It had seemed like a great idea. Well, actually, it had seemed like the best idea they had come up with. Ever!
Joe leaned against the railing and tried not to think about the tanning that was surely coming his way. He dropped his head onto his fist and tried to pull himself together. Pa would be home the day after tomorrow and Adam was certainly going to make his father aware of how things were as soon as he walked in the door. He let out a deep sigh as he knew that Adam couldn't really hide it from him even if he wanted to. Not that older brother wanted to. He didn't owe Joe any favours on that front. Not after what they'd done.
Mitch had long since departed for home, barely escaping with his life. His best friend's face had been as white as one of Hop Sing's clean sheets as he'd clambered onto his horse and bolted from the yard. Adam's grim, tight-lipped silence was enough to keep his partner in crime from ever returning.
Joe sighed again as he nudged the toe of his boot into the dirt. He groaned aloud as he saw the shadow of soot that still marked his boots and pants. He hadn't had time to wipe it all off and it seemed to have gotten everywhere. It wasn't at all what they had expected would happen.
Inside the house, Hoss took a moment to peek outside through the curtains and check that his little brother was still in the yard. If he'd taken it into his head to leave, well … that just wasn't worth thinking about. Older brother was in a dark enough mood and Little Joe was lucky to still be in one piece. Hoss let the curtain drop and glanced up the stairs again. Of course, he couldn't really blame Adam.
As he heard boots on the stairs, Hoss dithered from one foot to the other, trying to decide what to say when Adam appeared. He twisted his hands together as he looked up and tried to keep a straight face. Adam's skin still had a red tinge to it across his cheeks and nose, but it was the space above his eyes that held his attention. Hoss wanted to look away, but found himself staring in horrid fascination. As Adam stepped down onto the floor, he scowled at Hoss's stare. He would have normally raised an eyebrow at his brother's rudeness, but this time he couldn't.
Hoss took a step forward and swallowed hard before speaking. Somehow it always seemed to fall to him to protect his younger brother from his older brother's wrath, even when it was deserved.
"Now, Adam … ya know they didn't mean nothin' to happen. It wasn't like they was …"
"Trying to burn the barn down?" Adam's frown was almost comical and Hoss found himself suddenly staring at the floor.
"Well, they didn't know it would blow up like that!"
Adam sighed as he watched his brother. It was so typical of Hoss to come to Joe's defence.
"They was just tryin' out one of them magic tricks they found in that book! You're always tellin' Little Joe he should read more'n just them dime novels and … well … he …" Hoss' voice faltered as he looked up and saw Adam staring at him. "They will grow back. Won't they?" He almost flinched as he waited for Adam to answer.
"Yes … my eyebrows will grow back. But that book is going in the fire!"
Hoss barely smothered a giggle at the irony in that statement.
"Could be worse," he finally ventured.
"Really?" Adam's unamused face just didn't have the same impact with no eyebrows.
"Well ... he an' Mitch were readin' one of them detective stories last week. Just imagine … Joe tryin' to be a detective!"
"Heaven help us all!" Adam shook his head at the awful thought.