Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 11, Episode 23 - The Gold Mine - full transcript

Joe helps a young Mexican boy who has suffered from years of abuse by two sadistic slave owners who now want the lad's gold claim and will do anything to get it.

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Oh, it's a big place. Don't
look like nobody's down there.

Yeah, not in sight anyway.

It's worth a look-see.

If we kind of ride in easy, like, we
might pick up something worthwhile.

Yeah, we might could
work 'em for a meal.

Come on.

Now, boy, you keep
your mouth shut, hear?

Or I'm gonna whip
the tar out of you.

Now, come on.

Feels like a bowed tendon to me.



Feels that way to me too.

- Joe, you'd better rest this one.
- Right, Pa.

- Come on.
- We got some company.

Oh.

Howdy, friends.

- Howdy.
- Nice place you got here.

- Thank you.
- We're just passin' through.

Wonder if we could maybe
borrow some of your water.

Trough and pump right
over there. Help yourself.

- Oh, thank you.
- Thanks very much.

Come on, boy.

You fellas been out
prospectin' a little, huh?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, all kinds of luck, all bad.

Well, there's gold out there
and plenty of it, they tell me.



Yeah. Trouble is
we can't find any of it.

Well, partner, we better
get goin' on our way.

Yeah. Find a place to bed down
before night comes on. Cold.

You know, we didn't pass any place
on the way in here at all to bed down.

Maybe you know a place
that we might be able to.

Hang around a minute.
Let me see what I can do.

Thank you.

Pa, them two are
hintin' to stay over.

Well, I guess
it'll be all right.

Buenos días, amigo.

- Buenos días, señor.
- Cómo se llama?

Ramon Ruiz.

Para servirla, señor.

Joe Cartwright.

Hey, now, boy, speak English.

He lies to beat all. Stirs
up all kinds of trouble.

Well, boys, you're
welcome to stay.

You can stay in the barn
and eat with the hands.

- That's very kind.
- Thank you, thank you.

We was... We was
hoping you'd ask.

I guess I was
a-fishin' a mite hard.

Yeah, well, you're welcome. Just
don't strike any matches in there.

- Okay. Thank you.
- We won't be a parcel of trouble.

Nos vemos.

Psst! Boy, you get
them horses watered.

Soon as they've had enough,
you get 'em in the barn.

You don't say
nothin'. You hear me?

You know they got
whiskey in that house.

Yeah.

We ought to be able
to bust in real easy.

Hey, Ramon, I heard
some yellin'. Was that you?

Oh, he took an awful fall in there.
Terrible clumsy. He's awful clumsy.

Did you hurt
yourself? You all right?

Oh, he'll be all right. We just
fetched him a couple of licks.

- Yeah.
- What for?

Well, y'all have a real nice
snaffle bit hangin' in there,

and... we caught the
boy tryin' to take it.

Why'd you tell me he fell, then?

Well, a lot of people are
real, you know, scared

about havin' thieves
on their place,

and we thought that maybe
you'd run us off if you knew.

Yeah, yeah,
that's... that's right.

Come on in the house.

- We'll put something on that.
- No, he'll be all right, sir.

I think we ought to
put something on it.

- That'd be good.
- Whatever you say.

Come on, Ramon.

You sure got a heavy hand.

And that kid's too darned gabby.

There's a time and a
place for everything.

Where are you from, Ramon?

Coahuila.

What part?

Reynosa del Norte.

Who are those two men
that you... you're riding with?

Señor Rader and Señor
Bayliss. I work for them.

Have you been with
them for a while?

Long, long time.

Ramon, compréndeme.

We're trying to find
out if you need any help.

They said you tried to steal.

Did you?

It doesn't make any difference
to us whether you tried or not.

We just want you to tell us the
truth, that's all. Don't be afraid.

May I go now?

Why don't you
stay here the night?

I work for the señores.

Muchas gracias.

That's not the first
time that's happened.

He's got some old
scars on his back too.

Psst!

Psst.

Hey, Joe, do you hear that?

Hey, wait.

Hey!

Hey, stop!

Hoss! Joe!

- What is it? What's going on?
- Somebody broke in the house.

Anything missing?

Not from the barn, not a thing.

Nothin'. Have any
idea who it was?

Yeah, I sure do.
Our overnight guests.

- Want us to saddle up?
- No. Let's get some sleep.

Tomorrow's time enough.

Will you stop that snivelin'?

It was him made that
racket. Done it on purpose.

- Shut up.
- Leave him alone, dude.

You been pickin'
on him for two days.

Well, now, I was doin' it for
his own good and you know that.

I mean, I just don't know,
Bayliss. I don't know anymore.

I waste all my time tryin'
to keep him out of jail.

Now, listen, boy, you
don't belong in this country.

They catch you runnin' around
out there without old Bayliss and me,

you're gonna be in trouble.

Do you hear me? Do you hear me?

They catch you runnin' around out
there, they're gonna throw you in jail.

Before you got out, I'd say he'd... he'd
be an old man, wouldn't you, Bayliss?

You hear that, boy?

Well, you put it in your
head and you keep it there.

Four times.

I mean, four times he runs away and
we always have to go hunt him down.

I don't know, maybe it's
time that we... got rid of him.

- Got rid of him?
- Mm-hm.

Yeah.

Hey, you hear what Bayliss said?
Maybe it's time we was gettin' rid of you.

Yeah, we could get
one of your brothers.

I mean, your daddy can't
say nothin' long as he owes us.

But I tell you, señor, already.

I stay. I stay.

"I stay. I stay."

My brother's too little, señor.

- Maybe two of 'em.
- Dos brothers.

Yeah, dos brothers.

Por dios, señor, not my
family, please, not my...

I do anything you tell me.

I mean, it'd take us a while to
train 'em, but it just might be worth it.

No, señor, please, not my
family, please. I do anything.

You just shut up and
get back there in that bed!

Dig a hole! Get back there!

- Cut that out!
- Get down on the bed! Go on, go on!

- Yah! Yah!
- Come on! Get in that corner.

- Go on, get up there!
- Okay, okay.

Now, you don't open that
yap of yours unless I tell you.

A man'd wear himself
out chasin' you around.

He said to be quiet, boy!

Dig a hole in that corner.

You know, I been thinkin'
about that Cartwright place.

Now, they have a lot
of silver round there.

- A lot of silver stuff.
- Mm-mm.

They must have a
big old pile of money.

What do you mean, no?

Because then we'd have
to be on the dodge again.

We couldn't be layin' up here
in our leisure in this shack.

I know, but ham
and some whiskey.

The richest nabob in the world,

he can't chew but one
chunk of meat at a time,

and he can't take but one
drink of whiskey at a time.

Bayliss, I...

You know, you're deep. I
mean, you really are very deep.

- I'm deep.
- You are deep.

I tell you, it's
getting chilly in here.

Boy.

Oh, boy.

Stove went out.

You know what that
means, don't you? Hmm?

I'll tell you what it means.

You gonna go on out there and get
some wood for us. Aren't you, huh?

Go on!

Hasta la vista and pronto
and all that other talk.

Boy never keeps anything
right. You know that, Bayliss?

Yeah, you're right, Bayliss.

I tell you, it's
getting cold in here.

♪ Mr. Cartwright!

♪ Mr. Cartwright!

We're gonna go
visit old Cartwright.

Well.

Yeah, you sure took your time
gettin' back here. That's bad.

You know, old Bayliss and
me like to froze to death.

Now, you go on, get in there,
before I rap you upside the head.

I thought we sent you out
for wood, boy, not rocks.

Where's my quirt? I'm
gonna run you out of...

Boy!

You know, we're gonna
have to get rid of him.

Get ourselves another.

Afraid as he is of jail,
and alone, and afoot,

he ain't gonna go far.

It's gettin' chilly in here.

I never tasted better whiskey.

Yeah, it was good whiskey.

Get me some fresh air.

You know, even bad whiskey never
made you take on like that before.

Gold.

That fool kid went
and found gold.

Look at this.

Look here at this.

- Look here at the vein.
- Oh.

You know, we'll...
we'll run him out.

Ramon!

Come on out, boy!

Ramon!

Ramon!

Come on, boy!

We ain't gonna hurt ya!

Ramon!

Come on out, Ramon! We
ain't gonna do nothin' to ya!

Oh, it's a waste of time
runnin' around yellin'.

Ramon!

Ramon!

Señor!

Ramon.

Buenos días, señor.

- What, are you givin' up?
- No, I ain't about to give up.

You see, I'm... I'm
goin' about it methodical.

You know, I been thinkin'.

Where would a kid go to look
for wood after it's comin' on...

Well, there's no
wood around here,

so he could have gone
anywhere, that's the thing.

Yeah? Yeah? Well, did you
ever think, what about back here?

I mean, have you
thought about that?

I looked back there yesterday
and so did you, two times.

Yeah, it's true.

I don't know, Bayliss.
I give up. I just give up.

Well, we're gonna have
to track him, that's all.

Well, can you track?

Huh?

You know I can't
track. You can't track?

Well, if it's a little
muddy, I can track.

- We're gonna have to go to town.
- What are we gonna go to town for?

'Cause they may be trying
to file a claim on it right now.

Hey, compañero. Cómo está?

Muy bien, señor. Y usted?

También. I brought
you some clothes.

You hungry?

Got some hotcakes and some
sausage waitin' for you downstairs.

Gracias.

What, did you run away
from those two men?

No, señor. They chased me away.

Probably the best thing
ever happened to you.

If they don't
change their minds.

What if they do? You work for 'em.
They fired you. That's all there is to it.

- It's not so simple, señor.
- Well, why not?

Well, look, you're probably better
off going back to Coahuila anyway.

You must have family
back there, brothers, sisters.

Five brothers, two sisters.

Where do you fit in? Middle?
Oldest? Youngest? What?

I am the oldest.

That's where you belong,
then, with your family.

One day perhaps. Not now.

All right, I'm not gonna ask
you why not now. I won't press.

Just try these on. They ought
to fit. We'll see you downstairs.

Well, of course, I can't give
you but a jackleg estimate here.

Well, look,
that'll do just fine.

But this is high-grade ore.

Finest I've seen since the
Feather Crick stampede.

Yeah, yeah, we understand that.

If the rest of it's anything
like these samples...

Yeah, yeah.

Well... 11,000 dollars a ton.

11,000? 11,000?

You'll wanna file, of course.

No, no, no, no, not just yet.

We'll... I suppose you get a lot of
folks filing claims this time of year?

No, it's petered out
considerable lately.

You're about
the first this week.

- First ones this week?
- Really?

Well, we'll be back. Thank you.

You know, that... that
kid's gotta be hungry.

I think he'd be headin' for a
mining camp or a ranch or somethin'.

- What do you think?
- Yeah, I think you're right.

Where would you go if
you was hurtin' and hungry?

You'd go right back to where
somebody had been good to you.

- Yeah, like that Cartwright place.
- Mm-hm.

Yeah, well, we
can't go back there.

Oh, yes, we can go back there.

We're gonna snake that kid
out of there one way or another.

So I really didn't find
out much of anything,

except that compared to Ramon,
a cigar-store Indian's chatty.

Hey, what happened
to the clothes I gave you,

the pants and the
shirt and everything?

I put them away.
They are too good.

Nonsense. They're
nothing of the sort.

Young man, you go right back
upstairs and put on those clothes.

Ah, that's a
little more like it.

How are the
boots? Fit all right?

A little small, señor.

- But they are very fine, señor.
- Good.

The other night, señor...

- Call me Joe, will you?
- Joe.

I did not help to
steal from you.

We didn't think you did.

I make a little noise.

So that's why
they beat you, huh?

Those two, they get
drunk and do it anyway.

Well, why'd you stay with
them all this time, then?

I have to do it.

Why?

Okay. At least you don't have to be
with them anymore. You're free now.

Look, I'm gonna go
check some gates.

Why don't you saddle up a
horse and come on with me?

Come on, what's the matter?

Nothing.

You act pretty strange for a man
who says there's nothing wrong.

Sí.

Look, if it's your family
you're worried about, don't.

We'll see to it you
get home all right.

I have no home.

Now, look, Ramon...

We're trying to help
you. We wanna help you.

But we can't unless
you tell us what's wrong.

It's Rader and
Bayliss, isn't it?

Two years ago, in the winter,

they came to our house,
talked to my father.

Another day they came
and talked with him,

and he took me to them and
showed me as if he were proud.

In the same way he
has done with his friends.

A third day they came
and talked to him,

and presently took me to
my mother, who was crying.

And he said I should kiss her.

Then he took me out to them and said I
should go with them and work for them.

So I said, "For how long?"

He did not answer.

And then they put me on
the burro and we started away.

I called out to him...
"When can I come back?"

He went in the house.

I tried to get down, but they held
my hands and tied me on the burro.

And then they said he
had sold me to them.

For two sacks of
meal and one of beans.

Now, listen.
Don't you yell, boy.

Don't you even think
about it. Do you hear me?

Now, you're findin' a real
home here, aren't you, boy, huh?

- Those people are real friendly to ya.
- Especially that Joe Cartwright.

Now, you ain't told 'em
where that gold is yet,

otherwise they'd be out
there diggin' around for it.

And you'd be in jail.

For bein' in this country without
anybody carin' for you legal like.

You're lying. They
are my friends.

What friends? You
don't have no friends.

They smell gold. What
do you need friends for?

Ramon... Now, I'm
gonna be serious with you.

It's all right. We're not gonna
hurt you anymore. Let go.

Now, we're gonna
make a deal with ya.

You tell us where the vein is,

and we promise to give you

the first one thousand
dollars that we pull out of there.

Yeah, that's more than you're
liable to see in your whole life,

and more than your old
man's ever seen either.

Now, you see, Ramon, if
you tell them where it is,

you're not gonna get anything.

But if you tell us where it is,
then you'll get a thousand dollars.

They are my friends.

Ramon, look, now, you remember that
friend you used to have in Placerville?

You remember him?

He's dead. That could
happen to your friend Joe.

Hey, Ramon?

Listen to me.

That is exactly what will
happen to your friend Joe

if you don't shut up and
not say a word to him.

Now, we're gonna be right
here at moonrise tonight,

and I advise you to be right
here at that exact moment.

Now, come on.

Ramon!

Señor, you want me?

Yeah, I've been looking for
you. Dinner's ready. Come on.

Come on, come on.
Come on, Ramon.

- Find anything?
- No, not a thing. He's gone.

Well, his bed hasn't been slept
in, his new clothes left behind.

This doesn't make sense.
There's no reason for him to leave.

Let's see if we can find him.

The track's run out.

It's pretty hard rock country.
Gonna be tough to find him from here.

Yeah. We'd better split up.

Joe, you go over that way.

Candy, you go on that
way. Hoss, up there.

We'll meet back here in an hour.

Hold still, boy. I'll blow
you out of the saddle.

He did tell you.

- Tell me what?
- Where the gold is.

He told us that he found gold.

Otherwise nobody like
you'd be lookin' around here.

Particularly for a
nobody like him.

I don't know nothin'
about any gold.

You know, he claims he got a
bunch of people out lookin' for him.

Now, we're gonna
go find out right now.

They beat you up again, amigo?

They have done worse
when they are drunk.

They don't do bad
when they're sober.

Is it true? Did you
find some gold?

Sí.

I found a vein. Very rich.

If you don't tell 'em where it is,
they're gonna kill us, you know.

If I tell them, señor,
they kill us anyway.

You was lyin'. There
ain't nobody out there.

That's what you think.

Oh, he's right, boy.

We went all the way up to the
knoll and we didn't see anybody.

Suit yourself.

Now, Ramon.

You change your mind?

- Leave him alone.
- Whoa.

You know, what you want
and what you're gonna get

are about... that far apart.

- I'll make you a proposition.
- Forget it.

No, I'm interested in
anything anybody's got to say.

Why don't you let me and the kid go,
and my father'll give you 2,000 dollars?

You know, he must
think we're feeble-minded.

Look, all the boy said
he found was a little...

a little ore with
some gold in it.

Could be a big strike. It might
be nothing. You don't know.

- There's always that possibility, yeah.
- Why don't you use your heads?

This way you know you have 2,000
dollars in your hand, cash money.

No, I think we'll see
how it goes back here.

You lay a hand on that
kid and there's no deal.

Friend. Psst! There
ain't no deal anyway.

Supposing...

you made it 5,000 dollars.

Yeah, I think we
could work that out.

Now, will you get on with it?
We can go for a whole gold mine.

- Maybe.
- I told you to shut up.

He's just talkin' to set
us against one another.

- We can go for the whole shootin' match.
- If there is any.

You know, I don't
like you, friendly.

And I may just
settle it right now.

No, no, señor.

You see where the power is now,
boy? Right in the end of this gun.

I'm gonna blow him and
his deal all over this cabin.

Now...

There's all kinds of
places around here

where somebody can be buried
and never found until spring.

You hear that, Ramon?

Now, I don't know what it is
that this man means to you,

but he's gonna be dead
in just about five seconds

unless you start opening up your
mouth and tell us where the gold is.

Well, did you find any tracks?

Not a durned thing.

- You haven't seen Little Joe?
- No.

Maybe he's found something.
Let's go have a look.

Come on, boy.

- Here? It's here?
- It's all over here.

We already been through here.

Now, let me tell you somethin'.

You're not gonna lie to me again and
get away with it. You understand that?

Do you understand that?
Now, show me where it is, then.

Show it to me. Show
it to me. Show it to me.

Show it to me!

- Look at this. It's gold.
- Yeah, I know it's gold.

- Gold!
- I know it. I know it.

- It's gold!
- And you're the prospector.

You stood right on top
of it and didn't even see it.

No wonder we been
eating boot instead of steak.

- We got it now! Look at this!
- Ho-ho!

Hey, look at this
right here. Look at this.

- Look at this one here.
- We got it now.

Look at this! Look at this!

Listen, no fault of
yours, I'll tell you for sure.

Just shut up and
start pickin' up rocks.

- Come on, boy!
- Come on, boy, pickin' up rocks!

Come on! We gotta
start building a monument.

You know, this is a
waste of time tying 'em up.

We ought to just shoot 'em.

What for? They'll either starve
to death or freeze to death.

Come on, let's get
into town and file it.

Ha! Ha! Ha-ha! Ooh!

Come on, let's go.

Think you can work
your ropes loose?

I don't think so, señor.
They're tied too tight.

See if you can get
over to me, untie these.

Why'd you go back with them?

If I no go back, señor,

they go to my home and
take my two little brothers.

Your brothers? What
are you talking about?

Señor Rader and Bayliss,
they have papers, señor.

I must work for them.

I am in this country illegal.

That's not the truth.
They lied to you.

No, señor. It's true.

No, it's not. They can't
touch your brothers.

- You are sure?
- Yeah, I'm sure.

Can you get 'em loose?

I am sorry.

Hey, that stove,
is it still hot?

- I... I think so.
- Find something, throw it in.

Maybe we can get some
smoke going. My pa might see it.

Good. The fire's going good.

After you get that in there,
throw the ham in there too.

My pa might not see the smoke,

but my brother Hoss'll
sure smell the ham cooking.

Joe!

Joe!

Hoss.

Hurry it up, Candy. Let's go.

You know, there was still
good meat on that bone, señor.

We may be hungry
before we get out of here.

Even in the fire,
it still smell good.

It sounds like we got
company for dinner.

Let's hope it's
the right company.

Joe.

- You all right?
- Yeah, we're fine.

Rader and Bayliss went
into town to file a claim.

- What claim?
- I'll tell you later.

Come on, let's go.

I paid for 50 cents for a steak
and had to leave more than half of it.

Here's a dollar. You
can buy yourself two.

- Here, let me help you with the door.
- Never mind. I got it.

Yes, sir.

Boy, I can't wait.

Gonne buy you a beer
after we file this claim.

Sir, you don't need
to take that off.

That's right, sir. You don't
have to take off your coat.

We're in kind of a hurry, see.

You know, we gotta buy a bunch
of supplies and things like that.

Yeah, where do we sign?

- You don't.
- What do you mean, we don't?

Not until I know exactly where the
claim is and write out the description.

What do you mean, where...?
Well, the... the claim is out there.

Yeah, that's
right, it's out there.

Half of Nevada's out there.

I have to know
exactly where it is.

Well, it's in
Nevada. It's... it's...

Hey, look, look. There it is. Lookee
here. Section 29. That's where it is.

It's my friend's
claim. He'll sign it.

It's all right, Ramon.
Sign. Go ahead.

Señor, you are
sure it's all right?

Don't worry about
these two fellas, Ramon.

They're going to
jail for a long time.

Friend.

I owed him that one.

Now, you have that letter to
identify you at the bank at Nogales?

- For the account I opened for you?
- Yes. Yes, I do, Señor Ben.

- Muchisimas gracias.
- Come on, Ramon, let's go.

You're gonna miss that stage.

Ramon...

You have five brothers and two
sisters. And your father loves them, hmm?

Now, you've got to know
he loves you very much too.

Sí.

As a father myself, I think I... I
understand what he went through

when he had to sell his oldest son
so that the others might not starve.

Well, they're not
gonna starve now.

So why don't you just make sure and tell
him that his sacrifice was not in vain?

A pretty hefty account
you opened for that old kid.

Even though the
strike was pretty good,

it didn't amount to nothin' like
that bank account you opened.

Oh, well, I just thank heaven
that I... I never got to the point

where I had to even consider
selling one of my sons.

I don't know about by the head,

but they sell them by the pound,
he might fetch a pretty fair price.

I'll keep that in mind.

Come on.