Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 1, Episode 15 - The Last Hunt - full transcript

I just don't understand
it, Little Joe.

Dang ole ram tracks
are everywhere.

Looks to me like he's
just walking around

and around in a circle.

Yeah, we just don't
have any luck, that's all.

Dang the wet boots.

This one's stuck worse
than the other one.

Doggone you!

Well now you're gonna get it.

What are you talking
about, Little Joe?

You know what I'm talking about.



Little Joe, what's
the matter with you?

You let me go so I
can bust you one.

Not till I find out
what's ailing ya.

You spoiled a perfect
shot I had at him.

At-at who?

That ole big horn
we've been tracking!

Little Joe, you sure

this high altitude
ain't got you a little...

Little light-headed.
I just saw him.

Where?

Up there... where
we just come from.

You laughing at me?

Not at you, Little Joe. At us.

We've been chasing that
ole big horn for two weeks



and this is the first time
we've laid eyes on him.

You know why?
Because all that time

he's been tracking us!

Come on. We gotta get
back and get out of here.

Can't we stay up
just one more day?

Well, you can if you
want to, Little Joe,

but I'll come up next spring,

and dig your froze
carcass out of that snow.

All right, we'll start
packing out tomorrow.

Yeah, boy.

You get real busy now
and round up some grub

for your big brother
'fore I faint plum away.

Okay, beans and bacon coming up.

Injun!

Hey!

You all right, Little Joe?

Will be as soon as
my ears stop popping.

Check that thievi"
Indian over there.

Well, there's the
last of our supplies

and a little
ammunition we had left.

Hey, Hoss, come here.

Look at this.

Shoshone, ain't she?

Yeah, that's...

that's a Shoshone
headband she's got on.

She's cold.

I'll make some coffee.

Didn't get hit by one of
them stray bullets, did she?

No, she-she ain't been hit.

Yeah, well, this
coffee will fix her up.

Never mind.

What do you mean, never
mind? What's wrong with her?

Little Joe, this squaw's
gonna have a baby.

And soon.

Did ya find 'em?

No, not a sign.

I went clear to the
top of that peak.

I could see for miles.
There's nothing.

I just don't understand
it, Little Joe.

Young girl in her condition

would try to stick
close to her tribe...

Unless of course they...

She gets lost and they just run
off and leave her or something.

No, she's not lost, Hoss.

How could you tell?

By the deer trail she took.

Every time they branched off,

she took the one
either south or east.

She knew where she was going.

Southeast...

that'd take her right into
Paiute country, wouldn't it?

Hey, maybe her tribe was
looking for a few scalps.

No. Wasn't no raiding party.

Shoshone's too smart for that.

They wouldn't want to get
caught this side of the mountains

with big snow just on its way.

Where was she heading, then?

What else is southeast of here?

Only thing I can
think of is Virginia City.

Virginia City.

Well, her fever's
down some, anyhow.

Hey, she looks better to me.

Yeah.

There's one thing
for certain, though...

The time's nearing, she's
gonna be needing a woman

to help with the birthing.

You sure you didn't see
nothi" of them, Little Joe?

No smoke? No tracks? No nothing?

No, nothing.

They're gonna be
able to find us, though,

if we're west of Kansas City.

All they gotta do is
follow their smellers.

I reckon you're
referri" to my cooking.

I'm referring to that
stink you're making.

What is it?

Them's wild roots
and mesquite beans.

Mesquite beans?

Yep.

That's cattle fodder!

Yep.

It's gonna be your
dinner, Little Joe.

And matter of fact, you're
liable to be living on this

till we get out of here. Oh, no!

Mm-mm.

I'm gonna go shoot me some game.

Oh, no, you ain't.

We gotta save what
ammunition we got left

for an emergency.

Oh, look, Hoss, we can't...

We can't eat cattle fodder!

You eat beefsteak, don't ya?

Yeah, well, sure, what's
that got to do with it?

Well, it'll just make
you appreciate

what an old steer
goes through for you.

Here, eat hearty,
little brother.

Do I have to?

No. No, you don't have to.

You could starve to death.

You know, it's kinda
sweet, you know?

Sure.

If a fellow could get
used to that smell.

Hey, she's coming
to. Get some water.

Quick! Huh?

You're spilling it!

All right, just
hold the cup still.

Here now. I want you
to drink some of this.

It'll be good for you.

Ma'am, ain't nobody
gonna hurt you.

Go on, now.

You drink some of this.

That's the way.

That's the way.

Her pulse is stronger.

You think she understood you?

Well, if she
didn't, little brother,

we're in a peck of trouble.

My name's Joe Cartwright.

This is my brother, Hoss.

Pleased to meet you, ma'am.

We're from Virginia City.

That's where you
were heading, wasn't it?

Where's your tribe?

Ma'am, you-you better tell us.

You're gonna be needing
some help... and-and quick.

Ain't no use.

She don't understand nothing.

Yeah, or won't.

Here.

Help me get her straightened
up here so she can eat.

Yeah.

Come on now.

Put that under here. Yeah.

Now, then.

Here.

This is good Indian food.

Good. Eat.

I can't say's I blame her.

You keep your smart talk
to yourself, little brother.

Case you know it or not, we...

We got a peck of
grief on our hands here.

This is good food.
It's... Indian food.

It'll make you strong again.

Now I ain't gonna
take no nonsense.

You come on here
and-and eat for your baby.

That's the way.

Take it sorta easy at first.

Kinda let your insides
get used to the idea.

That's the way.

See the way her eyes lit up

when you mentioned her baby?

She understood every
word you were saying.

I don't know.

Any female carryin' a young

just naturally knows
what's expected.

Yeah, well, she must
know her time is near.

She knows.

Well, then what
are we waiting for?

Let's get her to a
doctor or a midwife

or somebody
before it's too late!

It's already too
late, Little Joe.

That girl will die if we try to
move her down this mountain.

Now, that's what's been
spooking me all along.

How do you know she'll
die? You ain't no doctor.

You said so yourself.

Yeah, well, I know that
much about females.

Yeah, horses or cows, maybe.

You don't know nothi"
about women females.

I know less than nothing,

but we're gonna have
to learn, little brother.

There must be some other way.

Yeah.

Yeah, we... we could
just leave her up here.

May-Maybe her
people will find her.

Maybe.

Well, anyway, it's
not our responsibility.

We didn't ask her to
get landed up with us.

No, we sure didn't.

Well, we'd bungle
the job anyway.

Yeah.

Hoss? Huh?

You ever seen a baby birthed?

You know I ain't.

How soon do you think it'll be?

I don't know.

Maybe today or tomorrow.

Maybe next week.

I don't know.

We just better pray
the snow holds off.

Yeah.

Doggone.

Dog-doggone.

Oh, no, you ain't.

We gotta save what ammunition
we got left for an emergency.

I ain't gonna save nothing.

Little Joe!

Oh, doggone!

Thought I told you to
save that ammunition.

Well, you tell that
stupid nanny-goat

to quit grinnin' at me!

Little brother,

you sure you ain't just
a little bit sun-touched?

You ought not to... you
ought not to come out of camp

without your hat on, Little Joe.

I ain't sun-touched! I'm hungry!

I spent a whole day pickin'
these stinking mesquite beans...

Look what I got to show for it!

Well, you ought to picked
a bushel basket by now.

Dadgum it, have I
got to do everything?

Forget it.

These bushes have
been stripped clean.

There was a whole
herd of mule deer

come through here last night.

Tracks everywhere.

Blast it!

As if we ain't got enough grief!

Well, come on back into camp.

I need you to help
me with that gal.

She-she ain't... No.

No, it ain't what you think.

No such luck. Come on.

Eh, doggone you.

Hey! Yeah, it looks pretty nice.

Why don't you ever
make one of those for me?

Well, the next time
you're expecting,

you just let me know.

Get some of them
sticks over there.

Oh, these? Yeah.

Eh, what are the stakes for?

These are for her to tug on
as soon as her labor starts.

Here, drive one in over there

at arm's length.

Ma'am, I sure hope you
know you got yourself...

mixed up with a
couple of prune pickers.

What we don't know
about delivering babies

would scare you to death.

Fetch that shovel over there.

Yeah, now, dig a pit right there

deep enough to hold
a batch of hot coals.

Can't we heat the water outside?

Well, we're going to.

But this is to steam
some sage leaves.

Sage leaves?

What good's that gonna do her?

Well, how should I know?

What do you mean
how should you know?

What are we
gonna do it for then?

Well, I heard an Indian
agent telling Pa one time

this is what all Shoshone
women always did.

Yeah, what else
did they tell you?

Well, then we gotta
get some rabbit pelts

to swaddle the baby
in soon as he gets here.

Mm-hmm.

And what then?

Then we gotta find a...

Find an old cottonwood
tree someplace.

Oh, we gotta find an
old cottonwood tree?

Yeah, one with
a... With a dry rot.

Gotta find an old cottonwood
tree that's got the dry rot.

Yeah. So's we can
scoop out that dry rot

and pulverize it
up real fine like.

And we scoop out
some of that dry rot

and pulverize it up real fine.

We don't know why we're
doing that either, do we?

Yeah. For baby powder!

Youngun's gotta have
baby powder, ain't he?

No, no, no.

You can't even have a
baby without baby powder.

Where you going?

I know where there's
an old cottonwood tree

down by the lake.

I'm gonna get us some
baby powder makings.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Oh, I'm gonna get
me one of them.

Save your ammunition.

You willing to get
wet for your supper?

I'll just as soon die of
pneumonia as starvation.

All right. You go rustle
us up some branches.

Make it snappy,
be quiet about it.

There ain't nothi" as
skittery as a wild duck.

Okay.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Well, she sure
didn't get much down.

I told you not to put those
pine nuts in her soup.

Pine nuts are nourishing.

Well, so is duck.

She ain't hardly got enough
strength to swallow soup.

I don't know what she'd
do with that roast duck.

Well, I'm gonna give
her lessons right now.

Oh.

Hey, Hoss? Yeah?

How far you think she
come before she ran into us?

Shoshone nation's
200 miles north of here.

Maybe she was
traveling with her husband.

He had an accident or something.

It ain't that simple.

For some reason or other

that girl had to get
into Virginia City.

I don't think we're
gonna find out

till she gets good
and ready to tell us.

Here.

Some duck.

Tomorrow we'll fetch
some rabbit snares.

♪ ♪

Hey, Hoss? Yep?

That lake was frozen
over this morning.

Saw a herd of deer going
down through the pass.

It's kinda surprising that
she don't take the hint, ain't it?

Eh, why should she?

She's got it made.

Got a nice room, plenty of food.

Two dumb clucks to
wait on her hand and foot.

Oh, she's in no hurry.

Injuns!

Little Joe, you could've
dang near killed me

with that stinki" thing.

You should've seen
the look on your face!

You looked like a...
You looked like a hog

that's stuck with
a porcupine quill.

Hey.

Hey, this Sphinx
has a sense of humor.

Little Joe, don't just
stand there gawking!

Get that sage! Get the sage!

Where's the sage? What sage?

The sage I told ya to
get for the steaming!

You told me you were
gonna get the sage.

Me? Have I gotta get everything?

Well, I'm tired of
you yelling at me.

You want sage, just tell me...

I'll get it! Oh, no you don't.

You-you get that boiling water
and follow me in there with it,

you hear? Get it! Oh, I
wish you'd make your...

Wish you'd make up your mind!

Sage and then boiling water.

I don't know nothin'
about having babies.

Here's the water, Hoss.

Put it right there.

You scared?

Yeah.

But I don't reckon...

Reckon half as much as she is.

Put down those windbreakers.

Ain't you never
seen a baby before?

Here.

Here, take-take him
over there by the fire.

Now, hold him easy

and keep your hand on his back

so his little head
don't fall down.

Yeah.

There.

Be careful.

Don't stumble over
them big feet of yours.

My-my-my baby girl?

Is she all right?

You speak English better'n I do!

Please, tell me.

How come you held out on us?

Is she-she perfect?

Your baby's perfect.

It is pretty as a
brand-new penny.

Only she ain't a she.

He's a he.

What's the matter?

I thought, I thought
all Shoshone women

made big medicine to their God

so they'd have
nothing but boy babies.

All right.

You get some rest.

You're gonna have a
lot of explaining to do.

Hey, Hoss?

Yeah?

You take a good
look at this baby?

What'd you do to him?

He was all right when
I gave him to you.

I didn't do nothing to him.

Look at him, he's got blue eyes.

Ain't no Indian baby
ever had blue eyes.

This boy's father's a white man.

Well, it looks like we
eat fish again tonight.

Rabbit snares are all empty.

Well, the fish
trap's empty, too.

What are we gonna do now?

I don't know.

Did you notice the sky today?

As clear as a crystal glass.

Complaining?

I could smell the snow piling
up there for almost a week.

We got a reprieve.

Listen.

I don't hear anything.

No birds, no wind, no nothing.

Hey, come to think of it,

I haven't heard
anything all day.

Didn't see that
old big horn, either.

Not a living thing.

Pa says that wild animals

always know when
a big storm's due.

Look, we gotta get
down off this mountain.

And quick.

Yeah, maybe tomorrow.

Have to see
about the girl first.

Well, by all means,

let's give the lady
every consideration!

Doesn't make any difference
she won't tell us her name.

Now, let's be gentlemen and
Cartwrights to the bitter end.

Oh, Little Joe, this
has been worrying you

like a hound dog
with a burr in his rump.

Forget it!

I reckon she's got her
reasons for keeping quiet.

Yeah, well, I'm gonna
find out her reasons,

and everything else about her

before she gets
us in any deeper.

Well, how you
figuring on doing that?

Well, you just watch me.

Oh, don't stop on account of us.

Personally, I'd like
to hear something

besides my brother's yacking.

Leave her alone, Little Joe.

You know, Hoss says you
talk better than he does.

That ain't much to crow about,

but I... I'd certainly
like to hear a sample.

Your name maybe?

You know, we've been
pretty decent to you.

I think we're entitled to know
a little bit more about you.

For instance, why were
you going to Virginia City?

Aw, Little Joe,
quit jawing at her.

If she don't want to talk to us,

I-I reckon that's her business.

Yeah, well, it seems to me

she's made us
part of her business.

If I'm gonna get my scalp
lifted for a runaway Shoshone,

I think I'd die a lot easier if
I knew some of the details.

What makes you
think she's a runaway?

Now, look at her face.

You're gonna tell me
she's not a runaway?

Where did you get
this? Not far from camp.

And you didn't tell me about it?

Just wanted to see
the look on her face first.

Could have been
dropped last month,

or-or even last year.

Yeah, or last night.

Did you see any other signs?

No.

No, it could have been...
could have been lost

by a scout on his way back
to get the rest of the party.

And look, don't try to...

try to make me feel
like a louse, either.

I had to find something out,
and I found it out, that's all.

We didn't do no such a thing.

That's a war medicine bag.

It's forbidden for a
Shoshone woman

to even lay eyes on it.

No wonder the poor little old
thing's half scared to death.

Where you going?

I'm going up on
that mountainside

and take a look around.

I'm sorry.

I guess it was sort
of a mean trick.

I didn't know about the taboo.

Guess you have your reasons

for not wanting to
answer our questions.

Just, it gets so
doggone aggravating!

Relax. It's Hoss.

Get the pack horse.

We're leaving. Shoshones?

No, it's a blizzard.

It's forming over there
behind that ridge to the north.

Well, I tried to tell you.

Make it snappy. We
got to get out of here

and through that pass
before the storm hits.

You know, for the
last couple of miles,

I could swear we
were being watched.

Ah, I think it's
that gal, Little Joe.

Well, she's got me spooked, too.

Yeah, I think she
senses something.

Wonder if that medicine bag

could have been a
fresh sign, after all.

Maybe. But right now,

it's what's up there
that's got me worried.

Yeah. How far do you
think it is to the pass?

I don't know. About...

About two or three
miles, I reckon.

Well, we'll never
make it before dark.

Well, we'll have to
make it after dark, then.

Why don't you go on ahead?

I want to backtrack
and have a look around.

My baby!

My baby!

Here. Just take it easy.

I'll get the baby.

Whoa, there. Whoa, whoa.

Your baby's all right.

He's okay.

I think we better...

We better rest here for a while.

Well, there's no sign of them.

Adam, they're a week overdue.

I never knew 'em to
get home yet on time.

Surely Hoss'd have enough
sense to know this is a storm sky.

Something's happened to them.

Let's get going.

Hyah!

I thought you said
you were going on.

Shh! Don't wake her up.

She's too tired to go on.

Yeah, that makes two of us.

You see anything?

No.

I think there's
something else out there

besides my imagination.

I can't shake the feeling that
they're out there watching us,

just waiting.

Yeah, but... waiting for what?

We're just two guns against
a whole Shoshone war party?

Why, we wouldn't stand a chance.

If they're really out there, why
don't they show themselves?

I think she could tell us.

All right, if it'll make
you any happier,

I'll stand watch tonight.

Now go on and eat your supper.

Eh...

Just what I wanted...
Mesquite beans.

And wild roots.

Hoss, would you do me a favor?

What?

Please don't ask me to
go hunting with you again.

Little Joe?

Little Joe?

Hmm?

Yeah. What do you want?

Did you put that there?

No.

Then we're in real big trouble.

Well, I told you they
were following us.

What do you think
they're waiting for?

I don't know, but
I ain't planning

on sitting here and
waiting to find out.

Wake that girl up and
let's get out of here.

Yeah.

Hey.

Hoss!

Well, some guard
you turned out to be.

Wait a minute.

There ain't no Indian war party

that would stuff these
blankets just to fool us.

For some reason or other,

that gal was afraid I'd
wake up and catch her gone.

Yeah, that still doesn't explain
this knife or those tracks.

Must have been a half a dozen
Shoshones in here last night.

Yeah.

She must have known
they were tracking us, too.

For some reason
or another, Little Joe,

that gal didn't want
them Indians to catch her.

That knife was a
warning not to interfere.

Well, we're going
to interfere. Let's go.

Whoa.

Pa, Adam.

I, uh... I guess
you've been worrying

about us, huh, Pa? Pa, we can...

we can explain everything.

We was gonna start
down on time, but...

I guess we better
show him, Hoss, eh?

Ain't gonna believe
us otherwise.

Come on.

I'd hoped you boys had
more sense than that.

Well, Pa, after all we'd
been through with her,

we... we couldn't just walk
off and leave her up there.

We just naturally brung her
and that young'un home with us.

Is that all?

Hey, well, Pa, you act like
we did something wrong.

Coming between a Shoshone
woman and her people

is not something wrong;
it's just plain stupidity.

Yeah, I thought you boys

went up there to
hunt big horn sheep.

Oh, Adam, this is
a serious matter.

Well, this is a fine homecoming.

That's all I got to say.

Next time you bring baby home,

you bring laundry boy.

Hop Sing got no time
for washing diaper!

Come on.

How is she, Doctor?

Very weak.

The surprising
thing is how the baby

came through it
without a sniffle.

Well, now, that ain't
too surprising, Doc,

seeing as who brought
him into the world.

Yeah, he had some help, too.

Yeah, about as much
help as a sore thumb.

My boys don't seem to realize

the seriousness
of the situation.

They don't know
who the girl is or

why the tribe went
to so much trouble

trying to recapture her.

The baby's father

is undoubtedly a white man, Ben.

That might explain why she's

running away from her family.

But why they
would risk the lives

of four braves for one child...

Well, there's nothing
more I can do here, Ben.

I'll send out a wet
nurse for the baby.

Thank you, Doctor.

Ba... baby.

Be careful.

Don't you worry none.

Mr. Cartwright!

Mr. Cartwright, come!

Come quick! What
is it, Hop Sing?

The girl... come!

She's burning up.

Wake Adam.

Tell him to ride into town
and get that doctor back here.

Now, girl... do you hear me?

I've sent for the doctor again.

Before he gets here,

I want you to tell me
who your child's father is.

You were coming to
find him, weren't you?

He should be here with you.

You tell me, and
I'll send for him.

Now, I...

Do you hear me?

You got no sense, you people?

What for you wake
up house so late?

Tell Mr. Cartwright that
Sumner Kyle is here.

Yes, sir, Mr. Kyle.

You got maybe any particular
Mr. Cartwright in mind?

Ben Cartwright, of course.

Oh, Kyle.

Hello, Cartwright.

I hope you'll forgive me
for coming unannounced.

You know Jason,
of course. Of course.

Uh, my son, Adam, told me
you had returned to Virginia City.

Is there something
I can do for you?

May we speak in private, please?

Hop Sing, it's
getting pretty late.

Why don't you, uh, go to bed?

Well, uh, make
yourself comfortable.

Thank you.

Cartwright... I
have a favor to ask.

And this time, I
won't insult you

by offering a bribe.

Well, you, uh...

at least you learned that
much from our last meeting.

Yes, we have had our
differences, but they

were business
conflicts, never personal.

Not as far as I'm concerned.

I've always had great
admiration for you.

Kyle, uh, you didn't come
here at this time of night

to eulogize me, so why
don't we, uh, get to the point?

I understand you have
an Indian girl here...

and a child.

That's right.

Well, Cartwright...

my son, Jason, is
the father of that child.

Cartwright, you have sons.

You must know how I felt
when I learned that Jason

was involved with
this Shoshone girl.

We were married.

Yes, yes, an Indian ceremony.

Hardly a binding agreement.

I don't quite agree,
Kyle, but Jason...

you must have been
in love with the girl,

or else you wouldn't
have married her.

I was... and still am.

She knew it.

That's why she
tried to come to me.

Then why did you desert her?

Tell him, Father. I believe
I'm the proper judge

of what is best for my son.

He's right.

He's right, as usual.

It was impossible
from the very start.

What could I offer her
that didn't belong to him?

Including myself.

Cartwright... I want
you to send the girl

and the child
back to her people.

I am ready to pay
well for her silence.

Kyle, you... you needn't
worry too much about the girl.

I doubt very much whether
she would embarrass you.

She's never mentioned the
name of the child's father.

You mean you didn't know?

No.

I didn't know.

Obviously, she was too
much in love with your son to

want to cause him any trouble...

even though he did desert her.

Where is she?

Upstairs.

Wait a minute, Jason.

Jason, she's dead.

Jason!

Kyle, you've had
it all your own way.

Leave them alone now.

"The Lord is my shepherd.

"I shall not want.

"He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures.

"He leadeth me
beside the still waters.

"He restoreth my soul.

"He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness

for His name's sake."

"Yea, though I walk
through the valley

"of the shadow of death,

"I will fear no evil,

"for Thou art with me.

"Thy rod" and Thy
staff, they comfort me.

"Thou preparest
a table before me

"in the presence
of mine enemies.

"Thou annointest
my head with oil.

"My cup runneth over.

"Surely, goodness and
mercy shall follow me

"all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever."

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Cartwright... I want my son.

That Red Whip is an old man.

His only child lies there...

but his bloodline
continues in your son.

Nothing will stop him
from taking that boy.

Mr. Cartwright...

May I have the boy?

Tell my father...
I've gone home.

♪ ♪