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It was the worst crisis

we'd ever faced in Virginia City.

People were going hungry.

The mines were shut down tight.

They were flooded.

I wrote to my son Adam for advice,

and he came up with a solution.

When I got to Placerville,

I found that the life-saving shipment he had sent

and we were depending on,

had been stopped cold.

Howdy.

My name's Ben Cartwright.

They told me back in town you'd impounded this wagon.

That's right, I did.

Well, uh,

I've got to get those explosives through to Virginia City.

They're perfectly safe as long as...

as long as they're handled carefully.

I guess that's what the Wells Fargo folks

in San Francisco thought.

Huh?

Ain't you heard about it?

Heard about what?

The explosion.

Case of that stuff sprung a leak

in the Wells Fargo office in San Francisco two days ago.

The way they figure it,

the agent tried to pry the lid off,

to see where the leak come from.

Mr. Cartwright, there's a big hole in the ground

where the Wells Fargo office used to be.

When news of that leaks out, there won't be a man

in California that'll drive that wagon for you.

Well, then, I guess I'll have to drive that wagon myself.

I've got to get those explosives through

to the mines of Virginia City.

No, I can't let you move the wagon.

Well, why not, man?

I'm the one who'd be driving it.

There's a dozen or so families live alongside that road

out east of town.

They'd stop you.

And I wouldn't blame them.

Well, what do you expect me to do with it?

I expect you to get rid of it.

Just how you do that's up to you.

But you ain't bringing it into town.

And you ain't taking it over any public road.

♪♪

Virginia City was depending on that nitroglycerine,

and there was only one way left to deliver it.

The Watson and Son pack train.

I'd known the Watsons a long time.

They were friends.

Hey, little brother, what's the matter?

That saw too much for you?

Here, let me have it a minute.

You got to push your shoulder into it.

There, got the idea?

Yeah, I got the idea.

I'll tell you, you keep it.

You do the job yourself.

Then you'll be sure it's done right.

Hey, Ellis, wait a minute.

I'm only trying to help you.

What's the matter with your brother?

I'll be hanged if I know, Pa.

I do my darnedest to try to help him.

He turns on me every time.

Hey, Pa?

Bet you two bits you can't saw through this pole

without getting the saw stuck.

Son, you're mighty free with your money.

You're forgetting you already owe me a dollar and a half.

Well, don't hurt yourself, old man.

Now, you gonna pay up, or do I have to wrestle you for it?

Well, now, suppose I wrestle you for it.

Who you gonna get to help you?

Hey, Andy, don't hurt that old man now.

Ben, you doggone old muskrat! Hey, Mr. Cartwright.

How are you?

Just fine, just fine.

Doggone it, Ben. What are you doing around here?

Well, I... I thought you'd be home

sitting with your feet in the fire

letting the kids do all the work.

Oh, well, any day of the week that I can't outwork you,

Clint Watson, you just let me know. You know?

You sound just like Andy here.

You're a bad influence on him, always have been.

You look good, Andy.

Thank you.

Yeah, where's Ellis? Oh, I don't know.

Probably got his nose stuck in a book or something.

Yeah? Stay and have a bite with us.

Andy here's a pretty bad cook,

but we don't have too much trouble getting the doctor out.

You know, Ben, it's been almost a year.

Well, you see, according to what Adam says here,

he's contacted all the best engineers in Boston

about this Nobel formula for making dynamite,

and, uh, far as he's concerned, it'll work.

I have no reason to doubt it.

Is it as dangerous as they say, Ben?

Oh, yeah, it's all that dangerous.

More so if you happen to bump it around any.

What do you know about it?

Well, I read a couple articles on it.

Well, Ellis is absolutely right.

Of course, it's dangerous,

but Adam says that he thinks it can be packed

and packed safely.

You, uh, mind if I take

a look at that, Mr. Cartwright?

Sure. That kid will read anything.

Including other people's mail.

Now, Clint, I'll tell you something.

If I wasn't so sure, I'd say so.

Sure, it's, uh... there's a big risk involved.

But it can be done

if we stay on top of it every second.

Well, then, I say we do it.

It can't be any more explosive than, uh, some of the whiskey

we've hauled across the top of those mountains, right, Pop?

Right, son.

Tell you one thing, Ben.

If anybody can do it, Andy here can.

How many cases you say it was, Ben?

Eight cases.

Well, you better take four mules,

two cases each pack saddle.

Hey, look, if we're gonna tackle this,

I think we ought to try to pack...

You let your brother take care of that!

Who said anything about you coming along?

You got to stay here and take care of the stock.

No, I say we take Ellis along with us.

I mean, after all, he's the only one of us Watsons

who's an expert on the stuff.

We can hire the Johnson boy to look after the stock.

Anything you say, Andy.

You got a deal, Ben.

Well, good.

I kind of figured I could depend on the Watsons.

I'll bet you if I ask them, they'd tote the devil himself

over the mountains.

♪♪

Hyah.

Come on. Come on.

Clint?

Let them blow a while down here.

Andy?

Go back and see what happened to your brother.

For a while there, I thought you were gonna

spend a winter in that patch.

Oh, this mule and I just don't see eye to eye.

You got to talk to him, little brother.

Got to talk to him.

You talk to him.

Now, look, when we get down there, we'll switch mules.

Maybe you'll have better luck with mine.

All right, let's give it a try.

Thanks, Andy.

That's what big brothers are for.

Ben?

Ever have the feeling that sometimes you favor

one of your sons over another?

Look, Clint, I guess

there isn't a mother or father alive

who hasn't had that feeling one time or another.

I think the world of Ellis.

Sometimes I... I just don't know how to deal with him.

Andy, now, I-I never have to stop and think.

I know every move he's gonna make before he makes it.

Now, take it easy, Ellis.

All right.

Well, so far, so good.

Everything's as fine as a frog's hair.

See what I mean, Ben?

Easy, boy.

All right.

Easy! Easy.

Easy.

Come on through, but be careful!

Get him through there!

You want to blow us all to kingdom come?

Here, let me have it.

I said let me have it! All right.

Now, can't you do anything right?

Here, Pa, I'll handle it.

Ah, kids.

I say you want anything done right,

you got to do it yourself.

I knew it would happen.

I should never have brought him along.

Oh, come on, Clint, that's rough going.

Ooh, ooh.

Ooh. Ooh.

Ellis, Pa doesn't mean to get riled at you.

But if this stuff's as dangerous as you say it is,

you... you got to be more careful!

I mean, it was my idea of bringing you along.

So... so don't make it

rough on us, all right?

You think I did that on purpose?

Ooh.

Ben?

Yeah?

Ben, you better take a look at this.

Ooh.

Ooh.

We got to get that broken bottle out of there.

Get over there, Clint.

Please.

Go ahead.

Get behind the rock.

Andy.

Ooh, ooh.

Ooh.

Whoa!

Ooh.

Anything we can do to help him?

No, no, just leave him alone.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

He's got it.

No, no, no. It's just part of it.

Now he's got to get rid of it.

That wet moss is just as dangerous

as the nitroglycerine.

♪♪

♪♪

What's he doing? He'll blow us all to kingdom come!

No, he won't!

Once that stuff's exposed to the air,

it's supposed to burn itself out like kerosene.

Dad, you might as well tell Ben we're gonna camp here tonight.

Andy says he thinks we should make camp here tonight.

You're not gonna get any argument out of me.

That stuff ain't too close to the fire, is it, Ben?

No, no, I think it's just far enough away

to keep it at an even temperature.

I tell you, Ben, when you lit that match,

I said, "Here we go, boys.

The sun finally got to Ben Cartwright."

Well, I can confess to you I wasn't exactly happy myself.

How'd you know it'd work?

Adam explained it in his letter.

Well, I have the greatest confidence in my son Adam.

But as one father to another,

I hope I'll be forgiven for having said

a quick little prayer just to make sure

that my oldest son knew what he was talking about.

What I can't understand, Ben-- if this stuff is that touchy,

how is it going to be any better in the mines

than that giant powder they're using now?

They're gonna mix it, uh, with gun cotton.

Now, that makes it a, uh... a blasting gelatin.

Now, this blasting gelatin isn't affected by water.

So they can use it underwater or to blast wet holes.

You just mark my words, Clint.

Inside of a month, you'll see the biggest boom

Virginia City's ever had.

Ben, can't you think

of a better word than "boom"?

You were pretty calm back there today, kid.

I was proud of you.

Well, I'll tell you the truth, Andy.

I was scared.

"Scared."

I was so scared, I thought my knees knocking together

would set that stuff off.

Is it really as dangerous as that article said?

I don't know if you can really tell.

Most anything's liable to set it off

just like that.

Altitude, temperature.

Well, we're going to be moving into

higher altitude.

And temperature's gonna drop pretty fast from now on.

♪♪

Hey, Ellis, hold it a minute!

What for? What do you want?

Just wait here.

I'll come back for you.

Whoa, whoa.

Ooh, whoa, whoa.

Ooh.

Going back to give Ellis a hand, Dad.

Ellis!

Whoa, now, whoa, ooh, easy, easy!

Whoa!

What are you trying to do, boy?

I thought I told you to wait here.

Whoa, whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Look, now, I think I can take care of my own mule.

I don't think you can take care of anything.

Stop it!

Ellis, Andy!

Stop it, both of you!

Ellis, what's the matter with you?

Why don't you tell him to leave me alone?

Leave you alone?

It's a wonder you didn't blow us all up.

I'll take it, Pa.

You all right, Andy?

I'm all right, Pa.

I don't know what's the matter with that darn kid.

I-I can't trust him. I never could.

Oh, Clint, we're all getting a little edgy.

Why don't you and Andy stop picking on him?

Give him a chance.

Why don't you raise your own kids?

I raise mine.

You boys better get busy.

Gonna need some more firewood.

All right, Pa.

Sure is a nip in the air.

Temperature must've dropped ten degrees

since the sun went down.

I'll be glad when we get over that summit.

And I'll be glad when we get to Virginia City.

Clint... Ben.

I'm sorry I yelled at you, Ben.

Oh, heck, Clint.

What are friends for?

Those darn kids of mine.

Yeah, I know.

I've been through it a hundred times.

I can imagine.

Remember that time I was over at the Ponderosa,

and Adam and Hess got into a fight?

Yeah.

Over that cow pony.

That's when Hoss wanted to break that cow pony,

and Adam wanted to do it for him.

Yeah.

Remember the first time I...

I brought my wife over?

That was the first time we met Little Joe's mother.

She was a beautiful woman, Ben.

Yeah, she was beautiful.

Just didn't seem right, her dying that way.

Bessie and I talked about it the whole night

after the funeral.

Nine months later to the day...

Bessie died.

She should never have had that second baby.

Oh, Clint.

I don't think Bessie'd like to hear you talk that way.

I can't help it.

I try, but I...

I just can't do anything about it.

I'll go on down to the stream,

get us some fresh water.

Hello, Pa!

Well, I'm sure glad to see you boys.

Glad you finally decided to meet us.

Well, we took off as soon as we got your message.

As a matter of fact, we even left before breakfast.

Yeah, he's been complaining about it ever since.

I hope you got something to feed him.

I'm tired of listening to him.

Well, we got plenty of good food back over here, but, uh,

at the risk of spoiling both of you,

I am glad to see you.

It's been a rough trip, huh?

Yeah, you know that expression

"sitting on a... on a keg of powder"?

Well, what we've got is at least ten times as powerful.

Well, you ain't got no worry from here on in.

Little brother here can fix anything up.

Where'd you say that food was? Right over there.

Go help yourself.

You, too, Joe. Go have something to eat.

All right. I'm gonna get some water.

Last call for beer, Andy.

Saloon's closing.

Hoss Cartwright, I'd know

that mule's voice anywhere.

If you expect me to jump, you're gonna be disappointed.

Boy, are we glad to see you.

Hi, Mr. Watson. Hoss, you're looking mighty scrawny!

Yeah. How you doing, Andy?

Little Joe! Hey, Mr. Watson.

Hey, Little Joe. You're gonna outgrow your brother

in another month or two. I doubt that.

Here, let me take your horse and unsaddle him for you.

I don't want... Hey, Hoss! Get up from there!

Lazy wrist!

Where's that grub?

It was kind of rough up there on top, wasn't it?

You's not a-foolin', it's rough.

This so-called trail ain't much better, either.

No.

Ellis!

Stay right where you are. You hear me?

I'm not taking a chance on that kid coming down there.

Now, you go on back up there,

and get your brother's mule down there for him.

He can make it, Dad, if we give him a chance.

Let him do it on his own.

Do as I say!

Go up and get that mule!

Hey, Ellis, wait a minute.

Look, I... I deserved that poke in the mouth

you gave me the other day.

I had no business yelling at you like that.

Well, I got a little hot under the collar myself, Andy.

Well, I guess we both did.

Yeah.

Now, go on out of here.

Hey, little brother?

When we get to Virginia City,

you and me gonna go out and see the sights, all right?

All right.

I'll buy the first drink.

That's a deal.

Let's go.

Come on. Come on.

Ooh...

Andy!

♪♪

♪♪

Dad...

Stay away from me.

Dad, I thought a lot of Andy, too.

If it wasn't for you, Andy would still be alive.

You killed him!

Just as sure as you killed your mother the day you were born.

Well, you finally said it, didn't you?

I waited all my life for that.

Well, you said it.

Clint?

I don't know what to say.

I don't believe it happened.

I can't.

After Bessie died, I said that was all the hurt

I was gonna let myself take in one lifetime.

We were more than just father and son.

We were like brothers.

Like friends.

I haven't even got anything to bury.

You did this, Ben.

You know that, don't you?

Start unloading.

Well, that's not gonna do any good...

It's my fault.

This accident's my fault.

I thought I was doing something so important.

Well, it isn't so important. Get rid of that stuff.

Pa, wait a minute.

Andy wouldn't put up with that kind of talk for a minute.

You were right in what you were trying to do.

We got a job to do, and we got to do it.

A lot of folks are depending on us.

I'd hate to think old Andy died for nothing.

Ellis?

Pa just told me what happened.

You know, sometimes, Ellis,

a man will be hurt so bad

and in so doggone much shock,

he'll say things that he'll beg forgiveness

for the rest of his life.

Oh, I know that, Hoss.

That's the trouble, I always did know that.

Andy told me about it

a long time ago.

Day I was born, when my mother died,

Andy said that, uh,

Pa was out splitting rails.

And when he heard that Ma had died,

he just picked up his ax and...

started chopping wood.

You could hear that ax going all night

and all the next day.

Well, he finally come home, Hoss.

And when he did, he didn't cry

'cause he-he just didn't know how to.

You know, I remember when I was a little boy,

I was scared all the time.

And I never... never knew what of.

Well, that doesn't matter.

I know I wanted my dad to hold me and hug me.

No, he just laughed, you know?

He said that was for little girls, not boys.

And that's just not true.

I still remember how I'd feel when...

when he wouldn't...

Hoss, you know what I mean?

I mean, do you understand what I'm saying?

Yeah.

Sure, I know what you mean.

I understand, but, uh, at the same time,

I can understand your pa a little bit, too, Ellis.

He's hurt bad.

I reckon he just couldn't let hisself go

'cause he didn't want to get hurt worse.

Well, then, why didn't he give me a chance?

You know, I wanted to prove myself.

I wanted to... to try to do something

to prove myself.

That's part of love, too, you know?

Trying to live up to what someone expects of you.

Yeah.

I understand.

Sometimes it takes a man a long time, though,

to realize it.

Well...

Ellis, we're going on.

You going with us?

Well...

I don't suppose Andy would've let you go on alone, would he?

We're ready to go.

Hyah!

Hyah!

♪♪

Ellis?

You sure you brought mule trains this way before?

Yeah.

But not loaded with what we're packing.

What do you think, Pa?

I don't think we better risk it.

I think we better unload right now,

see if we can figure out some way

of taking it over by hand.

You know, I think I got an idea that might work.

Okay, okay.

You all right, son?

Huh?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I just... just got to catch my breath.

Well, I'm glad there's only one more left.

Yeah, you're not the only one.

Well, we're not gonna get it done standing here.

Let's you and me go get this one.

Oh, that's a great idea.

Then I'll pull you up the hill, right?

Yeah, that would be nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Take it easy!

All right, hold it.

Wait till I get over these rocks.

You be careful, you hear, Joe?

Okay, pull on up!

Okay, hold it there.

Let her go!

Hoss, Hoss, wait a minute. You're too heavy.

Yeah, he's right, he's right.

Okay, Hoss.

Hang on.

♪♪

Easy.

Okay, Hoss, give me a little slack.

Hang on, Joe.

All right.

Now, hold it tight! Hold it tight.

All right, now, let me down.

All right, Joe, real easy now.

Got it?

I got it.

I got it.

Okay, can you help me lift it up?

Yeah. All right.

All right.

♪♪

Got it.

I thought I told you to be careful,

you blame knucklehead.

Thank you, boy.

Thank you.

Andy couldn't have done it any better.

They're up ahead just around the bend--

A wagon and two engineers from the mine.

I'll tell you one thing for sure, son.

I'm not the least bit sorry to hear that.

Sure is good to get back to home country, ain't it?

Why, you hungry?

Naturally. I'm alive, ain't I?

Come on, let's get this stuff out to them.

Here, I'll take it, Pa.

Easy. All right.

Ben?

About what happened back there...

I guess I went to pieces.

Well, you had every right to, Clint.

This is a young man's game.

I'm just not any good for this business anymore.

Well, what are we gonna do without pack trains like yours?

We need them this part of the country.

Come the wintertime,

the roads are all clogged up with snow.

A pack train like yours, life or death for people.

Well, they'll have to get along without me.

I can't do it anymore.

I don't know of anybody to replace you.

You forget, don't you, Ben?

I got another son.

Ah.

Yeah, so you have.

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