"You take that back Bryant!" Jennifer shouted with her fist doubled up as she stared down the older, bigger boy her cheeks flushed with anger.
"No way, it's the truth. You're just a little orphan! My ma said so." Jonah Bryant taunted with a smirk as he stared down at Jennifer. "She said that it ain't fittin for Ben Cartwright to be raisin' a miscreant like you." He added and he laughed as Jennifers cheeks flushed redder.
But the laughter was cut off when Jennifer rushed him, and she shoved the older boy down, and her small fists started to pound down upon the boy in a furry.
Jennifer launched her attack, as tears of anger rolled down her cheeks.
Hoss had been teaching Jenny how to hold her own in case she ever needed to defend herself, so the seven year-old used her newfound skills.
Johan Bryant was no longer laughing at her, but instead letting out cowardly cries as he begged her to stop.
When his pleas fell on deaf ears he switched tactics and instead he began to yell for his mother while trying in vain to block Jennifers blows.
Hoss walked out of the mercantile and they looked up at the sound of some children hollering. He saw them across the street in an alley between two buildings gathered in a circle, "Looks like a fight. Guess I better go break it up." He thought to himself, and he glanced at the wagon and he caught sight of it empty. A frown came upon his face as he figured his little sister had went over to see the spectacle. As Hoss crossed the street and he grew closer to the bunch of children his eyes widened as he caught sight of his little sister sitting astride of the mercantile owners son pounding him with her tiny fists.
And in that moment Hoss felt a mixture of emotions. Concern, because he knew his little sister wasn't one to start a fight without reason. Pride, because the boy she had taken on was 2 years older, and a good size bigger than Jennifer, and the skills he had taught her were shining through. And disappointment, because Jenny wasn't supposed to fight with the other kids.
"Alright, that's enough!" Hoss stated firmly as he broke through and he leaned down to pull the two children apart. "The fights over, lets break it up!"
Hoss sighed when he saw that Jennifer wasn't going to let the other boy be and the 15 year-old gently picked his little sister up around the waist and began to carry her away.
"Put me down Hoss! Put me down!!" Jennifer said as she wiggled and she struggled to get down, shooting a glare at her foe. But her protests were cut short when she felt a firm hand swat her and she hushed.
Once back at the wagon Hoss set Jennifer down on the back of the wagon, and he began to look her over, to make sure she wasn't injured.
Jennifer seemed unscathed, apart from a few bruises and nicks on her knuckles but what troubled him the most was when she began to sob and he pulled her into a gentle embrace, and gently rubbed her back.
"Shh, it's alright Jenny darlin', it's alright. Ol' Hoss is here."
"Not true... it's not true." Jenny said between sobs as she clung to her older brother.
It took Hoss a minute to understand what she was saying but he frowned when she did and he began to wipe her tears telling her to calm down. "What's not true darlin'?" he asked with concern, his anger fading away.
Jenny hiccupped as she frowned deeply, "He said I was a orphan. That it was wrong of pa to raise a mis... miscreant like me. But that's not true is it Hoss?"
Hoss' frown deepened further at her words as he felt some anger swell in his chest at the hurtful sounding words, his thoughts had been correct, Jenny had been provoked and justified in her actions.
"No, no, of course not darlin'." Hoss said as he gently hugged his baby sister smoothing her hair, "Pa and Adam and Joe and me are your family. You're not an orphan. Why that ol' Jonah just didn't know what he was saying. But it's alright now, darlin'."
Jennifer nodded slightly, "He just kept saying those things, and he wouldn't stop." She blushed deeply, "When he said that it wasn't right for pa to be raising me I just lost it." she attempted to explain.
Hoss decided that it would be wise to tell his father when they returned home, of what had transpired today. "Well you pay no mind to him Jenny darlin', no mind at all. What he said could not be further from the truth. You're pas daughter just like I'm his son."
Jenny nodded, now calm and she looked down at the back of her red hands. "Okay..."
Hoss softly frowned as he coaxed her to look at him, "I mean it now." he said seriously and he wouldn't let Jenny look away as he held her gaze.
Jennifer couldn't help but smile as her older brother looked at her, and he returned the smile as he sighed.
"Let's get home before pa wonders what's keepin' us." He said as he walked around to unhitch the horses while Jennifer climbed up and sat on the seat at the front of the wagon.
Hoss climbed into the wagon and he sat down on the seat and he gathered the reins and urged the horses forward.
As they drove out of town Hoss wordlessly reached into his pocket then he handed Jennifer a small brown paper bag.
Jennifer opened the paper bag confused but her confusion became a happy gasp as she pulled out a licorice whip and she began to munch on it.
Hoss couldn't help but chuckle as he reached into the bag and helped himself to a peppermint.