Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 1 - Showdown - full transcript

(hushed):
Hurry up, Sam!

We set one.

Let it go.

Hurry it up!

Make it fast,
this whole town ain't deaf!

Well, it looks like
we made it clean, Pardo.

They sure sleep sound
in Virginia City, don't they?

Let's go.

Sam...

the Ponderosa is over
in that direction.

I reckon I can find it.



You know what you're gonna do
when you get there?

We've been over it 97 times,
Pardo.

Just once more.

All right.

I go to the Ponderosa
and I hire on as a hand,

and I keep my ears open.

And if a search party comes down
this way,

I'll let you know first.

Especially if it's a platoon
from the Army.

Then what?

Well, when things quiet down,

I come on back
and we light out.

Mark that big old dead tree.

We'll be a mile-and-a-half south
of here.



You'll see
a big granite boulder,

leads into a box canyon.

That's where we'll be waiting.

You just let
old Sam take care of it.

You're my eyes and my ears.

I'm depending on you, Sam.

Let's go.

Sam, cover up those hoofprints.

They'll probably want to know
where you came from.

Tell them about that ranch
you used to work on;

that fella that was always
talking about the Ponderosa.

That ought to convince 'em.

What if it doesn't?

What?

What if somebody starts getting
extra nosy?

You got a gun, haven't you, Sam?

(theme song playing)

(horse whinnying)

Hey! Ride him, cowboy!

Come on, stick with him, Adam!

HOSS:
Ride him, Adam!

LITTLE JOE:
Come on, Adam!

- Fan him! Fan him!
- Come on!

You know, I told you he was
too much horse for you, Adam.

Well, you're next, bronc buster.

That's what they call me.

Hey, Joe, you ain't been making
no rash promises

to Ellie McClure, have you?

I haven't had a chance.

You sure?
Because there comes her Pa

and the sheriff right now.

Whoa.

Hey, I wonder what they want?

I don't know, but now, me,

I always sort of went
for June weddings

with lots of apple blossoms
and...

Yeah, well, you know,
a fellow could do

a lot worse
than Ellie McClure.

Oh, excuse me all to pieces.

ADAM: Well, are you gonna
ride this thing or not?

Coming up.

If you'll excuse me, ladies,

it's time
for your riding lesson.

(Adam, Hoss clear their throats)

(horse whinnies)

Now we'll see some fun.

HOSS:
Ride him, Joe! Ride him, baby!

- That a boy!
- Ride him, Joe!

Keep his head up, Joe!

- HOSS: Ride him, baby!
- ADAM: That a boy!

HOSS:
Ride him, Joe!

HOSS: Keep his head up!
That's a way!

- That's a way!
- Get him!

ADAM:
Come on, boy!

Ride him! Stay with him, boy!

Ride him!

HOSS:
Ride him, Joe!

(both laugh)

I told you.

Well, I'm glad
somebody enjoyed it.

I'm sorry.
I didn't know it showed.

What can we do for you?

Well, you wouldn't happen
to have an easy job

in a cool place, now would you?

Yeah, but my brothers and I take
all of those.

What else do you do?

Well, I've accidentally managed

to break a horse or two
in my day.

Yeah, well, we just happen
to have one on hand.

Yeah, well, I was hoping
you'd take my word for it.

ADAM:
Now what's this?

Cowboy wants to try his luck
on that hammerhead.

You ever busted
any broncs before, bubba?

One or two, I guess.

Well, if you ain't for sure,

right now would be
a real good time to back out.

No, I don't reckon
I'd want to do that.

You think
we should let him do it?

Well, it's his hide.

Some fellers have to learn
the hard way, Joe.

(horse whinnying)

Come on, nag!

No!

Hyah!

Mule! Hi!

Hah! Hi!

Hyah!

MAN:
Get out of there!

(indistinct shouting, goading)

Now that's what
I call riding a horse.

Well, you got to admit
I tired him out a little bit.

Well, you might
as well face it, Joe,

some people are just better
with horses than others.

Nice ride, kid.

I'm Adam Cartwright.

Sam Kirby.

These are my brothers, uh,
Hoss and Little Joe.

Howdy.

Hi.

Pleased to meet you.

You, uh, looking for a job, Sam?

Well, Ed Lemp said you might be
hiring some hands.

Ed Lemp-- you a friend of his?

Well, he ramrodded an outfit
I worked for

down in Arizona--the Bar-B.

I see.

Ed give you
a letter to show?

Well, yeah, I, uh, I got it
packed in the saddlebag there,

if you really want to see it.

If you say you got it,
you got it.

How's old Ed, anyhow?

Oh, he's meaner than ever.

Still thinks mighty high
of the Ponderosa, though.

Well, we pay $30 a month,
bunk and beans.

Well, you just hired yourself
a hand.

Now, as far
as posses are concerned,

we got them here,
here, and up here.

Looks like you're well-covered.

Now, I've been on the telegraph

to every lawman
in the territory,

so I believe we got him
pretty well sealed in.

That is, within
this general radius.

Yeah.

Oh, boys, come in, please.

You know Mr. McClure,
Sheriff Coffee?

- Hello, Sheriff.
- Little Joe.

Howdy.

Hi, Mr. McClure.

Ellie getting all set for that
birthday party Sunday?

I'm hoping we'll be able to have
a birthday party, Little Joe.

Well, why?
What's the matter?

Well, Mr. McClure's bank was
robbed last night.

I thought that bank was pretty
near robber-proof.

Yeah, so did I.

How much did they get away with?

Just about all there was.

Right now, we'd be lucky

if we could pay off five cents
on the dollar.

Boys, that information is
not to leave this room.

You mean the people
don't know about it?

Well, they know we've been hit,
but they don't know how bad.

We can't afford to have a run
on the bank right now.

If we can get that money back by
the first of the month,

we got a chance to weather it.

You'll be fine, Tom.

Any idea who did it, Sheriff?

Yeah, it could have been
the John Pardo bunch.

He pulled a job just about like
this up in Butte last year.

Well, what are we waiting for?

Now, wait a minute, Joe.

The sheriff has plenty
of help up north.

He's holding us responsible
for the Ponderosa.

Chances are they'll hole up for
a while, anyway,

till this thing
cools down a bit.

And we're to see to it that they
don't hole up on our land.

So keep your eyes open
for anything unusual.

You know, smoke, tracks
that hadn't ought to be there,

drifters that got a lot more
money than they ought to have,

anything like that.

Well, we'll let you know
if we see anything, Roy.

Ah, much obliged to you, Ben.

More than likely they won't come
down this way at all,

but it don't do no harm
to make sure.

- BEN: No, it doesn't.
- Bye.

So long.

Mr. McClure, I sure hope

Ellie can have
that birthday party.

I hope so too, Little Joe.

We're waiting
to hear from Fort McKay.

We're trying to get help
from the army.

Well, I'm sure they'll want
to help.

So do we, Tom.

Ben, when I think about some of
the small ranchers around here,

I... I'm just not man enough
to tell them

that they've worked five, ten,
15 years for nothing.

It's a tough thing
to face up to.

Now, now, Tom, that's enough
with that kind of talk.

They'll find Pardo
and his outfit.

You mark my words.

I hope so.

Thank you, Ben.

So long, Ben.

So long, Roy.

Want us to finish breaking
those horses, Pa?

No, forget about the horses
for now.

There's still time
to do some looking

before it starts getting dark.

You boys saddle up
and tell Hoss and the men.

Hey, Pa, I was, uh,
I was just thinking

about what the sheriff said
about drifters.

Yeah. What about 'em?

Well, we just hired one
a little while ago.

I just thought I'd mention it.

Now, come on, Joe,
just because he outrode you,

doesn't mean he's a bank robber.

Look, I told you
to stop kidding me...

BEN: Wait a minute, now.
Wait a minute.

Now, what about this new man?

Well, Ed Lemp sent him.

He's all right.

Fella over there by the corral.

Sam Kirby.

In the gray shirt.

Well, if Ed Lemp
vouches for a man,

that's good enough for me.

Tell Hoss and the men
to saddle up.

Well, we'll cover more ground
if we split up in twos.

Joe, you take the arroyo
and everything east.

Right, Pa.

- Hoss.
- Yes, sir?

You go down south
as far as the wash.

Adam and I will
take the west part.

All right, take a man
and let's get busy.

Okay?

Yeah, let's--we'll
bird-dog them out of there.

Come on.

BEN:
Come on!

- Whoa, whoa.
- Whoa.

I don't know about you,

I think I'm gonna
stretch a little.

Well, uh, don't you think
it's getting kind of late?

Shouldn't we get back?

Yeah, after I work out
a few kinks.

Wonder how the others are doing.

I don't know.

I hope they're doing
better than we are.

(groans)

That's funny.

You find something?

Yeah.

This bush here.

It's been broke off fresh.

You reckon
how that come to happen?

Well, uh, a stray, maybe.

No, I don't see no tracks.

It's peculiar, ain't it?

Well, it, uh...
that's-that's deer brush.

Maybe some Indian
took it for his fire.

Maybe.

Let's me and you
take a look around, anyhow.

LITTLE JOE:
Hoss!

What's the trouble, Joe?

Ah, nothing I guess.

From back there, it looked like
he was drawing down on you.

Who? Ol' Sam here?

Well, I-I just heard
somebody coming.

I-I just wanted to be sure.

Joe, you're letting
this whole thing spook you, boy.

Yeah, I guess so.

I reckon you was right
about that deer brush.

Come on,
let's get on in for supper.

A sure fine supper tonight.

I never had roast beef that good
in my whole life.

Get your gear stowed away?

No, I... I better get to it.

Want some help?

No. Thanks.

I don't have that much.

If you need anything, Sam,
just holler.

(door closes)

Do you, uh, suppose
it's something serious?

I don't know.

I think the cat's
got his tongue.

No, I was just thinking.

About Ellie McClure, no doubt.

Uh, no doubt.

No, I was thinking
about Sam Kirby.

Well, now, you can't still be
stewing about him

breaking that horse
this morning.

I told you that had
nothing to do with it.

Ah, it's like I was telling you
before supper.

He's all bothered because
he thought he caught ol' Sam

drawing down on me
out there in the wash.

Forget that, Joe.
He told you

how that happened, didn't he?

Yeah, he told me.

What's the matter with you then?

(sighs softly)

I don't know, there's just...

there's just something
about him.

Well, on Friday, we-we covered
the south and the west part.

Then yesterday,
we took the east.

And this morning,
we split up and swept north.

No luck, huh?

Nah, not unless
Adam found something.

I didn't.

What kept you?

Well, Sam saw some, uh, smoke
up around Bitter Creek.

Turned out to be
Ollie Ludlow's posse.

Ah.

Ollie's been watching
the Dayton Road.

Don't I know you, son?

I couldn't say, Sheriff.

I don't think I know you.

Roy, this is Sam Kirby.

He's working for us now.

Since when?

Since Friday.

Hired on Friday, huh?

Where were you
Thursday night, Sam?

You mean the night
the bank was robbed?

Mm-hmm.

I was on the trail.

You can prove that, of course?

Not unless you want to take
the word of my horse.

Sam's all right, Sheriff.

He-- Ed Lemp sent him up here
from the Bar-B.

Oh.

How's old Ed?

Meaner than a snake.

(laughs)

Well, I guess, Sheriff, that...

RUDY:
Sheriff?

Got a message
for you from Fort McKay.

Thanks, Rudy.

Get my glasses.

Come to town for the picnic,
Mr. Cartwright?

Oh, you mean, uh,
Ellie McClure's birthday party?

I heard that was being
called off, wasn't it?

Well, it looks like
they called it back on again.

You know about ladies
and parties and such.

They say it's going to be
a real do!

Hot dog!

That's what I call
real good news.

And here's some more good news.

The army's going to bust loose

with a whole troop
of horse soldiers.

Says they'll be here
tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow? Well, that is
good news, Sheriff.

That changes things
considerably.

Now we can organize a search
that'll really mean something.

Well, Tom McClure will be happy
to hear about that.

What's up, Rudy?

Who's that young feller
in there, Joe?

That's the new hand
we hired. Why?

Well, nothing.

I just thought maybe I saw him
in town with two other men

the night the bank was robbed.

Are you sure?

Well, he sure looks like
the feller I seen.

Well, maybe you ought to come
in there and tell the sheriff.

Oh, now, wait a minute.

I ain't that sure.

Anyway, it was kind of
a dark night that night.

Well, I'll see you back at
the Ponderosa, Mr. Cartwright.

All right, Sam.

Aren't you going
to the picnic, Sam?

No.

No, I'm not much good
at picnics.

Well, you ain't never seen
the kind of picnics

we have around here.

Well, I think I'll just ride on
back to the ranch, Hoss.

Oh, why don't you come on.

It'll do you good.

Well, some other time.

Ol' Joe and me are gonna look
pretty silly

packing you all the way
over there, now, ain't we?

No, maybe he's got
something better to do, Hoss.

All right, you win.

I'll go.

Come on.

Hope she's got some of
that blueberry pie.

Yes, sir, I sure relish
a couple of them

blueberry pies 'fore supper.

Now for the team of
Adam Cartwright and Troy Fuller,

Adam Cartwright.

- Come on, show 'em, Adam.
- (clapping, murmuring)

- Got nothing to worry about...
- Get 'em in there.

- That's it.
- Get it in there.

There we go!

- (crowd murmuring)
- Easy one, easy one.

Easy, easy!

- Ah!
- (crowd murmuring)

Hey, that's a fancy swing there,
you got.

All right, player, come on, boy.

- Take good care of that.
- See what you got here.

(murmuring continues)

- (horseshoe clanks)
- Ah!

Hey, that's a fancy swing there,
you got.

All right, player, come on, boy.

(murmuring continues
in distance)

Ellie, I wouldn't do
all this work for just any girl.

I hope you know
how much I like you.

You mean I'm the only girl

you ever carried a picnic basket
for, Little Joe?

Well, let's just say

you're the only girl
I'd carry one for now.

Little Joe Cartwright!

Right in front of
all these people.

Yeah, well, y-you know,
we could go behind that wagon.

All right! All right.

I'll get the rest
of the groceries.

The pickle fork.

Pickle fork.

Where did I put the...

Hoss Cartwright!

Ma'am, uh, there was
a great big ol' horsefly here,

and I-I was just...

I know what you was just.

You Cartwrights!

If it isn't one thing,
it's the other.

There'll be no refreshments
served until after the games.

Yes'm.

Miss Ellie, ain't that
your pickle fork over there?

I don't see any--

Hoss Cartwright!

Remember, ma'am,
I'm just a growing boy.

Hey, Sam.

Hey, Sam, come here.

What you doing sitting
off over there all by yourself?

I'm just watching.

Well, that ain't no way
to do at a picnic.

You got to get around here and
meet some of these pretty gals.

Oh, no, don't bother.
I'm-I'm fine.

Yeah, but you'll be a lot finer

when you meet some of these
gals-- come here.

Miss Ellie, Miss Ellie, I-I want
you to meet a friend of mine.

This here is Sam Kirby.

How do you do, Mr. Kirby.

It's my pleasure, ma'am.

Uh, you better be nice to Miss
Ellie; her father owns a bank.

Is that so?

Well, if you two will excuse me,
I better find Pa and Adam

and learn 'em something
about shooting them horseshoes.

Do you like picnics, Mr. Kirby?

Well, I don't exactly know.

You don't know?

You see, this is the first one
I've ever been to.

Didn't they have picnics
where you grew up?

Not hardly.

What kind of a place was that?

I don't think you'd much
want to hear about it.

I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean
to be inquisitive.

It's-It's my fault.

I... I didn't mean to give you
a short answer.

That's all right.

If you'll excuse me, I've got to
finish setting this table.

Is there anything
I can do to help you?

Thank you.

I didn't think I was going
to have a party today at all.

That so?

Well, you heard about
the bank being robbed.

Yeah, I heard.

Papa's been awfully upset.

And mama and me, too, naturally.

I guess you would be.

So many people trusted Papa.

The Wilsons and Ludlows.

Even the Cartwrights.

I think it would just kill Papa
if they were to lose everything.

Well, I-I don't see
where it's his fault.

He feels responsible
to his friends.

Doesn't matter now, anyway.

We had some
real good news today.

Suppose you mean about
the army coming in.

Yes.
Isn't that wonderful?

Yeah.

Wonderful.

WOMAN:
Ellie?

Have you seen the napkins?

Yes, Miss Shoemaker.

They're in that basket
over there.

Well, come on, girl,
the party can't wait all day.

Mind setting them out?

Course not, Miss Shoemaker.

It was nice meeting
you, Mr. Kirby.

I hope to see you again.

Thank you, ma'am.

Well, as a matter of fact,
there's a dance next Thursday.

Doesn't amount to much,

but the Cartwright boys
usually come.

Why don't you come
along with them?

Well, thank you, ma'am.

I think I'd like that.

Thursday then.

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, let me get that.

LITTLE JOE: What are you
trying to do, Kirby?

I wouldn't say I was
trying to do anything.

Now, Little Joe, Mr. Kirby
and I were only talking.

Yeah, sure, I saw the way
he was talking.

It looked to me like
he was trying

to put his arm around you.

Joe Cartwright!

What business is this
of yours, Cartwright?

I'm making you my
business, Kirby.

Just because I've gone out
with you once or twice,

it doesn't give you the right

to think of me
as your personal property.

Now, you stay
out of this, Ellie!

There's a lot of questions I've
been wanting to ask you, Kirby.

Now is a good a time as any.

Well, I'm not answering
any questions.

Yeah, well, you're going to
answer this one:

Where were you Thursday night?

Joe!

Mr. Kirby, please!

Break it up, fellas.
Break it up, break it up.

Break it up!

When I say break it up,
I mean break it up!

It's all right, folks.

Everything's all right.

The boys were just getting
a little hungry, that's all.

I think Mr. McClure
would like us to adjourn

to the tables for a little food.

Yes, friends.

Over here.

We have fried chicken.

Sam...

Sam, we didn't mean no harm.

We-We didn't know your back
was scarred up like that.

You suppose it'd be all right
if I went along now?

Where do you want to go, Sam?

Back to the ranch...
if it's all right.

Of course it's all right.

Sam...

Little Joe
didn't mean nothin'.

We just wanted you to have
a good time, that's all.

BEN:
Hoss.

Sam...

put this on.

It'll cover your back.

Well, it wasn't much
of a picnic for him.

HOSS:
Pa?

Hmm?

You reckon what would do
a man's back like that?

About the only thing I could
figure is... a bullwhip.

What are you all looking at?

Aw, forget it, Joe, ain't
nobody looking at you.

All right, what was
I suppose to do?

You didn't have to poke him.

Oh, I didn't have to poke him.

Look, he's the one
that threw the first punch.

Come on, now.

You've been down on him ever
since he rode that horse.

I told you that's got
nothing to do with it.

Well, what is it then, Joe?

What have you got
against that boy?

All right, I'll tell you.

Rudy told me he saw him
in town Thursday night.

I wouldn't be surprised

if he had something to do
with the bank robbery.

Hey Joe, that's going a bit
too far, ain't it, boy?

That's a pretty
serious charge, Joe.

You have any real evidence
to support it?

Now, Rudy told me
he thought he saw him in town.

He thought he saw him in town.

And you call that real evidence?

Well, I guess not.

I'm sorry, Pa.
I should have known better.

All right.

Look, maybe I better
ride after him,

tell him I'm sorry.

Yeah. Good idea.

Come on, Cochise.

It's me--Sam.

(hoofbeats approaching)

Oh.

Hello, Sam.

How's the boy?

Just fine, Pardo.

Things quieting down?

No.

They're getting hot.

There's an army troop of cavalry
headed in from Fort McKay.

Yeah, when?

Well, they're due
in Virginia City

tomorrow afternoon.

What time?

I'm afraid they didn't say that.

(chuckles)

Oh, well... we'll
have plenty of time.

Where are the posses?

Well, I got them all spotted.

Yeah? You sure?

I had a good long look
at the map

in the sheriff's office.

In the sheriff's office?

They must have trusted you
pretty good.

Yeah, they trusted me fine.

Why?

No reason.

Where'd you get the new vest?

Adam Cartwright.

He, uh... he gave it to me.

He gave it to you.

I gotta hand it to you.

You sure got a way
with you, Sam.

Yeah.

All right, we'll take outta
here in the morning,

before the cavalry pulls in.

(chuckles)

Now, what's so funny?

That Cartwright feller,
giving you his vest.

(laughing)

Ramos!

There's one thing still left
for you to do, Sam.

I want you to go back
to the Ponderosa

and spend a little more time
with your friends.

Why?

Well, for one thing, you might
want to return that vest.

If you're thinking of turning on
me, Sam, you better forget it.

Now, what makes you say that?

I don't know, I just said it.

Now get back to that ranch

and find out which way the
soldiers are coming in.

Pardo, do I have
to go back there?

Yeah, you have to go back there.

(horse whinnies)

PARDO:
Where'd you find him?

Looks like he was trailing Sam.

Ramos and me thought you
might be interested.

Do you know him?

Yeah, it's Joe Cartwright.

It's a small world,
ain't it, Kirby?

I thought you said
you had them fooled.

No, not all of us.

What's that mean?

Nothing.

Just keep him here.

I'm going back to the ranch.

- Eh...
- Leave him alone!

Are you going soft, Sam?

Go ahead, tie him up.

Get on back to the Ponderosa

before those Cartwrights
get suspicious.

And find out which way

those horse soldiers are
coming in, you hear?

I hear you.

ADAM:
That you, Little Joe?

No, it's me--Sam.

Oh, I thought, uh,
Joe'd be with you.

Well, you thought wrong.

That's funny, he rode out of
town right after you did.

He felt kind of bad about what
happened at the picnic today.

He went after you
to tell you he was sorry.

Oh?

Well, you tell him
I said not to lose any sleep.

Sam, I haven't known
you for very long,

but I count you as a friend.

Let me tell you something:

A man's only got one friend,

one guy in the whole world
he can count on

who'd go out
on a limb for him--

and that's himself.

All right.

The sheriff's inside.

The sheriff?

Wants to talk to you, Sam.

But why me?

Why don't you ask him
that yourself?

That Ed Lemp--
I tried to convince him

to stick it out in this
territory, but...

He never did think this country
would amount to much.

Hired out to Arizona.

He did pretty well out there.

He had all that gold and silver
right here under his feet.

Yeah, and the lumber and cattle.

(door opening)

Hello, Sam.

Come in.

You know the sheriff.

- Yeah.
- Sam.

Sit down, Sam.

No, thanks.

Sheriff tells me he has some,
uh, some information about you.

I thought you'd want to be
here when he told us.

That's nice of you,
Mr. Cartwright.

Seems Sheriff Coffee here
got to worrying about you

this morning,
after we left his office.

Well, that was real nice
of you, too, Sheriff.

I sent a telegraph message
about you

down to Bar-B Ranch,
Old Ed Lemp.

Here's the answer.

It says they let you go
more than six months back

on account of your
prison record in Texas.

Did you check on that, too?

Didn't have to.

He sent the whole story.

Funny thing about a prison
record, Mr. Cartwright--

they say you do your time
and you pay your price...

but don't you believe it.

Sam, did you
serve your time out?

Eight years.

And I was pardoned.

I suppose they left that out!

It's all there.

Now, Roy, what's all this about?

Since when do we hound a man
that's paid for his mistake?

It wasn't exactly a mistake.

Now, just what does that mean?

He murdered his father
in cold blood.

Is what he's saying true?

Yeah.

Some.

He was my stepfather...

and he needed killing.

Nobody needs killing.

He did.

I was six years old
when my mother died.

You know what he did when
we come back from the funeral?

He took a whip to me.

"Just to show ya," he says.

"Just to show you things are
gonna be different from now on."

That was my stepfather.

I see.

From then on, he beat me
every day I can remember.

Except when he was too drunk!

Then it was he who...

who did that to your back.

He did.

So I waited.

I waited till I figured
I could handle him.

And I waited till
he was stone-cold sober.

I wanted him to know
what was happening

and who was doing it.

SHERIFF:
That's premeditated murder.

Yeah!

And then, one night,
he came for me...

and I was ready.

And I killed him.

I was 14 years old.

And that's what you served
your sentence for?

For ten years.

I served eight.

I think you'd better
come along with me, boy.

Sheriff, I'm not going
anywhere with you.

SHERIFF: Kirby, you haven't got
a chance against the four of us.

Sam...

Sam, put... put up your gun.

Put it away.

All right... now,
what's the charge against him?

No charge; don't need any.

He can't prove where
he was Thursday night,

and he's got a prison record.

That's enough to take him in.

No, it's not enough
to take a man off this ranch.

Now, what does that mean, Ben?

Roy, half the people
in this territory

couldn't prove where
they were Thursday night.

And as for a man
having a prison record,

once he's served his sentence,
his debt is paid, and that's it.

The boy stays here.

You're refusing
to cooperate with the law?

BEN:
I'm refusing to allow you

to lock the boy up
without a valid reason.

No law in the world
says you can do that.

I could deputize some men.

Well, Sheriff,
I reckon you better

get you a whole bunch of 'em.

All right, Ben.

But he's your responsibility.

Ben, you're stickin'
your neck out a country mile,

because if you've made a mistake

you're gonna have
to account for it.

(Ben sighs)

Well, Sam, it looks like
Little Joe and the rest of us

owe you a new shirt.

Yup. You go down and get
the best one you can find, Sam,

with pearl buttons and all.

BEN:
Sam....

...now what's been said here
has been said,

and that's the last of it.

I want you to know that you have
a home here on the Ponderosa

for just as long as you want it.

Uh, Pa, you'll
have to excuse Sam.

He, uh, has some theories about
people going out on a limb.

Guess they kind of
fell apart, huh?

(Ben chuckles)

That's where you're mistaken.

You all just made me see
how right I am.

So I got a home
on the Ponderosa, have I?

Well, I can't use it!

Sam!

Now, look, what did we say...

Forget it!

Just don't you do me any favors.

And don't you expect any!

Now, what got into him?

I guess he's not used to being
treated like a human being.

Mm.

I wonder why Little Joe
didn't come back with him?

Aw, Pa, he probably
got halfway out

and decided to go back
and make up to Ellie.

Mm. Should've
been home hours ago.

Strange boy, that Sam Kirby.

(chuckles softly) Well...
I guess that's what happens

when you've never been
given a helping hand.

Yeah, he got himself
so far out on that limb

he didn't quite know how
to get himself off.

(yawns) Well...
it's been a hard day, Pa.

Better get to bed.

Don't worry about
Little Joe, Pa.

He can take care of himself.

Yeah.
Good night, Hoss.

- Good night, Adam.
- Good night.

Good night, Pa.

He's sure enough worried
about Joe, ain't he?

Yeah, well, you know
how he always is about him.

Hey, where you going?

I'll be right back.

Do you think
you'll need any help?

Nah.

(door opens)

Couldn't even wait
till morning, huh?

Why you so touchy, Sam?

No reason.

I just want to get out of here.

(sighs)
So nothing my father said

made any difference to you, huh?

Why don't you Cartwrights
leave me alone!

I'm full up to here!

And here's your vest!

I don't want it!

Sam, is it really the kindness
that's killing you,

or is it something else?

I just don't like a lot
of people asking me questions.

Why not?
What have you got to hide?

Who says I got anything to hide?

Little Joe right
about you all along--

is that what's
bothering you, Sam?

(quietly):
Okay.

(grunts)

Adam?

Adam, are you around?

(door opens)

- What's the matter?
- I got hit in the head.

Kirby slammed into me
and ran off.

I guess he had us all fooled.

Yeah, and particularly me.

I think the sheriff
was right about him.

Little Joe, too.

He might have the answer
to Joe's whereabouts.

Now, let's get Hoss
and get saddled up

and pick up his trail
as soon as it turns light.

(punch lands)

All right, once more.

You're wasting your time.

Which way?

(hoofbeats approaching)

About time you
were getting here.

We gotta get moving.

What are you doing to him?

What'd you find out?

Did you find out which way the
horse soldiers were coming in?

No. I didn't get a chance.

Well, maybe we
still have a chance.

He probably knows
which way they're coming in.

Why don't we just
have you make him tell us.

Yeah, why don't
you make me talk, Sam.

Go on.

After all, you're
practically one of the family.

Well, what are you waiting for?

You ask him.

That living with the Cartwrights
is making you go soft.

It's his kind that put you
in jail and took eight years

out of your life--
you forgetting that?

No, I'm not forgetting that!
But I know the Cartwrights

well enough to know
that he won't talk.

Now, if we stay here any longer,
we'll never get out of here.

Let's get going now.

LITTLE JOE:
You'll never get out of here.

When my pa and brothers find out
I didn't come home all night,

them and the cavalry'll be
all over the place.

You're not gonna make it.

Maybe we won't, but you
won't be alive to know it.

Kill him.

Hold it, Linc.

Now, he just gave us the answer.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

Take him with us.

Joe Cartwright
riding out there in front.

And if we get trouble from
any of the other Cartwrights,

he gets a bullet
right in the back.

Might work.

PARDO:
Ramos!

Go get Andy
and saddle up the horses.

Linc, get the money
out of the cave.

All right, Pardo.

Pardo!

You sure waited long enough.

You took ten years off my life.

Well, I just hope I didn't take
ten years off my life, too.

(sighs)
Eh, don't worry.

You got friends now.

Friends that'll stick by you.

Yeah, I know that.

I'll be all right.

What about those other two?

Yeah, let's pick 'em up.

Well, it looks like Little Joe
didn't wait for the army.

Hey, he's got Sam with him.

Looks like we was
wrong about Sam, Pa.

Yeah. Looks like we were
all wrong about Sam Kirby.

Hyah!