Chapter

The Telegraph

They had just dropped off the huge load in San Francisco. Ben had received the Bill of Sale and promissory note and taken it to the bank. Some of the money he withdrew now to pay the hands. The rest would be waiting for him at the Virginia City Bank and Trust.

He had stopped into the telegraph office to send off a graph to his son, to let him know of the mission's success and when to expect them back, which would be within the week.

There just so happened to be a graph waiting for him from Virginia City. He wondered if it were from Joe before opening it up to read it. The first line told him it were not from Joe. It was a simple inscription which read:

Joe is safe ~stop~ Clay is not ~stop~ Yellow Rose Cantina, Nogales Arizona ~stop~ Speak to Concepcion ~end~

Alerted to the peculiarity, he sent his own graph off to Virginia City. This one demanding that Joe check in with him. A second one he sent off to Roy.

He walked out of that office unsettled. He hadn't told his other two sons of the note, not sure how much to divulge to them. Not even sure what the note really said.

They could see he was off though in the way he paid the hands. He was lost in his own mental wanderings.

"Pa. You doing okay?"

When called back to the moment he responded by opening up his pocketbook and giving his two older boys some customary walking around money but couldn't release the heavy air and it weighted him down. Hoss wanted to prod as their pa walked back into the lobby of the Browns Hotel but Adam stopped him, nudging him the other direction. Adam learned to read his pa a long time ago. He gaged that whatever had taken up residence in their pa's mind will work itself out with or without their help, and if he wanted their help well he'd know where to find them.

The pater however, had spent the night in sleepless worry. For the both of them. His mind swimming circles.

What did it mean by 'Joe is safe'? Was he really not? Was he in trouble? Was there a threat he might soon find himself in trouble? Why would somebody say that someone else is safe when there was not a concern otherwise? This in itself caused him concern.

He fretted being so far away from his boy.

First thing tomorrow he would see if anything more has come through for him.

At early light, though bone-weary, he diligintly awoke. Just before breakfast, he set right back to the telegraph office.

He'd received nothing from Joe. Understandable. It was wishful hoping that the graph would make it to his boy in this time; but the response was quicker than expected from Roy. He'd gone to the house and Joe wasn't there. There's been no sighting of him in town neither. Not for three days.

The pater's concern doubled. Normally this wouldn't be alarming but nothing about this note seemed normal. He walked away heavy footed.

This was how his boys found him as he walked into the Browns Hotel. Hoss and Adam were eating at the restaurant on the first floor. They spotted him first. They were going to call to him but were taken aback by his trodden air. He coming out of his head to look up. Seeing them, he came right over.

Adam immediately got up and offered his father a chair customary at first but stopped at his pa's look of deep consternation.

"What's wrong pa?" Ben slunk into the chair offered to him.

"Yeah." Hoss added. "You've been walking around like this since last night. Are you holding onto something?"

Looking at his two boys, he resolved. "I need you two to leave for home right away. Take whatever hands that want to go now. Leave the ones that want to stay."

"What's wrong?"

"Is Joe okay?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him."

"Well that's not unusual." Adam reasoned.

"I know. I know."

"So what is it?"

"It's just that I asked him to reach me right away. That it was urgent."

"There's nothing urgent." Hoss countered but Adam caught on to something else.

"Why are you so worried about him? What aren't you telling us? Did something happen?"

"Is it Clay?" Hoss voiced.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well you know Joe. How down he's been since Clay left. I just thought."

That was a curious thought. He had considered during his mental wanderings last night of the possibility that Joe had discovered where Clay was and had gone to him. If Clay was in trouble then perhaps Joe was with him. The note made sure to tell him that Joe was safe. Why would it do that? Why, if Joe was safe did it feel the need to mention him at all? The message said a lot and yet nothing at all. It was painfully cryptic.

He knew he had to follow the note especially if Joe was with Clay, but if he hadn't left at all, he needed to know that too. That was why he had to send Adam and Hoss home.

"I received a note last night from the telegraph office."

"What's it say?"

It was easier to hand it over and have them read it for themselves rather than to explain why he might have cause to worry. Upon reading it he was sure they'd understand.

"They want you to go to Arizona." Ben nods. "Are you going to go?"

"On the chance that Joe is there."

"And on the chance he's not?" Hoss asked to which Adam answered.

"You need us to go home and look for him." He nods.

The boys agreed that this was the right call.

Typically Ben would give the hands a day or two to rest after a drive and to explore their surroundings before loading up and pushing back home. So the hands were naturally alerted when they'd been gathered together and given the option. Pushing for further information Adam had little to give them. Only that there was some concern over Little Joe. Nothing to be too up in arms over.

"Well you know what the cat will do when the master leaves."

"What?" Adam, perhaps consumed by the worry that was now beginning to build up in him, couldn't grasp the string of words that slipped from Carlos's mouth. He looked to Hoss, then to the rest of the hands only to find that confusion was shared.

The hand just shrugged, as the rest looked on.

"You know, have fun."

A snicker grew among the group, when they realized what their compadre was trying to say. Carlos was renowned for misspoken adages.

"What?" He asked innocently.

Adam, understanding now what their hand was trying to say, couldn't help but agree.

"I've already seen the city." Dan, the acting pointman, declared.

"Having that extra day would have just made me spend money I don't need to be spending." Harry supported.

In the end, all hands had agreed to go. 6 men altogether. Dan Tolliver, the lead; Harry, Carlos, Jimmy, Charlie and Rob. They were a good bunch of men.

They all packed their things and set to take off. When Hopsing had finished prepping for the drive they all set out together. They new it was safer to head out as a group rather than a few of them by themselves. Anything could happen out there in open country.

Ben waited until his boys left out before making his departure. He was headed another direction. South.