Disclaimer: We do not own Bonanza, Little Joe, Candy, and the others, although we very much wish we did. Dusk is actually Grey's creation, but she's willing to share.
Author's Notes: This is our first joint-fic, but we do welcome constructive criticism. Takes place in the later seasons after Candy comes to the Ponderosa.
One Simple Task
by Greywolf Lupous and Kimba Lyall
Chapter One: "Killer Squirrel"
The Ponderosa was alive with excitement as another ranch hand hit the dirt hard. There were a few moments of baited breath, before he rose again, dusting off his chaps. As soon as he was on his feet again, his fellow ranch hands had already begun to tease him and make claims that they could do better.
"Nice try Charlie!" Candy grinned as the ranch hand vaulted over the fence. Charlie paused only long enough to give the ranch foreman a sour expression.
"Oh, you think you could do better?" Little Joe couldn't help but smirk from his position on the fence. This stallion had been proving to be a difficult ride for everybody. He knew Candy though, and if he felt that he had been issued a challenge, he couldn't help but rise to the occasion.
"As a matter of fact I do," Candy said, starting to scale the fence, but frowned as he saw that another hand had already beaten him to the prospect.
Hoss chuckled, seeing the look of petulance on his friend's face, "Oh, no need to pout now, you'll have your turn to get thrown in the dirt soon enough."
Candy threw Hoss an unamused look, and then all three turned to watch as the stallion lunged out of the stall, bucking wildly. This hand only lasted a few seconds, before he landed on the dirt with a thud. A loud applause broke out among the spectators as the horse proudly pranced back to his stall, as if he was daring someone else to try.
"That horse certainly has an attitude, doesn't he?" Joe observed.
They stopped their musing as they heard a rider approaching from behind. Joe turned his head and waved at the dismounting newcomer, "Hi Pa."
"Hi boys, got them broke yet?"
"Not yet, this one's got a mean streak in him," Joe said, throwing a challenging look at Candy. "He's thrown five of us so far! I'm getting the feeling he doesn't want to be broke."
Candy caught the look and tilted his head back, narrowing his eyes. The gauntlet was thrown, and the challenge accepted.
Ben watched the silent byplay with a bit of amusement. The competition would have to wait, "Well, stick with him, but first come and have some lunch. You've all done enough for now."
They all jumped down from the fence and headed for their horses, Candy and Joe pointing fingers at each other as a promise to continue this later. Ben walked alongside his youngest, leading Buck with him, "Oh Joe, would you do me a favor?"
"Sure Pa, what do you need doing?"
"I've got a lumber contract from Mill's down in San Francisco and need it to be collected."
"Sure thing, me and Candy will go," Joe said, excitement creeping into his voice, all thoughts of competition on breaking the new stallion forgotten.
Candy arched an eyebrow as he heard this, but didn't say anything as Hoss beat him to it by stepping up and putting his hands on Joe's shoulders. He squeezed them hard, making Joe slightly buckle, "Don't you mean 'me and Hoss will go', Little Brother?"
Joe swallowed hard, trying to shrug the grip off with little success, "Oh come on, Hoss! You went last time!"
He paused and smirked, "Besides someone has to stay and do all my chores, we don't expect me to come back to a week's supply now do we?"
At that moment, it looked as if Hoss was considering strangling his little brother, "Dadburn it Little Joe!"
Candy grinned and exchanged a glance with Ben, who sighed with a decision to step in.
"Boys, boys," he turned to Hoss, "didn't you promise to help Mrs. Collins with her cattle yard? And we really need you here for the branding."
Hoss grumbled to himself and let Joe go. Joe rubbed his shoulder, replying with a grin, "Thanks Pa."
Ben rolled his eyes to look over at Candy and Joe, "Now you two get before I change my mind!"
"What about lunch?" Candy asked sarcastically.
Ben gave him a look, while Joe made a "cut that out" motion with his hands. Candy shrugged good naturedly and grabbed a hold of Dusk's reins, while Joe grinned triumphantly and vaulted up onto Cochise with a broad smile, "Come on Candy! Looks like were going to San Francisco!"
However the Ben Cartwright we all know and love wouldn't send his youngest and the family friend off on a quest on an empty stomach, so later that afternoon the two were ready. Our said kind and generous patriarchal figure stepped out into the yard along with Hoss, just as they were getting ready to ride out.
"Okay, it should take you no more than a week," he said, then gave a stern look to his son, "and no going to Barbary Coast, understood?"
"Yes sir!" Joe replied.
"Anything you say Mr. Cartwright," Candy said, voice ringing with innocence and sincerity.
Hoss adds "You just be careful little brother, I don't want to have to come and pull you out of any trouble!"
"You just watch yourself older brother. Besides what trouble can I get into? Candy's with me!"
"Heck, that's even worse than sending you off by yourself!" Hoss grinned.
Candy sighed dramatically, "I'm wounded. Let's go Joe, I can see where I'm not wanted."
His friend laughed and quickly reined Cochise around, kicking him into a canter out of the yard. Candy followed, waving a good-bye to Hoss and Ben.
* * * * *
Joe and Candy rode for a few hours before Joe turned in his saddle and scouted the horizon, "I guess we should be looking for a place to bed up for the night. I think we've got a few hours of daylight left though."
Candy shrugged lightly, "It's up to you. There any set date on when we have to pick up that contract? I guess that would tell us if we need to push ourselves or not."
"Pa never said. All we have to do is go and collect it. They know we're coming to pick it up, so Pa most likely sent them a telegram," Joe trailed off with a grin. "But you know, while we're there, I don't see why we can't have a little fun."
"You never quit do you?"
Joe waggled his eyebrows in response, eliciting a laugh from the other.
"Well, I wouldn't mind headin' down to the coast myself. I hear they've got some real nice, um, places to visit there."
"Yeah! You just wait 'till you see it, there's plenty to do! Just be careful you don't get shanghaied... Pa would never let me live it down, if I came home without the foreman!" Joe teased.
Candy raised his eyebrows in an expression of mirth, "You know if either of us gets shanghaied, it'll probably be you. Despite what you say, I'm not the bad luck charm. And you know I'd definitely be fired if I came back without the boss's son. Nope Joe, I think I'm gonna have to lock you in the hotel for your own safety."
"And let you have all the fun? Not a chance!" Joe swelled up, glancing at his friend mischievously, "There ain't a lock or key that will hold this Cartwright!"
"If you say so," Candy shook his head, tempted to test that theory. He lifted himself up in the saddle as he peered out in the distance, "What about that spot over there?"
Joe looked to the direction where Candy indicated, "Yeah, that looks like a good spot. Let's camp up over there near the creek and that group of rocks."
Candy nodded in agreement, and they both rode over to start setting up camp.
* * * * *
Candy leaned against a tree as Joe attempted to start the fire for the night, "So Joe, why take me along and not Hoss? I thought you two had a blast last time you went to San Francisco."
Joe piled up the wood and after several tries, finally succeeded in getting the fire going, "Well we did. But Hoss can be just as bad as Pa! And," Joe smirked at Candy, "I just know if I left you behind, I'd come back to a week's worth of chores to do!"
"Oh," Candy feigned a hurt expression, "and here I thought you just wanted my company. I see how it is."
Joe laughed and threw one of his gloves at Candy, "Go make yourself useful and catch us a rabbit or something!"
"Whatever you say, Master," Candy mock bowed and slipped off into the woods to try and hunt up some dinner.
Joe shook his head and chuckled softly. Once the fire was burning nicely, he rolled out his bedroll and laid down, propped up against the tree. Slipping his hat down to block out the sun, he decided to take the opportunity to nap before Candy got back.
Candy was starting to believe they'd picked the least populated area to camp when a rabbit jumped out of a bush several yards in front of him. He froze, taking careful aim with his rifle. If he missed, he knew they'd have to eat out of their provisions, and he hoped to put that off as long as possible. Right as he was inching the trigger back a flying ball of fur plummeted from the tree above and onto the barrel of the gun. The gun discharged harmlessly into the dirt of the forest floor, the sound spooking the rabbit back into the brush.
"Damn it!" Candy threw the rifle on the ground and looked around for the source of his misfire. His gaze caught a squirrel scrambling up a tree. When it reached a low-lying branch, it began to chirp angrily at him. Grumbling about crazy squirrels he picked up his rifle, "You're just lucky I don't like squirrel meat."
The squirrel seemed to take offense at this comment, as it jumped down from the tree and rushed him. Candy jumped back too startled to take a shot at the animal. The squirrel continued to charge and he began backpedaling, "It was a joke! I wasn't going to shoot you or your rabbit friend!"
The squirrel stopped its charge, chattered something else angrily, before disappearing into the vegetation.
Candy looked around suspiciously, wondering perhaps if anyone had caught the scene. No, he was alone. Breathing a sigh of relief, he fixed his hat, "Damned crazy squirrels."
Another series of angry chirps quickly changed his mind from rabbit to fish for dinner.
Joe awoke from his nap sometime later to see that Candy hadn't returned yet. Glancing at the low position of the sun, he frowned as he sat up. It shouldn't be too hard to find something for dinner in this area of the woods. He started a pot of coffee as he pondered having to go out and track his friend.
The water had just begun to boil when Candy came in with a string of fish. Silently he laid them out and began preparing them to be cooked.
Joe cocked an eyebrow, "Ah Candy, as much as I love fish… what happened to the plans for rabbit?"
"Changed my mind," Candy said nervously. There was no way he was going to mention the squirrel incident to Joe. "Found a pond, not too far away, thought you'd like some fish, instead."
Catching on his companions somewhat nervous motions Joe decided to press it a bit. He sighed melodramatically, "I get you to do one little job and you can't even do that. You're not going soft on me are you?"
Candy cast Joe a venomous look, "Oh, well in that case, I'm not nearly qualified enough to cook dinner." Rubbing his hands together, he stood up to leave the fish where they were, "By all means Mr. Cartwright... I'll just go wash up at the lake."
"You know I hate it when you call me that," Joe frowned, "What's up with you anyways? Did something happen out there? You're as jumpy as a rabbit on coals!"
"Absolutely nothing of importance happened. I couldn't catch rabbits, so I got fish," he replied vaguely. "You better get cooking, and don't burn them this time."
"Nice try, but it's still your turn to do the cooking," Joe paused and cocked his head, a smile still playing on his lips, "You know, I think something happened out there. You're acting awful strange. Maybe I ought to send you into Virginia City to see the doc. Maybe you hit your head again."
"Oh... my turn. Right," Obviously it was time to change tactics, otherwise that conniving Cartwright mind was going to start really prying. "Well, you go wash up, 'cause you stink. I'll have the fish ready by the time you get back."
Joe frowned, knowing something wasn't right. He'd figure it out later, he thought to himself as he rose up. When Candy wasn't looking he discreetly tried to sniff his shirt. Okay, so maybe he had a point…
Candy tossed the prepared fish down onto the hot pan. He felt pretty confident Joe would forget the entire incident by the morning. He'd rather put up with Joe's frowns for one night than hear about that damned squirrel for the entire trip. By the time Joe came back, the fish had finished.
All thoughts of the little dispute were forgotten when Joe smelled the frying fish, "Hmm, that does smell pretty good. Even given your track record, it's hard to ruin fish."
Joe stabbed a portion for himself and took a cautious bite, "Well, that's actually pretty good. Of course it's nowhere near Hop Sing's cooking."
"I wouldn't dream of trying to take Hop Sing on in the cooking department. He's got even the gals beat in there I think," Candy served himself and positioned himself in front of a tree. "So tell me about San Francisco. I never made it that far in my wanderings."
Joe let his mind wander back to some of his more memorable trips to the city. He shook his head at a few and chuckled, "I'll never forget the week me, Pa, Hoss and two of the hands went there for a vacation. Pa would probably skin me alive if I told you…"
He trailed off, a familiar mischievous glint finding its way into his eyes. Candy couldn't help but grin in anticipation, "You know Pa. He was telling us all to be careful about being shanghaied. You know they're prone to doing that on the Barbary Coast. Well Pa was the one who wound up getting shanghaied and sold as a sailor!"
Joe had to pause in eating so he wouldn't choke. Candy shook his head, in his mind's eye seeing an indignant Ben Cartwright dressed up in a sailor outfit two sizes too small for him, "Very interesting. My guess is that you and Hoss had to go to his rescue?"
"But of course. Me and Hoss decided to find them the old fashion way and that was to take the place apart. Well, Hoss literally tackled that… the funny thing was, this woman, worked for Cut Throat Jack, and boy was she pretty! We," Joe cleared his throat, deciding to continue with the story, "well we found him, and had the fist fight of the century before heading back to the Ponderosa. Adam really missed out on that one. Poor, poor Adam. Stuck back home, doing all our chores...."
Joe trailed off as he burst into a fit of giggles, "You know Pa never told us how much Cut Throat bought him for."
Candy shook his head, as Joe's mirth was contagious, "I'm sure he was really sore about it too."
"Oh boy, was he ever! He never mentioned it again. Those were good times," Joe said, some of the laughter leaving his eyes when he thought of the brother he hadn't seen in years. After a few moments lost in those thoughts, he finally turned back to the topic San Francisco in general, "You know, there's a lot of cute gals in Barbary Coast. I'm sure we could even find you one."
"Yes, since the girls out here find me so appalling," Candy said with a grin.
"Well I can't help it if the girls find me completely and totally attractive. It's a curse I tell you!"
"I've heard about this curse," Candy managed a serious look. "I hear it's deadly."
"Well the only thing deadly are the women! They're likely to eat you alive. Whoo! And get more than one interested... "
Candy shook his head, ready to take another bite, when suddenly something leapt onto his plate. He yelped as he caught the evil beady eyes of the squirrel from hell. His entire body froze as he watched and waited for the squirrel to make its move.
Joe nearly choked as the squirrel dive-bombed Candy's plate. After a quick gulp of coffee, he managed to find his voice, "Well it looks like you've found yourself a friend. The fish is good, but c'mon little fella. Candy can't cook that good."
"This squirrel is no friend," Candy said, deadly serious. He slowly set the plate down and edged away from the monster. The squirrel stood up on its hind legs and bared its fangs at him. Candy's hand automatically went for his gun, but then realized that he had draped it over the bedroll when he got back from hunting.
Joe collapsed into a fit of laughter as he watched Candy and the squirrel, "Whoa there buddy! Don't make any sudden moves, with teeth likes those ones. They seem mighty deadly if you ask me! And just look at them claws, powerful things they are!"
"It's not funny Joe! This squirrel is stalking me!" Candy cast equally scathing glares at both his friend and the squirrel. "So you think you're tough huh? You want to take me on?"
The squirrel bobbed its tail and leaned forward slightly. Candy tensed.
"My money's on the squirrel!" Joe managed between spurts of laughter.
"Shut up Joe!" Candy hissed, his attention momentarily diverted from the enemy.
The squirrel took the moment of distraction and leapt at
Candy. Whirling back to attention, Candy managed to put an arm up for defense.
The sharp teeth latched onto Candy's sleeve, and began to try and work their
way through the cloth to skin below, "Stop cackling and help me, Joe!"
"Oh if only the rest of the men could see this! Attack of the ferocious squirrel!"
Joe wiped a tear away from his eye as he managed to gain control of his mirth.
Finally he rose and approached the struggling pair, "Sorry Candy, let's see if
I can rescue you from this vicious creature."
The occasional chuckle still escaped him as he reached down to grab the squirrel. With a hiss, the squirrel abandoned its hold on Candy and turned on Joe, sinking its teeth into his hand. Candy tries to grab a hold of the creature now hanging off of Joe's hand. It lets go of Joe and races up Candy's arm, and towards his head, "He's on me! He's on me!"
The situation had lost all amusement for Joe as he sucked at the squirrel bite. With a growl he decided to rid Candy of the menace, "Here, let me get him!"
Joe lunged for it, but only managed to grab a handful of Candy's hair, "Ow! That's not a squirrel!"
Candy's eyes doubled in size as the squirrel made it to his back, heading for the collar of his shirt, "Oh no..."
"Eh, sorry," Joe let go of Candy's hair and took a hold of the back of Candy's shirt, "I think I got him… wait, nope. Gone again."
Joe, much to Candy's increasing discomfort, reached through the collar of his shirt to gain better access to the demon spawn. With lightning speed Joe withdrew his hand, and began sucking his finger where the squirrel drew blood, "The little devil bit me again!"
Free of the hindrance of Joe, Candy quickly untucked his shirt and tried to shake the little bugger out. The little claws begin to slide down his back. With much difficulty he began to beat his own back, and finally the squirrel came tumbling out. It rolled across the ground, before finally coming to a stop. It rose up on all four legs, looking disoriented.
Candy and Joe's gazes both locked on the momentarily stunned squirrel. As one they lunged for it, and wound up banging their heads together. They both sat up rubbing their foreheads, looking at the now empty spot of there the squirrel use to be. Slowly their gaze traveled a few feet in front of them, and spotted the tiny demon, laughing its little squirrelly head off at them.
"Joe," Candy muttered with a hand still on his head, "do you have your gun?"
Joe glanced back at his saddle, and spied his gun in its holster, hanging off of the horn. He hit his forehead at the thought of leaving it so far away, then winced, "Ow… it's right over there. Any other ideas?"
"Damn, mine's over there too. Maybe we could lure it into the fire. Burn it out?" Candy suggested.
Joe grinned at Candy "How about I stay here and you be the decoy. When he's not looking, I'll take him." Joe realized what he just said, "Actually I'll be the decoy, and you can tackle him."
"What? No, no way I'm tackling him. How about this? You distract him while I go get the guns. We'll deal with him once and for all."
"Me? Why's it always me that's put in the line of fire?" Joe grumbled. "Fine. You just make sure you hit him!"
He got up and crept up behind the squirrel, "All right! You want to play rough, huh?"
While Joe held the squirrel's attention, Candy snuck over to the guns, and began to quietly pull his out of its holster. The squirrel flicked his tail at Joe and began to turn around, feeling as if the human in the green-jacket wasn't the problem.
"Ah, Candy? You better hurry up. I think he just decided he likes you more than me!" Joe snatched a rock up from the ground, threatening the squirrel with it, "C'mon! Pay attention to me you little demon!"
"There's no like about it Joe! It's just pure hate!" Candy scrambled to get the gun out of the holster, and naturally, it got stuck in his haste. The squirrel crouched low, getting ready to launch its attack. Joe chunked the rock at the squirrel to give Candy a few precious seconds. In a super-squirrel feat, it avoided the rock and launched his attack.
Finally managing to pull the gun free, Candy fired at the squirrel… but missed. The squirrel paused in its rush attack, rising on its hind legs. It chattered angrily at Candy again, before disappearing into the woods, "Joe?"
Joe's eyes were still glued to spot the squirrel disappeared in horror, "Candy? Tell me I didn't see just what just happened."
"I'm sorry Joe, I was sure I had him in my sight. How's your hand?"
Joe rubbed the bites on his hand, "As well as could be expected. You?"
"Think I probably got some scratches on my back, but that's nothing. Joe, you have to promise me something," Candy's tone turned serious.
"Well that depends on what I'm promising," the youngest Cartwright managed a grin for his friend.
"Never mention this incident to anyone again," there was no way Candy wanted to hear about the "killer squirrel" for months on end.
"Hmm," Joe considered the offer for a few moments, "okay! But only if you're buying when we get to San Francisco."
"This is blackmail," Candy muttered, "but FINE! First round's on me."
"Well if that's the way you see it, you can also do..." Joe trailed off at the evil look on Candy's face. He chuckled nervously, "Okay, I won't tell anyone as long as I live!"
"Good," Candy went over and picked up his plate of food, which had squirrel prints on it. He glanced over at Joe's almost full plate, "hey Joe, you going to finish that?"
Joe glanced at his plate, "No, for some reason I've lost my appetite."
"Good," Candy snatched it away before he could change his mind, "at least yours didn't have squirrel feet all over it."
"Help yourself, I think I'm going to turn in," Joe tossed the rest of his coffee onto the ground before turning in for the night.
* * * * *
Morning, of course, came entirely too early. In the peeking light of dawn a small form skittered across the camp towards Joe's bedroll.
Joe roused from his sleep, still lying on his back. He glanced over at his hat that had fallen off his face sometime during the night. Yawning he rolled his head back towards the sky, more light creeping into the campground as the sun continued its journey up into the sky. In the low light of the camp, Joe blinked once, and then blinked again, to see if perhaps he had been seeing things.
Sitting on his chest, bushy tail in the air, holding himself like a conquering emperor, sat the same squirrel from the night before. Joe gulped, feeling himself in a quandary. He looked over at Candy's still sleeping form, "Psst! Candy!"
Candy merely muttered something in his sleep and rolled over. Joe ground his teeth together and raised his voice a few more decibels, "Candy! I could use some help, right about now!"
Candy snorted and cracked an eye open, not even looking at Joe, "What is it? It's way too early to be starting out Joe..."
Joe turned his attention back to the squirrel. It continued to sit on his chest, chuckling evilly. Joe turned a panicked face back to his friend, "Candy!"
"What?" Candy snapped as he sat up. Then he saw it. The squirrel of doom, sitting on Joe's chest, completely focused on torturing its captive. Slowly he reached for his gun, "Joe, just hold very, very still."
Joe's eyes widen when he realizes what Candy's about to do. As not to provoke the devil sitting on him, he issued a harsh whisper to his friend, "Candy! You Loco! You missed once already!"
Candy gripped his gun. Joe's voice dropped a few octaves, "Candy! C-Candy don't you dare!"
"Joe, my friend, there are some sacrifices that have to be made for the greater good of all. It just so happens your body might be one of those," he took careful aim.
Joe squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a bullet to plow into him at any second. Without warning the squirrel whirled around to face him with a hiss. Candy stared into those evil beady eyes, and found that he was locked into its squirrelly trance.
When nothing happened, Joe opened one eye. He looked around, and seeing himself still in one piece, he sighed with relief and let his head drop back to the ground.
The squirrel started to walk off of Joe in a slow and drawn out manner to make both men sweat. It continued to approach Candy, who was fighting an internal battle to break the hold the stupid animal had on him. Of course on the exterior he came off looking like a staring moron.
As soon as the squirrel stepped off Joe, he jumped back several feet, "Candy… CANDY! Shoot the damn thing!"
Joe's screaming broke the evil thing's control on Candy, and he began to fire off rapid shots at the squirrel. Miraculously, none of them hit it, "Damn squirrel! Stand still!"
The squirrel began to run in a zigzag pattern. In its course it got too close to Joe, and he found himself jumping back again, this time to prevent his foot from being shot off, "Watch it! You want the squirrel dead, not me!"
The creature continued its wayward course before scampering up a tree. From one of the higher branches it chuckled insanely down at them. For about ten seconds, Candy considered climbing the tree. Then his common sense got a hold of him "C'mon Joe, let's get out of here before he decides to attack again!"
Joe had already begun to pack his gear together hastily, "You've got no argument from me! Only the next time you get the notion to shoot me… don't."
Candy rolled his eyes as he followed in suit, not noticing as something crawled inside his saddlebags, "It's not my fault you put yourself in the line of fire."
"Put myself..." Joe sputtered as he tightened the cinch on Cochise's saddle, "you can't even hit one stupid squirrel! I lost count on how many times you've missed it."
Candy swung up into Dusk's saddle, "It's a demon squirrel. It's invulnerable to bullets."
Joe snorted and mounted Cochise, "You just can't aim. Admit it."
"Oh, this is the thanks I get for saving your hide, huh?" Candy mock grumbled.
"Well I don't exactly call pointing a gun at my chest 'saving my life'. With your aim, just think, that could have been me, lying there, dying. Pa would have done more than fire you for that one!"
"Oh, I'd be long gone before he found out. You know me. Never know when I'll get the urge to wander."
"So you'd leave me there dying, and get the sudden urge to wandering in them yonder hills?" Joe had the grace to look shocked, "That's such a comforting thought."
"That why the ladies call me Comforting Canaday," he grinned.
"I'll make sure to remember that the next time I need comforting," Joe snickered before kicking Cochise into a quick canter.
Before Candy could follow suit, he felt the distinct sensation of something crawling up his leg. He looked down, but only saw a grayish-brown blur. Confused, he swung his gaze back forward, to see the object of pure evil standing on the saddle horn and glaring with its beady eyes, waving its sharp claws in the air like a promise of bad things to come
Even as Joe gained speed and distance between them, he could hear the yelp of terror. He pulled Cochise to a stop and turned around to see Candy stopped, looking to have some sort of trouble. He quickly rode back to his friend's aid, "What's wrong Candy?"
Candy sat rigid in the saddle, "You don't see it?"
Joe studied Candy's look of terror, then his eyes traveled down to the saddle horn, and the squirrel sitting atop it.
"All right! That's it!" Joe drew his gun and aimed it at the squirrel, "No more Mister Nice Guy! What do you say we have roasted squirrel for lunch Candy?"
Candy gulped, "Um, I don't like squirrel? It tastes real bad."
The squirrel hissed.
"You should be happy you taste bad!"
The squirrel waved a clawed paw in the air to display his anger.
"You know what, me neither," Joe said casually and then fired the gun to scare off the squirrel. Dusk reared up, spooked by the sound of gunfire so close. Candy attempted to hold on, but tumbled to the ground rear first. The squirrel ran down Dusk's leg, further panicking the horse. Almost as one, both animals took off in their separate directions, the squirrel back into its forest domain, and the horse to parts unknown.
Joe laughed as he realized the squirrel was now on the run. Candy slowly rose up, rubbing his sore spot and glaring at Joe. The youngest Cartwright's laughter died off, the last chuckle catching in his throat and coming out like a dying cow's last bellow. He cleared his throat and glanced at his friend, and then at Dusk's tracks, "Oops."
"You shot my horse!" Candy growled, taking a step towards Joe and Cochise. "That's it Cartwright! No one shoots my horse!"
"Now Candy, just calm down!" Joe gulped. "I didn't hit him and-"
"Well you certainly were able to drive him off. Now we have to go and find him," Candy's mean countenance broke into a sudden grin, "I had you there for a second there, didn't I?"
"Don't do that!" Joe whipped his hat off and smacked Candy over the head with it. "C'mon, Dusk can't have gone far."
He extended a hand, Candy took it and climbed up behind him, "Besides, he's not the only thing that I drove off."
"That's your only saving grace."
"How about we just call it even?" Joe said, directing Cochise to follow Dusk's tracks.
"Oh? And since when have we counted?" Candy peered off into the trees and managed to make out Dusk's outline, "He's over there."
"Okay, so maybe let's not keep count," Joe pulled up next to Dusk, having lost count of the times he and Candy had bailed each other out in the past.
"It's all right boy, no more insane animals or shots flying by you. At least not until we find us some renegades to tangle with," Candy murmured and patted Dusk, making sure the animal was calm before mounting up.
Joe studied the sky, a frown tugging at his brow, "Those clouds up there don't look too friendly."
"You're right, all we need right now is a storm to hit. Do you know of any towns close by? I don't think I'd want to get stuck on the trail with that coming down."
Joe continued to scrutinize the sky and bit his lip. The closest place was Spinner Town. It was a mostly deserted town with only a few living residents. Just the thought of going there made him shudder with dread. He turned to Candy, trying to muster up some optimism in his voice, "Well there is one place not too far off the trail. It'll take us a while to get there though."