The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 5, Episode 13 - The Last Mustang - full transcript

The mustang, symbol of wild
courage and independence,

is still with us on
Walton's Mountain.

Drink it in.

You won't see sights
like that, one day soon.

I have not taken
advantage of anybody

because I have not been on
anybody's side. Let's get that straight.

If you print this, you are
going to lose the election

for a very good man.

Well, I think Ep Bridges
is a very good man.

They got a mustang.
They caught it.

According to my grandfather,



legendary creatures once lived and
some still existed on Walton's Mountain.

There were tales of a bear so
huge he had no fear of anything,

a snake as big
as a railroad tie,

and a mythical white deer

which could be spotted at the edge
of the wood on a snowy evening.

One creature we
thought was legendary

we went searching
for one day and found.

There.

Come here.

It's hard to believe, isn't it?

I'm sure that's a wild mustang.

I can't see making much
fuss over a wild horse.

Jim-Bob, a mustang
is a breed all its own.

You don't see too many
of them around here.



You are looking at a part
of history, James Robert.

That's a descendant of the Spanish horses
that Cortez brought to this continent.

There weren't any horses
here when the Spaniards came.

The Indians learned
how to ride them,

the settlers learned
how to use them.

They helped make this country.

I didn't know there
was any more left.

Not even out west. It's rare.

During the war
between the states,

some of the cavalry
units from the Southwest

came up here with
some of these horses

and they cut loose, run
wild up in these mountains.

Just like this.

This one must be
the last of his breed.

Well, look who we got here.

That's Ep. Ep.

What on earth brings
you here to these parts?

Oh, just stopping
by for a visit.

I've been trying to call
you all over the place.

You've been out shaking
hands and kissing babies.

Well, I guess I am
campaigning a little. Yes.

No need to do that
in this house, Ep.

No need.

You've been wearing
the county's badge so long

that you're a shoe-in.

Well, thank you
for the kind words,

but this time there's
a new wrinkle.

That Glen Oldfield
is real competition.

You think so, huh?

Oldfield.

Been educated up north.
Nothing but a carpetbagger.

He's learned how to charm
the fleas off a hound dog.

Well, I... I wouldn't care to
admit it outside this company,

but the man does
have personality.

He's yummy.

There, you see?

I'm already in trouble
with the ladies' vote.

Yeah, well, not where this
lady's concerned, you're not.

Thank you, Esther.

Sheriff, I could
use an interview.

You wanna step into
my office for a minute?

Why, sure thing.

John-Boy, let the man
have his lemonade.

We got business to do here...

Let him have his
lemonade. Go on.

I hope you can drink
and talk at the same time.

I can do anything. We'll see
you all later. Come on, Sheriff.

You want some? No, thanks, Ma.

I'll have a cookie.

"The mustang,

"thought to have
vanished long ago,

"is the ghost of those who
opened up this continent.

"The mustang,

"symbol of wild courage
and independence,

"is still with us on
Walton's Mountain,

"the last of its kind."

That's very well said, John-Boy.

Thank you, Grandpa. I
was just using your words.

Oh, you put a few of
your own words in there.

It's a nice piece of writing, Son.
- Thank you.

Takes more than just
putting down words.

It's the understanding, the
good that's in behind that.

Oh, dear, things
change so fast nowadays.

Here, look at your...
your headline here.

"Candidates for sheriff."

There's Ep Bridges, one
of the last of his breed.

Old Sheriff Ep Bridges
is the kind of man,

there's a dispute
about a property line,

he'd walk over to 'em and say,

"Don't make the lawyers rich.
Just use your common sense."

Run across a man
coming home a little drunk,

why, he'd walk him away, maybe
give him a new, clean white shirt

so he could go home to
his family with some dignity.

Ah, these new young fellas,

they wouldn't do things
like that nowadays.

I wouldn't sell Ep
Bridges short, Grandpa.

He's got a lot of
friends around here.

Yeah, people
know what he's like.

Raising those two boys all
on his own after Luella died.

Being Mama and Papa and Sheriff.

I don't think any
outsider can beat him.

I don't understand
what Glen Oldfield

is doing here in
Jefferson County.

Why did he leave a good law
practice in the city to come here?

Yeah. What's all this
about little people?

When I hear that kind of talk,

something tells me to watch out.

Well, maybe you ought to
throw your own hat in the ring.

Nobody'd dare run against her.

Well, if women said what was on their
mind more often, things would be better.

You ought to put some of
the things your grandparents

have been saying in
your article, John-Boy.

Mama, I wasn't
writing an editorial.

I was putting down the statements of
these two men using their own words.

Well, it just seems that
Glen Oldfield comes across

kind of impressive.

Well, he is impressive.

And Ep Bridges comes across
as kind of plain. He is that.

Well, Son, maybe what
your ma is trying to say is

if you could find a way to perk
up Ep's speeches, you know,

and tone down Oldfield's
we might have a race here.

Well, just to be fair to Ep.

He's always been
nice and helpful to us.

You know what
you're asking me to do?

You're asking me
to slant the news.

I can't slant the news, Mama.

Oh, it was just a thought.

That's Glen Oldfield.

Oh, it is.

Hello, John.

Well, certainly a
pleasure to see you again.

Came to thank you for
the article in your paper.

Well, it's not really necessary.

I did the same
thing for Ep Bridges.

You remember my
aide, Arlo Jessup?

Yes. Pleasure to meet you.

How are you? I'll tell
you the honest truth, John.

I had expected to find your
paper favoring Ep Bridges.

Guess I stayed
in the city too long.

It's good to be home.

Well, that's good to
hear. This is my family.

This is my mother
and my grandmother.

Nice to meet you,
Mr. Oldfield. Ma'am.

This is my father here
and my grandfather.

My three brothers,
Jim-Bob, Jason and Ben.

And my sisters Mary Ellen
and Erin and Elizabeth.

There's a whole pack of us.

Well, I hope in time we'll
all be on a first name basis.

But meanwhile, I'm
not gonna try to fake it.

Ma, maybe these gentlemen
could use some coffee.

Be ready in a minute.

That'd be most
welcome. Thank you.

I was told that you actually

printed your newspaper out here.

Oh, yes, that's true.

See that shed
over there, that's it.

That's The Chronicle.
I'd like to see it.

Sure, come on. I'll
show you around.

He really is something.

What do you think of him, Mama?

He'll sure enough
please the ladies.

Come on.

She's a real old-timer.

Chandler & Price from 1912.

- They call her The Snapper.
- Oh, why is that?

Well, to tell you the
truth, I don't know.

That's what the man
said when I bought her.

How old are you, John?

20.

Quite an accomplishment
for a young fellow.

Well, I'm still paying for it.

I'll be paying for
it for a long time.

I think Grandma's probably
got that coffee ready by now.

Just a minute.

The profile that John
printed up on you.

I think we ought to have
some run off as handouts.

Hmm.

Can't think of anyone
better to do the job.

Oh.

I don't mean as a
political contribution.

We'd pay you your regular fees.

Oh, no. That's not what I
mean. You don't understand.

I think Mr. Walton would be
uncomfortable working on our side.

Having known Ep
Bridges for so long.

No offense, we can certainly
have it done someplace else.

I don't know about it. I just...

We're not asking you to
campaign against Ep Bridges, John.

It's a simple business deal.

Just business?

Well, then...

I mean, looking at it from
the practical point of view,

it'd probably be stupid
just to turn down business.

Yeah, I'll do it for you. Sure.

All right.

Good evening, Son. Hi.

I don't think it's
fair, John-Boy.

Ep Bridges doesn't have
money for printing handouts.

Mama, I wish you wouldn't
jump on me about that.

It's a job. What difference
does it make who does it?

It makes a difference
to the Oldfield fellow.

We got a whole stack of mail.

Most of it is for you, John-Boy.

Letters or bills?
I didn't open 'em.

Big one's for you, Daddy.

Looks like a whole
month's worth all at once.

Well, they can't all be bills.

Can't all be bad news.

Well, wait a
minute. What is this?

This is good news. This
is an order for advertising.

This is an order for advertising

for Miller's
Bootery in Rockfish.

You know anyone out there?

No, I don't know anyone
over there. What is this one?

This is from Scottsville.

This is an order for advertising

from the Paulette Lumber
Company in Scottsville.

I can't believe it.

This is a wonder.

From Hastings Saw
Works, Richmond, Virginia.

Where have I heard
that name before?

You know what? You know where
you've heard that name before?

That is the name on the
desks down at the schoolhouse.

That's what that
is. That's right.

Hastings.

It's a contract

asking me to build
62 park benches.

From the specifications
here, it's an easy profit.

$2 a bench.

I never even bid on this job.

You didn't bid on it, how
come they sending you all that?

Don't you all know who
old man Hastings is?

He is the biggest
political wheel

in the whole of the
State of Virginia.

People we never even
heard of doing us these favors.

I can't believe they're doing
all this without some reason.

They are not, daughter.

You can be sure they are not.

Maybe Hastings
and the others heard

what good work we do up here

and decided to give us a try.

I don't think so, Jason.

More than likely
someone's put 'em up to it.

Look, if all this happened because
of the article in The Chronicle,

I'd say, "Yes, maybe
that's the truth."

But it come after the
article in The Chronicle.

I didn't do anything
to get those orders.

It's just the way they do it.

First they give you a favor,

then they give
you another favor,

and then they ask for one.

And you're beholden to 'em.

Well, I draw the line at that.

We've never been
beholden to anybody.

I'm not beholden to anybody.
I don't owe him anything.

John-Boy, if you
were a rich man,

would you be doing
favors for Glen Oldfield?

I'm not doing him any favors!

I just happen to
print advertising

and he happened to
send some my way.

Well, I'd send it back to him.

I'm not gonna do that, Grandma.

And neither am I.

Can you two do this
with a clear conscience?

As long as all they
want is park benches,

I can make park benches.

And we sure can use the money.

I expect they knew that.

In fact,

I think I'll go over to the forge
right now and order some strap iron

and rods and begin work.

I gotta be someplace.

Where are you going?

The Baldwin ladies
are giving a tea

for Glen Oldfield
and Ep Bridges,

and I gotta cover it for
The Chronicle. Excuse me.

Tea at the Baldwins?

Oh, sit down.

Mr. Ainsley.

You're a hard man to find, John.

What brings you out this way?

You do. Or at least
your article does.

I'm very anxious to find out
more about that mustang you saw.

Oh, the mustang.
Well, that's good to hear.

I'll tell you, I'm not the
one to talk to about that.

My grandpa's the one
you ought to talk to.

He knows about the animals
around here and everything.

Well, is he around here?

Sure. I'm on my way into town.

Let me call him, all right? And
you could talk to him about it.

Grandpa! Grandpa!

Grandpa's been telling us for
years about this wild mustang.

John-Boy, I'm glad
you waited for me.

Grandpa, this is
Professor Ainsley.

This is my grandpa, Zebulon
Walton. Hi, Mr. Walton.

You're the man I wanna see.

Professor Ainsley is a
naturalist over at Boatwright.

I was hoping to come out here
and get a look at that mustang.

How so?

Well, there's a great
scientific interest.

I was hoping eventually that we
could get him over to the college

and there, do a really
detailed study on him.

Professor, the Walton family has
always had a high regard for learning

and I am particularly
interested in animal husbandry.

And you, more than
anybody else, should know

that to take an animal
like that from the mountains

who lived up there
lonely and free,

bring him down to college,
he'll most surely die.

I think, Professor, we'd
best let him be. I'm sorry.

Well, I wish you'd
reconsider, Mr. Walton...

Grandpa, they got a mustang.

They caught it. ALL: What?

Carl Muntner in Rockfish.

He hired a whole bunch of guys
and they got him all penned up.

John-Boy... I'll take you there.

Ben, you ride
with the professor.

Okay, we'll see you there.

Yeah, I caught him over
there next to Green Creek.

Took six of us to lasso him and
haul him on that old truck of mine.

It was a regular Wild West show.

Where is he? Where is that man?

Let me at him.

I want that animal
returned to my land now.

Now take your hands off me, Zeb.

Who do you think you
are, coming around here,

telling me what to do?

That animal is my property,
if it belongs to anyone,

and I want him turned loose.

Who says it's yours?
You got a bill of sales?

He grew up on Walton's Mountain

and he was taken from there.

Well, that's where you're wrong.

I got him a long way
from Walton land,

down by Green Creek.

And you chased him off over
there. I want him back home.

I'm not talking to you, Zeb.

Hey, Mark, go
get Sheriff Bridges.

He'll settle this.

What are you planning to
do with him anyway, mister?

Well, you notice all them
people coming to see the horse?

Business is booming, John.

Not just in my store,
but the whole town.

Is that what you're
aiming to do?

Show him off just for business?

I got the idea from a filling
station I stopped at once.

Now this fella had a wild cat
and a bunch of monkeys in a cage.

You couldn't even go past
that place without stopping.

It was a gold mine!

What do you mean,
talking about monkeys?

This is a wild mustang.

I never had it so good, Zeb.

Now soon as he settles
down, I'll call the vet,

and I'll see that
he's all right.

You do that,

you pen that animal
up, that wild animal,

you come here in the morning,

you'll find him
laying there dead.

Mr. Walton's right.

That mustang stallion's
been running wild all his life.

He's gonna kill
himself tied up like that.

Ep. Ep, you gotta stop this.

That horse in there is gonna kill
himself if somebody doesn't get him out.

He's our horse taken
from our land, Ep.

Well, Zeb, I've
already looked into this.

And Carl here says that he caught
that animal down by Green Creek.

Well, he did so.

He run him off from
Walton's Mountain,

I'll wager that.

Well, it don't really matter
none where he caught him.

The point is you don't
have proof of ownership.

Now if you'd just tagged him in some
way to show that you laid claim to him,

I could back you up. But this
way, there's not a thing I can do.

It ain't right. It ain't right.

Well, what's right and what's the
law ain't always the same, you know.

I'll tell you one thing.

Any of this bunch as much as throws
a candy wrapper on the sidewalk,

I'm gonna start writing tickets.

Well, you just lost my vote, Ep.

And I got a bushel of relatives.

I can handle that.

But what I can't stomach is
what you're doing in there.

♪ Picture you upon my knee

♪ Just tea for
two and two for tea

♪ Just me for you

Oh, yes, uh, here's
the ones I like.

They're good.
Thank you very much.

They're good.
Mmm-hmm. They sure are.

♪ Nobody near us
to see us or hear us

♪ No friends or relations
or weekend vacations

♪ We won't have it known, dear

I hope you're having
a good time, Sheriff.

Oh, you're having a
real wing-dang-do here.

♪ Day will break
and you'll awake

♪ And start to bake a sugar cake

♪ For me to take
for all the boys to see

♪ We will have a family

♪ A boy for you, a girl for me

♪ Can't you see how
happy we would be? ♪

Oh, that's very good.

Do play another.

All right. WOMAN 2: Yes, please.

What a charming
and talented man.

He's so like Ashley Longworth.

Ashley would've made
a splendid politician.

He had such a way with people,

and of course, he was
just wonderfully handsome.

Yeah, so is this one.

Mary-Ellen.

Yes, ma'am?

Well, you are a married
lady now, don't you know?

Oh, I'm just looking.

How is that nice David Spencer?

Miss Emily, I
married Curt Willard.

Oh. Oh.

Well, they were both
doctors, weren't they?

Hello, John.

Hello.

Came off rather
well for Glen, I think.

Well, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, Mr. Jessup, I wanna
ask you about something.

I wanna ask you about
some advertising orders

and a... a mill
contract for my father.

Don't worry about that. It
was nothing. Phone call.

Well, it may be nothing to you,

but it stirred up some pretty
strong feelings at home.

Why should it?

Forgive me for saying this,

but are you sure there's
no strings attached?

Bye-bye. Thank you for coming.

John, why don't you follow us
on over to campaign headquarters.

There's a couple things
I'd like to talk over with you.

Goodbye. MISS EMILY:
So nice of you to come.

It was lovely having you here.

Well, ladies, we are
most certainly in your debt.

Oh, not at all. It's
been a lovely afternoon.

So informative.

I just hope I can
remember it all.

Oh, don't worry about that,
Miss Emily. I got it all right here,

and you can read
about it in The Chronicle.

You... You've
been very gracious.

And I can't say enough, really.

And for a politician,
now that's going some.

Enjoyed meeting you, Sheriff.

Now that's off the record.
For the record, he's a rascal.

Oh, well.

Bye-bye. Thanks very much.
Oh, you're very welcome.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

Goodbye. It was nice
to meet you. Miss Emily.

Goodbye, John-Boy.

John, I don't understand

what you're so concerned about.

That new business you got?

Of course it came from our
people. Now what's wrong with that?

I didn't say anything
was wrong with it.

I just said I wanted
to talk about it.

I'd be delighted to speak at the
chamber of commerce meeting.

Excuse me. Mr. Jessup.
I'll be right with you.

Mr. Jessup, the radio
announcements are finished.

Will you look at them? Yeah.

It's gonna be close.
Bridges is very popular.

We'll win but
we'll squeak it out.

I'll have to get to
that later. Thank you.

Come on in here. You're
really going all out, aren't you?

It's the only way to do it.

Sorry about that
madhouse out there, John.

It's all right. Have a chair.

Thank you, I'd
just as soon stand.

Please, sit down. Sit down.

All right.

Now about those
orders you've received.

Mmm-hmm.

The folks buying advertising
from you are Oldfield supporters

showing their appreciation.

The people who read your newspaper
shop in Rockfish and Scottsville,

don't they?

Yes.

So the advertising
pays for itself.

There's no harm there.

It's the same with
the mill contract.

Now somebody has to
build those park benches.

Mr. Hastings has the inside
track on government work like that,

and he just included
the Waltons in.

It just seems like there's a
little bit of favoritism involved.

Well, who are we supposed
to favor, John, our enemies?

No. No.

Now, I'm gonna
tell you honestly,

Glen is impressed with you.

Both of us feel you have
a very promising future.

Well, I appreciate that.

There's an old
saying in politics, John.

Go with the winner.

Glen Oldfield's a winner.

You go with us
and I promise you,

and in a very short time you
will be writing your own ticket.

For a young man with your
abilities, the sky's the limit.

I'm just not too sure about
what you mean when you say,

"Go with us."

Join the team, John.

This little job as sheriff is just
the first step for Glen Oldfield.

It's a foot in the door.

You know as well as I do
that he's not gonna stay here.

In eight months,

there is a seat opening
up in the state assembly.

Mr. Hastings is
grooming Glen for that job.

Within the year,

Glen Oldfield will be
a state assemblyman.

And you know what that means
for those of us on the team.

Yeah.

And, uh, what would
I do on the team?

Well, with your writing ability

and that little
newspaper of yours

you could do Glen a
lot of good in this county.

As he goes up the
ladder, you go with him.

Mr. Jessup, I don't think you know
very much about people around here.

People are people, John.
They're the same everywhere.

I think you could be
mistaken about that.

I don't think the people around
here are gonna take too kindly

to Glen Oldfield's
political ambitions.

I think if they feel
like they've been taken

advantage of, then
they'll resent that.

Well, we won't make
a point of talking it up.

There's no need to.
Well, I think there is.

You see, I think the
people have a right to know

if Glen Oldfield is not
planning to stay here as Sheriff.

They have a right to know if he's planning
to use the county as a stepping stone.

Now, wait just a minute, John.

Now this little conversation
we just had is off the record.

Oh, no, it's not.

I beg your pardon. You never said
anything about being off the record.

I have a right to print
material like this...

You have taken advantage of
me, John. You are on our side.

Now just wait a minute.

Let me tell you something.

I have not taken
advantage of anybody

because I have not been on
anybody's side. Let's get that straight.

If you print this, you are
going to lose the election

for a very good man.

Well, I think Ep Bridges
is a very good man.

Excuse me.

All right, now, wait,
wait, wait, John.

John,

let's be practical, all right?

No.

Now these are hard times, John.

Your father's just been given a
contract to build 60 park benches.

Now who knows? He
could end up with a contract

to build 60 benches every month.

On the other hand,
something could happen.

Hastings may have to cut back.

And there'd be
no contract at all.

Now,

it says in the Bible,
something to the effect about

what the good Lord giveth,
he can also take away.

I think that says it all
right there, doesn't it?

Think it over, son.

Ep, I hear you been
over to the ladies for tea.

I tell you, John, that was...

That was a real fancy affair.

And that Oldfield,
boy, he really...

He really had them
going in circles.

Yeah, he's a sweet
talker from way back.

I... I never could do that.

Never could. It's a gift, huh?

Yeah, but it takes more than pretty
words to keep the law in this county.

Yeah, but a lot of them
are gonna vote for him.

Maybe, uh... Maybe too many.

It's tough to know
how to fight him, isn't it?

Oh, it beats me.

You know, it's a funny thing

but I just never thought
about ever losing this job.

For 15 years, I
tried to do my best,

24 hours a day,
seven days a week.

I was delivering babies
or putting out fires,

chasing burglars,

pulling people out of the river.

Well, I know most of the people
around here by their first name.

But along comes a man

with a big smile
and a way with words

and folks just plain forget.

Not all of us forget, Ep.

Makes you think, John.

Makes you think.

I wonder what a 46-year-old
ex-sheriff could do for a living

in times like these.

I wish I could tell you.

John, you seen
that mustang? Why?

He broke out, busted his
halter, kicked the fence down.

He's a wild one.

Why don't you just
leave him that way, Carl?

I'm gonna break him in yet.

I'm gonna make a
saddle horse out of him.

You sure you didn't see him?

I'm afraid if I had,
I wouldn't tell you.

Good evening. Hey, John-Boy.

Where is everybody?

Bed. It's late.

Daddy, too, huh? Mmm-hmm.

As soon as he got that iron,

he set out to make
a lot of benches.

He's a day and a half
ahead of himself already.

Well, I guess it can wait till
morning. Huh? What's that?

Oh, Grandpa, coming in,
I saw that horse of yours.

He was out on the road. Must've
busted loose from Muntner's.

Oh, God bless America.

Yeah, but I went on
farther down the road,

I run into Carl. He was in his
truck. Had a bunch of boys with him.

They were looking for the horse

and Carl said he planned
to break him to saddle.

I'll tell you one thing.

If that Carl Muntner
sets foot on Walton land,

I'll ride him off of it.

See how it feels to have a saddle
on his back and a spur on his rump.

Now you watch your language.

I'm going to bed, think it over.

I'll come up with
something. There is a way.

And dry your feet.

That old man, he's gonna
twist and turn all night

worrying about that horse.

I got some work to do at
the paper. I'll see you later.

John-Boy, something's
troubling you.

It's written all over your face.

You're as close-mouthed
as your father.

Well, you'll find out
about it soon enough.

I thought you were asleep.
Your grandma woke me up.

She shouldn't have done that.

What's wrong, Son?

Daddy, I got a hold
of something today.

You know how people have
been suspicious of Glen Oldfield.

They call him an outsider.
They say he's got no stake here.

Uh-huh. Well, they're right.

I found out today that Glen Oldfield
is planning to use the sheriff's job

as a stepping stone to get
him into the state assembly.

I'm not too
surprised about that.

He's a carpetbagger for sure.

I feel like a fool.

But a story like that's got
to go into my newspaper.

And the minute it does,
he can't win the election.

His friends aren't
gonna like that, Son.

Well, I don't care
about his friends.

The thing is, if
I print that story

we can forget about any future
business with those people.

I don't much like doing
business with them anyways, Son.

I think it's only
fair to tell you

that I found out today you probably
could've counted on an order

for 60 park benches every
month from that Hastings fellow.

Well, we sure could've
used that. Yeah.

What are you gonna do about
the order you got working?

I'm gonna finish
it, fast as I can.

Good.

Daddy,

sometimes I wonder what
we did for trouble around here

before I got this
newspaper started.

We managed, Son. We managed.

Of course, the only
convention we ever attended

was the one when Papa cast
the vote for the Virginia delegation.

"Fellow delegates,

"the great and historic
Commonwealth of Virginia,

"mother of presidents,

"a sweet land whose beauty
extends from the Blue Ridge

"to the shores of
the mighty Atlantic."

Oh, he was magnificent.

He surely could've been
president if he'd wanted to be.

Mr. Woodrow Wilson himself
frequently urged Papa to run.

But Papa preferred to stay
home and make the Recipe.

Will there be
anything else, ladies?

How many papers
would you like, Ike?

Let's see. Give me 25.

You only gave me 22. Three more.

James Robert.

You can call me Jim.

Oh, have you changed
your name again, Jim-Bob?

Well, Jim-Bob sounds like a baby

and James Robert
is kind of stuffy.

So you can call me
Jim from now on.

All right, Jim. I'll be darned.

Why, Mr. Godsey,
you seem alarmed.

I'm not alarmed, Miss Mamie.

Mad is what I
am. Listen to this.

"Oldfield ambitions revealed.

"This newspaper has
learned from a reliable source

"that if Glen Oldfield is elected
sheriff of Jefferson County,

"he intends to use that
position as a stepping stone

"to achieve his eventual ambition
as a member of the state senate."

You have such a pleasant
reading voice, Mr. Godsey.

You must come to our poetry
society and read for us sometime.

Sister, this is not time
to be talking about poetry.

This is shocking
and distressing news.

Indeed, yes. What
does it mean, Sister?

What it means is

we could've been hoodwinked
by that slick-talking Glen Oldfield

into tossing Ep Bridges
right out of his job.

That won't happen, I trust.

Well, it won't happen once the
folks read this issue of The Chronicle.

Jim-Bob... I mean, Jim,
will you deliver the papers?

Get goin'. Deliver
the newspapers.

Thank you, Miss Emily. Sure.

John-Boy said for me to
give you one of these special.

Thank you, Jim-Bob.

That's enough.

Looks like a branding
iron. Yeah, it is.

You know that mustang
will never know any peace

till it belongs to somebody.

Yes, but I didn't think that
you wanted anybody to own it.

Goes against everything
you've been saying, Grandpa.

Yes, according to
law, he'll be ours.

He'll have our mark on
him for the rest of his days.

But he'll run wild and free
until the end of his days.

Isn't there any
other way, Grandpa?

I don't know of any, son.

You reckon it'll
hurt him much, Doc?

No, no. That whole thing
looks a lot worse than it is.

It don't hurt him any
too much, I don't think.

Well, we never
branded Blue or Chance.

Well, if it does hurt,

gonna have to be a case of
being cruel only to be kind.

You remember last spring
when you hurt your leg?

You remember how Dr. Vance
asked your daddy to hold on to you

while he was fixing you up?

Well, I held on to
your own daddy,

many a time, in
just the same way.

Only he yelled a lot
louder than you did.

But it had to be done.

Sometimes in this life we have
to go through a little discomfort

to arrive at some lasting good.

And that mustang's gonna have
to learn things the same way.

Hey, Ike. Hey, John.

A telegram come in
for you this morning.

I thought I'd better
bring it by to you.

Well, that's nice of you, Ike.

Want to come in for some coffee?

No, I got a lot of things
to do. I better get going.

All right. Thanks anyways.

Thank you.

See you later.

What is it?

It's a telegram from Hastings.

They've cancelled everything.

They can't do that.
You've got a contract.

In so many words they say,

"If you don't like it, sue us."

It's an awful
letdown. I'm sorry.

I guess I should've
known better.

What are you gonna
do with all that?

Sell it for scrap.

If nobody'll buy it, I'll see if there
are any openings at the poor house.

I'm sure they'd like that.

All 11 of us trooping in with
everything we own tied up in a bundle.

What do you say
11 for? I count 15.

Is there somebody in
the family I've missed?

Well, there's Reckless, there's Blue,
there's Myrtle and there's Chance.

What about Rover?

I am not going to any
poor house with a peacock.

Good. Then let's just stay home.

Look at this.

I guess what disturbed
me more than anything,

more than allowing
myself to be taken in,

was what they did to my father.

I was truly angry,

not just at Glen
Oldfield and his team,

but with myself for
being so gullible.

Mmm-hmm?

Hello. Hello.

You got the telegram.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, your people
are very efficient.

I'll be leaving today.

I want you to know
that I had nothing to do

with the cancellation
of your mill contract.

Those details are
handled by other people.

You call that a detail?

I know your family
got hurt and I'm sorry.

That's the way politics works.

I won't ask you to shake hands,

but I wanted to
come here in person

and offer you my apologies

because it all
happened in my name.

Good luck to you, John.

My respects to your family.

One more thing.

That headline in your paper.

"Oldfield ambitions revealed."

Well, it revealed
something to me.

I learned how not
to run a campaign.

I guess I just assumed

that people like you could
be bought with political favors.

Obviously, I was wrong.

And I feel pretty
embarrassed about it.

I just hope that next time I
come through here campaigning,

I can earn your support.

Come along, boys.

Come along. We are
going to the mustang.

I'll tell Mama.

Don't forget to bring
along the pickax and spade

so we can build
the branding pen.

Okay, Grandpa.

Easy now.

Easy, easy. Come on. Come on.

They got him, Grandpa.

They got the mustang.

Grandpa, you're all ready?
Yeah, we're ready for him.

I don't believe it. I'm
gonna go see him.

Go get it.

Sure is.

Easy. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Come on, come on, come on. Easy.

Use the blanket
over his eyes, Ben.

That'll settle him down.

Whoa, whoa.

Easy, easy.

Easy.

Easy, easy. Come on.

Take the blanket and
put it over his eyes.

Almost time. Put
it over him, Ben.

Easy now, easy now. - Careful.

I think you can do
it now, Grandpa.

It's already done.

Already? Let him go.

Halfway across the county.

Hey!

Look at him go.

How about that tender
beef? We did real good.

Don't that look pretty?

Look up there.

Well, now. Isn't that something?

You won't see sights
like that, one day soon.

When that day comes,

there'll be a lot more
than horses gone.

The mustang
remained free after that.

We would see it
from time to time

and it always brought
a rush of excitement

and the feeling of being in
touch with something primitive

and rare and very special.

Ep Bridges continued on as sheriff for
more years than anyone could remember.

And Glen Oldfield,
to no one's surprise,

became a member
of the state assembly.

- John-Boy?
- Yes, Elizabeth.

If you ran for something,
I'd vote for you.

Well, thank you, honey, but
I'm not planning on it right now.

If everyone in the
family voted for you,

you could be president.

Elizabeth, you know how many
votes it takes to be president?

Millions.

I guess we'll need
a bigger family.

Mama? OLIVIA:
Good night, Elizabeth.

- Good night, everybody.
- Good night, Elizabeth.

Good night.