Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea, after all.  The black clouds were piling up and racing across the plain toward the high country; it looked like it would be a fierce storm.  The horse that Adam Cartwright was sitting on danced around nervously, sensing the changing weather. They would need to find some sort of shelter, and fast.  Adam looked around for his little brother, Joe.  The two of them had been out most of the day looking for strays.

“I found one Adam!  I found one!  And you were right, she had a calf!”  Six-year old Little Joe came racing back to his brother, his green eyes bright with excitement.  His pony skidded to a halt next to Adam.  “She’s just over there, in those bushes.”

Adam, 18, looked down and smiled.  His little brother’s joy was contagious; making what was normally a very boring job fun.  “That’s great!  We’ll have to leave them for the time being, though.” he said.  “There’s some bad weather coming soon, and we need to find a place to camp.”

“There’s a good place just up ahead, I saw it!” Little Joe said, and without waiting for a response, turned his pony around and headed up the trail.  He didn’t even give a passing glance at the gathering clouds.  This whole day had been so exciting for him; he could hardly believe it when Pa had agreed to let him come with Adam.  Even then he’d had to agree to a whole lot of rules and promise to obey without question. It’d all been worth it, just to have this time with his big brother.

It took Adam a few minutes to gather up the few head of cattle they had already and get them moving.  The cattle weren’t, however, willing to move quickly.  At least the draw to one side of the path kept them from straying too much.  Callie, the mare Adam was riding, continued to jump around, and he was beginning to regret bringing her.  He had hoped to make a good cow horse out of her and thought this short expedition would be a start of her training; but she was proving to be too high-strung.  The rising wind was whipping the dirt around on the trail around her feet, and every time there was a lightening flash or the rumble of thunder she snorted and shied.  The smell of rain was strong in the air, and he contemplated leaving the cattle and going up ahead to find Joe; he had made his own promise to Pa not to let him out of his sight.

Suddenly there was brilliant flash of light followed by a tremendous crash of thunder and a simultaneous deluge of rain.  It was all too much for the mare. Whinnying in fright, she reared up and fought against Adam’s control.  The storm was directly overhead now, and if Adam hadn’t been busy wrestling with his horse, he would have been impressed with the awesome majesty of it.  As it was, every lightening bolt and every sound of thunder was throwing his horse into even more of a panic.  The cattle scattered almost instantly in the confusion.  The mare twisted around and reared up once more when her foot slipped in the mud at the edge of the trail.  Already off balance, the horse fell backward down the short slope into the draw.   As soon as Adam realized what was happening, he made a desperate leap off her back.  He landed hard on his shoulder and back, his head slamming into a rock. The last thing he was conscious of was the mare landing on her side next to him, four legs thrashing in the air as she struggled to regain her feet.  At least it wasn’t on me, he thought as the darkness closed in.

Meanwhile, Joe wasn’t far up the trail, waiting for Adam to come.  The suddenness and fierceness of the storm frightened him a little.  The shallow cave where he and his pony had found refuge from the rain wasn’t much more than a depression in the rocky hillside, but it was keeping them dry.  “Where is he, Jake?” he whispered to his pony, stroking the soft black nose comfortingly.  The pony blew contentedly under the caress. He’d been too well trained to be bothered by even a storm such as this.  It was hard to see through the driving rain, but Joe never took his eyes off the trail and the direction he kept expecting his brother to come with the cattle herd.  He caught a glimpse of a pale brown form coming at him fast.  Before he could move, he recognized Adam’s horse as she raced past, disappearing into the mist.  There was no rider.

Joe waited a few more minutes to see if Adam had merely been thrown and would be walking up the trail.  The rain began to lessen as the main part of the storm moved off. The wind behind the storm was cold even though it was still late summer.  Joe shivered, grateful now that Pa had insisted he bring his jacket as he dug it out of his saddlebag.   He put it on and buttoned it up tight to his chin.  It made him feel warmer but still he shivered, now out of fright.  Adam still hadn’t come.

There was only one thing to do.  Joe knew he had to go look for his brother.  The rain was falling only lightly now with the storm well past to the north, so fast had it been moving.  Joe mounted his pony and turned down the trail.  Luckily it wasn’t far to where he had last seen Adam.  When he got there, however, he was disappointed to see to see nothing except a lone steer standing off to one side munching on a cactus.  The rain had washed away most of the tracks, not that Joe would have been able to make sense of them anyway.  He walked back and forth across the trail, his boots squishing in the mud.

When he got to the edge of the draw, he peered into it carefully.  It wasn’t a deep gully, and he thought he saw something near the bottom. Carefully he took a few steps closer to get a better view, and his breath caught in his throat.  It was Adam, lying still and unmoving on the ground.  “Adam!!” he screamed frantically, racing and slipping in the mud until he reached his brother’s side.  “Adam!  Wake up!” he continued to scream, shaking Adam’s shoulder.  The death of his mother just over a year ago from a horse fall was still vividly fresh in his mind, and one of his greatest fears was losing another member of his family the same way.  Now his beloved older brother lay motionless in the dirt, obviously having been thrown from his horse.  It was too much for him to take, and he started to cry and beat on Adam, fervently hoping his worst fear hadn’t come true.

It was the pain that Adam started to feel first.  The unrelenting, pounding pain.  Pain of someone pounding on him.   Screaming, crying, pain.  Joe!  Adam struggled to banish the darkness and come to consciousness. Something had happened to Joe! He forced his eyes open and focused hazily on his baby brother kneeling next to him, crying and hitting on the chest with his small fists.  “Adam!  Please don’t die!” Joe was sobbing over and over.

“Hey, that hurts!” he mumbled, lifting his arms to stop the ceaseless pounding.  Instant agony from his left shoulder brought tears to his eyes.  He dropped it down and used his right to stroke Joe’s soft brown curls.  “I’m okay, Joe. I’m okay,” he said soothingly.

At Adam’s touch Joe stopped and stared.  ‘You, you’re alive!” he said, his green eyes filled with relief.

Adam managed a shaky smile.  He’d never known such horrific pain in his head before. It all but drowned out the throbbing in his shoulder and arm.  Every movement threatened to send him back into the blackness of unconsciousness, and he fought it with all his will. He could imagine his brother’s reaction if that were to happen.  He was quite sore enough already.  Plus, he knew he needed to get up to higher ground.  The storm up in the mountain could easily send a flash flood through the draw at any moment.  “Yeah, I’m alive,” he agreed weakly.

Joe smiled a little in response.  “I didn’t know where you were.  I was scared,” he admitted, rubbing the tears out of his eyes.

“I bet you were.”  Adam tried to look around without moving his head.  “But you found me, didn’t you?”  He couldn’t get up even the short slope of the gully by himself, and Little Joe certainly wasn’t big enough or strong enough to help much.

“Uh-huh.” Joe sat back and looked at him critically.  “How come you aren’t moving?”

“Well, Joe, I got hurt when Callie and I fell into this draw,” he said, keeping his voice as calm and even as possible.  He didn’t want to upset Joe any further.  “I don’t want to move too much until I know how bad.”  He moved his legs experimentally, pleased that there was no new pain.  Raising his head, however, was a different story.  Even just tightening the muscles in his neck cause excruciating pain and dizziness. He put his hand up to his head.  All he could feel was the rain on his wet hair.  When he pulled his hand back down, though, it was red.

 “I see blood!” Joe said, suddenly scared again. His eyes grew round and he reached out to touch it, then thought better of it and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets.

Adam grimaced.  He was afraid of that.  His mind raced over what to do.  With Callie gone, the options were limited.  Most of their supplies of food were with the mare, as was their small tent.  Luckily he always kept matches in his pocket in case of just such an emergency, so at the very least they could have a fire for warmth, and protection.  Since he had planned to be out only one night, there wasn’t even a change of clothes that could be used as a bandage.  His only hope was with whatever Joe might have put in his own saddlebags.  Little Joe had been so proud that he was able to go out with his big brother that he had insisted on having everything Adam did.  So, there would be Joe’s blanket, his rope for lassoing cattle, and maybe some food Hop Sing may have given him.  With his good arm he motioned Joe close again.  “Where’s Jake?” he whispered.  God, it hurt even to talk!

“Up there.” Joe said, indicating the trail above.  His lip was trembling; he was trying very hard to be brave.

“Do you have anything that I can use as a bandage in your saddle bag?” Adam asked.

Joe nodded.  “Hop Sing made me bring another shirt.  I can go get it!”   He bounded up the slope before Adam could respond.  In a moment he returned, shirt in hand.  “What do you want me to do?”

Reaching carefully for his knife, Adam said, “Joe, I hurt my shoulder so I can only use one hand.  I need you to hold the shirt so I can cut it into bandages.”

Joe nodded in agreement again and held out the shirt.  Fighting off waves of dizziness and nausea, Adam carefully cut a strip from the shirt.  He was trying to hurry, every minute they stayed at the bottom of the gully put them in danger from a flood.  The rain had almost stopped here, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t continuing to rain hard further on up. When he was done, he instructed Joe to fold up part of the shirt into a pad and to secure it to his injury with the strip of cloth.  Biting his lip in concentration, Joe reached out, but stopped before he actually did anything. “I-I-I can’t!”  he cried.

“Joe, you’ve got to!” Adam sighed in frustration.  He didn’t want to alarm him, but now it couldn’t be helped.  “We have to get out of this draw.  If it rains enough up on the mountain, it could send a whole lot of water through here quickly.  I can’t do it by myself; you have to help me!  And the first thing you have to do is put this bandage on my head, okay?”

No answer.  “Please, Joe.” Adam said softly.  “I know you can do it.”

“Okay,” Joe responded.  He didn’t want to let his brother down.  He’d show him how brave he could be.  He gently lifted Adam’s head and tried to work the bandage around to where the blood had come from.  He couldn’t see the actual wound, but he guessed its location from the blood that had matted Adam’s thick, black hair.

The pain was more intense than he could have imagined, and the blackness started to close in again.  “Joe!” Adam gasped, grabbing his brother’s arm. “If I pass out, you’ve got to wake me up again quickly.  Promise me you will.”

“I will,” he whispered, not wanting to think about it.  He sniffed loudly, wiped his nose on his sleeve, and continued to bandage Adam’s head.  He wasn’t very good at tying knots yet, but he did the best he could and hoped it would hold. He gently laid his brother’s head down.  Adam’s eyes were closed and his breathing was fast.  Was this what he meant by ‘pass out’?  Joe prodded Adam’s chest carefully.  “Adam?  Adam?” he said.  “Wake up!  I don’t know what to do!”

Adam’s eyes slowly opened again and he focused on Joe’s small white face bent over his.   “Hey, buddy.  You did real good,” he said weakly.  He dreaded the next part, getting back up to the trail.  “Now you need to bring Jake down here. He’s going to have to help me.”

“You’re too big to ride Jake.”

Adam smiled.  “Don’t worry.  I’m not going to ride him.  My head hurts pretty bad and I don’t think I can get up this hill without leaning on him, that’s all.” He hoped that was all. If just lifting his head a few inches caused him to be dizzy, what would standing up and climbing a hill do?

Joe clambered back up and carefully led his pony down to Adam.  “Now what?” he asked.

“Bring him as close to me as you can.”  When the pony was in position, Adam took a deep breath and slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, keeping his head as still as possible.  The pain and dizziness assaulted him immediately.  It was only by the sheer force of his own will was he able to stay erect, always aware of his little brother and not wanting to upset him any more than necessary.  “So far, so good,” he muttered.  “Hold him real still now, Joe.  I’m gonna pull myself up and lean on his back. As soon as I tell you, lead him up the hill.  Don’t stop for anything.  I’ll keep up.”  Adam was heartened by Joe’s determined look. This was a lot for a 6-year-old to handle, and Joe had already done so much better than he had expected.

“I’m ready, Adam.”

Adam paused a moment longer, gathering his strength.  He took another deep breath, and reached up with his good hand to grab the saddle, pulling himself up and draping his upper body across the horse’s back.  “Go!” he choked out, clutching the saddle.  The sudden movements caused tremendous pain again and, try as he might, he couldn’t stop the blackness this time.

At the sudden command Joe started the pony forward at a walk.  He kept his eyes resolutely forward, not noticing that Jake was actually dragging the unconscious Adam up the hill.  When they reached the top, he didn’t stop until they came to a place near some boulders.  Joe didn’t particularly care for being out in the open all night; he thought the rocks would provide some protection.  “Is this a good spot?” he said, dropping Jake’s reins to the ground and turning around to look at Adam.  He thought his brother looked kind of strange slumped over the pony’s back, and it worried him.  Was he passed out again?  Should he wake him?

Joe walked over and gingerly prodded Adam’s shoulder.   “Adam?” he questioned softly.  “You sleepin’?”  When his brother’s eyes didn’t open, he got scared. “Adam?  Wake up!” he said, shaking Adam’s shoulder harder, his voice starting to rise in panic.

Once more it was the pain that brought Adam back.  Joe had unknowingly gotten a hold of his hurt shoulder.  Pain, and concern for his baby brother.  He heard the tears in his brother’s voice and fought his way back to consciousness to reassure him.  “Okay, Joe,” he said, struggling to open his eyes.  “You did it. Good job.”  Adam carefully looked around, black spots dancing before his eyes.  The next problem was getting off the pony and back down to the ground without any more blackouts.  “Joe, get your bedroll and slicker and lay them down near those rocks,” he said.  The ground looked a little drier there, and the slicker would provide some protection from the mud and wet.

Silently Joe obeyed.  He came back and stood close to Adam, his eyes wide.  “You don’t look so good,” he whispered.  “I think your head’s bleeding again.”

Inwardly, Adam groaned.  This was not going well.  “I’ll need your help again,” he said through gritted teeth, praying that he could just make it to the blanket.

“Sure, Adam,” Joe said.  He was scared to death, but was willing to do anything he could.

With infinite slowness, Adam straightened up enough to lift his upper body off the pony’s back.  Then, leaning on Joe just enough to keep his balance, took the few short steps to the bedroll.  Though the pain was intense, he managed sit down carefully and counted it as a miracle that he remained conscious.  He leaned his head back on the rock, and for some reason that seemed to help.

“We’ll need a fire,” he said.  “Go gather some wood.”  While Joe wasn’t too wet, Adam’s own clothes were soaking.  The cold wind that had come in after the storm was very uncomfortable.  He had to get as dry as possible, quickly.

Joe tilted his head up to the gray sky; the misty rain had finally stopped.  “It’s all wet now.”

“It hasn’t been raining long; the wood won’t be wet through.  It may smoke more, but we can have a fire.”

The thought of a warm fire cheered Joe, but he looked around dubiously.  “There’s not much here.”

Adam sighed.  That was a problem.  Twilight was almost upon them, and there was no way he was going to let Joe out of his sight after that.  “As long as I can hear you, you’ll be okay,” he said reassuringly.  Better let him get the wood far away first.  “Maybe you’ll be able to see Callie.”  A little extra incentive.  Joe was fascinated by all horses, and had taken a special interest in the pretty mare.

Joe was torn.  He wanted to find the mare and get some wood, but the thought of leaving his brother’s side terrified him. What if something happened to Adam while he was gone, like what happened to his mother?  Sensing the reason for Joe’s hesitation, Adam pulled him in for a hug.  “It’ll be all right.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?” Joe said, looking up seriously into his eyes.

“Promise,” Adam answered.  He lightly kissed the top of Joe’s head.   “Now go before it gets too dark.”

The boy slowly rose to his feet, and after a final look, scampered off beyond the rocks.  It as easy to monitor his progress for all the noise he made; Joe had never been the quietest child around. He soon returned with an armload of wood.  He tossed in on the ground next to Adam. “I didn’t see Callie,” he said, “but I did find the calf!”

“That’s good, Joe,” Adam said absently, concentrating hard on keeping the pain at bay. Sitting up was not agreeing with him after all.  He felt cold and thirsty; and was afraid he was going into shock.  The sooner he could get the fire going and lay down, the better.  “Just a little more wood should do it.”

Joe took off again, this time heading down into the gully.  Adam didn’t notice.  Suddenly he heard a startled yelp and then a splash.  “Joe!” he screamed, pushing himself forward.  Ignoring the pain now was easy, what was not easy was ignoring the immediate wave of dizziness that engulfed him.  He couldn’t see straight, much less stand up.  Adam hit the ground with his right fist in frustration.  He just knew his brother had fallen into the swiftly moving water and there was nothing he could do to help.  What was he going to tell Pa and Hoss?

Before he could gather his energy to drag himself to the water, he caught sight of movement at the edge of the trail.  It was Joe, soaked, muddy, and crying.  “Oh my God!  Joe!  What happened?” he said.

Joe ran into his arms, shivering.  “I didn’t see the water and slipped,” he said between shuddering sobs.  “But my jacket got caught in a bush and I pulled myself out.”

“Thank God you’re all right,” Adam said, hugging him tight, regardless of his hurt shoulder.  “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No.” Joe said, trying to choke back his tears.  “But I dropped the wood.”

Adam looked him over quickly.  A scratch on one cheek was all he saw, and of course now his clothes were soaked through.   Yet with the relief the pain in his head came back in full force.  He closed his eyes a moment and managed a slight smile.  “What we have will do fine for now,” he said.  “You need to get dry.”

With Adam’s coaching, Joe managed to build a credible small fire, though it was Adam who had actually lit the match.  The wood did smoke a lot, but the warmth the flames provided more than made up for it.  Slowly they began to dry out as well.  Joe searched his saddlebags and found a small packet of food Hop Sing had slipped in.  Nausea kept Adam from eating; he could only sip a little water. Joe was ravenous, protesting when Adam told him to leave some for morning.  If Callie didn’t come back, that would be all the food they had.

Joe’s worried eyes rarely left his big brother.  The dunking in the water had frightened him very much.  More than anything he wished he were back home, cuddled up on his Pa’s lap before a roaring fire while Adam read from one of his books.  He sniffed loudly as the tears threatened to fall again.  Adam was lying down again with his eyes closed.  He heard the sniff and looked at his baby brother.  “Come here,” he said softly, moving slightly to make room for Joe to lie down between him and the fire.

Afraid of hurting Adam, Joe moved cautiously next to him, his head on Adam’s shoulder.  Adam covered them both with the blanket.  Even with the small fire, the late summer night was turning chilly.  They were both still wet and Adam figured they would be warmer together.  He longed to go to sleep, but knew he couldn’t as long as Joe was awake.

“Adam?”  Joe whispered.

”Yes?”

“Is Pa going to find us?”

“Yes, I think he will.”

“When?  Why isn’t he here now?”  Joe was still of the age when he thought his father knew everything and could do anything, so if he knew they were in trouble, why didn’t he come to rescue them?

Adam sighed.  How could he tell Joe that no one would miss them for at least another day?  He wondered how much he really understood of their situation.  “Joe, if he knew we needed him, he’d be here.  But he doesn’t know, not yet.  Pa expects us back tomorrow.  When we don’t show up, then he and Hoss will find us. We just have to be patient and wait.”

Joe thought on that a moment.  It made sense; he didn’t like it, but it made sense.

“I’ll take care of you until then,” Adam added softly, drawing the little boy in closer.

“Tell me a story,” Joe asked in a small voice, still worried.

“A story about what?”

“Pirates!” Joe said, bouncing upright again.

“Only if you lay still and be quiet.”

“Okay,” Joe yawned and settled back down, cuddled up to Adam’s side.

As he soothingly rubbed Joe’s back, Adam started telling him the story of Treasure Island.  It wasn’t long, though, before his brother’s soft, even breathing let him know that Joe was finally asleep. His own mind drifted back to the morning, at the breakfast table when he had worked so hard to convince Pa to let him take Joe with him today.

“I don’t know,” Ben had said hesitantly.  “Little Joe is only 6. That seems awfully young to me to be riding through the bush looking for strays.  That’s dangerous county. A lot can happen.”

“Ah, Pa, you know what boring work that is. Nothin’ ever happens!”  Hoss, who had just turned 12, added helpfully.  He was glad Adam wasn’t bugging him to go along.  Maybe Joe would actually think it was fun.  Hoss knew better.

“That’s right.” Adam said quickly.  ‘And you’ve been saying that I need to spend more time with Little Joe, especially since I’ll be leaving for college soon.”  Pa had kept Joe on a pretty tight rein since losing Marie; Adam suspected it was because he was afraid of losing this last reminder of his beautiful wife.

Ben looked over at his oldest son.  He could tell that Adam really was looking forward to this outing with his young brother.  He knew Little Joe would be thrilled. Now it was a question of whether he was ready to let his baby grow up.  “All right,” he said with a sigh.  “But only for one     night, and you have to stay in the south section.  I don’t want you two to go up into the mountains.  And you have to promise not to let him out of your sight.  You know how quickly he can get into trouble.  Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Adam said with a smile.  “May I go tell him now?”  At Ben’s nod he raced upstairs to tell Joe the good news.  His brother’s shriek of joy let him know that his idea had been a good one.

Oh Pa! He thought, watching the embers of the fire glow.  It wasn’t Joe that got into trouble, it was me!  I hope you won’t be too disappointed in me.  I promise I’ll bring him home. Exhaustion finally took him over and he slept.

Something was prodding him incessantly, and a low voice kept urgently repeating his name.  “Little Joe, what is it?” he finally mumbled, forcing his eyes open.

“I need to go, bad!” Joe said, clutching himself in a way that only a little kid could get away with.

Adam focused his eyes on the small figure crouched next to him. It was just before dawn, with the eastern sky just barely starting to lighten.  Joe had been constantly told never to go off by himself after dark; but why did he have to pick now to start obeying the rule?  “Okay,” he yawned. ‘Go!”

“I don’t wanna go by myself. It’s dark!  You have to come with me!”

Still extremely tired, Adam closed his eyes and smiled.  “Buddy, I would if I could.  Don’t you remember? I can’t move very well right now.  If you go behind that boulder, I can still see your head.  It’ll be fine.”

Little Joe looked dubious, but his need was so urgent he had no choice but to do as Adam said. He waited for Adam to open his eyes again before he left.  He returned quickly.  “I heard a noise!” he said, crawling back to the safety of his brother, his voice shaking. He pulled the blanket over his head.

“It was probably just some of the cattle,” Adam said reassuringly, closing his eyes again.  It was even more difficult now to stay awake than it was last night, and that worried him too.  He’d hoped to be better in the morning, not worse.  As long as he lay still he could keep the worst of the pain at bay.

“Uh-uh,” Joe said from under the blanket.  “Cows don’t growl.”

“Growl?!” Adam’s eyes snapped open. “What do you mean, growl?”

Joe poked his head out briefly. “Like this!” he said, and made a rumbling sound in his throat before disappearing again.

Just great! Adam thought, reaching to make sure his gun was handy. Could be a wolf or even a cougar after the cattle.  Joe had said there was a calf close by. Predators in this section of the country were well acquainted with humans.  With easier game so plentiful, it was doubtful that one would be after either of them now.  He still wasn’t going to take any chances.

Surprisingly, Joe fell asleep again, and Adam was happy that he had.  It gave him a little extra time to take stock of their situation.  It bothered him that his own injuries weren’t any better.  The pain in his shoulder was fighting with the pain in his head.  Every time he moved he was consumed by nausea and dizziness, not to mention exhaustion.  It was going to be a long day if Pa and Hoss didn’t find them soon. With a cougar or wolf in the area, he didn’t know how he was going to keep an active 6-year-old close by and safe.  He eyed Jake speculatively, wondering if there were any way the pony would be able to carry him back home, but quickly dismissed that idea.  Even if Jake could bear his weight, he’d never be able to sit in the saddle. Sighing in frustration, Adam tried shifting to a more comfortable position.  He had to keep his good arm free to shoot the gun, if necessary.  Without meaning to, he slipped back into sleep himself.

When Adam woke, the first thing he noticed was that Joe was gone.  He tried to sit up, but couldn’t.  “Joe!” he called out.  “Where are you?”

“I’m here,” Little Joe said, running from where Jake had drifted looking for something to eat. He had Adam’s knife in one hand, the torn shirt in the other. “I was making you another bandage!” Joe added proudly.

“Oh my God, Joe!” Adam roared.  “Put it down, now!”

Startled, Joe dropped the knife and it barely missed his boot and stuck into the dirt.  His eyes grew large as he stared at his big brother, still lying on the ground.  “I was being careful. I just wanted to help,” he said with a bit of defiance.

“I know,” Adam replied, giving a sigh of relief. The sudden adrenaline rush caused a coursing pain through Adam's head.  He tried to calmly explain to Joe, "That knife is sharp, and I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Joe looked at his brother sheepishly. "You need your bandage changed. I can see red through it."  He held out the chunk of cloth he had managed to cut off.  He reached for the knife as well, but Adam stopped him.

“Just leave it for now, okay?”

“Okay,” he replied, stepping carefully around the handle sticking out of the ground and coming to Adam. He plopped on the ground next to him.  “I’m hungry.”

Adam tried again to take stock of what needed to be done, and to his immense frustration his mind was refusing to cooperate.  The pain was intense and muddling his thoughts. “Help me sit up and we’ll see what food is left,” Adam said, rubbing his head.

With Joe pulling at mostly the wrong times, Adam was soon propped up with his back against the rocks and his head pillowed on Joe’s spare pants, thoughtfully packed by Hop Sing.  He tried closing his eyes to rest and gather energy, however, Little Joe wouldn’t leave him alone. “I’m hungry!” Joe said again, pulling at his brother’s sleeve.

“Don’t whine,” Adam snapped, wishing for a just a few peaceful moments to cope with his massive headache and try to formulate some kind of plan.  He regretted his harsh words when he saw Joe’s hurt expression.  “I’m sorry,” he sighed.  “Bring the bag over and you can have something to eat.”

Joe sprang to his feet and grabbed the saddlebag, dumping it in Adam’s lap.  He sat back down expectantly.  Dismayed at the small amount of food that was left, Adam pulled out small biscuit and put it in Joe’s outstretched hand.  “That’s all?” Little Joe exclaimed, astonished.

“Yes.  Told you there wasn’t much. We have to make it last,” Adam replied wearily.

Gobbling the biscuit down quickly, Little Joe found the canteen and took a long drink.  “Want some?” he finally said, holding it out to Adam.

Adam took the canteen gratefully.  He still wasn’t hungry, which was good for Joe, but he was very thirsty.  Still, he didn’t want to drink too much water.  The only source for more right now was the stream rushing through the gully, and he didn’t relish the thought of sending his little brother down there for a refill.  It was too dangerous.

With a smile he handed the canteen back to Joe.  “We need more firewood,” he said.  “A whole lot more, to last all day.  You’re gonna have to gather it.”

That was one of his least favorite chores. Slowly Joe got to his feet and shuffled around a little, watching Adam out of the corner of his eye.  “Don’t see any more,” he said crossly.  “I’m not supposed to go where you can’t see me, remember?”

Adam cringed. It was going to be that kind of day, was it?  Gone was the cooperation of the night before and left in its place was an outspoken, recalcitrant six-year-old.  As awful as he felt, Adam struggled hard to keep a hold of his patience.  “It’s daytime now.  I trust you not to go too far.  We really need the wood, Joe.  For protection and to finish drying off our clothes.”

“Can I take Jake?” Joe gathered up the pony’s reins hopefully.

“Sure,” Adam agreed. Anything to get him moving. They were nearly out of wood already.

With a whoop Joe raced off around the boulders, the pony trailing after him. In a few minutes he was back with an armful of good size sticks.  Dropping them by the fire, he turned and leaped onto Jake’s back. “I saw some big logs over there,” he cried out, digging his heels into the pony’s side.  They took off up the trail, showering his brother with a fine smattering of mud.  Adam watched them go, worry furrowing his brow.  Joe seemed to have recovered his good spirits and that could mean trouble.

Feeling so incredibly tired, Adam leaned back against the rock, closing his eyes for just a moment.  With a start he woke some time later.  His head was pounding and nausea still coiled around in his stomach.  The sun had moved a considerable distance across the sky, and there wasn’t any more wood by the barely smoldering fire. Joe was nowhere in sight.  Gasping slightly, Adam bent forward and put more wood on the embers, slowly coaxing the flames back into life.  When the fire was burning brightly, he paused and rubbed his forehead in an attempt to put his chaotic thoughts in some type of order.  First thing he had to do was find Little Joe.  That wasn’t going to be easy given that he wasn’t sure he could even stand up.

Before he could gather energy to shout out, he heard the sound of Joe’s pony sloshing through the mud and Joe talking a blue streak.  His hopes soared.  Maybe he had found someone to help get them back to the ranch.  When Joe turned the corner of the trail, Adam knew he was in for something worse.  Dragging behind his little brother at the end of a rope was the calf he had found earlier, bawling every step of the way for its mother.  “Joe,” he said softly,  “what have you done now?”

Joe’s proud smile nearly split his face. “Look, Adam!” he said excitedly. “I found the calf and brought him here so he’d be safe.”

“His mother would have protected him,” Adam replied.

Joe slid off Jake’s back and fingered the rope in his hand. “He don’t have a mother,” he said softly, sadly.

“What do you mean?” Adam was instantly concerned.

“Somethin’ killed her.  I saw…” he stopped, choking back a sob. He looked at Adam, his green eyes fierce with determination.  “He’s like me now, and I’m gonna take care of him!”  The calf stopped making noise and butted Joe in the back. “See? He likes me!” He threw his arms around the animal’s neck.

Adam closed his eyes wearily and contemplated the situation.  Thankfully the calf looked old enough to be eating food and wasn’t totally dependent on its mother.  He was in no position to go out looking for a milk cow right now. If he turned the animal out, it would surely die.  “All right,” he finally said.  “Tie him up next to Jake.” It must have been hard on Joe, he mused, to see the calf’s mother. It hadn’t been that long since his own mother had died.

Joe tied the calf up carefully, then bounced back over to the fire.  “Thank you Adam,” he said impulsively, giving his big brother a quick hug.

Adam winced at the pain   and covered it up with a smile.  “You know, we’re gonna need more firewood now.”  The presence of the calf was going to make their camp extra attractive to any predators.  It was a gruesome thought, but Adam hoped the cow would keep whatever was out there occupied until they were gone.

Settling down by the fire, Joe looked up in protest.  “Why? You said Pa was going to come for us soon.”

“Joe,” Adam began uncomfortably.  With his head pounding so he couldn’t find the words to explain it gently.  He had to be blunt.  “Pa doesn’t know we’re in trouble yet.  He and Hoss won’t start searching until tomorrow morning probably.  And whatever killed the calf’s mother may come looking for him soon.  We need the fire for protection, and for that we need a lot more wood.”

Joe’s eyes grew big and he glanced worriedly from his brother to the calf. “Really?” he said, scrambling to his feet.  He had assumed that Pa would be there any minute to take them home and make everything right.  Adam’s words frightened him a little.  Moving off slowly, Joe began to pick up as much wood as he could, always staying close enough that he quickly run back to check on the calf and his brother.

Soon there was a pile respectable enough to satisfy Adam.  Joe came back and sat down again, this time as close to his brother as he could. He looked at Adam critically.  “Your bandage is all bloody,” he said.

“Is it?” Adam replied, forcing his eyes open.  He couldn’t seem to stay awake for very long. That, and the fact that he was still quite nauseous and was having trouble keeping his thoughts coherent really worried him.  Putting his hand up to his head, he pulled it away and saw the red smear across his fingertips.  His head swam dizzily and he idly wondered what his chances were of getting Joe to take a nap so he wouldn’t have to worry what he was up to.  One look at Joe’s wide-eyed face and he knew his chances were nil; his baby brother hadn’t napped in years.  “Find your shirt and you can help me.”

Joe quickly located it, only a little dirty from having been dropped in the mud.  He handed it over, stealing glances at the knife still stuck in the dirt. “Be very careful,” Adam cautioned, knowing Joe would have to retrieve it in order to cut more strips from the cloth.

Nodding in eagerness, Joe picked up the knife gingerly between his thumb and forefinger and brought it back to Adam.  He took it, and squinting a little in weariness, had Joe hold the shirt while he cut it up into bandages.  Cautiously Joe untied the bloody cloth and used some of their precious water to wash off the wound.  Then, biting his lip in intense concentration, Joe awkwardly fastened a new bandage around Adam’s head. It wasn’t an expert job by any means, but it was better than nothing.

“You okay?” Joe asked, tilting his head to the side as he regarded his brother solemnly. This was not how Adam normally acted – sitting pale and still, holding one shoulder stiffly. The blood on his head worried him as well.

“I’ll be fine,” Adam reassured him, putting more conviction into his voice than he felt.

Adam’s shoulder was starting to ache as well, and he considered the possibility that it may be broken.  He could move his arm slightly, but it caused intense pain, and that was something he definitely did not need more of.  He shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position.  All ready he could tell the calf was distracting Joe. He wouldn’t be content to stay by the fire for long.  “Joe,” he said, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Promise me you’ll stay close.”

“Sure, “ Joe responded, staring at the ground.  He really didn’t like the way things were turning out, and he wished with all his might that Pa would come riding along to take them home safely and fix Adam.

Subdued, he sat quietly, drawing pictures in the dirt by his feet until he realized that his brother had fallen asleep again.  It was quickly getting boring. Jake was dozing in the warm sunshine, but the calf was shaking his head and pulling on the rope.  It suddenly struck Joe that the calf might be hungry.  Slowly he got to his feet and looked around for anything to give the animal to eat.  The trail was too barren and muddy for grass, but he remembered seeing some not too far off.  Surely Adam wouldn’t mind if he just went real fast and got some?

Since the idea of gathering the grass and bringing it all the way back didn’t appeal to him, Joe untied the calf and dragged him along.  The sun was bright and the sky a brilliant blue, washed clean after the storm. The crisp air revived Joe’s spirits and he quickly forgot his fears.  There was a small meadow nestled among rocks.  Several of the stray cows had found their way to the lush grass that grew in it.  The calf bawled and pulled toward the cattle.  Joe held the rope tight, wrapping it around his arm a few times.  He didn’t want to lose him. Pulling up some grass, he held it out to the calf, which nosed it around and before finally taking a mouthful. Joe was delighted.  While his new pet busied himself eating, Joe lay down in the sweet smelling grass and stared up at the clouds.  Eventually, tiredness overcame him and he dropped off into sleep.

The rope tugging painfully on his arm woke him several hours later.  Noticing how far the sun had moved, he wondered if Adam noticed he was gone yet. Guiltily he jumped to his feet and hauled the calf back in his direction, not seeing that the other cattle had nervously bunched up at one end of the canyon.  “Come on,” he muttered under his breath as the calf balked at stepping closer.  Pulling as hard as he could, he managed to bring the calf out onto the muddy trail.  So involved in his efforts, Little Joe didn’t hear the menacing growl from the rocks just above his head until the calf bleated in terror and dug its feet into the ground, refusing to move.

Terrified, he slowly turned his head upward to see a large gray wolf perched on the boulder, its lips curled back, exposing the long, white teeth.  Quietly, carefully, Joe started to back up, never taking his eyes off the fearsome creature in front of him.  The wolf growled again, and crouched down as if to jump.  Joe bumped into the calf, which suddenly took off in a frantic attempt to get away from the predator.  Since the rope was still wrapped around his arm, Joe was jerked off his feet and fell into the mud to be dragged behind the frightened calf.  He jarred his chin on the ground, biting his lip hard enough to bleed.  The calf was much stronger than he had anticipated, and it was towing him quite a distance up the trail.  Struggling to get back on his feet, Joe crashed into a few rocks, scraping up his arms and tearing his shirt.  Any moment he expected to feel the wolf’s hot breath on his back.  Unable to stop the wild flight, Joe managed to unwind the rope and tumble to a stop in the dirt.  The calf continued up the trail and out of sight.  He glanced back and was surprised to find the wolf had vanished. Trembling, Little Joe scrambled to his feet and took off at a dead run back to the protection of his brother.  Certain the wolf was still after him, Joe burst into the clearing and threw himself on Adam, crying in fear.

The shock of Little Joe crashing into him woke Adam up.  Instinctively he put his arm around the sobbing boy while he tried to figure out what was going on.  He could see that Joe was covered with mud and his clothes were ripped. “Joe! What happened?” he asked, dreading the worst.

“Wolf,” Little Joe said, his voice muffled against Adam’s shirt.

“What did you say?” Adam queried.  He pulled Joe away to get a closer look at him and was dismayed to see his brother’s bloody face.  “Are you hurt?”

“Wolf!” Joe cried again, wiggling out of Adam’s grasp and collapsing on his chest again.  Adam grunted at the pain brought on by the impact.

“Did the wolf bite you?” he said, trying to get a straight answer.  Joe didn’t appear to be hurt, but he was scratched up pretty bad, and obviously very scared.  He shifted Joe slightly so he could reach his gun in case the wolf had followed him all the way back to the camp.

“No,” Joe answered.  He sniffed and wiped his nose with his hand, smearing blood and dirt around his face.  “I’m okay.  But my calf ran away!”  He started crying again and clutched at his brother tightly  “We have to find him, Adam! The wolf will get him if we don’t.”

Adam eased himself into a more upright position, mentally berating himself for giving in to his exhaustion and allowing Joe to wander off.  How could he have been so stupid to think that he could keep track of an active boy while seriously injured? And he finally had to admit to himself just how bad his injuries were; he hadn’t been getting any better as the day went on, only worse.  Now this; Joe could have been hurt himself, or even killed.  It was only by divine luck that his baby brother hadn’t been attacked by the wolf.  He hugged Joe closer at the thought of his narrow escape and patted his head soothingly.

Being held like that by his brother reminded Little Joe of his Pa, and he cried harder.  How he wished Pa was there right now to take care of them.  But there was no Pa, no rescue, and now no calf.  Only his brother, who was too sick to move.

While attempting to reassure his brother, Adam looked around the clearing for any sign of the predator.  Jake was still tied up and was regarding them with interest, his ears pricked forward.  With a sigh of relief, Adam realized that the pony wouldn’t be so calm if there was a dangerous animal around.  The wolf must have moved on.

Joe’s tears had subsided to hiccupping sobs. Since he was still upset, Adam decided not to press the issue of where he had been and why he had left the camp.  In any event, Adam came to a decision – he couldn’t wait any longer for help to arrive.  Even if Ben and Hoss rode out first thing in the morning, it could be many hours, or even days, before they would be able to track them into the foothills.  The rain would have washed away any sign they might have left.  He didn’t even know if Callie had gone back to the ranch; Pa might well have figured that they were just taking an extra day rounding up strays.  Hating the thought but unable to come up with another solution, Adam knew he had to somehow convince Little Joe to ride out, alone, as soon as the sun rose.  He was confident that Jake could get his brother safely to the ranch house and Pa could follow the trail back to him.  After the scare with the wolf, though, he also knew it wouldn’t be easy to get Little Joe to leave.

After a few minutes, Joe sat back up again.  “What about my calf?” he asked sorrowfully.

“I’m sorry, Joe. There’s nothing I can do,” Adam responded. “Maybe he’ll find his way back here.” He tossed some more wood on the fire so it would burn a little higher.  Dusk was just starting to fall.

Unconvinced, Joe gazed back at him.  He saw Adam’ s hand on his gun and figured there was a good chance the wolf was still around.  As much as he wanted his calf back, Joe wasn’t about to leave the protection of the fire or his brother right now. “Is there any food left?” he finally mumbled.

“A little,” Adam smiled, glad the subject of the calf had been dropped. “Look in the saddlebag.”

Joe dug around in the nearly empty bag, pulling out the few remaining things Hop Sing had packed.  There wasn’t much food left, and he dug into the biscuits eagerly.  After devouring a few, he remembered Adam and held one out.  “No thanks,” Adam said.  He was still feeling to nauseous to eat.  Instead, he sipped a little from the canteen.  It was nearly empty too.  He definitely couldn’t send Joe out now to refill it.

Finishing the biscuits, Joe leaned back against Adam with a small sigh.  Both brothers stared at the flames, lost in thought.  “Tell me another story,” Joe said suddenly.  The darker it became, the closer he was crowding up to Adam. He pulled the blanket over them both and looked up into his brother’s face expectantly.  “One about kings and knights and dragons.”

“Okay,” Adam said wearily.  He really didn’t feel like launching into a story right then, but if it would help to keep Joe quiet, he’d try.  He started on a half-remembered tale about King Arthur, embellishing it broadly when his memory lost a detail here and there. He talked for quite a while, until he noticed that Joe hadn’t made a comment in a long time.  Hoping he’d fallen asleep, Adam looked at his face.   “What are you looking at?” he asked softly.  Joe was awake, lying on his back and staring up at the sky.

“The stars,” Joe replied, never moving.

Adam looked up as well, and saw a multitude of stars shining brightly in the clear sky.  “They sure are pretty.”

“Uh-huh,” Joe agreed.  Lifting his arm, he pointed at cluster. “That’s the big dipper.”

Squinting a little, Adam tried focusing on where Joe was indicating. “You’re right,” he exclaimed, surprised.  “How did you know that?”

“Pa showed me,” Joe replied, his voice sad.  “I remember when me and Mama and Pa would go outside at night and look at the stars.”

Adam smiled at his own memories. “Pa showed me too, when I was your age,” he said.  “And Hoss.”

Keeping his eyes fixed firmly above, Joe sniffed and wiped at his nose again.  “Pa knows a lot about stars, from when he sailed on a boat.”  Those had always been some of Joe’s favorite stories to hear.  Adam’s too, since they were so closely connected with his mother and Boston.

“Yeah, he sure does,” Adam said fondly.  “Can you find any others?”

“Just the north star,” Joe replied, pointing again.  He dropped his arm slowly as his eyes filled with tears.  “I miss mama,” he said so quietly Adam almost didn’t hear.

“I know; I do too,” Adam answered, sliding carefully down to lie next to Joe. Even that little movement brought dizziness and threatening darkness.  He couldn’t afford to lose consciousness now.  Through fierce determination he forced it back.

“Why won’t Pa show me the stars anymore?” Joe asked, the tears running down and leaving wet tracks in the dirt on his cheeks.  “Every time I ask, he says no."

Easing himself onto the ground, Adam struggled with what to say. “Maybe it reminds him too much of your ma, and that makes him sad.”

Silently Joe pondered this.  “Well, I wish he would.  I want him too,” he said.

Adam chuckled softly to himself.  Life could be so simple at six years of age.  As he gazed up into the brilliant night sky, he was happy to find that there were still many constellations he could identify easily.  The same ones he had learned from their father many years ago.  He pointed out a few, hoping to get a response. Joe was looking so mournful he had to do something.  “You know what?” he asked.

“What?” Joe answered slowly.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Pa was at these same stars right now, with Hoss.”

“Really?” Joe responded, perking up a little.  Somehow it made him feel better to think that.
 

Ben was supposed to be finishing up the books, he had gotten a lot done since Adam and Joe had left a day ago.  But now it was almost evening, and he had been expected them home early afternoon, and still no sign of those two.  He knew that Joe was in capable hands with Adam, but since last night’s bad storm, he just wanted his two boys home.  It was almost an uneasy feeling he had; Ben tried to push it away several times. They will be home soon enough.  I am sure Adam found shelter for the both of them. I should just enjoy the rare peace that I have with Hoss, he thought to himself. Ben shook the negative thoughts from his head again and went back to working.

Just then he heard the sound of hoofs approaching quickly. There they are now! Ben thought as he started to rise from his seat.  What he saw caused his knees to buckle.  Hoss was riding up with Adam’s horse in tow.  The mare was filthy, with mud caked on her sides, the saddle crooked and Adam’s rifle and saddlebags still attached. Ben gathered his strength and ran full tilt to where his middle son was.  Hoss’ head was low he knew he didn’t have to say a word.  They both were thinking the same thing.

“Pa, I found Callie grazing in the far pasture as I was heading home.  I gave her a quick once over and then came straight back.  She don’t seem to have any major injuries, but it is obvious she took quite a tumble down something. Why else would she be such a mess?”  Hoss, trying to quell his father’s fears as well as his own, continued, “I bet ya the horse got spooked and broke free from where Adam had tied her. She has never been very good during thunderstorms.”

Ben shook his head trying to convince himself of the same thing.  “Yes, you’re right. Adam and Joe have enough sense to get out of the rain.  The horse probably got out of Adam’s grip while he was trying to calm her.”  Neither of them believed it.  Ben’s heart was in his throat.

Hoss took the two horses to the stable.  He removed their saddles and threw some hay and oats into their feed trough.  “Sorry about this. I just don’t have time to give you a proper bedding tonight,” he said quietly.  With that, he started to saddle Buck and Sport.  A few minutes later Hoss led the two horses to where his father was still standing. “We gonna go out?” Hoss asked.

Ben came back to reality.  It took everything in his power not to do such a foolhardy thing, just get on and go find his boys.  Ben knew they needed supplies, they had no idea how far Adam and Joe had gotten.  By the time everything could be gathered it would be too dark to pick up any kind of trail if any was even left after the rain. Unfortunately, they would have to wait until daybreak.  “No, Hoss.  We can’t head out now.  It’s getting dark and we need supplies, we can’t go off unprepared with this.”

Hoss was surprised by his father’s words.  “But Pa, who knows what could have happened?  Maybe the horse did just get loose or maybe one of ‘em is hurt.”  Hoss paused thinking of the worse thing that could have happened, and in a quiet tone added “Or maybe one of them is….” He didn’t want to actually say the words.

Ben knew what his son was thinking.  “Now Hoss, let’s not think that way. We will leave at first light tomorrow.  For now, let’s get these horses taken care of.”  With that, Ben took his middle son’s shoulder and led him and the horses back to the barn.

Once they unsaddled the horses, Ben went to the mare Adam had been riding and started to rub her down, it felt kind of comforting to be near her.  Ben was lost in thought when Hoss spoke, “They ain’t got nothin’ out there with them. Their food and Adam’s roll and shotgun are all here, even his poncho is still tied to the saddle.”  He knew he should have kept this thought to himself as Ben walk towards the horse.

“If this happened during the rain last night, they have been without food, or protection.” Ben was beginning to have second thoughts about not riding out right now.  He also couldn’t help but think that something very unexpected must have happened to his son to have everything still attached to the mare that way.  Adam was too careful. Even if he had just been trying to calm the mare when she broke free, he would have first put their supplies in a safe place.  And if that was all that had happened, the two of them certainly would have been able to walk home by this time.

Hoss and Ben gathered up the things and silently walked into the house.  Hop Sing was just putting dinner on the table.  “You eat.  I make good dinner for Cartwright family!  Where is little one and number one son?”

Ben couldn’t bring himself to tell Hop Sing the whole story.  He just said, “The boys are still out.”

“Good thing I pack little one food too and make him take warm clothes, it getting cold.” Hop Sing added, happy with his own good judgment.

With this the knot in Ben’s stomach unwound just a little. At least they have some provisions, although he really didn’t know how much. Thinking back on it, Joe had taken almost everything with him that Adam did.  Joe looked up to his big brother so much and he wanted to be just like him, which of course meant taking the same supplies. With the exception of a gun, which Ben put a stop to when he saw Little Joe heading toward the gun rack.

Hoss and Ben knew the meal their cook had made for them was wonderful, but neither of them could taste it.  They were both completely numb and just going through the motions of eating; it was almost an unconscious act.  Both of them were thinking about Little Joe and Adam hoping they were okay.  They just wanted to go to bed; the sooner they went to bed, the sooner morning would come, and the sooner they could leave.

Ben lay in bed for some time, unable to sleep.  He kept thinking about his boys out there somewhere.  Around one o’clock he gave up on sleep.  He got up and got dressed.  Quietly, he walked downstairs. The only noise he heard was the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room.  Walking across the floor and out the door, Ben looked up as if to pray.  Just then he noticed the sky and all the stars above him.

Ben was taken with the memory of looking at the stars with Marie and Little Joe. It was something the three of them did as a family.  He remembered doing the same thing with Adam and Hoss when they were younger, out on the trail, but for some reason watching the stars with Marie and Joe had been something truly special.  Maybe it was because they had roots here in the Ponderosa and his family was complete.  Ben realized that since Marie's death over a year ago he had not done that; the stars just didn't seem to shine as bright with her gone. With a pang of guilt he wondered to himself if Little Joe had also stopped looking.  Every time Joe had asked him to go out with him at night, Ben had made some excuse not to.  Looking up to the heavens, Ben prayed: Dear Lord if you brings my boys home safely, I will take the time to look at the stars and appreciate all you have given to me.

Taking a deep breath, Ben got up to walk back into the house.  For a summer night the temperature was cool and he couldn't help but wonder if his two boys were warm enough out there. Turning towards the door he saw a figure step back.  Coming closer, Ben saw that it was Hoss. He shook his head. Hoss was such a gentle boy, and quiet. Sometimes so quiet he was overlooked between Adam, who was older and practically a partner in running the ranch, and Joe, who was a ball of energy and needed a lot of attention. Hoss sometimes seemed to get lost. Ben realized that right now was one of those times.  He had been so caught up in his own thoughts since finding Adam's horse he hadn't considered what Hoss must be going through. This had to be hard on him.  Like Adam, Hoss had lost too much in his young life. His mother died when he was very young, and then Marie just a short time ago.  She had been the only mother Hoss had known and when she died the twinkle in his middle son's eyes dimmed a little.

Now in the light of the oil lamp, Ben could see that Hoss had been crying. He walked into the house and took him into his arms and hugged him. They both needed it.  "Pa," Hoss cried. "I don't know if I can stand losing them. We gotta find them, we just gotta."

"We will, son. They are out there and we will find them."  He held his son for a long moment.
Waiting until Hoss stopped crying and settled down a little, the two of them sat down on the porch. Hoss leaned his head against his father’s chest and looked up at the sky.

“The stars sure are bright tonight, aren’t they?” Ben asked.

“They sure are,” Hoss sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “I can even see the big dipper. It’s right over there.”  He pointed in the direction were the stars shined the brightest and formed a cup and ladle. Hoss paused for a brief moment. “Pa, do you think Adam and Joe are looking at the big dipper too, wherever they are?”

Such a simple question, and yet the thought gave Ben great relief. Somehow he knew that at that very moment his boys were alive, and they too were looking at the stars.  With a smile on his face he put his arm around his son. “I’m sure they can.”

Ben continued. “Seeing how we are both awake, why don’t we get our stuff together now. Then tomorrow at day break we can head out first thing.”

 Hoss brightened at the idea. “If we get ready now, then we can just jump on the horse and go.”

“That’s the idea, son,” Ben said with a smile. He knew he had to be there for Hoss too, no matter how much he was worrying about Joe and Adam.

Ben waited for Hoss to return from getting dressed. He watched as Hoss descended the stairs, and he couldn’t help but smile for his middle son looked more like a 17-year-old man than a 12- year-old child. Many times Ben had to remind himself of that fact.

 The thought of getting packed up had excited Hoss. It was better than sitting in his room worrying about his brothers, thinking the worst.  By packing, he was just that much closer to finding them; and he was going to find them, come hell or high water.

It was still to early to tack up the horses but that didn’t stop Hoss from going out to the barn to lay the saddles out and give each horse an extra helping of oats.  “You boys are gonna need it, we are gonna have a long day tomorrow on the trail,” he said to the horses as they munched their late night snack.

Thinking out loud, he contemplated a plan of action. “Let’s see. The last time Adam and I went looking for strays by the south pasture, he stuck to the draws to see if any cows found themselves down there.” Looking at Callie confirmed it. To get that much mud on the mare, he must have been off the meadows and on the more barren foothills.

As he walked up to Callie to put some more hay in the trough, the horse shifted nervously. Shaking his head he picked some more mud out of her mane. ”Why Adam thought you would be a good horse is beyond me. You dance around like a ballerina with her toes on fire at the sight of dust around yer hoofs.”

Ben found himself sitting on the couch. He had finished gathering food and extra clothes for his two sons. If that fool horse had fallen in the mud with a Adam, he was sure to be a dirty from head to toe. He tried to focus on little things like that, to keep his true thoughts from coming to the surface. What if Adam had been thrown from the horse and killed? Joe would be out there alone. So many awful thoughts would run through his head if he gave them a chance. He found it easier to manage the mundane things like dirty clothing and warm blankets. The sound of Hoss quickly entering the house brought Ben out of his thoughts.

“Pa! I think I know where they are!” Hoss exclaimed happily. “If I know Adam and how methodical he is, they are gonna be on the far end of the south pasture, by the draw. He always ends the search there. It’s the hardest bit of land to cover because of the limited maneuvering space, but from there it is easiest to get the stragglers back to the pasture with the rest of the herd. I know they are around there somewhere. How else could Callie get all that mud all down her side? If she just fell the pasture wouldn’t have been streaked like it was.”

Ben was surprised at how much Hoss had thought this out. He was also duly impressed at the information that was coming from his 12-year-old son. Everything he was saying made perfect sense. Once Adam found route that worked for him he did tend to stick to it, and he knew the chances were even better he would stick to an established plan since he had Joe with him. It would be easier to watch a child and the herd on an established route than to strike off into territories unknown.  Having a basic idea of a location of the boys would make the search much easier. They could start at the far end and work their way back.

“Hoss, I’m proud of you. You just cut about a half a day off our search. I wouldn’t have even thought about Adam’s search pattern. I would have just gone out to the south pasture and hope that we would stumble on them.”

Hoss looked at his father, smiling. He would be even more proud of himself if they actually found his brothers where he thought they were. He knew he could be a good tracker. Tex, their head ranch hand, had seen the potential there and had taken Hoss under his wing. Taking the time to show him the difference between hoof prints with and with out shoes, and subtle things like how twigs break in the direction a horse is traveling if they are going through high brush. Hoss had been wanting to try out his new found skills, but not this way, not looking for his two brothers.

He sat down heavy on the couch next to his father. His excitement to get out on the trail had been overtaken with weariness again his thoughts drifted back to Joe and Adam.  “Pa, do you think they are okay out there? It is mighty could tonight.”

Ben patted Hoss’ shoulder reassuringly, despite the fears he was feeling himself. He was not going to worry his young son any more than he had to. “Adam is a good outdoors man, and if there’s one thing I know I have taught you boys, it was to always keep matches and a knife with you at all times. I know at very least they have these things and so they can make a fire. They maybe a little hungry and tired when we find them but, they will be okay.” With his last words he once again looked up towards heaven in a silent prayer.

Hoss nodded. He had never known his father to lie to him. Resting his head against the arm of the couch, Hoss fell asleep watching the fire.  Ben watched his son sleep for a long while, and felt the warmth of tears welling up in his eyes. He could feel it in his heart that his sons were still alive, a parent’s intuition told him so. But unfortunately that intuition could not tell him if his sons were hurt.

The sounds of pots clanking in the kitchen woke Ben with a start, he noticed the blanket draped over his shoulders and Hoss’ head resting in his lap on a pillow. Looking out the window he could just make out the first streaks of daybreak.  “Hoss son, it’s time to go. Get some biscuits from Hop Sing and I’ll get the horses saddled.”

Hoss groggily opened his eyes and looked blearily at his father.  His mind was still foggy from the sleep until suddenly the thought of Little Joe and Adam pushed the cobwebs from his head.
“Pa, we gotta go, they are waiting for us out there!” Hoss said with panic in his voice. He, too, could see the morning starting to break.

 Jumping up, he started for the door. Hop Sing came out of the kitchen carrying three packages wrapped in paper and handed them to Hoss.   “You take. Growing boy must eat, other food for Number one son and little one, go follow father and find brothers.”

Hoss bowed his head in gratitude towards their cook and followed his father to the barn.  It wasn’t too long before they were on the trail to the far end of the south pasture.
 

Birds chattering on the rocks above his head woke up Little Joe just as the sun was rising over the horizon.  He was curled up in a warm ball next to his brother’s side.  The blanket that covered him completely was damp with the morning dew as he stuck his head out to look around.  At his movement the birds flew away and all was quiet once more.  Yawning and stretching, Joe looked around as if expecting his father and Hoss to come riding around the bend.  Disappointed that they were still alone, Joe crawled out from his warm nest and rummaged through the saddlebag for something to eat.  Nothing. Joe sighed, and turned to Adam, shaking him.  “Adam,” he said.  “Adam!  Wake up.”

His brother’s eyelids fluttered and he gave a little groan, but didn’t wake up.  Joe shook him a little harder. “Wake up!” he insisted.  Adam’s almost constant sleeping was scaring him.

“Shh, Hoss,” Adam said with his eyes closed. “You’ll wake Pa.”

Joe sat back on his heels and stared at Adam in confusion.  What was he talking about?  He reached out a tentatively poked him again, this time unintentionally jarring his shoulder.

The pain penetrated the fog in Adam’s mind and his eyes snapped open, slowly focusing on Joe.  “Good morning,” he mumbled through cracked lips.  He was tremendously thirsty and reached for the nearly empty canteen.  He quickly drained it and tossed the container onto the ground.

“I’m hungry,” Joe announced, still holding the leather bag in one hand.

It took Adam a few moments to sort out the chaotic thoughts in his head and recognize who was speaking to him. “Oh, Joe. Isn’t there anymore food?”

“No,” Joe replied slowly.

“Just go get some more from Hop Sing,” he said wearily, already feeling the exhaustion threatening to overtake him.

“Hop Sing isn’t here,” Joe replied, his face screwed up in worry. Adam wasn’t making any sense to him.  He could feel the tears threatening at the back of his eyes.

Shaking his head slightly, Adam looked at his brother and put a hand up to rub his forehead as he managed to pull himself together.  “Joe, I’m sorry.  I must have still been dreaming,” he said wanly, hoping that would serve as an explanation.  He was almost as frightened about his condition as Joe was.  It was all he could do stay conscious for even a few brief minutes.  “You gotta do something for me, buddy,” he continued quickly.

“Sure, Adam.  What do you want?” Joe relaxed slightly and slipped closer to throw a few sticks onto the fire that was nearly out.

“You have to ride back home and get Pa for me. I can’t wait here any longer. I’m not getting any better.”  It had been a mistake to drink all that water so quickly; it was rolling around in his stomach.  But Adam was afraid to close his eyes again, afraid that if he relaxed even a little, he drift off again.

“No!” Joe cried, horrified at the thought of leaving Adam alone.  “I can’t!  I won’t!  You said Pa would be here to get us.”

“I know, I know,” Adam said soothingly, feeling his control slipping away. “But Pa doesn’t know where we are, and he may not know we need help yet.  Jake will get you back to the ranch. You have to go now, Joe!”  The blackness rose up to claim him.

Chewing his lip anxiously, Joe stared at his brother’s still body.  He was too scared to leave Adam; afraid something bad would happen to him if left alone.  The thought of the wolf worried him as well. He didn’t want to run the risk of meeting it again, especially by himself.  He could tell Adam was badly injured and would need a doctor.  But he couldn’t bring himself to go, not yet.  Clinging to the hope that Pa would come soon, Joe crept back under the blanket and pressed his trembling body close to Adam’s, seeking what little comfort he could.  He thought briefly about his calf, but didn’t have the nerve to venture out and look for it either.

He didn’t know how long he lay there, staring at the fire.  Every so often he would get up and toss some more wood on it, the flames giving him some measure of security.  Adam didn’t move.  Each time Joe contemplated waking him again, but decided against it.  Pa will do that when he gets here, he would think firmly, pushing away any idea of going off on Jake to get help.

After a time, Adam stirred, knocking Joe lightly in the back.  “Hey, Hoss,” he said, “Time to get up.  We gotta get moving.”

Joe scrambled to the other side of the fire and regarded Adam in alarm.  His brother’s dark eyes were open and he was looking right at Joe, but he wasn’t seeing him.

“You go wake Pa and I’ll start breakfast.  He said we would get to our new homestead today!”  He made a movement as if to get up, but the pain in his shoulder stopped him and he fell back with a grunt. “It’s gonna be great, Hoss, don’t ya think?  No more being on the trail all the time; a real house for us to live in.”

Joe whimpered softly in fear.  Adam’s behavior was truly scaring him.  He crouched down low to the ground, never taking his eyes off his brother.  Soon Adam lapsed back into silence.  Joe rose and cautiously made his way back to Adam’s side.  Not really knowing what he was looking for, he put his hand to his brother’s forehead as he had seen Pa do.  It felt only slightly warmer.  Joe’s experiences with illness had been nothing like this, and he was confused about what to do.  The threatened tears finally spilled out of his eyes as he came to the terrifying conclusion that Adam was right.  Leaning as close as he dared, he put a hand up to shake his brother awake. He couldn’t leave without telling him.

“Adam,” he said softly. “I…I’m gonna take Jake and go get Pa. I’ll bring him back, I promise!”

Opening his eyes suddenly, Adam smiled at Joe. “That’s great, Hoss.  You’re big enough to take care of the horses now. I’ll help you to get them hitched up in a minute.”

Joe stood up and backed away quickly.  He ran over to Jake and threw the saddle onto the pony’s back, cinching it tight. Jake tossed his head, eager to get moving again after standing still for so long.  Stealing glances back at Adam, he saw that his brother had lapsed back into silence, for which he was grateful.  The things he’d been saying made no sense.  Clambering upon Jake’s back, Joe hesitated again.  He hated leaving Adam and the thought of riding off alone when he didn’t know where he was going scared him.  Plus, Pa had made him promise to stay close and not wander off.  But Adam had been getting progressively worse over the past two days and it was more than Little Joe could handle.  He worried what would happen if he left, but he worried more about what would happen if he didn’t obey his brother and go get help.  He needed Pa, Adam needed Pa, and he was the only one who could find him and bring here.

Giving him his head, Joe resolutely urged the pony down the trail toward home.  Coming down out of the foothills was easy, there was only one track to follow.  Halfway down he thought he saw a flash of gray in the bushes and he pulled Jake up in near panic.  The wolf!  He’d forgotten all about it.  What if it was tracking him? What if it went back to get Adam? Or his calf?  He started to turn Jake around and head back up when he stopped again, tears of frustration in his eyes.  He couldn’t make up his mind.  If he went back to protect his brother, they wouldn’t be any closer to getting help.  Maybe the best thing was to find Pa quickly. Circling his pony around, he nudged it down the trail again at a faster pace.  All the while he kept his ears tuned to any sound of four-footed pursuit.

When he hit the bottomland, however, the trail he was following slowly faded away. Baffled about what to do next, he halted Jake and stared at the ground.  He had a desperate feeling that he wouldn’t be able to find Pa in time.  Overwhelmed, he dropped the reins on the pony’s neck and rubbed his eyes, struggling to keep from crying.

Jake, tired of being out on the trail with little to eat, took advantage of the loose control. Turning his head slightly to the west he started off along the edge of the meadow toward his distant stable. Caught off guard, Joe almost fell at the sudden movement and grabbed on to the saddle to keep from tumbling.  He scrambled a moment to get a hold of the reins until he realized that Jake probably had a better idea of where home was than he did.  He drooped back into the saddle, exhausted and forlorn, letting the pony continue in the direction it had chosen.

Hoss was the first to notice the movement at the edge of the trail.  Squinting to cut the light out of his eyes, he felt his heart jump into his throat.  "Pa!" he exclaimed. "It’s Joe!"

He didn’t wait for his father to answer, but took off once again into a full out gallop. Hoss’ words were music to Ben’s ears. Although he could not see what had gotten Hoss so excited, he trusted his son’s instincts and ran after him.  Hoss couldn’t believe his eyes, there was his little brother just at the end of the meadow. Stopping short, he jumped from his horse.   "Joe!" he cried, reaching up to grab his baby brother.

"Hoss, don’t!" Ben shouted. He saw blood streaked on Joe’s face and the state of his shirt.  He didn’t want Hoss pulling him off the horse and injuring him any more than what he might be.

Dismounting his own horse he ran over to his baby son. "Joseph, are you all right?"

Joe was overcome with emotion. Seeing his father and brother had opened up the floodgates that had been threatening to overflow since he left Adam by himself and lost in his own head.  He reached his arms out to his father and cried "Pa!"

Ben gently took his son from his horse and sat him on the ground, Joe was sobbing openly in his arms. He did a quick once over and found that none of Joe’s injuries were bad, just scraps and scratches.

Hoss felt a rush of relief to see Joe safe and in his father’s arms.  A slight smile on his face, he wanted this reunion to be better, there was something missing. Hoss looked through the small stand of trees Joe had come through, waiting so see the long tall figure of his brother walking behind. He would be back farther on foot. The longer he waited the larger the lump in his throat grew.

"Pa, I don’t see any sign of Adam" Hoss whispered, not wanting to interrupt the exchange between him and Joe.

"I know, Hoss, I know," Ben said, looking down at Joe who had not stopped sobbing and showed no sign of slowing.

"Joe, do you know where Adam is?" Ben asked as gently as he could

Joe nodded his head yes, but could not calm himself enough to tell where. Two days of being hungry, cold and scared had caught up with him.  He no longer felt the need to be brave, his Pa was there and that was all he could bring himself to care about at that very moment.

Ben was starting to get anxious.  If Adam hadn’t walked to them by now, something was very wrong. The longer they sat here, the later it would be before they found him.

Ben tried to remain calm. "Joe, you need to tell me where your brother is. Is he hurt?  Is that why he isn’t here with you?"  Again, all Joe could do was nod his head ‘yes’ to both questions.

Ben tried to hold onto his patience; he wanted both of his sons with him and his youngest held the only key to finding his oldest. He took Joe by the shoulders and holding him at arms length he gently shook Joe to bring him out of his reverie.

Hoss watched and could see that the panic Ben was starting to show was causing Joe to cry more. He put his arm on his father’s.  "Pa, let me talk to him. Please Pa, let me try."

Ben shot an angry glance at Hoss. Who was this twelve-year-old kid telling him how to handle his boy? Startled by his own thoughts, he let go of Joe and sat back on his heels. That twelve-year-old boy was the one who knew where to start looking and who had the ability even at his young age to calm the most agitated horse.

"Joe," Hoss started in the most soothing voice he had, drawing Joe close to him. "Hey short shanks, I bet ya you were scared, huh?"  He smiled encouragingly at his young brother.

Joe stared at Hoss, sniffing and rubbing at his eyes. The question seemed to calm him a little and he found his voice. "Yeah, I was. Adam wasn’t making any sense. He kept calling me Hoss, and talking about finding our homestead. He’s hurt, Hoss. He hit his head back there in the draw.  Callie and him fell down into the gully." Joe wiped his tears from his face with his shirtsleeve before continuing.  “I found a calf ‘cause it’s ma had been killed.  Adam said I could keep him, but he got away when the wolf chased us.”

Hoss and Ben exchanged alarmed glances.  Wolf?  Drawing a deep breath and trying to slow down the rapid beating of his own heart, Ben reached out to turn Joe back to him.  “Joe, son,” he began softly.  “I need you tell me what happened.  Where’s Adam?”

Haltingly, Joe started with the storm, and watching Callie run by riderless.  “I went to find Adam,” he said, screwing up his courage so he wouldn’t cry.  “He couldn’t walk, so Jake and I had to carry him back up to the trail so the flood wouldn’t wash him away.  He made a fire and let me use his knife to cut up my shirt for bandages ‘cause his head kept bleeding.  I ate all the food Hop Sing packed; Adam didn’t want any.  When I took my calf to the meadow, we saw a wolf and he chased us. I told Adam I wanted to go find him, but Adam was sleeping all the time and when he woke up he started calling me Hoss and told me to hitch up the horses!” He finished in a rush, losing his battle against the tears as they flowed freely and he collapsed in his Pa’s arms again.

Horror-stricken by his account, Ben held Joe close, patting his back and rocking gently, trying to soothe him.  A myriad of thoughts ran through his head.  From Joe’s story, his oldest son must be seriously hurt from what sounded like a head injury.  The loss of appetite, sleeping and hallucinations were not good signs; Adam would need medical attention as quickly as possible in order to prevent worse complications.  That didn’t even take into consideration the danger of the wolf nosing around a helpless man.  Hoss’ face had gone positively white as he listened to his brother’s tale.  “Where is he, Joe? Is Adam near here?” Hoss asked, his voice a near whisper from the shock.

Joe, his face buried in Ben’s neck, didn’t respond.   All the frightening things that had occurred over the past few days finally came crashing down on him and all he could do was cling to his Pa.  Hoss stepped forward and rubbed Joe’s back also. He got his brother calm enough to talk once before, hopefully he could do it again.  “Little buddy?” he said softly. “You gotta tell us where Adam is so we can help him, okay?”

Joe’s only response was to cry harder and cling closer.  Hoss looked at Ben in despair.  “Pa, I bet I could follow Jake’s tracks back up into the foothills. We could get to Adam that way.”

Ben had already had the same thought, but slightly different. He shook his head.  “No, son. I need you to ride back the ranch and get the wagon and some of the hands to come back here as quickly as possible. And send someone for the doctor. I can follow tracks too, and bring Adam down here. The wagon would never make up any of those trails.”  He smiled slightly at Hoss’ crestfallen expression.  “Hoss, we need to work together to help Adam.  Why don’t you take Little Joe with you…”

At those words, Joe shot upright in his arms. “No!” he cried. “I wanna stay with you!”  He wouldn’t stand to be separated from his Pa so soon after finding him again. His look was so angry and defiant that in the interest of saving time, Ben knew it would be best not to force the issue.

“All right,” he said. “You can come with me.”

With a nod, he sent Hoss racing off back to the house.  He settled Joe on his pony, fending off his objections by saying he would need to put Adam on Buck.  The two started off toward the foothills. Joe followed as closely as Buck would allow, his eyes glued to his father’s back.  Ben kept his gaze on the ground, following the prints left earlier by Joe’s pony.  They moved as quickly as Ben dared, not wanting to miss anything.  He didn’t know if Joe would be able to lead him to Adam or not. The trails, canyons, and gullies looked very similar to a young child.  They rode silently, Joe wrapped up in the misery of his experience, and Ben worried about the condition of his eldest son. He prayed they would not be too late.

Adam lay perfectly still; it was the only way to keep the various pains from coursing through his body. The quiet was a welcome thing.  There had been something around earlier that kept nagging him, but now it was gone and he was left alone with his jumble of thoughts.  ‘I must be tired from walking, Pa has had us traveling far lately with few rests, we are so close to our new home.’  You’re not tired from that; you’re tired cause Callie threw you and you’re hurt.  Where is your baby brother?  a voice in the back of his head interrupted.

‘I gotta fetch Hoss, he’s playin in the field with the other kids on the trail.’  Hoss isn’t here, you promised Pa you would look after him. ‘ If Hoss isn’t here, who is it I’m looking after?’

You said nothing would happen rounding up the cattle. ‘ Who am I suppose to be looking after?’

Adam forced his eyes open. He was so tired and thirsty, he willed himself to focus on one thought. Rolling over onto his left side, the pain in his shoulder cleared his mind momentarily. Tears of pain and frustration welled up in his eyes.  Suddenly it was clear: where was Joe? Had he sent him out? He tried to reach back to his last solid memory, it seemed like such long time ago. Joe was lying with him, something about the stars.... Did Joe leave last night? He panicked briefly, would I send Joe out in the dark? What would Pa think?  Anxiety started to rise in him; he could feel himself losing the thread of thought.  I gotta think. Rubbing his hand over his eyes trying to keep the jumble in his head at bay until he could figure out where Joe had gone.

“Laying here isn’t going to help, sit up Adam, sit up and hold yourself together,” he said out loud.

Holding his breath, Adam forced himself to sit upright. Taking two more deep breaths he opened his eyes and immediately regretted it, the world seemed to shift abruptly to the left. He put his arms down quickly to steady himself, stars of agony shot through his eyes. Moving his shoulder so quickly had caused screaming pain. Leaning his head against the rock he closed his eyes and held his arm. The pain seemed to lessen if he held his arm tightly against his body.  After a moment or two.  He opened his left eye experimentally and was pleased to find that the land stayed level. Slowly he opened his right eye. Things swayed a little, but he no longer felt like he was going to fall off.

Talking out loud to himself, he once again set himself to the daunting task of trying to remember if he sent Joe off in the night. Looking around he saw Jake and Joe’s saddlebags were gone. The only thing left was the blanket he had been using.

“Think, Adam.  Joe wouldn’t go in the dark. “ Talking out loud to himself helped him kept his mind from wandering too far off track.

“The wolf! Oh God, the wolf! I wouldn’t send Joe out with the wolf around no matter how sick I was. We looked at the stars last night; he fell asleep next to me. He must have left this morning.” He could not remember any conversation he had with his baby brother this morning. He remembered talking to Hoss, and telling him to find help. But Hoss wasn’t around.  Adam could feel the frustration rise in him. Why couldn’t he think straight, why did his arm hurt so much, and where was his brother?

It took one glance over to the canteen that was sitting at arms length for Adam to lose track of his thoughts. He became aware of the awful thirst he had, leaning over slightly he got a hold of the container. Picking it up he shook his head, empty. Pa is gonna have my hide. Hoss and I were supposed to fill this before we left the stream. Now we gotta make it to the next town before I can fill the canteens. Resting his head against the rocks he thought, Pa must have seen how tired I was and is letting me rest here until he returns. He said he was gonna do some scouting, he must have taken Hoss with him....

The sun was warm on his face.  He was aware of how cold he was, but forcing himself to sit up had drained him of what little energy he had stored up. I’ll just rest here until Pa comes and tells me it’s time to head out again.

Ben picked his way through the scrub and mud, keeping one eye on the trail and the other on Joe, which for once wasn’t too hard. He was awfully shaken up by the whole ordeal and stayed very close to Ben.  He would have gotten closer, but Buck and Jake felt they need some space between them and prevented it.

Joe was quiet; he was trying to keep an eye out for something familiar, some kind of marker to lead his Pa back to Adam. He was starting to get nervous. Everything looked the same.  Why hadn’t he paid attention to the landscape when he and Jake were here earlier? At the time all he cared about was finding his Pa and getting help for Adam. It seemed to Joe that they were on the trail a lot longer then he had been earlier. He stood up in his saddle to search the horizon for something familiar.  Squinting, he could see the drop, which was the start of the gully he had fallen into.   "Pa, he’s over there! That’s the gully I fell into the other night! Adam is just around the next bend!"

Ben was relieved that Joe had recognized something. It would make getting to Adam that much faster, he was, however, concerned about the mention of the gully.  "Joe, you fell in the gully? When did this happen?"

"Just after the rain the other night. I went to find firewood to start a fire, and fell in. But it’s okay, Pa.  All that happened was I got about as wet as Adam! I helped Adam start the fire and I found all of the wood." The words came out in typical excited six-year-old fashion, a barrage of tidbits all rolled into one.

Ben smiled despite himself. Joe wasn’t hurt from the fall, it seems all it did was scare him a bit.  "It seems to me, Joe, you were a big help to Adam. I’m proud of you."

Joe beamed. "I wanted to do more, but Adam wouldn’t let me use the knife to cut the bandages."

"I’m sure Adam thought it was for the best that you didn’t help him with that."  Ben couldn’t imagine how Adam had managed to look after his little brother.  It was a challenging enough to do that on a daily basis, let alone with any kind of injury.

Joe nudged his pony into a fast trot. He wanted to show Adam that he found Pa and Hoss and everything was gonna be all right. Ben was following close behind.  They came upon the site and found Adam sitting up with his head resting against the rocks.

"Adam!" Ben exclaimed as he jumped from his horse and ran to his son.

He was shocked at the sight before him. Adam’s hair was a tangled mess with a bandage poorly wrapped around his head. He could see the red stain from the wound. His shirt was torn in several places and he was covered in dried mud. There were many scratches and bumps on his face and hands.

Adam’s eyelids were so heavy. He heard his father call him.   It must be a dream.  Pa is out scouting, he thought.  He heard the voice call him again, this time he opened his eyes to see his father kneeling in front of him.

"Pa, I fell asleep. The sun felt nice on my face. I thought I would wait here for you, I knew you would be mad if I wandered off so I stayed right here."

Ben was overjoyed to see his son, despite how he looked.    "Son, I don’t think you could wander off if you wanted too."

Adam smiled slowly, understanding what his father meant. His body ached and his head and shoulder throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

"Pa, I’m thirsty, and my head hurts."

"I know son. We are gonna take of everything"

Joe stood quietly behind Ben, watching his father’s every move. When he first saw Adam again he was afraid he might be dead. He was so still.

Ben wanted to get a better look at Adam’s injuries, and the best way to do that was to help him lay down. Gently he took Adam by the shoulders and was startled by the yelp of pain that came from him.   Adam had been in a fog until he felt the touch on his left shoulder; the searing pain opened his eyes and brought him around.    "My shoulder!" he said, pulling away.

Ben was crushed that he had caused his son more pain.  Joe had failed to mention that Adam had also hurt his shoulder.  Looking at it now, it seemed as if his collarbone was not straight. Shaking his head, he wondered how much pain Adam must have been in, with nothing to immobilize that arm and a blow to the head. No wonder Adam is delirious, he thought to himself.

He did notice that the jarring of his shoulder brought recognition to his son’s eyes where just moments ago Adam had been looking through him, not focusing on anything.   Adam held his arm firmly against his chest and looked around. It was with great relief that he saw his father before him and it wasn’t just a dream.   But there no sign of Joe, and he grew frantic.

"Joe! Pa, he wandered off again.  I’m sorry Pa. I tried to keep him close. The calf, he went after that calf. I know he did!"

Ben tried to calm his son. "It’s okay, Adam. Joe is right here."

Joe had been hovering behind Ben since they dismounted from their horses. Adam’s frantic voice had scared him and he had shied farther behind his Pa.

"No, he’s not. Pa, you don’t have to lie to me. He’s gone isn’t he? I told you I would keep after him and I didn’t."

Ben eased his son all the way to the ground and looked quickly around for Joe. He couldn’t have wandered off in those few moments. He knew the only way to calm Adam down was to physically show him his little brother.    "Joseph!" he boomed.

Thinking he was in big trouble, Joe ran behind a boulder.    He guessed that Pa was mad he had left Adam; that had been against direct orders.  The relief at finding his brother was now giving way to the fear that he would start saying crazy things again, calling him Hoss and telling him to wake Pa. Even with their father here, Joe didn’t think he could face that again.  When he saw Pa stand up, he scurried further away. He was still reluctant to go too far; he just wanted to be out of sight a little.  Then he saw a bit of rope lying on the ground. Distracted and hoping it would lead him to his calf, Joe picked it up and followed it into some bushes.

Trying not to curse angrily in front of his sons, Ben took a few steps away from Adam and almost stepped in the fire.  It was nearly embers now, anyway.  He kicked dirt over it absently as he scanned the surrounding area for Little Joe.  Where could he have gone?  He couldn’t leave Adam, neither could he let Joe wander around, especially with a wolf somewhere nearby.

“I’m sorry, Pa,” Adam said again in a whisper, his eyes closed against the bright light of the sun.  “I tried to watch him, honest.  I just couldn’t.  Now he’s gone and we won’t make it to the homestead.”  Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes.

Concerned, Ben bent back down again. In his delirium, Adam obviously thought that Joe was gone, really gone.  “Son,” he said firmly, “Joe is with me, I promise.  How else would I have found you?” He drew the damp and muddy blanket up onto Adam’s chest.  “I’ll go and get him, you’ll see. Is there anything you need?”

“Water.  So thirsty,” he replied wearily.

Hastily Ben retrieved a canteen from his horse and gave Adam some water.  He gulped it gratefully then sank back down with a sigh. “Gotta go hitch up the horses now,” he mumbled.

“Joseph!” Ben called out a little less forcefully.  He tried to keep his annoyance and frustration with his youngest son to a minimum, but it was hard when he pulled tricks like this. “Where are you?”

Assuming Little Joe wouldn’t go far, he peered over the rocks, expecting to see him just on the other side.  It was empty.  Anxious, Ben glanced first at Adam on the ground before walking around out of his sight to continue his search.  “Joe!” he called out again.  Rustling branches caught his attention and Ben drew his gun, worried it was the wolf.  To his immense relief, Joe popped out of the bushes instead  Joe’s fear of punishment had been forgotten in the joy of finding his calf.  “I got him, Pa!” he cried happily, dragging his new pet behind. “I saw the rope and followed it and there he was.”

“Great, son,” Ben said, putting his gun back in the holster.  He put his hand on Joe’s shoulder and gently took the rope from him.  “But now we need to take care of your brother.”

Stubbornly Joe clung to his prize. “No!” he declared vehemently. “It’s my calf, Adam said so. His ma is dead and I’m gonna keep him.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you leave him here,” Ben explained, attempting to be patient. “We need to hurry and get Adam home.” He laid his hand gently on Joe’s shoulder and guided him back to the small camp.

When Joe saw Adam on the ground, he hung back again, unwilling to get close.  “Is he…?” Joe whispered.

“No, he’s not,” Ben responded reassuringly, finally understanding Joe’s reluctance. “His head is hurt and that’s making him confused sometimes, that’s all. He was worried about you; why don’t you go talk to him?”

Joe sidled up close to his brother, apprehensive when Adam’s dark eyes opened slowly.  “Hi, Joe,” Adam said as his mouth curved into a smile. “Am I glad to see you!”

Relieved that Adam knew him, Joe sat down next to him. “I found Pa, just like you told me,” he said before launching into re-telling his adventure.  The calf meandered around as far as the rope would let him, stopping every now and then to rub against Joe, almost stepping on Adam in the process.

Ben let them talk a few minutes, to get Joe get used to his brother’s more lucid condition.  When the calf lumbered into Adam the second time, however, he knew it was time to get moving and took the rope from his youngest son’s hand.  “That’s enough,” he said, pulling the animal away.

Joe leaped to his feet. He’d lost the calf once and didn’t want it to happen again.  “Pa!” he howled, grabbing Ben’s arm and hanging from it. “Let me have him!”

Ben just didn’t have the patience left to bicker about where the calf should stay. He decided the best plan of action was to get Adam ready to travel and distract Joe long enough to do that.  "Joe, I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?"

With the mention of food Joe quickly forgot about his obstinacy and said, “Yes.”

"I knew you would be.  Hop Sing packed you and Adam some food. Why don’t you get it out of my saddle bags." He handed the rope back to Joe. “Just keep him away from your brother.”

Without another word, Joe pulled the calf over to his father’s horse and started to rummage through the saddlebags. Buck was a tall horse and Joe couldn’t actually see into the bags, instead he felt around for the familiar paper and cloth wrappers that Hop Sing always packed food in. In the search, Joe proceeded to empty both bags of contents until he found the food he was looking for.  He quickly unwrapped the paper to find a sandwich. He bit into the food without further thought of the things he left scattered on the ground, or the calf, which dutifully stayed by his side.

Ben walked over and picked up the things that Joe had tossed to the ground. He gathered up the extra shirts for the two boys and the bandages he brought.  Before he could move Adam, he wanted to change the dressing on his head and try to clean him up a bit. The many scratches that covered Adam hadn’t been tended to at all and he wanted to see if any had begun to get infected. Cleaning off his face, he felt Adam’s forehead and thanked God for small favors. Although he was a little warm, that probably had more to do with shock than any kind of real infection setting in.

With Joe settled in eating a sandwich, Ben re-wrapped Adam’s head with the clean bandages and cleaned off the cuts and scrapes. Thankfully nothing else looked serious.  He though briefly about putting the dry clothes on him, but decided it would be best to get him home as soon as possible.
He put Joe back up on Jake, with the calf’s rope tied around the pony’s saddle. “Looks like you’re going to be bringing home the only stray this trip,” he said, allowing himself a small smile at Joe’s proud expression.

Bringing Buck close, Ben lifted Adam as carefully as he could. The best Adam could do was to stay conscious. Each movement brought fresh waves of pain and he wasn’t able to help his father very much. Somehow, Ben hoisted him up into the saddle. Adam clung to the horn grimly, staying upright just long enough for his father to swiftly mount behind him. Ben wrapped his arms around his son tightly, encouraging him to lean back against his chest.  Taking up the reins, he touched Buck lightly in the side and the horse moved forward down the trail.  After a momentary battle of wills between pony and calf, Jake’s larger size won out and Joe was closely following Pa to the pasture.

He had set a record racing back to the ranch to fetch the wagon. All the commotion he caused coming into the yard had gotten the attention of some of the ranch hands who were working there. Curly had been the one to take Hoss’ his horse from him.  “He, you know better than to come flyin’ in here like that.  Ifin your Pa saw you he would have yer hide."

Never one to disregard an adult, Hoss looked a little contrite. "Yes, sir. I know I shouldn’t have come in here like that, but this time it just couldn’t be helped."

Curly had regarded the boy with suspicion. "So what’s got you all fired up?"

"Pa just sent me back here from the south pasture to fetch the wagon and send a hand for a doctor."

"Was yer Pa hurt out there?"

"No, sir. Adam’s been hurt, so as far as we can tell from Little Joe."

Now Curly was truly confused. "Adam?" he questioned. "When and how?" He had always had a soft spot of Adam; he was always a hard working and very serious boy.  It had seemed to Curly that Adam had been born an adult, never getting to be a kid. For as long as he had worked on the ranch he had seen Adam work side by side with his father; and when not working his fingers raw with ranch duties he was busy looking after his two younger siblings, especially since the untimely death of Mrs. Cartwright.

"I figured they came in late last night. I just saw Callie in the barn along with Adam’s regular ride."

"No, sir. It seems that Callie got spooked during the storm the other night and just plain threw her and Adam into a gully. Then she ran off."

"Fool horse! Fool brother of yours!" Curly exclaimed. "I told him that horse was no good for round up. That brother of your gets an idea in his head and no one can change it. I know you told him about that darn filly yerself."

Hoss nodded in agreement.  Not wanting to be rude, he stopped Curly short of any more ranting.  “Uh, Curly, can you get a hand to town to get the Doc back out here right quick?"

Curly snapped out of his tirade. "Sure thing.  I’ll go and hitch up the wagon for you and saddle up some horses. I’ll ride out with you in case you need a hand."

"Thank you. I’m gonna go inside and get some blankets." Hoss was relieved Curly was coming, if not for anything but support.

By the time Hoss had gotten some more blankets from Hop Sing and explained to the cook that they had found Little Joe in the pasture and that he really didn’t know anything about Adam, Curly had the wagon hitched.  He was waiting, saddled up and ready to ride out with Hoss.

"I sent Justin in to get the doc, and set the rest of the boys to work for the day."

Throwing the blankets in the wagon, Hoss nodded and jumped into the seat. In a flash he set out in the same break neck speed he had come into the yard, this time Curly followed close behind.

"I sent Justin in to get the doc, and set the rest oft he boys to work for the day."

Throwing the blankets in the wagon Hoss nodded and jumped into the wagon seat. In a flash he set out in the same break neck speed he had come into the yard, only this time Curly close behind.

Finding themselves in the pasture soon, there was nothing left to do but wait. Hoss anxiously played with the reins of the wagon, never keeping his eyes off of the horizon; waiting for any sign of his father and brothers. Curly had noticed some cows grazing in the pasture and found it easier to heard the cows together than just sit and stare.

After what seemed like hours, Hoss finally saw the form of three animals slowly making their way up the trail. From a distance it looked like one big man and a small child, and third much smaller animal.  Hoss’ heart sank. Didn’t they find Adam? He could wait no longer wait and took the brake off the wagon and started off across the meadow towards his family.

The thought of losing Adam was too much; his brother had been there for him all his life. It was Adam who told him how wonderful his mother was, he was the one to tell him how great it was to be to getting a little brother or sister when Hoss wasn’t so sure he wanted to share their Pa and Marie with another sibling. And Adam was the one who held the family together after Marie died.  No, he couldn’t wait to hear the news from his father.

Riding closer to the three animals, he could now make out the form of two bodies on one horse. The relief was wonderful; Adam was with them! Now, it was the joy of being reunited with his family that kept him traveling forward until the trail prevented him from going any further. He got down from the wagon and walked up to meet his father and brothers. Hoss was shocked at the state of his older brother, leaning heavily upon his father’s chest, his arm in a crude sling made from a bandana. Joe was only a few paces behind on Jake, pulling a calf, All three looked worse for the wear; Ben, from his worry and his efforts to get his boys home, and Joe and Adam from the ordeal of the past few days.

Ben was unable to maneuver himself without jostling Adam too much.  The ride back had been hard for him.  Before they were half way to the pasture, Adam had finally given in and slipped into a sort of sleep, his head slowly rocked in time with the steps of the horse. Thankfully, Joe had been preoccupied with getting his calf to safety, as well as himself and Adam, that he has followed behind closely and didn’t cause and trouble for anyone.  The calf had balked a few times and Ben had tried to talk his young son into leaving it behind with the promise that he would have a hand gather him later, but Joe would have none of it and would calmly talk to the calf, encouraging it forward.  Ben knew that this nightmare was almost over when he saw his middle son waiting for them on the trail.

"Hoss, help me with Adam, please."

Hoss grabbed the reins of his father’s horse to steady the animal. Ben gently pushed Adam forward a little and Hoss held him upright in the saddle until Ben could dismount.

Ben then gently took his son from the saddle and put his good arm around his shoulder. The movement woke Adam enough for him to get his legs under himself and help his father in any way he could.  "Pa? My head hurts...mmm thirsty," Adam said weakly as Hoss and Ben lifted him into the wagon.

"I know son, everything is going to be fine, we almost got you home."

Joe had jumped from Jake while his father was helping Adam off the horse and taken it upon himself to lay out the blankets and pillows he saw sitting in the back of the wagon.

After getting Adam settled in the back of the wagon Ben maneuvered the rig around. Hoss hitched the calf and Buck to the back and settled in the back with his brothers.  Out in the pasture, Curly has waited anxiously for word from the Cartwrights.  He had gathered up most of the cows that were grazing in the open field, he knew now the most helpful thing he could do was to get them with the rest of herd, but first he wanted to see how Adam was.

Ben stopped just short of Curly’s horse and dismounted.  He wanted to be with Adam in the back.  Even in that short ride to pasture Adam had called out to his father twice. Hoss knew what his father’s intentions were and quickly climbed over the seat to take the reins.  He was quietly proud that his father felt comfortable enough to trust him to drive back to the ranch.

Curly rode up to the back of the rig and looked in, giving a silent whistle at the sight of Adam.  He regarded Ben who was making sure Adam was a still as possible.  "Mr. Cartwright, I figure I’ll take these stragglers back to where they belong."

"Thanks, Curly," Ben said, not looking up from tending to Adam. Curly went around back of the rig to untie the calf. Joe, who had been watching his father, saw Curly unhitch the calf and jumped up. "No!" he yelled, jumping over his brother and practically knocking his father off balance. "He’s mine! Adam said...."

Ben had seen his young son barely miss running over himself and his oldest; and the look of pain on Adam’s face from the shaking was too much for Ben to take.  "Joseph! The calf is going back with Curly! We have to get back to the ranch and that animal is going to slow us down."  He could no longer hold his temper with his youngest.

Joe looked at his father with tears in eyes. "But Pa, he ain’t got no Ma. He needs me."

Looking into those green eyes, Ben started to feel himself lose his resolve.  Curly did not miss the look on Joe’s face and offered an idea.  "Mr. Cartwright, how about I take the calf back with me. When I leave the cows with the herd I’ll bring the calf to the barn and get him set up there."

Joe was wary of the idea, and both men could see it in the boy’s face.

"Listen, son," Ben started.  “Adam needs to be home, he needs a doctor. Curly will bring the calf home and you take care of him there, I promise."

"You do?" Joe sniffed.

Ben nodded, anxious to get a move on and to send Curly to drive the herd.  Joe settled back down next to Ben and watched his calf being taken off to join the rest of the steers.  Hoss urged the buckboard forward, Ben watched Joseph as he strained to see his young calf disappear.

Joe soon grew tired of sitting in the back with his father and brother, who had settled back into a restless sleep.  He carefully climbed over the seat to sit in front with Hoss.  He could feel the disapproving stare of his father on his back; he knew that climbing around on a moving wagon was something Pa didn’t approve of.  Hoss could feel his brother tugging at the seat to get over.  As soon as Joe settled himself, Hoss looked at his baby brother, dirty with streaks of clean on his face where tears had washed some of the grime away.  "Hey shorty, you know better than that," he said with a smile, actually glad for the company.

"I figured there’s more room for me up here,” Joe said with his sweetest smile, knowing his brother wasn’t really all that upset.

Both boys sat in silence for a long while, just watching the landscape roll by.  This was the third time today Hoss had traveled this way, and the first time where the pace was just slow enough to actually see anything. His Pa had told him to keep the ride slow and steady to prevent jostling Adam any more than they had too.

The drama and excitement of the past few days caught up with Little Joe as he was finally forced to sit still.  The steady movement of the wagon starting lulling him to sleep and he soon was resting his head against Hoss’ shoulder. Hoss, intent on finding the smoothest ground to drive over, looked down at the curly head nestled next to him and smiled.  “Tired?” he said.

Little Joe’s eyes were half open as he struggled to stay awake. “No,” he mumbled.  Within minutes, though, he slid down and dropped his head onto Hoss’ lap.

Hoss looked back and Ben. “Gotta another one out,” he grinned.  Ben looked relieved. If Little Joe was asleep then he couldn’t be getting into trouble.

As the wagon rolled past a small pond, the bright sun glinting off the water caught Joe’s nearly closed eyes. “Stars,” he said sleepily, pointing to the sparkles of sunlight.

“What was that?” Hoss asked, not wanting to take his attention from driving the team.

“That looks like stars,” Joe explained. “Adam and me looked at stars last night.  I showed him the big dipper and he showed me cass…cassy…”

“Cassiopeia?” Hoss volunteered.

“Yea, that’s it,” Joe yawned. “He said you and Pa were looking at the stars too.  Were you?”

Hoss chuckled a little. “You know what, little buddy? We were. Pa and I were looking at the stars last night too.”

“At the same time as us?” Little Joe asked

“Maybe,” replied Hoss, though he had no idea at all when Joe and Adam had might have done their stargazing.  But who knows? Maybe they were.

“I knew it,” Joe said before turning over and allowing sleep to claim him.

"What happened?" The doctor asked, helping Ben get Adam into the house and up the stairs.

Ben told him what he knew of the accident and how the boys were stuck out on the trail for almost two days.

"There is no doubt about Ben. I can see without even touching him that he has a major concussion. Has he been awake at all since you found him?"

"Yes, some off and on. Before that I’m not sure.  Only Little Joe knows."

Joe had been sitting quietly in the hall, having been barred access to Adam’s room.  Hoss had woken him carrying him into the house, and now his worry over his big brother was keeping him awake.  All he was allowed to do now was wait in the hall for word of his brother.  Stubbornly he refused to get washed up or leave his spot until he knew for sure Adam was going to be okay.

Listening intently through the door, he heard his father say to the doctor that only he would know what happened. He quickly perked up and turned the knob to run to the doctor.  In a rush of words Joe told the doctor about Adam. "I know what happened! He fell and hit his head, Jake and I helped him out of the draw."

The doctor walked Joe back out of the room, not wanting to disturb Adam. He knelt next to the young boy hoping he could get the information he needed from Joe.  "Joseph, I need you to tell me if Adam was asleep the whole time."

"No, sir, he wasn’t.  Although he did sleep a lot.  But he would wake up and talk to me.  He even told me stories and stuff, although they really didn’t make any sense."

"I see. Did the stories sound funny all the time or just sometimes?" The doctor was relieved he could get the information he needed from the young boy so easily.

"Well, it seemed like he was fine until last night, that’s when the stories skipped around a lot and stuff and then this morning.…"   Joe dropped his head just thinking about how Adam acted before he went out looking for their Pa brought back the scared and uneasy feeling he’d had.

"This morning? What happened this morning?"

"Well, he kept callin’ me Hoss and talking about the homestead...I didn’t know what to do." The tears were threatening again.

Doctor Martin got everything he needed from Joe.  He slowly stood up and tousled the boy’s hair. "Thank you, Joe. You’ve been a big help. Don’t worry about Adam. Your big brother is going to be fine. Why don’t you go downstairs and get cleaned up? I promise you can see Adam when I’m done looking at him, okay?"

Joe was relieved to hear that Adam would be fine. He knew it had to be true; it came from the doctor.  He did as the doctor asked and made his way down stairs to clean up.

The doctor went back into the room. Ben waited to hear if he got what he need from Joe. Doctor Martin quietly started to examine Adam.  "Well...was Joe helpful? Ben inquired of his friend.

"Yes very. And now I think you should go tend to your youngest. Adam is going to be okay. His head injury is enough to keep him off his feet for a good while, and I still need to set his collarbone. But things will be fine."

"Did Joe tell you that Adam didn’t know who he was?"

"Yes, but since Adam knew who Joe was right after the accident and was awake off and on, that’s a good sign of no permanent damage.  My bet right now is that Adam was exhausted and in obviously in shock.  The stress of their situation just got to him and with the concussion he got confused. It’s not an unusual thing for that to happen with people who have head injuries."

Ben regarded his friend warily as he, too, was ushered out of the room.  "Please send up Hop Sing to help me wrap Adam’s shoulder. I’ll be down in awhile to give you a full prognosis, Ben. Right now your other sons need you, be with them." With that he shut the door and continued tending to Adam.

Ben walked down the stairs slowly, not really pleased at being pushed out of his oldest son’s room, although this friend was right, he need to reassure his other sons that everything was going to be fine.  "How is he, Pa?" Hoss asked as he walked in the front door. Hoss had instinctively known that he would only be in the way upstairs so he had given himself the task of putting the horses up to pass the time until there was news of how his brother was going to be.

Ben walked over to his middle son and put his arm around him.  "The doc seems to think he’ll be fine, but we’ll know more after he gives him a full exam."

The tension drained out of Hoss’ shoulders as the words sunk in. “That’s great news, Pa,” he said, relaxing for the first time in a long time.  He looked over at Little Joe, who was curled up on the sofa in his filthy clothes, asleep again.  Reassured that Adam was going to be fine, Joe hadn’t even made it as far as the kitchen to clean up before succumbing to his exhaustion.  Hoss smiled. “Want me to take care of him so you can go back with Adam?” he asked.

“No,” Ben replied, looking at his youngest son, so small and innocent. As much as he wanted to be with Adam, he knew this one needed him too. He put his hand on Hoss’ shoulder.  “Tell Hop Sing that Doc Martin wants him to help set Adam’s shoulder.  You can stay and help the doctor too,” he added. “I think Little Joe will need a bath.”

Hoss darted into the kitchen to get Hop Sing as Ben headed back upstairs to get clean clothes for Joe. He paused outside of Adam’s door, sorely tempted to go back in.  But he didn’t. Adam was in good hands for the moment.  He had to concentrate on Little Joe and make sure he was all right as well.

Going into the kitchen, he noticed water all ready heating on the stove. Smiling, he realized Hoss must have mentioned his plan to the Chinese cook.  When all was ready, Little Joe was surprisingly cooperative for being so sleepy, and in short order had his bath.  Dressing him in clean, dry clothes, Ben ushered the boy upstairs to bed. As they passed Adam’s room, Joe paused. “I wanna see Adam,” he said.

“Soon,” Ben replied soothingly.  “The doctor is with him now.  You can see him after you sleep a little, okay?”

Joe stubbornly held his ground a few moments then gave in.  He held up his arms and Ben obligingly carried him the rest of the way to his bed.  Snuggling down as Ben tucked the blanket around him, Joe quickly dozed off.

Some time later he woke again after hearing Adam’s door close.  He snuck over to the door and opened it a crack. He could hear Pa talking with Doc Martin down in the living room.  Listening a little longer, he also heard Hoss and Hop Sing.  That meant all was clear. He scampered down to Adam’s room and eased the door open.  His brother was lying in bed, still pale, but looking better than he had in days. He went into the room and very carefully, so not disturb his sleep, climbed onto the bed next to Adam.  Curling up close, Joe pulled part of the blanket over him and fell asleep.

Walking back in the house from showing Dr. Martin to his carriage, Ben breathed a sigh of relief. Adam’s injuries were not too extensive and he would make a full recovery. The doctor did warn him about the confusion and headache that were sure to come in the next few weeks, but with the help and patience from his family Adam would be no worse for the wear. Joe also looked to be fairing well from the ordeal.

Climbing the stairs to go check on his boys who were now all safe and under one roof, he stopped first at Adam’s room.  He was startled to see that the door was slightly ajar. Opening it more, what he saw inside made his heart soar. Hoss snoozing on the chair next to the bed, Little Joe curled up snug fast asleep next to his older brother, and Adam finally resting comfortably. Walking to the bed he pulled the covers up around Adam’s bandage arm and shoulder. Adam stirred and opened one eye and smiled slightly.

Ben smiled warmly back at his son and brushed the stray hairs from his forehead, looking at the three of them safe together. He was proud of each of his boys and what they had done in these past days. Adam, despite all of his injuries, had made sure above all else that his brother was safe. Hoss, for staying calm and helping him find his brothers, and Little Joe, how brave he was to go alone to find help for his brother.

A week later, after seeing Adam settled on the couch after dinner, Ben went over to pull on his coat and gloves in preparation to go out and check on the horses one last time.  He glanced over to where Hoss was patiently trying to teach Little Joe to play checkers without a whole lot of luck. He chuckled as Hoss’ frustration visibly rose while Joe was more interested in seeing how many checkers he could stack together than how to strategize.

 He was glad his youngest son was able to recover quickly from his ordeal, though for the first day or two he had been very hard to remove from Adam’s side, even to sleep. More often than not Ben would come in to check on Adam in the morning and find Joe curled up next to his big brother.  Adam, considering the extent of his injuries, was healing more slowly, but Doc Martin was pleased with his progress and saw no reason for him not to have a complete recovery. Keeping Adam still long enough to heal was the hard part.

Little Joe heard his movements and looked up from his checker pile. “Where ya going, Pa?” he asked brightly

“Just out to the barn to make sure the horses are fine, and to lock up,” he answered, smiling.

“Can I go?” Joe asked, bouncing up and knocking the game on to the floor.  He raced over to the door, grabbed his coat as well and drew it on.  Hoss grumbled as he bent over and began picking up the checkers.

Ben was about to say no, but then he looked at the hopeful and expectant eyes of his youngest son. Remembering the promise he made when his boys were lost on the trail, he changed his mind.  “Of course you can,” he said, tossing over a pair of his old gloves.

Joe scooped them up eagerly and thrust his hands in to them. They were much too big, but he didn’t care. They were his Pa’s. He waved them around in the air. “Let’s go!”

“We’ll be right back,” Ben said to Hoss and Adam, who waved absently in response.  The room was cozy and warm from the flames dancing in the fireplace, and both of them were glad they weren’t the ones going out into the cool evening.

Ben and Little Joe walked to the barn in companionable silence.  It didn’t take long to make sure the horses were comfortable, with full water buckets and hayracks. Joe took special care his calf, which was bedded down in a spare stall with a double cushion of straw underfoot and his own measure of oats.  The calf bleated contentedly and butted Joe, who giggled in delight at his new pet.

Chores were finished quickly and after closing the door firmly, they began the short walk back to house through the frosty air. Hurrying to get to the warmth of his easy chair, Ben didn’t notice at first that Joe had stopped in mid-stride.  “Joe,” he started, impatiently. He turned to see his son standing still, face upward and looking at the amazing display of stars in the clear sky above them.

“Look at the stars, Pa,” Joe said in a hushed tone, his voice full of awe.

“Son, it’s cold. Let’s go inside. We can look at the stars another day,” Ben said, rubbing his hands together. For a late summer night, it certainly was getting nippy.

“But Pa, the stars are here now!  Please?”  Joe turned the full measure of his sad green eyes in his direction.

Ben smiled, his impatience forgotten in a rush of love and gratitude for his son.  So soon he’d nearly forgotten his resolve to take the time to be with Joe and do things together as they used to, before his mother’s death.

“Okay, but let’s get comfortable.”  Ben moved to the porch and dragged off a chair and put it in the middle of the yard in order to have an unobstructed view of the heavens. He sat down, and pulled Joe into his lap.  Leaning back, they both looked upward.  “Now, show me which ones you can find,” Ben asked, “and I’ll teach you a few more.”

Hearing a noise under the front window, Hoss put down his book and moved aside the curtain to look out.  “What is it?” Adam asked from the couch, poetry book in hand.

“It’s Pa and Little Joe. They took a chair off the porch and are sittin’ in it, looking up,” Hoss replied. He let the curtain fall back down and headed for the door.  He’d felt a pang of envy; it had been far too long since he done any stargazing with Pa.

“Where you going?” Adam asked, struggling a little to sit upright. His head barely hurt anymore, except when he made sudden moves.

“Outside,” Hoss replied, hastily putting on his coat. “I wanna learn some new constellations too.”
He paused as he saw Adam slowly rise from the couch, and half smile on his face.  “Pa told you to stay put,” he added.

“I’m only going as far as the front porch,” Adam said, shrugging awkwardly into his own jacket. He still had a little trouble maneuvering with bandages around his shoulder and arm. Hoss stopped momentarily to help.

They walked outside and Hoss took two chairs and placed them next to Ben and Joe.   They settled and directed their attention upwards to the glorious presentation of light above.  Ben had been stunned by how much Joe remembered and how many constellations he was able to identify correctly. His boy’s knack for picking up the details was astonishing.  With a nod he acknowledged his other sons as they quietly joined them in the middle of Joe’s recitation.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked when Joe was finished talking and lapsed into momentary silence.

“We wanted to see the stars too,” Adam replied softly, thinking of the night on the trail when he and Joe had lain together contemplating the night sky.

Ben smiled warmly at his sons. He watched as Adam and Hoss took turns pointing out the constellations they knew while Joe interjected with the happy shouts of a six year old.  Ben took another moment to gaze up into the sky, past the stars and in to the heavens, to give thanks for what he had here with him now, his sons.  Each a gift from their mothers given to him to remind him of how lucky he truly was.