Young Hoss Cartwright rolled onto his stomach, and reached up to feel his nose. As he removed his hand again, and inspected his fingers, he found several droplets of blood clinging there. “Dadburn it”, he mumbled to himself, in a squeaky little voice. A voice he hoped that Jeremy Fitch hadn’t heard… He managed to haul himself up, and dove at his young opponent. Even at nine years old, Jeremy was much smaller than the nearly seven year old Hoss, but he was also much leaner, and faster, and easily out maneuvered him .He leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and just laughed haughtily at Hoss. “Hey, Hoss, you’re just too fat to catch me! Heck – you’re too big to catch anyone!” The young lad sauntered off – with the posture, and attitude, of a little bantam rooster – as he draped his arms across the shoulders of a couple of his little friends – as they, too, chortled in glee at the young Cartwright. Hoss had – once again – gone to the aid of little Sally Robinson. She was the prettiest gal in his class, and because of her English accent, having recently arrived with her family, from England, was often the target of bullies - like Jeremy Fitch – just because she was ‘different’…..
Hoss walked over to his young friend. “ Are you alright, Sally? Don’t you pay no mind to those boys. They don’t know what they’re doing to folks when they do stuff like that – they’re just mean. I like the way you talk!” His blue eyes just twinkled at Sally, and she smiled, as she wiped away a couple of tears. “ Thank you, Hoss. Is your nose alright?” Hoss had nearly forgotten about his nose, just being there, standing beside her. He reached up, to give it a bit of a rub. “ I reckon it is…” Sally reached up, standing on her tippy toes, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you Monday, Hoss - you have a nice weekend. And thank you, for helping me !” The little girl rushed off, giggling, as she went. Hoss just looked bashfully to the ground – a silly grin spreading across  his face – as he dug the toe of his boot into the dirt of the schoolyard. Just at that moment, he heard a horse approaching him, and looked up to see his older brother, Adam, as he reined to a stop beside him. At thirteen years old, Adam was six years older than Hoss. Though Hoss was rapidly catching up to Adam, in physical height, there was no doubting the fact that – in Hoss’s eyes, at least – Adam was practically a man.

When Adam noticed the blood smeared under his young brother’s nose, he swung down from Hawkeye’s back, a look of concern on his face. “What happened to you, Hoss?!” Just the fact that his big brother was there – and he felt safe, again – the young boy began to cry. “ It’s that Jeremy Fitch, Adam. He’s the biggest bully in the whole dadburn school! He was teasing Sally again – and I stood up for her. Then he started to tease me, too…about my size…” Adam smiled slowly. He had come to realize that his baby brother had a crush on the little girl. “Well, Hoss, you have to be careful – I know you like Sally…” At that comment, Hoss squared his shoulders, and pulled himself up to his full height, then wiped the back of a grimy hand across his eyes, to remove the last of his tears. “I do NOT, Adam ! She’s a – a GIRL!” Adam tilted his head to one side, and a sly grin pulled at the corners of his mouth, as his light hazel eyes just twinkled cheekily. “ Yeah – she is. And a pretty one at that, huh, Hoss?” Hoss just blushed to the roots of his blonde, downy hair. Adam reached his arm around his young brother’s shoulders, and steered him towards his horse. “ Come on. I’ve got the halters Pa asked me to pick up. Let’s get home. A bit of dinner will put you right, again.” The younger Cartwright smiled again, as they mounted their horses, then the two brothers loped off down Virginia City’s main street, and headed for the road, that would take them home.

As they rode into the barnyard, they could hear their baby brother, Little Joe, as his wails drifted through the window – behind their Pa’s big desk – that opened up into the yard. Adam stepped down off his horse, and sighed. “ Poor Ma. Sounds like Little Joe is having a bad day…” They each led their horses into the barn, and after unsaddling them, led them to their stalls to give them their grain, hay, and fresh water, then walked towards the ranch house. If anything, Joe’s wails were getting louder, as they approached the door. On entering, each of the boys tossed their hats onto the sideboard, then approached their step Mother, as she sat in their Pa’s big winged chair, by the great room’s fireplace. She held the baby tenderly in her arms, trying to coax him to nurse, a little longer. Little Joe’s face was crimson, as he waved his arms angrily, in the air, and continued his crying. Marie cooed to the baby. “Come on now, mon cherie-It can’t be that bad ?” After rebuttoning her blouse, she raised the infant to her shoulder, and gently patted his back. A very loud burp erupted from him, and she sighed. “Oh, my petit Joseph - so that was your problem?” She continued rubbing his back gently, and his crying soon subsided, and he drifted off into blissful sleep -  his thumb placed firmly in his mouth…She stood carefully – with their tiny brother in her arms – then laid him in his cradle, by the fireplace, and pulled the covers over him. As she turned to her two step sons, she smiled slowly, and raised one finger to her lips, to remind them to try to be quiet. Little Joe could be easily awakened.

Hoss just moved to his Ma, and wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her bosom. She very gently stroked his hair. “ What is it, Hoss?” Adam had swung one leg over the arm of the striped settee, then perched there. “ It’s the kids in school, Ma. Giving him a hard time, again – about his size…” Adam dropped his eyes, and sighed. He wasn’t the sort of boy that showed his feelings very often. But when it came to his little brother, it was hard NOT to show them. Marie glanced from one brother, to the other. Although she had been married to Ben, for a couple of years now, she had the same feelings towards his two elder sons – one from each of his previous wives – that she would have had, if she’d given birth to them, herself…She pushed Hoss gently back to arm’s length, again, and smiled at him. “You shouldn’t listen to the children in school, my Hoss. They just see the outside of you, and judge you cruelly. They haven’t gotten to know what you’re like on the inside, yet…” Hoss looked up questioningly to his Ma.“On the ‘inside’, Mama? You mean – my ‘guts’ – and all that stuff ?!” Adam chuckled softly, from the arm of the settee, and Marie smiled down at the young boy. “ No, Hoss. What I mean is, they haven’t come to know your soul – the real you – the way your family has. You’re a wonderful boy, Hoss. So kind, gentle , considerate, and loving.   They just don’t know it, yet…Now, why don’t you boys get washed up, for supper? It’ll be ready in just a few minutes…”
The two of them rushed off, to the kitchen, to get cleaned up. A moment later, their Pa walked through the doorway of the great home. He unbuckled his holster, placed it on the sideboard, then removed his hat, and placed it wearily onto its peg. He turned, and smiled, as he saw Marie approaching him. He took her tenderly into his arms, and kissed her cheek softly. “How’s my beautiful wife, this fine evening ?” She smiled up at her handsome husband, and reached one hand up, to run her fingers through his light brown hair, as she looked into his dark brown eyes. “I’m fine, Ben. But I think our youngest son may be starting to get his first teeth – at just four months old - he’s been fussy all day.” Ben tilted his head. “ Well, it wouldn’t surprise me, my love. That’s just the age that both Adam and Hoss started to get their teeth in, too…” Marie sighed, as she looked to the floor. “ There’s something else... Hoss has been getting teased about his size, again, at school. Why are children sometimes so cruel, Ben?” As she looked up to him again, he just raised his eyebrows momentarily, and shook his head sadly. Their conversation was interrupted by their two elder sons, returning from the kitchen. They jostled happily around their Pa, comparing notes about their day’s activities, then Hoss reached up to give his Pa a hug, around the neck. Marie smiled at the three of them, then nodded towards the dining room. “Dinner’s ready – is anybody hungry ?” They all agreed they were, and hurriedly took their places around the large table.

Once the various platters of meat and vegetables had been passed around the table, to the grateful diners, and they’d each filled their plates, and had begun eating, Ben looked to his middle son. “Hoss, you Ma tells me you had some trouble in school today ?” Hoss lowered his eyes. “ Ain’t no real trouble, Pa - just the usual stuff…” Ben felt like that statement had practically driven a stake, right through his heart : his son -  actually, apparently, accepting the teasing, and bullying, about his size. “ Well, son. Your Ma says it was the kids teasing you again – about your size. No one has to accept that. I think it’s time that Adam perhaps defended you, a little better, in the schoolyard…” Adam’s eyes shot up, from looking at his dinner, to looking at his Pa. “ Pa, I can’t do that ! I mean - I could - but it would just make it even worse for Hoss ! It would be like I was fighting his battles for him. It would make him look like a real baby, in the eyes of ALL the other kids…” With that comment from Adam, it was like Ben had suddenly been transported back to his own childhood, and he remembered all about the ‘schoolyard hierarchy’, so slowly shook his head. “You’re right, of course, Adam . I guess I’d forgotten, for a moment, what going to school was really like. Hmm…I think we can help you defend yourself Hoss…” He raised his eyes, to look to his Pa again. “ But I thought we wasn’t allowed to fight, Pa? You always said so!” Ben shook his head slowly, and a grin appeared. “ Hoss, there’s a big difference between picking a fight, with someone, and defending yourself, against someone who picks a fight with YOU : either physically, or by provocation…” Hoss’s nose wrinkled a little. “  ‘Provocation’, Pa ? What’s that ?” Ben leaned his cheek against his fist, as he propped one elbow onto the table. “ It means they goad you into fighting : by teasing, or bullying  you, about something they know you’re sensitive about. The mark of any man is how he handles himself in such situations. Using just enough effort to defend himself – cleanly, and fairly - and to let the other guy know he picked a fight with the wrong man… Do you understand that, Hoss ?” He grinned to his Pa. “ I reckon so, Pa.” Ben nodded once, and winked at his son, as he lowered his arm again, and picked up his knife and fork, once more. “ Fine, son. We have all weekend to practice ‘self defense’…”

Ben was good to his word, and he and Hoss circled each other, in the barnyard, early the next morning, right after breakfast. As the lesson went on, Ben gave instructions to his younger son, and Adam watched, perched on the top rail of the corral fence. “Alright, Hoss. Now – don’t forget - you have to hold your hands up in front of you, like this. If I try to hit with my left hand, you block my hand with your right arm. And visa versa. Remember ?” Hoss looked utterly confused, but just nodded in agreement. “ Fine – here we go again, son!” Ben swung out his left hand, and caught Hoss lightly in the jaw.“Ow! Pa, that hurt !” Ben shook his head. “ ‘Block’, Hoss, ‘block”. You have to remember. Let’s try again…” In that moment, Hoss swung out his right hand, and absolutely clocked his Pa, right in his left eye. Ben stumbled backwards, and landed in the dirt… “ How’s that, Pa ? Is that better ?! ” Adam just started to laugh, from the top rail of the fence, as Ben hauled himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his clothes with one hand, and holding his left eye with the other….. “ That’s fine, son. I think you’ve got the hang of it… But I think that’s enough for today, though…You can both get started on your chores…” Ben wandered back towards the house, cradling his eye, as Adam jumped down from the fence rail, again. “ You did really good Hoss! But I bet that’ll be the last time you’ll get away with hitting Pa, though… Come on - let’s feed the stock, and get those stalls cleaned….” As Adam ambled towards the stable, Hoss was busy ‘shadow boxing’ his way across the barnyard, right behind him….

When Ben entered the house, and  Marie spotted him, from the far end of the great room – holding his eye – she rushed over to him, a real look of concern on her face.  “ Oh, my ! What happened, Ben ?!” Ben lowered his hand, and actually smiled in pride. “ Our middle son CAN defend himself, after all, Marie ! And it feels like I’m getting a black eye, to prove it, too…” Marie just laughed, and took him by his elbow, as she steered him towards the kitchen, to attend to his ‘wound’.
By the time Monday rolled around – and Hoss had had one more day to practice defending himself – first with his Pa, then a few rounds with his older, and more experienced brother, it was decided  that Hoss was ready to defend himself against just about anyone – if he had to.

That Monday morning went by fairly quietly. The kids learning their lessons, enjoying their  morning  recess, some more lesson time, then their lunches, in the lunch hour. It was during the lunch hour that Jeremy Fitch went back to his usual teasing routine. Adam and Hoss were sitting in a sunny spot, together, eating their sandwiches, when the shadow of Jeremy Fitch fell across them.  He stood, his hands on his hips, as he scoffed “ Hey, Hoss – ain’t you fat enough, yet ? Look at how much you’re eating, here !” Several of the other kids overheard the conversation, and gathered around, in anticipation, of what might happen next. Jeremy turned his head, to the other kids, and started to laugh. Hoss looked to Adam, and he just shrugged, then he winked at his younger brother “ Go ahead, Hoss – be my guest …” Hoss hauled himself up, and raised his hands, into the ‘fighting position’, as Adam also stood,  just off to one side, and behind him, to watch. As Jeremy turned back to Hoss again, he laughed at him, again.“ Hey look, fellas, we have a boxer here !” Hoss just set his jaw, and scowled. “Take it back, Jeremy !” The other boy suddenly did a bit of a goofy dance. “ Ooo – I’m so scared !” It was at that moment that Hoss’s eyes narrowed, as he commented “ Alright, you asked for it !” , and swung out one fist, catching Jeremy on the chin, and landing him flat, on his back, on the ground. The boy looked up in absolute shock, and disbelief, as he started to tear up. “ You – you hit me !” Hoss  just looked down at him. “ It’s not like you ain’t been asking for it Jeremy. For a real long time…...” Adam clapped one proud hand on Hoss’s shoulder, and smiled. Jeremy leapt to his feet, and took off across the schoolyard, to the sounds of all the other kids, laughing at HIM, for a change. Hoss shrugged off Adam’s hand, and started after him. “ Where’re you going, Hoss ?” He stopped, and turned to his older brother. “It’s all over Adam. We don’t need to fight no more. Now maybe me and old Jeremy can just be friends…” Adam shook his head slowly, and grinned, as Hoss walked away from him, then headed off, at a jog, after Jeremy. As Adam stood there, watching his little brother, with the pride only an older brother can feel, he was aware that Sally Robinson had sidled over to him, and he glanced down at her. “ Adam, that was so exciting ! And I overheard what Hoss said, about Jeremy...It makes me like Hoss even more…” The young girl blushed, as she  lowered her eyes. Adam put one arm tenderly around her young shoulders, and his hazel eyes just twinkled. “ I just know that Hoss will be glad to hear that, Sally…” 
As Adam stood there, with Sally – contemplating what had just taken place - he suddenly realized that Hoss was probably right : Befriending a former enemy is the right thing to do – proving the true mark, of a boy.

                                                                    
The End