Singled Out
By: Rona Y.
“Cartwright,” growled a low
voice.
Standing by the punch
table, getting a drink for himself and his date, Joe Cartwright stiffened.
“What do you want,
“You’re marked,
Cartwright,”
As
*********************
“There’s smoke!” Joe
declared as he and a group of his friends rode over to Tony Parson’s house.
Tony and his family had arrived in
“Looks like its coming from
the Parsons’ place,” Mitch Devlin agreed.
“Come on!” Joe urged,
kicking his pinto into a gallop. Mike Abbott, Jeff Campbell and Don Foster all
hesitated momentarily before following. They weren’t so sure they wanted to get
involved in fire fighting. But in all
conscience, they couldn’t avoid going to help. It was one of the obligations of
living in such a tough landscape. Everyone helped out everyone else.
As they drew nearer, Joe
and Mitch in the front, they could see that both the house and the barn were
well alight. “Get the horses out of the barn!” Joe ordered as he slithered down
from Cochise and turned his horse loose into the meadow, away from danger.
“I’ll check the house!”
“Joe, wait!” Mitch cried,
but he was talking to himself. Joe was already running over to the burning homestead.
He was at the foot of the
porch steps when the door opened and four youths barrelled out. Without
hesitating, they literally ran Joe over, knocking him to the ground and kicking
him while he was down for good measure. Joe knew them all and as he dragged
himself to his feet, wincing, he saw the
Seeing Mike coming across,
Joe waved him away and headed into the house. He knew that the Parsons must be
there somewhere. Smoke eddied in his face and Joe dragged out a bandanna and
clutched it to his nose, coughing.
The parlour was empty,
although the table was set in there for supper. Joe went on through into the
kitchen, but the fire was so fierce in there that he was forced to retreat,
unable to tell if there was someone in there.
The other downstairs room
was also empty. Joe glanced apprehensively at the flames now licking the door
between parlour and kitchen. He didn’t have long, he knew, but he had to find
Tony and his family. He raced upstairs.
All the doors upstairs
stood open, bar one. Joe tried the handle, gasping at the heat coming from it.
The door was locked. Immediately, Joe threw his weight against the door. Three
times he hit it before the lock sprang and Joe catapulted into the room.
The heat was horrific and
Joe realised this room was directly above the blazing kitchen. Mrs Parsons was
tied to a chair. Mr Parsons and Tony were tied back to back, and they were all
gagged. Joe knelt by Tony and his father, dragging out his knife and slicing
through their bonds. “Get out!” he yelled, above the noise and the smoke. “I’ll
get your mother!”
As Tony and his father rose
shakily to their feet, Joe hurried across to Mrs Parsons and began to cut her
bonds. He helped her to her feet, but it was clear that she was much too shaken
to walk. Joe stowed away his knife and picked her up.
The smoke was thicker than
ever, and Joe could no longer hold the bandanna over his face. He began to
cough at once. Mrs Parsons appeared to have fainted, for her head rested
heavily on Joe’s shoulder and she was completely limp. When he had first lifted
her, Joe had thought she weighed very little, but with every step he took, her
weight seemed to increase.
With a roar, the outside
wall of the room burst into flames. Joe felt the heat licking his back as he
staggered towards the door. The very air seemed to burn as he drew it into his
lungs. But he couldn’t rest now, as he wanted. He had to keep going and get Mrs
Parsons to safety.
Reaching the top of the
stairs, Joe leant for a moment against the wall. His chest was heaving as he
fought to get the air he required and his head was swimming from the thick
smoke that eddied around him. Joe suddenly realised that the wall he was
leaning against was hot – very hot! With a ragged cry, he straightened and
started to descend the stairs.
Three quarters of the way
down, Joe lost his footing and tumbled to the floor. Somehow, he managed to
twist around so that Mrs Parsons was cushioned against him, but he was winded
and lay there for several seconds before getting his breath back.
The whole house was ablaze
now and he was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate his thoughts as
the smoke affected his thinking. But the survival instinct was strong in Joe,
and he somehow got to his feet and staggered towards the door.
He burst through into the
clearer air outside and fell down the porch steps. This time, he was unable to
keep hold of Mrs Parsons and she rolled across the ground. Joe simply could not
get up. He wheezed and coughed as he tried to get air. The wind fanned more
smoke over him. Joe closed his eyes.
Then there were hands
there, dragging him away from the burning house. It was the last thing Joe
remembered as he plunged into unconsciousness.
**********************
“Hello, Mitch,” Ben
Cartwright exclaimed in surprise, as he opened his door to the frantic
knocking. He gazed at the youth in disbelief, for he was liberally streaked
with soot.
“Mr Cartwright, there’s
been a fire,” Mitch panted.
“A fire?” Ben echoed.
“Where?”
“At the Parsons. Come
quick!” He tugged at Ben’s sleeve.
“Wait!” Ben ordered,
confused. “I’ll get some men.”
“No, you don’t understand,”
Mitch cried. “Joe’s been hurt. He’s at Doc Martin’s and they want you to come
quick.”
“I’ll be right there,” Ben
agreed, his heart in his mouth. He turned back into the house and saw that both
Hoss and Adam, who had gone upstairs to get ready for bed, were standing there.
“Joe…” he began but Adam interrupted.
“We heard. We’re coming, too,
The ride into town was
essentially silent and Ben kept his heel to his horse all the way. He raced along
the main street and pulled up before the doctor’s office. He carelessly hitched
his horse and hurried inside, Adam, Hoss and Mitch on his heels.
The waiting room was full.
Mr Parsons and Tony were there, also covered in soot and coughing steadily. Mike,
Jeff and Don fidgeted uncertainly in a corner. “Where’s Joe?” Ben asked.
Hearing the voice, Dr Paul
Martin came out. He looked grim and Ben’s heart leapt into his mouth and
started beating at twice its usual speed. He found he couldn’t talk. But Paul didn’t
address Ben at once. He went over and sat beside Mr Parsons. “I’m very sorry,”
he said, quietly. “Your wife passed away a few moments ago. I’m so sorry.”
Parsons dissolved into
tears. Tony’s face drained of all colour and his eyes were wide. Ben’s heart
went out to the bereaved family, and he feared even more for his son. “I’m so
sorry,” he muttered, brokenly.
“Would you like to see
her?” Paul asked and Parsons nodded. Paul gave Ben a look as he led the Parsons
into the other room. He was back a few moments later.
“Ben, boys, come in,
please,” Paul asked, and stood back to allow the Cartwrights into the
consulting room.
The Parsons were not there,
for which Ben was thankful. Joe lay on the examination table, his eyes closed. As
Ben hurried over to him, he began to cough, a deep, harsh noise as his body
tried to rid itself of the poisons he had inhaled. “Joe?” Ben whispered.
For a brief instant, Joe
opened his eyes. They looked very green in the smoke-streaked pallor of his face.
But he didn’t say anything and his eyes drifted closed again at once. Ben glanced over at Paul.
“Joe’s going to be all
right,” Paul assured him. “He’s inhaled a lot of smoke, Ben and he was
unconscious for quite a while. He hasn’t banged his head, though, which is
good. He apparently fell down the porch steps and he’s sprained his ankle.
Apart from that, he has some minor burns on his right arm and left hand. His
throat is also very raw. But he’s going to be just fine,” he reiterated.
“Do you know what
happened?” Adam asked as Ben sat down beside Joe and drew the blankets back.
Joe’s right arm was bandaged, as was his left hand. Joe lay on his left side
and Ben could see that his back was pink, as though he had been sunburned. Joe
coughed again and Ben hovered helplessly as his son grew breathless in his
fight for oxygen.
“Mitch told us that when
they arrived at the Parsons’ place, the house and barn were already on fire.
Mitch and the others got the horses from the barn and Joe went into the house.
He freed the Parsons, who told me they were tied up in an upstairs room.” Paul
went over and listened to Joe’s chest. Joe was drifting in and out of sleep.
“Who did it?” asked Hoss,
frowning. “An’ why?”
“Good question,” Paul
agreed. “But the Parsons haven’t been around here long enough to have
recognised the men who did it, and I didn’t have time to ask Mitch and the
others. That’s
“When can I take Joe home?”
Ben asked. Although he was heart-sorry for the Parsons, his main concern was
Joe.
“Not till tomorrow,” Paul
replied. “I want him here where I can keep an eye on him overnight. He’s having
a bit of difficulty breathing, as you can see, and I want to be here, just on
the off-chance there’s a crisis.” He saw the look in Ben’s eyes and hastily
added, “Ben, I said it was an off-chance, and that’s what I meant. But you
don’t take chances with smoke inhalation.” He found a tired smile. “And, yes,
Ben, you can stay.” He excused himself.
“Boys, I think you ought to
go home,” Ben told his sons. “Hop Sing will be worried, and besides, I need you
to bring out a wagon to bring Joe home in. See if you can find Cochise and take
him back with you. I want to be here in case Joe needs me, and I’m sure
“All right,” Adam agreed,
reluctantly. “Come on, Hoss.” He went over and looked down on Joe for a moment
before briefly touching his cheek. Hoss followed him, swallowing visibly as he
saw the lines of pain etched on Joe’s face, despite the painkiller he had been
given earlier.
“He’ll be all right,” Ben
soothed Hoss, touching his son’s broad shoulder. Hoss nodded and followed Adam
outside.
*********************
The night seemed very long
to Ben, but by morning, Joe was looking a little better. He wasn’t coughing quite
as much, and seemed to be resting more easily. Paul had looked in several
times, and Ben had heard him visiting the Parsons, too, for both Tony and his
father had suffered from smoke inhalation.
Early in the morning, Mr
Parsons appeared in the room where Joe was sleeping. Ben wakened from a doze as
he heard the footsteps and looked up. This was the most difficult thing, he
knew, facing the newly bereaved. But it had to be done and Ben muttered, “I’m
so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Parsons
murmured, brokenly. He drew a deep breath to control his emotions. “I wanted to
come and see how Joe was doing, Mr Cartwright. He saved our lives yesterday.”
He paused to wipe away a tear. “My wife was quite frail, you know. She had a
heart condition, and Dr Martin says that’s why she died. Joe did everything he
could for her, you know. He carried her out of the house.”
“I didn’t know,” Ben
replied, for he hadn’t known about Mrs Parsons’ heart condition and he hadn’t
known that Joe had carried her from the blazing house.
“Is he going to be all
right?” Parsons asked.
“Yes, with time,” Ben
replied. “He wasn’t hurt badly. Thank you.”
“It was the least I could
do,” Parsons told him. “Joe risked his life for us, and saying thank you
doesn’t seem enough, somehow.”
“I’m sure it’ll be enough
for Joe,” Ben assured him. He watched as the man left, feeling his heart aching
in empathy for him. Ben had been there three times. He blinked back the tears
that gathered in his eyes and looked down on Joe. He was so thankful that he
had not had to face that this time.
*******************
Joe’s next visitor was Roy
Coffee, the sheriff. By then, Joe was sitting up, and eating some breakfast.
Ben was watching him discreetly while he ate, too, just in case Joe needed some
help, but so far he was managing fine with his right hand.
“Mornin’, Little Joe,”
“I feel fine,” Joe lied,
for he was sore all over.
“Glad ta hear it,”
“I don’t mind,” Joe assured
him. He took a fortifying sip of coffee.
“Joe, Mitch an’ the others
says ya was knocked over by the fellas as set this fire. Is that true?”
“Sure is,” Joe replied, with
feeling. He pulled back the blanket to show
“Ya didn’ happen ta
recognise them, did ya?”
“It was the
“What about the other two
boys, Isaac and Jacob? Was they there?”
“I don’t know,” Joe replied.
“I didn’t see them. But I certainly saw the others.” He grimaced. “How many
sets of identical twins do we have in
The
“Are ya willin’ to swear ta
this in court, Joe?”
“Sure am,” Joe responded,
darkly. He had been told of Mrs Parsons’ death a short while before. “And so
should Mitch and the others.”
“I see,” Joe nodded,
expressionlessly. “Don’t worry,
**************************
For the next couple of
weeks, Joe took things easy. He had no choice and he was not the only member of
his family who was disquieted at how long it took the smoke to clear his
system. Even a week after the fire, the least exertion brought on a frightening
bout of coughing. Because he had so many minor injuries, Joe was not moving
about much, and the coughing gradually settled. Paul had kept a close eye on
Joe’s burns, but they were soon healing up nicely, and would not leave a mark.
Joe’s hand was taking longer to heal than anywhere else, but because he was
left handed, he often reached for things with that hand before he thought.
“Do you feel up to going to
the dance?” Ben asked Joe. It had been exactly two weeks since the fire. Joe’s
ankle had proved to be twisted rather than sprained and he had been walking
about quite easily on it after a week.
“Sure,” Joe replied,
cheerfully. “I feel fine, Pa, honest.”
Raising one eyebrow, Ben
regarded his youngest son intently. “Oh?” he queried mildly. “And who was it
that almost cursed aloud when he banged his burned shoulder this morning?”
The expression that crossed
Joe’s face was so comical that Ben almost laughed aloud. “I didn’t know you
were there,” Joe muttered, flushing. He’d bitten off the curse that sprang to
his lips, but obviously not fast enough. “How did you always know?” he
demanded.
Smiling, Ben replied, “I’m
omniscient, son.”
“Oh sure, rub it in with
big words,” Joe teased. “You’ll be as bad as Adam if you don’t watch out, Pa!”
“Do I hear my name being
taken in vain?” Adam asked, coming in to hear the last sentence.
“’Eavesdroppers seldom hear
good of themselves’,” Joe quoted, cheekily. How Adam had loved saying that to a
much younger Joe, and how Joe had longed to turn it back on his older brother.
Now he’d taken the chance and the look on Adam’s face was everything he’d hoped
for.
“Almost,” Adam corrected
him. “The proverb actually says, ‘Listeners never hear any good of
themselves.’”
“I was close,” Joe
retorted, disgruntled. “And that’s not what you used to say to me.”
“Perhaps not,” Adam agreed,
“but I do at least know the correct phrasing.”
Deciding that he’d better
step in before this broke out into war, Ben said, “Well, Joe, if you’re up to
going to the dance, I’ll let Gwen Sharp know when I go into town today. She was
asking me earlier in the week.”
“Thanks, Pa,” Joe smiled.
Usually, he would have pestered Ben to be allowed to go into town with him, but
Joe knew that he would need the extra few days to allow his hurts to heal and
rest was the best way of doing that. He went over to sit down on the settee,
sticking his tongue out at Adam behind Ben’s back.
*******************
“Why did the
“Well now, Joe, I ain’t too
sure,”
“But you do believe it was
them?” Joe demanded, suddenly feeling a bit panicky. All his friends had
assured him that they had not seen the intruder’s faces, but Joe did not
entirely believe them.
“Course I do, Joe,”
“How are the rest of the
“The ma an’ pa ain’t sayin’
too much,”
“Angry how?” Joe asked.
“Against me?”
“Naw, jist mouthin’ off,”
**********************
As he eased his way into
his dress white shirt on Saturday night, Joe was glad that Hop Sing – or cousin
number three to be more accurate – had not put too much starch on the shirt
this time. Putting clothes on and taking
them off was still time consuming and a little uncomfortable. Joe fumbled
slightly with the buttons and for a moment contemplated asking for help, but he
decided that he would manage. Paul Martin had put a smaller bandage on his hand
the previous day and Joe had found he was more able to perform everyday tasks.
Buttoning a shirt shouldn’t be beyond him, he decided.
However, not everyone had
the same view, for Adam appeared a short time later. “Are you ready yet?” he
demanded. “We’re all waiting for you.”
“I can’t get this tie to
sit,” Joe complained. He dropped the ends again and glared at the offending
object in the mirror. “I’m ready apart from that.”
“Well, why didn’t you just
ask for help?” Adam retorted, exasperated, and came into the room to tie the
tie.
It was soon done, though
and they went downstairs in amity. Joe didn’t protest when Adam helped him ease
his jacket on over the bandaged arm, but a grin broke forth when he saw that
Cochise had been saddled for him. Ben had announced that they would be going to
the dance in the buggy. “How…?” Joe began, but Adam put his finger to his lips.
“Ask no questions and I
will tell you no lies,” he whispered and they hurriedly mounted up before Ben
could come out and veto the horses. As they trotted decorously out of the yard,
they heard Ben muttering behind them, but not one of the three looked back.
“Whose idea was this?” Ben
asked, as he caught up with them.
Looking at him with wide,
innocent eyes, Joe shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean, Pa,” Adam replied,
smoothly. Hoss choked and looked away.
“I told you we were going in
the buggy,” Ben commented.
“I’m sorry, Pa, I don’t
remember that,” Adam apologised. Nobody believed a word of it, but Ben was seen
to smile briefly.
**********************
It was a perfect, still,
golden evening as they arrived in town. Joe had thoroughly enjoyed his ride,
although he was feeling a bit stiff after it. They hitched their horses to the
rail outside the hotel and went in. The heat in the ballroom hit them
immediately.
“Its gonna be sticky
tonight,” Adam mused. “Joe, do you want a hand to take your jacket off?”
Glancing round to make sure
no one was watching, Joe nodded. “If you don’t mind,” he replied. He bit down
his winces as Adam eased the material down over his arms.
“Joe!” The feminine voice
made Joe whirl around, hoping furiously that Gwen hadn’t seen Adam helping him.
But if she had noticed, Gwen was exercising a tact Joe didn’t know she had and
didn’t mention it.
“Hi, Gwen,” Joe replied and
offered her his arm as they went into the ballroom. Ben and Adam exchanged
amused looks. Hoss made straight for the food table.
To begin with, Gwen was
agog to hear about Joe’s experiences with the fire, but Joe could not indulge
his date’s curiosity. He was not allowed to talk about the case at all. Gwen
pouted, but Joe put himself out to charm her out of her sulks, and they were
soon treading the boards.
“I’m sorry, I have to
rest,” Joe apologised as he led Gwen from the floor after a particularly
energetic dance.
“That’s all right, so do
I,” agreed Gwen, wielding her fan against the heat.
“Would you like a drink?”
Joe asked and when she nodded, rose and went over to the table where the bowls
of punch were set out.
“Cartwright,” growled a low
voice.
Standing by the punch
table, Joe stiffened. “What do you want,
“You’re marked,
Cartwright,”
As
“Is something the matter,
son?” Ben asked, as he approached the table a few minutes later. Joe was still
standing there, gazing into space.
“Hmm? Oh,
Watching him go, Ben was
not convinced. But there was no way to make Joe talk before he was ready to.
***********************
“You’re very quiet, Joe,”
Adam observed as they rode home. “It’s not like you.”
“I’m tired,” Joe sighed,
avoiding his brother’s gaze.
“It’s all that there
dancin’ that does it,” Hoss commented knowledgably. “An’ ya don’ eat enough ta
keep yer strength up while yer dancin’, Joe. Ya didn’ eat a thing.”
“I ate plenty at supper,”
Joe grouched. “We don’t all have to eat 16 meals a day, big brother.”
Looking at the way Joe
slouched in the saddle, Ben could well believe that his son was tired. But
there was something else on his mind, too. Joe’s retort to Hoss lacked
something of its usual sparkle. But Hoss hadn’t noticed and was laughing.
Glancing at Adam, Ben saw that his oldest son was looking closely at Joe, too.
Ben felt almost relieved. So it wasn’t just his imagination that suggested that
Joe was not behaving in his usual manner.
*******************
“Since you proved on
Saturday that you are up to riding again,” Ben told Joe on Monday morning, “you
can go and collect the mail for me. Oh, and I need you to take a letter into
the bank, too, Joe. There should be a reply, so wait for it, will you?”
“Sure thing, Pa,” Joe agreed,
readily enough although he couldn’t deny a slight pang of unease. But it wasn’t
Joe’s way to avoid things, so he resolved that he would be careful in town.
“What’s wrong, Pa?” Adam asked,
as Ben stood in the yard, gazing absently after Joe’s departing figure. “You’ve
been watching Joe ever since the dance. Is he all right?”
“I think so,” Ben replied.
“But you’re right; I’ve been uneasy since the dance. I found Joe standing by
the punch bowl gazing into space. He’d been there for several minutes, but he
denied that there was anything wrong.” Ben sighed. “But I can’t help feeling
that he’s hiding something from me and I don’t know what.”
“Joe can take care of
himself,” Adam reminded Ben. “When he’s ready, he’ll talk to you about whatever
it is.”
“I’m sure he will,” Ben
replied. “But that’s no comfort in the meantime, is it?” He turned and went
back into the house.
******************
The uneasy feeling did not
go away as Joe went about his business in the town. He met various people that
he was obliged to stop and talk to, and he tried to be polite to each one, but
it was difficult. He was itching to get his chores done and then get back.
Finally, having delivered
the letter to the bank and received the reply, Joe was free to go home.
Collecting the paper, he angled across the street to where Cochise was tethered
outside the mail office, reading as he went. From further down the street,
there was the sound of a shot, and Joe glanced idly over his shoulder. However,
he didn’t see anything and nobody seemed to be pa
Then the shouting started
and Joe felt the rumble in the ground before he realised that there was a wagon
barrelling down the street, aiming directly at him. For one frozen moment, Joe
found he could not move. People were screaming at him to jump out of the way,
but Joe still stood there.
Suddenly, his muscles
unlocked, and Joe dived for safety. He tumbled across the dusty street, feeling
a flying hoof just touch his leg. As he sat up, unscathed, people crowded
around him, demanding to know if he was all right. Nodding, for he was still
slightly winded, Joe glanced after the wagon and saw that it had been brought
to a halt. The wagoneer was running down the street behind it.
“Joe, are you all right,
boy?” Roy Coffee demanded, puffing up to him.
“Yeah, I think so,” Joe
replied, still shaken. A shudder ran down his spine as he realised how close he
had come to being seriously injured. Part of his pants leg was ripped away.
“Did anyone see what
happened?”
Various voices answered,
and Joe gave up trying to sort out the different stories. He eased out from
under
A quick look was all it
took for Paul Martin to establish that Joe was all right. Nobody had seen
anything, although various people had, like Joe, heard the shot.
*********************
Despite his intentions not
to tell Ben what had happened, Joe had forgotten that he would need to change his
pants. He went into the house and headed for the stairs, deliberately not
looking around, in the hope that if he didn’t look, his father would not be in
the house. It was a forlorn hope, for as Joe came into view, Ben’s voice said,
“What happened to you? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” Joe
replied and produced the mail and Ben’s letter from the bank in an attempt to
distract his father.
“But what happened?” Ben
persisted. “Are you hurt?”
Smiling ruefully, Joe told
the story, and repeated that he wasn’t hurt. “Honest, Pa,
“You were lucky,” Ben
commented, shaken by his son’s near miss.
“I know,” Joe agreed. “Now,
if you’ll excuse me, Pa, I’d like to put on some pants that aren’t quite as
well ventilated as these?” Ben laughed and swatted at Joe’s behind. Used to his
father’s little foibles, Joe dodged the blow adroitly
Later, over supper, the
story was told again for Adam and Hoss’ sake. Hop Sing was already cutting
Joe’s torn pants into squares that he could use for washing the floors,
grumbling all the time he did so.
“Do you think it was an
accident?” Adam asked.
“Sure,” Joe replied.
“That’s what
“Are you sure it isn’t the
“Adam!” Ben protested.
“Well, it could be,” Adam replied,
trying to sound reasonable.
“I’m not the only witness,”
Joe objected. “There’s Tony and Mr Parsons.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Hoss
agreed. “Joe ain’t the only one who saw them
Sighing, for Adam had hoped
not to have to tell Joe, he reported, “Gossip tells me that Mr Parsons is
having problems with his memory. And Tony was beaten up in the street the other
day. Okay, it wasn’t the oldest
“The crowd from the Lazy
K?” Joe asked. His handsome face bore a ferocious scowl. “Did
“No,” Adam replied,
ruefully. “The first
“But why won’t Tony say who
did it?” Joe cried. “The
Reaching out, Ben clasped
Joe’s wrist. “Joe, we don’t know why Tony said that. But it could be that he’s
afraid. Look what happened to them, after all. He only has his father left in
this world. Perhaps some threat was made against him.”
“Are they going to
testify?” Joe demanded of Adam, who shrugged.
“Joe, I don’t know. I’m
only telling you what the hands overheard in the saloon the other night. I just
don’t know the answer.”
Looking down on his plate,
Joe blinked back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. “So that’s why
I’ve been singled out,” he whispered. “And that wasn’t an accident this
afternoon. The
“Atta boy!” Hoss praised
him. “We’ll make sure you’re all right, Shortshanks.”
Nodding, Joe looked at Ben
and saw there the worry in his father’s dark eyes. He knew Ben would not ask
him not to testify, for that went against every principle that Ben held dear.
But it would not stop his father worrying about his safety, despite the
presence of his brothers.
“I’m proud of you, Joe,”
Ben whispered.
Suddenly, Joe couldn’t take
any more. He muttered something that no one caught and rose to his feet,
practically running from the house. Adam looked down at his plate, so he didn’t
have to see the accusing looks in his father’s and brother’s eyes.
********************
The Parsons’ ranch house
was a blackened ruin and Joe hesitated as he saw it. The memories it produced
were ones he would sooner forget. Close by the house was the shanty that the
Parsons had built to keep the worst of the weather out. Joe dismounted in the
yard and went over to the shanty.
“What do you want, Joe?”
Tony asked, opening the door a crack and peering out.
“I wanted to see if you were
all right,” Joe replied. He was horrified by Tony’s black eyes and split lip.
“Tony, who did this to you?”
“I don’t know,” Tony
evaded, his eyes cutting away from Joe. “I never saw any of them before.”
“Tony…”
“Joe, you’ve seen me and
I’m fine. Now get out of here, will ya?” Tony shut the door firmly in Joe’s
face.
Walking back to his horse,
Joe wondered what he had expected. Had he thought Tony would tell him who had
beaten him up? Say that he was still willing to testify? Stepping into the
saddle, Joe acknowledged that that was exactly what he had thought. He had
thought his friendship would encourage the other young man to take his place on
the witness stand and tell the truth. It appeared that his friendship wasn’t
enough. Tony had lost a lot, but it seemed that he could not face losing any
more.
Deep in thought, Joe did
not notice his danger until it was too late. In the fading daylight, he didn’t
see the rope stretched across the road between two trees. One minute he was riding along the road at a
casual lope, the next, he was swept from the saddle.
Winded, Joe found he
couldn’t move as his body fought to regain the breath knocked from it by the
fall. Two masked men leapt from the trees. Joe saw them coming, but there was
nothing he could do. One yanked Joe to his feet and the other began to tie his
hands behind him. Joe started to struggle, but he was too winded to do anything
effective.
He was dragged over to the
nearest tree and the rope binding his wrists was flung over a branch. Joe suddenly
understood what the men were going to do. They were going to hoist his arms up
behind him until he was forced to bend over, standing on tiptoe, or worse,
suspended by his arms. Joe knew that by the time someone came looking for him,
the damage done to his arms would be severe.
But before the men could do
more than throw the rope over the branch, there was a shot. Joe twisted his
head round and saw two men on familiar horses galloping towards him. Adam and
Hoss. The men with Joe let loose muffled curses. The one holding the rope gave
it a fierce tug, forcing a cry of pain from Joe before the other man punched
him in the stomach. They fled.
As his brothers pulled
their horses to a stop beside him, Joe collapsed to his knees. His breath was
still coming in gulps, for he had barely got it back before it was knocked out
of him again. “Joe!” Adam knelt beside his brother while Hoss made sure his
attackers were gone. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Joe
wheezed. “Good timing, brothers. Thanks.”
While Adam cut through the
ropes binding Joe’s hands, Hoss went over to disentangle Cochise from the rope
that had knocked Joe from the saddle. The pinto wasn’t hurt, just shaken and it
danced about on the end of the rein while Hoss crooned nonsense to calm it
down. By the time Adam was satisfied that Joe wasn’t really hurt, the pinto was
back to its usual state of mind.
“Did you recognise them,
Joe?” Adam asked as they rode slowly home.
“No,” Joe replied, in a
disgusted tone. “I didn’t really see them. I was too winded from that fall,
then you guys came along.” He glanced sideways at Adam. “Do we have to tell
Pa?” he asked, hopefully.
“Yes,” Adam replied, and
Joe groaned. He wasn’t looking forward to that one bit.
*****************
“Twice in one day is more
than coincidence, young man!” Ben stated, his face tight with concern.
Sitting on the sofa while
Hoss massaged some of the kinks out of his sore shoulders, Joe sighed. “I know
that, Pa,” he agreed, with strained patience. “I didn’t say it was a
coincidence.”
“The trial is still two
weeks away,” Adam commented, glancing worriedly at Ben.
“I know that,” Ben replied.
“We’ll have to tell
Looking up and wincing as
Hoss found a particularly sore spot, Joe saw by the look on Ben’s face that he
had no choice but to agree. He could clearly see Ben tying him to his bed if he
took silly risks. Much as he hated to be cooped up, Joe nodded. “Sure,
Ben was under no illusions
that the next two weeks would be easy for any of them, but he didn’t know what
else to do. Joe had to be kept safe, not just because of the trial, but for his
own sake. Ben did not want anything else happening to Joe.
It was a long time before
any of them slept that night.
************************
Next morning, Ben went into
town, leaving Joe with his brothers. Roy Coffee was in his office, saving Ben
the trouble of trying to track him down. He swiftly set out what had happened
to Joe.
“Well, there ain’t a whole
lot I c’n do, Ben,”
“Couldn’t we wire the judge
and ask for the trial to be brought forward?” Ben asked.
Shaking his head,
“Well, I guess it can’t be
helped,” Ben sighed. “Thanks anyway,
“You keep that boy safe,”
“Believe me, Roy, I’ll keep
him safe!” Ben vowed.
*********************
Life at the Ponderosa was a
very tense affair for the next two weeks. Joe spent a lot of time at the house
with Ben and although he cherished each moment he spent with his father, Joe
also longed for the freedom he habitually knew. He wasn’t allowed to go into
town at all, and even a last, abortive attempt to talk to Tony involved both
his brothers riding out with him. None of the Cartwrights went anywhere alone
or unarmed. Tensions and feelings ran high and on more than one occasion,
voices were raised. But finally, the date of the trial arrived.
*********************
“Do you feel all right?”
Ben asked Joe in an undertone as they put on their jackets and hats. “You
didn’t eat much this morning.”
“I wasn’t hungry,” Joe
answered, truthfully. His stomach was tied up in knots. The prosecutor had been
out to see Joe the day before and had gone over his testimony with him. Joe was
as prepared as he could be, but that didn’t make him feel any better.
“Time to go,” Ben declared,
and put his hand on Joe’s shoulder. He could feel the tension in the muscles
there and rubbed gently. Joe leant unconsciously into the warmth of Ben’s hand,
but the muscles didn’t loosen any. Then they were mounted and riding out,
clustering around Joe protectively.
There was quite a crowd
pushing into the court house as the Cartwrights arrived. A murmur went through
the crowd as they were recognised and a few ghoulish young men pushed forward
to get a closer look at Joe.
Ben and Adam stood on
either side of Joe as Hoss pushed a way through the crowds. Nobody wanted to
argue with the biggest Cartwright son, and they soon got out of the way. It was
almost time for the trial to start, and the people were keen to get seats.
Before long, the Cartwrights were alone in the lobby.
“Ben!” The cry made them
all look round as
“What?” Ben asked, eagerly,
as
“Seems that the Parsons
came out here after they were involved in a big case back east,”
“What?” Joe gasped.
“It’s true,”
“Thanks,
“All right,” Ben agreed,
reluctantly. They were all a bit shaken by
*****************
Whatever else Joe had
expected
Lost in thought, Joe
wandered along the street, then crossed over and turned back. He didn’t want to
be late. He had no desire to spend time in jail for contempt of court.
As he passed the side alley
that led along the back of the International Hotel, someone jumped on him. Joe
was caught completely by surprise and before he could fight back, he was
dragged up the alley by many pairs of hands. Next moment, he found himself
against the wall, his arms pulled out from his sides. He was surrounded by half
a dozen men of the Lazy K ranch, and the oldest
Joe had no chance to shout
for help or try to say anything before they all lit into him, punching and
kicking him. Joe tried desperately to fight back, but the two men holding his
arms kept pulling him from side to side so he couldn’t get any leverage to kick
out at anyone.
As fist followed fist
followed boot, Joe realised through the pain that he would probably die in the
alley. These men did not want to frighten him into not testifying; they wanted
to silence him altogether. He toppled to the ground as the men holding him let
go, and the gang closed in, ready to finish him off.
“Hold it!” a hard voice
ordered. Joe vaguely recognised it as Adam’s, but he was adrift on a sea of
pain, his breath coming in painful gasps. There was the sound of a further
scuffle and several people stepped on Joe, but he was past caring. He closed
his eyes and blacked out.
*******************
When he opened his eyes
again, Adam was trickling water into his mouth. Joe swallowed gratefully. His
mouth was as dry as a desert. “Adam,” he
croaked.
“Don’t try to move, Joe,”
Adam urged. He was horrified by the state Joe was in. His youngest brother’s
face was barely recognisable, covered as it was in cuts and swelling. Joe’s
eyes were rapidly swelling shut and already beginning to take on a bruised hue;
his lips were split and massively swollen and blood tricked down both sides of
his face from cuts above his eyes. Adam didn’t think he had ever seen Joe look
worse.
“Gotta testify,” Joe
insisted, trying to rise. The movement brought a cry of anguish to his lips as
his abused body protested.
“You can’t!” Adam
protested.
“Must,” Joe mumbled. He
lifted his hand painfully to grasp Adam’s shirt. “Catch any?”
“Just one,” Adam responded,
grimly. “He won’t be going anywhere for a while.” Hoss had knocked the man cold
with a single punch.
“Help me,” Joe slurred.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get the
doc,” soothed Adam, as Hoss came to look over his shoulder with concern.
“No, not doc,” Joe insisted.
“Court.” Seeing that Adam was going to argue, Joe mustered his dwindling
strength. “Adam, they’ll go free… if I don’t.” He swallowed painfully and Adam
gave him more water. “Can’t let them get… away with…murder.”
As Adam hesitated, not sure
that Joe knew what he was saying, Hoss came to Joe’s assistance. “He’s right,
Adam. You an’ me c’n tell them what we saw here and we have this fella ta back
us up. ‘Sides, we gotta take him ta Roy, an’ Roy’s at the courthouse.”
“Zac’ly,” Joe muttered. He
felt dreadful, pain hammering him from all round and his chest felt unbearably
tight. “Please, Adam.”
“All right,” Adam agreed,
his voice rough with concern. Joe had sounded so young as he pleaded with his
brother to help him. Together, Adam and Hoss helped Joe to his feet, then Adam
swung his brother’s arm over his shoulder and put his own arm around Joe’s slim
waist. He pretended not to hear the gasp of pain the movement evoked.
While Hoss gathered up
their unconscious prisoner, Adam began to half-carry Joe up the street towards
the courthouse. He was so relieved that he and Hoss had decided to go looking
for Joe when they did. “You better let me clean you up a bit,” he panted.
“No,” Joe objected. “No
time.” He was finding it harder and harder to stay conscious. Even though Adam
was doing most of the work, the actual moving was proving almost too much for
Joe’s battered body. “Might... pass out.”
“Oh,” Adam panted,
understanding. He hurried his steps slightly, but Joe was deceptively slender.
His body carried a network of impressive muscles that made him heavier and
stronger than he looked.
But finally, they arrived
at the court house. Adam knew that Ben was inside, keeping seats for them all,
so that Joe could get all the support they could offer. As he drew closer to
the inner door, he heard Joe’s name from within.
“If Joseph Cartwright does
not show up inside the next two minutes, I will hold him in contempt of court!”
the judge thundered.
Shoving open the door, Adam
went in, dragging Joe with him. Ben was the first to follow the judge’s
horrified gaze and he leapt to his feet, hurrying towards his sons as a shocked
hubbub broke out in the room.
“Joe! Adam! What happened?”
“Not now, Pa,” Adam gasped,
and dragged Joe to the front and over to the witness box. He gently helped his
sibling sit down.
“What is the meaning of
this?” the judge demanded.
“You Honour, this is my
brother, Joe Cartwright,” Adam replied. “Hoss and I found him in an alley just
down the street, being beaten by a gang of men. Most of them got away, but we
did manage to get one.” He gestured to the door, where Hoss had just entered
with the man in tow.
Frowning, the judge turned
to Joe. “Mr Cartwright, can you tell us what happened?”
“I was jumped,” Joe
replied. “Two of the men were… the oldest
“Are you sure of this?”
asked the judge, his face softening as he took in Joe’s condition.
There was a soft noise
which Adam realised was Joe attempting to laugh. Luckily, the judge didn’t
realise this. “I know them,” Joe whispered. The court room was silent as
everyone strained to hear Joe’s thin voice. “They look alike.” He tried to wipe
his brow, but his hand wouldn’t do what he asked of it.
Looking at the man held
tight in Hoss’ mighty grip, the judge asked, “Who are you?”
Slowly, the man told his
story. “I’m Jack Parkins, an’ I work for the Lazy K ranch. Isaac and Jacob
Jennings asked me an’ a bunch o’ other guys to help them intimidate the Parsons
an’ Joe Cartwright so’s they wouldn’t testify.” In the main part of the court
room, Tony Parsons ducked his head, a deep flush staining his face. “We tried
ta git Cartwright afore, but his brothers come along. So the twins asked us to
git Cartwright today.”
“Were you trying to kill
him?” the judge demanded. “Because it looks to me like with another minute, you
might have succeeded. Sheriff, take this man in custody. Find out the names of
the other men and arrest them, too.” He turned back to Joe. “Mr Cartwright, can
you answer me a couple more questions?”
“Sure,” Joe wheezed,
although he was remaining sitting only through sheer stubbornness. Adam hovered
helplessly nearby, reluctant to touch Joe again if he didn’t have to, afraid to
cause his brother more pain.
“When the fire occurred,
you went to rescue the Parsons from the burning house, is that right?” Joe
grunted assent. “Did you see the defendants close enough to identify?”
“Sure,” Joe agreed. He
thought about nodding, but wasn’t sure if his head would stay on if he did.
“They ran… right over me.” He took a shallow breath. “I saw them… as they… came
out… of the…door.” A groan of pain escaped his control. “Matthew… Mark… Luke
and John.”
Suddenly, Tony stood up. “I
saw them, too,” he cried. “I saw them!”
“Thank you,” the judge
responded, gravely. “Is there a doctor here?”
“Yes,” cried Paul Martin,
standing up. He hurried over to Joe, following Ben, who was now by his son’s side,
looking anxiously at the battered face. Joe’s eyes were only open a tiny slit.
“Just relax, Joe,” Paul advised. “We’ll get you out of here, don’t worry.” He
swiftly drew up a painkilling injection and Joe drifted away.
**********************
When Joe next opened his
eyes, hours had clearly passed. In actual fact, only one of Joe’s eyes opened a
tiny bit; the other stayed shut. The room was dim and Joe assumed that it was
evening. He tried to move, but his body protested and he let out a groan of
pain.
“Joe?” A figure hove into
view, but Joe didn’t need to be able to see clearly to know that it was his
father. “Don’t try to move, son.”
“Too late,” Joe replied. He
tried to smile, but it was too painful. “How long?” he asked.
“Oh, a few hours. It’s
mid-afternoon,” Ben replied. He saw the surprise on Joe’s face. “The curtains
are shut to protect your eyes a bit, and to keep away the crowds who want to
peer at the hero.”
“What hero?” Joe enquired.
“You,” Ben told him,
gently. “Because of you, Tony and his father both testified and the
“Can I get a drink?” Joe
asked. He sipped the cool water gratefully. “I don’t feel like a hero,” he
added, when he was finished.
“What do heroes feel like?”
Ben asked. “Do you know?”
“Heroic?” Joe suggested.
Ben smiled.
“Perhaps, but you know,
Joe, I think most heroes don’t know that they are heroes. They feel hunger,
cold and pain just like the rest of us.”
“I guess,” Joe agreed. He
focused again on his father. It required quite a lot of effort. “What’s wrong
with me?”
“Broken ribs, mild
concussion, dislocated shoulder and a lot of bruises,” Ben replied, succinctly,
as though telling Joe quickly might make his injuries seem less severe.
Having had it all explained
to him, Joe could now sort his general malaise into distinct areas of
discomfort and pain. His ribs and shoulder were the worst, but the rest of his
body throbbed in time to his heartbeat. He suddenly felt all shuddery and gasped,
“I’m gonna be sick.”
Moving quickly, Ben
assisted his son and put the noisome basin aside. “Try and sleep some more,”
Ben suggested.
“Pa, I need to pee,” Joe
whispered. The water had just aggravated the urge that had woken him in the
first place. Ben offered discreet help, but Joe was exhausted when he lay back
down again. He hoped that the next time he needed to go, he would be able to
help himself! He could think of very little worse than having to rely on
someone else in that department.
“When can I go home?” Joe
asked, as his eye drifted shut.
“When the doctor says so,”
Ben whispered, but he doubted if his son heard him.
******************
Next morning, as Joe was
trying to stand without falling over, the Parsons arrived. It was a relief to
sit down and talk to them, as it allowed Joe more time to regain his
equilibrium. Paul had said he was not returning home until he was able to stand
alone.
“I just wanted to thank
you, Joe,” Parsons said. “Not just because you saved our lives, although I do
thank you for that. But I wanted to thank you for the courage you showed on the
stand. I would never have found the courage if I hadn’t seen you up there, like
that.”
Embarrassed and unsure what
to say, Joe cleared his throat. However, before he could speak, Tony jumped in.
“We didn’t realise that each of us had been threatened,” he explained. “I was
scared that something would happen to Dad and he was scared that something
would happen to me. We’ve been through this before, Joe and it was awful. It seemed
too bad to be facing it all over again.”
“I’m glad that you decided
to tell the truth,” Joe replied. “And I didn’t do it just for you. I did it to
show the
“And I was definitely right
this time, wasn’t I?” Ben asked, laughing.
“When do you get home?”
Tony asked, clearly trying to regain the friendship that he had thought lost.
“Now,” Joe replied. “Why
don’t you come over in a couple of days?” he suggested. “I’m bound to be
driving Pa mad by then, and he’ll be glad of the break.”
“In fact, if you would like
to have Joe live with you…” Ben suggested and they all laughed.
*********************
Later, as Joe finally
managed to stand unaided, Ben said, “That was a nice thing you did for Tony, inviting
him over.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I?” Joe
asked discovering that turning his head quickly was not a good idea. He caught
himself on the back of the chair. “Tony’s my friend.”
“I don’t think Tony thought
he was still your friend until you asked him over,” Ben prompted.
“Why would he think…?” Joe
began, then the penny dropped. “You mean he thought I wouldn’t be his friend
because he wouldn’t testify?”
“I mean just that,” Ben
nodded. “Remember, Joe, he hasn’t lived around here that long and he really
didn’t know exactly what your reputation for stubbornness meant. I’m glad you
were able to prove to him what a real friend is.” He smiled at Joe. “I’ll
pretend I didn’t see that stagger, son and then Paul will let you come home.”
“Good,” Joe replied. “Thanks,
Crossing the room, Ben
caught Joe in a gentle hug, mindful of his sons’ broken bones and bruises. “I’m
so proud of you,” he whispered.
“Thanks, Pa,” Joe replied.
“Can we go home now?”
“Let’s go, hero,” Ben smiled
and together, they went out to where Adam and Hoss were waiting with the wagon.
The End