THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE NOT PROFIT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE ON ANY KNOWN COPYRIGHT
“I think it might be best if Little Joe was taken somewhere
else for a while,” Doctor Paul Martin said as descended the stairs of the
Ponderosa ranch house. He had been summoned to examine Ben and Hoss Cartwright
who were both very ill with influenza. They had contracted the disease on a
recent visit to
“You think it’s necessary?” Ben’s old friend Sheriff
Roy Coffee had been waiting for the doctor’s verdict. “They’re really that bad?”
Sighing, the doctor put his bag down on the table
and sank into the blue chair by the fireplace. “It doesn’t look good
“I reckon I can arrange a place for Joe to stay,”
Doctor Martin remained sitting by the fire for some
time after the sheriff had left. Staring into the dancing flames he wondered
how best to explain to Little Joe that he must leave the Ponderosa. At last he
rose from his seat and reluctantly climbed the stairs to the boy’s room.
****
“I won’t go!” Joe Cartwright stood defiantly before the doctor, eyes flashing with anger. “You can’t make me leave my Pa and Hoss.”
Paul Martin sighed. He had expected just this
reaction from the boy, he knew how close the Cartwright family were. Sitting
down on Joe’s bed, he looked at the youngster standing beside him. Ten-year-old
Joe was a good-looking boy, slightly built with a shock of brown curls, a
restless, hot-tempered child.
“I think it would help Hop Sing if he didn’t have to
look after you as well as the invalids for a while,” he said, trying to
persuade Joe that he should go. At no cost would he tell the boy the real reason
he wanted him out of the house. The fact was that both Ben and Hoss Cartwright
were gravely ill and Paul feared that he might lose one, if not both, his
patients. He didn’t want Joe to be here if that happened.
“I can look after myself,” Joe flashed back. “Hop
Sing doesn’t need to do anything for me.”
“Then think of your father,” the doctor played his
trump card. “He needs complete rest, not to be worrying about you getting ill.”
He saw the boy waiver, indecision creeping into the
expressive eyes. “My Pa wants me to go away?”
“He wants you to be safe,” Paul told him gently.
Joe was torn. He wanted to stay at the Ponderosa,
close to his father and brother but if Dr Martin said his father wanted him to
go, perhaps he should, especially if it would worry his father if he stayed.
“If you’re sure it’s what Pa wants,” he said quietly
to the doctor, voice shaking a little as he fought back tears. “Then I’ll go.”
“Good boy,” Paul reached out and patted the boy’s
shoulder, fighting down a twinge of guilt at the way he had used Little Joe’s
concern for his father to get him to go along with his plans.
****
“Here we are then Little Joe,”
Roy Coffee pulled the buggy to a stop in front of a small house on the
outskirts of
Picking up Joe’s bag,
“Hello Sheriff Coffee, Little Joe, come right along
in,” cried Lillian Stewart as she opened the door to find
Smiling,
“I’m so pleased to have you come to stay with us,
Joe,” Mrs Stewart beamed at him. “We’ll take very good care of you.”
“It won’t be for long,” Joe told her firmly. “Just
till my Pa and brother are better.”
“Of course,” she told him reassuringly, glancing at
the sheriff. “Or until your big brother gets back. Now I’ve some milk and
cookies ready for you in the kitchen, you come on and eat.”
“I’m not real hungry Ma’am,” Joe began, but Mrs
Stewart grasped him by the arm and propelled him towards the back of the house.
“We’ll be fine, sheriff,” she called back over her
shoulder. “No need to stay.”
“You mind Mrs Stewart now, Little Joe,”
As Joe watched the Sheriff depart a feeling of
desolation crept over him. He felt very alone, away from his family and the
Ponderosa. He had caught the glance Mrs Stewart had given the sheriff when he
had mentioned his father and brother. Something about that look had scared him,
and he longed to be home.
****
“Here you are Joe,” Mrs Stewart showed him into the little guest bedroom. “This room will be yours.”
“Thank
you Ma’am,” Joe told her politely, though a quick glance around made his heart
sink. The room was smaller than his bedroom at home and much more cluttered.
There was hardly a surface that didn’t contain some ornament or other and the
walls and bedlinen were a soft shade of pink. It seemed to Joe the sort of room
that a girl would like, but he certainly didn’t.
“You
can’t keep calling me Ma’am,” the little woman said with a smile, as she
deposited Joe’s case on the bed. “How about we make it Aunt Lilian, and Mr
Stewart can be Uncle Charles? That would be better.”
She
turned to leave, then suddenly reached out and hugged the boy to her.
Embarrassed, Joe stood stock still in her embrace. “Make yourself right at
home,” she said, releasing him. “I’ll see you at supper.”
Joe
watched as the door closed behind her, relieved to be left alone. He flung
himself on the bed and finally gave way to the tears that had been threatening
since he left the Ponderosa.
****
“Poor little mite,” Lillian Stewart said to her
husband, who had just come in from work. “He looks like he’s got the weight of
the world on his shoulders.”
Settling himself comfortably in front of the fire,
Charles Stewart reached for his pipe. “He’ll be missing his folks,” he
observed, unrolling his tobacco pouch and cramming the sweet smelling strands
into the bowl of the pipe.
“From what the sheriff told me it’s almost certain
Ben Cartwright won’t get over this illness,” Lillian told him, taking the
coffee pot from the stove. “And I can’t see young Adam Cartwright taking very
good care of that poor child if the worst happens.”
“Now Lil,” Charles cautioned. “You’ve no call to say
that. The Cartwrights are as close a family as I’ve ever seen and I’m sure Adam
will do his best by his brother.”
Lillian brought coffee across to her him. “That
child needs a woman’s love, poor motherless boy,”
From where he stood, just inside the partially open
bedroom door Joe had heard every word. Ashen faced, and with his heart thumping
painfully, he realised why Dr Martin had insisted he leave the Ponderosa.
****
Putting the empty beer glass down on the table Adam Cartwright decided not to bother having another. It had been a hot day and the temperature had not decreased much as night fell.
Adam had been looking forward
to a few cool beers and some pleasant company, but the bar was practically
empty, and the beer tasteless and tepid. Rising from the table he headed out
into the dusty main street of the little
All day he had been plagued by
an uneasy feeling, as though something was wrong. He had tried to dismiss it,
but now, passing the telegraph office, he decided that he’d send a wire to
****
“Charles!” Lillian Stewart called to her husband, a
note of panic in her voice. “Charles, he’s gone!”
Getting up from his supper Charles hurried across to
join his wife. Lilian had just gone over to fetch Little Joe for the evening
meal, but had found the bedroom empty, the window open and Joe gone.
****
Determined to get home to the Ponderosa as soon as
he possibly could Joe was headed for the livery stable. His own pony had been
left at home so he had decided to ‘borrow’ one from the livery. He felt a bit
guilty about it, but the need to be with his father and brother overcame his
qualms.
Slipping inside the stable he looked around him. No one was about, but Joe knew that the stable hand could return at any moment, he had to be quick. Crossing to the stalls he hastily examined the three horses that stood there. Choosing a pretty little grey as the best of the three he rapidly began to saddle her.
Getting away from the Stewart’s and obtaining the
horse had kept Joe’s mind occupied and held his fears at bay for a while but as
he mounted up and headed out into the night the panic he’d felt when he
overheard Lilian’s words returned in full force. He urged the horse forward,
desperate to get home.
****
“Wire coming in,” the telegraph operator announced to the tall, dark young man who was sitting on one of the uncomfortable chairs that lined the wall, reading the local newspaper. Putting the journal aside, Adam waited patiently while the operator translated the blips and beeps of the telegraph, eventually handing him the finished message.
“Any reply?” the man asked as Adam scanned the piece
of paper. “If there is, make it quick, I’m due to finish work now.”
Adam scarcely heard him, his attention riveted on
the words he had just read.
“Any reply?” the operator repeated loudly, thinking
that he hadn’t been heard.
Adam grabbed a pencil and paper, writing quickly
“Send this to the same address,” he said, tossing some money on the counter and
quickly leaving the office.
Picking up the paper, the operator stared after him
for a moment, then shrugged and began to telegraph the message to
‘LEAVING NOW. STOP. BE HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
STOP. ADAM.’
****
“Doctor Martin,” Hop Sing addressed the doctor as he descended the stairs. “You hear horse as well?”
“I heard it,” Paul Martin crossed over to the front
door. “Who on earth can be calling at this time of night?”
Flinging the door open he was confronted with the
sight of Little Joe Cartwright just dismounting from a grey horse that the
doctor had never seen before. “Joe!” he exclaimed in annoyance. “What are you
doing here, child?”
“I know why you sent me away,” Joe accused angrily
as Paul walked towards him. “You think my Pa’s going to, going to…” his voice
faltered and he found himself unable to complete the sentence.
“What makes you think that?” the doctor asked
softly, annoyance forgotten as he looked down at the unhappy little boy.
“I heard Mrs Stewart telling her husband,” Joe
whispered miserably. “Is it true?”
“I don’t know Little Joe,” the doctor admitted. “I’m
doing my very best for your Pa and Hoss, and Hoss is getting a little better.
But I don’t know about your father yet.”
Seeing tears spring to the boy’s eyes Paul silently
cursed Mrs Stewart for not watching her tongue. He had wanted to spare Joe this
pain, at least until Adam returned to help him bear it. “Come on in the house
son,” he said kindly. “And we’ll talk about it.”
****
Doctor Martin despatched Hop Sing to fetch Joe a hot
drink, then sat the boy down on the couch and took a seat next to him.
“My Pa says…” Joe began slowly, before the doctor could speak. “Least I heard him tell Adam once…”
“Yes?” Paul encouraged as the boy stopped speaking.
“He said that one thing that he was grateful for was
that when my Ma died, and Adam’s and Hoss’s, he was there with them. There at
the end.”
“I see,” Paul said gravely. “And that’s why you came
home is it Little Joe? You want to be with your father if he should die?”
Joe looked up at the doctor, eyes brimming. “I don’t
want him to die without saying goodbye to him.”
“Listen Joe,” Paul said sympathetically. “I can
understand how you feel, but I really think your Pa would want you to stay with
Mr and Mrs Stewart. He wouldn’t want you to get ill too,” he saw the defiant
look settle on Joe’s face and rushed on. “But I’ll make you a promise. If
there’s any danger of your father dying, I’ll send for you straight away so you
can get to say goodbye. That’s the best I can do, son.”
****
Sheriff Coffee was relieved to find Little Joe at
the Ponderosa. He had been very worried when Charles Stewart had come rushing
along to his office to tell him the boy had run away. Roy’s immediate thought
was that Joe would head for home and when an irate young cowboy came storming
in to report that his horse had been stolen from the livery stable, he soon put
two and two together.
“Joe and I have had a nice long talk,” Doctor Martin
told the sheriff as he led the boy outside. “And he’s agreed to come back with
you, haven’t you Little Joe?”
Joe nodded forlornly. “I’m sorry I ran off,”
“Don’t worry about it,” the sheriff told him,
feeling a wave of sympathy for the boy. “But I reckon we’d better get this
horse back to his rightful owner, don’t you?”
Paul Martin watched as Joe and the sheriff rode out,
then closed the door softly and returned to his patients.
****
‘YOUR FATHER AND HOSS GRAVELY ILL WITH INFLUENZA. STOP. RETURN HOME AT ONCE. STOP.’ The words of the telegram repeated themselves over and over in Adam’s head as he packed his belongings into his saddlebags and checked out of the hotel.
Crossing to the livery and
saddling Sport for the long journey ahead he wondered vaguely what was
happening to Joe. He could only imagine that the boy was being cared for by Hop
Sing. A thread of fear wove itself around his heart as he faced the possibility
that he might not get back to the Ponderosa in time, and if Joe fell ill too
there was the very real threat that he could lose his entire family. He had
heard of many instances where whole communities had been destroyed by
influenza. Resolutely pushing the thought from his mind he started out on the
long trail back to
****
“Poor little thing,” Lillian Stewart whispered as
she stood by Joe’s bedside watching the child sleep. “Just think, Charles,” she
looked across at her husband who stood in the doorway, watching her. “If I
hadn’t lost the baby when I did, he’d have been the same age as this little
one.”
“Now don’t start that again Lil,” Charles motioned
Lilian out of the room. “Wasn’t nothing we could do to save the babe.”
Taking a last look at the sleeping child Lilian
followed her husband into the kitchen and sat down at the table with a wistful
sigh. “If only we’d been able to have other children,”
Putting a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder
Charles recalled the tiny child she had borne him ten years ago. The baby had
arrived nearly two months before its due date and had only lived a few days.
Both Lilian and Charles had been devastated and had suffered even more when the
Doctor had told them that Lilian would be unable to have any more children.
“And there’s that little boy in there,” Lillian
said, startling Charles out of his reverie. “His fathers dying, he has no
mother. I could care for him much better than his brother could. It’s so
unfair.”
Charles stared at her, shocked. “The boy isn’t a
parcel to be claimed, he’s a Cartwright! We don’t know for sure that Ben
Cartwright will die, but if he does I’m sure the child’s brother will care for
him to the very best of his abilities.”
“Perhaps he will,” Lillian conceded, “But I still
say a child needs a mother’s love and that’s something Little Joe Cartwright
hasn’t had for a very long time.”
****
Waking up in the pretty pink bedroom the next
morning Joe lay for a while reluctant to get up. Fear coloured his thoughts as he
considered the day ahead. If only his father would get better, he prayed
silently, then he’d try his very best to always be good, to never give his
father cause to get angry with him or worry about him. Slowly getting dressed
Joe thought how good it would feel to have his Pa shout at him right now if it
meant he was well again.
“Good morning, Joe,” Charles Stewart greeted him as he opened the bedroom door and stepped into the living area. “Come on over here and get some breakfast while it’s still hot.”
As Joe sat down at the table Charles picked up a
plate, heaped food on it and set it down in front of Joe, who picked up his
fork but found himself unable to face a single mouthful.
“Sheriff Coffee called in,” Charles said as he set a
glass of milk beside the plate. Joe glanced up in alarm, and the man hasten to
reassure him. “He had a telegraph from your brother Adam, seems he’s on his way
home. And Doc Martin sent word that your other brother, Hoss, is a lot better.”
Feeling greatly cheered by these two bits of news
Joe even managed a few bites of his breakfast while Mr Stewart watched him
indulgently.
“I’ve got to go to work now,” he told the boy as Joe
lay his fork down and picked up the glass of milk. “Lil will be back in a
little while, she’s only at the store. You’ll be all right on your own?” he
asked warily. “No more running off?”
“I won’t go anywhere,” Joe assured him. He hoped
that Adam would get home quickly and had no doubt that as soon as his big
brother got here he would come and take him back to the Ponderosa.
****
“Well good morning, Little Joe. I hope you slept well,” Lillian Stewart put her purchases down on the table and smiled at Joe. “Did you eat a good breakfast? I can easily cook you some more if you’re hungry.”
“No thank you, Ma’am. I’ve had plenty.” Joe told her
hastily.
“Not Ma’am Joseph,” she reprimanded him gently. “I
told you yesterday, you must call me Aunt Lilian. Ma’am is far too formal, is
that understood?”
“Yes M… Aunt Lillian,” Joe replied, feeling slightly
uncomfortable with calling the woman aunt.
“Now, my dear,” Lillian continued. “I’m going to
cook us something nice for lunch, and then perhaps we could go and visit with
Uncle Charles at the office. How does that sound?”
“I’d rather stay here. I don’t want to be out if the
sheriff should come to get me, or if my brother gets home.”
“Your brother won’t be here for some while yet,”
Lillian told him shortly. “It takes a long time to come all the way from
Joe had no desire to go and see the office where Mr
Stewart worked but perhaps he could find out from Sheriff Coffee if there was any
more news of his Pa and Hoss. The sheriff might also know exactly how long it
would take Adam to get home, so he agreed to accompany Mrs Stewart that
afternoon.
****
“We’re going back east,” Lillian informed her husband.
“Whatever for?” Charles looked up from the copy of
the newspaper that he had been reading. “We’ve no kin left back there.”
It was late evening in the Stewart house. Joe was
asleep in bed, he had been staying with them now for almost a week, a week in
which Lilian had come to grow very fond of the boy. She had found herself
dreading the inevitable arrival of Adam Cartwright, and Joe’s departure, until
a few days ago, when she had made a momentous decision.
“I want to take Joseph back east. I want to keep the
boy with us.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous,” Charles said shortly,
putting the newspaper aside. “You can’t take the child away from his family.”
“It would be so much better for him,” she knelt
beside her husband’s chair, looking up at him imploringly. “I’ve heard the news
from the Ponderosa. They say Ben Cartwright is sinking fast. I don’t want to
leave that poor child to be raised by his brothers, and he’d just be a
millstone around their necks anyhow. What woman would want to take on Adam
Cartwright if he had to look after Joe? I could give him all the love he needs,
and I know you’ve grown fond of him too.”
“He’s a fine boy,” Charles admitted. “But he’s not
our boy Lil. We can’t just take him.”
A look of grim determination settled itself on
Lilian’s face. “I’m taking Joseph and going back east, Charles. I’d like you to
come with us, but I’m going to go even if you don’t.”
“Lil, this is crazy talk. The boy will never agree
to go with you, never.”
“I gave him some of those sleeping powders the doctor
prescribed for me,” Lillian told him calmly. “We’ll be well away from
“Please don’t do this, Lil. It’s not right.”
“I’ve got the wagon all ready and packed,” Lillian
told him, ignoring his words. “I won’t give the boy up.”
She must have been planning this for days, Charles
realised in dismay. His first instinct was to stop her, by force if necessary,
but as he thought about how happy she had been with Joe around, how much she
cared for the boy, he found himself reconsidering. He loved Lilian and would do
almost anything to make her happy, and this would make her very happy indeed.
Sighing deeply he got to his feet and accompanied his wife to the bedroom to
pack the few belongings they would need.
Later that night, while most of
****
Wearily, Adam reined his horse in and reached for his canteen. Drinking deeply, he looked around him. The landscape was bleak and grey in the early morning light, but it was familiar, he was nearing home.
If he could keep up the pace he
had been making yesterday Adam calculated that he should reach the Ponderosa
around
****
“It sure feels good to be downstairs again,” Hoss
said with a beaming smile as Hop Sing fussed around him, bringing milk to drink
and fresh baked cookies to eat.
“Is good to see you well,” the little man told him
with a smile. “Now must pray for Honourable father.”
Hoss nodded soberly, glancing towards the stairs.
“Doc’s with him now, I just hope the news is good.”
Hop Sing looked up as he caught the sound of
hoofbeats in the yard. “Rider coming,” He announced. “I see who is calling.”
He hadn’t time to reach the door before it was flung
open by Adam, desperate to find out what was happening with his family.
“Hoss,” he let out a sigh of relief as he saw his
brother, pale and wan looking but obviously on the mend. “How’s Pa?”
“I’m pleased to say I think he’s going to be fine,”
the reply came from Paul Martin who had finished his examination of Ben just as
Adam arrived. Coming down the stairs he smiled widely at the two older
Cartwright boys. “The fever’s broken at last,” he told them. “And I’m confident
that your father is on the mend. Could I have a nice strong cup of coffee
please Hop Sing?” he asked, “and I imagine Adam could do with one as well.
Looks like he’s had a long, hard ride.”
Feeling almost weak with relief at the doctor’s news,
Adam took the proffered cup from Hop Sing. Sinking wearily into the blue chair
beside the fire, he drained the hot liquid gratefully then turned to his
brother. “Well you gave me quite a scare, and a few sleepless nights into the
bargain. I’ve been riding practically non-stop since I got the news.”
“You shouda guessed we’d be all right,” Hoss
grinned. “Takes more than a little case of influenza to kill off a Cartwright.”
Adam smiled back at him, glad to return home to such
good news. “I’ll go up and see Pa,” he said, rising from the chair, “and better
look in on Joe too I guess, it’s a good thing he didn’t get it as well.”
“Joe’s not here, Doctor Martin told him. “I thought
it better that he was away from the house, especially when your father was so
ill. Sheriff Coffee has him staying with the Stewarts over in
“Poor kid, he must be miserable away from home, Adam
said, heading for the stairs. “Soon as I’ve seen Pa and cleaned up a bit I’ll
go fetch him.”
****
Riding into
Reaching the Stewart’s house he rapped at the door
and waited for a while until it became obvious that no one was going to answer.
He was about to go and see if Charles Stewart was in his office when Pete
James, one of the Stewart’s neighbours, hailed him.
“They’ve left, Mr Cartwright.”
“Left?” Adam repeated, walking over to join the man.
“What are you talking about? My little brother is staying with them, they can’t
have left.”
“Saw them going,” James informed him. “Sometime in
the night. I woke up and heard a wagon and when I looked out I saw the
Stewart’s, all packed up and headed out of town.”
“And my brother? What about my brother?”
“He was with ‘em. Asleep in the back of the wagon.”
****
“You got no idea where they were headed?” Sheriff
Coffee asked. He had come over to question Pete James as soon as Adam told him
what had happened.
Pete shook his head negatively and Adam’s heart
sank. If he couldn’t find out which direction the Stewart’s had headed in it
would be very difficult to pick up a trail.
“I could see if my wife has any idea,” Pete volunteered. “She was pretty friendly with Lilian Stewart.”
“Then let’s do that,” the sheriff waited while Pete
went to fetch his wife.
Watching as the man went into his house, Adam hoped
that Mrs James did know something, he was dreading returning home to tell his
father what had happened.
“I’m sure sorry about this Adam,”
“I’m not blaming you, Roy. You couldn’t have known
this would happen. I just wish I’d been closer to home, got here quicker.”
“Sheriff!” Pete called, emerging from the house.
“She thinks they may be heading east, back where they came from originally.”
“Lil would often talk about heading back east.” Mrs
James told them as she followed her husband out into the street. “Charles was
happy enough here but Lil dreamed of going home.”
“And did she say anything about taking Joe Cartwright
with her?” asked the sheriff.
“She was very fond of the boy, I know that much,”
Mrs James smiled slightly recalling how happy Lilian had seemed over the past
week. “And she had the idea that if Ben Cartwright died, Adam probably wouldn’t
want the bother of looking after Joe. Not that I agreed with her of course,”
she finished hastily, catching the look that crossed Adam’s face at her words.
****
“I don’t think we ought to tell Ben about this just yet,” Doctor Martin advised. “He’s still very weak.”
The doctor and Hoss had just heard the news about
Joe’s disappearance from the sheriff’s deputy, Clem, who had ridden out to the
Ponderosa while Adam, Sheriff Coffee and a posse of
“I guess you’re
right,” Hoss agreed. “We won’t tell him for now, but if Adam doesn’t bring Joe
back pretty soon we’ll have to let him know.”
The others were silent, hoping that it wouldn’t come
to that.
****
Opening his eyes Joe stared bewilderedly around him.
He felt groggy and a little sick and it took him a while to work out that he
was lying in the back of a moving wagon. Raising himself up on his elbow, he
looked about him. He didn’t remember anything since last night and judging from
the sky overhead it was already late afternoon.
“Oh good, you’re awake at last,” cried Mrs Stewart noticing the movement. “Hold on a moment dear and we’ll stop for a bite to eat.”
It was a matter of minutes until Charles reined in
the horses and brought the wagon to a halt by the side of the track. Getting
down from her seat Lilian made her way to the back of the wagon and assisted
the boy down on to the ground. Joe found himself in need of the woman’s help,
his legs were feeling as though they didn’t belong to him, very weak and
wobbly.
“What happened?” Joe was puzzled. He recalled going
to bed last night in the pink room but he had no idea how he had come to be in
the wagon.
“You just come along over here and sit down,” Lillian
said, and led him a little way from the road to where Charles was laying a
cloth on a flat rock ready to serve the food.
Obediently Joe sat down another rock. The heat that
the stone had absorbed from the sun felt uncomfortable on the backs of his
legs.
“I’m afraid the sleeping powders the doctor gave you
have made you forget what happened Joseph.” Lilian put an arm around the
perplexed boy. “Don’t you recall anything at all?”
Joe shook his head in confusion. He had no idea what
Mrs Stewart was talking about
“You poor boy,” Lillian continued. “We had bad news
yesterday, Joseph. Doctor Martin came to tell us that your father had succumbed
to the influenza, he died in the night.”
As Joe stared at her in shock, Lilian cast a quick
glance towards Charles before she told the boy the next part of her elaborate
lie. Her husband was sitting quite still, staring at the ground, making no
attempt to stop her. “Then your brother Adam arrived. And I’m so sorry, my
dear, but he refused to take you. He had other plans you see, no place for a
child in his life. So Uncle Charles and I are taking you back east to start a
new life with us.”
Grief, fear and anger vied for attention in Joe’s
head. Overwhelming grief for his father, fear of what would happen now and how
he would manage to get along without his Pa. Anger at Doctor Martin who had promised him that he would get to say
goodbye, and who had broken that promise. Yet even in the midst of all these
emotions Joe found himself unable to believe Lilian’s last statement. All his
life his Pa had imposed upon him the importance of family. He knew Adam
believed in that as strongly as their father. He couldn’t believe that Adam
would refuse to look after him, and certainly Hoss would never let him go. No,
Joe decided, for some reason Lilian Stewart was lying to him.
****
Riding with the sheriff’s posse, Adam’s thoughts were with his father. He had only had time for a brief visit that afternoon and he had been dismayed at how pale and thin Ben looked. Doctor Martin had assured him that though his father was still far from well, the illness had been beaten, and he was on the mend.
Adam hoped that he would be able to find Joe quickly and return him to the Ponderosa, the last thing Ben needed at the moment was to be worrying about his youngest son. Trouble was, the Stewart’s had over twelve hours start on them and it would soon be growing dark.
****
Joe’s eyes narrowed as he regarded Lil Stewart. “You’re
lying! I know that’s not true, Adam wouldn’t let me go with you, he wouldn’t!”
“It is true, Joseph. It’s just that you don’t
remember…”
“It is not true!” Joe yelled, rising to his feet,
thankful that his legs felt more normal now. “My brother wouldn’t do that.”
“Calm down, dear!” Lillian said, reaching out to hug
him. Dodging away from her, Joe’s gaze fell on Charles Stewart who was sitting
watching the confrontation in silence.
“Mr Stewart?” he implored, walking swiftly across to
the man. “Please Mr Stewart, it’s not true is it? She is lying?”
Charles Stewart looked up. He had become fond of the
child in the time he had been with them, and Charles was basically a kind,
decent man. He had been prepared to go along with Lilian’s lies but, seeing the
fear on the face of the boy in front of him, he found himself quite unable to
hurt Joe any more. “It’s not true,” he said softly. “As far as I know your
father is still alive and your brother isn’t even home yet,” he saw relief
suffuse the face of the youngster, heard Lilian’s gasp of rage.
“I’m sorry, Lil.” he apologised, looking over at his
wife. “I couldn’t do it.”
“I’m not giving him up. I won’t give him up,
Charles.”
“Let’s take him home, Lil. If we’re lucky, no-one
will have missed us yet.”
“No!” Lillian cried. “I can’t go back there, I
can’t.”
Joe had followed this exchange in dismay. He
couldn’t imagine why Mrs Stewart wanted to take him away from his family, but
he knew he had to get away from her. He saw Charles drop his head in resignation
as Lilian said she wouldn’t go back and suddenly he whirled around and darted
toward the rocky hills that rose steeply from the dusty ground.
“Joseph, come back!” Lilian wailed after him.
“Please come back.”
****
“Adam, wait!” at the sheriff’s
call, Adam reined in his horse. Catching up with him
“It’s getting dark,” he said. “We’re going to have
to stop for the night, pick up the trail again in the morning.”
“We can carry on,” Adam argued. “You can see that they’re
sticking to the track. It’s going to be a clear night, they should be easy
enough to follow and we must be close now, the wagon can’t go very fast.”
Agreeing reluctantly, Adam spurred his horse forward
once more, hoping against hope that at any moment he would see the wagon in
front of them.
****
Joe was quick and agile and by the time Charles
Stewart started after him he was already way ahead of the man. Scrambling up
the rocky slope Joe was soon out of sight. Climbing up more slowly Charles
reached the top and stared at the rocky landscape around him, he could see no
sign of the boy.
“Joe!” he called loudly. “Come on out Joe, I’ll take you home son, I promise.”
Crouched in a narrow fissure, hardly daring to
breathe Joe heard the promise but dismissed it. The Stewart’s had lied to him
before, he wasn’t going to trust them now.
It seemed a very long time to Joe before he heard
Charles Stewart retreat down to the wagon below, returning to his wife. Fearing
that the man was trying to trick him into the open, Joe remained hidden.
Eventually, he must have drifted off into an uneasy sleep for the next thing
the boy knew, night had fallen, the clear skies above him dotted with a
multitude of stars.
Creeping from his hiding place Joe dared a glance
down the slope at the wagon below. Charles and Lilian had started a fire and
were sitting beside it. The sight of the bright flames made Joe realise just
how cold it was and he shivered slightly in the chill air. Obviously the couple
were hoping that the boy would give up and return to the wagon when he grew
hungry and cold, but they had reckoned without Joe Cartwright’s determination.
His ‘downright cussedness’ as his brother Hoss put it, though not within
earshot of their father. Turning away from the Stewart’s and the glow of the
campfire Joe struck out in what he considered the approximate direction of
****
Dawn was only just breaking as the posse prepared to ride. Yawning, Adam mounted up and took his place alongside Sheriff Coffee. He had hardly slept at all through the night but was anxious to get moving, certain that they must catch up with the Stewart’s soon.
****
“How are you feeling this morning Hoss?” asked
Doctor Martin as he arrived at the ranch house to check on his patients.
“Worried about Joe. But apart from that I’m fine.”
“Glad to hear it,” Paul started for the stairs,
“I’ll just go up now and check on your father.”
“You didn’t hear any news in town I suppose? I kinda
hoped Adam might have found him by now.”
The doctor just shook his head sadly as he began to
climb the stairs, there had been no developments overnight. Opening Ben’s
bedroom door he found his patient awake and waiting for him. “Good morning,” he
said cheerfully. “You’re certainly looking better today. I trust Hop Sing
prepared you a good breakfast, you’ll need to eat plenty to build up your
strength.”
“Paul, I want to know just what’s going on around
here,” Ben said, ignoring the doctor’s words. “Adam was here yesterday, then he
left again. I’ve not seen hide nor hair of Joseph and Hoss just changes the
subject when I ask where his brothers are. Now, I expect the truth from you, so
tell me what’s wrong.”
Paul sighed. He could tell from the tone of Ben’s
voice that he wasn’t going to be allowed to leave until he had told his old
friend exactly what was happening. Shrugging his shoulders in resignation he
sat down in the chair beside the bed and began to talk.
****
“There they are!” Roy Coffee called excitedly as he spied the Stewart’s wagon in the distance. “We should be up with them in around ten minutes.”
The posse surged forward covering the distance
quickly and reined in beside the Stewart’s a minute or so under the sheriff’s
estimation.
Adam was the first to dismount. He looked around him
eagerly, anxious for a glimpse of his little brother but the only people
present were Lilian and Charles Stewart sitting desolately beside the ashes of
last night’s fire.
“Where’s Little Joe?” Adam demanded of Charles,
grasping the man by his coatfront and dragging him up to meet his eyes.
“He ran away,” Lillian spoke from behind him, her voice
sounding vacant and empty. “He didn’t want to stay with me.”
“Ran away? Where? Which way did he go?”
Charles caught Adam’s arm, turning his attention
away from Lillian. “He ran off into the rocks over there,” he pointed a shaky
finger. “I searched for him but I couldn’t find him, we hoped when it got
dark…”
“Got dark! You mean the kid’s been out there alone
all night?”
“I’m sorry Adam. I tried to talk Lil out of taking
him but she was so sure your Pa was going to die and no-one would want the boy.”
“As it happens, Mrs Stewart,” Adam said icily,
turning to Lillian. “My father is going to recover. But whatever had happened I
would have taken care of Joe. He’s my brother, of course I’d want him. You’d
just better pray that I find him safe and well, because I’ll make sure you pay
for it if I don’t.”
Returning to his horse, Adam left Sheriff Coffee to
take the Stewart’s back to
****
“I’ve got to get out there and help find him,” Ben was distraught at the news of Joe’s disappearance. “Why was he ever sent away in the first place? I’m sure Hop Sing could have coped.”
“It was my fault Ben, I’m sorry,” Paul told him. “I
thought it would be better for the child. I feared we were going to lose you,
and possibly Hoss as well. This influenza has killed a number of folk in
“The important thing now is to find Joe,” Ben said,
flinging back the bedcovers. “And I intend to do just that.”
“You ain’t going anywhere, Pa,” the two men looked
round as Hoss entered the room. “You’re just not well enough. You’d be more of
a hindrance than a help. Just leave it to Adam, he’ll find him, I know he
will.”
“The boy’s right Ben,” the doctor told him firmly.
“Let’s at least wait till Adam gets back.”
The thought of lying here idly when his youngest son
was missing was almost more than Ben could bear, but even the effort of sitting
up had tired him and he realised the truth of Hoss’ words. “Very well,” he conceded.
“I’ll wait for Adam.”
Hoss and the Doctor exchanged glances, both
realising that if Adam didn’t bring Joe home soon they would be unable to stop
Ben from going out in search of his youngest son.
****
Joe was hungry and very thirsty, it had been the day
before yesterday that he had last eaten or drunk anything. He had walked a long
way from the rocks where he had hidden and the sun was now well up in the sky.
He reckoned it must be gone breakfast time at home and was suddenly assailed
with a wave of homesickness as he imagined his family sitting down to their
morning meal. He scanned the countryside around him, hoping to see a familiar
landmark that might show him if he was heading in the right direction, but he
recognised nothing.
He had been walking for another hour or so when he caught an aroma carried on the breeze. Stopping, and sniffing deeply, he realised that he could smell the unmistakable scent of frying bacon. Empty stomach growling in anticipation Joe set out to find the source of the smell.
****
Cutting up the bacon, and pouring himself a cup of coffee, the cowboy settled back against the rocks and prepared to enjoy his breakfast. He was just savouring his first succulent mouthful of the meat when a sound made him glance up sharply, hand poised on his gun. To his surprise, he found himself looking at a curly headed youngster, no more than ten years of age, whose eyes were fixed hungrily on the plate of bacon beside him. “Where in tarnation did you spring from?” he asked in astonishment.
“I was just walking by,” Joe told him politely, gaze
never wavering from the bacon. “I’m on my way home to the Ponderosa.”
“The Ponderosa? Then you must be one of the
Cartwrights. What on earth are you doing out here boy? We’re miles from the
Ponderosa.”
“I’m Joe Cartwright, and if you could just show me
which way to go,” Joe told him. “I’ll be on my way,” he was longing to ask the
man if he might have some of his food, but didn’t think it would be right. He
had no money to pay for the bacon. Catching sight of the man’s canteen Joe
decided that he would have to ask if he might have a sip of water, he was
really thirsty and it seemed he had a long way to go before he reached home.
The man had seen Joe’s hungry look at the food and
his quick glance at the canteen. He smiled at the boy and told him to sit down.
“You look like you’re in need of a little
sustenance, young man,” he said, handing Joe his plate. “How about you eat that
up, have a drink and then I’ll take you home.”
With a beaming smile Joe took the plate and began to
eat.
****
It had taken Adam and the other riders some time to
pick up Joe’s trail on the rocky ground, but they had found it at last. It was
slow work following the boy as the ground was dry and hard and the trail often disappeared
for long intervals. Adam and the men had to fan out and search until they
picked it up again. It was mid morning now as the riders followed the trail up
to a rocky outcrop. As they moved around the rocks Adam saw a cowboy sitting
beside a fire, horse tethered nearby, and beside the cowboy sat his youngest
brother, the most welcome sight Adam could imagine.
“Hey, Adam,” the boy gave his brother a cheeky grin as though it was the most normal thing in the world to meet him out here miles from anywhere. “Had any breakfast yet? Lew here’s got some more bacon if you want some.”
“Well thank you Lew, for looking after this young
reprobate,” Adam tipped his hat at the cowboy. “I’ll decline the offer of
breakfast though, I’d like to get this young man home to his father.”
Joe’s grin faded as he looked anxiously up at his
brother. “Have you seen him Adam? How is he?”
“The doctor says he’ll be just fine,” Adam assured
him, then reached down to assist his younger brother to climb up in front of
him. “And I think he’ll be even better when he sees you home again.”
****
“Joe!” Hoss exclaimed as Adam and Joe entered the ranch house that evening. “Thank the Lord you’re all right,” he hugged his younger brother affectionately, then glanced across at Adam. “Good thing you got back now. Much longer and the Doc and I would’ve had to tie Pa to the bed to stop him coming to look for you.”
“Is it all right if I go and see Pa?” Joe asked his
brother eagerly.
“Sure it is,” Hoss told him, and grinned as Joe
darted for the stairs, taking them two at a time in his hurry.
Flinging open his father’s bedroom door Joe bounded
across the room and threw himself into Ben’s waiting arms.
“Joseph,” his father whispered thankfully, holding
the boy tightly to him. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”
“Adam found me,” Joe began, eager to tell his father
all his news. “I was having breakfast with Lew after I ran away from the
Stewart’s. I walked for miles and I was really thirsty and hungry. Mrs Stewart said
Adam didn’t want to look after me Pa, that’s when I knew she was lying, and I
ran away.”
“Slow down, Joe,” Ben laughed, ruffling his son’s
hair. “You’re not making sense.”
Joe sobered suddenly, gazing up at his father with
concern. “You are all right now aren’t you Pa? I missed you so much while I was
at the Stewart’s. You won’t send me away again will you?”
“Oh no, Joe,” Ben tightened his hold on the boy. “I
won’t let anyone send you away ever again, I promise you that.”
Joe began to tell his father what had been happening
to him over the past few days but tiredness soon overtook him and feeling safe
and secure in his father’s arms he drifted off to sleep. And that was how Adam
found them when he entered the room a little later. Ben looked up as he came in
and laid a finger to his lips, warning him to speak softly.
“I’ll take him off to bed if you like,” Adam said,
reaching for his little brother.
“Not just yet,” Ben waved him away with one arm, the
other still holding Joe tightly. “I think he’d better stay with me for a little
while. From what he was able to tell me before he went to sleep he’s been
through quite an ordeal.”
“I can’t imagine what possessed Doctor Martin to
send him away in the first place,” Adam said angrily. “If I hadn’t come back
when I did Lord knows what might have happened.”
“Paul thought he was doing the right thing,” Ben
looked down at his sleeping son. “And we have Joseph back safe and well.”
Looking up at Adam he smiled. “He told me that he knew Lilian Stewart was lying
because he knew that you would never have allowed him to go with her, that your
family is too important to you.”
“He was right,” Adam said softly. “I guess I don’t
always show how much I care about Joe. From what Pete James’ wife said I don’t
think it was just Lilian that doubted if I would want to look after him. I’m
glad Joe had no such doubts.”
“He was absolutely certain. And so am I Adam. I’ve
never had to worry about what would happen to your brothers’ if anything should
happen to me. I know you’d do your very best for the both of them until they’re
old enough to look after themselves.”
Smiling in acknowledgement of his father’s words and
pleased by the note of pride he heard in his voice, Adam reached down and
gently stroked his little brother’s hair.
“Well I had to bring him back for you,” he said
softly, then grinned suddenly. “It was just too quiet around here without him.”
“It sure was,” Hoss added as he entered the room. “I
can’t imagine that Lilian Stewart would’ve kept him for long you know, Pa.
Ain’t nobody but us could put up with Little Joe’s antics.”
“There’s a very good reason why we put up with him,”
Ben laughed softly, looking at his three sons proudly. “It’s because we’re a
family.”
©
Kathleen Pitts 2000