For a few days there was something strange at the ranch of the Cartwrights, the Ponderosa. Nobody knew what it was or who it could be. The Cartwrights heard about it when they were in Virginia City. Sam Miller was in the Silver Dollar Saloon when Ben Cartwright was there with his 2 eldest sons, Adam and Hoss.

“Do you know that since recently there is something strange at the Ponderosa?”, Sam asked out loud.

“You happen to live there?”, someone else asked.

Everybody laughed.

“I ain’t going to live there. Suppose that I get eaten by that strange creature”, replied Sam.

Hoss said whispering to his father and brother, “Nobody would like his taste.”

Ben and Adam did agree with him but didn’t trust the message of Sam. Hoss shared that feeling with them.

“Sam, how do you know that there is something at our ranch?”, asked Adam.

Sam looked at the Cartwrights.

“That is common knowledge. That you dare to live there yet”, replied Sam.

“We ain’t softies like you”, Adam reacted dry.

Sam wanted to attack him but Ben stepped in.

“Boys, we are going home”, said the rancher.

Hoss found it not great because his hands started to itch for to give great smacks again but Adam didn’t. He missed his son Mitch already because the boy was at home with a serious ankle injury.

On the way home Hoss noticed that there was something strange at the area where they were.

“Pa, Adam, wait a minute. I think there is something behind those rocks”, said Hoss.

They listened and Ben and Adam too came to that conclusion.

“We hide the horses and go out to explore”, Ben said finally.

So said, so done.

Armed with their rifles and revolvers the Cartwrights hid themselves in the bushes. For a while it was deadly silent. Suddenly the ‘monster’ appeared. By the wind two empty potato bags got blown down. The Cartwrights came nearer and saw what the strange creature was.

“It are just empty potato bags”, Hoss said a bit disappointed.

“We take the bags to town and show them to Sam”, Adam said smiling.

Hoss folded up the bags and they walked back to their horses. Here after the threesome rode back to the Silver Dollar Saloon where Sam still speaking.

“Sam, I would like to introduce you to the strange creature that would be living at the Ponderosa according to you”, said Hoss.

He folded out the bags and put them near Sam. The cowboy. grew pale and made sure that he got away. The Cartwrights left laughing the saloon and they now really went home, taking the potato bags along.