Sorry for the slower chapter, but it just wasn't working for me. Thank you once again for your kind comments and reviews. I'm always grateful to hear your thoughts.
Chapter Three
Sally Parkes had tried her very best to convince her mother she was not well enough for school, but since she was prone to exaggerating things most days, her mother had not listened to her. As she dramatically dropped herself into her seat, she glanced at the boy she was forced to sit next to. Matthew didn't talk much and he smelled funny. She wished she'd been allowed to sit somewhere else, but there were only four children in her grade in the schoolhouse and the twins seated behind her would not accept sitting apart from each other.
Matthew tried smiling shyly at the girl who barely deigned to speak to him. He knew without being told that she didn't approve of him. It didn't surprise him since not many other children had approved of him either. He couldn't remember ever having a mama or a papa and it wasn't until Derek came into his life that he began to understand what love looked like. He glanced around the room and noted Derek was engrossed in reading something and he almost smiled. Derek liked books and had been the one who had taught him his letters and numbers. He couldn't remember some of them and he felt embarrassed every time Sally pointed out how dumb he was. Suddenly he became aware of the teacher watching him from her desk and he hastily dropped his eyes back to his slate. He hated being noticed by anybody and especially not if it meant he might get into trouble. His bottom lip quivered as he considered what that could mean. He had no wish for his teacher to ask to see the man who now legally counted as his father.
Walter Maddington pulled his hat down low over his face and turned for the door. It wasn't the first time he'd found himself awakening draped across the table and he knew it wouldn't be the last. The sour taste of the previous night's drinking binge settled in his mouth and he spat a wad of thick spittle onto the ground as he dragged himself across to the barn. He was fairly sure it was a Tuesday and he had a shift at the mine; that was assuming he still had a job at the mine. As he plodded down the road towards The Lucky Ace, he scowled at the brightness of the sunlight and the pounding headache that plagued him.
It hadn't always been the way he lived, but for the past few years, his days had revolved around a bottle of whiskey. Work had become a sideline rather than the mainstay of his week and the resulting lack of money had soon shown in the state of his land and home. As the money tapered off, he'd been forced to let go of his two hands and things had only gone downhill from there. When he'd stumbled on the deal offered quietly around the saloon by a passing salesman, he couldn't refuse. The legality of it all meant little to men who were content to trade in misery and the children who found themselves in the care of Somerset Orphanage had no voice to challenge their circumstances. Nobody cared enough to check up on the welfare of those who were invisible and unwanted.
Walter muttered under his breath at the absurdity that he had to send the boys to school at least often enough to keep up appearances. It kept the law from prying into things too closely and while he didn't care one iota if the boys got an education or not, he did care if neighbours stuck their noses too closely into his business. Like that damned Cartwright kid. He'd seen the boy getting too friendly with his boys when he'd been in town and he didn't need no self-righteous Ben Cartwright getting into his dealings. He had to do something to get that kid to keep away without arousing suspicions. It would be another few days before the opportunity to do so presented itself.
Joe leaned against the railing and scratched at his pony's nose. His father had told him to stay put while he finished up his business with the bank and Joe determined he would do nothing to raise his father's ire again. He'd been on the receiving end of far too many visits to the barn in recent weeks and he was tired of trying to defend himself while keeping his secrets to himself. As Joe waited, he spotted Matthew and Derek trailing along behind a man he figured had to be Walter Maddington. He'd only ever heard the boys describe the man who owned them and didn't know him for himself. He glowered at the man he considered a monster and found his hands clenching into fists as he stared. He didn't realise it was possible to hate somebody he'd never met and he had a fair idea what his pa would have to say about that. As he watched, Walter said something to the boys and they both sat down on the edge of the boardwalk while he disappeared into a nearby doorway. Joe glanced around, looking to see if his pa was on his way back yet. He knew he'd been told to stay where he was, but he figured that crossing the street wasn't really a problem, since he was clearly in sight of his pony still.
As he crossed the street, he tugged at a bag of sweets that Ben had bought for him and Hoss while they were in the mercantile. He decided that Hoss probably wouldn't mind if he shared some of the bag with two boys who never got sweets. Then again, Hoss loved his lemon drops, but he also wouldn't know if there were a few less in the bag by the time Joe got home with them.
Matthew looked up and waved as Joe crossed the street, but Derek glanced behind him nervously. The door was still shut, but that didn't mean Walter couldn't come back out any time. Joe hunkered down next to Matthew and smiled as the boy's eyes widened when he saw the bag of sweets.
"You want one?" Joe held the bag towards him and Matthew barely glanced at Derek for approval before he dived in and pulled up a prize. He rolled the black aniseed bullseye in his hand, eyeing it up first before slipping it into his mouth. Joe laughed at the look of pure delight on the boy's face before waving the bag in Derek's direction. As the older boy hesitated for a moment, Joe nodded at him.
"The mint ones are pretty good too."
Before long, the three of them were absorbed in a conversation and none of them noticed as Walter walked up behind them. He smirked to himself as he saw Ben Cartwright walking down the boardwalk and he seized his opportunity to get rid of the man's brat of a son.
"You just gotta rub my boys' noses in it, don'tcha?"
Matthew jumped at the voice he'd grown to hate. Instinctively, he shifted closer to Derek. Joe looked up to see the angry face looming over him and he found himself shrinking back a little.
"I work hard up at that there mine," Walter waved a hand in the general vicinity of The Lucky Ace, "tryin' to put up the basics for my boys, but you just gotta show off that you've got more'n they do!"
"But … I just wanted to …." Joe stumbled as he faced up to the filthy glare and he swallowed back the rest of his comment. Without further warning, Walter reached out and swiped the bag of sweets into the street and Matthew gulped as they rolled away into the dirt. Tears welled in his eyes and he figured Joe was about to get a walloping, but a shout from across the street stopped Walter in his tracks. He looked up to see the boy's father striding across the street and he barely smothered a grin. The man was going to play right into his hands.
"What's the problem here?" Ben stopped in front of the group, looking between his son and the man who was shouting at him.
"This your boy?"
Ben nodded as he moved closer to Joe. "This is my son, Joseph."
Walter pointed a finger at Joe. "Well you tell that young'un o' yours to stay away from my boys. I do my best by them, but I can't compete with no high and mighty Cartwright."
"I'm afraid I don't understand. What is it exactly that Joseph has done?"
By this time, a small crowd had gathered and Ben was acutely aware that his son had a mighty guilty look about him. Adding that to the fact he was not where he was supposed to be and Ben was struggling to keep his voice even.
"Done? He makes my boys feel like they's beneath him every time he shows off what he's got and they ain't. Rubbin' their noses in it!"
"But, Pa! I …"
Ben turned to glare at Joe who very quickly shrank back into the boardwalk.
Walter took full advantage of the moment and pressed his point. "It ain't the first time neither. He's been out my place on that flash lookin' pony o' his, showin' off just what he's got and my boys ain't. I told him not to come around our way, but he don't listen."
Ben looked at Joe whose gaze had dropped to the ground. Joe's hands were clenched into fists which was a dead giveaway that he was barely holding his temper in check. Ben decided he needed to get his son clear of the situation before he said something they'd both regret.
"I'm sorry Mister … ahhh, Mister …"
"Maddington." Walter glared at him as Ben continued.
"I'm very sorry, Mister Maddington if my son has bothered your boys. I'll have a word with him and ensure it doesn't happen again."
"See that ya do!" Walter reached for Matthew's elbow and hoisted the terrified boy to his feet. Derek hurried to grasp his brother's other arm as Walter hustled the two of them through the crowd towards his buckboard.
Ben didn't need to say a word for Joe to climb to his feet. He frowned at the spilled sweets that were now covered in dirt and his father misread the look.
"I won't be replacing those. You can explain to your brother why he's missed out on what he was expecting!" The quiet tone of voice did nothing to disguise the anger behind the words. "Now get over there and get your horse."
Joe trailed behind his father to the outskirts of town, his anger seething as he struggled to hold himself in check. He'd seen the look that Walter had thrown his way, as if he was some kind of bug to be stepped on.
For his part, Ben was trying to rein in his anger. It seemed that at every turn lately, his youngest son defied the most simple directive.
"Joseph, where did I tell you to wait for me?"
"By my horse."
"So would you please explain to me why I found you across the street with two boys you had been told to stay away from when I returned?"
"Pa, he ain't ever said no such thing!"
Ben shifted in the saddle and raised a warning finger. "Don't you raise your voice at me! Now why would Mister Maddington say that if it wasn't the case?"
Joe twisted his fingers around his reins, trying desperately to bite his tongue before he said the wrong thing. "I don't know, but Pa, it ain't true."
Ben sighed as he tried another tack. It wasn't as if his son's word counted for much recently. "Have you ever been out to his place?"
Joe squeezed his eyes closed, knowing full well that he couldn't convincingly deny that one. "Yes, Pa."
"Well it was pretty clear that you are not welcome there, so why would you have been there?"
When Joe didn't answer, Ben pulled up his horse and Joe almost ran into him.
"Son, I have no idea what is going on in your head lately, but you need to get this very clear. I will not tolerate you lying to me or disobeying me anymore. Do I make myself understood?"
Joe gulped as he tried to look away from his father's angry face. He nodded slowly. "Yes, Sir."
"Then tell me why you were there."
Joe held his breath as he tried to think of a credible answer.
"I can't."
"You can't!" Ben's voice was only just contained. "Or you won't?"
Tears pricked at his eyes as Joe tried to speak. "Both, I guess."
It was a long, painfully slow ride back to the Ponderosa as neither one spoke. Joe knew what was coming his way once they reached home and he almost broke his silence. It wasn't the punishment that clawed at him; rather it was his father's obvious disappointment in his youngest son. As he rode along, lost deep in thought, it was Adam's words that kept him from speaking any further.
As much as he longed to tell his father the truth of the matter, Adam had told him that the law punished those who helped slaves against their owners. He couldn't see his pa dragged into the sheriff's office. If he said nothing, his pa could truthfully say he knew nothing about any of it when the boys escaped. Because as far as Joe could see, the only thing he could do was to help the boys escape from their tormentor.
Joe sat hunched up against the tree trunk and outlaid his plan to Mitch. Neither Derek nor Matthew had shown up to school for two days and both boys were getting worried about their friends. Joe knew it was his fault since his run in with Walter Maddington two days earlier. His body still carried the bruising his father felt was a necessary deterrent for his lying and disobedient son.
"Adam says that states up north take runaway slaves. They could be free up there and nobody'd stop 'em."
"But how are they gonna get there, Joe? I don't think neither of them could hold up to ridin' that far."
Joe nodded his head and grinned. "Thought of that. We get them a stagecoach ticket."
"With what? I ain't got no more that ten cents! And I'll bet you ain't got much more'n that."
"I know, but we'll figure something." Joe decided not to let his best friend in on that part of the plan. That way, if he got caught, Mitch could plead ignorance. "In the meantime, we need to get some things together for them. You know, stuff they're gonna need along the way."
As the two boys continued to plan, Joe was formulating another plan of his own.
Roy blew out a sharp breath as he read the telegram he'd been handed. Kent Johnston had been spotted in a stagecoach way station and it was believed that the two dead bodies found there were his victims. He needed to get on out to see Frank and make sure he was kept up to date with the estimated whereabouts of his son. It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to as the previous two visits had not gone well.