MIRROR IMAGE

By Jules
 

The lantern on the desk began to burn low as the hour drew late. The patriarch of the Cartwright family was seated at his desk with ledger books in from of him. Upon the page was a long column of figures he was trying to add up, but he kept losing his place and would have to start all over again.

On the third attempt he had slapped the desk hard with his fist sounding a large thud. He immediately regretted the action and hoped the noise had not disturbed anybody upstairs. He had begun at the bottom of the column again when shadows fell across the page indicating that someone was near...

“Um .... Pa ... “ came a quiet voice. Ben Cartwright looked up and was suddenly confronted by the appearance of his youngest son Joseph walking towards him and the desk. He looked at the boy in silence a moment and grinned a little..... the boy was in his night shirt..... dark unruly curls hung over his forehead in a messy clump signaling that the boy had been asleep and had just awoken. Ben’s thought quickly returned to his loud thud on the desk and wondered is this had woken Joe up, but his knowledge of Joe’s sleeping patterns suddenly reappeared and he remembered that the boy slept like the dead once asleep.

“Joe, what are you doing up at this hour? I didn’t wake you, did I?”

The question seemed to go unanswered for a moment as Joe tried to focus on the person sitting at the desk. “No Pa .... ,” he stopped..... he didn’t know how this conversation would pan out and he was nervous ..... his palms were slightly sweaty and his mouth suddenly dry.

“Can I talk to you for a second Pa? I wanted to talk to you alone without Hoss and Adam hearing what we were talking about.” Joe was nervously rubbing his hands together, fidgeting involuntarily as he approached his father.
Ben noticed that now his youngest son was awake, the boy seemed a little nervous, scared almost.
“What is it you want to talk about without your brothers around? Not getting into any trouble are you?” he asked with a questioning look on his face. Ben then noticed that Joe was holding a small folded piece of paper in his left hand. His curiosity increased slightly and he seemed to sense that the conversation with his youngest boy was of a more serious note than anticipated.

The boy couldn’t seem to find the words he was looking for to continue, and he still continued to fidget with his hands and the folded slip of paper. “Would you come and sit by the fire, Pa? It’s a little chilly over this side of the room.” Joe seemed to shiver slightly against an invisible breeze that couldn’t be seen. Joe suddenly turned around and busied himself with stoking the dying embers of the fireplace as Ben rose out of his chair and walked toward the large lounge room of his home.

Ben could see Joe was nervous, suddenly more engrossed with make sure the fireplace was a roaring blaze then wanting to carry on the conversation he had started. Ben knew that is was in the middle of winter in Nevada at the moment and the house could get very cold at night without the fireplace. But the note of unease in Joe’s voice caused him to wonder what would cause his youngest son, who normally couldn’t be dragged out of bed by a team of wild horses, to come down to talk to his father in the middle of the night, making sure that his brothers were asleep.
“I haven’t been in trouble Pa .....,” he stopped, looked at this father and then sat on his father’s favorite red leather chair, urging his father to sit on the settee next to him.

He didn’t know how the confront the problem other than by just saying it.. Here goes he said silently to himself, shifting on the chair.

“Pa, I got a telegram from the post office this morning when I was in Virginia City. I would like you to read what’s on it and let me know what you think,” Joe said in a small voice.

Ben’s curiosity had just leaped tenfold as he reached to take the slip of paper from Joe’s outstretched hand. He looked at Joe before opening it and saw a hint of fear behind those emerald green eyes. Joe had never been one for hiding his emotions, usually his father could tell from one look at his youngest, whether he was happy, sad, frightened or excited. But the look in Joe’s eyes at the moment didn’t portray any of these, they seemed to be pleading ...... looking for an answer. Ben was even a little worried all of a sudden, when he thought he saw the beginning of tears in those eyes.

Ben tried to ignore the look on Joe’s face and concentrate on what message was on the piece of paper he held. The first thing he noted was that the words were type written. This probably meant the message was a telegram of some description. This eyes briefly glanced at the page, not really reading the words, then Ben admonished himself and told his mind to read the words on the page so he could understand his son’s pleading expression.
The piece of paper read:

TO MR JOSEPH CARTWRIGHT
PONDEROSA - VIRGINIA CITY - NEVADA
PACKAGE ARRIVING ON MONDAY 24TH FEBRUARY AT 8 AM
PLEASE PICK UP

Ben reread the words just to assure himself he had read correctly. Today was the 22nd of February. Ben suddenly though that his son was getting all worked up over nothing. He started to ask the question what’s the package Little Joe? The message was unsigned and appeared to have no place indicating where it had come from. He turned the piece of paper over and tried to read the very faint post mark on the top right hand corner. It appeared to say ...
From the state of Louisiana.

Louisiana ... Ben knew the state and his mind seemed to register that he knew this place, but couldn’t quite figure out what Joe was getting at.

“What’s this all about, son? What has got you so anxious? What are you expecting from Louisiana?” He stopped wanting Joe to complete the sentence.

“Pa, I hope you don’t think that I have lied to you or deceived you. I have been trying to talk to you for the last couple of weeks about the package coming on the stage, but somehow I couldn’t face you without guilt or fear about what you might say.” The boy’s voice was almost a whisper and Ben had to lean closely to Joe trying to hear what his son was saying.

“Pa, the package coming on the stage is ........” He paused a minute ..... then it just came out ...
“Phillippe”. Joe suddenly looked away from his father awaiting the explosion of words that would come his way. They were delayed for a moment.

Phillippe .... Ben just kept looking at Joe, for a minute wondering if he even knew a person called Phillippe. Then it struck him -- Phillippe, Francois’s son, the cousin of Joseph. Joe had met this member of his mother’s family whilst away in Louisiana approximately six months ago. The family had all seen photographs of the two boys together, and couldn’t get over how much Phillippe and Joseph looked alike. Looked like each other and Ben’s late wife Marie.
Ben broke the silence.” Phillippe is coming on the stage the day after tomorrow? Why didn’t you tell me?” Ben’s words stopped when he looked at Joe’s whose face was now awash with fresh tears rolling down his face. He suddenly put his arms around his son and held him while he cried. He didn’t know why his son was crying after telling his father that someone he considered a dear family member was coming to visit. He just wanted to hold the boy who sat is his arms crying.

“I haven’t told you Pa,... about Phillippe coming because I thought you would get mad at me,” Joe said amidst a fresh onslaught of tears and sobs.

“Mad at you? Why? You told me when you came back from Louisiana that you and Phillippe had become good friends and I know you two have been writing to each other ever since. I happy to hear you say that Phillippe is visiting us. I just wished you would have told me sooner than tonight. You haven’t given us much time to get ready for him,” Ben replied.

Joe had stopped crying and wiped away the remaining tears from his face with the sleeve of his night shirt. “ I thought you might be mad because we have gotten so close, and the reason I haven’t told Hoss and Adam, is because they might think I don’t like them anymore and want to spend time with Phillippe rather than them.”
“Son, I am sure your brothers will be more understanding than you think about Phillippe. They know that the two of you have become good friends, but that doesn’t alter the fact that Adam and Hoss are your family, too.” Ben’s words seemed to get through to Little Joe somehow, and the boy visibly relaxed slightly.

“Pa, it will have to be you that goes to meet Phillippe from the stage, and you will need to act like it’s me getting off in Virginia City,” Joe added cautiously. “Everyone will get suspicious if I go.”

Ben thought about this proposal for a minute and knew his son was right. The citizens of Virginia City would be most puzzled by Joe Cartwright picking up someone who looks like Joe Cartwright from the stage coach once it arrived. Reluctantly he showed his agreement to picking up Joe’s cousin from Louisiana, “You are going to owe me young man, for this little deceit from your brothers and the people of Virginia City.” Ben knew in the back of his mind that he would never claim upon that debt, but a little scare tactic might help keep his young wayward son in line once Phillippe arrived.

“Can we keep Phillippe’s visit between you and me until after he arrives?” Joe asked his father now. “It’s going to be funny stirring up those two brothers of mine and Hop Sing for a little while with two of us.” A devious smile crossed over Joe’s face. “ I wonder if they will be able to tell us apart?” Joe pondered.

Ben now saw the first signs of a smirk on his son’s face and knew that the boy was now a little at ease and now heading in the direction of mischief. Although he was not in favor of the tricks Joe often played upon his older siblings, Ben decided to let the matter slide with a brief warning, “As long as you don’t plan to take things too far, Joseph.”

A feigned shock expression fell upon Joe’s features as he tried to proclaim a look of innocence and angelic intentions about what he had in mind for his brothers. But he knew that his father’s use of his first name Joseph meant that he would need to keep his antics in check or he would know the wrath of Ben Cartwright.
With his secret out and most of the arrangements to pick up Phillippe from the stage in place, Joe now yawned widely, and picked himself up from the red leather settee and headed towards the staircase, “See you in the morning, Pa.” and promptly yawned again.

Ben heard the closing of his son’s bedroom door and decided that it was time he also retired for the night. Those figures could wait until tomorrow and he now had all sorts of questions and images about the events of the next few days rolling around in his mind. The Cartwright homestead was peacefully quiet for the remainder of the night, the only sound to be heard was the loud uninterrupted snore coming from Hoss’s bedroom.

*************

The following day, Joe made sure that he was down to the table for breakfast promptly and had all of his chores done on time. He then made offers to his older brothers to help them out with their projects for the day.
The sudden offer of assistance to Adam from his younger brother brought a slight frown on the older Cartwright’s face, but he decided if Joe was willing to help, then who was he to stop him.

The three brothers spent the rest of the day working on repairing fences in the North Pasture and returned to the Ponderosa homestead only when poor light stopped them proceeding any further.

When they walked into the house, trudging their dusting boots over the dining room floor, they removed their hats and placed them on the pegs behind the door and went about unbuckling their gun belts and placing them on the credenza.

Ben was already seated at the table, when Hop Sing came bustling into the dining room laden with plates of hot potatoes, pork chops and vegetables for the evening meal. Upon seeing the boys with their dusty boots, he immediately went into a tirade of Cantonese mixed with some words of English that could be understood. “Hop Sing, clean all day, messy boys come home and put dirt all over clean floor, no dinner for you messy boys, you go outside and eat with horses, Hop Sing not appreciates, move back to China.”. The tirade only finished with Hop Sing returning to the kitchen still raving on, Adam and Little Joe knew that Hop Sing had been only joking and Joe could even keep up with some of the words the little man had uttered in his native language.

However, Hoss who couldn’t understand a single word except for the threats to not feed him, was soon trying to follow Hop Sing and apologize, even offering to clean up the floor as long as he was still allowed to sample those pork chops. Ben, Adam and Joe laughed together as they watched Hoss, whose mind and emotions were often guided by his stomach.

Once they were all seated at the table and enjoying their meal, the conversation had gone from the events of the day to what tasks needed to be completed and what each brother was to do the following day. Joe suddenly looked at this father with pleading eyes, hoping that Ben had not forgotten the talk they had last night. His expression trying to remind Ben that he wanted to remain close to the house tomorrow so that he would be there when Phillippe arrived from the stage.

Ben had not forgotten last night, and did not miss the expression on his young son’s face and promptly started to relay the plan for the following day. “Adam, you can keep on mending those fences in the North Pasture tomorrow with Hoss,” he said. This brought a over emphasized groan from the older brothers, as they abhorred the idea of mending fences for the most of tomorrow. “Joe, you can clean the tack room and finish a few chores around the corral tomorrow.” This decision brought a very large grin upon the face of Joe, but a sneer from both Adam and Hoss who thought for some reason that Joe was once again dodging doing his fair share of the work.
“How come he gets out of doing any work tomorrow?” Adam said angrily. “Somehow, Hoss and I are the ones always covering for your laziness younger brother.”

“I wouldn’t call cleaning out the tack room exactly getting out of work tomorrow Adam,” Joe said hotly, his volatile temper now threatening to show it’s ugly head. “You’re just jealous that Pa wants to give me some easier work to do than you. I do my fair share of work around here and I have done a lot of repairing fences over the last few months in case you haven’t noticed.”

Ben suddenly stood up from his chair, demanding the attention of everyone seated at the table, “Stop this bickering you two, Adam, Joe.” his booming voice making both brothers wince a little.

“Sorry, Pa,” whispered Adam.

“Yeah, sorry Pa” was the same reply from Joseph.

“Adam, Joe is by no means getting out of doing his fair share, tomorrow, I just have some chores that I want to do here tomorrow and in Virginia City and other tasks that I won’t get to and want someone to do. That someone will be Joe unless you want to volunteer to do the account books tomorrow for me,” Ben inquired. He already knew the answer to the question, but waited for Adam.

He knew that all of his boys hated doing the book work of the ranch and the threat of having to do it soon brought any rebuttal Adam had in mind to an abrupt halt. Adam had gained a college education from Boston, but now he was back on the ranch, he felt that he needed to prove himself to his father and the ranch hands by putting in the physical efforts needed as well.

Joe, knew that the argument had stemmed from the information he was keeping from his brothers, so he tried to clear the air and suddenly turned to Hoss and asked “How bout a game of checkers after dinner, big brother?” Hoss, who always seemed to be in the middle of the shouting matches between his older and younger brothers, readily agreed, as he too was looking for an escape from the uneasy atmosphere that hung over the dinner table.
Ben, looked disapprovingly at the amount of food that was left on Joe’s plate, but avoided his usual speech of eating properly to Joseph. He often fretted over how much his youngest son did or did not eat, but since the air was now a little easier to breath between Adam and Joe, he decided to remain silent tonight. Joe was probably worried about Phillippe’s arrival tomorrow and it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Around 10 p.m. that night, Joe and Hoss had just completed a fifth game of checkers with Joe winning yet again, when Ben announced it was time for all to think about heading upstairs for the night. Normally on any other night, Joe would be protesting loudly about deciding when he was tired and ready for bed, but due to the enormous favor his father was about to undertake tomorrow on his behalf, he satisfied himself that he was ready for bed. Adam, who had been reading a book in his father’s blue arm chair also announced that he was retiring to his room to continue reading his book on Shakespeare.

Half an hour later, Ben decided that he would also retire, but as was customary every night, he looked in on the two younger brothers, Hoss and Joe. He decided that Adam would not approve of his father checking on him like some teenager. When he opened Hoss’s door, he saw that his large son was on his back, appearing to be sound asleep and snoring loudly. He quietly closed the door again and made he way down the hall way to the second bedroom. When he entered Joe’s room, the situation was different to Hoss, but similar to the way Ben found his youngest son most nights, with the bedclothes on the floor and his boy sound asleep on the bed. Ben looked at Joe a moment and wondered what surprises were in store for his son over the new few days, especially emotionally. He wasn’t sure what Phillippe’s arrival would bring about, but something told him to make sure that he found time to talk to Joe and keep a close eye on him.

Ben brushed a stray curl from Joe’s forehead and gently kissed him on the temple. Joe stirred slightly but didn’t waken. Ben knew that his son would have been most embarrassed at his gesture, due to his son’s continual battle to prove he was grown up. However, Ben was not embarrassed to show affection for his son’s, any of them, and most definitely not this strong-headed independent child. Joe was quick to judge and quicker to act without thinking. He was as equally quick at getting into situations he couldn’t get out of, often finding himself getting hurt physically or emotionally. Ben took it upon himself to protect Joe, more so than Adam or Hoss , and was determined that Joe had been hurt enough over the years for any more to happen. He quietly left the room and retired to his own bed for the night.

*************

The next morning, Adam and Hoss were up early to complete their chores and have some breakfast before heading out to the North Pasture again. They both looked grimly at the closed door upstairs as they strapped on their gun belts and took their hats from their usual positions behind the door. “Someday Joseph Cartwright, someday,” muttered Adam under his breath as he exited through the front door ready to start the day. Hoss’s temper had cooled overnight and he no longer had bitter words about the brother he thought so fondly of. To keep the peace this morning, he didn’t make comment about Adam’s remark and silently went about saddling his horse and following his brother for the day ahead.

Both Adam and Hoss had thought Little Joe was still asleep, as this was the normal morning routine for their younger brother. However, Joe had in fact slept very little the previous night and had been wide awake and fully dressed when he heard his brother’s leave. He wanted to avoid an ugly scene such as the one last night and waited patiently for the house to be silent and then headed downstairs towards the kitchen and an expectant cup of coffee.
Truthfully, Joe emotions had been on a county fair ride all night. One minute he couldn’t wait to see Phillippe and spent some time with him. The next minute he was wondering why Phillippe was coming out of the blue. Sure, Phillippe had talked in his letters about coming to see Joe after he had left Louisiana, but Joe found it difficult to believe that his cousin would find ranch life appealing in any way.

In Virginia City, Ben Cartwright stood quietly in front of the General Store and waited for the stage coach to arrive. There was very little activity in town this time of morning, partly due to the cold winter morning, but also because businesses had yet to open for trade.

Ben’s thoughts took him back over six months ago to a time when Joe had been away in Louisiana for months and word had come that he had left, but nobody seemed to know where he was. The anguish Ben had felt back then, coupled with the feeling of uselessness that he couldn’t do anything to help bring his son home had taken it’s toll secretly. Ben contemplated what life on the Ponderosa would have been like had Joe decided to stay with his new found family. He had buried three wives over the years, but the idea that he would never see his precious Joseph again had nearly drove him to distraction. The only reason Ben had been able to go on after the death of each wife, was knowing that he was needed to help his son’s overcome their losses.

In each son there breathed a living tribute to each wife. Adam, who looked liked his mother Elizabeth but also had her personality and talents, Hoss, a gentle giant just like his mother Inger, and of course Joseph who not only looked like his mother Marie, but also had her temper, her eyes, her smile, her hair and her sense of compassion and spirit to match.

Suddenly, the sound of horses hooves and wagon wheels could be heard on the streets of Virginia City, and the morning stage arrived about ten minutes after the scheduled time. At first, the coach looked empty. Nobody seemed to disembark from the coach.

The stagecoach driver spoke to Ben, “He’s inside, Mr. Cartwright. Didn’t know Little Joe was going to be on it until it departed San Francisco three days ago. Something seems different about him though, this trip. Little Joe nearly always is on the move and talkative on any other drive I have been on, but these last few days, he didn’t want to talk, just looked at me strange when I called him Little Joe and seemed to draw within himself. Thought there might have been some trouble at home, so I let him be, just kept a close eye on him though.

“I am sure he is the same old Joe, once he gets back to the ranch, Bill. Probably just tired after the long trip.” The words were supposed to be reassuring the driver that everything was all right. Ben just hoped that his friend Bill had not heard the bitter taste of lies in his mouth. The stagecoach driver nodded to show that, although he wasn’t sure, he trusted Ben knew his son better than anybody. Just wish I could tell you that the young man inside isn’t Joseph, Ben though silently to himself.

He then made his way around the opposite side of the stagecoach and opened the door. The young man that was seated inside the coach made no attempt to get up as he looked at the silver haired man standing before him. Ben waited outside the coach and hoped that no one was watching the uneasy situation that was unfolding. ‘Welcome home, Joseph,” Ben said loudly, intending for all in the street to think that he was indeed collecting his young son. In a quiet whisper he then said, “Welcome Phillippe; Joseph will be glad to see you.”

Phillippe now seemed to relax a little and knew that Ben wanted everyone to think he was Joseph Cartwright. To keep up the play acting, he returned just as loudly, “Thanks, Pa, it’s good to be home finally.” A small smirk was on the end of the sentence and for a moment if Ben didn’t know this young man existed, he would have told a court upon oath that this was his son.

The smile matched that of Joseph and the dancing green eyes also portrayed that look too. Phillippe stepped down from the coach and tried to take in everything that confronted him without drawing attention to the fact that he had never set foot into Virginia City before.

The young man had dressed as he though Joe might have so as not to cause doubt that he was Joe Cartwright, should he meet anybody that knew what his cousin looked like. He had on light tan trousers and a shirt that would have been white when freshly put on, but now held the color of mustard yellow thanks mainly to the dust that had collected on the fabric from his journey. He wore no gun belt, but thought it best not to. He couldn’t have used one very accurately and didn’t want to insult his cousin’s reputation by trying to be him in those respects.

His large trunk was unloaded from the top of the stagecoach before the driver commented, “What did you buy when you were away Joe, a closet full of clothes to impress those endless number of female friends?” Bill said sarcastically. Phillippe just tried to show his best sheepish Joe smile and leave it at that. He didn’t trust his Louisiana accent and felt it safer to remain tight lipped for the time being.

The wagon trip back to the Ponderosa was awkward and difficult for both passengers. Ben didn’t know quite what to say to the young man that looked so much like his youngest son, and similarly Phillippe didn’t know what to say to this person seated next to him. Phillippe tried to take in the scenery on the way, marveling at the countryside in the grips of winter. Back in Louisiana, the weather had been hot and sticky, and Phillippe had seen snow but once in his life before. The white powder seemed to be everywhere, from the tree tops to the frozen ground beneath the wagon. There lacked the presence of animals or birds and perhaps life itself, but Phillippe knew better and just continued to admire the sights. “Joseph, will be glad to see you Phillippe,” Ben said trying to ease the tension. “But he wants to play a trick upon his brothers, that involves the two of you, so he wants your arrival to remain secret until this afternoon when Adam and Hoss arrive.”

Phillippe just smiled that Joseph grin again, contemplating what his cousin had in mind. “If the reaction to the two of us together is anything like it was in Louisiana, it should be quite comical, Mr. Cartwright,” Phillippe said.
“Please call me Ben; Mr. Cartwright is too formal for family, Phillippe.”

“Okay,” was the response.

The wagon proceeded to the homestead and quickly pulled up to the front of the porch. Joseph who had been inside helping Hop Sing, suddenly burst through the door and gave his cousin biggest smile and embrace he could manage. The same was returned to Joe from Phillippe. Ben suddenly looked from one young man to the other and laughed to himself, “Those two older sons of mine will never be able to tell you two apart.”

“That’s the whole idea, Pa,” Joseph said grinning like a Cheshire cat. The resemblance between the two men was astonishing and Ben just continued to look with wonder at the two young men before him.

Hop Sing had been busily preparing for the evening meal in the kitchen, when he came out. The look on his face was more that Joe could stand, and he suddenly started to giggle uncontrollably, his chest heaving until he was literally weak from the laughter. Phillippe had joined in with Ben at the confusion he saw on the Cantonese man’s face.
“How come there are two of you Little Joe?” said Hop Sing. “Hard to control one Joseph Cartwright, two Little Joe drive Hop Sing crazy,” he added.

“This is my cousin Phillippe from Louisiana, Hop Sing. He will be staying with us for a while,” Joe said as he completed the formal introduction. “You can’t tell Adam or Hoss, about this Hop Sing,” Joe said pleadingly to the man he had grown up with and had great affection for. “If they react half as good as you did, it will be worth the look on their faces tonight when they see the two of us together.”

Hop Sing said, “How me tell Adam and Hoss there are two Little Joe’s? Your brothers will think Hop Sing go mad and send him back to Chinatown.” Hop Sing then abruptly returned to his kitchen, mumbling in Cantonese as he went about what he had seen. He wasn’t upset at Joe, and Little Joe knew this as he understood most of what he had said in his native tongue.

Phillippe wasn’t so sure, “Are you sure about me being able to stay Joe? He seemed pretty upset about me being here.”

Ben interrupted for Joe and said “Don’t take any notice of Hop Sing, Phillippe,; if there is one thing constant about this ranch, it would be the love that Hop Sing has for your cousin Joseph no matter what. The very fact that you look just like him will be to your favor. He’s not really upset, just letting us know about his confusion of the situation. Come on inside and let’s get you settled,” Ben said gathering Phillippe’s luggage as he headed toward the front door.

***********

Ben, Phillippe and Little Joe spent the rest of the morning talking about the past. They talked about how Phillippe’s parents were doing down in Louisiana. The discussed the weather and just about every other topic available.
Joe had no trouble talking to his twin cousin. It was almost as though he had never left Louisiana. They chatted about the horse operation that they had going there together. It had been a very profitable business for a time. It had even led to Joe managing to snag a few more army contacts through Major Jack Williams when he returned to the Ponderosa.

Ben, however, was slow to involve himself into the conversation. He felt a bit standoffish, and it was hard to get to used the idea of talking to two Joseph’s. The two of them sat opposite him, his real son Joe on the blue leather armchair, the other Phillippe on the other brown armchair in the room.

Occasionally Hop Sing would come back into the living room and refill their coffee cups, but then would take one look at the two of them and shake his head and mutter to himself in Cantonese on the way back to his sanctuary of the kitchen.

“How is it back at home, Phillippe?” Ben asked trying to make an effort.

Phillippe appeared to look into his coffee cup for the answer at first, but then sighed slightly and decided there was no point in hiding it from the others, especially Joe.

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Cartwright, it’s getting very bad,” Phillippe said and then looked to see if Joe had taken a hint from his sentence. “I assume Joe told you about how things work back in Louisiana,” he said. He was trying to talk about the slave trade without actually saying the word slave. “Sometimes it seems that some people are getting interested in the cause to stop the trade, but then there seems to be a foul dark cloud that hangs over the state. It smells of stale old opinions and reeks of political upheaval and I felt that if I stayed to long, then I would become stale too.”

“Is that why you came here?” Ben asked trying to probe a bit further into Phillippe’s reasons of coming to Virginia City. For a moment Ben thought he could see something else in the young man’s eyes, but quickly admonished himself and reminded him not to judge a book by its cover.

The grandfather clock struck 5:30pm. Hoss and Adam would be home shortly to enjoy a nice hot dinner.

“You two had better get ready, Joe,” Ben said trying to help with the plan against his two eldest sons. “Hoss and Adam will be back any minute now.”

“You’re right, Pa,” Joe said and jumped up from his chair. “Come on, Phillippe, let’s go and put our costumes on.”
“Costumes?” Ben said confused. “What costumes?”

“You’ll see,” Joe said with a cheeky grin. “We will give you a preview in a minute Pa. Stay right where you are.”
Ben had to chuckle slightly at his son’s antics. He knew whatever Joe had in mind for Adam and Hoss was going to be most enjoyable. He would just sit back and watch the entertainment take place.

About five minutes to 6:00 p.m., the two cousins appeared at the top of the stairs. Ben just stood looking with his mouth agape. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He knew the two of them looked alike but this was too much.
Whilst upstairs, Phillippe had changed into the same clothes as his cousin Joe. The two of them had on the same trousers, the same shirts, the same boots. Joe had rummaged through his wardrobe and pulled out two of everything.
The position of their curls mimicked each other. They even had the same stance. Both of them adorned that cheeky smile that made any heart melt. This was going to be a great gag.

Joe had gone through the script upstairs with Phillippe. Thankfully, Joe had set up the plot so that his cousin had very few speaking parts. If Adam and Hoss heard Phillippe’s distinct Louisiana accent, the joke would be on them.
All of a sudden, Ben could hear the horses of Adam and Hoss approaching the yard outside. He gestured for Joe and Phillippe to take their positions. Joe ran and hid in his room, closing the door behind him. Phillippe remained on the staircase awaiting the arrival of the older two Cartwright brothers. His performance would commence when they walked through the front door. The play was about to unfold.

Hoss was the first one to walk through the door with Adam following not too far behind.

“Hop Sing, I hope you cooked up a storm, because it’s cold outside and I am hungry as grizzly bear in hibernation,” Hoss shouted as he rubbed his stomach area in eagerness for dinner. “Oh sorry, Pa,” Hoss said greeting his father. He had failed to notice Ben sitting on the settee when coming in. It was only that he looked in the direction of the staircase that he also noticed his younger sibling apparently ascending the stairs.

“Howdy, Little Joe,” Hoss said with an enthusiastic grin.

Phillippe gave the required gesture of hello with his hands, but did not speak the words. He gave the big man the flashiest smile and turned to walk into Joseph’s room. He hadn’t met any of the other Cartwright’s yet. But Little Joe had given a quick description of each of them when they were changing. Phillippe guessed that this giant of a man standing downstairs was Hoss or Horse he couldn’t remember for sure the name mentioned.

“Hi, Little Joe,” Adam chimed in and also got the smile of a lifetime from Phillippe. The young man now disappeared into Joe’s room. He barely got inside before he was trying to control the fits of laughter that dwelled inside him. This was the best gag ever devised.

Joe had been inside his room and upon hearing Phillippe entering the room, dived quickly out his bedroom window and scampered silently down the roof and over the eaves to the ground outside the house. He had made this trip a hundred times before and it was almost old hat now. He picked himself up and dusted himself off, straightened his shirt and walked calmly and full of confidence towards the front door.

Adam and Hoss had heard footsteps on the verandah and now Hoss moved slightly to his right ready to open the door to the unexpected visitor.

Joe didn’t both to knock but simply opened the door and walked through as he would have any other day of the week.
It took all of his concentration to not break up at the look on Adam and Hoss’s stunned faces. Over on the settee, Ben was also battling to keep the joke a secret. The look on his middle son’s face was priceless.

Hoss’s mind was in a whirl. He had just seen his younger brother go into his room upstairs, didn’t he?” “How........ how did you do that Joe?” he asked. He eyes were wide with shock and his mouth hung open in surprise. Joe wished he could tell Hoss to pick up his bottom lip before he tripped over it.

Adam, who had been standing right beside his larger brother was also astounded. He also thought he had just seen Joe disappear upstairs after gesturing hello to them.

“Do what, big brother?” Joe asked calmly with a false look of confusion on his face.

“You just walked up the stairs and went into your room, Joe,” Hoss told him.

Joe kept up the appearances and looked around, twisting and turning as though he was checking out that he was indeed all there.

“I’d better go and check then,” Joe replied. “I’ll be right back” and started ascending the staircase.

While Joe was ascending the stairs, Phillippe had climbed out the window and was now gingerly making his way out over the roof. He made it safely and then casually grabbed an apple from a barrel before walking through the back door of the kitchen towards the living room.

Hoss and Adam had barely moved from their spots beside the door. Both of them were still trying to fathom out what they had just seen, or not seen, depending on your point of view.

Just as they saw the real Joe walk into his bedroom for a second time, Phillippe walked out from the kitchen munching on the apple. He glanced up at the two brothers and flashed the same grin at them he had given on the stairs. Again he didn’t say anything, but walked out the front door as though he didn’t have a care in the world. He gave them a brief wave on the way out and closed the door behind him.

Hoss’s mind was now doing back flips. He couldn’t find the words to describe what he was seeing. He was totally baffled about how many Joe’s he was seeing.

Adam put his hand to his head and scratched at his scalp trying to make head or tails out of the situation.
And just as Phillippe exited through the front door, Little Joe came back out of his bedroom. ”Sorry< Hoss, it looks as though there is only one of me,” he said as calmly as can be and descended the stairs and went out the same door at Phillippe.

Hoss’s face had now gone completely white. He was sure that he would need to see Doc Martin about getting glasses. He gave a over exaggerated groan and put his hand to his forehead in confusion. He felt if he didn’t sit down in a minute, he would find himself in a heap on the floor. His head was reeling and he felt very light-headed all of a sudden.

Adam and Hoss’s reaction had been as good as Little Joe predicted. They were looking at their father for the answers. Ben could hardly hold back the smirk he had hidden. Little Joe really knew how to get those two going. Poor old Hoss just looked sick. Adam looked puzzled and a little miffed.

Adam was just about to ask what the hell was going on when he heard that distinct little giggle that he and the family knew so well. It was coming from outside. The thing that puzzled him was that he could hear two distinct different voices making the sound.

He opened up the door and Hoss followed him outside. Ben couldn’t resist seeing his eldest two son’s reaction and followed as well.

Outside on the patio, Adam and Hoss stood with there mouths agape at the sight before them. There was not one but two Little Joe’s standing on the verandah and laughing heartily. Two Little Joe’s, he repeated to himself.
The real Little Joe took one look at the look on his brother’s faces and literally rolled around on the wooden floor holding his sides with laughter. He was laughing so hard it was almost hurting and he had to hold his side to stop the stitch that was forming in his stomach muscles. He continued to laugh.

Phillippe had been laughing too at the little performance his cousin had arranged. It had gone off like a charm and fooled Joe’s two brothers more than they both expected it to.

It suddenly came to Adam why he was seeing two Little Joe’s.

Ben stepped out of the door way before his eldest son could say anything. “I think some introductions are due,” he said as he tried to muffle his own laughter as the gag that had been played out.

“You mean you knew about this?” Adam said incredulously to his father.

“Not until a couple of days ago,” Ben admitted “Joe told me late the other night that his cousin Phillippe was arriving on the morning stage. I went and picked him up this morning. The idea to fool the both of you was entirely Joe’s idea. But I must say that he did get you two good and proper,” he said now chuckling slightly.

“Adam, Hoss, I would like you to meet Phillippe, Joseph’s cousin from Louisiana,” Ben announced.

The two eldest Cartwright boys stepped forward and shook the hand of the southern gentleman standing before them. They couldn’t get over how much Phillippe and Joe looked alike. The fact that they were also wearing the same clothes only made the resemblance stand out even more.

Hoss just stood looking at Phillippe. He had seen photos of Joe and Phillippe standing together in Louisiana, but the real life picture was even more startling. Phillippe was a little hesitant in addressing these two brothers. Hoss was big if not bigger than Joe had described him. He was afraid that the man would pick him up and break him in two for the joke they had just played on him.

“I apologize for the mockery,” Phillippe now said. It was the first time Adam and Hoss had heard the young man speak. It was now obvious when he spoke that although he looked like Little Joe, he couldn’t hide his deep southern accent. His words were a little more formal than the youngest Cartwright would have used to talk to his brothers as well. Joe was well mannered, but usually kept the fancy words for when he was in the company of a young lady.
Phillippe was completely shocked when Hoss just grabbed the young man around his narrow waist and engulfed him in a bear hug embrace.

“Welcome to the Ponderosa, Phillippe,” Hoss said “Joe’s told us so much about you.”

Hop Sing now came outside from the kitchen “Mr. Cartwright, Joe, Hoss and Adam supper all ready, come and get before go cold; you too, Mr. Phillippe,” the little man said before disappearing again.

“Why do I get the feeling that Hoss and I are the only two people around here that didn’t know about Phillippe’s visit?” Adam commented dryly. It seemed that even Hop Sing was privy to the young man’s visit.

Joe thought that Adam sounded a little upset about the joke when he started to walk back into the house, apparently a little annoyed. Joe was taken completely by surprise himself when Adam suddenly turned and playfully grabbed a hold of his youngest sibling in a mock head lock and started walking towards the front door again.

“Make a fool out of me, will you?” Adam said as he ruffled Joe’s curly hair with his right hand. “I’ll teach you to play jokes on me” and proceeded to start tickling Joe until he said Uncle.

Dinner for the family was very pleasurable indeed. The conversation ranged from cattle raising to what had been happening in the cities down south.

The whole time dinner was being consumed, the family would take periodic glances at the two cousins that sat opposite each other. The resemblance was really uncanny, almost haunting.

“So, Phillippe, tell me what’s been happening back in Louisiana,” Ben said to keep the young man feeling welcome in his new surroundings. Phillippe had already tried to explain his reasons for being here, but Ben decided that Hoss and Adam were entitled to an explanation as well.

“I can’t lie to you, Mr. Cartwright; nothing much has changed since Joe’s visit. The slave trade is still present and your son can attest to the inhuman conditions that some of them are forced to endure on some of the plantations,” Phillippe said in reply.

Ben nodded his head in understanding. He had heard some of the horrors that Joe had witnessed on his stay in Louisiana, but was sure that one could never really comprehend what the slaves went through unless they could see it first hand. Joe had even been on the receiving end of some of the harsh punishment that was dished out by some of the overseers.

“Is that why you left, cousin?” Joe now asked Phillippe.

“Partly, Joe,” Phillippe answered. “But part of me desired to travel to new places and meet new people. The horse operation Joe and I started was doing okay for a while after he left, but then I just could seem to get the same results from some of the unbroken horses that Joe could.”

“Yeah, nobody can break a wild bronc in like our little brother, huh Joe?” Hoss said with pride as he stuffed some more potato into his mouth.

Ben thought a little bit more about Phillippe’s reason for leaving Louisiana. The similarities between him and Joe just seemed to keep coming. Phillippe’s description of wanting to travel and see new things sounded exactly like his son Joseph.

“Do you think Phillippe could help me out some with the horses for a few days, Pa?” Joe now asked with excitement. He and Phillippe had been a good combination in Louisiana. They had made some reputable contacts and earned the respect of a lot of potential buyers for the future. That had been proven when Major Jack Williams had turned up some months later and insisted that Joe was in charge of any of the upcoming Army contracts for horses.
Joe seemed to have this intuition about how a particular horse was going to behave. He could tell from a quick glance what specific schooling the animal would need to make him a good stock horse.

“I think that’s an excellent idea, Joe,” Ben said with a smile. His young son seemed so happy with his cousin’s visit. He didn’t want to put a shadow over the whole idea about Phillippe’s true reasons for being here.
“We’ll make a great team again, Joe,” Phillippe said. But something about the worried look in his eyes made Adam and Ben think that he wasn’t as pleased about the idea as one would expect.

“Phillippe, I will have Hop Sing make up the spare room downstairs for you if that’s suitable?” Ben asked to change to topic of conversation.

“Thanks, Mr. Cartwright,” Phillippe answered.

“How about just Uncle Ben?” was the suggestion. “Mr. Cartwright is only reserved for people who don’t know me,” Ben explained.

“Okay, Uncle Ben,” Phillippe said with his southern accent very pronounced. Joe couldn’t have been more pleased with this suggestion. He didn’t know how his family would react to Phillippe’s sudden visit, but looking at things now, it seems that his family was willing to accept his cousin with open arms.

“You two planning to travel into town tomorrow, Joe?” Adam asked. “I sure you’re dying to confuse the good citizens of Virginia City just like you did Hoss and myself.”

“Oh no, brother,” Joe said with a look of cheekiness and mischief.” he answered “Phillippe and I are planning to leave that little idea until Saturday night.”

“Saturday night?” Ben asked.

“Yes, Pa, there’s a dance on Saturday Night at the town hall,” Joe explained. “Phillippe and I plan to let our little secret out then to the ladies of Virginia City.”

”Oh lord help them,” Ben said with a laugh. He could just imagine the look on the faces of the pretty girls and half the population of Virginia City when the two Joe Cartwrights entered the room.

“I’ll say,” Adam remarked. “As if one Romeo Joe Cartwright wasn’t enough for us all.” and joined in the laughter of the rest of the family.

“Those ladies don’t stand a chance,” Hoss added. And just to emphasis that point, both Phillippe and Joe flashed that devilishly handsome smile that oozed charm and charisma.

“I plan to take Phillippe on a tour of the Ponderosa tomorrow, Pa,” Joe said to his father. “We can start on those new horses the day after tomorrow. I want to show Phillippe around first.”

Upon hearing this statement Ben now knew just how much of an effect Phillippe’s visit was having on his youngest son. Joe usually didn’t stop for anything when they were about to start a new Army contract for horses. He would make himself complete the task no matter what.

The fact that Joe was putting the schedule off for a day was more proof as to Joe’s happiness about his cousin’s surprise visit.

After dinner, Joe and Hoss took out the checker board as usual. Joe won the first game to Hoss’s dismay. He never seemed to be able to beat Joe’s quick and agile mind when it came to things such as strategy.

“Dadburnit, Little Joe,” Hoss said in mock disgust, “I never seem to be able to beat you at this game”.

“Mind if I try?” came Phillippe from behind Ben. He had been watching with admiration at his cousin’s skill at the game. His own skills were not shabby either.

“Oh a I sense a challenge there, brother,” Adam said with a grin. He relished the idea of seeing the two of them battle it out against each other.

“Have you played much?” Joe said, trying to gauge his cousin’s experience and skill.

“Oh Francois and me used to play all the time at night, when the weather was so hot that you couldn’t sleep. We would sit out on the patio in the coolness of the night and play until almost dawn some nights,” Phillippe said with pride. He had a little grin in his face that told his cousin that he was as equally adept at the game as Joe.
“Finally someone who might be able to beat you at your own game, Little Joe,” Hoss said. He was happy to get up and trade chairs with Phillippe.

They all gathered around Joe and Phillippe to watch the match of the night. Both young men seemed confidence in their own abilities. Could they really out smart each other?

The battle of the two Joe’s battled on for the next hour. It seemed that Phillippe was indeed good at the game of checkers. Only problem was Joe was good too. Neither of them seemed to be able to make enough ground to clearly be declared the winner.

It seemed that the similarities between the two even extended to the game of checkers.

Where would the similarities between the two end they all wondered? It was almost a little too eerie to see the two of them have so much in common. They had definitely been cast from the same mold.

After a draw was announced between the two warring factions, Ben announced that it was time to retire to bed for the night.

Ben saw the same scowl on both Joe’ and Phillippe’s faces at this decision. But only Joe had the gumption to speak up and be heard this night.

“Aw Pa, do we have to?” he said in sadness. He was enjoying Phillippe’s company too much to go to bed now.

“Yes, young man, you do,” Ben said sternly. “There will be plenty of time to spend with Phillippe tomorrow. He’s here for two weeks, Joe; now up to bed.”

Reluctantly the pair said goodnight to the family and went to bed.

Sometime later that night about 2 a.m., Ben got up to the sound of whispered voices. He got up and put his ear to Joe’s door. Sure enough he could hear the two of them talking away in the wee hours of the morning.

He frowned a little, but decided that they were not doing any harm. He left them to talk about Louisiana and the times they had together a few months ago. He heard them talking about things that Joe had never mentioned to his family. This made Ben a little sad that Joe could share some of his trip with his no so well known cousin instead of his loving family.

Ben went back to bed for the night.

************

The next morning, it seemed that Phillippe was like his cousin about getting out of bed in the morning as well. The two young men had not shown yet for breakfast. Hop Sing was mumbling things about re-heating meals for more people. Ben told all of them about the whisperings he had heard earlier that morning.

Joe emerged first from his room. He was dressed in his normal brown colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tan trousers. He had pulled on his boots and was ready to go for a ride with Phillippe after he had his morning cup of coffee.

“Mornin Pa, Mornin, Brothers,” he said in a happy voice. Much to Hoss’ and Adam’s surprise, Hop Sing appeared from the kitchen with a fresh cup of brewed coffee for the youngest member of the family. Somehow that little brother of theirs always managed to stay in Hop Sing’s good books no matter what he did.

Everybody’s attention was drawn to the spare room as they heard the creak from the hinges on the door. Phillippe emerged from within but he was dressed very differently than his country cousin.

Adam and Hoss had to stifle back laughs about the garments that Phillippe thought would be suitable for ranch work.
Phillippe couldn’t see the funny side of things. He had on a pair of trousers that were made of a tightly woven material that clung to his thin frame in all the right places. It was the shirt he was wearing that brought about the most smirks from the Cartwright family.

The shirt was made of white satin and had pearl colored buttons all the way down the front and on the long sleeved cuffs as well. The front of the elegant shirt was adorned with strips of ruffles and frills down the middle on either side of the buttons.

Phillippe looked as though he was ready to go to a ball rather than do some sight seeing on the back of a horse.
Hoss was the most amused one of the family. He had seen the various crates of shirts and trousers like this that Joe had sent back from Louisiana a few months ago. He had laughed himself silly back then thinking any man would be seen in such finery and frills.

Joe had a little smile of his own at Phillippe’s style of dress, but he was quick to defend his cousin. “Phillippe, I think you would be better off wearing the clothes from yesterday,” he said trying to sound helpful rather than condescending.

“Okay, Joe, if you think those clothes will be suitable,” Phillippe said. Were he came from it was normal for men to wear fancy suits and satin shirts, even in the heat of the day. It was considered impolite and improper to lower ones standards to the rough house attire that the Cartwrights were obviously more at home with.

Phillippe went back into the room and clad himself in the clothes from the day before. He returned to the dining room and seated himself at the table with the rest of the family.

He eyed the smorgasbord that was laid before him and couldn’t believe the amount of food that was cooked in order to feed the Cartwright family for breakfast.

“You mean, all of this is for only the five of us?” he asked incredulously. He had only seen this amount of food back home when there was a celebration or festival held.

Joe and the others laughed again at Phillippe’s new education about life on a working ranch. “No, Phillippe, I am afraid the four of us only get one egg and rasher of bacon each. The rest is for my brother Hoss here. He needs this amount of food at each sitting or he will be back for another serving before 10 o’clock this morning.”

Hoss took the words kindly enough. He was used to the family teasing him about his huge appetite.

Phillippe also joined in the laughter at Hoss’s expense. He was very surprised by Hoss’ gentle carefree nature. He had seen a few men Hoss’s size in his entire life time and each time those men had a temper to match their size. It was a refreshing change to see someone in such control of their strength. Hoss obviously shed more love towards his family than waiting his efforts on trying to control everyone around him by force.

Adam and Ben had been quietly watching the two youngest men at the table, looking back and forth between the two of them. The resemblance was still hard to get out of their minds.

“Where are you planning to go today, Joe?” Ben asked, trying to change start a conversation to make breakfast more enjoyable.

“I was going to take him to Ma’s grave first and then show him some of the pastureland beside the lake,” Joe said as he sipped at his coffee again. “You sure you don’t mind me spending time away from the work for a while?”

“No, I don’t mind, I think Phillippe would be pleased to visit your mother Marie. I sure the ride through the pastures should be pleasant this time of year. Just be careful and don’t stay out too long,” Ben reminded his son.

“Which mount do you suggest I take today Joe?” Phillippe said trying to wade in on the conservation.

Joe thought hard for a minute. His cousin was a skilled enough rider to handle any of the Ponderosa’s horses. “I have got a brown gelding that needs some exercise,” Joe said with a twinkle in his eyes. He knew the horse was still a little green, but Phillippe would be able to handle him.

Adam and the rest of the family knew exactly which horse Joe meant and were surprised that Phillippe didn’t baulk at the challenge placed before him. The family didn’t know how skilful he was on a horse, but they knew Joe wouldn’t deliberately give his cousin a horse that he didn’t think was suitable.

“Well, we best be off,” Joe said as he swallowed the last of his coffee. Ben looked with dismay at Joseph’s plate and noticed that hardly a morsel had been touched. He looked over at Phillippe’s plate and noted that same equal amount of food remaining. No wonder those two boys remained so thin and trim. Both of them didn’t eat enough to feed a Wood Sparrow.

Ben and his other two boys contented themselves with the work that needed to be done for the rest of the day.

*************

Phillippe had no trouble guiding the skittish horse along the dirt tracks that Little Joe led him and his mount down. The horse was a little green as Joe had told him. But once rider and horse got used to each other’s company, a bond between the two started to take shape.

Joe rode Cochise of course and although Phillippe was a skilled rider, there was envy there between the hidden relationship between the painted pinto and his cousin. Such companionship and acceptance of man and beast was rarely seen and it was a pleasure to watch the two of them enjoy the morning’s excursion. At times it looked as though Joe was barely holding onto the reins at all. Cochise seemed to anticipate Joe’s slight commands almost before they were given. The horse knew where she was going and just allowed her master to enjoy the scenery.
Little Joe was enjoying the scenery at that. It was very rare that Joe was able to ride about the Ponderosa and just admire the beauty and ruggedness that surrounded him. Today, he didn’t need to worry about fences or cattle. He just breathed in the plentiful fresh air and looked about him with wonder and delight at nature’s true glory.
The weather was slightly cool enough and half way through the journey, Phillippe stopped his horse and put on a warm jacket from his saddle bag.

Joe didn’t bother about his jacket just yet. He quite liked the cooler weather much to the dismay of his family. Ben found himself chastising his youngest son on a number of occasions in the past about dressing warming enough for the cooler conditions. Joe never seldom seemed to bide by those requests though.

The two riders pulled up on top of a ridge to gaze over the expanse before them. The site was almost breath taking. The grass was green and the hills literally rolled away to the lake below. There was a touch of dampness to the grass signaling the moisture in the air. Winter would soon be on the way.

“How big is the Ponderosa, Joe?” Phillippe asked as he looked about at the vastness of the surrounding countryside. He couldn’t believe that all of this land belonged to one family.

“About 1000 square miles,” Joe answered proudly. “As far as you can see from the tops of those ragged cliffs over there to Lake Tahoe over there to your right.”

“It truly is something to be proud of, cousin,” Phillippe said genuinely. “You and your family have a treasure worth keeping.”

Joe motioned for them to start walking on again to prevent the animals getting too cold. He directed the horses down towards Lake Tahoe and the site of his mother Marie’s grave.

When he got to his mother’s final resting place, he dismounted and tied Cochise to a small tree nearby. Phillippe also got off and tied his mount next to Cochise. The two young men walked towards the grey colored headstone. Joe removed his hat in respect.

Phillippe looked over at Joe’s solemn and quite disposition. He knew that Joe felt very deeply about his mother, even though he didn’t get to know her all that well. Maybe Joe would always look for that connection between him and she. Maybe that’s why he agreed to stay in Louisiana so long in the first place.

The two men just sat for awhile. No words needed to be said. Phillippe knew very little about his cousin Marie as well. Joe had talked about her often enough when he was in Louisiana so he assumed that she must have been a wonderful woman.

“Come on, cousin, let’s get back to the yard and start roping some of them green horses,” Joe announced with renewed exuberance.

“Last one back to the house gets to watch from the corral first,” Joe said as he spurred Cochise into a gallop.
Phillippe felt very much up to the challenge and lightly kicked his own mount into a fast gallop, trying in vain to keep up with his cousin Joe some distance ahead of him.

Ben, Hoss and Adam had been working in the yard themselves when they heard the sound of running hooves behind them. They all looked up and looked on with a smirk at the sight of the two cousins racing into the yard at neck breaking speed.

Ben had a disapproving look on his face directed towards his youngest son and when Joe noticed it he slowed down to a walk almost immediately. He gave an apologetically looking smile towards his father for running in like that.
Phillippe didn’t quite understand the stern look his cousin Joe was getting from his father. He saw no harm in riding into the yard at such a fast pace. He had not been informed of the full details of Marie’s tragic death. He didn’t know that Ben’s heart was in his throat each time he saw his youngest ride into the yard the same way his mother had done that fateful day all those years ago.

The two cousins were unaware of a dark figure that had followed their ride in the distance for most of the morning. They didn’t see him when he was perched high upon a hill looking down at the two of them sitting beside Marie’s grave.

The man had also followed them back to the yard, but kept his distance enough still so as not to be seen from his vantage point. He had seen Phillippe arrive on the stage and now gazed down at the two young man that looked like each other.

Fortunately for him, he knew exactly who they were. He was even privy to the fact that there were two young men who looked alike. He had had a meeting with them in the past that he would rather soon have forgotten about. That chance encounter had not gone in his favor and he knew that they would recognize him should they see him.
For now, he would still need to bide his time and just watch from a far. His time for retribution would come soon and then he would tell them how things were going to be.

His name was Hank Jones.

***********

Back at the yard, Little Joe and Phillippe eagerly began sorting through the corral full of horses with their eyes. Both of them were scrutinizing each one and checking out the quality of the animals that they had before them.
There were some very good looking animals. There were a few poorer ones too that might take some extra time in schooling. But over all they had a fine group to work with.

The stood together and made a mental note of which ones should be broken in first and how much training each one might need. Joe was very accurate in his estimation of temperament and capabilities. Phillippe was a little over awed at his cousin’s knowledge of horse flesh.

“That bay one over there will be a good horse and so too that big chestnut in the corner there,” Joe said with his mind fully concentrated on the job at hand. Breaking horses was something that Little Joe had always wanted to do. It came naturally and he was beginning to get a good reputation locally. He had already won a few contracts that were out of the reach of most of the local ranches, like the one for the army that he had arranged with Major Jack Williams.

“The one with the white mark on his rump might take a little extra time, so I start on him tomorrow,” Joe stated. “That big roan one over there seems a little more wild than the rest of them, I might try him tomorrow afternoon. Give him a bit of time getting used to being in the corral.”

Phillippe had also nominated a few gentler animals that he would take on tomorrow. But those few looked to already have the wildness in them tamed somewhat. Phillippe knew he was a good enough rider, but just like in Louisiana, he left most of the breaking of the newer animals to Joe.

The rest of the day saw Phillippe and Joe standing together organizing the horses for the next two or three days. They both had a role to play, Joe took on the more physical aspects of the operation, while Phillippe did the final schooling stages and completing any paperwork.

It was just like old times again. The two cousins just seemed to click very well together. Both having separate roles to play, but meshing well enough like a finely tuned team.

Ben and the other Cartwright boys had looked at the two on a number of occasions during the day and seen the two of them scrunched together talking about what they were doing. Joe turned the job of breaking horses into a very complex and thorough set of calculations. Each one had to be just right. Joe would never declare an animal ready for the contract unless he himself had examined the animal and was satisfied that it could do the job correctly. If the horse needed some extra schooling then that’s exactly what it got. Nothing was ever half done and nothing was ever over looked.

For want remained of that day, Joe and Phillippe just concentrated on planning out the next three days. The hard work and real breaking in work wouldn’t begin until tomorrow.

The evening was spent talking idly over another feast created by Hop Sing. Ben had tried in vain to bring up topics of conversation that revolved around Joe’s stay in Louisiana.

But Joe thwarted his father at every turn and changed the subject. Phillippe and the rest of the family had noted the changes but couldn’t fathom why Joe was so reluctant to share his experiences with them.

Joe picked at his dinner again. He was upset about his family trying to drag up old memories that he didn’t particularly want to remember tonight. He told everyone he was tired and wanted to get an early night in so he could start bright and early tomorrow.

The next morning was a Wednesday and saw Little Joe sitting at the table before his father, brothers or Phillippe. He seemed in a happy enough mood.

Once Phillippe had eaten his fill of breakfast, he went outside to see that Joe had already started roping one of the first horses for the morning.

Ben, Adam and Hoss all gathered beside Phillippe on the corral fence and watched Joe perform his magic on the wild beast.

Joe got himself up on the brown colored stallion and set himself in the stall before nodding his head for Phillippe to let him loose into the training yard.

The horse came out full of fire, bucking and kicking harder and harder, trying to dislodge the slight weight on it’s back. If it moved to the left, Joe shifted his weight to the left on the animals back. He mimicked every move the wild horse tried to make to counteract the anger and frustration the horse was dishing out. Dust flew in all directions as the horse moved about from corner to corner in the corral.

Finally after twenty minutes of twisting and fighting, the horse stood still in the corral, panting to get it’s breath back. Joe still sat alert enough in the saddle in case the horse moved again quickly and without warning.

The horse knew that it had been beat so Joe climbed off the animal’s back and gave it a hearty pat to say well done and led it into the corral beside this one to signal that it was ready for another ride in a day or two’s time.
Ben and Hoss were giving the youngest member of the family, appreciative and congratulating comments about the ride. They both knew that Joe was very skilled at his talent. Adam didn’t say any words to his younger brother. But the smile on his face and the twinkle in his dark eyes signaled his approval of Joe’s efforts. Phillippe was giving loud amounts of praise to his cousin as Joe walked back into the corral of waiting horses and selected another animal to start training.

Ben and Hoss were a little worried that Joe had been so eager to take the next ride. He had to be tired after that effort, but Joe didn’t even bat an eyelid. He just dusted down his chaps and went to select the next animal.
Joe looked about the animals at first. He remembered the order that he and Phillippe had drawn up and noted that the small chestnut mare was supposed to be next in line.

However, something kept drawing his attention to the big roan that was a little farther down the list. He had wanted to give the horse a little more time to adjust to being caged in the corral. The more he looked at the powerful muscles in the horses legs and saw the almost defiant nodding of the horse’s head, trying to show his displeasure at being confined, the more he licked his lips at the impending battle that was about to take place between man and beast.

The challenge in Joe to best this opponent was strong. It was what drove him to break horses in the first place. That need to over come the more powerful adversary and show the horse who was boss. The adrenaline surged in Joe’s veins at the mere thought of taking on this brute.

Against his sub-conscious that told him to wait another day, he placed his lasso over the horse’s head and led the slightly protesting stallion into the training yard.

“You’re gonna ride him already, Joe?” Phillippe asked with a little fear in his voice. He knew that Joe wanted to break this horse more than any of the others, but he knew that the horse needed some more time to cool down and get used to his surroundings before having a rider attempt to tame his wild streak.

“I think he’s ready enough, cousin,” Joe asked with a cheeky smile.

The horse was placed in the stall, but protested strongly now at every action that was made against it. Whatever the humans wanted him to do, he intended to do the exact opposite. He kicked and struggled the whole time. Even in the stall where his movements were strictly confined, he tried in vain to show his displeasure and annoyance at being handled by human hands.

Joe gingerly sat on the horse’s back and adjusted the rope in his hands. He rechecked it again and gripped it even tighter. The was this immediate rush of fear about riding this wild animal, but at the same time anticipation of the challenge and the battle about to unfold. He gave the nod of his head, signaling for the gate of the stall to be opened.

The horse didn’t charge out of the stall at first like the other horses Joe had broken in the past. The first thing the horse did when the gate swung open was to try and buck the rider right off in the stall itself.

Joe was taken a little by the horse’s obstinate nature, but still kept his wits about him. It only took a moment longer for the animal to emerge from the stall and into the training yard.

He moved his head angrily from side to side. His mane tossing about in the cool wind. While his head moved in one direction, his rump and flailing legs moved in the opposite direction trying to dislodge the rider.

The horse snorted and whinnied loudly at having been controlled by a rope around his neck. He buck and continued to buck for the next fifteen minutes non-stop. At the end of that fifteen minutes, both animal and rider were exhausted.

Ben and the other men had just watched on with both fear and admiration etched on their faces at Joe’s attempts to break the horse. They were watching the feud of the century.

The horse stood still as the other horses had done in the past. He looked at though he was willing to give up in defeat and concede that the rider had won this round. Joe kept his eyes on the animal ready for the unseen movement before it actually happened. His tense muscles relaxed slightly, maybe a little to much. The horse had taken it’s rider all the way around the corral and was now only a few feet away from the back railings.

Joe looked at the smiles on the faces of his family and Phillippe and was about to jump down off the mount and put it together with the other horses that had been ridden earlier that morning.

Without warning, the horse did move. But the movement was not seen by either Little Joe or his family until it was too late.

Ben and the others watched on in horror as the horse bucked one last time and sent the unsuspecting Joe flying through the air. Joe struck one of the posts of the corral with his head and fell to the ground in an untidy heap. He didn’t move and appeared to be unconscious.

Ben had cried out in alarm as he saw Joe’s head strike the post. Phillippe had paled and was very worried for his cousin. Adam had entered the corral first and was trying to calm down the still rearing horse. The horse was flailing out with sharpened hooves and stood over the inert figure of Little Joe. Adam was afraid that the horse would come down on his already injured brother and cause Joe more pain. He talked soothingly to the frightened animal and desperately made a grab for the rope that was flying around loosely while still looped over his neck. Adam managed to clasp the rope in his outstretched hand and managed to get some distance between the horse and his brother.
While Adam led the horse away, Hoss, Ben and Phillippe raced over to where Joe lay and knelt down beside the injured young man. They could see a small patch of blood on the back of his curly head.

Ben called his son’s name in vain to try and rouse him. But Little Joe didn’t hear his father’s pleas.

“Hoss, you race into Virginia City and get Doc Martin quick,” Ben shouted while still trying to assess all of Joe’s injuries.

“Phillippe, you go into the house and tell Hop Sing that we need some water, towels, bandages and whatever else he thinks we might need,” Ben said to Joe’s twin.

Ben had gently turned is son over. Joe’s eyes remained closed and didn’t flicker in the slightest. A small groan of pain escaped his lips as his father put his bandana on the bloody wound, but he didn’t fully awaken.

Hoss and Phillippe had both run from the corral and went to do their respective tasks. Hoss raced to the barn to saddle Chubb and fetch Doc Martin. Phillippe ran to the house and began shouting the little oriental man’s name and started to shout what was needed.

Ben had picked up his son and walked with him over to the other side of the corral. He had to lay him back down again on the hard ground in order to remove one of the railings. Once that was done he was able to maneuver his son’s limp body through the narrow gap in the fence and lay him on the soft grass on the other side.

When Ben had climbed through the fence himself, he picked up his unconscious son again and walked towards the house carrying his precious burden.

Phillippe opened the front door as he heard Ben’s footsteps on the patio. Ben walked past him with Little Joe in his arms and proceeded to walk up the stairs towards the boy’s bedroom. Phillippe and Hop Sing quickly followed behind.

Once he entered Joe’s bedroom, Hop Sing straightened the crumpled bed clothes first and then let Ben lay Joe down on the soft mattress. Phillippe passed Hop Sing a pillow to place under his head.

Ben surveyed the scene and determined that the wound would have to be cleaned as quickly as possible. He was sure that there was at least a mild concussion. He motioned for Hop Sing and Phillippe to help him turn Joe over onto his stomach.

Another small groan of pain escaped Joe’s lips as the trio gently turned his whole body over. They looked a little worried at the widening patch of red that had been left on the pillow by the wound on Joe’s head. The amount of blood was not excessive, but certainly added to the drama of Joe’s injury.

Ben moistened a towel in the tepid water from the bowl that had been placed on the bedside table. Ben now dabbed the cotton cloth onto the wound on Joe’s curly head. The bleeding had caused his curls to matt together in sticky clumps around the open cut that was visible. There was already a small amount of swelling around the wound.
The touch of the cloth to the wound brought Joe back to reality a little. He moaned a little louder this time and tried to move his head away from the source of pain. Ben put his free hand on the other side of Joe’s head to stop his movements.

Joe tried to lift his head up from the pillow. “Try and lay still, Joseph,” Ben said soothingly as he continued to try and clean the wound. He saw that the bleeding had eased somewhat. But Paul would be able to give a better diagnosis when he got here.

“Is there anything I can do?” Phillippe asked in a worried voice of Ben.

Ben looked up briefly at the young man standing by the bed and saw that look of needing to help that he sometimes saw in his own son Joseph when somebody else from the family was sick.

“I’m afraid there’s not really much any of us can do until the doctor gets here,” Ben replied. “Let’s try and let him get a little more comfortable shall we?” Ben stopped his dabbing and went about removing Little Joe’s outer clothing, making him ready for the doctor.

Phillippe followed Ben’s actions by removing Joe’s other boot and socks. Ben managed to unbutton his trousers and remove them without embarrassing his youngest son’s pride. He saw with relief that due to the cooler weather, Joseph had actually chosen to wear a pair of long-johns today.

When they had finally unbuttoned Joe’s shirt and removed it carefully from his arms, they laid the semi-conscious young man back on the bed and covered him with a quilt.

The room was still quite cool and the weather outside was getting colder by the day now. They didn’t want Joe catching a chill on top of any other injuries he might already have sustained.

Joe managed to turn himself on his side. He was trying to wake up. He tried to roll over all the way over onto his back, but felt the pull of his shoulder muscles as he tried. He bit his lip to try and stop the cries of pain. He ached all over.

Hop Sing placed one of the clean towels over the top of a fresh pillow just before Joe managed to lay the back of his head on it once more. At least this way, any bleeding would only be on the towel and not on the pillow again.
Ben now started to wipe Joe’s face with the coolish water in an attempt to rouse him even more. He was rewarded with Little Joe’s eyelids flickering rapidly. After a few more seconds, he opened his eyes enough to be able to look at the worried faces that stood before him.

“Sorry, guess I goofed, huh,” he said trying to smile. The grin was interrupted by another muscle spasm that went down his back and caused another wave of pain.

Ben was trying to look sternly at his youngest son and admonish him silently for his foolish and dangerous behavior on the horse. But looking down at his son’s face, he couldn’t do anything else but smile back at him.

“How are you feeling, son?” Ben asked softly.

“Tired,” came the drowsy reply. “Tired and sore,” he said again as he tried to go to sleep again.

“No, Joe!” Ben said a little loudly “I’m sorry son, but I need you to try and stay awake a bit longer yet. Just until the doctor gets here. You have had a nasty bump on the head and I want him to check you out first before you go back to sleep. You may have a concussion.”

Joe nodded his head slightly in agreement to his father’s request but he found the going tough. He really felt dizzy and had to fight hard to keep his eyes awake. He almost thought he might need match sticks to keep them propped open.

“Phillippe, you sit here and talk to him while I go and check on where the doctor is,” Ben said. “He must try and stay awake. If he’s got a concussion, falling back asleep could be very dangerous for him.”

Phillippe felt he might not be able to carry out the task assigned to him and sighed a little secretly in relief as he saw Adam walk into Joe’s room.

Ben told him about Joe waking up and needing to be kept awake until Doc Martin arrived. Ben was also a little more confident in leaving Joe alone with Adam now in the room. He didn’t doubt Phillippe’s good intentions or honest nature, but there was still an air of mystery about this young man that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Before Ben could dwell on that subject any longer, Doc Martin was seen to be climbing the staircase to the second floor.

‘How are you, Ben?” Doc Martin asked, trying to make idle conversation. But truth be known he knew that there was only one thing on Ben Cartwright’s mind at the moment. His son Joseph.

“Okay, Paul, but I am worried about Joe,” Ben said trying to sound a little relaxed about his son’s injuries. “I tried to bath the wound as best I could. He woke up a few minutes ago. Wanted to go right back to sleep, but I told him that he needed to wait until you checked him over.”

“I’m sure everything will turn out all right, old friend,” Doc Martin said. He gave Ben a friendly slap on the back as he made his way to Joe’s bedroom door.

When he walked in he could see that the injured boy was having trouble staying awake. His eyes looked particularly heavy and bloodshot. Adam was sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to his youngest brother and trying to keep him from drifting off. He left the room when his father and the doctor entered so as the room wasn’t quite so crowded.
“How are you feeling, young man?” Doc Martin asked Little Joe.

“Hi, Doc,” Joe said in a sleepy voice. “Just bumped my head is all,” he added trying to give the doctor his own diagnosis of what the problem was.

“Well, if it is alright with you, I just take a look at that bump to make sure it’s not too serious,” the doctor informed his reluctant patient.

Joe sighed a little loud just to sound a little perturbed at his fate, but he knew that he didn’t have the strength to fight off the doctor and his family at the moment.

With a few grunts and moans of pain he managed with the doctor’s gentle assistance to roll himself back over onto his stomach so that his wound could be looked at.

Paul tried to be as quick and gentle as he could. He noticed the slight swelling around the cut, but thankfully it wasn’t too bad. The skin itself had a normal color to it.

Joe found with his head resting on the soft pillow like it was, he found it even harder to keep his eyes open and stay awake like his father had asked him.

Doc Martin saw his sleepy young patient falling asleep and decided that the worst was over. He would allow Little Joe to completely fall asleep. He still wanted to dab at the wound with a little alcohol. This would probably sting some, so it was best that Joe was a little bit groggy and relaxing on his way to sleep.

Paul soaked a cloth with alcohol and then sat himself on the bed where he could do his doctoring better. Little Joe seemed to be asleep enough to start.

The first touch of the cotton wool onto Joe’s wound brought the young man back to a semi-conscious state. Joe moaned a little and tried to pull away as he had done when Ben was tending to him earlier.

Ben had been in the room watching the doctor’s administrations. He had seen his son falling asleep but then awoken slightly from the pain the alcohol caused. He walked over to the bed and sat on the opposite side to the doctor. He started to softly caress his son’s temple and forehead in an attempt to get him to fall back asleep.

Joe felt that familiar touch and did relax at his father’s soft caresses. Paul continued to dab at the wound trying to get his job over and done with. He caused occasional mumblings and whimpers from his patient, but for the most part, Ben’s touch was doing it’s magic and Joe returned to sleep.

When the doctor had finished, Ben kept up his routine for a few more minutes, just to ensure that Joe was completely asleep again. Or maybe just to assure himself that Joe was going to be alright.

Paul gathered his possessions into his little black bag and motioned Ben to join him as they went downstairs to discuss Joe’s injury. Upon seeing his father descend the stair with the doctor, Hoss volunteered to stay with Joe.
“I think he will be all right in a day or so, Ben,” Doc Martin explained. “He got a pretty nasty bump on the head, he might have some headaches for the next two or three days. I leave some headache powders with you. Just keep him quiet and around the house as much as possible tomorrow. No riding or breaking horses of any description. After two or three days he should be able to commence regular duties again. Just see that he rests as much as possible tonight and tomorrow. If you need me, you know where to find me.” Ben shook the doctor’s outstretched hand and saw him off outside.

“That brother of mine scrapes through with only bruises again I see,” Adam said wryly as Ben walked back into the living room. Ben smiled at the comment, he knew it was just Adams way of showing his concern and worry for his younger sibling.

“I’m gonna check on him and then talk to Phillippe about what the doctor said about resting over the next few days. I’m afraid the schedule they put together will just have to be adjusted a little to accommodate this little accident.” Ben knew in his heart that he couldn’t ask Joe not to get back on the horses. That was Joe’s passion in life. If he was to try and curb the wild ways Joe often displayed, he knew he would be dousing some of the spark that was part of Joe’s flaming personality.

When Ben walked back into Joe’s bedroom, he could see that Joe was still asleep. Hoss was seated in a chair beside his brother’s bed. He was trying to talk to Phillippe and make idle conversation. But somehow Phillippe’s upbringing and sophisticated style put Hoss on the defensive. The young man looked every inch his younger brother who lay injured in the bed. But there was still something that kept the distance between him and Phillippe. It was the same something that Ben felt but never voiced out loud.

Ben looked over at Phillippe who was standing nervously along the far wall. He kept some distance between himself and his injured cousin. He was trying to think of all the right things to say, but they weren’t coming easy. It was different to him to try and talk to Joe’s family rather than Joe himself. He felt the uneasiness that he saw in their eyes. He saw the looks of suspicion at him and it made him inwardly cringe. The family thought that he was here to steal Joe away from his family, but the truth was Phillippe was trying to run away from his own family.
“You look like you could use something to eat, Phillippe,” Ben said in a caring voice. “Joe’s probably going to be asleep for the remainder of the day. He’s not going to be jumping out of bed tomorrow either. The doctor says he will recover fine in a day or so but wants him to rest as much as possible today and tomorrow.”

Phillippe was glad to escape the room of his injured cousin, even if it was only to get something to eat. For the rest of the day, he amused himself inside with some of Adam’s books about Shakespeare. This was something Adam had never been able to get his own brother interested in. Now, to see somebody looking like his brother, reading on the couch, almost defied rational thought.

The three older Cartwright’s rotated the task of watching over Joe while he slept. Phillippe had offered to do it for a short time and was given the responsibility.

Later that evening, Joe had awoken briefly, but complained of a terrible headache. Ben had given him one of the doctor’s headache powders dissolved in a glass of water. Joe had managed to swallow a few mouthfuls of broth that Hop Sing had put before him. But the throbbing pain in his was great and he forced himself to sleep to try and ease the pain.

The family decided that it wasn’t necessary to keep up the all night vigil over Joe and so they all retired to their rooms later that night. At some stage during the night though, all three of them were careful not to let the others see them slip out of their rooms and check on the youngest Cartwright at various intervals.

The next morning, everybody went about their business as quietly as possible so as to let Joe get the rest he needed. He didn’t need to get out of bed for any reason today so he could sleep as long as he liked.

Ben decided that he would keep himself available around the house today in case Joe needed him for anything.
Adam and Hoss offered to take Phillippe out with them this morning while they checked some of the fence lines in the south pasture.

Phillippe was a little apprehensive at first, but accepted and found himself actually enjoying the long ride around the Ponderosa. He could feel and hear the love each of them felt for the land that they poured their sweat into. The Cartwright did really feel deeply about the endless lines of pine trees as well as the barren pieces of land that edged the farthest boundaries. He just wished he could have felt the same about his own homeland. Back there, he only felt confined and nervous, just like the horses in the corral that he and Joe ere trying to break in.

Back at the homestead, it was about 11:00 am and Little Joe was beginning to stir from his deep slumber. At first he wondered what time it was. It had to be late morning due to the amount of light that danced off the bed clothes. The sunshine was warm and welcome on his face this morning.

He rolled over and winced slightly at the headache that started as soon as he showed any signs of movement. He put his hands to the wound on the back of the head. His hair still felt very matted and sticky in parts. The swelling had decreased somewhat and was now barely noticeable.

His muscles protested as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed in an attempt to get up for the day. He felt the coolness of the day strike his bare chest and he grabbed for a shirt that hung over a chair beside the bed.
Once the shirt was buttoned up and he had pulled his trousers on, he stood on the floor with his hand holding onto the bedpost. He waited for the slight giddiness to subside before taking his first step towards the door.

Downstairs, Ben had been pouring over the ranch’s account books when he looked up and to his surprise saw Little Joe starting to descend the stairs. He quickly got up from his seat and went over to help his son. Joe looked less than fully awake. His hair was disheveled and he still looked slightly in pain. Joe smiled at his father’s fuss