In an intoxicated mood Hoss Cartwright had promised sheriff Roy Coffee to become temporary sheriff . This was because Roy had to go away for important business. But what Hoss had forgotten was that exactly at that time he had to babysit his nephew Mitch and niece Pam. The children were 10 year old twins and the offspring of the older brother of Hoss, Adam and his late wife Mary. The brothers lived with the twins together with their younger brother Joe and father Ben Cartwright at the Ponderosa. It was the biggest ranch in Nevada and environs.
Yet the next morning Hoss realized what he had promised Roy. That was during breakfast.
“Pa, I won’t be home for a while”, he said cheerful.
Ben looked at his 2nd son questionable.
“And where are you going to then?”, he asked.
“Roy Coffee was looking for a replacer for a week because he has to go and Clem is on holiday. So I offered to take his place”, answered Hoss.
Clem was deputy Clem Foster.
“Does the sheriff pay you more than grandpa does?”, asked Mitch.
“No, I do it voluntarily. Why?”, Hoss asked his nephew.
The answer of the boy was, “Then I certainly wouldn’t do it. All those drunks.”
“I can handle them easily”, said Hoss.
“I surely believe that Hoss. But hopefully you haven’t forgotten that you have promised Adam to babysit the twins”, said the rancher.
Now Hoss looked at his father frowning.
“Have I really promised Adam that?”, he asked.
“Yes, we are witnesses”, said Pam.
Then Joe came in with the message, “Pa, we can leave. And Hoss, the sheriff is there for you.”
“So if uncle Hoss is sheriff in Virginia City, then Pam and I can be his deputies”, Mitch suggested.
“Then is Virginia City is totally in safe hands. Are you coming, Joseph?”, Ben asked his youngest son.
Joe nodded. Ben kissed his grandchildren goodbye and vice versa.
“Mitch and Pam, very much good luck with your uncle Hoss”, said the rancher.
“Thanks grandpa”, the twins said at the same time.
Roy came inside and en swore Hoss in with the twins and the loyal Chinese cook Hop Sing as witnesses.
“Hoss, now that you are the sheriff of Virginia City you must go there. Good luck with your new job”, said Roy.
“Are you coming when your homework is packed?”, asked Hoss.
The children packed their bag and their dog Cody went along as well.
On the way Mitch asked, “Sis, would our uncle be suitable to be sheriff?”
“I don’t know”, answered Pam.
“Maybe all the crooks have left now uncle Hoss has become sheriff” , said Mitch.
“For what reason?”, asked his sister.
“To be able to live longer instead of a confrontation with sheriff uncle Hoss Cartwright”, was the explanation of Mitch.
They laughed which Hoss heard of course.
“In a week’s time you will talk different because then you seen me in action as sheriff of Virginia City”, said Hoss.
Now the twins even laughed harder so that their uncle kept silent.
Once arrived in Virginia City the horses got brought to the livery stable.
“You take care of the horses while I do my new job”, said Hoss.
Pam said, “I don’t know for whom I must feel most sorry for: the inhabitants of Virginia City or uncle Hoss.”
“Both”, reacted Mitch.
They laughed again where after Hoss said indignant, “What are we funny again.”
He left the twins behind in the livery stable and went to his temporary office. Cody remained with the children.
Because it was very quiet Hoss sat like a lord with his feet on the table sleeping behind his desk. The twins and Cody came in and saw what the sheriff did. Mitch pointed at the door and Pam nodded. They took the dog along outside.
“So now that is his job?”, asked Pam.
“Uncle Hoss thinks so. But I have never seen the deputy doing that. And the sheriff neither”, answered her brother.
Mitch told his sister about how Hoss had fallen asleep during an afternoon fishing.
“What is our uncle so very cozy sometimes”, said Pam.
They went to sit on the pavement in front of the office of the sheriff. Cody went to sit next to Pam and fell asleep as well. At least it seemed that way. But the dog was alert on everything which was going on.
“Sis, look over there”, Mitch said pointing at the other side.
Pam looked too and saw with Mitch 2 suspected cowboys. Cody sat straight up at once.
The shepherd dog began to groan but Mitch said briefly, “Down Cody!”
He kept silent but remained distrusting looking at the other side, just like the twins.
Jake said, “Mark, I have the feeling that we are being watched.”
His brother answered, “You just think that. Nobody knows us here. Don’t act so nervous.”
Jake Clark was right because he and his brother was being watched by Mitch, Pam and Cody anyway.
The looking game lasted a long time until the brothers went into the Silver Dollar Saloon. Because the twins were too young to go in there the couple decided to tell their uncle everything what they had seen.
“Uncle Hoss, you must wake up at once”, called Mitch.
But this didn’t help so that Cody went to him and barked loud.
Hoss shook awake and asked loud yawning, “Why are you waking me up now for?”
The twins told what they had seen. Mitch described accurately how the brothers looked like.
“You stay here. Cody, you come with me”, Hoss said when he had heard everything.
Mitch and Pam nodded. Hoss took the dog along to the saloon.
In the saloon Jake and Mark took care of much pleasure. They were already quite drunk and thereby very noisy.
“Shall we go and have a lovely fight with each other?”, asked Mark.
“Good idea”, answered his brother.
“Very bad idea”, Hoss said who had heard the brothers.
“Who do you think that you are? The sheriff?”, Jake asked laughing.
Mark laughed too but then he saw Cody.
“Get rid of that dog”, he said.
Because the regular visitors of the Silver Dollar Saloon knew Cody the dog got a lot of attention from them.
“Cody belongs to me and I am the sheriff”, Hoss said smiling.
It remained silent for a while.
“Come along both”, Hoss said after a pause.
He grabbed the brothers tight and dragged them with him. Cody ran jolly after them.
Meanwhile the twins waited at the office for the return of their uncle and dog. To get through the Pam looked through the wanted posters. Mitch found an empty sheet of paper and a pencil. Due to boredom he drew unnoticed the 3 brothers whom he, Pam and Cody kept an eye on outside earlier.
Pam saw the drawing and said amazed, “That are those 2 brothers.”
“I found them very suspicious. Now they also have a wanted poster”, reacted Mitch.
He hung the poster at a very visible place and went to sit innocent behind the desk. Pam went to sit opposite him.
“This way I can keep it up for a week”, said Mitch.
“Me too”, said his sister.
Then the door went open. Hoss and Cody came in with their prisoners.
“Into the cell”, Hoss said stern.
He opened a cell and put the brothers in it. Here after the door got locked. Hoss went back to his office.
“Mitchy, you know that you are my favorite nephew but that doesn’t also mean that you may take my place too”, said Hoss.
“Uncle Hoss, I am your only nephew. But have a seat”, was the reaction of Mitch.
He got up and stroked Cody. Hoss sat down and saw the wanted poster of the Clark brothers. He got up and walked to it.
“This poster wasn’t hanging here when I left with Cody”, Hoss said amazed.
“That’s right because Mitch has drawn it in your absence”, answered Pam.
Hoss looked at the poster neatly and said admiring, “You really have a talent for drawing, son.”
“I know”, Mitch answered immodest
Hoss gave Pam some money and said, “Go and have something to eat in the lunchroom.”
“Thanks uncle Hoss. Come on Mitch and Cody”, said his niece.
The twins and the dog went outside so that Hoss had a quiet moment. At least he thought so.
Outside an old lady asked, “Is de sheriff in?”
“Yes, together with 2 brothers who are in jail”, answered Mitch.
He even opened the door for her.
“Thanks boy. At least you know how you must treat a lady”, said the woman.
Mitch smiled and took off his hat. Here after he went after Pam and Cody.
“Is this now the work of a sheriff?”, the lady asked strict.
Hoss had fallen asleep again. But by the question of the lady he shook awake again.
“Sorry madam. I just let my eyes rest. What can I do for you?”, asked Hoss.
“I heard that you have arrested 2 brothers are that happen to be those good-for-nothing persons of Jake and Mark Clark?”, she asked on her turn.
“Yes, that’s them. Are you related to them?”, Hoss wanted to know.
“I am their mother-in-law and want to see them”, the lady answered.
Hoss let her to the prisoners and said, “You have a visitor.”
Jake saw his mother-in-law and said, “Mark, there is that old bat.”
“She always knows how to find us”, sighed Mark.
“Sweet ma, what can we do for you?”, Jake asked suave.
“Not hanging around in the saloons anymore but look after my daughters. The girls are having it so tough already in their position”, said the lady.
“We don’t in our position then?”, asked Mark.
“Your daughters have forced us to marry them and that after a nightly adventure”, said Jake.
“A nightly adventure? I can be grandma by now of 2 grandchildren. The girls are so far already”, snapped the woman.
“Fine for you, Beth Hartman. We heard from Clara that you had set us up. And that was 6 months ago so your grandchildren aren’t ours”, reacted Mark.
Beth Hartman (the old woman) became red and rushed out of the cells. She looked indignant for a moment at Hoss and went then outside. The sheriff didn’t understand anything of it and went to get the story from the brothers.
When he had heard everything Hoss said, “Gentlemen, I wish you a lot of strength with those women and your mother-in-law. I release you tomorrow morning so that you have the whole night to come up with a plan.”
The brothers nodded.
Fortunately for Hoss, the twins and Cody not much happened so that they had peace and quiet.
The next morning Hoss set the brothers free.
“Have a nice day gentlemen and look out for your beloved mother-in-law”, Hoss said laughing.
“Thanks sheriff”, said Jake.
He pulled his brother along to the saloon.
Hoss closed the door and said to the twins, “Time for breakfast.”
Mitch said doubtful, “We already have had breakfast.”
“That was no breakfast but a little snack for me. Come on because it’s my treat”, reacted his uncle.
Hoss didn’t have to repeat this because the twins and Cody were already at the door.
In a restaurant the Cartwrights were eating quietly when Mark Clark came rushing in with his brothers on his heels.
“Sheriff, that old bat is after us. Please throw us in jail”, Jake said hasty.
“Tell what has happened”, said Hoss.
“We walked across the street when Beth saw us. She picked up a broom and came to us. Jake said that there was only 1 thing that she could do with that broom. She wanted to know what that was. The answer was: To sit on it and fly away. Then that witch came after us”, told Mark.
Mitch and Pam looked away and Hoss too had a lot of trouble to stop from starting to laugh.
Finally Mitch found the courage to ask, “Did she come after you with or without broom?”
“With broom of course. Why?”, Jake asked foolish.
“Then she probably has more speed to fly away”, Mitch answered dry.
“Get on your horses and leave Virginia City at once. Otherwise Cody comes after you”, Hoss said strict.
Cody showed his teeth and the Clark brothers had disappeared.
“Uncle Hoss, what are you going to do with that old bat? I mean their mother-in-law?”, asked Pam.
“Say too that she can leave too”, answered Hoss.
“Don’t forget to say that she must take her broom along to fly away”, reacted Mitch.
They laughed.
Arrived back at the office they saw Herb Taylor with Beth Hartman and the broom.
“Hoss, I said that you arrest this lady for stealing my broom!”, Herb Taylor said with Beth Hartman and the broom.
“Were you chasing your sons-in-law with this broom?”, asked Hoss.
“Yes sure. Jake even had the nerve to say that I had to sit on it and fly away”, Beth said supercilious.
“Uncle Hoss, we are At the market square. Come Cody”, Mitch said quickly.
Hoss nodded and the threesome ran away quickly.
“Madam, hereby you are arrested for stealing a broom”, said Hoss.
He took Beth along and put her behind bars.
“Have a nice day madam”, said the sheriff.
He closed the door and made coffee.
Quite soon went through whole Virginia City the story about the firm performance of sheriff Hoss against the Clark brothers and their mother-in-law. Hereby all bad people decided to look for another place to live until the real sheriff and/or deputy were present again.
Because it was very quiet Hoss could help well with the home work of the twins. Though the Cartwrights were glad when Roy Coffee was back again. Fortunately for him Beth was released too and disappeared trackless.
On the way home Mitch asked, “Uncle Hoss, when the sheriff asks you to replace him again, are you going to do it again?”
“Only if I get paid for it”, answered Hoss.
“You have made sure that all bad people left Virginia City”, said Pam.
“Temporary but now Roy Coffee is sheriff again they all come back again”, answered Hoss.
“Including the old bat with her broom”, was the dry reaction of Mitch.
They rode laughing loud back home which they had missed though.