At the morning of March 24 1864 Mitch Cartwright woke up when it was already light. He wasn’t feeling very well and remained in bed until his father Adam Cartwright came in.
“Morning darling. Slept well?”, Adam asked while he went to sit on the bed.
“Yes, but my throat hurts”, the boy said a bit hoarse.
Adam touched the throat of his son and noticed that it was a bit swollen.
“First you have a bath and then Hop Sing has a delicious warm bowl of oatmeal fro you. You can swallow that right away”, Adam said.
He lifted Mitch out of bed and carried him to the bathroom. The bath was already been made so that he could wash the boy right away. During the wash party Mitch kept on coughing so that Adam got concerned.
“You aren’t going to get ill, are you? Because we go to the cows and their young who grandpa owns”, the eldest Cartwright boy said.
Mitch shrugged.
After Mitch was dressed he went downstairs with Adam. The others were already having breakfast but they also noticed that the youngest inhabitant of the Ponderosa was not feeling alright. Hop Sing put a bowl of oatmeal in front of Mitch and the boy began to eat slowly.
“If he gets feverish, I go back home with him”, Adam said after a long silence.
“Then you can keep up with the ledgers again. I know that you love to spent your free time with that”, Ben said teasing.
Adam nodded smiling and reacted with the remark, “I will give you for your birthday a course of bookkeeping so you can follow that.”
Everybody laughed because they all knew that Ben hated to work on the ledgers and that Adam liked it very much to do it. That’s why Adam always did it.
Mitch looked his eyes out when they rode to the cattle.
“Daddy, it is so nice here”, the boy said.
“You will see much more nicer things when we get to the cattle”, was Adam’s answer.
He looked at his son who sat in front of him on Sport. He hoped that Mitch would become as happy at the ranch as he was with his father and brothers.
While the cattle driving Mitch stayed with Ben. But that was what the boy had promised his father to do. But when the rancher wasn’t paying attention to him for a second Mitch had taken a stroll.
By accident Adam was at his father to deliver some young calves when he first looked around him and the asked concerned, “Pa, where is Mitch?”
Ben also looked around him and replied, “He was here just a minute ago. He can’t be very far.”
“He can be very far indeed. Mitch is as quick as water. I go and look for him”, Adam reacted.
He turned Sport and rode away. A moment later he had found Mitch. He jumped from Sport and ran to the boy. Sport whinnied and Mitch got so scared that he fell and slipped . He ended up into the water. Adam came after him without thinking and rescued his son from a nearly death.
On the side Adam held Mitch tight and said, “Promise me that you will never take a walk. Daddy loves you very much and can’t miss you anymore.”
The boy nodded and coughed a lot. He also looked weary out of his eyes. Adam put his hand on the forehead of Mitch and noticed that he was a bit warm.
“I’m going to take you home”, Adam said fatherly.
He got up and carried his son to Sport. In the meantime he had wrapped Mitch up in his coat. They mounted on and rode to Ben.
“Pa, can someone send Paul Martin down to the ranch house as this boy fell into the water and now he is a bit feverish. I stay with him as long as he is sick”, Adam said.
“I am on my way”, Little Joe said directly.
The brothers rode away at once.
Arrived at home Adam dried Mitch right away and put him into a bath. Mitch kept on coughing so that his father brought him to bed.
“Dad, may I lie in your bed?”, Mitch asked hoarse.
“Of course you may lie in my bed as long as you are ill. I stay with you”, Adam said.
He put Mitch in his bed and stayed with him.
Mitch looked around the room and said, “Many books here.”
“Your Uncles call my room also the library”, Adam said.
“What is a library?”, Mitch asked.
“That is a building with very much books to read”, his father explained.
“I can not read”, Mitch said.
“Not yet but you will learn that”, was Adam’s answer.
After a while he heard footsteps on the stairs. Adam went to see and saw Dr Paul Martin and Little Joe coming.
“Paul, de patient is in my bed”, Adam said directly.
“Hello Adam. I heard from Joe that your little son is ill”, the heal master said.
“Yes. He fell into the water at the herd. Now he is feverish and hoarse. He also coughs a lot”, Adam said while they walked to his bedroom.
Paul examined Mitch and said to the brothers, “Mitch has throat inflammation. Keep him in bed and let him drink very much. I stop by tomorrow again.”
Little Joe saw the doctor out while his brother stayed with Mitch. Slowly the boy fell asleep. Adam tucked him in and stayed by him.
Little Joe came to the bedroom and asked whispering, “Does he sleep?”
Adam nodded and left the bedroom to talk at the hall.
“I stay at home to look after him. He is ill and this is a strange area for Mitch. He needs me now the most”, Adam said.
“Good. I go the others and tell them what there is with Mitch and that you stay at home”, Little Joe answered.
He went away and Adam back to Mitch. This one was still in dreamland.
At the herd Ben asked his youngest son right away, “How is it with Mitch?”
“He has a throat inflammation and Adam stays home for him. Doc comes to see the little lad tomorrow again”, little Joe answered.
Ben sighted deeply and faced a dilemma. They needed him badly with the branding but Adam as well.
Finally Ben said, “I go home. My grandson is more important than the herd.”
Hoss and Little Joe understood it. Ben got his horse and went back home.
Adam was making lunch ready for himself when he looked through the kitchen window and saw his father coming.
Amazed he walked outside and popped the question, “Pa, what are you doing here?”
“My grandson is ill and that’s why I come home”, Ben said while he dismounted.
“Mitch is asleep right now so I thought it was time to have lunch”, Adam said.
“I join you with lunch”, was Ben’s answer.
After eating the two men went to see Mitch who had just woken up.
“Grandpa”, the boy said hoarse.
He went to sit but Adam said, “Mitch, lie down.”
Mitch did that at once but with reluctance. Ben came to sit upon the bed and stroke the boy on his head.
“You must get better very soon because I want to spend very much time with you”, the rancher said.
Mitch fell asleep again so he got left alone.
In the study Adam said, “Now that I am home again I will keep myself busy with the ledgers again. As it isn’t your hobby.”
“You are making yourself very popular with your sharp remarks. I hope Mitch won’t make them later as well”, Ben said chuckling.
“He looks a lot like me so he will do that”, his son reacted.
Adam took place behind the desk and went to work.
“As you can manage together I go back to the herd”, Ben said.
“Bye Pa”, Adam said grinning.
In the following days Mitch slept very much and Adam could easily read the ledgers. After two weeks the fever was gone and Adam let his son lie on the settee downstairs. Hereby Mitch recovered even faster. Now his sore throat was better Mitch began more to talk.
After his illness Mitch came outside again. Because it was such a lovely weather Adam decided to do the rest of the updating of the administration outside so he could watch his very busy son. On a certain moment Mitch came up to his father and went to sit at the table as well. Adam looked at the boy but didn’t say a word.
“What are you doing?”, Mitch asked after a while.
“I write the money cases in the ledgers ”, Adam said.
“Why?”, was the following question.
“So that Grandpa can see exactly how much money we get and spend”, Adam said.
He noticed that Mitch didn’t understand it and explained, “When you need new clothes soon I must write the amount of it in this book for checking.”
“Can’t Grandpa do it himself then?”, Mitch asked.
His father smiled and answered, “Yes, he can but he doesn’t like it.”
“And you do? I happen to have a strange father”, Mitch said light-hearted.
Adam pulled him to him and said, “I am strange then you must be stranger because you are my son.”
“Am not”, Mitch said.
Adam began to tickle his son where by the boy began to laugh out loud.
“Daddy, stop it!”, Mitch screamed after a while.
“I will stop if you go play nicely”, Adam said.
Mitch went to play again and Adam went to work again.
When all the administration was updated Adam said, “Mitch, I put the ledgers away and then we go to Grandpa.”
The boy followed him and asked, “Do you know why we go to Grandpa?”
“Well?”, Adam wanted to know.
“Because Grandpa doesn’t come to us”, the boy answered lightly.
“Did you still want to come along?”, Adam asked.
Mitch nodded with laughing eyes.
“Then do not say that to me again”, Adam said teasing.
He carried the books inside and put then away. After this Adam packed a bag with some cookies and sandwiches and bottles with liquid for his son.
When father and son Cartwright arrived at the herd the men were just holding a lunch break.
“Mitch, we come just in time”, Adam said. He stopped the horse and dismounted. After this he lifted Mitch from him. Ben came up to then and took Mitch over from his eldest son.
“Are you well again?”, the rancher asked.
The boy nodded and got put down again. Together they walked to the others, followed by Adam.
Ben gave his son a cup of coffee and said, “We are on scheme. But your help is welcome. ”
“All administration is up to date. Mitch is also well again. He talks for five quarters in an hour without stopping”, Adam replied.
They both looked at Mitch who a had a great time with Hoss and Little Joe.
After the lunch break Adam said, “Mitch, now you must really stay with Granddad.”
“Okay daddy”, the young Cartwright said.
Mitch did stay with Ben and played near the chuck wagon. Now Adam could help with the branding so the chore was quickly done.