Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 4, Episode 28 - My Brother's Keeper - full transcript

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♪♪

Went through that ravine.

- Let's call it off.
- What do you mean call it off?

Now, when we got
a chance to get him?

He's in the next county
by now. Let's get on home.

Come on, how many more calves
do you want to lose to that wolf?

You sure don't
give up easy, do ya?

Come on, let's go.

Thanks.



After we rest here for
awhile we'll head back.

Whether you like it or not.

We're not gonna get home
till tomorrow morning as it is.

Sure wish I could've gotten
him in my sights just once.

He doesn't sound too far off.

Well, where you going?

Just gonna have a
look-see. Take it easy.

Hyah.

Come on.

♪♪

Joe, I, Joe, I didn't mean it.

I didn't see you.

You got him, Adam.

Yeah, I got him.



♪♪

I'm all right, Adam.

Sure you are.

I don't know what
got into me yesterday.

I saw that wolf and just let go.

Never stopped to think if
you were around anywhere.

We got to get you
to Doc Hickman.

Virginia City Road, Joe.

And there's a rig
coming... Come on, boy.

Whoa, boy.

Whoa.

Take a look over there.

Have you ever seen
anything so beautiful?

Yes, the mountains of
Wicklow on a morning in May.

Oh, you and your Ireland.

Don't you ever think
about anything else?

Look.

He looks like he's
carrying someone.

Must be hurt.

Come on. boy.

Good afternoon.

I need help, my
brother's been hurt.

Certainly, certainly.

- Help me with him.
- Give him down here to me.

- Watch that left shoulder.
- Easy now, easy.

That's it.

Tie my horse to
the back, will ya?

I wonder if you could
get us to the Ponderosa?

- By all means.
- What happened?

Had an accident.

What kind of an accident?

He got a bullet in him.

He looks like he's
been in a terrible fight.

- Yeah, wolf.
- A wolf?

We're strangers
here. This Ponderosa,

- could you tell me how...
- Just start driving, will ya?

- I'll give you directions as we go.
- Fine.

Please...

Hey, where you been?
What happened to him?

- He's hurt.
- What happened?

Well, I shot him. I'll
explain it to you later.

Mr. Riordan and his daughter
helped us along the road.

- Let's get him in the house?
- Shot him?

- Come on.
- Where's Pa?

He's in Placerville.
He left this morning.

Should we help them, Daddy?

We can ask.

I tried to get that bullet out,
but it's lodged under the bone.

When'd this happen, Adam?

Late yesterday afternoon
at Montpelier Gorge.

You brought him all the way
in from Montpelier like this?

Yeah.

Mr. Cartwright, we were
wondering if we could be

of any help?

Yes, perhaps you can.

We've got to
get this bullet out.

So Miss Riordan, you might
boil some water, please.

Hoss, go into town
and get Doc Hickman.

Tell him that apart from
being clawed by that wolf,

that bullets in deep,
way down deep.

- Get him here fast.
- I sure will, Adam.

Gonna have to get that
bullet with something.

- Uh, watch him, will ya?
- Certainly.

I put the water on to boil.

I collected these. I
don't know which one

- would be best for you.
- Put 'em down.

♪♪

♪♪

Go ahead. Taste it.

It might be too weak.

It's very good.

Hop Sing couldn't
have done better.

Who's Hop Sing?

He's our cook. He's...

been out on the
range with the hands

for the last three days.

Now go ahead and drink it.

It'll make you
feel a lot better.

And, uh, I made some sandwiches.

I'll go get them.

Where is Hoss with that doctor?

They'll get here.

I hope so.

Why didn't I stop Joe?

I should have laid down the law.

Mm, sometimes
that's pretty hard to do.

The truth is, I wanted that wolf
killed just as much as he did.

And I used just about as
much common sense as he did.

I should have known he'd
have been around somewhere.

A man can only do what
he thinks is right at the time.

Yeah.

Sure. Excuse me.

Aren't you going to have
one of these sandwiches?

Well, no thanks. I better
go up and stay with Joe.

I'm sorry. I haven't
even thanked you

for what you did for us today.

Oh, we didn't go out of our
way at all, Mr. Cartwright.

Sheila and I are out
here on a holiday.

We rented that rig.

We were on our way to
Virginia City when we met you.

And we'd better
get going. It's late.

Oh, yes, my dear, you're right.

Well, no. Please stay here.

It's dark, it's a
very long ride.

We have plenty of
room. Please stay.

Maybe we should. It is late.

Well, very well, Mr. Cartwright.
We accept... with thanks.

Good.

He's taking it hard, isn't he?

Ah, the way he's
blaming himself.

I shudder to think
what'll happen

if his brother should die.

Mr. Cartwright?

I, uh, brought you some coffee.

I thought you might like some.

Thanks.

Sit down.

Why don't you tell
me about yourself?

All I know is that you're
out here on a holiday

and that your father
is very obviously Irish.

That would be hard
to cover up, wouldn't it?

He came over here steerage from
Ireland when he was very young.

Reminds me of a professor
I had back in college.

Very wonderful man.

Well, Daddy's hardly
the professor type.

He worked 20 years digging
coal in the Pennsylvania mines.

When he retired four years ago,
he was president of the company.

Where did you go to
college... Back East?

Mm-hmm.

What did you study?

Architecture.

Architecture? And you
came here to live on a ranch?

Yeah.

Sometimes I wonder why.

What brings you out here?

Oh, I read a lot
about it, heard a lot.

The periodicals are very
enthusiastic about the West.

Oh, yes, the, um...

giant mountains, vast
deserts, dazzling sunsets.

A matchless paradise
under the canopy of stars.

I believe that's the way
the phrases go, isn't it?

Doctor.

The doctor didn't come?

No, but he'll be here.

Where's the doctor?

Adam, he hadn't been in his
office since early this morning.

Well, where is he?
Did you see him?

No, but I left a message
for him at the Fleming ranch.

Miss Fleming's
going to have a baby.

He'll get the message, Adam,
and he'll be here. Don't worry.

I telegraphed Pa what
happened to Little Joe.

Maybe you should
send for another doctor.

There isn't another doctor.

There's all the mountains,
deserts, sunsets

any visitor could possibly want,

but there's only one
doctor in a hundred miles.

Periodicals didn't write that

for the gullible traveler
to read, did they?

How's Little Joe?

He'll be all right.

You'd better eat something.

I'll fix you some coffee.

Thank you, ma'am.

Let me go up and see
about Little Joe first.

I wish I could do something
to bring you comfort.

All that keeps coming to my
mind is a phrase by Thoreau.

"The mass of men lead
lives of quiet desperation."

Think about that, Adam.

You'll find you're not alone.

Adam?

Who's with Joe?

Young lady.

Thought you told me
you were gonna try

to get some sleep
after I relieved you.

Well, I tried, but I couldn't.

I was just reading
something by Mr. Thoreau.

"The mass of men

"lead lives of
quiet desperation.

"What one trusts to be truths

"turn into compromises.

"And what is
called... "resignation...

is confirmed desperation."

Yeah.

A pretty... pretty sour
pill to have to take, ain't it?

But I guess it's the truth.

Reckon that's why me and books

just always were
in a different world.

Yeah, books are another
world to me now, too.

I know they are, Adam.

And I... I can appreciate
what they mean to you.

But...

This out here has
always been my world.

Smell of fresh pine,

silver trout jumping
in a mountain stream.

Old mama bear and her
cubs out hunting in the woods.

Bacon sizzling in a frying pan.

Adam...

Little Joe's gonna be all right.

Don't you worry.

You ain't got nothing
to blame yourself for.

I hope so.

Go on upstairs
and get some sleep.

I'll call you when
the doc gets here.

All right.

Whoa.

Finally.

Dr. Hickman?

Morning, Adam. Hoss.

Doc.

Sorry it took so long.

Yes. Let's go.

The message I got said
he was also bitten by a wolf.

That's right.

Did you clean the wound
out as soon as you could?

As best I could on the trail.

Any sign of rabies
in that, uh, wolf?

- No.
- Oh.

Easy now. Easy
does it, easy does it.

Oh, you got the
bullet out, all right.

And those wolf
fangs didn't help any.

I know all that.

How is he?

Oh, I guess I'm out.

I asked you how he was.

He's a pretty sick boy.

It's unfortunate
I wasn't in town.

Unfortunate?

Hoss, you'll have to
go into Virginia City

to get this medicine.

Yes, sir, Doc. I'll ride fast.

Keep cold compresses on him.

When that medicine gets
here, just follow the instructions.

I'll try and get back tonight.

Tonight?

You mean, you're not
staying? You're walking out?

You're gonna leave
him here all day?

Mrs. Fleming is going to
have a baby in a few hours...

I don't know when... and
it's going to be a breech birth.

Now, you know what that means.

Well, tell me, just
how sick is my brother?

All right, I'll tell you, Adam.

He's pretty bad
off, real bad off.

I'm counting on his constitution

and that medicine to save him.

Maybe a little help from God.

And there's nothing you can do?

Uh, nothing at the moment.

But I'll tell you this.

If I'm not there when
Maggie Fleming's time comes,

both she and her
baby are goners.

Now, you tell me...
What should I do?

Please, Adam,
try not to be upset.

Don't be ridiculous.
I'm not upset.

After all, we still have
those lovely sunsets.

Vince?

Yeah, morning, Hoss.

Morning, Vince.

Vince, I got a
prescription here from Doc.

He wants it filled in a hurry.

Hmm. I don't know.

I don't know.

Hey. Um...

These, uh... chemicals...

I'm all out of 'em, Hoss.

Vince, Little Joe's sick.

I got to have that stuff.

Well, I'm sorry, Hoss.

I have this stuff on order.

I expected it in from Genoa
yesterday, but it didn't arrive.

Vince, I got to have that stuff!

My little brother's sick.

Now, easy, Hoss.

I... I'll get over to
the telegraph office

and check out the
wholesaler in Genoa.

Maybe it's on today's stage.

Wait here.

Hey, sorry. You
fellows will have to wait.

No hurry.

Too bad about your brother.

What happened to him?

He got wolf bit.

Could be this brother
of yours was up

to the Montpelier Gorge section.

Know where that is?

Oh, yeah, sure, I do.

As a matter of fact,
that's where he was.

Him and my other brother, Adam.

Name's Cartwright.

You fellows from Montpelier?

Cartwright, huh?

Yeah, yeah... we were trying
to build up a little spread there.

Been at it for three years now.

Well, y-you'll make it.

That's real good
country up there.

We found that wolf.

He was dead.

Also found a horse running
around loose up there.

He has the same brand
we spotted on your critter

when you rode in.

Come here.

Know that pinto over there?

Yeah, that's my
little brother's horse.

Thank you fellas
for bringing him in.

I'll be happy to
give you a reward.

We wanted to bring him in.

We had to find out who
panicked a herd of wild horses

we'd just rounded up.

Busted through our fences,
scattered through our land,

and stampeded our cattle.

Yeah, I reckon that
would have happened

when Adam fired at that wolf.

I'm sorry, it was,
it was an accident.

Seems reckless and
inconsiderate to us.

Yeah, I, I reckon you
have got a grievance at that.

How much you figure
it'll cost to fix it up?

Well, since it was a
Cartwright done the damage,

$1,000.

That's quite a bit.

You'd better talk to my brother
Adam out at the Ponderosa.

He'll, he'll know how
much damage he done.

Hoss, that, uh, that
medicine is still in Genoa.

Where in Genoa?

Simon Watson's...
The wholesaler's.

Give me that.

Look, Hoss, that's a long ride.

It's 21 miles to Genoa
and 21 miles back.

I got no choice, Vince.

Mister, you're going out to
the Ponderosa; do me a favor.

Will you give this message
to my brother Adam?

Tell him that I had to go to
Genoa to get the medicine

for Little Joe and
tell him I'll ride fast.

Thank you.

Guess we'll just
deliver that message.

Any change?

None... the fever
is still very high.

How is Adam?

Upset, worried sick, blaming
himself for what happened.

But it wasn't his fault;
it was an accident.

Some men are willing
to shoulder responsibility

when others would shrug it off.

Adam's a sensitive man.

He feels a deep personal guilt

for what happened
to his brother.

I know,

I've seen the pain
and agony on his face.

Why does he stay here?

Why?

Sure, it's his home.

I know, but I have
the feeling that maybe,

because he is sensitive, that
he should be somewhere else...

Back East maybe.

Adam Cartwright here?

Yes.

Adam, they're for you.

Where'd you find the pinto?

You Adam Cartwright?

That's right.

My name is Doud.

Me and my friends here got

a little spread going
up Montpelier Gorge,

where we found your
sick brother's horse.

You were doing some
wild shooting up there

a couple days ago.

Where'd you hear this?

We met your other
brother in town, he told us.

By the way, he said to tell you
he's going to ride up to Genoa

and get some of that
medicine you needed.

Yeah, thank you for the message.

Well, what can I do for you?

You can pay me for
some damage you done.

That shooting of yours panicked

some wild horses
we had penned up.

Ruined our land and
stampeded some valuable cattle.

How much?

$3,000.

$3,000 for what?

Do I have to itemize?

For $3,000 you do.

How many cattle did you lose?

150 head.

They're scattered
all over the district.

Do you want to round 'em up?

Well, now, 150 head of
cattle at four dollars a head...

That's only $600.

$15 a head.

Where, Chicago, Kansas City?

I say they're worth
$15 a head to us.

Now, that's more
than $2,000 right there.

And the buildings
that got trampled...

Say, $500, $600.

I think $3,000 is real
conservative, Cartwright.

Well, I think you're
about $2,400 over.

That's all right for you to say.

You're a rich man.

All we've got to show is
three years of wasted effort

trying to build up a
spread that you destroyed.

Well, I'm sorry.

But it'll have to wait.

Wait for what?

Until I can get
over to your place

and take a look at
the damage for myself.

Ain't gonna be no
waiting, Cartwright.

We want that $3,000 right now.

Well, I'm afraid that's the
way it's going to have to be.

And I'll give you about ten
seconds to get off my place.

All right, Cartwright, we'll go.

But you'll pay.

Oh, Adam, you mustn't
let those men upset you.

The East is full of
the likes of them...

People looking
for an easy dollar.

Please, Mr. Riordan,
I'm in no mood.

I'm sorry, son, I meant no harm.

The trouble is, if you're Irish

how can you not interfere
with other people's affairs?

I'm sorry about your father.

I'm sure he understands

with one thing piling
on top of the other...

Them having to go all
the way to another town

for some more medicine,
and those terrible men.

Adam, how do you stand
this horrible country?

You're a man that
belongs in the East.

Yeah, sometimes I wonder,
but I thought you liked it here.

I hate it.

I've hated it from
the moment I saw it.

There's a little town
right outside of Denver.

Our coach pulled
up there one night.

Do you know what we saw?

A man hanging from a tree,

his tongue hanging out.

He had stolen
four head of cattle.

That's what they said to us.

Why did you come?

Because of my father.

Oh, I see, he wanted
to come out here.

No, I insisted that
he come out here.

Well, then, I don't understand.

My father's going to die soon.

20 years of swallowing coal
dust in the Pennsylvania mines.

The doctor said that

if he would have a change,

he might live a little longer,

so we wanted to come

to a clean,
invigorating climate.

Does he know?

Yes, he knows he's ill.

He calls it the
"Pennsylvania chest."

How could I tell
him the truth, Adam?

What if gets better?

I'll stay here permanently.

Even though you
feel the way you do?

He's my father.

We never know
about people, do we?

We have a lot in
common, don't we?

Yeah, yeah.

Watch it now.

I don't want any slipups.

Get off your horse.

What's this all about?

Get his gun.

Be careful with that
medicine, mister.

My little brother
needs that bad.

Sure, he does,
Hoss, sure he does.

We need our damage money bad.

You tell your brother Adam that.

Mister, a man's life depends
on that. You give it to me.

You can have it... for $3,000.

You give me that medicine.

Are you stupid? What
did you hit him for?

Now we got to wait
that much longer.

Oh, I didn't hit him very hard.

Any way... Now his
brother's gonna find out

the price of medicine
has gone up in Nevada.

Oh, Sheila asked me
to bring this up to you.

It's nice and cold.

The fever hasn't gone down?

It's higher.

Oh.

Probably means something
inside him is fighting hard.

Is there never a bad
side to a thing with you?

Oh, I try not to ignore facts.

But there's also
such a thing as faith.

When that medicine gets here,

Little Joe's life will be in the
hands of God and science...

Two staunch allies.

You always have
the ready-made words

for every occasion,
don't you, Mr. Riordan?

Has my father
been upsetting you?

Well, I'm afraid I didn't
need much stimulus.

Adam?

Adam?

Adam, get him off me.

Adam!

Adam! I'm shot!
I'm shot. I'm shot.

- It's all right, Joe.
- Adam, help me.

Joe, he won't get you
here. You're all right.

Oh, please!

- It's all right, boy.
- Please.

It's not right.

All this waiting,
all this suffering.

No doctor, no medicine.

What chance does he have, Adam?

Oh, I'm shot. I'm shot.

Adam, come down, hurry.

Someone rode to the barn...
couldn't see who it was.

Adam... they took
Little Joe's medicine.

They hijacked me and got it.

- You hurt?
- Not that bad.

A little bit of a headache.

Who took the medicine?

Doud and those two
fellas from Montpelier.

They want $3,000.

You mean, they're holding
Little Joe's medicine for ransom?

Adam, how can they
do a thing like that?

How?

You tried to tell me,
but I wouldn't listen.

Because out here
it's... it's a jungle...

for animals, savages.

Where one tries
to destroy the other.

Adam, ease up a bit.

Ease up? Yeah, I'll ease up.

When this is all over,
I'm going away someplace

where a man can live
like a decent human being.

But first I've got
something to do.

Come on, we're gonna find 'em.

No, Adam, you mustn't do that.

Why not? What
else is there to do?

Please, Adam, don't let
them reduce you to their level.

Not you, Adam.

Let him go.

Adam and Hoss have to
get Little Joe's medicine.

That's what they have to do.

They're not going
out there to kill.

Take care of Little Joe.

How about it, Cartwright?

Get down.

- You want a rifle, Mr. Riordan?
- Yes, Hoss, but I'm

- not too good at using it.
- You'll learn.

Post yourself over that
window and stay down.

$3,000, Cartwright.

We want it now.

Get upstairs and
take care of Little Joe.

Now get ready to run.

Now.

What's the matter, Cartwright...

ain't your brother worth it?

Adam. Adam.

They mean to get that money.

Well, there's nowhere near
that amount in the house.

But they'd never believe me.

Cartwright... we
want that money now.

You want to let
your brother die?

I'm going out the
side door, cover me.

You dirty blaggard.

Why don't you show
the whites of your eyes,

the way you're supposed to.

Looks like they
ain't gonna buy it.

We'll have to split
up. I'll go around back.

Get up on the porch roof

through the bedroom window.

Right.

One word and I'll
splinter your backbone.

Now drop your gun.

Move fast.

Here's one of them.
The other one's dead.

Where's that medicine?

Doud's got it.

I ought to bash your skull in.

Give me that.

Drop those guns.

I want the money, Cartwright.

No talk, just the money.

Get it up or you know
what happens to this fella.

Be reasonable, Doud.

I'll give you every cent
we got in the house.

$3,000.

We have lots of silverware,
lots of other things.

- Just a moment, Adam.
- Shut up, you.

Turn around.

- Adam.
- Hold it.

Where's the medicine?

In my pocket.

Mr. Riordan.

If this doesn't save
my brother's life,

I'm going to kill you.

Hoss, lock him up
in the bunkhouse.

- Get going.
- Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Mr. Riordan, I don't know when
I've seen such presence of mind

and courage.

'Twas neither, Adam.

You see, I'm dying anyway so...

I had nothing to lose.

Sheila brought me
out here in the hopes

that the climate
would cure me, but...

sure it isn't going to
make a bit of difference.

Well, now you know.

You're not as smart as
you thought you were.

Do you know what you are?

An old fraud.

Get back. Move back.

Who are you?

I'm Emmet Riordan, and...

this is my daughter Sheila.

Joseph?

Oh, you must be Ben Cartwright.

Joseph!

He's up here, Pa.

I hope God keeps close tonight.

What time is it?

Almost 6:00. Why
don't you go up to bed?

I got to go and relieve
Hoss guarding those men.

I just sent Hoss to the
sheriff's office with them.

Alone?

Well, they were
tied up in the wagon.

It's all right, he
can handle it.

Let me get you some coffee.

Adam.

It's Little Joe,
he's calling for you.

Hey, brother.

Hey, Pa.

Pa, Adam really clobbered him.

Yeah.

He really clobbered that wolf.

He's not gonna...

he's not gonna touch
our cattle anymore.

I think his fever's broken.

Is he gonna be all right?

Well, I'm no doctor, but...

I think he'll be all right.

I think we better
go downstairs now.

Would you like to kiss me?

Thank you, kind sir.

You know, for
a little while I...

I had a dream cooking up.

It was silly of me, wasn't it?

Imagine Adam Cartwright

being happy at
cotillions, social teas,

and Sunday promenades

back in old Philadelphia.

You don't think I
could've made the grade?

Not with your heart back
here in the Ponderosa.

Where it belongs.

How can you be sure?

I knew this morning...

when Little Joe called you.

So did you.

Sheila!

Daddy's waiting.

Good-bye, Mr. Cartwright.

Bye, Sheila.

We'll remember
you and your father.

And don't forget,
Mr. Cartwright,

if Adam ever comes East,

make sure he
drops in for a visit.

I'll see to it.

There, there you are... Well...

I've never seen such
a collection of faces.

As long as a rainy Sunday.

Come on, Sheila,
give us a bit of a song.

♪ When first I saw sweet Paddy ♪

♪ 'Twas on the market day ♪

♪ A low-backed car
he drove and sat ♪

♪ Upon a truss of hay ♪

♪ Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ La, la, la, la, la... ♪

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