Inner Conflict

by Judy

Chapter One

Ben Cartwright stood in the shadow of the barn watching his youngest son ride a big, bucking black stallion around the corral.  He watched with mixed trepidation and admiration.  Joe was a natural horseman and at just 17, was the best bronc-buster on the Ponderosa. He had an easy rhythm and style that seemed to make him one with the horse, his movements graceful and rhythmical.  On the other hand, he was also a risk-taker and sometimes took chances that made the ranch hands applaud, and his father and brothers cringe.  Ben shook his head and swallowed with relief as he saw that the horse was wearing down and beginning to take direction from the rider, rather than continuing his attempts to dislodge him. 

Joe carefully rode the horse around the corral several more times, then slowed the horse to a stop, then urged the horse forward and backwards several times.  When he was sure that he had control of the horse, he rode up to the fence where the hands were waiting, jumped off the horse, and handed the reins to one of the men.  He patted the horse and talked to him to calm him down.

"Give him a good rubdown and plenty of oats tonight.  He's earned 'em."   The Calvary can finish up his training. Looks like we finished a day early, Charlie, I do believe that is the last one." 

"That was some riding, ya done Joe.  Four of those brutes in one day.  My hat's off to ya!" 

Laughing, Joe said, "I don't need your hat, Charlie, but some of that horse liniment might come in handy."  As he said this, he pretended to limp away from the fence.  Just as he did this, he saw his father and saw the swift look of concern cross his face. He laughed out loud and said, "Hey, Pa.  I'm fine.  I was just joshin' Charlie." 

"Well that was some ridin' you did Little Joe.  Mighty good riding, though I do wish you wouldn't take so darned many chances."  When he said this, he noticed the almost instantaneous expression change on Joe's face.  Joe was just about to protest but his father held up both hands.  "Never mind that, now Son.  You've done a great job and way ahead of when the Lieutenant said they'd be back for them.  I'm proud of you!"

As suddenly as his expression had turned stormy, it changed back to its natural good humor.  Ben relaxed when he saw that the anger was past.  He told himself again how much Joe took after his mother.

"You proud enough of me to give me tomorrow off, Pa?" Joe laughed as he said this. 

"Why you little…….."

Before he could continue, they heard the sound of a bunch of horses and looked up to see the ranch hands and Adam and Hoss returning from their jobs for the day. 

"Hey, wouldn't ya know they'd get back just as I get finished!"

Hoss and Adam rode up to where Joe and Ben were leaning against the corral fence.  Ben's and Joe's expressions changed when they saw the tired expressions on Hoss' and Adam's faces.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked. 

Adam and Hoss dismounted and one of the hands appeared to take their mounts for them. 

"Ah, nothing that two more days of hard work won't fix." Hoss answered disgustedly.  "We thought we was all done, Pa.  We had over 200 head rounded up, they was all fat and sassy and we were getting ready to call it done, then one of the hands rode up and said he'd seen a whole bunch of cattle over in Three Rocks canyon." Hoss said.

 "Three rocks canyon!  Why with all the places to hide in that canyon, it might take us three days to scare those strays out of there." Adam added. 

"In fact, if it weren't so darned bare up there in the winter, I'd say just leave 'em there." Hoss said, knowing that there was no way he'd do that really, but it made him feel better just to say it, to show his disgust with the change in the situation.

"Well we can't do that---they'd never survive the first snow storm." Adam and Ben said at the same time. 

"Well, why don't you three get cleaned up and we'll have dinner and talk about it." 

"Now that's the best idea I've heard all day" Hoss said. 

"Hey, little brother, how come you didn't come up there and help us?  You ain't gonna try and say you still got horses to break, are you?" 

Before Joe could answer, Ben said, "As a matter of fact, Hoss, Joseph finished his job not only on time, but ahead of schedule.  He's earned himself a day off." 

He gave Hoss and Adam a momentary stern look, which caused Hoss to pause, then he and Joe broke into laughter, followed by Adam and Hoss.

Chapter 2

While his sons cleaned up for dinner, Ben enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet before the fire in the giant fireplace.  One of the best things about living near Lake Tahoe was that even in the summer times, the air would be cool and crisp in the evenings. To his thinking, that was the way it should be---a man needed to be able to sit in front of the fire at night with his family.  For him that meant his three sons.  He was happiest when they were all home, safe and sound. He knew that eventually they would marry and start families of their own, so he savored this time.  At times like this, when they were at home so that he wasn't worried about them, yet they weren't in the room with him, he found himself thinking about what it would be like when they did marry.  His hope was that they would choose to stay on the Ponderosa and work with him and that there would be Cartwrights on the Ponderosa for generations to come.  He smiled as he thought of future little Cartwrights, wondering what they would be like.

"Pa!  Wake up, Pa."

Ben opened his eyes and saw Hoss standing over him, his blue eyes shining and his face enveloped in a wide grin.  

"I wasn't asleep, Son.  What's the emergency?" He knew that the "emergency" was that Hop Tseng had just called that dinner was ready.  To Hoss---that qualified as an emergency of the highest order.

"Well I don't want to make Hop Tseng mad, Pa.  I smell fried chicken and I saw him bring out a baker of hot biscuits.  Ummm.  Just smell it, Pa."

"Hoss, you better not to eat too many of those biscuits.  You remember what I told ya about foundering Chub, don't ya?"

"Little brother, just 'cause you're horse is a mite on the puny side, don't mean Chub is.  Chub ain't in no danger----unless he gets between me 'n them biscuits.  And that goes for you too, Shortshanks."  As Hoss said this, he put his arm around Little Joe's neck and pulled him toward him in a make-believe chokehold.

"All right, all right, but don't say I didn't warn ya."  Joe laughed as Hoss pulled him toward the dining room table.

Adam came down the stairs in time to hear the hi-jinks of his two younger brothers and looked at Ben and they both grinned. 

"I see that Hoss has recovered his good humor." Adam said laughing.  

"Yeah, doesn't take long for him to get over a bad humor, does it?"  

"Nope.  Too bad you can't say the same thing for your youngest son" Adam said with one eyebrow arched. 

Ben started to protest, then thinking better of it, he said, "He does have his moments."  

Conversation at the dinner table was fast while the men filled their plates, then the conversation slowed down as they were eating.  After they had worn the edge off their hunger, the conversation picked up again.   At least for Ben, Adam, and Little Joe. Hoss continued to devote the majority of his attention to the steadily shrinking mound of fried chicken, the mashed potatoes and brown gravy, and the light, browned buttermilk biscuits.   

"Pa, did you remember that we have to submit the bid for that timber in Carson City tomorrow?"  Adam asked during a lull in the conversation.  

"Yes, I put the finishing touches on it today while you boys were out and it was quiet enough to think."  

"I just wish I had gotten it done sooner; I hate to have to take the whole day to go to Carson City tomorrow, because I need to finalize the bill for those horses Joe broke for the army.  But you or Hoss can't go because you have to finish the round-up."  

"Well I might be able to get one of the ranch hands to help Hoss, though we are kind of short-handed right now."  

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes as they pondered the situation.  Neither of them noticed that Little Joe was staring at them, his face tensed, his eyes flashing angrily. He didn't say a word, but his face revealed his anger.  

"No, I guess I'll have….."

"Did either of you even once consider that I could take the bid to Carson City?" Joe blurted out angrily.  

Ben and Adam looked at him, startled.  Truthfully, neither of them had even thought that he could do it.   

"Joe, you can't go all the way to Carson City with a bid…."  

"Why not, Adam?" Joe's face was taut, and his eyes were bright with anger and indignation.  

"Well, Son, what Adam meant was….."  

"Oh I know what Adam meant, Pa.  You too.  You think I'm still a boy and can't do anything without you or one of my big brothers to watch me like a hawk."

"Now Shortshanks, Adam didn't mean no harm……"  

"You stay out of this, Hoss.  You're just as bad as they are."   

Joe pushed his plate away from the table, threw his napkin down, and started away from the table.  

"Joseph!  That is enough of that.  Sit down, young man."  

No matter how angry Joe was, he recognized that tone of voice and sat down, but his eyes were still blazing and he stared into his father's face, his face white with anger.  

"Joseph, your brother and I were merely discussing the issue.  We didn't mean to insult you; it hadn't occurred to us that you would want to take the bid to Carson City."

"That's just the problem, Pa.  You all still think of me as a kid and I'm tired of it."

"Joseph, I think you and I need to discuss this privately.   Adam……"  

"Sure, Pa.  Come on, Hoss let's get the barn chores started."  

"Sure" Hoss said, grabbing the last golden biscuit off the plate as he got up from the table.  He walked around and patted Joe on the arm and winked at him, in an effort to defuse the situation.  Despite his anger, Joe half-grinned at him in return.  He wasn't really mad with Hoss anyway.  

Ben waited until Adam and Hoss had gone out the door, then he turned his full attention toward his youngest son.  As he did, he saw an image of his mother when she was angry and he almost smiled.  Fortunately he was able to suppress the smile from his face. That would have really ignited the short fuse of his son's temper.   

"Joseph, those outbursts of yours do not do anything to make your case that you are not a kid."  Ben eyed him sternly as he said this.  He held Joe's eyes until he saw the defiance ebb and remorse take its place.  Then he softened his look and smiled at his son.  

Joe took a deep breath, then relaxed a little, "I'm sorry Pa.  I didn't mean to lose my temper, it's just that…"  

"Joe most people don't 'mean' to lose their temper.  You don't get anywhere by losing your temper---you lose all control of a situation when you blow your stack like that.  People learn to control their temper most times."  

"But Pa…"  

"And you Joseph, have an even bigger responsibility to do that."  

"What does that mean?" Joe asked, his anger rising again.  

"See?  There you go again, Son." Ben said calmly.  

"What I mean is that since you have such a volatile temper---you have to work twice as hard to control it as other people."  

"Pa, I do try but sometimes I don't have time to think about it---it just happens."

"Son, what do you think would happen if your brother Hoss let every little thing rile him?"  

Joe grinned easily at that, "Why'd he'd have clobbered over half Storey County by now.  Probably half of Nevada."   

Ben laughed along with Joe and then said, "I suspect he'd have clobbered you more times than you can count, Joe."  

Joe laughed out loud and said, "Yeah I reckon so, Pa.  Good thing he doesn't have my temper."  

They sat in silence for a few minutes, imagining the consequences if the big, strong Hoss had the quick volatile temper of his younger brother.  

"But Pa, back to the timber bid.  You said I could have the day off tomorrow and I could take that bid for you. You wouldn't give a second thought to Hoss taking it.  Why don't you trust me to take it?"  

"Joseph, I do trust you son…"  

"Well then, it's settled, I'll take it…."  

"HOWEVER, Joseph, that does not mean that I don't have concerns.  Carson City is a long way off and despite your assertions to the contrary, you are mighty young for a trip like that…" Joe tried to interrupt, but Ben held his hands up, motioning him to wait, "And son, you have certainly gotten yourself into some dangerous situations under similar circumstances."  

"Pa, I can do it.  I'll be careful.  I'll even come home tomorrow night if ya are worried 'bout me being in Carson City over night."  Joe, all anger aside now, was using his most persuasive voice on his father.  His father was not easily fooled.  

"Oh no you don't Joseph, I won't have you coming home at night.  No tellin' what you could get into."  

"Fine.  It's settled. I'll take the bid and stay over night in Carson City!" Joe said definitively.  

"Right!" Ben said, fooled.  

After this exchange, neither of them spoke for several minutes.  Joe was contemplating what kind of adventure he would find in Carson City after he delivered the contract. Ben was trying to figure out how he had gotten into this particular position.  How they went from discussing whether or not Joe would go to Carson City, to when he would return.   

Finally he sighed and said, "Well Joseph, now that you have once again bamboozled me into the decision you wanted me to make, why don't you go help your brothers?"

He looked into his son's eyes and saw the merriment there.   

"You little whippersnapper, you.  Get on out of here." He made an exaggerated motion with his hands, waving Joe away from him.  

With that, they both laughed and Joe jumped up energetically and moved towards the barn, the twinkle back in his eyes and the grin back on his face.   As soon as Joe was turned away from him, Ben shook his head and shrugged his shoulders and laughed.  Once again that youngest son had wrapped him all the way around his finger, and he didn't even know how he did it.

Chapter 3

The Cartwrights were at breakfast the next morning as usual.  Hoss was first at the table, followed shortly by Ben and Adam.  They were surprised to see Little Joe coming downstairs fully dressed, if not fully awake, right after they sat down.  It usually took second effort to get him up, but today he was anxious to be off to Carson City. He figured the sooner he got there and delivered the contract, the more fun he could have before he had to come home.  As he walked down the stairs, however, he was yawning and stretching, evidence that he was not accustomed to such an early departure from bed.

During breakfast they discussed their jobs for the day, but most of the conversation centered on Little Joe's trip to Carson City.  He was anxious to be off and tired of the never-ending instructions given to him by Ben.  Adam chimed in several times with instructions as well.  Hoss tried to prevent Joe from getting riled up by kidding him about his motives for the trip.  Ironically, as they were finally finished with breakfast and Joe was getting ready to go, it was Hoss who gave into his doubts about Joe going off to Carson City by himself.  

"Hey, Pa, you know now that Joe got those horses finished, Charlie and his crew could help me out with roundin' up them strays.  We'd have enough help 'thout Adam and he could ride with Joe to Carson City."

Joe gave Hoss a killer look and spoke up quickly, "Nope, Hoss.  Charlie and that crew have to keep workin' those horses.  I just broke 'em; I didn't train 'em.  You know that."  

"Yeah, Joe is right, Hoss. Adam's gonna have to help you.  Joe'll be fine."  His words were meant to reassure Hoss but also to reassure himself. He was wondering why he hadn't thought of that sooner.  If he'd just thought of that last night, it might have worked. He knew that Hoss was worried about Joe, so he patted him on the arm and said, "You boys better get on out there, you're burning daylight!"  

Hoss sighed and said, "All right Pa.  But Joe you be careful now, ya hear?  I won't be there to back you up if you call somebody a cheat at cards or steal somebody's girlfriend."   

Adam sensed that Ben wanted to talk to Joe alone before he left, so he slapped Joe on the back, almost knocking him down, and said, "Stay out of jail, little brother.  We got enough to do without you winding up on a wanted poster in the Sheriff's office."  With that, he gently pushed Hoss out the door and said, "Let's go round up them doggies, little brother." 

"Joseph, this is the bid.  All you have to do is get it to the Carson City office of the Seattle Shipping Company by 4 PM today.  Make sure you give it to the bonded agent of the company and get a receipt.  You think you can handle that?"  

"Sure Pa.  Stop worryin'.  I'll be fine.  The bid is as good as there, already.  You can count on me, Pa."  

"I am counting on you Son.  I'm counting on you for two things."

Joe looked at him, a puzzled expression on his face.

"1. Get the bid in on time, to the right people."

"I will Pa.  I understand it is important.  What's number 2?"

"Ah, number 2 is the MOST important, young man."

"The receipt?"

"Nope, that is part of number 1.  Number 2 is that you get home before dark tomorrow, safe and sound.  That's most important of all."  

They were standing at the door by the credenza.  Joe put on his gunbelt and buckled it on.  Ben took the green corduroy jacket down from the peg by the door and handed it to him.  Joe quickly shrugged into the jacket, grabbed his hat, and said, "Adios, Pa." 

Ben reached over and hugged him, quickly before Joe could get away.  "Adios to you, Son.  See you tomorrow."  Then to hide the tears that were almost on the surface, he said, "Now get along with you.  I've got work to do."  Joe laughed and bounded out the door and vaulted onto Cochise.  Hoss had saddled him and left him at the rail by the porch for him.  With one quick look back at his Pa, he was off.  Off to Carson City for the first time without his father or brothers! 

Chapter 4

The sun was just coming up behind the mountains, burning the mist off and giving a irridescent glow to the forests and to the lake.  He made a short stop at the lake, getting off Cochise and walking to the grave where his mother was buried.  He kneeled down at the grave and removed a tiny weed that had grown since the last time that either he or Pa had been there.  He then looked at the lake for a few seconds, drinking in the view as the sun rose higher in the sky, making the lake turn first pink, then orange, then as the sun reached beyond the horizon, a bright blue.  Smiling then, he jumped on Cochise and headed to Carson City.

Joe set a steady pace for his ride to Carson City, resisting the urge to let Cochise have rein and run.  As much as he enjoyed riding fast, he didn't want to tire Cochise out this early in the trip.  He laughed to himself as he recalled his conversation with Hoss yesterday about Chub and how Hoss had called Cochise "puny".  Cochise was everything but puny.  He was a sleek black and white pinto, strong, muscular, and sleek.  Pa had given him to him on his 12^th birthday and Joe cherished the horse.  He spent long hours training him to respond to his commands, but the horse actually seemed to anticipate his actions now.  Any strangers passing by would have appreciated the picture of the horse and rider.  However, they didn't meet a single other soul on the way to Carson City. 

After a few hours Joe stopped and dismounted to allow horse and rider to rest.  He poured water into his hands from his canteen, allowing Cochise to drink his fill before he drank.  First he looked all around the site where he had stopped, and listened for any untoward noises. Then he sat down, pushed his hat over his face and rested against a tree, enjoying the pleasant breeze and sunshine. He kept his hands on his gun and resisted the urge to go to sleep, however, thinking that it would not be safe. 

"All I need is to be bushwhacked on my first real trip without my keepers" he thought to himself.  After about 15 minutes, he remounted and continued the journey to Carson City.  After a couple more hours of riding, he crossed the boundary of the Ponderosa.

"Hey Coch, guess what?  We ain't on the Ponderosa and it is just you and me---on our own.  How about that boy?  No Pa or big brothers to boss us around." Soon the road took a turn and he began to see signs that he was approaching the town.  Farms and small ranches dotted the countryside and he saw farmers in fields and passed several riders and some buggies.  One buggy had been of particular interest to him.  The occupants were a young man, about Joe's age, a young boy of about 12, and the prettiest girl Little Joe had ever seen.  Joe had tipped his hat to them, and caught the eye of the girl.  She had dark shiny black hair that fell around her face in soft curls.  Her eyes were blue and she had on a blue dress and bonnet.  Joe was hoping he'd see her again while he was visiting Carson City.  After the buggy had gone by, Joe stopped Cochise and turned around to watch it, and as he did, the girl turned around and waved at him.  "Yes, sir, Cochise, I'm beginning to like this place already."  With that, he gave a gentle prod to Cochise with his left foot, causing him to rear up on command.  The girl watched fascinated, as he then turned Cochise smartly and continued down the road into Carson City at a lively pace.  He reached down and rubbed the horse,  "You sure know how to turn a girl's head, Coch!".

Within 15 minutes of arrival in Carson City, Joe had accomplished his mission. The first building he saw as he rode into town was the Seattle Company's temporary office.  He reined Cochise over, jumped off, looped her reins around the hitching rail and dug into the saddle bag and extracted the sealed bid. 

"Well would you look at that?  Little Joe Cartwright?  Is that you?"  Joe turned around to see someone vaguely familiar to him, he just couldn't quite place him.  He was a tall, big man with gray hair and a neat, well-trimmed mustache.  Joe stared at him for a minute and then it came back to him.

"Mr. Hubert.  How do you do?" 

"Your Pa or Adam not with you, son?" 

"No sir, they were tied up at the ranch.  Pa asked me to bring the bid today." 

As he said this, he personally handed the Ponderosa timber bid to the President of the Seattle Company. 

"Well you sure have changed since the last time I saw you, Little Joe."  In fact, do you remember the last time I saw you?" 

Joe tried to remember, but he really only had a faint recollection of the man.

"No, Mr. Hubert, I'm afraid I can't remember exactly.  I'm sure it has been several years though."

"Well, Little Joe how old are you now?"

"Seventeen." He said, trying to figure out what that had to do with it.

"Well then it was 5 years ago, Joe.  On your 12^th birthday---the day your father gave you that pinto pony" as he said this he was pointing at Cochise.  "Is that the same one, Joe?"

Joe reached over and patted Cochise on the side of the neck and said,

"He sure is, Mr. Hubert.  Cochise is the best horse in Nevada; in fact, he says he's the best horse period."  Mr. Hubert looked at Joe, a mixture of disbelief and confusion on his face, until he saw the twinkle in Joe's eyes.  Then he laughed and said, "Well who are we to argue with the horse himself?" 

He then clapped Joe on the back and said

"Let me get someone to make you out a receipt for that bid, so your Pa will know you got it here on time." 

Joe went inside with Mr. Hubert and collected the receipt for the bid.  When Mr. Hubert found out that Joe was spending the night in town, he insisted that Joe join his family for dinner that evening at the hotel dining room.  Joe really preferred to spend the evening in the saloon or in the company of some other young woman, but he couldn't be rude to his father's friend. 

After leaving Mr. Hubert's he went directly to the livery stable to make arrangements for Cochise's stabling.  He paused when he passed a saloon and heard music and laughter coming from inside, but he kept going.  "I'll get you fixed up first, Coch.  Hey maybe there will be nice filly in the livery, boy."  The horse snorted and curled his lips as if to say, "Exactly my thoughts."

"Give him a good rubdown and then give him a pail of oats and some fresh hay---none of that ol' moldy stuff either," Joe instructed the livery stable boy.  Joe went about rinsing out and refilling the water bucket. He always made sure that Cochise didn't have to drink water from a bucket that another horse had already drunk out of.  The owner of the livery stable watched him and just shook his head, knowing that the horse couldn't care less.  He'd seen that boy in there with his father and brothers and every time he insisted that paint pony be treated special.  But he was a fine horse and he appreciated seeing owners look after their horses, so he said nothing and always obliged the boy.

Chapter 5

Joe left the livery stable with just one thought on his mind---getting a nice cold beer.  He went into the saloon where he had heard all the music and laughter, grinning when he got inside.  Although it was only about 3:00, the saloon was pretty busy.  There was a card game going on at one table, a few men sitting at the other tables and a younger man at the bar.  As he walked up to the bar, he recognized the bar tender from previous trips with his family.  He was relieved because although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially himself, he'd been afraid they would think he was too young to even order a beer. 

He was surprised when he got to the bar, because that was exactly what was being discussed by the bar tender and the young man at the bar.

"Listen, Son, you sure you're old enough to be in a saloon, much less ordering whiskey?" the bartender asked the skinny, dark-haired man. 

"I done asked ye politely, Mister.  The next time I ask ya, it ain't gonna be so polite.  Now are ya gonna give me that whisky or ain't ya?"

The bartender picked up the bottle and poured a shot of whiskey in the glass, shaking his head as he did so.

"Hey, I'll have a beer." Joe said.  The bartender didn't say a word; he retrieved a glass from behind the counter, wiped it off with the cloth in his hands, and drew a beer with a foam on it and handed it to Joe.

"Ain't no skin off my nose.  Iff'n your folks don't care, why should I get shot for it." He muttered to himself as he stepped to the other side of the bar.  This tickled Little Joe, since he had no intention of shooting the barkeep if he hadn't gotten his beer.  

"You owe me fer that beer, fella. I done softened 'im up fer ye." The other boy at the bar said.  Joe looked at him and smiled, "Yeah, I'll tell you what, your next round is on me."   Joe stuck out his hand and said, "Cartwright, Joe Cartwright."

"He…Bonney, William Bonney." The man said, with a grin.  Joe noticed a slight stutter, but thought nothing of it. 

They eventually moved over to a table. Joe did buy his new friend another whiskey and he had one more beer, while they swapped histories.  Joe felt instant liking for the man when he found out that he had two older brothers too.  Joe had often wondered what it would be like to be the oldest instead of the youngest in the family.  He was sure that it had to be easier to be the oldest than to be the youngest, at least in his family anyway. 

"So where are you headed now, William?  When you leave here, I mean?" Joe asked after William had told him of his travels from the family home in Kansas. 

"I'm gonna go over to that hotel and have me a bath and then I'm gonna get me one decent night's sleep, that's what."

Joe laughed and said, "Yeah I'm gonna do that too, but I mean after you leave Carson City, not after you leave the saloon."

"Oh, Joe, I don't make plans that far in advance.  I'll have to tell you that when I get to it."

"Hey, while you're making up your mind about where you want to go, what say you come back with me to the Ponderosa?" 

"Hmm I don't know about that Joe.  I ain't used to being with nobody.  I don't like answering to nobody but myself."

"Well look you could give it a try. I'm sure my Pa would hire you, William."

There was a momentary pause in the conversation as a saloon girl came down the stairs and walked to a back room behind the bar.  Both boys followed her with their eyes all the way down the stairs, until she disappeared into the door.  Then they took up their conversation right where they left off, without saying a word about what they had just seen.

"Naw, Joe, I ain't no ranch hand and I sure ain't no wrangler."  That just wouldn't work.  But I 'preciate the offer, just the same."

"Well if you don't want to work on the Ponderosa, you could ride with me to Virginia City, it's just as good as Carson City and we got lots of pretty girls in Virginia City.  I could even introduce ya to some.  And I know you like pretty girls!"

"Well I tell ya what, ask me again tomorrow and I'll let you know."

"It's a deal!" Joe said.  He looked at the clock on the wall and said, "Well, I'd better get over to the hotel and see about a room and that bath.  I have to meet someone for dinner, but maybe after that, we could see what else there is to see in Carson City.  There's got to be more where that one came from."  William didn't need an explanation of what Joe was talking about and Joe didn't expect him to.

Chapter 6

Joe was thinking of excuses he could use to get out of this dinner as early as possible as he walked down the stairs.  He was dressed in a clean white shirt and black string tie, thanks to Hop Tseng, who had insisted that he should bring it "just in case".  His hair, still slightly damp from his bath was curling a little on the ends of his collar; he nervously raked his fingers through his hair again as he walked into the dining room.  He saw Mr. Hubert rise and beckon to him as he entered the room.  Mr. Hubert made the introductions as he was being seated.   

"Joseph, allow me to introduce my wife, Sarah, my sons, Brendan and John, and my daughter, Amanda." 

Joe gave each of them a warm and friendly smile as he acknowledged the introductions.  However when he got to the last introduction, his smile was positively beaming.  It was the girl from the buggy.  She was wearing a lighter blue dress, and her hair was hanging in soft curls down her back, but he would have recognized that face and smile and blue eyes anywhere.

"Pleased to meet you all." Joe said, but it was obvious to all around whom he was MOST pleased to meet.  

"Hey you're the guy ridin' that pretty black and white horse, ain't ya?" John asked.  

"John, please use some of the grammar you learned in school!" his mother scolded. 

Joe laughed and said, "I sure am, John.  That is Cochise and he is handsome, John, not pretty!"

"I thought he was awesome, too, Joseph" Amanda said. 

"Please call me Joe." He said, smiling and his eyes sparkling .

Conversation at the dinner table that night was friendly and exciting.  Joe and Brendan chatted easily, although each was certain that the other one was wasting their life.  Brendan, two years older than Joe was going East to go to college next month.  Joe couldn't believe anyone besides his brother Adam wanting to go to college, and Brendan couldn't understand why someone as obviously bright as Joe was would choose to just be a rancher. But they were both too polite to voice their opinions.  Joe couldn't believe his good luck.  And he was awe-struck when he found out that it was getting better and better.  

"Joe, I saw a sign that there is a dance at the town hall tonight.  We thought we'd check it out.  We'd be happy for you to accompany us." Mr. Hubert said.

"Oh please do, Joe.  Then it'll be fun!"  Amanda blurted out.  

Her mother gave her a warning look and she blushed.  Her father and brother Brendan, who had caught the warning look and the following blush, both laughed, but they declined to say what they were laughing at.  Joe was so excited to have an opportunity to go to a dance with the prettiest girl he'd ever seen didn't seem to notice. However, when her family finally resumed their conversation, he caught her eye and winked, causing her to blush again.  But she smiled at him the entire time she was blushing.  

Joe and Amanda had a wonderful time at the dance.  They danced every dance together, and only sat out a few dances to get something to drink or to talk.  Other girls tried to get Joe's attention and several boys tried to get Amanda's attention, but they only had eyes for each other that night.  Mr. and Mrs. Hubert watched them with amusement.  "I think perhaps it is time for us to pay a visit to the Ponderosa, Sarah, don't you?" Mr. Hubert asked.  "Why you know, I'd love to see the Ponderosa.  I've heard you talk about Ben Cartwright so much.  Perhaps after Brendan goes off to college, we should pay a visit.  I am sure that John and Amanda wouldn't mind."  "Yep and I bet the Cartwrights might even consider visiting Seattle sometime in the near future---at least the youngest Cartwright, anway."  They laughed and then joined the other dancers on the floor doing a Virginia reel.  The only person who wasn't having such a great time was John, who was tired of all those sissy girls who kept looking at him and giggling.  Brendan and Joe both heard him muttering about those "silly ol' girls" and shared another laugh. "Just you wait, John, before long you want think of 'em as silly."  "Oh yes, I will!" he said emphatically.

Chapter 7

After the dance ended, Joe had walked Amanda back to the hotel, following as far behind her parents and brothers as they could possibly manage.  When they got to the hotel door, Brendan took John on inside, and Mr. and Mrs. Hubert stopped to tell Joe goodnight.  "You tell your Pa, that he can expect some visitors in the near future, Joe.  I have a strong premonition that Amanda is going to want to see some more of the West before we return to Seattle." 

"Hot diggety!" Joe said and he beamed at the Hubert's.

"Amanda, we're going to go on up to our room.  You can say goodnight to Joseph, but come right upstairs then."  Mrs. Hubert said, looking pointedly at Amanda.

"Well goodnight, young man. Give my regards to your father.  Amanda, 5 minutes." He said firmly.  

After kissing Amanda good night and making some plans for guaranteeing that the Huberts' would be visiting the Ponderosa before their return to Seattle, Joe escorted her to her room.  When she was safely inside, he went whistling to his own room, earning him a yelled "Quiet out there!" from a hotel guest.  He went to his room and changed clothes, putting on his regular pants and shirt, and decided to go see if he could find his new friend William for a beer or a hand of poker.  

He went to several saloons, but didn't see his new friend.  The last saloon he went to was empty and the place had been wrecked.  Joe noticed that the barkeeper was scrubbing the floor in front of the bar. 

"Whoa, this place must have been hoppin' earlier.  Looks like I'm too late for the party." 

"Warn't no party, sonny.  What it was was a killin'.  Be glad you wasn't here. You mighta wound up like that other man did."  

Joe's eyes widened in surprise.  "Who was killed and who killed him?"

"Aw it was one of the local ranch hands.  He accused some drifter of cheatin' at cards and afore I knew it---we done had us a dead 'un.  That drifter was one of them quick draw gunmen."

Joe, ever curious, asked "Well did the sheriff charge the man?" 

"Sheriff didn't have no chance.  He high-tailed it outta here before the smoke cleared.  He's probably in the next county by now."  

Joe would have liked to hear more but decided he was going to have to go somewhere else if he wanted that beer before he went back to the hotel, so he said good night to the bartender and crossed the street, to go to the one saloon he hadn't been in yet.  This saloon was a little rowdier than the other one, but he didn't see William.  He ordered his beer, which arrived warm.  He wound up drinking only a few swallows before he decided that he'd just head back to the hotel and try to find William in the morning.  

He slept soundly that night and woke up later than he'd planned to.  He knew he would have to leave right away so that he would get home soon enough that his father wouldn't come looking for him.  He was determined to give his father no ammunition to use against him the next time he had an opportunity to do something on his own.  He got up and dressed quickly and went downstairs.  He opted to forego breakfast and just go ahead and head home.  When he was checking out, he asked the clerk if he could leave a message for Mr. Bonney. 

"Mr. Bonney?  We ain't got no one registered under that name, Mr. Cartwright."

"You sure?" Joe asked, incredulously.

The clerk looked at the register and then turned it around on the desk for Joe to see for himself.  He quickly scanned the names of guests in the past week. He Evans, Johnson, Hubert, and McCarty, but no Bonney.  "Hmm.  Guess I just misunderstood him then or else he changed his mind." Joe paid the clerk and quickly left the hotel for the livery stable.

"Hey Coch, how ya doin'?  Did you find something to entertain yourself last night?" Joe talked to the horse as he quickly and skillfully saddled him and readied him for the trip, carefully checking to make sure that the horse was in top shape for the journey.  He paid the livery stable owner and enthusiastically mounted Cochise for the ride home.  They rode for a couple of hours, then Joe decided to stop and make a pot of coffee and get Cochise some fresh water at the stream they'd passed yesterday.   

Joe went about making a small fire and putting on a pot of coffee.  After giving Cochise fresh water using his hat for him to drink from, he sat down and leaned back against a rock, waiting for the coffee to boil.  He appeared to be completely relaxed.  Suddenly however, his gun was in his hand and he said, "You want to come out where I can see ya, or do you just want me to start firing into that bush, you're hiding behind?"  Laughter emerged first from behind the bush, then slowly William Bonney emerged, a grin on his face.  

"Cartwright, you ain't as dumb as I thought you were." 

"Well now and you aren't as smart as you think you are, either, so that makes us about even, I guess." Joe laughed and pointed to the coffee. 

"You got a cup on that horse you got hid over there?"

William laughed and went over behind the brush and was back immediately with a tin cup.  Joe took the cup and poured them both a mug of hot coffee.  William took the first swallow and opened his eyes wide and shook his head, "What are you trying to do, Cartwright, poison me?" Joe laughed as he took a swallow himself and said, "My Pa always told me drinking strong coffee would put hair on my chest."  He was quiet for a minute and then laughed again, "Hasn't worked so far though."   

"You still serious 'bout wanting some company to Virginia City?" William asked.

"Dead serious.  I'd be happy for the company.  Sure you don't want to try working at the Ponderosa?  My Pa is fair."

"Trust me on this Joe.  It wouldn't work out.  It's better if we just see how it goes in Virginia City.  I don't tend to stay in one place too long."

"Well suit yourself then.  Finish up that coffee and let's get going.  I want to get home early.  Hop Tseng'll have something special for dinner tonight.  Hey now that's an idea---you can have dinner with us before you go to Virginia City.  In fact you can sleep there tonight and go on to Virginia City tomorrow."

William started to protest but Joe said "Now I'm not taking no for an answer.  You're staying for dinner and that's final."

"Cartwright you are as stubborn a cuss as I've ever met.  If you promise to quit harping at me, I'll stay for dinner and then go on to Virginia City."

"Deal!" said Joe.  Joe got up and took what was left of his second cup of the strong chicory-flavored coffee and poured it in his hands and held it out for Cochise, who drank it up in no time flat.  When he turned around, William was staring at him with something close to astonishment on his face.  Joe looked at him, winked and said, "He's a real bear 'til he gets his cup of coffee in the mornin'!"

"Cartwright, you do beat all." William said and both of the young men laughed.

The rest of the ride to the Ponderosa was uneventful; they stopped briefly several times to allow the horses to rest or to drink and graze.  Joe had noticed that William's horse was not as sturdy and strong as Cochise, so he didn't want to wear him out.  Around about 2 o'clock, William said, "Joe when are we ever gonna get to this Ponderosa you keep talkin' about?"  

"We’ve been on the Ponderosa since right before I stopped to make the coffee" Joe answered. William's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything. "We'll be to the ranch house in about an hour." Joe said.  By this time, they were both tired and a bit saddle sore, so their conversation was minimal, each lost in his own thoughts.  Joe's thoughts were of Amanda and her family's pending visit. He and Amanda had strategized several different ways that Amanda could make sure that the visit would happen.  She had assured him that she could handle her father.  He had no doubt that she was right.  

William's thoughts were less pleasant; he thought of the events of the past few weeks and wondered what would be in store for him in Virginia City.  But with the resiliency of youth, he determined to let tomorrow take care of itself.  Right now he had a good friend, the promise of a hot meal, and open country all around him---what more could a boy from Kansas want?

Chapter 8

Shortly before 3:00, Ben Cartwright heard horses riding into the yard. He forced himself to remain seated at his desk, resisting the urge to rush to the door to see if it were Joseph.  He had spent a very restless night and day, worrying about his youngest son. He went over and over scenarios of what could happen to someone as young and impulsive and hot-tempered as Joseph without the calming influence of him or his brothers.  But he also knew that Joseph was getting older and that he wouldn't be able to protect him forever; Joseph had to learn to handle himself on his own.  He just hoped it was not at a price that would be too costly to pay.   

He heard the footsteps of two people and let out a disappointed sigh.  It's probably Adam and Hoss coming to see if Little Joe were back yet, he thought.  He was immensely relieved when the door slammed open and he heard Little Joe shouting, "Pa!" before he even looked into the room.  "Joseph, for goodness sakes, is all that yelling necessary?" Ben said as he rushed forward to meet him.  Now that he knew Joe was home safe, he didn't want to reveal how worried he'd been.  

"Pa, this is my friend William Bonney.  He rode back from Carson City with me and I invited him to dinner.  William, this is my father, Ben Cartwright."

"Hello, William, nice to meet you.  Do come in and have a seat.  I'll ask Hop Tseng…."

"Little Joe!  Come inside and sit down.  Hop Tseng bring cool drink.  You eat lunch, Little Joe?"  Before Joe could answer, Hop Tseng looked around and saw William. "You sit down. Hop Tseng bring refreshment."

"Great, Hop Tseng." Joe saw the look on William's face and with a deadpan expression on his face, said "he worries about me," and laughed again.  Ben smiled too.  It was no secret that Hop Tseng felt a special closeness for Little Joe, probably because he had loved Marie so much.

Joe reached into his jacket pocket and handed the receipt to his father.  "Here you go, Pa.  Signed by Mr. Hubert himself."  "Mark Hubert was there?" Ben asked in surprise, "I haven't seen him since…".  "My 12^th birthday, yeah I know." Joe said. "But, Pa, Mr. Hubert said he would love to have a look at the Ponderosa again and see that timber and I invited them to come for a visit before they go back to Seattle." Joe said, in a rush. 

"Well that is fine, Joseph. You know that, but who is "they"?"

"Well his wife and children, Pa." 

"Oh yes, I recall that he had a daughter just about your age, Joseph.  Was she in Carson City with her father, by any chance?"  Joe looked at Pa with a wounded look on his face and then broke out laughing, "Yeah Pa and she sure is pretty." 

"Well I see, little brother that you managed to find a young lady to fall under your charms even in Carson City for just one night." A voice interrupted.  Hoss and Adam had come in the door quietly while the conversation was going on.  "Hey Hoss, Adam.  Meet my friend, William Bonney."  Routine pleasantries were made and no one except William Bonney noticed the expression on Adam's face change when his name was mentioned.  And it happened so fast, that he wasn't sure that he saw it himself.  "Be careful." He warned himself. 

Chapter 9

Just as the introductions were made, Hop Tseng came in bearing a tray with coffee and sandwiches and cookies.  Joe grabbed a sandwich and then offered the plate to William who also took a sandwich. 

"William, if you think you're gonna want another one, best get it now.  Hoss has that hungry look in his eyes". 

"Well, dadburn it little brother, I haven't had nothin' to eat for two hours. I worked up an appetite doin' your chores for you this morning." 

"William, where are you from?" Adam asked as the others watched Hoss wolf down a sandwich before they had even started theirs.

"Well, I guess you could say I was from Kansas; but I been travelin' quite a bit in the last year or two." William said cautiously.

"William, you look awfully young to be on your own for so long.  Don't you have any kinfolks?" Ben asked kindly.

"No, sir. My folks is dead.  But I ain't as young as you might think." William answered.  Ben could hear a hint of defensiveness so he didn't press any more.

After an awkward silence of a few seconds, Joe said jokingly, "Don't pay any attention to 'em, William.  They treat me like a kid, too."

"Well, Joseph, at the risk of treating you like a kid, may I recommend that you and William get cleaned up and then after you rest a bit, perhaps you could help Adam and Hoss do your chores.  And by the way, Joseph, get your feet off the furniture."   Hoss, Ben, Adam, and even William laughed as Joe quickly got his feet off the table.

After they finished the sandwiches, Joe told Ben he'd take him up on the cleaning up part at least.  Hop Tseng came through just at that time and announced, "Bath water ready for Mr. Little Joe now.  Mr. William want take bath?"

William would not agree to clean up in the house, he preferred the bunkhouse.  Hoss showed him the way and tried to make friendly conversation as they walked behind the barn to the bunkhouse. 

"Why do you keep going around, William.  Didja ever think about settlin' down in one place?"

"Yeah I've thought about it, just never works out that way."   The expression on his face showed Hoss that this was as much as he was going to get out of Joe's new friend.

Dinner that night was a bountiful feast prepared by Hop Tseng in honor of Joe's safe return.  "Hey Joe, I think we need you to go off more often, this is the best meal I have eaten since……."

"Lunch" Adam interjected, to a round of laughter from the Cartwrights.

"What kind of work do you do, William?" Adam asked when everyone's plates had been filled.

"Oh I do all sorts of things if I put my mind to it." William answered evasively.

"What kind of things?" Adam asked.

"Hey William, we can always use a ranch hand or a wrangler on the Ponderosa" Joe said, "why not give it a try?"

"What was your last job, William?" Adam asked again.

William Bonney knew at that moment that Adam Cartwright was not asking random questions and he felt that tingling sensation on the back of his neck and down his arm that he always got before…

"Adam, good grief, what are you trying to do here?  You sound like some lawyer asking questions or something.  He said he'd done lots of things" Joe said, his facial expression tight and his jaws clenched slightly.

Ben saw the tension rising between his oldest and youngest son and started to intervene; Hoss, however, did it for him.

"Hey William, you'd better have some more of this roast beef and potatoes--finest beef in Nevada."  With this he passed the platter of meat to William, then looking at Adam he said, "Adam, would you quit hogging all them sweet potatoes and pass 'em down this way.  Why Ihaven't had but two or three of 'em yet."

The remainder of the meal passed uneventfully.  Adam didn't ask any more questions, but he listened intently to the conversation.  He realized as his brothers didn't, that William asked a lot about them, the Ponderosa, Virginia City, etc, but he revealed nothing about himself.  He determined to investigate his suspicions tomorrow, but he knew he would have to get facts before trying to talk to Little Joe, who was obviously blind to the inconsistencies of his new friend's story.  Hoss seemed to be just as taken with the mysterious "William Bonney" as Little Joe. 

Chapter 10

"Pa, I have to go into Virginia City to check on something this morning." Adam said as he and his father sat down at the breakfast table. Hoss and Joe were still finishing morning chores in the barn.  Hoss had stayed to help Joe finish his chores, since as usual, he'd slept later than the rest of them. 

"Fine, Son, but didn't you go to Virginia City yesterday?"

"Yes, Pa, but I need to go again.  I want to do some checking on…"

The front door slamming announced the arrival of the two younger Cartwright boys and Hoss and Joe quickly came over to the dining table.

"Hmm Hmm. I do believe I smell flapjacks!  Hop Tseng!  You better start firing up that griddle, I believe I can all these here in one swallow." Hoss said heartily, helping his plate as he talked.  Just at that time, Hop Tseng came into the dining room bringing a tray of piping hot flapjacks and bacon and placing it on the table in front of the family.  He stood back and watched, his eyes pleased as he saw the Cartwright family dig in.  Perhaps he had a particular fondness for Little Joe, but Hoss' appetite was a great compliment to his culinary skills and satisfaction.

Adam's comment was forgotten in the spirited conversation and hearty eating of breakfast.  Soon they finished breakfast and started out to their day's work. 

"Pa, I won't be home for dinner tonight; I'm going into Virginia City and I'll get something there." Joe said as he was buckling up his holster.  Ben half-frowned but didn't refrained from saying what he wanted to say.  Instead he said, "well don't be late, Joe, we have a lot of work to get done and you are hard enough to get out of bed these days." He managed a light-hearted manner which made Joe grin.  "Who me, Pa?"  "Yes, specifically you, Joseph."

Joe went to do a little bit more work with the horses that he had broken, wanted to make sure that they hadn't backslidden since he'd ridden them.  Hoss and Adam went to over-see the final count for the round-up.  After they got there and got things well in hand, Adam rode over and grinned at Hoss.  "Hey Hoss, would you mind finishing up here on your own?  I have some errands to run in town."

"No Adam go ahead.  Nothin' much left to do here but sign the tally sheet anyhow.  I thought I'd go watch our little brother work with those horses some.  He sure is a sight to see."  Adam raised his eyebrows at Hoss' comment and then grinned, "I'll see ya, tonight, Hoss.  Thanks." 

"No problem, Adam." Hoss said, then as Adam was riding away, Hoss looked back at him and said, "Hey Adam, what's her name?"  Adam, puzzled by the question, asked "whose name, Hoss?" 

"Your 'errand's name, big brother.  You don't expect me to believe you ain't going to see a girl, are you?" 

Adam laughed, waved, and urged Sport forward, thinking to himself that it was no use in trying to explain to Hoss what his mission was.  Besides, he thought, I just may have time to see Roberta Johnson while he was in town.

When Adam got into Virginia City he went straight to Sheriff Coffee's office to talk to the Sheriff about his suspicions.  Roy was not in the office at the moment and he didn't want to talk to the deputy, because he was new and Adam didn't know if he could be trusted or not.  Adam was a cautious person and he didn't "accept" people on faith--he always waited and let the person show their true colors before he trusted someone.  Hoss and Joe on the other hand, were just the opposite.  Hoss trusted everybody, which sometimes led to disappointment.  Joe generally either accepted someone or formed an almost instant distrust for a person.  Unfortunately, Adam thought, he seemed to trust William Bonney instantly.  And Adam knew he had seen that name before and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Where can I find Roy?" he asked the Deputy.

"He's over at the livery stable seeing about getting the horse's re-shod." The deputy told him, as he leaned his chair back against the wall, flipping through wanted posters.  "Hey let me have a look at that one" Adam said, reaching over to pick up a particular poster.

Chapter 11

Joe spent most of the day riding each of the horses they were selling to the army, making sure that the roughness was out of them and that they were ready for intensive training.  He skipped lunch, much to Hop Tseng's dismay; though Hoss made up for it by eating double portions.  When he had ridden all of the horses and assured himself they were ready, he headed to the ranch house to get cleaned up.  He bathed, shaved, and even put on some of his bay rum.  When he came downstairs Hoss whistled and said "you sure do look purty, Little Joe and you smell purty too."  "Why don't you come to town with me, Hoss?  It'll be good for your reputation to be out on the town with me" Joe teased his brother. 

"I think perhaps your staying home with Hoss would be good for your reputation, Joseph."

"Oh, Hi, Pa.  I didn't know you were here" Joe said with a sheepish grin on his face as his father came out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee. 

"I gathered that, son." Ben smiled at his son.  "Hoss is right, Joe, you do smell and look purty."  Joe, in a good mood laughed with them.

"You coming, Hoss?"

"Heck no, Joseph.  I don't know what Hop Tseng's cooking, but it smells even better than you do.  Besides, with you skipping lunch and dinner at home, his feelings is gonna be terribly hurt, Joseph.  It's my duty to stay here and make sure he's appreciated.  I'm doing it for all our sakes." 

Joe put his arm on Hoss' shoulder and looked him seriously in the eyes.  "I appreciate the sacrifice you're making for us all, big brother.  I won't forget you for this."  Then with a grin and a wink, he grabbed his hat and hurried out the door, saying "Good night, Hoss.  Good night, Pa.  Don't wait up!"  With that, he went out and swung up onto Cochise and headed into Virginia City.

About a mile from the house, he ran into Adam who was coming home.  "Hey big brother.  Where'd you get off to today?" Joe said jovially.

"I had some errands to run in town, Joe." Adam said, no teasing in his tone of voice.

"Yep, well I got some errands of my own and I'd better get a move on." Joe said, not noticing the somber expression on Adam's face.  He started to move Cochise forward, but Adam put his hand on Joe's shoulder, "Joe there is something I need to talk to you about." He started.  

Joe looked at him, his mind clearly already in Virginia City, and said, "Oh what is it Adam?" Adam could tell that his brother would not pay attention to him and perhaps he should talk to his Pa first anyway.  Joe was always so difficult to know how to talk to, he thought again.  "Oh, never mind, it'll keep.  Go on and have fun."

That was all Joe wanted to hear, he looked at Adam and gave him a full smile, winked and laughed and said, "See ya, Adam." And nudged Cochise to get going again.  Adam sat there on Sport watching his brother for several minutes, wishing his suspicions had been groundless, but knowing that they were not.

Chapter 12

When Joe rode into Virginia City, he went straight to the Bucket of Blood, one of his favorite saloons.  It was noisier and livelier than the Silver Dollar and he enjoyed the charged atmosphere and besides, they had the best looking saloon girls in town.  He tied Cochise to the hitching rail, making sure he could reach the water trough and then quickly walked into the saloon and went up to the bar.  The bartender, Pete, had drawn off a beer when he saw him at the door, and set it in front of him as he reached the bar.  Joe smiled and took a long swallow, then wiped the foam off his mouth onto his green jacket sleeve.  "That hits the spot, Pete."

"Yeah, Joe there's nothing better'n a cold beer to wash trail dust outta ya gullet."

"Yeah, have ya got a cold beer?" Pete looked confused momentarily and then getting the joke, laughed with Joe. 

Joe talked to several girls and the ranch hands who were playing poker for the next 30 minutes or hour.  Then he began to think he should see if he could find William.  "Hey Pete, has someone come in here by the name of William Bonney?" he asked.  "Nope.  Not that I know of anyhow, Joe."  Pete quickly disappeared into the room behind the bar before Joe could ask any more questions. Joe asked the men playing poker the same question; they seemed to get nervous, but he attributed it to a bad hand at the current poker game. 

One of the girls overheard him ask and volunteered, "he was in here earlier today, but he ain't been back since the fight broke out."  "Fight?  Did the Bar B and the Lazy O boys get into it again?" Joe asked smiling.  "No, Joe, Mr. Bonney started the fight, called someone a cheat at cards.  He'd have killed 'im too if the Sheriff and your brother hadn't come in here and carted him off to jail."  Joe's smile faded and was replaced by a tense look.  "Whatta mean the Sheriff and my brother carted him off to jail?"  "I don't know Joe, ask your brother or the Sheriff.  Just leave me out of it, all right?"

Joe put his half-full beer glass on the bar, dropped some coins on the counter, and turned to leave the saloon as quickly as he had come in.  He untied Cochise and mounted him for the short ride to the Sheriff's office.  

Joe practically jumped off Cochise before he stopped and hurriedly hitched him to the rail in front of the Sheriff's office.  In two steps he was at the door and with no hesitation pushed the door open.  Roy Coffee was pouring a cup of coffee when he barged in.  "Hey, Joe, how ya doing?"

"Where is he?  Have you got him in jail, Roy?" Joe said, his eyes narrowed as he looked from Roy to the door leading to the cells.

"Well good evening to you, too, Little Joe." Roy said with just enough sarcasm to make Joe back down a little bit.

"Sorry, Sheriff.  But they said you took William Bonney to jail just for callin' someone a card cheater" he said, his temper rising again.

"Joe in answer to your question, the only person I got in my jail right now is Luke Taylor sleepin' off a binge."

"But they told me you…"

"Hold your horses, Son.  I did bring Mr. Bonney over to the jail to ask 'im some questions, that's all.  Now why is that any of your business?"

"They said Adam was with you, Roy."

"Well as a matter of fact he was, but I don't see that makes it yore business, Little Joe."

"William's a friend of mine and that makes it my business, Sheriff."

"How long ya been knowin' this so-called friend of yor'n Joe?"

"What difference does that make, Sheriff?  He's a friend now.   What did you question him about?"