A Horse Race

By Tennessee

Little Joe and Sue were going to have a horse race and Adam, Ann, Hoss, and Tess were going to the lake to fish and talk.

Adam asked Little Joe and Sue, "Are you ready?"

They both said they were.

"Ready, set, go!"

Little Joe took off with Sue right behind him. Joe was still ahead of Sue when his horse started running in a different direction that he wanted it to go in. He tried to get the horse to slow down but it got faster and faster. Sue could tell Little Joe was in trouble, and she knew she could not help. They were a long way from the lake. She knew she had to get back to Adam and the others.

She rode as fast as she could. Adam saw her coming, and he knew she was riding too fast.

"Slow down!" he yelled.

About that time, Sue’s horse jumped, and Sue fell off. Everyone ran to her.

Adam said, "She’s hurt. We need to get her to the Ponderosa."

Ann said, "Why don’t we take her home and Ma and Pa can take care of her."

Adam said, "She needs help quickly and the Ponderosa is closer. Hoss, you and Tess go get the Goodmans. Ann and I will take Sue to Hop Sing."

Hoss and Tess helped Adam get Sue in his arms. Ann got the two horses. Hoss and Tess got on their horses.

Hoss said, "Wait. Tess, where is Little Joe. Wasn’t he with her?"

"Maybe he got lost and went back home," Tess replied.

As they rode, Hoss had a feeling that Little Joe was in trouble.

Joe was trying his best to hold onto his horse, but the hors just got faster and faster. Joe’s face hit a low branch, and his face was bleeding. His hands hurt from gripping the reins. Then his horse turned so fast, Joe fell off and knocked his head. He was on the ground. His face and head were bleeding. He didn’t know where he was or what to do and he couldn’t stop the tears that poured from his eyes. He slipped into a deep sleep.

Adam and Ann got to the Ponderosa as fast as they could. Ben was in the barn and Adam yelled, "Pa! Sue’s been hurt. She fell off her horse."

Ben took her from Adam and ran into the house with Ann right behind him. Adam took care of their horses and then went into the house.

"She’s hurt her arm and leg," Hop Sing announced. "But she has no broken bones. She’ll be fine."

He cleaned up her leg and arm. Mr. and Mrs. Goodman and Tess and Hoss got there just as Hop Sing and Ben were coming out of the room.

Hop Sing said, "She’ll be all right."

Hoss asked, "Pa, is Little Joe here?"

"No," Ben said, "Isn’t he with you?"

"We haven’t seen him since I started the race," Adam said.

Sue had not woken up yet. Adam and Hoss set off to look for Joe, but they didn’t know he was five miles from the lake. They rode and rode but saw no sign of him.

Little Joe woke up. His head still hurt and he couldn’t move. He eventually fell back asleep. Adam and Hoss were on their way home when they saw Joe’s horse. They yelled for Joe.

"Hey, Adam," Hoss said. "Looks like there’s blood on the horse blanket."

The brothers looked at each other. Something had happened to Joe.

"Take Joe’s horse and tell Pa where we found it," Adam ordered. "See if Sue is awake yet. I’m going to town to get help."

Hoss went home and showed Ben and Mr. Goodman the horse blanket and the blood. "Adam went to town to get people to help look for him."

They went into the house. Sue had just woken up and was saying Little Joe’s name when Ben walked in.

"Sue, where is Little Joe?" Mr. Goodman asked.

"I don’t know, Pa."

"What happened while you were racing?"

"We were having a good race, Pa. But Little Joe’s horse started running faster and faster and I thought Joe was just making him run that fast until I saw him trying to slow the horse down. I could tell he was in trouble, so I rode back to the lake to get Adam and Hoss. That’s when I fell off my horse."

"Where was Joe headed when you last saw him?"

She told them and Ben, Hoss, and Mr. Goodman went to search for the youngest Cartwright.

They met Adam and others from town on the way.

Little Joe was still asleep. He was dreaming of his ma. His face began to hurt again, and he woke up. He had no idea where he was. All he wanted to do was go home. He decided he’d start walking at daybreak and try to get to a place where his family could find him.

Ben and the rest looked until it got too dark to see anything. Ben thought only of his baby son and how he might be hurt somewhere. He knew Joe was thinking about his family wherever he was.

At day break Little Joe started walking. He was sore, but he knew he had to get to where his family could find him. He looked around and figured out where he was and what direction lead home. He was so happy. He wasn’t lost! Tears ran down his cheeks. "Please find me, Pa," he said aloud. He wanted to sit down and cry, but he knew he had to keep walking.

Ben and the other searchers rode near the lake. Ben told everyone which direction they should search in. Hoss and Tess were searching together when they found a piece of Joe’s shirt.

"We’re going the right way!" Hoss cheered. He and Tess rode on.

Hoss saw him first under a tree. "Little Joe!" Hoss yelled.

Joe thought he was dreaming, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Hoss and Tess riding toward him. He tried to run to them, but he was too exhausted.

Hoss jumped off his horse and ran to Joe. "We’re here, Joe. We’re here." Tears ran down both brothers’ cheeks. Tess was crying, too.

"We need to take ya home, Joe," Hoss said. He and Tess cleaned Joe’s face and looked at the cut on his head. "You hit your head something fierce."

"It hurts," Little Joe said. "My face does too."

Hoss picked him up. He could tell Little Joe needed Pa because he started crying. "Hoss, I –"

"It’s all right, little brother. We’re going home."

"Not on a horse, Hoss. I don’t want to. Please."

Hoss said, "I’ll carry you."

They started for home, and Hoss saw Adam riding toward them. Joe had fallen asleep and Hoss whispered, "He hurt his head and his face, but I think he’ll be ok."

Adam rode ahead to tell the others. He knew that they’d been told that if anyone found Little Joe they were to shoot three shots into the air. Neither Adam nor Ben had a gun but Ben did and he shot the prescribed number of blasts when Adam told him Hoss had found Little Joe.

Everyone was so happy. "To the Ponderosa!" they yelled.

Ben and Adam rode to where Hoss and Tess were. Hoss still had Little Joe is his arms. Joe opened his eyes. "Pa?" He smiled at Ben.

Ben took Little Joe from Hoss. "Are you okay, son?"

"He hit his face, Pa," said Hoss.

"And I got a cut on my head," Joe said.

Ben held Joe close to him. "I love you, son. Let’s go home."

Hop Sing cleaned Joe’s face again and checked the cut on his head. "Your head probably hurt for a few days, but you will be fine. I’ll get you some food and milk and then you need to rest."

Ben went outside to thank everybody for their help. Everyone said goodnight and headed home. Sue went to see Little Joe before she left. "I’m glad you’re ok," she told him.

"I’m glad you’re ok, too," Joe said.

Ben stayed with Little Joe all night and all the next day. Joe quickly got better, though his head still hurt a little. After three days of rest, he was well enough to get up. He wasn’t hurting anymore, and his cuts were healing.

After a week, Little Joe and Sue were back to their old selves. But Little Joe would not ride or go near his horse at all.

Ben told Adam and Hoss, "Let’s give him some time. I hope you two will care for his horse in the meantime."

One day when they were all in the barn. Little Joe pet his horse. Ben and the boys tried to pretend that they hadn’t noticed. Then Joe got an apple for his horse. He ran back to the house and returned with sugar.

Ben saddled Joe’s horse. His pa and older brothers watched Joe slowly mount his horse and start to ride him around the yard. He went a little faster and then he rode the way he always did.

"Look at him ride, Pa," said Hoss.

"I knew he’d be back in the saddle when the time was right," replied Ben.

As Joe rode out of sight, Ben said, "Let’s get back to work boys."

They went back to work with smiles on their faces, glad that Little Joe was riding again.

The End.