Troubles on the Double O Ranch

Papa, I guess I ought to tell you something." "About what?" Leith asked. "About Susie gettin' me in trouble after the picture shows the teachers gave us for Christmas," Josh confessed with a slight quaver in his voice. "Okay. What was that all about?" Leith said, slowing his mount. "Well...I'm afraid I said a bad word."A quick look at his father told him that Leith was waiting for the rest of the story. "I didn't mean to,"he said earnestly. "But sometimes...well, sometimes stuff just pops out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop it." Leith knew all too well how that could happen. "And, the word was...?" he asked. It was as if every bird of the air and every small animal in the brush was waiting to hear the awful word. Leith watched as his son raised his hand to the nape of his neck and rubbed at it like he knew he did so often himself when something troubled him. "You can tell me, Josh," he offered. "Just this one time it'll be okay to say it." "Well..." Josh took a deep breath and plunged in. "I said 'damn.'" He rushed to defend himself. "I didn't mean to, Papa. But Susie jumped on my case like a bunch of cats tied in a gunny sack. Sometimes she just makes me so mad, I say things I know I shouldn't. But that wampus cat of a sister of mine thinks she can boss me around like she was you or Mama " he complained. "What makes girls so bossy, Papa?"