Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 5 - The Hopefuls - full transcript

Jacob Darien is leading his family of Quakers through Virginia City. When he is accosted by town roughnecks, Adam Cartwright steps in with the help of his new traveling companion, Sam Bord. Adam offers to escort the wagon train ac...

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Morning, Mr. Blair.

Be with you in a minute, Adam.

Ho! Ho!

Welcome
to Virginia City, Reverend.

I thank thee, sir.

Uh... planning on staying?

No, sir.

Just long enough
to water our animals.

You're very welcome, Reverend.



Just help yourself.

I thank thee,
and may God bless your day.

Yeah.

Our people have had
a very long journey.

We've come all the way
from Ohio.

Adam.

I'm glad you rode in today.

Hyah! Hyah!

Come on in.

How's Ben these days?

Adam?

Oh, uh... he's fine.

Here's your bill
of lading, Adam.

Tell Ben
I want the cattle shipped



by the first of the month.

It'll be there.

Good.
Time for a little drink?

No, thanks.

It's a little early for me.

I like my cards from the top.

You been getting them
from the top!

That card
you were just gonna deal me

came from the bottom
of the deck, mister.

It's the five of clubs.

Mister, you're just asking
for trouble.

Hold it...

Get out of here,
the both of you.

And stay out of here.

Mine.

Get him off to the sheriff,
you tinhorn gambler.

I'd have beat him anyway.

Why did you step in?

Uh, he was going to shoot you.

Well, I guess
that's as good a reason as any.

But now I owe you.

Which way you riding?

West.

Ride a piece with you?

Fine.

Last time
I saw one of them sect trains,

was just outside Salt Lake City.

Funny thing about them people.

They don't use guns.

I know.
They don't believe in them.

Where's your horse?

Livery.

I didn't get the name.

Cartwright. Adam Cartwright.

From the Ponderosa, huh?

That's right.

You in the ranching business?

Not yet,
but I'm looking for a stake.

I want some land and some cattle

that don't belong mostly
to a bank.

I don't like owing anybody.

Throw my saddle on the calico.

Well, I rode the edge
of the Ponderosa yesterday

on my way here.

Mighty big place.

How does a man get a place
like that?

He works.

From the shape
that horse is in,

I'd say you've been looking for
that stake a pretty long time.

I have... but then
it takes a lot of looking.

Well, we can always use
good help at the Ponderosa.

You offering me a job?

$40 a month.

At the end of the year,

you get your pick
in ten head of stock-- bonus.

You make this offer
to everybody?

No.

Why me?

You look
like you can handle it.

You talk right out, don't you?

I try to.

Well,
that's a mighty tempting offer.

Well, you think about it.

I'm doing just that, right now.

Oh... Black hat.

Black coat.

Beard like a billy goat.

We are weary.

We must find a campsite
and rest for the night.

Camp right here.

Sure! You can have
a prayer meeting tonight.

We'll get Hoopla Sal and
her gals to come and join in.

I know
thou art seeking amusement,

but please allow us to pass.

How do we know
you ain't desperate characters?

My friends, I assure thee,

we wish every man good days
and a long life and ask...

and ask only to pass in peace.

Pass in peace.

He's asking.

Ask them for nothing, Father.

Well, what do you know?

You're kind of pretty
to be with this kind of outfit.

How about them clothes.

What do you say, honey,

you and me have a drink
of whiskey, huh? Huh?

And maybe I'll, uh,
buy you a new dress, huh?

Come on, honey.

Ain't you got any life in you?

Come on, honey.

Let's have a little fun, huh?

You all right, ma'am?

I believe so, yes.

Hold it.

Get him out of here.

We was just funnin'.

Get ready to move. Hurry!

Please, Matthew,
before there's more trouble!

I thank thee very kindly.

Thou art a very brave man.

Is everything all right, sir?

Yes, thanks to thee
and thy friend.

I am Jacob Darien.

I'm Adam Cartwright.

This is my daughter Regina.

Oh, uh, this is, um...

Sam Bord.

You're riding west, sir?

Why, uh, y-yes.

So are we. Uh, maybe
it would be a good idea

if we rode along with you.

If thou art going that way.

Uh, we are.

Then thou art indeed welcome.

Indeed.

Nice girl, that.

Yeah.

Sam Bord, huh?

Your name is familiar to me.

I figured it might be.

You could have used
another name.

Don't see any reason to.

I figure, I owe a man something,

the least I can do
is be honest with him.

Thanks for the job offer.

It still goes, Sam.

My friends.

Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah! Hyah!

Ho! Ho!

Whoa!

...give Thee thanks

for the protection
and the guidance

Thou hast given us this day.

And especially we give thanks
for our new friends,

who have served us so well,

and for this earth...

...and this sky

and this water.

And we wish Thee, Lord,

a peace-filled night

as we wish it for ourselves

and our fellow men.

Amen.

Amen.

Here, let me help you.

No. Thou art a guest.

And thou art...
a most pretty young woman.

Thou art a strange man,
Adam Cartwright.

Strange?

Why do you say that?

Thou had much to say to me

every time
thou looked at me today,

and yet, now
that the opportunity is here,

thou sayest nothing at all.

Well, maybe, uh...

maybe I just don't know
what to say

or how to say it.

Simple and direct,

as is everything
under God's sky.

What puzzles thee?

Um...

your father, uh,

them and...

your customs.

All disturb thee, Adam?

Yes, uh... well, no.

I mean, um...

Well, if, uh, for instance,
if it were my train,

I'd-I'd circle the wagons
at night

instead of, uh,
stringing them out.

Oh.

And I'd pen the stock inside,
in case of trouble.

What trouble?

Well, any trouble. Uh...

Look, uh...

Yes?

Well, I think and, um,
do things one way, and...

And-And we do them
differently.

Is that it?

Yes.

Well, isn't every man entitled
to his... his own beliefs,

or his own manner of living?

Yes, but, um...

But what, Adam?

It's you.

You disturb me very much,
Regina.

Oh?

Why?

Because I'd like to know more
about you.

Because, um...

Well, we're, uh...

right back where we started,
aren't we?

Oh, no.

We've come a long way
from there.

I'm disturbed
by thee also, Adam.

Children! Children...

Go help thy mother.

Susan, go along
with thy brother.

Where is thy friend Adam?

Uh, he's with your daughter,

helping her to get some water.

My daughter allowed a guest
to help?

Uh, Reverend,

I kind of got the idea
he wanted to be with her.

And, uh, I kind of got the idea

that, uh, perhaps
she wishes to be with him.

No objections?

A man might as well object

to the wind and the sun
and the rain.

What do you carry
in here, Reverend?

Hymn books?

No, my friend, not exactly.

Jacob?

Jacob, we have visitors coming.

Welcome.

Welcome, friends,
to our humble campsite.

Welcome.

Peace be with you, my friends.

And with you.

Who's in charge here?

I am. Call me Jacob.

And this is my friend Matthew.

Hey, that fella's sure got
a face full of hay, ain't he?

I'm Ben Cartwright,
and you're on Ponderosa land.

Ah!

Then these men are...
are thy sons?

Oh, we are indebted to thee.

All of thee.

Oh, is that so?

Indeed, sir.

Why, we have all
this fine grazing for our stock,

plenty of water
to take care of them.

What more could a man ask?

Well, a man could ask how long
you're planning to stay here.

We leave on the morrow.

Oh.

Oh, is something amiss?

No. No, no.

You're, uh, most welcome.

If there's anything
that my sons and I can do

to serve you,
please, uh... please ask us.

Oh, thou art most kindly.

May God bless thee often.

Thank you.

Oh, uh, there is one thing more
we would ask of thee.

Oh?

That, uh, thou remain
and dine with us.

Oh, well, I, uh...

Yes, sir.
Sure do thank you.

Hi, Pa.

Well...

Uh, these people are...

I know.

Adam, thy father has just bid us
welcome on the Ponderosa.

Well, I'm glad of that.

Oh, this is, uh,
Regina Darien.

My father.

Ma'am.

Now this is Sam Bord.

Ah, Mr. Bord.

These are my sons--
Hoss and Little Joe.

Howdy.

Mr. Bord,
don't we know each other?

We do now. Howdy.

That chow smells mighty good.

Then thee will remain,
Mr. Cartwright?

We insist.

Well, then, we will remain.

Splendid!

Come, friends!

Come on, Joe.

Hoss, what would you say
to a man

who wore a gun that easy?

Nothing.

Leastways nothing
I couldn't back up.

Miss Regina,
give me a little more of that.

Certainly.

You folks been eating this kind
of food all the way from Ohio?

We have, sir.

Yeah, well, you keep shoveling
it out to him,

you're not gonna have any left.

Where are you headed?

We hope to be in Slatersville
by week's end.

We have word of a large,
fertile valley there,

and God willing, we hope
to buy land and settle in peace.

Hmm.

Buying land--
that could be pretty expensive.

Yes, but we worked
for many years

and put all of our money
together to do it.

It is our dream to start
a fresh new life, free of debt.

All of your money?

All of it.

You traveled 2,000 miles

across the United States,

to settle in a land
that you've never seen.

Oh, I've been there.

We've-We've all been there
many times in our, in our minds.

My daughter speaks truly.

Before all this,
the Ponderosa belonged to thee,

was it not a dream in thy mind,
also, Mr. Cartwright?

Yes, of course.

Very much a dream.

How was the prayer meeting?

What do you want?

You'll never
make a preacher, Sam.

You know what I want.

What's the matter?

Don't you want to let us meet
your hymn singers?

Take them and get out of here.

Who do you think
you're fooling, Sam?

Not them, not me.

We want our cut of that five.

It's gone.

I lost it.

Mm-hmm.

Well, we figured
you'd do that, Sam.

But we figured you'd like
a chance to make it up,

instead a getting killed.

You can make it up,
can't you, Sam?

There's a meadow
about a half a mile from here.

I'll meet you there
in the morning.

You've got an hour, Sam.

Thou art a strange woman,
Regina Darien.

What is it?

Coyote bother you?

Thee treat me well, Adam.

What do you mean?

Thee would think me faithless

and hate me if I spoke of it.

You could never be faithless.

I know that much about you.

And I could never hate you.

I know that much about myself.

Oh, Adam, I do have faith,
but I...

But what?

Well, we will pass on
from here tomorrow,

and thee will think of me

as that one
with the strange people.

And thee will forget me.

I could never forget you.

Oh, Adam,
I'm supposed to believe

that what will be, will be.

Well, that was before we met?

Yes.

You'll be gone tomorrow
and nothing will be.

Oh, Regina.

I'm coming with you.

To Slatersville.

I'll ride along with the train.

It'll give us more time
together.

Oh, Adam, yes,
we have need of that.

Oh, Adam, you must think me
foolish and forward and...

No.

I think of you as...

beautiful, lovely.

Adam?

Thee thinks
we've been observed, Adam?

And what if we have?

Oh, Adam.

Where you going, Sam?

Tell the folks good-bye for me.

Kind of sudden, isn't it?

Well, I'm kind of like that.

I don't figure you.

I get an itch

every time I hear folks talking
about what they got

and what they're gonna get.

What are you running away from?

Maybe a fella named Sam.

About the job--

I never was much
at ranch-handing.

Cards are more my line.

You can take the job...

and get everything
you always wanted.

You're all right, Cartwright...

but it wouldn't do for me
to listen to you too long.

- Adam?
- Yeah?

You, uh, you sure you know
what you're doing now.

I mean, going with
the train and all.

I know what I'm doing.

We're different from them, Adam.

She's different from you.

I'm saying this badly,
son, but I...

it's what I want to say.

I heard you.

Good luck.

I better go say good-bye
to Jacob and the rest.

Hey, Adam.

Now, where are you going?

Oh, about the same place
you are, I reckon.

Yeah?

Yep.

Your idea or Pa's?

Well, I... I reckon it's mine.

I sort of got to likin'
this Ohio cookin'.

As a matter of fact, I... I like
everything about these folks.

I didn't think I could even
talk to 'em at first, but...

then I don't reckon
they're so much different

from the rest of us--
none of 'em.

When?

When I say.

Well, if it's the kind
of outfit you say it is,

and if it's as easy
as you say it is,

why not right now,
in the daylight?

Or maybe you need the night.

Ho! Ho!

Adam, what are you stopping for?

Well, this would be a good place
to camp for tonight.

There's still...
two hours of daylight left.

I know, Mr. Darien, but the, um,
the animals are all worn out.

Poor beasts.

So are all of us.

We've traveled a long way.

But our fear has been
that the land will be taken

before we get there.

Forgive us, Adam,
if we seem impatient,

but we're so anxious
to reach our new home.

Well, what about it, Hoss?

You, uh... think that
old trail across the plateau

might still be good?

Well, I don't know, Adam.

It ain't been traveled
in a long time.

Don't know if we can get
them wagons across there or not.

Well, don't you think
it's still worth a look-see?

Yeah.

Um... water your animals,
but, uh, leave 'em hitched up.

We'll see if we can't get you
a little further along.

Thank you, Adam.

Hey, wait a minute.

These are fresh tracks, Adam,
not over an hour old.

How many do you figure?

Well, looks like at least four.

Well, whoever they are, they
could see the wagons all day.

I never knew a man yet
didn't come into a wagon train

to get some good home-cookin'.

Yeah. Me, neither.

Unless they had a reason
for not wanting to be seen.

Well, those wagons
and the stock alone

on that train good pickings.

Yeah, and if they're planning
to do anything about it,

it'll probably be tonight.

Father.

Is something amiss?

Uh, something
I have to tell you.

What is it, my friend?

If you people have
any guns on this train

that you use for hunting
or anything else, get them out.

What I'm trying
to say is that...

we found the tracks
of four horses up there.

Now, we have reason to believe
that these four men have been

watching and following
this train all day long.

Well, do you want them
to come in

and take everything you own
without fighting for it?

Surely you must have
some guns of some kind.

We have no guns, Adam.

And we can do no violence
on our fellow man.

Well, they can do violence on
their fellow man, and they will.

Still, it would not be
right for us.

Matthew.

Can't you do something?

He's only thinking of us,
Father.

Regina!

Hast thou forgotten
what we all live by?

We shall pray that this test
comes not to us

and that once more
we shall be delivered.

Mr. Darien, don't you reckon
you could pray just as well

if the wagons were circled up

and they thought
you was gonna put up a fight?

I can't see
how that'd violate nothing.

Whatever thee thinks best,
Mr. Cartwright.

Yes, sir.

Adam...

...thee would use this on a man?

If I have to.

I will stay beside thee, Adam.

If thou canst believe with us,

then I will try
to believe with thee.

That's them.

We may not have to use 'em.

They see the wagons circled,
it might make 'em skittish.

They don't seem
very skittish to me.

Seems like they got
lots of confidence.

Yo, wagon!

Adam, it is thy friend.

He's made some friends.

Train, ho!

Easy pickings, huh?

The easiest.

Yeah, they was just
gonna invite you right in

soon as you got here.

You won't need that.

That's what you told me, Sam.

But you told me a lot of things.

Now I'm gonna
tell you something.

I want to pick that up,
easy or any way I can get it.

And I want to pick it up now.

Wait here.

It's too quiet.

Let's wake 'em up.

Hyah!

Come on, get!

Bord.

Mr. Bord.

My friend.

I pray thee not to do this,
my friend.

Get out of my...

Regina!

Hoss, get down!

Earth to earth...

ashes to ashes...

dust to dust...

in sure and certain hope of
resurrection into eternal life.

Amen.

We will move on at once,
my friends.

Prepare.

Adam...

Thee will leave me, too, Adam?

I have to.

I brought Sam Bord among you,
and he did all this to you.

His sins are not thine.

In a way, they are.

It's my job
to get that money back.

I better go with him.

Well, they'd
probably head south.

Bord needs a new town.

Yep. Man like that's always
needing a new town, I reckon.

That's real pretty, isn't it?

Yeah, really looks good,
and I'm gonna enjoy it.

All of it.

Why, we're partners, Shen.

Are we?

Now, I don't figure it
that way, Sam.

As I remember it,
you owed me and the boys,

and since they ain't here
to collect,

I just figured
I'd take all our shares.

Don't you trust me?

No, I don't, Sam.

Now, you just throw
the money over here.

Right down there.

Uh-huh.

Oh, and I'll, uh,
I'll have your gun.

Real easy, butt first.

Right down there, too.

You could have had half.

You never did have any brains.

Could be a trap.

Well, it figures.

Yeah, Bord's gone all the way
now, Adam-- he's a killer.

Yeah.

Well, ain't but one of 'em
left now.

And that's where the money is.

Where's the man
belongs to that horse?

I don't know, he left him here,

he took another,
and give me a $20 gold piece

not more than two hours ago.

Which way did he go?

Uh, west,
toward Towbridge Creek.

We'd like some fresh horses.

- Well, now, may...
- In a hurry, huh?

Well, he's left the trail again.

Adam, he ain't doing a bloomin'
thing but leading us

on one big merry chase
around and round a circle

in these bloomin' rocks.

Yeah, well, sooner or later,
he's got to go to water.

We're even.

I don't owe you now.

Well, he'll have
to find a town now.

Yeah. Which one's nearest?

Slatersville.

Hey, ain't that where...?

That's right.

- Howdy.
- Howdy.

What can I do for you?

This fit any animal
you got in here today?

Mare near rode to death.

Goin' to get him
another horse tonight.

You got any idea
where the man is?

I wouldn't be surprised

he's over to the saloon there
cooling his dampers.

Pretty hot out today.

Thanks.

Miss Regina. Miss Regina.

Hoss!

Oh, Hoss, where is he?

Where's Adam? Is he...?

He's all right, ma'am.

Thank God.

But where?

Ma'am, Bord's in town here,
and Adam's gone after him.

Oh, no.

Ma'am, I know how you feel,

I know how Adam feels.

There ain't nothing nobody can
do to stop him.

The only thing
we can do is try to help him!

Whoa!

Hoss, I've got to find him.

Adam!

Adam, I beg thee,

thou must not do this thing.

What about your father,
these people?

For whatever the reason,
it would be violence.

Adam, I see vengeance
in thine eyes!

I saw it when thee rode off!

I've to get that money back.

If thee get it this way
with a gun,

then it is not worth having!

Thee will find him,

and he will be killed
or thee will be killed.

I'm sorry.

Adam, if thee do this thing,

it will be between us
all our lives.

It has to be done, Regina.

You'll get over it.

Will I?

Look at me, Adam.

I am no child.

I've waited a long time

to find the kind of a man
I could love.

Listen to her, Adam.

You know I don't have
any choice.

I'm responsible for Sam Bord!

Thee are not responsible
to him.

Thee are responsible
to nobody but thyself.

Adam, I beg thee,
put away thy gun!

Adam, no, no!

But we befriended thee!

Get out of the way, old man.

I've run all I'm gonna run.

- Hoss, get her out of here!
- Adam!

No, no!

Take this back.

I'm all right.

I had to do it.

Thee are well enough
to ride now?

Yes.

Thee will come and visit us?

No, I, I couldn't do that,

knowing what it would do
to you...

and them.

And to thee, Adam?

And me, yes.

He was my father, Adam.

Their leader.

I would be breaking faith
with him, and them...

and myself, if I...

Neither one of us
had a choice, did we?

Bless thee, Adam.

Giddyap!

Hep. Hyah! Hup!

Home, Adam?

Home.

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