Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 12, Episode 10 - El Jefe - full transcript

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Oh, Sheriff.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Howdy, Sheriff.

- Buenos días.
- What's the trouble?

We're looking for a man
wanted for murder in Prince River.

He's a Mexican.
He's around here close.

Appreciate it if
you'd keep an eye out for him.

Will do.

Gracias, señor.

Sheriff.



Fresh hoofprints going up that way.

Let's go.

Giddyup.

Hey, whoa.

Ramon.

Ramon.

Hoss.

Please help.

Any sign of him?

- Nope.
- He ain't around here.

Well... I guess
we'd better go back home.

No, I think we ought to keep looking.

So do I.

Folks back in Prince River
ain't gonna like it



- if we show up without that...
- Well, I'll explain it to him.

Him?

Owen Driscoll.

He's the only folks
we have to worry about, isn't he?

Whoa. Whoa.

Gracias.

Por nada, amigo.

You heard the sheriff.

You still call me friend?

I know you. I don't know him.

And I'm still waiting to hear
what you have to say.

I murdered no one.

Aranda lies.

Aranda?

Vincente Aranda.

The sheriff.

He was Mexican once.

But no more.

He... He thinks like a gringo.

He smells like a gringo.

No offense, amigo.

I only mean...

I know what you mean.

I killed a man. That much is true.

A drunken lepero named Skeels,

one of... One of Driscoll's gunmen.

Driscoll.

Owen Driscoll?

Sí.

You... You know him?

Yeah. Yeah, I know him.

There...

There were four of them.

They were trying to burn my house.

Yeah, well, we'll talk about it later.

Right now, let's get you
to the Ponderosa

so I can get a better look at that arm
and take care of it, huh?

What you need now is plenty of rest.

I think not, amigo.

I don't think Mr. Cartwright
likes a wanted man under his roof.

Lend me a little food and a horse

and I will remove myself
from your ranch.

You're in no shape to ride.

Well, if you...

If you cannot lend me a horse,

I will walk.

Amigo...

Do me a favor.

Tell Pa what happened.

This man...

Skeels and the others

came to my rancho last night
and tried to burn me out.

Why?

They are Driscoll's men.

He told them to.

Driscoll?

Owen Driscoll?

That name has a bad taste
in your mouth, no?

You know him?

Driscoll Mining, yeah.

He operated in Virginia City
a few years back.

Now, why does he want
to burn you out?

He wanted my land.

Mine and the land
of all the Mexican rancheros

along the south fork of Prince River.

Driscoll wants to build a dam.

He said the town
would buy my land...

Our land...

For 50 cents an acre.

That's not buying.
It's stealing.

Sí, that's what we said.

We say, "You... You want to
build a dam?

"Build it in the north fork
of the river."

But Driscoll says no,
that was his land

and he would not sell.

Then it all started.
They killed our vacas.

They trampled our crops.

They tear down our fences.

And then they say
that Ramon Cardenez is to blame.

"He... He once rode for Juárez.

"He's a troublemaker,
a terrorist, a revolutionist."

And then the word goes out...

"Get Cardenez."

And last night...

Last night they tried.

Ahh.

Oh, I sure appreciate
your dropping by to see me, Zack.

I didn't take it as no surprise.

Deputy Brady come out by my claim,
said you wanted to see me.

I had forgotten about your claim.

How you doing out there?

Ah, if it was any good,
somebody would have stole it by now.

It pays for my bacon and beans
and a little more.

I'm gonna open up a new shaft
in Driscoll number two.

Need a powder boss.

Interested?

Seventy-five a month.

I'm three years older than I was

when you fired me
'cause I was too old.

Well, I'm four years wiser, Zack.

Learned there's no substitute
for experience.

That I've got.

Eighty-five a month.

You hired yourself a powder boss.

Good.

Say, Zack,

understand you were driving by
the Cardenez place last night

when Jess Skeels got killed.

Yes, sir.

Well, the boys who were with Jess

said that Cardenez
started to shoot at him

for no reason at all.

Is that the way it was?

Well, sir...

Uh, Zack...

You know how I feel about Mexicans.

Most of 'em are good people.

That's why I supported
Vincente Aranda for sheriff.

But this Cardenez...

He's a troublemaker.

Always has been one.

You know, if he has his way,

all the decent, law-abiding,
hardworking people in this town

are gonna lose everything
for want of water.

Well, it was kind of dark last night.

You must have been close enough
to see who shot first...

Cardenez or Skeels and the others.

Well, who was it?

It was... Cardenez.

When they saw that Skeels was dead,
the others rode off to get the sheriff.

I... I didn't want to run.

I want to stay with my wife, Sara.

She's gonna have a baby soon.

She begged me to go.
She was afraid I would get killed.

Oh, with the sheriff there?

Aranda is Driscoll's criado.
His servant.

He made him sheriff
because he thought

he could talk us
into selling our land.

But I must say one thing for Aranda.

He knew better.

He didn't even try to talk to us.

This, um...

This other fella, this Zack Toler,

what kind of man is he?

He used to work for Driscoll.

Dynamite and no more.

He works a mine
down the road from my ranch.

And you're sure
he saw what happened?

And I'm sure of something else.

He will never admit it.

Why should he?
An old man? A gringo?

He has no reason.

Ramon, I'm going to Prince River.

Nobody's gonna railroad you
to the gallows.

But you got to promise one thing.

You stay put right here
until you hear from me.

Understand?

Sí, señor.

There's a lot of open country out there.

Lot of open country
where a man can hide, Mr. Driscoll.

And an ex-Juárista like Cardenez
sure knows how to use it.

He could hide behind his own shadow.

You made the right decision, Vincente.

Of course, would have been better

if you could have brought him
back to stand trial,

but it may work out anyway.

Now that Cardenez isn't here,

I think the other rancheros
along the south fork

will listen to reason, don't you?

I hope so, señor.

Who are you? What do you want?

I'm Ben Cartwright.

Come in.

I am Miguel Rojas,
a friend of Ramon's.

Miguel.

Ramon asked me to come by
to see if you were all right.

You have word of Ramon?

Yes, he's at our ranch.

- How is he?
- He's fine.

- His arm?
- Oh, it's gonna be all right.

He asked me to tell you that.

Whoa.

Aranda.

Buenas tardes, señora.

Rojas I know, but who are you?

Ben Cartwright.

I've heard of the name.
From Virginia City.

Yeah.

What brings you to Prince River?

Business.

What do you want, Aranda?

You're under arrest.

Arrest?

For complicity in the murder
of Jess Skeels.

And if you're thinking
about giving me any trouble,

I assure you I won't back off.

There will be no trouble.

I will go with him.

Sheriff Aranda is determined
to dig his own grave

with his people.

And if he wants my help,
I will be happy to give it to him.

If you're hiding Cardenez,
you're making a big mistake.

If you're looking for Toler,
a quarter of a mile down the road,

the first trail to your right.

Thank you for the information.

I will stay so they do not
burn this house.

If you will help Ramon,
we will all pray for you.

- Adios.
- Adios.

Hello?

Hello!

You lookin' for somethin'?

Yeah, I had to back the horse.

You, Mr. Toler, I'm looking for you.

- I'm Zack Toler.
- I'm Ben Cartwright.

I came over to talk to you.

Right now we're gonna talk
about what you're doing

prowling around my claim here.

I just told you, I came here
to have a few words with you.

Well, I'm a miner.

You want to talk to me,
why didn't you look in the mine?

Well, I looked around.
I didn't see any activity.

You didn't look in the mine.
That's where the work's done.

Anybody with any brains at all
would know that.

Yeah, you're right.
I... I admit I was wrong.

I apologize.

But I sure do want to talk to you.

You want to talk, I don't.

And I'll thank you to get on your horse
and get off my claim.

Ramon Cardenez asked me
to come here.

Uh, you heard me.
Come on now and get.

All right.

I'll do that.

Change your mind,
I'll be at the hotel in Prince River.

Oh, Mr. Driscoll,
come in, sit down.

I was just about
to come to see you.

Why did you arrest
Cardenez's wife?

I thought that was
the right thing to do.

- Why?
- Why?

I'll tell you why.

She helped her husband escape.

She may very well have
been the one

that fired the shot that killed Skeel.

But that's not the real reason.

No, you're right. It really isn't.

I've known Cardenez
for a long, long time.

He loves his wife.

She's going to give him a child.

So I thought that perhaps...

You thought that if he hears
she's been arrested,

he'll come and give himself up.

He'll try anything
to get her out of jail.

I wish you'd talked to me
about this first.

Did I do something wrong,
Mr. Driscoll?

Ah, you're new at this job, Vincente.

Still some things you have to learn.

Like how sometimes it's best
not to push too hard.

I don't understand.

Well, for example,

Cardenez convicted himself
when he ran, didn't he?

Yeah.

All right, so what more
are we going to accomplish

by having him surrender
and stand trial?

It'll just keep the rancheros
stirred up.

Oh, I'm not saying
he should get off scot-free.

I only say first things first.

And getting that land
along the south fork

is what the folks in this town want
more than they do a hanging.

Hmm.

Well, well, well.

Perhaps I should release the woman.

Little late for that.

We don't want to give the rancheros
the idea we're backing down.

No, all I'm saying is that
if you do get word from Cardenez

that he wants to make a deal
to free his wife,

you let me know so we can figure
the best way to handle it.

- Understand?
- I understand.

- I'm sorry if in some way...
- Oh, forget it, Vincente.

No harm done. No harm at all.

Well, ain't you gonna talk to me?

I was hasty with you, Mr. Cartwright,
but always did have a short fuse.

Any little thing and boom.

I'm trying to say I'm sorry,
but you ain't making it any easier.

You saw a shootin'.

Cardenez's place, yeah.

Up till that happened,
I never got one "howdy" a year.

Now I got important people
talking to me.

According to Cardenez,
Skeels and the others shot first.

You saw that.

Is that what you want me
to say in court?

I want you to tell the truth.

You gonna offer me a job.

Clearing land on your ranch,
maybe, blowing stones?

No.

Money, then?

You gonna put something
in my pocket to help me remember?

No money, no job, no bribe.

I was bribed.

Fellers give me a job.

Poured me some of the finest whiskey
I ever tasted.

I sold out.

A man that'd do that's too small
to look a snake in the eye.

I've been hating myself,
Mr. Cartwright.

I didn't want to lie,
and I didn't dare tell the truth.

Why not?

'Cause I want to go on living.

It's the big man that was there
when Cardenez got away.

That's him all right.

Truth is Skeels shot first.

And I'll say that in court
if I can get out of this town alive.

You'll get out of this town alive,
I promise you that.

All right.

But I don't want to talk to you again
till court time.

I might not get there.

- Who is it?
- Hoss.

This is Mr. Toler. My son, Hoss.

- Howdy, Mr. Toler.
- Howdy.

- Man, you're a biggun.
- Yeah.

I'm beginning
to believe that promise.

Who is he?

He saw the shooting.

He's gonna testify
that Cardenez is innocent.

- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah. What are you doing here?

Well, I came
to get Mr. Cardenez's wife.

He don't want to stand trial
unless he knows she's gonna be safe,

and I figured I'd take her back
to the Ponderosa.

Well, you can't. She's been
arrested as an accomplice.

I'll go back to the ranch
and talk to Cardenez.

You look after him.
See nothing happens to him.

Right.

What can I do for you two gentlemen?

You got trouble, mister.

- Is that a fact?
- That's a fact.

You have a problem?

No, there's no problem,
uh, Sheriff.

Well, then move along.

You heard me, move along. You, too.

- Thank you, Sheriff.
- Mr. Cartwright?

May I see your gun?

There's a law in this town.

You can't carry a loaded gun
without written permission.

You're under arrest.

Let's go.

I don't care what Toler said, señor.

I do not trust him.

Oh, sure, he's brave enough now.

But what will he be
when he has to get up in court

with Driscoll and Aranda sitting there,
not taking their eyes off of him?

Hmm?

And even if he said the truth,
who will listen?

Who will care?

When is Hoss coming back with Sara?

Sara's under arrest.

Sara?

Well, what for?

Well, according to Aranda,

she's mixed up
in the murder of Skeels.

I must go back right away.

Yeah, Aranda's probably
figured you'd want to.

What do you mean?

Well, he's not interested in Sara.

He just wants to make sure
that you get back there

so you can give yourself up.

Well, it doesn't matter.
I must go back!

Wait a minute now.
Wait a minute.

If Aranda wants to make
some kind of a deal,

why don't we let him?

Find Zack's body?

Nope, and I don't think we will.

Not enough for a funeral, anyway.

Terrible thing.

How do you suppose it happened?

Oh, it's hard to tell.

You know how he used to go
plum loco every time he drank.

With all this dynamite around here,
anything could happen.

Any reason to believe
it wasn't an accident?

No reason that I can think of.

Pronto, andale.

Ramon, Señor Cartwright,
come in, come in.

Ramon, what are you
doing back here?

Aranda has arrested Sara.

I know that,
that's why I brought my family here.

So they would not burn your house.

Well, I'm going to surrender
if he'll release her.

They will hang you.

But first there has to be a trial.

And Mr. Cartwright has a promise
from Zack Toler

that he will tell the truth
about what happened.

What's the matter, Miguel?

Toler is dead.

It was a mighty convenient
accident, Sheriff.

Convenient?

Toler died just after
you decided to tell the truth

about the gunfight out at Cardenez's.

I understand he already told
the truth to Mr. Driscoll.

You may go, Mr. Cartwright.

What about that law
against carrying a loaded sidearm?

Well, I decided
not to press the charge.

I see.

Primarily 'cause there ain't
no law against it, is there?

Just didn't want me
showing up at Toler's

at the wrong time yesterday, did you?

I'd keep opinions like that
to myself if I were you.

Is that a warning or a threat?

You can take it either way you want,
Mr. Cartwright, but take it.

Giddyup!

Whoo, whoo. Whoo!

Ah, Mr. Cartwright.
I saw you talking to your son.

- I suppose he told you.
- Yes, he told me.

Well, what can I do for you?

I want to see Mrs. Cardenez.

We don't keep women prisoners here.

She's under guard
in a room at a hotel.

Why do you want to see her?

I think you know why.

Yeah, I suppose I do.

Cardenez sent you to make a deal.

He'll surrender
if I release her, right?

Well, isn't that why
you arrested her?

Hmm, well, more or less.

There's one more condition...

You deputize enough of
Cardenez's friends to guard him.

We don't want any accidents,

the kind that happened
to Zack Toler yesterday.

Nothing's going to happen
to Cardenez.

I'm afraid your word
isn't good enough, Sheriff.

Either Cardenez gets his deputies
or you don't get Cardenez.

That's up to me to decide,
Mr. Cartwright.

Yeah. That's right.

Looks like you're gonna have
some help making your decision.

What did Cartwright want?

To make a deal.

They want to exchange Cardenez
for Cardenez's wife.

Sounds like a pretty fair exchange.

Oh, there's something else.

They want me to deputize
some of Cardenez's friends

so they can protect Cardenez.

It's all right with me.

I don't want anything to happen
to Cardenez before the trial.

- You?
- No.

But, uh...

But what?

Well, I've been thinking
about Zack Toler.

But we didn't find a trace of his body
after the explosion.

What if he wasn't
at the mine yesterday?

Sure he was. He had to be.

If he was still alive,
he'd have shown up here by now.

Unless the Cartwrights
are hiding him

to make us think he's dead.

And to spring a surprise
when he goes on trial.

Brady?

Yeah?

We're going after Cardenez.

Mr. Driscoll, you know what?

I could be dead wrong about this.

We might just be barring trouble.

You have any idea
where Cardenez is now?

No, but I'm sure
that we follow the Cartwrights,

we'd find him.

No, I want everybody to know
you were in town all day.

We'll handle it.

Brady?

You're gonna need these.

Thanks, Sheriff.

Gracias.

Now, Ramon, as soon as
you've surrendered to Aranda,

I'll telegraph Charlie Dawson
of Virginia City.

We'll have him come here
to defend you.

- Who is he?
- He's a crackerjack lawyer.

One of the best.

He's saved a lot of men
from the gallows.

Probably the best lawyer
in the territory.

It is not the lawyer that Ramon
has to worry about, señores.

It is the jury...
12 gringos with a rope ready.

The best lawyer in the territory
or in the world

will not save you, Ramon.

Change your mind.
Get away from here.

Aranda is bluffing.

He will do nothing to Sara
if you do not surrender.

- I'm not so sure.
- I am.

Miguel, would you be just
as sure if it was your wife?

I will get Ricardo Tomas
and some of the others

to help guard you.

If Ramon is tried, I am tried.

If he's guilty, I am guilty.

If he's to hang, I too will hang.

You had no right
to make this deal for me.

It's the way Ramon wants it.

I don't care. I will have no part of it.

It is not up to you, señora.

How soon will you be back?

In an hour.

Please, don't let Ramon do this.

It's his decision.

I don't believe that.

He'll tell you that when he sees you.

But let me go to my husband.
Let me speak to him.

You will stay here until he surrenders.

Señora, I know how you feel.

Please believe me, it'll be all right.

All right for whom, señor?

Whoa.

Hyah, hyah!

I don't understand, Aranda.

What is it
you don't understand, señora?

How a Mexican can help
the gringos rob and cheat

and murder his own people.

Señora, this is a gringo world.

A gringo world with gringo rules.

You can't win
by trying to change them.

You win by learning what they are

and playing the game a little bit better
than the gringos do.

That's all.

But to betray your own people.

My mother was an Apache squaw,

my grandfather an Irish buffalo hunter.

Who are my own people, señora?

They're heading for Cardenez's place.

Well, they have to come back this way.

We'll wait for 'em here.

They're sure taking a long time.

Maybe they ain't coming back this way.

They'll be along.

Señor, my saddle is loose.

Buenos dias, amigos.

You surprised, no?

Whoa, whoa.

Oh, Mr. Cartwright?

My house is the white adobe
at the end of town.

You'll find Zack Toler there.

Will you please bring him
to my office?

- I sure will.
- Thanks.

Giddyup.

I took him there
just before the dynamite

accidentally exploded
in the mine shaft.

What are you trying to do, Vincente?

I'm placing you under arrest
for attempted murder.

Mr. Driscoll, I adjusted
the sights of the rifles

I gave you and Brady.

You couldn't have hit a man
at 20 yards, much less 300.

But you tried, and we have witnesses.

Morning, muchachos.

I've been waiting a long time for this.

If we had known,
we could have helped...

The other rancheros and I.

You're still thinking like a Juárista.

You can't fight men
like Driscoll this way.

Ah, he's right, Ramon.

You have to fight men
like Driscoll through the law.

I know sometimes it looks as if
we don't have too much of it,

but we do
and we're getting more all the time.

We've gotta use the law, not guns.

Men like Driscoll use it, too.
It is their law.

Not if we do not let him have it.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Ready to go, Pa?

Right with you!

Amigo, I'll be back
for Driscoll's trial.

Don't you worry.

- Adios, Señor Cartwright.
- Adios.

My friends, best of luck.

- Muchos gracias.
- Adios.

Zack, see you at the trial.

All right.

Let's go.

There goes amigos.

Adios, amigos!