Blind
Man’s Bluff
“You’re
very quiet, Joe,” Adam commented as they rode home. “Is there something wrong?”
“No,”
Joe responded, glancing sideways at his oldest brother. “I was just thinking.”
“Well,
that’s a novel occurrence,” joked Adam. “Was there something in particular, or just everything in general?”
“I
was thinking about Jeff,” said Joe, soberly. “It must be pretty bad for him not
being able to walk any more.”
“That’s
true,” agreed Adam. “But he’s alive, Joe.”
“I
know,” Joe answered, but he didn’t sound as though he was convinced by this
argument. Jeff Fox, a friend that they often met at the cattle auctions, had
been thrown from his horse during a stampede. His back had been broken, and
Jeff would never walk again. When Adam and Joe had met him a few days before,
Joe had been shaken. Jeff had seemed invulnerable, a giant among men, yet here
he was, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his days. He was younger than
Joe’s father, Ben. “But I can’t help wondering how you make an adjustment like
that. How do you reconcile yourself to never walking again, or not seeing or
hearing?”
“I
don’t know,” Adam admitted. “But its something you
just have to do, I guess.” He was silent for a minute, trying to imagine what
it must be like. He couldn’t. “It wouldn’t be easy,” he said.
There
was silence as they rode along. They had been in
“Should
we stop here for the night?” Joe asked, shortly after they crossed onto
Ponderosa land. “There’s a pretty nice place for camping just up head.”
“All
right,” Adam said, indifferently. He followed Joe through the woods to a
clearing. There, they both drew rein in surprise.
There
was a young man there, stripped to the waist, busily chopping logs. A tent was
set up, and the area showed all the signs of habitation. Exchanging glances,
the brothers rode across. “Howdy,” said the young man, wiping the sweat from his
brow. “What can I do for you fellas?”
“This
is the Ponderosa,” Adam said. “You’re trespassing, I’m afraid.”
The
stare the man gave Adam was completely blank and Adam began to think that they
might have trouble. “I knew I’d crossed a fence line miles back,” the man said,
unhappily, “but I didn’t realise this was still the same land.”
“If
you’d gone another mile that way,” Joe said, throwing a thumb over his
shoulder, “you’d come to the fence line again.” He was annoyed that the man had
ignored the fence line in the first place. He and his brothers spent enough
hours making sure they were in good repair.
“Well,
I thank you fellas for telling me,” the man said. “I guess I’ll stick it out
though, and hope the owners don’t come up this way.”
“I’m
sorry, but they already have,” Adam said. “The ranch belongs to our father, Ben
Cartwright.”
“Are
you going to evict me?” the man asked, angrily.
“Yes,”
Adam responded. “This is our land, and we don’t want any nesters on it. Pack
your things tonight, and be off the land by morning.” Adam kept his tone
pleasant, but firm.
“Never
mind,” he snarled, clearly furious. “I’ll just pack up now and be out of your
hair.” He turned his back and began to throw things into saddlebags.
“Let’s
camp here as we planned,” Adam suggested in an undertone. Joe nodded, and eased
his hand away from his gun. Both brothers dismounted, and began to make
preparations to stay for the night. They kept an eagle eye on the trespasser,
who hadn’t offered them his name.
It
didn’t take him long to pack. As he mounted he turned to glare at the brothers.
“You’ll regret this,” he warned. “As sure as my name is Frank Williams, you’ll
regret it.”
Not
wanting to provoke him into violence, Adam and Joe just looked at him silently.
With a last glare, Williams rode off into the forest. “Should we follow him?”
Joe asked.
“No,”
Adam replied. “Just leave it for tonight, Joe. We can check that he’s gone come
morning.” He sighed. “I’ll start supper.”
Crossing
to the horses, Joe gave them their evening feed, and checked their hooves. That done, he looked at where Adam was laying out the bedrolls.
The frying pan was heating by the fire. Joe went to Williams’ woodpile, and
picked up a couple of logs. He dropped them by the fire, and went back for
another couple. It looked like it might be cold that night.
As
he neared the fire, Joe realised that the top log he had in his arms was filled
with fresh sap. It was a pine bough, and Joe made a mental note to throw the
log away. Fresh pine sap could be quite explosive if thrown on a fire. The
thought had barely crossed his mind when he tripped over something and fell to
his knees. He dropped his load, and the logs spilled everywhere. The pine log
shot from Joe’s grip and landed on the fire.
Catching
himself, Joe was just in time to see the log roll slightly, and a huge drip of
sap oozing from it. Then there was an almighty explosion, and Joe felt a
stinging sensation on his face. Something hard hit his head, and he blacked
out.
***************
“Joe!”
Adam cried, as the explosion rent the air. He ducked as flying shards of wood
spun crazily past him. He looked up, the danger over, and surveyed the wreck of
the camp. The fire was burning fiercely, but luckily the fire pit was deep
enough to stop the flames escaping. The frying pan had vanished, and Adam
glanced round for it before spotting it lying about 150 yards away. Joe lay on
his side, clearly unconscious.
Hurrying
over, Adam knelt by Joe and stared at him, aghast. Joe had been hit in the face
by a shower of splinters, which were still sticking into his flesh. The frying
pan had obviously made contact, too, judging by the lump rising on his temple.
But the thing that horrified Adam most was the damage to Joe’s eyelids. The
splinters hadn’t stuck in his lids, for which Adam was truly grateful, but
Joe’s eyelids were cut, and bleeding.
For
a moment, Adam just sat there, paralysed. As Joe groaned, and moved, Adam knew
he would have to get the splinters out of Joe’s face before his brother came
round, and did so carefully. By the time he was done, Joe was conscious. “Joe,”
he said, softly, “can you hear me?”
“Oh
my head,” Joe groaned. “What happened, Adam?”
“Joe,
open your eyes for me,” Adam coaxed. “Can you do that?”
Wearily,
Joe opened his eyes and winced at the pain. “That hurts!” he protested, and
slammed his eyes shut again.
“I
know it hurts, “ Adam said, “but you’ve got to open
them again, Joe. Can you see?”
Reluctantly,
Joe opened his eyes again. “Yes, I can see,” he replied. “But it hurts, Adam!”
“Its
all right, you can close your eyes again,” Adam responded, relieved. He patted
Joe’s shoulder. “I’m just going to bathe the blood off your face. This’ll nip a
bit, all right?”
“All
right,” Joe replied, tightly. Adam could feel his muscles tensing under his
soothing hand.
As
gently as he could, Adam cleaned Joe’s face up. Joe sat rigid the whole time,
but the only time he made a sound or a movement was when Adam touched his eyes.
With his task done, Adam debated about their next move. Joe’s eyes were clearly
very sore, and Adam was concerned lest dirt get into them,
and making things worse by causing infection. He came to a decision; one that
Joe wouldn’t like. “Joe, I’m going to bandage your eyes,” he said.
He
got the reaction he had expected. Joe’s eyes flew open, and he gazed at Adam in
disbelief for a second before the pain drove them shut again. “I’ll be fine in
the morning,” Joe protested. “Honest, Adam.”
“Listen,
Joe,” Adam said, urgently. “Your eyelids are cut, and I hate to think what
would happen if they became infected. Right now, your eyesight isn’t damaged,
but I don’t know if the same could be said if infection set in. Which would you
rather?”
The
silence spoke for itself. After a moment, Joe swallowed visibly, and nodded.
“All right,” he said, in a small voice. “Do what you think is best.” He heard
Adam getting up and walking away, and realised that this was what it would be
like for him over the next few days, until they got home and saw the doctor. He
would be totally reliant on Adam for almost everything. He raised his chin in
defiance of his fears – not of the dark, but of being helpless and vulnerable –
and listened for Adam coming back.
****************
Watching
from the edge of the trees, Frank Williams grinned as he saw Adam bandaging his
brother’s eyes. Williams had been furious at being run off the land, and he
thought he would just wait until the Cartwrights had gone, and then move back
on. Williams was on the run, having been part of a gang of bank robbers. They
had robbed a bank in
*************
“Is
it dark yet?” Joe asked. He could feel the heat of the fire in front of him,
and the bacon was just beginning to sizzle in the frying pan. It smelt good.
“Pretty
much,” Adam responded. He glanced at Joe, and could see the tension and misery
in his brother’s stance. “Supper won’t be long. Are you hungry?”
“Starving,”
Joe said, a grin momentarily lighting his features.
“Pity,”
Adam commented lightly. “I’d hoped that bang on the head would make you lose
your appetite. Then there’d be more for me.”
“You
sound more like brother Hoss every day,” Joe laughed. “Adam, you’re a hopeless
liar!”
“It
must run in the family then,” Adam retorted. “Because you
can’t lie worth a damn, brother.” He forked some bacon onto the plate
and ladled on some beans. “Here you go, Joe.”
Taking
the plate, Joe sniffed. “It smells all right,” he said, doubtfully. Carefully,
he scooped up some beans, and found his mouth. “Tastes ok, too,” he mumbled
through a mouthful. “Hop Sing been giving you lessons?”
“Watch
it,” Adam growled, but he was pleased at Joe’s kidding. They ate in
companionable silence, and then Adam went down to the stream to wash up. Joe
strained his ears, but he couldn’t hear Adam at all. His unease came flooding
back.
There
was a sound, and Joe turned his head. “Adam?” he said, hearing the quaver in
his voice. His hand slid down to his gun, resting reassuringly on his hip.
“Its me,” Adam responded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle
you. Do you want some more coffee?”
“No,”
Joe responded, feeling the tension ease away again. Adam would look after him,
Joe knew that. “No, thanks, I think I’ll turn in now.”
He
was soon stretched out by the fire, and his even breathing indicated to Adam
that he slept. Gazing into the flames, Adam thought about the journey ahead. It
would be slow going for most of the way. Joe was being very brave about the
whole situation, pretending that it wasn’t driving him crazy, but Adam could
see he was extremely uneasy. With a sigh, Adam snuggled down into his blankets
for the night.
****************
They
ate breakfast next morning, and Adam packed up the camp. Joe sat uneasily,
listening. Adam had briefly taken the bandages off Joe’s eyes that morning to check
for signs of infection, but thankfully, they appeared to be all right, although
somewhat swollen. Joe had again confirmed his sight was fine, before Adam
firmly re-bandaged his eyes. “I’ve just got the fire to put out,” Adam said.
“Then we’ll get moving.”
“All
right,” Joe agreed, listening to the hissing as Adam poured the dregs of the
coffee over it. He could visualise Adam putting the coffee pot into his
saddlebags. It made him feel less isolated. He heard footsteps, and held his
head up.
“Come
on,” Adam said, and reached down to help Joe to his feet.
“I’m
not that helpless,” Joe chided.
“I
know,” Adam admitted. “I just can’t help myself. Come on, get onto your nag!”
“D’you
hear that, Coochie?” Joe said, feeling the warm, soft
hair under his hand. “He called you a nag.” The pinto snorted and shook his
head. Joe laughed. “He doesn’t like you, Adam,” joked Joe.
“That
horse would say anything you told it to,” Adam retorted. “He’s not a reliable
witness.”
Once
Joe was mounted, Adam got onto Sport, and took Cochise’s rein. “Joe, I’m just
going to backtrack a bit and make sure that guy from last night left, all
right?”
“What
ever you say, Adam,” Joe agreed, wondering what Adam would do if he protested.
It didn’t come naturally to Joe to sit passively on a horse, but he did his
best to be patient. Adam didn’t go far. The tracks seemed to be leading
straight for the fence line, and Adam didn’t want to waste any more time over
it. He wanted to get home and hand Joe over to Ben.
There
wasn’t much talk as they rode through the morning. Adam’s mind was fixed on
getting Joe home as quickly and comfortably as possible. Joe’s was fixed on
keeping calm. He found it incredibly disturbing not to be able to see. His eyes
were sore, and he worried silently about it. He had woken with a slight
headache, too, which he put down to the knock on the head from the frying pan.
The last thought provoked a small chuckle. It was ridiculous, being knocked
cold by a frying pan!
After
a brief stop for lunch, they pushed on. Adam estimated out loud that they ought
to reach the ranch house by suppertime, which was a cheerful thought for both
of them. They were both tired of trail food. Joe speculated out loud that they
would get roast pork, or roast beef, or even, if Hop Sing thought it likely
they would be home that night, a roast chicken. Adam thought they would be
lucky if there was anything prepared for them, as they hadn’t been sure when
they would get back.
“You
really know how to chirk a guy up,” Joe complained. “What a misery you are, big
brother.”
“Well,
at least I’m not trying to rival Hoss,” Adam said. “I never heard you talk
about food so much, Joe.”
“Its your cooking,” Joe returned. “Its
enough to make anyone develop an interest in food.” He couldn’t contain a
laugh.
Laughing
as well, Adam was caught unawares as a figure jumped on him from a rock by the
trail. He let out a cry, and fell to the ground as the weight of the other
person hit him full on. Sport snorted and jumped out of the way. Cochise shied sideways,
and Joe was almost unseated. He groped frantically for the loose rein, but
couldn’t find it. “Adam?” he cried, hearing the noises of the fight.
There
was no time for Adam to respond. He was wrestling with Williams, who had the
advantage of surprise, and Adam was winded from his fall. He fought back as
best he could, but he took a pounding. Williams managed to grab Adam’s gun, and
sledged it down on his head. Adam sank to the road, unconscious.
Looking
round, Williams couldn’t contain a grin as he saw Joe sitting on Cochise, with
his gun drawn, but not knowing where to shoot. As silently as possible, he
sidled up to Joe. Cochise edged away, and Joe brought the gun round, but he
heard very little sound to tell him where to aim. Fear of accidentally shooting
Adam was uppermost in his mind. So when a hand grabbed his gun, Joe flinched,
and before he knew it, the gun was gone.
“Don’t
move,” said a voice, and there was the unmistakeable click of a gun cocking.
Joe wisely decided to stay still. “Put your hands on the saddle horn,” Williams
ordered, and soon had Joe’s hands tightly bound. With an evil grin, Williams
stuck Joe’s gun into his belt, and led Cochise over to where his own horse was
tethered. He mounted, and rode off, leading Joe helplessly behind him.
***************
Some
time passed before Adam stirred back to consciousness. He put a hand to his
aching head, and it came away sticky with drying blood. The lump throbbed when
he touched it, but there didn’t seem to be much blood, for which he was truly
grateful. Staggering to his feet, Adam glanced around. Sport was grazing a
little further up the trail. Of Joe, there was no sign.
It
didn’t take Adam long to locate the trail and he followed it for quite a
distance before it led onto rocky ground and vanished. Sick with worry, Adam
knew that he couldn’t look any more without help, and he reluctantly turned his
horse’s head in the direction of home. Despite his headache which throbbed
fiercely, Adam kept Sport to a ground covering lope, and rode into the yard of
the ranch house a couple of hours later.
It
was suppertime, as the smell of roast beef could attest. But Adam didn’t feel
hungry; he felt nauseated. He slid from Sport’s back and staggered to the door
and let himself in. He could hear Hoss talking, but the words didn’t seem to
make much sense.
The
sudden appearance of Adam came as quite a shock to his father and brother. He
was white-faced and shaking, and there was dried blood on his neck. “Adam?” Ben
said, disbelievingly. “What happened?”
“I
was jumped, and he’s got Joe,” Adam said, sinking into his seat by the table.
“Joe’s hurt,
At
those words, Ben’s heart contracted painfully. “How bad is he hurt?” Ben asked,
urgently, and Adam gathered his scattering wits. Quickly, he told them what had
happened, and Ben was partially reassured. But only
partially. The thought of Joe alone out there somewhere, injured and
unable to see was very painful. He took a deep breath to quell the panic he
felt rising, and took charge. “Hoss, get the sheriff and the doctor.”
“Pa,
I’m all right,” Adam protested.
“You’re
covered in blood,” Ben said, bluntly, in a tone Adam knew only too well. Ben
looked at Hoss and nodded, and the middle son headed for the door.
While
they waited for Paul Martin and Roy Coffee to arrive, Ben gently quizzed Adam
about the accident at the camp, and was reassured that Joe’s injuries weren’t
life threatening. He was deeply concerned about Joe, but Adam needed him right
now, and he could see that his older son was concussed.
Finally,
there was a clatter of hooves in the yard, and the door opened to admit the
people Ben had been waiting for with barely concealed impatience. He rose to
greet them, and listened while Adam told his story over again. Paul examined
him, and dressed the lump on his head, and advised a good night’s rest. “He’s
concussed, Ben, so go easy on him.”
“Frank
Williams, eh?”
“Let’s
get you to bed, Adam,” Ben said, but Adam protested that he could manage on his
own and went off to bed.
Ben
knew that he would be very lucky if he slept that night.
************
It
seemed to Joe that they rode for a very long time. He had no idea which
direction they travelled in, and he had no idea of what time they stopped. He
didn’t know if it was daylight or darkness. He was trapped in a nightmare with
no way out. When they did finally stop, Joe was exhausted. Ever since the
accident, he had been tense, and his muscles were shaking with fatigue.
Rough
hands untied the ropes that bound him to the saddle horn, and Joe was hauled
from the saddle. He managed to get his feet underneath him, and leant against
Cochise’s warm side. It gave him a small measure of comfort.
“Put
your hands behind your back and turn around,” the voice ordered, and Joe
baulked.
“Who
are you and what do you want with me?” he demanded.
The
backhand slap caught him completely by surprise, and he almost fell over. “Do
as you are told, or take the consequences,” warned the voice. “Put your hands
behind your back and turn around!”
Warily,
Joe did as he was told. The man had the upper hand for the moment, but Joe
vowed to find a way to make a break for freedom. He winced as the rope was
tightened cruelly round his wrists. Once his hands were secure, Joe was taken
by the arm and led across some rough ground and dragged up a step onto a wooden
structure. He almost fell, as the man leading him didn’t warn him about the
step. He bumped into what felt like a doorframe, and knew from the feel of the
air that they were inside a building of some kind.
“Sit
down, kid,” the man said, and gave him a shove. Joe could sense something solid
there, and when he sat down, he guessed it was a wall. He leaned back against
it. He was no less lost, but at least he had a point of reference.
“You’re
the man from the camp, aren’t you?” Joe accused. “Williams, wasn’t it?”
“Clever
boy,” mocked Williams. “It gave me great pleasure to see what happened to you
last night, boy! It certainly helped my plans.” He laughed sadistically. “Yep,
it was real nice to see all that blood coming from your eyes. Your brother sure
was concerned about you, yes siree! Pity I couldn’t have stayed to watch his
face when he saw you were missing!”
“There’ll
be a posse out looking for you,” Joe warned. “My family won’t just sit back and
leave me.”
“They
won’t find us until I’m ready,” Williams said. “I aim to get me a bit of the
Ponderosa, and if I have to use the blind son to get it, believe me I will. You
guys will be sorry you evicted me.”
“They’ll
get you, Williams!” Joe exclaimed, furious. “Scum like you won’t get way with
this!”
A
hand folded into the front of his jacket, and Joe was yanked to his feet. He
could feel Williams’ breath hot on his face. “You’re real cocky for someone
who’s helpless,” Williams hissed, menacingly. “You give me trouble, and you’ll
regret it, boy.”
“Sure,”
Joe scoffed, recklessly. He was completely unprepared for the fist that crashed
into his stomach, and doubled over, falling to the floor with a crash. He lay
curled on his side, unable to catch his breath for several terrifying seconds.
“That
was a warning,” Williams said, calmly walking away. Joe heard a door close, and
wondered if he was alone. After a time, he managed to sit up, and leaned back
on the wall. Williams was right. He was helpless right now. He began to feel
along the wall, hoping that he would find a protruding nail, or piece of board
that he could use to try and get free, but his questing fingers found nothing.
Joe wouldn’t allow himself to despair.
************
Later,
Williams made a fire in the stove in the line shack where he had holed up, and
cooked some bacon. He fed Joe, who ate reluctantly. He was hungry, but there
was a residual ache in the pit of his stomach. He choked down what he could,
and listened to the sounds of Williams preparing for the night. He felt his
muscles growing tense as footsteps approached him again.
“Gotta
tie your feet, Cartwright,” Williams said, crouching by Joe. “I can’t take the
risk of waking up and finding you gone, now can I?” He briskly bound Joe’s
feet, and then hauled his captive forward to check the ropes binding his hands.
Finding them still tight, he shoved Joe back against the wall. “Sleep well,
Cartwright,” he sneered.
The
footsteps retreated, and silence fell. After a time, Joe heard soft snores from
the other side of the cabin, and he relaxed. It took some time for him to
realise that the ropes around his feet weren’t as tight as they had been. When
he did realise, he wriggled carefully, until the loops fell loose around his
feet. Slowly, Joe raised one foot, then the other, and shook them, hoping the
rope would fall free. The small thud showed him it had. He froze then, listening to make sure the small noise hadn’t roused
Williams.
Reassured
by the continuing snoring, he eased across the floor on his butt, feeling
carefully with his feet for obstacles in front of him. Joe had tried to rub the
bandages off his head, but Adam had done too good a job of putting them on, and
they weren’t budging. So he was forced to make his break for freedom much more
slowly than his nerves could stand. Every instinct screamed at him to rise to
his feet and run!
He
was sweating profusely when he reached the door. He eased to his feet, and felt
for the latch. It was awkward to open it with his hands bound the way they
were, but Joe persevered, stopping often to listen to the sound of William’s
breathing. The door opened slowly, and Joe stepped carefully outside, taking
care to close the door silently.
For
a moment, he stood there, leaning on the wall of the cabin, gathering his
strength and courage before he started off. He knew it was a foolish risk, but
the thought of being held hostage for a piece of the Ponderosa was too much for
him, and he knew he had to try and get away. He didn’t know where he was, was
tied up, and couldn’t see, but Joe felt freer than he had since Williams
attacked Adam. Cautiously, he edge towards the steps he knew were
there.
From
the side of the cabin, Cochise snorted loudly. Joe flinched, and froze. He
couldn’t tell if Williams was still asleep or not, so decided to keep going.
Cochise whinnied. Joe hurried his steps, sure now that Williams would be awake.
“Thanks, Coochie,” he muttered.
It
was a nightmare journey for Joe. He tried to hurry, but stumbled frequently
over unseen projections, and bumped bruising into trees. He fell to his knees
more than once, and was trembling with exhaustion in a very few minutes.
“Cartwright!”
shouted a voice from behind, and Joe tried to quicken his steps further. He
paid the penalty immediately by crashing his head off a low-hanging branch. The
blow was hard enough to knock him over backwards, and he rolled over onto his
stomach, feeling something trickling down his forehead. He forced himself to
his knees, but his head swam, and Joe was still kneeling there when Williams
arrived a moment or two later.
“Good
try, Cartwright,” Williams sneered. “But just not good enough!” He yanked Joe to
his feet, and buried his fist in the youth’s stomach. He dragged his gasping
captive back to the cabin, not caring that Joe stumbled many times. Once back,
he threw Joe to the floor, and snatched up the rope. This time, he bound Joe’s
feet to the table leg. “Don’t bother trying that again,” he warned, and kicked
Joe in the stomach before returning to the bed.
Lying
groaning on the floor, Joe knew that there would be no escape this time.
***************
The
posse arrived at the ranch shortly after dawn. Despite Ben’s protests, Adam was
determined to go with them. He pointed out, correctly, that he was the only one
who knew exactly where he and Joe had been, and where he had followed the trail
to. Ben capitulated, although he vowed to keep a close eye on his oldest son,
who was still somewhat green about the gills.
It
was almost mid-morning before they reached the spot where the attack had taken
place. Adam looked shaky, but insisted that he was all right. As
“Where
to now, Adam?”
“This
way,” Adam said, and soon picked up the trail.
As
soon as Hoss saw it, he took the lead, and Adam relinquished his position at
the front quite willingly. He felt dreadful, but his concern for Joe’s well
being far out weighed his concern for his own. He hoped they would find Joe
quickly, but some little voice told him this was a forlorn hope.
Soon,
they came to the place where Adam had lost the trail the day before. “We’d
better split up,”
They
rode off in separate directions, and Ben allowed Hoss once more to take the
lead and cast around for the trail. He eyed Adam worriedly. “I’m all right,
Pa,” Adam said, patiently.
“I
know,” Ben replied. “If ‘all right’ includes going the shade of green you are
right now. Adam, you heard Paul last night. You’re concussed.”
“Its not bad,” Adam said, knowing he spoke the truth, but
feeling ill all the same. He hadn’t been stricken with bouts of nausea, which
he counted as a plus, but his head ached relentlessly. “Besides, it would have
taken you longer to get here without me. And we need to get to Joe as soon as
possible.”
“Thank
you, Adam,” Ben said, quietly, but Adam shrugged the praise off.
“He’s
my brother,” he returned, softly, and no more needed to be said.
************
They
hunted fruitlessly for over half an hour before Hoss found the trail again.
They quickly fired off a couple of shots, and waited anxiously for Roy and the
posse to appear. Ben fretted silently that the shots would alert Williams to
their presence, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had looked at
the poster
Another
15 minutes passed before the posse rode into sight, and they followed Hoss
cautiously along the trail. Finally, after several miles, they came to one of
Ben’s line shacks. The trail led right to the door.
There
was no need to be careful, for it was obvious at once that Williams and Joe
were no longer there. The door swung in the wind, and there were no horses in
the lean-to. Ben dismounted and rushed into the structure. The stove was still
warm, and the blanket on the bed was rumpled. Two dirty plates lay on the
table.
Roy
and Hoss scouted the area to pick up Williams’ trail again. Adam sat on the
step, resting his aching head and longing to lie down. Ben paced restlessly. He
watched Roy and Hoss talking and pointing to the ground. Drawn, he went over to
them. “What have you found?” he asked.
“Boot
prints,” Hoss said. He pointed them out again for Ben. “Whoever this was stumbled
an’ fell a lot, Pa. Fell all his length there,” he added, pointing to another
place. “There’s another set of prints coming from the cabin, too. Then they
both go back. This one seems to have stumbled a lot agin.” Hoss didn’t say
more, but they both knew that these prints belonged to Joe.
“There
ain’t any blood,”
“Have
you found their trail?” Ben asked, numbly.
“Yeah,
right over here, Pa,” Hoss led the way over. “Looks like he’s goin’ back the
way he come.”
“Let’s
go,” Ben said. He went back to the cabin and looked at Adam. “Do you want to
stay here and rest, son?” he asked, gently.
“I’m
all right,” Adam asserted. “If you’ve found Joe’s trail, I’m coming with you.”
Quickly,
Ben brought Adam up-to-date on what they had found. Adam looked at him soberly.
“Let’s go,” he said, echoing his father from moments before.
Grimly,
they mounted up again.
***********
Lying
on the ground, Joe listened for sounds coming from Williams. He had been roused
with a kick that morning, and Williams had forced him onto Cochise after a
scanty breakfast. His hands were still bound behind him, and Joe had to
concentrate furiously to stay in the saddle. They had ridden for a long time,
and when they stopped, Joe had been more than willing to slide form the saddle
and sit down. Williams had tied him to a tree and gone away. Joe hadn’t heard a
sound from him since.
There
was a sound, and Joe swung round. “Thirsty, Cartwright?”
Williams asked, and Joe nodded. He gratefully accepted the water Williams gave
him. “Time to go,” Williams said, freeing Joe’s feet,
and hauling him to his feet. “We’re nearly there, Cartwright. Does that please
you?”
Saying
nothing, Joe concentrated on staying on his feet. His stomach still ached from
the kicks he had received the previous night. He had learned to be wary of
Williams. He obediently put his foot into the stirrup, and mounted with
Williams’ help. He wondered where they were going, but he was determined not to
ask.
The
ride was much shorter this time. The horses came to a stop, and Williams’ came
to Joe’s side. “We’re here,” he said, and before he could stop himself, Joe
kicked out at his captor.
For
a blind shot, it was remarkably accurate. Joe felt his foot connect, and
Williams let out a cry. Joe dug his heels into Cochise’s side, and the pinto
lunged forward. However, it hadn’t occurred to Joe that his rein was still
firmly tied to Williams’ horse. The other horse took several steps before it
balked. Cochise swung round as the rein tightened, and Joe was caught unawares,
and slid out the side door, crashing to the ground.
In
a couple of strides, Williams crossed the clearing, and grabbed Joe. “That
wasn’t very bright,” he snarled. “You’ve annoyed me now.”
“Oh,
you’re so brave when my hands are tied,” Joe shot back. “Bet you wouldn’t be so
brave if I were free!”
“Me,
scared of the blind man?” Williams taunted him. “I don’t think so, son.” He
yanked Joe to his feet, and dragged him across the clearing, throwing him down
at the base of a large pine. With economical movements, he tied a rope round
Joe’s ankles and knees, tightening them cruelly. “Let’s see you get out of
that,” he sneered, and walked away.
Gritting
his teeth, Joe tested the ropes, but there was no give in them. He was still a
prisoner.
************
They
lost the light, eventually, and were forced to bed down for the night. Adam was
convinced by now that Williams was heading back to the clearing where he and
Joe had first met him.
After
supper, Adam lay down and went straight to sleep, and Ben was relieved. He knew
that Adam was exhausted, and really should be at home in bed. He hoped that the
next day, they would catch up with Williams and Joe, and that Joe would be all
right. Lying on his bedroll, Ben begged the Almighty to spare his sons any
further harm. It was another sleepless night for him.
*************
Next
morning dawned cold and cloudy. The posse ate a cold meal, and drank water,
rather than build a fire and waste more time. To Ben’s and Hoss’ relief, Adam
looked slightly better, and he brushed off their concerned enquiries about his
health.
They
were soon mounted, and following the trail much more quickly than the previous
day. It was almost as though
As
they drew nearer, and Adam’s theory proved to be correct, they slowed, and
approached with much more caution.
Clem
was back after a short time, although it seemed to have taken forever to the
anxious family. The clustered round Clem to hear his report.
“He’s got the clearing set out just the way you said, Adam,” Clem began.
“There’s a tent pitched up at the back, next to the woodpile. Williams is
sitting out front, cleaning his rifle.”
Crouching,
Clem drew a rough map in the dirt to show the others. “There’s a fire out front,
and Joe is tied up over here beneath a tree.” He marked an X on the map to show
everyone.
“How
does he look?” Ben interrupted, although he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do
that.
“Difficult
to say,” Clem answered, slowly. “His eyes are bandaged up, and he’s all tied
up. I wasn’t close enough to see anything else, sorry, Ben.”
“All
right,”
They
set off on foot, as quietly as they could. Ben could feel anxiety shortening
his breath and he glanced at Adam to see his son’s face set and white with
tension. They were so close, but anything could go wrong…
The
thought had hardly crossed Ben’s mind when there was a shot! They froze, then plunged towards the clearing, their instructions
forgotten. All that mattered was Joe!
************
It
had been a long cold night for Joe, under the tree. His hands and feet were already
numb from the ropes, and he was worried that they would be seriously damaged if
he didn’t manage to get away soon. But he didn’t know how to get free. The
knots defied his every effort.
He
heard footsteps, and a kick crashed off his hip. Joe winced. “Awake,
Cartwright?” Williams asked. “Sleep well, did you?” He hoisted Joe to his feet.
“Not very talkative, are you, boy? Good thing I like my own company.” Casually,
he let Joe fall again, and laughed callously. “I’m gonna have some fun with you
today, boy,” he said, and went off.
The
morning passed slowly for Joe. He heard Williams walking about, and wondered
what he was doing, but no power on earth could have forced Joe to ask. He knew
that whatever Williams had in store for him, it wouldn’t be pleasant.
Footsteps
approached, and Joe tensed. Then there was a shout from further away, and a
shot rang out. Williams dropped to the ground, and grabbed Joe, using him as a
shield. Williams gun went off very close to Joe’s ear,
and the youth flinched.
Shots
seemed to be coming from all around, pinging off the ground. Williams changed
his grip on Joe, getting him in a strangle hold. Joe struggled helplessly.
“Come any closer and I’ll kill Cartwright!” Williams shouted.
“You’re
surrounded!” shouted a voice that sounded very like Roy Coffee to Joe. His
heart leaped in anticipation.
“Anyone
comes near me and I kill the boy!” Williams repeated. “Now, throw down your
weapons and come out where I can see you!”
After
a pause, the posse did as they were told and reluctantly came into view. As
Hoss glared across the clearing at the man holding his little brother hostage,
he suddenly realised that neither Adam nor Ben were in sight. He kept his gaze
fixed on Williams, just in case his wandering eyes should alert the other man.
To keep Williams attention on him, he said, “Are you all right, Little Joe?”
“I’m
fine, Hoss,” Joe replied, but Hoss could hear the strain quite clearly in his
brother’s voice.
“We’ll
get you outa this, don’t worry, Shortshanks,” Hoss went on.
There
was movement from behind Williams, but as Adam’s head appeared, the bushes
rustled loudly, and Williams whirled, firing wildly in that direction. Hoss
took advantage of his distraction and snatched up his gun. The rest of the
posse did the same, and a volley of shots was fired. Williams jerked as at
least one of the bullets found its target, and he dropped Joe.
Thereafter,
it was a confusion of movement and shouting for a few minutes. Williams was
still alive, although gravely injured, with a bullet in his lower back. Joe lay
still, and Hoss knelt by him, his heart in his mouth. He felt frantically for a
pulse, and it was there, erratic, but there.
Glancing
up, he was relieved to see both Ben and Adam coming from the bushes, apparently
uninjured. “Pa, quick,” he said, but Ben needed no urging. He knelt by his
youngest son, and checked him over.
There
was a bullet high in the back of Joe’s right shoulder. Ben swiftly unwrapped the bandages from his eyes, reasoning that Joe
would need to see to be reassured after this, and Adam cut through the ropes
binding his brother. “Look at these rope burns, Pa,” he said, in a low voice.
Joe’s wrists were raw and had been bleeding.
With
a groan, Joe began to revive. His eyelids fluttered before opening. He squinted
disbelievingly at Ben. “Pa?” he ventured, then winced. “How’s Adam?”
“I’m
fine, thanks,” Adam said, leaning in so Joe could see him.
“Yankee
Granite head,” Joe muttered. His eyes closed and he winced again.
“Make
a travois,” Ben said to his older sons. “Joe’s in no state to ride home. Once
that’s done, Adam, you ride back to the ranch and send a hand for the doctor.
We’ll keep moving until we get home.”
“Understood,”
Adam said, and they moved off.
“Joe?”
Ben said, leaning over his son again. “Joe, your eyes are a bit inflamed, so
I’m going to bandage them again, all right? I won’t leave you, son, so don’t
worry. Williams is under arrest, and you’re safe.” Ben brushed the curls back
from Joe’s head, and grimaced as he saw a gash and bruise running along his
forehead.
“All
right,” Joe said, but Ben could hear the fear running through his voice. “Pa,
my shoulder hurts.”
“You’ve
been shot, son,” Ben explained, gently. “The bullet is still in there, but we have
to get you home to a doctor before we can do anything about it. Rest easy. Your brothers are making a travois.” He began to
wind the bandage round Joe’s eyes again, and then laid his son’s head tenderly
in his lap. After a time, Joe slept.
*************
It
was a slow journey back to the ranch. Roy and Clem had rigged a similar travois
for Williams. However, it seemed doubtful that he would survive the journey
back to
It
had been dark for a couple of hours when the weary procession finally reached the
yard of the Ponderosa. Joe was too exhausted to stand unsupported, and was
running a temperature as the bullet began an infection in his system. Hoss,
although extremely tired himself, picked Joe up as
though he weighed nothing, and carried him into the house and straight up to
bed. Adam, who had been back for some time, put the horses away.
Entering
Joe’s room, Ben saw Paul Martin bending over Joe, examining the wound. He was
chattering away nineteen to the dozen, reassuring Joe that he would be fine in
no time. His voice was cheerful, but his
face was grim. He glanced round at Ben, nodded, and reached for his medical
bag. “Joe, I’m going to give you something to make you sleep, and when you wake
up, you’ll feel better.”
“You
always say that,” Joe said, his voice light and breathless.
“And
I’m always right, aren’t I?” Paul said. “And don’t answer that, young man!”
There
was a gurgle of laughter from Joe, and Paul applied the ether mask, and shortly
thereafter, Joe was deep in a drugged sleep. Ben was firmly ushered from the
room, and Hop Sing assisted Paul during the operation.
Downstairs,
Adam made Ben and Hoss have something to eat, and they both washed up. After
that, it was just a matter of waiting. Time seemed to stand still. No matter
how often Ben glanced at the clock, its hands seemed frozen. But at last, Paul
came downstairs.
“He’ll
be all right, Ben,” Paul said, sitting down. “He’s running quite a little fever
up there, but there wasn’t too much infected flesh to cut away. Give him a day
or two to get over the shock to his system and he should be on the mend. His
eyes are on the mend, even though they don’t look too good. Leave the bandages
off until he’s regained consciousness. But I think you can leave them off all
together in a day or so.”
“Thank
you, Paul,” Ben said. “Please, stay the night.”
“I’d
like to,” Paul said, honestly, rising. “But I have another patient to see
tonight, Ben.” He made a wry face. “If he’s still alive that is.” Collecting
his hat, Paul left.
The
Cartwrights went up stairs and into Joe’s room. Hop Sing gave them all a
searching look before relinquishing his place by Joe’s bed. Ben sat down on the
edge, and Hoss and Adam crowded close. Joe was still deeply asleep, his right
shoulder bandaged, and his arm in a sling. The dirt had been washed from his
face, leaving the bruises and scratches standing out in dark relief against the
pale skin. His eyes looked swollen and red, but Adam could see an improvement
in them since the accident happened.
After
about an hour, Joe began to revive. He groaned several times, and then his eyes
flickered partially open. His gaze fell on Ben’s face, and he smiled
brilliantly. “Hi, Pa,” he whispered, and licked his lips.
While
Ben helped him to drink, Joe squinted at his brothers, but they could see it
was an effort to keep his eyes open. They didn’t need any urging from Ben to
wish their brother good night, and head off to bed. It was already close to
“I’ve
got to bandage your eyes again, Joe,” Ben said. He had deliberately not
mentioned it until he saw Joe was ready to go back to sleep. It hadn’t taken
long.
“Mmm,
all right, Pa,” Joe slurred. “I’m tired.”
“Then
you sleep, son,” Ben said, tenderly, as he did his work. And not much to his
surprise, Joe was asleep before Ben had pinned the bandage into place.
About
Sometime
about 7 Joe woke. “Pa?” he whispered. His hand groped in the air.
Catching
his hand, Adam squeezed it, as he said, “No, it’s me, Joe. Pa’s asleep. He was
up until about 5.”
Returning
the pressure, Joe asked, “What time is it now?”
“Seven,”
Adam replied. “Seven in the morning.”
Joe
sighed deeply, and winced. He was covered in bruises, but he hadn’t suffered
any broken ribs. “Do you know,” he said, “this is the first day in ages that
I’ve known what time of day or night it is?” He swallowed. “Not since you were
attacked, really. I lost track of time that first day.” He drank eagerly as
Adam offered him water. “I sort of knew it was day time because we were moving,
but I could hardly sleep, and I was never sure. It’s awful, being in the dark,
Adam. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
“But
you’ve coped,” Adam pointed out. “And in the worst of
circumstances, too.”
“I
guess,” Joe said, doubtfully. He yawned. “I’m tired,” he said, plaintively, and
Adam laughed.
“Go
back to sleep then,” he said. “I guess I can do your chores for you today.”
“Thanks,”
Joe said, so sleepily that Adam knew he hadn’t got the joke.
*************
As
Paul had predicted, Joe continued to run a slight fever over the next few days.
He slept a good deal of the time, and Paul came out regularly to check on him.
He reported, without any grief, that Williams had died before he had got back
to town. Apart from a savage “good!” from Ben, nobody said anything.
They
didn’t tell Joe for several days. Once his fever broke, he began to show signs
of recovery. Paul kept a sharp eye on the shoulder injury, but it showed all
the signs of healing very quickly. After two days, Paul took the bandages off
Joe’s eyes and spent a long time peering into them, and asking Joe questions.
Ben waited anxiously at the other side of the room. Adam and Hoss waited
anxiously in the living room.
Finally
straightening, Paul said, “Your eyes are fine, Joe. No damage at all. I don’t
see any need for the bandages again.”
“Thanks,
Doc,” Joe said, his eyes shining. He threw a glance at Ben, and his father
thought how much he’d missed those loving glances from his son’s expressive
green eyes.
“You
can get up now, as long as you don’t over do it,” Paul said, wagging a finger
at his patient for emphasis. “You’ve had a hard few days, and don’t forget that
shoulder will need at least another 2 weeks to heal properly!”
“I
understand,” Joe assured him, and was out of the bed before Paul was out of the
room.
It
was good to have Joe up and about again, although he obeyed doctor’s orders to
the letter, showing Ben that eh wasn’t feeling as well as he made out. However,
he continued to improve, and was soon strolling gently to the barn to visit his
beloved Cochise.
But
there was a change in Joe, Ben noticed. He was quieter than usual, and although
it took a little manoeuvring, Ben finally got him alone by the corral one
afternoon. “All right, son?” he asked, casually, leaning on the fence.
“Yes,”
Joe replied, but his answer wouldn’t have convinced anyone.
“Out
with it Joe,” Ben said. “There’s something bothering you. What is it?”
“Adam
said I coped with being blind very well,” he said.
Startled,
Ben looked at him. “Your brother is right, son,” he said. “You did cope very
well, and under trying circumstances.”
“That
was almost exactly what he said, too,” Joe commented, wryly. “But I didn’t cope
well,
“Joe,
anybody in his right mind would have been terrified,” Ben insisted. “That’s
partly why people like Williams blindfold their hostages. It takes away some of
their self-confidence, as well as prevents them identifying their captors. It’s
a rather sadistic way of playing Blind Man’s Bluff, don’t you see? In that
game, you take away someone’s sight, and try and make them find other people. Its done in the name of fun, but it’s the same idea. I think
you were extraordinarily brave to try to escape the way you did. But you did
cope, Joe.”
“How
can you say that?” Joe demanded.
“I
can say it because you came back to us whole in mind, if not in body. If you hadn’t
coped, Joe, you would’ve gone mad. But one way or another, you found the means
to deal with the deprivation of your sight, the same as you found the ways to
cope with trying to deal with your imprisonment. Joe, you are a very strong
personality. Lord knows, we’ve had some battles because of that, haven’t we?”
“We
sure have,” Joe said, ruefully.
Clapping
a hand on Joe’s shoulder, Ben said, “Because you are a strong personality, son,
you’ll always be able to cope. It might not feel like you’re coping at the
time, but you can do it. We never know what life will throw at us, and I’m
glad. But you can cope, son. You don’t need me or your brothers all the time,
although we’ll always be here for you, the same as you are always here for us.”
“I
hadn’t thought of it that way,” Joe admitted, huskily. “Thanks,
“You’re
welcome, Joe,” Ben said. “You’re welcome.”
The
End