Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 1, Episode 11 - The Truckee Strip - full transcript

♪ ♪

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.

Hold up.



Somebody's cutting
timber up on the strip.

Hyah!

♪ ♪

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.

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.

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... Well...

if Luther Bishop
wants to start fighting

for that stupid piece
of land all over again...

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.

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.

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.

Folsom, get over to the bank.

Tell them I don't
want Luther Bishop

borrowing any more money.

And hurry it up!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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... 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.

Hyah!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Go!

♪ ♪

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.

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.

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.

♪ ♪

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!

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.

♪ ♪

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.

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.

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?

No! Help!

Amy?

Amy?

Let me go!

Let me go!

No! Let me go!

Jessup!

Let me go!

You wouldn't shoot an unarmed
man now, would you, sonny?

Little Joe...

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?

Amy?

She said it could never be.

A Cartwright and a Bishop.

♪ ♪