On an early hour in the morning a boy got shot out of his saddle. He ended up on the ground and lost his consciousness. His horse pranced and ran away then. After a while the young cowboy woke up again and he looked very confused around him. Carefully he got up and he felt how painful his knee was. Slowly he limped to the nearest ranch. But in the end he fell down.
At the Ponderosa the daily life began. None of the Cartwrights could suspect what would happen at the ranch. After breakfast the brothers Adam, Hoss and Little Joe went away to work. Suddenly they saw the boy lying.
“Hoss, Joe, come on. There lies someone”, said Adam.
They rode to him and dismounted. The boy had lost consciousness again. Little Joe went back home to get the wagon. Ben Cartwright was very amazed when he saw his youngest son coming.
“Son, is there something?”, he asked when Joe had come to him.
“There is a lad injured. Adam and Hoss are with him”, Joe explained.
“Just take the wagon along”, said Ben.
Meanwhile Adam and Hoss took care of the boy who was still unconscious.
“Ain’t that one of the Taylor boys?”, Hoss asked suddenly.
“You could be right about that, Hoss. But the Taylor ranch is at the other side of Virginia City. So what is he doing here?”, Adam asked amazed.
None of them could give the answer. At that moment Joe came riding with the wagon. Carefully the Cartwrights put the boy on the wagon. Very slowly they rode back to the Ponderosa. Ben was waiting for them already.
When he saw the boy Ben said, “Okay. Bring him to the guest room. Joseph, you get Doc.”
Adam and Hoss brought the boy to the guest room. Very slowly he came round and again he looked very confused around him.
“How are you feeling lad?”, Ben asked who stood near the bed.
“My knee hurts. I got shot out of the saddle. Where am I?”, the boy asked who had woken up again.
“At the Ponderosa. Adam, Hoss and Little Joe found you and brought you here. You are one of the Taylor boys, aren’t you?”, asked Ben calm.
“Yes. I am the youngest son. I had to get a herd of cows. Where is my horse Treasure?”, asked Josh.
But nobody knew that. The pain in the knee of Josh began to get worse.
When Doc Paul Martin had come he examined the young Taylor.
“The bullet is still in your knee. I wonder how you could have walked”, Paul said when he saw the bullet.
“It was more limping than walking”, Josh said with a painful smile.
“I shall get the bullet out. It is painful though”, Paul said calm.
Even though Josh was in pain he didn’t let it show.
“So. The bullet is out. I will stitch the wound and wrap it up. You will have to stay here for the time being”, Paul said when the bullet was out.
The wound wasn’t so bad. Quite soon Josh fell asleep.
Outside the room on the hall Paul asked Ben, “The bullet is out but he will have to stay here for the time being until the wound is healed. Is that an objection for you?”
“No, not at all. Mary and Kirk must be notified about the fact that Josh is here”, Ben answered calm while they walked downstairs.
“Josh shall have to stay here for a few days until he can walk reasonably again”, Paul said to the boys in the living room.
On the other side of Virginia City everyone at the ranch of the Taylor family, which had the name Cannery, wondered where Josh remained with the herd. Nobody though knew he was shot down by his own father. He had disappeared years ago.
After lunch the eldest son Bret said, “Ma, uncle Kirk, I am going to look for Josh. He is probably lost.”
“Be careful son”, said Mary.
Kirk gave his nephew a rifle along. Bret went to town to see if his younger brother was there. In the Silver dollar Saloon Bret ran into an old friend.
“Hi Bret”, said Little Joe.
“Hi Joe. Did you happen to see Josh? He has been missing for hour”, said Bret.
“He is at the Ponderosa. Someone shot him in his knee”, said Little Joe.
Bret looked at him amazed and said, “Great! We can’t use that right now.”
During a glass of beer he explained what was going on at the Cannery.
“That ain’t so good. What are your plans?”, asked Little Joe.
Bret sighed deep and said, “I really don’t know. Sometimes ma and uncle Kirk are so hopelessly old fashioned. It really comes in conflict with my ideas and those of Josh’s. Now he is eliminated we are really in hot water.”
After lunch Ben decided to go the Cannery to inform the Taylor family about what had happened to Josh.
“Adam, you keep an eye on Josh. I am at the Cannery”, Ben said to his eldest son.
The ranch of the Taylor family was situated on the other side of Virginia City.
When Ben arrived at the Cannery Kirk Taylor said amazed, “Ben Cartwright, what brings you here? Nothing serious has happened, has it? Josh is nowhere to be found since last night.”
“It is about him in fact”, Ben said while he dismounted from his horse.
They walked inside where Mary was.
“Hello Mary. Is Bret there too?”, the owner of the Ponderosa asked.
“No, why? Is there something?”, she asked worried,
They sat down.
“This morning my boys found Josh with a bullet in his knee. He is at our place. It can be that Martin Brennan is back in Virginia City again”, Ben said calm.
“He disappeared seventeen years ago. He has never cared about me, Bret and the ranch. Maybe he doesn’t even know that Josh is his son”, Mary said shocked.
“Bret is looking for his brother”, Kirk said worried.
“Brennan won’t stop until he has his hands on the ranch. Even though if there have to be victims”, said Ben calm.
“How injured is Josh?”, Mary asked concerned.
“He has been shot in his knee. It is not certain if he will ever recover”, answered Ben.
Josh always had been weak in the bones. But he could shoot as one of the best.
After a few hours sleeping Josh woke up and he felt much better. Suddenly the door went open and Adam came in.
“Hello Adam”, Josh said cheerful.
“How are you and your wound?”, Adam asked while he sat down on the bed.
“It hurts but I can take it. Where is your father? Is he to our ranch?”, asked Josh asked while he went to sit.
“Yes. He thought that your mother and uncle were entitled to know what had happened to you. After all you are still a minor”, answered Adam.
Josh nodded and looked away.
“It goes bad at the ranch. It is hopeless. The harvest keeps on failing and our cattle get stolen time after time”, the young Taylor said after a while.
“We will find a solution”, Adam said while he got up and left the bed room.
Now he was in bed Josh had all the time of the world to think about what should be happening to the ranch. But the longer he thought about it the less solutions came into his head. He decided to ask advice at the Cartwrights on his own initiative. Josh knew that it was against the will of his mother and uncle but he couldn’t care about that at that time. It was about his future and that of Bret. That was at that moment more important. Mary Taylor would never see it that way and her brother Kirk neither.
When Ben was away Kirk went to town to look for Bret. He found his nephew in the Bucket of Blood Saloon. At a certain moment Martin Brennan came into the saloon but no man recognized him. At least that was what he thought. But at the bar stood his brother-in-law Kirk Taylor who did recognize him. Though he let show nothing.
Martin asked Kirk, “I have heard that the Cannery is for sale. I buy it. Where can I find the owner?”
“I didn’t even know that that ranch was for sale. As far as I know there is no sale”, Kirk answered quietly.
“That ranch is for sale when I interfere with it”, said Martin.
“Then the owner shall have to name a price. And that won’t happen because I happen to be the owner of the Cannery”, Kirk said determined.
Martin left the saloon insulted.
Kirk said to Bret, “That was your pa. He left you and Mary when Josh was on the way. I wonder if he really wants the ranch.”
“Which man abandons his family?”, asked Bret.
Kirk nodded. He knew that far too well. He had raised with his sister both boys. They could handle their shooting irons very well. Playing poker, riding horses and fighting was a talent of Bret and Josh. Their upbringing had been very hard. But it had bared fruit.
The presence of Martin Brennan in Virginia City made that there was a lot of pressure. He always had been a name for trouble. Whole Nevada knew what he had done seventeen years earlier to his family. Though nobody could catch him. The Governor of Nevada had set a price on his head. But up till now Martin had stayed outside of Nevada. Wherever you came in Virginia City, there was a big pressure to be felt. Sheriff Clem Foster knew that too and prepared himself for it. Just as the Cartwrights and the Taylor family. Even though Mary and Kirk had given up the courage long time ago. They didn’t let it show to anyone. But Bret and Josh knew better, as young as they were.
The following morning Josh sat outside on the porch when Martin Brennan came riding to him.
“Do you live here son?”, Martin asked from his horse.
“No, I am staying here temporary. Someone made me crippled”, Josh answered with distrust.
He looked with squeezed eyes at the stranger. Martin came from his horse and walked smiling to the boy.
Josh pointed his rifle at him and said, “Don’t you dare to come any closer. I blow you away.”
Martin did a step closer and Josh made the rifle ready to shoot with it.
“Josh, down that rifle. Let’s ask first what he wants”, the boy heard Ben saying.`
Reluctantly Josh put the rifle down.
Ben came nearer and asked Martin, “What can I do for you?”
“I am looking for Bret Taylor”, Martin answered calm.
“I am not Bret”, the boy answered with distrust.
“I need your help anyway. I want to get my hands on the Cannery and you are going to help me with it”, said Martin.
“Over my dead body. I don’t even know you”, Josh reacted fierce.
“Sir, it seems to me that it is better that you leave the ranch now. This boy is still on the way to recovery”, Ben said at moment.
Martin left the yard angry.
Ben looked at Josh and asked, “He will try it again. Josh, what do you know about your father?”
“Nothing actually. Why Mr Cartwright?”, Josh asked amazed.
“Well, I don’t know if I must be the one to say it to you but that man, Martin Brennan, is your father. He let your mother and brother down when you were on the way. He probably doesn’t even know that you are his son”, Ben said calm.
Josh was very amazed and didn’t know what to say. Now he knew for sure that the Cannery in great danger and that realized Ben too. He decided to help the boys.
When Josh could walk without support his brother came to get him.
In the living room Ben asked Bret, “How is your mother holding up?”
“She keeps herself brave to me but uncle Kirk said that she can break down any moment if Brennan disappear soon”, Bret said nervously turning with his hat.
He also didn’t know where to look.
The rancher looked at young cowboy and said, “If there is something you can count on us for support.”
“Thanks Mr Cartwright. I think that we might need it soon”, was the answer of Bret.
Josh came limping downstairs with Little Joe and said, “Mr Cartwright, thanks for the hospitality. Ma and uncle Kirk need me harder.”
“I know it. My boys will guide you home just in case Brennan does or tries something underway”, Ben answered calm.
The boys went away but Ben didn’t trust it. Martin Brennan was known as a swindler and was just as reliable as Santa in the summer. Ben decided to go town and bring the sheriff up to date about everything. Though Clem had heard nothing from Brennan but he knew what sort of creep he was.
“When Josh and Brennan are standing opposite each other there is a victim. The question is only: who?”, asked Clem.
Ben nodded and said, “Bret came to get Josh. They both are on edge. I sent my sons along just in case Brennan tries something.”
Though Martin Brennan was nowhere to be found but he was up to something. He was the kind of man that spoke with nobody about his plans.
Back at the Cannery Bret and Josh heard everything.
Kirk said, “Martin has treated your mother awful. When Josh was on the way he disappeared one day.”
The brothers looked at each other.
Bret said, “If he come shere I blow him apart.”
“He came to me when I was at the Ponderosa. He wants me to help him to get the ranch into his hands. He thought that I was”, Josh reacted fierce.
“You are not going to do that, are you?”, asked his brother.
“No, are you mad?”, Josh asked him.
“Easy boys. With quarreling we get nowhere. It is about the ranch”, said Kirk.
“The Cartwrights shall help us if necessary”, Bret ascertained.
“I don’t think that we need their help. Martin is always alone”, was the comment of Mary.
Both Bret and Josh thought about that differently. Mary knew that the boys would never think otherwise when they had made up their mind about something. In an unseen moment Bret saw the chance to go away from the Cannery. He had noticed they needed the support of the Cartwrights indeed. His brother had the same opinion. To be prepared he saddled his horse and he loaded the weapons of his and those of his brother.
While Bret was to the Ponderosa Martin brought a very unexpected and unwanted visit at the Cannery. In the living room Mary and Kirk were having a cup of coffee in all peace when Martin came walking in.
Kirk directly pointed his rifle at his brother-in-law and asked, “What are you doing here, bastard?”
“Still very short-tempered as you used to be. Kirk, you really haven’t changed. I come now to take over the ranch. I do not want any protest from you”, Martin answered holding them under gun shot.
What he didn’t know was that Josh was eavesdropping at the door. The boy realized that now was depending on him. Silently he sneaked away and on his horse he rode hurry-scurry to the Cartwrights.
Bret had told them everything when Josh came riding to them gasping.
Ben stopped his horse and asked, “Josh, take it easy. What is the matter?”
“Brennan has taken over the ranch. He is holding ma and uncle Kirk under gunshot”, Josh told still gasping.
“Josh and Bret, leave your horses here and take two fresh horses from here. Adam, Hoss and Joseph, you go along with them. I am going to bring Clem up to date about this”, the owner of the Ponderosa said.
That happened right away.
When Ben came into town he went straight to the office of the sheriff. Clem looked up when the rancher came in.
“Ben, what can I do for you?”, asked the sheriff.
“Josh and Bret came to the Ponderosa to announce that Martin Brennan is holding Mary and Kirk under gun shot. They are on their way to the Cannery with my boys. Josh said that Brennan has taken over the ranch”, said Ben.
“Then is Josh is unstoppable”, said Clem.
He knew the boys too.
Quite soon the Cartwrights and the Taylor boys rode upon the yard. They noticed that there was something quite wrong. Josh wanted to attack right away but Adam and Hoss could stop him.
“Easy Josh. There is a big chance that Brennan is there with your mother. Your father is dangerous”, Adam said to him.
Josh calmed down but it was with reluctance. There was a heavy pressure to be felt. Suddenly Bret saw Martin riding away in a hurry.
“Come on Josh”, he called.
They headed the persecution. By their hard upbringing the Taylor boys could ride faster than anyone else in their area.
Meanwhile the Cartwrights were at the Cannery. They couldn’t suspect what they would find. They each searched through a part of the ranch. When Little Joe came into the living room he almost got sick of what he saw.
“Adam, Hoss, in the living room”, he called to outside.
His brothers came running and saw also the heavy maimed bodies of Mary and Kirk Taylor. Martin had blown them apart totally.
“I hope that Bret and Josh come over”, Hoss said shocked.
“We are there for them to receive them”, was the calm comment of Adam.
He closed the door and they rode to town to bring the bad news.
Ben and Clem went outside where Martin came riding into the street. He looked very satisfied about himself, too satisfied. The pressure was to be cut on the streets. Nobody said a word until the Taylor boys appeared. Martin saw Bret nowhere but he walked to Josh who stood by his horse.
“Are you choosing me or your uncle? I can make you rich. He can’t”, Martin said to Josh who looked at him with squeezed eyes.
Josh stood desperate in the main street. He didn’t know which choice he had to make. Did he choose for his father, then he had the chance to be shot dead but on the other side there was the ranch and his family. Ben Cartwright and Martin Brennan stood opposite each other. Each at one street side and both looked at the boy. From the corner of his eyes Bret saw that Martin was about to shoot down his younger brother. Very calm and cool he went to his father and he pointed his revolver at him.
“Drop your weapon Brennan. Or otherwise I give you a single ticket Boot hill”, Bret said to Martin.
Martin pushed him aside but Josh drew his revolver and shot his father down. It was deadly silent in the streets for a few minutes. But a moment later the Cartwrights came riding on.
Hoss said to Ben, “At the Cannery Mary and Kirk are shot dead.”
Then he saw Bret and Josh.
Martin was still awake and said hatefully, “Now the ranch is mine!”
“No way bastard”, said Bret.
Josh limped to Martin and hit him so hard that he kept lying deadly still. Ben and Adam went to it.
Ben said to Josh, “Boy, it is over. He is dead.”
Josh went to sit down on the pavement and showed his emotions. Bret went to sit next to him and with him the emotions came loose too.
Clem came nearer and said quiet, “We let him bury. I won’t make any work of it. According to me it was self-defense.”
“Thanks Clem. The boys stay until the funeral of Mary and Kirk at the Ponderosa”, Ben said calm.
After Mary and Kirk had been buried Bret and Josh became relaxed. At the Ponderosa they could think about their future in peace.
“Josh, what are you up to?”, Bret asked one morning.
“I don’t know. But one thing is sure: I won’t go anywhere without you”, said Josh.
“I won’t leave you alone”, said Bret.
“There is a ranch which can use two stable hands”, Ben said who had heard their conversation.
The boys looked at the rancher and Bret asked, “You mean here at the Ponderosa, Mr Cartwright? I don’t mind. What about you Josh?”
“I don’t mind either”, was the answer of Josh.
“Here by you are hired. Bret and Josh, until you have reached your majority I will look after you”, said Ben.
The Taylor brothers agreed with it.