Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 8, Episode 11 - The Oath - full transcript

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(fanfare plays)

♪♪

♪♪

They make it pretty rough on
us in there, don't they, old man?

Like I said, Mr. Cartwright,

you'll buy yourself
a whole new herd

with what you earn
on those shares.

(chuckles)

Well, I'll tell
you, Mr. Fielding,



I don't usually
invest in gold mines...

but I guess a
little diversification

is a pretty good
thing now and then.

Then shall we call it a deal?

Yeah, it's a deal.

(chuckles) I'll
get the certificates

out of my safe and be
back in a few minutes.

Fine. I'll be, uh...
I'll be inside here.

I'll have a beer, please.

Help yourself to
some whiskey, friend.

Well, thank you, friend, I
think I'll just stay with the beer.

- Thank you.
- All right.

- Thank you.
- Oh, me.

This is gonna be a night.



Are you, uh, you celebrating?

A hardworking man
don't need nothin' better

than a Saturday
night for celebrating.

(both laughing)

- I guess you're right.
- Mmm.

(coughing)

Oh, that... that...

that there is gold dust.

Been havin' a run
of luck in Downieville.

- Yes, so I understand.
- Mm-hmm.

Give these duds of
mine a good shakin',

a man could collect
himself a fair stake.

(both laughing)

Hey, half-breed,
bring me a beer.

My boy has got a name.

MAN: I called him by
his name. Half-breed!

(man laughs)

(indistinct chatter)

Things gets a mite fierce
around here at times.

Yeah, I can see that.

Hey, Jenkins is my name.

You a stranger in town?

Well, I'm here on some business.

I'll be leaving first
thing in the morning.

Stay clear of Big
Charlie Monahan.

He cheats at them cards.

I'll try to remember that.

I ain't tellin' you no lie.

I lost my first
stake to Big Charlie,

clean down to my
mule and my pickax.

Oh, sorry to hear that.

Seein' as how you're a
stranger in town and won't tell...

I'm gonna let
you in on a secret.

Oh?

I'm gonna get things evened up.

Old Jenkins is gonna get
even with Big Charlie tonight.

Oh, well, uh... why don't
you hold off till morning?

Things will look a
whole lot different then.

I had this notion for
a good long while.

It's the only good'un
I ever did have.

And I'm gonna get it
off my mind tonight.

(coughs)

Somebody's got to show him...

and I'm just the
one that can do it.

(Jenkins coughing)

I see you've met old
Jenkins, Mr. Cartwright.

Old Jenkins.

Well, he sure was
making some threats.

Oh, Jenkins is always
threatening to do something.

He's always mad at somebody.

He seemed pretty determined.

(chuckles) Folks in Downieville

don't take that old
codger serious anymore.

No reason why you should.

Yeah.

I guess you're right.

How about a beer?

(theme song playing)

♪♪

(mumbling nearby)

(crying, mumbling)

(continues mumbling)

What's the matter, friend?

Feeling a little
tired this morning?

I done it, friend.

You done what?

Burned down Big Charlie's shack.

Burned him out of
everything he has.

Burned it clean to the ground.

Oh, made a grand
blaze while it lasted, but...

(crying)

You know something, friend?

The taste of ashes
is bitter, isn't it?

That's right.

It ain't that he
didn't deserve it.

Well, there ain't a man in town

that wouldn't like to see
Big Charlie get done in.

Do you realize what a
terrible thing you've done?

I do now.

Well, what are you
gonna do about it?

I-I just don't know.

Reckon I have to own up to it.

But then I'm
scared, if... if I do,

he's gonna knock me crosswise.

Might've been a good idea

if you'd thought
of that last night.

Where's this place
you're talking about?

It's just over on the
other side of town there,

what's left of it,
couple of miles.

Well, I... I got to
be getting home.

Friend... would you...?

- Would I what?
- Well, I... I hate to go over there

and face him all
by myself alone.

Would you...?

Well, would... would it make
you feel better if I went with you?

Would you? Well,
you just wait right there!

I got to go round up Sonora Sue!

(chuckles) She got lost
in the fracas last night!

I got to go... find her.

Sonora Sue! Sonora Sue!

Sonora Sue!

Where in the... where's
that dang Sonora Sue?

Oh... Sonora Sue!

- (braying)
- Where in the...

Oh. Come on, now... (mumbling)

Come on, follow me.

Got a job to do.

Come on.

(mumbles)

(Big Charlie groans)

I find out who done this,
I'll kill 'em, so help me!

Yeah, maybe it was that
miner you beat up in town, Pa.

No, nobody who felt my fist
would come near this place.

They wouldn't dare.

I don't know why I hang
around this town anyway.

There's a lot better
places than this rotten hole.

You ain't thinking of
pulling out, are you, Pa?

What's to keep me here, this?

Yeah.

This.

A grave.

Remember how it was
when your mother was alive?

How we all tried to
live... fine and happy?

Not botherin' nobody.

You remember how
it was, Charlie Two?

I remember, Pa.

I loved your mother.

She was a Shoshone,

and they wore her down
with their insults and their hate,

and it killed her.

That's why I've been
stealing 'em blind ever since

for what they done to her.

I remember... Ma crying.

Even her own people
turned against her.

Marrying a white man, me.

So both white and
Indian treated her like dirt.

The way they treat you now.

Well, I don't care about
them. I don't need 'em.

You don't need anybody,
long as you get the first jump.

Because it's them that
steals before they get robbed

and shoots before they get
shot that survive in this world.

You hear me, boy?

I-I hear you, Pa.

You do the other fella
before he does you.

That's what I've been
trying to drum into you

ever since your mother
died... And don't you forget it.

Pa, if...

if you pull out, you ain't
gonna leave me alone, are you?

Oh, well... come
along if you want to.

I'll come with you, Pa.

♪♪

There ain't no reason
why me and Big Charlie

can't talk this out, is there?

Uh, if Charlie wants to talk.

Look, I've been having
a run of luck lately.

I-I got more than enough to
help him build a new shack.

Well, why don't you
tell him that right off?

- I aim to.
- Good.

Oh, come on, there's
nothing left here we can use.

- Hey, Pa?
- Huh?

Oh.

Yeah. Yeah.

♪♪

Let's get into town.

I want the one who done this.

Uh, it's right over here.

Whoa.

Right over there.

I sure am much
obliged to you, friend,

for comin' all this
way out here with me.

Much obliged to you.

Well, uh, don't you want
me to go the rest of the way?

I got to face up to
him sometime alone.

Oh, you're gonna
have to do that, all right.

You sure you want to do it now?

I'm sure.

Come on, Sonora Sue, let's go.

Hyah.

(gunshot)

Pa, he didn't even have a gun.

So? He'd be just as
dead if he had one.

(Ben shouts)

Just take that
gun out real easy.

Throw it over here.

Don't you try anything, son.

- You killed him.
- Yeah.

He came here to say that he
was sorry for what he'd done.

(scoffs) He said it.

He wanted to pay you.

Well, we'd better get into
town and see the sheriff.

That's fine. He burnt me out.

You killed him, and
he didn't have a gun.

Put him on his mule.

Mister, you give me any
trouble, I'll see you dead.

(hammering)

Why don't you stay for
the hanging, Mr. Cartwright?

Oh, I've seen plenty of
them in my time, Mr. Fielding.

This could be a special
day for Downieville.

You don't get to see a
thing like this every day.

Uh, are you sure now
you can't stay on a bit?

No, I got some stops to
make before I get home.

Well, this is our first
legal hanging, you know.

This is a far cry from a length
of rope and a handy tree.

Progress is what it is.

You'll have real
progress, Mr. Fielding,

when there won't be any
more need for hangings.

When men stop settling
their differences with guns.

(hammering continues)

What about Monahan's son?

Well, if he's got any sense,
he'll go to his mother's tribe.

Do you think they'll accept him?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But he never did fit in here.

We don't cotton to Indians.

Never was one you could trust.

The boy get a chance here
in Downieville, Mr. Fielding?

Well, folks don't want him here.

But that's not your
problem, Mr. Cartwright.

(hammering continues)

(sighs)

(door opens)

Here's your son, like you asked.

Leave us alone.

You just got a
couple of minutes.

That'll be enough.

I didn't know if you
were still around.

(door shuts)

No place else to go.

Pa, I, uh, wish I
could have helped you

the way you always done for me.

Well, it's too
late for that now.

Where you been sleepin', boy?

Oh, I pitched camp
down by the creek.

There's no reason for you

to hang around
Downieville any longer.

I got someplace
for you to go after...

after the hangin'.

Where is that, Pa?

You're gonna do
something for me, boy.

You're gonna give me
your word on it right now.

What is it?

Nobody...

nobody'd ever
found that Jenkins,

nobody would have missed
him if it hadn't been for Cartwright.

You and me, we'd
be free and runnin'

if it hadn't been for him.

You're gonna get Ben
Cartwright, Charlie Two.

Well?

You want me to kill him?

Yes.

I'm gonna die like
a wrung chicken

at the end of that rope

all on account of
Ben Cartwright.

And I won't die peaceful until
you say you're gonna get him.

I want to wipe him clean
off the face of the Earth.

No man ever did wrong to a
Monahan and lived to tell of it.

And you're gonna see
that it stays that way.

You hear me, boy?

Yes, Pa.

Then swear it.

Take an oath, Charlie Two.

Swear it.

You hear me, boy?

Swear it.

On your father's
grave, swear it.

I swear it.

♪♪

♪♪

(loud clank)

(creaking)

Sheriff Calvin, we appreciate

your coming all
the way out here.

Oh, I had to see the
marshal in Carson City.

Wasn't any trouble
stopping here.

Well, we're glad you did.

Charlie Two will probably
go off to join the Shoshones

and never give a
thought to his promise.

But I thought your pa
ought to know about it.

Well, I'd better be on my way.

Thank you again.

You're entirely welcome.

Thanks again, Sheriff.
Have a good trip.

Thank you very much.

What do you think, Joe?

(sighs) I don't know.

It could be nothing.

I think I'll ride to
Downieville by way of Elkton,

see if I can't find Pa.

What if you don't find him?

Well, I'll see if I can track
down this Charlie Two.

Yeah. I'll go with you.

No, no, you better stay here
and warn Pa in case I miss him.

What happens if you find
this Charlie Two? Then what?

I don't know.

All I know is there's
a man somewhere

with an oath to
kill Ben Cartwright.

I got to find Pa before he does.

♪♪

(quiet chatter)

Let me have a beer.

- (coin clinks)
- Thanks.

Maybe you could
help me. I'm, uh...

I'm looking for a fella
named Charlie Two.

Know where he is?

Charlie Two?

You a friend of
that half-breed's?

I don't remember talking to you.

Well, whether you
remember or not,

if you're a friend
of that dirty Indian,

we don't want you around here.

Why don't you mind
your own business.

I think I will.

(grunting)

(panting)

(moans)

Get the sheriff.

Thanks.

I come for my pa's wages.

There.

That's all he had comin'?

That's right.

What happened?

He drew on me
with my back turned.

This fella shot
first. Saved my life.

That right?

You saw what happened. Tell him.

It's like he says.

Hey, wait a minute.

Yeah, what do you want?

I want to thank you.

What for?

What you did for me in there.

Oh, that's all right.
It's good practice.

You didn't look like
you need any practice.

You can really handle that gun.

Yeah, well, uh, hope
you can handle one, too.

Now, what's that
supposed to mean?

Well, you stick around
town much longer,

that miner will
be looking for you.

Well, there's somebody
I got to find first.

Good luck.

Uh, Sheriff, you, uh, you know
a fella named Charlie Two?

The half-breed that
just saved your life.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

(hoofbeats approaching)

What are you doing here?

I saw you riding up ahead.

If we're going in
the same direction,

I might like some company.

(short laugh)

Me?

Yeah. Why?

I'm a half-bread.

My name's Joe.

They call me Charlie Two.

I thought you said you
were staying in Downieville.

Uh, yeah, I was, but, uh,

the fella I said I was
looking for, he'd already left.

Big Charlie Monahan.

I guess you never heard of him.

Everybody in Downieville
knew him, though.

Sounds like a
pretty important man.

Oh, he was important.

One day in his life...

The day they hanged him.

He was my pa.

I'm sorry.

CHARLIE TWO: Raised me
from the time I was a little kid.

What happened to your ma?

She died when I was a baby.

Yeah, so did mine.

Never even knew her.

Are you heading out?

Yep.

Where you going?

Virginia City.

Yeah, well, look, I,
uh, live in Virginia City.

Why don't we ride
along together?

Virginia City, huh?

You know, uh, Ben Cartwright?

Yeah. Yeah, I know him.

Has he got a family?

Mm-hmm.

Friends of yours?

Yeah, yeah, they're, uh,
real good friends of mine.

You don't pick the
right kind of company.

Well, I picked you, Charlie.

♪♪

Can I give you a hand, neighbor?

No thanks. I got
this axle about fixed.

Well, you sure I can't help you?

Yep. Well, I'll be doggoned.

- Ain't you Little Joe...
- Hey, how-how you doing, Jed?

- Good to see you.
- How are things on the Ponderosa, Joe?

Well, they're fine, just fine.

Say hello to your pa and Hoss.

Yeah, I sure will do that.
You take it easy, now.

Okay.

(whistling)

Starting to smell good.

I'm hungry. How about you?

You sure talk a lot, Charlie.

♪ Oh, I come from Salem City ♪

♪ With a washbowl on my knee ♪

♪ Going to California ♪

♪ Gold dust for to see... ♪

What's the matter?

What... you don't
like my singing?

Oh.

Well, whenever
I'm hungry, I sing.

♪ La, dee-dee-dee,
dee, dee-dee-dee, dee ♪

- ♪ Dee-le, dee-dee, dee-dee. ♪
- Then let's eat.

Oh, I guess it's not
too good, anyway.

Mmm, this is good.

You know that ranch of
ours I was telling you about?

You'd really like it.

It's the...

It's the kind of land a
man can feel free in.

That's what my pa saw
in it when he first started.

I think you'd like my pa.

We got a... got a lot of
cattle, good grazing land.

Real good fishing,
great trout fishing.

A lot of hard work, but...

but a lot of fun along with it.

What's the matter?
Don't you like my cooking?

Where you going?

Something I got to do alone.

Who you gonna kill, Charlie?

That's what it's
all about, isn't it?

You riding into
Virginia City alone.

You're gonna kill that
Ben Cartwright, aren't you?

What's that got to do with you?

You saved my life. I'm
trying to do the same for you.

You're riding into
a lot of trouble.

There's no reason why
we can't ride along together.

Suit yourself.

Hi, Hoss.

Oh, hi, Pa.

Good to have you home.

Good to be home.

Well, how's everything going?

- Fine, fine.
- Good.

Where's Little Joe?

Well, he ain't here, Pa.

You and me need
to do some talking.

What's the matter?
Something wrong?

Oh, probably not, Pa.
Look, just sit down and relax

and let me get
you a cup of coffee

and I'll tell you all about it.

We better take it
easy on our horses.

This desert country's
gonna be pretty rough on 'em.

Here.

Thanks.

So you're just
gonna kill him, huh?

How you gonna
go about it, Charlie?

You just gonna ride
into Virginia City,

ask for Ben Cartwright
and start shooting, huh?

Maybe. Maybe.

What do I have to say to you?

How do I make
you listen to sense?

Well, don't try. Just don't try.

'Cause we're on different sides.

You don't understand me.

Oh, come on, stop
feeling sorry for yourself

'cause you're a half-breed.

No, no, you don't understand

what it's like to have
people laugh at you

and make fun of you
and call you names.

To look in their eyes
and see nothing but hate.

You don't understand
any of that.

You're just like
all the rest of 'em.

- Am I, Charlie?
- Yes, yes, you are.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

Maybe you're right,
Charlie. I'm a white man.

I'm a white man, Charlie.

I don't know that kind of hate.

But I know enough about
hate to see it in your eyes.

You want to kill a man.
You don't care if you're right

or you're wrong; you
just want to kill him.

Oh, what's the use?

Just trying to make
you see it, Charlie.

I'm trying to make you see it

because I want
to be your friend.

But you got to give me a chance.

♪♪

- How you doing, neighbor?
- Howdy, howdy, howdy.

We, uh...
- Hey, good to see you.
- Yeah.

Uh, we could sure
use some water.

Yeah, yeah, you can...

You're welcome to anything
you'd like, young fella.

Just a pot of coffee in there.

You and your friend
here are welcome to a cup.

I'm riding out to Virginia City.

Charlie, why don't you, uh,

why don't you go fill
those canteens, huh?

MAN: I got to get
this horse reshod.

Stage coming in tomorrow.

They gonna need him.

(quietly): Don't look around
at me when I'm talking to you.

My name is Cartwright,
Joe Cartwright.

The fella I'm with is
called Charlie Two.

He's out to kill my father.

When you get to Virginia City,
I want you to warn the sheriff.

You say something, young fella?

Yeah, we're, uh...

we're much obliged
for the water.

What say we grab
some of that coffee

he was talking about?

You were gonna tell him

to warn the
Cartwrights, weren't you?

Don't make no difference, Joe.

Don't make no difference.

I want your gun, Charlie.

I got to stop you.

I've done everything I know how.

See, the man you want
to kill, Ben Cartwright...

He's my father.

All right, unbuckle
your gun belt.

Slow and easy and
drop it on the ground.

Tomahawk, too.

Nice and easy.

(grunting)

(glass breaking)

(groaning)

- (groaning)
- (horses neigh)

(groaning)

(horse neighs quietly)

(loud neighing)

(groaning)

(Little Joe grunts)

(sighs)

♪♪

Whoa. Whoa.

(neighing)

(sighs)

Little Joe should have
been back by now.

Oh, Pa, go easy on him.

He just lost track of the
time he's been gone, that's all.

Well, he's always
losing track of time.

He should have more concern
about the feelings of others.

(sighs) He could
have sent a message.

Maybe he will.

Unless he can't.

Unless he's in
some kind of trouble.

Wait a minute.
Where are you going?

Well, maybe I'd ride
down around Downieville.

He should be around
there somewhere.

Yeah, and what if you
run into Charlie Two?

Well, if I run into
him, I run into him.

Look, Pa, he knows you.

He ain't never seen me
before. Why don't I go?

Hoss, I'm a big boy now.

I'll just find Little Joe, and
we'll come on back home.

♪♪

(sighs)

(panting)

Hyah.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

You stay. Stay right there.

You get ready to draw.

It's no way to settle
anything, Charlie.

Well, it's my way.

A gun isn't gonna
make any difference.

Won't make up for anything.

It'll-it'll make up for
what you did to my pa.

You saw your pa
shoot an unarmed man.

And if it wasn't for you,
my pa would still be alive.

Maybe he'd be alive
if it wasn't for the law.

And if it wasn't for laws,
maybe none of us would be alive.

I don't want to hear any more.

Now, draw!

LITTLE JOE: Charlie!

Joseph, stay out of this!

Well, go ahead,
Charlie, shoot me.

Go on. What are you waiting
for? I haven't got a gun on.

Well, go on, shoot me!

You're Big Charlie
Monahan's kid.

Prove you're a
killer just like he was.

Well, go ahead, shoot me!

♪♪

You couldn't kill me, Charlie.

You never wanted
to kill anybody.

It's just not in you.

(Charlie cries)

Let it all out, kid.

I-I swore.

(sniffles)

I... I swore an oath.

♪♪

Hello, Ben.

Hello, Clem. Good to see you.

Good to see you. Just
got back from Carson City.

- I stopped on my way in Downieville.
- Uh-huh.

Sheriff Calvin told me
what happened. I'm sorry.

I understand you got
the Monahan boy here.

Well, yeah, he-he's
inside the house.

Well, I'll take him
off your hands.

(chuckles) What for, Clem?

Oh, Sheriff Calvin told me
that boy threatened your life.

Now, that's true, isn't it?

Sheriff Calvin told you that?

I wonder why he'd
tell you a thing like that.

(door opening)

Hey, Clem. How are you doing?

- Little Joe, I'm doing fine.
- Good to see you.

Oh, this, uh... this
here's Charlie Two.

- Charlie Two?
- Yeah. Yeah, Pa, me and Charlie

are gonna take a
ride around the ranch.

I want to show him
some of the Ponderosa.

Oh, good idea.

Go on, son.

Charlie, I'm gonna
show you a stream

that's got the biggest trout
in it you ever saw in your life.

♪ Oh, I come from Salem City ♪

- ♪ With a washboard
on my knee ♪ -Joe? Joe?

♪ And I'm... ♪ Huh?

You, uh, told me once you
only sing when you're hungry.

- Is that right?
- Yeah, that's right.

Mm-hmm. Well, let's go
catch some of that trout

and start eating fast.

- (Charlie Two clicks tongue)
- Hmm.

Oh, Ben.

You got any plans for that boy?

Well, he hasn't
had any schooling,

and I thought if he wanted
to have an education,

I'd see to it that he got one.

Of course, he'll have to
make his own plans. I...

I'll just help out
any which way I can.

Well, then, I guess he's
gonna be your responsibility.

Yeah.

You know, Clem, I guess
in a way, he has been

ever since that day
his father was hanged.

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