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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.

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