You Gotta Have Heart

by Judy

Chapter 1

Hop Sing watched from the kitchen window as the Cartwright sons rode into the ranch yard. Little Joe was first, at least 50 yards ahead of Adam and Hoss.  Just for an instant, Hop Sing saw Marie Cartwright instead of Little Joe, her son.  Hop Sing had been standing right there in that same spot that awful day when Marie had come riding into the yard on a horse that was a bit too wild; and despite her excellent riding skills, she had been unable to control the horse.  The horse fell on top of her and she died instantly.  From that day forward, Hop Sing had done everything in his power to make up for the loss of Little Joe’s mother.  He was moved out of his reverie by the sound of the boys coming into the house, talking, laughing, and as usual, slamming the door.

Hop Sing smiled, then walked quickly out of the kitchen, and putting a mad expression on his face, started talking to the boys in rapid Chinese, ostensibly scolding them for their entrance.

Hoss and Adam looked sheepish and attempted to apologize; Joe, however, who had actually understood most of what Hop Sing had said, replied to him in half-Chinese, half-English, and all nonsense.   Hop Sing said “Hummph” or something like that and turned to go back to the kitchen, still muttering, the smile returning to his face the moment he turned his back.

  **********

The next day Hop Sing had to go into town to get supplies for the ranch.  Little Joe rode along side the wagon on Cochise. Hop Sing had been with the Cartwrights since before Joe was born, and was considered part of the family; yet his Chinese culture did not allow him to act informally with his employers.  It was different with Little Joe, since Hop Sing had taken over the primary responsibility for childcare for Joe after Marie was killed.  Hop Sing talked more to Joe than to any of the other Cartwrights.  Joe confided in Hop Sing and Hop Sing confided in Joe

in return.  Hop Sing had told Joe that he was having a problem with some troublemakers in Virginia City and Joe was going along to make sure that he wasn’t bothered this morning.  He also planned to pay a visit to the sheriff to tell him about the troublemakers.  When they got to town, Hop Sing first had to visit his multitude of cousins in the Chinese section of town.  Joe told him he had some errands to run and he would come back to Chinatown in one hour to accompany Hop Sing to the general store to get the other supplies.  

When Joe left Hop Sing he went directly to Sheriff Coffee’s office and/or jail.  Sheriff Coffee was sitting behind his desk, looking at wanted posters when Joe opened the door.   “Come in Little Joe.  Where have you been lately?  No one has busted up the saloon in almost 2 weeks.

How long has it been since you were in town?” Sheriff Coffee asked with that twinkle in his eye and a poorly-concealed grin on his face.  “Hello, Roy.  You wouldn’t be implying that my absence from town and the absence of fights are somehow connected, would you?”  Joe asked with no attempt to conceal his smile.  “Well, Little Joe, just how long has it been since you were in town, boy?” the Sheriff persisted.  “Just about two weeks” said Little Joe playfully.  “But that is purely circumstantial”.  Joe said.  “Yeah, Joe the circumstance is that you just seem to invite trouble.”  

“Now, Roy, that’s not fair----” Joe started.  Then he looked at Roy and said, “I guess you are right, Roy.  But at least you can’t say I am good-for-nothing.  After all, I keep you employed!”  Then they both laughed.

  “Well what brings you to the Sheriff’s office, Little Joe?”  Did you just decide to turn yourself in before you start a fight?”  Sheriff Coffee asked. 

Joe’s expression changed from one of merriment to one of seriousness.   “Roy, someone is picking on Hop Sing and the other Chinese citizens of Virginia City.  It is that gang from the mines.  I had to come into town with him to make sure they don’t mess with him.  Last week they pulled him off the wagon and scattered the contents all over Virginia City.”  Joe said.  

“Yes, Joe, I heard about that.” Roy said.  “Well what did you do about it?” Joe asked loudly.  

“Well, Little Joe, I talked to everybody anywhere near there and no one would admit to seeing the incident..”  Roy answered, trying to calm Little Joe down.    “Roy, you know Hop Sing wouldn’t lie.”  Joe replied, his voice getting louder and his eyes getting that dangerous look in them. 

“Yes, Joe, I know Hop Sing wouldn’t lie, but with no one to support Hop Sing’s claim, it comes down to Hop Sing’s word against the miners.  You know that wouldn’t fly in Virginia City right now.” Roy said, somewhat defensively.  

By this time, Joe was really angry, not only did he have a personal relationship with Hop Sing and many of the Chinese citizens, he also hated injustice of any kind.  “So that’s it?---you are just going to let them get away with it?” Joe asked incredulously, his voice hard and angry.  

“Joe, I have assigned a deputy to make regular rounds there and I encouraged the merchants to come forward, and I warned the miners to let up.  That is all I can do for now.”  Roy had gotten up from his seat by this time and was standing directly in front of Little Joe, staring directly into his eyes.  “And I don’t want you going off half-cocked and trying to do my job for me either, Little Joe.  And I don’t want to have a gunfight to figure out either.   You hear?”  Joe didn’t reply and Roy repeated firmly, “Little Joe, do you hear me?” 

Joe looked up at Roy, smiled briefly, and said “I hear you, Roy.  I had better get back to Chinatown before Hop Sing tries to come over to the mercantile on his own.  I will see you later.  Sorry for losing my temper.” 

 “Joe, I know how you feel about Hop Sing and I will try to get to the bottom of this, but I have to be careful how I do it.”  Roy said, relieved that Joe had calmed down.

Joe had HEARD Roy, but that didn’t mean he agreed to anything.  He had come up with a plan while listening to Sheriff Coffee, but he needed someone to help him carry it out.  He walked directly to his friend Pete’s house.  Pete lived in town.  Joe wished that Lance was in town to help him, but he lived too far away to get his help and he needed help right now.  Luckily, Pete was home, outside chopping wood when Joe rode up on Cochise.   “Hey, Little Joe.  How are ya?” Pete asked, waving at Joe.  “HI, Pete, I need your help with something.  Can you get away for about 30 minutes?”  Joe asked.  

“Sure, Little Joe, what do you want me to do?  Do you need some more of my help with the girls?” Pete asked with a chuckle.  Joe wasn’t likely to need his help with girls--they both knew it was the other way around.  “Come on and ride with me over to Chinatown and I will tell you on the way.”  Joe said.

  **********

Joe and Pete rode up to where Joe had agreed to meet Hop Sing.  Hop Sing came out of the small Chinese store when he saw Little Joe.  Pete said to Joe, “Joe are you sure you want to do this? You know it will take at least 15 minutes for me to get the sheriff and get back here.”  “You just go get him when I give you the signal and I will take care of the rest.”  Joe said with a determined look.  Pete knew it was pointless to argue, so he just said “All right, it is your funeral.”    Joe told Hop Sing to ride on ahead in the wagon and he would follow right behind him on Cochise.  Hop Sing nodded and started the wagon toward the mercantile.  What Hop Sing didn’t realize is that although Joe was behind him, he was not right behind him.  In fact he asked Hop Ling to tie Cochise, and followed the wagon on foot, staying concealed in the shadow of the buildings.

Just as he hoped, when Hop Sing turned the corner on C Street, the group of out-of-work miners were hanging around, looking for trouble.  As soon as they noticed Hop Sing, one of them stood up.  Joe turned to Pete, who was actually following Hop Sing and signaled for him to go get the Sheriff.  One of the miners, a big burly man with a much-scarred face said to Hop Sing, “Did n’t we tell you last week to stay out of Virginia City?  I guess we will have to make sure you understand that you aren’t welcome here.”  When Hop Sing saw that the miners were coming toward him, he looked behind him, expecting to see Little Joe on Cochise with his gun.   Instead, for a minute he just caught a glimpse of Pete riding away at a gallop.  He was confused and scared, because by this time the miners were closing in on him, taunting him.   Just as they were about to approach the wagon, Joe stepped out of the shadows and said, “Hey why don’t you just go on about your business and stay out of trouble?  Hop Sing, you go on to the mercantile and wait for me there.”  Joe said.  “Little Joe, Hop Sing not go without you.  You come now too.” Hop Sing replied. 

The miners were clearly confused as to who to take on first.  Joe looked at Hop Sing and imitated his father’s “look” and said, “Hop Sing, go to the Mercantile and wait for me.  GO NOW, HOP SING.”  Hop Sing nodded and urged the horses to move forward, but he was looking back toward Little Joe with tears in his eyes.  He knew Joe didn’t have a chance against all the miners.  He decided to ride to the jail and get the Sheriff, so he pushed the horses to run.

Joe was stalling for time, hoping that Pete and the Sheriff would get there before the fight got started.  Since Roy had told him he didn’t want a gunfight, that left a fistfight.  And he figured he could take one or two of the miners, but there were 5 of ‘em.  “Oh, well”, he thought, “If I go down, I will take as many of them with me as I can.”   Joe kept backing up, talking to the miners, trying to talk to them, stalling for time.  When the biggest one stopped right in front of him, squinted his eyes and grinned at the other miners, Joe knew he had run out of time.  Thinking surprise might help, he quickly punched the miner.  When his first punch hardly phased the miner, Joe thought to himself, “Uh-oh I may live to regret this---if I am lucky, that is.”  He was right.  Despite getting in a few good punches and making some good defensive moves, he was no match for the miners and was well on his way to getting beaten to a pulp, when Sheriff Coffee, Clem, and Pete came running down the street.  Sheriff Coffee fired a gun to get the miner’s attention.  Pete and Clem went to help Joe up.  Clem took one look at Little Joe, shook his head, and told Pete to go tell the Doc they would be bringing Joe by.  Joe protested, “I am fine, just help me up.” 

“Go Pete,” said Clem, ignoring Joe’s request.

When Joe got his breath, he looked at Roy, who was still holding a gun on the miners, and said “Sheriff Coffee I was a witness to these men harassing Hop Sing.  That one there, in the red shirt admitted the incident last week.  And he started the fight when I told him to leave Hop Sing alone.  I will testify to that in court if I need to.”  

Sheriff Coffee looked at Joe and said, “Well it looks like we can add assault and battery to the charge, too.”  

“Will that be enough evidence, Roy?”  Joe asked. 

“Yes, Joe that will be enough to get them some serious jail time, considering that they all have prior little incidents on their records.”  “And I don’t imagine anyone else is going to get any ideas about taking up where they left off, when they see what happened to these men.” 

Hop Sing came up in the wagon about this time and quickly jumped down and started to see about Joe’s injuries.  “You need go see Doctor Martin, Little Joe.  Hop Sing take you in wagon.” He said to Joe.  “Little Joe take big risk.  Mr. Cartlight be mad when he find out what you do.” 

“Now Hop Sing, all I did was intervene when a bunch of ruffians tried to jump you, he would have done the same thing.”  Hop Sing was helping Joe into the wagon and fussing in Chinese.  Joe talked right back to him, making light of the situation.

Hop Sing drove the wagon to Doctor Martin’s office, who came to the door when they pulled up in the wagon.  “Well, Little Joe what did you do to yourself this time?” He said, although Pete had already told him what had happened.  Doctor Martin helped Joe down and led him into his office.  Pete took Hop Sing’s list and went to the mercantile to get the supplies loaded onto the wagon, since he knew Hop Sing would want to wait there for Little Joe.  Hop Sing sat quietly in the Doctor’s waiting room, thinking about what Little Joe had done.  Pete came back in about 30 minutes, the wagon loaded and ready to go; he had also collected Cochise from Hop Ling.  He sat down next to Hop Sing to wait for Little Joe.

Shortly, Little Joe came out, followed by Doctor Martin.  “Hop Sing, will you see that this young man goes home and to bed?  He has some cracked ribs and is going to have lots of bruises and swelling, but with a few days rest, he will be okay.  But he needs to rest for a few days til his ribs heal some.  I taped his chest and I will come by in a couple of days to check on him.  Keep him in bed 'til then.”  He then looked at Joe and said “That was a foolish thing to do Joseph, but you did it for the right reason, I guess.”  He then patted him on the shoulder, smiled and said, “All right Hop Sing, get him on home.”   

“Thanks, Doc”, Joe said.  Joe looked at Hop Sing and Pete and said, “Well what’s everybody staring at?  Let’s get a move on.”  And he strode jauntily out the door, ignoring the pain in his side, his face, and his head.  He thought a few lumps and bumps was a small price to pay to stop those miners from harassing the Chinese citizens of Virginia City.

Chapter 2

Paul Martin was the only physician in Virginia City and he had patients for at least a 50 mile radius from Virginia City.  Dr. Martin had studied medicine at Johns Hopkins University and had done a special residency at Harvard University dealing with “frontier” medicine.  He had also studied for a year in England at Cambridge University.  He was probably one of the best prepared physicians in the country.  He was certainly the best small town doctor in the west.  Dr. Martin worked hard to maintain his knowledge by reading medical journals and textbooks and whenever possible, attending medical education conferences.   All this preparation was beneficial to his patients, due to the illnesses and injuries that made up a medical practice in the West and the lack of nearby medical facilities and additional medical resources.

Dr. Martin was getting ready to attend a week-long medical conference at Harvard University on medical and surgical emergencies, with a second week off for a trip to the shore.  He had arranged for a physician from Johns Hopkins to cover his patients while he was gone.  Dr. Adams had come to Virginia City two weeks in advance so that he would be able to work with Dr. Martin to get familiar with his patients and the territory.  Dr. Adams had accompanied Dr. Martin on his rounds and had worked with him in his office seeing patients.

During times when they were not busy, Dr. Martin would review medical histories of his other patients.  When they got to the “C”s, they came to the Cartwrights.  Ben, Adam, and Hoss Cartwright had average-sized medical records, with a few major injuries such as broken bones and gunshot wounds, but mostly minor illnesses or injuries.  Dr. Adams looked surprised when he reached into the filing cabinet and took out Joseph Cartwright’s medical record.  “Wow, this one must either have a serious chronic condition or be very old with the size of this medical record.” Dr. Adams said.  

Dr. Martin smiled, “No, that is the youngest of the Cartwright’s--he is only 17 years old and is generally quite healthy.”  

“Well why does he have such a large medical record?”  Dr. Adams asked incredulously.

 “I guess you could say he is accident-prone” Dr. Martin said. “I should probably give you a complete history and tell you what to expect if you have to treat him, since with my leaving for two weeks, there is a good chance you could be called to the Ponderosa.” Dr. Martin said, motioning Dr. Adams to sit in the chair next to his desk.

 "Joseph Cartwright, or Little Joe, as he is called by most people around here, is the youngest son of Ben Cartwright, owner of the Ponderosa, the largest ranch in Nevada.  

Dr. Adams interrupted, "Why do they call him Little Joe?"

 That's a nickname that they started using when he was just a baby because he was so tiny, and it just stuck.  He doesn't seem to mind the nickname now that he has filled out a little bit, but he sure hates being reminded of how young he is.  I usually try to avoid calling him Little Joe and call him Joe." Dr. Martin replied.

"To continue, Joe’s mother died when he was about five.  Joe was a small child with a finicky appetite and a tendency to take risks.  The first time I was called to see him for an injury, he had tried to ride a horse that was way too big for him to handle and had fallen off.  Luckily, his brother Hoss was nearby and got to him before he got trampled.  That was when he was 6 and that has been a frequent pattern through the years.  Joe is very lively and has a wonderful sense of humor, but he is impulsive and stubborn, as well.  He had more than his share of childhood injuries---broken arms, legs, cuts, bruises, broken or cracked ribs, etc., primarily due to his impulsiveness and temper getting him into trouble. “  

“As he got older, the type of injuries changed and became more serious.  Unfortunately his temper, stubbornness, and strong belief in what is right, gets him into fights that his size just can’t handle.  He has also had several injuries that were just bad luck or were beyond his control, such as gunshot wounds.  He has always had remarkable recuperative powers, though.  An injury that would keep most people down for a month, hardly phases him.  After the initial illness or injury, the biggest challenge becomes keeping him in bed.”

"Despite his age, he is one of the bravest men in Virginia City.  For example, through some unusual circumstances, Joe was hosting a picnic for the school children and their families, the miners of the Ponderosa Bristle Cone mine, and the Ponderosa ranch hands out at the lake.  One of the children, somehow managed to wander off into an abandoned mine and fell into a narrow vent hole.  Little Joe insisted that he be the person to be lowered into the vent hole to rescue the little girl.  He made it down, tied the rope around the little girl, sent her up, and waited alone, in the dark for us to send the rope down to him.  While he waited there was a minor cave-in---I thought we weren't going to be able to get him up.  Fortunately we did, and the girl's father gave him an award for bravery."

"Well someone had to go down the hole and it was his ranch, wasn't it?"  Dr. Adams asked.  

"Yes, it was his ranch and someone had to do it, but he was only 15 at the time and has an almost-phobic fear of the dark, stemming back to a time when he was kidnapped and held in a dark and cold deserted mine.  There were dozens of able-bodied miners and ranch hands, and not one of them volunteered to go down that narrow, dark hole.  What young Joe Cartwright did was braver than anything I have ever seen." Doctor Martin replied.

"And that is just one incident involving Joe, I could tell you dozens more, but it is just as well that you find out for yourself.  If you have an occasion to meet him, I am sure you will come to understand why Joe Cartwright is one of Virginia City's real 'favorite sons', and why I am especially fond of him."  Dr. Martin told Doctor Adams.  "Just be sure to keep an eye on him if you have to treat him for anything---he is a terrible patient who never follows orders."  Dr. Martin said, laughing.

Chapter 3

Ben Cartwright rode alone to the small glen tucked into the mountainside, overlooking Lake Tahoe.  He came here to think, to grieve, to seek solace from the sadness that sometimes overwhelmed him.  To casual observers, Ben Cartwright was a man of quiet strength and determination, not prone to melancholy or sentimentality.  They were wrong.  Ben Cartwright was a man of quiet strength and determination; however, he also carried the burden of a life of grief, sadness, and tragedy.  Ben Cartwright had married three times, tragically losing each wife in a relatively short period of time.  He had been blessed by the gift of a son from each of these marriages and he loved his sons dearly; yet, he was sometimes almost overcome with the feeling of loss of what might have been.

  For long periods of time, he would go about his daily routine, running the Ponderosa, raising his sons, and enjoying his life.  Periodically, however, he would be overcome with longing for the women of his life.  The events that triggered these periods of depression were varied, ranging from a glance at a photograph, a comment by someone in conversation, or something involving one of his sons.  Whatever the trigger, Ben would find himself here, at Marie’s grave overlooking Lake Tahoe.  Here, he would let his thoughts wander and allow himself, for just a little bit, to give in to the sorrow and pain.

Today’s visit had been prompted by a combination of things, not by a single event.  Spring on the Ponderosa was a time of regeneration, renewal, and re-growth; the grass was turning green, the streams and creeks were running full of clear water, birds were nesting, and the cattle and horses were giving birth.  Spring was a time of hope and opportunity and he couldn’t help thinking what it would have been like if his last wife, Marie, Joe’s mother, had not died.  Ben had loved each of his wives and still felt a sense of loss for each of them.  Although he didn’t verbalize it, he sometimes considered the irony of the circumstances of his life.  As much as he had hated to lose first Elizabeth, then Inger, he knew that his life wouldn’t be complete if he had not married Marie, who had given him his third son, Joseph.  So when he grieved for his wives, it was Marie that he imagined still alive and what their life would be like if she had not died.

She had been vivacious, lovely, mischievous, and warm; yet, she had a fiery temper and was strong and stubborn. Ben allowed himself to stay at the gravesite for two hours, talking to Marie about their unrealized dreams.  After two hours though, apparently Marie had had enough of his feeling sorry for himself, for his thoughts seemed to turn toward the good things that had occurred in his life.  

Each of his wives had given birth to a son and Ben was extremely proud of his sons.  Adam, the oldest, son of his first wife, Elizabeth, was Ben’s right-hand man on the Ponderosa.  Elizabeth had died in childbirth in Boston.  After her death, Ben had taken his infant son and headed west with the idea of staking a claim in the west and starting a new life, away from the sea.  His second wife, Inger, had given birth to Erik Haas, known by all as “Hoss”, due partly to the name Haas, but more than that by his size and strength.  Inger had been killed by an Indian attack on the wagon train they were part of on the way West, several years later.  Ben had then taken his two young sons as far west as Nevada, and there he settled down and started building a ranch, now known as the Ponderosa.  He met Marie on a trip to New Orleans and fell passionately in love with her.  She had returned to the Ponderosa with him and shortly thereafter, their son, Joseph was born.  Joseph was a tiny baby, especially compared to his brother Hoss, and they started calling him “Little Joe”.  This nickname had stuck with him, though the derivation of the name was not discussed unless they wanted to fight.

  After his visit to the lake, Ben forced himself to turn his thoughts back to the running of the Ponderosa.  The Ponderosa was the largest ranch in Nevada, with 500,000 acres, cattle, mining, and timber interests.  Ben and his sons ran the Ponderosa with the help of a large crew of hired hands.  Although the ranch was very prosperous, it required a great deal of time, sweat, and effort.

Springtime was one of the busiest times of the year on the Ponderosa and Ben and his sons were busy, not only with their own tasks, but also keeping the ranch crews busy and on target.  Ben just could not afford himself the luxury of giving in to his despair.  He had too much work to do.

He couldn’t discuss his feelings with anyone either, he kept them hidden, or so he thought.  The people who worked for him knew something was bothering him, because he would become hard to please and short-tempered.  They usually just tried to stay out of his way until the bad disposition passed.

  For the most part his two oldest sons, Adam and Hoss, tried to do the same thing---stay out of his way and not do anything to rile him until he was over whatever was bothering him.  Joseph, however, was different.  Joe could always sense the reason for his father’s periodic black moods. Somehow he knew that leaving Ben alone and avoiding him during this period was the absolute worst thing he could do.  So while Adam and Hoss walked around on egg shells, avoiding their father and doing everything they could to stay out of their father’s scrutiny, Little Joe seemed to do everything possible to demand his attention.

That evening, Ben, Adam, and Hoss had already started having dinner when Little Joe came in, late as usual.  Adam and Hoss shared a look of dismay and “glad it’s him and not me” when Joe came in.  Ben said, loudly, with obvious irritation, “Joseph, is it too much to ask for you to be on time for a meal just once in my lifetime?”   The sarcasm was not lost on Adam and Hoss, who busied themselves with their own meals, not looking up at Joe or Ben.  Joe, however, looked at his father, smiled, and said “Why heck no, Pa, but could you give me a little advance notice on when you are planning to die so that I could make sure and do that?  No sense in doing it now if you only want me to promise to do it once in your lifetime.  You aren’t sick are you, Pa?”  Adam and Hoss couldn’t believe their ears.  Adam stared at Little Joe with disbelief.  Hoss tried to get Joe’s attention to warn him to be careful.  Joe, seeing Hoss’ look, winked at him and said, “Hey, Pa, did you hear about that new saloon in town?  It is called the Sassarack and they have a piano player and entertainment every night and they have one of those fancy roulette wheels.”    

Ben started to answer his son shortly, asking him how he managed to stay on top of all the latest developments in the entertainment in Virginia City; however, when he looked at his son and saw the enthusiasm in his face, the glint in his hazel green eyes, and noted the excitement in his voice, he found it was impossible not to catch a little of the enthusiasm.

  He answered, “No, Joe, I wasn’t aware of that”, in a much milder tone than he intended to.  Joe proceeded to tell his father and brothers all about the wonders of the new saloon.  It occurred to Adam and Hoss that Joe was really going to get it now, since Joe wasn’t supposed to have been to Virginia City for the past two weeks as punishment for taking on that bunch of miners who had been bothering Hop Sing on his own.  He would have been in more trouble, but Sheriff Coffee said his actions had helped stop the harassment for all Chinese citizens, which was becoming a real problem.  Ben had been angry that Joe had tried to tackle it on his own, rather than appeal to his family for help.  However, Ben didn’t seem to think of that and his mood continued to improve as Joe regaled them with the delights of the new saloon.  

Finally, Ben said, “Well Virginia City may just never be the same again, son, with such a high caliber establishment.”

“Well, Pa, why don’t we ride into Virginia City after supper so you can see it for yourself?” Joe said, his hazel eyes dancing with excitement.

Adam and Hoss exchanged glances, expecting their father to hit the roof at Joe’s impertinence. Although they knew that Joe often got away with a lot more with their father than either of them could, this was clearly too much.  They were sure their father would never let him get away with that.  Their looks turned to outright disbelief when Ben replied, “All right, Son, a night in town might do us all good.”  In return, Joe beamed at his father and then turned and grinned at his brothers.

During the remainder of the meal, Joe kept up a lively conversation with their father, talking about happenings on the ranch, telling about his latest romance, describing the newest tricks he had taught Cochise, telling about the practical jokes he had pulled on his friends, and other assorted light-hearted topics.  By the end of the meal, Ben was joking, laughing, and teasing his youngest son, with no sign of his former bad mood.  Hoss and Adam were hardly able to participate in the conversation, due to their awe at the change in their father’s mood.

As they rode into town that night, Ben and Joe rode in front and due to Joe’s eagerness to get into Virginia City, they were beyond hearing distance from Adam and Hoss, who followed them. Hoss and Adam discussed what had happened at dinner.  “You know, Adam, I don’t know why we were so surprised.  Joe has been doing that his whole life, even when he was a little tyke.”

Hoss said.  “Yes, but what gets me, is how does he know when to do that and when not to do it.”

Adam said.   “It is like he has some sixth sense about the cause of Pa’s bad moods and knows when he needs to keep a low profile and when to do....whatever it was he did tonight!” Adam said, incredulously. 

“Yeah, Adam, just what was what Joe did at supper?” Hoss asked, looking at his brother. 

“Hoss, do you remember that book I loaned you about India?  Do you remember that picture of the snake charmer?” 

“Yeah, Adam.  Why?” Hoss said.   

“Well, Hoss, the way I figure it, Little Joe is a snake charmer, and Pa was the snake tonight.”  Adam said, laughing.

“Yeah, Adam, I guess you are right, but Pa ain't the ONLY snake Joe can charm, is he?” Hoss said, also laughing.  

About this time, they caught up with Joe and Ben who had stopped their horses and waited for them to catch up with them on the outskirts of Virginia City.  “What’s so funny, older brothers?”

Joe asked, smiling at his brothers.  “Oh, nothing, Little Joe.  Joe, have you ever read that book of Adam’s about India?” Hoss asked.  Joe gave him a confused look, but didn’t answer as they were then riding into Virginia City. 

“This way, Pa,” Joe said, excitedly, leading the way to the Sassarack.  

The four Cartwrights rode into Virginia City about 6 o'clock and after stabling their horses, headed straight for the Sassarack Saloon.  Adam and Hoss were eager to see the delights of the new saloon, since they, unlike their little brother, had not seen the Sassarack before.  As they turned the corner to go to the Sassarack, they ran into Sheriff Roy Coffee.

Roy said, "Well what are the Cartwrights doing in Virginia City tonight?"

"Roy, my young son, seemed to think we needed some entertainment that could only be found in the Sassarack Saloon, and you know how persuasive he can be.  So here we are," Ben replied with a smile and a firm handshake.

"Well after you wet your whistle, why don't you come on over and let me beat you a few games of checkers?" Roy asked.

"All right, Roy, I will just do that.  But I should warn you, I have been taking lessons from Little Joe.  I might just beat you one of these days. I will be there in about 30 minutes, you get the board set up."

Ben Cartwright wasn't really all that interested in the saloon, but was glad of the chance to spend time with his sons having fun.  Ben loved watching the three of them interact, Adam so serious, Hoss so friendly and naive, and Joe---so--.... Ben couldn't think of just 1 or 2 words to describe his youngest son.  He was certainly in a high state of enthusiasm and full of energy.  Although Ben had figured out that Joe had sneaked into Virginia City without permission, yet another time, he wasn't planning to make an issue of it.  Although he didn't consciously think about it, he knew that Little Joe's actions earlier that evening had been responsible for his change of mood.  

After they had been there for about 30 minutes, Ben decided to go on over to the jail for that game of  checkers.  He moved over to where Hoss and Adam were watching Joe play a game of poker.  He noted that Joe had a winning hand, and smiled and shook his head.  He really secretly wished that Joe would lose at poker---so he wouldn't love to play so much.

"Boys, I am going over to talk to Roy Coffee and see if I can beat him one game.  Joe, I sure wish I had some of your checker-playing luck.  I'll come back over here about 10 o'clock for another beer with you before we head on home.  You boys have a good time and stay out of trouble." He said, looking directly at Joe with the final admonition.

Hoss and Adam responded in the affirmative, but Little Joe, absorbed in his poker game, didn't reply.

"Joseph, did you hear me?"  Ben asked with a determined look on his face.

Just then, Joe said, "I call you" and his opponent turned over his cards.  Joe turned over his cards, a straight flush, easily beating the man's pairs.  Joe raked in the considerable amount of money from the middle of the table.

"Joseph?"

"Sorry, Pa, you go on and see Sheriff Coffee, I will keep Adam and Hoss out of trouble while you are gone.  Don't worry about a thing," Joe said, with a grin on his face.

"You just see to it that you stay out of trouble, young man."  Ben replied, with a hint of a smile on his face.  As he turned his back to leave, his face broke out into a huge smile and he winked at Hoss and Adam, who returned his smile.   Once again, Little Joe had charmed the "snake".

Chapter 4

When Roy Coffee had finished making his evening rounds, he went back to the jail and put on a fresh pot of coffee to brew and set up the checker board.  He had spent many an hour playing checkers with both Ben Cartwright, whom he almost always beat, and with Little Joe Cartwright, whom he rarely beat.  His games with Little Joe had become infrequent, however, since Joe had discovered that he actually liked the girls who had been after him for several years.   He hoped that he hadn't completely given up playing checkers, since Joe gave him a much better game than did his father.  After getting the game set up, he sat down and started trying to map out his strategy.  As he was doing this he remembered one of the last times he had played checkers with Little Joe Cartwright.

  **********

He and Joe were playing their 3rd game of checkers, and as usual, Little Joe was winning.   Roy made one very cautious move, for which he had studied the board for a good 10 minutes.  Joe watched Roy move the checker, and as soon as Roy's hand was off the checker, he quickly jumped his black checker over that red checker and every remaining red checker.   "Game!" Joe exclaimed.  

"Well, Little Joe, one of these days I am going to either beat you or figure out how you are cheating me."  Roy laughed.

"Now Sheriff Coffee, I am surprised at you.  Just because you can't win at checkers, you can't accuse me of cheatin'", Little Joe laughed.

"No, but only out of respect for your Pa's friendship do I put up with you,"  Roy teased Joe.

Joe's face took a little bit more serious expression and he said, "You and my Pa have been friends for a long time, haven't you, Sheriff Coffee?"

"Yes, Little Joe, your Pa and I have been friends since you were 6 years old," Roy responded.

Joe looked a little puzzled, "How did you know how old I was when you met?"

"Because you were the reason we met in the first place, Little Joe,"  Sheriff Coffee answered.

Joe was about to ask the Sheriff to explain when the door to the jailhouse opened and Adam and Hoss Cartwright walked in, with serious expressions on their faces.  They looked surprised to see Little Joe sitting there, playing checkers with Roy.

"Clem told us to get over to the jail right away, said there had been a fight and you brought Little Joe to the jail,"  Adam said, looking sternly at Little Joe.

"What's goin' on here, Roy?" asked Hoss, looking at both Roy and then Joe.  He noticed a bruise on Joe's left cheek.

 "Joe have you been fightin' again?" Hoss asked.

  "Hello, big brothers," said Joe.  "Don't get so excited, I am okay."

"Frankly we are more concerned with what Pa is going to think if you are in trouble again," Adam replied sarcastically.

"Why, Adam, I am shocked that you are more worried about yourself getting into trouble with Pa than with my welfare". Joe said.

He knew that his father had warned both Hoss and Adam to keep an eye on him all the time and keep him out of trouble.  However, they had gotten occupied, Adam had gone upstairs with a girl at the Bucket of Blood and Hoss had gotten involved in an arm-wrestling contest.  He had gotten bored and gone to the Sassarack.  He had been minding his own business and having a beer with a girl, when her former boyfriend came and started a fight.  Roy had just come in and stopped the fight before Joe had gotten too badly beaten up.  He had arrested the other man and brought Joe over to the jail with him to keep him out of trouble and sent Clem for Adam and Hoss.

Although Joe had not told Sheriff Coffee of his father's charge to his brothers to "keep an eye on him", Sheriff Coffee knew that he would have.  He said, "Boys, I suggest you take your younger brother here on home to the Ponderosa, and the next time your Pa tells you to keep an eye on him, you better do it.  Is that understood, or do I need to tell your Pa what you two were up to while Little Joe got into trouble?"  Roy asked with a stern expression on his face, but with a twinkle in his eyes.  

Shortly after the Cartwright brothers had departed, Roy leaned back in his chair and half-awake and half-dozing, he started thinking about when he first came to know the Cartwrights.  He had been Sheriff for Virginia City for one month then.  He was still trying to get to know all the residents of Virginia City.  He was satisfied so far with the job, and he and his daughter Nancy had settled into a comfortable routine.  He had been able to hire a very good housekeeper to care for the house and to watch over Nancy when he was at work.  He was sure that leaving his former job and town had been the right thing to do for himself and for Nancy, after his wife’s death, there were just too many memories there.  He wanted to start fresh and build new memories for Nancy.  The job in Virginia City seemed like just the right opportunity for him.  The town was growing rapidly and needed a full-time Sheriff to keep the peace.  Roy was confident that he would be able to use his common sense and knowledge of the law to do that.  However, he also was pretty handy with a gun, if need be.

He had just come to his office in the jailhouse that morning, after having breakfast with Nancy.  He was busy shifting through papers on his desk, organizing his thoughts, and getting his day started, when the door opened.  A man and a young boy entered the office.  The man introduced himself as John Cooper.  He told the Sheriff that late last night, this little boy had somehow found his way to their cabin.  Since it was so late and the boy looked so tired and sleepy, his wife had simply put him to bed.   We're new here and don't know the neighbors yet, so we decided to bring him to Virginia City to see if anyone could identify him.  As the Sheriff listened to the story, his eyebrows raised and he turned to watch the little boy.  The child looked to be no more than 4 or 5, he had dark brown, curly hair, hazel eyes, and was slight in build.  The Sheriff noted though that his clothes appeared to be well-made and he had on expensive boots.

Questions began to enter his mind at a rapid pace.  Who was the boy?  What was he doing out late last night?  Why was he alone?  Why hadn’t anyone been looking for him?   He also noted that the boy didn’t appear to be frightened, but instead, was looking all around the jail, looking at the wanted posters on the wall, and scanning the jail cells.  He was surprised that a lost little boy didn’t seem to be afraid at all.

“Son, my name is Sheriff Coffee.   Can you tell me your name?”

 “Sure.  My name is Joe Cartwright,”  Little Joe answered with confidence and no hesitation.  As he said his name, he held out his right hand to shake the Sheriff’s hand, giving him a confident smile.  Roy, somewhat astonished, shook Joe’s hands.

“That is what he told me and my wife too, and he kept saying something about pine trees, but we didn’t know what he meant,” Mr. Cooper added.

Roy was thinking, “Cartwright” that is a name I have heard since moving here. Somebody who owns a big ranch, wasn’t it?”

“Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Joe Cartwright.  Now can you tell us where you live?”  Roy asked quietly.

“I live on the Ponderosa Ranch---the Pinetree brand,”  Joe answered.

“Well, Joe where are your mother and father?” Sheriff Coffee asked.

  As he asked this question, Roy noted a momentary look of sadness or grief cross the little boy’s face, then he seemed to catch himself and his face took on a stubborn look.  

He said,  "I live on the Ponderosa Ranch with my Pa, Ben Cartwright and my brothers, Hoss and Adam.”

Roy noticed Joe’s omission of mention of a mother and decided not to press that issue. Instead, he asked, “Joe, how did you come to be alone?  Where's your family now?”

“My pony couldn’t keep up with my brothers and I got lost.  My Pa will come get me though, when they finish eating breakfast,”  Joe replied simply.   The image of the other Cartwright’s that the Sheriff was forming was not altogether pleasant at that time.  How could they have let a boy this young fall behind and get lost, without even looking for him?  The little boy must be used to being left behind from the calm way he's takin' it, he thought to himself.  I think I'll just go have a talk with the Cartwright family, he decided.  

“Well Mr. Cooper, thank you for bringing the boy in, you did the right thing.  I'll see that he gets home and have a talk with a family so careless as to lose such a little young ‘un,”  Roy told Mr. Cooper as he was getting ready to leave. 

Mr. Cooper hesitated, then said, "Sheriff, my wife and I would be proud to take the boy in, if his family don't turn up."  

"Thank you, Mr. Cooper, I will keep that in mind,"  Roy said. 

Joe looked surprised and said, "My Pa will come get me, Sheriff.  Or Hoss or Adam will."

“Joe, you come with me, I need to go by my house for just a minute, then you and I will ride to the Ponderosa together, “  Roy said with a smile at Little Joe.

"Sheriff Coffee, is that the key for the jail?"  Joe asked the Sheriff, pointing to the keys hanging on the wall.

Roy followed where Joe was pointing and said, "Yes, son, why do you ask?"

"Well, if someone was in that cell, they could take that little table and move it right over there by the wall and stand on it and reach the keys."

Roy was smiling at the imagination of the little boy who thought he could tell him how to run a jail, but as he listened to what the child was saying and watched as he pointed, he was shocked to see that the child was absolutely right.  He stared at the child in amazement for a moment, then said, "Well Son, I sure hope I never have to keep you in jail 'cause you are the only person to have ever thought of that."

"Oh, Sheriff, you won't put me in jail, will ya?"  Joe asked with a bright smile.

He was completely taken aback at the warmth of the smile.  Roy felt himself developing a good opinion of this small child.  "I sure hope not, Son, I sure hope not."

"Well if you did, could Hoss come with me?"  Joe asked.

"You want to bring your horse into jail with ya?"  Roy asked with a surprised look.

"No, Hoss is not a horse.  Hoss is my brother, Sheriff."

"Well what kind of a name is that?" Roy asked.

"It's a big brother kind o' name, I guess,"  Joe said as if that was the most foolish question he had ever been asked.

Roy and Joe headed over to the Sheriff’s house.  As they walked down the street, they passed several towns people, Joe smiled and said hello to everyone they met.  Some of them just smiled back and continued on their way, many of them though said “Hello, Little Joe.  Good to see you” and looked curiously around as if looking for someone. Roy noted this response several times.  Finally when it happened for the third time, he asked the woman if she was looking for someone.  “Well, yes, I was looking for Little Joe’s father, Ben Cartwright, or Hoss or Adam, his brothers.  You never see Little Joe without one of them.”    

“Well, this boy was lost all night last night and brought in by a new settler this morning and as far as I know no one has been looking for him!  He was riding with his brothers and they went too fast for his pony to keep up with ‘em and that’s why he got lost in the first place,”  Roy said emphatically.

  “Sheriff Coffee, I guarantee you if that child has been missing all night, Ben Cartwright has every ranch hand on the Ponderosa out looking for him.  You should get him home as soon as possible before Ben worries himself to death.”

“That’s what I am doing, I just have to go get my horse and tell my housekeeper where I am going.”  Roy said.

The woman nodded her head at Roy and looked at Little Joe and said, “Joseph Cartwright, did Adam and Hoss KNOW you were riding behind them?  She asked with a serious tone in her voice. 

Joe looked a little uncomfortable and then replied, “I don't know for sure," he said, with a grin. 

"Joseph, did they know you were behind them?" she repeated. 

"No, Ma'am, but I wanted to go with them to round up the strays.” Joe said, stubbornly.  

“I see, Little Joe, so you were not even supposed to be riding at all, were you?”  The woman asked again.

  “No, Ma'am,”  Joe replied in a somewhat less confident voice.

“Sheriff Coffee, don’t jump to any premature conclusions about Ben Cartwright, or Adam or Hoss for that matter.  I think you will find the situation to be quite different from what you are thinking.”  She smiled at him and said, “I would really encourage you to get Little Joe home as soon as possible, before Ben Cartwright has the U.S. Cavalry out on the Ponderosa looking for him.”  With that, she said, “I have to be going now.  Good day,  Sheriff Coffee.  And with a smile, she reached over and ruffled Little Joe’s hair and said, “Good bye, Little Joe.  Please try to stay out of trouble for a day or two.”  Joe brushed his hands through his hair and frowned slightly after the woman ruffled his hair.  From the looks of it, Roy guessed that curly head of curly hair got ruffled a lot.

Roy was beginning to think he had really better get this little boy home and fast.  He walked into his house, followed by Joe.  His daughter, Nancy was sitting in the parlor, playing with her puppy.  Little Joe’s eyes lit up when he saw the puppy.  He walked over to Nancy and with another of those brilliant smiles,  said, “I’m Joe Cartwright. What’s your name?  Can I see your puppy?  What’s his name?  What kind is he?”

Nancy looked at Little Joe and smiled at him in return and began to answer his questions, one by one: ”I am Nancy Coffee. Yes, you may see my puppy.  His name is Freckles, and he is a hound dog.” 

Roy left Nancy and Joe playing with the puppy while he told the housekeeper where he was going.  When she heard him say that he was going out to the Ponderosa to take home a little boy that got lost, she said, “What has Little Joe been up to now?” and smiled at the Sheriff.  The Sheriff explained the situation and she urged him to hurry, too.   He quickly saddled his horse and then came back to the living room to collect Joe.

 “Come on Joe, I will take you home now,”  Sheriff Coffee said.