One morning Ponderosa owner Ben Cartwright said to his second son Hoss, “Hoss, I want that you deliver an important letter at the ranch of Jesse Dickerson.”
“Alright pa”, said Hoss.
The youngest Cartwright, six year old Mitch, heard that and looked at his father Adam Cartwright questionable.
“Daddy, may I go along with uncle Hoss?”, he asked begging.
“Only when your uncle promises me solemnly to look after you well”, answered Adam.
“I promise that”, Hoss said with a hand on his heart.
Adam and Joe looked at each other smiling because their mutual thought was: ‘REST!’ Hoss got the letter and promised his father also to look well after the boy. Adam and Joe were very pleased that Hoss and Mitch were away for a while because then they could enjoy the peace and quietness. Cody, the shepherd dog, wanted to come too but got kept at home by Adam. Hoss had saddled the horses already and taken enough water and food. It could be possible they became hungry and/or thirsty underway. The Chinese cook Hop Sing had prepared a large supply of sandwiches which he gave along.
The trip went well for the 2 Cartwrights. The sun shone lovely and they were in a good mood. It seemed that everything was with them because after riding 3 hours they reached the ranch van Jesse Dickerson. Though this was just the start of all misery. Hoss notice trouble because it was abnormally silent.
“Mitchy, you remain on your horse an watches my horse. I go and have a look inside”, Hoss said after a while.
He dismounted off his horse Chub and gave the reins to Mitch who reluctantly agreed. Very carefully Hoss sneaked to the living house and was he on his guard. When he looked inside everything was dark.
“Hey, what are you doing there?”, the Cartwrights heard a gruff voice asking.
Hoss and Mitch turned around and looked into the eyes of Jesse Dickerson.
“We have come to deliver you a letter from my father to you”, said Hoss.
He got the letter from his inside pocket and gave it to the rancher. Jesse got it an opened it. Waiting the Cartwrights looked at him. Now Mitch began to feel uncomfortable too.
Jesse asked, “Is this happen to be an insult of Ben Cartwright at my address?”
“Why? What does it say then?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“It says that I must deliver 100 head of cattle before this end of this week. Otherwise he will sue me for neglect of duty. I have never made that deal with your father”, lied Jesse.
He walked to the Cartwrights and they noticed that he already had a breath like a brewery. He also didn’t look too clear out of his eyes. Jesse was already so far away that he gave Caramel a push so that the horse and that one of Hoss galloped away. Mitch fell off his horse but seemed to be alright at first sight..
“Get lost now and tell your pa that he can whistle for his cattle because I don’t know anything about it!”, said the rancher.
He dropped the letter so that Mitch quickly grabbed it and took it with him. There was nothing else to do for Hoss and Mitch than to go home by walking. Fortunately Hoss had taken off the food and water off the horses for the security.
Full of good spirit they started with the journey back. But halfway Mitch began to feel the pain in his right ankle. Though he didn’t let anything show.
By the time that the sun was on her highest point Hoss said, “We look for a shelter against the sun. Then we can also eat and drink something there.”
Mitch found quite soon a few rocks where they could hide for the firm sunbeams. There too the sandwiches got eaten. After a short while Mitch fell fast asleep. Hoss decided to also take a nap then.
After a few hours the sun stood different and uncle and nephew decided to walk on. By their afternoon nap they could walk on a bit faster but this time the sand didn’t give any cooperation. The sand was loose and by that Mitch got very much trouble with walking.
“Uncle Hoss, can’t we have a break? I can hardly walk anymore”, Mitch complained after walking 2 hours.
“You are right. Just let’s have a rest for a while”, said his uncle.
“I am always right. And if not, then rules umber 1 rules. And rule number 1 is, I am always right!”, reacted the youngest of the couple dry.
“You are just as bad as Adam is. He also wants to be right too”, Hoss said indignant.
“I am his son, aren’t I?”, asked Mitch.
Hoss just didn’t give an answer to that. They went to sit and Hoss checked the painful ankle of Mitch. The ankle had been swollen up seriously an it was clear that Mitch couldn’t get at the ranch without public traffic. But where did you find now public traffic in the desert? It was a spot you rather avoided.
Finally Mitch put on his boot again and he said, “Let’s go walking again. The sooner we are home.”
“Mitchy, you can hardly stand on that ankle. Let alone walk. Then you can’t play baseball for quite a while”, Hoss said worried and concerned.
“When daddy sees this ankle he forbids it anyway. So what difference does it make?”, asked his nephew.
Like usual Mitch had now the last word again. They got up and walked with full spirit home.
At the Ponderosa Adam and Joe saw Chub and Caramel coming being hot. The brothers knew right away that there was something wrong with Hoss and Mitch.
Joe saddled their own horses and 2 fresh horses while Adam said to his father, “Chub and Caramel are here but the gentlemen H. and M. Cartwright aren’t. Joe and I are going to look for them.”
“Just go and do take enough water with you”, Ben answered worried.
Adam filled the field bottles with fresh water and went to look for the 2 missing ones with his younger brother.
The walking trip became harder and harder for Hoss and Mitch. Mitch tried not to let sow how much pain he had but that failed. His uncle knew him through and through.
When the boy couldn’t go any further he let himself drop in the sand and he said, “Just go home without me. I really can’t walk any further anymore.”
“Mitchy Cartwright, we are in this together. I ain’t really leaving you here behind. Grandpa and your father can see me coming”, reacted Hoss.
He noticed that his nephew really couldn’t walk any further. Since their resting break they had walked 3 quarters of an hour and the end of the desert had come in sight already. Suddenly Hoss saw 4 horses coming. Two riders rode in a big hurry towards them.
“Are you always go walking through the desert?”, Adam asked teasing.
“No, that damn Jesse Dickerson was so drunk as a skunk that he gave Caramel a smack and Mitchy ended up on the ground. Hereby he can hardly walk on”, Hoss explained.
Joe dismounted and gave Hoss and Mitch some water. Adam dismounted and picked up Mitch carefully. The boy got put on a horse where after Adam also mounted on. Here after they rode back together.
Ben stood at the yard waiting for his offspring. He already had become worried an especially now the horse of his second son and grandson had come home without them. When the foursome came the rancher knew 100% sure that it was gone with the peace and quiet. Ben walked to his grandson and lifted him off his horse. Mitch walked along limping inside where Hop Sing had a big bowl of ice standing by. Hoss told what had had happened. Ben knew that Jesse had forgotten it on purpose.
That evening Jesse Dickerson came personally at the door. The family was just having supper when Hop Sing came to announce that there was a visitor. Ben got up and walked to the front door.
“Cartwright, how dare you to accuse me of not delivering cattle? I have done that!”, Jesse speaking thickly.
“That has not happened. My sons and grandson are all 4 witness of it”, Ben said calm.
Meanwhile the boys had come closer for not to miss anything of the firm discussion n between Ben and Jesse.
Finally Jesse saw that he clearly was getting the worst of it because he said, “Early tomorrow morning you have your cattle!”
“It was about time. Haven a nice evening”, Ben said polite.
Jesse went away angry to collect the cattle.
Jesse kept word in deed and the following morning the Cartwrights finally got their cattle from him. Here after the drunken rancher didn’t know how fast he had to get away out of Nevada. The Cartwrights wouldn’t get trouble from or by him anymore.