It happened in Virginia City. Pro boozer Carl Wilson had drunk once again more than good was for him and let that show very well too. He was noisy and quarreled with everyone.
After riding a while Adam and Mitch Cartwright finally reached Virginia City. The trip was heavy due to the falling snow. They stopped at the sheriff’s office.
“You go and get the mail, then I wait here for you”, said Adam.
“Alright”, said the eleven year old Mitch.
He slipped out of the saddle and hitched his horse Caramel. Adam dismounted too and hitched his riding animal Sport too. He looked how his son walked to the telegram office. Suddenly Carl came walking by and pushed laughing the young Cartwright side. Mitch fell on the ground.
“You must look out where you walk!”, snapped the boozer.
A mix of whisky and beer came out of his mouth.
“Look out yourself”, reacted Mitch.
The boozer looked at him and kicked him then against his left ankle. Straight after that he yelled it out of pain. Adam came nearer and kneeled down at his son.
“Is that your son?”, the boozer asked angry.
“Yes, why?”, Adam wanted to know.
“Then you must raise him better. First he walks over me and then he delivers me a few broken toes”, answered Carl.
“He walked me over”, reacted Mitch.
More people came to stand around them and one of them was sheriff Roy Coffee.
“Are you doing it again Carl?”, asked Roy.
“That kid started”, answered Carl.
Roy looked at Adam and asked, “Adam, who had started: Mitch or Carl?”
“Mitch came from your office and got walked over by him. Then he started to kick Mitch but it did more harm to him than to Mitch”, told Adam.
“Of course I don’t get believed but a Cartwright doers. Peace on earth in the forsake of the Cartwright pleasure”, Carl said hateful.
“The Cartwrights have to obey the law as well just like everyone else”, said Roy.
“I will make sure that no single Cartwright will ever come in Virginia City again”, Carl said where after he walked away.
Mitch got up and shook the snow off him. Out of precaution Adam remained by the boy.
Inside the telegram office Adam asked, “Is there any mail for the Ponderosa?”
Glen Parker looked into the post wall and found quite a pile of envelopes.
“Yes sure. Here you have the mail”, said Glen.
Adam got the mail and left with his son the telegram office.
“Kid, are you coming to go home?”, asked Adam.
The youngest Cartwright nodded. They walked to their horses to go home.
“Cartwright, look over here for a second”, Carl called laughing.
Adam grabbed his rifle but Mitch took over the weapon of his father. Carl threw an ice ball but Mitch hit it back. Carl laughed about the action of Mitch but that didn’t take long. The ice ball hit the head of Carl where after he kept lying on the ground moving less. Mitch gave the rifle back to Adam. They walked to Carl and Roy established that Carl was dead.
“He is dead. Mitch, I don’t blame you anything because he started again. But promise me that you never go play baseball in the middle of the street again”, said Roy.
“I promise”, said Mitch.
Adam and Mitch went back home but now they had another story to tell to the others.