It was 2 weeks before Halloween 1874. The brothers Hoss and Joe Cartwright were busy in the barn. They did about this so secretive that the other Cartwrights of course became curious. And the nephew and niece of the brothers, Mitch and Pam, not in the last place.
On a morning the twins followed their uncles to the barn. To be safe Mitch remained at the background.
“Are you going to look what they are doing?”, asked Mitch.
“Why must I do that?”, his sister asked amazed.
“Because you are faster than I am. I’m lame and then they have caught me so. Especially uncle Joe”, Mitch explained.
Pam nodded and said, “You keep here waiting and see if nobody is coming. I’m going to look into the barn.”
The young Cartwright sneaked to the barn and climbed on a few wood blocks to be able to look inside that way. She saw that her uncles were busy making a big doll.
“What will that nephew and niece of ours be scare of our doll”, Joe said laughing.
“Then they won’t be teasing us for a while”, was the reaction of Hoss.
They held the doll high and Joe said with a twisted voice, “Boo!”
Pam shook so that she fell off the wood blocks and ended up on the ground with a loud scream. Mitch was with his sister at once. Their dog Cody also came nearer and licked Pam.
“Sis, where are you hurt?”, Mitch asked worried.
“In my left ankle”, Pam said moaning of pain.
“Cody, go get daddy and grandpa”, Mitch said to the dog.
He ran away to get their father Adam and grandpa Ben. Hoss and Joe had heard the scream too and ran outside. They kneeled down by the twins. The 2 youngest Cartwrights looked angry at their uncles.
“What is the matter?”, Joe asked amazed.
“By that stupid doll of yours I’m now injured”, said Pam.
Mitch told everything.
Cody had found Ben and Adam quite soon and barked heavily.
“Cody, what is the matter?”, asked Adam.
“Woof, woof”, said Cody.
He ran away, looked back and barked again.
“Adam, there is something with the twins. Come on”, said Ben.
They ran after the shepherd and found an injured Pam. Adam kneeled down by his children and looked at them.
“What has happened?”, asked Ben.
The owner of the Ponderosa ranch and his oldest son heard what had happened. Cody found the doll and destroyed it. Adam lifted up his daughter carefully and carried her inside. Ben gave Joe order to get the doctor.
“Daddy, my ankle hurts”, said Pam.
“I put you on the settee. Then we can treat your ankle”, Adam said calm.
In the ranch house Adam put Pam carefully on the settee. The girlfriend of Adam, Sally Baxton, came out of the kitchen and offered medical support at once. She too got to hear what had happened.
“Adam, how old are those brothers of yours actually?”, Sally asked while she treated the broken ankle of Pam.
“I wonder that myself as well too”, answered Adam.
“It was a doll of a monster”, Pam said still a bit upset.
“Pam, I think that your ankle has been broken. Adam, help me to splint the ankle until the doctor comes”, Sally said calm.
She splinted the ankle where after Adam brought his daughter to bed. The house cat Lucky walked along upstairs to keep his mistress company.
“You keep bed rest for the time being, young lady. Mitch does your work and you help him with his school work”, said Adam.
“I already help him with his school work”, reacted his daughter.
On the yard Ben tried to calm down his grandson. The boy was still very angry with his uncles and then mainly with Joe.
“Mitch, we are going to ride a while”, the rancher said finally.
“Alright then”, Mitch said angry.
Slowly Mitch calmed down.
“Why must of all people my uncles do such a stupid thing?”, he suddenly asked.
“I know what you mean. I had to get your uncles out of trouble far too much times”, answered Ben.
Mitch wanted to believe that only far too well. He understood best that his sister now got attention from his father and his girlfriend. For that reason Mitch was glad to be with his grandpa.
“Uncle Hoss and uncle Joe must give the right example to Pam and me, mustn’t they?”, asked Mitch.
“That is also so but I think that they forget that most of the time. And that is often the fault of uncle Joe”, answered Ben.
Mitch understood this too.
Joe rode hurry-scurry to Virginia City to warn the doctor for his niece. At the practice of doctor the youngest Cartwright brother stopped. He jumped off his horse Cochise and ran inside.
“Doc, you come at once to the Ponderosa. Pam has injured her ankle seriously by a fall”, Joe said gasping.
“I go at once”, said Doc.
He grabbed his stuff and went to the ranch. Joe felt guilty and decided to try to make it up with Pam. He went to the Trading Post. At the ranch it was common knowledge that Pam read a lot so Joe decided to buy her a book.
Doc treated Pam and prescribed bed rest.
“Your ankle is broken but because you are still very young and healthy too it will heal fast. I come to see you in a week time again. Just let yourself get spoiled by your parents and grandpa”, said Doc.
“Pa already spoils the twins far too much without that they are injured”, reacted Adam.
“He is their grandpa for that”, said Doc.
Adam nodded smiling. He let the doctor out.
“How must your uncles make it up to you?”, Sally asked while she went to sit on the bed.
“They are until I can walk normal again my butlers”, answered Pam.
Sally smiled and said, “That seems like a good idea. Your father will agree with it as well.”
“I think grandpa too”, said Pam.
She grabbed a book and went to read so that Sally went downstairs again.
Adam saw his brother on the yard and walked up to him.
“Pam has a broken ankle and prescribed bed rest. I suggest that during that time you and Little Joe serve her”, said Adam.
Hoss looked at him as he saw the lake of Tahoe burning.
“You know, it was the idea of Joe to make that Halloween doll. It was only to scare the twins quite a lot”, Hoss confessed then.
“I could have known that Joe had made it up. The twins are not so scared and that comes by their upbringing”, said Adam.
“And they are yet little Cartwrights”, reacted his brother.
Hereby the peace between Adam and Hoss was made again. Hoss accepted his temporary job as butler.
By Ben had Mitch had learned to accept the apologies of his uncles. When they came home again Joe arrived just too. They dismounted and Ben pushed his grandson to Joe. The boy looked for a second at Ben who nodded.
“Uncle Joe, I’m sorry that I fell out to you”, Mitch said with hesitation.
Joe grabbed his nephew by the shoulders and said, “I must offer my apology to you and Pam.”
“Alright, I accept it. But if Pam does that too I don’t know. Women can be so strange sometimes. But you do know everything about that, don’t you”, said Mitch.
“That is so. First I go to your sister. Do you take care of Cochise?”, asked Joe.
“Alright”, answered his nephew.
Joe got the present and went into the ranch house. Ben and Mitch went to take care of the horses.
Joe walked up stairs and knocked at the door of the room of the twins.
“Come in”, called Pam.
Joe came in and went to sit on the bed.
“Pam, I come to apologize for the sick joke. This is a peace offering”, said the youngest Cartwright brother.
“Thanks. I accept it but you and uncle Hoss are my butlers as long as I have bed rest”, Pam said while she unwrapped the present.
“What are you a slave driver. I can notice well who your father is”, her uncle sighed.
The remark of Pam made it even worse for him, “That is your sweet and fine older brother.”
By this event especially Joe had learned his lesson and he and Hoss didn’t make no more scary dolls.