It had been quiet for a while for the law of the Wilde West. Our hero Lucky Luke, a poor lonesome cowboy far away from home, enjoys the open air together with his faithfull horse Jolly Jumper.
“How can he be lonely when he has me as companion?”, Jolly Jumper asks while he whines sarcasticly.
They don’t know that they get seperated soon.
Meanwhile at the Stateprison.
The vier notorious Daltons, (Joe, Jack, William and Averell), make plans to make their so maniest escape from prison successfull. This time they do it via the well known tunnel.
When they sneak out at night Joe notices that they have taken one too many along. It is the guarddog of the prison, who listens to the name Rataplan. Joe gets driven wild when he sees Rataplan.
From the deepest of his toes come the words,“Now is that dog coming after us too. And soon that awful Lucky Luke as well!”
Hereby he jumps up and down.
“Joe, That is the meaning of it. Our plan is to kidnap Jolly Jumper”, says Jack.
He and William have a lot of difficutly to keep Joe calm.
After a while they are gonna look for our cowboy.
Lucky Luke is in a sleeping position under a tree with Jolly Jumper in his area.
“He can be at ease because I guard over him”, the witte horse says out loud.
He whines and goes on then grazing. But not Jolly nor Luke see is that the Daltons have come closer.
Joe whispers,“Now it is our chance to pay Luke back for those times when he has put us in prison. We grab Jolly Jumper and ride away on him.”
Fortuantly for them Lucky Luke is very fast asleep. He doesn’t notice at all that his horse gets taken away. Because this plan succeeds is especially Joe in in high feather. Rataplan gets left behind to take the place of wordt Jolly Jumper.
The next morning Lucky Luke wakes up and he sees to his big amazing Rataplan sitting in front of him.
“Holy Toledo! Rataplan, what are you doing here? You belong in prison”, he calls out.
The slow dog jumps on him and licks his face completely. After Luke has been “washed” he sees that his loyal horse is gone. On the spot lies a note.
Luke gets it and reads out loud,
To Lucky Luke,
If you want to see your horse back pay then $ 15.000.
Signed,
Joe Dalton.
The cowboy suspects that the Daltons are holding up in the nearest town Silver City Gulch.
“Come Rataplan. I suspect that the Daltons are holding up in Silver City Gulch”, says Luke.
“I follow Lucky Luke always. He is assured of my good protection”, says Rataplan.
They go on their way.
Near Silver City Gulch the Daltons are holding up with the hostager Jolly Jumper. The horse notices that he is not really ordinairy company.
“Now hope that that Lucky Luke shows up”, says Joe says very chuckling.
He looks forward to the confrontation with the cowboy who had delivered him and his brothers every time a one way ticket to the prison.
“Averell, you stay with Jolly Jumper and make sure that he doesn’t escape”, is the order of Joe.
“Er Joe, good. But I have another question”, says Averell.
“And that is if I may ask?”, Joe asks who starts to lose his patience quite well.
“When are we gonna eat?”, is the innocent question of the tallest Dalton.
“Aaaaaaaaah, I go crazy here”, Joe yells.
“Joe, you don’t have to become crazy because you already are crazy”, reacts Averell.
Now Joe literly gets driven mad. Jack and William must do a lot of trouble to calm Joe down.
The comment of Jolly Jumper is,“There goes nothing above a strong bond between brothers.”
After walking a very long time Lucky Luke and Rataplan reach the camp of the Daltons. They hide by a few rocks. Lucky Luke sees Jolly Jumper standing. He is being guarded by Averell Dalton. Our cowboy thinks of a plan how he can get his loyal companion back. Therefor is Rataplan needed.
“Rataplan, I think of a plan of how I can get my loyal companion back. there I need you”, says Lucky Luke.
The plan goes as follows: Rataplan walks to Averell while Lucky Luke sneaks off to his horse. By the distraction Jolly Jumper can be with his owner again.
“Rataplan, you walk to Averell while I sneak to my horse. By the distraction Jolly Jumper can be with his owner again.”, the cowboy tells the prisondog.
The cowboy and the slow prisondog decided to carry out the plan. Rataplan goes to sit next to Averell and puts his head on his lap.
“Ah nice doggie”, says Averell says and he strokes the animal many times.
Meanwhile Lucky Luke sneaks to his horse, but on the way there is a hitch somewhere.
“Hands up cowboy”, he hears saying.
Lucky Luke does that and gets tied up by Jack and William.
“Do you have the money with you?”, asks Joe.
He holds his revolver pointed at our hero.
“No, must I then?”, asks Lucky Luke.
Again Joe loses his patience and selfcontrol.
“He has to learn to control himself. All that excitement is bad for his heart. If he already has a heart. Hahahaha!”, reacts Jolly Jumper.
Hereby Lucky Luke grabs his chance to get loose. He grabs this chance then with both hands.
He says to Joe and his brothers, “Now your hands are going up and they stay up!”
The brothers follow that order very nicely. Then Rataplan sees his “big” friend Joe Dalton.
The dog says,“Look, there is an old friend of mine. I greet him.”
He flies with a speed to the kleinste Dalton brother, whereby this one stands completely powerless. Or better said: lying powerless. By this action our hero arrests the four notorious Daltons.
When the four bandits are very tied up they return to the prison.
Underway Joe yells at Averell in great anger, “You cactushead, you can do nothing right at all.”
“That is not true Joe. I can eat very well”, Averell says very indignant.
This remark makres sure that Joe gets driven wild again. But due to the ropes around his body is that fortuantly impossible.
Lucky Luke says laughing from the back of Jolly Jumper, “They still have kept their sense of humour.”
When they have walked a while the prison comes in sight.
Lucky Luke says to the brothers,“Just hold on for a moment. Then you are home again.”
“I hope that they haven’t eaten yet. My stomach asks for stuffing”, says Averell.
“Your stomach always asks for stuffing. I will give you a stuffing around your face”, Joe yells angry.
“If you do that I will tell Ma. You know that I am her favourite”, Averell replies.
“Let them keep their mouth shut. It gives me migraine”, Jolly Jumper says complaining.
Arrived at the prison the Daltons are being guarded like each day faithfully by Rataplan. Lucky Luke leaves with his travelling-companion Jolly Jumper the prison and together are heading for a new adventure in the Wild West.