Gone Missing
"Hey, Pa!" called Joseph Cartwright. "Where's Buck?"
"What do you mean, 'where's Buck'? Why, he's right there in his stall!" Ben Cartwright replied.
"No…"
"Joseph! Is this some kind of joke?" Ben knew his youngest sons' tendency to play jokes on his brothers, but wondered about Joe's daring to try one on his Pa.
"Pa!" Joe sounded shocked. "Would I ever?"
"Well…"
"Come and see for yourself!" Joe went back into the stables. Ben followed.
Suddenly, Ben stopped short, and gave a sharp exclamation.
"What?!? Where's…where's my horse?" Getting over his confusion, Ben's last few words were like thunder.
"Whoa, Pa – take it easy!" said a startled Joe.
"Take it – take it easy?!?" Ben bellowed. "How can I take it easy when my horse has disappeared…? Has Hoss or Adam put him into the pasture?" Hoss and Adam were Ben's two other sons.
"No, sir, that was the first place I checked."
Ben scratched his head. "Joe, go and get your brothers."
Tipping his hat slightly, Joe replied, "Yes, sir.", and went off in search of his brothers.
Joe found Hoss out cutting wood.
"Heya, little brother!" Hoss greeted Joe cheerfully. "What's up?" he asked when he saw Joe's serious expression.
"Pa wants to talk immediately."
"What ab – "
"Where's Adam?" Joe interrupted.
"I think he mentioned something about seeing to that broken fence."
"Thanks, Hoss." Joe said, and began to move away.
"Say, Joe – why don't I go fetch 'im for ya?" Hoss offered.
"Thanks." Joe managed a weak smile.
"What do ya want us for, Pa?" Hoss asked nervously.
"It's about Buck. He's…" Ben gulped, trying not to let his emotions show.
"…gone AWOL." Joe put in.
Ben looked meaningfully at Joe. "Joseph…" he growled warningly, only loud enough for Joe to hear.
Joe looked down at his shuffling feet. "Sorry, Pa."
"Pa, what does he mean?" Hoss jerked a thumb in Joe's direction.
"Buck has…disappeared. Gone. Vanished into thin air."
"Oh, Pa!" Adam cried softly.
"Does either of you boys know anything about it?"
Adam and Hoss slowly shook their heads. "No, sorry."
After a few minutes of silence, Joe spoke up. "I wonder if HopSing knows anything about it?" he asked tentively. HopSing was the Cartwrights' cook.
"Well, I s'pose it wouldn't hurt to ask…" Hoss said, glancing at his older brother and their Father.
"Well, okay." Ben said reluctantly. "No, I don't suppose it would do any harm. Go ahead and call him, Hoss."
"Yes, sir." Hoss said. "HopSing! HopSing!"
A small man of obvious Hong Kong descent scurried outside. "Number Two Son want something? Food?" Seeing Ben, he added, "Oh, Mr. Ben – back so soon?"
"Why, what do you mean, HopSing?" Ben asked, shooting a puzzled glance at his sons.
"HopSing not blind. HopSing look out kitchen window. HopSing see Mr. Ben lead horse out. HopSing not know Mr. Ben come back."
"When was this?" Ben asked.
"HopSing see Mr. Ben go out half hour ago."
Hoss felt it was his turn to say something. "And you're quite sure it was Pa?"
"HopSing very sure. No mistaking Mr. Ben."
Ben nodded his dismissal. "Thankyou, HopSing." Ben motioned his sons around him.
"Well, what do you make of that?" Adam asked.
"Well I don't know – HopSing wouldn't lie." Ben said.
"We know that!" said Hoss, who was scornful of anyone who even thought of the idea of one of his favourite cooks being dishonest.
All this time, Joe had been silent. Now he thought it was time to contribute to the conversation by putting his thoughts into words. "Do you…" he paused.
"What is it? Go on, son." Ben urged.
"Well, supposing someone wanted Buck in particular, then this person may have been watching our activity for some time. Then, presumably when he thought the time was right, he dressed up as Pa, and stole Buck from under our very noses!"
Adam looked doubtful, but Hoss said, "Hey, little brother could have a point there, Pa.", scratching his head thoughtfully.
"But – but – who'd want to take Buck in particular?" Ben cried.
"Who knows…he's got good bloodlines, hasn't he?" Adam said.
"But of course!" Ben said. The boys exchanged a glance. "Oh, but you're not thinking…"
"'Fraid so, Pa." Joe said. "Probably wanted him for breeding."
"No…" Ben sank down into a nearby bale of hay. "It can't be…"
"Looks like it is." Hoss said apologetically.
Ben looked at his sons. "But who?"
Joe sighed. "Well, that – we have no idea about, except it's a man about you're height and build, Pa."
Suddenly, Hoss had a brainstorm. "Why don't we look for clues?"
Ben's face lit up like a Christmas tree as he stood up and slapped Hoss affectionately on the back. "Great idea!" he exclaimed. "We – we could search for footprints, hoofprints – uh – and scraps of fabric, that sort of thing!" He started ahead excitedly.
Joe shrugged. "Okay." He said. "Don't see why not."
All this time, HopSing had still been standing near them, even though he'd been dismissed. "Mr. Ben go that-a-way." he stated, pointing towards a track that led from the stables and barn.
"Hey, thanks, HopSing." Hoss said gratefully as HopSing scurried back inside.
"Hey, pa – wait up!" called Joe.
Ben slowed down. "What is it, son?"
"Don't you think we'd – er – better wait for the others to tell them what we've found, then decide on a course of action?"
"Time is running out…"
"Pa, he's not being held hostage – "
"I don't want my horse bred until the time is right!" Ben snapped.
"I know, Pa, but Hoss and Adam should know what's happening." Joe argued.
"Oh – alright," Ben said impatiently, "but they'd better hurry up about it – I won't wait any longer than fifteen minutes. If they're not here by then, I'm going ahead as I originally intended. Okay?"
"Okay." Relieved that his Pa was starting to partly see sense, Joe stopped. I hope they get here soon, Joe thought.
After a few minutes, Hoss and Adam rode up. Ben gave them a questioning look.
"We thought it might be quicker." Adam explained.
"Oh." Ben sighed deeply, and all three brothers exchanged a worried glance.
"So, Pa, what've you and Little Joe found?" Hoss enquired with assumed cheerfulness.
"Not much." Ben's tone was really subdued.
"Yes we have!" Joe frowned at his Pa. He motioned Adam and Hoss over to him. "See these footprints here?" Joe pointed at the dust. Joe waited until his brothers nodded, then continued, "No-one on the Ponderosa wears this type of boot, do they?" It was more a statement than a question. "It is also a slightly different size. These look really expensive, to."
Hoss clapped Joe on the back. "Dadburnit! You're right! Well done, little brother!"
Joe flushed with pride, but still managed to tease his brother. "Betcha can't do any better than that." he grinned.
"Boys!" Startled, everyone looked up at Ben's sharp tone. "How – how could you even think of joking when my Buck is out there somewhere in the filthy hands of a rotten horse thief!"
"Sorry, Pa." Joe said meekly.
"Yeah, sorry." Adam and Hoss chorused.
"Now, tell me if you two found anything." Ben said, nodding at Adam and Hoss.
"Well, nothin' that ya missed, Pa." Hoss said.
"Hm." Ben paused thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to follow these prints, eh?" he said gruffly, starting off again.
"Better go." said Joe, scratching his head and starting off after his Pa.
"C'mon, Adam." Hoss said, motioning to his older brother and heading off.
Ben stopped. He looked around him, bewildered.
"What is it, Pa?" Joe asked, coming up behind Ben.
"The tracks – they've stopped!" Ben exclaimed.
"They can't have just stopped – there has to be a logical explanation." Joe crouched close to the ground and examined the last set of footprints and hoofprints. Then he pointed at them. "Look – Buck's hoofprints have become even with the mans' footprints. Presumably, he mounted. See here – the hind hoofprints are blurred, which means Buck must have done a pirouette to the right, here. The grass over there is flattened. He went across that field there."
"But there are bushed." Ben argued.
"Exactly. Come on."
A few minutes later, Adam and Hoss stopped in the same place that Ben and Joe had stopped.
"Where have they gone now?" Hoss asked, scanning the terrain around them for clues.
"Well, I can't see anything." Adam said.
"No. Nor can I." Hoss remarked. "How about we call out – maybe they'll hear us." he suggested.
"Okay, good idea. Pa! Joe!"
"Joe! Pa! Where are you?" The two brothers called out.
At that very moment, Joe and Ben were being held at gunpoint. They had followed the flattened grass into the middle of some bushes, where they had found a small campsite. Suddenly, they had found themselves surrounded by several big, burly men holding rifles.
"Whoa, boys – just calm yourselves down a bit now – we're not going to hurt you!" Joe tried a feeble attempt to grin, but the only reaction he got was a rifle shoved into his chest. "Yow!" he cried.
Ben gave Joe a warning look that said, "Joseph – be very careful now – we don't know what these men will do to us!"
"Look," Ben said. "What do you…" his voice trailed off as a familiar whinny reached his ears. "Buck…" he whispered.
Joe had also heard the whinny and looked at his Pa.
Ben suddenly exploded. "Where's my horse?!" he thundered. "Give me back my horse! You don't need him – it's I, the rancher, who needs him!"
"Oh, but – I assure you – we do need your horse." came a smooth, oily voice.
Ben's blood ran cold when he turned to see the owner of the voice. Surely not – no, there was no mistake – it was Vincent Horace, commonly known as Mr. Horrid, one of the biggest and most dangerous horse-rustlers in Nevada.
"You see, we need your horse's bloodlines, so we can breed him with a top-notch mare. Then we sell the offspring. Buck will be safely returned to you after the breeding, I assure you – as long as no-one tries any funny-tricks." he glowered menacingly at them.
"Adam." Adam turned towards Hoss when he heard his name. "D'ya hear that?" Hoss asked excitedly. "It's our Pa's voice! Quick – over that way!" Hoss started towards the sound of Ben's voice, and Adam followed.
"Pa? Little Joe?" Hoss called.
Ben heard Hoss' voice, but the rustlers did not. "Hoss! Adam!" he shouted. "Be careful!"
Horace laughed evilly. "Ah, but you forget – no-one will hear you in here!"
"Boys – get Roy down here, pronto!" Roy Coffee was the Sheriff of Virginia City and a good friend of the Cartwrights'.
Hoss and Adam turned back when they heard their Pa's directions. "Sounds like they found them dagburned thievers we was tryin' ta catch." Hoss commented.
"Hm."
Shortly after, Hoss and Adam were approaching the bushes with Sheriff Coffee, a posse trotting behind them.
"That's them – that's them bushes we was tellin' ya 'bout." Hoss said, nodding at the bushes.
"Okay." Sheriff Coffee turned around and quietly addressed the posse with some instructions. The men nodded, then rode off to guard all around the bushes.
The Sheriff nodded to Hoss, indicating him to speak.
"Pa?"
The men watching Ben and Joe exchanged worried glances. "Who's that?" Horace hissed as murmurs rippled around the camp. "Quiet!" He turned to his captives. "Well?"
"Hoss! Ben called. In a moment of panic, one of the men hit Ben on the back with the barrel of his rifle.
"Yeah, Hoss – we're in here." Joe finished.
After a moment of supposed, silence, the camp was turned into frenzy as men suddenly burst through the bushes all around.
Ben's eyes fluttered open. "Buck?"
"He's alright, Pa – Sheriff Coffee here captured all of those rustlers, retrieved Buck and the doctor checked you – you're going to be okay." Joe told him.
"Good." Ben settled back down into his pillows. "Thanks, boys – and to you, my good friend, Roy."
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ben, Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, HopSing or Roy Coffee. I DO, however, own all other characters. I do not own 'Bonanza' - it belongs to the writers of the show. I do, however, own the story and it is protected under my name by the Australian Copyright Law dating back to 2006.