Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 7, Episode 18 - Ride the Wind: Part 2 - full transcript
The following program
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It had been a tough,
backbreaking struggle,
but finally the riders
had been found,
the stations had been built,
and the mail was being moved.
All that summer the Pony
Express moved West,
opening new and dangerous
trails along the route
that was to unite East and West.
The most dangerous
of these trails
passed through
the Paiute territory
of Chief Winnemucca.
My concern for the
lives of the young riders,
among them my son, Little Joe,
led me to seek a
meeting with Winnemucca.
Winnemucca's answer
was swift and final.
You tell your Pony men
if they come on my
land I will kill them.
With the Pony riders had
come men with big dreams,
like Charles Ludlow.
His partner Curtis
Wade also had big hopes,
but he lived in Ludlow's shadow.
Until... the arrival of Tully.
Mr. Charles Ludlow, my partner.
This is Mr. Tully of
the Washington Globe.
- Well.
- It's a real honor, Mr. Ludlow.
But Wade wasn't content to
live in his partner's shadow.
I was going through
some of Ludlow's files.
I ran into some very
interesting reading.
Ludlow's downfall
was a bitter blow...
to the Express's most
ardent young rider,
his son, Jabez.
I've always wanted you
to be proud of your father.
Proud?
Of what?
Of his failures?
Charles Ludlow made
one last desperate effort
to save his dream.
He tried to persuade
Winnemucca to sign a peace treaty.
Again, Winnemucca's
answer was swift
and final.
Charles Ludlow
left us all one thing...
His dream.
And that dream was his legacy...
The Pony Express...
Which is now our responsibility.
We will not turn away from it.
We will not flinch
from this task.
God willing...
the Pony Express will
flourish and prosper,
memorial enough for any man.
♪♪
Those were good
words, Mr. Cartwright.
Thank you, Mr. Wade.
And you were right...
The best thing we can do
for Charles Ludlow is to
keep the Express going.
Going through Paiute territory?
Well, that was our
decision, wasn't it?
I think we ought to
reconsider that decision.
Charles Ludlow tried to
make a treaty and got killed.
His death was unnecessary.
He should have known better
than to try to deal with
Winnemucca alone.
He tried to prevent
the death of others.
Or isn't that important to you?
The thing that's important
to me, Cartwright,
is to keep the
Pony Express going.
Now, if some people
get killed in the process,
that's regrettable,
but it's not gonna stop us.
I'll make this thing work.
That's the least I
can do for Ludlow.
For Ludlow?
Or for Wade?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
- Morning, Mr. Cartwright, Hoss.
- Morning.
Hoke, Little Joe ought to be
back anytime now, shouldn't he?
Right. You aren't
worried, are you?
Well, that and a
buckskin, friend,
is what is known as
a father's prerogative.
It's a wonderful day for
fathers at the Pony Express.
My name is Samuel Bornstein.
- Aaron's father. How are you?
- Oh...
Fine, of course.
You look wonderful.
My name is Car...
- He called you Cartwright.
- Yes.
- So you're Little Joe's father.
- That's right.
I know you all from
my son Aaron's letters.
- Ah.
- He is Herb,
and he is Hokey...
and you...
You're not a rider.
No, I-I wish I could
be, Mr. Bornstein.
I'm Little Joe's
big brother, Hoss.
Isn't it wonderful?
All over Philadelphia, they
don't talk about anything else.
Those boys, riding all the way
from Saint Joseph, Missouri,
to the Pacific Ocean.
It's a miracle.
Yeah, that's what
it is, Mr. Bornstein,
it's a miracle, all right.
Luck, Hoke.
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
What'd you think of
that, Mr. Bornstein?
- Ain't that something?
- Oh, yes.
- Any trouble?
- Yeah, big trouble.
Raid at Indian Wells.
Don't ride till I talk to Wade.
Hold my horse for a
minute, will you, Jeb?
- Oh, Joe, how are you?
- Fine, Pa. Hoss.
Just a little bit tired.
Uh, Joe, this is Mr. Bornstein.
Aaron's father; came all the
way from Philadelphia to see him.
It's a pleasure
to meet you, sir.
I got to get inside and
talk to Wade. Excuse me.
Yeah.
Is something the matter?
Oh, no, no, of course not.
Joe's always in
a hurry that way.
My boy... he should
be coming in now.
Ed and Rudy are dead,
and the horses are gone.
We can't afford
losses like that.
You mean we can't afford
to lose men like Ed and Rudy.
I told you boys there
was a story here.
Do you think that this will stop
the Pony Express, Mr. Wade?
No, it will not.
Get moving, Herb... you
were due out ten minutes ago.
But if Indian Wells is gone...
Just pace yourself, and
make it to the next station.
You're the boss, Mr. Wade.
Cartwright.
I'm sorry about Ed and Rudy.
That mail has got to go through!
Yeah.
I'd rather like to see
the departure, Mr. Wade.
In England they say that
your Pony Express chaps
are even better riders
than the Russian Cossacks.
You've heard
correctly, gentlemen.
Right this way, please.
Oh, come, now, Wade, it
can't be as bad as you look.
Oh, no?
Indian Wells is the
third station I've lost.
We're fighting Indians
on a thousand-mile line.
Sioux, Cheyenne,
Crows... and now Paiutes.
But all that makes
excellent copy.
"Curtis Wade...
Trailblazer, pioneer,
Indian fighter."
You're becoming a very
important man, my friend.
And who knows,
with a little luck,
you might become an even
greater man than Charles Ludlow.
Got plenty of ammunition?
Full box.
Pace him real good...
You got a long haul.
Thanks.
That's my boy.
That's him.
Hey, Aaron! Hey,
guess who's here, Aaron!
Your...
Aaron!
Aaron! Aaron!
It's me! It's Papa, Aaron.
- Aaron, my boy!
- Papa!
Oh, you don't know how
I was waiting to see you.
Papa, Papa, what
are you doing here?
What am I doing here?
What am I doing here? I
came to see my son, my boy.
Is that a sin?
- No, Papa, no.
- Oh, stand back,
let me get a good
look at... Your face.
Aaron, what's wrong?
Oh, Papa, it's just a
nosebleed. That's all.
Remember when I was a
kid, I used to have nosebleeds?
Nosebleeds?
What is a tough Pony Express
rider doing with nosebleeds?
Eh, you should
hear how they talk
about Samuel Bornstein's
son in Philadelphia.
Mr. Cartwright, let's
buy our sons a beer.
You go right ahead,
Mr. Bornstein.
We'll join you in a few minutes.
Oh, fine, Mr. Cartwright.
Come, Aaron. Come.
We'll have a beer.
- You rode all the time, didn't you?
- Aaron?
Oh...
What's the matter with Aaron?
I don't know. Riding
too many hours
and too many miles, I guess.
He's not the only one.
Herb's in pretty bad shape, too.
That Indian Wells
station being gone
ain't gonna help
matters much, is it?
Yeah, Wade says he's
gonna send some more men
out there tomorrow. I don't
know where he's gonna get 'em.
Paiutes have raided it twice.
They're sure
gonna raid it again.
Like asking a man to ride
into Winnemucca's tent.
One thing doesn't change...
Philadelphia, Virginia City...
Beer is beer.
Oh.
Hey, young man.
Are you sure you're old
enough to be in a saloon?
Well, I guess if I'm old enough
to ride the Pony
Express, I'm old enough
to have a beer in a saloon.
Come on, now tell the truth.
The only time you ever used
a razor was to cut out pictures
from The Police
Gazette, ain't that right?
Aaron, how long since
you known this little boy?
Well, he's a pretty
new man, Papa.
He replaced Emmett Carver.
Emmett. Isn't he the one
who always made the jokes?
Uh-huh.
Well, what
happened? Did he quit?
Well, Papa... yes, he quit.
Quit?
I thought you told me he
was killed by the Paiutes.
Aaron, this cough, what's wrong?
It's the dust, Papa. That's
what... that's what does it.
It'll go away.
It'll be all right,
right, Little Joe?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's probably
just the dust, Mr. Bornstein.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Uh, three more
beers for our friends!
Company's here.
Well, looks like you're
having a little celebration.
What's the occasion?
We're just having
a friendly little beer.
Would you join us?
These riders carry the mail.
It's a dangerous job. They
have to be sober to do it.
Well, listen, what
about that beer, huh?
How 'bout a toast?
- L'Chaim!
- It means "to health."
Yeah, to health.
Wade.
What do you want?
I want a job.
A job?
You're gonna need a man
out at that Indian Wells station,
and I'm putting in for it.
Now, Indian Wells is the
roughest station we have
on the whole Western route.
I know. But I got a little
brother and a lot of friends
who are riding through
that Winnemucca country.
Least I can do is be
out there and see to it
that they got fresh horses
when they get there.
All right.
You got yourself a job.
Oh, by the way,
I ordered that
station fortified.
We'll have a little
surprise for Winnemucca
if he tries to hit it again.
Be out there in the morning.
I'll be there.
Jabez?
Jabez, let me in.
What's happened to you?
You want a drink?
No, thanks.
Well, I do.
Little Joe,
did you ever
know a fella that...
killed his own father?
Oh.
Oh, so that's what
this is all about, huh?
What, this is the way
you make penance?
Penance for something
you didn't even do.
Didn't do, huh?
Well, maybe I didn't put
the arrows in his back,
but I did it.
Oh, I did it.
So now you sit around
in this stinking room
and you booze yourself senseless
and that's how you
show how sorry you are?
Well, whatever happened
to the Jabez Ludlow
who-who talked
about riding the wind?
The guy I used to know, who
didn't know what it was to quit?
I'm no good to anyone.
I'm finished.
I can't ride a horse anymore.
I can't ride for the Pony
Express, I can't ride
for anyone.
Look at my leg!
The trouble's not with
your leg... it's with your guts!
Come on! Stand up
when I'm talking to you!
You sit there and whine
about how much
you love your father.
Is this how you prove it?
The Pony Express,
your father's dream,
the dream he gave his life for,
that's still going on.
And, Jabez, it's gonna
go on without you.
Well, look at me!
What do you expect
me to be able to do?
Well, you can still think!
You can still use a gun.
You can still ride well enough
to go out to Indian Wells
and help my
brother Hoss repair it.
There's a lot of things
you can do, Jabez.
If you just had the guts.
You know, you were wrong...
You didn't kill your father.
But you're sure
killing his memory.
Joe.
When do you want me to be at...
Indian Wells?
Soon as we get
you a cup of coffee.
Billy, Hank, flank 'em.
Wilson, you and the rest
of the fellas follow me.
We'll hit 'em head on. Come on.
No. Looks like they're
all cleared out of here.
Boy, this place looks like
it's been hit by a twister.
It's Herb.
♪♪
Mr. Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
All time you not eat.
All time you just look sad.
Listen to this house, Hop Sing.
Listen to the silence of it.
You remember when we
built this house, Hop Sing?
This room was filled
with so much happiness.
Mrs. Cartwright,
Little Joe's mother.
Adam, Hoss.
Little Joe.
They filled this house.
That's what it was built for.
Happiness.
Love.
Family.
Hop Sing not
like silence either.
Where's it all gone?
Mr. Cartwright, I fix
you some hot food.
You eat.
Somebody at door.
Um, I'm Curtis Wade.
I'd like to see Mr. Cartwright.
Come in, please.
Mr. Cartwright inside.
Mr. Cartwright.
Ben.
In spite of some of the
difference of opinion we've had,
you've always been the
best friend and supporter
the Pony Express ever had.
I've tried to help.
Well, I've-I've come
to ask your help again.
The Pony Express is
in danger of collapse,
and I'm just about
at the end of my rope.
I'm almost through, finished.
My riders are exhausted and...
I haven't got enough
money to pay them,
let alone hire new riders.
I need ten horses at Indian
Wells tomorrow morning,
I haven't got five
worth their salt.
I know it, and
the riders know it.
The only thing that's
holding the Express together
is the guts of those young kids.
Sit down.
I think I can give you ten,
maybe a dozen horses right away.
And a whole lot
more by next week,
as soon as they're rounded up.
Well, it isn't the
horses alone that, uh...
That mail subsidy still
hasn't come through.
I need money, Cartwright. Money.
How much money?
$5,000, $6,000.
I've already put
most of my ready cash
into the Pony Express. I...
I've got a ranch to run, a
business that's taken
me years to build.
If I give you what's
left of my cash reserve,
I'd be putting this
whole place in jeopardy.
Well I'm not used to
begging, Cartwright.
I came here hoping to keep
the Pony Express together.
It may have been
easy for Charles Ludlow
to lick your boots,
but not for me.
All right, you got
what you wanted.
I'm finished.
Wait.
I told you how hard it was
for me to give you that money.
I didn't say I
wouldn't give it to you.
I've got two sons working
for the Pony Express.
There's $5,000 in here.
You can have that
and the horses from the remuda.
Ben, I know I'm not
another Charles Ludlow, I...
I can't spin words
out of the air
- the way he could, but I...
- Ludlow's dead.
All that remains of him
is what you've kept alive...
The Pony Express.
Just so long as you
keep faith with that,
and with those young
fellas who lost their lives,
I'll keep faith with you.
Mr. Cartwright.
What brings you to town?
Oh, brought some
fresh horses for the boys.
Good.
- And I'm waiting for my Aaron to ride in.
- Ah.
That would be him.
Papa.
Papa.
Aaron. Aaron.
Aaron.
Aaron, my son.
He lived and died
for our country.
Didn't he, Mr. Cartwright?
Why should I cry?
I should be proud.
That my Aaron was
such a wonderful,
wonderful boy.
♪♪
Mr. Wade, have the Paiutes
given your Pony Express
- any trouble before?
- What was the name of the rider,
Mr. Wade?
How fast is it
gonna take for you...
- I don't understand...
- Gentlemen, please.
Please, monsieur, can I not
get one uninterrupted minute?
We need a good pose.
S'il vous plaît.
What do you want my
picture for, anyway?
You're becoming famous all along
the Eastern seaboard, Mr. Wade.
There's a lot of talk about
you as a possible candidate
when the national convention
convenes next month.
Oh, that's nonsense.
The Washington newspapers
don't think so, Curtis.
Neither does the
New York press...
My publisher's betting on you
to stampede the convention.
You're the hero of the moment.
The man on horseback.
Look, gentlemen,
I have a big enough
job to do right here.
That's the kind of talk that
makes headlines, Mr. Wade.
And presidential
candidates, eh, gentlemen?
That all for now, boys.
You, too, Mr. Fontaine.
Mr. Wade and I have some
private matters to discuss.
But, monsieur, when
will I ever finish?
Patience, my friend.
I'll see to it that you get
plenty of opportunity.
It should be done,
the idea... the
man on horseback.
- You'll get the opportunity.
- It should be done.
Well, Curtis, we finally
got something going.
You've kept the
Pony Express alive
and you're on the
verge of success.
But it can all be wiped
out in ten seconds.
We've got a Washington lobby
fighting for that mail subsidy.
The mail subsidy that will
keep the Pony Express going
and your image high
on that white horse.
But lobbies cost money.
Lots of money.
I've given you
every cent I have.
Well, then you'll
have to get more.
That, or just watch
everything collapse.
Get more where?
Winnemucca's stopping my riders,
delaying schedules,
he's killing men.
My riders are just about beat.
Their horses are
dying on their feet.
Since they hit Indian Wells,
there've been two more stations
deserted by their crews.
Leaving the supplies and
the horses for the Indians.
What do you expect of me?
You've got that money
Ben Cartwright gave you.
That's the back
pay for my riders.
They haven't seen
a dollar in months.
Charles Ludlow weakened,
and his indecision
cost him everything.
It cost him his dream.
His reputation.
His life.
Now there's the Pony
Express, the subsidy,
and a national
nomination at stake.
How much does that
mean to you, Wade?
♪♪
Now you're getting smart.
This is how you stay
on that big, white horse.
How's it going, Wilson?
Fine, Jabez.
Well, she's all
loaded and ready.
Good.
Say, where's Hoss Cartwright?
Oh, went in to Virginia
City to get some,
uh, supplies and ammunition.
He'll be back tonight.
Mr. Wade had quite an idea
about bringing these
cannons out here, didn't he?
He sure did. Those
Paiutes should think twice
before they hit us again.
Paiute!
What's that they're dragging?
It's a body.
Are they in range
of that cannon?
I think so.
Fire at 'em.
Yes, sir.
Get that cannon down there.
Let's go.
Come on, fellas.
Hold up, whoa.
There it is.
Set that range about 500 yards.
All right, fire.
Good shot, Wilson.
Load it up again.
Danny, Joe, go after
him, we'll cover you.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's hard to tell who he is,
dragged through the
sand the way he was.
It's Pat.
Hey, this Indian's still alive.
Wait a minute, Jabez. We
ain't just got a Paiute, here.
This one's Bear Dance,
Winnemucca's son.
Jones.
Go tell Mr. Wade
what we got here.
Yes, sir.
Drag him off and tie him up.
Get him, fellas.
When'd that horse of
yours make his last run?
Yesterday.
What are you makin' a face
for? Yours came in last night.
There he is.
Right on the money. Good luck.
Giddyup.
Joe, watch yourself. There's
Paiutes all along the trail.
Whatever it is, I
don't want to hear it.
Oh, you'll want to hear this.
A rider just brought it
in, it's from Washington.
They've pigeonholed the
mail subsidy in committee.
And our friends in Washington
don't think there's a chance
in a thousand of
even getting the bill out
on the floor in this session.
Why?
We fought Indians and storms.
We brought the mail through.
They know that if we
don't get that subsidy,
the Pony Express will die!
There's talk of
secession in the South.
Congress is engrossed
with bigger matters.
What about all those stories in
the magazines and newspapers?
Oh, Wade.
There is nothing more
dead than yesterday's news.
Well, I will say this.
Looks like it took a
civil war to beat you.
Nobody's gonna stop me.
I put too much into this.
All right.
Then you've got to do
something spectacular.
Something that will knock the
whole nation down to your feet.
Winnemucc.
Yeah, good old Winnemucca.
He's already made
you a famous man.
He might even make you immortal.
Strange, isn't it?
How fate plays
with a man's life.
Yeah, but how?
Well, now, you're an old
Indian fighter, aren't you?
Whoa.
- Oh, hi, Pa.
- Hoss.
That's eight kegs of powder and
400 rounds of ammunition, Billy.
That ought to do it. Thank you.
Missed you, boy.
Yeah. Missed you, too.
- How's it going?
- Pretty good.
We're turning that
relay station into a fort.
I don't think old Winnemucca's
gonna fool with us
when he finds out
what we've done.
- Yeah, we got enough stuff here.
- Yeah.
You see Joe?
Yeah, earlier this morning,
but he had a noon
ride into Sacramento.
Pa, quit worrying about Joe.
He's big enough to
take care of himself.
Oh, I keep telling
myself that he is.
I guess one of these
days, I'm gonna believe it.
Mr. Cartwright?
Hoss. You better get that
thing loaded and get out of here.
You're gonna miss
all the excitement.
Huh? What excitement?
Mr. Wade just left, took all
those newspaper men with him.
- There's gonna be a hanging.
- What?
They got Winnemucca's son
out at Indian Wells this morning.
They're gonna string him up.
Sure wish I could go with you.
I got a doggone
run in a half hour.
♪♪
Winnemucca's
raids have hampered,
but not stopped
the Pony Express.
His ruthless attacks
on innocent riders
have not diminished our
resolve, but strengthened it.
And today, gentlemen,
those raids are
gonna come to an end.
The Paiute chief must claim
his son's body by sundown,
or lose face before his tribe,
so these sneak attacks'll stop.
We're forcing him
out in the open.
And as you can see,
we're ready for him.
If he can pull it off,
he'd be the man of the
hour, wouldn't he, Tully?
You've got Mr. Wade's
word for that.
A patriot's promise.
Curtis Wade is a
giant on horseback.
You can use that phrase
if you like, gentlemen.
Paiute!
Get that cannon around.
Get inside!
Hold. Hold it. Hold it.
Hold your fire. It's Little Joe.
Run for it, Cartwright.
We'll cover you.
I gave Winnemucca my
word I wouldn't try to get away.
You don't have
to keep your word.
Winnemucca's
willing to make a trade.
My life for his son's.
If you're willing to do that,
he'll stop making his raids
on the Pony Express,
and he'll talk peace.
I'm giving you a
chance, Cartwright.
Break and run.
I'm hanging this Paiute.
Wade, didn't you
hear what I said?
Winnemucca's
willing to talk peace.
Winnemucca's trying to trick us.
Can't you see that?
He doesn't want peace.
He wants his son back alive.
Get ready to fire.
Get ready to fire.
I told you I brought you
out here to see a hanging
and the end of Winnemucca.
There it comes.
Wade!
Give me those reigns.
No, you can't do it.
I said, give 'em to me!
No, you're not gonna do it!
You don't have any more
guts than your old man.
Haw. Haw. Haw!
Hyah!
Haw! Haw! Haw!
Get out of here!
Oh.
I've got to kill him!
It's a trick. He
doesn't want peace.
You mean it's you that
doesn't want peace...
to get in the way
of your ambitions.
Haw. Haw.
Haw. Haw. Haw.
Haw.
Go home, boy.
♪♪
♪♪
I say, old man, he
doesn't look much
like a giant on
horseback at the moment.
Does he?
Cheer up, Tully.
There's always another story.
Gentlemen, wait for me.
It's up to you now.
Gonna keep the Express going?
You bet we will.
Great ideas and...
great enterprises
don't die easily.
Not when they're
built on great dreams
and great courage.
The Pony Express was
that kind of great dream.
And the young riders
who carried the mail
and bound a continent
together provided all the courage.
I think as long
as men are alive,
they'll remember and tell
tales of those young riders
who blazed their way into
the history of our nation.
This has been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.
is brought to you in
living color on NBC.
It had been a tough,
backbreaking struggle,
but finally the riders
had been found,
the stations had been built,
and the mail was being moved.
All that summer the Pony
Express moved West,
opening new and dangerous
trails along the route
that was to unite East and West.
The most dangerous
of these trails
passed through
the Paiute territory
of Chief Winnemucca.
My concern for the
lives of the young riders,
among them my son, Little Joe,
led me to seek a
meeting with Winnemucca.
Winnemucca's answer
was swift and final.
You tell your Pony men
if they come on my
land I will kill them.
With the Pony riders had
come men with big dreams,
like Charles Ludlow.
His partner Curtis
Wade also had big hopes,
but he lived in Ludlow's shadow.
Until... the arrival of Tully.
Mr. Charles Ludlow, my partner.
This is Mr. Tully of
the Washington Globe.
- Well.
- It's a real honor, Mr. Ludlow.
But Wade wasn't content to
live in his partner's shadow.
I was going through
some of Ludlow's files.
I ran into some very
interesting reading.
Ludlow's downfall
was a bitter blow...
to the Express's most
ardent young rider,
his son, Jabez.
I've always wanted you
to be proud of your father.
Proud?
Of what?
Of his failures?
Charles Ludlow made
one last desperate effort
to save his dream.
He tried to persuade
Winnemucca to sign a peace treaty.
Again, Winnemucca's
answer was swift
and final.
Charles Ludlow
left us all one thing...
His dream.
And that dream was his legacy...
The Pony Express...
Which is now our responsibility.
We will not turn away from it.
We will not flinch
from this task.
God willing...
the Pony Express will
flourish and prosper,
memorial enough for any man.
♪♪
Those were good
words, Mr. Cartwright.
Thank you, Mr. Wade.
And you were right...
The best thing we can do
for Charles Ludlow is to
keep the Express going.
Going through Paiute territory?
Well, that was our
decision, wasn't it?
I think we ought to
reconsider that decision.
Charles Ludlow tried to
make a treaty and got killed.
His death was unnecessary.
He should have known better
than to try to deal with
Winnemucca alone.
He tried to prevent
the death of others.
Or isn't that important to you?
The thing that's important
to me, Cartwright,
is to keep the
Pony Express going.
Now, if some people
get killed in the process,
that's regrettable,
but it's not gonna stop us.
I'll make this thing work.
That's the least I
can do for Ludlow.
For Ludlow?
Or for Wade?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
- Morning, Mr. Cartwright, Hoss.
- Morning.
Hoke, Little Joe ought to be
back anytime now, shouldn't he?
Right. You aren't
worried, are you?
Well, that and a
buckskin, friend,
is what is known as
a father's prerogative.
It's a wonderful day for
fathers at the Pony Express.
My name is Samuel Bornstein.
- Aaron's father. How are you?
- Oh...
Fine, of course.
You look wonderful.
My name is Car...
- He called you Cartwright.
- Yes.
- So you're Little Joe's father.
- That's right.
I know you all from
my son Aaron's letters.
- Ah.
- He is Herb,
and he is Hokey...
and you...
You're not a rider.
No, I-I wish I could
be, Mr. Bornstein.
I'm Little Joe's
big brother, Hoss.
Isn't it wonderful?
All over Philadelphia, they
don't talk about anything else.
Those boys, riding all the way
from Saint Joseph, Missouri,
to the Pacific Ocean.
It's a miracle.
Yeah, that's what
it is, Mr. Bornstein,
it's a miracle, all right.
Luck, Hoke.
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
What'd you think of
that, Mr. Bornstein?
- Ain't that something?
- Oh, yes.
- Any trouble?
- Yeah, big trouble.
Raid at Indian Wells.
Don't ride till I talk to Wade.
Hold my horse for a
minute, will you, Jeb?
- Oh, Joe, how are you?
- Fine, Pa. Hoss.
Just a little bit tired.
Uh, Joe, this is Mr. Bornstein.
Aaron's father; came all the
way from Philadelphia to see him.
It's a pleasure
to meet you, sir.
I got to get inside and
talk to Wade. Excuse me.
Yeah.
Is something the matter?
Oh, no, no, of course not.
Joe's always in
a hurry that way.
My boy... he should
be coming in now.
Ed and Rudy are dead,
and the horses are gone.
We can't afford
losses like that.
You mean we can't afford
to lose men like Ed and Rudy.
I told you boys there
was a story here.
Do you think that this will stop
the Pony Express, Mr. Wade?
No, it will not.
Get moving, Herb... you
were due out ten minutes ago.
But if Indian Wells is gone...
Just pace yourself, and
make it to the next station.
You're the boss, Mr. Wade.
Cartwright.
I'm sorry about Ed and Rudy.
That mail has got to go through!
Yeah.
I'd rather like to see
the departure, Mr. Wade.
In England they say that
your Pony Express chaps
are even better riders
than the Russian Cossacks.
You've heard
correctly, gentlemen.
Right this way, please.
Oh, come, now, Wade, it
can't be as bad as you look.
Oh, no?
Indian Wells is the
third station I've lost.
We're fighting Indians
on a thousand-mile line.
Sioux, Cheyenne,
Crows... and now Paiutes.
But all that makes
excellent copy.
"Curtis Wade...
Trailblazer, pioneer,
Indian fighter."
You're becoming a very
important man, my friend.
And who knows,
with a little luck,
you might become an even
greater man than Charles Ludlow.
Got plenty of ammunition?
Full box.
Pace him real good...
You got a long haul.
Thanks.
That's my boy.
That's him.
Hey, Aaron! Hey,
guess who's here, Aaron!
Your...
Aaron!
Aaron! Aaron!
It's me! It's Papa, Aaron.
- Aaron, my boy!
- Papa!
Oh, you don't know how
I was waiting to see you.
Papa, Papa, what
are you doing here?
What am I doing here?
What am I doing here? I
came to see my son, my boy.
Is that a sin?
- No, Papa, no.
- Oh, stand back,
let me get a good
look at... Your face.
Aaron, what's wrong?
Oh, Papa, it's just a
nosebleed. That's all.
Remember when I was a
kid, I used to have nosebleeds?
Nosebleeds?
What is a tough Pony Express
rider doing with nosebleeds?
Eh, you should
hear how they talk
about Samuel Bornstein's
son in Philadelphia.
Mr. Cartwright, let's
buy our sons a beer.
You go right ahead,
Mr. Bornstein.
We'll join you in a few minutes.
Oh, fine, Mr. Cartwright.
Come, Aaron. Come.
We'll have a beer.
- You rode all the time, didn't you?
- Aaron?
Oh...
What's the matter with Aaron?
I don't know. Riding
too many hours
and too many miles, I guess.
He's not the only one.
Herb's in pretty bad shape, too.
That Indian Wells
station being gone
ain't gonna help
matters much, is it?
Yeah, Wade says he's
gonna send some more men
out there tomorrow. I don't
know where he's gonna get 'em.
Paiutes have raided it twice.
They're sure
gonna raid it again.
Like asking a man to ride
into Winnemucca's tent.
One thing doesn't change...
Philadelphia, Virginia City...
Beer is beer.
Oh.
Hey, young man.
Are you sure you're old
enough to be in a saloon?
Well, I guess if I'm old enough
to ride the Pony
Express, I'm old enough
to have a beer in a saloon.
Come on, now tell the truth.
The only time you ever used
a razor was to cut out pictures
from The Police
Gazette, ain't that right?
Aaron, how long since
you known this little boy?
Well, he's a pretty
new man, Papa.
He replaced Emmett Carver.
Emmett. Isn't he the one
who always made the jokes?
Uh-huh.
Well, what
happened? Did he quit?
Well, Papa... yes, he quit.
Quit?
I thought you told me he
was killed by the Paiutes.
Aaron, this cough, what's wrong?
It's the dust, Papa. That's
what... that's what does it.
It'll go away.
It'll be all right,
right, Little Joe?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's probably
just the dust, Mr. Bornstein.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Uh, three more
beers for our friends!
Company's here.
Well, looks like you're
having a little celebration.
What's the occasion?
We're just having
a friendly little beer.
Would you join us?
These riders carry the mail.
It's a dangerous job. They
have to be sober to do it.
Well, listen, what
about that beer, huh?
How 'bout a toast?
- L'Chaim!
- It means "to health."
Yeah, to health.
Wade.
What do you want?
I want a job.
A job?
You're gonna need a man
out at that Indian Wells station,
and I'm putting in for it.
Now, Indian Wells is the
roughest station we have
on the whole Western route.
I know. But I got a little
brother and a lot of friends
who are riding through
that Winnemucca country.
Least I can do is be
out there and see to it
that they got fresh horses
when they get there.
All right.
You got yourself a job.
Oh, by the way,
I ordered that
station fortified.
We'll have a little
surprise for Winnemucca
if he tries to hit it again.
Be out there in the morning.
I'll be there.
Jabez?
Jabez, let me in.
What's happened to you?
You want a drink?
No, thanks.
Well, I do.
Little Joe,
did you ever
know a fella that...
killed his own father?
Oh.
Oh, so that's what
this is all about, huh?
What, this is the way
you make penance?
Penance for something
you didn't even do.
Didn't do, huh?
Well, maybe I didn't put
the arrows in his back,
but I did it.
Oh, I did it.
So now you sit around
in this stinking room
and you booze yourself senseless
and that's how you
show how sorry you are?
Well, whatever happened
to the Jabez Ludlow
who-who talked
about riding the wind?
The guy I used to know, who
didn't know what it was to quit?
I'm no good to anyone.
I'm finished.
I can't ride a horse anymore.
I can't ride for the Pony
Express, I can't ride
for anyone.
Look at my leg!
The trouble's not with
your leg... it's with your guts!
Come on! Stand up
when I'm talking to you!
You sit there and whine
about how much
you love your father.
Is this how you prove it?
The Pony Express,
your father's dream,
the dream he gave his life for,
that's still going on.
And, Jabez, it's gonna
go on without you.
Well, look at me!
What do you expect
me to be able to do?
Well, you can still think!
You can still use a gun.
You can still ride well enough
to go out to Indian Wells
and help my
brother Hoss repair it.
There's a lot of things
you can do, Jabez.
If you just had the guts.
You know, you were wrong...
You didn't kill your father.
But you're sure
killing his memory.
Joe.
When do you want me to be at...
Indian Wells?
Soon as we get
you a cup of coffee.
Billy, Hank, flank 'em.
Wilson, you and the rest
of the fellas follow me.
We'll hit 'em head on. Come on.
No. Looks like they're
all cleared out of here.
Boy, this place looks like
it's been hit by a twister.
It's Herb.
♪♪
Mr. Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
All time you not eat.
All time you just look sad.
Listen to this house, Hop Sing.
Listen to the silence of it.
You remember when we
built this house, Hop Sing?
This room was filled
with so much happiness.
Mrs. Cartwright,
Little Joe's mother.
Adam, Hoss.
Little Joe.
They filled this house.
That's what it was built for.
Happiness.
Love.
Family.
Hop Sing not
like silence either.
Where's it all gone?
Mr. Cartwright, I fix
you some hot food.
You eat.
Somebody at door.
Um, I'm Curtis Wade.
I'd like to see Mr. Cartwright.
Come in, please.
Mr. Cartwright inside.
Mr. Cartwright.
Ben.
In spite of some of the
difference of opinion we've had,
you've always been the
best friend and supporter
the Pony Express ever had.
I've tried to help.
Well, I've-I've come
to ask your help again.
The Pony Express is
in danger of collapse,
and I'm just about
at the end of my rope.
I'm almost through, finished.
My riders are exhausted and...
I haven't got enough
money to pay them,
let alone hire new riders.
I need ten horses at Indian
Wells tomorrow morning,
I haven't got five
worth their salt.
I know it, and
the riders know it.
The only thing that's
holding the Express together
is the guts of those young kids.
Sit down.
I think I can give you ten,
maybe a dozen horses right away.
And a whole lot
more by next week,
as soon as they're rounded up.
Well, it isn't the
horses alone that, uh...
That mail subsidy still
hasn't come through.
I need money, Cartwright. Money.
How much money?
$5,000, $6,000.
I've already put
most of my ready cash
into the Pony Express. I...
I've got a ranch to run, a
business that's taken
me years to build.
If I give you what's
left of my cash reserve,
I'd be putting this
whole place in jeopardy.
Well I'm not used to
begging, Cartwright.
I came here hoping to keep
the Pony Express together.
It may have been
easy for Charles Ludlow
to lick your boots,
but not for me.
All right, you got
what you wanted.
I'm finished.
Wait.
I told you how hard it was
for me to give you that money.
I didn't say I
wouldn't give it to you.
I've got two sons working
for the Pony Express.
There's $5,000 in here.
You can have that
and the horses from the remuda.
Ben, I know I'm not
another Charles Ludlow, I...
I can't spin words
out of the air
- the way he could, but I...
- Ludlow's dead.
All that remains of him
is what you've kept alive...
The Pony Express.
Just so long as you
keep faith with that,
and with those young
fellas who lost their lives,
I'll keep faith with you.
Mr. Cartwright.
What brings you to town?
Oh, brought some
fresh horses for the boys.
Good.
- And I'm waiting for my Aaron to ride in.
- Ah.
That would be him.
Papa.
Papa.
Aaron. Aaron.
Aaron.
Aaron, my son.
He lived and died
for our country.
Didn't he, Mr. Cartwright?
Why should I cry?
I should be proud.
That my Aaron was
such a wonderful,
wonderful boy.
♪♪
Mr. Wade, have the Paiutes
given your Pony Express
- any trouble before?
- What was the name of the rider,
Mr. Wade?
How fast is it
gonna take for you...
- I don't understand...
- Gentlemen, please.
Please, monsieur, can I not
get one uninterrupted minute?
We need a good pose.
S'il vous plaît.
What do you want my
picture for, anyway?
You're becoming famous all along
the Eastern seaboard, Mr. Wade.
There's a lot of talk about
you as a possible candidate
when the national convention
convenes next month.
Oh, that's nonsense.
The Washington newspapers
don't think so, Curtis.
Neither does the
New York press...
My publisher's betting on you
to stampede the convention.
You're the hero of the moment.
The man on horseback.
Look, gentlemen,
I have a big enough
job to do right here.
That's the kind of talk that
makes headlines, Mr. Wade.
And presidential
candidates, eh, gentlemen?
That all for now, boys.
You, too, Mr. Fontaine.
Mr. Wade and I have some
private matters to discuss.
But, monsieur, when
will I ever finish?
Patience, my friend.
I'll see to it that you get
plenty of opportunity.
It should be done,
the idea... the
man on horseback.
- You'll get the opportunity.
- It should be done.
Well, Curtis, we finally
got something going.
You've kept the
Pony Express alive
and you're on the
verge of success.
But it can all be wiped
out in ten seconds.
We've got a Washington lobby
fighting for that mail subsidy.
The mail subsidy that will
keep the Pony Express going
and your image high
on that white horse.
But lobbies cost money.
Lots of money.
I've given you
every cent I have.
Well, then you'll
have to get more.
That, or just watch
everything collapse.
Get more where?
Winnemucca's stopping my riders,
delaying schedules,
he's killing men.
My riders are just about beat.
Their horses are
dying on their feet.
Since they hit Indian Wells,
there've been two more stations
deserted by their crews.
Leaving the supplies and
the horses for the Indians.
What do you expect of me?
You've got that money
Ben Cartwright gave you.
That's the back
pay for my riders.
They haven't seen
a dollar in months.
Charles Ludlow weakened,
and his indecision
cost him everything.
It cost him his dream.
His reputation.
His life.
Now there's the Pony
Express, the subsidy,
and a national
nomination at stake.
How much does that
mean to you, Wade?
♪♪
Now you're getting smart.
This is how you stay
on that big, white horse.
How's it going, Wilson?
Fine, Jabez.
Well, she's all
loaded and ready.
Good.
Say, where's Hoss Cartwright?
Oh, went in to Virginia
City to get some,
uh, supplies and ammunition.
He'll be back tonight.
Mr. Wade had quite an idea
about bringing these
cannons out here, didn't he?
He sure did. Those
Paiutes should think twice
before they hit us again.
Paiute!
What's that they're dragging?
It's a body.
Are they in range
of that cannon?
I think so.
Fire at 'em.
Yes, sir.
Get that cannon down there.
Let's go.
Come on, fellas.
Hold up, whoa.
There it is.
Set that range about 500 yards.
All right, fire.
Good shot, Wilson.
Load it up again.
Danny, Joe, go after
him, we'll cover you.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's hard to tell who he is,
dragged through the
sand the way he was.
It's Pat.
Hey, this Indian's still alive.
Wait a minute, Jabez. We
ain't just got a Paiute, here.
This one's Bear Dance,
Winnemucca's son.
Jones.
Go tell Mr. Wade
what we got here.
Yes, sir.
Drag him off and tie him up.
Get him, fellas.
When'd that horse of
yours make his last run?
Yesterday.
What are you makin' a face
for? Yours came in last night.
There he is.
Right on the money. Good luck.
Giddyup.
Joe, watch yourself. There's
Paiutes all along the trail.
Whatever it is, I
don't want to hear it.
Oh, you'll want to hear this.
A rider just brought it
in, it's from Washington.
They've pigeonholed the
mail subsidy in committee.
And our friends in Washington
don't think there's a chance
in a thousand of
even getting the bill out
on the floor in this session.
Why?
We fought Indians and storms.
We brought the mail through.
They know that if we
don't get that subsidy,
the Pony Express will die!
There's talk of
secession in the South.
Congress is engrossed
with bigger matters.
What about all those stories in
the magazines and newspapers?
Oh, Wade.
There is nothing more
dead than yesterday's news.
Well, I will say this.
Looks like it took a
civil war to beat you.
Nobody's gonna stop me.
I put too much into this.
All right.
Then you've got to do
something spectacular.
Something that will knock the
whole nation down to your feet.
Winnemucc.
Yeah, good old Winnemucca.
He's already made
you a famous man.
He might even make you immortal.
Strange, isn't it?
How fate plays
with a man's life.
Yeah, but how?
Well, now, you're an old
Indian fighter, aren't you?
Whoa.
- Oh, hi, Pa.
- Hoss.
That's eight kegs of powder and
400 rounds of ammunition, Billy.
That ought to do it. Thank you.
Missed you, boy.
Yeah. Missed you, too.
- How's it going?
- Pretty good.
We're turning that
relay station into a fort.
I don't think old Winnemucca's
gonna fool with us
when he finds out
what we've done.
- Yeah, we got enough stuff here.
- Yeah.
You see Joe?
Yeah, earlier this morning,
but he had a noon
ride into Sacramento.
Pa, quit worrying about Joe.
He's big enough to
take care of himself.
Oh, I keep telling
myself that he is.
I guess one of these
days, I'm gonna believe it.
Mr. Cartwright?
Hoss. You better get that
thing loaded and get out of here.
You're gonna miss
all the excitement.
Huh? What excitement?
Mr. Wade just left, took all
those newspaper men with him.
- There's gonna be a hanging.
- What?
They got Winnemucca's son
out at Indian Wells this morning.
They're gonna string him up.
Sure wish I could go with you.
I got a doggone
run in a half hour.
♪♪
Winnemucca's
raids have hampered,
but not stopped
the Pony Express.
His ruthless attacks
on innocent riders
have not diminished our
resolve, but strengthened it.
And today, gentlemen,
those raids are
gonna come to an end.
The Paiute chief must claim
his son's body by sundown,
or lose face before his tribe,
so these sneak attacks'll stop.
We're forcing him
out in the open.
And as you can see,
we're ready for him.
If he can pull it off,
he'd be the man of the
hour, wouldn't he, Tully?
You've got Mr. Wade's
word for that.
A patriot's promise.
Curtis Wade is a
giant on horseback.
You can use that phrase
if you like, gentlemen.
Paiute!
Get that cannon around.
Get inside!
Hold. Hold it. Hold it.
Hold your fire. It's Little Joe.
Run for it, Cartwright.
We'll cover you.
I gave Winnemucca my
word I wouldn't try to get away.
You don't have
to keep your word.
Winnemucca's
willing to make a trade.
My life for his son's.
If you're willing to do that,
he'll stop making his raids
on the Pony Express,
and he'll talk peace.
I'm giving you a
chance, Cartwright.
Break and run.
I'm hanging this Paiute.
Wade, didn't you
hear what I said?
Winnemucca's
willing to talk peace.
Winnemucca's trying to trick us.
Can't you see that?
He doesn't want peace.
He wants his son back alive.
Get ready to fire.
Get ready to fire.
I told you I brought you
out here to see a hanging
and the end of Winnemucca.
There it comes.
Wade!
Give me those reigns.
No, you can't do it.
I said, give 'em to me!
No, you're not gonna do it!
You don't have any more
guts than your old man.
Haw. Haw. Haw!
Hyah!
Haw! Haw! Haw!
Get out of here!
Oh.
I've got to kill him!
It's a trick. He
doesn't want peace.
You mean it's you that
doesn't want peace...
to get in the way
of your ambitions.
Haw. Haw.
Haw. Haw. Haw.
Haw.
Go home, boy.
♪♪
♪♪
I say, old man, he
doesn't look much
like a giant on
horseback at the moment.
Does he?
Cheer up, Tully.
There's always another story.
Gentlemen, wait for me.
It's up to you now.
Gonna keep the Express going?
You bet we will.
Great ideas and...
great enterprises
don't die easily.
Not when they're
built on great dreams
and great courage.
The Pony Express was
that kind of great dream.
And the young riders
who carried the mail
and bound a continent
together provided all the courage.
I think as long
as men are alive,
they'll remember and tell
tales of those young riders
who blazed their way into
the history of our nation.
This has been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.