Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 9, Episode 1 - Second Chance - full transcript

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It's from Chalk Hill.

Red Pony and his renegades
hit a ranch there this morning.

Sweet Water this time.

So far 28 known dead,

12 ranches looted and burned.

Hoss and Little Joe rode
up that way two days ago.

Sweet Water again.

It just stopped... right
in the middle of a word.

Well, I'd better get back to the
Ponderosa and get up to Sweet Water.

Thank you, Tim.
Put him up, will you?



Yes, sir.

- Lieutenant.
- I'm Lieutenant March, sir.

We were on a routine training
patrol and ran into an ambush.

You'd better get the
wounded inside the house.

Get a doctor from
town. Hurry up, Joe.

Sergeant, take
the wounded inside.

I lost half my men before
I realized what hit us.

How big a war party?

35, 40. I counted
at least 20 rifles.

The rest were armed
with bows and lances.

Well, they'll have more rifles now.
They just looted the Sweet Water ranches.

Come on, come on.
Yah! Giddyap, giddyap.

That thing's in there real
deep. This... This is gonna hurt.

Just go on, get it out of there.



Dad burn it.

The shaft broke.

Joe, I'm gonna get you
out of this, you hear?

Everything's gonna be all right.

I promise you.

My orders are to find, harass
and delay the renegades

until a major force arrives.

Hardly possible with one non-com
and one trooper able to ride,

but I can scout this whole area.

Well, Lieutenant, my sons rode
up in that area to warn the ranchers

and I haven't heard
a word from 'em.

- I'm riding with you.
- Be happy to have you, sir. Let's go.

I've checked these rocks
out and it looks safe here.

I don't believe there's
any of them Indians here.

You need anything?

Yeah, can I... can I
have some more water?

Sure.

Here. Drink all you
want. There's plenty.

You want more? There's plenty.

No, thanks.

Hey, Joe, there's a
campfire over there.

I can see smoke about a
half mile away. Maybe help.

Maybe just a bunch
of more Indians.

No. No, they wouldn't
give themselves away.

I'll be right back. You'll
be safe here in the shade.

There's plenty of water
here. I'll be right back.

Ho! The camp!

Anna, you keep out of it.

Get back on that
horse and ride out.

There's renegade
Indians right over that hill.

They're killing and taking scalps.
That smoke will attract their attention.

So will that gunfire.

You heard me. Ride out.

My little brother's out there with
a broken arrow in his shoulder.

I need some help
and I need it bad.

Why don't you help the man,
Breck? It ain't gonna hurt you.

Get back on that
horse. Get going.

What were those shots?

A drifter, Mrs. Dawson. I'm
just running him out of here.

Mrs. Dawson, the man
says his brother needs help.

You were told to leave.
You'd better do exactly that.

I came here for help for my
little brother and I'm gonna get it.

You're wrong, my friend.

Drop the rifle.

I am an impatient man. Drop it!

You'd better do
what he says, pilgrim.

Jonathan Frazier's an old hand
at shooting people in the back.

My little brother's out
there in bad shape.

While we're standing around
here talking, he might be dying.

Give the man his gun,
Mr. Frazier, and put yours away.

Do as I say, Mr. Frazier.

Now, you're the wagon
boss, but I own the wagons.

Isaac, please.

We made camp so you could rest.

We can't go on till you do.

I'm supposed to rest with gunshots
and shouts all over the place?

You stirred up quite
a fuss, young man.

- The man's got a good reason, Doc.
- Doc?

Yeah. Dr. Isaac Dawson, sir.

Boy, that's the best luck
I've run into in a long time.

- Doctor, my little brother's got...
- An arrow in his shoulder.

And you want me
to remove it, huh?

With these hands?

Hardly possible.

Joe.

Heard... Heard the shots.

I thought you were in trouble.

Just take it easy.
See there, Doc?

He needs immediate surgery.

Looks like the pilgrim
was sure telling the truth.

Isaac, you can't.

Even if you could hold a scalpel,
you haven't got the strength.

Estelle, you've been at my right
hand with hundreds of patients.

This time you'll
be my right hand.

That cot.

I want you to take the patient
over there, but gently, gently.

Estelle, the instruments.

Operating on strays with
raiding parties all around.

You're gonna get us all killed.

All right, Mr. Cartwright, I'll remove
the arrowhead, but there's a fee.

Your services, you and
your gun, until further notice.

You got a deal.

Joe...

We're in luck. We got
a doctor and a nurse.

They're gonna patch
you up just good as new.

You can leave now. We
can get along without you.

Cut the shirt open, Estelle.

Young man, this is
going to hurt like the devil.

So it would help all of us if
you lie as still as possible.

Mr. Mulvaney, can you spare
some of your bottled painkiller?

Sure, Doc.

I don't want any of that. Just
get it... Just get that arrow out.

All right. You may leave,
and take that with you.

Uh, swab that with
some alcohol now.

Easy.

That's fine. A scalpel.

A little higher.

Now, with a firm hand...

Good.

Whoa. Whoa.

Those hills, are they part
of the Sweet Water range?

Yeah, they are. Go a lot
farther than they seem too.

Breck.

Breck, take the first
watch up on the hill.

Why not him? He's the one
that's spooked by Indians.

Well, you know how
I feel about Indians,

but I'll be glad to stand
guard if you want me to.

I don't want you. Now, move out!

Holler if you hear anything!

No shots and
stay off the skyline!

You'd be no good up there now.

You'd be watching the
camp and nothing else.

You ever get your brother
patched up, you'll stand guard duty.

I'll be ready.

Red Pony, huh?

It's getting to be a small world,
Cartwright, ain't it? Too small.

You... You heard of Red Pony?

Yeah, yeah, I heard of him.

You know, I was going
to ration this, make it last,

but now it's beginning to look like I'm
gonna have more whiskey than time.

- Have a bite?
- No, no, thanks.

Guess you must have been
wondering about us, huh, Cartwright?

That fine warm welcome everybody
gave you when you drove in.

The way everybody
jumped up to help you.

Yeah, as... as a
matter of fact, I was.

You know, I've seen a
lot of wagon trains west,

but I don't believe I ever
saw a bunch like you.

No.

Two women, two
thieves, a dying man,

a discard who should have
been dead a long time ago.

But we ain't a-marching
towards the golden promise

of your grand and
glorious west, Cartwright.

No, we've been there.
We had a bellyful.

Now we're heading back east, running
out with our tails between our legs.

Cartwright, looks like you
joined the company of the losers.

Well, little brother, you gave
me quite a scare there for a while.

You're looking pert
as a jaybird now.

That's just how I feel too.

It isn't the time for
talk, Mr. Cartwright.

Your brother needs rest.

I'll be all right.

Ma'am, I don't know how I'm
gonna ever thank you and your father

for what you've done.

I want no thanks.

Dr. Dawson's getting the sleep
he should have had hours ago.

He mustn't be disturbed.

And he's not my
father, Mr. Cartwright.

He's my husband.

I know, I know, honey,
you... don't approve.

I wish you wouldn't.

Yes, well, it's my fault
that you're here, Anna.

That's why I need
a taste of this,

to get the taste of
that out of my mouth.

Smack damn in the
middle of Indian country.

War parties all around us.

I brought you out
here to get you killed.

No, Papa, don't say that.

Oh, yes, not just you, all of us.
All of us are going to be killed.

Oh, why... why didn't I
leave you in Virginia City?

There's one good thing about it.

You won't even see them
or hear them till it's too late.

That's how it was at
Bishop's Creek, Anna.

200, 300 of them.

Half the troop were dead
before we even heard a sound.

Papa, don't think
about it anymore.

I should have been dead too.

I would have been if
my horse hadn't bolted.

He took the bit in
his teeth and he...

I couldn't stop him any more
than I could stop the wind.

That was a long time ago.

No, the worst... the
worst part of it all,

my own daughter, my own flesh
and blood, doesn't believe me.

Of course I do, Papa.

Oh, sure, sure you do.

Just like the court
martial board believed me.

I wouldn't do that.

I thought I heard him call.

- I... I was just trying to help.
- With a gun in your hand?

Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.

But you're supposed
to be in bed.

Yeah, I guess we both are.

Yes, but first I'm gonna take a look
at my patient. Come along with me.

Look, Doc, I'm feeling fine.

Now, just lie down there
and let me take a look.

- How does it look?
- Looks pretty good.

Ah, no fever.

That's good.

I wanna thank you for your concern,
young man, but it wasn't necessary.

I could hear someone coming.

I was waiting
for him, with this.

What's it all about, Doc?

Well, I... I couldn't employ any
honest men to drive my wagons

in the face of all this Indian
trouble. I had to take what I could get.

Well, when you hire a thief,
you expect him to try to rob you.

I have two thieves in my
employ, Breck and Frazier.

They both have the idea that I
have a considerable amount of money

stashed away in that wagon.

And I let 'em think so.

You not only head into trouble,
you... you bring it along with you.

No, not really. You see, they
keep an eye on each other.

This is the first time
either one of them

has had the chance to
get near my wagon alone.

Look, Doc, why don't you be
smart and go back to Virginia City?

Why take the risk? Wait till
the Indian trouble's over with.

How long will that take?

Two, three weeks, a
month at the outside.

I'm... I'm trying to get
back home, Mr. Cartwright.

I want another look at
the place where I was born.

I wanna see my son.

I wanna see my granddaughter.
I've never seen her.

I can understand that, but...
what difference does it make

if you see her now
or a month from now?

I don't have a month.

I don't have three weeks to spare,
Mr. Cartwright. I'm a dying man.

Get yourself some rest.

- Papa?
- Huh?

Mr. Frazier said I
should give you this.

You're next to stand guard.

Oh, yeah.

Yes, thanks, thanks...

I guess I kind of talked
too much last night, didn't I?

It's all right. I didn't mind.

Anna, whatever happens,
I just want you to know

that you're the finest
daughter a father ever had.

Thank you, Papa.

Whatever happens.

Cold beans and
yesterday's biscuits.

You must be feeling pretty
good the way you're eating, Joe.

- No reason I shouldn't, is there?
- No, no, no. No reason.

You know, Joe, I promised
these folks that I'd ride with 'em,

be an extra gun in case
they run into Red Pony.

That's two guns. I
can still pull a trigger.

They ain't going to Virginia City,
Joe. They're... They're going east.

- Where is he?
- I don't know.

How long has he been gone?

Just a few minutes ago
I gave him breakfast.

All right, all right,
what's all this about?

Mulvaney's gone along
with half the shells we got left.

He did it again, huh?
Bishop Creek all over again.

That time he left a troop to get chopped
up and this time he leaves his daughter.

- No, he wouldn't.
- He did.

His saddle and his horse are gone,
and the tracks lead straight east.

He was drinking. He didn't know.

Don't make no difference
why or when or how come.

A man out there alone
ain't gonna last long.

- We're gonna have to go get him.
- Not me. I say good riddance.

Well, my job is here. I gotta take
care of the women and Doc Dawson.

Well, get with it.

He jumped me. He jumped
me before I could even draw.

I don't know. I got so scared
I couldn't think, Cartwright. I...

- All I could do was run.
- We better get out of here.

There's more of them out there too.
They're liable to jump us any minute.

Yeah, and they probably
heard that gunshot.

But they ain't too close or
they'd have already been on us.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Sergeant, you and Burns take
the west fork around Half Butte

- and then back to Virginia City.
- Yes, sir.

Sergeant, just remember there are two
of you and a hundred of those Indians.

Yes, sir.

Report back to headquarters
when you get there.

You can ride back with
them, Mr. Cartwright.

Well, my sons are still
somewhere out here, Lieutenant.

We'd better move
out. We're wasting time.

It's a good thing Mulvaney rode
east to see what was out there.

If he hadn't, that Indian scout'd
have seen these wagons coming

and it all would have
been over real quick.

The rest of that war party'll find a
dead scout and two sets of tracks

and then they'll be all over
us, thanks to Yellow Belly.

Well, that's why we gotta get
moving and get moving quick.

There's a stage station back
on the trail to Virginia City.

But that's behind us, west.

Yes, ma'am, but we can
find men and guns there,

and even if we don't, we can fort
up and make a decent fight of it.

But we don't want to go
back. Tell them, Isaac.

We want to go east.

Uh, we... we should have
stayed in Virginia City.

If you guide us, we
might get back there alive.

We'll make it.

We'll save time by
lightening the wagons.

We'll jettison everything but
what is absolutely necessary.

No, Isaac. Not the gifts you're taking
to your children and grandchildren.

Presents from a man they've
never seen or long forgotten.

We'll leave them here and hope
they delay and interest the Indians

long enough to
save a life or two.

You're catching it
pretty rough, Doc.

I'll ask 'em to slow down.

No, no, don't do it.
I'll... I'll be all right.

You'd better stop, Mrs. Dawson.
Your husband needs you.

Go ahead, say it.

I've heard it all before.

I wasn't going to say anything.

Well, then, don't sit there
staring at me like that.

- I... I don't like it.
- I wasn't staring, Papa.

Yes, you were staring, just the
way all the rest of 'em look at me,

like I was some kind of
piece of filth or something.

I suppose I am.

No, Papa. That isn't true.

- What's the holdup?
- Dr. Dawson.

Mrs. Dawson is giving
him some medicine.

Yeah, and I'm taking
mine. Brave water.

Hey, go ahead, Cartwright.

Tell her what I was doing
when you found me this morning.

You better go easy with that
whiskey. We got a long ways to go.

All right. Then I'll tell you what
I was doing when he found me.

I was running, running away.

Papa, it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter? What do
you mean, it doesn't matter?

I was running away. I was gonna
leave you behind to be killed.

Papa, I said it doesn't matter.

I'm gonna go talk
to Mrs. Dawson.

How's your husband, ma'am?

We have two very
sick men in this wagon.

Little Joe's worse, huh?

Burning up with fever.
Infection has set in.

Hah!

Whoa!

- Where is that stage station?
- Right around the bend.

No sign of life.

I'd feel better if there was
some smoke in the sky.

I'm just happy there
ain't no buzzards up there.

- Get 'em out of here, quick.
- Yeah.

Hah! Hah!

Hah! Hah!

Yah!

Yah!

Isaac. Isaac.

Isaac?

I don't know where you came
from, Pa, but you're sure welcome.

Get inside!

- What happened?
- I'm all right, Pa. Don't worry.

- Joe?
- We're in luck.

Here are some extra weapons.

You take that side
window. You cover the back.

There's only three or four of 'em
now, not enough to make a real fight.

But they'll keep us pinned down
till the gunfire brings the rest of 'em.

What happened to Joe?

He got an arrow
in his shoulder, Pa.

- We've got a casualty.
- Huh?

We've got a casualty. The
old man. He's going fast.

Isaac? Isaac?

Can you hear me?

I went away for a little while, but
then I heard you and I came back.

All of you paying for
my foolish stubbornness.

I've done you all great harm.

Shh.

We'll be all right. Don't worry.

You're going to
be all right, Isaac.

You will.

No, we both know better.

But at least
there's no pain now.

Please take care of her.

She's a fine woman.

She's gonna be all right.
You're gonna be all right too.

No pain.

No pain at all.

The kindest man that ever lived.

How's that wound of yours?

It's nothing I can't stand.

Joe, why don't you go get some
rest? And just sing out if you need us.

If I waited for you two to sing out,
I... I'd have been scalped by now.

I'll tell you what, Joe, if we
need any help, we'll sing out.

Anna...

Anna, at Bishop's Creek...

my horse didn't bolt.

No, I nearly ripped his sides open
with my spurs getting me out of there.

And today, when I was supposed
to be out scouting, looking for help,

I wasn't, I was just trying to
save my own worthless neck.

Papa, why don't you
stop torturing yourself?

Worst thing I ever did
was to bring you out here

when I knew there
could be trouble.

I... I don't know why
you even speak to me.

You're my father.

If I was you, I'd be
ashamed to admit it.

As much as we need the guns, there's
one man here we could do without.

- You mean Mulvaney?
- I mean Bishop Creek Mulvaney.

He ran and got a
whole troop slaughtered.

He's not the man
to cover that corner.

I'll talk to him.

Anna, Mrs. Dawson can use you.

Of course.

Don't need to tell an old soldier
that that barn gives us a blind side.

Couple of them could sneak in from
the other side and come charging through

before we ever
knew they were there.

Sure.

We need a good man here,
keep an eye on that barn.

Not me. I'll get you all killed.

Mulvaney, you made a big
mistake and paid a big price.

Court martial,
disgrace, lost career.

You have a chance to
even things up right now.

Did Hoss tell you
what I did this morning?

Yes, he told me.

And you'd trust me? A man
who'd run out on his own daughter?

Things have changed
now. You can't run.

20 feet out of there,
you'd be killed.

You gotta fight to
stay alive this time.

Even a cornered
rat or a coward...

Rat, coward, animal,
dog, tiger, man.

You got a shotgun, you
got shells, you got a six-gun.

What's more important, you got
what very few other men have.

- Hm?
- A second chance.

Pa, Hoss, over here.

They heard those gunshots
and they came running.

They'll talk to see how they're
gonna do it and then they'll come.

I sure wish that
wagon wasn't out front.

That makes two of us.

That... That barn back
there isn't the only blind spot.

The wagon out
front's another one.

You know, they could sneak in
behind it, push it up to the front door.

They'd be inside on top of us
before we know what happened.

Well, let's hope they
don't think of that.

They will, they will. If only
we had a little dynamite.

Two or three sticks'd blow
the wagon to smithereens.

They'd never be
able to use it for cover.

We could use a troop of cavalry
too. We don't have them either.

I counted 12 of them out there.
They're gonna keep us pinned down

until we run out of shells
and then burn us out.

I also spotted a horse out back.

Now, if you give me covering
fire, I can ride out and get help.

Listen to him, huh? You
hear the panic in him?

He's got the shakes,
wants to save his own hide.

I'm an old hand at running,
Johnny. I know all the signs.

Now, don't try it.
Don't even try it.

Stay right where you are. They'll
kill you before you get ten yards.

It's quiet now.
It's worth a try.

Better get back to that window.
They'll be coming any minute.

Joe. Joe.

- I'll get up.
- No, Joe.

Mr. Cartwright, you can go
back to your front window.

I'll defend this one.

That last attack was supposed to
cover this sneak attack from the barn.

It didn't work.

They'll push that wagon
right up to the door.

All right, everybody, get ready.

Papa.

It's gonna be all right, Anna.

Of course.

I mean it. I mean it.
It's gonna be all right.

- I won't let them hurt you.
- Of course, Papa.

This...

Could I... Could I take this?

Mulvaney, what are you doing?

Easy, now, everybody.
Everybody just stand easy.

You can't go out there. You
saw what happened to Frazier.

It's what I do best.

White flag or no white
flag, they'll kill you.

He had to pull the
trigger to make it work.

We're ready to leave
when you are, sir.

Miss Mulvaney,
one request, ma'am.

I'd like to send this
back to West Point.

They have a museum there for
weapons used bravely and valorously.

I'm sure they'd
be proud to have it.

Daddy would be proud too.

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