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Fred Aultland
Hiram Beckman, or Hi, is a Colorado cowboy who proves to be a major mentor for Ralph. Though he makes a poor first impression on Ralph’s mother, cussing and letting Ralph ride his blue roan horse, his exceptional skills as a rider win Ralph’s immediate admiration. Hi further endears himself to Ralph by giving him the affectionate nickname “Little Britches” and later, when Ralph begins on Mr. Cooper’s ranch, Hi gifts him several homemade riding accessories, including a saddle. On the ranch, Hi helps Ralph to break and train his own blue roan colt, Sky High, and the two of them compete in and win several matched pair riding competitions. Though Ralph’s parents are initially nervous about Ralph’s participation in the competitions, his and Hi’s victory ameliorate their concerns, making them proud. Hi proves to be more than just a mere instructor to Ralph, however. When he hears of Ralph’s father’s trouble in court, Hi lends Ralph’s father his gun and teaches him to defend himself, fearing for his safety. This illustrates not only his depth of affection for Ralph, but also his keen sense of justice. While he may be crass, taking God’s name in vain and performing flashy tricks on his horse, he stands up for what believes in. In this sense, Hi is very much the archetype of the American cowboy: unruly, yet chivalrous, independent, and compassionate.
Hiram Beckman Quotes in Little Britches
The Little Britches quotes below are all either spoken by Hiram Beckman or refer to Hiram Beckman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3 Quotes
Before we left home, Mother had taken us into the front room and said, “I am not going to have you children grow up to be rowdies and ruffians just because we live on a farm. Ralph, if you get into a fight in this new school, I shall give you a hard thrashing when you get home. The Bible says that if your enemy smites you on one cheek, you are to turn the other.”
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Chapter 7 Quotes
Then he said to me, “Didn’t have no trouble with him, did ya, Little Britches?”
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We walked along a little way, then he rumpled my hair again and said, “Your father was proud of you son.” It was the first time he ever told me that, and I got a lump in my throat.
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Chapter 26 Quotes
“Yep, they’re easier ways, and it would be easier for him to forget. The lessons you remember longest are the ones that hurt you the most when you learn ‘em. Do you follow what I’m tryin’ to tell you?”
I couldn’t help thinking about what Father had said—that night out on the chopping block—and I said, “I guess I know what you mean.”
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Hiram Beckman Character Timeline in Little Britches
The timeline below shows where the character Hiram Beckman appears in Little Britches. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
...hurt its rider. Before leaving, the cowboy calls Ralph “Little Britches” and introduces himself as Hiram Beckman, or Hi.
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...first time, and Ralph gets a lump in his throat. Ralph’s father explains that, though Hi is a showoff, he is a “good horseman.” Hi clearly trained his horse well, as...
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...what a good storyteller she is. Ralph grows bored, however, and begins to think of Hi and his blue roan. With a plan in mind, he asks if he can leave...
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Chapter 9
...scolds him for “playing cowboy” and over-riding Fanny. He explains that a good cowboy, like Hi, spares his horse, describing the techniques Ralph should use in the future to save Fanny’s...
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...He only falls off one time, and only because he tries to copy one of Hi’s tricks. Otherwise, he tries to herd the cows the way his father told him to,...
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Chapter 24
...return home on Saturday nights. When Ralph arrives at Mr. Cooper’s ranch, he learns that Hi is his cattle foreman. Hi gifts Ralph a homemade saddle and a quilt, and then...
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...Ralph likes neither one of them. He has an eye on a blue roan like Hi’s, and Hi cajoles Mr. Cooper into letting Ralph “take a shot at him.” Mr. Cooper...
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...on. Though he can barely see straight, he wants to keep riding the horse, and Hi lets him, opening the gate to the alfalfa field. As he rides him, Ralph feels...
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Chapter 25
Ralph spends the afternoon helping Juan and Hi prep the chuck wagon and fill water casks. Fred Aultland shows up at Mr. Cooper’s...
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...also discovers happily that Juan does not give him much work. For the first week, Hi brings Sky High with them to break him more and lets Ralph ride him for...
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Chapter 26
The next morning, Hi tells Ralph he’ll let him ride Sky High “from scratch” if can figure out his...
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...real hour of work a day and spends the rest of the time practicing what Hi teaches him, like swinging a rope and roping steers while on Sky. He soon finds...
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Hi also teaches Sky High how to stand ground-tied, which means learning stay in one place...
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Chapter 27
Hi tells Ralph of trouble at his family’s farm, explaining that the upstream ranchers have broken...
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When they arrive, Hi has Ralph show off for his family, racing around their house and doing tricks. Ralph’s...
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After coffee, Hi teaches Ralph and his father how to shoot. He has them start by throwing rocks...
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Back inside, Ralph’s mother gives Hi a pan of fudge to bring to Mr. Cooper’s. The next morning, Ralph asks his...
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Chapter 28
Per Hi’s instructions, Ralph continues to train with Sky High during the summer hay season. Towards the...
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...mother’s disapproval, Ralph feels guilty about being at the saloon. To distract himself, he tells Hi about the diving trick he used to perform on Fanny. When they return to the...
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...He signs Ralph’s waiver, telling him to ride to Mr. Cooper’s that night in case Hi wants to get an early start. When Ralph arrives at Mr. Cooper’s, the men surprise...
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Hi takes Ralph to Littleton early Labor Day morning so Sky High has time to adjust...
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Chapter 29
...of the month, Ralph has trouble focusing on his work at Mr. Cooper’s ranch, and Hi has to scold him several times.
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