Jamie walked his horse slowly into the yard and dismounted, keeping his head bent, his brow furrowed in thought. He put the horse away in silence; untacking him and brushing him down with practiced ease.

'Hey Jamie,' Joe said to his brother as the boy left the barn. Little Joe had been working in the fields but now was coming back to the house for a well-earned rest. 'What you doing home so early, buddy?'

Jamie's head had shot up when his older brother had addressed him, his eyes filled instantly with guilt. He sighed, pushing his hands deep into his pockets and avoiding the man's eye. 'I got sent home from school early, Joe.'

'Why?' Joe asked, tilting his head to try and look the boy in the face.

'I... uh...' Jamie shook his head. 'Look Joe, I'd sooner jest get a whipping off of pa, not you too.'

Joe raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'You been fighting again, little brother?' he asked, knowing what their father's warning had been to the boy if he fought again at school.

'Yeah and then some,' Jamie's eyes creased in pained recollection and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 'I cain't talk about it yet Joe, I'm sorry.'

Joe twitched a worried half-smile and tousled the boy's hair. 'Don't worry, brother, you know I'll always be around to listen when you are.'

'Thanks, Joe,' Jamie said quietly. 'Is pa home?'

Joe shook his head. 'He won't be till this evening, he rode out just after breakfast to see to the steers.'

Jamie nodded glumly. 'I'll jest get on with my chores then,' he said, trudging off towards the hen coops. Joe looked after the boy with a worried frown but then shook his head. Whatever was troubling the boy his father would get to the bottom of soon enough.

Several hours later Ben Cartwright rode into the yard, dismounting from Buck with a heavy thud. It had been a long day and his old bones were aching him. He caught sight of Little Joe and nodded to him in greeting, falling into step with his son as he lead Buck into the barn.

'Joe, how's it been?' he asked.

Little Joe nodded his head in a businesslike way. 'All quiet here, pa... too quiet.'

'Oh?'

'It's Jamie,' Joes said, letting a hint of worry come out in his voice. 'Oh, he's fine,' he quickly reassured his father. 'But he came home from school in the early afternoon asking for you. When he knew you weren't going to be home till evening he just got straight to his chores, not a grumble, did them all, even his weekly ones. He's been holed up in his room ever since.'

'You think something happened at school?' Ben asked. The last time the boy had been so diligent about his chores he had been anticipating an uncomfortable week following some ill-advised drinking with his friends. Hard work from the young redhead meant a guilty conscience.

Joe nodded grimly. 'I know so, he said he was in a fight, but I think it's more than that. If it was just the fight he'd be far more ornery, you know Jamie.'

Ben heaved a weary sigh, finishing seeing to Buck and then slapping his son on the back as the pair made their way back to the house. 'Well, I shall just have to go find out then, won't I?'

Ben found his youngest son seated at his desk when he entered the boy's bedroom. Jamie was staring at a piece of paper, his pencil raised but his hand still. His eyes were slightly unfocused, his mind far away.

'Jamie?' Ben asked softly.

Jamie jumped, dropping his pencil and scooting around to fix his father with a guilty expression.

'Well now I know something's wrong,' Ben said, giving the boy a wry grin as he steped into the room. 'Doing your homework before dinner? Are you sick boy?'

Even the man's attempt at humour did nothing to shift Jamie's mood. He hung his head and stood up, his hand playing with the knots on the back of his chair. He licked his lips and then raised his head. 'Pa, I got in a fight with Ted Jordan at school today.'

Ben slowly folded his arms over his expansive chest and fixed a dark eyed glare on his youngest. 'I see.'

Jamie swallowed visibly but maintained the eye contact for a little longer. 'But that ain't the worst part, pa.' He fixed Ben with a determined eye. 'Pa, will you promise me to listen to everything I gotta say, before you whip me?'

Not even trying to get out of punishment? Ben thought to himself. This must be bad. He could see that Jamie was terrified and saw that what the boy really needed at this moment was reassurance. 'Alright, Jamie, I promise I'll listen. What happened?'

Jamie's breathed deeply and wet his lips once more. 'You know Julia Lawson?' he asked, dropping his eyes down to the buttons on Ben's shirt.

Ben nodded. 'She's the clockmaker's daughter, isn't she?'

Jamie nodded minutely. 'When Ted and I were fighting she tried to stop us and...' he closed his eyes for a second, rallying his courage for the next lines. 'I hit her, pa.'

'You... WHAT!?' It took a moment for the boy's words to sink in but when they did Ben turned quickly purple with rage, if he could have shot fire from his eyes he would have done so in that moment. It was all Jamie could do not to cower away from the man.

'I was pulling back my arm to take a real big swing,' Jamie said quickly. 'I didn't see her and my elbow caught her on the cheek.'

Ben advanced on his son, his hands clasping and unclasping as he reached out for him, then he set his teeth together and turned away, beginning to pace the floor, turning to shoot incredulous looks at Jamie as the boy continued in a babbled rush.

'I helped her up but you could see it was already starting to bruise,' he said. 'I asked Mrs Hagan for us to be excused and I took her right along to Dr Martin. He said she was ok, just a bruise but that she should rest up for a few days, then I took her right on home to her pa.' Jamie stopped for breath, watching his father in fascinated fear, like a rabbit watching a circling wolf. 'I told Mr Lawson what had happened and naturally he was mad. I told him I would accept any punishment he wanted but he said he knew you and you'd be seeing to that well enough.' Jamie blushed deep red at this and avoided Ben's angry gaze. 'I told him I would see Miss Julia to and from school, pa, and that I'm going to do all her work in the house until she's well. I'll rent one of Joe's buggies-'

'You know he'll let you have it for nothing,' Ben said. He had quietened considerably whilst the boy had been talking but his face still held a deeply ominous look.

'I know,' Jamie said, raising his chin a little. 'But I want to rent one.'

Ben was slightly impressed at the boy's resolve, despite his anger.

'I'm going to be working over at Mr Lawson's for the rest of the week at least pa,' Jamie said. 'I promised him I would. I'll get up early and do my chores here in the morning afore heading out.' He hung his head. 'That's all, pa, y'kin start yellin' now.'

Ben could have almost laughed if he hadn't been so angry. He stopped his pacing and stood before the boy, his hands on his hips and his face stern. 'Jamie, what you did was inexcusable,' he started, his tone uncharacteristically quiet. 'You not only disobeyed my order not to fight again at school but you got an innocent bystander hurt as well. Thank heavens not badly!' He shook his head in disbelief. 'Jamie, you have got to start controlling your temper. What if it had been the same situation a few years from now and you and Tod had guns to settle your fight with? Julia or someone else could have been killed, not to mention yourself!'

Jamie could only nod silently, his head hanging in shame.

'Saying that, you handled the situation like a man,' Ben said with a hint of pride in his voice. 'You did the right thing, going to Mr Lawson's house, and it was right to offer to work for him whilst Julia recovers. If I remember rightly Mr Lawson and his daughter live alone and the man manages his shop with only Julia to help him. You'll find yourself very busy over the next week I dare say.' Ben's face hardened again. 'Believe me, young man, if you hadn't followed that disgraceful act with such good choices I would be outside right now cutting a switch!'

Jamie swallowed again, his whole head flushing beet-red. 'I'm sorry I let you down, pa,' he whispered.

Ben harrumphed and put a gentle but firm hand on his son's shoulder. 'I dare say you will be even more so after this. Come on, let's get it over with.'

~B~

Little Joe was sitting at the desk doing paperwork when Ben and Jamie came down the stairs and wordlessly crossed the room to the front door. He didn't have to guess their destination, knowing only too well the walk of the condemned boy. He kept his eyes down on the paperwork, tactfully ignoring the pair as the door opened then closed behind them. He shook his head, returning to his work. Whatever the boy had done but have been quiet something to draw such a large and angry shout from their father. He did not envy his little brother at this moment, no sir!

~B~

Ben lead Jamie past the horse's stalls to the back of the barn where the tack boxes and other various farming paraphernalia were stored. He stopped beside an old wooden saddle stand and nodded grimly towards it, his hands reaching up for his belt as he did so.

'Son, I'm pleased with how you handled this,' he said as Jamie draped himself over the rail, his hands gripping the sides tightly. 'But I cannot let fighting and hurting innocent people go unpunished.'

'Yes sir,' Jamie whispered, closing his eyes as a tear squeezed out from between his lashes.

Ben finished drawing his thick leather belt from the loops of his pants and doubled it over, feeling the cold metal of the buckle resting in his palm. With a silent sigh, he raised the belt high in the air and brought it down hard against Jamie's backside.

Jamie lurched forwards at the strike, only a tiny pained grunt escaping from his lips.

Ben repeated the move, the belt landing an inch or so below with a resounding CRACK.

A small sound escaped Jamie's lips but he pressed them hard together and redoubled his grip on the stand.

Ben snapped the belt over his son's thighs and then again on his lower quarters, giving the boy little time between the strikes to recover. After eight strokes he heard Jamie begin to cry and slowed to a steady pace, making sure that every part of the boy's backside connected with the belt several times over. Jamie was jerking at each hit, his breath catching in his throat as he gasped out his shame and guilt. Ben struck a little longer and harder than he usually would, knowing that the boy needed a release from his heavy conscience. At the last few strokes Jamie cried out, his fingers flexing jerkily as the belt connected and his legs flicking upwards as Ben delivered two stinging blows to his undercurves. When he was done the boy collapsed back over the stand, sobbing to himself as the tears dripped onto the ground. He hissed in pain as Ben lifted him, turning him around to hug him warmly.

'Get on to your room, son,' his father said gently. 'I'll have Hop Sing bring you your dinner up later.'

Unable to speak, Jamie simply nodded and turned to leave, walking stiffly after the harsh punishment.

Ben sighed, his hands on his hips and his head bent in thought. Then he straightened, slapping his belt against his thigh in determination as he crossed the barn, saddling Buck and leading him out into the dwindling afternoon light.

'I'll be out a little while,' he told Little Joe, who had come out of the house following Jamie's passing to his room. 'Have Hop Sing save me something will you?'

'You got it, Pa,' Joe said, his eyes creased with worry.

~B~

Mr Lawson's shop window was still lit when Ben Cartwright arrived in town. The little clock shop sat on the edge of town, teetering between poverty and respectability. From all accounts the man made enough for he and his daughter to live comfortably enough but not so well as to come into the social circles enjoyed by the richest rancher in Virginia. Ben tried to think if he had ever met Mr Lawson outside of church but could not conjure up any occasion. The man was quiet and respectful, keeping his business his own. His daughter, not a natural beauty by any stretch, was at least pretty in a plain sort of way. Her mother had died from tuberculosis, Ben thought he remembered, back a few years now when the sickness had hit cheapside and the main street the same. As he raised his hand to knock on the door frame Ben wondered how he would be received.

'Ah, good evening, Mr Cartwright,' Mr Lawson said as he opened the door and recognised his late visitor. 'I was expecting you.'

'Good evening, Lawrence, isn't it?' Ben said, taking the man's hand and allowing himself to be lead through into a small parlour.

'That's right,' Lawrence Lawson's lips curved up in a congenial smile as he crossed to a dresser and took out a decanter of whisky. 'Will you take a drink, Mr Cartwright?'

Ben accepted the drink and sipped at the liquid before asking. 'How is Miss Julia?'

'Oh well enough,' the clockmaker said, his eyes turning up as if to look through the ceiling at the girl's bedroom. 'After my lecture I think she was glad for her bed.'

'This wasn't Julia's fault, Mr Lawson,' Ben said in some concern.

'Boys fight,' Mr Lawson said stoically. 'My daughter has a concerning tendency to put her nose in where it isn't needed, it was only a matter of time before it was bloodied.'

'Still, sir, you have my deepest apologies.'

The little clockmaker smiled and took a drink, accepting the apology with grace. 'Your boy offered me the same, I dare say he was more deeply wounded than my girl in all of this!' He fixed Ben and then his belt with a knowing eye. 'Yes, I dare say so indeed.'

'Jamie tells me he has offered to work for you this next week,' Ben said calmly. 'If there is anything else I can do please let me know.'

'Thank you, sir,' Mr Lawrence said courteously. 'Actually I think that we can turn this situation to mutual benefit.' He took another drink. 'Mr Cartwright, do you know how I came to be a clockmaker?' he asked, knowing the man did not. 'In my youth I was a prize-fighter, I travelled the new world making my living beating other men to pieces! One man bet me his business, I won and that's how I came to be a clock maker by trade.'

'An interesting tale certainly,' Ben said.

'Truth is I didn't know what to make of my life back then,' Mr Lawson said, staring into his drink with a contemplative frown. 'I made a lot of bad choices, let my temper rule my life. But clock making requires a steady heart as much as it does a steady hand. I tamed my anger. I think the same could be said for your son.'

'You think that Jamie's temper might be reigned in by making clocks?' Ben asked, unsure.

'Perhaps so,' Mr Lawson said. 'Either way, forcing him to come to terms with the consequences of his actions and face what he has done each day? I think that might be the most powerful medicine of all.'

Ben considered this for a while in quiet thought. 'You may be right there, Mr Lawson,' he said eventually.

The clockmaker leaned forwards to toast his glass with the rancher. 'Lawrence, please, Mr Cartwright.'

'Lawrence,' Ben said with a smile. 'Call me, Ben.'