Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 7, Episode 17 - Ride the Wind: Part 1 - full transcript
The Pony Express comes to Virginia City and Little Joe decides to join. Soon Indians react to express riders invading their lands.
The following program
is brought to you in
living color on NBC.
♪♪
Dad-burn, look at him go.
All the way from
St. Joe in eight days.
That's something... you know,
that's less than half the time
they've ever done it in
before. That's hard to believe.
I believe it's a miracle.
I tell you, this Pony Express
is gonna be the biggest thing
that ever happened to the West.
What an idea.
You know, they put together
the best string of thoroughbreds
in the country for this job.
They're gonna need 'em
getting over the Sierra
into Sacramento from here...
The last leg of the
trip and the toughest.
I don't think we have a horse
in the Ponderosa this fast.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
Hey, Joe!
♪♪
I had a vision.
Yes, sir.
A vision of this land.
I saw the populous East
and the great, growing West
tied together with
a single thread,
a thread of courageous
young horsemen riding the wind,
never leaving the saddle,
an ever-changing
group of horsemen
whose determination
and strength and courage
will make the Pony
Express a living reality.
That was my vision,
my hope, my dream.
But before we can do all that,
I must have pledges
of your support,
pledges that all other
communities so far
have given me.
And as soon as our
receipts start rolling in
and a grateful government
grants us a mail subsidy...
How do we know that'll happen?
I been trying to get
'em to shake loose
for ten years,
for my stage line.
All I got so far is six
government mules,
three inspectors,
and a tax bill.
Ludlow, you're asking
us to put our money
into this express
company of yours.
I'd like to know a
little more about you
before I put a nickel in it.
You want to know about
Charles Ludlow, huh?
You ever hear of the Erie
Canal Riverboat Service?
The New Orleans Clipper Lines?
The Washington and
Boston Packet and Mail?
My father formed
those companies.
Yes, uh, gentlemen,
I was privileged to
make my contribution
to the growth of
this great land,
but I consider those
accomplishments
to be less than nothing
compared to the task
I'm embarked on now.
'Cause I've long
known of the cryin' need.
What about Winnemucca
and his Paiutes?
You think they're
just gonna sit there
and let you ride
across their land?
Well, now, let's
not start worrying
about a bunch of redskins.
It's my job to handle them.
Winnemucca's braves are...
more than just "a bunch of
redskins," Mr. Wade. Uh...
they're about as fierce a tribe
as you can find around here.
I think they're to
be reckoned with.
Well, you haven't had any
trouble with Winnemucca
since that fight at
Pyramid Lake, have you?
No.
No, but he's a...
he's a strange man.
You never know what's
going on in his mind.
Oh, he... might let you
ride across his territory
without any trouble at all.
Yeah, he could do that.
But then he might just
as well decide to fight.
Now, look, did we come
here for advice or dollars?
You heard what Mr. Ludlow
said about needing your support.
Now, how about it?
Thank you, Curtis.
My partner, Mr. Wade,
has, as always, hit the nail
exactly on the head.
Our most pressing
need right now is money.
I'll pledge $6,000.
Thank you.
By golly, if Ben Cartwright
thinks that much of the deal,
I'm for it, too.
You can put me down
for 2,000, Ludlow.
I'll go for 1,500.
Excellent. Uh...
you just write down here the
amount you intend to invest.
Uh... start with Mr. Cartwright.
- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you.
Well, the, uh, Cartwright
trick rider, I do believe.
We had a little
race outside of town.
Yeah, well, you still
owe me a rematch.
Well, I'd much rather you
raced for the Pony Express
than against it.
- Uh, my name's Jabez Ludlow.
- Good to see you.
Why don't you join us?
Well, I've been
thinking about it.
Well, uh, I think we have plenty
of work for this young man to do
on the Ponderosa.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Thank you.
Mr. Cartwright. Uh...
my partner, Mr. Wade, and I
would like to speak with
you privately, if we may.
Fine.
Boys, wait for me.
Joe...
you ain't seriously thinking
about joining this outfit.
Well, why not? Sure, I'm
seriously thinking about it.
You heard what Mr. Ludlow
said about being one
of the most important things
to ever happen to the West.
Yeah, but, Joe, you're
gonna risk your life.
Well, it's my life, isn't it?
Gentlemen, I... I
don't know what to say.
Say yes, Ben.
You're the man we want,
the man we need to make
this a going enterprise.
I've been watching the...
progress of the Pony Express
with a great deal of interest.
Ben, as a member of
our board of directors,
you'll be invaluable to us.
You see, it takes men
not only with vision
but men with a practical
knowledge of the West,
uh, to make a thing
like this a going one.
What do you say, Mr. Cartwright?
You want to be a part of it?
Yeah.
Yes, I want to be part of it.
Look at him go!
He's scooping up
sand in his back pocket!
"Not over 25 years.
"Must be expert riders and
willing to risk death daily.
"Orphans preferred.
$125 a month"?!
Our horses can't
carry that much weight
over the distances
we have to travel.
Sorry.
Next.
Name.
Aaron Bornstein.
I weigh 130 pounds, see
lightning and hear thunder.
Can you ride a horse?
Mister, I was born on a horse.
Well, boy, you're gonna
get a chance to prove it.
You mean I'm hired?
Yeah, you're now a
Pony Express rider.
Pick a bunk in the back room.
- Name.
- Pat Henley.
- What do you weigh?
- 129 pounds.
That's about right.
I was born on a horse, too.
Pick a bunk in the back room.
Excuse me, friend.
- Looking for a job, friend?
- Yeah.
- Where you from?
- Right here in Virginia City.
- Got a ranch right outside of town.
- Cartwright!
Hey, Jabez, how you doing?
Fine. You, uh,
decided to join us, huh?
Yeah, yeah. You
finally talked me into it.
I'm glad.
It's a big job. We, uh...
we need riders like you.
Son, it sound like
you got the fever.
I have.
You'll get it, too. I can
guarantee that, mister.
Just so that paycheck
comes in each month.
It don't matter to me
one way or the other.
I better get my place in line.
- I'll see you later.
- Right.
When are you gonna
learn how to read?
All right, it says,
"Neither rain nor
sleet nor gloom of night
will stay the
courier on his way."
I guess they never heard
of a horse stepping
in a prairie dog hole.
All right.
Pay's 125 a month.
That's more money than most
of you have seen in your lives.
Out of that, you buy your
own gear and handguns.
Handguns?
What about using a rifle?
Like to keep
Indians at a distance.
Well, that's why we give
you fast grain-fed horses.
You use 'em for speed.
Outrun 'em, don't
try to outfight 'em.
And I've got one rule
you better all remember:
bring yourselves
and the mail in on time
or bring yourselves in dead.
That's all. Be here tomorrow
morning ready to go to work.
You're Joe
Cartwright, aren't you?
Yeah. Yeah, that's right.
I'm Emmett Carver from
down Carson City way.
Hi, Emmett.
Your dad and mine
know each other.
- Oh, yeah, that's right.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I heard my pa
mention him many times.
What do you think of that Wade?
He sure like to kid, don't he?
Oh, yeah.
He's a real barrel of
laughs, that's for sure.
You know, I told my dad this
was gonna be a real safe job.
Wait'll he hears about
that number one rule,
on schedule or
dead... That'd kill him.
Please, please,
don't use that word.
- I'll see you later.
- All right.
Hey, fellas, here's the
schedule, who rides and where.
Excuse me, fellas.
Joe...
- Yeah.
- Uh, don't mind Mr. Wade.
He's, uh... he's
tough but he's fair.
He'll take care of his men.
How long you known him?
Mm, about three years.
Used to be an Indian
fighter in the southwest.
Pop thinks he's the man
to make this operation work.
I'm inclined to agree with him.
Well, I got to admit,
he talks tough enough.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Right.
- Hey, Joe?
- Yeah, Hoss.
Was afraid I'd find you here.
I saw your horse
tied up out here.
You know, we got a
lot of work to do, Joe.
We got to move all those cattle
down from that north pasture.
Yeah, well, I'm afraid
I'm not gonna be able
to help you move 'em.
Joe, you didn't...?
Yeah, I joined 'em.
Pa sure ain't gonna like that.
I know. I'm not looking
forward to telling him, either.
Well, I guess I
better get on home.
I... I sure don't
understand you, Joseph.
Why couldn't you at least
have talked to me about it?
Because I was afraid
you were gonna say no.
Because you were afraid
I was going to say no.
And could there possibly
be a reason for me saying no?
- Yes, sir, but I... oh...
- Yes, sir! Yes, sir!
With Adam gone, I
need both of you here.
This ranch won't run by itself.
Look, Pa, you gave
money to the Pony Express.
You're on the
board of directors.
Now I just don't see why
you won't let me ride for 'em.
Because I... Because
I need you here.
Oh, now, you know
that's not the reason.
Look, Pa, nothing's
gonna happen to me.
Look, you-you told me how
important the Pony Express was;
that's it's the biggest thing
that ever happened in the West.
Well, I want to be part of it...
just for a little while.
Look...
young man, you
get yourself upstairs
and pack those bags of yours
if you're going to report to the
Pony Express in the morning.
Now, get off with you.
Yes, sir.
Hey, don't look so sad.
You lose about 190 pounds,
I'll put a word in for you.
I lose 190 pounds, I
couldn't keep a saddle on me.
Pa... you know
what those fellers
are gonna be riding
through, don't you?
Yes, yes, I know.
Freezing blizzards,
1,500 miles of dry desert,
- I know.
- Endless mountains...
Not to mention a couple
of thousand Indians.
Hoss, I know.
But I tell you, if I was
25 years younger...
Well, you don't think I could
have stopped him anyway, do you?
No, dad-burnit, I
know you couldn't have.
♪♪
Whoa, whoa, boy. Whoa!
Whoa! Hey!
Whoa! Stop!
Hey, you guys,
get out here quick!
Hurry up!
Whoa, come on, come
on... Whoa. Whoa!
Easy. Easy. Easy.
Whoa. Whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's Emmett's horse.
Hoke, what's the arrow holding?
Scalp.
Little Joe's out there, too.
Hey, Ed! Indians!
You better stay
here, Joe. It's safer.
Don't worry. I'll outrun 'em.
- Hyah.
- Hyah. Hyah!
♪♪
I don't know whether you're
skillful, or just plain lucky.
It don't matter, boy,
just as long as I keep
taking your money.
Uh, greetings,
fellow mail carriers.
Wade wasn't kidding when he said
we had the fastest
horses in the West.
They're really movers.
Hey, where's Emmett? He quit?
He's dead.
Paiutes.
Jumped him between
here and the last station.
Sent back his pony and his hair.
Just so's we'd know.
We thought you was
a goner, too, Little Joe.
Yeah, well, I guess
I had a faster horse.
I never told you boys
this was gonna be easy.
I never promised you brass
bands and cotton candy
for the rest of your lives.
We lost a man, sure,
and we're all sorry.
But are we gonna
let that stop us?
I've been fighting
Indians all my life,
and I've yet to meet
the feathered buzzard
that could scare me out of
doing anything I've set my mind to.
And I've set my mind...
yes, and my heart, on making
the Pony Express a reality.
Well, now, if any of you
feel that you can't cut it,
you can just roll up
your gear and call it quits.
That's all I've got to say.
Told his pa he
had a real safe job.
Little Joe, you quittin'?
No, I can't quit.
I got too big of an
investment in this company.
Still owe me a month's pay.
Hello?
Anybody here?
In here.
Rejoice for the press has come
to make you famous, Mr. Ludlow.
Tully, Washington Globe.
I am pleased.
Well, I'm not Ludlow.
Name's Wade.
Oh?
Can I help you?
Oh, no, I'm afraid not.
You see, I came out here
to do a story on Ludlow
and his famous pony riders.
Oh.
Look at that.
"Ludlow and Wade."
Oh.
Then you're partners.
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Wade.
But I'm afraid you
still can't help me.
You see, back East,
nobody ever heard of you.
All they talk about is the
great visionary, Charles Ludlow.
Well, they should.
Without him, there wouldn't
be any Pony Express.
Oh, yes, he's a very
famous man, you know.
Caught the imagination
of uncounted thousands.
All right, friend, here's
your chance to meet him.
This is Mr. Charles
Ludlow, my partner.
This is Mr. Tully of
the Washington Globe.
- Oh.
- It's a real honor, Mr. Ludlow.
It isn't often that I stand in
the presence of greatness.
Well, now, you
flatter me, Mr. Tully.
Oh, no.
My editor sent me 3,000 miles
just to write a story about you
and the way you've built
your great Pony Express.
Well...
I'll certainly tell 'em
all I know about it.
Would you like some coffee?
Well, I'd rather have a drink?
Oh, I'm afraid
we don't have spirits
in this office, Mr. Tully.
Oh.
Well, in that
case, coffee it is.
Uh, Charles, I'd
like you to look
at the bills for
those new horses.
Curtis, that can wait.
You know I don't
care about business.
Get our guest some coffee,
and bring me some, too.
You see, Mr. Tully...
this is more than just a story.
This is a saga.
I had a vision, a great one.
A vision of this land of ours.
The populous East and
the great West tied together
by a single thread of riders.
- Mr. Ludlow...
- Of courageous young..
- Mr. Ludlow?
- Yeah?
I, uh... I want to
get this all down.
- Ah...
- But, you see, I-I'm...
At the moment,
I'm still a bit groggy
from my-my trip, and I
wonder if it'd be possible
to arrange an interview
for, say, this afternoon?
Oh, well, um...
Well, of course, at-at your
convenience, Mr. Tully.
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
And I want you to
know, the whole nation,
the whole world is
waiting to hear your story.
You're the man of the hour.
- Believe me.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Tully.
I'll... I'll see you later.
Curtis!
Curtis, did you hear
what he said about me?
Oh, Curtis, we're going places.
Who knows what we might do!
"Man of the hour," he said.
"Stand in the
presence of greatness."
Why, the Pony Express
might be a stepping stone.
A great opportunity!
Think of that, my friend.
A whole nation at my feet.
Think of it, my friend!
I have been
thinking of it, Charles.
Here, drink your coffee
before it gets cold.
I wish you could've
known Emmett Carver.
He was really a heck of a guy.
Always laughing
and joking all the time.
I know, Joe.
Joe, you ride again
the first thing in the
morning, don't you?
Yeah, I guess I do. I...
better get some sleep.
Pa...
you reckon you could ride
into Winnemucca's camp
and talk with him?
I don't know.
I did sit in to that peace
meeting with him...
Pyramid Lake.
Well, he ain't very peaceful
with nobody right now, is he?
♪♪
Tobacco.
Ben Cartwright no forget.
It's been a long
time, Great Chief.
Why you come on my land?
To speak of peace...
with an old friend,
and to ask why my old
friend kills the pony riders.
They do no harm.
They carry only letters,
sometimes medicine.
They are men of peace.
Hear me, Ben Cartwright.
First one pony
rider, then wagons,
then many white men,
many white guns...
soon my land become your land!
But it would not
happen that way.
And there is a way to avoid it.
By making a treaty,
and setting down in that
treaty the number of riders
that you would allow
to cross your land.
And that way, you could
control the situation.
Treaties... easy to
break by white man.
I have seen many
false white faces,
heard many false white words.
How can you speak
to me of treaties!
You are a father.
You have sons.
Do you wish to see your
sons die before their time?
I am a father.
I have sons.
One of them is a pony rider.
Father's heart is
hard to carry, but...
Winnemucca is not only a father,
he is leader of his people.
My people must survive.
You tell your pony men
if they come on my land...
I will kill them.
- Did you get to Winnemucca?
- Yeah. We saw him, all right.
Yeah. Where's Mr. Ludlow?
He just went down to
the hotel with Mr. Wade.
What did Winnemucca say?
Is there any chance for a treaty?
No.
Now, Joseph... I
know I haven't any right
to ask you not to
make your run, but...
as a father, I'd sure feel a
whole lot better if you didn't.
Pa, you know I can't do that.
If I don't make the ride,
one of the other fellas
is gonna have to. I...
I can't back out just
'cause the going gets rough.
- Come on.
- Look, Joe...
delay it as long as
you can, anyhow.
Let Pa have a chance
to talk to Ludlow.
Yeah.
Let's wait a while; Pa's
down talking to someone.
Mr. Wade, we have no choice.
We've got to reroute
the Pony Express
- around Winnemucca's terri...
- We can't!
It's as simple as that.
Wade, what do you want
anyhow, an Indian war?
It'll take us months to build
those new relay stations.
If we stop those riders now,
we'll never get that
government subsidy.
And without that, we're
finished, out of business.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
no business is worth the
loss of a single human life!
And no Indian is gonna
dictate terms to me.
If we have to lock
horns, with them, so be it,
- but I say...
- I say Ben is right!
We'll just... have
to cease operations
till the stations are built.
Oh, Curtis, Curtis,
why don't you
calm down a little.
Now, when you're
older and wiser, you'll...
Don't you patronize me.
I didn't realize I
was doing that.
You haven't realized
a lot of things.
You want to stop
the riders; I don't.
I think we better put
this before the board,
- let them decide.
- Fine, if that's what you...
Cartwright, what
are you doing here?
You're supposed to
be out on your run.
We've got a schedule to keep.
- My pa said to wai...
- I know what your pa said.
- Bornstein...
- Yes, sir?
You're gonna have to
do Cartwright's job for him.
Yes, sir.
You stay here.
I do my own riding, Mr. Wade.
And keep that schedule.
Hyah!
♪♪
- What are you doing here?
- Waiting for Mr. Ludlow.
We were to hold that
interview, you know.
Yes, I know.
You know, very few men
live up to your
expectations of them.
But that Mr. Ludlow...
everybody I talk to says,
"Mr. Ludlow says this,
Mr. Ludlow says that."
Mr. Ludlow is a past
master at saying things.
Doing things is something else.
Why am I telling you
this? Do your story.
Well, now...
Ludlow is only a story
if he runs the Express.
Now, if that doesn't
happen to be true...
Why should I lie to you?
I can give you a lot of reasons.
How about resentment,
just for openers?
Look, Mr. Wade,
Ludlow is my story
until I learn otherwise.
And to my readers, he's
the leader of this outfit,
the visionary.
To be quite frank, he's the
dashing man on the white horse.
And what if he fell
off that white horse?
Oh, now, that would
be another matter.
But let me caution you...
You don't knock down a man
like Charles Ludlow very easily.
I know that.
I was going through some
of Ludlow's files the other day.
I ran into some very
interesting reading.
How's that for openers?
Looks like you're holding
all the aces, Mr. Wade.
We'll return to tonight's
story of Bonanza
in a moment.
And now the exciting
conclusion of tonight's story.
You see, gentlemen,
it's quite simple.
We must have a peace
treaty with Winnemucca.
- No, Ludlow, you can't...
- Now, now, please, please, please.
I have prepared...
just such a treaty.
There is the document. Huh?
And I think they'll find
that quite acceptable.
You see, we offer to pay
for any one of our riders
who crosses Winnemucca's lands.
The last time we
tried to get a treaty
with that old Paiute,
it took almost a year.
Now, why should it be
any different this time?
It won't be any different...
not unless we come up
with some gesture of goodwill
to Winnemucca.
Cartwright, talk sense.
Our only chance to
survive is to obtain
a government subsidy.
Isn't that right, Mr. Ludlow?
- Well, I...
- Well, isn't it?
Yes, yes, yes!
But I still don't see what
that has to do with this treaty.
We-we can't go on
conducting business
without a treaty
with the Indians.
If we have to suspend the
Pony Express, even for one day...
If we hold up the
mail, we've failed!
No, no, I tell you, no!
I don't have to
tell you gentlemen
the financial structure
of this company is shaky.
If we don't get that subsidy,
we're out of business.
Now, Curtis, we'll
do this my way!
And I insist on a
treaty with the...
- You insist?
- I insist!
What makes you think
you've got the right
to insist or anything else?
As soon as our friends here
take a look at these papers,
we'll see who they'll
listen to, you or me.
What are these papers, Wade?
- His creditors' reports.
- Creditors' reports?!
What kind of creditors, Wade?
I'll tell you what kind.
The men who've
backed and supported
various and assorted companies,
such as the Erie Canal
Riverboat Service,
New Orleans Clipper Line,
Washington and Boston Packet,
all of which were
headed by Mr. Ludlow,
and all of which went broke!
That was all in
the past. It's over.
Is it?
Isn't your father trying to stop
the operation of
the Pony Express
while we palaver with
a bunch of redskins?
You think that's the kind of man
the government is gonna
subsidize... a quitter?
He's ready to send us
into bankruptcy right now,
just as surely as he did
these other companies.
What are you trying
to pull off there, Ludlow!
- Wait a minute!
- Are these reports true?
Wait! Wait!
Let's hear what
Mr. Ludlow has to say!
I do not deny... those reports.
Look, if you don't
want to lose your money
the same way all
Mr. Ludlow's other creditors did,
I'm asking you to give
me a fighting chance
to keep the Pony
Express in operation.
Don't give in to Winnemucca.
We'll fight him!
We'll outrun him!
We'll run him into the
ground, if we have to.
And how many pony riders
will have to die in the process!
They volunteered! If they
don't like it, they can get out.
We've got a right to
protect our interests.
I say we give Mr. Wade
a vote of confidence.
- Now, wait a minute...
- And I second that motion.
- All in favor, say "aye"!
- Aye!
Opposed?
Opposed.
The board has
spoken, Mr. Ludlow.
You're no longer the
head of this organization.
♪♪
Aren't you gonna do
anything at all, Dad?
Son, I've already told you,
it's not any more my affair.
What was it all for?
A pat on the back for me
and another failure for you?
I was hoping this was it!
That once, just
once in your life,
you'd finish something,
you'd-you'd see it through!
Son, you heard what
they said to me in there.
You... you saw what happened.
I saw you crumble and collapse
before a man named Curtis Wade.
I watched him take the
Pony Express away from you
without even a struggle.
Didn't you ever really
care about the Express?
Or was it just a...
another bunch of words
for you to sound off with?
Son... you shouldn't
speak this way to me.
I've always wanted you
to be proud of your father.
Proud?
Of what?
Of his failures?
Of all his great
achievements that went bust?
Of watching him run out
on one thing after another?
Last thing in the world I
wanted was to let anybody down.
Especially you.
Well, you've done
something worse.
You've let yourself down.
♪♪
♪♪
Get going!
Cool him out.
He's a good one...
He run 30 miles.
30 miles, did you say?
I couldn't stop at
Indian Wells station.
- How come?
- Paiutes.
Paiutes?
Mr. Cartwright...
your son Little Joe...
he's trapped in that station.
I heard the shooting.
I circled the place.
Them Paiutes was
having themselves a time.
How do you know it
was Little Joe in there?
We were supposed
to pass in the road.
We didn't.
Give me another
horse! I'm going with 'em!
I ain't never missed
an Indian fight in my life.
Mr. Wade...
you really fight
all those Indians
back in Texas, like
you tell us about?
I'll tell you, those bugles
were music to my ears.
Yeah.
It's gonna have to
come out... All right.
Hang on tight.
Now.
Oh, no... Easy. Easy, Jabez.
Pa...?
What did they do?
Papa?
I'm proud of you.
You hear?
I'm so proud of you.
Is this according to your
schedule, Mr. Wade?
No, I... never wanted
it to come to this.
Reckon what he was trying to do?
He was trying to...
get a peace treaty
with Winnemucca.
Pony Express was his...
his dream, his life.
He died for it... the least
we can do is keep it going.
All right, we keep it going.
You gonna finish your run
to Sacramento, Cartwright?
You bet I am.
Hyah!
Ride 'em! -Go, Joe, go!
♪♪
Hi. Mike Landon here.
With the youngest member
of the Chevrolet family.
Chevelle SS 396.
Here, an exclusive
396-cubic-inch engine
with 325 horsepower.
You can order a 360- or even
a 375-horsepower version.
It has simulated air scoops.
Red-striped tires.
Recessed rear window.
Drive a winner.
Chevelle SS 396.
At your Chevrolet dealers.
This has been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.
is brought to you in
living color on NBC.
♪♪
Dad-burn, look at him go.
All the way from
St. Joe in eight days.
That's something... you know,
that's less than half the time
they've ever done it in
before. That's hard to believe.
I believe it's a miracle.
I tell you, this Pony Express
is gonna be the biggest thing
that ever happened to the West.
What an idea.
You know, they put together
the best string of thoroughbreds
in the country for this job.
They're gonna need 'em
getting over the Sierra
into Sacramento from here...
The last leg of the
trip and the toughest.
I don't think we have a horse
in the Ponderosa this fast.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
Hey, Joe!
♪♪
I had a vision.
Yes, sir.
A vision of this land.
I saw the populous East
and the great, growing West
tied together with
a single thread,
a thread of courageous
young horsemen riding the wind,
never leaving the saddle,
an ever-changing
group of horsemen
whose determination
and strength and courage
will make the Pony
Express a living reality.
That was my vision,
my hope, my dream.
But before we can do all that,
I must have pledges
of your support,
pledges that all other
communities so far
have given me.
And as soon as our
receipts start rolling in
and a grateful government
grants us a mail subsidy...
How do we know that'll happen?
I been trying to get
'em to shake loose
for ten years,
for my stage line.
All I got so far is six
government mules,
three inspectors,
and a tax bill.
Ludlow, you're asking
us to put our money
into this express
company of yours.
I'd like to know a
little more about you
before I put a nickel in it.
You want to know about
Charles Ludlow, huh?
You ever hear of the Erie
Canal Riverboat Service?
The New Orleans Clipper Lines?
The Washington and
Boston Packet and Mail?
My father formed
those companies.
Yes, uh, gentlemen,
I was privileged to
make my contribution
to the growth of
this great land,
but I consider those
accomplishments
to be less than nothing
compared to the task
I'm embarked on now.
'Cause I've long
known of the cryin' need.
What about Winnemucca
and his Paiutes?
You think they're
just gonna sit there
and let you ride
across their land?
Well, now, let's
not start worrying
about a bunch of redskins.
It's my job to handle them.
Winnemucca's braves are...
more than just "a bunch of
redskins," Mr. Wade. Uh...
they're about as fierce a tribe
as you can find around here.
I think they're to
be reckoned with.
Well, you haven't had any
trouble with Winnemucca
since that fight at
Pyramid Lake, have you?
No.
No, but he's a...
he's a strange man.
You never know what's
going on in his mind.
Oh, he... might let you
ride across his territory
without any trouble at all.
Yeah, he could do that.
But then he might just
as well decide to fight.
Now, look, did we come
here for advice or dollars?
You heard what Mr. Ludlow
said about needing your support.
Now, how about it?
Thank you, Curtis.
My partner, Mr. Wade,
has, as always, hit the nail
exactly on the head.
Our most pressing
need right now is money.
I'll pledge $6,000.
Thank you.
By golly, if Ben Cartwright
thinks that much of the deal,
I'm for it, too.
You can put me down
for 2,000, Ludlow.
I'll go for 1,500.
Excellent. Uh...
you just write down here the
amount you intend to invest.
Uh... start with Mr. Cartwright.
- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you.
Well, the, uh, Cartwright
trick rider, I do believe.
We had a little
race outside of town.
Yeah, well, you still
owe me a rematch.
Well, I'd much rather you
raced for the Pony Express
than against it.
- Uh, my name's Jabez Ludlow.
- Good to see you.
Why don't you join us?
Well, I've been
thinking about it.
Well, uh, I think we have plenty
of work for this young man to do
on the Ponderosa.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Thank you.
Mr. Cartwright. Uh...
my partner, Mr. Wade, and I
would like to speak with
you privately, if we may.
Fine.
Boys, wait for me.
Joe...
you ain't seriously thinking
about joining this outfit.
Well, why not? Sure, I'm
seriously thinking about it.
You heard what Mr. Ludlow
said about being one
of the most important things
to ever happen to the West.
Yeah, but, Joe, you're
gonna risk your life.
Well, it's my life, isn't it?
Gentlemen, I... I
don't know what to say.
Say yes, Ben.
You're the man we want,
the man we need to make
this a going enterprise.
I've been watching the...
progress of the Pony Express
with a great deal of interest.
Ben, as a member of
our board of directors,
you'll be invaluable to us.
You see, it takes men
not only with vision
but men with a practical
knowledge of the West,
uh, to make a thing
like this a going one.
What do you say, Mr. Cartwright?
You want to be a part of it?
Yeah.
Yes, I want to be part of it.
Look at him go!
He's scooping up
sand in his back pocket!
"Not over 25 years.
"Must be expert riders and
willing to risk death daily.
"Orphans preferred.
$125 a month"?!
Our horses can't
carry that much weight
over the distances
we have to travel.
Sorry.
Next.
Name.
Aaron Bornstein.
I weigh 130 pounds, see
lightning and hear thunder.
Can you ride a horse?
Mister, I was born on a horse.
Well, boy, you're gonna
get a chance to prove it.
You mean I'm hired?
Yeah, you're now a
Pony Express rider.
Pick a bunk in the back room.
- Name.
- Pat Henley.
- What do you weigh?
- 129 pounds.
That's about right.
I was born on a horse, too.
Pick a bunk in the back room.
Excuse me, friend.
- Looking for a job, friend?
- Yeah.
- Where you from?
- Right here in Virginia City.
- Got a ranch right outside of town.
- Cartwright!
Hey, Jabez, how you doing?
Fine. You, uh,
decided to join us, huh?
Yeah, yeah. You
finally talked me into it.
I'm glad.
It's a big job. We, uh...
we need riders like you.
Son, it sound like
you got the fever.
I have.
You'll get it, too. I can
guarantee that, mister.
Just so that paycheck
comes in each month.
It don't matter to me
one way or the other.
I better get my place in line.
- I'll see you later.
- Right.
When are you gonna
learn how to read?
All right, it says,
"Neither rain nor
sleet nor gloom of night
will stay the
courier on his way."
I guess they never heard
of a horse stepping
in a prairie dog hole.
All right.
Pay's 125 a month.
That's more money than most
of you have seen in your lives.
Out of that, you buy your
own gear and handguns.
Handguns?
What about using a rifle?
Like to keep
Indians at a distance.
Well, that's why we give
you fast grain-fed horses.
You use 'em for speed.
Outrun 'em, don't
try to outfight 'em.
And I've got one rule
you better all remember:
bring yourselves
and the mail in on time
or bring yourselves in dead.
That's all. Be here tomorrow
morning ready to go to work.
You're Joe
Cartwright, aren't you?
Yeah. Yeah, that's right.
I'm Emmett Carver from
down Carson City way.
Hi, Emmett.
Your dad and mine
know each other.
- Oh, yeah, that's right.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I heard my pa
mention him many times.
What do you think of that Wade?
He sure like to kid, don't he?
Oh, yeah.
He's a real barrel of
laughs, that's for sure.
You know, I told my dad this
was gonna be a real safe job.
Wait'll he hears about
that number one rule,
on schedule or
dead... That'd kill him.
Please, please,
don't use that word.
- I'll see you later.
- All right.
Hey, fellas, here's the
schedule, who rides and where.
Excuse me, fellas.
Joe...
- Yeah.
- Uh, don't mind Mr. Wade.
He's, uh... he's
tough but he's fair.
He'll take care of his men.
How long you known him?
Mm, about three years.
Used to be an Indian
fighter in the southwest.
Pop thinks he's the man
to make this operation work.
I'm inclined to agree with him.
Well, I got to admit,
he talks tough enough.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Right.
- Hey, Joe?
- Yeah, Hoss.
Was afraid I'd find you here.
I saw your horse
tied up out here.
You know, we got a
lot of work to do, Joe.
We got to move all those cattle
down from that north pasture.
Yeah, well, I'm afraid
I'm not gonna be able
to help you move 'em.
Joe, you didn't...?
Yeah, I joined 'em.
Pa sure ain't gonna like that.
I know. I'm not looking
forward to telling him, either.
Well, I guess I
better get on home.
I... I sure don't
understand you, Joseph.
Why couldn't you at least
have talked to me about it?
Because I was afraid
you were gonna say no.
Because you were afraid
I was going to say no.
And could there possibly
be a reason for me saying no?
- Yes, sir, but I... oh...
- Yes, sir! Yes, sir!
With Adam gone, I
need both of you here.
This ranch won't run by itself.
Look, Pa, you gave
money to the Pony Express.
You're on the
board of directors.
Now I just don't see why
you won't let me ride for 'em.
Because I... Because
I need you here.
Oh, now, you know
that's not the reason.
Look, Pa, nothing's
gonna happen to me.
Look, you-you told me how
important the Pony Express was;
that's it's the biggest thing
that ever happened in the West.
Well, I want to be part of it...
just for a little while.
Look...
young man, you
get yourself upstairs
and pack those bags of yours
if you're going to report to the
Pony Express in the morning.
Now, get off with you.
Yes, sir.
Hey, don't look so sad.
You lose about 190 pounds,
I'll put a word in for you.
I lose 190 pounds, I
couldn't keep a saddle on me.
Pa... you know
what those fellers
are gonna be riding
through, don't you?
Yes, yes, I know.
Freezing blizzards,
1,500 miles of dry desert,
- I know.
- Endless mountains...
Not to mention a couple
of thousand Indians.
Hoss, I know.
But I tell you, if I was
25 years younger...
Well, you don't think I could
have stopped him anyway, do you?
No, dad-burnit, I
know you couldn't have.
♪♪
Whoa, whoa, boy. Whoa!
Whoa! Hey!
Whoa! Stop!
Hey, you guys,
get out here quick!
Hurry up!
Whoa, come on, come
on... Whoa. Whoa!
Easy. Easy. Easy.
Whoa. Whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's Emmett's horse.
Hoke, what's the arrow holding?
Scalp.
Little Joe's out there, too.
Hey, Ed! Indians!
You better stay
here, Joe. It's safer.
Don't worry. I'll outrun 'em.
- Hyah.
- Hyah. Hyah!
♪♪
I don't know whether you're
skillful, or just plain lucky.
It don't matter, boy,
just as long as I keep
taking your money.
Uh, greetings,
fellow mail carriers.
Wade wasn't kidding when he said
we had the fastest
horses in the West.
They're really movers.
Hey, where's Emmett? He quit?
He's dead.
Paiutes.
Jumped him between
here and the last station.
Sent back his pony and his hair.
Just so's we'd know.
We thought you was
a goner, too, Little Joe.
Yeah, well, I guess
I had a faster horse.
I never told you boys
this was gonna be easy.
I never promised you brass
bands and cotton candy
for the rest of your lives.
We lost a man, sure,
and we're all sorry.
But are we gonna
let that stop us?
I've been fighting
Indians all my life,
and I've yet to meet
the feathered buzzard
that could scare me out of
doing anything I've set my mind to.
And I've set my mind...
yes, and my heart, on making
the Pony Express a reality.
Well, now, if any of you
feel that you can't cut it,
you can just roll up
your gear and call it quits.
That's all I've got to say.
Told his pa he
had a real safe job.
Little Joe, you quittin'?
No, I can't quit.
I got too big of an
investment in this company.
Still owe me a month's pay.
Hello?
Anybody here?
In here.
Rejoice for the press has come
to make you famous, Mr. Ludlow.
Tully, Washington Globe.
I am pleased.
Well, I'm not Ludlow.
Name's Wade.
Oh?
Can I help you?
Oh, no, I'm afraid not.
You see, I came out here
to do a story on Ludlow
and his famous pony riders.
Oh.
Look at that.
"Ludlow and Wade."
Oh.
Then you're partners.
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Wade.
But I'm afraid you
still can't help me.
You see, back East,
nobody ever heard of you.
All they talk about is the
great visionary, Charles Ludlow.
Well, they should.
Without him, there wouldn't
be any Pony Express.
Oh, yes, he's a very
famous man, you know.
Caught the imagination
of uncounted thousands.
All right, friend, here's
your chance to meet him.
This is Mr. Charles
Ludlow, my partner.
This is Mr. Tully of
the Washington Globe.
- Oh.
- It's a real honor, Mr. Ludlow.
It isn't often that I stand in
the presence of greatness.
Well, now, you
flatter me, Mr. Tully.
Oh, no.
My editor sent me 3,000 miles
just to write a story about you
and the way you've built
your great Pony Express.
Well...
I'll certainly tell 'em
all I know about it.
Would you like some coffee?
Well, I'd rather have a drink?
Oh, I'm afraid
we don't have spirits
in this office, Mr. Tully.
Oh.
Well, in that
case, coffee it is.
Uh, Charles, I'd
like you to look
at the bills for
those new horses.
Curtis, that can wait.
You know I don't
care about business.
Get our guest some coffee,
and bring me some, too.
You see, Mr. Tully...
this is more than just a story.
This is a saga.
I had a vision, a great one.
A vision of this land of ours.
The populous East and
the great West tied together
by a single thread of riders.
- Mr. Ludlow...
- Of courageous young..
- Mr. Ludlow?
- Yeah?
I, uh... I want to
get this all down.
- Ah...
- But, you see, I-I'm...
At the moment,
I'm still a bit groggy
from my-my trip, and I
wonder if it'd be possible
to arrange an interview
for, say, this afternoon?
Oh, well, um...
Well, of course, at-at your
convenience, Mr. Tully.
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
And I want you to
know, the whole nation,
the whole world is
waiting to hear your story.
You're the man of the hour.
- Believe me.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Tully.
I'll... I'll see you later.
Curtis!
Curtis, did you hear
what he said about me?
Oh, Curtis, we're going places.
Who knows what we might do!
"Man of the hour," he said.
"Stand in the
presence of greatness."
Why, the Pony Express
might be a stepping stone.
A great opportunity!
Think of that, my friend.
A whole nation at my feet.
Think of it, my friend!
I have been
thinking of it, Charles.
Here, drink your coffee
before it gets cold.
I wish you could've
known Emmett Carver.
He was really a heck of a guy.
Always laughing
and joking all the time.
I know, Joe.
Joe, you ride again
the first thing in the
morning, don't you?
Yeah, I guess I do. I...
better get some sleep.
Pa...
you reckon you could ride
into Winnemucca's camp
and talk with him?
I don't know.
I did sit in to that peace
meeting with him...
Pyramid Lake.
Well, he ain't very peaceful
with nobody right now, is he?
♪♪
Tobacco.
Ben Cartwright no forget.
It's been a long
time, Great Chief.
Why you come on my land?
To speak of peace...
with an old friend,
and to ask why my old
friend kills the pony riders.
They do no harm.
They carry only letters,
sometimes medicine.
They are men of peace.
Hear me, Ben Cartwright.
First one pony
rider, then wagons,
then many white men,
many white guns...
soon my land become your land!
But it would not
happen that way.
And there is a way to avoid it.
By making a treaty,
and setting down in that
treaty the number of riders
that you would allow
to cross your land.
And that way, you could
control the situation.
Treaties... easy to
break by white man.
I have seen many
false white faces,
heard many false white words.
How can you speak
to me of treaties!
You are a father.
You have sons.
Do you wish to see your
sons die before their time?
I am a father.
I have sons.
One of them is a pony rider.
Father's heart is
hard to carry, but...
Winnemucca is not only a father,
he is leader of his people.
My people must survive.
You tell your pony men
if they come on my land...
I will kill them.
- Did you get to Winnemucca?
- Yeah. We saw him, all right.
Yeah. Where's Mr. Ludlow?
He just went down to
the hotel with Mr. Wade.
What did Winnemucca say?
Is there any chance for a treaty?
No.
Now, Joseph... I
know I haven't any right
to ask you not to
make your run, but...
as a father, I'd sure feel a
whole lot better if you didn't.
Pa, you know I can't do that.
If I don't make the ride,
one of the other fellas
is gonna have to. I...
I can't back out just
'cause the going gets rough.
- Come on.
- Look, Joe...
delay it as long as
you can, anyhow.
Let Pa have a chance
to talk to Ludlow.
Yeah.
Let's wait a while; Pa's
down talking to someone.
Mr. Wade, we have no choice.
We've got to reroute
the Pony Express
- around Winnemucca's terri...
- We can't!
It's as simple as that.
Wade, what do you want
anyhow, an Indian war?
It'll take us months to build
those new relay stations.
If we stop those riders now,
we'll never get that
government subsidy.
And without that, we're
finished, out of business.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
no business is worth the
loss of a single human life!
And no Indian is gonna
dictate terms to me.
If we have to lock
horns, with them, so be it,
- but I say...
- I say Ben is right!
We'll just... have
to cease operations
till the stations are built.
Oh, Curtis, Curtis,
why don't you
calm down a little.
Now, when you're
older and wiser, you'll...
Don't you patronize me.
I didn't realize I
was doing that.
You haven't realized
a lot of things.
You want to stop
the riders; I don't.
I think we better put
this before the board,
- let them decide.
- Fine, if that's what you...
Cartwright, what
are you doing here?
You're supposed to
be out on your run.
We've got a schedule to keep.
- My pa said to wai...
- I know what your pa said.
- Bornstein...
- Yes, sir?
You're gonna have to
do Cartwright's job for him.
Yes, sir.
You stay here.
I do my own riding, Mr. Wade.
And keep that schedule.
Hyah!
♪♪
- What are you doing here?
- Waiting for Mr. Ludlow.
We were to hold that
interview, you know.
Yes, I know.
You know, very few men
live up to your
expectations of them.
But that Mr. Ludlow...
everybody I talk to says,
"Mr. Ludlow says this,
Mr. Ludlow says that."
Mr. Ludlow is a past
master at saying things.
Doing things is something else.
Why am I telling you
this? Do your story.
Well, now...
Ludlow is only a story
if he runs the Express.
Now, if that doesn't
happen to be true...
Why should I lie to you?
I can give you a lot of reasons.
How about resentment,
just for openers?
Look, Mr. Wade,
Ludlow is my story
until I learn otherwise.
And to my readers, he's
the leader of this outfit,
the visionary.
To be quite frank, he's the
dashing man on the white horse.
And what if he fell
off that white horse?
Oh, now, that would
be another matter.
But let me caution you...
You don't knock down a man
like Charles Ludlow very easily.
I know that.
I was going through some
of Ludlow's files the other day.
I ran into some very
interesting reading.
How's that for openers?
Looks like you're holding
all the aces, Mr. Wade.
We'll return to tonight's
story of Bonanza
in a moment.
And now the exciting
conclusion of tonight's story.
You see, gentlemen,
it's quite simple.
We must have a peace
treaty with Winnemucca.
- No, Ludlow, you can't...
- Now, now, please, please, please.
I have prepared...
just such a treaty.
There is the document. Huh?
And I think they'll find
that quite acceptable.
You see, we offer to pay
for any one of our riders
who crosses Winnemucca's lands.
The last time we
tried to get a treaty
with that old Paiute,
it took almost a year.
Now, why should it be
any different this time?
It won't be any different...
not unless we come up
with some gesture of goodwill
to Winnemucca.
Cartwright, talk sense.
Our only chance to
survive is to obtain
a government subsidy.
Isn't that right, Mr. Ludlow?
- Well, I...
- Well, isn't it?
Yes, yes, yes!
But I still don't see what
that has to do with this treaty.
We-we can't go on
conducting business
without a treaty
with the Indians.
If we have to suspend the
Pony Express, even for one day...
If we hold up the
mail, we've failed!
No, no, I tell you, no!
I don't have to
tell you gentlemen
the financial structure
of this company is shaky.
If we don't get that subsidy,
we're out of business.
Now, Curtis, we'll
do this my way!
And I insist on a
treaty with the...
- You insist?
- I insist!
What makes you think
you've got the right
to insist or anything else?
As soon as our friends here
take a look at these papers,
we'll see who they'll
listen to, you or me.
What are these papers, Wade?
- His creditors' reports.
- Creditors' reports?!
What kind of creditors, Wade?
I'll tell you what kind.
The men who've
backed and supported
various and assorted companies,
such as the Erie Canal
Riverboat Service,
New Orleans Clipper Line,
Washington and Boston Packet,
all of which were
headed by Mr. Ludlow,
and all of which went broke!
That was all in
the past. It's over.
Is it?
Isn't your father trying to stop
the operation of
the Pony Express
while we palaver with
a bunch of redskins?
You think that's the kind of man
the government is gonna
subsidize... a quitter?
He's ready to send us
into bankruptcy right now,
just as surely as he did
these other companies.
What are you trying
to pull off there, Ludlow!
- Wait a minute!
- Are these reports true?
Wait! Wait!
Let's hear what
Mr. Ludlow has to say!
I do not deny... those reports.
Look, if you don't
want to lose your money
the same way all
Mr. Ludlow's other creditors did,
I'm asking you to give
me a fighting chance
to keep the Pony
Express in operation.
Don't give in to Winnemucca.
We'll fight him!
We'll outrun him!
We'll run him into the
ground, if we have to.
And how many pony riders
will have to die in the process!
They volunteered! If they
don't like it, they can get out.
We've got a right to
protect our interests.
I say we give Mr. Wade
a vote of confidence.
- Now, wait a minute...
- And I second that motion.
- All in favor, say "aye"!
- Aye!
Opposed?
Opposed.
The board has
spoken, Mr. Ludlow.
You're no longer the
head of this organization.
♪♪
Aren't you gonna do
anything at all, Dad?
Son, I've already told you,
it's not any more my affair.
What was it all for?
A pat on the back for me
and another failure for you?
I was hoping this was it!
That once, just
once in your life,
you'd finish something,
you'd-you'd see it through!
Son, you heard what
they said to me in there.
You... you saw what happened.
I saw you crumble and collapse
before a man named Curtis Wade.
I watched him take the
Pony Express away from you
without even a struggle.
Didn't you ever really
care about the Express?
Or was it just a...
another bunch of words
for you to sound off with?
Son... you shouldn't
speak this way to me.
I've always wanted you
to be proud of your father.
Proud?
Of what?
Of his failures?
Of all his great
achievements that went bust?
Of watching him run out
on one thing after another?
Last thing in the world I
wanted was to let anybody down.
Especially you.
Well, you've done
something worse.
You've let yourself down.
♪♪
♪♪
Get going!
Cool him out.
He's a good one...
He run 30 miles.
30 miles, did you say?
I couldn't stop at
Indian Wells station.
- How come?
- Paiutes.
Paiutes?
Mr. Cartwright...
your son Little Joe...
he's trapped in that station.
I heard the shooting.
I circled the place.
Them Paiutes was
having themselves a time.
How do you know it
was Little Joe in there?
We were supposed
to pass in the road.
We didn't.
Give me another
horse! I'm going with 'em!
I ain't never missed
an Indian fight in my life.
Mr. Wade...
you really fight
all those Indians
back in Texas, like
you tell us about?
I'll tell you, those bugles
were music to my ears.
Yeah.
It's gonna have to
come out... All right.
Hang on tight.
Now.
Oh, no... Easy. Easy, Jabez.
Pa...?
What did they do?
Papa?
I'm proud of you.
You hear?
I'm so proud of you.
Is this according to your
schedule, Mr. Wade?
No, I... never wanted
it to come to this.
Reckon what he was trying to do?
He was trying to...
get a peace treaty
with Winnemucca.
Pony Express was his...
his dream, his life.
He died for it... the least
we can do is keep it going.
All right, we keep it going.
You gonna finish your run
to Sacramento, Cartwright?
You bet I am.
Hyah!
Ride 'em! -Go, Joe, go!
♪♪
Hi. Mike Landon here.
With the youngest member
of the Chevrolet family.
Chevelle SS 396.
Here, an exclusive
396-cubic-inch engine
with 325 horsepower.
You can order a 360- or even
a 375-horsepower version.
It has simulated air scoops.
Red-striped tires.
Recessed rear window.
Drive a winner.
Chevelle SS 396.
At your Chevrolet dealers.
This has been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.