One For All
Three men sat wearily around a small campfire. Night had fallen, and the sound of insects filled the air. The smell of beans and coffee hung in the night. In the distance a coyote howled, a long mournful wail.
“Hey, Adam, ya’ reckon we can make it home by tomorrow night?” asked Hoss Cartwright hopefully. He gazed at his older brother, and heaved a weary sigh. Hoss was a big man, standing 6'4" with the brawn to match his height, although the large exterior hid a soft heart, and gentle spirit. At age 25, Hoss was the middle Cartwright brother.
“No, even if we push hard tomorrow we’ll still have one more night on the trail,” replied his brother Adam, a tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed man of 31. “Sorry about that, brother.” Adam wearily pinched the bridge of his nose, and then stretched. “I know we all want to get home sooner, but I just don’t see how it can be done.”
“Another night!” groaned the youngest Cartwright, Little Joe. He was a slender young man of 19, who was half the size of his brother Hoss, Joe was blessed with quick reflexes and lithe muscles, as well as a luxuriant head of curly hair. “I’m so tired of beans and coffee, I could scream.” moaned Joe.
“We’ll be home soon, younger brother,” replied Adam with a smile. “Then you can go back to turning up your nose to Hop Sing’s good cooking.”
Little Joe laughed and threw a playful punch in Adam’s direction. “Just 'cause I don’t look like brother Hoss, here, doesn’t mean that I don’t like Hop Sing’s cooking.” he said with a mock frown in Adam’s direction. “I for one can’t wait to get home to some real food.”
The brothers laughed quietly, while Hoss pretended to throttle Little Joe. “I don’t know about you fellas, but I’m gonna turn in for the night,” said Hoss. “I’m done in.” He rolled himself into his bedroll and shut his eyes. Soon his snores echoed through the night.
Adam and Joe quickly followed suit and peace reigned around the flickering fire.
The Cartwright brothers were returning home after another successful cattle drive. The herd had been sold for a good profit, and the money had been wired ahead to their father. They had been on the trail for over a month, and they were all eager to return home to the Ponderosa, and their father, Ben Cartwright. They were all tired of life on the trail, but were enjoying this time of companionship with each other. Ben had been prevented from making this trip by some last minute business in Carson City. He had reluctantly allowed Little Joe to make the trip, knowing that he had no good reason for keeping him home other than a deep-seated desire to keep his youngest son safe. He knew that Adam and Hoss always kept a watchful eye on their little brother, but he also knew that Little Joe was stubborn, and hot-headed and often hard to control. Ben always felt better if he were with Joe on trips like this, so that he could personally handle his son’s mercurial moods. Knowing how his father felt, Adam had made sure that he kept a close eye on his youngest brother, and the trip had been surprisingly uneventful. Now it was almost over, and Adam felt that he would be glad to hand over the weight of responsibility to his father.
In the early hours of the morning, well before sun-up, Adam was abruptly awakened by the distinct sound of a gun being cocked, and the feel of cold steel against his temple. He jerked and made a move as if to stand up, his hand reaching for the gun he kept by him in the night. A booted foot stepped down on Adam’s hand, stopping his reach for the gun.
“Not so fast, mister” drawled a voice in Adam’s ear. “Come up nice and slow, and leave that gun right where it is. You won’t be needing that”
Adam sat up slowly, making sure to keep his hands in plain view, mentally cursing himself for not setting watch over the campsite. He looked around the small clearing. By the light of the dying fire he saw five men, all with guns drawn. Hoss was already getting to his feet, a man holding a gun to his head. Adam felt a knot of tension start in his stomach as Joe, notoriously hard to awaken once he had fallen asleep, groaned softly and tried to brush off the hand that was shaking him.
Adam watched in horror as the man drew back his gun hand, and moved as if to hit Joe with the pistol. He lurched forward towards his brother. Hoss growled low in his throat, as he also watched the man threatening his baby brother. Adam knew he had to do something quickly, or one or both of his brothers were going to get hurt. He cried out “No! Leave him alone. I’ll wake him up!”
The outlaw’s hand stopped its downward motion, and he glanced at the group’s leader, the man standing at Adam’s side. At a nod from the leader, Adam swiftly moved to Little Joe’s side.
“Joe.... Little Joe.....Hey Buddy, you’ve got to wake up now!” Adam said gently, as he shook his brother’s shoulder. He glanced over at Hoss, and exchanged worried glances with his brother.
“Go ‘way, Adam” muttered Joe, as he tried to shake off his brother’s hand. He rolled over, and sat up slowly. When he saw that they had company, however, Joe came awake quickly. “What’s going on?” he asked in a hard voice.
“That’s what we’d like to know,” replied Hoss, giving the man holding the gun to his head a dirty look. “Maybe one of these fellas would like to tell us,” he added grimly.
“Just passing through, gentlemen,” explained the leader of the group of outlaws. “We saw your campfire and decided to keep you company. I’m Will Slade, and these are my men. We were sure that you wouldn’t begrudge us a night at your fire, right boys?”
The men ignored his question. They were a tough looking group, all exuding an air of cold disinterest, as if they were used to the grandstanding ways of their leader.
“That doesn’t answer the question of what you want with us,” stated Adam. “If all you wanted was a night’s rest you wouldn’t have to hold us at gunpoint. And if it’s money you want, we’re not carrying enough between us to make this worth your while.”
“We don’t want your money,” replied Slade. “Like I said, we’re just passing through. It gets a little boring on the trail. You fellows look like you might provide us with some fun.”
“What kind of fun?” snapped Little Joe angrily. Adam could see the fury in Joe’s eyes. He was obviously considering making some kind of move against the men surrounding them. He gripped Joe’s arm firmly, and tried to silently convey the thought that Joe should sit tight, and control his temper. Adam knew that any move made now would doom them all to sudden death. At the pressure from Adam’s fingers, Joe turned and looked at his older brother. Reading Adam’s thoughts was fairly easy, and after a brief hesitation Joe nodded slightly. Adam relaxed his grip, and Joe visibly settled himself down.
“Well, for starters,” drawled Slade, “I could use a little shut-eye. We’ve been on the trail a long time. We’ll have more fun when it’s daylight. Separate them boys, and tie them up. Double check the ropes too. We don’t want anyone making a break for it while we sleep.” Slade eyed Joe narrowly as he said this.
Keeping their guns on the Cartwrights, the men moved towards them and motioned for them to move. Once again Adam gripped Joe’s arm, this time as a gesture of comfort, and then the three Cartwrights started moving. They found themselves being shoved forward in different directions. The Cartwrights were moved away from each other and herded to different points around the campsite. Each was tied securely to a tree, hands stretched behind them and bound tightly with rope. They were secured in such a way that they were not in eyesight of each other. The outlaws moved back to the fire, pulled bedrolls from their saddles, and settled in for what remained of the night. Once again silence reigned around the flickering campfire, but this time the Cartwrights weren’t sleeping.
******************************
Morning dawned. The men around the campfire stirred, awoke, and proceeded to cook and eat breakfast. The smell of bacon and coffee floated in the air to the prisoners. The outlaws were talking and laughing as they ate, totally ignoring the Cartwrights. All three Cartwrights felt their stomachs rumble as they smelled the outlaw’s breakfast. They were not offered anything to eat or drink. They knew that they were in a pretty tight spot. They were bound and helpless, and not within reach of each other to come up with a plan to help themselves. None of them had slept since the outlaws had joined their camp. All three had spent the night working at the ropes that held them. None of them had made much progress on freeing their hands. The ropes were fairly new and stiff, and the rough hemp had only succeeded in chafing the skin of their wrists.
Adam knew that he and his brothers were in one of the worst situations they had ever encountered. They were in the middle of nowhere, and their father, Ben Cartwright, would not be expecting them home for several days. He wouldn’t even think of looking for them for at least a week. Knowing there would be no hope of rescue from outside sources, Adam had spent the night trying to come up with a plan, but nothing had occurred to him. He couldn’t make a move knowing that he couldn’t get to his brothers before the outlaws did. Adam had the added burden of worrying about Little Joe. He was afraid of what his little brother was going to say, or do. Joe was capable of terrible outbursts of temper, and he had no fear of a fight. He often spoke without thinking of the consequences. Adam knew that now was not the time for Joe to irritate anyone, Will Slade in particular. Adam liked to be in control of any situation, and it was obvious that he was not in control of the one he and his brothers were in now. He watched with apprehension as Slade walked toward him.
“Good morning,” said Slade cheerfully. “I hope you slept well. We’re going to have a lot of fun today, and I would hate to think you were too tired to enjoy it.”
Adam gazed back at him calmly, and said nothing.
Slade continued, “The boys and I are going to do a little target practice, and we’re going to need your help. We’re going to untie you, but be aware that if any of you try anything, we will kill you.” He chuckled wickedly. “Of course, it might be fun if one of you did try something.”
He pointed out three tall trees set several hundred feet apart from each other, and directed his men to tie each Cartwright to one of the trees. Hoss was tied to the closest tree, Adam to one about a hundred feet beyond that one, and Joe was pulled to the tree set farthest away. As they were moved to the trees and once again bound tightly, each Cartwright brother had a gun pressed firmly to his head. There was no opportunity to even attempt an escape. It was obvious that if any of them even tried to make a move his brothers would die.
This was the Cartwright’s first chance to see each other since the men had invaded their campsite, and Adam tried, once again, to convey a silent message to each of his brothers. He sent Hoss a look of reassurance, and gave him a wink. His look at Joe carried a different message. He desperately wanted Joe to cooperate with their captors, at least for now. Adam knew that if Joe tried something, or even said the wrong thing to someone, they could all die. Joe so often acted without thinking that there was a very real chance that he might just try something foolish. After a long searching glance at Adam, Joe once again nodded slightly, and Adam heaved a sigh of relief. Joe wouldn’t do anything just yet.
Adam’s sense of relief didn’t last long when he realized what Slade and his boys were going to do. They were going to have target practice, and Hoss was going to be their first target. Slade had called his men together, so that the tree Hoss was bound to was the closest one to them, Adam was somewhat farther away, and Joe was quite a distance away. The men began aiming and shooting at the big man bound to the tree. The object of their game appeared to be to shoot as close to Hoss as possible without hitting him. Hoss flinched as bullets whined past him, or buried themselves into the tree trunk around him. He was white faced and sweating, but he didn’t cry out.
When the first shots were fired, Joe began to struggle against the ropes that bound him to the tree. “No!” he yelled frantically, thinking they were going to kill his brother.
When Hoss realized that the bullets were whistling past him, he shouted back to Joe, “It’s okay, Joe, they ain’t gonna hurt me!”
Joe calmed slightly at this, but continued to strain against the ropes that held him. His face was pale, and he was feeling sick to his stomach.
Adam also had begun to struggle when the shooting began. He was swept by an intense wave of anger so great that he broke into a sweat. He hated having to stand by helplessly while one of his brothers was being threatened. Adam was very protective of his family, and had helped raise both of his younger brothers. Their relationship was very close. A threat to his brothers was one of the few things that could bring Adam to his knees.
After a few minutes of shooting towards Hoss, the outlaws seemed to tire of their game. Joe and Adam breathed a little easier when they saw the men turn away from their brother. The men turned their attention towards Adam, who was bound to a tree farther away from them. Once again, the men took aim and began shooting. The shots were less controlled this time, as the distance was greater. Adam stood stoically, deliberately striving to present a calm facade. Joe was shaking violently, jerking slightly at the sound of each bullet. His thoughts were in turmoil, as he instinctively struggled to free himself. Joe loved his family more than life itself. His brothers and his fathers were the mainstay of his existence. He was more concerned with a threat to his family, than he was at a threat to himself. To have to stand by while his brothers were being shot at was sheer torture for him.
Several bullets buried themselves in the tree trunk next to Adam’s head. A trickle of blood started down his forehead where a splinter of wood from the tree had buried itself. Adam didn’t allow himself to change expression, even though his nerves were stretched tight. He wouldn’t allow himself to flinch from the bullets that struck so close to him. He prayed that the men would tire of the game quickly before one of them made a fatal mistake. He felt a line of fire trace itself across his shoulder as a bullet grazed by him. Still Adam did not cry out. He would not give these sadistic outlaws the satisfaction of hearing him beg.
After what seemed like an eternity, the men again tired of their sick game. Leaving Adam bleeding from several small scrapes, they turned toward Little Joe, who was tied to the farthest tree. It would take a truly skilled gunman to shoot with enough accuracy to bring a bullet close to Joe’s body and yet not hit him. Everyone in the clearing knew it. The outlaws laughed and joked as the jostled for the best position to fire from. Money changed hands as the outlaws wagered on their skill. Adam, who hadn’t begged for himself, found himself pleading for the men to leave his little brother alone. They simply ignored him, and once again bullets began to fly.
Joe, emulating Adam, the older brother he idolized, refused to allow himself to flinch, and he tried desperately to keep his facial expression under control. He prayed that if he were going to die that death would come quickly. The sound of shooting filled the campsite. Bullets were flying all around Little Joe, many of them coming close enough to bury themselves into the bark of the tree millimeters from his body. Suddenly, a bullet plowed a furrow across his left thigh. Joe grunted at the impact, but kept himself from screaming by sheer will power. He wasn’t going to let these men see that they had hurt him. A warm rush of blood began to seep down his leg. Another bullet traced a fiery path across his right bicep. Stars flashed in front of Joe’s eyes at the pain in both his arm and leg. A third bullet glanced across his skull, sending a steady trickle of blood into his eyes. Joe quietly slipped into unconsciousness. Finally, the rain of bullets stopped. Adam and Hoss strained to see their little brother. They could tell from the reaction of the outlaws that Joe had been hit. They just couldn’t tell how badly.
Finally Adam could stand it no more. The jokes and laughing sickened him and he felt the rage building. “All right, you’ve had your fun, now cut us loose and let me go to my brother,” he snapped.
Will Slade moved so his face was inches from Adam’s. “You’re right,” he said. “That WAS fun. Now we are going to have even more fun while we see how long it takes the kid to bleed to death. What do you think boys,” he called back to his men. “Anybody want to place a bet”
“You’re sick, Slade!” Hoss exclaimed. “What did we ever do to you? He’s just a kid, why don’t you leave him alone.”
Slade just laughed, as he and his men moved back to the campfire. They lounged around the fire and soon a bottle of whiskey was being circulated. Their shouts of laughter echoed obscenely through the woods.
Adam and Hoss surreptitiously began to work at the ropes that held them. The lack of food and water was starting to affect them, but they fought the feelings of weakness, driven by the need to rescue their little brother. The ropes were fairly new, and the hemp was stiff. It was a painstaking process to scrape it up and down the trunk of the tree while trying to look as if they were just standing still.
Joe wavered in and out of consciousness. He was thirsty and a fever was beginning to burn in his body. The wound in his thigh continued to bleed freely, adding to his problems. His arm ached, but the blood had clotted on that wound, while the one on his scalp trickled sluggishly. He was losing blood at an alarming rate. He moaned occasionally, and called out for his brothers and his father. He no longer knew what had happened, or where he was. He only knew that he was hurt, and no one seemed to care. His father and brothers didn’t come when he called. Feelings of loss and desolation filled him. Joe sank deeper into the ropes, and allowed himself to go back to that black oblivion that called him. Their seemed to be no point in fighting to stay awake.
The day passed slowly. As dusk fell, so did the temperature. Adam and Hoss felt the chill, and knew that if they were feeling it, then the effect would be worse on Joe. They had listened as Joe called out, and heard his small moans of pain, but there was nothing they could do for their younger brother. Hatred and fury intensified in both of the older men, and they intensified their efforts to loosen their bonds. Adam had been feeling the ropes on his wrist parting gradually, and he risked discovery to work at them more vigorously. He could feel a burning pain in his wrists, and blood dripping onto his hands, but he ignored it, his thoughts preoccupied with helping his little brother.
Nightfall began in earnest. Slade and his band of outlaws had passed out around the campfire. None of them had even glanced in the direction of their prisoners in hours. Suddenly, Adam felt the final strands of rope part with a little snap. Adam froze, rubbing his wrists and hands behind his back, encouraging the circulation to return. Pain lanced through his arms and fingers. Again he ignored the pain while he scrutinized the positions of their captors. After a day spent drinking and playing cards all of the men were huddled in heaps around the fire, some were even snoring. Convinced that no one was paying attention to him, Adam cautiously stepped away from the tree. He reached down and pulled a knife from his boot as he moved. None of the outlaws had even thought to search their prisoners; they had been so convinced of their helplessness. Adam crept up behind Hoss and cut the ropes holding him to the tree. It was apparent from the state of the ropes binding Hoss, that it would only have been a matter of time before he had broken free as well.
Keeping a wary eye on the outlaws, Adam and Hoss slipped back through the trees towards Joe. When they reached him, both stopped and looked at him in concern. Joe’s face was covered in blood which had flowed from the wound in his scalp. Even now a trickle of blood inched its way down his cheek. His shirt was soaked with blood, some of which had splashed from his face, and some which came from the wound in his right arm. The blood on the shirt sleeve was caked and dry, leading Adam to assume that the arm wound at least had stopped bleeding some time ago. The wound in Joe’s thigh was obviously the worst. It was still bleeding at an alarming rate, and looked swollen and raw. Joe’s body hung limply against the ropes that bound him to the tree. He was unconscious and didn’t see Adam and Hoss standing before him. Adam stepped quickly to the back of the tree and sliced through the ropes holding Joe’s wrists. Joe immediately pitched forward into Hoss’ waiting arms. Hoss gathered him up, cradling Joe’s limp form against his chest. He met Adam’s eyes in a silent question, concern written all over his large features. Adam jerked his head in the direction of the deep forest. Hoss nodded and silently moved in that direction carrying his limp burden. He glanced back to see Adam slipping back in the direction of the campfire. Hoss sucked in his breath in alarm, but continued to move away.
Adam moved silently back through the trees until he stood just a few feet away from one of the sleeping outlaws. Keeping a careful eye on the men surrounding the fire, Adam eased forward and gently eased the man’s gun from its holster. He stuck the gun into his waistband, and moved onto another man and repeated the procedure. Spying a canteen next to the second man, Adam looped it over his shoulder. Suddenly, one of the men next to the fire stirred and groaned, moving to grab at his head. Adam drew back and swiftly headed in the direction of the horses. Knowing that he only had time to get one of the horses he slipped silently towards Cochise, Little Joe’s beloved pinto. Untying the reins, he walked the horse towards the trees, and headed in the direction taken by Hoss and Little Joe. He quickly caught up with his brother, who raised a questioning eyebrow. Adam raised a finger to his lips and indicated that they should keep moving. Adam mounted the horse, and Hoss handed Little Joe up to him. Adam cradled Little Joe against his chest and moved the horse forward at a gentle walk, Hoss easily keeping pace at his side.
They walked for several hours before Adam spotted an outcropping of rocks. He called Hoss’ attention to the rocks and they headed over to it. Hoss reached up and gently took Little Joe from Adam’s arms. Depositing Joe in the shelter of one of the rocks, Adam and Hoss sank down on either side of him.
Hoss groaned softly and stretched his massive shoulders. His arms felt cramped and sore from being tied to the tree for so long. “What are we gonna do now, Adam?” asked Hoss wearily.
“We need to get some water into Joe,” responded Adam in a tired voice. “And then we need to try and stop the bleeding on that wound on his thigh. He’s lost way too much blood.”
Hoss laid his hand on Joe’s forehead. He could feel the heat radiating from his brother’s body. “He’s burning up, Adam,” stated Hoss worriedly.
“I know, that leg wound looks bad,” replied Adam.
He picked up the canteen he had taken from the campsite. From the weight it appeared to be about 3/4 full. Not a lot of water for three healthy men, let alone one who was burning up with fever, and suffering the effects of blood loss. Adam knew that he and Hoss needed water as well as Joe, if they were going to stay alive to take care of their brother. He was feeling the effects of a day with no food or drink, and he knew Hoss must be as well. Adam sighed. He felt the weight of responsibility resting firmly on his shoulders. His younger brothers were depending on him to get them home safely. He squared his shoulders, looked back at his youngest brother, and held the canteen to his lips. While Hoss cradled Little Joe’s head in his lap, Adam let a small amount of water trickle into his youngest brother’s mouth. Joe coughed a little, but swallowed the water.
Adam gave him another small drink and then passed the canteen on to Hoss. “You too, brother,” he said firmly. “I need you on your feet for when those men come looking for us.”
Adam busied himself tending to the wound on Joe’s thigh. Joe stirred and moaned as Adam slit Joe’s pant leg and started to clean the wound with his kerchief. Joe opened his eyes and struggled to focus. He blinked several times and shook his head. Pain lanced through his body at the motion and he groaned.
“Easy, Joe.” murmured Adam. He tied his kerchief tightly around Joe’s thigh, knowing that although he was causing Joe some pain, it was necessary that the bleeding be stopped. “There, I think that’s going to have to do for now, little brother. We’ll patch you up a little better when we get home.”
“A-a-adam...” sighed Joe, weakly. “Where are we? Where did those outlaws go?” He glanced around frantically searching the area for a sign of danger. “We’ve got to get out of here...Where’s Hoss?”
“It’s okay, Joe, Hoss is right here and we’re a couple hours ahead of those outlaws”, responded Adam. “We’ve got to get you patched up before we go too much farther. We’ll be all right for a little while.” Adam glanced at Hoss as he spoke, both knowing that he was spinning a soothing web of fantasy for their little brother. They weren’t going to be all right for much longer. As soon as the band of outlaws realized that their prisoners were gone they were going to be on the trail hunting their prey.
“Adam... you and Hoss... go on ahead... get help... I’ll be all right...” Joe spoke softly, wincing as another wave of dizziness washed over him. “Just leave me a gun.... I’ll hold them off here....” Joe’s voice trailed away, and his eyelashes dipped downwards as sleep overtook him.
“Sure, Little Brother... anything you say” Adam replied in a gentle tone, marveling at his sibling’s courage. As if he was going to walk off and leave Joe lying helplessly in the path of those sadistic men. Adam shrugged out of his black vest, and gently draped it over Joe, propping his brother’s head onto Joe’s tan hat. Then he lifted his eyes to Hoss and indicated by a nod of his head that the two of them needed to talk.
Hoss and Adam moved to one side of the little clearing, and spoke quietly, hoping not to wake Joe.
“We’re in a bad spot, ain’t we, Adam?” queried Hoss. “What do ya reckon we oughta do?”
“You are going to get on Joe’s horse and ride as fast as you can for help,” replied Adam. He laid his hand on Hoss’ massive forearm to forestall the protest that rose to Hoss’ lips. “Look, one of us has got to do it; we can’t both stay here with Joe. We’re sitting ducks right now. One of us has got to go get help, and believe me, brother, it’s going to be you.” Adam spoke forcefully, hoping that Hoss wasn’t going to put up too much of a fight. They were losing precious minutes even as they argued.
A moan from Joe made them hurry back over to him. Adam gently laid his hand on Joe’s forehead. It was blistering with heat. “Go on, Hoss, and hurry. Joe needs a doctor now!”
With a last look at his brothers, and a gentle pat on the head for Joe, Hoss lunged across the clearing and leapt onto Joe’s little pinto. He and the horse disappeared out of sight. Adam gently pulled Joe into a more secure spot by the rocks, where he could more easily defend him against an attack by the band of outlaws. He knew, just as certainly as Hoss did, that they didn’t have much time left before the outlaws were on their trail. Adam didn’t have much faith in his ability to hold them off with two guns and twelve bullets, but he was certainly going to die trying.
***************************
Four hours later, a small moan from Joe woke Adam with a start. He had tried to stay awake and vigilant, but the day’s events had taken their toll on him. He hurriedly rubbed his hand across his eyes, and took a small sip of water from the canteen. He knelt next to Little Joe and placed his hand on Joe’s forehead. The heat radiating from Joe’s body was frightening. Adam gazed worriedly at his brother, and placed the canteen to his lips.
“Come on, Joe, take a drink.” Adam coaxed. He knew that Joe’s fever was at a life threatening level. Adam checked the wound on Joe’s leg, and saw that while the bleeding had finally stopped, the leg was swollen and inflamed. Joe desperately needed a doctor. Adam could do nothing more for him than offer him water. Even that was not going to be an option soon. The level of the canteen was sinking rapidly. “Come on, Hoss” Adam prayed fervently. “Get back here soon, Big Fella.”
“Adam...” Joe’s voice sounded whisper thin. “Where’s Pa? Adam, I want Pa.” Joe’s hand reached toward Adam in a pleading gesture.
Adam held onto Joe’s hand tightly and struggled to reassure his brother. “Don’t worry, Joe. We’ll see Pa soon. Hang on just a little while longer, okay. I’ll get you to Pa.”
“Soon... Adam” Joe responded. “Okay?” He looked into his older brothers eyes with such absolute trust that Adam’s own eyes filled, and he quickly turned his head away. Again scrubbing at his eyes with his hand, Adam once more held the canteen to Joe’s lips.
“Drink now, Joe, and then go back to sleep, okay Little Buddy?” Adam said quietly. He spared a little of the water to sponge down Joe’s forehead. He heaved a thankful sigh as Joe’s eyelashes dipped once again, and he drifted off to sleep.
Adam’s relief was short lived, and his stomach coiled into a tight knot as in the distance he heard a faint whinny, and the sound of several horses’ hooves. He ducked back against the rock and tried to make himself as invisible as possible. He knew that time had just run out for them. Slade and his gang of outlaws had followed their trail and found them.
The hoof beats drew ever closer, and Adam broke out into a cold sweat. He heard the outlaws calling out to each other, and then heard the shout of triumph from one of them. “Hey, Slade, we got them! The tracks lead to those rocks. We’ve got them treed.”
Adam swallowed hard, and then squared his shoulders. He wasn’t going to let these men near his brother without a fight. Just then a bullet ricocheted off the rock near Adam’s head. He ducked back quickly, resisting the temptation to shoot back and waste a bullet.
“All right, we know you’re in there, Cartwright. Come on out, and maybe we’ll let you live a little while longer.” shouted Slade. He said something to his gang that Adam couldn’t hear, but it made the rest of the men break into laughter.
“Not a chance, Slade” called Adam. “If you want us you’re going to have to come in after us, and it’s gonna cost you. Think it over. Which of you are ready to die?”
The outlaws glanced at each other nervously, some of the laughter and bluster dying out of them. They weren’t used to people standing up to them. Generally one look at the gang was enough to weaken most people’s resolve. But then again, they had never dealt with a Cartwright before.
Slade could see his men shuffling nervously and it irritated him. “We’ll take you on, Cartwright, and it’s you who is gonna die. Come on boys, he ain’t got enough guns back there to cause us any pain. Let’s get him”
Somewhat sheepishly the outlaws fanned out in a loose semicircle and approached the rock formation cautiously. Adam took his time and aimed at one who foolishly had left himself exposed. One shot, and the man went down. Eleven bullets left. The four remaining outlaws learned their lesson however, and Adam couldn’t get a clear shot at any of them. A hail of bullets kept him pinned against the rock face. Adam squeezed off another shot, more to hold the pack at bay, than anything. It had the desired effect of halting the outlaws’ advance. Ten bullets left.
“Give it up, Cartwright,” called Slade. “You boys are goners. You can’t take all of us. You might as well not even try.”
“It’s not going to be that easy, Slade” Adam called back. “You’ve lost one man already. Leave now and you won’t lose any more.”
Slade and his outlaws laughed at that, although some of them seemed less confident than before. This wasn’t the easy pickings they had thought it was going to be. They tucked themselves into their hiding places just a little more tightly, and forced grins onto their faces.
Behind him, Adam heard Joe calling his name, and looking down saw his brother struggling to sit up. Horrified, Adam turned and gently pushed Joe back to the ground. “Joe, you’ve got to stay down!” he whispered urgently.
Joe struggled weakly against Adam’s restraining hand. “Adam...Got to help....Let me up....” Joe rasped.
“No, Joe, you can’t” Adam said forcefully. “You aren’t in any shape to tackle these guys. Come on, Joe. Stay down.” He pushed Joe down and covered Joe’s body with his as bullets once again ricocheted around them. While Adam’s attention had been on his brother, the outlaws had moved forward again.
Adam saw that once again, one of the outlaws had left himself exposed. He squeezed off another precious bullet. Again, his man went down. Adam’s bullet had only winged the outlaw this time, though, and he watched as the man struggled back to his feet. Adam sent another bullet that way, and this time the man went down for good. Eight bullets left.
Again a barrage of bullets pinged off the rocks and Adam once again covered Joe’s body with his own. Joe was still struggling weakly to sit up. Adam knew that he couldn’t continue to divide his attention between Joe and the outlaws, and he came to painful conclusion. Drawing back his fist, he hit Joe on the jaw. Joe fell back limply to the ground, his struggles to get up coming to an abrupt end.
Adam turned his attention back to the hidden outlaws. He couldn’t spot any of them, and he weighed the risks of letting off a couple of shots to draw their fire. He needed to know where they were hiding, but he also couldn’t waste a single precious bullet. With a heartfelt prayer, Adam sent two more precious bullets randomly into the distance. He considered the use of the ammunition well spent when the three remaining outlaws fired back at him and he was able to mark their positions in his mind. Now at least he knew where he was aiming. Looking at the now useless gun in his hand, he tossed it aside, and pulled out the other stolen weapon. Six bullets to go.
Slade and his remaining men exchanged a signal. As a group they began a mass rush forward. Adam fired several shots at them, but none of them connected. He was down to three bullets, when he heard a pounding rush of hoofbeats coming out of the distance. Adam could only hope that Hoss was on his way, but his attention was diverted by the sudden rush of the gunmen. Adam fired his three remaining bullets and had the satisfaction of seeing one more outlaw go down. He stood to face Slade and his remaining henchman, when Hoss rode into sight with a group of men at his heels, guns drawn and firing. Slade and the other outlaw fell to the ground, cut down by the hail of bullets.
“Adam, are you all right?” yelled Hoss, leaping off the horse. “Where’s Joe?” Hoss grabbed Adam into a huge embrace. Then he caught sight of Joe, and dropped to his knees beside the still form of his little brother. Reaching out a gentle hand, he stroked Joe’s unruly mass of curls. “How ya’ doing, punkin?” He whispered.
Adam dropped down beside Hoss. “Glad you could make it back, Brother. Who are your friends?” He felt weak at the knees at how close he and Joe had come to being dead, and was trying to hide behind a light banter.
“The big fella with the tin badge is the Sheriff of Hawthorne, the nearest town. The rest are some townsfolk that he rounded up to help. The doc is following behind with a wagon.” Hoss smiled grimly. “It looks like we got here just in time. Did ya have to let them get so close, Adam?” He lightly punched his brother’s arm.
“Well, it helped to pass the time” Adam answered with a smile. A moan from Joe wiped the smile off his face, and turning to his little brother, Adam stroked Joe’s hair. “Hey, Little Buddy, welcome back.” he said.
“Adam...those men....are they....?” Joe asked, a bewildered look on his face. Catching sight of Hoss, he gave a weak imitation of his famous smile, “Hey, Hoss, where’ve ya been?” he queried.
“Oh, I know how much you like doctors, so I thought I would go fetch you one.” Hoss answered, a broad smile wreathing his face. “He’s gonna fix ya right up, ShortShanks.”
Joe grimaced, and shifted uncomfortably. “Sounds okay right about now, big brother.” he said weakly. Then his eyes drooped again, and he drifted off to sleep once more.
**********************************
Two days later, a tall broad-shouldered man on a buckskin horse rode at a gallop into the town of Hawthorne. After looking up and down the only street in the town, he rode to the Hotel, which was located in the center of the block of storefronts. Tying his horse’s reins to the hitching post he strode into the hotel. One look at the grim face of the man entering the hotel brought the desk clerk at a run.
He hitched his shoulders nervously and asked, “May I help you, sir?”
“Yes, I’m looking for my sons, I’m Ben Cartwright,” replied the man, glancing around him, as if looking for his sons to appear before him.
The desk clerk directed Ben to room 212, and he took the steps two at a time in his haste to see his sons. As he reached up to knock on the door, it was suddenly pulled open from within. Ben withdrew his hand just before it hit his oldest son in the face. “Adam, how are you son?” He asked warmly, and pulled the younger man into a close embrace. “Where’s Joe,.... how is he?”
Adam chuckled. “He’s doing a little better today, Pa. I’ll admit it was touch and go for a while. He sure had us all scared, but the doc said that he’s going to be all right now.” With that Adam pulled his father into the room.
Ben’s eyes immediately sought out the bed where his youngest son lay. He walked quickly to his son’s side and sank into the chair next to the bed. Little Joe looked pale and drawn, but he managed a reasonable facsimile of his cheeky grin. “Hi, Pa,” he said.
Ben smiled. “Hi, yourself son. It’s good to see you.” He reached out with a hand that was trembling slightly, and stroked the unruly curls on his son’s forehead. “So this is what I get for letting you go off with your brothers,” he murmured.
“Aw, it was nothing, Pa,” said Joe, grinning. “We had ‘em licked the whole time. No problem. They never should have messed with the Cartwrights. We’re just like those guys in this book that Adam’s been reading me. You know, one for all...”
****The End****
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