Summary: \u00a0When the Ponderosa faces financial ruin, only drastic measures can save the day…measures which turn deadly for Joe and Candy as Ben and Hoss watch from a distance.<\/p>\n
Rated: \u00a0K+ \u00a0 WC \u00a07000<\/p>\n
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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n
Between a Rock and a Hard Place<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was early morning on a brisk spring day when disaster hit.<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright, his younger brother Joe, and ranch hand Candy Canaday were hauling equipment up the mountain to the Ponderosa\u2019s main timber camp.\u00a0 Hoss was in the lead freight wagon and Candy in the middle, with Joe bringing up the rear.\u00a0 Normally chatty, the three kept their repartee to a minimum as they focused their attention on keeping the wagons centered on the narrow switchback road that led up to the Tahoe ridge.<\/p>\n This was not a chore any of them relished or were used to doing, but a pressing deadline on a timber contract and a labor shortage due to the winter\u2019s fatal influenza epidemic meant every man on the ranch was doing double\u2014and even triple\u2014duty.\u00a0\u00a0 Getting the equipment to the flume site today was crucial to the ability of the Cartwrights to fulfill their contract with Tipton Industries.\u00a0 To fail, meant not only the loss of income\u2014sorely needed after the herd was decimated by the harsh winter\u2014but a blow to their reputation as well.<\/p>\n As he rounded the outside of the last switchback, Joe watched at first in disbelief and then horror as one boulder after another dropped onto the road in front of him.\u00a0 Struggling to control the frightened animals and keep the wagon away from the edge of the trail, Joe\u2019s only thought was survival as he began to back the wagon down the grade to the last level straight away as fast as possible.\u00a0 The very earth beneath him seemed to buck and twist like a bronco and it took everything he had to hold his team on the steep incline as more rocks and trees crashed down around them.<\/p>\n Reaching level ground at last, Joe leapt from the wagon and grabbed the lead horses.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa.\u00a0 Easy, easy now.\u00a0 Nothing to be scared of.\u00a0 It\u2019s all over now.\u00a0 Shhh.\u00a0 Easy.\u00a0 Easy.\u00a0 Whoa.\u00a0 Easy.\u201d\u00a0 Joe worked his way around the team, stroking and talking to each horse in turn, trying to quiet himself as much as them.\u00a0 Then, soaked with sweat and shaking, he finally collapsed at the side of the road with his head in his hands until his breathing slowed at last and rational thought took over.<\/p>\n With a snap, his head came up.\u00a0 Hoss!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d\u00a0 Joe yelled frantically, running up the trail.\u00a0 All he could see was rock, parts of trees, debris, and dust\u2014choking, blinding dust.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!!!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere.\u00a0 I\u2019m here, Joe,\u201d Hoss shouted, waiving his hat in the air above his head to clear the air as much as to signal to his brother.<\/p>\n Thank God!<\/em> Joe thought as he realized Hoss had made it to the top of the ridge.<\/p>\n Hoss cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, \u201cIs Candy with you?\u201d<\/p>\n And that\u2019s when Joe\u2019s heart dropped into his stomach and stayed there.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see Candy.\u00a0 In fact, he couldn\u2019t see Candy\u2019s team or the rig.<\/p>\n The road on the inside of the switchback had vanished completely.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t see anything.\u00a0 What about you, Hoss?\u201d Joe yelled back.<\/p>\n \u201cNothin\u2019, Joe,\u201d<\/p>\n Not knowing where the second wagon was on the trail when the rock slide happened had them at a disadvantage.\u00a0 Since they couldn\u2019t see much beneath their own position, Joe searched the rock face below Hoss and Hoss did the same with Joe\u2019s section.<\/p>\n Continual mini slides unnerved them both, but they kept working their way carefully toward the horseshoe section of the switchback where the road had completely disappeared.\u00a0\u00a0 As the distance across the ravine narrowed, shouting became unnecessary.<\/p>\n When the sun had climbed midway to zenith, the brothers both knew time was against them.\u00a0 Joe sat back on his haunches and looked across at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you need to get your wagon up to the camp and unload that equipment.\u00a0 Tell Pa what\u2019s happened and send someone over the ridge on foot if necessary to take my wagon around the long way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to do, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep looking.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss wanted to argue with Joe, but there was no point.\u00a0 He knew his brother wouldn\u2019t give up until he had exhausted all hope of finding Candy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back as soon as I can,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be waiting,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n Hoss hesitated a moment at hearing the word \u201cwe.\u201d\u00a0 He wanted to caution against false hope, but seeing the tilt of Joe\u2019s head and the jut of his chin he was reminded once again of the indefatigable optimism that was his brother.<\/p>\n Time stopped as Joe watched Hoss pick his way back to where the lead team waited.\u00a0 Only after he acknowledged Hoss\u2019 wave and saw the wagon disappear around the bend did he sit down fully on the ground hugging his knees to his chest, taking in big gulps of air which had finally begun to clear.\u00a0 Once again Joe fought to control his body.\u00a0\u00a0 He took off his hat and wiped his brow with his sleeve.<\/p>\n Slowly, a sound crept into Joe\u2019s consciousness; a chirping\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. an animal?<\/em>\u00a0 Joe put his hat back on and stood up turning this way and that.\u00a0 He looked back to his left toward where his team was waiting, but then heard the sound again to his right.\u00a0 A squeak.\u00a0 No; not to his right\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0below him\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0a grinding squeak.\u00a0 A wagon wheel!<\/em><\/p>\n Joe ran back down the incline and grabbed a coiled rope and a canteen from beneath the front seat of his rig.\u00a0 Returning to the precipice,\u00a0 he unbuckled his gun belt and tied one end of the rope around his waist.\u00a0 Then he secured other end to a nearby tree that looked solid.\u00a0 Wrapping the rope around his left arm and hand, he threw the remainder of the rope over the edge and began his descent backwards with eyes closed.<\/p>\n It was slow going.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t see where he was headed which was probably just as well, he reasoned, given his fear of heights.\u00a0 At one point the rock face curved inward and he lost his purchase.\u00a0 Oh, God, what do I do now? <\/em>he thought as he grabbed the rope above him with both hands and swung free.<\/p>\n When he stopped twisting and swaying, he somehow mustered the courage to let go of the lifeline with his right hand and feel behind his back for the free end.\u00a0 Once he had it in his fist, he then willed the fingers of his left hand to loosen their grip and began sliding inch by inch downward.\u00a0 Within a few feet his boots hit something hard.\u00a0 A ledge?\u00a0 <\/em>Letting out a little more rope, he felt around with his toe until he was assured the ground was wide and firm enough to support his weight.<\/p>\n It was only then that he opened his eyes and saw he was standing on what was left of a lower section of the road.\u00a0 There, teetering precariously on the rim were the mangled remains of the wagon, its undercarriage jutting out over the road\u2019s edge.\u00a0 Caught in the twisted metal and hanging upside down was Candy.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d a voice said from above.<\/p>\n Pushing his chin to his chest so he could look up, Candy saw\u2014to his great relief\u2014Joe looking down on him.\u00a0 \u201cOh, just hangin\u2019 around,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cA fine mess you\u2019ve gotten yourself into,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not in a position to argue,\u201d Candy agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou got a plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo get me outta here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour leg is caught.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware of that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBroken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDunno.\u00a0 Can\u2019t feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t move,\u201d Joe said as he pulled back from the edge of the rim and vanished from Candy\u2019s limited view.<\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t dream of it,\u201d Candy muttered, letting his head fall back.\u00a0 There was rock behind and below him but even with arms outstretched, he couldn\u2019t reach either.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n If Joe thought descending had been hard, going up was sheer torture.\u00a0 Hand over hand he pulled himself along the rope scraping against rock and vegetation until he reached the tree trunk and collapsed.\u00a0 With a palsied hand, he picked up the canteen.\u00a0 It took several tries to get the cap off, and when he did he drank deeply then shed his hat and poured water over his head, leaning back against the tree.<\/p>\n Joe had no idea how long it had taken him to go down and back, but Hoss should have been able to get to camp in a half hour\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0forty-five minutes at most, another ten minutes to explain the situation to Pa and give the men their assignments, then a half hour back tops.\u00a0 Joe looked up at the sun which was now directly overhead.\u00a0 Way too much time has passed, <\/em>he thought.\u00a0 Ok.\u00a0 Think.\u00a0 Candy can\u2019t hang upside down like a side of beef forever.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Joe wiped his face with his hands and stood up resolutely.\u00a0 It was up to him.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Once Hoss hit fairly level ground at the top of the ridge he drove the team as hard as he could and made it to the logging camp in less than a half hour.\u00a0 As he set the brake and jumped down, he saw his father going toe to toe with a citified man who was waiving a sheaf of papers in his face.\u00a0 Pa was looking a mite purple.<\/p>\n \u201cRequest denied, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 Paragraph 57(G)(24)(a)(iii) says clearly that in the event of a breach of contract the party of the first\u00a0 part has the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014We have not breached the contract!\u201d Ben Cartwright\u2019s voice boomed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet, but you clearly will not be able to fulfill your commitment by Friday\u2019s deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you grant the extension, then we won\u2019t be in breach and we won\u2019t have a problem.\u00a0 Three wagons with all the equipment we need are due here any minute\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cEquipment is only part of your resource problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m only asking for a three-day extension\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0just until Monday noon.\u00a0 You can\u2019t do anything over the weekend anyway.\u00a0 Three days, that\u2019s all I\u2019m asking of Tipton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd my advice to Mr. Tipton will be an unequivocal \u2018No!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss barged in.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I need you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot now, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Pa,\u201d Hoss said, grabbing his father by the elbow and pulling him away forcibly from the lawyer.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, let go of me this instant!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, we got real trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n As angry as he was at the lawyer, one look at his middle son\u2019s face and Ben knew it was serious.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat shaker caused a rockslide.\u00a0 Sheared off half the cliff and took out the old trail.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben blanched at the news.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s okay.\u00a0 Shaken, but okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is he?\u201d\u00a0 Ben said looking around wildly for his youngest son.<\/p>\n \u201cPa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are the wagons?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss grabbed hold of his father again.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2019s stuck on the other side of the slide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe other side?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa.\u00a0 Candy disappeared with one of the wagons in the slide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDisappeared?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe wagon\u2019s gone, Pa, and so is Candy.\u00a0 Joe is on the other side of the slide.\u00a0 He\u2019s looking for Candy, but I don\u2019t know\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0I don\u2019t see how\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does Joe say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe says to send someone over the ridge to bring his wagon around the long way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u00a0 What else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I gotta go back.\u00a0 When I left him he was looking for Candy.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid he might do somethin\u2019 stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n A half hour later on a borrowed horse, Hoss was back at the slide area.\u00a0 Hank and Big Mike had gone over the top of the ridge on foot to retrieve the wagon; Ben had gone along to retrieve his youngest son.<\/p>\n Hoss dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and picked his way carefully on foot back to where he\u2019d last seen his brother.\u00a0 Just as he feared, Joe was stepping precariously near the edge of the trail on the opposite side of the switchback and there was a rope lying at his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cJOE!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGeez!\u201d\u00a0 Joe managed to squeeze out as he slipped on the rocks and landed on his butt.\u00a0 \u201cGive me a heart attack why don\u2019t you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d Hoss yelled angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cRescuing Candy,\u201d Joe replied as he scrambled to his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cCandy?\u00a0 Where?\u201d Hoss said in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cDown there about a hundred feet,\u201d said Joe, pointing.<\/p>\n Hoss moved carefully to the edge until he could peer over into the chasm below.\u00a0 Sure enough, there was the wagon\u2014or what was left of it.<\/p>\n \u201cCandy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s there,\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked again and was doubtful Candy could have survived.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, that wagon\u2019s pretty smashed up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Cause I been down there and back.\u00a0 His leg\u2019s pinned in the undercarriage and he\u2019s hurtin\u2019 some, but he\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Candy could hear voices, but couldn\u2019t make out what was being said for all the blood rushing in his ears.<\/p>\n Hanging upside down made it hard to think, but he knew he needed to take inventory of what was working and what wasn\u2019t if he was going to be able to help extricate himself from this mess.\u00a0 His left leg was wedged between what looked to be the bottom of the wagon and the braking rods.\u00a0 Without thinking, he kicked at the assembly with his right foot and was rewarded at first with a shower of gravel and dirt and then\u00a0the whole assembly shifted, dropping another thirty feet before the metal rods of the wagon\u2019s undercarriage twisted like rope around his ankle halting his free fall.\u00a0 As he was jerked to a stop, his whole body screamed with pain.<\/p>\n Candy\u2019s heart was racing and his head felt like it would explode.\u00a0 He forced himself to calm down until his pulse slowed and the throbbing in his head eased.\u00a0 Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked down at\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0nothing.<\/p>\n The nearest ground was at least a five hundred feet below him.<\/p>\n Candy suddenly felt very alone and very, very afraid.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n When the aftershock hit, Joe and Hoss were both thrown to the ground and watched in renewed terror as the ledge where Candy\u2019s wagon had come to rest in the previous slide disintegrated and the wagon plummeted out of sight.\u00a0 Hoss was certain they had lost Candy altogether, but when the dust again settled, he spotted the remaining mangle of wood\/metal a good bit lower than before teetering on a jagged shard of rock.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cTo your left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0 Where?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFarther down, Joe.\u00a0 Look farther down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see it!\u201d Joe shouted excitedly, then despair set in.\u00a0 \u201cHoss,\u201d he choked, \u201cthat\u2019s a good 30-40 feet lower than before!\u00a0 .\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0there\u2019s not enough rope.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d Hoss yelled sharply.\u00a0 \u201cSnap out of it!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe finally looked over and Hoss could see he was shaking.\u00a0 More gently, he continued, \u201cUntie the rope from your waist.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntie the rope and throw it over the edge so I can see how much you\u2019re short.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded as he finally understood what Hoss wanted.\u00a0 \u201cHow close?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot close enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I can just shimmy down the rope and then drop,\u201d Joe said hopefully.<\/p>\n \u201cOnto what, Joe?\u00a0 That rock is barely wider than what\u2019s left of the wagon.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know if it\u2019s stable and you dang sure can\u2019t see what\u2019s under it.\u00a0 Even if you could, Joe, how would you get back up?\u00a0 Nah, you need more rope and not just rope.\u00a0 You need something to tie off that iron so it don\u2019t slip no further in case we get another trembler.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe was certain Hoss was right, but he was also certain of something else.\u00a0 Candy would die if another aftershock shook that wreckage loose.\u00a0 If he wasn\u2019t dead already<\/em>.\u00a0 No matter the cost; he had to try.<\/p>\n Joe pulled the rope up and fastened it once again around his slim waist.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t wait any longer, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019m going down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you\u2019re crazy.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know what\u2019s down there or if he\u2019s still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I\u2019ve got to try.\u201d\u00a0 And with that, he threw the rope over the edge, closed his eyes, and began his backward descent once again.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cJust where do you think you\u2019re going?\u201d Ben asked, placing a firm hand around his son\u2019s elbow.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes popped open.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d\u00a0 In one step he\u00a0moved into his father\u2019s embrace\u00a0with such force he nearly knocked the older man down.\u00a0 \u201cCandy\u2019s alive,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me,\u201d he said, placing an arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and listening intently to the explanation of Candy\u2019s predicament, what Joe had done so far, and what he intended to do next.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you don\u2019t know his condition now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe admitted reluctantly, hanging his head. \u00a0“But even if he’s\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0I can’t\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0I can’t\u00a0leave him there to be\u2014”<\/p>\n Ben lifted Joe\u2019s head and cradled the sides of his face in his hands, looking deeply into his eyes.\u00a0 He felt worry etching deeper into every line of his own face as he played out various scenarios in his mind.\u00a0 He knew Joe loved Candy as a brother and wouldn\u2019t think twice about putting himself in danger to save him.\u00a0 He also knew his son was afraid of heights and he understood the courage it had taken for Joe to rappel over unstable rock not just once but to be willing to do it again, uncertain what he would find at the end of his rope.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right.\u00a0 If we\u2019re going to do this, let\u2019s get you rigged up properly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d Joe said, incredulously.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe what he was hearing.\u00a0 A few minutes later, he couldn\u2019t believe what he was seeing either.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cDadburnit,\u201d Hoss muttered to himself.\u00a0 He felt so darn useless on his side of the slide not knowing what was happening.\u00a0 He could hear Joe was talkin\u2019 and even at a distance he could tell Pa looked worried, but he couldn\u2019t understand what they were saying.\u00a0 Then all of a sudden there was movement behind them as Hank came around the bend leading two of the draft horses he had unharnessed from Joe\u2019s team.\u00a0 \u201cGlory be!\u201d exclaimed Hoss, for following Hank was Big Mike carrying the toolbox from the wagon and draped over his shoulder was a large coil of rope.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss yelled across the chasm.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to rig up a bosun\u2019s chair so Joe can have the use of both arms to tie off the wreckage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m coming around, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 There\u2019s no time for that; besides, Big Mike\u2019s as strong as you and we have the horses as well.\u00a0 I need you there, Hoss.\u00a0 You have a better vantage than we do and can see where Joe has to go.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have to be his eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben picked up the rope that lay at Joe\u2019s feet and handed it to him.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember how to tie a Flemish Bend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFlemish Bend?\u00a0 Sure,\u201d Joe said a little too tentatively for Ben\u2019s liking.<\/p>\n \u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe hesitated slightly as he thought through the process, but made short work of it and held the knot out for inspection.\u00a0 Ben made a slight adjustment and then told Joe to do it again.\u00a0 While Joe was working, Ben went over to Hank and Mike and told them what he had in mind.\u00a0 Walking back, Ben removed his neckerchief.<\/p>\n After Joe finished the second knot, Ben said, \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Then, blindfolding his son, he said firmly, \u201cNow do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe started to protest but quickly shut his mouth when Ben knotted the scarf smartly.\u00a0 The message was clear:\u00a0 don\u2019t argue!<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with the knot?\u201d Ben asked when Joe was through.<\/p>\n \u201cWrong?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave the blindfold on.\u00a0 Feel the knot with your hands and tell me what\u2019s wrong with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe moved his fingers over the loops and elbows.\u00a0 Finally, he said, \u201cThe end\u2019s too short?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe puffed out his checks exasperated, but untied the rope and started again.\u00a0 This time he concentrated hard, seeing the knot in his mind.\u00a0 When he was done, he held it out for inspection.\u00a0 Again Ben said, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with it?\u201d<\/p>\n Again Joe rubbed his fingers over every twist and turn of the rope.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t find anything wrong with it.\u00a0 What was his Pa seeing?<\/em>\u00a0 He renewed his search.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing?\u201d Joe offered.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY-yes,\u201d he said hesitantly.<\/p>\n \u201cFeel it again and tell me what\u2019s wrong with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took a deep breath, but didn\u2019t move his hands.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d said Joe firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cTake off the blindfold and look.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a perfect, text-book knot.\u00a0 Joe looked up at his father expecting to see a smile, but instead his Pa was deadly serious.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph.\u00a0 You\u2014and you alone\u2014will be tying these knots.\u00a0 You must have 100% confidence in your ability.\u00a0 There can\u2019t be any room for doubt.\u00a0 There will be no second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get down there\u2014whatever you find\u2014you must decide what should be done.\u00a0 Hoss and I can advise you if needed, but the decisions are going to be yours alone.\u00a0 You must have 100% confidence in your ability to do whatever is necessary.\u00a0 And whatever you decide, I\u2019ll stand beside you.\u00a0 Do you understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe knew this time his Pa wasn\u2019t talking about knots.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe moved behind a tree to relieve himself and then walked down the trail to where the remaining draft horses were waiting.\u00a0 He needed to clear his head and just being around his beloved four-legged friends was always balm to his soul.<\/p>\n Buttercup and Pepper whinnied as he approached, tossing their manes.\u00a0 He greeted each one by name and rubbed their noses.\u00a0 They returned the affection by blowing softly.\u00a0 At 18 hands, they were a good deal taller than he and as Joe stood between them, he had to reach up to pat their necks.\u00a0 For their part, the horses moved closer together and each rested a head on his shoulder.\u00a0 Joe closed his eyes, drawing strength from the warmth of this unconventional group hug.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe.\u201d<\/p>\n It was Hank.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Pa\u2019s got the bosun ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe squared his shoulders and turned to walk up the trail.\u00a0 As he passed Hank he whispered, \u201cTake care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Hank wasn\u2019t sure if Joe meant the horses or his family.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Ben had constructed the bosun by creating a Spanish bowline\u2014a long rope with two loops at the end, one for each leg.\u00a0 Joe stepped into the open loops and pulled them up as his father adjusted them around his backside, \u201cWe\u2019ll control your descent.\u00a0 Jerk the line once if you need more slack.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be able to use both your hands and feet as you go down,\u201d he instructed.<\/p>\n Ben then tied a smaller length of rope around Joe\u2019s waist.\u00a0 From it he had created several butterfly loops which now held tools:\u00a0 a hammer, a spanner wrench, a knife, several rings, some rawhide, and a lasso.\u00a0 Finally, Ben draped the canteen across Joe\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re in place, jerk the line twice and we\u2019ll throw a second rope for you to tie off the wreckage.\u00a0 Try to balance the load as best you can.\u00a0 When you\u2019re ready, give two more jerks on both lines simultaneously and the horses will start pulling in tandem.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe just nodded, not trusting his voice.\u00a0 He pulled his father into a fierce embrace one last time,\u00a0 quickly gave Hoss a waive, and then walked backwards over the edge of the sheared cliff.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The first part of the descent went quickly.\u00a0 Joe knew where the hand holds were and he had the added security of knowing his father and Big Mike were controlling his speed.\u00a0 He still didn\u2019t look down, but this time he didn\u2019t have to close his eyes.\u00a0 He focused straight ahead and concentrated on the next hold.\u00a0 Part of him weirdly thought this could be really fun if it weren\u2019t for the life or death decisions that awaited him at the bitter end.\u00a0 The bitter end<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe had always wondered how the end of a rope acquired that nickname.\u00a0 Now he knew.<\/p>\n When he got to where the ledge used to be, he stopped not sure where to go next.\u00a0 He needn\u2019t have worried; Hoss was watching and shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cMove your right hand down about a foot.\u201d<\/p>\n Left hand; right hand; left hand. The instructions kept him inching ever lower until his boots finally touched something solid.\u00a0 At this point, Joe knew he would have to look down before he put his weight on whatever it was.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u00a0 He stopped moving.\u00a0 What\u2019s happening?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice boomed across the chasm.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just hanging there, Pa, just above that shard of rock.\u00a0 I dunno.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s looking for a place to put his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe wasn\u2019t looking at his feet; he was in fact retching.<\/p>\n When he had finally mustered the nerve to look down, what he had seen was the bed of the wagon splintered and smashed against the rock.\u00a0 Anything under it would have been flattened.\u00a0 Candy had been under the wagon.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Candy had been under the wagon.\u00a0 He was pretty sure the last freefall had dislocated his hip.\u00a0 Actually, it wasn\u2019t the fall itself,<\/em> he thought, it was the stopping that did the damage.<\/em>\u00a0 How Joe had been able to climb down to him, he had no idea.\u00a0 Then he had vanished in search of a plan.\u00a0 Candy really wished he hadn\u2019t done that; vanish, that is.\u00a0 Because I don\u2019t want to die alone<\/em>. \u00a0He couldn\u2019t imagine what kind of plan Joe would devise, but he was as certain as the sun coming up tomorrow that Joe would find one.\u00a0 Just then a spasm hit him.\u00a0 Pain!<\/em>\u00a0 He jerked involuntarily and found himself swaying again, each arc bringing fresh waives of white hot agony.\u00a0 The last thing he heard was the screech the metal rods made as they slid off the rock taking him along.\u00a0 So much for plans.<\/em><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The water in the canteen was cold and wet.\u00a0 Joe rinsed his mouth and then winced as he became aware of the rope loops cutting into the back of his thighs; he needed to sit down.\u00a0 He jerked on the rope and a few seconds later the slack he needed allowed him to sit on the hard surface.<\/p>\n Just as he collapsed on the ledge the wagon started sliding.\u00a0 At first Joe thought he was imagining things, then he realized the entire wreckage was shaking and so was he.\u00a0 Aftershock!<\/em><\/p>\n There was too much play in his lifeline and he began sliding towards the edge of the shelf.\u00a0 Terrified, Joe rolled to his belly and, spread eagle, sought desperately for a crack\u2014anything to grab onto.<\/p>\n He watched in horror as pieces of the splintered wood in front of his face shimmied violently and one by one slid to the edge and fell away. \u00a0Powerless to stop his slide over the same edge, Joe fixated on the debris and watched the pieces float silently to the talus far below.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The horses panicked when the ground shook again and it was all Hank could do to hold them.\u00a0 Big Mike lost his grip on Joe\u2019s lifeline and when Ben saw the rope snaking over the ground, he threw himself on top of it yelling for help.\u00a0 Hoss staggered like a drunken sailor, but stayed on his feet powerless to do anything to assist his family across the divide.<\/p>\n The wait was driving Ben crazy.\u00a0 His stomach had been in his throat since stopping Joe\u2019s rope before it slipped into the chasm. \u00a0They had secured the line around the tree as a precaution, but that shortened the amount of slack they could give Joe.\u00a0 Now with all the dust in the air from the additional slides, Hoss hadn\u2019t been able to see what his brother was doing and Joe was not responding to calls.<\/p>\n Before the shaking, Hoss reported Joe appeared stunned but he didn\u2019t know why.\u00a0 Joe had told Ben that after the initial slide Candy\u2019s leg was caught on the underside of the wagon, so he knew that much.\u00a0 What had happened to Candy during the subsequent aftershocks was anyone\u2019s guess and no one knew what Joe had seen down there or whether Candy was still alive. \u201cBetter dead already than dying,\u201d<\/em> Ben thought.\u00a0 He had tried to prepare Joe for the possibility that there would be nothing that he could do for Candy, but in all honesty Ben didn\u2019t know how his son would respond if faced with a mortally-wounded friend and no way to save him.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The first thing Joe felt was the cool rock against his cheek.\u00a0 The next thing he was aware of was his inability to breathe in the dust-laden air.\u00a0 Then he realized that the lifeline was taut and straining across his chest.\u00a0 Slowly he crawled away from the edge and sat up with his back pressed against the cliff.\u00a0 Unbelievably, he still had his canteen and after pulling a long drink, sat cross-legged and immobile for several minutes.\u00a0 After his heartbeat returned to some semblance of normal, he opened his eyes and was confounded by what he saw.<\/p>\n The shelf appeared longer and wider than he had first believed.\u00a0 Joe jerked once on the lifeline and was rewarded with a bit more slack.\u00a0\u00a0 Continuing to press his back against the rock face, Joe crabbed his way to the left bit by bit until his left hand and foot met nothing but air.<\/p>\n Instantly, Joe leaned to the right and held tightly to the lifeline until he could manage to swing himself back onto the shelf.\u00a0 What the hell?<\/em><\/p>\n As the dust began to settle and the air became clearer, Joe could see that it was an optical illusion that had fooled him into thinking the ledge was longer than it was.\u00a0 In fact, there was a second ledge about ten feet below the one he was sitting on.\u00a0 It was littered with gravel, rocks, roots, and iron!<\/p>\n Joe rolled to his stomach and crawled toward the edge, cautiously peering over at what lay beneath.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I told you not to move,\u201d Joe said looking at the sweetest sight he ever saw.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was your plan?\u201d Candy countered.<\/p>\n \u201cNah, that was just embellishment.\u00a0 This is the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sat up and gave two jerks on the line.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n After the last trembler, several men from the logging camp joined Hoss on the trail opposite all the activity.\u00a0 They knew there was nothing they could do from this vantage point, but they could bring the big man some water and sandwiches and offer their support.\u00a0 Their presence also afforded Hoss an opportunity to sit down which he was loath to admit he sorely needed to do given how wobbly his knees felt.\u00a0 While someone else took up the watch, Hoss rested against a boulder and promptly began sneezing.\u00a0 \u201cDadgummit,\u201d he complained as he searched his pockets.<\/p>\n An older man separated from the group and offered Hoss a handkerchief which he gladly accepted.\u00a0 \u201cDust,\u201d Hoss explained.\u00a0 After a loud, long blow he added, \u201cThanks, Mister ___?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust Bill,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is quite a predicament.\u00a0 What caused it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDang earthquake caused a slide that took out the trail along with one of our wagons,\u201d Hoss said as he wiped his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you looking for\u2014equipment?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNah, that\u2019s gone; horses, too,\u201d Hoss shook his head thinking of the beautiful Percherons that Joe had imported from France to improve the stock.\u00a0 \u201cDarn fine animals, too.\u00a0 No, we\u2019re looking for the teamster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe still alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDunno.\u00a0 My brother thinks so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother that big man across the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBig man?\u00a0 Oh, you mean Big Mike.\u00a0 Nah, he\u2019s a logger.\u00a0 My Pa\u2019s the white-haired fella, Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 My brother\u2019s the one doin\u2019 the rescuin\u2019,\u201d Hoss said, gesturing with his thumb toward the chasm.<\/p>\n The man moved a few steps closer to get a better look.\u00a0 His eyes followed the rope down the rock face to a man spread eagle on a small ledge several hundred feet below, and he whistled.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess this is going to set you back some.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Hoss said absent-mindedly.\u00a0 There was increased activity across the way.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to cost you plenty.\u00a0 Lost wagon, equipment, contract.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThem\u2019s just things; not like people,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 There was definitely something happening.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me, Mister, I\u2019m kinda busy right now.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see you get your handkerchief back,\u201d he said as he took up his position on the edge of the trail.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter, sonny,\u201d the man said as he wandered back to the group of loggers hovering nearby.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Ben was startled out of his reverie when he felt two jerks on the line.\u00a0 He immediately yelled to Mike and Hank to get ready as he threw the other line over the edge.<\/p>\n And then he waited.\u00a0\u00a0 He was rewarded with a single jerk.\u00a0 That meant Joe wanted more slack, but there was none to give.\u00a0 When there was no further signal, he asked Hoss what he could see.<\/p>\n In the growing twilight, it wasn\u2019t much.\u00a0 Although the dust had abated, it was still early spring and the days had not yet grown longer.\u00a0 Even as the air cleared, darkness hugged the edges of the ridge.\u00a0 There would be nothing left to report to his Pa tonight.\u00a0 Hoss shuddered to think of his brother left on that ledge in the pitch black\u2014lifeline or no lifeline.<\/p>\n And then the unimaginable happened.\u00a0 The lifeline went slack.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n When Joe had asked for more line and none was forthcoming, he knew he had reached the bitter end after all and had to act quickly.<\/p>\n He knew Hoss could not see him in the growing twilight.\u00a0 He was out of sight, but hopefully not out of mind.\u00a0 Joe laughed out loud.\u00a0 Well, it was arguable if he was out of his mind or not, but he hoped his family would keep him in their thoughts and prayers even if that were true.<\/p>\n Pa had said the decision would be his alone.\u00a0 He would bet a month\u2019s wages his Pa never considered this one.<\/p>\n Joe grabbed the line that had been thrown down for the purpose of securing the wreckage.\u00a0\u00a0 He was in luck; it was long enough to reach the second ledge and then some.\u00a0 He tossed it to Candy and asked him to hold it.\u00a0 He knew Candy was badly hurt; there was no mistaking the pain etched on his face and in his voice, though he tried to hide it with jokes.\u00a0 Just like me<\/em>.<\/p>\n When Candy was ready, Joe reached up and without hesitation cut his life line before shinnying down to the second ledge.\u00a0 He landed near Candy and toppled over on him causing Candy to scream in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Buddy,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 He removed the canteen from around his neck and held it to Candy\u2019s lips with one hand while supporting his head with the other.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease tell me you have a better plan than the last one,\u201d Candy managed to spit out.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever wanted to fly?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, God,\u201d Candy groaned before passing out.<\/p>\n Joe had cut his lifeline long enough to tie to the end of the other rope.\u00a0 He used a Sailor\u2019s Knot, the first knot his Pa ever taught him.\u00a0 Even though it was already hard to see in the growing darkness, Joe closed his eyes anyway and felt carefully with his fingers, following every twist and turn until he was confident it was perfect.<\/p>\n He lay down on his side next to Candy and removed the bosun\u2019s loop from his left leg and drew it up Candy\u2019s right leg so they were facing each other.\u00a0 Next, he took the lasso and looped it over both of their shoulders.\u00a0 Pulling Candy toward him, he tightened the lasso around both their chests under the armpits and fastened it to the lifeline with a Buntline Hitch.<\/p>\n Candy\u2019s gun was still in his holster secured by a loop over the hammer.\u00a0 Joe pulled it out, fired two shots into the air and replaced it.\u00a0\u00a0 Even though Candy was unconscious, Joe could feel his heart beating next to his, one slow but steady thump to every four of his.\u00a0 Taking deep breaths, he managed to slow his own heart rate to approximate Candy\u2019s.\u00a0 At last in sync, he took a deep breath and jerked twice on the line\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0hard!.<\/p>\n He hoped his father was watching.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n They\u2019d all heard the scream; they just didn\u2019t know who had uttered it.<\/p>\n After the lifeline had gone limp, Ben was desolate.\u00a0 Hank and Mike had lit the lanterns from the wagon and placed them near where he sat watching over the ropes.\u00a0 A small campfire had been started for warmth as well as light, but Ben knew there would be no warmth for his son this night.<\/p>\n No one said anything.\u00a0 The silence was suffocating.<\/p>\n Then the air was shattered with a gunshot and before the report had faded a second shot rang out, its echo lingering in the clear, cold spring night.<\/p>\n Across the way lit by a solitary lantern, Hoss dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright!\u201d Hank shouted.\u00a0 \u201cThe rope!\u201d<\/p>\n Jolted upright by Hank\u2019s cry, Ben caught just a glimpse of the second jerk.\u00a0 He reached over and confirmed the tension on the rope.<\/p>\n \u201cPull!\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cFor God\u2019s sake, pull!\u00a0 Get those horses moving!\u201d<\/p>\n Big Mike and Hank each took a horse and urged them forward, but it was readily apparent only Pepper\u2019s line was taut so Big Mike let go of Buttercup and ran to the edge of the rim to lubricate the line with axle grease and guide it if necessary.<\/p>\n Ben grabbed a piece of kindling and threw it over the edge.\u00a0 With nothing but rock below, there was no danger of fire at this time of year, and the glow would light up the rock face briefly.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw them!\u201d Hoss yelled jubilantly.\u00a0 \u201cBoth of them!\u00a0 Pa, do it again!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben tossed another piece of kindling over the edge and threw more branches into the fire to start as torches.<\/p>\n Twice the rope stopped until Joe managed to kick free or release the tension by finding a hand or toe hold; once, the two men swung free wildly and Pepper had to be held in place until the pendulum stopped; but eventually, Big Mike and Ben pulled Joe and Candy onto solid ground and dragged them far, far away from the edge.<\/p>\n Candy was unconscious the entire time; Joe, bruised and battered from trying to protect Candy from banging against the rocks on the way up, started laughing hysterically as his father extricated him from ropes.<\/p>\n \u201cJust what is so funny, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t believe you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you say that you\u2019ve reached the end of your rope because I know what that means now,\u201d and he was off on another laughing jag.<\/p>\n But when the euphoria and adrenaline left his body and the muscle fatigue set in, the giggles turned to sobs.\u00a0 As Joe started shaking, Ben pulled his son into in his arms and held him tight\u00a0as he would always\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0until the bitter end.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Epilogue:<\/p>\n Ben poured himself brandy and sat down at his desk.\u00a0 He was weary but content.\u00a0 Hoss was at the logging camp attending to business.\u00a0 The doctor had set Candy\u2019s ankle and hip and the prognosis was good.\u00a0 Joe was asleep and mending.<\/p>\n Open on the desk was the telegram he had received just hours ago:<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright<\/span><\/strong> Any organization that puts people before profit is all right in my book STOP One week extension granted STOP Discuss draft horses when able STOP<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n William S. Tipton<\/span><\/strong> Ben picked up the piece of worn, frayed rope that lay on the blotter and frowned.\u00a0 Tracing the loops and elbows of the Sailor\u2019s Knot with his fingers for the umpteenth time he pondered anew how the two ropes had held together long enough to carry its cargo to safety.<\/p>\n As the warmth of the brandy spread through him so did the realization that even though the left-handed knot wasn\u2019t perfect, few things in this life were and sometimes\u2014just sometimes\u2014blind faith is the only plan you need when the situation is impossible.<\/p>\n \u2014The End\u2014<\/p>\n End Notes:<\/p>\n Historical notes:<\/p>\n The Great Lone Pine Earthquake struck on March 26, 1872 and was one of the largest earthquakes in California history estimated at 7.6 to 8 or greater on the Richter scale.\u00a0 The quake was felt from Sacramento, CA to Elko, NV and stopped clocks and awakened people as far south as San Diego, CA.\u00a0 There were giant rockslides in what is now Yosemite National Park.\u00a0 Thousands of aftershocks occurred, some severe.<\/p>\n Percherons were first imported into the United States in 1839, with one out of four horses surviving the ocean trip. \u00a0In the mid-19th century in the United States, Percheron stallions were crossed with local mares to improve the local stock, resulting in thousands of crossbred horses.\u00a0 There was significant need for large draft horses following the American Civil War due to the expanding west.\u00a0 To fill the need, large numbers of Percherons were imported to the United States beginning in the early 1870s.<\/p>\n
\n Ponderosa Ranch<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n Tipton Industries<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n