All language subtitles for 6.31 The Return

The following program
is brought to you

in living color on NBC.

Whoa.

Trace.

I were these for ten years, Mr. Dom.

The Territory of Nevada says
that pays me up for what I did.

I know you don't figure it that way,
but I'm free now

and I'm back.

And I'm hereto stay.

Cordell!

You get out of this town.

I told you, Mr. Dom, I'm hereto stay.

Trace.

What, Mr. Cartwright?

Welcome home.

I don't need anything from you,
Mr. Cartwright.

I don't need anything from any of you.

Hyah.

That boy is real trouble.

Are you sure
you're looking at the right man, Roy?

Let's see now. Some mash,

and, uh, some corn.

You better keep that down
to 50 pounds this week, Seth. Heh, heh.

Hop Sing says if those chickens
get any fatter,

they'll start looking like Hoss.
Heh, heh.

Anything else, Ben?

Something wrong?

I think there is, Seth.

All right, if you wanna know.
I didn't think you should've done

what you did out there on the street
a little while ago.

I mean, going over to Trace Cordell

and offering him your hand,
right in front of Paul Dom.

Well, would you rather I did it
behind Paul's back?

Oh, you know what I mean, Ben.

Yes, I think I do.
I thought you were a friend of Paul's.

lam.

Well then, why did you do it, Ben?

Because I believe that when a man
has served his prison sentence

for something that he's done,
that should be the end of it.

That's easy for you to say.

But if you were the one
that Trace put in the wheelchair

for the rest of your life,
you'd feel just like Paul does.

I hope not, Seth.

Trace Cordell's got a lot of gall
coming back--

Seth, that was ten years ago.

Trace Cordell was hardly
17 years old

and you knew his ma and him
just as well as I did.

Are you excusing him
for what he did?

I am not excusing him for anything.

When Trace went into that bank,
I don't believe he intended to rob it.

Oh.
"Oh," nothing.

Trace was a desperate, frightened boy
with a dying mother.

He had a gun. He shot Paul.
He made a cripple out of him.

Oh, what's the use of talking?

Well, my boys
will pick up this stuff tomorrow.

Oh, Mr. Cartwright,
I've been looking for you.

I have a message from Mr. Dom.
It's for you, too, Mr. Hubbell.

He'd like you to be at his house
tonight at 7:00.

What for?

He's invited about 20 of the leading
citizens in town to a meeting.

A meeting?
It's about Trace Cordell.

About laying plans to keep him
from settling down in Virginia City.

As far as I'm concerned,

Trace has every right
to stay in this town if he wants to.

He has to work
if he wants to stay here.

He has to eat.
Of course he does.

But he won't be able to do either one.
Not in this town.

He won't be able to get a job
slopping pigs.

He won't be able to buy
so much as a pound of beans.

People in this town
will freeze him out.

What makes you the spokesman
for the people in this town?

After last year's drought,

do you know how many merchants
and ranchers around here

owe the bank money
on demand notes?

Yes, I'm beginning to find that out,
Paul.

A man fights with everything
he has to fight with.

A man? Yes.

Well, you're not fighting
like the man that you used to be.

I am not the man I used to be.
Look at me.

Cordell gotten years but I got life.

Cordell is free but I'm still paying.

Paul, please.
Oh, now we hear from my helpmate.

You agree with Ben?
Forgive and forget.

Well, I haven't forgotten it.

And I won't forget how you and Cordell
used to hold hands

walking down the street
like a couple of mooncalf lovers.

Paul.

If you ever so much as look
at Trace Cordell again, I swear I'll...

I used to think
there wasn't a man in town

who felt as sorry for you,
for what happened to you, as I did.

But I was wrong.

I don't feel nearly as sorry for you
as you do for yourself.

Trace.

Just thought I'd, uh, stop by
and see how things were.

You got any plans?

Know what you're gonna do?
Get a crop in, raise some stock.

Well, of course,
that's going to take time.

Where I've been, Mr. Cartwright,

a man learns that there's just one way
he's ever gonna make it.

That's just one day at a time.

I don't think
it's gonna be that simple here.

I know.

I got the message coming through
town, if that's what you mean.

You see...

Paul Dorn is a bitter man.

Maybe he might be better off if you
went somewhere

new, where they didn't know you,
started fresh.

The way I figure it,

if I can't be free here,
I won't be free anywhere.

Besides, I want to lick this place.

It broke my father's back
and my mother's head.

For their sake,
I'd like to make the farm work.

Well, like I said,
you're gonna need a stake.

Now, it just so happens that I'm
short-handed at the Ponderosa

and I could still use you
and your rig.

I told you, Mr. Cartwright,
I don't need any help.

Now you listen to me, Trace.
I know the Cordell pride.

Your father had it.
Your mother had it.

Is there anything wrong with pride,
Mr. Cartwright?

The Cordell kind? Yes.

This farm didn't break your father,
his pride broke him.

This farm didn't break your mother,
her pride broke her.

Now wait a minute.
It's breaking you too.

You didn't learn a thing
in the ten years you were in prison.

I tried to help you.
The whole town tried to help you.

But that Cordell pride of yours
wouldn't allow for help.

Why, you wouldn't ask for help
when your mother was dying.

You had to try to steal for her!

Why are you talking like this?

Because I think it's about time

that you've discovered the difference
between friendship and charity.

I am not offering you charity.
I'm offering you a job.

Mr. Cartwright.

Yes.

When do I start?

First thing in the morning.

Well, that's it.

Trace starts work for us
first thing in the morning.

What good is it gonna do Paul Dorn
to run Trace Cordell out of town?

Well, keep him away from Clara,
for one thing.

Don't forget, they were almost married
before this thing happened.

They sure were.

You know, I can understand
Paul's bitterness,

being confined to that wheelchair
and all.

I sure hoped
he'd be a bigger man than that.

What son of job you got figured out
for Trace, anyhow?

Well, you know that hay
we sell to the Army.

It's gotta be stored,

and the Army's rented
Luke Shafer's barn, in town.

I figure we could store it there,

then the quartermaster
could pick it up any time.

So we use Trace?

Well, one man with a rig
making a trip a day,

he could complete the job
in plenty of time.

Pa.

Don't you think Trace making a trip
into town every day is gonna

be son of asking for trouble?

Well, there's a possibility of trouble
whether you ask for it or not.

And Trace might as well face up to it
now as later.

That's all right, Mr. Cartwright.
I'd like that job.

Well, Trace, there's one thing
that I think you ought to know.

There were 20 men in that meeting
that Dorn called last night.

They represent the feeling
of the whole town

and they agreed that you shouldn't
be allowed to settle in Virginia City.

That doesn't scare me,
Mr. Cartwright.

Well, maybe I made it sound
a little worse than it is.

Some of them have to go along with
Dom, others want to,

the others
just don't know any better. Heh.

Well, I'm not gonna make it any easier
for them by staying out of sight.

Well, no one's asking you to.

The choice is yours, Trace.

Where is that hay
you wanted hauled?

Come on.

Do you think
the sheriff meant it last night

when he said not to give
any trouble to Cordell?

Hey, Mr. Shafer.
Yeah.

Mr. Cartwright asked me to deliver
this hay to you.

Pull it in here.

You gonna give me a hand
with this?

I got a contract with the Army
to store that feed

but that don't mean I got to work
with the likes of you, Cordell.

No, if you want help unloading,

you tell Ben Cartwright to send
a man in with you from now on.

I'll do that.

Why don't you move on, Cordell?

Why don't you get out of town

before somebody
takes a bullwhip to you?

They have,

many times in the last ten years.

How about this one?

It's real pretty.

I seem to remember
you having one just this color.

That was that Easter-time,
before I went away.

That was a long time ago, Trace.
Right.

I walked you home from church.

Your mother had me stay to dinner.

Later, your pa let us use the buggy.

We drove out to Sunset Falls.

We don't have anything to say
to each other anymore, Trace.

What do you want, Cordell?

Mr. Cartwright asked me to pick up
some supplies he ordered yesterday.

Well, you go back and tell Ben
to send somebody else.

I don't want you setting foot
in my store. Do you understand?

I understand.
Then get out and stay out.

And the Army rents this barn of
yours for you to store hay in it.

Is that right?
Yeah.

And if you don't store any hay in it,
you don't collect any rent. Is that right?

I guess so.
Guess so.

All right, then.

You better start helping Trace Cordell

unload my hay
when he brings it here,

or when the Army comes to pick it up,
it's going to find an empty barn.

Now do I make my meaning clear?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Seth, how much do you figure I spend
in this store of yours a year?

Around 3,000,
I guess, figuring everything.

Well, until Trace Cordell gets
a little common courtesy from you,

you're gonna have to count
on 3,000-a-year less.

Well, that ain't fair, Ben.
Fair?

You consider what you've been doing
fair?

Well, that's different with you.
You're a rich man.

You don't need Paul Dom.
You don't owe him anything.

You owe Paul?

Ah...

I guess I've been going at this
the wrong way, haven't I?

Maybe I ought to go

where the sickness starts.

Don't you think you ought to discuss
this with Mr. Dom, Mr. Cartwright?

What's this all about?

Mr. Cartwright wants to transfer
his account

to the Miners' and Cattlemen Bank
in Gold Hill.

What's Mr. Cartwright's balance?

Take care of it.
But, Mr. Dom--

Do it.

Ben.

This hurts. You know that.

Well, like you said, Paul,
a man fights with anything he has.

Cordell's nothing to you.
Why are you making this your fight?

I think this is everybody's fight, Paul.

There's no middle ground.
You're on one side or the other.

Even if it costs men like us
our friendship?

At the price you're asking,

I don't think I can afford
your friendship.

I was out for a ride,
I stopped for a rest.

Nice spot.
Yes.

Do you come here often?
Yes.

I used to fish that stream,

a little further down, Forbes' Mill.

I can remember when the trout used to
practically stand in line to get caught.

But that was a long time ago.

Trace.

I've never been here before.

I was waiting for you.

I'm sorry about the way
you're being treated in town.

I told you I understood.

Trace, why didn't you write me?
Why didn't you answer my letters?

I couldn't.

Why not?

It's hard to explain, Clara.

You don't know what it's like
living in prison.

You can't let yourself feel anything.

You can't let yourself remember
how it was before,

or what it might be aftenNards.

I saw a boy once.

I watched him count the days
for five years.

He killed a guard, tried to escape

a week before his sentence was up.

I counted the days
for five years too.

I'm sorry, Clara.

After Mother and Father died,
there wasn't anyone left.

I know what it is to be alone.

I understand why you're married.

No, you don't.

Maybe I did marry him
because I was lonely and afraid.

But I also thought I could help,

because of what happened to him.

I also married him
because I was angry.

Angry at you,

for spoiling everything,

all our dreams of getting married.

I better get on to the ranch.

Trace.

I didn't love him.

I still don't love him.

I love you.

I'm not ashamed of it.

Trace, take me away with you.

I'll go anywhere you say.
Just take me with you.

Hey, Trace.

Trace.

Don't you remember
what day of the week this is?

I guess not.
Heh, heh.

Payday.

I know it's been a long week,
but the weeks will get shorter.

I'm not so sure, Mr. Cartwright.

What's the matter?
You sound kind of down in the mouth.

Oh, it isn't that, exactly.

It's just that,

well, I guess I've been wondering
whether it's all worth it.

Virginia City isn't the only place
in the world.

You know, I recall
having that discussion with you

when you first got back.

I know.

And maybe you were right.

Maybe I would be better off
somewhere else.

You're the only one who can
really be the judge of that.

Paul went to Gold Hill on business.

He won't be back until tomorrow.

Come inside.

What are we going to do, Trace?

What would you have done
if I hadn't come back?

You did come back.

You'd have gone on
being Dorn's wife.

What are you trying to say?

If we went away together,
where would we go?

Does it matter?
We belong here.

We belong anywhere
we can be together.

And it can't be here.

You don't wanna leave Virginia City,
do you?

Not yet.

Why not?

Everything stopped for me here.

This is where I've got to begin again.

Is that really important to you?

I thought it was.
I don't know anymore.

Well, you'll have to decide.

Clara.

Are you really as sure of yourself
as you say you are?

You've been married to Dorn
for five years.

Can you just stop being his wife
without any doubts, any questions?

It's getting late. I better go.

I'll be waiting for you.

Deke.

Mr. Dom. I thought you were staying
in Gold Hill tonight.

I changed my mind.

Maybe it's a good thing.

Deke, you asked the other day
if Sheriff Coffee meant it

when he warned against
any rough stuff with Cordell.

Yeah.

Maybe tomorrow you ought to take

a couple of your friends
and find out.

I'm glad that miserable job is over.

See you tomorrow.

I'm gonna get a beer.

What have they done to you?

I'm all right.

I came here as soon as I heard.

I've made up my mind, Clara.

We're gonna leave town.

Where are we going to go?

You said it didn't matter.
It doesn't matter.

When?
Tomorrow night.

I'll meet you in town
at Shafer's barn, 9:00.

You still wanna go, don't you?

From the moment
you came back into town,

all I needed was the courage
to admit it.

I heard what happened.
I heard too. I thought I could help.

Now that you're here,
I suppose you could take care of him.

I've got to get back to town.

I'll make sure he gets back all right.

Goodbye, Trace.

Goodbye, Mr. Cartwright.

They worked you over pretty good,
didn't they?

Obviously, Dorn's men.

Could you identify them?

In this town?

What good would it do?

Well, Sheriff Coffee could arrest
the men responsible.

Could he put the whole town
in jail?

The whole town isn't to blame, Trace.
Isn't it?

Well, anyway,
nothing like this will happen again.

From now on, any time you go out,
one of us will be with you.

That won't be necessary,
Mr. Cartwright.

You let me be the judge of that, now.
I'd like to ask a favor.

Sure.

I'd like you to buy my farm.

I'm leaving Virginia City.

Oh.

Sorry to hear that.

That, uh...

That first day you came back,

you said something, you know,

"If I can't feel free here,

I can't feel free anywhere."

I was wrong.
Will you buy my place?

It's a good piece of land.

Worked properly,
it could be a good investment.

How much?
Three dollars an acre.

It's worth more than that.
Not to me.

Come by the Ponderosa tomorrow.

Thanks.

Here you are.

Thanks, Mr. Cartwright.
Well, don't thank me.

I got a good buy.

When do you plan on leaving?

Tonight.

Alone?

Yeah, you're going off with Clara Dom,
aren't you?

It won't work, Trace.
It just won't work.

You can fool yourself now
but you can't fool yourself forever.

One day you're gonna wake up
hating yourself for what you did

and then you'll wind up
hating each other.

If you thought Clara was going away
with me,

why did you give me the money?

One doesn't have anything to do
with the other.

I agreed to buy your farm because,
well, if you wanna leave Virginia City--

That's all right if you want to.

That doesn't mean you have the right
to run off with another man's wife,

no matter how much
she wants to go with you.

I didn't say I was gonna do that.

Anyway, it's my life.

I've got a right
to do what I want with it.

Hyah.

Where's Trace going?
How come he ain't working?

If he's afraid to go into town
because of them jaspers,

one of us could ride in with him.

No, no, he's not afraid,
he's just leaving.

But what about his farm?
I just bought his farm.

Why?

Well, I figure if a man
has the right to stay if he wants to,

he has the right to leave
if he wants to,

so I'm helping him leave.

What made him change his mind?

I don't know for sure.

I think I'll go over to his place
after supper.

Trace?

Trace?

Trace?

Paul.
Get her out of here.

Paul, please listen--
Take her to the house.

Keep her there.
Paul, please, let me explain--

Clara.

Clara.

Cordell.

Deke, don't!
Please, I've got to talk to Paul.

You're gonna do
what Paul told you to.

Clara.

Clara.

Oh, please hurry.
What's the matter?

Paul's gonna kill Trace.

Where is he?
He's in Shafer's barn.

Trace, don't leave.

Trace.

Help me, Trace. Please.

Please, Trace, help me.

Trace, help me. Help me.

Trace, Trace, don't leave.

Don't go, Trace.

Help me. Help me.

Trace, help me.

Help me, please.

Help me, help me.

Get back, get back.

Trace.

Get back.
They're in there.

Get back. Go get the sheriff.
Get help. Now get going.

All right everybody, come on, help.

Get these buckets.

Break that wood
and bring it down here.

Come on, get going.

Come on, hurry up. Keep it going.

Hurry up, lads, buckets.

Go on, get that bucket.

Hurry up.

The whole thing's gone up.

Come on, hurry up!

Come in.

I was expecting the sheriff.

How do you feel?

You know...

...you and Trace
were both pretty lucky.

An accident like that
could have been fatal.

Accident?

That's what Trace
told the sheriff it was.

What's he trying to pull now?

I wanted to kill him, I admit it.

Why is he lying to the sheriff?

Oh, Paul.

Why do you think that Trace went to

Luke Shafer's barn last night?

Meet my wife, take her away.

Well, he went to meet your wife,
all right.

But not to take her away.

He went to tell her
that he was leaving without her.

Then he'd finally realized
that she wasn't in love with him.

I should have let them meet

so he could have told her
he was leaving.

It would serve her right.

Paul, what's the matter with you?

Has your hate
so completely blinded you

that you can't see
what's in front of your face?

Now, when you went to the barn
and you saw Clara,

what was she wearing?
A traveling dress?

Did she have any bags or a pack,
any luggage?

Was she prepared to leave? No.

Because she'd gone to the barn
to tell Trace

that she wasn't leaving
for the same reason.

She couldn't have told you that.

She's been upstairs in her room
ever since the fire.

I know,
she couldn't have told me, but

when Trace pulled you out of there,

you were both lying unconscious
on the ground,

and to which one of you
do you think she went?

Which one?

Let her tell you herself.

This has been a color presentation

of the NBC Television Network.