Our Hero

By Tennessee

Ben got up early and went outside. There was paper everywhere and the barn door was open. He walked quickly to the barn, and when he reached it the door swung open and hit Ben on the back and pushed him to the ground.

Ben laid on the ground. His back hurt. Then he heard two people talking. Two men. Ben tried to get up but one of the men growled, "Stay down if you know what's good for you."

Little Joe was the first one to get up, and Ben had forgotten to close the front door. Little Joe ran to close the door and when he did he saw his pa and the two men. He ran into the bedroom where Adam and Hoss were sleeping. He shook Adam's arm to wake him up.

Adam complained, "Little Joe, I was asleep."

"What's going on?" Hoss asked.

"Pa is on the ground," Little Joe said, "and two men are standing over him."

Adam and Hoss jumped up. Adam ran out of the bedroom to go into the kitchen to look out the window. He saw his pa on the ground and saw one of the men kick him. He told his brothers to get down on the floor and stay still, and Little Joe and Hoss quickly obeyed.

Hoss whispered, "What are we gonna do, Adam?"

"I don't know yet. Let me think a minute."

"Are they hurting Pa?" Hoss asked.

Adam said no. He didn't want to upset his brothers. "Hoss, is Pa's gun in his room."

"I'll go see," Hoss said. He went to Ben's room and got his gun. Hoss gave it to Adam.

Adam said, "We need to get those men away from Pa, but first we need a plan. Follow me to Pa's room."

Adam locked the door to Ben's. "I have a plan, but it will take all of us working together."

"We'll do anything you say," agreed Hoss. Little Joe nodded.

"Ok. Hoss, you climb out the window and get as close to the barn as you can. Get a rock and hit the barn door near where the wash pan is. Whey they hear it, you jump up and run as fast as you can and both or one of them will follow you. If one man stays, I will take care of him. Little Joe, what I want you to do is stay put in this room. Don't move until I tell you to. And then get Paint and ride to town for help."

"Ok, Adam," Little Joe said.

Adam smiled. "Everything is going to work out fine," he reassured his brothers. "But, Joe, I want you to get under the bed and hide if something happens. Stay under the bed no matter what you hear, is that clear?"

"Yes, Adam."

Adam and Hoss helped him get under the bed and made sure he could not be seen from anywhere in the room.

"You ready then, brother?" Adam asked Hoss.

"I'm ready."

Out by the barn one of the men asked, "Was that front door open or closed after he came out?"

"It was open," his partner grumbled.

"Well, it's closed now."

They raised Ben's head and asked, "Who is in the house?"

Ben said, "No one. I'm here alone."

"We'll see about that," one of the men said, and he told the other man to check the house."

"No!" Ben said. They kicked him again.

Hoss was getting ready to climb out the window when he heard Adam yell. Then he heard a man's voice saying, "Look what we have here."

Adam had his pa's gun, but he dropped it when the man hit the door. He tried to get to the gun, but the man jumped him.

Hoss climbed out the window and got down. He heard a shot. He looked around the house. His pa was still on the ground and then he saw Adam. One of the bandits told Adam to get on the ground next to Ben. The other man asked if there was anyone else in the house.

"Nah, just him. I shot the kid in the arm. He was trying to get a gun."

Adam looked at his pa and Ben looked at him as the two men were talking. Hoss knew he had to get Little Joe out of the house before the men could find him. He went back to the window but he heard one of the men ask, "Did you check the whole house?

"No."

"You two get up. We are going to the house."

Hoss knew he just had a minute before they reached the house. He whispered, "Little Joe, come out from under the bed."

He did and Hoss helped him climb out the window. Hoss put his hand over Little Joe's mouth and they heard someone coming. And then they heard Adam's voice and Ben's voice, and one of the men yelled, "How many people live in this house?"

"Just us two," Ben said.

"Oh really?" Is that your hat?"

"Yes."

The man laughed. "This is a little boy's hat. Where is he?"

"He's at school."

The man laughed again. "On a Saturday?

When Ben said yes, the man hit him in the mouth.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Adam.

Ben looked at him. "My son is bleeding. We need to stop the bleeding. Please."

The man told his partner to get some water.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

He let Ben get a clean shirt and some rags to wrap around Adam's arm. Ben cleaned the wound. "The bullet is still in your arm," he said.

Adam's eyes got big.

"We've got to get it out, son."

Ben gave Adam something to bit on, and he got the bullet out of Adam's arm. Adam passed out before the bullet was out.

Hoss and Little Joe were still by the window. Hoss had his hand over Little Joe's mouth.

"Pa and Adam need help," Hoss said in a low voice. "Stay down low. Let's go to the barn."

They made it to the barn. When they were inside, Little Joe started crying. "Pa and Adam are hurt."

"Listen to me, Little Joe. Pa and Adam need our help."

"Adam got shot, Hoss."

"I know, little brother, but Pa is looking after him. You need to be strong. We need to get help. Saddle up Paint."

Hoss got his horse. He saw a paper on the ground. When he picked it up, he saw it was a poster with the two men's pictures on it. It said they were wanted dead or alive for killing another man's cattle and stealing horses.

He now knew Pa and Adam were in danger. He was looking at the poster and did not see the man coming. Little Joe saw him and called to Hoss.

"Get behind the hay and stay there," Hoss said. Hoss got to where the man couldn't see him too, and when the man came in, Hoss clobbered him with a board. The man fell to the ground and Hoss told Little Joe it was okay to come out. "Help me tie him up, Joe."

Hoss knew that when the man woke up, he'd yell for his friend. Little Joe and Hoss waited for the man to wake up. When he did he yelled, "Jim! Help!"

Jim heard him and came to see what was going on. He had Ben in front of him and a gun to Ben's back. Hoss saw them coming when he looked out the barn window. He told Joe to stay put.

When Ben and the man got to the barn door the man said, "Jim?"

"Over here."

"What happened?"

"Someone hit me over the head and tied me up."

"You go untie him," Jim said to Ben.

Ben went to untie the man. When Ben moved, Hoss got behind Jim and hit him with the board. He went down. Ben looked at Hoss with tears in his eyes. "Where's Little Joe?"

Little Joe came out from behind the hay bale. "Pa! Pa!"

"I'm all right, son. It's all over now."

Little Joe said, "Hoss is our hero."

Ben said, "He sure is."

Little Joe asked, "How is Adam?"

"He got shot in the arm, but he will be fine." Ben turned to Hoss. "Son, do you think you can make it to town and get the lawman?

"Yes, sir, Pa." He handed Ben the poster. "I found this. These two fellers are wanted. It says Jim and JJ Hatmaker are their names, Pa."

Ben looked at the poster. "Make sure you tie 'em good and tight, son. Little Joe, I want you to ride to the Green ranch and get Hop Sing. Adam needs him."

Then Ben fell down, exhausted.

Hoss picked him up and took him to the house. He took off Ben's shirt and saw black and blue marks on his back and ribs. Little Joe came into the room and started crying. "I'll go get Hop Sing and then I'll ride to town," Joe said.

"Are you sure, little brother?"

Little Joe nodded and then ran to Paint and headed for the Green ranch fast. He told Hop Sing and Tess to go to the Ponderosa.

Hoss brought the Hatmaker brothers into the house so he could keep an eye on them. He got water for Ben and Adam. He saw that one of the men had gotten his hands free. Hoss dropped the water on the ground and leveled Pa's gun at the man. "Hold it right there."

Hop Sing pulled up about that time. He came in. Hoss tied up the man again and checked the ropes securing the other man. He then told Hop Sing and Ben's and Adam's injuries.

Hoss did what Hop Sing asked as he worked on Ben and Adam. He cleaned their wounds and put healing salve on them.

When Little Joe came back, Tess was with him. She ran to Hoss and said, "Little Joe told me you are a hero."

Hoss said, "I just did what I had to do."

Tess kissed him. Hop Sing and Hoss put Adam to bed and gave him a cup of tea. Ben was already sleeping.

Little Joe asked quietly, "Are Pa and Adam gonna be all right?"

"Yes, they will," Hop Sing said. "Your brother's arm with heal, and your pa is sore but nothing is broken."

Little Joe glared at the two men. "You two will pay for what you did to my pa and my brother."

Hoss gave Little Joe a hug and said, "They sure will, Joe. Tess needs your help now, ok?"

When Ben awoke, Hoss and Hop Sing made him a hot bath to soothe his sore muscles. Hoss put a special healing powder in the water.

A ranch hand from the Green place rode to town and told Big Dan what had happened at the Ponderosa. Little Joe hadn't told him the names of the two men but he knew that they were wanted men. Big Dan had seen the lawman at the store that morning so he thanked the hand and ran to the store.

Ruth said the lawman had told he he'd be at the hotel. Big Dan ran there and asked for the room number. He went up the stairs and saw the lawman coming out of his room. Big Dan told him what had happened.

"Let's get out to the Ponderosa."

Adam was asleep and Ben was resting comfortably, so Tess and Little Joe went outside to take care of the stock. Big Dan and the lawman rode up. "How are Adam and Ben?" Big Dan asked.

"They will be fine," Tess said. "The two men are in the house. They are tied up."

"I've been looking for those two," the lawman said when he saw them. He put them on two horses and turned to Hoss. "Guess you oughta get the reward money."

Big Dan asked, "What reward money?"

"For catching the Hatmaker brothers."

"Hoss is the one who hit 'em," Little Joe said.

"Good for you, son," the lawman said to Hoss. He gave him one hundred dollars.

"This is all for me?" Hoss asked.

"Yes, son. It's your reward for capturing two wanted men."

Ben was about to fall asleep in the bathtub when Hoss came back in the room. Hoss told him about the reward.

When Ben got out of the bath he went to see how Adam was doing. "How are you feeling, son?"

"My arm's pretty sore, but I think I'll be fine."

Tess said, "I'm going back to the ranch to tell Ma everything is all right now."

"Thank you for your help," Hop Sing said.

Little Joe told Ben and Adam the story of Hoss's capture of the outlaws. "He waited until one of the men came into the barn and then he hit him and we tied him up. Hoss knew he'd yell for his partner when he woke up. When the other man came out, Hoss hit him too. You shoulda seen it, Pa!"

Hoss said, "I did what I had to do, Pa."

Ben said, "Hoss, you are becoming a man right before my eyes."

Adam smiled. "Our hero."

Little Joe giggled. "Yeah! Show 'em the reward money, Hoss."

"What money?" asked Ben.

"The reward money for the two men," replied Hoss. He showed them the hundred dollars. Ben knew then what kind of danger they'd been in.

Little Joe asked, "What're you gonna do with the money, Hoss?"

Hoss said, "Buy some horses. Good quality ones."

Ben said, "No, it's your money, son. You should use it on something for yourself."

"No, Pa," Hoss said. "It's our money. I want to buy some horses."

Ben tousled Hoss' hair. "All right, son."

"You know what, Pa? Little Joe helped too. He rode to the Green ranch to get help."

Ben looked at Little Joe. "I'm proud of you too, son."

Adam was sleepy then and Ben said, "Let's let Adam get some rest." Ben went back to his room. Ben and Adam slept all day and all night.

When Adam finally awoke, Little Joe fed him his soup. Hoss fed Ben soup. And the next day Ben was up and around. He was still sore, but he said he could do his chores. Adam was up two days later and could do his chores with some help from his brothers. His are was healing but he couldn't move it without pain. Hop Sing told Adam to keep the arm wrapped in bandages and a sling.

Adam worked his arm a little each day and a couple weeks later Hop Sing looked at Adam's arm and said it was healed. Ben was his old self by then. His bruises had faded and his ribs were better.

Hoss got three fine horses with the reward money. He gave each of his brothers a horse to break and sell. Ben was watching his sons from the barn as they worked with their horses and he smiled as he thought of how fast they were growing and how proud he was of them.

About that time Adam and Joe grabbed a pail of water and poured it on Hoss' head.

Hoss shouted, "I'll get you two," and all three took off running.

Ben watched them and laughed. He realized that his sons were still boys in many ways, and then Ben ran out of the barn to join in the fun. When they saw their pa coming, the boys waited until he got close and then all three grabbed a water pail and threw it at Ben. Ben stepped in the mud and fell. He had mud all over him. "You three are asking for it," Ben chuckled. The boys laughed.

Hoss reached out his hand. "Let me help you, Pa."

Ben grabbed Hoss' hand and pulled him into the mud too. Adam and Joe got to laughing so hard they didn't hear Big Dan ride up. He stopped his horse and said, "I just stopped by to tell you the judge sent those two men to jail. The tried to make a break for it when they were being taken to California and they were shot by the deputy. They both died."

Ben stood up. "Thank you for telling us," he said solemnly. He looked at his boys. "We'd better get cleaned up."

The four Cartwrights went to the house, and Big Dan headed back to town.

The End