Bonanza s01e11 Episode Script
The Truckee Strip
* * (creaking) Hyah! All right, pick up your tools and clear out! I don't understand-- just one tree? One tree's all it'll take.
If I know Luther Bishop and Ben Cartwright, by sundown, there will be more thunder on this mountain than you've ever seen.
We better go.
(horses neighing) Hold up.
Somebody's cutting timber up on the strip.
Hyah! (theme song playing) * * (neighing) All right, come on out of there.
Now, look, I'm going to count to three.
You don't come out, I'm going to start shooting.
One, two Don't shoot.
Please.
I didn't do anything wrong.
You were trespassing.
Trespassing? You must be a Cartwright.
Yes, ma'am.
I thought so.
One of those high and mighty Cartwrights who thinks he owns all the land in Nevada.
Oh, we don't own all the land, ma'am.
Just a good piece of it.
Including that piece you're standing on right now.
This land belongs to my pa.
You mean Luther Bishop? That's right.
Hey, you must be Amy.
Yeah, you've grown up some.
Now, if you don't mind getting on out of here, I'd like to put my dress on.
If that's worrying you, ma'am, I won't look.
(croaks) (screaming) It was just a little old frog.
You better put your dress on.
All right.
You can turn around.
Here, let me help you.
I'm sorry if I scared you before.
I really didn't mean to.
There you are.
I guess I'd better be going.
Yeah, me, too, I I have a lot of calves I'm supposed to bring in before dark.
Pa's going to wonder what happened to me.
Uh, you come here very often? Most every day.
About this time? I'll see you, then.
Are you the one they call Little Joe? Yeah, I'm the one.
What kept you? We was worried you followed that fella on to the Concho.
I lost him down at the creek.
Who do you think they were, Pa? Oh, I don't know.
Bishop's men, probably.
Now, you know what would've happened if Luther Bishop found a Cartwright riding around in the Concho.
Yeah, Pa, I know.
Well, bear it in mind, boy.
Adam, catch up with Trump.
Tell him I want to see him at the house.
All right, let's go.
BEN: From now on, I want men posted 24 hours a day.
Trump I want to know the moment any man sets foot on that Truckee Strip, I want to know.
I get you, Mr.
Cartwright.
I just don't understand.
I (sighs) Well if Luther Bishop wants to start fighting for that stupid piece of land all over again (sighs) I used to think I was a pretty good judge of character.
That court order ruled it was our land.
Now, I'd I'd have staked my life that Luther Bishop would at least respect the law.
For one tree.
You're going to start fighting all over again for one tree.
This has nothing to do with a tree.
If you stand by and you watch a man take something that isn't his-- now, whether it belongs to you or anybody-- and you do nothing to stop him, why, pretty soon that man will be taking something else and something else and something else.
Trump you get those men together and keep an eye open.
I won't let you down, Mr.
Cartwright.
I know you won't.
(sighs) Oh, I I just don't understand.
Pa, is it worth it? Is the land really worth all this fighting? You think it's worth it to Trump to carry that scar for the rest of his life? A man works for wages on a place, he's obliged to defend it.
It's part of his job.
That's right.
He took his chances just like the rest of us.
Only thing is he got a bullet.
Could have been any one of us.
That's not what I mean.
Just what do you mean, Little Joe? I guess I don't even know myself, Pa.
Supper will be ready pretty soon, boy.
Oh, I'm not hungry, Pa.
It was just one tree, Mr.
Bishop.
Starting a fight over one miserable tree? It's my land, court order or not, and I'll never give it up.
You got just as much right to that timber as the Cartwrights have.
And you sure could use the money.
Winter coming on, feed to buy.
What you got in mind, Jessup? Well, if I was you, Luther, I'd take Jason Carter up on that offer of his to buy that timber.
There are other ways to get money without dealing with a man like Jason Carter.
Who cares what kind of a man he is, long as his money's good? You'd like to see blood run again on the Truckee Strip, wouldn't you? No, no.
You can't forget your brother was killed fighting over it.
He was killed fighting for you, Mr.
Bishop.
I haven't forgotten that.
Well, I hope you never do.
(door closing) Amy.
AMY: Yes, Pa? It's past midnight.
You ought to be asleep.
I couldn't sleep, Pa.
A new one? Came all the way from New York.
Amy, isn't there anything you like to do? Uh, besides reading, I mean.
There isn't much else to do around here, Pa.
You're beautiful, Amy, like your ma was.
You came to us late in life.
Your ma didn't have a chance to enjoy you or the Concho.
And she knew I was building it for her.
Now that she's gone it's for you, Amy.
Is the Truckee Strip really our land? Why do you ask that? I was just wondering.
Yes, it's our land.
Just because a tired Judge awarded it to the Ponderosa doesn't change it.
Why has there been so much fighting over one little piece of land? Well, maybe it's the timber.
More likely, it's the it's the principle.
But I'll keep on fighting Ben Cartwright for it until the day I die.
Uh Jessup tells me that he saw you coming back from the creek today.
I don't like him much, Pa.
The way he keeps following me all over.
He's a good foreman.
I told him to keep an eye on you.
Don't worry so much about me, Pa.
Well I'm going to Virginia City in the morning.
Anything special I can get for you? I don't think so, Pa.
Sleep well, child.
Good night.
Good night.
(door closing) (sighs) Folsom, get over to the bank.
Tell them I don't want Luther Bishop borrowing any more money.
And hurry it up! (horse whinnying) You didn't see a little white-faced bull calf come running through here, did you? Oh.
Maybe he got hungry and went on home to save me all that trouble.
So again, maybe he didn't.
I-I better go up a little further and make sure.
Do you have to go? No, least not for a while.
He's a pretty horse.
Well, he doesn't take to just anybody.
Neither do I.
Why did you come here? Pa wouldn't like my seeing you.
Oh, we don't have to inherit the hates of our families.
We can't escape it.
Sure we can if we try hard enough.
I don't know.
There's been so much hate for so many years.
Hey, Amy, last night for the first time, I I questioned my pa about all this fighting over a piece of land.
I did it because I met a little girl with with bare feet and the biggest eyes I ever saw.
I thought about yesterday, too.
About me? I'm glad.
I'd hate to think I was the only one that felt that way.
(knocking) Come in.
Well, Luther, come in.
Sit down, sit down.
I haven't got much time, Carter.
That's all right.
Would you, uh, care to have some brandy with me? No, thank you.
What did you want to see me about, Carter? Have you considered my offer? Yes, I considered it.
The answer's still the same.
No.
I take it you don't need the money.
You know very well I need the money.
That's why you told the bank to refuse my loan.
Oh, Luther, how could you think such a thing? Just by taking one good long look at you.
You're a fool, Luther Bishop.
I've offered to make you a rich man, all I get for it is insults.
If you strip the land of trees, of beauty, of valuable watershed, all you got left is barren ground.
Now, I'm interested in timber, and not philosophy, Bishop.
I'll keep the offer open.
Don't bother.
I won't be taking you up on it.
Sometimes a need for money can make a man change his mind.
I thought that little tree-cutting stunt of yours was supposed to win Luther Bishop over to our side.
Well, I thought it would.
Now, I'm tired of playing games, Jessup.
I need six million board feet of lumber, and I need it right now.
(sighs) Maybe I just didn't make my play strong enough.
You get me a couple of boys that can keep their mouths shut, I'll get that timber for you if I know Luther Bishop.
Hired guns are a dime a dozen in this town.
You get your own.
You don't seem to want to help very much for a man that needs timber as bad as you.
I don't want to be any part of your schemes, Jessup.
All I'm interested in is getting that timber, and I'm willing to pay you a good bonus for doing it.
Hmm.
How you go about it doesn't interest me in the least.
I just don't want to get involved.
(laughs) You already are involved, Mr.
Carter.
Grab any three of 'em.
Be quiet! Cartwrights hear us, they'll be on us like a pack of hounds.
Little Joe, you keep on missing supper like that, and you're gonna get plum puny.
You mean like you? Oh.
Man, I'm getting kind of skinny.
(sighs) Hoss, you got something you want to say? Oh, yeah, Little Joe.
I've been thinking.
Something's been bothering you the last couple of days.
Can I help? No, thanks, Hoss.
I don't think so.
It's been worrying Pa, too.
Oh, has it? Sometimes it it helps to talk things out, Little Joe.
Sometimes.
Well, I always found Pa downright helpful when I went to him with something.
Oh, you never went to him with anything like this.
Well, you think it over real careful.
Sometimes when everything's said and done, it hurts a whole lot worse to keep it all pent up inside.
Hoss? Everything'll be all right.
(neighing) Well, come on, let's go! Come on, get ready.
What'd you kill him for? We ain't got no money.
We ain't after no money.
We're just out joyriding.
Your friend got a little nervous.
Made a play for his gun.
Why you (groans) That's just so you don't get no ideas of your own when we ride out of here.
Did you recognize any of the men? No, sir.
They wore handkerchiefs over their faces.
But I did recognize a brand on a horse one of them was riding.
It's no mistaking the Ponderosa brand, sir.
Ponderosa.
Are you sure you were on Concho land when it happened? Oh, yes, sir.
By a long ways, Mr.
Bishop.
I just heard what happened.
We get some of the boys together? I'm afraid it's too late for that.
They'll be up in the hills by now.
Go get yourself fixed up.
Are you just gonna sit still and let the Cartwrights get away with this? No, Pete.
Ben Cartwright's gone too far this time.
I want you to ride to Virginia City.
Tell Jason Carter I've changed my mind.
I'll accept his offer.
Get his men out here the first thing in the morning.
We'll cut down those trees, all right.
I just hope Ben Cartwright tries to stop me.
(laughs) (neighing) (horse whuffles) Hyah! HOSS: Pa? Pa! Three horses got out of the corral last night, and they're running loose out there in the pasture.
Well, what'd you leave the gate open for? Well, I didn't.
That's the funny part about it.
That gate's shut tight, and it's been shut tight.
(hoofbeats approaching) BEN: What is it, Trump? They've set up a lumber camp down on the strip.
They're sawing timber like mad.
I warned them about that.
Warned 'em? The only warning Bishop knows is killing.
We better get over there.
Where's Little Joe? I don't know, Pa.
He said something about going out after strays.
Seems to me there are more strays than usual running off.
Be right with you, Trump.
"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, "and often is his gold complexion dimmed.
"And every fair from fair sometimes declines.
"By chance of nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not" Little Joe, you didn't hear a word I read.
Oh, yes, I did.
All right, what was the sonnet about? Well now I can't speak real fancy like Shakespeare.
And I don't agree with him.
Why not? Well, first of all, I can't compare you to a summer's day.
'Cause you're more like a day in spring.
Oh, I could talk real fancy, and I could say that your eyes are like stars.
And I could say that your mouth is like a rose.
When I look at you, I just can't think of anything to say.
You're gonna have to tell him.
It could never be.
A Cartwright and a Bishop.
Oh, yes, it can.
Now, look, if our folks if our folks don't let us get together, will you run away and marry me? Do you really want to marry me, Little Joe? I want you for the rest of my life.
(horses neighing) Hyah! Giddyap.
Where's Luther Bishop? I don't know, Mr.
Cartwright.
I-I ain't seen him this morning.
I said, where is Luther Bishop?! Honest, Mr.
Cartwright, he ain't come up yet today.
He's probably still down at the house.
All right, come on.
We'll settle this thing right now.
(man screaming) (choking) Trump?! What? Get out! The boy's The boy's dead.
Trump is He's like an animal.
Trump, I can't forgive you for what you've done here.
Now get on your horse.
(grunts) (grunts) (grunting and gasping) Go! (grunting) * * (grunts) (groans) (cocking gun) (both grunting) (grunts) Trump killed him before we could stop him.
Nobody wanted this to happen.
I don't reckon that's gonna bring the little boy's life back though.
No, I don't guess it will.
The boy's father does the laundry and cooking on the Concho.
I thought you didn't want any more killing.
Now this wasn't Pa's fault.
LITTLE JOE: Wasn't it? Trump worked for us.
He was all sick inside over fighting over that piece of land.
All right, Pa, you go on.
You start killing all over again! Don't talk like that, Little Joe.
I'm not good at guessing anymore.
What's tearing at you? I don't think you'd even understand.
You gonna do anything about this? I'll take Trump back to Virginia City, turn him over to the sheriff.
You don't even understand what I mean, do you? None of you.
All you care about is there's been a killing, and somebody has to pay for that killing.
Taking him back to his pa.
I can't let you, Little Joe.
Won't let you do it.
I'm taking this boy back home.
You mind what I say, Joe.
I'm going, Pa.
I just can't let ya.
(cocking gun) Well, now, you just try and stop me.
Put your gun down, Joe.
Pa, I'm sorry, but I gotta take this boy back.
You just tell me why.
That's all I ask.
I guess this killing rubs off on all of us.
Here I am holding a gun on my own father.
It's all right, Joe.
I just can't tell you, Pa.
Not now.
All right.
You go ahead do-- do what you think you have to.
But, Pa Let him go.
They'll shoot him before he can explain I said, let him go! Something's troubling him.
We just don't interfere, he'll never forgive us if we do.
We could trail him.
No, no, that won't do any good.
Hoss, we gotta stop treating him like a boy.
He's asking for our trust.
Something's eating away at him deep down inside.
Something he'll have to figure out in his own good time.
* * (gunshot) (horse neighing) Hold it, Pete! It's Little Joe Cartwright! I know who it is! Just hold your fire! Coming on the Concho can get you killed, boy! I know that.
What happened to him? I'm not gonna lie to you, Mr.
Bishop.
It was one of our men.
But it wasn't Pa's doing.
The man that did it's been taken to Virginia City and turned over to the sheriff.
Your father send you here to tell me that? Pa's sorry about the boy.
So Ben Cartwright thinks that squares things, huh? The boy's killed and your Pa says he's sorry.
Well, you tell him something for me, boy.
It don't square things! Not with me it don't! The man that killed him was Willard Trump.
I think you remember Trump, Mr.
Bishop.
You should remember him.
You shot him in the face.
He hasn't been the same since then.
Go get Lo-Chow.
Tell him come get his son.
I've still got a score to settle with Ben Cartwright.
Red Holt, one of my fence riders, was shot down in cold-blood on Concho land.
It wasn't anybody from the Ponderosa.
You're lying! No, I'm not, Mr.
Bishop.
If Pa had anything to do with that, he'd own up to it.
Not try to hide it.
You know that.
They were riding horses with the Ponderosa brand! Why was he killed? I don't know.
He was a good boy.
My only son.
I'll help you bury him.
No.
A man buries his son by himself.
Next time I won't miss, Cartwright.
You can have that next time right now.
You set foot on this land again and you're as good as dead.
Who are you to tell me that? My brother was killed on that strip by Ponderosa men.
You remember.
Yeah, I remember your brother.
He was killed in a fair fight.
And Red and China boy? I'm gonna get all you Cartwrights if I have to get you one at a time! And you, sonny, you stay away from Amy! Or I'll kill you right in front of her eyes! You go near Amy and you're gonna have that chance to kill me.
You talk like a man.
Let's see if you can shoot like Little Joe! LUTHER: Jessup, haven't you got work to do? You two seem to know each other.
We do, Pa.
Get on inside.
Pa, please? Get in the house, Amy! I ought to kill you, boy, right here and now.
But I'm not going to for one reason.
You had the grit to bring Soon's body back home.
I'm gonna give you a chance to ride out of here.
But if I ever see you on Concho land again, you're gonna be cut down quick! Now, ride! It's gonna be a lot more difficult to break up Amy and I than that, Mr.
Bishop.
(clock chiming) * * Should've been back by now.
He'll be back soon, Pa.
Little Joe can take care of himself, Pa.
Something's happened to him.
Don't talk like that, Pa.
(hoofbeats approaching) I-I, uh, think I'd like to talk to him alone.
I understand, Pa.
Come on, Hoss.
Pa, you know-- you know he don't mean half what he says.
Come on, Hoss.
I'm glad to see you're all right, boy.
I'm all right, Pa.
Look, Pa, I, uh Would it help to talk? We never seemed to have any trouble talking before.
No.
No, never had.
It's funny, you know.
It seems to get harder to talk when you're-- when you're not a kid anymore.
It means a lot to you, doesn't it, Pa? All that land out there.
Yes, it means a lot to me.
But it's not my whole life.
Are you sure? What was it that you couldn't tell me? That day when we ran those men off the strip, I went down by the creek bed by myself to look around.
And I met a girl.
Uh-huh.
Her name is Amy.
Amy Bishop.
I know, it's funny.
Well, she's been around all this time.
All she ever meant to me was a name.
Part of the family we were supposed to stay away from.
Now, I love her, Pa.
That's why you couldn't tell me.
I want to marry her.
I know what you're thinking and I I'm sorry, I should've told you before.
But I know how you feel about Lu Oh, son.
Are we so far apart, boy? I've never held my land above my sons.
Before that'd happen, I'd destroy the Ponderosa.
I guess we won't have any trouble talking anymore, Pa.
(sniffling) Well, what does, uh What does Luther Bishop think about all this? I wish he felt about it like you do.
One of his fence riders was killed.
He says that the men that did it were riding horses with the Ponderosa brand.
I told him it wasn't any of our men.
Well, I guess we, uh, I guess we have quite a bit to talk over with Luther Bishop.
I was wondering how long it'd take you to finally get up here, Ben.
Luther, there's something I wanted to say to you.
I thought you'd send a boy to do your talking for you.
Now, Bishop, those men that killed your fence rider, they were riding my horses all right, but those horses were stolen from the Ponderosa.
You're lying, Ben Cartwright.
Now, what reason would I have to lie to you? Haven't I always fought you out in the open? Yes, you always have in the past.
This time I think there's some other reason behind it.
What other reason might you be referring to? Your boy and my Amy.
I got nothing against your boy, Ben.
But Amy's young and I don't believe she's, uh Luther, now, I let my boy make up his own mind.
Why don't you do the same with your Amy? All right.
You'll see Amy don't want to leave me.
Well, shouldn't we ask her? All right.
Little Joe, suppose you go fetch her? She at the house? Yes.
What do you want? I just got back from the lumber camp.
Looks like the feud's started all over again.
Like your Pa says, looks like blood's gonna be running the strip all over again.
Why are you telling me this? Just thought you'd like to know.
Your Pa ain't never going to let you and that Cartwright boy get together.
He will.
When he gets to know Little Joe.
Looks like he ain't never going to have that chance.
What do you mean? Oh, Amy, I've waited a long time for you to grow up.
I ain't going to let some Cartwright boy come in here and take you away from me.
Don't touch me! Ain't I good enough for you, Amy? Get away from me! Oh, don't be afraid, honey.
I don't wanna hurt you.
You ever been kissed by a man? (Amy shrieking) (Amy screaming) No! Help! Amy? Amy? (Amy screaming) (shrieking): Let me go! (screaming continues) Let me go! No! Let me go! (screaming) Jessup! Let me go! You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man now, would you, sonny? Little Joe (grunting) (panting) (grunting) (gunshots) (groaning) Amy! I did everything I could for her.
She wants to see you, Little Joe.
Hello, Amy.
I'm going to be all right, Little Joe.
The doctor said I was.
When you're all right, we're going to have our chance.
'Cause the fighting's all over.
I'm glad, Little Joe.
And, uh Pa said he'd, uh, Pa said he'd give us that little piece of land down by the creek.
You can stick your feet in that old water any time you want to.
It's so beautiful down there, Little Joe.
We can have a house back by the trees and Amy? (whispering): Amy? (weeping) She said it could never be.
A Cartwright and a Bishop.
* *
If I know Luther Bishop and Ben Cartwright, by sundown, there will be more thunder on this mountain than you've ever seen.
We better go.
(horses neighing) Hold up.
Somebody's cutting timber up on the strip.
Hyah! (theme song playing) * * (neighing) All right, come on out of there.
Now, look, I'm going to count to three.
You don't come out, I'm going to start shooting.
One, two Don't shoot.
Please.
I didn't do anything wrong.
You were trespassing.
Trespassing? You must be a Cartwright.
Yes, ma'am.
I thought so.
One of those high and mighty Cartwrights who thinks he owns all the land in Nevada.
Oh, we don't own all the land, ma'am.
Just a good piece of it.
Including that piece you're standing on right now.
This land belongs to my pa.
You mean Luther Bishop? That's right.
Hey, you must be Amy.
Yeah, you've grown up some.
Now, if you don't mind getting on out of here, I'd like to put my dress on.
If that's worrying you, ma'am, I won't look.
(croaks) (screaming) It was just a little old frog.
You better put your dress on.
All right.
You can turn around.
Here, let me help you.
I'm sorry if I scared you before.
I really didn't mean to.
There you are.
I guess I'd better be going.
Yeah, me, too, I I have a lot of calves I'm supposed to bring in before dark.
Pa's going to wonder what happened to me.
Uh, you come here very often? Most every day.
About this time? I'll see you, then.
Are you the one they call Little Joe? Yeah, I'm the one.
What kept you? We was worried you followed that fella on to the Concho.
I lost him down at the creek.
Who do you think they were, Pa? Oh, I don't know.
Bishop's men, probably.
Now, you know what would've happened if Luther Bishop found a Cartwright riding around in the Concho.
Yeah, Pa, I know.
Well, bear it in mind, boy.
Adam, catch up with Trump.
Tell him I want to see him at the house.
All right, let's go.
BEN: From now on, I want men posted 24 hours a day.
Trump I want to know the moment any man sets foot on that Truckee Strip, I want to know.
I get you, Mr.
Cartwright.
I just don't understand.
I (sighs) Well if Luther Bishop wants to start fighting for that stupid piece of land all over again (sighs) I used to think I was a pretty good judge of character.
That court order ruled it was our land.
Now, I'd I'd have staked my life that Luther Bishop would at least respect the law.
For one tree.
You're going to start fighting all over again for one tree.
This has nothing to do with a tree.
If you stand by and you watch a man take something that isn't his-- now, whether it belongs to you or anybody-- and you do nothing to stop him, why, pretty soon that man will be taking something else and something else and something else.
Trump you get those men together and keep an eye open.
I won't let you down, Mr.
Cartwright.
I know you won't.
(sighs) Oh, I I just don't understand.
Pa, is it worth it? Is the land really worth all this fighting? You think it's worth it to Trump to carry that scar for the rest of his life? A man works for wages on a place, he's obliged to defend it.
It's part of his job.
That's right.
He took his chances just like the rest of us.
Only thing is he got a bullet.
Could have been any one of us.
That's not what I mean.
Just what do you mean, Little Joe? I guess I don't even know myself, Pa.
Supper will be ready pretty soon, boy.
Oh, I'm not hungry, Pa.
It was just one tree, Mr.
Bishop.
Starting a fight over one miserable tree? It's my land, court order or not, and I'll never give it up.
You got just as much right to that timber as the Cartwrights have.
And you sure could use the money.
Winter coming on, feed to buy.
What you got in mind, Jessup? Well, if I was you, Luther, I'd take Jason Carter up on that offer of his to buy that timber.
There are other ways to get money without dealing with a man like Jason Carter.
Who cares what kind of a man he is, long as his money's good? You'd like to see blood run again on the Truckee Strip, wouldn't you? No, no.
You can't forget your brother was killed fighting over it.
He was killed fighting for you, Mr.
Bishop.
I haven't forgotten that.
Well, I hope you never do.
(door closing) Amy.
AMY: Yes, Pa? It's past midnight.
You ought to be asleep.
I couldn't sleep, Pa.
A new one? Came all the way from New York.
Amy, isn't there anything you like to do? Uh, besides reading, I mean.
There isn't much else to do around here, Pa.
You're beautiful, Amy, like your ma was.
You came to us late in life.
Your ma didn't have a chance to enjoy you or the Concho.
And she knew I was building it for her.
Now that she's gone it's for you, Amy.
Is the Truckee Strip really our land? Why do you ask that? I was just wondering.
Yes, it's our land.
Just because a tired Judge awarded it to the Ponderosa doesn't change it.
Why has there been so much fighting over one little piece of land? Well, maybe it's the timber.
More likely, it's the it's the principle.
But I'll keep on fighting Ben Cartwright for it until the day I die.
Uh Jessup tells me that he saw you coming back from the creek today.
I don't like him much, Pa.
The way he keeps following me all over.
He's a good foreman.
I told him to keep an eye on you.
Don't worry so much about me, Pa.
Well I'm going to Virginia City in the morning.
Anything special I can get for you? I don't think so, Pa.
Sleep well, child.
Good night.
Good night.
(door closing) (sighs) Folsom, get over to the bank.
Tell them I don't want Luther Bishop borrowing any more money.
And hurry it up! (horse whinnying) You didn't see a little white-faced bull calf come running through here, did you? Oh.
Maybe he got hungry and went on home to save me all that trouble.
So again, maybe he didn't.
I-I better go up a little further and make sure.
Do you have to go? No, least not for a while.
He's a pretty horse.
Well, he doesn't take to just anybody.
Neither do I.
Why did you come here? Pa wouldn't like my seeing you.
Oh, we don't have to inherit the hates of our families.
We can't escape it.
Sure we can if we try hard enough.
I don't know.
There's been so much hate for so many years.
Hey, Amy, last night for the first time, I I questioned my pa about all this fighting over a piece of land.
I did it because I met a little girl with with bare feet and the biggest eyes I ever saw.
I thought about yesterday, too.
About me? I'm glad.
I'd hate to think I was the only one that felt that way.
(knocking) Come in.
Well, Luther, come in.
Sit down, sit down.
I haven't got much time, Carter.
That's all right.
Would you, uh, care to have some brandy with me? No, thank you.
What did you want to see me about, Carter? Have you considered my offer? Yes, I considered it.
The answer's still the same.
No.
I take it you don't need the money.
You know very well I need the money.
That's why you told the bank to refuse my loan.
Oh, Luther, how could you think such a thing? Just by taking one good long look at you.
You're a fool, Luther Bishop.
I've offered to make you a rich man, all I get for it is insults.
If you strip the land of trees, of beauty, of valuable watershed, all you got left is barren ground.
Now, I'm interested in timber, and not philosophy, Bishop.
I'll keep the offer open.
Don't bother.
I won't be taking you up on it.
Sometimes a need for money can make a man change his mind.
I thought that little tree-cutting stunt of yours was supposed to win Luther Bishop over to our side.
Well, I thought it would.
Now, I'm tired of playing games, Jessup.
I need six million board feet of lumber, and I need it right now.
(sighs) Maybe I just didn't make my play strong enough.
You get me a couple of boys that can keep their mouths shut, I'll get that timber for you if I know Luther Bishop.
Hired guns are a dime a dozen in this town.
You get your own.
You don't seem to want to help very much for a man that needs timber as bad as you.
I don't want to be any part of your schemes, Jessup.
All I'm interested in is getting that timber, and I'm willing to pay you a good bonus for doing it.
Hmm.
How you go about it doesn't interest me in the least.
I just don't want to get involved.
(laughs) You already are involved, Mr.
Carter.
Grab any three of 'em.
Be quiet! Cartwrights hear us, they'll be on us like a pack of hounds.
Little Joe, you keep on missing supper like that, and you're gonna get plum puny.
You mean like you? Oh.
Man, I'm getting kind of skinny.
(sighs) Hoss, you got something you want to say? Oh, yeah, Little Joe.
I've been thinking.
Something's been bothering you the last couple of days.
Can I help? No, thanks, Hoss.
I don't think so.
It's been worrying Pa, too.
Oh, has it? Sometimes it it helps to talk things out, Little Joe.
Sometimes.
Well, I always found Pa downright helpful when I went to him with something.
Oh, you never went to him with anything like this.
Well, you think it over real careful.
Sometimes when everything's said and done, it hurts a whole lot worse to keep it all pent up inside.
Hoss? Everything'll be all right.
(neighing) Well, come on, let's go! Come on, get ready.
What'd you kill him for? We ain't got no money.
We ain't after no money.
We're just out joyriding.
Your friend got a little nervous.
Made a play for his gun.
Why you (groans) That's just so you don't get no ideas of your own when we ride out of here.
Did you recognize any of the men? No, sir.
They wore handkerchiefs over their faces.
But I did recognize a brand on a horse one of them was riding.
It's no mistaking the Ponderosa brand, sir.
Ponderosa.
Are you sure you were on Concho land when it happened? Oh, yes, sir.
By a long ways, Mr.
Bishop.
I just heard what happened.
We get some of the boys together? I'm afraid it's too late for that.
They'll be up in the hills by now.
Go get yourself fixed up.
Are you just gonna sit still and let the Cartwrights get away with this? No, Pete.
Ben Cartwright's gone too far this time.
I want you to ride to Virginia City.
Tell Jason Carter I've changed my mind.
I'll accept his offer.
Get his men out here the first thing in the morning.
We'll cut down those trees, all right.
I just hope Ben Cartwright tries to stop me.
(laughs) (neighing) (horse whuffles) Hyah! HOSS: Pa? Pa! Three horses got out of the corral last night, and they're running loose out there in the pasture.
Well, what'd you leave the gate open for? Well, I didn't.
That's the funny part about it.
That gate's shut tight, and it's been shut tight.
(hoofbeats approaching) BEN: What is it, Trump? They've set up a lumber camp down on the strip.
They're sawing timber like mad.
I warned them about that.
Warned 'em? The only warning Bishop knows is killing.
We better get over there.
Where's Little Joe? I don't know, Pa.
He said something about going out after strays.
Seems to me there are more strays than usual running off.
Be right with you, Trump.
"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, "and often is his gold complexion dimmed.
"And every fair from fair sometimes declines.
"By chance of nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not" Little Joe, you didn't hear a word I read.
Oh, yes, I did.
All right, what was the sonnet about? Well now I can't speak real fancy like Shakespeare.
And I don't agree with him.
Why not? Well, first of all, I can't compare you to a summer's day.
'Cause you're more like a day in spring.
Oh, I could talk real fancy, and I could say that your eyes are like stars.
And I could say that your mouth is like a rose.
When I look at you, I just can't think of anything to say.
You're gonna have to tell him.
It could never be.
A Cartwright and a Bishop.
Oh, yes, it can.
Now, look, if our folks if our folks don't let us get together, will you run away and marry me? Do you really want to marry me, Little Joe? I want you for the rest of my life.
(horses neighing) Hyah! Giddyap.
Where's Luther Bishop? I don't know, Mr.
Cartwright.
I-I ain't seen him this morning.
I said, where is Luther Bishop?! Honest, Mr.
Cartwright, he ain't come up yet today.
He's probably still down at the house.
All right, come on.
We'll settle this thing right now.
(man screaming) (choking) Trump?! What? Get out! The boy's The boy's dead.
Trump is He's like an animal.
Trump, I can't forgive you for what you've done here.
Now get on your horse.
(grunts) (grunts) (grunting and gasping) Go! (grunting) * * (grunts) (groans) (cocking gun) (both grunting) (grunts) Trump killed him before we could stop him.
Nobody wanted this to happen.
I don't reckon that's gonna bring the little boy's life back though.
No, I don't guess it will.
The boy's father does the laundry and cooking on the Concho.
I thought you didn't want any more killing.
Now this wasn't Pa's fault.
LITTLE JOE: Wasn't it? Trump worked for us.
He was all sick inside over fighting over that piece of land.
All right, Pa, you go on.
You start killing all over again! Don't talk like that, Little Joe.
I'm not good at guessing anymore.
What's tearing at you? I don't think you'd even understand.
You gonna do anything about this? I'll take Trump back to Virginia City, turn him over to the sheriff.
You don't even understand what I mean, do you? None of you.
All you care about is there's been a killing, and somebody has to pay for that killing.
Taking him back to his pa.
I can't let you, Little Joe.
Won't let you do it.
I'm taking this boy back home.
You mind what I say, Joe.
I'm going, Pa.
I just can't let ya.
(cocking gun) Well, now, you just try and stop me.
Put your gun down, Joe.
Pa, I'm sorry, but I gotta take this boy back.
You just tell me why.
That's all I ask.
I guess this killing rubs off on all of us.
Here I am holding a gun on my own father.
It's all right, Joe.
I just can't tell you, Pa.
Not now.
All right.
You go ahead do-- do what you think you have to.
But, Pa Let him go.
They'll shoot him before he can explain I said, let him go! Something's troubling him.
We just don't interfere, he'll never forgive us if we do.
We could trail him.
No, no, that won't do any good.
Hoss, we gotta stop treating him like a boy.
He's asking for our trust.
Something's eating away at him deep down inside.
Something he'll have to figure out in his own good time.
* * (gunshot) (horse neighing) Hold it, Pete! It's Little Joe Cartwright! I know who it is! Just hold your fire! Coming on the Concho can get you killed, boy! I know that.
What happened to him? I'm not gonna lie to you, Mr.
Bishop.
It was one of our men.
But it wasn't Pa's doing.
The man that did it's been taken to Virginia City and turned over to the sheriff.
Your father send you here to tell me that? Pa's sorry about the boy.
So Ben Cartwright thinks that squares things, huh? The boy's killed and your Pa says he's sorry.
Well, you tell him something for me, boy.
It don't square things! Not with me it don't! The man that killed him was Willard Trump.
I think you remember Trump, Mr.
Bishop.
You should remember him.
You shot him in the face.
He hasn't been the same since then.
Go get Lo-Chow.
Tell him come get his son.
I've still got a score to settle with Ben Cartwright.
Red Holt, one of my fence riders, was shot down in cold-blood on Concho land.
It wasn't anybody from the Ponderosa.
You're lying! No, I'm not, Mr.
Bishop.
If Pa had anything to do with that, he'd own up to it.
Not try to hide it.
You know that.
They were riding horses with the Ponderosa brand! Why was he killed? I don't know.
He was a good boy.
My only son.
I'll help you bury him.
No.
A man buries his son by himself.
Next time I won't miss, Cartwright.
You can have that next time right now.
You set foot on this land again and you're as good as dead.
Who are you to tell me that? My brother was killed on that strip by Ponderosa men.
You remember.
Yeah, I remember your brother.
He was killed in a fair fight.
And Red and China boy? I'm gonna get all you Cartwrights if I have to get you one at a time! And you, sonny, you stay away from Amy! Or I'll kill you right in front of her eyes! You go near Amy and you're gonna have that chance to kill me.
You talk like a man.
Let's see if you can shoot like Little Joe! LUTHER: Jessup, haven't you got work to do? You two seem to know each other.
We do, Pa.
Get on inside.
Pa, please? Get in the house, Amy! I ought to kill you, boy, right here and now.
But I'm not going to for one reason.
You had the grit to bring Soon's body back home.
I'm gonna give you a chance to ride out of here.
But if I ever see you on Concho land again, you're gonna be cut down quick! Now, ride! It's gonna be a lot more difficult to break up Amy and I than that, Mr.
Bishop.
(clock chiming) * * Should've been back by now.
He'll be back soon, Pa.
Little Joe can take care of himself, Pa.
Something's happened to him.
Don't talk like that, Pa.
(hoofbeats approaching) I-I, uh, think I'd like to talk to him alone.
I understand, Pa.
Come on, Hoss.
Pa, you know-- you know he don't mean half what he says.
Come on, Hoss.
I'm glad to see you're all right, boy.
I'm all right, Pa.
Look, Pa, I, uh Would it help to talk? We never seemed to have any trouble talking before.
No.
No, never had.
It's funny, you know.
It seems to get harder to talk when you're-- when you're not a kid anymore.
It means a lot to you, doesn't it, Pa? All that land out there.
Yes, it means a lot to me.
But it's not my whole life.
Are you sure? What was it that you couldn't tell me? That day when we ran those men off the strip, I went down by the creek bed by myself to look around.
And I met a girl.
Uh-huh.
Her name is Amy.
Amy Bishop.
I know, it's funny.
Well, she's been around all this time.
All she ever meant to me was a name.
Part of the family we were supposed to stay away from.
Now, I love her, Pa.
That's why you couldn't tell me.
I want to marry her.
I know what you're thinking and I I'm sorry, I should've told you before.
But I know how you feel about Lu Oh, son.
Are we so far apart, boy? I've never held my land above my sons.
Before that'd happen, I'd destroy the Ponderosa.
I guess we won't have any trouble talking anymore, Pa.
(sniffling) Well, what does, uh What does Luther Bishop think about all this? I wish he felt about it like you do.
One of his fence riders was killed.
He says that the men that did it were riding horses with the Ponderosa brand.
I told him it wasn't any of our men.
Well, I guess we, uh, I guess we have quite a bit to talk over with Luther Bishop.
I was wondering how long it'd take you to finally get up here, Ben.
Luther, there's something I wanted to say to you.
I thought you'd send a boy to do your talking for you.
Now, Bishop, those men that killed your fence rider, they were riding my horses all right, but those horses were stolen from the Ponderosa.
You're lying, Ben Cartwright.
Now, what reason would I have to lie to you? Haven't I always fought you out in the open? Yes, you always have in the past.
This time I think there's some other reason behind it.
What other reason might you be referring to? Your boy and my Amy.
I got nothing against your boy, Ben.
But Amy's young and I don't believe she's, uh Luther, now, I let my boy make up his own mind.
Why don't you do the same with your Amy? All right.
You'll see Amy don't want to leave me.
Well, shouldn't we ask her? All right.
Little Joe, suppose you go fetch her? She at the house? Yes.
What do you want? I just got back from the lumber camp.
Looks like the feud's started all over again.
Like your Pa says, looks like blood's gonna be running the strip all over again.
Why are you telling me this? Just thought you'd like to know.
Your Pa ain't never going to let you and that Cartwright boy get together.
He will.
When he gets to know Little Joe.
Looks like he ain't never going to have that chance.
What do you mean? Oh, Amy, I've waited a long time for you to grow up.
I ain't going to let some Cartwright boy come in here and take you away from me.
Don't touch me! Ain't I good enough for you, Amy? Get away from me! Oh, don't be afraid, honey.
I don't wanna hurt you.
You ever been kissed by a man? (Amy shrieking) (Amy screaming) No! Help! Amy? Amy? (Amy screaming) (shrieking): Let me go! (screaming continues) Let me go! No! Let me go! (screaming) Jessup! Let me go! You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man now, would you, sonny? Little Joe (grunting) (panting) (grunting) (gunshots) (groaning) Amy! I did everything I could for her.
She wants to see you, Little Joe.
Hello, Amy.
I'm going to be all right, Little Joe.
The doctor said I was.
When you're all right, we're going to have our chance.
'Cause the fighting's all over.
I'm glad, Little Joe.
And, uh Pa said he'd, uh, Pa said he'd give us that little piece of land down by the creek.
You can stick your feet in that old water any time you want to.
It's so beautiful down there, Little Joe.
We can have a house back by the trees and Amy? (whispering): Amy? (weeping) She said it could never be.
A Cartwright and a Bishop.
* *