Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 28 - The Rival - full transcript

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What is this?

What are you doing?

What are you...
What are you going to do?

Let go of me.
What...? No!

- Jess!
- No!

Jess!

- Jess! Jess!
- Wait!

Jess!
No!

- Jess!
- Let me go.



No.

Oh, Jess!
- No...

No!

No. Let me off!
Let me off.

Jess!

No!

Reckon I ain't much good

at making light conversation,
Cameo.

You just leave that up
to me, Hoss.

I can rattle on enough
for the two of us.

My, what a glorious night.

Smell the air. It's so sweet.

Yeah, I... reckon
it must be honeysuckle.

There's...
lots of it around here.



I just love this place.

It's so peaceful and quiet.

Away from the noise of the town.

It's, uh, getting late, Hoss.

Cameo...

Uh... there's...

There's something I'd...

There's something
I'd like to say to you.

Oh, what's that, Hoss?

Ain't nothing...
Ain't nothing important.

I, uh, best be getting inside.

Cameo...

You... You reckon, uh...?

Do you reckon I could...?

Do you reckon I could kiss you?

Tender-like?

I reckon you could.

Jim.

That's them, Sheriff.
It's got to be.

Yeah.

Take the horses, Jimmy.

Just hold it right there, boys.

Howdy, Sheriff.
What's going on?

That's what we want to find out.

Where you boys been?

They were at my brother's house
wearing masks.

I saw them drag Peg and Jess out
of the house and kill them.

Huh? And what about it?

You there
with the green jacket--

you come up here
where I can see your face.

Clem Johnson.

I never thought
he'd turn to this.

Clem Johnson
was a friend of mine.

No excuse for this.

He's not
the only cattleman around

that's been taking a beating.

Think of all the steers
we've lost.

I'd rather lose every
living thing on the Ponderosa

than resort to the rope.

Look, you're a cattleman, Pa.

How come you weren't asked
to join the vigilante pack?

I was asked.

Didn't show you the letters.

Sent to stock owners
all over the territory.

Full of noble,
virtuous arguments.

All they lacked was one thing--
signatures.

Well, uh, I think I'll go up
and get a little rest.

You know, I wonder
about that fellow that got away.

Oh, they'll catch up with him
sooner or later.

I don't know.
It could be anybody.

Nobody saw him.

Mm.

I think I did.

Well, you tell the sheriff
about it?

No, sir.

Why not?

Well, Pa,
I didn't actually see nobody

around the Morehouse place.

I just saw a bunch of men
riding from that direction.

They might not have had nothing
to do with it. I don't know.

But you recognized some of them.

One of them.

Well, who was it?

It was Jim Applegate,

but Jim ain't the sort
to go vigilante.

Well, neither was Clem Johnson.

Hoss, you've got
to tell the sheriff about this.

Pa, I know Jim.

He's just
a hardworking wrangler.

But I still think
you have an obligation

to tell the sheriff
that you saw him

with some of the men
near the scene of the lynching.

Yeah, I reckon I do.

I'll talk to the sheriff in
the morning when I go into town.

Hoss!

I didn't expect
to see you this morning.

Well, I, uh,
heard about last night.

You finding those people.

It must have been awful.

Yeah, it wasn't very pretty.

Well, would you like

to come inside
for a little while?

Yeah, thanks.
I-I can't stay but a minute.

I got to get on into town.

Hello, Hoss.

Hiya, Jim.

I didn't expect to see you here.

I guess I'm doing the same thing
you're doing--visiting Cameo.

Well, isn't this nice?
You two know each other.

Sure do.

Next to you, Hoss is probably
the only real friend I got.

Why don't you just sit there
and make yourself comfortable?

I'll make us some tea.
Won't that be nice?

Jim-dandy.

I didn't know we was both
courting the same gal, Hoss.

Likewise.

She sure is a nice gal,
though, ain't she?

Real nice.

Jim, I... I ain't seen you
around lately.

Well, I've been around.

Lost my job, though.
I've been looking for work.

Those mighty fancy new boots
for a man out of work.

Why, you know me, Hoss.

Never save for tomorrow
what you can spend today.

The tea will be ready
in a minute.

Well, it looks like
winter's about over, doesn't it?

Reckon so.

The Indians say when
the hazelnut is about the size

of a-a squirrel's ear,
it's safe to put in seeds.

I go by a corn on my left foot.

When the swelling goes down,
summer's on.

I guess, uh, Hoss don't feel
much like laughing.

He found those poor people
last night.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Whole town was talking about it.

That poor woman.

Must have been awful.

Had no call to kill that woman.

They had no call to kill nobody.

You expecting
more company, Cameo?

Don't tell me
Hoss ain't my only competition.

Goodness, no, I can't imagine
who that could be.

Morning.

Jim Applegate,
you're under arrest.

Under arrest?
What are you talking about?

- I'm talking about you being
one of them vigilantes. -Hey.

That's what I'm talking about.

- What are you doing?
- Take him out, boys.

- Oh, come on. -Oh, Sheriff,
Jim couldn't possibly do

- anything like that.
- Get my hat for me, will you?

I'm afraid he could and did.

Them two folks
that was murdered last night

are no more cattle rustlers
than you or me.

They're just a couple
of homesteaders

who were giving some stockman

a little trouble
over land rights.

You shouldn't be taking up
with a man like that.

He's a murderer.

Hoss.

Hoss, they're making
a terrible mistake.

Jim's no vigilante.

Hoss, I want to go
into town right now.

Cameo, you,
you'd best stay out of this.

Stay out of it?

He's your friend, too, Hoss.

Do you really believe
he could have killed

two innocent people?

I don't know.

Maybe he didn't think
they was too innocent.

How can you say that?

I don't believe
what the sheriff says.

I'm going, Hoss; you can stay
if you want to.

Come on, Sheriff,
let us in there.

We'll get him, come on, now...

What are you doing here,
Cartwright,

coming to see your friends?

I... guess that sort of comes
under the heading

of my business, don't it?

Is it your business
to murder innocent people?

Mr. Morehouse,
I'm, I'm terrible sorry

about your brother and his wife.

Forget your sympathy;
I don't need it.

They were lynched by cattlemen,
and you're a cattleman.

Come on, Sheriff,
let us in there.

We'll get him.

Hoss.

Cameo.

Afternoon, Sheriff.

Uh, Sheriff, we'd like
to see Jim Applegate.

Hoss, you've got no call
to get mixed up in this.

Well, just the same,
we'd like to see him.

Well, I reckon
I can't deny you that right.

Are you all right, Jim?

They didn't hurt you, did they?

Yeah, I'm all right.

I'm sorry about this, Cameo.

I... guess I kind of busted up
our tea party.

You shouldn't have come
down here.

I shouldn't have come down here?

They took an innocent man
right out of my house

and threw him into jail,
didn't they?

Yeah, well, I guess you're
about the only one in town

that believes I'm innocent.

How about you, Hoss?

It don't make no difference
what I think, Jim.

It's what the law proves
that counts.

Heck, I couldn't lynch nobody.

You know that, Cameo.

I'm as sure of that, Jim,
as I am of anything.

But Hoss ain't so sure.

Why, sure he is.

Hoss, isn't that so?

I... I hope he is, yeah.

Hope he is?

What kind of talk is that?

How could you even doubt it?

Maybe he's got a reason.

What possible reason
could he have?

You.

Jim, you know better than that.

I ain't so sure,
the way you're acting.

Look, hasn't either one of you
in your life ever met

anybody
that you could trust, that...

that you just knew
was telling the truth?

Jim, that's the way
I feel about you.

And Hoss, that's the way
I feel about you.

Ma'am...

looks like you're wrong
about both of 'em.

Who are you?

I'm, uh, Frank Gideon, ma'am.

I'm one of those terrible fellas
that lynched them homesteaders,

and Jim-Boy was right there
at my side.

Weren't you, Jim?

That's a lie!

Cameo... Hoss...

he's lying, believe me.

I believe you, Jim.

Jim, you, you and me have known
each other for a long time.

I've always respected you
for an honest sort of fella,

and I, I'd like to believe you.

You'd like to, but you can't.

Jim, I seen you last night.

Seen me where?

Riding in from the Morehouses'
with a bunch of other fellers.

I seen you just as plain and
clear as I see you right now.

That's right, Hoss.

I was with them--
that's a fact--

but I didn't take part
in that lynching.

Well, what was you doing
with them?

Well, I met 'em just as they was
leaving the Morehouse place.

I was heading back
from Canlon's spread,

just the other side
of the Truckee.

I was over there
looking for work.

Then Mr. Canlon can verify
what you're telling me?

There wasn't
nobody home when I got there.

I plumb forgot that Canlon rides
his scrub stock

into market on the 15th.

Then there ain't nobody
that can tell where you was.

I'm telling you the truth, Hoss.

I'm innocent, I swear it.

It's funny, they all say that,
right up to the time they swing.

Ain't that right, mister?

All right, go tell the sheriff.

Tell him that you saw me.

Go ahead,
maybe it'll do you some good.

What's that supposed to mean?

You know what I mean.

With me out of the way,

you're not going to have
any competition with Cameo.

Mr. Morehouse, you're not going
to gain nothing

by stirring up a lot of hate.

It ain't me that's been
stirring it up, cattleman.

There's been a lot
of mistakes made,

lot of mistakes made
by both sides.

You going to keep on making 'em?

Let's show him what we do
to cattlemen, boys.

You just stay
right where you are.

That goes for all of you.

You ain't stopping me,
cattleman!

Mr. Morehouse, I don't want
to hurt you.

Your brother and his wife
were two innocent people.

Those two fellows
in there might be, too.

Don't you want to hang around
and find out?

They're guilty, Hoss,
they're as guilty as sin,

but they will be accorded
the due process.

They'll get all the due process
they need--

same kind they gave
my brother and a helpless woman.

Now, wait a minute, boys.

I told you earlier that a
gathering like this was illegal

and I asked you to break it up,

but now I'm telling you
to break it up,

so go on, git, before
somebody gets into real trouble.

Let's knock that door down
right now.

Come on, open up, Sheriff.

Hoss, this man is
a no-good drifter.

Now, forget about him.

He's always been that way.

This time he's got himself
into real trouble,

and he's going to pay for it.

Roy, I, I thought your job
was catching criminals,

not hanging 'em.

Oh, Hoss.

My job is protecting the public,
but that don't mean

I ain't got a right
to my own personal opinion.

Dad-burnit, Roy, I got
a right to my opinion, too,

and there might be
just an outside chance

that Jim's telling the truth.

What about these?

How much can you let this boy
twist the truth to suit himself?

I don't know.

But I'm gonna find out.

I gotta.

Well, Hoss, I didn't expect
to see you again.

I'm sorry
about what I said before.

I guess I must have had
a burr under my saddle.

Forget it.

Just keep talking, Jim-Boy,
just keep talking.

Maybe he'll forget about
you trying to steal his girl.

Don't listen to him, Hoss.

He doesn't know
what he's talking about.

Don't I?

Why don't you tell him
about you and me?

I think he'd be
mighty interested in hearing.

That's got nothing
to do with this.

Ain't it?

You told the sheriff yet
you seen Jim-Boy with us?

Why don't you shut up?

I think you'd better.

I'm just trying to help, mister.

That little girl of yours--

Jim-Boy here has got
his eye on her.

Gideon, shut up.

Oh, come on, Jim-Boy,

stealing another fellow's girl
is nothing new to you.

Remember?

Don't listen to him, Hoss.

I've seen this boy work.

Oh, he's got a way with women.

Yeah, they melt like hot tallow
when he looks at 'em.

They forget
about everybody else.

Ain't that right, Jim-Boy?

Ain't like it sounds, Hoss!

Hoss, listen to me.

Hoss!

- Roy.
- Yeah?

Hoss.

What's the matter, boy?
You got something to tell me?

He's gonna tell them now,
Jim-Boy.

That's all they'll need
to get you good.

Well, if it ain't the law,
it'll be them homesteaders.

Yeah, they're gonna...
dangle you into nowhere.

Just like me.

Why don't you stop?

Be kind of fitting, won't it?

Two men in love
with the same woman

dangling from the same tree.

Ah... but, then,

I guess you never
really did love her.

You just used her,

till she couldn't think
about anybody else but you.

That was a long time ago.

You gonna carry
that around in your gut

for the rest of your life?

It's easy for you, Jim.

Everything's always
been easy for you.

You just love 'em and leave 'em.

I didn't take
Ellen away from you.

She couldn't stand
the sight of you.

Ellen?

Oh.

Oh, yeah.

My wife.

I'd almost forgotten about her.

I guess I never
cared very much for Ellen.

No, she's not
the one I hate you for.

It's the first one
you stole from me.

That's the one I hate you for.

That's the one I hate you for.

Let me out, Jim-Boy!

I-I didn't mean
what I said, honest, Jim.

It-It's all in the past.

Give me the keys, huh?

The keys!

That's more of a chance
than you'd give me.

Have you been
to Virginia City again?

All right, if I have?

That's twice in two days.

I ain't got to account
to nobody, have I?

Now, we just missed
your strong back around here,

- that's all.
- I do my share.

Well, you don't have to get
so riled up about it.

I ain't riled up.

Oh, I guess red's, uh,
your natural color, huh?

Maybe it is.

What are you making
your bullets for?

You too cheap
to go in town and buy them?

Hold on to a dollar longer
than anybody I ever seen.

- Now, wait a minute...
- Oh, excuse us.

No, come on,
I want to find out

- what's the matter with you!
- Aw, leave him alone.

Hoss.

Sit down.

What is it, son?

This isn't like you.

Uh... reckon I just felt
like being mean, Pa.

This Jim Applegate thing
troubling you?

I guess I'm letting it
get me down.

Is that the only reason?

No, sir.
There's a girl.

You know, Cameo.

What's Cameo got to do with it?

I like Cameo a whole lot, Pa.

So does Jim.

And I got to make sure that...

if I tell what I saw,

it ain't gonna be
just to get rid of him.

It seems to me

that you're letting
your personal feelings

influence you to the point
where they're...

interfering with what
you're obligated to do.

But Pa, that's exactly
what I'm trying not to do.

Don't you see? The...

the sheriff already
thinks Jim's guilty, and...

well, everybody else does.

All they need is
an eyewitness-- me.

I think there's one possibility
which you seem to be avoiding.

Maybe he is guilty.

What do you
want here, Morehouse?

We want Jim Applegate
and Frank Gideon.

Well, they're in jail.

Don't give me that, Cartwright.

They're out, and you know it.

Your boy helped them to escape,
and he's hiding them here.

Hoss?

Last time I saw 'em,
they was in jail, Pa.

He's lying.

They're friends of his.

Now, Mr. Morehouse...

you're a little excited,
so I'll overlook the fact

that you've
called my son a liar.

But my patience wears very thin.

So does mine, Cartwright.

We'll find them.

And when we do,
we'll give them exactly

what they gave
my brother and his wife.

Well, Hoss, what about it?

You didn't help
them escape, did you?

Course not.

Where you off to?

I'm gonna go get my hat and gun
and take a little ride.

I think I know
where Jim might be.

I love you, Cameo.

I love you, Jim.

At first I tried not to,
but I just couldn't help myself.

I got to run.

I hate running, but I got to
if I'm going to stay alive.

Then I'll run with you, Jim.

It wouldn't be fair.

See, that's-that's not right.

Are you thinking about Hoss?

I can't help it.

I know how Hoss feels about you.

He's been very decent to me,
Cameo, and nobody else has.

I don't belong to Hoss, Jim.

Cameo...

were you ever Hose's girl?

I thought I might be once,

- until...
- Till what?

Until I realized
how much I care for you.

I'll go pack us some food.

We can't stay here.

I don't want to kill you, Jim.

I wouldn't use mine, either.

Jim, you...

You pretty near had me
believing you

back there in the jail.

I never lied to you.

Why'd you run off?

Deck's stacked, Hoss.

They even got an eyewitness.

Jim, I didn't tell them
what I saw.

The worst possible thing you
could have done was to run away.

It just makes you even look
that much guiltier.

Well, I guess it doesn't matter
how guilty I look now.

Yes, it does.

I'm-I'm taking you back, Jim.

Nobody's taking me
in there, Hoss,

not even you.

Jim, I respect how you feel...

but I have to.

Why do you have to?

I got to find the truth out
about you, Jim,

and the law has a right
to decide it.

That your only reason?

No, it ain't.

I ain't gonna let you ruin
Cameo's life

just because
she feels sorry for you.

You got to quit
fooling yourself, Hoss.

She doesn't feel sorry for me.
She loves me.

I'm taking Cameo,
and I'm leaving.

No, you ain't.

Well, you gonna have to shoot
me, if you want to stop me.

Jim!

Let him go, Hoss!

I said let him go!

I can't do that, Cameo.

You're going to have to.

He's got to go back,
for his own good.

They'll kill him, Hoss.

Not if he ain't guilty,
they won't.

You keep saying that, and you
don't even believe it yourself.

Cameo, it-it don't make
no difference what I believe.

We got to go by the rules.

Otherwise, all of the things

we ever believed in
don't mean nothing.

I don't care anything
about rules anymore.

All I care about is
what I feel inside.

You just... you just
feel sorry for him.

You don't really love him.

Don't I?

What is it, Jim?

What's wrong?

Wrong. Oh... nothing's wrong.

It's just funny.

I was just remembering a thing
a fella once told me...

and how right he was.

I-I don't understand.

I don't understand,
either, Cameo,

but I got to admit,
the fella is right.

Jim, don't talk like that.

You frighten me.

I always get the best
of everything, don't I?

What are you talking about?

You're running for your life.

Those men back there want
to kill you.

I don't mean that.

Don't you understand?
I'm talking about you.

Jim, please...

I took you away from Hoss,
didn't I?

No.

No! It was my choice.

I'm here because I love you.

Don't move, Applegate.

Just get up nice and slow.

Well, this is a surprise.

We figured you were holed up
somewhere on the Ponderosa.

We were tracking
your friend Gideon.

We're going to hang you

from the same tree
where you hanged my brother.

Mr. Morehouse,
he didn't have anything to do

with that lynching!

You got no cause to worry.

We ain't gonna hurt no woman.

Now you're free to go,
Miss Cameo,

or you can stay
and watch him hang.

It's up to you.

You go on, you go ahead.

No, I won't go!
I won't leave you!

Oh, you got to go try to find
the sheriff, get some help.

Sure, get the sheriff.

He'll get back here
in time to cut him down.

Hoss!

Hoss?

Hoss!

Oh, Hoss,

that-that mob's got
a hold of Jim!

Please, you got to help him.

I ain't never helping
nobody no more.

But Hoss,
they're going to lynch him!

I don't care
what they do to him.

Oh, please, Hoss.

Cameo, I...

I ain't no just plain old
ordinary piece of clay

that you can just mold
into any shape you want. I...

I got feelings
on the inside, too.

Oh, I know you do, Hoss.

I know you have, but...

I deserve anything
you may think about me, but...

you just got to help him!

He doesn't deserve
to be murdered!

Oh, please, Hoss.

You want me to go out there
and risk my neck

to save him so he can have you?

Yes.

That's what I want.

Let's go.

Ain't no way of stopping you

from hanging an innocent man,
is there?

None whatsoever.

All you want
to see is blood, huh?

Go ahead, Morehouse,
get it over with quick.

All right, boys.

Morehouse,

if that horse moves,
I'll kill you.

Now, you boys, put your guns out
here in a little pile--

that's the way--
and then move over by the tree.

Move slow, but move.

You stay here, Cameo.

That goes for you,
too, Mr. Morehouse.

Right over there.

Yah!

Get him, boys!

Stop it!

Stop it, I say!

Stop it!
Get away!

Stop it!

Stop it, or I'll shoot!

All right, boys, back away.

Looks like you're in
kind of a spot, Jim-Boy.

Gideon, cut him down.

I-I can't hold him much longer.

Cut him down?

I've been waiting 30 years

to see my brother
at the end of a rope.

Your brother?

Folks always found that hard
to believe,

didn't they, Jim-Boy?

You, the handsome,
woman-stealing,

ladies' man,
my brother, Jim Gideon.

No, you've got the wrong man.

That's Jim Applegate.

He's my brother,
and he took everything--

her name, her love...

If he's your brother,
cut him down.

She loved me
before you came along.

You!

Her love child.

She ought to be here now,
Jim-Boy.

Stroke your hair
and hold your hand

and sing you songs.

Maybe then...

Sing you songs.

I was... four or five years old.

She used to lock me out
of the house.

I'd sit under the window, and

listen to her talk to you

and sing to you.

She forgot all about me.

One day, I...

I tried to climb in, and...

...she slammed the window...

...on my hand.

Drop my brother, Cartwright.

Drop him now, or I'll shoot you
out from under him!

Do what he says, Hoss.

Drop him!

I'll kill you with the next one,
Cartwright.

He means it, Hoss.

He'll kill you.

Help!

Help me!
Please, help me!

Help!

Come on, now.

Hurry up there.

Come on, now.

- Hurry up there.
- Down, down.

You hold him.

You hold him.

My brother was telling the truth

about everything.

I lied to you.

I was there when they...

lynched those people,

but I thought that

they was only going
to scare them.

I'm sorry, Hoss.

And Cameo...

you...

you just got to believe me.

I really do love you.

Ho...

Come on, Hoss.
We got to take care of that arm.

Thank you, Mr. Morehouse.

It's...

difficult to put things
into words sometimes.

I know it is.

Don't even try.

You were so right, Hoss.

You do have to go by the rules.

No, I don't...

I don't reckon
any of us was right.

Just a lot of folks looking
for different things

in the wrong places.

I know.

But I'll never forget you, Hoss.

You've been so very good to me.

I'll never forget you,
either, Cameo.

Good-bye, Hoss.

Bye.

You still feel the same way
about her, don't you, boy?

Yes, sir.

I don't reckon a man's feelings
change overnight.

Hmm. No.

Did you tell her?

No, sir.

Why not?

Why not, son?

I know how she felt
about Jim Applegate, but...

Well, now that...
now that Jim's gone, I...

No, Pa, Jim ain't gone.

He'll never be gone.

Not for Cameo, he won't.

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