Where is Pa?

By Tennessee

The boys got up one morning and were going to do their chores. When Hop Sing said good morning to them, Adam asked if Pa was still asleep. Hop Sing said, "Mr. Cartwright was not feeling well last night so I think he is still asleep." He walked over to Ben's bedroom and tapped on the door but no one answered. Hop Sing opened the door to see if Ben was all right, but Ben was not there and there was blood on the floor and Ben's clothes were laying all over the bed.

Hop Sing saw the boys putting on their coats to go outside and knew he needed to talk to Adam and Hoss without Little Joe in the room. Hop Sing tried to smile as he asked, "Little Joe, would you please get me a pan of water?"

Adam knew something was wrong. Joe said, "I'll be right back with the water." When he went outside, Hop Sing asked Hoss and Adam to take a look at their pa's room.

"Is Pa OK?" Adam asked.

"Just come," said Hop Sing.

They did not believe their eyes. "What happened? Where is Pa?" Hoss asked.

Adam saw the blood. "Hoss, look, that is blood and these are Pa's clothes everywhere. Hoss, you better go keep Little Joe busy outside while we look around Pa's room. Don't let him come in."

"OK, Adam."

"And smile or Little Joe will know something is wrong."

"OK." Hoss left the room and met Little Joe coming in the door. "Hey there, little brother. Let me take it in. You get started on chores."

Little Joe went into the barn to feed the horses. When Hoss took the water inside, he went to see what Adam and Hop Sing had found out. "I sent Little Joe to do his chores in the barn. Did you find anything yet?"

Hop Sing went around the bed and looked under the bed and then he said, "Adam, Hoss, look." He held up a knife. It had blood on it. He put his hand under the bed and felt something wet.

Little Joe was in the barn when he saw drops of blood on Pa's horse and on the barn floor. "Adam! Hoss!" he yelled.

His brothers heard him and ran outside. Little Joe was as white as a ghost. "What's the matter?" Adam asked.

"There's blood on Pa's horse and on the ground." Joe tried to go into the house but Hoss stopped him. "Let me go, Hoss."

"No, little brother. Listen to me. Pa is not in the house."

"Where is he?"

"We don't know. We will find him," Adam said. "Let's all calm down and think about what to do next."

Little Joe was crying. "Where is Pa? Is that his blood? Is he hurt?"

"We don't know," Adam said. "We just don't know."

Hop Sing came out of the house. "Your father must have tried to get some water. This knife was next to his water glass. I think he had a fever last night. Maybe he reached for his glass and cut his hand on the knife. I found the water glass under the bed and the knife was next to it."

Little Joe said, "We need to find him."

Hop Sing nodded. "Your pa is sick and his hand is probably cut. We need to find him in a hurry."

"Hoss, you check the lake," Adam said. "Take Little Joe with you. Hop Sing and I will search and here and then check the woods. Hop Sing can go into town if we don't find him."

Hoss and Little Joe went all around the lake yelling, "Pa! Pa?"

Hop Sing and Adam searched all around the house. But no one saw any sign of Ben.

Adam asked Hop Sing to go to town and find out if anyone had seen Pa. Hop Sing met up with Hoss and Little Joe on the way and told them he was going to town.

"OK," they said. "We'll check at the Greene ranch to see if they've heard from Pa."

"That is good idea."

Hop Sing got to town and went to the store. Ruth said she had not seen Ben. Shelby and Big Dan hadn't either. Big Dan asked what was wrong and Hop Sing told them everything. They said they would help look for Ben.

Jack Wolf hear about Ben being gone. He would never tell anyone he had seen Ben in the woods.

The Greens were out of town so Hoss and Little Joe checked around the place and then went back to the Ponderosa. Adam was still searching the woods. Hop Sing was asking everyone in town if they'd heard from Ben.

When it grew dark, Big Dan and Shelby heard Jack Wolf talking to a man who mentioned Ben's name. Shelby and Big Dan hid so they could hear the conversation. The man said Ben was at a cabin in the woods. They'd put him there after grabbing Ben from his bedroom. Ben had tried to fight back and got cut with his own knife. The man said Ben was sick and talking out of his head.

Big Dan and Shelby waited until Jack and the man went into the hotel. Big Dan said, "I will follow the man to where Ben is. You go to the Cartwright ranch and tell them what we heard. Wait until morning to tell them. Ben's boys will want to come after Jack and then we might never find Ben."

"OK," Shelby said.

Big Dan followed far behind the man so he would not see him. The man rode for miles and miles and Big Dan followed him. When the man stopped, Big Dan stopped and watched the man get off his horse and go into a small cabin. Big Dan looked in the window and so Ben on the bed with a rag wrapped about one hand. Ben was asleep. Big Dan made a sound so the man would come out. He jumped on him and tied him up. Big Dan then went into the cabin. "Ben!"

Ben opened his eyes. "Big Dan? You found me."

"Yes, I did. Let me see your hand." He unwrapped it. "That's a deep cut, Ben, but it will heal in time."

Ben tried to get up, but Big Dan said, "No. Rest, Ben."

"But Jack will be back."

"All right. We'll try to get you out of here. Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think I can. With your help."

Ben made it to Big Dan's horse and Big Dan helped him climb on then walked beside the horse.

Shelby went to the Ponderosa. The Cartwright boys all came outside when Shelby rode up. She yelled, "We know where your pa is." The boys ran to her. "Jack had a man get your pa. He is in a cabin. Big Dan went after your pa. The man had a cut on his hand and said your pa did to."

Big Dan walked the horse slowly, so it took them a long time to get out of the woods, but they made it. Big Dan said, "You'll be home soon, Ben. Hop Sing will take care of you."

Ben smiled weakly. "How are my sons?"

"They're worried about you but they are all right. They've been looking everywhere for you. You have some great sons there."

"I sure do." Ben added, "And some great friends."

Shelby and the boys were outside and saw Big Dan and Ben.

"Pa! Pa!," shouted Little Joe. He ran to his pa. Adam and Hoss were right behind him. "Pa, are you OK?"

"Yes, son. I will be fine."

Hop Sing opened the door and saw Ben. He helped Shelby and Big Dan move Ben into the boys' room. Then he told everyone to leave the room so he could care for Ben.

"No," Ben said. "It's OK. I want them to stay."

"What happened, Pa?"

Ben said, "I was reading a book when I heard the door open. I thought it was Little Joe coming in to sleep with me like he does when he has a bad dream. But when my door opened I saw it was a man. I tried to get my knife. I knocked over my water glass but the man got the knife first. I cut my hand and he cut his hand trying to get the knife. He hit me on they head. I woke up in a place I didn't know and my head hurt. I had a fever and did not feel well. The man gave me food. I thought I saw Jack Wolf come into the place were I was."

"You did, Ben," Big Dan said. "Jack sent that man to get you."

"Why?" Ben asked.

Shelby answered, "I think it has to do with the town meeting tomorrow. Jack wants to build a bigger hotel and he knew you would not vote for it. You have power in this town, Ben, and people know how much your vote means. If you voted no so would a lot of other people."

Big Dad said, "I'm going back to the cabin to get the man now, and we will get Jack for this, Ben."

"I'll go with you," said Shelby. "I want to see Jack's face when we ride up with that man all tied up."

Hop Sing said, "Now everyone out."

Adam and Hoss rode to town. When they saw Jack, they were both so mad they weren't sure what to do. They saw Big Dan and Shelby ride up.

"The man is gone," Big Dan said. "He got free of the ropes and left town fast. He didn't take his things."

Adam ran to Jack's hotel. "Jack!"

Jack smirked at him.

"We know what you did to our pa. You got rid of him so he wouldn't be here to vote against your hotel, didn't you?"

"No, I did not."

"Oh yes you did." Adam took a swing at Jack. Hoss and Big Dan grabbed Adam and carried him out of the hotel.

Jack yelled," And stay out of my hotel! That goes for all of you!"

Ben slept a lot that day. His hand was sore and he had symptoms of a cold but no fever. He was able to go to the table for supper that night with the boys' help.

On the night of the vote Ben was there to look Jack in the face as he walked into the town hall. When the vote was cast, everyone voted no to Jack's hotel. After Jack heard the vote he stomped out of the town hall. Ben followed him, telling his sons to stay in the town hall. They said OK but watched out a window.

"Jack!"

Jack faced Ben. "What?"

"I know it was you who got that person to take me to that cabin."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. I know it and you know it. If you ever try anything like that again, I will make sure you go to jail. I mean it. Stay away from me and my family. Is that clear?"

"Yeah," Jack grumbled.

Ben yelled, "If anything happens to me or my family you'll know Jack did it. He hates me."

Shelby called out, "Jack hates everyone here!"

Everyone nodded. "Shelby's right," said Big Dan.

Jack went back to his hotel. Ben and the boys went home. That night at supper Little Joe said, "Pa, I'm so glad you're home and safe."

Ben said, "Me too, son. But if people don't stand up with themselves things never change. That's why I went after Jack today. You boys stay away from him, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Pa."

"Adam, Big Dan told me what happened between you and Jack yesterday. No more of that, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will keep my eye on Jack from now on," Ben said. He smiled at the boys. He was so glad to be home. His cut healed in a week and his cold was much better. He was happy to be working on the ranch with his sons.

The End