CHAPTER 4 The Murphy Gang

"Howdy Cartwright." The large man, and clearly the leader, said sarcastically. "Let me introduce ourselves. We're the Murphy Gang."

Joe's eyes widened at that. He had spent hours in the sheriff's office just looking at different wanted posters. The most interesting one he could find was one for the Murphy Gang. According to the poster and Sheriff Roy Coffee, the Murphy Gang was actually a family consisting of a father, three sons, and a daughter. They had come west from Kentucky when the oldest son had killed a man and his wife. The man had just happened to be a well liked politician in the area.

As men chased them with justice in their eyes, the elder Murphy had gathered up his three sons, wife, and daughter and ran west. In Colorado, the wife died in an Indian raid on the wagon train they had joined. Leaving his daughter and youngest son, who were only five or so at the time, Murphy and his elder sons, one not even eighteen yet, set out after the Indians. They came across a small village of women, children, and elderly and brutally murdered them all.

After that the Murphy's became wanted by the army as well. Once he learned that they were already wanted, the father had no problem with turning to robbing and killing. One of their specialties was kidnapping wealthy people, holding them for ransom, then brutally killing them once they received the money. A lot of the time, the Murphy's would be hired to kidnap and kill people.

Joe also remembered that the two youngest Murphy's and the older two, of the children, were only half related. Murphy's first wife had died soon after their second son was born and he later remarried a Cherokee woman and had the last two before going west.

Adam was aware of this knowledge as well, but he forced himself to show no emotion. But inside, he was afraid. He was afraid not for his own life, but for Joe's. These murderers wouldn't spare Joe because of his age, they had killed younger children then him. For Joe's sake he had to remain calm and in as much control as he possibly could.

The three boys had walked around to stand by their father. The one clad in buckskins went and stood next to the girl who, Adam now realized, held a rifle.

"This is my eldest son Jeff." Murphy pointed to the black haired man. "This is my second eldest, Jed." He pointed to the bald man. "And these are my twins Jason and Jasmine." He pointed to the two in buckskins, "And I'm John Murphy."

Adam stared coolly at John Murphy. John just grinned a grin that didn't reach his eyes and ignored Adam.

"So let me see," he said taking a step closer to the two brothers, "I know that you must be Joseph Cartwright." He looked at Joe then moved to Adam, "And I am guessing you are Adam Cartwright since you don't match the description of Eric "Hoss" Cartwright."

"But Pa." Jed spoke up, "I thought we were suppose to kidnap all three of the Cartwright boys."

"No, Jeddy my boy," John glanced down at his son, "If possible we were to get them all, but two will do just as well as three."

Jed mouth opened to form "oh" but he didn't say anything aloud.

"Jason, Jasmine." John looked at the two twins. "Go saddle their horses."

"Yes sir." The two said at once.

While they went to saddle Sport and Carrie, the three men surrounded Joe and Adam.

"Why don't you spare yourselves the trouble and grief and just let us be." Adam tried, not really believing it would work.

"You would like that wouldn't ya boy?" Jeff sneered, revealing missing teeth.

Joe, slightly scared now, slowly inched closer to Adam.

"Well looky here, Pa." Jed teased, noticing Joe, "The little baby boy's scared."

"I am not!" Joe snapped at him, "And I ain't a little baby!"

"Look at the little baby fight back." Jeff joined in the teasing.

"I'm not a little baby!" Joe pointlessly argued.

"Joe," Adam said quietly, "Be quiet."

"But Adam." Joe started to argue.

"Joe." Adam said, a low tone in his voice.

Knowing that arguing wouldn't get him anywhere with Adam, Joe shut up and took the teasing.

"Come on little baby." Jed started to sing. "Little baby! Little baby! Little baby!"

Jeff joined in.

"Little baby! Little baby! Little baby!"

"Would you two please shut up?" Jason asked as they came back with Sport and Carrie.

"Yeah," Jasmine agreed, "You two sing worse then a drunken choir of old men."

Jed and Jeff glared at the two, but did quit singing.

"That's enough, all of you." John shouted. "Let's get goin'. We gotta get to the hideout afor lunch. Mount up!"

Jason walked over to Adam and helped him mount Sport, then retied his hands in front of him and too the saddle horn. Jasmine walked over to Joe and did the same, literally picking him up and setting him in the saddle.

"Let's head out!" John called, spurring his horse toward the west as soon as Jason and Jasmine were mounted as well.

Having surrounded Joe and Adam between them, the family of outlaws and their captives rode out.