The Telegram

By Marcella Petillo

PROLOGUE

It was truly a scorching summer!
Extremely high temperatures and drought were putting men and animals to the test.
It hadn’t rained for weeks; the streams in the valley had almost dried up, and the mountain torrents were reduced to trickles of water barely sufficient for the herds and wildlife to drink.
Even the magnificent Lake Tahoe had dropped in level, leaving a strip of white sand exposed, glistening under the fierce sun.

Three brothers were immersed in the deep water of the lake, seeking relief from the scorching heat of that late morning.
After finishing their errands in Virginia City—Adam at the bank on behalf of Pa; Joe picking up the mail and ordering oats and wheat for the horses, while Hoss was in charge of the supplies that Hop Sing was waiting for at home—the Cartwrights stopped at the lake after putting their horses and supply wagon in the shade of the large pine trees.
Sweat dripped from their overheated bodies.
They felt dirty, sticky, and miserable, and when Joe suggested stopping at the lake, there were no objections!

The cool water of the lake cradled their naked bodies, refreshing them.
They swam a little, with lazy, slow strokes, letting the water wash away the sweat and dust, then lay quietly in the water, chatting among themselves, the two older ones teasing the youngest, as usual.
Joe took it philosophically; he didn’t even get angry anymore.
He knew that was the price he had to pay for being the youngest in the family. He had stopped trying to prove his worth at all costs. He had grown up and matured, and at twenty-two, he no longer felt the need to elbow his way to assert his place in the family.

After a while, the brothers headed home, having slipped their clothes on over their still-wet bodies, enjoying the coolness they had achieved as much as possible. Joe flew onto Cochise with an agile, effortless leap and galloped off, shouting.
Adam stayed near the wagon with Hoss, and when they arrived home, well ahead of Joe, they immediately noticed the strange atmosphere.

Ben was sitting at his desk, deep in thought, and Joe was standing next to him, holding a telegram he had picked up that morning at the post office.
The serious expressions on both their faces worried Adam and Hoss.

“What’s wrong, Pa?” they asked in unison.

CHAPTER 1

Joe handed the telegram to his brothers, and Adam read it aloud

To: Ben Cartwright, Virginia City, Nevada. Received at: Virginia City, June 1st, 1865 Desperate straits. Can you spare a son immediately? Forever grateful. S. Davis

“What could have happened to him? It sounds serious!” Adam turned the telegram over and over in his hands, as if those few laconic words could reveal more.
Ben looked at his sons in turn. It wasn’t easy to decide which of them to send to his friend Davis.
He wouldn’t back down from that request for help, but he had no idea what the “desperate situation” was and therefore didn’t know which of his sons would be most useful in that circumstance.

Ben sighed and looked again at his sons, who were staring at him seriously and attentively. “All right, let’s take stock of the situation. You, Adam, have that appointment in Sacramento to finalize the terms of the timber supply contract. I could send Joe, but he has a whole corral of horses to break in, and we’re on a tight schedule with the army.
Hoss was supposed to move the herd to the mountains, where there is fresher grass and water. Our men can do it on their own if necessary, so you, Hoss, will go! The Davis Ranch is a day and a half away on horseback from here, so if you can get everything ready, you can leave tomorrow morning! As soon as you arrive, send a telegram and let us know what’s going on!”
“Yes, sir!” Hoss went up to his room to pack his saddlebags for the trip, but not before telling Hop Sing to prepare plenty of provisions for the journey.

The day passed with the Carwrights busy with their daily chores, and they found themselves at dinner, washed and changed, after hours of working under the hellish sun.

Joe had asked Hop Sing to prepare water for him to bathe in, and he gratefully immersed himself, feeling his tense, aching muscles relax in the warm water.
That afternoon, he had taken a couple of nasty falls from two particularly stubborn broncos. Nothing broken or serious, thankfully, but dark bruises had blossomed on his body and were painful.
These were the hazards of the trade, Joe knew and accepted that, but he was grateful that he wasn’t the one who would be leaving the next morning for the long journey on horseback to S. Davis’ ranch.

At dinner, they had talked and speculated about what the problem might be, but in the end, they had retired early to their rooms to rest.
Hoss would leave at first light to travel at least a few hours in the cool, while Ben had allowed Joe to get up later—given the obvious stiffness with which he moved after his falls—so Hoss and Joe said goodbye before going to bed.
They joked, laughed, and Joe made them promise to keep them informed after he arrived at the ranch.

CHAPTER 2

More than a week had passed since Hoss’s departure. Apart from a telegram with a few words announcing his arrival, nothing else had been received at home. No news, no explanation of the desperate situation for which S. Davis had asked for help.

Joe was starting to get nervous.

Adam had left for Sacramento reluctantly.

Ben was worried.

It wasn’t like Hoss to not give any news, especially in such circumstances.

What was preventing him from communicating with his family?

Joe had worked his ass off all day breaking in horses for the army. Working hard helped him not to think. He had to concentrate on what he was doing so as not to risk his life, and that evening, he was tired, much more than tired; he was totally exhausted.

He had barely eaten dinner after taking a long, hot bath to loosen his tense muscles and relieve the pain. At the table, Ben had looked at him with understanding, watching him move the food around on his plate, eating only a few bites. He had noticed his apathy; his eyes were occasionally closed, and his head was bowed over his chest.

“Joseph…” No reaction.

“Joe! You’re exhausted. Why don’t you go to bed?”

“Sorry, Pa, I didn’t hear you…”

“Exactly, you’re so tired! Go to bed and get a good night’s sleep!”

“You’re right, I can’t take it anymore… I’d better go. Good night, Pa. See you tomorrow.”

In the middle of the night, a distressed scream pierced the silence of the large house.
Ben woke up with a start, turned on the lamp, and hurried to Joe’s room. The young man was sitting on the bed, covered in sweat, his eyes wide open but seeing nothing, amid a terrifying nightmare.

“Joe! Joseph! Wake up, son! It’s just a dream, a bad dream!”

He took him by his bare shoulders, shook him gently, and finally, a glimmer of recognition came into his son’s eyes.

“Pa…oh, Pa!…”

“You had a nightmare, Joe. Would it help to talk about it?” Ben sat down on the edge of the bed, ready to listen, but Joe shook his head slowly and looked his father in the eyes.

“I wish I could, believe me, I wish I could, but I don’t remember anything, just a terrifying sense of anguish, a weight, a feeling of oppression, something to do with Hoss, but I don’t remember anything else!”

Ben tried to smile at his son to calm him down.

“You’re worried about your brother because we haven’t heard from him. I understand, but we don’t know what emergency he encountered at Davis! Maybe he just hasn’t had the chance or the time to send us news yet. Let’s give him a few more days, you’ll see, he’ll be in touch soon. Now try to get some more sleep!”

Ben squeezed his son’s shoulder, smiled, ran his fingers through his messy, sweat-dampened curls, and made a joke to lighten the mood, “If you don’t get that mane cut, you’ll soon look like a…” and Joe finished the sentence for him, “…gambler on a Mississippi riverboat!”

They both laughed, said goodbye, and calm returned to the big house, but that night, father and son struggled to get back to sleep.

Three days had passed since that night.
Three more days without any news from Hoss.
Adam returned from Sacramento with the signed timber contracts and immediately sensed Joe’s nervousness and his father’s concern.
Ben tried to remain positive, but the prolonged absence of news from Hoss was seriously worrying him.
Joe was irritable, gloomy, quick-tempered, and ready to explode.

That day, Adam joined Joe in the barn as he was saddling Cochise to go to work at the corral. The horses for the army had all been broken in, and Joe was completing the training. Just a few more hours and he would be done with his assignment.

Adam looked at his younger brother. He saw his face drawn with fatigue, the dark circles under his eyes of someone who hadn’t rested enough and hadn’t slept well for days.
He felt sorry for him. He knew that Joe was physically exhausting himself in an attempt to keep his anxiety under control.
Adam was also apprehensive about Hoss. Too many days had passed without any news from him. Having no idea what emergency he was facing, they didn’t even know what to think.
They had sent a telegram to Davis, but had not yet received a reply.

“Joe, would you like me to come with you to the corral? You look tired. I could help you with the last few horses.”
The young man turned, surprised by his brother’s proposal.
“Well… I wouldn’t mind having you around! It doesn’t happen often lately! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go cool off at the lake with a nice swim!”
Joe tried to keep his tone light, but Adam knew him too well and could see something in his eyes that Joe was usually immune to: fear.

The next few hours passed quickly. The work with the horses kept them focused, and they exchanged only a few words, but soon everything was finished, and the two brothers found themselves riding side by side toward the lake.
They were tired and bruised and couldn’t wait to dive into the cool water for some relief.
It was only after their refreshing bath and long swim—when they were lying on blankets drying off—that they started talking to each other again.

Joe sighed and tried to tell Adam about the feeling of anxiety that had been with him for days. His voice trembled as he spoke of Hoss, of his fear that something bad had happened to him. He confided in his brother, not wanting to worry his father any more than he already was.
Adam shared his feelings, and they decided to talk to Pa to decide how to proceed.
That evening, they were unable to do so.
Ben had a terrible headache and went straight to bed to rest.

Deep into the night, when the shadows are longest and deepest, Joe’s terrified scream woke everyone up, “Hoss!!!! Oh, my God, Hoss!”
Adam was the quickest to rush over and found his brother with his head in his hands and his eyes shiny with tears—just awakened from a nightmare—clearly desperate.
Ben followed close behind, and Joe grabbed his hands, overcome with uncontrollable anguish, “It’s Hoss, something’s happened to him, I know it, I can feel it! Pa, I want to go see what’s happening! I can’t just stay here and wait! Hoss needs help, I’m sure of it!”

Adam agreed, and Ben certainly didn’t have to insist much. It was time to find out what had happened, what Davis’s emergency was, and why they hadn’t heard from Hoss, despite his promises to keep them informed.

So they decided right then and there, in Joe’s room, that he would leave first thing in the morning, and Ben and Adam would follow as soon as they had organized things at the ranch for their absence.
Joe collapsed exhausted onto his pillow, knowing he would not sleep again, but relieved by the decision they had made.
He took the opportunity to pack his saddlebags with the necessities for the trip.
By dawn, he had already left.

CHAPTER 3

Ten days earlier.

A tired and dusty Hoss stopped in front of the saloon in the small town. Davis Ranch was a few miles outside of that cluster of houses.
He had just sent a telegram home to let them know he had arrived safely.
A couple of cold beers to wet his whistle, a bath to wash off the dust and sweat, a few hours of sleep, and then he would be on his way to the ranch.
In the meantime, he wanted to get an idea of what was happening in the area.

Listening to the men in the saloon, without letting on, he realized that the drought was putting a strain on the town and the surrounding ranches.
Many animals had died from lack of water and the relentless sun. It was hot in that sun-baked plain, the ground was dry and cracked, and many pastures had dried up. The ranchers had to resort to the hay they had set aside for the winter to feed the animals that could no longer find fresh grass.
Hoss already missed the great pine forests of home and realized that the situation in those parts was truly dire.

Four men were sitting at a table, drinking beer and complaining about the heat.
A tall, thin man with straw-like hair lowered his voice a little.
“I can’t wait to get out of here; this heat is killing me! I hope Sam arrives soon with the other men, so we can at least do what we have to do and leave!”
The others gave him dirty looks and silenced him.
“Shut up, you idiot! You’re talking nonsense!”

Hoss couldn’t help but notice and filed the information away in his mind.
After resting and getting directions to his destination, he set off again under the blinding sun.
When he later arrived at S. Davis’ ranch, he found him with two of his men digging a well.

There were greetings and thanks, and Davis said he was particularly pleased with Hoss’s arrival! His obvious physical strength would be useful. He was short of men; some had left to look for work elsewhere, driven by the prolonged drought.

The drought had hit the ranch hard. The water in the existing well was running out, and the horses he bred were getting sick.
The cattle were also in great difficulty, and Davis was in danger of losing everything! Everything he had worked hard for over many years.

Davis had spotted a small spring among the trees behind the barn and decided to enlarge it and build a new emergency well.
If the drought continued, at least they would have a chance.
Hoss immediately set to work, digging and shoring up the walls of the well as they descended deeper and deeper.
The small vein of water looked promising, its flow steady, a blessing!

They had been digging for three whole days. It was hard, slow, and dangerous work due to the uneven ground, full of stones and rocks.
They had had to break up the larger stones and rocks and carry them laboriously back to the surface, but on the fourth day, finally, the water had made its way through, and the well was full.
Now all that remained was to build the outer stone walls, position the bucket and pulley, and the well would be operational.

Hoss felt a little guilty for not being able to return to town to send a telegram to his family, as promised, but the work had been so much and so urgent that he had put it off.
Now he was already looking forward to a cold beer, and the telegram he would send would announce his return home.
He would tell them what had happened in person.
His friend Davis could manage the finishing touches on the well by himself.
There was plenty of water, and the emergency, at least for now, was under control.

Hoss couldn’t stand the hellish heat of that area anymore! He couldn’t wait to breathe in the scent of Ponderosa pine resin again and dive into the lake for a refreshing swim.
It was hot at home, too, of course, but not like in that damn place!
So it was with gratitude that he prepared to say goodbye to S. Davis and return to Ponderosa.
He didn’t have time.

A dozen armed men burst in, threatening the ranch hands with their weapons.
They were pushing a herd of horses in front of them, and Hoss’s trained eye could see that they were not wild horses.
Horse thieves!
The worst kind!
They knew they were taking a big risk and were ready for anything!

According to the Code of Honor of the West, horse thieves were hanged!
When people often lived many miles from towns, on farms or ranches, stealing their horses could mean death for those people!

Hoss realized they were in danger.
What were their intentions?
He shouted at the ranch hands not to resist and was the first to unbuckle his belt, letting it fall to the ground.

Among the men in the gang, one stood out. Tall, big, with a determined look.
Surely their leader.
Hoss turned to him, pretending not to know, not to understand.
“What do you want? Water? You can have it! We just finished digging a well. You can have water to drink for your horses! No need to shoot!”

The man laughed, tilting his head and looking at Hoss with curiosity.
“Are you the boss here? Is this ranch yours?”
Davis stepped forward decisively, intent on taking control of the situation.
“The ranch is mine. Hoss Cartwright was my guest. He helped me with the well. He was just on his way home. Come this way if you want water…”

“Cartwright of the Ponderosa? Near Virginia City?”
Hoss bit his lip, and Davis realized he had just made a fatal mistake…
Hoss understood that he had become a potential bargaining chip.
If things went badly for them, having a Cartwright in their hands could make all the difference.

The man barked orders, and his men drove the horses into the ranch corral, mixing them with Davis’s.
They locked the few ranch hands in the dormitory and brought Davis and Hoss into the house at gunpoint.
Then they called their boss, “Sam, we’re ready!”

Hoss remembered hearing about a certain Sam in the saloon, and among those men, he had recognized the tall, thin guy with straw-colored hair.
“…I hope Sam gets here soon with the other men, at least we can do what we have to do and get out of here!”
Hoss remembered his words exactly and wondered what the real intentions of the gang of thieves were.

One of the most likely things was that they intended to change the brand on the stolen horses.
It would then be easier to take them to their destination without being disturbed.
Pretending to be ranchers traveling with their herd.
Davis’s somewhat isolated ranch was the right place to do everything without expecting any nasty surprises.

CHAPTER 4

Present

Joe had left with four canteens full of fresh water and a spare horse so as not to tire Cochise too much. By alternating the two horses, he would be able to travel faster.
He didn’t mind getting tired; he would endure it, he just wanted to reach Hoss as soon as possible!
The sense of anguish from his nightmares had not left him. In his heart, he knew that Hoss needed help, and he wanted to reach him quickly.

He had ridden all day without stopping or eating, changing horses often, grinding out mile after mile, but when sunset came, he realized he had reached his limit.
He was completely exhausted; his contracted muscles begged for rest. If he didn’t stop, he would get saddle sores, he wouldn’t be able to ride anymore, and he couldn’t afford that.
Groaning, he dismounted. His legs almost gave way, but he recovered by clinging to the saddle pommel. He massaged his butt with a pained grimace, hissing air through his teeth… Damn, it hurt!

He took care of the two horses first, then lit a fire to make coffee.
He realized he was hungry and ate most of the provisions Hop Sing had prepared for him.
He was so tired that his eyes were closing.
He spread the blanket on the ground and relaxed with his back against the upturned saddle. It was still so hot that he didn’t feel the need to cover himself.

He looked up at the sky, and his gaze was swallowed up by the millions of stars shining there.
His thoughts flew home, he imagined Pa and Adam sitting at dinner, worried about him and Hoss, then he turned his mind to his brother as he fell asleep, “I’m coming, Hoss, hang in there, please wait for me!”

At the first light of dawn, he set off on the last part of his journey.
Half a day more, and he would reach his destination.
Joe was nervous, not knowing what to expect. He was sure that Hoss was in trouble, most likely in danger.
Something had happened; Hoss would not have failed to send word for so long, knowing that they were anxiously awaiting it at home.

There was a deep understanding between them, a bond that went beyond normal brotherhood, and it wasn’t the first time that one or the other had sensed danger that turned out to be real.
Joe had learned to listen to his feelings about his family, with a particular sensitivity toward Pa and Hoss.

He tried to come up with a plan, at least in broad terms, because he didn’t know what to expect at Davis’ ranch.
He didn’t want to get into trouble and become a burden instead of a help.
With these thoughts in mind, he finally arrived in the town not far from the ranch and stopped at the saloon for a cold beer and to hear any news.

His anxiety kept him alert, his senses sharp, ready to pick up on the slightest clue.
He ordered a steak and potatoes and sat down at a table in the middle of the room while he finished his beer.
A beautiful brunette, dressed in red, approached him, attracted by the handsome stranger.
She was a pleasant novelty in the usual routine of that sunny, hot town, bent by drought.

Joe was tired, dirty, and sweaty, and he wasn’t in the mood to entertain a young woman, but he realized she could be a source of news, so he smiled as only he knew how, and she gladly took the bait.
She brought him his lunch plate and a fresh beer, smiled at him, and sat down in the chair next to him.
“Hi, cowboy! What are you doing around here? I’ve never seen you before, I know, because I would remember!” She winked at him, but without vulgarity.

She was actually a very pretty young girl. Her face, beneath the heavy makeup, was fresh. Her eyes sparkled with pleasure and interest as she looked at Joe.
He smiled again, “I’m Joe, and I’m just passing through, and the first thing I’ll do after I eat is take a hot bath to clean myself up and feel human again! How hot is it here? How’s the drought? Where I come from, it’s a disaster!”

The girl held out her hand, “My name is Laura, I was born here, but we haven’t had heat like this in years! The drought is causing a lot of damage, people are nervous, water is scarce, and those with livestock are in big trouble. If it doesn’t rain soon, I don’t know how it will end!”

Joe’s attention was caught by a conversation between two men at the bar.

“A lot of horses have disappeared, sheriff! I heard from my brother Jeff that a gang of thieves stole horses in his area and then disappeared! Where could they have gone? If they come around here, we need to catch them and hang them!”

The sheriff turned his back to the bar, where he leaned, while his gaze wandered around the room and caught Joe’s.
“I heard that too. We’ll keep our eyes open. Horse thieves…” He spat out the tobacco he was chewing with contempt, then continued, “…the worst scum in the world! If they show up here, I swear I’ll hang them all!”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck with a handkerchief that had seen better days.

He walked slowly toward Joe’s table, motioned to Laura, who stood up with an annoyed grimace and moved away from the table.
The sheriff looked at Joe as he stuffed a large piece of steak into his mouth and smiled at him,
“You must have been hungry, and I can see you’re enjoying it! Our Bill knows how to cook a steak; he’s the best cook in town! You’re new around here, cowboy. What brings you to this area?”

Joe looked at the sheriff and remained vague, “I’m just passing through, looking for work. I’m a great bronco buster, try me! I like to travel around this great land, and while I’m young, I want to travel and see as much as possible! Do you know if any ranches in the area could give me work for a while?”
The most innocent smile appeared on his face, and the sheriff was convinced that the man in front of him was a good guy.

“Well, Davis is the closest. I know he’s in trouble; the drought is bringing the ranchers to their knees. About two weeks ago, a big, tall guy passed through here. He was also headed to Davis, but I think he was more of a friend or acquaintance. He certainly didn’t have the physique of a bronco buster like you!” The sheriff laughed at his joke; Joe remained serious as his heart leapt in his chest.
Hoss!

“About fifteen days ago,” Joe reasoned quickly. Hoss had arrived, sent the telegram home, reached the ranch—or so Joe hoped—and then nothing!
It seemed clear that he hadn’t been seen in town since. Hoss must still be at the ranch.
Laura provided him with an involuntary answer when, looking thoughtful, she recalled that no one from the ranch had been seen in town recently…

Joe rose from the table, sated, said goodbye, and asked for a hot bath.
Too nervous to sleep, as soon as he had cleaned up, freshened up, and changed, Joe went back downstairs, ready to leave.
Laura silently admired the smooth, tanned chest visible under his unbuttoned shirt and smiled at him, “If you’re staying with Davis for a while, show yourself around town, cowboy!” and winked at him again.

Joe smiled at her, took her chin between his fingers, lifting her head and bringing it closer to his face. “Count on it!” he whispered, his green eyes sparkling with mischief.
She trembled, but the kiss she had almost expected did not come!

Joe stocked up on fresh water, nimbly jumped onto Cochise, and tipped his hat in greeting.
He turned his horses around and galloped toward the Davis ranch.

A day behind Joe, Ben and Adam had also left Ponderosa, but Ben was certainly unable to keep up with the fierce pace Joe had set, so their journey was slower.

CHAPTER 5

A few days earlier

The situation at the ranch was becoming tense.
Hoss was worried. They had seen the horse thieves’ faces, and he strongly doubted that the gang would let them go unharmed.
Furthermore, if they took their horses and those of the ranch, their lives would still be in danger.
They were quite far from the nearest town; on foot, and in that heat, it would be almost impossible to reach it!

Sam’s men had begun their work of counterfeiting the brands of the stolen horses.
The hot air echoed with the neighing of the poor animals; the smell of burnt hair added to the discomfort of those scorching days and lingered on their clothes.
Hoss and Davis were confined to the house; the ranch hands were forced to help the gang.

Hoss tried hard to find a solution, but there wasn’t really much he could do.

He thought of home and knew that everyone was worried about him, and he also knew that Joe would be the most anxious.
“Joe… little brother… I’m sorry…”

*****

Present

Joe had ridden fast. He was tense as a violin string.
When he reached the vicinity of the ranch, he stopped on a small hill, tied the horses to the trees a little further back, and crawled toward the ridge from which he could see the ranch below.

He could hear the shouts and screams of the men busy branding the horses.
In the corral, the animals whinnied in fear as they were taken out one by one, branded, and put back in the corral.
The dust kicked up by their hooves created a thick cloud in which the men coughed and cursed.

Joe could distinguish the ten men of the gang and their leader from the few ranch hands forced to work for the gang.
Hoss was nowhere to be seen, nor was Davis.
Joe thought frantically: Break in? Alone, he would be dead in five minutes!

The ten members of the gang were organized, tough, and accustomed to dangerous situations. These were people who always lived on the edge. Ready for anything.
Joe didn’t know if he could count on the few men on the ranch.
Their reaction against the gang was by no means a foregone conclusion.

He trusted all the men at Ponderosa; he knew he could count on them for anything. They were devoted, loyal men who loved their work on the ranch and respected the Cartwrights.
These men were strangers to him, and he didn’t know how they would react.

As he thought about all the possibilities and the chances of success, three men entered the stable and came out with the ranch’s personal horses, determined to take those too.
Joe gasped when he recognized Hoss’s big Morgan among the horses! Chub! No!

He didn’t have time to think about anything when a screaming fury ran out of the house.
The large body threw itself at the men holding his horse, punching and shoving, sending all three of them flying!
Hoss was furious!
He would not allow them to take Chub, and without thinking of the consequences, he gave Chub a hard slap on the rear and urged him to run, screaming like a madman!

Chub took off at full speed, leaving the ranch and galloping toward the nearby hill, where his sensitive nose soon recognized the familiar scent of his stablemate.
Joe didn’t move so as not to reveal his presence, but he didn’t need to. Chub had spontaneously gone to Cochise, neighing softly, snorting through his nostrils, and rubbing his muzzle against his neck.
He wasn’t going to move from there!

Joe turned his attention back to what was happening on the ranch below.
The men had gotten the better of Hoss and were holding him tightly between them. His nose was bleeding, and one eye was turning black, but his imposing size still commanded respect.

Sam, the boss, approached him, furious.
“What do you think you’ve done, you big idiot? Do you think we can’t catch him? Or that he won’t come back to the ranch on his own as soon as he gets hungry? You’ve only postponed the inevitable and made me angry! Very angry!
Do you think being a Cartwright will help you? Will it spare you the lesson I’m going to teach you?”
Then, turning to his men, he ordered them to take Hoss to the barn and tie him up securely.
At the end of the branding, he would make him regret being born!

Joe breathed a sigh of relief that Hoss was safe and sound, for the moment, and then quickly calculated how much time he had to intervene.
He decided to rush back to town, alert the sheriff, and return with more men
to capture the band of thieves and rescue Hoss.
He knew his brother was strong and could take a beating.
Even if they started beating him, Hoss would hold out for a long time, and he would be back before they could really hurt him!

CHAPTER 6

The one who galloped into town, shouting, “Sheriff! Sheriff, quick!” was a frantic and panting Joe.
Behind him galloped his spare horse and a large black horse with a lasso around its neck.
It didn’t take Joe long to explain what was happening at the Davis ranch, reveal who he really was, and lay out his plan.

The sheriff was a man of action, quick-witted and quick on his feet.
In no time at all, he had organized a team of about twenty armed men to go and capture the band of horse thieves.
Joe had left his spare horse in the stable, taken Cochise, and put a halter and long bridle on Chub to take him with him.
He knew that Hoss’ saddle was in the ranch stable, where he could retrieve it.

As they left town and headed back to the ranch, the sky suddenly began to darken, and they heard thunder rumbling in the distance.
Perhaps the drought was coming to an end!
But it was a real storm that caught them near the ranch with furious rain and violent gusts of wind.

The sky was pitch black, streaked with sudden lightning, and the rumblings of thunder shook them to their core.
They gritted their teeth, determined to keep going, soaked to the bone, risking slipping off their wet saddles, struggling to control their horses, but taking advantage of the bad weather to get as close as possible.

Chaos reigned at the ranch.
The horses—terrified by thunder and lightning—kicked like mad in the corral.
Their instinct told them to run away, to flee, but they were crammed into that corral shoulder to shoulder, and the most nervous ones were infecting everyone else with their fear.
The men tried to keep them calm, but the storm raging above their heads made things difficult and dangerous.

Under the pouring rain, the dust from weeks of drought had quickly turned into sticky mud that splattered everywhere.
The ground in front of the house and in the corral was now reduced to a dark, slippery sludge.
The men were covered in it from head to toe, and the horses, dancing on their hooves and kicking in terror, were sending it flying everywhere.

There were countless screams and curses, and the men had also become nervous, insulting and pushing each other, slipping, falling in the mud, and getting up furiously to fight.
Sam came out of the barn yelling at his men to stop immediately and instead take care of the frightened horses.

Through the half-open door, Hoss could be seen tied to a ceiling beam, his arms painfully stretched upward, his face swollen and bleeding from the blows he had received, but still alert and not submissive.

The sheriff and his men attacked suddenly, firing shots into the air and shouting for them to surrender.
After an initial moment of surprise and confusion, the thieves reacted and tried to reach some rifles left near the fence.
They weren’t going to be caught easily!

The men had taken their guns off their hips while branding the horses,
a dirty and smelly job, and hung them near the barn where they could stay clean and safe.
Then the rain had distracted them, and the mud had overwhelmed them.

Joe knew he couldn’t shoot unarmed men, even if they were thieves liable to hanging, so he threw himself into the fray, fighting furiously against men who now had nothing to lose, dangerous, cruel men for whom human life had no value, until he managed to stop them, hold them at gunpoint, and hand them over to the sheriff and his men.

He was covered in mud, panting, soaking wet, exhausted, battered, and very, very angry, but above all, he was impatient to find Hoss.
As the battle drew to a close—and the thieves were captured, one by one—a flash of lightning lit up the battlefield, the corral full of terrified horses, the barn, and Joe finally saw what he was looking for.

With a scream, he rushed inside and ran toward his brother, hanging there, his eyes closed and breathing heavily.
“Hoss, Hoss!! How are you? How do you feel? Oh, Lord, I’ll free you right now! Wait, Hoss!”
He took his knife from his boot and reached out to cut the rope holding his brother.

Hoss’s arms fell to his sides, and the big man slumped to the ground.
Joe tried to hold him up, but fell with him.
The adrenaline still flowing through his veins made him jump to his feet, grab Hoss under the armpits, and drag him to a spot covered with clean, fragrant straw.

Hoss opened his eyes, or rather, he opened one eye because the other was black and closed. He smiled at Joe, who was watching him attentively and worriedly, shivering with cold and tension.
He raised a hand in greeting and croaked,
“Hello, little brother, I knew you would come…”

Joe bent over, panting heavily, his head spinning, feeling the adrenaline rush leave him and leave him weak and trembling.
He slid to his knees next to Hoss, closed his eyes, and perhaps lost consciousness for a moment, because immediately afterwards he found himself lying next to his brother, unable to move a single muscle.

CHAPTER 7

The sheriff found them like that, side by side, both battered and exhausted, Joe’s face beginning to look like a mask of hardened mud.

Yet a slight smile lingered on the lips of the two brothers!
He checked on their condition and helped them to their feet with the assistance of Davis, who had rushed over after being freed from the room where he had been locked up.

Outside, the storm had passed, and now it was raining normally.
A slow, gentle rain that would deeply irrigate the drought-stricken land.

Joe refused to enter the house covered in mud and asked for buckets of water to clean himself up behind the house, and a blanket to wear while his clothes were washed and hung out to dry.
Hop Sing’s Chinese curses at the Ponderosa in similar circumstances rang in his ears, and as he poured the first bucket of water over his head, he began to laugh almost hysterically.
He was so tired that he could have fallen asleep on the spot!

The sheriff and his men had returned to town in the rain, but they were happy with how things had turned out.

With them were the thieves, who had been tied up and rendered helpless. None of them would escape their just punishment.
There would be a fair trial, the outcome of which was not a foregone conclusion.
Would the thieves be sentenced to hang or sent to prison for many years?

That would be decided by a jury and the federal judge who would preside over the trial.
The stolen horses would be returned to their owners. Until then, they would live at the Davis ranch, which would receive financial assistance to maintain them.

Hoss had been put to bed, his cuts and bruises medicated, his ribs bandaged after being beaten.
He had fallen asleep before Joe had even finished washing and entered the house, wrapped in a blanket.
Davis checked and treated him, too.
He offered him a hot meal, but Joe was so exhausted that he preferred to go straight to sleep in the same room as Hoss, where there were two beds.

He was exhausted from the long journey, from the furious, non-stop rides, which had left their mark on his body; and even from the hard work he had imposed on himself at Ponderosa, from the lack of sleep and nightmares, from the anxiety about Hoss that had consumed him, from having fought long and hard with dangerous bandits who were ready for anything.

He slipped naked under the covers, feeling his whole body ache with every movement.

He hissed through his teeth in pain.
He groaned, loudly voice, and heard Hoss’s voice calling him,
“Joe! Are you hurt?”
“Yes, damn it! It really hurts!”
“Your head?”
“My butt!”
He heard Hoss chuckle, but a minute later, he was asleep.

Rain had fallen for two days and brought relief from the scorching heat.
The earth had drunk the water and had already begun to yield tender, bright green grass.
The pastures were greening up, and soon the animals would have enough food.
The drought was over.

CHAPTER 8

On the morning of the second day, Ben and Adam had reached the small town closest to the Davis ranch.
As soon as they arrived and introduced themselves, they heard about the capture of the horse thieves, and the sheriff proudly told them the whole story.
In detail.

Hoss was alive, battered, but he would be fine.
Joe had become the local hero.
He was a little battered, too, but he was fine.

It was the talk of the small town! Without Joe, they would never have known about the thieves at the ranch, and who knows how it would have ended.
Davis definitely owed him his life!

Over a few cold beers, sitting at a table in the saloon, the sheriff told Ben and Adam:
About the drought that was killing the town.
Joe’s arrival as a stranger, a cowboy passing through.
The horse thieves are hiding at the Davis ranch.
Joe’s long, breathless ride to warn the sheriff, organize the capture, and return to save Hoss.
The terrible storm.
The tough fight, the mud, the rain, the difficult capture of all the thieves.
The successful rescue of Hoss and Davis.

Ben and Adam listened to the story with bated breath, along with all the saloon patrons who had heard it countless times before but never tired of it, and a young, pretty brunette, dressed in red, whose eyes sparkled when she heard Joe’s name.

Later, the two Cartwrights reached Davis’ ranch and were eager to meet Hoss and Joe.
Davis came to meet them with a broad smile on his face.
He and Ben embraced, and Davis expressed his gratitude for the valuable help he had received from his sons!
He owed Hoss the salvation of his ranch for digging the well.
He owed Joe his life.

Hoss appeared at the door.
His black eye was beginning to fade, but it was still swollen and half-closed.
He walked slowly, protecting his bandaged ribs, but his big, toothless smile was bright and cheerful.
He greeted his father and older brother cheerfully, then said that Joe was still sleeping and that he was convinced his little brother could sleep for weeks!

While Hoss and Davis chatted with Adam and took him to see the new well, Ben quietly entered the room where Joe was sleeping.

He knew everything Joe had to deal with, physically and mentally, and smiled as he watched him sleep soundly, lying face down on the bed, his bare shoulders exposed.
He saw the marks of the blows and the bruises on the visible part of his face and back.
Wanting to see those bruises better, he gently pulled back the covers and uncovered Joe’s naked body.
What he saw made him frown.

He carefully covered his son, sat on the edge of the bed, and called him softly,
“Joseph… Joe, wake up, son, it’s Pa, it’s me…”
He placed a hand on his son’s back and massaged it gently in relaxing concentric circles.

Joe moved his arm and brought it above his head, mumbled something, and moaned as he tried to wake up,
“Hmmmmmmm…Pa…?”
“I’m here, Joe. Open your eyes. How are you feeling? The truth, Joseph!”
The young man shook himself and turned over in bed with a grimace that he didn’t even try to hide. The bruises on his face were now fully visible.
“I’m fine, Pa… except… except back there, you know… my butt, I mean! I think I rode too hard for too long and… it hurts! I don’t have saddle sores, but I think I came close!”

Ben smiled, touched a bruise on his cheekbone, and joked, “We’ll have to get you a soft cushion to get you back in the saddle. What do you say? You’re all bruised down there!”

Joe barely smiled, “Pa, don’t joke around, just the thought of sitting in the saddle makes me feel sick!”

Ben assessed Hoss and Joe’s condition, thinking about the long ride that separated them from home.
He also spoke to Adam about it, discreetly telling him about Joe’s condition and how physically demanding the long, hard journey had been for him.
Hoss, too, was unable to ride for long with his cracked ribs, so they decided to proceed in stages.

Davis was happy to lend them a wagon, which was fitted with a mattress on the floor so that Hoss and Joe could both lie down.
They would return to town in the wagon and take rooms at a hotel.

Ben and Adam would leave for the Ponderosa and leave Hoss and Joe in town, entrusted to the local doctor, who would get them ready to travel home using appropriate medicines and ointments.
Ben thought it would take at least a week.

They arrived in town in the evening with the wagon, without meeting anyone, and immediately went up to their rooms.
Joe had been adamant: he didn’t want anyone to know why he couldn’t ride!
Adam had smiled, admitting that his heroic aura would be irreparably tarnished.

Joking aside, Adam was aware of the discomfort and pain Joe had to endure. He was proud of his brother, of his courage, his stubborn determination, his endurance, and his ability to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
He had been right from the start.
He had listened to his emotions and feelings.
He had saved Hoss.

EPILOGUE

The town had rallied around Hoss and Joe Cartwright.
Their sleepy routine had been disrupted, and for a town where nothing ever happened, they had had quite a few thrills in the last few days!

The sheriff was holding the gang of horse thieves under lock and key, awaiting trial.
The whole town knew what had happened at Davis’ ranch.
Many had seen Joe galloping up, shouting for the sheriff. They had heard him say who he was, what was happening at the ranch, and why he was there.

The sheriff himself and his men had witnessed what had happened.
Davis would tell his side of the story.
Joe and Hoss had written a report about their involvement in the story, so their presence at the trial was not necessary. They could leave as soon as they were able.

Rest and medical care were paying off.
Both brothers were feeling better.
Their bruises were fading, and Hoss’s ribs were healing.
Joe could walk with a more relaxed and springy step, and he could finally sit down without feeling any pain…which was a great help when Laura curled up on his lap in the saloon!

By the end of the week, they were ready to go home.
They had said their goodbyes, thanked everyone, and given out hugs and handshakes.
They had made friends in this town that had practically adopted them.

They retrieved Chub, Cochise, and Joe’s spare horse from the stable.
They walked to the saloon to pick up supplies for the long journey home.
They had said their final goodbyes and given their last pats on the back.
Nothing was holding them back anymore.

Hoss walked ahead carrying the supplies.
Laura accompanied Joe outside, holding his hand.
She tried to smile, but her eyes were sad. Joe had gotten under her skin, and it hurt to see him go.

Joe smiled at her, took her chin between his fingers, lifted her head, and brought it closer to his face. “Thanks for… everything,” he whispered, his green eyes sparkling mischievously.
Laura had a feeling of déjà vu!
But this time Joe’s lips bent over hers, and he kissed her.
A long goodbye.

Hoss coughed a little awkwardly, waved goodbye to the girl, and set Chub and the spare horse in motion.
Joe jumped onto Cochise, touched the brim of his hat, and smiled at Laura as only he knew how.

He spurred his horse and caught up with Hoss.
Together they rode home, side by side, as they always had in life.

The End.