Adam Cartwright rode with his son Mitch of three per stagecoach to Virginia City. The two had enjoyed a well deserved vacation in Sacramento. The other passengers were the couple Donald and Catherine Willis, Ken Stone and doctor James Warren.
At a certain moment the grownups got talking to each other.
“Is he your first child?”, Catherine asked Adam.
“Yes and my only one”, the eldest Cartwright boy replied.
“Mustn’t your wife come along with you?”, Ken asked amazed.
“I am not married. his mother and I were separated when he got born. Though we have acknowledged him. I raise him alone and that goes quite well”, was the answer of Adam.
“A child needs both his parents. Especially when they are as young your little son”, Catherine said at a firm tone.
“That is so but Mitch doesn’t really miss a mother figure. If I can’t take him along my father takes care of him. My boy is really not short of anything”, reacted Adam.
“Do you have children yourselves?”, the doctor asked the couple then.
“No, we are not blessed to experience that enjoyment”, answered Donald.
Adam noticed that Catherine kept looking at Mitch and the others noticed that as well.
When the evening fell they stopped at a way station. Everybody got out and Adam picked up his son out of the carriage.
“Are we sleeping here tonight?”, Mitch asked looking around.
“Yes, we sleep here tonight. But I will stay by you so nothing can happen to you”, Adam answered.
“Why is that lady looking at me all the time?”, the boy asked then.
“Perhaps because she had never seen such a handsome boy like you”, said Adam.
He put the boy down and together they went inside.
During the meal Mitch showed clearly that he had gotten an excellent upbringing of Adam. The boy ate nicely his plate empty and with fork and knife. This made the couple Willis very satisfied.
After supper Mitch played outside for a while when he suddenly got shot by a lost bullet. Adam ran to him and saw the shooting wound. Doc Warren came there too and examined him.
“Mitch has only a grazing wound. Just carry him inside”, said Doc.
Adam picked up Mitch and carried him inside.
Donald took his wife apart and whispered angry, “Simpleton, you hit the wrong one. You were supposed to blow his father away, not the child.”
“Then you should have said that, dolt”, Catherine snapped.
Their row got louder and louder so all present could enjoy it along.
Meanwhile in the bedroom. Mitch got placed on the bed and Adam remained sitting by him.
“The bullet isn’t very deep in but your son won’t be able to use his left wrist very well for a while. He is hit in his left wrist. I will take the bullet out at once”, said the doctor.
To everyone’s amazing Mitch didn’t move a muscle. The operation was soon over. Doc wrapped up the wrist in bandages and put Mitch on a sling. Slowly the boy fell asleep.
In the meantime it had become very cozy in the living room. But it was just the opposite.
“Why is that little lad shot down?”, asked Ken.
“It was a mistake. My wife had it aimed at Mr Cartwright”, answered Donald.
“I demand that Mitch will become and stays our child”, Catherine said crying.
“By the looks of it Mr Cartwrights takes good care of the boy. So why do you think you can that better? Because you are married?”, asked Ken.
“Indeed. That baby clearly needs a mother figure. I am thé person to fulfill that role”, Catherine sobbed.
“My opinion is that Mr Cartwright can be the best judge of that”, said Ken.
“Your opinion isn’t asked so don’t interfere with our affairs”, Donald snapped.
“I would become a little bit more polite towards me if I was you because I am sheriff in Reno”, answered Ken.
Donald and Catherine looked at each other worried. At that moment Adam came into the living room. He directly understood what the matter was. Donald drew his revolver and shot at Ken but missed. Ken at his turn shot Donald dead. Catherine grabbed the weapon of her husband and tried to hit Adam but her victim brought her to the eternal hunting fields.
“They wanted to shoot you dead so they could take Mitch into their home and raise him like their son”, said Ken.
“I have already arranged it that if I die before Mitch reaches his majority that he will be raised by my father. Let’s bury the bodies and then go to sleep”, Adam suggested.
So said, so done.
The next morning the trip to Virginia City got continued but now there was much more place to sit.