Summary:\u00a0 Joe discovers that sometimes good things happen.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Word Count:\u00a0 2959<\/p>\n
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Spring – A Season for Miracles<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spring had arrived. The pines were loaded with small purplish cones, and the meadows were a lush green dotted with yellow, pink, and white wildflowers.<\/p>\n \u2018Hoss would have loved this<\/em>,\u2019 Joe Cartwright thought as he rode along, enjoying the soft touch of a warm breeze against his skin. \u2018Hoss<\/em>.\u2019 He smiled gently as memories of\u00a0his brother and best friend drifted into his consciousness.<\/p>\n The smile slowly broadened as a childhood memory crept into his thoughts. He and Hoss had found an injured racoon behind the bunkhouse and had smuggled it into his brother\u2019s bedroom. Later that night, the patient had decided to explore the rest of the house, starting with their father\u2019s bedroom. Joe laughed softly at the memory.<\/p>\n The racoon had been quickly relegated to the barn, and he and Hoss had been firmly told that animals, hurt or not, belonged in the barn. So that was where they kept the injured skunk they found a couple of weeks later. Why they had not been sprayed (Adam had not been so lucky), was a secret known only to the skunk.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa, easy there, Cooch.\u201d Joe, pulled out of his reverie by the paint\u2019s sudden movement, calmed the anxious animal. He glanced around, checking out both sides of the road. His eyes widened. Slithering into the brush, not far away, was a large sidewinder. \u201cGood boy, Cooch,\u201d he praised the gelding, gently stroking his neck. Then, with a click of his tongue he put him into an easy trot.<\/p>\n He had been riding for about twenty minutes, enjoying the delights of a spring day, when he caught sight of a small town just down the road.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019d you say to a clean stall and some hay and grain, Cooch?\u201d<\/p>\n Cochise eagerly nodded his head. Joe laughed. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t object to a soft bed, a hot meal, and a warm bath myself,\u201d he said and headed for town.<\/p>\n \u201cThe soft bed you\u2019ll find in room thirteen,\u201d the clerk at the Palace Hotel told Joe, handing him a key. \u201cThe Golden Nugget, next door, serves a good meal, and there\u2019s a bathhouse just down the street.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded his thanks.<\/p>\n \u201cTails, warm bath first,\u201d he told himself as he glanced at the coin in his hand.<\/p>\n \u2018Lady Luck made the right choice<\/em>,\u2019 he mused as he immersed himself in a large tub filled with warm, soapy water. He leaned back, and his whole body slowly relaxed as the soothing warmth of the water seeped into his muscles. His eyes drifted shut.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t fall asleep, little brother. You\u2019re as like to slip right under that water,\u201d a familiar voice whispered in his ear.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes flew open. He shot around and looked into a face he thought he would never see again. \u201cHoss, w-what, how? You drowned!\u201d he said. \u201cWe buried you!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss couldn\u2019t stop the happy grin from spreading across his face as he looked at his little brother. \u201cI\u2019ll explain everything,\u201d he promised, handing Joe a towel. \u201cMeet me in the Golden Nugget, in ten minutes. By the way, my name is James Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared at him questioningly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll explain that too,\u201d he said, and still grinning he left the bathhouse.<\/p>\n Joe stood motionless, staring at the door, not sure whether to believe his eyes. Then, at a speed that would have dumbfounded his father and brothers, he grabbed his clothes, dressed, hurried down to the Golden Nugget, and dashed inside.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you\u2019d explain. Well, I\u2019m listening,\u201d he told his big brother as he sat down across from him. Hoss took a swig of his beer, smiled, and started his tale, \u201cIf you remember, I had gone to Arizona on a business trip for Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you were to meet with Henry Baker about some horses Pa wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we met, and me and Mr. Baker were in the Last Chance Saloon, finalizing the deal, when a ruckus broke out on Main Street. I stepped out to have a look. People were running in all directions. Someone was yelling that the bank had been robbed, and six or seven riders came galloping down the street, heading out of town. The last man turned and took a shot at me. I dove for cover and fired back, hitting him. He died instantly. And that was when everything went sideways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you shot a bank robber?\u201d Joe asked, confused.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded. \u201cHave you heard of a man called Brett Hogan?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cYes, who hasn\u2019t? He\u2019s a thief and a killer. Lawmen have been after him and his gang for over a year. Even the Pinkertons have dealt themselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe thief I shot was his younger brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned. \u201cHe came after you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hoss acknowledged. \u201cThe very next day, someone took a shot at me while I was walking down Main Street. He missed but wounded a passerby. After that, it seemed that every dark corner, every tree, and every blade of grass had a man with a rifle hidden behind it. The man was relentless, and Joe, he didn\u2019t care how many innocent people he hurt or killed trying to get at me. When he followed me into Nevada, I was terrified he\u2019d hit the Ponderosa to draw me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you decided to fake your death.\u201d Joe speculated, understanding and sympathy written on his face.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 lips curled into a wry smile. \u201cThat came about by accident. About a week after the hold-up, I reached the White River. The water was swift and already running over its banks. But despite this, a family of maybe five or six was trying to get across. Their wagon hit something under the water, lurched sideways, and an old woman fell o\ufb00.<\/p>\n “One of her sons jumped in after her, but the river grabbed hold of him too. Dagnabbit Joe, I couldn\u2019t just sit there and do nothing. I rode into the water and got the woman to safety, but I couldn\u2019t get to her son in time.<\/p>\n “His name was James Miller. It was one of his brothers who, after hearing my story, suggested I should trade identities with him. Since Miller was as big as me, and his face had been battered by being tossed around in the river, he thought I could get away with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe, bewildered, looked deep into his brother\u2019s eyes and asked, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you come home if Hogan thought you were dead?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss paused for several moments and then spoke, \u201cI thought about it. But Joe, someone might have recognized me, and if they did, it would have got back to Hogan. I couldn\u2019t take that chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss, adamant, shook his head. \u201cUntil Hogan is dead or in jail, Hoss Cartwright is dead. Joe, you can\u2019t tell anyone, besides Pa, that I\u2019m alive. I want your promise.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded, reluctantly.<\/p>\n Hoss reached out, placing his large hand on Joe\u2019s smaller one. Then, with glistening eyes, he squeezed the hand and stammered, \u201cI love you, Little Brother, but I have to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Miserable, Joe watched as Hoss headed towards the doors and out of his life. \u2018Not again,<\/em>\u2019 he thought. \u2018Not\u00a0again<\/em>!\u2019 He\u2019d had enough of losing people he loved, and he was going to do something about it \u201cHoss, I\u2019m going after Hogan,\u201d he shouted at his brother\u2019s back.<\/p>\n Hoss stopped and spun around. \u201cOh, no, you\u2019re not,\u201d he thundered, stomping back to his brother. Putting his hands flat on the table, he leaned forward and stared furiously into his little brother\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Joe stared right back, determination and stubbornness rampant in his eyes.<\/p>\n Hoss sighed. He knew that look only too well. He had seen it often enough. He shook his head, remembering the time Joe, barely seventeen, had defied Pa, older Brother Adam, and himself to do what he felt was right\u2014to the point of pulling a gun on their father.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe,\u201d he began in a calm and reasonable voice, but then suddenly his whole demeanour changed. He became quiet and tense.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d he whispered, \u201cdoes that man sitting over there in the corner look to you like he\u2019s a little too interested in our conversation?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I was thinking the same thing,\u201d Joe agreed and started to rise. Immediately, Hoss pushed him back into the chair.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already attracted enough attention,\u201d he murmured. \u201cGive me your key and meet me in your hotel room in twenty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe gave a slight nod of his head and inconspicuously slid the key across the table.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty minutes,\u201d the big man stressed, and walked out.<\/p>\n Joe sat staring at the swinging doors, lost in thought. \u2018Hoss, Hoss was alive,\u2019 he thought, happiness bubbling up inside him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you know about the Pinkertons?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cW-what?\u201d Joe stammered, startled by the voice whispering close to his ear.<\/p>\n \u201cAllan Pinkerton,\u201d the man introduced himself, sat down, and slid his badge across the table.<\/p>\n Joe looked at the tin star and then back at the man.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the one who was listening in on our conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d the detective admitted, \u201cand I\u2019d like a few words with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe gave a slow nod, and Allan Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, began to talk. Close to an hour later he stopped and waited patiently for an answer.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Joe finally replied, \u201cI\u2019ll take you to him, but I want your gun first.\u201d<\/p>\n Pinkerton hesitated for only a few seconds before handing over his weapon.<\/p>\n Hoss fumed as he paced the floor of Joe\u2019s hotel room.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty minutes. I told him twenty minutes, and it\u2019s been nigh on to an hour. Dagnabbit, he\u2019s probably gone and got himself into a mess of trouble.\u201d Buckling on his gun belt, he stomped over to the door and yanked it open.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the #$@!\u201d Joe yelped as he flew across the room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere in tarnation have you been?\u201d Hoss growled.<\/p>\n \u201cTalking with Allan Pinkerton, he\u2019s going to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr at least give it a try,\u201d Pinkerton qualified from the doorway.<\/p>\n Hoss shot around, hand on his gun. \u201cWho are you?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n Joe quickly stepped between Hoss and the detective. \u201cI just told you. He\u2019s Allan Pinkerton, of the Pinkerton Detective Agency.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at Joe and then back at the stranger.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp us do what?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp you get your life back,\u201d Pinkerton declared as he entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd just how do you plan on doing that?\u201d a skeptical Hoss inquired.<\/p>\n \u201cBy using you as the bait in a trap, with your permission, of course,\u201d Pinkerton said and waited for a reaction. It wasn\u2019t long in coming.<\/p>\n \u201cBait! You never said anything about Hoss being bait.\u201d Joe, temper flaring, pulled open the door. \u201cI think you\u2019d better leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I wanna hear what he has to say, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Allan Pinkerton sat down and laid out his plan, thrashing out the details with his two new allies.<\/p>\n \u201cAll that\u2019s left is to find a suitable spot,\u201d Pinkerton finished looking at the two Cartwrights inquiringly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should do it on the Ponderosa,\u201d Joe suggested immediately.<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ve told you, Little Brother. I\u2019m not putting anyone on the Ponderosa in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there someplace on your ranch that\u2019s fairly isolated, where there\u2019s little danger of someone else getting hurt?\u201d Pinkerton intervened.<\/p>\n \u201cThat old abandoned line shack in the north section,\u201d Joe thought aloud.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, then that\u2019s settled,\u201d Pinkerton commented, and, ten minutes later, he left with a map of the line shack and surrounding area in his possession.<\/p>\n Several days later, the aroma of strong co\ufb00ee and sizzling bacon filled an abandoned line shack in the north section of the Ponderosa. But the two cranky cowboys sitting down to breakfast barely noticed it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been over a week,\u201d Joe griped as he dished out the eggs and bacon. \u201cMaybe Hogan needs help finding us.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss eyed his little brother suspiciously. \u201cWhat do you have in mind?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe moved his chair next to Big Brother\u2019s. \u201cYou remember how Pinkerton said Hogan had eyes and ears everywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded. \u201cYea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what if I were to ride into town and sneak around, buy some supplies\u2014enough for two people, and maybe\u00a0some very large shirts?\u201d Joe looked at his brother, waiting for his reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cBring back some sweetening and a checkerboard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll your favourites\u2014that should really set tongues wagging.\u201d<\/p>\n And wag they did. Within an hour of his arrival in Virginia City, store clerks, bartenders, and even some of his friends were gossiping about Little Joe\u2019s strange behaviour.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Joe, what are you doing skulking around town? I thought you were on holiday.\u201d Pete commented as he sat down beside his friend, hoping to glean a few bits of information.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, just had to come into town to get a few things for, uh, a friend,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cSay Pete, could you do me a favour? Don\u2019t mention to anyone that I\u2019ve been in town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Pete promised.<\/p>\n Joe smiled to himself as his friend left a few moments later. If there was one thing Pete wasn\u2019t good at, it was keeping a secret.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did it go?\u201d Hoss asked as Joe rode up to the shack.<\/p>\n \u201cHard to tell, but\u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHold it a moment. No sense in having to say it twice, and that looks like Pinkerton riding up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you disappear to?\u201d the detective demanded, reining his horse to a stop.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening to you too,\u201d Joe retorted, \u201cand I was in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening,\u201d Pinkerton said pleasantly. \u201cNow why did you go into Virginia City?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted to give Hogan some help finding us,\u201d Hoss interjected with a smile on his face.<\/p>\n Pinkerton looked from one brother to the other, wondering if his leg was being pulled, and decided it wasn\u2019t. \u201cAnd did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a couple of strangers in town. One of them seemed inordinately interested in what I was doing, but he didn\u2019t make any move to follow me. Thought I\u2019d go back and try again in a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Pinkerton said, lost in thought. \u201cCould you make them believe that you\u2019re harbouring your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlready done. I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Pinkerton listened with a smile on his face. \u201cExcellent, see you in a couple of days then,\u201d he remarked and rode o\ufb00.<\/p>\n A large orangish sun was resting on the horizon when Joe rode in a couple of days later.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Brother,\u201d he called out as he dismounted and turned Cochise out in the small corral.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d it go this time?\u201d<\/p>\n A huge grin spread across Joe\u2019s face. \u201cTwo men followed me back.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss smiled and followed Joe into the line shack.<\/p>\n \u201cI bet that\u2019s Pinkerton,\u201d Hoss said, hearing the sound of hooves pounding the ground a few hours later.<\/p>\n Joe glanced out the window and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cCo\ufb00ee?\u201d he asked as he opened the door for the detective.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Pinkerton said and sat down. \u201cYou\u2019re aware two men followed you back?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe gave a slight nod.<\/p>\n \u201cThey watched the place for about an hour and then left. You can probably expect some company in two or three days,\u201d he told them, and pulling a small hand-drawn map from his pocket, he spread it out on the table. \u201cHave a look at this and tell me what you think. I\u2019ve placed men here, here, and here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou might want to put a few men here, as well,\u201d Joe said, indicating an area on the map. \u201cWhat\u2019d you think, Brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded. \u201cOne or two would be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Pinkerton marked the change on the map and returned it to his pocket. \u201cYou all set here?\u201d he asked as he finished his co\ufb00ee.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep\u201d<\/p>\n Pinkerton nodded and left.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Mid-morning, three days later, Brett Hogan shouted from the back of a large black horse, \u201cCartwright, you know who I am?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrett Hogan,\u201d Hoss shouted back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know why I\u2019m here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHogan,\u201d Pinkerton called out before Hoss could answer. \u201cThis is Allan Pinkerton. Drop your guns and surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n The bandits immediately drew their guns and opened fire. The fight that ensued was short and fierce. When it ended, Hogan was dead, and his men were either dead or prisoners.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re back early,\u201d Ben Cartwright remarked, \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting you ’til the end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well, umm.\u201d Joe stood there staring at his father, trying to decide how to tell him about Hoss. \u201cPa, do you believe in miracles?\u201d he finally asked.<\/p>\n Ben looked at his son, quizzically, and answered, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever seen one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s all this about miracles, Joe?\u201d a perplexed Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s trying to tell you that I didn\u2019t drown,\u201d Hoss called from the doorway.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s face turned ashen as the son whom he had buried almost two years ago entered the great room.<\/p>\n \u201cHow? When?\u201d he whispered, and tears flowed down his face as he stumbled from behind his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cSit down and Hoss\u2019ll explain everything,\u201d Joe promised as he and Hoss helped their dazed father to the settee.<\/p>\n Ben pulled his middle son into a warm, loving hug and then allowed himself to be seated on the settee. Hoss pulled up a chair and began his story.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Epilogue<\/p>\n The story of Hoss\u2019 return spread quickly through Virginia City and the surrounding area. And as it spread, it took on a life of its own. By the end of the year, men and women all over the state of Nevada, were telling the tale of how the Cartwright boys had faked the death of one of the brothers (which brother changed with every telling) to set a trap for the notorious Hogan Gang and how they had, without firing a single shot, brought the ruthless gang of killers to justice.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n