Chapter 11

Hannibal, Murdock, and BA had sensed that something was wrong as the hunt ended. "Bill, something is wrong...our boy is in danger. We got to go!"

It was on their way back to the train that Cooper Smith met them.

"Your boy has been taken, and your wife and mother injured," he explained as he directed his comments to Hannibal and BA.

"I'll kill him!" Roared BA.

"Are they hurt bad, Coop?"

"No, just a hit on the head. Your wife said that the boy went willingly to keep his Uncle from shooting her."

"Did they take Dandy?" Asked Murdock.

"No, but before you think you can use him to find the boy, I got to tell you that he broke away. My guess is he is following Face now."

"BA you go back and be with your mother. Tell Maggie that we won't be back until we have Face with us!"

BA nodded and rode towards the wagon train, and Hannibal, Murdock, and Coop went after Face.

XXXXXX

"Stop your crying, or I'll give you cause to cry!" yelled Davis, and when Face could not stop immediately, Carl carried out his threat. He dismounted and jerked Face from the saddle before he began to strike him with his leather strap. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't notice that he wasn't alone until an arrow struck next to his foot and he looked up to see several Indian warriors with weapons aimed at him.

Carl raised his hands carefully, knowing that any wrong move would cause his death. "You don't understand, this boy is my son and I was just punishing him!"

He was met by angry faces with weapons raised even more. "You lie...we know this boy and you not father," one of the braves said.

"No, not father but uncle."

"Why do you beat boy who is friend of Sioux?"

Carl turned to Face. "You are a friend to them?"

Face nodded and then boldly said, "You had better let me go, or they will kill you!"

"Why you little brat," Carl snarled as he unwisely backhanded the boy and was shot a second later. He was killed instantly. The Indian boy who was his friend jumped down from his pony and went to Face. "You come with us," and helped him to his pony. They rode away, leaving Carl dead on the ground.

Coop, Hannibal, and Murdock heard the gunfire and galloped to the scene. They found Carl dead on the ground with several bullet holes in him and his horse, but there was no sign of Face.

"This just happened; scout around for tracks while I go through his pickets!" ordered Hannibal. Hannibal just emptied his pockets and put everything in his saddle bag before joining the others. "Indians," reported Coop as he pointed to the unshod pony tracks and they headed out in this direction.

"We'll come back for this piece of garbage after we find Face!"

They caught up with Face before they reached the Indian settlement, not surprised to find their boy riding Dandy. "FACE!" shouted Hannibal.

Face stopped at the mention of his name and looked back to see his father and brother galloping towards him.

"My family is here. I'll be safe now," he said to his friend and watched them move on.

"How're my Mamas?" were the first words out of Face's mouth as Hannibal rode up.

"They will be fine," replied Hannibal.

"I found them and got them help before I rode out to find Hannibal," volunteered Coop.

"I sent BA home to be with his mother, while we went ahead to find you," explained Hannibal before asking. "Did Carl hurt you?"

"A bit, my back hurts where he whipped me," Face admitted.

"Did he also give you the bruise on your face?" Asked Murdock.

Face nodded. "It's what got him a shot! He's dead, isn't he?"

"Yes, he won't ever hurt you again, son!"

Face began to cry with the news and seeing it happen. Hannibal easily pulled him from Dandy's back to sit in front of him so he could comfort him. Once he had calmed down and the tears stop flowing Face began to explain. "He was so involved in beating me that he didn't notice the Indians ride up. They recognized me and shot next to his foot to stop him. "I told him to let me go or they would kill him. It made him mad and he hit me in the face. That was the last thing he did because they shot him. I figured that he had to be dead, but didn't know for sure."

"That was a brave thing you did to save your mother, kid. I'm proud of you."

"I lost my first mother to sickness I wasn't about to lose my second to a bullet, Dad."

"Did you see who hit Mama B, Facey?"

"I only saw her fall, but Mr. Stevenson was standing behind her with a club. I assumed he was the one who hit her!"

Coop exchanged a look with Hannibal before spurring his horse on. "Where is Coop going?"

"To try and stop your brother from committing murder, kid."

Face noticed that they veered to the left and asked. "Where are we going?"

"To pick up your Uncle Carl so he can be buried."

"Why?"

"To show Chris what happened and he can report the death to the authorities once they get to the nearest town," explained Hannibal.

Face nodded. "I don't want to see him again!"

"What about getting back on Dandy and waiting here for us," suggested Hannibal. "It won't take us long to get him loaded on his horse. We will throw a blanket over him before we join you."

Face did as he was told and watched his father and brother ride on while he waited. Within ten minutes they were back with Carl draped over his horse with a blanket hiding him from Face's view.

XXXXXX

Back at the Wagon Train Coop rode in and reported to Chris. "Didn't you find the boy?" Chris asked as he saw his scout ride in.

"We found him, he is riding in with Hannibal and Murdock. I came ahead to keep BA from murdering Stevenson."

"Why would he want to kill Stevenson?"

"Because he is most likely the one who struck his mother and knocked her out. Face said that he saw his grandmother fall and looked up to see Stevenson standing behind her with a club in his hand."

Chris didn't hesitate, "Get him out of here, before BA discovers the truth!"

"Did you find my little brother, Coop?" Asked BA who had just walked up.

"Yeah, he's riding in with his father and brother."

"What about that uncle who took him?"

"He's dead, killed by Indians, who were trying to protect Face," Coop said bluntly.

"Hannibal is bringing the body in, I came ahead to report and tell your mother and Maggie that their son and grandson are on their way back," and left BA with Chris.

He hurried to the Stevenson wagon. "Stevenson!" he shouted, but when he didn't show he went on to the Smith wagons to tell them the good news.

"Mama B?" "Maggie?" he called out before entering their encampment.

Both ladies looked up and seeing who it was asked, "Did you find the boy?"

"Yes, for the most part, he is well. He has some bruises thanks to Davis but he is well. He is riding in with Hannibal and Murdock."

"What about the man who took him?"

"He's dead. Face doesn't have to worry about him ever again."

"I hate to say this, but Thank God he's dead and my grandson is safe from his abuse," Mama B said solemnly.

"When will they be here?"

"Within the hour would be my guess. They are bringing in the body of Davis so he can be buried." Coop left to find Stevenson. This time he was at his wagon talking with his sister and her son Hollis.

"Stevenson! You need to go, leave this wagon train now! Chris' orders!"

"Leave! Why?"

"We found the boy. He's alive and told us what he saw!" Coop said as he watched Stevenson's expression turn to fear.

"What he saw? What is he talking about Robert?" Asked Mrs. Ames.

"Only that he saw his grandmother fall and your brother standing behind her holding a club," replied Coop as he continued to watch Stevenson.

"Oh, that boy is only lying to get my brother in trouble," insisted Mrs. Ames.

"Mother, just because you don't like to hear anything negative about your brother does not mean that it isn't the truth. Uncle Robert has been punishing the orphans under his care for mischief that his son has been doing. I know for a fact of several times he has taken a strap to Face for something Thomas did," declared Hollis.

"How do you know this?"

"I watched it happen and reported it to Uncle Robert who said he would take care of it. I believed that he did until Face came to school the next day and squirmed in his chair the whole day. He finally admitted that he had been strapped for stealing a piece of pie, he pleaded that he didn't do it and I believe him since I saw Thomas do it."

And then turning to his Uncle asked, "you just couldn't punish your son, could you Uncle Robert? It was much easier to strap an innocent boy instead. I know now that the incorrigible child you always claimed that Face to be is Thomas. You disgust me and I hope that Mr. Baracus does find out that it was you who hurt his mother. You deserve to suffer like you made that boy suffer under your care!"

"HOLLIS! That's my brother you are talking about! Apologize at once!" ordered Mrs. Ames.

"No, mother. I have tried to overlook all of the brutality he has inflicted on others, including his wife Emily, or are you blind to the bruises that often decorate her arms and face? How much longer are you going to believe his lies that she fell and that is how she was hurt? He beats everyone except the ones deserving a beating. Mother, can't you see?"

"Look, I think that you should continue your conversation after Stevenson has left the train. It won't take BA long to hear what happened to his mother and who was responsible...and he will come after you, and I know I'm not strong enough to stop..." Coop stopped, it was too late. BA had arrived and he was livid.

"You are the coward who struck my mother from behind. She could have been hurt badly...I'm going to tear you apart!" he roared as he headed straight for Stevenson.

Coop tried to stop him but was brushed aside as if he was a fly and landed hard on the ground.

BA grabbed Stevenson by the shirt and lit into him. It took half of the men to pull him away and when he finally let go Stevenson crumbled to the ground unconscious, but alive.

BA shook off those holding him as his anger cooled and after taking one look at the unconscious man walked away.

"Did you see what he did to my brother? He should be arrested for assault. Whatever Robert did he didn't deserve this."

"No, mother, he deserved more! He should be arrested for assaulting Mrs. Baracus!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mama!" cried Face as he ran into Maggie's arms and then Mama B's.

It didn't take them long to realize that he had been beaten and took him immediately to Maggie and Hannibal's wagon. The welts that decorated their boy's back brought tears to the two ladies' eyes, and they tenderly treated his back with Mama B, bringing him some more chamomile tea to help him sleep.

When he woke, Face learned that Stevenson had been banned from the wagon train. His wife and sons elected to stay and go on to California, where they hoped to make a new life for themselves.

Mrs. Ames finally accepted that her brother was not the honorable man she thought he was when the contents of Carl Davis' saddlebags were revealed. In Davis' possession were papers linking him with Stevenson on the robbery and death of the teller that Davis committed. Chris Hale had sent Bill Hawks to take Stevenson to the nearest town and turn him over to the local Sheriff so he could pay for his crimes.

Face was free from the terror Stevenson had put him through while on their journey to Wyoming. The last few weeks saw Face and Barney together, enjoying themselves.

"Well, this is where we must tell you goodbye," Chris Hale told Hannibal.

"We will leave you at Fort Laramie, where you can get supplies for your journey to your ranch. I would recommend that you load up on ammunition just in case your run into warring Indian tribes. I would rather have too much than not enough if you were to run into danger."

Hannibal nodded. "Thank you for all you have done for my family and me; we will not forget your kindness during the difficult times my son has gone through."

After a tearful goodbye to Barney and the rest of the Wagon Train people, Face mounted up and rode away with Hannibal.

The End

AN: I have borrowed the characters from the TV series Wagon Train for this part of my story. I based the section about Face being accused of being a thief on the Cassie Vance episode on Wagon Train. Minerva Ames and her son Hollis are borrowed from that episode as well, all other characters are made up.

AN: Doing push-ups as a form of exercise goes back to when the Roman emperor Constantine performed push-ups for his health and although they were not performed officially in the United States until 1905 when Jerick Revilla is considered the creator of the current one used now. Using poetic license, I've changed that date to the 1800s, when the military used it for both exercise and punishment.