The Canine Anomaly

By Hope

Kierin threw down the gauntlet to me on this one and I hope I met the challenge. (btw - Thanks for posting this on the Tales of The Ponderosa site for me, Kierin.) I want to thank Nancy for all of her wonderful editing & help, and thank Slim & my boss, Wayne, for their technical assistance. I'd like to once again thank David Dortort for creating those wonderful Cartwrights and letting me borrow them for my stories. And finally I want to thank Matt, Danny, Drew and Jared for their terrific portrayals of the Cartwrights which I try to capture in my tales. The usual disclaimers apply. Rated PG Hope

Ben Cartwright was checking the herd before heading home. He heard someone calling off in the distance. Curious, he turned his horse in that direction and went riding toward the sound. As he rode along further, he heard the voice more clearly.

"Help me!"

It was Little Joe!

Ben spurred his horse and rode hard till he came to a sight that stopped his heart cold. His youngest son was high atop the beam they had used when they had rescued a wild mustang from a pit of water a few days before.

Ben raced his horse toward the structure. "Joe! Stay still!"

Little Joe was trembling as he saw his father. "Pa!"

Ben jumped off his horse. "I'm coming! Don't move!"

He hurriedly climbed one of the supports that held the beam his son was perched precariously atop.

Little Joe was quivering in fear, stuck out on the middle of the beam which should've been dismantled right after the horse had been rescued. Hoss and Adam were supposed have taken it down but they obviously had not gotten around to it. Today Little Joe had felt adventurous and had climbed up and out on the beam before remembering that he was afraid of heights.

'There'll be hell to pay for this!' Ben thought angrily as he held the end of the beam with one hand and reached out toward Little Joe with the other. Joe was facing him, gripping the beam for dear life.

"Come over, Son. Easy."

Little Joe looked at his father with fear in his eyes. "I can't, Pa!"

"Yes, you can. Don't look down. Just pull yourself slowly over toward me."

Joe naturally glanced down, then closed his eyes tightly. "No!"

"Little Joe, listen to me. Don't look down. Just look at me." Ben edged a little closer to his son.

"Pa, I can't!"

"Yes, you can."

Joe kept his eyes clenched tightly shut.

"Joseph, look at me."

Little Joe looked with uncertainty over at his father.

"Come toward me, very slowly."

His son still had fear in his eyes. Joe hesitated, but finally took a deep breath and moved slowly toward his father.

"That's right. Come on. You're doing fine."

Little Joe was shaking and his hand slipped. Ben froze for an instant. Joe grabbed the beam even tighter, afraid to move any further.

"You're all right, Son. Try again. Just a little at a time."

Joe looked anxiously in Pa's direction. He took a hesitant breath, kept his eyes focused on his father and tried to resume the slow, frightening trek. He said shakily to his father as he inched over, "Pa?"

Ben kept a nervous eye on his son while clinging to the beam. "Yes?"

"It's all Adam's fault!"

"Just keep coming toward me, Joseph."

The boy inched ever closer to his father, now almost within Ben's reach.

Little Joe was taking quick breaths, as he was terrified. He pulled himself along with one hand and then another, while also using his legs to help propel himself forward. He added unsteadily, "And Hoss's, too!"

"I know. Just a little more now. Go slowly."

Finally, Joe was close enough. Ben reached out to grasp his son's collar and steady him as Joe slithered the rest of the way toward the end of the beam. Ben Cartwright pulled his youngest son to him and hugged him desperately. "You're all right now, Son." The relief was evident in Ben's eyes. He let out the breath he had been holding for so long.

Little Joe clung tightly to his father for a few moments before they cautiously made their way down the support that had nails for footholds.

"Pa?"

Cartwright still held his son. "Yes, Son?"

"When we get home, are ya gonna yell at 'em?"

Ben released him slightly, smiled at Joe's priorities, and climbed down while assisting his youngest son. "Yes, Joseph, I'm gonna yell at them. Does that make you feel better?"

Joe was near the bottom of the support, still clinging to his father. "Yeah!"

Ben chuckled and took a last step down. "Let's go home and you can watch me."

Joe jumped off the last foothold and walked to his horse, gleefully anticipating his older brothers' coming troubles.

Ben reached his horse and before mounting looked over at his son. "Joseph."

"Yeah, Pa?"

"You know you weren't supposed to be up there."

Little Joe wiped the grin off his face and nodded slowly.

"For punishment you're not to ride Paint for a week."

"Aw, but Pa..."

"Would you rather we have a talk in the barn?"

Joe knew instantly what that meant. He looked down and muttered, "No."

Ben swung into the saddle and waited as Little Joe mounted his horse. Leading the way home as a dejected little boy followed, Ben Cartwright pondered the fate of his other two sons.

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"We were moving the rest of the wood first, Pa," Adam explained. The four Cartwrights were gathered by the fireplace in the main room of the house.

"Yeah, Pa. We figgered it would be easier to haul the planks over the pit out first and then we were gonna take the beam down tomorrow," Hoss chimed in.

Ben looked at both boys sternly. "Your little brother could've been killed up there!"

"Yeah!" Little Joe added.

Adam and Hoss shot their youngest brother an irritated glance. Adam wasn't in the best of moods to begin with that day and waved his hand in Joe's direction. "How were we supposed to know he'd go out there alone and do something that stupid?!"

Hoss cringed when he heard that, knowing his brother was in for an earful from their father.

"Stupid?!" Little Joe cried out.

Ben stepped closer to his oldest son. "That'll be enough of that, Adam."

Adam huffed. "Every time Little Joe does something irresponsible, I have to hear about it. And you always blame me, or Hoss and me. What about Joe?"

Hoss remained out of the fray, willing to accept whatever punishment Pa had set his mind on in the beginning. He knew Adam was digging himself in deeper with every word.

"He's your little brother and you're supposed to look out for him," Ben advised sternly.

"Yeah!" again Joe put in.

Adam looked at Little Joe, perturbed, then turned back to his father. "Pa, I can't watch him every second of every day. And it isn't fair of you to expect me to."

"Oh, it isn't, is it?"

"No."

Little Joe gave Adam a hostile look while Hoss remained in the background, trying to blend into settee. Their father was getting angrier by the minute.

"All right, Adam. If that's the way you want it, you will watch him every second of every day."

"What?!"

"Hoss and I are going to take a little trip to Sacramento. While we're gone and since Hop Sing is in San Francisco for a few weeks, you're going to take care of your little brother."

Adam was dumbfounded.

Little Joe didn't like the sound of this, either. "But, Pa..." he whined.

"Quiet, Joseph." Ben looked from his youngest son to his eldest son and stared him straight in the eye. "If anything happens to your little brother--if he even gets the slightest scratch, I'm going to come back and make your life very unpleasant. Do you understand?"

Adam didn't respond.

"Adam?"

Adam faced Pa down, but eventually started to waiver. "Yeah."

"Not good enough. You want to try that again?"

Little Joe got a smug look on his face at that. Adam glanced his way and shot him a look that meant retribution later. Joe wiped some of the smirk off his face.

Ben was still waiting. "Well?"

Adam was stubborn just like his father, but he knew when his father meant business. Finally he replied, "Yes--Sir."

Ben said gruffly, "Now get dinner started," and walked outside.

Adam glanced at his little brother again. Joe still wore the faintest trace of a smirk.

"Think that's funny, do you?"

Little Joe nodded with a recalcitrant smile on his face.

"Let's see if you're laughing when Pa and Hoss get back." Adam turned and stalked away to start heating last night's meal.

Little Joe suddenly didn't think things were so humorous and looked to Hoss in an appeal for help. Hoss shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me. I cain't help ya. I won't be here." He walked over to help Adam. Joe now stood alone, contemplating his doom.

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"Pa, please don't leave me here with him. Adam hates me!" Little Joe complained.

Hoss was eating an apple in a chair by the fireplace. Little Joe sat on the settee with his father. Adam had gone out for a walk and to cool down. Dinner had been quiet, with tension in the air.

"He doesn't hate you, Son."

"Yes, he does. While you're gone, he's gonna be mean to me!"

"No, he won't. Don't worry about it."

"But..."

"I said don't worry about it. I'll speak to him before I leave."

"But, Pa..."

Hoss concentrated on his apple. He knew his little brother was in for it with their older brother but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"Joseph, I want you to spend some time with your brother."

"No, I wanna be with you! Adam's gonna..."

"Adam's not going to do anything to you." Ben picked up a book he had started reading the other night. Flipping it open to a bookmark, he added, "And you're going to cooperate with him, right?"

Little Joe was pouting and didn't respond.

"Joseph?"

His son still didn't answer. Ben put his hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "You're going to cooperate--right?"

Joe was stubborn, like most of the rest of his family, but he couldn't ignore his father for long. He finally answered petulantly, "Right, Pa."

Ben gave him a pat on the shoulder, then started reading his book. Joe glanced over at Hoss dejectedly. Hoss shrugged and turned to stare at the fire.

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Adam watched as his father and Hoss rode off, each leading three horses they planned to sell in Sacramento. Little Joe was standing well off to the side. Already the lines had been drawn.

Adam turned back toward the barn. He cast a quick glance in his brother's direction but kept walking. Little Joe watched his brother go inside the barn and thought to himself morosely, 'It's gonna be a long week.'

He headed toward the house.

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Adam finished with the barn chores and came out to work on the woodpile. He grabbed the canteen on the way and took a few sips before capping it and hanging it on a peg on the porch. Little Joe was just now coming outside. "I finished the dishes, Adam."

Adam nodded and turned toward the wood. Joe shook his head. He was well used to his older brother shutting people out when he was in one of his moods. Little Joe didn't know whether to tempt fate and try to get through to him or just keep things the way they were.

Adam picked up the ax and swung down, slicing the wood perfectly in two. He picked up another piece of wood and set it on the chopping block and split that one also. Joe watched from a distance for a short time, then figured he might get on Adam's good side if he helped. He went over, picked up the pieces Adam had chopped, and carried them to the pile to stack them.

Adam didn't say anything. He proceeded to swing down at another piece and grabbed for more.

Little Joe kept an eye on his brother while he added pieces of wood to the pile. He paused for a moment to scowl at his brother's obstinacy then reached down for more wood. "Ow!"

Glancing up in time to see Little Joe drop a piece of wood and grab his hand, Adam sighed and shook his head. "What is it this time, Little Joe?"

"I got a splinter."

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?"

Little Joe worked at his hand, wincing as he fumbled with the splinter. "I fergot."

Adam walked over to him and impatiently held out his hand. "Gimme your hand."

Joe didn't appreciate his brother's lack of sympathy. "No. I'll get it!" He moved away from Adam. His oldest brother stood by and watched while looking disgusted. Eventually, Joe was able to remove the sliver of wood. He dabbed at the little trace of blood with his other hand while Adam turned and walked toward the house. Joe watched him go and was curious that he would just walk away like that, but shortly he realized what Adam was up to. His brother came back with a bottle that their father and Hop Sing had used whenever any of the boys got cuts or scratches. "Yer not gonna put that stuff on me, Adam!"

Adam put some liquid from the bottle on a cloth and went over to Joe. "Hold out your hand."

Joe moved away from his brother. "No!"

"I said hold out your hand. Do you want it to get infected?"

"You don't care."

Adam closed his eyes for a moment while trying to remain patient, then an idea came to him. "You scared?"

"I ain't scared of nothin'!"

Adam held out the cloth and raised his eyebrows, waiting for his brother to make a move. Joe stared him down for a moment, then reluctantly came closer and extended his hand out, palm up. Adam held the cloth to Joe's wound. "Ow!" Little Joe cried out. Adam ignored him and finished applying the medicine while his brother winced. Then he pulled a clean neckerchief out that he had gotten from the house, wrapped it around Joe's hand and tied it off. "There."

Little Joe yanked his hand away.

Adam turned back to the chopping block, laid the bottle and cloth aside and retrieved the ax. Joe watched him for a while. That was apparently all the sympathy he'd be getting. With a disconcerted look on his face, Little Joe walked over to his brother. "Adam?"

Adam brought the ax down on the wood, splitting it and retrieved another piece. "What?"

"Why ya mad at me?"

Adam brought the ax down on the new piece of wood before taking the time to answer. "Who says I'm mad?"

"Ya act mad."

Adam paused, leaned the ax down and rested against the handle. "Shouldn't I be?"

"Why? What'd I do?"

Adam thought about this as he looked into his brother's questioning eyes. 'Why?' Adam thought to himself. He pondered this question over in his mind for a few moments until he realized that Joe's only guilt was in being a little brother. Adam grinned as this realization hit him.

Joe eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

Adam began to chuckle as he laid the ax down and walked over to his brother. Little Joe was a little anxious, wondering what in the world was going on. Adam got to him and reached out his hand. Joe started to pull back but before he could, Adam had his hand on Joe's back as he said with a smile, "Come on, Little Joe. Let's go fishing."

Joe was stunned, not ready to believe the sudden change in his brother's attitude. He looked up at Adam and his brother's smile was soon contagious. Joe realized his brother's heart had melted and the tension was gone. He smiled up at Adam. "Yeah! Let's go fishin'!"

Adam clapped him on the back and the two headed toward the barn to retrieve their fishing poles.

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They caught six fish that day, kept the three largest and threw the others back. They remembered their father's rule - only save the ones you're going to eat.

Adam cooked fish, potatoes and biscuits for dinner that night. After the meal was over, the table cleared and the dishes washed, Little Joe looked up at Adam. "What should we do now?"

Adam thought for a moment. "I could read you something. Or I could read and you could just watch me." He grinned down at his brother.

"Awwww."

"How about Shakespeare?"

"I think I'll just go ta bed," Joe said sullenly and started for the bedroom.

Adam smiled and followed him. "Wait. We can think of something else."

Little Joe had gone into the bedroom and over by his bed. He was facing away from his brother as Adam strolled into the room and up to him.

"Joe?"

Little Joe didn't answer him.

"Joe, ya mad?"

Adam's youngest brother glanced at his bed, then got a sudden wicked gleam in his eyes. He slowly and nonchalantly reached over and took hold of his pillow. He was turned away from Adam so Adam didn't realize what was happening until he got a face full of pillow. He stepped back quickly.

"Hey!"

Joe hit him again, but this time Adam grabbed the pillow away and with an equally wicked gleam in his eyes, smacked his little brother with it.

Little Joe grabbed Adam's pillow off his bed and struck out as Adam was swinging the pillow down on his little brother's head. It turned into a furious round of pillows and eventually feathers flying all around. In the end, neither Cartwright had anything left to hit out with except an empty pillow case and both collapsed to the floor, laughing. This went on for a little while until Adam looked around and laughed breathlessly, "Look what you did!"

"Me?!" Joe chuckled.

Adam ran his hand threw his tousled hair to try and get it back in place and knock off any feathers. "Yes, you. You started it!"

"But we both finished it!"

Adam looked over at his brother. "I won."

"No ya didn't, Adam! I won!"

Adam again had the wicked little gleam in his eyes. "Who won?" He reached over and started furiously tickling his little brother.

"I did!" Joe said between laughing and gasping for air.

"Who?!" Adam tickled Joe even more.

Laughing so hard tears were starting to appear, Joe cried out, "Me!"

Adam was laughing, too. He finally stopped the tickle torture and stood. "All right. It's a draw."

Little Joe wiped the tears away from his face and got up. "Yeah."

The two boys looked around at the mess.

"Adam - our pillows."

Adam saw the feathered remains still floating in the air, settled on the beds, clinging to the fight participants and amassed on the floor and responded ruefully, "Yeah."

"Think we can stuff the feathers back in?"

Adam looked around and shook his head. "We could try. But then we'd have to sew the pillows back up, too."

"I don't know how to sew."

"And I don't want to sew!" Adam grabbed Hoss's pillow and reached over on the other top bunk and grabbed that pillow, handing it down to his brother. "Here. Use this tonight. We'll pick up two others in town. Got any money?"

"Me?"

Adam shook his head. He should've known better as Little Joe never saved any money. "It figures. Well, guess I'm buyin'. But the next pillow fight is on you."

Joe smiled. "Deal. Does this mean we get ta go ta town tomorrow?"

"I suppose. Now get the broom so we can clean this mess up."

Joe nodded and went out. Adam looked around again and sighed. He laughed a little to himself. "Great idea."

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The next morning after all the chores were finished, Adam and Little Joe headed into the barn.

Adam noticed Joe going over toward Paint, Little Joe=s horse. ANot Paint, Little Joe.@

His brother halted and looked questioningly at him. AWhy not?@

Adam grinned knowingly. "Why do you think?"

ABut Pa wouldn=t know. And ya hate ridin= in the wagon.@

AWe=re taking the wagon. Now come on. Help me get the horses hitched.@

AAwwwwww!@ Joe kicked at some dirt in front of him and forced himself over to help his brother.

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They bought two pillows at the Trading Post and Adam even splurged and bought his brother some licorice. He handed him the candy and gave Joe strict orders to stay outside the Trading Post for a minute while he ran over to the livery stable. He wanted to see if he could find Big Dan to get him to repair a harness.

When Adam returned, he saw his brother leaning into the alley near the Trading Post. Curious, he went to investigate. He found Little Joe bending down and petting the biggest, ugliest, mangiest dog Adam had ever seen!

It was huge. It stood almost as high as a new-born colt. It's fur was black, gray, white and brown, though most of the body no longer had any trace of fur left - just skin and scabs from scratching too much and from mange. One ear stuck straight up and the other ear was torn and flapped over. The dog had a long, thin tail with no fur remaining on it, and a long snout missing the whiskers on one side. The poor thing was missing an eye, also. Adam whistled in amazement.

The dog seemed to be friendly enough. It was licking Joe=s hands and trying to lick his face. Joe was trying to push him back a little and laughing. Adam stayed in the background for a moment, smiling at his brother=s joy. It had only been a few months since Scout, his little brother=s dog, had run off. Well - the family had told Joe it ran off. The dog had really been killed by a wolf. No one had the heart to tell the youngest Cartwright that particular piece of information. It was better to tell him a small white lie and let him go on thinking the dog was still alive.

As Adam watched the two, he realized that, although he was glad Joe had found a dog to comfort him, there was no way they could keep this beast.

ALet=s go, Little Joe.@

His brother turned around and smiled up at him. AAdam, I found a dog!@

AI see.@

AHe=s really friendly.@

AHe=s really ugly,@ Adam joked while moving a little closer. No sooner had the words come out of his mouth then the dog bared his teeth in Adam=s direction and snarled.

AWhoa!@ Adam stepped back.

Little Joe was surprised at the dog=s sudden change. He stood up and looked down at the animal, confused. AEasy, boy.@

AJoe, move away--real slowly.@

AAdam, he won=t hurt ya.@

The dog kept baring his fangs in Adam=s direction. ADo as I say, Little Joe. Move toward the wagon--very carefully.@

Joe again looked down at the dog and reached out his hand to pet his head. The dog looked at Joe, let himself be petted and started wagging his tail, seemingly no threat to the boy. ASee. He=s a good dog.@

Adam cautiously and slowly grabbed Joe=s other arm and started steering him toward the wagon, while keeping an anxious eye on the beast. Much to Adam=s chagrin, it followed his brother.

AGet up in the wagon, Joe.@ Adam was still keeping an eye on the dog as he helped Little Joe climb up. Adam was standing next to the wagon and the beast was eyeing him. It started snarling again. Adam took a step up and before he could bring his other leg up and over, the dog grabbed hold of his pant leg, while growling. Adam moved a lot quicker than he usually got up on a wagon and managed to yank his leg away before blood could be drawn. The dog barked, a deep, intimidating bark, and Adam, keeping a wary eye on the animal, released the brake and snapped the reins. The horses jerked the wagon forward. Adam kept his eyes on the lookout for the dog, which, to his dismay, had began following them. Little Joe was pleased and encouraged him. "Come on, Boy."

ADon=t, Little Joe. Make him leave.@

ANo. I want him!@

AHe=s vicious. You can=t keep him.@

AHe is not! He likes me!@

Adam held the reins and snapped them every once in a while to get the horses moving a little faster. AYou saw what he did. He tried to bite me.@

Little Joe was looking back at the dog which was running along to keep pace with the wagon. AHe didn=t mean it. And he didn=t hurt ya.@

AYeah, 'cause I pulled my leg up in time!@

AAw, yer jus= scared of him.@

Adam glanced back to see the creature still following them. AYou=re not keeping him, Joe. Send him away.@

AMake me!@

Adam pulled back on the reins immediately to stop the wagon and turned to glare at his brother. AWhat did you say?@

Joe thrust his chin out. AI said, make me!@

Adam yanked the brake on, reached in the back of the wagon and retrieved the rifle he had brought along in case of any trouble. Little Joe=s eyes grew wide. AYa ain=t gonna shoot him!@

Adam didn=t respond. He aimed the rifle back in the dog's direction. The animal had stopped when the wagon halted and was scratching and panting nearby. Little Joe desperately reached for Adam=s arm to try and deflect his aim. "No!"

Adam ignored him. He cocked the rifle and was about to fire when he took a quick glance over at his little brother. He saw the horrified look on Joe's face and the sides of Adam’s mouth quirked up into a devilish grin. He suddenly aimed the rifle up and out away from the area, and fired a shot in the air, hoping to scare the dog off. Little Joe breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw that his brother wasn=t really going to shoot the dog. And to his surprise the gunshot didn=t scare the dog off. It just sat there panting and scratching at his fleas. Little Joe grinned over at his brother. "Guess that didn=t work, huh, Adam?@

Adam looked at the dog in disgust, laid the rifle in the back of the wagon, released the brake and lightly slapped the reins. As the wagon headed on down the road with the mangy animal following along, Adam thought to himself, ‘No, it didn’t.’

He got another idea. "Hang on!" Adam slapped the reins more forcefully. "H'yah!" He slapped them several more times as the horses picked up speed and the wagon surged ahead. "H'yah! H'yah!" Joe looked back in the dog's direction and was happy to see it was keeping pace with the wagon. Adam glanced back and wasn't pleased. "H'yah!" he shouted once more, now furiously slapping the reins. The horses were almost at a dead run now. Adam glanced back once more and there was the dog, still plodding along, tongue hanging out and long skinny tail flopping up and down.

Little Joe grinned up at Adam. Adam turned his attention back to the road ahead and held fast to the reins.

After the horses had gone a couple of miles at a hard run, Adam peered back one more time to see the beast still there. He pulled back on the reins, eventually bringing the wagon to a halt. "Whoa."

Little Joe's grin was as wide as ever. "That didn't work either, Adam."

Adam cast an irritated look at his brother, turned in his seat and hollered, "Get out of here! Shoo!"

The dog stayed where he was, panting.

Adam set the brake, climbed down and moved in the dog's direction. The dog watched him come closer and tilted its head to the side in curiosity. Little Joe observed from atop the wagon, wondering what was about to unfold.

"Get out of here!" Adam yelled again, flailing his arms at the dog. "Shoo! Beat it!"

The dog started snarling. Adam froze. The fangs were showing now and the dog was starting to rise.

Little Joe grinned as he said slowly, "Ut oh."

The dog's fur, what was left of it, was starting to stand straight up as the dog snarled and lowered his head, preparing to attack. Adam didn't need further encouragement. He dashed to the back of the wagon with the dog in hot pursuit. Joe had never seen his oldest brother move quicker than he did as he scrambled into the wagon, jumped over the seat, threw the brake off and slapped the reins in desperation. "Ha!" Fortunately, the dog didn't jump on the wagon also, though Joe was sure he was capable of it. He just took off after them, barking, tongue hanging out and tail flopping once more.

Little Joe had a smirk on his face as he commented, "Ya give up?"

Adam kept his eyes focused on the road and made no comment.

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Upon returning to the ranch, Adam ordered his brother to "tie that ugly dog up." Joe didn't like that idea at all but figured he better do it after watching what happened when Adam jumped down from the wagon.

The dog immediately charged after him and Little Joe watched in glee as his dignified older brother bolted for the house. Adam just made it inside and slammed the door a second before the animal would've torn him apart. Adam screamed from inside, "Joe! Get that dog tied up or I will shoot him!"

Little Joe went over to pet the dog's head and he was rewarded with a wagging tail and a few happy woofs.

"Aw. Good boy." Joe bent down and the dog smothered him with a face full of dog licks.

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That night, Adam cooked eggs for dinner. He stayed safely inside to clean up the dishes and sent his little brother out to take care of the stock. On the way to do his chores, Little Joe took his new pet some leftover eggs and the dog devoured them.

After the stock was taken care of, Little Joe went to the front porch and wrestled with his new "puppy". The dog's tail wagged constantly and boy and animal had a great time. Adam was inside trying to read and wondering how in the world he was going to get rid of that beast.

Later that evening, Joe was inside and looking out at his new friend waiting for him sadly outside. "Aw, Adam. He's lonely."

Adam was halfway to the bedroom and didn't turn around. "I don't care. He's not coming in. Don't even think about it." He went into the room he shared with his two brothers.

Little Joe cast one last forlorn look at his dog and turned down the lantern. Then he headed to the bedroom, also.

Adam was too tired to stay up reading so as soon as he saw Little Joe climb into bed, he turned down the lantern by the bed and rolled over to sleep. The light had just gone down when the night's silence was broken by a strange noise. Adam turned back over and tried to figure out what it was.

Little Joe sat up. "Adam, listen!"

"I know. I hear it."

They could hear a whining sound that was getting louder.

"Oh, no!" Adam threw his pillow over his head, realizing it was the dog.

The whining grew into a steady howl.

"Adam, he wants to come in."

Adam yelled from under his pillow. "No!"

"But Adam..."

The howl was piercing threw Adam's nerves and he couldn't escape the sound. Adam threw the pillow off his head and shouted, "Shut up, dog!"

That did no good whatsoever.

"Adam, he'll do that all night."

He knew Little Joe was right but there was no way Adam would let that mangy thing come into the house. "Just ignore it. And go to sleep." Adam grabbed his pillow and turned over once more.

Still the howling continued, seeming to reach a higher pitch with each passing moment.

"Shut up dog!"

Little Joe smiled, knowing Adam couldn't let this go on much longer. "Want me ta get him?"

Without turning back around Adam cried, "No! He stays outside!"

The howling continued, reaching a note Adam didn't even know existed.

"Adam, I'll keep him on the rope so he can't get ya!"

Adam put his hands to his face and rubbed his temples. He was getting a terrific headache. "All right! All right! Just make him stop!"

Happily, Joe climbed out of bed and hurried to fetch the animal. Adam gave a heavy sigh and got up, wanting to be in a position to move quickly if the beast came after him again. He grabbed the lantern, turned it up and walked carefully into the main room. Little Joe had untied the rope from the post outside and was leading the dog to the door. Adam waited warily.

Little Joe had a tight grip on the rope, giving the dog no slack as the mangy animal walked inside the house. Adam set the lantern on the table and kept perfectly still. The dog, with tail wagging, looked around and sniffed the door frame, then went over to check out the settee, whereupon he felt perfectly at home enough to relieve himself. Joe cringed when he saw that. Adam was about to holler but suddenly remembered the last close call he had with the animal and remained quiet, yet furious. Little Joe looked at his brother and shrugged. It was a dog. What did his older brother expect?

The dog continued to sniff around as Joe kept a tight hold on the rope. It started moving in Adam's direction and Adam held his breath as the dog came near. But the animal sniffed around him and went right on by. Adam let out a cautious, relieved breath.

Then the dog saw the open bedroom door and pulled Joe in that direction. Adam grabbed the lantern and cautiously followed, though the other two moved a whole lot quicker with the dog in the lead. By the time Adam reached the door, he was appalled to see that the flea-bitten animal had made itself right at home on his bed!

"Oh no! Get that mutt off my bed!"

"Adam, he likes it."

"Get him off!" Adam started over toward it. Once again the fangs showed themselves and the dog let out a low, menacing growl. Adam immediately backed off and looked over at his brother in anger.

"Well, gosh, Adam, it's not my fault!"

"That dog's got fleas! And mange!"

"I'll give him a bath tomorrow."

"You're getting rid of it tomorrow. I don't care how you do it!"

"Make me!"

'That again!' Adam's face screwed up as he prayed, 'Lord, give me strength!' and tried desperately to resist the urge to strangle Little Joe.

The dog was still growling and baring its teeth at him.

Joe realized he'd won this round with his oldest brother. 'That never happened before,' he thought with amusement. He was going to savor every minute of this.

Adam ran his hand roughly through his hair. Things weren't going well. And the immediate future didn't look very promising either. He finally decided it would be best to regroup in the morning. He cast one more malevolent look at the mutt resting comfortably on his bed who looked like he wouldn't mind making Adam his next meal. Then he looked over at his brother who had a satisfied little smirk on his face. Adam would never live this down and he knew it. After an irritated sigh and a shake of his head, he took the lantern and left the room, closing the door as he left. Little Joe looked over in the now-darkened room and said to his new friend, "Good work, Boy." Then he happily settled into bed for a good night's rest. The dog scratched for a while, scattering his fleas all over Adam's bed, then stretched out to sleep.

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The next morning, Adam fixed himself some coffee and eggs and tried to enjoy a few brief moments of bliss before Little Joe and his monster woke up.

His joy was short lived.

The bedroom door opened and the huge dog tumbled out with Little Joe in hot pursuit. "Wait!"

The dog, smelling food, charged over and barreled into Adam, sending him crashing to the floor along with his chair and hot coffee. "Joe!" he screamed.

The dog lapped up what was left of Adam’s breakfast on the table as Joe tried grabbing the rope around its neck and dragging him outside. The animal was heavier than Little Joe and was winning the tug of war. Adam crawled over the remains of the chair while wincing in pain from his now-bruised ribs and the burns on his hand. He was seething in anger.

Little Joe finally managed to pull the dog away from the table and toward the front door. Adam watched as the dog, tail wagging, went along with only a quick glance back at the table.

"Owww" Adam groaned as he started to stand up. He was hunched over a little and holding his ribs. "Damn dog." He glanced at the remains of the cup and the chair, then at the plate on the table that was now licked clean. Suddenly, Pa’s words reverberated through Adam’s head. "...I’m going to come back and make your life very unpleasant."

‘Well, Pa, you’ve already succeeded. Are ya happy?’ Adam thought to himself as he grabbed the burned hand with his other one. He winced as he walked slowly over to a bucket with water in it and set his burned hand down inside.

Little Joe came back, mustering his most innocent, little boy expression. "Ya all right, Adam?"

"No, I’m not all right. Do I look all right, Joe?"

"Well, ummmm..."

"I’m gonna kill that dog."

Little Joe hurried over. "He didn’t mean it, Adam. Please don’t hurt him."

"I’m gonna kill him."

"No. I’ll do anything. Please?!"

Adam knew he would never harm an animal unless it was absolutely necessary, but it sure felt good to say the words. He looked at the concerned expression on his brother’s face and softened. "All right. I’m not gonna kill him. At least not yet."

Little Joe smiled, very relieved. "Whew! Thanks."

"You’ve got a mess to clean up, Little Brother."

"Huh?"

"Huh? Look around you."

Joe looked around and saw the broken chair, the shattered cup and the coffee seeping into the floorboards. "Guess I need to clean that up."

"Guess so. And while you’re at it, clean off this table and the dishes your dog slobbered all over."

Little Joe looked disgusted but knew he was stuck.

Adam continued, "And remember the settee last night?"

Joe cringed as he thought about what was coming. He again mustered up an innocent expression as he asked, "Uh, the settee?"

"Yeah, the settee. Smells real good over there now. I tried cleaning it up some last night - which by the way I should’ve had you do."

"Uh, thanks for doin’ that, Adam."

"I did it because I didn’t want to see your beast get up again last night. But today you’re going to clean it better outside and try cleaning the floorboards to get the smell out."

"I can’t get it outside. I’m too little."

"I’ll help you carry it outside. But you’re gonna clean it."

"Awwww..."

"Don’t awwww me. I’ve got other things to do.--Oh and you better keep that dog tied up. If he gets loose..."

"I will. Don’t worry."

Adam took his hand out of the cool water and looked at it, trying it out and wincing.

Joe watched him. "Sorry about your hand, Adam."

"Yeah. Me, too." Adam dried his hand off and walked toward the door, once again touching his hand to his sore ribs. Little Joe watched as his brother grabbed his hat, opened the door and peered out to make sure it was safe, then went outside. Shaking his head, Joe looked forlornly at the mess he had to deal with.

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Adam kept a wary eye on the dog for the rest of the day. He had work to do in the corral and in the yard and from time to time would glance over at the beast, wondering if the rope was really strong enough to hold it. Joe spent a good deal of the day playing with the dog because when he wasn’t amusing it the dog would whine and bark and drive Adam crazy. Little Joe didn’t mind entertaining his new pet at all. It got him out of a lot of chores and he wondered with amusement how long he could keep this up.

For a fellow who was supposed to have brains, Adam wondered why he hadn’t thought of a way out of the mess he was in. As he shoveled manure from the corral into the wheelbarrow, which by the way was Joe’s normal job, Adam shook his head with wonder at his current predicament. Irritated, he glanced over at his youngest brother who was trying to wrestle a large stick out of the huge beast's mouth.

Adam muttered to himself, "Gotta get rid of that dog," and kept right on shoveling.

------------------------------------------------

Another night of unpleasantness lay ahead for Adam.

Once again his bed had been claimed by Joe's "little" flea-bitten friend and on the way into the bedroom the dog had again relieved himself in the house, this time against Pa's bedroom door. 'He did that on purpose,' Adam thought in disgust after Little Joe and the creature had gone to bed. 'That dog knows I have to sleep in there.'

Adam went outside to get a bucket of water and some soap to try and salvage the door. An hour later, his hands were rubbed raw but the urine smell still lingered in the air. "Damn."

He took the last of three buckets full of dirty water outside and dumped it. Pausing to look out over the moonlit meadow, Adam complained, "Why didn't you just shoot me before you left, Pa?"

He turned to go back inside as an owl "hoot-hooted" in the distance as if sharing Pa’s joke. Adam did a double take and muttered, "Very funny."

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The next day, Adam didn’t take any chances with his breakfast. As soon as the coffee and eggs were ready, he grabbed a fork, his plate and coffee cup and headed outside to eat in peace. A little while later he heard heavy running inside the house and furniture scraping across the floor and figured the terror got away from Joe again and had gone flying into the table. But this time the joke was on the dog - there was no food to scarf up.

Adam grinned ever-so-slightly. "Score one for my side." He leaned back and drank his coffee.

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That morning and afternoon passed pretty much like the previous day had. Little Joe entertained his dog in order for Adam to keep what was left of his sanity. One more whine or howl out of that animal and Adam felt he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions. He wondered with a wry grin if a man could ever be convicted for dogicide - if it was justifiable.

He looked over at his little brother who was in hysterics as the beast slobbered his face with happy dog licks. No, Adam decided, he wouldn’t commit dog murder right in front of his little brother. He’d let Pa have the privilege when he got back.

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That evening, at dusk, the dog started to bark furiously. Adam was in the barn feeding the animals and thought to himself, ‘Not again!’

The horses started whinnying and getting agitated and that, coupled with the beast’s continuous barking, alerted Adam to possible danger nearby. He hurried out of the barn. He glimpsed the dog straining at his rope and barking furiously toward the wood pile between the house and the barn - then he saw Joe. Joe was standing frozen in place next to the side of the barn and looking in the direction of the woodpile. A large bear was coming toward him!

Adam’s heart stopped for a moment but he quickly recovered. He snatched his little brother roughly, yanking him toward the corral. "Get the rifle! Go around the back of the barn to the house!"

Little Joe was terrified, but nodded his head and went running between the barn and the corral to circle around back.

The bear was now almost upon Adam.

The dog was going crazy barking and trying to wriggle out of the rope around his neck.

Adam remained very still while glancing around for anything to protect himself with. The bear was up on it's back legs now, roaring and ready to attack. At the last second, Adam dove down and grabbed a long piece of wood that was nearby and swung out at the bear. The towering creature just swatted it away, roared again and closed in for the kill. Adam sprang to his feet and, just as the bear was almost on him, the dog broke free and charged over.

The snarling canine grabbed hold of the bear’s leg and shook it fiercely. The bear, it’s attention now focused on the dog, roared and turned to attack it. Adam hurried out of the bear’s range and watched in awe as the dog took on an animal four times larger than it was. Letting go of the bear's leg, the dog circled it, barking and snarling as the bear roared and tried to swat the smaller animal down. The dog was too quick and deftly avoided the bear's reach. The bear roared again and tried repeatedly to grab the dog in its teeth, but the canine was able to maneuver itself away each time.

Little Joe came hurrying out of the house with the rifle and was horrified at seeing his dog being attacked by the bear. Adam grabbed the rifle out of Joe’s hands, immediately cocked it, aimed carefully and fired. Though not that experienced with pistols, Adam was an excellent shot with a rifle. The bullet hit its mark. The bear was dead.

Little Joe ran over to his dog. The dog was breathing hard and barking at the carcass but otherwise appeared to be unhurt.

Adam leaned against the side of the house to catch his breath and recover from his close brush with death.

Little Joe hugged his dog and petted him as the dog wagged its tail. "Good boy!"

Adam smiled as he watched the two. He set the rifle to the side and went over to join his brother, though cautiously, remembering his history with the dog. Little Joe saw him. "He won’t hurt ya, Adam."

Adam bent down and cautiously reached his hand out to pet the dog. The animal kept wagging his tail and for once let Adam get near him, willingly allowing Joe’s brother to pet him.

"See, Adam? He’s a good dog."

"Yeah." Adam smiled and pet the dog some more. "You’re a good boy." Adam added with a smile as his eyes swept over the dog, "Even if you are ugly."

No sooner had Adam gotten the words out of his mouth when the dog started growling, baring his fangs in the oldest Cartwright son’s direction, and had holy terror in his eyes.

Little Joe was surprised at the dog's sudden hostility. Adam was very concerned and started to get up very slowly. The dog grew more agitated and Adam decided now would be a good time to leave the immediately vicinity. He inched his way toward the open barn. Little Joe watched as his dog rose up, snarling, and as its fur went straight up.

Then it happened. The dog went tearing off after Adam as Adam went tearing off into the barn. He just barely made it up into the hayloft as the dog reached the bottom rung of the ladder and stayed there, barking loudly and menacingly.

Joe had followed after the dog and stopped in the doorway to find his oldest brother stuck way up in the loft.

"Joe!"

Joe chastised his brother. "It’s your fault, Adam. You hurt his feelings."

"What?!"

Little Joe went over to get his dog. He pet the animal on its head and said, "Come on, Boy."

The dog still snarled in Adam’s direction but willingly let the youngest Cartwright lead him outside.

Adam watched as they left and then sprawled back on the hay. He bemusedly yet with irritation repeated, "I hurt his feelings."

All of the emotions of the past ten minutes suddenly overwhelmed Adam. He looked up at the rafters as he lay back in the hay and then proceeded to laugh his head off.

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Adam and Joe went into town the next day to get Big Dan. They needed his help disposing of the bear. He returned to the ranch with them and showed them how to skin the carcass and save the meat. Then he helped get rid of the remains.

The Cartwrights put about half the meat into the smokehouse and planned to send the rest back with Big Dan for him to distribute among their friends.

After the bearskin was hanging up to dry and all three people were exhausted, Adam sent Little Joe back over to shut his dog up. The infernal barking was driving him crazy.

Adam walked with Big Dan over to the wagon and said lightly, "Just get the wagon back tomorrow sometime." It was full of bear meat and there was no way Daniel could tote it on his horse.

Big Dan nodded. "Sure thing Adam. Thanks for the meat."

"Thanks for helping us."

Daniel nodded again and looked over at Joe and the dog. "Think I know who owns that dog."

Adam’s face lit up. "You do?!"

The other man laughed at his eagerness. "Ya don’t much like the dog, do ya?"

"It keeps trying to eat me."

Big Dan laughed again. "Don’t figger. Man who lost him said he’s a good dog."

"Maybe it’s not the same dog."

Mr. Larsson looked over again in that direction. "Nope. Ain’t another dog in the world like that one!"

Adam followed his gaze. "I'd have to agree with you."

"Man said there’s only one thing that makes him mad..."

Adam quirked his eyebrows up as he waited for Daniel to continue.

Big Dan bent his head toward Adam and whispered, "He don’t like being called ‘ugly’"

Cartwright looked at Larsson in amazement as suddenly everything added up. "Oh no."

"What?"

Adam started chuckling.

Big Dan was puzzled but when Adam didn't respond he shrugged and grabbed his horse's reins to tether them to the back of the wagon.

Adam held his hand out to shake Dan’s hand to thank him for his help and Big Dan returned the handshake and climbed up on the wagon. "I'll let the dog's owner know ya found it."

"Tell him we'll follow you to town tomorrow and bring the dog."

With a nod and a final wave, Mr. Larsson headed out. Adam watched him leave then glanced over at Little Joe and the beast on the porch. With a wry grin, he remarked to himself, "He doesn't like being called 'ugly'." He turned and walked to the barn as he chuckled, "Now you tell me."

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Little Joe got one more night with his friend. Adam set up camp outside the house so the dog wouldn’t be tempted to relieve himself inside again and they all slept out under the stars.

Adam was careful not to insult the dog that night while thinking to himself, 'I can’t believe I have to watch what I say around a dog.' The canine and he actually got along that evening, much to Little Joe’s delight. Unfortunately, Adam reminded him that the dog already had an owner and they were returning the dog in the morning as soon as Big Dan brought the wagon back.

Adam kept his bedroll far away from the animal. It was bad enough his bed inside the house was covered in fleas – he didn’t need any more, thank you.

Adam finished the last page of the book he was reading and glanced over at his little brother who was sound asleep with the dog snuggled up next to him. Adam shook his head. 'Little Joe will be scratching all day tomorrow,' he thought with amusement.

He put one last small log on the campfire, then settled into his bedroll. After glancing once more his brother's way, he turned over to sleep.

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Adam awoke from a deep sleep the next morning, scratching and suddenly aware of snoring emanating from close by. The dog had wandered over in the night and settled right up against him. Adam was appalled. Though having the urge to jump right up and get away from the mangy, flea-bitten animal, Adam remembered the dog's temperament and disengaged himself cautiously from the covers, moving very slowly so as not to disturb the dog. It didn't work. The dog woke up immediately and smothered Adam's face with wet dog licks. Adam cringed and carefully turned the animal's muzzle away. The dog was persistent but Adam managed to stand up and stop the onslaught.

Joe woke up right around that time. "See, he likes ya."

Adam wasn't ecstatic at that news. He wiped the dog slobber off his face as he responded disgustedly, "Uh huh."

"Can't we keep him?"

"What do you think?"

"Awwww."

"Sorry, Joe, but he's already got an owner."

"Dang!" Little Joe got up and went over to throw his arm around the dog.

Adam made sure the campfire was out and went inside to cook breakfast.

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Big Dan returned the wagon to the Ponderosa a few hours later, with his horse tethered behind. The Cartwright boys rode in the wagon as they followed Mr. Larsson back to town shortly thereafter, with the dog chasing after them. Joe wanted the dog to ride with him in the wagon, but after he had coaxed it up in back, the dog decided he much preferred to run behind the wagon instead and jumped back out.

As the Cartwrights rode on, Little Joe cast woeful glances back now and then at his friend as it bounced along down the road, with tongue hanging out and skinny tail flopping up and down. Adam was aware of his little brother's sadness and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. Little Joe looked up at him and his big brother smiled encouragingly. Joe sighed and turned in his seat once again to watch his canine friend as it plopped along behind the wagon.

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They stopped in front of the livery when they reached town. Big Dan dismounted. "I'll go find him."

Adam nodded as Daniel walked down the street after tying his reins to the hitching post. Adam set the brake, then climbed down off the wagon as Joe did the same and went over to pet the dog. The dog, predictable as ever, was scratching and panting.

Adam looked down at the animal. "He probably needs some water, Little Joe."

"Yeah." Joe quickly went to the horse trough as the dog followed him. Little Joe cupped his hands, caught some water and turned to bend over so the dog could drink. Adam watched as the dog lapped up the water. He thought, with a smile, that Joe could've just directed the large animal over to the trough since it was tall enough to reach the water - but he didn't mention it.

They waited near the horse trough for awhile before they finally spotted Big Dan coming toward them in the distance, walking alongside an old man in worn-out clothes. The dog jerked his head in that direction and, spotting the man, went charging over to him, woofing and with tail wagging.

"There you are!" the man exclaimed happily. The dog practically knocked him down in his excitement to be reunited with the old man. The man knelt down and rubbed the dog all over affectionately. "Am I glad to see you!"

Little Joe watched from the distance. Adam put his arm around his brother's shoulder and encouraged him over toward the man. Little Joe was hesitant at first but soon started forward.

Big Dan held his hand out in the Cartwrights' direction. "This here's Adam and Little Joe Cartwright."

Adam extended his hand toward the man. The man stayed kneeling down with the dog but reached his hand up and returned the handshake. "Tucker. Pleased ta know ya."

"Same," Adam replied.

Little Joe looked mournfully at the dog. "He's yer dog, huh?"

"Yep. Thanks for takin' care o' him, Son."

Joe just nodded.

"Been lookin' fer him fer days. I was headed up to the mountains - bought me a little shack up there. Me and ol' Ben got separated along the way."

"Ben?" Adam laughed.

"Yep. Named him after Ben Franklin. Always admired the man."

Adam looked to Big Dan and repeated with a grin, "Ben." Daniel chuckled along with him.

Little Joe wasn't amused. He was sad. His dog was going away. He patted it on the head one last time and turned to go. The old man got up and was about to start walking off with his dog.

Jack Wolf, one of the greediest, nastiest men the Cartwright boys had ever met, came down the stairs of the hotel's porch right about that time. He saw the group gathered nearby and, curious, he sauntered over to them. What he saw left him stupefied.

"That there is without a doubt the ugliest dog I have ever seen in mah entire life!"

Little Joe turned back the minute he heard that. Adam and Big Dan cringed. The old man was about to warn Wolf when suddenly the dog snarled and immediately set out after Jack. Stunned, Jack Wolf saw the huge, irate beast heading straight for him. He hightailed it down the street with the animal hot in pursuit.

Adam and Joe had never seen the man move faster.

Tucker ran after his dog and the dog's intended victim. Big Dan busted out laughing. Adam chuckled at Jack's plight and walked over to his little brother. Joe was finally smiling as he watched the dog terrorize Jack Wolf all the way down the center of town.

Adam followed his brother's gaze as the comedy played out down the street and out of sight. He smiled at Little Joe. "You ready to go home?" He raised his eyebrows as he waited for an answer.

Joe thought about it for a moment, then returned his smile and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

The two brothers said their goodbyes to Big Dan and walked toward their wagon. As they neared it, Adam quipped, "When we get back, you've got a lot of fleas to get rid of before Pa comes home."

Joe opened his mouth to say something but before he could, Adam quickly added with a half-serious look, "And don't say, 'Make me' or you're going in the trough!" He jumped up on the wagon.

Joe realized he had lost his edge now that the dog was gone. He followed his brother up on the wagon and muttered, "Oh, gol dang it!"

Adam smiled to himself. He was contemplating the interesting chores he'd dream up for Little Joe to pay him back for the canine hell his brother had just put him through. He released the brakes and slapped the reins as Joe turned back in his seat wondering how he could find another dog.

---THE END---

ADDENDUM TO STORY

Several days later, Adam and Little Joe were finishing cleaning up after lunch - with Adam washing dishes and Little Joe clearing off the table. They heard footsteps on the porch and turned toward the front door in time to see their father come inside.

"Pa!" Joe exclaimed and hurried over for a hug. Ben embraced his youngest son as Adam dried his hands off and walked over.

"Good to see you both," Ben remarked as he released Joe and held his hand out to clasp Adam's in a warm greeting.

Adam returned the handshake. "Hi, Pa."

Their father looked around. "Well, I see the house is still in one piece."

Little Joe chuckled. "Sure, Pa. What did you expect?"

Adam grinned slightly and said nothing.

Ben sniffed at the air. "Incense? Is Hop Sing back?"

"No," Adam laughed. "Little Joe wanted the house smelling nice when you and Hoss got home.

Little Joe glanced up at Adam, afraid he was going to tell on him. Adam just winked and let the subject drop.

Joe looked toward the door. "Where's Hoss?"

"He'll be along soon. He's taking care of the horses."

"Oh."

Pa set his hat down and began pulling off his coat. He hung it on a peg by the door, then walked farther into the room. Adam watched him and eventually asked, "How did it go in Sacramento?"

"Well, we sold all the horses. Got $30 a piece for them."

Joe's eyes lit up. "Thirty dollars? Each?!"

"Yep. The man said he'll buy more next time when we're in the area."

Adam walked back over toward the dishes. "That's great, Pa."

They all heard a commotion and Hoss came to the front door, exclaimed, "Look what I found, Pa!" and burst into the house followed shortly thereafter by Adam's nemesis!

Little Joe's eyes lit up and his mouth opened in joyous surprise.

Adam clapped his right hand over his eyes and moaned, "Oh, no!"

Pa was speechless at first at the sight of the unique dog, then hesitantly headed over in its direction. The canine had run over panting, stood next to Adam, and started licking his other hand. Adam removed his right hand from his eyes, looked down at his other hand and gently withdrew it from the dog's reach as he asked it, while cringing, "Do you mind?"

Little Joe was petting his old friend. Hoss had a big Hoss grin on his face as he asked, "Can I keep him, Pa?"

Ben glanced at the beast as Hoss and Little Joe looked at their father hopefully. Adam walked over to the other side of the room and muttered, "I'm moving to Australia."

Ben petted the dog while trying to think of a way to gently turn his youngest sons down. "Well, he's a nice dog, but..."

Hoss quickly interjected, "He's real friendly, Pa."

Adam, over on the other side of the room, mumbled, "Yeah, real friendly."

Back over by the beast, Little Joe chimed in, "I'll help Hoss take care of it, Pa!"

Ben smiled as his eyes skimmed over the amazing sight before him. "He's really something, isn't he?"

Hoss put in, "He needs a good home, Pa. Can we keep 'im?"

"Yeah, Pa?" Little Joe added. "Please?"

Adam muttered sarcastically, "Yeah, Pa, please?"

Ben chuckled, "I gotta admit, that's the ugliest dog I've ever seen."

Little Joe's jaw dropped.

Adam kind of smiled.

Hoss stood there, totally unaware of what Ben had just done.

And the dog started snarling.

"Run Pa!" Little Joe cried out.

"What?" Ben asked innocently.

Joe grabbed his hand and tried pulling him toward the front door. "Run, Pa!"

Ben looked over to see the dog's fur, what was left of it, start to stand straight up and heard the growling begin. He was shocked. So was Hoss.

A devilish little twinkle appeared in Adam's eyes as he remarked, "This should be interesting."

The dog charged at Pa just as Pa realized the situation had become a situation. Ben turned and rushed to the open door, moving rather quickly for a man of his age. Not that he was old, for he wasn't, but he couldn't run as fast as his oldest son had during the dog's previous visit.

Pa zoomed out of the house, followed shortly thereafter by the furious canine, which was now itself being chased by the two youngest Cartwright sons. Little Joe was yelling, "Come back, Ben!" as he ran.

Adam strolled over to the door to catch the spectacle as it proceeded out into the meadow and beyond.

Could that be a grin on his face?

As the rest of the family and their new pet disappeared over the horizon, Adam called out, "Welcome home, Pa," and turned to walk casually back inside.

THE ABSOLUTE END.