Episode summary:\u00a0 During what he believes to be a search for rustlers, Little Joe is fired upon and fires back in self-defense, only to learn that the man he has shot is his friend, Burke Shannon.\u00a0 Then Burke\u2019s wife Hallie intimates to him that he did it deliberately out of love for her.\u00a0 When Burke\u2019s twin brother Booth arrives, believing the same thing, he intimidates Hallie until she \u201cconfesses\u201d.\u00a0 When Booth demands she repeat the story to the sheriff, she flees and apparently falls to her death.\u00a0 Booth then launches a campaign to convict Little Joe of both \u201cmurders\u201d and to settle the issue, Little Joe challenges him to a duel in the Virginia City street.\u00a0 Shot down by the superior gunman, he is carried by his father to the doctor . . . and that\u2019s the last we see of him.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss have also disappeared halfway through the episode.\u00a0 For this fan, at least, neither of these omissions was acceptable, so here is my take on what happened next.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hoss Cartwright was yawning widely as he moved down the stairs into the great room of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 \u201cMornin\u2019, Adam,\u201d he said to the only person at the breakfast table, who was already plowing in to a plate of Hop Sing\u2019s best.\u00a0 To protect his table stakes, Hoss speeded up his plodding pace a mite.\u00a0 \u201cPa not down yet?\u201d he asked as he took his place at the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Adam said as he reached for another patty of fried sausage, just to be sure there\u2019d be one when he wanted it. For Pa to rise after them was highly uncommon.\u00a0 For the other missing member of the family to do so was entirely predictable. \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t suppose you thought to roust our lazy little brother out of bed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNaw,\u201d Hoss drawled.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t smart to mess with angry bears in their den.\u00a0 You ought to know that, big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr hungry ones, either,\u201d Adam said, lips twitching as he stretched the platter of pancakes toward his predictably hungry, bear-sized brother.<\/p>\n
Hop Sing entered from the kitchen to set a fresh plate of fried eggs in front of Hoss.\u00a0 He frowned at the diminished platter of sausage. \u00a0More work to do. \u00a0Offering the remaining two patties to his favorite client at the table, he took the empty plate and headed back toward the kitchen to replenish it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Hop Sing,\u201d Hoss called.\u00a0 \u201cWhat time did Pa and Little Joe get in last night?\u201d\u00a0 It never occurred to him that their household manager wouldn\u2019t know.\u00a0 First to rise, last to turn in\u2014that was Hop Sing.<\/p>\n
The diminutive Chinaman shook his head with a frown of disapproval.\u00a0 \u201cThey not get in,\u201d he said with displeasure.\u00a0 \u201cIf not be here for breakfast, should tell Hop Sing.\u00a0 I plan too many flapjacks.\u201d\u00a0 As was typical, he had measured the dry ingredients into a bowl the evening before, and once mixed, he felt no inclination to diminish the amount to one more appropriate for two.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you worry about that,\u201d Hoss said with a wide grin.\u00a0 \u201cThey won\u2019t go to waste.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hop Sing harrumphed as he left the room.\u00a0 He was pleased the food would be eaten, of course, but he had planned the flapjacks especially for the youngest Cartwright, and that foolish boy was not here to eat them.\u00a0 He was already choosing the sharp Mandarin words he would spew at the boy he had helped to raise, the only Cartwright likely to understand them.<\/p>\n
Hoss forked up a bite of eggs, but slowly lowered it to his plate.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t like Pa to stay out all night,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cLittle brother, maybe, but not Pa . . . unless . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless?\u201d Adam queried with arched eyebrow.<\/p>\n
Hoss swallowed the lump in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cUnless Little Joe got himself into some trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat would keep Pa there, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t think . . ?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Somehow, an even larger lump rose in Hoss\u2019s gullet.\u00a0 \u201cBooth Shannon,\u201d he said soberly.<\/p>\n
Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been trying not to think that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa said he seemed determined to make trouble for Little Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s voice shook as he said it.\u00a0 They\u2019d ridden in from Scobie Flats day before yesterday because one of the hands had heard that Burke\u2019s twin brother Booth was in town, accusing Little Joe of Burke\u2019s murder and now of Hallie\u2019s, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cShannon\u2019s a lawman,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t go against the law.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ain\u2019t sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVengeance can cause a man to act out of character,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cbut a lawman should, at least, have better control of himself than most.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hesitance in his brother\u2019s voice made Hoss say, \u201cBut you ain\u2019t sure, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Adam admitted quietly, \u201cand I think we should probably check it out.\u00a0 If it turns out to be just a matter of Joe being Joe, we can help Pa corral him and drag him home to his just reward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss tried to grin, but the result was a little lopsided and just a mite hesitant.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s ride then, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSoon as we finish breakfast, brother,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cYou, especially, don\u2019t want to incur a \u2018go back to China\u2019 threat to our future mealtime happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got that right!\u201d Hoss declared, and his grin this time was genuine and wide.<\/p>\n
*****<\/p>\n
They weren\u2019t smiling as they walked their horses down C Street.\u00a0 They\u2019d ridden hard and fast until they reached the Geiger Grade, always a tough uphill pull, and the slower speed was even more necessary on the crowded streets of Virginia City.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s blue eyes opened wider when he saw where Adam reined up.\u00a0 \u201cHere?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI figured we\u2019d check the International House first.\u00a0 If\u2019n they decided to stay over for some reason . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if they did,\u201d Adam explained, \u201cRoy would probably have run into them, so he\u2019s the most likely person to know, and if little brother\u2019s gotten himself into some kind of trouble, he\u2019s even more certain to know that.\u00a0 Joe might even be here.\u201d\u00a0 Or at the undertaker\u2019s<\/em>, he added silently.\u00a0 That gruesome possibility was what had spurred the almost reckless pace they\u2019d set their horses until the terrain wouldn\u2019t let them.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah, that makes sense,\u201d Hoss said and dismounted.\u00a0 Tying his horse to the hitching rail in front of the jail, he followed Adam inside.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Roy,\u201d Adam called as soon as he entered.\u00a0 \u201cAny chance our missing little brother is locked up in one of your cells?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy Coffee rose from his desk chair and answered soberly, \u201cNo, he\u2019s over at the doc\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the brothers\u2019 instant alarm, he patted the air soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s all right, boys.\u00a0 He did take a bullet and lost considerable blood, but Doc Carver says he\u2019ll make it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoc Carver?\u201d Hoss asked, brow wrinkling.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t the doctor their family usually used, and Roy should have known that.<\/p>\n Roy nodded in complete understanding.\u00a0 \u201cDoc Martin\u2019s in California at some medical convention, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Hoss said, feeling a little foolish.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was shot, then,\u201d Adam said tersely, getting back to what he felt was the more pertinent information.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s face hardened.\u00a0 \u201cShannon?\u00a0 Was it Booth Shannon who shot him?\u201d\u00a0 At Roy\u2019s nod he growled, \u201cI\u2019ll kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll do no such thing!\u201d the sheriff shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me one good reason, Roy!\u201d Hoss shouted right back.\u00a0 Adam instantly circled his arm with a restraining hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do just that!\u201d Roy shouted back at Hoss, as if they were both in a hog-calling contest.\u00a0 \u201cYes, there was a gunfight, and Little Joe came up the loser, but he\u2019s the one who started it!\u00a0 Called out Shannon and drew first.\u00a0 Shannon was only defending himself, as any man would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho says so?\u201d Hoss demanded, then spit out, \u201cShannon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlenty of witnesses, boy,\u201d Roy snapped, \u201cone of \u2018em bein\u2019 Little Joe hisself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStupid kid,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n Hoss gulped.\u00a0 \u201cHe drew on Booth Shannon?\u201d\u00a0 Everyone knew Shannon had a reputation as one of the fastest gunmen in the territory.\u00a0 Always in service of the law, folks said, but no one had ever bested him in a gunfight.<\/p>\n \u201cYep,\u201d Roy agreed sharply.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother\u2019s lucky to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, he\u2019s still at Doc Carver\u2019s place?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s still there; your Pa, too, unless I miss my guess, though I tried to get him to go to the hotel last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could bet your worldly goods on that one,\u201d Adam said wryly.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for the information, Roy.\u00a0 I knew you\u2019d be the one to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI do try to keep abreast of what goes on in my town.\u00a0 Tell that boy to keep hisself out of trouble for a few days, at least, will you?\u00a0 And tell Ben to get hisself some rest.\u00a0 I doubt he took my advice last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see to it.\u00a0 Coming, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 Countenance fierce, Hoss strode with purpose toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna tear that boy limb from limb!\u201d he declared once the office door closed behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have the leftovers,\u201d Adam said as if he meant it, when the truth was neither one of them would carry out his threat and each knew it.\u00a0 Sometimes a man just needed to vent his frustration, and their little brother was renowned for creating that need.<\/p>\n Hoss had a little trouble keeping up with his quicker-gaited brother, but Adam halted outside the doctor\u2019s office to collect himself, so they both entered together.<\/p>\n The minute Adam saw their father sleeping in the wooden chair, he raised a quieting hand toward his brother.\u00a0 Light as they both tried to keep their steps, however, Ben was almost instantly awake, his protective instincts aroused by the slightest sound of anything approaching his injured youngest, sleeping in the adjourning room.\u00a0 \u201cOh, it\u2019s you,\u201d he said with relief.\u00a0 Then his brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cWho sent you word?\u00a0 Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam favored him with the wry grin for which he was noted.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you did that, when you and little brother didn\u2019t come home last night.\u00a0 I managed to keep Hop Sing from taking the first boat back to China, but he\u2019s particularly perturbed that Joe wasn\u2019t there to eat his flapjacks this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n A light smile relaxed Ben\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cWell, thank you for that.\u00a0 I suppose the \u2018incident\u2019 is the talk of the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut we heard it from Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam said he\u2019d know if . . . if\u2019n there was anything to know,\u201d Hoss put in awkwardly.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bring himself to utter the words that would have made Little Joe\u2019s shooting real, even though he knew the sheriff wouldn\u2019t make up such a tale.<\/p>\n \u201cGood thinking, son,\u201d Ben complimented his eldest.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is the boy?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n For a moment, an anxious look crossed the older man\u2019s face; then Ben said, \u201cHe\u2019ll mend.\u00a0 He\u2019s weak, of course\u2014loss of blood\u2014and the doctor thinks the bullet might have bruised the lung, but didn\u2019t pierce it\u2014or anything else vital, thank God.\u201d<\/p>\n And half the guardian angels of heaven<\/em>, Adam thought.\u00a0 He had always suspected that his youngest brother drew more than his fair share of those beings\u2019 attention and wondered when they might have enough and give up the quest to keep him alive.\u00a0 He dreaded that day, as he was sure his father did, in even greater measure.\u00a0 The lines on Pa\u2019s face and the weariness of his eyes testified to the depth of dread the man had experienced this time.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, we\u2019re here now,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you take a room at the International House and get some sleep?\u00a0 You must be exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa; we can look after the young\u2019un,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 Then, with an anxious glance at the closed door to the next room, he asked tentatively, \u201cCould I . . .?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled and nodded, predictably adding, \u201cBe very quiet; he\u2019s sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout that room,\u201d Adam said once Hoss had disappeared.\u00a0 He was never easily diverted from his purpose, especially when his family was affected.<\/p>\n Ben wearily kneaded his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be getting one,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDoc Carver was here earlier and said Joe could be moved, but he didn\u2019t want him leaving town just yet.\u00a0 I wanted to let your brother wake naturally, though.\u00a0 He had some difficulty getting to sleep last night.\u00a0 In fact, he didn\u2019t rest at all until Booth Shannon\u2019s visit.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s spine stiffened, from atlas to sacrum.\u00a0 \u201cShannon was here?\u201d he asked tersely.<\/p>\n Ben saw the tension and spoke quickly to defuse it.\u00a0 \u201cHe was here, and it was good he was.\u00a0 He brought back your brother\u2019s hat and gun and apologized for what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood of him,\u201d Adam grunted sarcastically.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was,\u201d Ben said firmly, \u201cconsidering the whole affair was your brother\u2019s doing.\u00a0 He . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrew on Shannon,\u201d Adam inserted.\u00a0 \u201cRoy told us.\u00a0 The fool kid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFoolish it was,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut he had been pushed pretty hard.\u201d\u00a0 Ben told Adam about the posters tacked up all over town, offering a reward for evidence leading to Little Joe\u2019s arrest and conviction in the deaths of Booth\u2019s brother and his wife Hallie. \u201cApparently, it was Joe\u2019s calling him out that convinced Shannon he was innocent.\u00a0 No guilty man would do that, he said.\u00a0 It was reckless, but I think Little Joe felt he had to challenge Booth or be hounded the rest of his life.\u00a0 In the end, it may have been the only way, but don\u2019t tell Little Joe I said that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I won\u2019t,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWe certainly don\u2019t want that recklessness repeated!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d\u00a0 Ben exhaled gustily, whether in exasperation or relief, Adam couldn\u2019t tell.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway,\u201d Ben continued, \u201cafter Shannon talked to him, your brother was finally able to sleep, and that\u2019s why I don\u2019t want him disturbed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand,\u201d Adam said quietly, still needing time to absorb all he\u2019d just heard, \u201cbut that doesn\u2019t mean you have to stay here until he wakes.\u00a0 In fact, wouldn\u2019t it better if arrangements were already made at the hotel and he could be taken straight there when he wakes up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Well, yes,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d appreciate you taking care of that, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou take care of it,\u201d Adam said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou can arrange whatever accommodations you think best and, at least, get some better rest than you\u2019ve found in that unyielding desk chair, since we both know you won\u2019t get any actual sleep until he\u2019s settled.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need it later because Hoss and I do have to get back to the ranch . . . if only to ensure we keep our cook from actually boarding that ship to China.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we can\u2019t have that,\u201d Ben said, lips twitching.\u00a0 His shoulders finally slumped with the weariness he\u2019d been fighting all night and morning.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 As usual, you\u2019re talking good sense, so I\u2019m gonna take your advice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, if only it were ever so,\u201d Adam said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cWatch it, boy,\u201d Ben warned, though his smile belied the apparent threat.\u00a0 He stood and stretched.\u00a0 \u201cExplain to Hoss,\u201d he said as he headed toward the exit.<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u201d\u00a0 Adam waited until his father was well away and then moved across the room.\u00a0 Opening the door quietly, he entered and almost gasped at the unnaturally still form on the narrow bed.\u00a0 Usually, he pictured Little Joe riding hell on horseshoes across an open meadow\u2014or, more terrifyingly, down a rocky mountain slope.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t seem to make much difference to Joe. \u00a0For him to be this motionless, even in sleep, seemed altogether wrong.\u00a0 \u201cHow is he?\u201d he asked his other brother.<\/p>\n \u201cSleepin\u2019 pretty sound,\u201d Hoss reported from his post at the side of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cLittle bit of fever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNatural with a bullet wound,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI sent Pa on to the hotel.\u00a0 When Joe wakes, we\u2019ll take him there and get him settled.\u00a0 Then back to the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s face scrunched.\u00a0 \u201cI was kind of figurin\u2019 to stay with \u2018im.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam wasn\u2019t surprised.\u00a0 His two younger brothers had a close bond\u2014joined at the hip, some said\u2014and Hoss would have wanted to keep a close eye on any wounded critter, much less his beloved little brother.\u00a0 That he himself also wanted to would never have occurred to Hoss and it was better that way.\u00a0 Someone had to keep the ranch running, and as the oldest, he was elected.\u00a0 \u201cSure,\u201d he said as easily as if it actually were.\u00a0 \u201cI can manage the rest of the day without you.\u201d\u00a0 As they waited for their brother to wake, Adam related what Pa had told him about the circumstances leading to the fight and Shannon\u2019s visit and admission of his misjudgment of their little brother.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, it\u2019s over,\u201d Hoss said with relief.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s over,\u201d Adam said, grateful, though he didn\u2019t voice it, that Booth Shannon had, apparently at the last moment, realized his error and diverted his aim enough to wound, rather than kill.\u00a0 He could have done no better without risking his own life.<\/p>\n It was about half an hour later when the older brothers saw Little Joe begin to stir, moaning with each slight movement.\u00a0 While the sight filled their hearts with gratitude, the sound moved them with pity and removed all thought of tearing limb from limb or even scolding the boy.\u00a0 He\u2019d already received payment in full for his foolhardy challenge to a professional gun handler.<\/p>\n \u201cHey there, Punkin,\u201d Hoss said, his voice dripping honey, as he saw his little brother\u2019s eyes open.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d Little Joe said, a bit groggily.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2014how\u2019d you get here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn our horses,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cHow else, little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot what I meant,\u201d Little Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI know what you meant.\u00a0 We\u2019re here because you and Pa didn\u2019t come home last night.\u00a0 That\u2019s bound to raise questions, you know, especially in the Asian contingent of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess so,\u201d Little Joe said, sounding weak and subdued\u2014in other words, completely out of character for the youngest Cartwright.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam exchanged a concerned glance over their brother\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d Adam asked, his voice solicitous.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes scanned the room for something missing.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the hotel,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe can take you to him whenever you\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Frown lines creased the youngest\u2019s forehead, and he appeared confused. \u00a0After a long pause, Little Joe said, \u201cI want to go home.\u00a0 Pa\u2014Pa can come, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHotel first,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cDoctor\u2019s orders.\u201d<\/p>\n If he thought that would stifle all contradiction, he quickly became disillusioned.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, little buddy, but home is not an option, not yet.\u00a0 You can stay here or in a much more comfortable bed at the International House.\u00a0 That second option has the benefit of fine food and the tender attentions of our hovering hen of a father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I could use some of that fine food myself!\u201d Hoss put in.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you say, Shortshanks?\u00a0 How\u2019s breakfast sound?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe . . . Hop Sing\u2019s . . . at home,\u201d Little Joe said.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing\u2019s a mite put out with you right now, Shortshanks.\u00a0 He fixed flapjacks special for you this mornin\u2019, and you weren\u2019t there to eat \u2018em.\u00a0 Did my best to get you out of trouble by polishin\u2019 \u2018em off myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks all to pieces.\u00a0 Little Joe tried to laugh, which turned into a coughing mistake.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy, boy,\u201d Adam soothed, resting a hand on his brother\u2019s convulsed chest.\u00a0 As the coughing subsided, he asked, \u201cSo, which is it?\u00a0 Hotel now or after Doc Carver gives you another going over?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not . . . a choice.\u201d\u00a0 The tail end of the coughing fit weakened what was meant to be an indignant protest.<\/p>\n \u201cI have nothing else to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Each syllable was an almost sentence-length sigh of defeat.\u00a0 That he had no breath to argue was not a good sign, and both older brothers knew it.<\/p>\n \u201cGood decision,\u201d Adam said, taking care to keep his voice gentle.\u00a0 Much as he enjoyed a good sparring match with his youngest brother, he knew when to pull his punches.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get you ready, then,\u201d Hoss suggested quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s your shirt, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Little Joe said and then mumbled, \u201cRag bin, most likely.\u00a0 It was kind of . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Whether he stopped from lack of breath or lack of ideas, neither older brother could tell.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t no never-mind,\u201d Hoss said, stepping into the void.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get you over there fast, and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n He got no further before his little brother exploded with what breath he had, \u201cI ain\u2019t going \u00a0. . . out on the street . . . naked!\u201d\u00a0 As he lay on the cot gasping for air, Hoss tried to undo the damage he\u2019d innocently done with gentle pats and soothing words.<\/p>\n \u201cBare-chested is not naked,\u201d Adam said bluntly and regretted it almost immediately.\u00a0 While literally true, he also knew that, to his little brother, it actually was the same thing.\u00a0 For a kid who could strut through town like a preening peacock, Little Joe had always been surprisingly modest about exposing his bare body.\u00a0 Probably because it was a boy\u2019s body still, Adam realized, without the manly musculature of his older brothers or the fine physique he was likely to develop as he grew.\u00a0 \u201cHowever,\u201d he added, softening his voice, \u201cit is a legitimate concern, so I\u2019ll just step over to the store and buy you a shirt.\u00a0 Everything else in good repair?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014I think so,\u201d Little Joe said, taking a quick peep beneath the sheet at the trousers he was still wearing.\u00a0 Then with a sheepish look at his oldest brother, he added, \u201cThanks, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam patted the boy\u2019s bare upper arm.\u00a0 \u201cNo problem, kid.\u201d\u00a0 Looking up at Hoss, he promised, \u201cBack soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be ready,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Behind the counter at her father\u2019s store, Sally Cass\u2019s eyes lighted when Adam Cartwright walked through the door.\u00a0 \u201cNice to see you, Adam,\u201d she called.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s usually Hoss or Joe who comes for supplies, and it\u2019s been a coon\u2019s age since you paid us a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled warmly at his old friend.\u00a0 \u201cNice to see you, too, Sally.\u00a0 You and your pa need to come out for dinner some Sunday.\u00a0 Not this week, though.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had a bit of excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I heard,\u201d Sally said, sympathy in her face and voice.\u00a0 \u201cHow is Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll mend,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll be spending a night or two at the hotel, though, so I came by to pick up a couple of things he might need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I get you?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 She\u2019d known Adam long enough to know his straight-forward approach to business, and with an injured brother waiting for him, he\u2019d probably dallied as long as he was comfortable with.<\/p>\n \u201cA shirt, to start with,\u201d Adam told her.\u00a0 \u201cI presume you know his size?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be in our records,\u201d Sally said.\u00a0 As she turned to the book that held such information for customers, Adam wandered around the store, pondering whether there was anything else he should purchase for his little brother\u2019s comfort or Pa\u2019s, for that matter.\u00a0 It occurred to him that neither of them had a nightshirt with him, so he decided to add one for each.\u00a0 If Pa balked at the expense, he\u2019d pay it himself.\u00a0 He called the addition back to Sally and continued looking.\u00a0 Spotting the book table, he was naturally drawn to it.\u00a0 Though he had hoped for something new and interesting for himself, what he discovered was a collection of the trashy little dime novels his little brother still fancied.\u00a0 Nonetheless, Little Joe would need to be kept quiet until his wound healed, so at the risk of corrupting the boy\u2019s dubious concept of what constituted good literature, Adam selected a couple of the little paper-backed atrocities which sported less lurid covers and took them to the counter, along with a change of underwear and an extra pair of socks for both his father and brother.<\/p>\n Sally smiled as she added them to the tally.\u00a0 \u201cWill that be all?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cBill it to the Ponderosa\u2019s account, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n He left the store, bundles in hand, and, mindful of how long he\u2019d already been gone, kept a sprightly pace back to Dr. Carver\u2019s office.\u00a0 He was surprised to find both his brothers sitting in the outer office, ready to go with the exception of a shirt for the younger one.\u00a0 \u201cI see someone\u2019s eager to get to the hotel,\u201d he said with a touch of forced cheer.<\/p>\n Little Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cBetter than here, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMuch better,\u201d Adam agreed in hopes of bolstering whatever positive attitude existed.\u00a0 \u201cI have a brand-new shirt for you, so let\u2019s get you in it and head on over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter not be black,\u201d Little Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I haven\u2019t actually seen it.\u00a0 Sally picked it out, so you\u2019d best accept whatever it is with good grace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, well, she\u2019ll do okay by me, I reckon,\u201d the boy said, a hint of his saucy humor sparking.\u00a0 \u201cLadies usually do.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam groaned dutifully, but then grinned as he opened the package and drew out a shirt in the light tan his youngest brother seemed to favor.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone seems to know you well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLadies usually do,\u201d Hoss said and then guffawed at his own joke.<\/p>\n The good mood lasted only long enough to help Little Joe into his new shirt.\u00a0 The minute Hoss reached forward to scoop him into his strong arms, the boy stiffened.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he said flatly.\u00a0 \u201cI can walk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Adam said, voice firm as stone.\u00a0 \u201cNo argument,\u201d he added, hoping it would have the same force as when Pa said it.\u00a0 Apparently, he succeeded, at least in part, for Little Joe turned away from him and fastened a set of pleading, puppy eyes on his other, generally more pliable brother.<\/p>\n Jaw set with determination, Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m with Adam on this one, Shortshanks.\u00a0 You\u2019re plumb weak as a kitten.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d taken note of the boy\u2019s halting steps when he\u2019d walked him from the other room.<\/p>\n \u201cFolks\u2019ll think I\u2019m a babe in arms,\u201d Little Joe grumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you whine like that, they will,\u201d Adam said dryly.<\/p>\n Heaving a deep sigh, Little Joe gave in.\u00a0 \u201cOh, all right,\u201d he said, \u201cbut no stoppin\u2019 to talk to every Tom, Dick and Harriet along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss chuckled. \u201cYou sure?\u00a0 I reckon some of them Harriets would sure like to play nursemaid and stroke your curly little baby brow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019ll do, Hoss,\u201d Adam cautioned.\u00a0 Having gotten his little brother\u2019s cooperation, he didn\u2019t want the boy teased back into rebellion.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Little Joe said with an offended look at the man he normally considered his best friend.\u00a0 \u201cThis time, I\u2019m with Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning as if that exchange of loyalties had been his plan all along, Hoss lifted Little Joe and moved toward the door, which Adam quickly opened before their mercurial little brother could have another change of heart.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Having learned the room number from the clerk, Adam led the way up the stairs at the International House and moved down the hall.\u00a0 He halted before the door to the suite to give Hoss time to catch up.\u00a0 With his arms full of little brother, the big man had, of course, moved more slowly and carefully than usual.\u00a0 When they were only a few paces behind, Adam rapped on the door to the suite Ben had rented and popped his head through without waiting for a response.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s us, Pa,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got your boy.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben, who\u2019d been reclining on the settee in the suite\u2019s parlor area, covered his yawn as he rose to greet his sons.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Pa,\u201d Little Joe said as Hoss entered behind Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, son.\u201d\u00a0 Ben rested a tender hand against his youngest\u2019s cheek before looking up at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThe bed\u2019s turned down,\u201d he said as he pointed to the room off to his left.\u00a0 He expected a protest from Little Joe as Hoss carried him through the doorway, and when it didn\u2019t come, he felt some concern.\u00a0 \u201cI expected you a little sooner,\u201d he said to Adam, brow wrinkling.\u00a0 \u201cNo problems, I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone I couldn\u2019t handle,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI had to make a brief trip to Cass\u2019s to provide a shirt for your overly modest youngest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled with perfect understanding.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you won\u2019t mind, but I also charged a few other items I thought you might need.\u201d<\/p>\n At that, an eyebrow rose, but when Adam detailed his extra purchases, Ben smiled again and thanked his son for his foresight.\u00a0 Then they both entered the bedroom, where Hoss was just settling Little Joe under the covers after removing his boots.<\/p>\n \u201cPackage delivered, safe and sound,\u201d Hoss announced.\u00a0 \u201cNow, how \u2018bout some breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing didn\u2019t feed you?\u00a0 I may have to ship him back to China.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, don\u2019t do that!\u201d Hoss said, waving his hands in negation.\u00a0 \u201cHe fed us\u2014right fine, too\u2014but, well, Adam mentioned breakfast for the young\u2019un, and I thought, maybe, he\u2019d eat better if\u2019n he had company.\u201d\u00a0 He bobbed his head in wide-eyed earnestness.<\/p>\n The rest of the family laughed, though Little Joe\u2019s laughter was still subdued by his diminished breath supply.<\/p>\n \u201cHow about it, son?\u201d Ben asked his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cReady for breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe bit his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not real hungry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sobered.\u00a0 \u201cYou should eat something, son.\u00a0 You haven\u2019t had anything since noon yesterday.\u201d\u00a0 Then he added in a lighter vein, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be steak and eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr anything else that would approximate our beloved brother\u2019s appetite,\u201d Adam put in with a wink.<\/p>\n A smile tickled Little Joe\u2019s lips, and after a moment\u2019s consideration, he asked, \u201cYou think they might have cinnamon rolls?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure we can find some,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 If the restaurant downstairs couldn\u2019t provide what his little brother wanted, he was certain the bakery just down the street could.<\/p>\n Yeah,\u201d Hoss chimed in with enthusiasm.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s sounds right down my alley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything edible is right down your alley,\u201d Adam observed dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cI must admit, that sounds good to me, too,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you boys order a dozen, and we\u2019ll share.\u00a0 Anything else, Little Joe?\u00a0 Eggs, perhaps or a slice or two of bacon.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe shook his head and then paused.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe some hot chocolate, if they got it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure they do,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cYou with me, Hoss?\u00a0 I just might require some help to carry that much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlways happy to help with that sort of fetchin\u2019 and carryin\u2019 older brother,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cI figured,\u201d Adam said, laughing as he shoved his bigger brother out the door.<\/p>\n \u201cTell you what,\u201d Hoss suggested once they were in the hall.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t I traipse down to the bakery and fetch them rolls, while you order the drinks?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood idea,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cbut don\u2019t spend too much time tasting the wares.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want little brother falling asleep before he eats.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need to taste, older brother!\u00a0 I already ready know everything down to Miss Maisie\u2019s place tastes fine!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cGet on, then.\u00a0 Meet you in the lobby.\u201d<\/p>\n They met as planned, and each carried his assigned items into the parlor of the suite.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s tray held two carafes, one of hot chocolate and the other of coffee, along with small plates, empty cups, cream and sugar.\u00a0 Setting everything off onto a convenient small table, he invited Hoss to use the empty tray to set out the cinnamon rolls.\u00a0 Both Ben and Adam chuckled when they saw that the sack from the bakery held not only the requested dozen rolls, but a collection of other pastries, including the middle son\u2019s favorite bear claws.\u00a0 \u201cMy treat,\u201d Hoss said with raised palm, to forestall any chiding or the even more likely ribbing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be eaten,\u201d Ben said with a smile.\u00a0 He planned to snatch one of those bear claws for himself before they all disappeared down Hoss\u2019s gullet.<\/p>\n Though he had little hope that his youngest would eat more than he\u2019d requested, he placed a second cinnamon roll on the plate the hotel had generously provided and took it into the bedroom.\u00a0 Adam followed with the cup of hot chocolate he\u2019d poured for his brother.\u00a0 Trusting them to look after Little Joe, Hoss stayed close to the bakery goods.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t pay to stray far from anything that good, not in the Cartwright clan.\u00a0 His little brother, of course, could have anything he wanted.\u00a0 That was likely to be a small sacrifice, anyway, and he\u2019d be glad to make it.<\/p>\n Between them, the Cartwrights polished off almost everything.\u00a0 Adam stacked the dirty dishes in preparation for taking them back downstairs.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be heading back to the ranch now, Pa, unless there\u2019s anything else you need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I believe you\u2019ve thought of everything, son,\u201d Ben said as he sat on the settee, savoring a final cup of coffee.\u00a0 After eating, Hoss had taken his pa\u2019s place at Little Joe\u2019s bedside.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss wants to stay,\u201d Adam said, \u201cso he\u2019ll be available to send on errands.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll enjoy his company, although I suspect I won\u2019t get much of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam returned a saucy grin.\u00a0 \u201cI suspect you\u2019re right. \u00a0Try to get some sleep this afternoon, Pa,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t have gotten much last night, and you know you can trust Hoss with the boy.\u201d\u00a0 They all teased Ben about being a mama bear when any of his cubs was sick or injured, but Hoss was an even bigger and more protective one.\u00a0 Between the two of them, nothing harmful had a chance of getting through to Little Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I might,\u201d Ben admitted, stifling a yawn.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep him tomorrow, if you need him,\u201d Adam added.\u00a0 \u201cI can manage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll probably be coming home tomorrow,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cDoc Carver said he\u2019d tried to stop by this evening, after he\u2019s seen his other patients, and if Joe\u2019s doing well, we can leave in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back tomorrow morning, then,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand I\u2019ll bring the buggy.\u00a0 It should make for an easier ride.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, son.\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped into the bedroom and called good-bye to Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you tomorrow morning,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBehave yourself now.\u00a0 No more gunfights.\u201d\u00a0 It was the closest he\u2019d come to censure of his little brother\u2019s actions.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019d say more later, but Cartwrights didn\u2019t hit a man when he was down.\u00a0 \u201cTake care of the kid,\u201d he said to Hoss, \u201cand make Pa get some sleep.\u201d\u00a0 He left, stopping only to take the tray of dirty dishes with him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou stayin\u2019?\u201d Little Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThought I would, less\u2019n you don\u2019t want me,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss would probably mollycoddle him, too, but not as much as Pa, left to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna step out a minute and see if\u2019n I can\u2019t get Pa to use that other bedroom, and then I\u2019ll be back.\u00a0 You need anything \u2018fore I go?\u201d\u00a0 At the slight shake of his brother\u2019s head, He went into the suite\u2019s parlor and began his sales pitch, wishing he were as good at that sort of thing as either of his brothers.\u00a0 \u201cNow\u2019d be a good time to catch up on some shut-eye, wouldn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Hoss,\u201d Ben chided gently.\u00a0 \u201cI can decide when I need to go to bed.\u00a0 I am a grown man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but a mighty tired one.\u00a0 Might as well take advantage of me bein\u2019 around and take yourself a short nap.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll call me if your brother needs me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCourse, I will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take you up on it, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNight, Pa . . . well, not exactly night, but . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning doesn\u2019t sound quite right, either, does it, son?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir, but I hope you sleep good, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n As Ben rose from the settee, he clapped his middle son\u2019s broad shoulder and took himself off to bed.<\/p>\n Spotting the package Adam had bought at the store, Hoss opened it and divided up the contents according to size.\u00a0 Setting the things obviously meant for Pa on the table, he took the rest into his little brother\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cLook here what Adam bought for you,\u201d he said, shaking out the night shirt after setting everything else in the bedside chair.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to get into it now?\u00a0 Might be more comfortable in bed than shirt and pants.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably,\u201d Little Joe admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014uh\u2014kind of need to go down the hall first, and I\u2019d rather stay dressed for that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t likely nobody\u2019s up here to see you this time of day,\u201d Hoss snorted, \u201cbut whichever way you want.\u00a0 He swung his brother\u2019s legs around to the side of the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m walkin\u2019,\u201d Little Joe insisted.<\/p>\n Hoss, who had never intended otherwise, grinned. \u00a0\u201cI reckon you could make it that far, just leanin\u2019 on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could make it that far, not leanin\u2019 on you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t use a no-argument tone with his little brother near as much as Pa or Adam, but when he did, he could be more adamant than either of them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, all right,\u201d Little Joe caved in with a sigh as he let himself be assisted from the bed.\u00a0 It was only a short trip down the unpopulated hall to the water closet, but by the time they reached it, the younger boy was grateful for his big brother\u2019s strong, supporting arm.\u00a0 When Hoss followed him into the actual room, however, Little Joe again protested.\u00a0 \u201cAw, come on, Hoss.\u00a0 I been doing this by myself since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll turn my back, if\u2019n it helps,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cbut I ain\u2019t leavin\u2019, lest you keel clean over.\u201d<\/p>\n The sigh this time was even longer and deeper, but Little Joe evidently decided it wasn\u2019t worth fighting over.\u00a0 When Hoss turned his back, he went about his business.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t turn around until he heard the sound of the flush after his brother pulled the chain to the water tank above the commode.\u00a0 Then, without a word, he again offered his strong arm, and together they made their way back to the suite, where Hoss helped his brother into his nightshirt and back into bed.<\/p>\n He picked up the two paper-backed books that had also been in Adam\u2019s bundle and looked with interest at the sketches on the covers, which had apparently caught particularly exciting scenes from the story.\u00a0 \u201cHey, look what else ole Adam bought for you, Shortshanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe took the books and gazed at the same sketches.\u00a0 \u201cAdam got this for me?\u201d he asked with some amazement, for he knew his older brother\u2019s opinion of this sort of \u201cliterature.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t think he had it in him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, you know your big brother loves you,\u201d Hoss chided.<\/p>\n \u201cCourse, I do, but he also thinks I got a powerful need of bein\u2019 educated\u2014by him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cYou and me, both, little brother, you and me both.\u00a0 These look right interestin\u2019 to me, though.\u00a0 You want I should read you a mite.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t miss the look that came across his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI know I ain\u2019t as good at this as Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNobody is,\u201d Little Joe said, \u201cexcept Pa, but you\u2019d do fine, if\u2019n I wanted readin\u2019 to.\u00a0 Truth is, I\u2019m feelin\u2019 kind of tired, Hoss.\u00a0 I think I might like to sleep some.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u00a0 Well, let\u2019s get you settled under them covers, then.\u201d\u00a0 He eased Little Joe down into the bed and covered him gently.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014uh\u2014mind if\u2019n I take one of these into that parlor and read awhile?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake your pick,\u201d Little Joe said through a yawn.<\/p>\n Hoss ruffled his brother\u2019s curly head and took a book into the next room, where for the next couple of hours he lost himself in Deadeye Dave\u2019s latest adventure.\u00a0 He kept an ear peeled toward the bedroom, so when he heard soft moans coming from there, he put the book down and went directly to his little brother\u2019s side.<\/p>\n Joe wasn\u2019t quite awake yet, so he just soothed him a mite, and it worked for a short while, but it wasn\u2019t long before his brother\u2019s eyes fluttered open.\u00a0 \u201cYou playin\u2019 guardian angel?\u201d Little Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNaw, just heard you comin\u2019 around and come to check.\u00a0 You okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss never could manage that raised eyebrow that Pa and Adam did so well to convey their skepticism.\u00a0 On him, it just looked\u2014well, peculiar.\u00a0 \u201cYou was moanin\u2019 some,\u201d he said plainly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bullet wound, Hoss,\u201d Little Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, it hurts some, but I\u2019m okay, honest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s some medicine here, if you need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe gave a little laugh, which his bruised lung made him pay for, but he covered it well enough to fool Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ve slept enough for a while, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you did,\u201d his big brother said with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cClean through lunchtime.\u00a0 Pa, too.\u00a0 You feelin\u2019 hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome, maybe,\u201d Little Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cI did have a late breakfast, remember?\u00a0 And a big one.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss snorted.\u00a0 Two cinnamon rolls and a cup of hot chocolate wasn\u2019t his idea of a big breakfast, and it wouldn\u2019t have been Little Joe\u2019s, either, if\u2019n he wasn\u2019t feelin\u2019 poorly.\u00a0 \u201cCould you eat?\u2019 he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI sure could.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYou always can.\u201d\u00a0 Then his brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t skip lunch on my account, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you think I\u2019d leave you?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss scoffed at that fool notion.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you could\u2019ve,\u201d Little Joe said, perturbed.\u00a0 \u201cI was just sleepin\u2019.\u00a0 Go on and get yourself something, brother.\u00a0 I can sing out for Pa if I need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould and would ain\u2019t exactly the same thing with you, Shortshanks, but I reckon I\u2019ll trust you this time.\u00a0 Can I bring you something?\u201d His voice wasn\u2019t exactly pleading, but it came close.<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon I could eat a mite,\u201d Little Joe admitted.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe some soup and something like pudding, if\u2019n they got it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe back quick as a wink,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t go nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe rolled his eyes.\u00a0 Short of another trip down the hall, where was he likely to go?\u00a0 And he didn\u2019t need that trip bad enough to risk Pa wakin\u2019 up and findin\u2019 both of \u2018em gone.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d be sure they was up to some sort of mischief, even though mischief was the last thing he felt like gettin\u2019 up to right now.\u00a0 Spotting the second dime novel that Adam had provided lying on the bedside table, he picked it up and turned to the first page.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Hoss looked up as his father entered the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, Pa,\u201d he called softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou sleep good?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, son, fine,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Looking at the boy in the bed, he asked, \u201cHas he been awake at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, sure,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cFor a fair little spell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he eat anything?\u201d\u00a0 As an afterthought, Ben also asked, \u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, the both of us did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnything substantial?\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHim, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss chuckled, recognizing that his father hadn\u2019t had the least worry about his own appetite.\u00a0 \u201cWell,\u201d he drawled, \u201cnot what I\u2019d call substantial, but for him\u2014when he\u2019s ailin\u2019, especially\u2014I reckon it was.\u00a0 Bowl of soup and a dish of pudding.\u00a0 Almost finished \u2018em both.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded, satisfied.\u00a0 \u201cAnd right back to sleep, I take it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot quite,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cWe both read some, and then I looked over and seen he\u2019d nodded off.\u00a0 Tires pretty easy just now, I reckon.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d been a mite surprised by that, but decided, maybe, the book Joe was readin\u2019 wasn\u2019t quite as excitin\u2019 as the eye-openin\u2019one he\u2019d started himself.<\/p>\n Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnything you want to do while you\u2019re in town?\u00a0 This would be a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t much for town, but I wouldn\u2019t mind stretchin\u2019 my legs, if\u2019n you\u2019ll be okay here.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed lightly, so as not to disturb his slumbering son.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be okay.\u00a0 If you stretch your legs past the general store, you might bring me something a little more my style to read.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 He knew Joe\u2019s style, \u2018cause it kind of matched his own, and if it had been Adam he was buyin\u2019 for, he\u2019d just pick somethin\u2019 so far over his head that there weren\u2019t no hope of understandin\u2019 it, but Pa was harder to figure.\u00a0 \u201cJust what style would that be, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe just a newspaper, son, since I probably won\u2019t be here long enough to read a book.\u201d\u00a0 He repeated what he had earlier told Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cJust tonight, then?\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s sure gonna be glad to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, yes, but don\u2019t tell him.\u00a0 You leave that to me, young man.\u201d\u00a0 That conversation would not be happening until after the doctor cleared his boy to travel.<\/p>\n Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYessir, I sure will.\u00a0 I know which side my bread\u2019s buttered on.\u201d<\/p>\n As his hefty son headed for the door, Ben shook his head, chuckling beneath his breath.\u00a0 Trust Hoss to choose a food-based metaphor.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Somehow, Ben\u2014and more miraculously, Hoss\u2014managed to keep the secret until Dr. Carver came for his late-evening visit.\u00a0 Still, Little Joe quickly saw which side his bread was buttered on, too, and put on such a show of good health and readiness to go home that almost anyone but a savvy old doctor with Carver\u2019s years of experience would have been fooled.\u00a0 He poked and prodded and frowned skeptically as he repeated questions to which he\u2019d been given unsatisfactory answers until he was finally certain that he\u2019d made an accurate assessment of his patient\u2019s condition.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s improving nicely,\u201d the doctor told Ben, \u201cso, unless you see anything you\u2019re concerned about tonight, you can take him home in the morning.\u00a0 Don\u2019t hesitate to call me if anything does concern you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Ben said, as much for his son\u2019s ears as the doctor\u2019s.<\/p>\n Even so, the first words out of Little Joe\u2019s mouth were a suggestion that they go home tonight.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019d sleep better in my own bed, Pa, and you would, too.\u201d<\/p>\n The charming smile accompanying the request didn\u2019t take his father by surprise.\u00a0 Nor did it move him.\u00a0 \u201cIn the morning, Joseph,\u201d he said firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Pa . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo argument, son,\u201d Ben said, his voice growing, if possible, firmer, and his eyebrow arching up in a way that said he meant business.<\/p>\n Little Joe\u2019s face crumpled, with a defenselessness more persuasive than the charming smile had been, because it reflected more honest emotion.\u00a0 \u201cOkay,\u201d he sighed weakly.\u00a0 \u201cEarly, though, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother Adam\u2019s bringing the buggy from home, and he may have other duties to see to before he can leave.\u00a0 So, he\u2019ll get here when he gets here, and you, young man, will make no complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 The sigh this time was heavier and dripping with defeat.\u00a0 Hoss, who was listening in, could barely hold back guffawing into little brother\u2019s pathetic face.\u00a0 That young\u2019un fancied gettin\u2019 his own way worse than anyone Hoss had ever seen, and watchin\u2019 him not get away with it was a pure pleasure the big man could rarely manage on his own.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Ben ended up spending the night on the settee in the suite\u2019s parlor.\u00a0 Little Joe had been so excited about going home in the morning that he\u2019d had a hard time getting to sleep.\u00a0 While Ben had planned to share the other bed with Hoss, as crowded as that was likely to be, he\u2019d stayed on watch until his youngest fell asleep. \u00a0By that time Hoss had just naturally taken more than his half of the bed.\u00a0 Since the settee was wider than the space the big man had left him, Ben convinced himself that he\u2019d sleep better there, and he\u2019d be closer if his youngest had any difficulties during the night.\u00a0 He proved himself a poor guesser on both counts: Little Joe hadn\u2019t woken once, and the settee had made a decidedly uncomfortable bed.\u00a0 By the time morning came, the youngest Cartwright wasn\u2019t the only one yearning for home, perhaps not even the one feeling it most.<\/p>\n Something kept niggling at Ben\u2019s brain during those early morning hours while his sons slept, something just out of reach, something Adam had said the previous morning when they\u2019d talked about Little Joe\u2019s challenge of Booth Shannon.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0I explained that Joe had reason<\/em>, Ben mused, but I asked Adam not to tell his brother I\u2019d said that, and Adam promised he wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 Then he said . . . what?<\/em>\u00a0 An offhand remark, and he hadn\u2019t paid much heed to it then.\u00a0 Now, those forgotten words kept itching at his mind, just out of reach.\u00a0 Then, as the sunlight began to filter through the window to the street, Adam\u2019s words finally came to him: \u201cWe certainly don\u2019t want that recklessness repeated!\u201d<\/p>\n No, they didn\u2019t want a repetition of what had happened in the street two days ago, but what could possibly guarantee that?\u00a0 Nothing, of course.\u00a0 There were no guarantees in life, but somehow, he felt that something needed to be said . . . now . . . when all the thoughts and feelings were fresh, when what he might say would have its greatest impact.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure how to work it out, but he needed to talk to Little Joe alone.\u00a0 In the stillness of the early morning, he prayerfully sought the wisdom he would need to choose the right time and the right words.<\/p>\n Ben had awakened early, so he wasn\u2019t surprised that both his sons slumbered on.\u00a0 That was normal for Joe, of course.\u00a0 Sick or well, that boy could sleep!\u00a0 Hoss, on the other hand, was usually an early riser, but he\u2019d outslept Joseph this morning.\u00a0 Ben let his youngest wake on his own and then helped him dress while Hoss snored on, to their amusement.\u00a0 Both of them were up and sitting in the parlor when Hoss finally made his yawning appearance, still in his long johns.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d better get yourself washed up and dressed, son,\u201d Ben advised.\u00a0 \u201cI expect Adam fairly soon now, and when he gets here, we\u2019ll have some breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Hoss, you wouldn\u2019t want older brother seein\u2019 you in your night clothes this time of day.\u201d Little Joe put in.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds great, Pa,\u201d Hoss said, stifling another yawn and pointedly ignoring Joe\u2019s jab.\u00a0 Of course, it was a sign the boy was feelin\u2019 better, but he didn\u2019t want to give that sharp wit of his too much encouragement.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Due to their own late awakenings, the three in the hotel didn\u2019t have to wait long for Adam\u2019s arrival.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you haven\u2019t eaten yet,\u201d he said when he entered the suite.\u00a0 \u201cI convinced Hop Sing that it was best for us all to eat here in town and allow him the extra time he might need to prepare a feast worthy of our youngest\u2019s homecoming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, mighty persuader,\u201d Ben declared with a proud look in his eye.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we haven\u2019t eaten yet, and figuring you wouldn\u2019t be much longer, I decided to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh!\u00a0 Great minds think alike.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApparently.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled, appreciating the compliment.\u00a0 Suddenly, he knew: this was the opportunity he\u2019d waited for.\u00a0 He took a sobering breath and then said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you and Hoss eat downstairs and then bring something up for Joseph and me?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked a little puzzled, but Hoss was absolutely stunned.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t we all gonna eat together?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019d prefer to eat here,\u201d Ben insisted, \u201cand I\u2019m sure Joseph won\u2019t mind keeping me company.\u201d\u00a0 He arched an inquiring eyebrow toward his third son.<\/p>\n \u201cNo . . . sir,\u201d Little Joe said, but his brow wrinkled with concern.<\/p>\n Though Hoss still looked befuddled, Adam was beginning to sense what lay behind his father\u2019s unusual request.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he said, clapping a hand on his brother\u2019s hefty shoulder.\u00a0 His strong grip guided Hoss toward the door, where he turned and asked, \u201cWhat would you like us to order for you, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, just a standard breakfast, son, whatever looks good to you,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI trust your judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d Adam inquired.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m . . . not hungry,\u201d Little Joe said, scarcely above a whisper.<\/p>\n The boy\u2019s solemn, almost fearful, attitude was concerning, and Adam looked to his father for instruction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll trust you to order for your brother, as well,\u201d Ben said with a pointed look.<\/p>\n Adam figured the sooner he and Hoss left, the sooner Pa could deal with whatever was bothering their little brother, so he simply said, \u201cFine,\u201d and herded Hoss through the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Pa?\u201d Little Joe asked as soon as his brothers were gone.\u00a0 \u201cWhy can\u2019t we eat together?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stretched his arm to touch the boy\u2019s hand softly.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I wanted a little time alone with you, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut . . . why?\u201d Little Joe pressed anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to talk with you.\u201d\u00a0 From Joe\u2019s reaction, he might have used that old phrase from childhood, \u201ca very necessary little talk.\u201d\u00a0 This one was necessary, Ben thought, but not in the sense that had once meant.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know quite what to say to dispel that idea.<\/p>\n Little Joe\u2019s next question paved the way for him.\u00a0 \u201cThis little talk . . . is it gonna be anything akin to a trip to the woodshed?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben might have laughed had the boy not looked so woebegone.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what you think you deserve, Joseph?\u201d\u00a0 He smiled in hopes of conveying a lighter spirit, along with one of understanding.<\/p>\n Little Joe, though, looked even more sober.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 I kind of figured you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n Emotion worked the boy\u2019s face, and his voice shook as he said, \u201cI know you\u2019re disappointed in me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Ben said again, more firmly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can you not be?\u201d Little Joe cried, working to contain himself.\u00a0 \u201cI went against everything you believe!\u201d<\/p>\n A light flashed in Ben\u2019s brain.\u00a0 He\u2019d known he needed to have this talk with his son, but until this moment, he hadn\u2019t fully realized why.\u00a0 He\u2019d sensed an underlying tension in Little Joe\u2019s demeanor; now, suddenly, he understood the guilt and fear underlying it.\u00a0 With all this churning inside, his boy couldn\u2019t possibly heal properly, internally or possibly even physically. \u00a0It had to be resolved.<\/p>\n His touch was tender as he cupped his son\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not disappointed in you, son.\u00a0 Yes, I want to discuss what happened, but I\u2019m not disappointed; I\u2019m not angry; I have no negative feelings toward you whatsoever.\u00a0 I don\u2019t agree with what you did, but I understand why you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally, son.\u00a0 You were in a terrible place, Joseph, and I\u2019m sure you felt you had no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNone I could see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always a choice,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut when a man\u2019s torn apart by grief and guilt\u201d\u2014he smiled\u2014”and perhaps a certain degree of fear, choices can be murky\u2014and you\u2019re very young, son, to be dealing with all that.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe bristled slightly, both at the suggestion of fear and the reference to his youth.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the first place,\u201d Ben began, \u201cthere was simple, but profound confusion.\u00a0 A man you considered a friend had tried to kill you, and you had no idea why.\u00a0 You shot him in self-defense, and though you knew you had no choice, you still felt terrible guilt.\u00a0 It was written all over your face, son.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe nodded.\u00a0 One of his greatest faults, as he saw it, was his inability to conceal his emotions.\u00a0 He\u2019d often wished he had just one drop of his older brother Adam\u2019s restraint.\u00a0 Even Hoss, open as he was with his feelings, could hold himself together better than Joe, and the comparison to his brothers just made the youngest Cartwright feel even more inadequate.<\/p>\n Oblivious to his son\u2019s ruminations, Ben continued speaking.\u00a0 \u201cThen there was a second tragedy.\u00a0 A girl you\u2019d known from your schoolboy days died suddenly, and grief was piled onto confusion and guilt.<\/p>\n Little Joe tried to shrug it off and failed miserably.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess I was kind of a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstandably, you were,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand we were all concerned about you.\u00a0 When Booth came at you with his accusations and his relentless determination to prove them, the pressure grew.\u00a0 I presume you saw the posters he\u2019d put up, that day we came to town?\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe nodded.<\/p>\n Ben went on.\u00a0 \u201cI know how that poster affected me.\u00a0 I felt I had to do something, so I tore it down and went straight into the saloon to confront Booth.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe looked up, surprised.\u00a0 \u201cYou did?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNothing I said budged him, though, so I went to the sheriff and demanded he do something about it.\u00a0 He was just telling me why he couldn\u2019t when we heard the shots outside, and I knew.\u00a0 I just knew what it meant . . . although I didn\u2019t know \u2018til later that you had actually started the fight.\u00a0 I\u2019m still not sure why you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the only way he\u2019d fight me,\u201d Little Joe explained, head hanging so he wouldn\u2019t have to face his father.\u00a0 \u201cI challenged him to meet me on the street, and he said it would be murder, and I . . . I . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told him it wouldn\u2019t be murder if I drew first, and I told him I\u2019d be waiting in the street.\u00a0 Guess I didn\u2019t leave him much choice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you didn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 Fortunately, the son couldn\u2019t see his father\u2019s expression at that moment, for the displeasure he had so feared did flicker, ever so briefly, across Ben\u2019s countenance.\u00a0 \u201cGo on,\u201d he said, deliberately relaxing his facial muscles.<\/p>\n Little Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNot much more to tell.\u00a0 He followed me out.\u00a0 I faced him down . . . and drew . . . first.\u00a0 I\u2014uh\u2014wasn\u2019t fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank God,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n Little Joe looked up, startled, and his father quickly explained.\u00a0 \u201cIf you had been fast enough, young man, Booth Shannon might have lain dead in that street and you\u2019d be in jail, facing prosecution for murder.\u00a0 And there would have been no defense.\u201d\u00a0 Or, you\u2019d have been dead<\/em>, he added silently to himself.\u00a0 The result would have been the same either way, by bullet or noose.\u00a0 Ben shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cI was gonna aim to wound, Pa, not kill!\u201d Joe said stoutly; then his voice dropped.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, that was what I planned.\u201d\u00a0 He gulped.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe \u2018planned\u2019 is the wrong word.\u00a0 It all happened so fast.\u00a0 There . . . well, there wasn\u2019t much time to plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s head bobbed repeatedly in heartfelt agreement.\u00a0 \u201cThat, young man, is the main issue I want to discuss with you . . . taking time.\u00a0 Considering how short a time it had been since I left Booth in the saloon, I don\u2019t think you could possibly have taken much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I didn\u2019t,\u201d Little Joe admitted with chagrin.\u00a0 Then, again without thinking, a rush of words spilled out.\u00a0 \u201cIt just seemed like so much was comin\u2019 at me so fast, and when Cletus said . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait, wait,\u201d Ben interrupted.\u00a0 \u201cSlow down, son.\u00a0 Who\u2019s Cletus?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, you remember Cletus, Pa,\u201d Joe said, scarcely taking a breath.\u00a0 \u201cHe was with us that day when Burke got shot.\u00a0 He testified at the coroner\u2019s inquest.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yes, I remember now.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know him well.\u00a0 Go on, son.\u201d\u00a0 His head was beginning to swim, much as he thought Little Joe\u2019s must have that near-fatal day in the streets.<\/p>\n \u201cI was looking at the poster,\u201d Little Joe said, \u201cand then Cletus was there at my elbow, sayin\u2019 something about how Booth had the whole town believin\u2019 I\u2019d murdered Burke and Hallie and how he was gonna keep diggin\u2019 and diggin\u2019 at me until I believed it, too, and that\u2019s sort of what I was already thinking, and I felt like I couldn\u2019t live like that, always lookin\u2019 over my shoulder and maybe even startin\u2019 to believe the lie and . . . and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand,\u201d Ben said, again interrupting the flow of words.\u00a0 \u201cI really do, son, but there is something I need you to understand.\u00a0 When you chose to go up against a trained lawman, a man with a reputation for killing more men in this territory than I can count in pursuance of that duty, it\u2019s not just your own life you were hazarding, Joseph.\u00a0 Your death would have impacted others, as well: your many friends, Adam, Hoss . . . me.\u201d\u00a0 His voice broke, noticeably quivering as he added, \u201cI have every confidence that you would have been safe in the \u00a0arms of our heavenly Father, but my arms would have been empty, and what would I do without my Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLive a peaceful life?\u201d his son suggested, though his voice, too, was constricted by a suddenly tight throat.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cIf you make a joke of this, young man, we just might make that trip to the woodshed after all!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, I won\u2019t,\u201d Joe somehow managed to get out through the sobs building up inside.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry, Pa; I don\u2019t know what else to say.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached for his son and cradled his head in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to say anything, son,\u201d he said as he stroked the chestnut curls, and I don\u2019t have anything more to say . . . except that, perhaps, there are lessons to be learned here, and the chief one is \u2018Take time.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 His pause between each of the final two words emphasized their meaning.\u00a0 \u201cIf something like this ever occurs again . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgain!\u00a0 Pa, I don\u2019t ever want this to happen again!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben patted his boy\u2019s shaking back and then pulled back to look at him.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean another gunfight, son, but if there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned about life, it\u2019s that there will be another challenge of one sort or another.\u00a0 That\u2019s what life is: one challenge and then . . . another\u2014hopefully with a bit of space between.\u201d\u00a0 He ended on a soft smile that conveyed both understanding of the common lot of man and love for this particular young man.\u00a0 \u201cWhen that challenge comes, son, I hope you\u2019ll take time to think and to seek help, especially if you\u2019re as distraught as you were in this situation.\u00a0 Come to me . . . or your brothers . . . or the law, if needed . . . and seek counsel when you feel overwhelmed and don\u2019t see any way out.\u201d<\/p>\n As he looked on his son with love and compassion, Ben saw tears trickling down that beloved face, and his hand instinctively reached out to wipe them away.\u00a0 \u201cNow, now,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cNo need for that . . . but will you try?\u00a0 That\u2019s all I ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try, Pa,\u201d Little Joe sobbed.\u00a0 \u201cI will try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Ben leaned forward and kissed the damp cheek.\u00a0 \u201cNow, go in the other room and wash your face.\u00a0 \u201cYour brothers should be back any time now.\u201d\u00a0 Unspoken was the shared realization that Little Joe would not want his older brothers to see him in such a vulnerable state.<\/p>\n After giving his father a quick hug, Little Joe hurried to the washstand in the bedroom to cover the ravages of emotion.\u00a0 He was still there when his brothers came in, each bearing a tray filled with food.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Little Joe?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the other room,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll be out shortly.\u00a0 He took the tray Adam extended to him.\u00a0 \u201cMy, that looks good!\u201d<\/p>\n The door to the bedroom opened, and Little Joe came through it, all smiles.\u00a0 \u201cIs that mine, Hoss?\u00a0 Boy, I\u2019m starving!\u201d\u00a0 He reached eagerly for the tray and moved quickly to sit at his father\u2019s side.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s jaw dropped.\u00a0 He was all too familiar with his little brother\u2019s swift changes of mood, but this was a fast turn-around, even for Joe.\u00a0 Adam, too, though he schooled his expression quickly, appeared surprised by the quicksilver alteration.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, well, dig in, then!\u201d Hoss finally said.\u00a0 \u201cI picked the flapjacks for you, on account of I ain\u2019t sure how long it\u2019ll be before Hop Sing\u2019s willin\u2019 to fix you any again, after you not showin\u2019 up for \u2018em t\u2019other day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd link sausages, too,\u201d Little Joe said, beaming as he poured maple syrup over the lot.\u00a0 He sliced off a bite of sausage and a small wedge of syrup-laden flapjack and popped both into his mouth.<\/p>\n Adam stood watching both men eat: Joe trying a little too hard to appear all right, but seeming more at ease with each passing minute, and Ben genuinely at peace.\u00a0 Whatever Pa said while we were gone must\u2019ve worked<\/em>, the oldest Cartwright brother decided.\u00a0 How did Pa do it?\u00a0 How did he, almost without fail, work this magic with any son in turmoil?\u00a0 Just by bein\u2019 Pa, he supposed, using some magical compound of fatherly love and the wisdom of his years.<\/p>\n Breakfast ended and they all left.\u00a0 Ben preceded them down the stairs to manage checking out, while Hoss carried Little Joe down the stairs\u2014amazingly, without one word of protest.\u00a0 At the foot of the staircase, however, he set the boy down and let him exit the hotel under his own steam, keeping close enough to catch him if he faltered.\u00a0 As Adam helped Little Joe into the buggy he\u2019d parked in front of the building, Hoss hurried down to the livery to fetch Chubby and Buck.<\/p>\n Adam was still standing beside the buggy when his father emerged from the hotel.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want to drive home, Pa, I\u2019m willing to ride Buck, but I\u2019d prefer not to switch places with Hoss.\u00a0 The size of that giant he rides . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled beneath his breath.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you drive your brother home, son?\u00a0 You\u2019ve had the least time with him over the last couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam arched an inquiring eyebrow toward his little brother.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay by me,\u201d Little Joe said, \u201cso long as you don\u2019t quote Shakespeare all the way home.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam touched the back of his hand to his forehead and proclaimed dramatically, \u201cWhat fools these mortals be!\u201d\u00a0 Then he grinned down at his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cThere!\u00a0 I think I\u2019ve got it out of my system.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe grinned back as Adam climbed aboard the buggy.<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead, boys,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe won\u2019t be far behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019d driven only a short way down the street when Adam heard a sharp intake of air from the seat beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou all right, Joe?\u201d he asked in concern.<\/p>\n \u201cRight as rain,\u201d Little Joe said.\u00a0 Except with a skeptically arched eyebrow, Adam didn\u2019t challenge the obvious overstatement, but kept his ears alert as he guided the team carefully down the busy main street of Virginia City.\u00a0 The younger man looked over his shoulder at the spot where, only two days before, he\u2019d lain bleeding in the dust.\u00a0 However, the shudder that rippled through him once more lasted only a moment.\u00a0 I\u2019m still alive<\/em>, Little Joe realized, and lucky to be so<\/em>.\u00a0 Recalling the words his father had spoken earlier that morning, he made a mental vow: I will learn that lesson you wanted, Pa, and if, God forbid, it ever happens again, I promise you I\u2019ll take time to think.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n \u00a9 March, 2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notes:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trap\u201d is a season 6 episode, written by Ken Pettus<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s Shakespearean quote is from A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>The Deadeye Dave character in the dime novel mentioned herein is the author\u2019s invention, and has appeared twice before in \u201cThe Daring Deeds of the Deadeye Kid\u201d and \u201cThe Deadeye Kid Rides Again.\u201d<\/p>\n