Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 11, Episode 21 - Long Way to Ogden - full transcript

The following program is brought
to you in living color on NBC.

I thought you said you fixed the pump
shaft on the windmill on the north section.

I did.

Well, I just went up there
and it wasn't working.

You could hear the
cattle bawling for miles.

It was all right
when we left it.

It wasn't all right
when I went up there.

Well, I dang sure didn't dream
I went up there and fixed it.

- Is the windmill working now?
- It's working now. I took care of it.

- Lose any cattle?
- No, but we could have.

We didn't lose any,
that's the important thing.



We got too much work to
do to be bickering like this.

That's what 14 hours in
the saddle does for you.

Joe, get yourself something to
eat. We got a lot of riding to do.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Well, the way I've
been figuring it,

we all stand to lose strays
in the breaks along the way.

- If it's like every other route.
- Right.

So why don't we just save
some time and manpower?

Steve, if you and your
boys look after this break,

and, Luther, you look after this
one, we'll take care of this one,

and we'll drive all the stock
to the gathering area here

and then sort 'em out and
get 'em ready for the drive.

- Good idea.
- Better get started as soon as we can.

Yeah, with the early winter forecast,
the sooner we move 'em out, the better.



That Texas drought
isn't gonna hurt us any.

What about that?
50 dollars a head?

- Not all profit.
- No, not all profit.

What do you figure we'll clear? I mean,
drovers, the cost of feed along the way.

Yeah, those ranchers along the way,
they're gonna know the price of beef.

So the price of hay is
gonna be way up too.

But even... even counting that and
the rail freight from Ogden to Chicago,

I still figure we ought to clear
at least 25 dollars a head.

- 25.
- Yeah, that's not bad, huh?

- That'll be the best year I ever had.
- I never had a good one before.

- Well, you've worked for it.
- Oh, don't we always, Ben?

- Good or bad?
- Good or bad.

All I know is,

I'd have gone under if you two
hadn't signed my notes at the bank.

Let's just say we didn't
wanna lose you as a neighbor

and risk getting somebody worse.

Oh.

- Howdy, Joe.
- You're back early.

Just talking about the
best year we ever had, Joe.

What's the trouble?

Cattlemen's Association
got a telegraph message

from the Railroad
Transportation Office in Ogden.

- Yeah?
- They can't ship our cattle.

They have no
cattle cars available.

- What?
- Oh, it can't be.

Can't be, but it is. Somebody's
optioned every one of the cars.

They can't ship the herds.

We got to. Ain't none of us
can winter-feed our herds.

We'd lose most of
them if we even tried.

- Who optioned the cars?
- I don't know, but he got 'em all.

Then we'll all go broke.

Whoa. Whoa.

- Ah, good morning, Ma.
- Good mornin'.

Good news. Look. Read it.

Saw this yesterday.
That's why I'm here.

That man's gonna buy your cattle.
That ought to put a smile on your face.

Maybe he's gonna buy my cattle.

I've been ranching
round here most of my life

and I never yet had a
stranger pour money in my hat

and get me out of trouble.

Luther. Wait up, huh?

Yeah, we'll be late.

Come on in, folks, come on
in. Just be seated anywhere.

Lloyd, how are you?

Ben, it's... it's good to see
you. I'm glad you could come.

Well, I wouldn't miss
this for anything, Lloyd.

Now, we'll be starting
in just a minute.

- Good, good.
- Ma.

- Oh, hello, Ma.
- Howdy, Ben.

How's Annabelle?

She's got her throat
wrapped in flannel,

and I'm gonna stuff it down her
mouth if she don't stop complainin'.

Uh, what do you make of this?

Well, it'll be kind of
interesting to hear

what this Mr. Whitney
is gonna have to say.

Mm-hm. That makes two of us.

First no cattle cars, now this.

Yeah. Well, we better sit down.

Well, now, Walsh don't run
cattle. What's he doing in this?

Owns most of the
mortgages, don't he?

Including mine.

All right, now!
Everybody settle down!

Please be seated.

I know that you didn't
come to hear me.

You're right, Lloyd.

So, without further ado,

let me present to you
Mr. Emmett J. Whitney,

the president of the Whitney
Packing Company of Chicago, Illinois.

Thank you, Mr. Walsh.

I intended to be here last
week, and I owe you an apology.

I understand through our
mutual friend, Mr. Walsh,

has told me that I've
given you all a hard time

worrying about who has the option on
the cattle cars from Ogden to Chicago.

Well, you can stop worrying,
because I have them.

I bought them in your interest.

Now, as you know, the country,
especially in the cities, is growing,

and feeding the metropolitan
area is big business.

Now, you raise cattle, and that
should be your sole concern, but it isn't.

You have to pay the... the drover,
you have to arrange for rail space

to ship your cattle to
the Chicago stockyards

where meat packers
like myself bid upon 'em.

And you fully understand
what that means.

I've always thought it
to mean free enterprise.

Yeah.

- Uh, may I ask your name, sir?
- Cartwright.

- Ah, that's the Ponderosa.
- That's right.

Well, may I add a couple words
to your term "free enterprise"?

Waste and risk.

And I plan to do
away with all that.

Now, I will buy
your cattle directly.

Your responsibility ends the moment
that your herd leaves your ranch.

And I'll buy every steer and
it'll be cash on the barrelhead.

All right, hold it down!

Shut up!

Hold it down!

Now, I got somethin'
to ask this feller.

All right, you showed
us the glory road.

Now let's get down
and bite the bullet.

How much are you aimin' to pay?

Well, I was getting
to that, ma'am.

I'm offering three
dollars a head.

What?

He means 30. You
mean 30, don't ya?

No. I said and I
mean three dollars.

Mister, we hang cow
hunters in this country.

Now, hold on, boys! We're
not gonna have any violence.

'Cause I'm gonna arrest
the first man that tries it.

Just whose side are you on, Roy?

That side right there. That's
why you elected me, isn't it?

- You'll never get any of my herd.
- Well, then, you keep 'em.

But you better move 'em before
three weeks, or winter-feed them,

because I have the only
way of gettin' 'em to Chicago.

Now, my price of three dollars
a head stands for one week.

After that, it's cut to two.
You can take it or leave it.

- Two?
- I think you'd better get upstairs.

Mr. Whitney says that the
meetin' is all over. That's it, folks.

I owe the bank more
than three dollars a head.

You're not gonna sell 'em for
three dollars a head, Luther.

I might have to.

It's all his fault. You
brought him here, didn't you?

I just introduced him, Luther. I
didn't know what he was up to.

What am I gonna tell Mary?
What do I say to the kids?

You tell 'em that their father
is getting into a fight for his life.

Along with the rest of us.

Didn't think you'd still be up.

I must have dozed off.

I wanted to wait up for you to find out
how you made out with the telegrams.

- Get any answers?
- Yeah, I heard from California.

Arizona beef went that way.

Yeah, what about Santa Fe?

Too far. Anyway,
they're full up.

So what do we do now?

Just have to wait around here,

see if we get any answers
from the other telegrams.

I just hate to sit
around and wait.

You know, Joe, if we could just
get the big ranchers to hold out,

help the smaller ones, we might
be able to make Whitney break.

Suppose I go into town tomorrow

and see if I can't get the bigger
ranchers together, have a meeting here?

Yeah. Yeah, that's an idea.

All right, do that.

But let's go to
bed. I'm dog-tired.

Come on.

Howdy, Ms. Berger.

- Oh, howdy, Joe.
- I just came by your place.

Pa wondered if you could come
out to our ranch tonight after supper.

What's up?

We're gonna have a meeting
of all the bigger ranchers.

Hey, you haven't
seen Luther, have you?

Yeah, he just went down to
the saloon a few minutes ago.

I'll go down and talk to
him. We'll see you tonight.

I'll be there.

Mornin', Luther.

Joe.

Pa's having a meetin' out at our
place tonight. He'd like you to be there.

What would anybody want me for?

To help fight Whitney.

We've been living from hand to
mouth ever since we first came here.

I thought it was
gonna end this year.

Ah, leave me out of it, Joe.

Look, the only way to make it
is to stick together. We'll all help.

Why don't you come
on out to our ranch

and we'll pack up some supplies
and bring 'em over to your place?

I, uh, already bought
some supplies.

Where d'you think I
got the money for this?

I sold out to
Whitney an hour ago.

Another one.

Just what are you
asking us to do, Ben?

I'd like us to make a pledge
to each other not to sell.

- Don't you think Whitney expects that?
- Yes, he does.

Well, then, what good is it? Now,
he's lowering the price in 48 hours.

That's about as
long as I can hold out.

Now, if any of the smaller ranchers
see a big rancher like you sell out,

they'll stampede.

They already have, Ben.
Joe told you about Luther.

Ed Green sold out,
and so has Mike Jasper.

Is three dollars a
head gonna save you?

I just might be able to
hang on till next year.

You just might.

And what's to prevent Whitney
after he's sold our cattle in Chicago

to come back here and buy up
our mortgages with our own money?

- Lloyd won't sell us out.
- Well, we may not have any choice.

He's stretched
pretty thin himself.

Why do you think he's letting Whitney
stomp all over him in his own bank?

Now, who's for holding out?

Ben, I'll go this far with you.

You see him for us, and if you
can get him to raise his offer, fine.

If not, I'll do
what I have to do.

Not what I wanna
do. What I have to do.

Is anybody with me?

You got business
here, Mr. Cartwright?

Not with you. With
the man inside.

Not with that.

Come in.

Oh, Mr. Cartwright. Here
before the prices drop.

Let's see. Ponderosa.
Here we are.

Bill of sale made out for 3,600
head. Is that close enough?

I'm not here to sell anything.

Then why are you here?

Because the major ranchers
have asked me to talk for them.

Look, I'll speak to
them individually.

They want a fair price for
their livestock, Mr. Whitney.

They've had their best price.

Then I think we'd better
start talking sensibly.

Look, I've said all I'm
going to say at the meeting.

But what you're doing is nothing
short of robbery. Don't you see that?

Without force? Without a gun?

Look, the people who signed these
came in here voluntarily, just as you did.

I've known Comancheros that have
more of a conscience than you have.

Then why don't you
sell 'em your cattle?

I'll sell mine in
Chicago or not at all.

Yeah.

Then we won't need this,

because the price of Ponderosa
beef just went to a dollar a head.

And you can tell your
friends they got 48 hours.

Bartender, hurry it up!

It's gonna be a long
five minutes, isn't it?

A man can't work day and night.

Any messages come
through for Ben Cartwright?

Nothing's come in since the
ones I gave him yesterday.

Buy you a drink?

Darn you. I want another drink.

- You've had enough.
- That's my business.

- Do I get it or not?
- Hey, Luther. Hey.

- What?
- Take it easy.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Have...
Have... Have a drink. Sit down.

All right, all right, all right.
Then we'll go home, all right?

- Bring me a beer, will you?
- Right away.

I don't wanna go home.

Got no home.

Missus is gonna be
wonderin' where you are.

Nah. My... missus don't care.

Why should she?

I got nothin'.

No money.

No self-respect.

I'm a Judas. You hear me?

No family.

- No friends.
- You got plenty of friends.

Come on, drink up.

You my friend?

I sure am.

- Come on, now.
- Oh.

- Hey, I don't wanna go yet.
- Sure you do. Sure you do.

- I'll ride part of the way with you.
- I can get home without you, you know.

Sure you can.

- I can make it by myself.
- Sure you can. Sure you can.

I have to get my...
to get my horse.

You... You wait right
here for me, all right?

- Yeah, yeah.
- You all right? You wait right here.

My friend. My friend.

Whitney!

Luther, no!

All right, what happened here?

He tried to kill me.

- Who shot him?
- I did. He drew first.

- Candy, did you see it?
- Yeah.

Luther drew first.

He was too drunk to
hit anything, though.

All right, you're next.

Ben, Lloyd.

Hello, Steve.

Just got back from
Luther's funeral.

I'm where I have to be, Ben.

You'd have been
proud of Luther's wife.

I sent my foreman over
to help her. It's all I can do.

I'd... better go in.

My horse is down at the
stable. I'll ride that far with you.

All right, I may be back tomorrow,
kicking myself, but... not today.

Thanks, Steve.

Maybe you're right. Maybe...
Maybe Whitney made a mistake.

If your idea doesn't work,
we're gonna take an awful bath.

That's right. But we can't
winter-feed the cattle.

We've gone through that.

We either drive 'em and sell 'em
or let the winter storms take 'em.

Yeah, but, Pa, the fact of the
matter is the ranch can still survive.

We can still make it.

Yes. Yes, we...
we could survive.

But the Ponderosa's not
just a ranch. It's our home.

And a home is a place surrounded
by friends and neighbors.

And our neighbors
just could not survive it.

There's no way
they can survive it.

Now, if we take Mr. Whitney's
oversight and turn it against him,

if we take that chance,

we're putting everything we
ever worked for... right on the line.

If we're wrong...

If you're wrong, we walk away from here
with nothin' but the shirts on our back.

That's right.

Are we agreed?

I don't think we have
any choice, do we?

You promise I
can keep this shirt?

Candy, ride over to Lloyd
Walsh's house. Wake him up.

Tell him to get over to the
bank as quickly as he can.

Take this telegram to Mineral
Wells. Have 'em send it to Chicago.

I want the answer sent to
Elko and held there for me.

Elko. All right, will do.

Now...

I've marked the... the line
of the trail drive we'll take.

They must have gone in the
back room. Take a look, will you?

Everything I own.

Mining stocks, timber, the mill,

the deeds to the Ponderosa,
the cattle herd, everything.

- What do you want, Ben?
- A hundred thousand dollars.

Cash. Sight drafts.

Anything that you can
scrape together in a hurry.

Ben.

My cash reserve
is at rock bottom.

I... I... I couldn't
lend you a nickel.

On collateral like that?

Well, I... I know, Ben, it's more
collateral than I normally ask.

- That's right.
- But these are not normal times, Ben.

This town is very
scared right now.

Money's very tight.

Whitney and the mine owners
are the only people in town

who've got any cash.

And Whitney keeps his
in a strongbox in my safe.

But it's not on deposit, Ben.

No, most of the money I've got on
deposit belongs to the mine owners.

One big withdrawal
would ruin me.

21-day loan. That's
all I'm asking. 21 days.

If just one of those mines come
to me with a need for extra money

and I wouldn't have it,

I'd have to close, Ben.

Why, even if I sold
you out to pay off,

I'd never have another bank.

How long do you think
you're going to keep this bank

after Whitney's finished grabbing
everything off around here.

Now, I'm asking you for the people
who helped you build this bank.

What do you want
the money for, Ben?

- Fight Whitney.
- I know that, but how?

Lloyd, I'd prefer you not to know.
Then you wouldn't have to lie about it.

- I'd like to help you, but...
- 21 days.

21 days and then
you can sell me out.

I've backed you before, but
this time could prove a disaster.

Well, let me tell you
something, Lloyd.

If you don't back me,
it will prove a disaster.

For everybody, including you.

All right.

I'll have to use
sight drafts mostly.

Fine.

Then I'll fill out
your loan papers.

I'll wait.

All right!

Ah.

Well? What do you want?

Ben Cartwright's at the
bank and so's Walsh.

Shovelin' money into
a pair of saddlebags.

Looks like they're
plannin' to light out.

Well, if Walsh is
gonna rob his own bank,

he wouldn't have
Cartwright helping him.

Well, they're up to somethin'.

Cartwright's horse
is carryin' a bedroll.

Ah. Travelin', huh?

Cartwright's gone to Ogden.

I thought you had all
the cattle cars locked up.

I have. But Cartwright
doesn't believe it.

So you follow
him. But be careful.

You let him get a couple days from
here and then... bring back the saddlebags.

What do I do about Cartwright?

Use your own judgment.

But after you use it,
make sure you bury him.

What about Walsh?

We're gonna start
a run on his bank.

You get out and spread
the word the bank is broke.

Hurry up, Lloyd.

Oh, I've got to fill
out this note first.

Well, here. Let me sign it and
then you can fill it out after I've gone.

I've been trusted before,
but never this much.

Well, now you are.

Good luck, Ben.

To all of us.

Howdy, Steve.

- Mornin', Ma. What brought you here?
- Same thing as you.

I just wanted to see if
the bank was gonna open.

Neighbor got me out of bed
last night to tell me it wouldn't.

I don't believe it, but I thought
I'd come and see for myself.

Walsh is inside. Been
there for about an hour.

So is Whitney and
one of his gunmen.

This neighbor, did he say why
he thought it wouldn't open?

No, he heard some people
talking about it in the Silver Dollar.

The way I heard it, Ben
Cartwright's mixed up in it some way.

Doesn't make any sense,
but that's what I heard.

Well, this crowd is getting
bigger and uglier all the time.

Stay here, huh?

It looks like you're gonna have
a very busy day, Mr. Walsh.

You'll liable to end up being guest
of honor at a tar and feathering.

And those two mine owners out
there, they're not gonna wait for payday.

They'll want their cash now.

- That's your doing.
- Oh.

That's an unfriendly
attitude, Mr. Walsh.

Although I will admit that
several people asked me

what I thought of your bankin'.

I told 'em the truth.

I told 'em I didn't have my
money on deposit in your bank.

You're just trying to
ruin me, aren't you?

That's very, very unfriendly.

Nine minutes and then you're
gonna have to open up that door.

Mmm.

All those people out there, they
have money on deposit in your bank,

and they're all going to
want to withdraw that money.

And you have to
have it to give to 'em.

If Walsh doesn't open on time,

they're gonna take that
door right off the hinges.

Might be a good
idea to get the sheriff.

Oh, on the way. Here he comes.

May I have your attention? I'd
like to have your attention, please.

We've got eight minutes to go.

Now, if Lloyd Walsh doesn't open
up by then, I'll find out the reason why.

- Now, is that fair enough?
- Yeah!

Thank you very much.

Sheriff's out there.

Ah.

Sheriff might save you that tar and
feather overcoat by puttin' you in jail.

People just don't understand

that a bank has most of its
money out on loan, growing interest.

All they care about is getting
their money when they want it.

Six minutes.

And when a bank goes
broke, it stays that way.

People just never
trust it again.

- What do you want?
- I thought you'd get round to that.

I'll help you, Mr. Walsh.

I'll give you all the money you need
in return for one of the notes you hold.

- I couldn't do that.
- It's only one note.

The cattle mortgage
to the Ponderosa herd.

- No.
- Why not?

It's a perfectly legal
transaction. You own the paper.

You can sell it to
anybody you choose.

We're not gonna
hurt Mr. Cartwright.

Why, he'll be back to pay
off that loan before it's due.

That was the
agreement, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

Four minutes.

You win.

Afraid that's it. Would you
like to play another game?

Yeah. I get to watch this time.

Yeah, set 'em up. I'll get it.

- Steve.
- Joe, no more stalling.

Where'd your pa go?

- Steve, I'm sorry, we can't tell you.
- Why not?

If we're gonna hold out,
we've got a right to know.

Well, we agree, and
so would Pa, Steve,

but the problem is we promised
him we wouldn't tell nobody.

- When's he due back?
- Two days.

I could have gotten three
dollars a head for my steers.

Now I've got to take a dollar or
hold out and maybe get nothing.

And do it for a man who doesn't want
me to know where he went or why?

That's asking a lot.

I know it's asking a lot,
but it's only two more days.

You can hold out
that long, can't you?

I can, but if it turns out

I've got to sit by this winter
and watch my cattle die,

I'm gonna be sorry I ever met
Ben Cartwright, let alone trusted him.

More money than you've
seen in your life, isn't it?

Ah, good morning, gentlemen.

You're on Ponderosa territory,
Mr. Whitney. You ain't welcome.

I just came to see my cattle.

You don't own no
cattle here either.

No? I bought your father's note.

The cattle mortgage
to the Ponderosa.

You got a piece of paper and that's all.
That note's not due for two more weeks.

In the meantime, why don't
you two just ride out of here?

- Anybody gonna make us go?
- If that's the way you want it.

Put it away.

We'll let them work for us.

Good day, gentlemen.

Ha!

Only one gunman. Wonder
where the other one is.

Probably left him in town in case
somebody else decided to sell.

Only two more days to wait.
I never knew it'd be that long.

Well, we have got them, except
for a Ma Bricker and a Steve Lance

and a couple other small
fry that don't really matter.

Because this time
tomorrow, we'll have them all.

Well, now, maybe you will.

There was three of 'em outside
that were ready to come in.

Hoss and Joe Cartwright showed up
and took 'em down the street to the saloon.

Well, that might delay us some,
but the end result will be the same.

Well, maybe. But
I'm sweatin' some.

And I'm also wonderin'
what happened to Spanier.

- He'll be here.
- Well, you trust him more than I do.

I'll be glad when they
move the herds out,

'cause people around here
are gettin' edgy, and so am I.

Why don't you get
outside and guard the door?

I have thought about it.

Now, I don't care what
anybody else does.

I've waited as long as I can.

I'm sellin' today.

Look, all we're askin' you to do is
wait a few days until my pa gets back.

It's not gonna make any difference.
Whitney's gonna buy the cattle.

He's certainly not gonna pay
you less than a dollar a head.

I didn't think he'd pay
less than three dollars.

Well, neither did we. But a dollar
a head's gotta be rock bottom.

Your pa was due back yesterday.

Somethin' delayed
him, but he'll be here.

Tomorrow? Or maybe the
day after? Or the day after that?

Don't look at me.

If Steve sells, Whitney'll have it
all just about hog-tied and branded.

If I was the last holdout,

when I did go to sell, he
could laugh in my face.

We don't like it, but sometimes
every man has to eat crow.

Well, might as well get it over.

We did our best.

Hey. Here's Pa.

Good to see you.
Had us pretty worried.

Just in time.

Yeah, Spanier delayed me a couple
of days. He... He got himself hurt.

We didn't think you
were gonna make it, Ben.

We were just headin'
inside to sell to Whitney.

Let me see him first, will you?

Sure, if that's what you want.

- You want me to what?
- I'll say it again.

Sell back the cattle to the rightful
owners and give up your rail options.

You must be sun happy. I
got you tied up with the rest.

All right, I made you an honest
offer. I'll make you another one.

Half the price you paid.
And I advise you to take it.

- What are these?
- Somethin' you forgot to buy.

These are bills of sale for
every bale of hay and alfalfa

for the 80 miles of cattle trail
between Lovelock and Winnemucca.

There isn't enough public graze
on that trail to feed ten head,

let alone ten thousand.

Without that feed, you couldn't
get one steer through to Ogden alive.

Yeah.

Look, we're both businessmen.

We ought to be able to
work out a deal where...

You sell now.

Or get your cattle herds off our
range lands and start tryin' to buy feed.

- Full price. You pay me...
- Half.

The rest goes to Luther's widow.

What's he to you?

Somethin' else you
can't buy. A friend.

You just sign over those
options for the cattle cars

or that price is
gonna drop again.

All right, Ben, what happened?
Do I sell or watch my cattle starve?

Neither one, Ma.
We're movin' 'em.

Mr. Whitney's sellin' everybody's
cattle back at half price!

I got just enough cash to
buy drinks for everybody,

so don't nobody go home thirsty.

I'll be right in. Hey, Ben. When
do the people get their cattle back?

As soon as they get their bill of
sales in to Mr. Whitney. It's all arranged.

Hell, I underestimated
you, Mr. Cartwright.

Financially you've given me
a big surprise, but if we can...

I have another one for you.

Read that, Roy.

It's a warrant for the arrest of
Emmett J. Whitney and Oliver Stark.

On what charges?

Charge of conspiracy
to commit murder.

It also states that Anthony
Spanier confessed that his employer,

said Emmett J. Whitney, sent him
to deliberately murder Ben Cartwright.

Oliver Stark was present
and also implicated.

Signed by the sheriff
of White Pine County.

If both you gentlemen will come
along with me over to the jail,

I think I can find a couple
of nice cells for you.

Oh, Ben, thank you.

Well, we got it
settled anyway, Ma.

I guess we'd better get
home and get some rest.

We got a cattle drive
to start, eh, fellas?

- Yeah.
- See you in the morning.

Hold on there, now, Ma.

You make sure you bring the fixings
for those good, hot biscuits of yours.

The leaders are
too far downstream.

They'll hit the
river below the ford.

There's rapids down there.

If they get into that white water,
we'll lose every other one of them.

- I'll turn 'em.
- Hoss?

- Upstream!
- Right.