All language subtitles for 5.13 The Prime of Life

The following program

is brought to you in living color
on NBC.

Ben!
Ha- ha- ha.

Why, you old son of a gun.
How are you?

You old hind-biter, how are you?
Just fine.

I thought you were gonna give up
by default.

Oh, you know me better than that.
Ha, ha. I guess I do.

No, I figured I had plenty of time
when my informant told me

that the bidding was down
to just you and me.

Your informant. You mean your spy.

Well, sometimes that works out
pretty good.

I remember once taking a contract
for three ships away

from you through the aid of a spy.
Ah, yeah.

She was a redhead, wasn't she?

Yeah. Ha, ha.

Well, that was a long time ago.
I was a little younger then.

We've had some pretty good tussles
through the years, Ben.

Yeah, sure have.
Never had a dull one.

No, and there never will be.

And I'll buy a drink to that
no matter who gets this contract.

All right, I'll take you up on it.

Uh, shall we go in
and find out the bad news?

After you, Ben.

The lost has been found,
gentlemen.

Mr. Fuller,
we've all been waiting for you.

Now we can get down to business.

Gentlemen, Mr. Fuller,
Mr. Cartwright.

Gentlemen.

Well, this is it, gentlemen.
The way it'll look when it's up.

It'll take a lot of lumber,
and we'll need it fast.

And, of course, we'll expect
the contracting company

to put up the usual guarantees
that they can handle it.

The sooner east and west
are connected by rail,

the better for the whole country.

It's a big, important contract.

Frankly, we had a very difficult time
deciding between you two gentlemen.

Although there is a contract
for some more material.

Speaking for my boys and myself,

I think we'd consider it a privilege
just to be pan of this project.

Any pan.

Well, I'm afraid
I'm not as gracious as Mr. Cartwright.

I'm after the trestle, not the tailing.

Mr. Fuller, I'm sorry, but the contract's
been awarded to Mr. Cartwright.

You'll furnish lumber
for railcars and ties,

but Ben Cartwright
has got the trestle.

I'll have the contracts
and the specifications

drawn up by this evening.

Congratulations.
Thank you.

Gentlemen, thank you.
Thank you very much.

Barney,
I hope you're not too disappointed.

Are you sympathizing with me, Ben?

Gentlemen, I have a healthy stand
of timber just waiting for the saw.

If anything happens
to Mr. Cartwright,

the railroad can depend on me
to finish the trestle.

Hey, Barney.

You're not forgetting about our drink,
are you?

Oh, no. No, of course not.
Ha, ha.

You're sure a gracious loser,
Mr. Fuller.

He sure is, but I wouldn't trust him
farther than I could throw him.

Timber!

Timber!

Timber!

Timber!

Oh, Mr. Cartwright.

A fella brought this up
from the railroad for you.

Oh, can I get you something to drink,
Mr. Cartwright?

No, no, thank you.

Well, isn't this fine?

Railroad's added some extra crews
and now they want

200 of those big pilings by Monday.

And 50 a day from then on.

Oh, the 50 I can guarantee,
but 200 by Monday?

We ain't got the crew
or the teams to do it with.

Well, I'll see if I can get
some extra men from the mines,

and I'll get some teams in town.

Oh, by the way, Adam,

I noticed some of your trimmers
nipping at the bottle on the job.

I want you to put a stop to that

before some of them find themselves
without hands and feet.

Well, I've done the best I can.

A man wants to drink,
that's his business.

I can't be everyplace at once.

A man in charge of a crew
is responsible

for everything connected with it.

We've got a rough schedule.
I want results.

Hmm. Now we really got a rough
schedule ahead of us.

I know you boys are tired already.

We sure are that.

I know you'd like
to have a few days' rest.

Hey, gee, thanks, Pa.

That's all right. You're, uh...
You got it coming to you.

That sounds great.

Yeah, well, like I said.
You got it coming to you.

After the job is done.

What color's the sky,
Mr. Cartwright?

Hmm?
I said, what color's the sky?

Blue.

You didn't look up when you said it.
You just guessed.

How long has it been
since you looked up?

You better get back
to sharpening those blades, Gabe.

We'll need them all in the morning.

Ah, they'll be ready
when they need them.

You ever hear of the fella who couldn't
see the forest for the trees?

Got himself so lest
he never did get out.

Now, if he had taken it
kind of slow and easy

and kept his head up
instead of down,

he might've got a glimpse of the sun

or he might have followed
the wild geese into the clear

instead of working himself
to a frazzle like you're doing.

I'm doing all right, Gabe.

I like the way you get things done,
Mr. Cartwright,

but a man's got to ease up
once in a while.

You know, just stop,
take time to give thanks

for the blessing of just being alive.

If he don't, he's liable to have an
epitaph on his tombstone that reads:

"Here lies a man
who let the joy of living wait.

He waited too long.
Now it's too late."

Well, thanks for the warning, Gabe.

I've always worked pretty hard
and I guess I always will.

Grandpa! Grandpa!

Hello, son. Martha. Come on.
Let me help you down here. Ah.

This is my grandson, Mr. Cartwright.

Jody, say howdy to Mr. Cartwright.

Howdy, Mr. Cartwright.
Well, howdy, Jody.

This is my daughter, Martha.

Married name is Fletcher.

Mrs. Fletcher.
You got a fine-looking boy here.

Thank you very much.

I didn't think you'd mind Martha
driving him over here

to visit with his grandpa.

Oh, well, no. Just as long as
he keeps out of harm's way.

Oh, he'll take care of himself,
all right.

He learned his lesson
when he saw his pa

kill himself
trying to break a spooky horse.

And terrible loss to all of us.

Yeah, well, why don't you, uh,
show Jody the flume, Gabe?

Sure. I'll do that. Come on, Jody.

Hey, did I ever tell you the time
I went around the horn in a schooner?

Sorry to hear about your husband,
Mrs. Fletcher.

You know, Gabe and I don't think alike
about too many things.

I'm awfully glad that your boy has
such a fine man as his grandfather

to look up to and love.

Thank you very much,
Mr. Cartwright. I--

You bring your boy around any time
you want to. He's perfectly welcome.

Thank you.

I'm telling you, Otis,

you've gotta get me
those extra teams!

And I'm telling you, Ben,
I ain't got any extra teams anymore.

Now, look, you had plenty last week.

What am Ito do?
Feed them hay burners,

waiting for you
to need more horses?

No, sir. I got an offer, I rented them.
Well, then get them back.

Oh, come on, Ben.

Well, I'll get them back!
Who's got them?

Barney Fuller.

Barney Fuller.

Yeah, I might have known.
His money's as good as anybody's.

Now, why don't you speak to him,
make a deal?

That'll be the day.

See you around, Ben.

In case you didn't hear me,
I said, that'll be the day.

I don't know what you mean, Ben.

Look, Barney, if you've come
hereto gloat, I haven't got the time.

Oh, on the contrary.

My spies tell me
the railroad's got the ties laid

to within a couple of miles
of the trestle

but that the men are sitting
around idle, waiting for the pilings.

I just hope you don't have to pay
an expensive penalty

because you had a little hard luck
with your delivery.

You'd love it.
Oh, no.

What I'm trying to say is,
if it'll be of any help,

I can let you have
a little of my own timber.

Now, you listen to me, Barney,
and you listen good.

I wouldn't take one softwood sapling
out of your stand.

Now, that trestle's gonna be built,

but it's gonna be built
with Ponderosa lumber.

Well, I hope you're right.
But, Ben, just remember one thing.

You can always depend
on Barney Fuller to help a friend.

Well, if I ever find a friend
of Barney Fuller's, I'll tell him.

Adam.

What's holding up those pilings?
They should've been out of here.

There's a cracked block in the rigging.
Hoss is working on it.

Oh, fine.

That's all I need.

You'd better get down to the trestle
and pacify those railroad men.

Tell them that every log they need will
be down to that site tomorrow at dawn

if it takes every available man
and team in the country.

Oh, what's going on here,
a Sunday school picnic?

Why isn't that block fixed?
There ain't no way to fix it.

It's gotta be replaced.
I got another on the way.

From where? We got plenty of those
in the storeroom.

No, we ain't, Pa. There ain't--
Gabe!

All right, Gabe, Hoss tells me we have
no more double blocks. How's that?

I plumb forgot to stock them.

Oh, did you?

Yeah, but I sent a man into town
for some,

and they should be here
in about an hour.

About an hour.

And how long have you been fooling
around with that?

About an hour.
That makes two hours lost.

Hoss, you listen to me.
I want all these logs

on the logging road
and on their way by nightfall.

I don't want any excuses. I just
want them at the trestle by morning.

But, Pa, that block ain't safe.
It might come apart any time.

It might and it might not.

We'll never know until we try
and find out. We're gonna try it.

Now, you listen to me.

I heard Barney Fuller tell me
that I'm in trouble,

and I just heard you tell me
why I'm in trouble.

It appears to me
the only trouble that I'm in

is trying to make you understand
that I made a promise to the railroad

and I intend for us all to live up to it.

Now, is that clear?

Clear enough, Pa. Come on, fellas.

Hey, that air sure smells good,
don't it?

Why don't you get the scent
of that pine in your lungs?

You know, it's just like a tonic.

Gabe, I got a hundred things
on my mind. Leave me be.

Oh. Oh, say, uh,
I got something for you.

I plumb forgot it.

It's a little horse.
Jody whittled it for you.

I helped him some,
but I don't want you

to tell him about that
when you see him.

He wanted you to have it.

All right,
you say thank you to Jody for me.

Yes, I will, Mr. Cartwright.

Hoss, that block just ain't gonna hold.

Just get it rigged up.

Get that team hooked up
over there, Pete.

Yeah, I'll do that.

Keep out from under that block.

All right, now, snap to it! Come on!

What's holding everything up here?
Get out from under the block.

Bunch of Sunday school kids.
We gotta be careful.

What?
We gotta be careful.

We'll be careful! Here, I'll guide it.

Now get those horses moving,
come on!

Get these horses moving!

Hyah!
Let's go!

Gabe! Bring me that cant hook!

Coming right up, Bill.

Come on. Get that moving.
Up we go.

All right, now, swing around.

Here you go, Bill.

Swing it!

It's going, Pa.

Gabe!

Pa.
See about Gabe.

Get him out.

Let me see.

How's Gabe?

Hoss, how's Gabe?

He's dead, Pa.

I killed him.

There.

That painful, Ben?

No, just a little stiff.

Well, that'll clear up as soon
as the leg has some use.

And there'll hardly be any scarring
as soon as those lacerations heal.

Now, Ben, you're gonna heal a lot
quicker without the use of that cane.

Yeah.
Goodbye.

Whoa.

Hi, boys.

Doc. How's Pa?

Not so good, I'm afraid.

He needs more help
than I can give him.

What's the matter?
Complications with the leg?

No, no.
I don't think he'd even have a scar.

What is it, then, doc?

The scar that worries me is in here.

Your father's not over
the shock of old Gabe's death.

He feels responsible,
he broods on it.

Yeah, we've noticed that.
Anything we can do?

Get him back to work
as soon as possible.

Get his mind off of that accident.

We need him back on the job,
that's for sure.

Good. That's what he needs.
I'll see you, boys.

Adios.
Good evening, doc.

So long, doc.

Hey, Pa, we just talked to the doc.

He said you're fit as a fiddle.
What say we get started, huh?

Joseph, will you, uh,
bring me the cashbox, please?

Yes, sir.

Here are the latest figures
on the cutting.

We finished up on the ridge
and we can start on the hogback

if it's all right with you.

Well, do what you think best, Adam.

Joseph.

I want you to have one of the hands
deliver this to Gabe's daughter,

Mrs. Fletcher.

I'd like it done today.
Yes, sir.

Don't you think we ought
to get started back to work?

Got a lot to do on that trestle.

Look, Pa, you can't go on blaming
yourself forever. It was an accident.

Pa, he's right.

You can't go on faulting yourself
just for trying hard.

When a man tries so hard

that he risks
the lives of other people...

From now on, the Ponderosa
belongs to the three of you.

Run it any way you see fit.

I thought I told you two
to stay out on the hogback and...

All right, what's wrong?
Plenty. No teams.

All right, where are they?

Watts' wrangler said
he got word from town to pull out.

And you let them go?

Well, how was I supposed
to stop them, Adam? With a gun?

No, I just want you two
to hold up your end of the job

like I'm holding up mine.

If you were the real walking boss
here like you're supposed to be,

you'd have known about
those teams before we did.

Would you like to take over?
No, I wouldn't.

Dag burn it,
I wish our pa would come back

and do his job
so we can do our own.

All right, let's ride into town
and find out what this is all about.

Business always comes first with me,
Adam,

and when a man is offered
a sizeable boost in his rates,

he can't let friendship
stand in his way.

Well, now,
just forget about friendship.

You made an agreement with my
father to furnish the teams for this job.

That's correct,
a gentleman's agreement.

With your father, not with his sons.

You had no right pulling out
without giving proper notice.

Oh, I tried, Adam. I tried.

I would've rode out to see Ben myself
if I didn't have this misery in my back.

But I sent word for him
to come and see me

and talk about a renegotiation
of our little agreement.

Your old man didn't even have the
gumption to answer back, so, what--?

Watts.

We want them horses.

I'd be happy to oblige, Hoss,
if I could,

but that Belgian hauling stock
is hard to come by

and every one of my horses
is spoke for elsewhere.

Where?

Well, they've gone to Barney Fuller.

Well, the Cartwright boys.

I'd like to buy you all a drink.

You know my ramrod, Jesse Wade.

Couple of my hands,
Tom, Jake, Chris.

We want these teams back, Fuller.

You know, I've been meaning
to come out to see your father.

Most unfortunate thing, men getting
hurt, delivery schedules all fouled up.

Well, accidents will happen, I guess.
Pull up a chair. Sit down.

Now, uh,
what was this about some teams?

Fuller, I want the teams back at
the Ponderosa by tomorrow morning.

Or you'll do what, young fella?

Send the sheriff
and his posse out after them? Heh.

I've got a legal right to them teams.

I'm not interested in your rights.
I'm more interested in your reason.

Tomorrow
I start to log from my own stand

for the Humboldt Canyon Trestle.

Whose decision was that?
The railroad's or your own, Mr. Fuller?

I told your pa
that if the railroad got in trouble

and the Cartwrights
started to drag their feet,

they could call on me.

And it looks like the Cartwrights
are starting to drag their feet.

My father made an agreement

to deliver Ponderosa lumber
to that trestle.

Now, you're not using those teams,

so, um, what are your terms
for releasing them?

There are no terms.

And I only talk to the head man.

Well, now you're talking to us.

He's through talking to you.

You boys go bawl
to your big powerful daddy.

Maybe he's got better ways
than you have

of begging Mr. Fuller
to get him off the hook.

Hold it!

Well, that's quite a show you put on.

And that's all it was, just a show.

You'll find that it takes more than
a fistfight to get along in the business

your father and I are in.

And when you get home,
tell your father

the next time
he wants to talk to Mr. Fuller,

not to send a boy to do a man's job.

Adam.

The doc tells me
your dad's leg is all healed up.

Why did he send you
instead of coming himself?

It's none of your business.

Barney's up to his old tricks, huh?

You're gonna have to watch out
for him.

He's always in there trying.

Well, what do you
want us to do about Fuller?

Do whatever you want.

You don't care, is that it?

Joe, I think I've cared too much
all my life about the wrong things.

Couldn't see the forest for the trees.

Well, maybe it's not too late
to change.

Pa, it's such a waste.

You're right in the prime of life.
And just to throw it away?

I'm not throwing it away.

Just want to change my life
before it's too late.

This ranch was always planned
for you three anyways.

Good time for you to take over.

Pa, that ain't what I meant.

What did you mean?

Pa, what Hoss meant is that...

Is that we need you with us, Pa.

Well...

I think you'll have to start
seeing things my way.

Well, we can't see it your way,
because this isn't your way.

It's puttering around and a lot
of small talk, that's Gabe's way.

Leave him out of this.

For Ben Cartwright.

This come for you, Mr. Cartwright.

She sent it back.
She say why?

No.

She didn't have to.

Hey, little buddy, what you got here?

This is Fen Fletcher.

A new cavalry outpost
for the protection of the settlers.

Yeah? Well, I reckon we can use
another fun around here, Jody.

Hey, mister, you know my name.
What's yours?

Hoss. Hoss Cartwright.
Is your mom home?

She's inside. Mom! Mom!

What is it, Jody? Oh.

Ma'am, I'd like to talk to you a minute
if I could.

Oh. Run along, Jody.
Sure, Mom.

Well, what did you wanna say,
Mr. Cartwright?

Well, ma'am, it's about our pa.

Well, he's been blaming himself
for Gabe-- For your father's death.

Oh. Well, he mustn't do that.
It was an accident.

Our pa don't believe it.

We were son of hoping maybe
if you'd come out and talk to him,

you being Gabe's daughter and all,
that maybe he'd...

Well, maybe it'd be more important
that way and be of more help.

Well, I'll think about it,
Mr. Cartwright.

Thank you, ma'am.

Anything you could do,
we'll appreciate it.

Thank you, little buddy.

Did your pa get the horse
I carved for him?

He sure did.

You tell your pa if he likes it,
I'll make him another one

so he'll have a matched pair.

Fine.

I'll tell him. Thank you, little buddy.

Find this in woodshed,
Mr. Cartwright.

For you. For making pretty things.

Not good you sit here all the time.

You ready to eat, Mr. Cartwright?

No. No, thank you.

When you hungry, you just holler.

Ah.

Didn't mean to get you out of bed, Ben.
Mind if I come in?

How do you feel, Ben?

Oh, I feel pretty good, Barney.

Sit down.

You know, Ben,

I've been worried about you.

Oh?
I mean it.

We've had a few battles
throughout the years,

but there's never been
anything personal.

You know that.
Yeah, I know.

Your boys were in town
to see me yesterday.

I suppose you know.
Yeah.

Did they tell you what I told them?

Yeah, they told me.

What I especially told them was to tell
you not to send boys to do a man's job.

Now, Barney,
don't go underestimating these boys.

They're better than I ever was.
Is that so?

Yeah.

I'm sorry
I can't say the same about you.

I didn't think
you'd pull that kind of trick.

I cut my cloth to fit the size
of the people I'm up against.

You're making a mistake, Barney.
Is that so?

That is, unless you've been giving
them the benefit of your advice.

No.
They're handling things their own way.

Why? Big Ben Cartwright getting tired?
Abdicating?

I find that hard to believe,
even on your say-so.

Barney,
I don't care what you believe.

I ain't jumping when you throw that
hickory club of yours into my wheel.

So I'm beginning to see.

That son of clears things up for me.

You know, Ben,
I've always admired this house.

Maybe someday
I'll see my way clear to buy it.

You know, I have no respect for a man
that don't measure up.

I can't afford
to waste my time on him.

If he just stands there,
I walk right over him.

The Ben Cartwright I know
wouldn't hold still for that.

But you don't act like him.

Takes all the fun out
of this business

when you got nobody
to stand up to you.

Go back to bed, Ben.

What are you doing
with those horses?

Taking them up to the camp.
What for?

Hauling logs.

Well, Joseph, they're saddle horses.
You know better than--

Yeah, Pa, I know better. But when
you haven't got anything else,

you make do with what you've got.

Watts should never have been allowed
to getaway with taking our teams.

Watts got away with that because...

Because?

You made it quite clear
you're not interested

whether that trestle
gets finished or not.

You're not interested in that
or in anything else.

It took us a little while
to get used to that,

but now we are and we're gonna
take care of everything by ourselves.

Give you plenty of time
to do whatever it is you wanna do.

Now, we don't ask
any questions of you, Pa.

I think it'd be just fair
if you didn't ask any questions of us.

Whoa.

Mrs. Fletcher.

How do you do, Mr. Cartwright?
I was just passing and...

Well, I'm so glad. Please come in.
I'll have Hop Sing make us some tea.

Oh, no, thank you. I can't stay long.
I left Jody with a neighbor.

Oh. Please sit down.

I wasn't just passing, Mr. Cartwright.
I came to see you deliberately.

Do you know why?

Well, I hope it's because you've
changed your mind about the money.

Oh. No, I haven't changed my mind
about that.

I didn't mean to offend you by it.
If I did, I'm sorrier than I can say.

Oh, I wasn't offended.

Well, why did you send it back?

We don't need that kind of help.

Well, then how will you
and your boy get along?

Our livelihood did not depend
on my father.

I have a small business
as a dressmaker in Virginia City.

You knew that.
Well, yes, yes, I did know that.

You sent me that money
to ease your conscience, didn't you?

I take full blame for what happened,
Mrs. Fletcher.

No, you mustn't do that.
It was an accident.

No, no. It wouldn't have happened
if I hadn't been pushing so hard.

Your father tried to tell me.

I wouldn't listen.

You're a builder, Mr. Cartwright,
a deer.

Well, my father, he was a dreamer.

You built the Ponderosa,
he built castles in sand.

Mrs. Fletcher,
it isn't making it any easier

for you to try to find excuses for me.

Men die at their work every day, even
on their own land, like my husband.

No one's to blame.

The fact still remains,

I'm responsible
for your father's death.

Not any more than I am. I was the one
that made him work there.

Does that make me responsible?

My husband died breaking a horse
to support me and my child.

Are we guilty of his death?

We can't weep forever for our dead,
Mr. Cartwright, or for our mistakes.

We have to continue to live.

Me for Jody. And you for your sons.

You have to hook them up in
threes before they can do any hauling.

I'm not sure
if they can do it even then.

Do we have a choice?

All right,
take them up the logging road.

They're quitting. They want their pay.

You can't quit, not after we
brought the extra teams up here.

I guess this is another
one of Barney Fuller's little tricks.

Well, I tried talking with them, Adam.
You have a go at it.

You know, there's a kind of an
unwritten law in the logging business.

Nobody quits in the middle of
cutting season without good cause.

Now, what's the reason, Mike?
It's a matter of conditions.

What conditions?

Your pa was bull of the woods
in this camp when we first came in.

Now it looks like
he's not gonna come back

and likely won't need us again
after the cutting's finished, if it is.

Maybe there's something
I didn't think was necessary to tell you.

I'm bull of the woods here.

And it really doesn't matter
whether my father comes back or not.

Whatever you think his job was,
it's mine now.

Are any of you man enough
to prove me wrong?

Any one of you.

No, no.

This is going to be interesting, Joe.
Let's sit down and watch it.

No, no, no. Not me. Him. He's the bull
of the woods. Get him, get him.

He ain't bad.

Does that answer your question, men?

All of you working here,
you can go right on working.

If you wanna quit, you can quit.

But whether you quit
or whether you continue to work,

I just want you to know that
the Ponderosa will continue to operate,

no matter who tries to stop it.

Okay, fellas, let's go back to work.

Good to see you, Pa.

Now, what's the next move, Adam?

Ahh. Get the teams back.
Oh, uh, would you do me a favor?

Would you mind if I, uh,
did that alone?

I would have sent word.
I sent word to you.

I would've come up,
but I had this ache in my back.

I couldn't make it.

Oh, come on, Ben Cartwright.
You got no call to push me around.

Because I told you I sent word for you
to come and see me about this.

Well, I'm here.
So we can get them teams right now.

Well, I can't get them together.

We'll get as many as we can.
We'll get the rest later.

But, Ben--
Now, listen to me, you.

What you did
was no better than horse stealing.

Horse stealing?
Horse stealing.

But they're my own animals.
Well, I'm renting them!

Get them!

Well, Ben, what are you doing
out of bed? And without a cane?

Well, why don't you come down
from under that geranium pot

and I'll tell you.

No, I don't want to see you
standing out here.

Come on inside. Sit down.

You come down here.

Now, here's what I want to tell you,
Barney.

We've still got that trestle contract.

We're gonna pay whatever penalty
we have to for the delay I caused,

but just remember this,
it's gonna be a Ponderosa trestle.

And if these timber wolves of yours
get in the way...

Well, we'll just have to cut them down
the way we cut down our trees.

Put that away, Jesse.

You know, I guess I figured wrong.

I was plumb sure
you had lost your guts.

What happened?

Somebody taught me an angle.
What angle?

That a man can't really go against
his true nature.

That's a pretty good angle.
Yeah.

I learned it from a friend.

Hyah!

Whoa. Whoa.

Here you are, Ben.
All I could dig up for the present.

Step aside, boy.

I said, step aside, boy.

Thank you, Watts.

Come on! Hyah!

Hyah!

Welcome home, Ben.

Well, there it is.

Most beautiful trestle in the world.

And there was a day
when I thought we'd never see it.

There was a time
when I didn't care if I ever did or not.

We knew better than that, Pa.

Hey, Pa, what about
that little rest you promised us?

Oh, yeah. Well, uh, that depends.
On what?

On the bull of the woods.

Moo.

The bull said yeah, Pa.

This has been a color presentation

of the NBC Television Network.