For most disclaimers please see part one, however, just so its clear, I dont own the Bonanza characters, I simply play with them for free. Jennifer is mine with all her faults. 

Warning!! this sections includes talk of child abuse, it is part of the back story and none of the character here would ever thing of doing what was done before by others. if this bother you hit delete or skim/skip the part where Jenny talks of her past. 

There actually was a prison in the south for POWs called Andersonville, it was a terrible place where men died regularly, would a child have been sent there? prolly not, but it is part of the back story and so it stays. In the same manner, a child would not be sent to prison but often what someone over hears is not the truth. 

Many orphanages of that time were little more than workhouses, where children were often beaten severly and lived in deplorable conditions, even as recently as the begining of the last century the conditions were not much better or so My Granny used to tell me from when she lived in one.

This chapter contains the disciplinary spanking of a minor child, there is no sex in this story. 

A gentle snow had fallen during the day, the ground was covered with the powdery whiteness. Each twig and branch, every over hang and roof was glistening with the cold crisp flakes. Now one footprint marred the pristine blanket that covered the yard.

That lasted for about 12 seconds, then a thundering was heard, and in one explosion of limbs 36 children burst out  the door of the one room schoolhouse and out into the yard. The first ones grabbed up huge handfuls of the snow and shaped it quickly into balls. They pelted each other with them. Laughter, shouts of joy and squeals of surprise filled the air as they ran about to expend the pent-up energy. 

Still in the building, a hickory switch rose and fell, burning a line of  obedience on the miscreants hapless bottom. Swish WHAP swish WHAP filled the air, muffled grunts of pain escalated to outright cries as the punishing switch continued its course. Then at long last it stopped. Soft sobs grew muffled as a remorseful nose was placed firmly into the corner. A second later the sound of a pen scratched on a paper added to the quiet sobs. 

"Give this note to your father, Jamey," said Mr. Thompson, the schoolteacher, to the silent boy who had watched his sister's punishment. 

"Yes, Sir." 

"Jennifer, you are suspended for the rest of the week. I will expect 500 lines of ‘I will not tie the outhouse door shut again.’ That is in addition to the lines you already have of ‘I will not put snakes in the teacher’s desk’ and ‘I will not block up the stove pipe.’ That's 500 lines of EACH, and I expect your BEST handwriting Jennifer." Thompson commanded.

Jenny flushed, she hated writing lines but only said, "Yes Sir."

Thompson folded the note in half and handed it to Jamey. "I expect it signed and returned with Jamey tomorrow, Jennifer." 

Jenny blushed again, she was not trusted it seemed. Thompson looked at the tear streaked face of the young lady; half wild, half tame. Still willful and hardheaded, full of playfulness and mischief. Thompson was an old fashioned schoolmaster. He believed heavily in discipline and rules, a place for everything and everything in its place. Actions to be done, and consequences if they were needed, rewards more sparingly. He and Jenny had clashed on many occasions. Still he loved her fire and passion for life, her dogged determination when trying to solve a problem. Jenny was not lazy and when she got hold of a problem she did not give up until she found the answer. The same was also true when she had mischievous ideas for some reason Thompson was one of her favorite targets, this was the third time she had played a prank on him that day. Thompson was at his wits end. Perhaps a few days at home would straighten her out. 

Thompson handed her another piece of paper. "Your assignments for the rest of the week, Jennifer." Jenny swallowed at the length of the list in her hands. She was going to be very busy. 

"I am sorry Mr. Thompson," she whispered softly as she sniffled. 

"Prove it by improving your behavior young lady." Thompson sternly told her, then softened a bit. "I was young once too Jennifer, I understand wanting to have fun. But there is a time and a place and this is never the time and place for that sort of nonsense. You have a quick mind, you are very bright, you could be a teacher yourself someday if you would only apply yourself." 

"Yes sir, I’ll do my best." Jenny said contritely but was pleased at the compliment even though she had no intentions of becoming a teacher. 

"Very well, You are both dismissed." 

Yes Sir, goodbye Sir," Jenny said as she turned to the cloak room, Jamey echoed her words and followed. 

They entered the cloakroom which was more of an alcove than an actual room.  No words were spoken.  Jamey briefly put his hand on his sister’s shoulder in mute comfort. Jenny paused a moment then they put on their coats, scarves, gloves and hats and went out into the now rumpled looking snow. Neither felt like playing in the newly fallen powder. Jenny was almost sick to her stomach with worry. She just didn't stop to think about the consequences of the jokes she had played. Now her bottom had paid the price of her actions, and knowing her Pa, it would again. She knew the rules as well as her brothers did, if you were spanked at school you would get another one at home. A note about bad behavior often got the same. And being suspended… Jenny shuddered at the thoughts of that one. 

"Pa’s going to kill me," she lamented to her brother after they had gotten their horses from the livery stable and were on the way home.

"No, he won't kill you Jenny," Jamey consoled his little sister. "You won't get that lucky, Pa’s sure gonna take the hide off your rump though." 

Jenny short her brother a dirty look. "Gee thanks for your support big brother." Jenny snarled.

"Jenny, I know your scared, but you brought this on yourself.  What ever possessed you to tie Mr., Thompson in the outhouse after just having been spanked for the stovepipe and the snake? Sometimes I wonder what gets into your head."

Jenny didn't answer for a while, then said softly, "When I was very young, 4 or 5, I lived with my mother’s people, the Cherokee. You know mother was dead already, she died giving birth to me." a look of pain crossed Jenny's face, Jamey knew it wasn't from her sore bottom on the hard saddle. 

"My Uncle Lame Wolf was there, Grandfather left him in charge of me which was an insult. I was just a child, a girl child; and he was a warrior but Grandfather was the chief so his word was obeyed. Uncle resented having to do woman’s work by watching after me. and he took it out on me the entire time. Grandfather never saw the beatings and Uncle was too good to leave too many marks. One summer Grandfather left for a few suns, err days, and Uncle beat me the entire time. . Cherokee people don't discipline their children by beating them. That would be unthinkable, but Uncle beat me daily and sometimes more. I think he knew what would happen when Grandfather came back but he was just so angry all the time. He kept the beatings up, each one worse than the last. Then the day before Grandfather was due back Uncle tried again to kill me. He had done that before but Grandfather stopped him each time. I was able to escape this time, when someone called in to find out what the screaming was about. I ran off and hid. When Grandfather came back Uncle told him how willful and disobedient I had been, I watched from a stand of trees  near the lodges. I saw Grandfather’s face grow sad. And disappointed in me. and my actions. I had done some of what Uncle said but not all of it. Then Uncle told Grandfather that I had run away. Grandfather looked as if he had been hit. He stared into the fire for a very long time. Then he stood up. he looked so old. He turned to the people and declared that should I return I was to be sent away to my other Grandfather who was of the apache. My heart fell, I was too bad to stay, Grandfather didn't want me. I slipped into camp later and got pemmican and jerky and my mother's locket, and left. I traveled for a long time and once was taken in by this nice family for the winter. But when the spring came they sent me to an orphanage." Jenny's voice broke for a moment. 

"I was too small to actually do any real work and always seemed to be in trouble. It was worse at the orphanage than any prison. We were beaten and punished for any reason at all, sleeping too much, or not cleaning the floor right. I was always in trouble, always caught doing something. They sent me away when I was proved to be too bad to be around white children. I thought at the time that nothing could be worse than that orphanage. I was wrong. The work house was much, much worse. I was locked indoors all the time. I never saw the sun till the day I escaped. I got in more trouble for sneaking food to some of the other children who were starving. Finally I overheard one of the guards say I was being sent to a prison cause I was incorrigible and unredeemable. I didn't know what that meant then. But I knew it bad, I was bad. Too bad to stay. I escaped that night and ran away. I was older then. I thought if I could just see Grandfather and talk to him maybe he would let me come back. I traveled day and night to get to the village. Uncle said Grandfather refused to see me, that he had disowned me. But if Uncle would make the sacrifice and punish me for what I had done,  then maybe just maybe Grandfather would change his mind. I was a fool but  I so wanted to believe Lame Wolf. I agreed. Uncle took me where no one  could hear and beat me again. I kept thinking, this is for Grandfather, he will know I am not bad and let me come back. Uncle beat me long and hard that night. and the next, I could barely walk by the third night. then he said he had talked to Grandfather. That Grandfather had not changed his mind my sins were too great and I was to be disowned the next day and cast out of the village. 

I snapped I think, I left the moment Uncle's back was turned and never looked back. I was 8 by then. The war had started, I made my way east and disguised myself as a boy, then joined with the north as a scout. CL Johnson new I was too young but he left me join anyway, I am a good scout and I think he felt sorry for me, a young boy he thought alone in the world, half starved and even stripped to the waist I looked like a boy. I was real careful while I was with him. Oh he tanned my butt on a regular basis for all kinds of things even on the bare but he didn't find out I was a boy  for nearly three years. I was out scouting a lot of that time. And I spent some time on a  plantation hiding out when I was almost caught. So I didn't see him a whole lot. Then in the third year of the war something happened, I don't remember just why, but I set off firecrackers by the patrol, and got caught. The CL said it was a terrible thing to do. And used his belt on me until I couldn't hardly walk. I had never seen him so mad. Then he told me I was being sent away . the company was heading south but I was to be sent north. I knew why .. I was too bad to stay. Well I slipped off before they left and joined another unit for a time. By then they needed scouts so badly they never questioned anything. That didn't even last a year before they sent me to another orphanage, it seems that CL didn't like kids to start with and was just looking for an excuse to get rid of a bad seed like me. I escaped that night and headed south. It was the last few months of the warm when I was captured by the Rebs. I was sent to Andersonville." 

Jamey shudder and gasped, he had heard of the terrible southern prison camp and the atrocities committed there. The fact that his sister had been there shocked and shook him to the core, He felt physically ill. 

"It was there that I met CL Johnson again. He had been captured months before. but he remember me. It was in Andersonville that he found out I was a girl .,. I was afraid they would turn me in but they didn't. it was after my first beating they stripped me to clean the bloody clothing and found out. The CL was livid, but ever last man there protected me from the attentions of the guards and kept my secret. After we escaped he said he was going to adopt me, but I guess I had just done too many bad things, He sent me to an orphanage again,, and they sold me to that traveling preacher. And we came west again. You know the rest." 

Jamey nodded, Jenny had been found by chance, she had been beaten bloody and was running from the preacher who was hunting her with dogs and a rifle. She literally ran into their wagon. Ben had taken her home and found out the preacher had sent her away for being so sinful then chased her to chase out the devil, it was while she was healing that Ben found the locket and saw the picture in of him when he was younger and of his wife of  the time, her mother Whispering Wind. 

"Its just a matter of time Jamey, before Pa sends me away too for being too bad. I guess I just push it so it will happen. I’ve been here the longest of anywhere so far since Grandfather."

"Why do you think Pa Is going to send you away?" Jamey asked not following this strange little sister logic.

"Because he has to, I am not good enough to be here, I am too bad to stay." Jenny whispered almost by rote. "No one wants a half breed runt, especially a bad half breed runt."

Jamey caught hold of one of Jenny's reins and pulled up both horses. "Whoa there," he said and looked at his little sister. "Jenny, Pa loves you, he isn’t ever going to send you away, not ever; your his child."

"I was Grandfather's precious grandchild too but that didn't stop him." Jenny said softly her eyes fixed on the saddle horn. "It's okay Jamey. I expect it will happen soon, don't worry, I’ll still be your sister no matter what, and soon I won't have to worry, I’ll be 21 and then I can go where I want."

"Sis, Pa won't send you away, I promise."

"YES he will, everyone does," Jenny whispered and shifted in the saddle. "Just promise me you won't say anything to him about what I said, he doesn't need to know this. He would only worry." 

It was Jamey's turn to shift, he wanted to tell pa, he knew it was important," If you say so." He tried to evade making an out right promise.

"PROMISE me," Jenny insisted and held up her pinkie.

Jamey sighed and did the ritual "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye if I lie." Then he crossed pinkies with Jenny and they both shook. "I don't like this Jenny."

"Tough, you promised now." Jenny gave her brother a look he couldn't quite place, before she took her reins and clicked to her horse and started again on the ride to home. Jamey briefly thought of tanning his sister, but finally elected to ride after her. 

****

Once at home Jenny and Jamey changed out of their school clothes and got a snack, then they started on their chores. Ben was still out with the herd and the men as he often was. He tried to be home when Jenny and Jamey got home from school but that was not always easy when one ran a ranch the size of the Ponderosa. 

After chores were done, Jenny and Jamey sat on the floor at the coffee table before the great fireplace in the front room. They often worked there in the winter as the living room was warmer  than anywhere else in the house but the kitchen, and Hop Sing didn't allow anyone in the kitchen while he was getting supper ready. 

Jenny was diligently working  her way thought the first assignment on her list. Mr. Thompson had divided the work into days so she would know what needed to be finished and sent in with  Jamey each day. As time moved closer to supper. Jenny began to fidget more and more. When the door finally opened Jenny nearly jumped out of her skin. But it was only Joe and Hoss. 

"Is Pa back?" Jenny asked quietly not really wanting to know the answer.

"He’s out in the bar." Joe said with a speculative look as Jenny stood up and went over to where her coat was hung by the hood. 

Hoss nudged Jamey and nodded after Jenny. "What's wrong with Jenny?" 

Jamey showed Hoss the note, "She got in a lot of trouble today."

"Bad?" Hoss asked.

"Suspended for the rest of the week," Jamey said then told Hoss everything that had happened, Hoss winced and got his coat.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

Hoss didn't answer, he just went out the door. By the time he got to the barn Hoss knew Jenny had told Ben by the way he shook his head and the red in his face. That particular shade of red was not a good indication. Neither was the fact that Ben was about to remove his belt. 

Hoss stepped between his father and sister. "Pa, you need to calm down first," Hoss said easily but in a firm tone.

"Eric this is not your concern." Ben snapped using Hoss'  given name. Another indication he was not happy.

"I can't do that Pa, your too angry to whoop Jenny, I ain’t saying she don't deserve it, but not when your this angry." 

"Boy," Ben thundered then stopped, as he saw Jenny's pale frightened look as she stood behind her grim-faced brother. Ben let out a long breath. "Jennifer. Go. To. Your. Room." Ben enunciated each word as his voice rose. Jenny fled from the barn.

"I know your angry Pa, and I know Jenny deserves more than one whoopin but I couldn't let you whoop her when you was so angry." 

"You did right son," Ben said as he finished unsaddling his horse. "I don't know what to do that girl, sometimes she seems more wild now than when she first arrived." 

"I don't think Jenny was allowed to do much when she was younger, Pa, I think she’s just makin up for it all now. She knows her limits but for the first time she knows someone cares enough to stop her when she tests them. I think she just wants to check and see if its going to stay that way."

"Its going to," Ben confirmed in a voice so soft it was hard to hear. "I have thought though about sending her back east to a Ladies finishing school, but I don't think I could be parted with her for that long yet, and I don't think the east is ready for our little wildcat."

Hoss grinned and showed the gap in his front teeth.

"I AM going to go in and spank her until she can't sit for a week." Ben sighed, "She’s in for a rough few days."

Hoss looked pained but nodded his head, "She does get into a mess of trouble at times. You know Pa, maybe she’s testing you.

"All children test their parents Hoss, how do you mean?"

"You remember those scars on her back?" Hoss asked, Ben winced in the memory.

When Jenny first arrived she had been beaten bloody, her back looked like raw meat. It had healed but left scars, and from the looks of it, they weren’t the first ones either.

"She might be pushing to see if your gonna whip her the way she has been before, I don't think she trusts a lot yet. Maybe more light spankings rather than one hard one will get the message across better, You know Mr. Thompson had to have switched her soundly. Maybe what she needs is a gentle hand applied more often."

"Good thought," Ben said thinking about it, "I can take her with me as I work around the ranch, she can do her school work at each stop and then she will be right with me when I need to give her the next spanking."

"Just with your hand, enough to keep her bottom red. "Hoss said.

"She is going to get more than that tonight though Hoss, I can't let this go with just a hand spanking." Ben looked said as he said it. 

"Just a couple of swats with the hairbrush," Hoss negotiated.

Ben looked at his gentle giant of a son who was fiercely protective of his baby sister. Ben knew Hoss would not hesitate to put her over his knee and tan her hide if he needed to. Even when tears were running down his own face the entire time he was doing it. 

"I’ll decide when I get up there son." Ben said gently, "You can brush her hair for her later."

Hoss smiled, he loved to brush Jenny's long dark hair out, it soothed them both after she had been punished.

Ben patted his boy on the shoulder and turned to go in and take care of his youngest child.
 

to be continued in part 11