To do the others a big favor Hoss Cartwright had offered to get the food for supper. His father Ben Cartwright was away and so he couldn’t go fishing with his six year old grandson Mitch. This was for Hoss thé solution to get the food for supper. Even though Adam knew that his son was in good hands by his brother, the eldest Cartwright boy had his misgivings all afternoon.
Hoss took his nephew along to his favorite fishing spot.
“We never fish here”, Mitch said when he looked around the area.
“Where then?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“At the lake. There is much more fish than here”, replied his nephew.
“And who had told you that?”, asked Hoss.
“Grandpa. And Candy too”, said the youngest Cartwright.
“Well, then they have just told you something. Here is the most fish”, said his uncle.
“How come then that you never come home with fish and grandpa and I do?”, asked Mitch.
Of course Hoss had no answer to that and prepared the fishing-rod for his nephew.
“Mitchy, your fishing-rod is ready for use. Good luck”, he said.
Mitch went to sit on a rock and threw out his fishing-rod. Hoss went to sit by it comfortable and fell asleep. But no matter how Mitch fished, the boy didn’t get anything on his fishing-rod.
A few hours later.
Still there wasn’t caught any fish. Mitch decided to wake up his uncle.
“Uncle Hoss, uncle Hoss wake up”, Mitch said poking in his side.
Reluctantly the big Cartwright woke up and he looked around him.
“Mitchy, why are you waking me up?”, Hoss asked yawning.
“I haven’t caught anything yet and it is getting a bit dark already”, replied his nephew.
“That ain’t so good”, said Hoss.
“It ain’t my fault that I haven’t caught anything. You just took the wrong spot”, said Mitch.
He was moody and let that show clearly too. Hoss looked at his nephew and realized that the boy was right.
“Mitchy, we go home and underway we make up an excuse about the caught fishes”, said Hoss.
They grabbed everything together and went back home. On the way Mitch didn’t say a word.
At home at the ranch Adam waited for the return of his brother and son. He knew that it was Wednesday and that usually meant: fish for supper. After a while he saw the couple coming but Adam already suspected problems. Mitch dismounted and gave the reins to his dog Cody. Here after the young Cartwright went straight to his room, not looking at his father. Meanwhile Hoss had dismounted as well.
“Hoss Cartwright! What have you done with Mitch this afternoon?”, asked Adam.
“We have been fishing but didn’t catch anything unfortunately”, replied his brother.
“And how come that he goes to his room without saying a word. Normally I must send him to it and now he goes voluntarily”, Adam said indignant.
“Sorry Adam, but I fell asleep so I fell asleep so there is no supper”, Hoss finally confessed.
“No supper? You mean for you! I am now going to talk to my son and if he agrees with my idea you can pay”, said Adam.
He went inside to talk to his son.
Adam found his son lying on the bed.
“Again an afternoon ruined!”, Mitch groaned.
“What do you mean?”, Adam asked amazed.
Mitch turned around and sat down on the bed.
“Uncle Hoss took me to a spot where there is no fish at all. Besides he let me fish all alone the whole afternoon and sir went to sleep”, the boy said.
Suddenly Adam understood everything. He went to sit next to his son.
“Do you feel like going out to eat?”, he asked.
Mitch nodded.
“Then you are going to fresh up a bit and then I say I it to your uncle”, said Adam.
That happened and again Adam went to see his brother about what had happened that afternoon.
“What? I must pay for your dinner in town? Why?”, Hoss asked indignant.
“Because you have promised to take care of supper. And that hasn’t happened”, Adam explained.
Reluctantly Hoss agreed.
After a while the Cartwrights rode into Virginia City. They stopped at a restaurant where they came often.
“Mitch, just take what you want because your uncle is paying”, Adam said when entering.
He looked smiling at his brother who didn’t like it very much. They walked to a table and sat down.
Mitch didn’t understand what was on the menu and said:“Daddy, you order for me.”
Adam and Hoss understood it.
“Mitchy, do you want baked potatoes, apple-sauce and chicken?”, asked Hoss.
“Yes, and ice-cream for dessert”, replied the boy.
A waitress came and took the orders. Sometime later than usual the Cartwrights were having a delicious meal but Hoss and Mitch both had learned their lesson. Hoss that he better not go fishing with his nephew and Mitch that he better could go play games with his big uncle.