All language subtitles for 5.09 The Quality of Mercy

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I had to kill him, Little Joe.

Why, Seth?
Because I had no choice.

I was back there
when the mine caved in.

When I got to him,
he was lying just like that.

His back was broken
and he was screaming.

I tried to get him out,
but he wouldn't let me.

He just kept screaming and crying
that he couldn't stand it

and that he didn't want to live.

I wanted to go for help,
but he wouldn't let me. He begged me.

He begged me, Little Joe,
to finish him off.

He wouldn't let go of me.

He forced me to do it.

Little Joe, you know I wouldn't have
done it if I'd had any other choice.

You do know that, don't you?
You'd have done the same thing I did.

You wanna tell Sara
or do you want me to tell her?

I was thinking about her too.
It's my duty to tell her.

But I'm not gonna tell her what I did.

I'm just gonna tell her
the mine caved in.

And you gotta do the same, Little Joe.
Not only to Sara, but to everyone.

It was an accident.

Seth, you can't do that.
You can't lie about this.

Do you think I could tell her
what really happened?

Do you think I could tell anybody?
How is she going to take being told

that the man she's going to marry
killed her father?

Seth, you can't lie to Sara
about that.

All right, then you tell her and you be
thereto see what it does to her.

You know her.
She'd never be able to live with it!

I got to live with it.

I know what you're thinking, that
it's like shutting your eyes to murder.

That's right.
Well, that's not what it was.

It was being merciful to him
to do what he asked.

And there's only one person in
the world it's gonna hurt if it's told

and I don't want her hurt

But if you think I should take
that chance, I'll go tell her right now.

For as much
as it has pleased almighty God

to take unto himself
the soul of our brother departed,

we have borne his body
to the place prepared for it

that ashes may return to ashes
and dust to dust

and the imperishable spirit
may be forever with the Lord.

Now may the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,

keep your heads and minds
through Christ Jesus.

And the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God

and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all and always. Amen.

Sara, if there's anything
that my boys and I can do for you,

all you need do is ask.
Anything at all.

Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.

I don't know what I'd do without Seth
and friends like you and your sons.

Well. Come here.

I called you a couple times
for breakfast this morning.

Wasn't you hungry?
No.

Come on, Beaut.

Yeah.

He'll soon be good as new.

You're wasting your time.
What do you mean by that?

He'll hobble around like that
the rest of his life.

Aw, come on, Joe.

Why, he'll be running around that
pasture as good as new in no time.

Well, look at him,
can't you see he's hurting?

I see he's trying to get around
like a normal horse.

What's eating you, anyhow?
Nothing.

Got him all bandaged up.

He looks like he's gonna be all right.

Yeah, to me and you it looks that way,
but to our little brother here,

he don't figure he's got a chance.

Well, he better be wrong

because I spent $100
of Pa's good money for that horse.

What's that got to do with it?
Why should the animal have to suffer

just because he doesn't know
what to do about it?

Suffer?

Well, he may be hurting a little bit,
but it's worth it if he gets well. Isn't it?

I don't know. Forget it.

Well, let's, uh, go in the house
and rustle up some grub. I'm hungry.

Yeah, me too.
Come on.

So, uh, what's happening in town?

Well, there's one whale of a poker
game going on at the Silver Dollar.

It's been on for about 24 hours.
Yeah? Who's the big winner?

Seth Pruitt from the looks of things.

Seth Pruitt?
Yeah.

He's playing poker?

So, uh, what's the matter
with playing poker?

Nothing.

Let's go get that grub.

I call.

Cards?
I'll play these.

So will I.

I call.

Full house, gentlemen.

Hi, Little Joe.

Hey, what you doing here
so early in the morning?

Heard about the poker game.
Just wondered how you were doing.

I'm hotter than a pistol.

Oh, I know what you're thinking.

That I shouldn't be here. That I should
be with Sara. Is that right?

I'm not your judge.
What you do is your own affair.

It don't look right to you
finding me right here

in the middle of a poker game,
does it?

Like I said, it's none of my business.
Well, the game's an accident, Joe.

I came in yesterday to catch the stage
for San Francisco.

It was late, so I decided
to sit in a hand to pass the time.

I got lucky
and I've been here ever since.

Why are you going
to San Francisco?

Business.

Just business, Joe.

I'll catch the stage this afternoon.

Hey, listen, do me a favor, will you?
When I'm gone?

Yeah, what's that?
Go out and see Sara.

She's been, uh, awful moody
since her pa died.

Maybe you can help
snap her out of it.

I'd rather not, Seth. I...

I just don't want to see her.

Because you think what I done
was wrong?

Well, let me tell you something,
Little Joe. I was the one that did it.

And I don't sleep so good at night
thinking about it.

Well, me neither. I keep--

I keep thinking,
"What if he might have lived?"

Oh, yeah. He might have lived
with a broken back.

And never a minute when he didn't
need Sara right beside him.

She'd never have a life of her own,

watching him struggle with pain
till his dying day.

And all those years
of taking care of him,

don't you think sometimes
she might pray that he'd die?

I don't believe that of Sara.

Oh.

You think you know her better
than I do?

I know her pretty well.
You knew her when we were kids.

When the three of us were kids.
When we were out hunting jackrabbits

and trapping coons in the woods
and swimming and things like that.

She's a grown woman now.
And she's going to be my wife.

I got no choice
but to keep it from her, Little Joe.

So you'd live your whole life a lie?

Mm.

And a lot of people do.

Only most of them don't have
the good reasons the way we do.

Now, Sara and me are getting married
when she feels better.

I'm gonna do everything I can
to make her happy. She'll be all right.

Hey, come on and go out
and see her, will you?

She said she wanted to be
by herself,

but I think if she saw you,
it might do her some good.

Hello, Little Joe. Won't you come in?
Thank you.

How are you, Sara?
I'm fine.

Won't you sit down?
Thank you.

I just picked these.
They're very pretty.

He always liked to have flowers
in the house.

He liked poppies, but these marigolds
were his favorite.

In the wintertime--
You'd have pine boughs.

Why did you come here, Little Joe?

Just for a visit.

I don't need sympathy, you know.

I thought I did at first, but though
I'm grateful for it, it doesn't really help.

You have to find your own strength.

By being alone?
There's no other way, really.

I've learned that.

So if you came because--
I just came hereto see you.

Since when do I need an excuse
to come over and see you?

I remember when I used to ride up
here and thump on the door

and yell for you and there you'd be.

I'll give you some coffee.
Sounds good.

Oh, let me help you with this.

Oh!
I think you'd better let me do it, heh.

Heh, I think you're right.
You just go and sit down.

I didn't think I would be,
but I'm glad you came, Little Joe.

So am I.

You don't really want to be alone,
do you?

Only because I believed
that what I felt, others couldn't.

Not even Seth?
Seth loves me. I know that.

He said he wanted us to get married
right away.

He thought it would be the best thing
for both of us.

But it just wouldn't be fair to him
until I can let go of the past.

Do you understand, Little Joe?
Yeah, I understand.

It's not so bad being alone, really. I...

Sara, you shouldn't stay out here
by yourself.

It's my home, Little Joe.

I'm fine. Really, I am.

Look, why don't you come out
to the Ponderosa and stay for a while?

No.
No, we got plenty of room.

Pa would love to see you
out there again.

Uh, I'm fine here. Really, I am.
Please.

We're not gonna feel sorry for you.
If you wanna be alone, you'll be alone.

If you wanna be with friends,
you'll be with all the friends you want.

Any way you want it.

Please. Give it a try. If you don't like it,
you can always come back here.

I just think it'll give you a chance
to straighten out.

All right.

Well, come on, then.
How about a little smile?

0h, don't you remember

Sweet Betsy from Pike

Who crossed the big mountains
With her lover, Ike

With two yoke of cattle
A large yellow dog

A tall Shanghai master
And a one-spotted hog

One evening, quite early
They came on the Platte

'Twas nearby the mad
On a green, shady flat

When Betsy, sore-footed,
Lay down to repose

And wondering Ike gazed on
His Pike county roads

They soon reached the desert
Where Betsy gave out

And down in the sand
She lay rolling about

While Ike, half distracted
Looked on in surprise

Saying, "Betsy, get up
You'll catch sand

In your eyes"

Very good, Adam.
That was a wonderful song.

We know a bunch of them.
Hey, wait a minute. No more tonight.

We got a lot to do in the morning.

Oh, it was a lovely evening.
That was fun.

You've all been so wonderful to me.

So kind and considerate.
I'll never forget it.

That's what friends are for, Sara.

Good night.
Good night. Have a good sleep.

Thank you.
Sara?

I thought maybe tomorrow we might
take a ride around the ranch.

Oh, yes, I'd like that.

I'm so glad you persuaded me
to come.

Good night, Little Joe.
Good night.

I think she's feeling a lot better now.
Don't you?

I think so too. I sure hope so.

Ah, it's a good idea,
bringing her here.

Heh, kind of like the old days
when we were kids.

Heh, yeah.
She was always over here, heh.

And she's sure become
a fine young lady.

I just hope she can get over
the shock of her father's death.

Yeah. Well, it was sudden.

If ever there was a man
that really wanted to live...

What's the matter?

Pa, there's nothing the matter.

Hey, what do you say
we stretch our legs for a while?

All right.

Here we go.

Oh, Little Joe, the Ponderosa's
so big and beautiful.

You know,
I never thought about it before,

but it's almost like having
a whole world all of one's own.

Yeah.

Pa never lets me forget I gotta take
care of every square mile of it too.

Down there, isn't that
where we found that bear cub?

Hey, that's right.
In the big cave down there.

Uh-huh. Do you remember
when we saw its mother coming,

we dropped the cub and
ran for our lives? Ha, ha.

Seth didn't want to run.
He wanted to shoot.

That's right.
Heh, I'm glad you didn't let him.

As I recall, it wouldn't have done
any good anyway.

We had a couple of crow guns
that day.

Ha, ha. You know,
when I told my father

About being so frightened

he said that it served me right
for being such a tomboy.

Sometimes I just can't believe
that he's dead.

It all happened so quickly.

Some mornings, I wake up

and I expect to hear him
in the next room fixing breakfast.

If only it just hadn't happened
so quickly.

Well, nobody can be prepared
for accidents.

I know, but it was so sudden.

Sara, don't you think it was better
that it happened quickly?

No.

If he'd lived for just a few hours,

I would have been able
to say goodbye to him.

Sara.

Please don't.

Please, I can't bear to see you cry.

I'm all right. I'm all right.

I don't know what I'd do without you,
Little Joe.

Sara, if there was any way
in this world that I...

I brought you out here
to make you forget.

I'm not doing a very good job, am I?

Yes, you are.

Come on. Let's go.

I understand you've been
to San Francisco.

Yes, I had some business there.
Oh, I envy you.

That's a beautiful city, isn't it? Yeah.
Yes, it is.

Uh, I hated to leave Sara,
but it was important.

Oh, she was fine here.

Seth!
Hello, Sara!

Oh, this is such a surprise.
I didn't expect you. You didn't write.

I wanted to surprise you.
Oh, you did.

Oh, you look beautiful.
It's been good for you, being here.

Yes, it has.
Mr. Cartwright, uh, Little Joe,

thanks for taking care of her for me.
It was the least we could do, Seth.

We'll, uh, leave you two alone.

Mr. Cartwright, now that Seth is back,
I think I'd best go home.

You know, Sara,
I kind of had a feeling you'd want to.

Are you sure?
Oh, yes.

If you wanna stay here,
it's all right with me.

No, no.
I'm just glad knowing

you've got good friends
taking care of you.

No, Seth. I want to go home.
I want to go home.

Well, there must be something
that you boys can talk about,

even if it's only to complain
about Hop Sing's food.

Adam, how's the grazing
in the north pasture?

Oh, it's pretty nearly finished.
They're beginning to stray.

All right, so she's gone.

Now, it was very nice having a girl
like Sara here for a time,

but she's got a life of her own
to make and--

Would it help to talk?

No, I'd...

I'd like to go away by myself,
if it's all right with you, Pa.

Oh.

It's all right with me, of course.

If you think that going away
would help solve

whatever it is that's troubling you.

I just have to think it out alone,
that's all.

Hmm.

Uh, well, if you don't mind combining
a little business, uh...

...well, there's some trees
I'd like you to look at...

You go wherever you want.

Pa?

Pa, I want to think it out for myself,
but even if I go away,

I don't think I can do it.

Well, son, I don't know what it is,
uh, so I don't know if I can help you.

I'll try, if you want me to.

It's not the kind of thing
I ever thought about very often.

It's the sort of thing that you can't
decide the right or wrong of

until it happens.

And then it happens,

and you think you've done
what's right,

you think you've done the only thing
that you could do. The only thing.

And then it starts.

And you start thinking
that maybe you were wrong.

Well, you know, men generally know
the difference between right and wrong.

Of course, when they're wrong,
they don't always admit it.

But that's just it, Pa.
I don't know anymore.

I don't know right from wrong
anymore.

Well, surely you don't want me
to decide for you.

I know I have to make
the decision myself.

Look, may--

Maybe you could tell me what you
would have done in the same situation.

Mm-hm.

This is the kind of thing
that could happen to anybody.

I mean, it could happen to anybody,
Pa.

Any one of us could be in
the same thing and have to decide.

All right.

See, now, a man is badly mm
and he's in a lot of pain.

And his friend knows
he's in a lot of pain.

And the man knows
he only has a shed time to live.

But even those last few moments of
his life are gonna be filled with agony.

I understand, go on.

So he asks his friend

if he would end it.

If he would put him
out of this misery.

But his friend can't bring himself
to do it, but he won't let him alone.

He keeps begging and pleading
with him for mercy.

Just to be able to die.

And he keeps at him and keeps at him
until there is nothing he can do

except do what his friend asks.

And he kills him.

Was that so wrong, Pa?

Don't you know?

Help me, Pa. I'm not sure.

Well, I am sure. I am very sure, son.

That was wrong.

How can you be so sure?

How can you be so definite

when I told you what the friend
was going through?

Well, it's not up to the friend
to make the decision.

No matter how much pain
the other--

The injured man was going through,

not up to the friend to decide.

Can't you understand?
He did it out of pity!

He thought it would be
more merciful to...

He couldn't watch this man
die in agony.

He couldn't watch this man
die in agony?

Well, how about the injured man?

Don't you think that perhaps,
in his suffering,

he was trying desperately to live?
Not to die?

He begged him to help him to die.

Sit down.

Come on.

Sit down.

I've always believed
that when a man is badly hurt,

I mean really hurt badly,
his body's broken,

nature tries to pick up the pieces
and make him whole again.

Now, I don't know how much
nature thinks about the pain

that she's causing the man
while she's mending his body.

Her main purpose is to preserve life.

To nature, life is sacred

whether the body is whole
or crippled.

And that's why I think
that no one has the right

to end someone else's life.

Nature doesn't give up that easily.
She's always working for survival,

not for destruction.

She doesn't always know
when she's licked,

but when she finally does admit to it,

I guess there's nothing man can do
except yield to the inevitable.

But until that moment,
until that moment,

no man has the right,
morally or legally,

to snuff out a man's chance
to survive.

Then you let him suffer?

I'd help him all I could.

I'd do everything I could.
Get all the help.

I'd try to ease his pain
as much as possible.

Joseph.

Have you ever seen a man
in this condition?

No.

Well, I have.

I saw a man fall to the deck of a ship
from the crew's nest.

I saw a man trampled
in a stampede.

Oh, I've seen a lot of men
trampled in stampedes.

None of them died right away.

They were in terrible pain.

But none of them wanted to die.

See, a man, when he's in bad pain,

really doesn't know
what he's saying.

His body is fighting for survival

and his mind isn't always aware
of that.

It's suffering the pain.

So he begs to die.

But he shouldn't be listened to.

A friend should listen only
to the pulse of life.

Fight with it. Not against it.

Well, you think about it, Joe.

You, uh...

You still want to go away?

Tell you what, why don't you, uh,
ride outwith Adam tomorrow?

Try to round up some of our strays.

Seth! Seth, no!

No, Seth!

Seth, no!

Joe?

Joe.

You all right?

Yeah, Adam. It's...

It's nothing, Adam.

You know, you haven't said
two words all morning.

Last night get anything to do with it?

What's that mean?

You were, uh, having a nightmare
and yelled out something about Seth.

Remember that?

No, I don't.

You're still friends with him,
aren't you?

There any reason
why I shouldn't be?

You can answer that
better than I can.

Just because I mentioned his name
in a dream

doesn't mean
I've got anything against him.

I know that.
All right, then don't talk about it.

All right, Joe,
something's bothering you,

so why don't you just tell me about it?
He killed him.

Sara's father.

He didn't just die in the cave-in.
Seth killed him.

What?

His back was broken,
he was in agony.

He begged Seth to finish it for him.

So Seth killed him.

Were you there when it happened?
I got there right aftenNards.

I went along with the story
because I didn't wanna hurt Sara.

I don't know what that would
have done to her.

Anybody else know about this?

I talked to Pa last night.
I didn't mention any names,

but he could guess.

I wanted to find out
if what Seth did was right or wrong.

Pa said it was wrong.
Well, I agree with him.

Joe, it's never too late for the truth.

I think Sara and the law should decide
just how wrong or how right Seth was.

Yeah.

Anything I can do?

No, thanks.

Oh, excuse me, I didn't know--
Oh, it's quite all right.

I'm Mrs. Gibbons, the dressmaker.
Won't you come in?

Thank you.

I, uh, was looking for Seth,
I thought he might be here.

Oh, he's not here now, but I think--
Who is it, Mrs. Gibbons?

Sara, it's me, Little Joe.
Oh, good.

Come in, Little Joe, I'll be right out.

Hello, Little Joe. I wanted you
to see my wedding dress.

I don't think it'll be bad luck
for Little Joe to see it.

Do you, Mrs. Gibbons?
I don't think so, Sara.

I'll go fix the veil.

I'm glad you came by.

I didn't mean to bust in on you like this.
I was just looking for Seth.

Well, he's down at the mine, uh,

clearing away the debris
from the accident.

If you 'd like to wait,
I'll give you supper.

No, thank you. I haven't got time.
I best be on my way.

You look lovely.

If you see Seth, uh, don't even bother
to tell him I was looking for him.

It was nothing important.
All right.

Oh, Little Joe? I think Seth wants you
to be his best man.

If he didn't,
I'd punch him right in the snoot.

Bye.

Where you going?
Away.

You see Seth?
No, I didn't.

Why not?
Because I changed my mind.

I think you and Pa are wrong.

Sara's father's dead
and there's nothing we can do about it.

Seth is gonna marry Sara
and he's gonna make her happy

and that's all I care about.

Why'd you change your mind?

Look, I changed my mind
and that's all there is to it, all right?

I told Pa.

I didn't think I was giving away
any secrets. He half-guessed anyway.

You couldn't even wait for me
to tell him myself, could you, Adam?

If Pa's told Sara...
Now, wait a minute, Joe.

If you'd been so sure
that you were right before,

you wouldn't have had to tell Pa
or me.

No, I think you're trying to convince
yourself that two wrongs make a right

and they don't. It's gotta be told.
You know it has.

Good boy, Beaut. Good boy.

Danged old leg did get well,
didn't it? Sure did.

Hey, Joe, see how that leg healed?
He-- Hey.

Why, I thought you'd gone
to tell Sara.

Do you really think I'd do something
like that without talking to you first?

I guess I wasn't thinking.
Hmm.

Pa, you have to understand--
I do understand, Joseph.

I understand it's not a simple problem
and there's no simple answer.

But there is an answer
and I think it's time you found it.

Pa, I don't wanna hum-
Look, Joseph,

there's no time for talk now.

Hello, Seth.
Hi, Little Joe.

Did you come by to give me a hand?
No, I wanted to talk to you.

Yeah? What's the matter?

Come on, sit down.

What's on your mind?

Seth, I've been doing
a lot of thinking.

You're gonna have to tell Sara
about what happened.

Maybe if you tell her, explain why,
maybe she can understand.

Now?

Why do you want to dredge all that
up now, when it's over and done with?

Seth, it's never gonna be over
and done with.

You can't live the rest of your life
with Sara living a lie like that.

You know how you told me
you have trouble sleeping at night?

It's the same way with me.

I keep having the same dream,
night after night.

I see you standing over him
with a club in your hand.

You can't back out on me now.
You promised.

Seth, I know I promised,
but I was wrong.

Just as I believe you were wrong
in what you did.

You have to tell the truth.
I can't. Not now.

Seth, you're gonna have to.
Do you know what's under you?

Just a few feet down?

Silver. Blue clay worth a fortune.
I had it assayed.

Did Sara's father know about this?
No, all we did was scratch off the top.

Why didn't you tell him?

Because he and I weren't
getting along so well.

He even objected to me marrying Sara.
I wasn't gonna tell him anything.

But now everything worked out
all right, didn't it?

You've got Sara
and you've got the mine.

Listen, Little Joe, let's share this.

As soon as Sara and I are married,
I'll make you a partner.

It'll be just like old times. The three
of us together again. Remember?

Oh, yeah, I remember, Seth.
But you're not the same.

You're not the same person at all.

This is all that's important to you,
isn't it? The mine and the money.

That's the important thing, isn't it?

You think the Cartwright's are the only
ones that have a right to have money?

You've had so much and you've had it
for so long, you don't care.

Well, I never had anything.
I never had a family taking care of me.

Ever since I was a kid, I was
scratching for a dollar all by myself.

Sure. Sure, I want the money
and the mine.

Why not?
Well, now you've got it.

But was it worth it, Seth?
Was it worth murdering for?

What are you talking about?
You know what I'm talking about.

You weren't getting along
with Sara's father,

didn't want to tell him
about the silver.

He didn't want you to marry
his daughter.

Come on, Seth, tell me.
I'm your friend.

Did you plan the accident or just take
advantage of it when it happened?

Oh.

What could you prove, Joe?
What could the law prove?

I don't know, Seth,
but we're gonna give it a try.

I'm taking you to the sheriff.
No, you're not.

No, you're not.
Now throw your gun away.

Joseph? Someone to see you.

Hello, Little Joe. How are you?

I'm fine. How you feeling, Sara?
All right.

I just came to tell you
that I'm leaving for San Francisco.

It's gonna be real good for you

to be with your uncle and his family.

It's not that I'm running away,

it's that I just don't think I could bear
to be here during Seth's trial.

Oh, I understand that.

Look, I want you to stop worrying,
you hear?

I want you to go to San Francisco
and rest

and try to forget what's happened.

I'll come see you
as soon as we've sold the mine.

Thank you, Little Joe.
For everything.

I don't like to interrupt, but, uh,

that stage usually leaves on time,
Sara.

I'll drive you to town.
Oh, good.

This has been a color presentation

of the NBC Television Network.