When Ben told Adam of the conversation he was appalled.

"Pa, I am not teaching Little Joe!"

"Well, you might have to, son. You saw the note." He struck the paper with the back of his hand. " 'If Joseph's behavior does not improve we may have to reconsider his future at this school.' "

"Look, we've been here over fifteen years and Miss Jones has never expelled a pupil yet. She's not as hard as she makes out."

"I know that, she's a lovely woman." Adam reddened under his father's gaze. "And that's another thing, I don't like Little Joe causing so much grief for her. She deserves better than that."

"She's a professional, Pa. She's used to troublesome kids."

"That's just it, I don't want him to be troublesome!"

"Just give him a good hiding, Pa."

"It might come down to that. I've warned him. But he seems to be getting into trouble more and more often at the moment. He's on very thin ice at that school."

"Look, I'll go and talk to Miss Jones. See if I can get some rapport with her - "

"I'd say you had a pretty good rapport with her already," Ben said lightly.

"Oh, Pa, stop. I mean, about Little Joe. He's not a bad kid, she knows that."

"It's these fights. His temper. He mustn't lose his place at that school, he just mustn't. He wants to leave, you know."

"Yeah, he told me."

"And what do you feel? I suppose you think I should let him."

"Absolutely not. He's far too young. And he's not ready to work on the ranch yet. He doesn't know enough."

"I'm glad you said that, Adam."

"You really thought I'd disagree?"

"I didn't know. After all, Hoss was only a year older."

"Hoss was completely different, he was more mature. If it came to a choice between him going to a boarding school or me teaching him, of course I'd teach him. But it'd be worse for him because I wouldn't let him get away with half what Miss Jones does."

"Well, she's a good teacher but I do wonder if a relatively young woman is really the right person to control a feisty fourteen-year-old who thinks he's already a man."

Adam scratched his head and grinned. "Well, I can assure you, Pa, I'd not let Little Joe get away with a thing. But it won't come to that. He's stayin' at that school whether he likes it or not. We'll have to use our old Cartwright charm, Pa."

"Hmph."