Hospitality

Disclaimer: This story is being written for enjoyment only. I do not own any of the characters and no profit is being made from it.

"Look, Pa! Over there!" Hoss pointed towards the remote vision upon the sunlit horizon.

Moving his hand forward to shield his face from the waking brilliance to allow his tired eyes a better perspective, Ben Cartwright tried to discern the distant object that Hoss now claimed had moved before them. 'Could it be his missing son? Could it be Joseph?'

But before he could utter a single word of affirmation or denial at Hoss's estimation, Adam spurred a quieted Sport into action, galloping furiously forward towards the perceived spectacle. His father and younger brother needed no further impetus and immediately followed suit desperately trying to catch up to him.

"Joe!" Adam called out roughly while quickly bringing his mount to a halt and dismounting in one fluid motion. Such reckless pursuit might have been a sight to behold at any traveling Wild West show, but not from the most grounded of Ben Cartwright's three sons.

"Joe!" He cried out again as he reached the now motionless heap, which was his brother, before hauling the boy into his anxious embrace.

At last gaining view of his brother, he noted the boy's features were flushed and tight. Dark circles framed his closed eyes, and as he reached a hand to touch Joe's hatless brow, he felt the heat emanating from his brother's flesh upon his wrist beneath his glove making him question what ailed the boy. 'Was it illness or prolonged exposure to the elements?' he wondered. Then shaking Joe lightly, he attempted to gain a reaction from the unresponsive youth.

"Joe?" he queried worriedly as he moved his hand from his brother's brow to cup his face as his fingers tapped lightly against his cheek in an attempt to rouse the listless boy.

"Adam!" Ben Cartwright called out when at last he had reached up to his eldest. "What is it son? He spoke out nervously before answering the inquiry for himself as he and Hoss reined in their horses so they could dismount as well. "Joe! Thank God! Is he hurt? Sick?"

"I'm not sure, Pa," Adam responded immediately. "He doesn't appear to be injured, but something's wrong with him. I'm not sure if it's a fever or heat stroke from being out here so long."

"We need to cool him down," Ben retorted before turning to Hoss who was now beside him. "Quickly, get the canteens!"

Then removing the neckerchief from around his throat, Ben took the proffered container Hoss had retrieved from Chubb and wet the cloth before handing it to Adam.

Long minutes later after repeatedly bathing the boy's face and neck with the damp fabric, they were at last rewarded with a response, a weak groan.

"Joe?" His father inquired. "Joe, it's Pa," he affirmed. "Joe, we're here with you. It's okay son. We're here now, boy. You are going to be alright."

"Pa?" Joe moaned softly as dazed green eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on the scene now in front of him. "Where? How?" He struggled to ask.

"It doesn't matter, son. All that matters is that you are here and that we've found you, " His father replied shakily as emotion filled his deep voice.

"What happened to you, Joe?" Hoss finally questioned when at last Joe drew away from the offered sip of cool water Adam furnished to him from the canteen.

"Were you thrown?" His father asked.

"Nah…."

"Injured in some way?" Adam cut in.

"No…" Joe shook his head trying to clear some of the lingering confusion from his thoughts.

"Are you sick, little brother?" Hoss chimed in trying to find the missing piece to this puzzle.

"Yes…." Joe answered slowly. "That's it. I was heading over the flats towards the Ponderosa. I had an awful headache, and my neck was stiff. Fact is.." His voice trailed off as he took a steadying breath before continuing further. " I never felt so lousy in my life. All my joints ached and I was tired… so very tired… I stopped at a watering hole to take a breather. I thought if I splashed some water in my face I'd feel better. That's when…." Reaching up to rub the flesh along the sides of his head before moving his hands to bridge of his nose, Joe's tale came to a halt.

"That's when what?" Hoss inquired in an attempt to spur his brother onward.

"Give him a moment, son." Ben spoke up, while Adam offered Joe another drink from the canteen before the boy went on with his story.

"That's when I started feeling really bad. My stomach…my head… I felt dizzy. I must have passed out. When I awoke, Coch was gone."

"We found Cochise about 36 hours ago with no sign of you," Adam answered.

"That's when we began to search for you, Little Joe," Hoss added.

"Good…good…" Joe's choked voice responded.

"I can't tell you how worried we were for you, son, not knowing what had happened to you."

"I'm so sorry, Pa," Joe lamented. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's alright, son." Ben reassured as he drew closer to his youngest to pull him into his embrace. "Shhh! Don't trouble yourself, Joseph. Everything is alright now."

But his youngest son's distress over the events that had taken place could not be easily assuaged as he went on with his account.

"When I awoke, I tried to make it home, but I was on foot. I don't know what happened to me, Pa…whether it was being sick and all, but my mind was all muddled. I couldn't seem to figure out the right direction to travel in… It seemed like I had been walking for hours, but everything was fuzzy and vaguely familiar like I had been walking in circles. Soon night was upon me… I didn't know what to do. I had no food…no water…no blanket. I knew I couldn't settle down…not without finding some form of shelter. I tried to clear my mind…find some formation that would offer me that comfort until morning. I just couldn't think straight, " Joe's now haggard voice broke again.

"Easy son, " Ben comforted, but Joe was not to be dissuaded.

"It was then Pa that I saw the light."

"Light, Joe?" His father questioned.

"Yes, it was a lantern, Pa."

"Was it someone's encampment, little brother?"

"No, Hoss. That was the strange thing. It wasn't a camp, just a lantern along the wayside."

"Who'd be putting a lantern out here in the wilderness unless it was left behind?" Hoss retorted before continuing. "And, I doubt it would be burning. Only takes a few hours to burn up its oil, and if it was just turning nightfall…well a soul wouldn't be wasting their oil burning a lantern during the waking hours."

"But it was a lantern, Hoss. Ya got to believe me…"

Worriedly Ben's dark eyes met with Adam's hazel above Joe's head over the preposterousness of such a notion, but still he assured. "Of course, we believe you, son."

"Thanks, Pa." Joe responded quickly before being cut off by Hoss.

"But what would a lantern be doing burning out here? Seems kinda silly if ya ask me…"

"There was a note beside it."

"A note? What did it say?" Hoss's blue eyes now sparkled with curiosity as Joe continued on.

"All travelers be welcome, and there was a map on the back of it."

"A map?" Inquired Adam wondering now about the delirium his brother must have suffered with.

"Yes, it led to a cabin, and though I was feeling so lousy, I was able to make my way to it. When I knocked upon the door, an old, white haired man answered. He didn't speak much, but he invited me in and let me bunk down for the night. He offered me soup, but with my stomach the way it was feeling, I didn't take any. I did take a few swallows of water he gave to me in a tin cup, but no more before I lay down for the night. I must have slept a very long time, because when I woke up it was mid day, and the old man was gone. But he left a note for me upon the table, telling me to rest for as long as I wanted and to take with me what I needed from the cabin when I resumed my journey. "

"But what happened to the old man?" Hoss asked.

"I don't know, brother, " Joe responded. I waited a few hours, but he never returned and he left no clue as to his whereabouts. When I did feel ready enough to leave, I took one of the loaves of bread he had left beneath the cheese cloth upon the table. There were three there, but I didn't want to be greedy incase he returned shortly or was expecting other visitors.

"Vistors out here, Joe?" Hoss replied in disbelief. "This is no man's land. Ain't too many passers through that travel out this ways lest they be lost like you… And a cabin? Sorry, little brother, but we've been out searching the area around where we found you for the better part of a day. There was not a cabin in sight. You sure you didn't dream this up while you were sick?"

"No, Hoss. It happened. You got to believe me! I wouldn't make up the story."

"No, son. We don't believe you would, but it looks as if you've been pretty sick, Joseph, and perhaps with your illness…."

"But it happened, Pa! All of it! Just like I told you…"

"Joe, " Adam cut in to restate Hoss's previous proclamation, "there isn't a cabin within miles of this location…not even a way station."

"But it happened! All of it! Just like I said! I'm not crazy You gotta believe me!"

"No one's saying you're crazy, son. You've just been ill, very ill by the looks of it. Please, let it go! It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we have you back with us. Come on, Joseph, let's get you up on Buck and back home where we can take better care of you."

Joe began to shake his head in resignation as he felt his father's arm move beneath his shoulder in an attempt to help him stand up.

It was then that the memory resurfaced, and he brushed his father's helpful overture away as he reached into his pocket to withdraw a now crumpled up piece of paper before unfolding it to show its contents to the three family members surrounding him.

All travelers be welcome

Finis

Inspiration for this story is from New Morning