A glacier moves faster<\/em>, Adam thought. He turned back to Hoss and shrugged\u00a0noncommittally before resuming his breakfast.\u00a0He had just finished sopping up the last of his gravy with a biscuit when Ben sat down and noticed the empty chair.<\/p>\n“Where’s Joe?”<\/p>\n
“He was up and out early, Pa,”\u00a0Hoss responded.\u00a0“It’s apple-picking time at the Schroeders.”<\/p>\n
Ben bristled.\u00a0“Doesn’t he have enough of his own chores to do without helping half the farmers in the valley?”<\/p>\n
“He done ’em, Pa.\u00a0 His and Adam’s, too.”<\/p>\n
A low rattle emanated from Ben\u2019s throat.\u00a0He pulled\u00a0his napkin from under the folded paper and laid it in his lap as Hop Sing\u00a0set\u00a0a replenished platter in front of him.\u00a0“I don’t see why he always rushes to help everyone else\u2014”<\/p>\n
“\u2014because you raised us to be charitable and help our neighbors?”\u00a0Hoss offered brightly reaching for the meat fork.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s throat-clearing cough brought him to his senses, and he waited until his father filled his plate before helping himself to thirds.<\/p>\n
“Yes, well,\u201d Ben grumbled, stabbing another piece of ham,\u00a0\u201ccharity begins at home.” The looks exchanged by his two oldest sons did not escape notice.\u00a0\u201cIf either of you has something to say, then speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam opened his mouth and drew a breath but thought better of mentioning the wrong side of the bed.\u00a0Taking another tack as he exhaled, he said lightly, \u201cSomething interesting in the paper?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d Ben barked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou seemed totally absorbed.\u00a0What was so fascinating?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben growled again.\u00a0\u201cNothing,\u201d he said, and resumed eating, this time unaware of the silent communication between his sons.<\/p>\n
\u201cReckon I\u2019ll head to town to pick up the mail,\u201d Hoss said as he pushed back from the table.\u00a0\u201cAnything you need, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather you didn\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014No buts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said no!\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty to do around here without everyone gallivanting off to town every five minutes.\u00a0Whatever happened to children minding their elders?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYessir.\u201d\u00a0Hoss stood.\u00a0 \u201cI best get right to it then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr the gobble-uns \u2018ill git you, ef you don\u2019t watch out,\u201d Adam mumbled into his coffee cup when his brother passed behind his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that?\u201d his father bellowed as the front door slammed shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust reminding Hoss to feed the turkeys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben shoved his plate into the middle of the table and glowered at Adam.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about you?\u00a0 I suppose you have an urgent errand in town as well?\u201d<\/p>\n
“Not likely,\u201d Adam replied, gesturing toward his foot which was propped on the chair to his left. \u201cDoc said a boot is not in my future for at least week, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben grunted, ashamed he had forgotten about Adam\u2019s foot, the result of an unfortunate and, to his way of thinking, entirely preventable injury. Maybe that explained his youngest son\u2019s sudden largesse in doing his brother\u2019s chores unbidden and helping their neighbors with harvesting\u2014penance for his sins.<\/p>\n
Reading his father\u2019s mind, Adam preempted, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t his fault, you know.\u00a0I was standing where I shouldn\u2019t have been.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he was where he shouldn\u2019t have been . . . in town when I specifically forbade it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Pa.\u00a0 You can\u2019t blame a kid his age, with his love of horses, for wanting to see a Vaquero rodeo, especially when you as much as promised he could go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did no such thing!\u201d<\/p>\n
“Remember last year?” Adam asked.\u00a0Seeing his father\u2019s perplexed look, he added, “when we returned from the cattle drive and found Joe barricaded in his room? You quashed attendance at the rodeo then because of his hysteria and said, \u2018next year.\u2019\u00a0 You may have forgotten, but I guarantee Joe hadn\u2019t.”<\/p>\n
Ben put his elbows on the table and massaged his temples with his fingertips.\u00a0He\u2019d never forget the incredible tale his youngest son told of being attacked by wolves\u2014in the house of all places!\u00a0 A long sigh escaped his lips.\u00a0“What I\u2019d like to forget is that unbelievable explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n
“Say what you will . . . the kid doesn’t lie.\u00a0Never has.”<\/p>\n
“But his story was so far-fetched. And there are other explanations . . . pain from the fall off the roof, fever, the power of suggestion, and YOU!\u201d\u00a0 Ben bristled anew, pointing his finger at Adam.\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re 28 years old for goodness\u2019s sake!\u00a0Why you persist in bringing books about the supernatural into this house with an impressionable youngster around, I’ll never understand.”<\/p>\n
“I thought he\u2019d get a kick out of it for his birthday.”<\/p>\n
“Yes, well, especially on<\/u> his birthday this year I would like him to have pleasant dreams . . . not terror-filled nightmares like last year!”<\/p>\n
The two men stared at each other, neither willing to break eye contact.\u00a0When the high color in his father\u2019s cheeks began to fade, Adam said calmly, \u201cMay I see the paper?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben hesitated, then slid the Territorial Enterprise across the polished table.\u00a0Several minutes passed while Adam perused the articles.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking for anything in particular?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever it was that upset you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am NOT up\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014Ah!\u00a0 Here it is . . . an editorial on vigilante justice.\u201d\u00a0Adam read out loud, \u201cMen think in herds, and they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.\u201d\u00a0He tossed the paper back to his father.\u00a0\u201cYou really think Joe would get caught up in a lynch mob?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s impressionable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also has a will of his own which he is not shy in exercising as we all are aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben stood to stare out the dining room window.\u00a0He shook his head slowly.\u00a0\u201cThe lynchings going on in Virginia City are the least of it.\u00a0Only four months old and the town rivals Sodom and Gomorrah!\u00a0Any event can be taken to extremes and turn into something catastrophic.\u201d\u00a0He turned back to face Adam and stabbed at the newspaper with his right forefinger.\u00a0\u201cMob mentality, that\u2019s what it is!\u00a0 And since the sheriff was murdered, there\u2019s no one to control it.\u00a0Just like I saw at Sutter\u2019s Mill\u2014men go insane when it comes to gold and silver.\u00a0And it carries over into other things. Everyday mundane things like a bolt of cloth or the price of salt. Why, the other day I saw otherwise sensible men\u2014men I\u2019ve known for years\u2014lose all reason and drag a merchant screaming into the street because he ran out of flour!\u00a0They would have tarred and feathered him if there had been any chickens around.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hardly think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014I don\u2019t want Joseph exposed to that den of iniquity!\u00a0 He is to remain on this ranch until a new sheriff is hired, and this hysteria dies down.\u00a0Do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014and the best way to keep him out of Virginia City is to keep you and Hoss away as well.\u00a0He only wants to go to town because you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam thought there were far more salacious activities to lure Joe into town than the prospect of tagging along after his brothers, but no good could come of bringing those possibilities to his father\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, Pa.\u00a0Whatever you say.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\u201cNo kidding, Mrs. Schroeder?\u201d\u00a0Joe asked with his mouth full. He had finished loading two freight wagons with bushels of apples from the harvest and was on his second slice of freshly baked apple pie.\u00a0\u201cYou leave sawdust on the floor?\u00a0On purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJa, Joseph.\u00a0Not everywhere, mind you.\u00a0Just a little in the corner to please the kobold.\u00a0That and a little dirt in the milk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe quickly pulled the glass away from his lips to inspect the surface for specks.\u00a0 Sure enough, there were a few floating on top.\u00a0With a shrug, he drained the glass and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth before letting out a belch.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Scuse me, ma\u2019am.\u00a0That was really good, but I\u2019d better be getting those wagons back home before my Pa gets worried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had permission, Ja, to help us out today?\u00a0 I vould not vant your Vater to be upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yes, ma\u2019am!\u00a0 And I got all my morning work done before I come over including Adam\u2019s on account of his foot still being sore from when my horse stepped on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGott im Himmel!\u00a0 What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it was nothing.\u00a0 I was practicing this trick I saw at the rodeo and Adam got in the way.\u00a0Accidental, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJa,\u201d Mrs. Schroeder nodded, suppressing a smile. She\u2019d raised six boys and well knew how accidents happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am? Do you mind my asking\u2026what\u2019s a kobold?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA hausgeist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn mein country, a kobold is a house spirit that helps with chores in exchange for small gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike sawdust and dirt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJa. Und if you don\u2019t feed them, they become destructive\u2026and vengeful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gosh!<\/em> \u00a0\u201cI\u2019d better tell Hop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Cochise walked into the yard and stood patiently awaiting his master\u2019s dismount. After several minutes, Joe swung his leg over the cantle and slid to the ground but remained close.\u00a0 When the paint turned his head to check on his human, Joe reached up and stroked his mane absentmindedly.<\/p>\n
A wizened ranch hand appeared from the tack room. \u201cYa look done in, boy. Can I put up your horse for ya?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hurtin\u2019 any?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWha–?\u00a0 Oh, no. Just got somethin\u2019 on my mind. Thanks, Charlie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
A noticeable drop in temperature accompanied the opening of the front door, otherwise no one heard the latch click shut.\u00a0Joe hung up his hat and jacket and proceeded silently up to his room unnoticed by his eldest brother who was reading at the desk in the alcove. When he got to the second floor he leaned over the banister and yelled, \u201cHey, Adam, can I look somethin\u2019 up in your dictionary?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe squeaked, \u201cYou have more than one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stifled a retort and replied, \u201cWebster\u2019s is on the top shelf. If what you\u2019re looking for isn\u2019t in there, Worcester\u2019s and Samuel Johnson\u2019s are both on the second shelf and Hyde Clarke\u2019s is on the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have FOUR dictionaries?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam rocked back in the desk chair and looked up at the second-floor landing but there was no one there so he resumed reading . . . or rather stared at the words on the page. What is he up to now?<\/em> \u00a0Shaking his head he refocused and concentrated on the text before him, but it wasn\u2019t long before the absence of noise overwhelmed every other sense he had. Years of experience had taught him that silence and Little Joe were not compatible.<\/p>\nAdam slammed his book shut and hobbled up the steps one tread at a time.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Adam stood in doorway of his bedroom and leaned against the frame with his arms folded across his chest. All four dictionaries were on the floor, some open, some closed.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s rested his back against the bookshelf, his legs stretched out in front of him. In his lap was The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens which Adam recognized by the color of its binding. Nevertheless, he asked, \u201cWhat are you reading?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe jumped, startled by his brother\u2019s presence. \u201cWhaa\u2014Oh. \u201cThe Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.\u201d\u00a0 Puzzled, his thick eyebrows drew together. \u201cWhy would a goblin need to know latitude and longitude?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re thinking of a \u2018sextant<\/u>.\u2019 Dickens is writing about a sexton<\/u>.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA gravedigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy the interest in goblins?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust something Mrs. Schroeder was telling me about kobolds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome again?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGermany\u2019s version of goblins. When I mentioned to Hop Sing that she left sawdust in the corners of the kitchen to ward off mischief, he said the Chinese don\u2019t have kobolds, but they do place mirrors above doors in bedrooms to ward off demons\u2014which I guess are kind of like goblins.\u201d Joe stood up and started shelving the books.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me something straight, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you been thinking about the wolves that bothered you last year? I mean it was right about this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe shoved the last book into the shelf forcibly, turned around and brushed past his brother saying, \u201cSheesh, Adam. Why\u2019d you have to remind me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
The weeks leading up to Little Joe\u2019s seventeenth birthday passed slowly for the youngest Cartwright. Denied access to Virginia City except for school and church, his only respite from \u2018confinement\u2019 on the Ponderosa was the party at the Devlin\u2019s ranch for Mitch\u2019s cousins who were visiting from St. Louis . . . male cousins only it turned out, much to his disappointment. Even the prospect of a spiked punch bowl didn\u2019t lift his spirits. That is, until Seth Pruitt jabbed a finger in his ribs as he headed toward a picnic table with a plate of food and whispered, \u201cbehind the barn in fifteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the pretense of visiting the privy, Joe escaped the watchful eyes of his family and sauntered around the side of the barn. To his delight, Mitch, Jared Wilson, and Sara Dagliesh were there too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an idea to get you off the ranch,\u201d Mitch said.<\/p>\n
The friends gathered in a huddle and listened as Seth laid out the ruse.<\/p>\n
To everyone\u2019s great surprise, Joe was skeptical after hearing the plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Joe said. \u201cMy Pa will kill me if I go anywhere near Virginia City without him or my brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t,\u201d Seth said. \u201cI\u2019ll tell him we\u2019re going to camp in the desert for the tarantula migration.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d said Mitch. \u201cWe\u2019ve done that before with Hoss, remember? No one will think twice about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe let out a long, slow whistle. \u201cWhat about you, Sara?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father is so busy working his mine, he won\u2019t notice I\u2019m gone. But I\u2019ll leave him a note, telling him who I\u2019m with so he won\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you get a couple of girlfriends to join us?\u201d asked Jared.<\/p>\n
\u201cCameo would come for sure; she likes tarantulas. I don\u2019t know about Jennifer or Connie. Maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSara . . .\u201d Mitch said, \u201cyou understand we\u2019re not really going to the migration, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sara looked around the huddle. \u201cThen where are we going?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s this abandoned house south of the divide near Gold Hill. Still has running water and furniture but it\u2019s off the road and well hidden. It\u2019s a perfect hangout.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be fun!\u201d said Jared. \u201cWe can dance!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019ll we do for music?\u201d asked Sara.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can bring my squeeze box, and Mitch has got a harmonica. You think you can get Adam\u2019s guitar, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen hell freezes over!\u201d Joe exclaimed loudly and was immediately shushed. \u201cWhat about my Pa?\u201d he said softer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let me worry about your pa,\u201d Seth said, \u201cParents love me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe, Jared, Mitch, and Sara all groaned.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Smooth talking Seth Pruitt, the oldest among Joe\u2019s friends, cornered Ben outside the Virginia City Bank the following day and implored him to allow Joe to go camping the following weekend with him and Mitch and some others.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Joe will be working full time on the Ponderosa next year, and we figured this would be the last opportunity to witness the annual tarantula migration together. Personally, what Joe sees in those critters is beyond me,\u201d Seth hunched his shoulders and produced a violent mock shiver.<\/p>\n
Ben smiled. \u201cYou and me both, Seth. But why now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe folks coming across the emigrant trail are still complaining about how hot it is. But I figure with snow in the upper passes already, a cold front can\u2019t be far behind, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour point?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe migration peaks by the end of October. We\u2019d sure like to have one last adventure together. I mean, I know we\u2019ll always be friends, but it won\u2019t be like it is now what with marriage and children in the future, if you know what I mean. Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis weekend, you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose that will be fine. As long as he\u2019s home for church on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nOn Saturday morning, Seth, Mitch and Jared arrived at the Ponderosa just after breakfast. Hop Sing handed Joe a feed sack filled with canning jars and lids.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are these for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou put tarantulas in these. No fuzzy bodies in laundry like last time!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Joe laughed as Hop Sing sprinted back into the house muttering in Chinese.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll set?\u201d asked Ben as he exited the kitchen door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, pa. Hop Sing must have thought Hoss was coming with us because he packed enough grub to feed an army!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, growing boys eat as much as one, I\u2019ve found, as the mercantile bill each month will attest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure do appreciate it, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d said Seth. \u201cWe\u2019d better get going so we don\u2019t keep Mitch and Jared waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust make sure you are back in time for church on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be here, pa, don\u2019t worry. And thanks again for letting me go. Bye!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBye, son.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhere are the girls?\u201d Joe asked when they reached the abandoned house in Gold Canyon.<\/p>\n
\u201cMitch is bringing them later. Thought we should clean it up a bit first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought soap and rags,\u201d said Jared. \u201cI\u2019ll just pump some water and get started on the floors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The structure wasn\u2019t in too bad a shape. The furniture needed wiping as predicted but once they opened the windows, the breeze shook the curtains loose of any dust and aired out the house as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose place was this?\u201d asked Joe as they worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome prospector named Eldritch. Up and disappeared a year ago. Rumor has it his bride-to-be married some other bloke who had already struck it rich. Bird in the hand, I guess,\u201d said Jared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard Eldritch gave up and went back to Scotland,\u201d said Seth. \u201cPity. This is nice property. Off the road and plenty of trees for shade.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thinkin\u2019 of buying,\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish. My ol\u2019 man pays me slave wages.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMitch and the girls arrived just before noon, unfortunately accompanied by Jennifer\u2019s Aunt Liddy as a chaperone. Seth was upset, but Joe\u2014ever the gentleman\u2014charmed the aunt with his gallantry, making sure she danced as much as Jennifer, Cameo, and Sara did.<\/p>\n
The picnic basket Sara brought was filled with delectables that complemented what Hop Sing provided. No one starved and the strongest beverage was sweet tea, which upset Seth even more as he had hidden a bottle of brandy in the cupboard hoping to share it with Sara.<\/p>\n
At four o\u2019clock, Aunt Liddy announced it was time the women took their leave and thanked the young men for a delightful afternoon, much to Seth\u2019s chagrin. Nevertheless, he offered his arm to Sara while Jared and Joe, escorted the other women to the surry one lady on each arm.<\/p>\n
As soon as the surrey disappeared around a curve up the hill towards Virginia City, Seth trudged off.<\/p>\n
\u201cJared, you go ahead and go home,\u201d Joe said. \u201cI\u2019ll straighten the house before we close it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. Seth just needs to cool down a bit. I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. See you at church tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill do.\u00a0 Bye.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\u201cJoseph!\u201d yelled Ben Cartwright from the bottom of the stairs. \u201cFront and center right now!\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss appeared at the top of the staircase. \u201cHe ain\u2019t here, Pa, and his bed\u2019s not been slept in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The front door opened, and Adam reported that Cochise was not in his stall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat tears it!\u201d Ben grabbed his coat and hat, stomped out the front door and was halfway to Virginia City before his elder sons caught up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Ben asked when Adam reined Beauty in beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to the Pruitt\u2019s. No one there. I sent Hoss to the Devlin\u2019s. He should be along shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell?\u201d Ben asked when Hoss pulled up beside them. \u201cMitch is home tending to his ma and sister who are sick with the flu. He has no idea where Joe is now . . . but he knows where he was yesterday and it wasn\u2019t watching the tarantula migration.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nJoe woke up shivering. He was wet and cold and hurt. At first, he couldn\u2019t tell where the pain was coming from as it seemed his whole body was both on fire and frigid at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuite a guddle you got yourself in laddie,\u201d said a voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWh-ho-who are you? And wh-where am I?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEldritch\u2019s mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMine? How did I get here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReckon ye fell down the shaft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFell? From where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUp.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe looked up but all he saw was rock and realized he was upside down. No wonder my head hurts.<\/em> Inch by inch he turned and twisted himself in the small space until he could see what looked like the moon. What am I doing here?\u00a0 And where is here?<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cDon\u2019t ye ken?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Joe, not Ken.\u201d<\/p>\n
A high-pitched, raspy laugh in response echoed in the shaft sending dirt and small rocks on top of Joe.<\/p>\n
\u201cOw! How do I get out of here, Eldritch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClimb.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUp or down?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDepends on where you want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBen\u2019s face turned red. \u201cWhat do you mean they didn\u2019t go to the desert to watch the migration?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was all Seth\u2019s idea,\u201d Hoss said, and proceeded to tell Ben the secret plan for Joe\u2019s birthday . . .\u00a0 including the abandoned house, the girls and dancing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf all the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014Pa, it was above board. The girls were chaperoned by Jennifer\u2019s Aunt Liddy; they had a nice lunch; they danced a little and talked; and Mitch took them home before dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Joe?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014Well, what?\u201d Ben said through clenched teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeth was pretty pissed. Evidently, he wanted to spend time with Sara. Joe said he\u2019d stay with him until he calmed down and that he\u2019d put the house in order and close it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know where this house is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cIt over the divide down the road to Gold Hill off to the right. It\u2019s settled way back from the road in a grove of aspen and pine, but Mitch said you can\u2019t miss it because it\u2019s painted blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe Joe decided to go straight to church rather than come all the way to the ranch,\u201d Adam offered. \u201cWe should check there first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben nodded. \u201cLet\u2019s ride!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nJoe was not at the church nor was he at the house, which they found quite easily. But neither was Cochise. The three Cartwrights decided to spread out and search on foot through the thick ground cover and rocks. \u00a0It was over an hour before Adam spied waste rock at the mount of a shaft. Down twenty-five feet they found Joe, bloody, bruised but alive. Fifty feet below that, they found Ewen Eldritch . . . dead for nearly a year.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Because he didn\u2019t think his father would believe him, Joe told Adam privately that the mine Kobold helped him survive his ordeal. Adam wasn\u2019t sure he believed it either until he pulled Samuel Taylor Coleridge\u2019s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner<\/em> (1798) from his shelf and read:\u00a0 \u201cI look\u2019d upon the rotting Sea, And drew my eyes away; I look\u2019d upon the eldritch deck, And there the dead men lay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The End<\/p>\n
\nAuthor\u2019s Notes:<\/p>\n
The childhood friends of Joe Cartwright (Jared, Sara, Connie, Jennifer, Cameo, and Seth) were mentioned in Seasons 2, 5, 6, and 8.<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s reference to the \u201cgobble-uns \u2018ill git you, ef you don\u2019t watch out\u201d is anachronistic as James Whitcomb Riley wrote \u201cLittle Orphant Annie\u201d in 1885.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Summary:\u00a0 On the eve of Joe’s 17th birthday, otherworldly forces are again afoot. Written for the 2026 Michael Landon Halloween Literary Challenge. It is suggested\u2014but not mandatory\u2014that one first read \u201cThings that Go Bump in the Night.\u201d Rating: G Word Count: 4000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":70766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","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":[23,1008,29,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-halloween","category-challenges","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-29-id","wpcat-40-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\/11\/Screenshot-2026-10-30-at-5.14.53-PM.png?fit=187%2C159&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70764","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\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=70764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70764\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/70766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=70764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=70764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=70764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}