One morning Mitch Cartwright played with Cody on the yard when the young Cartwright was hit by a stone and lost his consciousness. A man came up to the couple, muzzled Cody and took the shepherd along. Mitch remained injured behind.
Ben Cartwright, owner of the Ponderosa ranch, came riding and saw his grandson lying. He jumped off his horse and cared for the boy. To big relief of Ben Mitch came around quite soon. The boy had a big head wound near his left eye though.
“Mitch, where is Cody?”, the rancher asked carefully.
“I don’t know. I was just playing with Cody here when I felt something coming against my head”, answered his grandson.
“We will find him. Hop Sing will take care of your wound”, Ben said while he helped Mitch up.
But Mitch fell again so that Ben picked him up and carried him inside. The boy got put to bed in the guest room. The Chinese cook Hop Sing took care of the head wound.
“Grandpa, I have a headache”, Mitch said complaining.
“I can imagine that very well because I just saw the rock which hit you. You stay in bed until you are well”, Ben said calm.
He put a new wet cloth on the forehead of his grandson. Slowly Mitch fell asleep but Ben remained watching over him.
Ponderosa foreman Candy Canaday saw the blooded stone and suspected problems. He went inside and saw that the door of the guest room stood open. He went inside and saw his little friend lying in bed.
“I saw that stone with blood lying. Where is Cody?”, asked Candy.
“Away. I came home and saw Mitch lying unconscious and injured. I assume that someone has taken the dog and injured Mitch. I want that you look up Adam, Hoss and Little Joe and with twosome look for Cody. Hop Sing and I stay at home to look after this young man ”, answered Ben.
Candy looked smiling at the sleeping boy and asked, “Isn’t he an angel looking like that?”
“If he does sleep or not: to me Mitch is always a little angel. But his uncles surely would call him a little scamp”, answered the rancher.
Candy went away to find the Cartwright brothers. Quite soon he had found them and told what had happened.
Adam said worried, “I have seen George and Sheila Franklin looking often at Cody when the dog was with us in town. It could be that they have him.”
“Let’s honor them with a visit then”, said Hoss.
So said, so done.
Sheila Franklin was busy with Cody who was heavily resisting.
“Moses, sit still”, she said.
“Woof”, said Cody.
George became angry and wanted to hit him. Hereby Cody began to bark even more and louder.
“What a rotten beast! He really suits with those dirty Cartwrights”, said George.
Suddenly Cody saw the Cartwrights coming and again he began to bark loudly and wagging his tail. Hereby he wiped the expensive porcelain tea-set of the salon table which broke down at the floor.
“My expensive porcelain tea-set!”, Sheila screamed hysterical.
Outside the Cartwrights and Candy heard a familiar bark.
“Boys, that’s Cody who barks there”, Adam said directly.
They stopped their horses, dismounted and went inside without knocking.
“What do you want here? Just come in without knocking. Oh, I forgot that the Cartwrights don’t know any manners at all”, Sheila said who now had become a bit calmer.
Adam recognized Cody right away and the other way around too.
Sheila said, “Moses, go to your basket.”
Though Cody remained by his master barking loud and wagging his tail.
“Cody down”, Adam just said.
Cody went to sit down at once and was quiet.
“He is called Moses and not Cody”, said George.
“I bought him when he was just a pup for my son. The boy is desperate now the dog is away. They are always together”, said Adam.
He didn’t trust the Franklin family. Meanwhile Cody was licking Adam’s hand.
“You Cartwrights are rich enough to buy a new dog for your son. We keep this one”, Sheila said snappy.
Little Joe looked around in the living room.
“So to see you aren’t poor either”, he reacted sarcastic.
“How old is your son?”, asked George.
“Six”, Adam said distrusting.
“Old enough to be alone”, reacted George.
“So are you”, Hoss said dry.
“We sue you to make sure that Moses is ours”, said Sheila.
“I have a better idea. We let the dog choose for himself whom he wants to be with. You stand on one side of the street and we at the other. The persons to whom Cody walks takes care of him from that moment on”, Candy suggested.
“That’s alright”, said Sheila.
Adam looked doubtful though. He took the foreman to the hallway.
On a whispering tone asked Adam, “Why are you so certain that Cody chooses for us?”
“Because we get Mitch. He is still sleeping due to a head wound but as soon as he’s better we do it. When Cody sees the boy he runs him over just like that”, answered Candy.
“You are right. I get him and pa and you keep them busy”, said Adam.
Adam went back home and Candy came into the living room again.
Hoss asked, “Where is Adam?”
“To get your pa and Mitch for what we just have discussed”, answered the foreman.
Sheila shock heavily of this answer.
George asked for the security, “Is Adam really doing that?”
Little Joe answered, “You heard what Candy said? That’s what he is doing.”
“You know what? Just take that beast with you and nothing has happened”, Sheila said trying to soothe the case.
“Who threw that stone at Mitch?”, asked Candy.
“I threw that stone. George took care of the dog”, confessed Sheila.
Hoss began to get a little but very much angry when he heard that his beloved nephew was injured.
“We take them down to the sheriff”, he said.
“We haven’t done anything criminal”, reacted George.
“Nothing criminal? Injuring a little boy and taking away his best friend”, said Hoss.
“That boy was bothering Moses. We just happen to come by and rescued the dog”, claimed Sheila.
But the Cartwrights and Candy didn’t believe them. Sheila wanted to shoot at the boys but Joe was faster. George saw the body of his wife and used Cody as a living shield.
“Bugger off!”, snapped George.
“Not without Cody”, said Hoss.
“Moses is ours”, said George.
He hit the dog where after Cody bit him. George let him go so that Hoss beckoned the dog to him. Joe shot George dead. Candy went to get the sheriff. Then Cody saw chance to escape.
Meanwhile Adam reached the ranch. He jumped off his horse and ran into the ranch house. In the guest room Ben sat reading by his sleeping grandson.
“Pa, how is it with Mitch?”, Adam asked worried.
“He‘s sleeping now but has quite a headache and a head wound. Have you found Cody?”, asked Ben.
“George and Sheila Franklin have him. They claim that Cody is called Moses and belongs to them. Candy has made up the plan to let Cody choose between them and Mitch on the street. That’s why I came to get you and Mitch”, Adam explained.
The little Cartwright woke up and looked at his father and grandpa.
“Where is Cody?”, asked Mitch.
“He is in Virginia City. I came to get you and grandpa. Can you travel?”, Adam asked while he went to sit on the bed.
“Yes”, Mitch said brave.
He tried to sit up but due to his headache that failed.
“Mr Cartwright, Mr Adam, look outside”, called Hop Sing.
The named Cartwrights ran outside and saw Cody coming.
“Then he has escaped”, said Adam.
Ben gave the dog some water and stroke him to calm down the animal. Adam fetched Mitch who was deliriously pleased to see Cody again. But that was also the other way around.
“Just put Mitch on the settee. Then Cody can lie next to it on the ground”, said Ben.
In Virginia City sheriff Roy Coffee got to hear everything from the Cartwrights and Candy.
When Roy saw the bodies he said, “They got what they deserved. I will take care that they will be taken away. Just you go back home.”
That happened.
At home at the ranch Mitch laid sleeping on the settee with a hand on Cody who was also fast asleep.
Outside on the yard said Ben, “Boys, from now on both Mitch and Cody are being watched by us and the hands. I don’t want that they get injured and /or disappear again.”
“Understood pa”, Adam said on behalf of the others.
“Then you can go back to work again like planned”, said Ben.
“And what will you do?”, asked Joe.
“Babysitting your nephew and Cody”, answered his father.