There was a big panic in the bank of Virginia City. The previous night all the money was stolen. But there was no sign of breaking entry to be found. Though there were several witnesses standing near the bank to give their testimony. Bank manager Jack Miller and sheriff Clem Foster were in the bank building to take up the damage.
“Any idea who might have done this?”, asked Clem.
“I was asleep when it happened”, said Jack.
“It was one of those Cartwright boys”, a woman voice said at that moment.
The men looked her way and saw Molly Parker standing.
“How do you know that it is one of the Cartwrights? They have plenty of money to rob no bank”, reacted the sheriff.
“I saw very clearly that it was t Adam Cartwright. By co incident I was up and I looked out of my window when I saw him coming into the bank with empty saddlebags and a moment later he came out with full saddlebags”, Molly explained.
She looked around her and noticed that they believed her.
“Are there more witnesses?”, asked Clem.
“Now Molly is saying it, I saw Adam riding very fast pass my house. His saddlebags were filled”, replied Frank Taylor.
“Let’s hang Adam Cartwright and then party”, called Molly.
She got a lot of concur in because her idea got received with cheering.
“There will be nobody hanged until he or she is convicted! Adam Cartwright is innocent until proven guilty”, reacted Clem.
Here by they climbed down with reluctance. The group got driven apart by the sheriff.
Near his office Clem got stopped by Emily Willis.
“Sheriff, I have seen too that it was Adam Cartwright who robbed the bank. I couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk. He came just out of the bank and didn’t even greet me. I invited him for coffee though but he rode on. The arrogant fool!”, she said.
“I will sort it out”, Clem said to go quickly inside.
A moment later he rode to the Ponderosa ranch. On the way the sheriff really couldn’t believe that Adam would have robbed the bank. They knew each other for years and were good friends. Half way Clem saw something brown lying in the roadside. He stopped his horse and dismounted. What was lying there? The saddlebags of Adam with the brand of the Ponderosa on it. Carefully clem opened the bags and he saw the stolen money in it.
“Adam, unless you have a good explanation for it there is not much I can do for you”, Clem said to himself.
He picked up the saddlebags and put it on his horse. Here after the sheriff mounted on and he rode on.
At the Ponderosa Ben Cartwright and his sons (Adam, Hoss and Little Joe) were busy with breakfast. For a few weeks they got bothered by different people in town. One person had stolen the saddlebags of Adam the previous day but nobody knew who had done it.
“The one who has stolen my saddlebags won’t be celebrating his birthday for a long time to come”, groaned Adam.
“Just give them to me and I will squeeze them fine”, said Hoss.
“That is a waste of your strength”, Adam remarked.
“That is true too. It wouldn’t amaze me if one or more of these giggling gals are behind”, replied Hoss.
Then there was a knock at the door. The Chinese cook Hop Sing answered it and saw the sheriff standing.
“Sheriff come inside”, the cook said inviting.
Clem came into the dining room and saw the four Cartwrights having breakfast.
“Clem, coffee?”, asked Ben.
“Please. I can use that after all happenings in town this morning”, said Clem.
He sat down and looked emphatic at Adam.
“Am I wearing something from you?”, asked the eldest Cartwright boy.
“No, but you were seen last night in the bank of Virginia City. Besides I found your saddlebags on the way to here with all the money from the bank in it. Can you explain that?”, asked the sheriff.
“My saddlebags were stolen yesterday in town. I have even reported to you and went then home. The whole evening and night I was here at home”, replied Adam.
“We can confirm that”, said Ben.
“I shall have to arrest you for robbing the bank. Are you coming?”, asked Clem.
Adam nodded. He stood up sighing and walked with the sheriff outside. They mounted don and rode to town.
In the meantime Jack held an urgent meeting with Molly, Emily and Frank.
“The Cartwrights surely will come to Virginia City to find out who really has robbed the bank. We must make sure that Adam gets hanged and after that we eliminate the rest. When that has happened we take the ranch and we are then stinking rich”, said Jack.
“I can’t wait. Let’s blow all Cartwrights away right away”, reacted Molly.
“The sooner we get rid of those busybodies, the better”, her friend Emily said.
They laughed hard.
Frank said, “I take the old Cartwright for my account. You take those two brothers.”
“With great pleasure. They will fall for our charm right away”, said Emily.
“We go to the Bucket of Blood saloon to celebrate the doom of the Cartwrights. The whole town will be grateful forever to us. What do I say? The whole world!”, said Jack.
The foursome left the bank and went to the named saloon. On the way they saw how Adam was arrested by Clem. Molly and Emily began to giggle notable loud so that Adam knew enough. He and Clem dismounted and hitched the horses. They went inside where Adam got placed into a cell.
In the Bucket of Blood saloon Jack called, “A drink for everyone on me!”
Cosmo, the bartender, remarked, “You are very glad that your bank has been robbed last night.”
“I actually must be very thankful to Adam Cartwright that he has robbed my bank. Because now there is finally a reason for a big party. The end of Cartwrights! They never should have come here”, replied Jack.
“And only because they hadn’t open an account at your bank?”, asked Cosmo.
“Indeed”, the bank manager replied.
He paid with a note of $ 100 and said, “Just leave the rest. Or do you know what? Just give these people enough to drink for this amount.”
Cosmo accepted the note but didn’t trust it. But they paid for the booze and that was alright for him.
Ben, Hoss and Little Joe were also on their way to Virginia City to sort out the case. Hoss was convinced that Molly and Emily knew more about it and was certain to prove that. His younger brother had that plan too.
Ben said for the security, “Boys, be careful and keep in mind that they will and can take us in.”
Both brothers nodded. Ben went to the sheriff to get more clearity. Clem saw him coming in and knew what time it was.
“You are coming for Adam?”, asked the sheriff.
“Indeed Clem. I know for sure that my son Adam hasn’t robbed the bank”, said the rancher.
“Who has then? The Smurfs?”, asked Clem.
“I don’t know that. Perhaps they are. But not my sons”, reacted Ben.
Clem sighted and said, “I must confess that I don’t believe that Adam is the culprit. He is the jail safer that anywhere.”
The sheriff kept silent for a moment and continued then, “There had been no traces of forced entry. Jack behaved notable strange when I was with him.”
In the meantime Hoss and Little Joe walked past the Bucket of Blood saloon. They heard a lot of laughing and decided to check it out. Near the door post stood Molly and Emily.
“Hello boys. Are you coming for the fun too? Jack is very generous today”, said Molly.
“And that while his bank has been robbed. The life of our brother is at stake”, said Little Joe.
Molly smiled for a second and replied, “I don’t care. He has rejected me as his bride.”
“I totally agree with him”, said Hoss.
“I do too”, replied Little Joe.
Emily got angry and snapped, “When that brother of yours has been hanged you follow!”
“Why? What have we done wrong?”, Little Joe asked amazed.
“You don’t want to know that. Leave us alone and especially Molly. Due to your brother she is now in blessed circumstances”, replied Emily.
Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other and knew that she was lying.
“He robbed the bank to look after me and our baby”, said Molly.
Then Frank came outside.
“You aren’t bothering poor Molly, are you?”, he asked.
“They are doing it. They won’t believe that they will become uncles in 5 months time”, replied Molly.
She looked smiling at her belly.
“Molly, you go to the father of your baby”, said Frank.
Stately Molly crossed the street and went into the office of the sheriff.
Inside she asked, “Can I see the prisoner for a moment?”
Clem nodded. Molly walked to the cell where Adam sat.
“What are you doing here?”, Adam asked worried.
“I find it very courageous that you have robbed the bank for me and our baby. But we will survive after your death. I will name the baby after you when it gets born”, said Molly.
“I have never had anything with you. So get”, replied Adam.
Molly disappeared right away. She said nothing to Ben and/or Clem and went outside.
Frank and Emily saw her coming and saw at her face that she had bad news.
“Adam denies that he has taken me. Just string him up”, she said.
“Hereby I convict Adam Cartwright tote gallows”, said Frank.
He knew that recently someone was hanged and the gallows was still standing there.
“We drag Adam out of jail and string him up”, he said to the gals.
Jack came out of the saloon and saw Hoss and Little Joe.
“Are you coming to see how your brother gets hanged?”, Jack asked laughing.
“No, we just come to help him”, Hoss said fierce.
“Jack, get a rope because we are going to hang Cartwright. I have convicted him to the gallows”, said Frank.
“Good idea. Emily and Molly, you keep those two under gunshot”, said Jack.
Emily got a rifle and held Hoss and Little Joe under gun shot. Frank and Jack ran to the office of the sheriff and forced in.
“Sheriff, Cartwright has been convicted to the gallows. He is ours now”, said Jack.
Frank held his rifle pointed at Ben and Clem where by Adam was forced to go along. The men dragged Adam to the gallows and forced him to go upstairs. Adam did that but saw in the corner of his eyes his brothers who were busy with Emily and Molly.
“Do you know who really has robbed the bank?”, Emily asked slimy Little Joe.
“You and your friends did?”, asked the youngest Cartwright brother.
“Indeed!”, Emily said grinning.
Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other and drew their revolvers. The following moment Emily and Molly were the lovers of the Grim Reaper. Ben and Clem came outside too and saw the bodies of the ladies lying.
“Pa, Clem, those gals have robbed the bank together with those fellows over there. Frank and Jack are behind it as well”, called Hoss.
The ran to the gallows where Adam already had the rope around his neck. Exactly at the moment when Frank and Jack wanted to hang Adam they got their meal to eat. Ben and Clem gave them a portion of delicious blue beans. Hoss and Little Joe went upstairs and took off the rope from the neck of their brother.
“They were behind the bank robbery all four of them and wanted to hang you without a fair trial”, said Hoss.
“Thanks boys”, said Adam.
They went downstairs where especially Ben was pleased to have his eldest son back alive and well.
“Shall we just go home because I don’t want to hang around here”, said Adam.
They did that where after the peace returned again in Virginia City.