Adam Cartwright had ordered an important book and he had got the word that he could pick it up in Carson City. The problem was that he couldn’t get away from the Ponderosa. It was very busy at the ranch and he was indispensable. His younger brothers Hoss and Little Joe were at the herd branding and their father Ben was there too.
The eldest Cartwright boy went outside and saw there his seven year old son Mitch playing with the shepherd dog Cody. He walked up to them.
“Kid, would you like to do something for me?”, asked Adam.
“What then?”, the boy wanted to know.
“I have ordered a very important book in Carson City. But I can’t get away from the ranch so would you like to pick it up for me?”, Adam asked hopeful.
“Of course I do that. May Cody come along?”, asked Mitch.
“It is too far and too tiring for him. I will give you some money for something to eat and drink and a description of the book”, answered Adam.
“It is probably a poetry book or something boring like that”, said Mitch.
“Indeed but a recently released poetry book from Ron Taylor. He is a talent concerning current poetry”, Adam explained.
“It will be so”, said Mitch.
In contrast with his father he totally had nothing with poetry. Adam knew that and accepted it too. They went inside.
Adam wrote down clearly and in big letters and gave Mitch 50 dollar along.
“What have left over I want to have back”, said Adam.
“That will be but if I happen to see a baseball in a shop and it begs for my company, may I buy it then?”, asked Mitch.
“Only in that case. I wait here for you”, said Adam.
Mitch got saddlebags along and then Caramel got saddled by Adam. Cody got a touching farewell of his little friend and watched with Adam Mitch go.
When the youngest Cartwright had disappeared out of sight Adam said to the dog, “Now we are going to ride a while and you run.”
“Woof”, Cody barked excited.
And not much later they too had left from the ranch.
Not everyone was reliable in the wild west. The family Wilson was also from the wrong stuff. Pa Dick Wilson was a quack from the dirtiest water. But his wife Laura was not to be wiped out either. Cruelty concerned she rose far above her husband. They had twin girls who listened to the names of Sara and Clara. The girls had quite a lot of conceit.
The Wilson family travelled around with their wagon and tried to cheat the local inhabitants in each town and village. This was not always a success. So they happened to end up in Carson City. It went bad with business for quite a while so it was about time that they did well. Suddenly Dick began to smile when he saw on a map the Ponderosa situated. He already had heard a lot of stories about the Cartwrights.
He said, “If Carson City doesn’t give us anything we will search our luck at the ranch of Ben Cartwright. He has something which we can use very well and don’t have.”
“Pa, what is that then?”, asked Clara.
“Money. We chase him and his sons away and then we go live at the Ponderosa”, answered Dick.
“His sons also mean a lot to him. And his grandson of course even more. We can also kidnap one of his sons or that grandson and keep him hostage for ransom”, Laura suggested then.
“Or we do it both”, said Sara.
Dick and Laura looked at each other satisfied and Laura said proud, “The girls are starting to look more like us more and more.”
They didn’t know that they would end up with complete empty hands.
The ride to Carson City went very well and quite soon Mitch had reached the town where he had to be. He did recognize it somehow. Because he didn’t know where he had to be Mitch stopped at the office of the sheriff. He dismounted and hitched his horse Caramel.
“Stay here boy”, he said to the animal.
The horse whined as an answer. Mitch went into the office. Sheriff Larch sat behind his desk when Mitch came in.
“Lad, what can I do for you?”, asked the sheriff.
“I am Mitch Cartwright of the Ponderosa, Virginia City. I am looking for the trading post. Can you tell me where I can find that?”, Mitch asked pointblank.
“I will show I to you”, said the sheriff.
They went outside.
“Walk out this street and at the Castle Hotel 3 buildings further. There is the trading post”, said the sheriff.
“Thank you”, said Mitch.
He took his horse along.
Soon Mitch had found the trading post. Again he hitched Caramel and went into the shop.
“Can I help you?”, Jake Taylor, the store owner, asked.
“My father, Adam Cartwright, ordered a while ago a poetry book by you. Now he had gotten the word that the book was here. I come to pick it up”, answered Mitch.
“I will check it out for a second”, said Jake.
He went to the back while Mitch looked around. A moment later an old acquaintance of the Cartwrights came into the shop. It was John Driscoll who recognized the young Cartwright at once and it was the other way around too.
“Hello Mitch, what are you doing here?”, asked John.
“I had to pick up a book for daddy. But Caramel is bothered by his hoof. Can that be treated somewhere?”, Mitch asked on his turn.
“If you wait for a second we bring him to the farrier and you can spend the night at our place”, said John.
Mitch nodded. A moment later Jake returned again with a package for the young Cartwright.
“Here I have the book. Your father has already paid for it”, said Jake.
He gave the book which was wrapped up to Mitch.
“Thanks”, said the boy.
He got the book and left the shop, followed by John.
John saw Caramel and asked teasing, “That is a nice horse. Do you want to sell it to me?”
“No! Daddy has bought it specially for me”, Mitch reacted alert.
“I was only teasing you. Let me have a look at his hoof”, said John.
The man looked and knew enough.
“He needs a new hoof”, he said.
They walked with Caramel to the farrier where the stallion got treated right away.
“Young man, you can take him along tomorrow again”, said the farrier.
“Just send the bill to Ben Cartwright of the Ponderosa”, said Mitch.
They walked on to the house of John which stood at the market square.
“Karen, we have a little guest for tonight”, John said to his wife.
She recognized Mitch right away and it was the other way around too.
“Welcome son. It will take a while before we have supper so if you like you can check out the market square”, she said.
Mitch checked out the market square before supper was ready and he had to come inside of John and Karen. At the market square stood a wagon which read: ‘GET WELL QUICKLY WITH THE MEDICINE OF DR WILSON!’ The young Cartwright became curious and decided to take a look. One of the daughters, Sara, saw Mitch and walked up to him.
“Hello laddie”, she said to him.
The girl was a year older than him but she had much more conceit. Mitch noticed that and got her back at once.
“Hi gal”, said the boy.
Sara was at once heavily insulted and walked away angry. None of them both knew that they would run into each other again later. ‘Women! I will never really understand them’, Mitch thought while he walked on. When coming home he would ask advice about them from Little Joe. He knew that his uncles would tease him a lot with it but Mitch could get back at them. But he never said how or when he would do that.
Laura noticed that her daughter Sara was heavily insulted and said to her husband, “Someone has insulted our sweet Sara very bad. You deal with him and/or her then.”
“That will certainly happen. I go and talk to her”, said Dick.
He did that and Sara showed who had hurt her personality so bad. At that moment Mitch stood by his horse.
“We keep an eye on him and when he is nearly at home we steal his horse”, said Dick.
He saw the sheriff coming and asked him, “Sheriff, who is that child who is crippled?”
“That is Mitch Cartwright, the grandson of Ben Cartwright. Did you ask that with a reason?”, was the counter-question of the sheriff.
“No, just that. Thanks for the information”, said the quack.
He walked on.
Again with his family Dick said, “That lad is one of the Cartwright family. We just take him hostage at the same time for a high ransom. His grandpa is enormously rich and surely prepared to pay a high price for the freedom of his grandson.”
“Ben Cartwright surely can miss his grandson for a few weeks”, reacted Laura.
“Alright then. We not only take his horse but that lad also. We just leave him somewhere behind injured”, answered her husband.
She said, “We just go and live in Virginia City and that way we make the lives of the Cartwrights sour!”
Dick was very satisfied by hearing this news and said, “We do that, my dove.”
That night Mitch didn’t sleep well. He got up at an early hour and looked boring out of the window. To his surprise and amazing he saw that the bank was being robbed by the Wilson family. Clara happen to look up and saw Mitch in front of the window. Quickly the boy dived away.
She said whispering to her parents, “Father and mother, Cartwright has seen us from that window.”
“Again that damn Cartwright! Now he has signed his own death wish!”, Dick said furious.
The next morning after a heavy breakfast Mitch picked up Caramel who had gotten 4 new hoofs again. He mounted on and rode back in an easy pace. Without he actually knew it he unwillingly had become the crown witness against the Wilson family. The young Cartwright now literally played with his life and that of his family. What he didn’t know was that the Wilson family came after him. The boy knew that his father waiting for that book anxiously. That’s why he was allowed to get it in Carson City.
Close to Virginia City and up from 4 km distance from the Ponderosa the Wilsons made camp.
“You make the camp alright. I will wait for that lad and kidnap him. I tell you: he will make us rich”, Dick said smiling.
“Finally it will become the other world: we loaded rich and the Cartwrights as poor as a church mouse”, Laura laughed false.
The quack went away while his wife and daughters made the camp alright.
Dick stood waiting for Mitch. Mitch stopped Caramel and looked at the stranger with a distrusting look in his eyes.
Dick said, “I demand that horse from you!”
“Never in my lifetime. Would you like to step aside so I can pass by?”, asked the boy.
“What are you a brutal brat!”, said Dick.
He pulled the boy off his horse. Mitch fought back but the quack was clearly many times stronger. Though the boy knew to give him a painful stomach by letting him trip and come down on the hard path. Then Dick knocked him out cold. He also delivered him an open head wound.
“So. You don’t need that horse anymore but I do. You see for yourself how your homecoming will be with your rich family”, Dick said hatefully.
He put Mitch at the side of the road and mounted then on Caramel. The saddlebags got thrown away a bit further away. Here after the thief rode away.
But a moment later he rode back. He picked up Mitch and took him along to his camp. Dick had decided to use Mitch to earn a lot of money. The bank robbery had delivered him and his family nothing to the big annoying of all four of them.
In The camp Laura hid Caramel carefully so that Mitch wouldn’t notice anything. Though the Wilson family estimated him. As little as he was. Though he was a year younger than the twins but a lot shorter.
At the Ponderosa Adam wondered where Mitch remained. Though he had faith in his son but he also knew how he was. It had been 3 days ago since the boy had left and still he hadn’t come home. Adam began to get more worried and decided to go to his father and brothers. Cody stayed at home.
“Pa, there comes Adam”, Hoss said amazed.
The rancher looked up and saw his eldest son coming too. He stopped the sorrel and looked at Adam.
“Pa, there is something with Mitch. Three days ago I sent him to Carson City to pick up a book. Since then there is no track of him to be found”, said Adam.
The desperation and worry was clearly to be heard in his voice.
“Adam, report the missing of Mitch to sheriff Coffee. Hoss and Joseph, you search through the area with the hands. I will stay here with Candy, Griff and Jace. We see each other tonight at home”, said Ben.
So said, so done.
Adam rode to Virginia City. He didn’t know yet what was about to happen in and around the town. The eldest Cartwright boy went into the office of sheriff Roy Coffee.
Roy looked up and asked, “Adam, is there something?”
“Mitch has been missing for 3 days already. He left on Tuesday morning to Carson City to pick up a book for me but since then there is no track of him to be found. He hasn’t been or seen here, has he?”, Adam asked calm but very worried at the same time.
“No, I haven’t seen him and neither has Clem. We will take care of a posse and then we surely will find him”, answered Roy.
Adam left the office of the sheriff not being totally relieved and went to the saloon to grease his throat He didn’t feel like going home at all so he decided to spend some time in the Silver Dollar Saloon. Maybe someone had seen and/or heard something from Mitch.
At the bar he ordered a beer. While the glass became more and more empty the drinker of it looked around in the saloon. But the questions Adam had didn’t get an answer though in the drinking place.
Hoss and Joe also didn’t have much luck in finding their missed nephew. They searched the whole area but what they found, no Mitch.
By the time that it became dark Joe said, “I give up for today. Are you coming back home? Maybe Mitch is already back.”
“Good idea of you little brother. My stomach begins to get to rumble of emptiness by now”, reacted Hoss.
Joe smiled because he knew the appetite of brother only far too well.
When entering Ben saw on their looks that they hadn’t found Mitch.
“Hopefully we find him soon. Roy and Clem now know about his missing too”, Adam said to break the silence.
Mitch woke up by a burning camp fire. By the flames he had to squeeze his eyes tight.
“So finally awake? It’s about time”, said a voice.
Mitch looked up and saw Dick Wilson standing by him.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?”, he asked on a gruffly tone.
Mitch felt that he was in danger.
“I lie here. By the smack I don’t know anymore who I am”, Mitch said innocent.
“I think that you are the grandson of a wealthy rancher in the area. You are going to make us super rich”, said the man.
He went to sit next to the boy and said, “I am Dick Wilson and that are my wife Laura and our two daughters Sara and Clara.”
“What must I do then?”, asked the boy.
“You pretend that you are crippled. I will cure you with a liquid. Hereby many people will buy the medicine and we will get rich”, Dick explained.
“Tomorrow we are in Virginia City. There we will get our strike”, said Laura.
Mitch got up and began to walk around a bit.
Sara said to her sister, “That lad is strange and already lame. His boots are worth much though.”
“Indeed. He already looked so strange when ma mentioned Virginia City”, answered Clara.
Mitch realized that he was in trouble and good too. The Wilsons were very bad surely if they found out that he belonged to the Cartwrights. He knew from stories that the Cartwrights weren’t always loved and the same went for him. The boy didn’t know well what he had to do. Stay with them or try to escape. Mitch decided to do the latter. But his first attempt to escape failed. Sara came after him and got hold of him.
“Come on with me!”, she said snappy.
Laura had come closer as well and took him over from Sara.
“You won’t get away brat that you are”, Laura said angry.
“Want to bet I will?”, asked Mitch.
“Shut up. We are in charge and not you”, she bit at him.
Laura dragged him back to the camp where Dick gave him a treatment.
“So you thought to walk away from our appointment? I will have to punish you for that”, Dick said looking grim.
He got the right hand of Mitch and with particular the fingers. Without looking at it he hit the fingers of Mitch against the wagon so they broke. All Wilsons laughed hereby very hard and false. Mitch kept a stiff upper lip and thought, ‘If uncle Hoss saw this you would stop laughing.’ Suddenly he knew to get the revolver of Dick Wilson. The young Cartwright did get a push but he pointed the revolver at the twins.
“Must I blow them to hell?”, Mitch asked fierce.
“No, not at all. We’re sorry”, said Dick.
“I must believe that for sure? I don’t. I am leaving and don’t try to follow me because I let my uncles and dog loose at you”, said Mitch.
To make sure that they really didn’t follow him Mitch shot the one water bag empty and with the other he put out the camp fire. The weapon got thrown in the leaking water bottle. Here after Mitch left the camp of the Wilsons.
His escape went well until Mitch tripped and sprained his right ankle heavily. With much difficulty he got up and limped through the wood further. At a certain moment he came at the lake of Tahoe. He recognized the cabin where he often stayed during the fish parties with Ben. ‘Finally home’, thought Mitch. With much difficulty Mitch opened the door and he went inside. The door closed behind him. Mitch let himself drop on a bed and fell fast asleep.
After a few hours the Wilsons had made a new camp fire with very much trouble.
“Pa, that brat is gone”, Clara called when she didn’t see Mitch anywhere anymore.
Dick said enormously angry, “That lad is as good as dead!”
“I rather think that he has gone home or to the sheriff”, Laura said worried.
They didn’t know that Mitch knew more than good was for him. Dick grabbed Caramel and mounted on.
“I go and look for him. By daylight you go to Virginia City. I come with that lad”, said the quack.
Laura nodded.
The quack rode around but didn’t find Mitch. This made him quite angry. The quack vowed for revenge because the boy had escaped from him.
One evening deputy Clem Foster found on a road the saddlebags of Mitch. He dismounted and checked the contents. On the package was written: ‘to Mr A. Cartwright.’ Clem saw also the brand of the Ponderosa standing on the saddlebags. Hereby he knew that Mitch had gotten an accident and was robbed within it. The deputy took the saddlebags along with him to Virginia City.
When entering he said to his boss, “These saddlebags are probably of Mitch. I found them on a road about 4 km from the Ponderosa. There is nothing out and there is a book for Adam too in it.”
“Just bring them to the Cartwrights. Hopefully we will find himself to soon. The news is already known in town”, said Roy.
Clem went to the ranch to bring the news.
The news that Mitch Cartwright had disappeared trackless had gone through Virginia City like wild-fire. Though most of them found it awful some people said that the Cartwrights had to be glad that Mitch was away. Such a person was Mickey Rockson. H always hated the Cartwrights and especially Mitch.
That evening he said in the Lucky Nuggett, “Now Mitch is gone the other Cartwrights will follow soon as well.”
Adam and Hoss happened to hear that. Cody was with them.
To pester Mickey Adam asked, “Hoss, Mitch has been missing for 2 weeks so it’s about time that Mitch gets found, don’t you think so?”
“Surely Adam. It is already so quiet at the ranch”, was het answer of his brother.
Mickey came to them and said, “Don’t do such hypocritical. That child is already dead. Clem wastes his time to look for him.”
“I don’t know if you know it but Clem is looking for my son him voluntarily”, said Adam.
“I only have one comment on the disappearing of that rotten son of yours and that is: good riddance!”, Mickey said laughing.
Adam hit him through the saloon to joy of all present.
Now Mickey really became angry with his enemies and came again to Adam and Hoss.
Hoss said, “It is true that it is good riddance but that goes for you as well. If you leave this town then Virginia City is a whole lot cleaner too.”
“If you leave this area too because you just terrorize the whole town with your ranch”, Mickey said angry.
The brothers looked at each other amused and Adam said, “Hoss, just let him get well acquainted with our terror.”
Now Mickey didn’t have a big mouth anymore because he got hit by Hoss through the saloon and then outside. After the hitting the brothers enjoyed again of the peace and their drinks.
When Clem wanted to leave he saw the horses of Adam and Hoss standing. He rode with his horse to the other horses and put his next to it. Then he dismounted and with the saddlebags he went into the saloon.
“Adam, I must see you and Hoss would like to hear it as well”, said the deputy.
“What is it?”, asked Adam.
“Outside”, answered Clem.
They went outside and Clem showed the saddlebags with contents. The brothers didn’t know what they saw.
“Those are the saddlebags of Mitch and he had to pick up that book for me. Where did you find them?”, asked Adam.
“On a road about 4 km from your ranch”, was the answer.
Cody sniffed at the saddlebags and began to bark loud.
“I think he has found something”, said Hoss.
“Cody, look the little master”, said Adam.
Again Cody sniffed at the saddlebags and then he ran away. The brothers jumped on their horses and followed the dog. Adam had grabbed the saddlebags along with him.
In the cabin laid an injured Mitch waiting till someone found him. He tried to stay optimistic but after each day the optimism of his sank a bit deeper into the ground. He even began to believe that is family didn’t care about him anymore and thought that he was long dead and gone. He was sure of it that he would be found and then to be removed straight to the cemetery. Mitch did the only thing that he still could do and that was sleeping.
Cody ran straight to the cabin by the lake. The brothers recognized the cabin too at once and rode to it. Adam jumped from his horse and rammed the door open.
“Mitch!”, he called.
The boy woke up and looked at his father hazy.
“Daddy!”, Mitch said hoarse.
Adam took his son into his arms and kissed him loving full. Both got tears in their eyes. Hoss kept Cody outside on purpose to let be his brother alone with Mitch.
“Kid, how are you?”, Adam asked after a while.
“Bad. My ankle hurts and my fingers are also hurting”, Mitch said while he got put down.
Adam checked the fingers and ankle and knew enough.
“Your ankle is sprained and your fingers broke. We take you along to town to have you cared for”, said Adam.
“Who are we?”, asked Mitch.
“Your uncle Hoss, Cody and I. Cody found the track of the saddlebags which Clem had found earlier this evening”, answered Adam.
He got dome water and gave it to his son. Hoss and Cody came in and saw how bad the boy looked like.
“Mitch must go to the doctor because he has a sprained ankle and 5 broken fingers”, said Adam.
“What are we still doing here then?”, asked Hoss.
Adam lifted up Mitch and carried him to Sport. He put him on front and mounted then on. Hoss mounted on his horse and with Cody they rode back to town. Mitch didn’t say anything but knew that he was now safe with his father.
The Cartwrights stopped in front of the practise of doctor Paul Martin. Hoss dismounted first and helped his nephew on the ground where after Adam dismounted too and took over Mitch. Here after they went inside.
“Doc, can you examine Mitch?”, asked Adam.
“Mitch, just sit down”, said Paul.
He examined the boy totally. The sprained ankle got wrapped up and the broken fingers got set into plaster together with the hand and wrist. Here after Mitch got a sling.
“Adam, keep your son in bed for the first few days”, said Paul said when the examination was over.
“That will surely happen”, said the eldest Cartwright boy looking at his son.
The boy didn’t say an a word at all during the examination. His normal bright and dark eyes were very dull.
“We go home because I know for sure that grandpa, uncle Joe and Hop Sing would like to see you back again”, said Hoss.
On the way home Mitch remained silent. The brothers understood why and didn’t say anything either.
At the ranch Ben and Joe still were worried about the missing of the youngest Cartwright. Suddenly they both looked at the front door.
“There come Adam and Hoss. Hopefully they have good news”, said Ben.
They went outside and saw the mentioned Cartwrights coming with Mitch.
“Pa, Can you get your grandson? But look out because his right ankle is sprained and his right arm is partly in plaster”, said Adam.
Carefully Ben grabbed his grandson and carried him inside. Mitch got put on the settee. The hands took care of the horses so that Adam and Hoss could tell everything. Hop Sing made something to eat right away for the youngest Cartwright.
After he had eaten something Mitch could talk a bit again.
“Mitch, who broke your fingers?”, asked Adam.
“Dick Wilson. I had to help with a show of his but I tried to escape which failed. Then he broke my fingers. But I got away anyway”, Mitch said hesitating.
“We will get him. Now first you are going to take a bath and then to bed to sleep”, said Adam.
He lifted up the boy and carried him upstairs.
After a long bath Mitch went to bed and he slept right away. Though Adam stayed by him. The Cartwrights were now complete again but the problems weren’t solved yet.
Life in Virginia City wasn’t very easy for Dick and his family. To get hold of some money anyway Dick did some chore sin town. The fact that he was a new one in town made that he got argus-eyed looked by. But he wasn’t the only one who was bothered with that.
One morning Clem happened to see that Laura Wilson was shopping with her two daughters in town.
He walked up to her and asked, “All children here in Virginia City go to school. Your children live here too in town. Why aren’t they going then?”
“Our daughters are not so used to it here yet. Who do you actually think you are? Ordering a caring mother to send her sweet daughters to school. What are you a brutal ape. By the way, what gives you the right to tell me that these sweet girls must go to school?”, Laura asked insulted.
“You are talking to a deputy in function so keep your insults to yourself”, answered Clem.
“I will bring them to school tomorrow”, she said a bit less brutal.
Clem nodded polite and walked on.
The next morning Laura brought the girls to school like she had promised the deputy.
“Ma, soon they are going to ask us where that Cartwright is. He is almost as old as we are”, said Sara.
“Just say that you don’t know him. Behave yourself with conceit”, Laura advised the girls.
The twins had it difficult at school. The seat next to Matthew Walker was empty and Sara wanted to sit there.
But Matthew said, “Mitch Cartwright sits here always. Just go sit somewhere else!”
“He isn’t here and I am. So I will sit here”, said Sara.
“You and your sister will sit at the front”, said teacher Abigail Jones.
They did that with much reluctance.
During the lunch break Jerry Baker said to Matthew, “What a dumb creatures. I hope that they go away soon.”
“After school I go to the Ponderosa to ask if Mitch is back already. It is so boring without him”, answered his friend.
Jerry found that too. The two boys and Mitch were good friends. The other pupils ignored the twins as well.
At home after the school day Sara told everything to Laura.
She went to complain by her husband, “We never should have steal that horse and that saddle too from Cartwright. That family is very well known here in town. The girls are having a hard time at school and the women avoid me like I have the plague!”
“Nonsense. That child is already dead. No one will pointed a guilty finger at us”, said Dick.
Mitch slept very much the first week that he was home again. Adam and Cody stayed a lot by him.
On a morning the youngest Cartwright came downstairs again for breakfast. His family members noticed how much he had changed. Normally Mitch said a lot but now he was as silent as the grave.
“Mitch, are you alright?”, Adam asked carefully.
The boy nodded but didn’t touch his breakfast. Everybody looked at him but didn’t say anything.
After breakfast Mitch stayed sitting as the only one at the table. The grownups went to the living room.
“Pa, is everything alright with him?”, Hoss asked concerned.
“No, not at all. I am very worried about him”, said Ben.
“Where is Caramel anyway?”, asked Joe.
“His saddle has also disappeared”, said Hoss.
“That saddle is unsellable because it has our brand on it and it is an adjusted saddle”, said the rancher.
“Dick Wilson has nicked my horse and saddle”, Mitch said suddenly.
The men looked at the boy. They realized that he knew more than good was enough for him. They went back to sit at the table and looked at the youngest inhabitant of the ranch.
“What?”, Mitch asked amazed.
“Mitch, tell everything that has happened between the time that you left here and we found you”, said Adam.
Mitch told everything hesitating. No one interrupted him.
“Adam,
You go to Virginia City to report the two thefts to Roy and also that Mitch is here. But make sure that that Wilson doesn’t notice that the boy is home again. I f you happen to run into him make him nervous them”, said Ben.
“And who will babysit Mitch then?”, Adam asked worried.
“I will look after him”, answered his father.
With a easy heart Adam went to town to report the theft. He rode in the direction of the Lucky Nuggett Saloon when he saw a familiar horse standing. He rode towards it and dismounted. After this he checked the stallion carefully. Quite soon he discovered the brand that his father had given the animal. The eldest Cartwright boy found the saddle familiar. Then Dick Wilson came closer.
“What must that be with my horse?”, asked the quack.
“Say what a nice horse. A thoroughbred stallion for sure?”, Adam asked ignoring the question of the quack.
“Sure do. He is mine”, said Dick.
“Is that saddle also yours by accident?”, Adam wanted to know.
“Indeed. Why? Is that horse yours or what?”, Dick asked on his turn.
The curiosity of Adam began to get on his nerves well.
“No”, Adam answered while he walked away with Sport.
When the coast was safe Adam slipped into the office of the sheriff.
“Adam, what can I do for you?”, asked Roy.
“I come to report theft of a horse and a saddle”, said Adam.
Roy got a paper and began to write.
“Dick Wilson has stolen the stallion Caramel of Mitch and the saddle too. He will try to sell the saddle but that won’t work because it is made especially for Mitch”, said Adam.
“And where is your son now?”, asked Roy.
“At home. Pa babysits him. The boy is still very upset”, said the visitor.
Adam stayed for a cup of coffee and went then back home again.
On the way home Adam ran into Matthew.
“Mr Cartwright, I must ask you something”, said the boy said right away.
“Fire away. But I think that I already know what the burning question is. It is if Mitch is back already, isn’t it?”, asked the eldest Cartwright boy.
Matthew nodded and went to ride next to him.
“He is at home but still very upset. Why don’t you go along? We will bring you home after supper”, Adam suggested.
“Good. This morning twins came to school. They are called Sara and Clara Wilson. Sara had even had the nerve to go sit on the spot of Mitch. They do have much conceit”, said Matthew.
“Mitch said that too already”, said Adam.
When they rode upon the yard Hoss and Joe were busy outside.
“Is Mitch inside?”, asked Adam.
“Yes”, said Joe.
Matthew slipped out of his saddle and went inside. Mitch sat in the blue chair of his father and recognized the visitor.
“Hi Matthew”, he said.
“Hi truant. Your father invited me to come for supper”, reacted Matthew.
“Oh, did he do that?”, Ben asked smiling.
“Yeah, wasn’t he allowed to do that?”, Matthew asked who also knew the rancher of the Ponderosa well.
“You just stay here, then I will give him a treatment”, Ben said teasing.
He went outside where his sons were.
“Pa, I have taken someone along for supper. Maybe that it is good for Mitch”, Adam said coming straight to the point.
“I know because he already told me it himself”, said Ben.
“Dick has indeed nicked the horse and saddle of Mitch. Matthew told that his daughters are in his class. Roy knows it too of the theft”, told Adam.
“I feel like squeezing that Dick Wilson to pieces. If it was only what he has done to Mitchy”, said Hoss.
“I can understand that Hoss, but we take revenge on our own way. Because Roy and Clem know about the stolen horse and saddle that might work in our advantage. If they try to sell it they just can get arrested”, answered Ben.
“And then make the parents nervous that way?”, Adam asked smiling.
“Exactly Adam”, said Ben.
After supper Adam brought Matthew nicely home but the boy had to promise only to tell his parents that Mitch was home again. Matthew did that.
To have some more money Dick said to his daughters, “You must do something for me and your mother. You go away with the saddle of Cartwright and sell it to the livery stable. After that you come back here with the money.”
“Alright pa”, they said in choir.
He couldn’t known that his daughters wouldn’t come home directly without money.
The sisters went with saddle of Mitch to town. What they couldn’t have known was that the sheriff and the deputy were up to date of the stolen saddle.
By the livery stable they stopped. Exactly at that moment Clem did his round. He saw the girls walking with the saddle. To catch them red-handed he kept himself offside.
By the door the deputy asked, “What did you want to do with that saddle?”
“We had to sell it from our father”, Sara said at once.
“You are arrested for selling stolen goods”, said Clem.
He took them along to jail.
“Clem, what are they doing here?”, Roy asked amazed.
“They wanted to sell this stolen saddle. This is of Mitch Cartwright”, Clem explained.
“Just lock them up. In separate cells”, said Roy.
Clem did that with pleasure.
Clara said, “We haven’t even stolen that saddle!”
“How did it come then into your possession?”, asked Clem.
The twins had no answer to this. He locked the girls up in separate cells.
Back in the office said the deputy, “I go to the Ponderosa.”
“Let the boy come here to identify them”, said Roy.
Clem nodded and went to the ranch.
When the deputy rode upon the yard he noticed that the sphere was like usual very cozy. He dismounted and knocked at the door. Ben answered the door and looked amazed at Clem.
“Clem, came in. You are not going to tell me that my sons were up to something, are you?”, asked the rancher.
“No, fortunately not but 2 children of another father”, Clem said while he came in.
He saw Mitch sitting in the blue chair. Ben pointed Clem to sit down. That happened.
“Earlier on I caught 2 sisters on trying to sell an adjusted saddle to the livery stable. They are now behind bars. Roy wants that you, Mitch, come to Virginia City to identify the sisters”, said Clem.
“What is identifying?”, asked Mitch.
“That is proving who or what is”, Ben explained.
“Alright. But may Cody come along?”, asked the boy.
“He may come along and I go along as well. I will have Candy get the carriage ready”, said the rancher.
“Where is my horse?”, asked the young Cartwright.
“We k now that Dick Wilson has stolen him, just like your saddle”, said Ben.
He went outside to let Candy get the carriage ready.
Not much later the Cartwrights and Clem were on their way to Virginia City.
Mitch felt awkward because it was the first time that he came into public since his disappearing. Ben noticed that but couldn’t do much for his grandson. Cody remained close to the boy for support.
In the prison Mitch saw the twins sitting behind bars.
“That’s them indeed and their parents ought to be there as well”, Mitch said in the presence of Ben and Roy.
“That will happen and your horse will come back to you as well”, Ben reassured his grandson.
Then Laura Wilson came rushing into the prison with a hunting rifle.
“Where are my sweet little children?”, she groaned.
“Mrs Wilson, they are in jail because they tried to sell stolen goods”, answered Clem.
Laura went straight to the cells and pointed her rifle at her children. The following moment she shot the twins dead. Ben held Mitch to him so he didn’t see anything. Roy on his turn shot her dead.
Outside Cody waited nicely by the carriage. Suddenly he recognized the stallion of Mitch. He barked loud. Caramel pranced and threw the quack on the ground.
“That is Cody”, said Mitch.
He ran as good as he could outside, followed by Ben and Clem. The dog already had the reins of Caramel in his beak as he was taught to do by Mitch. Dick wanted to escape but he saw 2 revolvers pointed at him.
“Come along Wilson because your game is over”, said Clem.
He got him harsh and dragged him down to the cells where his late wife and children still were. Dick saw that and knew enough.
“That little Cartwright has killed them!”, he said angry.
“Mitch has nothing to do with it because your wife has killed the twins and I killed her out of self-defense”, answered Roy.
Outside Mitch seemed to have become a totally different boy now he got his beloved horse back again.
“Grandpa, where is my saddle?”, asked the boy.
“Inside. I will see if you can take with you”, said Ben.
He went inside and found only Clem there.
“Clem, Mitch asked if he could take along his saddle. Is that possible?”, asked the rancher.
“I think so”, was the answer.
Roy let the bodies taken away and Dick got placed behind bars.
“Ben, we don’t need that saddle anymore so your grandson can get it with him”, said Roy.
The rancher grabbed the saddle and went with it outside. He saddled the stallion and helped his grandson on it.
“Do you know the way home?”, asked Ben.
“Yes, because Cody goes along with me”, Mitch answered full of self-confidence.
“Go then. I see you at home”, Ben said smiling.
Mitch rode away with Cody following him and Ben went inside to hear the exclamation of Dick.
After his arrest Dick gave a full confession.
“Why have you actually bothered Mitch Cartwright without a valid reason?”, asked Roy.
“He had insulted my daughter in Carson City. For that reason I had stolen his horse and the rest of him. Besides the child had promised to help me with our demonstration here in town. But he got away. So I had to go after him anyway”, the quack ended his confession.
“Clem, lock him up”, Roy said then.
The deputy brought Dick back to a cell and locked him up again.
Back in the office said Clem, “I can’t imagine that Mitch promised something like that to him. The child should have known better.”
“I think so too. Anyway there comes a quick trail for Dick Wilson so that eh is out of Virginia City. The sooner the better”, was the opinion of his employer.
Ben shared that opinion.
When the trail against Dick Wilson took place Mitch had to open his mouth.
At the ranch Adam said, “Mitch, you are the only witness against him. And only by your testimony that quack can get convicted.”
“He is just a dirty ordinary horse thief. No one may steal Caramel”, the boy said very excited.
“That is not allowed indeed”, his father said before they left.
The trail didn’t last very long because Mitch was the only witness against Dick.
During his testimony the boy told, “Mr Wilson forced me to help them with their demonstration to cheat people. Though I have seen them busy in Carson City which was a complete failure. They robbed the bank at night too. They held me prison in their camp and he broke the fingers of my right hand. My horse and saddle got stolen from me by him there too.”
Dick looked at him and yelled, “That child lies. I have never laid a finger on him!”
“Silence in the courtroom!”, judge Watson said right away.
It was deadly quiet at once.
The judge soon had the verdict ready and said, “Hereby I convict Dick Wilson to the gallows.”
By hearing the verdict the quack looked very dirty at Mitch.
Adam saw that too and whispered to his son, “After the trail you and I go straight home. The others will come a bit later on.”
The boy nodded. They did do so. Adam and Mitch gave their horses the spurs to come home as soon as possible.
Arrived at home they dismounted off their horses and they took care of the animals. After that they went into the ranch house. Mitch went to the kitchen.
There he said to Hop Sing, “Daddy and I are at home already and the others come later.”
“Alright Mitch”, answered the cook.
In the living room Adam grabbed the ordered book and looked at his son.
“Is that the book that I picked up?”, asked Mitch.
“Yes, but each time I see it I think back of the time when you were away”, answered Adam.
“Why do you still have it then if you have bad memories from it?”, was the following question of the boy.
Adam first looked at his son, then at the book and sighed deep.
“For this time you are right”, said the eldest Cartwright boy.
With a nice pitch he threw the book into the open fire where the book burned.
“We leave this history behind us and now go on with our future”, said Adam.
That was also the opinion of Mitch.