THREAT FOR THE CARTWRIGHTS

One day an attractive woman of early 50 arrived at the area of the Ponderosa. The youngest Cartwright (6 year old Mitch) saw her as first because she stopped at the gate and called him.

“Young man, can you tell me where for heaven’s sake I have arrived?”, she asked.

“You are at the Ponderosa, the ranch of the Cartwrights. I am Mitch, the youngest of the couple”, answered the boy.

“I am Amelia Young and hopelessy lost. Would you like to get your parents please?”, she asked.

Mitch got up and went into the ranch house. His grandpa and also owner of the ranch, Ben Cartwright, saw the boy coming and stopped with the administration.

“Mitch, what is the matter?”, the rancher asked.

“Outside at the gate there stands a woman of about your age and she wants to see you”, the boy answered.

Ben got up and walked with his grandson outside.

“Morning madam. Welcome to the Ponderosa. I am Ben Cartwright, owner of this ranch. This is my grandson Mitch. Come inside”, the rancher said who was clearly inpressed by the woman.

He helped her out of her carriage.

She said with her most charming voice, “I am Amelia Young.”

They went inside and got watched by Mitch. He didn’t trust the female people not much and this person not at all.

In the living room Amelia got coffee and she came a bit by.

“I was just out riding and got lost totally. Then I saw this house standing and rode to it. I am just a poor widow with a daughter who waits for me in a small cabin until I come home again”, she told calm.

“I am three times widower and have 3 sons and 1 grandson Mitch. You are welcome to stay for lunch”, Ben said inviting.

“Mr Cartwright, you are far too good for this world”, Amelia said kindly.

“I can also be very hard and strict”, the rancher said a bit shy.

Suddenly Mitch grabbed and he left the ranch. He went to look for his father and uncles who were at the herd. Adam saw his son as first coming and ride towards him.

“Mitch, what is the matter?”, he asked at once.

“There is a strange woman with grandpa. She is called Amelia Young but I don’t trust her. Grandpa seems to like her though”, told Mitch.

Meanwhile Hoss and Joe had come closer too.

“We go home too”, Adam said to his brothers.

They turned their horses and rode hurry-scurry home. A woman at the Ponderosa usually meant bad news.

When the boys came home Ben and Amelia had gotten to know each other quite well. The couple looked up strange when the boys came in.

“Has something happened?”, Ben asked at once and worried.

“Not that but Mitch came to tell us that there had come a visit at the ranch. That’s why we came”, Adam explained.

“Amelia, these are my sons, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe. Boys, this is Amelia Young. She has some trouble with her carriage. Until then she stays here”, said Ben.

Mitch grabbed unnoticed Adam’s hand which his father understood. Amelia looked at the boys piece by piece and was extremely friendly to them. This gave them already distrust but they didn’t let it show.

During lunch Amelia asked Ben, “Isn’t it a bother to rais ea little boy at your age?”

“Fortunateley I don’t have to raise him because Adam is the father of Mitch. But he is a sweet boy. I mean my grandson”, the rancher answered looking at Mitch.

Amelia asked, “Mitch, how old are you?”

“Six”, said Mitch.

He saw the trouble ahead and hoped that the female visitor soon would leave. That was also the silent wish of his fathers and uncles.

When the food was gone the boys prepared themselves to back to the herd again.

“That was a delicious lunch. It has really taste me well”, said the female visitor.

“The food which Hop Sing makes always tastes more than delicious”, said Hoss.

“Grandpa, may I come too to the herd?”, Mitch asked at that moment.

Ben nodded and said, “If your father and uncles just look out for you.”

That was promised and in less than 5 seconds they had rode away already.

Arrived at the herd Adam said to his son, “We are going to teach you can get a lost cow back to the herd the easiest way.”

“That’s easy though. You just call her name and say that she must go back to the herd”, said Mitch.

The brothers began to laugh which the boy didn’t understand.

“Our cows don’t have no names at all. Just come on”, Adam said still laughing a bit.

They rode to a cow who had had driven off too far according to the Cartwrights. Mitch rode on his horse and tried to hunt her to the herd which failed. The cow was in a very angry mood because she attacked Caramel and and he reared and threw his owner on the ground. After that the stallion rode away. Mitch laid on the ground and got trapped on his right foot by the angry cow. Joe caught the cow with his lasso and took him back to the herd. Adam and Hoss jumped off their horses and cared about ther injured boy.

“Mitchy, Can you move your foot?”, asked Hoss.

Mitch shook of no.

Adam asked then with a worried voice, “Can you stand up?”

“If you help”, was the answer.

The brothers helped the boy up but Mitch pulled his foot away.

“We bring you back homke. Pa or otherwise Hop Sing knows how this must be treated”, said Adam.

At that moment Joe came back with Caramel and Hoss put Mitch on the back of the brown horse. He and Adam also mounted on and rode back home. On the wat the youngest Cartwright had an enormous pain and the tears were in his eyes.

At the Ponderosa liet Amelia showed Ben what the matter was with her carriage. That was of course nothing but she was already so in love with the rancher that she would run off to the city hall with him at once. Only his sons and grandson were standing in the way but there Ameilia had found a solution for. Adam, Hoss and Joe were old and wise enough to leave home and of course Adam would take Mitch with him. That way Amelia had Ben totally for herself. That was her devil’s plan but before she could propose to Ben ask Adam, Hoss and Mitch came home again.

“Pa, Mitch is has been badly injured. An angry cow went to stand on his foot”, Adam called while he and his younger brother jumped off their horse.

Here after Adam lifted his son off the horse. Ben ignored his guest right away and her carriage and took over the boy. The rancher carried him inside and put the young patient on the settee. Adam and Hoss went inside too. Ook Adam en Hoss gingen naar binnen. Amelia was deep insulted and went inside too. There Hop Sing was already busy to wrap up the injured foot in ice.

“Is that child more inportant than me?”, Amelia asked Ben on a angry tone.

The rancher looked at her for a second and answered then, “Yes, Mitch is injured and needs my caring. There is nothing wrong with your carriage. You can leave at once Mrs Young!”

The widow didn’t say anything back and left straight from the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights weren’t even sad about it.

Mitch said after a while, “I was afraid for a moment that you would married that woman.”

“You really don’t have to be afraid for that. I have been married 3 times and it really doesn’t have to for me anymore. I am very happy with the 4 of you and the ranch”, answered his grandpa.

By the ice Mitch was in less pain but he remained at home for the rest of the day. Especially when he got an ice cream from Hop Sing to forget the heavy pain and the scare. The Chinese cook was so wise to give the delious food to the little boy after Adam and Hoss had gone away. Hereby Mitch didn’t have much pain anymore at his right foot but Ben forbid him that afternoon and evening to throw and hit.

Mitch recovered quickly from his injured foot. A few days after the incident with the angry cow the youngest Cartwright ran again through the whole house and across the yard. Though he didn’t go to the herd. Hereby Adam was forced to stay at home too because Mitch was too little and too young to be alone at home.

One morning Adam asked his son, “Are you coming to the herd?”

“No, I stay at home. You go to entertain the cows without me”, Mitch answered sad.

“I’m afraid that you will have to go to the herd too. I have some business to deal with in Virginia City and after that I come also to the herd”, said Ben.

“I am afraid that that cow does it again”, was the frightning answer of Mitch.

“Son, it’s just like you fall off a horse. You just mounts on again”, reacted Adam.

“Mustn’t you look if the ground where you fell down on has been damaged?”, Mitch asked innocent and dry.

Ben and Adam laughed about this innocent and dry question. Though Adam got Mitch so far that he went along to the herd where Hoss and Joe already were.

A bit uncomfortable Mitch rode with Caramel between the calfs. He held the reins of his hoerse very tight. Still the boy didn’t want anything to do with the bigger cows. Though he wanted to conquer his fear. That’s why Mitch went to look for lost cows. At a certain moment he ran into a cow which was of the Cartwrights but stayed on the land of their neigbour Jack Booker. Mitch threw a lasso around the neck of the animal. Here after he wanted to take the cow along but it refused to.

“Go on, move with your lazy butt, rotten beast!”, Mitch groaned after a while.

The boy shouldn’t have said that because now the cow walked and how! In the end Mitch couldn’t hold the lasso anymore and he let it go. Adam, Hoss and Joe saw the cow with lasso coming and looked very amazed. A moment later they saw Mitch coming. The boy stopped his horse and told what had happened. The brothers were very proud of Mitch and himself not into least place.

“Why are you wasting your so precious time?”, the rancher asked stern.

“We were admiring the way which Mitch had brought that cow back. He all did it on his own”, answered Adam.

A smile came upon the face of Ben and Mitch noticed that he had scored once again very well with his grandpa. Hereby Adam, Hoss and Joe weren’t allowed to tease the boy again. But that happened of course.

Because Amelia was rejected by Ben the hard way she decided to take revenge on the rancher and his family. When she was visiting the widow happened to see that in the office was a safe. After her forced leave Amelia had come up with the mean idea to empty that safe and that way the Cartwrights give financially badly. He had money enough and surely could miss sometihng. She was penniless and could use that money very well.

On a good morning she drove to the ranch house and stopped the carriage. Because it was deadly silent Amelia assumed that nobody was present. She got out of the carriage and walked to the front door. She opened the door and walked to the office. The widow found the safe and began to turn the lock. After half an hour the safe was open but to the annoying of Amelia it was empty. The widow was very angry and ran out of the house. Hereby she looked out and tripped over a ball which Mitch had laid down on the floor by accident. Amelia fell down and ended up with her head on the floor whereby she became unconcious. Hop Sing came out of the kitchen and saw the woman lying down. Quickly he grabbed a carriage and he rode to the Cartwrights. They were busy at the corral when they saw the cook coming in a hurry.

Hop Sing stopped the carriage and said as quickly as nobody could hear, “Widow tried to rob safe but is now out by ball.”

Ben said right away, “Hop Sing, calm down.”

The cook became calm and told what had happened. A few seconds later the Cartwrights went back home again.

Meanwhile Amelia had come by a bit but she didn’t dare to stand up. The she saw the bat of Mitch lying down and that way she got the strength to get up. With the bat in her hand she smashed the living room into pieces before she left. She did take the bat as weapon with her just in case someone wanted to stop or attack her.

When the Cartwrights came home and saw the big havoc they knew right away that Amelia Young had been busy. Even Mitch who always had a reaction ready was silent. Ben went to the safe and looked if important papers were gone. But to his big relief that wasn’t so. Mitch saw that his glove and ball were still there but couldn’t find his bat anywhere.

“That woman has taken my bat along”, he called out upset.

The brothers looked at each other and knew that they had come into action quickly. Amelia could be far away already and Mitch couldn’t train without his bat. They went away while Ben and Mitch stayed at home to get the living room neat again. When that had happened they went to Virginia City to report the burglary and the theft.

Meanwhile Ameila had arrive din town and she went to pay the authority a vist.

In the office she said, “Ben Cartwright tried to kill me with this bat. I demand that you lock him up right away and never release him. I am just a poor defenceless widow.”

Hereby she started to cry very pityfull. This was to get pity. Sheriff Roy Coffee and his deputy Clem Foster looked at each other for a second and they knew enough. They had heard often complaints about this infamous widow and now they finally had the chance to get her. Her arrest warrant was already written from before.

“Madam, you just sit down quietly and come at ease with a cup of coffee. My deputy will arrest Mr Cartwright”, Roy said friendly.

Clem first poured in a cup of coffee for her and went then away. Amelia sat down and drank up the fresh coffee.

“Sheriff, would I be allowed to lie down for a moment because I fell down very hard over that ball of that grandson of Cartwright?”, she asked then very suavely.

Roy nodded and brought her to a cell. Amelia went to lie down and closed her eyes. Quickly Roy locked the cell. ‘So, the mouse is in the trap’, thought the sheriff.

At the moment that Clem wanted to ride out of the main street he ran into Ben and Mitch.

They stopped and the deputy said, “Ben, Mrs Amelia Young accusses you of attempted murder with supportof the bat of Mitch. She is now with us but already arrested. But she doesn’t know that yet.”

“She tried to empty our safe and has then with the bat of Mitch smashed our living room to pieces. Besides she has taken the bat”, told the rancher.

Clem turend his horse and rode with the Cartwrights to the office of the sheriff. They dismounted and went inside. Ben told the whole story toRoy.

“Mitch, is this bat yours?”, the sheriff asked the youngest of the company.

The boy nodded. He couldn’t really understand athe series of happenings of that morning which the men noticed.

“Ben, just take your grandson home. We keep the bat of Mitch here just yet as evidence for the court case against Mrs Young”, said Roy.

Ben nodded and said goodbye to the sheriff and deputy.

Outside Ben and Mitch mounted on their horses again and they rode home quickly. The brothers already had come home. Their search had been without success and that’s why they had decided to go back to their home. To appease their hunger Hop Sing had already made a big pile of sandwiches which especailly Hoss made it taste well. The searcvh had made him very hungry. But that was also the case for Adam and Joe. By the time that there were no sandwiches left anymore Ben and Mitch came home.

When they came inside and saw the empty bread dish Mitch asked straight away, “Haven’t you left anything for us?”

“No, we’re sorry. You stayed away so long. Uncle Hoss became so hungry that we decided not to wait anymore. Pa, how did it go with you?”, asked Adam.

“Amelia is in jail because she wanted to lie down in a cell. Next Roy locked the door. He has written down our complaints and those will be used against her. It turned out that they had gotten often complaints about her”, answered his father.

At that moment Hop Sing came into the living room with a new dish with sandwiches.

The brothers wanted to attack again but the cook said, “Dish with bread is only for Mr Cartwright and little Mitch. Big boys already eaten.”

“You go back to work at the corral again. Mitch and I come when we have finished eating”, said Ben.

This was a big disappointment for the boys. They went away bit grumbling so that Ben and Mitch could lunch in all peace and quiet. Finally it was once again ‘quiet’ up and around the Ponderosa.

Not much longer after the failed burgelary at the ranch Mitch was being bothered by a nightmare which returned each night when he slept. The nightmare went as followed:

When Mitch got the nightmare for the 4^th time he woke up in sweat and upset. The boy got up and ran downstairs. The other Cartwrights looked up amazed when they saw and heard the youngest offspring coming. Adam put down the book he was reading and walked to the stairs.

He received his son and asked concerned, “What is the matter?”

“I had a nightmare. I gets it since that burglary”, said Mitch.

Adam took him to the living room and let him come at ease. Everyone now noticed how really tired the boy really was. Mitch told the whole nightmare and looked then at his family members questionable.

“There is a lock at the front door and also at the back door. No man can get in here easily. We are also here to protect you. And Cody does that too. Your safety and welfare goes above everything”, Ben said after a while.

Mitch wasn’t convinced until his father showed him the locks.

Now the boy could sleep relieved and to his big relief the nightmare didn’t return.