On a beautiful day Hoss Cartwright ran into a fortune-teller. He made such a good impression on her that she confided something into him.
“Young man, I am going to tell you something. On a beautiful spot is a pot of gold waiting. It’s only for you at all”, she said.
Hoss got a map. He looked at it and a moment later the fortune-teller was gone. The 2nd son of rancher Ben Cartwright rode straight back home. Of course he took the treasure map along.
Just when the youngest Cartwright (Adam’s son Mitch) was brought to bed Hoss told about the map.
“Gentlemen, you never guess what I had gotten this afternoon”, he said.
Ben looked at his son questionable.
“Well, tell”, pushed Little Joe, the youngest Cartwright brother.
The eldest Cartwright brother, Adam, looked sarcastic at Hoss but didn’t say anything.
“There is a big pot of gold waiting for me. I have from a fortune-teller gotten a map with that beautiful spot”, Hoss said triumphant.
He grabbed the map and put it open at the salon table.
Ben looked for a second at the map and said then, “Hoss, you are old and wise enough to do what you want. I will stay out of this completely.”
“And that goes for me too”, answered Adam.
Little Joe actually didn’t want to go back on his older brother but though he said, “Hoss, I really don’t believe that story!”
“Alright. Then you don’t believe me. I will find that pot of gold anyway!”, Hoss said determined.
“And you leave my son out of it too!”, warned Adam.
At the tone of Adam’s stem the others heard that he really meant it. Hoss decided to let the subject ‘Pot of gold’ rest.
Just during breakfast Hoss brought up again his search for the pot of gold. Fortunate for him the youngest Cartwright was already playing outside.
“Gentlemen, you will have to it without me for a while. I am going to look for find that pot of gold”, spoke Hoss.
“You mean your problems with finding that pot of gold”, Little Joe remarked.
“And don’t try to involve my son with your problems”, Adam said warned.
“Why would I do that anyway?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“I know how crazy you are about him and love to spend time with him”, reacted his brother.
“But Adam, I”, Hoss started but he didn’t get any further.
“You know what? I take Mitch along just for the security”, reacted Adam.
He got up and went to the porch where his son played.
“Mitch, are you coming to the herd?”, asked Adam.
“May Cody come too?”, was the counter-question of the boy.
Adam nodded. They walked to their horses and mounted on.
Underway Mitch asked, “Why did I have to go with you anyway?”
“Because your uncle Hoss has the idiot plan that he will find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. And I am afraid that he will get you involved with that”, answered Adam.
“What is a rainbow?”, asked Mitch.
Adam had to think hard for a moment about the explanation. His son was after all 5 years old.
“You know what rain is?”, asked Adam.
“Yes, Cody loves it and you get wet from it”, said Mitch.
“And you also know what sunshine is?”, was the next question.
Mitch nodded.
Adam continued, “When it rains and the sun shines you have a chance that you see a rainbow. It has 7 colors. That are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. I think that we have a picture of a rainbow in a book at home.”
“So at the end of that rainbow uncle Hoss thinks to find a pot of gold? But on which side? Left or right?”, asked Mitch.
“I don’t know on which side that pot stands but I do know that you won’t find that pot at all”, reacted his father.
Mitch kept silent for a second and said then, “And if I make a drawing of a rainbow with each side a pot of gold. And then we give the drawing to uncle Hoss.”
Adam began to smile and said, “That’s a good idea. You can’t do any harm to him.”
At home Hoss prepared himself for his search. The Chinese cook Hop Sing had made much sandwiches for underway. He had put them into a big bag.
“Thanks Hop Sing”, said Hoss.
He went away to find his treasure. Ben and Little Joe saw him leaving.
“Pa, mustn’t I go with him just in case he will get into trouble?”, Little Joe asked carefully.
Ben looked doubtful at his youngest son and answered, “Joseph, you must have more trust in your brother. I am afraid that when you will interfere he will get into trouble with you in it. And who must help him and you out of it again?”
“You of course. But you will do that for your sons, won’t you?”, asked Little Joe.
“Joseph, just wait till you have children yourself who get into trouble. Then you understand me probably better”, said Ben.
They also went to the herd.
Hoss looked often at the map and rode to his relief in the right direction. He was in a good mood. After 2 hours Hoss began to fill his stomach. After his meal he went further with searching for his pot of gold.
Suddenly Hoss saw someone in the direction of the pot riding. But the stranger saw Hoss too. He fired a bullet at Hoss where after he fell off Chubb but kept the map and the provisions with him. Chubb ran away, just like the stranger did.
“Dadburnit!”, Hoss scold at his horse and the stranger.
Though he didn’t let discourage himself and went to search further. Finally his search had success. At least that’s what Hoss thought. On the map stood a spot of where the pot of gold should be pointed out with a big red cross. But no matter how Hoss searched, there was no pot of gold to be found. To get over his disappointment Hoss started at his umpteenth meal of the day.
Suddenly Joe the horse of his brother coming. He rode to the animal and stopped him. He dismounted and examined Chubb.
“Where is Hoss?”, Joe asked the animal.
Of course Chubb didn’t give a reply. The youngest Cartwright brother suspected problems and mounted on Cochise. Here after he rode to his father and brother.
“Pa, Adam, Chubb is here without Hoss”, Joe said hasty.
“Then we are going to search for him”, Ben said worried.
Adam turned to his son and said, “Mitch, you go home and make that drawing for your uncle.”
“Alright daddy”, said Mitch.
He turned his horse and rode back home. The other Cartwrights went with Cody and Chubb looking for Hoss.
Quite soon Cody had found the tracks of Hoss and Chubb. The Cartwrights followed the dog and ended up that way with the missing Cartwright. Ben jumped off his horse and ran to his 2nd son.
“Hoss, is everything alright?”, asked the de rancher.
“Yes pa. With me everything is alright but there is no pot of gold at all. There is a stranger though who fired at me”, answered his son.
“Chubb came to us and Cody found his and your tracks”, said Adam.
He didn’t say why Mitch wasn’t there with them though. Hoss got up and mounted on his horse.
“I want to get that revolver hero. Are you in?”, asked Hoss.
“Of course we are in”, Ben said smiling.
He mounted on and with his sons the rancher rode after the stranger. Hoss did see that his nephew wasn’t there but didn’t ask about it.
At a secret place the stranger was digging for his treasure. He was so busy with it that the outlaw didn’t even notice that there were 4 revolvers and a dog pointed at him.
“Hands up. And tell us right away what you are doing here”, Ben said stern.
The outlaw looked up and saw 4 revolvers pointed at him. Cody dragged his rifle from him. And after that he did the same with the loot.
“This is my loot and nobody takers it from me”, snapped the outlaw.
The Cartwrights laughed which made the outlaw more angrier.
“Are you happen to be looking for this?”, Adam asked while he held up the bag with money after his dog had brought him the bag.
The outlaw swallowed and said, “That’s my gold! Give it back.”
Adam looked into the bag and whistled of admiring.
“What’s in it, Adam?”, Joe asked curious.
“A lot of money and gold coins. Wasn’t the Mint in Virginia City recently robbed and a lot of money and gold coins being taken away?”, asked his eldest brother.
“Indeed”, said Ben.
“That wasn’t in Virginia City but in Carson City”, said the outlaw.
He realized at once that he mispronounced himself. Hoss tied him up and they took him to Virginia City.
At home at the ranch Mitch was busy with his drawing. Foreman Candy Canaday and hand Griff King babysat the little boy which was an order of Hop Sing.
“Daddy said that a rainbow has 7 colors. How many have I drawn already?”, Mitch suddenly asked.
“We count them together”, said Candy.
This way Mitch learnt playing counting. He also drew 4 pots of gold in it.
When the grownup Cartwrights came home Mitch had his drawing ready and rolled up.
“Hoss, where is your pot of gold?”, asked Griff.
“He probably has buried it at a secret place”, reacted Candy.
“There was no pot of gold at all. An outlaw had buried his treasure at that spot which he had taken from the bank in Carson City”, said Hoss.
“Sweet uncle Hoss, here you have 4 pots of gold”, Mitch said while he handed over the drawing.
Hoss looked at the drawing and said laughing, “This is much more worth for me that such an worthless loot of a bank robber.”
“Candy and Griff has helped me”, Mitch confessed.
Now everything was fine again at the Ponderosa ranch there was no more talk and /or searching for a pot of gold.