The Long Journey by Mary Stone
CHAPTER 1
The sound of the
axe cutting into the firewood was one that seemed
fitting to young
Joe Cartwright. He was angry and taking it out on the
pile of firewood
in front of him seemed to help. He'd earned this job in
what his father
called the fair way, he'd drawn the long match.
His hair was
plastered to his forehead with sweat as he swung the axe,
dwelling on the
unfairness of being the youngest son of Benjamin
Cartwright. His
older brother Hoss had recently returned from a cattle
buying trip to Kansas City and now his oldest
brother Adam was preparing to
leave for San Francisco to charter a ship for
their timber deliveries. He
was not considered
or even asked to go along on either trip, and he found
that whole idea
very irritating.
He was furious
with his whole family because he felt they refused to
accept the fact
that he was grown now. They still treated him like and
child, or worse a
hired hand, and he was tired of it.
He looked up to
see his brothers ride up, their faces wearing smug
smiles as they
pulled up their horses.
" Will you
take a look at him working hard" Hoss said
" Ah but he
isn't really, he's hardly working" Adam corrected him.
Joe felt his
temper beginning to flare, " Why don't you two shut up"
Adam and Hoss
looked at each other with false shock
" Are we
feeling a bit testy today little brother?" Adam asked him.
" Leave me
alone" Joe said and swung the axe aggresively.
" You know
Adam, I think the heat might be getting to him" Hoss said
and winked at him.
Adam squinted up at the sun, " You may be right Hoss"
They slowly
climbed down from the horses and tied them to the hitching
rail then leaned
against it and folded their arms to watch their young
brother.
" You know
Hoss, I think it's up to us to help him out" Adam said
brightly.
" Yeah how's
that?" Hoss asked sounding sincerely interested
Joe dropped the
axe midswing.
" Well maybe
we could cool him off a little" Adam said smiling and they
quickly started
moving toward him. By the time he realized what they were
up to it was too
late for Joe to get away. Hoss grabbed his arms and Adam
took ahold of his
legs and they carried him to the horse trough. Joe tried
to kick free of
them but it was useless and soon the water washed over him.
He came up ready
for revenge but unfortunately found his father now
standing between
them.
" What the
devil is going on here?" Ben demanded
Joe wiped himself
off and wrung the water from his shirt
" Why don't
you ask the two village idiots" Joe retorted
Ben frowned and
regarded them all and barked
" Joseph you
get back to work, Hoss tend these horses, and Adam you
come with me so we
can go over those figures again"
" Is that it?
You're not going to say anything to them?" Joe shouted.
Ben turned in
surprise " What did you say?"
" I said, you
never say anything to them"
" Joseph you
better watch your tone, don't raise your voice to me or....."
" Or what Pa?
You gonna send me to my room?" Joe snapped and stomped
off toward the
barn.
" What's with
him?" Hoss said dumbfounded
Ben was still
looking in the direction he'd gone. He'd seen this
coming for several
weeks. He turned to the his older sons
" Boys I
think you need to lay off of him for awhile"
" Pa we was
just fooling around" Hoss said defensively
" I know that
Hoss, but he obviously isn't in the mood so lay off" Ben
said his voice
rising slightly " Adam come with me"
Adam looked at
Hoss and shrugged then followed his father inside. Hoss
shrugged too then
decided to look for Joe. He found him in the barn,
shirtless, sitting
on a bale of hay pulling off his boots and socks. He
looked up as Hoss
came in and gave him an angry stare.
" Joe look,
me and Adam was just playing, we didn't mean to make you
mad" Hoss
said trying to apologize
" Yeah well
you did" Joe said matter of factly as he held his boots
upside down and
shook the water from them.
" What's
eatin' you Little Joe? You been acting like a trapped varmint
for weeks
now"
" Nothing.
Maybe I'm sick of feeling like I don't matter"
" Aw Joe
don't be silly that's......"
" Childish
right, I'm just a silly child"
" No, that's
not what I was gonna say" Hoss insisted
Joe grabbed up his
boots and clothes and turned his back on his brother
and said "
Save it" as he left the barn.
He went inside and
up the stairs to hang up his wet clothes and change.
Once in dry
clothes he hunted up an old pair of boots and pulled them on
grimacing at the
irritating tightness. He stood up and stomped a couple of
times to get them
on the rest of the way. Then he took his wallet from the
wet clothes and
pulled out the money. Thankfully it wasn't too wet so he
stuffed the bills
in his pocket and left the wallet to dry.
He clamored down
the stairs addressing his father as he walked to the door.
" I'm going
to town" he announced and walked out slamming the door.
As he expected Ben
came out after him and stood on the porch with his
hands on his hips
" Just what
do you think you're doing young man?"
Joe was busy
tightening his cinch and without looking up said,
" I told you
Pa, I'm going to town"
Before Ben could
protest further he vaulted onto his horse and galloped
off. Adam joined
him on the porch and watched the dust settle back down to
the ground. He
glanced at his father's grim face " You want me to go after
him" he asked
Ben faced him
angrily, " Now you know why I told you to leave him
alone?" he
shouted
Adam made a
wounded face, " Sorry " After Ben looked away Adam put a
hand on his
shoulder, " Look he'll be back, you know how he is. Why don't
we finish up our
paperwork and I'm sure he'll be back by then"
Ben didn't move
but continued to stare in the direction Joe had gone.
He sighed and
shook his head and looked at Adam again.
" I suppose
your right Adam. I'm sorry I yelled at you"
" That's okay
Pa, we know how it is with him"
Ben raised an
eyebrow and regarded him suspiciously
" What's that
supposed to mean?"
Adam smiled,
" Pa we know perfectly well that you love Joe best"
Ben frowned and
waved him out of the way and went back inside. Adam
fell in behind him
smirking and covering his mouth lest his father should
turn around.
*********************************
CHAPTER 2
Joe sat at the
poker table studying his cards, trying to decide whether
to ask for one
card or two. He'd been playing for several hours and needed
to win a hand or
he'd be out of cash. He'd drunk enough to feel a little
lightheaded and
decided that was enough. Ben would be mad enough when he
got home, he
didn't need to complicate things.
He wasn't really
angry anymore, just glad to be out on his own with no
one looking over
his shoulder. He'd expected one of them to come after him
but to his relief
no one did.
He was sitting
next to his best friend Frank, and eyeing the other
players trying to
read their faces. The saloon was packed with people and
full of the smell
of smoke, sweat, and dust that never seemed to settle all
the way back to
the floor. So many people were talking it would've been
difficult for
someone to try to pick out one single conversation.
The noise was
suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Virginia City
Sheriff, Roy
Coffee.
" What'd you
do now Frank?" Joe said nudging him with an elbow.
Frank hushed him,
watching to see what the sheriff was going to do.
Roy turned with his back against the bar and raised
his hands.
" Gentlemen,
could you give me your attention for just a moment
please?" he
said without the necessity of having to raise his voice. All
eyes turned on him
and an uncharacteristic quiet fell on the saloon. Roy
took in all the
faces and then began,
" As you all
know we have Willie Wilson over to the jail. I've just
received word that
he will need to be transported back to Arizona and
returned to Yuma Territorial prison. The
reason I'm here is that my deputy
will need a few
good men to go along with him to make sure he gets there
alright. We'll
need three volunteers to be deputized. As deputy's you'll
be expected to
assume all the responsibility that goes with it. If you
want to voluteer
you come on over to my office. That's all, thank you for
your time, good
evening"
The sheriff left
the saloon as unassuming as he'd entered, and people
returned to their
conversations and activities.
Frank nudged Joe
in the ribs, "That'd be some trip wouldn't it?"
Joe looked at him
with interest, " You thinking of going along?"
" Nah, I
can't, gotta work. But if I didn't I'd sure be considering it"
They finished the
game and Joe won his hand. Deciding to quit while he
was ahead he
collected his money and left the table. Frank joined him at
the bar a few
minutes later.
" You wanna
drink Joe?" he asked motioning the bar tender over.
" No I've had
enough, I better get on home"
Frank ordered
another beer and took a few swigs, swishing it around in
his mouth and
savoring the taste.
" Why don't
you go Joe? It sounds like a vacation to me"
Joe frowned and
rubbed his hands together, " I can't go Frank, we got
the fall gathering
coming up. Besides Pa wouldn't let me go"
" Pa wouldn't
let me go, listen to yourself. I wouldn't even ask him.
When you gonna
break loose Joe and just do what you want?"
" I didn't
mean it like that, it's just that Adam's leaving tomorrow
and he's gonna
need me there. Besides look who's talking"
" Hey I don't
ask my parents for permission for nothing anymore, I
come and go as I
please"
Joe turned to look
outside and sighing stood up straight
" Well it's
gonna be dark soon, I better get on home, see ya Frank"
" Yeah see ya
Joe. Boy the stories you could'a told"
Joe waved at him
as he pushed through the swinging doors and stepped
outside. The sun
was just starting to to set and the air seemed a little
cooler for once.
He walked to the hitching rail to untie his horse and
found his eyes
looking in the direction of the sheriff's offie. Maybe
Frank was right,
it would be a chance to do something on his own. There
would be no
outside influence from his family at all, he's be truly on his
own. He absently
scratched his horse's chin as he contemplated what to do.
At that moment the
thought of going home did not particularly appeal
to him. But
neither did the idea of going off without his family knowing
about it. But it
wasn't really running off was it? He was making a
decision to take a
job that didn't happen to have anything to do with the
ranch. It was just
what he'd been looking for and in less than five
minutes he was
walking toward the sheriff's office.
His father in the
meantime was growing impatient waiting for his
return. Adam sat
in his favorite chair with his feet up, reading a book.
He peeked over the
top to watch his father pace back and forth.
Hoss came in from
the barn and seeing his father's expression, moved to
the sofa. He gave
Adam a knowing look as he helped himself to an apple.
Dinner had been a
silent, uncomfortable affair, and the atmosphere hadn't
improved much
since then.
" Where is
he?" Ben suddenly shouted " He knows I'd expect him home by
now. We have a
full day of work ahead of us tomorrow, I've got half a mind
to go and get
him"
Hoss cringed as
Adam dropped the book to his lap
" Pa you
can't do that" Adam said quietly
Ben turned on him
angrily, " I can and I will"
" Pa you
can't, because if you do it will only serve to embarass and
humiliate him. And
if you do that it will only make matters worse" Adam
spoke calmly and
evenly, making his father think about what he was planning
to do.
" Oh it will
will it? Well what do you suggest I do?"
Adam ignored the
tone he used and stood up, he was growing a little
irritated himself
but refused to let it show.
" Look Pa he
is of age after all, maybe it's time you let him think
for himself"
" I do not do
his thinking for him, and I resent your saying it"
Hoss was wishing
he'd gone straight to bed, he saw the look in Adam's
eyes, the war had
begun. Adam raised his voice to match his father's and
pointed at the
door shouting,
"Do you
realize that today he said I'm going to town instead of may I
go to town for the
first time?"
" And just
what is that supposed to mean?"
" That maybe
he is trying to establish himself in this family and it's
high time we let
him"
Ben put his hands
to his hips and faced his eldest son shouting even
louder, "
Maybe now you'd like to tell me how to raise my own son"
Adam relizing they
were getting out of control tryed to bring things to
soothe things down
and lowered his voice.
" Oh Pa
please, I wouldn't dare presume, after all you raised me and
look how well I
turned out"
Hoss nearly
laughed out loud and quickly bit into his apple to cover it
up. It didn't go
unnoticed though and Ben turned on him
" And I
suppose you have something to say too" he shouted
Hoss turned to him
embarassed at being caught, " Oh no sir Pa, but it
does seem kind've
silly fretting over him like this. He just went to town
or something,
he'll be back"
" Pa all
we're trying to say is he isn't a kid anymore and we have to
respect that"
Adam tried, taking advantage of the quiet.
Both sons were
relieved to see him relax a little as he walked to his
desk to look out
the window behind it. He came back to them and stood
before them, the
fury was gone from his eyes.
" I suppose
you're right, it's just that it's different with him, and
not because I love
him more" Ben retorted looking at Adam " He isn't like
you two were at that
age, he seems more vulnerable somehow"
" But Pa he
still has all the same frustrations and needs the we had"
Adam offered,
Ben absorbed that
as he studied their faces. He wanted so much to
appear unconcerned
but with Joe that wasn't easy.
" Yeah I guess
you're right" Ben admitted " Alright, I'm sure he'll be
along before
long"
He went to his
desk and looked for something to do to distract himself
for awhile. The
boy
Transfer
interrupted!
to make his own
decisions.
CHAPTER 3
By the time Joe
reached the Sheriff's office there was already a few
men there offering
to volunteer for the job. One of the men Joe knew from
town, Al Mahan.
The other two men Joe didn't recognize, and they didn't
pay him any
particular notice when he approached Roy's desk.
" Roy, I'd like to go along
with Clem to deliver Wilson to Arizona
territory"
Roy looked up and regarded Joe with a look of
surprise.
" Why Little
Joe, you're a little late, I already got me the three
volunteers I'll
need right here"
Joe frowned,
" Roy what would be the harm in my going along?"
" He just
told you we don't need you" one of the strangers commented.
Joe turned to
glance at the man, decided to ignore him and turned back
to the sherrif.
" Roy the
more help Clem can get the better wouldn't you say?"
Roy turned to his
deputy, " Well Clem what d'ya say?"
" It's fine
with me Sheriff" Clem stated
" Well
alright then Little Joe, I'll swear you in with these fellas"
After doing so,
Roy informed the men they would be leaving at first
light, so they'd
need to be ready at dawn. After the others had left Joe
leaned over the
sherrif's desk
" Roy I need you to do me a
favor tomorrow. I need you to go out and
tell my father
where I went"
" Now see
here Little Joe Cartwright, if you want to tell yer Pa you do
it yourself"
" Roy be
reasonable, I don't have time to ride home and back and still
get a decent
night's sleep tonight. And I would like to be rested when we
leave in the
morning"
Roy sat studying Joe
for a moment and then sat back
" Yer Pa'll
have my hide when he finds out what you done"
Joe smiled
innocently, " He'd be more upset if you knew where I was and
didn't bother to
tell him"
" Alright
Little Joe, I'll give him the message. And I'd be mighty
obliged if you do
everything you can to get back here in one piece. I
don't wanna be
delivering any other messages to him if you know what I mean"
" Roy I had no idea how much
you cared. Don't worry about a thing"
" Alright
then you get out'a here and get some sleep tonight"
" Thanks Roy, you're a good
friend" Joe said and left the office.
He walked to his
horse and brought her to the livery stable stripping
the tack off of
her and stripping his gear off the saddle. He paid the
livery boy and
headed out into the night. He went to find himself a room
for the night,
walking through the doors of the International Hotel. He
registered at the
desk and as he did, the two strangers from the sherrif's
office came in and
went up the stairs.
" Tom, do you
know anything about those two?" Joe asked the man behind
the counter.
" Not as much
as I'd like to Little Joe" Tom answered " They came here
a couple weeks
ago, brothers named Parker. I'm not sure, but a got a
sneaking suspicion
that they're tied up with that Wilson somehow. If
you're going along
with Clem tomorrow you best watch your back"
" Thanks Tom,
I will, take care" Joe said, taking his key and heading up
the stairs.
Once in his room
he stashed his gear by a chair and lay down on the bed
to relax. He was
thinking about the trip ahead of him and starting to
worry about the
Parker brothers. He had the feeling too that their
intentions were
less than honorable, but he had no idea what their
motivation might
be.
He knew Roy had arrested Willie
Wilson when he tried to hold up the
Virginia City
bank, but he had acted alone. Sometime later Roy discovered
that Wilson had escaped from Yuma Territorial prison. He
was once a member
of a notirious
band of outlaws led by his older brother. He'd been
captured in a
shootout in Arizona that had cost his
brother his life. It
was possible that
the Parker brothers were former members of the band and
looking to get
Wilson free once they were out in the open but Joe had no
way of proving
that. He intended to question Clem in the morning about
those two before
they left. The only thing he knew for sure was that he
didn't trust the
men and would rather not be making the trip with them
along. But it was
too late to back out now, he'd made the committment and
now must stick
with it.
He rolled over and
tried to think about something else when his thoughts
turned to his
father. He thought about how Ben was going to react to his
departure and he
groaned out loud. He was ging to be furious and Joe would
have an awful lot
of explaining to do when he got back. And poor Hoss
would be the one
left with all the extra work, with him going to Arizona
and Adam in San
Francisco, he'd have some making up to do there too. And
then the awful thought
occured to him, what if something were to happen to
him on this trip,
he'd never even said goodbye to any of them. It would be
his father left to
live with the guilt. That thought was too much for him
so he rolled on
his stomach, pulled a pillow over his head and commanded
himself, think
about something else.
He envisioned
himself as a kid on the trips to the lake with his
family. Picnic
lunches, swimming in the cool water when it was so hot your
clothes stuck to
you. And fishing with his brothers in the best spot on
the lake, always
catching more than them. And then later, the three of
them cleaning the
fish together talking about nothing in particular.
One pleasant
thought led to another and he drifted off to sleep without
even realizing it.
************************
CHAPTER 4
Ben stood waving
as the stagecoach carrying his eldest son rolled out
of town. He
watched it disappear around the corner, then turned to Hoss
" Well let's
see if we can find that other brother of yours"
" Where we
gonna look first?" Hoss asked, secretly hoping he'd be the
one to find Joe so
he could at least prepare him for what was coming.
" He probably
got a room last night so you go over to...."
Hoss interupted
him by pointing down the street " Pa there's Roy
Coffee, he's
headed this way"
Ben watched him
approach and felt fear grip his stomach. If Roy was
looking for him it
could not be good.
" Howdy Ben,
glad you came to town, I need to talk to you" Roy said as
he joined them on
the sidewalk.
" Look Roy, it's gonna have to
wait, I gotta find Little Joe" Ben said
impatiently
" Well Ben I
reckon I can help you there. Why don't you fellas come
on over to my
office so we can talk" Roy said taking Ben's arm.
Ben didn't budge,
instead he folded his arms across his chest and gave
Roy a steady look,
" Are you telling me you have him over to your jail?"
Roy knew he was not going to take the news well and
desperately wanted
to get him to his
office.
" Look Ben
I'm sure you'd rather not discuss this in the street here.
I'd be obliged if
you'd come on over to my office"
Ben didn't look as
though he was giving in, but he finally dropped his
arms and relented.
" Alright Roy, let's get this over with so I can get him
home where he
belongs"
The Sheriff didn't
bother to comment on that, better to wait until
they were behind
closed doors.
They entered his
office and Hoss made himself comfortable as Roy sat
at his desk. Ben
stood before the desk and started reaching for his money.
" What's the
bail and what's he done?" he said, pulling out his wallet.
" Now Ben
hold on a minute, Little Joe ain't done nothing and he ain't
here"
" What the
devil did you drag me over here for then?" Ben demanded
Hoss sat forward
curious now and just a little concerned.
Roy had concerns
of his own, he knew his old friend well enough to
know this was not
going to go over easy
" Ben I had
to go over to the saloon last night looking for volunteers
to escort Willie
Wilson back to Arizona territory this morning. They left
this morning at
first light, Little Joe wanted me to tell you so you
wouldn't worry
about him"
It took Ben a
moment to realize what Roy was telling him, once he did
he exploded,
" He voluteered to escort a dangerous man across the country
and you let
him?"
" Now look
here Ben, my only qualifications for the job was that they
know how to handle
a gun and that they be of age. Now as far as I know
Little Joe
qualified in both areas and I had no call to refuse him. And he
ain't going across
the country you know that"
Hoss covered his
face with his hands, this was not good.
" Roy I
thought you were my friend, you know I wouldn't have let him go"
" Ben that
ain't fair, I am your friend. But you gotta realize I still
got a job to do
and I didn't want Clem going alone. You know how hard it
is to get the men
around here to volunteer for anything, they weren't
exactly standing
in line you understand. When I need men for a posse I
usually ask one or
all of you, this was no different, to tell you the truth
I was relieved to
see Little Joe, him I know I can trust"
" Now what
does that mean?" Ben said
" Well sir it
means two of those fellas that volunteered gave a bad
feeling. With
Little Joe going it made the odds of Wilson getting there a
little better"
" Roy if you
didn't like the look of these fellers then why did you let
them go
along" Hoss asked now getting worried
" I done told
you, I didn't have them knocking the door down to go. I
needed the men,
there's five of them now, besides the prisoner. And I told
Clem to watch
those Parker boys at all times" Roy looked at Ben whose face
was now drawn with
concern, " Ben don't worry about Little Joe, he knows
how to handle
himself"
Ben sat on the
sheriff's desk with his back to him. Hoss still sat
with his face in
his hands. Roy became acutely aware of
the noise from the
street. He tried
to think of something to say to relieve some of the tension,
" Where's
Adam?" he asked to spoil the silence
" He just
left on the stage, he's going to San Francisco for me to
charter a ship for
our timber deliveries. He won't be back for a couple
weeks. And Little
Joe knew that, I can't believe he'd go off and leave me
shorthanded like
this"
Hoss sat up
straighter than and quietly said, " Pa he wasn't exactly in
a good mood when
he left last night"
" That's
beside the point Hoss" Ben said angrily " It's not like him to
shirk his
responsibility to the ranch and me"
" I got a
hunch the ranch was the last thing on his mind" Hoss said
seriously, rubbing
his hands together and avoiding his father's angry glance
Ben frowned at him
and turned to the sheriff " When do you expect them
back Roy?"
" I can't
tell you that Ben, Clem is supposed to wire me as soon as he
can, and again when
they reach Yuma. I can let you know when I hear from
him and keep you
posted but that's about all I can do" Roy offered
" Well I
guess that's going to have to be enough then, there's nothing
I can do about it
is there? Come on Hoss we might as well get back to the
ranch" Ben
said standing to leave, Hoss brushed past him and went outside
eager to escape
the office. Ben held the door open after him and turned
back to Roy
" As soon as
you hear anything let me know Roy"
" I'll do
that Ben " Roy promised, glad the worst was over
" Thank you I
appreciate that. By the way Roy I'm sorry I shouted at
you like
that"
" Aw don't
fret about it Ben, I know how it is with Little Joe"
Ben suddenly
looked exasperated, " If one more person says that to me
I'll........"
he left without finishing the statement, and slammed the
door. Leaving Roy wondering what he meant
by that.
**********************
CHAPTER 5
Clem and the men
made camp as soon as darkness started to fall. Clem
settled Wislon by
a tree and secured his hands behind his back. Joe ran a
picket line
between two trees and tied the horses to it, then went about
pulling the
saddles and bridles off. He was quite surprised to straighten
up and find one of
the Parker brothers watching him
" You're one
of them Cartwrights, ain't ya?" he asked narrowing his eyes.
" Yeah what
of it?" Joe answered
" Oh nothing,
just wondered why you wanted to come along so bad"
Joe dropped the
saddle he was holding to look him over. He looked to
be about Joe's age
and seemed to be nothing more than curious. Joe decided
he just wanted to
talk,
" I could ask
you the same thing. By the way my name's Joe"
He took Joe's
extended hand and shook, " Name's Bobby Parker. How come
that sheriff back
there called you Little Joe?"
Joe went back to
pulling the tack off the horses before answering, " Oh
that's just a
nickname my family gave me a long time ago. I guess
nicknames die
hard"
Without being
asked Bobby joined him in his work and they had the
horses stripped in
no time.
" You wanna
give me a hand taking them down for water?" Joe asked him
" Sure "
Bobby replied, and went about untying them, Joe did the same.
They walked them
down to a creek they had passed earlier and turned them
loose to drink.
Then climbed up on the bank and sat down to watch them.
" Where you
from Bobby?" Joe asked him, wanting to know more about him.
" No place in
particular, me and Deke kind'a go where the road takes
us" Bobby
said quietly.
" Don't you
have a family?"
" Just each other
if that counts. Our Ma and Pa got killed a few years
back. We lived in Texas then, grew up there.
With our folks gone there
weren't no reason
to hang around. Deke hated the farm so when he took to
the road I just
followed."
" I'm sorry
about your folks " Joe said empathetically, silently
grateful he still
had his father.
" You got
some brothers too right?" Bobby asked him, as eager to know
more about Joe as
he was about him.
" Yeah two
older brothers and my Pa. They're kind've the
reason I came
along"
" What d'ya
mean?"
Joe absently threw
a rock into the water and said " Oh it's just that
they never seem to
think I'm capable of doing anything worthwhile"
Bobby lay back
against the bank and put his hands behind his head, "
Yeah, I know how
that is, the only time Deke says anything to me is to tell
me what to
do"
They felt a sudden
kinship, sharing the pitfalls of being born the
youngest. Despite
his first impression Joe liked Bobby.
" We best get
the horses they're starting to wander" Joe said and they
scrambled to their
feet and caught them up and headed back.
The rest of the
men had a fire going and food cooking when they
returned. They sat
around the fire waiting for it to heat up enough and
then went about
filling plates. Joe did the same but got up and passing
Clem said, "
I'm taking this over to Wilson"
Al Mahan was
sitting across from the prisoner with a rifle across his
lap. When Joe came
over he picked up the rifle and pointed it at Wilson.
Joe released him
from the tree then retied his hands in front of him.
" Sorry I
can't untie your hands " Joe said handing him the plate and
utensils. Wilson ate without taking his
eyes off of Joe. When he finished
he dropped the
plate on the ground forcing Joe to bend down in front of him
to retrieve it.
Joe didn't look at Wilson as he did so, he simply picked
up the plate and
fork, put them aside and retied his hands behind his back.
He walked back
toward the fire and breathed a sigh of relief
" I thought
he was gonna try something there Little Joe" Al stated as
Joe passed him.
Joe stopped walking and looked back at Wilson.
" I'm not so
sure he's the one we gotta worry about Al" he said and
returned to the
others.
The men were
sitting around the fire as Clem stood and delagated who
would take watch
of the prisoner
" Joe would
you mind taking first watch?" Clem asked him
Joe kneeled down
before the fire and filled himself a plate scraping
the bottom. "
No I don't mind, how long, and who do I wake to relieve me?"
he said.
Clem sat on the
log next to him as Bobby handed Joe a cup of coffee.
" Four hours
and then Bobby here will take over from there" Clem said "
Tomorrow night
Deke and I will take watch, how's that sound to everyone?"
They all nodded
their consent and with that Clem stood up again. " Okay
now that we got
that cleared up let's settle our prisoner for the night and
then get us some
sleep" he announced and he and the others walked off to
take care of Wilson.
Joe finished his dinner
slowly, hating the taste of it but knowing he
had to take what
he could get. He wished he'd brought some beef jerky
along with him.
When he finished he walked over to Al and took over the post.
Wilson now lay
prone and closer to the fire, his hands tyed in front of
him and a blanket
placed over him. Joe made himself comfortable against a
tree across from Wilson and layed the rifle
over his lap as Al had done.
Wilson picked up his head and turned to look at him.
" Scared of
the dark Cartwright?" he said
Joe knew he was
trying to unnerve him " Nope, are you?"
" No I ain't
but then I know what's out there, can't say the same for you"
Joe smiled though
Wilson couldn't see it, " I know there's nothing out
there that can't
be stopped with a bullet" he said with confidence.
" Yeah well
that's if ya see it coming Cartwright" Wilson sneered and
rolled over onto
his side with his back to Joe and said no more.
***************
CHAPTER 6
When Joe's four
hours were up, he went to wake Bobby for the next
watch. Once he was
sure Bobby was awake he returned to his post until
Bobby took over.
The night had been
quiet and Wilson appeared to be asleep.
BBobby
joined Joe bleary
eyed, with his boots in his hands. Joe wwatched him as
he held his boots
upside down and shook them vigoursly.
" No
critters!" he announced smiling at Joe
" There's a
better way to avoid them" Joe told him
" How?"
Bobby asked him looking a bit skeptical
" You put on
boot inside the other, nothing can get in that way" Joe
said nonchalently
Bobby studied the
boots and looked up with amazement " Where'd you
ever learn
that?" he said brightly
" My brother
Adam, he's pretty smart like that"
" Yeah I'll
say, what other tricks you got?"
" That's all
for tonight" Joe answered " The prisoner's just sleeping
so he hasn't been
any trouble. Just keep your ears and eyes open and your
just about
set"
" Thanks Joe,
I'll do that" Bobby said and took over Joe's seat as he
stood. Joe watched
him settle in, and debated whether or not he should ask
the question that
had been playing in his mind.
" Hey Bobby
you mind if I ask you something?"
" No I reckon
I don't, what is it?" Bobby said looking up at him
" Was your
being in Virginia City an accident?"
Bobby was still
looking at him but even in the darkness Joe wsaw a
subtle change in
his face. Bobby looked at the ground and spoke softly, "
All I can say is
we got an interest in Wilson"
Joe knelt down and
lowered his voice, " Did you and your brother ride
with him? Are you
planning to cut him loose?"
Bobby looked over
at Wilson and still whispering said, " Look Joe I
can't tell you no
more'n that, so don't ask me. We got a job to do so
let's do it. You
better get some sleep while you got the chance"
Joe hesitated, he
wanted to ask him more, to find out the turth but
could tell Bobby
wouldn't give out any information. Not because he didn't
want to , but more
because he was afraid. But what the source of that fear
was, Joe didn't
know.
He left Bobby to
his post and went to settle down for some sleep. But
even when he was
comfortable on his bedroll, sleep wouldn't come. He
turned so that he
could catch a glimpse of Bobby without much effort. Joe
put his gun within
easy reach just in case he needed it. He didn't dare
close his eyes but
instead lay awake and kept his eye on Wilson and the
others.
Despite his
efforts he dropped off just before dawn, only to be awoken
less than an hour
later. The clank of the coffee pot and breakfast being
prepared pulled
him from the heaviness of sleep. He threw the blanket off
and joined the
others around the campfire. Clem gave Wilson his breakfast
and some coffee
while Deke held a gun on him. Al handed Joe a cup of
coffee with a
smile.
" Thanks
" Joe mumbled feeling like he had a mouth full of cotten.
" Didn't you
get any sleep Joe?" Al asked him
" Not nearly
enough, that's for sure" Joe answered. His arm hurt
where he he'd lain
on it, and his feet were killing him due to the
discomfort of his
old boots. He needed his sleep like Hoss needed his
meals, and going
without usually made him dull and short tempered. He
glanced at Bobby
who was obviously trying to avoid his glance.
Joe knew that
something unpleasant was ahead of them, but wasn't sure
how to handle it.
He wanted to talk to Bobby some more but really didn't
want to pressure
him. He had asked Joe to lay off and since Joe wanted to
count him as a
friend, he had to respect his wishes. But he was sure he
didn't like not
knowing what lay ahead of him.
Before long they
broke up camp and were back on the trail. By midday
the rain began and
came down hard. Clem told them a way station was ahead
and so they pushed
on.
It was beginning
to get dark as they rode up to the way station. By
then each of them
were soaked through. The station manager stood on the
porch as the men
dismounted. Clem approached the man, identified himself
and the others and
after exchanging a few words, turned back to his
companions.
" Deke, why
don't you and your brother tend the hroses and then come
inside for
something to eat."
The brothers
gathered up the reins and turned toward the barn, as the
others followed
Clem inside.
By the time they
got in, it was a little cramped. The station manager
bustled about the
stove, trying to make them up something to eat. Joe
watched him slap
some lard into a pan and he turned away. He missed Hop
Sing's cooking
more than ever.
The men moved
about stripping off as much of the wet clothing as was
comfortable. Clem
tended to Wilson while the others sat at
the table.
Clem joined them
within moments sitting where he could plainly keep an eye
on Wilson.
As soon as Joe
felt himself getting warm he started drifting off, the
lack of sleep
catching up with him. He didn't want to fall asleep there at
the table so
announced that he needed something from his saddlebags and
escaped outside.
The rain had
subsided and walked around puddles to reach the barn. He
stopped outside
the door when he heard Deke shouting.
" This ain't
got nothing to do with anyone but us"
" I know
that, I told you he don't know anything. I didn't tell him
anything."
Joe heard Bobby say in a much calmer, quieter tone.
Joe moved away
from the door, just far enough so he could still hear.
" I want you
to keep your mouth shut from now on, you don't talk to
anyone but me, ya
hear?" Deke said continuing his tirade
" Yeah, yeah,
I hear you" Bobby mumbled. He was tired of the journey
and tired of his
brother constantly yelling at him. Since his parents'
death his brother
had changed to a cold, driven man. Bobby didn't feel
like he knew him
anymore and silently vowed to get away from him as soon as
he could, once
they fulfilled their cause.
" You just
remember on thing boy, Wilson is ours, and we gotta
make
our move soon. I
wanna do it before we get into Arizona territory. So be
ready and keep
quiet about it, I don't wanna see you yakking it up with
Cartwright no
more" Deke warned
Joe waited for
Bobby to respond but didn't hear anything. It was Deke
who spoke up
again, " Let's get on in there and get something to eat" he said
Joe quickly moved
to the door as if he were just entering and boldly
walked in.
" There you
are boys, you better get inside if you want something to
eat" he
announced as he moved toward the saddles with purpose. The
brothers were
startled and Deke moved out with Bobbby close behind. Joe
turned in time to
see Bobby looking at him searchingly. He quickly turned
and left when Joe
looked back at him. When they had gone Joe let out a
long sigh, he
didn't know any more than he had before.
He picked up a
stiff brush and went to Cochise figuring the activity
might perk him up
some. He was almost sure now that Deke was against
Wilson which meant that he wasn't likely to free him.
But that left Joe
more in the dark
about what his intentions were. He knew one thing for
sure, there was
definate danger ahead and until they reached their
destination, he
would have to keep his eye on Deke at all times, no matter
what.
********************************
CHAPTER 7
They were in California territory by the time
they made camp that
night. They would
reach Yuma within the next couple days which was
information that
had Joe on edge. That meant Deke was going to do
something soon.
Joe had managed to get some sleep at the way station but
only because the
station manager was scared of Wilson and stayed awake to
watch him. Joe
knew that Deke was less likely to try something with
someone watching
him.
It had rained off and
on all day with the sun drying the clothes on
their backs each
time it came out. And it was slow going because of the
poor footing for
the horses. Joe spent most of the ride daydreaming about
home, a hot bath,
a decent meal, the sound of his father and brother's
voices around him,
and most of all his own bed. He wondered what they were
doing, if Adam was
home yet and if not how Hoss was holding up without him.
He thought about
his father and hoped he wasn't worrying about him, but he
knew better.
When they made
camp that night Joe took charge of the horses again
preferring that
job over all the other necessary chores. After securing
the picket line he
prepared to take them down for a drink. He was almost
pleased to see
Bobby join him a few minutes later.
They silently
turned the horses loose at the water and then found
themselves a dry
place to sit and watch. Joe wanted to say something but
decided to leave
any conversation up to Bobby. It took several minutes for
him to finally
speak up.
" Joe, you
mind if I ask you something?"
" I guess
not, what is it?" Joe said curious about the subject.
" Do you like
your brothers?" Bobby asked watching him closely.
Joe smiled, he
wanted to say something humorous but thought better of
it seeing Bobby's
mood.
" Sure I do
Bobby, I love my brothers" Joe said still smiling, " I mean
it ain't like we
don't have our share of fights, as a matter of fact we've
had some real good
ones. But deep down I know they'd do anything for me.
I can't imagine
what my life would be like without either one of them. Why
do you ask?"
Bobby frowned and
looked back toward the horses
" Cause I
hate mine, just wondered if you ever felt the same way" he said
" I'm sure
you don't hate him, you're just mad at him. But if you feel
that way why don't
you just light out of here?"
Bobby set his jaw
and spoke almost in a monotone, " Cause we gotta
finish what we
came to do, after that I'll be on my own"
" Bobby you
don't have to go along just cause he wants you to" Joe said
trying to be
supportive
Bobby turned to
look at him again, " I ain't going along for him, I got
my own reasons for
being here. Don't you think I have my own mind?, I
don't need
him"
Joe grew
frustrated, he wanted to ask him what those reasons were but
was afraid of
spooking him.
" You know me
and Deke used to be real close but my folks gettin'
killed changed
him, he ain't laughed or smiled since then. He just broods
and gets angrier
all the time and then takes it out on me. Not for much
longer though,
I've taken all I can from him. Soon I'll be shed of him and
on my own and then
I can be happy"
Joe stayed silent,
he understood Bobby's anger, he'd felt it himself
before. It was
that anger that had brought him to this ver place.
Bobby suddenly stood
up and gathered up the horses ropes and led them
back to the camp.
Joe fell in behind him, wishing they could've kept
talking, he wanted
to know what was going to happen but couldn't seem to
get close enough
to the truth.
Later Joe bedded
down with the rest, Deke had first watch. Joe was
exhausted but
still felt compelled to keep on eye on him. Joe had
positioned himself
so that by just lifting his head a little he could see
Wilson and Deke clearly. He purposely left his blanket
off figuring a
little chill might
keep him awake, but in the end sleep won and he nodded off.
Something snapped
him awake a few hours later and it took him a minute
to orient himself.
His eyes sought Deke but he wasn't at his post, turning
toward Wilson he found him. Deke was
bent over Wilson though Joe couldn't
see what he was
doing. He pulled himself to a sitting position when he
spotted Bobby off
to the left of the prisoner with a rifle in his hand.
Suddenly Wilson bolted up and ran, Joe
heard Deke shout, " Shoot him
Bobby, he's
getting away" Bobby didn't move and Deke shoved him out of the
way and grabbed
the rifle from him and aimed it at Wilson's back.
" Deke"
Joe called distracting him long enough for Wilson to get away.
By now the others
were awakened by the noise and Clem was soon standing
beside Joe.
" What's
going on?" he demanded
" The
prisoner escaped, I was trying to stop him and Cartwright here
let him get
away" Deke shouted pointing at Joe
" That ain't
true Clem, Deke turned him loose, I saw him. He tried to
shoot him in the
back, he set him up" Joe said evenly
Clem started
walking toward Deke " Alright Parker, give me the rifle
until we get to
the bottom of this" Clem said with his hand out.
A shot seemed to
ring out from nowhere and Clem fell to the ground.
Joe and Al dived
out of the line of fire as Deke ran for his horse, already
saddled and
waiting alongside Bobby's.
" Come on
Bobby, he's getting away" Deke called and galloped off. Joe
rushed forward and
grabbed Bobby's arm as he tried to get on his horse
" Bobby don't
go with him, you're gonna get yourself killed"
Bobby flung his
hand off and looked at him with hurt and anger, " Don't
you get it, I have
to go, he killed our parents"
He quickly mounted
his horse and galloped after his brother.
Joe stood stunned
momentarily and then rushed back to where Clem had
fallen. He was
conscious and Al was bent over him
" It's in his
shoulder Joe, I don't know how bad, I gotta get him to a
sawbones" Al
said his voice shaking
Joe looked around
them trying to think " Look Al, I'll help you get him
fixed up and on a
horse. You start heading east, when you get to the next
town wire the
sheriff about what's happened. I'm going after Wilson"
" Are you
crazy, let the Parkers have him, he ain't worth anything
anyway" Al
said with disgust
" I can't do
that Al, I was hired to bring him into Yuma, that's what I
intend to do"
The two of them
managed to tend to Clem's shoulder as best they could.
He insisted that Joe
go with them but Joe was adamant and helped Al get
him on a horse.
Once he saw them
off, he saddled Cochise and packed himself enough
supplies to ride
as light as possible. He had his rifle and enough food to
last awhile. He
filled two canteens and secured them to the saddle while
letting Cochise
drink her fill.
From there he
walked her back to where Clem had been shot and tried to
pick up Wilson's trail. He was
thankful his family had given him tracking
knowledge, which
hopefully the Parker brothers didn't have, it was Wilson's
only chance now.
He was on foot with nothing but the clothes on his back,
he wouldn't last
long in the mountains without help. And Joe knew whatever
help he got would
have to come from him. He whispered a silent prayer as
he reined Cochise
to the north.
*****************************
CHAPTER 8
Roy read the message from Clem again and cursed
softly. It was not
good news and
worse, it was news he would have to pass on to Ben. And the
one person he had
the least information about was the one Ben had the most
interest in. He
folded the telegram up and shoved it in his vest pocket.
He'd seen Ben and
Hoss ride into town earlier and decided to look them up.
He found them
waiting for the afternoon stage from San Francisco.
This was one part
of the job Roy hated, delivering bad
news to a friend.
As expected Ben
smiled and waved at his approach.
" Hi Roy, how are you? Any news
yet from Clem?"
Roy shook his and Hoss' hands trying to appear
cheerful
" Howdy Ben,
Hoss. As a matter of fact I got this telegram today from
Clem in Yuma"
Roy said holding it up for them to see
" Well they
made it to Yuma then, that's wonderful news Roy,
wonderful"
Ben declared
" Now hold on
a minute Ben, only Clem and the Mahan boy made it to Yuma"
Ben's face went
white and he sank down on a nearby bench
" What d'ya
mean Roy?" Hoss asked not sure he wanted to hear.
Well it seems the
Parker brothers wanted Wilson for killing their
parents. They set
him loose planning to say he was trying to escape but
Little Joe caught
them in the act. Little Joe stopped them from killing
Wilson but in the process Clem got shot. The Parker
brothers went after
Wilson who's on
foot and Joe went after them. That was a week ago and Clem
doesn't know which
way they headed"
At that moment the
jingle of harness and heavy wheels signaled the
arrival of the
stage, in moments it pulled up in front of them.
Ben stood as Adam
exited the stage and helped the female passengers
down. Ben's
comfort at seeing him safe and sound was over shadowed by his
concern for his
youngest son.
Adam turned to his
family smiling warmly and shook their hands with
enthusiasm. But
the fear in his father's eyes didn't go undetected.
" Well this
isn't the homecoming I'd hoped for, what's wrong, where's
Joe?" Adam
asked sensing the dread around him and hoping he was wrong.
" Look why
don't we go over to my office and discuss this" Roy
suggested wanting
to give them some privacy in the matter
" Don't tell me
Joe got himself in trouble with the law again?" Adam
said hoping to
lighten the mood
Ben took his arm
as they followed Roy " I'm afraid it's
more serious
than that son. Joe
left the same day you did, he went with Clem to take
Wilson back to Yuma and I'm afraid they ran
into some trouble"
Adam didn't ask
anymore until they settled themselves in Roy's office.
" Alright
fill me in, what's this all about?"
Roy gave them what little information he had and
sat back to give them
all time to absorb
it. After a time he spoke up again,
" Before you
all rush out of here you should know they have a posse
from Yuma looking for Wilson and
the rest of them. The best thing might be
to just wait for
some word from the authorities down there"
Ben shook his head
" No Roy, I can't sit here and twiddle my thumbs
while Little Joe
is God knows where and in trouble. I've gotta at least
try to find
him"
" Ben you
don't even know which way they went, the law is already doing
all they can down
there" Roy said
" Well no
offense Roy, but it isn't enough, I've gotta look for him"
" We're going
with you" Adam said standing up alongside his father.
" No someone
has to stay and make sure those deliveries are made on
time" Ben
said impatiently
" Pa I don't
mean to be disrespectful but I really don't give a damn
about that right
now. And besides I'm sure Mick can handle everything
until we get
back"
" Adam I said
no, I need you two here. You just got back from a long
trip you don't
need to go along"
Hoss stood and joined
Adam, he had no intention of staying behind and
wanted Adam to
know he supported him.
" Give me one
good reason why not and I'll accept that" Adam said firmly.
Ben started to
argue further but finally relented, there was no way to
win once Adam made
up his mind. Adam saw the fight go out of him and relaxed.
" Alright,
we'll leave first thing in the morning. Hoss, ride back to
the ranch, tell
Mick and Hop Sing what's happened. Get us a pack horse and
some supplies and
meet us at the International Hotel"
" Yeah and
get my horse and gear for me, and take care of this" Adam
said throwing his
carpet bag to Hoss.
" Alright
I'll see you fellas later" Hoss said and he left the office.
Roy stood and
moved to the front of the desk, " Ben I feel just awful
about all
this" he said
" Nonsense
Roy, it was Little Joe that made the decision to
go along. And you
were right you were just doing your job, I didn't mean
to make you feel
responsible Roy, I don't blame you at
all. I just can't
wait around to find
out what's happening I have to go there, I hope you
understand"
" I do Ben,
I'm just sorry I can't join you fellas" Roy said
" That' okay
Roy, we know you can't, you'll be kept posted don't worry" Ben
promised
He and Adam left Roy's
office and went to the International Hotel to
get a room for the
night.
Waiting for Hoss
to return, Ben paced. Adam tried to think of
something to say
to calm him, while trying to stay awake. He was tired
from his trip
home, having been unable to sleep on the stage, and being up
late the night
before with friends.
" Pa if Joe
went after them he must've had some idea which way they
headed. He knows
how to handle himself, don't worry"
Ben was looking
out the window for the twentieth time. He realized
his anxiety was
obvious at that point and decided to sit down. Adam was
sitting on the bed
with his legs stretched out in front of him so Ben sat
in the overstuffed
chair across from him.
" I guess I
owe you an apology Adam, you were right about Little Joe,
I should've payed
more attention"
Adam waved the
apology away " Pa we were all guilty of not treating
him fairly. Maybe
I was the worst one, I was just so used to him being the
kid, I just kept
treating him like one"
" Well then
we all will have to change our ways when he gets home,
won't we?"
Ben said saying the last part almost hestitantly.
Adam was just
drifting off when Hoss came in the room slamming the
door behind him.
Ben was too preoccupied with worry to reprimand him for
the offense.
" I got
everything we need Pa" he said as he sat next to Adam with his
feet resting on
the floor.
" Good we can
leave at first light, Roy gave me a rough idea where
they were when
Clem got shot, so we'll start our search from there" Ben said
" Pa we might
better go to Yuma and first see if they have any news
and work our way
back from there" Hoss suggested
Ben paused to
consider that " Well we can go to Yuma the same way they
did, who knows
maybe we'll find something the others missed. Did you make
sure you packed
extra supplies?"
" Yes sir I
don't reckon I left anything out, we got more than enough"
" Good"
Ben said and stood up " Let's go down and see if we an get
ourselves some
dinner"
When Hoss stood up
they found Adam had fallen asleep while they were
talking.
" Will you
look at that, maybe we should leave now while he's out"
Hoss said grinning
" Leave him
be it's the best thing for him, we've got a long trip
ahead of us"
Ben said and pulled a blanket over him.
" Shouldn't we
take him to dinner with us?
, he'll be mighty
hungry"
" No because
unlike you, he can go without a meal occasionally, better
than he can go
without sleep. And besides he'll make up for it at
breakfast, he may
even put you to shame" Ben warned, then looked Hoss over
and shook his
head, " What am I saying?" he chided as he pushed Hoss out
the door.
*******************************
CHAPTER 9
Joe rode northwest
for nearly four days following the trail of the
three men he was after.
He half expected to find Wilson hanging from a
tree somewhere
along the way. He was at least thankful there was no rain,
even though there
was intense heat.
As he traveled he
rode deeper into the mountain ranges and the going
got rougher. He
wondered how Wilson could survive without
food or means
to obtain food,
not to mention the Parkers hot on his trail.
Several times he
considered turning back and going home but his
conscience
wouldn't let him. He had to find Wilson if he could and get him
to Yuma.
Early on the fifth
day as he was leading Cochise up a steep trail, he
heard gunshots. He
stopped moving to be sure and he heard it again.
Moving quickly he
pulled his rifle from the scabbard, and scrambled up the
hill following the
sound. When he reached the top he caught sight of the
Parker brothers.
When he looked up the hill he saw Wilson frantically
trying to get up
the mountain and get away. Deke was positioned by a tree
firing, Bobby had
his rifle out but wasn't using it.
Joe went back down
the way he'd come and started cutting across in the
direction he'd
seen Wilson. He moved quickly
silently praying he'd get to
him before the
Parkers did.
Deke stopped
firing and Joe climbed back up to see what they were
doing. He found
they had mounted their horses and were heading in Wilson's
direction. Making
a quick decision Joe got on his belly and fired his
rifle, careful to
shoot over their heads. As expected the brothers got off
their horses and
took cover, giving Joe the time he needed. He started
moving toward Wilson again when he heard
Deke shouting something. He moved
back up to hear
what he was saying,
" Listen
Mister, I don't know who you are, but you best back off, we
been deputized to
bring this man in dead or alive, this ain't your affair"
Joe hesitated,
unsure whether he should answer back. He looked down
where they were
hoping to catch a glimpse of Bobby, maybe he could reason
with him. Doubting
that would work, he moved on. He stopped to catch his
breath and to
check the Parker's location. They hadn't moved mostly
because they
weren't sure what they were up against.
Joe went another
hundred yards and suddenly stumbled upon Wilson
hunkered behind a
boulder, looking like death. The two men stared at each
other briefly then
Joe found his voice, " You hit?"
Wilson shook his head which seemed to take great
effort. Joe held the
rifle toward him
and with it motioned for him to start moving.
" Cartwright,
you might as well kill me here and now, I ain't got the
strength to run
anymore" Wilson said his voice hoarse and weak.
" Well you
better find the strength cause I'm taking you to Yuma,
let's go"
Wilson wearily got to his feet and staggered ahead of
Joe. After
traveling a short
distance Joe stopped him. " Hold it " he said and moved
back up where he
could see the Parkers again, they still hadn't moved. He
went back down to Wilson and motioned for him to
move on again.
They reached Joe's
horse and Joe got himself some rope to tie him
with. Once he was
secured he handed Wilson the canteen and went
back up
the hill. The
Parkers were just getting up when Joe fired over their heads
again and hollered
out to them.
" Deke, it's
over, I got Wilson and I'm taking him to Yuma. You and
Bobby might as
well clear on out"
For several
minutes there was no response and Joe took another look.
There was no
movement and no sound, Joe held his breath. He wished there
was some way he
could talk to Bobby but he knew it was too late for that.
" Cartwright,
you might as well turn him loose, we ain't leaving
without him, one
way or another. We'll kill you too if we have to" Deke
warned.
" Forget it
Deke, you can't have him, turn around and go back" Joe
hollered back at
him.
Deke answered by
firing several shots at him so Joe went back down to
Wilson.
" You ain't
got a chance Cartwright, there's two of them" Wilson said
clutching the
canteen tightly.
" Come on
Wilson, you survived this long, don't quit on me now" Joe
said taking the
canteen from him. He walked him over to Cochise and helped
him get on. In his
weakened condition there was no way he'd be able to
walk out. Joe
secured his hands to the saddle horn and then led her back
up the hill. He
got down on his stomach to find the Parkers heading his
way again. He fired
a couple more shots and turned to look down at Wilson.
" They ain't
gonna quit until they get what they came for" Joe
commented
breathing heavily.
" Yeah I know
and what's worse is there's hate driving them" Wilson
said dryly
" Well you
blame them? You killed their parents"
" I didn't
kill anybody" Wilson shouted angrily "
It was Otis that
done the killing,
trigger happy fool. I told my brother not to let him
take up with us
but he wouldn't listen. Otis did all the killing and gave
us a reputation we
didn't deserve. Now he's hung and I'm still paying for
what he did"
" You and
your brother weren't exactly upholding citizens either" Joe
said frowning at
him.
" I know
that, I didn't say we were, I just said we didn't kill no
one, that's
all"
" Well I
don't think they're gonna believe you anyway so we better get
moving so we can
keep them a safe distance behind us" Joe said as he took
hold of the reins
and moved on down the mountain.
Every few minutes
he stopped to get a look at the Parker brothers
before moving on.
They were following but far enough away to be of little
concern for the
moment.
Joe figured to
just keep moving and maintain the distance between
them. He had
enough ammunition to keep them at bay for some time, but he
was worried about
what he'd do when nightfall came. Wilson was too weak to
be uncooperative
so that was one less worry for him. As he thought of that
Joe pulled his
horse up and pulled something to eat from the saddlebags for
Wilson. Wilson ate hungrily as Joe went to check the
Parker's location
again, they were
still coming.
After firing a
couple rounds he looked back at Wilson
" You think
you can hold up if we keep moving?" Joe asked him, trying
to come to a
decision. He couldn't count on help coming if they stayed
put, his only hope
was to travel day and night to keep them from getting
too close.
" I can make
it, I got this far didn't I?" Wilson retorted
" Okay, we're
gonna head out and we ain't gonna look back. If we stop
it can only be for
a few minutes at a time or they're gonna get too close,
you got it?"
Wilson nodded solemnly at him and Joe sighed deeply.
He took up the
reins again and
said mostly to himself, " I sure wish we had another horse"
" I got no
complaints" Wilson said attempting humor.
" Yeah well
you will before we're through " Joe said laughing half
heartedly as he
moved on down the mountain.
**************************
CHAPTER 10
Joe stumbled once
again in the darkness, cursing it and the predicament
he found himself
in. He didn't know how far back the Parkers were or even
if they were still
following. He relied totally on instinct now and just
kept moving
forward trying to keep alert for any unusual sounds.
He was more tired
than he could ever remember and his feet were causing
him agonizing pain
from the old boots, the left one ripping a little more
with each step.
Still he kept moving because he knew stopping would spell
disaster. Wilson managed to sleep in the
saddle for which Joe envied him.
He wouldn't dream
of making Cochise carry them both though, it would be too
much for her.
He stopped to
rest, sitting on a fallen tree, listening to the night
sounds, waiting
for the one that was out of place and would signal company.
He thought about
closing his eyes for just a moment but knew it was too
risky, he had to
go on.
As he walked along
he found himself thinking of his family again. How
he wished they
were with him now. He'd taken on this job because he wanted
to prove to
himself and them that he was capable, now he wondered if it was
all worth it.
He walked for over
an hour before he stopped to rest again. He prayed
for dawn,
despising having to avoid danger he couldn't see. A part of him
wished the Parkers
would just make their move to get it over with and be
done with it.
By the time
morning came Joe was beyond exhaustion and his legs felt
like lead. But the
rising sun gave him new hope and a false sense of
strength renewed.
He allowed himself the luxury to stop for food and a
short rest.
While he and
Wilson ate quickly Joe tried to stay alert but could tell
that his senses
were severely dulled from the lack of sleep.
" You can't
go on like this forever Cartwright" Wilson warned
" You'd be
surprised, I can as long as I have to, and you just better
hope I do"
Joe said his temper shorter than usual
" I just
don't understand you Cartwright" Wilson said smiling
" Yeah well
I'm not asking you to, just shut up and eat we gotta push
on" Joe said
sipping his coffee feeling the heat of it warm his chilled
insides. There was
a sound behind him and turned to face a rifle held by Deke.
" We waited
all night for this Cartwright, now hand over your guns" he
sneered
Joe dropped the
rifle and took off his gunbelt, standing to move in
front of Wilson. He threw him a quick
glance and saw fear in his eyes for
the first time.
Joe then looked at Bobby but Bobby would not look back at
him.
" Now move
out of the way Joe, we're taking him off your hands" Deke said
" I can't do
that Deke, you're gonna have to kill me first" Joe said
and stood firm.
" You think I
won't?" Deke shouted at him growing impatient
Joe didnt'
answer,he simply folded his arms across his chest and
stared at Deke.
" Get out of
the way or I'll shoot you both" Deke warned again.
" No you
won't because he didn't kill your parents, it was a member of
their gang yes,
but it wasn't him" Joe told them
Bobby looked at
Joe for the first time, trying to read his expression.
He liked Joe and
knew he had to make a decision.
" Regardless
of who did it Deke, you can't resort to this, you can't
kill him. I know
he's gotta be punished for whatever he's done but it
ain't up to us to
make him pay, it's up to the law and you know it" Joe said
" It was my
parents that got killed, I gotta make him pay you know
that" Deke
shouted again.
" We were
hired to take him to Yuma and that's what I aim
to do Deke.
That's what you
wore this badge for " Joe said tapping the tin star on his
chest, " Now
you and Bobby want to accompany me to Yuma that's fine, but
that's the only
place he's going"
Deke pointed the
rifle at Joe's chest and through gritted teeth said,
" I ain't
foolin' with you anymore Cartwright, get out'a my way"
" Deke"
Bobby said suddenly and all eyes turned to him. He now had
his rifle up and
pointed at his brother.
" Bobby what
the hell are you doing?" Deke cried
" We gotta
let them go Deke, we got no business being here, we gotta
let them go"
" What's the
matter with you, have you forgotten what he did?" Deke
shouted at his
brother " You gonna just forget all about the pain and anger
we've had to live
with all these years?"
" Yeah we've
had to live with the pain, but the anger was yours Deke
not mine. And I
wasn't likely to forget cause you reminded me everyday.
You're gonna let
that anger destroy you Deke, it's already changed you to
the point that I
don't know you anymore, and if you kill Wilson I won't
wanna know you
Deke, you'll die with him as far as I'm concerned"
Deke stared at his
brother, Bobby had never in his life questioned
anything Deke had
ever asked of him, he was at a loss now. Joe waited
thankful Bobby was
speaking his mind, even Wilson breathed a sigh of
relief. Bobby
dropped his voice as he went on, " And if that happens Deke,
there won't be any
worse pain I can think of, I don't want to lose you too"
Deke put his head
down as he let the rifle drop and Bobby moved toward
him. Joe took the
opportunity to take Wilson by the arm and move him
a
safe distance away
and also to give the brothers a chance to talk. He sat
Wilson down and
settled himself next to him wishing he could just put his
head back against
the tree and sleep for two or three days. When Bobby
finally joined
them he was alone, Deke was gone. Joe watched him as he sat
down with them,
the pain plain in his eyes.
" Deke's gone
back, he ain't gonna bother us again" Bobby said softly,
glancing at Wilson, silently wondering if
the man was worth his loss.
" I'm
sorry" Joe said, wishing he could say more, but thankful it had
ended peacefully.
" Yeah I know
you are, maybe he'll be okay, but even if I never see
him again, at
least I know he didn't resort to killing anyone. I don't
think I could've
lived with that"
Joe nodded his
understanding, " Where d'ya think he'll go now?" he asked
" Back to Texas more'n likely. Joe if
you don't mind I'd like to go
along to Yuma with
you" Bobby offered " I figure you might need the help,
and from the look
of you I reckon you do"
Joe smiled and
Bobby returned it, " Boy do you know it, I don't think
I've slept in
three or four days"
" Yeah and
those boots of yours have seen better days too"
" I can't
wait to get shed of them either" Joe said looking over the
damage.
" Hey how
about we rest up here for awhile, then when we're rested up
we can light out.
We can share riding my horse, at least until Wilson gets
his strength back.
I know me and Deke kind'a ran him ragged"
Joe looked over at
Wilson now resting against a tree with his eyes
closed.
" That sounds
like a great plan to me, I sure would appreciate a bit
of rest" Joe
said already feeling the sleep hanging over him.
" Alright
then you got it, you go get yourself some rest and I'll
take the first
watch, although I'm sure we won't have any more problems"
Joe stood and
brushed himself off, " Well it's all yours then I'm
gonna get me some
long overdue shut eye. Just wake me when you're ready to
move on" he
said and started walking off
" Hey
Joe" Bobby called, Joe turned to look at him " Thanks" Bobby
said.
" Don't thank
me yet" Joe said with a wink and went to find a good
place to pass out.
******************************
CHAPTER 11
Ben Cartwright
rode slowly through the gates of the Yuma terrritorial
prison, his two sons
close behind. They were returning from a search that
had turned up no
sign of his youngest son or the prisoner. The posse had
returned earlier
without them, because Ben had been unwilling to quit. And
it was with great
difficulty that he returned now, Hoss and Adam had had to
plead with him to
get him to turn back.
They dismounted
their horses by the corral and loosened and pulled off
the saddles,
flinging them onto the fence. Adam was watching his father,
the exhaustion and
strain clearly evident. He and Hoss hadn't wanted to
give up either but
couldn't let their father go on like he was.
" Pa after
we've rested up a bit, we'll go back out" Adam offered, not
wanting to see him
give up hope completely
Ben looked at his
eldest son as if looking through him, then slowly
nodded.
" That's
right Pa, you go on inside and me and Adam'll tend the horses"
Hoss said, sharing
Adam's concern
Ben nodded again
and walked away, his steps heavy with fatigue and
perhaps defeat.
Adam and Hoss looked at each other knowingly and then led
the horses to the
gate of the corral. Hoss nearly collided with Adam's
back when he
stopped suddenly.
" Hoss
look!" he exclaimed pointing in to the corral. It took only
moments for Hoss
to see what he was pointing at
" Ain't that
Little Joe's horse?" Hoss said with disbelief
They turned their
own horses loose and went to examine the paint mare
closely to be
sure.
" Adam I
ain't for sure this is good news or not" Hoss warned " What if
this is all them
fellers found?"
" Well
there's only one way to find out " Adam said and quickly climbed
over the fence in
search of his father. Hoss followed close behind,
praying that
they'd find their brother next.
They found Ben
already coming toward them
" Pa we just
saw........" Adam began but Ben cut him off with a hand on
his shoulder
" I know son,
I know" Ben said a look of amazement on his face " I just
got done talking
to the Warden, he was here, he and one of the Parker
brothers delivered
Wilson, and from what I understand collected a sizable
reward too. They
borrowed a couple fresh horses and went into town, to
celebrate I
imagine"
" Well I
reckon that reward'll be gone by the time we catch up with
him" Hoss
said smiling broadly
" Well what
are we waiting for, let's go find him" Ben said happily,
all the fears
floating away from him
After obtaining
the loan of fresh horse themselves, they also went to
town. Joe was just
leaving the mercantile with Bobby when he spotted them
riding up the
street
" Pa, Adam,
Hoss, over here" Joe shouted, thinking they never looked
better to him.
" Bobby that's my family " he exclaimed happliy as he moved
toward them.
Ben reached him
first and hugged him close, then remembering the
reason his youngest
son had taken on the job, he quickly released him and
shook his hand
" It's
wonderful to see you safe and sound son, Warden Baker told us
what you boys did,
I'm mighty proud of you son"
Joe was more than
a little surprised at his father's reaction, and his
brothers taking
their cue from him, also reservedly shook his hand. Joe
felt a little
strange but recovered and grabbed Bobby's arm
" This here's
Bobby Parker" Joe said pulling him in front of him.
They all shook
hands, the mood was happy and relieved.
" Well little
brother, I reckon you got that reward money all spent by
now" Hoss
teased
" Not quite
Hoss, the only thing I bought was a new pair of boots I
been needin' real
bad" Joe said showing them off
" Looks like
we got here just in time" Adam said winking at his father
" You know
you're right Adam, just in time for me to buy my family
dinner" Joe
announced throwing his arms around his brothers' shoulders and
heading them up
the street.
Bobby watched them
go, unsure if he should follow, it was a family
reunion after all.
" Bobby come
on " Joe called over his shoulder and Bobby happily obliged.
Dinner was a
lighthearted, lively affair with Bobby watching them with
amusement. He
found himself thinking of Deke, wondering what would become
of him, then shook
the thought from his head and returned his attention to
the Cartwrights.
He was a little surprised to find them all looking at him
" Did you ask
me something?" he said growing embarrased
" I asked you
how you'd like to come work for us?" Joe repeated
Bobby looked at
each of them incredulous, he hadn't really made any
plans for the
future, and this sounded as good or better than any he
might've come up
with.
" Why I'd
like that just fine" Bobby declared.
" Good, it's
settled then we'll leave first thing in the morning" Ben
stated. Bobby was
about to nod his agreement when he suddenly stood up his
face registering
nothing short of shock,
" Deke"
he gasped and the Cartwrights turned in the direction of his
attention.
Deke approached
the table with his hat in his hands, looking rather
sheepish.
" Bobby you
mind if I have a word with you outside?" he said
Bobby recovered
from his initial shock " Yeah sure, excuse me fellas "
he said and
followed his brother out the door.
All eyes turned on
Joe,
" That's his
brother, they sort'a had a falling out on the trail, big
misunderstanding I
guess you could say" Joe said
" You know
you never did tell us what happened out there" Adam said
watching his
expression
" Yeah little
brother, just exactly what did you fellas get yourselves
into" Hoss
added
Ben watched them
an amused smile playing on his lips. He saw a teasing
glint come into
Joe's eyes
" You fellas
weren't worried about me were you?" Joe asked them. The
brothers looked at
each other and back at Joe,
Oh we weren't
worried a bit, although Pa was a little concerned" Adam
teased him
Joe looked at his
father and felt a wonderful sense of warmth and
security. Even if
they didn't understand him sometimes, he knew without a
doubt that they
loved him unconditionally, and he realized how lucky he was.
Bobby came back
inside alone and walked up to the table
" I just
wanted to tell you fellas how much I appreciate you offering
me a job and
all" he said, then looked directly at Joe, " But me and Deke
talked it over and
we figure to go back to Texas and reclaim our old place
if we can. So
we'll be leaving right along"
" Well Bobby,
we want you to know we appreciate your helping Little
Joe, we all wish
you the best" Ben said shaking his hand
Adam and Hoss did
the same, their eyes expressing the same gratitude.
Then Bobby shook
Joe's hand almost sadly, " Well Joe, we had us an
adventure didn't
we?"
Joe nodded and
smiled back at him, " Yeah we did, but it was worth
every minute cause
I made me a new friend "
" Me too, and
you were right about my brother, I don't hate him, I was
just angry. But
like you said they can sure bring out he worst in you"
Bobby remarked
with a wink " Well I gotta get going you fellas take care on
your way home, I
hope I'll see you all again soon, bye now"
They finished
their goodbyes and Bobby left Joe to deal with the
stares of his
brothers
Adam clasped his
hands together to rest his chin on them and Hoss
spoke for both of them
" Let me get
this straight, we bring out the worst in you??"
Joe took a healthy
sip of his drink, and raised his glass as if in
salute and smiling
deviantly said, " Always have and always will"
THE END
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