster tossed over it.\u00a0 His black slouch hat pitched forward to mask his face. \u00a0The fabric was dull.\u00a0 There was no spark of light \u2013 unless it was his eyes.\u00a0 From out of the shadows the dark orbs caught the pale moonlight and sparked like flint on steel.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will release the nan hai now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome and take him from me \u2013 if you can!!\u201d Knox shouted as the knife-blade pierced Joe\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n The last thing the teenager remembered was that he\u2019d been wrong.\u00a0 The man\u2019s eyes weren\u2019t the only spark of light in the alley.\u00a0 There was a second \u2013 more vivid and infinitely more perilous.<\/p>\n That would be his smile.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright was in hog heaven \u2013 well, \u2018horse\u2019 heaven really.\u00a0 His favorite mare had dropped a pair of twin foals the night before pretty as a May mornin\u2019 \u2013 even if the mornin\u2019 in May they done chose to enter the world was cold as the frost on a mill pond!\u00a0 Their mama was a piebald paint, mostly black.\u00a0 Joe had named her \u2018Storm\u2019 on account of the streaks of white lightning runnin\u2019 down her withers.\u00a0 He\u2019d gone ahead and named these two.\u00a0 He was sure little brother would agree.\u00a0 One was near-white and the other almost all black so they was Lightning and Thunder.<\/p>\n The gentle giant reached out to touch the velvety nose of the twin closest.\u00a0 \u201cYou two are gonna be all right, you here?\u00a0 Old Hoss is here to make sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n The big man looked over his shoulder toward the door and watched his father enter.\u00a0 \u201cHey there, Pa!\u00a0 You come to meet the newest members of the Cartwright family?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, I came looking for the youngest <\/em>member of the family \u2013 barring your new additions.\u201d\u00a0 Ben indicated the newborns.\u00a0 \u201cHow are the foals doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re fine and dandy, Pa.\u00a0 Fit as a fiddle.\u201d<\/p>\n His father bent to caress the downy head of the foal closest to him.\u00a0 \u201cShip-shape, eh?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 They\u2019s a little small on account of they\u2019re a little early, but they\u2019ll grow up in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n The older man straightened up.\u00a0 \u201cSpeaking of the need to \u2018grow up\u2019, have<\/em> you seen your youngest brother this morning?\u2019<\/p>\n Hoss frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but then I ain\u2019t been in the house.\u00a0 You mean Little Joe ain\u2019t still in bed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 No, he\u2019s not in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou ask Adam about him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did.\u00a0 He hasn\u2019t seen Joseph either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss scratched his chin.\u00a0 \u201cI think I remember Joe telling me yesterday he was gonna mend some fence\u2026somewhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, your brother asked if he could spend the day mending the fence in the south pasture that the spring floods tore through.\u00a0 He mentioned he might camp out overnight, but I specifically told him to be home for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cLittle brother asked <\/em>to mend a fence?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should have seen it coming,\u201d the older man sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cSeen what coming?\u201d Hoss patted the mare\u2019s head and rose to his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cI wondered at the time about his motives.\u00a0 Joseph took an inordinate <\/em>amount of time preparing to leave.\u00a0 When he finally appeared, he had a heavy satchel pitched over his shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ask him what was in it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI certainly did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n The older man scowled.\u00a0 \u201cA change of clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Oh\u2019 indeed!\u00a0 That boy is a master of prevarication!\u201d Ben threw his hands in the air.\u00a0 \u201cYou know<\/em> what your brother will say when I find him in town or on his way back\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure do. \u2018I didn\u2019t tell no lie, Pa.\u00a0 I sure<\/em> needed that change of clothes so I could go dancin\u2019\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr gambling or Heaven alone knows what!\u201d\u00a0 The older man growled.\u00a0 \u201cI swear, there are times when I don\u2019t know what to do with that boy!\u00a0 It\u2019s a shame he\u2019s too old to take a paddle to!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I know Joe \u2013 and I do<\/em> \u2013 it has to do with a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n Both of them swung toward the barn door.\u00a0 The rising sun cast Adam\u2019s trim figure into silhouette as he stepped over the threshold.\u00a0 Older brother had spent the day before evaluating the mine their father had recently acquired.\u00a0 He was dressed for the new one in his favorite black pants, wine-colored shirt, and heavy corduroy coat.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did things go at the Justice, son?\u201d their father asked.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d Adam replied as he entered.\u00a0 \u201cThe lowest level of the mine has a few issues, but they\u2019re nothing to worry about.\u00a0 Sorry I got home so late I couldn\u2019t fill you in.\u201d\u00a0 One black brow cocked at their father\u2019s look.\u00a0 \u201cI take it little brother didn\u2019t do the same?\u00a0 I checked on the way down and Joe\u2019s bed\u2019s not been slept in.\u201d\u00a0 The black-haired man paused, seemingly to realize he might just<\/em> have signed his little brother\u2019s death warrant.\u00a0 \u201cIf it helps any, one of the men told me he did<\/em> see Joe mending fences\u2026.\u00a0 No?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat boy will have some fences to mend when I<\/em> find him!\u201d their father growled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 When the older man started to protest, he added, \u201cLet me go, Pa.\u00a0 I know where to look.\u201d<\/p>\n Their father\u2019s black brows shot up.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n Older brother looked right at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou<\/em> know too,<\/em> Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do?\u201d\u00a0 The big man thought a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t mean Tabby?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cTabby?\u201d\u00a0 Pa\u2019s scowl deepened. \u00a0\u201cI take it that\u2019s not the name of a cat?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a girl.\u00a0 Well, a woman really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there something you two<\/em> know about this \u2018woman\u2019 and your baby brother that you have not bothered to tell your old man?\u2019<\/p>\n Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s an infatuation, Pa.\u00a0 I figured Joe would grow out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn infatuation with whom<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Older brother winced.\u00a0 \u201cTabby, er, Tabitha Knowles.\u00a0 She\u2019s a\u2026hostess at the Soap Saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd just how<\/em> did your sixteen-year-old brother come to be acquainted with a \u2018hostess\u2019 at the most disreputable saloon in the settlement?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t go blamin\u2019 Adam, Pa,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt was the both of us.\u00a0 We got us a powerful thirst one day when Little Joe was with us.\u00a0 We sat the boy down at a table and told him not to move.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo the hostess \u2018moved\u2019 to him instead?\u201d Pa snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know Joe,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cAll he has to do is bat those long eyelashes of his and women come running.\u00a0 In fact, he doesn\u2019t even have<\/em> to bat them,\u201d he added with a sigh.<\/p>\n It was true.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t matter whether they was a church-goin\u2019 grandma, a school marm with starched skirts, or a woman workin\u2019 at the mercantile, little brother done cast a spell on \u2018em.\u00a0 It\u2019d been that way since nigh-on the day Joseph Francis Cartwright first drew a breath.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long has this been going on?\u201d their father demanded.<\/p>\n Adam stroked his chin.\u00a0 \u201cHonest, Pa. I would have said something, but I thought it had died down over the winter.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know any different until a few days ago when I caught Joe heading into town all gussied-up on a work day and forced it out of him.\u00a0 I gave him a good talking to and thought that was that.\u201d\u00a0 The thirty-year-old sighed.\u00a0 \u201cApparently it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Pa was tapping one finger against his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cKnowles,\u201d he said, and then repeated the name, \u201cKnowles.\u00a0 There\u2019s a man working at the Justice named Knowles.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen the records.\u00a0 He\u2019s foreman there.\u00a0 He has a wife.\u201d\u00a0 The older man looked at each of them in turn.\u00a0 \u201cI believe her name is Tabitha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTabby\u2019s\u2026married?\u201d Hoss gulped audibly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d never know it by the way she\u2026acts\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd just how well do you<\/em> know this \u2018Tabby\u2019?\u201d his father asked pointedly.<\/p>\n \u201cLike Adam said, she\u2019s a hostess at the Soap.\u00a0 Everyone who goes there knows her. \u00a0She\u2019s\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss blushed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n Their father drew a deep breath and held it for a full count of ten.<\/p>\n Never<\/em> a good sign.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll leave that <\/em>discussion for another day, shall we?\u201d Pa said at last.\u00a0 \u201cRight now my concern is for your wayward younger brother who has yet<\/em> to return home.\u00a0 Hoss, saddle up Buck.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam caught their father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cPa, please, let me.\u00a0 It\u2019s dark, and it\u2019s a long way to the settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you think this old<\/em> man can\u2019t take it?\u201d their father snarled.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, I don\u2019t mean that.\u00a0 My point is this \u2013 you have to prepare for the meeting with the shareholders of the mine tomorrow.\u00a0 Some of them are pretty jumpy about it changing hands.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to jeopardize the future of \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing is as important as my youngest son\u2019s well-being and safety!!\u201d Ben Cartwright thundered.<\/p>\n \u201cPa,\u201d Adam hazarded.\u00a0 \u201cThink it through.\u00a0 You\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n As older brother\u2019s voice trailed off, they heard it \u2013 the clip-clop of a horse coming into the yard.<\/p>\n Hoss blew out a breath.\u00a0 Seemed neither older brother nor<\/em> Pa would be headin\u2019 into town tonight.<\/p>\n The good Lord be praised!<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright straightened his spine and charged out of the barn with the fury of a righteously indignant father \u2013 only to come to a sudden halt when he saw there were not one but two<\/em> horses in the yard.\u00a0 The closest \u2013 a striking medium-size black Morgan \u2013 held two disheveled figures.\u00a0 Both men were slight of build. One sat upright while the other leaned forward as if ill.\u00a0 It took the older man a moment for his gaze to move to the second horse, which lagged behind and was pawing the sprouting grass fretfully.<\/p>\n There was no mistaking his youngest son\u2019s prize pinto, Cochise.<\/p>\n By the time Ben regained his composure; the upright man had dismounted and was lowering Joseph to the ground.\u00a0 The worried father started for his son, but stopped when the slender cowboy blocked his way. \u00a0He was dressed all in black; his face hidden by the wide brim of the slouch hat he wore.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d Ben demanded of the stranger.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa? What\u2019s going on?\u201d Adam asked as he came alongside.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa,\u201d Hoss added as he did the same.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with little brother\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben held a hand up, calling them both to silence.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d he demanded of the newcomer.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n The man sucked in air before replying, as if the amount his lungs held was insufficient.\u00a0 He placed a hand on his side and executed a shallow bow.\u00a0 \u201cIt is with deep regret\u2026most honorable sir\u2026that this one must inform you of\u2026his failure.\u201d\u00a0 His words were halting; his voice weak.\u00a0 \u201cThis one was\u2026unable to keep your son\u2026from harm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs the boy all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one was able to prevent most<\/em> harm to the boy\u2026though not all.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben took a step forward and held out a hand.\u00a0 The man had begun to sway.\u00a0 \u201cAnd who is \u2018this one\u2019?\u00a0 Who do I thank for bringing my boy home?\u201d<\/p>\n Pain shuddered through the disheveled figure in front of him as the man lifted his head and straightened his back.\u00a0 This caused the mounting light to strike his face. It was a handsome face, broad at the cheeks and narrow at the chin; a face of some distinction and showing definite intelligence.\u00a0 Still there was something about the man that was, well\u2026.<\/p>\n Frankly disturbing<\/p>\n \u201cI am Jiangshi,\u201d the stranger said.<\/p>\n Just before he pitched face-forward to the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter Two<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was at times like this that he missed his beloved wives the most.\u00a0 A father was a necessity in a child\u2019s life \u2013 especially a boy\u2019s \u2013 but no more so and, at times, perhaps less<\/em> than a mother.\u00a0 How many times in his sons\u2019 short lives had he flared with righteous indignation at some perceived violation of rules or trust \u2013 ready to tan their backsides and restrict them to the Ponderosa for the rest of their lives \u2013 only to melt like ice in the summer sun at the sight of their pain?\u00a0 Women, on the other hand, would swoon at the sight of blood and coo over bumps and bruises, but meet the obstinacy and pigheaded disobedience that had engendered them with a spine of steel.<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright reached out to touch his youngest son\u2019s bruised and battered face. It matched the rest of the boy\u2019s slender frame, which was also black and blue.\u00a0 Hop Sing was away visiting relatives, so it had been left to him to strip his son\u2019s clothes off and face the aftermath of whatever trouble Joseph had run into this time.\u00a0 The rancher would never admit it, but he knew their Chinese housekeeper shielded him from the worst of his son\u2019s misadventures, cleaning away much of the blood and binding the worst of the wounds before he came into the room.\u00a0 There had been no such shield this time. Here and there amidst the bruises that stood as stark evidence to the pummeling Joseph had taken, there were knife slashes \u2013 one or two were fairly deep, though not so deep they had struck anything vital.<\/p>\n Ben was fairly certain that was not<\/em> the case with Joseph\u2019s savior.<\/p>\n The stranger lay fighting for his life in the guest room downstairs.\u00a0 It came as a bit of a shock to find he was Asian. \u00a0The rancher shook his head.\u00a0 He should have guessed from the man\u2019s mode of speech \u2013 so like Hop Sing\u2019s \u2013 but then his thoughts had<\/em> been elsewhere, riveted on the quiescent form of his youngest son lying on the ground.\u00a0 Although dressed as a Westerner, the man looked to be full-blooded Chinese.\u00a0 Judging by his appearance he was likely no older than Little Joe. Yet \u2013 even in unconsciousness \u2013 a profound world-weariness clung to him, as though he had lived several lifetimes in those few short years.\u00a0 The man had been beaten as well, though not nearly so badly as Joe.\u00a0 The bruises would heal.\u00a0 Sadly, whatever knife had been used to slash his son\u2019s skin had been thrust straight into the stranger\u2019s side \u2013 and not once, but twice.<\/em><\/p>\n Adam rode hard and fast to fetch Paul Martin.\u00a0 The doctor was with the young man now.<\/p>\n He had yet to find out if he would survive.<\/p>\n \u201cUhh..nn\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned toward his youngest son.\u00a0 Joseph was in his room, nestled within a cocoon of safety comprised of several blankets plus the red and white coverlet Marie had ordered for their shared bed so long ago.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s striking eyelashes \u2013 the ones Adam had rightly noted could turn any <\/em>woman\u2019s head \u2013 fluttered. A moment later his son\u2019s eyes opened.<\/p>\n Panic entered them.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cNo!\u201d the boy shouted as he struggled to rise.\u00a0 \u201cNO!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben took him gently but firmly by the shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph.\u00a0 It\u2019s all right, boy.\u00a0 You\u2019re home.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe was obviously confused.\u00a0 He struggled feebly in his grasp.\u00a0 \u201cNo\u2026 No!\u00a0 Have to\u2026help!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u201d he said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cLook at me.\u00a0 Joseph!!<\/em>\u00a0 Do it now!\u201d<\/p>\n That voice \u2013 the one the boy recognized as his father pushed close to the edge \u2013 penetrated the boy\u2019s bewilderment.\u00a0 Marie\u2019s son shuddered before looking at him.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben moved to the bed, slipped in behind his son and placed an arm around his shoulders.\u00a0 The boy remained still; safe for the moment in that embrace.\u00a0 A minute later he remembered he wasn\u2019t a \u2018boy anymore and pulled away.<\/p>\n Ah! To be so young!<\/p>\n \u201cHugh?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHugh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHugh brought me home, didn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Tell me he\u2019s okay!\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThe man you were riding with?\u00a0 Yes, he\u2019s here.\u201d\u00a0 Ben frowned as he returned to his chair.\u00a0 \u201cI thought his name was Jiangshi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s Hugh.\u00a0 At least, that\u2019s what he told me after\u2026after\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Joseph paled and fell silent.<\/p>\n Ben placed a steadying hand on his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAfter what?\u201d<\/p>\n The boy shuddered.\u00a0 Tears entered his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u00a0 I went into town without telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you?\u2019<\/p>\n Joe blinked.\u00a0 \u201cAm I what?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n His son hung his head.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I was\u2026stupid. There was this \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGirl.\u201d<\/p>\n The boy looked up.\u00a0 His full lips curled with slight smile. \u00a0\u201cHow\u2019d you know?\u201d<\/p>\n How could he not?<\/em>\u00a0 There was always<\/em> a girl.<\/p>\n One rainy afternoon he and Paul Martin had been talking.\u00a0 Paul had mentioned then how the growing science of the mind explained such things.\u00a0 The physician told him it was likely that Joseph, who had lost his mother so young, would have a penchant to seek out women \u2013 in particular older <\/em>women \u2013 to take her place.<\/p>\n Ben sighed.<\/p>\n Little Joe\u2019s ghost of a smile broadened into a sheepish grin.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I don\u2019t have to ask, right?\u00a0 It\u2019s just that Tabby is so pretty\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTabitha Knowles?\u201d<\/p>\n The grin disappeared. \u00a0\u201cYou know her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I know her husband.<\/em>\u00a0 He works at the Justice.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d bought the Justice Mine from a friend who was down on his luck. \u00a0The trouble was, so was the mine.\u00a0 He doubted it would ever amount to much.\u00a0 Still, there were men employed there with mouths to feed and he had pledged he\u2019d do his best to make it viable and vital again.<\/p>\n \u201cKnox works for you?!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you two are on a first name basis?\u201d Ben paused to lend his next words more weight.\u00a0 \u201cWas that before, or did things change when he attempted to kill<\/em> you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know Tabby\u2026er\u2026Tabitha was his wife!\u00a0 Honest, Pa, I didn\u2019t!\u201d Little Joe protested.\u00a0 \u201cI mean…\u00a0 Well, she was the one that started it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStarted what <\/em>precisely?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe winced at his tone and<\/em> the implication.<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine when your brothers took you into the Soap Saloon \u2013 against<\/em> my wishes \u2013 that they warned you about the kind of women who work in such an establishment. \u00a0Am I right?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAre Adam and Hoss in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should have thought of that before you followed them in.\u201d<\/p>\n The boy swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 Please<\/em> don\u2019t take it out on them!\u00a0 They tried to talk me out of seeing her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I have heard.\u00a0 Wise words fall on deaf ears, eh?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cShe was just so\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 The boy sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how to describe it, Pa.\u00a0 She\u2026needed me.\u201d<\/p>\n The thought of what a woman over twenty could \u2018need\u2019 a sixteen-year-old boy for sent shivers through him.\u00a0 Thank God it had not gone that far.\u00a0 He looked at his son.<\/p>\n He hoped!<\/p>\n \u201cTabby was so sad and lonely.\u00a0 She said she had no one who understood her and she needed somebody to talk to and\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe blanched.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve heard this all before.\u201d<\/p>\n Many times.<\/p>\n \u201cBelieve it or not, son, I was a young man once.\u00a0 I cut a fine figure and drew many a woman\u2019s eye.\u201d<\/p>\n Mostly the wrong <\/em>kind of women\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 He\u2019d nearly found himself crimped once due to a wide pair the color of a dusky cerulean sky!<\/p>\n Ben leaned forward to place his hand over his son\u2019s, noting as he did the bruised knuckles and torn skin.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a sad story for every woman who finds herself reduced to working in an establishment like the Soap Saloon.\u00a0 Some are tragic<\/em>.\u00a0 But you must remember, no matter what the reason, the choice of a life of sin is still that, a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe bristled.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know that about Tabby.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, but he did.\u00a0 He and Paul Martin had had quite a long talk about the young lady while his son lay unconscious; beaten within an inch of his life.\u00a0 Tabitha and Knox Knowles were fairly new to the settlement, but already they had a reputation.\u00a0 Tabitha would hone in on the son of a wealthy family and lure him to her bed \u2013 only to have her irate husband come home \u2018unexpectedly\u2019 and find them together. \u00a0Of course, blackmail followed\u2026.<\/p>\n Ben stared at his son.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n Joe was so young and still an innocent in so<\/em> many ways.\u00a0 That was what he had asked for Marie\u2019s son \u2013 a life free of the cares and concerns that had formed his older sons.\u00a0 Well, God had granted his prayer.<\/p>\n One had to be careful what he prayed for.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you trust me?\u201d the rancher asked.<\/p>\n Little Joe\u2019s ready answer gave him some peace.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I do, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n He rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI would<\/em> tell you to steer clear of that young woman, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary.\u00a0 Is it?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 I learned my lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you haven\u2019t, you will soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe wrinkled his nose.\u00a0 \u201cA month of clearing out the stalls?\u2019<\/p>\n Ben chuckled low in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a start.\u201d<\/p>\n As he turned to go, his son called him back.\u00a0 \u201cPa, you never told me about Hugh.\u00a0 Is he gonna be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n The older man looked toward the door, his thoughts flying down the stairs and beyond to the broken man who lay in the first floor bedroom.<\/p>\n That was because he didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Doctor Paul Martin shook his head as he exited the Cartwright\u2019s guest room. \u00a0He\u2019d placed his medical bag on the table behind the French settee and was rolling down his sleeves when Ben Cartwright appeared on the landing and hastened down the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how\u2019s your young maverick doing?\u201d Paul asked before his friend could speak.<\/p>\n \u201cBruised and battered, but awake and already complaining about being confined to bed.\u00a0 Joseph is<\/em> all right?\u201d Ben asked as he came to his friend\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an imprint of a boot and a deep bruise on his backside just above the kidneys.\u00a0 I\u2019d have Hop Sing check the chamber pot for a few days for signs of blood.\u00a0 Other than that, I think the boy will display his usual amazing recuperative powers and bounce back to normal in a day or two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I tell him you confined him to bed for three?\u2019<\/p>\n Paul chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cFather\u2019s prerogative.\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor crossed to the door to retrieve his coat from the wooden peg rack and began to pull it on.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is<\/em> Hop Sing?\u00a0 I\u2019d like to give him a few instructions for my other patient before I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to give them to me,\u201d the rancher replied.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing is away for a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d\u00a0 Paul smiled. \u201cOff visiting cousin one hundred and ten?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSomething like that.\u00a0 All I was able to get out of him was that it had to do with \u2018family\u2019.\u00a0 Hop Sing being Hop Sing, I left it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Private\u2019 was an understatement when it came to the Asian man.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, then,\u201d the doctor said.\u00a0 \u201cI left a bottle by the bed with a cleansing solution in it.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need to remove the bandages twice a day, clean the wounds, and then apply clean bandages after bathing the cuts with the salve I left beside it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill he live?\u2019<\/p>\n It was the doctor\u2019s turn to shrug.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s young, like your son.\u00a0 That means imprudent, most likely hot-headed, and hell-bent on doing things his own way but it also means he\u2019s strong.\u00a0 He should recover \u2013 barring any infection setting in.\u00a0 The blade missed any vital organs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe saved Joe\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine he did.\u201d\u00a0 Paul picked up his hat.\u00a0 \u201cDid Little Joe tell you what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet.\u00a0 We talked a bit but he was tiring out, so I left it for later.\u00a0 Is Hugh awake?\u2019<\/p>\n The doctor had his hand on the latch.\u00a0 He turned back to ask, \u201cHugh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s his name. \u00a0Not \u2018Jiangshi\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI thought that was an odd one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Ben asked as he came to stand beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I\u2019ve worked alongside Chinese physicians.\u00a0 Their medicine is practically as old as the world and we white folks have a lot to learn from them.\u00a0 On the other hand, their beliefs are mired in superstition and myth.\u201d\u00a0 He frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean to tell me with Hop Sing around you have never heard the legend of the Jiangshi?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul cast his mind back to the time when he\u2019d visited Yerba Buena\u2019s Chinatown with the older man who was his medical mentor.\u00a0 The memory brought a smile.\u00a0 Theophilus O\u2019Farrell was long gone to his reward but the older man\u2019s patience with, and kindness to, the brash young man he\u2019d been remained.\u00a0 The visit was meant to humble him; to teach him that he knew far less than he thought he did.\u00a0 It was Theo who got the surprise when, instead of talking about cures for various illnesses, the wise man they\u2019d sought out could speak of nothing but the walking dead.<\/p>\n \u201cThe walking dead?\u201d Ben asked, puzzled.<\/p>\n \u201cOur equivalent would be a vampyr; another, a walking corpse.\u00a0 As I understand it, according to their legends, the Jiangshi are reanimated corpses who seek the life force of others.\u00a0 They\u2019re created when a man dies far away from home without the proper rites, or when a spirit fails to depart from the body as it should. \u00a0It takes a priest or sorcerer who uses magical charms or talismans to subdue and control them.\u201d<\/p>\n The rancher turned toward the guest room.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would a young man identify himself with such a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n Paul patted his friend\u2019s arm as he lifted the latch.\u00a0 \u201cWell Ben, that\u2019s for me to wonder and you to find out!\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Ben watched his friend depart before turning toward the guest room.\u00a0 He paused at the door and looked in.\u00a0 Hugh didn\u2019t move or make a sound.\u00a0 Paul explained he\u2019d heavily sedated the young man and, most likely, it would be morning before he needed to do anything more than check in on him.\u00a0 He would do <\/em>more than that, of course, once the young man had recovered. \u00a0He owed a great debt to this stranger.<\/p>\n If Hugh had not<\/em> been in that alley\u2026.<\/p>\n The rancher entered the sick room and dropped wearily into the chair beside the bed.\u00a0 None of them had slept much the night before.\u00a0 He\u2019d let Adam and Hoss remain in bed until well after the light had dawned.\u00a0 They were at their morning chores now, with Adam slated to head to the Justice again as soon as he was done to finish his assessment of the mine. It would take a few hours.\u00a0 He\u2019d told the boy to be home by dark.<\/p>\n It was far <\/em>too early for him to feel comfortable with one of his sons out of the circle of his protection.<\/p>\n Mother hen or not!<\/p>\n He\u2019d been able to piece together something of what transpired from his son and Hugh\u2019s vague mumblings while unconscious.\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s cries of \u2018No!\u2019 and\u00a0 \u2018I\u2019m coming!\u2019 coupled with Hugh\u2019s warning to \u2018Stay back!\u2019 strongly suggested that someone \u2013 most likely Knox Knowles \u2013 had been threatening Joseph when the Asian man came along.\u00a0 Hugh\u2019s appearance no doubt saved his young son from having the knife that had wounded the Asian man stuck between his ribs.<\/p>\n Ben shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cYour son is\u2026most brave.\u201d<\/p>\n The rancher started, surprised.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re awake?\u201d<\/p>\n The wounded man nodded weakly.\u00a0 Then he did a surprising thing \u2013 Hugh drew in a deep breath and sat up.<\/p>\n \u201cThis one must go,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n Ben was on his feet in an instant.\u00a0 He placed a restraining hand on the young man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou will do no such thing!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one must<\/em>,\u201d the man insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2026cannot<\/em> remain and\u2026place your family in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of Knox Knowles or his ilk,\u201d Ben scoffed.<\/p>\n The Asian man met his gaze and held it.<\/p>\n \u201cNeither is this one.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the first time their eyes had met for any length of time.\u00a0 Hugh was younger than he\u2019d first thought.\u00a0 At a guess, he\u2019d say no more than a year or two older than Joseph.\u00a0 And yet there was about him \u2013 some \u2018thing\u2019 that was ageless, as if he had already lived a dozen lifetimes.\u00a0 His face was somewhat narrow for one of his race. \u00a0His hair was black as was common, but \u2013 surprisingly \u2013 the mass was thick and wavy as his youngest son\u2019s.\u00a0 An unwarranted smile tugged at Ben\u2019s lips.\u00a0 Right now Hugh\u2019s hair was as unruly as Little Joe\u2019s.\u00a0 A series of spiraling locks dangled over his forehead, partially masking those world-weary eyes.\u00a0 The young man had a strong mouth, indicating determination.\u00a0 Sadly, there seemed to be very few laugh lines.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me then, who are<\/em> you afraid of?\u201d the rancher asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThis one\u2026did not say he was\u2026afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but you are.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Hugh grunted as he shifted his broken body back and braced it against the pillows.\u00a0 He was obviously in pain.\u00a0 \u201cYou are Little Joe\u2019s father?\u2019 he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0Thank you for saving my son.\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a most\u2026unfair fight\u2026though this one does not doubt your so could have won had the\u2026man who sought to harm him been honorable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like something for the pain?\u201d Ben asked with a nod toward the bottle on the bedside table.<\/p>\n Hugh shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThis one must remain\u2026vigilant.\u201d<\/p>\n Obviously, he was not going to get the young man to talk about himself by asking.<\/p>\n Subterfuge was called for.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe was badly beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh stiffened.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe is all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is\u2026recovering.\u00a0 He\u2019s not been very talkative.\u00a0 Perhaps you <\/em>could tell me what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man considered his request for a moment before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe fought most valiantly.\u00a0 It is\u2026this one who owes your son his<\/em> life.\u201d<\/p>\n Apparently, true to form, Knox Knowles had sought his sixteen-year-old son out in the saloon to accuse him of carrying on an illicit \u2018affair\u2019 with his wife, and had done it with a cadre of fellow miners for back-up.\u00a0 Ben sighed.\u00a0 Joseph, it seemed, had quite a reputation for miraculous escapes and Knox had been bent on not losing him!\u00a0 For some unknown reason the threat to ruin Joseph\u2019s reputation ripened into violence and a chase ensued.\u00a0 The rancher felt slightly sick to his stomach.\u00a0 He\u2019d been on the citizens\u2019 committee that had voted to put up the fence up behind the Soap in order to block the exit of ne\u2019er-do-wells.<\/p>\n That decision might have gotten his son killed.<\/p>\n Joseph found himself facing down a half-dozen brawny miners out for blood with no chance for escape.\u00a0 If not for Hugh coming along, things could have turned out much worse.\u00a0 When asked why he chose to intervene, the Asian man explained he had been in similar circumstances and Joseph was due a \u2018fair wind and a following sea\u2019; meaning justice. \u00a0The use of that phrase told him more about Hugh than anything else he had heard.<\/p>\n The Asian man was \u2013 or had been \u2013 a sailor.<\/p>\n Before confronting Knox, Hugh entered the alley and took out his henchmen without the big man being aware of it.\u00a0 Then he approached the miner and demanded he release Joseph or face the consequences.\u00a0 <\/em>Such bravado elicited laughter from what Hugh described as the \u2018pangzi\u2019 or fat man.\u00a0 Knox Knowles was near Hoss\u2019 height and easily outweighed the slender Asian by one hundred pounds or more.\u00a0 \u00a0Knowles\u2019 laughter died quickly when Hugh \u2013 a master of Gonfu<\/em>, an ancient martial art of his people \u2013 flew through the air to knock the knife from his hand and Joseph from his clutches. \u00a0That should have ended the fight and would <\/em>have had several of Knox\u2019s men not awakened to join the fray.\u00a0 By this time, according to Hugh, Joseph was barely conscious.\u00a0 None-the-less his fearless \u2013 if foolhardy \u2013<\/em> son launched himself at Hugh\u2019s attacker, turning what most certainly would have been a killing thrust into the deep cut the young man suffered.\u00a0 It was then that one of the painted women from the Soap Saloon came sashaying into the alley with a client.\u00a0 Her scream sent everyone running \u2013 including Hugh with Joseph in tow.<\/p>\n It might be a guess, but Ben was fairly certain the Asian man had no desire to be questioned by the local authorities.<\/p>\n Hugh remained upright; his slender form rigid, as if he would take flight at the first opportunity.\u00a0 As a man who had raised three pig-headed sons \u2013 yes, each and every one of them! \u2013 Ben knew better than to argue with a man who had his mind made up.<\/p>\n So, he didn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose it would<\/em> be best for us if you left right away,\u201d the rancher remarked as he leaned back.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, in the condition you\u2019re in, you wouldn\u2019t make it a mile.\u00a0 If you\u2019re found on our land\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 The rancher spread his hands wide.<\/p>\n The sound of Hugh\u2019s labored breathing filled the room.\u00a0 One hand covered his wound, while the other clasped and unclasped the bed covering.\u00a0 A thin sheen of sweat lay upon his brow.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, here is what I <\/em>propose,\u201d Ben continued as if he hadn\u2019t noticed.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay put tonight.\u00a0 Tomorrow we\u2019ll find a way to transport you off of the Ponderosa without anyone seeing you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh started as if surprised.\u00a0 \u201cThe Ponderosa?\u00a0 Is that where this one is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 This is the Ponderosa and I\u2019m Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 I have three sons.\u00a0 The oldest two are Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 The foolish boy you saved last night is my youngest, Joseph \u2013 and you did<\/em> save him.\u00a0 I owe you a night of safety and recovery for that if for no other reason.\u00a0 Besides, Joseph would never forgive me if I let you leave before he has a chance to say \u2018thank you\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man\u2019s gaze shifted to the open door.\u00a0 \u201cYou and your sons, you\u2026are the only ones here?\u2019<\/p>\n Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cPlus a few dozen ranch hands.\u00a0 Oh, and Hop Sing, our housekeeper and cook, but he\u2019s away right now.\u00a0 Otherwise he\u2019d be the one tending you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a\u2026Chinese\u2026<\/em>housekeeper?\u201d the young man asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there something wrong with that?\u2019<\/p>\n Hugh paused in an effort to control his labored breathing.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not\u2026wrong\u2026so much as surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m wearing you out,\u201d Ben said as he rose.\u00a0 \u201cBefore I go, I need a promise from you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA promise?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 I need you to promise me on the ancestors <\/em>that you will not stir from this bed until\u2026I see you again.\u201d\u00a0 The rancher had almost said \u2018until tomorrow\u2019, but he had a sense this young man was as good at prevarication as his youngest.\u00a0 A promise given to look one another in the eye before departing should stop him getting up at one minute past midnight to leave.<\/p>\n Hugh hesitated.\u00a0 Then he nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the ancestors,\u201d Ben insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the ancestors,\u201d the wounded man echoed.<\/p>\n Ben headed for the door.\u00a0 He turned back before stepping through.\u00a0 \u201cOne more question before I go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you tell me your name was \u2018Jiangshi\u2019 when it is Hugh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one did so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did.\u00a0 You said you were \u2018Jiangshi\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man did something then the rancher had not seen yet \u2013 he smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps that is my other name,\u201d he replied as he closed his eyes.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Days later Ben Cartwright would realize that, when the young man had taken note of the name \u2018Ponderosa\u2019, he should have done the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter Three<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pa told him he\u2019d skin him if he left his bed before three days were up.<\/p>\n He guessed he\u2019d have to learn to live without a skin.<\/p>\n Joe clung to the banister tightly as he made his way slowly<\/em> downstairs.\u00a0 It was the second day since Hugh had brought him home.\u00a0 Not only was he going stir crazy \u2013<\/p>\n He had<\/em> to see the Asian man.<\/p>\n He was wearing his night shirt and his feet were bare, so it was easy not to make any noise.\u00a0 Not that he needed to worry.\u00a0 Pa and Hoss had left with their current foreman and Adam was at the Justice Mine.\u00a0 He knew because he\u2019d been sitting on the landing where no one could see him, listening as the others spoke of their plans during breakfast.<\/p>\n He could get used to Hop Sing being gone!<\/p>\n Well, not really.<\/p>\n Actually, the teenager had to admit he kind of missed Hop Sing\u2019s mothering.\u00a0 It was better than his pa\u2019s smothering! <\/em>\u00a0Pa acted, well, worried \u2013 so he made you<\/em> worried.\u00a0 Joe rolled his eyes.\u00a0 Whenever he was sick or recovering from the most recent stupid thing he\u2019d done, his pa\u2019s silent signals \u2013 like sighing or pulling at his chin \u2013 made him wonder if maybe was dying.\u00a0 Hop Sing on the other hand would sweep in with all the fury of a flash flood, arms laden with bandages and ointment, and give him a tongue-lashing that beat any thrashing he\u2019d ever taken at his father\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u2018Such foolishment!\u2019 \u00a0<\/em>he\u2019d exclaim. \u2018Little Joe l\u01cen!\u00a0 He b\u00e1i ch\u012b!\u00a0 How you help Hop Sing out if you get self killed?\u00a0 You get better.\u00a0 Many lots to do!\u00a0 Chop Chop!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n That was love at its best.<\/p>\n Joe gripped the wooden newel post at the bottom of the stairs with both hands as he paused to catch his breath.\u00a0 He eyed the distance between him and the door of the guestroom \u2013 a good twenty feet or more \u2013 and gulped.\u00a0 It had never<\/em> looked so far away.\u00a0 Determined, he launched himself toward the arm of the settee and was overjoyed when he reached it.\u00a0 From there the dogged teenager moved to the table behind it and then to the door itself, where he leaned his head against the polished wood and waited.\u00a0 What if Hugh had left already without saying goodbye?\u00a0 The Asian man didn\u2019t strike him as the type to stick around.\u00a0 Joe drew a breath and took hold of the latch and pushed the door in.<\/p>\n He let it out when he found Hugh sitting up in the bed \u2013 alive, if pale as ash.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d Joe said since he didn\u2019t know what else to say.<\/p>\n Hugh had been staring out the window.\u00a0 He turned his head and his obsidian eyes focused on him \u2013 in an unfocused sort of way.<\/p>\n The man was obviously in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cN\u01d0 h\u01ceo<\/em>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Joe knew that one. It meant \u2018hello\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Hello\u2019 yourself,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh breathed a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cThanks to your father,<\/em> this one is still here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to Pa?\u201d Joe asked as he maneuvered to the bedside chair and dropped gratefully into it.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s Pa got to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man scowled.\u00a0 \u201cThis one has very little left in the world.\u00a0 Most prized among his possessions is his honor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026.Pa made you promise not to leave until he saw you again, right?\u00a0 And then he left without checking in?\u201d\u00a0 The teenager chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s used that one on me more than once!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd does \u2018that one\u2019 work with Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess not since I came downstairs after promising not to.\u201d\u00a0 Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI guess maybe honor isn\u2019t as important to me as it is to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pity.\u201d<\/p>\n That cut him almost as deeply as Knox Knowles\u2019 knife had.<\/p>\n \u201cI know my pa,\u201d Joe replied defensively.\u00a0 \u201cAnd he knows me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you also<\/em> know that those who act dishonorably will face Heavenly punishment?\u201d<\/p>\n The teenager rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019ve heard that one before \u2013 about a million times!\u00a0 It\u2019s one of Hop Sing\u2019s favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh\u2019s black eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s our housekeeper and cook.\u00a0 No\u2026.\u00a0 He\u2019s more than that.\u00a0 He\u2019s\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Joe made a face.\u00a0 \u201cWell, he\u2019s Hop Sing!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThis one has cared for you?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSince I was a little boy.\u00a0 My mama died when I was four.\u00a0 Hop Sing kind of took over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u00a0 This one has been with your family many years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Pa took Hop Sing on before<\/em> my mama died.\u201d\u00a0 Joe laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMama was beautiful but, according to Hop Sing, she couldn\u2019t cook her way out of a flour sack!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour father told me he\u2026Hop Sing\u2026is away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor a couple of weeks.\u201d\u00a0 Joe leaned back in the chair in an effort to ease the pain in his side.\u00a0 He started to scratch one of the stitched-up cuts, but remembered what the doctor had said and let his hand fall to his knee.\u00a0 \u201cI was there when the telegram came.\u00a0 Hop Sing didn\u2019t share what it said, but he took off like a shot.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even take time to make sure Hoss was fed and watered!\u201d\u00a0 Joe blew out a \u2018whoo-ee!\u2019\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhatever was in it, it must have been important!\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHah-ahs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss.\u00a0 He\u2019s my big brother.\u00a0 Well, one<\/em> of my big brothers.\u201d\u00a0 He laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what heaven was thinkin\u2019, but I got two!<\/em>\u00a0 I\u2019m the youngest and Adam is the oldest.\u00a0 Hoss is in-between.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Hoss likes to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe snorted.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how!\u201d<\/p>\n Hugh winced as he drew his body up higher on the pillows.\u00a0 The gesture reminded Joe of what the Asian man had gone through to keep him alive.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry you got hurt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hugh frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAs this one is sorry that you<\/em> got hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was afraid Knox and his oxes were going to kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man looked away.\u00a0 \u201cIf this one were to die, no one would care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI<\/em> would,\u201d Joe declared.<\/p>\n Hugh turned back sharply. \u00a0\u201cYou must<\/em> not, Joseph Cartwright,\u201d he asserted, alarmed.\u00a0 \u201cYou must forget this one!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you running from something?\u00a0 Or someone?<\/em>\u00a0 If you are, we can help.\u00a0 Pa would want <\/em>to help for what you did.\u201d\u00a0 He hoped he sounded sincere.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d be safe here, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis one does not need your father to keep him safe. \u00a0This one
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