Charlie snuggled next to Scott, finding comfort in his arm that was around her shoulders. They watched the stars pop out, and

for a time pointed out certain ones to each other.

"Have you heard of the Big Dipper?" he asked her.

"Uh huh."

"Ever seen it? That's it, right there-"

"Where?" Charlie asked, in excitement, sitting up straighter.

Scott pointed, "There-see, it looks like a kitchen ladle-"

"I see it!" she said, bobbing up and down.

"In spring and summer, it's at its highest," he said, and explained to her about the Little Dipper and Ursa Major the Greater Bear. "The Big Dipper

stars outline the Bear's tail."

"It's so interesting," Charlie said, with a sigh of satisfaction.

"It is," Scott said, in agreement, as Charlie settled back again, against his side.

"How do people learn about the Big Dipper and all of the rest of it?" she asked.

"Scientists study for years to learn things. They watch at different times and compare things with each other."

"I think sometimes I'd like to be a writer," Charlie confided.

"You do?"

"Sometimes. I'm not sure."

They fell into a comfortable silence, until Scott said, "Let's get your bedroll ready. It's gettin' late."

"Do we have to leave real early in the morning?" Charlie asked, staying still.

"Fairly, early, yeah."

"Can't we stay around up here for a while? Maybe go hiking?" Charlie asked.

"I need to get back, so I can get some work done before I go into town for that meeting."

"Oh," Charlie said, subdued.

Scott moved her from his side, and began to stretch out her bedroll, smoothing it down. Glancing at her face in the

firelight, he saw her evident disappointment, and said. "We can come up here again soon."

Charlie nodded in response. When Scott had finished with her bedroll, he patted it, indicating she should lay down.

"Just a few more minutes?" she begged.

"A few," Scott said, and took back his position beside Charlie.

Leaning into him again, Charlie asked, "What do you think will happen at the meeting?"

"That's hard to say. We'll have to see."

Charlie nibbled at her lower lip. This was the time, if she was going to tell Scott-

Leading into it with a positive wouldn't hurt, though-

"I didn't do any pranks in the school room on Miss Hummel," she reminded him.

"I know. And, I'm real glad," he said.

There was something like pride in his tone, and Charlie felt her resolve fading.

"Would you be really disappointed in me? If I had?" she asked.

"I told you that I would be."

"I know, but-" Charlie hesitated. "Would you forgive me? If I had?"

Puzzled, Scott moved his hand from her shoulder to lightly tap the top of her head. "Look at me."

When she was looking up at him, he said, "What sort of question is that?"

"I just wondered," Charlie said, subdued.

Scott tapped her head with his fingers again, as if considering.

"I'd forgive you," he said. He studied her face, and said, "What's this about?"

"That song-that you heard the boys singing in town-the rhyme?"

"The one about sitting on the tack?"

Charlie nodded, and licked at her lips. "I made it up. I mean-I wrote it."

That he was surprised was evident. Even in the fire light, Charlie could see his forehead furrowed.

"You did?" he asked.

Charlie nodded again, watching him tremulously.

"Well-" Scott paused, and was quiet, as though getting his thoughts straight. He turned slightly, so he could see her better.

"You dislike Miss Hummel that much?" he said. "That you would do that? Write something so degrading?"

Charlie felt a wave of shame so strong she found it hard to swallow. There was so much disappointment in his voice.

It hurt.

"I didn't think about that-I was just trying to rhyme the words-the kids said I was good at writing things," Charlie said, and

even to herself it sounded like a poor excuse.

Scott sighed. "Oh, Charlie," he said. And, that was all.

Charlie waited. Wishing he would say something. At that moment she thought she would prefer his anger over the silent

disappointment. She felt tears threatening.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Why?"

Charlie blinked, confused.

"You say you're sorry. About what part of it? The part where you had to tell me?" Scott said. His tone was stern.

Unsure how to respond, Charlie was quiet.

"Did you think about the possibility of Miss Hummel hearing the rhyme herself?" he asked.

"She did, already," Charlie admitted.

"She did?" he asked, surprised again.

Charlie nodded, and Scott sighed again. "Not sure I want to hear about that," he said.

"I am sorry," Charlie said. "I've felt bad about it-almost since I first did it."

"What about it makes you feel badly?"

"Well-it started out to only be small-and then it got big, really fast. And, every time I heard the boys singing it, I hated it. I felt

embarrassed about it," Charlie said.

"Well-that's something, anyway," Scott said. To Charlie, he still sounded put out.

After a few moments of silence, Scott gave her knee a pat. "Time to get bedded down," he said.

Obediently, Charlie scooted over and laid down on her bedroll, and Scott tucked a blanket up around her. Then, when he was seated back

against his saddle, looking into the fire, Charlie laid with her arm under her head, watching him.

"What can I do, Scott?" she asked him, softly.

"What do you want to do?" he countered.

"Make it right somehow, I guess."

"What are your thoughts on how to do that?" he asked. He didn't sound very stern, or angry, and Charlie felt a bit better.

"I could ask all the kids to please stop repeating it-if Jason and Monte tell the boys they're likely to listen."

"That sounds like a good idea," Scott said.

"I'll ask Monte right away-at church on Sunday."

"What about Miss Hummel?"

Puzzled, Charlie looked at his profile in the flickering fire light.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Isn't she due an apology?"

Charlie felt a pit in her stomach at his comment, at the very thought of facing the sour-faced Miss Hummel and admitting to

being the creator of the insulting rhyme. And, then, apologizing...

"I guess," she admitted, reluctantly.

"I think if you do those two things, as soon as you can, you'll feel a whole lot better about the situation. And, about yourself," Scott said, quietly.

After that, Charlie was quiet, sinking into sleepiness, watching the fire, and occasionally Scott. She did feel eased, after telling

him. She dreaded the upcoming apology, but some of the burden was gone, after confessing to him.

Lancer

The next morning, when Charlie woke up, there was a smell of coffee and Scott was stirring up the fire.

She sat up, brushing back her hair.

"Good morning," Scott said.

"Good morning."

"We're going to have some biscuits and fruit," he said.

"Okay," Charlie said, and scrambled to her feet. She made a trip off to the bushes, and then came back, rinsing her hands

with water from the canteen. She rolled up her bed roll, and sat down, as Scott handed her a biscuit, and pieces of apple.

He poured himself a cup of coffee, and then paused, studying her. "Want something to drink?"

At her nod, he said, "Water or coffee, that's your choice this morning."

"I can have coffee?" she asked, surprised. At home, Maria or Murdoch always said she shouldn't have coffee.

"If you like."

At her enthusiastic nod, he handed her the cup of coffee that he'd poured, and then poured another for himself.

Charlie took a cautious sip, and wrinkled her nose at the unfamiliar bitter taste.

"Like it?" Scott asked, settling back against his saddle again.

"Not much," Charlie admitted. "But, I'm gonna finish it."

"You don't have to."

"I want to, so I can tell Johnny," Charlie said, and he smiled.

"Alright."

When they'd finished eating, Scott put out the fire, and they gathered things up, and began saddling the horses.

Charlie looked across Gurth's back at Scott, as he was cinching his saddle.

"I had fun," she told him.

"That's good."

They began their ride back to the ranch in quiet. The quiet went on for some time, as they rode side by side.

Finally, Charlie spoke to say, "Are you angry with me, and disappointed?"

"I'm not angry with you, Charlie."

Relieved, yet not, Charlie studied him. "I'll talk to Miss Hummel on Monday, before school."

"That'll be good."

"Are you going to punish me?" Charlie asked, in a rush.

"Do you think you should be punished?" he countered, and Charlie, at first surprised, and then considering, bit at her

lower lip.

"I guess so," she said, honestly. "I should have told you before last night-I mean, I shouldn't have done it at all, but I should have

told you sooner."

"I agree," he said.

Charlie was quiet again, feeling miserable, waiting, and Scott said, "One positive thing is that you told me about it yourself, and I didn't hear

it from someone else. I would have been very upset if that had happened."

Glad that he was mentioning something positive, Charlie gave him a small tentative smile.

"You do the two things we discussed, and then we'll talk again about it," Scott said.

"Okay," Charlie said, partially relieved that he wasn't handing down a punishment right off. At least he wasn't angry with her. And, at least

he wasn't going to spank her for what she'd done.

And, while she disliked writing lines, or being sent to her room away from the rest of the family as punishments, she much preferred those to

the other, more painful and embarrassing options.

Before Scott left for the afternoon meeting, he remembered to give Charlie her weekly allowance. Thinking of a couple things she'd like

to buy at the mercantile with it, Charlie asked if she could go with him to town when he went.

"I could go help Mr. Val sweep up at the jail while you're at the meeting," she suggested.

But, Scott said no. And, though he didn't say it crossly, or with any anger, it was still said in such a way that Charlie knew

there was no talking him around. She sighed, though not where he could overhear her, and was quiet, thinking that maybe this was

part of her punishment.

While he was gone, Charlie helped Teresa with a few household chores, including laying new shelf paper in the kitchen, when Murdoch

approached.

"That's going to look nice," he told the girls, pausing beside the step stool that Teresa stood on to reach the upper cabinets.

"Thank you," Teresa told him with a smile.

"Will you need Charlie for a while longer?" Murdoch asked.

Charlie, who'd been tasked mostly with handing things up to Teresa, looked up at Murdoch curiously.

"We're nearly finished. I can manage the rest," Teresa said.

Murdoch nodded, and looked at Charlie. "Come along with me for a bit. It's hot out. Go and get a hat."

Charlie scurried to go and get her hat, and then went to find Murdoch outside. He was beside the corral, saddling his horse.

"I thought we'd go for a ride," he said. "There's some fence that I want to take a look at."

"Okay," Charlie said. "I'll go get Gurth so I can saddle him."

"You can ride with me," Murdoch said.

So, Murdoch mounted, and then held out a hand, pulling Charlie up to sit in front of him.

They rode for awhile, onto a part of the ranch that Charlie hadn't often been on. Murdoch pointed out things of interest, such as a tree

that he thought to be over a hundred years old. When they came upon a stretch of fence, they dismounted and walked, as Murdoch checked

it for damage.

Once they were on horseback again, and riding, Murdoch spoke quietly, "Do you know the true value of a good education, Charlie?"

Charlie hesitated, thinking. "So you know about more things?" she asked.

"Of course, that's right. A person's education extends beyond just themselves. It can influence others that they're around, because their

thinking skills are more developed," Murdoch said.

Charlie was thinking that over, when Murdoch talked on. "Education never stops, really. It can be lifelong learning. A good education improves

quality of life, and provides opportunities. It's very important."

Charlie had the feeling now that she knew what was at the basis of Murdoch's conversation. Scott must have told him about

her being the author of the well-sung rhyme.

She settled for saying, "Yes, sir."

"It's a privilege that some people don't ever get. Getting a good education," Murdoch continued.

"Yes, sir," she said, again, subdued. Her stomach began to hurt, tied with nerves. At any moment, she was sure Murdoch was going

to fill her ears with his thoughts on her misbehavior, and how she was seeming to be ungrateful for the chance to have an education.

She tried to prepare herself for his scolding, feeling emotional, and nearly already blinking back tears.

Only, the dreaded scolding didn't come. He only extended his arm to point out another enormous tree just ahead of them, and began telling her

about it. "That's another old tree there," he said. And patted her hand that rested on top of the saddle horn. And, they rode on.

Lancer