Ben Cartwright was just about to take his first bite of Hop Sing\u2019s pot roast when a tiny voice called in from the front yard.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello! Hello! Is anyone home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSounds a bit young to be one of Little Joe\u2019s friends,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n
Ben couldn\u2019t help but smile at seeing Hoss\u2019s small grin and the dimples it drilled from his cheeks.<\/p>\n
Adam, too, started grinning. \u201cIt does take me back a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d the child cried out again.<\/p>\n
Surprise and fond memories shifted quickly to curiosity. Ben set down his fork and pushed away from the table. \u201cMaybe that child\u2019s family met up with Joe on the road. I\u2019d sure like to know why he\u2019s not home yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam rose to join him. \u201cIf they did meet up with him, I\u2019d like to know where. Joe shouldn\u2019t have been anywhere near the main road.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHello? Can anyone hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Hoss stepped away from his meal. \u201cWhatever it is that brought them out here, sounds like their little one\u2019s plumb scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost before the last word had left Hoss\u2019s mouth, Hop Sing scurried out of the kitchen. \u201cLittle missy alone!\u201d he proclaimed, waving his hands in emphasis. \u201cAll alone! On Little Joe horse!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Anxious to see what his cook had already glimpsed from the kitchen window, Ben threw open the front door to find a very young, very frightened, tow-headed little girl perched high atop his youngest son\u2019s horse, just as Hop Sing had described. And she was, indeed, alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you Mister Ben?\u201d she asked, her eyes going wide.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy, yes,\u201d he answered softly, forcing a smile for the girl\u2019s sake. He glanced toward Adam and Hoss before continuing. \u201cDid Joseph tell you about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
His question left the girl looking puzzled. \u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe?\u201d Ben ventured. \u201cLittle Joe? The man whose horse you\u2019re riding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle Joe!\u201d she exclaimed happily. \u201cHe told me his pa\u2019s name is Mister Ben and he has white hair like you and Little Joe has two brothers named Hoss and Adam. I told him Hoss was a silly name and he said Hoss had eyes that were big and blue like mine. Is that Hoss standing behind you?\u201d Ben barely opened his mouth to answer when the girl went right on talking. \u201cI think that must be Hoss because he\u2019s big as a bear just like Little Joe said and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSlow down there, punkin,\u201d Hoss broke in, moving forward to lift the child off of Cochise. \u201cDon\u2019t ya\u2019 think you ought to stop and catch a breath?\u201d He held her in his arms and studied her, just as she studied him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can breathe just fine, Hoss. You are Hoss, aren\u2019t you? Because your eyes sure are blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Hoss, all right. Now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
But she wasn\u2019t finished talking yet, and wasn\u2019t about to let Hoss intervene. \u201cAnd Little Joe said Hoss was big enough to move the whole mountain if he had to and you sure look big enough but you don\u2019t have to move the whole mountain you just have to move enough of it so Little Joe don\u2019t have to be down at the bottom of it no more.\u201d<\/p>\n
The child\u2019s words struck like a physical blow to Ben\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the bottom?\u201d Hoss asked, sounding as though he, too, had taken a punch in the gut.<\/p>\n
Ben swallowed the feeling as best he could. He needed to know more. \u201cWhere, sweetheart?\u201d he asked softly, forcing another smile. \u201cWhere is Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the mountain where he fell when the cat jumped on him.\u201d Her eyes went wider than they had on first seeing Ben\u2014and Ben\u2019s heart seemed to stop at the implications of her words. \u201cIt made a real scary roar and I started running and I was screaming and then Little Joe was there and he shot it and I ran to him on account of I was still scared and I wanted him to hold me like you are now only the cat wasn\u2019t dead like I thought and it roared and I screamed and Little Joe pushed me down and the cat jumped on him and they both fell down all those rocks and the cat didn\u2019t move anymore but Little Joe tried to climb up only he couldn\u2019t climb back up and he told me all about his pa and his brothers and how to make friends with Cocheese\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCochise,\u201d Hoss corrected softly as he met Ben\u2019s eyes, showing that Ben\u2019s fear wasn\u2019t his alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cCo-cheese,\u201d the girl repeated. \u201cHe\u2019s an awfully smart horse. Little Joe told me how to get him to stand by the rocks and wait for me so I could climb all the way up on top of him all by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t help you?\u201d This time it was Adam who spoke\u2026and Adam whose eyes reflected Ben\u2019s deepening worry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d the girl asked.<\/p>\n
Adam managed a veiled smile of his own. \u201cI\u2019m Little Joe\u2019s other brother, Adam. And who might you be, little one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name\u2019s Mary. But you can\u2019t be Adam. Little Joe said Adam was real smart but you don\u2019t sound too smart to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s eyebrows shot up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s brother Adam, all right,\u201d Hoss answered. \u201cAnd he is<\/em> mighty smart, just like Joe said. What makes you think he ain\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe asked why Little Joe didn\u2019t help me get up on Cocheese, silly. If Little Joe couldn\u2019t climb back up then how could he help me? But he didn\u2019t have to help me anyways \u2018cause I could do it all by myself, just like I rode Cocheese here all by myself. Only I\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t have to tell Cocheese where to go \u2018cause I didn\u2019t know where you lived, but Little Joe said Cocheese could find his own way home and all I had to do was kick him some only I didn\u2019t want to kick him. Momma always says it ain\u2019t right to kick anyone and I figure the same should go for critters, too, and I didn\u2019t want to kick him but I did sometimes but not too hard and I think we\u2019re still friends anyway because Cocheese likes me just like Little Joe said he would as long as I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, punkin,\u201d Hoss\u2019s interruption of the child\u2019s rambling story roused Ben enough to realize that Adam had disappeared into the barn. Surely he was saddling the horses. Good. Very good.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we got a pretty good idea about what happened,\u201d Hoss went on. \u201cNow, how \u2018bout you stay here with our friend Hop Sing while we ride on out there and find Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to find him. He ain\u2019t lost. He\u2019s at the bottom of the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2026I know,\u201d Hoss said flatly, sounding numb. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to go to him, so we can bring him home.\u201d<\/p>\n The little girl started to sniffle. \u201cI want to go home, too.\u201d<\/p>\n And suddenly Ben felt shamed for letting his concerns about a grown man\u2014albeit a young man who also happened to be his youngest son\u2014steal his thoughts entirely away from the wellbeing of a little girl who should never have had to ride anywhere, let alone such a distance, by herself. \u201cWhere is that, sweetheart?\u201d he asked her. \u201cWhere is your home? Your parents?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t know!\u201d Crying, she buried her face in Hoss\u2019s chest. \u201cI got lost! I was lost and then the big cat was chasing me and I thought Little Joe would bring me home and then he said I had to ride Cocheese but I was so scared and I didn\u2019t want to go!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course you didn\u2019t darling,\u201d Ben said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m sure Little Joe didn\u2019t want to ask you to go. But you were very brave.\u201d<\/p>\n Sniffling again, she looked up at Ben. \u201cLittle Joe said I should stay right there. He said it over and over again that I should stay put. He even yelled at me when I wanted to look for someone to help. But then he said I should<\/em> go and that\u2019s when he told me how to get Cocheese to stand still so I could climb up on top of him from the rocks. I don\u2019t know why he wanted me to go when all that time he didn\u2019t<\/em> want me to go except maybe I was talkin\u2019 too much. Papa yells at me sometimes when I talk too much and he says he\u2019s tired and Little Joe sounded even tireder than Papa when he yells. So I guess maybe Little Joe just wanted to take a nap and he didn\u2019t want me to talk so much but I don\u2019t know why he would want to sleep on all them rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nearly choked on his increasingly growing fear. He was grateful to see Adam starting to lead the horses from the barn. \u201cI imagine you must be pretty tired yourself after that long ride,\u201d he managed to utter, surprised to find his voice sounding far more confident than he felt. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go on inside with our friend, Hop Sing? You can have some supper and a nice long nap, and then, after we come back with Little Joe, we\u2019ll find your parents for you so you can go home, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Her bottom lip quivered into a hearty pout. \u201cIt ain\u2019t my home no more,\u201d she sobbed.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Course it\u2019s your home,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t it be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ran away.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben could see there was much more to learn about this small girl who\u2019d ridden for miles alone on Little Joe\u2019s horse. She needed their help. But so did Joe. And from the sound of Mary\u2019s story, he was hurt. Hurt so badly he\u2019d felt it necessary to send her off on her own.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing take little missy inside.\u201d Easing himself between Ben and Hoss, Hop Sing reached for the girl. \u201cHave good supper. Make missy vewy comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to stay with Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss had to pry her arms from around his neck. \u201cNow that wouldn\u2019t be fair to Little Joe, would it? You said he needed his bear of a brother to move some of that mountain, now didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Mary nodded hesitantly and sniffled.<\/p>\n \u201cWell then I\u2019d better get to it before it gets so dark I can\u2019t see that mountain to move it, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Casting a glance around to Ben, Hop Sing and then Adam with the horses, Mary returned her attention to Hoss and gave another hesitant nod.<\/p>\n \u201cNow go on with Hop Sing,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cEat up all your supper and he might even give you some cookies. You\u2019d like that, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding again, she allowed Hop Sing to take hold of her, and even snuggled up into his shoulder. \u201cWill you tell Little Joe Cocheese and I got along just fine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd\u2026tell him I\u2019m sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat on earth do you have to be sorry for?\u201d Ben found himself asking.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry he fell on account of me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what you\u2019ve told us just now,\u201d Hoss answered, \u201cseems to me the only one to blame was that big ol\u2019 cat. Now go on along with Hop Sing. We\u2019ll be back before you know it.\u201d The wink and the smile he gave her then were genuine, but in those big blue eyes that were so like Mary\u2019s own, Ben saw a trace of doubt.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know why he would want to sleep on all them rocks, <\/em>Mary had told them. Ben knew the answer did not bode well. Not well at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This story is posted in chapters, to move from page to page, click the next page number below.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n XxXxX<\/strong><\/p>\n 2<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The voices of his pa and brothers echoed around him, pulling Joe from the numbing fog.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n His back hurt. His legs\u2026his arm\u2026his head. Something sharp was digging into his cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Where was he? Broken thoughts confused him: a bawling calf\u2026a prowling puma\u2026a little girl\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name\u2019s Mary,\u201d she\u2019d hollered down at him. \u201cWhat\u2019s yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d he\u2019d shouted back. \u201cLittle Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle? You\u2019re not little. I\u2019m little.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Hoss? That was Hoss calling out to him, not Mary. Joe\u2019s big ol\u2019 bear of a brother, Hoss\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re so anxious to go ridin\u2019 today, little brother, how \u2018bout you round up them strays? I\u2019ll finish up this fence.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe had happily accepted his big brother\u2019s offer. All that work toting posts and boards had left him feeling hot and stiff\u2026and ornery. A good, hard ride with Cochise was about the best thing he could think to do. Rounding up a few strays along the way wasn\u2019t so bad; it would give him some freedom and allow him to do his share of work to boot.<\/p>\n But it hadn\u2019t been a bawling calf he\u2019d heard, had it? No. It had been a lost, little girl. And by the time Joe had found her crying in the shade of a boulder up at the pass, a puma had found her, too.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d <\/em>Adam?<\/p>\n Joe had told little Mary not to worry. Joe\u2019s oldest brother, Adam, was real smart. Adam would know just what to do. He would find a way to get Joe out of that ravine.<\/p>\n The ravine<\/em>\u2026. Joe started to relive how he’d come to be there…how he’d shot the puma, and how Mary had run toward him, wrapping her arms around his legs. There’d been an instant of inattention when he’d turned his focus to the child; that had been all the puma had needed to rise unnoticed. Joe had\u00a0 caught a glimpse of movement…just a glimpse, so little warning. He\u2019d barely managed to push Mary out of harm\u2019s way before the puma had launched itself into the air toward him.<\/p>\n Joe once more felt the puma hitting his shoulder with its claws extended\u2026knocking him backward until the earth fell away\u2026raking its claws down his arm before it tumbled away from him\u2026and then tumbling himself against the unforgiving rocks.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Pa? Pa, help me! I can\u2019t\u2026can\u2019t climb back up.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It hurts, Pa. Everything\u2026everything hurts. I can\u2019t hardly move anymore. Can\u2019t\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n His family had come looking for him just as Joe had told Mary they would. Or maybe\u2026maybe they came because he\u2019d sent Mary for help.<\/p>\n No. That wasn\u2019t quite right. Not completely. He\u2019d sent her home with Cochise to make sure she was safe\u2026because Joe couldn\u2019t protect her anymore. He\u2019d fallen too far; and when he\u2019d tried to climb back up, the rocky wall had loosened\u2026crumbled\u2026sending him down even further than before and twisting his already injured knee. His arm had grown useless as much from the puma\u2019s claws as from his falls. And his head\u2026. It had been getting harder and harder to think\u2026to talk\u2026to listen.<\/p>\n Yes. He\u2019d sent her away.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe! Little Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n They were getting closer. Joe wasn\u2019t sure he dared believe it. He\u2019d waited so long\u2026.<\/p>\n Before he\u2019d sent Mary away, he\u2019d watched the sun sink lower and lower until the trees had blocked most of its light. He\u2019d spent the time helping Mary to forget she was lost and alone by telling her about his family and asking about hers. And he\u2019d waited. Surely her family was already looking for her, and Joe\u2019s would begin looking for him before too much longer. Someone would come along sooner or later. Trouble was, it kept getting later and later. And when Joe had started losing moments, slipping further from conscious thought, he\u2019d known the wait had to come to an end\u2014at least for Mary. He\u2019d had to do something to help her, to prevent her from wandering off when he couldn\u2019t talk anymore\u2026when she found herself truly alone again. But trapped as he was, hurt as he was, the only thing he could think to do was to send her home with Cochise.<\/p>\n He could trust Cochise to ferry her home. And his family\u2026. He could trust his family to take care of her. He could trust his family to find hers<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a little brother now,\u201d she\u2019d told him.<\/p>\n Joe had found himself smiling. He knew all about being a little brother. \u201cHe\u2019s lucky to have a big sister like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bet you take good care of him, just like\u2026my big brothers took care of me\u2026when I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaw. That\u2019s what my momma and papa do. That\u2019s all they do anymore, is take care of him. I just get in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019ll change. Before you know it\u2026it\u2019ll change.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll grow up\u2026start gettin\u2019 into all kinds of trouble\u2026just like I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou got in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure did. But my brothers\u2026they looked out for me\u2026stopped me from gettin\u2019 into worse trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what I\u2019m supposed to do? Stop my little brother from gettin\u2019 into trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes. And sometimes\u2026you won\u2019t be able to stop it from happenin.\u2019 But then you\u2019ll do what you can\u2026to help him get out of trouble.\u201d Like today, Joe thought.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n His brothers were looking out for him. Or\u2026looking for him.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n My family\u2019s looking for me, just like yours, Mary. Only\u2026Mary wasn\u2019t there anymore, was she? No. Joe had sent her away.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Adam? I\u2019m here, Adam! I\u2019m\u2026here\u2026. But Joe couldn\u2019t answer, not really. Not out loud, anyway. His throat was too dry and he just couldn\u2019t draw in enough air to allow for anything more than a groan.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d he cried softly\u2014too softly for anyone to notice. I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019d had a general idea where his little brother had been headed when he\u2019d run off after strays; and it wasn\u2019t hard to follow Cochise\u2019s tracks to the rocky mountainside where missing animals\u2014or lost little girls\u2014could easily hide. Before too long they\u2019d even managed to find the spot where Mary\u2019s story had surely unfolded. A child\u2019s prints and those from a man\u2019s boots had made distinctive marks in the sparse sand; and a blood trail\u2014the puma\u2019s, most likely\u2014led from a small, rocky ledge overlooking the path to the top edge of a ravine.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the ravine itself was not as willing to give up its secrets. It was too deep for the dim glow of the growing night to reach. And no matter how many times the elder Cartwrights shouted out, they never heard anything back from the youngest brother.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph! Can you hear me, boy? Answer me!\u201d Ben hollered as loud as he could, and then raised a hand to silence his two oldest sons.<\/p>\n As each time before, no reply came.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll never find him this way,\u201d Adam said, his tone both frustrated and determined. He started to pull a coil of rope from his saddle. \u201cI\u2019m going down there. It\u2019s a fair guess Joe could be hidden by that outcropping on the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Hoss tapped Adam\u2019s arm with the back of his hand. He wasn\u2019t looking at his older brother; he was looking into the ravine. \u201cDown there!\u201d He pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you see Joe?\u201d Ben asked hopefully.<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head, his brow furrowed in concentration. \u201cThe cat, I reckon. It\u2019s too dark to see clear enough, but it\u2019s too small to be Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed. \u201cThe angle\u2019s right.\u201d He tapped his brother\u2019s arm right back. \u201cHelp me with this rope, and then lower me down there. If we wait any longer, we\u2019ll have to hold off until dawn, dark as it is already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Ben said, his eyes focused on the shadowy form Hoss had pointed out. \u201cWe can\u2019t hold off.\u201d He left the rest of his words unspoken. Surely Adam and Hoss knew what he was thinking. They might not have until dawn. Joe<\/em> might not have that long.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n \u201cI see him!\u201d Adam hollered. Joe was sitting on a narrow ledge, leaning against the rocky wall of the cliff face. He wasn\u2019t moving. And Adam was too far away. Dammit!<\/em> \u201cI can\u2019t reach him!\u201d<\/p>\n He wasted time scrambling up to reposition himself and then hurrying back down again, but it couldn\u2019t be helped. By the time he was close enough, it was full night.<\/p>\n At least he\u2019d found Little Joe. That had to count for something. It had<\/em> to.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d He touched Joe\u2019s arm\u2026his shoulder\u2026his head, needing to find out how badly his little brother was injured and cursing the loss of the sun. \u201cCome on, Joe. Let me know you can hear me.\u201d Joe\u2019s left sleeve had been shredded by the puma\u2019s claws; the warm, wet stickiness beneath made it pretty clear the boy\u2019s arm was similarly damaged. But\u2026thank God<\/em>\u2026Adam felt heat emanating from the wound. It was a worrying sign of infection, certainly\u2014but it also meant Little Joe was still alive.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d Pa hollered down.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got him!\u201d Adam answered. What more should he say? What else could<\/em> he say? \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Joe,\u201d he added quietly\u2014more for himself than for his all too quiet brother. Then he swallowed hard as his hand brushed across more blood in the boy\u2019s hair. \u201cWe\u2019ll have you home before you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n There was nothing he could do for Little Joe\u2019s injuries there on the ledge and in such darkness, so Adam focused on securing his brother with a second rope. He was both thankful and disturbed that his efforts got through to Little Joe as no amount of shouting or talking had. Joe shifted, trying to pull away, and let out a soft, agonized groan.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Joe. I know it hurts, but I have to get you out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe groaned again, louder than before.<\/p>\n \u201cJust hang in there a little longer, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n A hand shot upward, grabbing hold of Adam\u2019s shirt. \u201cAdam?\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes were open. Adam couldn\u2019t see them clearly, just the faintest moist reflection from the rising moon. He couldn\u2019t tell how focused they were. But they were open.<\/p>\n \u201cReady to go home?\u201d Adam gave his brother a small smile, although he doubted Joe could see it any better than Adam could see Joe\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cMary?\u201d Joe asked through panting breaths.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing\u2019s taking care of her.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s grip loosened\u2026fell away. \u201cI was\u2026worried. Didn\u2019t\u2026shouldn\u2019t have sent her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t have much choice.\u201d Adam tightened a knot, eliciting another groan from Joe. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI tried.\u201d Joe took small, gasping breaths. \u201cKept falling. Couldn\u2019t\u2026get back up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Adam shuddered inwardly, imagining the pain those attempts must have caused. \u201cWell, this time you just leave it to us, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d Adam heard relief in his brother\u2019s tone. \u201cI told her\u2026told her you\u2019d know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe said Adam was real smart but you don\u2019t sound too smart to me.<\/em>\u201d Adam smiled again, remembering the little girl\u2019s words. \u201cI\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t let you down.” Giving the ropes one final check, Adam squeezed Joe\u2019s good shoulder. \u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d Joe took hold of Adam\u2019s shirt again, though his grip was weaker than before. \u201cYou need\u2026need to talk to her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMary?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell her\u2026what it\u2019s like to be\u2026oldest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that got to do\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why\u2026why she\u2026ran away. She\u2019s got a\u2026a little brother now. I told her\u2026she\u2019s got to\u2026keep him\u2026out of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a pretty tall order, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe can do it.\u201d Joe sounded confident. \u201cJust like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I could keep you out of trouble, little brother, you wouldn\u2019t be in this mess, now would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the cat\u2019s fault\u2026. But\u2026you\u2026you\u2019re here now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam?\u201d Hoss called down then.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re ready!\u201d he hollered back. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe,\u201d he added more softly. \u201cThis is gonna hurt; but I promise I\u2019ll do everything I can to shield you from the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust like always.\u201d<\/p>\n Yeah, little brother. Just like always. <\/em>A pretty tall order, indeed\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This story is posted in chapters, to move from page to page, click the next page number below.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n XxXxX<\/strong><\/p>\n 3<\/strong><\/p>\n Mary had expected Hoss to move mountains. He sure wished he could. If he could have moved that whole mountain out of the way, he could have gotten his little brother home quicker.<\/p>\n At least there was one mountain Hoss didn\u2019t have to move. He didn\u2019t have to worry about how far it was from Virginia City to the Ponderosa. The doc was already at the ranch house. Charlie had come through for them, sending one of the men ahead to fetch Doc Martin. But\u2026someone else was there, too. There were two buggies in the yard.<\/p>\n Hoss jumped down off of Chubb and immediately went to work helping Adam take Little Joe from Ben. \u201cI can get him inside,\u201d he said, meeting his older brother\u2019s eye. \u201cYou get the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t argue. He relinquished his hold on their young brother\u2026and then Hoss\u2019s stomach turned yet again. Maybe Little Joe wasn\u2019t a mountain, but he sure was dead weight in Hoss\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n Swallowing back another hearty dose of fear, Hoss barreled into the house right behind Adam. Once inside, he stopped\u2014just for a second, just long enough to see a blonde-haired woman looking up at him from Pa\u2019s chair by the fire. Little Mary was in the woman\u2019s lap, sound asleep, her head resting on the woman\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cBring him upstairs, Hoss,\u201d the doc said.<\/p>\n Hoss barely heard him. The woman\u2019s soft humming filled his head with a thick feeling\u2014a warm sort of thick feeling that somehow reminded him of a blanket and made him believe everything was gonna be just fine. And, besides, he was already moving toward the stairs. He was moving before he even knew that\u2019s what he was doing. The doc hadn\u2019t needed to say a word.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n There was a stranger in Joe\u2019s room. Hoss, Adam and Ben each eyed him warily as they brought Joe in and got him settled on his bed. But neither Doc Martin nor Hop Sing seemed concerned about the stranger being there; and the Cartwrights were far too focused on Little Joe to give any thought to introductions\u2014until the doc got to chasing Joe\u2019s family out.<\/p>\n Ben was indignant. \u201cWho\u2019s this?\u201d he said gruffly after Paul Martin asked the stranger for fresh water, making it clear the man was meant to stay.<\/p>\n \u201cName\u2019s Connelly.\u201d His hands occupied with the basin, the sandy haired stranger simply nodded in greeting.<\/p>\n \u201cMary father,\u201d Hop Sing added without looking up, his attention already given over to removing Joe\u2019s torn clothes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he\u2019s no stranger to treating wounds,\u201d the doc added.<\/p>\n Connelly shrugged, looking sheepish, or, perhaps, embarrassed. \u201cServed as a medic for a time back in Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOut now,\u201d Doc Martin gently pressed Ben\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI need room to work, Ben. Missus Connelly\u2019s downstairs. She\u2019ll explain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Joseph\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeeds my attention. Please, Ben. I can\u2019t have you hovering right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss took hold of his pa\u2019s arm. \u201cDoc\u2019s right, Pa. Come on. Let\u2019s go down and see how Mary\u2019s doin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d Adam added, \u201cshe\u2019ll likely be the first thing Joe asks about when he wakes up.\u201d<\/p>\n Pale with worry, Ben\u2019s eyes had a lost look to them, a pleading look he gave to both of his two oldest sons before glancing longingly back at his youngest. Finally, he nodded tersely and started to walk toward the door.<\/p>\n At the first hint of Ben turning, when his lips were just beginning to part, Paul answered his yet-to-be spoken question. \u201cI will send Mister Connelly or Hop Sing down with information as soon as I have any to provide.\u201d<\/p>\n Another glance at Little Joe brought another terse nod. Only then did Ben allow Hoss and Adam to usher him into the hall.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Missus Connelly was closing the door to the main floor guest room as the Cartwrights slowly descended the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, look at you three.\u201d Her tone was light, as were her steps as she made her way toward them. She seemed almost to float across the floor. \u201cThere\u2019s no point to bein\u2019 so glum. \u2019Tis better to have faith than to fear the worst. Your young man\u2019s still breathin\u2019?\u201d She studied them each in turn, her brows raised in expectation and her eyes sparkling with a smile just on the verge of forming.<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2019m,\u201d Hoss answered when his pa and Adam held silent.<\/p>\n The smile appeared. \u201cRight, then. No point to believin\u2019 that might change, hmm?\u201d Her brows rose again, leaving Hoss to feel as though she was a teacher in a classroom prompting all three of them to accept responsibility for a lesson learned.<\/p>\n Ben gave his head a slow, puzzled shake. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Missus Connelly, I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry?\u201d she asked. \u201cAnd what is it you have to be sorry for? My name\u2019s Margaret, by the way. Maggie, to most.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Ben answered mechanically as he took her hand in greeting. \u201cI\u2019m Ben. And these are my sons, Adam and Eric. Hoss, to most,\u201d he added with a small, quick smile.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd fine it is to be meeting all of you. Would you be likin\u2019 some coffee? Or perhaps something a wee bit stronger? I understand from Hop Sing brandy might offer some comfort?\u201d<\/p>\n This time it was Adam\u2019s brows that rose.<\/p>\n Ben cleared his throat. \u201cPlease, Missus Connelly, have a seat. Allow me to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaggie,\u201d she corrected sternly as she took hold of Ben\u2019s arm and started guiding him toward the seating area in front of the fireplace. \u201cAnd let\u2019s have none of that nonsense, now. This be your home, certainly, but there\u2019s no need for you to be playin\u2019 host with me, not after what you\u2019re family has done for mine. Now you come in here and settle yourselves, all of you, and allow my family to do for yours. Come along.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam met Hoss\u2019s surprised glance with the trace of a grin, and then settled his own self into the blue chair. \u201cMary\u2019s asleep, I take it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, and soundly too, bless her. She\u2019s a stubborn one, you know. Willful and oh so headstrong. How she got it into her head there was only room for one child under our roof\u2026.\u201d Maggie Connelly\u2019s eyes strayed toward the guest room, her smile fading behind a look of consternation. She shook her head slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe said she\u2019s got a little brother now.\u201d Adam\u2019s words came as somewhat of a revelation to Hoss. The ride home had been a quiet one. Adam had told them Joe had talked a bit before losing consciousness, but he hadn\u2019t given many details. Of course, no one had been too interested in saying much of anything.<\/p>\n \u201cAye. Michael<\/em>. We left him in Virginia City with the Hamiltons soon as we heard young Mary was here. By the grace of God we were just askin\u2019 the sheriff to help us find her when your man rode in to say she\u2019d already been found. It\u2019s grateful I am we could leave Michael with our dear friends as we did. That wasn\u2019t the way of it \u2018til recently. He came early, you see, and he\u2019s sure been a handful. So needful. \u2018Twas us<\/em> fearin\u2019 the worst \u2018til now, I\u2019m afraid. And what did all that fear bring us?\u201d She gave Adam her now familiar, expectant look; although this time she answered herself. \u201cA little girl lost and a young man needin\u2019 a doctor\u2019s care.\u201d Shaking her head, she abruptly changed her tone. \u201cNow, what shall it be? Coffee or brandy?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s back straightened. \u201cHow about both?\u201d he offered. \u201cAnd what do you say we share the responsibility of playing host?\u201d Kindness and sincerity began to lighten the worried shadows in his eyes.<\/p>\n The gaze she returned reminded Hoss of her gentle humming when they\u2019d first come through the door. He sighed, feeling comforted again.<\/p>\n \u201cRight<\/em>, then,\u201d Maggie Connelly said softly. \u201cI\u2019ll get the coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ll<\/em> get the brandy,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n And then Hoss pulled his lower lip between his teeth. Otherwise, he was pretty sure he\u2019d start singing out, and I\u2019ll be in Scotland afore ye<\/em>. Yep, he felt comforted, all right. He looked to Adam and then on up the stairs; and he flatly refused to fear the worst. \u201cYou know, Adam. I get the feelin\u2019 Joe\u2019s gonna be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, Adam nodded. \u201cSomehow I don\u2019t think Maggie<\/em> will accept anything less.\u201d He grinned just the slightest bit. And then he did the most peculiar thing. He started whistling the very song that was rolling through Hoss\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Maggie Connelly called out from the kitchen. \u201cA grand song that is.\u201d She even started singing when she emerged with the tray, although the words she used were not the ones Hoss had learned. \u201cOh, red is the rose, that in yonder garden grows. Fair is the lily of the valley. Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne, and my love is fairer than any.\u201d<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Music. Joe heard music. It was a pleasant enough sound. Someone was playing a guitar. But that wasn\u2019t Adam singing. It was someone else\u2026someone with a higher pitch to his voice. A tenor.<\/p>\n Curious, Joe tried to gather his jumbled thoughts. He realized he was coming awake an instant before he discovered he was in his bed. An instant after that, he began to feel all the reasons why<\/em> he was in bed. Pain elicited a heavy groan he simply didn\u2019t have the strength to contain; and he started to thrash about, desperate to find a more comfortable position.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy now, son.\u201d The voice wasn\u2019t his pa\u2019s. The hand pressing down on his chest was also too small.<\/p>\n Joe opened his eyes to tiny slits and looked up at Doc Martin.<\/p>\n The doc smiled back at him. \u201cSeems you\u2019ve made a hero of yourself, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe<\/em>\u2026. The words stirred the memory of a young girl. \u201cLittle?\u201d<\/em> she had shouted down to him. \u201cYou\u2019re not little. I\u2019m little.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMary,\u201d Joe whispered as he allowed his eyes to slip closed again.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Mary Katherine Connelly. Her parents are downstairs singing your praises even now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like\u2026sea shanty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re singing, anyway. And do you know why?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at the doctor, puzzled.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Mister Connelly<\/em> has pronounced that he expects you to recover nicely.\u201d Doc Martin sighed as Joe\u2019s puzzled gaze deepened. \u201cDespite the fact that his experience consists entirely of field medicine with absolutely no formal training\u2026.\u201d He smiled softly. \u201cI happen to agree, thanks to that Cartwright constitution of yours. And, if faith can move mountains, as Missus<\/em> Connelly insists, there\u2019s no reason to believe otherwise. But I\u2019m counting on you to prove us all right. You hear?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe blinked slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat means I\u2019m counting on you to be a model patient. Take your medication when your father says it\u2019s time, stay put in that bed until I pronounce you fit enough to move about, and then take things slowly until your wounds heal and your strength returns. Now, do I have your word?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not\u2026going anywhere\u2026today,\u201d Joe rasped out tiredly.<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm\u2026. Well, I suppose I\u2019ll have to accept that answer for now.\u201d<\/p>\n The sound of the doc\u2019s bag snapping shot pulled Joe\u2019s eyes open once more. \u201cDoc?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I have\u2026medicine\u2026now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Ben Cartwright\u2019s voice rumbled into the room. \u201cNow there\u2019s a surprise! Joseph Cartwright asking<\/em> for medicine?\u201d And suddenly Joe\u2019s pa was standing where the doc had been barely an instant earlier.<\/p>\n Joe scrunched his eyes closed for a long moment, hoping to chase away his confusion. \u201cHurts, Pa.\u201d He felt a familiar hand on his good shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, son,\u201d Ben said more softly. \u201cI\u2019m proud of you, Joseph. I want<\/em> to tell you that was a foolish thing to do, but\u2026I can\u2019t. You saved that girl\u2019s life. If you hadn\u2019t jumped in\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe puma,\u201d Joe said. \u201cIt was the puma\u2026that jumped.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s grip on his shoulder tightened slightly. \u201cYou saved Mary\u2019s life, Joe. And you did the right thing sending her home on Cochise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t ya\u2019 mean Cocheese<\/em>, Pa?\u201d Hoss\u2019s voice drew Joe\u2019s attention back to the doorway, where both of his brothers were entering. \u201cThat\u2019s what Mary calls him. Cocheese.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tried to smile; he grimaced in pain instead.<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine you wish you\u2019d stayed with Hoss,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n Looking to his family gathering around his bed, Joe took in a small pull of air, hoping it might clear his head. \u201cNo. I\u2019m glad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGlad you got walloped by a puma?\u201d Adam asked, although his own, small grin made it clear he knew that wasn\u2019t what Joe was saying.<\/p>\n \u201cGlad I was there\u2026for Mary.\u201d He tried to take a deeper breath. All it did was remind him of his pain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all proud of you, Joe,\u201d Adam said then, a small, honest smile replacing the grin.<\/p>\n \u201cSure are, shortshanks.\u201d Hoss patted Joe\u2019s foot\u2014the only undamaged part he could reach.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just glad\u2026she\u2019s okay.\u201d Joe let his eyes slip closed\u2026until he remembered something important. \u201cAdam?\u201d he called out softly. \u201cYou\u2019ll talk to her? About\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout being oldest?\u201d The grin was back. \u201cAnd taking care of her little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding, Joe finally found a trace of his own smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll talk to her. But\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Joe asked, concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s got her work cut out for her if she thinks that little brother of hers could ever live up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI always thought I had\u2026a hard time\u2026living up to you<\/em>.\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes moved to Hoss. \u201cBoth of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, shucks, Joe. I ain\u2019t never thrown myself in front of a puma.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled again. \u201cYou\u2019ve saved\u2026my hide\u2026a time\u2026or two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr ten,\u201d Adam added.<\/p>\n Joe couldn\u2019t smile any longer. He just hurt too darned much.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice called softly through the encroaching darkness. \u201cI think we\u2019d better let him have that medicine now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks\u2026Pa.\u201d But somehow\u2026strangely\u2026Joe fell asleep without it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This story is posted in chapters, to move from page to page, click the next page number below.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n 4<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMomma? Momma<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n Seated at breakfast with his two oldest sons and William and Maggie Connelly, Ben experienced an instant of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu at hearing young Mary\u2019s voice calling for someone. Only this time, she was calling from the guest room, not the yard. And she wasn\u2019t asking if anyone was home.<\/p>\n Moments later, her small hand clinging tightly to her mother\u2019s, the child was ushered into the dining room. She rubbed her eyes and looked all about her in confusion. \u201cWhere\u2019s Michael?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s with the Hamiltons, darlin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to come get you as quickly as we could.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou left him for me<\/em>?\u201d Her eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, child. You needed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019re a family, aren\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, we are!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe said families have to stick together.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben traded sentimental smiles with Adam and Hoss, and then briefly met Maggie Connelly\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cAye. That they must,\u201d Mary\u2019s mother said, as much to the men at the table as to her young daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if Michael\u2019s not here, then we\u2019re not sticking together.\u201d Poor Mary sounded quite distraught.<\/p>\n Surprise and concern swung Maggie\u2019s full attention back to her daughter. \u201cOf course, we\u2019re stickin\u2019 together,\u201d she assured the child. \u201cThe Hamiltons are\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Michael should be here,\u201d Mary argued. \u201cI need to look after him. I\u2019m the big sister. You can\u2019t leave him behind for me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDarlin\u2019, he\u2019s just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m supposed to make sure he stays out of trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSweetheart, sure and I am he can\u2019t possibly get into trouble with\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I need to, momma! I need to look after him! I promised Little Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s my cue.\u201d Adam set his napkin beside his plate and pushed back from the table. \u201cAfter all, I also made a promise to Little Joe,\u201d he added with a wink to his father and brother.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you and I have a little talk?\u201d Adam reached his hand out, wordlessly inviting Mary to take it. \u201cBig brother to big sister?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked for her mother\u2019s encouraging nod before slipping her hand into his and letting him lead her to the settee.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, Mary,\u201d Adam settled himself onto the low table in front of her, \u201cwhen Little Joe said families stick together, he didn\u2019t mean they\u2019re always in the same place at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not always possible. I wasn\u2019t with him on that ridge yesterday, was I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? You\u2019re his big brother. You\u2019re supposed to look out for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do. And he looks out for me, too. You see, it goes both ways now, because we\u2019re both grown. Just like it will be for you and Michael after you\u2019re both grown.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you didn\u2019t look out for Little Joe yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n Stung, Adam took a deep breath. \u201cNot at first, no. He didn\u2019t need me to, because he\u2019s grown enough to look out for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut when he fell, he couldn\u2019t look out for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right; he couldn\u2019t. That\u2019s why we went out there to take care of him and bring him home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut if you were with him, you could have stopped him from falling.\u201d<\/p>\n Taking another fortifying breath, Adam glanced at the table where his family and hers were quietly watching. \u201cWe can\u2019t always stop bad things from happening,\u201d he answered finally.<\/p>\n Mary pursed her lips. \u201cThat\u2019s what Little Joe said. That\u2019s when big brothers and big sisters have to help get little brothers out of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t help but grin. \u201cThat sounds about right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut if my little brother\u2019s not here, I can\u2019t stop him from getting into trouble and I can\u2019t get him out of trouble. I can\u2019t do anything at all!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to, because you know he\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he\u2019s with people who will protect him just as well as you and your parents would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the Hamiltons know how important it is to protect little ones who can\u2019t protect themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, young lady.\u201d William Connelly rose to move toward them. \u201cThat\u2019s enough questions for now. Let Mister Cartwright eat his breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked to him and smiled. \u201cI think I can handle a few more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Mister Connelly\u2019s brows rose. Then he shrugged and held back, although he remained standing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re more grown than your little brother, right?\u201d Adam asked Mary next.<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Hamiltons are more grown than you.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded again.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve learned how to protect themselves and those around them. Just like you\u2019re learning, right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, you are. I\u2019ll bet you learn a little something new every day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike yesterday. I\u2019ll bet you learned that wandering outside alone is dangerous, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes went wide and she nodded emphatically.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you can save your parents and your little brother a whole lot of trouble by teaching Micheal the same thing before he starts wandering himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure can. And you know why?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause that\u2019s what big brothers and big sisters do. They help their little brothers and little sisters to grow up safe. And they always stick together, even when they\u2019re miles apart.\u201d<\/p>\n Mary scrunched her brows tight, deep in thought. \u201cHow do I stick together with Michael if he\u2019s with the Hamiltons and I\u2019m here?\u201d she asked after a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that\u2019s easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll you have to do is promise that whenever you\u2019re together, you\u2019ll help him to learn how to be careful, like Hoss and I helped our father to teach Little Joe. Think you can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n Mary nodded, but the way she pulled her lower lip in between her teeth showed that she was bothered by something. \u201cMister Adam?\u201d she asked. \u201cDo you ever get mad at Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Surprised, Adam pulled his cheek between his own teeth and glanced over at Ben and Hoss. As expected, they were both grinning sheepishly. Finally, Adam admitted, \u201cYes, Mary. Yes, I do get mad at Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you still take care of him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven when I want to punch him, I still make sure he\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen it\u2019s okay if I get mad at Michael when he won\u2019t stop crying?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as you don\u2019t punch him.\u201d Adam winked.<\/p>\n Mary gave one great big bob of her head. \u201cGood. \u2018Cause I don\u2019t know how I could ever promise not to get mad at him. But I can promise to look out for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Adam repeated. \u201cNow, how about that breakfast? Are you hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure am!\u201d<\/p>\n While Mary jumped off the settee and hurried over to her mother, Adam rose more slowly, meeting her father\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n \u201cIt never would have dawned on me,\u201d William Connelly told him, \u201cto have that particular conversation with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s grin seemed to have found permanence. \u201cMaybe that\u2019s because it\u2019s hard to think clearly with a crying baby in the house,\u201d he said slyly.<\/p>\n William grinned back at him, nodding. \u201cMaybe so.\u201d He cocked his head then, considering. \u201cYou sound as though you speak from experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was old enough when Joe was born to remember what it was like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well\u2026. You make an excellent older brother, if I do say so myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had some practice.\u201d<\/p>\n As Adam headed back to the table, he saw his pa\u2019s appreciative nod and listened to Hoss\u2019s contagious chuckle, and he found himself wishing Joe was there\u2026although he had to admit, listening to Pa and Hoss in the days to come regaling Joe with the story of Adam\u2019s little talk with Mary, embellishments no doubt included, could prove to be entertaining for all of them.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Adam?\u201d Mary asked just as Adam was about to take a bite of his now cold eggs. \u201cI reckon maybe you are kind\u2019a smart, just like Little Joe said.\u201d<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Hoss guffawed loud enough to wake everyone on the Comstock. Little Joe didn\u2019t stand a chance to sleep through it, medicine or not. He blinked the room into tenuous focus and found Hop Sing seated beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe hungry?\u201d the cook said softly, sounding concerned despite a dark look in his eyes.<\/p>\n Joe smiled inwardly. He knew that look. Someone was going to be scolded before long. Hoss, most likely.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing get broth.\u201d He nodded decisively, tapped Joe\u2019s arm, and then rose.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Hop Sing,\u201d Joe tried to argue. His voice was so weak he was almost surprised to see the man hesitate and turn back to him. \u201cNot\u2026hungry,\u201d Joe added. The very idea of food turned his stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cNumber three son must eat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLater. Maybe.\u201d Joe closed his eyes again, wishing for sleep even as he longed to be downstairs sharing in whatever conversation was prompting so much laughter. Most of all, he just wanted the pain to go away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This story is posted in chapters, to move from page to page, click the next page number below.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n 5<\/strong><\/p>\n The next time Joe opened his eyes, the house was quiet and Hoss was dozing in the chair next to him. He considered asking for a drink of water, but Hoss looked awfully tired\u2026like maybe he really had<\/em> moved a mountain for Joe, just as Joe had told Mary he could.<\/p>\n The whole family was probably tired, Joe realized. Tired as much from pulling him up out of that ravine as from looking out for him right there in that bed.<\/p>\n Looking out for him<\/em>\u2026. They were always looking out for him, weren\u2019t they?<\/p>\n That\u2019s what big brothers and big sisters do<\/em>, Joe had told Mary.<\/p>\n He wished he could do more looking out and less getting looked after. But\u2026he knew he could always count on his brothers; and he was glad of that. No matter what, no matter how ornery or pigheaded he might be, he could count on them. Like when Hoss let him go riding instead of helping to finish the fence. Or like that very moment right there in Joe\u2019s room. Hoss was still looking out for Joe even when it was clear he<\/em> needed some sleep, too.<\/p>\n Joe hoped they knew they could count on him just as much as he counted on them.<\/p>\n Well\u2026maybe he couldn\u2019t do much looking out for anyone in bed like he was. But there was one thing he could do: He could let Hoss sleep a little while longer. It wouldn\u2019t hurt Joe any to skip a sip of water.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n Joe tasted beef broth. He couldn\u2019t remember eating it, but he sure as heck could taste it. He could smell it, too. Confused, he scrunched up his brow while he gathered the strength to open his eyes again.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d his pa called to him. He heard the clatter of a dish against wood. \u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n Blinking, Joe came awake to find his pa smiling at him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you awake, son.\u201d<\/p>\n Just like he couldn\u2019t remember eating, he also couldn\u2019t remember moving, but he was propped up in bed with a mound of pillows beneath him. Sudden apprehension drove his eyes toward the bedside table to find a bowl sitting there\u2026just as he\u2019d expected. Just as he\u2019d feared. Dang<\/em>. His pa had been feeding him.<\/p>\n Ben followed Joe\u2019s reaction. \u201cI\u2019m afraid you\u2019ve been\u2026asleep<\/em> for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo days.\u201d<\/p>\n Closing his eyes, Joe blew out a long breath. He knew there was no point to being embarrassed. But how could he not? Little<\/em> Joe, the little<\/em> brother, the baby of the family had had to be babied for two days.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSore.\u201d The realization struck him at once, pulling his eyes open again. He was sore<\/em>. Things certainly hurt. But his pain wasn\u2019t as intense as it had been. \u201cBetter,\u201d he added then, pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. That\u2019s very, very good. You do look better. Much better.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe cautiously took another deep breath and was grateful it didn\u2019t fill him with the stabs of fire he expected. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry?\u201d Ben looked at him, clearly puzzled. \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must be tired.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense. I\u2019m fine. Just fine.\u201d Ben\u2019s smile deepened, lending strength to his words.<\/p>\n Joe tried to match that bright smile. He hoped his own looked better than he imagined it must. \u201cSure. Me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine as frog hair?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice called Joe\u2019s attention to the doorway, where his oldest brother was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou bet,\u201d Joe rasped out in answer.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u201d Adam nodded and sauntered into the room. \u201cI\u2019m not sure I can believe that, but you do look much finer<\/em> than you have been looking. You might even be up to a visit from Mary in a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMary?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cM-hm. She\u2019s anxious to introduce you to her little brother\u2014and to show you she\u2019s being a good big sister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s anxious to show both<\/em> of you,\u201d Ben corrected. His brow lifted as he glanced toward Adam.<\/p>\n The implications encouraged Joe. \u201cYou talked to her?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam flashed a quick smile. \u201cYes, I did; but your talk left such an impression there wasn\u2019t much I really needed to say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026,\u201d Joe started, confused. \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about\u2026being a big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould have fooled me,\u201d Adam argued. \u201cYou were every bit the big brother out on that ridge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe!\u201d Hoss cheerfully called in from the hallway. \u201cI thought I heard talkin\u2019 in here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe woke up a few minutes ago,\u201d Ben explained.<\/p>\n Hoss bobbed his head knowingly. \u201cJust like that Missus Connelly said. All we had to do was think good thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd<\/em> follow doctor\u2019s orders,\u201d Ben added, turning his attention back to Joe. \u201cThe Connelly\u2019s are quite a family. They were a big help when we brought you home the other day. They feel very\u2026very<\/em> indebted to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Indebted? Joe didn\u2019t like the sound of that. Adam was calling him a big brother and his pa was acting like he\u2019d done something special, but he\u2019d only done what anyone would do. He hadn\u2019t even done it well.<\/p>\n Ben misread his reasons for closing his eyes and furrowing his brows like he did. \u201cMaybe we\u2019d better let your brother rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Taking in a small pull of air, Joe opened his eyes again. \u201cI was clumsy, Pa. My aim was off. I didn\u2019t hit that puma clean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou saved Mary\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy bad shot could have gotten both of us killed,\u201d Joe admitted softly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a bad shot,\u201d Adam said. \u201cYou were surprised by a wild and unpredictable animal that you hadn\u2019t been hunting for. You had to shoot quick and you did. Face it, you didn\u2019t do anything wrong. You took the best shot you could and you managed to look after Mary even after you were hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Joe,\u201d Hoss added. \u201cLike it or not, you\u2019re a hero to that gal and her family.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded. \u201cTo this<\/em> family, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny one of you would have done the same, only\u2026better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t sell yourself short.\u201d Adam cocked his head. \u201cYou\u2019re a good shot\u2026among the best I\u2019ve seen, especially when speed matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Taken aback, Joe studied his family. Their postures were relaxed, their smiles, genuine. He saw no sign of tension\u2026or\u2026or belittlement. Maybe\u2026maybe he even saw something that looked a whole lot like respect.<\/p>\n Adam had said Joe was a good shot. Among the best he\u2019d ever seen?<\/em> And it was pretty apparent that he truly meant it. Joe really didn\u2019t know how to respond, except perhaps to say, \u201cI learned\u2026from you.\u201d<\/p>\n The words elicited one of Adam\u2019s sideways grins. \u201cWell, what do you know about that, Hoss? Our little brother has admitted to learning a little something from his big brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I reckon shortshanks here is gonna start movin\u2019 mountains next.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s eyebrows shot up. \u201cHe already has.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore like\u2026,\u201d Joe muttered tiredly as he settled back into his pillows, \u201cthe mountain moved me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou, son, moved a confused little girl to realize some very important truths about responsibility and family.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s grin faded. \u201cI think he moved a much bigger mountain than that, pa.\u201d He looked to Ben and then each of his brothers. \u201cMe,\u201d he admitted before easing his grin back into place. \u201cLet\u2019s just say you forced me to acknowledge that you\u2019re not always the selfish brat I occasionally accuse you of being.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe matched his grin\u2026and maybe even surpassed it. Back in that ravine, he\u2019d told Mary how special it was to be a big sister. But there was something pretty special about being the little brother, too. Right there at that moment, hearing pride and respect in his big brother\u2019s words made Joe feel about as good as he could ever imagine feeling. It was almost enough to let him forget the pain of his injuries.<\/p>\n Almost. But not quite. He grimaced at the twinge in his arm where the puma\u2019s claws had struck him.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, boys,\u201d Ben said. \u201cThat\u2019s enough for now. Your brother needs his rest. And, as I recall, there are still some strays to round up.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe wasn\u2019t about to argue. But\u2026there was one more thing he wanted to say. \u201cAdam?\u201d He waited for his brother to turn. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n At Adam\u2019s responding wink, Joe closed his eyes again. He did need his rest, just like his pa had said. And\u2026it was okay, he decided. There was no point to worrying about being babied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take the high country,\u201d Hoss started saying as Joe began to relax, \u201cwhere Joe was lookin\u2019. Bound to be some of them cattle made their way up there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, then,\u201d Adam answered, \u201cI suppose I\u2019ll take the low<\/em> country.\u201d There was a playful tone in his voice.<\/p>\n An instant later, Adam surprised Joe by singing out, \u201cAnd I\u2019ll be in Scotland afore ye.\u201d<\/p>\n Curious, Joe opened his eyes in time to see Adam leading Hoss from the room with his hand on Hoss\u2019s shoulder. And then, suddenly, both of Joe\u2019s brothers were singing. \u201cMe and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t make it to the next verse; not after a certain Chinese cook started scolding them for making so much noise and foolishment while number three son was trying to sleep.<\/p>\n Joe couldn\u2019t help but giggle\u2026until his soreness grew painful enough to steal his breath. But even then\u2026it was all right. He wouldn\u2019t trade those big brothers of his for anything.<\/p>\n XxXxX<\/p>\n ~end~<\/em><\/p>\n Tags:\u00a0 Family,\u00a0JAM,\u00a0JHM,\u00a0JPM,\u00a0SJS<\/p>\n![\"brothers\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/brothers.jpg?ssl=1\")
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