In the state prison. Joe Dalton happen to have gotten hold of a newspaper and sees in it a picture of the Ponderosa.
“Boys, we are going to escape and go to the Ponderosa in Nevada”, he calls out excited.
“Why?”, Jack and William ask at the same time.
“Because they don’t know us there and we can be there for the time being”, answers their brother.
“Joe, are we going to escape through a tunnel?”, the tallest Dalton named Averell asks.
“No, we escape through a tunnel. Of course we escape through a tunnel”, says Joe.
A moment later the 4 brothers are busy with their only activity to the freedom which bears fruit. Ran Tan Tan, the prison dog follows them but looses the trail.
The four Dalton brothers, (Joe, Jack, William and Averell) walk in the desert of Nevada.
“Where are we going to Joe?”, asks Jack.
“To the Ponderosa. We are going to work there and empty then the safe”, is the answer of Joe.
Soon the poor lonesome cowboy Lucky Luke gets a een telegram which summary he can dream.
“Jolly, we must go after the Daltons once again. They have been seen in Nevada”, Lucky Luke says to his horse Jolly Jumper.
“When do we get a telegram for once which says that they haven’t escaped?”, asks Jolly Jumper.
They go to Virginia City. Underway they run into Ran Tan Tan who remains by them which Jolly Jumper dislikes.
In the meantime the Daltons have managed to get hold of four horses. Here on they ride to the ranch of the Cartwright family.
“They will never forget us ever again”, says William.
“We are too notorious to forget”, Joe chuckles.
His brothers laugh.
At the Ponderosa the brothers Adam, Hoss and Little Joe are busy with repair work.
“Why does nothing funny happens anymore?”, the middle one who listens to the name of Hoss moans.
“That will happen. Or otherwise you and/or Joe will take care of that”, reacts his older brother Adam.
“You do have a very low opinion of your loving brothers”, is the indignant reaction of Little Joe.
“There is not much needed for that. You take care of that people don’t trust you very quickly”, says Adam.
Then they hear four horses coming. The brothers look up but don’t recognize them.
“Hm, four strange birds. Possibly escaped from jail. There is a stripe going through them”, says Hoss.
“They must be pretending to be a wasp”, says Joe.
“In any case they can form a quartet”, Adam remarks.
In his voice there is a kilo of sarcasm to be heard.
“If they can count to four”, reacts Hoss.
“I don’t think so. They don ’t look that smart anyway”, answers Adam.
Meanwhile the Daltons have arrived near the brothers.
“We have heard that there is enough work for us. Who is the boss here?”, Joe asks Adam.
“Normally my father but seeing that he isn’t here you will have to deal it with me. From whom have you heard that there is work here for four wasps like you?”, Adam asks calm.
“We are not wasps but the Daltons. You must have heard about us”, Joe reacts insulted.
Adam sighs deep and shrugs his shoulders.
“I know a lot of people but no Daltons. Hoss and Joe, do you know these ones?”, Adam asks his brothers.
Hoss and Little Joe look at the four but shook their heads.
The Daltons dismount and go to stand next to each other.
“May I introduce you to me and my brothers? I am Joe, that is Jack, William and that simpleton there is Averell”, says Joe.
Little Joe looks for a second at and begins then to s laugh unstoppable. Nobody understands it.
“Adam, Hoss, you may call me Little Joe but I am still much taller than that smurf there”, Little Joe says laughing.
“Who does he mean?”, asks Joe asks amazed.
“He means you, Joe”, Averell answers dry.
Now Joe can’t control himself anymore and he wants to attack Averell. But Jack and William know to stop him.
“You can stay here for a while. But you will have to work under our supervision”, says Adam.
He gets the wagon and says, “Hoss and Joe, you put the wasps to work. The most dirty chores are for them. I am going to get extra supplies of food.”
Again Joe gets angry.
“We are not wasps but the Daltons!”, he yells.
“That can be but you are very touchy and especially that smurf”, Adam answers dry.
He rides away at once. Hoss and Little Joe are now in charge and they let it show too.
“When are we going to eat?”, asks Averell.
“We are going to eat when we are going to eat”, answers Hoss.
“You are going to clean up the hay barn under our supervision”, says Little Joe.
“You are going to clean up the hay barn. I guard the safe”, says Joe.
He wants to go inside but Hoss grabs him by the arm and throws him ten meters into the air. Joe screams like skinny sucking-pig and ends up in the water trough. The Cartwright brothers are rolling on the floor laughing but the Daltons of course not.
“Come on, get out because there is no time for playing”, says Little Joe.
Joe climbs out and follows the others.
In the meantime Adam reaches Virginia City. He is in a very good mood, especially when he thinks of the “wasps”. Near the Bucket Of Blood Saloon he sees an unknown white horse standing. Next to it lies a dog who doesn’t show much intelligence. Adam rides ahead to the trading post to get the groceries.
After Adam had bought a new supply he goes to oil his throat in the Bucket Of Blood Saloon. At the bar he sees the stranger already standing. The eldest Cartwright boy goes to stand next to him.
“Is that white horse yours?”, asks Adam.
“Yes. Why?”, asks Lucky Luke who the stranger is.
“Just like that. I am Adam Cartwright”, says Adam.
“Lucky Luke”, answers Lucky Luke.
“Lucky, do you happen to know four brothers who call themselves the Daltons?”, is the following question of Adam.
“Do I know them? Yes sure, I know them. I got a telegram that they had escaped again. Do you know where they are?”, Lucky Luke wants to know.
“They work at our ranch, the Ponderosa. But they are not very pleased with us as employers because we have named them wasps due to their clothes”, answers Adam.
Both laugh and Lucky says, “I go with to arrest them.”
Outside the saloon they see Ran Tan Tan lying.
“Is he yours?”, asks Adam again.
“No, but he follows me always and everywhere”, answers Lucky Luke.
“Unfortunately yes”, is the comment of Jolly Jumper.
Underway Adam hears all the stories about the failed escapes of the Daltons.
“Just stay for a few more days. Then the wasps will go to their place on their own place”, Adam suggests.
Lucky Luke accepts that offer.
Meanwhile Hoss and Little Joe make the lives of the Daltons to their burden as much as possible. The Cartwrights lie it very much to make them angry and especially Joe falls for it every time.
“Wait till they are sleeping. Then we strike”, Joe says angry.
“Or until Lucky Luke comes. Then we go back to the prison”, answers Averell.
Now Joe gets a total attack of madness and he attacks his brother.
“How nice they get on with each other”, says Hoss says while he and Little Joe are watching enjoyable.
“Boys, now get on with working or there will be no meal for you”, says Little Joe.
This news makes sure that especially Averell works very hard and quickly and amazes everyone.
“I have never seen Averell working so hard”, William remarks.
“I do everything for food”, reacts Averell.
“He must see that he gets it”, Little Joe jokes.
Hoss agrees with him totally.
Joe has enough of the work and says, “Boys, I don’t know what you are going to do but I am going to clean the safe.”
He puts down his hayfork and leaves the barn. He runs to the yard but stops at once when he sees hij Adam and Lucky Luke coming.
“Ah, not him he. There is that rotten Luke again”, he yells.
At his yelling the others come too and they see the visitor.
“I know him”, says Ran Tan Tan and he begins to lick him.
“Get lost, rotten best”, groans Joe.
“Hoss, he loves animals as much as you do”, Adam remarks.
“Birds of a feather”, Jolly Jumper remarks.
“Hoss and Joe, may I introduce you to our guest Lucky Luke? Luke, my younger brothers Hoss and Little Joe.”
By hearing that Lucky Luke is the guest of Cartwrights Joe Dalton becomes insane.
“Jack, William, Averell, we go straight to the prison. We don’t belong here”, he says excited.
“Alright. If we are fast there is still time for the soup. It is brown beans soup today”, says Averell.
“If you don’t shut up I give you blue bean soup for supper”, says Joe.
“Is that delicious?”, asks Averell.
Again Jack and William must hold their brother before he molests Averell.
“That was a very short visit but I know for sure that you will meet these brothers more often. Come on boys, to your home”, says Lucky Luke.
The Daltons go along obeying and Ran Tan Tan follows them in his slow way.
After Lucky Luke has arrested the Daltons and taken them to the prison the owner of the Ponderosa Ranch, Ben Cartwright, comes home.
“Has something happened during my absence?”, asks Ben.
“No, not at all. Why? Does there happens here something ever?”, Adam asks innocent.
“Not that I know”, reacts Hoss.
“Have you forgotten those four hard workers?”, Little Joe asks amazed.
“Which four hard workers?”, Ben asks even amazed.
“Joe means the four wasps”, Hoss explains.
Now Ben doesn’t understand it at all.
“Would somebody explain it all to me?”, asks the rancher.
“We were busy with repair work when four brothers who call themselves the Daltons arrived. It turned out to be escaped prisoners because they wore wasps suits. They wanted to work here but that littlest one wanted to guard the safe right away. We let them clean up the hay barn under supervision of Hoss and Joe while I went to Virginia City for an extra supply. There I ran into a cowboy who was looking for them. That was Lucky Luke. When we came here the Daltons alias the wasps went back to the prison voluntarily. I think that they will com e here more often”, answers Adam.
“Is the hay barn cleaned up?”, Ben wants to know.
“Not at first but when Averell, that is the tallest and dullest of the four, heard the word meal it was done in a jiffy”, answers Hoss.
The arrival of the Daltons at the Ponderosa has made for days of laughter but not in prison.
“Now has Adam bought all that food for nothing. Mustn’t we go back to eat it?”, Averell asks while he and his brothers must split rocks.
“And then see Lucky Luke again who gets welcomes as a friend of the family? No, thank you Averell”, says Joe.
The Daltons remain again in prison, the Cartwrights are at their ranch and Lucky Luke rides on Jolly Jumper towards the sunset.