All language subtitles for 7.17 Ride the Wind, Part 1

The following program

is brought to you
in living color on NBC.

♪♪

Dad-burn, look at him go.

All the way from St. Joe
in eight days.

That's something-- you know,
that's less than half the time

they've ever done it in before.
That's hard to believe.

I believe it's a miracle.

I tell you, this Pony Express
is gonna be the biggest thing

that ever happened to the West.

What an idea.

You know, they put together
the best string of thoroughbreds

in the country for this job.

They're gonna need 'em

getting over the Sierra into
Sacramento from here--

The last leg
of the trip and the toughest.

I don't think we have a horse
in the Ponderosa this fast.

I wouldn't be so sure of that.

Hey, Joe!

♪♪

I had a vision.

Yes, sir.

A vision of this land.

I saw the populous East
and the great, growing West

tied together
with a single thread,

a thread of courageous
young horsemen riding the wind,

never leaving the saddle,

an ever-changing group
of horsemen

whose determination
and strength and courage

will make the Pony Express
a living reality.

That was my vision, my hope,

my dream.

But before we can do all that,

I must have pledges
of your support,

pledges that all other
communities so far

have given me.

And as soon as our receipts
start rolling in

and a grateful government
grants us a mail subsidy...

How do we know that'll happen?

I been trying to get 'em
to shake loose

for ten years,
for my stage line.

All I got so far
is six government mules,

three inspectors,

and a tax bill.

Ludlow,

you're asking us
to put our money

into this express company
of yours.

I'd like to know
a little more about you

before I put a nickel in it.

You want to know
about Charles Ludlow, huh?

You ever hear of the Erie Canal
Riverboat Service?

The New Orleans Clipper Lines?

The Washington and Boston
Packet and Mail?

My father formed
those companies.

Yes, uh, gentlemen,

I was privileged
to make my contribution

to the growth
of this great land,

but I consider
those accomplishments

to be less than nothing

compared to the task
I'm embarked on now.

'Cause I've long known
of the cryin' need.

What about Winnemucca
and his Paiutes?

You think
they're just gonna sit there

and let you ride
across their land?

Well, now,
let's not start worrying

about a bunch of redskins.

It's my job to handle them.

Winnemucca's braves are...

more than just "a bunch
of redskins," Mr. Wade. Uh...

they're about as fierce a tribe
as you can find around here.

I think
they're to be reckoned with.

Well, you haven't had
any trouble with Winnemucca

since that fight
at Pyramid Lake, have you?

No.

No, but he's a...

he's a strange man.

You never know
what's going on in his mind.

Oh, he... might let you ride
across his territory

without any trouble at all.

Yeah, he could do that.

But then he might just as well
decide to fight.

Now, look, did we come here
for advice or dollars?

You heard what Mr. Ludlow said
about needing your support.

Now, how about it?

Thank you, Curtis.

My partner, Mr. Wade,
has, as always, hit the nail

exactly on the head.

Our most pressing need right now
is money.

I'll pledge $6,000.

Thank you.

By golly, if Ben Cartwright
thinks that much of the deal,

I'm for it, too.

You can put me down
for 2,000, Ludlow.

I'll go for 1,500.

Excellent. Uh...

you just write down here
the amount you intend to invest.

Uh...
start with Mr. Cartwright.

Thank you, sir.
Thank you.

Well, the, uh, Cartwright
trick rider, I do believe.

We had a little race outside
of town.

Yeah, well, you still owe me
a rematch.

Well, I'd much rather you raced
for the Pony Express

than against it.

Uh, my name's Jabez Ludlow.
Good to see you.

Why don't you join us?

Well, I've been
thinking about it.

Well, uh, I think we have plenty
of work for this young man to do

on the Ponderosa.

Thank you, gentlemen.
Thank you.

Mr. Cartwright. Uh...

my partner, Mr. Wade, and I

would like to speak with you
privately, if we may.

Fine.

Boys, wait for me.

Joe...

you ain't seriously thinking
about joining this outfit.

Well, why not? Sure, I'm
seriously thinking about it.

You heard what Mr. Ludlow said
about being one

of the most important things
to ever happen to the West.

Yeah, but, Joe,
you're gonna risk your life.

Well, it's my life, isn't it?

Gentlemen, I...
I don't know what to say.

Say yes, Ben.

You're the man we want,

the man we need to make this
a going enterprise.

I've been watching the...

progress of the Pony Express
with a great deal of interest.

Ben, as a member
of our board of directors,

you'll be invaluable to us.

You see, it takes men
not only with vision

but men with a practical
knowledge of the West,

uh, to make a thing like this
a going one.

What do you say, Mr. Cartwright?

You want to be a part of it?

Yeah.

Yes, I want to be part of it.

Look at him go!

He's scooping up sand
in his back pocket!

"Not over 25 years.

"Must be expert riders
and willing to risk death daily.

"0rphans preferred.

$125 a month"?!

Our horses can't carry
that much weight

over the distances
we have to travel.

Sorry.

Next.

Name.

Aaron Bernstein.

I weigh 130 pounds,
see lightning and hear thunder.

Can you ride a horse?

Mister, I was born on a horse.

Well, boy, you're gonna get
a chance to prove it.

You mean I'm hired?

Yeah, you're now
a Pony Express rider.

Pick a bunk in the back room.

Name.
Pat Henley.

What do you weigh?
129 pounds.

That's about right.

I was born on a horse, too.

Pick a bunk in the back room.

Excuse me, friend.

Looking for a job, friend?
Yeah.

Where you from?
Right here in Virginia City.

Got a ranch right outside
of town. Cartwright!

Hey, Jabez, how you doing?

Fine. You, uh, decided
to join us, huh?

Yeah, yeah.
You finally talked me into it.

I'm glad.

It's a big job. We, uh...
we need riders like you.

Son, it sound
like you got the fever.

I have.

You'll get it, too.
I can guarantee that, mister.

Just so that paycheck comes in
each month.

It don't matter to me one way
or the other.

I better get my place in line.

I'll see you later.
Right.

When are you gonna learn
how to read?

All right, it says,

"Neither rain nor sleet
nor gloom of night

will stay the courier
on his way."

I guess they never heard

of a horse stepping
in a prairie dog hole.

All right.

Pay's 125 a month.

That's more money than most
of you have seen in your lives.

Out of that, you buy
your own gear and handguns.

Handguns?

What about using a rifle?

Like to keep Indians
at a distance.

Well, that's why we give you
fast grain-fed horses.

You use 'em for speed.

Outrun 'em,
don't try to outfight 'em.

And I've got one rule
you better all remember:

bring yourselves
and the mail in on time

or bring yourselves in dead.

That's all. Be here tomorrow
morning ready to go to work.

You're Joe Cartwright,
aren't you?

Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

I'm Emmett Carver from down
Carson City way.

Hi, Emmett.

Your dad and mine
know each other.

Oh, yeah, that's right.
Yeah.

Yeah, I heard my pa
mention him many times.

What do you think of that Wade?

He sure like to kid, don't he?

Oh, yeah.

He's a real barrel of laughs,
that's for sure.

You know, I told my dad this was
gonna be a real safe job.

Wait'll he hears
about that number one rule,

on schedule or dead--
that'd kill him.

Please, please,
don't use that word.

I'll see you later.
All right.

Hey, fellas, here's the
schedule, who rides and where.

Excuse me, fellas.

Joe...

Yeah.
Uh, don't mind Mr. Wade.

He's, uh...
he's tough but he's fair.

He'll take care of his men.

How long you known him?

Mm, about three years.

Used to be an Indian fighter
in the southwest.

Pop thinks he's the man
to make this operation work.

I'm inclined to agree with him.

Well, I got to admit,
he talks tough enough.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Right.

Hey, Joe?
Yeah, Hoss.

Was afraid I'd find you here.

I saw your horse tied up
out here.

You know, we got a lot
of work to do, Joe.

We got to move all those cattle
down from that north pasture.

Yeah, well, I'm afraid
I'm not gonna be able

to help you move 'em.

Joe, you didn't...?

Yeah, I joined 'em.

Pa sure ain't gonna like that.

I know. I'm not looking forward
to telling him, either.

Well, I guess
I better get on home.

I... I sure don't
understand you, Joseph.

Why couldn't you at least
have talked to me about it?

Because I was afraid
you were gonna say no.

Because you were afraid I was
going to say no.

And could there possibly be
a reason for me saying no?

Yes, sir, but I... oh...
Yes, sir! Yes, sir!

With Adam gone,
I need both of you here.

This ranch won't run by itself.

Look, Pa, you gave money
to the Pony Express.

You're on the board
of directors.

Now I just don't see why
you won't let me ride for 'em.

Because I...

Because I need you here.

Oh, now, you know
that's not the reason.

Look, Pa,
nothing's gonna happen to me.

Look, you-you told me how
important the Pony Express was;

that's it's the biggest thing
that ever happened in the West.

Well, I want to be part of it...

just for a little while.

Look...

young man,
you get yourself upstairs

and pack those bags of yours

if you're going to report to
the Pony Express in the morning.

Now, get off with you.

Yes, sir.

Hey, don't look so sad.

You lose about 190 pounds,
I'll put a word in for you.

I lose 190 pounds,
I couldn't keep a saddle on me.

Pa...

you know what those fellers

are gonna be riding through,
don't you?

Yes, yes, I know.

Freezing blizzards,
1,500 miles of dry desert,

I know.
endless mountains...

Not to mention
a couple of thousand Indians.

Hoss, I know.

But I tell you,
if I was 25 years younger...

Well, you don't think I could
have stopped him anyway, do you?

No, dad-burnit,
I know you couldn't have.

♪♪

Whoa, whoa, boy. Whoa!

Whoa! Hey!

Whoa! Stop!

Hey, you guys;
get out here quick!

Hurry up!

Whoa, come on, come on...

Whoa. Whoa!

Easy. Easy. Easy.

Whoa. Whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

It's Emmett's horse.

Hoke, what's the arrow holding?

Scalp.

Little Joe's out there, too.

Hey, Ed! Indians!

You better stay here, Joe.
It's safer.

Don't worry.
I'll outrun 'em.

Hyah.
Hyah. Hyah!

♪♪

I don't know whether you're
skillful, or just plain lucky.

It don't matter, boy,

just as long
as I keep taking your money.

Uh, greetings,
fellow mail carriers.

Wade wasn't kidding when he said

we had the fastest horses
in the West.

They're really movers.

Hey, where's Emmett? He quit?

He's dead.

Paiutes.

Jumped him between here
and the last station.

Sent back his pony and his hair.

Just so's we'd know.

We thought you was a goner,
too, Little Joe.

Yeah, well, I guess
I had a faster horse.

I never told you boys
this was gonna be easy.

I never promised you brass bands
and cotton candy

for the rest of your lives.

We lost a man, sure,
and we're all sorry.

But are we gonna
let that stop us?

I've been fighting Indians
all my life,

and I've yet
to meet the feathered buzzard

that could scare me out of doing
anything I've set my mind to.

And I've set my mind...

yes, and my heart, on making
the Pony Express a reality.

Well, now, if any of you feel
that you can't cut it,

you can just roll up your gear
and call it quits.

That's all I've got to say.

Told his pa
he had a real safe job.

Little Joe, you quittin'?

No, I can't quit.

I got too big of an investment
in this company.

Still owe me a month's pay.

Hello?

Anybody here?

In here.

Rejoice for the press has come
to make you famous, Mr. Ludlow.

Tully, Washington Globe.

I am pleased.

Well, I'm not Ludlow.

Name's Wade.

0h?

Can I help you?

Oh, no, I'm afraid not.

You see, I came out here
to do a story on Ludlow

and his famous pony riders.

Oh.

Look at that.

"Ludlow and Wade."

Oh.

Then you're partners.

Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Wade.

But I'm afraid
you still can't help me.

You see, back East,
nobody ever heard of you.

All they talk about is the
great visionary, Charles Ludlow.

Well, they should.

Without him, there wouldn't be
any Pony Express.

Oh, yes, he's a very
famous man, you know.

Caught the imagination

of uncounted thousands.

All right, friend,
here's your chance to meet him.

This is Mr. Charles Ludlow,
my partner.

This is Mr. Tully
of the Washington Globe.

Oh.
It's a real honor, Mr. Ludlow.

It isn't often that I stand
in the presence of greatness.

Well,

now, you flatter me, Mr. Tully.

Oh, no.

My editor sent me 3,000 miles
just to write a story about you

and the way you've built
your great Pony Express.

Well...

I'll certainly tell 'em
all I know about it.

Would you like some coffee?

Well, I'd rather have a drink?

Oh, I'm afraid

we don't have spirits
in this office, Mr. Tully.

Oh.

Well, in that case,
coffee it is.

Uh, Charles,
I'd like you to look

at the bills
for those new horses.

Curtis, that can wait.

You know I don't care
about business.

Get our guest some coffee,

and bring me some, too.

You see, Mr. Tully...

this is more than just a story.

This is a saga.

I had a vision, a great one.

A vision of this land of ours.

The populous East and
the great West tied together

by a single thread of riders.

Mr. Ludlow...
of courageous young..

Mr. Ludlow?
Yeah?

I, uh... I want
to get this all down.

Ah...
But, you see, I-I'm...

At the moment,
I'm still a bit groggy

from my-my trip,
and I wonder if it'd be possible

to arrange an interview
for, say, this afternoon?

Oh, well, um...

Well, of course, at-at your
convenience, Mr. Tully.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

And I want you to know,
the whole nation,

the whole world is waiting
to hear your story.

You're the man of the hour.

Believe me.
Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Tully.

I'll... I'll see you later.

Curtis!

Curtis, did you hear
what he said about me?

Oh, Curtis, we're going places.

Who knows what we might do!

"Man of the hour," he said.

"Stand in the presence
of greatness."

Why, the Pony Express
might be a stepping stone.

A great opportunity!

Think of that, my friend.

A whole nation at my feet.

Think of it, my friend!

I have been thinking of it,
Charles.

Here, drink your coffee
before it gets cold.

I wish you could've known
Emmett Carver.

He was really a heck of a guy.

Always laughing and joking
all the time.

I know, Joe.

Joe, you ride again

the first thing
in the morning, don't you?

Yeah, I guess I do. I...

...better get some sleep.

Pa...

you reckon you could ride
into Winnemucca's camp

and talk with him?

I don't know.

I did sit in to that
peace meeting with him--

Pyramid Lake.

Well, he ain't very peaceful

with nobody right now, is he?

♪♪

Tobacco.

Ben Cartwright no forget.

It's been a long time,
Great Chief.

Why you come on my land?

To speak of peace...

with an old friend,

and to ask why my old friend
kills the pony riders.

They do no harm.

They carry only letters,

sometimes medicine.

They are men of peace.

Hear me, Ben Cartwright.

First one pony rider,

then wagons,

then many white men,

many white guns...

soon my land become your land!

But it would
not happen that way.

And there is a way to avoid it.

By making a treaty,

and setting down in that treaty
the number of riders

that you would allow
to cross your land.

And that way, you could control
the situation.

Treaties...

easy to break by white man.

I have seen
many false white faces,

heard many false white words.

How can you speak to me
of treaties!

You are a father.

You have sons.

Do you wish to see your sons
die before their time?

I am a father.

I have sons.

One of them is a pony rider.

Father's heart is hard
to carry, but...

Winnemucca is not only a father,

he is leader of his people.

My people must survive.

You tell your pony men

if they come on my land...

I will kill them.

Did you get to Winnemucca?
Yeah. We saw him, all right.

Yeah. Where's Mr. Ludlow?

He just went down to the hotel
with Mr. Wade.

What did Winnemucca say? Is
there any chance for a treaty?

No.

Now, Joseph...

I know I haven't any right

to ask you not
to make your run, but...

as a father, I'd sure feel a
whole lot better if you didn't.

Pa, you know I can't do that.

If I don't make the ride,

one of the other fellas
is gonna have to. I...

I can't back out just
'cause the going gets rough.

Come on.
Look, Joe...

delay it as long
as you can, anyhow.

Let Pa have a chance
to talk to Ludlow.

Yeah.

Let's wait a while;
Pa's down talking to someone.

Mr. Wade, we have no choice.

We've got to reroute
the Pony Express

around Winnemucca's terri...
We can't!

It's as simple as that.

Wade, what do you want anyhow,
an Indian war?

It'll take us months to build
those new relay stations.

If we stop those riders now,

we'll never get
that government subsidy.

And without that,
we're finished, out of business.

Well, as far as I'm concerned,

no business is worth the loss
of a single human life!

And no Indian is
gonna dictate terms to me.

If we have to lock horns,
with them, so be it,

but I say...
I say Ben is right!

We'll just...

have to cease operations

till the stations are built.

Oh, Curtis, Curtis,

why don't you calm down
a little.

Now, when you're
older and wiser, you'll...

Don't you patronize me.

I didn't realize
I was doing that.

You haven't realized
a lot of things.

You want to stop
the riders; I don't.

I think we better put this
before the board,

let them decide.
Fine, if that's what you...

Cartwright,
what are you doing here?

You're supposed
to be out on your run.

We've got a schedule to keep.

My pa said to wai...
I know what your pa said.

Bornstein...
Yes, sir?

You're gonna have
to do Cartwright's job for him.

Yes, sir.

You stay here.

I do my own riding, Mr. Wade.

And keep that schedule.

Hyah!

♪♪

What are you doing here?
Waiting for Mr. Ludlow.

We were to hold
that interview, you know.

Yes, I know.

You know, very few men

live up to your
expectations of them.

But that Mr. Ludlow...

everybody I talk to says,
"Mr. Ludlow says this,

Mr. Ludlow says that."

Mr. Ludlow is a past master
at saying things.

Doing things is something else.

Why am I telling you this?
Do your story.

Well, now...

Ludlow is only a story
if he runs the Express.

Now, if that doesn't happen
to be true...

Why should I lie to you?

I can give you a lot of reasons.

How about resentment,
just for openers?

Look, Mr. Wade,
Ludlow is my story

until I learn otherwise.

And to my readers,
he's the leader of this outfit,

the visionary.

To be quite frank, he's the
dashing man on the white horse.

And what if he fell off
that white horse?

Oh, now, that would be
another matter.

But let me caution you--

You don't knock down a man
like Charles Ludlow very easily.

I know that.

I was going through some
of Ludlow's files the other day.

I ran into some
very interesting reading.

How's that for openers?

Looks like you're holding
all the aces, Mr. Wade.

You see, gentlemen,
it's quite simple.

We must have a peace treaty
with Winnemucca.

No, Ludlow, you can't... Now,
now, please, please, please.

I have prepared...

just such a treaty.

There is the document. Huh?

And I think they'll find that
quite acceptable.

You see, we offer to pay
for any one of our riders

who crosses Winnemucca's lands.

The last time
we tried to get a treaty

with that old Paiute,
it took almost a year.

Now, why should it be
any different this time?

It won't be any different...

not unless we come up
with some gesture of goodwill

to Winnemucca.

Cartwright, talk sense.

Our only chance to survive
is to obtain

a government subsidy.

Isn't that right, Mr. Ludlow?

Well, I...
Well, isn't it?

Yes, yes, yes!

But I still don't see what that
has to do with this treaty.

We-we can't go on
conducting business

without a treaty
with the Indians.

If we have to suspend the Pony
Express, even for one day--

If we hold up the mail,
we've failed!

No, no, I tell you, no!

I don't have
to tell you gentlemen

the financial structure
of this company is shaky.

If we don't get that subsidy,
we're out of business.

Now, Curtis,
we'll do this my way!

And I insist on a treaty
with the...

You insist?
I insist!

What makes you think
you've got the right

to insist or anything else?

As soon as our friends here
take a look at these papers,

we'll see who they'll
listen to, you or me.

What are these papers, Wade?

His creditors' reports.
Creditors' reports?!

What kind of creditors, Wade?

I'll tell you what kind.

The men who've
backed and supported

various and assorted companies,

such as the Erie Canal
Riverboat Service,

New Orleans Clipper Line,
Washington and Boston Packet,

all of which were headed
by Mr. Ludlow,

and all of which went broke!

That was all in the past.
It's over.

Is it?

Isn't your father
trying to stop

the operation
of the Pony Express

while we palaver
with a bunch of redskins?

You think that's the kind of man

the government is gonna
subsidize-- a quitter?

He's ready to send us
into bankruptcy right now,

just as surely as he did
these other companies.

What are you trying to pull off
there, Ludlow!

Wait a minute!
Are these reports true?

Wait! Wait!

Let's hear what Mr. Ludlow
has to say!

I do not deny...

those reports.

Look, if you
don't want to lose your money

the same way all Mr. Ludlow's
other creditors did,

I'm asking you
to give me a fighting chance

to keep the Pony Express
in operation.

Don't give in to Winnemucca.

We'll fight him!
We'll outrun him!

We'll run him into the ground,
if we have to.

And how many pony riders
will have to die in the process!

They volunteered! If they
don't like it, they can get out.

We've got a right
to protect our interests.

I say we give Mr. Wade
a vote of confidence.

Now, wait a minute...
And I second that motion.

All in favor, say "aye"!
Aye!

Opposed?

Opposed.

The board has spoken,
Mr. Ludlow.

You're no longer the head
of this organization.

♪♪

Aren't you gonna do
anything at all, Dad?

Son, I've already told you,
it's not any more my affair.

What was it all for?

A pat on the back for me
and another failure for you?

I was hoping this was it!

That once,
just once in your life,

you'd finish something,
you'd-you'd see it through!

Son, you heard what
they said to me in there.

You... you saw what happened.

I saw you crumble and collapse
before a man named Curtis Wade.

I watched him take
the Pony Express away from you

without even a struggle.

Didn't you ever really care
about the Express?

Or was it just a...
another bunch of words

for you to sound off with?

Son...

you shouldn't speak
this way to me.

I've always wanted you
to be proud of your father.

Proud?

Of What?

Of his failures?

Of all his great achievements
that went bust?

Of watching him run out
on one thing after another?

Last thing in the world I wanted
was to let anybody down.

Especially you.

Well, you've done
something worse.

You've let yourself down.

♪♪

♪♪

Get going!

Cool him out.

He's a good one--
he run 30 miles.

30 miles, did you say?

I couldn't stop
at Indian Wells station.

How come?
Paiutes.

Paiutes?

Mr. Cartwright...

your son Little Joe...

he's trapped in that station.

I heard the shooting.

I circled the place.

Them Paiutes was
having themselves a time.

How do you know
it was Little Joe in there?

We were supposed
to pass in the road.

We didn't.

Give me another horse!
I'm going with 'em!

I ain't never missed
an Indian fight in my life.

Mr. Wade...

you really
fight all those Indians

back in Texas,
like you tell us about?

I'll tell you, those bugles
were music to my ears.

Yeah.

It's gonna have to come out...

All right.

Hang on tight.

Now.

Oh, no...

Easy. Easy, Jabez.

Pa...?

What did they do?

Papa?

I'm proud of you.

You hear?

I'm so proud of you.

Is this according
to your schedule, Mr. Wade?

No, I... never wanted it
to come to this.

Reckon what he was trying to do?

He was trying to...

get a peace treaty
with Winnemucca.

Pony Express was his...

his dream, his life.

He died for it-- the least
we can do is keep it going.

All right, we keep it going.

You gonna finish your run
to Sacramento, Cartwright?

You bet I am.

Hyah!

Ride 'em! Go, Joe, go!

♪♪

This has been
a color production

of the NBC Television Network.