Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 24 - The Dark Gate - full transcript

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Please no. Please, I...

Ross, I can't stand anymore!

Ross, stop.

Please, why are you doing this?

Why?

No, no, please stop!

I'll stop when you admit
this thing with Adam!

There's nothing
between Adam and me.

Ross, Adam Cartwright's
your best friend.



There's nothing between us!

- You lie!
- No!

Ross...

Ross, please stop.

Please, please, please, Ross.

Ross, you don't know
what you're doing.

Admit it!

Now admit it.

Admit it!

All right, it's true.

It's true, it's true.

Put it in words.

Adam Cartwright and I
have been seeing each other.

Adam Cartwright and I
have been seeing each other.



Yes, yes! Yes!

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes...

Is that all the critters
you got out of that draw?

That's all.

Did you go clean back
the buttes?

I went clear to the rimrock.

I looked in every gully
big enough to hide a coyote

and beat every bush
big enough to hide a jackrabbit.

Doggone it.

I know Pa's figuring on
getting at least

50 or 60 head
out of that piece of range.

Well, I know they were supposed
to be there,

but they just weren't.

Beats all, Adam.

This is the skimpiest spring
roundup I ever remember.

We're going to be dang lucky
if we come up with 2,000 head.

Yeah, it was a mean winter.

Yeah, I reckon we lost more

to the blackleg
than we figured on, too.

Well, I'll take this bunch on in
with mine.

Pa wants to see you back at the
corral about something or other.

All right,
take good care of them.

I worked hard for that beef.

Don't worry none.

All right, baby.

Your mother will be looking
for you.

Hey, Little Joe!

Get another one yet?

Hold it.

All right.

Let her go!

Hyah!

Be back
with another one, Pa.

All right, Joe.

That one there will make 56,
don't it?

57 if you count
that runty-legged one.

Well, if you add
the maverick yearling,

that makes my tally 58.

What's the matter with you?

Didn't you ever learn
how to count?

Well, it's them big numbers
that throw me.

Anytime they get over ten,
I got to take my shoes off.

You know, I...
I knew a lad once.

Every time he'd tally,
he'd be short

ten in every hundred.

Ah, he'd be regular
as clockwork.

I couldn't talk him out of it.

Did you ever cure him
of the habit?

Yeah, I finally did.

Took a while, though--
wasn't easy.

Had to shoot a finger off
his left hand.

Well, how'd that help?

Well, like Jake here, you know,
he counted on his fingers,

figuring ten
for each time around.

Trouble was, he had, uh,
six fingers on his left hand.

Hey, how'd you make out
up on Goose Creek?

I only found about ten head.

Ten head?

There should have been
close to 50 head up there.

I know, Pa,
but that's all there were

and I went clean
to the rimrock.

Jake, take my horse,
will you?

Let me have that.

Well, did you see any bones
to speak of,

like, uh, like they
were packed up in a storm

or died off
with the black quarter?

One carcass, that's all.

Hmm.

Let's have some coffee.

That's warm enough.

One carcass was all, huh?

Well, I...
I expect that they came down

to the forks
and crossed over.

We'll likely find them
when we drive the north side.

And when we do, we're going
to need a lot more help.

I imagine we will.

Uh, Hoss said you wanted
to see me about something.

That's what it was about.

I want you to go in
and, uh, see if you can talk

Ross Marquette into coming over
and checking out his own brand.

Uh, tell him, uh...

tell him, um,
we've already got about...

50 head of his stock
in our herd.

Well, he's probably busy
with his own branding.

Well, we'll help him
when we're done here.

You shouldn't have too much
trouble talking him into it,

seeing how close you two are.

Well, all I can do is try.

We don't have 50 head
of his cattle up here.

Well, Adam,
we've got two or three head.

And who's to say we won't run
into a whole herd of his

before he ever gets here?

Anyway, we need help.

You're a conniving
old pirate.

Ross?

Ross?

Del?

Hey, Ross!

Where are you, skinny?

You scared the daylights
out of me.

All right, you look as tough
as a year in jail

and the bore on that gun
looks as big as a rain barrel.

Now what?

You going to start out
by robbing all the men

and kissing all the ladies?

Well, you got a reason
for pointing that gun at me?

Speak up or put it down,
you're not being very funny.

Why'd you come here, Adam?

I come looking for you,
you big skinflint.

Pa said you come up
and help us, we'd help you.

Besides, we got a few head
of your cattle in our herd.

Now, what's wrong with that?

Because it's a lie.
That's what's wrong with it.

You didn't come here to see me.

You came here to see Delphine.

You figured I'd be out
on the range someplace.

What are you talking about?

About you and my wife.

Ross, will you make sense?

You been meeting her here.
I know all about it.

You're not serious, now.

What are you trying to say?

That you're in love with her.

You're trying
to take her away from me.

Well, of all the dirty,
rotten...

Boy, now you put down that gun,

or I'm going to take it away
from you

and bend the barrel
over your thick skull.

I'm not fooling, Adam.

No! Ross, no!

Ross, what the devil's
wrong with you?

There ain't nothing wrong
with me.

I just caught up
with you two, that's all.

My best friend!

My wife.

Now that's-that's something
to think about,

now isn't it?

Del, what's wrong
with your face?

Nothing, Adam, go away.
I'm all right.

Did you do this?

You bet I did.

Ross, we've been friends
for 15 years.

I handed you the ring
at your wedding.

This girl is your wife.

You've told me thousands
of times how much you love her!

She admitted it was true.

Del?

Adam, it's a lie. It's a lie.

I told him it was a lie,
I told him over and over again.

He wouldn't believe me.

He kept... he kept hitting me
and hitting me.

I couldn't stand it, so I told
him it was the truth.

I'm sorry, Adam.

I'm so sorry.

Oh, Ross.

Stop, both of you!

Quick, get me something
to tie him with, Del.

I'm sorry,
it was the only way.

Adam, what can we do?

Well, we can get you out of here

until I can put some sense
into his head.

Get a few clothes together,
I'll saddle up a horse for you.

You're going to the Ponderosa.

Well, but what about Ross?

Don't worry about him,
I'll take care of him.

Now do what I told you,
get moving.

How long has it
been going on, Del?

Hmm?

Months.

Why didn't you tell us
about it?

Well, it hasn't been bad
until just recently.

I...

I kept thinking
he'd get over it.

Well, he just keeps
getting worse.

I'm frightened, Adam.

I know Ross like I know
the inside of my hat.

I just can't believe
he'd act like this.

Neither can I.

You know, sometimes he...

he seems almost mad.

Well, there's something wrong,
that's for sure.

Try not to worry about it
too much.

I'll...
I'll take care of him.

Adam...

I wouldn't blame you
if you didn't want to.

After what he said, I...

Regardless of what he said,
he's my friend.

And you don't drop a friend
that easy.

Come on.

All right, on your feet.

What are you doing to me?
Untie me.

I'll untie you.

I just want to see if you're
thinking straight first.

Sit down.

Oh, I'm thinking straight.

All right, then you understand
why Del's going to stay

at the Ponderosa with us
for a few days.

She stopped by
to tell me good-bye.

What got into you, Ross?

I mean, how could you
do a thing like that?

I don't know.

Maybe you're right, Adam.

Maybe it's a good idea
that she gets away for a while.

Get up.

I'm sure it'll be for the best.

I'll drop by in a couple
of days and we'll talk.

Oh, Adam, you've got my gun.

That's right, I have.

Well, I'd like it back.

Sure.

You want to see Monk Hartley--
why?

I'll tell Monk Hartley.

You watched me ride up here...
you know me.

A man don't read wanted posters
doesn't know who you are.

You're wanted
for robbery, murder.

Reward's $5,000 now, ain't it?

Would you like to try
and collect that $5,000?

I want a deal with you.

I'm listening.

You've got a lot of law
looking for you and your crew.

You got no place to hide.

I got a place to hide
and no crew.

Where is this place to hide?

Right here on this ranch.

See, I fired all my hands.

I need new hands to do the work.

I'm a respected man.

No one would ever believe
that I was

hiring wanted men
or keeping a killer.

Keep talking.

Gold and silver bullion
move on a stage road

less than a day's ride
from here.

I can name six banks
within three days' ride.

You ain't told me
nothing new yet.

Can you shortcut across the
Ponderosa in broad daylight

to get to that stage road?

Well, it'd sure save
a lot of time, but, uh...

I don't know anybody
can get away with it.

I can.

That's something new for you,
now ain't it?

Sure is.

Right under
ol' Ben Cartwright's nose.

All right, boys,
you can relax now.

Looks like we've found us
a home.

You mean this place here?

I mean this place here.

Now, stable all the horses.

We're going to be here a while.

Adam, I've known Ross
as long as I've known you.

Done a lot of business
with him, like him fine.

You couldn't find a better man
till two, three months ago.

Then he just went sour.

Well, Mr. Beatty,
I thought maybe if he were

having money troubles again,
I could help him.

Late last fall,
there was reason to worry.

That ranch of his
nearly went under.

I know.

Lost most of his young stock
to the blackleg.

You remember that.

Yeah, the Ponderosa
lost its share, too.

Tried to help him then, but you
know Ross, how proud he is.

He didn't need help, apparently.

After he changed his brand
to the Silver Dollar,

his luck changed.

Bought up new stock with money
he said he got from the East.

Came on fine.

He's solvent now, got a nice
balance here at the bank.

Well, that makes it tough.

If it were money problems again,
it'd be easy to cure.

Ross was never what
I would call a religious man,

but when he stopped attending
services, I was concerned.

How long ago was this, Joe?

Late fall.

I went to the Silver Dollar
ranch to talk to him about it.

He didn't welcome me.

I don't understand,
he always liked you.

He didn't that time.

Adam, I hate to say this, but...

I was thrown out
of the house bodily.

What?

Well, he seemed to enjoy the
offense against the Church,

the, uh, desecration,
if we can call it that.

I don't know what to say.

Ross isn't like that.

He's...

Joe, do you have any idea
what might be wrong?

I mean...

is there anything
that we could do?

Adam, I think of the force
we call the Devil as...

as a sickness
that comes to the human soul.

I think of evil as a...

well, as a symptom
of that sickness,

like fever or pain.

And I think of hell as the death

that results
from that kind of sickness.

A sort of spiritual oblivion.

You think he's sick?

I believe the sickness has come
to the soul of Ross Marquette.

And I believe
his soul is sickened

almost to the death with it.

Prayer may alleviate suffering,

and God, in his infinite mercy,
may speed the end,

but, Adam...

I don't think there's any other
cure for a soul as sick as his.

He talks the same as you and me,
he looks the same.

Do you think he's insane?

From what I've told you?

When a man behaves
the way Ross is behaving,

you can certainly say
he's unbalanced to some degree,

but to what degree?

It's as if he's gone through
a dark gate,

and, as yet,
we have no key to that gate.

All we know is that...

if he goes too far,
there's no return.

Paul, it seems to me
the time to help him

is before he goes too far.

Isn't there something
a doctor can do?

No.

But doctors are beginning
to ask themselves

that question more and more.

A lot of us believe that
insanity is a mental illness...

can be cured
with the proper treatment.

Someday someone
will find the cause,

and the key to that dark gate,

but the day is not yet.

Now all we can do
for an insane person

is to take his clothes
away from him;

lock him behind barred windows;

let him stare
or rave his life away.

Or wait until he kills somebody,
and send him to the gallows.

That, or cut him down
with gunfire.

Hyah!

Hyah! Hyah!

Here she comes, Monk,
$30,000 in gold bullion.

Hyah!

Yeah, that bullion's
well guarded.

Four men ain't too many
for you to kill.

One man's too many to kill.

You killed more than that.

Never wanting to.

There's the difference.

Maybe that is
a difference, Monk.

You think I'll be satisfied
with $30,000 in gold bullion?

Well, what will you
be satisfied with?

For a starter...

the Ponderosa.

Pretty big ambition.

That still don't mean
we got to kill those men.

And if we don't,
they'll recognize us.

That means we'll hang
sooner or later.

I'm not in the habit of taking
chances; we cover our faces.

I've already bought
my ticket to the gallows.

You stay here, out of sight.

Okay, we go.

Hyah!

Hyah!

Whoa!

The bullion's all we want.

You men keep your hands
in the air,

and you'll live
to tell about it.

You, throw that box
down on the ground.

You hurt bad, Monk?

Yeah, I'm hurt.

I don't know how
you got hit that way.

- Why, you wasn't even turned...
- He's hit, that's enough!

Ain't no time to be
standing around talking.

Now you and Billy
unpack that bullion.

Take the Sandy Creek trail
to the forks.

Then come into my place
after dark from the east.

I'll take Monk in
the shortest way.

What about it, Monk?

Come on, help me
get him on his horse.

- Easy with him. Easy with him.
- Come on.

That's as far as you go, Monk.

I ain't finished yet.

You may not know it,
but you're finished.

You're the one that shot me.

I shot the driver to start
the hurrah, then I shot you.

I don't need you anymore, Monk.

All I need's a crew.

You wouldn't ride off
and leave me, would you?

Might take me
a couple days to die.

Give me a shove.

Sure, Monk...

I'll give you a shove.

Hi, Del.

Adam, I thought you were
still on the roundup.

No, we needed more supplies,

so I elected myself
to come and get 'em.

Well, I see you've been
keeping busy since you got here.

It's better that way.

Gives me less time to think.

It's almost finished.

What you been doing,
working day and night?

Well, almost.

Think you'll find the
house a lot cleaner, too.

Well, now, it wasn't dirty.

Maybe it wasn't dirty

to a bunch of big hulks
like you Cartwrights.

Adam, I have to know:

have you heard
anything about Ross?

No, not a word.

Well, it's-it's been a week.

I'm worried.

Oh, now stop it, Del.

You've been worrying
and fussing about him

since the first night
you met him.

I wonder what he's doing.

He's probably branding calves.

I rode by on my way here.

Was there anybody there?

No, but all that gear
in the bunkhouse says

he's got men working
for him again.

I expect they're out
on the range.

Anyway, they should be.

There's a lot of work
to be done.

Adam, don't you think
I should go back there?

Isn't that my place, really?

I think you ought to wait
a couple of days.

He's working again.
That's a good sign.

He hasn't come here
looking for trouble.

That's a good sign.

No, things are getting
along fine.

I don't think
we ought to hurry it.

You'd think he'd
at least send some word.

Well, I expect he's feeling just
a little bit ashamed just now.

Ah, Del, let's stop
this stewing.

You know, what you need
is a breath of fresh air.

Now, why don't you
get in some riding clothes,

and I'll saddle up a horse.

A ride up to the butte and back

will make a new woman
out of you.

Adam, you don't
know how I'd love

to get out of the house
for a little while.

All right, then you're
gonna do exactly that.

Come on. Now get going.

Didn't think that old plug
of yours would ever get here.

This old plug
got a rock in his foot.

You are a big liar.

You wanted me
to come up here alone.

Well, what's wrong with that?

A view like this should be
looked at the first time alone.

One thing's sure, anybody down
at the mouth should see it.

Wouldn't stay
down at the mouth long.

It's very beautiful, Adam.

Yep, see halfway
to Boston on a clear day.

I believe you could
do just that.

It's gettin'
pretty near sundown.

I think
you've had enough of this.

We better be getting along.

You suppose you could keep up
with me on the way back?

Well, now why don't you just
take a nice long lead

and I'll show you.

Come on! Come on!

That rangy bull almost
cost us a saddle, boss.

Yeah, that shouldn't be
too hard to fix up.

Better get Sam to make up
three or four new ones, anyhow.

Yeah, it's pretty near
falling apart now.

Okay, set 'er up.

Pa, did you find any more of
those changed-over brands?

I'm afraid so, son.

About half a dozen.

Sheriff ought to be along
pretty soon.

Yeah, I saw some trail dust
back over in the west.

I reckon that's probably
him and Joe now.

Yeah, expect so.

Mike says he saw Adam
coming up Coyote Canyon.

He ought to be along
pretty soon, too.

Yeah. You-you gonna tell Adam
about the brands?

I don't know
how I can keep it from him.

Yeah.

I'd just as soon hit him
in the face with a gun butt.

What kind of roundup is this?

More people than cows.

Well, you're not
too far wrong, son.

- Roy. -Adam.

Dooley.

What are you doing here?

Got some bad news for you.

We come out of this roundup
about 500 head short

of what we should have had.

We finally figured out
where they went.

Hoss, hand me our brand.

That's a Ponderosa brand.

Hoss, give me the
Silver Dollar brand.

I'm gonna show you where
our cattle went.

When Ross Marquette

said he bought a new
herd with Eastern money

when he lost his young
stock to the blackleg...

he didn't buy a new herd,

he just changed his brand
to the Silver Dollar

and stole a herd
from the Ponderosa.

I don't believe it.

I can't believe it.

Adam, I'm gonna
add to your troubles.

In fact, I'm just about
gonna kill you.

Now, I've been riding
from sunup to sundown

for days now, trying to cut
the trail of the men

who killed the guards
and the driver

and took that shipment
of bullion.

I haven't been able to find
a track-- nary a one.

But now I believe I know why.

I didn't check out
the Silver Dollar ranch.

Ross isn't a killer.

You know better than that.

Wife beater, cattle thief--

can murder be
far from those?

I'm not accusing Ross,
you understand.

I just want a long talk with him

and a close look
at that ranch of his.

Go with me, Ben?

You know I will.

Mike, you and Forbes
finish up here.

Leave the riding stock,
we'll come back after them.

But take the chuck wagon in.

Joe, Hoss, you ride with me.

Right, Pa.

Adam, you go back to the ranch.
We're enough without you.

You give him a chance to talk.

Every chance.

You know that, son.

If it was me, I believe I'd be
worried about Marquette's wife.

You know, man helped
kill four men.

He'll liable to do
almost anything.

Del!

Delphine!

- Delphine! -Adam...

Adam?

Oh, no.

Adam.

Adam.

It was Ross.

He...

he broke in.

He... He...

He did this to me.

Where-where is he?

Where'd he go?

I don't know.

Adam, why did he do this?

He was... trying to kill...

You-You're gonna be
all right, Del.

Adam...

Can't take much more
of that man.

He likes killing and
all too much for me.

I ain't never seen
a beat of it.

And don't you think he
wouldn't turn on you and me

just as quick as
he did Monk, too.

You ain't seen me
turn my back on him, have you?

No, you're too smart for that.

That must be him now.

Him and his woman.

Maybe...

maybe not.

We might as well go
up the house and get him now.

I want to make sure first.

That's a posse.

That's the law.

Don't look like
there's anybody around.

They might be inside.

They're coming after us, Sam.

They're gonna hang us.
They're gonna hang us!

Shut up. Let me think.

Well, we've gotta kill 'em!

We've got to kill them
first, don't you see?!

They're gonna hang us!

As sure as anything,
they're gonna string us up!

Now you blowed it!

Dooley.

Dooley, you all right?

I'm gonna check him, Pa.

Joe...

Durn kids.

He's dead, Pa.

Joe, Hoss,
you take care, now.

Poor old Dooley.

He had a ma
to take care of.

Who's gonna tell her?

Come on, stay down.

You in the bunkhouse,
this is the law.

You come out with
your hands in the air.

I hope he didn't have no ma.

You in there, now there's no way
of getting loose.

You'd best come out
while you're able.

Don't shoot!

I'm coming out!

Don't shoot!

Now, come on.
Throw that gun out first.

Don't shoot!

Anybody else in there?

No, no.
No, I'm by myself.

I'm the last one--I swear it!

Joe, be careful.

I didn't want to kill him.

He made me do it!

I didn't want to
kill him, I swear!

I didn't want
to kill him!

What are you gonna do?

He wasn't lying, Pa.

He's the last one in there.

There must be
a safer way to find out.

Come on, on your feet.

Come on,
on your feet!

Now, where's Ross?

I don't know.

Where is he?!

He's around here
somewhere, somewhere close.

I don't know just where.

Where'd he go?!

He went to the Ponderosa
to get his woman.

- That's all I know.
- Delphine.

She's there alone, Pa.

Drop that gun!

Turn around slow.

I've been looking
for you, Ross.

Who are you?

It's me, Ross--Adam.

You're one of them's
been chasing me.

Everybody's chasing me!

Ross, nobody's chasing--

Don't you move!

One more move,
and I'll kill you.

I don't want nobody
pushing me around!

Ross, I just saw Delphine.

You're not gonna stop me!

Nobody's gonna stop me!

Ross, I want to help.

I warned you!

Adam?

Oh, am I glad to see you.

I don't know what happened.

I'm hurt.

Easy, boy.

Something happened to me.

It sure hurts.

You've got to get...
get me back to the ranch.

My fifth wedding
anniversary is coming up.

Delphine will have my scalp
if I'm not there.

Your anniversary
was ten months ago.

Oh, you're joshing me.

It's not for two weeks yet.

Oh...

Oh, it sure hurt, Adam.

What happened to me?

Why am I here?

You went away for a while.

You just got back.

Oh...

I'm sliding away, Adam.

I...

I'm cold.

Hang on to me, Adam.

Where am I going?

Huh?

To Delphine.

She's waiting for you.

I got your hand, boy.

Adam...

Adam, you...

you had to do it.

There just wasn't
no other way.

Those last few minutes...

...he was just like
we always knew him.

He was with a friend,
then, wasn't he?

He didn't die a stranger.

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