It was Spring and Hoss Cartwright had gotten a good idea. While surfing on the internet he happen to end up on the official site of the site van the Tour the France.
“This seems like a nice thing to do during the summer”, he said to himself.
During supper he suddenly asked, “Pa, is it alright if I take a vacation during the summer?”
The father of Hoss, Ben Cartwright, asked amazed, “Why?”
“I want to take a bike trip and camp at the same time”, said Hoss.
“I don’t mind”, said Ben.
“Uncle Hoss, may I come along?”, asked Mitch.
Mitch was the eight year old son of Adam and Sally Cartwright, the brother and sister-in-law of Hoss.
“If your parents agree with it”, said Hoss.
“At 1 condition: that your uncle Hoss looks well after you”, said Adam.
Hoss nodded.
“I go along as well”, said Little Joe, the younger Cartwright brother.
“Then you may start to train very hard”, reacted Mitch.
His uncles looked angry at him.
“Do you think that we can’t do it?”, asked Joe.
“Maybe but can you ride a bike? I never see you doing it”, answered the boy.
Ben, Adam and Sally laughed but Hoss and Joe didn’t.
“We can ride a bike better than anyone else”, said Hoss.
“Then you may prove that. Each afternoon you go ride a while with your nephew”, said Adam.
“Deal”, his younger brothers said.
“And how are you going to train?”, asked Sally.
“I go after them with a video camera and the result of it we send to Funniest Home Videos”, Adam answered dry.
Now his brothers looked even angrier than with by the remark of Mitch. But their family members found it a nice answer.
The whole weekend Hoss and Joe spent giving their bikes a facelift. The vehicles had a thick lay of dust and it cost the brothers 2 whole days to make their bikes somehow show able. Of course they got the company of their nephew who never had seen the vehicles before.
“Are that your bikes? What a rust things”, said Mitch.
“We haven’t used them for a long time but when they are super clean we knock you down just like that”, answered Hoss.
His nephew couldn’t stop laughing anymore.
“Soon you will be riding backwards instead of forwards”, Mitch said laughing where after he went to his parents.
His uncles stayed behind indignant and insulted.
Monday afternoon.
Before Hoss, Joe and Mitch left Sally said, “Hoss and Joe, you bring him home too! Mitch, keep in mind that your uncles haven’t ride a bike for a long time. Your father said that they hadn’t ride since your mother and he got steady.”
“That has been centuries ago then”, Mitch remarked.
He got an angry look from his uncles and a wink from his mother.
“I will deliver him nicely”, promised Hoss.
They got up and rode away. Adam went t stand by his wife and with her he watched them go.
“Adam, we can’t go along with their bike trip”, Sally said suddenly.
“Why not?”, he asked amazed.
“Because you will become a father again. The baby comes in November. I don’t want to jeopardize my pregnancy”, answered his wife.
Adam took Sally into is arms and kissed her.
“While the others are holding that bike trip we are going to keep vacation here”, said the eldest Cartwright boy.
“You, me and our baby”, said Sally.
“It will be a boy again for sure”, said Adam.
“Or a daughter. We already have a son”, reacted Sally.
Meanwhile Hoss, Joe and Mitch came at an open spot.
“Gees, uncle Hoss, I must say that it amazes me that you can ride a bike”, said Mitch.
“I can do a whole lot more than you think”, reacted Hoss.
“Why do I not believe that?”, his nephew asked teasing.
“Because you are the son of my brother Adam Cartwright”, said Hoss.
Mitch said, “Uncle Joe, now you can ride a biker the girls of course ask you if you come to pick them up by bike.”
“In the evening I just come with the car. Then I can pick up more girls at the same time”, was the reaction of his uncle.
After a rest break they went heading home again.
Arrived at home Adam and Sally took their son apart.
“Mitch, you will have to make the bike trip without us”, said Adam said seriously.
“Why?”, the boy asked amazed.
“Well, you are going to get a little brother or a little sister in November”, said Sally.
“Great. But a bike trip with uncle Hoss and uncle Joe alone can be fun too. Each day here at the ranch is actually a vacation too”, reacted Mitch.
“You can help with the nursery”, said Adam.
Mitch nodded.
That evening Sally suddenly said, “Just a while yet and then Hoss and Joe can babysit more children when Adam and I go to the theatre one evening.”
“How do you mean?”, Ben asked amazed.
“Because if all goes well our baby comes into the world in November”, answered Adam.
“That is great news. Congratulations”, Ben said laughing.
“It is already a bit visible”, said Sally.
“So then Mitchy, Joe and I go on bike trip”, said Hoss.
“When are we leaving?”, asked Mitch.
“I had planned to leave on July 5 and to be back on August 5. Or is that too long?”, asked Hoss.
Mitch shook of no. Joe too didn’t have any objections.
Each day Hoss and Joe practiced for the bike trip but they kept finding it hard.
“Joe, we will never keep up. That nephew of ours has a much better condition than we all together”, Hoss said one morning.
“I go with the car where all the camping stuff and the food and drink can get in. Even you can ride along and that nephew of ours can ride all alone”, said Joe.
Hoss found that a good idea. They grabbed the camping stuff together and took a large supplies of food and drink along too.
On the morning on July 5 the Cartwrights prepared themselves for the bike trip.
“Mitch, I rely on the fact that I get a fully written report about the trip. Also how your uncles have done it. Here you have a big notebook for your trip report”, said Ben.
“It will become alright grandpa”, Mitch said smiling.
He did the notebook in his backpack.
“If there is something you can always call us on your cell phone. You have yours with you and your uncles too”, said Adam.
Mitch nodded. He got a goodbye hug from his parents and grandpa where after the boy went outside.
“Ready for the challenge?”, Hoss asked teasing.
“I am but are you keeping up with it?”, was the counter-question of Mitch.
“You will see that”, said Joe.
Hoss and Mitch got on their bikes and the trip began. Joe followed by car with the rest of the camping stuff.
Hoss and Mitch rode in a quiet pace where they often stopped to admire the area. Hoss took the pictures but Mitch thought different about it. He grabbed a pencil and sketch book and began to draw.
That evening Mitch said, “What do you think of this? This is where we had lunch.”
Hoss and Joe looked at the drawing and were very impressed.
“Mitchy, you make the drawings and I take the pictures”, said Hoss.
“Grandpa wants that I make a travel report of it. But I cannot write so very well”, said his nephew.
“Just write it down. At home we will work it out at the computer with the pictures and drawings”, answered Joe.
Fortunately each day it was a nice and warm weather. Hoss and Joe showed their nephew the most beautiful spots of their spread.
On the last day fate struck. They were almost home when Mitch suddenly had to pull his brakes for a running rabbit. He fell and smacked his left ankle to a rock. Of course Hoss and Joe were there straight away.
“Mitchy, can you move that ankle of yours?”, Hoss asked worried.
“No, it hurts so much”, said the boy.
“We put you in the car and load your bike in the trunk. After that we go home. Hoss, you follow on the bike”, said Joe.
“No Little Joe, you go on the bike and I drive that little lad home”, reacted Hoss.
The brothers began to discuss by the car and then to argue so badly that they lost sight of Mitch. The Cartwright crawled to his bike and got up with much difficulty. After this e rode hurry scurry with lots of pain to the finish.
“Mr Cartwright, there comes the winner of the Tour the Ponderosa”, said foreman Candy Canaday.
Ben looked up and saw his grandson coming. He and Candy wale dup to him.
“Mitch, where are your uncles?”, asked Ben.
“If it is correct by that yellow rock 2 km from here. I fell and smacked my ankle against that rock. They got a row about whom had to ride home with me. I can’t move my ankle”, answered Mitch.
Ben helped him off his bike and checked the ankle.
“You go to the hospital with me right away. Candy, you receive his uncles if we are not back yet”, said the rancher.
In no time Ben and Mitch were at the hospital where the boy ran into his parents in the hall.
“What are you doing here?”, Adam asked worried.
Quickly Mitch told what had happened.
“We stay with you. By the way, in November you have a little brother and a little sister. We are expecting twins”, said Sally.
After a while Mitch could go home again but with an ankle in plaster and on crutches.
Arrived at home Hoss and Joe still weren’t there and Ben decided that his grandson was the winner of the bike trip.
Just late that evening the lost sons came home but they never touched their bikes again.