"Alright!" cried Adam, crashing into his room. "Where are they?"

"Where are what?"

"You know what! You forget, Little Joe, I've known you all your life. I know how sore you've been ever since Scamp and I have started our lessons. It's just the sort of stupid, infantile thing you'd do. And if you don't tell me where they are I'll tan your hide. Or better still, I'll tell Pa and he will."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Joe replied calmly.

His brother was angry, very angry. He seized his collar and dragged him across the room. "Alright, you can talk to Pa about it."

"Gerroff me, Adam!" Joe cried, struggling and kicking. "I dunno what you're talking about!"

"Sure you don't." By now they were on the stairs. "Who else would take them? Scamp and Pa wouldn't, Hoss is too straightforward and Hop Sing would have no use for them. And Isure as heck wouldn't!"

"What the devil's going on?" Ben demanded.

"Scamp's books have disappeared. She's terribly upset, she's tearing her bedroom apart as we speak. We keep them in the cupboard over there and we were going to do our Monday hour as we always do. They're nowhere to be found and I think this one's responsible!"

"Now, Adam, you have no proof. I'm sure Little Joe wouldn't do something like that."

"Ask him, Pa. Just ask him!"

He let Joe go and gave him a push toward Ben. Simultaneously there were several bangs upstairs and crying. Scamp ran down with Hoss close behind her.

Ben scowled at the beginnings of a headache. "Joe, is this true?"

"What's going on here?" Hoss asked.

"I think it was Little Joe who hid the books!" Adam blazed.

"Little Joe!" Scamp cried, her face white. "You didn't!"

"You better not have," Hoss growled. "You've done nothing but give that girl a hard time ever since she started these lessons. If you've hidden them you and I are gonna fall out, little brother."

"Why do I always get the blame for everything? Something goes wrong and you automatically think it's me!"

"Because it usually is," said Ben. "Now, Joseph, you didn't answer my question. Did you take those books?"

"I'm not even gonna answer that!" Joe cried, marching to the door.

"Oh, yes, you are!" Hoss grabbed him and dragged him back. Joe did not know why he was so angry. He was usually so peaceable.

Ben was on his feet. "Joseph! For the third time, did you take those darn books?"

Joe knew he was a poor fibber and he was too honest to lie to a direct question. "Alright! Yes, I did!" Adam caught him a hard smack across the head. "OW!"

"Of all the stupid, childish things to do!" he cried. "Did you think we wouldn't work out it was you? Don't you care how much you hurt your sister?"

"You mean-spirited, nasty little tyke!" Hoss said. "I'd have never thought it of you, Joe! How old are you, fourteen or four?"

Joe rubbed the back of his head, almost in tears. But worse was to come. Scamp slowly crossed the room and stared at him. There was a broken look on her face. "How could you?" she asked quietly. "I thought you loved me."

"I do!" he cried, grabbing her as she turned. She slapped his cheek and ran out.

Ben was nodding grimly. "Well, young man, what have you got to say for yourself?"

Joe transferred his rubbing from his head to his face. "It was only a joke."

"No," Adam said, shaking his head. "Uh-uh. A joke is funny. This was just spite."

"Joe, go to your room."

"Pa, no - "

"Now." He waited until the boy had gone up. "I'm surprised at him, I really am."

"So am I," said Hoss. "It was such a dumb thing to do! We were bound to work out what had happened! Even if we hadn't, Adam would've just gotten some new books. So what was he hoping to achieve?"

"I have no idea," said Ben quietly, "but I intend to find out."

"He's had a hate on ever since you and Scamp started this," he said to Adam. "Almost as if you're doing it to hurt him. It's ridiculous."

Ben started up the stairs. "I'm gonna find out what that young brother of yours has to say for himself."

Joe sat in his room, his cheek still burning. The whole family was against him. He knew he had been childish but he could not help himself. He leant back against the pillows, propped up on the wall and waited.

"Well, young man, what have you to say for yourself? And take your boots off the blanket!" Ben added, swiping at his feet. Joe sat up. "Well? I'm waiting."

"Nothing, Pa."

"What you did was the most childish thing I've ever heard of. A kid of seven would do it."

"I know."

"Well, if you want to act like a seven-year-old perhaps I should treat you like one. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put you over my knee."

Joe stared at his hands. "I can't think of one, Pa."

"Neither can I. What in God's name possessed you?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you can do better than that," Ben said, sitting next to him. "Or we'll be here all day. Now, boy, start talking."

"It's just that...Ever since she's started this thing she's got no time for me."

"So you're jealous? Is that it?" Joe did not answer. "If anything, it's the other way round. You've treated Scamp and Adam pretty poorly since she's started her extra lessons."

"But why does she need them? She's already cleverer than half the kids I know. What's she gonna do with it?"

"It's got nothing to do with you. It's between her, Adam and me. I'm the one raising her, not you."

"Yes, sir."

"And I'm raising you, too." Ben paused, his frustration mounting. Joe sat with his head lowered, unable to meet his eye. He hooked his finger under his chin and forced him to look up. "Joseph, I'm ashamed of you."

"I'm sorry, Pa."

"You're acting like an infant and I won't have it. You should want what's best for her. You should be pleased she's found something fulfilling and enjoyable to do. You'd do that if you loved her ."

"I do love her," Joe said wretchedly.

"Well, show it! Stop thinking about yourself for a change and think of somebody else! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Listen, Joe, nothing's changed from Scamp's point of view. She loves you just as much as she always did and she needs you. She needs you to support her. You've hurt her with your stupidity. You've hurt Adam, too. I'd go very, very carefully with him for a while because he's furious."

Joe felt the tears in his eyes. "Y-yes, sir."

"Hoss is, too. And me. As for Scamp, you're gonna have to find a way to make it up with her. It shouldn't be hard, she's a forgiving soul. But if you ever try to sabotage her lessons again, or you keep treating her badly, you'll answer to me. And believe me, you'll regret it. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Where have you hidden the books?"

"In the barn."

"In the barn?! Where they could get damp or chewed by mice?"

"Well, they've only been there overnight."

"If they're spoiled you will replace them, hear? You'll work that debt off. As it is, you can stay up here today and at supper you will try to make it up with Scamp. After your chores you can go to bed."

"Yes, sir."

"Get the books, put them on the table and then come back here. March."

Joe wandered miserably across the yard. He had hoped his siblings would not be there but he was to be disappointed. He saw Adam and Hoss going in and out of the barn and steeled himself.

"Ah, here he is!" his oldest brother cried. "The little thief!"

"I didn't steal them."

"I hope Pa wore you out," said Hoss.

"No, he didn't."

"It's a wonder. I would have!"

"Well, you ain't my Pa, he is."

Adam gave him a little shake. "I wouldn't have such a smart mouth at the moment if I were you. You're on very thin ice with us. Just because Pa didn't tan your backside doesn't mean wewon't. Scamp was tearing her hair out earlier, in floods of tears. She blamed herself – she thought she had put them somewhere and forgotten about it. She was sobbing to me how she'd let me down and begging me to forgive her. And all the time you were standing by, laughing at her."

"I wasn't laughing at her! You don't understand!"

"You're too darn right we don't understand," said Hoss. "You have your faults, Little Joe, but you ain't ever been spiteful before."

"It wasn't spite!" Joe cried, breaking free from Adam's grasp. "You-you just don't understand! I...thought the books were taking her away from me!"

"You were jealous of a bunch of books?!" Adam gasped.

"No! Not jealous! It's just she was spending so much time on them she never had any time for me any more!"

"You're the most selfish little boy I've ever known. You truly thought by hiding them our lessons would stop? If I were you, I'd go find her and apologize."

"I've got to go back to my room."

"What you doing out here, then?" Hoss asked.

"I've come to get the books."

"Ah, this should be interesting," Adam said. "Where have you hidden them?"

"In there."

"If they're damp, I willwear you out!"

Joe crossed the barn, watched by his brothers and scrambled over the hay bale at the back. He had dug them into the hay and they were still dry. He breathed a sigh of relief and returned, his head down. Adam made an expression of disgust and strode off. It was Hoss's turn to manhandle the youngest member of the family. He held him by the shirtfront with his huge fist.

"You'd better be extra nice to her from now on. Or I will know and I will clobber you!"

"Why are you so upset?" Joe said, pushing his hand away.

"Because I love her and I don't like the way you're hurting her."

"Don't you think I love her too?"

"I don't know, Little Joe. Do you?"