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Ah. I'll tell you, nothing like a good home-cooked meal.

The chuck wagon chow at a roundup isn't too bad

for the first couple of days, but...

Now, Pa, the way I figure it,

if we could just buy up about 5- or 600 more acres,

we might just about be able to break even.

Hose's appetite is an old joke around here, Will.

It sure is. Fact is that my little brother down there

is just jealous of my gastronomic appreciation.

Heh, all right, boys. We got a lot of work yet to do, so let's get back to it.

Are the horses ready? Saddled them all myself, Pa.

Oh, that's why you ate so much.

Will, today we're gonna show you a section of the Ponderosa

that you haven't seen yet.

Got some pretty exciting plans for it too.

I want you to tell me what you think about them.

You mind if I stay home, Ben?

Why? Aren't you feeling well?

I guess I'm just a little tired after the roundup.

I keep forgetting you're not used to the ranch work.

Sure, you stay home.

That'll give you, uh, a little extra time to,

you know, think about our conversation.

I have thought about it.

I know that you've been wandering around a lot since your father died.

Wandering has its exciting aspects. I know that.

But, well, the Ponderosa can be a pretty exciting place too.

If you let it.

It isn't always easy for a man to change his ways, Ben.

I know. No, you're right. Sure.

Well, you take your time and think about that conversation.

I promise you that.

We'll probably be back after dark. Maybe I'll find an answer by then.

Will isn't coming. What's bothering him anyhow, Pa?

It's a difficult adjustment for him to make.

Don't forget he's been on his own ever since my brother died.

He's still a Cartwright. Why doesn't he just relax?

Anything we can do about it? Yeah.

Go about our own business and leave him to his.

Whoa, Cochise.

What's the matter? He's got a loose shoe, Pa, I think.

He's been favoring his front left.

Yeah, it's loose all right. I better go back to the house and fix it.

Why don't you ride on ahead? I'll catch up.

Come on, boys.

Well, what are you doing back so soon?

Told my pa I had a loose shoe on the horse.

I wanted to come back and talk to you.

What about?

I don't know.

I was wondering if there was anything about any one of us

that was bothering you.

Will, I can't understand why it's taking you so long

to make up your mind whether you wanna stay on here.

Joe, will you stop pushing?

Joe, it's not you. It's not any of you. It's me.

I don't know that I'm cut out for the kind of life

you lead here on the Ponderosa.

What do you mean, the kind of life that we lead here?

Now, what's so different about it here?

Look, Joe.

Having the Cartwright name

doesn't make me the kind of Cartwright you are.

I've wandered all over the world

and I've done a little bit of everything a man can do.

And trying to settle down in one place, nice as it is,

might just not be possible for me anymore.

Look, I don't care what kind of troubles you've had in the past.

Whether you'll have more troubles in the future

doesn't make any difference either.

No matter what it is, your troubles are our troubles.

Will, we're family here. That's what I want you to understand.

Look, I'll level with you.

It means an awful lot to my pa whether you stay here or not.

That's why I want you to make up your mind.

The longer you wait, the more it's gonna hurt him.

All right, I'll stop pushing. You think about it.

I better get going. I can't feel him about that horse too long.

Joe, you've just helped me make up my mind.

See you tonight.

I'm Lieutenant Bancroft from Fort Wheeler. Where's Ben Cartwright?

He's not here. Can I help you, Lieutenant?

Who are you? Will Cartwright.

Never heard of any Will Cartwright.

Well, I never heard of a Lieutenant Bancroft.

You wanna wait inside or out?

This matter we have on hand won't wait.

Door's open. Make up your mind. I'm leaving anyway.

Corporal, walk those horses dry. Wagner, bring him in.

Put him over there.

He needs a doctor. If I didn't have to get him back to the fan alive,

I'd just as soon settle for an undertaker.

Who is he? Name is Lee Hewitt.

Wanted in four states.

Caught him and his gang trying to ambush the Army pay wagon

south of Carson Sink.

Too bad you didn't get the others, Lieutenant.

That means you're a dead man.

Looks kind of young to be such a prize, Lieutenant.

Young, mean and clever, no matter what he looks like.

Well, he's your problem, Lieutenant.

Stay as long as you need. I'm sure my uncle won't mind.

You seem pretty anxious to ride away from here.

Where you going? I want an answer.

Look, my eager young friend.

Now, you've only got my word for it that I'm a Cartwright.

And all that tells me that you're a Cavalry officer is that uniform.

Go on. Ben's my uncle.

And I got three cousins. Their names are Adam, Hess and Little Joe.

We'll call it a draw.

On your way, stop by in town and send back a doctor.

I'll appreciate it.

Well, since you put it that way, I guess I can find the time.

Now, where can I clean up?

You'll find everything you need upstairs.

Here. Thanks.

You got a drink? It'll make that wound bleed more.

I got plenty left. Okay.

This is a nice ranch.

Must feel good to be pan of something like this.

I'm not pan of it.

I thought I heard you say your name was Cartwright.

This is the Cartwright spread, ain't it? So what?

So nothing.

Except I just always wanted something like this all my life.

Hey, maybe I could take your place, huh?

I mean, maybe I could talk a deal with that Lieutenant, huh?

Good joke.

You tell me another one like that and I'll let you bleed to death.

You know, you and me, we ought to have a talk.

Can't do much talking on the end of a rope, lad.

You know, you're all right.

You got the look of an outsider. And I know just how that feels.

I've heard Ben talk about you several times, young fella.

Mighty glad to meet you at last. Thank you, doc.

Ben says you might be staying with us permanently.

Haven't seen him so happy about anything in along while.

Maybe when we meet next time, we can have a nice friendly chat.

If I were staying.

Oh, sorry to hear that, young fella.

Bet Ben was too, huh? He doesn't know about it yet.

Didn't mean to pry. Just interested, that's all.

Wagner, you gonna do that, do it outside.

Outside, both of you, and stand watch.

Ow!

Are you trying to kill me, doc?

You make a lot of fuss, young fella.

It ain't even that bad or that deep.

And here. Bite on this.

I don't need that. Bite!

You gonna tell me how lucky I am?

Thanks.

Doc, if you're still here when my uncle gets back,

tell him I made up my mind. He'll understand.

What about those two troopers?

They were too busy eating fried chicken to keep a sharp lookout.

It made it nice and easy for Charlie and me.

Oh, Lee, why? Why?

Well, it took you long enough to get here.

Yeah, I know. I lost your trail a couple of times.

She tried to make another break for it.

When will we get rid of her? She's nothing but trouble.

I'll decide what to do with my own wife.

Oh, yeah, Mr. Cartwright.

This is my wife, Emma.

All even, Little Boy Blue.

You know, you two done me a big favor

and I'd sure like to pay you back.

Now, I don't mind leaving pieces of evidence around.

I don't like to leave witnesses. Stop!

Now, Why'd you do that? Haven't you done enough?

Won't you ever be satisfied? No, I won't!

Now, you just keep your own mouth shut!

Hey, look, Lee. There's a safe over here.

Hey, wait a minute.

When that Lieutenant came in, he asked for Ben Cartwright.

Now, if he's top man around here, he'd have a combination.

Heh, so all we have to just do is sit here and wait for him.

Yeah, and won't he be surprised

to have an ambush at his own ranch house?

Fletch, you take Charlie and get Little Boy Blue over there

and get rid of him and them troopers outside.

And hide the horses.

There'll be four Canwrights coming back.

Four? That's right.

Ben and his three sons.

And there could be some gunplay. I don't think you're in any shape for it.

What's that to you?

When Ben and his boys come back,

they're not gonna be eating fried chicken, amigo.

Well, I can handle them, amigo. You sure of that?

Are you trying to make a deal?

You know, somewhere along the line, I knew you'd get that idea.

All right. I'll get you the money out of the safe. That's nothing.

What's really important is that you don't know this country.

And after what you just did,

there's gonna be a lot of people chasing you that do.

I'll lead you out of here.

And I know a lot of places to hide along the way while we're doing it.

That sounds like a fair deal. Your life for mine.

You could lead us right into a posse too, couldn't you?

And run the risk of getting killed in the middle of a gunfight?

I'm not that stupid.

How about it?

I don't know. All right. Stay here.

Fight it outwith the Canwrights for a few measly hundred I can hand you.

What about him?

Well, you'll need him to watch that wound for a few days.

Heh, after that, you won't need him anymore.

You know something?

I think that you and I could get along real well together.

Why not?

You and me, we're the same. Both of us outsiders.

Am I wrong about that? No, you're not wrong about that.

I'd rather ride alone than be tied to a spread,

no matter how good it looks from the inside.

And this one looks pretty good.

You know something, mister? You make a lot of sense.

Maybe you can be some help after all, even though your name is Cartwright.

No, it isn't.

Now it's just "thieving traitor."

You just be glad you're living.

You might come in pretty handy.

Okay, we'll do it your way.

First let me have your gun belt.

You just remember, there's gonna be four guns watching you.

Because we don't know yet just how much of an outsider you are.

Get at the safe.

You really think he can help us?

Uh-huh.

Unless he's thinking of tricking us.

Well, we can always kill him if he tries something like that, can't we?

Well, we're gonna do that anyway. Yes, sir, we're gonna do that anyway.

No light, Pa. I'll go light a lamp.

Looks like Will went to bed early.

Heh. Well, he said he was pretty tired from the roundup.

Why don't you put the horses away? Yeah.

You tired too? I'm ready for bed.

Pa, Will's saddlebags are gone. He always leaves them here.

Probably put in his room.

I'll go look.

Will's not in his bed.

Went for a ride, maybe went to town. I don't think so.

Look, Pa, I lied to you today when I told you

there was something wrong with my horse.

I just used that as an excuse to come back and talk to Will.

Oh?

Look, I know how much it meant to you to have Will stay here with us,

how happy you'd have been if Will had come with us today.

I just wanted Will to know how we felt. That we felt the same way.

That we wanted him to be part of the family.

And?

He didn't know one way or the other. I said, "Well, make up your mind.

Make up your mind whether you're gonna go or gonna stay."

I didn't want him to wait and then hurt you later on.

Go on.

And when I left he told me I'd...

I'd helped him to make up his mind.

I guess I helped him the wrong way.

But I just can't believe that...

He'd just go off without saying goodbye or...

It's my fault.

I pushed him too hard. It's my fault that he's gone.

Oh, no. No, Joe. It's not your fault.

After all, he's a grown man.

He's old enough to make his own decisions.

He'll, uh-- He'll be back again.

Sure, he'll be back again.

I hope so, Pa.

Sorry we can't offer you any, but it wasn't enough to go around.

Some coffee?

Dolph?

Now? Now.

You done a good job, Cartwright.

And we're just as safe as we can be.

Sorry we can't take you and the doc along with us.

Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?

We're not that far out of Ponderosa country yet.

We'll do fine from here on out.

What'll you do for money?

You said yourself there wasn't much in the safe.

That's something we know how to get without your help.

Like that Army payroll, where you wound up with a bullet in you?

Supposing I told you that I knew where and when

a government stage is coming through?

And it's right on our way out of here.

Where? Not far.

It'll have twice as much gold on it as you've ever seen.

Now, wouldn't you like to leave here with those saddlebags full,

instead of a few hundred dollars? I don't trust him.

You shut up.

How much gold?

You won't know that fill you open the strongbox.

But I'll tell you this. If you kill me now, you'll never know.

That's right. When's it coming through?

I'll let you know when.

In the meantime, you'll be perfectly safe here till it's time to ride.

But we get rid of him now. Okay, kill the doc.

But if that wound busts open, don't ask me to fix it for you.

You trying to tell me what to do? That's right.

Look, I know you'd get a kick out of killing us, but, uh...

Well, just think about it. What buys more?

Two dead men or what's gonna be on that stage?

Okay.

But you just better be right.

Because you're only gonna have one chance to prove it.

That's all I ask.

You sure must like living, Cartwright, buying time the way you do.

You're lucky I'm so greedy.

You just leave him be for now.

Well, don't feel too bad about it, Dolph.

Oh, there'll be something in it for you.

Uh, maybe you can ambush the driver and the guard from behind.

I bet you'd like that.

That's enough! I said, that's enough. Enough!

You know, I'm starling to like you all over again, Cartwright.

You handle yourself pretty good.

You've got the money with you? No.

Not me, Pa.

That's funny. I had a couple of hundred dollars in the safe.

It's gone now. It's empty.

Well, maybe Hoss needed it for something.

Yeah, well, I'll check with him later.

Anyway, pick up some cash at the bank

before you get the supplies, huh?

Where's Hoss anyway? Isn't he going with us?

No, no, he's back of the barn there

chopping down some dead trees before they get blown down, heh.

I'll see you later.

Hyah!

Pa!

Pa!

Whoa.

I was just starting around back and I found something.

You ought to come look for yourself.

It's three dead soldiers back there in our bush.

Looks like the Lieutenant was shot and the other two stabbed.

Adam, get Sheriff Coffee out here.

Pa, you don't suppose Will too?

Better start looking around.

Oh, honey, just how long you gonna stay mad at me?

You should know.

Hey, now, but that ain't right. I mean, you're my wife.

You know you ain't worn my ring since we had that little misunderstanding.

Is that what you wanna call it?

Aw, honey, it's just because I want you so much.

As a wife or a woman?

Keep your eyes off me and listen.

I'm not pan-- I'm not interested.

I'm sorry I had to hit you so hard, doc.

I said I don't wanna talk to you, you filthy traitor.

Listen, I had to do everything I could to convince Lee that I was on his side.

It was the only way I could think of getting him away from the ranch,

saving Ben and the others from an ambush and keeping you and me alive.

There's still a long shot that we're gonna get out of this.

But you've gotta play along with me.

Wait our time.

Sure hope you don't have to do any more proving.

Now things are just gonna work out fine.

But you gotta shut your sweet eyes-- To the kind of man you've become?

What would you do if I tried to run away again?

Would you shoot me this time?

Oh, come on, now. That's just plain silly.

Besides, you're bound to see it my way sometime.

All I see is din.

Ha, ha. Ooh.

Hey, now, I know what'll convince you.

Soon as we finish here, I'm gonna take you to San Francisco

and I promise you, we'll have all the money we ever need.

We don't have to go scratching

or living out of the ground the way our folks did.

I'm gonna buy you the best house.

With fancy furniture and servants and all the best people to entertain.

And I'm gonna open a saloon.

Better than any saloon they have in St. Louis.

And every time you walk in,

I'm gonna have that band play something special.

Something special for Mrs. Lee Hewitt, just so everybody'll know who you are.

Don't that sound wonderful?

Sounds horrible.

Hey!

Fred, you and Ernie best get back to town

and get some men together for a posse.

Ben, are you sure you ain't got no idea what happened?

Roy, I tell you, I don't know.

Maybe whoever robbed the safe was surprised by Bower and his men.

I don't know. Wait a minute.

Where was Will when all this happened?

He wasn't here.

Well, I saw Will and the doc riding out toward the Ponderosa yesterday.

Roy, did you see the doc this morning?

No, I didn't.

I'll bet you they got caught up in this somehow.

Well, let's start looking.

Here, have a drink. Pair of ladies.

Pair of ladies. Well, let's see what I've got here.

I'm a loser.

Mm. Lost again.

Listen, I wanna talk to you.

I'm not one of them.

That why you joined them? Only to stay alive.

Save my family and doc. He knows.

I'm stalling for all the time I can get. Give the posse a chance to close in.

I don't care. It's all over for Lee and me anyhow.

Lost again.

I can't figure you with that.

Oh.

You could when we were first married.

What changed him? Hatred.

After his father was killed in a barroom brawl, Lee started...

I thought if we left St. Louis, he'd gradually forget the hate.

Make a new life somewhere out here.

It wasn't easy. Then he met the others.

They showed him the fast way to make money.

Two months later, he was showing them.

Did you try--? Try to stop him?

Oh, I even tried to leave him a month ago.

When he caught up to me...

Well, afterwards he took me to a doctor

and when the man finished fixing me up,

he looked at Lee and said if he ever saw him again, he'd kill him.

Since then I've been watched day and night.

If I make a move against Lee, will you help me?

Whoa.

Ben, I believe if we split up here, we'd cover a lot more territory.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Uh, Joe, you and Adam, you go with Roy. Hoss, you come with me.

Come on, boys.

I want you to ride out of here to Virginia City.

What about you and the doc? We'll be all right.

As long as we can keep Lee thinking about all that money that's around here.

Will you do it?

Right, now listen.

The trail begins about a mile down.

Now, find someone who'll get word to my family

that we're holed up on the Old Quarry Road.

Now, if they miss us here,

tell them that I'm gonna steer Lee back by the Rimrock Stage Station.

I'll try to keep Dolph busy.

The minute you see me start talking to him,

make your way over to the horses.

Can you ride bareback? Yes.

You're quite a gal.

What do you think you're doing?

Dolph, if I'd have known you packed such a good right hand,

I'd have never tangled with you.

Get back over there with the others.

Listen, we got a long way to ride together.

No sense being at each other's throats, is there?

Let's forget it.

You must be kidding. Get back over there with the others like I--

Where do you think you're going? Get Lee!

I'm sorry, the horse-- We'll think of something.

What else can we do? I don't know yet.

But struggle, struggle.

She was trying to run away again.

You're giving me an awful lot of trouble, Emma.

Maybe you just ain't worth it.

Then let me go.

What, so you can tell them where we are?

Oh, I used to love you a lot, Emma.

And I thought you loved me.

Now I just can't trust you.

Not at all.

Step away from her, Cartwright.

You're insane.

Yeah, I used to love you a lot, Emma, but you just don't listen anymore.

And that can't be, honey. That just can't be.

Don't be a fool, Lee!

Get out of my way!

You wanna let a posse know exactly where we are?

They're miles from here. You sure?

You wanna ruin everything?

All right, we'll tie her up.

We'll talk in the morning. No, new.

Three hours from here is the Rimrock Stage Station.

Well, why didn't you tell me that before?

I said I'd let you know when I was ready.

Well, you're forgetting that I'm giving the orders.

I'm not forgetting anything.

But do you want a clear shot at the gold that's gonna be there or not?

You saying that I don't know how to handle myself?

No, but I'm the one that knows how things are set up around here.

Remember? Yeah.

Well, if we'd have got up there early and hung around,

the operator would get suspicious.

We might wind up fighting for our lives and that stage would get away.

There's no profit in that, is there, Lee?

Maybe you're right.

Now, if we leave now, we'll get there by morning.

And that's when the stage is due. Okay.

But I want you up in front, because I'm gonna be watching you.

All right.

It appears like this is the last stop, all right.

It ain't been long neither.

Roy, come here. Yeah?

It's the kind of cigar my cousin smokes.

Then he could be with them. Tracks lead off that way.

Well, we'd better tell Pa.

All right, but we ain't gonna wait for you.

Sure he knows where he's going? It's an open grave if he don't.

Well, I don't like it. We could be spotted from anywhere up there.

I'll check.

Where you leading us? This ain't a trail.

We're making our own.

It's harder for the posse and shorter to the station.

Relax, boy. It's my life too, remember?

We found out where they hid out, Pa. By Old Quarry Road.

What else? Well, looks like Will's with them.

We figured you ought to be along.

Well, what about the sheriff? They went on ahead.

The tracks were heading for the Rimrock area.

How many people? Just the man and his wife.

All right, let's go easy.

Fletch, you take the horses around back.

Well, welcome to Rimrock, folks.

Uh, I'm Ed Wharton. Hello there, Ed.

Why don't you all just sit down, huh? Make yourself comfortable.

Uh, what's your pleasure, sir?

We'd like some, uh, whiskey and food.

Oh, right. Right away.

Kate's out back stirring up some stew.

Make it feel like a brand-new day. Almost ready now.

Just tell her to wash her hands. "Brand-new day."

Here you are.

Hey, mister.

I've been on the trail too. Don't I get any service?

Oh, sure, sure. Uh, what do you want?

Give me some cigars. Oh, right.

They're right up here on the shelf.

Here you are, sir. Give me alight.

Get the sheriff. These men are wanted for murder.

You heard what I said. Get the boys some stew!

Right, I'll go help Kate in the kitchen.

Cigar, gentlemen? Yeah.

Here, have a cigar. Thanks.

I believe him, Kate. That young fella needs help.

What are you gonna do? Gonna get some.

Now, you keep them busy eating and drinking.

Right. Ed, be careful.

Ah, this is the best stew we ever laid eyes on.

You be sure and give the little lady here a recipe before we leave.

Glad to.

Whoa!

Gonna bust in on them? Surprise them?

No, can't do that. Not with two women in there.

I wonder if we can bluff them out.

You ain't drinking at all.

Well, somebody's gotta stay sober.

Yeah, you're right. Somebody's gotta stay sober.

You're a good man, Cartwright.

Come outwith your hands up! All of you!

Who's that? I don't know. I can't see him.

Sounds like my uncle, Ben Cartwright.

You said you wanted to meet him.

Now's your chance. You've done this!

You got 10 seconds before we start shooting.

Make up your mind!

Ben usually means what he says.

You better get on out there with your hands up.

That way, you've got some kind of a chance.

After what we done to them troopers?

Oh, one more ain't gonna make any difference.

Well, what are you waiting for? Kill him!

You leave this to me.

We got a second posse on its way.

And I promise you the sheriff won't give you this much of a chance.

You got four seconds to come out now!

Two seconds!

Go on, Cartwright. Shoot your own kin.

He thought he was being real clever leading us away from that ranch

so I wouldn't kill you all, but I knew it all the time.

Yes, sir. I did.

What do you want? You ride out.

And if you try to follow us later, he gets it.

How do I know he'll be safe?

Well, I just might send him back and I just might not.

But you got no choice.

Or one of them Canwrights gets it right now.

If he doesn't come back and I find you,

I promise you the buzzards won't want you.

When I give the word, start throwing shots at that roof.

What for? Come on, just do it.

Now!

You all right? Yeah. Stay down here.

Keep them pinned down!

All right, drop!

Cooking is not the only thing I can do, young man.

Emma, help me, please.

Help me, Emma.

Hoss, Joe, put him on a horse.

Well, Emma, I hope you'll come back to visit us again sometime soon.

Thank you for letting me rest here these last few weeks.

You have a lovely ranch, Mr. Cartwright.

Thank you.

And a lovely family.

Oh, heh. Heh.

I'll never forget your kindness.

I'll never forget anything. Goodbye, Emma.

Bye. Hyah.

Will, I was just wondering.

Maybe you ought to go along and catch that stage.

Not gonna be another one through here for the next couple of days.

Push, push, push.

You know, boy, he's got the right name.

He's libel to turn into a pretty good Cartwright after all, I reckon.

Well, I don't know. You never know.

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