(Warning – child abuse)
Standing stiffly with his hands clasped tightly behind his back, Ben watches as Mr. McConnell stands up behind the teacher's table. He closes his eyes in regret when he sees the man reach up above the chalkboard and take down the long pointer he keeps there.
"All right Benjamin, you have one more chance to tell me who else was involved. Do you have anything to say?" Mr. McConnell asks harshly.
Meeting the man's fierce gaze with confidence, Ben stands his ground. "No Sir, I don't."
"Very well then, you will be receiving four. Put your hands on the table and do not move them."
Raising the pointer high above the boy, Mr. McConnell brings it down on the child's back four times.
"The next time you cause trouble in my school young man, I will double the amount you just received! You are dismissed!"
Walking stiffly with tears blinding his eyes, Ben passes by the Mercantile. As he passes he hears Mr. Axelrod call out "Ben! Come up here a minute."
As he reaches the porch Mr. Axelrod scolds "What are you doing in town at this hour? I know your Uncle isn't in town. I saw him ride out towards home three hours ago. It's going to be dark soon. You should be home by now."
Stopping to actually look at the boy, Axelrod can see he's trembling and has tears running down his face.
"What has happened Ben? What has my brave young friend so upset? Are you worried about being punished at home for being so late?"
"Yes sir that's part of it. Uncle Ethan's probably going to whip me when I get home. I can't take another whipping today. The one I just got hurts so bad." Ben manages to say between sniffles.
"You just got a whipping you say? If you're Uncle's at home, who whipped you?"
"The new teacher. He got mad because I wouldn't tell on my friends. He whipped me on my back with his pointer. It really hurts too."
"Come inside here so I can see your back." Mr. Axelrod says pulling the boy into the store. Taking one of the lit lanterns off the wall, he holds it with one hand while pulling up Ben's shirt with the other. He is barely able to stifle his gasp at the sight of the boy's back. There are four very red stripes with welts rising, across Ben's back.
"What did you say you did for him to treat you like this?" Mr. Axelrod asks sternly.
"I wouldn't tell him who else roped the outhouse shut with him inside of it." Ben answers, brushing the tears that won't stop falling, off his face.
"I see. Well the man certainly has a harsh way of punishing children. If I were you I would do everything he tells me and not get into any more trouble. If he will beat a child, there's no telling what he might do. I also think you need to tell your uncle about this. I know he would want to hear about it. Come over here and I'll give you some salve to take home to put on your back. This will take the hurting away and make the cuts heal faster. Get one of your brothers to put it on you as soon as you get home. Use it three times a day until the cuts heal. You hear me?"
"Yes sir and thank you. I need to get home sir. I'm already in huge trouble at home too. I may have to use the salve on my backside after tonight."
"Ben, go out and get in the delivery wagon. I'm taking you home. I want to talk to your Uncle Ethan. There is something I need to discuss with him. I'll be out as soon as I put out the lanterns and lock up."
The ranch house
"Thank you for bringing Ben home, Mr. Axelrod. I was just about to go back to town to find him. I don't like the idea of the children being out after dark. They know to be home before then." Ethan says giving Ben a stern look.
"Ben, you and I have some serious talking to do. Go wait for me in the barn. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Mr. Cord, before you punish the boy be sure to ask him what went on at school today. There's something you need to know and he needs to tell you himself. I brought him home because it was getting dark but also because I heard something that you need to know. Earlier today, two strangers came into the mercantile. They were talking about the mine. One said something that made me suspicious. I distinctly heard him say "cause a strike" when they were talking. It seemed like something you should know."
"Thank you Cyrus. I'll be sure to tell Mitch and we'll both be listening and watching in town. Again thank you for taking care of Ben. He is the one who finds himself in trouble the most lately. With Claire gone off to stay at the boarding school for young ladies, it's been different. The boys really miss her and I suspect that's why Ben is getting into so much mischief."
Nodding his head in understanding, Mr. Axelrod hups to the horses and drives away. Watching him, Ethan thinks to himself "He sure has changed. It used to be he was the one coming to complain about the boy's behavior not standing up for them. " Turning around he walks into the barn.
"Well Ben, what do you have to say for yourself? Misbehaving in school, having to stay after school, coming home three hours late and causing Mr. Axelrod to have to go out of his way to bring you home.
That's quite a list of wrongdoing, don't you agree? I expect an explanation and for your sake it better be good. You can start by telling me what you did to earn being kept after school."
Struggling to keep from crying again, Ben tells him "I helped with a prank that went all wrong, sir. He found out it was me so he punished me. He wanted me to tell him who else was involved but I wouldn't do it."
"What kind of prank? What exactly did you do? Who was it that you were protecting?"
"The new boys, Jackson and Tom were roping the outhouse shut. They told me to grab hold of the dangling rope end and pull it. I did what they said. I swear Uncle Ethan, I didn't know Mr. McConnell was inside at the time. He was so mad his whole face was purple when he came into the school after he got out. I guess he saw me through a crack or something cause he put me in the corner right then. He kept me after school for two hours and he…. " Catching himself just in time Ben stops talking.
"Go on, finish what you were going to say, Ben. What else did he do?" Ethan asks firmly.
"He yelled at me, sir. He made me stay after school for two hours and I couldn't leave the corner."
"All right Ben. Is there anything else you need to tell me about today?"
Shaking his head and trying to swallow the lump in his throat, Ben looks at his Uncle. The stern look on his Uncle's face doesn't make Ben feel any better.
Crossing over to sit on one of the hay bales, Ethan says sternly "Come here Ben."
Dragging his feet a little, Ben walks to him. When he is close enough Ethan takes him by the arm and pulls him over his lap.
"Ben this is the third time since school started that you have been in trouble at school. Therefore you will be receiving a spanking for misbehavior at school. Ben, you are going to behave at school or the next time I will be using something other than my hand. You go to school to learn not to cause trouble!"