Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 9, Episode 5 - Night of Reckoning - full transcript

Donnie Buckler has been shot getting away from a holdup. He buries a portion and then is found by Little Joe. They go to the Ponderosa and fetch the doc but by the time he arrives the Cartwrights have been seized by the rest of the gang. When Donnie doesn't give up the loot's location, the boss decides to use some different leverage - an old girlfriend he hadn't seen in about a year.

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Well, take care of things, boys.

- We'll do it.
- Good, Pa.

I'll be back in about ten days,

unless McCall has to have an
answer on that timber from back east.

Yeah, well, don't rush. Take it
easy. We'll take care of the place.

And, fellas, Harriet Guthrie
is doing us a real big favor

taking over from Hop Sing while he's
visiting his cousin, so be nice to her.

Pa, we will. You just enjoy
yourself in San Francisco.

Oh, listen, I almost forgot.
What about the line shacks?

They gotta be ready
for the spring roundup.



Well, Pa, I'm gonna ride out there
as soon as you manage to leave.

Good.

I got an idea, Pa, that
when you get back here,

the Ponderosa is
still gonna be here.

Well, what are you waiting for?

That stage isn't gonna
be waiting for me all day.

- Have a good trip.
- Bye.

Take it easy, Pa.

Hey, Hoss! Candy! Anybody here?

Hey, come here. Give me a hand.

- He's hurt bad.
- Who is he?

Kid's name's Buckler. Used to
work for us three or four years ago.

I found him at line
shack number four.

Go into town. Get the
sheriff and the doctor.



Yeah.

Me and a couple of others...

tried to hold up the... Wells
Fargo office at Red Hill.

Got jumped by a couple of
guards coming in the back door.

Just did get away.

We didn't get a red cent.

Serves you right.

The reason I'm here,

you Cartwrights always treated
me fair when I worked for you.

I figured you'd
get me some help.

I was gonna make one big
haul and come on back for Kelly.

Kelly?

That'd be Kelly Linkrum,
Bob Linkrum's daughter.

She used to be
your girl, didn't she?

Still is.

Hey, think you can hold
something on your stomach?

Thanks. I'll try.

Mrs. Guthrie.

Can we have some hot soup?

- It's on the stove.
- Thank you.

Try to get some
rest now, Buckler.

I'll get it.

Back up.

Lookee here, boys. There's
our good old buddy, Buckler.

You know, he don't look any
too happy to see his old friends.

How much you say this
one here costs, Carew?

Hey, mighty fancy.

- Hundred maybe, huh?
- Hundred?

Your ignorance is showing,
Carew. That's chicken feed.

I bet you it's closer to
five, maybe six hundred.

What do you say here, big
fella? About six hundred?

Hey, I was talking
to you, big fella.

Untie my hands for five
minutes and you can have it.

You hear what he said, Carew?
He said I can have the rifle.

Look, Fat Mouth, I've
already got the rifle.

Oh, this big fella, he's... he's mad
enough to tear me apart, isn't he?

I'd be seven kinds of fool to
untie him right now, wouldn't I?

Then what about me?

Five minutes.

Oh, we got ourselves a couple
of rough ones for sure, don't we?

- Hey, Rusher.
- Huh?

You go get all the horses, put
'em in the barn, you feed 'em.

Now, why me? That's...
That's Webster's job.

Yeah, but I told you to do it.

Webster, he's out in the
kitchen watching the cook.

Now, get going.

Cook.

Now, I'm gonna say something to
you just once, so you both listen good.

I'm not playing any games here.

But even if I was, we'd be
playing according to my rules.

Now, you two be real
good, I might let you live.

I might not. Remember, we're
playing according to my rules.

That's all the knives.

You got any orders for the cook?

Well, first off, lady,
what's your name?

Oh, you're not gonna tell me.

Well, we'll just have
to give you a name.

We're gonna call you... Ugly.

Now, we want coffee, Ugly,
sandwiches, Ugly, and plenty of both.

If you think for one minute

I'm gonna cook and carry and
fetch for thieves and scum...

You were saying?

I'll do what I have to do.

But my name is Harriet Guthrie.

Coffee and sandwiches.

You're tough...

when people can't
defend themselves,

ain't you, Dibbs, or
whatever your name is?

You know, I hate a fat
mouth worse than anything.

Even snakes. I really do.

I ought to shoot you right now.

Hold it!

- Shoot 'em?
- No! No, shooting's way too quick.

You let me think
of something slow.

Now, you sit down in that chair.

All right, now, you, hero, on your
feet. Move on down that fireplace.

I don't want you too close
to Fat Mouth here. Go on.

All right, hold it. That's
far enough. Now, sit down.

Now, Carew, I seen a window
upstairs when we rode in.

Get on up there.
Keep a good look out.

When Rusher gets back,
I'll have him spell you.

Yeah, but what about...

You're not gonna argue
with me too, are you?

No, but what about them two?

Them two here is my
own special pets, Carew.

I like them so much, I'm not gonna
leave them for anything. Now, go on.

All right, Donnie boy.

Now let's you and me
get right down to it, hmm?

Would you leave him alone?

Can't you see he's hurt bad?

Oh, I know he is. Can't
you see how I'm crying?

All right, Buckler.
Now, where is it?

You were up to 60,000 dollars
when the shooting started.

Now, it ain't on you.
It ain't on your horse.

Now, where did you hide it?

- I ain't got it.
- Well, then, where is it?

I threw it away when
I rode out of town.

Hmm.

Now, if I was to tear
this rag off of you,

you'd probably scream
out real loud, wouldn't you?

It just might kill him too.
Then where would you be?

Yeah, I already
thought of that myself.

There's two riders coming.

Two riders out front.

- Hey, Dibbs.
- Yeah, I know. They see you?

No. I was already on the
porch when I heard 'em.

- What about the horses?
- They're all inside.

Rusher, get upstairs. Cover
the front. Be ready if I call you.

Webster, get that
woman back in the kitchen.

Got you. One sniff out
of you, it'll be your last.

Now, you two heroes,

Carew here is gonna be
standing right by the front door.

Now, one sound, just one
sound, you're both gonna get it.

Got the doctor.

What the...?

Shut up, sonny.

- Buckler's boy?
- No, sonny.

He's one of mine.

Webster, get some
more rawhide thongs...

Now, you, go on, sit back down there
before I put you down with a bullet.

You handle yourself
pretty good, sonny.

Better get you tied up while
Carew here's still in one piece.

Webster, you get
his guns. Tie him up.

Webster, get on out in the kitchen.
Tell that cook to hurry up with the grub.

- How bad is he, Doc?
- Bad enough.

This bullet should come
out and come out soon.

And I'm not gonna operate here.

You should have brought
him to my office in Virginia City.

Oh, I would have,
Doc, yes, I really would,

but we had... we got real busy.

Now, just a minute.
I'm not through yet.

Yes, you are, Doc.

My friend and I, we
gotta talk right now.

All right, Buckler, you tell
me where the money is,

I'm gonna cut you
in for half a share.

It comes out of
yours, Dibbs, not mine.

Shut up.

All right, Buckler, where is it?

You know where
you can go, Dibbs.

Where's the sheriff? I thought
you were gonna get him.

He was out of town...

- He's on his way.
- The sheriff?

Sonny boy there was supposed
to go and get the sheriff?

No, you're lying.

No. Buckler wanted
to turn himself in.

Oh, yeah?

Now, why would he
wanna do a thing like that?

He's reforming, Dibbs.

Oh, no, no, no, not old Buckler.

No, we been on too many
jobs together for him to do that.

Now, you know
how I got it figured?

He's hurting real bad,

he knows we're after him,
so he hides the money.

Then he gives these
folks here a sad story

about how he's seen the
error of his ways and all.

Now, why would
a man do all that?

He knows he can't
get away from us.

He knows that if he gives himself
up, if he turns state's evidence,

the most time that he's gonna
get is... is three or four years.

Now, a man can do that kind
of time just standing on one foot.

Yeah. And when
he gets paroled...

There is that nice 60,000
dollars stashed away,

just waiting to be picked up.

Now, isn't that right,
Buckler, old buddy, huh?

It don't make any
difference, not now.

Oh, really? You heard what the
man said, the sheriff's on his way.

No.

Sonny there was
right the very first time.

The sheriff is out of town.

Leastways, that's the
way that I'm playing it.

Hey, Dibbs, somebody
else riding up.

Get back up to that window.

Somebody here wanna
tell me who this one is?

What about you, Fat Mouth?

I left my crystal ball outside.

I'll be happy to
go out and check.

Rusher.

He seen me, Dibbs.
He was going for his gun.

No, we got no use
for your services, Doc,

that is not unless
you're an undertaker too.

Carew, you go on outside,
drag that body in the barn.

Well, well, if looks
could kill, huh?

Which one of you wants
to be the first dead hero?

You never said nothing about
not shooting if somebody seen me.

I didn't say nothing
about not sending up flares

to tell everybody
we was here either.

You ought to kill him.

Shot like that'll bring every hand
on the Ponderosa riding down on us.

No, if anybody had been close enough
to hear it, they'd have been here by now.

That's lucky for you.

'Cause if anybody had have rode
in here, I'd have shot you dead.

Now, get your gun.
Get upstairs. Come on!

Now, I'm right
inside your heads.

I'm reading every
thought you got.

You wanna get me
for that fella outside.

You got no guns.
Your hands are tied.

There's four of
us for three of you,

but you're still figuring and
you're hoping and you're itchy.

You read us pretty good, Dibbs.

Webster, get that
cook lady in the kitchen.

I want that food. I
want it right now.

We're not gonna have to get you,
Dibbs. Your stupidity'll do that for us.

It's getting dark. A lot of people
know the doctor's out here.

They're gonna start
wondering why he's not back.

Yeah, 'cause
whoever heard of a doc

staying out after dark
with a sick man, huh?

And what about the sheriff?

How do you know Candy there didn't
leave a message for one of his deputies?

Oh, he did.

Now, lookee here, Donnie boy.

You're carrying a
bullet in your shoulder.

Now, if it don't come out, all we're
gonna lose is a couple of hours.

But you're gonna lose it all. You're
gonna lose everything you got.

Yeah... you're wasting
your breath, Dibbs.

I ain't worth
nothing to you dead.

- You want that money.
- And I'm gonna get it too.

Maybe we shoot you.
Maybe we find it without you.

How you gonna do that?

Well, Webster's a scout.
He could backtrack your trail.

Even if he was, there
ain't enough time.

There's still a posse
out looking for you.

Yeah, I ain't forgot that.

All the way round in back.

Even found some old
sacks to throw over him.

Now, look, Buckler, now, what made
you think you could get away with it, huh?

I mean, what'd you even try for?

10,000 or 12,000 dollars,
that... that wasn't enough for you?

Well, it sure took
you long enough.

- Hey, Rusher!
- What do you want?

I want you. Get down
here on the double.

Remember that fight you
had last year with Buckler?

It was over a woman, wasn't it?

He was carrying
a picture of a girl,

and I laughed and asked him what
saloon she worked in, and he hit me.

I was right!

You still carry her
picture, don't you, Buckler?

None of your business.

What's it say?

It says, "Mr. Donald Buckler,

care of the Rivers Hotel,
Fort Lyons, Wyoming."

We ain't been
there in over a year.

You mean he's still carrying
that letter around with him?

Well, here's the return address.

"Miss Kelly Linkrum...

Ponderosa Ranch,
Nevada Territory."

Linkrum.

Sure.

That's the name of the girl that
Donnie said was waiting for him

in... in Nevada.

You know, when he hit it big, he
was gonna go back for her, remember?

Well, he did hit it
big, didn't he, huh?

60,000 dollars of our money.

And she's right here
in the Ponderosa ranch.

What'd you do, Buckler, hide
that money in her house, huh?

Hey, Dibbs.

Let me at him.
I'll make him talk.

No, no. The girl'll do it.

Now, I don't suppose either one of you
are gonna tell me where the girl lives?

Now, sonny boy there, all
he cares about is getting loose

so he can try to be a hero.

But the cook lady there...

she don't wanna be
no hero, now, do you?

- Let her alone, Dibbs.
- You bet.

Now, you like these Cartwrights
and that sonny fella, don't you?

You wouldn't want anything to
happen to them, now, would you?

You wouldn't dare
do anything to them.

I won't if you give us a hand.

Do you know where this
Kelly Linkrum lives, huh?

Yes, you know where she lives.

You're gonna bring her here.

You're not gonna let her
out of here alone, are you?

She'll go for help.

She won't go anywhere
she's not supposed to.

She's not back here in
half an hour with the girl,

there's gonna be a lot of
sudden fatalities around here.

Now, if you got your feet set against
going, you're gonna be number one.

I think he means it, Mrs.
Guthrie. Better do what he says.

- I'll get my bonnet.
- Mm-hm.

Webster, you go on with
her. Stay outside, just in case.

All right, back
upstairs, Rusher.

Oh, it's dark.
Nobody's gonna come.

You go back upstairs.

Now, hold it.
Remember, half an hour.

- They can't make it in half an hour.
- Well, how long?

45 minutes in daylight.
At least an hour now.

All right, one hour.

That's five minutes of eight.
That's five minutes of nine.

But if you're not back in time,

there's gonna be an awful lot of
empty chairs around the breakfast table.

You just keep that in
mind, huh? Come on.

You know something, Donnie boy?

I'm real anxious to
see your girlfriend.

I bet we get along just fine.

25 minutes to go.

That man's in pain.

Well, that's the
wages of sin, Doc.

That man there, he
robbed a Wells Fargo office.

That's against the law.

I should have a
look at that wound.

Well, you go right ahead, Doc.
Nobody here's gonna stop you.

A whole plate of sandwiches
and I got only one. I'm starving.

You wait till the
cook gets back.

Yeah, if she gets back.

What do you mean, if?

Mrs. Guthrie knows this country better
than you know the inside of your hat.

She could give Webster
the slip with no trouble at all.

Be a bad piece of
luck for you if she does.

That'd mean you only
got 23 minutes to live.

He's getting worse,
ain't he, Doc?

Yeah, and he'll continue to
unless that bullet's removed.

- Not that you care.
- Oh, but I do care, Doc.

You see, I can't have him die until
I find out where he hid the money.

He is gonna die, though, ain't he, Doc,
if that bullet don't come out of there?

Yeah.

And you can tell about
how much time he's got left?

Course I can tell.

- 20 minutes.
- Hey, somebody coming!

It's them.

No, it can't be. Not this soon.

Maybe it's another deputy,
or the sheriff himself.

There's a back way out, Dibbs.
You better take it while you can.

Just one rider.

All right, on your feet.
Come on, on your feet!

Find out who it is.

- Who is it?
- It's me, Polson.

It's just one of our hands.

All right, I'll open the
door. You talk to him.

It's up to you whether he
rides away or gets carried away.

Just you.

Evening, Joe.
Sorry to bother you.

But we're gonna need fence
posts first thing in the morning.

We'll start at the mill. You come all
the way out here to bother me with that?

- Well, I have to know, so the hands...
- All right, fine, now you know!

Don't come around here
asking me stupid questions.

I ought to shoot you right now.

Don't you think I know what you
were doing yelling at that cowboy?

You better hope he's too dumb
to figure out something was wrong.

Now, get over there.

13 minutes.

Any sign of them, Rusher?

No, no sign.

Now, wait a minute.
Anything could have happened.

Maybe no one's home at
the girl's house. Maybe...

Maybe they went on a moonlight
hayride. What about that, Doc?

- But to shoot innocent people...
- Save your breath, Doc.

Dibbs is the kind of man
that shoots people in the back.

Or ties 'em up and
then shoots 'em.

Just for that, you're
gonna be first, sonny.

Dibbs, horses.

It's them.

It's me, Dibbs.

Oh, we did get back in time.

Buckler, this here's your
girlfriend, huh? She's not bad.

She's not bad at all.

Donnie, it's you.

- Kelly.
- What happened to you?

Hoss, Joe, who are these men?

I came out with Harriet 'cause,
well, she said I should come and...

Well, what's going on? What's
Donnie Buckler doing here?

Don't you know, Kelly?

Weren't you expecting
him to come for you?

Well, no, I sure wasn't.

Why, I hadn't even got a
letter from him in over a year.

I didn't even know where he was.

Donnie, how'd you get hurt?

Kelly, Kelly...

Now, you're doing real fine, miss,
but you're just wasting your breath.

You knew he was coming back
here. You were waiting for him.

- That's why we sent for you.
- You leave her out of this, Dibbs.

You let her alone.

You see, Donnie boy here, he
won't tell us where he hid the money.

He's real close-mouthed.

But I figure that he's gonna open
it up real wide when you tell him to.

Tell him...? I don't know
anything about any money.

She's telling the truth, Dibbs.

Sure she is. Everybody
here is telling the truth.

Webster, get over
here. Tie her up.

Carew, get one of those kitchen
knives, the sharpest one they got.

It's a funny thing about pain.

See, some can take a lot.

Others, they just...
they cave right on in.

Now, you take me,
I can't stand pain.

Mm-mm.

It's gonna be very interesting
to see how she holds up.

Women are usually a lot
braver than the men, though,

when you come right down to it.

Did you ever see a woman
that was scalped by the Indians?

Did you?

The ones that come out of it,

they wear a handkerchief
over their heads to cover it up.

Now, I wonder how one of
them would cover up knife scars...

all over her face.

Don't touch me.

Now, the rest of it, it's
all up to you, Donnie boy.

You just say the word.

Is she worth 60,000
dollars to you?

Nice pretty girl like this, you
don't want me to cut her up.

You won't have the money, but
you'll still have a nice happy marriage.

You just tell me where you
hid that money, Donnie boy.

That's all you have to do.

Donnie, tell him
he's got it all wrong.

We never said anything
about getting married.

We were friends, but, well,
that was a long time ago.

- Are you lying to me?
- No.

Donnie'll tell
you. It's the truth.

I'm sorry you're hurt,
Donnie, but tell him, please.

I never said I'd wait for you and
I never promised to marry you.

Please tell him.

You tell me.

We were never anything
more than friends, honest.

My pa said he was too wild,
didn't want him coming round.

I am gonna be married but
not to him. To Harmon Thomas.

We go to all that
trouble for nothing?

What do we do now, Dibbs?

You heard her. There's nothing
between her and Buckler. Let her go.

You shut up!

She's right, Dibbs.

I didn't know about Thomas.

But everything else is true.

Me and Harmon, well, it's
been almost a year now.

This ain't over yet,
not by a long shot.

Maybe he ain't gonna marry her, but
he don't wanna see her cut up either.

This ain't nothing new to me.

Did I ever tell you about
Cynthia, Donnie boy, huh?

I kissed her goodbye when I
was 19 and I rode off to war.

I was gonna marry her the
very first day that I got back.

11 years ago was
the last time I saw her.

She's probably got herself
six kids, full of gray hair by now.

But I still like to remember
her just like she was.

And that's the way you'd like to think
of this little lady, huh, Donnie boy?

That's why you carry her picture
and her letter around in your pocket.

Isn't that right, Buckler?
Isn't that right, Buckler?

Forget it, Dibbs.

I made a mistake.

You heard her.

Cut her.

Let her go. It's...
It's all one to me.

Think I'm lying, don't you?

Give me the letter
and... and the picture.

Oh, Buckler, you're no good.

You're no good to
nobody, not even yourself.

You got a chance to do
something right for a change.

What good is it gonna do you
if this girl there gets... gets hurt,

or maybe even killed, huh?

You ain't got her. Mister,
you ain't ever gonna have her.

But if you do the right thing,
she'll never forget you for it,

and deep down inside she'll
always have a good feeling for you.

Oh, you talk good enough
to be a preacher, Dibbs.

Now, Buckler, you got a
chance to get out from under,

pay off everything and
have some left for yourself.

You leave her alone, hear?

You keep her quiet,
Carew, any way you have to.

Donnie. Donnie, please.

Donnie. Donnie, please.

Donnie.

Donnie.

Donnie, please.

Stop it!

You win, Dibbs.

Leave her alone.

I'll be glad to. Now,
where's the money?

I go with you... and we split.

That's all right with me.
Carew, go saddle the horses.

No. I can't find that
place in the dark.

Gotta rest. Gotta get stronger
before I can sit on a horse.

You wouldn't want me keeling
over before I showed you

where the money's hid,
now, would you, Dibbs?

First light, then.

Dibbs, I think you better
think about that again.

He ain't getting no stronger,

and if that bullet don't come out,
he ain't gonna make it to first light.

Why don't you keep
out of this, Fat Mouth?

Why don't you ask the doc?

What about it, Doc?

He's telling you the truth.

You take that bullet out,
can he ride come daylight?

- Wouldn't be wise.
- I don't care if it's wise or not.

Can he do it?

- I expect so.
- Then you're gonna operate, Doc.

You're gonna
operate here and now.

No table. No decent light. Only
a few instruments. How can I?

Doc. The man's life's at stake.

As a doctor, I'm obligated
to save his life if I can,

so you can take
him out and kill him.

All right. I'll need
some lamps and water.

Webster, take the lady out in
the kitchen, get some water.

Mrs. Guthrie. Get
hot water, boiling hot.

I've helped with more
operations than you have.

I need lamps, I said.

Carew, get upstairs,
find some lamps.

Out of my way, please.
I'll need some room here.

Go ahead, try it.

Any one of you.

Now, go on, Fat Mouth,
back in your chair.

Come on.

- Hey, d'you need any help?
- Told you to get those lamps.

- But I thought...
- Don't think. Just get 'em.

Rusher, get on down here.
Get him back in the chair.

Webster, where's that water?

Joe, the stairs!

Slap me, will ya?

Well, I got some
oil in the kitchen.

It'll help a little.
I'll get it for you.

And then, if nobody minds,

I think I'll just sit
down for a while.

That might be a good
idea, Mrs. Guthrie.

Come on, Dibbs.

If someone will get me
some more boiling water,

I'll get on with the operation.

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