Ben Cartwright was sitting on the front porch, leisurely reading the newspaper while
waiting for his youngest son to return home from school. He normally did not wait outside
for his son, but today Little Joe was late. Two hours late in fact. Ben tended to get
nervous anytime one of his sons was overdue, but he particularly got nervous when it
came to 15-year old Little Joe. Joseph Cartwright's wild spirit and carefree nature was
reason enough for a father to worry.

Ben heard a sound and looked up again, hoping to see a sign of his son. Although he did
not see the familiar pinto, he did see a black horse leading a buggy approaching. As it got
closer, he could see it was Little Joe's school teacher, Sarah Peterson. Ben let out a deep
sigh, wondering what kind of trouble his son had gotten into this time. He stood up and
got ready to greet the young woman.

"Hello Miss Peterson, how are you?" Ben said, offering his hand to help her out the
buggy. She was a petite woman, about 5'2" tall, and her brown hair pulled back in a bun
did not make her look any older than her twenty years.

"Hi Mr. Cartwright, I'm fine, thank you. I came by to check on Joseph, is he all right?"
Miss Peterson asked, her voice full of concern.

"Well he hasn't made it home from school yet. Why, did something happen today?" Now
Ben was the one who was concerned.

"No, nothing happened in school today, in fact, Joseph wasn't even in school today. He's
missed the last three days and I was concerned that he might be ill. I brought some of his
school work with me so he wouldn't get too far behind."

"Three days?" Ben raised his voice and made Miss Peterson jump. "Joseph has not been to
school in three days?" Ben noticed the alarmed look on Miss Peterson's face. "I'm sorry
Miss Peterson, I didn't mean to startle you, it's just that.... I thought Joseph was in school.
He's not ill. Please, won't you come inside, I think we need to talk."

Ben led Miss Peterson inside and she seated herself on the sofa. Hop Sing had seen the
arrival of the young woman and was already approaching with a tray. "Missy like some
coffee?" he asked.

"Yes, please. Thank you Hop Sing." Hop Sing poured the coffee for her and Ben and then
left the room.

"Now tell me again Miss Peterson, Joseph was only in school on Monday this week?" Ben
asked.

"That's right Mr. Cartwright. He was there Monday. He got into a good bit of trouble, but
he was there. Then he was absent Tuesday, Wednesday, and again today, so I was worried
that he might have been sick."

"What kind of trouble did he get into Monday?"

Miss Peterson took a deep breath and began to explain, "We got two new students last
month Mr. Cartwright. The Farley brothers, Harry and Tom. Harry is Joseph's age and
Tom is a year older. They've been trouble since the day they started, and Joseph, along
with Sam Potter have ganged up right along with them. They tell jokes and cut up during
class, and have been quite disruptive. Joseph hasn't really been a problem until the last
couple of weeks. I've been meaning to come tell you about it but just haven't had a
chance until today. The older Farley boy, Tom, quit school last week, but with Harry still
there, and Little Joe and Sam, well, they are a handful.

"On Monday, Joe and Harry took one of the girls ribbons and would not give it back until
I intervened. They were both tardy coming in from lunch, and they both failed the history
exam. I lectured both of them quite severely, and gave them lines to write. The lines were
due the next morning, but as I said, Joseph was not in school."

"That boy," Ben scowled, "I just don't know what to do with him."

"Well Mr. Cartwright, I'll expect to see Joseph in school tomorrow morning. I'll certainly
let you know if he doesn't make it again." Miss Peterson stood and began walking
towards the front door.

"Yes Miss Peterson, he'll be there. I'll bring him and see him inside myself." Ben saw Miss
Peterson to the door, and then walked her to her buggy. "Thank you for coming by, and
I'll make sure Joseph does this school work tonight."

Just as Miss Peterson drove away, Little Joe rode in. Ben was so angry, he found it
difficult to even look at his young son. Little Joe had seen Miss Peterson's buggy, and had
waited for her to leave before approaching the house. He knew he was in big trouble. He
rode straight to the barn without even looking at his father. He stabled his horse slowly,
and when he finished he climbed into the hayloft, not wanting to face his father inside. "Oh
man, I knew I should've gone on to school today," Joe said to himself. He put his aching
head in his hands and tried to think of an explanation to tell his father. He knew the truth
was out of the question. "I'm gonna be grounded for life," he thought. Suddenly the smell
of the barn started getting to him, and he found himself feeling nauseated. He quickly
climbed down from the loft, and ran out the barn holding his hand over his mouth. He
made it to the side of the barn which was not in view of the front door to the house, and
began to throw up.

"Hey buddy, you all right?"

Little Joe was startled at the sound of his brother's voice. "Uh, yeah, I'm all right Adam,
just a little too much excitement today I guess."

Adam looked at his brother with concern. "Well you look a little peaked to me little
brother. Why don't you should come on inside and get cleaned up."

Little Joe stood up and nodded, and began to walk towards the house with his brother
when another wave of nausea hit. He stopped right where he was and threw up again. He
looked at Adam and said, "Must've been something I ate."  Adam looked at him with
concern and waited for him to straighten, and they continued towards the house.

Ben had gone inside earlier and busied himself with paper work so that he would have a
cool head when confronting his son. He heard the door open and looked up to see Adam
coming in with Little Joe. He was surprised by Joe's appearance. His shirt was untucked,
he looked pale and had sweat all over his face.

Adam told him that Little Joe had gotten sick outside, but Joe insisted that it was just
something he ate, and he went upstairs to get cleaned up for supper. Joe washed his face,
and changed his clothes before going back downstairs. He knew he was going to have
some tall explaining to do, and he was trying to think of what he was going to say. His
stomach still felt sour, but he thought that once he got some solid food in him he'd feel
better. "I didn't know whiskey made you feel this bad," Joe thought to himself. He and his
friend Tom had managed to get a bottle of the rot gut, and decided to see what it was like
for themselves. "Wonder if Tom's as sick as I am?" he laughed to himself.

Ben gazed at the staircase after Joe went up, still angry, but now concerned as well. Adam
reassured him that Joe was just fine, but he wanted to see for himself. He began to go
upstairs when he heard a  knock at the door. He opened it to find Roy Coffee, the sheriff
of Virginia City.

"Hi Roy, what brings you out this way?" Ben asked while gesturing for him to come
inside.

"Hi Ben, I have some things I need to talk to you about. Is now a good time?" Roy asked.

"Of course, now is as good a time as any. Come, have a seat."

The two men were seated and Roy began talking, taking a serious tone. Adam listened in
from a distance.

"Ben, we've had some trouble in town the past couple of days. I hate to be the one to tell
you this, but your Little Joe is partly to blame for the trouble."

Ben's shoulder's sagged as he took a deep breath. "What kind of trouble has he gotten
into Roy?" Ben looked up at Adam, who was rolling his eyes.

"Well Ben, it seems that Little Joe, and that new kid, Tom Farley, were in Mrs. Tanners
shop yesterday, rearranging all the merchandise and hiding stuff so that she couldn't find
it. Just typical kid stuff, not really any harm in it, but something else happened today. Mr.
Simms over at the bank said the two boys threw firecrackers in the bank lobby, and near
about scared him half to death and caused him to fall and bruise his shoulder."

Ben thought he would be sick. He taught Joseph better than this. Before he had time to
dwell on it, Roy was speaking again.

"Ben, there's something else." Roy had seen the look on his friends face, and he knew
what he was about to say would make things even worse, but he knew that he had to be
told.

"What is it Roy? Out with it?" Ben was totally disgusted, and felt that nothing could be
worse than what he'd already heard regarding his youngest son in one day.

Well," Roy began, "while I was asking questions around town after the firecracker
incident today, Jarred Owens admitted to getting the boys a bottle of whiskey. Said Tom
gave him the money, plus an extra dollar for buying it for them."

Ben bowed his head and absently rubbed his forehead with is fingers. Finally he looked up
at Roy. "Roy, what do you know about the Farley family? What does their father have to
say about all this?"

"I spoke to Mrs. Farley before I rode out here. She said the boys father ran out on them
about a year ago, and she hasn't heard from him since. The boys were upset about her
moving to Virginia City, afraid their father wouldn't be able to find them. She says they've
rebelled ever since and she's not sure what to do with them."

Ben nodded slowly and said, "I'll take care of it Roy, thanks for coming out and telling
me."

Both men got up and Roy walked towards the door. "Ben, I don't want Joe in town
without an escort for a while. I hope you understand."

Ben nodded in understanding. After Roy left, Ben sat down, putting his head in his hands.
"What am I going to do?" he asked himself. "Well, at least I know why Joe was sick this
afternoon. Whiskey!"

"Pa?" Adam sat down next to his father.

"Yes, what is it son?"

"Pa, I heard what Sheriff Coffee said. Is there anything  I can do? You want me to go up
and talk to him?"

"One thing we're all going to have to do for a while.....not let Little Joe out of our sights!
And no, I'll wait until after supper to talk to him myself."

Hop Sing came and informed them that supper was ready, so Ben sent Adam to get Little
Joe and Hoss. He decided to wait and talk to Joe after supper. He watched his young son
descend the stairs, and noticed that he looked much better than he did when he first came
home. The four Cartwrights sat around the table and began their meal. Hoss had no idea
what had gone on with Joe that day,  although he sensed something was not right between
his brother and father.

"Hey Little Joe," Hoss asked, "Did you ever get Rachel to agree to go to the dance with
you Saturday night?"

Joe glanced nervously at his father, and then responded, "Um, yeah, I asked her Monday
and she said she'd go with me. Took her long enough though, I been askin' her for
weeks!"

"You mean her Pa finally agreed to let her go with you?" Hoss asked.

"Well, her Pa is going to bring her to the dance, and bring her home again, but at least
she'll be mine while we're there!" Joe smiled.

"Hey Pa," it was Adam speaking this time. "Are we still delivering that herd to the
Triple-R Saturday morning?"

"Yes Adam, but you should be back by 3:00 or so. You'll be home in time for the dance,
but I'm riding on to Carson City to look at some horses, so I won't be back until Sunday."

"You want me to go with you Pa?" Adam asked.

"Let's finish eating and then we'll discuss the weekend plans."

Adam took a deep breath, sensing something unpleasant was going to take place. He
quickly ate the last few bites on his plate and stood up.

"Hoss, can you give me a hand as soon as you're done? I need some help in the barn."

Hoss could tell there was something going on and he was anxious to learn what it was, so
he got up and went with Adam. The two of them walked outside, leaving Joe and Ben
alone.

Joe immediately felt uncomfortable when his brothers left the room. "Uh-oh, here it
comes," he thought.

"Joseph, we need to talk"

"Yes sir," he replied, adding a big sigh.

"I had two visitors today Joseph, do you have any idea who they were?"

"Um, well I saw Miss Peterson driving off earlier," Joe said, looking down at his feet.

"Joe, she told me you haven't been to school in three days! THREE DAYS!" Ben's voice
began to rise, and Little Joe shrunk back in his chair. "And to make matters worse, Roy
Coffee came by and told me what you were doing in town while you were supposed to be
in school!"

Silence.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

More silence.

Joe raised his eyebrows and looked up at his father with that wide-eyed innocent look.
"I'm sorry  I disappointed you Pa," was all he could say. He hated having his father angry
with him, and he really didn't understand what got into him sometimes. He just started out
to have a little fun and excitement, and as usual it landed him in trouble.

"Joseph, I am going to have to punish you for your disobedience."

Joe continued looking down. He was dreading what his father was going to say. "Yes sir,"
he answered.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

Joe looked at his father but found it difficult to maintain eye contact. He did it
nonetheless. Ben could see that his son was genuinely sorry for the trouble, but he knew
he had to be strict with him for his own good.

"For the next two weeks, either myself or one of your brothers will escort you to school,
and we will walk you all the way inside the building. Tomorrow I will pick you up, and
after school we will go to the bank, Mrs. Tanner's shop, and to see the sheriff, and you
will apologize to each of them! Do you understand?"

Joe nodded, "Yes sir."

"The next two weekends will be spent at home doing chores, and you may not go to town
for any reason, including the dance."

"Oh come on Pa......." Joe started, but the look on his father's face told him to argue
would be pointless. He couldn't believe it. It was bad enough to have to be escorted to
school like a 6-year-old, but on top of that he would have to miss the dance, and his date
with Rachel. His stomach began to feel queasy again, and he was hoping that this was all
he would have to endure of his father for tonight. "Is that all?" he asked, his voice a little
more harsh than he meant it to be, but that's how he felt.

"Not quite Joseph, there's another matter will need to discuss. I want you to stay away
from the Farley brothers, especially Tom."

"You can't choose my friends for me Pa," Joe retorted.

"Joseph, those boys are trouble, and you are to stay away from them. Do I make myself
clear?" Ben could see the taunt lines in Joe's face, and his set jaw. He knew this matter
was far from over, but he was at least hoping that Joe would see that these boys were not
just out for fun and games. "Miss Peterson brought the school work you have missed this
week. I want you to complete it and go to bed. I'll be bringing you to school in the
morning, and I'll pick you up in the afternoon." Ben got up from the table where they
were still seated and walked outside to check on Adam and Hoss.

Joe stood up angrily after his father left, grabbed the school work and ran upstairs. "I am
so sick and tired of doing what everybody tells me to do all the time," he mumbled. He sat
on his bed, and wearily laid his head on the pillow, books still in hand.

******

Early the next morning, Joe awoke to a pounding headache. He tried to go back to sleep,
but the pain in his head would not allow any comfort. He slowly got up and realized he
has slept in his clothes all night. His father knocked on the door and Joe opened it.

"Little Joe, you're up and dressed already?" Ben asked, although one look in the room
told him that his son had fallen asleep doing his homework.

"Well yeah Pa, but I still need to wash up and change...I... uh ....sorta fell asleep in my
clothes last night. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"That's fine, oh, and Joseph, ask Hop Sing to give you something for that headache."

"Okay Pa," Joe said without thinking, and then he wondered how his Pa knew he had a
headache this morning.

"Get a move on now, we don't want to be late for school."

Joe looked down, "Yes sir," he replied. "How am I going to face my friends when my Pa
brings me to school......." he thought. Soon another thought came to him, "If I get there
early enough, no one will see that Pa brought me. I still got time to beat the other kids to
school." Quick as a flash he ran downstairs while tucking in his shirt.

"Come on Pa, let's go," he called.

"Just a minute young man, you come over here and eat some breakfast first."

"No thanks Pa, I'm not hungry this morning, just want to go on to school and get it over
with. I'll go saddle Cooch."

"Oh no you won't Joseph. I guess I wasn't clear enough last night. You'll be riding with
me on the buckboard, and riding home the same way. Adam's getting it hitched now."
 
Joe's heart sank. He walked to the table and sat down in defeat. He'd never make it to
school before the other kids on the buckboard, especially with his father driving. Hop Sing
saw him sit down and quickly brought him a plate. "Plenty breakfast still on table. Mr.
Hoss not up yet."

"Thanks Hop Sing," Joe mumbled, and then he added, "Hop Sing, is there anything I can
take for this headache?"

"Hop Sing fix Little Joe right up, you wait here." Hop Sing scurried away and returned a
few minutes later with a cup containing a warm beverage.

Little Joe smelled the brew suspiciously, scrunched up his face and asked, "What is this
stuff?"

"You drink and not ask questions, make head feel all better!" Hop Sing replied as he
began picking up dishes left from breakfast. He stopped and made sure Joe was drinking
before he walked back to the kitchen.

"Joseph, go make sure Hoss is getting up, and then meet me outside," Ben said as he
walked out the door.

Joe finished the drink from Hop Sing, hoping it would help his head and not hurt his
stomach in the process. He walked slowly up the stairs and into his brother's room.

Hoss was still sleeping soundly, his mouth gaping open in a relaxed state. "Hey Hoss, you
gonna sleep all day?" Joe poked his brother in the ribs as he spoke. Hoss stirred a little and
then rolled over. Joe poked again, and spoke a little louder, "Come on brother, time to get
up. What's with you? You're usually the first one up around here!! Come on, I  gotta go,
can't be standing around here!"

Hoss opened his eyes wearily, "I'm up, what time is it?"

"It's time for me to be leavin' for school, so you'd better hurry up and eat if there's
anything left!"

With that Hoss managed to sit up a bit. He looked at his brother and thought how strange
it was that Joe was waking him up, instead of the other way around. He still felt tired
despite the extra sleep he'd gotten, and found it hard to pull himself out of bed.   He
splashed some water on his face which did little in invigorating him, and he got dressed
and made his way downstairs.

Hop Sing was pleased to see Hoss, and presented him with a plate full of hot pancakes.
"You eat Mr. Hoss," Hop Sing said with a smile. Hoss found that he wasn't nearly as
hungry as he normally was, but decided he'd better eat all he could due to the busy
morning which awaited him.

****

Joe reluctantly climbed aboard the awaiting buckboard and sat next to his father. Once on
their way to Virginia City, Ben asked his son if he'd done the school work that Miss
Peterson had given him.

"Well, not all of it Pa. I sorta fell asleep before I had a chance to finish it. I'll work on it at
school today," Joe replied solemnly.  As they approached town, he sank as low as he
could on the buckboard and pulled his hat low on his head, as if that would keep him
invisible to the eyes of Virginia City.  The buckboard came to a stop right in front of the
school.

"Come on Little Joe," Ben said as he climbed down. Joe was soon  at his side and the two
of them walked towards the school.

"Hey Little Joe!" called his friend Mark. "You in trouble?" he asked. Joe simply shrugged
without answering and continued walking. He wished he could disappear. Mark started laughing,
and Joe could hear him bringing his plight to the attention of the entire school. "Hey look
everybody! Little Joe's being dragged back to school by his old man! Guess he was having
trouble finding the way here himself!!"

Little Joe brushed past his father and quickly made his way inside the school, feeling
totally humiliated. He walked straight to his seat and threw his books down a little harder
than he had intended, but the truth was that he was mad and it was hard for him to contain
it. "This can't be happening," he thought.

"Miss Peterson, let me know if Joseph gives you any trouble whatsoever today. I'll pick
him up this afternoon myself. He has some apologies to make," Ben said while looking at
Joe. Joe glanced at his father but could not maintain eye contact, so he looked down at his
feet instead. "This is gonna be a long day," he said to himself.

******

Hoss did his morning chores and returned to the ranch for lunch. Once he sat down at the
table however, he felt too tired to eat. Adam joined his brother, and knew something was
wrong since Hoss was not eating like he normally does. He also noticed that Hoss looked
somewhat flushed.

"Hoss, you feeling all right?" Adam asked.

"I'm tired Adam. I think I'm gonna take off the rest of today and go take me a nap." Hoss
let out a big sigh. "I'll probably feel better by supper time." Hoss was surprised at how
much effort it took just to walk up the stairs. He was so glad to reach his own bed, and he
laid down right on top of the covers immediately and fell asleep.

Adam finished his lunch and had started to go back to work when he remembered that
Hoss had gone upstairs. He decided to go check on him before heading back out. He saw
Hoss sound asleep on top of his covers with his boots still on. He reached over and felt
Hoss's forehead, and grimaced at the heat he felt. He went back downstairs and told Hop
Sing to fix Hoss some broth when he woke up, and if his fever got worse to send one of
the hands for Doc Martin. He then headed back out to finish up his day's work.

****

Little Joe couldn't see how life could get much worse than it was at school that morning.
When the teacher dismissed the class for lunch,  he looked around and decided to sit by
himself to avoid the questions and comments of being escorted to school. Rachel soon
joined him however, and she began talking about the dance.

"Oh Joe, I just can't wait till tomorrow night, we're gonna have such a great time," she
said, her big blue eyes causing him to melt.

"Well, we woulda had a great time," Joe frowned. "I can't go to the dance tomorrow
Rachel, but I might be able to sneak out later and meet you after!"

"Little Joe! You know my Pa's gonna be bringing me, I'd never be able to get away after!
Why can't you go?" She pouted.

"Awe, it's a long story, but I have to go with my Pa tomorrow. He's a might upset with
me for skipping school this week."

"Oh Little Joe! Why *did* you skip school? I thought you liked seeing me during the
school day."

"Oh, I---I do like seeing you Rachel, it's just that, well, I guess I just got a little carried
away s'all. I'm sorry about the dance. I promise to make it up to you soon."

"Well," she sighed, "ask me again when you grow up a little bit." She got up and walked
away, and went straight to where Mark and his group of friends were sitting. Joe glared in
their direction. Rachel glanced back at Joe, and she could see his eyes narrow as she sat
close to Mark. "Mark," she cooed, "It seems I no longer have an escort for the dance
tomorrow."

"Is that so?" Mark asked, "Well, we have to do something about that, now don't we?"

"I was hoping you'd say that Mark!" Rachel smiled. It felt good knowing she could get
any boy she wanted, and she liked it when they got into fights because of her. Mark put
his arm around her shoulder, and called out to Little Joe.

"Better luck next time Little Joey!" Then he laughed so hard he fell over backwards,
bringing Rachel with him. They both stood up and look at Joe. Rachel just began laughing
with Mark as he said,  "Little Joey's gotta have his Pa bring him to school holding his
hand!" The laughing continued.
 
Little Joe felt like he was going to explode. He wanted to hit something, or someone! His
body was tense and his hands were balled into tight fists. He heard the teacher calling
them, and saw the other students making their way inside. His anger still raging, he turned
quickly the opposite direction. Finding himself at the outhouse, he let his pent up anger
out on the door, punching it hard with his left hand. It was a solid door, and the second he
made contact he knew that was a stupid thing to do.

"Oh my God," he said, as pain replaced the anger he was feeling just moments before.

"Joseph!" He heard Miss Peterson calling. He took a quick look at his hand, which looked
red but was not bleeding,  turned and headed back to the school house, masking the pain
he felt.

"Sorry Miss Peterson, I was in the outhouse," he said, trying his best to smile. He heard
Mark and Rachel laugh, and the anger he felt before quickly returned. Miss Peterson
smiled at him and walked to the front of the classroom.

"I want everyone to take out your writing tablets. I have put several math problems on the
board for you to work on your own. You have 20 minutes. Begin."

Little Joe's hand hurt too much for him to write with it. He was trying to copy the
problems with his right hand, but was having some difficulties. Miss Peterson noticed what
he was doing. "Joseph, is there a problem?"

"No ma'am"

"Aren't you left handed?"

"Yes ma'am"
 She was clearly getting frustrated with Joe's short answers. "Well then why are you trying
to write with your right hand? I can't even read this!" She said, pointing to his work.

Joe wished he could just disappear. He felt everyone's eyes looking at him. He took a
deep breath and looked up at Miss Peterson. "I hurt my hand," he said in a low voice.

"Let me see Joseph," she said with concern. Joe showed her his hand, trying to keep it
from view of his classmates. "How did this happen? It wasn't hurt when you came in this
morning. Were you fighting?"

"No ma'am, I wasn't fighting. I---I fell outside during lunch."

"Can you move your fingers?"

Joe moved his fingers. It hurt, but he moved them. Satisfied that it wasn't broken, Miss
Peterson told Joe to let his father take a look at it this afternoon. Joe nodded, relieved that
she had finally left him alone.

The end of the school day could not have come fast enough for Joe, but he finally heard
the words he had been waiting for. "Class dismissed," the teacher said. Joe decided to wait
in his seat until the room cleared. Just as he was about to get up he heard his father
greeting Miss Peterson. He let out a big sigh. "Here we go again," he thought.

"Mr. Cartwright, Joseph hurt his hand this afternoon. I don't think it's broken, but you
might want to have the doctor look at it before you go home."

Joe sighed again and sat lower in his seat. "How could I have done something as stupid as
hitting a door?" he asked himself, looking down at his swollen knuckles.

"Oh?" he heard his father say, "How did this happen Little Joe?"

"It was just an accident Pa, I fell." Joe said, looking down. Once Ben finished talking to
Miss Peterson and was satisfied that Little Joe had not caused any problems at school that
day, they finally left. They stopped at Doc Martin's office first, and he concurred that the
hand was not broken, and advised Little Joe to keep it elevated and put a cold rag on it to
help the swelling  go down. Ben then escorted Joe to the bank,  to Mrs. Tanner's shop,
and then to the sheriff's office, where he told each of them that he was sorry and it would
never happen again. He was so relieved when they were finally headed home.

About halfway there, Ben finally broke the silence that was looming between them.
"How's your hand, son?"

"Better, the swelling's gone down some I think."

Ben nodded. "Good."

Another few minutes of silence.

"You didn't really fall, did you son."

Silence.

Ben continued when he got no reply from his son. "Looks to me like you hit something.
Something pretty hard at that. Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Well, hopefully it won't interfere with our trip tomorrow."

"What trip?"

"I'm going to Carson City to sell some horses tomorrow, and I'm taking you along. Hoss
and Adam have to finish the branding, so it will just be the two of us."

More silence. Joe didn't know what to say. He wanted time to be alone and sort things
out, but the way it looked now he was never going to get that time. He was grateful when
he saw the house in the distance.

*****

Ben tried to keep the mood light during supper that evening, but it proved to be more
difficult than he thought it would be. Little Joe barely spoke two words, and struggled
with his food one handed. Hoss was obviously not feeling well, which Ben noted with
concern, and even Adam seemed more tired than usual. Ben felt Hoss's forehead, and was
relieved that it was only slightly warm.

"I'm all right Pa," Hoss said, "Just been working too hard here lately. Mind if I sleep in a
little bit tomorrow?"

"No, I think that's a good idea. If your fever returns in the morning we'll send for the
doctor. Either way, you take the day off and get some rest."

"All right Pa, thanks. I think I'll start that rest right now." He stood up and pushed his
chair under the table. "Good luck on the trip tomorrow Pa, Joe. Be careful."

"We'll be fine son. Goodnight. Oh, I'll check in on you before we leave."

"'Night Pa," Hoss said, and then he headed upstairs.
"Pa," Adam asked, "What on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"Well Adam, you go ahead with the branding. If Hoss is okay in the morning, Joe and I
will go ahead with our trip. We should be back sometime Sunday afternoon."

Adam got up and stretched. "Sounds good Pa. I'll see you in the morning, and don't
worry about Hoss, he'll be fine."

"Goodnight Adam." Ben smiled, knowing he could trust Adam to handle things while he
was away.

"Pa, you need me for anything else tonight?" Joe asked.

"No son, you go on to bed, but be sure you keep that hand elevated."

Joe nodded and walked upstairs. It had been a long, stressful day, and he was looking
forward to sleeping and forgetting all his problems for a few hours.

The next morning Ben and Adam were sitting at the table for breakfast. Ben had checked
on Hoss, and although the fever seemed slight, he was sound asleep. He told Adam just to
let him sleep, and Hop Sing assured them both that he would take care of him. Ben had
also gone in Joe's room and had woken him up, but Little Joe still had not made it
downstairs yet. Ben was just about finished with his breakfast when Joe made his way
downstairs.

"Come on Little Joe and eat some breakfast so we can get a move on," Ben said. "Chuck
got the horses ready an hour ago, so we're just waiting on you."

"Well don't wait on my account, let's just go. I'm not hungry anyway." Joe threw an
angry glance at his father and turned and walked out the door.

Ben looked at Adam and said with a sigh, "It's gonna be a long couple of days."

"Better you than me," Adam replied.

*****

Ben and Joe made it to Carson City with no problems, and delivered the horses to their
destination. Ben was paid $2000.00 in cash, so they headed to the bank to trade it in for a
draft. When they arrived at the bank, there was a large sign on the door "Closed due to the
death of Josh Smith. Will reopen next week".  Although the bank would have normally
been closed on a Saturday afternoon, Ben had made arrangements with Mr. Smith to get
the draft that afternoon. After some investigation they learned that the bank had been
robbed by a couple of young teens on Friday. The posse was still out looking for them.
Ben decided to go ahead and spend the night in Carson City as planned, and head for
home in the morning. He hated traveling with that much cash, but there was nothing he
could do about it.

Ben and Joe got up early the next morning and prepared for the trip home. Ben concealed
the $2,000.00 in his saddle bag. Joe had been quiet and moody the entire trip, so Ben
decided he would try to get his son to talk on the way home. Ben was  not riding his own
horse, Buck, but was testing out a new horse he had purchased last month. The horse had
been skittish throughout the trip the day before, so he broke the ice with Joe by talking
about what should be done with him.

"You probably should have sold him with the other horses, Pa. He ain't never gonna be
good for anything." Joe said. That's not what Ben wanted to hear.

"How can you say that, Joe? He's a fine animal, just needs some work, that's all." Ben
replied.

"Well I agree that he's a beautiful horse Pa, but with that temperament of his, it'll be more
work than he's worth if you ask me."

"We'll see Joseph, we'll see."

"Pa, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

After several minutes of silence, Joe spoke. "Pa, I was wondering about my punishment.
Do you think we can come up with something else,   like extra chores or something? I
promise I won't skip school anymore. There's no need for you to bring me there
everyday."

"Joseph, considering what you are being punished for, the answer is no. The only way I
can rest assured that you are in school is to bring you there myself. There will be no more
discussion of it."

"But Pa,  do you have any idea how I felt having you there yesterday? I'm not some
six-year-old that has to be walked into school." Joe's temper was beginning to escalate.

"Do you have any idea how *I* felt when I learn of what you had been up to last week? I
won't be made a fool out of by not knowing the whereabouts of my own son. Now I said
there will be no more discussion of it." Ben felt his own temper rising.

"Fine Pa, we won't discuss it anymore because I won't be going to school anymore."

"What did you say?"

"I am not going to school anymore. I will not be humiliated like that again. I just won't do
it!" Joe's voice rose along with his temper, and he found himself ready to explode once
more. Feeling like he was being suffocated, he screamed at his father, "I won't do it!  Just
leave me alone!" and he raced his horse off the road heading into a wooded area on the
right.

Ben stopped for a moment, unsure of what to do. He wanted to follow his son, but he was
in shock by his sudden outburst and did not want another confrontation. Finally he decided
the only choice he had was to go after Joe. He was following his trail when his horse
suddenly began to bolt. Taken off guard by the sudden movement, he fell hard to the
ground. The horse raced away at a fast gallop. As soon as he got his bearings, he saw
what had spooked the horse. About 3 feet away from him was a rattle snake, poised and
ready to strike.  He carefully drew his weapon, and just as the snake began to make it's
move, he fired. Seeing that the snake was dead, he took several deep breaths, relief
pouring over him.

*****

Back at the ranch, Adam was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Dr. Martin. Hoss had
appeared to be better Saturday, but Sunday morning he was delirious with fever. As soon
as he heard someone riding to the ranch he ran outside. His face fell when he realized it
was the sheriff, and not the doctor.

"Adam," Sheriff Coffee said, "I got news from the doc. There's an influenza outbreak in
the area, and he can't come to the ranch just yet. I'm asking everyone to stay put in their
homes until it's under control. How's Hoss?"

"Not good Roy, his fever's really high. When do you think the doc will be here?"

"I don't know son, he's got a lot of sick people he's tending to. Is everyone else here
okay?"

"Yeah, Hoss is the only one sick. Pa and Little Joe went to Carson City and won't be
home till later today."

"Well when they get home, make sure they stay until you hear from me or the doc."

Adam nodded and watched as Roy rode away. It was up to him to help his brother now.

****
Ben stopped to assess his situation. He was about halfway between Carson City and the
Ponderosa, and he was on foot. It would take him at least an hour just to make it back to
the main road. There was no sign of Little Joe. He decided his best option would be to
head back to the road, and hopefully someone would come along that could give him a
ride home. Then he could decide what to do about Joe.

****

Joe rode at a fast gallop  for about an hour before he finally slowed down.  He thought
he'd heard a gunshot, but decided not to go back to look, so he continued through the
woods. He was nearing the camp that he and the Farley brothers had made. It was well
hidden, and in a remote area. As he neared the camp, he got off his horse and began
walking. He stopped short when he heard the click of a gun.

"Stop right there," Tom Farley said.

"Tom, it's me, Little Joe," Joe said, hands still up in the air.

"Little Joe!" Tom said with relief, "Did anyone follow you?"

"No, I don't think so. What's got into you Tom? Put that gun away before you hurt
someone!"

"Come on into the camp Little Joe. Harry and I done something, and we're in a heap of
trouble."

Little Joe followed Tom into the camp. He saw Harry's big frame leaning over a table,
counting a large stack of money.

"Hey, where'd you get all that money?" Joe asked.

"We stole it," Tom said matter-of-factly, brushing his long sandy hair out of his eyes.

Joe suddenly  had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, and wasn't sure he wanted to
know anymore about the money.

Harry started laughing and said, "We actually robbed a bank! Can you believe it? And we
got away!"
 
"The bank in Carson City?"

"Yep, that's the one! How'd you know?"

"Tom! You didn't just rob a bank, you shot and killed a man!" Joe couldn't believe his
friends were responsible for such a crime.

"We didn't mean to kill him Little Joe, it was an accident. We just needed the money so
we could get away and start a new life for ourselves. Pa left us years ago, and Ma don't
want us anymore, so we figured we get ourselves off to a good start."

"A good start," Joe was clearly agitated, "Do you know there's a posse out looking for
you? Accident or not, you killed a man, and they'll hang you for it! What kind of start is
that?"

*****

It was nightfall when Ben arrived home at the ranch. He was fortunate enough to find
transportation from a traveling salesman. He thanks the man and paid him for his trouble,
and then headed into the house. Adam greeted him with a worried look on his face. Ben's
thoughts immediately turned from his troubled teen to his 21-year-old son, Hoss.

"What is it? Is Hoss still sick?" Ben asked.

Adam nodded. "It's influenza Pa. The doctor hasn't been able to get out here yet, and
we've been asked to stay put until we hear otherwise. Apparently it's a widespread
outbreak. Hoss has been pretty much out of it today. Hop Sing is with him now." Adam
could barely finish giving his father the update before Ben was headed up the stairs to
Hoss's room.

As soon as he entered, Hop Sing got up, shaking his head. "Mr. Hoss vely vely sick boy.
He no eat broth from Hop Sing's kitchen."

Ben sat next to Hoss and picked up the rag that was on his forehead. The rag was hot
from the heat coming from Hoss. Ben rinsed the rag in cool water and replaced it on his
son's head. "We've got to get this fever down. When did the doctor say he could get over
here?"

"Roy said that the doc told him he'd be here as soon as he could. That was over five hours
ago." Adam suddenly realized that Little Joe was not inside yet. He presumed that he was
stabling the horses, but he should have been finished by now. "Where's Little Joe?" he
asked.

Ben shook his head with a frown. "I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know where he is. We got into an argument and he rode off through the woods. I
went after him, but my horse spooked and threw me. I was lucky to get home at all
tonight. Wouldn't have if someone hadn't have come along and given me a ride. I was
hoping maybe Little Joe would have calmed down and come on home by now."

"I haven't seen any sign of him.  Do you want me to go look for him?"

"You said we've been told to stay put, and not go out, didn't you? I just hope he's all
right. He and Hoss are so close, and anytime one gets sick they usually both do. Little Joe
could be out there alone and getting sick. Let's wait until  morning, and if he's not home
by then you can go look for him."

*****

Little Joe was sick; sick with worry. He had no idea his friends were capable of doing such
a thing, and wasn't sure what he was going to do about it.

"Awe, stop your frettin' Little Joe, Tom knows what he's doing," Harry said. "There's no
way that posse can find us. We're safe here, right Tom?"

Tom nodded, "That's right, and now that we've got company, we got to have us a
celebatory party! Look what I got!" He walked to the tent  and went inside. A moment
later he came out, carrying a bottle of whiskey and some cigarettes.

Joe smiled lopsidedly. "How did you get that?" he asked.

"How is not important Little Joe. You ask way too many questions! Just relax and
celebrate our good fortune with us!"

"You sure that's a good idea Tom? I was sick as a dog after our last 'party', and besides,
you'd better keep your wits about you right now!"

"Little Joe, you worry too much!" Harry said, "Tom said  we're safe here, and look, I'll
give you something to make you feel better, wait here." Harry got up and went inside the
tent. He came out holding a gun and handed it to Joe. "Here, you better take this. Never
know when you'll be needing it."

Joe took the gun. He looked it over and checked to see that it was loaded. "I don't know
boys, my Pa won't let me carry a gun yet."

Tom laughed. "Little Joe, your Pa ain't here to protect you. You know how to use a gun,
don't you?" Tom looked older than his 16 years as he lit the cigarette and let it hang from
the corner of his mouth.

"I know how to use a gun, I just don't think I want to carry one is all. Besides, I don't
have a holster."

"Little Joe, you're our friend. And the fact is, there's a posse after us, and as long as your
with us, there's a posse after you too. Better to keep the gun than be defenseless, don't
you think?" he patted Joe on the back, and Joe nodded as he tucked the gun in the front of
his pants. His mouth was suddenly feeling very dry.

 "Now, let's celebrate! We'll have us a party tonight and won't worry about anything else
till tomorrow!" Tom took the first swig from the whiskey bottle and passed it to Joe. Joe
decided things couldn't get much worse than this, so he took a swig from the whiskey
bottle, coughing as the hot liquid burned his throat. Harry followed, and the bottle
continued to be passed among the three boys.

Thirty minutes later, there were no thoughts of the posse. Joe had told Tom and Harry
what had happened to him at school Friday, and about Rachel going to the dance with
Mark.  His words were beginning to slur, and he was  feeling a bit drowsy.

"Hey, I got an idea," Tom said, his words slurring as much as Joe's as he started to laugh.
Joe and Harry were soon laughing too, even though they had no idea what they were
laughing at. Tom finally stopped laughing long enough to tell his idea.

"Hey, let's help Little Joe get even with Rachel. She don't live but 10 miles from here.
Let's go over there and see if we can get a peek in her window!"

Harry's eyes got real big with excitement, "Maybe we can see her changing clothes or
something!"

Joe snickered at the thought, "Or something, hehehe, her Pa's likely to have her windows
boarded over!"

"Well I say it's worth a look to see! Maybe we'll get lucky! Come on!"

"Tom, you sure it's safe for us to be riding around?" Harry asked.

"Little brother, your beginning to sound like our friend here, don't worry! It's late and
that posse's far away from here, and probably sound asleep somewhere. Besides, you
know I wouldn't let anything happen to you!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's ride!" Harry started giggling at the excitement
he felt over peeking in Rachel's window. "You with us Little Joe?"

"How could I pass up a chance like this?" Joe replied. He took one last swig from the near
empty whiskey bottle for good measure.

The three boys were off in the night, trying hard to sit straight in their saddles, and to not
talk or laugh too loud. For a time, they were just three carefree boys out on a mission. No
thoughts of the bank robbery, the shooting, or the posse entered their minds. For a time,
Little Joe did not think of his father or his brothers. His thoughts turned to Rachel. He had
really liked her, and was hurt by the way she turned her back on him.  He shrugged off the
aching he felt in his muscles and thought about what they would do once they got to
Rachel's house. It was well after dark, and they may not be able to see a thing. They
continued on their mission, not knowing that the posse was hot on their trail.

When the boys came near to Rachel's house they dismounted their horses. Still very much
feeling the affects of the whiskey, they huddled together and discussed their plan of action.

"Which window is her bedroom?" Harry asked.

"The one on the side over there," Tom answered.

"How do you know?" Joe asked, feeling a little ticked that Tom knew so much about
Rachel.

"Well now Little Joe, this ain't exactly my first time out here!" Tom started laughing, and
Harry grabbed his mouth to quiet him.

"Shhh, you gonna wake the dead with that much racket!"

"Well now, I certainly don't want to do a thing like that! Come on boys, we gotta go take
a peek in that window!" Tom led the way to the side window, crouching low.

"Lemme see!" Harry whispered, as loud as he dared.

"Hold on a minute there little brother, I'm going first!"  Tom stood near the window and
ventured a peek inside. The lamp was on and he could see Rachel sitting on her bed. It
looked like she was in her night gown. Tom turned to the other boys. "Darn, we missed
her changing!" Joe pushed Tom aside and peeked in the window himself. He could see
Rachel with her long hair brushed to one side.

"How could she go out with Mark?" Joe asked himself. Harry was anxious to take a peek
in the window, so he pushed Joe out the way. Joe swayed from the effects of the  whiskey
and said, "Whoa!" as he fell backwards, making a loud crash.

Before he had a chance to get back on his feet, he heard Rachel's father.

"Who's out there?" he called, rifle in hand.

"Oh damn, let's get out of here," Tom said, and he began running towards the horses. Joe
quickly followed, and then Harry.

As the boys ran towards the horses they heard the sound of a rifle firing. They continued
to run as more shots were fired. Tom thought he'd never make it, but once he got to his
horse he quickly mounted and began riding  towards the camp. Joe got to his horse
moments later, and he turned to see if Harry was following.

He didn't see Harry.

He saw Tom riding off at a fast clip, and decided to go back and look for Harry. He only
had to go a few feet to see him  laying on the ground, covered in blood.

"Oh my God, Harry, you're hit! Can you hear me?" Little Joe asked as he approached the
still form of his friend. Harry did not answer, and the sound of a bullet whizzing past Joe's
head reminded him that he was not safe. He tried to pick Harry up, but he found that he
did not have the strength to do it. He felt for a pulse and could not detect one. He lowered
his head to Harry's chest, listening for any sign of life. Tears began to form in his eyes as
he realized his friend was dead.

"Harry, come on, wake up!" Joe began shaking Harry's shoulders, trying to will him to
open his eyes. The sound of more gunfire took his thoughts from his fallen friend. He
began running towards his horse once more. Looking back one more time, he watched as
Rachel's father approached the body of his friend. New fear took hold as he realized the
posse was there also. They stopped and were talking to Rachel's father.

Little Joe mounted his horse and rode quickly towards the camp. He hadn't gotten very
far when he heard gunfire once again. The posse was shooting at him! He suddenly
realized that the posse had no way of knowing that he was not one of the bank robbers.
Crouching low in the saddle, he rode as fast as he could. Not wanting to lead them to the
camp where Tom would be waiting, he veered off to the left. Almost as soon as he turned,
he felt a white hot pain in the upper part of his arm.

He knew stopping was out of the question, so he pressed on in his attempt to lose the
posse. After about thirty minutes of riding, he felt it safe to stop and check his pursuers.
Seeing none, he took the time to check his injury. The bullet had gone straight through, so
he took his bandanna and tied it around his arm. He found this difficult to do as his hands
shook and sweat dripped into his eyes.

After losing the posse, Joe debated whether or not to go on home or return to the camp to
tell Tom what had happened to Harry. His arm was stinging, but he decided his wound
was not bad enough to require immediate attention. He felt weak and shaky, and his head
was pounding, but he figured it was from the alcohol and being scared out of his wits. He
decided that he would go tell Tom what happened, and then return home.

Little Joe arrived back at the camp hours after Tom.  He dismounted his horse, and found
that he was unsteady on his feet. He stopped for a moment to get his balance and prepared
to face Tom with the news about Harry.  As he approached the hideout, he heard the
hammer  of a gun clicking.

"It's me----Little Joe," he called out in a soft voice.

He heard another click of the gun as it was being safely put away.

"Oh, Little Joe you scared the life outta me! What took you so long? Where's Harry?"

Tom had still not gotten a good look at Joe yet. Joe said nothing as he came closer
to Tom, who was holding a lowly lit lantern. The dim light was all Tom needed to see that
Little Joe was covered in blood. It seemed to be everywhere.

"Oh my God," he said to Joe, his voice becoming panicked. "Wh--what happened? You
get shot? Where's Harry? Did the posse get him?"

Joe's brow was covered in sweat, and his face was deathly pale. His green jacket stained
the crimson red color of blood from where he had tried to carry his friend. Blood from his
own injured arm was caked on the sleeve of the jacket. As Tom questioned Joe, the
realization of what had happened sunk in. He began shaking his head as tears started
flowing.

"Little Joe, what happened?" Tom repeated, "Where's Harry???"

Feeling that his legs would no longer support him, Joe slumped to the ground.

"I--I couldn't carry him---he was too heavy," Joe finally managed to say.

"What are you talking about?" The panic in Tom's voice obvious. "Was Harry hit?"

"He's dead Tom. All the shooting Rachel's pa did brought the posse. They started shooting
at us too. I tried to get him to his horse," Joe's voice cracked, "I tried, but he was too
heavy. I couldn't lift him. He was already dead---" Joe's voice broke off, tears flowing
freely.

Tom shook his head. "What do you mean he's dead? He can't be dead! How could you just
leave him? How could you?"

Tom was clearly getting angry. He walked closer to Joe, and stood right in front of him.
Joe was beginning to feel weak as the adrenaline rush wore off. He put his head in his
hands, still crying.

Tom continued to get agitated, and began to pace next to Joe. He looked at Joe, and at all
the blood that was on him, and the realization of what happened started to sink in.

"Little Joe, all that blood on you---were you hit?" Suddenly Tom's voice was hard and
cold.

Joe nodded, "Yeah, but just my arm. It's not too bad. Most of this---most of this is
Harry's blood."

"And you just left him there."

A chill ran down Joe's spine, not so much at the words, but the way they were spoken. He
looked up at Tom, and was horrified to see him  pointing his gun directly  at him.

"Tom, what are you doing?"

"You left my brother alone to die, and now I'm gonna kill you."

Joe shook his head, "No---I'm not the one who left him. You did. You rode off without
ever looking back."

The words hit Tom like a slap in the face. "NO!" He screamed.

"Put the gun away Tom, you don't want to kill me."

Tom stood frozen, still pointing the gun at Little Joe. Time stood still for Joe, and he
began thinking about his argument with his Pa. How he wished he could take back this last
week and do it over again.

Suddenly Tom brought the gun down. "No, I don't want to kill you," his voice was barely
a whisper.

Before they had a chance to say anything further, a shout was heard from outside the
camp.

"You in the camp! We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

"It's the posse! They found us!" Tom said in a panicked voice. "What are we going to
do?"

"Tom, what can we do? We have to give ourselves up!" Joe pleaded.

Tom shook his head. "No, I can't do that. If they don't shoot me I'll be hung. I won't give
them that satisfaction. You can go if you want. I won't stop you."

Joe clinched his fists, uncertain at what to do. His head felt  fuzzy and he couldn't think
straight. He reached for the gun he had tucked away, and looked at it for a moment. He
laid it carefully on the ground and slowly stood up, swaying slightly. He blinked his eyes
trying to get his world in focus, and looking at Tom he said, "Wh--what are you going to
do?"

"The way I see it, I don't have a lot of choices. Oh, if my Pa could see me now!" Tom
began laughing. "My Pa said I was trouble. He said I couldn't do anything right. He said I
was stupid and useless, and now I can finally see he was right.........even my ma got fed up
with me. She said I was nuttin' but trouble. Harry was the only one who ever believed in
me, and look where that got him. Well, I'm gonna do the only thing there is left to do
now, but you're gonna leave first. No sense you getting caught up with my trouble."

Joe just stood there, not sure of what to do, then Tom screamed, "GET OUT!!" which
caused him to jump. Tom gave him a push which caused him to stumble but he did not fall
as he walked towards the awaiting posse.

"I'm coming out! Don't shoot!" he called.

"Come out with your arms up!"

Joe did as he was told. Just as he reached the awaiting men he heard a single gun shot
behind him. He instinctively fell flat to the ground and he heard the sheriff tell his men to
hold their fire. Hearing no more gunfire, two posse men roughly grabbed Joe and pulled
him to his feet. "Is the other one coming out?" they asked Joe.

"I---I don't know," Joe said, shaking his head. He saw Harry's body draped over his
horse, and  his lip quivered involuntarily.

After what seemed like a very long time to Joe, the posse decided to charge the camp
since there was no response from Tom. They went in, guns drawn. Moments later the
sheriff came out, shaking his head. He walked over to Joe. "What's your name boy?" he
asked.

"Joe---Joe Cartwright."

"You Ben Cartwright's boy?"

Joe nodded.

"These fellas  friends of your?"

Joe nodded again. "Where's Tom?" he asked, looking towards the camp.

The sheriff looked at Joe and shook his head. "I'm sorry  son, he was dead when we found
him."

Joe closed his eyes shut tight. He stood frozen for several minutes, hoping to somehow
wake up from this nightmare.  Finally, he looked up. He saw Tom  lifeless body being
carried out.

"Oh God!" he said, feeling suddenly very ill. He bent over right where he stood and  began
throwing up. Stomach still in knots, and blinded by tears, he managed to get on his horse
with the help of the sheriff.

The sheriff ordered his men to take the bodies to Virginia City after Joe managed give
their identities and where their mother could be found.

"Where are you taking me?" Joe asked.

"Well son, you don't look so good, and we're just a few miles from the Ponderosa so I'm
gonna take you home."

Home.

Home would never be the same.

*****

No one slept at the Ponderosa that night. Between caring for Hoss and worrying about
Joe, rest was the least on anyone's mind. About 4:00 in the morning, the doctor finally
arrived. Seeing that the house was lit up, the doctor knocked loudly on the door. He was
let in promptly and immediately went upstairs and tended to Hoss. An hour later he was
downstairs having some breakfast and a very much needed cup of coffee with Ben.

"Ben, just keep him cool to help with the fever, and give him that medicine like I showed
you. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back here, so if he gets worse or if anyone else
gets sick, I'll be in town at the church where we're setting up a hospital. Dr. Hoyt from
Genoa is already there while I'm making rounds, but I'll have to join him soon before it
becomes too much for one person to handle."

"I understand. We'll be fine here, thank you for coming out. Have you had enough to
eat?" Ben asked.

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine. I'd better be on my way."

Ben walked the doctor to the door, opening it just as the sheriff and Joe approached. Ben
felt the blood drain from his head as he saw that the  sheriff was half carrying his youngest
son.
"Little Joe! Are you alright?" Ben asked as they got Joe inside and laid him on the sofa.
Fear gripped his heart and he felt himself go weak at the sight of the blood and the smell
of vomit on Joe's clothes. As soon as Joe laid down, he closed his eyes in exhaustion, no
strength left to answer his worried father.

"What happened?" Ben asked the sheriff. Little Joe was unconscious and the doctor was
already working on him.

The sheriff told Ben how and where he found Joe, and all the events that had taken place
the past couple of days. Joe was cleared of having any part of the bank robbery once Ben
confirmed that he was with him when the crime took place. The sheriff was easily
convinced since he knew there were only two boys involved initially. Once he  left, Ben
turned his attentions to his son.

"Doctor, how is he?"

"Well his wound's not too bad, Ben. He's got a pretty high fever though, we need to get
him cooled off."

When a cold rag was placed on Joe's forehead, he began to stir. His eyelids felt heavy, and
it took a lot of energy just to open them, but he finally managed.  The cold placed on his
head caused a chill that made him shiver. He saw his father and the doctor leaning over
him, both watching intently.

"I'm sorry, Pa," Joe said with tears filling his eyes.

Ben nodded, his own eyes filling with tears. "Shhh, you rest now Little Joe. I'm sorry too.
I want you to rest and get your strength back."

Joe turned his head from his father and the doctor and began  crying as recent events
began to sink in. He turned his mind from the events that occurred in the past 24 hours
and focused only on the red velvet fabric in front of him. He could no longer hear the
voices of his father and the doctor, he could only hear the sound of red velvet, the comfort
of red velvet.

It was dawn before the doctor felt comfortable enough to leave the Cartwright home. He
left orders with Ben and Hop Sing to bring the boys to town if either of them got worse.
Joe was brought to Hoss's room where Adam and Hop Sing could care for them while
Ben got some much needed rest. Hoss was feeling much better, and much to Hop Sing's
delight was requesting something to eat! His fever had broken, and although he was weak
from his illness, he was on the road to a full recovery.

Joe, on the other hand, was still fighting a high fever. Adam and Hop Sing took turns
bathing him down in cool water and forcing him to take some broth. Moments after they
got the broth down him he threw it all back up again. Adam couldn't remember ever
seeing his brother so sick, and it scared him. Joe was delirious and talking out of his head.
Even Hoss was sitting up in his own bed watching his brother with concern.

"Maybe you'd better wake Pa," Hoss said to Adam.

"I think you're right. Hop Sing, go get some cool water. I'll get Pa," Adam said, and then
quickly left the room.

Joe began to ramble incoherently, "I wanna go home," over and over again, and then he
started to get out of bed. Hoss was alone with him and he stood on his own shaky legs to
stop Little Joe from getting up.

"Hey, I need some help in here!" Hoss called.

"Little Joe, get back in bed. You're home and your safe. Lay down now." Hoss soothed.

"No, I wanna go home, let me go," Joe continued. "I don't want to do this, let me go
home." Joe tried to get up, but was unable to support his weight and fell to the floor. Just
at that moment Ben and Adam came running in the room. They both got Joe off the floor
and then Adam helped Hoss back into his own bed. Hop Sing arrived with the cool water
and they took turns rubbing Joe down in an attempt to bring his fever down.

The day quickly passed without much change. Hoss continued to improve, but Joe was
still fighting a high fever and could not hold down any of the broth that was offered to
him. That evening, Joe was moved back into his own bedroom. Throughout the night,
Ben, Adam, and Hop Sing took turns caring for him. Ben was sitting in a chair next to
Joe's bed as a new dawn approached. Joe had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. Ben
couldn't help but watch the rise and fall of his  youngest child's chest with every breath.
Joe had been through such a horrible ordeal, he wondered what effect it would have on
him. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Adam enter the room.

"Pa, Hop Sing has some breakfast ready for you. Why don't you go down and eat and I'll
stay here with Little Joe." Ben looked up at Adam and wearily rubbed his temples as he
slowly rose and stretched his stiff muscles.

"Call me if there's any change," he told Adam. Just as he neared the bottom of the stairs
he heard a knock on the front door. He walked to the door and opened it, wondering who
would be calling this early in the morning. He was surprised to see the sheriff, Roy Coffee,
standing in the doorway.

"Good morning Roy, what brings you by this morning?"

"Well I've got some news for ya Ben, good news I think.  I also wanted to see how the
boys were doing."

"I was just about to have some breakfast, Roy. Why don't you join me while we talk?"

"Thank you Ben, don't mind if I do."
Hop Sing heard the visitor and brought a fresh pot of coffee. The two friends exchanged
tired looks. "Well," Roy asked, "How's Hoss and Little Joe?"

"Hoss is much better. His fever broke yesterday and he's gaining back his appetite. Little
Joe is still a pretty sick boy," Ben sighed. "He hasn't said two words since he was brought
home."

"That's too bad Ben, I was hoping to talk to him about what happened. You know the
sheriff in Carson City hasn't been able to find  where those boys hid the money  they stole
from the bank. I was hoping Little Joe might know where they hid it."

Ben sighed and shook his head, "He couldn't tell you anything right now, even if he did
know."

"Ben, the influenza scare is about over. We haven't had any new cases reported or anyone
brought in to the church in two days. The Doc told me to tell you he'd try to get out here
later today."

"That's good to hear. Roy----" Ben hesitated, "How---how is Mrs. Farley?" Ben had
never met the woman, but he couldn't imagine how anyone would feel losing two sons at
once.

"To be honest with you Ben, I don't really know. We've been so busy with the influenza
scare that I haven't gone back by to check on her since the day she was told. Must be
about the hardest thing anyone would ever have to go through."

Ben just shook his head as his eyes wandered towards the stairs. His own son was still so
sick. He only hoped he would not have to find out how Mrs. Farley felt.

Just then Adam called excitedly down the stairs, "Pa! Pa, come quick, Little Joe is awake!
I think his fever's broken."

Ben went racing up the stairs without a word to Roy. When he looked at his youngest son
his heart ached. Joe was pale; he had dark circles under his eyes; perspiration beaded his
face; his dark curly hair was matted to his head from laying on it so long; but what broke
Ben's heart more than anything else was the look on Joe's face. His eyes were dull, and
his lower lip quivered involuntarily. Ben sat down on the bed next to his son. He brought
his hand to Joe's face and brushed his hair back before feeling his forehead. He looked up
at Adam with a smile and a nod.

"Yes, I believe you're right; fever's broken." He turned to Joe and asked, "How are you
feeling, son?"

Joe's eyes welled up with tears at the sound of his father's voice. No more words were
spoken as Joe began weeping. Ben lifted his son's shoulders and held him tight , his own
eyes filling with tears.

"It's okay son," Ben soothed, "Let it all out. You're safe now, everything's going to be
alright."

Joe began shaking his head, "No," he sniffed, "Nothing will ever be alright---Pa, I'm sorry
I ran away..."

"Shhh, I know son, I know. You just rest now. There's plenty of time for talk, later. Let's
see about getting some of Hop Sing's broth into you." Ben looked up at Adam who took
the hint and went to fetch Hop Sing. Moments later Adam returned.

"Pa, Roy is still downstairs and wants to know if he can talk to Little Joe." Adam said.

Ben looked at Joe, "I don't think he's up to visitors just yet," he told Adam.

"It's okay Pa, I'll talk to Sheriff Coffee now," Joe replied weakly.

Ben sighed, "Okay, but just for a few minutes." He looked at Adam who nodded and left
to get the sheriff. Ben really wasn't sure what Roy needed to talk to Joe about. He
thought everything had been cleared up. "Little Joe,  you just stop anytime you need to
boy." Joe nodded with a sigh, himself uncertain what the sheriff would need to talk to him
about.

Roy was somewhat shocked at the youth's appearance. This was not the same boy who
had caused a commotion in his town just a week ago! That boy had been full of life,
energy, and mischief. It seemed so unfair to Roy that someone so young could get so sick.

"Little Joe, sorry to hear you been sick boy, how's the arm?"

Joe shrugged, "It's alright I guess, haven't really had a chance to tell yet."

"Little Joe, do you think you can answer a few questions about what happened with the
Farley boys?"

Joe hesitated, then looked at his father. He looked back at Roy and nodded.

"Little Joe, did the boys admit robbing the bank to you?"

"Yes," Joe almost whispered.

"Did they say anything about the shooting at the bank?"

Joe became visibly pale. "I can't do this----Pa?" He began breathing rapidly at the
memory, "Pa, I don't feel too good, I'm dizzy."

Adam grabbed Roy by the elbow, "Come on Roy, guess you better save this for another
day."

Roy nodded in agreement and gave his apologies as he left. Ben tried to calm Joe down
and get his breathing slowed.

"I'm gonna pass out," Joe cried.

"No you're not Little Joe, just calm down and slow your breaths down. Nice and
slow---that's it."

Once the dizziness passed, the tears began to flow. Ben looked at his son, and said a
prayer for wisdom to guide him through this. "Little Joe," he said, "I know things are
difficult right now, but in time  it will get easier. It doesn't mean the pain ever goes away,
but it just becomes easier to deal with. It's like that wound in your arm there. In time it
will heal, but there will always be a scar." Ben paused a moment.

"I remember when we lost your mother.....  Those first few days and weeks were so
painful." Joe  began to gaze out the window at the mention of his mother, mentally
exhausted. Ben continued, "But as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, the
wounds heal, the pain becomes easier to bare.....and remember son, I am always here if
you need to talk, as are your brothers."

"Pa......," Little Joe started.

"What is it, son?" Ben asked.

"Pa, I was just thinkin.... why do you put up with me?"

Uncertain why Joe would say such a thing, Ben looked at him questionably.

"I mean," Joe continued, "I'm always getting into trouble, and seem to have one problem after another. Why do you put up with me?"

Ben smiled. "Joseph, do you remember a conversation we had about a horse not too long ago?"

Joe looked at his father, uncertain of the conversation, and shook his head.

"Let me remind you then, Joseph. We were on our way home from Carson City, and I was riding that new stallion that was skittish; you told me I should have sold the horse, that he'd never be any good; remember?"

Joe nodded, it was coming back to him.

"Well, Joseph, we've been working with that horse everyday, and do you know something? He's turned out to be one of the finest horses we own. You see, son, just because things aren't always perfect, or easy, that doesn't mean you give up on them. Sometimes the finest metals are the hardest to mine. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Joe sniffed and nodded, comforted by his fathers words.

"I love you, son. I will always put up with you, no matter what scrapes you find yourself in. You will always have me and your brothers to back you up ands stand by your side." Seeing that Joe was becoming weary, Ben said, "Now, you get some rest. We'll talk more later."
 
 

The rest of the day went by in a blur as he was visited by the doctor, who reported him to be on the mend, and Hop Sing, who kept bringing him broth. By that evening, he slept soundly for the first time.

A week later, the time had finally arrived that Little Joe was dreading. He was well enough
to return to school. It was Sunday night and the family was eating supper together. Ben
looked at each of his sons and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for each of them. Little
Joe was still awkwardly trying to manage with one arm in a sling, but he was rapidly
regaining an appetite, and only having one good arm wasn't slowing him down at the
supper table.

"Well boys," Ben said as they finished eating, "We'd better get to bed early tonight. It's
the first day back at school and work for Hoss and Little Joe."

At the mention of school Joe grew solemn. He wondered if his Pa was still going to escort
him to school. It was going to be hard enough having to return to school after the death of
his two friends, and after being gone for a week. He knew he'd have a lot of work to catch
up on, but he wasn't all that concerned about it.

"Um, Pa," he finally ventured, "I'm well enough to sit a horse, so......well.....I was
wondering if I could ride to school by myself."

Ben looked at his son and smiled. "Well Little Joe, considering all you've been through
lately, I will let you ride to school on your horse; however, I'll be riding along with you,"
Joe's heart sunk for a moment until he heard his father continue, "...at least until the edge
of town!"

Joe smiled, "Thanks, Pa."

***The End***