Joe's Bow and Arrow

By Tennessee

Little Joe's Indian friend gave him a bow and arrow for a gift. He knew his pa would not let him keep it. Pa thought he was too young to use a bow and arrow, so Joe hid it in the barn, and when all his chores were done he got the bow and arrow and headed to the woods as fast as Paint would go.

Paint saw a snake and started to jump up and down. Little Joe tried to calm his horse, but it didn't work. Paint just jumped higher. The arrow fell on the ground, and as Paint kept jumping, Little Joe fell off Paint. Paint ran off, and when Little Joe looked down the arrow point was in his hand. It was just in the skin a little. When he pulled the arrow out, he let out a yell. It hurt real bad, and his had was bleeding. He wrapped his shirt around his hand and went down to the lake to tray to wash off the blood.

He didn't see Hoss and Adam fishing on the other side of the lake but they saw him. They ran over to him. "What happened?"

"I fell off Paint and cut my hand on a rock."

"Let me see," Adam said.

Little Joe said, "No, Adam."

Adam said firmly, "Now."

Little Joe unwrapped his hand and it started bleeding again.

"You didn't do this on a rock, Joe. Tell us the truth."

"It was an arrow," Joe admitted.

"A what?"

"An arrow."

"Where did you get an arrow?"

"My Indian friend gave me a bow and arrow."

"Little Joe," Adam said, "we need to get you home to Pa."

"Do we have to tell Pa?" Little Joe asked.

"Yes," Adam said. "Now, let's go."

Hoss got the fishing poles and bait.

"Where is the bow and arrow now?" asked Adam.

"The arrow's on the ground," Little Joe said. "I don't know where the bow is."

Ben was in the house when the boys came in. Ben turned to say hi to the boys and saw the blood and Little Joe's hand wrapped. He jumped up and ran to him. "Little Joe, son, what happened?"

Adam said, "His Indian friend gave him a bow and arrow."

Ben had a dangerous look on his face.

"I was just gonna go to the woods to shoot it. Paint saw a snake and started jumping. The arrow fell off and I fell on the arrow. And then I saw the arrow in my skin."

Ben yelled, "Hop Sing, please bring me some warm water."

"Yes, Mr. Cartwright."

Ben unwrapped the wound and looked at it. Little Joe was pale.

"Hoss, bring that chair over here," Ben said.

"Yes, Pa."

Hop Sing came with the water and herbs and rags. Ben gave Hop Sing a look and Hop Sing knew what it meant. They would have to sew up the cut or it would take forever to heal. Hop Sing could sew; he'd sewed wounds before.

Ben said, "Carry Little Joe to my bedroom, Hoss."

"Yes, sir," Hoss said as he picked up Little Joe.

Ben told Adam, "We'll have to sew up his hand. Go pull four horse hairs from the horses' tails. Hop Sing, do you have any of that sleeping herb?"

"Yes, Mr. Cartwright. I will go make him a cup of tea and put the sleeping herb in it."

"Hop Sing, make sure he will be in no pain and will stay asleep until we get this done."

Hop Sing said, "I understand."

Adam came back with the horse hair and gave it to Ben.

"Thanks, son. Now go find something to do outside, OK?"

Ben waited for the tea and then went to his room and asked Hoss to help Adam outside.

Ben smiled at Little Joe. "Drink this, son. It will make you feel better."

"I'm sorry, Pa," Joe said.

"We'll talk about it later, son."

Joe took several sips and soon his eyes became heavy and then he was sound asleep. Ben told Hop Sing Joe had fallen asleep.

"I can do this myself, Mr. Cartwright."

"No. I want to be here," Ben said.

"Please, Mr. Cartwright. You do not need to be here."

Finally Ben said, "OK. I'll go outside with Adam and Hoss." He looked at Little Joe so small in his bed and left the room.

Hop Sing shut the door and took a needle and put the horse hair in the needle and started sewing Little Joe's hand. Ben had cleaned the wound. Hop Sing worked fast so he would be done before Little Joe woke up. Hop Sing wrapped up Little Joe's hand again. He also rubbed something on it so Little Joe wouldn't be in pain.

Hop Sing cleaned up the mess he'd made and heard the front door open. He came out of the bedroom. "It's done. It will heal now. He will sleep for a few hours now."

When Little Joe woke up, Ben was sitting beside him.

"Pa?"

"I'm here, son."

"It hurts."

"I know, son. Try to sleep."

"But Paint . . ."

"I know. I'll send your brothers to look for him."

"OK, Pa." He fell asleep again.

Adam and Hoss looked all day but did not find Paint, but they saw the arrow on the ground and picked it up. They went home and gave the arrow to Ben. He broke it and put it in the fire.

"Pa, we didn't find Paint. We looked everywhere," Hoss said.

"Listen, boys, don't tell Little Joe you didn't find him, OK?"

"OK, Pa."

Adam and Hoss got up early the next morning and did all the chores so Ben could be with Little Joe. Then they went to look for Paint. Little Joe kept asking Pa about Paint and Ben said, "We'll find him, son."

Adam and Hoss heard something and turned around. It was Paint. He was miles from the ranch. Hoss and Adam got him and found the bow still attached to the saddle. Adam put the bow on the ground and broke it into pieces with his boot. They went home and took Paint to Pa's bedroom window so Joe could see him.

"Look, son. It's Paint," Ben said when he saw the horse at the window.

Little Joe turned his head and smiled and said hello.

"We'll put him in the barn," Adam said.

"OK, boys."

Hop Sing dressed Little Joe's hand every day and night. And it took a few days before Joe got his color back, and his hand was red for several days. And then he developed a fever.

Hop Sing doctored him. After a week, he was up and around and the fever was gone. But Hop Sing still wrapped his hand each day.

Finally it was time to take the horse hair out. Little Joe looked at Ben. "Will it hurt, Pa?"

Ben smiled. "Don't worry, son."

That night before bed, Hop Sing gave Joe some tea to help him sleep. Adam and Hoss were doing their evening chores and Ben told them to stay outside. Hop Sing and Ben went to Little Joe's room. He was sound asleep.

Hop Sing cut the horse hair and wrapped it around his finger and pulled it out. Little Joe thought he was dreaming, but when Hop Sing was pulling the hair out, he opened his eyes. "It hurts, Pa."

Ben had tears in his eyes. "I know, son. It will be over in a minute."

Hop Sing got done and Ben asked, "Son, are you all right?"

"I guess so, Pa."

Hop Sing left the room and Ben told Joe to go to sleep.

"Pa?"

"Yes, son?"

"I'll never play with a bow and arrow again. Never."

Ben said, "The bow and arrow are no more, Joseph. I put the arrow in the fire, and Adam found the bow and broke it somehow. If he hadn't, I would have, son."

"I know, Pa."

"I told you you were too young to play with a bow and arrow, didn't I? But you did it anyway. If you ever try to hide or keep something like this from me again, you will be in big trouble. If you thought you weren't able to sit down last time I punished you, you will see that even more so next time, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Pa," Joe said.

Ben touseled Joe's hair and left the room and Adam and Hoss came in. The brothers all went to bed.

"You know what?" Joe said.

"What?" said Hoss.

"I will never hide anything from Pa again. And I'll never play with a bow and arrow again."

Adam laughed. "That's a good decision, little brother. Now go to sleep."

They all three laughed and went to sleep.

The End