Summary:\u00a0 Joe is left to ‘ride herd’ over the fourteen-year-old son of a long-time friend of the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (9,760 words)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories.\u00a0 Should an author included in this project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories.\u00a0 At the same time, should an author contact us to continue to have their stories archived, we would also be happy to update their contact information.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER ONE<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s head throbbed; he was hot, tired, hungry, and thoroughly exasperated.\u00a0 Instead of spending the day catching up on neglected chores, he had wasted it arguing with and riding herd on a very wily and determined fourteen-year-old boy.<\/p>\n
Jared Zale was the son of, long time Cartwright friend, Tobias Zale.\u00a0 Tobias had left Jared in Joe\u2019s care while he attended to some business in Sacramento.\u00a0\u00a0 At the time, it seemed like a perfect solution to Tobias\u2019 childcare troubles.\u00a0 Now, Joe was sorry he had ever volunteered his services.\u00a0 How one boy could stir up so much ruckus was beyond Joe\u2019s understanding.\u00a0 Jared seemed to enjoy having mischief follow him around like a shadow.<\/p>\n
Jared was not a bad kid; in fact, he and Joe had always been good buddies.\u00a0 Joe had taught Jared to rope and ride, and under Joe\u2019s watchful eye, he was on his way to becoming a fair breaker.\u00a0 Joe had even presented the boy with his prized brown and white pinto, Diablo.<\/p>\n
It was beginning to look as though these close ties were heading towards an abrupt end.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJared, where ever you are, you best get back on that pony of yours and head for home,\u201d Joe called out.\u00a0 \u201cI have had more than enough of your games for one day.\u00a0 Get home before I tan your hide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jared rode slowly out of a wash with a defiant grin plastered across his sweaty face. \u201cJoe, Joe, Joe.\u00a0 What are you getting so bent out of shape for?\u00a0 I was just having some fun.\u00a0 And let\u2019s keep things straight, there ain\u2019t no way you are ever gonna tan my hide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe had to admit the boy was probably right.\u00a0 At fourteen, Jared was taller and considerably outweighed him.\u00a0 \u201cJust get home, Jared, without another argument, please.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jared urged Diablo into a gallop.\u00a0 Knocking Joe\u2019s hat off as he passed, Jared taunted, \u201cGotcha! \u00a0Last one home is a dirty rat!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDadburn your ornery hide, Jared!\u201d\u00a0 Joe exclaimed as he vaulted back on to Cochise.\u00a0 His competitive nature would rarely let him walk away from a challenge, even if he knew he would regret it later.\u00a0 Easily passing the younger rider, Joe had a feeling this would be one of those \u201cregretting times,\u201d but it didn\u2019t slow his pace.<\/p>\n
With the house in sight, Joe shot a fast glance back over his shoulder.\u00a0 Jared and Diablo were gaining ground quickly, but not quickly enough for Cochise.\u00a0 Reaching the yard well ahead of his opponent, Joe dismounted and casually leaned against the hitching post.<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s oldest brother, Adam, witnessed this show of childish bravado, and was not in the least bit amused.\u00a0 \u201cJoe you know how Pa hates for you to come flying into the yard like that.\u00a0 I would think you, more than anyone else, would be more considerate.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it high time you grew up and started taking responsibility for your actions?\u00a0 Where\u2019s the kid?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Joe could answer, Jared and Diablo came racing around the barn, nearly trampling Adam.\u00a0 Adam threw up his arms to wave Diablo away.\u00a0 Diablo\u2019s reaction sent Jared flying over the horse\u2019s head.\u00a0 With a sickening thud, he landed in a heap near the water trough.<\/p>\n
\u201cJared! Are you all right boy?\u201d Adam cried as he rushed to the boy\u2019s side.\u00a0 The alarm in Adam\u2019s voice brought Hoss and Ben out of the house.\u00a0 They brushed past Joe who stood frozen.<\/p>\n
\u201cShh boy, take it easy.\u00a0 Let me check you over.\u00a0 Don\u2019t try to get up just yet,\u201d Ben said gently.<\/p>\n
Jared sat up and cleared his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 No need to\u00a0 make a fuss.\u00a0 Just let me walk it off.\u201d \u00a0Hoss helped the shaken youngster to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI said I didn\u2019t need no fuss.\u00a0 I not a baby, so just leave me alone,\u201d Jared spat as he walked to the house.<\/p>\n
Once Jared had disappeared inside the house, Ben turned to face Joe.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, do you mind telling me what happened out here?\u00a0 I thought you went to bring the boy home for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe stood staring at his father, unable to trust anything that might come out of his mouth.\u00a0 His emotions were swirling out of control inside of him like a thunderhead over Lake Tahoe.\u00a0 When the cloud burst, Ben caught the worst of it. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s my fault, OK?\u00a0 It\u2019s all my fault, it always is!\u00a0\u00a0 Adam is so right, I have no business taking on the responsibility of somebody else when I can\u2019t even take care of myself!\u201d\u00a0 With that, Joe turned on his heel and stormed in the house.<\/p>\n
A very perplexed Ben stared at Adam in hopes of receiving an explanation.\u00a0 Adam slowly let out his breath and shook his head. \u201cIt seems your son, and his young charge were engaged in an impromptu horse race.\u00a0 I had just gotten on Joe for his behavior when Jared came tearing around the barn, about running me over.\u00a0 The horse shied and tossed Jared over his head.\u00a0 I think it scared Joe to see how fast these things could turn ugly.\u00a0 You know Joe; nothing is ever simple for that boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell I wish you\u2019d try to be a little more understanding when you see these things happening.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard on him, you know,\u201d Ben reprimanded.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway, it\u2019s over now and no one is the worse for wear, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
CHAPTER TWO<\/p>\n
Joe was the picture of frustration as he leaned wearily against his bedroom door.\u00a0 Closing his eyes, he tried to make sense of what had just transpired.\u00a0 He had not intended for Jared to get hurt, and he certainly had never intended to go off like a loaded six-gun on his father.\u00a0 \u201cAdam is right, I never think about what can happen until it\u2019s too late.\u201d Joe muttered miserably.\u00a0 Act first, apologize later was quickly becoming his most unfortunate motto.\u00a0 With a deep sigh, Joe squared his shoulders and headed back downstairs to see his father.\u00a0 Seeing Ben in his favorite chair, Joe approached, \u201cUm-m Pa?\u00a0 Do you have a minute?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben looked up from his book and smiled at his youngest and most unpredictable son.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping you would come down.\u00a0 Care to talk about what\u2019s troubling you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Poking restlessly at a dying ember in the fireplace, Joe answered. \u201cI think you have that one figured out already, but here goes\u2026\u00a0 I am so sorry for what just happened.\u00a0 When I saw Jared take that fall, everything inside me screamed it was my fault.\u00a0 I was scared, mad and so dang-blasted frustrated with Jared and myself, I couldn\u2019t see straight!\u00a0\u00a0 When I saw he was ok, all those emotions came spewing out all over you.\u00a0 I had no right to let that happened. I am truly sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben could not help but chuckle at this sincere, but very familiar apology.\u00a0 \u201cApology accepted son, but I do wish you would rein in that temper of yours before you run into someone less forgiving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try Pa, I really do.\u00a0 Just when I think I have everything under control, something happens to send it all out the window.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike Jared?\u201d Ben interjected.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike Jared,\u201d agreed Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWhat am I doing wrong?\u00a0 Jared and I have always gotten along just fine.\u00a0 That is why I agreed to watch him in the first place.\u00a0 Now it seems he goes out of his way just to spite me.\u00a0 He\u2019s been ditchin\u2019 school, getting into fights and using every trick in the book to get out of doing his fair share of chores around here.\u00a0 I realize he is just fourteen, but come on, is that really an excuse?\u201d<\/p>\n
As Joe vented his frustrations, Ben recalled having the same conversation with Adam.\u00a0 Was it really six years ago? Struggling to keep a straight face, Ben answered, \u201cYes and no.\u00a0 Experience has taught me that fourteen-year-old boys are at the very center of their own universe.\u00a0 Everything they say, think, or do revolves around how they are feeling at that particular instant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo foolin\u2019,\u201d Joe agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI have never seen a kid whose mood changes so fast or so often.\u00a0 He plum wears me out!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI seem to remember a boy, several years back, who did the same thing to me.\u00a0 Come to think on it, he still does,\u201d Ben grinned. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cJust give Jared his head, Joe, but be there to rein up before he finds too much trouble,\u201d Ben advised.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess that\u2019s the trick, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Joe mused aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201c I think you are catching on this business after all.\u00a0 You best be checking on the boy.\u00a0 Take him something to eat.\u00a0 Another lesson I\u2019ve learned over the years is fourteen year old boys are always hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Pa.\u00a0 And I really am sorry.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what gets into me sometimes,\u201d Joe said as he headed off towards the kitchen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
CHAPTER THREE<\/p>\n
Jared\u2019s door was opened a crack.\u00a0 Joe cautiously poked his head in; unsure of the welcome he would receive.\u00a0 The room lay strewn with dirty clothes, schoolbooks, and other trappings of young adulthood.\u00a0 Jared sat motionless at the foot of his unmade bed, staring morosely out the window.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n
\u201cA truce,\u201d answered Joe, showing him the piece of cake.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you might be hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you thought wrong.\u00a0 Just go away, I\u2019m busy,\u201d Jared grumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I can see that.\u00a0 Jared, look at me.\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to make this arrangement work, if you would just give me a chance.\u00a0 Tell me what is going on with you,\u201d Joe said with slow and deliberate patience.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith me?\u00a0 What about you?\u00a0 Since when do you tell me what I can or cannot do?\u00a0 You are not my pa \u2013 you have no right\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s it then.\u00a0 You don\u2019t like me telling you what to do,\u201d Little Joe concluded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like anybody telling me what to do, but especially you!\u00a0 I thought we were friends.\u00a0 I was really looking forward to spending time out here with you and your family.\u00a0 Heck, I could have had this much fun stayin\u2019 with my grandmother.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t let me do anything either,\u201d Jared turned away so Joe could not see the escaping tear.\u00a0 \u201cEver since I got here, you have been jumping down my throat.\u00a0 I can\u2019t do anything thing right!\u00a0 I am not some runny-nosed kid who needs a nanny watchin\u2019 out for him.\u00a0 I am near full-grown.\u00a0 Heck! I\u2019m bigger than you are already, so just stay out of my way!\u201d\u00a0 With that, Jared roughly pushed past Joe.<\/p>\n
Snagging the angry boy\u2019s arm Joe tried to calm him down.\u00a0 \u201cJared, stop.\u00a0 Let\u2019s talk this out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, stay out of my way!\u201d the infuriated boy raged.\u00a0 Swinging around suddenly, he landed a solid blow to the side of Joe\u2019s head. \u00a0The unexpected cuff sent Joe staggering.\u00a0 He tried to catch himself on the washstand, but missed and hit his head on its sharp, marble corner.\u00a0\u00a0 Seeing Joe fall, and the blood running from his forehead sent Jared into a panic.\u00a0 He bolted out of the room, down the stairs, and into the yard.\u00a0 Not heeding where he was going, he ran headlong into Adam.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa! I think this is where I came in.\u00a0 Would you please slow down and watch\u2026\u201d then seeing the fear on Jared\u2019s tearstained face he stopped. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Did you and little brother have another set to?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jared\u2018s brain did not even register Adam\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like having another little brother around.\u00a0 God help me,\u201d Adam groaned as the boy galloped away.\u00a0\u00a0 Strolling casually into the house he looked around for Joe or Ben.\u00a0 \u201cPa, what happened with Joe and Jared?\u00a0 Jared just went flying from here like a bat outta hell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe seem to be asking each other that same question a lot today don\u2019t we?\u00a0 I have no idea what happened.\u00a0 Joe went up to try to straighten things out, but from what you said, I guess his success was rather limited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could say that,\u201d answered Adam dryly.\u00a0 \u201cLet me get Joe down here, I\u2018d love to hear what he has to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow Adam, don\u2019t go stirring the pot.\u00a0 Just ask him down here,\u201d Ben directed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho me?\u201d asked Adam with a sly grin.\u00a0 Adam climbed the stairs to Joe\u2019s room, but seeing no one, ambled down the hall to the guest bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, Pa wants your guidance on a question of childrearing,\u201d he added sarcastically.\u00a0 The grin disappeared in an instant when he saw Joe lying motionless on the floor.\u00a0 \u201cMy God, Joe!\u201d he gasped rushing to his brother\u2019s side. There was a bloody gash on his forehead, but the youngest Cartwright was beginning to come around.\u00a0 \u201cEasy does it, buddy.\u00a0 Let me help you up to the bed.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get you some water.\u201d\u00a0 Adam guided his younger brother to the bed.\u00a0 \u201cYou just stay put.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe lifted a heavy hand to his forehead.\u00a0 He winced at the sizeable knot forming beneath the gash.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThat encounter certainly went well,\u201d he muttered to himself in disgust.\u00a0 He was not sure which made him feel worse, the head injury, or the fact that he had lost all connection with Jared.<\/p>\n
In a few minutes, Adam returned with Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa.\u00a0 Jared and I just had a little umm\u2026 misunderstanding,\u201d Joe said with effort.\u00a0 \u201cI think this was just an accident.\u00a0 We sort of got tangled up in each other, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that boy will have no problem understanding me, when I catch up to him!\u201d thundered Ben.<\/p>\n
Joe cut him off, \u201cWhen you catch up with him?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t he here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lit out of here about fifteen minutes ago,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you just let him go.\u00a0 Thanks a lot Adam, you\u2019re a big help,\u201d Joe snapped.\u00a0 He was feeling very light headed and the turn of the conversation was not helping.<\/p>\n
Adam lost the hold he had on his temper, \u201cDon\u2019t take my head off.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know any of this was happening.\u00a0 Besides, that boy is your respons\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
Ben interjected, \u201cJoseph, I am sure the boy is fine.\u00a0 You settle back and your brother will bring Jared back home.\u00a0 Won\u2019t you Adam?\u201d Adam was smart enough to know that his father was not requesting his help; he was demanding it.\u00a0 \u201cSo Joe, you just wait here and I will bring back some cold compresses for that knot on your head.\u00a0 That should help with the swelling.\u00a0 Adam, come with me.\u201d\u00a0 Adam mutely followed his father out of the room.\u00a0 \u201cMust you constantly pick at your brother?\u00a0 You could plainly see that Joe was hurt, but you had to throw in that last remark, didn\u2019t you?\u00a0 What is it with you two?\u201d Ben demanded in exasperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t mean to hurt him, but sometimes that boy frustrates the life out of me.\u00a0 The kid has so much potential, if he would just realize it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, he is not a boy and he is not a kid.\u00a0 He is your twenty-year-old brother and he deserves a whole lot more respect than you care to credit him.\u00a0 Give him time.\u00a0 Joe can\u2019t mature on anyone\u2019s schedule but his own.\u00a0 Now take this up to him, and remember he is your brother!\u201d directed Ben as he handed Adam a pitcher of water and several cloths.\u00a0 Heading for the stairs, both men were surprised to hear a horse galloping away from the yard.\u00a0 From the opened door, they caught a quick glimpse of a black and white pony racing away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell Pa, looks like your son has done it again.\u00a0 You want me to go after him?\u201d<\/p>\n
With a weary sigh, Ben looked out the door at the empty yard.\u00a0 \u201cNo, he knows what he has to do.\u00a0 Leave him be.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
CHAPTER FOUR<\/p>\n
Jared had no idea where he was going when he left the ranch.\u00a0 Shame and anger drove him on.\u00a0 He had never really hit anyone in anger before, and the result terrified him.\u00a0 For all he knew, Joe was dead.\u00a0 His head had hit the corner of the dresser hard and then there was all that blood.\u00a0 \u201cOh God, what have I done?\u201d he whimpered softly. Jared knew what was expected of him.\u00a0 He knew what he should do.\u00a0 But, did owning up to your mistakes cover things like killing your best friend?<\/p>\n
The frightened boy stopped his pony and gazed around through tear-filled eyes.\u00a0 He half expected to hear the sound of a posse thundering down the road.\u00a0 Talking quietly to Diablo, he constructed a plan.\u00a0 \u201cOnce it gets dark, I can sneak back to my house.\u00a0 I\u2019ll leave you tied up in the trees out back, so no one will see you.\u00a0 My window latch is undone so I can sneak inside for supplies.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be back on the road in no time.\u00a0 I guess we can hide out somewhere until the posse gives up, then head for Arizona.\u201d As the immensity of his plans caught up with him, he bawled like a toddler. Once his tears were spent Jared nudged his pony forward.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
CHAPTER FIVE<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s head pounded with Cochise\u2019s gait.\u00a0 The cut had stopped bleeding, finally, but there was a rivulet of dried blood meandering from his forehead to his neck and down across his shirt collar.\u00a0 He had been riding for nearly two hours when his vision began to blur.\u00a0 \u201cWhoa, boy.\u00a0 I need to stop for a few minutes, before I run us off a cliff or something.\u201d\u00a0 Cochise came to halt and Joe carefully got down.\u00a0 Taking the canteen, he slowly made his way to a well-shaded area, ankle deep in soft pine needles.\u00a0\u00a0 As Joe massaged his aching temples, his mind began to play back the scenes of the day.<\/p>\n
The day had definitely started badly and proceeded down hill from there.\u00a0 Joe sighed remembering Round One<\/em> of the day\u2019s Featured Fight.\u00a0 Jared had been out \u00a0\u00a0quite late with his friends and was not happy when Joe hauled him out of bed at 5:00 AM.\u00a0 Breakfast was a quiet affair with Jared glaring at him over the eggs and bacon.\u00a0 Round Two<\/em> began shortly after breakfast when he suggested to Jared that the stalls needed mucking out.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe still wasn\u2019t sure of some of the words the boy muttered under his breath as he stormed out the door.\u00a0 A request for Jared to spend some quality time on a homework assignment signaled the start of Round Three<\/em>.\u00a0 Round Four<\/em>, the Knock Out Round<\/em>, had just played out in Jared\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy can\u2019t he see, that I am only doing what I have to do. I don\u2019t like bossing him around.\u00a0\u00a0 I promised I would look after him, and his pa trusts me to do just that.\u00a0 I am just trying to look after him, like Adam did for me.\u201d \u00a0Then a thought hit him like a lightning bolt.\u00a0 \u201cLike Adam does for me,\u201d he corrected.<\/p>\n Suddenly, Joe knew, all too well, the feelings of resentment Jared was now experiencing towards him.\u00a0 Adam still had a knack for making Joe feel like a six year old, and it infuriated him!<\/p>\n How could he have forgotten what life was like as a fourteen-year-old?\u00a0 There are those rare, wonderful moments when you are on top of the world.\u00a0 Strangers smile at you.\u00a0 Your parents express their pride in you. Everyone treats you with respect.\u00a0 You are treated like a man.\u00a0\u00a0 Then out of nowhere, you are dry-gulched.\u00a0 It could be catching your girl with your best friend, a taunt by a jealous classmate, or a word of \u201chelpful advice\u201d from an older brother, whatever the form, the result is the same.\u00a0 You long to spend the rest of the day hiding under your covers, crying like a two year old.<\/p>\n \u201cOh boy,\u201d Joe said miserably.\u00a0 \u201cI have been treating Jared just like Adam treats me. No wonder he slugged me and took off.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Easing up from his resting place, Joe made his way to where Cochise was grazing.\u00a0 \u201cCome on friend, I have some serious fence mending to do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER SIX<\/p>\n Darkness had just closed in as Jared approached the Zale home.\u00a0 Making certain no one was around, the boy made his way along the shadows towards his bedroom window. Jared had learned to appreciate the convenience of an unlatched window last summer, and it had proved extremely useful on more than one occasion. Shinnying into his bedroom with a practiced skill, Jared dropped silently onto the floor. \u201cI might never be able to come back home again,\u201d the boy sniffled as he proceeded to gather up a few articles of clothing and his most precious possessions.\u00a0 The last thing Jared grabbed was the old revolver his father had allowed him to keep. \u201cJust in case,\u201d he told himself.\u00a0 From the bedroom, Jared made his way carefully to the big desk in the parlor.\u00a0 His pa had hidden the revolver\u2019s cartridges in its secret drawer, but Jared had discovered this secret months ago.\u00a0 Loading the gun in the dark took some time, but Jared finally accomplished his task and moved to the pantry. \u00a0There was not much to choose from, since the family had been away for a while, but he made do with what he could find.\u00a0\u00a0 Then, with a heavy heart, Jared made his way back to the open window, and eased himself out.<\/p>\n Riding alone in the dark scared Jared more than he ever believed possible.\u00a0 He was thoroughly exhausted and his weary senses played cruel tricks on his mind.\u00a0\u00a0 With false bravery he announced to Diablo, \u201cI bet you\u2019re played out, boy.\u00a0 Let\u2019s call it a night.\u00a0 This looks like as good a place as any.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0An owl\u2019s innocent reply nearly made the frightened boy jump back in the saddle and head for home.<\/p>\n Sleep was not to come easily.\u00a0 Every sound and shadow took on an ominous meaning.\u00a0 Clutching the revolver to his chest, Jared resigned himself to simply waiting out the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER SEVEN<\/p>\n Little Joe tracked the young runaway to his home.\u00a0 Using the key given to him by Tobias, Joe let himself in.\u00a0 \u201cWell, he was here,\u201d he mumbled to the night air. \u00a0It was getting late and Joe\u2019s day was catching up with him.\u00a0 The screaming pain in his head had subsided, but in its place was a dull pounding that left him feeling groggy and sluggish.\u00a0 Seeing no reason to leave the warm confines of the Zale\u2019s home, he lay down on the settee and was soon oblivious to the world.<\/p>\n The incessant chiming of the grandfather clock woke Joe at 6 AM.\u00a0 With a groan, he sat up and looked around.\u00a0 \u201cSo yesterday wasn\u2019t just a bad dream,\u201d he said wryly.\u00a0 As he helped himself to some breakfast, Joe thought about Jared.\u00a0\u00a0 A night alone on the trail could be spooky for any man, let alone a fourteen-year-old kid who was spooked to start with.<\/p>\n A last look around for clues to Jared\u2019s whereabouts revealed nothing.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLooks like another wasted day in the saddle, old boy,\u201d Joe complained to Cochise as he threw on the saddle blanket.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe he\u2019s cooled off by now.\u00a0 I bet he\u2019s down at the table eating my breakfast, actin\u2019 like nothing happened,\u201d Cochise nickered in a soft reply.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t believe that either, do you boy.\u00a0 Well, I had better go check in anyway.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s gotta be madder than a wet hen with the way I kind of disappeared yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe rode for about an hour before catching sight of another living thing.\u00a0 In the distance, he spotted a familiar rider, so he stopped and waited for the rider to catch up.\u00a0 The look on his oldest brother\u2019s face made Joe wish he had turned Cochise around and ridden hard in the other direction while he still had a chance.<\/p>\n \u201cYOU! Do you have any idea how worried Pa has been?\u00a0 Do you even care? Do you ever think about any one but yourself? You just don\u2019t get it do you?\u00a0 Jared must have figured he\u2019d be better off on his own too!\u00a0 No wonder the kid slugged you and took off.\u00a0 I\u2019m tempted to do the same thing myself. \u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s throat was tight and his eyes were burning.\u00a0 He nearly blasted Adam with words in his defense, but thought better of it and choked down the fury.\u00a0 Slumping in the saddle, Joe rode towards home in silence.\u00a0 After a few painfully tense miles, Joe ventured, \u201cAdam, when did Jared get back to the house?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean you didn\u2019t catch up with him?\u00a0 Where were you all night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t seen him since our argument yesterday.\u00a0 I tracked him back to his house, but he already left.\u00a0 He took some clothes and food and lit out again, I guess.\u00a0 It was late, and my head was ready to explode.\u00a0 I was just going to lie down on the settee for a minute, but I guess I passed out because it was 6 o\u2019clock before I woke up.\u00a0 I hit the road right after that.\u00a0 I swear I never meant to stay out all night!\u00a0 Can\u2019t you ride back and explain things to Pa? \u00a0I gotta find him, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, how do you keep getting into these scrapes?\u00a0 You couldn\u2019t find more trouble if you tried,\u201d Adam asked with a hint of warmth for his unlucky little brother.<\/p>\n With his green eyes bright with tears, Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, you have to know I don\u2019t do it on purpose.\u00a0 I would never hurt you, Pa, or Hoss intentionally.\u00a0 I swear there are times I start to think I\u2019ll never be able to do anything on my own.\u00a0 Everything blows up in my face, and, before I turn around, you all hurry in to clean me up.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know how frustrating that is!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t help much in that area, do I?\u201d mumbled Adam in a half- apology.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, older brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t know what a big shadow you throw.\u201d<\/p>\n Following another few miles of silence, Adam turned to Joe, \u201cYou go on ahead and find Jared.\u00a0 I\u2019ll smooth things over with Pa and tell him you are OK.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like, I can catch up with you later and help you look for the kid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think I\u2019d like that fine. We can cover more ground that way. And Adam? \u2026Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER EIGHT<\/p>\n Jared opened his eyes to a new day. He wasn\u2019t sure when he finally fell asleep, but he was glad he had.\u00a0 The dark and threatening night was replaced with warm sunlight filtering through the giant pine trees.\u00a0 Looking down, he noticed his hand securely wrapped around his revolver.\u00a0 His fingers cramped and tingled as he slowly flexed them to bring back the circulation. \u00a0Getting up, the boy rummaged through his supply poke for breakfast.\u00a0 \u201cHmm, this food sure looked a lot better last night,\u201d Jared lamented.\u00a0 \u201cHere Diablo, you take this apple, I\u2019ll save the bread and cheese for dinner.\u201d\u00a0 Jared\u2019s empty belly grumbled in protest as he set off through the forest.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before Jared heard the distinctive clip-clop of a horse\u2019s hooves.\u00a0 Panic mounted in his throat as he glanced anxiously around for a place to hide.\u00a0 Urging Diablo into a gallop, Jared left the forest, and headed for the rocky base of Mount Hendon.\u00a0 \u201cI know there\u2019s a cave around here somewhere.\u00a0 If I can find it, we\u2019ll be in good shape\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0After a frantic search behind several large boulders, Jared hit pay dirt.\u00a0 He tried urging Diablo into the cave\u2019s mouth, but the pinto wanted nothing to do with it. He pawed the ground and snorted wildly, but refused to enter.\u00a0 \u201cOh, come on boy, it will only be for a few minutes, until whoever is following us goes away.\u00a0 Just get in there,\u201d Jared pleaded as he yanked on the bridle.<\/p>\n Jared soon discovered what Diablo had known all along.\u00a0 The cave floor was littered with animal bones, and wreaked of feline urine.\u00a0 This cave was home to a mountain lion.<\/p>\n \u201cShh, boy, he\u2019s not here now and we\u2019ll only be in here a minute,\u201d the youngster said to calm himself, as well as the horse.\u00a0 After a while, when the rider had not shown, Jared stepped timidly out into the bright sunlight. \u00a0Keeping a sharp eye out for the cougar and the rider, he spied the rider first.\u00a0 The man seemed to know the area and headed straight for their hideout.\u00a0 \u201cHe knows we\u2019re here, we gotta go!\u201d<\/p>\n In the next instant, a blood-curdling scream split the air.\u00a0 Jared bolted out of the cave to see what would make such a horrific noise, and what he saw made his blood run cold.\u00a0 Springing from out of nowhere was an eight foot, two hundred pound blur of muscle, and teeth.\u00a0 The cougar pounced on the hapless rider knocking him completely out of the saddle.\u00a0 The horse, now free of cat and rider took off in sheer panic.\u00a0 \u201cCochise!\u201d\u00a0 Jared shouted.\u00a0 \u201cOh, God, no.\u00a0 JOE!!\u201d he gasped in horror.\u00a0 Looking towards where the rider went down, he saw the puma slashing at the back of its victim.\u00a0 \u201cFight back, Joe.\u00a0 Don\u2019t just lay there.\u00a0 Fight back!\u201d he choked.\u00a0 In a blind fury, Jared grabbed his revolver and charged towards the cougar.\u00a0 The sound of Jared\u2019s approach distracted the cat long enough for Joe to roll out from under it.\u00a0 This reprieve was only momentary, and in the blink of an eye, the cat was back on Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cGet it off!\u00a0 Somebody, please\u2026\u201d Joe begged.\u00a0 The puma flipped Joe over on his back and continued to claw and tear at his unlucky prey.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s green jacket was torn to shreds, as he sacrificed his arms to protect his face and throat.<\/p>\n Jared had never seen such terror in a man\u2019s eyes as Joe slowly lost his battle with the cougar.\u00a0 Sensing the end was near for his friend, Jared knew he had to act.\u00a0 Inching closer, the boy took careful aim and fired his pistol.\u00a0 The ferocious yowl of the injured cat turned Jared\u2019s backbone to jelly, but he knew he could not run.\u00a0 \u201cHold on Joe, I\u2019ll get him this time,\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0He fired twice more before the enraged animal collapsed.\u00a0 Then, with every ounce of adrenaline-spiked strength he could muster, Jared pulled the dead puma off his gravely injured friend.<\/p>\n \u201cGet it off!\u00a0 Please\u2026oh God it hurts,\u201d Joe screamed as he began to flail about.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, stop! Hold still.\u00a0 The cougar is dead.\u00a0 Just hold still!\u00a0 It makes the bleeding worse.\u00a0 Stop!\u201d Jared begged.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jared took a fearful look at his friend and ran to find Diablo.\u00a0 After a couple whistles, the brown and white pinto trotted to his owner\u2019s side.\u00a0 Jared grabbed his canteen and the shirts he had packed the night before.\u00a0 Tearing his shirts into bandage strips, he fixed Joe up as best he could.<\/p>\n Jared had no idea how he would get Joe back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 His friend was out of his mind with pain, so riding back would be out of the question, even if he could find Cochise.\u00a0 \u201cA travois!\u201d he thought hopefully.\u00a0 He had seen Joe construct one before, to move an injured cowhand.\u00a0 \u201cJust let me remember how,\u201d he prayed aloud.\u00a0 Before too long, Jared had rigged up his version of a travois.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t great to look at, but it should do the job,\u201d he mused proudly.\u00a0 Getting Joe loaded onto the travois took some doing.\u00a0 Every movement sent new spasms of pain through Joe\u2019s body.\u00a0 Jared hated to cause Joe any more anguish, but there was no other choice.<\/p>\n Finally, they were ready to go.\u00a0 Jared urged Diablo forward, anxious to see if his handiwork would hold together.\u00a0 Rather than riding, Jared decided to walk, keeping a look out for rocks or ruts.<\/p>\n From the sun\u2019s position, Jared reckoned they had been on the trail for nearly two hours.\u00a0 He stopped again to give Joe another mouthful of water.\u00a0 Checking the bandages, he was alarmed to find them completely saturated with blood.\u00a0 With nothing else to do, the party continued towards the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n At first, Jared thought his eyes were playing tricks.\u00a0 He had been begging for help since this whole nightmare began, now, he could discern a rider headed in their direction.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d he gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cJared?\u00a0 My God boy, we\u2019ve been\u2026\u201d he stopped mid-sentence.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u00a0 JOE!\u201d\u00a0 Leaping from Sport\u2019s back, he flew to Joe\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cIt-it-it was a cougar,\u201d Jared stammered.\u00a0 \u201cI killed it, but it was too late.\u00a0 I am so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get him home.\u00a0 Here take my canteen and keep going.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get Doc Martin,\u201d Adam instructed.<\/p>\n The next hour passed more slowly than Jared believed possible.\u00a0 Each foot seemed a mile as Joe\u2019s cries filled Jared\u2019s ears.\u00a0 With no one else to turn to, the boy began to pray, \u201cI know You don\u2019t see me in church as often as You\u2019d like, but please listen to me.\u00a0 Joe is hurting\u00a0 so bad.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done all I can, but it\u2019s not near enough.\u00a0 Without Your help, he won\u2019t make it.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let him die to punish me.\u00a0 Do something to me, I won\u2019t mind.\u00a0 Do what ever you want to me.\u00a0 Just let Joe live.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Jared was so pre-occupied he didn\u2019t notice how close he was to the Cartwright homestead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER NINE<\/p>\n A relieved look crossed Ben\u2019s face as he viewed Jared\u2019s return from a distance.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s about time that youngster brought himself home.\u00a0 Hoss, it looks like Diablo might be hurt.\u00a0 Jared\u2019s walking.\u00a0 They seem to be going awful slow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll check the pony over.\u00a0 Wonder what\u2019s keeping Joe?\u00a0 He\u2019ll be hoppin\u2019\u00a0 mad\u00a0 to have chased Jared all night for nuthin,\u201d Hoss mused walking out to the yard.<\/p>\n Seeing Hoss\u2019 kind face melted Jared\u2019s last ounce of resolve, and\u00a0 he began to sob uncontrollably.\u00a0 \u201cWhoa, little buddy, what\u2019s going on here?\u201d \u00a0Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d was all Jared could manage, as he jerked his thumb toward the travois. Hoss hurried to get a better view of the travois\u2019 burden.\u00a0 His face went ashen as he took in the site of his deathly still younger brother.<\/p>\n \u201cP-Pa, get out here,\u201d Hoss stuttered.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Jared?\u201d\u00a0 Ben asked with mounting concern.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, it\u2019s Joe, I think he\u2019s \u2026,\u201d Hoss could not say the word that stabbed at his heart.\u00a0 He numbly followed Ben and stared down at his brother.<\/p>\n Ben forced his gaze from Joe to Jared, \u201cHow did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cC-c-cougar\u2026 jumped him\u2026 dead?\u201d\u00a0 Jared tried to make sense, but incoherent words just fell from his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, help me move Joe inside,\u201d Ben rasped.\u00a0 \u201cGently, oh God, be gentle.\u201d\u00a0 Ben need not have worried on that account.\u00a0 With tenderness no one could have ever envisioned, Hoss lifted his unconscious brother off the travois and he headed towards the house.<\/p>\n Pain filtered through the darkness of Joe\u2019s mind and he opened his eyes a slit.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n The sound startled Hoss, and he nearly stumbled.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I am so sorry to be hurting you like this.\u00a0 Just hang on while I get you to your room, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCougar jumped me.\u00a0 Jared shot \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShhh- boy,\u201d Ben hushed.\u00a0 \u201cPlenty of time for talk later,\u201d Ben followed this with a silent prayer in hopes that would indeed be the case.\u00a0 \u201cCome on Jared, let\u2019s go inside.\u00a0 Are you hurt boy?\u201d \u00a0Ben put his arm around the sobbing boy and guided him towards the house.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright, this is all my fault.\u00a0 If I hadn\u2019t run away, Joe wouldn\u2019t have been out looking for me.\u00a0 I am so sorry, this happened because of me acting like a spoiled brat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJared, not now.\u00a0 We need a doctor!\u00a0 Get a horse and go for Doc Martin,\u201d Ben replied with waning patience.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Doc is already on his way.\u00a0 Adam found us on the trail a while ago and he went on into Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something in Joe\u2019s favor, anyway,\u201d Ben sighed as he hurried to catch up with Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cJared, come on up with us.\u00a0 I need to know how this happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUhh yes sir.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be up in just a minute.\u00a0 I am feeling a little dizzy,\u201d Jared stalled.\u00a0 With the Cartwright\u2019s upstairs, Jared peered nervously out the door.\u00a0 His thoughts on the day dissolved into air at Adam\u2019s arrival. \u201cGood! I told your Pa that you\u2019d gone for the Doc.\u00a0 Where is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be right along. How is Little Joe?\u201d\u00a0 The crestfallen look on the boy\u2019s face told him more than he wanted to know.\u00a0 Adam disappeared into the house, and Jared was left alone with his thoughts once more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER TEN<\/p>\n \u201cHow bad is he?\u201d \u00a0Adam inquired cautiously.<\/p>\n \u201cReal bad, Adam.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of damage to both his arms.\u00a0 Infection has taken hold too.\u00a0 He is burning up,\u201d Ben choked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about his back?\u00a0 From what I saw on the road, that took the brunt of the attack,\u201d Adam asked with increasing concern.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t even gotten that far,\u201d sighed Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get his shirt off.<\/p>\n Joe let out a sharp cry as his brother began to unbutton what was left of his shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cThe shirt is stuck to the cuts, Pa.\u00a0 The dried blood is like glue. I can\u2019t hurt him anymore.\u201d \u00a0Ben made a move towards Hoss, \u201cNo Pa, I can\u2019t let you hurt him either.\u00a0 We\u2019ll wait for the Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, the shirt has to come off.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to hurt him either, but we don\u2019t have a choice.\u00a0 We have to get a look at his back,\u201d but even Ben\u2019s resolve failed when Joe began to cry out in excruciating pain.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAdam, where is the doctor?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n With his eyes glued to the bloody mess that was Joe\u2019s back, Adam answered distractedly, \u201cUh- soon.\u00a0 He was right behind me.\u00a0 Jared is waiting for him downstairs.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe has to hang on.\u00a0 He\u2019s a tough ki\u2014 He\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I got an idea.\u00a0 We could try to get his shirt damp, maybe that\u2019ll help.\u00a0 It could soften the dried blood up,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat could work.\u00a0 We certainly have to try something,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n The sound of an approaching carriage momentarily distracted the men\u2019s attention.\u00a0 They heard Jared greet the doctor and send him up the stairs.\u00a0 One look at Ben\u2019s care-drawn face told the doctor Adam\u2019s alarm was not overstated.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul, he\u2019s really done it this time,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cMy God, Ben, what got a hold of him?\u201d\u00a0 Paul gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cA cougar.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I could get from Jared or Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, get Jared,\u201d Ben directed.\u00a0 \u201cI have to know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER ELEVEN<\/p>\n Adam left the room to find Jared.\u00a0 Not paying attention, he nearly tripped over the boy sitting on the landing.\u00a0 Adam sat down next to despondent youngster and dropped his arm around Jared\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWe got the doctor here fairly quickly.\u00a0 It may take a long while, but Joe will recover.\u00a0 He\u2019s too ornery to keep down for long. Want to tell me what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll of it?\u201d Jared asked shame – faced. \u201cI took off because of what I did to Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe incident in the bedroom?\u201d Adam prompted.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Anyway, I was hiding in that cave at the foot of Mount Hendon.\u00a0 I heard a rider coming, but before I even saw who it was, I heard this bloodcurdling noise.\u00a0 I ran out to see what it was, and saw the cat knock the rider off his horse and just lay into him.\u00a0 About that time, I recognized Cochise as he shot past me.\u00a0 Up until then I didn\u2019t even know it was Joe.<\/p>\n Joe tried to fight the puma off, but I could tell he was losing.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 My best friend was fighting for his life and I just stood there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t just stand there, you saved his life,\u201d Adam reminded gently.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t understand. It was my fault Joe was out there.\u00a0 I acted like such a baby this week, when all Joe was trying to do was be a good big brother to me, like you are to him, I guess.\u00a0 Now because of me, he might die.\u00a0 It\u2019s my fault again.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam was confused, \u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018again\u2019?\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I ran off in the first place.\u00a0 When we tangled in my room, I hit him a lot harder than I thought I could hit anybody.\u00a0 He stumbled and his head on the corner of the washstand.\u00a0 There was so much blood, and when he didn\u2019t move I panicked.\u00a0 I was down the stairs and out the door before I even knew what I was doing.\u00a0 It\u2019s not an excuse, it\u2019s just what happened.\u00a0 I know all you Cartwrights must hate me,\u201d Jared spoke quietly with his face buried in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that why you didn\u2019t come upstairs when Pa asked you?<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yeah.\u00a0 You all don\u2019t need me up there.\u00a0 I would just be in the way,\u201d the boy added sullenly.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would quit feeling sorry for yourself, you\u2019d see that your only enemy here is you.\u00a0 We don\u2019t hate you, and I know Joe doesn\u2019t hate you.\u00a0 He is too full of life to hate anybody.\u00a0 That is why I know that even after all that has happened to him he\u2019s going to be okay.\u00a0 However, young man, he\u2019s going to need all of our help.\u00a0 You think about that.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be with Joe.\u00a0 Come on in when you are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER TWELVE<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Ben,\u201d the doctor began, \u201cJoe took a heck of a wallop this time for sure, but if we can get rid of the infection, he should pull through.\u00a0 We\u2019ll know more once I get the worst of these cuts sewn up and his fever down.\u00a0 He has lost a lot of blood and that worries me.\u00a0 Ideally, I would sedate him before I cleaned the wounds and stitched him up, but given his current condition, it would be too risky.<\/p>\n The boy showed good sense keeping his arms up to protect his face and throat. Arms are a lot easier to repair than faces and necks.<\/p>\n Now you and the boys go on downstairs.\u00a0 I\u2019ll call you when I have finished.\u201d<\/p>\n Cleaning the debris out of Joe\u2019s wounds was a tedious process.\u00a0 The fact that it caused Joe so much pain did not help the situation for doctor or patient.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deciding he needed help, Doctor Martin called downstairs, \u201cBen, could you come up here?\u00a0 I really could use an extra set of hands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs everything alright?\u201d Ben asked with trepidation.\u00a0 Upon entering the room, his knees fairly buckled when he saw Joe\u2019s exposed back.\u00a0 \u201cMy God, Adam told us it was bad, but I never expected this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need you to talk to Joe.\u00a0 Keep him calm and as motionless as possible while I clean out these lacerations.\u00a0 It has to be excruciating for him, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll hold him still, Doc.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just do it,\u201d \u00a0Ben said stoically.<\/p>\n Even the usually calming presence of his Pa could not stop Joe\u2019s pitiful cries and whimpers.\u00a0 Each cry of pain and despair tore a new hole in Ben\u2019s heart.\u00a0\u00a0 Just outside the door, Hoss and Adam stared in grimly at the heart-wrenching scene.\u00a0 A soft squeak on the stairs alerted the brothers that someone was joining their vigil.\u00a0 \u201cHey Jared, come wait here with us.\u00a0 I know it will mean a lot to Joe,\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n Finally, the doctor emerged and the brother\u2019s were allowed in Joe\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the doc say?\u201d Hoss inquired.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe\u2019s not out of the woods yet, but thanks to Jared, he at least has a fighting chance.\u00a0 Your quick thinking may have saved Joe\u2019s life.\u00a0 We can\u2019t begin to thank you.\u201d\u00a0 Ben praised.\u00a0 \u201cPaul closed the worst of the gashes, the rest should heal by themselves.\u00a0 He left some medicine to fight the infection. That\u2019s the real problem he is facing right now. \u00a0We\u2019ll just have to wait and see\u2026and pray.<\/p>\n You boys go on and get something to eat.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take the first shift.\u201d\u00a0 Turning back to Joe, Ben noticed his eyes were opened. \u201cWell, are you back with us for a while?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tried to flash a smile to his father, but the pain would not allow it.\u00a0 \u201cPa, it hurts so bad.\u201d He swallowed hard then whispered, \u201cWater?\u201d<\/p>\n Spooning a small amount of sugar-laced water into Joe\u2019s mouth, Ben tried to console his youngest, with words of hope.\u00a0 \u201cI know son, but you will get better.\u00a0 Each day will hurt a little less, I promise.\u00a0\u00a0 Despite how you feel now, you are a very lucky young man.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t feel lucky, feel tired,\u201d Joe mumbled as closed his eyes and went back to a fitful sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cShh Joe.\u00a0 Sleep son, sleep,\u201d \u00a0Ben hushed as he brushed back a lock of hair from Joe\u2019s bruised face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER THIRTEEN<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright?\u201d Jared whispered.\u00a0 \u201cSir?\u201d he tried a little louder.\u00a0 \u201cMay I stay with Joe for a while?\u00a0 You could get something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJared. Umm, I must have dozed off.\u00a0 Is everything okay?\u201d Ben stood, slowly rolling his shoulders and neck to work out the cricks.<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir, I guess.\u00a0 I was just wondering if I could stay here with Joe for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, certainly.\u00a0 I know Joe would like to see you.\u00a0 He owes you a great deal.\u00a0 We all do.\u00a0 Just holler if you need anything.\u201d \u00a0Ben agreed.<\/p>\n The room was dark and peaceful, but Jared was restless and he began to pace. He rehearsed what he wanted to say to Joe a thousand times, but it never came out sounding as it should.\u00a0 A weak voice broke him out of his trance, \u201cCould you stop?\u00a0 You\u2019re wearing me out.\u00a0 The Doc says I need to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Joe!\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry, did I wake you up? Are you ok?\u00a0 Do you need something? Can I get your Pa?\u00a0 What do you want?\u201d Jared gushed nervously.<\/p>\n No, I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 Well, not fine, but I don\u2019t need anything.\u00a0 Just some water.\u201d\u00a0 With the care one would give a newborn infant, Jared spoon-fed Joe some water.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe?\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry this happened,\u201d \u00a0but Joe was already sound asleep.<\/p>\n \u201cOhh Joe, I really have to talk with you,\u201d Jared said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI have to try to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n A quiet knock interrupted Jared\u2019s thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cLike some company?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was awake for a minute.\u00a0 I think I was bothering him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was kind of pacing around the room, waiting for him to wake up.\u00a0 Those floor boards in his room are pretty squeaky,\u201d Jared explained.<\/p>\n \u201cWere you pacing for business or pleasure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d \u00a0The boy asked. \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI mean is there something you would like to talk about or were you just bored.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMostly bored. I had a lot of time just to look at him, I know that sounds weird, but he looks so\u2026 so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo young?\u00a0 So helpless,\u201d Adam volunteered.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, both of those I guess.\u00a0 I mean I\u2019ve seen Joe break the hardest bronc.\u00a0 I\u2019ve even seen him face down a hired gun without blinking an eye.\u00a0 But, lying there in bed he doesn\u2019t look any older than me.\u00a0 I guess it made me think about how much growing up I have left to do,\u201d Jared tried to explain.<\/p>\n \u201cMy turn.\u00a0 What is that supposed to mean?\u201d Adam was taken aback.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I mean Joe is everything I want to be.\u00a0 He\u2019s brave.\u00a0 He\u2019s as loyal a friend as a fella can find.\u00a0 He won\u2019t ask anybody to do anything that he wouldn\u2019t do himself.\u00a0 If he tells you he\u2019ll do something, you can bet money that he\u2019ll do it. And, he is real easy to talk to.\u00a0 I can tell him just about anything, and I know he won\u2019t make fun of me.\u00a0 But you know all of this; after all you are his brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou would think that wouldn\u2019t you,\u201d Adam mused quietly.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I am just a little too close to see things like they are.\u00a0 Did you know that Joe is my half- brother?\u00a0 My pa married Joe\u2019s ma when I was about eleven.\u00a0 I kind of helped raise him after his ma died.\u00a0 He was too much for just one person to handle I guess.\u00a0 Anyway, I promised his mother that I would look out for him and try to keep him out of trouble. It hasn\u2019t always been an easy promise and sometimes I wonder if I push him too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe never told me about his ma, but he sure has told me some stories about you!\u00a0 He sees you as his second pa, big brother, and best friend all rolled into one person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe does?\u201d Adam asked in complete surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cWell sure.\u00a0 He\u2019s told me lots of times how much he would like to be like you.\u00a0 It makes him really mad when he does something kind of dumb, \u2018 cause he knows you probably wouldn\u2019t make the same kind of mistake.\u00a0 He really worries about being the kind of person you would be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam slowly exhaled, \u201cJoe told you all of that?\u00a0 He worries about what I think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGee Adam, don\u2019t you ever talk to him?\u00a0 \u00a0Well,if it\u2019s okay with you, I\u2019m gonna go get something to eat.\u00a0 All that pacing made me hungry,\u201d Jared added with a grin.<\/p>\n With Jared gone, it was Adam\u2019s turn to pace.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have got to get those floor boards fixed if I\u2019m ever expected to get well around here,\u201d Joe quipped.\u00a0 \u201cOh, older brother.\u00a0 I thought you were Jared.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rushed to Joe\u2019s side, \u201cHow you feeling, little buddy?\u00a0 Water?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, a little please. I have had better days. My back feels like it\u2019s on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bet it does.That puma really got a hold of you.The Doc says you\u2019ll be back to your usual pesky self in a few weeks though, if you do as you are told. Here,he left some of this medicine for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take it in a while, it makes me so tired.\u00a0 I have some fence mending to do first.\u00a0 I best start with you.\u201d\u00a0 Fighting pain and exhaustion Joe looked straight into Adam\u2019s eyes and began, \u201cI know my ways aren\u2019t yours.\u00a0 It must drive you crazy to see me mess up all the time, but you have never once turned your back on me.\u00a0 Stick with me brother.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make you proud of me yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c Little Joe, I am the one who should be mending those fences.\u00a0 I must have had blinders on not to see all the ways in which you have grown. We may have chosen different paths to reach manhood, but from what I hear, your scenic detours made the trip that much more valuable.\u00a0 I should have stopped to take a few more detours along the way.\u00a0 I never thought there was time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy detours are never exactly planned and they usually pop up when I need them the least.\u00a0 Your direct route is much safer and more reliable to the people that count.\u00a0 You see what needs to be done and you do it. You don\u2019t waste half your life apologizing for what you have done in the other half.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Pa treats us so different.\u00a0 He knows you can be counted on when push comes to shove.\u00a0 I want to be like that!\u00a0 I want to be the kind off person you and Pa can look up to and count on.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s emotional speech had taken a toll on his weakened body.\u00a0 His pale face wore a sheen of perspiration and his bandaged hands trembled.<\/p>\n \u201cSshh, Joe,\u201d Adam hushed as he soothed his overwrought brother. \u201cTake your medicine. There now, try to go to sleep.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right here.\u201d\u00a0 Although Joe had turned his head away, Adam could tell his younger brother was crying. \u201cI might be the one with all the college education, little brother, but you have learned more about what makes life worth living than I ever could.\u00a0 I\u2019m kind of surprised to admit that it took a fourteen-year-old to open my eyes to that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018s ok Adam,\u201d mumbled Joe. \u00a0\u201cYou are always busy with more important things. I\u2019m gonna sleep now.\u00a0 I\u2019m real tired all the sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomehow, you did it again, little brother,\u201d thought Adam in amazement.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s uncanny knack of delivering a killer dose of guilt was a complete mystery to him.<\/p>\n Adam continued his bedside vigil.\u00a0 The hours passed quickly as he thought about his conversations with Jared and Joe.\u00a0 It had never really occurred to him that anyone could see more in Joe than an over-exuberant kid, with a big heart, a flash temper, and a talent for getting in trouble.\u00a0 Yet, Jared saw a role model in him. Jared saw many qualities in Joe for which Adam had never given him credit.\u00a0 What else had he missed? \u00a0\u00a0\u201cHow could I be so dense?\u201d\u00a0 Adam wondered aloud.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy for a New England granite head.\u201d A sleepy Joe piped up.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been awake, young man?\u201d\u00a0 Adam asked warmly.<\/p>\n \u201cNot long. What are you still doing up here?\u00a0 Did you pull the short straw?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, I wanted to stay with you for a while.\u00a0 What you said earlier got me to thinking.\u00a0 Being here with you really helped me put some things into focus,\u201d explained Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t go getting all sentimental on me older brother,\u201d quipped Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to upset the natural balance of things around here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well I can always deny it. By the way, Jared has been up here quite a bit too.\u00a0 He wants to talk things over with you when you feel up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat should be interesting.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I am one of his favorite people at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t sell Jared or yourself short, Joe. You young whippersnappers make a lot of sense when someone takes the time to listen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tried to muffle a yawn.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t seem to stay awake for more than five minutes.\u00a0 That medicine the Doc left really knocks me out.\u00a0\u00a0 Sorry, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing to be sorry about.\u00a0 You just close your eyes and sleep.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be here in the morning and so will Jared, Pa and Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe too,\u201d mumbled an weary Little Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God for that little buddy,\u201d Adam whispered as he settled into his chair for the remainder of the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER FOURTEEN<\/p>\n \u201cYou awake, Joe?\u201d Jared asked quietly as he crept into Joe\u2019s sunlit room. \u201cYour pa sent me up with some breakfast.\u201d\u00a0 Jared carefully put down the tray and sat down in the chair by Joe\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n The smell of fresh coffee slowly brought Joe back to the real world.\u00a0 He tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but his movement was met with a barrage of searing pain.\u00a0\u00a0 Opening his eyes, Joe attempted to focus on the person sitting near him.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t be trying that again real soon.\u201d \u00a0He muttered through clenched teeth. \u00a0\u201cJared?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMorning Joe.\u00a0 Yeah, Doc says you best not be moving about for a while.\u00a0 You have a lot of stitches and cuts that need to heal. Want to try something to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I really don\u2019t think I could handle anything on my stomach right now. That medicine is deadly. Can you just get me some more water?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere you go.\u00a0 Let me help you.\u201d Jared offered and held the glass to Joe\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n \u201cJared, thanks for saving my life. That cougar had just about won the battle.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have any more fight left in me. \u00a0It had been a rough couple days for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jared hung his head in shame. \u201cYeah, I know, and I am so sorry.\u00a0 You would have never been out there if I hadn\u2019t been behaving like a two year old.\u00a0 I can\u2019t believe that I hit you like that and then just ran off. I won\u2019t blame you if you never want to see me again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u00a0 Yeah, I was looking for you, but just to try to square things between us. I was so set on showing my family how well I could handle your father\u2019s trust, I forgot about you might feel.\u00a0 I am the one who needs to be apologizing,\u201d Joe stopped and closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all I seem capable of doing these days.\u201d He added quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that feeling, and it stinks!\u201d \u00a0Jared added earnestly. \u201cJoe?\u00a0 You\u2019re about the best man I know.\u00a0 Why were you trying to prove something to your family?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c It seems to me that I\u2019ve let my family down all my life.\u00a0 Adam is the smart and reliable one, Hoss is the kind one with the heart as big as Lake Tahoe, and I\u2019m the careless one they constantly have to clean up after.\u00a0 I thought taking care of you might show them I could handle responsibility like a Cartwright.\u00a0 Guess I\u2019ll have to try something else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought of you that way Little Joe. Maybe you only mess up around them, because you are trying too hard.\u00a0 My pa wouldn\u2019t have let me stay with you if he didn\u2019t think you could handle me. \u00a0And he didn\u2019t leave me with Adam or Hoss, he asked you.\u00a0 I think it was a good choice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c So do I,\u201d Adam broke in.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, if you were as smart as Jared when you were fourteen, and I now suspect you were, I \u00a0really should have paid more attention. I won\u2019t make that mistake in the future.<\/p>\n Oh, I forgot, there\u2019s someone downstairs to see you.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take over with our patient,\u201d Adam added as he checked Joe\u2019s bandages.<\/p>\n Jared left the room and ran down the stairs. \u00a0\u201cPA!\u00a0 You are back early!\u201d \u00a0The powerfully built Tobias Zane was nearly knocked flat by his son\u2019s enthusiastic bear hug.<\/p>\n \u201cSon, I\u2019m so glad to be home.\u00a0 How fast can you get your things together?\u201d \u00a0Tobias inquired.\u00a0 \u201cDid Joe keep you out of trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure Pa, let me get my stuff and I\u2019ll be right down.\u201d<\/p>\n A few minutes later Jared and Tobias had the luggage tied securely to the carriage and they were on their way.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did things go with the Cartwrights?\u00a0 What did you do to wile away the hours until your old man got back home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothin\u2019 Pa,\u201d Jared replied.\u00a0 \u201cNothing special.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Joe is left to ‘ride herd’ over the fourteen-year-old son of a long-time friend of the Cartwrights.
\nRating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (9,760 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12436,"featured_media":41001,"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":[23,1007],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-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\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69970","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\/12436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69973,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69970\/revisions\/69973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}