{"id":70485,"date":"2026-11-05T16:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T21:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=70485"},"modified":"2026-11-06T00:52:28","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T05:52:28","slug":"the-bad-man-2-youve-got-to-have-a-plan-by-wrangler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=70485","title":{"rendered":"The Bad Man #2 – You’ve Got to Have a Plan (by Wrangler)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine months after Little Joe was abducted his nightmares resume, leading him to believe that\u00a0the bad man<\/strong> is still alive. His father and brothers try to quell his worry until the unimaginable happens.\u00a0 Sequel to “The Bad Man” link included. Rating T, WC 54,367<\/p>\n

The Bad Man<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bad Man #2 \u2013 You\u2019ve Got to Have a Plan <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*** \u201cWhy are you perspiring so much, Little Joe?\u201d Aram smiled sinisterly as he ran the palm of his hand over the boy\u2019s head, admiring the hair he had coveted for many years.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re standing in front of me holding those shears, that\u2019s why!\u201d Joe shouted and struggled against the two leather restraints that pinned him face-down to the examination table.\u00a0 He turned his head in the direction of the man who was readying to begin cutting the curls off his head one at a time.\u00a0 \u201cJust let me go, Mister Cullen.\u00a0 I swear I\u2019ll never tell anyone that it was you who abducted me when I was five years old!\u00a0 And I won\u2019t tell anyone that you drugged me and brought me out here \u2013 or that you shot me in the leg last night.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Incensed by what the boy had said, Aram grabbed the back of Joe\u2019s head pulling on the thick curls that he had decided twelve years earlier would be his someday.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not my name!\u00a0 Now \u2013 you\u2019d better say it right.\u00a0 Who am I, Little Joe?\u201d He urged his captive to address him the exact way that he had done back when Joe was a scared five-year-old being held in a cave.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wincing his face, Joe reluctantly gave in to the man just to get him to release his hair from his hand and relieve himself of the pain the barber was inflicting. \u201cYou\u2019re him \u2013 you\u2019re the bad man!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram let go of the boy\u2019s hair and laughed maniacally.\u00a0 The sound echoed throughout the abandoned stamp mill where Little Joe was held captive. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Springing up in his bed, Little Joe fought to breathe and tried to slow the rapid beating of his heart.\u00a0 It was pounding so hard in his chest that he was sure he\u2019d end up having a heart attack due to the uncontrollable fear that the dream had caused.\u00a0 *** Breathe, Son, just breathe! <\/em><\/strong> He could hear Pa\u2019s plea the day that he found him tied up on the examination table inside the stamp mill.\u00a0 The minute that his father had ridden him of his bonds, Little Joe had stopped breathing simply due to panic over what had happened earlier that morning.\u00a0 He could still hear the metallic snip, snip, snip of the shears cutting away his curls and the man\u2019s joyous laughter over having gotten what he wanted. \u00a0All that Aram had left him was just about a half of an inch of hair on his head along with lingering fear and persistent dread inside his mind.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong> You\u2019ve got to have a plan! **<\/em><\/strong> He could still hear the bad man\u2019s<\/strong> voice as he had gone to great lengths to explain exactly how he had managed to capture him twice.\u00a0 \u00a0Joe tossed off his sheet and blanket and hurriedly climbed out of his bed.\u00a0 *** Dear God \u2013 when is he going to stop tormenting me in my sleep? *** <\/em><\/strong>He groaned and peered across the room.\u00a0 Joe prayed that he hadn\u2019t cried out in his sleep and waited to see if his father was going to hurry inside his bedroom to check on him.\u00a0 After several minutes had passed by and Pa hadn\u2019t made an appearance, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief that he had been able to keep his nightmare a secret, just as usual.\u00a0 Walking to his dresser, Little Joe stared at the clock sitting there on top.\u00a0 *** Five o\u2019clock.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just stay up until daybreak.\u00a0 I hope that no one has figured out why I\u2019m no longer the last one to show up around the breakfast table.\u00a0 They don\u2019t need to know any of this. ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe sighed and began to pull clothes out of his top drawer, so he\u2019d be ready to leave his bedroom at first light.<\/p>\n

The Bad Man #2 \u2013 You\u2019ve Got to Have a Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Pa \u2013 goodnight, Cousin Harden,\u201d Joe called from the stairs after his two brothers had already offered their own parting words and were now ahead of him by a few steps as they all began the trek up to their bedrooms.\u00a0 They had stayed up long enough to chat with Ben\u2019s cousin for an hour after supper, but all three of the Cartwright boys needed to get some sleep due to the chores that were lined up for them early in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Boys,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 He watched his three boys, pride showing on his face, as one by one his sons filtered out of the living room and went up the staircase heading to their rooms.<\/p>\n

Harden Matthews smiled at his cousin and remarked, \u201cThey looked tired, Ben, guess they’ve all put in a hard day, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward in his chair as he poured two glasses of brandy, handing one to Harden.\u00a0 He chuckled, \u201cYes, all three of them have put in some long days here lately.\u00a0 But then again, getting this ranch ready for winter requires more work than you\u2019d think.\u00a0 I know they\u2019d much rather stay up and chat with you more, but they\u2019ve got a lot of work ahead of them tomorrow.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam are going to be busy moving the herd down to South Shore where the cattle will be grazing on winter grass and Joseph will have his hands full restocking the line shacks, so they\u2019ll be ready come next spring when they\u2019ll be needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning back on the settee, Harden raised his glass to his host and toasted Ben.\u00a0 \u201cTo my gracious host \u2013 the slave driver!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben touched his glass to his cousin\u2019s and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure my sons would have to agree with you on that.\u00a0 But they\u2019ll get a few days off soon and then they\u2019ll change their opinion of their old man and won\u2019t think that I\u2019m a tyrant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s been a short three-day visit, but I\u2019ve had a great time with you and the boys. Unfortunately, I\u2019ve got to be on that stage tomorrow, Ben, though I wish I could stay longer.\u00a0 However, duty calls.\u00a0 I love being the new editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, but it takes up a lot of my time and I\u2019m needed back there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have to come and see that prestigious office of yours, Harden.\u00a0 Hopefully I\u2019ll be able to take a trip to San Francisco to visit you after the first of the year \u2013 weather permitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrestigious office?\u201d Harden grinned.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not much bigger than your study, Ben!\u00a0 And most of it is covered in old editions of the newspaper.\u00a0 But I\u2019d love you to come for a visit.\u00a0 Of course, I won\u2019t be able to rival the hospitality you\u2019ve shown me here at the Ponderosa twice this year \u2013 but there are some fine restaurants close to the office that I\u2019m sure you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and replied, \u201cThat sounds good to me \u2013 I miss seeing the ocean and eating fresh seafood!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill have saltwater in your veins after all of these years?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben shook his head, \u201cI much prefer the life that I\u2019ve made here on the ranch with my boys.\u00a0 I\u2019m the captain of this ship \u2013well, most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden grew quiet for a few minutes, and Ben could tell that he wanted to say something but was debating about whether he should bring it up for some reason.\u00a0 \u201cSomething on your mind?\u201d he finally asked setting his glass on the coffee table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost hate to mention the past, Ben, but I must admit to being a bit curious,\u201d Harden nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I know what you want to ask me,\u201d Ben sighed and directed his attention to the top of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been nine months since your last visit and things were very unsettling around here this past spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I got from you in your letters were just some dribs and drabs, Ben.\u00a0 But \u2013 well \u2013 would you mind telling me exactly what happened with Little Joe?\u00a0 The night before I left last March, he was having an awful time with that sleepwalking problem of his.\u00a0 You wrote that you didn\u2019t need Doctor Iverson\u2019s help in assisting the boy to recover his memories by using hypnosis.\u00a0 You also mentioned that Joe had been abducted by the same man who had taken him when he was five years old but that you\u2019d gotten him back safely.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t look any worse for wear \u2013 but of course it\u2019s hard to tell how a person\u2019s handling things inwardly.\u00a0 Would it bother you to talk about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and wondered how to explain everything that had happened to his youngest boy.\u00a0 Standing from his chair, he paced in front of the fireplace a few minutes without speaking, much like he had done back when Harden had first visited the ranch all those months ago.\u00a0 His thoughts were transported back to what had happened the night before his cousin had left on the stage to San Francisco.<\/p>\n

\n

*** Ben rolled from his back and onto his side upon hearing the light tapping on his bedroom door.\u00a0\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t quite sure if he had been dreaming or not but, once the knocking grew a bit louder, he sat up in his bed and tried to get his bearings.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBen?\u201d Harden quietly called through the door, unsure if his cousin had heard him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Donning his robe and slippers, Ben hurried to the door and opened it to see Harden there in the hall with a very strange expression on his face.\u00a0 Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI heard a sound in the kitchen \u2013 it woke me up.\u00a0 I decided I\u2019d better go see what it was \u2013 and found Little Joe in there.\u00a0 Ben \u2013 he\u2019s acting strangely \u2013 you\u2019d better handle this.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cStrangely?\u201d he returned, perplexed by what the man had said.\u00a0 Ben moved out into the hallway and headed for the staircase.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the boy doing?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s in the pitch dark sitting on the floor in the corner of the room.\u00a0 He just keeps repeating the same couple of words.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A sudden reminiscent feeling of dread filled Ben\u2019s mind as he increased his pace down the hall and hurriedly descended the staircase.\u00a0 With Harden trailing behind him, he made his way to the kitchen, grabbing up the oil lamp that his cousin had left just outside the guest room.\u00a0 Cautiously Ben made his way to the far-right corner of the kitchen just to the side of the sink.\u00a0 Little Joe was hunkered down with his arms tightly wrapped around his knees that were pulled up to his chest.\u00a0\u00a0 His eyes wide open reflecting the fear he was experiencing Joe didn\u2019t move a muscle as his father set the lamp onto the floor and reached for his arm.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called softly trying not to spook the boy.\u00a0 He used the same approach that he would\u2019ve used with a frightened animal, quiet and gentle.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben had seen his son in that exact same place on the floor several times over the past twelve years, but the appearance of fear on the boy\u2019s face never ceased to alarm him.\u00a0 \u201cSon, are you alright?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2013 bad – man\u2019s – coming,\u201d Little Joe answered in a broken whisper and held the index finger of his left hand up to his lips warning his pa to be quiet.\u00a0 He hesitantly leaned forward, his eyes darting back and forth as though he was expecting someone to suddenly jump out from the darkness and steal him away.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Knowing that his former worry had been realized, Ben cast an uncomfortable glance back at Harden.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll handle this \u2013 why don\u2019t you go on back to sleep?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Harden placed a comforting hand onto his cousin\u2019s shoulder and whispered, \u201cBen \u2013 what is it?\u00a0 What\u2019s the boy talking about?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben drew himself up off the floor and pulled the other man back a bit to explain.\u00a0 \u201cWhat Joe\u2019s going through is a bit like sleepwalking.\u00a0 We can\u2019t try to wake him or it\u2019ll make matters worse.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get him settled back in his bedroom.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing that you can do right now.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With a hesitant nod, Harden turned out of the kitchen not wanting to do anything that might prove detrimental to Joe\u2019s well-being.\u00a0 He walked back inside the guest room to give his cousin time to tend to his son.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dropping down onto one knee, Ben reached for Little Joe\u2019s shoulder and coaxed him calmly, \u201cJoseph, son \u2013 let\u2019s get you back up to your room now.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBut the bad man\u2019s coming \u2013 Pa,\u201d He returned, sounding very agitated over his father\u2019s dismissiveness.\u00a0 Sliding back against the corner of the room to make sure that he couldn\u2019t be seen by the hidden abductor, Joe drew his knees to his chest again and held onto them as tightly as he could.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t willing to budge from the corner where he had sought shelter.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he\u2019s not coming, Boy \u2013 he\u2019s not coming back ever again,\u201d Ben continued and carefully reached for Joe\u2019s elbow.\u00a0 He slowly eased the boy to his feet and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to reassure him that all was well.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let him find me \u2013 Pa,\u201d Little Joe whimpered as he looked back down to the corner where he had purposely hidden.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joseph \u2013 your Pa\u2019s here now.\u00a0 He won\u2019t find you ever again.\u00a0 He\u2019s gone,\u201d Ben cajoled the boy.\u00a0 Making their way out of the kitchen one coaxed step after the other, Ben patiently maneuvered his son across the living room.\u00a0 He knew that he needed to get the boy back into his bed.\u00a0 They climbed the staircase slowly and every other second Joe\u2019s gaze was directed down into the darkened room, expecting to see the person he had hidden from earlier.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe bad man always finds me, Pa,\u201d Little Joe whispered, a note of despondency in his tone.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he won\u2019t find you again, Joseph \u2013 because he\u2019s never coming back.***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Clearing his throat, attempting to control the anger that was never far from the surface when it came to the person who had stolen his son from him twice, Ben began to explain.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see \u2013 when you were here last you found Joseph cowering in the corner of the kitchen and muttering those same words, he always said when he\u2019d have one of his spells.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 it was the bad man<\/em><\/strong> is coming.\u00a0 I\u2019ll never forget hearing that haunted whisper of his \u2013 he seemed so frightened and I didn\u2019t know what was going on.\u00a0 I had no idea that he was sleepwalking \u2013 and I didn\u2019t know the boy had been abducted at such a young age.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t get Little Joe to talk to me \u2013 which was why I went and woke you up so you could help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded as he grabbed the fire poker and turned the logs out of habit and not necessity. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 Then after I got the boy back up in his room I told you all about the incident.\u00a0 But nine months ago, I had no idea who had kidnapped Joseph or why.\u00a0 Things changed dramatically about a week after you left here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wrote that Joe had been abducted again \u2013 and by the same person.\u00a0 Who was it, Ben \u2013 and why did he take the boy?\u201d\u00a0 Harden asked, eager to learn all the details.<\/p>\n

Sinking back down in his chair, Ben poured a few fingers worth of brandy for himself and his cousin and then continued, \u201cIt turns out the whole terrible ordeal had to do with Joseph\u2019s hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis hair?\u201d Harden questioned confused by what his cousin had said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben nodded, is lips twisting into a scowl due to the evil man\u2019s plan and how he had captured his boy.\u00a0 \u201cThe local barber in town, Aram Cullen, strange as it sounds, had a bizarre fixation with my son\u2019s hair.\u00a0 Of course, nobody knew it.\u00a0 He had been the one who kidnapped Joe out of the kitchen when he was five and held him like an animal in that cage inside the cave about five miles from here.\u00a0 I\u2019d sent Joseph into Virginia City to get his haircut the Friday after you left on the stage,\u201d he stopped and dropped his face into his hands over the horrifying reminder that it had been at his insistence that Little Joe had ended up facing Aram alone that day.\u00a0 Ben knew that he had inadvertently placed his son in danger by ordering the boy to get his hair cut thereby giving Aram the opportunity to kidnap him once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay, Ben?\u00a0 If it\u2019s too much on you \u2013 well \u2013 you don\u2019t have to go into it right now,\u201d Harden said, witnessing how the retelling of events was causing his cousin great distress as though he was reliving the whole awful ordeal.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his head and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 it\u2019s alright, Harden.\u00a0 I\u2019ve not spoken about this since right after it happened.\u00a0 Maybe it would be good to get it off my shoulders so I could finally purge it from my thoughts?\u201d He reached for his brandy, taking in a few sips before getting back to the story.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph filled me in on most of it \u2013 but that was right after we brought him back home.\u00a0 Since then, the boy refuses to say a single word about what happened to him.\u00a0 I still don\u2019t know everything that the man put my son through.\u00a0 Joseph went silent about everything a few days after we brought him home and now, he\u2019s adamant that I stop talking about the trauma he went through at the hands of the man who kidnapped him.\u00a0 It worries me that he\u2019s got it all bottled up inside of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that about Joe\u2019s hair, Ben?\u00a0 Why was the barber so fixated on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he stole Joseph from me at five years old it was just to take one of the boy\u2019s curls \u2013 one he told my son was a test of sorts.\u00a0 He told Joseph that it was just a sample of his hair.\u00a0 That maniac actually showed that curl to the boy having kept it for twelve years!\u00a0 You see Aram was bald and he\u2019d been looking for the perfect hair \u2013 to fashion a hairpiece out of.\u00a0 That insane man told Joseph that his curls were exactly what he needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes tightly as he thought back to what Little Joe had relayed to him after they had rescued the boy.\u00a0 He had told him exactly what Aram had said to him about wanting his hair.<\/p>\n

\n

*** \u201cHere \u2013 now look at this, Little Joe,\u201d the man said, sitting back down in the chair.\u00a0 Reaching over to the table he\u2019d brought over, he held up a piece of board with what looked like strands of human hair pinned to it.\u00a0 \u201cThese are just samples, mind you.\u00a0 Like I had in some of those sacks at my house.\u00a0 There are all types of hair, you know?\u00a0 There\u2019s thin, thick, wavy, curly, straight.\u00a0 Then there\u2019s coarse, wiry \u2013 well all kinds of textures.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen and felt them all over the years.\u00a0 But when your Pa brought you in for your first haircut, I knew that you had the finest hair of anyone who had ever been in my chair.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I knew that it would be yours that I\u2019d need.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Swallowing the lump that was rapidly growing in his throat, Little Joe finally choked out, \u201cMy hair \u2013 you needed it for what?\u00a0 For that curl you took off me when I was a kid?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Boy,\u201d Aram sighed and impatiently shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat was just a sample \u2013 you know \u2013 something to keep with me until you were ready.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cReady?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes — I knew at the age of five it was much too soon to take what I needed from you.\u00a0 So, I kidnapped you just to get that sample.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWait \u2013 if you cut my hair in your shop back then, why didn\u2019t you just take that curl when I was sitting there \u2013 then you wouldn\u2019t have needed to kidnap me?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I needed to take that curl off down at the root \u2013 your Pa wouldn\u2019t have liked that!\u00a0 That\u2019s why I had to snatch you.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t planned on keeping you for a week, Kid.\u00a0 But that darn ranch of yours was swarming with people out looking for you by the time it got dark the first night.\u00a0 So, I had to lay low until I could escape.\u00a0 Believe me, I didn\u2019t want to get stuck inside a cave on the Ponderosa with a brat who kept trying to escape and calling for his Papa every other minute!\u00a0 It was a stroke of pure luck that you didn\u2019t remember anything about me after they found you so I was in the clear and could bide my time until now.\u201d ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Shaking himself out of yet another painful memory of what had happened, Ben stared over at his cousin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of sends chills up my spine, Ben,\u201d Harden admitted as he sipped more brandy.\u00a0 \u201cWhy on earth would he take the boy and keep him for seven days if he just needed to get one curl from him?\u00a0\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t he get the curl from Little Joe when he gave him a regular haircut?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned and shook his head, filled with righteous indignation over what Aram had done to his son.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph told me that Aram needed to cut that curl off down at the root for some bizarre reason.\u00a0 He knew that if I\u2019d seen him doing that, I would\u2019ve had a pure fit \u2013 and he was right!\u00a0 Joe also said that Aram wasn\u2019t planning on keeping him for seven days, but he couldn\u2019t get away from that cave because at the time there were too many people out searching for the boy.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think he could evade detection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis story is beginning to sound like something from Edgar Allan Poe \u2013 it\u2019s that frightening.\u00a0 So \u2013 what happened when that man took Little Joe this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe drugged Joseph with chloroform shortly after the boy sat down in his barber chair.\u00a0 Joe awoke in the man\u2019s basement tied up to a support beam.\u00a0 When the boy didn\u2019t make it home we all tried to find him \u2013even asking Aram if Joe had made it to his place for his haircut.\u00a0 He said he hadn\u2019t seen my son and even offered to help us find him!\u201d Ben exclaimed and then stood once again.\u00a0 \u201cWe finally got Sheriff Roy Coffee involved and then we discovered that Aram was gone.\u00a0 It was in the wee hours of the morning when we made it back there only to find his saddle horse and buckboard were missing.\u00a0 Roy and I made our way down to the basement looking for Joseph.\u00a0 We found ropes that had earlier been used to tie my son to that wooden beam.\u00a0 We found something else too,\u201d Ben paused as his face took on a stricken appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBags and bags of hair \u2013 they were lining one whole wall in Aram\u2019s basement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben could still see and hear his friend Sheriff Roy Coffee and the way his voice sounded abnormally shaken by what he had discovered that night in Aram\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cBring that lamp a little closer will you, Ben,\u201d Roy said stooping down after spotting something leaning against the far wall.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Drawing closer to the sheriff, Ben held the lamp lower to the ground where he spotted what Roy had just found.\u00a0 It was a big burlap bag, and it was overturned with its contents strewn across the floor.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHair,\u201d Roy groaned as he picked up a handful off the floor.\u00a0 \u201cAnd look!\u201d He pointed to the numerous bags that lined the entire wall.\u00a0 \u201cReckon why in the world old Aram would\u2019ve kept all this?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face paled over what they had found.\u00a0 He watched as Roy dropped the hair onto the floor and stood. *** <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy God,\u201d Harden muttered, feeling a bit ill.\u00a0 \u201cThe man saved hair?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cYes \u2013 apparently, he had continued searching for just the right kind of hair that he needed and spent a great deal of time bagging it up. \u00a0But unfortunately, he had already found exactly what he wanted some twelve years ago \u2013 that being Joseph\u2019s curls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden frowned and added, \u201cHe had to be completely insane to have been planning this for so long!\u00a0 Go ahead, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sheriff, Hoss, Adam, a few hired hands and I began searching everywhere for Joseph, unaware that Aram had moved him to an old, abandoned stamp mill not far from the Truckee River.\u00a0\u00a0 But while we were trying to track the man\u2019s buckboard Aram was busy tying Joseph face down on an examination table.\u00a0 He told Joseph that he had been planning on kidnapping him again someday but once the local telegrapher informed him that the hypnotist you\u2019d told me about was coming that Saturday, he quickly set things into motion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 I guess he was worried that Doctor Iverson would help Little Joe recover his memories and then the boy would be able to tell you who had abducted him back when he was five, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding his head, he answered, \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess he was still after the boy\u2019s hair, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 unfortunately that was the plan all along.\u00a0 What Joseph went through \u2013 watching what Aram was going to do to him had to be terrifying.\u00a0 He was very obviously insane, and Joseph was never sure it the man was going to kill him.\u00a0 Aram had already shot the boy in the leg when he tried to run off so there wasn\u2019t any way to tell if he was going to hurt him or just take his hair and leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just so sorry, Ben.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine what the boy went through \u2013 and you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben sighed and continued to pace there in front of the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cAram had gotten what\u2019s known as a wig block \u2013 a wooden form of a head.\u00a0 He had already procured everything that he needed in advance prior to kidnapping my son.\u00a0 He forced Joseph to lie there on his stomach as one by one he cut each strand of hair from his head.\u00a0 Joseph said he threatened to kill him if he had made even the slightest move.\u00a0 Then Aram took the time to sew every one of those curls to a sort of flesh colored mesh material to fashion his hairpiece.\u00a0 Joseph told me that the evil man gleefully pulled the hairpiece onto his head there in front of him and then modeled it.\u00a0 He then forced the boy to tell him how nice it looked!\u00a0 Aram had finally gotten the one thing he\u2019d coveted for years \u2013 my son\u2019s hair.\u00a0 But as for Joe, by the time Aram was through with him, he only had about a half of an inch of hair left on his head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had been horrified when he first saw his son\u2019s head so devoid of hair and later had heard what Joseph had endured at the evil man\u2019s hands.\u00a0 The boy had told him exactly what Aram had done to him before he had finally passed out due to the trauma inflicted on him along with the blood loss caused by the gunshot to his leg.<\/p>\n

\n

*** The damage had been done and Little Joe finally passed out on the examination table after the evil man had cut the final curl from his head.\u00a0 Aram had mocked the boy by waving the strand of hair in front of his eyes and calling it \u201chis best curl\u201d.\u00a0 Afterwards, due to both shock and blood loss, Joe had closed his eyes and let his head drop down onto the examination table.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if Aram was going to kill him and after witnessing what he had, Joe didn\u2019t much care anymore if he did.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Piece by piece and strand by strand, Aram stitched the small bundles of hair onto the flesh-colored silk mesh.\u00a0 He was an artist when it came to hair and took great pride in his work.\u00a0 By the time he was through daylight streamed through the windows.\u00a0 Aram anxiously pulled on his new hairpiece and grabbed the hand mirror he had set on the table.\u00a0 He gleefully smiled over the fact that he finally had a full head of hair after so many years of being bald.\u00a0 It was brown, curly and thick, and it was his.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWake up, Boy!\u00a0 I got something to show you!\u201d Aram yelled in Little Joe\u2019s ear.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pulling himself from a horrible dream that happened to be reality, the boy moaned as he turned his head in the opposite direction of his captor.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy \u2013 you got to see this!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGo away,\u201d Little Joe muttered angrily.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to get that chloroform? One more dose will probably kill you,\u201d Aram threatened and yanked Joe\u2019s head over to him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Blinking his eyes open, Little Joe stared up at the horrendous sight of his own hair looking back at him.\u00a0 The insane man was smiling ear to ear as he displayed the vile thing.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s head was cold, and he wondered if Aram had left any hair at all on top of his head or not.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u00a0 Nice huh? In fact, these curls look much better on me than they did on you!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Numb by all he had endured; Joe simply shook his head.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t worry Boy!\u00a0 My guess is it\u2019ll take six months or so, but you\u2019ll grow it back.\u00a0 Right now, you look a little bit on the bald side \u2013 but it won\u2019t be permanent,\u201d Aram laughed at his victim.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI hate you,\u201d Joe whispered and slowly closed his eyes, praying that he\u2019d fall back to sleep.\u00a0 He\u2019d had enough of the insane man\u2019s taunts; enough to last a lifetime.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram moved in closer to the boy and roughly yanked his chin up, forcing Joe\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cTell me how good I look!\u201d he demanded.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re ugly \u2013 both inside and out.\u00a0 You can keep that hair, but it\u2019ll never be yours,\u201d Joe responded bitterly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Incensed over what the boy had said, Aram slapped Joe\u2019s face hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better remember who I am!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, \u201cYeah, I know who you are — you\u2019re \u2013 you\u2019re the bad man.\u201d\u00a0 And with that statement he passed out cold.***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Harden\u2019s face paled over what he had heard. \u201cThat poor kid \u2013 I noticed how the boy liked to wear his hair long.\u00a0 It had to be horrifying to see his own curls being worn by that sadistic man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and frowned as his gaze shot back up to the top of the stairs again.\u00a0 \u201cI guess now I finally understand why Joseph has always shied away from going to the barbershop to get his hair cut.\u00a0 Somehow deep down inside of him there was always that memory of Aram and it must\u2019ve plagued his thoughts.\u00a0 Back when he was five years old, he hadn\u2019t seen Aram\u2019s face because he was wearing a mask of sorts.\u00a0 But deep down in his subconscious Joseph probably remembered the man\u2019s voice.\u00a0 If I had only known \u2013\u201d Ben trailed off still wondering if he could have done something to prevent what had happened to his son.<\/p>\n

Giving his cousin a few minutes to regroup after describing such harrowing details, Harden waited until Ben turned back towards him before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you find the boy \u2013 and what happened to the barber?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, Adam, and I were able to track the man\u2019s buckboard which led us right to where he\u2019d taken Joe.\u00a0 But Aram was already mounted on his horse by the time we got there.\u00a0 I sent my two boys after him while I went to find Joseph.\u00a0 He was in rough shape, but I thanked God that he was still alive.\u00a0 Once I\u2019d gotten a good look at his head, I realized what Aram had done to my boy.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t too much I could do other than hold Joseph in my arms and try to comfort him.\u00a0 He was still suffering the after-effects of the chloroform plus Joe was weakened due to that gunshot wound in his leg.\u00a0 I stayed with him and waited for Hoss and Adam to return.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes again.\u00a0 The memories were far too vivid even after nine months.\u00a0 He witnessed his son as he fought to breathe due to the memory of his first abduction when he was only five years old.\u00a0 Both times the boy had suffered through a panic attack and it took some coaxing for Ben to help him out of it.<\/p>\n

\n

*** In a pure panic, Little Joe cried out again, \u201cI can\u2019t breathe, Pa!\u00a0 I can\u2019t breathe!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be alright, Son.\u00a0 You and I are going to do this together.\u00a0 Now take in a deep breath and hold it,\u201d he coaxed the boy in the same fashion that he had done back when he was only five years old.\u00a0 It had taken longer to convince his son now that he was older, but patiently Ben urged him to take a breath, hold it in and then expel it slowly.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 is that better, Joseph?\u201d He asked after going through several minutes of breathing along with the boy.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa!\u00a0 It was him \u2013 it was him all along,\u201d Little Joe sobbed, covering his eyes with the palms of his hands.\u00a0 It was then that he found himself pulled forward on the table.\u00a0 Pa wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly in his loving embrace.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Son \u2013 everything\u2019s going to be alright,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 His right hand moved onto the boy\u2019s head and the fact that it was so devoid of curls pained his heart though he tried not to show it on his face.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t mattered to him that the hair was gone, Ben gently stroked his son\u2019s head, trying to instill a sense of calm in him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt \u2013 it was the bad man, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s voice trembled as tears fell from his eyes.\u00a0 His thoughts were filled with the terror he had experienced that night, along with all the repressed memories that he\u2019d finally recalled.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s left hand reached up and touched the top of his head and then he passed out cold, still held in his father\u2019s arms. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joseph \u2013 Joseph — I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d Ben whispered as he pulled the boy tightly against his chest.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help believing that he had failed his son and had, in fact, pushed him toward danger by insisting that he get a haircut.\u00a0 Now, as he nervously rocked the boy in his arms, he couldn\u2019t help feeling guilty.\u00a0 When his chin fell onto the crown of Little Joe\u2019s head, the fact that the curls were all gone hit him hard.\u00a0 He glanced over to the wig block on the table next to where they sat.\u00a0 Ben wondered exactly what Aram had done to his son.\u00a0 Of course, there was the bullet wound in his leg and that was bad enough, but for some reason the horrible man had removed almost all his son\u2019s hair, and Ben had no idea why. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDid they catch him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally settling back into his chair, Ben replied, \u201cThey got close.\u00a0 After firing some warning shots my sons had to exchange gunfire with him.\u00a0 Aram was shooting at them as they tried to get close enough to stop him.\u00a0 Apparently one of Hoss\u2019 bullets hit the man and he fell from his horse.\u00a0 He had been riding at a fast clip at the time, and it knocked him off his horse.\u00a0 Aram rolled down the embankment and into the Truckee River.\u00a0 His body was carried away in the rapids.\u00a0 With the Truckee being swollen from all the snowfall we\u2019d gotten the previous winter the current was swift.\u00a0 There\u2019s just no way that he could have survived even if Hoss\u2019 bullet hadn\u2019t killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden shook his head and remarked, \u201cI guess that was a fitting end for that insane man.\u00a0 I guess he ended up taking that coveted hairpiece to the grave with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly, Harden.\u201d Ben replied glumly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss found the hairpiece on the banks of the river.\u00a0 He and Adam brought it back to show me.\u00a0 It was a stark reminder of what had happened to Joseph.\u201d\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t help still seeing that dreadful thing in his mind.\u00a0 He remembered the moment that Adam had shown it to him the first time.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cBetter come over here a minute, Pa,\u201d Adam announced and walked over to his horse.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben walked next to his two boys and came to an abrupt stop when he spotted what Adam pulled out of his saddlebags.\u00a0 He closed his eyes and winced upon seeing the hair; Joseph\u2019s hair.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe chased him down to the Truckee River, Pa.\u00a0 He was shooting at the two of us and I guess one of my bullets hit him hard enough to send him flying into the rapids.\u00a0 Aram went into the river \u2013 but his body must\u2019ve ended up downstream somewhere.\u00a0 I found that,\u201d Hoss said and pointed to the hairpiece that his father was holding in his hands.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben coughed to loosen the tightness in his throat and handed the hair back to his eldest boy.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019d better show that to Roy when you get into town.\u201d ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s awful, Ben.\u00a0 Did Little Joe see it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as he polished off the last of his brandy before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we didn\u2019t tell him that we had found it.\u00a0 The boy had been through enough.\u00a0 We felt it best that Joseph thought it went down the river along with Aram\u2019s body.\u00a0 And what with the man being dead we knew that there wouldn\u2019t be a trial, so it wasn\u2019t needed for evidence.\u00a0 So, I simply had Adam bury it.\u00a0 Joseph will never know and that\u2019s for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his cousin\u2019s arm.\u00a0 He could easily see how the retelling of events had affected the man.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at the very least that man won\u2019t ever kidnap Little Joe ever again.\u00a0 The boy hasn\u2019t had any bouts with sleepwalking since then, has he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 he hasn\u2019t.\u00a0 And as you can clearly see Joseph\u2019s hair has grown very long in the nine months since all that happened.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s even longer and thicker than it was when Aram got his hands on the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you don\u2019t want to say anything about Little Joe getting a haircut, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cI know he surely needs one \u2013 but I just can\u2019t bring myself to mention it.\u00a0 Hopefully he\u2019ll say something about it \u2013 so I won\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still say that story you just told me is far more frightening than one of Poe\u2019s tales.\u00a0 Like me, I\u2019m sure you wish that it was a work of fiction and not something that you had to personally experience along with Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying to shake himself from the ghastly reminder of what had happened earlier in the year, Ben managed a smile and said, \u201cI\u2019m just glad we won\u2019t ever have to worry about Aram getting his hands on Joseph again.\u201d\u00a0 He stared over at the grandfather clock and added, \u201cHarden, much like your last visit, I\u2019ve kept you up far too late.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to pack in the morning, and I\u2019ll be taking you to catch the stage around noon.\u00a0 You\u2019d better get some shuteye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden stood and dropped a hand down onto his cousin\u2019s shoulder, offering him a smile to try and allay his worry, \u201cI guess you\u2019re right, Ben.\u00a0 I suppose I\u2019d better turn in.\u00a0 Now don\u2019t you stay up ruminating on what we\u2019ve just talked about, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood and tried to return the man\u2019s smile, though it hadn\u2019t been much of one due to the circumstances.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t \u2013 goodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harden walked into the guest room to the left of the dining table while Ben set one last log on the grate in the fireplace before heading up the stairs.\u00a0 He hoped that he could finally put away all the reminders of there ever having been a man named Aram Cullen.<\/p>\n

\n

Two days after Harden Matthews left to go back to San Francisco Little Joe had completed his task of restocking the nine line shacks on the Ponderosa and had gone into Virginia City to get the payroll money from the bank.\u00a0 While his two brothers were busy moving the herd down to the south shore of Lake Tahoe, Joe was walking into the Silver Dollar Saloon and treating himself to a beer before heading back to the ranch.<\/p>\n

After he had ordered and received his mug of beer, Little Joe casually glanced around the saloon.\u00a0 He tossed his hat on top of a table and sank down into the hard wooden chair.\u00a0 Joe swept a hand through his hair.\u00a0 Lately his hat had fit a bit too snugly due to the thick curls that had grown back fast after his run-in with Aram Cullen.\u00a0 The first few months Little Joe had to wear his old black hat because his newer one was far too loose.\u00a0 In fact, he barely had any hair at all because the evil man had only left about a half of an inch all the way around his head.\u00a0 But now it was all that he could do to get the tan Stetson to stay down and not pop up due to all the hair that it had to hold.\u00a0 Little Joe sipped his drink, taking in the sounds around him.\u00a0 The place wasn\u2019t very crowded.\u00a0 There were only about twenty men sitting around at the various tables and standing up at the bar hoisting a few beers.\u00a0 But then again, it was midday on Thursday.\u00a0 Joe knew that business would pick up once the local cowhands all drew their pay the following day.\u00a0 A couple of cowboys were having a loud conversation to his left and there were four men to his right who were in the middle of a heated poker game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just having one, Little Joe?\u201d Sam asked, smiling down at one of his favorite patrons.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 gotta get back home soon,\u201d Joe nodded to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s your brothers and your Pa?\u00a0 Haven\u2019t seen them in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s fine, Sam.\u00a0 But we\u2019ve all been busy lately.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Hoss and Adam will be coming by for a beer sometime this weekend after they get the herd moved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sam wiped his hands on his apron and turned when he spotted another customer up at the bar.\u00a0 He patted Joe\u2019s back and said, \u201cDuty calls.\u201d And with that, Sam returned to his position behind the counter.<\/p>\n

With his attention drawn over to the poker game at the next table, Little Joe didn\u2019t spot the approach of his long-time nemesis as he sauntered into the saloon.\u00a0 Pete Timmons was just a few years older than the youngest Cartwright son and worked on a neighboring ranch to the southeast of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He had always had it in for the boy sitting there at the table though, if asked, Little Joe couldn\u2019t say why.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy excuse me, Miss, are you new in town?\u201d Pete directed his question to Joe wearing his usual annoying lopsided grin.<\/p>\n

Little Joe shot a glance up at the man and frowned.\u00a0 He decided to ignore him and turned his attention back to the card game going on at the table next to him.<\/p>\n

Pete walked over to the bar and ordered a beer.\u00a0 Sam drew it off at the tap and handed the mug to his customer warily.\u00a0 The bartender was well aware that Timmons and Joe Cartwright had a longstanding feud, and he hoped that there wouldn\u2019t be any trouble that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Sam,\u201d Pete grinned and tossed his money on the bar before turning back to Little Joe\u2019s table.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss? You never answered my question.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe bit at his bottom lip trying his best to ignore the man who was hovering over his left shoulder trying to force a response out of him.\u00a0 After the last two fights with Timmons, Pa had instructed Joe to ignore him and if necessary, turn and walk away.\u00a0 Little Joe wondered if he should take his father’s advice and polish off his beer quickly and leave the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the shy kind, huh?\u201d Pete chided and then laughed at the way that the boy was trying his best to avoid looking at him.\u00a0 \u201cMy you have such lovely long curly hair \u2013 if you don\u2019t mind my saying so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCut it out, Timmons,\u201d Joe warned angrily as he set down his mug.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to upset you, Ma\u2019am.\u00a0\u00a0 I just came over to tell you that you\u2019ve got the loveliest hair I\u2019ve ever seen!\u00a0 Did you get all dolled up just to come in here looking for a date?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe finally had his fill of Pete\u2019s snide remarks, and he wasn\u2019t going to simply sit there and let him keep trying to get underneath his skin.\u00a0 He stood from the table and spat out another warning, \u201cGet out of my face, Timmons, before I have to mop the floor with you again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete dropped his glass onto the tabletop and laughed, \u201cOh, a feisty gal!\u00a0 That\u2019s my favorite type of woman!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s left fist shot out and abruptly knocked the cowboy flat on his back.<\/p>\n

Mopping the blood off his lip, Pete called up to Joe, \u201cYou hit pretty good for a girl!\u201d\u00a0 He stood and stared directly into the angry hazel eyes before him.\u00a0 \u201cYou know my pa always told me that I should never raise my hand to a lady \u2013 but I guess there\u2019s an exception to every rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete threw a right hook which Joe had seen a split second before the man could make contact.\u00a0 Joe ducked down low.\u00a0 The man looked confused to have missed his target, and it was then that Little Joe used the opportunity to pummel Pete in his stomach several times.\u00a0 Due to the impact from having taken the unexpected blows, Pete fell back against the table over to the left where the two cow hands had been sharing a bottle of rotgut.\u00a0 Angered that their whiskey had gotten dumped over, the two men jumped into the fray going up against both Pete and Little Joe.\u00a0 Within a few minutes the whole saloon had erupted into a big free-for-all with tables being knocked over and several chairs being tossed up to the bar.\u00a0 Sam moved out of the way just as a whiskey bottle sailed through the air barely missing his head.\u00a0 It was then that a loud blast from a scatter rifle caused the saloon to go suddenly silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough playing around, Boys!\u201d Sheriff Roy Coffee announced and looked over at the bartender.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Sam \u2013 who started it this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, not really wanting to get Little Joe in trouble but knowing that he had thrown the first punch, Sam answered, \u201cPete came in here trying to rile Little Joe, Roy.\u00a0 I guess the two of them started it.\u00a0 But you know it don\u2019t take much to make these rowdy cowhands start to throw chairs around the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy walked over to where Little Joe was searching for his hat which had fallen underneath the table he had been sitting at prior to the fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe \u2013 is that the way of it?\u00a0 Was it you and Timmons who started this brawl?\u201d Roy questioned, staring at the son of his best friend.<\/p>\n

Shaking the bloodied knuckles on his left hand, Little Joe nodded over to the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cYeah \u2013 I guess.\u00a0 Timmons came in here looking for a fight, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you decided to give him one, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe sighed, knowing that he should have simply left the bar.<\/p>\n

Roy directed his attention to Pete Timmons who was attempting to slink out of the saloon unnoticed.\u00a0 \u201cNot so fast there, Pete!\u00a0 I want the pleasure of your company over at the jail.\u00a0 You and Little Joe\u2019s got to take care of these damages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threw the first punch!\u201d Pete shouted as he mopped the blood off the corner of one of his eyebrows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t give a hoot.\u00a0 You both tore up the saloon and you\u2019ll both pay for the damages,\u201d Roy argued.\u00a0 He then turned to look at Sam once more.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019ll it cost to clean up this place, Sam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Walking around the saloon and setting some of the overturned tables back into their former positions Sam shook his head wearily.\u00a0 He then checked on the damages up at the counter and replied, \u201cA couple busted chairs, about four bottles of whiskey wasted and about six or seven broken mugs of beer.\u00a0 Then there\u2019s the cleanup I\u2019ll have to do.\u00a0 I guess sixty dollars ought to square things, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d the sheriff nodded.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe – Timmons \u2013 let\u2019s go down to the jail.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gonna hold neither of you unless you can\u2019t pay your share of the damages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe groaned.\u00a0 He figured that the payroll was now going to be about thirty dollars short and his father wouldn\u2019t be happy about it.\u00a0 Following Roy out of the saloon, he sneered over at Timmons.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot,\u201d Little Joe fumed as he shook his head, disgusted due to having to pay for half of the damages from the brawl.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Miss \u2013 don\u2019t go getting yourself all upset.\u00a0 Though I\u2019m saddened to tell you that our little fight did mess up that lovely hair of yours,\u201d Pete laughed when he witnessed the look Joe was firing his way.\u00a0 He knew that he\u2019d gotten under the boy\u2019s skin and Pete took that as being worth the thirty dollars he\u2019d have to cough up now.<\/p>\n

Roy stepped in between the two young men to prevent another fight from breaking out on the way to the jailhouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever says one more word will be cooling their heels in a jailcell tonight.\u00a0 Now let\u2019s go!\u201d the sheriff exclaimed and then herded Little Joe and Pete down to his office.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben had gotten up from his chair and walked to the front door to peer out at least four times in the last hour.\u00a0 Little Joe was late and his father was worried.\u00a0 Even though he had expected his youngest home no later than six that night it was now after seven and the boy hadn\u2019t made it back from town.\u00a0 Ben stood from his chair once more and walked across the room to stare at the grandfather clock again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is that boy?\u201d Ben fussed and turned to look at both Hoss and Adam.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph knows good and well what time we eat supper around here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam exchanged frowns.\u00a0 They presumed that their little brother would be arriving soon if for no other reason than to stop their father from giving him a lecture about his tardiness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ain\u2019t all that late, Pa,\u201d Hoss offered trying to ease his father\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019d better be here soon if he knows what\u2019s good for him,\u201d Ben returned gruffly.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t all that mad that the boy was just over an hour late, however every time Joseph failed to arrive home on time, Ben\u2019s heart was filled with a familiar feeling of dread due to what had transpired earlier in the year.\u00a0 Joseph had been late the night when he had disappeared from the barbershop and ever since then Ben couldn\u2019t stop worrying about the boy.\u00a0 \u201cI hope nothing\u2019s happened to him,\u201d he sighed and shook his head, the anger had dissipated leaving only concern in its wake.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa \u2013 you worry too much,\u201d Hoss called across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph was supposed to pick up the payroll and come right back.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like it \u2013 maybe someone followed the boy?\u201d Ben responded wondering why neither of his sons seemed the least bit concerned over the fact that their brother hadn\u2019t gotten home yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey \u2013 I just heard someone,\u201d Adam announced walking to the front door.\u00a0 He pulled it open and looked across the yard.<\/p>\n

Little Joe had dismounted just outside the barn and was pulling Cochise into her stall.<\/p>\n

Ben quickly met Adam at the door and glanced over to the barn.\u00a0 *** Thank the Good Lord! ***<\/em><\/strong> He thought.\u00a0 Relieved, he then turned back into the living room.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, go and tell Hop Sing that the boy is home and he can start setting the food on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d he nodded and walked to the kitchen to talk to the cook.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later Little Joe eased the front door open and walked inside cautiously.\u00a0 He knew that once everyone spotted the cuts and bruises on his face that there would be an inquisition and he dreaded it.\u00a0 Tossing the payroll on top of the credenza, Little Joe unbuckled his holster and rolled it up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kept you?\u201d Ben called over to his son having taken the time to sit back down in his chair so the boy wouldn\u2019t know that he\u2019d been worried.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d he muttered his response and hoped to make a quick break for the staircase to clean up a bit before his father caught sight of his battered face.<\/p>\n

Ben stood when he noticed his son\u2019s sudden attempt to leave the room.\u00a0 Hurrying over to Little Joe, he reached for the boy\u2019s elbow and turned him back around.\u00a0 It was then that he spotted the damage to his son\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust what in the devil happened to you?\u201d Ben fussed as he placed a hand on the boy\u2019s cheek trying to inspect his injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Little Joe insisted and tried to pull himself away from his father\u2019s grasp.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine? Oh, sure you\u2019re just fine!\u201d Ben fumed.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa? Can I go and get cleaned up?\u201d He asked weakly, finally releasing himself from his father\u2019s hold.<\/p>\n

Drawing in a deep breath, Ben tried to will away his desire to get to the bottom of the reason why his youngest was standing before him with cuts and bruises across half of his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Joseph, go get cleaned up \u2013 and don\u2019t dawdle!\u00a0 You\u2019ve made Hop Sing upset by not getting home on time and making him wait on setting out our dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir.\u00a0 I put the payroll on top of the credenza,\u201d he said and turned back for the stairs.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s gaze followed his son\u2019s departure up the staircase.\u00a0 He shook his head wondering what the boy had gotten himself into that day.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss approached their father and could tell that he was very upset.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess now we know why Little Joe was late,\u201d Adam offered wryly.<\/p>\n

Hoss added, \u201cYeah \u2013 from what I saw my little brother had himself a fight with somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head in frustration, Ben walked across the room and lifted the payroll satchel off the credenza.\u00a0 \u201cHoss \u2013 better tell Hop Sing to wait a few minutes before setting out the food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss groaned and replied, \u201cHe\u2019s gonna throw a pan at me for sure this time, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust tell him it won\u2019t be long \u2013 just long enough for Joseph to wash up.”<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Hoss nodded and walked into the dining room.\u00a0 He could tell that his father wasn\u2019t in a very good mood and didn\u2019t want to push him.\u00a0 But Hoss wasn\u2019t happy about having to tell Hop Sing to wait on putting the food on the table either.<\/p>\n

\n

Watching the boy sitting there on his right during dinner, it was clear to Ben that Little Joe was trying his best to avoid talking about what had happened to him.\u00a0 Earlier, while the boy had tended to his facial cuts and washed off, Ben had instructed both Hoss and Adam not to press Joseph on how he had gotten hurt because unless he offered an explanation himself, he was going to wait to discuss it with Joe after they ate.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t taken long for Ben to realize that his youngest wasn\u2019t about to offer any clues about what had gone on that afternoon.\u00a0 The conversation around the table had been purposely geared on discussing what progress had been made on moving the herd and various other chores that needed to be done the following day.\u00a0 Little Joe hadn\u2019t said a single word, nor had he looked at any of his family members\u2019 faces, keeping his eyes trained down to his dinner plate throughout the meal.<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat after blotting his mouth with his napkin, Ben announced sternly, \u201cJoseph, I want to see you in my study.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe watched in woeful anticipation as his father stood from the table and walked across the room.\u00a0 He finally stared at Hoss and witnessed him giving him a warning look.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better just fess up and tell Pa the truth this time, Little Brother,\u201d Hoss whispered.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not in the mood for any of your tall tales tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned and nodded over to Hoss. \u00a0He stood from the table and then apprehensively approached the study dreading what was coming next.<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down, Joseph,\u201d Ben instructed and pointed to his left as he sank down into the chair behind his desk.<\/p>\n

Wishing that he could come up with some excuse so he could just go up to his room, Joe reluctantly sat down where he had been directed and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d Little Joe began, his eyes directed on the floor and not at his father.\u00a0 \u201cThe payroll is short thirty dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m aware of that,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a slight nervous shrug to his shoulders, Little Joe answered, \u201cI got into a fight at the Silver Dollar.\u00a0 I only stopped to get one beer \u2013 and well \u2013 the place got busted up so Roy made me split the damages with the other guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just who was the other guy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPete Timmons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and shook his head angrily.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times have I told you to steer clear of that man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa,\u201d Joe responded, not knowing what else to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat started the fight this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stood and began pacing in front of his father\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201cHe just walked inside the saloon and started right in on me, Pa!\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t help it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pursing his lips, Ben thought for a minute and returned, \u201cOkay — who threw the first punch?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropping his head down to his chest, Joe answered quietly, \u201cI guess I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guess?\u00a0 You mean you don\u2019t know?\u201d He questioned, exasperated over the very limited details that his boy was offering him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 I know \u2013 it was me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit back down, Young Man,\u201d Ben once more pointed his finger, directing the boy over to the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Pa!\u201d Joe exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll pay you back.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing else to talk about!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, I said sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groaning, Little Joe retook his seat and folded his arms tightly across his chest showing his displeasure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is<\/em><\/strong> something to talk about, Young Man.\u00a0 What caused the fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just told you!\u00a0 Timmons came into the saloon and started in on me!\u201d Joe sounded out hotly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t fire off at me, Boy, you\u2019re in enough trouble already,\u201d Ben warned, his eyes showing his ire over the way that his son was acting as well as the angry inflection in his words.<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly trying to control his frustration over his father\u2019s attempt to get to the bottom of why he had gotten into a fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did Timmons say to you that caused you to lose your temper and throw that punch?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t exactly remember,\u201d Joe purposely lied to his father.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t about to mention what Pete had said about his hair.\u00a0 It was the very last thing that he wanted to discuss with his pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t remember?\u201d Ben returned incredulously, not buying one word that Joe had proffered.\u00a0 He was surprised to hear his son deliberately obfuscating the truth because Joseph was usually a lot more forthcoming when explaining why he had gotten into a brawl.\u00a0 On top of that the boy knew better than to lie to him.<\/p>\n

Little Joe simply shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, what\u2019s going on with you?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice was softer, aware that his son was obviously upset over what had happened.
\n\u201cNothing,\u201d he replied flatly.<\/p>\n

Ben stood and approached the boy, setting a hand onto his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you talk to me anymore, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Ben directed the boy\u2019s gaze as he lifted his chin up.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you don\u2019t.\u00a0 You give me very short answers, and not always truthful ones.\u00a0 Then you leave it at that.\u00a0 It\u2019s been that way between the two of us for quite a while now and I\u2019d like to know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have anything to say, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered, turning his head to shake himself free from his father\u2019s hold.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to know what Timmons said to you, Joseph,\u201d he urged his son out with the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you I don\u2019t remember.\u00a0 Now \u2013 I\u2019ll pay you the thirty dollars I owe you.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis doesn\u2019t have a thing to do with the thirty dollars.\u00a0 It has to do with your attitude of late and your reluctance to tell me what\u2019s really going on with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I\u2019m tired.\u00a0 Can I just go to bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour face needs doctoring \u2013 most likely that right eye will be shut in the morning,\u201d Ben complained and placed a hand on his son\u2019s cheek, studying the cuts and bruises.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe insisted, moving his face to the side to rid himself of his father\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tend to it before I turn in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben whispered and leaned down to look into the boy\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Lately his son shunned all physical contact with him and that was a sure sign that something was wrong with the boy.\u00a0 Joseph had always welcomed his father\u2019s touch until recently. \u201cAre you angry with me about something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not angry,\u201d Little Joe sighed and closed his eyes to avoid his father\u2019s penetrating gaze.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, upset over the way his son had been doing his best to avoid both his gaze and his touch.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re not angry with me then why do you keep pulling away from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just tired, Pa.\u00a0 Can I go to bed now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned as he wearily leaned back on the desk.\u00a0 \u201cGo on to bed then,\u201d he announced defeatedly and watched as the boy hurried to the staircase.\u00a0 Within a minute he heard Joe\u2019s bedroom door closing.\u00a0 He walked to his chair and sank down folding his hands in front of him.\u00a0 There was something troubling his youngest and Ben didn\u2019t have a clue what it was.\u00a0 Joseph had always confided in him when he was upset about something.\u00a0 However, during the last few months it seemed as though the boy was purposely distancing himself from him for some reason.\u00a0 He wished that he could figure out what was going on with Joe.\u00a0 Ben missed the closeness that he had always shared with his youngest boy who had been the most demonstrative of all his sons until recently. \u00a0\u00a0His fatherly intuition told him that somehow Joseph\u2019s problem had something to do with his abduction earlier in the year though he didn\u2019t know what.\u00a0 When the boy had been taken back when he was five years old and returned seven days later Joseph had clung to him.\u00a0 Ben had insisted that the boy stay in his bedroom with him at night because it was easy to tell that Little Joe was petrified every time that he left his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 However, after the abduction nine months ago Joseph had acted completely the opposite, going to great lengths to distance himself from his pa.\u00a0 Shaking his head, Ben struggled to come up with a reason for the change in his son\u2019s behavior.\u00a0 They had always been so close until Aram Cullen had changed all that by taking his son away for the second time in his life.\u00a0 Sighing to himself, Ben closed his eyes and wished it was as simple to solve Joseph\u2019s problems as it had been twelve years ago.\u00a0 He could still see the little five-year-old and hear Little Joe\u2019s voice as he had pleaded with him never to leave.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cPapa?\u201d The five-year-old whispered as he placed a hand on his father\u2019s shoulder trying to awaken him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben fought to get his bearings after having been in a deep sleep.\u00a0 Coughing as he slowly sat up on the bed, he looked over to where his son was sitting by the pillows with a terrified look on his face.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong?\u201d He asked, placing his arm around the boy\u2019s tiny shoulders pulling him closer.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a-scared, Papa,\u201d Little Joe returned, his eyes brimming with tears.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you afraid of, Boy?\u00a0 Your Pa\u2019s right here,\u201d Ben answered soothingly and pulled his son into his arms.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s body was trembling, and it gave his father cause for concern.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this now?\u201d Ben smiled and gently pushed away the boy\u2019s fallen tears from his cheeks<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sniffing in his tears and wiping his nose on the sleeve of his nightshirt, the little boy replied, \u201cYou \u2013 you were gone, Papa.\u00a0 It was dark and I couldn\u2019t find you nowhere!\u00a0 The bad man tooked me and I just couldn\u2019t find you, Papa\u2014I was a-scared!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Realizing that his son had just awakened from another nightmare about being in the cave where he had spent time in the dark without anyone to care for him other than whoever had kidnapped him, Ben tried to calm him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSon — that was nothing but a bad dream.\u00a0 I\u2019ve not left this room all night,\u201d Ben cooed to the frightened boy.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you remember me telling you that I won\u2019t go anywhere unless someone else is with you \u2013 someone you know and love \u2013 like Hop Sing?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded his head sadly and then choked out, \u201cBut \u2013 I thought I was all alone, Papa.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben kissed his child\u2019s cheek and whispered, \u201cJust a bad dream, Joseph \u2013 nothing more than that.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not going to leave you \u2013 you don\u2019t have to worry about that.\u00a0 Now,\u201d he paused as he pulled the boy onto his shoulder and eased back in the bed.\u00a0 \u201cHow about you and your papa get some sleep?\u00a0 I promise that I\u2019ll protect you from those bad dreams, Son.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With the side of his head now resting on his father\u2019s shoulder and with his left arm stretched across his chest holding on to Pa tightly, Little Joe yawned and replied, \u201cPapa — don\u2019t never go away.\u00a0 Promise?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t go away \u2013 I promise.\u00a0 Now close those eyes for me,\u201d Ben whispered as he patted the boy\u2019s back trying to lull Little Joe to sleep. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Shaking himself from the memory of the way he and his youngest had always been so close and the fact that he had been the only one who the boy had wanted to stay with him the first few weeks after returning home, Ben decided that he\u2019d go into Virginia City the next day.\u00a0 He hoped that he could find out how the fight started and maybe that would give him some answers.\u00a0 It was very apparent that he wasn\u2019t going to learn anything about what had happened that day from Joseph.<\/p>\n

\n

Waking with a loud gasp escaping his lips, Little Joe struggled to come out of the terrifying dream he had just experienced.\u00a0 It was becoming a nightly occurrence, and he had to pull himself off his bed to regroup a bit.\u00a0 Joe moved over to his water basin and rinsed his face in the cool water from the pitcher.\u00a0 His eyes caught sight of his mirror, and he noticed how wild his hair looked.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just the fact that it was long and thick, it was beginning to look totally out of control just like his emotions of late.\u00a0 Little Joe walked to his bureau and swept his brush through his hair hoping to tame his curls some.\u00a0 He stared over to his bed and was glad that he hadn\u2019t cried out due to his nightmare.\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t wanted to awaken his family, especially not Pa.\u00a0 Fortunately, he had been able to stop himself from screaming which would have elicited numerous questions from Pa if he had come into his room.\u00a0 That was the last thing he needed.\u00a0 Walking over to his bed, Joe grabbed the blanket and pulled it over to the chair and sat down.\u00a0 The room was chilly, so he decided that he\u2019d just cover himself and sit there until it was morning.\u00a0\u00a0 He assumed that it would be better than the alternative which would\u2019ve been lying back down and perhaps enduring yet another horrible dream.<\/p>\n

***Aram reached down and ran his fingers through the thick brown curls on the back of the boy\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cI told you that you have the perfect hair.\u00a0 Though I have searched around every single year \u2013 cutting hundreds of heads of hair — since I took that one perfect curl of yours.\u00a0 No one\u2019s ever been able to top the feel and appearance of these.\u00a0 Fortuitously only your hair will suit me,\u201d He paused and separated each curl between his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cIt is the finest \u2013 you know!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

His eyes growing wide, Joe hesitantly asked, \u201cWhat \u2013 you\u2019re going to give me a haircut and stick my hair on that thing?\u201d He motioned toward the wig block and swallowed hard due to the thought of Aram\u2019s insane plan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNot just a haircut, Little Joe \u2013 I need to remove each strand close to their root.\u00a0 So, by the time I\u2019m done I will have what you have,\u201d he paused and swiped a hand over his bald head and added, \u201cAnd you will have what I have now.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, his voice turning deadly, he threatened the man, \u201cThe only way you\u2019ll get my hair is to kill me!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew you\u2019d feel that way,\u201d Aram nodded, \u201cAnd that\u2019s a pure shame, Joe.\u00a0 But \u2013 you\u2019ve had your time on earth \u2013 and with a lot of admirers whereas I\u2019ve been bald since I was very young.\u00a0 I lost all of mine due to a bout with scarlet fever.\u00a0 It was a rare thing \u2013 doesn\u2019t happen often \u2013 but unfortunately, I went almost completely bald within a year after getting that disease.\u00a0 But now \u2013 thanks to you, Boy \u2013 I\u2019ll have these thick \u2013 beautiful \u2013 curls of yours!\u00a0 It took twelve years, but you\u2019ve now got the perfect head of hair \u2013 which will soon be mine!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe yanked at the leather restraints as he struggled to free his wrists from the bonds that held him, but with no success. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe found himself on the floor next to the chair where he had fallen asleep.\u00a0 He shook his head and wondered what he was doing down there.\u00a0 It was then that he remembered that he had moved off his bed and sought the security he had thought that the chair would have provided him.\u00a0 Staring over to his window, Joe saw the light streaming in through the gingham curtains.\u00a0 He was both surprised that he had gone back underneath the blanket of sleep and that another nightmare had invaded his dreams.\u00a0 Little Joe fought back the fear again, the fear that the bad man<\/em><\/strong> was still alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss called through the bedroom door.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Short Shanks \u2013 you up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulling himself to his feet, Joe tossed the blanket back on top of his bed and replied, \u201cYeah \u2013 I\u2019ll be down in a couple of minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, me and Adam\u2019s fixing to leave but Pa\u2019s at the table waiting on you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Hoss \u2013 I\u2019ll see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay out of trouble Joe!\u201d Hoss returned and then headed back down the stairs.<\/p>\n

\n

Setting down the previous day\u2019s newspaper, Ben watched as his youngest made his way to the dining table.\u00a0 He inspected his son\u2019s face as he sat down next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour eye is half closed just like I thought it would be,\u201d He remarked with a frown and passed the boy a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d Joe whispered trying not to look directly at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to go pay the hands and then I have a couple of errands in town, Joseph.\u00a0 And I want you to stick around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head surprised by what his father had just said.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you wanted me to go up to the timber camp and make sure they got all of the equipment put up for the winter, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 I\u2019ll give that job to one of the ranch hands.\u00a0 There\u2019s wood to be cut \u2013 and enough of it to keep you busy for the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s my punishment for getting into a fight, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben set a hand onto his son\u2019s left arm and forced his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cDo you realize that you haven\u2019t looked at me once since you sat down, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t know how he could respond to what his father had said because it happened to be true.\u00a0 He simply sat there unmoving.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill not going to speak to me, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just spoke, Pa,\u201d Joe sighed, \u201cI asked you if I was being punished for getting into that fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you\u2019re not being punished,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to need plenty of firewood to see us through the winter.\u00a0 But that\u2019s not exactly what I was just referring to.\u00a0 You never really talk to me anymore, Son \u2013 not the way that you used to.\u00a0 It\u2019s been months since you\u2019ve shared how you\u2019re feeling with me \u2013 or even spoken more than a few words when I\u2019ve asked you about it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also noticed that you don\u2019t look as though you\u2019ve been sleeping very much here lately.\u00a0 I can see the dark circles under your eyes.\u00a0 \u00a0Are you having those nightmares again?\u00a0 Is that what you\u2019ve been keeping from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cLook at me and say that,\u201d Ben attempted to direct his son\u2019s gaze by touching the boy\u2019s arm.\u00a0 Just as usual, Joe simply moved his arm away.<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned and shook his head upset over being put on the spot.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to worry about me all the time,\u201d he complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d He sighed, attempting to hide the hurt he felt due to the constant rejection that he continued to get from the boy.\u00a0 \u201cEat your breakfast, Joseph,\u201d Ben said, wishing that he had made some progress in getting his son to confide in him.\u00a0 He stood from his chair and looked down at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then you stay put, you understand?\u00a0 I don\u2019t want you leaving the yard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d he returned with another frown, dropping his head down again.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head sadly as he began to walk away from the table.\u00a0 Then, unable to leave without making one final effort to get through to his son, he turned back and dropped a hand onto Joe\u2019s shoulder, squeezing it gently.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 you\u2019re my son and I will always worry about you.\u00a0 And I wish you\u2019d tell me what\u2019s really going on with you,\u201d he said softly with sorrow coming out in his words.\u00a0 Getting no response from the boy, he turned and walked away.<\/p>\n

*** I\u2019m sorry, Pa. ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe thought as he fought back his tears.<\/p>\n

\n

After paying the ranch hands and sending one of them up to the timber camp, Ben made his way into Virginia City.\u00a0 Once he\u2019d stopped by the mercantile for a few small items that Hop Sing had requested and picked up the mail, he made his way to the Silver Dollar Saloon.\u00a0 The place was full of rowdy cowhands who had drawn their pay and were spending it on liquor when Ben walked through the swinging doors.\u00a0 Spotting Sam down at the far end of the bar he made his way in between the crowd of cowboys and over to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Sam,\u201d Ben smiled at the man as he turned around after drawing off a beer.<\/p>\n

The bartender handed the mug to his customer and then looked over at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Little Joe said that his brothers would be coming by this weekend \u2013 he didn\u2019t say anything about his pa!\u201d Sam grinned and shook hands with the white-haired man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I got a jump on my two older boys,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHow have you been doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBusy,\u201d Sam nodded as another customer handed him two silver dollars and ordered a bottle of whiskey.\u00a0 He reached underneath the counter and retrieved the rotgut and handed it over to the man.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBut Fridays are one of my most profitable days of the week so I ain\u2019t complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, Sam,\u201d Ben began, lowering his voice and moving closer to the other man.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t hold you up, but I was just wondering if you could tell me what that fight yesterday was all about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t Little Joe tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Ben shook his head, \u201cNo, the boy was tight-lipped about it when he got home.\u00a0 Do you know what started it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do,\u201d Sam replied with a quick nod to his head.\u00a0 He leaned closer to Ben so they could speak privately without anyone up at the bar hearing the exchange. \u00a0\u201cTimmons started right in on the boy the minute he walked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he say to Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was teasing him about his hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis hair?\u201d Ben asked, surprised by the information.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did he say \u2013 do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe kept calling Little Joe miss and ma\u2019am and such.\u00a0 He really railed on the boy, Ben.\u00a0 I can\u2019t say I blame Joe for getting mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSo \u2013 he kept teasing the boy and Joe hauled off and hit Timmons?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s about the size of it, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least I know now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen?\u201d Sam whispered, leaning forward on the counter.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Little Joe\u2019s hair sure is long \u2013 and well \u2013 he\u2019s probably going to get teased about it again if he doesn\u2019t do something about it.\u00a0 There\u2019s a new barber in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I heard,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 *** But how in the heck am I supposed to try and tell Joseph that he\u2019s got to get a haircut?\u00a0 The last time I made him get one he was almost killed! *** <\/em><\/strong>He thought to himself<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019d be a good thing if you took Little Joe to go see him \u2013 before someone else harasses him about his hair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I can do is try, Sam,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for explaining everything to me \u2013 it\u2019s good to know.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you get back to making a profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you want a drink before you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, \u201cNo, I\u2019m afraid I\u2019d overindulge.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long week.\u00a0 Thanks again!\u201d\u00a0 And with that being his last statement, he walked out of the saloon after leaving a dollar on the bar for Sam.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNow, Boys,\u201d Ben paused casting a wary glance in the direction of the staircase.\u00a0 Little Joe had gone up to his room to wash up before supper, and he wanted to make sure that the boy didn\u2019t hear what he was going to say to Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cLike I told you just go along with me during dinner.\u00a0 When I mention the new barber both of you subtly announce that you want to go with me Saturday to get your hair cut, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Hoss nodded.<\/p>\n

Adam thought for a few minutes and then replied, \u201cDo you really think that Joe will go along with the idea?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and raised his arms in gesture, \u201cAll I can do is try, Son.\u00a0 After listening to what Sam told me today I\u2019m afraid that the boy is going to have more insults thrown his way if he doesn\u2019t get his hair cut soon.\u00a0 It\u2019s at least three inches longer than it was when Aram cut it.\u00a0 And it was awfully long back then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll try my best to sound convincing.\u00a0 I only hope it works.\u00a0 The kid must know that he needs a haircut!\u00a0 It\u2019s way past his collar now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows,\u201d Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cBut after what he went through \u2013 well \u2013 I think we can all understand what the thought of going back into a barbershop is doing to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u00a0 I thought I heard a sound coming from Little Joe\u2019s room last night.\u00a0 By the time I\u2019d sat up in my bed the noise had stopped.\u00a0 Is he having those same nightmares again \u2013 the ones he had right after Aram cut his hair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Hoss.\u00a0 It\u2019s gotten to the point with Joseph that he hardly ever confides in me anymore.\u00a0 You both said those six weeks he was with you on the cattle drive he acted okay but since you all got back in September, he\u2019s changed.\u00a0 He\u2019s standoffish — well, at least with me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and I were talking about that last week.\u00a0 Neither of us have ever seen the kid act so coolly towards you.\u00a0 It just doesn\u2019t make any sense!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood from his chair and let out a deep sigh filled with both frustration and concern.\u00a0 \u201cIt makes sense if that boy blames me for what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get it, why now?\u00a0 I mean right after it happened Little Joe didn\u2019t act any differently towards you, Pa.\u00a0 He was just as close to you as he\u2019s always been.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam jumped back in, \u201cMaybe it\u2019s his hair.\u00a0 It might not have bothered him until it started to get some length to it.\u00a0 By September it had finally grown to the length that it was when Aram abducted Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at his eldest and nodded, \u201cThat could be the case \u2013 I just don\u2019t know \u2013\u201d Ben paused when he spotted Little Joe coming down the stairs.\u00a0 After sending a warning glance over to his other sons he addressed the boy.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you\u2019re hungry after all that wood chopping, Joseph!\u00a0 Hop Sing made a nice roast for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making his way down to the living room, Little Joe nodded to his father, \u201cYeah, I\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s back as they turned to the dining room.<\/p>\n

The conversation around the table began normally with everyone talking about their day and what they had accomplished.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t offer any information about going to the Silver Dollar Saloon for obvious reasons.\u00a0 He waited patiently until they were halfway done eating and then began to address what he\u2019d told his two older boys earlier.<\/p>\n

Sending an uneasy glance around the table, Ben began to broach the subject delicately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed that there\u2019s a new barber in town,\u201d he mentioned casually as he sipped his coffee, purposely avoiding looking directly at the boy to his right.<\/p>\n

Both Adam and Hoss shot apprehensive looks back and forth and then stared over at Joe.\u00a0 Upon hearing his father\u2019s statement, the boy abruptly set his fork on his plate and dropped his head down to his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 Have you met him, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, trying to give his little brother some time to regroup a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 Roy introduced us today.\u00a0 He\u2019s from New England originally and seems very nice,\u201d Ben said and looked at his youngest to try and determine how he was handling the topic of discussion.<\/p>\n

Deciding that he should jump in on the subject Adam looked down the table at his father and remarked, \u201cYou know I could sure use a trim.\u00a0 I mean Hop Sing\u2019s done a pretty good job with his kitchen shears, but he told me that he doesn\u2019t really like that one particular chore. He told me that he\u2019s got enough to do around here already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat, Ben replied, \u201cI was going back to town tomorrow to get some supplies and maybe get a haircut.\u00a0 How about the two of us go together, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good, Pa,\u201d Adam nodded to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you, Hoss?\u201d Ben continued, still avoiding staring over at his youngest.<\/p>\n

Hoss felt Adam\u2019s kick under the table and looked over at him frowning.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t needed the coaxing as he was just getting ready to pipe up.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t mind getting spruced up a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning his attention to the subdued seventeen-year-old to his right who was trying his best to avoid his father\u2019s eyes as well as the subject of barbers, Ben asked, \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe abruptly slid his chair back from the table and answered sharply, \u201cNo!\u201d\u00a0 Then he stood and turned away from the others, hurrying up to his bedroom.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and let out a discouraged sigh.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019s still too soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Adam responded.\u00a0 \u201cPersonally, I think it\u2019s been long enough.\u00a0 Nine months ago, Joe was kidnapped \u2013 that\u2019s almost a year.\u00a0 It\u2019s time that the boy faced up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t blame Little Joe,\u201d Hoss interjected.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the one who had to lie there strapped down to a table and watch that evil man cut the curls off his head one at a time.\u00a0 It\u2019s still fresh in his mind \u2013 something like that just don\u2019t go away especially knowing how Little Joe\u2019s always liked to wear his hair long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss \u2013 the kid used to wear his hair down to the collar of his jacket.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good four inches past that now.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want folks to tease Little Joe \u2013 like Timmons did!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 face revealed his anger over what had happened at the saloon, he announced.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take care of Timmons the next time I see him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 I don\u2019t want any of you boys going after him,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cAs for Joseph\u2019s problem \u2013 well it\u2019s not just a matter of how long his hair has gotten.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want that boy to spend the rest of his life being afraid to go into a barbershop or being too scared to get his hair cut.\u00a0 Just last month Hop Sing tried to talk your brother into letting him trim his hair and the boy got so angry that he didn\u2019t speak to him for days.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just got to get Joseph to listen to reason about getting his hair cut somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to talk to him for you, Pa?\u201d Hoss offered after witnessing the frustration and worry spreading across his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head slowly and answered, \u201cNo \u2013 but thank you, Son.\u00a0 If he\u2019s going to get mad at someone then I guess it might just as well be me.\u00a0 Joseph hardly speaks to me now\u00a0 –\u201d he trailed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you need any help, Pa \u2013we\u2019re both willing to talk to the kid,\u201d Adam nodded over to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben nodded and stood from the table.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess I\u2019d better go talk to him now before he falls to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck, Pa,\u201d Hoss called across the room as he watched his father heading for the stairs.<\/p>\n

\n

Standing just outside his son\u2019s bedroom, Ben drew in a deep breath before knocking on the door.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 You still up?\u201d he asked, opening the door and slowly easing inside the room.<\/p>\n

Little Joe was seated on his bed with his back resting up against the headboard as his father made his way over to him.<\/p>\n

Ben forced a smile on his lips as he sat down on the bed next to his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cAre you feeling alright, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Only offering a slight nod to his head, Little Joe didn\u2019t speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t say goodnight \u2013and well, to tell you the truth I was worried.\u00a0 I hope that what I said about going to get a haircut didn\u2019t upset you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally looking into his father\u2019s eyes, he answered, \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Placing a hand on his son\u2019s shoulder, Ben whispered, \u201cJoseph, you wouldn\u2019t be going by yourself.\u00a0 We\u2019d all be there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abruptly swinging his legs over to the side of his bed, Little Joe pulled himself to standing.\u00a0 He made his way across the room and over to his bureau to escape from what Pa was suggesting.\u00a0 Facing the mirror, he studied the appearance of his hair along with his father\u2019s reflection, wondering if he\u2019d make the move over to him.\u00a0 Just a minute later Joe could clearly see Pa pulling himself up from the bed.\u00a0 He took note of the determined set to the man\u2019s shoulders as he approached.\u00a0 Joe knew what was coming next; yet another attempt at convincing him to go to the barbershop.\u00a0\u00a0 Grabbing his hairbrush he calmly ran the bristles through his long locks trying to appear as though he was more concerned with his grooming than with anything that Pa was preparing to offer by way of the usual lecture.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben called out as he set a hand onto the boy\u2019s shoulder hoping that he\u2019d turn around.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrop it will you, Pa?\u201d he complained, trying to control his anger over what Pa was suggesting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tossing his brush down on top of the bureau, Joe spun around to face his father.\u00a0 He angrily exclaimed, \u201cIt\u2019s my<\/em><\/strong> hair!\u00a0 Don\u2019t I have the right to decide what I do with my own hair?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben studied the boy\u2019s appearance, and it was very easy to see that he was reflecting on having his hair stolen from him by Aram or he never would have shouted at him.\u00a0 Recovering from his son\u2019s loud outburst, he drew closer to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cSon,\u201d he began with a great deal of compassion in his tone of voice.\u00a0 \u201cI just don\u2019t want you to be afraid of going to get your hair cut due to what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfraid?\u201d Little Joe questioned, with a great deal of irony in his voice.\u00a0 \u201cNow why<\/strong> would I be afraid, Pa?\u00a0 Just because I was strapped down onto a table and had to watch a maniac slowly cut every last curl off my head one by one \u2013 why should that make me afraid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 He yearned to pull his son into his arms and help him cope with everything he was feeling but due to the circumstances he couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 Aram\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot Aram, Pa \u2013 the bad man<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 and you\u2019ve got no proof that he is,\u201d Joe whispered.\u00a0 He dropped his head down to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut tightly trying to rid himself of the visions of the evil man and what he had done to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss shot him \u2013 and he fell into the river.\u00a0 If he wasn\u2019t killed by your brother\u2019s bullet those rapids would\u2019ve torn his body apart,\u201d Ben insisted, still trying to ease the boy\u2019s mind that there was no longer anything to worry about concerning Aram ever coming back.<\/p>\n

Little Joe simply looked down at the floor, not convinced by his father\u2019s explanation.\u00a0 He felt that without a body to verify that Aram was dead there wasn\u2019t any real proof that he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you having the same nightmares you had right after we brought you home?\u201d Pa struggled to get his son to admit to what he was going through.\u00a0 When he failed to get a response from the boy he lifted Joe\u2019s chin, forcing his attention.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Why won\u2019t you confide in me anymore?\u00a0 You know that there\u2019s nothing that you can\u2019t tell me.\u00a0 It\u2019s not good to keep everything bottled up inside of you, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s accusatory gaze fell onto his father as he replied, \u201cC\u2019mon, Pa!\u00a0 I know the real reason why you suddenly suggested that we all go to get our hair cut at the same time!\u00a0 \u00a0You went into town today and of course you just had to find out what started the fight between Timmons and me!\u00a0 Okay \u2013 so now you know.\u00a0 But don\u2019t think that I\u2019m afraid because I\u2019m not!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed a firm hand on his son\u2019s arm, forcing him to make eye contact.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, there\u2019s nothing to be ashamed of \u2013 if you do happen to be afraid \u2013 not after what you went through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 I\u2019m not afraid,\u201d Joe insisted vehemently.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m absolutely terrified!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There \u2013 now you know!\u00a0 Does that answer all your questions?\u00a0 Is that what you wanted me to admit to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSon,\u201d Ben responded softly, hoping to instill some calm in the boy.\u00a0 \u201cLike I said a minute ago \u2013 he\u2019s dead.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to worry — he can\u2019t hurt you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe just shook his head, frustrated over the fact that he couldn\u2019t make his father understand the way he was feeling deep inside.\u00a0 He walked away from Pa and back over to his bed.\u00a0 Crawling underneath his covers he muttered, \u201cYeah, you said that \u2013 you\u2019ve said that a lot, Pa.\u00a0 But as far as I\u2019m concerned, it\u2019s just like I told you nine months ago — you can never kill the bad man<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and walked back across the room, staring down at his son once more.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u201d he called down to the boy. \u00a0\u201cDo you blame me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlame you for what?\u201d he muttered, closing his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sent you to get that haircut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head, \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t have mattered whether you did or not.\u00a0 He had a plan, Pa \u2013 he was hellbent on taking me anyway \u2013 I told you that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that\u2019s what you said \u2013 but the way you\u2019ve been acting towards me \u2013 I can\u2019t help wondering \u2013\u201d he paused trying to get through to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 I\u2019m so sorry that I unknowingly put you in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget about it, Pa.\u00a0 Afterall, it\u2019s only hair<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d he answered, making light of something that had harmed him in so many ways.\u00a0 Little Joe rolled over onto his side, deliberately facing away from his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 He paused and wondered if he should make the move or not.\u00a0 Finally, deciding it was worth a try, Ben leaned down and gently combed his fingers through the boy\u2019s hair in the same fashion that he had done most of his son\u2019s life. \u00a0\u201cPlease don\u2019t shut me out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe never said another word, but he did shrug his father\u2019s hand off his head. Then he simply pulled the covers over his shoulder and willed himself to go to sleep.\u00a0 It left Pa standing there more worried than he had been before coming into the room.\u00a0 Ben sighed wearily wishing that he had gotten through to his son, but he knew that he hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 Surrendering for the night, he quietly walked out of the bedroom.<\/p>\n

\n

*** \u201cIs that fear I see in your eyes, Joe?\u201d Aram laughed as he moved the shears closer to the boy\u2019s face.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid,\u201d Little Joe insisted and then let out an involuntary gasp when the blades of the shears passed within an inch from his right eye.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSure, you are!\u00a0 Your fear is easy to spot in the reflection on the blades of my shears!\u00a0 But you don\u2019t have to worry.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to kill you unless you give me more trouble.\u00a0 Now you just hold nice and still and we\u2019ll get started in just a minute.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re insane, Mister Cullen!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram\u2019s mouth twisted into a scowl.\u00a0 He reached down and grabbed a handful of the boy\u2019s curls and yanked hard.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s my name again, Boy?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Moaning from the pain caused by the man\u2019s sudden move, Little Joe answered weakly, \u201cThe bad man.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram laughed and patted the boy\u2019s cheek, \u201cThat\u2019s a good boy!\u00a0 You remember that and I won\u2019t have to do it again.\u00a0 Afterall, I don\u2019t want to ruin those curls by pulling on them so hard.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be my hair soon.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNever,\u201d Little Joe answered coldly, \u201cthey\u2019ll never be yours.\u00a0 Not even if you kill me.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re wrong, Boy,\u201d Aram returned sinisterly, \u201cvery wrong \u2013 they\u2019re already mine!\u201d And with his statement, suddenly the hairpiece was finished and the man stood before Little Joe wearing his curls.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 Give them back!\u201d Little Joe shouted and fought with the bad man, somehow pulling himself free from the leather restraints and lunging toward his neck. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 Joseph \u2013 stop!\u201d Ben pleaded with his son, purposely keeping his voice low and monotone trying to soothe the anger he was seeing on Joseph\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u00a0The boy grabbed a handful of his father\u2019s nightshirt and robe as he fought against the hold he had on his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 it\u2019s me \u2013 it\u2019s Pa \u2013 it\u2019s alright \u2013 you\u2019re having a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive them back!\u00a0 They\u2019re not yours!\u00a0 They\u2019re mine!\u201d He yelled and fought against the hands that were trying to keep him down on the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 it\u2019s me \u2013 snap out of it, Son,\u201d Ben insisted as he finally freed himself from the boy\u2019s hands.\u00a0 He pushed Joe back against his pillows and tightly held on to his shoulders.<\/p>\n

Thrashing his head from side to side, Little Joe screamed again, \u201cGive them back!\u00a0 They\u2019re mine!\u00a0 They belong to me \u2013 not you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Still attempting to control the sound of his voice, Ben said, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Boy \u2013 it\u2019s alright.\u00a0 Settle down now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, the fight having left him, Joe\u2019s head stopped moving on the pillow as his father watched and waited. \u201cThat\u2019s it \u2013 just breathe, Joseph.\u00a0 Breathe,\u201d Ben crooned and waited for his son to open his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not yours \u2013 they\u2019re mine,\u201d Joe whimpered, his expression going from intense anger to sudden sadness.<\/p>\n

Ben gently slapped his son\u2019s cheek, attempting to release him from the horrific dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, it\u2019s okay now, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Joe whispered as his eyes suddenly blinked open, bewildered to see his father sitting there on the bed next to him and not Aram Cullen.\u00a0 \u201cWhat \u2013 what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching over to the pitcher on the boy\u2019s nightstand, Ben poured a glass of water and encouraged Joe to drink.\u00a0 After a little coaxing, Little Joe finally got down a few sips before he waved the glass away.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good, Son,\u201d Ben nodded with a forced smile on his lips trying to hide his worry.<\/p>\n

Staring up at his father and witnessing the concern that controlled his face, he asked filled with confusion, \u201cWhat are you doing in here, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were having a nightmare, Joseph \u2013 and a very bad one at that,\u201d Ben replied sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cI believe you\u2019ve probably had quite a few of these lately \u2013 but you\u2019ve kept them from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared down at his blanket trying to disguise the guilt on his face over the fact that Pa had been right.\u00a0 He had tried so hard to prevent himself from crying out when he\u2019d had nightmares, and until that night, he had been successful.\u00a0 But now Joe knew that he had sent Pa scrambling into his bedroom to be at his side due to his screams.<\/p>\n

Ben had to stop himself from reaching over and setting a hand on top of his son\u2019s head.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t comb his fingers through Little Joe\u2019s hair to calm him, not with the way that the boy had rejected his touch lately.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why you\u2019ve had those dark circles under your eyes.\u00a0 I knew something was going on with you.\u00a0 Joseph, I wish you\u2019d told me what you\u2019ve been dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to tell, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben began, groaning in frustration over his failure to get the boy to admit to him about what he had been dealing with.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s about time that you started to talk straight with me.\u00a0 I know you\u2019re lying.\u00a0 Now \u2013 what\u2019s going on?\u00a0 I want to know exactly how long you\u2019ve been having these nightmares!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he mumbled unable to look into Pa\u2019s eyes and continue to hold the truth back from him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben forced his son\u2019s gaze as the boy pulled himself up against his headboard.\u00a0 \u201cCome on \u2013 you\u2019re not that hard to read, you know?\u00a0 I\u2019ve always been able to tell when you\u2019re holding something back from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo back to bed, Pa \u2013 I\u2019m sorry I woke you up,\u201d Joe returned as he dropped his head down to break loose from the eyes that knew him too well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose nightmares are going to keep happening if you don\u2019t deal with the cause of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what\u2019s causing them.\u00a0 I\u2019ll handle it \u2013 nothing you can do about it.\u00a0 Goodnight,\u201d Little Joe insisted and crawled back underneath his blanket.<\/p>\n

Sighing in defeat once again, Ben shook his head sadly.\u00a0 He just couldn\u2019t understand why his youngest had been pushing him away.\u00a0 Little Joe had always come to him with his problems in the past and it just didn\u2019t make any sense that he wouldn\u2019t turn to him now.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight,\u201d Ben whispered sadly and turned to leave the room.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat do you want, Hoss?\u201d Little Joe asked as he set down the axe.\u00a0 He had been working on the wood pile for several days and had finally gotten to the very bottom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Saturday and we\u2019ve both worked hard enough this week.\u00a0 I already saddled Cochise for you,\u201d Hoss smiled as he patted his little brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got enough done for one afternoon, Short Shanks.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go for a ride, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Studying his brother\u2019s face, Little Joe wondered if Hoss knew about the nightmare that had awakened their father the previous night.\u00a0 Pa hadn\u2019t said anything about it at breakfast but then again, he didn\u2019t think that he would have.\u00a0 But that didn\u2019t mean that his father wouldn\u2019t have discussed it with Hoss and Adam when he was out of earshot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to get this done,\u201d Joe complained mopping the sweat from his brow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s done,\u201d Hoss chuckled and grabbed the axe, tossing it aside.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGo mount up, there\u2019s something I want to show you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Little Joe gave up on his protests.\u00a0 He knew that Hoss wasn\u2019t going to give up no matter how much he insisted that he wasn\u2019t going anywhere.\u00a0 Joe rolled his sleeves down and retrieved his jacket lying on the front porch.\u00a0 Soon the two of them were mounted on their horses and riding out of the yard.<\/p>\n

The two brothers rode for well over an hour until they pulled up at a spot overlooking the Truckee River.\u00a0\u00a0 Staring over at Hoss, Little Joe suddenly realized why they had ridden out there.\u00a0 His body stiffening due to the thought of what his brother was about to say, he stared down at his saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimb down, Little Brother.\u00a0 Let\u2019s stretch our legs some,\u201d Hoss insisted as he swung down from his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d just as soon not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss neared his brother and set a hand on his left leg.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Little Joe \u2013 there ain\u2019t nothing to be upset about.\u00a0 Just come down from there so I can explain something to you. \u00a0It ain\u2019t gonna take long and then the two of us are going into Virginia City for a beer.\u00a0 Pa and Adam should be there and the four of us can just relax for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wondering if what Hoss was planning by taking him to town was the same thing that his father had mentioned the previous night, Joe announced angrily, \u201cI\u2019m not getting a haircut!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say you were, now did I?\u00a0 Pa and Adam went to the barbershop \u2013 but you ain\u2019t got to go.\u00a0 Climb down, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving up on turning his horse and riding away, Little Joe dismounted and stood next to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cOkay \u2013 what do you want to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver here,\u201d Hoss nodded to his brother and walked down to the riverbed.\u00a0 He waited until the boy caught up with him before continuing.\u00a0 Finally, Joe stood there next to him, and he shot out his hand and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where Aram fell into the river after I shot him out of his saddle.\u00a0 I know I hit him, Little Joe, and that bullet probably killed the evil varmint.\u00a0 But if it didn\u2019t — well, the river had all that snow run-off last spring, and the current would\u2019ve pulled him into the rapids.\u00a0 It would\u2019ve torn his body to shreds what with all those sharp rocks and boulders and as fast as it was moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s gaze followed the river as far as he could see and then he glanced up at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cWhy are you telling me this, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I never got the chance to bring you out here \u2013 and I just wanted you to see it for yourself,\u201d Hoss explained, setting one large hand onto his brother\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Dropping his gaze down to the ground, Little Joe responded in a low reserved tone, \u201cPa told you about that nightmare I had \u2013 that\u2019s why you decided to bring me here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wuz gonna do it anyhow,\u201d Hoss explained and offered a reassuring pat to Joe\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought today was as good as any to bring you here so\u2019s I could show you.\u00a0 And since I figured it was a good day to go into town \u2013 well \u2013 here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to make up excuses for me, Hoss.\u00a0 I know why you did it.\u00a0 Pa thought that I\u2019d believe that Aram was dead if you showed me where it happened.\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged his shoulders and replied, \u201cYeah \u2013 but honest I wuz planning on bringing you out here someday, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring at the river again, Little Joe shook his head.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t convinced that the man was really dead. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cWithout a body there\u2019s no way of proving that he died that day,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 now you know the power of those rapids when the water\u2019s as high as it gets in the spring.\u00a0 There\u2019s just no way that he could\u2019ve survived that not to mention the slug I put in him!\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking downstream again, Little Joe shook his head and frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYeah sure.\u00a0 And by bringing me out here Pa probably thinks I won\u2019t bother him anymore with my darn nightmares!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head; he knew that his brother was upset over the fact that he had awakened their father.\u00a0 Pa had told both Adam and him that his little brother had missed a lot of sleep lately and was doing his best to hide the fact that he\u2019d been having nightmares.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa don\u2019t mind coming into your room when you have a nightmare, Little Brother.\u00a0 None of us do \u2013 if we can help,\u201d he said softly trying to get Joe to understand that they were all worried about him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Pa might not mind \u2013 but I do!\u201d Joe returned, still upset that Pa had figured out the secret he\u2019d been keeping from him for months.\u00a0 \u201cI wish he hadn\u2019t told you and Adam.\u00a0 I feel stupid enough for bringing him into my room last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about you tell me about your dreams?\u00a0 You know it just might help,\u201d Hoss offered, wrapping an arm around his brother\u2019s shoulder hoping to comfort him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Little Joe began, trying to find the right words to say but he was having a difficult time explaining his feelings lately and preferred to keep everything to himself.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s nothing any of you can do about these nightmares I\u2019ve been having.\u00a0 Like I told Pa \u2013 I want to work them out by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re about Aram?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded and answered, \u201cYeah \u2013 but I don\u2019t want to talk about it, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just thought if you came out here, you\u2019d realize that there\u2019s no way that he could\u2019ve lived after being shot and then being pulled downstream in those rapids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate what you\u2019re trying to do and say, Hoss \u2013 but \u2013\u201d Joe paused as he closed his eyes.\u00a0 The images of Aram cutting his hair off a piece at a time were so vivid that some days he couldn\u2019t shake them off and it had been one of those days.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just go.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe couldn\u2019t have survived that current, Little Brother,\u201d Hoss insisted as he watched the boy walking back to Cochise.<\/p>\n

Little Joe didn\u2019t respond.\u00a0 He vaulted up onto his horse and turned towards town.\u00a0 Frowning over his inability to get through to his brother, Hoss mounted his horse and rode with him to Virginia City.<\/p>\n

\n

By the time both Hoss and Little Joe arrived in Virginia City it was late afternoon and the town was bustling with both cowhands and residents mulling about on the streets.\u00a0 They swung down from their saddles and tied their horses up to a hitching post in front of The Silver Dollar Saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d Joe began, turning towards his brother who was preparing to walk through the swinging doors.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019ve got something that I need to do \u2013 so you go get a table and I\u2019ll be back in just a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss didn\u2019t want to take his eyes off his brother due to the way he had been acting all afternoon.\u00a0 To him it seemed like Joe\u2019s mood had turned very glum ever since they\u2019d gone to the place where Aram had met his demise.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got to go in there yet.\u00a0 How about I go with you, Little Brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head and replied, \u201cNo \u2013 I\u2019ll handle it, just something I\u2019ve got to take care of.\u00a0 Go on get a beer.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back.\u201d\u00a0 And before his brother could object, he turned and walked off.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned and wondered if he should follow his brother.\u00a0 Deciding that Little Joe wouldn\u2019t appreciate being tailed, he turned and walked through the swinging doors.<\/p>\n

\n

The bell above the door to the office of Doctor Paul Martin announced his arrival as Little Joe walked inside.\u00a0 He glanced around the small waiting room and was relieved that there weren\u2019t any patients at the time.\u00a0 Only a minute later the doctor came out of his examination room and walked over to his most frequent patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe!\u201d Doc greeted the boy warmly and made his way over to him.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t seen you in a while \u2013 how have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking Paul\u2019s outstretched hand, Little Joe wondered how he was going to answer his question.\u00a0 He finally returned, \u201cOh, not bad, Doc.\u00a0 How about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine \u2013 just putting up some supplies that just came in on the stage.\u00a0 How about coming inside my examination room with me and the two of us can talk while I unpack everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Joe nodded and followed the man into the next room.<\/p>\n

Paul busied himself by unpacking a few small boxes and opening some of the bags he\u2019d brought over from the mercantile.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you just drop by to say hi or are you hurt?\u00a0 I see you\u2019ve got some bruises on your face.\u00a0 What happened, Little Joe \u2013 forget to duck again?\u201d He quipped.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah \u2013 the other day I got into a little fracas with old Timmons.\u00a0 I\u2019m okay \u2013 just wanted to ask you something,\u201d Joe replied nervously.<\/p>\n

Paul placed a few jars of medicine on his shelves and then reached inside a brown paper sack and withdrew some candy.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like some, Joe?\u201d He offered, holding out the peppermint sticks that he\u2019d just brought over from the mercantile for his younger patients.<\/p>\n

Getting a glimpse of what the doctor held there in his hands, Little Joe\u2019s mind suddenly retrieved a memory from when he was five years old.\u00a0 Just like many others recently, it was from the period of time just after his first abduction.\u00a0 It played out in his thoughts, and he couldn\u2019t make it go away no matter how badly he wanted to.<\/p>\n

\n

*** Ben watched as Doctor Martin examined his child, knowing that Paul was going to be extra gentle with the boy due to the awful ordeal he had gone through.\u00a0 Little Joe had been afraid of leaving the house when Pa had suggested that the four of them go into town and it had taken a great deal of coaxing to get the boy into the buckboard.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow about you take in a deep breath for me, Little Joe?\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll let you put that shirt back on and we\u2019ll be done,\u201d Paul explained as he held the bell of his stethoscope in his hand.\u00a0 He had already examined the little boy and found him to be in much better shape than he had presumed he\u2019d find him to be after the terrible ordeal of being locked inside a cage inside of a cave by an unknown abductor.\u00a0\u00a0 Still, he found Joe to be very skittish and had done his best to get the examination over with as quickly as he could.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe stared anxiously at his father, not knowing what to do.\u00a0 He watched as Pa nodded his way and drew in a deep breath to show the boy.\u00a0 Joe finally did the same as his father and held it in until Paul told him to exhale.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, Little Joe,\u201d Paul smiled and surreptitiously inspected the boy\u2019s back for any bruises or cuts.\u00a0 He looked over at Ben and nodded that all was well.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got just a few small scrapes on your knees and hands, Little Joe.\u00a0 But then again, most boys your age have those just due to playing around.\u00a0 Is that how you got them?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head \u201cno\u201d and stared over at his father.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to talk about his time held in the cave and until that day he hadn\u2019t let anyone touch him other than Pa, his brothers and Hop Sing ever since he\u2019d gotten rescued.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHere you are, Little Joe \u2013 just like I promised,\u201d Paul smiled and handed the boy his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cCan you do those buttons up all by yourself or do you want me to help you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPapa — Papa can I go home?\u201d Little Joe asked nervously as his fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Witnessing how fearful his little boy was and that he\u2019d misaligned the buttonholes with the buttons, Ben stepped closer to the examination table and helped his son with his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be leaving soon, Joseph,\u201d He nodded to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, here you go,\u201d he announced and lifted Joe off the table, setting him onto the floor.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were a good patient,\u201d Paul announced turning for his counter.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019ve got something for you because you listened better than most of my patients do.\u00a0 Now \u2013 here you are \u2013 a peppermint stick.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

After taking only one glance at what the doctor had in his hands, Little Joe quickly ran behind his father\u2019s legs and held onto them for dear life.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Both Doc and Ben were surprised that the boy looked so terrified and neither of them had a clue as to what had caused it.\u00a0 Ben pulled Joe around in front of him and dropped down to his knees so he could look into his eyes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Boy?\u00a0 Tell your Pa what\u2019s got you so frightened?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe wrapped his arms around his father\u2019s neck and held on tightly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 you\u2019re shaking \u2013 now tell me what\u2019s wrong,\u201d Ben insisted as he patted the boy\u2019s back.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe bad man, Papa.\u201d Little Joe whimpered and pointed to the peppermint stick that Paul was holding in his hand.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Exchanging confused glances, Ben and Doc wondered what had triggered Joe\u2019s outburst.\u00a0 It was almost as though the instant that the little boy had seen the piece of peppermint he gave the appearance of being scared to death.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Doc walked back over to his counter and dropped the peppermint into its original jar and moved over to the other candy dish on the far side of the room.\u00a0 Reaching inside he drew out something else to offer the frightened boy.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what, Little Joe?\u201d Paul asked as he returned to where both father and son waited.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re more of a gumdrop kind of boy.\u00a0 Now here you are,\u201d He smiled as he held the piece of candy out to show Joe.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Staring cautiously at the piece of candy held there in the doctor\u2019s right palm, Little Joe realized that it was a gumdrop.\u00a0 He looked back over to his father and saw him nod his way.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joseph,\u201d Ben reassured his son.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The little boy reached for the candy, popping it inside of his mouth.\u00a0 Ben and the doctor nodded at each other, glad that Little Joe had responded better to that type of candy.\u00a0 They presumed that something must have happened to the boy during his abduction which had brought on his earlier fear along with his mention of the bad man.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Little Joe said to the doctor and then reached his arms up towards his father.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very welcome,\u201d Doc nodded.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Smiling down at his child, Ben lifted Little Joe into his arms.\u00a0 The boy wrapped his arms around his father\u2019s neck and held on tightly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re going to be just fine, Little Joe,\u201d Paul smiled and offered a quick pat to the boy\u2019s head. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

“Little Joe?\u201d Doc tried to get the boy\u2019s attention for the second time.\u00a0 It appeared as though he was in a trance.<\/p>\n

*** All little boys love peppermint. ***<\/em><\/strong> Little Joe thought to himself, remembering what the bad man<\/em><\/strong> had said to him back when he was five years old and how he had reprised that saying some nine months ago in the stamp mill.\u00a0 *** I was better off nine months ago when I couldn\u2019t remember any of this stuff! ***<\/em><\/strong> \u201cOh \u2013 sorry, Doc,\u201d Joe responded after shaking himself from the haunting memory.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked you if you weren\u2019t feeling well, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging his shoulders, Little Joe replied, \u201cI\u2019m feeling okay — but \u2013 to tell you the truth I\u2019ve not been sleeping too good, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 What do you think is causing it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been having some nightmares,\u201d Joe confessed and hoped that the doctor wouldn\u2019t make him delve into what they had been about.<\/p>\n

\u201cNightmares about what?\u201d Paul asked and motioned for Little Joe to take a seat in the chair opposite him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know exactly, Doc.\u00a0 Anyway \u2013 I was wondering \u2013 do you think you could give me something that would help me sleep?\u00a0 If I could just get a few nights without these dreams, I\u2019d feel a whole lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Paul shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t like to give a patient medication unless I think it\u2019s called for.\u00a0 How long have these nightmares been going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of months I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonths?\u201d Paul asked, surprised by the boy\u2019s revelation.\u00a0 \u201cHave you had them every night, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 I mean at first it was just a couple of times a week \u2013 but here lately they happen about every night.\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t you just give me something to try and see if it\u2019ll work?\u201d
\n\u201c\u201cDon\u2019t you think that you should talk about these dreams you\u2019re having?\u00a0 That might be enough to make them stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head and sighed, \u201cDoc, they\u2019re about what happened \u2013 you know \u2013 with Mister Cullen.\u00a0 I\u2019d just as soon not go into them.\u00a0 Can you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Doc stood from his chair and walked across the room.\u00a0 Opening one of his cabinets he took out a container with numerous small packets of powdered medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019ll do,\u201d He began and walked back over to Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Saturday.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give you enough for four nights.\u00a0 The fifth night \u2013 that\u2019ll be Wednesday \u2013 I want you to try it on your own without this medicine to see what happens,\u201d He placed four small brown envelopes with medication inside into Joe\u2019s outstretched hand.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 you must be careful with this, Little Joe, like all medication you\u2019ve got to take it according to the instructions.\u00a0 Do I have your word that you will?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Joe nodded as he placed all the envelopes inside his jacket.\u00a0 \u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne packet \u2013 and only one each night.\u00a0 Put it in some water at dinner time.\u00a0 It\u2019ll probably hit you about thirty minutes after you take it so get right up to your room as soon as you\u2019re done eating, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe smiled, relieved that the doctor had gone along with his plan.\u00a0 He stood in preparation to leave the office.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 I think you should tell your Pa that you\u2019re taking those.\u00a0 It\u2019s nothing to be embarrassed about and it might be a good thing that he\u2019s made aware of the fact that you\u2019re taking sleeping powders.\u00a0 In the morning you might be a little groggy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Little Joe stared up at the doctor and replied, \u201cDo I have to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do it for you?\u00a0 I saw Ben down at the barbershop a little while ago.\u00a0 He\u2019s still in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind, I\u2019ll tell Pa,\u201d Joe begrudgingly agreed.<\/p>\n

Setting a sympathetic hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder, Paul insisted, \u201cDo it tonight, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u00a0 Thanks, Doc.\u00a0 Let me pay you,\u201d Joe reached inside his jacket for his wallet.<\/p>\n

Paul smiled and reached for the boy\u2019s arm, stopping him.\u00a0 He waved the money away.\u00a0 \u201cNo charge this time, Joe.\u00a0 I figure you\u2019ve brought me plenty of business over these last seventeen years \u2013 this one\u2019s on the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe chuckled and patted the doctor\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI guess that\u2019s true.\u00a0 Hey \u2013 thanks a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see you right back here next Thursday, Young Man.\u00a0 Don\u2019t make me drive all the way out to the Ponderosa, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Doc.\u00a0 See you then,\u201d Joe nodded and turned out of the office.<\/p>\n

\n

When Little Joe stepped out of Doctor Martin\u2019s office the afternoon sun had begun to set behind the mountain range to the west and darkness was fast approaching as he made his way down the wooden walkway.\u00a0 Heading back to the Silver Dollar Saloon to meet up with Hoss, he passed the bank and the mercantile.\u00a0\u00a0 Just as he was about to cross the street, Little Joe happened to walk by an alleyway where a hand shot out from the darkness in between two buildings, pulling him into the shadows.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing somewhere, Joe?\u201d Came the voice of Pete Timmons.<\/p>\n

Looking over at the man, Little Joe frowned to see that he wasn\u2019t alone.\u00a0 Standing next to him was another roughneck by the name of Billy Murdoch who hung around Pete and usually did his bidding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Joe hissed over at the two men.\u00a0 His hand slipped down to his Colt as he prepared to unfasten the hammer loop.\u00a0 \u00a0Joe was just about to make a play for it when Billy drew his own weapon and held it on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cToss that thing over here,\u201d Pete instructed pointing to Joe\u2019s revolver.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you come and take it, Pete?\u00a0 Or do you need Billy to do all the rough stuff for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete reached over to remove Joe\u2019s gun and was surprised when he felt the left fist to his jaw.\u00a0 Billy hurriedly grabbed Little Joe\u2019s Colt and placed it inside his belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re gonna be sorry that you threw that punch, Joe,\u201d Pete fumed. \u00a0He slugged him hard in the face, ripping Joe\u2019s bottom lip open from the ring he wore on his right hand.<\/p>\n

Little Joe fell back against the brick wall to the feed and grain store readying for another assault from the man\u2019s fists.\u00a0 He kicked Pete across the alleyway only to have Billy step forward and hit him in the stomach so hard that it knocked him down to his knees.\u00a0 Pete regrouped after having taken Joe\u2019s boot to his gut.\u00a0 While Little Joe was still down, he reached behind the boy and caught a fistful of his hair, tugging it hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour hair is so long you\u2019re starting to look like a girl.\u00a0 Maybe we ought to do you a favor and give you a haircut, Little Joe?\u201d Pete laughed as he yanked the hair on the back of Joe\u2019s head so hard that it almost pulled him back up on his feet.<\/p>\n

Joe heard the voice in his head again as he struggled against the hold Pete had on his hair.<\/p>\n

Aram\u2019s mouth twisted into a scowl.\u00a0 He reached down and grabbed a handful of the boy\u2019s curls and yanked hard.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s my name again, Boy?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking up at Pete Little Joe no longer saw the bully but instead in front of him stood the bad man<\/em><\/strong> who had tormented him and stolen his hair.\u00a0 Swept up in a white-hot surge of anger and hatred, Joe managed to break away from the man\u2019s hold and then knocked him onto his back.\u00a0 Then one by one he pummeled him with his fists, shouting with every blow he sent down on Pete\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re mine!\u00a0 They\u2019re mine!\u201d Joe yelled and continued to vent out his contempt for the man who had taken his hair and frightened him as a small child.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly!\u201d Pete gasped.\u00a0 \u201cBilly!\u00a0 Knock this fool off me!\u00a0 He\u2019s plum loco!\u201d Pete screamed, unable to pull himself up high enough to defend himself.<\/p>\n

Billy was finally able to shove Little Joe off Pete and then the two men relentlessly beat the boy with their fists and the toes of their boots.\u00a0 But the loud shout from the sidewalk stopped them before Joe was hurt any worse than he already had been.\u00a0 A rough-looking middle-aged cowboy moved swiftly into the alleyway and sent both Pete and Billy scrambling to run off in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better run!\u201d The man shouted as he watched both Pete and Billy high-tailing it out of the alley.\u00a0 \u201cIf I catch you two polecats, I\u2019m gonna pull your ears off and stuff them down your throats!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropping down to his knees the man cradled Little Joe\u2019s head and asked, \u201cYou okay, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Spitting blood out from the side of his mouth, Little Joe nodded as the man helped pull him to his feet.\u00a0 Rubbing the back of his neck he attempted to grin at the foreman.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Fletcher.\u00a0 I owe you one,\u201d Joe muttered as he held a hand to his stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad burn stupid little idiot!\u00a0 Why\u2019d you go up against those two lowlifes?\u201d Fletcher scolded the boy, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot of my own choosing, Fletcher, they jumped me when I was heading over to the saloon,\u201d Joe explained as the foreman helped him out to the walkway.<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down yonder,\u201d Fletcher pointed to one of the two horse troughs on the street.<\/p>\n

Staggering on wobbly legs, Little Joe managed to make it to the water trough and sat down on the edge still trying not to lose what little he had eaten that morning at breakfast.<\/p>\n

Fletcher removed his neckerchief and groaned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d better clean you up before old Ben sees you and has a pure fit.\u00a0 Hold still you no account shiftless scallywag!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe simply sat there as the man soaked the material in the cold water and wrung it out.\u00a0 Fletcher gently wiped away some of the blood on Joe\u2019s face and then soaked the cloth again.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t no nurse maid \u2013 here, you take care of yourself, you worthless little rapscallion!\u201d he said and handed the cloth to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Little Joe tried to smile but his lip had a nasty cut on it, so he stopped.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m no good just like you said,\u201d he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhy\u2019d you even bother with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got the Ponderosa brand on your hindquarters so\u2019s you belong to my boss.\u00a0 I figured he just might want to keep you alive.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve never figured out why your Pa puts so much stock in you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe began to chuckle but had to stop because his ribcage was hurting too much.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know why either,\u201d he admitted groaning due to the pain he was experiencing.<\/p>\n

Fletcher looked across the street where he spotted both Ben and Adam getting ready to walk into the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell let\u2019s just find out if I\u2019m right,\u201d Fletcher grinned and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Ben!\u00a0 Come and fetch your little maverick!\u00a0 He\u2019s got himself tore up again!\u201d<\/p>\n

*** Oh no! This is the last thing I need right now! ***<\/em><\/strong> Little Joe thought when he heard the foreman shouting for Ben to come across the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just had to do that, didn\u2019t you?\u201d Joe complained as he watched both Pa and Adam running over to the two of them.<\/p>\n

Fletcher laughed and patted the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYep, that\u2019s right, Little Joe.\u00a0 Old Ben\u2019s gonna have himself a heart attack when he sees that face of yours in about ten seconds!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for saving my life,\u201d Joe groaned.\u00a0 \u201cOnce he finds out who I just got into another fight with, Pa will probably want to tear into me more than those two idiots just did.\u00a0 At the very least I\u2019ll have to endure one heck of a lecture!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Fletcher replied with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cAlways eager to help one of you little varmints that Ben calls his kids.\u00a0 Though if it were me, I\u2019d have put all three of you in a burlap sack and tossed you into Tahoe just as soon as you started to talk.\u00a0 Come to think of it,\u201d He paused and eyed the boy.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re still young enough and small enough that Ben could still stuff you in a sack and toss you, Joe.\u00a0 And if\u2019n I was your Pa \u2013 you\u2019d never have made it past two years old \u2013 what with that mouth of yours,\u201d he quipped and swatted the boy on the back so hard that he almost knocked Joe into the water trough.\u00a0 \u201cNow you owe me a dollar for that neckerchief \u2013 I don\u2019t want it back now that you\u2019ve bled all over the danged thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I figured that was coming next,\u201d Little Joe replied and reached inside his jacket, pulling out a silver dollar.\u00a0 \u201cDoubt the thing was worth a dollar even when it was brand new \u2013 but here,\u201d He slapped it into the foreman\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

Fletcher chuckled, \u201cOh it wasn\u2019t — I stole it off your brother Hoss anyhow.\u00a0 Thanks, Little Joe, looks like my first drink tonight will be on you.\u00a0 Oh look \u2013 Ben\u2019s about here now.\u00a0 He made it in record time — and he sure don\u2019t look happy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish Pa had tossed me into Tahoe \u2013 that way I wouldn\u2019t have to \u2013\u201d Joe stopped in midsentence when he heard his father\u2019s commanding voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben shouted as he made it there next to him followed by Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhat in the devil happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll leave it to you to explain, Youngin,\u201d Fletcher nodded to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to keep this one locked up at the ranch or send him back east like you done with your oldest boy, Ben,\u201d he smiled and walked across the street heading for the saloon.<\/p>\n

Ben shot the foreman a perplexed glance and then stared hard at his youngest boy.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 I got jumped on the way across the street,\u201d Joe moaned trying to avoid looking directly at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was it, Little Joe?\u201d Adam asked after witnessing the anger spreading across his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cTimmons and his friend Billy.\u00a0 Hey \u2013 let\u2019s go get a beer \u2013 Hoss is waiting on us,\u201d Joe attempted to sound better than he felt at that moment.<\/p>\n

Ben reached down and grabbed his son\u2019s elbow, pulling Joe to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, go tell Hoss what happened and then let Roy know about all this so he can pick Timmons up and arrest him!\u00a0 I\u2019m going to take your brother to Doc\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 no use \u2013 Timmons won\u2019t stay in jail long anyhow.\u00a0 He\u2019ll just post bail like usual,\u201d Little Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just keep still,\u201d Ben ordered.\u00a0 \u201cAdam take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d He nodded and walked back across the street heading to the saloon.<\/p>\n

Joe held a hand to his stomach and said, \u201cPa \u2013 I\u2019m not hurt too bad.\u00a0 I don\u2019t need to see Doc.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe hoped to hide the fact that he\u2019d already been in to see the doctor and had gotten the sleeping powders from him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I want your opinion, I\u2019ll ask for it, Joseph,\u201d Ben grumbled and wrapped an arm around the boy\u2019s shoulder turning him towards the doctor\u2019s office.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Ben Cartwright stood inside the examination room of Doctor Paul Martin and watched intently as the man thoroughly inspected his son\u2019s body for injuries.\u00a0 Holding the boy\u2019s shirt and jacket in his hands he shook his head, frustrated by all he had witnessed lately concerning Joe getting into fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s about the best that I can do, Little Joe,\u201d Paul nodded to the boy as he turned to wash his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Doc,\u201d Joe whispered.\u00a0 He was hesitant to talk too loudly after witnessing the scowl that his father wore on his face as he stared over at him.<\/p>\n

Paul turned and looked at the anxious father and stated wryly, \u201cThat chest binding is mainly for you, Ben.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s ribs held up this time \u2013 they\u2019re just a bit bruised.\u00a0 But since you\u2019re picking up the tab I figured I\u2019d throw it in for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you very much,\u201d Ben muttered, shaking his head unamused.<\/p>\n

\u201cHand the boy his shirt, he\u2019s done,\u201d Paul returned as he neared his patient again.<\/p>\n

Making his way to the examination table, Ben accidentally dropped his son\u2019s green corduroy jacket and the contents from the inner pocket spilled out on the floor.\u00a0 Bending down, he grabbed both the jacket and the four little brown envelopes that had fallen out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are these?\u201d Ben questioned suspiciously, holding the packets out in front of his son\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

When Little Joe failed to reply right away, Doc piped up, \u201cDidn\u2019t you tell your pa, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t have time,\u201d Joe frowned.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t really planned on telling his father about the medicine, but now he knew that Doc would be sure to inform him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, someone<\/strong> tell me!\u201d Ben demanded loudly as he held the packets out in front of both Doc and Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe came in to see me earlier and the boy said he\u2019s been having trouble sleeping.\u00a0 I gave him enough sleeping powders to see him through Tuesday night.\u00a0 Wednesday, I want him to try it on his own and I told Joe to come back to see me Thursday and we\u2019ll discuss how he\u2019s doing,\u201d Doc explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ben nodded and shot an accusatory glance at his son.\u00a0 \u201cWere you planning on telling me, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropping his head down as he pulled on his shirt, Little Joe attempted to hide the guilt showing on his face.\u00a0 Pa could always see right through his lies and he knew it.\u00a0 But that didn\u2019t mean that he wasn\u2019t going to try.\u00a0 With a quick nod of his head he replied, \u201cSure, Pa — later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul watched the odd looks that went back and forth between both Cartwrights.\u00a0 It was easy to read that there was some trouble brewing between the two of them.\u00a0 It surprised the doctor because he\u2019d always known Ben and his youngest to be very close.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWell, Ben, you know about it now and that\u2019s all that really matters,\u201d he attempted to get Little Joe off the hook.\u00a0 \u201cOther than some bruises, a split lip and a pretty good headache, the boy should be okay.\u00a0 Like I said those ribs are just going to be sore so he can keep that chest binding on for a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Paul,\u201d Ben nodded over to his old friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe \u2013 ,\u201d Doc paused and set a hand onto the boy\u2019s shoulder before Little Joe hopped down from the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou take it easy and no heavy lifting for a few days.\u00a0 That medicine should help you sleep.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see you on Thursday.\u00a0 Now stay away from alleys and Pete Timmons!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u00a0 Thanks, Doc,\u201d Joe smiled as he reached for his jacket that Pa still held in his hands.<\/p>\n

Paul followed both men to the front door and offered Ben a commiserative pat to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou both take it easy going back to the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThanks again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll send you my bill,\u201d Paul chuckled and watched as both men stepped out onto the walkway.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOne,\u201d Ben stated firmly as he and Little Joe stood up at the bar waiting for Hoss and Adam\u2019s return.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll take at least two before I\u2019ll get to feeling better, Pa,\u201d Joe complained as Sam handed him a mug of beer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d Ben reiterated, still angry with the boy standing off to his right.\u00a0 \u201cThen I\u2019m taking you home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why you\u2019re mad at me \u2013 it was Timmons and his henchman who started the fight,\u201d Little Joe fired back only to witness the stern glare that his father was sending his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not the fight that I\u2019m angry about, Young Man,\u201d Ben responded as he sipped his own beer and placed the silver dollar on the bar to pay for the drinks.<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned and shook his head.\u00a0 He knew that his father was intimating that he had hidden both the fact that he couldn\u2019t sleep and that he had gotten the medicine from the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to tell you about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you weren\u2019t,\u201d Ben returned staring into the hazel eyes which were trying to avoid him.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t even bother to lie, Joseph.\u00a0 We\u2019ll talk about it on the way back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropping his gaze to the floorboards, Joe didn\u2019t bother to reply.\u00a0 Pa always knew.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss walked through the swinging doors and approached both Ben and Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you go,\u201d Hoss smiled at his little brother.\u00a0 He handed the boy his Colt.\u00a0 \u201cRoy took that off Billy Murdoch.\u00a0 He said the kid was getting ready to throw it away when he found him and Pete a little while ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy\u2019s got the two of them cooling their heels inside the jail right now, Pa,\u201d Adam offered as he signaled Sam for two more beers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey won\u2019t stay long,\u201d Little Joe announced as he polished off his drink.\u00a0 \u201cOne more?\u201d He asked hopefully, staring over at his father.<\/p>\n

Ben dropped his mug on top of the counter and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, you and Hoss take our horses back to the ranch.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to the livery and rent a surrey.\u00a0 Your little brother doesn\u2019t need to ride Cochise right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head.\u00a0 The last thing that he wanted to do was to ride in a surrey with his father who would be trying to drill him over what he\u2019d been up to lately regarding hiding his nightmares from him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not hurting that bad, Pa \u2013 I can ride,\u201d He protested.<\/p>\n

Ben placed his hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder and stared at him hard.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re taking a surrey, Joseph, end of discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat discussion \u2013 I never got to talk,\u201d Little Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n

Ignoring the boy\u2019s remark, Ben looked over at his older boys and said, \u201cHoss \u2013 you and Adam finish your beers then head on home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss watched the looks that passed between his father and little brother.\u00a0 He felt sorry for Little Joe.\u00a0 The kid was banged up and apparently wasn\u2019t too thrilled to be heading home in a surrey where their father would probably be trying to drill him about the nightmares that he had mentioned to him earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d he replied and watched as his father turned out of the saloon with his arm locked securely across Little Joe\u2019s shoulder to prevent any further objections to riding home with him.<\/p>\n

\n

The ride home had been long and for the most part silent.\u00a0 Though his father had asked him why he had continued to push him away and not share what was going on with him, Little Joe hadn\u2019t offered much by way of an explanation.\u00a0 A few miles before the turn off, which would lead them to the ranch house, Ben pulled back on the reins and stared over at his youngest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to ask you one more time.\u00a0 Why won\u2019t you confide in me, Joseph?\u00a0 I just don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 You\u2019ve always come to me when you were troubled before now.\u00a0 What\u2019s changed all that?\u201d Ben\u2019s words came out softer trying another approach with his boy.<\/p>\n

Little Joe dropped his head down, unsure as to what he could say to his father.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know why he felt so uncomfortable in sharing his worries with Pa, but he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t anything that you\u2019ve said or done, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019s like I told you last night \u2013 I\u2019m just trying to work it out on my own,\u201d Joe replied, his voice barely audible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that those nightmares of yours are about what Aram did to you.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why they\u2019ve started up again \u2013 but if you\u2019d talk about it with me just maybe you wouldn\u2019t need those sleeping powders, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Joe let out an uncomfortable sigh and said, \u201cI just need some solid sleep.\u00a0 Maybe once I get a few nights without nightmares waking me, I\u2019ll forget all about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure you\u2019re not blaming me for sending you to get that haircut?\u201d<\/p>\n

Groaning, Little Joe answered, \u201cPa \u2013 I told you already— it\u2019s got nothing to do with that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben draped an arm across the boy\u2019s shoulder and stared at him again.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to believe that when every time I get close to you \u2013 you push me away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning forward in the seat Little Joe shook his head and replied, \u201cI\u2019m not trying to push you away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Studying the way that his son had moved forward on the seat as though he had a problem with his father\u2019s arm over his shoulder, Ben didn\u2019t believe what the boy had just said to him.\u00a0 Giving up the cause, at least for the moment, he sent the horse forward and drove to the ranch house.<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe\u2019s sleep hadn\u2019t been interrupted for two nights in a row, and he hoped that meant that the medicine was playing its part in keeping the nightmares at bay.\u00a0 The only drawback in taking it was that he ended up feeling groggy when he made his way down for breakfast every morning.\u00a0 No one said anything about it, especially after Pa had informed Hoss and Adam to ignore their brother\u2019s drowsiness and told them why he was taking the sleeping powders. On Monday Adam had business in town, Ben was busy working on his ledger books in his study and Hoss was out by the barn shoeing his horse when Little Joe made his way outside.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned when he spotted his little brother walking across the yard heading his way.\u00a0 \u201cHey there, Short Shanks!\u201d He called and set the tines next to the forge.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Big Brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna give me a hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw \u2013 looks like you\u2019ve got it okay,\u201d Joe returned with a smile.<\/p>\n

When he spotted a dog that was lying on the ground not far from Hoss\u2019 boots and noticed that it was happily chewing on an old piece of rawhide, Joe moved closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey \u2013 where\u2019d you get the mutt?\u201d He asked and went down to one knee so he could pat the dog\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Hoss knelt next to his brother and playfully ruffled a hand across the scruff of the dog\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I think this little guy belongs to the Miller\u2019s.\u00a0 They had a pup that looked just like this when I stopped over there about a month ago.\u00a0 He sure is a cute little guy, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe nodded and stared over at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna let them know he\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing, Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNaw \u2013 I figure if they don\u2019t come by in a day or two, I\u2019ll carry him back there.\u00a0 Meanwhile I don\u2019t mind the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe chuckled, \u201cYou and your critters!\u00a0 Hey where\u2019s Adam?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t make it to the breakfast table until he was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s handling some business for Pa at the lawyer\u2019s office.\u00a0 I reckon he\u2019ll be back later this afternoon.\u00a0 What\u2019re you planning to do today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Little Joe shook his head and replied, \u201cWell, I got enough sleep \u2013 I guess I\u2019d better go earn my keep.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d \u2013\u201d he paused as they watched the dog run off toward the side of the house.\u00a0 \u201cWonder what he\u2019s chasing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just a pup, Little Brother, he\u2019ll probably find something else to chew on.\u00a0 They bring their teeth in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged his shoulders knowing that his brother was an expert on just about everything concerning four-legged animals.\u00a0 He went back to the topic of what he was planning to do with his day.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I\u2019ll go saddle Cochise and see if Fletcher needs any help with those fence repairs over by Syler\u2019s Ridge.\u00a0 He was fussing just last week that no one around here ever helps him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss laughed and called after him, \u201cGood luck with that Little Brother — glad it\u2019s you and not me dealing with that old coot!\u201d\u00a0 He heard the boy chuckling as he walked inside the barn.<\/p>\n

Once he\u2019d gotten Cochise saddled and tied the reins to the front hitching post, Little Joe made his way into the house to get his holster, jacket and hat.\u00a0 He had finally shaken himself out from the groggy haze he\u2019d experienced since he\u2019d first gotten up and hoped that a good long ride out in the fresh air would act like a tonic to clear his mind.\u00a0 Stepping out on the front porch he witnessed Hop Sing coming out through the kitchen door, his arms laden down with a full basket of wash.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive it here,\u201d Joe insisted stepping over to the cook.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing gladly surrendered his burden to Little Joe and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou good boy –thank you, Little Joe.\u00a0 Please to bring around back so Hop Sing can hang on line?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I will,\u201d he smiled at the man who was much more than just a cook and caretaker.\u00a0 Hop Sing had helped his father raise him and he thought of the man as part of the family, as did the rest of the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI be out in just a minute \u2013 must get clothespins,\u201d Hop Sing explained and hurried back inside the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Walking around the side of the house, Little Joe made his way into the backyard, his arms burdened with the wash basket.\u00a0 Setting it down on the ground next to the clothesline, he noticed the dog that had been out front earlier.\u00a0 Little Joe walked over to see what it was doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve dug yourself a good hole there, Pup,\u201d he chuckled and then watched as the dog retrieved something that had been buried underneath almost a foot of soil.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d he muttered and finally tugged the object away from the mutt.\u00a0 Little Joe stood in stunned silence as he shook the dirt off what the dog had dug up.\u00a0 His mouth dropped open in pure terror.\u00a0 In his hands Joe held the hairpiece that the bad man<\/em><\/strong> had made from his own curls.\u00a0 *** Oh my God! How did this get here?\u00a0 The last time I saw this he \u2013 he was wearing it on his head and taunting me with it \u2013 trying to force me to tell him how good it looked on him! ***<\/em><\/strong> he thought, scrunching his eyes closed.\u00a0 He was suddenly catapulted back in time and remembered the horror he had felt once the<\/em><\/strong> bad man<\/em><\/strong> had showed off his new hair; his hair.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cWhat do you think?\u00a0 Nice huh? In fact, these curls look much better on me than they did on you!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Numb by all he had endured; Joe simply shook his head.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t worry Boy!\u00a0 My guess is it\u2019ll take six months or so, but you\u2019ll grow it back.\u00a0 Right now, you look a little bit on the bald side \u2013 but it won\u2019t be permanent,\u201d Aram laughed at his victim.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI hate you,\u201d Joe whispered and slowly closed his eyes, praying that he\u2019d fall back to sleep.\u00a0 He\u2019d had enough of the insane man\u2019s taunts; enough to last a lifetime.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram moved in closer to the boy and roughly yanked his chin up, forcing Joe\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cTell me how good I look!\u201d he demanded.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re ugly \u2013 both inside and out.\u00a0 You can keep that hair, but it\u2019ll never be yours,\u201d Joe responded bitterly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Incensed over what the boy had said, Aram slapped Joe\u2019s face hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better remember who I am!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, \u201cYeah, I know who you are — you\u2019re \u2013 you\u2019re the bad man.\u201d\u00a0 And with that statement he passed out cold. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe had to force the memory back to where it lingered inside his mind daily and attempted to breathe again.\u00a0 With a sudden overwhelming wave of panic overtaking him, Little Joe tossed the vile thing down on the ground and ran away from the terrible reminder of what had happened to him the previous spring at the hands of the bad man<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Less than a minute later, Little Joe sprinted over to Cochise.\u00a0 He yanked the reins loose from the hitching post and launched himself up into the saddle.\u00a0 Without taking the time to stick his boots inside the stirrups, he kicked the horse\u2019s sides and rode out of the yard at break-neck speed.\u00a0 Hoss watched in confusion as his brother raced past him, never looking back.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing had also seen Little Joe\u2019s abrupt departure and made his way over to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat wrong Little Joe, Mister Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Raising his hands, bewildered by his brother\u2019s rapid exit from the yard, he replied, \u201cGosh, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Where was he anyway?\u00a0 I just thought he\u2019d gone to get his jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe take wash round back for Hop Sing,\u201d the cook explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I don\u2019t know what could\u2019ve fired the boy up like that.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even hear me when I called out to him,\u201d Hoss sighed and went back to shoeing his horse. \u00a0Hop Sing shook his head, still wondering if Little Joe was alright.\u00a0 He decided that he\u2019d better get back to his wash and wait until later to hear the reason from the boy\u2019s own mouth at suppertime.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright heard the loud string of Chinese rants coming from the kitchen.\u00a0 He stood from his desk and made his way into the dining room just as Hop Sing approached looking like he was winded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn English \u2013 Hop Sing \u2013 please — in English,\u201d Ben groaned as the man went on fussing for another minute in his native language.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come \u2013 you see!\u201d Hop Sing insisted and grabbed Ben by his shirtsleeve.\u00a0 He led the man into the backyard and pointed at the freshly dug hole which was just underneath the clothesline.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s dug a hole?\u00a0 Is that what you\u2019ve taken me away from my books to see?\u201d Ben questioned exasperatedly, shaking his head upset by the interruption.\u00a0 He hated working on the ledgers and just wanted to get them done.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 Mister Ben \u2013 not hole on ground,\u201d Hop Sing tried to explain. \u201cLook!\u201d he pointed over to where the dog was chewing on something.<\/p>\n

Ben carefully approached the dog and tried to determine what it had in its mouth.\u00a0 He was finally able to pry the thing out from between its teeth and stood back up horrified by what he now held in his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe\u2019s curls!\u201d Hop Sing shouted as he pointed to the hairpiece.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben sighed, his mouth twisting into a grim frown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat boy\u2019s curls do there?\u201d He asked confused.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat trying his best to think of a good response, but he was having trouble.\u00a0 Though Hop Sing was aware of what had happened to Little Joe nine months ago, Ben had never explained about the hairpiece nor the fact that he\u2019d been the one who made his eldest bury it after he and Hoss had found the thing next to the river where the man had been killed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long story,\u201d he began and placed a hand on the cook\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll dispose of it before Joseph finds out that we buried it back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe \u2013 he ride off \u2013 he ride off vely fast!\u00a0 I think he see this and upset!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 Joseph was back here<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d Ben returned, upset that the boy had seen the hairpiece.\u00a0 And, what with the nightmares that had plagued his youngest, he was petrified over the thought of what having seen it would have done to him.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded insistently, bobbing his head up and down.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe carry wash for Hop Sing.\u00a0 Hop Sing go back get clothespins.\u00a0 Little Joe go — he ride out of yard \u2013 vely fast, Mister Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring at the hairpiece Ben shook his head in frustration.\u00a0 He had told Adam to bury the thing in the yard, but he never expected anyone to dig it up.\u00a0 Ben hadn\u2019t counted on a dog digging it up either.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go find the boy, don\u2019t worry,\u201d Ben said, offering the man a slight pat to his shoulder.\u00a0 He was aware of the way that Hop Sing felt about his youngest boy and knew that he\u2019d worry about him.\u00a0 The fact of the matter was that Ben was worried far more than the cook was at the time.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go saddle my horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Little Joe hadn\u2019t gone back to the cave since the past spring and when he tied Cochise\u2019s reins up to a choke cherry bush it all came back to him.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t remembered being taken there when he was five years old.\u00a0 In fact, when he found the cave while rounding up strays, he hadn\u2019t even remembered going inside.\u00a0 But now, standing there and staring over at the mouth of the cave, it all came back to him.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t know why he had gone there right after finding the hairpiece, but he couldn\u2019t stop the impulse to go back there again.\u00a0 Reaching inside his saddlebags, he dug until he found an old tallow candle and lit it as he drew closer to the entrance.<\/p>\n

Old latent memories took him to the exact place where he had been held inside a cage by the bad man<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Little Joe dropped down to his knees and set the candle on the cold rocky ground.\u00a0 He found the remnants of the cage which had held him twelve years ago and picked up one of the wood bars that was now old and weathered.\u00a0 Little Joe closed his eyes as the haunted reminders of the past filled his mind.<\/p>\n

*** \u201cI wanna go home!\u00a0 I want my Papa!\u201d Little Joe yelled over to the man who stood there looking down at him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The man wearing the burlap mask called down to the little boy.\u00a0 \u201cLord, Kid, do you ever shut up?\u00a0 Won\u2019t you please stop yelling?\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a headache!\u00a0 All I\u2019ve gotten out of you for four days is that you want your darn Papa!\u00a0 I\u2019ll give you back to Ben Cartwright gladly just as soon as it\u2019s safe to get out of here.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know that there would be so many search parties out there looking for you!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna go home \u2013 let me out and I can get there all by myself.\u00a0 Please!\u201d the boy pleaded and then sat down on the ground and began to cry.\u00a0 \u201cMy Papa will get lonely.\u00a0 I\u2019m his little boy \u2013 and he needs me!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got two other boys \u2013 he won\u2019t be lonely,\u201d The bad man returned with a groan.\u00a0 Time spent with the kid was wearing on him and he just wanted to leave the boy and go back to Virginia City and lay low until he found out if anyone knew that he was the one who\u2019d stolen the kid from the ranch house.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Papa has three!\u201d Little Joe insisted and held up three fingers.\u00a0 \u201cHe has Adam and he has Hoss and he has me.\u00a0 But he needs me \u2013 he told me he did!\u00a0 \u00a0My Mama went to heaven and Papa said she left me for him so he wouldn\u2019t get lonely.\u00a0 He needs me!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Aram said with a tired sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI know about your Ma, Kid.\u00a0 Tough break but I didn\u2019t have a ma either \u2013 you\u2019ll live.\u00a0 If you\u2019ll quiet down, I\u2019ll make sure that you see your Papa again.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy you gotta keep me inside here?\u00a0 I ain\u2019t been a bad boy,\u201d Little Joe asked as he stood and put his hands on the wooden slats of the cage.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cListen, Kid, I wasn\u2019t about to keep you tied down with ropes.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t that heartless.\u00a0 You see \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan.\u00a0 And part of the plan was to bring you out here and get that curl \u2013 the one I took from you the other day.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With his chin quivering, Little Joe looked up into the eyes that were just about all he could see of the man\u2019s face due to the mask.\u00a0 \u201cYou tooked my best curl.\u00a0 My Mama said it was this one,\u201d he said sadly and pulled his bangs off his forehead and pointed to the slight separation that was caused by the man taking the curl from him.\u00a0 \u201cGive it back!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram chuckled and replied, \u201cNo, it\u2019s mine now.\u00a0 But I told you that you\u2019ll make some new ones.\u00a0 I bet you that it won\u2019t take long either.\u00a0 Now will you please just sit there and hush up?\u201d
\n\u201cI wanna go home \u2013 I want my Papa \u2013 and I want my best curl back!\u201d Joe insisted loudly and pushed against the bars of the cage.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute, I\u2019ve got something that will keep you quiet for a while,\u201d Aram announced and reached inside his coat.\u00a0 He fished around in his pockets and finally drew out the piece of candy.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 here \u2013 take this peppermint stick and eat it.\u00a0 That way you won\u2019t be hungry, and I\u2019ll have a few minutes of peace and quiet.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe sniffed back his tears and looked up at the man whose face was hidden by a mask.\u00a0 \u201cI told you I don\u2019t like peppermint.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aram shook his head and returned, \u201cAll little boys love peppermint!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d Little Joe argued.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I don\u2019t like you neither!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Having lost all patience with the little boy, Aram reached through the bars and grabbed a handful of Joe\u2019s shirt.\u00a0 His voice low and menacing, he warned, \u201cI don\u2019t like you either, Kid.\u00a0 Now do you pipe down or do you want me to get angry with you?\u00a0 Trust me you wouldn\u2019t like me when I\u2019m angry!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Struggling to free himself from the bad man\u2019s hold, Little Joe began to cry. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

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

Little Joe was startled to hear the voice coming from behind him.\u00a0 Shaking himself from the memory of both the cave and his first abduction, Joe\u2019s left hand dropped down to his Colt as he quickly stood and spun around.\u00a0 \u00a0He was surprised to see his father standing there.\u00a0 Little Joe hurriedly swept the tears off his face before Pa could see them.\u00a0 He was confused by the realization that he\u2019d been kneeling there crying due to the ghastly visions of the past he had conjured up after seeing the cage that had once been his prison.\u00a0 Then, unable to speak, he just stared into Pa\u2019s eyes and witnessed the look of apprehension that he wore on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon \u2013 are you alright?\u201d Ben questioned quietly, resting a hand on Joe’s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Breaking his father\u2019s sympathetic gaze, Little Joe stared down at the floor of the cave.\u00a0 \u201cYou should\u2019ve told me, Pa \u2013 you shouldn\u2019t have hidden it from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acutely aware that the boy was referring to the hairpiece he had found earlier, Ben struggled to find the right words that would explain his actions.\u00a0 \u201cSon, I knew that you were deeply hurt by all that had happened to you last spring.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think you needed that dreadful reminder of what Aram did to you.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think our finding it was something that you needed to know about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cW-where \u2013 where did you get it from?\u201d Joe stuttered, still fighting both the fear and dread he had felt ever since he had held the hairpiece in his hands.\u00a0 The frightening remembrance of seeing Aram wearing it right before he had left the stamp mill had haunted him both day and night.\u00a0 The minute he had taken it out of the dog\u2019s mouth; Little Joe was filled with terror over the prospect that the man had come back and had left the hairpiece as a calling card to announce that he was still watching him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brothers found it \u2013 when Aram went into that river.\u00a0 They only brought it back just in case anything ever came up about how that evil man died and what he had done to you.\u00a0 Adam took it into town to show Roy.\u00a0 He said that there wasn\u2019t any reason to keep it because Aram\u2019s death was a pure case of self-defense since he\u2019d shot at both of your brothers first.\u00a0 And so \u2013 well — Adam brought it home to ask me what he should do with it.\u00a0 I told your brother to bury it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been in the yard all this time?\u00a0 You should have told me \u2013 it would\u2019ve been better to hear it from you than to find it like I did today!\u201d Joe fired back incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 I just thought \u2013\u201d Ben was cut off by his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knew but me<\/em><\/strong>!\u00a0 And you fuss at me for keeping secrets!\u00a0 Well, I guess I get that from you!\u201d Joe shouted indignantly, raising his arms in the air as he vented out his anger and frustration.<\/p>\n

Surprised by the sudden loud outburst, Ben stood there stunned to hear his youngest shouting at him the way he had.\u00a0 He finally concluded that the boy wasn\u2019t angry with him but was acting that way due to his shock over finding the poignant reminder of what Aram had done to him.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I should\u2019ve said something to you about it.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, Joseph.\u201d He returned quietly, hoping to calm the boy with his apology.<\/p>\n

An awkward silence hung over the cave, and it was a harsh reminder of the distance that existed in the relationship between Little Joe and his father.\u00a0 Ben wasn\u2019t sure what more he could offer that might help his son and Joe was still so caught up by the day\u2019s troubling events that he struggled to dislodge the words from his throat.<\/p>\n

After what seemed like hours, Joe finally whispered, \u201cJust like the bad man<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 nothing stays buried for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s attention was drawn back to the broken pieces of the cage which had once imprisoned him.\u00a0 He turned his head the minute that he spotted the glow of red eyes as they shot past him scurrying down the far wall of the cave.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a stark reminder of the way he had coped with his abduction when he was just a scared little five-year-old boy who yearned to go home to his Papa.\u00a0 The comfort he\u2019d found most nights in the cave came only from the two rats which had curled up on his chest.\u00a0 As a small child who was afraid and alone, Little Joe had welcomed the nightly visits by his two friends who were there to keep him company and share his misery.\u00a0 He had even named the two rats.<\/p>\n

Ben spotted the rodents too and he shuddered at the thought that his child had drawn comfort from having them sleeping on him.\u00a0 He could still hear the five-year-old Little Joe explaining to him about his \u201cfriends\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

***\u201cI don\u2019t like the bad man, Papa \u2013 but I liked my friends,\u201d Little Joe answered.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYour friends?\u00a0 Who?\u00a0 Are you talking about your brothers and Hop Sing?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head and yawned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Papa \u2013 my friends where the badman was.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben wondered how he could ask his boy for answers without scaring him further.\u00a0 He decided to just phrase his question as calmly as possible and maybe he\u2019d learn if the bad man, as Joseph called him, had accomplices. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow about telling your Pa about those friends of yours?\u00a0 What did they look like, Joseph?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was dark, Papa \u2013 I couldn\u2019t see them too good.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI understand— how about telling me something that you liked about them?\u00a0 You called them your friends so there must\u2019ve been something that you liked about them, right?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded again and replied, \u201cThey were nice and warm.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, not knowing what the boy was talking about anymore.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u00a0 They were warm?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u00a0 They laid on my chest, Papa, and they were warm.\u00a0 I was so cold, Papa.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now his face was the picture of confusion and Ben didn\u2019t know what to ask.\u00a0 He finally continued.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 how many friends did you have?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTwo, Papa \u2013 and they were warm and had soft fur too.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben sighed and had to hope that the boy was referring to either puppies or kittens.\u00a0 He was almost too afraid to ask but he finally relented.\u00a0 \u201cSon, were they cats or dogs?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, they had red eyes, Papa. Everybody knows that cats and dogs don\u2019t have red eyes.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben reached his right hand up to his mouth and hoped he would be proven wrong in what he was about to ask the boy.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph— those friends of yours \u2013 were they perhaps mice?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe snuggled down in the crick of his father\u2019s neck just underneath his chin.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Papa \u2013 they were bigger.\u00a0\u00a0 They had fur like a mice \u2013 but they were bigger and warmer.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat, so worried over what his son had just explained to him.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 Your friends didn\u2019t by any chance bite you, did they?\u201d Ben prayed that the boy hadn\u2019t been bitten.\u00a0 He now knew that it had been a pair of rats which had spent time on his son\u2019s chest there inside the cave.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Papa, they were my friends.\u00a0 Friends don\u2019t bite friends, Papa,\u201d Little Joe answered innocently and closed his eyes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

*** Well thank the Good Lord for that! *** Ben thought to himself and combed his fingers through the boy\u2019s hair to get him to settle down. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cJoseph, those weren\u2019t exactly mice \u2013 they must\u2019ve been rats.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s a rat, Papa?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben sighed, not happy to be having that conversation at so late an hour.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a big mice \u2013 I mean mouse.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d the little boy nodded though he looked a bit confused for a few minutes. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cPapa, my rat friends had names,\u201d Little Joe announced as he yawned once more.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNames?\u201d Ben asked, though he wished that the boy would move on to another topic; anything other than rats!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Papa.\u00a0 You know what they were?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes and wondered what he could say or do to get the boy to go to sleep.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think he could take much more.\u00a0 Trying to be supportive, he went ahead and replied wearily, \u201cNo, Son, go ahead and tell me.\u00a0 But then you need to go to sleep.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOne I called skinny \u2013 because he was thin.\u00a0 The other one I called chubby.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t want to ask but he had to or the little boy would pester him about it.\u00a0 \u201cSo let me guess \u2013 he was fat, right?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Papa \u2013 but I don\u2019t think he was really a \u201che\u201d rat, I think it was a momma rat.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

*** Oh, Dear Lord! *** Ben tried to hold back his groan, but it came out anyway.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s enough talking for now.\u00a0 I want you to close those eyes again.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I\u2019d stayed a little longer,\u201d Little Joe remarked and reached an arm across his father\u2019s chest trying to get comfortable.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou wanted to stay longer?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you want to come home to see your Papa and your brothers and Hop Sing?\u201d Ben asked, surprised by what the boy had said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Papa!\u00a0 You know I missed you \u2013 I called for you to come get me every minute and begged the bad man to let me out so\u2019s I could get home.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you \u2018member I told you the bad man made me a-scared?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I remember.\u00a0 But why did you just tell me that you wished you\u2019d stayed longer, Joseph?\u201d Ben questioned, very confused by what the boy had said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPapa \u2013 if I\u2019d stayed there one more day, I think chubby would\u2019ve had her babies and then I\u2019d have a lot more friends!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

That had been it!\u00a0 \u00a0Ben pulled the blanket up around Little Joe\u2019s shoulder and patted his back again; a bit more briskly than before.\u00a0 He doubted he would ever fall back to sleep himself.\u00a0 Not after listening to the boy\u2019s excitement over the prospect of having numerous baby rats crawling around on top of him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGo to sleep, Young Man, no more talking about your friends.\u00a0 It\u2019s far too late for that!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Papa,\u201d Little Joe nodded and yawned again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell you more about my friends later, okay?\u00a0 I don\u2019t like talking about the bad man \u2013 but I like talking about my friends.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t comment.\u00a0 He simply leaned down and kissed his son\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cGoodnight, Joseph.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow many friends do you think chubby would\u2019ve give me, Papa?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Joseph \u2013 now no more talking!\u201d Ben stated a little more firmly.\u00a0 He waited a few minutes, and the boy finally fell to sleep held there in his arms.\u00a0 *** Sure, he\u2019s able to sleep — but it\u2019s a sure bet I won\u2019t get any more tonight.\u00a0 It\u2019s just as well \u2013 I\u2019d only end up dreaming about rats crawling around on this bed! *** Ben sighed to himself and closed his eyes. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Ben drew in a deep breath as he reached over to his son and gently shook his shoulder to bring him out of the latent memory of his earlier abduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joseph,\u201d Ben responded firmly.\u00a0 \u201cAram is dead.\u00a0 He\u2019s never coming back.\u00a0 And as for that hairpiece \u2013 I\u2019ve gotten rid of it now too.\u00a0 You\u2019ll never see either again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warm tears stinging the corners of his eyes, Little Joe pulled away from the tight hold his father had on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou can never kill the bad man<\/em><\/strong>, Pa,\u201d he muttered and bent down to retrieve the candle.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head sadly, again wondering why Joseph continued to push him away.\u00a0 He knew that his son hadn\u2019t been able to let go of the memories of either abduction.\u00a0 Nine months ago, he had prayed that Joseph would remember back to when he was five years old just so his trips down to the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning to hide from the bad man would stop.\u00a0 But now he wished that the boy hadn\u2019t recalled the first abduction after all.\u00a0 He was being tormented at night by all that had transpired both times and, as his father, Ben felt devastated that Joe had turned away from him, attempting to handle it all on his own.<\/p>\n

His voice rife with worry, Ben softly called down to his son, \u201cHow about the two of us go home now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Without a reply, Little Joe held the candle in his hand and simply turned and walked away.<\/p>\n

\n

For the next few days Ben simply watched as Little Joe continued to keep him at arm\u2019s length and still refused to tell him how he was feeling.\u00a0 The boy never said anything more about finding the hairpiece nor had he mentioned one word about the bad man<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Joe had taken all the packets of medicine that Doctor Martin had given him and would have to try to sleep unassisted that night.<\/p>\n

The four Cartwrights gathered around the desk in Ben\u2019s study and spoke about the upcoming plans for the rest of the week.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019ll be heading to Gold Hill first thing in the morning,\u201d Ben explained as he set the telegram he had received earlier in the day on top of the desk and stared over at his boys who were seated in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long you fixing to be gone, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked as he shot a glance at Little Joe who didn\u2019t appear to be listening.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell \u2013 I have meetings Thursday and Friday.\u00a0 \u00a0Harve Peters won\u2019t get there until Saturday, and I\u2019ve got to talk to him along with those other two investors, so I guess I\u2019ll be back later that day,\u201d he replied, also noticing that his youngest seemed to be in another world.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 You\u2019re going to see Doc tomorrow, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally shaking himself out from the fearful thoughts that continued to plague him, Little Joe looked over at his father and nodded, \u201cYes, Sir \u2013 I\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got some errands in town too.\u00a0 How about I go with you?\u201d Adam asked, knowing that his youngest brother didn\u2019t always remain true to his word, especially if that meant seeing the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe shook his head adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat and stared back and forth between Hoss and Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou see that you do that, Joseph,\u201d He remarked, eyeing the boy and wondering if he\u2019d voluntarily let Paul examine him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said that I would.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go around noon,\u201d Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to bed,\u201d he said and stood from his chair.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t appreciated the remarks that both his father and older brother had made but knew why they thought he would avoid seeing Doctor Martin.\u00a0 If it hadn\u2019t been for the fact that the medicine had helped him get some solid sleep, he wouldn\u2019t have bothered to go back to see the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Son,\u201d Ben called after witnessing the boy\u2019s quick exit and his fast jaunt towards the staircase.\u00a0 \u201cAdam \u2013 you and Hoss make sure that your brother goes to see Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I\u2019d better get some sleep since I\u2019m going to leave at daybreak.\u00a0 Goodnight, Boys,\u201d Ben smiled as he stood from his chair.\u00a0 Patting each of his sons on the shoulder, he turned for the stairs.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben had no idea what had awakened him that night and as he sat up in his bed, he listened intently to determine if he might have heard his youngest son having another nightmare.\u00a0 The house was stone cold silent.\u00a0 Still, the lingering doubt persisted, and unable to shake himself from his worry, Ben reached for his robe to check on Joe to relieve his mind.\u00a0 Walking out into the hall, he noticed that the boy\u2019s bedroom door was wide open.\u00a0 Ben stared inside and quickly discovered that the bed was empty.\u00a0 An old familiar dread filled his mind as he hurried to the staircase and ventured down to the living room.\u00a0 Little Joe wasn\u2019t there in front of the fireplace which caused the worried father to head to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Little Joe stood there at the kitchen door with his hand on the slide bolt.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t heard his father\u2019s approach as Pa made his way into the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben whispered, unsure what his son was doing and surprised that he hadn\u2019t even turned his head upon hearing his voice.\u00a0 He had half expected to find Joseph cowering on the floor next to the sink like he\u2019d done so many times ever since his first abduction from the house twelve years earlier.\u00a0 Confused as to why the boy failed to answer his call, he walked to the door, setting a hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u00a0 Did you have trouble nodding off?\u00a0 I know you\u2019ve run out of the medicine that Doc gave you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally turning his head, though never removing his right hand from the lock on the door, Joe stared at his father.\u00a0 \u201cThis door was open,\u201d he muttered trying his best to hide the terror and all out panic which had gripped him the minute he had walked into the kitchen some thirty minutes ago.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at the kitchen door and then back over at his son.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe door, Pa \u2013 it was wide open when I got down here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now completely aware as to why he was reading panic on his son\u2019s face, Ben stared at the lock and mulled the situation over for a minute before trying to convince the boy that everything was fine and that there wasn\u2019t anything to worry about.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing probably put the dinner scraps outside for that stray cat that\u2019s been hanging around right before he went to bed, Son.\u00a0 He probably just forgot to close the door all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe, unconvinced by what his father had just offered by way of an explanation, stared at him hard and replied, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he bolt the door, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Ben fought to put his son at ease, but he could tell by the look on his face that it wasn\u2019t going to be an easy thing to do.\u00a0 \u201cLike I just said \u2013 he must\u2019ve just forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe door was open a good six inches when I came in here a while ago,\u201d Joe said, agitation in his tone of voice.\u00a0 \u201cEven if he didn\u2019t slide the bolt into position the door should\u2019ve been closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat, giving up on trying to provide some rational explanation about why the door had been left ajar.\u00a0 He patted his son\u2019s shoulder and asked, \u201cWhat were you doing down here?\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t you sleep, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKinda hard to sleep when everyone leaves the doors to the house unlocked,\u201d Joe retorted, angered that his father had been so dismissive regarding the whole event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll speak to Hop Sing about it before I leave,\u201d Ben agreed, hoping to reassure his son.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013why did you come down here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe dropped his gaze to the floor knowing that Pa would be able to read the fear in his eyes and then he would ascertain what he had been worried about and why.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had another one of those nightmares again \u2013 didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and shook his head in frustration, \u201cThat doesn\u2019t surprise me \u2013 you never<\/em><\/strong> want to talk about it, Joseph.\u00a0 I wish I knew how to get you to open up to me \u2013 instead of trying to handle everything on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he insisted and then directed his attention back to the door.<\/p>\n

Reading the continuing dread on the boy\u2019s face, Ben reached for the slide bolt, giving it a good hard tug.\u00a0 \u201cThere \u2013 now it\u2019s bolted shut \u2013 nothing to worry about.\u00a0 Do you want something to eat?\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019d help you fall to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben offered the boy a slight reassuring smile, but it failed to help the situation due to the circumstances and because he knew that he\u2019d never get Little Joe to let go of the fact that the kitchen door had been left open.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about the two of us head upstairs now so we can get some sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t answer and he didn\u2019t budge from his position next to the door either.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you what,\u201d Ben began, weighing the options over what he could say or do that might get Joseph to stop worrying and go back to bed.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s walk around the house \u2013 to put your mind at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally nodding his agreement, Little Joe walked out of the kitchen alongside his father.\u00a0 One by one they checked all the rooms on the bottom floor and upstairs as well.\u00a0 To ease the boy\u2019s mind, Ben had even gone so far as to peer into Adam\u2019s and Hoss\u2019 bedrooms before joining back up with his youngest out in the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere now \u2013 the house is secure and no one\u2019s gotten in,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, though he didn\u2019t look very convinced that there hadn\u2019t been any intruders that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 would you like to go with me to Gold Hill in the morning?\u00a0 The meetings may seem a little boring to you \u2013 but who knows?\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019d learn the fine art of negotiation from your old man?\u201d he suggested, worried that his son would be dwelling on the open kitchen door all night.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa — I\u2019m okay.\u00a0 Besides I\u2019ve got to go see Doc tomorrow.\u00a0 Goodnight,\u201d he answered and walked to his doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Son,\u201d Ben sighed in defeat as he watched the boy closing his bedroom door.\u00a0 *** If only I could get that boy to confide in me he\u2019d stop worrying about Aram Cullen and what he did to him.\u00a0 What\u2019s it going to take for him to realize that the man is dead? ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought as he made his way back to his room.<\/p>\n

***********<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bad Man<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like I\u2019ve always said,\u201d the man announced chuckling to himself.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got to have a plan!\u201d\u00a0 The boy was lying face down across his saddle as Aram tugged on his victim\u2019s left leg allowing his body to fall lifelessly onto the ground with a loud thud.\u00a0 Humming to himself, he grabbed the unconscious young man\u2019s bootheels and slowly dragged him inside the cave.\u00a0 \u201cSure was a stroke of pure luck to find that kitchen door open so I\u2019d know where everyone was going to be today!\u201d he chatted to himself after lugging the kid down past the entrance a good two hundred feet.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not to say I wouldn\u2019t have picked the kid up anyway \u2013 it just made it a whole lot easier!\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything had been prepared in advance.\u00a0 The chair, the ropes he would need to bind his prisoner as well as all the little minute details which Aram Cullen had labored to set up well before he had captured Little Joe Cartwright.\u00a0 He could barely contain the surge of joyous anticipation he felt as he waited for the boy to come out from underneath the aftereffects of the chloroform.\u00a0 \u201cStupid kid thought I was done with him \u2013 it just gets easier every time that I snatch him!\u201d\u00a0 Aram tied the ropes into their proper positions.\u00a0 It had only taken a few minutes before Little Joe had both his wrists and ankles securely tied down and his head lying back against the barber chair.\u00a0 \u201cNothing but the best for you, Boy,\u201d Aram laughed as he patted Joe\u2019s right cheek.\u00a0 He walked over to the small table sitting just in front of where the incapacitated victim sat and readied everything he would need.\u00a0 Grabbing a rag, Aram leaned forward and exhaled on the mirror that he\u2019d placed opposite Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cGotta have everything picture-perfect.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to see the expression on your face, Boy!\u201d He exclaimed as he wiped a few smudges off the mirror until it was spotless and ready for the big reveal.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d Little Joe muttered to himself as he opened and closed his eyes twice.\u00a0 \u201cNot another one!\u00a0 Damn Doc could\u2019ve given me a few more packets of that medicine so I wouldn\u2019t keep having these nightmares!\u00a0 I hope I didn\u2019t scream out again.\u201d\u00a0 Moving his head back and forth, Joe groaned and wondered why he was hurting so badly.\u00a0 He finally chalked it up to the fact that he\u2019d not had any sleeping powders and because of that he was probably experiencing some kind of withdrawal from them now.\u00a0 He reasoned that the combination of not enough sleep plus the thorough pummeling he\u2019d gotten at the hands of Pete, and his buddy Billy a few days ago would\u2019ve been enough to make him feel as lousy as he did.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t hear Pa out in the hallway about to burst into my room \u2013 so I guess I didn\u2019t make a spectacle out of myself again,\u201d he sighed and then tried to force his eyelids to open again.\u00a0 Little Joe coughed as he shifted on the chair, having no idea why his body suddenly felt so inhibited.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the worst nightmare ever \u2013 how am I gonna shake myself out of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo nightmare, Boy,\u201d Came the voice of the bad man<\/em><\/strong> from somewhere behind the chair.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes flashed wide open and he instantly caught sight of his reflection in the mirror that was hanging on the wall in front of him.\u00a0 And worse than seeing himself and witnessing the fear he held in his eyes, was the sight of Aram Cullen standing behind him smiling sinisterly.\u00a0 Little Joe forced himself to shut his eyes again, still praying that he was merely experiencing a very vivid nightmare instead of believing that he was wide awake.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you miss me, Boy?\u201d Aram laughed as he walked over to the right side of his prisoner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt \u2013 it can\u2019t be,\u201d Joe\u2019s voice shook as he attempted to swallow the large lump that had instantly formed in his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but it is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 but you\u2019re dead \u2013\u201d Joe stuttered and then began to pull on the ropes that bound his wrists to the arms of the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as dead as you\u2019d think,\u201d Aram chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd don\u2019t bother to pull at those, Little Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got you tied down even tighter than you were in those restraints last time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning his head he tried to ascertain where he was.\u00a0 \u201cHow \u2013 how did I get here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching over he offered a quick pat to the boy\u2019s cheek, and grinned, \u201cDon\u2019t you remember?\u00a0 You were going to see Doc Martin today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Little Joe tried to shake himself from the dull effects of the chloroform so he could try to figure out how he had gotten abducted.\u00a0 He remembered leaving the ranch house and riding about three miles until he\u2019d gotten to the sharp turn in the road that led to Virginia City.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t recall anything after that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll help you, Boy.\u00a0 You stopped in the middle of the road; do you remember that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe mumbled, still confused and fighting back the familiar feeling of dread that swept over him.\u00a0 \u201cI dismounted because Cochise began to favor her front right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram laughed loudly and patted Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s something isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 I wonder what caused your horse to get that stone bruise anyhow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou \u2013 you did that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding proudly, Aram replied, \u201cDidn\u2019t take much.\u00a0 I just wedged a good-sized stone in between her footpad and the horseshoe.\u00a0 I knew that she\u2019d come up lame after just a couple of miles so I just followed along and bided my time. \u00a0\u00a0I spotted you when you stopped to check her over.\u00a0 You and that darn horse \u2013 everyone in town knows how much stock you put in that pinto.\u00a0 There\u2019s no way that you\u2019d ride her all the way to Virginia City and risk her getting hurt worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dwelling on what the evil man had just explained, Little Joe grew angrier than he already was.\u00a0 And that was saying something because he was positively livid over the fact that Aram had abducted him for the third time in his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you knock me out this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram patted the boy\u2019s head and returned, \u201cSimple little tap of the old Colt to your noggin and you fell down on the road like a sack of potatoes.\u00a0 You never even saw me creeping up behind you, Joe.\u00a0 Then it was just a matter of lugging you out here.\u00a0 I just slung you across your saddle.\u00a0 Oh, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 I turned that mare loose.\u00a0 She\u2019s still limping a little \u2013 but she\u2019ll be alright. Darn pinto slowed me up a bit, but it was worth dragging her here so she could tote you.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll eventually show up back at the ranch house sooner or later.\u00a0 But they\u2019ll never find any sign of you I made sure to hide the tracks.\u00a0 Yep \u2013 it\u2019s just like I told you last time \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Attempting to twist his body in the chair so he could see better, Little Joe stared at his surroundings.\u00a0 There were only two lanterns, one in front of him and one somewhere off to his left side.\u00a0 \u201cHere?\u00a0 Where\u2019s here<\/em><\/strong>?\u00a0 It\u2019s too dark — I can\u2019t see a thing other than your ugly face of course!\u201d Joe spat back.<\/p>\n

Unamused by what the kid had said, Aram grabbed a fistful of his shirt and cautioned, \u201cBetter talk a whole lot better to me than that, Boy!\u00a0 I don\u2019t have much to lose anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, Mister Cullen,\u201d Joe began, attempting to sound more cooperative than he had.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what you want with me \u2013 but you obviously survived the last time \u2013 so why not just go away and leave me be?\u00a0 You\u2019re lucky that my brother\u2019s bullet didn\u2019t kill you \u2013maybe next time he won\u2019t miss and you\u2019ll end up dead!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know what I want with you?\u201d Aram questioned, amazed that the boy would even say that to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure<\/em><\/strong> you don\u2019t know, Joe?\u201d\u00a0 The man walked behind the chair again and placed his hands on the boy\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

Little Joe watched in the mirror as Aram then began to run his fingers through his curly hair.\u00a0 *** Oh no!\u00a0 Please, Lord \u2013 not again! ***<\/em><\/strong> he thought while witnessing the eerie glow to the evil man\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for not going to see that fancy new barber in town, Little Joe.\u00a0 If you had then I would\u2019ve had to wait longer.\u00a0 Yeah \u2013 I\u2019ve been watching you \u2013 from a distance of course!\u00a0 The funny thing about having everyone believe that you\u2019re dead is that they stop looking around for you.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been able to go into Virginia City on many occasions without anyone batting an eye.\u00a0 Why I\u2019ve stood next to Sheriff Coffee a couple of times and he never suspected that it was me.\u00a0 I even spotted your brother Adam and your Pa going to get a haircut last week.\u00a0 Imagine my relief to find out they hadn\u2019t convinced you to join them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow \u2013 how did you know I\u2019d be going to town today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on, Boy \u2013 figure it out!\u00a0 I just told you a little while ago that I rigged up that stone in your pinto\u2019s hoof.\u00a0 You know the \u201cwhy\u201d– now think on it and you\u2019ll come up with the \u201chow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing his eyes again, Little Joe ruminated on what had happened the previous night.\u00a0 The sight of the kitchen door being open and unlocked hadn\u2019t left him for long.\u00a0 \u201cYou \u2013 you were in our house?\u201d He choked out.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job, Joe!\u00a0 I guess the aftereffects from the chloroform are finally easing up, huh?\u00a0 Yes, siree it was me!\u00a0 I was able to slip back into that kitchen \u2013 you know \u2013 the one where I snatched you from back when you were a tiny little brat?\u00a0 That Chinese Cartwright walked outside to feed some cat, and I slipped inside before he could turn around.\u00a0 I heard everything that your pa, you and your brothers said last night.\u00a0 Then I simply went out the same way I\u2019d come in.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry that I couldn\u2019t lock the door behind me \u2013 hope no one else got in after I left,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 Watching his captive\u2019s eyes in the mirror he could tell that the boy was both confused and scared by what he had offered. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI must admit to wanting to just drug you with chloroform right there in your bed last night \u2013 but I knew that I\u2019d better wait.\u00a0 Like I told you before \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe closed his eyes for a minute, taking in all that the evil man had just explained.\u00a0 Trying to control his mounting fear, he warned angrily. \u201cMy family will come looking for me \u2013 and you won\u2019t get away with it this time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Boy \u2013 I\u2019ve already gotten away with it!\u00a0 And I\u2019m not worried about your family,\u201d Aram laughed as he ran his fingers through Joe\u2019s hair again.\u00a0 \u201cI got sloppy the last time \u2013 but I\u2019ve learned from my mistakes.\u00a0 And all my planning will be worth it once these thick brown curls of yours are finally mine!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said that last time,\u201d Little Joe fumed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd see where that got you!\u00a0 My brother put a bullet in you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram stood alongside the chair and lifted his shirt to display the scar he had on his right side just above his waistline.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t much of a wound, Boy.\u00a0 Just barely bled \u2013 went in and out like a hot knife through butter.\u00a0 And what luck!\u00a0 That cold water from the river helped stop the bleeding!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you survive those rapids?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulling a stool over, Aram sat opposite his captive and explained, \u201cOh \u2013they were fierce there for a little while, but I was lucky to have gotten a hold of a big tree limb and held on tight.\u00a0 It took me downstream a good piece, but I was able to make my way to the riverbank and just pulled myself out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head filled with anger over the whole terrible situation and how such an evil man always seemed to survive whereas good decent folks wouldn\u2019t have been as lucky.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess it\u2019s true,\u201d Joe muttered, dropping his head down to his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking over at Aram, he replied, \u201cEvil doesn\u2019t die.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sound of maniacal laughter echoed against the walls, which gave away the first real clue as to where Joe was being held.<\/p>\n

\u201cA cave?\u201d Little Joe questioned.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard that same kind of laughter out of Aram before back when he was a scared five-year-old boy and was held inside a cave on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 \u201cHave you brought me back to the same cave that you took me to the first time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe,\u201d Aram sighed wondering how the boy could be so dense.\u00a0 He reached over and sent a quick pat to Little Joe\u2019s knee before standing again and moving behind the boy.\u00a0 \u201cKid, do you honestly believe I\u2019d be that stupid?\u00a0 If you disappeared that\u2019d be the first place they\u2019d look \u2013 either there or at that stamp mill.\u00a0 No \u2013 we\u2019re not anywhere near there.\u00a0 But \u2013 well \u2013 we are<\/em><\/strong> in a cave.\u00a0 I guess that\u2019s not giving too much away.\u00a0 But you\u2019d never figure out which one.\u00a0 There must be twenty or thirty of them around Virginia City and inside the surrounding ranches.\u00a0 In fact, I scoped out most of those caves back when I decided to snatch you years ago.\u00a0 I chose the one closest to your house because I hadn\u2019t planned to keep you long.\u00a0 I just wish I\u2019d known that there would\u2019ve been a slew of men out looking for you.\u00a0 I\u2019d have chosen a different cave a lot further from the Ponderosa.\u00a0 But, well, I didn\u2019t have a good plan back then.\u00a0 But I do now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you going to do with me this time?\u201d Joe queried, though he\u2019d pretty much figured it out already.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou tooked<\/strong><\/em> my best curls!\u201d Aram teased, using the vernacular that Joe had used when he was five.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I want them all back.\u00a0 Good thing you let your hair grow out even longer and thicker than it was when I tooked<\/strong><\/em> it back in the spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe let out a deep groan, not amused by what the man had said and how he was teasing him.\u00a0 He stared into the eyes that watched him through the mirror.\u00a0 Haven\u2019t you done enough to me already, Mister Cullen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Running his fingers through the boy\u2019s hair he grabbed a handful and gave them a good yank.\u00a0 \u201cThose curls were mine and I lost them in the Truckee!\u00a0 I spent days walking on both sides of the river — searching for my hairpiece!\u00a0\u00a0 Your brothers just had to chase after me!\u00a0 I worked hard to get those curls \u2013 and I spent hours sewing them onto that mesh to get it perfect only to end up back where I started!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head.\u00a0 He thought about finding the hairpiece buried behind the ranch house.\u00a0 He could picture Aram searching for the darn thing for days never knowing that his brothers had found it the same day the evil man had gone into that river.\u00a0 Staring up at his captor he replied, \u201cNo, Mister Cullen \u2013 they were never yours \u2013 they were mine<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram let go of the curls and placed his hands on either side of Joe\u2019s head and squeezed hard to get his message across.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s my name, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

*** Here we go again \u2013 I knew that would be next! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe sighed as he witnessed the reflection of anger spreading across his captor\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the bad man<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d he groaned.<\/p>\n

Patting the boy\u2019s cheeks, Aram smiled, \u201cBest remember that, Little Joe.\u00a0 Now, like I told you \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 And boy did I!\u00a0 \u00a0You see — back before I captured you the last time I got all my supplies ready just in case things didn\u2019t quite go the way I\u2019d hoped.\u00a0 I took all the money I\u2019d saved and stashed it away.\u00a0 You\u2019d be surprised how much money a barber can acquire after years of tips!\u00a0 Anyway, then I got everything I\u2019d need in case I had to lay low for a while.\u00a0 I had clothes, food, money and a place to hide out.\u00a0 Then I went about getting ready for what we\u2019re about to do now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me guess,\u201d Little Joe\u2019s face winced up at the thought of what Aram had in mind.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to cut my hair off again, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Aram shook his head and then grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYou are!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joe\u2019s voice shot out in disbelief.\u00a0 He was beginning to think that his earlier assumption had been a correct one and that he really was trapped inside a nightmare and just hadn\u2019t awakened yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me right, Boy.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to hand you my shears and you\u2019re going to cut your own hair this time.\u00a0 Of course I\u2019ll help you.\u00a0 It\u2019s got to be done just right so you\u2019ll need a professional to assist you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe watched as the man walked away from the chair and over to the small table underneath the mirror opposite where he sat.\u00a0 Aram knelt there for a minute and retrieved something that the boy wished he\u2019d never ever see again.\u00a0 It was a wig block, the same thing that the man had used the previous spring.\u00a0 And on top of it was a flesh-colored mesh material that would be used to secure the freshly cut curls needed for a hairpiece.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I got a new one \u2013 just like the last.\u00a0 It took some finagling, since I had to order it in Sacramento.\u00a0 Yeah, cost me a pretty penny but it\u2019s just as good as the last one \u2013 maybe even better!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can buy a hundred of those things, but I\u2019ll never cut my hair!\u201d Joe swore.<\/p>\n

Aram placed the wig block on top of the table and then turned back to face his prisoner.\u00a0 \u201cOh yes, you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe argued adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching over to the side of the table where he had placed Joe\u2019s Colt revolver along with his own gun, Aram lifted the boy\u2019s ivory handled pistol and aimed it at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure about that, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead and shoot me,\u201d Joe nodded to the man.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t be the first bullet you\u2019ve put into me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if I don\u2019t shoot you in the leg like I did the last time, Joe?\u00a0 What if I aim for your heart?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know,\u201d Aram paused and chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI believe you!\u00a0 In fact, I think you\u2019re just crazy enough to take a bullet instead of cutting your own hair!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I am,\u201d Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSo go right ahead.\u00a0 But there\u2019s nothing you can threaten me with that\u2019s ever gonna make me cut my hair for the likes of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing?\u201d Aram asked again raising his eyebrows. He knew better because he knew Little Joe Cartwright and the way he thought.<\/p>\n

With a firm nod to his head, Little Joe stated bluntly, \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Placing the gun inside his belt, Aram turned and began to walk away.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u00a0 Now don\u2019t go anywhere,\u201d he announced and walked into the dark passageway of the cave.<\/p>\n

\n

While the evil man was out of earshot Little Joe continued to tug at his ropes.\u00a0 He hoped that he could somehow loosen his bonds and escape before Aram returned.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the crazy man had been right about the ropes being tied up good.\u00a0 They felt even more sturdy than the restraints that had bound him inside the stamp mill.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later Little Joe heard something being dragged along the floor of the cave coming from the direction that Aram had gone.\u00a0 Unable to see what the man had been doing, all Joe could do was just sit there and wait.<\/p>\n

Aram, looking a bit winded, drew closer to Little Joe and grinned slyly.\u00a0 \u201cSo, nothing in this whole wide world could ever make you take my shears into your hand and cut off all your hair, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Snarling at the man, Joe returned, \u201cI already told you that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grabbing the gun out of his belt, Aram reached over and spun the barber chair around so his captive could get a look at what he\u2019d brought out from the depths of the cave.\u00a0 Little Joe watched as the man took about seven steps and knelt.\u00a0 He could see that there was something on the floor, but his eyes hadn\u2019t quite homed in on it yet.\u00a0 It was then that Aram reached down and yanked the blanket off the surprise that he had for Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about him<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d Aram smiled as he pointed his gun in the direction of the figure wrapped in a blanket.<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked on in shock and horror as he witnessed his father lying on the floor of the cave, bound, gagged and helpless.<\/p>\n

\u201cPah \u2013\u201d the boy choked out, the word thick with despair as the reality of the situation crashed down upon him, tearing his heart in two.\u00a0 Joe would\u2019ve endured anything without complaint if it meant that his father hadn\u2019t been captured along with him.<\/p>\n

It was at that moment that Little Joe realized that Aram was holding his own Colt, the one that Pa had given him for his fifteenth birthday, and now it was aimed at his father\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d he shouted tugging on the ropes that bound him as hard as he could muster, trying to free himself to save his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 You don\u2019t want me to kill him?\u201d Aram questioned with a twisted and satisfied grin on his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t \u2013 don\u2019t kill him!\u00a0 Please!\u201d Joe pleaded as he continued to fight against his bonds.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u00a0 Are you suggesting that there is <\/em><\/strong>something that would make you cut your hair after all?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe just sat there as tears glazed his eyes.\u00a0 Not only would he have cut off all his hair to save his father, but he would have cut his own throat if it meant that Aram wouldn\u2019t hurt his pa.\u00a0 Drawing in a deep and remorseful breath he announced, \u201chand me those damned shears!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was groggy and still suffering the aftereffects from inhaling a rag full of chloroform.\u00a0 But he had gotten a look over at the boy strapped down in the chair and it revived him enough to try to fight the ropes that bound his wrists and ankles.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I don\u2019t want no trouble from you!\u201d Aram called down to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cBut \u2013 since I\u2019m sure you\u2019d like to see your boy giving his first haircut — I\u2019ll just pull you up a bit so you can get a better view of this momentous occasion.\u201d\u00a0 He yanked Ben\u2019s body over to one side of the cave until he was in a semi-reclined position.\u00a0 \u201cThere \u2013 nice and comfortable, Ben?\u201d Aram laughed as he stood.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter cat got your tongue?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was incensed over the way the man was taunting his father.\u00a0 He shouted to him, \u201cLeave my Pa alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

Spinning around, Aram walked back to the boy in the chair and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo yelling, Little Joe.\u00a0 I let you get away with that kind of thing when you were five \u2013 but that\u2019s only because I don\u2019t hurt little kids.\u201d\u00a0 He walked to the table underneath the mirror and grabbed his shears and made his way back to his youngest captive.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure you remember the story about Samson, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wondering where the evil man was going with his question, Little Joe sat quietly and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked you if you\u2019ve heard the story of Samson, Boy \u2013 now you\u2019d better answer me.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got the biggest bargaining chip ever — right over there,\u201d he pointed at Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 yeah I\u2019ve heard it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing at the way his plan was coming along so smoothly, Aram walked behind Joe and ran the fingers of his left hand through the boy\u2019s hair.\u00a0 \u201cHe had the strength of a hundred men — that is until he got himself a haircut!\u00a0 Yeah \u2013 that took it all away.\u00a0 Tell me, Little Joe, did you feel weak after I gave you that close shave \u2013 so to speak \u2013 last spring?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and his son exchanged apprehensive glances, each convinced Aram was mad. Though gagged and unable to guide him, Ben could tell from the boy\u2019s expression that Joe knew how to respond to the insane man\u2019s question.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 you made me weak,\u201d Little Joe decided to tell the man exactly what he wanted to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you pay much attention in church, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThen \u2013 do you know what ultimately happened to Samson after he lost his hair and the Philistines captured him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Growing tired of the man\u2019s questions, Little Joe just shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram stepped closer, opened the shears near Joe\u2019s face, and aimed the blade tips at his eyes. Ben shifted against the cave\u2019s cold stone wall, trying to speak through his gag, but only muffled sounds escaped. He feared the man intended to blind his son.\u00a0 If Ben could’ve gotten his words out, they would’ve sounded louder than cannon fire and they would’ve been, *** In the name of God leave my boy alone! ***<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to take a guess, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy swallowed hard, too terrified to speak with the tips of the shears hovering so close to his eyes. Knowing the man expected an answer, he finally stammered, \u201cHe\u2014he was blinded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram doubled over with laughter and announced, \u201cYou should\u2019ve seen your face, Joe!\u00a0 That was priceless!\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gonna blind you, Boy, \u2013 don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 Well \u2013 that is \u2013 unless you do something stupid.\u00a0 Hold on, I brung you a little present.\u00a0 I told you I had all this ready for you.\u00a0 That\u2019s right \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe glanced across the cave at his father. Even from three yards away, he saw the tears that were glistening in Pa\u2019s eyes and fear for his son\u2019s life displayed on his face. Knowing Pa feared losing him, Joe nodded to show he was all right.<\/p>\n

Aram returned to the table, opened a drawer, and pulled out a small pouch. After rummaging through it, he found what he wanted and approached his captive. \u201cHere you go, Boy! Now open your mouth!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe wanted to open his mouth but only to curse the man who relished having two Cartwrights at his mercy. But with his father\u2019s life at stake, he obeyed. He closed his eyes and waited until Aram shoved a piece of candy between his lips.<\/p>\n

*** Damn, peppermint! I told that crazy fool both times that he captured me that I hate peppermint! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe thought, fighting the urge to gag.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat it all up like a good boy, Little Joe,\u201d Aram chided him and walked behind the chair.\u00a0 Easing his hands on top of the boy\u2019s shoulders he leaned in closer and whispered in his right ear, \u201cAll little boys love peppermint!\u201d<\/p>\n

*** If I get out of this alive\u2014and right now, that seems doubtful\u2014I\u2019ll shove every piece of peppermint that madman owns down his throat until he chokes! ***<\/em><\/strong> Joe fumed as he forced himself to chew and swallow the candy.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben considered sawing the ropes around his wrists against the rocky wall until they frayed, hoping Aram was too distracted by taunting his son to notice. Deciding it was worth the risk, he discreetly began trying to work himself free from his bonds.<\/p>\n

Aram swung the chair back toward the mirror, forcing his captive to face his reflection. \u201cNow for the main event. I\u2019ll go lay everything out. You\u2019re going to enjoy this, Boy! I remember the first haircut I ever did — I was terribly nervous. You aren\u2019t nervous, are you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe glanced at his father again, hoping Pa was doing exactly what he suspected. He knew Pa wouldn\u2019t simply wait to be killed or stand by while his son was harmed; he would find a way to saw through the ropes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t answer me, Boy,\u201d Aram sang out, turning from the table where he was busying himself with setting out the ribbon and everything else that would be needed to fashion the brand-new hairpiece.\u00a0 \u201cAre you nervous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should I be nervous?\u201d Little Joe quipped sarcastically.\u00a0 There really wasn\u2019t any point in telling the man that he was scared to death at that moment and cutting his hair was the very last thing he wanted to do.\u00a0 He wanted to somehow break out of his bonds, make sure his Pa was okay, and remove the ropes that bound him.\u00a0 Then he wanted to stab the evil man with his own scissors.<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Aram turned back to the table satisfied by what the boy had said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right \u2013 you\u2019ve got nothing to be nervous about!\u00a0 It\u2019ll just be a minute and we\u2019ll start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked to his father for guidance. Bound and gagged, Ben couldn\u2019t respond verbally, but he gave a slight nod, signaling his son to cooperate with Aram and buy them enough time to escape alive.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later Aram walked over to Joe, shears in hand and a big smile on his face.\u00a0 \u201cHere \u2013 just because we\u2019re not in my barbershop doesn\u2019t mean that we can\u2019t be tidy about this!\u201d he said and held out the cape.\u00a0 He gave it a quick shake and then settled it around Joe\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cThere \u2013 that\u2019ll keep those hairs from going down your shirt.\u00a0 I always say there\u2019s nothing worse than a sloppy barber!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s throat was so tight that he was sure that he would choke on his own saliva.\u00a0 His heart fell in his chest when Aram lifted the shears in his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me explain to you how we\u2019re going to do this.\u00a0 In case you\u2019ve got some crazy notion that you\u2019ll try to get me with these shears \u2013 since they are very sharp \u2013 I\u2019ll tell you what will happen if you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew a sharp breath; certain Aram had read his mind. He had planned to stab him at the first opportunity, cut through his ropes with the shears, and free his father. But when he met Aram\u2019s gaze, his eyes had turned cold and deadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can get to this Colt in my belt long before you can do any damage to me,\u201d Aram began and pointed over to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I won\u2019t be shooting your father in the leg like I shot you, Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get him straight through the heart.\u00a0 I know people don\u2019t give most barbers much respect, but I\u2019ve got many talents \u2013 one of which is that I\u2019m a very good marksman.\u00a0 And after I kill him, I\u2019m going to take that straight razor on the table and instead of leaving you with about a half an inch of hair I\u2019ll shave it all off.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll turn you loose and you won\u2019t be much more than a young bald orphan.\u00a0 Do you understand me, Boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe had to try one last time, for his own sake as well as his father\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, Mister Cullen, turn us loose!\u00a0 We won\u2019t come after you \u2013 I swear it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Incensed by his captive\u2019s constant whining and his refusal to address him properly, Aram reached over and slapped the boy\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?\u00a0 Now what\u2019s my name!\u201d He shouted and watched as Joe recoiled in fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bad man<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d Joe muttered and shot a quick glance over to Pa who looked furious after witnessing the violence Aram was displaying.<\/p>\n

*** Oh, Joseph, I\u2019m so sorry — I wish I could help you!\u00a0 But if I get out of this, I promise you that he\u2019ll pay dearly for hitting you and for everything else he\u2019s done! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben thought as tears stung his eyes. The thick ropes refused to loosen, and he feared his son would be forced to cut his own hair. Aram was clearly beyond reason and Ben believed him to be positively insane.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember that,\u201d Aram nodded and pulled the stool closer to the chair.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s how we\u2019re going to get this done, Joe.\u00a0 Now listen up, because there\u2019s no room for errors in the hair cutting business.\u00a0 And since it\u2019s your neck and your father\u2019s too \u2013 and they\u2019re both on the line you\u2019d better do as you\u2019re told.\u00a0 Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Attempting to fight both his fear and the blinding hot anger that was surging through his veins, Joe was forced to reply, \u201cYes, I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walking behind the chair, Aram bent forward and loosened his prisoner\u2019s left wrist from the ropes that held it.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re a southpaw, Boy.\u00a0 So, you\u2019ll be working with your left hand.\u00a0 I\u2019m not fool enough to release your other one.\u00a0 I\u2019ll pull up the sections and all you have to do is make the cut.\u00a0 Now to take these curls off right, all you have to do is this,\u201d he paused and pulled a strand of the boy\u2019s hair up.\u00a0 \u201cRelax, I\u2019m not making this cut \u2013 it\u2019s just to demonstrate.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to lay the shears right on top of your head.\u201d He paused and dropped the scissors down, so they were placed horizontally against the boy\u2019s scalp.\u00a0 \u201cThen once you feel the coolness of the blades you\u2019ll know you\u2019re low enough to make the cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait \u2013\u201d Joe interrupted the man.\u00a0 \u201cCan I just ask you one question?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram scowled at Joe and warned, \u201cDon\u2019t try to stall, Boy \u2013 it wouldn\u2019t be healthy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir \u2013 I\u2019m not stalling.\u00a0 I just want to know why you\u2019re making me do this?\u00a0 You\u2019ve got me tied up \u2013 and my Pa too.\u00a0 If you want my hair so badly why not cut it yourself like you did the last time?\u00a0 What\u2019s the point in making me do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram leaned in towards the boy and replied, his voice filled with rage, \u201cYou got me shot out of the saddle and you made me lose that hairpiece!\u00a0 If your family hadn\u2019t stopped me, I would be starting my life all over again right now.\u00a0\u00a0 So, I think it\u2019s proper justice that you repay me by gracefully giving me your curls.\u00a0 And that means you give them to me willingly by performing the haircut yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t shoot you\u2014my brother Hoss did. Why don\u2019t you try tying him down like this and see how far you get?\u201d Joe knew the retort would anger Aram, but he had never held back before due to his temper, and he wasn\u2019t about to start now, even in such dire circumstances.<\/p>\n

Grabbing the boy\u2019s shoulder and squeezing tightly he hissed, \u201cDo I get the gun and kill your Pa now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head knowing that he\u2019d never be able to talk sense into the maniac, Little Joe surrendered.\u00a0 Nothing was worth losing his Pa.\u00a0 \u201cGive me those shears \u2013 I\u2019ll do what you say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d he handed the boy the scissors and watched his eyes in the mirror.\u00a0 \u201cJoe \u2013 as a barber, I\u2019ve learned a lot over the years by watching the reflection of my customer\u2019s eyes in the mirror that was in my shop.\u00a0 So don\u2019t even think about doing anything stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe simply nodded his head; the words wouldn\u2019t come.\u00a0 The overwhelming feeling of dread was weighing on him as well as the devastating reminder of losing his hair nine months ago.\u00a0 He now wished that he had done as his father had asked and gone to get a haircut the previous week even if that had meant he was simply postponing the inevitable, and that he\u2019d still have fallen victim to Aram\u2019s plan; it didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

Aram took his comb and sectioned out the first curl.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll start with that best curl<\/em><\/strong> of yours, Little Joe.\u00a0 Drop those shears down on your head until you feel the coolness of the blades.\u00a0 Open the blades and then close them on this section.\u201d<\/p>\n

His hand shaking, Joe glanced over at his father one last time before beginning the haircut.\u00a0 Pa had a pained expression on his face, and Little Joe knew why it was there.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI have to, Pa,\u201d Little Joe said, his voice cracking with emotion.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his understanding and closed his eyes.\u00a0 It would break his heart to watch Joseph cutting the curls that had taken almost a year to grow back after Aram had stolen all his previous ones from the boy.\u00a0 He silently prayed that his son would have the inner strength to do it so Aram wouldn’t harm Joseph again.<\/p>\n

Looking in the mirror, Joe closed the blades on the first section of hair and Aram caught the curl in the palm of his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot too bad, Boy!\u201d Aram shouted excitedly.\u00a0 He bent down and placed the hair onto the stool where he\u2019d set the ribbons he\u2019d use to tie off each strand.\u00a0 \u201cHold on \u2013 let me make a knot,\u201d he said and fashioned a slipknot around the curl and then set it down.\u00a0 \u201cNext section,\u201d Aram announced and drew a larger amount of hair up from the front of his victim\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cSet the shears on your scalp and make the cut!\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring into the mirror once more, Little Joe tried to ignore the single tear which had drifted down from his right eye.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t really matter anyway.\u00a0 He placed the blades of the shears exactly where the evil man had instructed and made the next cut.<\/p>\n

Ben could no longer keep his eyes closed. Unable to free himself or help his son in any way, he was heartsick as each curl fell. Still, if Joseph had to watch his hair being cut strand by strand, Ben would watch too, offering what support he could by sharing their mutual pain.\u00a0 The memory came upon him so fast that it had almost stolen his breath away.\u00a0 Little Joe was about to turn five in a couple of months, and Ben had told his wife that it was time that he got his first haircut.\u00a0 Marie had balked at the very idea of having her little boy going to get his beautiful curls cut off.\u00a0 She loved the sandy brown curls that graced her son\u2019s head and didn\u2019t think Joseph was old enough to go to the barbershop with his Pa.\u00a0 However, Ben had prevailed though it did cause some friction in the family.\u00a0 When he and Little Joe had returned from their visit to Aram Cullen\u2019s barbershop the woman had given Ben the silent treatment.\u00a0 But he had saved one of the little boy\u2019s curls as an appeasement gift to his wife.\u00a0 Marie had taken it and put it inside her bible where it remained even after her death a few months later.\u00a0 Watching their son now, tied and forced to cut his curls one at a time made Ben grateful that Marie hadn\u2019t lived to see it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, c\u2019mon stop with the tears, Boy!\u00a0 You\u2019re doing good so far!\u201d Aram sang out exuberantly as he tied yet another strand, placing it in a nice row on top of the stool.<\/p>\n

Little Joe dropped the shears down into his lap and took a quick second to wipe the involuntary tears from his face.\u00a0 He hated that he had broken down that way, but he couldn\u2019t help it.\u00a0 Staring over at his father he knew what he was thinking and feeling.\u00a0\u00a0 Trying to be brave, he nodded Pa\u2019s way that he was all right and lifted the shears once more.<\/p>\n

It had taken almost an hour to remove most of the hair from the top, front and sides of Joe\u2019s head because there was a pause each time a section was cut so Aram could tie neat bundles in preparation for their placement on the hairpiece later.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we have is just the back of your head now, Boy!\u201d Aram exclaimed joyously and moved the stool behind the chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll help you angle those shears for the back.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be a little tricky, but you\u2019ve got a professional with you to assist you \u2013 so don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2014can I have some water?\u201d Joe\u2019s question came out both broken and laced with sorrow because he had been forced to surrender to Aram\u2019s will just so the madman wouldn\u2019t kill his Pa.\u00a0 And to make matters worse, he had witnessed the entire haircut in the reflection from the mirror hanging there in front of him.\u00a0 It hung in place by a thick metal wedge that had been painstakingly hammered into the wall of the cave; obviously yet another part of the sadistic man\u2019s plan.\u00a0 Little Joe was sure that he would pass out and end up slumping down in the chair thereby sending the bad man<\/em><\/strong> into another fit of blind rage that just might get his father killed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Aram sang out brusquely.\u00a0 He reached inside his pocket and drew out another piece of candy which he forced through Little Joe\u2019s parted lips.\u00a0 \u201cThere that\u2019ll keep your mouth from drying out.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got to get back to this.\u00a0 Now tilt your head forward some so we can finish this haircut!\u201d<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t a point in protesting the move or the piece of peppermint that had been stuffed inside his mouth.\u00a0 With all the hair on the top and sides of his head gone, other than a scant quarter of an inch, Joe knew that he\u2019d have to finish the haircut.\u00a0 Aram wrapped his fingers around his victim\u2019s hand and helped him close the blades on the strands of hair on the back of his head.\u00a0 Little Joe heard the metallic snip, snip, snip<\/em><\/strong> of the shears.\u00a0 But this time the sound was much worse because the hair was falling by his own hands.\u00a0 When he looked into the mirror and witnessed how awful he looked it was all he could do not to bawl his eyes out.\u00a0 But he hadn\u2019t and when he glanced over at Pa, he watched him nod as if to say. \u201cI\u2019m proud of you\u201d<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did it, Boy!\u201d Aram exclaimed, thrilled to see the stool now full of the coveted locks of hair.\u00a0 \u201cAnd a good job too!\u00a0 These curls are thicker and longer than they were the last time.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to make the finest hairpiece ever created.\u201d He removed the cape from around the boy\u2019s neck and folded it neatly.\u00a0 Then he once again secured Little Joe\u2019s left wrist to the arm of the chair.<\/p>\n

Little Joe sat there stiffly as he unfortunately got a good long look in the mirror.\u00a0 He had to take a few deep breaths because he wasn\u2019t sure if he was either going to pass out or vomit at the sight of his reflection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to start working on my sewing now.\u00a0 You can just sit back and relax now, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I have some water?\u201d he repeated his earlier request.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo time for that \u2013 how about another piece of peppermint?\u201d Aram replied holding up his last piece of the candy.<\/p>\n

Little Joe just shook his head and closed his eyes.\u00a0 The thought of eating one more piece of the bad man\u2019s <\/em><\/strong>peppermint made him want to puke.<\/p>\n

*** Once I\u2019m free, I\u2019ll deal with that sadistic man, Joseph. He won\u2019t get away with this again! ***<\/em><\/strong> Ben vowed as he looked at his son, slumped in the chair as though the life had drained from him. He couldn\u2019t help thinking back to what Aram had said about Samson having lost all his strength after he had been shorn.\u00a0 Joseph looked that way now.<\/p>\n

\n

Ben and Little Joe were forced to just sit and wait as Aram slowly and meticulously sewed each curl to the fine silk mesh material.\u00a0 Just like the last time he had abducted the boy the madman sat there at the table and hummed as he worked.\u00a0 There had been some glances exchanged between father and son and each time Ben had reluctantly given the impression that he hadn\u2019t had any success in loosening the ropes which bound his wrists together behind his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s done!\u201d Aram sang out cheerily as he stood from the table.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 neither of you two look at me just yet.\u00a0 Give me a minute or two to get it on my head and I\u2019ll model it for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head as he fought back the nausea that swept over him upon hearing what the maniac had said.\u00a0 He had gone through it before, and he didn\u2019t relish seeing his own hair staring back at him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay \u2013 here we are \u2013 it\u2019s ready!\u201d Aram sang out and after making a few minor adjustments in his mirror he turned around to model the hairpiece.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d he asked as he shot a glance between the father and son.\u00a0 \u201cHow do I look?\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring over at his father, Little Joe warned him in his gaze not to try to make a sound even from underneath his gag.\u00a0 He had learned the hard way last time not to get the man riled up when he asked about his stolen curls or he\u2019d probably turn violent like he had there inside the stamp mill.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d Aram questioned again drawing closer to his prisoner.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice,\u201d he nodded, trying his best not to say what he wanted to.\u00a0 If he could have, Joe would have used some of the foul language he\u2019d heard from some of the ranch hands out in the bunkhouse whenever rotgut came up missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 just nice?\u00a0 They were yours, you know?\u00a0 And you did such a fine job with your first haircut too!\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you can think of something a bit more polished than just the word nice!\u201d<\/p>\n

Coughing trying to dislodge the lump in his throat, Little Joe replied biting back his sarcasm, \u201cGreat\u2014great job.\u00a0 I wish I<\/strong> had hair like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aram laughed and patted the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cVery funny!\u00a0 Seriously \u2013 don\u2019t these curls look natural on me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, they do,\u201d Joe nodded and offered the most insincere smile he\u2019d ever given to anyone before.<\/p>\n

Turning to look at Ben still lying against the wall of the cave, Aram asked, \u201cWell?\u00a0 Oh \u2013 I know you can\u2019t talk \u2013 but you can nod.\u00a0 If you think I did a good job nod your head, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes grew wide and he shook his head, once more trying to send his father a signal that he needed to do whatever he could to prevent sending Aram into a blind rage.<\/p>\n

Noting the look on the face and eyes of his youngest, Ben very reluctantly nodded his head even though it killed him to do so.<\/p>\n

Aram smiled broadly and said, \u201cI\u2019m glad you think so, Ben.\u00a0 It would\u2019ve been a pure shame to have to kill you.\u00a0 I always appreciated your business \u2013 you were a great tipper!\u00a0 Well, thank you both \u2013 I\u2019m glad you can appreciate my hair and what a wonderful job both Joe and I did to create it!\u00a0 Now I\u2019ve got to get some things packed up and then I must go.\u00a0 Just sit tight \u2013 I won\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and his son exchanged hesitant glances. Was Aram planning to kill them before he left? If so, they were helpless; Pa had made little progress with his ropes. All they could do was wait and hope Aram departed without further violence, though neither believed he would.<\/p>\n

After packing his gear and provisions and carrying everything to the horse waiting at the cave\u2019s entrance, Aram returned to address his prisoners one last time. Pointing his Colt at Little Joe, he moved closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think, Boy?\u00a0 Should I shoot you again?\u00a0 You did tell me you weren\u2019t afraid to die, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I think?\u201d Little Joe began, staring up at the madman wearing the hair he had stolen from him. Aram now considered it his own, not concerned in the least that he had taken it by force. \u201cI think you\u2019ll do exactly as you please, Mister Cullen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t tell whether his son had deliberately used the man\u2019s real name, but if so, Joseph was likely offering a small act of defiance against the man who had stolen his hair. He braced himself for another explosion of Aram\u2019s temper.<\/p>\n

Aram approached the silent boy in the barber chair, leaned close, and stared at him with contempt. \u201cDidn\u2019t I tell you that isn\u2019t my name?\u201d he hissed.<\/p>\n

Little Joe knew he should have kept his composure, but the sight of the monster before him leaving with hair that had been his only hours earlier was just too much to bear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe replied ironically, giving no thought to the angry man looming over him. \u201cYou\u2019re not Aram Cullen\u2014you\u2019re the bad man<\/em><\/strong>. And you have nice hair.\u00a0 And I should know \u2013 because it\u2019s mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

*** Oh, Joseph! <\/em><\/strong> Ben thought to himself and held his breath.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong> You\u2019ve got to learn not to stir up an angry nest of vipers. *** He<\/em><\/strong> sent off a silent prayer that Aram wouldn\u2019t end up killing his boy due to what he had said.<\/p>\n

Laughing, Aram began to simply walk away.\u00a0 Both Ben and Joe looked at each other, relieved to see that the man\u2019s temper hadn\u2019t erupted again.\u00a0 Just then he suddenly turned back and lunged for the boy, grabbing his shirt up into his fists.\u00a0 \u201cYou just had to ruin this moment for me, didn\u2019t you?\u201d he thundered, shaking Joe with each word.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll let you live for one reason \u2013 and only one reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019s that?\u201d Joe asked, still held in the clutches of the bad man<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Aram laughed cruelly, then backhanded the boy with all his strength, splitting Little Joe\u2019s lip. He seemed pleased by the sight and sent a barrage of slaps to the boy\u2019s face until he grew tired and drew back to view the damage. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to admit you had that coming, Joe. But I\u2019ll let you live because \u2013\u201d he paused and winked\u2014 \u201cI might need your hair again someday!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lunged forward the instant Aram struck his son. For hours, he had tried to loosen his bonds, but the rope had only begun to fray\u2014not nearly enough for him to cross the cave and punish the animal who had forced Joseph to cut off his own hair, stolen it, and repaid him with a vicious backhand followed by numerous other slaps. Seething, Ben watched Aram hurry from the cave.<\/p>\n

Little Joe reeled from the blows he had taken and from Aram\u2019s abrupt departure. Having been abducted by the man three times, he kept his guard up, wary that Aram might return to torment them again. Joe glanced at his father and nodded to show he was all right, though inside it felt as if his heart had been torn from his chest for the third time.<\/p>\n

\n

The cave fell eerily silent, broken only by the sound of the wind at its entrance as father and son waited, uncertain of what would happen next.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s gone, Pa,\u201d Little Joe whispered, still wondering why Aram had left them alive.<\/p>\n

Ben could only nod to reassure his son as he worked feverishly at the rope binding him. Every so often, he glanced at Joseph, who stared blankly into the mirror. Ben could only imagine his thoughts. This time, the ordeal had cost him more than his hair: Aram had forced him to cut off his own curls and surrender them to the madman who had pursued him for years. Ben understood what that forced participation had taken from his son. Joseph was undeniably brave, but his hair was part of his identity, and losing it this way would wound him even more deeply than it had nine months earlier. Ben feared that the humiliation and helplessness would haunt his son for a long time.<\/p>\n

Little Joe lowered his head, struggling to hide the anguish in his voice. \u201cHow are you doing with the ropes, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 He lifted his head long enough to see his father\u2019s arms still moving feverishly against the wall behind him.<\/p>\n

After struggling against the tight ropes for so long, Ben\u2019s strength had nearly failed. For his son\u2019s sake, however, he summoned what little remained and kept trying.<\/p>\n

Rubbing the ropes that bound both his right and left wrists hoping to do something with them, Little Joe discovered something poking out of the arm of the chair just down from his left wrist.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d He cried out.\u00a0 \u201cI might be able to do something with the ropes on my left wrist \u2013 I think there\u2019s a loose nail just underneath the armrest of the chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casting a hopeful glance over at his boy, Ben continued to fight with his bonds, never giving up just in case Joseph wouldn\u2019t be able to free himself.\u00a0 He knew the boy was about as played out as he was, maybe more.<\/p>\n

Working diligently for what seemed like hours, Little Joe felt like he couldn\u2019t go on much longer.\u00a0 He again looked at his Pa and was answered by a subtle shake of his head which let him know that neither of them was having much success in trying to get out of their bonds.\u00a0 Little Joe decided that he needed to calm himself so he could regroup a bit and then go back to trying to free himself.\u00a0 He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

Deep inside the cave, without a clock or sunlight, they had no way to measure how long they had been there. Exhausted by Aram\u2019s cruelty, Little Joe drifted off, trusting that Pa would eventually free himself, even if it took days. The chloroform had affected him more severely this time, leaving him with a blinding headache and waves of nausea, but his emotional anguish was worse. Before sleep overtook him, he glanced at the mirror again and felt tears gather. He fought them back, clinging to what little pride had remained and unwilling to let his father see how close he was to breaking down.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t have mattered; Pa always knew.<\/p>\n

Little Joe jolted awake, unsure how long he had been unconscious. \u201cPa? Pa, are you all right?\u201d In the kerosene lamp\u2019s fading glow, he saw his father lying motionless. When Pa failed to answer his repeated calls, not even with a nod of his head, terror gripped him. Driven by the combination of fear and love, Joe frantically worked the rope imprisoning his left wrist against the nail, desperate to break free and reach him. His lost hair and everything that Aram had done to him no longer mattered. He could do without hair, and he could live without his pride.\u00a0 But there was one thing that he just couldn\u2019t live without; his Pa.<\/p>\n

\n

With one final Herculean effort, Little Joe tore through the rope, freeing his left wrist.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be there in just a second, Pa!\u00a0 It\u2019s gonna be okay \u2013 it\u2019s gonna be okay!\u201d he cried out as he quickly loosened the ropes on his right wrist and then leaned forward to free his ankles.\u00a0 When Little Joe pulled himself out of the chair his head was still swimming due to the aftereffects of the chloroform and the fear that something had happened to his beloved father.\u00a0 He grabbed the lamp Aram had left on top of the table which had held the wig block earlier.\u00a0 Then he jogged over to his Pa and dropped down to his knees.<\/p>\n

Little Joe leaned forward and surveyed his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s eyes were closed and he wasn\u2019t sure if he was breathing due to the gag that was inside his mouth.\u00a0 Joe placed an ear to his chest and sighed with relief when he heard the steady beat of his father\u2019s heart.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get those ropes off you, Pa,\u201d Joe whispered, unsure if he had heard him.\u00a0 It was then that the sound of Ben\u2019s muffled cough broke the deafening quiet of the cave and his eyes blinked open.\u00a0 Little Joe was never so happy to see the brown eyes of his father than he was at that moment.\u00a0 Ben eased up a bit to allow his son to loosen the ropes that held his wrists together.\u00a0 \u201cYou almost got out of this one, Pa, you frayed it good,\u201d Little Joe tried to sound amused though the words kept tightening in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 I need to hear you fuss at me for getting kidnapped again \u2013 so let\u2019s get this gag off.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe carefully untied the kerchief.<\/p>\n

Seeing how easily his father sank back to the floor, Joe studied him with mounting panic.\u00a0 Hurriedly ridding Pa of the ropes that bound his ankles, Joe then turned back around and leaned down close to him again.\u00a0 \u00a0The very next minute Little Joe felt the familiar touch of his father\u2019s hand against his cheek and the fingers that began to softly caress the bruises there.\u00a0 The loving gesture had caught him by surprise, and Joe couldn\u2019t contain his tears of relief over the fact that Pa was awake and aware that he was kneeling there next to him.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes surveyed the damage done by Aram\u2019s hand as it had relentlessly struck his youngest boy.\u00a0 His heart fell in his chest when he witnessed the black and blue bruises that now marred his son\u2019s handsome face.\u00a0 It took his breath away when he visually examined the boy\u2019s head and noticed that it was so devoid of its usual abundance of chestnut brown curls.\u00a0 Since the day that Little Joe had drawn his first breath, there had only been two times when he hadn\u2019t had the thick curly headful of hair that he was known for; and both occasions had happened that year.\u00a0 Ben ached at the thought of what Joseph had gone through and how it might affect him going forward.<\/p>\n

Finally recovering his voice, Little Joe asked breathlessly, \u201cPa \u2013 are you \u2013 are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wanted to assure his son that he was fine, but that would have been a lie. Seeing Joseph\u2019s head stripped of the curls that had always defined him, Ben understood the depth of his sacrifice. His son had surrendered them to save his father without knowing whether Aram would spare either of them. Joseph had valued Ben\u2019s life way above his own hair, and the weight of that choice\u2014and all he had endured\u2014left Ben unable to answer truthfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joseph,\u201d Ben choked out, his lips quivering and fighting the tears that were welling up in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Little Joe knew why his father was looking at him the way he was at that moment.\u00a0 He realized that he looked horrible and Pa was hurt by the sight before him.\u00a0 Joe knew that the man lying there understood him more than anyone in the world so with that knowledge came the realization that it wounded his father to see him as devastated as he was at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I was so scared \u2013 so scared he was going to kill you!\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I would\u2019ve done if \u2013\u201d he trailed off still fighting the paralyzing fear he\u2019d felt when Aram had threatened to shoot his father in front of his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Boy,\u201d he nodded trying to reassure his son, still fighting for control of his own tears and staring into the glassy eyes of his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just so sorry \u2013 sorry that he forced you to do it, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God you\u2019re okay,\u201d Joe sobbed as he wrapped his arms tightly around his father.\u00a0 His whole body shook due to the horrors he had witnessed that day.\u00a0 Joe had been terrorized by Aram Cullen, drugged, beaten and then forced to cut his own hair strand by strand and curl by curl.\u00a0 However, those things paled in comparison to being petrified that he was going to lose his father at Aram\u2019s hands.\u00a0 Finally pulling himself back a bit, he stared into the compassionate brown eyes of the one person he loved most in the world. \u00a0\u00a0Little Joe choked out, \u201cOh, Pa — It\u2019s only hair<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just seconds after his selfless declaration, Little Joe felt Pa\u2019s arms as they suddenly came up from where they had been resting on the cold floor of the cave.\u00a0 Ben fiercely pulled Joseph to his chest holding onto him with an intensity that conveyed to the boy just how much his father truly loved him.\u00a0 Only then did Joe realize how much Pa had missed the closeness that the two of them had shared because it was evident in his touch.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s grief was magnified, not by the loss of his hair or the damage done to his pride but by having refused to let his father help him through what he had been experiencing nightly.\u00a0 He now regretted his foolish decision to handle everything on his own and that he had drawn away from the love and understanding Joe could only find in the arms of the man lying there next to him.<\/p>\n

Ben clung to the boy, holding him tightly against his chest; afraid that if he were to let go of him that Joseph would fall victim to the madman again.\u00a0 He closed his eyes and tried to fight off the memories of all three abductions, but they were too strong and deeply embedded in his mind.\u00a0 They ripped through his soul like a dagger, causing a deep pain in his heart.\u00a0 He remembered the first with devastating clarity; pulling his five-year-old son into his arms, trapped together inside the cage momentarily until crawling out to the freedom that awaited on the other side of the wooden bars.\u00a0 Ben had rocked the little boy in his arms and couldn\u2019t stop kissing him and thanking God that he had found him alive.\u00a0 Then next was the memory of the stamp mill earlier in the year which clouded the anxious father\u2019s mind due to the horror of finding his son tied down to the examination table.\u00a0 The boy looked so distraught when he had freed him from the restraints and turned Joe around to view the damage done to him.\u00a0 Ben remembered what it felt like to see his son\u2019s head of curls devastatingly gone and to wonder why anyone would do that to his child.\u00a0 All he could do at that moment was to pull Joseph into his arms and try to shield him from the cruelty that he\u2019d endured at the hands of Aram Cullen for the second time in his short life.\u00a0 And finally, the third abduction.\u00a0 Ben had witnessed that for himself, though bound and gagged, he had seen everything that the evil man had done to his boy. He had watched Joseph\u2019s trembling fingers as they wrapped around the shears and cut every curl off his head; and all done because the boy was trying to stop Aram from shooting his father.\u00a0 All three events vibrated in his mind, each bearing its own unique horror, yet each one inevitably ending with Joseph locked in his father\u2019s arms. This time was no different than the previous two abductions, other than the knowledge that he had been there to see it all; thus, making it more heart wrenching due to the fact that it had been his son\u2019s love for him that had caused Joseph to lose his hair.<\/p>\n

Quiet minutes passed by slowly, ticking away with the rhythm of their heartbeats as though they were lost in time itself.\u00a0 Both father and son, swept up in the knowledge that they could have lost each other that day at the hands of the insane man, let their mutual pain flow out in their tears.\u00a0 Ben knew that once he released the boy from his arms, that Joseph would be forced to remember the horrifying events that had happened that day.\u00a0 He wished that things could be different.\u00a0 Ben prayed that somehow he could shield Joseph from the evil that always seemed to stalk and find him.\u00a0 *** If only I could. ***<\/em><\/strong> he thought to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa \u2013 sorry that I pushed you away,\u201d Joe confessed sadly.\u00a0 He felt Pa\u2019s hand gently drift over the top of his head and the warmth radiating from his palm let the boy know that it hadn\u2019t really mattered that the curls were now gone.\u00a0 Pa was making the same loving gesture that he\u2019d always made.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Son,\u201d he nodded to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cI know you were trying to work it out in your own way.\u00a0 But \u2013\u201d Ben paused and pulled his son back so he could look into the eyes he knew so well.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed you, Boy,\u201d he whispered and then pulled Joseph back against his chest.\u00a0 Tears stinging at his eyes, Ben let out a deep sigh and repeated those same words, \u201cI\u2019ve missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat darn kid!\u201d Adam fumed as he slammed the front door.\u00a0 \u201cI checked in town.\u00a0 Doc said Little Joe never showed up today!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stood from his father\u2019s chair next to the fireplace and met his brother by the front door.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon what with Pa over at Gold Hill Joe just ran off somewhere, Adam.\u00a0 He\u2019ll drag in here later and have some tall tale to tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease to come supper now,\u201d Hop Sing called from the dining room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re coming,\u201d Adam returned as he rolled up his holster and set it down on top of the credenza.\u00a0 He walked over to the table and sat down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned as he looked over at the cook.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t exactly sure, Hop Sing.\u00a0 But he\u2019ll be back in a bit.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you keep something on the stove for him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe need eat on time!\u00a0 Boy too thin!\u201d he protested and set the last platter on the table.<\/p>\n

Hoss chuckled and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but I make up for him.\u00a0 Hey the roast looks great and I\u2019ll eat Joe\u2019s share!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing turned for the kitchen muttering in Chinese to show his displeasure over the youngest boy\u2019s failure to show up in time for supper.<\/p>\n

The loud thud on the door interrupted the meal a few minutes after the two Cartwright boys had just begun to eat.\u00a0 Adam stood and looked over at Hoss, who wasn\u2019t about to turn loose from eating.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get it,\u201d he sighed and walked into the living room.<\/p>\n

Pulling the door towards him, Adam saw Fletcher standing there with a frown on his face.\u00a0 \u201cFletcher?\u00a0 I thought you planned on going to town tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a few steps inside the room, the foreman glanced at Hoss and then turned his attention to the eldest.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that\u2019s what I planned on doing.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I found a pinto without a master not far from the turn off.\u00a0 Where\u2019s that no good, worthless little shyster hiding, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, having heard what the man had just said, came away from the table, worried for his little brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe might leave one of us behind, but he\u2019d never leave that horse of his!\u201d Hoss exclaimed moving closer to the two men standing by the door.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019d you find Cochise?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just told you \u2013weren\u2019t you listening?\u201d Fletcher fired back.\u00a0 \u201cI was at the cut off on the road to town.\u00a0 She was grazing on meadow grass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss exchanged worried glances.\u00a0 Then they walked outside next to the foreman.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s come up lame.\u00a0 I gave her a quick once-over.\u00a0 Nothing but an old stone bruise.\u00a0 I\u2019ve told that shiftless fool that a man takes care of his horse.\u00a0 Guess he just walked off and left her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 like I said Little Joe might leave one of us behind but never this horse,\u201d Hoss insisted and knelt to inspect the animal\u2019s hoof.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a bruise alright.\u00a0 But not bad enough that Joe couldn\u2019t have walked her back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he never made it home?\u201d Fletcher asked, though he had already spotted the concerned looks going back and forth between the two brothers.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head and replied, \u201cNo \u2013 he was supposed to go to see Doc today.\u00a0 But I rode right past that turn off twice and never saw Cochise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me the kid\u2019s got himself kidnapped again!\u201d Fletcher groaned.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t we just go through all of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, \u201cThat was last spring, Fletcher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t make no never mind, it was this year, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d he fussed.\u00a0 \u201cBen\u2019s over to Gold Hill \u2013 you want me to wire him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam thought about what the man had said.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to alarm his father needlessly unless they knew for a fact that something had happened to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go saddle our horses, Hoss.\u00a0 Tell Hop Sing that we\u2019re going out after the kid.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t find him, we\u2019ll send Pa word that he\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go saddle your mounts,\u201d Fletcher offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, that\u2019ll help,\u201d Hoss nodded to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t go getting all mushy on me \u2013 I\u2019m just helping you so I can find the kid and unload on him.\u00a0 Lord knows that boy has it coming to him for worrying me by getting in fights \u2013 getting in trouble \u2013 leaving his horse \u2013\u201d the foreman ranted on as he walked to the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Hop Sing know, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go get a couple of lanterns in case we need them,\u201d Adam said and walked to the storage room. \u00a0***<\/strong>What have you gotten yourself into this time, Kid? *** <\/em><\/strong>He thought to himself as he readied the provisions.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat about this, Pa?\u201d Little Joe asked, lifting the lamp off the table.<\/p>\n

Walking over to his son, Ben replied, \u201cIt looks like it\u2019s about out of fuel, Joseph, just like the other one.\u00a0 No sense in carrying more than we need to since we\u2019re unsure how far we\u2019ll have to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019ve got those two blankets that he had you wrapped up in and that one canteen he\u2019d left where he\u2019d been hiding you.\u00a0 I guess it\u2019s better than nothing.\u00a0 I wish he hadn\u2019t taken my darn jacket though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, how about we go and check to see how dark it is outside \u2013 and then just stay in here if we\u2019ve lost the daylight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care if it\u2019s midnight, Pa \u2013 I don\u2019t want to stay here one minute longer than I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben read the look on his son\u2019s face.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t blame the boy for feeling like he did.\u00a0 Joe had gone through enough and it was easy to see that when he had looked at the mirror a few minutes earlier it had sent him spiraling back in his mind and reliving the whole ordeal of cutting the hair off his head.<\/p>\n

Dropping his arm across the boy\u2019s shoulder he said, \u201cWe\u2019ll be fine with what we\u2019ve got.\u00a0 If you need my coat to keep you warm you can have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m good for now,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 He had been very worried about his father and had noticed that he seemed a little off due to having gotten a good dose of chloroform just like he had.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just throw one of these blankets over my shoulders if it gets too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, Boy.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go and try to figure out where that insane man brought us,\u201d Ben nodded and they walked out the way they\u2019d seen Aram leaving earlier.<\/p>\n

Surprised to find that they hadn\u2019t completely lost daylight yet, Ben and Joe made it out of the cave.\u00a0 The sun was just beginning to set over the mountain range to the west as they stood by the mouth of the cave and tried to determine where they were.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny idea, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 Joe questioned as he walked around by the entrance to the cave and didn\u2019t find any clue that might tell him their current location.<\/p>\n

Stretching his back, attempting to loosen up from hours spent bound in the cave, Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph \u2013 it doesn\u2019t look familiar \u2013 other than I know it\u2019s not the one he took you to back when you were five.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that fool told me that,\u201d he frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHe also said that there\u2019s twenty or thirty caves close by so there\u2019s a good chance neither one of us have ever been here before.\u00a0 So? What\u2019ll we do now, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pointed to the setting sun and smiled, \u201cGod gave us that sun for a sign \u2013 and the sign tells us that\u2019s west.\u00a0 It\u2019s a start.\u00a0 I guess let\u2019s go south and hopefully something might jog my memory if I\u2019ve been in this area \u2013 wherever it is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded and offered his father the canteen.\u00a0 \u201cYou might want to drink a bit more \u2013 from my earlier experience that chloroform can really make your throat hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben held the canteen and gave it a little shake.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 let\u2019s make sure that we find some drinking water before we polish off what little is left in here.\u00a0 I\u2019m fine \u2013 how about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine too,\u201d Little Joe offered a slight reassuring smile so his father wouldn\u2019t worry.\u00a0 The truth of the matter was he was anything but fine.\u00a0 His head hurt and it was cold.\u00a0 Without any hair or a hat and what with it being November, Joe already felt his ears going numb.\u00a0 But Pa didn\u2019t need to know that.\u00a0 He was worried about the aftereffects of the chloroform and the fact that Pa had spent hours tied up on the cold damp floor in the cave.\u00a0 The last thing that his father needed was more worries.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse that blanket,\u201d Ben called to the boy as they began to walk off in the direction they had surmised was south.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour head \u2013 use it,\u201d Ben nodded to the boy.<\/p>\n

Grinning sheepishly, Little Joe wondered why he had even thought he\u2019d be able to keep his father from realizing how cold he was; especially his head.\u00a0 Pa could always take one look at him and practically read his mind.\u00a0 He set the blanket across his shoulders, pulling one end over the top of his head.<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s shoulder but didn\u2019t mention anything about the missing hair.\u00a0 Joseph surely didn\u2019t need the reminder.\u00a0 He knew that his son was pretending that he was fine, but he was anything but that, something that Pa was very keenly aware of.\u00a0 First, they had to try to get to safety so Ben could broach the topic once they were bedded down somewhere for the night.<\/p>\n

\n

Adam, Hoss and Fletcher had retraced Cochise\u2019s tracks but there was no sign of Little Joe.\u00a0 They finally decided that it was time to wire their father in Gold Hill or he\u2019d get upset that they\u2019d kept Joe\u2019s disappearance from him.\u00a0 The three men rode into Virginia City and tied their horses to a hitching post just outside of the telegraph office.<\/p>\n

\u201cBang on the door again, Hoss,\u201d Adam instructed.\u00a0 He was getting annoyed due to the mounting worry over his youngest brother\u2019s disappearance.\u00a0 \u201cPete\u2019s got to be in there \u2013 he rarely goes home until after nine and it\u2019s eight fifty-two right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPete!\u201d Hoss called in through the closed window.\u00a0 \u201cPete open up!\u201d<\/p>\n

The door to the office opened and Pete came out to see what Hoss Cartwright wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss \u2013 Adam \u2013 I\u2019m closing up,\u201d he complained.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a long day!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPete,\u201d Adam began as he stepped closer to the man.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to send a telegram to our Pa \u2013 it\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop asking him so politely!\u201d Fletcher growled.\u00a0 \u201cHe owes you for running his mouth back when Little Joe got abducted last time.\u00a0 He\u2019s the one who told Aram all about that hypnotist fellow that Ben had sent for!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told your Pa I was sorry about that,\u201d Pete groaned.\u00a0 \u201cNow what\u2019s this about Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to wire him in Gold Hill,\u201d Hoss jumped in hoping that Fletcher would calm down but that wasn\u2019t likely.<\/p>\n

\u201cGold Hill?\u201d Pete asked.\u00a0 \u201cI got me a wire earlier from some man in Gold Hill \u2013 think he\u2019s a business partner of Ben\u2019s.\u00a0 He wired your Pa to ask him why he didn\u2019t make it to some meeting today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat!\u201d Both Adam and Hoss yelled in unison.<\/p>\n

Pete jumped back, surprised by the anger that the two Cartwright boys had written all over their faces and their loud outburst.\u00a0 He expected that from Fletcher who had always fussed at him, but not coming from the much more level-headed Adam and Hoss Cartwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, a man named Brennan – – Clyde Brennan.\u00a0 He wired Ben to see if he\u2019d be getting there tomorrow.\u00a0 I got it so late I couldn\u2019t get it delivered to your father but figured I\u2019d send someone to give it to him in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stared at his brother and pulled him over to the side. He didn\u2019t want to give Pete any more fodder for gossip unless it was absolutely necessary.\u00a0 Fletcher was right about Pete and his mouth and the fact that he had inadvertently told Joe\u2019s abductor what they were planning on doing so they could get the boy to remember his earlier abduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa and Little Joe \u2013 and neither of them got to where they were supposed to be heading today.\u00a0 What do you want to do now?\u201d Hoss asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Sighing with frustration, Adam shook his head and said, \u201cBetter get Roy in on this now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys want to send that wire or can I close up?\u201d Pete asked upset because he couldn\u2019t hear what the two men were saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cClose up \u2013 we won\u2019t need you tonight, Pete,\u201d Adam returned and then walked down the steps and over to the hitching post.<\/p>\n

\u201cFletcher \u2013 let\u2019s get on down to the jail,\u201d Hoss called to the foreman as he swung up onto his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarn kid \u2013 just like his Pa, I tell you!\u00a0 Neither of them is worth much,\u201d Fletcher said cussing under his breath.\u00a0 But behind his insults there was worry which he wasn\u2019t about to show the Cartwright boys.\u00a0 He could see that they were afraid for both members of their family.<\/p>\n

\n

Looking to the west again, Ben called over to his son, \u201cJoseph, we\u2019ve walked just about as far as we can for the night.\u00a0 We\u2019d better find some kind of shelter and make camp.\u00a0 We\u2019ve about lost the light \u2013 the path is getting too dark to see more than a few feet in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was just about to comment when he heard a sound not far from them over to the west.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2014Pa do you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stopping in his tracks, Ben listened carefully, trying to ascertain what his son was talking about.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, a lot of water \u2013 and it\u2019s coming from over there!\u201d Little Joe pointed to the right of the path they had been following for several hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s head in that direction \u2013 at least we\u2019ll have plenty to drink, Boy,\u201d Ben smiled and picked up his pace matching his son\u2019s gait.<\/p>\n

The sound of fast running water increased and helped both father and son reach the waterfall in only a few minutes.\u00a0 They both looked around trying to determine the best spot to set up their camp for the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Joseph,\u201d Ben began as he stared at the waterfall and then the surrounding rock formations on both sides of the stream flowing out from it.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019m not mistaken, I believe I know where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d\u00a0 Joe asked as he bent down, beginning to gather wood for a fire.\u00a0 \u201cWhere, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is Clement\u2019s Falls.\u00a0 If it is \u2013 which I\u2019ll know for sure once daylight hits \u2013 then we\u2019re only about eight or ten miles from the ranch and that line shack on the northeast border.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned at the thought.\u00a0 It was comforting to know that home wasn\u2019t all that far away.\u00a0 \u201cThen I\u2019m glad that I resupplied that place when I made my little run around the ranch a couple of weeks ago.\u00a0 There\u2019s food and some whiskey too, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded to the boy, \u201cWell, I think we could use both about now.\u00a0 But that\u2019ll have to keep until tomorrow.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get a fire started, Joseph.\u00a0 The temperature\u2019s going to dip dramatically in a few hours.\u00a0 Thank the good Lord the snow\u2019s held off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you want it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking around, Ben pointed to a rocky overhang just on the other side of the falls.\u00a0 \u201cThat looks like the best place to bed down.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have some cover and at least one side will provide a windbreak.\u00a0 Here, let me help you \u2013 it\u2019ll go faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you just rest, Pa?\u201d he asked, worried about the long walk they had taken along with all that his father had endured that day.<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Ben dropped an arm around his son and answered, \u201cThere\u2019s still life in your old man yet, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 C\u2019mon let\u2019s gather the wood then we can fill the canteen and relax.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhere Little Joe?\u201d Hop Sing asked.\u00a0 He had been waiting up and worrying over his surrogate son and was about ready to hitch up the buckboard and go look for everyone when Adam and Hoss walked through the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing,\u201d Adam sighed wearily.\u00a0 He and Hoss had a long ride back and forth to Virginia City and both men were exhausted.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t know where the kid is.\u00a0 Roy\u2019s getting up a posse and we\u2019re all going to go out again at first light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed to tell Mister Ben!\u00a0 He get vely mad you don\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss moved closer to the cook and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to quiet him.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t tell Pa \u2013 because he\u2019s missing now too.\u00a0 We ran into Cody on the way back from town and he had Buck with him.\u00a0 He found Pa\u2019s horse about three miles from here. \u00a0Most likely, whoever got a hold of Little Joe also got a hold of Pa.\u00a0 Now all the worrying and fussing ain\u2019t gonna find them.\u00a0 But we will in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing looked back and forth between both Cartwrights and gauged the expressions on their faces to see if they had been truthful to him.\u00a0 He finally reasoned that they had and settled down for their sakes.\u00a0 Though he was worried about both Ben and Little Joe he wanted to do something to help Adam and Hoss, who he could clearly see were afraid that they would lose their family members.\u00a0 It was his job to keep them calm now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bring in coffee — Mister Adam \u2013 Mister Hoss \u2013 you sit by fire.\u00a0 You rest,\u201d he insisted as he pointed to the fireplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Hop Sing,\u201d Adam nodded to the man and watched as the faithful caretaker and Chinese member of the family hurried into the kitchen to get the coffee.<\/p>\n

\n

The campfire was putting out a decent amount of heat, which was needed as the temperature had dropped about twenty degrees by the time both Ben and Little Joe had set up the camp and filled the one canteen.\u00a0 They had a decent amount of shelter there under the rocky overhang which kept the wind off their backs and provided a covering for their heads.\u00a0 Ben laid out one of the blankets close to the fire which was about six feet from where they rested their backs against the face of the rock-wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, Pa,\u201d Little Joe said and offered his father half of the blanket he had been holding onto the whole walk from the cave.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 you\u2019re forgetting I have a coat and you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but I don\u2019t need all of this.\u00a0 Come on take half, will you?\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head amused at the way his youngest worried about him.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, give me half.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied that he\u2019d gotten Pa to concede, Little Joe handed his father the blanket and pulled his own half up to his chin.<\/p>\n

Ben surreptitiously stared over at his son\u2019s head hoping that he wouldn\u2019t catch on.\u00a0 He wondered how the boy was handling what had happened and if he was cold and just refused to admit it.\u00a0 Joseph had gone silent ever since they had shared the water in the canteen and then the blanket.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you eat breakfast today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa \u2013 I was late as usual.\u00a0 Sorry I didn\u2019t see you off,\u201d Joe answered, shaking himself from his thoughts.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat, hoping to have a serious discussion with the boy but grasping for the words to use.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay, I knew you\u2019d been up late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe nodded and finally turned to stare at his father who was seated on his left.\u00a0 \u201cThe door \u2013 now I know how it got open.\u00a0 I feel bad that I blamed Hop Sing, Pa.\u00a0 Aram was watching us all night.\u00a0 He told me that when Hop Sing went out to feed that stray cat that he just walked in without him knowing it.\u00a0 That\u2019s why the door wasn\u2019t bolted too.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t any way he could do that when he left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head over the boldness of the evil man, Ben replied, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Son, you were right all along.\u00a0 I really thought he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like I said to him \u2013 evil doesn\u2019t die, Pa,\u201d he announced somberly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it dies, but sometimes we\u2019re not around to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa \u2013 you sure you\u2019re okay?\u00a0 That chloroform can really mess you up,\u201d Joe continued to worry about his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop fussing over me, Joseph \u2013 I told you I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 Your old man is a lot tougher than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did he get you, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and shook his head, upset over having let his guard down earlier that morning.\u00a0 \u201cI was on my way to Gold Hill but after I\u2019d ridden a couple of miles, I saw a man lying in the middle of the road.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t see a horse anywhere and he wasn\u2019t moving.\u00a0 I got off Buck and went down on one knee to check on him when he suddenly turned and hit me over the head with the butt of his gun.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t knock me out, but it dazed me pretty good.\u00a0 The next minute I had a rag over my mouth. Then I woke up all trussed up in that cave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d Little Joe muttered angrily.\u00a0 He could hear Aram\u2019s words as he laughed over having gotten the jump on him after hurting Cochise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing, Pa,\u201d he frowned.\u00a0 Then Joe simply stopped talking altogether.\u00a0 He sat there rigidly on the blanket, his eyes reflecting exactly what he had been thinking about; the bad man<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 But he held his peace not wanting to be the first to mention what had happened.<\/p>\n

Studying the way his son had closed his eyes, not due to exhaustion but due to the anger he was feeling at the time.\u00a0 He wondered how to broach the subject with the boy.\u00a0 After waiting longer than he wanted to, Ben decided that it would be up to him to start the conversation.<\/p>\n

Wrapping his arm around the boy, Ben gave him a slight squeeze and said, \u201cAlright, I could dance around this all night but there\u2019s no point in my doing that.\u00a0 Tell me what\u2019s been going on with you, Joseph.\u00a0 Let\u2019s hear what you\u2019ve been keeping from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and tried to figure out what he should say.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure he could get out the words.\u00a0 \u201cPa — after what we\u2019ve gone through today there\u2019s no reason to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph \u2013 come on \u2013 it\u2019s about time, don\u2019t you think?\u00a0 For months you\u2019ve kept me at arm\u2019s length from you.\u00a0 Now I want to hear why,\u201d he cajoled the boy still attempting to get Little Joe to lay his burden down and allow him to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Joe nodded as the two of them eased back against their rocky shelter.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I had nightmares for a few weeks after the stamp mill, but they faded.\u00a0 I thought that I\u2019d put that out of my mind and that the nightmares would never return.\u00a0 But after I got back from the cattle drive in September things suddenly changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben noticed that his son had dropped his head down some and he wasn\u2019t sure if the boy was clamming up on him again or if he was just too overwhelmed to get it all out.\u00a0 \u201cGo on,\u201d he coaxed the boy with a gentle pat to his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day \u2013 after I\u2019d gotten back \u2013 I looked in my mirror.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I noticed that my hair had finally grown to the length that it was when he kidnapped me.\u00a0 I guess that\u2019s what started it all over again \u2013 in my mind.\u00a0 Before \u2013 before he took me back in March, I had lost all memory of what had happened when he kidnapped me when I was five.\u00a0 But \u2013 after what happened in the stamp mill \u2013 well — I got them all back.\u00a0 They came on me like a flood \u2013 that day that he was going to cut all my hair off.\u00a0 Once he offered me that peppermint stick — I knew what had happened and who was standing next to me!\u201d\u00a0 Joe drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly attempting to hide the fear which was growing both overwhelming and terrifying.\u00a0 After a few silent minutes he continued.\u00a0 \u201cSo, for the last two months I\u2019ve been dealing with both times that he abducted me.\u00a0 In my dreams one minute I\u2019m five and in that cage and the next I\u2019m strapped down to that table in the stamp mill.\u00a0 It\u2019s been horrible, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head sadly and tried to think of something to say that would help.\u00a0 It hurt him to know all his son had endured, and he just wanted the boy to know that he wasn\u2019t alone anymore.\u00a0 \u201cI know that\u2019s been awful to have to try and deal with on almost a nightly basis, Joseph.\u00a0 But why couldn\u2019t you tell me?\u00a0 You\u2019ve always come to me when you\u2019re hurt.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shrugged his shoulders helplessly and answered, \u201cI didn\u2019t want to admit it to you, Pa \u2013 because you and my brothers kept telling me that there wasn\u2019t any chance that Aram was still alive.\u00a0 But every time I woke from another nightmare it was as if I was being warned that he was still out there somewhere waiting for the chance to take me again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witnessing the sudden uncontrollable terror spreading across his son\u2019s face, Ben pulled the boy a little closer to him trying to offer Joseph the comfort he needed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Son \u2013 sorry I was so dismissive with you.\u00a0 I should\u2019ve tried harder to understand the way you were feeling.\u00a0 It\u2019s my fault.\u00a0 But I honestly believed him to be dead, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa \u2013 and it\u2019s not your fault.\u00a0 None of it was.\u00a0 I know you kept bringing up that you blamed yourself for sending me to get that haircut \u2013 but that wasn\u2019t your fault either.\u00a0 He told me he\u2019d planned to take me anyway \u2013 he just decided at the last minute to drug me and take me away when I was at his shop that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing deeply, Ben studied his son\u2019s face to try and gauge if he had told him everything that had been troubling him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m still sorry that I sent you that day, Son.\u00a0 I\u2019m also sorry that I tried to talk you into getting a haircut last week.\u00a0 I should\u2019ve just let you decide on your own when to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring down at the blanket, Joe mulled over what his father had said.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 I know this won\u2019t make sense to you \u2013 but \u2013\u201d he paused.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, out with it,\u201d Ben coaxed his son.\u00a0 He knew that the boy had something on his mind besides his nightmares.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to feel like I was in control \u2013 of something in my life.\u00a0 After what that man put me through at the stamp mill \u2013 well \u2013 I needed to feel like my hair was mine \u2013 and the decision to cut it was part of that.\u00a0 I guess I would\u2019ve eventually gone to that new barber,\u201d he paused again and touched the top of his head.\u00a0 \u201cI guess that\u2019s not important now.\u00a0 It\u2019ll take me months to grow it back anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can understand that, Joseph,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd your hair is<\/em><\/strong> yours \u2013 no matter what happened last spring or today.\u00a0 I just wish it had been in my power to stop him from forcing you to do that today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shrugged his shoulders, trying to find the right words to say.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only hair, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019ll grow back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,” Ben began and forced the boy to look directly into his eyes.\u00a0 “I know that it was much more than just hair to you.\u00a0 What he forced you to do was a terrifying ordeal to go through and it never should have happened.\u00a0 I know that it hurt you — because it hurt me to witness it.\u00a0 But you were very brave, Son,\u201d He stated proudly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you kept your wits about you.\u00a0 Joseph, I’m very proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head and confessed, \u201cPa \u2013 I was scared to death every single minute I was in that chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s shoulder and offered a knowing smile, \u201cI was scared to death every single minute on that floor.\u00a0 That still doesn\u2019t negate the fact that you were brave, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that he should\u2019ve died after Hoss shot him and he fell into that river.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s not your fault that you insisted that he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Ben nodded as he turned and slowly ran a hand over his son\u2019s head taking note of how cold it was now that there was only a scant quarter of an inch of hair left there.\u00a0 The temperature had dropped to just above freezing and Ben was getting concerned that the boy would catch his death of cold if something wasn\u2019t done about it.\u00a0 He took his share of the blanket and leaned forward to drape it over his son\u2019s head.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to tell Joe why he had made the move; he knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 you need it.\u00a0 You were on that cold floor of the cave most of the day,\u201d Little Joe protested and pulled the blanket off, shoving it into his father\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey I\u2019m the father around here not you,\u201d Ben stated firmly and once again draped the blanket over his son\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cNow keep it there \u2013 that\u2019s an order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sighed in defeat; there wasn\u2019t much point in arguing they were both too worn out after such a tragic and exhausting day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is something you could do \u2013 that is if you\u2019re really worried about me, Joseph,\u201d Ben smiled as he faced the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reclining against the rock barrier, Ben reached for his son.\u00a0 \u201cPut your head on my shoulder then we can both go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa \u2013 I\u2019m okay right here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, I\u2019m not thinking of you<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019m thinking of me<\/em><\/strong>!\u201d Ben argued raising his eyebrows in characteristic fashion to show the boy that he meant business.<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head and managed a tired smile as he asked, \u201cNow just how will it help you if I lay my head on your shoulder?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou make a perfect windbreak, Joseph.\u00a0 The breeze is coming from that direction,\u201d He pointed to Joe\u2019s right and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the very least you can do for your poor old father after you\u2019ve hogged that blanket all night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Letting out a resolute sigh, Little Joe slunk down some and rested his head on his father\u2019s right shoulder and said, \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll keep the wind off you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben nodded and reached for the blanket again, wrapping it around the boy.\u00a0 \u201cNow let\u2019s try to get some shuteye, Joseph.\u00a0 I think that fire will keep for a couple of hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d he whispered, closing his eyes.<\/p>\n

Just as Ben was beginning to nod off, he thought he heard the boy say something, but it was too muffled for him to make out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that, Joseph?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t catch what you just said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI — well,\u201d Joe hesitated for a minute, unsure how to say it to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve missed you too, Pa,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and patted the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 He was both relieved and thankful to hear what his son had offered him before the boy had finally settled down and drifted off to sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, Joseph,\u201d he sighed and closed his eyes, a contented smile playing on his lips.<\/p>\n

The two of them had somehow survived the horrendous ordeal with Aram and neither were hurt too badly.\u00a0 But Ben knew that Joseph\u2019s emotional wounds would run deep and perhaps last a long while.\u00a0 However, he took comfort in the knowledge that he was holding his youngest in his arms and the boy was sleeping soundly there in the comfort of his embrace.\u00a0 And that was what they both had needed for a long while.\u00a0 It was a start.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d Adam sighed wearily as he stepped into the barn, setting down the kerosene lantern just inside the door.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the middle of the night \u2013 what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned from Cochise\u2019s stall, directing his attention over to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cJust checking on Joe\u2019s horse.\u00a0 I was thinking about it, Adam.\u00a0 It don\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Adam asked as he neared the big man.\u00a0 \u201cWhat doesn\u2019t make any sense?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone got a hold of Little Joe \u2013 how\u2019d they know that his horse would come up lame?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stopping to consider what Hoss had just offered, Adam was beginning to think that he was right to be suspicious.\u00a0 \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t know \u2013 that is \u2013 unless they hobbled her themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his head, \u201cThen that means that whoever it was had to be here the night before last \u2013 and came into this stall.\u00a0 It\u2019d be easy to rig up something \u2013 like a rock \u2013 underneath one of Cochise\u2019s hooves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 the kid wouldn\u2019t know about it and ride off.\u00a0 Fletcher found her about three miles from here \u2013 just far enough to hobble her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned as he stepped out of the stall, giving Cochise a quick pat to her hindquarters.\u00a0 \u201cThere might be tracks around the barn that I can pick up on once it\u2019s daylight.\u00a0 Then we can go catch up with Roy and the posse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was still thinking about all the strange coincidences in the two disappearances and how their father must\u2019ve also been trailed when he had left early the previous morning.\u00a0 \u201cPa left a good four hours before Little Joe.\u00a0 If the same person kidnapped him, they\u2019d have had plenty of time to get Joe too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t figure it,\u201d Hoss groaned.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t figure who\u2019d want to get either of them, Adam?\u00a0 There ain\u2019t been any bad blood around here.\u00a0 Yeah, Joe got into it with Timmons a couple of times in the last week \u2013 but that polecat\u2019s still locked up with his friend Billy.\u00a0 That leaves them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wrapped an arm around his brother\u2019s shoulder, directing him out of the barn.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find them, Hoss.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go get some coffee and wait until daybreak.\u00a0 We\u2019ll look in the yard for any suspicious tracks before we head out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope they\u2019re okay,\u201d Hoss frowned and walked with his brother to the house.<\/p>\n

\n

The long day\u2019s events along with the rough way that they had been treated by Aram Cullen caused both Ben and Joe to nod off a few minutes after they had closed their eyes.\u00a0 The sound coming from the close by waterfall helped to lull them both into a deep sleep.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Little Joe hadn\u2019t been spared the terrifying reminders of all that he had gone through during his three abductions.\u00a0 The nightmares returned, and they came back with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

Just a few hours after he fell asleep, Little Joe had rolled away from the protection of his father\u2019s arms.\u00a0 Ben hadn\u2019t noticed because his body was too exhausted and he was too far under at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 They\u2019re mine \u2013 you can\u2019t have them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben slowly blinked his eyes open.\u00a0 It took a good while to get his bearings due to suffering through the aftermath of being drugged and bound the previous day.\u00a0 He listened out for the sound that had awakened him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo \u2013 no I won\u2019t do it!\u201d Joe cried out once more, his body tossing back and forth on the cold hard ground.<\/p>\n

Through the light given off by the dying embers of the campfire, Ben spotted his son, who had rolled off the blanket to his right.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben whispered, sitting up and then crawling over to the boy.\u00a0 He set a hand on his son\u2019s shoulder and tried to awaken him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t do it!\u00a0 They\u2019re mine!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSon \u2013 come on \u2013 it\u2019s okay, just a dream,\u201d Ben called down to the boy.\u00a0 He placed a hand on Joe\u2019s cheek and tried to bring him around gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Joe shouted, springing up from the ground with such fervor that it surprised his pa.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Joseph \u2013 just a dream,\u201d Ben crooned and tried to pull the boy closer.<\/p>\n

His face filled with confusion; Joe stared over at his father.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Son \u2013 get back on the blanket \u2013 you\u2019re about frozen,\u201d Ben insisted and pulled the boy closer to him.<\/p>\n

Focusing on the dying campfire, Joe shook his head and tried to remember why they were there on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I had another one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure did,\u201d Ben nodded as he pulled the blanket up around his son\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cIt must\u2019ve been a bad one, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Glad to have the warmth of the blanket and then the arm that found its way around his shoulders, Little Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it sure was,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s right hand reached up and touched the top of his head.\u00a0 The hair was really gone though he had hoped that it had all been a dream.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what good it\u2019ll do to talk about it, Pa.\u00a0 Not after what we just went through yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled his son closer and replied, \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve gone back to shutting me out already?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Sir,\u201d Joe responded, still trying to slow the rapid beat of his heart.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not that \u2013 it\u2019s just — well what good can come of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been my experience that talking it out is the best way to get over these kinds of things.\u00a0 Now \u2013 come on tell me about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing that his father wasn\u2019t about to give up, Little Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t make any sense \u2013 but I\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a captive audience \u2013 go ahead,\u201d Ben answered hoping that his tone of voice would alleviate his son\u2019s hesitancy to explain what he\u2019d seen in the nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in that cave \u2013 the one he took me to when I was five.\u00a0 But in the dream, I wasn\u2019t five \u2013 I was seventeen \u2013 and he had put me inside that small cage again, Pa.\u00a0 Then he handed me those shears of his,\u201d Joe paused still trying to rid himself of the paralyzing fear that had come over him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the dream \u2013 he — he made me cut off my hair \u2013 all of it except one curl.\u00a0 Then Aram handed me a mirror and made me look at it.\u00a0 I was practically bald \u2013 all except that one curl in the front.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring knowingly at his son, Ben finally spoke, \u201cYour best curl<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shocked to hear those words from his father, Little Joe stared at him, a question in his gaze.<\/p>\n

Ben could tell that the boy was surprised by what he had offered. He nodded over to him and explained, \u201cYou told me about the bad man<\/em><\/strong> cutting off that curl back when you were five, Joseph.\u00a0 You called it your best curl.\u00a0 You see you forgot \u2013 or repressed all of that until recently but I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 You were gone for an entire week \u2013 and that\u2019s not something that a father ever forgets!\u201d\u00a0 Ben paused as he watched the boy processing what he had just told him.\u00a0 \u201cThat was an awful time for all of us, Son.\u00a0 And as for me \u2013 well I made you sleep in my room with me for a good three months after we brought you home.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to take my eyes off you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Somehow the fact that Pa knew and understood the meaning of his dream seemed to help settle the battle he had waged in his mind which had forced him to shut his father out for the last two months.\u00a0 Now he wished that he had come to Pa with his nightmares to begin with.\u00a0 Joe had never considered how much his father had also suffered due to all three abductions.<\/p>\n

Ben watched the boy mulling over all that he had told him.\u00a0 He knew that Joe needed time, so he waited a few minutes before continuing.\u00a0 With a gentle pat to the boy\u2019s shoulder, he whispered, \u201cJoseph, after all you\u2019ve gone through\u2014well \u2013 I\u2019m not worried about you having nightmares.\u00a0 I\u2019d be more worried if you didn\u2019t \u2013 because after three abductions I think it\u2019s perfectly normal to have them.\u00a0 You went through a very frightening experience \u2013 three actually \u2013 and I\u2019d say it\u2019s natural that all those events would play out in your sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe crawled over to the campfire to restoke the wood.\u00a0 He blew on the embers until the branches they\u2019d found earlier had ignited.\u00a0 Somehow doing that had helped him feel normal again and freed him of the dread he had been experiencing since waking up from the terrifying dream.<\/p>\n

Leaning back against the rocky shelter, Joe looked over at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI think that\u2019ll keep us until daylight, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job,\u201d Ben nodded.\u00a0 He knew why the boy was trying his best to avoid the earlier topic and Pa didn\u2019t mind.\u00a0 He would wait and see if Joe needed any further reassurance before offering any.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s only a couple of hours until daybreak.\u00a0 Come over here and be my windbreak again, will you?\u00a0 I\u2019m cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving back into the comfort and warmth of his father\u2019s arms, Little Joe settled his head down onto the offered shoulder once more and closed his eyes.\u00a0 No more words were needed.\u00a0 Pa was there to help and this time he wasn\u2019t going to turn it down.\u00a0 Being held there in the loving arms of his father helped Little Joe more than all of Doctor Martin\u2019s powders had ever done, and it was all that he needed to fall off into a peaceful sleep.<\/p>\n

Ben watched as the hazel eyes closed one final time and let out a deep sigh.\u00a0 He pulled the extra blanket over his son\u2019s shoulder and settled back hoping that he could keep Joseph\u2019s nightmares at bay simply by being there next to him and holding him in his arms.<\/p>\n

\n

Sheriff Roy Coffee\u2019s request for volunteers to search for both Ben and Little Joe Cartwright had been answered by twenty men.\u00a0 By the time they met up with Adam, Hoss and Fletcher it looked as though Roy was leading a small army.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d you find, Hoss?\u201d Roy asked, swinging down from his saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese tracks,\u201d Hoss returned as he pointed to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re the same ones we found just outside of our barn.\u00a0 Whoever took Little Joe \u2013 and probably our Pa too, made it here \u2013 no doubt to turn Cochise loose.\u00a0 I think we should see where they take us now that it\u2019s light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good,\u201d Roy nodded his agreement and turned to stare at the men he had brought with him.\u00a0 \u201cJust in case it\u2019s a trick or we lose these tracks, I want the rest of you to spread out.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Hoss, Fletcher and me will see where these tracks end up and the rest of you break into five groups of four men each.\u00a0 Go in every direction.\u00a0 If you see anything, fire two shots in the air.\u00a0 If we\u2019re too far away and don\u2019t hear you, we\u2019ll meet up right here around noon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks \u2013 for helping,\u201d Adam called over to the posse members as they readied to begin the search.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll find them, Adam,\u201d One of the men called over to him.\u00a0 \u201cMeet up with the four of you later \u2013 good luck!\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy watched the twenty men divide into five separate groups and ride out in all different directions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Hoss, let\u2019s go!\u201d the sheriff said as he climbed into his saddle.<\/p>\n

The Cartwright brothers, Roy and Fletcher sent their horses into a gallop heading northward.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHow far do you think we\u2019ve gone, Pa?\u201d Little Joe asked as they stopped next to a small stream to refill the canteen.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced over at the boy and remarked, \u201cOh I don\u2019t know, Son \u2013 according to my feet about two hundred miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned, he knew why his father was trying to keep things lighthearted due to all that had happened the previous day.\u00a0 They were both tired, cold and hungry.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I thought as much,\u201d Joe smiled as he stood and capped the canteen.\u00a0 \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be lucky and find us a remuda, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, \u201cWell, it shouldn\u2019t be too much longer, Son.\u00a0 We\u2019re probably about halfway to that line shack.\u00a0 Now tell me again \u2013 what kind of wonderful cuisine awaits us there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d Joe began, closing his eyes as if in deep thought.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s roast turkey, mashed potatoes and a big apple pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Ben patted his son\u2019s shoulder, \u201cYou outdid yourself stocking the line shacks this year, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw \u2013 just wishful thinking.\u00a0 Okay there\u2019s some sugar, flour, a couple cans of beans, oh \u2013 and coffee.\u00a0 But best of all there\u2019s a whole bottle of rotgut \u2013 unless some vagrant stopped by and stole it after I restocked the place.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a rifle and shells \u2013 but I hid those good just in case, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe turned suddenly pensive and Ben read the serious expression he was now wearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019re you thinking about, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe groaned and ran the palm of his left hand across the top of his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf you really want to know, Pa \u2013 I was thinking about the insane man who forced me to give him my hair.\u00a0 I was wondering which way he went after leaving the cave yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo telling \u2013 but I doubt he\u2019d stick around here, Joseph,\u201d he answered, hoping that he was correct in his assumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to see him until I have my hands on that rifle.\u00a0 Then he\u2019s welcome to stop by,\u201d Joe retorted angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think that \u2013\u201d Ben stopped in midsentence when he heard the rapid approach of horses.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like we\u2019ve got company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s face filled with dread and his body stiffened.<\/p>\n

Slinging an arm across the boy\u2019s shoulder, Ben attempted to calm him, \u201cIt\u2019s okay \u2013 it\u2019s more than one rider \u2013so it can\u2019t be Aram — don\u2019t think we\u2019ve got anything to worry about.\u00a0 We might be in luck, and someone will give us some help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coming in fast from around the bend in the road was the welcomed sight of Hoss Cartwright\u2019s ten-gallon hat, Adam\u2019s horse Sport, Roy Coffee\u2019s badge, and Fletcher\u2019s usual scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d both Adam and Hoss sang out in unison.\u00a0 They reined their horses back and hurriedly dismounted.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see you, Boys,\u201d Ben answered the enthusiastic greeting and offered each of his sons a relieved smile along with a pat to their backs.<\/p>\n

Little Joe purposely stood directly behind his father, unwilling to display his practically bald head in front of his brothers or the two other men.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two okay?\u201d Roy asked as he dismounted and neared the four Cartwrights, followed closely behind by Fletcher.<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat and hoping the other men wouldn\u2019t say anything about Joseph\u2019s appearance, Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re fine — just a little tired and hungry right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Lord, Boy!\u00a0 Did you run into a band of renegade Apache? Who scalped you, Little Joe?\u201d Fletcher exclaimed after getting a good look at the boy.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright was positively livid over the foreman\u2019s outburst and if he\u2019d had a little more energy he would\u2019ve knocked the man down to the ground, but he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 He glanced over at his youngest and noticed how the boy had dropped his head down to his chest trying to hide his embarrassment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho got a hold of you, Pa?\u201d Adam asked though he was beginning to get the idea that someone who they had thought was dead must\u2019ve gotten to Little Joe again.\u00a0 There was no other explanation for the boy\u2019s appearance other than the resurrection of the insane barber who had gone into the Truckee River the previous spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cAram Cullen \u2013 he\u2019s alive,\u201d Ben called over to his son and shot another angered glare at Fletcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh \u2013 that figures,\u201d Fletcher muttered and tried to avoid Ben\u2019s penetrating eyes.\u00a0 \u201cGee, Little Joe \u2013 I\u2019m sorry I ran my big mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Joe sighed, though he wasn\u2019t very happy about what Fletcher had blurted out.\u00a0 Little Joe was sure that everyone else was gawking at him too; surreptitiously or not.\u00a0 He knew that the foreman wasn\u2019t the only one of the four men standing there who had been wondering why he looked like warmed over death.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a couple of mounts,\u201d Ben continued, hoping to keep the conversation off the topic of Joe\u2019s hair or lack thereof.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Adam began and turned his attention on him.\u00a0 \u201cBob Wiley\u2019s ranch is the closest place from here to get a hold of a couple of horses — and he\u2019s probably got two saddles he\u2019d be willing to loan us.\u00a0 You want to go fetch them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure \u2013 it shouldn\u2019t take more than twenty or thirty minutes there and back,\u201d Hoss nodded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mind volunteering to get the horses for Pa and Joe because he was having a hard time looking at his little brother and witnessing the damage that the evil barber had done to him this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll help you, Hoss,\u201d Adam announced as he swung back up into his saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave that rifle will you, Hoss?\u201d Little Joe asked as he neared his brother.\u00a0 \u201cThat skunk stole my outfit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Little Brother,\u201d he nodded and removed his rifle from the scabbard.\u00a0 \u201cHere you go,\u201d Hoss handed the weapon to the boy.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t take us long, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearing his throat, Roy motioned over to a large fallen tree off to the right side of the dirt trail.\u00a0 \u201cHow about the three of us light down over yonder and you can tell me what happened, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clamping a hand onto his son\u2019s shoulder, Ben nodded, \u201cJoseph, let\u2019s get off our feet for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his eyes directed down to the ground, attempting to avoid the sheriff\u2019s not so subtle gaze, Little Joe walked across the road alongside his father.<\/p>\n

\n

Hoss and Adam had been successful in getting two mounts for Ben and Little Joe from the Wiley\u2019s ranch and had them saddled in minutes.\u00a0 They hurried to catch up with the rest of their family and just an hour after leaving them on the side of the road they made it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job, Boys,\u201d Ben smiled at his two oldest sons and then turned his attention on the youngest.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to go home and rest up, Joseph?\u00a0 I\u2019d like to go with Roy and your brothers and try to catch up with Aram.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe walked over to the chestnut mare and swung up into the saddle.\u00a0 He placed the rifle into the empty scabbard and then called down to his father who was standing next to the sheriff.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I want to get him,\u201d he announced with revenge in his eyes and all over his face.<\/p>\n

Roy moved over to the boy, grabbing the back of his saddle.\u00a0 \u201cNow, listen, Little Joe \u2013 that man will be prosecuted on three counts of kidnapping and a couple of counts of assault.\u00a0 That\u2019ll put him in prison for better than twenty years.\u00a0 But you ain\u2019t gonna turn him into vulture bait!\u201d<\/p>\n

Avoiding the sheriff\u2019s harsh glare, he replied, \u201cI didn\u2019t say I was gonna kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked closer to where his youngest was sitting atop the mare and tried to quell the boy\u2019s mounting anger.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 if you want to go with us \u2013 then fine.\u00a0 But Roy\u2019s in charge now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gonna keep talking or go find that maniac?\u201d Joe retorted angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben said and stared into the boy\u2019s eyes, warning him with his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d he responded, trying to sound sincere though he was anything but that.\u00a0 Little Joe wanted to kill the man who had captured him three times, stolen his hair and trussed his father up, threatening to shoot him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his son one last warning glance and then mounted the bay that his son\u2019s had gotten from the neighboring ranch.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Roy called taking the lead as the five men rode northward.<\/p>\n

\n

It was fortunate that Hoss Cartwright was an excellent tracker with years of experience under his belt.\u00a0 He had found Aram\u2019s tracks next to the barn which had helped as they headed towards Lake Tahoe following those same prints that weren\u2019t hard to discern.\u00a0 Just over two hours after bringing the mounts to Ben and Joe, the six men made it to the steep grade that went up the northernmost tip of the lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s decide what to do now,\u201d Hoss said after staring at the fresh tracks.\u00a0 \u201cHe must\u2019ve slowed down for some reason because these can\u2019t be more than a couple of hours old.\u00a0 Maybe he camped here last night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben also dismounted so he could study the tracks for himself.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re right, Son,\u201d he nodded and spun around.\u00a0 Looking into the tree line he squinted his eyes and tried to spot any sign of a campfire that might have been extinguished recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook!\u201d Roy sang out when he spotted a horse hobbling down from the top of the trail.<\/p>\n

Adam and Joe jumped from their saddles and rushed to catch the animal.\u00a0 A few minutes later, Little Joe had the reins in his hands and was leading it down to the other men.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me have a look,\u201d Roy stepped forward and examined the saddlebags.\u00a0 One side revealed just some clothes and some ammunition, but the other one held something a lot more revealing.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s a sure thing this is his horse,\u201d he said and held out a pair of barber\u2019s shears.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face paled after seeing what the sheriff was holding.\u00a0 They were the same scissors he had been forced to use the previous day; he was sure of it.<\/p>\n

Ben noticed the appearance of dread spreading across the face of his youngest.\u00a0 He hurried over to the boy and dropped a hand onto his shoulder for moral support.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss stared in the direction that the horse had come from.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if Aram just left his horse and continued up the mountain on foot?\u201d Adam asked as he turned and looked at Roy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly one way to find out.\u00a0 Let\u2019s have us a look,\u201d he answered and climbed back up into the saddle.<\/p>\n

Drawing closer to his youngest boy, Ben whispered, \u201cJoseph \u2013 are you sure you want to go up there with us?\u00a0 No one would fault you if you wanted to just stay down here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded and tried to look more confident than he felt at the time.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll hold onto Aram\u2019s horse \u2013 and stay behind the rest of you on the way up that grade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving the boy a quick reassuring pat to his back, Ben mounted his horse and waited until he saw Joe climbing back into the saddle before catching up with the others.<\/p>\n

\n

The steep incline that led to an overlook just above Emerald Bay was a challenge for both horses and riders.\u00a0 The climb became more treacherous with the path narrowing so much that they had to ascend in single file.\u00a0 But the six men ventured on undaunted.\u00a0 Little Joe had gotten separated from the others due to the chestnut mare who was skittish and the lame horse he was pulling behind.\u00a0 A sharp bend in the road blocked the sight of the five men ahead of him.\u00a0 Little Joe attempted to catch up when suddenly he was caught unawares and was thrown from his saddle by someone who had launched themselves down from the tree line above.\u00a0 Stunned and shaken, Little Joe fell onto the hard rocky ground not far from the edge of the mountain.<\/p>\n

As his head cleared, Little Joe stared up in shock and confusion at the head of his own curls now hovering over him.\u00a0 Aram had one hand over the boy\u2019s mouth and the other on Joe\u2019s own Colt.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess you\u2019re gonna give me that horse I need, Little Joe.\u00a0 You try to scream and I\u2019ll shoot the first man who comes around that bend after I kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes grew wide and his stomach churned.\u00a0 He was sure that the man was serious and felt frozen in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna keep quiet?\u201d Aram asked, still holding the boy\u2019s mouth closed.<\/p>\n

Nodding his head, Little Joe waited to see what the man was going to do next.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, now stand up and walk over to the edge there.\u00a0 I want you to have a good look at the view,\u201d Aram grinned as he removed his hand from the boy\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust take the horse \u2013 I don\u2019t care,\u201d Little Joe returned, deciding that it wasn\u2019t worth getting shot over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said move to the edge, Boy,\u201d Aram warned as he leveled his gun at his victim.<\/p>\n

Little Joe walked to the edge of the Tahoe Rim.\u00a0 There was a deep ravine that would mean a sure death to anyone who accidently got too close and fell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do love these curls, Boy \u2013 and you done a fine job with your first haircut.\u00a0 But \u2013 I think it\u2019s time that we parted ways — permanently!\u00a0 You\u2019ve been nothing but trouble for me ever since you were five years old!\u201d Aram announced and moved closer to Joe.<\/p>\n

In retrospect Little Joe wouldn\u2019t be able to say what had made him make the move that he had.\u00a0 It might have been pure instinct, or it might have been his inner rage caused by all that the evil man had done to him.\u00a0 But either way, he fell straight down on the ground and kicked Aram\u2019s knees causing him to fall forward; sending out a misfire of the Colt.\u00a0 The evil man regrouped momentarily and was about to shoot the boy when Little Joe managed to send one final kick.\u00a0 Aram\u2019s body teetered for a brief second and then went over the edge.\u00a0 His fingers shot out, frantically trying to grab onto the rocky ledge above.\u00a0 Aram hung on for dear life.<\/p>\n

Kneeling, Little Joe reached his hands out to the man who had tormented him in one way or the other for twelve straight years.\u00a0 It was safe to do so, because Aram had dropped the Colt and it had fallen onto the trail far out of his reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me your hand,\u201d Little Joe yelled as he went down on his stomach trying to give his body more length so he could better reach the bad man<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Aram turned his head long enough to see the steep ravine below which was better than two hundred feet straight down.\u00a0 He heard the rapid sound of riders coming in fast and knew that he\u2019d soon be facing the sheriff, a very angry father and Joe\u2019s two brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said give me your hand!\u201d Little Joe shouted and tried to grab hold of the man\u2019s jacket.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks, Joe \u2013 don\u2019t need the help!\u201d Aram answered with a wicked smile.\u00a0 He shoved the boy\u2019s hand off his jacket and the next minute pushed away from the face of the mountain.<\/p>\n

With one last valiant effort, Little Joe reached for Aram\u2019s arm right before he fell.\u00a0 The boy came away with only the hairpiece in his hands.\u00a0 Pulling himself to standing, Little Joe stood there looking dazed.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben shouted as he and the other four men caught up with the boy after hearing the gunfire and turning around.\u00a0 He jumped from his saddle and raced over to the edge of the mountain, sweeping his son up into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cAre you okay, Boy \u2013 are you okay?\u201d he asked breathlessly.<\/p>\n

Holding the hairpiece in his hands and trying his best to hold back his tears, Little Joe turned and looked into his father\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 He tried to get the words out.\u00a0 \u201cThe bad man<\/strong><\/em> — he fell down there, Pa,\u201d Joe choked out as he stared down the mountain and into the chasm below.<\/p>\n

Adam, Hoss, Fletcher and Roy dismounted quickly, joining Ben and Joe standing quietly on the edge of the mountainside.\u00a0 The five of them looked down into the sunless abyss where Aram had disappeared a few minutes earlier.\u00a0 All they heard was a dying rattle of rockslide.\u00a0 All they saw, hundreds of feet below in the gloomy twilight of the ravine floor, was broken branches that had snapped under the weight of the man who had plummeted down the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t no way to recover the body \u2013 not at that depth and with all those trees, Ben,\u201d Roy sighed as he turned his attention to his old friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot survivable,\u201d Hoss nodded to the other men.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did he fall?\u201d Adam asked as he stared over at his youngest brother who stood there with such a perplexed look on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2014he jumped me,\u201d Little Joe began, still peering over the edge, half expecting to see Aram scaling back up to the trail.\u00a0 \u201cHe pulled my gun on me.\u00a0 He said he was going to take my horse and then he was going to push me off this mountain.\u00a0 I was able to knock him down \u2013 we fought for a couple of minutes –and he went over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did what you had to, Joseph,\u201d Ben reassured the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 he didn\u2019t fall right away,\u201d Little Joe interjected.\u00a0 \u201cHe was holding on \u2013 and I tried to pull him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The five men all stared at the boy wondering how he could have offered to help the person who had pursued him relentlessly and had caused him so much harm both physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe \u2013 he pushed my hand away \u2013 like he wanted to fall, Pa,\u201d Joe admitted staring into his father\u2019s eyes hoping to find an answer in them.<\/p>\n

Ben wrapped an arm around the boy, pulling him close.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph \u2013 the man was obviously insane.\u00a0 He\u2019s dead \u2013 and this time there\u2019s no doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe still held the hairpiece in his hands.\u00a0 He thought back on finding the first one there in the backyard of the ranch house.\u00a0 Joe never wanted to see the disgusting thing again.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 do you have a match?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shot his son a questioning look.\u00a0 \u201cA match?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe simply nodded and waited.<\/p>\n

Reaching inside his coat pocket, Ben dug around until he came up with a match and handed it to his son.\u00a0 He watched Little Joe as he knelt on the road.\u00a0 The boy struck the match on a rock and then set the hairpiece on fire.\u00a0 The acrid smell lingered in the air burning the other men\u2019s nostrils due to the pungent odor of burnt hair.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t care; he wanted it to be gone for good.<\/p>\n

When there was little left of the hairpiece other than a small patch of singed silk and a single curl, Little Joe stood and tossed it over the edge of the mountain, sending it hurtling into the ravine where the bad man<\/em><\/strong> had gone.\u00a0 He stared into Pa\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 The same gaze was volleyed back and forth between both father and son.\u00a0 The hazel eyes met brown and both were filled with a shared mutual pain and memories that would last for a lifetime; stark frightening images, the stuff that nightmares were made of.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go home, Son,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 He removed his coat after witnessing the shivering shoulders of his youngest \u00a0\u00a0Ben knew that the boy was shaking due to the cold biting winds that swept up from the canyon\u2019s depth along with the haunting kind of fear that his son just couldn\u2019t shake loose.\u00a0 Ben examined the face before him.\u00a0 This was his child; the little boy who had been kidnapped at the age of five and held in a cage.\u00a0 His boy; the one with the head full of curls that were now devastatingly gone.\u00a0 His son; who had been captured twice at the age of seventeen and subjected to a particular kind of cruelty that was indescribable.\u00a0 Though Ben knew that the curls would return and in time so would the boy\u2019s laughter; that was Joseph after all and a tribute to his resilient nature.\u00a0 \u00a0But right now, all he wanted was to keep the child, the boy, his son close to him; just like he had done when he was a scared five-year-old.\u00a0 Ben wrapped his son in his coat and walked him over to his horse.\u00a0 It was time to go home.<\/p>\n

\n

Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The loud sound emanated from behind the closed bedroom door and filtered out into the hallway; a distinct cry in the night.\u00a0 The lamplight lit the way until the door was slowly eased open.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright?\u201d Came the voice behind the lamp whose wick had been turned low due to the lateness of the hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes \u2013 I\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounded like a bad one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled himself up in his bed as he stared over at the boy who stood before him now; wearing concern in his gaze and a knowing look on his face.<\/p>\n

Little Joe sat down on the bed next to his father and reached for his arm.\u00a0 \u201cPa \u2013 are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

A bit embarrassed to have awakened his youngest, Ben nodded his head.\u00a0 \u201cYes \u2013 I\u2019m fine, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Joe began, forcing his father\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cTell me all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing in a quick breath, Ben hesitated, unwilling to go into the horrifying dream he\u2019d just had. \u00a0\u00a0His son was sitting there trying to help him even after all that he\u2019d gone through.\u00a0 They had only been back home a few days after being imprisoned in the cave.\u00a0 \u00a0Every time Ben looked at the head of his youngest, which was so devoid of its normal curls, it had made his stomach churn thinking about Aram Cullen and all the torment he\u2019d put the poor kid through.\u00a0 The boy wanted reassurance that his Pa was alright, and he was going to try his best to avoid telling Joe how frightful the nightmare had been.\u00a0 The last thing he wanted to do was to put any more worries on his son.\u00a0 The mere fact that Joseph was sitting there next to him without any hair on his head made him feel awful, so Ben knew it had to be hurting his son as well, though he hadn\u2019t said a word about it in days.\u00a0 Yet he could still read the lingering sorrow behind the boy\u2019s eyes; he knew Joseph too well for his son to hide those kinds of things from his Pa. \u00a0\u201cEverything\u2019s okay, Joseph.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you go back to bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2013 you won\u2019t let me get away with holding back from telling you about my nightmares.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s time you tell me yours,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben wasn\u2019t happy to hear his own words being used against him, but he decided that the boy was right.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to confide in him just so Joe would respond in the same fashion if he had another nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019re right.\u00a0 I\u2019m always asking you about your dreams, so I suppose it\u2019s only fair that you ask me about mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a dream, Pa \u2013 you had a nightmare,\u201d Joe nodded insistently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was about that cave —\u201d Ben began but was cut off by his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich one, Pa?\u00a0 We\u2019ve been inside two of them recently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his head and patted his son\u2019s shoulder due to the shared memories.\u00a0 \u201cIt was the cave where I\u2019d found you back when you were five, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was there to save you.\u00a0 You were inside that cage \u2013 where I\u2019d found you twelve years ago.\u00a0 But in the dream, you were the age you are now,\u201d Ben paused as the horrifying visions from the dream pulsated through his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to get the lock off the cage so I could pull you out of there \u2014and then \u2013 suddenly Aram came rushing towards me with those shears in his hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot Aram, Pa — the bad man<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d Little Joe muttered, trying his best to hide the fear that still haunted him; a fear he just couldn\u2019t shake.\u00a0 As far as he was concerned there was never a man called Aram Cullen.\u00a0 Instead, there was only the bad man<\/em><\/strong> and that name was ingrained in his mind forever.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n

With an uncomfortable shrug of his shoulders, Ben tried to remember how the nightmare had ended.\u00a0 \u201cWell, what happened next wasn\u2019t as frightening as the beginning of the nightmare was \u2013 at least not until the very end.\u00a0 I dreamt that I was here in my bedroom \u2013 and you were five years old again.\u00a0 You were lying on the bed next to me talking about your best curl \u2013 much like you had all those years ago.\u00a0 Then suddenly Aram came charging through the bedroom door holding those shears in his hand.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe sat there for a few minutes mulling the dream over in his mind.\u00a0 He was unable to come up with the same kind of soothing words that his father always seemed to have ready for such occasions.\u00a0 Joe simply placed his hand on his father\u2019s arm trying to calm him with his gentle touch.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa \u2013 sorry you had a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben offered his son a reassuring smile to set the boy at ease.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you come by these things naturally.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry I woke you, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking intently into his father\u2019s eyes, Joe shook his head and replied, \u201cI wasn\u2019t asleep, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turing his attention to the clock on his nightstand, Ben read the time and then turned back to his son.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u00a0 It\u2019s three in the morning.\u00a0 Why were you up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath knowing that he wouldn\u2019t be able to lie to Pa, not this time.\u00a0 \u201cI had a nightmare too, Pa.\u00a0 I guess you were busy dealing with your own at the time and didn\u2019t hear my scream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben returned with a nod of his head.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, tell me what you dreamed about.\u00a0 Turnabout is fair play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTalking about your nightmare is enough, don\u2019t you think, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Ben stared intently into the boy\u2019s eyes and replied, \u201cNothing doing.\u00a0 Now tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Joe groaned as he shook his head.\u00a0 He supposed that he might just as well tell his father because he knew that the man wasn\u2019t going to ease up on him until he did.\u00a0 \u201cMine wasn\u2019t too bad \u2013 at first.\u00a0 I was in that cage in the cave \u2013 the one when I was five — like in your own nightmare.\u00a0 Though in my dream I was the same age that I am now \u2013 but you looked a little younger \u2013 and your hair was darker -” he paused when he felt his father\u2019s tight hold on his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was<\/em><\/strong> much younger back then and I hadn\u2019t gone gray yet!\u201d Ben exclaimed with a smile, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere that hung in the bedroom caused by their mutual nightmares.\u00a0 \u201cOkay \u2013 continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou went down on your knees and crawled over to where I was and then you pulled me up into your arms.\u00a0 Then I was five years old again \u2013 and you were carrying me out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

A knowing smile filtered onto Ben\u2019s lips as he recalled doing that very thing some twelve years prior.\u00a0 \u201cThat probably wasn\u2019t a dream \u2013 whether you remember it or not — that\u2019s exactly what I did back then, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I think I remember that now,\u201d Joe nodded to his father.\u00a0 \u201cSo \u2013 that was the good part.\u00a0 But just as soon as the two of us crawled out of there — well \u2013 the bad man<\/strong><\/em> came charging in!\u00a0 He ran at us \u2013 with those shears in his hands.\u00a0 He tried to stab you, Pa \u2013 but I jumped in front of you to stop him.\u00a0 I guess that\u2019s when I woke up screaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben thought about what the boy had just related to him before commenting.\u00a0 He finally draped his arm across Little Joe\u2019s shoulder, pulling him closer.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d say that\u2019s pretty much what you did the other day, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring over at his father, perplexed by what he had said, Little Joe whispered, \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other day.\u00a0 You sacrificed yourself and your hair to save me, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head and returned insistently, \u201cNo \u2013 Pa \u2013 it\u2019s like I told you that day \u2013 it\u2019s only hair<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 When you think about it \u2013 well \u2013 it\u2019s not much of a sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a lot more than that, Joseph, and you know it, even if you won\u2019t admit it to me \u2013 or to yourself,\u201d Ben whispered and pulled the boy into his arms, hugging him tightly to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cI know how much it hurt you \u2013 to sit there and cut every curl off your head especially after enduring what Aram did to you inside the stamp mill last spring.\u00a0 You knew that evil man would\u2019ve shot me if you hadn\u2019t done what he told you to do.\u00a0 And whether you realized it or not, I felt your pain from across that cave with every single cut you made with those shears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes misted up, a bit overwhelmed to hear his father\u2019s praise.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t bear the thought of losing you, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019d have done anything he\u2019d asked me to do \u2013 just to get him to leave you alone.\u00a0 It was terrifying seeing you like that \u2013 all tied up \u2013 gagged \u2013 and thinking that he was going to kill you!\u00a0 I\u2019ve dreamt about it almost every night since we got back home.\u00a0 And those nightmares are a whole lot scarier than the ones where he chases me or comes after me with those shears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m getting the impression that you\u2019ve not been completely honest with me about some of the dreams you\u2019ve been having lately, Joseph,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNow \u2013 no more keeping those types of things from me anymore.\u00a0 Understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded and hoped that he wouldn\u2019t have many more nightmares so he wouldn\u2019t have to confess what they were about.
\n\u201cGood,\u201d Ben smiled and pulled his son back a bit so he could look into his eyes to make sure he was being truthful.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey \u2013 Pa, have you ever wondered why neither Adam nor Hoss have nightmares?\u201d Joe asked, hoping to change the subject from his frightening dreams to his brothers\u2019 lack of them.<\/p>\n

Ben thought about what the boy had said and finally answered drolly, \u201cMaybe they eat more at supper than you do?\u00a0 Maybe they get full and that makes them sleep more soundly?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe chuckled over what his father had said.\u00a0 \u201cIf that\u2019s the real reason then I\u2019m going to do a better job wrestling the food out of Hoss\u2019 hands at dinner, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to try your suggestion and make sure I\u2019m good and full before I go to bed from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, why don\u2019t the two of us test my little theory right now?\u00a0 There\u2019s a freshly baked pie cooling on the table in the kitchen.\u00a0 How about we go down there and steal a couple of pieces before we try to go back down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worth a try,\u201d Little Joe agreed with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cEven if it doesn\u2019t stop my nightmares \u2013 at least I\u2019ll get full.\u00a0 Besides I think it\u2019s apple \u2013 my favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied with the boy\u2019s response, Ben pulled on his robe and slid into his slippers and then the two of them made their way downstairs.\u00a0 Walking into the kitchen, both pairs of eyes fell on the door.\u00a0 Little Joe turned and stared apprehensively at his father.\u00a0 Pa nodded his head as if to give the boy his permission to make the move.\u00a0 Joe made his way across the kitchen floor.\u00a0 His hand reached up to check the slide bolt.\u00a0 It was securely locked into place.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced over at the boy, a question in his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was locked, Pa,\u201d Little Joe announced and then walked over to the table where the pie sat.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben nodded as he reached for the two plates.\u00a0 \u201cNow let\u2019s eat and get full so we\u2019ll sleep soundly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me a big piece, Pa, just to make sure I don\u2019t have any more nightmares tonight,\u201d Joe grinned as he sat down at the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea, Joseph.\u00a0 We\u2019ll both<\/em><\/strong> have a big piece,\u201d Ben chuckled as he went right to work on carving the pie.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough for taking me in,\u201d the man said as he eased back on the bed, resting against the headboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou poor man,\u201d the woman replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt was the least I could do \u2013 after finding you there on the road in such bad shape!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to put you to all this bother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman smiled as she handed the injured man a cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cNo bother at all.\u00a0 You know ever since my husband died; I\u2019ve missed having a man to fuss over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as soon as I get to feeling better I\u2019m going to repay your kindness by doing some chores.\u00a0 I noticed when I got here that you have a corral that needs some work.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure what with winter coming on — you could use some help getting some firewood cut and stacked to keep this place warm.\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty handy with those kinds of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you just rest up for now,\u201d the woman insisted, smoothing the quilt that she\u2019d just placed on top of the injured man.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you to trouble yourself by thinking of all that work just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no trouble, Ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I like thinking ahead.\u00a0 It\u2019s like I\u2019ve always said \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have a plan<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

Written by Wrangler<\/p>\n

For KMH on his 15th<\/sup> birthday.\u00a0 You\u2019re forever in my heart<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

10\/27\/26<\/p>\n

(Dedicated to Rob, the story consultant, who is my inspiration.\u00a0 And to Rosalyn who didn\u2019t think this story was \u201cterrible\u201d \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

*** Note from writer: At the request from some long-time readers, I\u2019ve written a very long \u201crat\u201d sequence in this story.\u00a0 I mean how many times, as a writer, do you get the chance to do that<\/em><\/strong>? I hope it satisfied the rat lovers! \u00a0\u00a0This is the last long story I\u2019ll be writing this year.\u00a0 I plan on writing a shorter story or two to close out 2026, though there might be a gap here and there due to some needed surgery. (nothing major!)\u00a0 Several readers have asked me which \u201cWrangler\u201d story is my favorite.\u00a0 I\u2019d have to choose \u201cThe Sound of Surviving\u201d because I think that it\u2019s my most hopeful story, with both drama and humor, and the only<\/em><\/strong> story that I\u2019m completely satisfied with.\u00a0 So, if there\u2019s a pause in my writing, if you haven\u2019t read that one, I hope that you\u2019ll check it out. \u00a0I feel very blessed to have written seventy-eight stories now and to have had such fun with the Cartwrights and my readers.\u00a0 Thanks to every one of you, it\u2019s been such a joy to know that you\u2019re out there and hopefully having fun with Little Joe\u2019s bizarre adventures! ***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nine months after Little Joe was abducted his nightmares resume, leading him to believe that\u00a0the bad man is still alive. His father and brothers try to quell his worry until the unimaginable happens.\u00a0 Sequel to “The Bad Man” link included. Rating T, WC 54,367 The Bad Man The Bad Man…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":70483,"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_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_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},"categories":[1015,23,1008,41,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-joe-pa","category-drama","category-family","category-hurtcomfort","category-mystery","wpcat-1015-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-32-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\/10\/Screenshot_20261019_181054_YouTube.jpg?fit=1341%2C1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70485","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=70485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/70483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=70485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=70485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=70485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}