Arnie is a lonely man with big muscles, a little brain and an ugly face. He is friendly by nature, but when somebody jeers at him and calls him an ape, he becomes mad. Then he is very dangerous. Most people avoid Arnie, but Hoss recognizes something of his own nature in Arnie and wants to help him

Hoss and Little Joe travel to Sacramento to help the widow of an old friend of the Cartwrights. Hoss discovers that the widow is a beautiful young woman and immediately falls in love with her. He brings her back to the Ponderosa where Adam and Little Joe soon discover that the woman is in love with Hoss's money, not him, which she needs to fund her gambling addiction. When Hoss refuses to believe his brothers, Adam is forced to provide demonstrable proof in Virginia City casino.