WHERE ARE MY BOYS?
POW Challenge

Ben was not a violent man, by nature, but after spending three days,
almost constantly, in the saddle, pausing only to rest his horse,
and having not been able to sleep, since his sons' disappearance, he
was on a very short fuse. The man standing in front of him was left
in no doubt about Ben's intention, when he spoke.

"Take me to my boys, or else I start shooting," he said, and Jim
Callum could tell that this was no idle threat.

"I will do, sir, but you've gotta give me a bit more information,
first. There are an awful lot of men working here and I don't know
who your sons are. Even if you give me names, they might not be
using `em. People come here to work from all over and for all kinds
of reasons. We are desperate for workers, so we don't ask that many
questions, in fact we don't ask any questions."

Ben continued to point his gun at Callum.

"My sons are called Adam, Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright," he
said. "They have no reason to be using false names and I am sure
they are being held here, against their will. They were on a horse-
buying trip for our ranch, The Ponderosa, and should have been home
nearly a week ago. Yet I've heard nothing from them, so I came
looking. I was told in town that my youngest had been arrested, the
older two had gone to help him and that they all ended up working in
this mine. I just want to see them, get things straightened out, and
take them home. Now, take me to my boys."

"I do know `em," said Callum. "They are here, using their own names,
but they're underground at the moment, well, two of `em are, anyway.
The little one, Little Joe, is in the infirmary. He's a real pistol,
ain't he? Caused nothing but trouble since he got here. I can take
you to him, but I'd wish you'd holster that gun. Ain't no call to be
pointing that at me. I'm just the foreman here, name's Jim Callum,
and I take orders, just like everyone else. The owner's set us a
deadline to have this section finished, and I havta make sure we do
what he says. Like I say, I ain't too fussy where the workers come
from and we often take on prisoners, as they're cheap labour. If
they agree to work in the mine, they get their sentence reduced, so
it works out well for all of us. I was told that your boys had
agreed to do this, but that youngest one sure likes making life hard
for himself. Trouble was, he tried taking on one of the toughest men
in this mine and he came out the loser. Come on, I'll take ya to
him."

Ben holstered his gun and followed the foreman. He still had plenty
of questions to ask, but decided to wait until he'd seen Joseph.

Callum led him into a tent, in which there were four cots crammed
pretty close together. Three of them were empty and Little Joe was
lying on the fourth one. Ben hadn't known what to expect, and so was
rather relieved to see that the only injuries, to his son's face, at
least, were a bruised cheek and a split lip.
As soon as the two men entered the tent, Joe opened his eyes and
looked over at them. The boy blinked a couple of times before he
spoke, not sure if he were imagining things.

"Pa," he said, in a hoarse voice, and he held out his hand to his
father.

Ben covered the short distance, from the tent opening to the cot, in
about two strides, and was soon sitting next to his youngest,
holding his hand.

The sixteen-year-old was trying to hold back the tears, but was
fighting a losing battle.

"Oh, Pa, I'm so glad you've come. We were gonna send you a wire, but
they wouldn't let us, and I began to think I'd never see ya again.
Adam said I wasn't to take on so, he said that you'd come looking,
once we didn't show up, but I think even he was getting worried.
It's been awful here. They make us work down the mine and it ain't
safe. Adam told `em they needed some new shoring in the tunnels, and
they just hit him and made him work even longer. I got mad and
lashed out at the guy who hit Adam and that's why I'm in here. He
hurt my ribs, so I gotta rest. It means I don't havta work, but it
also means I don't see much of Adam and Hoss and I hate that. I'm
real glad you're here, Pa. Do ya think we can go home now?"

Ben also felt tears begin to prick at his eyes, as Joe told him
about the treatment his boys had received.

"As soon as Adam and Hoss have finished their shift, I am going to
see about getting you out of here."

"Now hold on, Mr Cartwright," said Callum. "Your boys are here, cos
they broke the law, and you can't come along and just take `em home,
when it suits ya. They've gotta finish up their sentences, first, or
pay a large fine, and none of `em had the money to do that."

"I want to see your boss, Callum, and I want to know how my boys
have broken the law. If your claims are genuine ones, then I will
pay the fine to obtain their release. Please arrange it for me to
meet your boss, as soon as possible. I want my son to be checked
over by a doctor, in case his injuries are more severe than they
appear to be, and to do that, I need to get him out of this camp."

"I will go and find Mr Pritchard for you, Mr Cartwright, but I must
insist on taking your gun with me. Your son is a prisoner and I
can't allow him to be near a firearm."

Ben was reluctant to hand over his gun, but couldn't see any other
alternative. He was anxious to get Joseph moved to a decent hotel
and have a doctor check him over. He gave the gun to Callum and then
turned his attention to Little Joe.

The boy was warm to the touch, but that was most likely due to the
temperature in the tent, rather than from a fever. Ben soaked a
cloth in a bowl of tepid water and did his best to cool Joe down.

"Have you been drinking much, Little Joe?" Ben said.

"Not really, Pa, cos there isn't much to drink in here. That jug was
full, last night, when I was brought in here, but it's not been
refilled, since. There's been no one to fill it. I ain't seen anyone
since Adam and Hoss called in, on their way to work, this morning."

"Can you tell me how you ended up being brought here? The last I
heard from Adam, was that he'd concluded the deal and you were
heading for home, the following morning. That was nearly a week ago,
and since then, nothing."

"We saw the horses and agreed a price," said Joe. "Adam told the
dealer that we'd be sending along some hands to collect them, in a
week, or so, and then we rode back to town. We were gonna spend one
more night at the hotel and then come home, and that's what Adam put
in his wire to you. But things didn't quite work out that way."

"Go on," said Ben, gently. "What happened then?"

He could tell that Joe seemed reluctant to say anymore, but,
eventually Ben persuaded him to.

"Well, you see Pa, it was like this. We went and had a meal in the
hotel restaurant and then Hoss said as it was too early to turn in,
we oughta go and have a couple of drinks in the saloon. Adam said I
had to stay at the hotel, as he wasn't prepared to baby-sit me all
night, and that made me mad. I thought that Hoss might side with me,
but he agreed with Adam, and they escorted me up to our room. I
wasn't about to stay there all night and so, after they left, I
left, too. I went to a saloon, the other end of town, and planned to
have a couple of beers, then go back to the room, before Adam and
Hoss got back. But things didn't quite work out and I got in a fight
with a guy, over a spilt drink. Between us, we caused a fair amount
of damage and, as I threw the first punch, I got hauled off to jail.
When Adam and Hoss finally found out where I was, they were mad with
me and with the sheriff, for not getting them, or the doctor, as I
was pretty badly beat up. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what
happened, but the next thing I knew, Adam and Hoss were in jail,
too. We weren't allowed to send a wire to you, and the bank was
closed, for the weekend, so Adam couldn't get hold of any money to
pay the fines. Then the sheriff said if we agreed to come and work
at the mine, we only had to do so for a couple of weeks and then we
could go home. But if we didn't agree, we'd havta wait for the
circuit judge and we were likely to get a longer sentence. Rather
than just sit and wait, we decided to come and work, but it's been
really tough. The other men are mostly criminals and the working
conditions are dangerous. Hoss says the food is the worst he's ever
tasted and I swear that the mattresses are home to all kinds of
bugs, we've all been bitten. I am sorry, Pa, as it was all my fault
that we ended up being arrested."

"Now's not the time for apportioning blame, son," said Ben. "The
most important thing is to get you all out of here."

Callum returned and said that Mr Pritchard would see Ben. He gave
Ben his gun back, as Mr Pritchard was aware that Ben was an
important man and did not want to antagonise the situation, any
further. Joe wanted to go with his father, but Ben insisted that he
stayed where he was.

"Wait here, son. I won't be long and Adam and Hoss might arrive
while I'm gone, so you need to be here to tell them what's
happening. Mr Callum, will you please bring my son some fresh
drinking water, and make sure that his brothers are allowed to see
him, as soon as they finish work."

Callum was a man used to taking orders and he didn't question Ben
issuing some to him, probably because he could tell that Ben was a
man used to giving them and having them obeyed.

"All right, Mr Cartwright, I'll look after your boy, don't you fret,
none. Mr Pritchard is waiting in my office; it's that shack we
passed, on the way over here."


Ben went across to Callum's office. He knocked on the door, and
walked in. A man, slightly older than Ben, was sitting behind the
desk, and he rose to his feet, as Ben approached him.

"Good afternoon, Mr Cartwright," he said, extending his hand. "My
foreman explained that you have come to collect your boys. That is
certainly possible, but not until you have paid their fine, as they
haven't served out their sentence yet. I'm afraid those cubs of
yours have been causing all kinds of trouble. Being a father myself,
I know how hard a task it can be, but I do think you could have done
a better job, raising them, than you have. Perhaps there was too
much sparing the rod, as they were growing up. Youngsters need firm
discipline, if they are to grow into decent adults."

Ben briefly shook Mr Pritchard's hand and then wished he hadn't, as
the man launched his attack on the boys.

"My sons have been brought up properly, but from what I have heard
about the way you treat your workers, I am not surprised that they
have been causing trouble. I would expect no less from them. They
have been taught to stand up for themselves and to help others in
need, and there are obviously plenty of needy people in this place.
I want to know exactly what my sons were charged with and how much
it will cost to allow me to take them away from here, tonight. I
have serious doubts as to whether your methods of recruitment are
legal, and I shall be seeking advice from my lawyer, at the earliest
opportunity. I am sure that there are also laws in place that set
down what working conditions should be like, in a mine, and I doubt
very much if you adhere to them. As to forcing prisoners to work for
you, well, that certainly sounds extremely suspect to me, but I must
admit, my main concern is my boys and so if you'll just give me the
figure, then I can settle up."

Mr Pritchard could tell that he was up against a very formidable
man, in Ben, and he was not about to start an argument, which he
wasn't likely to win. He was a bully and only made demands when he
knew his opponent was weaker than he was.

"As I understand it, from the sheriff, your youngest boy started all
the trouble, in The Gilded Lily," said Pritchard. "He threw the
first punch, and then proceeded to do a lot of damage to the saloon.
The sheriff was called and he arrested your son, who did not have
enough money on him to pay the fine. So he was placed in a cell, and
then the sheriff tracked down his brothers. When they arrived, worse
for drink, as I understand it, they tore up the jail and assaulted
the sheriff. When reinforcements arrived, your other two sons also
ended up in a cell. It was then explained to them that they could
sit it out and wait for the circuit judge, or come and work for me,
at the mine. They chose the mine, although now I wish they hadn't,
as they have been nothing but trouble. They have not yet completed a
full week here, and so if you wish to take them home, right now, you
will have to pay me $500."

Ben could feel himself getting extremely angry, but he knew he must
curb his temper, until the boys were free.

"Very well, Pritchard," he said, through gritted teeth. "But before
I hand over the money, I want a signed statement from the sheriff of
this town, saying that my sons are no longer wanted here, and that
they have paid for their so called crimes."

"Fair enough, Mr Cartwright," said Pritchard. "Why don't you go and
see your boys, and I will get the papers drawn up. As soon as they
are ready, I will bring them over to the infirmary. I understand
that your youngest is a patient there. As I said, those boys of
yours need a firm hand, they've been in trouble almost continuously
since they arrived here, especially that youngest one."

Ben did not bother dignifying Pritchard's comments with a reply. All
he could think about was getting his boys away from this awful place.

"I'll be waiting for you, with my boys," Ben said.


He returned to the infirmary, to find that Adam and Hoss had
finished their shift.

"Boy, am I glad to see ya, Pa," said Hoss. "I would give ya a hug,
but as you can see I'm a mite dirty."

Both Adam and Hoss were liberally covered in dust and were in need
of a bath.

"That's okay, son," said Ben. "Pritchard's gone to see the sheriff
to draw up your release papers and once that's done, we'll go to the
hotel and you can all have a nice long soak in a tub and a decent
meal. You all look as though you've lost some weight."

"You're not planning to pay off Pritchard, are you, Pa?" said
Adam. "That man is the criminal in all of this, not us."

The young man was about to leave the tent, but was stopped by his
father.

"Adam," said Ben, placing a restraining hand on Adam's arm. "I have
no intention of letting Pritchard get away with what he is doing
here, but in order to get you away, without there being any
bloodshed, we have to play the game, by his rules. Once you're free,
then I will make sure that Pritchard pays for all that he has done,
to you, and to all the other men working for him."

"Thank goodness," said Adam. "For a minute there, I thought you'd
gone soft in the head, Pa."

"Watch it, young man," said Ben, but he was smiling, as he
spoke. "Just remember who you're talking to."


Pritchard was soon back, with the sheriff, and the release papers
were signed. Ben handed over the fine and it wasn't long before the
Cartwright family was enjoying the comforts of the hotel.

"No one is stepping outside the door of this hotel, tonight," said
Ben, as they enjoyed their first decent meal, for almost a week. "I
don't want to give that sheriff any excuse to lock you boys up
again. I strongly suspect that he and Pritchard are in cahoots and
that the sheriff brings trumped up charges against unsuspecting
transients and then Pritchard puts them to work down his mine."

"You've got it, Pa," said Adam. "That's pretty much how I see it.
Pritchard can't get men to work down his mines, as they are unsafe,
and so this is the only way for him to stay in business."

"As soon as we get home, I will instruct Hiram to start
investigating Pritchard's affairs, and, hopefully, he will be able
to get the mine closed down," said Ben.

Before they left town, the following morning, Ben insisted that Joe
be checked over by a doctor. Apart from some bruising around his
ribs, he was declared fit enough for the ride home.

"And once we are home, young man, you won't be setting foot off the
Ponderosa, for a good while," said Ben.

"Why's that, Pa?" asked Joe, assuming an innocent expression.

"I think you know the answer to that one, Joseph. You've already
told me that it was because you disobeyed your brothers and went to
that saloon, alone, that you all ended up in so much trouble. Now I
know you haven't had an easy time of it, this past week, but you
still haven't been punished for your disobedience, have you? A few
weeks restricted to the ranch might make you think twice about doing
something like this, again."

Joe knew better than to try and argue with his father, over the
restriction, and to tell the truth, the thought of staying close to
Ben, for the next few weeks, was a rather appealing prospect, after
the week he had just been through.

EPILOGUE

Hiram Wood, Ben's lawyer, did investigate Mr Pritchard and the
sheriff, and the mine was eventually closed down, because it lacked
the proper safety facilities. Pritchard and the sheriff also
received long prison sentences for wrongful arrests and imposing
fines and jail terms, illegally.

THE END
Little Joe forever
Lynne
March 18th 2005

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