The Vicious Circle

By Karen F.

 This is dedicated to my son Alex, because the idea was his.

 Three horsemen rode through the dusty streets of Virginia City, their thoughts focused single-mindedly on obtaining a beer at the Silver Dollar Saloon. The heat was stifling, tempers flared easily, and life at the Ponderosa ranch had become so tense that Ben Cartwright banished all his sons from his presence. He was tired of settling disputes and listening to petty grievances. His orders were for them to go to Virginia City and not come back until they could be civil to one another. Now his sons rode together but they weren’t speaking to each other. Hostility crackled if their eyes met accidentally. Even Hoss, the natural peacemaker of the family had a hard edge showing today.

The men dismounted in front of the saloon. They strode across the plank sidewalk and through the swinging doors without so much as a glance at each other. Little Joe Cartwright could already feel a loosening of the tension that had been knotted inside him. As he moved easily through the noisy throng, he nodded a greeting to friends and favored his favorite saloon girl with his best smile. 

The brothers, by unspoken agreement, separated as soon as they entered the bustling establishment. Adam was immediately hailed by a group of his friends and he joined their table with alacrity. He signaled for a beer, and heaved a huge sigh of relief at the first sip of the foamy liquid. He settled down for an evening’s entertainment that didn’t include his younger brothers, already feeling the stress slipping away from him.

Hoss favored a stance at the bar where he propped his meaty elbows and took a long appreciative sip of his own beer. He was soon deep in conversation with a local breeder of prize bulls. It wasn’t long before the twinkle returned to his blue eyes, and his booming laugh was heard more than once over the shouts in the crowded saloon.

Little Joe was seized by a large rowdy group of young men, and dragged bodily to their table. It was easily the most raucous group in the room and Joe was in his element. With his flashing green eyes and dazzling smile he soon had the saloon girls hanging on his arms and the young cowboys fighting for a spot at his table. 

Due to a spate of contract deadlines and a pile of ranch chores, none of the Cartwrights had been seen in Virginia City for almost two months. Joe was quickly filled in on the latest gossip -- who was sparking whom, and what girl had recently parted with some poor ranch hand. He leaned his elbows on the green baize table and flashed his white teeth at the giggling girl on his right. “Delores, honey, could I have another round, please?” he asked sweetly. Delores leapt to do his bidding; she left the table and quickly returned with the amber brew. Joe smiled his thanks and turned his attention to Tom Pruitt who was sitting to his right. Unlike the rest of the people gathered at the table, Tom was quiet, almost morose. He looked startled when Joe addressed him directly.

“What was that Little Joe?” he asked guiltily. “I didn’t hear you.” He was a tall man, and he stooped as he sat, almost scrunching down in his chair in an effort not to tower over his friend.

Joe smiled again. “I just asked how you were doing, Tom,” he replied easily. “You seem kinda quiet tonight. Is there anything wrong?” He took a long pull at his beer, absent mindedly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Tom hesitated, eyes darting around the room to see who was paying attention. Satisfied that no one was listening, he leaned forward intently. “Have you heard about Renny Miller?”

Joe shook his head negatively. Renny worked at the Bar T ranch, and often joined the group for a hand of poker and a beer. Joe’s friendship with both Tom and Renny dated back about three years. “What about him?”

“Sheriff’s got him over at the jail. He’s been accused of...” Tom’s voice trailed off, his cheeks turning pink. The tall man scrubbed at his face with a shaking hand.

Joe’s gaze sharpened, and he smiled encouragingly. “Accused of what?” He leaned a little closer to hear Tom’s low voice. He saw the signs of Tom’s discomfort and they worried him. What could Renny Miller possibly have done to have upset Tom so badly?

“Some of the girls say that he was...well, he was much to forward with his attentions,” Tom replied hesitantly, the color darkening on his cheeks. Again he hunched forward, almost shrinking in his chair.

Joe snorted in derision. “Renny Miller is afraid to talk to girls. He wouldn’t know how to be forward with any one of the opposite sex. There must be some mistake.” The youngest Cartwright smiled broadly as he waited for the joke he was sure was going to follow.

Tom shook his head miserably and raked his fingers through his short black hair. “Mary Sue Henderson says he tried to attack her at the dance last Saturday night, and she’s got witnesses to back her up. A couple of the other girls say he tried to corner them too”

The noise in the crowded saloon had reached a crescendo, so that even though Joe’s voice rose in reply it didn’t draw a glance from anyone around him. His eyebrows rose, and his voice was incredulous. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Renny Miller? Because the one I know wouldn’t even say hello to a girl, let alone attack her.”

Tom nodded in agreement, his dark eyes were downcast. “That’s just what I said, Little Joe. But there’s a lot of folks in this town who believe Mary Sue and her friends. I’ve even heard talk of a lynching.” The lanky man buried his head in his hands, fear for his friend evident in every line of his body.

The fun drained out of Little Joe’s evening, leaving him tense and edgy. He leaned forward again, his body positioned so that no one could see what he was saying to Tom. “What does Roy say? He knows Renny wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Roy says his hands are tied. That since Mary Sue has sworn out a complaint he has to hold Renny for trial.” Tom’s face was tight with concern. “It’s her word against his, Little Joe. I think he’s going to go to prison.”

Joe was startled. “But if he’s innocent, the jury won’t send him to jail,” he insisted vehemently. He vaguely noticed that Delores had given up on him in disgust and was entertaining herself with another of the cowboys at the table, but Joe found that he didn’t care.

“Mary Sue’s pa is the President of the Chamber of Commerce. He packs a lot of weight in this town, Joe,” Tom replied wretchedly. “It doesn’t look too good for Renny.”

Little Joe pushed his hat back on his head and gave a low whistle of concern. “Maybe I should have a talk with Mary Sue,” he said thoughtfully. “She must have some reason for saying what she is.”

Tom darted another nervous glance around the room. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea Little Joe. Her Pa’s pretty mad about all of this. I hear he’s got Mary Sue under lock and key.”

Joe nodded reluctantly. “You may be right,” he said slowly. “I guess we’ll just have to hope that the truth comes out at the trial. Any idea of when it’s gonna be?”

Tom shook his head slowly. “They’re just waiting on the Circuit Judge. Roy thinks it could be a couple more weeks.” He looked at Little Joe expectantly. If anyone could save their friend, it was the Cartwrights. They packed even more weight in Virginia City than the Henderson family.

Little Joe sucked in a worried breath. “How’s Renny doing with all of this?” he asked, his eyes clouded. Joe’s mind was whirling in confusion. He didn’t believe that Renny Miller could have done what he was accused of, but it seemed impossible to clear his name.

“He’s pretty low. He doesn’t understand how any of this could be happening to him,” Tom replied softly. “I don’t know what to do for him, Joe. Maybe you could go see him and cheer him up.”

Joe nodded. “I’ll ride in tomorrow and visit with him for a while. Maybe I can even get in to see Mary Sue while I’m in town.” Tom beamed at his friend, reassured that the problem had been taken out of his hands. His implicit faith touched Little Joe, who sat mulling over the information that Tom had just given him.                                                              

Just then a fight broke out at a neighboring table as two miners argued over a game of poker. The fight quickly built in intensity, spilling over to the table where Joe sat with his friends. Bodies were flying, fists swinging wildly, but Joe just stood absently and moved away from the melee. He drifted to the bar, leaning next to Hoss, his distraction immediately evident to his older brother.

“Hey, Little Brother. I ain’t never seen you walk away from a good fight before. What’s wrong?” Hoss asked in some concern, his earlier bad humor forgotten. His frown deepened when it became evident that Joe hadn’t even heard him. Shaking his brother’s slim shoulder with one of his own large hands, Hoss claimed Joe’s attention. “Little Joe, I asked you a question. What’s wrong?”

Joe turned startled eyes on his older brother. “What?” he asked in confusion. “Did you say something, Hoss?” He sipped absently at his beer, lifting it high to avoid the sprawling body of one of the combatants as it fell at his feet.

Hoss reached over and laid a big hand on Joe’s forehead. “Nope, no fever. You feelin’ sick, Little Joe?” he asked tentatively. “You seem kinda out of it, all of a sudden.”

Joe shook his head. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, Hoss. I think I’m gonna head back to the ranch.” He moved to leave the saloon, only to be pulled up short by his brother’s firm grasp on his arm.

“Little Joe, I ain’t never seen you leave a saloon this early before in my life. Somethin’s going on and I want to know what it is.” Hoss’ voice rose over the confusion in the saloon, and it reached the ears of the quiet man in black sitting at a nearby table. 

Adam Cartwright took in the posture of his two brothers and sighed heavily. When Joe and Hoss looked like that, it usually meant trouble of some kind was brewing. He nodded farewell to his friends and rose, stretching like a cat. Putting his dark hat on his head, he ambled over to the younger Cartwrights. “You boys want to tell me what this is all about?” he asked quietly, jerking his head toward the door in a commanding gesture.

The fight was losing intensity, and the combatants were separating quickly, sheepishly going back to their cards and drinking. The Cartwrights carefully picked their way over fallen bodies and spilled poker chips. As they passed through the swinging doors, the steamy heat of the summer evening hit them full in the face. Adam sighed ruefully. He had known his evening’s fun was too good to last. He motioned for his brothers to leave. The three men headed for their horses, their movements slow and deliberate. Finally they were mounted and heading out of town at a gentle trot.

Adam turned his dark eyes on his youngest brother. “Now, come on Joe,” he said intently. “What’s up? I can see just as well as Hoss can that something’s wrong.”

Joe bit his lip in frustration. He proceeded to fill his brothers in on the details of Renny Miller’s plight, a sense of outrage creeping into his words as he spoke. By the time he finished, they were halfway home to the Ponderosa, their previous animosity forgotten. Adam and Hoss listened intently to Joe’s story, unable to get a word in edgewise even if they wanted to comment. When Joe finally reached the end of his recitation, Adam let out a long, low whistle. He pulled his horse to a halt, his brothers following suit.

“Joe, I think Renny Miller is going to be hard pressed to prove his innocence,” he said quietly. Adam’s expression was grave as he stared thoughtfully at his little brother. “With Mary Sue Henderson and several other girls ready to testify against him, he doesn’t have a chance.”

Joe struggled to suppress the sudden surge of anger he felt. Adam was only telling him what he already knew. “What do you think I should do, Adam?” he asked. 

Adam shook his head. “I don’t think you should get involved at all, Joe,” he replied quickly. “Roy won’t thank you for interfering, and it’s really none of your business.” Adam had a disturbing vision of his younger brother facing down a lynch mob flash through his mind, and he shuddered. 

“Adam’s right, Joe,” Hoss interjected. “There just ain’t nothin’ you can do, so don’t go gettin’ involved.” He pushed his big white hat off his head and wiped the sweat from his brow as he spoke. “This heat sure don’t improve people’s tempers. Renny Miller’s gonna be lookin’ at a heap of trouble if he can’t come up with some way to prove he didn’t do it.”

Joe’s expression was mutinous. “I’m still going to talk to Renny. I just can’t pretend that I don’t know him. He’s my friend.” He gathered Cochise’s reins in an impatient gesture, prepared to ride again.

Adam reached out and roughly snatched the lead rein from his brother’s hand. “Joe, wait!” he ordered impatiently. “I’m serious. Stay away from Renny Miller and Mary Sue Henderson. None of this is your business and it will only lead to trouble. Pete Henderson is a power in this town, and he can be a vindictive man. Stay away from his daughter.”

Joe shot Adam a look of pure venom. “Let go of my horse, Adam,” he hissed angrily. “I’ll see whom I want, when I want to. I’m sorry I even asked for your advice.” Joe tore the reins from Adam’s grip and put his spurs to Cochise’s side. The black and white horse sprinted forward leaving Adam and Hoss in his wake.

Hoss sighed and scratched his head ruefully. “That sure went well, didn’t it, Adam?” he asked with a hint of humor in his tone. “It looks like our little brother wasn’t too happy with your advice.”

Adam watched until the clouds of dust from Little Joe’s passage settled back down again. His expression brooding, he slowly moved Sport forward. “He’s going to get himself into trouble over this, Hoss. I just know it.”

Hoss nodded in agreement. “You’re right about that, older brother. But there ain’t much we can do about it.” Together they turned and began the ride home in Little Joe’s wake. It was a silent ride, and both were lost in thought. As they stabled the horses in the barn neither was any closer to a solution.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

The sun rose high in the sky, scorched earth a testament to its power. The streets of Virginia City were dry and choked with dust. Little swirls of it eddied from Cochise’s hooves as Little Joe carefully made his way through the crowded town. He pulled up in front of Roy Coffee’s jail and dismounted quickly. Hitching Cochise to the rail in front of the small clapboard building, Joe strode confidently into the Sheriff’s office. 

Roy Coffee looked up from the stack of paperwork he was scribbling on, a broad smile wreathing his face. “Little Joe!” he exclaimed eagerly. “What brings you to Virginia City today, son?”

Joe returned Roy’s smile and extended his hand in greeting. The pleasantries over, he jumped straight to the heart of the matter. “I’m here to see Renny Miller,” he explained. “I just wanted to check on how he’s doing.”

Roy’s smile faded. “I don’t know that that’s such a good idea, Little Joe,” he mused. “Renny’s in here on a pretty serious charge.”

Oh, Roy!” Joe scoffed incredulously. “Renny hasn’t done anything wrong, and you know it. I don’t know why Mary Sue is making up such a ridiculous story, but Renny’s innocent. I just want to talk to him for a few minutes.” Joe’s voice was becoming strident with indignation.

Roy raised his hands placatingly. “Simmer down, Little Joe,” he ordered sternly. “Or you won’t be visitin’ no one in my jail. I guess if you keep it short, I can let you have a few words with Renny, but you leave your gun out here.” He held out his hands as he spoke. 

Little Joe was already unbuckling his gunbelt. He put the coiled leather into Roy’s waiting palms. “Thanks, Roy. I promise I won’t be long.” He moved toward the double doors that hid the cells from public view, slipping through them quietly.

Little Joe’s heart fell as he saw the miserable man huddled on the cot in the first cell. Renny Miller was a short, stout, young man, with a timid smile and a kind heart. At the moment that smile was nowhere in evidence. Renny was a study in dejection, as he lay curled in a ball on his cot. He didn’t even look up when the door clicked shut. Joe moved so that he was directly in front of Renny, separated only by the iron bars of the jail cell.

“Hello, Renny,” he called quietly as he gripped the bars in his hands. Joe shivered a little at the thought of being caged behind those bars. He hated confined spaces.

Renny slowly raised his head, his sandy brown hair falling limply over his brow. “Oh, hello, Little Joe,” he responded softly. “What are you doing here?”

Joe smiled sympathetically. “I just came to find out if there’s anything I can do to help, Renny. You look like you could use a friend.”

A sliver of hope rose in Renny’s mud brown eyes. “Can you help me, Little Joe? Have you talked to Mary Sue?” he rose quickly and moved to grasp the cell bars in both hands. “Has she agreed to drop the charges?”

Joe shook his head negatively. “I haven’t seen Mary Sue, yet. I wanted to talk to you first. Can you tell me what happened, Renny?” As he spoke, Joe reached through the bars and gripped his friend’s shoulder briefly in a gesture of support.

Renny leaned into Joe’s grip, his eyes filling with unwanted tears. “I didn’t do it, Little Joe. I swear I didn’t!” he gasped miserably. “I was at the dance, but I didn’t even talk to Mary Sue, or any of those other girls. I went into the alley for some air, and they were all standing out there whispering and giggling. It was a whole group of them. They saw me come out, and Mary Sue even waved at me. I waved back, but then I went back to the dance. That’s all, Little Joe, I swear! All I did was wave.” Renny’s voice trailed off, the tears falling faster. “I don’t want to go to prison, Joe,” he whispered brokenly.

Joe gripped Renny’s shoulder a little harder. “I’ll go talk to Mary Sue. I’ll ask her who the other girls were. Maybe one of them can help us. We’ll get this all straightened out, I promise. Is there anything I can get you before I go, Renny?” 

The friendly sympathy in Little Joe’s voice proved to be Renny’s undoing. A sob caught in his throat, and he turned away, ashamed of his weakness. “No!” He choked out. “Just talk to Mary Sue, and get her to tell the truth. Please, Little Joe.”

Joe smiled reassuringly. “I’m going right now, Renny. You hold on now, and I’ll be back soon to tell you what happens.”

Renny pulled himself together, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve. He smiled tremulously, as he reached out to grip Little Joe’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, Little Joe!” he said fervently. “You’re a real friend.”

Joe smiled briefly, and tipped his hat a little. “You’d do the same for me, Renny. I’ll see you soon.” Joe took his leave, glancing back in time to see Renny resume his huddled position on the cot, his sandy head buried in his hands. The closing door blocked his view of his friend, and Joe turned in time to see Roy Coffee standing directly in front of him.

“How’s he doin’, Little Joe?” Roy asked in concern. “He ain’t been eatin’ or sleepin’ real well.”

Joe’s expression was grim. “He’s doing about as well as can be expected, considering that he’s an innocent man in jail for something he didn’t do.” He straightened his hat, and began buckling his gunbelt around his slim hips.

Roy put out a hand to stop Joe as he moved toward the door. “Where are you going now, Little Joe?” he asked brusquely.

“I’m going to see Mary Sue Henderson, if that’s okay with you, Roy,” Joe replied with a glare. He shook off the Sheriff’s outstretched hand. “I’m going to see if I can talk some sense into her.”

The Sheriff moved to block Joe’s path to the door. “You stay away from Mary Sue, Little Joe. Her Pa ain’t any too happy about what’s going on, and I don’t want you in the middle of it.” He stood with hands on hips, daring Little Joe to walk past him. “This is none of your concern, Little Joe. Stay out of my investigation.”

Joe’s glare was scathing. “Renny Miller is my friend, Roy. That makes it my business. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to do.” He pushed past the sheriff, and opening the door, he stepped out into the glare of the hot sun. He moved to Cochise without a backwards glance at the man who stood shaking his head in the doorway.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Joe led his horse through the streets until he arrived at the two-story clapboard house that the Henderson family called home. Tying the patient animal to the hitching post in front of the dwelling, he mounted the steps and knocked briskly on the door. After a few moments the door was opened a crack and a small girl of around ten peeked through. Her face broke into a wide grin when she saw who stood before her. She squealed with delight and threw herself at Little Joe, who caught her in his arms with an answering grin.

“How’s my best girl?” he enquired laughingly. 

Kitty Henderson, Mary Sue’s little sister, was a blond-haired dynamo. It was well known that she harbored a crush on the green-eyed Cartwright. “I’m fine, Joe,” she said smiling up at him with wide, excited eyes. “I haven’t seen you in a while, though. You used to come visit Mary Sue all the time. Where have you been?”

Joe swung her in a circle, eliciting an excited scream from the little girl. “We’ve been kinda busy at the ranch, Short Stuff,” he responded. Setting the girl back on her feet, he leaned against the porch railing. “I’m looking for Mary Sue. Is she home?”

Kitty’s smile disappeared. “She’s in her room, Little Joe, and she won’t come out. Papa is upset all the time, and Mama just sits and cries.” The little girl’s blue eyes were round. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Joe smiled sympathetically, and he crouched down in front of the girl. “That’s what I want to find out. Do you think she’ll talk to me, sweetheart?”

Kitty shook her head doubtfully. “I don’t know, Little Joe. I’ll go see if I can get her to come out. Do you want to wait in the parlor?” She tugged his hand, and Joe rose gracefully to his feet. He followed his small friend into the house, doffing his hat, and tossing it onto a sideboard by the front door.

Taking a seat on the uncomfortable horsehair sofa in the immaculate front parlor, Joe waited patiently. In the distance, he could hear the soft murmur of voices at the top of the stairs. As he waited he thought of all the time he had spent sitting in the room waiting for Mary Sue. They had flirted on and off for years, neither one wanting to take their relationship a step higher. In fact, Joe hadn’t seen Mary Sue in more than three months. The busy life on the ranch had combined with other things to keep him away. Joe’s patient waiting was rewarded when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. He glanced up, and rose as he saw Mary Sue Henderson slowly descending. He advanced toward the girl with a ready smile on his lips. 

Mary Sue was one of Virginia City’s leading beauties. She had soft blond curls that hung to her waist, today tied back with a blue velvet ribbon. Her slender waist begged for someone to circle it with his hands, while her eyes shone like sapphires. At the moment those eyes were fearful. Mary Sue looked warily at Little Joe as he moved to the bottom of the stairs to watch her descent. He took her hand and held it as they went back into the parlor together.

“How are you, Little Joe?” Mary Sue’s voice was brittle. “It’s been a long time.” She perched nervously at the edge of a straight chair.

“I’m fine, Mary Sue. Busy as always, but that’s life on a ranch,” Little Joe replied easily. “I’m sorry I missed the dance Saturday night. It sounds like it was kinda exciting.” Instead of taking a seat on the sofa, he paced to the window and stood staring out onto the busy street. Taking a deep breath, Joe decided to come straight to the point. “I’ve just come from visiting Renny Miller.”

Mary Sue sat a little straighter, her eyes widening in fear. “I don’t want to talk about Renny, Little Joe,” she said insistently. “If that’s what you’re here for, you might as well go home.”

Joe turned to face the girl who was now fidgeting with the lace doily on the arm of the chair. “I think you’re going to have to talk about Renny eventually, Mary Sue,” he said quietly. “What are you going to do when you have to go to court? The judge and the lawyers will make you talk about what happened. If Renny is guilty, then you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.” Joe stood by the window, keeping his distance from the agitated girl.

Mary Sue’s breathing came a little faster, and a flush rose high in her cheeks, staining them a soft rose color. “I don’t want to think about that, Little Joe. I’ll deal with that later,” she whispered.

“What about the other girls?” Joe tried to keep his voice calm, to avoid startling the frightened girl. “Who was with you that night, and why were you all out in the alley anyway?”

Mary Sue straightened abruptly. “I was with my friends, and it’s none of your business what we were doing outside.” Her voice rose higher, a hysterical note creeping into it. The slim girl rose abruptly and crossed the room to stand next to Little Joe at the window. She put her hand on his sleeve in a gesture of entreaty. “Why are you asking me all these questions, Little Joe? What business is this of yours?” she asked, obviously struggling to keep her voice level.

Joe turned haunted eyes on the girl, flinching a little at the fear displayed in her beautiful blue eyes. “Because Renny Miller is my friend,” he said carefully. “And I don’t want to see him put in prison for something that he didn’t do.”

The blue eyes flashed angrily, and Mary Sue stamped her foot in a rage. “Are you calling me a liar, Little Joe!” she stormed at him. “How dare you!”

Joe flushed, his innate sense of courtesy reminding him to watch what he said. “I’m not calling you a liar, but I think you might be a little confused about what really happened.” He turned to again look out the window. “Who was with you in that alley? I’m not convinced that Renny is capable of attacking someone, Mary Sue, and I want to know why you’re accusing him of something like this. You’re going to have to answer these questions sometime, you know. You might as well do it now.” Joe again struggled to keep his voice neutral. He didn’t want to upset Mary Sue any more than she already was. They had been friends, and maybe even something more, for a long time. 

Mary Sue stood with her hands clenched, the knuckles blanching white. “I don’t want to talk to you, Little Joe. You get out of here, right now!” she exclaimed angrily.

Joe turned quickly and caught her by the arm. “Please Mary Sue, listen to me, Renny’s in that jail crying because he’s so frightened of what’s going to happen. He wouldn’t even look at a girl, let alone do what you’re saying he did. I’m not going anywhere until you explain why you’re persecuting an innocent man.” Joe’s gaze was steady, and he held her eyes with his own. “Why are you trying to send Renny Miller to prison?”

Mary Sue struggled against Joe’s grip, as she opened her mouth to reply. She was interrupted by the sound of shots from the streets outside. Joe dropped her arm and whirled toward the window, leaning forward and peering out intently. The streets were filled with running people, many holding sticks and boards. Several men ran by shooting their guns into the air. The words “Jail” and “Lynch” floated in the air back toward the watchers in the house.

Joe’s eyes widened in dismay as he realized what was happening. The citizens of Virginia City had decided to take matters into their own hands, and they were going to try to hang Renny Miller. Without a backwards glance at the now sobbing girl, Joe grabbed his hat, wrenched open the door and ran down the street. As he struggled to fight his way through the crowd, he saw Roy Coffee standing with a shotgun at the ready in front of the jail. He heard Roy telling the people to back off, and heard the blast of the shotgun as it was fired into the air. Joe fought his way through the crush of people when he heard another shot, and saw Roy fall clutching the wound on his shoulder. Joe reached the front of the crowd just as they surged forward to the door of the jailhouse. He stood tall, his gun drawn. “Back off!” he called in his loudest voice, firing the gun into the air as he spoke. “Everyone get back!”

Joe could no longer see Roy’s body; the sheriff had disappeared behind the roiling mob of people. The crowd wavered with Joe’s shot, but a voice called out, “Get out of the way, Cartwright, or we’ll hang you too!” 

Another voice egged the crowd onward. “Are we gonna let this kid protect that animal? Let’s get him!” Joe backed against the door of the jailhouse as the crowd moved forward in a mass. He leveled his gun at the mob, prepared to shoot if he had to.

The large rock sailed out of the crowd like a missile. It caught Joe on the temple, and the world went dark. Joe felt the darkness reaching out for him, and as he crumpled he could feel the mob surging past him, tossing him aside like a rag doll. Before he lost consciousness completely, he heard Renny’s voice crying out in fear. Joe moaned and then knew no more.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Joe! Wake up, son.” The words were incomprehensible, but Joe struggled to understand. He felt a throbbing pain in his head and he moaned softly. The voice came again, more hopefully this time. “Joe, wake up now.”

Joe opened his eyes slowly; he winced as another wave of pain rolled through his head. Struggling to focus, he saw his father’s face take shape in front of his eyes. “Pa?” he asked in bewilderment. “Where am I? What happened?” He struggled to sit up, only to be gently pushed back down by his father’s firm hand.

“You’re in Doc Martin’s office, son,” Ben replied softly. “I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up, Little Joe.” The relief was evident in the older man’s tone.

“That goes double for me, little brother,” Hoss’ voice registered, and Joe turned his head to see his brothers hovering at the end of the bed. 

Joe thought back over the day’s events. Remembrance of the mob rushed in and he gasped in shock. “Renny!” he cried wildly, as he tried to sit up again. “Pa, they were trying to lynch Renny.”

Ben exchanged glances with Adam, his eyes were clouded with some indescribable expression. Joe gasped in shock as fear replaced every other emotion in his mind. “Renny?” he asked.

Ben’s gentle hand squeezed Joe’s shoulder briefly. His shoulders were hunched with grief. “They hung him, son,” he replied. “Renny’s dead.”

Joe turned his face to the wall, tears forming and falling of their own volition. “He was innocent, Pa,” he whispered brokenly. “He didn’t hurt Mary Sue.”

“The only one who knows that for sure, now, is Mary Sue,” Adam’s deep voice was strained, and he paced the room in his agitation. “Renny sure isn’t going to be telling anyone.”

“I tried to stop them, Pa!” Joe’s voice was anguished, and his hand sought his father’s arm. “I couldn’t. There were too many of them.”

“I know, son. It was a very foolish thing to do. You didn’t have a chance against that mob. But, I’m proud of you, Little Joe.” Ben’s voice was warm, and he gathered his son in his strong arms as if he were a small boy.

Joe sobbed out his grief and anger, finally allowing exhaustion and pain to take him back into the darkness of sleep. Ben held him until his soft, even breathing told the older man that his son slept. Gently he laid the boy back on the bed, and drew the covers up around Joe’s shoulders. Dimming the lamp, he settled into a chair next to the bed, clearly prepared to hold vigil until his son woke again. Adam and Hoss exchanged another glance, and by unspoken consent left the room. Joe was in good hands, and there was talking to be done.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The pounding on the door yanked Adam awake from his light doze. He looked around startled and realized that he had fallen asleep in a chair in Paul Martin’s waiting room. Hoss still snored in the chair next to him. The hammering came again, and Adam leapt from his chair, anxious to open the door before the visitor could disturb his little brother sleeping in the next room.

The man at the door had his fist raised as if to strike the wooden plank again. He lowered it slowly as Adam looked calmly out at him, recognizing the visitor as Pete Henderson, President of the Virginia City Chamber of Commerce and one of the town’s leading citizens. At the moment, Pete Henderson was a very angry man; he literally stamped his feet in rage. “Where’s that brother of yours, Cartwright?” he snarled, thrusting his way into the room. “Where’s Little Joe?”

Adam moved quickly to block the older man’s progress across the room. “Little Joe is sleeping. He was badly hurt today.” He put a hand on Henderson’s chest, stopping his movement. “What do you want with him?”

“I want him to leave my daughter alone. Mary Sue is crying her eyes out over something he said or did to her today.” Henderson’s face was puce with rage, flecks of spittle gathered at the corners of his mouth. “Little Joe had better stay as far away from my daughter as he can get, because if I see him around her again I’ll kill him. Just like we killed that other animal today.”

Adam’s face hardened, and he heard the low growl of anger from Hoss, who had risen from the bench where he’d been sleeping. The two Cartwrights towered over the older man, backing him slowly toward the outer door. “I’ll tell you what, Mr. Henderson,” Adam said coldly. “We’ll make a deal. You stay away from my little brother, and I won’t kill you.”

Hoss glared at the now silent man. “I think you’d better leave now, Mr. Henderson, or we’ll all do something we might regret.”

Henderson put his hand on the door knob, his face set in a stubborn scowl. “You’ll keep that brother of yours out of town, if you know what’s good for you and him!” He made his way into the night, the air of menace he exuded trailing in his wake.

Adam shut the door quietly, a heavy sigh escaping from his lips. “Little Joe sure knows how to keep things lively, doesn’t he?” he asked ruefully.

Hoss shook his head. “Our little brother could stir up a storm in a teacup if he had a mind to, Adam.” Hoss paced over to the inner door of Doctor Martin’s office, hoping for a glimpse of his little brother in the darkened room beyond. Giving up, he sat back down on the hard bench that was his bed for the night. “He’s not going to take this thing with Renny well, I know that for a fact.”

Adam sat down heavily, burying his face in his hands. “You’re right about that, Hoss. And there’s no way we’re going to be able to keep him from getting involved now.”

Hoss echoed Adam’s sigh. “You said it, older brother. That dadburned little cuss won’t keep his nose outta this one.”

The brothers lapsed into silence, each lost in their thoughts. Once again, Little Joe and his impulsive actions had conspired to create a long night for the rest of his family.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Once again, three Cartwrights rode toward Virginia City. Adam and Hoss rode slightly behind Little Joe, who made a determined effort to ride in front of the other men so that he didn’t have to see his brothers. Frustration was etched into every line of his body, and his expression conveyed the anger he felt. 

Ben Cartwright had been successful in keeping Little Joe out of Virginia City for almost three weeks. At first, Joe’s lengthy recovery from the severe concussion had kept him confined to the ranch. Later, Ben had resorted to ever weaker excuses to keep his youngest son at home and out of harm’s way. 

The social event of the season proved to be his undoing. Little Joe was determined to attend the big barn dance being held that night, as all of his friends would be there. He challenged every argument his father gave him, exposing them for the fraud that they were. Finally, he had been allowed to go under the condition that his brothers go with him. Joe was furious to have acquired two chaperones, but at least he was getting off the ranch and into town. That didn’t mean he had to speak to his brothers while doing it.

The fiddles were playing a lively tune as the Cartwrights led their horses to the hitching post in front of the huge barn being used as a dance hall. Gaily clad women and cowboys dressed in their best string ties strolled past arm in arm. Joe slipped away from his brothers and entered the hall on his own, stopping just inside the door to survey the crowded room. The lanterns lit the throng of people, as they swayed to the music, or sat and chatted on the bales of hay being used as seating for the occasion. Several of Joe’s friends spotted him and waved, but he ignored them as his eye lit on Tom Pruitt, who was leaning against the far wall of the barn.

Joe’s feet marked a steady beat on the dirt floor of the barn as he moved purposefully toward his friend. He was only halfway across the room when he saw the bleak look on Tom’s face, and Joe’s step faltered just a bit. He continued across the floor, however, stopping to casually lean against the wall next to Tom.

“Looks like a good party,” Joe remarked casually, his eyes gazing out at the room. 

Tom gave a meaningless grunt in reply, his hands in his pockets, his face shadowed and drawn. 

“How have you been, Tom?” Joe tried again, turning to look the other man in the eye. 

Tom sighed and at last turned to face Little Joe. “I’ve been better, Joe. But then I hear that you haven’t been feeling to well yourself,” he replied softly. He held up his hand to forestall Joe’s reply. “I know what you tried to do for Renny, Little Joe. I’m sorry I asked you to get involved.”

Joe rubbed a hand over the yellowing traces of the bruise on his temple. “I did it because I wanted to Tom.” Joe’s response was just as soft. “I still don’t think Renny was guilty.”

Tom flushed and glanced nervously around the room. “Well, you seem to be one of the few who feel that way, Little Joe. Most people think he got what he deserved.” Tom stopped speaking, his face losing its flush of color as he stared over Joe’s shoulder, his eyes registering some deep-seated emotion.

Joe spun around quickly and found himself face to face with Mary Sue Henderson. He drew a sharp breath, but before he could speak, she held out a soft hand.

“Why, hello, Little Joe,” she said sweetly, her voice fairly dripping with honey. “You walked right past me when you came in and didn’t even say hello.”

Joe took in the vision of the beautiful girl, her face framed by her long blond hair. He smiled half-heartedly. “I didn’t see you. I’m sorry, Mary Sue.” He stood awkwardly, wondering what to say next. Their last meeting had been very unpleasant, and Joe couldn’t forget what had happened after their discussion.

Mary Sue seemed to have banished all the unpleasant memories from her mind. She smiled again and tugged at Little Joe’s arm. “They’re playing my favorite song, Little Joe. Will you dance with me?”

With a glance back at Tom, Joe allowed himself to be pulled to the dance floor. At first hesitant, he forced himself to obey the rhythm of the dance, and he smiled stiffly at the deceptively lovely girl in his arms. Across the room, Hoss spotted the couple and groaned softly. He hastily set down his glass of punch and went in search of his older brother.

Hoss circled the huge barn several times before he found Adam sequestered in a quiet corner with one of the Perkins girls. From the looks on both faces, Hoss knew his interruption wasn’t welcomed. Blushing a bright scarlet, he stammered, “I’m sorry, Miss Millie, but I was wonderin’ if I could talk to Adam for a minute.”

At Millie’s gracious nod of assent, Hoss quickly yanked Adam away from the girl. Adam’s scowl would have intimidated most men, but Hoss wasn’t about to be deterred. “We got trouble, Adam,” he said quickly. “Look over there.”

Following Hoss’ pointing hand, Adam peered at the dance floor. He sucked in a quick breath of disbelief when he saw his youngest brother finishing a dance with Mary Sue Henderson, the one girl he had been warned to stay away from. As the music ended, the dancers left the floor. Adam tried to follow Joe, but lost track of his whereabouts in the constantly moving throng of people. He stopped and scanned the room, but couldn’t see Joe or Mary Sue. A feeling of unease was growing in the pit of his stomach, and he turned to find Hoss at his heels.

“Do you see him anywhere, Hoss?” Adam snapped. “I’ve lost him in this crowd.” The dark scowl had returned to Adam’s face, encouraging several people to dodge out of his way quickly.

Hoss pursed his lips in a frown. “I can’t see him either.” He swiveled in a slow circle, his big hands resting on his hips. “What is wrong with that boy, Adam? The one girl he should stay miles away from, and he’s disappeared with her.” Hoss shook his head in disgust, but he continued his circuit of the barn.

Adam flinched as he saw Pete Henderson enter the barn with his wife on his arm. “More trouble,” he sighed. Adam began to circle the barn, unobtrusively checking the shadowed stalls for his little brother. He kept a wary eye on Pete Henderson as he made his trek, as he wanted to find Little Joe before Henderson discovered his daughter was missing. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Hoss checking the other side of the dance floor. From the frown on his brother’s face, Adam could tell that he hadn’t located Little Joe either. 

The brothers met at the far end of the barn, frustration evident on their faces. Hoss opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance to say a word. A shrill, hysterical scream rent the night air. It was quickly followed by another, and then another. Adam clutched Hoss’ arm, urging his brother to look at the apparition that had just appeared before them. A small cluster of girls ran into the barn, eyes wide with shock and fear. Following on their heels, her dress ripped in several places, hair disheveled, and her face scratched, was Mary Sue Henderson. As the crowd parted to allow the girls entrance to the barn, Little Joe Cartwright, his face ashen, stumbled into the room.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Roy Coffee paced the confines of his office, the soft thumps of his boot heels lost in the noise and confusion that reigned in the small room. His pacing was hampered by the crowd of people clustered within the confines of the jail. The sheriff was not a happy man. Three weeks earlier, he had lost one of his prisoners to a lynch mob. That same mob had shot him in the shoulder and knocked him unconscious, trampling over his fallen body to get to their victim. Now he was faced with a different kind of mob, and they were all talking at the top of their lungs. Roy held his good hand high and shouted, “Enough!”

In the sudden silence, all eyes focused on the enraged sheriff. “Now! I want everyone to be quiet so I can sort out this mess!” he bellowed again, satisfied with the results of the order.

He stopped in front of Mary Sue, who was sobbing softly in her father’s arms. “Now, Miss Mary Sue, I want to know what happened tonight. Do you think you can tell me?” he said, kindly.

“That monster attacked my child!” Pete Henderson shouted before his daughter could speak. “I want Joe Cartwright arrested, Sheriff!” He cradled Mary Sue close to his broad chest as he spoke, carefully turning her head so that she wasn’t facing the crowd.

The babble rose again as Joe shouted his innocence and the assorted witnesses tried to claim the sheriff’s attention. Roy pulled his gun from his holster and fired it straight into the air. The sound of the shot instantly silenced the assembled people. Roy looked around the circle of shocked eyes, “All right!” he ordered. “I want everyone out of here, except Mary Sue and her pa. Little Joe, I’m gonna have to ask you to stay too.” His furious glare intimated the toughest men in the room, and sheepishly the citizens of Virginia City began filing out into the night. 

Roy turned his baleful glare on Adam and Hoss where they leaned against the wall, but they calmly glared back, refusing to budge an inch. “Adam, you heard me!” Roy said icily. “I want this room cleared.”

Adam’s expression would have sent shivers of fear down a lesser man’s spine. “I’m not leaving Little Joe here alone, Roy. He’s going to need someone who’s on his side in here.” He turned his dark eyes on the Hendersons, making it clear just whom he thought Joe needed protection from.

“I ain’t leavin’ neither, Roy,” Hoss growled. He moved to stand next to Little Joe, who was perched tensely on the edge of Roy’s desk. It was clear that Hoss was offering his physical protection along with his unswerving emotional support.

Roy glared at the three Cartwrights, but knew when he was beaten. He was aware that it would be next to impossible to separate the Cartwrights in a time of trouble, and he now backpedaled as gracefully as he could. “All right, you boys can stay, but I want you to stay outta this. As far as I know, Little Joe and Mary Sue are the only ones who know what happened tonight, and they are the only ones I want to hear talking’.”

Adam’s dark eyes flashed angrily. “You might want to make that same speech to Pete. He doesn’t seem to want Mary Sue to tell her story, the way he keeps talking for her.” He gazed at Henderson in disgust. “What are you afraid of, Pete? Are you wondering why Mary Sue is now accusing a second man of attacking her? I know I am.”

Pete Henderson turned purple with rage, rising almost onto his toes; the force of his anger was so great. “I’ll kill you, Adam Cartwright!” he ranted. “How dare you accuse my daughter of being a liar!” He clutched Mary Sue’s slender form, and pressed it closer into the circle of his arms.

Again, Roy’s voice filled the room, the ring of command unmistakable in his tone. “Pete, if you can’t be quiet, I’m gonna throw you outta here. Adam, I already told you to keep your mouth shut!” Roy readjusted the sling that supported his wounded shoulder, a stab of pain increasing his irritation. “Little Joe, you want to tell me what happened, since Mary Sue seems unable to talk at the moment?” Roy asked his voice softening sympathetically.

Joe slowly rose from his seat on the edge of Roy’s desk, his face was pale, his lips trembled slightly. “I danced with Mary Sue, and then she said she wanted some fresh air. I tried to talk her into a glass of punch instead, but she insisted that she needed to go outside. When we got into the alley behind the barn, a lot of Mary Sue’s girlfriends were already there. She walked right past them though, and we just leaned against the corner of the barn for a few minutes. The next thing I know, she ripped at her dress and started messing up her hair. Then she screamed and ran. All the other girls screamed too, and we all went back into the barn.” Joe’s narrative ended in a rush, and he nervously sucked in a deep breath. “I didn’t touch her, I swear.” Joe turned pleading eyes on his oldest brother. “Adam, you have to believe me, I never touched her,” he said in a whisper.

Adam’s eyes softened, and he reached out a strong hand, gathering Little Joe to him in a fierce embrace. “I know you didn’t, Little Joe,” he said firmly. “I believe you.” Adam’s eyes turned hard and cold as he shifted his gaze toward the sobbing girl. “Mary Sue, I think you need to tell us what’s going on,” he said harshly. 

Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward the slender girl. She drew in a stuttering breath, and braced herself against her father’s chest. Speaking in a voice so low that it almost couldn’t be heard, she began her story. “Little Joe asked me to dance with him. I didn’t want to because he’d said some things to me a couple of weeks ago that I didn’t like. But I did it because I didn’t want to make a scene. When the dance was over, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the barn. I saw my friends outside, but they didn’t know how to help me. We walked past them, and leaned against the corner of the barn. Little Joe never let go of my arm the whole time, because he knew I’d run inside, the first chance I got.” Mary Sue’s voice trailed off, and she leaned back against her father, her breathing sounded loud in the silent room.

“Go on,” Roy said softly, as he tried to keep the girl calm, but talking. “We need to know what happened next, Mary Sue.”

“Little Joe....” Again Mary Sue stopped, and she tried to bury her head in her hands.

Her father gently pulled the hands from her face. “Just tell them the truth, honey,” he crooned. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

Mary Sue pulled herself up straight and tall, her eyes flashed with a cold blue fire. “Little Joe grabbed me, and when I tried to get away from him, he ripped my dress. He was trying to drag me farther back into the alley, and he was so angry that I wouldn’t go with him. I tried to fight him off, but he kept holding on to me.”

Little Joe erupted in fury. “That’s a lie, Mary Sue, and you know it!” he turned desperate eyes at the assembled men. “It wasn’t like that, I swear. You’ve got to believe me.” Joe’s eyes widened in remembrance. “Roy, you just have to ask those girls who were in the alley. They must have seen the whole thing.”

Roy nodded, “That’s just what I aim to do, Little Joe.” He moved to gather up the big key ring that he kept on his desk. Moving toward Little Joe with sorrow filled eyes, he spoke quietly, “I’m going to have to lock you up until I can question the witnesses. I’m sorry, Little Joe.”

With a growl of fury, Hoss launched himself forward. “Roy!” he gasped in shock. “You cain’t do that! You know that Little Joe didn’t do nothing!”

Before Roy could reply, Pete Henderson pulled his gun from its holster, cocking it in the same motion. He aimed the gun at Little Joe’s chest, fury emanating from every fiber of his body. “There’s no need to lock him up, Sheriff,” he hissed in fury. “I’ll take care of the little monster right now.”

As the occupants of the room watched in stunned amazement, Henderson pulled the trigger of the gun. Adam, seeing what was about to happen, launched himself across the room, knocking the older man’s arm up and to the side just as he fired the weapon. The bullet buried itself harmlessly into the wall of the office, as Adam delivered a fury filled punch to Henderson’s jaw. Henderson sank to the ground, unconscious, followed swiftly by Mary Sue, as she fainted in shock. 

Roy Coffee shook himself free from his paralysis, and swiftly moved to take charge of the deteriorating situation. “Hoss, go for Doc Martin!” he ordered loudly. “Adam, you get away from Pete. Little Joe, I’m locking you up right now, for your own protection.” The sheriff grabbed Little Joe’s arm, and dragged the unprotesting boy toward the cells. 

Joe had time to turn one last pleading look back at his brothers before the sheriff had shoved him into a jail cell, and slammed the lock home. Turning back to the main room, he rapidly closed the dividing doors, cutting the Cartwrights off from a sight of their brother. Shaking his head in anger and frustration, Roy began to pick up the pieces of his quiet night, as he ruefully considered that maybe it was time to retire.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ben Cartwright stormed into the Virginia City jail, bringing a cloud of dust in with him. The heat baked the little town, and the inside of the jail was stifling. As Ben slapped the dust from his clothing, he glanced searchingly around the small room. Roy was no where in sight, but the door to the cell area was ajar. Striding briskly to those doors, Ben pushed them open to find his son, sitting on the bunk in the cell conversing through the bars with his brothers. All three looked up expectantly as their father took the few steps necessary to join them.

Ben’s first glance was for Joseph, who looked back at him sheepishly. “How are you, son?” he asked quietly.

Joe stood up and moved to grip the bars that separated him from his family. “I’m fine, Pa. I just want to get out of here.” He wiped the sweat from his face with the back of one hand. “It’s just too hot to breathe in here.”

Ben reached through the bars to grip his son’s shoulder in a gesture of support. Joe smiled gratefully, his eyes displaying his misery. “I know this is hard for you, Joe, but we’ve got to do what Roy says for now. If he thinks you need to be in here while he investigates, that’s what we do.”

Ben’s raised hand forestalled the splutters from Hoss. Shaking his head grimly, he said firmly. “Joseph, I wish you would show some sense every once in a while. What on earth possessed you to go anywhere near Mary Sue Henderson?”

Joe grimaced uneasily. “I didn’t, Pa! She came up to me and asked me to dance. You can ask Tom Pruitt. He was standing right there when she did.”

Adam’s eyes flashed black fire. “Why didn’t you say that last night, little brother? It shows that Mary Sue is lying about part of her story, which makes the rest of it that, much weaker.”

“I didn’t think of it last night, Adam!” Joe protested heatedly. “Things were a little confusing in here at the time, or don’t you remember.”

“I remember Pete Henderson trying to kill you in cold blood!” Adam snapped back. He turned to his father, “Pa, we’ve got to get Joe out of here, he’s a sitting duck in this cell. Henderson, or a mob like the one that killed Renny, anyone can walk in here and kill Joe.”

Joe looked startled as he realized that what Adam was saying was true. He had only been concerned with the heat, and the miserable conviction that he had done nothing wrong. The realization that the townsfolk could just as easily kill him as they had Renny had never crossed his mind. He gripped the bars convulsively. “Pa?” he whispered questioningly as his eyes sought his father’s.

Ben glared at Adam. Turning to Joe, he spoke reassuringly, “It’s going to be okay, Little Joe. Adam, Hoss and I are going to make sure that no one gets in here. You’ll be safe with us.”

Hoss grinned his gap-toothed smile. “You bet, Short Shanks. They’ll have to fight past me to get to you, and that’s a promise.”

Somewhat reassured, Joe smiled gamely back at his family. “What do we do now, Pa?” he asked hopefully.

“I’m going to confer with our lawyer. If anyone can get you out of here legally, it’s Seth Greenwell. Adam, I want you to see if you can find out who those girls in the alley were. Hoss, you stay here and keep Joe company.” Ben patted Joe’s shoulder again. “We’ll get through this together, Little Joe. Don’t worry.”

Joe struggled to hide his growing unease from his father, as he smiled and winked a farewell. Watching his father and Adam leave the little cell area left him feeling a bit abandoned until he looked at the reassuring bulk of his brother, Hoss. Hoss had pulled up a chair and planted his large body in it, facing the door to the office. It was clear that no one was going to get past him without a challenge. Joe settled back on his bunk, a warm glow starting in his middle. His family would pull him out of trouble, of that he had no doubt.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mary Sue Henderson left her house, stopping only to glance surreptitiously to the right and left. After ascertaining that no one was watching, she hastily walked to the corner, and turned down a side street. She kept up her pace until she reached the home of her best friend, Ellen Meyers, a tall redheaded girl, known throughout Virginia City for her sharp tongue and quick giggle. Tapping on Ellen’s back door, Mary Sue slipped in quietly. She smiled a greeting at her friend, and hastily looked around at the assembly in Ellen’s kitchen. Her select group of friends had all arrived, and were waiting for her to begin. 

Ellen quickly slipped the bolt on the door and drew the curtains shut. Satisfied that no prying eyes could penetrate their sanctuary she turned expectantly toward her friend. “Well,” she giggled happily, “It looks like you’ve got things under control, Mary Sue. Little Joe Cartwright is locked up in the jail.”

Mary Sue’s eyes blazed in sudden excitement. “Yes, he is, and I think he’s going to find out that the Cartwright name doesn’t mean so much anymore!” She looked around the circle of young women, a smile curving on her delicate face. “Renny was too easy. Little Joe is a much tougher matter. If the plan works on him, it will work on any man in this town.”

“But, Mary Sue,” Laura Carson, a willowy brunette, seated near the kitchen table spoke up, a worried expression marring her pretty face. “Isn’t someone going to get suspicious? I mean after all, you’ve accused two men in the last couple of months. After a while people will stop believing your stories.”

Mary Sue’s face tightened with anger, a scowl creased her perfect browline. “Not if we stick together!” she snapped. “You agreed to this Laura! If you’re going to back out on us now, say so, because you will no longer be a member of this club. We agreed that to belong to the club you had to go along with anything that we do or say.”

Laura shrank down in her chair, her face betraying her uncertainty. “I didn’t say that I wasn’t going to stick with you,” she said quickly. “I was just wondering how many more times we’ll be believed.” 

“As many times as we want to be believed,” Ellen asserted boldly. “I think it’s thrilling that the men in this town are afraid of us.” 

Maggie Holmes frowned worriedly. “We never said anything about people dying, girls,” she interjected. “This was supposed to be fun and exciting. Renny Miller is dead because of us, and now Little Joe Cartwright is in jail. What if someone finds out what we’re doing? What if they try to lynch Little Joe?”

“Little Joe has his family to back him up!” Mary Sue asserted strongly. “Nothing will happen to him. It would serve him right if he gets sent to jail. After all he’s done to me, it’s no more than what he deserves.”

“What has Little Joe ever done to you, Mary Sue?” asked Maggie, a frown on her face. “As far as I can see, the only thing he did was not fall in love with you like you wanted him too. That shouldn’t be enough to send a man to prison. For that matter, what did Renny Miller ever do to you?”

Mary Sue rounded on her friend in a fury, her eyes blazing. “That’s it, Maggie!” she hissed. “You are no longer welcome in this group. I want you to leave now.” She stood up quickly from her chair, and it fell backwards with a crash, startling all the girls in the room. They watched apprehensively as Mary Sue advanced on Maggie, fury making her movements swift and sure.

Maggie stood up slowly and backed away from the angry girl. “All right, Mary Sue, I’m going,” she said quietly. “But I want you to know that I think what you’re doing is wrong.”

Mary Sue thrust her face close to Maggie’s, watching triumphantly as a trace of fear dawned in the other girl’s eyes. “I don’t care what you think, you little traitor,” she snapped angrily. “But if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you’ll regret it till the day you die.”

Fear dawned full-fledged in Maggie’s face, and she backed up even further. “I won’t say anything, and you know that. You don’t have to threaten me.” Maggie’s voice was trembling, and she was on the verge of tears.

“Then get out of here, and don’t come back!” No one would have recognized the Mary Sue who was speaking. Her normally sweet, gentle voice was harsh and strident. With her hair flying about her face, and her eyes glinting like sapphires, she presented a formidable picture. 

Maggie took one last terrified look around the room and stumbled to the door. The tears she had been struggling to hold back came fast and furiously, and she tried to wipe them away as she fumbled for the knob. Finally succeeding in opening the door, she blundered into the street, slamming the door shut behind her. Without looking up, she stepped forward, and then gasped in shock as she careened into the broad chest of a man clothed all in black.

Adam Cartwright kindly set the terrified girl back on her feet, his eyes wide with concern. “Maggie?” he asked gently. “Are you all right?”

Maggie gave Adam a look that positively radiated with immense fear. “I’m fine, Adam,” she managed to gasp. “I... I have to go, please excuse me.” She pushed past him and rushed down the street, leaving Adam standing on the doorstep, his expression puzzled.

Adam watched until the girl disappeared around the corner, shaking his head in bewilderment. He knew Maggie Holmes only through Little Joe. She was one of the circles of girls that he dated occasionally. He couldn’t fathom what might have upset her so badly. Heaving a sigh of frustration at his inability to help, he finally turned and knocked briskly on the door.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ellen Meyers peeked out the door, opening it just a slit to see who was knocking. Her freckled face paled when she saw who was standing on her doorstep. Instead of inviting Adam in, she opened the door a little wider and slipped out to stand on the steps. Adam caught a glimpse of several girls staring out at him wide-eyed just before Ellen briskly shut the door tightly. Standing with her back to the wooden portal, she looked at Adam with a question in her eyes. “What can I do for you, Adam?” 

Adam tipped his hat to the young woman. “I’ve come to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind, Ellen.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, his expression calm and unreadable.

Ellen flushed, the color clashing with her vivid red hair. “Questions about what?” she managed to respond.

“About what you and your friends were doing in that alley last night, and what you were doing in the alley the night Renny Miller was supposed to have attacked Mary Sue Henderson.” Adam replied, carefully keeping his voice without inflection. He didn’t want to frighten the girl, knowing that if he did she would not say a word to him.

“How did you know that I was there?” Ellen stammered in surprise, her eyes wide with shock.

“Your statement is on file in the sheriff’s office, Ellen,” Adam replied smoothly. “My little brother is locked up in that jail. You didn’t think we would just sit back and leave him to the wolves, did you?”

Ellen’s flush had receded, leaving her freckles standing out in stark relief against her pale, white skin. “I see,” she murmured. Her head came up defiantly, her eyes flashing at Adam, almost belligerently. “Yes, I was in the alley. I watched Renny Miller try to attack Mary Sue, and I saw your brother do the same thing.”

Adam’s eyebrows rose skeptically. “Really, that’s very interesting? How far away were you? What reason could both Renny and Joe have for wanting to attack Mary Sue?” Adam’s voice rose as he fired his questions at the quaking girl, one by one.

Ellen flinched back in fear as Adam crowded a little closer to her. Realizing the effect he was having, Adam immediately backed up a couple of steps. Lowering his voice, he said as calmly as he could, “I’m sorry, Ellen. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m concerned about my brother. I’m sure you can understand that.”

Ellen pressed her back against the door. “I can’t tell you anything, Adam. I know what I saw, and I’ll tell the judge in court. But I’m not going to go over it all with you, not now, not ever.” Her voice shook with suppressed emotion, but Adam couldn’t tell if it was fear or rage.

Adam hesitated briefly, then tipping his hat again he took his leave of the young woman, striding down the street without looking back. If he had, he would have seen the young red-haired girl wipe a shaky hand across her forehead before she opened the door and slipped back inside. A confused babble of voices greeted her, and she quickly launched into an explanation of what had just occurred.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adam pushed through the swinging doors of the Silver Dollar Saloon. He pushed his black hat back on his head, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The heat continued unabated and all of Virginia City seemed to be clustered in the saloon, searching for salvation from the debilitating heat and swirling dust that hung over the town in a cloud. Leaning up against the bar, Adam ordered a beer, and took a long appreciative sip when it was passed to him. Nodding his thanks to the bartender, he made his way to a table in a secluded corner of the saloon. As he sat and surveyed the restless crowd his father appeared, his own beer cradled in the big work-worn hands. Ben pulled up another chair and heaved his bulk into it, a sigh escaping from his lips. 

“Any luck, Adam?” he asked quietly, as he glanced around the room to see who was listening.

Adam shook his head in frustration. “None, Pa!” he exclaimed angrily. “I talked to Ellen Meyers, and she refused to change her story. I could see that she was upset about something, but I couldn’t shake her. There were a lot of girls in her kitchen, but she wouldn’t let me in, so I couldn’t see who was in there. I tried two or three of the other names on the witness list, but none of them were home. I have a feeling that they were the ones with Ellen.” Adam’s narrative ground to a halt as he saw the look of fear that flashed across Ben Cartwright’s face. He reached out and put a reassuring hand on his father’s shoulder. “It’ll be all right, Pa. We still have time to get these girls to tell the truth.”

Ben shook his head, swallowing back the lump in his throat, as he said tiredly, “I don’t know, Adam. If we can’t get the girls to tell the truth, Seth Greenwell says that Little Joe is in trouble. It’ll be his word against all of theirs. It doesn’t look good, son.”

Adam hesitated, unsure if he should tell his father the next part of his news, but finally the need for his father’s reassurance won out. “There’s more, Pa,” he said, lowering his voice. “All over town, I’ve heard people whispering. This heat is driving people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. They’re saying that they got away with hanging Renny Miller, so why should they wait for a trial for Little Joe.” Adam’s dark eyes were bleak. “I’ve heard the word lynching mentioned more times than I can count, Pa.”

Ben swallowed thickly, the bile rising in the back of his throat. “If they move against the jail, it’ll be the three of us and Roy against a whole mob. Those odds don’t sound very good right about now.”

“Pa, we’ve got to get Little Joe out of there,” Adam said insistently. “We can’t protect him in there. It’s not easy to hold the jail against a mob.”

Ben sat silently, misery reflected in his eyes. “We don’t have much of a choice, Adam. Roy isn’t going to let Little Joe out until the trial, so we’ll just have to make sure that a mob doesn’t get in.” He patted Adam’s arm reassuringly. “Don’t give up hope, Adam. We’re just going to have to work harder at getting those girls to tell us what they know.” 

Ben glanced around the saloon as he spoke, noticing for the first time the furtive glances being shot in their direction. Even as he looked, he saw one man stare angrily at the Cartwrights, and then turn to whisper to a friend. The town was in an ugly mood. The summer heat was taking its toll on everyone. Ben nudged Adam’s arm, “Let’s go, Adam, we need to get back to relieve Hoss.”

The Cartwrights stood and left the saloon. Ben made a conscious effort to ignore the unpleasant looks and hostile murmurs as they moved through the crowd. It was a relief to get out to the street, in spite of the immediate assault by the sun and heat. Quickly, the two men headed for the jail. Both dreading the news they were bringing to Little Joe.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The setting sun had brought little relief to the sweltering townspeople. The jail became an oven, and the men inside were miserable. Little Joe lay on his cot, clad only in his pants and boots. The cell was situated so that no air moved through it at all, the thought of sleep was impossible. He stared sightlessly into the dark, thinking about the events that had led him to this place. As he tossed and turned, he saw the consoling bulk of his brother, Hoss, sleeping on the cot in the unlocked cell next to his. Joe smiled softly. Hoss hadn’t left his side all day, even when his father and Adam had returned from town and urged him to go have a beer. The knowledge that Adam and Ben were also somewhere in the jail house was comforting. Renny’s lynching weighed heavily on Joe’s mind.

Joe’s smile deserted him abruptly as he thought about the news that he had heard that afternoon. The case against him looked very bleak. He knew that he hadn’t touched Mary Sue, and he knew that she and the other girls were lying. But he could see no way to force them to tell the truth. The thought of prison terrified Little Joe. He felt like a caged animal just sitting in the little airless jail cell. How much worse was a real prison? He shuddered in terror, squeezing his eyes shut as if to block the thoughts from his mind.

Faint sounds drifted in through the tiny barred window, and Joe registered them vaguely, his mind occupied with his thoughts. It was only as the sounds grew louder that he realized what he was hearing. It