Because his Adam Cartwright and grandpa Ben Cartwright were away for business the six year old Mitch Cartwright got taken care of by his uncles Hoss and Joe. Although Adam wasn’t relieved on it he had left the care for his eye apple over to his younger brothers.
Mitch had gotten the advice from his father, “Make sure that your uncles aren’t overworked when grandpa and I come home again.”
“Do my uncles ever work then?”, the boy asked while saying goodbye.
Now Hoss and Joe were touched by the raw. But Ben and Adam thought it was a funny question.
Hoss and Joe kept Mitch so busy that he didn’t even miss his grandpa and father. Though the youngest Cartwright had to go to school again.
Hoss brought him on Monday morning to the bus stop.
“Uncle Hoss, I don’t feel like going at all”, said Mitch.
“I can understand that but you are at school age and that means that you have to go to school. We just have to work. But your father and grandpa come home this afternoon”, answered Hoss.
Mitch suggested then, “Then you go in my place to school and I do your work.”
But Hoss didn’t buy it so that Mitch had to go to school.
Bus driver Vincent Parker let the young Cartwright get in and said a moment later, “Tomorrow you let yourself drive to school by your rich daddy. This is my last day.”
“But it’s just the 1st new school day”, reacted Mitch.
“I get paid for driving this bus and not to listen to your comment”, snapped Vincent.
He drove harder on purpose and stopped 4 km away from the school.
“I am without petrol so you will have to walk to school. If you are able to do that”, said Vincent.
Mitch grabbed his backpack and got out. He looked amazed around him but didn’t know where he was. Vincent drove hard away at once.
“Just wait till uncle Hoss runs into you”, groaned Mitch.
He decided to go straight back home. But then walking. Fortunately it was a nice weather.
At the ranch Joe said, “I go and get pa and Adam.”
“Where is Mitchy?”, Hoss asked because it was way past school time.
“Still at the bus stop?”, asked Joe.
Hoss went per car to the bus stop and discovered that it was being taken away.
“Dadburn it”, Hoss said out loud and indignant.
He got in and went to look for Mitch. The shepherd dog Cody was with him.
At 1 km away from the ranch house Mitch couldn’t go further anymore and he totally broke down. The young Cartwright fell down at the side of the road.
While Joe went to pick up Ben and Adam from the airport of Las Vegas Meanwhile Hoss was looking for his nephew. The boy still hadn’t come home from school although he went with the school bus. At least that’s what the Cartwrights thought. But nothing was less true. Because Mitch was the only one who needed the school bus to go to and from school the bus organization had decided to cancel the school bus.
Suddenly Hoss saw something lying down. The dog began to bark out loud.
“Is that the little master?”, asked Hoss.
Cody barked loud and wagged his tail. Hoss drove to it and stopped the car. He and Cody got out and ran to the foundling. Hoss turned him around and saw to his dismay that the foundling was his flesh and blood nephew Mitch. He lifted him up and carried him to the car. Cody grabbed the backpack along. Here after they went back home.
Hoss put Mitch on the settee and took care of him as good as possible. Suddenly the boy opened his eyes.
“Mitchy, what has happened?”, Hoss asked worried.
Mitch told all that had happened. Then he fell asleep again.
A bit later on Ben, Adam and Joe came home again.
Adam saw his son lying on the ground and asked worried, “What is the matter with Mitch?”
“Well Adam, the school bus doesn’t ride anymore because Mitchy is the only one who uses it. This afternoon he walked home and I found him halfway”, answered Hoss.
Adam kneeled down by his son and looked at him. The boy just kept on sleeping. Hoss told what Mitch had told him.
Adam woke up his son and said, “You go to bed to get by.”
Mitch got up and went with Adam’s support to his room. Cody followed them.
Ben said, “Mitch just learns here at home. Then he can help too right away.”
Hoss and Joe looked at each other laughing for a second but then they got to hear from their father, “Mitch helps with feeding the animals and what he can do himself. You may do the harder chores.”
Mitch laid in bed and Adam sat by him.
“That bus driver left me 4 km from the school with the excuse that he didn’t have petrol anymore. But when I was out of the bus he quickly drove away”, Mitch said hesitating.
He hardly could keep his eyes open so that Adam tucked him in and said, “Sleep well and I come to get you for supper.”
Yet before Adam had left the bed room Mitch was already sleeping. Cody remained by his play mate.
Downstairs Adam got to hear what Ben had decided about Mitch.
“I will teach him everything. And he sees his friends at the baseball trainings. Because that will just go on”, answered Adam.
“Adam, are you coming to file a complaint against the bus organization?”, asked Ben.
His eldest son nodded.
“Make sure that Mitch stays in bed until we are back again”, said the rancher.
“We’ll do”, Hoss said on behalf of Joe.
Ben and Adam went hurry-scurry to Virginia City to bring the school board, sheriff Roy Coffee and the bus organization up to date about all that had happened.
George Tucker, the boss of the bus organization, said, “Ben, your grandson was the only one who really had to use our bus. That costs us too much petrol, money and time. And that while you are rich enough to waste some petrol at that brat. And Adam, if I may give you a raising advice, teach your son not to back talk to my drivers. Vincent Parker complained that your son had comment about his way of driving.”
“Mitch just said what he wanted. My child is much more polite that your drivers”, reacted Adam.
The Cartwrights went away.
Arrived at home Ben said to Hoss and Joe what had been said in town.
“Mitch is still sleeping. I don’t think that he will wake up before supper”, said Joe.
Adam said, “I will go sit by him.”
Suddenly Mitch woke up. He looked sleepy at his father.
“I will make a warm bath for you”, Adam said smiling.
He got up and walked to the luxury and big bathroom. Mitch followed him with Cody.
Sitting and playing in the bath Mitch asked, “Daddy, must I still go back to school now?”
“First this matter must be solved by the school board. After that you go back to school again”, answered Adam.
“I rather learn here than at school. Miss Jones goes much faster with her lessons than I can keep up”, the boy confessed.
“We have decided or better said grandpa has decided that you learn at home and help us with chores at the yard. Like feeding the animals. But your trainings with the baseball team will continue so that you still can see your friends”, said Adam.
He lifted his son out of the bath and dried him. Mitch got dressed and with his bathrobe and bear slippers her went downstairs with Cody. Meanwhile Adam cleaned up the bath room.
Ben saw his grandson coming and walked towards him. The rancher lifted him from the stairs and put him on the ground.
“Daddy said that from today on I must help you with running this ranch”, said Mitch.
“That is indeed so. But your school work goes first”, answered Ben.
While Mitch looked at his uncles the boy asked, “But I don’t have to do their work, do I?”
Hoss said, “That is the meaning.”
Joe nodded agreeing.
“If I do get your wages for it yes”, their nephew reacted sneaky.
Joe asked indignant, “And where do you need our wages for then?”
Mitch thought for a second and gave then as answer, “I do need a new and bigger baseball glove all the time. I can pay that from your wages then.”
Of course the brothers didn’t agree with it but Ben did. Adam came downstairs and had heard the answer of his son to the question of Joe.
“Mitch, grandpa really doesn’t pay your uncles so much that you can buy a glove from it”, reacted Adam.
The boy remarked, “And still they work here? What a dumb uncles I have. I become later a baseball player and /or artist.”
Adam said, “Mitch, whatever you will become later, this is your home forever.”
His son knew that too.
At the table it was cozy but the men noticed though that Mitch wasn’t alright. He ate less than usual, was quickly tired and a bit more quieter too.
Yet before Hop Sing had served the dessert Mitch asked, “May I go to bed?”
“Go on. I will tuck you in later”, answered Adam.
Mitch went straight back to bed.
“That lad really isn’t alright”, Joe said worried.
“He knows that we are there for him. Also that he is being taken good care of and that’s the most important for him. Mitch must get over this experience himself”, was the answer of Ben.
Though he was worried too.
To soothe the case George Tucker decided to pay the Cartwrights a visit. He stopped his car and got out. Here after he walked to the front door and rang the bell. Ben answered it and saw George standing.
“What are you doing here? Offering your apology?”, asked the rancher.
“I put with this case my work at risk. When everyone hears what we have done to you Cartwrights I can pack it in. And only because you live so far away from Virginia City and that there’s a child who must go to school!”, George answered gruff.
Ben said, “So I had to built my ranch closer to Virginia City and also to prevent that children came here? My son and late daughter-in-law have really chosen for Mitch. And I am also very pleased with him.”
George became angrier than he already was and groaned, “I came to offer your grandson my apology. But he and you too can forget that hereby. I hope that your grandson had gotten a trauma by this case and that it will bother him for the rest of his life!”
Meanwhile Hoss had come too ands gave George such a jaw rebuilding that he couldn’t eat for at least 3 weeks. George made sure that he got away and disappeared.
“Hoss, I don’t think that we will ever see him again”, said the rancher.
The answer of his son was, “Pa, good riddance.”
Satisfied they went inside where at the sleeping floor their pride and joy was sleeping and recovering from this nasty incident.