Ben fired only in self-defense and feels badly for young young man.

Hoss mentors a lonely, mentally challenged man who, with superhuman size and strength, becomes extremely dangerous when angered. Meanwhile the gang capture Little Joe and his girlfriend. Ben, Adam and Hoss set out to find Little Joe. Hoss is riding back from his sweetheart Cameo's house when he comes up on a group of men that have just killed a young couple. While Adam falls for the group leader's daughter, Reginia, Board plots to rob the group of its life savings.The Cartwrights construct a grist mill to help neighbor Tom Edwards, a disabled man who bitterly blames Ben for his condition. Ben allows his old Army friend Major Cayley to use the Ponderosa as the site of his latest hot air balloon experiments. The son of Luke Grayson arrives from the East and learns that Ben Cartwright shot and killed his father. She later finds out he is the leader of some murderous bank robbers and when they kidnap Hoss and Joe, she still sticks with him. While celebrating the return of his daughter Connie from a fancy school back East, former lawman Denver McKee is asked to assist in the capture of an outlaw gang. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules! In return, Ben only wants his investment money back, plus fifteen percent. Charlie Trent used to be an Army scout. His goal is to develop an airship that can cross the ocean. Now he's the town drunk. She's abducted by the evil owner, Phillip Reed, and held for one million dollars ransom. The Cartwright boys are surprised when a woman shows up on their doorstep claiming to be their father's new wife. He intends to marry her, unaware that she is a chronic gambler. His useless drunken father has sold the property to a self-styled military leader with his own private army.Ben keeps a bedside vigil as his son Adam suffers through a high fever. He challenges a meek young man, J.D., into the ring by viciously beating him in a bar fight and then assaulting his girlfriend. Daniel Pettibone is trying to find financing for his new invention, a horseless carriage. Jennifer Beale is abducted in the hopes her rich father, Joshua, the richest silver baron on the Comstock, will pay a $1M ransom. Adam is rescued from an ambush by Gerald Eskith, a lawman who is on a mission to Virginia City.
Adam goes to Mexico to investigate the death of a friend, only to face hostile townspeople and the dead man's wife. Blacksmith Sam Hill is told to give up the land where his mother is buried. In reality, he's outlaw Johnny Logan who intends to kill Sheriff Logan, his father, when they pass through Waycross. Since Will is too old to travel to Mexico to collect his son's body, Ben sends Adam. Adam brings Delphine back to the Ponderosa for her own safety, wondering if Ross is suffering from insanity. The boys decided that Ben is getting too old to do hard physical labor and advise him to take it easy while they go on search for cattle rustlers. Things do not go well until a slick promoter sells shares into the new automobile. The Cartwrights join to help mystical blacksmith Sam Hill save the land his drunk, sea-dog father signed away to an old enemy, discover the circumstances behind his mother's death, and solve the mystery of why a tropical tree flourishes in spite of cold Nevada winters.

Gunnar Borgstrom is the leader of a vicious band called the Commancheros. The Cartwrights find the new hand friendly and trustworthy--except for Joe, who has his suspicions. These efforts are undermined by a saloon girl who only wants this giant man-child to manipulate him. In the meantime, McKee seems to have plenty of money to take care of his gorgeous daughter back home from schooling in the East.