SHERIFF JOE
by
Heidi
For a few weeks Adam and Hoss Cartwright were behaving mysteriously. In
their conspiracy were also the twins of Adam, Mitch and Pam. They knew that
the youngest Cartwright brother was fond of danger and played in it very
handy. Via via they had arranged that Little Joe could start working there
as sheriff. The father of the brothers, Ben Cartwright, just played the
game
along.
One afternoon Little Joe came home enthousiastly. He saw only his father
on
the porch and stopped his horse Cochise. The young Cartwright jumped form
his horse and walked to his father.
"Pa, I have here good news for me but bad news for you", said Little Joe.
The rancher suspected this already when he had seen his youngest son coming.
"What is it?", asked Ben.
"I am invited to take a job as sheriff in Rubicon. So I won't be able
to do
my chores here at the ranch anymore", said Little Joe.
He let the letter seen in which was all was written. Ben read the letter
through and didn't let show that he had read itr all before.
"Congratulations son. We shall miss you but will come by. One day",
Ben said
while he gave the letter back.
That evening during supper Ben had news for everyone.
"Boys, one of us shall be leaving us soon", he said.
"Who then?", Mitch asked amazed.
"Joseph wants to take a job...as sheriff... in Rubicon", his grandpa said.
"Who gets his room then?", Pam, the twinsister of Mitch, asked.
Everybody except Little Joe laughed. Adam looked at his younger brother
Hoss
and they understoofd each other.
"Why in Rubicon?", asked Hoss.
"That sounds fun to me", replied Little Joe.
"There are also advantages when uncle Joe works and lives there", said Pam.
"Which then?", asked Ben.
"We can stay there when daddy is bored with us", she replied.
"Uncle Hoss has more to eat including a bigger piece of pudding",
Mitch
added.
Hoss began to look very pleased with this news.
"When do you start?", Hoss asked his younger brother.
"Yesterday", said Adam.
Again there was laughter.
"Do they know in Rubicon that uncle Joe sheriff becomes sheriff of
their
town?", asked Mitch.
"I have gotten a personal invitation to go working there", replied
Little
Joe.
"Who is now such an idiot to give you personally a job?", asked Hoss.
"The people of Rubicon", replied Adam.
"You are just jealous of me", said Little Joe.
"Uncle Joe, when must you now réálly start?", asked Mitch.
"April 1 coming up", his uncle replied.
Now Adam and Hoss couldn't stop laughing anymore. To prove that he réálly
had gotten the job offered he let Adam read the letter. Adam read the letter
and looked then at his youngest brother seriously.
"You are also very gullible", the eldest Cartwright boy said.
"How do you mean?", Little Joe asked amazed.
"How can Rubicon now appoint a sheriff when there is already a marshall
working and living there?", Hoss asked hiccupping of laugther.
"What about the starting date?", asked Adam.
Little Joe quickly looked at his family members and realised that he had
fallen into their trap.
"Very funny. And you ain't gonna tell me that those two kids also
knew about
it?", Little Joe asked indignant.
"They did come with it anyway", Adam confessed.
Even though Little Joe didn't really like the April 1 joke he was still
glad
that he remained at the Ponderosa. Even it is was only to be able to tease
his brothers.