Protective Custody
By: Rona Y.
“Are
you sure you’re all right?” Adam asked, concerned. “It’s not like you to want
to go to bed early.”
“I’m
fine,” Joe said, impatiently. “But I’m tired, Adam, and I would like to get
some sleep. You and Hoss stay here, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“If
you’re sure,” Adam said, doubtfully. It wasn’t like Joe to admit he was tired,
especially when they were at the end of a cattle drive, in a strange town with
some money to spend. Adam couldn’t help wondering if Joe was sickening for
something.
However,
as the younger man left, Adam glanced around. It was a deadly dull saloon, he
had to admit, and the town,
Moving
down the bar to where the middle brother leaned, Adam said, “I’m ready to call
it a night, too. How about you?”
“Sure
thing, Adam,” Hoss said, agreeably. “I’m plumb tuckered out. Hey, where’d Joe
go? He ain’t tired, surely?”
“That’s
what he said,” Adam confirmed as they crossed to the swing doors.
“He
sickenin’ for somethin’?” Hoss asked, as they went into the street.
“Sure
seems like it to me,” Adam agreed. “Joe’s never tired.”
“’Septin’
when you’re a-tryin’ to git him up in the mornin’,” Hoss jested, heavily.
“You’ve
got that in one,” Adam said, smiling. The next moment, he stiffened as several
shots were fired.
Both
brothers drew their guns, and ran towards where the shots had come from. They
saw three figures on horses galloping out of town. Another person lay in the
middle of the road, and then they saw Joe running over to him.
Following
quickly, Adam laid his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Are you all right?” he
demanded.
Glancing
up, Joe said, “I’m fine, Adam. But this fellow ain’t. We need a doctor.”
Help
was coming, and Adam and Hoss stayed with Joe as a man clutching a doctor’s bag
pushed Joe aside. A crowd was growing and at last the sheriff appeared, pushing
his way through. He bent over to talk briefly to the doctor, then glanced
around. “What happened here?” he asked, loudly.
Stepping
forward, Joe said, “Three men robbed the bank, and shot this man as they left
and he tried to stop them.”
The
sheriff’s gaze sharpened on Joe’s face. “And who are you?” he asked.
“Joe
Cartwright,” Joe answered and the man gave him an appraising look.
“Would
you recognise these men?”
“Yes,
“ Joe responded readily. “I got a good look at them.”
“What
were you doing here?” the sheriff went on.
“I
was on the way back to my hotel,” Joe answered, stiffening slightly. Adam put a
warning, calming hand on his shoulder and Joe subsided. “I heard the shots and
turned round to look, and saw them shoot down this man and ride off.”
“Can
anyone vouch for this?” the sheriff asked, looking round.
“We
can,” Adam said. “I’m Adam Cartwright, Joe’s brother, and this is our other
brother, Hoss. Joe left the saloon a few moments before us, to go back to the
hotel.”
“Why
are you in
“We’re
just passing through on our way home to our ranch near
“All
right,” the sheriff said. “Do you think the bank robbers know you saw them?”
Shrugging,
Joe said, “I don’t know. Perhaps. I wasn’t trying to hide.”
“In
that case, I must take you into protective custody,” the sheriff said. He took
hold of Joe’s arm and tugged.
“Wait
a minute,” Joe protested, at almost the same moment as Adam.
“Standard
procedure in this town,” the sheriff went on. “Eye witnesses must be held in
protective custody until the trial, for their own safety.”
“Trial?”
Joe said, still baulking. “You haven’t caught anybody!”
“Sheriff,
our home is near
“Can’t
do that, Mr Cartwright,” the sheriff said. “Not without the judge’s say-so.”
“Well,
get it,” Adam said, impatiently.
“Can’t
do that till morning,” the sheriff went on. “Come along, Mr Cartwright.” He
pulled on Joe’s arm, and Joe yanked his arm free.
“I’m
not going, and you can’t make me,” he said, dangerously.
Before
either Adam or Hoss could say anything, the sheriff grabbed Joe’s arm and
twisted, and the next instant, Joe’s arm was twisted up his back, and the
sheriff was handcuffing him. “What was that you said, boy?” he purred in Joe’s
ear. “We’re gonna have fun, you and I.” He turned to shoot a look at Adam and
Hoss. “Now, this is the law in this town. Your brother, here, will be in protective
custody until the judge says otherwise. If you try and get him out, I’ll be
forced to arrest you.”
“Adam,
help me,” Joe said, as he was dragged away, but as Adam stepped forward, a
deputy came out of the crowd and drew his gun. Adam froze.
“Don’t
worry, Joe, we’ll get you out come morning.” He was forced to watch helplessly
as Joe was dragged off to jail – for being an eyewitness.
*****************
The
jail was on the outskirts of town, a much more substantial looking building
than its equivalent in
“Over
here,” the man said, dragging Joe over to the cells. He opened one door and
gave Joe another push. Joe stumbled into the cell and was horrified when the
door was immediately locked behind him. “Aren’t you going to take these off?”
he demanded, his temper momentarily coming to the fore.
“No,
I don’t think so,” the sheriff replied. “Or not until my deputy gets back.
You’ve got a temper, boy, and I ain’t takin’ any chances with it.” He laughed
at the look on Joe’s face, and left. He shut the door between the cells and the
office and Joe was left alone.
One
jail cell is much like another, and Joe sat down on the edge of the hard cot
and wondered how long it would be until the deputy got back. His hands were
knotted into the small of his back, and it was desperately uncomfortable. Joe
still wasn’t sure how he came to be in this predicament; it seemed crazy to him
that he was being locked up for his own safety when nobody had made any effort
to catch the bank robbers. He leant back on the wall and tried to relax. He was
dog-tired, and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but the discomfort of his
position and the thoughts swirling through his head made sleep impossible.
At
last, the door opened, and the sheriff and deputy came in. They entered the
cell together, and Joe felt a pang of unease. He was being treated as though he
was dangerous, and he didn’t understand why. He stayed where he was, sitting on
the edge of the cot, trying to look as unthreatening as he knew how.
“How
d’you want to handle this, Sheriff Brown?” the deputy asked. He gave Joe a hard
look.
“You
cover him and I’ll take the cuffs off,” Brown replied. He glared at Joe. “Get
down on the floor, boy.”
“What?”
Joe said.
“On
the floor,” Brown repeated, his tone dangerous now. He yanked Joe off the cot
and forced him to lie face down on the floor. Seething, Joe made no move that
could be interpreted as threatening, although he wanted to hit the man.
Exchanging
grins with his deputy over the young man’s head, Brown knelt on Joe’s calves,
causing him to yelp in pain. “Keep still!” he said, sternly, and slowly removed
the handcuffs. Keeping hold of Joe’s hands, he said, “You behave, or these go
back on again. Don’t move until we’re out of the cell. My job is to keep you
safe, and I’ll do that, boy. But if you think you can threaten me, you’re
wrong! I won’t stand for it! Clear?”
Fuming,
but helpless, Joe nodded. “Clear,” he muttered, sulkily. He lay still until he
heard the cell door close, then painfully drew his arms from behind his back
and levered to his feet. Gently massaging his wrists, Joe glared at the now
closed door to the office. He vowed to be careful what he said and did until
Adam was able to get him out of there.
*****************
As
the Cartwrights arrived at the jail that morning, the sheriff was just arriving
back. His clothes were dusty and he
looked tired and unshaven. The rest of the posse were heading off for their
individual homes. Glancing uninterestedly at the Cartwrights, Brown hitched his
sweaty horse to the rail and went to rap on the jail door. “Its me,” he said,
and they could clearly hear the bolt being drawn back.
“Sheriff,
there’s a reply from the circuit judge,” the deputy said, before either Adam or
Hoss could say anything. He handed the sheriff a piece of paper, which he read
silently.
“Does
that mean Joe gets out of here today?” Adam asked.
“No,”
Brown replied. “It means your brother stays here for now. I’ve been told to
keep him here.”
“Why?”
Hoss protested. “You ain’t caught them robbers, and they don’t know Joe from
Adam.” In his distress, he didn’t even see the funny side of what he had just
said. “He’d be safe at home.”
“Can’t
do it,” the sheriff responded, not sounding in the least regretful. “The judge
says he’s gotta be here, so that’s an end to it.” He shrugged. “Nothin’ to do
with me.”
“Can
we at least see him?” Adam demanded, angrily.
“Only
one at a time,” Brown answered. He put his hand out. “And give me your weapon.
Can’t take a risk like that.”
“He’s
my brother,” Adam responded stiffly. “What do you think I’m going to do?”
“Can’t
take a chance,” the man replied. “I’ve known other fellas shoot their brother.”
“Hi,
Joe,” Adam said, as soon as he was let into the jail. “Are you all right?”
“Aside
from being tired and hungry, I’m fine,” Joe responded. He crossed to the bars
and produced a smile for Adam. He was more than glad to see his brother, but
could sense that Adam wasn’t going to bring him any news that he wanted to
hear. “Tell me I’m getting out of here?”
“I’m
sorry, Joe, but the judge has said you’ve got to stay here.” Usually shy of
demonstrative behaviour out with the family home, Adam nevertheless reached
through the bars and squeezed his youngest brother’s shoulder.
“Why?”
Joe cried. “What have I done wrong?”
“Nothing,
you haven’t done anything wrong,” Adam assured him, but the words would have had
more weight if Joe hadn’t been locked behind bars. “This is just the way they
do things here, Joe. I’ll wire Pa and let him know what’s happening, and see if
he can help us out.” He frowned. “Did you say you’re hungry? Didn’t you eat
your breakfast?”
“What
breakfast?” Joe returned, petulantly. “I haven’t even got any water, Adam.” He
looked at Adam, concern in his eyes. “They treat me like I’m dangerous.” He
thrust his hands at his brother. “I wore those handcuffs for hours last night.
They made me lie on the floor while they took them off. Adam, I saw the bank
being robbed! Do they think I was part of the gang?”
Sure
enough, Joe’s wrists had a faint shadow of bruising on them. Adam was disturbed
by Joe’s story. He didn’t doubt it for a single second. Joe wasn’t a good
enough liar to make up something like that. Why was the sheriff treating Joe
like this?
“I’ll
get to the bottom of this, buddy,” he promised Joe. “And first off, I’ll make
sure you get some food!”
“Thanks,
Adam,” Joe said, gratefully. “Where’s Hoss?” He was trying desperately not to
think of how long he might be kept in jail.
“He’s
out there,” Adam said, gesturing to the door. “They wouldn’t let us both in.”
His voice was grim. This situation was making him very uncomfortable. The sooner
he wired Pa the better he would feel. “Keep calm, Joe. We’ll get to the bottom
of this, I promise.”
Biting
his lip, Joe nodded. “I’ll try,” he promised. “Just hurry, huh?”
“Sure
thing,” Adam responded. At that moment, Joe looked very young and vulnerable
and Adam’s heart went out to him.
************
It
was a long and frustrating day. Adam sent a wire off to Ben and hoped fervently
that his father would receive it quickly and somehow manage to help. He and
Hoss spent as much time as they could at the jail, but Sheriff Brown wasn’t at
all willing to have them hang around all the time.
It
didn’t seem as though he was doing very much to find the bank robbers. Joe had
been shown the recent wanted posters, but none of the men on them had been
involved the previous night. He had given descriptions, and Brown had written
them down, but said they fitted half the population of
The
only plus was that he was now getting food and water regularly. Adam had
complained to Brown, who had just nodded. “I’ll feed him when I get the
chance,” he muttered. Dissatisfied, Adam had asked if Brown minded if Adam got
food sent in. When the sheriff had shaken his head, Adam had sent off at once
to the café where he and Hoss had eaten that morning, and paid them to deliver
three decent meals a day for Joe.
Come
nightfall, they had had no word from Ben, and Brown banned them from spending
the evening with Joe. Joe was going stir crazy in the jail, and was finding his
resolve to be careful of what he said and did to be severely tried. Brown
seemed to delight in winding him up and Joe was edgy enough to react most
times. He finally lay down on the thin, smelly mattress and tried to sleep.
**************
“There’s
an eye witness,” the leader of the bank robbers reported to his comrades.
“What?”
demanded a fair-haired man, known as Jack Dixon. He sat up and looked at the
leader. “Who?”
“Some
kid from out o’ town,” the other returned. He went by the name of Victor. “He’s
locked up in the jail.”
“Jail?”
said the third gang member, Peter Elliot. “Why?”
Victor
gave a wolfish grin. “Well, the sheriff banged him up so’s he could keep an eye
on him. Told the kid’s brothers that all eyewitnesses were locked up in
protective custody for their own safety.” He laughed. “Now, Jim Johnston just
died of his injuries, so the only person who can identify us is the kid.”
“So
what are we gonna do, Victor?”
“We’re
gonna take a shot at the kid in the jail,” Victor replied. “It’s all set up.
The kid’s alone, the deputy is out lookin’ for us, and we all know the sheriff
is gonna look the other way.” He laughed. “An’ if this don’t work, we’ll get
another chance later on.” He picked up his gun belt and began to strap it on.
“Let’s go.”
******************
No
matter how hard he tried, Joe just couldn’t drop off to sleep. The thin
mattress on the cot was stained and smelly, and the blanket was moth-eaten. The
temperature outside had dropped; a reminder that although the days were still
warm, fall was on its way. Shivering, Joe shrugged his jacket back on. During
the day, the cord jacket had been too warm, but now, it wasn’t warm enough.
After
another fruitless attempt to sleep, Joe threw the blanket off and rose to his
feet to pace the small cell once more. Joe was always this way when cooped up.
He couldn’t sit still. Back and forth he
paced, until the movement warmed him slightly, and he stopped to lean against
the wall.
The
light on the opposite wall still burned brightly, and Joe suspected it would
burn all night, as it had done the previous night. The brightness didn’t help
him sleep, either. Joe glared at the light, as though this were all its fault.
He knew it was childish, but he had to have a safety valve for his feelings,
even if it was just glaring at the light!
Straightening,
Joe stretched, flexing his arms back, resting his hands on his shoulders. From
outside his cell, there was a shot, and a bullet slammed into the back of Joe’s
left shoulder. Joe was knocked off his feet, hitting his head against the wall,
and falling into unconsciousness.
***************
“Let
me past!” Adam demanded, and people moved out of his way and allowed he and
Hoss to make their way into the jail. They hurried through to the cells, where
the doctor and deputy were hovering over Joe, who lay on the cot. “Joe?” Adam
said, alarm thumping through his gut.
“Who
are you?” the doctor said, glaring at them as Joe tried to sit up. The movement
caused the youngest Cartwright to catch his breath in a manner that was all too
familiar to his siblings.
“His
family,” Hoss said bluntly. He pushed past the deputy and bent over Joe, one
large hand going to touch his brother’s tousled curls. However, the gesture
froze, and as Adam crowded in closer, he saw why. Blood was drying on Joe’s
head and Hoss didn’t want to inadvertently hurt his brother. “Its all right,
Punkin, we’re here now.” He looked at the doctor. “How is he?”
At
the deputy’s nod, the doctor said, “He’s been shot in the back of the shoulder.
Then there’s the knock on the head. He’s not quite coherent yet.”
“Are
you going to have to operate to get the bullet out?” Adam asked. He gently took
his brother’s hand.
“Yes,”
the doctor replied, reluctantly. “I was just about to start when you came in.”
“We’re
staying,” Adam stated, and nobody thought to argue with him.
***************
It
was over and Joe was resting comfortably, his left arm bound up across his
chest, his hand resting on his opposite shoulder. A sling supported his elbow
and there was a bandage around the injury on his head.
“He’ll
be all right, as long as infection doesn’t set in,” the doctor said, packing
away the last of his instruments. “Better keep an eye on him.”
“We
will,” Hoss said. He knelt on the cold stone floor by Joe’s head, while Adam
now perched on the edge of the cot, a spot only recently vacated by the doctor.
“Thank
you,” Adam added, softly, his eyes scanning the beloved face before him. Joe’s
eyes were still closed, and Adam knew it would be some time before Joe came out
of the anaesthetic the doctor had given him. But he couldn’t take his eyes from
Joe’s face. He felt he had failed. When Pa wasn’t there, Adam took on the role
of Joe’s chief protector, and this time, he hadn’t been able to keep Joe safe. So
much for protective custody, he thought, cynically.
A
short time later, Joe stirred and opened bleary eyes. He winced as the light
struck him, suddenly aware of his throbbing headache. As he tried to move to a
more comfortable position, his shoulder set up a new song of pain, and the
injured youth couldn’t contain a groan. At once, familiar, warm hands were
holding him, steadying him as he sought for his equilibrium. Yet Joe knew that
the person he wanted above all others wasn’t there, and he didn’t ask for ‘Pa’.
“Adam?”
he whispered. “Hoss?” He slit his eyes open once more, and saw both his
brothers’ faces swim into focus. “What happened?”
“Somebody
shot at you, Joe,” Adam replied.
“Feels
like they hit me, too,” Joe joked, then saw by the look on Hoss’ face that they
had hit him. “Who was it?”
“We
don’t know,” Adam admitted, as Hoss helped Joe to drink. “Possibly the bank
robbers. We don’t know.” Adam wondered if Joe knew that the only other possible
eyewitness had died that day. It wasn’t the time to tell him, though.
Closing
his eyes to bear the thumping headache better, Joe muttered, “So much for
protective custody.”
“That’s
exactly what I thought,” commented Adam, a hint of laughter in his voice.
“Me,
too,” agreed Hoss, and the brothers shared a moment of amusement.
It
was only a moment, though. Sheriff Brown appeared in the doorway and looked at
the three brothers in the cell. “I hear there’s been an attempt on your life,
Mr Cartwright,” he said. He looked at Adam and Hoss. “What are you two doing
here?”
“Taking
care of our injured brother,” Adam replied, coolly. “Surely you don’t have a
problem with that? The doctor said he should be kept an eye on, and that’s
exactly what we intend to do. You and the deputy should be out looking for
whoever did the shooting.”
“This
wouldn’t a happened if’n you’d let us take Joe home,” Hoss said. “We’d a kept
him safe.” He gently ruffled the curls on the top of Joe’s head, making sure he
kept well clear of the bump and gash.
Recognising
both an irresistible force and an immovable object when he met them,
Brown made no further protest at the brothers spending the night with Joe.
However, he did annoy them both by insisting on locking them into the cell, in
case they took it into their heads to take Joe to more comfortable quarters. It
might not have annoyed them quite so much if they hadn’t been planning that
very thing, Adam thought. Then he dismissed that; he would’ve been annoyed
anyway. Joe was being treated like a criminal.
*****************
“You
missed,” Brown said, going into the room. He glanced at the three men lounging
around. “Cartwright is still alive.”
“If
I missed,” Victor said, dangerously, “how come you needed the doc?” He glared
at Brown.
“You
only winged him,” Brown replied, ignoring the other’s glare. “You’ll have to do
better than that.”
“We
had an agreement,” Victor said, standing. He was several inches the taller of
the two. “If we didn’t succeed, you’d bring him to us. Are you gonna back out
on that?”
“No,
but it might be more difficult that I thought. His two brothers are there all
the time.” He looked disgusted and made a frustrated movement. “They’re all
three locked in the jail right now.”
“They
don’t suspect anythin’, do they?”
“Course
they believe it,” Brown said, impatiently. “Ain’t nobody in the town gonna tell
them any different. Not after I spread the word that the youngest one might be
involved in the robbery. The clerk at the hotel is keepin’ an eye on the other
two for me.”
“An’
what about the wire they sent?” Elliot asked.
“No
problem,” Brown replied and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
“Mr Ben Cartwright of the Ponderosa Ranch, near
Smiling,
Victor clapped Brown approvingly on the shoulder. “Well done, little brother,”
he commended. “Well done indeed.”
********************
“How’re
you doing?” Adam asked, quietly. Hoss was stretched out on the floor asleep,
the steady rhythm of his snoring robbing Adam of sleep. He offered Joe some
more water.
“I’m
cold,” Joe replied, shivering slightly and catching his breath at the pain the
movement set off. “It hurts, Adam.”
“I
know, buddy,” Adam soothed, slipping out of his custard-coloured coat and
laying it over the top of Joe. “Perhaps this will help warm you up.”
“Its
your coat,” Joe protested, weakly. “You need it. Its cold in here.” He could
feel the warmth of the coat penetrating the thin blanket that covered him and
the faint smell of Adam’s bay rum comforted him.
“I’ll
be all right,” Adam said, sliding his knuckles down’s Joe’s cheek. “But we need
to keep you warm, Joe. You’re cold because of the blood loss.” He could see
that’s Joe’s shivering had subsided already. “You try and get some sleep, you
need that, too.”
“When
will Pa get here?” Joe asked, snuggling deeper under the coat. He hadn’t meant
to ask that, and regretted the words the instant they were out of his mouth. He
didn’t want Adam to think he was doing a bad job of looking after him. He
looked up at Adam. “I didn’t mean…”
“I
know what you meant, buddy,” Adam responded. “I want Pa around when I’m ill,
too.”
“Do
you?” Joe asked, sounding very young. He blinked, the warmth of the coat
already making him sleepy.
“Sure,”
Adam replied. “Hoss does, too.” He glanced up at the barred window and saw that
there was a faint light in the sky. Dawn was approaching. “My friends tell me
they want their mothers when they aren’t well. Since none of us has ever had a
mother for any length of time, I suppose its natural that we want
“Promise?”
Joe asked, his eyes drifting shut.
“Promise,”
Adam repeated, noting Joe’s smile when he heard the word. A few minutes later,
his even breathing told Adam he slept. Shivering, for the cell was indeed very
cold, Adam tucked his hands under his armpits to try and keep them warm, and
hoped dawn would come soon, and bring Pa along with it, although Adam thought
it might be yet another day before Ben appeared.
*****************
“Look,
I don’t understand why you’re making such a drama out of this,” Adam said,
heatedly. “Even the doctor says that Joe needs somewhere warm to rest. What’s
wrong with the hotel?”
Leaning
back on his desk, arms folded across his chest, Brown eyed Adam with dislike.
“I can’t guarantee his safety there,” he repeated, enjoying the look of
frustration that crept across Adam’s face.
“You
cain’t guarantee his safety here, neither, it seems ta me,” Hoss said,
stingingly. Adam glanced at him, for it was rare for his middle brother to be so
sharp to anyone. “We’ll look after him.”
“I’m
sure you would,” Brown said, his own tone quite cutting. “Look after him right
out of town, I’d bet.”
“Joe’s
not well enough to endure the journey home,” Adam said, “even if we did think
that.” He shook his head. “Do you still think he had something to do with the
robbery?”
“I
can’t say, not till I catch them robbers,” Brown returned. “He might, he might
not.”
“Well,
let’s get one thing straight,” Adam said, taking a hold on his temper. “I’m not
going to leave Joe here for one minute longer, so if you have a better idea of
a safe, warm place for him, you’d better tell me now.”
“Don’t
threaten me, Cartwright!” Brown said, straightening. The deputy put his hand
onto his gun. “There’s more than one cell through there.”
“I’m
not threatening you,” Adam said, through gritted teeth. “But I need to know
where you’re going to take Joe.”
“Brotherly
love,” scoffed Brown. He nodded. “All right, Cartwright, I’ll tell you. Your
brother is going to my house.”
“Where’s
that?” Hoss wanted to know. He glanced through the open door to where Joe lay
restlessly on the cot in his cell. Joe was running a slight temperature and was
shivering uncontrollably again, despite now having Hoss’ coat, too.
“Not
too far away, on the outskirts of town,” brown told him. “He’ll be safe there.”
“Are
you sure?” Adam asked.
“Reasonably
sure,” Brown said. “I’ll be there to keep an eye on him, and its got stout
walls. I gotta sometimes have protection, too, you know.”
“How
are we going to get him there unseen?” Adam asked. He wasn’t too sure he was
happy about this arrangement.
“You
two are going to go back to the hotel, and tell everyone that your brother
isn’t doin’ too good,” brown said. “Tell them the doc said you had to rest, as
you might be needed later. The news will spread like wildfire. While you have
something to eat, I reckon most of the town will want to gawp at you while
you’re eatin’. While that’s happenin’, I’ll move your brother to my house.”
It
wasn’t the best plan Adam had ever heard, but he hadn’t had enough time – or
enough sleep – to think of a more suitable one. He nodded, frowning slightly.
Anticipating
Adam’s next question, Brown said, “
“All
right,” Adam allowed. “We’ll do it your way. I’ll just go and tell Joe.” He
went back into the cell and sat down beside Joe. “Joe?” His brother opened
weary eyes. “You’re going to be moved to the sheriff’s house. We’ll be back
later, all right?”
“All
right,” Joe replied, but he felt so miserable he really didn’t care where he
was going to go. “When will Pa get here?”
“It’ll
probably be tomorrow,” Adam said, and saw Joe wince. “We’ll be back as soon as
we can. Perhaps there’ll be a telegraph from Pa telling us when he thinks he’ll
be here.” He ruffled Joe’s hair. “Be good.”
“No
promises,” Joe responded, and Adam took heart from that. Joe might be feeling
desperately ill, but he wasn’t anywhere near dying if he could crack jokes,
even feeble ones.
************
Shuffling
wearily, Joe leaned on the supporting arm of
It
seemed to Joe that
As
they cleared the last of the town buildings, there was a thunder of hooves and
“If
you wanna live, do jist as you’re told,” one of the men said. He pointed his
gun at
Slowly,
“Get
out of the buggy, boy,” the man ordered Joe, and concentrating like mad, Joe
managed to get himself onto the ground without falling. He stood there, swaying
slightly. His legs felt shaky and he wondered what they intended to do to him.
He
soon found out. The man on the ground took a length of rope from his
saddlebags, and, despite Joe’s left arm being in a sling, tied his hands
together. He led Joe over to his horse and forced the injured youth to mount.
He jumped up behind Joe and blindfolded him. “Let’s go,” he said, and they rode
off, leaving
****************
They
didn’t ride far, but it was more than far enough for Joe. He was reeling in the
saddle by the time they reached their destination, and had to be pulled down.
Sheer pig-headed stubbornness kept him on his feet until he was inside the
building they had arrived at. He was taken into a room, made to sit down on
what felt like a bed and his hands were untied.
Immediately,
Joe made a grab for the blindfold, but his captor anticipated the move and
cuffed Joe heavily around the head. “Oh, no, boy, you’re not doing that!” He
gave Joe a shove, and Joe fell onto the bed. Next moment, he felt something
metallic fasten round his right wrist, then his arm was dragged over his head,
and the other half of the handcuffs was attached to the head of the bed.
Joe
struggled furiously, and earned himself another thump, this time in the
stomach. He half-curled over, trying not to groan out loud. He failed. He heard
laughter as his captor moved away, and then a door shut and he heard a lock click.
He
was a prisoner.
****************
“Mr
Cartwright! Mr Cartwright!” The voice cut through the noise in the saloon part
of the hotel. Adam raised his head, frowning, wondering who would be calling
for either he or Hoss. The next moment, he saw
“Who’s
got Joe?” Hoss demanded, and Adam wondered vaguely when either of them had
risen to their feet. He had no memory of doing so.
“The
bank robbers,”
“Show
me!” Adam demanded.
“Hey,
easy,” Hoss protested. “He’s bin hurt, Adam. Take it easy.”
“Where
did this happen?” Adam said, recognising the wisdom in Hoss’ words.
Haltingly,
“What
do we do?” Hoss asked.
“Get
the horses, and see if we can pick up a trail,” Adam answered. “I’ll go and see
if there’s a reply from
“Me,
either,” Hoss agreed, and hurried off to saddle their horses while Adam went to
the telegraph office.
*************
The
only thing in the favour of his new prison was that it was warm, Joe thought.
He had slept deeply, his body craving the rest it needed to heal itself, and
when he wakened, he found that he had squirmed around enough to get partly
under the covers of the bed he was lying on. The other plus was that his
blindfold had come adrift while he slept and with a little more wriggling, he
managed to get it off altogether. He also managed to remove the bandage around
his head at the same time, and felt a bit better for it.
Looking
round, Joe was perplexed. He was in a bedroom in someone’s home, that much was
clear. The room was filled with huge pieces of furniture – large wardrobes and
chests – far too much stuff for the size of the room. A sulky fire burned low
in the hearth, and the heavy velvet drapes were pulled across the window. Joe
had no idea if it was day or night. The only light came from the fire.
Awkwardly,
he elbowed himself up into a sitting position. He had a raging thirst, and a
glass with water sitting on a table by the bed was tantalisingly out of reach.
Joe even tried to use his injured arm to get it, but the pain when he moved his
shoulder was enough to make his head swim uncomfortably, and so he gave up on
the idea. Of course, he thought, frustratedly, it was on the opposite side to
where he was handcuffed, so he couldn’t even slide off the bed and drink
doggy-fashion!
He
thought he must have slept again, for a sound roused him. He had slipped down
the bed once more and craned his neck to see what was going on. Any residual
light from the fire had gone, and the room was virtually pitch black.
The
door swung open and Joe winced as the light from a lamp struck his eyes. He
shut them for a moment, and next moment, a hand clamped itself down on his
eyes, and despite his struggles, he found himself blindfolded again in a
moment.
“Thought
you might be hungry, kid,” said a voice, a different one to the man who had
brought him here, Joe thought. “Open up.”
It
went against the grain to be fed, but Joe had no choice. He sat up a bit again,
and allowed the man to spoon watery soup into his mouth. It was thin and
tasteless, but it was wet. Joe ate everything he was given. He didn’t know why
he was still alive, as he guessed these men were the bank robbers. They fitted
the general size and shape of the men he remembered. He didn’t understand at
all.
Suddenly,
there was a thunderous knocking on a door outside the room. “Sheriff!” a
familiar voice shouted. “Sheriff! Are you there?”
“Adam!”
Joe bellowed, but his cry never got past his lips. A cloth was shoved into his mouth,
and a hand clamped down on top of it.
Choking,
Joe struggled to get free, terrified that the cloth would go down his throat.
He kicked frantically at the man holding him, but most of his blows missed. He
twisted his head, and tried once more to use his injured arm, but by then the
knocking had stopped, and Joe guessed that Adam had gone away.
For
many minutes, the man stayed where he was, his hand clamped over Joe’s mouth.
Joe lay still, suddenly weary, discouraged by the fact Adam had gone away. Then,
the man holding him relaxed and removed his hand. Joe tried to spit the gag out
and was relieved when it was pulled from his mouth. He dragged in a deep
draught of air.
“That
was close,” said a voice near by and Joe flinched, for he hadn’t heard anyone
approaching. “Quick thinking there.”
“Its
my skin, too,” said the first man. Joe wished intensely that he could see them.
He started to rub his head on the pillow, to remove the blindfold, but one of
them realised what he was up to and grabbed a handful of hair. “Think we ought
to gag him?”
“Can’t
hurt,” answered the other. “Cartwright’ll likely be back. When he realises the
sheriff ain’t around, he’ll be back, I guarantee.”
“No,”
Joe gasped, before he could stop himself. He had taken all the restriction he
could cope with, and the thought of a gag was too much for him. Worn out,
injured, a prisoner, helpless, Joe had understandably less self-control than
usual. He began to fight his bonds, too distraught to stop himself.
The
men found it funny. They stood and laughed as Joe twisted and writhed on the
bed.
“Come
on,” Victor said, his laughter finally stilled. “Let’s gag the brat, and then
we can relax.”
Desperately,
Joe kicked out once more, and this time hit a target. His heel crunched into
Victor’s groin, and the big man crumpled, groaning in agony.
“That
does it!” he swore, as he regained his breath. He cradled his injured member in
his hands, panting to control the pain. “I’m through bein’
nice to you, boy!” He pulled Joe up by the front of his shirt, and backhanded
him viciously across the mouth. Joe subsided, dazed.
As
he came back to reality, he realised that someone was stripping off his boots.
The next instant, a rope was looped round his ankles and pulled tight. His feet
were tied to the end of the bed, and Joe discovered that he couldn’t pull
himself upright any more. But Victor wasn’t through yet. He forced a gag into
Joe’s mouth, knotting it tightly at the back of the youth’s head. Then to Joe’s
total horror, he slipped a rope round Joe’s neck and tied it to the top of the
bed.
“Now
listen to me, sonny,” he said, breathing heavily in Joe’s ear. “If you move to
try and get that gag or blindfold off, you’ll choke to death. Understand?” He
squeezed Joe’s injured shoulder, and Joe couldn’t hold back a whimper of pain.
“Doesn’t bother me none, sonny. I’m gonna kill you anyway.”
With
another squeeze to the injured shoulder, Victor left.
*****************
“Well,
if Brown is in his house, he’s either a prisoner or dead,” Adam said. He leant against
Sport, taking comfort from his horse’s nearness. “There’s nothing from Pa, so I
would guess that our wire never got sent.”
“What
you reckon it all means, Adam?” Hoss asked.
“I
don’t know for sure,” Adam responded, sighing, “but I think there’s something
else going on here. When have you ever heard of a witness being locked up until
a trial, when the perpetrators haven’t been caught?”
“I
heard o’ protective custody,” Hoss said, unsure what ‘perpetrators’ meant. “But
it does sound funny the way you put it.”
“I
could be wrong,” Adam admitted. “Every time we’ve tried to get near Joe, Brown
has stopped us. Last night, seeing that we were there and weren’t going
anywhere, he locked us all up. He’s been treating Joe like a criminal, and
perhaps has planted doubts about us, too.” Adam pinched the bridge of his nose,
a favourite pose when he was thinking hard. “Brown’s attitude has been wrong
all along. Let’s go and do a little questioning of
“What
about Little Joe?” Hoss protested.
“We
don’t know where to look,” Adam said, although it galled him to admit it.
“Until we find out what’s going on, we have no chance of finding Joe.” He
clapped Hoss on the shoulder. “Come on, little brother, let’s get busy.”
**************
“Why
are we keeping the kid alive?” Elliot demanded. “He saw us that night! Let’s
just kill him and be done with it.”
“I’ve
bin doin’ some findin’ out about our boy in there,” Brown said. “His Pa owns
about the biggest spread in
“We
already got the money form the bank,”
“The
kid ain’t goin’ anywheres,” Victor said, laughing. He pictured again the
helpless youth in the other room. Victor had quite a sadistic streak in him and
enjoyed seeing his prisoner squirm. “We c’n have a bit o’ fun with him and then
kill him, if that’s what you want.”
“I
think we should divvy up the money and split, jist like we intended,” Elliot
stated, firmly. “We lifted $40,000 from the bank, thanks to our sheriff here
tipping us off about the bullion being stored there for the night.”
“I
ain’t intendin’ to hang around,” Brown said. “Them other Cartwrights is still
out there, and’ I don’t think they’ll be leavin’ any time soon. What happens
when they get
“
“He’s
a good lawman,” Brown said, reluctantly, for he quite liked
“Well,
I’m takin’ my share and leavin’,” Elliot said. “What do you mean to do with the
kid?”
“I’m
gonna kill him, slowly an; surely,” Victor replied. “If’n you’re too
lily-livered to watch, then go and be damned. But I mean to enjoy makin’ him
squirm.”
Eyeing
victor with distaste, Elliot nodded. “I’ll wait a short while,” he said, too
wary of Victor’s temper to make an out-right stand. “But I won’t wait forever.”
*****************
In
the bedroom, Joe lay frozen, too scared to move. The rope round his neck seemed
to grow to mammoth proportions in his mind. Each time he swallowed, it dragged
over his Adam’s apple, and his mouth was becoming increasingly dry from the
cloth stuffed into it. His shoulder burned mercilessly, and Joe simply wanted
this all to end. He didn’t care at that moment if the end was death. He just
wanted an end.
******************
Shame-faced,
“Can
you guess now?” Adam asked.
“Yeah,”
“Brown?”
Hoss repeated. “Like Brown the sheriff?”
“His
brother,”
**************
There
were many things to be done, and done quickly. New wires were sent; one to the
federal marshal for the area, and another to Ben Cartwright, appraising him of the
situation. The townspeople were called together and questioned thoroughly. What
the Cartwrights and
It
took some hard talking to convince them otherwise, but
With
nowhere else to look, that was where they started.
A
good distance from the house, they dismounted and crept stealthily through the
bushes and undergrowth until they were close to the house.
It
took all their self-control for Adam and Hoss not to break in there and smash
Victor to the ground, but they knew that they had to find Joe first. Knowing
this,
It
took several minutes for Adam and Hoss to pick their way across the dark
cellar, and up the stairs to the kitchen. There only sounds in the house came
from the room where the outlaws were gathered. Adam indicated to Hoss they
ought to split up, and so they did, each moving slowly and carefully across the
floor, testing each board to make sure it didn’t squeak.
The
strain on their nerves was appalling. Hoss wiped his sweaty palms on his pants
legs, hoping he would find Joe before the outlaws realised they were there. And
this distraction caused Hoss to miss his step, and he bumped bruisingly into
the wall.
For
an instant, the entire house seemed to hold its breath, then there was a shout,
and Hoss knew they were discovered. The door flew open, and Hoss dived sideways
as Victor stormed out, gun in his hand. His shot went wide, and missed Hoss
cleanly. However, he didn’t hang around to make a follow-up shot. He dived
across the hallway into the room where Joe lay.
The
sound of the door opening caused Joe to start, and he lay there, his breath
catching in his throat as he awaited his fate. Were they going to kill him now?
Was this another sadistic game? He heard the click of a gun cocking and knew
then what was going to happen. He suddenly, fiercely, didn’t want to die.
The
gun fired, and Joe froze, waiting for the pain to start, and surprised when it
didn’t. He sagged down in relief and the rope round his neck tightened
slightly. Every instinct told Joe to struggle, but he fought himself to remain
still. He had no idea what was going on outside the room, but there were shots
being fired all around. But Joe’s survival depended on him concentrating solely
on himself, so that’s what he did.
Then
the cacophony stopped and Joe was aware of the sound of rushing footsteps
coming into the room. He tensed, waiting for whatever was going to happen, and
hoping his courage didn’t desert him at the last.
“Joe!”
The voice was most welcome, if not the one Joe most longed to hear. It was
Adam. A moment later, and the rope around his neck was cut through, then the
gag and blindfold were removed, and by then, Joe was almost crying with relief.
Other
hands were working on the rest of his bonds, and Joe recognised them as Hoss’
from their gentleness. He blinked furiously to clear his vision, and was never
so glad to see anyone, as he was to see his brothers. He tried to speak, but
his mouth felt like a desert. Adam swiftly realised what was wrong, and helped
Joe to drink.
“Are
you all right?” he asked, urgently.
“I’m
all right,” Joe assured him, but reaction was setting in and Joe began to
shiver. Adam swiftly wrapped him in a blanket. “I’m sure glad to see you,
though,” he added.
“Not
as glad as we are to see you, Shortshanks,” Hoss said, moved almost to tears by
his brother’s emotion. He unlocked the handcuff from around Joe’s wrist, and gently
began to rub the circulation back into his brother’s hand and arm.
“Let’s
get you out of here,” Adam said, and Hoss knelt to help Joe slip his boots back
on. As he did so, Joe realised his feet were cold, and he was glad of the added
warmth from his boots. He nodded to Adam, and the older brother helped the
younger one to rise, supporting him as he found his feet once more.
They
left without a backward glance.
******************
It
was the scandal of the territory. Before Ben even arrived in
On
his arrival, Ben went straight to the hotel, where he found his two oldest boys
sitting on the veranda watching the world go by. “Hi, Pa,” Adam offered,
laconically, knowing it would infuriate his father.
“Where’s
Joe?” Ben demanded. He was tired and dirty, and in no mood for Adam’s little
games.
“He’s
asleep,” Hoss offered. “He’s all right, Pa, honest.”
“Show
me!” Ben demanded, and handed his reins to Adam. Buck was as tired and dirty as
his rider, and Adam grimaced. Well, that served him right, he thought,
ruefully, as he led Buck to the livery stable for a feed and a rubdown.
Cracking
open the door, Ben saw that Joe was awake. Green eyes turned to the noise, and
Ben saw the wariness in them replaced by joy as he recognised Ben. “Pa!” he
said, and pushed himself to a sitting position. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“I’m
pretty glad to see you, too, son,” Ben returned, sitting down on the edge of
the bed to return Joe’s hug. He was pleased to notice that there was no fever
present, and that Joe looked quite well, considering. “How are you?” he asked.
“I’m
fine,” Joe responded, and laughed at the look on Ben’s face. “No, honestly, Pa,
I am.” He shrugged as Ben continued to eye him closely. “Well, I will be soon,”
he hedged. “As soon as they allow me to get out of this bed! I can’t sleep 24
hours a day.”
“It
wouldn’t be the first time,” Ben answered, and they laughed together.
When
Adam came back, Ben caught up on the story. Brown had been using his position
as sheriff to help his brother and friends in their outlawry. Most of the
things they had done had been minor, compared to the bank robbery, and Brown
was the only person the banker had told about the shipment of bullion that was
being stored overnight in his safe. That was when the plans had been hatched,
and Joe’s presence had been just what they needed; an eyewitness, upon whom
they could cast suspicion.
Of
the gang, only Brown and
“Do
you have to stay here?” Ben asked, stroking Joe’s arm tenderly. Joe was leaning
ever so slightly into that warm touch.
“No,”
Adam replied. “Joe’s free to go whenever the doctor say he can travel. The marshal took his testimony, but they
won’t need it. Half the town can testify to what Brown was doing. It all makes
sense to them now.”
“I
want to go home,” Joe said.
“The
doc says he can travel at the end o’ the week,” Hoss said, helpfully.
“Meantime, he’s to rest up good.”
At
that, Joe sighed and rolled his eyes. “I thought Brown’s protective custody was
onerous,” he joked. “But Pa, these two beat him all hollow!”
Laughing,
Ben knew at that moment that whatever had befallen him, Joe was going to be all
right.
The End