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You hit pretty hard.

Yeah, yeah.

I got throwed, if that's what you mean.

Better leave that kind of work for them that can hack it.

Gee, I'm sorry you got...

Well, I'm sorry.

Well, it happens.

You studying or watching?

Oh, a little of both.

What I was trying to say back there was, uh,

you break something at your age, you won't mend quick.

Wahoo!

Easy ride for a young buck.

- Wahoo! - Yeah.

If you don't mind, just saddle my horse.

Sure.

Hey, bronco, I heard you had a spill today.

There's no order here for a new windmill.

Well, Pa, the crew only struck water out there yesterday.

Then we needed the windmill yesterday.

Well, fine, I'll ride into Virginia City...

Never mind, I'll take care of it.

You know, it could've been a dry well, too, you know.

- Yeah. - Yes, but it wasn't.

This Cass Breckinridge, that North Ranch foreman,

the fella you hired six months ago when I was in San Francisco...

It was a year ago we hired him, Pa.

Whenever.

I see he's been buying some land for us.

Well, if you mean the Tumble K, it...

sort of fell into his lap.

The owner died, and the widow wanted to sell it and move East.

Got it for a good price, $7 an acre.

I thought he was to report here

in person from now on, not report anymore by mail.

Yeah, well, that's what we thought.

Yeah, Pa, maybe he got tied up with that land deal or something.

Look, it's not important. I'll go up and talk to him next week myself.

I'll take care of that.

Mr. Cartwright, I wouldn't...

Hey, Pa, come on, you all right?

You took a pretty good fall there, huh?

You okay?

You're fired.

You come in and get your money.

That figures.

He gets throwed twice in one day, hurts him where he lives,

he's gotta have somebody to stomp.

Here's your pay.

Any man that's been around horses as long as you have

ought to have brains enough

to check the cinch before he mounts up.

You've been riding that chair so long that you don't know how soft you are,

or how much time has chopped into you.

It's a good thing you got the chair, the big outfit,

people to fetch and carry for you,

because you sure couldn't cut it out there where the work is.

Is that right?

Yeah, that's right!

Ben Cartwright, big name.

But if you had to ride the grub trail out where nobody knew you,

Ben Brown, not Ben Cartwright, ride on a piece of crow bait,

no fancy clothes, no fine rig, nothing but dust in your pockets,

you couldn't get a job.

And if you were lucky enough to find somebody

to take pity on you,

you wouldn't last to find the bunkhouse.

Well, that's your opinion.

It's what I know.

I'll bet you my shirt, pants, boots, and this $21,

that you couldn't get a Ben Brown job

and keep it long enough to collect a full payday.

Think about that while you're riding your chair.

"Couldn't cut it where the work is."

Hyah.

Carl?

Carl, you in there?

Mr. Cartwright, good morning.

- Well, good to see... - Haven't seen you in a long time.

Yeah, I know. It's good to see you. How've you been?

What are you doing up this way?

Carl, I need a favor from you.

Let's go inside, you get me

a cup of hot coffee, I'll tell you about it.

Do better than that, I'll give you a whole breakfast.

Good. I'm hungry enough to eat one.

Fine.

Ah!

Evening.

Well, my guess is you're just fixing to leave.

Well, not just yet. My... My horse is hurt.

Uh-huh. You know, you're on my property.

Well, I know it's Ponderosa property.

Meaning you did see the signs, hmm.

Meaning you did come through my fence.

I came through one of the gates.

Mmm-hmm. Where you headed?

Up country, north.

Oh, maybe you do a little hunting?

- Take an antelope or two? - No, no.

Yeah.

You'll be the first saddle stiff that didn't.

And those antelope will be wearing cowhides,

and the Ponderosa brand when they're shot.

Just stand easy.

What's your name?

Brown, Ben Brown.

Have you noticed, Mr. Breckinridge,

that most of these bums all go by the name of Brown?

Must be the third one we caught this month.

Yeah, well...

You're poaching or hiding, one.

You got someplace special to go, Mr. Brown,

or are you just riding?

Riding, until I find work.

Oh, no saddle stiffs on my payroll.

I don't even want the likes of you riding through.

I let one of you stay and next thing you know

you'll be swarming all over the place.

No, you're getting out of here, Mr. Brown.

Same way you came in.

I will, at daylight.

You'll leave now.

Now we'll be back this way in an hour or two,

and you had better be long gone.

Come on.

There, we're just about there.

What do you want?

Well, my horse is lame.

Hang your gunbelt on the hitch rack.

Uh... See, my horse is lame and he, uh...

Well, I... I need some medication

and feed and rest overnight.

All right, mister.

Step inside and we'll talk.

Sit down.

His horse is hurt, like he said.

What's your name?

Well, go on, tell her.

Ben Brown.

Say who we are, Paul.

Hmm? Oh, Paul Walker, my missus, Sally.

This here is the Rafter W Ranch.

How come you picked our place?

Ma'am, I, uh... I saw the light,

and my horse had gone just about as far as it could.

I was hoping...

I could stay in your barn overnight out of the wind.

Well...

We've had supper, but there's the savings on the stove.

Well, that'd be extra work, ma'am. I wouldn't want to trouble you.

It shames me I didn't offer sooner.

We never used to have to wait a minute to offer anybody potluck.

Yeah, till we learned better. Where you from, Brown?

Uh, south... Uh, Carson City way.

His ain't a Ponderosa horse, I studied the brand.

You can wash up on the porch.

Sally will fix you a meal.

Thank you.

You holding that rifle won't help his appetite any.

Hmm?

Oh, no, I... I expect not.

You know, I took him for a common drifter at first,

but he seems to be better spoken than most I've met.

You'll let him stay, won't you?

Cold wind blowing, he's near beat out.

Well, there's plenty of room in the barn. I...

I suppose he's welcome.

You know, I got a feeling about him, Paul.

He could be the answer to all our...

To your prayers?

You back to praying again, Sally?

Well, I... I never stopped.

Be two or three days before he's healed and fit to ride.

Well... I could lead him.

He won't like it.

He can walk all right.

Walking will hinder the healing.

The stall's not being used. You're welcome to stay.

Well, that's, uh... That's very kind of you.

I... I... I don't...

Some work that needs doing, I'd be happy to do it.

Told you!

Well, she's been, uh, pushing me to ask if you're looking for a job.

As a matter of fact, I am.

Well, I, uh...

Guess I do need a... An all-around hand, uh...

But I'm afraid you'd be trading your bed roll for a...

A ladder, or just about.

Hard work, short money.

$10 a month and found.

Now, I know it's not enough, but it's...

It's all I can afford to pay.

Good meals. You won't go hungry.

Well, you... You've hired yourself a hand.

Well, good. I'll call you at sunup.

Well, good, thank you.

Come on, Sally.

- Good night. - Good night.

Mr. Brown?

Yes?

There's, uh...

There's something I got to say.

It wouldn't be honest not to tell you this...

But you go to work for me

and you're right in the middle of a range war.

It'd be just the two of us against a ranch called the Ponderosa,

and its owner, a thief named Ben Cartwright.

Cartwright...

I, uh, seem to have heard that name.

Now, look, you can just change your mind and move on.

No hard feelings.

Well, I, uh...

I need the job.

I think I'll stick around.

Good.

Uhh!

Ow.

Ooh!

Well, I should have told you.

Battleaxe is just plain mean in the morning.

He hates to go to work.

He told me.

You'd better ride my horse, Mr. Brown.

We got a lot of work to do.

I want another whack at him. We're just getting acquainted.

No, I can't risk it.

All busted up, you're no good to me.

As soon as we get this section finished, Mr. Brown,

you can take a rest if you feel the need to.

Thank you.

What about yourself?

I can't afford to.

As soon as we get this fence built, we can get to the important work.

Such as?

Gathering up what's left of my herd.

240 head last count.

Most of them are in that brush and up those draws.

That's funny.

Good grass out in the open.

Well, they didn't hit that brush on their own.

You might say they were encouraged some.

You see, that's government grass out there,

and the grazing rights are leased to me.

But there's no way I can stop riders from crossing it.

And they do.

Ponderosa riders.

Two or three at a time, not going anyplace, just...

Driving my cattle into the brush.

You see them do it?

No. No, they keep a lookout.

By the time I get here,

there's nothing in sight but jackrabbits.

If I was you, I'd, uh...

I'd tell the law about this.

Oh, I did that.

Had myself a 40 mile ride for nothing.

The sheriff says I have to have proof, and...

Proof I haven't got.

This war I hired into,

how long's that been going on?

Oh, for me, about, uh, three months.

Come on, get up. Get up there. Get along.

Before that, Breckinridge was busy with old Charlie King at the Tumble K.

Busy? How?

Oh, haystack fires, cut fences, poison.

Old Charlie had 600 head, had two top hands

before Breckinridge ran them out of the country.

Then the rustling started.

I got no proof,

but I'd say that Breckinridge was doing some night riding.

And Old Charlie, he tried to do the work of three men,

till his heart gave out.

Then Breckinridge bought the Tumble K.

Bought it for Ben Cartwright.

Dollar an acre, one lousy dollar.

Buildings, chattels, all the livestock that was left, about 200 head.

A dollar an acre?

Seems to me somebody ought to do some talking to Ben Cartwright.

After what he did to Bertha King, not me.

The only place I want to see him is over the sights of a rifle.

But he stays out of sight.

Breckinridge does all of his rough work,

him and some hired guns.

The main reason we got to get that fence finished

is so we can hold my cattle on my land

until I can get the buyer out here from Unionville.

We'll start at the top of that north slope

and drive them out of the brush,

then drift them down to that holding ground.

I packed the lunches.

And you tell me where and I'll bring you a hot supper.

Well, we should be at Big Meadow, honey.

Just watch for the dust.

Another biscuit, Mr. Brown?

Mmm, yes, ma'am.

These are the best biscuits I've ever had.

Thank you.

We need 100 head prime, or near prime.

It's, kind of, early for roundup, isn't it?

Not when you got money owing and no way to pay.

They really did a job.

Should have spent the night out here with a rifle.

Yeah.

Well, I guess we ought to clean up the mess

before whatever cattle are left are cut to ribbons in the wire.

Yeah.

Good morning, Mr. Walker.

Well, you've had some tough luck, huh?

Cattle tore down your new fence.

No, riders tore it down, your riders.

Now, that's not nice, Mr. Walker.

We haven't been this way for some time.

Well, you got a new hand, huh?

Seems I've seen you someplace before.

We run you off once, Mr. Ben Brown.

- What do you want? - I'll get to that.

Right now I'm talking to your new hand.

You know, you would have been a lot wiser

if you'd just kept on riding.

I like it here.

You're on my land. Get off!

Mr. Walker, I've come to make you an offer.

Now, you'll be moving your family out shortly,

and you'll want some travelling money.

Now, you leave that herd right where it is,

and I'll give you... $500 cash.

Oh, generous man, isn't he, Mr. Brown?

That's about one-sixth of what my herd is worth.

Well, I'll tell you something, you take it or you'll regret it.

Get off of my land, Breckinridge.

Paul, please listen to me.

It's just not safe for you to go in town alone.

Now, don't you worry about me, honey.

I'll be back early tomorrow.

I should be back by... By noon tomorrow.

You will see the sheriff, won't you?

Well, all right. It'll...

It'll be a waste of time, but I'll do it.

All right.

The main reason I'm going, Mr. Brown,

I want to get an old friend of mine, Jim Tiller, the...

The Omaha Cattle Company buyer out here when we finish roundup.

Oh.

Oh, it'll be a help if you'd clean up that mess

that Breckinridge made of our fence while I'm gone.

I plan to.

And, while I'm in town, I'll...

I'll try and hire another hand, if I can find one,

who'll work for $10 a month and found.

Oh, by the way, if Breckinridge tries anything, it...

It won't be until after dark.

And I'd thank you to keep an eye on the house.

Depend on it.

Yeah!

Battleaxe, we've got some work to do.

Easy. Whoa!

Whoa.

Come on.

Come on.

I had to come ask.

Man says you're Ben Brown.

Looks like you took that bet I offered.

I did.

The world's full of surprises.

I didn't tell them you weren't Ben Brown.

I didn't tell them anything.

I just rolled up my bed and rode out.

Why?

Couldn't you do the work?

Tickled me at first, working for Cartwright

after Cartwright fired me.

I met some snakes in my time, but that Breckinridge is the worst.

How long you been working here?

Week tomorrow.

Long enough to know what goes on?

Yeah, I heard what happened at the Tumble K.

Pretty fancy stealing goes on in your name.

I expect you'll be changing to your Cartwright clothes

and slapping Breckinridge with a paycheck.

Well... sending a man down the road

to do his stealing somewhere else doesn't do much good.

Sounds like you're fixing to slap him in the iron hotel.

Well, a fella that hides his tracks as cute as he does,

that's pretty hard to do.

All I can do is try.

Pretty neat trick if you can do it.

Ought to be kinda interesting to watch.

You know, a fella that would hire Ben Brown

ought to jump at a chance to get a real top hand.

I got my shirt, pants, boots, and $21 riding on what you do.

I'd better stick around and take care of my interest.

I'll talk to the boss.

I'll put in a word for you.

Yah!

Get out of there.

Yee-haw!

He-he-he-he!

Haw!

Get in there.

Haw.

More coffee, Mr. Walker?

No thanks.

How's everything?

Peaceful and quiet.

Well, I'll go sing 'em to sleep.

Tired, huh?

Yeah, a little.

You're doing better than I thought you could.

Well, it's still a long time till payday.

Well, don't you worry none about me.

I just can't wait to see you riding out of here

bare as a billiard ball.

Never happen.

As long as I got a feather and a blanket.

That herd getting spooky or is it me?

Mmm, must be you.

Take it easy now.

I'll go get a wagon.

Here, just...

Oh! Oh.

Oh.

Did you see who stampeded the cattle?

Yeah, one rider.

He was waving a slicker.

I heard others,

but tell that to the sheriff and he'd say I was... Oh...

I was seeing my own shadow.

One good thing, though.

The cattle won't run far in the dark, and it'll...

It'll be easy to pick 'em up tomorrow.

You're not riding tomorrow.

I've got to.

Jim Tiller will be out here in a few days to buy my cattle.

What you've got to do is go to bed.

- I can't. - Don't you worry.

We'll have the hundred head waiting on your land

when the buyer gets here.

Yeah, no trouble, Mr. Walker.

Be an easy day.

Well, I'll say one thing, you volunteer real good.

I didn't hear you backing off.

Couldn't.

That Walker's quite a man.

Tell you how he got that gimp leg?

Nope, never mentioned a word.

When I was over at North Ranch I heard it in bits and pieces.

Bunkhouse talk.

Walker and Breckinridge had a fistfight.

Something about poison grass.

Walker got in one punch and then three of them jumped him.

They gave him a wrecking job and then ran over him with a wagon.

More than one snake over there, a whole nest of them.

They'll be waiting for us.

Yeah, I expect they will.

Well, it looks like it's gonna be, kind of, a noisy day tomorrow.

Yeah, could be.

My horse pulled up lame when I came in after the wagon.

I'm gonna have to ride one of Mr. Walker's.

You got any good ones?

Yeah, as a matter of fact, uh, he's got one real good working horse.

Yeah, guess I forgot to tell you about old Battleaxe.

He's mean in the morning. Just hates to go to work.

But you rode him yesterday.

So I did.

That old crow bait took me by surprise.

Whoa!

Giddyup!

Well, I guess you'll have to ride my horse, Cactus.

Man once told me

some men can cut it when the going gets rough, some men can't.

Just one more chance.

I'll stick closer to him than his skin.

Well, we can't risk it now. We got a roundup to make.

Take my horse.

You win this one, Mr. Brown, but it's still a long time till payday.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.

Whoa.

Here's 10 we don't have to dig out of the brush.

Cactus, take a look back there, up on the hill.

That's one of the snakes.

Tate, unless my eyesight's failing me.

They're waiting for us to fix the fence so they can tear it down again.

Cactus...

Apaches do the same thing.

Try to throw the fear into you.

It works sometimes.

I've seen people run like chickens

trying to hide from the shadow of a hawk.

Eh, maybe we ought to give them something to think about.

Yeah? Like what?

Like something noisy.

Like the Fourth of July.

Cactus, you worked the North Ranch.

How many cattle tanks does this flume supply?

Four.

They got diversion gates they turn on and off.

Well, if this flume wasn't here,

Mr. Breckinridge would have himself somewhat of a problem, wouldn't he?

Yeah.

Six or seven hours, cattle will be out of water,

unless Breckinridge and his crew want to carry it over in their hats.

Water wagons, rebuilding this flume,

that'll keep them busy for quite a while.

You mean you're gonna dynamite your own flume?

Ben Cartwright can afford it.

Ben Brown would sure enjoy it.

Yeah.

You do make a fine mess of kindling.

That'll be harder to put back together than a busted egg.

Yeah.

Now, just what are you planning on doing with that?

I'm just looking.

Well, that means all hands, cook, chuckwagon...

To rebuild.

Well, I got to say one thing about Walker, he's trying.

That's more than Charlie King did.

Somebody's trying, but I don't think it's Walker.

Brown.

I guess I should have hit him twice.

Well, you should have shot him.

How many do you make it?

Over hundred.

Yeah.

And 15 or 20 head down in the lower meadow.

We'll pick them up on the way.

No lookouts on the hills.

You better go on ahead.

I'll trail along behind, just in case.

Yeah, all right.

They did it, Paul.

It was a lucky day for us when you hired Mr. Brown.

Yes. Yes, it certainly was.

Most of them look good.

Did see a few calls.

Not in that herd you didn't.

When you buy cattle for a living,

you always see a few calls, keeps the price lower.

In this case,

we'll call 'em all prime and I'll give you the top dollar.

It's your doing, Mr. Brown.

You and Cactus got them here. I...

I got to say...

Well, I gotta say thanks.

Well, I'll tell Cactus what you said, but...

Like Cactus did say, it's an easy day.

- Signed and sealed, huh? - Yeah.

I, kind of, thought that Breckinridge would try

one more stampede before we got them here.

Yeah, so did I.

But the boss is grateful.

Oh, uh, he told me to say that

one of these days you might even make top hand.

And one of these days I might even stay

on top of old Battleaxe.

Well, I wouldn't go that far.

- I got an itch. - Huh?

Breckinridge ain't one to back off.

No. No, he ain't.

Let's take a look around.

Get it done. They might be back any minute.

Shh.

There's somebody out back.

Somebody out front, too. Drop the guns.

Three horses out there.

Breckinridge must be in the house.

Don't fret about us.

We're gonna get along just fine.

There's some picking strings right in front of you.

Mr. Tate, you're gonna tie up Mr. Yokum.

Tight and now.

You'd better blow out that match, Mr. Breckinridge,

before you go up in flames.

Tate and Yokum are out in the barn.

They're all dressed up like hogs ready for the market.

Talking pretty good too about who set what fire

and who stole whose cattle.

Uhh!

Do you want any help?

I think I got the hang of it.

Oof!

You did real good, Mr. Cartwright.

Who? What are you talking about?

You heard him.

I'm Ben Cartwright.

I don't believe it.

You will.

You know, there's some men

who just can't cut it out where the work is.

Some lose their shirt, pants, and boots.

Well, you still got a blanket and a feather.

I said some pretty ornery things about you,

but I never thought I'd see the day

I'd be saying "thank you" to Ben Cartwright.

Well, you don't have to say another word.

I just want you to know that there'll be full payment

to you and to Bertha King and anybody else that was hurt.

Whenever you're ready.

Time to go.

We'll get this rig back to you by the end of the week.

Fine.

Thanks, for everything.

Oh...

Oh, uh, I sure would like to buy that Battleaxe from you.

I got a couple of sons I'd like him to meet.

Sure.

Well, I, uh... I guess I don't have to tell you.

You got your old job back, if you want it.

Well, that's mighty generous of you, Mr. Cartwright.

Well, I'm glad that's settled, then.

Well, uh, not quite.

Oh?

Ah, I see. You, uh... You want more money, huh?

No.

I want a different kind of a boss.

I want a boss that's not so ornery and crazy,

and changes his mind all the time.

I want a gentleman for a boss.

That's the reason I'm throwing in with Mr. Walker.

Oh, uh, no hard feelings, Mr. Cartwright.

You old coot.