Truth Be Known

By Debbie B ;0)



It was getting to be late afternoon and young Joe Cartwright knew he should hurry home, he had chores waiting for him back at the ranch.  The warm sun beat down on his face as he ambled along, his thoughts turning to the barn dance coming up on Saturday night and Joe pondered the idea of which young miss he would like to invite.  His best friend Mitch had already asked Cindy Wilson, Joe had considered asking her himself but Mitch had been so taken with her that Joe hadn’t the heart to step ahead of his friend so had decided to let Mitch have the honors.

There was Sara Beth Hamilton, she was pretty thought Joe and smiled at the memory of the kiss he had stolen from her at the last barn dance.  Joe’s hand moved upward where he gently rubbed the side of his face, and he laughed out loud.  Sara Beth had walloped him good too, for stealing that kiss.  He shook his head no; Mr. Hamilton hadn’t been very sociable about it either once he had found out.  He paid a call to Joe’s father and poor Ben had had to stand silent in front of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton while the irate father had berated his son in front of his brothers as well.  Adam and Hoss who had been standing behind Ben at the time had fought the urge to giggle and once, Ben had had to turn around and warn them with a dark scowl.  Joe laughed again, ‘Poor Pa,’ thought Joe, ‘I sure do put you in the middle of my woes sometimes.  Sorry, Pa.’

Joe’s thoughts turned to the petite Anna Rose Jeffrey.  Now there was a real charmer, with just enough fire and spirit to keep an evening interesting.  He had spent some time alone with her once before and had thoroughly enjoyed himself.  Joe smiled, Anna Rose hadn’t slapped his face when he kissed her, and it was more like she had kissed him.  They had been standing under the dim light of one of Hop Sing’s Chinese lanterns, the guests had all been inside at the time and much to Joe’s surprise, Anna Rose had slipped her arms about his neck and pulled his face down to his.  When she smiled up at him, her green eyes shining with excitement, Joe allowed her to place her lips over his.  He was somewhat surprised at her forwardness, but did not object when she kissed him a second time.  He was about to suggest that they take a walk in the moonlight when the front door opened and several other couples ventured out into the night, his brothers and their young ladies included.  Adam and Hoss had spotted their younger brother the minute that he and Anna Rose had turned when hearing his brothers approach.  Joe cringed as the next thought called from memory how he had been just about to kiss the pretty little lady for the third time when suddenly she had turned away from him and walked off, leaving him to stand alone with his older brother’s laughter lingering in his ears.  They had teased him for days about trying to steal kisses, unsuccessfully from the daughter of a preacher man.  Joe finally gave up trying to convince his brothers that in fact it had been she who had been trying to take advantage of him, not the reverse.

Joe pulled Cochise to a stop, removed his hat from his head and swiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt.  Giving a glance up at the sun, Joe determined it was getting close to dinnertime.  To confirm his calculations, his stomach growled and then rumbled.

Joe plopped his hat back on his head and urged his mount toward home, he was hungry but still his thoughts returned to the local ladies as he fought with himself, trying to make his decision.  Lori Macintosh was a nice girl.  She wasn’t a real looker like Anna Rose or even Sara Beth, but the girl had brains and didn’t appear to be like the others girls in the way that they stood together and giggled over silly things.  She was quiet and reserved, ladylike, decided Joe.  He had spoken with her a couple of times when he had run into her while in town on errands for his father and he had liked the girl right away, and, he remembered, she had seemed to like him as well.  Trouble was, Joe had never seen her at any of the usual town gatherings or church socials.  His father had told him that her father, Luther Macintosh, was an odd man, strange in his ways and thinking and that it might be best for Joe to stay clear of the young woman.  Luther also had a couple of sons that were just as strange as their father and had been known to be overly protective of their younger sister.  No, Ben had warned his youngest, Lori Macintosh had best be classified as off limits.

Still, thought Joe, there was something about the girl that intrigued him and Joe determined right then that he would seek the girl out and ask her to the dance.  He knew several of his friends had noticed her as well, though they had thought her as odd as the rest of her family and tended to poke fun at her, making crude remarks about the way in which she dressed and spoke, he found those same traits interesting.

Joe had really never paid the girl any mind until Lucas Tatum, an old rival of Joe’s, had brought the girl to his attention.  Lucas had been sweet on the girl, remembered Joe and even bragged that Lori had seemed to feel the same way about Lucas.  Joe had seen them together several times after that but recently, Lucas had been acting strangely toward the girl and Joe had supposed that they had gone their separate ways, thus giving him the chance to ask the girl out on a date himself.

Joe stopped again, glancing to his right.  The Macintosh ranch wasn’t far from where he sat on his horse.  Joe wondered if he dare to ride right up to the girl’s front door and inquire if she would do him the honors of being his date for the upcoming dance.

‘Why not?’ he questioned himself, ‘all she can do is say yes or no.’

Smiling, he turned Cochise toward the Macintosh homestead.  Joe had reached the shallow creek that was a short distance from the Macintosh house.  The creek was spring fed by an underground water supply where the Macintosh family got their fresh water.  Joe was just about ready to cross through the creek when the sounds of shrill screaming could be heard coming from a short distance down from where he had pulled his mount to a halt upon hearing the pleas for help.

Quickly, Joe kicked at his horse’s sides and in a matter of moments had arrived on the scene.  Jumping from his mount, Joe began grabbing first one boy and then another as he tried to remove the four boys from the hysterical young woman whom they had pinned to the ground.  Joe was stunned to find Lori, lying helpless beneath the huddle of boys, her eyes closed, her dress was torn, her lips were bleeding, but before Joe could help her up, he was jumped from behind.  

Now with his own battle going on, his thoughts turned to defending himself as two of the boys pounded away at him.  From the corner of his eye, he could see the other two boys grabbing at Lori again.  One boy grabbed the front of her dress and Joe’s ears picked up the sound of the material ripping as the girl fought to cover herself.  Joe managed to duck the next fist that came his way and as he turned, he grabbed at the boy who had lowered himself down on Lori.

Suddenly one of the boys began shouting at his friends, pointing to something in the distance and sending all four boys running in different directions.  Joe, unaware of approaching riders, stooped to offer his help to the sobbing girl who lay face down in the dirt.  

From out of nowhere, Joe felt himself jerked to his backside, away from the girl as a rope circled his body, pinning his arms to his sides.   The startled young man tried to turn to see who had roped him and why but before he could regain his senses, Joe felt fists hammering away at his face and mid-section.  The rope had been pulled tightly about him, and soon he was knocked onto his back as he sprawled in the dirt.  There was no way to protect himself, the fists drove deeply into his stomach, his lower back and Joe screamed out in pain.  When the hammering fists stopped, Joe felt his legs pulled up behind him and the rope twisting tightly about his ankles, leaving him hog tied in the dirt.  His body aching from the beating he had just received, Joe lay motionless, his ears picking up the soothing words that Luther Macintosh was mumbling to his daughter.

Joe could see the older man helping Lori to her feet and checking her over to assure himself that she had been more frightened than hurt.  Luther whispered something to his daughter and pointed toward the house.  Slowly Lori began walking in the direction of her home and when she had moved far enough so as not to be able to distinguish her father’s words, Luther Macintosh turned to the wounded boy in the dirt.

He stooped down and flipped Joe onto his side.  Blood oozed from the cuts and scrapes that had damaged Joe’s handsome features.  The lower lip had been busted opened and seeped blood as well.  The red sticky substance trickled from the corner of Joe’s mouth as well from the inside of his cheek where he had bitten the insides of his mouth when he had been hit.

Joe’s left eye was swelling shut; a dark black circle was forming around the entire eye as the bruise stood as evidence to his beating.  Joe could barely make out the man’s features as Luther hovered over him.  He tried to speak, but his face ached so that just forming words caused him more pain, but he watched and the hate that he saw clouding the older man’s eyes wrought fear in the younger boy’s heart.

Joe tried to shake his head no, tried to tell the angered man that he had only been trying to help his daughter, not harm her, but the man paid his intentions no mind.

“How dare you come onto my property and force yourself on my daughter,” growled Luther, his spittle spraying into Joe’s face as he vented his wrath.  “Just because you’re a Cartwright, that doesn’t give you the right to take advantage of a young girl, especially my daughter.  You’ve been warned before,” he shouted.

Luther had recognized Joe from the times that he had caught Lori talking to him in town and the irate father had taken an instant dislike to the youngest Cartwright that same day.  Joe had tried to explain to the man then that he was only trying to be friendly, that he meant nothing wrong.  But even at that, Luther had cut his words short and had literally shoved his daughter into the waiting wagon with a stern warning tossed to Joe over his shoulder that he had better never catch Joe so much as speaking to Lori ever again.

“Now it’s time you learned your lesson.”  Luther moved to cut the ropes from around Joe’s hands, leaving the rope securely tied about Joe’s ankles.  He motioned to his son and then Drake, the oldest of the Macintosh brothers, tied his end of the rope tightly to the saddle horn on Joe’s horse.

Before Joe could do anything to untie his feet, Luther Macintosh stepped up to Cochise who paced nervously and tossed his massive head about, in fear of the strangers.  Suddenly Luther’s opened hand came down on the horse’s rump, startling the frightened animal into a run, dragging Joe’s fraying body behind him.

“That should teach him a lesson.  By the time that horse gets back to the Ponderosa, there won’t be enough of that boy left for the high and mighty Mr. Ben Cartwright to even bury.  Now come on boys, let’s talk to your sister and find out who those other boys were.”


Cochise ran for what seemed like a lifetime to the young boy who bounced over hard ground and harder yet, rocks and stones.  Joe’s body beat and banged, flopped up and down as Cochise galloped for home, the screams from the tossing body that followed in his hoof prints scaring further the already terrified horse.  By the time that the painful wails had died, the horse, its sides heaving, finally stopped.  The body of his master lay silent and still in the dirt behind him.  Cochise nickered softly and turned approaching Joe with caution, his large dark eyes watching for any movement that might warn the horse of any lurking danger.

Cochise’s cold nose sniffed the still form.  He knew the boy’s smell, knew that this person who had oddly grown unresponsive and soundless, was the one who had always cared for him.  The horse snorted and raised his head, looking about him, as if wondering where help might be.  Cochise took a couple of steps but stopped short when Joe groaned softly.  Something wasn’t right, the boy was supposed to get up, but Joe remained where he was.  Again the horse moved forward and stopped.  Instinct warned the horse that moving caused his master to cry out in distress.  

Joe had trained his pinto with loving care and devotion.  The horse had responded well to that special treatment and somehow knew or sensed that now the boy needed him.  With his nose sniffing at Joe, the scent of blood fresh in the air, Cochise whinnied loudly several times as he stood watch and waited, pawing at the ground next to the unconscious boy.  


Ben slung his saddle unto Buck’s back and pulled the chinch tightly.  He was angry, he had repeatedly warned his youngest son not to tarry along the way but to hurry home from town where he had sent the eighteen-year-old to do some errands for him.  Adam and Hoss had led their mounts from the barn and waited in the fading evening light for their father to finish saddling his horse.

“Pa ain’t too happy with Little Joe.  I’d hate to be that boy, when Pa catches up to him,” mumbled Hoss to Adam who was mounting his horse.

“I don’t know why that boy insists on pushing Pa the way he does.  When is he ever going to learn that if he would just do as Pa asks, he’d live a whole lot happier life, but then, so would the rest of us,” groaned Adam.

“I heard that Adam,” stated Ben as he pulled the barn door closed behind him and turned to mount his horse.  “And I agree with you.  Joe should have been home hours ago.  Look at this hair, no wonder I can’t find any dark hairs anymore, Joseph has managed to turn them all silver.”  

Ben turned his head to hide his smile.  He was angry with the boy who often refused to obey his commands, though he knew that most of the time it was unintentional and more by nature, not by blatant disobedience.  Right at present, he was more worried about what might have happened to his son than he was angry because the boy had failed to show up by dinnertime.

The three men had ridden for several miles, the evening light beginning to make it harder to see and Ben was just about to call a halt to his search when the sounds of a horse in distress reached his ears.

Cochise, picking up the scent of his stable mates, whinnied loudly.  Ben stood in the stirrups, seeking the direction from which the sound came.  

“Cochise,” shouted Adam, pointing to his father’s left.  Kicking his mount hard, Adam tore down the hillside, Ben and Hoss behind him.

Cochise skirted to the side as Adam bounded from his saddle and tried to grab the frightened horse’s reins.  “Whoa boy, easy now,” Adam said softly, his fingers wrapping around the strips of leather.  

“Joseph,” Adam heard his father mutter and glanced over his shoulder at Ben who was gently turning Joe over onto his back.

Joe lay face down in the dirt.  His shirt, which had been relieved of its buttons, was tattered and lay over Joe’s dark mass of curls.  The boy’s arms were stretched out over his head, and when Ben made to take Joe into his arms, the unconscious boy moaned weakly.  Ben glanced down and noted the rope that bound his son’s feet, only one foot remained housed in his son’s boot while the other boot had been lost in the wild run.  Joe’s trousers were covered in dirt, the boy’s back and stomach blackened by the bruises that covered his bleeding flesh. Cuts and scrapes had begun to bleed but the blood had been squelched by the amount of dirt that filled the openings and added the danger of infections to Joe’s already feverish body.  Joe’s hair was coated with dirt, leaves and twigs had tangled themselves in the crown of dark curls that lay in damp ringlets about Joe’s head and face, and his hat had long since been swept away.

“Dear Lord,” cried Ben as he wiped the dirt from Joe’s face with his hand.  Adam, who had untied the rope from the saddle horn, handed his father a canteen, which Ben quickly pulled the cork from the spout and tipped it to Joe’s lips.  The water ran down his son’s chin, Joe was not even conscious enough to drink from the cool offering.

Hoss met his father’s eyes and saw the anger that turned the brown depths to dark ebony.  He felt himself shudder slightly, knowing that Ben’s wrath was quickly building.

“This was no accident,” grumbled Ben, holding Joe’s head pressed against his heart.  “Someone beat him badly before tying him to his horse like this.”

“But who Pa, and why?” asked Hoss, “who’d wanna hurt the kid like this?”

“I don’t know, but I will find out and when I find the man whom…”started Ben and suddenly stopped, seeing the same hate reflected back at him from Hoss’ blue eyes.

“Hoss, go for the doctor, Adam and I will get Joe home.  And Hoss, tell Roy to come with you, I want to talk to him,” ordered Ben as he carefully lifted his injured son into his arms.

“Yes sir,” Hoss complied and hurried to his horse.  “I won’t be long, just take care of ‘em Pa,” said Hoss with a catch in his voice.

“Don’t worry Hoss, Pa and I will have Joe all ready for when you get back with the doctor, just hurry,” he added with strained emotion embedded in his tone of voice.


It was much later that Ben and Adam carefully carried Joe into the house and quickly hurried to place him on his bed.  Using caution so as not to cause the boy any further discomfort, Ben and Adam removed Joe’s tattered clothing and while Hop Sing readied the water to bathe Joe, Adam gathered clean cloths and towels.  Ben remained by his son’s bed whispering softly his words of comfort to his son that had begun to moan as the pain intensified throughout his body.

“Pa,” muttered Joe, struggling to open his eyes and keep them that way.

“I’m here son,” soothed Ben, brushing the cool damp cloth across Joe’s forehead.  “What happened son, who did this to you?” whispered Ben, as he glanced up at Adam who had joined him at his brother’s bedside.

Joe closed his eyes and scrunched up his face, the pain nearly more than the young man could stand.  Slowly Joe shook his head back and forth.  “I didn’t…do anything…to her,” he stammered in a muted voice.

Ben again swapped anxious glances with his oldest son and then cut his attention back to Little Joe.  “You didn’t do anything to who, son?”

Adam and Ben were both sitting on either side of the bed and were leaning forward in an attempt to hear and understand the mangled words that Joe was uttering.

Adam touched his father’s arm, “I can’t make out what he’s trying to tell us, can you?”

Ben kept his eyes focused on Joe’s face but shook his head in answer to Adam’s question.  “No, only that he didn’t do anything to…her?  But who is he talking about?”

Joe tossed his head as Ben and Adam hurried to clean his wounds, wiping away the dirt that had collected over the upper half of his body that had been exposed to the hard, rough ground when his shirt had been ripped to pieces.

“Only…help…” whined Joe, his thoughts muddled as he tried to make them understand what had happened.  “Ohhh…” cried Joe when Ben raised his right arm to wash away the dried blood and dirt, “hurts…”

Ben gently lowered the arm, placing a small soft pillow under the elbow to keep the arm level with the rest of his son’s body.  Gently, Ben pulled the blanket up to cover Joe, tucking it carefully around the boy’s body.

“Shh…I know it hurts Joseph, but the doctor will be here soon and will make it stop,” Ben assured his son.  “Try to lie still son, and rest, I’ll be right here.”

Joe continued to toss about on the bed.  Adam and Ben, with Hop Sing’s help managed to bathe Joe and by the time that Paul Martin arrived, Joe had slipped into unconsciousness.  The physician was ushered into the room and within minutes was by Joe’s side caring for the numerous cuts and abrasions that adorned the boy’s body.

“Pa,” whispered Hoss while Paul tended to Joe.  “Roy’s downstairs.”

Ben glanced down at Joe and together with Adam, slipped from the room and followed Hoss down the stairs.  Roy stood in front of the fireplace; his thoughts trying to piece together the bits and pieces of information that had filtered into his office during the course of the day and how he was going to explain the situation to his best friend.

“Roy, thank you for coming,” greeted Ben, extending his hand and grasping Roy’s into his.  “I guess Hoss explained to you about finding Joseph?”

Roy shook his friend’s hand while nodding his head.  “Hoss told me, and said you have no idea who could have done such a thing.”

“That’s right Roy, or why.  Joe hasn’t been able to tell us anything; he’s only mumbled a few words about trying to help someone.  From what we can make out it must have been a female.  But we have no clue as to who she might have been,” explained Ben, offering a brandy to the sheriff.

“Thank you,” said Roy, accepting the goblet.  “Ben, where did you and the boys find Joe?”

Ben went into details to explain to the sheriff that Joe had been late in returning home and when he failed to show up after dinner, they had gone to look for the boy.  Joe had been unconscious when they had finally found him, bound and tied to his horse as he had been.  It had been in the boy’s favor that his horse had been trained well enough to at last stop and just stand close by, waiting for help to arrive to give aide to his young master.  

Ben explained that Joe must have been on his way home from town, at least, Ben said, that was where he had sent the boy.  How he came to be in the meadow to the west of their property line, he had yet to find out.  He could give no reasons to the sheriff as to why his son might have ventured so far off course, but he would find out, determined Ben as he voiced his promise aloud to the sheriff and his two sons who stood silently to the side.

Roy set his brandy on the coffee table and turned to face Ben.  “I gotta ask ya something Ben,” started Roy, eyeing his friend closely.

“What?” questioned Ben and then glanced at his two sons before returning to study the sheriff’s face.

Roy tapped his ten fingers together slowly.  “Do you know if Little Joe was over to the Macintosh place any time recently?”

Ben looked lost in thought.  “No, I don’t believe so Roy, he was told to stay away from there.  Why?”

“Well, I cain’t say that this has anything to do with your boy, but old man Macintosh and his two sons came into town earlier and was spouting off their mouths about seeing some boys hanging around out at their place.  He claimed to have not been able to see their faces but he managed to run them off but swore to find out who they were and when he did, he and his sons would take care of the rest of them,” explained Roy.

Adam interrupted before Roy could go on, “the rest of them?  What did he mean by that?”

“That’s what I was awondering, Adam,” said Roy, shaking his head in thought.  “I sorta got the idea that maybe he had already ‘taken care of’, as he called it, one of the boys,” he informed the Cartwrights.

“Ya think he meant Little Joe?” asked Hoss as he gave his father a questioning look.

“Roy, are you saying you think that Luther Macintosh might be responsible for what happened to Joseph?” asked Ben, surprised at the insinuation.  “I know he is a strange man, but Roy, what reason would he have to hurt Little Joe like that?”

Roy shook his head and picked up his brandy, finishing off the small amount that had remained in his goblet and then looked long into the dark eyes that watched and waited for his reply.

“Lori Macintosh, that’s what I think,” supplied Roy.

“His daughter?” stated Ben glancing toward Adam and Hoss who seemed just as surprised at the idea as their father seemed to be.

The sheriff nodded his head.  “Ben, he’s kept that girl hidden away for years now.  Seems like the young men around here finally got a glimpse of her and since have been trying to go acalling now for weeks.  Ole Luther keeps ‘em run off best he can, but some of them have managed to seek around to meet up with her when her pa and brothers are working in the fields.  Rumor going around, and mind ya, I say rumor, is that the girl might be in the family way.”

Ben’s mouth dropped opened and Hoss gave Adam a startled look.

“Roy, you aren’t suggesting that my son might have been involved with her, are you?” demanded Ben angrily.

“No, no, of course not Ben.  I was just wondering if’n maybe Little Joe might be able to shed some light on the matter, that’s all,” Roy quickly replied.

Ben glanced over at Adam and Hoss who stood silently, heads lowered.  “Do either one of you know anything about what Roy’s talking about?” he asked in a deep voice.

Hoss glanced at Adam but his older brother refused to look at him.  Ben witnessed the exchange between the two brothers and knew right then that both of them knew something that they had obviously wanted to keep to themselves.  Watching the expression on his middle son’s face, Ben targeted Hoss for his source of information.

“Hoss?” demanded Ben.

“Awe Pa…” the big man stammered feeling cornered by the pressure his father had just put on his massive shoulders.  He suddenly wished that his youngest brother had not taken him into his confidence the other day by telling him that he was thinking about asking Lori Macintosh to the dance this coming Saturday night.  Hoss had reminded the boy of their father’s warning to stay away from the young woman, but Joe had cast all caution to the wind and had seemed determined to pay no mind to their pa’s warning.

“Hoss!” Ben all but shouted, bringing the worried young man back to the present.

“Joe said he was thinking about asking the girl to the dance on Saturday,” Hoss rushed through his little confession.  “I warned him to stay away, but…well…you know Joe, once he sets him mind to something, there ain’t no changin’ it.”

Ben slapped the side of his leg with his opened hand, angered at learning that once again, Joseph had defied his orders.  “When will that boy ever learn to follow orders?” grumbled Ben and stepped up closer to Hoss, who stood with his chin on his chest.

“Hoss, did your brother say whether or not he had been with the girl before?” questioned Ben.

Hoss shook his head and then looked into his father’s dark eyes that seemed to be fixed on his own face and noted the uncertainty in their depths.

“No sir.  Joe just said that he liked the girl and thought he would ask her to the dance.  I ain’t got no idey whether or not he’s been slipping around to see the girl, honest Pa, he ain’t said,” added Hoss for good measure.

Before Ben could question his son for more information, Paul Martin slowly made his way down the stairs and joined the four men already in the room.

“Paul?” questioned Ben facing the physician.

“Ben, the boy’s resting comfortably right now.  He’s been in a lot of pain and I’ve given him something for that.  I left the powders with Hop Sing with instructions on how and when to give them to Little Joe.  The boy’s right arm is broken and I’ve set that.”  Paul took a deep breath and glanced around at the worried faces of his friends.

“He has been through a lot Ben.  His upper body has been scraped and torn, bruised by all the hard knocks he’s taken.  I’ve sewn a couple of the worst gashes up; the others I applied some medicated suave to.  How the boy managed to get through what he’s been through with only a broken arm is beyond me, I don’t need to tell you Ben, just how lucky the boy was in that respect.  But Ben, now we have to watch for infection and fever.  Joe had a nasty pump knot on his head, I believe that is partly what has kept him so disorientated.  I’m hoping after he gets some rest, and the pain becomes less, he will be more coherent and can tell us what happened,” concluded the doctor.

Ben let out a long sigh of relief and offered the first smile of the evening.  “Thank God,” he uttered softly.


Luther’s eyes were red with anger as he stomped around the table where Lori sat silent in a chair.

“You tell me who the boy is, now!” he demanded, lowering his body so that his face was inches from his daughter’s.  “I’ll whip the hide right off’n ya body, if ya don’t tell who it is that did this to ya!” he threatened.

Lori’s face was wet where her tears had dampened her cheeks.  Her body trembled in fear of her father’s wrath and she used every trick she could think of to avoid telling her father who she had been secretly meeting.  

“Speak up girl!” shouted Luther, his loud boisterous voice giving his young daughter cause to tremble.

Lori cast anxious eyes up at her father, her nose picking up the scent of alcohol on his warm breath and she cringed.

“Come on girl, tell Pa who the boy is!” ranted Drake loudly as he paced back and forth across the room.  He stopped suddenly and grabbed his sister by the hair and forced her to look at him.

Lori screamed and grabbed at her head, “Stop, stop,” she cried as Drake hauled her to her feet.  “I don’t know, honest,” she screamed as she yanked away from her brother’s hold.

“She’s lying Pa, I know she is!” shouted Drake.  “Make her tell us, I’ll kill the bastard for touching her…”

“Hold on, hold on,” shouted Luther and grabbed Lori’s arm, forcing her back into the chair.  “Listen up girl, I want to know right now…who have ya been sneaking off to meet?”

Lori’s tears began dripping down her cheeks again, afraid to give away her secret.

“It’s that Cartwright kid, ain’t it?” yelled Drake.  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you and he thinks no one notices.”

“Cartwright?” bellowed Luther.  “Ain’t that the kid we tied to his horse the other day and run off?”

“That’s him…Ben Cartwright’s youngest boy.  Pa, if ole man Cartwright finds out who had his kid dragged like that, he’ll be coming after us,” said Drake suddenly worried.

“Lori, is the Cartwright boy the one ya been meetin’ up with?” demanded her father.

Lori trembled in fear of what her father might do to her if she did not tell him what he wanted to know.

“Yes Pa, Little Joe and me have been seeing each other for about three months now,” Lori proclaimed.  

Luther gave Drake a sly smile.  “That could be to our advantage.”

“What do you mean, Pa?”  Luther had Drake’s full attention and neither father nor son noticed when Lori slipped from the room and out the door.

“You idiot, don’t you see?  Lori’s gonna need money to take care of that baby of hers.  You know we ain’t got enough as it is.  And we both know that the Cartwrights would never agree to one of theirs marryin’ one of ours.  So, we tell them that if’n they don’t give Lori enough money to get outta town and enough to properly care for that brat of hers we’re gonna tell everyone who will listen that my grandchild is a bastard Cartwright,” laughed Luther gleefully.

“But Pa,” worried Drake, “what’s gonna happen if’n the boy tells his Pa he ain’t the daddy of Lori’s baby?  His old man ain’t gonna believe anything we say, he’s gonna believe his own son, ‘sides, we aint’s so sure the boy’s even alive, not after what we done to’em.”

Luther seemed lost in thought and scratched his head.  Seconds later he turned to look into his son’s eyes.  “He ain’t dead, if’n he was, we’d aheard about it.  Come on, let’s us take a little ride over ta the Ponderosa and have a little talk with the mighty Mr. Cartwright.”


“PA!” cried out Joe, his conscious mind drifting in and out of what he considered the real world.  He longed to be able to talk to his father, there were bits and pieces of conversation that he had overhead, things that troubled him, yet he could not get focused enough to be able to form his words so that his father could understand.

“Shh…” whispered Ben trying to calm his anxious son.  Ben had held steadfast to his duty of remaining by his son’s bedside.  Joe had spiked a fever, infection had settled in several of the gashes that had been cut into the boy’s upper body and the pain medicine had seem to offer little relief to his son’s agony.

“Try to rest son, your Pa’s right here,” soothed Ben as he brushed back the wild curls that had stuck to his son’s sweat coated forehead.

Joe tossed his head from side to side and moaned, his body ached from the abuse it had suffered and Joe’s subconscious had long since given up the idea of trying to ignore the pain.  Tiny clear droplets of water trickled down the sides of his face and Ben dabbed gently at the swollen cheeks with a soft cloth.  Joe’s face was bruised, his left eye was now swollen shut, the dark bruises had begun to turn red and yellow and looked to Ben to be painful enough by them selves, let alone added to all the other injuries.  

Ben lifted his head at the sound of hooves in the yard below and slowly crossed the room to peer from behind the clear shears that hung at the window.  Instantly Ben felt his anger begin to boil as he watched Luther Macintosh, his daughter Lori, and his oldest son, Drake dismount from their horses and move across the yard toward the house.  Quickly, giving one swift glance at Joe who had drifted into a troublesome sleep, Ben hurried down the stairs.  Just as he reached the landing, the front door to his home opened and Adam entered first, followed by Luther and his family.  Hoss stepped inside behind the trio, glancing upward at his father who still remained positioned on the landing.

Adam hurried to cross the room as Ben descended the steps and met his father just as Ben placed his foot onto the wide boarded planks of the floor.  Adam noted the dark menacing look that had developed in his father’s eyes and placed his hand firmly on his father’s arm.

“Pa,” he spoke in a quiet calm voice that drew his father’s attention.  Ben stared into the piercing eyes of his oldest son and sensed the fire that burned beneath the calm exterior of his son’s composure and knew that Adam was feeling the same animosity toward their guests as he was.

“Mr. Macintosh and his daughter wish to speak to you,” he said, hiding his true feelings by keeping his back to the unsavory family group.

Ben met Adam’s stare and took a deep breath to steady himself.  He knew that as of yet there was no proof that Macintosh and his sons had attack Joe and realized that at this point it would be best to hide any hints that might give the suspect an inkling to their suspicions.  

“Luther,” greeted Ben and accepted the man’s hand when Luther offered his and then fought the urge to wipe the feel of the man’s flesh from his own hand by wiping his palm on the leg of his trousers.

Adam stood slightly behind his father, peering over his shoulder.  Hoss had moved to position himself behind the older man and his daughter.  From his position, he had a good view of Drake who had stepped to the left of his father.

“Miss Lori,” Ben tipped his head slightly, “what brings you out our way?” asked Ben in a voice the kept hidden his distaste for the ones who now stood before him.

Luther cast a wary glance at his son and daughter and then cleared his throat.  “Well now, Ben, I don’t exactly know how to say this…”

“Why not just come right out with it?” urged Ben, anxious to know the reason for the man’s visit and more anxious to return to his son’s bedside.

“Alright, guess there ain’t no sense in beatin’ ‘round the bush.  I’ll just say it plain and simple like, my Lori here and your youngest boy…” Luther paused to take a breath.

“Little Joe?” supplied Ben.

“Yeah, the one ya call Little Joe…the good lookin’ one that’s always after the girls, that’s him,” grunted Luther.

Hoss bristled at the comment and cast angry eyes at Adam who was clinching his jaw tightly.

“What about Little Joe?” asked Ben, getting perturbed at the man for taking up so much of his time.

“Well, your boy, Little Joe, and my Lori…well, they’s agonna have a baby, that’s what.”  

Luther watched Ben’s expression and smiled to himself when he saw the shock that caused the distressed father’s face to drain of color.  Adam’s lower jaw dropped slightly but he was quick to recover and stepped closely in behind his father, placing a reassuring hand on Ben’s shoulder.  Hoss too had moved until he stood face to face with Luther who appeared to be gloating at the Cartwright’s sudden discomfort.

“What do ya mean, havin’ a baby?” demanded Hoss angrily.  

He was stunned, he had known Joe had intended to ask the girl to the dance, and he did have his suspicions that Joe might be sneaking around to see the girl, but to have a baby?  No, Hoss didn’t believe that for one minute.

“Hoss,” stammered Ben, struggling to compose himself.

“Luther, Miss Lori, please, have a seat.  I think we need to talk,” suggested Ben and stepped aside to allow his company to sit.  Lori placed herself next to her father on the settee while Drake stood quietly to the side, a tiny smirk on his face that did not go unnoticed by Adam.

“Now Lori, please, can you tell me what has been going on?” encouraged Ben who had lowered himself onto the table in front of the couch.

Lori lowered her head, to hide her embarrassment, or so the Cartwrights thought.  In truth, she was trying to hide her smile for it appeared that her plan was working, by allowing her father to draw his own conclusions, Lori hoped to have enough money to escape from her father’s home and leave her secret behind.  She would give up the child just as soon as the baby was born, let her father and the Cartwrights wonder about the baby, she didn’t care, she could not afford the burden it would bring.

“Well, Mr. Cartwright,” said Lori in a quiet and meek voice.  

She raised her head slightly and looked at the man across from her under lowered lashes.  He was angry; she could tell that much just by the expression on his face and from the way his eyes had turned from brown to ebony.

“It’s true sir, Little Joe and I have been seeing each other for several weeks now.  We didn’t want anyone to know, so we sneaked around every chance we got.  Pa found out the other day when Little Joe came calling…” Lori lowered her head again in fear that Ben might be able to tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t nearly as upset as she would lead him to believe.

Ben glanced over at Luther and then up at Drake who had remained silent through the whole conversation.  Probably warned by his father to keep his mouth shut thought Ben, glancing back at the girl who appeared to be rather nervous.

Ben studied the girl’s face, not sure if she were telling the truth or not and secretly hoping that she might be lying.  But if she weren’t…dear God, thought Ben…a baby?

“Miss Lori,” said Ben softly then turned to her father, “Luther, I am at a loss as to what to say.  If this is true…”

“Ya callin’ my sister a liar, mister?” shouted Drake, coming around the settee.

Ben rose to his feet just as Hoses stepped between his father and the younger man who had moved his hand to his side close to his pistol.

“No, by all means I am not.  I did not mean to imply that she was lying, all I meant was that I have yet to speak with my son on this manner; to hear what he has to say,” replied Ben quickly.

Luther stood to his feet, “well Cartwright, what’ca intend to do about this?”

Ben glanced at his sons and then back at his guest.  “I don’t intend to do anything about this, that is until Joseph can tell me his side of this story,” stated Ben firmly.

“It’s true Mister Cartwright, honest,” whimpered Lori as she began to cry.  “We didn’t mean for it to happen, but it just did.  We only…well…it was only one time, honest.”

Ben sat back down on the coffee table and took the girl’s hand into his.  “Please don’t cry Lori.  I’m sure we can work out something.”  Only one time, thought Ben, didn’t they realize that one time is all it takes?

Ben’s head was beginning to throb, surely, he thought; Joseph couldn’t have done what this girl was implying.  He had hoped that he had raised his son better than to…to…lose control of his emotions and take advantage of a young woman!

Ben sighed deeply, his woe clearly plain on his face. “I’m sorry Lori, but I need proof.  Right now Joe is in no shape to tell us anything.  He’s….”

“Sick,” supplied Adam, sensing his father’s hesitation and not wanting to let on to this family of misfits, Joe’s condition.

Luther sat down next to his daughter and nudged her with his shoulder.  “Tell him daughter, tell him what ya told me.”  Luther stood to his feet and faced Ben.  “She has proof…she knows somethin’ about your boy that would be impossible for her ta know, unless the boy was…naked,” leered Luther, spraying his spittle into Ben’s face.

Ben took a step backward, a son on each side of him.  “What?” he demanded in an angry tone.

“Mister Cartwright, Little Joe…well…he has a scar.  On the inside of his left leg, right about here,” Lori pointed to the top of her leg, where she claimed Joe’s scar was.  “I noticed it when we…umm…were alone.  He told me that he got it when he was little and fell while hiding in the barn loft.”

Adam sensed rather than felt the tremors that coursed through his father’s body and watched as the anger suddenly changed to defeat.  He knew the girl was right about his brother having a scar and he also knew that the only way she could have known about it was if she had seen it.  Plus she knew the story behind the cause of the scar.

 Looking up at Luther, Ben rose again, slowly.  “What is it that you want?”

Luther had to struggle to keep his pleasure from showing on his face.  “Well, I don’t suspect ya want these two kids ta get married now do ya?”

Ben’s head shot up, “I want to do what’s right for the girl…and the baby,” stammered Ben.  “I…need time…to talk to Joseph, you understand.”

Ben heard his stomach rumble.  He wasn’t hungry; he was sick, sick with fear and dread.

“Mister Cartwright,” Lori whispered in a soft voice.  “I…I…I don’t want to marry Little Joe,” she said.

“Now daughter!” Luther nearly shouted, he had hoped he could force a marriage, just think he told himself, the Ponderosa…part of it could be his…ere…his daughter’s.  But he could benefit from that he silently told himself.

Lori whirled around, her eyes dark with unspoken anger, her nostrils flaring.  “I said, I do not want to marry Joe Cartwright.  And you, or you,” she turned and pointed a finger at Ben, “can’t make me!”

“Please calm down,” Ben said quietly, placing his hands on the girl’s shoulders.  He could feel the tension in her body.  “No body is going to make you do anything that you do not want to do.  I’m sure we can find a solution to our problem.”

Lori began to weep and leaned her head against Ben’s chest.  “I want to go away.  I want to go back east, to live with my aunt.  But I don’t have any money, please…” she sobbed.

Ben cast worried eyes first at his two sons and then at the girl’s father.  “I ain’t got money to send her Ben, and I surely ain’t got money to give her to care properly for the babe,” stated Luther.

“Pa,” said Adam and stepped to his father’s side.  “Why not give the girl what she needs?”

Ben turned confused eyes toward his son.  Surely Adam wasn’t suggesting that they buy the girl off?  No matter what Joseph had done, this young woman was carrying his grandchild.

“How much do you think you would need?” asked Adam, turning from his father’s dark probing eyes to face Luther, who seemed pleased with the offer.

Lori had moved to her father’s side, Luther’s arm was placed protectively around his daughter’s shoulders.  With his free hand, he scratched at his face where the day old growth of hair formed a dark shadow over his chin.

“Hmm…well it is mighty costly to raise young’ons nowadays.  What might ya offer?” he said, hopefully.

“Why I…I’m not sure,” stammered Ben.

“How about the cost of the ticket back east and say…hmm…twenty five thousand dollars?” suggested Adam quickly before giving his father time to respond.

Adam noted the pleased expression that darted into Luther’s eyes.  He was right, the man was here attempting to swindle money from his father.  Adam was surprised to see that his father had not caught on to the deceptive man’s little game.  Adam glanced at his father and saw the strained expression on his face.  Ben had been so worried about Joe’s condition and health that he had been unable to think clearly.

“I’d think perhaps, twice that much might be more to our likin’,” Adam heard Luther say.

“Fifty thousand?” roared Ben.

“Well…now ya wouldn’t want the good people of Virginia City to get wind of this, now would ya?  I mean, a man with ya reputation, might not be so well looked upon if’n they were ta find out that one of ya boys fathered a bastard.  And ya gotta think about the baby, how’d think it’ll feel, knowin’ he was a bastard Cartwright?” Luther said forcibly, his smirk well hidden behind his hand that he used to wipe the drool from his mouth.

Ben was livid and he turned to Adam.  “That’s not too much, Pa…after all, we have our reputations to consider.”

“Mista Cartlite, come quickly,” called Hop Sing from the top of the stairs, interrupting Ben and his guest.  “Lil’ Joe, he ask for you.”

Ben hurried toward the steps but stopped and turned.  “Get out of my house Macintosh, now!” demanded Ben as he bolted up the stairs.

“Ya best leave now, Mister Macintosh,” said Hoss as he moved to open the door.

Luther snatched up his hat and glared at Adam, “Ya best make sure that father of yours listens ta ya.  My daughter cain’t wait much longer afore getting’ outta town.  I meant what I said boy, about the good folks around here.”

Luther took Lori by the arm and rushed her out the door.  Drake followed, but paused momentarily, giving both Hoss and Adam an evil glare.  

“That brother of yours is lucky to be alive.  I’d a kilt him if’n pa would’ve let me.  If’n my sister ain’t properly cared for, I’ll make sure the boy is dead next time.”

Hoss made a movement to grab at the despicable man, but was stopped when Adam grabbed his arm.  “Let him go Hoss.  He just bought himself some jail time.”


Ben’s mind was crowded with disturbing thoughts and worries as he rushed to his son’s bedside.  Joe’s head was tossing from side to side, his brow was beaded with droplets of sweat and Joe struggled to open his one good eye.

“Pa…Pa…” whined Joe, his hand searching the air for his father’s hand.

Ben caught Joe’s hand as it frayed about in the air and held it firmly within his own.  

“Shh…Joseph, I’m right here son,” Ben said in a quiet voice.

Joe turned his head toward the sound of his father’s voice.  “I…didn’t…” Joe’s voice faded, his strength had been worn by such a small effort as to seek his father’s face and comforting voice.

Adam appeared at the door; the anger that had drawn his handsome face into a nasty frown glowed angrily in the soft glow of the lamp.  Quickly he pulled up the chair next to the bed and lowered his body onto the cushion.

“How’s he doing Pa?” asked Adam, stretching his arm out to place his hand on Joe’s brow.  “He’s still pretty warm,” surmised the oldest Cartwright son.

“He’s trying so hard to tell me something, but he doesn’t have enough strength to even get his words out,” muttered Ben sadly and then turning to face Adam.  “God son,” he whispered, “a baby…” Ben’s voice trailed off into silence and Ben covered his face with his opened hand.

Hoss had slipped silently into the room and joined his brother and his father.  “Try not to worry Pa,” offered Hoss, placing his large beefy hand on his father’s shoulder.

“Worry?” stammered Ben, choked with emotion.  “Didn’t you hear what that girl said?  She’s going to have a baby, a baby son, Joseph’s baby!” Ben blared and moved from the bed to the window where he stood for several moments with his back to his sons.

“Pa…”

Ben whirled around and rushed back to the bed, taking Joe’s hand into his.  “What is it sweetheart?  What are you trying to tell your Papa?”

“Baby…no,” cried Joe, the sudden rush of tears springing from his eyes.

Adam glanced at his father and saw the frightened look that had crossed Ben’s face.  

“Son,” said Ben softly, brushing Joe’s cheek with the back of his hand.  “What do you know about the baby?” he encouraged.

“No…baby,” Joe’s voice strained at the words that seemed locked in the back of his throat.  “Hurt…” he forced himself to say.

“I know you hurt son, but…” began Ben but stopped when Joe began to whither in pain.

“NO!” he cried out.  “No…hurt her…she…Lori…father.”

“Joseph, I don’t understand what it is you’re trying to tell me, son?  Its Lori Macintosh you’ve been seeing, isn’t it?”  Ben hoped to help his son untangle the meaning to his mysterious words.

“Lori…yes…” Joe managed to keep his uninjured eye opened just long enough to get a peek at his father’s face.  “Sorry…” he whispered, his voice muted by lack of strength and thick with emotion.

Ben’s head dropped, his hopes had been shattered and he fought to control the onslaught of tears that threatened to fill his eyes.  Adam, seeing his father struggling to control himself, reached across the bed and laid his hand on his father’s arm.

“Pa,” whispered Adam in a soft voice so as not to disturb his brother who had finally relaxed enough to fall into a deep sleep.

The softness of Adam’s voice was in contradiction to the anger that could still be seen on his face, but the tone was enough to catch Hoss’ attention as well as his father’s.

“Pa,” repeated Adam, “I don’t know what their game is, but I assure you the girl was lying.  Now as to whether or not her father knows, I can’t be sure, but the girl was lying,” Adam told them.

Hoss scrunched up his nose and glanced at Ben.  “How ya figure, big brother?”

Adam smiled a crooked little smile.  “Hoss, where is that scar Miss Macintosh was talking about?”

Both Ben and Hoss appeared deep in thought and then suddenly Ben smiled but waited for his middle son to answer the question.

It was as if someone had tossed a lighted match onto dry twigs, the light came into Hoss’ eyes.  “It’s on the inside of short shanks right leg, just above the bend of his knee!”

“That’s right brother, not on the inner thigh of his left leg!” smiled Adam.

“Well I’ll be, I guess I was so caught up in Joe’s other problems here and all that garbage about Joe and Lori that I wasn’t paying much attention to the important things.  But you are right son,” replied Ben.

“But,” said Ben standing to his feet and motioning for Adam and Hoss to follow him out into the hallway.  “That only proves that Miss Macintosh was mistaken about the correct location of Joe’s little scar.  It doesn’t mean that Joe hasn’t been…intimate with the girl.  We all heard what he said a little while ago.”

“Yeah, but Pa, I don’t think Short Shanks did what that little filly’s accusing him of doing.  Joe might be a lady’s man, or try to be, but Pa, when it comes to respecting a lady, Joe always does that,” added Hoss, constantly quick to defend his baby brother.

Ben smiled slightly at the thoughts of his eighteen-year old son being a lady’s man.  “I hope you’re right Hoss, God I hope you’re right.”


Kit Macintosh slipped from the barn and quietly into the house.  He had overheard his father’s plans to extort money from the Cartwrights.  He felt bad for the family, it wasn’t right, he knew and his conscience was beginning to bother him.  He had already played a part in injuring the youngest Cartwright boy.  Kit had been stunned to return home with his father and brother and see the group of boys pawing after Lori as they had been doing.  He had been more shocked to see Little Joe among the group.  He had always considered Joe a friend of his but now, he wasn’t so sure.  If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed that Joe Cartwright could have stooped so low as to join in with the gang of ruffians who had attacked his sister.  

Kit had seen the problem coming for weeks now.   The young men around in the area had taken a sudden interest in the pretty girl once they realized she was alive and it had been about all his father and brother and himself could do to keep them run off.  But now the truth was out, Lori was going to have a baby, soon the whole town would be talking unless they could find some way to get the young woman out of here, and soon.  He supposed that the plan his father had come up with, to spread the gossip about Little Joe and his sister would work, Ben Cartwright had too much to lose by letting his good name, or that of one of his sons, be dragged through the dirt.  But still, it didn’t seem quite right somehow deemed Kit, considering his part in the triangle.


Little Joe hovered between the darkened world of nothingness and the real world from which he belonged for several more days.  His temperature had skyrocketed and it had taken Ben and his sons’ untiring efforts to keep Joe from succumbing to his injuries.  Several times Paul Martin had been sent for, as fear of death lingered at Joe’s bedside.  Ben had prayed night and day for his son’s recovery, finally giving in to his faith and promising God that whatever the outcome, he would accept God’s decision concerning Joe’s life.

During these days of brooding, Luther Macintosh continued to pay frequent visits to the Ponderosa attempting to pressure Ben into money.  Each time, Luther was turned away with angry promises that as soon as Little Joe was well enough to tell his father his side of the grim tale, then and only then would Ben speak with him in regards to funds for Lori and her unborn baby.

Ben sent Adam into town nearly everyday hoping to hear news from the sheriff about Joe’s beating.  Roy sent word back that nothing more had been found, though from all accounts and going only on the words of gossip, it appeared that Luther and his sons were at fault.  Adam relayed to the sheriff, Drake’s near confession to the crime but Roy still insisted that without proof, nothing could be done.  Hopefully, he told Adam, Joe would recover enough to be able to name his attackers and then, only then Roy stated firmly, would he have cause to arrest the family.


“Come on Lori, we have to get out of here.”

“No!  Not yet, we need that money from Mr. Cartwright.  Don’t you understand its fifty thousand dollars!  Just think what we could do with money like that,” Lori stated and turned her back on the other person.

“It won’t mean a plug nickel to us if’n old man Cartwright finds out who beat up Little Joe.  Now I think it would be wise for us to get outta town now, your Pa can wire you the money later.”

“Pa?  Are you crazy?  If Pa ever gets his hands on that much money, you know darn well that he’ll never send me a penny of it,” Lori nearly shouted and stomped off in anger.

“We don’t need it Lori…honest, I can take care of you and the baby, if you would just give me the chance.”

“I know you would, honest, but just think…fifty thousand dollars!” stated Lori, turning and smiling.

“I can’t let them do it Lori.  It isn’t right, and we both know it.  Little Joe was only trying to protect you; God only knows what those boys would have done to you if he hadn’t come along when he did.  It ain’t right to demand money from them now.  You have to tell your father Lori, and soon.  You know what he said he’d do if’n he didn’t get the money soon.”  

Lori hung her head and sighed deeply.  “If I tell Pa, you know he’d beat us both half to death.  I’m afraid of him,” cried Lori and allowed the arms of the young man to slip around her shoulders and hold her tightly.

“I love you Lori, I won’t let him hurt you, ever again, I promise.  But we have to tell the Cartwrights.”

“I know,” whispered Lori.  “I just wish…”

“Ya wish what daughter?” shouted Luther as he entered the barn and pulled the door tightly shut behind him.

Lori screamed as her father advanced toward her, his arm raised to strike out at her.  Suddenly there was a loud boom; Luther froze in his tracks before falling to the ground in a heap at the young people’s feet.

Lori screamed again as she felt herself shoved toward the barn door.  Quickly her companion yanked opened the door and pushed her outside into the bright sun, “run Lori, run.”

Luther groaned and struggled to his feet, groaning loudly as he pushed himself up.  Staggering to the door, Luther pointed his pistol and fired.

Lori watched in horror as her companion’s body stiffened and slumped to the ground, writhing in pain.  “Go Lori, run…don’t let him catch you,” came the agonized plea.

Lori, who had already mounted her horse, glanced one last time at the body on the ground.  “I love you,” she heard as another shot ripped the silence that had settled about them, putting an end to the young life at her feet.

“You come back here, daughter,” shouted Luther angrily as he clutched at his side where the first bullet had entered his body.

The horse bolted nearly flinging the young girl from the saddle.  Somehow Lori managed to remain seated as the horse galloped off in fright of the unfamiliar loud noises.  Lori’s tears blinded her, she had dropped the reins and there was nothing she could do but to hold on as the horse made it’s way into opened country.

From across the mesa, Hoss and Adam were slowly making their way homeward.  Ben had sent both of his sons into town, hoping to give them a break from their constant vigil at their brother’s bedside.  They had been to see Roy trying to find out if he were any closer to finding the responsible parties that had first beat and then tied their youngest brother to his horse to be dragged.

They were nearly back to the ranch when a cloud of dust on the horizon caught Adam’s attention.

“Hoss, hold up, look,” said Adam as he pulled his mount up and pointed off into the distance.

“Looks like a run away horse,” muttered Hoss as he shielded his eyes from the bright sun.

“Looks like they’re headed straight for the ranch, come on.”  Adam kicked at Sport’s sides and took off after the runaway rider.

Lori’s horse stopped suddenly, causing her to slip from the saddle.  Quickly she ran, screaming hysterically toward the house and nearly collided with Ben as he rushed out the door to see what the ruckus was.

Adam and Hoss rode into the yard just in time to see their father gathered the young woman into his arms as she collapsed to the ground.  Ben began talking in a calm voice, his hand brushing back her hair that had escaped the hairpins so that he might see the girl’s face.

“He’s dead…he’s dead…” she wailed in a screeching voice that rang in the ears of the three men who gathered around the young woman.

“Miss Macintosh, please,” soothed Ben, “who is dead?  Who are you talking about?”  Ben cast anxious eyes at his sons who looked as baffled by the girl’s words as he was.

“He killed him…Oh, Mr. Cartwright…he killed him!” Lori continued to scream.

Ben gathered the young woman up into his arms and motioned toward the house.  “Let’s get her inside.”  

Hoss hurried to open the door and Ben carried the distressed woman to the settee where he gently laid her down.  Adam quickly poured a brandy and handed it to his father.

“Please, Miss Lori, drink this,” offered Ben, holding the tiny glass to the girl’s lips where she sipped slowly of the sweet tasting liquor.  

Lori stared into the faces of each man and began crying once again, her shoulders trembling as she sobbed.

“Miss Macintosh, Lori, can you tell us what happened?  Who is dead? And who killed who?” asked Ben gently, seeing that the brandy was beginning to have a calming affect on the weeping girl.

Lori looked into Ben’s eyes and brushed at her tears.  “It’s all my fault…my fault,” she wept.

Ben was becoming exasperated, and gently shook the girl by the shoulders.  “Tell us what happened, please,” he encouraged.

Lori sniffed her nose.  “Mr. Cartwright, Kit, he’s dead,” cried Lori.

“Your brother?” asked Hoss, shocked.  “But I thought you just said your Pa killed someone?”

“You aren’t saying that your pa killed your brother are you?” inquired Adam, giving his father a troublesome look.

“Yes.  Pa caught us together in the barn.”  Lori hung her head and then glanced around at the three Cartwrights.  “Kit wanted to tell you…he said it wasn’t right what Pa was making me do to you…all of you.”

“Just what are you talking about girl?”  Ben’s voice had taken on a dark ring to it; Adam and Hoss both were aware that Ben was quickly getting angry, not so much at the girl, but at what he suspected the girl’s father of having done.

“Please, start at the beginning,” ordered Ben, sitting on the table in front of the crying young woman.

“First I want to tell you how sorry I am…for lying…and for Little Joe getting hurt the way he did.  Kit didn’t mean no harm to come to Little Joe, honest Mr. Cartwright.  But when Pa came home that day and found him there…well, Pa got real mad like and he and Drake beat up your son and then tied him to his horse and had him dragged.”

Adam could see his father’s nostrils begin to flare as Ben’s anger mounted.  “So he did attack Joseph.”

“Yes sir,” answered Lori.

“Why?  What reason did your Pa and brothers have for doing what they did to my brother?” demanded Adam.  “Is he or is he not the father of your baby?”  Adam, who had been sitting next to the girl, jumped to his feet.  “You lied to us didn’t you?  Who were you covering up for?”  

“Take it easy son, you’re scaring the girl,” said Ben softly and then turned back to Lori, placing his hands over hers.

“Adam’s right isn’t he?  You were covering up for someone else, weren’t you?” he asked.

Lori nodded her head, “Yes sir.”  

She raised her head and stared into Ben’s eyes.  “Little Joe ain’t the daddy of my baby, Mr. Cartwright.  I don’t know why he was over to my place that day, but it was lucky for me that he came when he did.  Some of Drake’s friends stopped by to see him, but when I told them he wasn’t there, and that I didn’t know when he would be back, well they…they attacked me.  Little Joe was trying to protect me against all four of them and then when Pa and my brothers rode up, they all ran off and Little Joe was the only one there.  Pa didn’t take no time to ask questions, he just roped your son and then he and Drake beat him.  Drake tied the rope to your son’s saddle and Pa walloped his horse on the rump and scared him off.  Kit didn’t do nuthin’ to your boy, honest Mr. Cartwright.”

Adam and Hoss exchanged glances with their father.  “But why did Luther kill Kit?  I don’t understand.  And why did you lie about my son and you?”

Tears formed in Lori’s eyes and dripped slowly down her cheeks.  “Cause, Pa found out about the baby, after he done what he done to your son.  He was raving mad, he slapped me around, and Drake, he pulled my hair and called me names.  Pa demanded that I tell him who the father was…and I was…scared, Mr. Cartwright.”

“So ya lied,” stated Hoss firmly, his lips pressed tightly together.

Lori bobbed her head up and down.  “I thought that Joe was dead, I knew if he was, Pa couldn’t hurt my baby’s papa.  And when he asked me if it were Little Joe, I just let Pa and Drake think that it was,” confessed the girl.

“So your father decided then to try to blackmail me into giving you the money, so that you could go away.  Is that right?” Ben asked, softly.

“Yes sir, ‘cepting, I knew that once Pa got the money, he wouldn’t give me and Kit any.  We knowed he keep it all for himself.  He didn’t really care anything about Kit or me.  Drake was his whole life,” Lori continued.

“Where does Kit fit into all of this?” questioned Adam.

“Kit’s the father of my baby,” Lori told them.

Silence hung heavy in the large opened room as three mouths dropped opened in shock.

“Your brother, is the father of your unborn baby?” asked Ben when he was finally able to find his voice again.

“Mr. Cartwright, Kit ain’t really my brother.  Oh, people around here think he is, but he ain’t really no blood kin.  His real ma and pa were killed by injuns when Kit was a little boy and my Pa and Ma took him in.  Pa was always mean to him, Kit, he weren’t nuthin’ like Pa and my brother Drake.  Kit was good and sweet and I suppose I’ve loved him for years, and he loved me…not like a sister, but you know…like a man’s suppose to love a woman.  Well, when Pa found out that Joe wasn’t really the baby’s father and that now he didn’t have no way of getting money out of you, he started beating me again, and Kit tried to help me. Kit stepped in and when he did, Pa gunned him down.”

Lori had begun to weep again and leaned against Ben’s chest.  “He’s dead Mr. Cartwright.  We was on our way over here to tell you the truth, about Little Joe and Pa overheard us, that’s when they started fighting and Pa shot Kit.”

“Adam, ride into town and get the sheriff and tell him what Lori just told us.  Hoss, you ride over to the Macintosh place and check about Kit.  I’m going to put the girl to bed in the spare room and then check in on Joseph,” Ben said.

“Miss Lori, you come with me, boys be careful, Luther is still out there somewhere and God only knows where that son of his might be,” instructed Ben as he helped Lori to her feet and guided her towards the stairs.

“I have just one question first Pa,” stated Hoss stopping at the door and turning to face his father and the girl who stood at the bottom of the steps.  “Ma’am, how did you know about my baby brother’s scar he had on his leg?”

Lori looked from Hoss to Adam to Ben and back at Hoss.  “Drake told Pa and Pa made me tell you that I had seen it.  He used to tag along with Kit and Little Joe when they used to go down to the creek and go swimming together.”

“Heh,” muttered Hoss more to himself than to the others.  “He was wrong ya know.  Joe’s scar is on the right leg, behind the knee, not on the left leg.”  The look on Hoss’ face was just almost a smirk.

“I didn’t know that Hoss.  I’ve never see it,” Lori whispered and then cut her eyes at Ben, surprised to see a tiny smile on his face.

Adam opened the door just as a round of gunfire erupted.  Quickly he slammed the door shut, locking it.  Hoss ran to the window, his own gun pointed at the crazed man in the yard.  Ben took charge of Lori and nearly dragged her up the steps and pointed down the hall at Joe’s bedroom door.

“You stay with Little Joe.  Don’t you dare come out of that room until I call for you,” ordered Ben as he turned and ran back down stairs to help his sons.

“It’s Luther Macintosh and his son.  They’s crazy Pa!” Hoss called out to his father as bullets rained into the heavy front door and through the window where Hoss stood returning the gunfire.

“Luther!” shouted Ben through the broken window.  “Give it up, we know about you killed your boy,” Ben yelled.

“It was an accident, Cartwright,” shouted back Luther from behind the woodpile where he was squatting.  He fired two more shots toward the house.

“All I want is my Lori back.  Ya cain’t hold her there agin her will,” Luther called out.

“She’s not here against her will Macintosh,” Ben called out.  “She told us what happened.  She also told us about you and your sons attacking my boy, we know it all Luther, there’s no sense in us shooting it out, and it’ll only mean more deaths.  Give it up!”

“You give me that fifty thousand dollars you was atalking about and me and Drake’ll back off.  Ya send it out with my daughter and we’ll be on our way, Cartwright,” Luther yelled.  “If’n ya don’t let her and send the money, I’m gonna strike a match to this here barn and burn it up Cartwright.  I want that money!” shouted Luther angrily.

“He means it Pa,” said Hoss glancing over at his father.  “The horses are in there, all the equipment, hey, where ya going Pa?” asked Hoss watching his father move to the safe.

“You just keep an eye on those two,” ordered Ben as he opened the safe and began counting out bills.  “I don’t have that much in here,” he said and moved back over to the door and opened it slightly.

“I’m coming out Luther and I’m not armed,” called Ben, placing his weapon on the credenza before slipping out the door.  “Don’t shoot!”

“Hoss, Drake’s moved to the side of the house, keep your eye on him.  I’ve got the old man in my sights,” Adam called over to this brother.  “Be careful Pa, we got you covered.”

Ben didn’t turn back to look at Adam; he just answered with a nod of his head.  “Luther, I don’t have the entire amount, I have about thirty thousand, it’s yours.  Just take it and get out of here.”

“Not without my daughter,” mumbled Luther, groaning from the pain in his side.  “Send her out or this barn goes up in flames.”

Drake pressed his body tightly against the wall of the house, unseen by Ben as he slowly made his way across the porch.  Slowly he raised his gun and pointed it at Ben.

Ben caught the movement from the corner of his eye and stop in his tracks.  “Tell your boy to back of Macintosh…I have the money right here in my hand.”  Ben held his hand out so that the man could see the bills.  From where he stood, Ben could see the gleam in the greedy man’s eyes and he had hopes then that his situation could be stopped before someone else had to die.

“Drake, stay where ya are boy.  I’ll get the money,” called out Luther.  Luther stepped from behind the woodpile; his gun still pointed at Ben and stumbled slowly across the yard toward the porch.  

Ben noted the blood that had soaked through the man’s shirt where he had been shot.  It took the wounded man several moments to reach Ben and when he was nearly to the porch, he stopped.  

“I want my daughter, Cartwright.  I have to tell her something, please,” begged Luther.

Ben hesitated briefly before speaking.  “Hoss tell the girl to come down here, and stay with Joe.”

“Yes sir, Pa,” shouted Hoss as he hurried to do his father’s bidding.

“Tell your boy to put away his gun, it’s over Luther,” said Ben, glancing at the man’s son who now stood in full view.

“Do as he says boy,” ordered Macintosh swaying slightly.

Lori was ushered out onto the porch but refused to go near her father and stopped next to Ben.  Adam had moved to the porch as well when Drake had slipped his sidearm into his holster.

“I ain’t got nuthin’ to say to ya Pa,” Lori told her father.

“Listen to me daughter, I’m hurt, bad…I ain’t long for this ole world.  All I wanna say to ya is that I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for things to get so far outta hand.  I was wrong Lori Beth, I love ya girl, I always have,” confessed Luther, taking another staggering step toward the small group of people.  “I don’t want ya money, Ben…I”

“Well, I do…I need that money,” shouted Drake pulling his pistol and pointing it at Ben.  “Give it to me or I’ll shot ya right in the gut,” he yelled.

Adam thought he was the only one who heard Drake cock his gun, but the others had heard as well.

“NO!” screamed Luther as he somehow found the strength to move and positioned himself between his son and Ben and Lori.  The cracking sound made by the release of the bullet from Drake’s gun, drove the group of people into action.  Ben had grabbed Lori and hauled her body to the ground with his in an attempt to protect her from the onslaught of bullets that buzzed by their heads.

Adam fired his gun at Drake at the precise moment that his middle brother, who had rejoined the group, had fired his.  Drake dropped to the ground instantly as the bullets pierced his body.  Luther lay in a huddled on the ground in a heap.  Instantly Ben was by his side, checking his injuries.

Bright red blood oozed from the newest wound in the middle of Luther’s stomach.  As Ben cradled the dying man’s head in his arms, Lori knelt beside her father, tears of sorrow forming in her sad eyes.

“Oh Papa, why…why…” she sobbed.  

Luther slowly lifted his hand and touched his daughter’s face.

“I’m…sorry…child…forgive me.”  Luther’s hand dropped to his side, his body went limp in Ben’s arms; the man was dead.

Hoss gently placed his hands on the girl’s shoulders and stirred her into the house, away from the scene.  Adam looked down at his father and shook his head.

“Drake’s dead as well, Pa,” he said as Ben rose to his feet.

Both men turned at the sound of horses coming into the yard.  “Ben, we heard shooting, what in the world happened here?” called out Roy as he slid from his saddle and hurried to Ben’s side.

All he had to do was glance at the two men lying dead on the ground to know the answer to his question.  Slowly he shook his head, “We just came from the Macintosh place, we found Kit in the yard, he’d been shot, twice.”

Ben nodded his head and then guided the sheriff toward the house.  “Lori told us he was dead,” Ben informed the sheriff.  “Adam, would you help the deputy take care of those two?”

“Dead?  Ben, the boy ain’t dead, he’s wounded but one of my deputies took him into town for the doc to take a look at,” explained the sheriff.

“What?  Why Roy’s that wonderful, wait until Lori hears about this!” exclaimed Ben excitedly.

Ben hurried to explain things to Lori about Kit.  Ben couldn’t remember when he had seen such a beautiful smile on a young woman as what Lori Macintosh had on hers.  

“Oh Mr. Cartwright, I…I can’t believe it!” she wept happily.  “Now Kit and I can get married, Pa said he’d die first afore he’d let us…guess he kept his word, heh?”

“Pa?”

All heads turned toward the top of the steps.  Joe held firmly to the railing, Hop Sing standing next to him, his hand resting on Joe’s shoulders.

“Joseph!” shouted Ben as he hurried up the stairs.  “Son,” whispered Ben as he reached his arms about his son’s body to steady the weak boy.

“What’s all the racket?  Can’t a guy get some sleep around here without having to listen to so much noise?”  Joe smiled at his father but made no complaints to the embrace that Ben held him in.

“Come on son, let’s get you back to bed,” Ben laughed lightly and attempted to turn Joe toward his room.

Joe stopped and looked over his shoulder, forcing Ben and Hop Sing to stop as well.

“Hey ya Miss Lori.  I been meanin’ to ask ya to the dance on Saturday.  Wanna have the pleasure of being my date?” giggled Joe, his words beginning to slur slightly.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose and Hoss laughed along with Lori and Roy.  “I think the boy’s drunk, Ben,” called the sheriff from the bottom of the steps.

“Drunk?  I ain’t drunk.”  Joe smiled and looked up at his father.  “I ain’t drunk?  Am I Pa?”

Ben smiled and tightened his grip around Joe’s waist.  “No son, you aren’t drunk.  It’s just the medicine in you, now come on, back to bed with you.”


By the end of the second week, Kit had recovered enough that he and Lori were able to travel.  They stopped by the Ponderosa on their way to Carson City to bid farewell to the Cartwrights and to thank them for all their help.  Ben had presented a large sum of money to the couple as a wedding gift with wishes from both himself and his three sons.

Joe’s injuries had mended well enough that Paul had allowed the young man time downstairs with his family, restricted of course and under the watchful eye of his father.  It was during one of these times that Lori and Kit had chosen to stop by.  When the hard rap sounded on the door, Hoss jumped to his feet and hurried to answer it.

He was surprised to see Kit and Lori standing in the doorway, smiling happily.  Hoss ushered them into the great room where Ben and Adam stood to their feet and greeted them.  Joe remained seated on the settee but smiled up at the couple as they entered.

“We just stopped by to tell everyone good-bye.  We’re going back east for a while, probably until after the baby is born.  I’m not sure if we’ll come back here or not, what with all the talk and all, you understand,” explained Lori as she sat between Little Joe and Kit on the settee.

“Yes, we understand Lori.  We wish you both all the luck in the world,” smiled Ben as the young couple rose.

“Little Joe,” said Kit and reached for Joe’s hand to shake.  “Thank you, I mean for helping Lori that day.  And…”he stammered, “I’m sorry, for what happened to you.  I’m glad you’re alright.”

Joe slowly got to his feet and smiled at the couple.  “Thanks Kit, you too Lori.  You two just take care of yourselves and let us know when that baby gets here.”

“Oh we will Joe.  Kit done said that if it was a boy, he was gonna name it Joseph, after you, and I hope he grows up to be just like you,” beamed Lori and laughed when Joe’s face turned red with embarrassment.

Ben stepped behind Joe and placed his hand on his son’s shoulders.  “That’s quite an honor son, but do you really think the world is ready for another Little Joe?” laughed Ben and then thought what his world would have been like without his Little Joe.  Suddenly Ben sobered as Lori and Kit walked with Adam and Hoss out the door.

“Joseph?” said Ben softly.

Joe turned to face his father and saw the strange look on Ben’s face.  Ben’s eyes had darkened slightly and Joe knew that his father was struggling with some unspoken emotion.

“Yeah Pa?”

Ben stared into the hazel eyes of his youngest son; his heart had jumped into his throat making it difficult for his to speak.  He had come very close to losing this boy of his and it had just struck him how changed their lives would have been if Joe were no longer with them.

Ben placed both hands on Joe’s shoulder and squeezed gently.  His left hand moved slightly to the back of Joe’s neck and he smiled.  “It’s been a good while since I’ve told you how proud of you I am.  I just wanted you to know that I am, very proud of you, son.”

Joe’s smile was somewhat crooked, he wasn’t sure what had possessed his father’s words but it make him feel like a million dollars.  “Thanks Pa.  That means a lot to me.”

“I love you Joe.  I haven’t told you that in a long time either,” confessed Ben.

Joe suddenly felt a bit nervous; it wasn’t like his father to become so impassioned in his speeches.  “Are you feeling alright, Pa?” Joe asked Ben.  “You sure are acting strange all of a sudden.”

Ben tossed his head back and laughed loudly.  “I’m acting strangely?  Joseph, my youngest son comes home, his body dragged behind his horse.  Some wisp of a girl claims she going to make me a grandfather.  A deranged man demands fifty thousand dollars from me, you nearly die, the girl’s brother ends up not really her brother but is her husband instead.  Two men are gunned down in my own yard and you wonder why your Papa acts strange?”

Joe couldn’t help but giggle at his father’s expression.  “I’m sorry Pa, really.”

Ben shook his head slightly and crossed the room to stand in front of the fireplace.  “It’s a good thing the truth finally was told.  I’m too old for this Joseph,” laughed Ben, “I’m not sure those young folks know what they’re doing, naming a son of theirs after you.”

“Aw…come on Pa, I ain’t really all that much trouble, am I?” questioned Joe, a look of mock hurt on his handsome face.

Ben smiled, “Yes Joseph, you are.  But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.  Now get to bed.  Paul said you could only stay up for short periods of time, and your time has just run out.”

Ben pointed to the stairs and Joe reluctantly headed in that direction.  “Alright Pa, but I have only one thing to say,” said Joe, stopping on the landing and turning to face his father.

“And that is, young man?”  Ben had both hands on his hips staring up at his son.  He could see the shine in the boy’s eyes and silently thanked God that the glow had returned, for he had come very close to loosing it forever.

“Just be thankful I wasn’t a twin…talk about a nightmare, just think of all the tricks we could have played on you and those two brothers of mine, why we could have…”

“Good night Joseph.”

“Night Pa,” giggled Joe and started upward once more.

Ben stood at the base of the staircase and listened for the door to Joe’s bedroom to bang shut.  WHAM!  Ben sighed deeply, it was always the same with that boy, some things, never changed when he was around and yet Ben pondered the idea that he wouldn’t want it any other way.  Joe was Joe, yesterday, today and tomorrow, thank God.


THE END
October 2002


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