Summary: There’s trouble brewing when Pa accuses his youngest of coming home drunk on several occasions but Little Joe insists he’s innocent. The truth proves to be unpredictable. Rating T, WC 13,401<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Truth Be Told<\/strong><\/p>\n Well truth be told; the truth is rarely told.\u00a0 Oh, am I the only one who says, \u201cI\u2019m fine, yeah, I\u2019m fine, oh, I\u2019m fine, hey, I\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0 But I\u2019m not, I\u2019m broken.\u00a0 And when it\u2019s out of control, I say, \u201cit\u2019s under control.\u201d\u00a0 But it\u2019s not and you know it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why it\u2019s so hard to admit it.\u00a0 When being honest is the only way to fix it.\u00a0 There\u2019s no failure, no fall, there\u2019s no sin you don\u2019t already know.\u00a0 So let the truth be told. (excerpt from song \u201cTruth Be Told\u201d by Matthew West and Andrew Jacob Pruis)<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright walked out of the doctor\u2019s office in Virginia City with Little Joe at his side.\u00a0 He watched as his son limped his way to their buckboard and climbed up.\u00a0 Frowning, he made his way to the driver\u2019s side and eased up onto the bench seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you so,\u201d Joe muttered as his father gave a quick tap of the reins, sending the team of horses forward.<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard Doc, Joseph, that injury isn\u2019t anything to play around with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, it\u2019s just a pulled muscle.\u00a0 Like he said there\u2019s nothing you can do about it but let it heal on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned and stared at his son, wondering how truthful he had been when he spoke to Doctor Martin.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re lucky you didn\u2019t bust that leg of yours as fast as you were riding. I\u2019ve told you before how I feel about that, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust going after that stallion — I almost had him too, Pa,\u201d Joe countered.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and you almost got hurt very badly when you fell from that saddle!\u201d Ben chided his son.<\/p>\n Little Joe shook his head and groaned.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t easing up on him about having gotten hurt yet again which was why he hadn\u2019t been completely honest when Doc had asked him about how bad he was hurting.\u00a0 He knew that if he had told the doctor or Pa how awful the leg felt at the time that he\u2019d be confined to bed.\u00a0 Joe decided to change the subject.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to race that loudmouth Curt on Saturday \u2013 now guess that\u2019s out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s definitely out, Joseph,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no race in your future \u2013 well at least not any time soon.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to go home and take care of that leg.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could\u2019ve won,\u201d Joe frowned.<\/p>\n Ben tried to find something uplifting to say to his son as he knew that not being able to race in the Virginia City Stakes was hard on him.\u00a0 Joe had trained a three-year-old bay for months and had planned to race him that Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019ll be other races, Joseph.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get on home and then you\u2019re going to take it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoc said I don\u2019t have to lay around, Pa.\u00a0 He said I can still ride if I don\u2019t go fast and that moving around will help loosen this darned thing,\u201d Joe replied and rubbed at his right thigh.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you know how to ride without going fast, Son.\u00a0 But you\u2019d better do as Doc said, you hear?\u00a0 If not, well, I\u2019m going to make you stay in bed,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe muttered and sighed.\u00a0 The last thing that he wanted to do was to stay in bed.<\/p>\n **************<\/p>\n That evening the family gathered at the dinner table and waited for Joe to appear so they could begin to eat their supper.\u00a0 He finally appeared coming down the stairs with a marked limp to his gait.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Joe apologized for his late arrival for dinner as he took his seat at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s that leg, Little Brother?\u201d Hoss asked as he began to remove potatoes from the bowl Adam had passed over to him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be sore for a while\u2014but I\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe returned.<\/p>\n Ben waited until everyone had food on their plates and then said grace.\u00a0 After which, his boys all plowed into the meal that Hop Sing had prepared.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have lots of work to do up at the mill, Pa,\u201d Adam began, \u201cI\u2019m going to need Hoss for some of that lifting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long do you think it\u2019s going to take, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably all week, Pa.\u00a0 Most of those boards have to be replaced and well, the whole mill could use a good revamping.\u00a0 It\u2019s been about sixteen years since we built it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben glanced over at Joe sitting there to his right and cast a sentimental smile his way.\u00a0 \u201cWe built it when Joe was a year old, I remember it well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like both the mill and Little Joe could use some fixing,\u201d Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cVery funny,\u201d Joe returned.<\/p>\n \u201cYou and Hoss can get the mill fixed up.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got enough hands out with the herd already so it shouldn\u2019t be an issue right now,\u201d Ben nodded as he sipped at his coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u00a0 I was thinking about that fencing over by Syler\u2019s Ridge.\u00a0 It all needs to be replaced and since I can\u2019t do a lot of riding \u2013 I could tackle that.\u00a0 It should take about a week \u2013 so by the time I\u2019m done that work up at the mill should be all finished,\u201d Joe offered as he looked hopefully at his pa.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Son, maybe that\u2019s a bit more work than you should be tackling right now with your leg injury.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, the poles are already set.\u00a0 All I have to do is get that wire strung and nailed into place.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good long section of fencing \u2013 but it sure beats just hanging around here,\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve still got to ride out there and back every day, Joseph,\u201d Ben countered.<\/p>\n \u201cDoc said not to ride hard, and I won\u2019t.\u00a0 Now is it okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you promise to come on home if that leg gets to bothering you \u2013 then yes, you can handle the fencing job.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled and nodded over to his father.\u00a0 \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, because I sure didn\u2019t want to do that job,\u201d Hoss laughed. \u201cIt\u2019ll teach Little Joe a good lesson, Pa.\u00a0 He made me set most of those poles while he sat under a tree!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe grinned over at his brother and replied, \u201cYou didn\u2019t need my help \u2013 you\u2019re so big and strong.\u201d\u00a0 He then erupted in laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I get our big strong brother for the week to help me, Kid, and you\u2019d better do a good job with that fencing because we have a herd to move when the two of us are done with the mill,\u201d Adam joined in the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cWith you boys away most of the day I\u2019ll have some peace and quiet for a change,\u201d Ben smiled as he set his coffee cup down.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll miss us \u2013 he\u2019s just saying that,\u201d Joe quipped.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa would just fall out if the three of us weren\u2019t around to entertain him,\u201d Hoss teased.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you boys are very entertaining, Hoss,\u201d Ben nodded, \u201cBut sometimes I could use just a little less entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeing the look on Hoss\u2019 face Joe jumped in, \u201cDon\u2019t let him fool you, Hoss, Pa will be counting the hours every night until the three of us get in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEat your supper, Joseph,\u201d Ben returned, trying to fight a smile over what his youngest had said.\u00a0 It was true, he would miss his sons, but he had no intention of saying it to them.\u00a0 *** They\u2019re all spoiled enough \u2013 no need to let them know they\u2019ll be missed! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought to himself as he stared over at each of his boys.<\/p>\n ***************<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam left early the following Monday to get up to the mill and start with the repairs.\u00a0 Joe was getting his work gloves and the tools he would need from the barn when Pa approached.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to take it easy getting up there and back, right?\u201d Ben reiterated as he approached his youngest.\u00a0 The boy had just turned seventeen and wasn\u2019t known for following orders.<\/p>\n Joe spun around upon hearing his father\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Pa.\u00a0 Trust me once and awhile, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed and patted his son\u2019s shoulder and replied, \u201cI trust you \u2013 because you know I can spot a lie when I hear it.\u00a0 And I WILL<\/strong> be asking you if you\u2019ve minded me when you get home tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tucked the gloves into his jacket and tightened his saddlebags where he had placed the tools that he would need for the repairs.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t even think about lying to you,\u201d he said with a slight grin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you tonight, Pa,\u201d Joe turned Cochise out of the barn and mounted.<\/p>\n \u201cSee you tonight, Joseph, you take it easy!\u201d Ben called as he watched his son ride out of the yard.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Joe had made a good dent in getting some of the fencing wire strung the first day and got home in time for supper, as did his two older brothers.\u00a0 He had done as his father had asked and hadn\u2019t even sent Cochise into a gallop the whole day.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s leg was beginning to throb, and the pain was almost to the point where he was going to admit that he should just forget about stringing any wire the next day, but he couldn\u2019t bring himself to do it.\u00a0 Turning in early and trying his best not to groan as he made it up to his bedroom, Joe decided that some sleep might help the situation.<\/p>\n It hadn\u2019t gone unnoticed by his father that Joe was limping a bit worse the next morning.\u00a0\u00a0 Pa waited until Adam and Hoss had left for the mill to bring it up to his son.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called as Joe pulled on his jacket there at the front door.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you should take a day off and rest?\u201d He asked as he drew closer to his youngest.<\/p>\n Joe frowned.\u00a0 He had tried his best to disguise the fact that he was favoring his right leg all morning but apparently it hadn\u2019t gotten past his father.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa \u2013 I think getting out and moving around is best for my leg.\u00a0 I\u2019m okay, really.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned his son to face him and stared hard at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 is that the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, it is,\u201d Joe replied, but looked away from his father\u2019s penetrating gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cYour limp seems worse to me,\u201d Ben countered.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I gotta go,\u201d Joe complained and reached for the door.<\/p>\n \u201cYou come home, Joseph, if you start hurting too badly, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded and walked away.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to be fussed over and he surely didn\u2019t want to get confined to his bedroom.\u00a0 Joe decided to just tough it out and hope that the pain would subside by working and moving around.<\/p>\n **************<\/p>\n Joe worked for four hours without taking a break from stringing and nailing the fencing wire.\u00a0 He pulled off his hat and mopped the sweat off his brow and reached for his canteen.\u00a0 Joe took a good couple of swallows and then turned when he spotted the rider heading straight towards him.\u00a0 He smiled when he recognized and old friend.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Little Joe!\u201d The man called as he dismounted right next to his friend, tying his mount\u2019s reins up to one of the fence posts.<\/p>\n \u201cJack, haven\u2019t seen you in ages!\u201d Joe exclaimed as he shook the man\u2019s outstretched hand.\u00a0 The man before him had two names that he used at various times.\u00a0 One was his given name which was Gray Wolf, and the other was his adopted name of Jack Winters.\u00a0 He was just a few years Joe\u2019s senior and the two of them had hunted together many times ever since he had come to the area.\u00a0 Jack had been raised by the Paiutes but had left and then was adopted of sorts by a family in Genoa.\u00a0 The Winters family had treated Jack like a son, so he now had two worlds who claimed him.\u00a0 For the past couple of years, the man preferred to call himself Jack however he did still visit the Paiutes and was always welcomed back into the tribe.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been pretty busy this year, Little Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been rounding up horses and selling them over in Genoa.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also taken some up to the tribe to help them out,\u201d Jack explained.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on a minute and let me set these tools down.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right back,\u201d Joe said and limped away from the man and placed his tools off to the side.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s with your leg, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh \u2013 well— I hurt it in a fall,\u201d Joe explained as he made his way back over to his friend.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure are favoring it,\u201d Jack returned.\u00a0\u00a0 He could read a great deal of pain on Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Joe shrugged his shoulders and said, \u201cWell, it has been giving me fits the last day or so.\u00a0 But you know how my pa is — if he knew that I\u2019m hurting this bad he\u2019d make me stay inside and I don\u2019t like that one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you go see Doctor Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded, \u201cYeah, he said it\u2019s just something that has to go away on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t give you anything for pain?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head, \u201cNo, and I didn\u2019t bring it up either since my pa was right there in the room at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack rubbed at his chin deep in thought.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have time to take a break?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure— I\u2019m my own boss out here.\u00a0 You want to go down to the pond?\u00a0 There are trees close by where we can have some shade.\u00a0 It\u2019s getting hot out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good,\u201d Jack paused and pointed to the pond.\u00a0 \u201cYou go on down there I\u2019ve got to get something out of my saddlebags.\u00a0 I\u2019ll meet you in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and grabbed his canteen and walked down to the water\u2019s edge to refill it.<\/p>\n **************<\/p>\n Joe and his friend leaned back against a pine tree and rested from the heat of the day.\u00a0 They shared stories of what they had been doing and then Jack showed his friend what he had brought for him.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that I just might be able to help that leg of yours,\u201d Jack smiled as he opened his rawhide pouch.\u00a0 He drew out a small pipe.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u00a0 What is that?\u201d Joe asked curiously.<\/p>\n \u201cTribal remedy for pain,\u201d Jack nodded and prepared the pipe, adding something to the bowl of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never smoked a pipe, Jack.\u00a0 Well \u2013 I did take one puff from my Pa\u2019s pipe once when he left it out and turned his back on me.\u00a0 I about choked,\u201d Joe laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis won\u2019t make you choke \u2013 and it\u2019s going to ease that pain of yours,\u201d Jack insisted.<\/p>\n Joe rubbed at his right thigh and nodded over to the other man.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s sure hurting right now.\u00a0 I guess if you think it\u2019ll help, I\u2019ll give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack lit the pipe and drew in the first puff and held it in his mouth.\u00a0 He waited for a bit before exhaling.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all you have to do, Joe.\u00a0 Take a good draw and hold it,\u201d He instructed and passed the pipe over to his friend.<\/p>\n Joe did as he had been instructed though it burnt at his throat.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to appear inexperienced though he was.\u00a0 He finally exhaled.<\/p>\n \u201cNot bad,\u201d Jack smiled as he took another puff.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel anything,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n Jack grinned, patted Joe\u2019s shoulder, and returned, \u201cOh you will, just give it a little while.\u00a0 Just relax and look at the pond or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe eased back against the base of the tree and took another long puff of the pipe and held it in.\u00a0 Jack watched and grinned knowingly.\u00a0 He was very sure that soon his friend wouldn\u2019t be thinking about the pain in his leg.<\/p>\n After about thirty minutes Joe was extremely relaxed.\u00a0 He smiled over at his friend as he pointed towards the pond.<\/p>\n \u201cHey\u2014have you ever noticed how sparkly the water is when the sun hits it just right?\u201d Joe mused.<\/p>\n Jack nodded; he could tell that his friend wasn\u2019t thinking about his leg any longer.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it sure can sparkle,\u201d Jack agreed.<\/p>\n Joe reached for the pipe again and soon was more relaxed than he had been in a very long while.\u00a0 It was also a plain fact that he no longer felt the pain in his leg.\u00a0 The two friends sat together and finished all that Jack had brought in his rawhide pouch.\u00a0 By the time that they said goodbye it was dark.<\/p>\n ***************<\/p>\n Ben stared out from the window behind his desk.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam had come and gone.\u00a0 They had eaten a quick dinner and then headed into town for the evening.\u00a0 That just left Joseph who had yet to appear.<\/p>\n ***Dad blasted kid!\u00a0 Always makes me worry about him \u2013 he\u2019s always late! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben fussed as he grew more and more concerned about why his youngest had missed dinner and still hadn\u2019t appeared.\u00a0 *** I\u2019ll go out and find him and then he\u2019ll get an earful from me! *** <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A few minutes later, just as Ben had decided to go and saddle his horse and find his wayward son, Joe appeared riding around from the back of the barn.\u00a0 He watched through the window as the boy dismounted and pulled Cochise into her stall.\u00a0 Ben sat down at his desk and sighed.\u00a0 He was relieved that his son was back safely and didn\u2019t want to appear as though he had been worried when Joe came back into the house.<\/p>\n A few minutes later Joe walked inside the ranch house and unbuckled his holster, setting it down onto the credenza.\u00a0 He tossed his hat on top of it and then turned to see his father approaching.<\/p>\n \u201cHi ya, Pa!\u201d Joe sounded out loudly.<\/p>\n Ben took a good look at his son.\u00a0 Something seemed a bit strange in his appearance.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d He fussed.<\/p>\n Joe looked confused and then made his way over to the grandfather clock.\u00a0 He stared up at it.\u00a0 \u201cOh\u2014I am late,\u201d he nodded.<\/p>\n Ben had noticed that Joseph no longer had a limp however he had a noted stagger to his gait.\u00a0 He drew closer to the boy and placed his hand on his shoulder and pulled him around.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I am, Pa — I am okay, yep!\u201d Joe smiled broadly.<\/p>\n Ben stared into his son\u2019s eyes and Joe\u2019s pupils didn\u2019t look quite right.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, \u2013 have you been drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his father with confusion in his stare.\u00a0 \u201cDrinking?\u00a0 No sir \u2013 Pa\u2014I\u2019ve not been drinking.\u00a0 But\u2014hey\u2014Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I maybe have something to eat, Pa?\u00a0 Pa \u2013 I\u2019m really, really hungry,\u201d Joe asked and put his arm around his father\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n Pa was surprised by the fact that his son was smiling over at him as though nothing was wrong, and he still had his arm slung around his neck.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t detect any alcohol on Joe\u2019s breath, but his appearance was very revealing.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t\u2019 bother to make it home for supper, Joseph.\u00a0 Hop Sing has already gone to bed,\u201d Ben replied, still eying the boy and growing both concerned and a bit angered.<\/p>\n Joe held his index finger to his lips and whispered, \u201cPa?\u00a0 Pa -we could sneak in the kitchen, okay, Pa?\u00a0 Yep, he\u2019ll never hear us \u2013 but you\u2019ve got to be very, very quiet, Pa,\u201d Joe insisted and turned his father as he tried to find his way to the dining room and then to the kitchen.<\/p>\n Ben walked with his son into the next room intending on making sure that he got some strong black coffee into the boy before launching into a lecture about drinking.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u00a0 Pa \u2013 he\u2019s not here \u2013 I told you, Pa \u2013 we done good!\u201d Joe exclaimed loudly and then fell into one of the chairs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you need, Young Man, is some strong coffee,\u201d Ben said sternly and turned for the stove.\u00a0 He lit the fire and set the coffee pot on top, waiting for the contents to get reheated.<\/p>\n Joe jumped up when he spied a loaf of bread on the counter.\u00a0 He was just about to pull it apart when his father\u2019s hand stopped him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014not with your hands, Joseph,\u201d Ben reprimanded and pulled the boy away from the counter.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? Pa \u2013 please— I\u2019m powerful hungry, Pa.\u00a0 Can I please have some bread?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben groaned and shook his head growing angrier over his son\u2019s very apparent drunken state.\u00a0 He reached for the carving knife and sliced the loaf.\u00a0 Gathering a good-sized piece of bread in his hand he handed it over to his youngest.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Pa!\u201d Joe said gleefully and began to scarf down the bread.<\/p>\n Ben settled down into the chair next to his son and placed his hand on the boy\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cYoung Man, just where did you go this evening?\u00a0 Were you in town drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe continued to eat his bread.\u00a0 He held up his hand for a minute signaling his father to wait until he could finish eating the piece of bread.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, answer me!\u201d Ben exclaimed, frustration in his tone of voice.<\/p>\n \u201cPa— this bread \u2013 it\u2019s the best bread I\u2019ve ever had in my whole life!\u00a0 Wonder what old Hop Sing put in it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I\u2019m getting very angry,\u201d Ben warned sternly.<\/p>\n \u201cOh \u2013 oh, Pa.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t go nowheres — I just worked on those fences.\u00a0 Hey, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Ben groaned having gotten nowhere with the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cPa \u2013 will you please get me another piece of bread?\u00a0 I am powerful hungry.\u00a0 Please, Pa?\u201d Joe begged, repeating his earlier request.<\/p>\n Shaking his head, Ben stood up and walked back to the counter.\u00a0 He knew he should be fussing at his son and finding out why he had come home drunk, but he decided getting the boy some food had to take priority at the time.\u00a0 He hoped after getting something on his stomach, that Joe might begin to sober up.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Ben frowned and handed his son another piece of bread.<\/p>\n Joe took it from his father\u2019s hand and plowed into it just as he had the first piece.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the best, Pa — you\u2019re the best pa in the whole wide world!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Ben grumbled as he shook his head at the way his son was eating non-stop.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bread is so good, Pa.\u00a0 You need to have some \u2013 it\u2019s the best bread –,\u201d Joe was cut off by his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI know\u2014I know it\u2019s the best bread in the whole wide world,\u201d Ben sighed, growing tired of his son\u2019s constant reminder that the bread was good.<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2014Pa?\u00a0 Then you know, huh?\u00a0 You\u2019ve had some?\u00a0 Can I have another piece, please, Pa?\u00a0 I\u2019m still hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stood and tested the coffee pot.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite ready yet, so he turned and carved one final piece of bread.<\/p>\n \u201cNow this is it, and I mean it, Joseph!\u201d Ben warned as he handed his son his last piece of bread for the night and settled down into his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the best pa in the whole wide world,\u201d Joe nodded and stuffed the last slice of bread into his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Why did you go and get drunk tonight? What\u2019s going on with you?\u00a0 You\u2019ve just turned seventeen and you\u2019ve got no business drinking let alone getting drunk!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe held up his hand to signal that his mouth was full.\u00a0 He waited until he finished chewing the piece of bread and then replied, \u201cPa?\u00a0 Pa, who\u2019s drunk?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYOU ARE<\/strong>!\u201d Ben yelled.\u00a0 He had lost all patience with his son.<\/p>\n Joe held his finger up to his mouth and whispered, \u201cPa \u2013 best not yell \u2013 Hop Sing\u2019s sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it!\u201d Ben shouted and stood once more.\u00a0 He reached down and grabbed Joe\u2019s left arm, pulling him to standing.\u00a0 \u201cGet up to your room and sleep it off.\u00a0 There\u2019s not enough coffee in this house to sober you up tonight, Young Man.\u00a0 And you and I are going to have a very serious talk in the morning!\u201d Ben threatened.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Pa \u2013 I\u2019ll go to bed — but Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Ben asked full of exasperation.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I take a piece of bread up to my room, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet yourself to bed this minute!\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n Joe looked down at the floor sadly.\u00a0 \u201cI just wanted to tell you something first, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u00a0 And it better not be a request for bread!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared up at his pa and then he smiled broadly, having a complete change to his demeanor.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the best pa in the whole wide world,\u201d Joe said exuberantly and hugged his father tightly.<\/p>\n Ben groaned once more and released himself from his son\u2019s hold.\u00a0 Angrily he pointed to the staircase.\u00a0 \u201cUp to your room this minute, Joseph, and I mean it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Pa — I think I\u2019ll go up to my room now,\u201d He nodded and staggered all the way to the stairs.<\/p>\n *** You\u2019d better enjoy your sleep, Joseph, because tomorrow isn\u2019t going to be pleasant! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought as he turned back into the kitchen.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n The following morning Ben sat at the head of the table and related to his two older boys exactly what had happened the previous night.<\/p>\n \u201cNo kidding?\u00a0 Little Joe came in drunk?\u201d Hoss asked raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he was very<\/strong> drunk, Hoss,\u201d Ben frowned.<\/p>\n Adam set down his napkin and looked across the table at his pa.\u00a0 He could read the slow burn in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWell Sam at the Silver Dollar and Bruno over at the Bucket of Blood both know not to give Joe more than one beer, Pa.\u00a0 So, the little varmint must have a secret stash of liquor somewhere around this place.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shrugged his shoulders and replied, \u201cI don\u2019t know where that boy got the alcohol, but he got it alright.\u00a0 He was just barely able to make it up to his room.\u00a0 When I checked on him before I went to sleep, he was laying sideways on his bed with all his clothes on.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shot a glance over at his brother and gave him the eye.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to be anywhere around when Pa had his discussion with his little brother.\u00a0 Adam read what his brother was trying to tell him in a covert way.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Hoss and I need to be getting up to the mill,\u201d Adam said and stood from his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 we\u2019ll see you later,\u201d Hoss called down as he stood alongside his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cYou two don\u2019t want to be here when –,\u201d Ben paused as he spied the appearance of his youngest at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we don\u2019t,\u201d Adam winked, and he and Hoss hurried out of the house, grabbing their holsters and hats as they left.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Joe took his seat next to his father and called over to him, \u201cSorry, Pa, guess I slept longer than I should\u2019ve.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cast his stern gaze over at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cDid you sleep well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 really well in fact.\u00a0 Hey, could you pass me the eggs?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben passed over the platter of eggs and then replied with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, \u201cWould you like some bread<\/strong> with those?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaw, just eggs are enough.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to get going.\u00a0 I still have a lot of work to do with that fencing,\u201d Joe said and sipped at the cup of coffee Pa had handed over to him.<\/p>\n Ben reached over and stopped the movement of his son\u2019s left hand.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you aren\u2019t going anywhere until you and I get some things straightened out, Young Man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Joe asked with confusion on his face.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Pa?\u201d He asked innocently.<\/p>\n \u201cFinish your breakfast, Joseph, and then come over to my desk where the two of us are going to have a long, long talk,\u201d Ben announced somberly as he stood and cast a very stern look down at his youngest.<\/p>\n Joe watched as his father walked across the living room with a stiff set to his shoulders.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t understand why Pa had said what he had before leaving the table.\u00a0 Joe figured that it must be over the fact that he had been working hard and Pa was probably worried about his leg injury.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t have been more wrong.<\/p>\n ************<\/p>\n Joe finished eating and polished off his coffee and then made his way over to his father\u2019s study and dropped down into one of the side chairs.\u00a0 Casting a quick glance over at his pa Joe noticed that he was frowning his way.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, we need to talk about last night,\u201d He began as he cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t get anywhere with you when you got in and you never answered my questions over why you came in here in the condition that you were in.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his father perplexed by what he had said.\u00a0 \u201cCondition?\u00a0 Oh, you mean my leg?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben groaned loudly as he stood from the chair and walked around to the front of his desk where he towered over his son.\u00a0 He folded his arms across his chest and replied, \u201cDon\u2019t play games with me, Joseph.\u00a0 I\u2019m not in the mood.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared up at his father and shook his head bewildered.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 I\u2019ve no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung Man, you are this close,\u201d Ben held up his index finger and the thumb of his right hand to signify an inch.<\/p>\n Joe jumped up from his chair after his father\u2019s not so subtle threat.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pa \u2013 come on \u2013 what\u2019s going on?\u201d He asked, his voice growing in volume.<\/p>\n \u201cSit back down and lower your voice!\u201d<\/p>\n Frowning, but not wanting to raise his father\u2019s ire, Joe sank back down into the chair.\u00a0 \u201cPa, \u2013 what condition are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben studied his son\u2019s face and replied, \u201cThen you really don\u2019t remember what you did yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI mended fences yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was referring to what you did after you finished working.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI came home and went to bed,\u201d Joe returned.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd just when did you find the time to drink as much as you did?\u201d Ben asked growing annoyed by the verbal sparring that was going on.<\/p>\n \u201cDrinking?\u00a0 Pa, what are you saying?\u00a0 Do you think I was drinking last night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo \u2013 I don\u2019t THINK <\/strong>that you were drinking, Joseph.\u00a0 I KNOW<\/strong> that you were drinking which was why you came home inebriated.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe jumped up from his chair again, his anger mounting.\u00a0 \u201cNow just a darned minute -,\u201d He protested but stopped when he felt the strong hand of his father on his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cWatch it, Joseph, you\u2019re already in trouble with me,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n \u201cHow in the heck can I be in trouble when I didn\u2019t do anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComing home three sheets to the wind isn\u2019t doing anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was not three sheets or four sheets or any number of sheets, Pa!\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were drunk, and that\u2019s not up for debate.\u00a0 I just want to know why you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to work,\u201d Joe fumed and turned to leave.<\/p>\n Ben grabbed his son\u2019s arm and spun him around.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, not until we get this resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cResolved?\u201d Joe asked hotly.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean you want me to apologize for something that I didn\u2019t do, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you got into something<\/em><\/strong> yesterday!\u00a0 My guess is alcohol \u2013 probably whiskey.\u00a0 But if you\u2019ve found some pain medicine \u2013 that could be another issue all together.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stood next to his pa and seethed inwardly.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t answer as he knew it would get him into worse trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d Ben asked raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t get into any kind of pain medicine.\u00a0 I could\u2019ve gotten some off of Doc if I\u2019d wanted some.\u00a0\u00a0 All I would\u2019ve had to say was that my leg was killing me, and he\u2019d have given it to me!\u00a0 But I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 So why in the heck would you say that to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you were under the influence last night.\u00a0 It could have been liquor or it could\u2019ve been something like laudanum \u2013 but it was something<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, Pa \u2013 I got into anything that you want to say that I did,\u201d Joe surrendered.\u00a0 \u201cNow is there anything else or is it okay to go and do my work?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t use that tone with me,\u201d Ben warned once again.<\/p>\n Joe stared into his father\u2019s eyes and fought back his hurt.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that Pa would stand there and accuse him of doing something that he hadn\u2019t done.\u00a0 It was becoming very apparent that Pa wasn\u2019t going to take his word on the fact that he hadn\u2019t had any alcohol the previous night.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want me to say, Pa?\u00a0 You\u2019re accusing me of lying to you \u2013 what is there left for me to say now?\u201d He asked, his voice faltering.\u00a0 Joe had tried not to show the betrayal that he felt but it was a losing battle.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to tell me why you did it, Joseph.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think that\u2019s too much to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa \u2013 if you said that I came in here drunk then I guess I did.\u00a0 I have no idea how that happened.\u00a0 I only remember going to work and waking up in my bed this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t remember coming in here at all last night?\u00a0 You don\u2019t remember being hungry and asking for about a half of a loaf of bread?\u201d Ben asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Sir, I don\u2019t,\u201d Joe mumbled.\u00a0 He just wanted to leave the house and get as far away from his father as he could for a while.\u00a0 Joe was hurt by all of Pa\u2019s accusations, and he had to fight off tears so he could stay in control of his emotions.<\/p>\n Ben placed his right hand underneath his son\u2019s chin and turned it upwards so he could get a good look into Joe\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t read anything there in them other than hurt.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I just don\u2019t understand how you could drink like you did and have no recollection of doing so, Joseph.\u00a0 However, I will let you off with this one warning.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be giving you another.\u00a0 You\u2019re not to ever do this again, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe replied as he stared sadly into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t enjoy getting after you \u2013 but I\u2019m not going to tolerate you coming home drunk either.\u00a0 Now you best mind what I\u2019ve just said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe nodded and dropped his gaze down onto the floor.\u00a0 It was growing harder to pretend that he had been at fault and had all but admitted that he had lied when he had done no such thing.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, you can go out and work on those fences.\u00a0 But I want you back home way before dark, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe continued to say the same two words unable to hide his frustration over being talked to like he was a child.<\/p>\n Ben sighed wearily and walked back around to his chair and sat down.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you before dark, Joseph,\u201d Ben reiterated as he stared up at his son.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe mumbled and turned to leave.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe what his pa had said that morning.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that Pa hadn\u2019t taken his word that he hadn\u2019t been lying about getting drunk either.\u00a0 Gathering his holster and jacket but not taking the time to put either on, Joe hurried outside. It was only then that tears formed in his eyes.\u00a0 The idea that Pa had lost all faith in him cut Joe to the very core.\u00a0 Joe walked to the barn and saddled his horse. He urged Cochise into a full gallop as he rode away.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t consider the pain in his right leg because at the time the pain in his heart hurt far worse.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe worked all day on the fencing still ignoring the increased pain to his right leg.\u00a0 The more that he thought on what had transpired between his father and him that morning the more he felt both anger and sadness over the situation.\u00a0 Pa didn\u2019t lie so he wondered how he could make such an awful mistake to think that he had been drunk the night before.\u00a0 Joe knew he had told more than his share of lies over the years, but he was being completely honest with his father that morning and Pa couldn\u2019t read it on him.\u00a0 He looked up at the sun and noticed that it was beginning to set. Joe knew that he was expected to show up at the house before dark, so he gathered his tools and placed them into his saddlebags.\u00a0 Quickly mounting Cochise Joe urged the horse into a gallop so he\u2019d make it home on time.\u00a0 His right thigh throbbed as he picked up the pace, but Joe didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 He wished he\u2019d had that whiskey that he\u2019d been accused of drinking so it might dull the pain for a while.\u00a0 *** I ought to go buy some \u2013yeah and come home drunk!\u00a0 Then Pa would be able to see what a drunken Joe Cartwright really looks like! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe mused as he continued back to the ranch house.<\/p>\n **************<\/p>\n Ben peered around the corner from his study when he heard the front door open.\u00a0 He watched as Joe pulled his hat and jacket off and then unbuckled his holster.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did it go today, Joseph?\u201d He asked, hoping that the two of them could get back on an even keel after their loud discussion that morning.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d Joe replied, never turning to face his father.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing has dinner about ready \u2013 Hoss and Adam should be coming in any minute now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go get washed off,\u201d Joe mumbled as he headed for the stairs.<\/p>\n Ben watched as his youngest limped up to his room.\u00a0 His heart was heavy over the stern lecture he had given the boy, but he had to put his foot down.\u00a0 He\u2019d have done the same thing if it had been any of his sons who had come home intoxicated, and especially at the young age of seventeen.\u00a0 Pa figured that Joe would eventually warm up to him once he had some time to think on the error of his ways and how he had lied to him about drinking.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n \u201cLooks good,\u201d Hoss called as he passed the platters around the table after drawing off a large portion of each.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Hoss worked up a good appetite today, Pa,\u201d Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHe can be a real powerhouse when he wants to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben noticed that everyone seemed to be in good spirits except for the silent young man to his right.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did it go with the fencing today, Little Brother?\u201d Hoss asked, trying to get him to talk.\u00a0 He could tell that whatever happened between his brother and father had caused Joe to clam up.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d Joe answered as he simply toyed with the food on his plate.<\/p>\n \u201cHow much more do you have to do, Joe?\u201d Adam chimed in.<\/p>\n Joe shrugged his shoulders and said, \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cleared his throat and decided it was his turn to draw the boy out of his shell.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s your leg, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n *** Well, that didn\u2019t work ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, if it\u2019s still bothering you maybe you ought to see Doc again?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n Joe wasn\u2019t pleased with all of the chatter going on around the table.\u00a0 Nothing was ever a secret in the house, and he\u2019d figured that Pa had told his brothers all about his drunkenness. \u201cIt\u2019s not my leg, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got something else wrong with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike what, Little Brother?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve got that disease \u2013 you know— the one that makes you forget who you are,\u201d Joe continued.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean amnesia?\u201d Adam asked raising his eyebrows wondering why Joe would even suggest such a thing.<\/p>\n Joe nodded his head.\u00a0 \u201cYeah\u2014that\u2019s right.\u00a0 I guess I forget who I am and what I drink,” he said with heavy sarcasm in the inflection of his statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019ll be enough, Joseph,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, Pa, and I’ve had enough!\u00a0 I\u2019m going to bed,\u201d Joe said and tossed his napkin onto the table.\u00a0 \u201cLet me know if I do something foolish while I\u2019m asleep,\u201d He muttered as he stood and headed for the stairs.<\/p>\n Ben shook his head as he watched his youngest limping up to his room.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it things didn\u2019t go very well this morning,\u201d Adam called over to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Joe said he didn\u2019t come in drunk even though he knows that I caught him in that condition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy lie about it, Pa?\u00a0 I don\u2019t get it,\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cI mean he knows that you saw him and even talked to him.\u00a0 Why do you think he\u2019s acting like this if he knows he was caught red handed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably guilt,\u201d Adam interjected.<\/p>\n Ben shook his head and replied, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 I ran into Doc while I was in town this afternoon.\u00a0 I had a good long talk with him about Joseph and his drinking.\u00a0 He brought up my being gone last month.\u00a0 Doc wondered if Joe might have been drinking for a while without any of us knowing it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we never saw him doing that the whole two weeks that you were gone, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure I\u2019d have known,\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cThen there\u2019s no answer other than him just getting drunk last night and denying it because he\u2019s hardheaded.\u00a0 But he knows now that I\u2019m not going to tolerate that behavior in this house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat — did Doc think that Joe became an alcoholic in a month?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n Ben shrugged his shoulders and returned, \u201cHe was just wondering how it could possibly be that the boy wouldn\u2019t know that he had been drinking.\u00a0 The only explanation he had was if Joe had been drinking for a long while \u2013 then he could have some kind of a blackout.\u00a0 If you boys say that Joe wasn\u2019t drinking while I was gone and none of us have witnessed the kinds of behavior I saw last night then, like I just said, it\u2019s not a case of long-term drinking.\u00a0 It\u2019s just the plain fact that Joseph was lying to me this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Pa, he\u2019s still a youngin,\u201d Hoss attempted to make his father feel better.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not such a bad kid, but he got caught \u2013 he\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe wasn\u2019t very okay a minute ago, Hoss,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2019s playing the victim to try to make you feel guilty, Pa,\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cYou just can\u2019t cave to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t plan to cave to him, Son, but I don\u2019t like being on the outs with him either.\u00a0 And that leg of his has got me worried too.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s why he drank to ease his pain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, if Joe was as liquored up as you told us then he didn\u2019t need to drink as much as he did just to get rid of some pain.\u00a0 Whatever the reason was he sure drank more than he had to,\u201d Adam suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully it\u2019s all in the past now.\u00a0 Once Joseph settles down about our little discussion then things will be alright,\u201d Ben said and hoped he was correct in his assumption.<\/p>\n ************<\/p>\n Joe washed off at the basin next to his bed readying to slip into his nightshirt and call it a night.\u00a0 He hated the way the day had started with a lecture and had ended with even worse feelings towards his father after he had left the dinner table.\u00a0 Joe just couldn\u2019t figure out why Pa was making up the story of him coming home drunk the night before.\u00a0 It made no sense.<\/p>\n Joe pulled off his trousers and stared at the mass of bruises there on the top of his right thigh.\u00a0 He shook his head and frowned.\u00a0 Carefully he washed around his injury and placed the washcloth back into the water.\u00a0 Joe wondered if he should have fessed up about how badly his leg was doing.\u00a0 He decided that it was a moot point now as he had bigger problems than a pulled muscle and the pain it was causing him.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t listening to him and that was a pain that hurt far worse at the time.\u00a0 Joe pulled on his nightshirt and slipped under his covers hoping that after a good night\u2019s sleep things wouldn\u2019t seem quite so glum.\u00a0 *** Who knows maybe Pa was drinking last night and that\u2019s why he couldn\u2019t tell that I was stone cold sober? ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe mused as he closed his eyes.<\/p>\n ***************<\/p>\n Joe left for work the next day with very little conversation between his father and him.\u00a0 He had tried to sound at the very least cordial, but it hadn\u2019t come out much better than his dinner discussion the night before.\u00a0 Pa had once again insisted that he get home before dark, and Joe had been forced to accept his terms.\u00a0 He just wanted to get out of the house, and he once again sent his horse into a gallop as he rounded the barn.\u00a0 Ben had witnessed his son\u2019s departure and was upset over the way he had ridden out of the yard.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t following the doctor\u2019s nor his own instructions.\u00a0 Ben would be forced to mention it to Joe later.<\/p>\n Again, Joe continued to pull and nail the fencing wire for four hours straight.\u00a0 There had been a bit of rain the previous night and Joe hadn\u2019t spotted the small puddle next to where he had moved over with the wire.\u00a0 Before he could catch himself, he slid down and landed hard on the water-soaked ground.\u00a0 The jolt to his body hurt his pulled muscle and Joe swore loudly as he began to gingerly draw himself to standing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got to watch out for those puddles, Little Joe,\u201d Jack called down to his friend.\u00a0 He had ridden up just as Joe had fallen and dismounted quickly and held his hand down to his friend and helped pull him up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just hasn\u2019t been my week,\u201d Joe frowned and looked up at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cWhat brings you back here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just delivered some horses up to Chief Winnemucca and decided to check on you.\u00a0 How\u2019s the leg doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRough,\u201d Joe replied and limped over to the fencing wire and tossed down his tools.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want a little something for that pain, Joe?\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a little while before I take back off towards Genoa.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed as he reached down and tried to rub out the pain in his thigh to no avail.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not\u2014it helped the other day, and I sure could use something to take the edge off I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go back down to the pond.\u00a0 The Chief gave me some more of his remedy.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and the two friends walked down to where they had gone two days prior and leaned against the same tree.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least I know what to do now,\u201d Joe grinned as Jack passed him the pipe.<\/p>\n \u201cYou start \u2013 I\u2019ll catch up,\u201d Jack insisted and watched as his friend drew in a deep pull on the pipe.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Joe and Jack had stayed there by the tree until it grew very late.\u00a0\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t given a thought to the fact that his father had ordered him to get home before dark.\u00a0 By the time the two men said their goodbyes it was after seven o\u2019clock.\u00a0 Joe mounted Cochise but didn\u2019t send the horse into a gallop as he had earlier.\u00a0 He took his time getting back to the ranch house as he was feeling very relaxed, and his leg was no longer throbbing.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Ben had given orders to his two older boys to go and find their younger brother and if need be, forcefully bring him back home.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that Joe would\u2019ve gone against his orders to come home before dark.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam had been out at the mill all day and had only had time to eat their supper so neither man was very happy to be going into the barn to saddle their horses once again.\u00a0 When they reached the barn, they spotted Little Joe who, though no one had seen him, had just gotten home and had already unsaddled Cochise and gotten her into her stall.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Brother, dad gum it we were just about ready to go after your ornery hide.\u00a0 Pa told you to be back before dark\u2014what kept you?\u201d Hoss sang out.<\/p>\n Joe slowly made his way to the front of the barn where his two brothers stood in the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cHi ya, Hoss — hi there Adam,\u201d Joe called out exuberantly.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss exchanged woeful glances.\u00a0 Joe appeared to be quite intoxicated.<\/p>\n \u201cNot again,\u201d Adam sighed as he put his hand down onto Joe\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Brother, what in the world have you done this time?\u201d Hoss asked loudly as he stared at the kid.<\/p>\n Joe drew his index finger up to his lips and whispered, \u201cShhhhh Pa\u2019s asleep don\u2019t talk too loud\u2014we don\u2019t want to wake him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head and replied, \u201cNo, Little Joe, Pa is very much awake and he\u2019s gonna clobber you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss is right, Kid, Pa\u2019s inside the house fuming over you not coming home for supper.\u00a0 And now you show up like this!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI gotta tell you, Little Brother, your life\u2019s in jeopardy once Pa catches one look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Adam jumped in.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s going to give you a lecture and maybe even threaten your life.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be lucky if he doesn\u2019t haul you back into this barn and give you one heck of a tanning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe \u2013 you\u2019re already in deep for lying the other night when you told Pa that you hadn\u2019t been drinking.\u00a0 If I was you \u2013 and I\u2019m glad that I\u2019m not right now \u2013 I\u2019d walk into that house and fess up because he\u2019s not playing around this time!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe, looking at both of his brothers with confusion replied, \u201cI\u2019ve been good, good, good \u2013 Pa ain\u2019t gonna be mad at me.\u00a0 Hey — I sure could go for some bread, I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben came out onto the front porch and saw his three sons standing next to the opened barn door.\u00a0 He sang out sternly, \u201cBring that boy in here NOW<\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss exchanged worrisome glances and they each grabbed one of Joe\u2019s elbows and began pulling him across the yard.<\/p>\n His brothers got him into the house and over to the settee where they forcefully made him sit down.\u00a0 Joe looked over at Pa and smiled happily.<\/p>\n \u201cHi ya, Pa!\u201d He called out.<\/p>\n Ben drew in a deep breath as he inventoried Joe with his eyes.\u00a0 He then stared over at his other sons and said, \u201cPlease excuse your brother and me, Boys,\u201d He sent over the look of doom on his face and they both knew it well from past history.<\/p>\n Joe questioned loudly, \u201cExcuse you and me?\u00a0 Why, Pa \u2013 what did you and me do?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss shook their heads knowing that their brother was in deep trouble with their pa.\u00a0 They hurried to the stairs and headed up to their bedrooms before a big blow up ensued.\u00a0 It had only taken one glance over at their father to see he was about ready to explode over their little brother\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n Ben turned and walked into the kitchen for some coffee which he had left on the top of the stove.\u00a0 He brought a cup of strong black coffee into the living room and handed it down to Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cNo thanks, Pa,\u201d he said, almost dumping over the cup as he attempted to set it down on the table.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t thirsty but I sure could use some bread.\u00a0 Do we have any of that good bread from the other night, Pa?\u00a0 I\u2019m powerful hungry right now,\u201d Joe announced and drew up his legs and planted his boots on top of the coffee table.<\/p>\n Ben, filled with both disdain and anger, reached down and lifted his son\u2019s dirty boots off the table dropping them harshly onto the floor.\u00a0 \u201cYoung Man, you are in serious trouble right now so don\u2019t you even think about putting those boots back upon that table!\u201d He warned loudly.<\/p>\n Joe looked down at his feet and then back up into Pa\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pa?\u00a0 How \u2018bout you and me go get us some of that good bread?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, how much alcohol did you drink THIS<\/strong> time?\u00a0 You\u2019re just as liquored up as you were two nights ago!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared at his father and replied with confusion on his face, \u201cPa?\u00a0 Who\u2019s been drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYOU HAVE<\/strong>!\u201d Ben erupted loudly and took two steps over to his errant son with his hands clenched.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if you value your life, Joseph, you\u2019d better admit it to me this time.\u00a0 I\u2019m in no mood to hear any of your lies!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe leaned forward and glanced up at his father wondering why he appeared to be getting ready to strangle someone.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 now, now, Pa — I tell you I ain\u2019t had a drop of nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re telling me that you\u2019ve had nothing at all to drink?\u201d Ben asked incredulously.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t buying Joe\u2019s story at all.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, wait, wait–,\u201d Joe broke in and put his hand up in the air as if he was trying to get Pa\u2019s attention even though the man was still hovering over him fuming at the moment.\u00a0 \u201cI lied to ya, Pa,\u201d Joe announced.<\/p>\n Ben sucked in a deep breath and returned as he folded his arms across his chest.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at the very least you\u2019re finally admitting to lying \u2013 that just might save your life, Boy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry \u2013 I said that I didn\u2019t have nothing to drink —that was a lie,\u201d Joe nodded his head and then smiled innocently up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI had a ladle full of water a minute ago out in the barn.\u00a0 Sorry, Pa \u2013 didn\u2019t mean to lie to ya!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben drew his hand up to cover his face, totally exasperated at the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I\u2019m in no mood to hear any wise cracks!\u201d He thundered.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa?\u00a0 Can I tell you something?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shook his head almost afraid to ask.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure would like some of that bread, Pa.\u00a0 You think I could get a piece?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to get something alright, but it\u2019s not going to be bread!\u201d Pa warned as he dropped a firm hand down onto his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSo \u2013 you went into town and got drunk\u2014even after all that you and I talked about two days ago?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that right, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s quizzical gaze met his father\u2019s eyes, \u201cNo, no, Pa!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t go nowhere other than working on those fences.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben raised his eyebrows and returned, \u201cThen you obviously had a bottle of rotgut in your saddlebags or hidden somewhere \u2013 isn\u2019t that true?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe attempted to stand up but lost his balance and fell back down onto the sofa cushions.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa, I ain\u2019t got no whiskey in my saddlebags or any place hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben crossed his arms over his chest again trying with all of his willpower not to reach down and smack his son for lying to him.\u00a0 *** Wait, Ben \u2013 hear the boy out\u2014take a deep breath \u2013 they\u2019ll be a time for all of that! ***<\/em><\/strong> He thought to himself.\u00a0 \u201cYou are either extremely drunk or you got your hands on some kind of pain medicine.\u00a0 Now which is it?\u00a0 Did you find some laudanum somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeck no, Pa \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t never do that.\u00a0 Hey, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it now?\u00a0 And you\u2019d better not ask me for bread again, Joseph, I\u2019m warning you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to tell you that you\u2019re the best friend I\u2019ve ever had, Pa.\u00a0 I love you \u2013 and you\u2019re my best friend,\u201d Joe reached over and patted his father\u2019s arm and smiled lovingly up at him.<\/p>\n Pa groaned as he was getting nowhere with his inquisition and on top of that, now Joe was getting to the emotional phase of his inebriation following the gleeful euphoria.<\/p>\n \u201cPa— you are my best friend \u2013 but keep it a secret, okay?\u00a0 I don\u2019t want Hoss to find out because he thinks that he\u2019s my best friend.\u00a0 Well \u2013 he\u2019s not you are, Pa \u2013 but keep it quiet, okay?\u201d Joe asked pressing his index finger to his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I will talk to you in the morning,\u201d Ben gave up and reached down and pulled his son to standing.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I strongly advise you to be prepared to tell me the truth about what you\u2019ve been up to lately.\u00a0 If I hear anymore lies out of your mouth \u2013 well, you and I will be going out to the barn!\u201d Pa threatened harshly.<\/p>\n Joe stared through glazed eyes at his father and said, \u201cYou and me are going to the barn, Pa?\u00a0 Are we going to go saddle the horses and go into town?\u00a0 Can we stop by Miss Millie\u2019s place so I can get something to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben helped his youngest across the room and over to the stairs and then replied angrily, \u201cNo, we won\u2019t be saddling the horses and going into town, Young Man.\u00a0 Trust me, you won\u2019t be able to sit a saddle if you don\u2019t start telling me the truth.\u00a0 Up to your room now!\u201d Ben pointed to the top of the staircase.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa?\u00a0 Could I maybe take some bread up to my room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet!\u201d Ben shouted so loud he almost shook the windowpanes in the dining room.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe muttered.\u00a0 He stopped halfway up the stairs and cast a smile down at his father.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben didn\u2019t answer, he just stood there glaring up at Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re still my best friend — but don\u2019t tell Hoss, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben groaned and watched as the boy found his way up to his bedroom.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting too old for this,\u201d Ben whispered as he walked to the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph either tells me the truth tomorrow or else!\u00a0 How in the world does that boy come home in that condition and thinks that I can\u2019t tell that he\u2019s positively drunk?\u201d\u00a0 Ben poured his final cup of coffee hoping that it would calm his frayed nerves.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019re you going to do when he gets down here, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked worriedly.\u00a0 He knew that Little Joe was in a bad fix that there wasn\u2019t any escape from, especially not with the look that he was reading on his father\u2019s face there at the dining table.<\/p>\n Ben dropped his head down onto his folded fingers and sighed.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t slept well after checking on Joe and finding him just as he had been two nights ago, spread out on his bed sideways with his clothes on.\u00a0 His legs had hung down off of the bed and his father was half tempted to wake him just to move him around, but he had resisted.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t know, Hoss, he deserves a trip out to the barn \u2013 and it\u2019s what I said he\u2019d get so I guess I have to follow through with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe he\u2019ll come down and apologize?\u201d Adam suggested hopefully.\u00a0 He doubted that would happen, but he decided to sound upbeat for his father\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you give Little Joe one more chance to redeem himself, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n Ben raised his head and stared over at his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cThen what\u2019s to stop Joseph from doing this all again?\u00a0 And in the shape he\u2019s been in after drinking all night he could fall off of his horse and get hurt or killed.\u00a0 How is going easy on him an answer?\u201d<\/p>\n The three men turned as they spotted Joe coming down the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss and I have to get some things together before we leave.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be outside for a bit if you need us, Pa,\u201d Adam said and both he and Hoss stood and walked out of the dining room and turned for the front door.<\/p>\n Joe limped to his chair at the dining table and sat down.\u00a0 He reached for the coffee pot sitting just to Pa\u2019s right and poured himself a cup.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t speak because he was still upset about the lecture he had gotten a couple of days ago.<\/p>\n Ben stared pensively over at his son and then said, \u201cJoseph, how did you sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Joe muttered and finally looked over at his father.\u00a0 He read anger on his face and figured that it was due to him sleeping too late. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m going to go to work just as soon as I\u2019m done my coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached over and dropped his hand down on Joe\u2019s left wrist.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, you won\u2019t be going anywhere today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n *** Here we go again ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought to himself.\u00a0 \u201cYou came home drunk again last night.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sat rigidly in his chair and swallowed hard.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe he was being accused of drinking twice in the same week.\u00a0 Joe wondered if he was having some bizarre nightmare and that he would eventually wake up.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you hear me?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you doing this to me, Pa?\u201d Joe replied filled with despair.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not doing anything to you \u2013 you are doing all of this to yourself,\u201d Ben retorted angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you just think that I\u2019m drunk, Pa \u2013 maybe I come in limping, and you just assume that I\u2019ve been drinking,\u201d Joe suggested suspiciously.<\/p>\n Ben drew in a deep breath and arose from the table.\u00a0 He walked past his son and to the front door. He opened it and spied his other sons gathering supplies to take out to the mill.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, Adam!\u00a0 I need you to come in here a minute,\u201d Ben sang out.<\/p>\n The two men looked over at each other and figured that their father\u2019s request had to do with their little brother.\u00a0 Both brothers headed inside the house.<\/p>\n Soon all three sons were there at the table and Ben took his seat once more.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, you tell Joseph what you witnessed last night.\u00a0 He thinks that his father is making all of this up,\u201d Ben called over to his eldest.<\/p>\n Adam stared over at Joe and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cKid, Pa isn\u2019t making anything up.\u00a0 When you didn\u2019t come home and missed supper Pa asked Hoss and me to go fetch you.\u00a0 But by the time we got to the barn you had gotten in.\u00a0 You were without a doubt falling down drunk.\u00a0 It took the two of us to get you inside and even then, you were talking out of your head.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe cast a disbelieving glance at his oldest brother and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThen you\u2019re lying too!\u201d He shouted.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s hand reached down and grabbed Joe\u2019s left wrist.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t, Joseph.\u00a0 Don\u2019t put your sins on your brother.\u201d\u00a0 Ben then looked over at Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cTell him, Hoss,\u201d Ben insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat Adam said was the truth, Little Joe.\u00a0 You were drunk\u2014very drunk.\u00a0 And yeah\u2014I wish it wasn\u2019t true \u2013 but it is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Boys, go ahead and get that wagon ready and go on up to the mill,\u201d Ben nodded over at them, and the two men walked back outside.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s three witnesses, Joseph, are you still going to lie to me now?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared down at his place setting and didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t think of anything that would change his father\u2019s mind now, not with all three of his family members all in agreement that he had been drunk the night before.<\/p>\n Fighting back his tears Joe finally whispered, \u201cPa, you always said you could look into my eyes and tell if I was lying.\u00a0 So, go ahead \u2013 look and see if I am.\u201d Joe stared over at his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need to stare into your eyes, Joseph, I saw you with mine,\u201d Ben argued.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u00a0 Why would I lie if I knew that I had come in here and all three of you saw me drunk?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no earthly idea why you\u2019re drinking and lying about it,\u201d Ben answered with aggravation in his voice.<\/p>\n Joe drew in a deep breath and then whispered, \u201cWhat happens now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you know, Joseph,\u201d Ben said sternly.<\/p>\n Joe stood from his chair and called down to his father indignantly, waving his arms in the air.\u00a0 \u201cGreat!\u00a0 I get a trip to the barn, and I didn\u2019t do anything!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stood and grabbed his son\u2019s arm to stop his tirade.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I warned you about what I’d do to you if you came home drunk again and you did it anyway.\u00a0 And on top of that you continue to lie about it.\u00a0 I’m not going to debate you about this anymore.\u00a0 It’s time to get this over with, Joseph.\u00a0 Now go out to the barn and wait for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe fought back his tears as he stared over at his father.\u00a0\u00a0 Pa had always treated him fairly.\u00a0 But now he had unjustly accused him of getting drunk and lying about it.\u00a0 He wanted to run out of the house and saddle Cochise quickly and just ride away and never look back.\u00a0 Joe decided that everyone in his family was against him so there was no turning back.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Did you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine \u2013 Pa — but just know that after you hit me that someday you\u2019ll find out that I wasn\u2019t lying and then it\u2019s going to be on your conscience.\u00a0 I hope it nags at you forever,\u201d Joe replied bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be out in the barn,\u201d he muttered and slowly walked away.<\/p>\n Ben groaned loudly after his son had left the dining room.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t want to hit the boy and wished there was another way to get through to his son but there wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 And he had told Joe exactly what would happen if he got drunk again and lied about it, so Ben had to follow through with the punishment.<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam hadn\u2019t left yet when they saw Joe heading out to the barn.\u00a0 They knew that he wasn\u2019t going out there to saddle his horse and that soon Pa would be joining him.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel for the kid, Adam, from past experience I know that Pa ain\u2019t gonna be easy on him,\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I do too, you know?\u00a0 But if Pa doesn\u2019t get a handle on his behavior soon, he could get hurt, Hoss.\u00a0 Riding around this ranch or in town stone cold drunk is dangerous and you know it.\u00a0 We ought to feel sorry for our pa, he\u2019s the one who\u2019s going to hurt worse after he gives Joe a tanning and we both know it.\u00a0 You know how he feels about that kid.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben walked out onto the porch and cast a quick glance over at his older boys as he made his way to the barn.\u00a0 He noticed the two of them had a bit of sadness on their faces and it didn\u2019t help with what he had to do.<\/p>\n While Ben and Joe were in the barn the ranch had a visitor.\u00a0 Jack Winters rode into the yard and headed over to talk to both Adam and Hoss.<\/p>\n ************<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben began as he moved over to where Joe was stroking his pinto\u2019s mane.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph let\u2019s get this over with.\u00a0 Afterwards if you\u2019ll straighten out, I won\u2019t have to resort to this kind of punishment,\u201d Pa said and removed his belt.<\/p>\n Before Joe turned around, he pushed aside some fallen tears.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want his father to see them.<\/p>\n \u201cOver here,\u201d Ben called and pointed to one of the back stalls.<\/p>\n Joe walked slowly like a man heading to the gallows.\u00a0 There was nothing left to say to his father, and he swore to himself that he would be leaving the Ponderosa forever just as soon as he got the chance.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t going to stay where people convicted him of something that he hadn\u2019t done.<\/p>\n Ben grabbed Joe\u2019s arm and eased him over to one of the rails of the stall. Drawing in a deep breath, he folded the belt in his right hand.<\/p>\n Joe looked down at the hay covered floor and braced himself for the feel of his father\u2019s belt.\u00a0 He was going to do his very best not to show Pa how badly he was hurting once the tanning commenced.\u00a0 He swore that Pa wouldn\u2019t get that satisfaction from what he was going to do to him.<\/p>\n Just as he was about to send the first clap of the belt to his son\u2019s backside Hoss burst into the barn.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d He yelled.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I gotta see you really quick!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, get out of here right now!\u201d Ben yelled, angered by the interruption.\u00a0 He just wanted to get the whole dreadful event over with and didn\u2019t need any interference.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa!\u00a0 It\u2019s an emergency \u2013 I promise you that it is!\u201d Hoss yelled.<\/p>\n Ben looked over at Joe and then back at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, you stay right here, I will be back in a minute,\u201d he ordered and hurried out of the barn.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Standing next to Adam stood Jack. Ben was helped along by Hoss and his urgency was in his gait.<\/p>\n \u201cYou gotta hear this, Pa.\u00a0 Tell him, Jack,\u201d Hoss called over to the man.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Cartwright \u2013 well I came over to talk to Little Joe, but your boys here told me about the trouble he\u2019s been in lately.\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s my fault \u2013 the whole darn thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cDid you give my son whiskey?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and returned, \u201cNo, Sir, I wouldn\u2019t do that \u2013 the kid\u2019s too young for whiskey.\u00a0 But \u2013 well I came upon him earlier this week and that leg of his was really bad.\u00a0 He told me that he kept it from you because he didn\u2019t want to stay in his room but that it\u2019s a whole lot worse than he told the doctor.\u00a0 Joe was in a lot of pain so I gave him something that I knew would help.\u00a0 I just didn\u2019t know how it would affect him once he got home.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben, surprised by the confession, asked, \u201cWhat did you give the boy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had him smoke a pipe that had a bit of tobacco, some hemp and a few other things in it that we\u2019ve smoked for years in my tribe.\u00a0 It helped Joe\u2019s leg but from what your boys said it made him seem like he was drunk.\u00a0 That\u2019s been known to happen in some of the people who are new to it.\u00a0 You see it helps the pain but can make you talk and act a bit foolish and yes\u2014I guess it would look like Joe was drunk.\u00a0 I gave it to him twice \u2013 and from what Hoss said he came home looking like he was drunk two times, so guess it\u2019s totally my fault.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t Joe have any memory of what he had done, Jack?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sometimes that can also be a side effect in some people who smoke it, and Joe must be very susceptible to the stuff.\u00a0 He probably slept pretty good, but in the morning he wouldn\u2019t remember anything he\u2019d done.\u00a0 I thought he was okay because when he left me both times, he was riding just fine and wasn\u2019t limping at all.\u00a0 It probably hit him harder once it had been in his system a while so that when he made it back here all the effects were heightened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat made you come out today, Jack?\u201d Ben asked, so thankful that Joe\u2019s friend had explained what had happened before he had made a terrible mistake and punished his son.<\/p>\n \u201cTo tell you the truth, I\u2019m going to be in Genoa for a few weeks and I wanted to see Joe to ask if he needed any more pain killer.\u00a0 Now I guess that\u2019s out of the question.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery much so,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBut I appreciate you telling us this –,\u201d<\/p>\n Ben paused when he saw Joe riding out of the barn on Cochise.\u00a0 The boy was riding at break-neck speed evidently trying to avoid his father coming back into the barn to carry out his punishment.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u00a0 You want me to fetch him?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo— just go saddle my horse \u2013 I need to be the one!\u201d Ben sang out and hurried to get his gear.<\/p>\n **************<\/p>\n Joseph Cartwright had always been a creature of habit and that held true that afternoon.\u00a0 The first place that his father checked was up at Marie Cartwright\u2019s gravesite.\u00a0 Joe often went there when he was troubled.\u00a0 Ben neared the granite headstone and could see that a handful of fresh wildflowers were on the grave.\u00a0 Joseph had definitely been there to talk to his mother.\u00a0 Ben neared the grave and spoke out loud to his deceased wife.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, I\u2019ve got to find our boy.\u00a0 I know he\u2019s been up here \u2013 I just need to know where the kid\u2019s gone now,\u201d he said as he knelt there and thought on the love of his life and the child that they shared.\u00a0 \u201cI just wish that you could tell me, Darling.\u00a0 I messed up this time and I know he\u2019s running from me.\u201d<\/p>\n A strong gust of wind shot out through the pines which stood on the far side of the gravesite facing the lake.\u00a0 It was followed by complete stillness.\u00a0 Ben stood and stared off towards Lake Tahoe.\u00a0 He walked a bit closer to get a better view and it was then that he spied the solitary figure sitting on one of the large flat rocks which jutted out into the water.\u00a0 It was Joseph.\u00a0 Ben turned and smiled gratefully towards his wife\u2019s final resting place.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Marie,\u201d He whispered and headed down the well-worn path to retrieve his horse.\u00a0 Ben needed to get to his boy before he ran off again.<\/p>\n ************<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called as he carefully stepped from one smooth rock to the next attempting to reach his son.<\/p>\n Joe never turned around even though he had heard his father\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n Ben made it over to his youngest and slowly eased down next to him.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, we need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t really talk anymore, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered, still not looking at his father.\u00a0 \u201cYou yell and accuse me of things, and I sit there and take it.\u00a0 That\u2019s how we talk.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached over and touched his son\u2019s arm and noticed how he pulled back from him.\u00a0 Joe was obviously having no part in anything his father wanted to tell him.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe \u2013 come on \u2013 let\u2019s work this all out.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally turning to face his father, Joe spoke out with defiance in his tone.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019ve got plans on hitting me \u2013 well I can be up on my horse before you can get your belt off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to hit you, Son.\u00a0 I told you that we just need to talk this out,\u201d Ben reassured the boy with gentleness in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what\u2019s changed, Pa?\u00a0 I mean one minute you\u2019re about to give me a good thrashing and now you want to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour friend Jack came by.\u00a0 You probably didn\u2019t notice him out in the yard considering how fast you took off on Cochise.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared at his father and replied, \u201cSo what?\u00a0 So, he stopped by.\u00a0 What difference does that make?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat he told us clears up everything that happened both times you came home appearing to be drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe returned and now was staring directly into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gave you something for pain, do you remember that?\u201d Ben asked raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a pipe \u2013 we just smoked it a few times.\u00a0 What difference does it make?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, the concoction that was in that pipe is what made you intoxicated.\u00a0 Jack says that happens with some people who try it and evidently you are one of those people who are highly susceptible to everything that was in that pipe.\u00a0 He also said that you wouldn\u2019t have any idea what you had done those nights that you got home after smoking it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s face filled with disbelief, and he shook his head and replied, \u201cSo \u2013 the pipe \u2013 or what was in it made me act like you all said that I did?\u00a0 It made me act like I was drunk?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled and nodded over at his son.\u00a0 \u201cYes, so you could say that truth be told you and I were both telling the truth.\u00a0 You weren\u2019t drunk though you sure did appear to be.\u00a0 You thought I was lying about what I\u2019d seen, and I thought that you were lying about what you had done.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of those rare times in life that two people tell two different truths and they\u2019re both right.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked away from his father for a few minutes as he fought with his emotions over all that had happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure glad that Jack came by when he did.\u00a0 You said that it would\u2019ve haunted my conscience if I had hit you\u2014and it would have once I found out that you weren\u2019t really lying to me.\u00a0 However, Young Man, you didn\u2019t tell me the complete truth about that leg of yours.\u00a0 Maybe if you had \u2013 then none of this would have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and then turned around to look at his father.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right, Pa.\u00a0 I just didn\u2019t want to stay in the house and rest.\u00a0 I guess I own that one.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben was finally able to wrap his arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and Joe didn\u2019t shrug it off.\u00a0 “I should have looked into your eyes, Joseph — both about whether your leg was hurting you and about what you tried to tell me this morning.\u00a0 I’ve always been able to read truth in them.\u00a0 Maybe if I had done that none of this would’ve happened either.”<\/p>\n Joe smiled over at his father, grateful that he had said what he had.\u00a0 Pa was acknowledging the fact that he hadn’t been totally in the right about everything that had happened between them.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now you\u2019re going to come home and rest that leg for a week and then we\u2019ll see how you are.\u00a0 Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe agreed.<\/p>\n Ben stood and reached for his son\u2019s hand to pull him up.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d better get home I\u2019m sure your brothers are worried about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa \u2013 I\u2019m sorry \u2013 I thought you were lying to me,\u201d Joe confessed and dropped his head down.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for doubting you too\u2013 so let\u2019s just agree to forgive each other, Son, okay?\u201d Ben patted his son\u2019s back.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Pa,” Joe nodded his agreement.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe made their way back to shore and to the two horses.<\/p>\n \u201cOh \u2013 there is one last thing I\u2019d like to ask you, Joseph?\u201d Ben stopped just shy of where the horses waited for their masters.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe other night\u2014though you were \u2013 well let\u2019s just say \u2013 feeling no pain– you told me that I\u2019m your best friend.\u00a0 I guess after all that\u2019s happened you can\u2019t possibly consider me that anymore, am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe grinned over at his father and shook his head. \u201cNo, Pa \u2013 you\u2019re still my best friend.\u00a0 But don\u2019t tell Hoss, he thinks that he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed and pulled his son into his arms and hugged him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll keep your secret, Joseph.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n Written by Wrangler<\/p>\n 11-3-25<\/p>\n *** Author\u2019s note: Many historical figures partook in the use of hemp for various things, and many grew it on their farms including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.\u00a0 It was also known to the Native Americans and was used for its healing properties.\u00a0 This is just a way to verify that the plant could have been used in the 1850-60\u2019s by the Paiute tribe. This statement is not meant to support the use of this particular plant nor to dismiss its healing properties.\u00a0 No medical claims, always consult your doctor first and not a writer of fiction. ***<\/p>\n (Dedicated to my story consultant Rob who helped choose the picture.\u00a0 Good one, Rob!)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n