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A young boy named Billy Allen comes to the Ponderosa. He's about 11 or 12 and has already been through a lot in his young life. His mother had died several years earlier, and his father, Vance...well, he was a former Ponderosa ranch hand who was convicted of murder and sent to prison.

Vance and a fellow inmate, Pike, break out of the Nevada State Penitentiary and, after killing a guard, make their way back to the Ponderosa. They later rob a stagecoach, killing the driver and a passenger, the armored guard.

At the Ponderosa, Billy refuses to open up to Ben and his sons, and takes one of Hop Sing's carving knives. When Ben decides to be stern with the youngster, Hoss intercedes and manages to talk Billy into giving back the knife. He tells him (gently) that taking the knife wasn't right (even though he had snuck a few of Hop Sing's freshly baked doughnuts in his mouth); Billy reluctantly accepts a whittling knife as a present. The two become friends, and go fishing together. Billy proves to be an adept fisherman, but all Hoss can catch is a rock.

Billy tells Hoss he is convinced his father is coming for him and they would live happily ever after. Meanwhile, Ben, Adam and Little Joe receive word that Vance and Pike are in the area and join a posse to capture the outlaws.

Later that night, Hoss has a restless sleep worrying about Billy's welfare - with good reason. During the night, Vance sneaks into the house and tells Billy he's come for him. He tells him he was unfairly sent to prison and insists he's innocent of any crimes, then sneaks off to rejoin Pike.

Still later, Vance is sneaking around when he runs into Hoss. After Hoss reminds Vance he was convicted in a fair trial, the two get into a fight. Vance draws his gun and fires, and Hoss is forced to kill Vance in self defense. Hoss is heartbroken, but that's nothing to how emotional he gets when Billy sees Hoss bring his father's corpse back to the Ponderosa on horseback. Hoss apologizes, but Billy declares he hates Hoss, beating his little fists on Hoss' chest before running off.

Hoss really cries, stunned at why a little boy would say such hateful things, and Ben tries to comfort him. Ben recalls how angry he was at the Indians when they killed Hoss' mother (and Ben's second wife), and that in time he'll get over the pain. But that's little consolation to Hoss.

Billy simply will not forgive Hoss, or even try to understand the circumstances surrounding his father's life. He even gets into a fight with another boy when he calls his father a murderer and thief. The judge had come to advise the Cartwrights they were contacting Billy's uncle, who now has been awarded custody.

Near the end of the show, Hoss and Billy, who has given Hoss the silent treatment, go to bury Vance's body. They meet up with Pike, who is posing as a stranger. After accepting a cool drink of water, he reveals his identity and gives Hoss two choices – show him through the mountains and help him elude authorities, or Billy dies. Hoss makes sure neither event will happen and chooses the third option: to fight. Billy runs off, while Pike gets the clear upper hand, pulverizing Hoss.

Ben, Adam and Joe are pursing Pike, when they see Billy walking toward them, (strangely) rather calm. After letting slip that Hoss is in trouble, Ben demands to know where he is. Billy at first refuses to talk, still angry at Hoss for fatally shooting his father and wishing that Pike would kill him, just as Hoss shot his Pa. But after Ben convinces the lad that, while he might not care about Hoss' safety, other people do, Billy tells Hoss' whereabouts and hopes he'll be okay.

Hoss, as it turns out, will be okay. Even though Pike has thoroughly been beaten the large Cartwright and the bad guy has dared the bruised big guy to come back for more, Hoss makes a move for the gun. During a struggle, Pike pulls the trigger when the barrel is pointed at his chest, and fatally shoots himself.

In the coda, Hoss meets up with Billy at the lake. After a few emotional words, Billy finally forgives Hoss and all is right with the world.