The Cartwrights are dumbfounded when the mother of town drunk Danny Lynch arrives on the Ponderosa to see the land that her son apparently owns, as he said in letters to her. They seek out Danny to tell her the truth.

The Cartwrights go hunting for a gang of cattle rustlers. Adam comes across an injured man, Matthew Grant, who he assumes is one of the thieves. Knowing that Ben will shoot the criminal on sight, Adam tries to convince Grant to confess to his crimes and turn himself over to the authorities.