Joe's Canine Friends, Part Two

My Brother, My Enemy

DISCLAIMER: Look, I don't have TIME to tell you don't own them--Get Smartis going to air in fifteen minutes here!


Twenty-two-year-old Adam Cartwright sat silently in the large red chair in the living room, pretending to read. In reality, he was thinking about his youngest brother, known as Little Joe. Adam knew that he had just hurt Joe very deeply, but didn't quite know what to do about it. Right after Adam had tried to really apologize, Joe had run out of the house and ridden away as fast as he could. Adam had considered going after the boy, but reconsidered and was now doing his best to cover up his anxiety and guilt by burying his nose in a book, as he always did.

Another person in the room was Hoss, Adam's other brother. Hoss was standing near the hearth, staring absently into the dying flames of the fire. Although he hadn't been there to witness the event, having retreated to the corral just before it happened, he could imagine just how difficult it must have been for his older brother to explain to Joe exactly how and why he had released the six wolf pups—Montague, Tomahawk, Martha, Juliet, Sam and Flapjack—back into the wild. Hoss had wanted the pups to go back where they belonged just as much as Adam had, but he hadn't wanted to do it this way. And if he had realized just how upset it would make his little brother, he would have forgotten the whole thing altogether, preferring to live with wolves for the rest of the wolves' lives than to break his brother's heart.

Adam glanced up at the clock again. It was 7:30; well-past dinner time, yet none of them had eaten. Joe had been gone all day, without food. If the Cartwright's cook, Hop Sing, hadn't been visiting relatives for the week, he would have had a fit about no one eating, Joe being late for supper again and then threaten to go back to China—again. Adam also knew it was lucky that their father, Ben Cartwright, was in San Francisco for another six days… or, now, five days.

Hoss, meanwhile, had left his post at the fireplace to glance out the window. For the third time that hour, he had thought he heard footsteps. And for the third time that hour, he was wrong. Where was that dad-blamed little brother of his, anyhow? It wasn't like Joe to stay out this late, especially when it was dark outside. Maybe he was hurt, or was just scared to come home after what had happened? Hoss was really beginning to get worried now.

Suddenly, he turned around and said, "Adam, he's been gone an awful long time. Dontcha think we oughtta go look fer 'im?"

Adam sighed and put his book down on the coffee table. "I think you're right," he agreed.

Just as the two brothers were about to strap on their gunbelts (or, in Hoss' case, what was left of his gunbelt), they heard the hoof beats of a horse, but they were too light to be one of the fully-grown horses on the ranch. It had to be Joe's pony, Starlight. The hoof beats slowed down and pretty soon, they heard Joe's footsteps, heading for the stable.

Hoss made a move to open the door, but Adam held his arm out to prevent him from leaving. "I'll go. I need to talk to him," Adam declared. Hoss nodded, understanding, and stepped to the side.

Adam trudged out to the barn alone.

Little Joe Cartwright slowed Starlight to a walk as he entered the yard of the ranch house. It had been such a terrible day. First thing in the morning, he had discovered that the precious wolf pups he had raised for five weeks were missing. Worse yet, he had learned that his oldest brother, Adam, was responsible for turning them loose without permission. Joe had been so upset that he had ridden out of the yard as fast as he could and not returned till now.

As he usually did when he was upset, Joe had gone to his mother's grave, near the shores of Lake Tahoe. It was the perfect place to think or tell his troubles to when he feared that no one else would listen. Joe had spent the whole day out there, just talking to his mother. It helped a bit, but it hadn't quite cured the aching feeling in his heart.

As Joe put Starlight in her stall, he thought about how he had brought the wolf pups home on the last day of school. He had snuck them into his lunch-pail and brought them upstairs to his room. Joe felt tears forming in his eyes as he thought about it, and he probably would have cried if he hadn't heard footsteps entering the stable. Joe stiffened but didn't turn around. He recognized those footsteps. Sure enough…

"We need to talk," said Adam from the doorway.

"There's nothing to talk about," Joe replied coldly. He didn't want to discuss the pups with anybody, let alone Adam.

"I think there is," Adam insisted.

"Does that make you right?" asked Joe. He still hadn't turned around.

"No, not always," agreed Adam. "But this time, I am."

Joe proceeded to give Starlight a measure of grain. Joe hadn't eaten all day, and neither had Starlight. Both were very hungry, and Starlight dug into her food gratefully, but Joe knew he had to wait just a little bit longer for his meal.

"Alright, if you won't talk, just listen," said Adam.

"I'm busy," was Joe's only answer. He stroked Starlight's neck as she ate. The little chestnut pony didn't even seem to notice.

"Joe, listen…" Adam began.

"Didn't I listen to you last night?" Joe shot back, turning around so swiftly it made him dizzy. He looked Adam straight in the eye and said, "If I hadn't listened to you, those pups might still be here instead of with a wolf pack."

"Don't you think they belong in the wild?" demanded Adam.

"Well, sure, but not until they were ready," Joe exclaimed.

"They were ready," Adam told him. Joe just stormed past his brother and into the house, hoping Hoss wasn't waiting for him with another lecture. Hoss didn't usually scold his younger brother, but Joe had been gone for a very long time so he might.

Luckily for Joe, Hoss was just relieved to have the ten-year-old back home where he belonged. He took Joe into the kitchen and gave him something to eat. To Joe's amazement, even though he was starving, he could only choke down a few mouthfuls of food before pushing the plate away.

"What's the matter?" asked Hoss. "My cookin' ain't that bad, is it?"

"No, Hoss, you're cooking ain't bad," Joe assured him. "I guess I'm just not hungry right now."

"Joe, you haven't had a bite to eat since last night, and you're sayin' ya ain't hungry!" cried Hoss.

"I know it doesn't make much sense, but it's true," sighed Joe. "Guess I'll go on up to bed now. Night, Hoss."

Joe hurried out of the room without even waiting for a reply. He trudged up the stairs as fast as his tired body could go and had shut the door to his room just as Adam came back in from the stable.

"What happened?" Adam asked Hoss as his larger-than-average brother came in from the kitchen.

"I dunno. Whaddya say to 'im?" asked Hoss.

"I didn't get a chance to say anything! He came back inside without even listening to me. Why?" replied Adam.

"Well, dadburnit, he hardly ate anythin'," muttered Hoss. "He even admitted ta not eatin' all day."

"And he still didn't eat anything?" asked Adam incredulously.

"Not more'n a coupla bites," Hoss told him. Adam started towards the stairs, but Hoss grabbed his arm and added, "I wouldn't bother 'im none right now if I was you. I don't think he wants ta see nobody right now."

"Especially not me," Adam mumbled bitterly.

He made his way upstairs and shut his bedroom door behind him.

Joe didn't sleep much. Most of the night was spent either crying silently into his pillow or lying awake, propped up on his elbow, staring at the drawer where he had kept the pups for their first week on the Ponderosa. Joe wished more than anything else in the world for Adam to come in to his room and check on him. Although Joe had given him the brush-off outside, he was dying to talk his oldest brother. He wanted to tell him that he was more upset over the fact that Adam had lied than he could ever be about six wolf pups.

However, Adam did not come into Joe's room, and Joe knew that it was his own fault. If he hadn't been so nasty out in the stable, then perhaps Adam would have come to check on his youngest brother and things would be alright by now.

Joe wondered if things would ever be the same between him and Adam again. Not that they had always gotten along well. Ever since Adam had returned home from college two years ago, they had fought frequently and disagreed on almost every subject under the sun. But they had had some great times together as well, and Joe hoped that this wasn't the end of their relationship.


Me: Yes, this is another reeeeeaaaalllly old story of mine, which is why it stinks. But whatever. Please R&R anyway! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I hear Max calling me on the shoe phone... there's a little Get Smart humor... haha...

Dick: (sighs, rolls eyes)