Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't really know who does, but it ain't me.

Author's note: this story may be a little rough, but this is the first of these I have ever written down. Be nice please! Please review and tell me if you want all of it.

The Hunt

Chapter 1

Adam lean back against the support for the veranda roof with his head bent forward pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand. It was starting all over again. His had thought that the argument between Little Joe and himself settled, but obviously it wasn't.

What had started it he could not remember exactly. Probably him correcting Joe about something. Didn't Joe understand that he just wanted him to be more careful? This latest set to had to do with the breaking of a horse. That last mustang Joe had tried to break could have killed him when it broke through the fence.

Adam could still hear Joe's reaction to his suggestion that he should leave that one to more experienced hands. "I'm not a child any more! Stop treating me like a five-year-old!" From the there the conversation had gone way out of control. Granted Joe was not five, but he was only sixteen. Sometimes that boy was hard to understand.

Adam jerked his head up when he realized what he had just thought. Did he still think of Joe as a little boy? Maybe he had a point.

Well, Adam hoped that tomorrow would lighten the mood between them. Pa was going to be sending them up to the north pasture to look for a mountain lion that had been sighted. As of yet only a couple cattle had been killed, but they were going to try to keep that number from going up. At least that they could both agree had to be done. Yawning, Adam hoped that it would work; he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since this argument had started and he was tired.

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Adam's hope for a truce that day was short lived. It lasted about five minutes into breakfast. After everyone arrived at the table and started eating, Ben started explaining what needed to be done.

"Hoss, Joe told me yesterday that Cochise has thrown a shoe. You'll need to replace it and check his others. Also, would you check the other horses, some of them have not been checked in a while and they may be getting a little loose."

"Sure, Pa," Hoss said after he swallowed his mouthful of eggs.

"Little Joe, I'm sorry to pull you from the breaking, but you and Adam need to go up to the north pasture. The men have sighted at least one mountain lion. You two need to get it before we lose any more cattle. Since Cochise has to be re-shoed, take one of the other, but check his shoes first."

"Why don't I go after the cat, and Adam stay here and help Hose with the shoeing?" Joe asked, wanting to get out of having to spend the day with Adam. He was still a little mad at him for his comments last night.

"You know that I am not going to let any of you go after that cat alone. They are too tricky. Besides you and Adam need to sort out what ever it is that has been bothering the both of you. It has gone on long enough." The tone of Ben's voice, not to mention the look on his face, told Joe that the discussion was over, but Joe still did not like it. The expression on Joe's face told Adam that it was going to be a very long day.

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After getting their gear together and saddling their horses, Adam and Joe rode toward the north pasture together in body if not in mind. Adam wondered what to say to help Joe understand that he only wanted to help him not to get hurt. Maybe it would help if he let Joe lead on this hunt for a while. If Joe didn't pick up the cat's tracks for a while it would not make much difference, but it might let Joe know that he did know that he was growing up.

"Joe, which way do you want to start looking," Adam asked as they reached the area where the cat had been seen.

"Me? You goin' to let me lead?" Joe asked with skepticism in his voice.

"What better way to see if you are as grown up as you would have me believe?" Adam responded with a glint in his eyes.

So you really don't think I can find that cat, do you, Joe thought. I'll just have to prove it. "We'll start where that last calf was found. It's over there a ways." Joe pointed to their left.

A couple minutes later they came to the spot where the dead calf's remains had been found. Apparently the cat had been so hungry that it had tried to eat the calf where it had been killed. Charlie, the foreman, had marked the spot where the calf had been found with a stake and a piece of cloth. Thankfully there had not been any new snow since the calf had been found.

Upon arriving, Adam hung back so that Joe could examine the area with his interference. After only a couple minutes, Joe straightened in his saddle and pointed off toward a stand of trees, "Tracks come and return to those trees. He must have a den up in that direction."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief that Joe found the tracks so easily. He knew that an offer of help from him would not be well received. Well, so far so good. This might just work out after all. As long as Joe didn't try to impress him by doing something risky.

They rode together into the trees following the racks of the cat. The tracks continued for quite a ways into the trees. Some times they would have to ride single file because the trees were so close together. Other creatures rustled in the woods, but they just ignored them. All they wanted was to get that cat, and then to go home.

At the base of a sheer rock formation in one of the wide spots in the trees, Joe stopped abruptly. Adam realized that the tracks had stopped and he was trying to find them again. Joe dismounted in order to see better, handing the reigns of his horse to Adam. After several minutes of searching, Joe came back to his horse, took the reins, and remounted. "They're gone. Let's split up and see if we can find them again."

Adam's reply was definitely not what Joe wanted to hear. "No way! We stay together like Pa said."

"All right. We'll start this way." Joe was too frustrated to think of this as only Adam's concern for his safety. His thought Adam simply didn't trust him to take care of himself. In his anger he urged his horse forward and to the right, cutting in front of Sport.

"WATCH OUT!" Adam's shout and the cat's scream were Joe's only warnings before a large, dark shape hit him from the top of the rocks. Both horses reared in fright at the sight of the big cat.

Adam had been holding his gun at ready in case this happened, but Sport's rearing threw his aim off totally. He was able to get a shot off before he was thrown from his saddle. His bullet plowed into the back of the head of Joe's horse.

Adam was not sure if he lost consciousness when he hit the ground, all he knew was that when he opened his eyes, the cat was on top of Joe clawing at his back. This time Adam's aim was perfect and he put a slug into the back of that cat's head, killing it instantly. As quickly as he could, Adam got to his feet and staggered to where Joe lay. The cat was pitifully thin, so Adam did not have as much trouble as he might normally have had getting it off of Joe. Joe's jacket was shredded and as was the shirt underneath. His back had some nasty gashed from the cat's claws. Quickly, Adam removed his own coat to put it on Joe to act as a bandage on his back and keep him warm. He quickly slipped over his left arm, but as he came to his right arm he saw a bullet wound. Adam hadn't thought that he had fired twice as he fell, but apparently he had. He was the only one there.

"Oh, no!" Adam whispered. He used his bandana for a bandage, but he knew it wasn't going to be enough. Turning to where Joe's horse lay, Adam quickly jerked the saddle bags off of him. He knew that they all would carry extra, dry clothes with them. It was too dangerous to have wet clothing on this time of year. Finding Joe's extra shirt, he ripped it into strips. He knew this should be enough to get Joe town and the doctor. Adam had already decided to go straight to town. It was closer and Joe needed the doctor fast. After getting the bandage on, Adam finished getting his coat on Joe. Carefully grasping Joe's shoulder, Adam turned him onto his back. Adam's anxiety was compounded when he saw the gash that Joe had received from landing on a rock. The gash on Joe's forehead was bleeding badly. Hurriedly applying another bandage from the clothes scavenged from the saddle bags, Adam worried about how to get Joe out of there. Sport had run off as soon as he was free of Adam. True, Joe was not a big kid as Hoss had been, but Adam did not think that he could carry him all the way to town.

After a few minutes of calling, hoping that Sport would hear and return, with no success, Adam figured there was no other way. Carefully squatting next to Joe, Adam pulled Joe's head up on his right shoulder and hooked his left arm under Joe's legs.

Carrying Joe was no easy task, for Adam had the worst headache that he could ever remember having. But he managed to get to the edge of the trees in about two hours, having stopped a couple time to rest. He was immensely relieved to find Sport waiting nervously there. He had been afraid that Sport would run all the way back to the barn.

Adam knew he should not let Joe's head hang, so he carefully propped Joe up on the front of the saddle, mounted behind him, and pulled Joe against his chest. Turning toward the road, Adam spurred Sport into an immediate gallop. He hoped it wasn't already too late. He could see where the blood was already starting to seep through the bandage on Joe's forehead.

"Hold on, Joe.you have to hold on for me. You have fought before, don't quit on me now." Adam whispered in Joe's ear all the way to town.

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Although Adam knew that Sport was going as fast as he could, it still seemed as if they were creeping. Riding Sport full speed up Main Street, Adam came to a screeching halt at Doc Martin's office. Quickly sliding off his horse, he caught Joe as he fell off. Adam was about to drop from exhaustion, but he knew he had to get Joe inside fast.

"Doc!" Adam called as he tried to open the front door. Adam could not get his hand to the latch. The door was opened in less than a minute, but to Adam it felt like an hour.

"Adam? What's wro...?" Doc Martin did not bother finishing the sentence as Adam brushed passed him and walked toward the back room. "Just lay him on the table."

Carefully Adam laid Joe on the table, but he did not leave. He could not seem to make himself walk away. Doc Martin quickly replaced the soaked bandage on Joes head. Looking up Doc noticed that Adam was still standing there. "Adam, you'll have to." Seeing that Adam was not paying attention he tried again. "Adam?..ADAM," finally succeeding he continued, "You will have to wait in the outer room." Adam nodded and went out.

When Adam got to the outer room, he realized that someone would have to go get Pa and Hoss. Peeking through door, Adam told the doctor that he was going to go find someone that could go get his father. Doc Martin's only response was a grunt.

As Adam left the doc's office the only person he could think of to take the message was Roy, so he went to find him. Thankfully, Roy had just returned to his office. Adam quickly outlined what happened and then returned to the doctor's when Roy said that he send someone out to tell Ben. As Adam sat in the outer office, the only thing that he could think about was that he had shot his own brother.