The whole Saturday afternoon of October 21, 2000 Mitch Cartwright had played with his best friend Matthew Walker. Now the young Cartwright was on his way home. Suddenly he flew from his bike and he fell down on the ground. Still a bit conscious Mitch felt something heavy riding over his left ankle and then it happened again. After that the young Cartwright lost his consciousness.
At the Ponderosa everything was prepared for supper. The Cartwrights got the neighbor and his family for supper.
“Why are they coming anyway?”, asked Hoss, the second son of rancher Ben Cartwright.
“They come for business”, answered Ben.
“He probably wants to have our cattle”, reacted Adam, the eldest son.
“He is too corrupt to me”, said Little Joe, his youngest brother.
“Adam, maybe they are going to ask you if their son Billy can play in your team as well”, said Hoss.
“He has been there but the kid wasn’t interested in it”, answered Adam.
“Is Mitch actually here already?”, asked Sally Baxton.
She was the girlfriend of Adam and stepmother of Mitch.
“No, he should have been here already”, said Adam.
At exactly 5 o’clock Miles Johnson came at the ranch with his wife Sylvia and son William. He parked his light blue Mercedes in front of the porch.
“The Cartwrights have enough cattle and land do they surely will love to give me eagerly”, said Miles.
Sylvia knocked at the door. Ben answered and saw the guests standing.
“Hello Miles, Sylvia and William. Welcome to the Ponderosa. Come in”, said the rancher.
They came in and got greeted by the others.
“What a cozy living room”, Sylvia said flattering.
“It is just an ordianiry living room”, reacted Hoss.
“I find it cozy!”, she said a bit snappy.
The brothers and Sally looked at each other but didn’t say anything. Adam and Sally were worried about where Mitch remained.
During supper Miles asked, “The reason why we have come here that I would like to have some cattle and land. You have enough so shall we make a deal?”
“And if we don’t want to give, rent or sell?”, asked Adam.
“Then I can make it very difficult for you. William deliriously wants to be the first starting pitcher in your youth team so now he is that!”, said Miles.
“The season is over and I already have a first starting pitcher and the rest of the team is also occupied already”, reacted Adam.
“So our son is not good enough?”, sniffed Sylvia.
“He has been once at the training and was burning down everything to the ground”, said Adam.
“I had to say that of Mitch. He was afraid that he would lose his spot. That’s why I had do that”, answered William.
“Mitch is not like that”, said Adam.
“Miles, you can’t force us to give you cattle and land. Especially not when you use your son to bother my grandson”, said Ben.
“My does come along out to dinner and I can’t say that of that son of Adam’s”, Sylvia reacted suave.
Now it became deadly silent in the dining room. You could hear a pin drop.
In the meantime foreman Candy Canaday and hand Griff King had gone in the direction of Virginia City to go out to town.
“Candy, stop for a second. Someone lies there”, Griff said suddenly.
Candy stopped the car and they got out. They kneeled down by the person who laid passed the road.
“That is our Mitch. What is he doing here?”, Griff asked amazed.
“I wouldn’t know”, Candy said worried.
Slowly Mitch woke up and he looked at the friends.
“What has happened to you?”, asked Candy.
“I don’t know. One moment I rode on my bike and a moment later I laid here and felt something heavy riding across my ankle twice”, Mitch said who was now leaning on his elbows.
“I warn the sheriff and the ambulance”, said Griff.
He got his cell phone right away.
“We stay by you”, said Candy.
So said, so done.
Soon Mitch was at the hospital with Candy and Griff with him. Dr Paul Martin examined the young Cartwright.
“Mitch, your left ankle has been broken. Does your father know that you are here?”, asked Paul.
Mitch shook of no.
“We found him pass the road”, said Candy.
“I will set your ankle into plaster”, said Paul.
Sheriff Roy Coffee went to the ranch to warn Adam and Sally. After he had knocked at the door Ben let him in.
“Adam and Sally, just sit down for a minute”, Roy said seriously.
They did that.
“Mitch has been run over by someone who drove on after that. Candy and Griff found him. The boy lies in the hospital”, said the sheriff.
“Then we pack a bag and go to him”, said Adam.
Sally went to pack a bag right away. After this they left at once. Hoss and Joe went outside.
“Joe, take a look. The neighbor has a broken head light”, said Hoss.
“Yes, the lacquer has been damaged quite well too”, said Joe.
He took pictures of the damaged places. The coziness had disappeared straight away so the guests went home empty handed.
At the hospital Adam and Sally soon got brought to their son.
“Kid, what are you doing here?”, Adam asked worried.
“Laying. My ankle has been broken twice because something heavy drove across it twice. Candy and Griff found and helped me”, said Mitch.
“We will find the culprit. And he or she will pay for it”, Adam said determined.
Slowly Mitch realized what had happened to him and he started to cry. Adam took him into his arms and let him cry. Mitch fell asleep but his parents didn’t leave.
“Adam, who hits and runs over a child and drive son too?”, asked Sally.
“I don’t know that. But I do know that he or she will pay for it”, was the answer of her boyfriend.
They looked at the sleeping Mitch. Candy and Griff came in. Adam pointed at the boy.
“We go home and tell your pa what has happened”, said Candy.
“Tell him also that we stay with Mitch”, reacted Adam.
The foreman promised to do that.
At the ranch Ben said to Hoss and Joe, “Our guests are gone. But now your nephew lies in the hospital. He got run over.”
“And nobody knows by whom?”, asked Hoss.
Ben shook of no.
Joe said, “Miles does have a broken front light and the lacquer of his Mercedes is gone too. Like a bike has passed it.”
Ben thought for a second and answered then, “Mitch was on his bike to Matthew and he got run over.”
“Pa, do you mean that Mitch has been run over by the neighbor?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“It could be. But if he has done it he will pay for it and pay the hospital bill and the revalidation of my grandson”, answered Ben.
Hoss and Joe agreed with him.
In the hospital Adam and Sally had a talk with Paul Martin.
“Mitch has been run over twice because a car drove across his ankle. Fortunately he still young and healthy and he can recover completely. But the recovery will take a long time and after that he shall have to learn to use his ankle again and then to walk”, said Paul.
“How long will Mitch have to stay here?”, asked Sally.
“For the time being two weeks and after that he will have to use crutches”, said Paul.
“Then he will be teased a lot by those brothers of mine”, Adam said smiling.
“Mitch can easily bite off him and will do that too”, said Paul.
Adam and Sally knew that too.
When the Johnson family had come home and Miles had put the Mercedes in the garage he noticed the damage to his car.
“How has that happened?”, he asked out loud.
The left front light was clearly damaged and the light blue lacquer was also clearly swept away.
He phoned the garage and said, “I urgently need light blue lacquer for my Mercedes because one or another scoundrel has damaged my Mercedes and my front light also needs to be repaired right away.”
But what he didn’t notice was that it was a voice-mail message. He did realize that he had caused an accident but decided to keep silent about it.
In the meantime William said to his mother, “I want that father forbids baseball in Virginia City. That will teach that Mitch!”
“Your father will arrange it rright away”, promised Sylvia.
That was a victory for William.
What Ben already suspected got confirmed by what Candy and Griff told about the accident of Mitch.
“I want that you look for the bike of Mitch. He also had his rucksack of the Yankees with him”, said Ben.
“Those were gone when we found Mitch”, said Griff.
The boys went away to look for the bike and rucksack of Mitch. The Chinese cook Hop Sing came in and found a very worried boss.
“Problems Mr Cartwright?”, the cook asked carefully.
“Someone had hit Mitch and drove on then. Adam and Sally are with him at the hospital”, answered Ben.
“What’s wrong with little Mitch?”, Hop Sing asked worried.
“His left ankle is broken because a car drove across it twice”, said Ben.
This shook Hop Sing too deeply because he also was fond of Mitch ands the other way around.
Candy and Griff showed Hoss and Joe the spot where they had found Mitch.
“You look across the other side, then we look here”, said Hoss.
That happened and quite soon they had found the rucksack sack of the young Cartwright.
“That is the rucksack of Mitchy because he got it from me for the holiday. But where is his bike?”, asked Hoss.
“That is nowhere to be found. I can be that it is nicked”, Candy suggested.
“Nobody in Virginia City has a chopper bike. Pa has rdered him specially for Mitch”, said Joe.
“Say Joe, do you know if the trunk of the car of Miles was totally closed?”, Hoss asked suddenly.
“I don’t think so. Why?”, Joe asked amazed.
“Then it can be that Miles has nicked the bike of our nephew. It is commonly known that Billy Johnson is very jealous of Mitchy”, said Hoss.
“Then we will report the missing of his bike”, said Candy.
So said, so done.
Deputy Clem Foster took the report. Hoss and Joe described the bike in detail and the accident of Mitch as well.
“Why would your neighbor run over a little boy, take along his bike and drive on then? Especially when he wants to have your cattle and land”, said Clem.
“He wants that pa supports him but that won’t be happening now anymore”, said Joe.
“Was that before or after Mitch got run over?”, asked the deputy.
“I think after because Mitchy wasn’t there with supper”, said Hoss
Clem wrote everything down and the boys went away again.
The next day everybody in church noticed that just Ben, Hoss and Joe were present. Reverend Nick Larson came up to them.
“Ben, where are Adam, Sally and Mitch?”, he asked.
“Mitch had been run over yesterday and lies now at the hospital. His parents are with him”, answered the rancher.
“His bike has been nicked too”, said Hoss.
“Let’s hope and pray that the culprit soon gets found and that Mitch recovers quickly”, said Nick.
The Cartwrights hoped that too.
On Monday October 23 Mitch got a visit from his beloved grandpa.
“Grandpa, just look at my new boot”, said the boy.
He pulled the blankets away and showed his ankle in plaster.
“You look nice with your new boot”, Ben said smiling.
Mitch pulled the blankets back and asked then, “Grandpa, can you take a photo of Cody with you next time? I miss him so and put a picture of me at his place so he can see me then?”
“Of course I will do that. He looks for you every day”, promised Ben.
Then the door went open and 2 nurses came in.
“So that is our little heart breaker”, said nurse Annie.
“I assume that you mean my grandson Mitch”, reacted the rancher.
“Indeed”, said nurse Polly.
After the visit to his grandson Ben was visiting Roy and Clem.
“How is it with your grandson?”, asked Roy.
“Quite well. The nurses make much of him”, said the rancher.
“I surely believe that. Don’t let Joe hear it”, reacted Clem.
“Has the culprit been found already?”, asked Ben.
“No, and the bike of Mitch is still missing too”, answered Roy.
Proud as a peacock William came to school on his new bike.
“Matthew, come an dhave a look at my new bike”, he said.
Matthew came and recognized the bike right away.
“That one is of Mitch Cartwright. Has he given it to you?”, he asked.
“No, my father bought it brnad new. But I didn’t dare to ride on it previously”, said William.
“If your father has bought it, why is the brand of the Ponderosa then on it?”, asked Matthew.
William gave no answer. Teddy Rashdon, anther friend of Mitch and Matthew, cam also nearer.
“Yesterday after church I heard Mr Cartwright saying to my parents that Mitch is at the hospital and that his bike has been stolen”, said Teddy.
“His problem. My father will get their land anyway and then it is done with those miserable Cartwrights!”, snapped William.
He got off and put the bike in the bike shelter but with a padlock. After that he walked away.
“Mitch has a combination lock for his bike, hasn’t he?”, asked Matthew.
“Yes, but where is that then?”, Teddy asked on is turn.
Matthew shrugged his shoulders.
After school Matthew and Teddy went to look for a Cartwright in Virginia City. They found Ben by the the deputy.
“Hello boys”, said Ben.
“Hello Mr Cartwright, dep. How is Mitch?”, asked Matthew.
“Alright. He has a broken ankle and has to stay at the hospital for 2 weeks”, answered the rancher.
“We know who has his bike”, said Teddy.
Ben and Clem looked at each other amazed.
“Who then?”, asked the deputy.
“This morning Billy Johnson came to school on a bike with a banana saddle, high handlebar and the brand of the Ponderosa. Further on it is orange. That is the bike of Mitch, isn’t it?”, asked Matthew.
“Yes, I have bought that bike especially for him. Has William told how he got it?”, asked Ben.
“Billy said that his father had bought it for him. We rather think stole it”, answered Teddy.
Clem wrote everything down.
“Ben, it starts to look like your neighbor is on the criminal path. He drives over your grandson, drives on then and steals the bike of Mitch”, said Clem.
Then Joe came in with the photos which he had made of the light blue Mercedes.
“Clem, can you use this?”, Joe asked while he gave the photos to him.
Ben and Clem looked at the photos and knew enough.
“Joseph, you take Matthew and Teddy home? Then we will pay a visit to Miles Johnson”, said Ben.
“Alright. Come boys”, said Joe.
They left.
Miles was at home with his wife when Ben and Clem knocked at the door.
“Cartwright, what are you doing here now? If it is about the bike of my son, I bought it myself and didn’t steal it”, Miles said coming straight to the point.
“May we come in?”, asked Clem.
Miles let the men in with reluctance. Sylvia saw the men coming and suspected the worst.
“Miles, what are they doing here?”, she asked worried.
“They surely will come to cause trouble”, said Miles.
“We just want to ask you a few questions about the accident of Mitch Cartwright, your blue Mercedes and the chopper bike of your son”, said Clem.
“For the so maniest time: I didn’tr run over htat child, ur car was already damaged and William just happene to have the same bike as Mitch”, Miles answered fierce.
“The brand of the Ponderosa is on the bike of my grandson and also on that of yur son’s. You don’t live at the Ponderosa so……..”, said Ben.
“You have the answers and we are 100% innocent so get lost!”, snapped Sylvia.
Ben and Clem knew enough and left.
“They soon will get troubled by their consciousness so we just let hem sweat for a while”, said Ben.
By the accident Adam and Sally came closer to each other.
One evening sally asked, “Adam, why don’t we go and arrange our wedding?”
“Why not actually? I do want that Mitch is there too”, said her boyfriend.
He kissed her passionately.
“As soon as Mitch may go home we get married”, Sally said after the kiss.
Adam nodded and asked, “What about December 1?”
“That’s alright”, she said.
Mitch got a lot of visitors during his stay at the hospital. Even Miles and William came by. That was on November 4.
“Hello Mitch. How are you doing?”, Miles asked extremely friendly.
The young Cartwright didn’t trust it.
“Alright. Why are you actually visiting?”, asked Mitch.
“Because you are in the hospital. I am your neighbor and good friends with your family”, answered Miles.
“I have become now the starting pitcher of the Ponderosa Cowboys and you may not join in anymore”, William said hatefully.
Mitch rose up and looked at him.
“My father would never do that”, said the young Cartwright.
“He has done that. And I have a bike just like you have”, said William.
Mitch knew enough. Exactly at that moment Ben and Clem came in.
“Grandpa! Dep! I know hwo has nicked my bike”, said Mitch.
Ben knew at once what his grandson meant and Clem too.
“Mr Johnson, what has happened on the evening of October 21 recently?”, asked Clem.
“Alright. We were on our way to the Ponderosa when I saw Mitch riding. William said that he wanted to have that bike. So I hit and run the young Cartwright and took the bike along. At school Mitch is always bullying my William because he lives at a big ranch”, said Miles.
“I never did that. Billy bullied me”, said Mitch.
William became angry and snapped, “It is William and not Billy!”
“Mr Johnson, you are hereby arrested for attempting murder, theft and hit and run driving. You have the right to remained silent. You have the right to an attorney If you can’t afford one, one will be provided to you. Everything you say can used against you in court.”, said Clem.
Miles wanted to protest but kept calm because he would make it ore difficult for himself. Clem took Miles and William along.
“I may go home today”, said Mitch.
“Then you will be teased a lot by your uncles and Candy”, reacted Ben.
“I just tease them back”, said Mitch.
The rancher knew that too. Then the door went open again. It was Paul Martin.
“Ben, I hope that you are with the car because your grandson may go home. He has to lie on the settee though”, said Paul.
Mitch got dressed while Ben packed his bag. Leaning on crutches Mitch went home with Ben.
William got picked up by his mother and Miles ended up in jail..
“Miles, by your fault William and I have to move. I will see the alimony coming”, said Sylvia.
She went away. Miles saw in that he didn’t have a future anymore and made a decision. He took off his tie where after he hung himself.
On the way home Mitch asked, “Have you missed me?”
“I did and your parents and Cody too but uncle Hoss not really. He got a bigger part of dessert”, answered Ben.
“That is over now”, Mitch reacted laughing.
“Indeed”, said the rancher.
He quickly looked at his grandson.
“You will get your bike back for sure. But for the time being you can’t ride it anyway”, said Ben.
“I still have to catch up 2 weeks of school work”, said Mitch.
“You know how your father thinks about that. You just do it in your own pace”, said Ben.
Mitch nodded.
A bit later on Ben drove upon the yard and he stopped the car just in front of the porch. Cody recognized the car and began to bark loud. Adam and Sally came outside and saw that their son was home again.
“Mitch, your crutches”, said Ben.
Mitch got them and limped inside, followed by the others. The youngest Cartwright had to lay on the settee right away of Ben which happened.
“Miles Johnson was with his son visiting Mitch when Clem and I came in. Because Mitch said that eh knew who had stolen his bike Miles confessed everything. Clem arrested him right away. After that Mitch got permission of Doc Martin to go home. Burt he has to lie on the settee with his ankle”, said Ben.
“Well, so that means that we can arrange our wedding”, said Adam.
Ben and Mitch looked aamazed at them.
“We had decided to get married as soon as Mitch was home again from the hospital”, Sally explained.
“I don’t mind”, said Ben.
“When are you getting married?”, asked Mitch.
“On December 1 and you are my best man”, answered Adam.
Mitch agreed and fell asleep slowly. The grownups left him alone and went outside.
Suddenly Roy came riding upon the yard. He stopped in front of the ranch house. The Cartwrights looked amazed at each other.
“Ben, the case about the accident of Mitch has been solved”, said Roy.
“How do you mean? Miles has been arrested by Clem”, said Ben.
“His wife has left him with taking their son with her where after Miles hung himself. And the bike of Mitch has been found back on their yard. There must be taken photographs of it for the file and then your grandson can get it back”, the sheriff explained.
“That is great”, said Adam.
He didn’t feel sorry for Sylvia and William at all. But that also went for the other Cartwrights.
By the love and attention of his family members and the hands Mitch got over the accident and he held nothing bad from it to great relief of his parents.
It was the end of November. Adam and Sally kept their wedding plans secret and hoped that nobody in Virginia City heard about it. But it was already too late. Two gossip aunties (the sisters Clara and Sue Baker) started about it during their tea party on Sunday afternoon.
“Have you heard it already?”, asked Sue.
“No, do tell”, answered Clara.
“That eldest son of Ben Cartwright gets married and then I know another news item”, her sister said.
“Adam gets married? And he already has a child from a previous relationship. What is that other news?”, Clara asked curiously.
“Well, it appears that the future Mrs Adam Cartwright is already quite on her way to become mother. But if the child is Cartwright’s nobody knows”, told Sue.
Clara put her hands before her mouth of amazing.
“And those Cartwrights think that they may and can do everything and only because they are rich”, she said a second later.
After their tea party they ran into Hoss and Little Joe.
“Gentlemen, is it really true that the wife to be of Adam is extremely pregnant but that he isn’t the father of the baby?”, asked Sue.
The brothers looked at each other amazed and were speechless.
“Ladies, I can relieve you that it are all lies”, said Hoss.
They went home quickly. The women remained behind stunned.
Once arrived at home Hoss asked his sister-in-law, “Sally, is it true that you are pregnant?”
“What is that for nonsense? I am not pregnant at all”, she answered.
“The sisters Sue and Clara Baker said that. They also said that your baby isn’t Adam’s and that you are extremely pregnant”, told Joe.
“What a bitches”, reacted Sally.
“Just let them. They may not come anyway”, answered Adam.
He got a smile which made his brothers worried.
“Adam, you ain’t going to tell that we may not come as well?”, asked Hoss.
“How do you guess?”, Adam asked teasing.
A loud protest followed which the couple to be amused very much.
Friday December 1.
At ten o'clock the wedding solemnization began. Just before that Sally came down the stairs in her wedding dress. Adam looked breathless at his wife-to-be and his heart began to beat harder.
Reverend Jack Ward did again the wedding solemnization.
He started, “We are here together to bind these two young people together. Their love has known very much problems and also much absence but their invisible bond brought them together though to be bind together forever. If anyone has objections against this marriage, he or she speak now or silence forever.”
It remained still so the reverend continued, “Do you take, Adam Poindexter Cartwright, Sally Baxton to be your legal wife for better and worse until death do you part?”
“Yes, I do”, said Adam.
“Do you take , Sally Baxton, Adam Poindexter Cartwright, to be your legal husband for better and worse until death do you part?”, the reverend asked Sally.
“Yes, I do”, said Sally.
Mitch came with the rings.
“Then I declare you husband and wife. Adam, you may kiss your bride now”, said Jack.
That happened with much love and passion. Ben had Mitch with him and saw that his grandchild was now really deliriously happy. The married couple got congratulated by all present. Then Hop Sing came in with two big cakes.
“Hop Sing baked two big cakes for married couple”, said the cook.
Sally cut both cakes where after everyone got a piece. Even Cody wasn’t forgotten.
The rest of the day men celebrated the party at the ranch.
Other than any other recent married couple Adam and Sally decided not to go on their honeymoon because they didn't want and couldn't to miss their child and dog Cody. Instead of that Adam took a month off to spend that time with his new family.
By the wedding there came again a period of rest at the Ponderosa.