Bonanza - Book 7 - " The Mark of a Boy "

" The Mark of a Boy..."

  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.