It was once again so far. The youngest Cartwright who listened at the name of Little Joe couldn’t control himself. It began in the Bucket of Blood saloon where Little Joe happened to be. Not totally by co incidence James Lewis was there too. He always had hated the Cartwrights and especially Joe.
“Cartwright, why are you actually here in this saloon? You don’t even live in Virginia City so just go back to the little farm of your rich daddy”, James said mocking.
Joe looked at him and answered, “I have just as much as right to be here.”
James didn’t like this answer and he began to fight with Joe. During the fight not only the saloon got renovated but also Joe got injured. He hit James against the bar and hurt with that his left hand.
Sheriff Clem Foster separated the 2 brawlers by saying, “Playtime is over. Joe, you let your hand check out and James, you go with me to jail.”
Joe went with his painful hand to doctor Paul Martin and told what had happened.
Doc examined the hand and said, “Joe, you have a bruised hand. I will wrap up and you must rest for 6 weeks. Carry for that reason your hand in a sling.”
So said, so done.
After his medical treatment Joe rode back home reluctantly on his horse Cochise.
“Cooch, I am afraid that when coming home I first must give an good and long explanation to pa and then to get a strict lecture from him”, he said to his horse.
Cochise whined like she was saying, “It’s your own fault!”
“You are no use at this moment”, sighed Joe.
Once at home Joe saw at once that his older brothers Adam and Hoss were away and his father Ben Cartwright sat reading the newspaper. The owner of the Ponderosa ranch saw the bandage around the hand of Joe.
Ben sighed deep and asked on a stern tone, “Joseph, what have you done now again that your hand is in a bandage?”
Joe told what had happened in the Bucket Of Blood Saloon.
“Well Joseph, this comes not at a good time because it’s very busy at the ranch now. You do understand that, do you?”, asked Ben.
“I understand pa”, said Joe.
“That’s why I suggest that you first get better and when you are totally recovered you do extra work. And with that I mean the chores of your brothers. Adam and Hoss must do besides their own work also do now your work. And what is concerned the pain your hand, say it then. Hop Sing has a medicine for it”, said Ben.
Joe `nodded and went to sleep.
The next morning Ben had brought his 2 oldest sons Adam and Hoss up to date about the hand injury of their little brother.
“So for the time being we can’t come into the Bucket Of Blood Saloon now Little Joe has rebuilt it?”, asked Hoss.
Ben answered, “That looks like it. Boys, keep in account that Joseph will abuse his injury. So leave all the rotten chores for him.”
Adam and Hoss looked at each other laughing.
“Pa, we may tease our little injured brother?”, asked Adam.
“You may not Adam”, was the answer of Ben.
His sons looked at him amazed.
“You must do”, answered his father smiling.
The faces of Adam and Hoss became clearer again. The rancher knew that he could leave this to his sons easily.
“Pa, what do we do with James Lewis?”, Hoss asked now serious.
“Just ignore him. Then he will stop”, said Ben.
Then Joe came downstairs. The youngest Cartwright brother suspected that his father had told everything already to Adam and Hoss. He saw how they looked at him and knew that the teasing were about to start.
“Joe, shall we do arm wrestling? I do it with right and you with the left hand”, Adam said sarcastic.
“Very funny. Just go to work instead of teasing me”, reacted Joe.
“Working is fun but teasing you is much more fun”, said Hoss.
Joe said while he sat down, “What are we funny again!”
“Adam, Hoss, let your injured little brother have a quiet breakfast and go to work”, Ben said semi-stern.
The 2 mentioned brothers got up and went outside. The Chinese cook Hop Sing came in and put in front of Joe a full plate. Hop Sing also knew about the injury of Joe and helped him in his own way.
Joe looked at his plate and asked, “Hop Sing, why did you cut my breakfast into little pieces?”
“Hop Sing helped Little Joe because he has sore hand”, was the answer.
“Thanks Hop Sing”, said Joe.
The cook disappeared again satisfied to the kitchen.
“Pa, have you told Hop Sing about my hand?”, Joe asked carefully.
“Yes, and I am also the one who told your brothers”, Ben confessed while he got up to go to work as well.
A bit later on that same day.
Because Joe was injured and he wanted to spare his voice he used the table bell that Su Ling had given him once. The table bell stood in front of Joe on the salon table.
Hoss saw the table bell and asked, “Joe, is that table bell to call Hop Sing?”
“No, that little bell is necessary to let you know that I need something”, answered Joe.
First Hoss was silent but a second later he roared with laughter. Adam came to have a look and suspected that there was something had happened between his younger brothers. Then he too saw the table bell.
“Why is that table bell standing there?”, asked Adam.
Joe answered, “To let you know that I want to make use of your services.”
Now Adam couldn’t stop laughing anymore. Of course Joe became angry.
“Just wait till you are injured and need my help with something. Then you can beg for it on your bare knees and then I still won’t help you”, groaned Joe.
“Brothers stop with argument. Hop Sing made coffee”, the cook spoke.
At once the 3 brothers were the very best friends. They only knew far too well that with quarrels Hop Sing threatened with discharge.
When the coffee was at drinking temperature the next commotion started.
“Hoss, can you hand me my coffee?”, Joe asked his brother.
“Why? You can get it with your right hand, can’t you?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“No, I can’t do that. You know that I am left handed and have injured my left hand”, answered Little Joe.
Hoss got up, grabbed the cup and gave it to his brother.
“Must I hold it when you drink it?”, Hoss asked mocking.
“Very funny”, reacted his brother.
Adam held teasing the saucer.
On a morning Adam discovered that he and Hoss had forgotten to do a nasty chore. But Adam already had a solution. He knew for sure that is younger brother would cooperate.
“Shall we leave that certain chore to our little brother?”, asked Adam.
He winked at Hoss who understood it at once.
“That certain chore? That’s alright”, answered his brother answered light-hearted.
Ben understood directly what his 2 eldest sons mean and played the game along.
“Which chore?”, Little Joe asked worried.
“Joe, you are now injured so just make good abuse form your rest because when your hand is healed again I send your brothers on their well deserved vacation”, said Ben.
Six weeks later.
Adam and Hoss were on vacation to San Francisco so that Ben and Joe were home together. The youngest Cartwright brother could use his left hand again like normal.
The morning after Joe had come home with the good news he got a very long list from Ben.
“Pa, what is this?”, he asked amazed.
“This, Joseph, is a review of all chores your brothers have done in your place during your injury. Seeing as they are now on vacation you may do it in their place. Go to work Joe”, Ben explained.
Joe wanted to protest but also knew that he had himself to blame. He resolved himself not tom lose his self control very quickly anymore. But the young Cartwright also knew that this would never succeed.