Because the cheap refrigerator that Uncle Joe bought for $9 isn't working, Kate sends him into Pixley to get some ice for the icebox. However, Floyd and Charley are having a feud over who is boss of the Cannonball and a resulting feud over a missing apple, and as such they are not speaking to each other which also means they aren't operating the Cannonball. If Kate doesn't get some ice, all her food will spoil. So she does whatever she can to patch things up between the two, who have been best friends all their lives. Despite bringing in the analytical mind of Mr. Douglas to assist in convincing the two to make up, Kate does not have an easy task due to both Charley and Floyd's stubbornness and Uncle Joe's meddling.
—Huggo