Summary:\u00a0 Brothers are always there for each other, no matter what the circumstances.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (3,010 words)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ALWAYS THERE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright reined in his horse.\u00a0 Here, way above the lake, it was beautiful; the sunlight made patterns through the trees and the lake sparkled way below him.\u00a0 He was a big man and he sat tall in the saddle of his dark bay horse, surveying the land around him with obvious pleasure.\u00a0 He lifted his head to the mountains where the snowcapped peak of Mount Tallac watched over the land below.\u00a0 There was nowhere else on earth as beautiful, Hoss was sure of that.\u00a0 He had finished his work up here and should really be heading into town to meet his father, but he had felt the need for a moment of peaceful contemplation and it was peaceful here.\u00a0 Suddenly he shivered, as if one of the Washoe Zephyrs had struck.\u00a0 He glanced around; it was high summer and the only wind was a soft, gentle, warm breeze, nothing to make him react as he had.\u00a0 A dark cloud passed over the sun the sensation of cold came again.\u00a0 Somehow he knew that something was wrong, somewhere a member of his family was in trouble.\u00a0 He swung Chub in a circle and headed back down the slope towards Virginia City, pushing his horse harder than he would normally in these conditions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was a rumble deep in the earth and the buildings on \u2018C\u2019 street shook.\u00a0 Folk above ground ignored it and went about their business.\u00a0 It was a common occurrence: every time a new seam was opened or a new tunnel dug, the blasting would shake the foundations of Virginia City and newcomers would marvel that the buildings still stood.\u00a0 The mountain was honeycombed with tunnels and shafts, each a testimony to the wealth below the city.<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright straightened up from the bank counter and listened; that had sounded like a mine near his own.\u00a0 Hopefully, someone had found a new seam.\u00a0 He was becoming anxious that the mine was draining the resources of the ranch without providing a return.\u00a0 His oldest son had argued vehemently that it took time to establish a new mine and that more, not less, investment was needed, but despite his faith in Adam\u2019s abilities he wasn\u2019t entirely convinced.\u00a0 He wanted more ore samples for assay to reassure him that he was not pouring good money after bad.<\/p>\n He had come into town today with various errands to run, including this one to the bank.\u00a0 He planned to meet up with his sons for dinner this evening.\u00a0 He had already collected the mail and had been disappointed to find that the letter he was expecting had not arrived.\u00a0 When he had first set up home in the Washoe Valley, mail had taken months to arrive from the eastern cities, but since the advent of the railroad that delay had dropped to days.\u00a0 That letter should have been here; it really was too bad.\u00a0 He listened again, as another blast made the ground shudder and he hoped that it was a good sign.\u00a0 A new seam being opened in his mine, or a neighboring one, would at least bring work to the city.<\/p>\n The next sound, however, struck terror into his heart – and into the hearts of all those who had friends and loved ones below ground.\u00a0 From one of the mines to the north of the city came the unmistakable wail of the siren.\u00a0 All heads turned and feet began to pound along the sidewalk towards the mine entrance.\u00a0 An accident!\u00a0 Was it a fire, a flood, a cave-in?\u00a0 Or, a combination of these?\u00a0 Every man, woman and child in the city wanted to know.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Six hundred feet below the street, they knew.\u00a0 An inexperienced miner had set off a charge without allowing his supervisor to check it and the resulting blast had caused a massive cave-in.\u00a0 Some 30 men were trapped, some perhaps killed; some were certainly injured.\u00a0 In a tunnel off the main shaft, a group of miners clung together for support, checking and counting, trying to work out who was alive and who was dead.\u00a0 Three dead, and three more unaccounted for – a terrible toll, even if the remaining group could be rescued alive.<\/p>\n The dust settled and one young man groaned and tried to move.\u00a0 Panic…he couldn\u2019t move, he was trapped under one of the beams.\u00a0 A timber supplied by his family, a timber from the mighty Ponderosa ranch, was pinning him to the rock, slowly crushing him beneath its weight.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and glanced around him.\u00a0 There was nothing to see; the lamps and candles had been extinguished and the darkness was complete.\u00a0 He tentatively moved one arm, then the other.\u00a0 He felt a few bruises, but nothing broken.\u00a0 His head hurt and he put up a hand to his temple; his fingers probed and came away sticky.\u00a0 He was bleeding, but not profusely.\u00a0 He sighed with relief – and felt the pain in his chest worsen.\u00a0 He must have cracked some ribs.\u00a0 His legs felt numb, but there was no real pain.<\/p>\n He tried to remember exactly where he had been when the cave-in occurred – and who had been with him – but his head hurt and it wasn\u2019t clear.\u00a0 He hated the mine, the closed-in feeling, the darkness.\u00a0 When he was down here he was always impatient, longing to be back on top in the fresh air.\u00a0 It irritated his older brother so much that he would often refuse Pa\u2019s request to take him underground, but Pa insisted that all of them should understand all aspects of the business, not just their own.<\/p>\n It was all right for Adam.\u00a0 He enjoyed mines and mining, he could handle the timber business and run the cattle empire and…Joe groaned…he could interfere in the horse breeding side, which was supposed to be Joe\u2019s own responsibility.\u00a0 It was hard being the youngest, always being treated as a kid, and Joe resented it.\u00a0 He particularly resented his older brother giving him orders.\u00a0 They argued often and then Pa would support Adam and Joe would feel even more resentful.<\/p>\n He lay in the darkness, trying to recall why he was in the mine.\u00a0 Oh, yes, Pa wanted some ore samples for assay.\u00a0 The new vein wasn\u2019t as rich as they had expected and Pa was worried that it was wasting hard-earned resources.\u00a0 Joe hoped it was true.\u00a0 He would love to see the mine fail, partly because he hated the mining business, but also because it would be nice to see his older brother proved wrong for once.\u00a0 He remembered now that they had come down here to the new tunnel to check it out.\u00a0 The panic returned and Joe twisted a little, then groaned again in pain.\u00a0 He had to know if anyone else was nearby.\u00a0 As he moved, his hand touched something warm and he realized it was another hand.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n He called softly, \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no answer.\u00a0 He reached further and then recoiled in shock.\u00a0 Beyond the hand was a crushed arm and then rock.\u00a0 Whoever it was must be buried and almost certainly dead.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d he screamed.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d<\/p>\n His voice echoed around the small chamber that held him prisoner.\u00a0 Oh God, he was alone and his brother was dead.\u00a0 He began to scream in fear, his voice rising as the panic overwhelmed him.\u00a0 He had wanted to prove Adam wrong, he didn\u2019t want him dead.<\/p>\n Then from the darkness somewhere behind him came a calm reassuring voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019m here.\u00a0 You\u2019re gonna be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe almost sobbed in relief.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, are you really okay?\u00a0 You\u2019re not hurt?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m not hurt, but I can\u2019t get to you right now.\u00a0 You have to hang on until help comes.\u201d\u00a0 His older brother\u2019s voice sound confident and it restored Joe\u2019s courage.\u00a0 Adam had always been there for him.\u00a0 If he said it was going to be all right, it would be.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep talking to me, Joe, that way I\u2019ll know you\u2019re still awake.\u00a0 You must stay awake.\u00a0 The rescue party will need to be able to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe relaxed a little until the pain in his chest returned.\u00a0 \u201cMy chest hurts, it\u2019s hard to breathe,\u201d he moaned.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dust doesn\u2019t help and I expect you\u2019ve broken some ribs.\u00a0 Just rest easy, help\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s voice seemed to be slightly above him and to his left, but he could see nothing in the pitch darkness.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m scared, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s so dark down here.\u201d\u00a0 Joe voiced his fears, knowing his older brother could be trusted never to tell anyone that he had been frightened.\u00a0 He had always hated the dark and as a child had often run to his brother\u2019s room in the middle of the night after a bad dream.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember how I used to creep into your bed when I had a nightmare when I was a kid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I remember.\u00a0 Sometimes there\u2019d be all three of us in one bed, if there was a storm or if something had happened during the day that we wanted to talk about,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember the nightmares I had when Mama died and how you sat with me until I went to sleep,\u201d Joe said quietly, his voice drifting away a little.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, Joe!\u201d\u00a0 The voice was urgent, demanding.\u00a0 \u201cYou mustn\u2019t go to sleep now.\u00a0 Keep talking to me,\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about the horses you\u2019re working with.\u00a0 The black you\u2019re so proud of, tell me about him, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe began to describe the attributes of a black stallion he had captured and how he planned to break him, what a good addition he would make to the Ponderosa\u2019s string of horses.\u00a0 His voice began to waver again and he cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure thirsty,\u201d he called out.\u00a0 \u201cA nice cold beer would go down well right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Remember when Hoss and I took you to a saloon for the first time?\u00a0 Leastwise, we thought it was the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the pain it caused, Joe chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t like to tell you that I\u2019d been going there for months with my friends, in case you told Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa sure was mad at us,\u201d Adam responded.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t stop lecturing me for days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Joe said softly, \u201cwe are<\/em> gonna get out of here, aren\u2019t we?\u00a0 I mean, it\u2019s been an awful long time and I can\u2019t hear anything.\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t they be digging by now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Above ground the rescue party had formed and heads were being counted.\u00a0 \u201cThere was 32 on that level, 14 of \u2018em in the tunnel that\u2019s gone,\u201d one of the miners informed Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 \u201cEven if they survived the fall, it\u2019s gonna take a while to get through to them.\u00a0 We need to shore up as we go.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded, the shock of the accident registering on his pale face.\u00a0 Much as he wanted to claw at the rock with his bare hands, he knew that slow and steady was the best way to ensure the safety of any survivors.<\/p>\n The first group trapped only by the broken lift, were soon free and able to give more information about their colleagues.\u00a0 Ben searched their blackened faces.\u00a0 He knew some by name, but most were just names on a payroll sheet.\u00a0 His search told him that what he wanted to see was still below ground.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and pushed all thought except the rescue from his mind.<\/p>\n Slowly the rock was cleared, new timbers were brought in and lowered to shore up the tunnel.\u00a0 As soon as it was possible, Ben insisted on going down; this was his mine, his men, his… He couldn\u2019t bring himself to say the word, even in his head.\u00a0 He approached the rock fall with trepidation, terrified of what he would find behind it – or under it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve heard tapping,\u201d the supervisor informed him, \u201cEight survivors from the message.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben bit his lip; that meant six dead or unaccounted for.\u00a0 He tried to calculate the odds, but they were too poor to give him comfort.\u00a0 Even one dead could be one too many.\u00a0 He put his energies into digging until he was exhausted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss knew the moment he entered the main street that there had been an accident.\u00a0 The usual bustle was absent, silent people moved along watching the mountain.\u00a0 Around the mine entrance crowds had gathered, families and friends of those below.\u00a0 A group of women and children stood apart from the others.\u00a0 These were the women who would wait forever if that was what they were called on to do.\u00a0 Their men were below and they would not budge until the mountain gave them up, alive or dead.<\/p>\n He pushed through the crowd and as soon as the miners saw him they backed away.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t need anyone to tell him who was down there, he knew…<\/p>\n \u201cTake me down,\u201d he called to the winch man and his order was obeyed instantly.\u00a0 Once into the darkness, Hoss\u2019 reaction was much like his younger brother\u2019s.\u00a0 How did Adam stand this?\u00a0 What was the fascination with mines and engineering that pushed him into dark holes in the ground?\u00a0 Hoss preferred the clean, crisp air of the mountains and valleys around the ranch.<\/p>\n He joined his father at the rock face.\u00a0 No words were exchanged, but his father\u2019s look told him all.\u00a0 With Hoss beside him, Ben renewed his attack on the barrier separating him from his goal.\u00a0 Suddenly a chink opened in the wall and voices were heard from the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many of you?\u201d Ben called.<\/p>\n \u201cEight alive and three dead,\u201d came back the reply.<\/p>\n Ben looked up at Hoss, neither daring to ask the next question; they simply bent to the task of enlarging the opening.\u00a0 One by one the trapped men scrambled to safety and one by one Ben examined them until eight men stood in the narrow tunnel and he had to admit that his search was not yet done.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go first,\u201d Hoss said gently, pushing his father aside.\u00a0 If those bodies were what he was expecting, he wanted to spare his father the task of identifying them.<\/p>\n He enlarged the hole still further to allow his large frame an easier passage and then bent over each of the bodies.\u00a0 Each time his sigh was one of relief.\u00a0 He was sorry and shocked at the deaths of the miners and thought of those women waiting above, but his own grief was not yet confirmed.\u00a0 There was still a chance.\u00a0 As he looked at the next pile of rock blocking the tunnel, he realized it was a slim chance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Pa, you can come on through.\u00a0 There\u2019s another fall beyond this one.\u00a0 The others must be further on.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe had talked to Adam about anything and everything, telling stories of childhood pranks, girlfriends, school and his hopes and aspirations for the future.\u00a0 His voice shook and his throat was dry, but Adam wouldn\u2019t let up.\u00a0 Every time Joe faltered, Adam\u2019s strong voice was there, urging him to stay awake, to fight to survive.\u00a0 Suddenly, to his joy, he heard the sound of pickaxes and faint voices.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re coming, Adam, I can hear them,\u201d he croaked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe, they\u2019re coming – and soon you\u2019ll be in the clean air again.\u00a0 Hold on just a while longer,\u201d he encouraged.<\/p>\n For hours the rescuers worked until, tired and exhausted, they exposed another chamber.\u00a0 Three bodies – or, at least, parts of bodies – were found and the rescuers held their breath as Hoss checked each one, two dead and one barely alive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was some hours later that Joe began to regain consciousness.\u00a0 He was aware of his father and brother by his bedside, but not too sure where he was.\u00a0 Slowly the world came back into focus and he recognized Doc Martin\u2019s office and the doctor himself standing nearby.\u00a0 He tried to sit up, but Ben pushed him gently back onto the pillows.<\/p>\n \u201cTake it easy, son.\u00a0 You\u2019ve cracked some ribs and you breathed in a lot of dust.\u00a0 That cut on your head bled a lot and you need to rest.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got a lot of bruises and some crush injuries, but you\u2019re going to be all right,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe others?\u201d Joe asked, his eyes begging his father to say they were all right, too.<\/p>\n Ben took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou rest, son.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry about anything just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe searched his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u00a0 He\u2019s all right, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss leaned over his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d he queried.<\/p>\n Joe looked at Hoss as if he were an imbecile.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Adam.\u00a0 He was with me in the tunnel.\u00a0 You got him out and he\u2019s okay, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Ben exchanged a look.\u00a0 \u201cSon, I don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s in Boston, he\u2019s been there more than six months now.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his father in amazement as his memory returned and he recalled seeing Adam off on the stage.\u00a0 \u201cHe was there, Pa.\u00a0 He talked to me, he made me stay awake.\u00a0 He made me fight to live.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben patted his son\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure he was, son.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged off the hand irritably as he tried to make his father understand.\u00a0 \u201cHe was<\/em> there, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Martin stepped forward.\u00a0 \u201cSomething kept him going, Ben.\u00a0 He\u2019s lost a lot of blood and his lungs are full of dust.\u00a0 If he\u2019d allowed himself to sleep he might well have died.\u00a0 Something – or someone – gave him the will to live and that helped him survive.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three thousand miles away in a Boston office, Adam Cartwright sighed and replaced the picture of his younger brother.\u00a0 He had no idea why it had fallen from its usual spot on the corner of his desk or why he had felt the need to stare at it for so long.\u00a0 Thoughts of Joe had filled his head for most of the afternoon.\u00a0 Guiltily, he picked up his pen and began a letter to his father.\u00a0 Maybe he would go home in the fall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was drifting off to sleep from the sedative Paul had given him and Ben had to bend close to him to hear his next sentence:<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever I\u2019ve needed him, he\u2019s always been there for me…\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n