{"id":69334,"date":"2026-09-13T14:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=69334"},"modified":"2026-09-13T14:12:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T18:12:04","slug":"let-the-world-stop-turning-by-wrangler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=69334","title":{"rendered":"Let the World Stop Turning (by Wrangler)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summoned back to Savannah to settle Clay\u2019s estate, and accompanied by his father, Little Joe runs afoul of the law.\u00a0 Dogged by a zealous inspector, Ben and Joe learn the true circumstances behind Clay’s death, putting their lives in peril. Sequel to “In This Life”. Rating T, WC 50,000<\/p>\n

In This Life series:<\/p>\n

In This Life\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Let the World Stop Turning<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let the World Stop Turning<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLet the world stop turning, let the sun stop burning, let them tell me love\u2019s not worth going through.\u00a0 If it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true.\u00a0 In this life I was loved by you.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Song: In This Life, lyrics by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin)<\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright dropped down on one knee and brushed the inch of fresh snow from off the granite headstone.\u00a0 It had been rare to see it there so late in the season as spring was only two weeks away.\u00a0 Still, there in the Sierras weather could be as hard to predict as the people who chose to live in the upper elevations and not in the flatlands closer to the Comstock mines.\u00a0 The Cartwright family hadn\u2019t chosen to run off in search of gold or silver but rather maintained a large ranch to provide cattle to feed the many miners in the area with the large herd of cattle they raised each year.\u00a0 They also provided much of the timber which was needed to shore up the mines as the tunnels grew deeper and deeper in the earth.<\/p>\n

*** I can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been nine months. ***<\/em><\/strong> Little Joe thought to himself as he fished out the well-worn envelope from under the snow lying on the ground next to his mother\u2019s headstone.\u00a0 He could just barely make out the one word he had written on the front of the letter he had penned.\u00a0 \u201cClay,\u201d Joe whispered and then let out a deep mournful sigh.\u00a0 It had been the first time he\u2019d been up to the grave in the last two months due to the numerous snowstorms which had blanketed the Ponderosa that winter.\u00a0 But his mind was never far from his brother; the brother he had lost the previous July.<\/p>\n

To Little Joe it had seemed like just a blink in time since he had gotten on that train in Carson City and waved goodbye to his brothers, Adam and Hoss, and his father.\u00a0 That had begun the lengthy trip east to Georgia with such high hopes only to have them turn into a walking nightmare of regret. \u00a0\u00a0His trip involved taking trains, stagecoaches and private carriages to reach Atlanta where he finally met up with his brother Clay.\u00a0 The two young men hadn\u2019t seen each other in three years and were swept up in their joyous reunion there at the train depot.\u00a0 Little Joe didn\u2019t know if he had hugged his brother first or if it was the other way around.\u00a0 But either way, they held onto one another like they hadn\u2019t seen each other in decades. When Clay had left the Ponderosa three years earlier Little Joe wasn\u2019t certain if he\u2019d ever see his brother again.\u00a0 He had given him one of his most prized possessions, their mother\u2019s locket with her portrait inside.\u00a0 Joe had pleaded with his brother to bring it back someday.<\/p>\n

Setting the envelope back into its former position so that it rested against Marie Cartwright\u2019s headstone, Little Joe pulled himself back to his feet.\u00a0 He shook his head as his thoughts went back to the reason his brother had written to him the previous spring.\u00a0 Clay had fallen in love with a young lady from Savannah Georgia, Annabelle Copeland.\u00a0 The wedding was to take place at her father\u2019s plantation there and Clay wanted his only brother to come and be his best man.\u00a0 Though Ben Cartwright hadn\u2019t been very thrilled to have his youngest son travel so far away from home and hearth, he had finally relented and that June Joe had begun his trip.<\/p>\n

Everything had gone so well, at least in the beginning.\u00a0 Joe had made all his connections with little delay and had arrived there at the train depot in Atlanta right on schedule.\u00a0 Then the two brothers had spent an afternoon catching up with all that had gone on in both of their lives.\u00a0 Joe never remembered seeing his brother looking so happy before and he was thrilled for him.\u00a0 He knew that Clay had endured many tragedies in his life, including never knowing his parents.\u00a0 His father had died shortly after he was born, and he and Joe shared a mother who Clay had been stolen away from as a baby.\u00a0 His paternal grandparents had kept the fact that his mother was alive from the boy until their death.\u00a0 It was many years later that Clay had learned that Marie had married someone named Ben Cartwright and had moved to Nevada.\u00a0 He also discovered that his mother had ultimately died, but that she had borne one other child; Little Joe.\u00a0 The day that Clay had finally met his brother he felt like he was no longer all alone in the world.\u00a0 And Ben and his other sons welcomed him to the Ponderosa and treated him like a part of the family.\u00a0 After only a few days, they had offered to let him stay there with them on a permanent basis.\u00a0 But, as Clay had often said, trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went.\u00a0 And due to that fact, he had left after only spending a month getting to know his only living relative.\u00a0 The sad night when the two brothers had said goodbye, Joe had given Clay the locket.<\/p>\n

Reaching inside the pocket of his green corduroy jacket, Joe removed that same locket and had to fight back tears.\u00a0 The city of Savannah, with its trees that dripped with Spanish moss and the strange other-worldly feel to it seemed so foreign to him, and the memory of his stay in Georgia still haunted him.\u00a0 Though being with his brother and later his sister-in-law too had been one of the happiest times in his life, what followed the wedding was horrible.\u00a0 Annabelle\u2019s father had been the first one to come down with yellow fever, succumbing to it the day after the wedding.\u00a0 And two days later Annabelle took sick with the same disease.\u00a0 Little Joe learned the hard way that folks in the South were spooked by anyone who was declared to have yellow fever and would go so far as to set fire to a house if they thought it would stop the spread of what they called, \u201cYellow Jack\u201d.\u00a0 Joe had done the best he could to try and help Clay by assisting him in caring for his bride only to have his brother come down with yellow fever too.\u00a0 Day after day Little Joe had tried to make both his brother and sister-in-law comfortable as he prepared food and mopped their feverish brows.\u00a0 But then he, too, came down with the disease and Clay had forced him to go to bed.<\/p>\n

The wind whipped up from Lake Tahoe and Little Joe felt the last few snow flurries of the season.\u00a0 They dotted his face which was already wet from a few spent tears.\u00a0 Closing his eyes the memory of what Clay had done next still sent a sharp pain to his heart.\u00a0 Though he was weakened due to the fever, his brother had come into Joe\u2019s bedroom and mopped his forehead trying to ease his pain and will him back to health.\u00a0 That was when Clay had informed Joe that Annabelle had passed away.\u00a0 Joe tried to help his brother, but he was inconsolable.\u00a0 He had ranted and raved that there were town\u2019s folks that were gathering to set fire to the plantation house unless he placed his bride\u2019s body outside so they could remove and burn it.\u00a0 Clay was incensed at the very thought and told his brother that he was going to fight them off to his dying breath.\u00a0 That\u2019s all it had taken for Joe to get out of bed and insist on helping him.\u00a0 Clay had gone into the front hall and blasted a shotgun round straight through one of the windows trying to keep the throng of torch-wielding madmen from destroying the place and all who were inside.\u00a0 Joe watched as the entire heartbreaking scene played in his mind.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cClay?\u201d Joe spoke out weakly.\u00a0 \u201cClay, you need to be in bed \u2013 I\u2019ll be okay \u2013 you go back to bed \u2013 you need to stay with Annabelle.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 little brother \u2013 Annabelle \u2013 well \u2013 she died today.\u00a0 Joe, the only thing that matters to me now is you.\u00a0 You aren\u2019t going to die, do you hear?\u00a0 Now drink this down \u2013 do it!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe was barely able to lift his head, but he didn\u2019t want to make Clay attempt to do it, so he used whatever reserves he had left.\u00a0 He slowly sipped the broth.\u00a0 \u201cClay \u2013 oh Clay!\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry \u2013 so sorry \u2013 but you can\u2019t give up \u2013 Annabelle wouldn\u2019t like that \u2013 not one damn bit!\u00a0 Please \u2013 please fight.\u00a0 I need you \u2013 fight for me and I\u2019ll fight for you,\u201d Joe pleaded.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cRest, Joe \u2013 I\u2019ve got to go check the doors.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCheck the doors?\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Why do you need to check the doors?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they\u2019ll come to take Annabelle and I won\u2019t let that happen.\u00a0 I\u2019d sooner die here with her.\u00a0 Just stay down, Joe.\u201d Clay walked off into the other room.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t know where he had found the strength to get out of his sick bed, but he did.\u00a0 He was filled with terror over what Clay had said.\u00a0 Joe could read it in the angry eyes of his brother that no-one was going to take his wife away even in death.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cClay!\u201d Joe called after he had pulled on his shirt and boots.\u00a0 He halfway fell into the hall when he heard the sound close to the front door.\u00a0 \u201cClay!\u201d Joe shouted again.\u00a0 He heard the blast of the shotgun and heard Clay yelling something.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Finding his way to the front door, Joe saw Clay leaning there next to one of the big picture windows off to one side.\u00a0 Clay had fired right through the windowpane.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI scared the hell out of those bastards, Joe,\u201d Clay cast a weak smile over to his brother.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cClay why do they want to take Annabelle?\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTo burn her \u2013 they want to burn the love of my life, Joe.\u00a0 I won\u2019t let them.\u00a0 And I won\u2019t let them hurt my brother either!\u201d Clay exclaimed.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTell me where the guns are \u2013 I can\u2019t find my bags \u2013 my Colt was inside of one of them, but both of the bags are missing.\u00a0 Do you have a pistol or another shotgun?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Clay smiled as he settled his hand down onto Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right \u2013 you and me, Joe.\u00a0 Remember when I said we\u2019d go on down to Mexico and see how the revolution was going?\u00a0 Well, you and I will have our own little revolution right here in Savannah!\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019ll do \u2013 there\u2019s a secret passageway that Annabelle\u2019s father showed me and it\u2019s chock full of pistols and rifles.\u00a0 We’ve just got to make it down to the basement.\u00a0 It\u2019s dark so follow me \u2013 give me your hand, Brother.\u201d ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It had been at that moment that Clay had told him to follow him to the dark staircase which led down to the basement.\u00a0 Little Joe, weakened due to yellow fever, had held onto his brother\u2019s hand as they made their way to the sublevel of the house.\u00a0 He had been told that Clay was going to get him one of the guns which were stored there.\u00a0 But, unbeknownst to Little Joe, that hadn\u2019t been part of his brother\u2019s plan all along.\u00a0 Before he knew what was going on, Clay had shoved Joe outside and barred the door so he couldn\u2019t get back in.\u00a0 He had banged on the door begging his brother to let him come in to help him.\u00a0 It was then that Little Joe had seen what Clay had shoved into his hand right before pushing him outside.\u00a0 It was their mother\u2019s locket.\u00a0 And Clay had uttered the same words he had said when he left Nevada three years before.\u00a0 He told Little Joe to \u201cgo back home where you belong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brushing aside his tears, Joe drew in a deep breath wishing that he had been more alert back then, so he could\u2019ve prevented what happened next.\u00a0 The house had been set on fire by the torches which had sailed through the air.\u00a0 Though he had continually pounded on the basement door, it had been of no effect.\u00a0 Only then did he feel the massive arms lifting him up.\u00a0 A six-foot six-inch giant of a man named Rene, who was a friend of his brother\u2019s, had been watching and waiting for his chance to take Little Joe to safety.\u00a0 It was only later that Joe had realized that Clay had told Rene to be ready to grab his brother and carry him away where he wouldn\u2019t get hurt by the angry mob.\u00a0 Afterwards that same huge man had tended to Joe, even hiding him in the snake and alligator infested swamps to avoid the enraged town\u2019s folks who assumed that he had brought yellow fever from Nevada with him.\u00a0 Joe knew that if it hadn\u2019t been for Rene that he would\u2019ve surely died.\u00a0 Once more he knew that Clay was aware of that fact and had charged his friend, Rene, with getting his brother out of Savannah somehow.<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head wearily and walked away from the grave and down the well-worn path to the main trail where his horse waited.\u00a0 He remembered standing at his mother\u2019s grave with his father the day he had returned from his trip.\u00a0 Back then he had been suffering from the latent effects of yellow fever plus a case of what those in the South called, \u201cswamp fever\u201d otherwise known as malaria.\u00a0 It had taken Little Joe all winter to regain his strength and to rid himself of both the terrible cough and the slight yellow cast to his complexion due to both diseases.\u00a0 Joe swung up onto Cochise and cast one parting glance up the trail.\u00a0 He still wished that he could\u2019ve brought his brother\u2019s remains back home with him.\u00a0 Little Joe thought that at the very least Clay deserved a decent burial instead of the rushed one he\u2019d gotten due to the situation.\u00a0\u00a0 The following night carrying only one lantern with them to evade detection, he and Rene had sifted through what remained of the charred plantation house.\u00a0 Amid the confusion and needed secrecy Joe had found Annabelle\u2019s body and Rene had located Clay\u2019s.\u00a0 The two of them buried the couple underneath a large oak just a mile or so from the main house.\u00a0 It had been that oak tree where he, his brother, and Annabelle had all carved their initials on a much happier occasion right before the wedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go, Cooch,\u201d Little Joe muttered as he patted the horse\u2019s neck.\u00a0 He needed to go back to the ranch house where he could stand in his bedroom and look at the photograph that had been taken of his brother and him.\u00a0 It was the only tangible thing he had left of Clay now.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben Cartwright shuffled through the mail that had piled up on his desk while he had been away for two days at a Cattleman\u2019s Association meeting in Carson City.\u00a0 He hated to handle such things, but as he was the patriarch those duties fell on him especially with his eldest son away.\u00a0 Both his two older boys had gone on a business trip, which meant he didn\u2019t have Adam to help sort the bills from the contracts that seemed to arrive en masse at the beginning of spring.\u00a0 As he finally got to the bottom of the pile, he noticed a telegram which had been folded and just tucked in with the regular mail.\u00a0 Ben shook his head, presuming that Hop Sing had put it there while trying to tidy up the place.<\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair, Ben studied the wire and the worry lines on his face deepened, showing his growing apprehension.\u00a0 He certainly wasn\u2019t expecting to hear from Doctor James Hardin, one of the men Ben credited with saving his son, Joseph\u2019s life.\u00a0 It was Doctor Hardin who had nursed Joe back to health after the boy struggled through brutal bouts of both yellow fever and malaria.\u00a0 Once more, he had harbored Joseph in his home, risking his own life to do so.\u00a0 Ben read the telegram for a second time, then stood from his desk, wondering how his youngest son would take the doctor\u2019s news.\u00a0 He had hoped that Joseph was done with the Deep South for good.\u00a0 Traveling to his brother Clay\u2019s wedding had brought the boy nothing but sorrow\u2014and it had almost gotten him killed.<\/p>\n

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Ben turned at the sound of the front door opening.\u00a0 He glanced across the room as Little Joe walked over to the credenza and unfastened his jacket.\u00a0 He was completely unaware of the fact that his father was watching him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re back just in time for supper!\u00a0 Welcome home, Son,\u201d Ben greeted his youngest.\u00a0 He slipped the telegram inside the pocket of his vest, deciding the news could hold off for a little while.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Pa,\u201d Joe grinned, unbuckling his holster and setting it on top of the credenza next to Ben’s.\u00a0 Coming out of his jacket, he turned toward his father.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHow did it go in Carson City?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it went fine \u2013 some of the speakers were a bit long-winded \u2013 but I survived.\u00a0 How did it go with the herd?\u00a0 Did we lose many down at South Shore?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe removed his hat and hung it up on the rack next to the door.\u00a0 As he approached Pa he ran his fingers through his curly hair.\u00a0 \u201cThose ornery cows are doing okay \u2013 made it through that last snowstorm without any problem.\u00a0 I left them with Fletcher and Cody.\u00a0 They can babysit the herd until we move them up to the northern pastureland next week,\u201d he said, clapping his father on the back.<\/p>\n

Ben studied his son\u2019s face, unsure of what he was seeing in his eyes.\u00a0 Joseph wore a carefree smile, but as usual, it seemed forced.\u00a0 Ben knew that his son hadn\u2019t gotten over the loss of his brother Clay, and it had been so long since he\u2019d seen a genuine smile on Joseph\u2019s lips that he wondered if he\u2019d ever see one there again.\u00a0 And though he\u2019d heard the boy\u2019s laughter in the past couple of months since returning from the horrors he\u2019d encountered in Savannah, there was still a little something missing in the sound of it as well. He draped his arm over the boy\u2019s shoulder, pulling him close.\u00a0 \u201cEnough about meetings and cows.\u00a0 How are you doing, Son?\u201d He asked softly.<\/p>\n

Joe dropped his gaze, a wry smile pulling up the corners of his mouth.\u00a0 He never understood how his father managed to pick up on his every mood \u2013 but the man always had. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you run into much snow today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 Pa, it hasn\u2019t snowed down at South Shore the last two days,\u201d He explained as they walked over to the fireplace.\u00a0 Ben took a seat in his red leather chair and Little Joe lighted down on his usual perch on top of the coffee table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben returned and offered an understanding smile.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you couldn\u2019t have found any flowers to take up to your mother \u2013 since there\u2019s nothing blooming yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you always do it, Pa?\u201d Joe wondered, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you always know where I\u2019ve gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing walked into the room before Ben had the chance to answer his son.\u00a0 He set a fresh pot of coffee on the table along with two cups and saucers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben nodded gratefully to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner ready in half hour,\u201d The cook addressed his American family.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe \u2013 you wash before come to Hop Sing table,\u201d He insisted and then as quickly as he had come into the room he left.<\/p>\n

Little Joe laughed and clapped a hand onto his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cWhen did you sell him our dining table, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and shook his head amused.\u00a0 He watched as his son poured them both some coffee and handed him a cup.\u00a0 \u201cThank you,\u201d He nodded to the boy and slowly sipped his coffee.<\/p>\n

Little Joe fixed his own cup and then looked back over at his pa.\u00a0 \u201cYou never answered me, Pa.\u00a0 How do you always seem to know where I\u2019ve gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair, Ben returned, \u201cOh, I just figured that you hadn\u2019t had a chance to get up there in a while and since the snow was about gone, I thought that\u2019s what you\u2019d do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t know I was that easy to read,\u201d Joe chuckled and sipped his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cHey any word from Adam and Hoss?\u00a0 I\u2019ve been running around chasing cows the last three days and had to sleep out on the cold hard ground while they\u2019ve been sleeping on nice soft beds.\u00a0 So, did you get word from Tonopah yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you would\u2019ve preferred to be with your brothers in a hotel ordering room service, Joseph.\u00a0 But someone had to stay here and tend to the herd, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s the last time I draw straws with my brothers.\u00a0 I think Hoss rigged them somehow!\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting his coffee cup on the table, Ben stared knowingly at his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if your brother Hoss \u201crigged\u201d them he learned how to do it from you, Young Man!\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughter filled the living room, the strange trilling kind which was uniquely Joseph Cartwright\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cOkay \u2013 guilty as charged,\u201d He nodded with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cSo? When are they coming back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam wired me in Carson City yesterday.\u00a0 They concluded their business and should be here the day after tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good \u2013 it\u2019s too quiet here without those two loudmouths!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a not-so-subtle point of his finger in the direction of the staircase, Ben returned, \u201cGo wash up \u2013 to appease Hop Sing and so I can have a few minutes of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amused, Joe shook his head as he stood from the coffee table.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Pa, you know you wouldn\u2019t know what to do with yourself if at least one of your sons wasn\u2019t around to liven things up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fighting a smile, Ben simply pointed at the stairs again and watched as his son obeyed his command, heading up to his room.\u00a0 Just as soon as Joe was gone from sight, he pulled the telegram out of his pocket and sighed.\u00a0 He wished he could just toss the thing into the fireplace, but he knew he\u2019d have to tell Joseph after supper was over.\u00a0 His son was twenty-one years old and had the right to know what was going on in Georgia, but Ben dreaded hearing what the boy planned to do about it.<\/p>\n

\n

The conversation at supper that night largely concentrated on what needed to be done the next day and plans to move the herd the following week.\u00a0 Ben purposely kept his responses to his son\u2019s questions lighthearted, knowing that he\u2019d soon have to inform the boy about the telegram still secreted inside his vest pocket.\u00a0 Just as soon as Hop Sing had removed the two dinner plates Ben excused himself and walked into the next room.\u00a0 When he returned, he carried with him a bottle of wine.<\/p>\n

Joe suspiciously eyed his father as he sat back down in his chair and reached for the two wineglasses which Hop Sing had provided them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the occasion, Pa?\u201d Little Joe asked as his father handed him a glass filled to the brim with wine.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were saving that bottle for a special occasion?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders noncommittally, Ben lifted his glass and returned, \u201cOh, it\u2019s been a long week \u2013 so I thought that we both earned this.\u00a0 Afterall, you handled those ornery cows, and I had to spend two days listening to cattlemen drone on about various things I already knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe wasn\u2019t buying what his father had just said.\u00a0 He took a few sips of his wine and cast another suspicious glance to his left where Pa seemed uncharacteristically nervous for some reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis wine sure tastes better than the last kind I had.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t like the stuff that I had to mix with those quinine packets you and Doc forced on me!\u201d he exclaimed, still waiting for Pa to come out with whatever he was purposely keeping from him.\u00a0 He could tell that something wasn\u2019t quite right by the way his father had been a bit too quick in his response and the way he looked very uncomfortable sitting there next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, those quinine packets helped get you over that bad case of malaria, Young Man,\u201d Ben answered, a forced smile on his lips.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, I will admit the wine mixed with quinine didn\u2019t look very appetizing to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

An uneasy silence fell over the room with neither Ben nor Joe speaking.\u00a0 Little Joe waited for his father to pipe up but it appeared that he was holding his cards close to his vest that night.\u00a0 When he could no longer wait to find out what his father had been keeping from him, Joe finally spoke out.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Pa \u2013I can tell that something\u2019s wrong \u2013 so you might as well tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Ben drew in a deep breath.\u00a0 He knew that he was just as easy to read as his youngest at times and this was one of those occasions.\u00a0 Reaching inside his vest, Ben drew out the telegram.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, this was delivered to the house while we were gone.\u00a0 It was meant for you.\u00a0 Here,\u201d He handed it to his son.<\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair, Joe studied what the telegrapher had written.<\/p>\n

*** To Joseph Cartwright, Virginia City, Nevada.\u00a0 From Doctor James Hardin, Atlanta, Georgia.\u00a0 Joe, need you back in Georgia.\u00a0 Your brother Clay\u2019s attorney has sent me word that you\u2019ve inherited the Copeland estate.\u00a0 You must take possession or it will be turned over to the state.\u00a0 Also, Rene has been charged with the disappearance of a man and is on the run.\u00a0 He needs your help.\u00a0 Please contact me as soon as you receive this, sincerely, James. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben watched as his son suddenly fell back in his chair; the piece of paper held tightly in his hands.\u00a0 Joseph just stared at the telegram; his eyes fixed on it with stunned confusion on his face.\u00a0 Knowing that the news had come as a shock to him, Ben reached over and poured Joe another glass of wine.<\/p>\n

After a few quiet minutes had passed, Ben leaned over, placing a gentle hand on his son\u2019s arm he asked, \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, troubled by all he had read.\u00a0 He finally looked over at his father with a sobering pain in his eyes that reflected the haunting memories of his last trip to Savannah.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting this, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want anything to do with that plantation.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why I would inherit it anyhow,\u201d Joe sounded out bitterly, filled with an inner turmoil he couldn\u2019t control nor quell.<\/p>\n

Giving the boy\u2019s arm a slight squeeze, he said, \u201cWell, you told me that Mister Copeland didn\u2019t have any kin other than his daughter Annabelle.\u00a0 I suppose once she and Clay were married it would\u2019ve been considered theirs when he passed away.\u00a0 Since Annabelle preceded Clay in death, it would\u2019ve gone to him.\u00a0 And once your brother died it would go to his only relative\u2014you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s expression went from shock to sudden anger.\u00a0 He drank some of his wine as he thought back to the horrendous way he had been treated after his brother\u2019s death.\u00a0 Joe would never forget the way he had been hunted down just because he had contracted yellow fever.\u00a0 Frightening days spent in the Georgia swamps along with Rene were never far from his mind.\u00a0 They had endured the terrible heat along with both snakes and alligators just because of the superstitious people there who had been chasing them down with hunting dogs and rifles.\u00a0 He also blamed the townsfolk for his brother\u2019s death.\u00a0 It had been an angry mob that had set the plantation on fire, burning it down around his brother and his deceased sister-in-law.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate that place!\u201d Little Joe snapped, raising his left hand in gesture and with his jaw clenched tight.<\/p>\n

Ben reached over and caught his son\u2019s arm, trying to quiet him.\u00a0 He waited until Joe’s eyes met his.\u00a0 \u201cI know you do, Joseph.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to do anything about the estate if you don\u2019t want to.\u00a0 You can just wire Doctor Hardin and let him know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stared down at the telegram drawing in a long, shaky breath.\u00a0 \u201cBut Rene, Pa — he\u2019s in trouble.\u00a0 That man is the only reason I\u2019m still breathing.\u00a0 He saved me from those monsters who tried to kill me.\u00a0 Rene needs my help, and I can\u2019t just turn my back on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father paused, choosing his words with deliberate care.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t Doctor Hardin help Rene himself?\u00a0 Surely, he doesn\u2019t expect you to travel clear across the country for this.\u00a0 There must be someone closer to Savannah who can step in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor Hardin wouldn\u2019t know how to find him, Pa.\u00a0 Nobody would.\u00a0 But I spent enough time with Rene to know how he thinks.\u00a0 I can find where he\u2019s hiding, and I can help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head adamantly, \u201cI just don\u2019t want you going back there, Son.\u00a0 As for the estate \u2013 well \u2013 I can have our attorney handle that for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared intently into his father\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 He read the deep worry in them and understood exactly why it was there.\u00a0 Joe was aware of the fact that he had terrified his father the previous year.\u00a0 A trip that was supposed to last two months had stretched into six.\u00a0 And to make matters worse, he had finally returned home deathly sick, plagued by the remnants of both yellow fever and malaria.\u00a0 But Joe couldn\u2019t turn his back on Rene now.\u00a0 He owed the man far too much for everything he had done for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 Rene can barely talk!\u00a0 People see him and assume he\u2019s some kind of monster just because he\u2019s so big, and they think he\u2019s stupid.\u00a0 But I can understand him.\u00a0 He only utters a few partial words, but I got used to it while we were on the run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way of knowing if you\u2019d even locate him, Joseph,\u201d his father countered, his voice heavy as he tried to talk sense into the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just got to try, Pa \u2013 for Rene\u2019s sake \u2013 and for Clay\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0 He was his friend \u2013 and he helped all of us when we were so sick.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to go \u2013 no matter how much I detest that place!\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t live with myself if I didn\u2019t at least go down there and try to help him.\u00a0 Pa, it\u2019s important to me,\u201d Joe returned, his eyes burning with an intensity that his father hadn\u2019t witnessed before.<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back in his chair, quietly studying his son\u2019s face.\u00a0 He recognized that look.\u00a0 Underneath the fierce determination, Joe was asking for his father\u2019s help and understanding.\u00a0 Ben drew in a long heavy breath and gave a slow, barely perceptible shake of his head.<\/p>\n

Ben sat forward, his temporary softness vanishing.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going,\u201d Ben stated firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa \u2013 I have to,\u201d Joe protested, his voice cracking with raw emotion.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t understand \u2013 I have to!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going,\u201d Ben repeated, his voice carrying a stern inflection that left no room for debate.<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared down at the table, his lips twisting into a scowl.\u00a0 A hot surge of anger flared because his father refused to see why this trip was an obligation he couldn\u2019t ignore.\u00a0 Beneath the rage, a sharper ache took root.\u00a0 He was deeply hurt that Pa could be so completely dismissive.<\/p>\n

It was at that precise moment that Ben made the sudden move.\u00a0 With a calloused hand he reached over and caught the back of his son\u2019s neck, pulling Joe toward him in a firm embrace.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going —,\u201d he paused and then forced his son\u2019s gaze, \u201cwithout me<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d he announced emphatically.\u00a0 The tension between them evaporated as Ben’s mouth formed into a small, knowing grin.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, letting out a calming breath as he returned his father\u2019s smile.\u00a0 He really should have known that his Pa was just testing his resolve, but that stern countenance had fooled him completely.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered gratefully.<\/p>\n

\n

Once the dinner dishes had been cleared, Ben and Joe moved to the living room.\u00a0 Sitting next to the fireplace they mapped out their journey and set a departure date.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t leave immediately; they had to wait for Hoss and Adam to return so they could explain the situation and justify why a sudden trip to Georgia was absolutely necessary.\u00a0 Joe quickly drafted a reply to Doctor Hardin, planning to send the wire the next day.\u00a0 By eleven o\u2019clock that evening, they finally headed to bed.<\/p>\n

Sleep refused to come, no matter how hard Joe tried.\u00a0 The thought of returning to Savannah filled him with a restless dread.\u00a0 After two hours of useless tossing and turning, he slipped out of bed and headed downstairs.\u00a0 He hoped to borrow one of Adam\u2019s books, praying that a few pages of his brother\u2019s heavy reading would quiet his mind and make him drowsy.<\/p>\n

The flames in the fireplace had died down to embers, leaving the room downright chilly, dark, and far too quiet.\u00a0 Joe paced the floor for several minutes.\u00a0 His mind drifted back to his homecoming three months prior.\u00a0 The memories were still raw; he remembered the paralyzing fear that he was contagious to the people he loved.\u00a0 He had isolated himself from his family, refusing to let anyone close, and had desperately insisted that Hop Sing boil all his utensils just to keep them all safe. Though Doctor Martin reassured him that the yellow fever was gone \u2013 leaving nothing but a lingering yellow tint to Joe\u2019s skin that would eventually fade \u2013 Joe was also battling malaria.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t be absolutely sure if that disease was contagious too, and that lingering doubt kept him frozen in fear of touching anyone.\u00a0 It had been a terrible time in his life, made worse because he was still struggling with the crushing weight of losing his brother Clay.\u00a0 He had finally spoken with his father late one night, breaking down to confess exactly how his brother had died, and how he had saved Joe\u2019s life by shoving him outside to safety just in time before the house went up in flames. His father had tried to comfort him, but Little Joe had violently pushed him away out of pure terror that he was contagious.\u00a0 His anxiety peaked that night when Ben caught a simple cold.\u00a0 Every time his father coughed, Joe\u2019s heart seized; he was convinced he had passed on yellow fever.\u00a0 Because he had returned home with a cough of his own, Joe was entirely certain that Pa was going to come down with the dreaded disease.<\/p>\n

Little Joe stood in front of the dying fireplace and closed his eyes.\u00a0 Instantly, the sights and sounds of that fateful night rushed back to him \u2013 cutting just as deeply and painfully as he remembered them to be.\u00a0 Joe opened his eyes and his gaze fell to the coffee table where the heart-wrenching scene had unfolded three months earlier.\u00a0 He would never forget how he had finally broken down and told Pa the circumstances behind Clay\u2019s death; no more than he would ever forget how the loving arms of his father had tried to shield him from the pain of it all.<\/p>\n

*** Joe collapsed down onto his knees dropping his head onto his folded arms there on top of the coffee table.\u00a0 With sobs shaking his frail body he cried over the loss of his brother.\u00a0 Pa went down to his knees right alongside his son and attempted to pull him to his chest in order to help bear his sorrow and his burden.\u00a0 Joe pushed his father back roughly, so swept up in his fear of somehow giving Pa yellow fever.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGo away, Pa!\u00a0 Get back!\u201d Joe shouted.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben refused to stop trying to comfort his son and finally, after three failed attempts, he was successful in bringing his youngest up into his arms.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 No, Pa!\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to lose you too, Pa!\u201d Joe cried out in desperation struggling to pull himself free from his father\u2019s tight hold.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t lose you — I can\u2019t!\u00a0 I\u2019ve already made you sick —let me go Pa — I won\u2019t lose you too!\u201d Joe\u2019s pleas shot out filled with raw panic and uncontrollable fear.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t make me sick, Joseph— and you\u2019re not going to lose me!\u00a0 It\u2019s okay \u2013 it\u2019s okay \u2013 I\u2019ve got you — you\u2019re safe now \u2013 you don\u2019t have to run away from me anymore,\u201d Ben whispered as he knelt there rocking Joe back and forth in his strong unrelenting hold, never releasing his son from his embrace.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 Pa,\u201d Joe cried as he finally surrendered to the love and compassion he found there in his father\u2019s arms.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be okay \u2013 it\u2019s going to be okay, Joseph,\u201d Ben reassured as he ran his fingers through his son\u2019s hair in an attempt to calm him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cClay \u2013 Clay, I lost him, Pa \u2013 I tried to get back in, but he wouldn\u2019t let me.\u00a0 I lost him \u2013 and then when you got sick \u2013 I thought I had given you the fever —and when I heard you cough \u2013 oh, Pa — I can\u2019t lose you too!\u201d Joe convulsed in tears so swept up in the intense dread which had been realized when he lost his brother and later had thought he would lose his father as well.\u00a0 He buried his face in his father\u2019s chest and tried to believe that his Pa would be alright.\u00a0 He had been so petrified that he would lose his father, and his anxiety had only grown in magnitude the minute he had heard him coughing.\u00a0 \u201cYou \u2013 you really don\u2019t have what I have?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t give it to you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben smiled and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just a cold, Joseph \u2013 just a little cold \u2013 nothing\u2019s going to happen to me,\u201d He whispered and pressed his lips to his son\u2019s forehead for the first time since Joe had come home.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 Pa \u2013 I\u2019m still sick \u2013 still have a cough \u2013 still have a yellow cast to my skin– and that thirst that doesn\u2019t go away,\u201d Joe\u2019s worries had finally gone full circle as he listed all of his symptoms.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not contagious \u2013 you haven\u2019t been contagious since you got home \u2013 you\u2019re the only one who thought that you were.\u00a0 There\u2019s a much stronger chance of you getting my cold now than me getting anything from you, Joseph.\u00a0 And you are going to get better \u2013 you\u2019ve just got to give it some time.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes and for the first time in over five months he didn\u2019t feel like he had to push everyone away in order to protect them from the disease he carried.\u00a0 Pa was there holding him and Joe finally realized that he didn\u2019t have to feel guilty about not running away from the love which he was freely offering him.\u00a0 At long last he was starting to believe that he wasn\u2019t going to make Pa sick, nor anyone else in his family sick, no matter how bad his coughing got or what his skin looked like.\u00a0 The persecution was left back there in Georgia; it hadn\u2019t really followed him home after all.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t anyone outside getting ready to set the place on fire or hunt him down and force him to seek shelter in the swamp.\u00a0 That horror had been left two thousand miles away in Georgia as well.\u00a0 Joe breathed easy and drew strength from the man in whose arms he now rested.\u00a0 It was at that moment that he finally realized that he was safe and he was home. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called out softly from the bottom of the staircase.\u00a0 He had been standing in the shadows for several minutes, watching his son and trying to determine if he should approach the boy or simply leave him to his thoughts.<\/p>\n

Forcing himself to shake off his vivid recollection of that night three months ago, Joe turned toward his father\u2019s voice.\u00a0 Left without words, he stood in silence and simply watched him draw closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon \u2013 you need to get some sleep,\u201d he said. Placing a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder he added, \u201cWe\u2019ve got a trip to get ready for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, looking up to meet his father\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Pa,\u201d he murmured, his voice quiet in the dark room.\u00a0 \u201cI was just down here thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

He patted his son\u2019s shoulder, and with a gentle smile Pa replied, \u201cYou\u2019ll have plenty of time to think about all this tomorrow.\u00a0 Come on now, off to bed, Young Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe turned toward the staircase with his father.\u00a0 He knew Pa was right.\u00a0 They had at least three weeks of cross-country travel ahead of them before reaching Savannah \u2013 plenty of time for him to relive the nightmare of his last visit to that vile place.\u00a0 He silently prayed that Rene could hold out until they arrived.\u00a0 Still dwelling on the past as well as the long trip that lay ahead, Joe walked alongside his father up the stairs.<\/p>\n

\n

Three days after receiving the telegram from Doctor Hardin, the four Cartwrights made their way into Carson City.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss were there to bid goodbye to Ben and Little Joe, bringing them into town in the buckboard.\u00a0 Joe had hurried off on some errands as the other three men waited at the train depot.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust where is your brother?\u201d Ben asked, checking his pocket watch yet again, his thumb impatiently snapping the gold lid shut for the fourth time.\u00a0 He squinted into the bright midday sun, scanning both ends of the street as his irritation grew with every passing minute that the boy failed to reappear.\u00a0 He let out a sharp, heavy sigh, growing annoyed with his son\u2019s sudden urge to run off into some of the shops with the train\u2019s departure looming.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t that boy know that you can\u2019t keep a train waiting?\u201d He fussed, growing more exasperated with every minute that the boy hadn\u2019t reappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, Pa,\u201d Hoss tried to calm his father who he could see was on edge due to the long trip ahead of him.\u00a0 He exchanged a knowing glance at Adam who nodded his way.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle Joe said he just had to pick up a couple of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shot the index finger of his right hand down at the bags sitting on the platform just to the right of Adam\u2019s boots.\u00a0 \u201cA few more things?\u00a0 He\u2019s packed half of the house inside those bags already!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere he comes now!\u201d Adam announced as he watched his little brother running toward them, his arms laden down with a brand-new carpet bag and what looked like a cigar box.<\/p>\n

The three men turned when the high sharp whistle pierced the air drawing a thick line of black smoke across the sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d Joe called out of breath as he came to a dead stop there in front of the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph\u2014are you going to start this trip by aggravating me?\u201d Ben asked, raising his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what in the devil did you have to buy?\u00a0 We\u2019ve already packed more than we\u2019ll ever need!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss piped up, trying to help quell his father\u2019s tirade, if only for Little Joe\u2019s sake.\u00a0 He was aware that his brother hadn\u2019t been prepared to have to go back to Georgia and for the past two days the boy had looked awfully glum.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna start smoking cigars, Little Brother?\u201d He kidded, seeing the box the boy held in his right hand.<\/p>\n

Leaning in closer to Hoss, Joe whispered, \u201cNot cigars, Hoss \u2013 ammunition.\u00a0 Just like I told you I was gonna bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss chuckled and clapped his brother\u2019s back, \u201cGood thinking, Little Joe.\u00a0 Hey you and Pa bring Adam and me back an alligator, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and groaned.\u00a0 He stepped back when the porter appeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your bags, Sir?\u201d a young man asked, smiling up at the silver haired passenger.<\/p>\n

Nodding, Ben pointed, \u201cThose four there, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man hefted the luggage, managing them all underneath both of his arms.\u00a0 \u201cTrain\u2019s boarding in two minutes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be right there,\u201d Ben answered and then turned to his two older boys.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you both take care of yourselves,\u201d he said and shook each of their hands.\u00a0 \u201cOh \u2013 Adam \u2013 I showed you where I put the DeSanto contracts, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Adam nodded his head and returned, \u201cOnly about a half of a dozen times, Pa.\u00a0 Relax, Hoss and I\u2019ll see to all the business and get the herd squared away.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d Ben turned to his middle boy, wrapping an arm around the big man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll keep on top of those new hands up at the mill?\u00a0 I told them that they would get their pay every other Friday, but there\u2019s been some arguments because the old timers get paid every week.\u00a0 Make sure there\u2019s no troublemakers in the bunch I just hired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss patted his father\u2019s shoulder and smiled knowingly at him.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 I\u2019ll take care of it.\u00a0 Just have a good trip and wire us when you and Joe get to Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt a bit emotional about leaving his older boys and a bit guilty.\u00a0 They had just arrived home two days prior, and he didn\u2019t feel like he had spent enough time with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, everything will be fine,\u201d Adam reassured him, noticing his father\u2019s creased brow and the look of apprehension all over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll wire you from Atlanta \u2013 and then once we get to Savannah.\u00a0 I know you two boys will handle things just the same as I would \u2013 but \u2013 well –\u201d he trailed off.<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam each clapped their father on the back and offered him a calming smile to ease his mind.\u00a0 They knew that Pa never liked to travel too far from home.\u00a0 They both had agreed that he should accompany Little Joe just to make sure he would make it back in one piece and not in the terrible condition he had come home from Georgia the last time.<\/p>\n

The loud blast of the train whistle sounded out once again.\u00a0 Little Joe gave Hoss a quick hug and patted Adam on the back.\u00a0 \u201cSee you two \u2013 tend to Cochise for me, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Adam returned with a nod.\u00a0 He was cognizant of the fact that Joe didn\u2019t want to go back to the place where his brother Clay had died but due to his loyalty to the man who had saved his life, he was dead set on going anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe good, Little Brother!\u201d Hoss grinned and stood back as both his father and younger brother walked over to board the train.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t forget that alligator!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see what I can do,\u201d Joe winked and prepared to board.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye, Boys,\u201d Ben called out, waving a final farewell to his sons.\u00a0 He grabbed the handrail, and along with his youngest, climbed the iron steps of the open platform, disappearing inside the coach just as the train gave a violent, metal clapping jerk forward.<\/p>\n

\n

Joe and his father took their seats just to the left of the coach next to one of the windows of the car.\u00a0 The blast of the locomotive whistle sounded again, and the train began to pick up speed which could be heard by the loud sounds of metal grinding against the tracks.\u00a0 Ben glanced over at his son and noticed that he looked apprehensive, his posture rigid sitting there.\u00a0 He presumed that was normal as they were leaving the high desert of Nevada and heading thousands of miles east.\u00a0 Their trip would be a daunting one, across fractured country \u2013 a trip that would force them to change trains, cross vast territories, and jump onto stagecoaches and private carriages to reach their destination.<\/p>\n

Noting his son\u2019s uneasiness along with the fearful look on his face, Ben reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder, pressing down firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, Joseph \u2013 it\u2019s a long trip but we\u2019ll get there.\u201d He whispered, leaning over to his son.<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded over to Pa and offered an uncomfortable smile.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Pa \u2013 it\u2019s just what\u2019s waiting for us in Savannah, that\u2019s worrying me \u2013 not the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re going to talk with Doctor Hardin first \u2013 he\u2019ll be able to better explain to us the circumstances behind what\u2019s going on with Rene.\u00a0 Joseph, what\u2019s in that bag by the way?\u00a0 I thought we\u2019d already packed enough?\u201d Ben pointed to the one carpet bag sitting at his son\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

This time Joe\u2019s smile was authentic as he held the cigar box close to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cOh \u2013 I did a little extra shopping.\u00a0 It\u2019s just something I thought that we might need.\u00a0 I\u2019ll put this inside my carpetbag,\u201d He answered cryptically.\u00a0 Leaning forward he opened the bag and carefully placed the box inside, closing it up quickly.<\/p>\n

Both amused and a bit annoyed by his son\u2019s secrecy, Ben shook his head as he studied the boy\u2019s face.\u00a0 He never exactly knew what to expect from his youngest anymore.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the big secret?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll show you once we get to Georgia, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered and then finally leaned back in his seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you want to stow that with our other bags instead of having it there at your feet?\u00a0 I can ask the porter to move it in the back with the rest of our luggage?\u201d he asked, still curious over what the boy was purposely keeping from him.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head adamantly, \u201cNo, Pa \u2013 I\u2019d feel better if I just kept it here next to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knew better than to force the issue with his son.\u00a0 Joseph would tell him in his own good time he presumed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, one thing\u2019s for sure \u2013 these seats are more comfortable than those on the Overland Stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned and nodded his head as he watched Pa dip his hat down over his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s both just try to relax and maybe get in a nap,\u201d Ben offered, reclining so his head rested on the back of the seat.<\/p>\n

Following suit, Little Joe pulled the brim of his hat down to shade his eyes and tried to sleep.\u00a0 They had plenty of time to rest as it would be weeks before they\u2019d arrive in Georgia.<\/p>\n

\n

Three straight weeks of cross-country travel brought Ben and Joe into Atlanta Georgia.\u00a0 The last leg of their trip was spent on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, the company where Clay had worked during the two years prior to his death.\u00a0 When Joe purchased the tickets for his father and him, the owner of the company, Nathaniel Hampton, had gone out of his way to make sure they would have a comfortable trip.\u00a0 The man had advised the railroad staff to see to their needs including changing trains to get them to Savannah.\u00a0 Mister Hampton had grown very fond of Clay and still grieved for him.\u00a0 Thus, he had taken it upon himself to assist Clay\u2019s brother and father in making their connections on time.<\/p>\n

Joe stared out the window as they began to pull into the train depot there in Atlanta.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help thinking back to his and his brother\u2019s joyous reunion there at the station the previous summer.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes scanned the mass of travelers as the train pulled up at the station, secretly hoping to see Clay still standing there waiting for him to come out onto the platform.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t missed the way his son had a faraway look in his eyes as he sat there staring down at the crowd below.\u00a0 He recalled the night that Joseph had finally shared the story of how his reunion with Clay had begun.\u00a0 Through tears the boy had explained all that had happened the day that his brother had met the train there in the Union Depot.\u00a0 Ben presumed that Joseph was trapped inside those same memories and he didn\u2019t want to interrupt his thoughts.\u00a0 However, the train had come to a screeching halt and it was time for them to grab their bags and step out onto the platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben finally had to shake his son\u2019s shoulder to bring him back to the reality that awaited them.\u00a0 \u201cTime to leave \u2013 grab that bag of yours and let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bit embarrassed that he hadn\u2019t heard his father earlier, Joe nodded to him and stood from his seat.\u00a0 He reached for the carpet bag that he\u2019d kept close to him the whole trip and placed it under his left arm.\u00a0 Together they disembarked the coach and stared at the throng of people milling about in the crowded railroad depot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not Virginia City, is it, Pa?\u201d Joe quipped as he watched his father staring at the mass of people that surrounded them.\u00a0 It was like a vast wave of folks and everyone hurrying to either catch a train or meet someone there at the station.\u00a0 It was far from the little mining town of Virginia City both in miles and in the volume of people that crowded around them.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and returned his son\u2019s smile.\u00a0 He placed an arm around Joe\u2019s shoulder and said, \u201cNo \u2013 it\u2019s not.\u00a0 Now let\u2019s make sure our luggage ends up on the train down to Savannah before we head to that tavern where we\u2019re supposed to meet Doctor Hardin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grabbed his father\u2019s arm to redirect his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 I took care of all that.\u00a0 The first day we boarded the Atlantic I talked with Mister Hampton, Clay\u2019s former boss.\u00a0 I told you, don\u2019t you remember?\u00a0 He\u2019s arranged for our bags to get moved over to the late train down to Macon and from there on to Savannah.\u00a0 We\u2019re all set.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and nodded over to his twenty-one-year-old son.\u00a0 He had forgotten that Joe had acquainted himself with the railroad executive who had known Clay.\u00a0 The man had been of great assistance to them both ever since the first day they had boarded the train.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry \u2013 I guess I\u2019d forgotten what a world traveler my son was!\u201d He quipped.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 where can we hail a carriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring back and forth between both ends of the Union Depot, Joe tried to remember the way that Clay had taken him the previous year.\u00a0 Finally spotting the exit he and Clay had taken; Joe quickly grabbed his father\u2019s arm to direct him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way, Pa,\u201d He insisted, keeping a firm hold of his father\u2019s arm as the two of them headed out to the busy street just in front of the train station.\u00a0 Little Joe waved to one of the passing carriages, and it pulled over and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you take us to the Striker\u2019s Tavern on Peachtree Street?\u201d Joe asked as he and his father climbed into the back of the carriage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get you there,\u201d the driver nodded and clapped the reins held in his gloved hands.\u00a0 Soon they were in a long line of carriages out on the crowded street and were heading north.<\/p>\n

\n

Doctor James Hardin had kept apprised of the Cartwrights\u2019 travels and the wire that Joe had sent the previous night had determined the time that he would arrive at the tavern to meet them.\u00a0 He sat at a table inside the bar and restaurant and waited for their arrival.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoc!\u201d Joe called across the room when he spotted the man.\u00a0 He smiled broadly and held out his hand as both he and his father drew closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 so good to see you again,\u201d James stood as he greeted his former patient.\u00a0 He then turned his attention to the older man.\u00a0 \u201cAnd of course you are Ben,\u201d he smiled warmly as he exchanged handshakes with both Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo nice to finally meet you, Doctor,\u201d Ben nodded and offered his own welcoming smile to the man who he credited with saving his son\u2019s life.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph has told me so much about you that I feel like we\u2019ve already met.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour son described you well \u2013 and he also told me a lot about you and your family.\u00a0 Please— have a seat,\u201d James insisted and waited until they both were seated before joining them at the table.\u00a0 Studying the young man\u2019s complexion, he patted Joe\u2019s arm and remarked, \u201cWe did have quite a time with that yellow fever, didn\u2019t we, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned, \u201cYou can say that again! \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see that slight yellowish tinge to your skin has gone away.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t I tell you that it would?\u201d He turned his attention to the silver-haired man across the table and winked his way.\u00a0 \u201cYour son was sure that he\u2019d never get back to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and patted his son\u2019s shoulder, \u201cHe had it rough for several months when he got home, but Joseph is now as normal as he ever was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exchanging an amused glance with his father, Joe asked, \u201cHow have you been, Doc \u2013 and how\u2019s the family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine just fine,\u201d James answered and waved for a waitress.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are my manners?\u00a0 Let me get you both something to drink before we sit back and chit chat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young woman approached the table and looked back and forth at the three men.\u00a0 \u201cWhat will you have, Gentlemen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged his shoulders, deferring to the wisdom of his father.\u00a0 Ben seemed a bit uncomfortable, not knowing the proper thing to order so early in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

The physician grinned at the awkward silence that had fallen around the table.\u00a0 \u201cThree beers,\u201d he ordered and the waitress nodded and walked off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben said and let out a relieved sigh, \u201cI wasn\u2019t quite sure whether it was appropriate due to the time of day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling, James addressed the man\u2019s concerns, \u201cHave no fear, most souls here in the South regularly imbibe in spirits of some sort regardless of the time of day.\u00a0 As a doctor, I have no objection to a couple of beers.\u00a0 I always say that it clears the blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded to his father with a quick grin on his face, showing him what it was like during the time he\u2019d spent with the good doctor.\u00a0 The man was always very easy-going and had a great sense of humor.<\/p>\n

The waitress was quick to place three beer mugs in front of the three men and James offered a toast.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s to a successful trip,\u201d He announced and they all lifted their mugs.<\/p>\n

Ben and Joe sipped their beers and waited for the doctor to get to the heart of the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m aware that you two don\u2019t have much time before your next train pulls out to take you to Savannah.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you what I know.\u00a0 First, Clay\u2019s attorney is a man named Milton Hardigree.\u00a0 Here\u2019s his address, Joseph,\u201d James handed the boy a card.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll advise you about the Copeland Estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swept up in the memory of being inside the same tavern he\u2019d gone to with his brother, Joe\u2019s gaze tracked over to the table across the room.\u00a0 He closed his eyes and could still see Clay sitting there the first afternoon they\u2019d gone there after leaving the train depot.\u00a0 The old familiar pain was back, and he reeled from the old haunting memories. He had been so thrilled to see his brother so happy that day as he showed off the locket with the picture of his soon-to-be bride inside.<\/p>\n

James and Ben exchanged understanding glances.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t hard to tell that Joe was still trapped inside the bitter-sweet memories of the time he had shared with his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben leaned in toward the boy.\u00a0 \u201cDid you hear what James said?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking himself out of the daze, Joe cast an uncomfortable glance over at the doctor and replied, \u201cSorry\u2014what were you saying about the estate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat card you\u2019re holding has all the information as to where you\u2019ll find your brother\u2019s attorney.\u00a0 He\u2019s the best one to advise you on what to do with the Copeland Estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, Joe stuffed the card inside his pocket and returned bitterly, \u201cIt\u2019s just some land now \u2013 they burnt the house down around my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

James reached over and set a calming hand on the boy\u2019s arm and answered, \u201cJoe — it\u2019s more than just the land.\u201d\u00a0 He sipped his beer and then continued, \u201cThere\u2019s a two-room caretaker\u2019s cabin less than a mile from the old house.\u00a0 And besides that, there\u2019s also all the holdings that Mister Copeland amassed.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been told that Cope left a tidy sum which would\u2019ve gone to Annabelle –,\u201d James trailed off, not wanting to talk about the tragedy that had happened right after the wedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still don\u2019t understand why any of that would go to me.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Mister Copeland have any other relatives anywhere?\u201d Joe asked, not wanting the responsibility of deciding what to do about the estate.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joseph,\u201d James returned quietly.\u00a0 \u201cEverything would\u2019ve gone to Clay after Annabelle\u2019s death \u2013 and since you are Clay\u2019s only living relative \u2013 well \u2013 it goes to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll take care of it,\u201d Ben jumped into the conversation after witnessing the appearance of pain spreading across his son\u2019s face.\u00a0 He knew that Joe\u2019s wounds were still fresh and that he hadn\u2019t gotten over the loss of his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, here\u2019s the address of a rather comfortable place for the two of you to stay in Savannah.\u00a0 It\u2019s where I always lodge when I\u2019m down there,\u201d He handed Ben a card with all the information that they would need.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you \u2013 this will help,\u201d Ben nodded and tucked the card inside his vest pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow \u2013 what about Rene?\u201d Joe\u2019s worry was back in the forefront of his mind.\u00a0 He had thought about Rene\u2019s plight during the whole trip east.<\/p>\n

James signaled the waitress and she brought another round of beers and placed them in front of the three men.<\/p>\n

\u201cMight as well clear our blood enough for the afternoon,\u201d James remarked with a wink as he hoisted his drink.\u00a0 He knew Joe was worried and thought that another round of drinks might relax the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to Rene?\u201d Joe redirected the conversation back to his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 I don\u2019t have all the facts\u2014but I\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019ve heard.\u00a0 There\u2019s an inspector \u2013 by the name of Jacob Townsend and he\u2019s been investigating the disappearance of a man named Ezra Davenport \u2013”<\/p>\n

Joe interrupted the doctor, \u201cWhat\u2019s that got to do with Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

James shot a knowing look at Ben and returned, \u201cYour boy has always had a short fuse, hasn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed an arm over his son\u2019s shoulder and nodded, \u201cYou grew to know this boy well, Doctor.\u00a0 Joseph tends to run off half-cocked before listening to all the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d Joe stated flatly, not amused by either man\u2019s statements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe night that the plantation house caught fire –,\u201d James was once again cut off.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Doc \u2013 not caught fire \u2013 it was set<\/em><\/strong> on fire by the \u201cgood people\u201d of Savannah!\u201d Joe insisted sharply.\u00a0 \u201cIf they hadn\u2019t done that my brother would be alive and there wouldn\u2019t be a need for me to handle an estate or try to help Rene!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben stated firmly, warning him with his stern gaze to settle down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, — I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Go ahead, Doc,\u201d Joe apologized and nervously shifted in his chair.<\/p>\n

Drawing in a deep breath, James patted Joe\u2019s arm, offering a calming tone to his voice as he continued.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I know that the house was purposely set on fire.\u00a0 And I share your anger over what happened.\u00a0 But unfortunately, we can\u2019t do anything about that.\u00a0 Rene was charged with the disappearance of Ezra Davenport.\u00a0 There were several eyewitnesses who pointed him out to the authorities saying that Rene was there that night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was there too, Doc \u2013 does that mean they\u2019re gonna try and arrest me?\u201d Joe asked, wondering what he was getting himself into once he arrived in Savannah.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey might want to question you \u2013 but I doubt they\u2019ll hold you on it.\u00a0 You and I both know why they\u2019re going after Rene.\u00a0 It\u2019s just because of the way he looks and the fact that he can\u2019t speak for himself.\u00a0 I\u2019m quite sure the charges have been trumped up due to the situation.\u00a0 Ezra Davenport was an important man, and I was told that his brother Charles has been instigating the whole thing.\u00a0 He has ties with some of the local authorities due to his family\u2019s importance in Savannah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid they take Rene into the jail and he escaped?\u201d Ben re-entered the conversation trying to piece it all together in his mind.<\/p>\n

James sighed and shook his head, \u201cNo, Ben \u2013 they never got him into a jailcell.\u00a0 The minute they had him cornered Rene fought off three officers and escaped.\u00a0 That was quite a few months ago.\u00a0 But now a reward has been issued for his capture.\u00a0 So, if anyone lays eyes on him, I\u2019m afraid that they\u2019ll try to kill Rene just for the money and he\u2019ll never make it to trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was with him that whole night \u2013 I\u2019ll swear to it in court!\u201d Joe fumed, his temper flaring over the persecution he\u2019d already gone through down in Savannah.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 I don\u2019t know how much help that\u2019ll be.\u00a0 You were very sick with the fever and a bit out of your head at the time.\u00a0 If they interrogate you too thoroughly, they might insist that there wasn\u2019t any way you could vouch for Rene during the times you were lying sick somewhere.\u00a0 By now they probably know that you were on the run with Rene for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll lie if it means saving that man \u2013 he risked his life to help me!\u201d Joe swore angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben had to try to quell his son\u2019s mounting outrage over what had happened to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t have to lie \u2013 just tell the truth \u2013 that should be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wired you because I hoped that you\u2019d be able to find Rene, Joseph,\u201d James continued.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be willing to pay for any counsel he needs.\u00a0 Clay was my friend \u2013 and I know how much he cared for Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben popped the lid to his pocket watch and frowned, \u201cUnfortunately our train\u2019s going to leave soon.\u00a0 I guess all we can do is just try our best to locate Rene and see what we can do for him.\u00a0 Joseph and I will keep in touch with you, Doctor, and we\u2019ll let you know what\u2019s going on down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

James stood from the table, and after witnessing Ben going for his billfold, set a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 this one\u2019s on me, Ben.\u00a0 Now you and Joe take care of yourselves.\u00a0 I\u2019ll do whatever I can from up here.\u00a0 I know some of the authorities in Savannah as well.\u00a0 If you need me just send word and I\u2019ll catch the next train.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stood along with his father and exchanged handshakes with James.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for letting me know about all of this, Doc.\u00a0 I think I can find Rene \u2013 and hopefully clear his name so he won\u2019t have to worry about someone trying to kill him like they did Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou both have a safe trip,\u201d James clapped the young man on the back fondly and nodded over to Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for all your help.\u00a0 And I want to thank you for taking care of my son during his bout with yellow fever.\u00a0 I\u2019ll forever be in your debt for making sure that he found his way home,\u201d Ben smiled warmly over at the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pleasure.\u00a0 Good luck \u2013 and you both stay safe,\u201d James smiled and then watched as both Ben and Joe turned out of the tavern.\u00a0 He prayed for their safety as he sat back down at the table.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben stared over at his son who sat leaning against the window inside the coach of the final train that would take them to their destination.\u00a0 They had changed trains in Macon and Ben had been told that they would be arriving in Savannah around ten o\u2019clock that night.\u00a0 He noticed how Joe seemed to be lost inside his thoughts again, as he had been on most of the journey.\u00a0 Though the glow of the coach\u2019s lanterns wasn\u2019t very bright, Ben could still read the pensive look on his son\u2019s face.\u00a0 He wondered what Joe was thinking about.\u00a0 There were so many terrible memories from the boy\u2019s trip the previous year and Ben wondered if his son was caught inside one of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called quietly, leaning over to try and get his son\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

Shaking himself from his internal musings, Joe turned to stare into his father\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright?\u00a0 You looked a bit lost in whatever you were thinking about,\u201d Ben responded, and draped an arm across the boy\u2019s shoulder hoping that it might help.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this place, Pa,\u201d Joe paused and dropped his head a bit.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re close to where I left that horse that gave out on me when I was trying to get to Doc\u2019s place in Atlanta.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any good memories of that trip \u2013 except for my time with Clay before everyone got sick.\u00a0 The rest of it is just one big nightmare, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Joseph \u2013 and I\u2019m sorry that — due to the circumstances– we\u2019re heading right back to where it all happened,\u201d Ben tried to think of something that might help ease the boy\u2019s mind but was having a very tough time coming up with anything positive to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded and then drew in a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019ve heard about everything that happened to me last summer.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to say anything.\u00a0 I\u2019m just glad that you\u2019re with me this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulling his son close, Ben whispered, \u201cSo am I, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The train had arrived on time and just a little past ten that night both Ben and Joe had retrieved their luggage and hailed a carriage to take them to the very posh Pulaski House.\u00a0 The soft glow from the corner lamp posts lit the way as they passed by the various squares that divided the downtown area. \u00a0The unusual rhapsody made by the sound of horse\u2019s hooves hitting against the cobblestone streets lulled Little Joe back inside his memories again.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help recalling the day that his brother introduced him to Rene. The giant of a man had simply popped up from a tunnel entrance in Chippewa Square.\u00a0 It had just about scared the daylights out of Little Joe to see Rene coming up out of the ground like an oversized gopher.\u00a0 Shaking himself from his thoughts, Joe became aware of the carriage driver\u2019s call that they had reached their destination.<\/p>\n

The carriage pulled up right in front of the lavish hotel and a porter hurried out to assist the two men with their bags.\u00a0 While Pa paid the driver, Joe grabbed the carpet bag he\u2019d bought in Carson City, intent on maintaining possession of it due to the contents.\u00a0 They followed the porter to the front desk and a tall, formally dressed man greeted them.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood evening, gentlemen, and welcome to the Pulaski House.\u00a0 Have you reservations with us or are you seeking lodging for the night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward and nodded to the man.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Ben Cartwright \u2013 and this is my son Joseph.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t made reservations \u2013 we\u2019ve just arrived here in Savannah after a very long trip from out west.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure how long we\u2019ll need a room \u2013 but at least for a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery good, Sir,\u201d The man replied and turned the registry book to face his patron.\u00a0 \u201cMy name is Eustace Somersby.\u00a0 If I could just have your signature here, I\u2019ll see to your accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dipped the pen in the inkwell and with a quick flick of his wrist signed the registry.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have a two-room suite available, Mister Somersby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly,\u201d He nodded and then smiled at the silver- haired man.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you can just call me Eustace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe scanned the parlor taking notice of the opulent furniture and the expensive decor.\u00a0 It sure wasn\u2019t Virginia City, he thought.\u00a0 Though Joe had stayed at the Copeland Estate on his last trip, the Pulaski House topped the furnishings that had been there.\u00a0 And that was saying something because Annabelle\u2019s father, Beauregard Copeland prided himself on his impeccable good taste.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you are,\u201d Eustace said and offered Ben a room key.\u00a0 \u201cSecond floor \u2013 the porter will show you the way and bring your bags.\u00a0 Enjoy your stay here at the Pulaski House and in our fair city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you very much,\u201d Ben smiled warmly at the desk clerk and then turned to see the teenaged porter standing there in front of him waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cSirs,\u201d the young man called, \u201cIf you\u2019d please follow me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben replied and patted Joe\u2019s shoulder to shake him from his thoughts.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe watched the young black porter, his arms laden down with the four bags.\u00a0 \u201cHey, I\u2019ll help you with that!\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as he cast an uneasy glance over his shoulder to the desk clerk who was frowning.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir \u2013 I\u2019ve got it,\u201d the porter insisted, walking in front of the two men.<\/p>\n

Joe exchanged an uneasy glance with his father, wondering why he was looking at him so strangely.\u00a0 They were led to their suite and the porter brought in the luggage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s anything you need \u2013 anything at all \u2013 you\u2019ve only got to ask,\u201d the young man offered after setting the bags in the parlor to the suite.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Young Man,\u201d Ben smiled and reached inside the pocket of his vest.\u00a0 He pulled out a silver dollar and handed it to the porter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is too much, Sir \u2013 I can\u2019t take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it,\u201d Ben insisted and closed the boy\u2019s hand around it.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll let you know if there\u2019s anything we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Sir,\u201d He smiled gratefully and turned out of the room.<\/p>\n

Ben stared at his son noticing the confused look he wore.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cDid you see the way that desk clerk looked when I offered to help the kid with our luggage?\u00a0 He looked like I\u2019d cursed or something!\u00a0 What would it have hurt for me to help the boy with our bags, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat, Ben moved closer to his son and dropped his hand down onto his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, you\u2019ve got to remember that this is the Deep South<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 You know the trouble that\u2019s been brewing these last couple of years.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be too much longer before the talk of succession becomes a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still don\u2019t understand, Pa.\u00a0 So, you\u2019re not supposed to help someone just because they\u2019ve got a different skin color than you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 you wouldn\u2019t have wanted to make it harder on that boy, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir \u2013 but I still don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben offered his son a patient smile and replied, \u201cI don\u2019t either, Joseph \u2013 but you would\u2019ve made it rough on that boy if you\u2019d have insisted on helping him with our bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cJust another reason why I hate the South and their old worn-out prejudices.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Son,\u201d He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cBut right now we have other matters to attend to.\u00a0 We can\u2019t solve the nation\u2019s problems \u2013 at least not right now.\u00a0 Are you hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 those sandwiches we had on the train filled me up.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll go with you if you want something to eat?\u201d Joe returned, knowing that his father had been right.\u00a0 There were enough problems to tend to with handling the Copeland Estate and trying to find Rene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine until breakfast,\u201d he nodded and reached for two of the bags.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you take that room over there,\u201d Ben pointed to the right.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019ll take this one,\u201d he pointed in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe nodded and grabbed the two bags on the floor along with the one he had carried inside the room himself.<\/p>\n

A knock sounded on the door and both men exchanged surprised glances.\u00a0 Joe walked across the room and answered it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you are, Sir,\u201d the same porter stood there with a tray.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve brought you up some coffee from the kitchen and a few pastries in case you were hungry,\u201d he announced and walked inside the room.\u00a0 He set the tray down on the table in front of the sofa.\u00a0 \u201cWill there be anything else, Sir?\u201d He asked, staring over at Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben returned smiling.\u00a0 \u201cThank you once again, Young Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks needed, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d Joe asked, nearing the boy.<\/p>\n

The porter looked at Joe confused over what he had asked.\u00a0 \u201cI answer to Boy around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to have a name,\u201d Joe persisted.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWilliam, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning at the teenager, Joe reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out a silver dollar.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, William, this is for you \u2013 for bringing all of this up for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not needed, Sir — I don\u2019t expect money every time I help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the same, William, I want you to have it.\u00a0 Now go ahead and take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Sir,\u201d the boy nodded gratefully and tucked the money inside his shirt pocket.\u00a0 \u201cI wish you two gentleman a good night,\u201d he said and then hurried back out into the hall closing the door behind him.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded over at his son, knowing why he\u2019d done what he had.\u00a0 Clearing his throat he said, \u201cWell, you\u2019ve got to admit the service here is good.\u00a0 Now drop those bags of yours and let\u2019s have some coffee before cleaning up a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe attempted to pull himself out of his earlier indignant mood over the way the staff was being treated.\u00a0 It was his and Pa\u2019s first night together in Savannah and he just wanted to forget about everything else for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could get spoiled with all of this, Pa,\u201d He grinned.\u00a0 Setting his bags back down he joined his father on the sofa.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell Hop Sing that you want room service,\u201d Ben chuckled and poured the coffee.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben finished his coffee and withdrew to his room to wash off and put away his clothes.\u00a0 He had only been inside his room for a couple of minutes when he heard his son whistling through his teeth in the next room.\u00a0 Ben chuckled, knowing why the boy had done it.\u00a0 He walked across the parlor and peered in on his son.<\/p>\n

Little Joe turned upon hearing his father\u2019s approach.\u00a0 He grinned over at him and said, \u201cAs Mister Copeland would say, \u201cwe\u2019re walking in tall cotton now!\u201d Joe laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWould you just look at this bed, Pa?\u00a0 Have you ever seen such a thing before?\u00a0 It\u2019s gigantic! And just look at the dresser \u2013 and that full length mirror!\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms folded across his chest and with amusement painting his face, Ben thought to himself *** Joseph \u2013 I need to take you out to the big city a bit more often! ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Son \u2013 I have the same in my own room,\u201d he smiled knowingly at the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cMakes me want to fix up my room back at the ranch,\u201d Joe winked.\u00a0 \u201cI think I need a little more refinement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Joseph,\u201d Ben laughed and slowly closed the bedroom door.<\/p>\n

\n

The following morning after having eaten the breakfast which the staff had brought up to their room, Ben and Joe readied themselves to locate Clay\u2019s attorney about the Copeland Estate.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa?\u201d Joe called across the suite.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d Ben entered his son\u2019s bedroom and stared at the carpet bag which sat on top of the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think we could do a little shopping after we meet with that attorney?\u201d Joe asked as he tucked his shirt inside his pants.<\/p>\n

\u201cShopping?\u00a0 Joseph, we\u2019ve packed enough for a year \u2013 what do you need now<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d he asked exasperated.<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders and trying to look innocent, Joe returned, \u201cOh \u2013 just thought I could use a topcoat of some kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA topcoat?\u00a0 Hop Sing packed your blue suit \u2013 I think that\u2019s about as formal as you\u2019re going to need around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Joe offered his father a sly grin.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be formal, Pa \u2013 just something to put over my clothes.\u00a0 Oh \u2013 and it wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea if you bought one for you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and sat down on the bottom of his son\u2019s bed.\u00a0 He eyed the carpet bag that he\u2019d wondered about for the past three weeks.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not spending one red cent until you tell me what\u2019s inside of that,\u201d He pointed over to the bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 it\u2019s just a little insurance that I bought in Carson City, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInsurance?\u00a0 What kind of insurance?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay– – I guess it\u2019s time I showed you,\u201d Joe nodded and plopped down on the bed next to the bag.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 have you seen the brand new eighteen sixty-one Savage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Holding a hand up to his mouth and staring back and forth between his son and the bag sitting on the bed, Ben finally understood why Joe had held onto his little \u201csurprise\u201d the whole trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gun?\u201d Ben asked, confusion on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 not \u201cthe<\/em><\/strong>\u201d gun \u2013 these \u201cguns<\/em><\/strong>\u201d,\u201d he quipped and opened the carpet bag.\u00a0 He carefully pulled out the two weapons.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t they something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached for one of the two guns, taking it into his hand and examining it thoroughly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve only seen pictures of these \u2013 they just came out earlier this year.\u00a0 How did you get your hands on them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe hefted one of the two guns in his hand and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThomas Webber in Carson City had them in his shop.\u00a0 You know that gunsmith gets his hands on every new kind of pistol just as soon as it\u2019s made!\u00a0 I emptied out my bank account just to get these for us.\u00a0 It cost me my entire life savings too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe packed our Colts \u2013 so why do we need these, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, c\u2019mon, Pa!\u00a0 It\u2019s what all the folks in the Deep South are now carrying underneath their fancy coats.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t about to be holding a little derringer and have somebody sneak up on me packing this kind of fire power!\u00a0 I needed something with some range, you know?\u00a0 This gun will drop a man from across the street if need be.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a heck of a lot faster to get a slug into them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the Colts\u2014why not just use them?\u00a0 I don\u2019t follow?\u201d Ben continued, raising his eyebrows.\u00a0 His son\u2019s eagerness to shoot somebody was beginning to alarm him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just can\u2019t walk around the streets of Savannah wearing our holsters, Pa.\u00a0 Trust me, it\u2019s just not done around here.\u00a0 But with the right kind of a coat these will blend right in,\u201d Joe explained enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, still not convinced, Ben returned, \u201cSon, these are heavy pieces made for the military.\u00a0 Why on earth did you buy them?\u00a0 I think our Colts would\u2019ve been fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa \u2013 just look at the action of that thing!\u201d he exclaimed exuberantly.<\/p>\n

Ben reluctantly slipped his right middle finger into the lower loop of the figure-eight guard and his index finger onto the top trigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 pull the bottom lever back \u2013 it\u2019s okay it\u2019s not loaded yet,\u201d Joe urged, the excitement over the new weapon easily detected in his voice.<\/p>\n

Pulling back the bottom lower loop Ben heard the click clack sound as the hammer cocked itself back and locked the cylinder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you\u2019re ready to fire.\u00a0 Your thumb never has to leave the grip to cock the hammer.\u00a0 You never know who might come after us here, Pa, and you sure don\u2019t want to be fumbling around to cock a gun.\u00a0 All you\u2019ll have to do is just squeeze the bottom, pull the top and it\u2019ll keep working no matter how many rounds you fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 He did appreciate a good firearm but still didn\u2019t think what he was holding in his hand was worth getting excited about.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s as heavy as an anvil!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s the beauty of it, Pa!\u00a0 The cylinder actually moves forward and seals right against the barrel before it fires.\u00a0 It stops the hot gas and black powder grease from spraying out the sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll give you that \u2013 it would save your hand from getting burned in a tight scuffle,\u201d Ben nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir \u2013 and if there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned from my last stay here in Savannah- – -you just never know when someone\u2019s gonna come after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose you\u2019ve thought about what kind of ammunition we\u2019ll need?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned and reached down to the bottom of the carpet bag pulling up the cigar box he\u2019d carried for over two thousand miles.\u00a0 \u201cI thought about that \u2013 and Mister Webber supplied me with a good amount of these, so we won\u2019t have to try to buy or make them ourselves,\u201d Joe explained as he opened the box and the oiled pouch inside.\u00a0 He held some of the ammunition in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt takes ought thirty- six caliber round lead balls, and I\u2019ve got plenty in here.\u00a0 Pa \u2013 I got us everything we need for these two guns \u2013 well \u2013everything but a topcoat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour entire<\/em><\/strong> life savings, huh?\u201d Ben grinned knowingly at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cAnd just how much was that, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetween the two guns and the ammunition \u2013 I guess about fifty dollars.\u00a0 But it\u2019ll be worth it if it keeps the two of us alive, Pa,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

Examining his son\u2019s face, Ben carefully weighed what he was going to say next.\u00a0 It was easy to see that Joe was determined to use the weapon he had purchased and there wouldn\u2019t be any talking him out of it.\u00a0 Besides that, was the fear his son still carried inside of him due to what had happened to his brother.\u00a0 Losing Clay in front of his very eyes had changed his son and had made him extremely wary to be back in Georgia again.\u00a0 Ben decided for Joe\u2019s sake that he would go along with his choice of weapons.<\/p>\n

Wrapping an arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze, Ben smiled and said, \u201cAlright, Joseph \u2013 we\u2019ll play it your way this time.\u00a0 But I want you to be careful!\u00a0 If you were to fall into the Savannah River carrying that gun in your coat you\u2019d sink right down to the bottom like an anchor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned and nodded over at his father, glad that he hadn\u2019t objected to the weapons he had chosen.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u00a0 Do we get the topcoats?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Joseph,\u201d Ben sighed and set the gun back inside the carpet bag.\u00a0 \u201cI hope buying two topcoats in this town won\u2019t cost me my entire<\/em><\/strong> life savings,\u201d He groaned. \u201cNow stow these somewhere safe until we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe placed his gun inside the bag next to his father\u2019s and closed it up.\u00a0 He hid it from view, placing the bag underneath the bed and pulling the dust ruffle down to conceal it from prying eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Ben announced as he stood from the bed and made his way out into the parlor with his son following right behind.<\/p>\n

\n

Walking through the lobby on their way out to find Clay\u2019s attorney, Ben and Joe stopped when they heard the voice calling to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister Cartwright \u2013 if I might have a word?\u201d The desk clerk asked, trying to stop the two men before they left the hotel.<\/p>\n

Ben and Joe approached the front desk wondering what the man wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes? What is it, Mister Somersby?\u201d Ben returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis message was left with me a little while ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s for your son,\u201d He explained and handed his guest the piece of paper and Ben turned around, relinquishing it to Joe.<\/p>\n

Studying the note, Joe shook his head and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNews travels fast around here,\u201d He whispered to his father who shot him a questioning gaze.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s from Inspector Townsend \u2013 the man Doc said was investigating that disappearance.\u00a0 He wants to meet with me later tonight, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the message from his son\u2019s hand and read it quickly.\u00a0 He frowned at the persistence of the inspector.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we\u2019ll deal with this later.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Joe nodded to the desk clerk and then followed his father out through the door and down to the street.<\/p>\n

\n

It was the first time Ben Cartwright had gotten a good look at Savannah in the daylight since they had arrived in the dark the previous night.\u00a0 He stared at the live oak trees and the beautiful pink azalea bushes which were in full bloom.\u00a0 Ben hadn\u2019t wanted to mention to his son that he thought that the city was stunningly beautiful because he knew that Joseph had quite the opposite opinion of the place.\u00a0 He knew that when Joe looked at the various squares interspersed between the brick and clapboard houses lining the roads along with their well-manicured lawns, his thoughts were only filled with sadness due to the loss of his brother.\u00a0 Ben knew that his son would never be able to appreciate the beauty of the city of Savannah, not with the painful memories which still haunted him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where we\u2019re going?\u201d Ben asked as he watched his son looking both ways as they stepped across the street and over to a grassy area.<\/p>\n

\u201cChippewa Square,\u201d Joe muttered, his attention focused on the far end of the small plot of land.\u00a0 He half expected to see Rene\u2019s head popping up from the tunnel below the square as he had the first time they\u2019d met. \u00a0\u201cWe take the road over there \u2013 Pa \u2013 it\u2019s Bull Street \u2013 and it should take us straight down to the courthouse and the attorney\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding his head, Ben replied, \u201cLead on, Son \u2013 I\u2019ll follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took ten minutes of walking in between the numerous carriages and people who milled about the city before both men were standing in front of a row of offices that lined Bay Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess we\u2019re here,\u201d Joe announced as he spotted the sign on the door to attorney Milton Hardigree\u2019s office.\u00a0 They pushed their way inside and noticed a young law clerk sitting behind a desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help you?\u201d he asked approaching the two men.<\/p>\n

Joe cast a quick glance over at his father and saw him nodding his way.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here to see Mister Hardigree.\u00a0 He was my brother Clay Stafford\u2019s attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if on cue, a well-dressed middle-aged man walked down the hall just to the left of the reception area.\u00a0 He sent a welcoming smile in the direction of the two visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be Joseph Cartwright,\u201d he announced reaching out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cAttorney Milton Hardigree at your service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir, I\u2019m Joseph Cartwright,\u201d Joe answered and returned the gesture before making the introductions.\u00a0 \u201cMister Hardigree, this is my father, Ben Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and the attorney exchanged handshakes and the man replied, \u201cI was told by Doctor Hardin that you\u2019d both be coming to Savannah.\u00a0 Please \u2013 come into my office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the attorney down the hallway, they turned into a rather formal looking room.\u00a0 Bookshelves filled with law books and artwork lined the four walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease have a seat, gentlemen,\u201d Milton directed them to the two chairs in front of his desk as he took a seat behind it.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI noticed the resemblance you bear to Clay, and, Joseph, I\u2019d like to offer you my deepest condolences on your loss.\u00a0 I was most grieved to learn about your brother\u2019s death.\u00a0 Clay was both my client and a friend ever since he first came to our city with the desire to begin a new life here with Annabelle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Sir.\u00a0 I don\u2019t recall seeing you at his wedding,\u201d Joe remarked, wondering just how well the man had actually known his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I was sorry to have missed it \u2013 but it was unavoidable at the time.\u00a0 Last July I was in Virginia to settle my late father\u2019s estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shifted a bit nervously in his chair.\u00a0 He realized that lately he was wary of everyone in Savannah due to what had transpired the previous year.\u00a0 \u201cSorry for your loss,\u201d He nodded to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u00a0 Now \u2013 how long do you both plan to be in Savannah?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot long,\u201d Ben entered the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cWe were sent word by Doctor Hardin that the Copeland Estate needed to be settled and that there were a few other issues which required our attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair, Milton carefully examined the faces there before him.\u00a0 \u201cClay\u2019s friend Rene of course \u2013 would that be one of those issues, Mister Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cYes \u2013 have you any information regarding his whereabouts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 nothing other than what I\u2019ve already told James.\u00a0 He\u2019s still out there somewhere I suppose but it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess as to where.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know Rene?\u201d Joe questioned, still ill at ease.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 well \u2013 I have seen him around \u2013 but we\u2019ve never met.\u00a0 I knew that Clay was very fond of the big man,\u201d Milton explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know Charles Davenport?\u201d Joe continued questioning the attorney.<\/p>\n

Drawing in a deep breath the attorney frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I\u2019m afraid he\u2019s quite the troublemaker.\u00a0 His brother\u2019s disappearance has been shaking up the whole city of Savannah.\u00a0 Well, the family is from old money as we say here — and they have some political pull.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe leaned forward, resting his elbows on the other man\u2019s desktop.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how much you\u2019ve been told about what happened to Clay.\u00a0 But after that fire Rene took care of me.\u00a0 In fact, I owe him my life.\u00a0 I\u2019d come down with yellow fever just like Clay and Annabelle \u2013 along with Mister Copeland.\u00a0 The night that the \u201cgood people\u201d of this city set fire to the plantation house Clay must\u2019ve told Rene to take care of me before he–,\u201d Joe paused, not wanting to go much further into his brother\u2019s death than he already had.<\/p>\n

\u201cA frightened town \u2013 and an angry mob of people \u2013 Joseph \u2013 it\u2019s a bad combination,\u201d Milton tried to explain, noting the anger well displayed on the young man\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find it a little bit ironic that people are more worried about the disappearance of one man than they are in investigating a case of pure murder!\u201d Joe insisted loudly.<\/p>\n

Ben placed a hand on his son\u2019s arm and tried to calm him.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 settle down now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coughing to clear his throat while attempting to control the rage spreading across Joe\u2019s face, Milton added, \u201cHere in the Deep South just the very words \u201cyellow fever\u201d <\/em><\/strong>instills fear in the heart of any town.\u00a0 It\u2019s a terrible thing.\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry that you were embroiled in all that, Joseph.\u00a0 And I share in your outrage over what happened to Clay and Annabelle -along with Mister Copeland.\u00a0 I\u2019ve made my own inquiries about what happened that night, but I don\u2019t have the kind of clout that the Davenport family have in Savannah.\u00a0 Now \u2013 if we might get back to the reason that you\u2019ve come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Joe sighed and leaned back in his chair.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do I have to do with the estate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy default, you are the only legal inheritor of all of the profits from any sale of the Copeland plantation as well as the sole beneficiary to all Mister Copeland\u2019s assets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve checked to make sure there aren\u2019t any distant relatives of Mister Copeland who might have a claim to any of that?\u201d Ben asked, hoping that he could keep his son away from the responsibility involved with handling the property and the large inheritance.<\/p>\n

\u201cA thorough search was done which was why it took me this long before contacting James.\u00a0 I had been told that he knew how to reach you, Joseph.\u00a0 Clay told me he had a brother in Nevada, but I never knew any of the particulars about you.\u00a0 Now, I can have the disposition of the estate and monies ready within three days.\u00a0 Have you considered what you want to do about the plantation, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, Joe shot a quick glance at his father and then back to the attorney.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 I don\u2019t really care much about it.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a lot of bad memories for me now.\u00a0 They burnt down the house \u2013 and everything that mattered to me along with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can surely understand that.\u00a0 Would you like me to try to find you a buyer?\u00a0 It might take a little while, but I\u2019m sure I could locate someone who would be interested in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine by me,\u201d Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI just wanted to get all this settled and then help Rene before someone tries to kill him too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you men staying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at the Pulaski House,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do know that there\u2019s a caretaker\u2019s cabin on the Copeland plantation, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded, \u201cDoc told us about it \u2013 why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Milton smiled knowingly and said, \u201cBecause if you\u2019re trying to find Rene then perhaps it would be a bit easier to evade prying eyes if you weren\u2019t parading around downtown Savannah while doing it?\u00a0 I\u2019m sure that Inspector Townsend has already been told that you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact,\u201d Joe paused and shot his father another quick glance.\u00a0 Ben nodded to him that it was safe to produce the note he\u2019d received earlier.\u00a0 Reaching inside his shirt he removed the message he\u2019d gotten from the desk clerk.\u00a0 He handed it to Milton who read it and looked over at both men.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should\u2019ve known,\u201d He replied, shaking his head and frowning.\u00a0 \u201cAre you going to meet him tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d planned on it,\u201d Joe nodded and cast another quick glance over to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any reservations about us doing that?\u201d Ben queried, trying to read the other man\u2019s facial expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m not a criminal lawyer, Mister Cartwright \u2013 but I suppose if I were one I\u2019d advise you to be very careful with the responses that you give the inspector.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he only wants to question me about my relationship with Rene and I don\u2019t trust anyone in this city asking me about what happened the night that Clay \u2013\u201d Joe paused, it still hurt too much to admit that his brother was dead not to mention the details of how it had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where this gentleman\u2019s club is?\u201d Ben asked as the man handed the note back to his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that address is a building in Wright Square not far from where you\u2019re staying.\u00a0 Are you familiar with that area, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and returned, \u201cYes, Clay took me to that square last summer.\u00a0 I think I can find it without too much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShuffling through some papers on his desk, Milton replied, \u201cAs I\u2019ve said \u2013 just be careful with what you plan to share with the inspector.\u00a0 You won\u2019t be under oath, but I\u2019d try and be as truthful as you can be.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean that you must reveal to him anything that you\u2019d prefer to keep close to your vest for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat caretaker\u2019s cabin \u2013 would it suit our needs?\u201d Ben asked, wondering if it might prove to be prudent to move away from prying eyes as the attorney had suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe it would,\u201d Milton smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI checked on the plantation and that cabin not long ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s in good shape.\u00a0 There\u2019s a couple of bunks, linens and the like inside the place so you wouldn\u2019t need much more other than some food.\u00a0 It would be a good place to settle in while you\u2019re in the area.\u00a0 There\u2019s a good well and a hand pump right next to the cabin.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a small two stall barn.\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never met a caretaker while I was staying with the Copelands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld Cope sent him packing a week or so before the wedding, Joseph.\u00a0 He caught him stealing.\u00a0 I guess he didn\u2019t have time to hire a new one due to all that happened,\u201d Milton explained.<\/p>\n

Nodding, Joe asked, \u201cAnd what about a way to get around while we\u2019re here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a livery stable two blocks down from the Pulaski House.\u00a0 You\u2019ll probably see it on your way back from here.\u00a0 You men can rent saddle horses or a carriage \u2013 whatever suits your needs.\u00a0 And there\u2019s a general store just a mile from the Copeland estate.\u00a0 You\u2019ll pass it on the way down there.\u00a0 It\u2019s the best place to get food and any supplies you\u2019ll need if you plan to hold up there while you try to locate Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood in preparation to leave and Joe followed his lead.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, everything we\u2019ve just told you would be considered attorney client privilege, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Milton stood and walked around his desk.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Sir.\u00a0 Joseph, I\u2019ll put all the paperwork in order \u2013 that is if you\u2019re now my client?\u201d he asked smiling at the young man.<\/p>\n

Joe shook the attorney\u2019s hand and nodded his way.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re hired \u2013 if Clay put a lot of stock in you than so do I.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you come back here \u2013 let\u2019s say Thursday?\u00a0 That\u2019ll give me the chance to get everything lined up for you and see what I can do about finding a potential buyer for the plantation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Joe agreed as he and his father turned for the hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for all your help, Mister Hardigree,\u201d Ben offered his own handshake and a quick smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pleasure, Sir,\u201d He returned and escorted them both to the reception area.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne last thing,\u201d Joe said pausing at the door.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s the best place to buy a couple of topcoats?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes at his son\u2019s persistence.\u00a0 He might have known that Joseph wasn\u2019t about to give up on his pursuit in trying to hide the weapons he\u2019d brought with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a tailor down on River Street \u2013 just go left as you leave here and head to the river \u2013 you can\u2019t miss the place.\u00a0 The sign will read \u201cDavis and Johnson\u201d \u2013 it\u2019ll be right above the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll see you on Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye for now, Gentlemen,\u201d Milton smiled as the two men exited the office.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNow, Joseph,\u201d Ben began as they stepped out of the carriage and he handed the driver the fare.\u00a0 He stared at his son as he reached up to adjust the boy\u2019s string tie.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not Virginia City \u2013 and the man you\u2019re going to meet isn\u2019t Sheriff Coffee.\u00a0 I want you to control that temper of yours.\u00a0 Inspector Townsend will be watching how you conduct yourself when he\u2019s asking you about your last trip here,\u201d Ben cautioned, never exactly sure what to expect from his youngest, especially where his temper was concerned.<\/p>\n

Ignoring his father\u2019s warning, Joe smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cHey aren\u2019t these topcoats great?\u00a0 You can barely feel those Savages we\u2019re carrying what with those leather pouches that are sewn inside of them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Are you listening to your father?\u201d Ben continued, getting a bit exasperated with his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa \u2013 I always listen to my father,\u201d He winked.<\/p>\n

Groaning, Ben shook his head and replied, \u201cWell, that\u2019s the first lie of the night.\u00a0 I hope you\u2019ll do better with the inspector.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome here a minute, Pa,\u201d Joe insisted and grabbed his father\u2019s arm leading him to the far end of Wright Square.\u00a0 \u201cLook there!\u201d He pointed at one of the live oak trees that lined all four sides of the square.<\/p>\n

\u201cA tree\u2014very nice.\u00a0 Now getting back to what I was saying \u2013\u201d Ben started but was cut off in midsentence.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2014not just the tree, Pa \u2013 look at the Spanish moss on all those oaks.\u00a0 See it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee what?\u201d Ben complained, trying to get his son to focus on the issue at hand and not on the live oaks that surrounded them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no Spanish moss on this tree \u2013 but plenty of it on all those other oaks all around this square!\u201d Joe explained, trying to get his point across.<\/p>\n

Ben stepped back and stared around the square finally witnessing what his son had been referring to.\u00a0 He had no idea where Joe was going with his oddly timed tale, but he presumed that the boy would soon tell him.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I see.\u00a0 And you\u2019re telling me this now, why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClay brought me here late one night, Pa.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you remember me telling you that he tried to spook me by spouting a bunch of ghost stories about Savannah?\u00a0 Well, one of them was about this square.\u00a0 It\u2019s the place where they hung the first woman in Georgia back in the seventeen hundreds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd \u2013” Joe paused and pointed to the tree that didn\u2019t have any Spanish moss on it.\u00a0 \u201cThat tree was where she was hung.\u00a0 They say she cursed this whole square and that\u2019s why it grows on every single tree except where they strung her up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed an arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and looked at him strangely.\u00a0 \u201cSon, you are aware of the precarious nature of your upcoming interview with that inspector, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa \u2013 I just wanted to remember,\u201d Joe responded quietly looking down at the grass.\u00a0 \u201cI was just thinking about Clay \u2013 and how he\u2019d told me that story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing, Ben finally understood why it had been so important for Joe to tell him the story of the square as a way of keeping the memory of his brother alive.\u00a0 \u201cIt was an interesting story, Joseph, and you told it very well.\u00a0 Clay would be proud of you for remembering how it went.\u00a0 Thank you for sharing it with me,\u201d He offered the boy a smile along with a pat to his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded to his father.\u00a0 Reluctantly he set aside one of the few precious memories he had of his time with Clay the previous summer, knowing that it was time to deal with the present.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best to keep it together in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I know you will,” Ben responded, trying to offer a note of confidence in his tone of voice.\u00a0 He turned with Joe at his side and they walked up the steps of the building.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Joe came out of their topcoats as they made their way inside the club.\u00a0 Though they had been approached by the head waiter to allow the staff to hang the coats up in the cloakroom, they declined the offer and simply carried them to a table and placed them on the backs of their chairs.<\/p>\n

Looking around a bit apprehensively, Joe directed his attention to his father.\u00a0 \u201cWhat now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cast a wary gaze over to the same door they had just come in and replied in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we\u2019ll just sit here until Inspector Townshend makes his presence known.\u00a0 Relax, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will you have, Gentlemen?\u201d A waiter asked with a smile as he neared their table.<\/p>\n

Little Joe once again deferred to his father, not knowing if there would be beer in the place since everyone was dressed in very formal attire.\u00a0 He and Pa were decked out in their finest blue suits and they blended right in with the other patrons inside the club.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d both like a glass of Bordeaux Claret, thank you,\u201d Ben nodded to the man and watched as he turned to get their drinks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds fancy to me \u2013 and probably expensive too, Pa \u2013 but I\u2019d sooner have rotgut,\u201d Joe muttered as he spotted a man coming in the door and looking around the room.\u00a0 \u201cI bet you that\u2019s him, Pa,\u201d He whispered, leaning over to his father.\u00a0 \u201cHe just looks the type.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew in a deep breath and nodded, \u201cThat Bordeaux is<\/em><\/strong> expensive, Joseph, so don\u2019t order another glass.\u00a0 You already made me spend a small fortune on these topcoats today.\u201d\u00a0 He announced and then paused, sizing up the man heading their way.\u00a0 \u201cRight now, I’d prefer some rotgut too, Son, \u2013 but the man you pointed out is staring directly at us.\u00a0 I think you\u2019re right \u2013 it\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n

A short thin man with a bushy mustache that was far too big for his face, made his way across the room stopping there next to both men.\u00a0 He produced a card, placing it on the table right in front of Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cInspector Jacob Townsend,\u201d He announced and studied the two faces in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cAre you Joseph Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a quick breath, Joe nodded as he stood.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s me alright — and this is my father, Ben Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight I share your table?\u201d He asked politely, surreptitiously glancing at the coats that both men had hanging on the backs of their chairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Joe replied flatly as he retook his seat.\u00a0 He presumed that there wasn\u2019t a chance in hell that the man was going to simply walk away if he\u2019d said differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Inspector Townsend nodded and placed his drink on the table.\u00a0 \u201cI understand you men just arrived in our fair city yesterday, is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know it is,\u201d Joe returned, unamused by the other man\u2019s false pretenses.\u00a0 He presumed that the inspector had seen their arrival the night before and had been watching their every move all day.<\/p>\n

Shooting his son a cautionary gaze, Ben turned when the waiter placed the two wine glasses in front of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Joseph, here\u2019s to an interesting trip,\u201d Ben announced with a grin and raised his glass in a toast.<\/p>\n

Amused by his father\u2019s gesture, Joe touched glasses with him and then looked back at the inspector.\u00a0 \u201cI got your message and here I am.\u00a0 Now what\u2019s this about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve inherited a very nice estate I\u2019m told,\u201d He began.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about it?\u00a0 Is that a crime?\u201d Joe quipped as he sipped his wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, not \u2013 I just thought it worth mentioning,\u201d Inspector Townsend replied as he nonchalantly rolled his drink around in his glass.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat and said, \u201cWe\u2019ve come to settle the Copeland Estate.\u00a0 Is there something you want to ask my son?\u00a0 Unfortunately, we\u2019re a bit pressed for time so if you wouldn\u2019t mind getting to the point?\u201d<\/p>\n

Townsend studied the two men and the topcoats sitting behind them.\u00a0 \u201cYou two a bit chilly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, why?\u201d Joe asked warily.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur customs are quite different than they are in the wilderness of Nevada.\u00a0 Gentlemen usually check their coats as they enter a restaurant.\u00a0 I noticed that you both have your topcoats resting on your chairs.\u00a0 Would you like me to hail a waiter and have him hang them up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I just told you \u2013 we\u2019re pressed for time.\u00a0 We have other reservations.\u00a0 Our coats are just fine sitting where they are for now,\u201d Ben insisted and watched the woeful expression on the inspector\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI certainly don\u2019t want to keep you men any longer than what\u2019s necessary.\u00a0 Joseph \u2013 I heard about your brother Clay\u2019s death.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to extend my deepest condolences on your loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Joe responded curtly.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t bought the man\u2019s offer of sympathy, and Joe was uneasy over the way he kept looking at his coat.\u00a0 Joe wondered if the inspector had guessed that there was a gun hidden inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe night that he died \u2013\u201d Townshend continued but Joe immediately cut him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your facts right, Inspector, \u2013 my brother didn\u2019t just die \u2013 he was murdered by an angry mob of superstitious lunatics!\u201d Joe fired back angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you were there to see it?\u201d he asked, raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was there,\u201d Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you weren\u2019t injured- – were you?\u201d He continued questioning the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a bad case of yellow fever myself at the time.\u00a0 My brother pushed me out of the house so I wouldn\u2019t get burnt up the way he did,\u201d Joe fumed, his resolve to control his temper had proven futile.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat and then lightly kicked his son\u2019s ankle under the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see \u2013 where did you go once your brother pushed you out of the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Joe returned, raising his glass and trying to bite back his ire over being asked so many questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there\u2019s a missing person\u2019s case that I\u2019m trying to solve.\u00a0 There was a man in the crowd by the name of Ezra Davenport.\u00a0 He was seen by everyone present at the time right before the house caught fire.\u00a0 However, he was never seen again and is presumed dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know the man,\u201d Joe answered, still attempting and failing to hide his anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was an important man, and his brother Charles has been trying to find out what happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about you using your resources to find the men who killed my brother?\u00a0 That\u2019s not a missing person\u2019s case it\u2019s an out and out murder!\u201d Joe fired off only to see his father shaking his head at him, showing his displeasure over his son\u2019s inability to control himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand \u2013 that was a terrible thing,\u201d the inspector nodded Joe\u2019s way.\u00a0 \u201cBut when a town is under a quarantine and people are dying right and left due to cases of yellow fever tempers run hot.\u00a0 Your brother, his wife, and her father all had the disease.\u00a0 People get very spooked over such things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpooked?\u201d Joe asked angrily, raising his voice.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 not spooked — they throw torches!\u00a0 I watched as they sailed them up onto the roof and the place went up like a powder keg!\u00a0 I hold every single one of those men in that mob responsible for killing my brother.\u00a0 So, you\u2019ll have to excuse me if I don\u2019t give a damn about what happened to one of the men who caused that fire!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat, the inspector stared at Joe hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou had a man with you when you were last spotted leaving that house.\u00a0 He\u2019s a big man, one who stands about six and a half feet tall, and one who happens to be retarded \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

Cutting the man off, Joe responded vehemently, \u201cjust because someone can\u2019t talk doesn\u2019t make them retarded!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben stated firmly and directed his gaze at him.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to be leaving soon so why don\u2019t you let the inspector finish his questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Joe said quietly, dropping his head down a bit.\u00a0 At that moment he wished he had some rotgut whiskey instead of the much weaker expensive red wine to calm his nerves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat man \u2013 the one you say isn\u2019t retarded.\u00a0 Do you have any idea where he is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you looking for him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name is Rene \u2013 apparently a man without a last name.\u00a0 But we do know that he harbored you after the fire.\u00a0 Now, isn\u2019t that right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s right,\u201d Joe nodded, looking piercingly at the man, \u201cHe harbored me as men with hunting dogs and rifles tried to kill me just like they killed my brother.\u00a0 Rene saved my life.\u00a0 And, no, I don\u2019t have a clue where he is right now.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t seen him since I left Savannah last summer.\u00a0 Something you probably already knew \u2013 just like you knew my father and I got into Savannah last night. \u00a0Now, have I answered all your questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe suspect him of killing Ezra Davenport,\u201d He announced and leaned forward, casting a suspicious glare at Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn what basis?\u201d Ben interjected, watching the blind rage spreading across Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cEyewitness accounts, Mister Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 Eyewitness accounts, huh? The same eyewitnesses that threw torches at a house where a man sick with the fever was mourning the death of his new bride?\u201d Joe returned caustically.<\/p>\n

Once again clearing his throat, the inspector looked back and forth between Ben and Joe and waited until tempers cooled before continuing.\u00a0 \u201cAs I\u2019ve told you, I\u2019m trying to locate your friend.\u00a0 And I don\u2019t need any interference by you.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know where your travels will take you here in Savannah, Joseph, but I\u2019d advise you to stay away from your friend.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t want to have to take you into our jail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn what charge?\u201d Joe spat back, his anger surging almost to the point of being seconds away from turning over the table there in front of him.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for the fact that his father was firing a warning look at him at that moment he would have done it regardless of the repercussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAiding and abetting a fugitive from justice,\u201d The inspector announced cooly.<\/p>\n

Laughing due to the irony of the situation, Joe shook his head in dismay before speaking.\u00a0 He finally choked out, \u201cJustice<\/em><\/strong>?\u00a0 Justice in this<\/em><\/strong> city?\u00a0 Justice like my brother got?\u00a0 Or is it perfectly acceptable to murder a person who doesn\u2019t carry political clout like a Davenport?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben called as he stood from the table.\u00a0 He drew out his pocket watch and stared at the time.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to miss our reservations if we don\u2019t leave soon.\u00a0 Inspector Townsend\u2014are you finished?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d He nodded as he stood.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m done for now.\u00a0 Thank you for your time.\u00a0 I do hope you\u2019ll conclude your business speedily.\u00a0 I suggest you both do everything in your power to do just that, so you can be on your way back west,\u201d Townsend announced invoking a pronounced warning in the tone he had used to get his point across.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree,\u201d Joe answered as he stood next to his father.\u00a0 \u201cYou see neither of us wants to stay any longer than necessary because we don\u2019t share a love for your city or for its people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben retrieved the billfold from his vest and placed the money for their drinks on the table.\u00a0 Donning their coats he and Joe exited the building leaving the inspector wondering what they were up to and how far they\u2019d go to help the fugitive.<\/p>\n

\n

Watching his son hurrying down the steps in front of the building they had just vacated, Ben shook his head sadly.\u00a0 He knew that the boy was still suffering from the loss of his brother and after speaking with the inspector it had only opened old wounds that hadn\u2019t had time to heal.\u00a0 He slowly approached the boy who was out in the square leaning against the only tree that didn\u2019t hold any Spanish moss on its branches.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben whispered as he approached his son.\u00a0 He settled a comforting hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear him, Pa?\u201d Joe questioned, his voice sounding strained.\u00a0 \u201cHe said that Rene was fleeing from justice.\u00a0 What kind of justice is there here in Savannah?\u201d Joe asked and stared up at the tree he was leaning against.\u00a0 \u201cThe same kind of justice that got an innocent woman hung in this square?\u00a0 Or the type of justice that got my brother killed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Witnessing the unbridled indignation and pain there on his son\u2019s face, Ben pulled the boy against his chest and whispered, \u201cI know you\u2019re still grieving the loss of your brother, Joseph.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not helping your being here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013\u201d Joe began, tears trying to escape his eyes though he was fighting them back with everything he had left inside.\u00a0 \u201cHer name was Alice Riley\u2014I remember the whole story now.\u00a0 She was innocent and they hung her right here on this tree.\u00a0 They waited until she had given birth to a baby by a man who took advantage of her.\u00a0 Two weeks after having the child \u2013 she was dragged out here in this square and strung up.\u00a0 That\u2019s the type of justice<\/em><\/strong> that they have in the South.\u00a0 And it hasn\u2019t changed in over a hundred years! \u00a0It\u2019s the kind of justice that makes a teenage boy carry more luggage than a full-grown man could handle.\u00a0 The kind of justice that labels people due to their skin color!\u00a0 And the kind of justice that took my brother away from me,\u201d Joe choked out and finally lost his battle to control his tears.\u00a0 They rolled down his cheeks at the very mention of what had happened to Clay.\u00a0 \u201cShe cursed those who mocked the true meaning of justice and this square, Pa.\u00a0 And I curse them too \u2013 all of them<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joseph,\u201d Ben sighed as he ran his fingers through his son\u2019s hair trying to calm the tempest in his soul.\u00a0 \u201cNot everyone in the South is evil.\u00a0 Granted there are some \u2013 just like in any other place in this world.\u00a0 Are you forgetting all that Doctor Hardin did to help you?\u00a0 Are you forgetting the kindness that Annabelle and her father showed you?\u00a0 They were all from right here in Georgia.\u00a0 And then there\u2019s Rene\u2014he\u2019s from right here too.\u00a0 You traveled over two thousand miles just to help him \u2013 and he\u2019s from Savannah.\u00a0 Don\u2019t judge a whole city, state, or group of people due to the ignorance and evil caused by one group of men, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe drew in a deep breath as he swiped his hand under his nose, trying to rid his face of the tears which had coursed down his cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019re right, Pa,\u201d He choked out.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ve just got to find Rene — before anything happens to him because of those same evil men who hunted us down last year.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t stand a chance of finding true justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s back. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll find him, Son.\u00a0 But as for right now, the two of us are going for a nice walk,\u201d he insisted as he pulled Joseph back and stared into his glazed eyes.\u00a0 He smiled and adjusted the collar to his son\u2019s coat.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a nice topcoat even if it did cost me my life\u2019s savings,\u201d He announced with a wink.<\/p>\n

Joe understood the gesture and how Pa was doing his best to take his mind off his troubles.\u00a0 He nodded his way and rewarded his father with a slight smile.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa \u2013 yours looks good on you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled, \u201cThank you very much — now\u2014how about that walk?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and cast one final glance at the tree before stepping out of the square.\u00a0 Settling an arm over his son\u2019s shoulder, Ben crossed the road with Joe there at his side. Together they made their way back to the hotel.\u00a0 They hadn\u2019t seen the hulking figure who stood in the shadows watching their every move.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDad burn kid!\u201d Ben fumed to himself as he stared into the empty room.\u00a0 He had awakened shortly after two in the morning, sitting up abruptly in his bed.\u00a0 That old familiar fatherly instinct had kicked in, forcing him to pull on his robe and slide into his slippers.\u00a0 Ben crossed the parlor to peer in on his son to make sure he was sleeping soundly.\u00a0 Not only wasn\u2019t Joseph sleeping soundly, but he wasn\u2019t sleeping at all!\u00a0 The elegant four-poster bed in the far corner of the room that the boy had gawked at the previous night was now dreadfully empty.\u00a0 Ben turned up the wick to the lamp he had carried with him as he scanned the bedroom.\u00a0 Realizing that Joe\u2019s topcoat was missing, Ben took that to mean that his son was outside somewhere with his eighteen sixty-one Savage.\u00a0 *** Inspector Townsend warns that boy to stay out of his investigation and what does Joseph do?\u00a0 Of course, he sneaks out the first chance he gets heading into trouble as usual!\u00a0 Just wait until I get my hands on that boy \u2013 he\u2019s going to need that Savage by the time I\u2019m done with him! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben hurried out of the bedroom and crossed the parlor making his way back to his own room.\u00a0 He knew that he\u2019d have to get dressed in a hurry so he could go and find the boy before he did something stupid like getting himself shot or arrested.<\/p>\n

Ben tossed his clothes on top of the bed and came out of his robe, still fuming over the fact that Joe had slipped out without saying a word to him as to where he was going.\u00a0 Just before he pulled the nightshirt off over his head, he heard an odd noise coming from across the room.\u00a0 It sounded like a gentle tapping.\u00a0 Ben turned towards the noise and walked over to the external door that led to a balcony.\u00a0 He pulled back the drapes only to see Little Joe standing on the other side of the door smiling at him.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head full of both bewilderment and anger, Ben opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Pa \u2013 I couldn\u2019t get back in through mine,\u201d Joe explained as he entered his father\u2019s bedroom and started towards the parlor.\u00a0 He felt a firm hand on his arm spinning him around.\u00a0 Joe looked up to see one very perturbed father glaring at him.\u00a0 \u201cOh \u2013 sorry, Pa \u2013 I didn\u2019t want to wake you,\u201d He attempted to calm his father\u2019s nerves which he surmised were on end due to his disappearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben began, his voice filled with aggravation.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to tell me why you left without saying anything to me \u2013 and why you ended up on my balcony?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a shrug of his shoulders, Joe tried to explain his actions without further raising his father\u2019s ire.\u00a0 \u201cOh \u2013 that\u2014well \u2013 I couldn\u2019t get back to my room because I ran into a couple of men who no doubt are working with Inspector Townsend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d Ben groaned, shaking his head over what his son had offered by way of an explanation.\u00a0 \u201cSit down \u2013 you have a lot to explain to me.\u201d\u00a0 Ben gestured for the boy to take a seat in the close-by chair as he dropped down on the end of his bed.\u00a0 He watched as his son did as he had been instructed and sat down.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Young Man, this had better be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fidgeting nervously, Joe began to explain, \u201cPa \u2013 I got to thinking about everything.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d heard footsteps behind us last night when we were going back to the hotel.\u00a0 I figured that Townsend probably has his people watching us, so I thought I\u2019d check it out for myself —\u201d Joe was cut off by his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say something to me?\u00a0 Are you trying to get arrested?\u201d Ben raised his voice with mounting aggravation.\u00a0 \u201cYou disappearing like that — wasn\u2019t the wisest thing to do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust didn\u2019t want to wake you, Pa \u2013 I knew you were tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 Do you think I\u2019m resting in my bed now<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry \u2013 if I could\u2019ve gotten back through my balcony I would\u2019ve.\u00a0 But there\u2019s two men posted at either corner of this place now \u2013 too close to where I climbed down earlier,\u201d He continued, still trying to get his father to understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou climbed down from your balcony?\u00a0 Joseph \u2013 do you happen to remember back when you were seventeen?\u00a0 You didn\u2019t do too well with balconies there in New Orleans!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa \u2013 that was years ago!\u201d He protested, knowing why Pa had mentioned the fall he had taken from a balcony while being held by a man from his mother\u2019s past named Rene Marchant.\u00a0 He had almost died from the stunt he had pulled in trying to flee from that man.\u00a0 Little Joe had jumped between two balconies during a storm and had landed head-first onto the walkway below.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was only four years ago,” Ben grumbled, “and you almost got yourself killed!\u00a0 Are you trying to end up in the hospital again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe crossed his arms over his chest and waited.\u00a0 When his father went on a tirade, he knew that it was always best to just let him get it out of his system.\u00a0 It had taken a few minutes, but Pa finally seemed to be simmering down.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa \u2013 I wasn\u2019t trying to worry you.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d be able to get in and out without you knowing about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Ben replied, raising his eyebrows in gesture.\u00a0 \u201cHow did that<\/em><\/strong> work out for you, Young Man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I shimmied down the drainpipe to get out of here but getting back inside was a real trick \u2013 but I managed,\u201d He smiled, proud over his ingenuity, and trying to ignore his father\u2019s disapproving gaze.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry I had to wake you up \u2013 but I sure couldn\u2019t go in through my balcony, or they\u2019d know that I\u2019d been out snooping around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and sighed, his son never thought things out before heading right off into danger.\u00a0 \u201cI was wide awake, Joseph \u2013and getting dressed so I could find your ornery hide and drag you back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stood and peered out of the window trying to see if Townsend\u2019s men could be spotted from his father\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pa \u2013 I saw a total of four men \u2013 and by the way they were dressed I think they\u2019re working for Townsend.\u00a0 They\u2019ve spent most of the night here next to the hotel just watching to see if we\u2019re up to anything.\u00a0 I was able to get around them, though.\u00a0 I made my way to the Seaman\u2019s Inn and Tavern on East Broad Street.\u00a0 I just hung out there for a while and tried to blend in, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did you do that?\u201d Ben asked, shaking his head frustrated by his son\u2019s apparent ease in getting around the downtown area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to look around, Pa.\u00a0 There\u2019s an old tunnel in that place that Clay showed me.\u00a0 We were there and met up with Rene one night.\u00a0 The three of us took that tunnel all the way down to the river.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you remember me telling you about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben sighed as he fought back a yawn.\u00a0 \u201cIt sounded like a great place to get shanghaied!\u00a0 And you could\u2019ve ended up on a ship tonight and I\u2019d never known what happened to my wayward youngest son!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Little Joe grinned and patted his coat.\u00a0 \u201cNot with my Savage inside here\u2014 I\u2019d have stopped anyone who even tried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you went through that tunnel and down to the river \u2013 why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I\u2019d hoped that I might just find Rene.\u00a0 He knew this city better than just about anyone and frequented the tunnels underneath it.\u00a0 Pa, I think I can find him if I look hard enough.\u00a0 But I had to give up this morning because of Townsend\u2019s men.\u00a0 I think it\u2019d be a good idea to move to that caretaker\u2019s cabin later today.\u00a0 If they think we\u2019re staying down there, I can give them the slip and come back here and do a more thorough search of those tunnels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s late \u2013 or early \u2013 however you want to look at it.\u00a0 Go and get some sleep, Son, and we\u2019ll talk about all of that at breakfast,\u201d Ben announced as he stood from his bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe agreed as he started for the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Ben called over to his son and hurried to the doorway.\u00a0 He grabbed Joe\u2019s arm and stared at him hard, a warning look in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay put; do you understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding obediently, Joe grinned at his father and replied, \u201cSure I will, Pa.\u00a0 Get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned as he watched the boy making his way back to his room.\u00a0 \u201cGet some sleep, Pa \u2013 indeed!\u201d He muttered and made his way back to his bed.<\/p>\n

\n

After several cups of coffee to try to wake himself thoroughly, Ben listened to his son\u2019s plans and agreed that they needed to leave the hotel and move to the caretaker\u2019s quarters on the Copeland Plantation.\u00a0 They packed their bags and, after renting a carriage and two horses, they loaded their luggage and made their way south.\u00a0 It had been Little Joe\u2019s idea that they rented both a carriage and two saddle horses, and since he wasn\u2019t paying for the tab, he didn\u2019t mind the expenses his father would incur.\u00a0 Begrudgingly Ben had settled up with the proprietor at the livery stable and they were given instructions on how to get to the plantation.<\/p>\n

Spotting the general store that Milton Hardigree had told them about, they decided to load up on what they\u2019d need.\u00a0 Unsure of what they would find in the barn there on the plantation, Ben had grabbed some feed for the horses as Joe walked around gathering food and supplies which would tide them over for a couple of days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be twenty-three dollars and forty cents, Sir,\u201d The storekeeper announced.<\/p>\n

Ben opened his billfold to pay the man.\u00a0 He then frowned over at his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis trip will no doubt break me.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t get out of here soon, I\u2019ll have to sell the Ponderosa just to break even,\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Pa,\u201d Joe winked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m about to come into a small fortune \u2013 I\u2019ll pay you back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head over what the boy had said, Ben paid the storekeeper and they grabbed their purchases and set them all inside the back of the carriage.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe\u2019s heart sank in his chest as they came upon the charred ruins of the plantation house where his brother had perished.\u00a0 He dropped his head down as tears began to form in his eyes.\u00a0 The vision of the night of the fire played inside his mind and it seemed just as terrifying as it had nine months ago.\u00a0 ***Why did you push me out of there, Clay?\u00a0 I could\u2019ve helped you! ***<\/em><\/strong> Little Joe thought as they finally drove past the remnants of the house and were making their way down the road leading to the cabin.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t missed the way his son had turned away from him trying to hide his tears.\u00a0 Draping an arm around the boy\u2019s shoulder he whispered, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely hate this place, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered and swiped a hand across his face to push away his tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben nodded and patted his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWe won\u2019t be here long \u2013 hopefully.\u201d He tapped the reins to increase the pace of the horse pulling the carriage.<\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of the caretaker\u2019s cabin and climbed out of the carriage to look around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go put the saddle horses in that barn, Pa,\u201d Little Joe offered, knowing that he needed a few minutes alone so he could try to pull himself together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, Son \u2013 I\u2019ll go see how it looks in there and then take our bags inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and then untied the horses from behind the carriage, leading them towards the small barn on the side of the cabin.\u00a0 He took the time to water the two mounts and then walked back to the carriage to help unload the supplies.\u00a0 It had taken a good part of the afternoon to get to the cabin and then set up housekeeping, but by four o\u2019clock the three horses were settled and Ben and Joe sat at the small table inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, let\u2019s see how good the coffee is around these parts,\u201d Ben smiled as he stood and removed the coffeepot from the pot-bellied stove and poured two cups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d Little Joe nodded and took a sip.\u00a0 \u201cI guess coffee is coffee no matter where you go \u2013 it tastes the same to me,\u201d He added.<\/p>\n

Sitting down in the chair next to his son, Ben stared over at the boy.\u00a0 Joe had been unusually quiet that afternoon and he wasn\u2019t sure if it was because he was still upset over seeing the remnants of the house or if he had something else weighing on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hear it\u2014what are you thinking about?\u201d Ben asked sipping his coffee.<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and held it for a minute before exhaling.\u00a0 He knew what his father was going to say about his idea, but he still was set on telling him about it.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 now hear me out \u2013before you start yelling about what I\u2019ve come up with. I\u2019ve been thinking about the best plan of action, and I think I\u2019ve come up with one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned after hearing how his son had phrased his words.\u00a0 It was never good when Joseph began by saying \u201chear me out\u201d because it meant that he was planning on doing something hasty.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m too tired to yell, Joseph\u2014because you kept me up half the night.\u00a0 Go on \u2013 spit it out,\u201d He sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I still think that looking in those tunnels is the best move.\u00a0 And since I know how to get in and out of them, I think I should head into the city as soon as it gets dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Townsend and his men?\u00a0 You said they were posted outside of the hotel last night \u2013 that means they\u2019re probably looking for Rene and most likely you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting down his coffee cup, Joe stared over at his father and replied, \u201cI\u2019ve thought about all of that and I bet they\u2019ve probably followed us here to make sure we\u2019re really staying on the plantation.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019ll leave after dark.\u00a0 I know where I can tie my horse where it won\u2019t be spotted and then get down into those tunnels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like it,\u201d Ben announced shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re going to do that, I think I\u2019d better go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Little Joe paused, dropping a hand down onto his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cHave a little faith in me, will you?\u00a0 I\u2019ll be careful \u2013 I promise!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll probably end up either getting shot or arrested!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Pa,\u201d Joe complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay I take it back,\u201d Ben paused and raised his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll probably get shot while being arrested!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I won\u2019t!\u00a0 I told you that I\u2019ll be careful.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just go and have a look around.\u00a0 If I can\u2019t find Rene, I\u2019ll come right back.\u00a0 If the two of us go it\u2019s going to be easier to spot us,\u201d He tried once more to garner his father\u2019s compliance.\u00a0 Casting a quick smile across the table, Joe added, \u201cBesides, Pa, it\u2019s not very clean under the city \u2013 it\u2019s not somewhere you\u2019d enjoy crawling around!\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning back in his chair, Ben studied his son\u2019s face and then shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not really somewhere I want YOU<\/strong> crawling around either, Young Man!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed and nodded, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Pa \u2013 I\u2019ve been down there once before so I can handle it.\u00a0 I promise that if I don\u2019t find Rene, I\u2019ll come right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if you do find him, have you thought about that?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, Sir — I have.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try to talk him into letting me get him an attorney to straighten it all out.\u00a0 All I can do is try, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned once more, \u201cI still don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0 He watched as his son stared at him, his eyes reflecting the need for his father\u2019s understanding.\u00a0 Finally leaning forward, Ben settled a hand onto Joe\u2019s arm and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAlright \u2013 but you\u2019d better come right back \u2013 do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd no taking any unnecessary risks \u2013 understand?\u201d Ben reiterated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t, Pa \u2013 I promise,\u201d Joe answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd,\u201d Ben paused, and offered a penetrating warning in his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cNo getting shot!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Little Joe nodded, \u201cNo getting shot \u2013 I understand, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you back just as soon as you can too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir \u2013 just as soon as I find Rene or make it through the tunnels and don\u2019t find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back and sipped his coffee unsure if he\u2019d made the right decision by letting his son go off on his own.\u00a0 He had witnessed the fierce determination that Joe wore and decided that he had to allow him to look for his friend or he\u2019d never forgive himself.\u00a0 Now it would be a matter of waiting and worrying about his son until he returned.<\/p>\n

\n

Tying the reins of his horse to a wrought iron fence behind the Old Brick Cemetery, Little Joe cautiously made his way to Chippewa Square to the very first tunnel he\u2019d ever seen Rene climb out from.\u00a0 He suddenly heard the echo of footsteps against the cobblestone walkway not far from the Square and quickly ducked into an alleyway.\u00a0 Pressing his body up against one of the clapboard sided buildings, he waited for whoever it was to pass by.\u00a0 After a couple of minutes, the street fell silent once more and Joe ventured over to the hidden entrance to the tunnel. He had brought with him a kerosene lantern but waited until he crawled down into the tunnel before lighting it to avoid detection.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t spotted any of the same men he\u2019d seen the previous night, but he assumed they were still out hunting for Rene.<\/p>\n

The first section of the tunnel was tall enough that he could stand upright, but it channeled off in two different directions, and both of those tunnels weren\u2019t as high, so he had to crawl on his hands and knees.\u00a0 Lighting the lantern, Joe held it out in front of him as he made his way down the first tunnel, taking note of anything unusual that might have been left by his friend.\u00a0 He remembered that Rene had some sort of a home base set up not very far from the Chippewa Square entrance where the two of them had spent some time when they had left the swampland south of the plantation house.\u00a0 Little Joe came upon some old bedding about twenty yards down, but he wasn\u2019t certain if it had been his friend\u2019s.\u00a0 He thought there was a chance that others might frequent the tunnels and was glad that he\u2019d brought the Savage inside his coat.\u00a0 Joe had added a compass to his father\u2019s order at the general store and pulled it out to make sure he was still heading in the right direction.\u00a0 Every now and then the main tunnel stretched out in all different directions and Joe didn\u2019t want to get lost in a maze down below the city.\u00a0 He wished he had thought of bringing a canteen because he had crawled for more than an hour by the time he stopped to catch his breath.<\/p>\n

*** Where are you, Old Friend? <\/em><\/strong> Joe thought to himself and took the time to catch his breath before trying to determine which way he should look next.\u00a0 It was then that he spotted a big brown rat running towards him.\u00a0 He pulled himself back and hugged the wall to allow it to pass by.\u00a0 *** Well, I guess seeing a rat is better than running up on a darn alligator! *** <\/em><\/strong>He mused.\u00a0 Joe began to turn around in the tunnel and head back the way he\u2019d come when another rat ran past him, and it was quickly followed by at least a half of a dozen other rodents.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong> Uh Oh! <\/em><\/strong> He thought to himself.\u00a0 *** That ain\u2019t good!\u00a0 Wonder what\u2019s got them stirred up?\u00a0 I hope none of Townsend\u2019s men have followed me down here! *** <\/em><\/strong>Joe stopped and listened, holding his breath.\u00a0 The fingers of his left hand searched inside his coat until they fell on the pistol. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong> Well, if those rats are going that way \u2013 maybe I\u2019d better head that way too? ***<\/em><\/strong> He thought and began to crawl in the same direction that the rodents had taken.\u00a0 It was then that Little Joe heard a sound that almost stopped his heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cJah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Spinning around, Joe watched the large shadow turn out of the tunnel heading his way.\u00a0 The very next minute he was staring at Rene.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene!\u201d Little Joe\u2019s voice rang out.\u00a0 \u201cRene, I\u2019ve been looking for you!\u201d He hurriedly crawled in the man\u2019s direction until the two of them were right next to each other.\u00a0 Little Joe felt himself being swept up into a tight bear hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cJah!\u201d Rene cried and patted the boy\u2019s head happily.\u00a0 \u201cJah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you, Old Friend?\u201d Joe whispered, pushing aside joyful tears.\u00a0 He had missed the big man who had saved his life numerous times the previous summer as they both fled from the men who were trying to kill them.<\/p>\n

Rene smiled and nodded to Joe.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t answer the question other than by the appearance on his face and the smile he\u2019d offered.<\/p>\n

Little Joe studied the other man\u2019s tattered clothes and sighed very disheartened.\u00a0 He knew that Rene had spent months trying to hide from those who had relentlessly pursued him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been on the run again, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded over to Joe and said, \u201cTun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I figured you\u2019d come back to the tunnels.\u00a0 Listen, Rene \u2013 I want to help you.\u00a0 My father and I\u2019ve come all the way from our ranch out west just to find you.\u00a0 You remember I told you about him and my brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we want to help you \u2013 but you\u2019ve got to trust us, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene shook his head warily, showing his fear of being captured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Joe sighed and patted the man\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re afraid \u2013 just like I was last year.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll get you all the help I can.\u00a0 My father and I will come up with a plan that will help keep those men from getting their hands on you.\u00a0 Will you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene still didn\u2019t look convinced.\u00a0 He simply sat there against the back wall of the tunnel and shook his head again.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene \u2013 you can\u2019t run forever, you know?\u00a0 If you\u2019ll just come back to the plantation then my pa and I will get you some help.\u00a0 Will you do that \u2013 for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d Rene said quietly and shook his head once more.\u00a0 He pointed up to the ceiling of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know \u2013 those men up there are evil \u2013 but you won\u2019t have to deal with them.\u00a0 Not if my pa and I can help it.\u00a0 But you\u2019ve just got to try \u2013 do it for me, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene thought for a few minutes and finally patted Joe\u2019s arm and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cJah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned, \u201cGood.\u00a0 Now listen \u2013 do you think you can make your way out of here safely?\u00a0 If you\u2019ll meet up with me at the plantation then I\u2019ll take you to meet my father.\u00a0 He\u2019s good at helping people and I know that you\u2019ll like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKah,\u201d Rene said and Joe knew that meant Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cClay met my pa and he liked him \u2013 he liked him a lot.\u00a0 He\u2019d tell you to go with me \u2013 and he\u2019d want you to meet my father,\u201d Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cKah,\u201d Rene said, rather insistently nodding his head.<\/p>\n

Little Joe wasn\u2019t too sure what the big man was getting at but just presumed that he wanted to say something about Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Rene.\u00a0 Clay would want you to listen to me.\u00a0 Now could you get to that oak grove where we hid out those first couple of days after the fire?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d Rene nodded his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood \u2013 now how about we meet at sunset tomorrow?\u00a0 We\u2019re staying at that old caretaker\u2019s cabin on the plantation.\u00a0 I\u2019ll meet you there at the oak grove and then the two of us will meet up with my father.\u00a0 I just want to make sure nobody\u2019s at the cabin before I take you there.\u00a0 Can you make it there by sunset, Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d Rene nodded and smiled at Joe again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right \u2013 the two of us \u2013 we\u2019ll take on anybody, won\u2019t we?\u00a0 Heck we even took on those alligators in that swamp!\u201d Little Joe grinned.<\/p>\n

Rene smiled broadly and replied, \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 that\u2019s right \u2013 alligators.\u00a0 At least we won\u2019t have to do that again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene pointed back to the ceiling of the tunnel.\u00a0 \u201cJah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 you think it\u2019s time for me to get back up to high ground now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d he nodded.<\/p>\n

Joe understood what Rene was trying to warn him about.\u00a0 \u201cOkay \u2013 I\u2019ll go.\u00a0 Now \u2013 meet me at that oak grove tomorrow, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah, Jah,\u201d Rene answered and patted his friend\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Joe hugged the big man and whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s going to be alright, Rene\u2014I promise you.\u00a0 You got me out of a jam last year \u2013 this time it\u2019s my turn to help you.\u00a0 See you tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 He turned and crawled off, leaving his friend sitting there inside the safety of the tunnel that had been his home for so long.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat kid!\u201d Ben fussed as he pulled on his coat in preparation to search for his wayward son.\u00a0 It was after midnight and Joe had yet to return.\u00a0 Stepping outside he caught sight of the boy riding up to the cabin.<\/p>\n

Dismounting, Little Joe neared his father and asked, \u201cGoing somewhere, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and shook his head, very agitated.\u00a0 \u201cYes, going to look for you, Young Man!\u00a0 Do you have any idea how late it is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropping his head down, Joe waited for his father to get it all out of his system before replying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll tell you!\u00a0 It\u2019s after midnight!\u201d Ben continued, venting out his anger and worry.\u00a0 He neared his son and looked him over trying to detect if he had been hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo bullet holes just like I promised, Pa,\u201d Joe quipped, hoping to allay his father\u2019s worry as well as tap down his anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you put under arrest?\u201d\u00a0 He asked filled with exasperation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir \u2013 didn\u2019t get arrested either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did it take you until the wee hours of the morning to get back here?\u00a0 You said that you wouldn\u2019t be gone long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shrugged his shoulders helplessly and stared innocently at his father.\u00a0 \u201cAh \u2013 Pa?\u00a0 Could we maybe go inside, and then you can finish yelling at me in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Folding his arms across his chest, Ben struck his normal rigid paternal stance and replied, \u201cYou go put that animal up and then get yourself inside so I can give you a piece of my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe nodded dutifully and reached for his reins.\u00a0 He briefly turned around and didn\u2019t miss the fact that Pa was still standing there, hands on his hips, glaring over at him.\u00a0 *** I guess I should\u2019ve stayed down in that tunnel with Rene and those rats! It would\u2019ve been safer than being here with Pa right now. \u00a0Looks like it\u2019s gonna be a long night. ***<\/em><\/strong> Little Joe sighed as he walked the horse into the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if we\u2019re back home in Nevada or clear across the country — that boy doesn\u2019t mind me worth a darn!\u201d Ben grumbled as he walked back inside the cabin.<\/p>\n

\n

Before they turned in for the night, Little Joe explained to his father where he had gone and what had happened to him once he had found Rene.\u00a0 Pa did seem a bit amazed that he\u2019d found the man, but he wasn\u2019t happy about how long it had taken Joe to come back.\u00a0 He had worried all night due to his constant dread that Townshend was out combing the city of Savannah looking for his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, tomorrow I\u2019ll go meet Rene at that oak grove and then we\u2019ll come right back here.\u00a0 You can try to talk to him about getting a lawyer \u2013 you know \u2013 put his mind at ease the way that only Ben Cartwright can?\u201d Joe announced with a wink as he sipped the last of his coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t try to butter me up now, Joseph, you\u2019re still not off the hook for coming back so late,\u201d Ben replied sternly, though he was fighting his amusement over what the boy had said but he sure wasn\u2019t going to let him know.<\/p>\n

Laughing, Joe patted his father\u2019s arm and said, \u201cOh c\u2019mon, Pa!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t get shot and I didn\u2019t get arrested.\u00a0 I just happened to be a little late \u2013 but it took me awhile to get my horse out of the cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cemetery?\u201d Ben returned, his eyebrows raised with astonishment.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was your horse doing in that place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe replied with a smile, \u201cI told you I knew a place where nobody would look for my horse.\u00a0 Nobody goes into that cemetery at night \u2013 it\u2019s supposed to be haunted, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole town is haunted, Joseph,\u201d Ben sighed wearily.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll excuse your lateness this time \u2013 but don\u2019t let it happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, why didn\u2019t you suggest that Rene come straight here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I didn\u2019t know if Townsend\u2019s goons were going to be scoping out this place tomorrow, Pa.\u00a0 Can\u2019t be too careful.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t see anyone then I\u2019ll bring Rene right back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood from the table and dropped a hand onto his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, Joseph.\u00a0 Now grab one of those bunks and turn in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared at the two beds and frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI miss that magnificent \u2013 and very comfortable — four poster bed at the Pulaski House.\u00a0 I was just getting used to living in the lap of luxury,\u201d he quipped as he stood from the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always the floor, you know?\u00a0 Perhaps that would be more to your liking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing, Joe patted his father\u2019s arm and returned, \u201cLike I was saying \u2013 those bunks look just as comfortable as the beds at the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked to one of the two beds and stretched out.\u00a0 He was far too tired to get into his nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cGoodnight, Joseph.\u00a0 Thank you for not getting shot \u2013 or arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Pa,\u201d Joe laughed as he sat down on the other bunk across the room.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe turned to look at his father when they heard the loud thump on the cabin door.\u00a0 The whole day had been uneventful thus far, and they had just tended to the three horses and eaten their lunch when they heard a rider outside and then the knock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get it,\u201d Ben announced standing from the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou just watch what you say if it\u2019s Townsend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe watched as his father opened the cabin door and addressed the visitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I\u2019m not interrupting anything,\u201d Jacob Townsend said with a sly smile on his lips.\u00a0 \u201cMight I have a word with your son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes briefly and thought to himself.\u00a0 *** Lord, I hope the boy isn\u2019t about to get arrested! ***<\/em><\/strong> \u201cCome on in\u201d<\/p>\n

The inspector walked inside the cabin flanked by Ben.\u00a0 He drew closer to the table where Little Joe sat calmly sipping his coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Joe asked flatly, never standing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to ask you if you\u2019ve seen your friend, Joseph,\u201d Townsend questioned, and cast a wary eye around the cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I haven\u2019t \u2013 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve been watching us every day since we arrived here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I take a look around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat for?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you trust me?\u201d Joe answered sarcastically and stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got nothing to hide, Joseph.\u00a0 Why not let the man take a look?\u201d Ben offered, casting a warning glance at his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one condition,\u201d Joe paused and stared at the man harshly.\u00a0 \u201cYou check the place over and then leave.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t come down here to be disturbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine \u2013 I\u2019ll leave as soon as I\u2019ve checked the place over,\u201d Townsend nodded and began walking around the main room.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s back there?\u201d He pointed to the one room off to the right side of the cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo and see for yourself, I don\u2019t give guided tours,\u201d Joe responded caustically.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben whispered and grabbed his son\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cEasy \u2013 it\u2019s alright \u2013 settle down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Townsend walked into the spare room and searched the rest of the cabin before returning to the main room.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you two are well stocked with supplies,\u201d He announced looking at the bags of coffee, sugar, and other food stuffs there in the small kitchen.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cPlanning on staying awhile?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and answered before his son had the chance to say something ill advised to the inspector.\u00a0 \u201cAs we told you the other night, we\u2019ll be here just long enough to settle the Copeland Estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see \u2013 and when will that be, Mister Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re to see our attorney on Thursday if you must know,\u201d Ben returned, still eyeing his son and hoping he wouldn\u2019t say anything outrageous.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow kindly get off this plantation,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 He walked across the room and flung the door open.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s private property and I\u2019m now the new owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to find a fugitive from justice, I believe I have jurisdiction, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen make it legal by getting a search warrant,\u201d Joe fumed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve looked around enough perhaps it might be wise if you left us in peace,\u201d Ben jumped in before Joe did something stupid and got himself arrested.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine \u2013 I\u2019ve seen what I wanted, Mister Cartwright.\u00a0 I hope you both will conclude your business and have a safe trip back to your ranch.\u00a0 Goodbye now,\u201d he said and walked out the door.<\/p>\n

Ben waited until he saw Townsend ride out of the yard and then turned back to his son.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 are you trying<\/em><\/strong> to get yourself thrown into jail?\u201d\u00a0 He asked angrily.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Joe replied, \u201cNo, Sir \u2013 but that man just grates on my nerves!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing hostile doesn\u2019t win you any points with him.\u00a0 You need to watch that temper because I don\u2019t want to have to come up with bail money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNow can we talk about this evening?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked back to the table and pointed at his son to sit down with him.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, what do you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about it,\u201d Joe began as he took a seat at the table next to his father.\u00a0 \u201cWhen Rene and I make our way back here \u2013 how about you put one of the horses out in that rope corral if you see anyone snooping around?\u00a0 That way we can see it from a distance and just go another way until it\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing to himself, Ben nodded, \u201cAlright, I\u2019ll do that.\u00a0 One horse in that corral means there\u2019s trouble.\u00a0 Stay away until you see that the corral is empty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how long we can hide Rene here, but I figure that tomorrow we can go talk to Hardigree and he might know a good criminal attorney who\u2019d be willing to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cI think that\u2019s a good idea.\u00a0 Perhaps we\u2019ll have to find another place to hide Rene tomorrow when we go back into town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we might just as well have some more coffee and maybe get something to eat before it\u2019s time for me to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and stood to prepare some food and set the coffeepot back on top of the stove.\u00a0 \u201cThe same rules apply, Joseph, no getting shot or arrested \u2013 you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing, Joe nodded to his pa, \u201cYes, Sir \u2013 I\u2019ve got no desire to do either!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Ben stood behind the cabin as his son readied to leave.\u00a0 He felt very apprehensive about Joe heading off on foot.<\/p>\n

With worry creasing his brow, he set a hand onto the boy\u2019s shoulder and stared at him hard, \u201cYou sure you don\u2019t want to take one of the horses, Son?\u00a0 It\u2019d be faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head; noting the deep concern in his father\u2019s tone he tried to put him at ease.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa \u2013 because there\u2019s just no way that Rene and I could ride double.\u00a0 He\u2019s just too big!\u00a0 And I don\u2019t want to be seen pulling another horse behind me in case there\u2019s someone snooping around.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be easier to hide if I\u2019m on foot anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, you\u2019re sure you don\u2019t want to take that fancy gun that cost you your life savings?\u201d\u00a0 Ben continued, surprised that the boy would part with the Savage.\u00a0 Joe had carried it with him constantly.<\/p>\n

Grinning, Joe patted his father\u2019s arm and replied, \u201cOh, Pa \u2013 that thing weighs a ton!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled, \u201cI think I told you that it was as heavy as an anvil when you showed it to me the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good gun to have \u2013 but not if you\u2019ve got to be on foot for a good piece.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got almost two miles to walk, and I\u2019ll make better time both ways if I\u2019m not toting that thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always your Colt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, Pa \u2013 I\u2019m coming right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many times have I heard that<\/em><\/strong> one?\u201d Ben mused as he raised his eyebrows in gesture.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 really.\u00a0 It shouldn\u2019t take too long to find Rene and bring him right back here.\u00a0 It\u2019s about dark now — I\u2019d better get going.\u00a0 Remember to put one of the horses in the corral in case you spot someone!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cI will.\u00a0 Good luck, Son.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled the boy to his chest and gave him a quick hug.\u00a0 \u201cYou be all-fired careful, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I will, Pa,\u201d Joe smiled and headed away from the cabin.<\/p>\n

*** Relax, Pa \u2013 indeed! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought to himself shaking his head as he watched his son running off to the south.\u00a0 He said a quick prayer for his son\u2019s safety as he turned back to the cabin.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe approached the grove of live oaks where he and Rene had hidden right after the plantation house had gone up in flames.\u00a0 With only the full moon to light his way he walked deeper into the thick forest of pines and oaks, stopping every now and again to try to spot his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cJah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe spun around when he heard the sudden call.\u00a0 He tried to home in on his friend but hadn\u2019t spotted him until a thick arm came around his neck pulling him to the ground.\u00a0 Joe fought against it for a minute and then realized it was Rene.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet up, Rene\u2014you\u2019re choking me,\u201d Joe complained and tried to catch his breath.<\/p>\n

Rene held a finger up to his lips and pointed into the forest just to the right of them.\u00a0 \u201cJah, Jah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou seen someone, Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded and pointed again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how many?\u201d Joe continued, hunkering down next to the big man.<\/p>\n

Rene held up one finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s head out the other way before he spots us, okay?\u201d Joe whispered.\u00a0 He was beginning to regret that he hadn\u2019t brought the Savage with him, just as Pa had suggested.<\/p>\n

Rene grabbed Joe\u2019s arm and replied, \u201cSwa Jah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSwa?\u201d Little Joe asked, his face taking on a perplexed appearance until dull reality hit him between the eyes.\u00a0 \u201cPlease tell me that you don\u2019t mean swamp!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded insistently and grabbed Joe\u2019s arm, forcefully pulling him along with him.<\/p>\n

*** Oh, Dear Lord, please not that swamp again! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe thought as he was dragged along by the giant of a man.\u00a0 His mind fought back the terrible memories of being in the swamp with Rene while alligators circled around them.\u00a0 Little Joe could still vividly recall telling his family about his ordeal in the swamp.\u00a0 He thought back to how he had witnessed Pa and his two brothers hanging on to their seats as though they were experiencing the terrifying events through Joe\u2019s eyes that night.\u00a0 All three men downed shot after shot of rotgut whiskey as they listened to the frightening tale.\u00a0 And he had imbibed in the potent alcohol with each word he had relayed to his family members. Joe closed his eyes as the memory flooded his mind.\u00a0 He recalled every horrifying detail from the previous summer while Rene dragged him down to the swamp for the second time in his life.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cRene \u2013 hey you think this will help that fever of mine?\u201d Joe tried to joke in order to sound much more in control than he really was.\u00a0 It was over ninety degrees outside and here he was in a swamp completely soaked to the bone.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJah\u00a0 Jah,\u201d Rene pointed behind Joe.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHuh? What is it?\u00a0 What are you pointing at?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAhh Ahh,\u201d Rene said, and his face wore a mixture of sadness and apprehension.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI know \u2013 I know I miss Annabelle too \u2013 we just have to try to stay alive for the two of them,\u201d Joe patted the big man\u2019s shoulder to comfort him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene shook his head excitedly and said once more, \u201cAhh Ahh!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry \u2013 I must be getting punchy \u2013 I just don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re trying to tell me, Old Friend.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene grabbed Joe\u2019s arm, turning him around, so he wasn\u2019t looking towards the shoreline but in the opposite direction.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe thought he had to be positively delirious and that his mind was gone.\u00a0 He blinked hard and tried to see what Rene had motioned towards, but he didn\u2019t see anything.\u00a0 Finally, he saw them.\u00a0 Just above the waterline were two eyes that appeared to just float.\u00a0 He could see the slit to the eyeballs and wondered if it might be a huge snake which would have to be out of a nightmare.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAhh Ahh!\u201d Rene called to Joe.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAh?\u201d Joe answered trying to home in on what he was seeing and what Rene was saying as well.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh my God!\u201d Joe gasped as the two eyes slipped effortlessly through the water and the tail of whatever it was came closer.\u00a0 Joe wondered just what could have those kinds of spikes on its back and tail.\u00a0 It had to be some kind of unknown monster.\u00a0 He wished that he would wake up and see his father there in his bedroom easing him out of the nightmare.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be real; it was far too big to be real.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in the Hell is that?!\u201d Joe shouted over at Rene.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAhh Ahh!\u201d Rene replied adamantly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAhh?\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand \u2013 it\u2019s huge and it\u2019s coming this way.\u00a0 Heck let them sick those dogs on me \u2013 let them shoot me I don\u2019t care!\u00a0 I\u2019m not staying in this water with that monster!\u201d Joe panicked.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene grabbed Joe so he wouldn\u2019t get taken by the men out hunting for him.\u00a0 He lifted him up into his massive arms just as the beast moved close to them.\u00a0 Joe stared down from his perch in Rene\u2019s arms and saw the thing move precariously close to Rene\u2019s two legs.\u00a0 Joe figured that the monster had to be at least ten feet long.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cRene — don\u2019t let it get you!\u201d Joe cried out, worried that his friend would be the first one to get bitten and then he\u2019d be next.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene held his hand up to Joe\u2019s mouth so he would be quiet.\u00a0 Joe fought to get free, but Rene was far stronger and he was weakened due to the fever.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJah\u00a0\u00a0 Jah — Ahh,\u201d Rene whispered as the beast passed very close to where he stood.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it — what is it Rene?\u201d Joe asked again as he tried to figure out what he had meant by the sound of Ahh.\u00a0 Finally, a drawing from grade school came into Joe\u2019s troubled and fevered mind.\u00a0 \u201cOh my God \u2013 Rene — is that \u2013 is that an alligator?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene nodded and said, \u201cAhh.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get out of this swamp, Rene!\u00a0 Those things eat people — I\u2019ve heard of them \u2013 I ain\u2019t seen them until now \u2013 and that was really close \u2013 closer than I ever want to be again!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rene shook his head and lowered Joe back into the water.\u00a0 \u201cJah – Jah,\u201d he said and kept his hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder to prevent him from leaving the safety of the swamp.***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Two gunshots rang out just as Rene and Joe reached the banks of the swamp.\u00a0 Joe briefly got a glimpse of a man wearing a brown derby and a plaid coat standing in the tree line.\u00a0 He hurriedly pushed Rene down to keep him safe.\u00a0 It was then that a bullet slammed into Little Joe\u2019s right shoulder.\u00a0 His breath leaving him due to the impact, Joe spun around and then fell straight down onto the wet ground.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben paced the cabin floor and snapped the lid to his pocket watch closed for the third time that hour.\u00a0 Little Joe had been gone for just under two hours, and he couldn\u2019t understand what was keeping the boy.\u00a0 Ben was acutely aware that his son would know that he would worry, so he was starting to believe that Joe had run into someone on the way to meet up with Rene.\u00a0 Just when he was about to grab his coat and go out after him, Ben heard bootsteps on the back porch.\u00a0 He edged over to his topcoat lying on the bottom of his bunk and pulled out the Savage.<\/p>\n

\u201cStand right where you are,\u201d Ben warned as he pointed his gun at a man who was standing there facing away from him not far from the back door of the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cNow turn around slowly,\u201d He instructed, wondering if it was one of Townsend\u2019s men.<\/p>\n

The stranger, dressed all in black, cautiously eased around to face the man with the gun.\u00a0 He stared at him and then whispered, \u201cBen?\u201d<\/p>\n

His heart firmly planted in his throat, Ben Cartwright stood there speechless.\u00a0\u00a0 His mouth dropped open but no sound came out through his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a ghost \u2013 if that\u2019s what you\u2019re thinking.\u00a0 And you don\u2019t need that gun,\u201d The man insisted and waited until Ben dropped his weapon down at his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cClay?\u201d Ben choked out, his voice as shaky as his gun-hand was at the time.\u00a0 \u201cClay \u2013 is it really you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d he nodded and watched the confusion spreading across the face of his mother\u2019s husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand \u2013 how can you be alive when Joseph said you died in the fire?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably best if we go inside and I\u2019ll explain it to you?\u201d He offered quietly.<\/p>\n

Ben stepped back and pulled the door open.\u00a0 He watched as Clay Stafford limped across the back porch, casting a slight smile as he walked past him.<\/p>\n

The two men entered the cabin and Ben offered Joe\u2019s brother a chair at the table.\u00a0 He had noticed how pale and gaunt the man looked; nothing like his former self.\u00a0 Ben had also noticed Clay\u2019s limp as he crossed the floor and took a seat opposite him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Little Joe leave\u2014where\u2019d he go?\u201d Clay asked with worry etched all across his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gone to meet up with your friend Rene,\u201d Ben replied, still trying to get his nerves into check after seeing someone who for all intents and purposes should be dead and buried.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope he\u2019s not encountered any trouble,\u201d Clay sighed and coughed into his fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d Ben insisted as he hurriedly poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Clay.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not very hot \u2013 but it might help that cough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks \u2013 it flares up every once and awhile, Ben,\u201d Clay nodded as he took the cup that he\u2019d been offered.\u00a0 He slowly sipped the warm brew, allowing it to soothe his cough.<\/p>\n

Ben sank down into a chair and stared once again at his late wife Marie\u2019s son, Clay.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to ask you first.\u00a0 Your brother has been devastated over your death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know my showing up like this is a shock to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the understatement of all time,\u201d Ben returned, still overwhelmed by the strange turn of events.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell us?\u00a0 We\u2019ve been here in this cabin two days now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much has gone on, Ben \u2013 and I really didn\u2019t want to get you or my brother mixed up in all of it.\u00a0 But when I saw Joe leaving, I was worried about him and thought I\u2019d better come and show myself to you and try to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClay\u2014what\u2019s happened to you \u2013 you look ill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay sipped more of his coffee before responding.\u00a0 He had so much to tell the other man and was unsure where to begin.\u00a0 \u201cThe night of the fire \u2013 I guess Little Joe told you that I pushed him out the door so he wouldn\u2019t get hurt, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 and he\u2019s carried that with him every single day since then.\u00a0 He\u2019s mourned over you to the point of getting himself sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just it, Ben \u2013 back then Joe was very sick with the fever.\u00a0 If I hadn\u2019t kicked him out of the house, he would\u2019ve gone up with it.\u00a0 I had to somehow protect my brother no matter what it took.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cI appreciate that of course \u2013 but why the charade?\u00a0 You survived so why didn\u2019t you tell the boy afterwards?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so afraid that I\u2019d lose my brother, Ben.\u00a0 If he\u2019d stayed much longer, he would\u2019ve ended up either dying from the disease or at the hands of the men who were pursuing him.\u00a0 I had Rene take care of my brother \u2013 and later get him on his way to Atlanta.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I cared about after the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 what happened to you that night?\u00a0 I thought you were in the house when it went up in flames?\u201d<\/p>\n

In low hushed tones, Clay tried his best to describe what had happened that terrible night, \u201cI was in the house getting ready to go up the stairs to be with Annabelle.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter to me that she was already gone \u2013 I wasn\u2019t going to let those men take her from me.\u00a0 Before I could get to her, the walls began to come down around me and suddenly a man was standing there right where the stairs used to be.\u00a0 He was holding a gun in his hand and he fired at me.\u00a0 When he missed, I wrestled the pistol out of his hand and that\u2019s when part of the roof came down and killed him.\u00a0 I still don\u2019t know what happened right after that.\u00a0 I guess I was knocked out cold \u2013 I\u2019m just not sure.\u00a0 Somehow Rene made his way back to the house and found me.\u00a0 He carried me here to the caretaker\u2019s cabin.\u00a0 I was in and out of consciousness for days.\u00a0 I guess the times when Joe was out of his head due to the fever, Rene was here taking care of me.\u00a0 He divided his time between the two of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still don\u2019t understand why you didn\u2019t let Joseph know you were alive,\u201d Ben said still bewildered by all he had heard so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen \u2013 you know as well as I do that I couldn\u2019t have gotten Joe to leave if he knew that I had survived.\u00a0 He\u2019d probably have insisted that I go back to Nevada with him once we were both well.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t stand a chance in hell if he\u2019d stayed here \u2013 not as sick as he was and with those men out looking for him.\u00a0 I knew that the only way he could survive was for him to make his way up to Atlanta and then on home to you.\u00a0 Once Rene let me know that Joe had made it out safely, I thought it was best under the circumstances that everyone believed that I was dead.\u00a0 I felt dead inside anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 Joseph said he and Rene buried you and Annabelle.\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnabelle and the man who tried to kill me were buried there at the oak tree where Joe and the two of us carved our initials.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want him buried there next to my wife, but I was afraid that someone might find the body on their own and start asking questions.\u00a0 So, I let Rene pretend that he\u2019d found my body and not the man who tried to kill me.\u00a0 But a few months later the investigation started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe investigation?\u201d Ben questioned, confused by some of the details Clay had just offered him.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean the missing person\u2019s case?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 the man who tried to kill me and died in the fire \u2013 it was Ezra Davenport.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure about it \u2013 but after I saw his picture in the paper and found a ring with his initials in the ruins of the house, I realized it was him.\u00a0 One night not very long ago, Rene and I dug him up and put him back under some of the charred remains of the plantation house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reeled from the information and tried to take it all in.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not tell the authorities so they\u2019ll stop hounding Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they\u2019d probably say one of us murdered the man\u2014there\u2019s no way to prove our innocence, Ben.\u00a0 Rene knows what\u2019s happening, and he doesn\u2019t want me to go to jail.\u00a0 He took care of me after he got Joe safely away from here.\u00a0 I broke my leg during the fire \u2013 and I guess I sucked in too much smoke.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had a nasty cough ever since that night.\u00a0 But Rene set my leg and doctored me the best that he could.\u00a0 After I lost Annabelle, nothing really mattered to me because I didn\u2019t want to live after losing her,\u201d Clay suddenly stopped speaking.\u00a0 The reminder of the loss of the woman he had loved grieved him so much he could still taste the bitterness of it.<\/p>\n

Ben reached over and set a hand on Clay\u2019s arm, trying to offer what comfort he could.\u00a0 \u201cI understand that kind of pain very well.\u00a0 I felt the same way when I lost your mother.\u00a0 But you\u2019ve just got to go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing to himself, Clay nodded, \u201cI know that now, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been trying to book passage on a ship so I can take Rene away with me and start all over again.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve not had much luck on the docks.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to find someone I can trust so we can safely get out of the harbor.\u00a0 Rene is so big it\u2019s easy to spot him especially with a reward on his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure that it wouldn\u2019t be better to just tell your story to Inspector Townsend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if we could trust Townsend \u2013 which I don\u2019t think we could \u2013 there\u2019s the Davenport family that we\u2019d have to contend with.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got a great deal of pull in this state and they\u2019re out for blood, Ben.\u00a0 No \u2013 if they think I killed Ezra they\u2019ll make sure I end up going to the gallows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben opened his pocket watch and stared down at the time.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll think of something.\u00a0 But right now, I\u2019m concerned about your brother.\u00a0 Joseph should\u2019ve been back by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe should be safe if he\u2019s with Rene.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019re trying to get back \u2013 and are just being extra cautious?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s talk while we wait \u2013 if he doesn\u2019t get back soon, I\u2019ll go try to find him,\u201d he said and reached for the coffee pot that he\u2019d set back on top of the stove.<\/p>\n

\n

Rene lifted Joe up in his arms and carried him through the thick reeds and down into the swamp.\u00a0 He held onto his friend to protect him and kept an eye out for the man who had sent the bullet which had struck the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene?\u201d Little Joe muttered as he slowly returned to consciousness.\u00a0 He felt the cool water seeping through his boots and suddenly realized where he was.\u00a0 \u201cRene \u2013 I don\u2019t want to stay in this swamp.\u00a0 Will you go and get some help?\u00a0 I can\u2019t run right now\u2014my shoulder is on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah?\u00a0 Kah?\u201d Rene asked, his eyes brimming with tears, so worried about his friend\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n

For the life of him Joe couldn\u2019t figure out why the big man kept mentioning Clay.\u00a0 He had to try to get through to him somehow.\u00a0 \u201cRene \u2013 listen to me, okay?\u00a0 You can\u2019t get me back to the cabin \u2013 I\u2019d just slow you down and what with that man out there somewhere with a gun it\u2019s just not safe for you to stay here.\u00a0 But if you can just make it to the caretaker\u2019s cabin my Pa will look after you.\u00a0 He\u2019ll hide you.\u00a0 My father is a tall man with silver hair \u2013 you can\u2019t miss him!\u00a0 Tell Pa to come on horseback and fetch me out of here.\u00a0 Then you stay at that cabin until we get back.\u00a0 It\u2019s safer than being here in the swamp with me \u2013 you\u2019re too big of a target, but I\u2019m not.\u00a0 Besides, I\u2019m just too weak right now \u2013 I\u2019d never make it.\u00a0 Now get going, okay?\u00a0 Just go to the cabin \u2013 Pa will know who you are.\u00a0 He\u2019s a nice man \u2013 he won\u2019t hurt you I promise!\u00a0 Listen \u2013 I told Pa to set one of our horses inside of that rope corral next to the cabin if there\u2019s trouble.\u00a0 If you see one inside of it then just hide somewhere until the corral is empty and then go get Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah \u2013 Ah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s face paled when he heard Rene\u2019s warning.\u00a0 From past history he was very keenly aware of what it meant.\u00a0 Cautiously he looked behind him, and even in the dull light given off by the full moon he could see the alligator gliding along next to the two of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene\u2014I won\u2019t hurt them if they don\u2019t hurt me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll be okay.\u00a0 Now please go and get my Pa.\u00a0 Can you say that word?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPah?\u201d Rene repeated, a question in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Joe fought off his pain to offer the man a smile, \u201cGood job, Rene!\u00a0 You just say Pa and he\u2019ll know that you\u2019re talking to him.\u00a0 He\u2019ll also know if you say Jah that you\u2019re talking about me.\u00a0 Let him know where I am and to come fetch me on horseback while you stay put, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded and carefully eased the boy down into the reeds closer to the banks of the swamp.\u00a0 He hunkered down low to the ground and hurried off into the woods towards the cabin.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Clay both heard the racket out on the porch.\u00a0 Unsure if it was Joe and Rene, Ben grabbed the Savage and slowly inched the back door open.\u00a0 He saw a hulking figure of a man even taller than his son Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Ben \u2013 it\u2019s Rene,\u201d Clay sighed with relief as he hurried outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene \u2013 come in please,\u201d Ben joined the other two men on the porch and offered the man a welcoming smile so he would know that he was safe.\u00a0 He stood back to allow both Clay and Rene to come in through the back door.<\/p>\n

Rene looked at Clay and then at the silver-haired man.\u00a0 \u201cPah,\u201d Rene said urgently and pointed at Ben.<\/p>\n

Taken aback hearing the large man\u2019s greeting, Ben finally recovered and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes\u2014that\u2019s right, Rene.\u00a0 I am Joe\u2019s Pah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene turned and looked at Clay a distressed expression on his face, \u201cKah \u2013 Jah!\u00a0 Jah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Joe, Rene?\u00a0 Where is he?\u201d Clay coaxed his friend out with the information.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwa\u2014Jah \u2013 swa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s face grew pale as he cast a precarious look at Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe is in the swamp, Ben,\u201d Clay announced and looked back at Rene.\u00a0 \u201cIs he hurt, Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded excitedly and pointed at his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got hurt \u2013 how, Rene?\u201d Ben questioned, not knowing if the man would be able to explain himself well enough.<\/p>\n

Rene made his hand into what looked like a gun and nodded at both men.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe was shot, Rene?\u201d Clay jumped in.<\/p>\n

Rene nodded excitedly.\u00a0 \u201cPah!\u00a0 Jah \u2013 Pah!\u201d Rene insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe needs me \u2013 is that right, Rene?\u201d Ben returned breathlessly.<\/p>\n

Rene nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook \u2013 is there somewhere that the two of you could hide until we get back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 there\u2019s a false floor in the back room of this cabin.\u00a0 Nobody knows about it \u2013 not even the previous caretaker.\u00a0 Annabelle\u2019s father showed it to me a couple of years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine \u2013 the two of you go down there as soon as I leave.\u00a0 I\u2019ll call to you when I get in with Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen \u2013 why don\u2019t I go with you?\u201d Clay offered, fear for his brother\u2019s safety written all over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 you stay here with Rene, Clay.\u00a0 You\u2019re not well.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take care of the boy.\u00a0 Now tell me where that swamp is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay pointed past the back porch and answered, \u201cAbout two miles south of here.\u00a0 You can\u2019t miss it \u2013 but it\u2019s dangerous, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Ben thought back to the terrifying stories that Joe had told him about the place.\u00a0 He cringed at the thought that his son had ended up there again, and this time with a bullet wound in him.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t relish the idea of going there either, but he would have moved heaven and earth to help save his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take one of the horses — that way we can get back here quickly.\u00a0 Now you two go and hide \u2013 the last thing we need is for whoever shot the boy to show up here!\u201d Ben exclaimed and hurried to get his coat.\u00a0 He was going to take the gun his son had brought all the way from Nevada just in case they encountered danger; apparently Joseph\u2019s instincts had been correct.<\/p>\n

Within minutes, Ben was mounted on his horse, spurring it out of the yard and into the dark of night riding hard so he could get to his son.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe struggled to keep the bullet wound in his right shoulder above the waterline.\u00a0 It had been bleeding quite a bit, and he didn\u2019t want to draw any of the many predators hiding in the swamp over to him because of the scent that fresh blood would leave in the water.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t chance trying to get to shore because he\u2019d be out in the open and the man who had shot him might still be lurking about.\u00a0 Earlier Joe had watched as the huge black shadow made by Rene had made it safely out of the water and, the last time he\u2019d spotted him, it looked as though he was moving fast trying to get to the cabin and bring back help.\u00a0 Joe fought back both his increasing nausea and intense fear.\u00a0 In the pale moonlight he witnessed at least half a dozen alligators slowly gliding past where he stood treading water but trying to be quiet about it.\u00a0 He prayed that Rene had made it to the cabin safely for his friend\u2019s sake and for himself.\u00a0 Joe was secure in the fact that once Pa heard that he had been shot he would rush right out to help him.\u00a0 He was just a little bit worried that his father might not be able to understand the big man.\u00a0 Joe figured Pa would understand the name Jah because he\u2019d told him that Rene had called him that the previous summer.<\/p>\n

Ben ground tied his mount in the tree line just to the east side of the swamp.\u00a0 He quietly made his way to the water\u2019s edge and peered out in the direction of the tall reeds trying to spot his boy.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t want to yell Joe\u2019s name because he was unsure whether whoever had shot the boy was still around.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben whispered as he slowly waded out into the cool dark water.\u00a0 His coat ballooned out as his waist dipped lower into the swampy marsh.\u00a0 Ben wished that he\u2019d been able to take it off, but he had wanted to keep the Savage close in case he spotted the shooter.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Can you hear me?\u00a0 Where are you, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes, getting woozy due to blood loss.\u00a0 In the past hour he had almost allowed his face to dip down into the water numerous times but then he\u2019d hear splashing sounds that were far too close for comfort.\u00a0 When he heard something drawing closer to him, Joe became terrified that the blood from his wound had drawn an alligator over to him.\u00a0 He blinked his eyes open quickly but couldn\u2019t catch sight of what was approaching from somewhere off to his right.\u00a0 A surge of adrenalin suddenly coursing through his veins, Joe held his breath and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben sang out again and sank down lower in the muddy water.\u00a0 \u201cCan you hear me, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally realizing that it was his father\u2019s voice that he had heard and not the approach of a reptile, Joe looked to his right and spotted him about seven or eight yards away.\u00a0 A tremendous wave of relief swept over Joe, causing tears to form in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he cried out as he attempted to move closer to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust stay put, Son \u2013 don\u2019t move!\u00a0 I\u2019m making my way over to you right now,\u201d Ben answered and carefully waded over to the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God,\u201d Joe whispered when he felt Pa\u2019s wet fingers searching for his one good shoulder.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know when he\u2019d ever felt so relieved to see his father or feel his touch.<\/p>\n

Moonlight cut through the swamp as Ben finally got a tight grip on his boy.\u00a0 Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, he choked out the word, \u201cJoseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d Little Joe moaned weakly.\u00a0 He felt terrible for having caused his father to come to his rescue out in the dreadful swamp filled with both deadly alligators and water moccasins.<\/p>\n

Ben carefully pulled Joe tight against his chest, hugging his son right there in the black waters of the swamp; taking no thought to the danger that he was in at the time.\u00a0 The fierceness of Pa\u2019s embrace let Joe know, without another word exchanged between them, just how terrified his father had been of losing him, and how relieved he was to have found him alive.\u00a0 Closing his eyes, Ben pressed his lips against the boy\u2019s clammy forehead and offered a silent prayer, thanking God for watching over his son.\u00a0 Trying to push aside the terrible thoughts he\u2019d had about finding his son dead, Ben cleared his throat to rid himself of the latent emotion.\u00a0 \u201cI just knew you\u2019d get shot,\u201d he admonished the boy and then grinned knowingly at him.<\/p>\n

Joe winced as the quick movement of his father\u2019s embrace jarred his wound, but he forced his lips to form a tight smile.\u00a0 It came off a bit lopsided due to the agonizing pain, but he wanted Pa to see it.\u00a0 He wanted his father to know that the feeling was mutual, and he was equally glad to be held there in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou were right, Pa.\u201d Joe coughed, expelling some of the swamp water he had taken in.\u00a0 With his voice just above a whisper he added, \u201cUnfortunately you always are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bent down and briefly examined his son\u2019s wound.\u00a0 There in the light given off by the full moon he saw enough to know that there was a slug in his son\u2019s shoulder, and it needed to come out.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 why didn\u2019t you climb back on the shore instead of staying in this swamp?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t \u2013 Pa.\u00a0 There\u2019s some lunatic wearing a brown derby and a plaid coat who\u2019s gunning for me.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard him moving around a couple of times \u2013 whenever I tried to drag myself out of here.\u00a0 I think he\u2019s over in that stand of trees to our right.\u00a0 This wound has got me feeling pretty weak \u2013 so I didn\u2019t think it was a good idea to try to get out of the swamp until you made it here.\u00a0 He already shot me once \u2013 that\u2019s about all the bullets I need in me right now.\u00a0 My shoulder feels like a hot knife is going through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing I\u2019ve got that Savage you bought, Son.\u00a0 If I get a bead on him, I\u2019ll just even the odds,\u201d Ben tried to sound more confident than he really was at the time.\u00a0 Presently he had an injured boy on his hands and a possible sniper out in the darkness somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get too wet, Pa \u2013 remember that gun is like an anchor and you\u2019ll sink,\u201d Joe attempted to joke about the situation though he was hurting like the blue blazes.<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately, the Savage is above my waist in that secret pouch inside the lining of my coat or it wouldn\u2019t be any good now.\u00a0 Let\u2019s start back to shore and I\u2019ll listen out for that man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe watched as a pair of eyes effortlessly glided on top of the water heading straight for them.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 don\u2019t move right now,\u201d he choked out his warning and held still.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re gonna have to decide which way to point that gun \u2013 either toward those trees and the man who may be out there ready to fire off a shot at us or at the monster that\u2019s coming our way,\u201d Joe explained, dreading what could happen if one of the alligators had gotten the scent of his blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me \u2013 it\u2019s not one of your ten-foot-long friends, is it, Joseph?\u201d Ben questioned trying his best to hide the increasing fear in his voice.\u00a0 Slowly turning around, still holding onto the boy, he cast a wary eye at the massive ripples forming in the dark water.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 just hold real still for a few minutes and hopefully it\u2019ll just swim by us.\u201d Joe cautioned, all the while praying that the huge reptile wouldn\u2019t go after his pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep that shoulder above the water, Joseph \u2013 your wound might make that thing come closer!\u201d Ben insisted as he finally got a good look at the alligator which was now close enough to reach out and touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t move, Pa,\u201d Joe muttered and held his breath.<\/p>\n

For what seemed like hours, but in fact was only a few minutes, the alligator simply stopped its progression through the water and floated there next to them.\u00a0 Ben and Joe clung to each other without making a sound.\u00a0 The beast finally thrashed its tail back and forth a few times and then slowly swam past them, finally turning in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa \u2013 that was a close one,\u201d Ben groaned as he got a better grip on his son, trying to keep Joe from going under.\u00a0 He could easily tell that the boy\u2019s strength was waning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 I\u2019ve counted almost twenty of them while I was waiting for you to show up,\u201d Joe announced weakly.<\/p>\n

Ben was just about to comment when he felt his son\u2019s body going lax in his arms until he wasn\u2019t much more than a dead weight.\u00a0 He surmised that Joe had passed out due to the loss of blood, along with the pain from his wound.\u00a0 Ben was scared to death over the thought of what could have happened to his son.\u00a0 He knew that the boy had hung on with all that he had left inside while he waited for help.\u00a0 If Joseph had fallen out earlier, he would\u2019ve either drowned or he\u2019d have been carried off by one of the alligators.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got you, Joseph,\u201d Ben crooned, fighting back the appearance of sudden tears in his eyes.\u00a0 \u00a0He pulled his son\u2019s soaking wet body up into his arms, being cognizant of the blood which still dripped from Joe\u2019s shoulder wound.\u00a0 He knew that the last thing that they needed was to draw more predators to them due to the scent which was now in the water.\u00a0 Ben carefully waded through the muddy depths and thick reeds as he sloshed his way to the banks of the swamp.\u00a0 He made his way over to the tall grass and gently placed his son down on the ground out of harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n

Only the bottom half of Ben\u2019s long coat was wet, so he removed it now that they were next to the horse he\u2019d ground tied earlier.\u00a0 He took a quick second to remove the gun from its pouch and placed it inside the saddlebags.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s see what you\u2019ve done to yourself this time, Son,\u201d Ben sighed as he checked the wound a bit more thoroughly.\u00a0 Kneeling next to Joe, Ben reached for the boy\u2019s left shirt sleeve, tearing it loose from the seams at the shoulder.\u00a0 It being the only part of the material that was even close to being dry, he wadded it up and placed it against Joe\u2019s wound attempting to staunch the flow of blood.\u00a0 Next, Ben grabbed his coat and wrapped his son inside of it, trying to bundle him tightly enough to warm his body.\u00a0 He had grown very concerned that Joseph had spent much too long in the cool murky water of the swamp and what with having bled so much from his wound, Ben was worried that the boy might have a touch of hypothermia going on which could bring about a bad case of shock.\u00a0 That was the last thing that either one of them needed! \u00a0The coat wouldn\u2019t offer much by way of warmth, but it was the best that Pa could do for the time being.\u00a0 He cast a wary glance over to the other stand of trees to make sure that the hidden assailant wasn\u2019t getting ready to send another bullet their way.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t see anyone and he wasn\u2019t planning on sticking around long enough to find out if the sniper was still hiding somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2014 Joseph — can you hear me?\u201d Ben asked as he lightly slapped the boy\u2019s face trying to bring him back around.<\/p>\n

A dull moan emanated from Joe\u2019s lips and his eyes rolled back before his eyelids finally opened halfway.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d he asked filled with confusion as if he was stuck inside some kind of a foggy dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 I need you to try to stay with me now\u2013 c\u2019mon \u2013keep those eyes open. \u00a0I\u2019ve got to get you up in the saddle.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna sit you there in front of me \u2013 and it won\u2019t be long until you\u2019re safe and warm there in the cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRene?\u00a0 Pa \u2013 did Rene get there okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and shook his head over his son\u2019s question.\u00a0 Here the boy had a slug buried in his shoulder and he was worried about his friend.\u00a0 After years of careful observation, Ben wouldn\u2019t have expected anything different from his son.\u00a0 \u201cYes \u2013 Rene is at the cabin \u2013 don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 Now \u2013 let\u2019s get you up into that saddle,\u201d He announced calmly and pulled the boy back up into his arms.\u00a0 It had been a real chore to get Joe lifted high enough so he could straddle the horse, but he finally succeeded.\u00a0 Swinging up into the saddle, Ben mounted and reached for the reins.\u00a0 He held them in his right hand while wrapping his left arm securely around the boy\u2019s waist and pulling him taunt against his chest.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Ben announced and kicked at the horse\u2019s sides.<\/p>\n

\n

The horse snorted loudly as Ben jerked back on the reins upon riding up in front of the cabin.\u00a0 He was afraid for his son who had passed out just a few minutes after he had been placed there in front of him a half an hour ago.\u00a0 Ben slid his right leg across the saddle and came down to the ground.\u00a0 He reached for his son who came down into his arms just as lifeless as a ragdoll.\u00a0 Ben kept speaking to Joe, though he knew he was beyond hearing him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get you all fixed up, Joseph,\u201d He insisted as he crossed the yard and climbed the three steps to the cabin\u2019s front door.\u00a0 Carefully shifting the boy\u2019s body a bit, Ben was able to free up one hand so he could pry the door latch open and step inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we are, Son,\u201d Ben whispered and spread the boy down onto one of the bunks.\u00a0 \u201cNow you just lay there for a minute while your pa takes care of a few things.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ben pulled off his soaking wet boots and socks, setting them down in front of the potbellied stove.\u00a0 He decided he\u2019d rather spend the night barefooted than walking around in the mud-filled boots.\u00a0 Ben reached down and pulled Joe\u2019s boots and socks off his feet as well and placed them next to his.\u00a0 *** I\u2019ve got to have some help. ***<\/em><\/strong> He thought and cast a quick glance at the back room.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right back, Son,\u201d Ben crooned to a boy who was beyond being able to hear his words.<\/p>\n

Walking over to the next room, Ben stopped and looked for the secret opening Clay had spoken about.\u00a0 Unable to locate it, he took the heel of his right foot and pounded on the floor as loudly as he could manage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Clay — Rene \u2013 we\u2019re back!\u201d Ben sang out and waited.\u00a0 Just a minute later part of the floor lifted up just a foot away from where he had been standing and he soon faced both men who had hidden down below.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Joe?\u201d Clay asked breathlessly, staring at the worry-creased face before him.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and fearfully shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s in rough shape.\u00a0 I could use some extra hands \u2013 Clay \u2013 and you too, Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two men followed the anxious father into the next room and stared down at Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s out of it,\u201d Clay whispered after feeling Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI think he\u2019s worked up a fever, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know \u2013 that slug\u2019s got to come out.\u00a0 Could you get some hot water going on the stove, Clay?\u00a0 And if you\u2019ve got some whiskey hidden anywhere it might come in handy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found some down below that Mister Copeland had stashed away.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go heat the water and then get it,\u201d Clay nodded and hurried off to assist in his brother\u2019s care.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene?\u00a0 Could you tear the sheet over there on that other bunk into strips about this wide?\u201d Ben motioned with his hands the size he\u2019d need to bandage the boy.<\/p>\n

Rene nodded and walked across the room, hurrying to help his friend.<\/p>\n

Ben walked back to Joe\u2019s bunk and tried to decide what he should do next.\u00a0 \u201cGuess you need to come out of those wet clothes, Young Man,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 He pulled the coat off his son and tossed it on the bottom of the bunk.\u00a0 Then Ben loosened the buttons of Joe\u2019s shirt and gently eased it off him, being mindful of the boy\u2019s injury.\u00a0 He unbuckled Joe\u2019s belt and pulled it out from behind him and then tugged off the water-soaked pants.\u00a0 Reaching for the blanket, which was lying on the footboard of the bunk, he spread it over his son to prevent him from catching a cold after so many hours in the murky depths of the swamp.\u00a0 Ben swept the wet bangs off his son\u2019s forehead and sighed.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the first time he\u2019d had to remove a bullet from his youngest, but regardless he was worried over the prospect of doing it.\u00a0 How he wished that they were back home and Doc Martin was there at his son\u2019s side.\u00a0 During such times all Ben had to do was hold his son\u2019s hand and encourage him.\u00a0 But now he\u2019d have to perform the surgery and that wouldn\u2019t be easy.\u00a0 \u201cRest, Joseph — your Pa\u2019s right here next to you,\u201d He whispered and leaned forward to leave a kiss on his son\u2019s forehead. Drawing in a deep breath, Ben pulled himself off the bunk to prepare to go after the slug in his son\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\n

Clay held the kerosene lamp up at the head of the bed and Rene stood off to his left shoulder waiting and worrying about Joe.\u00a0 Ben sat there on the right side of the bunk and stared at his son\u2019s wound.\u00a0 With the knife he had just heated and poured whiskey over in his hand, he readied to remove the slug.\u00a0 He had hoped that his son would have stayed unconscious but just when he began to carve through the bullet hole, Joe awakened.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe muttered, thrashing his head on the pillow and trying to pull himself away from the feel of the hot metal that was cutting into his flesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, Boy \u2013 easy,\u201d Ben tried his best to calm his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d\u00a0 Joe whispered, his fevered mind wondering what was going on.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 the swamp \u2013 watch out \u2013 there\u2019s one next to you!\u201d He cried and thrashed wildly on the bunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s okay, Joseph.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got a bullet that needs to come out of you \u2013 so just ease back and let me have at it.\u00a0 It won\u2019t take long,\u201d he said softly trying to allay the boy\u2019s fears while holding him down with his left hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 the alligator \u2013it\u2019s almost \u2013 it\u2019s almost on top of us \u2013 Pa \u2013 watch out!\u201d Joe\u2019s pleas grew louder as his body tensed up with fear.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up at Clay who stood on the opposite side of the bed still holding the lamp.\u00a0 \u201cBetter go fetch me some of that whiskey in a cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe muttered, caught between consciousness and delirium.\u00a0 He had seen the figure of someone as they passed by the bed.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 who \u2013 who\u2019s that?\u00a0 Is it one of Townsend\u2019s men?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a bullet that needed to come out of his son, and it needed to come out quickly as Ben was afraid that the boy would end up with blood poisoning if he waited too much longer.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to get into the fact that Clay was alive and assisting him with the operation.\u00a0 It would be just too much for his son to take in at the present time.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a need for any long, drawn-out explanations, not just yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s just fine, Joseph.\u00a0 See your friend Rene standing here?\u201d He motioned to the big man on the left side of the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene?\u00a0 Rene \u2013 you\u2019ve got to get to Pa \u2013 he\u2019s at the cabin.\u00a0 No \u2013 no — Pa\u2019s out in the swamp \u2013 Rene!\u00a0 We\u2019ve got to get him out of there \u2013 the alligator \u2013 it\u2019s closing in on him!\u201d Joe cried out, rapidly blinking his eyes due to the onset of fever-induced delirium.<\/p>\n

\u201cJah,\u201d Rene replied and set one massive hand onto the boy\u2019s left shoulder.<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes and fought back his nausea and confusion.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Joseph, I\u2019m right here next to you.\u00a0 The two of us made it out of that swamp \u2013and the alligators didn\u2019t get us.\u00a0 Just settle down now,\u201d Ben responded squeezing his son\u2019s right hand trying to reassure him that he really was there at his side and not back in the swamp fending off alligators.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 you let me get that bullet out of you, Young Man, and then we\u2019ll talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay returned with a cup half filled with whiskey.\u00a0 \u201cHere, Ben,\u201d he said handing it to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirsty,\u201d Joe muttered, his tongue sliding back and forth against his parched lips.\u00a0 \u201cThirsty,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n

Ben traded Clay the knife for the cup in his hand.\u00a0 He reached down and lifted Joe\u2019s head up a bit and said, \u201cHere you are, Joseph.\u00a0 Take a couple of good sips of this then you\u2019re going to have to settle back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Joe\u2019s lips found the edge of the tin cup, and he drank some of the whiskey before nodding to his father that he\u2019d had enough.\u00a0 Ben dropped the boy\u2019s head back down onto the pillow and handed the cup back to Clay in exchange for the knife.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe whispered, his eyelids beginning to droop.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

A single moment of clarity taking over, Joe began to speak, \u201cPa \u2013 they say before you die that you can see people who have passed on \u2013 I think I\u2019m dying.\u00a0 I \u2013 I – just saw Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Ben shook his head and signaled for Clay to come closer.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not dying, Joseph \u2013 and you\u2019re not dreaming.\u00a0 Your brother is alive \u2013 and he\u2019s standing right here next to you now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes blinked open as he watched Clay leaning down closer to him on the left side of the bunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll explain it all to you later, Brother.\u00a0 But right now, you\u2019ve got to let your Pa get that bullet out,\u201d Clay said and patted Little Joe\u2019s one good shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cClay?\u201d Joe whispered, very sure that he was imagining everything due to his fever.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat and announced sternly, \u201cYour happy reunion with Clay is going to have to keep for a little while, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013\u201d Joe wanted to know what was going on but the fierce pain from his gunshot wound wouldn\u2019t allow it.<\/p>\n

Clay noticed his brother\u2019s face scrunching up in agony and reached for the whiskey that remained in the cup he had set down.\u00a0 \u201cHere, Joe \u2013 sorry I don\u2019t have any of the pulque you\u2019re so fond of, but this is some of Mister Copeland\u2019s finest Tennessee whiskey.\u00a0 Better get a little more down before your Pa goes after that bullet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurting too badly to ask any further questions, Little Joe accepted the cup one last time and took in a couple of sips before his brother set it aside and nodded over to Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow bite down on this, Joseph,\u201d Ben insisted and placed a piece of leather in the boy\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 He waited until Joe obliged, clamping his teeth down on it.\u00a0 Then, giving a slight nod of his head, he let Pa know he was ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold that lamp a little closer, Clay,\u201d Ben instructed as he set the blade of the knife against his son\u2019s wound.\u00a0 Drawing in a deep breath to steady his hand and his nerves, he made an incision through the entrance wound.\u00a0 Ben witnessed his son\u2019s back arching, and he almost came off the bunk.\u00a0 \u201cClay, hold that left shoulder down,\u201d He commanded and waited until the man had a good strong grip on his brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 Ben cut a line about an inch in length through the jagged hole that the bullet had left in his son.\u00a0 That was as much as Little Joe could tolerate and he passed out cold.\u00a0 \u201cGood \u2013 you don\u2019t need to be awake for this, Joseph,\u201d He muttered and then went about the arduous task of locating the slug.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben had insisted that one of the two men take the other bunk and get some sleep while he waited for Joe to come around.\u00a0 He had removed the bullet from his son\u2019s shoulder and cleaned the area well.\u00a0 Ben wrapped the wound tightly with the strips of bandage Rene had made from the sheet.\u00a0 He had watched as Rene had argued with Clay in his own broken vocabulary, insisting that he\u2019d rather sleep there on the floor next to the bunk.\u00a0 Finally, Clay had given up trying to make the giant of a man lie down somewhere softer and took the extra blankets he\u2019d found in the hidden room below the cabin and made up a pallet on the floor for Rene.\u00a0 He then did as Ben had asked and spread out on the bunk.<\/p>\n

After watching over his son for better than three hours, Ben had finally given in to the exhaustion caused by a very frightening night including his time spent in the swamp and operating on the boy.\u00a0 He slumbered on in the chair next to Joe\u2019s bunk until just before daybreak when he was awakened by his son stirring in the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 Pa \u2013 what\u2019s going on?\u201d Little Joe whispered, blinking his eyes trying to focus on his father sitting just to the right side of his bunk.<\/p>\n

Ben coughed to clear his throat and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands trying to wake up fully.\u00a0 He leaned forward in the chair and patted the boy\u2019s arm trying to instill calm in him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s fine, Joseph \u2013 settle down now,\u201d He cooed and reached for the cup of water he\u2019d left on the small table next to the bunk.\u00a0 \u201cHere \u2013 drink a little bit of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe leaned forward and accepted the cup that his father held to his lips.\u00a0 He drank what he could before waving it away.\u00a0 \u201cDid you get it out, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling as he set the cup back down, Ben nodded to his son.\u00a0 \u201cSure did \u2013 it was in pretty deep \u2013 and was a bit stubborn but here it is,\u201d He handed Joe the slug.<\/p>\n

Studying the bullet, Joe offered a wry smile and remarked, \u201cThey come out of a man a lot tougher than they go in, Pa.\u00a0 Sorry about me getting shot \u2013 but at least I didn\u2019t get arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t even say that word \u2013 we\u2019re not home yet you know?\u00a0 Nothing that you do surprises me anymore, Young Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wincing his face as he shifted on the bunk, Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I surprise myself sometimes though.\u00a0 Like being in a swamp filled with alligators for the second time in my life.\u00a0 \u00a0Hey \u2013 I must\u2019ve been pretty much out of it, huh?\u00a0 I had the strangest dream, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Ben returned and a knowing smile played upon his lips.\u00a0 He had pretty much guessed what his son\u2019s next words would be.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Clay, Pa \u2013 he was right here in this cabin.\u00a0 And I dreamed that he was standing just on the other side of this bunk.\u00a0 It seemed so real,\u201d Joe sighed, shaking his head sadly.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and replied, \u201cWell, if you\u2019ll promise to stay down and try not to move maybe I\u2019ll fill you in on why you had that dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pointing across the room over at the other bunk, Ben said, \u201cClay is in that bed right now, Joseph.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a dream at all.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s going to take a lot of explaining \u2013 but he\u2019ll tell you all about it shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joe gasped and then witnessed the still form on the other bunk slowly getting up and heading his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I heard your voice, Brother,\u201d Clay smiled as he drew closer to Ben and Joe.<\/p>\n

Ben stood from his chair and directed his attention to Clay.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 if you\u2019ll make sure that this boy doesn\u2019t move around, I\u2019ll leave the two of you alone so you can talk for a while.\u00a0 I\u2019ll stretch out on that bunk you just vacated.\u00a0 He\u2019s doing okay so far, but I don\u2019t want that wound to start bleeding again,\u201d He warned.\u00a0 Turning back to stare down at his son he said, \u201cJoseph, settle back and let your brother explain everything to you, but I want you to be quiet, understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe, his eyes reflecting his bewilderment and his mouth hanging wide open, nodded to his father.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned to see the expression of pure awe on his son\u2019s face.\u00a0 He gently combed his fingers through Joe\u2019s curly hair and then turned and walked over to the bunk so he could lie down for a little while.<\/p>\n

\u201cCla — Clay,\u201d Joe stuttered as his brother took a seat in the chair Pa had just come out of.\u00a0 \u201cClay \u2013 I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling down at his brother, Clay patted his left arm and whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s really me, Joe \u2013 I\u2019m sorry for what I had to do.\u00a0 I know it hurt you to think I died \u2013 but it couldn\u2019t be helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 why?\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t you tell me?\u00a0 Clay \u2013 I thought I\u2019d lost you forever!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben sang out from across the room, a warning in his tone of voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better be still or your Pa is going to come back over here and get after you,\u201d Clay laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNow just ease back and I\u2019ll tell you everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben watched as his son settled back against his pillows.\u00a0 When he was satisfied that he was going to stay put, he pulled up the blanket and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 I was so afraid that you\u2019d be killed if you stayed inside the house with me that I had to come up with some way to get you to leave.\u00a0 I had already asked Rene to watch the place and if it looked like the mob was getting ready to do something I told him to take you off someplace where you\u2019d be safe.\u00a0 Once I witnessed the torches being lit, I knew that I had to get you out of the house before the place was set on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 how \u2013 how did you survive the fire?\u00a0 I watched the torches land on top of the roof and then it spread like a tinderbox.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay sighed and shook his head, \u201cI\u2019m still not exactly sure how it happened, Joe.\u00a0 I told your father that I was getting ready to go up the staircase when the walls started crashing down around me.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I spotted a man who had somehow gotten inside and he was aiming a gun at me.\u00a0 We fought and I wrestled the pistol from his hand when part of the roof came down and killed him.\u00a0 The next minute I guess something fell on me too.\u00a0 But Rene came back after he\u2019d taken you into the woods.\u00a0 He found me somehow and carried me down here to the cabin before going back to look after you.\u00a0 Rene had to set my leg \u2013 it got busted somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me you were still alive, Clay?\u00a0 You shouldn\u2019t have let me believe I had lost you!\u201d Little Joe insisted with hurt very evident in his eyes and in his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Clay paused and reached for his brother\u2019s hand, taking it into his own.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Brother, I knew you\u2019d never leave here if you believed that I was alive.\u00a0 You were so sick and I was worried you\u2019d die if you stayed here.\u00a0 You were already being pursued by some of those same men who had set the house on fire.\u00a0 I thought that the only way you\u2019d survive was if Rene helped get you to Atlanta and then on home to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 All I cared about was you \u2013 nothing else mattered to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face was the picture of both hurt and confusion as he stared up at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cBut \u2013 but Rene and I buried you and Annabelle \u2013 down at your oak tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe two of you buried Annabelle and the man who tried to kill me, Joe.\u00a0 Rene found his body and we thought it best to bury him there, so you\u2019d not try to look for me.\u00a0 If you didn\u2019t have a body to bury with Annabelle, I was worried that you\u2019d think I was still alive.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry \u2013 really, I am.\u00a0 But I was out of my head with the fever and grieving over my loss.\u00a0 I already said my goodbye to you in that letter I stuck inside your carpet bag.\u00a0 I figured you\u2019d eventually find it once you\u2019d gotten home and were safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it,\u201d Little Joe choked out as he remembered what Clay had written in his farewell letter.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes clouded with the onslaught of tears as he stared over at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cClay \u2013 it hurt \u2013 hurt me so bad to lose you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay leaned forward and carefully wrapped his arms around Little Joe, pulling him to his chest.\u00a0 The two brothers wept in each other\u2019s arms as they shared a moment together. They were swept up in the memories of the terrible past they had lived through during the yellow fever epidemic and the loss of Annabelle.<\/p>\n

\u201cClay \u2013 oh, Clay — I\u2019m so glad I didn\u2019t lose you!\u201d Joe sobbed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re never going to lose me, Brother,\u201d Clay insisted as he slowly released Joe from his arms and eased back into the chair.<\/p>\n

Using the palm of his left hand, Joe wiped away his tears and then said, \u201cThat man \u2013 the man who tried to kill you \u2013 who was he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay drew in a deep breath and replied, \u201cIt was Ezra Davenport \u2013 the man they\u2019ve accused Rene of killing.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why he was in the house or why he was going to shoot me, Joe.\u00a0 After you had left for Atlanta, I saw his picture in the paper, and I realized the missing person they were looking for was the same man who you and Rene buried next to Annabelle.\u00a0 I\u2019d also found a ring with his initials on it there inside what was left of the house. \u00a0Not long ago Rene and I dug him back up and put him underneath the ruins of the plantation.\u00a0 I never did like the fact that his body was buried next to Annabelle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not tell the inspector \u2013 wouldn\u2019t that clear Rene?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe \u2013 they might suspect him of killing Davenport regardless.\u00a0 If Townsend thinks either of us are still around, he\u2019s going to try and get one or both of us arrested to appease Davenport\u2019s brother Charles.\u00a0 I told your father that I\u2019ve been wanting to book passage on a ship out of Savannah and take Rene with me.\u00a0 I need to start over, Little Brother \u2013 this place has too many bad memories for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not come back to the Ponderosa with us?\u00a0 Rene can come too!\u201d Joe insisted hoping that he could talk his brother into going back home with them.<\/p>\n

Clay dropped a hand down onto Joe\u2019s shoulder and stared into the eyes that were pleading with him.\u00a0 \u201cJoe \u2013 I can\u2019t \u2013 not now.\u00a0 I need to start all over again \u2013 maybe somewhere in Europe.\u00a0 I almost ended it all a time or two since the fire \u2013 but Rene stopped me.\u00a0 I promised him that I would try to begin my life all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared down at the blanket that covered him, his eyes misting up again.\u00a0 \u201cI just found you — and now you\u2019re telling me that I\u2019m going to lose you again?\u201d Joe asked, his voice breaking with sorrow.<\/p>\n

Clay grabbed his brother\u2019s hand and held onto it.\u00a0 \u201cJoe \u2013 you\u2019re not going to lose me again.\u00a0 I\u2019ll stay in touch \u2013 I promise.\u00a0 But I need to get away from everything for a while.\u00a0 Don\u2019t look so sad \u2013 I can\u2019t bear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and tried his best to put on a brave front for his brother\u2019s sake.\u00a0 \u201cOkay \u2013 at least you\u2019re alive \u2013 so there\u2019s always hope that you\u2019ll someday come back to the Ponderosa, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Joe \u2013 there\u2019s always hope,\u201d Clay nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 how about getting a little more sleep and we\u2019ll talk again over some breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe allowed his head to fall back against the pillow but didn\u2019t release Clay\u2019s hand right away.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better still be here when I wake up \u2013 no disappearing on me again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay chuckled as he stood from the chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be here.\u00a0 You rest now, Joe,\u201d He offered his brother a reassuring smile and watched as the hazel eyes finally closed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Clay,\u201d Ben whispered as he nodded over at the man.\u00a0 \u201cYou handled that well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay grinned and nodded over to Ben.\u00a0 Then he pulled a blanket off the footboard of the bunk and sat down on the floor next to where his brother was sleeping.\u00a0 He leaned back, resting his head on the mattress close to Joe\u2019s and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHere you are,\u201d Ben announced as he piled some fried ham and biscuits on the two plates there on the table.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not much but we didn\u2019t have any eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s being too modest \u2013 he\u2019s a great cook when he wants to be,\u201d Joe called from the bunk where he had been forced to stay ever since waking.\u00a0 Leaning back against the pillows which were propped up behind him, Joe slowly sipped the coffee his father had set next to the bunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cPah!\u201d Rene nodded to the man as he dug into the food.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Rene just agreed that your father is a good cook, Joe,\u201d Clay smiled.<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed his own plate and sat down at the table next to the other two men.\u00a0 He thought about the current predicament as he stared over at Clay.\u00a0 \u201cAfter we eat it might be a good idea if we kept a watch out for Townsend and his men.\u00a0 He showed up unannounced yesterday.\u00a0 Of course, your brother made it a point to rile the man,\u201d Ben paused and cast a displeased look over at his son who offered him a grin in response to what he had said.\u00a0 \u201cSo, he might just come back again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can take care of that fool,\u201d Joe sang out only to be met by his father\u2019s stern countenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s trying his best to get arrested,\u201d Ben grumbled as he sipped his coffee.<\/p>\n

Clay laughed and replied, \u201cThat\u2019s my brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey \u2013 what are we gonna do \u2013 has anybody come up with a way that we can get out of this jam?\u201d Little Joe asked.\u00a0 He slowly pulled himself to the side of the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stay put for now, Young Man!\u201d Ben warned with a finger pointed directly over at his son.<\/p>\n

Reluctantly Joe acquiesced and slid back against his pillows frowning.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to get your brother to a doctor today to have that wound looked at,\u201d Ben ignored his son\u2019s protests and stared at Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s one on River Street not far from my attorney\u2019s office, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben thought for a few quiet moments and then stared back over at his son who was acting far too obedient at the time.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew that it wouldn\u2019t last long.\u00a0 \u201cI think I might just have a solution to some of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa?\u00a0 What is it?\u201d Joe\u2019s ears perked up after hearing what his father had offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we have the estate issue to contend with and more importantly a body that needs to get found.\u00a0 Maybe we can handle both of those today if you like what I\u2019ve come up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay looked back over to Joe and then turned his attention on Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYou think we should tell Townsend about Davenport\u2019s body, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, Ben offered a sly grin and returned, \u201cWell \u2013 yes \u2013 in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood from the chair and walked over to his son.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Where\u2019s that locket of your mother\u2019s that both you and your brother have a penchant for giving back and forth to each other?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Joe questioned, wondering why his father would ask about it.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s in my jacket, Pa \u2013 I didn\u2019t go into the swamp with it this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked over to where their bags had been stowed and searched until he\u2019d come up with his son\u2019s green jacket.\u00a0 He pulled the locket out from the pocket and gathered a change of clothes for his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you two boys could use your mother\u2019s help in getting out of this situation,\u201d Ben grinned as he held the locket in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll explain everything in a minute.\u201d He paused and brought the clothes over to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2014you can get dressed but then ease back on that bunk, Joseph.\u00a0 You lost a lot of blood last night and I had to lug you in here once due to you passing out \u2013 I don\u2019t need to pick you up off the floor again today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Joe nodded to his father as he accepted the change of clothes from him.\u00a0 \u201cRelax, Pa, I heal fast!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and rolled his eyes at his son.\u00a0 He then turned back to the table and continued with what he had been saying.\u00a0 \u201cNow as for this estate \u2013 Clay what do you want us to do about it?\u00a0 Legally it\u2019s yours you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as his father had predicted, Joe couldn\u2019t stay silent or on the bunk any longer.\u00a0 He finished dressing and pulled himself up and walked over to the table holding his right arm against his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cJah!\u201d Rene shouted and pointed back to the bunk, worried for his friend.<\/p>\n

Little Joe set a calming hand on Rene\u2019s shoulder and said, \u201cI\u2019m okay, Old Friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben warned narrowing his eyebrows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go sit down in a minute, Pa,\u201d Joe insisted and then focused in on his brother.\u00a0 \u201cClay, your attorney offered to help find a buyer for this place.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want any part of it or Mister Copeland\u2019s money.\u00a0 Tell me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay stood from the table and dropped a hand down onto his brother\u2019s left shoulder and stared into his troubled eyes.\u00a0 \u201cJoe \u2013 I don\u2019t want anything to do with it either.\u00a0 But you\u2019ve just got to play along with this ruse.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want anyone to know that I\u2019m alive \u2013 at least no one in Savannah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what should I do about the plantation?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay thought for a few minutes, pondering the situation in his head.\u00a0 \u201cJoe \u2013 there\u2019s only one person who would take care of this place the way that I think Mister Copeland and Annabelle would have liked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJames \u2013 Doc that is.\u00a0 He\u2019d make sure that the main house would be rebuilt, and he\u2019d also take care of that oak tree.\u00a0 Get the deed from Milton and when you leave to go back home stop in Atlanta and give it to Doc for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 is it gonna be legal?\u201d Joe asked, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe estate would have gone to me and I\u2019m giving it to you to do with as you see fit,\u201d He nodded to his brother.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed as he stood from the table and drew closer to the two brothers, settling a hand onto both of their shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess that takes care of the estate problem.\u00a0 Now all we have to do is square things with Townsend and find a way to get you aboard a ship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKah!\u201d Rene sang out as he joined the other three men.<\/p>\n

Clay smiled and patted the big man\u2019s arm and returned, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Rene \u2013 you\u2019re going with me \u2013 Ben knows that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene grinned as he looked over at Ben and said, \u201cPah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s laughter filled the cabin as he watched the smile spreading across his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI think he likes you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned and patted Rene on the shoulder and nodded, \u201cI like him too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, tell us what we\u2019re going to do about Townsend, Pa,\u201d Joe said with anticipation in his voice.<\/p>\n

Again, Ben held up Marie\u2019s locket and grinned, \u201cIt\u2019s about time that you found this locket\u2014which has been under the ruins of that house, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other three men had a quizzical appearance on their faces as they wondered what Ben was about to tell them.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Little Joe Cartwright walked into the courthouse and over to the front desk where a man stood looking through some paperwork.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Ben began and offered the man a welcoming smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe were told that we\u2019d find Inspector Townsend here.\u00a0 Might we have a word with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring over at the two strangers he replied, \u201cJust who are you and what\u2019s this about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob Townsend walked down the hallway and came out from behind where the man was beginning to give the two Cartwrights the third degree trying to ascertain why they wanted to see him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Reynolds,\u201d He called to the man at the desk.\u00a0 \u201cI know them.\u00a0 If you\u2019ll step into my office, Gentlemen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben nodded to the inspector and nudged his son\u2019s arm, reminding Joe with his stern gaze that he expected him to say exactly what they had rehearsed earlier and for him to behave himself.<\/p>\n

Together the three men walked to a small room in the back and Townsend offered them both a chair.\u00a0 Joe wasn\u2019t surprised to see that the inspector had another visitor who was already seated across the room from them.\u00a0 It was a middle-aged man who happened to be wearing a plaid coat and a brown derby.\u00a0 He shot his father a peculiar grin and then looked back over to where the inspector was now seated behind his desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow \u2013 what can I help you with?\u201d Townsend began, studying the faces staring pensively his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it might be wise if we spoke in private,\u201d Ben returned as he motioned to the man sitting across from them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014where are my manners?\u201d Townsend smiled graciously and pointed over at the man to his left.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Charles Davenport.\u00a0 He just happened to stop by to find out if I had any further information on his brother\u2019s disappearance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet he did,\u201d Joe muttered underneath his breath only to get a slight jab to his side by his father\u2019s elbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Ben Cartwright \u2013 and his son Joseph,\u201d Townsend made the introduction and Charles merely nodded over at the two men.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen \u2013 it\u2019s alright to speak in front of him?\u201d Ben continued, raising his eyebrows.\u00a0 He\u2019d already suspected that the man who sat opposite them had fired the bullet which had careened into his son\u2019s shoulder the prior night.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course it is,\u201d Townsend nodded.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 I see your arm is in a sling \u2013 did you have an accident?\u201d<\/p>\n

*** As if you don\u2019t already know! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe mused to himself before answering.\u00a0 \u201cAh \u2013 no \u2013 in fact I was shot last night.\u00a0 I just left the doctor\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 I\u2019m sorry to hear that.\u00a0 Have you come to make a police report regarding the incident?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ve come to clear some things up.\u00a0 I pretty much know who shot me,\u201d Joe returned, casting an accusatory gaze across the room.\u00a0 He was fighting the urge to head over to Charles Davenport and punch him for shooting him and almost killing Rene.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have news about the missing person\u2019s case?\u201d Townsend asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Joe nodded and stood from the chair, casting a quick glance down at his father who shot him another warning look.\u00a0 \u201cAfter you stopped by yesterday, I decided to go back to what remained of the plantation house where my brother was killed.\u00a0 You see I\u2019d given my brother Clay something very important to me.\u00a0 It was our mother\u2019s locket with her portrait inside.\u00a0 It\u2019s not very valuable — but to the two of us who lost her at such a young age it meant something to us that went far beyond anything monetary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had left it in your brother\u2019s care?\u201d Townsend questioned warily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 but he was going to return it to me \u2013 that is \u2013before a mob of arsonists torched the place and caused his death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d Townsend nodded, sharing an uneasy glance with Davenport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dug around the place for hours \u2013 almost until dark \u2013 but I found it,\u201d Joe explained and pulled the locket from his pants pocket, holding it up in his hand.<\/p>\n

Townsend reached for it and Joe reluctantly let him hold it for a few minutes to prove that he was telling the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you found it \u2013 she was a lovely woman,\u201d Townsend nodded, snapping the lid down and then returning the locket back to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she was,\u201d Little Joe paused and shared a meaningful glance with his father before turning back to the inspector.\u00a0 \u201cI found this and right before I was getting ready to go back to the cabin where we\u2019ve been staying, I found something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found a body \u2013 or what was left of one,\u201d Joe answered and paused again, to see how the story was being received by both men.<\/p>\n

\u201cA body?\u201d Townsend asked, confused by the young man\u2019s story.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was buried down deep underneath the rubble \u2013 not far from where I\u2019d found the locket,\u201d Joe paused and reached into his other pocket.\u00a0 He pulled something out and handed it over to the inspector.\u00a0 \u201cThe body still had that ring on one of its fingers,\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

Townsend knew the family crest on the ring because Ezra\u2019s brother Charles was sitting there with one just like it but with his own initials.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is the body now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI left it where I found it \u2013 but I covered it up with a blanket out of respect for the dead,\u201d Joe answered, fighting back his anger at the dead man who had tried to kill Clay.<\/p>\n

Charles stood and took the ring from the inspector and then stared at Joe.\u00a0 \u201cThis is my brother\u2019s.\u201d He announced frowning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that solves the missing person\u2019s case now,\u201d Townsend sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite,\u201d Ben insisted sternly, as he arose from his chair.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 tell Inspector Townsend what happened yesterday once you left the ruins of the plantation house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and turned back to stare down at Townsend.\u00a0 \u201cI was walking back to the cabin when I spotted my friend Rene.\u00a0 He was in rough shape from having to hide for so many months.\u00a0 I talked with him \u2013 he could say a few words and the rest I figured out by the responses he gave me to my questions. I told you \u2013 Inspector \u2013 that man was far from being retarded!\u00a0 \u00a0Maybe he was a little bit different — but he was a far better man than most that I\u2019ve encountered here in the South,\u201d Joe said, glaring at both the inspector and Charles. \u201cRene wanted to turn himself in.\u00a0 He was very frightened because he was sure someone was running around trying to kill him,\u201d Joe paused again and stared directly over at the man wearing the brown derby who dropped his head down a bit in response to the boy\u2019s story.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway, I told him that I\u2019d get him safely to you, Inspector.\u00a0 I told him to meet me in that old oak grove where he\u2019d hidden me last year and I\u2019d bring him here to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Townsend studied both Ben and Joe\u2019s faces wondering what they were about to reveal to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on, Joseph,\u201d Townsend nodded to the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to that oak grove to meet him just when it turned dark \u2013 like we had planned.\u00a0 I figured that we stood a better chance coming here at night so nobody would try to kill Rene.\u00a0 I was wrong.\u00a0 Someone was already waiting for us in that oak grove.\u00a0 Rene heard them and he began to drag me to the swamp \u2013 where he figured it would be safe.\u00a0 But it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that how you got hurt?\u201d Townsend inquired as he cast a suspicious glance over at Charles.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2014 someone followed us to the tree line not far from the swamp.\u00a0 I got shot first\u2014and then Rene was hit.\u00a0 He fell forward into the swamp,\u201d Joe paused and pushed aside some tears.<\/p>\n

Ben had to fight off a smile to see his son going into one of the best acting performances of his life.\u00a0 Joe had honed his skills well over the years, he thought.\u00a0 But then again, he figured that his son had endured such a terrifying ordeal after being shot the previous night and ending up in the swamp full of alligators, that it wasn\u2019t too hard for him to produce tears from his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to save him \u2013 but he was bleeding so badly \u2013 and Rene was just too big for me to carry!\u00a0 I tried to pull him out of the swamp but that\u2019s when the alligators came!\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t get a good hold on him \u2013 and two of them clamped down on Rene and dragged him away, finally pulling him underneath the water.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long before there wasn\u2019t anything left of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben set a calming hand on his son\u2019s shoulder and whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Son \u2013 it wasn\u2019t your fault.\u00a0 You did the best that you could to try and save Rene, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was my friend, Pa!\u00a0 And he was innocent!\u201d Joe replied angrily and then stared over at Charles.\u00a0 \u201cHe was going to turn himself in even though he had nothing to do with the death of Ezra Davenport!\u00a0 Rene was with me the entire night that the plantation house burnt down \u2013 he couldn\u2019t have done anything to that man.\u00a0 Somebody took the law into their own hands \u2013 just like they did the night that they killed my brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspector Townsend fell back into his chair, lifting a hand up to his mouth as he processed what Joe Cartwright had just told him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry that your friend was killed, Joseph,\u201d He offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry doesn\u2019t bring Rene back.\u00a0 Or here in Savannah is it okay to gun down an innocent man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 it\u2019s not \u2013 but there\u2019s little that I can do about it now.\u00a0 I\u2019ve no way of knowing who shot Rene,\u201d Townsend replied.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyebrows narrowed and he cast a piercing look over at Charles. \u00a0\u201cI got a glimpse of the man who shot us \u2013 it was someone wearing a plaid coat and a brown derby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Townsend coughed nervously when he spotted the coat and hat that Charles was now wearing.\u00a0 It matched Joe\u2019s description perfectly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you\u2019re not suggesting that I had anything to do with that shooting?\u201d\u00a0 Charles piped up indignantly, feigning innocence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy of course not,\u201d Ben answered drolly, glaring scathingly over at the man.\u00a0 \u201cIt must be purely coincidental that you\u2019re wearing the exact same outfit that my son told me that the man who shot him wore.\u00a0 I had to fetch my boy out of that swamp.\u00a0 What with Joseph\u2019s gunshot wound and all the blood that was pouring from it — we barely made it out of there alive due to some of those same alligators that got a hold of Rene!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 and all because of Ezra Davenport \u2013 who caused this whole investigation into his disappearance,\u201d Joe paused and stared menacingly at Charles.\u00a0 \u201cIt never would\u2019ve happened if he hadn\u2019t been one of the men who torched my brother Clay\u2019s house and killed him!\u00a0 Ezra Davenport died because he must\u2019ve gotten too close to that fire.\u00a0 So \u2013 two innocent men are dead now, my brother and my friend \u2013 and nothing\u2019s ever going to bring them back!\u00a0 I think it\u2019s easy to figure out who shot both Rene and me \u2013 and they\u2019re responsible for his death.\u00a0 That\u2019s no missing person\u2019s case either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspector Townsend rose from his desk and frowned over at Joe.\u00a0 He could read the pain and sorrow on the young man\u2019s face, and he knew that it was warranted.\u00a0 Townsend knew that Joe had lost his brother and his friend and furthermore he\u2019d been shot, most likely by the man who sat opposite from him now.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to press charges, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe let out a short ironic laugh and answered, \u201cNo \u2013 because I\u2019ve learned that justice in Savannah is just a word you people use.\u00a0\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t mean a damn thing.\u00a0 My father and I are leaving to go back to Nevada tomorrow \u2013 and I hope that I never have to see this place again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Townsend shook his head and replied, \u201cI hope that you both will have a pleasant trip back to your ranch.\u00a0 Thank you for all your help.\u00a0 At least Mister Davenport here will be able to bury his brother in peace now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood day,\u201d Ben nodded to the inspector, offering one final woeful glance over at the man who had shot his son, he turned out of the office with Joe at his side.<\/p>\n

\n

The two Cartwrights walked out onto East Bay Street where they had left their carriage.\u00a0 Ben witnessed the slow burn on his son\u2019s face, and he knew that the boy wanted to go after Charles Davenport for shooting him and for pursuing Rene for months.\u00a0 He draped an arm across the boy\u2019s shoulder and remarked, \u201cI\u2019m proud of you, Joseph.\u00a0 You gave a brilliant performance.\u00a0 Your story sounded very believable \u2013 I could tell that Inspector Townsend was satisfied and has closed the case.\u00a0 But best of all — you didn\u2019t get yourself arrested!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe offered his father a wry smile.\u00a0 He knew why Pa had said what he had, because Joe was never any good at hiding his anger, something his father was keenly aware of.\u00a0 \u201cYeah \u2013 but I came close, Pa.\u00a0 I wanted to slug Davenport good for that bullet he put into me \u2013 not to mention making you go out into that swamp last night to rescue me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s best that you left it alone.\u00a0 Now we can get your brother and Rene out of town safely.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be on our way,\u201d He announced with a quick pat to his son\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

\n

Clay peered out the one window inside the caretaker\u2019s cabin as the carriage pulled up in front.\u00a0 He was relieved to see both Ben and Joe had made it back and without Inspector Townsend tagging along behind them.\u00a0 Both he and Rene walked to the front door to welcome them back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody followed you?\u201d Clay asked as first Ben and then Little Joe walked inside.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned over at his brother and answered, \u201cNo \u2013 and I don\u2019t think you\u2019ve got to worry about that happening now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded over to Clay and Rene as he closed the door.\u00a0 \u201cYes, thanks to your brother here and his well-honed knack for stretching the truth \u2013 I doubt we\u2019ll see the good inspector ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene pointed to Joe\u2019s arm and there was a question in his voice, \u201cJah?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe patted the big man\u2019s shoulder and quipped, \u201cOh \u2013 my shoulder\u2019s fine, Rene.\u00a0 My Pa is an excellent surgeon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed as he shook his head, \u201cYes\u2014Joseph is just fine.\u00a0 The doctor had to put about a dozen stitches in his shoulder, and he\u2019ll have to keep that sling on for six weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa \u2013 you know I\u2019ve had a lot worse,\u201d Joe chuckled as he walked over to the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that the truth,\u201d Ben groaned as he took a seat at the table and tried to catch his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u00a0 What now, Ben?\u201d Clay asked as he stood next to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you and Rene need to pack up whatever you both want to take with you on the ship that sails tonight around ten,\u201d Ben announced and noticed the surprised glances that passed between the two men.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou found us a ship?\u201d Clay questioned, very surprised to hear the news.<\/p>\n

Little Joe walked behind his father and dropped a hand down onto his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you know my pa, Clay, he knows every captain who has ever sailed the seven seas\u2013 no matter the port!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and grinned upon hearing what the boy had just said, \u201cThough I appreciate you thinking that your father is that well known, it\u2019s not necessarily true, Joseph.\u00a0 I\u2019ve not been aboard a ship in many years \u2013 so not that many sailors would remember that long ago sea captain named Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 However, I was lucky enough to spot Phineas McGrew\u2019s boy, Jonathan.\u00a0 His father was my first mate for many years \u2013 we sailed out of Portsmouth back when I was much younger.\u00a0 And his son is now the captain aboard the Savannah Sovereign.\u00a0 Joseph and I were on our way to the doctor\u2019s office on River Street when I spotted Jonathan coming out of the Oyster Bar.\u00a0 He remembered me and after I told him about our situation, he promised to get you and Rene aboard a skiff that\u2019ll take you both to the Sovereign.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be waiting for you next to the pier just down from the south end of River Street at ten o\u2019clock tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay broke into a big smile and patted Rene\u2019s arm fondly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s great news, Sir.\u00a0 What do you think, Rene?\u00a0 You ready to see what the Atlantic Ocean looks like far away from Savannah?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPah!\u201d Rene sang out and dropped a grateful hand onto Ben\u2019s arm.\u00a0 The man was obviously happy to hear the news of their departure after he\u2019d been on the run for so long.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s laughter filled the room as he witnessed the pure joy on his friend\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Rene, Pa can\u2019t go with you and Clay \u2013 I need him to help get me back home,\u201d He teased.<\/p>\n

Rene reached over and grabbed Joe\u2019s left arm and stared up at him.\u00a0 He almost looked as though he was going to cry at the prospect of saying goodbye to the boy once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Old Friend \u2013 we\u2019ll see each other again,\u201d Joe nodded to the big man.\u00a0 \u201cBesides I need you to take care of my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene nodded and stared at Clay and said, \u201cKah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right \u2013 the two of us, Rene,\u201d Clay returned.\u00a0 He focused his attention back to Ben and asked, \u201cWhat happened with Townsend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you and Rene will be just fine now,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cLike I said \u2013 your brother told the man exactly what we\u2019d rehearsed.\u00a0 I think both Townsend and Charles Davenport will be coming back to the plantation later today to recover Ezra\u2019s body.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing to worry about now — that case is closed.\u00a0 Let\u2019s all pack up so we can get on up the road before they arrive.\u00a0 Joseph and I will check back in to the Pulaski House while you and Rene take off on the two saddle horses.\u00a0 We\u2019ll meet up on River Street later tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe interrupted, casting a quick glance over at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cIs it okay if Clay and I go outside for a few minutes?\u00a0 We won\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared over at his son.\u00a0 He could already read the sadness on the boy\u2019s face, and he knew Joe would soon be saying another goodbye to his brother, something that wouldn\u2019t be easy for him to do.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll be fine, Joseph, Rene and I will start getting our gear ready.\u00a0 You both go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay opened the door for his brother as the two of them made their way out onto the porch.<\/p>\n

Slinging an arm across Joe\u2019s shoulder Clay said, \u201cNo sad goodbyes, Joe.\u00a0 Besides we\u2019ll see each other later tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding, Little Joe fought back the tears which were already pooling inside his eyes.\u00a0 He cleared his throat and returned, \u201cI still hate that you\u2019re leaving, Clay.\u00a0 I wish you could come back to the ranch with Pa and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe someday, Brother \u2013 but not right now.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to get away from everything for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay began to cough and Joe\u2019s face filled with worry over his brother\u2019s health.\u00a0 \u201cLet me get you something to drink!\u201d He insisted.<\/p>\n

Waving away his brother\u2019s concern, Clay pulled a handkerchief out from his coat and whispered, \u201cNo \u2013 Brother \u2013 I\u2019m fine now.\u00a0 That sea air will help clear up this cough in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not convinced by his brother\u2019s performance, Joe hurriedly turned into the cabin, coming back with a cup of water.\u00a0 He handed it to his brother and made sure that he polished it off.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou worry too much, Brother,\u201d Clay chuckled and placed the empty cup on the small table on the porch.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to be just fine, Joe,\u201d he reassured the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah — well — we both worry about each other,\u201d Joe said with a quick nod to his head and then reached inside his coat.\u00a0 He pulled out an official looking document and showed it to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll hold onto this deed to the plantation that Milton gave me \u2013 and I\u2019ll give it to Doc for you when we get to Atlanta.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen — when you give that deed to Doc give him this letter from me too \u2013it\u2019ll explain everything.\u00a0 He\u2019s the only other soul who\u2019ll know that I\u2019m still alive — other than your family of course,\u201d Clay nodded to his brother and handed him a letter.\u00a0 \u201cI also let him know that Rene is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe tucked both the deed and Clay\u2019s letter inside his jacket and nodded, \u201cOkay.\u00a0 Now \u2013 here.\u00a0 This is the money that Mister Copeland left for you.\u00a0 There\u2019s over ten thousand dollars inside.\u00a0 You need to take it.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled a large envelope out from his other pocket and handed it to his brother.<\/p>\n

Clay held up his hand, waving the envelope away.\u00a0 Joe forcefully pushed it into his brother\u2019s hand and insisted firmly, \u201cNo \u2013 now you know as well as I do that Annabelle would want you to have it \u2013 and so would her father.\u00a0 They loved you, Clay \u2013 and they\u2019d want you to use it to start over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Clay closed his eyes at the mere mention of his wife.\u00a0 \u201cMoney really doesn\u2019t mean anything to me, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe hugged his brother and whispered, \u201cI know it doesn\u2019t \u2013 but use it to build a new life for yourself \u2013 and take care of Rene with it.\u00a0 That\u2019s what Annabelle would have wanted you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving up on trying to talk his brother into keeping the money, Clay stuffed it inside the pocket of his coat.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, Joe,\u201d he relented with a heavy-hearted sigh.<\/p>\n

His face taking on a perplexed appearance, Little Joe stared at his brother and said, \u201cThere\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve been thinking about all day \u2013 and I can\u2019t figure it out.\u00a0 It\u2019s got me flummoxed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, Brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe night when Rene and I buried Annabelle and that man down at your oak tree,\u201d Joe paused and stared pensively into his brother\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were walking away \u2013 but I happened to turn back for just a couple of seconds \u2013 and I could\u2019ve sworn that I saw both you and Annabelle standing there.\u00a0 I even told my Pa about it when I got back home.\u00a0 But now it just doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u00a0 Back then I thought that maybe I\u2019d seen your spirits \u2013 but now I guess I must\u2019ve imagined the whole thing, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay wrapped his arm around his brother\u2019s shoulder, pulling him close before responding to what he\u2019d just told him.\u00a0 His eyes misting with tears, he replied, \u201cNo \u2013 Joe \u2013 I don\u2019t think you imagined it \u2013 not the way you think.\u00a0 I watched you and Rene \u2013 I had to be there \u2013 because of Annabelle.\u00a0 But I was in rough shape.\u00a0 Not only was I sick with the fever, but Rene had just set my leg while you were sleeping out in that oak grove where he hid you.\u00a0 I told Rene to get you away from our oak tree just as soon as you said that prayer over the grave.\u00a0 But I guess you turned around just when I came out from behind the tree.\u00a0 You did see me\u2014and as for Annabelle \u2013 I\u2019d felt her there myself.\u00a0 Though I never saw her \u2013 maybe her spirit made an appearance to you.\u00a0 She loved you too, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Joe nodded as he pushed away the tears which had begun to roll down his cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cThat tree \u2013 where we all carved our initials \u2013 I\u2019ll never forget it \u2013 or her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay patted his brother\u2019s shoulder and said, \u201cI\u2019m sure that Doc will take good care of it\u2014and this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked out onto the porch; his arms loaded down with the luggage.\u00a0 \u201cI hate to interrupt the two of you \u2013 but we\u2019d all best be going before we have company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Clay and Joe brushed aside their tears and walked into the cabin so they could help Ben load the carriage and get ready to leave the plantation.<\/p>\n

Little more than a half an hour after they had begun to pack up their belongings, Ben and Joe stepped into the carriage and looked over at Clay and Rene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll go check back into the Pulaski House for the night and then get our tickets for the train leaving Savannah tomorrow.\u00a0 Meanwhile the two of you get whatever you want to take with you.\u00a0 I doubt anyone\u2019s looking for Rene now but just watch yourselves.\u00a0 When you get back to the city, find a safe place to leave those two saddle horses and Joe and I will take them back to the livery in the morning.\u00a0 You both be careful and we\u2019ll meet you at the dock at the end of River Street around nine thirty,\u201d Ben said as he loosened the reins off the footboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be there.\u00a0 Thanks, Ben,\u201d Clay nodded as he and Rene prepared to mount up.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you soon,\u201d Joe waved to his brother and Rene as Pa sent the carriage into motion.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Little Joe stood on the south end of River Street and waited close to the pier for both Clay and Rene to appear.\u00a0 At Joe\u2019s insistence, they both wore their long coats with the faithful Savages hidden away in the leather pouches sewn into the lining.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t taking any chances, and neither was his father.\u00a0 Their time in Savannah had proven that anything could happen.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s heart was in his throat as he wondered how he could ever say goodbye to his brother.\u00a0 Ben could see how the boy was standing there fighting to hold his emotions in check.<\/p>\n

Dropping an arm across Little Joe\u2019s shoulder Ben tried to find the right words that he could offer to make the boy feel better about what was about to happen.\u00a0 He whispered, \u201cJoseph, this isn\u2019t really goodbye, you know?\u00a0 You\u2019ll see Clay again \u2013 I\u2019m sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe dropped his head down and sighed, he knew that his father was right and yet his heart felt as though it was breaking from the thought that it might be a long time before he\u2019d ever be reunited with his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Pa \u2013 but I just found him again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust two days ago you thought he was dead, Son,\u201d Ben reminded him.\u00a0 \u201cLike Clay told you \u2013 there\u2019s always hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could respond, Joe spotted a shadow coming towards them and relying solely on pure instinct, he hurriedly pulled his father into an alleyway with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben groaned and loosened his son\u2019s grip on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cRelax, it\u2019s them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing over the fact that his nerves were still raw due to all that had transpired in Savannah, Joe eased back out onto the cobblestone walkway to see both Clay and Rene heading their way.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you have any trouble?\u201d Ben asked as he shook the two outstretched hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir \u2013 and we didn\u2019t see Townsend or Davenport when we left the plantation,\u201d Clay nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben stared down at the two duffle bags that Clay and Rene dropped next to their feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t know what to say, Ben \u2013 there aren\u2019t enough words to tell you how much we appreciate all you\u2019ve done for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Settling a hand onto Clay\u2019s arm, Ben stared into his eyes and replied, \u201cClay \u2013 there\u2019s something I need to say to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Marie\u2019s boy \u2013 and that makes you my son too.\u00a0 You always have a home waiting for you \u2013 whenever you want it.\u00a0 You take care of yourself,\u201d Ben pulled Clay into a quick embrace.<\/p>\n

Clay\u2019s eyes filled with tears, and he choked up due to what the man had just told him.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Rene — ,\u201d Ben began, pulling himself back and looking at the big man.\u00a0 He clapped a hand on Rene\u2019s back and continued, \u201cYou have a home too \u2013 if you ever need one, Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPah!\u201d Rene said and wrapped an arm around the man.<\/p>\n

Joe knew that it was time for him to say his goodbyes and he dreaded it.\u00a0 He drew in a deep breath and moved next to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cCome here for a minute, will you?\u201d He directed his brother off to the side so he could talk to him privately.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow don\u2019t go making me cry, Brother,\u201d Clay insisted as he was already getting emotional just thinking about leaving Joe standing on the dock as they rowed away.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d Little Joe said, and reached inside his coat.\u00a0 He pulled out a locket.\u00a0 \u201cThis is for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe \u2013 I don\u2019t want our mother\u2019s locket\u2014not this time,\u201d Clay protested.<\/p>\n

Joe pulled his brother closer to the nearby streetlamp.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not Ma\u2019s.\u00a0 The first day Pa and I got to town we went out to buy these coats \u2013 and well, we passed by the place where we had those pictures taken last summer.\u00a0 I spoke with the owner who remembered me \u2013 and you.\u00a0 It just so happens he still had the plates he used for the pictures that you and Annabelle had made for your wedding.\u00a0 I wanted a picture — to remember how happy the two of you were on your wedding day.\u00a0 When Pa and I got back here this afternoon, we had him make it into the size that would fit in this locket.\u00a0 I have the picture of you and me hanging back at the ranch.\u00a0 This was meant for you \u2013 Pa and I wanted you to have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay opened the locket and saw the smiling face of Annabelle standing next to him.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t hide his tears any longer.\u00a0 Joe stood there and waited, he knew how much the gift would mean to his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Clay,\u201d Joe whispered and wrapped his arms around Clay, pulling him close.<\/p>\n

Swiping a hand across his face, Clay choked out, \u201cJoe \u2013 this means more to me than anything anyone could ever give me.\u00a0 Thank you, Brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at his brother with tears rolling down his cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cPromise that you\u2019ll let me know how you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise,\u201d Clay nodded and hugged his brother one last time before turning back around and heading over to Ben and Rene.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Ben \u2013 this locket means the world to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad you like it,\u201d Ben smiled and patted Clay\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I was watching the two of you boys a few minutes ago and I thought about your mother.\u00a0 She sure would\u2019ve loved to see her sons together like this \u2013 who knows \u2013 maybe she still can?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to think that she can, Ben,\u201d Clay nodded and looked over at his brother who nodded as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cRene \u2013 we didn\u2019t forget about you,\u201d Joe said and mopped his eyes with the sleeve of his coat before looking up at the big man.\u00a0 He reached inside the bag he had brought with him.\u00a0 \u201cMy Pa and I went to a bookstore to see if they had something for you.\u00a0 Here,\u201d Joe said and handed the book to Rene who seemed puzzled by the gift.\u00a0 He had never learned to read and felt a bit self-conscious about it.<\/p>\n

Ben noticed Rene\u2019s confusion and piped up.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a book that has pictures in it and very few words, which Clay will explain to you, Rene.\u00a0 It\u2019s so you can learn to speak with your hands if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Joe nodded and smiled at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you\u2019re out at sea and you get bored \u2013 well \u2013 we thought you might like to learn sign language to pass the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene finally understood the meaning behind the gift they had given him.\u00a0 He wrapped a large arm around Little Joe, pulling him to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cJah!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll miss you too, Old Friend,\u201d Joe whispered and returned the man\u2019s hug.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 I want you to take care of yourself \u2013 and take care of my brother for me, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKah,\u201d Rene said and nodded.\u00a0 He finally released Joe from his embrace and looked at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cPah!\u201d He called and wrapped an arm around Ben, pulling him into a hug as well.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he stared up at the hulking figure who had him locked tightly in his embrace, \u201cRene \u2013 thank you for saving Joseph last summer \u2013 and for all you\u2019ve done to keep Clay safe.\u00a0 Now you take care of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay spotted a lantern being waved down at the waterline at the far end of the pier.\u00a0 \u201cUnfortunately, it looks like we\u2019ve got to get to that skiff now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe moved over to his brother and stared into his eyes.\u00a0 The next minute he felt Clay\u2019s arms around him pulling him to his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, Brother,\u201d Clay whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you too, Clay,\u201d Joe choked out.\u00a0 \u201cPlease take care of yourself \u2013 and write me so I\u2019ll know that you\u2019re doing alright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise,\u201d Clay nodded and reluctantly pulled himself away from his brother.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGoodbye for now \u2013 Joe \u2013 Ben,\u201d he said, forcing a smile for them to remember him by.\u00a0 He lifted his duffle off the cobblestone walkway.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe happy, Son,\u201d Ben said, fighting his own tears.\u00a0 \u201cYou take care, Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJah \u2013 Pah,\u201d Rene nodded and turned with Clay towards the pier.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Little Joe stood side by side as they watched both men walk to the end of the pier and climb down the ladder where a skiff was waiting to take them across to the Savannah Sovereign which was anchored out in the middle of the river.\u00a0 They watched from the dock without speaking as the tiny light in the skiff bobbed one final time, pulling alongside the towering Sovereign, and then went dark.\u00a0 Both Clay and Rene were gone from sight, swallowed by the shadow of the hulking ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Son,\u201d Ben coughed into his fist to release the heavy emotion in his voice before continuing.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re safely on their way now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe couldn\u2019t speak; his heart was too heavy over having to say goodbye to his brother again.\u00a0 It felt as though that was all he had done ever since they had been reunited with each other three years ago and it just plain hurt.<\/p>\n

Witnessing the very evident sorrow on his son\u2019s face, Ben wrapped an arm around Joe\u2019s waist and said, \u201cHow about we take our final walk around Savannah?\u00a0 It\u2019s a nice night for one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe simply nodded, he knew that words weren\u2019t needed.\u00a0 Pa understood; he always had. \u00a0He drew in a deep breath and then turned with his father as they slowly made their way down River Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never asked Clay where he left the horses,\u201d Joe muttered as they crossed over to Bay Street on their way in the direction of the hotel.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and replied, \u201cOh, when you and Rene were saying your goodbyes \u2013 he told me where they are.\u00a0 You and your brother are cut from the same cloth, Joseph!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Joe finally looked up at his father, wondering what the big secret was.<\/p>\n

Ben ruffled a hand through his son\u2019s curly hair and announced, \u201cHe left those darn nags tied up at that haunted cemetery of yours and now we\u2019ve got to go fetch them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned and nodded over to his father.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at least I won\u2019t have to go there alone this time, Pa.\u00a0 Even if it\u2019s haunted it\u2019s a whole lot safer than where we ended up last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 You mean when you got shot and made me go wading out in that swamp with those alligators, Joseph?\u201d \u00a0Ben teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I got shot \u2013 but just remember — I didn\u2019t get arrested, Pa,\u201d Joe quipped.\u00a0 He was glad to have the light-hearted banter temporarily take his mind off his brother leaving to begin a new life.<\/p>\n

Ben patted his son\u2019s one good shoulder and replied sternly, \u201cThe night\u2019s not over yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Father and son walked down Bull Street and then over to the Old Brick Cemetery to retrieve the horses oblivious to the fact that it might be haunted.\u00a0 After what they had already experienced that week ghosts would seem tame in comparison.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben crossed the parlor of the suite to say goodnight to his son.\u00a0 The boy hadn\u2019t said much once they had found the two saddle horses and brought them back to the stable next to the hotel.\u00a0 Both men had taken a bath and changed into their night clothes after having a late supper brought up to their suite.\u00a0 Afterwards, Joe had called a very subdued \u201cgoodnight, Pa\u201d but hadn\u2019t made another sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called quietly as he walked into his son\u2019s room. \u00a0\u00a0He gently eased down on the bed next to him.\u00a0 \u201cI imagine you feel better after that good long soak in the tub.\u00a0 I know that I do.\u00a0 It was nice to get the feel and smell of that swamp off me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe seemed a bit preoccupied, but he finally looked up and replied, \u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 it felt good to get cleaned up after being in that alligator infested water last night.\u00a0 I wish I didn\u2019t have to keep this darn sling on my arm though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo complaining about keeping your arm inside of that for now \u2013 you\u2019ve got quite a few stitches in you and the last thing we need is for them to pull out on our trip home, Young Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess,\u201d he frowned and tried to get comfortable on the bed.\u00a0 The wound in his shoulder was smarting quite a bit, but he hadn\u2019t wanted to worry his father about it, or Pa would\u2019ve insisted that they stay in Savannah a few more days.\u00a0 Now that Clay was gone, Little Joe was done with the South and just wanted to go home without any further delay.<\/p>\n

Ben could tell that his son\u2019s wound was hurting him, though the boy was trying his best to pretend that he was just fine.\u00a0 He reached over and adjusted the pillows behind Joe and gently eased him back against them.\u00a0 \u201cThere \u2013 now that\u2019s better,\u201d Ben smiled as he watched his son leaning back looking a bit more relaxed.<\/p>\n

Amused over the way his father always fussed over him when he was hurt, Little Joe nodded to him gratefully and said, \u201cthanks, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He adjusted his sling so that it rested across his chest and let out a tired sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, that was a nice gesture that you made for William.\u00a0 He sure was surprised when we both gave him two silver dollars when he took our dinner trays away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded and replied, \u201cI wish I could do more for him than just give him money, Pa. \u00a0I sure hope that kid will grow up to have a better life \u2013 he deserves it.\u00a0 William is a hard worker \u2013 hopefully someday things will straighten out in the South, and he\u2019ll be treated no differently than any other man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and returned, \u201cI hope so too, Son.\u00a0 Hey \u2013 what do you have there?\u201d Ben pointed to the letter his son had just dropped down on his lap.<\/p>\n

Finally looking over at his father, Joe replied, \u201cClay \u2013 he did it to me again, Pa!\u00a0 I found this stashed in the carpet bag over there.\u00a0 Joe pointed to the bag on the floor next to the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cI was packing up the two Savages for the trip home and I found this inside.\u00a0 I guess Clay stuffed it in there while you and I were busy loading the carriage this afternoon.\u201d\u00a0 Joe handed the letter to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I read it?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead, Pa, it was meant for the two of us anyhow,\u201d Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

*** Dear Joe, this isn\u2019t going to be a long, sad goodbye like my last letter was.\u00a0 Because I\u2019m still alive and like I told you, there\u2019s always hope.\u00a0 And I hope to find a new life waiting for me somewhere.\u00a0 But that doesn\u2019t mean that you won\u2019t always be a part of it.\u00a0 You\u2019re my brother and you will always be my family.\u00a0 And I promised you that I would let you know how I\u2019m doing and I\u2019ll keep that promise.\u00a0 I\u2019ll also let you know how Rene is getting along.\u00a0 I wish that we had more time, but I cherish every single minute that we were together, and I have faith in my heart that someday we will see each other again.\u00a0 I want you and your father to have a safe trip home.\u00a0 Be sure to give my best to Adam and Hoss and of course Hop Sing.\u00a0 I know due to what happened to all of us in Savannah, it\u2019s hard to think kindly about the place.\u00a0 But I want you to remember that it wasn\u2019t Savannah that caused any of our troubles \u2013 it was just some of the people who live there.\u00a0 Don\u2019t hate the place, Joe, because Annabelle was born there and she was the best thing to ever happen to me.\u00a0 Finding her gave my life meaning \u2013 just like finding you after so many years of being alone brought me the family that I\u2019d always yearned for.\u00a0 Please let your father know how much I admire him.\u00a0 I was lucky to get to know him a little bit better the past couple of days and now I understand why our mother loved him.\u00a0 He\u2019s a wonderful man so don\u2019t give him any trouble traveling back to the Ponderosa, you hear?\u00a0 You take care of yourself, Brother, and once I have put down some roots, I\u2019ll let you know so you can write to me too.\u00a0 Well, your father is hollering that we need to get moving so I\u2019ll close for now.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry about me, okay?\u00a0 It\u2019s taken awhile but now I know that despite what tragedies I\u2019ve had in my life, I\u2019m still blessed, because in this life I was loved by you. Love Always, Your Brother. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben carefully folded the letter and handed it back to his son who was sitting there against the headboard fighting the tears which were leaving his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell \u2013 in this letter your brother mentioned three very important things, Joseph.\u00a0 Those are faith, hope and love.\u00a0 And I believe that they\u2019re the secret to starting your life all over again.\u00a0 I think Clay\u2019s going to be okay,\u201d he reassured his son.<\/p>\n

Joe swiped the left sleeve of his nightshirt across his face to blot his tears and then reached across the bed for the envelope that had held the letter.\u00a0 \u201cI think so too, Pa.\u00a0 Oh \u2013 Clay put this inside with the letter.\u00a0 It\u2019s for you, Pa,\u201d Joe handed it over to his father.<\/p>\n

Reaching inside the envelope, Ben pulled out a small note and a wad of cash that was attached to it.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d He asked confused.\u00a0 *** Dear Ben, this isn\u2019t from me it\u2019s from Mister Copeland.\u00a0 It\u2019s just enough to pay for your expenses for the trip.\u00a0 He\u2019d want you to have it with his compliments.\u00a0 Thanks for everything, love Clay. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben handed the money back to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s about five hundred dollars here, Pa,\u201d Joe announced and handed it back to his father.<\/p>\n

Grinning, Ben stuffed the money back inside the envelope and replied, \u201cThat was awfully nice of your brother \u2013 oh — and Mister Copeland too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and winked over to his father, \u201cI guess we can order room service one more time in the morning before we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled, \u201cYes, I guess so.\u00a0 Well, there\u2019s enough here to pay our expenses for this trip \u2013 plus we can leave William a nice little surprise too.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give him an envelope from the two of us before we leave.\u00a0 He told me that he wants to be one of the first black doctors in Georgia.\u00a0 Maybe we can help him a little bit with some tuition money should that day ever come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s perfect,\u201d Joe agreed and watched as his father stood from the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I think you should get some rest, Young Man.\u00a0 The doctor said you need to take care of that shoulder, and we\u2019ve got a long trip back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 I wired your brothers that we should be arriving home in about three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHome sounds awfully good, Pa,\u201d Joe sighed as he slid down in the bed.\u00a0 He was trying his best to forget about the awful things he\u2019d gone through in Savannah and try to remember the place just like Clay and his father had said to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnjoy your last night in that magnificent bed, Joseph,\u201d Ben grinned as he bent down and kissed his son\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cGoodnight, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Pa \u2013 and thanks for everything you did for my brother and for Rene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben winked over to his son and said, \u201cThank you too, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u00a0 What are you thanking me for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, though it\u2019s true that you got shot \u2013just like I said you would \u2013 however, you didn\u2019t get arrested.\u00a0 And what with that temper of yours — I\u2019d say that was a miracle!\u201d \u00a0he nodded with a wry smile on his lips.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned over at what his father had said.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cPa, don\u2019t be too quick to congratulate me about that — we haven\u2019t made it back home yet.\u00a0 Anything\u2019s possible!\u201d<\/p>\n

Groaning, Ben walked to the doorway and returned sternly, \u201cThat\u2019s just fine, Joseph \u2013 you go ahead and get yourself into some more trouble before that train pulls out of here tomorrow.\u00a0 But if you end up back in that swamp, you\u2019ll have to contend with those alligators all by yourself.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to bed!\u201d<\/p>\n

“I won’t get into any more trouble, Pa — and I never want to see another alligator as long as I live,” He returned and heard his father’s laughter as and he walked out into the parlor.<\/p>\n

Pulling the covers up around his shoulders, Joe sighed to himself and closed his eyes.\u00a0 Though he was having a hard time trying to come to terms with the fact that his brother Clay was now sailing away from him, he had hope in his heart that they would someday be reunited.\u00a0 He had faith that Clay would write to him, and he had the love that they shared to tide him over until then.\u00a0 Pa had said that was all that anyone needed, and Joe knew that he was right.<\/p>\n

\n

The piercing, metallic shriek of the locomotive\u2019s steam whistle shattered the late afternoon air at Atlanta\u2019s Union Depot, signaling the immediate departure.\u00a0 Ben and Little Joe had taken their seats and watched as the wave of people standing around waiting on other trains disappeared as the engine began to pick up speed and soon, they were heading north.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed at the carpet bag sitting there at his son\u2019s feet.\u00a0 He smiled as he stared at Joe and said, \u201cYou still guarding those Savages, Son?\u00a0 We\u2019ve got over two thousand miles to go before we\u2019re back in Carson City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winking, Joe replied, \u201cNever can be too careful, Pa.\u00a0 You\u2019ve heard of train robberies, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shifting nervously on the seat, Ben groaned and said, \u201cVery funny.\u00a0 All I want is a peaceful trip home.\u00a0 After this past week it would be a nice change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe kicked the bag over to his left to allow for some room to stretch his legs.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s too bad we couldn\u2019t stay and talk with Doc longer.\u00a0 I\u2019d love to see his face when he opens that envelope and finds out Clay is alive and that he left him the plantation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and nodded to his son, \u201cI\u2019m just glad that Doctor Hardin could meet us before our train left.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be both shocked and happy when he reads your brother\u2019s letter.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you were able to tell him that Rene made it out of town safely without giving away your brother\u2019s surprise.\u00a0 After what Doc said he read in the Savannah paper, he presumed that the big man was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Townsend really believed my story, and he sure made it a point to spread the news all over too.\u00a0 Rene got the last laugh after he\u2019d been running away from Davenport and his madmen for so many months,\u201d Joe replied, his anger still apparent in his tone of voice.<\/p>\n

Ben draped his arm across his son\u2019s shoulder, \u201cIt all worked out \u2013 and that\u2019s all that matters now, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Directing his attention down at the bag which held the two Savages, Joe grinned and remarked, \u201cI wish I\u2019d gotten the chance to fire one of those, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they won\u2019t be much use back home \u2013 your Colt will serve you better than those fancy-triggered things!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, guess you\u2019re right,\u201d Joe nodded and smiled over at his father.\u00a0 \u201cBut they\u2019ll be a great addition to your gun collection behind the desk in your study.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Ben questioned, raising his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cYou going to part with those things?\u00a0 How much is it going to cost me this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe patted his father\u2019s arm with his left hand and returned, \u201cNo\u2014I\u2019m giving them to you, Pa \u2013 no charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are?\u201d Ben asked, surprised by what his son had said.\u00a0 \u201cBut they cost you your entire life savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned, \u201cSpeaking of \u201clife savings\u201d —you saved my life by rescuing me from that swamp \u2013 I\u2019d say you earned them, Pa.\u00a0 I bet you never wanted to go down into that water after hearing what happened to me there last summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groaning, Ben shook his head. \u00a0\u201cNo \u2013 I didn\u2019t \u2013 especially because of your ten-foot-long friends in there.\u00a0 Of course, the ones that I saw that night looked more like twenty-footers!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least,\u201d Joe smiled knowingly.\u00a0 \u201cThey get bigger every time you tell the story, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Ben patted his son\u2019s shoulder and leaned back against the seat.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well get comfortable, Joseph.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got a long journey ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe watched as his father dipped his hat over his eyes and grew quiet.\u00a0 He thought about the way he had felt heading down to Georgia and how he had believed Clay to be dead.\u00a0 A wave of relief fell over him as he pulled his hat down over his eyes just as Pa had done and fell off to sleep.<\/p>\n

\n

Joe stood in the aisle of the coach car and craned his neck to look out of one of the windows.\u00a0 He was beginning to get worried when his father hadn\u2019t made it back inside and the train was about to pull out of the station.\u00a0 They had just enough time to board due to the tight schedule and now he was growing anxious that Pa might not get back inside before the whistle sounded that they were pulling away from the station.<\/p>\n

Ben finally appeared just a minute before the loud blast of the whistle broke the silence inside the train car and it lurched forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry \u2013 that telegraph office was a madhouse,\u201d Ben explained as he fell into the seat next to his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t do that again, Pa \u2013 I was worried and almost got off to go look for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed the bag of sandwiches onto the seat to his right and turned back around. He patted his son\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI told you that I\u2019d make it.\u00a0 Now \u2013 how\u2019s that shoulder of yours doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, \u201cPa \u2013 I don\u2019t even think I need this stupid sling \u2013 I\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt stays put until we\u2019re home and Doc Martin gets a chance to look at that wound of yours.\u00a0 Now settle back.\u00a0 We\u2019re only a little more than a third of the way home.\u00a0 Oh \u2013 I\u2019ve got some news for you.\u00a0 Remember how I just said that the telegrapher\u2019s office was busy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben opened his coat and pulled out a copy of the St. Louis Democrat Newspaper.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the reason why there were so many people waiting for wires from back east.\u00a0 I guess we got out of Savannah in the nick of time.\u201d\u00a0 He handed it over to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday, April thirteenth, eighteen sixty-one.\u00a0 Fort Sumter attacked,\u201d Joe read the headline and stared over at his father.\u00a0 \u201cWar, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, his appearance turning suddenly grim. \u201cI told you when we left that talk of succession has been going on for quite a while \u2013 this is only the start I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scanning the article, Little Joe looked up at his father again.\u00a0 \u201cCivil war \u2013 it\u2019s going to be bad isn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid it is, Son.\u00a0 But \u2013 sometimes these things are needed \u2013 to fix some of a nation\u2019s problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think this means that slavery will finally be abolished?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn time, Joseph \u2013 in time,\u201d Ben nodded and placed an arm around his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so \u2013 then maybe things will be different for William \u2013 and for others like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed, he knew that the country would be fractured and the cost would run steep in lives that would be lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest thing we can do now is to pray, Joseph \u2013 pray that it won\u2019t last too long and that it all will be worth it in the end,\u201d Ben added and leaned back in his seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad that Clay and Rene got out in time too, Pa.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo am I, Joseph, — so am I,\u201d he whispered and closed his eyes to offer a prayer for all of those who would be placed in the middle of the conflict.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe sat on the hearth of the large fireplace in the living room of the Ponderosa ranch house.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know when he\u2019d ever been happier to be home than he was that night.\u00a0 The trip home had been a long one, but his heart was lighter in knowing that his brother Clay was alive and well and hopefully was well on his way to starting a happier chapter in his life.\u00a0 As he stared over at Hoss and Adam, who were seated on the settee opposite him he realized just how much he had missed his brothers.\u00a0 With Pa sitting in his red leather chair to the other side of him, Joe had told the story of how Clay had survived the fire at the plantation and what had happened to all four of them in Savannah earlier in the month.\u00a0 To say that Adam and Hoss were shocked to hear about Clay\u2019s sudden reappearance after he had been presumed dead would have been an understatement.\u00a0 Both men sat quietly while their brother went to great lengths to explain every detail about what had transpired with one exception.\u00a0 Though he had casually made the mention of having to wait in the swamp after he had been shot, Little Joe had simply winked over to his father and hadn\u2019t said anything more about it.\u00a0 Pa had earlier asked Joe to allow him to tell the part about the frightening appearance of the alligators which had gotten too close to them that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sure was one amazing story, Little Brother,\u201d Hoss sighed after Joe had finally signaled that his story had reached its conclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure was, Kid,\u201d Adam added and nodded over to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cI should\u2019ve guessed that you\u2019d somehow end up getting hurt \u2013 even with Pa there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just mad because he lost a dollar to me,\u201d Hoss laughed over at Adam.
\n\u201cA dollar?\u201d Joe asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I bet him that you\u2019d get hurt somehow and when you showed up there on that train platform this afternoon, I made Adam pay up,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI caught sight of that sling of yours and made Adam give me the dollar before you or Pa even made it down the steps!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t laugh, Hoss,\u201d Adam returned, a satisfied grin taking over his face.\u00a0 \u201cI got that dollar right back, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned and shook his head over the fact he hadn\u2019t held onto his winnings for more than a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did your brother win his dollar back, Hoss?\u201d Ben asked as he set his coffee cup on the table and stared over at his two older boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam bet me that somehow Little Joe would make me carry his luggage.\u00a0 I told him that there was no way that he could get me to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe winked over at Hoss and said, \u201cNow \u2013 Hoss, you didn\u2019t expect me to lift those heavy bags what with me being in a sling did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead and milk that shoulder wound as long as you can, Little Brother \u2013 I\u2019ll put you to work just as soon as Doc says you\u2019re all better,\u201d Hoss warned.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat to bring the room to attention.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it was a lot better trip than either of us thought it would be \u2013 even with all your little brother\u2019s drama.\u00a0 Knowing that Clay is alive and well \u2013 and that he\u2019s going to try to find a new life made the whole trip worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmen to that,\u201d Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I guess you and that other brother of yours are a lot alike, Little Brother,\u201d Hoss smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBoth of you\u2019ve got more lives than a cat!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe laughed and set his coffee cup down next to his father\u2019s and stared over at him.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u00a0 You want to tell them about your harrowing experience now?\u201d He asked.\u00a0 A quick grin played on Joe\u2019s lips while amusement danced in his eyes.\u00a0 He figured that it was safe to relive their experience in the swamp now that they were landlocked in Nevada far away from Savannah.<\/p>\n

Leaning forward in his chair, Ben nodded over to his son and replied, \u201cSo \u2013 your little brother here had been shot, and his friend Rene came to that cabin to get me.\u00a0 And I hurried out to save the boy when — ,\u201d \u00a0He was abruptly cut off in midsentence by his youngest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on a second, Pa \u2013 before you start with that part of the story!\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right back.\u00a0 Hey \u2013 Hoss come and help me, will you?\u201d Little Joe called out insistently as he jumped from the hearth and made his way to the study.<\/p>\n

Hoss stood and lumbered off to join his brother to see what the boy was up to now.<\/p>\n

Joe motioned to the bottom of the bookcase to the right of Ben\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201cHoss,\u201d he whispered, \u201cAdam stashed some rotgut in there \u2013 I saw him do it before we left.\u00a0 Go pull it out for me \u2013 I\u2019ve only got one working arm right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bent down and opened the cabinet door there at the bottom and pulled out a full bottle of whiskey.\u00a0 *** Dang that kid sure has a good memory for these kinds of things! ***<\/em><\/strong> He thought to himself and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrab those four glasses next to Pa\u2019s brandy \u2013 I\u2019ll carry the rotgut,\u201d Joe pointed to the table just to the right of his father\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n

Hoss handed the whiskey bottle over to his little brother while he grabbed the four glasses.\u00a0 He had pretty much figured out why Joe had been so insistent on there being a need for some alcohol that night.\u00a0 Soon they had both the glasses and the bottle of rotgut laid out on top of the coffee table.\u00a0 Little Joe pulled the cork out of the bottle using his teeth and bent forward to fill each of the glasses.<\/p>\n

It was at that moment when Hop Sing walked out from the kitchen to check on the family to see if they wanted more coffee before he retired for the night.\u00a0 When he spotted Little Joe handing glasses to his father and both of his brothers, all brimming with whiskey, he stopped just behind Ben\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you do, Little Joe?\u201d Hop Sing called over to the boy, his facial expression giving away his displeasure.<\/p>\n

Joe spun around to look at the cook and replied, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Hop Sing, Pa needs it for this part of his story!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward in his chair and held up his glass.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s to a very interesting time in Savannah and to the miracle that we ever made it home in one piece!\u201d He toasted his three boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot again!\u201d Hop Sing exclaimed loudly.\u00a0 He vividly remembered when Little Joe had returned from Savannah in the fall and how all four men had imbibed in far too much alcohol.\u00a0 The boy had told his family about his time spent with alligators in the swamps of Georgia and they had all ended up with hangovers the next morning to the cook\u2019s great chagrin.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing shook his head, and just as he had said some five months earlier, he sounded out loudly in his own inimitable way, \u201cConfucius say father with no sense make sons with no sense!”\u00a0 He shot his chin up in the air indignantly and turned back for the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a feeling that we\u2019re not going to get served any breakfast tomorrow,\u201d Adam laughed as he sipped his whiskey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Little Joe winked.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt we’ll be in any condition to eat breakfast once we’re done listening to Pa\u2019s story.\u00a0 Go ahead and tell them.”\u00a0 \u00a0He cast a wry smile over to his father as he retook his position on the hearth.<\/p>\n

Taking a good long sip of the rotgut, Ben began his tale.\u00a0 \u201cSo, there I was wading out into the dark foreboding murky depths of that alligator infested swamp–”\u00a0 He began and sent a quick wink over to his youngest.<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned to see his brothers beginning to lean forward on the settee in rapt attention as Pa continued his story and the length of the alligators in the swamp grew to epic proportions.\u00a0 It was quite a tale and by the time that his father was done telling it, a full two hours later, there wasn\u2019t one sober Cartwright inside the ranch house that night.<\/p>\n

\n

Epilogue<\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright dismounted and tied Cochise\u2019s reins up to a plum tree that was in full bloom.\u00a0 He slowly walked up the well-worn path that led to his mother\u2019s gravesite.\u00a0 Removing his hat, he bent down and placed the handful of wildflowers next to the granite headstone and stood once again.\u00a0 His thoughts fell back to the three times he\u2019d been to his mother\u2019s grave during the past year, and each time believing that his brother Clay was dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you knew all along that Clay was still alive,\u201d Joe whispered as he looked at the grave before him and spoke to his mother as though she was still there with him.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s starting a new life, Ma \u2013 one that will hopefully make him happy.\u00a0 Clay\u2019s been through so much \u2013 I can only pray that he\u2019ll find whatever he’s searching for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing bootsteps coming up the path, Little Joe turned to see his father standing there.\u00a0 He watched as Pa came closer and placed an arm around his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were awfully quiet this morning, Joseph,\u201d Ben began as he tried to examine the boy\u2019s face to see how he was really feeling.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d thought you\u2019d come here now that we\u2019ve been home a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding his head, Joe explained, \u201cI just needed to talk to her, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been thinking about Clay \u2013 where he is \u2013 and if he\u2019s doing okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing wrong with that,\u201d Ben insisted, offering his son the comfort of his shoulder by pulling him closer to him.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother has been out at sea for almost a month now.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019ll get to a port and send you word soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I hope so,\u201d Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I can get rid of this,\u201d he said and bent down.\u00a0 He pulled the weathered envelope off from where he\u2019d set it next to Marie\u2019s headstone more than a month ago and stood back up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother would have been so happy to see her two boys together there in Savannah,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWho knows?\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019ll come back to the Ponderosa someday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think so, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted his son\u2019s shoulder and nodded, \u201cThat\u2019s where both faith and hope come in, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Joe said and drew in a deep breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you faith, hope and love \u2013 those are the only things you really need in life, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe closed his eyes and thought back to the letter that Clay had left for him in Savannah.\u00a0 He had written those same three things that his father had just mentioned.\u00a0 Joe thought about how his brother had closed his letter by writing the part that had meant the most to him.<\/p>\n

*** It\u2019s taken awhile but now I know that despite what tragedies I\u2019ve had in my life, I\u2019m still blessed, because in this life I was loved by you. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When Joe grew quiet again, Ben wrapped an arm around the boy\u2019s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAre you alright, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing in a deep breath, Little Joe looked up at his father and forced a slight grin, attempting to ease his mind.\u00a0 He decided to have some of that faith that Pa had just spoken about and would use it to believe that he would someday be reunited with Clay.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I am, Pa.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go on home, okay?\u201d he whispered, trying his best to push aside his constant thoughts about his brother’s safety and when he’d ever see him again.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and the two of them turned down the path heading towards the horses with no further words exchanged between them.<\/p>\n

Though his son had made a valiant attempt to reassure him with that fake grin he had offered, Ben knew better.\u00a0 His youngest boy had always been easy to read, especially when things were weighing heavily on his mind and in his heart.\u00a0 Ben knew it would take Joseph a while to process what had happened on their trip and come to terms with never knowing exactly where his brother was or how he was faring with his search for a new life. \u00a0Hoping to lighten his son\u2019s mood, he grinned over at the boy and asked, \u201cJoseph \u2013 have I ever told you about the time that I waded out into the dark foreboding murky depths of an alligator infested swamp to rescue my son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 you mean that swamp with those twenty-foot-long alligators in it, Pa?\u201d Little Joe played right along.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you’re mistaken \u2013 they were at least twenty-five feet long, Joseph,\u201d He corrected as they moved over to Buck and Cochise.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you might not have been paying much attention \u2013 because they were a lot closer to me than they were to you.\u00a0 And you were a bit out of your head at the time,” he said with a wink.<\/p>\n

“Sure, Pa.\u00a0 And the next time you tell that story those alligators will be a good thirty-five feet long and you’ll describe how you had to wrestle me out from one of their mouths!” Little Joe laughed as he swung into his saddle.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned as he nodded over to his son.\u00a0 After months of sorrow spent believing that his brother Clay was dead and now realizing that he was alive, it was gratifying to finally see Joseph wearing a genuine smile on his face and to hear that truly unique laughter again.\u00a0 Everything was going to be okay, and Ben was certain that they would hear from Clay again; he had faith along with a good dose of hope, along with the love he\u2019d always had for the boy riding there at his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet the world stop turning, let the sun stop burning, let them tell me love\u2019s not worth going through.\u00a0 If it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true.\u00a0 In this life I was loved by you.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

Written by Wrangler<\/p>\n

9-9-2026<\/p>\n

(Dedicated to Rob the story consultant and someone who knows a lot about alligators of all sizes.\u00a0 And to Rosalyn, because she had to read this lengthy tale as it came to life piece by piece and encouraged me every step of the way!)<\/p>\n

***The character of Clay Stafford from \u201cThe First Born\u201d, written for the Bonanza series by Judy and George W. George and Frank Cleaver. ***<\/strong><\/p>\n

*** The mention of Little Joe falling from a balcony in New Orleans was from my story “Always My Son.” ***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summoned back to Savannah to settle Clay\u2019s estate, and accompanied by his father, Little Joe runs afoul of the law.\u00a0 Dogged by a zealous inspector, Ben and Joe learn the true circumstances behind Clay’s death, putting their lives in peril. Sequel to “In This Life”. Rating T, WC 50,000 In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":69431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1015,23,1008,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-joe-pa","category-drama","category-family","category-hurtcomfort","wpcat-1015-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-41-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screenshot_20260816_012826_YouTube.jpg?fit=1301%2C1079&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69334"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69842,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69334\/revisions\/69842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/69431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}