Just like the other years King winter had emptied his snow coat across Virginia City. The kids found that great but the adults not. One of those kids was the just become six years old Mitch Cartwright. He played outside the whole day with his shepherd dog Cody. Because the boy was of course a straight Cartwright, the Mitch couldn’t resist to pelt his father and Uncles time and time again with snowballs. But when they were at work Mitch made a snow doll.
When the doll was ready Mitch asked Cody, “Don’t you think that he looks like daddy a bit?”
Cody answered with, “Woof.”
They went to play at the oak and forgot all about the snow doll.
On a certain moment Candy came home.
“Hi Mitch. Shall we play a joke on that father and Uncles of yours?”, the foreman asked laughing.
“Hi Candy. Of course. What did you have in mind?”, Mitch asked directly.
Candy dismounted his horse and brought the animal to the stable.
“While I take care of my horse you fill a bucket partly with snow. I put it upon the edge of the door. As soon as your father or one of your Uncles opens it the bucket with snow falls upon him”, the foreman told.
Mitch went directly looking for a bucket and filled it partly with snow like Candy had said.
The foreman put it carefully on the edge of the door and said, “Mitch, I think we do deserve something hot, don’t you? And keep your mouth shut until they discover it.”
“I know form nothing”, the young Cartwright reacted.
“Maybe Uncle Hoss opens the door as first”, Mitch suddenly said laughing.
By evening time the brothers Cartwright came home.
Hoss was the first one to see the snow doll and said derisory, “Adam, I believe that Mitchy has taken you as example to make a snow doll.
Little Joe looked from the snow doll to Adam and said dry, “Adam, I’m sorry but I must say that the snow doll is more attractive than you are.”
“What are you very kind to me. I already have a heavy time because you three interfere with the fact how I must raise my dear son. Plus that Mitch teases me with your assistance has made me decide that I am going to live somewhere else with my son. You don’t have to expect on any contacts with us anymore”, Adam reacted.
Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other puzzled and Hoss asked worried, “You don’t mean that, do you?”
“You’re breaking the heart of pa when you take Mitch with you”, Little Joe said quickly.
Adam looked at his younger brothers and asked on his turn, “You are very good believers I may say. Why should I live somewhere else when Mitch and I love it here very much?”
“You are such a low person. Sometimes I wonder if you really are a brother of us”, was the vehement reaction of Hoss.
“I do that with you as well”, was Adam’s wry comment.
He dismounted from Sport and brought him to the stable. What he didn’t know was that his son was up to something with Candy to tease his father. Adam opened the door and got a load of snow over him. Hoss and Little Joe saw what happened and couldn’t stop laughing anymore.
“Very funny. Which idiot had thought of this?”, Adam scold while he shook off the snow.
“We are innocent because we were with you the whole afternoon. I think that the person in question is or Candy or Mitch”, little Joe said laughing out loud.
“Or both”, Hoss suggested.
They walked with their horses to the stable and took care of them.
“Adam, that white suits fine with your black clothes”, Little Joe teased before Adam went inside the ranch house.
Now Adam knew more than enough and he was looking for revenge.
He said,” Make sure that you have as much as possible snowballs handy because we are going to teach that little lad of mine and that foreman a lesson in politeness.”
Hoss and Little Joe understood right way the message and said in togetherness, “Got it.”
In the living room Ben was reading to his grandson and Candy listened too.
“Mitchell Cartwright and Canaday, you’re the ones I must have and speak directly to”, Adam said quasi-stern.
The two mentioned looked at each other and had to very much trouble not to start laughing.
“Why did you place that bucket with snow upon the edge of the stable door? Was that done to taunt me?”, he asked.
“What do you mean? Mitch has only helped me with taking care of my horse and then we went inside. Your father has been reading to us all the time”, Candy replied while he winked at Mitch.
“Put on your coats and then we shall have something outside”, Adam only said.
Candy and Mitch stood up and for the security Adam helped his son with his coat. While that happened Ben saw that Adam loved Mitch with all of his heart and that the feeling was mutual.
Once outside Candy and Mitch got treated on a snowball fight.
“Mercy?”, Adam asked teasing after a while.
“Yes, Mr Adam Cartwright”, Candy and Mitch said.
“Don’t let it happen again”, Adam said where after he wanted to go inside but Mitch quickly threw a ball to his father so that the snowball fight lasted longer.
When Ben heard everything during supper he couldn’t stop laughing anymore.
“Sometimes I wonder if you will ever grow up”, he said teasing.
It became even worse when Hop Sing came in with the dessert.
“Specially for Mr Adam Hop Sing made Baked Alaska”, the cook said smiling.
Adam laughed a bit sour and took a piece of the dessert.
“I hope that the snow disappears tonight and never comes back again”, was his reaction.