Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 6, Episode 12 - The Underdog - full transcript

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BEN: Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Come on.

[LUNGING]

Yeah. Come on. Come. Come on.

Move. Come on.

Come on. Now you
go. Come on. Yeah.



Come on. Move.
Come on. Yeah. Move.

That's it, boy.

- Howdy.
- Howdy.

Uh, something I can do for you?

- Uh, you're Mr. Cartwright?
- That's right.

My name is Harry Starr.

You mind if I have
some of that water?

- Oh, help yourself.
- Thank you.

What happened to your horse?

I had to sell him
for his feed bill.

And mine.

Mr. Cartwright,
I'm looking for a job.

I sure hope you
have work for me.

Well, Mr. Starr, I
think you're in luck.



We're looking for some
extra hands for roundup

so why don't you take your
gear, put in the bunkhouse,

- we can start you out in the morning.
- I thank you, sir.

You know, this is, uh, a
handsome Palomino you have here.

- Uh, you know the breed?
- Oh, yes.

I worked one up in Oregon.

Oh.

Well, maybe
someday I'll let you...

I'll let you work this one.

When?

[CHUCKLES]

Well, you can start by
putting him up in the barn, heh.

That will be a
pleasure. Thank you.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

[HORSE NEIGHS]

JOE: Hi, Pa.
- Well,

- how's things at the roundup?
HOSS: Oh, just great, Pa.

Adam says he ain't never seen so
many little twin calves all fat and sassy.

- Oh, yeah.
- And who's that?

My new stallion.

- No, no, the fellow who's there?
- Heh.

- A new hand I just took on.
HOSS: Good, we need some.

Yeah, there are five
new men in there.

I've had them working
on a new remuda.

They should be ready to
join Adam in the morning.

[CLATTERING]

[HARRY GRUNTS]

I hope you get the idea, Injun.

If you don't, Lee Burton will be
glad to give you a few more lessons.

I'm not going to
fight you, mister.

Maybe I'll let you decide
that, maybe I won't.

It's decided.

Now, both of you listen,

this goes for the rest
of you new men too.

This is a working ranch.

We don't have any time
for gentlemanly sports.

It's get along or get out.

There's just one more rule.

Anything you break, you fix.

Now both of you shake hands.

I don't shake hands with no
Indian, I'd draw my pay first.

All right, Burton.

You've been here two days, two
dollars ought to about cover that.

I'll go to the barn and get
some tools and fix that rail.

Oh, oh.

Oh.

This is where you
get your boots, Harry.

Yeah, take your time,
we're gonna be a while.

Why don't I go down to
the blacksmith's with you

- and help unload this stuff.
- Don't worry.

- Come on, we can manage.
- We'll be back to get you in a minute.

All right.

Take your time.

Hyah! Hyah!

MAN: Oh, what do you have?
- I'll have a whiskey.

Don't you know better than
to serve Indians in here?

- I didn't know he was Injun.
- Well, that's what he is.

And you know Injuns
and firewater don't mix.

Will you look at the boots this
guy's got on, brand-new and shiny?

None of us here got new
boots, not even halfway new.

Most of us could probably
stand on a five-cent piece

and tell whether it
was heads or tails.

Speak for yourself, stranger.

I haven't seen a
five-cent piece in so long,

wouldn't know which
was head or tails.

That's because Injuns and breeds
took all the jobs like this one here,

came along and got
me fired from a good job.

Now, whoever heard of an Injun
wearing a white man's boots anyway?

They'll ruin his feet.

And that would sure be a shame.

[ALL CHUCKLING]

Why, it's our duty to look after
our poor, uneducated red brother.

[THUDDING]

[MAN GRUNTS]

HOSS: Hey, Joe, same
thing on this one, buddy.

JOE: Got it?
- Yeah.

Just pick up Harry.

You know, for an Injun, he sure
does talk good English, don't he?

He not only talks good, even watching
him with horses last couple of days?

- Talks pretty good to them too, heh.
- Darn right.

- Giddy up.
- That's one thing about a horse.

Don't make any difference what
color the man's skin that gets on.

He knows it's a man
when he's on there.

Hey, pull by the saloon.

HOSS: Hyah.

Hyah.

Whoa, whoa.

- Harry, who did this to you?
- It doesn't matter.

Look, nobody can get away with
this, not in this town. Now, who did it?

Do me a favor, Joe,
and get me out of here.

He needs help. Let's get
him to the wagon, come on.

- Bring him on.
- Come on.

Hyah! Hyah!

Thanks, Hoss.

You know, Harry,

I've nothing but
admiration for a man who

bucks big odds and
fights his own battles.

You know, sometimes
it just isn't practical.

And that's why we have a government
of law and officers to enforce that law.

Well, Mr. Cartwright,
those laws don't apply to me.

- Hmm, have you tried them?
- Sure, I've tried them.

Now, suppose I named
the men that beat me up

and brought
charges against them.

But what court ever took the word
of a half-Comanche for anything?

Look, Harry,
without you telling us,

we know that the man Pa
fired was in on this somehow.

Now, why not just admit it?

Please, Joe, let's
forget the whole thing.

And after tomorrow, you
can forget about Harry Starr

because I'm moving on.

- You can't keep running all the time.
- Oh, yes, you can.

That's how I've
stayed alive up till now.

You see, I know that if I stay
around here and work the roundup,

the same thing will
happen again, trouble.

Not while we're around.

Well, I thank you,

but I guess the only hope for me
is to find a job some place where

the only thing I can offend
are rattlesnakes and jackrabbits.

Boys, would you say that Harry has
just given us an excellent description

of the line shack up
in Perdido Canyon?

[CHUCKLES]

Sure does, Pa,
like he'd been there.

You know,

we got a lot of work that
has to be done up there.

It's lonely work, but
it's yours if you want it.

I sure don't know why you folks
bother with me, Mr. Cartwright.

Well, uh, it's about time
somebody did, huh, Harry?

Little Joe can ride out with
you as soon as you feel up to it.

If you're willing to
take a chance with me.

I thank you, sir.

I hope you're never sorry.

Joe, why don't you take
Harry up to his room?

I think he needs a little rest.

Right, Pa. Come on, Harry.

JOE: You're up
early this morning.

Yeah, me and sunrises,
we're old friends.

- You feeling better?
- Just as good as new.

You ready to go out
to that line shack?

Any time you say.

I'm ready right now, as soon
as I put this horse in the stall.

- Do you mind if I ask a favor?
- Go ahead.

You think your Pa would mind
if I climbed aboard this horse

just to get the feel of him?

- Go ahead. Pa wouldn't mind.
- Okay.

There you are, horse.

Aah, yes.

Good horse.

Well, that takes care of that.

How about another cup of
coffee, Joe, before you leave?

Don't mind if I do.
You make good coffee.

Yeah.

I'm good at coffee
making and horse breaking.

I guess it's because I've
had plenty of practice at both.

You like horses,
don't you, Harry?

Yeah, that's the
Indian part of me, Joe.

It's like they say, an
Indian takes better care

of his horse than
he does his squaw.

[CHUCKLES]

Tell me, how long did
you live with your people?

Well, Joe, the Comanches are no
more my people than the white man is.

See, my mother was
a captive white woman

and my father was a big brave until
he met up with white man's firewater.

And soon after my mother died, they
just kicked him right out of the tribe.

What happened to you then?

Oh, they had as little use for me
as they did my mother and father.

You see, Joe, when you're
only half of something,

you're really half of nothing.

So I left.

Well, you had it pretty rough.

Well, that taught me a lot.

I picked up a few
things like making coffee,

breaking horses
and living alone.

Yeah, living alone.

One thing about living alone,

you don't have to put up
with the likes of Lee Burton.

By golly, that's right.
That's one good thing.

I don't have to put up
with the Lee Burtons.

Thanks for the coffee.

I'll be back in a couple of
weeks with some supplies for you.

All right, Joe.

- Joe, thanks again for the help.
- All right.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Harry.

You took long
enough getting here.

Yeah, well, I came a long way.

The Cartwrights sent me to a
line shack in Perdido Canyon.

Told them I wanted lonely
work. They sure came through.

How do you do it, Harry?

You take a man as
smart as Ben Cartwright,

and make him give you
exactly what you want.

Old Harry must hypnotize them.

Yeah, well, I
couldn't do it alone.

- Is this the stuff I'll need?
- You're in business.

Yeah. It's very nice.

Now, what would a nice,
clean working cowhand

from the Ponderosa
want with a tool like this?

You can count on me being around to
answer that question when it's asked.

- Where do we hit first?
- The Ponderosa.

You can't beat biting the hand that
feeds you for a dirty, half-breed trick.

Yeah, heh. That's
always been a winner.

I knew you'd liked it.

You know, Lee, you're
a great Indian baiter.

Why not? That's
my job, ain't it?

You just keep
doing your job, Lee.

- How do you figure Harry?
- I don't try.

I wonder if he is still with us.

[SCOFFS]

Why not? There's no
place else for him to go.

Let's get out of here.

MAN: I'm much obliged,
sheriff. ROY: Don't you mention it.

Howdy, Ben.

I heard you had some
horses stolen last night.

Where'd you hear that?

Well, maybe I only
expected to hear it.

I was talking to Chet and
Billy, they were telling me

that they lost some horses last
night. Like as not, I'm gun-shy.

Oh, you aren't.
They got six of ours,

including the Palomino
stallion of Pa's.

They took four of
Chet's best stock horses,

seven of mine,
including a mare in foal.

It beats me.

We haven't had a horse-stealing
around Virginia City in so long,

well, I'd about figured
it was going out of style.

Well, whoever stole these
horses had plenty of style.

We checked Hazelton Creek,
both sides of the bank for miles,

not a sign of him coming out.

There's no chance of
trailing him from my place.

Figure he must've took
them out over trail we used

to bring in our remuda.

There's no question about it.

This here one's a real smart hombre
when it comes to covering his tracks.

Boys, you keep in touch. And
we'll do the best that we can.

Horse thieves make mistakes
too, you know. Even smart ones.

Right. Well, thanks, sheriff.

MAN: All right,
take care. See you.

I'd like to make a little bet.

This horse thief.

I say he's that half-breed
that's working for you.

Well, I'll take
that bet, mister.

Well, now, I ain't
got no rich papa.

You just make it for how
much you want to make it for.

- Fifty dollars?
- You're covered.

BEN: Burton.

You're pretty sure of this bet.

Have you seen Harry
Starr stealing any horses?

No, I'm just putting my money
on what I know about breeds.

You going to tell me
you've had this Injun

where you can watch
him every minute?

He was about as far away
from where those horses

were stolen as a man can be.

In Perdido Canyon,
that's where he's working.

Anybody with him?

[CHUCKLES]

That little half-Injun must be
getting lonely out there all by himself.

Sheriff, if you want to
catch yourself a horse thief,

I got a hunch this Perdido
Canyon is a good place to start.

Seems like kind of a long way
to me to check on a man's hunch.

Should've realized you wouldn't
want to embarrass the Cartwrights.

Maybe after he gets away with a
few more horses, you'll see it different.

I agree with you, Roy.

There's no evidence that
Harry Starr stole any horses.

It's a long way to go
to check on a hunch.

But if Mr. Burton here is gonna be
shooting his mouth off around town,

maybe Little Joe and I
could save a little time

by checking on it
on the way home.

You do that, Ben.
I'll be obliged to you.

And let me know after you've
talked to this Harry Starr.

I'm going with you. I'll meet
you here with my horse.

Sure want to see your
faces when you find out

how this half-Comanche has
paid you back for trusting him.

Way that Burton talks, I
can't figure out if he thinks

every horse thief's a half-breed
or every half-breed's a horse thief.

A man like Burton
uses it either way.

Whichever way suits his
purpose. Now let's get going.

- Take it easy, Roy.
- I'll do that.

BEN: Hyah.

JOE: Harry?

It's funny he ain't here.

What's so funny about
it? We didn't send him here

to lie around the shack all
day. Sent him here to work.

It's probably what he's doing.

He's probably up in the canyon
working that watering basin.

That's one of the jobs
he was supposed to do.

- We'll ride out and look for him there.
- I think I'll stick here.

Poke around the
shack a little bit.

I'll stay up here too, Pa.

Yeah, well, I'll
go up the canyon.

How long you say he's
been living in this shack?

I brought him up
here four days ago.

Looks pretty neat, don't it?

Almost like he hadn't
been here at all.

You remember what
he brought with him?

Mm-hm.

Well, would you say there's
four days' grub missing?

There's a lot of game
in this canyon, Burton.

Is that right?

- Now, what do you expect to find?
- I don't know.

Maybe I'm looking
around just for the fun of it.

Well, look here.

Looks like branding
irons, don't they?

Never saw one like this before.

Maybe I'm not as smart
as you are, Cartwright,

but, uh, couldn't this iron be used
to change the Ponderosa brand?

When I find a brand that's been
changed, I'll remember your idea.

Let's try something, Cartwright,

see if there's anything
to that crazy idea of mine.

That's the Ponderosa
brand, right?

Mm-hm.

LEE: See how easy it is.

Sure no trick to
change a brand, is it?

- No sign of Harry, huh?
- No.

Just found that corral
hidden up in the draw.

About half a dozen horses there.

Some of them ours,
some of the neighbors'.

Do you mind paying me
that bet now, Cartwright?

- Not until we find Harry.
- I tell you what I'll do.

I'll let the bet ride.

One hundred dollars says
that Comanche friend of yours

is off right now fixing to
steal some more horses.

I'm going into town
and tell the sheriff.

He'll want to get up
a little search party.

And that's one party
I don't want to miss.

Pa, it just can't be.

When I rode out here with Harry the
other day, we had a little time to talk.

He told me about how it
was when he was a kid.

He had no friends.
Nobody wanted him.

He said we were the
only friends he had.

I want to believe in him, Pa.

I'd like to too.

Now let's get the
rest of the horses.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

MAN: Hyah.

[MAN GRUNTING]

[NEIGHING]

That stream must be fed by
snow back in the mountains, unh.

Never mind that stream.

Did they raise the
reward money yet?

- They doubled it.
- Oh, it's about time.

I was beginning to
wonder if I was appreciated.

Appreciated? That's all
you hear anybody talk.

Harry Starr, Harry Starr, where'd he
hit last night? It makes our job simple.

Lee's right.

Nobody questions anything except
where's that breed getting off to

with all them horses? They're
spooked. Real spooked.

Well, it took ten days to get them
spooked enough to raise the reward.

HARRY: But, you
know, this is rich country.

They'll double it again
in a couple more days.

We're pressing our luck
now, Harry. I say we cash out.

We move to Wyoming
or the Dakotas,

let them folks take a look at
Harry the half-breed horse thief.

No, no, I want to see that
reward money doubled again.

You're talking like
you're hungry, Harry.

Listen, these
ranchers got up a kitty.

They'll pay 20 dollars a head
for every stolen horse that's found.

Add that to the reward money,
we can be in the clear with 5,500.

Why take any chances?

Lee, you sound like a man
whose skin might be a little yellow.

[SCOFFS]

Well, even so, Harry,

I never thought I'd hear you
judge a man by the color of his skin.

We pull out when
I say. Not before.

I see it different, Harry.

- Stokey?
- I do too.

LEE: Klawson?
- Me too.

Warren?

So you had it all worked
out before you even got here?

No matter when we worked
it out, Harry. We worked it out.

You've got to live with it.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING
AND HORSE NEIGHS]

Little Joe, I've been watching
for a chance to talk to you.

That's funny, I've been
wanting to talk to you too, Harry.

Do I talk to my friend,
or do I talk to his gun?

Oh, I'm not a horse thief, Joe.

I know it's hard to
believe, but I'm not.

You tell me how the horses
got in Perdido Canyon?

You answer that and
I'll meet you halfway.

I can't Joe. All I know
is what happened to me.

What happened to you?

Well, it was about the
third night in the line shack,

and I thought I heard
somebody outside.

I remember opening the door, and
taking about two steps and that's all.

The next thing I knew it was day,
and I was coming to in pine thicket

about ten miles from the shack.

- Why didn't you go back to the shack?
- I did.

We were there. You weren't.

I saw Lee Burton first.

So I crawled back
into the brush.

Then I heard you all
name me a horse thief.

No, not all of us,

but if you weren't, why didn't
you come out and tell us?

If your father was a
renegade Comanche,

you wouldn't ask that question.

A lot of horses
are stolen, Harry.

People are in a real angry mood.
You didn't help yourself by running.

All these people have to
do is think a half-breed guilty

- and he's liable to hang.
- You'll get a fair trial here.

A trial?

You asking me to turn
myself into the sheriff?

You have to.

Tsk, oh, no.

No.

At least I had this
chance to talk to you, Joe.

I'm sorry. I can't
let you go, Harry.

Then you're gonna
have to shoot me down.

I'm not buying a lynching
party, even from you.

Oh, Harry.

All I'm trying to tell you is you'll
get more justice in Virginia City

than you will by running into
some bounty hunter out on the road.

I'd never get as far as that
sheriff if I rode into town.

We'll be with you.
You'll get there.

Well, now, if you and
your father rode in with me,

then maybe I would
have a chance.

- Pa's in the house. I'll tell him.
- Well, just a minute now.

If I go your way, I'll meet you
at the Furnace Creek crossing

tomorrow at noon, straight up.

We'll be there.

Don't let me down,
Harry. I'm believing in you.

I won't, Joe.

So I made a mistake.

Oh, give him a little more time.

It's an important
decision for him to make.

I never should have left
that decision up to him.

You did what you could.
It's up to Harry now.

[SHOVEL BANGS]

LEE: That's far enough,
Cartwrights. Stop right there.

Ride out. Now.

Cartwrights are in there.

Well, I don't have to tell you
that I, uh, earned this reward.

You earned yourself a
rope around your neck.

For hanging a horse thief?

Poster says "Dead
or Alive," don't it?

Roy, I've been
trying to tell you,

all he ever wanted to
do was kill a half-breed.

Now, I say the object was
murder, and that's what it was.

Now, Ben, I don't believe
you've got any real proof of that.

And besides, hanging a horse thief
simply ain't murder in this territory.

Look, Roy, there
were four of them.

They could've brought
him in for trial if they wanted.

Cartwright, that half-Comanche
got away with over 75 horses,

- some of them yours.
BEN: Hold on there,

nobody saw him steal one horse

and nobody saw him in
possession of any horses.

What about the animals we
found out at your line shack?

What about them branding irons?

This poster said there's
$4,000 coming to me.

And that's all I care about.

Mister, I've got to see the remains
before I authorize the payment

of any reward money.

Sheriff, you mean to tell me you
don't take the Cartwrights' word

for what they saw?

You think they'd come in here
just to make me an easy $4,000?

Mister, it don't make no
difference what I think.

I have got to see the body.

I believe it's late to head
out that way this evening.

We'd no more than get to
the crossroads, it'd be dark.

But we'll go out the first thing in
the morning and examine that grave.

Well, I'm ready
whenever you are, sheriff.

Me and the boys will
be glad to take you there.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Ben, don't look at me like that.

I'm doing my job the
best way I know how.

Suppose some regular rancher
had caught Starr and strung him up?

Would you be telling me
to lock him up for murder?

If he'd gone out of
his way to kill him, yes.

Ben, I agree with you that every man is
entitled to his day in court and all that.

But let's look at
this thing practically.

An expensive court trial wouldn't
make no difference to Starr.

He'd have been hung anyway.

Oh, yeah, that's right, Roy.

Just forget about him.
He's only a half-breed.

ROY: Joe.
- Forget it, Joseph.

ROY: I'm sorry, Ben,
but it's in the books,

hanging a horse thief just
ain't murder in this territory.

Sure it ain't.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Didn't expect to see you
Cartwrights out here this morning.

Don't you ever give up?

We came out to claim
Harry Starr's body.

I guess we're a little late.

Wolves got to him already.

This is all we could find, Roy.

Burton, don't you even have
enough respect for a dead man

to give him a proper grave?

Did you ever see a white man
after Comanches got done with him?

Don't talk to me about
respect for dead Indians.

Sheriff, you still have to see the
body before you pay the money?

You'll get your money all right.

But I'm gonna see to it
personally that you spend it

any other place
than Virginia City.

[WHINNIES]

[HORSES NEIGH]

Well, we might as well go home.

Pa, you and Hoss go ahead.
I'll be along after a while.

What do you have in mind?

Nothing. I just want
to take some time

and think this thing through.

You, uh, like to
talk it through?

I just can't help thinking I put that
rope around Harry's neck myself.

Look, Joe, if Harry had
done like you told him,

if he had gone in and
turned himself into the sheriff,

he'd still be
alive, wouldn't he?

That's right.

Joe, we're men,
we're not mystics

or foretellers of the future.

We can't be responsible for
the consequences of our actions.

We don't know what they're
gonna be. Even in the best of faith.

Yeah, I think
that's the word, Pa.

- What?
- Faith.

I really had faith in
believing what Harry told me

and it's about time I
did something about it.

Like what?

There were 70 horses stolen.

If I'm gonna be honest in
believing Harry didn't take them,

I want to find out who
did and where they are.

Son, don't use this as an excuse to
go after Burton for what he did to Harry.

I won't. I promise you. I won't.

I'll be careful.

[ALL GRUNTING]

[MEN LAUGHING]

[MAN CHUCKLES]

MAN: Hey, bartender, bring
some whiskey over here.

Come on, let's go.

MAN: Go? We're just getting started.
- We gotta go, come on.

[ALL CHUCKLING]

Wait a minute.

[WOMAN CHUCKLES]

I won.

What are you looking
at? Go on, get out of here.

Get out of here, heh.

You'll be back to see me?

Sure, honey, just
keep your light burning.

I can't afford to keep
it burning too long.

Well, let me see.

That will be enough to
keep it burning till I get back.

[MAN & WOMAN CHUCKLE]

[HOOFBEATS RETREAT]

[NEIGHING]

- Hey, what did you do that for?
- Shut up.

Stokey, get back down the
trail, see if anybody's following us.

We'll wait for you up ahead.

- See anything?
- Ah, no, I didn't see a thing.

- You sure?
- Sure, I'm sure.

What are you getting
so spooky about?

Easy, Joe. Easy.

Harry.

Yeah, I'm not a ghost,
Joe. I'm as real as this gun.

Yeah, but I saw...

I saw you hanging from a tree.

Sure, I still have the
rope burns under my arms

trying to keep the
weight out of the noose.

That's why the grave
was empty, huh?

Yeah, that's why, Joe.

Now get your hands
behind your head.

Move on down there.

I said move.

[GUNSHOT]

[BOTH GRUNT]

Come on, Burton, keep digging.

I want Harry Starr's
grave real deep this time.

Go on, throw it
over with the others.

Throw it over with the others.

[HORSES NEIGH]

[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

I just can't believe I could've
been so wrong about him.

I wanted to be his friend.

I'm afraid that isn't
what Harry had in mind.

I hope I'm never
that stupid again.

You weren't stupid.

- I wasn't?
- No.

You have to admit, Pa, I
sure made it easy for him.

Try asking yourself why you did.

Why? I thought I was the
only friend he had in the world.

He was alone, taking a
beating, he couldn't help himself.

In other words, he
was an underdog.

You had no way of knowing
that he was anything else.

Joe,

never feel guilty about having
warm human feelings toward anyone.

If it'll be of any
comfort to you,

I felt exactly the same
way about Harry as you did.

For the same reasons.

That doesn't make
the reasons wrong.

Just Harry.

ANNOUNCER: This has
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