{"id":9496,"date":"2014-07-31T14:51:55","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T18:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9496"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:29:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T17:29:15","slug":"lifes-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9496","title":{"rendered":"Life’s Lessons (by BluewindFarm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>:\u00a0 A companion story for the episode, Second Sight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>:\u00a0 K+ (9,680 words)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Life’s Lessons\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Tinny sounds from a piano floated down the main street as the screeching of someone singing some bawdy song, horribly off-key, in accompaniment raked on his nerves. Screams followed by laughter echoed along the street as well as the customary Friday night gunfire.<\/span><\/p>\n

The room was extremely dim with very little light from the waning moon shining through the bars concreted into the wall. A single lantern mounted on the wall, with the wick turned low, was the only real source of light illuminating the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the far end of the cot, hidden in the shadows, he sat with his shoulder pressed into the corner, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs that he had drawn up to his chest, his head down. His sniffles and ragged gasps for the occasional breath weren\u2019t heard beyond the perimeter of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Curled into a sitting position, his brain attempted to shut down for sleep and occasionally succeeded, but soon the noises from outside broke through the darkness, startling him. He wished there had been a light from the front office shining underneath the closed door, enough to offer a small amount of comfort in allowing him to know that someone else was there, that he was not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier that afternoon, when the firm hand clamped on his shoulder, he knew he shouldn\u2019t have been there, but with youth comes the failing of common sense, replaced by inquisitiveness. He just wanted to know what all the commotion was about and didn\u2019t think there would be any harm in looking. How was he to know a fight was going to break out?<\/span><\/p>\n

The afternoon dragged on and turned to night as he waited for someone who would see him safely home.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

As morning dawned, he heard the front door open and two sets of footfalls crossed the wooden floor. A set of keys rattled before being inserted into the keyhole and twisted; the locked door opened. With bloodshot, weary eyes he looked up; hoping he would be there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, son,\u201d the sheriff softly spoke to the figure still huddled on the cot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, sir,\u201d he hesitantly replied, and looked beyond the lawman to see who else had arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you sleep well last night?\u201d the lawman inquisitively asked, pulling the boy\u2019s attention back to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir, I\u2026I didn\u2019t.\u201d He lowered his eyes in shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you\u2019ve learned your lesson?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d he answered quietly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what might that be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He chewed on his lower lip and cocked his head to the right, \u201cI should have gone straight home after school was let out early\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cI don\u2019t belong at the Bucket O\u2019 Blood\u2026\u201d the boy answered, then added, \u201cwith Frank Wright and Phinney McLean.\u201d It was apparent with the way the sheriff had looked at him he was expecting there to be more said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sheriff walked the final three steps to the door and saw the boy\u2019s chin quiver, indicating his distress. The lawman inserted the key and unlocked the jail cell door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on son, there\u2019s someone out front who\u2019s here to take you home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quickly he climbed off the cot, picking up his hat, and walked out the jail cell. He worried the brim of his hat, turning it in circles as he walked to freedom.<\/em> The two entered the office area and the boy looked up to the figure standing there, waiting for him. As he stood between them, the men nodded to each other in silent understanding that no more need be said.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a firm hand on his shoulder he was led across the floor. Moments later, he jumped as he heard the ring of steel against steel as a far door clanged shut.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMount up Jamie,\u201d Joe Cartwright stated as he jumped down from the boardwalk and tugged Cochise\u2019s reins untied from the hitching rail in front of the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifteen year old Jamie stood immobile at the railing, his eyes intently focused on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d Jamie tentatively spoke as he looked up for the first time since seeing his brother inside the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just ride home, okay?\u201d Joe responded as he touched the brim of his hat to bid goodbye to Sheriff Clem Foster, who had come out to the boardwalk to watch the brothers leave.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie slipped his foot into the stirrup and pulled himself into the saddle to follow his brother home.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Side by side the pinto and the chestnut horses plodded along, they had a job to do and did it. Just like the man who rode the black and white; he now had a job to do in being a big brother and he struggled with the repercussions and the memories from his past.<\/span><\/p>\n

How many times had he been bailed out of Roy\u2019s jail over the years by one of his brothers? Joe smiled and shook his head at the memories from a long time ago. Whenever it was Adam who appeared he had been angry, but now\u2026 he thought of his long absent brother, Adam, and silently gave thanks for the times it had been him and not their father who stood just inside Roy\u2019s office, waiting\u2026 arms folded across his chest. The look on the eldest Cartwright brother\u2019s face always asked the same unvoiced question, \u2018When will you ever learn, little brother?\u2019 \u00a0His oldest brother\u2019s expression caused the recipient to feel shame, anger, and humiliation all at the same time. But his brother\u2019s expression was so much better than the look of disappointment on his father\u2019s face; those times when Adam had not been present to bail out his youngest brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now\u2026 The man on the pinto\u2026 All his life he had been the youngest son of Ben Cartwright, that is until the rain drought struck Virginia City and the surrounding areas the previous year. And with the drought came a youthful rainmaker. And now, he stood on the other side of the jail cell bars and was torn between his past and being an older brother; not an easy position to straddle, especially when he had only been an older brother for a few months.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

The brothers were only a few miles from home when Jamie halted his horse, who tossed its head at not being allowed to keep up with his stable mate. Realizing something was amiss; Joe halted Cochise and turned in the saddle. He waited\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

His young brother sat so forlornly in the saddle, shoulders slumped, hands resting on the saddle horn, reins loose in his hands. Joe kneed his horse to walk back to Jamie and Pepper, closing the distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

With tears in his eyes the youth looked up at Joe, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t Pa come for me last night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe thought on what to tell the boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without an answer, Jamie asked, \u201cIs Pa mad?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProbably will be\u2026 But, no more so than he was with me after anytime that I spent a night with Sheriff Coffee,\u201d Joe offered. \u201cI made my own bed and had to accept the consequences, and you will too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“But no one was there\u2026\u201d Tears threatened to fall from the boy\u2019s face. He had wanted to be so grown up, to prove to his new family that he was worthy of their name and love\u2026 But did they not really love him? He felt abandoned by his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was Jamie,\u201d Joe softly answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou? But\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClem sent word to the Ponderosa and Hop Sing told me as soon as I got home. I arrived in town late last night\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you weren\u2019t supposed to be home until sometime today\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI finished my business in Carson City early enough that I decided to come home to spend some time with you instead of spending another night in a hotel room. Hop Sing met me at the front door, handed me a note from Clem saying he was keeping you because of the trouble you and two others got into.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you get me out?\u201d Jamie\u2019s eyes flared with anger. \u201cFrank and Phinney didn\u2019t have to spend a night in jail, they got out yesterday!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClem and I thought it might be good for you to spend the night, give you time think on what you did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Frank and Phinney\u2026 they didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d Jamie retorted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTheir fathers wouldn\u2019t stand for it. They\u2026 they insisted that Clem let them out immediately. Clem told me he had wanted to keep all three of you. Mr. Wright and Mr. McLean argued against keeping their boys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you didn\u2019t fight for me!\u201d Jamie shouted as he tightened his grip on the reins to his horse, another indication of his anger. Pepper danced in place as he felt the mounting tension within his rider.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did fight, Jamie,\u201d Joe stated as he gently placed hand upon the boy\u2019s forearm. \u201cI fought myself all night long, told myself that I was doing the right thing. Being an older brother isn\u2019t easy. Sure I could have \u2018bailed\u2019 you out last night, but what kind of a lesson would you have learned. Do you think your friends know about facing the consequences of their actions? No\u2026 They\u2019ll expect their fathers to continually get them out of trouble. So I did what my\u2026 our brother Adam did for me!\u201d Taking a deep breath, Joe tried to calm himself. \u201cI knew I\u2019d be able to take you home this morning and I prayed that you\u2019d have time to realize what it would be like, should you continue to keep company with those two boys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie allowed his anger to fade as he listened to his brother and saw the remorse on his face. \u201cYou said you were there\u2026\u201d Jamie looked out from under the brim of his hat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClem let me spend the night, I snuck in during one of the few times you were able to sleep and I snuck out early this morning. Trust me, Clem would never have left, had I not asked to spend the night in the front office.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe shouldn\u2019t have put me in there,\u201d muttered Jamie. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have left me there!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJamie, Pa\u2019s tried to teach you that for any action there are consequences. I had to learn the hard way that sometimes heaping chores isn\u2019t the only consequence. Answer me this\u2026 do you really want to risk ruining the rest of your life because of something you do with the likes of those two boys?\u201d At first Joe had decided to take the soft approach, so much like Adam had the first few times that Joe had spent the night in jail, but Joe realized that Jamie needed to wake up and face the truth. He demanded, \u201cDid you enjoy last night?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not ruining my life\u2026\u201d argued Jamie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not yet. Think on it. You and I both know those two boys are trouble, and the only reason they\u2019re not called on it is because of their fathers. Clem told me they were laughing this morning when they heard that you\u2019d spent the night in jail. They laughed at the fact that I agreed with Clem to help teach you a lesson. Believe me, they\u2019ll keep getting away with things they do wrong all because their fathers coddle them. Their fathers dote on them and believe everything they say; they think their boys can do no wrong. Who do you think they blamed for getting them into trouble in the first place\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well\u2026 at least they have fathers who care.\u201d Jamie\u2019s voice dared Joe to object.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes narrowed and his voice lowered, \u201cPa cares, and don\u2019t ever let him hear you say otherwise. He would have been there last night, had he been home. You know he\u2019s been in Reno negotiating a new lumber contract.\u201d Joe tried to keep his temper under control, but Jamie was baiting him; so much like he had baited Adam. And now, Joe stood on the precipice, what he said next was critical in making sure his brother understood. \u201cJamie, you\u2019re my little brother; and whether you believe it or not, I do have your best interests at heart. Now that you know what it\u2019s like to spend a night in jail, are you willing to spend any more time there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking long and hard, the boy sulkily answered, \u201cNo,\u201d and cast his eyes downward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJamie, I\u2019ve been in your shoes. I know how you feel. Plenty of times it was Adam who came to get me in the morning. It wasn\u2019t until years later that I came to appreciate all he did for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes Pa have to know?\u201d Jamie asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to hard keeping this a secret from him; the Ponderosa does business with those boys\u2019 fathers\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was worth a try,\u201d Jamie stated as he calmly signaled Pepper forward. \u201cWhen\u2019s Pa due back home?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I arrived in town last night, Cliff handed me a telegram, Pa\u2019s still stuck in Reno, the contract negotiations have become more complicated than he or Hiram foresaw,\u201d answered Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Hoss?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably at home by now; I met him on his way home yesterday, he finished delivering that bull over to the Breesons. He rode out from town this morning to let Hop Sing know the two of us would be along later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows too?\u201d Any hopes of keeping his incarceration quiet were quickly evaporating.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me let you in on a little secret that took me a while to figure out\u2026 Older brothers know everything.\u201d Joe raised his eyebrows for effect and smiled. \u201cAt least Hoss got to sleep in a comfortable bed at the hotel last night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2026 I\u2019m sorry. I really am.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you are. I remember how difficult it was to be the youngest, spent most of my life fighting to prove myself, to my friends and family, but mostly to myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two brothers rode in companionable silence, Jamie thinking hard about what his new brother had said.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Brother\u2026 All his life he\u2019d been raised an only child, and then he was on his own, until recently\u2026 His mother had died when he was very young and when he had barely reached his teens; his father had died, too, leaving him to make his way in the world without family. Jamie remembered traveling around with his father from town to town in an effort to alleviate droughts that plagued the regions. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Tears came to his eyes as he remembered feeling the lashes of the willow switch upon his back while they tarred and feathered his father before running both of them out of town. His father\u2019s health had steadily declined; the boy had been happy to meet up with Dusty Rhodes when their wagon became stuck. His father wasn\u2019t in any shape to help.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

After his father\u2019s death, Jamie was determined to prove to all the naysayers that being a rainmaker was an honorable profession, and he knew if given the chance he could actually make it rain. Besides, everything he needed to know his father had written down in a book. His father\u2019s book was as sacred to him as if it were the Holy Bible.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As they traveled, Dusty filled a need, companionship and someone to watch over him, until they reached Virginia City. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

For two weeks they followed his father\u2019s instructions, and for two weeks the skies remained blue and cloud free. Ben Cartwright had taken an interest in the boy, fearing what would happen should he fail. He didn\u2019t really believe in rainmakers, but there was something about the boy that gave him concern. As the boy\u2019s time and supplies were running out, Ben said that the Ponderosa had some of the chemicals that he required. He promised to return before time ran out.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Night had fallen on their last day when the disgruntled ranchers arrived, not caring that the boy had a few more hours remaining; they destroyed everything \u2013 his wagon, his stand, his supplies, his dreams, his father\u2019s book…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright returned with the last of the ingredients needed for their final attempt, only to encounter the destruction. His heart went out to the youth; the loss of his father\u2019s book had been the final blow to the child as he tried to prove his father was a great man. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Having raised three sons on his own, he realized that the boy was suffering some kind of shock and wanted to take him home, to protect him. As they stood, the miracle happened\u2026 the moonless night sky had hidden the fact that rain clouds had formed. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

For a day and a half the heavens wept.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

After all that happened, the youth was surprised when one of the leading citizens of the community stood up to say that he would take the boy in, giving shelter to someone who had no one else. At first Ben proclaimed the boy could stay at the Ponderosa because it would take time for the wagon to be repaired and to collect all the money from the ranchers, since it did rain within the two-week timeframe allotted. (Event occurred within the episode, A Matter of Faith)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

But the wagon didn\u2019t seem important anymore\u2026 and traveling around with no place to set down roots lost its appeal.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

He enjoyed living with his guardian and two of his sons, Hoss and Joe; it was a new sensation to have someone who really cared about him like a father figure. Dusty had cared, but he\u2019d been more of a friend, never was one to set down rules. The boy looked up to the three men who owned and ran the Ponderosa, and even looked up to Hop Sing for wanting to help steer him straight.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

However, living among the Cartwrights wasn\u2019t always as easy as he thought it should be; he wasn\u2019t family. Their guardianship didn\u2019t prevent him from being the target of cruelty from others; voices quieted and spoke behind hand-covered mouths as he approached and passed by folks while in town. He had hoped that his new circumstances would protect him, but it didn\u2019t matter, he didn\u2019t carry the Cartwright name. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As if they were really a family, Ben had planned for Jamie to go to school. Unfortunately, the cattle drive was scheduled to coincide with the boy\u2019s first day. Standing outside the main house, Joe and Hoss overheard the argument, Jamie proclaiming he didn\u2019t want to go to school. Joe remembered his own growing up years and his own arguments against going to school. He understood a little better what his oldest brother had gone through, knowing what an education would mean to the youngster. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

With Jamie\u2019s declaration he wanted to be a cattleman and that he knew all he needed. Ben decided to test, him and was surprised at how Jamie could add multiple figures in his head. His next test was harder, he handed Jamie a written contract containing the specifications; and then asked if it was a good deal. When Ben explained the problem, Jamie attempted to work the problem out for himself only to admit he couldn\u2019t do it. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

But he professed he could learn if Ben would help him. But Ben explained that he wouldn\u2019t be available all the time.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

With Ben\u2019s insistence there would be other round-ups, Jamie gave in. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

During his first day of school, Jamie thought it couldn\u2019t get any worse than being humiliated by the teacher when she called him on being tardy and then assigned him to sit with the fifth grade students because of his lack for formal education. The teacher opted to belittle him by telling him he should know that his lunch pail belonged in the cloakroom. But life only went down from there; his placement gave the older boys fodder to bully him and to pick fights with him. As well as the fact that he was an orphan, saying the Cartwrights only took him in out of pity.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Still wanting to make friends and stop the bullying, Jamie had bragged about Ben Cartwright\u2019s gold inlaid rifle to Frank Wright and the others. Out to prove himself as one of the Cartwrights, the boy took the rifle that was special to Ben in order to show it off, in hopes of finally being accepted. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

On his way home, a large cat spooked Pepper, dumping him and the rifle into the creek. The rifle was damaged as he landed on it. He returned the weapon back to the rifle rack in hopes that no one would notice. He felt guilty when Hop Sing informed him just how special the rifle was to the elder Cartwright.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Wrestling with his guilt over the damaged rifle, and Frank taunting him that he had stolen the rifle in order to show it off. And then the calling him yella, Jamie was provoked into a fight. His emotions gave him the strength to fight back. But then Frank gained the upper hand. It was only when one of the other boys told Frank to let him go, that the fight ended.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

To a young man who had always been on the outside looking in and wanted so much to belong, the school-yard tauntings and the extra chores for admitting he had taken the rifle, damaging it, and lying about it. Everything was just too much; it hurt. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie ran away. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Roy had wired the surrounding towns and received a reply from Mill City that Jamie was there, working in the livery.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben followed. During their talk, Jamie came to understand what family really meant. Ben told him, “I didn’t pick my sons-they were born to me. But I did pick you. I didn’t have to, but I did. You might consider that a point in your favor. Hoss and Joe and I want you to be a part of our family. And if you are a part of our family, you\u2019re going to have to give up something\u2026 worrying about yourself. Know that you and your problems won\u2019t always be the center of attention because we have our problems too. And you may have to worry about them.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, and if you do have a problem, don\u2019t whine and mumble and start feeling sorry for yourself because nobody\u2019s turned around. I may be busy, or plumb tired, so speak up. To my knowledge, we don\u2019t have a single mind reader on the Ponderosa. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we do have a wealth of affection to give you\u2026 and respect and understanding. We do have to give them back; they\u2019re all there, but they\u2019re on a two-way street.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you come back, and I sure hope you do\u2026 because I want you to\u2026 I\u2019m going to treat you exactly as I treat one of my own sons. Which means sometimes, I\u2019ll tell you to do things that\u2026 you\u2026 won\u2019t\u2026 like.\u201d Jamie tried to protest, but Ben continued. \u201cBecause I know more than you do. I\u2019m older, it\u2019s as simple as that. I try to be fair, but sometimes I make mistakes\u2026 so you might as well expect them because I\u2019m also human.\u201d (Ben\u2019s dialogue from The Gold Plated Rifle)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie listened to the rest of Ben\u2019s words, and thought long and hard about what the man had said. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Life settled into routine and Jamie accepted life living on a working ranch, yet\u2026 Having lived on his own without any real parental supervision, he wasn\u2019t used to people telling him what he could and couldn\u2019t do. He couldn\u2019t accept that there were things he just wasn\u2019t ready to handle, yet. If Joe and Hoss could, he didn\u2019t understand why Ben wouldn\u2019t let him do the same.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

He learned another hard lesson, only this time it wasn\u2019t a rifle that was broken. His actions caused one of the horses to be put down, a wagon was damaged beyond repair, and all the supplies were lost. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben knew it was time for Jamie to make the same rite of passage that his two youngest sons had made, at the same time in their lives. (Events from the episode, The Grand Swing.)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As he watched Jamie carve his name into the tree, he thought of the irony that Adam had never made the trip. Adam had always been older than his years, in words, his actions, and his abilities. No wonder his other sons always wanted to emulate their older sibling, and always seemed to get into some kind of trouble because of it. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2026 His one son\u2019s name that was absent from the tree had been absent from their lives for so long. He wondered what Adam was doing now\u2026 was he even still alive? It had been so long since they\u2019d received any word\u2026 The last letter, several years old, had explained how he was preparing to travel to Europe, Africa, and possibly Australia, and would write when he could\u2026 they\u2019d never heard anything more.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As the months passed, Jamie dreamed of what it would be like to actually have been raised as a Cartwright, to have a real family who cared about and loved him. He wanted so much to be a real part of the family and it hurt that he wasn\u2019t. He thought that after his return from Mill City that he would eventually be adopted by the Cartwrights. But time dragged on, and still he dreamed.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

And then Phinney McLean took his paper, and wouldn\u2019t give it back. Jamie returned home with one black eye claiming he\u2019d walked into a door; only to have Phinney\u2019s father bring his son to the Ponderosa, with two black eyes, demanding an apology and an explanation.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Through separate means, Hoss and Joe, and Ben determined what was behind the fight. And when the family finally announced their intention, Jamie balked\u2026 feeling sorry for himself once more. They were only going to adopt him because of the fight he\u2019d be in, and the paper.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright met him after school the following day and drove them to the court house. They met with Judge Jed Taylor who reviewed all that Ben had done during the past six months to find any blood relatives to the boy; and declared that the petition for adoption had complete validity. Only that wasn\u2019t good enough for Ben, he wanted Jamie\u2019s consent for the adoption to proceed.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

And then he received a visit from his deceased mother\u2019s father, Ferris Callahan\u2026 wasn\u2019t that a hoot. Jamie felt he was being sized up for auction by the man; and found lacking. The only thing he felt the man appreciated was the fine brand Ben had offered him. Callahan proceeded to explain how he had searched for his daughter and grandson for years, and finally managed to put the pieces together and ended up at the Ponderosa.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The words the older man spoke against Jamie\u2019s father, calling him a \u201cdeadbeat and a charlatan\u201d, angered the boy; and then to find out so brusquely that he would be going to Boston. The man was callous, the boy was his heir and he had his life all planned out for him with little consideration for the boy\u2019s feelings.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

“What he wants is what I can make of him, he\u2019s only a boy.\u201d Those words explained it all. (Ferris Callahan\u2019s words from A Home for Jamie.)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As his grandfather took him away, Jamie realized that there was more to being a family than just being born to someone, being family meant you cared about each other. And he hurt, because he cared for the Cartwrights.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Cartwrights planned to dig in deep, Ben proposed going to Carson City to speak with the governor; he thought the man could so something to make the adoption happen through a legal battle.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie was faced with a different battle when the horses became skittish at the inept handling by his grandfather at the reins. Jamie tried to explain, but Callahan urged the horses on and they turned runaways; the buckboard striking a rut in the road which threw Jamie and his grandfather from their seats. Jamie left the old man with a broken leg where he\u2019d landed. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Returning some time later with supplies from the buckboard, Jamie tended his grandfather. His resourcefulness at first aid and at catching a rabbit and some trout for supper surprised the elder man. Especially when Jamie told him about tickling fish in order catch them; that Mr. Cartwright, and Hoss and Joe had taught him a lot about living off the land. He explained how tickling came in handy when one didn\u2019t have a string or a hook in their pocket.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Through their talks, Callahan came to realize all the Ben had said was true; the boy belonged on the Ponderosa.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As he settled into his bed, he had a new name, Jamie Hunter Cartwright and he had a family. And as a member of the family he had additional responsibilities and obligations. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie\u2019s thoughts turned to what would happen when his Pa returned home from Reno.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Frank\u2019s and Phinney\u2019s fathers had kept up their appearances that their boys had done no wrong while in the presence of Clem Foster, but once they arrived home\u2026 Though neither boy had to spend the night in jail as Jamie had, they were restricted at home and given a list of additional chores to do, after having their backsides blistered. The fathers were embarrassed by their sons\u2019 actions and for having to pay money to keep them out of jail.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frank Wright and Phinney McLean vowed to get even with Jamie\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

It had been a long two weeks of negotiations, but Hiram and Ben had successfully negotiated the contract. Arriving home the following Wednesday, Ben was happy to see the boys working together in front of the barn as they moved grain sacks from the wagon to stack them inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

That night while Joe and Hoss played checkers, Jamie tried to focus on his studies. He looked up at hearing Joe clear his throat, the look he saw told him he had better confess before Pa asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Jamie tentatively asked of Ben who sat in his leather chair, reading a paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Settling the paper to his lap, Ben acknowledged the boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have something I need to tell you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Ben inquired, as he looked from one son to the next.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got in trouble last week\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother fight at school?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir, I\u2026\u201d Jamie looked to Joe and Hoss for encouragement. \u201cI was somewhere I shouldn\u2019t have been and a fight broke out, and Sheriff Foster caught me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see\u2026 Where were you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI sort of\u2026 snuck\u2026 I snuck into the Bucket O\u2019Blood. I\u2019m sorry sir, I know I was wrong.\u201d Jamie hung his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeems like a punishment might be in order for going against my instructions to stay away from the saloons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d Jamie began to protest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Hoss interrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, let me finish.\u201d The look Ben cast Hoss quieted the large man. \u201cI know that Clem handled the situation and I approve of his method and Joe\u2019s agreeing\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know?\u201d gulped Jamie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I had to come through town on the stage coach\u2026 I bumped into Clem and he told me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry sir.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you are. And you\u2019ve paid for your part of those events. However, have I not told you that you are not allowed to go into a saloon for some time yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, for your disobedience, you will be charged with helping me this weekend in bringing the books up to date.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe burst out laughing as Jamie realized how lightly he was getting off compared to his friends; they both had trouble sitting down at school on Monday morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

During their restrictions, Frank and Phinney thought long and hard on how unfair it was that they\u2019d been treated like children, paddled and restricted for two weeks. \u00a0And then on Monday, to find out that Jamie hadn\u2019t been tanned set the two boys off even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t enough that both boys served their restrictions; both were admonished on a daily basis to make sure they came straight home. The following two Fridays, both fathers was there to make sure they weren\u2019t embarrassed by their sons sneaking into a saloon, again.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t fair that we got our backsides blistered!\u201d Frank declared as he kicked and sent a stone flying across the ground. \u201c\u2019Bout time we got off restrictions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but he spent the night in jail,\u201d Phinney tried to champion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBig deal,\u201d Frank spat. \u201cHe was in the saloon same as us, he shoulda been whipped by old man Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we shoulda spent the night in jail too,\u201d Phinney attempted to use the same logic against his friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy pappy\u2019d never stand for that\u2026 too much of an embarrassment for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my pa got me out a there too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill, he shoulda suffered as much as we done,\u201d Frank declared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we make him suffer? He\u2019s getting better about standing up against you and your punching him\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As lunch recess continued, Frank watched as Jamie worked on his studies while sitting under a shade tree on the far side of the school grounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow long\u2019s it take to ride from school to the Ponderosa?\u201d Frank asked as an idea came to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn hour at least\u2026 Maybe more if he don\u2019t run his horse,\u201d Phinney answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how long do you think it\u2019d take him to walk home?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow why would he walk home if he rode his horse to school?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we\u2019d scare his horse off,\u201d Frank answered while a wicked grin beamed upon his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d just go to the livery and borrow a horse\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot if we spooked the horse after he was a ways out of town. You know that meadow you go through after the turn off?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Phinney tried to remember the route his Pa had taken earlier and didn\u2019t remember no meadow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a different route that a rider can take than someone driving a buckboard or a buggy. The meadow leads into all them hills and high rocks, and he\u2019s gotta travel over them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but how\u2019re we gonna spook his horse, it\u2019s wide open out there. He\u2019d see us easily.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot if we\u2019re up in the crag of rocks and I fired my pappy\u2019s rifle at the horse\u2019s feet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re asking for trouble if your pa finds out you took his rifle\u2026\u201d Phinney declared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot if I ask him first. We\u2019re off restrictions right? So, I\u2019ll tell him you and me wanta go rabbit hunting after school\u2026 He knows how much we like to go hunting together\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“Come on Phinney, all ya have ta do is tell your pa the same. No one\u2019d think we\u2019d go hunting on the Ponderosa, so no one\u2019d know we done it. It\u2019ll be fun!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, tomorrow is Friday, and we got all weekend to do our homework\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow you\u2019re thinking!\u201d Frank declared, happy they had put into place their plan to seek revenge against Jamie Cartwright.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Phinney and Frank couldn\u2019t believe their luck when Mrs. Grimm had asked for Jamie to stay after school for a few minutes; it gave them even more time to reach the meadow before their target.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

While on his way home from school, Jamie daydreamed about what would happen upon his arrival home and presenting his report card with almost all A\u2019s, and only the one B. He\u2019d been worried when his teacher asked him to stay after, but hearing what she had to say, he was so happy when she praised his improved grades, and told him his were the second best in his class.<\/span><\/p>\n

It caught him unaware when the pain slammed into his shoulder, dumping him from his horse, and sending his horse galloping away<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

From their perch, the two boys laughed at seeing their schoolmate dumped from his horse, it had reared as Jamie inadvertently pulled back on the reins as he fell. With no rider in the saddle, the horse took off at a mad gallop. The boys watched for a few minutes before thinking maybe they should check on Jamie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe coulda struck his head\u2026 He could be lying there unconscious,\u201d Phinney nervously worried as he kept hoping Jamie would make a move to stand up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, alright, if only to prove to you he\u2019s gonna be okay. A little bump on the head and sore feet are mild compared to what my pappy gave me,\u201d Frank stated as he mounted his horse, carrying his father\u2019s rifle across his lap.<\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly the two made their way down the back side of the hill, using a deer path to enter the meadow. As they neared the still figure, Jamie was lying face down on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phinney slipped from his saddle and rolled the boy over onto his back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYOU SHOT HIM!\u201d Phinney exclaimed, causing Frank to drop his father\u2019s rifle as he saw the red stain on the boy\u2019s shirt. \u201cYou were only supposed to shoot in front of the horse\u2019s hooves! You said you were only going to scare him, make his horse dump him so he\u2019d have to walk home!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to shoot him!\u201d the Frank cried out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta help him!\u201d Phinney shouted as he looked up to his friend who still sat in the saddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou help him! I ain\u2019t gonna go to jail!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrank!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The sandy haired boy watched as his friend turned his horse and raced away. He looked between his departing friend and the friend lying at his feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJamie,\u201d Phinney called out to his friend, while shaking his shoulder. \u201cJamie, come on! Wake up! It were an accident! \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy on the ground was pale and didn\u2019t move or anything. Phinney thought on how his friend looked\u2026 dead. Nervously, he walked backwards to his horse and reached for the reins, he inhaled sharply before climbing into the saddle and riding away, thinking Frank was right. He didn\u2019t want to go to jail, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie groaned as he moved, his shoulder felt on fire. Shaking his head, he remembered riding somewhere. But how he came to lie on the ground and why his shoulder hurt so bad; he couldn\u2019t remember. Memories, flickered like a flame gasping for breath before being snuffed out, niggled at the edge of his consciousness, but he did remember a shot\u2026 the sound of a rifle firing.<\/span><\/p>\n

His eyes opened and somehow he knew he was too exposed where he was in the grassy plain\u2026 something drove his need to head for cover, the trees or those boulders. Scrambling to his feet the red-headed boy set out with one goal in mind, to get away from whoever fired upon him.<\/span><\/p>\n

He stumbled over clumps of tall grass and rocks hidden in the grasses. Broken tree limbs having fallen to the ground tripped him up as he entered the line of trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the recesses of his mind he struggled to figure out where he was, with his brain addled from being shot and the blow to he suffered after falling from the saddle, nothing made sense. Nothing except one thing\u2026 \u201cIf you\u2019re lost boy, climb to the highest spot so you\u2019s can get a good look around. And I\u2019ll find ya.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Trembling with fear and blood loss, Jamie finally gave in to his exhaustion. He\u2019d gone as far and as high as he could, and failed; \u201cI\u2019m can\u2019t do it. I can\u2019t go any farther.\u201d He looked up to the point he had hoped to reach. \u201cHoss\u2026 Joe\u2026\u201d He settled into the crevice and succumbed to the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d Jamie moaned. \u201cI tried\u2026 I\u2019m so sorry, Pa\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s he sayin\u2019,\u201d Hoss asked as he entered his youngest brother\u2019s room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething about being sorry and that he tried,\u201d Joe answered. \u201cI think you\u2019d best wake Pa. He\u2019s going to want to be in here if Jamie is coming around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A few moments passed before Ben entered the room he had vacated only an hour before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s he doing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s waking. I can understand what he\u2019s saying this time and he\u2019s more active,\u201d Joe answered as he stood from the chair closest to the bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShould I go get Doc?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he\u2019d check in later this morning,\u201d Ben replied before turning his attention to his youngest. \u201cCome on Jamie, wake up. Open your eyes,\u201d the worried father encouraged as his hand cupped the young man\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a dream, it was all just a dream. He couldn\u2019t really have heard Hoss\u2019, or Joe\u2019s, or Pa\u2019s voices. He hadn\u2019t climbed high enough for them to find him. He\u2019d failed. He\u2019d failed his responsibility to his family. He\u2019d failed his Pa.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there was the voice again, the warmth, the worry\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Why\u2019s pa worried?\u2019<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Jamie, try a little harder. You\u2019re almost there,\u201d Ben encouraged as the eyelids fluttered and opened before closing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey little brother, ya cain\u2019t be sleepin\u2019 all day away,\u201d Hoss spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Jamie groggily spoke as he fought the weights keeping his eyes closed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, son. I\u2019m right here,\u201d Ben answered as he lowered his face to his son\u2019s ear.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four pairs of eyes intently watched as a fifth set opened and closed, before they opened for good.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the vision was blurry, causing the youth to blink and squint before he focused on the silver-haired man who sat on the edge of his bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome back son. You had us worried.\u201d Ben sighed in relief; his son was going to pull through.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Jamie asked, his voice hoarse.<\/span><\/p>\n

When his father couldn\u2019t answer, he looked to see Hop Sing, Hoss, and Joe surrounding his bed. Ben soon had a glass to the boy\u2019s lips, offering him water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Jamie asked again, his voice stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were shot Jamie,\u201d Joe answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShot?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, little brother,\u201d Hoss acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow? Why? Who?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEasy there, you only just woke up,\u201d Ben advised. \u201cI think you should try drinking some of the broth that Hop Sing prepared. Doctor Martin said you lost a fair amount of blood and it will take a while for you to fully recover, but this will help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben held Jamie\u2019s head with one hand while he held a cup with the warm beef broth for the boy to drink. All the while he insisted that Jamie take it slow and easy.<\/span><\/p>\n

With only a little of the broth remaining in the cup, Ben laid Jamie\u2019s head back to the pillow; the boy already asleep. The warmth of the broth had soothed his achy throat and filled the hole in his stomach; encouraging him to return to the welcoming darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s concern shown on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI mix laudanum with broth. No taste, no fight like brothers,\u201d Hop Sing announced as he took the empty glass from the nightstand where Ben had placed it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to remember that the next time you get shot, Shortshanks,\u201d Hoss teased.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days after performing surgery on the youngest Cartwright, Paul Martin made a professional visit and was pleased with his patient\u2019s progress. Leaving Hoss and Joe in the room with their brother he motioned for Ben to walk down the hallway with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I think he\u2019ll be just fine. Keep him in bed for the next few days and see how he handles sitting up. You\u2019ve been through this enough with your other sons, you know what to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know what to do,\u201d Ben guiltily answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you\u2019ve nothing to feel guilty about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t here for him\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you are now\u2026 Once you received the wire from Joe that Jamie was missing, you hurried back here as fast as you could.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill, it doesn\u2019t make me feel any better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but he had two brothers and everyone of your ranch hands out looking for him. Also, Miss Coleman and Reverend Avery. By the way, they followed me out\u2026 they wanted to come sooner… They wanted to come to make sure he was okay.\u201d Seeing that the worried father was hesitant to leave his son, \u201cJamie\u2019s got his two brothers taking care of him at the moment, I think you can leave him long enough to go downstairs and thank Miss Coleman for her assistance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you remember Miss Coleman,\u201d Paul inquired as Ben hesitated at the foot of the staircase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do. Miss Coleman, please\u2026 I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did to help rescue my son.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow is the boy?\u201d Judith asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think he or his brothers would mind you visiting; upstairs, third door on the left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I\u2019ll be back in a few more days to check on Jamie. Reverend Avery.\u201d With that Paul left the Ponderosa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was now left to play host when he wanted nothing more than to return to his son. But a host he became. And while talking with the reverend, he came to understand more about his own doubts as he tried to help the man who skeptically looked down on what his fianc\u00e9e had done.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he headed back up the stairs and passed Judith, Ben thought to himself, \u2018Yes, God does work in mysterious ways, and it\u2019s not for me to know why, just that he does.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

A week had passed since the shooting before Jamie was finally allowed downstairs to join the family for the afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Jamie asked as he sat wrapped up in a blanket to prevent any chill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Jamie,\u201d Ben looked up from his newspaper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know who shot my or why?\u201d Jamie asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing the question would ultimately be asked, didn\u2019t make the answer any easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we know who and why\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwo of your classmates\u2026\u201d Ben replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey were upset that Pa didn\u2019t tan your hide a last month back because of the fight at the saloon,\u201d Joe offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrank and Phinney?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey coulda killed me all because they got tanned instead of having to spend a night in jail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey swear they were only planning to fire at Pepper\u2019s hooves in order for you to have to walk home, but that rifle was so old\u2026 the sights were out of alignment\u2026\u201d Joe offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a miracle Jamie wasn\u2019t killed,\u201d Ben glared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you find out? I mean, how did you know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPepper came home without you,\u201d Hoss offered. \u201cHe was all lathered.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were out looking for you, one of the hands found a rifle lying on the ground and a pool of blood nearby.\u201d Joe explained. \u201cHoss sort of figured out that something had happened and what direction you were traveling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss added, \u201cWe saw Pepper\u2019s prints and those of two other horses, and one set of footprints besides yours. The two other horses skedaddled, and you was staggering around while walking towards a line of trees and boulders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Coleman and the Reverend, they helped find me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Coleman did\u2026 She saw where she thought you were.\u201d Hoss answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t track me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo a point I could, but when you got up into the highlands\u2026 the ground became too rocky for me to figure out where you were.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t understand why you were heading to the high grounds, just that you were,\u201d Joe stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember much, but I do know that my head hurt, and my shoulder\u2026 The only thing I could remember was Hoss telling me once that if I was lost and didn\u2019t know where I was, to head to the highest point around. So I could get a good look around, and that he\u2019d find me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I sure didn\u2019t exactly find ya.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut ya did!\u201d Jamie protested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot on my own,\u201d Hoss guiltily replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut being family means you don\u2019t have to do it on your own, big brother,\u201d Joe answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what our friends are for, too,\u201d Ben offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut how did you find out about Frank and Phinney?\u201d Jamie asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we found you, we sent one of the men for Doctor Martin and Clem while we brought you home. Harvey showed the rifle to Clem,\u201d Hoss continued. \u201cClem recognized it as belonging to Frank Wright, Sr.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were still unconscious from the surgery when Clem returned. He said that Frank forced his boy to tell him what happened,\u201d Joe ended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s gonna happen to them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose two boys shot one of my sons and left him to die. If it were up to me, I\u2019d press charges against them for aggravated assault, attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and anything else I could charge them with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie looked strongly towards his father before allowing his eyes to drift to his brothers, stopping finally at Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou said they\u2019d get into worse trouble\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat their fathers would keep bailing them out and coddling them. You said they\u2019d never have the chance to learn\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The brothers looked to each other, knowing what the other was thinking. Jamie was learning a difficult life lesson, involving more than living up to the Cartwright name. He\u2019d not been in one lick of trouble since his one night in jail. But this\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

“Jamie?\u201d Ben spoke as he looked between his two youngest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey were my friends\u2026\u201d Jamie stated, still looking at Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they were your friends,\u201d Joe solemnly answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWill there be a trial?\u201d Jamie questioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey already admitted their part, it\u2019s a pretty cut and dry case\u201d answered Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClem said they\u2019ve already met with the prosecutor. Said it was pathetic watching them sitting there in his office,\u201d Joe stated. \u201cThey were both bawling their eyes out. I\u2019m not sure who was more upset, the boys or their fathers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel sorry for them\u2026 but they shouldn\u2019t a left me out there like that\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t have shot you!\u201d Ben stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

It appeared that Jamie didn\u2019t hear Ben as he continued his conversation with Joe, \u201cThey need to face the consequences of their actions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss looked between the two younger Cartwrights and listened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re just boys,\u201d Joe answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re old enough to pull the trigger, they\u2019re old enough to know not to aim a gun at a person unless their own life is in danger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey were mad, they just wanted to get even,\u201d said Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen does revenge end? Their idea of a prank\u2026 Using a gun is never a joke. They should know better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe smiled and he nodded his head in understanding. The lesson had been learned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre they gonna go to jail?\u201d Jamie asked as he finally remembered there were others in the room, and looked to Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll talk with the prosecutor and see what he recommends,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

The circuit judge had been lenient on the two boys; they were sentenced to six months in a home for wayward boys in Sacramento, California. It was a fledgling program hoping to discourage those thought young enough to be redeemed from proceeding any further down the road of their own destruction. Once released; however, both boys would have to live until their eighteenth birthday on probation, and as long as they stayed out of trouble, their records would be cleared once they reached their majority.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

It had been a long and emotionally tiring day for the entire family as the older brothers recounted the events and their involvement in finding Jamie. The trial was to determine the sentence, as the boys had already confessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cartwrights returned home, no real worse for wear. Hop Sing had prepared a feast to feed them.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked up as he heard someone coming down the staircase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep,\u201d Jamie quietly stated as he hesitated on the mid landing, his arm still resting lightly in the sling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe motioned him to come on down, indicating for his brother to have a seat next to him. He set the almost empty glass of brandy on the low table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t sleep either?\u201d Jamie asked as he made himself comfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe shook his head no. \u201cHaven\u2019t gone to bed yet.\u201d Flipping his hand to his head, Joe said, \u201cToo many thoughts racing around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The room was quiet except for the crackle of the fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were right, you know,\u201d Jamie said. He\u2019d thought long and hard about the past few weeks before coming downstairs, he knew that Joe had not retired for the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving me in jail last month.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of the hardest things I\u2019ve ever had to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou make a pretty good big brother, not that I know that much about big brothers,\u201d Jamie offered. \u201cI mean, I only have you and Hoss to go by.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam was a great example,\u201d Joe answered; his eyes focused on the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Hoss?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smiling at the question and how he would answer, \u201cOh, he\u2019s a good big brother, but we are friends too. We got into about as much trouble together as I did on my own when we were younger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cThere are twelve years between us, and after he came home from college, he took his role as a second Pa to me quite seriously. I used to call him old bossy boots or Yankee granite head. But looking back, I know he was looking out for my best interests, making sure I lived long enough to grow up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe musta done a good job\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes drifted from the present, remembering his own youth, when he was Jamie\u2019s age. He wondered had Adam not returned from college, what would his life have been. Would he have become the man that he had?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you really have to go?\u201d Joe asked as he came downstairs and saw his brother alone at the breakfast table.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, my job here is done.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we still have to prepare for winter, shut down the lumber mill, and\u2026\u201d Joe said as he slipped into his chair at the table.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not talking that job. I\u2019m talking about you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d a perplexed Joe answered.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest job I\u2019ve ever had, making sure you grew up to be all that you could. That you were prepared to stand next to Pa and run this ranch.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe ignored the cup of coffee Hop Sing placed near his hand.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, when I came home from college, I had so many ideas to improve this\u2026 our home, the ranch. Most all of them are prospering and were fairly successful from the beginning. But you\u2026 You took a lot longer than I expected.\u201d Adam sipped from his cup of coffee, wondering if he was saying what he needed to say in a way that Joe would understand.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t ask\u2026\u201d a little bit of the old Little Joe showed through in his tone of voice.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you didn\u2019t ask\u2026 but it\u2019s an older brother\u2019s obligation. The problem is, you\u2019ve been ready for some time.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if I asked you not to, said that I wasn\u2019t really ready?\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou doubt my abilities?\u201d teased Adam, he knew what his brother was saying.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot you\u2026 me.\u201d Joe averted his eyes.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo you don\u2019t.\u201d Adam set his cup into the saucer and looked at his brother. \u201cYou\u2019re ready Joe\u2026 You\u2019ve been ready to fulfill Pa\u2019s dream of expanding the Ponderosa for a long time. I\u2019m happy that you and Pa, and Hoss share the same dream.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not yours,\u201d Joe answered, looking into his brother\u2019s eyes as Adam shook his head, no.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dream\u2026 I don\u2019t know where it is, and maybe that\u2019s the dream, to explore\u2026 to travel.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll miss you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll miss you, most of all I\u2019ll miss you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPenny for your thoughts\u2026\u201d Jamie offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust trying to figure out if I\u2019m still living up to his expectations; thinking if I did what Adam would have done?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou miss him, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~The End<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

B ~ O ~ N ~ A ~ N~ A ~ Z ~ A<\/span><\/p>\n

Author\u2019s Note<\/strong>: This story began as a response to a Pinecone Challenge, write a short story (not to exceed 500 words) ending with the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith a firm hand on his shoulder he was led across the floor. Moments later, he jumped as he heard the ring of steel against steel as a far door clanged shut.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While writing, I had at first envisioned Joe as being the one kept in jail, and Adam being the one to bail him out. But as the scene evolved, I decided to leave it up to the reader to decide if it was Joe or Hoss or maybe even a young Adam who spent the night in jail. After the story was posted in the Forums, it was suggested that it could have been Jamie (who I hadn\u2019t even considered). So it was even more fitting that I hadn\u2019t identified which lawman or who else entered the Sheriff\u2019s Office the following morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I thought on the possibilities of this being Jamie, I remembered the episode, Second Sight. We never did learn who\u2026 how or why Jamie was shot. But there were other questions\u2026 Why was it only Hoss and Joe, and the ranch hands searching? Where was Ben? So with input from my writing muse, the story continued. My original story used different names for the two other boys involved; Frank Wright came from The Gold Plaited Rifle while Phinney McLean was in A Home for Jamie.<\/span><\/p>\n

Credit must be given to the writers of the following episodes used within; A Matter of Faith, The Gold Plaited Rifle, A Home for Jamie, The Grand Swing, and Second Sight<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: Ben Cartwright, Hop Sing, Hoss Cartwright, jail \/ jailed, Jamie Hunter Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, revenge<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 A companion story for the episode, Second Sight.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K+ (9,680 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":3639,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1005,23,616,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","category-whb","category-challenges","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-616-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":3217,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Joe-and-Jamie.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12120,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12120","url_meta":{"origin":9496,"position":0},"title":"Blundered Seduction (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"December 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Caught with his pants down and in a compromising situation by the one person he'd least likely want to find him as such, Joe learns three valuable lessons; no one ever died of embarrassment, chose your friends carefully, and being 16 and still a virgin is nothing to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5635,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5635","url_meta":{"origin":9496,"position":1},"title":"A Brother is Forever (by Dogwood)","author":"Dogwood","date":"May 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0Ben's reflections as a brother. 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