THE GENERAL

It was a beautiful day when the 13 year old Mitch Cartwright was riding around on his horse Caramel with this shepherd dog Cody.

“Soon we get to some water”, Mitch said to his horse and dog.

The young Cartwright hadn’t said it yet or Cody began to run hard. Mitch gave Caramel the spurs and they came at an open spot where a man was camping. Mitch stopped his horse and gave Cody a sign to be silent. He dismounted then and gave the reins to his dog. Here after he walked up to the man.

“Sir, do you know that you may not be here?”, asked the boy.

The man looked up and saw the young Cartwright standing.

“I may camp here because I’m an old army friend of Ben Cartwright. When we said goodbye he said, “Dick, whenever you are in the area, you may always camp here of me.” Who are you?”, asked Dick.

“Mitch Cartwright. I am the grandson of Ben Cartwright. Grandpa has never told us about you. What is your last name?”, Mitch asked on is turn.

“Anderson. Go tell your grandpa that Dick Anderson waits here for him for a cozy reunion”, said the general.

Mitch walked back to his animals and mounted on Caramel.

Dick watched them and said to himself, “Little busybody. You can see that he is a Cartwright though. Just as cheeky and meddling as Ben himself. And yet cripple too.”

Mitch rode hurry-scurry home and ran underway into his big uncle Hoss. He stopped his nephew and let him calm down.

“Mitchy, are you after the girlfriends of your uncle Joe again?”, asked Hoss.

He knew that his nephew was also very attractive for the girls.

“No, I better watch out. They are too old and too ugly for me. It’s worse. An old army general camps on our land. He is called Dick Anderson and claims that grandpa has said to him that he always may camp on the ranch”, told Mitch.

Hoss had to let the news sink in for a moment.

“What do we do?”, Mitch asked impatient.

“Tell it grandpa and see what he says. I race you home”, said Hoss.

They gave their horses the spurs. Hoss was ahead but hadn’t counted on the slyness of his nephew.

“Uncle Hoss, there is a very delicious cream cake for you”, Mitch suddenly said.

“Where then?”, asked Hoss.

“There on the left”, said the boy.

Hoss rode to the left whereby Mitch had a great head start. He was already at home when his uncle came riding being moody.

“Was the cake delicious?”, Mitch asked laughing.

“Very funny. You just wait here”, said his uncle.

He dismounted and went inside.

Ponderosa ranch owner Ben Cartwright was in his office busy and enjoyed also of the seldom peace and quiet in the house. The rancher was not very pleased with the visit of Hoss.

“Hoss, how many times haven’t I told you not to disturb me when I’m busy with the administration?”, Ben asked sighing.

“Too often, pa, too often. But this is necessary. Mitchy caught an old army general red-handed being camping on our spread. That guy claims to be and old mate of yours. He’s called Dick Anderson”, said Hoss.

Ben thought deep for a moment and answered then, “I don’t have an old army mate called Dick Anderson.”

“What do we do about it?”, asked Hoss.

“We go there with your nephew. He knows exactly where Anderson camps”, was the answer of Ben.

He got up and went with Hoss outside.

“Mitch, you show us where that wild camper is. Cody, you stay here”, Ben said to his grandson and the dog.

Cody went to lie down on the porch sleeping. The Cartwrights mounted on and left the yard.

Meanwhile Dick had made it himself very comfortable on his camping site. He had set up a big tent and made the camp fire a big bigger.

“That little one has ran straight to is parents of course. Ben Cartwright, you are very welcome”, he said softly to himself.

Not much later the Cartwrights came at the spot where Dick had made his camp. Mitch showed Ben and Hoss where the general was. They dismounted and walked up to the wild camper.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”, Ben asked strict.

Dick looked up and said, “Ben, don’t you recognize your old army mate anymore? It’s me, general Dick Anderson. We were in the army together. The 26st in Houston.”

“I have never been in Houston what the army concerns. I also don’t know any Dick Anderson. Army general or not”, said the rancher.

“Though it’s really me. Je grandson said that I wasn’t allowed to be here. I don’t have to take that from a lad of about 10 years old”, reacted Dick.

“I am 13 and not 10”, said Mitch.

“I don’t care about that. I’m here on vacation and demand that you leave me alone”, Dick said who noticed that Ben really didn’t recognize him.

“This is my land and you camp here without my permission”, said Ben.

Dick grabbed his rifle and pointed it at the Cartwrights.

“Now you remain here cozy until I may stay here for good”, said Dick.

He came to his prisoners and checked piece by piece.

“For you, Ben and that bear I can ask and get a lot of ransom. But for that little one not much. Better said: nothing. Ben, I really don’t understand why you accepts that your grandchild is cripple. If he was mine I would really disown him”, said Dick.

“I am not you”, said Ben.

Hoss saw the pan with food and asked, “What are you making, Mr Anderson?”

“General Anderson for you! That is a mix of beans, meat and potatoes”, said Dick.

He grabbed Mitch tight and dragged him into the tent. Hereby Ben and Hoss saw chance to get away.

In the tent the young Cartwright saw a jar with arsenic. Quickly he held the jar with him.

“You look after my meal now!”, said Dick.

“Fine”, said Mitch.

He left the tent and saw that Ben and Hoss were at safe distance. Mitch threw the whole content of the jar into the pan and stirred the arsenic through the bean dish.

“General Anderson, your delicious meal is ready”, Mitch called after 5 minutes.

Dick came and just ate out of the pan. He was so busy with his meal that he didn’t even notice that Mitch sneaked away as well. Hoss sneaked to him, grabbed him and carried him to Ben. The 3 Cartwrights watched tense.

“What does my bean dish have such a strange taste?”, Dick wondered himself.

It didn’t take long before dick got what he deserved because he ate the whole pan empty and fell then down for his country. The Cartwrights came nearer.

“He is dead. Hoss, you and Mitch bring him and his belongings to Fort McDermit. I go home to keep myself busy with the administration”, said Ben.

“Mitchy, what have you done in the pan whereby he died?”, asked Hoss.

“This whole jar. I fear that it was meant for us”, Mitch answered while he showed the jar.

Ben and Hoss read the label and began to laugh.

“Mitch, I hope that your future wife is a real queen of the kitchen because in this jar was poison. So never do that in food”, said the rancher.

“Not even in the meal for my mother-in-law?”, asked Mitch.

“Not even then. Because that’s a waste of the poison”, Hoss remarked.

They laughed.

Everything got wrapped up. Hoss and Mitch brought the mortal remains of Dick to the nearest army fort. Ben went back home.

The visit to the army fort made a lot impression at the youngest Cartwright. They got received by colonel James Wilson. He knew the Cartwrights well.

“This is my nephew Mitchy, the son of Adam”, Hoss said to the colonel.

James saw that Mitch wore a walking brace and said, “Mitch, by your handicap you don’t have to join the army.”

“Now I have at least 1 advantage of my handicap”, said the boy.

He told the whole story without that James interrupted him.

After he had heard everything James said, “Gentlemen, this is case is handled. Hoss, give the regards to your family. Have a good trip.”

“We do that”, said Hoss.

After a hearty meal the Cartwrights went back home again. By this history Mitch had learned that everywhere could be illegal campers on their spread.