Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 9, Episode 25 - Commitment at Angelus - full transcript

ANNOUNCER: The following program
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[HORSE WHINNIES]

Man, that coffee is
good in the morning, huh?

- You bet.
- Whose turn is it to clean up?

Yours.

Oh, yeah.

I'm gonna go check the
stone bruise on that chestnut.

Well, keep an eye on that
hammerhead, he's mean.

This time in the
morning, we're all mean.

[CHUCKLES]

[WHINNYING]



- Easy, easy, easy.
- [WHINNIES]

I'm not gonna hurt you.

- Attaboy.
- [PATS GENTLY]

Whoa.

Agh!

- Here, let me see.
- Oh, boy!

- Think he got me.
- You can say that again.

I told you to be careful.

We're gonna have
to get you to a doctor.

There's one in Angelus. It's not
too far out of our way. Come on.

- Company town?
- Yeah.

Run by the Angelus
Mining Company.

Company store with armed
guards keeping the customers away.

What's going on?



I don't know. It's none of our concern.
That's the doc's office over there.

- Company orders, Mr. Reagan. I'm sorry.
- Well, so am I, Harvey.

JOE: Hey, Steve!

Steve Reagan. What's the matter,
can't remember an old friend?

- Just surprised! Good to see you, Joe.
- How are you doing?

- Fine. What are you doing in town?
- Just passing through.

If you got time, come
and see Stephanie.

I wish I could, but I can't.

I got a whole string of
horses I gotta get to the ranch.

Next time for sure. Hey, Candy!

I want you to meet a friend
of mine, Steve Reagan.

He worked for us before he married
the best looking girl in Angelus.

Well, I can't say I blame you.

What happened to your hand?

Oh? Nothing much.

- A horse stepped on it.
- Horse stepped on it?

Hey, we'll be over in the saloon
having a beer. How does that sound?

- Great.
- Come on.

Wait out here.

The powder shed, Emmett,
somebody broke into it last night.

Near as I can tell, ten, 15
cases of dynamite are gone.

What happened to the guard?

Slugged and tied up.

15 cases of dynamite?

You'd better take some men and search
the mine. I'll check on what's missing.

Even five cases of dynamite
planted in one of those side tunnels

will bring down
all the lower levels.

You want that mine searched,
you get somebody else.

Now, now. Wait, wait.
Maybe we won't have to do it.

Put a couple of extra men
on guard at the entrance.

We'll decide what to do when we
know exactly how much is missing.

You know, it's hard to
believe it's been a year

since I was the best
man at your wedding.

I don't know how many times I've
ridden by Angelus and I meant to stop...

Ah, I know how it is, Joe.

You get busy. Stephanie's
missed you, too.

- Yeah? How's she doing?
- Fine.

- Have another beer.
- No, no, no.

I never sponge more than
one drink off a friend. It's a habit.

You're broke, huh?

Like the rest of the
miners here in Angelus.

The mine's closed down and the
company store just shut off all credit.

What's the problem? The men
asking for higher wages, or what?

No. The mine ain't safe,
especially the lower levels.

You know, we just...
we just walked out.

Ah! Don't you worry about
that. We'll make out all right, Joe.

Look, why don't you come back
and work for us on the Ponderosa?

I never figured you for
much of a miner, anyway.

Me neither, but you... you
get caught up in things. I'm...

- No, I'm committed here now.
- How do you mean "committed"?

I'm the one that talked
the miners into walking out,

and they're depending on me.

Well, thanks for the beer,
Joe. Maybe next time my treat.

Wait a minute. There must be
something I can do to help, Steve.

No, like I said, we'll
make out all right.

Hey, how's the hand?

Well, old buddy,

looks like you're going to have to do
all the work going back to the ranch.

That bad, huh? Steve, how
about giving us some help?

We could use it. It'd
be a day's wages.

There's a miners' meeting here
tonight. I'd have to be back for that.

You'll be back in plenty
of time. What do you say?

- All right.
- Good enough. Let's go.

[COIN JANGLES]

Hey, Steve, we've
got to talk to you.

Later, Uncle Thad. I'm giving
Joe a hand with his horses.

- You remember Joe Cartwright?
- Mr. Wotjek. Kabe, how are you doing?

- I'll see you in a minute, Joe.
- Right. Good to see you again.

Joe Cartwright.

- What about the meeting tonight?
- I'll be there.

You'd better be. You know
we got decisions to make.

Just a minute. I'll ride this
one. You take my horse.

Pretty rough
string we picked up.

I can still ride
anything you can, Joe.

Okay, suit yourself.

[WHINNIES]

[LAUGHING]

The next time you're gonna listen to
me when I tell you what horse to get on.

You all right?

Hey, Steve?

Steve?

He's dead.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Won't be a minute.

Joe Cartwright!

Oh. Uncle Thad.

Come in. Won't Steve
be surprised to see you?

I told him you'd
come. I told him.

I just baked a cake. You can stay,
can't you? I'll make a little coffee.

Stephanie, please.

Joe, what's wrong?

Stephanie, Steve's dead.

No, I don't believe that.

How, Joe?

When?

It was an accident
just a few minutes ago.

He was thrown from a horse.

Steve would still be alive if you
hadn't talked him into going with you.

Go where?

Steve was going to help us
drive some horses to the ranch.

He was only going to
work a couple of hours.

[SOBBING]

If he hadn't come here, talked
Steve into getting on that horse...

Ten cases of dynamite, a box of
caps, 50, maybe 100 feet of fuse.

More than enough to blow the
mine closed. We'd better find it.

I don't care if we have to rip out
every board in every miner's house.

We're gonna find
that dynamite. Let's go.

Garrett, make your search.

But don't look too hard.

Think about it. It could
work out just fine for us.

Joe?

Well, I'm not much help here. I'm
gonna wait for you outside in the street.

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

I want to go see Steve.

- Are you sure you're up to it?
- I'll be all right.

[CRASH]

- Search the house.
- This is a private house!

You can't break
in here like this.

Joseph Cartwright.

These men are under my orders,
Mr. Cartwright. Nothing here concerns you.

I suggest you go back to the
Ponderosa, where you belong.

And I suggest
you get outta here.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Reagan, but
we have to search your house.

JOE: For what?

Ten cases of dynamite stolen
from the company warehouse.

There's no dynamite here.

- Your husband, Mrs. Reagan, he...
- My husband is dead.

- Now, get your men out of this house.
- Go on, Garrett.

I'm sorry to hear about
this, Mrs. Reagan.

Your husband and I
had our differences, but...

We don't often get to see
Cartwrights in Angelus.

Say hello to your father
for me when you get back.

I would advise
you to leave soon.

[DOOR CLOSES]

How is he?

It's a bad bump,
but he'll be all right.

I want to go see Steve.

Will you take him home, Joe?

I'll take care of him.

Come on, Mr. Wotjek.

Come on.

All right, folks, move along.
Don't block the streets.

Move along now.

Turn those horses loose.

Those are my horses,
mister. Leave them alone.

Leave them alone!

I said turn 'em loose.

You turn those horses loose, it's
gonna take two days to round them up.

- You figure to do that?
- Put that gun away.

Sure, as soon as he
gets away from that horse.

Beat it, Larsen.

I want this street cleared.

I got enough trouble
handling these miners.

I don't want strangers
getting in my way, getting hurt.

I'll give you 20 minutes
to get out of Angelus.

Is there anything else I can do?

Stephanie, you must
take care of her now.

I have mouths of my own to feed.

JOE: I'll do what I can.

Mr. Wotjek, what's
going on here?

What are the men afraid of?

Is it the dynamite that Hudson
said was stolen, is that it?

I don't know anything
about dynamite.

- Have it your own way.
- THAD: The mine.

That is what we are
afraid of. It is not safe.

Bad timber. Shoring no good.

Steve knew. He tried
to talk to Mr. Hudson.

Someday soon,
the tunnels will go.

I've been a miner all my life.

My father, in Poland.

That is all I know.
It is hard work.

It is a good job.

Maybe someday it'll
be better for our sons.

Hey, Thad, I...

- Hey, what's Cartwright doing here?
- He wants to help.

Why don't you just go on back to
your big ranch and leave us alone?

- THAD: Kabe!
- KABE: All right. All right.

Thad, just hold it.

Thanks for helping
me, Mr. Cartwright.

Thanks.

Anna, leave us.

- They searched your house?
- Yeah.

They didn't find any dynamite.

They can tear down every house
in Angelus but they won't find it.

- Give it back to them, Kabe.
- No, Thad. No.

They got their guns,
but we got their dynamite.

And they're not getting us back
into that mine to die like rats.

We'll blow it up first.

- You ready to go?
- No, we can't leave yet.

- We've been ordered out of town.
- What do you mean ordered? By whom?

Deputy sheriff.

That figures. I got the
same message myself.

Afraid he's gonna have trouble with the
miners, he said. Wants us out of the way.

Well, that's too bad.
I can't leave now.

Steve wasn't a miner.

He never even planned
to stay in Angelus.

He just got caught up in things.

Got involved.

I'm pregnant, Joe.

Steve talked about you so
much and hoped you'd come by.

So did I.

I hoped you'd
come by and see us.

But God help me, Joe, I hate
you for coming to Angelus now.

[SIGHS] Joseph, I'll say it again, what
happened to Steve was an accident.

It could have happened to
anybody. You're not responsible.

Pa, there's a woman back
in Angelus who thinks I am.

In a way, she's right.

If I hadn't stopped in Angelus,
Steve would be alive right now.

The fact is I did stop,
and a friend is dead.

His wife's a widow, and...

- And expecting a child.
- Yes.

Accident or not, the least I can do
is be around when she needs help.

Oh, Joe, I...

I just feel that I'd...

I'd like you not to go back to Angelus
until the trouble there is settled.

Pa, I have to go back.

Stephanie's gonna need help.
The other miners can't help.

They haven't been working
because the mine isn't safe.

There's another
thing that troubles me.

What's that?

Well, as a stockholder
in that mine, I get reports.

I got one here dated
about three months ago,

signed by an inspector of
the Federal Bureau of Mines.

Here.

You'll see that the...

Angelus mine is rated well
above federal safety standards.

I don't understand it.

But the miners aren't
my problem, Stephanie is.

Well, Joe, I would just rather
that you didn't go back there.

Isn't there something I could
do? What does she need?

- How can I help her?
- Pa, I have to help her.

[SIGHS DEEPLY] Yeah.

All right, but you
be real careful.

Yes, sir.

- BEN: Where are you going?
- Angelus.

- [FRONT DOOR CLOSES]
- You have a responsibility, too?

Well, no, not exactly.

I can't do any work
around here for a while,

and it seems like a
nice day for a ride.

[DOOR CLOSES]

- Where do you think you're going?
- Angelus.

Well, do me a favor,
and go back to the ranch.

I can't, I just quit.

Incidentally, I think you're a
fool for going back to Angelus.

Then how come you're going?

I'm just as responsible for
Steve's death as you are.

If that clumsy-footed horse
hadn't stepped on my hand

we wouldn't have gone
into Angelus in the first place.

Candy, I'd say that was
a pretty lame excuse.

It's about as good as yours.

All right, let's go.

I didn't count on this
kind of trouble, Emmett.

What kind of trouble did
you count on, Mr. Polk?

You know what I mean.

Those miners out there. This sort of
thing could lead to an investigation.

You take care of your inspection
reports. I'll worry about the miners.

I don't know, Emmett.

It's a little late to grow
a conscience, Mr. Polk.

However...

- You know I need the money.
- You always do.

What does Mary need this time?

- You leave my wife out of this, Emmett.
- [CHUCKLES]

- Mr. Hudson.
- What is it?

Oh, that's all right.

There's some miners
gathering in front of the store.

- Did you put a guard on the door?
- Two of them.

Those miners are getting
pretty desperate, Emmett.

Not desperate, hungry.

They'll start eating again as
soon as they go back to work.

If they try to break into
the store, stop them.

I told you I didn't like it.
Shoot one of those miners,

and you'll have a dozen United
States marshals in Angelus.

And I told you, stick to your inspection
reports. I'll take care of the rest.

[DOOR CLOSES]

You should be home in bed.

I feel worse in bed.

Come in. Let me get
you some cake, hm?

- No. No, cake.
- Then I'll get you some coffee.

Anna told me about the baby.

Who will take care of
you? How will you live?

I'll manage.

There is no work for women here.

And I... I cannot help.

You mustn't worry about me.

I was thinking about
you and Joe Cartwright.

He's a rich man, Stephanie, and he feels
responsible for what happened to Steve.

If you wanted...

you could...

It was a bad thing to say.

I'm sorry.

Please go.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Hey, Joe, you go do what you
gotta do. I'm gonna be in the bar.

- Well, stay out of trouble.
- Peaceful as a lamb.

Whoa.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Come in.

I didn't expect to see
you back in Angelus again.

- Thad told me that you were leaving.
- I am tomorrow.

Why did you come back?

I thought maybe I could help.

Stephanie, we were friends.

I told you what happened
to Steve wasn't your fault.

Now, what more do you want?

I want you to believe it.

All right, I believe it.

Now, if you're so anxious to help,
why don't you help the miners?

They need it more than I do.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[GUN COCKS]

I thought I told you
to stay out of town.

I decided to come back.

Put that gun away.

[GUNSHOT]

You want to try a man with two
good hands, you go right ahead.

No need.

I made my point.

Give me the gun.

[CANDY GROANS]

- You got anything new broken?
- No, I don't think so.

Anyway, I know where to
find the doctor if I need him.

Can you make it to
the hotel by yourself?

Yeah, I'm all right.
Where are you going?

To a meeting. Go over
there and get some rest.

Yeah, thanks.

Yeah, well, you're old men.

Old men!

That's what you are.

You're tired old men, willing
to sell the rest of us out.

What happened to you, Thad?

You were with Steve
when we walked out.

You told us we'd win.

How many mouths do
you have to feed, Kabe?

Steve is dead.

We can't hold out anymore.

- What else can we do?
- You know!

You know what we can do.

Blow up the mine.

What good will that do?

[DOOR OPENS]

- Who asked you in here?
- I did. He wants to help.

Yes, sure he does.

Ben Cartwright's little boy come
all the way back to Angelus to help.

What's the matter, Cartwright,
you miss a meal tonight?

Your old man turn you
out of your nice soft bed?

- THAD: Kabe!
- What's he doing here?

He don't care nothing about us.
His old man owns half the territory.

Father owns a piece of
this mine, too, don't he?

Yeah, maybe Ben
Cartwright sent you.

It's your father's money
you're interested in, ain't it?

THAD: Kabe, that's enough!

You said you could help. How?

All right, first of all, you're
sure the mine isn't safe?

I'm sure.

Well, I read a report from the Federal
Bureau of Mines saying otherwise.

Well, why don't you go down in
one of them tunnels and find out?

- That's exactly what I intend to do.
- Sure he'll go.

Then we'll get ourselves
another fake report.

Go ahead, Cartwright.

I just hope you're down there
when all of D-level comes down.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Kabe, the dynamite.

- Where is it?
- In the mine.

Ready to blow it apart.

It may seem that way
to you, Mr. Cartwright,

but I'd say you've been
talking to the wrong people.

- We've been talking to the miners.
- That's exactly what I mean.

They've filled you
with a lot of lies.

Mr. Polk here is a qualified
inspector from the Bureau of Mines.

He completed the report your
friend is reading just this morning.

Safest mine in the
world, according to this.

In that case, you can't object
if we have a look around.

The mine is closed,
Mr. Cartwright, because of the strike.

I can't take you down there.

You either show it to me today or show
it to my father tomorrow, that's up to you.

Well, since you put it that way,

and since your
father is a stockholder.

- Mr. Garrett.
- What do we need the sheriff for?

These are troubled times
in Angelus, Mr. Cartwright.

We wouldn't want
you to get hurt.

GARRETT: Let's go.

[CRASH, CLATTERING]

[COUGHING]

That needn't concern
us, Mr. Cartwright.

If you were a miner, you'd know things
are always moving about underground.

It's something to do
with the Earth tides.

That timbering you're looking at, that's
some of the oldest in the whole mine.

[CRASH, CLATTERING]

Little water up here.
Watch your step.

Wet and dark. All the
rest of it's just the same.

[TIMBERS CREAKING]

One of your miner
friends, Mr. Cartwright,

was about to set
off that dynamite

and bring the whole
mountain down and kill us all.

Because he knew what I just found
out. Every timber in this mine is rotten.

[TIMBERS CREAKING]

We owe this one a vote of thanks.
He just solved all our problems.

[TIMBERS CREAKING]

[GUN COCKS]

Stay right where you are.

- What do we do now?
- We blow up the mine.

- With us in it?
- That's right.

It's your own fault, you know.

If you'd just read the report and let it
go at that you wouldn't be here now.

So, you grab all you can and you
blow up the mine, destroy the evidence?

And they'll blame
it all on the miners.

They've been threatening to
blow up this place for weeks.

And what'll you tell
them when they find us?

They're not going to find you.

Unless they want to
move a million tons of rock.

That's why we hauled you a
half mile further into the tunnel.

[SQUEAKING, TRUNDLING]

- HUDSON: Did you find some rope?
- Got some fuse.

Hands behind you.

Let's go.

It'll be nice to have a
Cartwright staying in Angelus.

We need plenty of fuse.

So we'll be sitting safe a
mile off when the blast goes off.

Right, light it.

HUDSON: All right, let's go.

Candy.

[GROANS]

Oh. Here.

Foggy, but here.

Kabe?

[TIMBERS CREAKING]

Hey.

[GROANS]

No, he's still out.

- They're going to blow up the mine.
- Well, let's get outta here!

- You got any matches?
- Matches? Why?

They tied us up with fuse.

Yeah, yeah. I think
there's some in my vest.

- Where is it?
- This vest right here. Can you see it?

You get it?

Got it.

- Strike it on the car.
- Stretch your hands.

KABE: It's too high.

Too high. This
way, this way a little.

You're back with us, huh?

Little bit this way.

That's it. Hold it.
Hold it right there.

- Is it going?
- Yeah.

Quick!

- Can you get it?
- Yeah, I've got it. Get his hands.

JOE: Come on, hurry.
We've got a half a mile to go.

The brakes.

Come on.

[INDISTINCT]

Mr. Cartwright! It's always a pleasure
to have one of our stockholders...

- Where's my son, Joseph?
- I don't know exactly.

I believe he went into the
mine to make an inspection.

Did he? Well, then, we'll
make an inspection, too, now!

Yes. Yes, of course.

Garrett.

We've been having a lot of trouble with
the miners here, lately, Mr. Cartwright.

Almost anything can
happen here these days.

[EXPLOSION]

- Is Joe in there?
- I tried to stop him.

Get a lot of men.

Pa, stop them! They're the
ones that set off the blast!

[GUNSHOT]

He's hurt, but not so serious
that he can't stand trial.

That goes for you,
too. Let's get him up.

- Thad said you wanted to see me.
- Your father's a good man, Joe.

Extending credit to the miners
until they can work the mine again.

They'll be back
to work real soon.

But that's not why I
wanted to see you.

I want you to forgive me.

I was so frightened,
and all alone.

- I just had to blame someone.
- I understand.

I'll be staying with
Steve's folks in St. Louis,

so maybe you'd come
visit me sometime.

Maybe you'd even be a
godfather to Steve's baby.

I know Steve would
have liked that.

So would I.

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

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