My Brother, My Enemy

Chapter Four

DISCLAIMER: Hey, would I be writing a disclaimer if I DID own them?

Joe never did tell Pa what Hoss had said about Miss Jones. His little dog had gone missing, and he was too busy trying to find his dog to worry about telling Pa anything.

"Alright, Adam, where is he?" Joe demanded the second he could get his older brother alone.

"Where's who?" asked Adam, quite surprised at Little Joe's outburst.

"You know who," Joe insisted. "My dog."

"Oh, that mutt," Adam mumbled under his breath. He set aside the book he had been enjoying and added, "I haven't seen him since I left for the north pasture this morning. And if you make any more noise, Pa will know we're—you're—up to something."

"Like I'm really going to believe you," Joe said hotly. "Now where is he?"

"I told you I don't know. Now leave me alone," replied Adam.

"Not until you tell me where my dog is," Joe told him stubbornly. He crossed his arms and glared at Adam, waiting for an explanation.

Adam sighed. "Listen, brother, I know that you don't have any good reasons to believe me, but I didn't take that little mutt of yours. Now do you mind leaving my room?"

"I'm not leaving," Joe stamped his foot and continued to glower at Adam. Adam could feel his temper rising.

"I'm going to count to three and if you're not out by then I'll throw you out!" threatened Adam.

He began his count-down. "One…"

"I'm not scared of you," Joe said, remaining firm.

"Two…"

"If you throw me out, Pa'll hear you and you'll be in trouble, too."

"Three. I warned you, Joe…"

"Supper's ready!" Ben yelled up the stairs, unknowingly saving Joe from his fate. The oldest and youngest Cartwright brothers continued to glare at each other as they made their way to the table. Ben sighed.

"Don't tell me you two are still upset over those wolves."

"No, Pa," Joe said. "We've found something different to argue about."

"Well, please try to settle whatever it is calmly. I'm tired of seeing you two fighting all the time!" Ben said.

All through supper, Joe squirmed rather uncomfortably in his seat. He was still thinking about what had happened to his dog. Where had Adam put him? And what if the 'little mutt' decided to show up in the middle of their meal? They'd all be in the doghouse then.

Ben noticed Joe's sudden restlessness and how little the boy was actually eating. But before he could ask what was wrong, Joe quickly asked to be excused and hurried off to the barn.

Ben turned to Adam. "What are you two fighting over now?" he asked.

"I'd rather not say, Pa," Adam said carefully. "It's kind of personal and I think we need to figure this out on our own."

"Ya won't even tell me?" cried Hoss, appalled. He had the basic idea what this latest disagreement was about, but he wanted to make sure. After all, wasn't he the one who had started this whole mess? Didn't he deserve to know what was going on if it was his discovery that was the root of the problem?

"Hoss, if you're brothers want to keep this between them, then I think we should let them—unless, of course, things get really out of hand in which case you and I might need to step in and do something about it," Ben said. Hoss sighed and nodded his head reluctantly.

While Ben and Hoss went back to eating and discussing the possibilities of early snows, Adam found it hard to concentrate. He knew that Joe was still mad at him over the wolf pups and that he was even madder now that he believed Adam had taken his puppy. Everything Adam said or did to try to apologize or make it up to his little brother either backfired or was taken the wrong way.

Adam sighed and, without warning, stood up from the table, put on his hat and went outside for a ride with the hopes that it would clear up his troubled mind.

Adam didn't really have a favorite place to go when he was upset. But this time, he thought he would pay a visit to Marie's grave. He hadn't been there for a while and thought it was appropriate, seeing as how it was Marie's boy that was giving him problems.

The grave wasn't nearly as beautiful as it was during the summer, because the cool weather of fall and the occasional morning frosts had killed the flowers and grass around the tombstone, and the sun didn't shine as often on the lake, but it was still a peaceful spot to be.

As Adam approached the grave, he took his hat off and held it in his hands. His eyes almost instantly focused on the five words that had been lovingly engraved on the stone a short six years ago:

IN LOVING MEMORY
MARIE CARTWRIGHT

Adam suddenly found himself recalling that wonderful time so many years ago when Little Joe had been born. The boy had seemed so small, a trait which was emphasized by the fact that Adam had only seen one other baby in his life, and that was the unusually large Hoss. Adam could still remember asking Marie what the baby's name would be.

"Joseph Francis Cartwright," she had replied with a beaming smile.

"That's an awful big name for someone so little," Adam had said, trying to hide the disgust he felt. When Joseph got old enough to attend school, what would the other kids think of a name like that!

Hoss peered down at his new baby brother, who only offered a funny gurgling noise in return.

"I think I'll call him Little Joe, 'cause he's so tiny," Hoss had suggested. "Is that okay, Mama?"

"Yes, I think that's a fine nickname," Marie had agreed…

"What are you doing here?"

Adam shook his head, the younger voice behind him bringing his mind back to the present. He turned around and saw an eleven-year-old Little Joe standing there, his hand resting gently on Starlight's glossy chestnut coat.

"What are you doing here?" Joe repeated. He didn't sound angry or upset at all. Just calm and, naturally, curious.

"I just needed to get out for a while," said Adam. He looked back at the grave. The few remaining flowers blew gently in the late autumn wind.

"Me too," Joe replied. He walked over to the grave, knelt down in front of it and gazed blankly at the slab of stone before him.

"Why'd you come here?" Joe asked finally, not looking away from his mother's grave.

"I felt like it," Adam said. "Besides, I haven't been here in a while."

"Oh."

The two brothers remained there in silence for a minute, each thinking about the other and wishing that his brother would find it in his heart to forgive him. What they didn't realize was that each had forgiven the other long ago.

Me: Um... I think I'll just skip to the reviewer replies. Dick?

Dick: What makes you think I'm going to do ANYTHING for someone who enjoys torturing me?

Me: Oh, I don't know... maybe because I'VE got the computer and can help Catwoman escape from the pen any time I want to.

Dick: (sigh) I knew I had a good reason.

Reviewer Replies

lgbabyblu-Happiness. That's always good, even if you don't know what for. And Panamint really likes being cute: she says thank you for that, too. ;-)