Mitch and Pam Cartwright rode to Virginia City to go to the birthday of Jenny Wilkins. She was a friend of the twins and they often played together and at each other’s place too. Suddenly the Cartwrights stood eye to eye with George Willis. He blocked their way.
“Sir, would you please step aside so that we can go pass?”, Mitch asked as polite as possible.
“Give those 2 horses to me because have heard that you have stolen them”, snapped George.
Mitch and Pam looked at each other stupefied.
“That’s not true because….”, Mitch began but he didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because the next moment George shot him off his horse.
Pam slipped out of her saddle and cared for her brother who was hit in his left wrist. The shooter grabbed his chance, climbed out of his carriage and hitched the horses. Here after he rode away quickly.
Adam and Hoss saw the horses hitched and recognized the animals right away.
“Where did you get these horses from?”, Adam asked directly.
“I caught 2 children red-handed with playing with them. I asked polite if they wanted to give the animals to me. They refused that and then I shot down the boy”, George answered without turning a hair.
“And his sister? What have you done with her?”, asked Adam.
“Nothing. Why? Is Ben Cartwright receiving his guests these days in this hostile way?”, George asked on his turn.
“Come Adam. We will look for them”, Hoss said to make the confrontation not any worse.
The brothers unleashed the horses and mounted on their own animals. Here after they left the yard.
In the meantime Mitch and Pam walked to Virginia City. At least they tried to. But Mitch had too much pain to get ahead.
“Who was that fellow?”, asked Mitch.
“Someone who doesn’t know the difference between children and horse thieves”, answered his sister.
By a very co-incidence Pam saw their father and uncle coming.
“Mitch, there come daddy and uncle Hoss”, she said.
The Cartwright brothers stopped their horses and dismounted.
“Boys, what has happened?”, asked Adam.
Mitch answered, “An old man stopped us and claimed that we had stolen Caramel and Chiney. Then he shot me down. Pam dismounted and then he nicked our horses. I only asked polite if he wanted to step aside.”
He showed his wrist.
“We will see the doctor”, said Adam.
After the medical treatment the twins went back home. Hoss had told the parents of Jenny what had happened where by Mitch and Pam couldn’t come.
At the ranch George got out of his carriage and he knocked at the front door, To his big relief he got welcomed by Ben Cartwright. They knew each other for years but due to circumstances the men didn’t have contact for years.
“Ben, how are you?”, asked George.
“Very well. My eldest son Adam is unfortunately widower and has 10 year old twins. Hoss and Joe are still single”, answered Ben.
“A family was never something for me and that’s still so. I have a gruesome hate for children. How young or old they are anyway”, confessed George.
Ben reacted with, “Fortunately my grandchildren have been raised nicely and polite.”
George said, “Well Ben, if you say that then it will be so.”
“They have gone to a birthday of a friend. But you will meet them tonight”, said Ben.
When the Cartwrights rode upon the yard Mitch and Pam recognized the carriage.
“Daddy, that old fellow who shot me sat in that carriage. You are not going to tell us that he is a guest of ours, are you?”, asked the eldest of the twins.
“He is that indeed. But did he shoot you? Everyone could have done it. After all you are a Cartwright too”, answered Adam.
“I saw him too”, reacted Pam.
Meanwhile they dismounted and hitched the horses.
Before they went inside Adam asked his children, “Can I count on it that you will give no false accusations to our guest?”
“False accusations? We tell the truth”, Mitch reacted fierce and hurt.
“You just stay outside until you have cooled down!”, Adam said stern to his son.
Mitch said, “As long as that horse thief stays here you won’t see me inside!”
He went to sit down on the edge of the porch.
“I just stay outside as well then”, Pam said sober.
She went to sit next to her brother. Adam and Hoss did go inside and got confronted with their guest.
“Adam and Hoss, we have a guest George Willis”, said Ben.
The brothers just nodded.
“I thought that I heard Mitch. They were to that birthday of Jenny’s. Or has something happened?”, asked Ben.
“They were indeed on their way to Jenny’s but Mitch claims that Mr Willis shot him down. I don’t believe him”, answered Adam.
“I do have a gruesome hate for them but that doesn’t mean I shoot them down. He will confuse me with another person”, said George.
They decided to let the subject rest.
Outside Mitch said, “I don’t stay here any longer than necessary.”
Pam suggested, “I may go inside. If I pack your and my bag. Then we split together with Cody.”
“We do that”, said Mitch.
The twins carried out the plan. Adam did see his daughter but pretended he didn’t see her. Via the back stairs Pam came outside with 2 bags. Meanwhile Mitch had found their dog Cody.
“Cody, we go away and you come too. Daddy doesn’t believe us anymore”, he said to the dog.
Cody licked him as an answer. Mitch led the horses and Cody outside the yard where after Pam also came soon. Shortly the twins left the Ponderosa in the company of Cody.
By suppertime Adam decided to go outside to talk to his children. One look at the horses learned the eldest Cartwright boy that his children were away. He realized that Mitch had spoken the truth. Hoss came also outside and saw that there were only 2 horses instead of 4. He went to look at the carriage. Then Hoss found the weapon. He got it and smelled at it.
“Adam, here lies a recently used revolver. Willis has really blown Mitchy away”, said Hoss.
They went inside with the weapon.
“Pa, the twins are away. I found this recently used revolver in the carriage. Mr Willis, is this yours?”, asked Hoss.
George understood that he was in deep trouble now and stepped in harsh.
He grabbed the weapon and snapped, “How dare you to search through my belongings? Surely because you are Cartwrights?”
Ben asked stern, “George Willis, have you or have you not shot down my grandson?”
“I have done that indeed. And only because he demanded that I stepped aside so that they could go through”, answered George.
“Mitch told that you accused them of horse thieving. And you came with their horses here”, reacted Adam.
George asked angry, “Ben, who do you believe? An old friend or a grandchild of a year of 8?”
The rancher answered, “I know my grandson since his birth and know when he lies.”
“Hmm, I should have known. The Cartwrights always take the right into their own hands. I should have shoot those 2 rotten brats dead right away. Now they just must find 3 bodies when coming home”, said George.
He wanted to shoot but Adam and Hoss were faster. George died on the spot.
“Hoss, you bring his body to the sheriff. Adam, you and I are going to look for the twins”, said Ben.
So said, so done.
Ben and Adam found the twins at an open spot in the forest. They sat on a fallen tree.
“Boys, what’s the matter?”, the rancher asked worried.
“My wrist is open again”, Mitch said with a painful face.
Ben and Adam dismounted and checked the wrist of Mitch.
“Doc had wrapped it up, hadn’t he?”, Adam asked amazed.
Mitch confessed shy, “Yes, but it began to itch so.”
Ben wrapped it up again while Adam told the twins everything.
He ended with, “I am sorry that I didn’t believe you.”
“We accept your apology. May we still come home?”, asked Pam.
“You just belong at the Ponderosa”, answered Ben.
It was clear that everything was alright again at the Ponderosa.