Chapter 1

The Dare

"Oh, come on, Luke, you don't really believe that!?", said Mitch and rolled his eyes.

"Believe what?", asked Little Joe as he joined the boys in front of the school house. Ms. Jones had kept him after class to clean the board.

Mitch sighed. "Luke here was just telling one his stupid stories… about a haunted house."

"It ain't stupid!", said Bill, one of Luke's friends.

Mitch was about to contradict when Joe interrupted him: "Would someone tell me what you're talkin' about?!"

"Alright… the story goes like this…", said Mitch and took a deep breath. "Around ten years ago a guy named Jasper Cripple…"

"HIS NAME WAS CRIPPIN!", shouted Luke.

"Whatever…", Mitch said bored. "That guy had killed his neighbor in cold blood because of some female or something. Everybody in Virginia City knew that those two hated each other, so Jasper was sure they would soon look for him. He left town and hid out in a cave not too far away from here. One day a bunch of kids around our age came by and accidently found his hideaway. Of course he scared the wits out of them when he suddenly showed up in the dark cave… so they ran... and told their folks about it."

Joe looked at Mitch with big eyes. "Then what?"

"Of course they knew that their kids had just found Crippin. So they hunted him down with a posse… and strung him up by the nearest tree. A second before he was swinging he said something like You better watch out for them kids, 'cause I'll be coming to get them."

Joe swallowed. "No wonder he was mad… but what was that about a haunted house?"

"Now comes the dumb part… Luke, you tell him!", said Mitch.

Luke gave Mitch an evil look. "You see, that tree where they hanged him was right in front of that old house at Green Meadows. And my Grandpa says that the place is haunted ever since."

Joe looked at him unbelievingly.

"No, it's true!", Luke continued. "The strangest things happen around there: After the hanging the family that had lived there disappeared suddenly… and people say that funny noises come from the place… like someone hammering or scratching. But when they go and look nobody is there. Sometimes dead animals lie in front of the house and one day later they are gone. Grandpa said that the ghost of Old Crippin is lurking in that old house, waiting for his revenge. He lets out his anger on animals until he can get a hold of what he really wants." Luke's eyes were gleaming.

"And what is that?", asked Joe.

"CHILDREN, you dummy!", shouted Luke

Joe raised an eye-brow and started to chuckle. "Your Grandpa belongs in the loony bin…"

"… and so do you.", added Mitch.

Luke took one step closer to Joe and Mitch and pushed them back. "AND HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN ALL THOSE THINGS?"

Joe stumbled and slapped Luke's hand away. "Hunters who came by and picked their game up later!", he said annoyed.

"Them noises can come from a thousand things but not from a ghost!", Mitch said angrily.

"Alright.", said Luke and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "If you two are so smart… why don't you go to the place at Green Meadows and prove that the story is all made up?!"

"I'm sure Old Crippin would like that.", Bill said with a fiendish smile.

Joe and Mitch exchanged looks. "I ain't scared!", said Mitch

"Me neither!", added Joe.

"It's settled then… tomorrow after school we meet right here and ride to Green Meadows together."

"Hey, Luke! I ain't going' to that place!", announced Bill. "You can get yourself killed alone!", added the other boy.

"Guys… we're just watching from the distance. Mitch and Joe are the ones that want to pay Old Crippin a visit.", Luke said grinning and the faces of his friends relaxed.

"Alright then, see you tomorrow.", said Joe and went over to his horse.

"We'll show them yellowbellies.", whispered Mitch as he followed his friend.

oooOOOooo

The Cartwright family was quietly enjoying desert when Little Joe broke the silence at the dinner table.

"Pa?"

"Yes, Joe." Ben put a fork full of cake in his mouth and looked at his youngest.

"Do you need me for anything tomorrow? I wanna meet some friends after school."

"I don't think so. You can go and meet your friends.", Ben said smiling and continued eating. "Where are you going?"

Joe hesitated. He knew what his father thought of those stories and did not want to embarrass himself.

"Somewhere around Green Meadows.", he mumbled and hoped that no further questions were asked.

Ben frowned. "Green Meadows? What do you want there?"

"Oh no…", interjected Adam and put his fork down. "Don't tell me you guys wanna go to that so called haunted house?"

Hoss stopped eating and turned to his older brother: "Is that the place where people say that the ghost of that Crippin fellow is still wandering around?" Adam nodded.

Joe pulled a wry face and tried to avoid answering the question. "No… well, I don't know. I'm not sure what the guys have planned."

"Joseph?" Joe winced at the tone of his father's voice and looked up. "I want a straight answer. Do you plan to go to that deserted house or not?"

"Kinda… yes.", he said meekly. "But Mitch and me are just proving to the guys that the ghost story ain't true!", he added excitedly.

"Joseph, look at me. You will not go near that house. Not because it is haunted or any of that nonsense but because it is old, and in bad shape, and liable to collapse. I will not allow you to put yourself and others into danger because of a ridiculous story. Besides, you can never tell which kind of people are hanging around there. It's no place for kids."

Joe blinked nervously. He knew he would never hear the last of it from the boys if he backed out.

"Now did I make myself clear?", Ben said firmly and looked his youngest deeply in the eyes.

"Yes, Sir.", Joe said tensed and attended back to his cake.

Hop Sing was just clearing the table when Joe spoke up again: "Uhm, Pa? Can I go to the lake with Mitch instead? We haven't been fishing for a long time."

"Alright, son… but remember: to the lake only.", Ben said with raised eyebrows and received a nod from Little Joe.

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