The Ponderosa — W.L. Cox

This episode in Charles' life is packed with action, business, shootouts, and courtroom drama. Charles' adventures continue as he begins healing from his severe sunburn. He decides to clean up old business and stops at the restaurant known as, The Ponderosa, to see if his talk with the owner has had any effect on its service. Charles leaves the restaurant in anger and is determined to bring his problem to an end. Charles and the family travel to Denver and Charles encounters problems. Charles sets about solving the issues with his construction crews. Charles is recruited by Hunt to help remove bandits that took over his ranch and ordered his tenants to leave at gunpoint. Horse owners seeking breeding privileges from his prize stallion begin to irritate Charles when they show up with their attorneys and demand that he sign irrational contracts. Charles starts to question if he should continue offering stud services after ordering several horse breeders to leave and never return. George decides to stay in Denver to get the food store running. Charles needs to find a dependable man to travel with him and is shocked by an offer from an old friend. Charles is forced to go to Baltimore to resolve an issue with a rich and powerful man that is determined to put an end to the railroad construction. While traveling to a construction site to address an issue, the train is attacked by bandits, and they plan to steal Charles's horse, Wind Fire. Charles becomes angered. Being attacked on the ocean only six weeks ago was bad enough. But to be robbed, and possibly shot while riding a train on American soil by a gang of thieves was more than he could handle. He refuses to submit to the thieves and explodes in anger. A shootout with armed bandits follows and ends with a dramatic scene when his gun is out of bullets.