The Cartwrights take young Billy Allen to the Ponderosa following the death of his mother. Hoss is the only one that is able to penetrate the boy's hostility and bitterness. As the two begin to get close, Billy's father Vance breaks out of prison and comes for the boy. A young boy named Billy Allen
The Cartwrights construct a grist mill to help neighbor Tom Edwards, a disabled man who bitterly blames Ben for his condition. Tom is being manipulated by hired hand Ezekiel, who's not only cheating him out of his money, but also intends to steal his wife. The Cartwrights' neighbor Tom Edwards has
Jeb Drummond is a murderous sheep herder that has Adam taken hostage to try and force Ben to sign over a large section of Ponderosa land to him. Jeb Drummond is driving his herd of sheep across the Ponderosa when the Cartwrights ride up. Ben politely tells him to leave. Jeb asks for permission, he'
Adam's life is saved by an enigmatic U. S. Marshal who has come to Virginia City to arrest a friend of the Cartwrights. Adam is rescued from an ambush by Gerald Eskith, a lawman who is on a mission to Virginia City. He's looking for Jackson Blaine, a friend of the Cartwrights, claiming he needs Bla
A bank robber takes a job with the Cartwrights to prevent the sheriff from tracking down his accomplices. After John Pardo and his gang rob the Virginia City Bank, they go into hiding on the Ponderosa. One of Pardo's men, Sam Kirby, goes to the Cartwrights. The plan is for him to hire on as a ranch
Ranchers are being killed, cattle stolen, and retired U.S. Deputy Marshall Denver McKee leads various posses after the suspects but never seems to be able to find them. In the meantime, McKee seems to have plenty of money to take care of his gorgeous daughter back home from schooling in the East. A
After Joe kills a man in self-defense who tried to set fire to the Ponderosa to clear himself some land, he has to take his lively, feisty, wild, daughter home, and she, and her relatives, are now determined to kill Joe. Joe tries to stop a homesteader he finds starting a fire on the Ponderosa and
Charlie Trent used to be an Army scout. Now he's the town drunk. Hoss helps him regain his self-esteem when he has him volunteer to lead a gold-bearing troop through the desert where there's very little water. An Army wagon train carrying gold is in Virginia City getting supplies. When their scout,
The Cartwrights try to disprove the validity of a Spanish land grant to stop the De La Cuesta family from seizing part of the Ponderosa and all of the Carson Valley settlers' homestead lands. The episode opens with a settler being evicted from his land by some Spanish vacqueros. When the couple ins
Adam is bushwhacked by three deserters from the Army who are hiding out on the Ponderosa. When Ben pursues them, he is hindered by a Captain Bolton, the arrogant commander of a military posse who is also after the men. Three army prisoners have escaped Ft Dayton. Mertz still has chains around his w
Criminals have taken over Virginia City and are forcing citizens to pay for protection lest they suffer an "accident". A store owner who didn't pay is murdered by gang member and the sole witness, the victim's wife Beth, is offered protection at the Ponderosa. For his trouble, Ben is kidnapped by th
Adam rides up on some Indians wanting to harm a white woman they believed was a mountain spirit. He kills them but not before they wound him. The woman nurses him back to health but the rest of the tribe is still out there looking for her. While traveling, Adam is wounded by Indians and left for de
