Chapter 2:
Trouble Along The Way

Adam and Hoss were out with the herd all day and had no idea about the events at home. However, especially Adam hunched that something was wrong. Joe was much too silent and Pa seemed absent-minded the entire evening.

After supper, Hoss and Joe had gone to their rooms and the two oldest Cartwrights were sitting around the fireplace, enjoying the end of the evening with some coffee and a glass of Brandy.

"Pa?", said 21-year-old Adam as he watched his father staring at the fire.

Ben didn't react.

"PA!", Adam repeated and ripped Ben out of his daze.

"Yes, what is it?", Ben asked confused.

"You are watching that fire for ten minutes now. Anything wrong?"

"No... nothing serious." Ben poked the embers.

"Pa, don't forget that I'm my father's son. I know when something is cooking.", Adam said grinning.

Ben smirked. Then he took a deep breath. "It's just... Joe's temper. I don't know what to do about it."

Adam stretched his arms out on the backrest of the settee. "What did he do this time?"

"Started a fight with his classmate."

Adam raised his eyebrow. "Ouch."

"It isn't as bad as we thought. Billy will be alright."

"With 'ouch' I was more referring to Joe… was that why he was so silent at supper?"

"No... I didn't punish him."

"You didn't?" Adam leaned forward. "I remember only too well what happened when I beat up Mike Wagner... about... ten years ago. I was only a little older than Joe and I did sleep on my stomach that night." Adam glared accusingly at his father.

Ben turned away from the fireplace and sat down in his red chair. "That was something different." He focused Adam. "You were taking bets that you could take him… after I had explicitly told you not to do it again."

"And why is it different with Joe? Is it because he's your favorite little baby?", Adam asked with raised eyebrows.

"Adam." Ben's voice grew stern. "You know that you are talking nonsense." He sipped his brandy. "Joe thought he defended the family honor, because Billy insulted the Cartwright name." Ben paused. "I will not punish him for something he did in the deep conviction that he was doing the right thing. Besides, he wasn't disrespectful, he was honest about the note, and he did not deliberately disobey me."

Adam began to rue his previous comment.

"If I remember it correctly, you were guilty of all three crimes then...", Ben said in a low voice.

"Alright, you won." Adam did not want his father to go into any more details. "But you have to understand that I feel a little betrayed if Joe gets away with something that I didn't."

"I understand.", Ben said calmly.

"I never did it again.", Adam added.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, after you gave me a 'talking to' I never thought of doing it again. Maybe Joe wouldn't either."

oooOOOooo

"That Adam, I'll get him for that... thinks he's so smart.", Joe whispered while he stood by the staircase and listened to his brother's words. He wanted to get a glass of water and had incidentally heard the last thirty seconds of the conversation. Joe couldn't see his father's reaction, so he wasn't sure what would happen. He forgot about his thirst, tiptoed back to his room and pretended to be asleep.

A little later, Little Joe heard heavy footsteps on the staircase. The door opened and Joe gulped. Ben walked slowly over to his son lying on his side, his face turned away from him.

"Joe?", he said in a soft voice.

"Y-yes?" He turned around.

"I forgot to tell you... I won't be home tomorrow. I have some business at the Silver Dollar Ranch. I'll be back in the evening. Until then, Adam is in charge."

"Uh-hm", Joe answered quickly.

"Be a good boy... and Joseph..."

Joe looked at his father with dog-eyes, then he started yawning. Ben was about to bring up today's incident again, but decided that it had gotten too late for that.

"Yes, Pa?", Joe said tired.

"Get to school in time... good night, son." Ben stroked Joe's head.

"I will. G'night." Ben left, determined to bring the subject up on the next day, after he had finished his business.

As soon as the door closed Joe looked at the ceiling and exhaled in relief. However, he had not forgotten about his oldest brother. Joe could not believe that Adam had tried to convince their Pa to spank him. Even though nothing had happened, Joe was determined to get back at him. Yet, he didn't know how.

oooOOOooo

"Mitch, there is something lying on the ground! Over there!", Little Joe shouted as he and his friend rode home from school the next day.

"Where? I don't see nothin'!"

"Over there... on the side of the road... hey, it's a snake!" Joe pulled the reins and dismounted.

"Be careful! Them things can kill you.", said Mitch and jumped off his horse. The boys walked carefully towards the animal.

"Looks like it's dead.", Mitch stated.

"Wait...", Joe looked around, then broke off a twig of a shrub. As he waved it in front of the snake the animal remained motionless.

"Yep, it's dead alright."

Joe and Mitch bent over the snake and saw the bullet-hole.

"Wow, that's a rattler!", Joe shouted. "And a damn big one, too."

"That was a rattler.", noted Mitch.

"Hmm... maybe it can still rattle." Joe picked up the snake and shook its tail: Tssssshhhh. Mitch stepped back from the sound that meant deadly danger.

"Whooo! Ya could scare a guy to death with that!"

"Yeah.", Joe answered and in the same second something snapped his mind. "I reckon you could.", he said with gleaming eyes before shaking the tail again.
"I think I'll take it with me."

"What!? Do you want to 'show' it to Miss Jones?", Mitch said laughing.

"Noooh. I'm just keeping it as a... a... what's it called...?" Joe snapped his fingers. "Souvenir."

Mitch chuckled. "You do whatever you want. I don't need it. My Ma'd faint if she sees it."

"Now you come with me..." Joe said smiling while he put the dead animal in his saddlebags. Then the two boys mounted up and rode on home.

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