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Clear the way, I can't hold 'em!

Clear the way, I can't stop!

Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Ho, ho!

Whew!

Get a doctor, Hess--

Got a sick man inside.

Hey, Doc!

Doc, come out here, quick!

What's wrong?

Got a fella sick out here on the stagecoach.

Doc, about ten miles back, he got chest pains.

I had to run my team full-out.

Hello. I'm Dr. Martin.

I think he's a little bit better now, Doctor.

Mr. Wilson, the doctor's here.

Thanks, Little Joe.

Couldn't have stopped 'em without you.

That's all right, Clint.

Here, lend me a hand, will you, fellas?

Got him all right, Hoss? I got him, Joe.

You must be the man who stopped the horses.

Yes, ma'am. I'm Joe Cartwright.

How do you do?

Here, let me give you a hand.

Thank you.

Will you show me how to get to the Manor House?

I'll do one better than that-- I'll take you there myself.

Got any luggage?

Here you go, Little Joe.

That is it, isn't it?

Okay. Here we go.

Kind of young to be traveling around by yourself, aren't you?

I'm 19.

Oh, come on.

I really am.

Nobody ever believes me; but I'm 19.

How long you gonna be here?

Only a few days.

The introductions were cut short.

I didn't get your name.

I'm Wendy Daniels.

And you'd rather not be called Mr. Cartwright?

Well, not if I have a choice.

You do... Joe.

Hey, you know anybody here in Virginia City?

Not a person.

Until my father arrives.

And then I may not know him.

What, you won't know your own father?

I haven't seen him in five years.

It's been such a long time.

Coming here is the most exciting thing that ever happened to me.

Yeah, well, it's been a pretty exciting day for me, too.

Let's see, I got up this morning,

made out a feed list,

I met the prettiest girl in the whole world.

Easy now, Hoss, you're supposed to blow out the candle.

Don't blow away the cake.

Well, Pa, I got to get my wish.

Joe, you've been, uh...

with us all evening, and yet you haven't been.

You been off in a fog somewhere.

I'm sorry, Pa, I... I was just thinking about a girl

that came in on the stage this morning.

She's so beautiful I can't even tell you about her.

She hit you pretty bad, huh?

Yeah, she's a real beauty, Pa.

Was she ever.

She had... She had real light eyes.

Kind of like milk glass, just with a little tint of blue.

Beautiful blonde hair.

Yeah, it was real shiny, like a...

like a polished saddle buckle

glinting in the sunlight, right, Joe?

Aw, shut up and cut your cake.

Oh, that looks good.

Hey, that's her.

Hi, Wendy.

Why, Joe.

How nice.

I'm, uh, with my father and my brother.

It's my brother Hose's birthday.

We're having a little celebration.

Could you join us?

All right. For a few moments.

Good.

Pa... I'd, uh, I'd like to present Miss Wendy Daniels.

This is my father...

...and my brother Hoss. Miss Daniels. Charmed.

Howdy, how are you?

Mr. Cartwright, Hoss.

Happy birthday.

Thank you. Wendy said she could join us for a few moments.

Oh, wonderful.

That makes this occasion all the more auspicious.

Please. You bet.

Thank you.

Uh, Joe told us that you, uh, arrived this morning

on the stage.

Yes, by relay from Chicago. Uh-huh.

I'll be meeting my father here in a few days.

He'll be arriving from Denver.

Is he coming here on business?

Mm-hmm.

He's been visiting several cities

during the past couple of months,

trying to arrange details for a stage and freight company.

Virginia City will be his terminal.

He wanted me here with him to celebrate his triumph.

Well, the way Virginia City is growing by leaps and bounds,

I guess we could stand another stage line.

He plans to give Wells Fargo a run for their money.

They gave you a pretty good run for yours this morning.

It surely was a wild introduction to the west.

Here, have a piece of birthday cake.

Thank you.

And a little champagne.

Martha, could I have a plate and a glass, please?

Uh...

organizing a-a stage line presents certain difficulties

for... for an Easterner, doesn't it?

Thank you. Father thinks in large terms.

All right. The bigger the challenge, the better.

Here you are, Joe.

Talk about a big challenge.

Hoss. You bet.

There we are.

Cake looks awful good. Mm-hmm.

Sure does. Sure does. Here you are, Pa.

Man, that's... that's family-size cake.

I got a family-size brother.

I got a family-size appetite.

There we are.

May I propose a toast?

To Hoss.

And to my father.

That chair almost suggests he's with us.

To Hoss Cartwright, may the future be even brighter

and more successful than the past.

Thank you, ma'am.

A field of four-leaf clovers.

Uh, yeah, without bees, I hope.

To my father...

who's always filled the cup of my dreams

and a special country of my heart.

To Taylor Daniels...

who can sing you a sonnet, build you a bridge

or-or harness a river, just to satisfy your whim of the moment.

To my father...

I believe I spoke overlong.

No, no, of course not, dear.

That was a beautiful toast.

We'll drink to your father.

I'm sorry, I must leave now.

Oh.

I'm afraid your Western wine is a little bit too much for me.

Well...

Thank you. Good-bye.

Bye.

Western wine?

Bottled in France.

Western France, I reckon.

Wendy?

You forgot something.

What?

You forgot to say you'd go riding with me tomorrow.

Riding?

Well, I don't know if I should, Joe.

Well, why not?

Well, suppose my father should arrive.

I wouldn't want to be out of town.

Well, you said he wouldn't be here for a couple of days.

Well... suppose he should arrive early.

Well, I wasn't planning a ride to St. Louis.

I'll have you back by the afternoon.

All right, look, have it your own way.

I'll be by with a stereopticon,

and while you're looking at the pictures,

I'll wave a fan in your face and do my world-famous

impression of horses' hooves. How's that sound?

Now, we really have some beautiful country around here.

We've got mountains, trees, lakes...

there's only one thing that's missing.

What's that?

That's you, riding next to me.

You certainly don't give up easily, do you?

Well, it's that or the stereopticon.

All right.

Be by around noon.

Buggy or stereopticon?

Use your own judgment.

Afternoon.

Hello, Miss Daniels.

Good afternoon, Mr. Cartwright. Well, how are you?

Just fine.

Well, you enjoying your visit to our part of the country?

I know my... my son is enjoying the pleasure of your company.

It's been very nice.

He's taking me for a ride this afternoon to see the lake.

Oh, you'll love it. It's beautiful.

Well, Mr. Huber. Mr. Cartwright.

You have a very special customer here.

You know that, don't you?

Yes.

I'm well aware of that.

You make sure that she gets everything

she can possibly need.

Well, Miss Daniels,

I've checked.

But there haven't been any wires

or mail in your behalf, from Denver.

I see.

Well, no matter.

Father often forgets personal details

when he's involved in business.

Most men do.

I'll contact you the moment anything comes through.

Thank you, Mr. Huber.

Good day. Good day.

Ben, got a minute?

Sure, Jim.

What can I do for you?

Sit down.

Um...

Tell me about Miss Daniels.

Miss Daniels?

Well, she's a...

A pretty young lady.

I don't know very much about her.

Well, Joseph introduced her to me-- my son.

She has an inexcusably neglectful father.

He hasn't sent her any money.

Oh, really?

I don't have to look inside her purse

to know that she hasn't got any funds.

Hmm.

Well, her father's a substantial businessman.

He's setting up this terminal for the stage line,

right here in Virginia City.

He'll probably be doing business with you.

Oh, it slipped his mind.

Why don't you extend her some credit?

My first obligation...

Is to the depositors, I know.

But she's a young lady, she needs help.

I can't do that, Ben.

You can't do that.

Hand me one of those checks.

What for?

I'd like one of those blank checks, if you don't mind.

What are you going to do? Jim, will you please

give me one of those blank checks?

All right, all right.

Now I've got a girl.

I'm gonna put $300 in her account.

All right.

But if she, uh, finds out

where the money came from,

being an unmarried, unattached woman,

she may feel that she's being put in a compromising light.

Oh, Jim.

Comprising!

Now, see how you've got me involved?

Involved?!

Jim, why don't you go fishing.

It'll restore your sense of human values.

♪♪

♪♪

How long has it been since you've seen your father?

Five years he's been away.

And I'll see him in two days.

I can hardly believe it, Joe.

What kept him in Mexico so long?

Oh... it was all pretty secret.

I didn't know much myself until lately.

He was with... Benito Juérez.

Hey, the President of Mexico.

Before and after the revolution.

My father was a foreigner, but he was one of Juérez's advisors.

On his staff.

Hmm!

He's kind of a... kind of a soldier of fortune, huh?

I like to think that.

He's so many things.

But mostly, he's...

well, I guess you could call him an adventurous businessman.

He must be adventurous, all right.

It's not gonna be any easy job

going up against the Wells Fargo.

Daddy's company plans to help the small settlements,

where Wells Fargo doesn't go,

bringing medicine and supplies.

And he'll accept barter, if you can't pay the fare.

He's very idealistic, even in business.

Sounds like a fine man.

He plans to start small...

like a pebble in the water...

but from sky-high.

You could feel his own excitement when he wrote me.

"Close your eyes, Wendy,

"and see the clipper ships--

"Beautiful, proud,

"driving fast to the wind--

And you'll be at the bow with every one of them."

That's kind of spreading yourself

a little thin, isn't it?

No, silly.

He means figureheads carved in the bows of ships.

Oh.

You're making fun of me.

Honestly, Joe, it's kept me awake some.

I lie there seeing myself as...

as Empress of Asia or...

or Star of India,

racing the dolphins on every ocean in the world.

Wendy, you are an incurable dreamer.

Is that wrong, Joe?

No, I guess not.

It's so...

it's so like a fairy tale.

Do they ever come true?

Aw, sure, they do.

This ranch, the Ponderosa, that was my father's dream.

He worked hard, and he made it come true.

So there's hope for yours.

You think so?

Really do?

Who in the world wouldn't do anything for a girl like you?

I better get you back to the hotel.

♪♪

All right, who told her

that I had deposited the money in her account?

She asked directly-- I had to give her an honest answer.

Had to give her an honest answer!

You couldn't have been tactful.

Ben, in my business, tact yields to honesty.

Sure.

Though, in this case, I must admit I was sorely tempted.

All right, so she wouldn't take any money out of the account.

Naturally, I was concerned about her,

a young girl like that, uh, she doesn't see things

as they really are-- I wanted to help her.

Well, that's very commendable.

So I sent a wire off to the manager of the Denver Bank,

who happens to be an old school chum of mine...

Oh, get to the point, Jim.

I merely suggested that he try to approach Miss Daniels' father

and sort of nudge him

to transfer some of his funds to his daughter.

I wish you'd suggested

that he nudge Mr. Daniels before this.

Well, anyway, I, uh, waited at the bank

for a return wire.

It seems Mr. Daniels closed his account in Denver--

A small account-- a week ago.

He did have a letter of credit on a bank in New York

upon which he had drawn heavily.

But, Ben, the worst of it is...

Is what?

My friend in Denver inquired at his hotel.

Our Mr. Daniels checked out of the hotel

three days ago, left no forwarding address.

There's no trace of him; he just disappeared.

Huh.

I hope you understand, Miss Daniels,

that if it was up to me, uh...

We have a house rule here that when the bill reaches $50...

I understand, Mr. Woods.

There's no need to explain.

I wish I could let you stay.

I really do.

Haven't you any friends in Virginia City?

I'll pack right away.

Uh, excuse me, ma'am.

Sounds like you need a friend. My name's...

Here, here, now, you don't have to run away.

I'm really not hard to get to know.

Besides, I might be a great help to you.

Please, leave me alone. Now, look, this is

a pretty rough town for a young lady to be in unescorted.

Some of these men around here might get the wrong idea

about a girl being alone.

I'm afraid I...

Excuse... Now, look, I'll tell you what, why don't you...

Why don't you find the door, mister.

Nobody asked for your advice, sonny, so beat it, will ya?

Come on, I'm taking you out of here.

Where can I go?

You'll stay with us, out at the ranch,

till your father gets here.

Go on up and get your things ready.

♪♪

Hey, come on, don't look so worried.

We'll be there pretty soon.

Always seems longer the first time.

I know. I was just wondering.

Yeah? About what?

If this is the way Mother felt when she was left alone.

You would have liked her, Little Joe.

If she was anything like you are, I would have.

She wasn't.

She had poise.

Nothing ever seemed to bother her.

Even when nothing seemed right.

She was always alone.

Father was off somewhere trying to conquer the world, I suppose.

But she didn't seem to mind.

She was always there, always devoted to him.

Even when she died.

Well, you're here now,

and there's a difference.

I'm here, too.

Are you, Joe?

Truly?

I wonder if anyone ever gets over feeling alone?

You just give me a chance to show you.

Come on.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Come on.

♪♪

Well...

I'm going to have to get to work.

We got those horses to bring in this morning.

You going riding this afternoon?

Your father asked me to go to town with him.

But if he won't mind...

Well, of course I won't.

Hey, Joe, you think we can move all them horses by noon?

Sure, we can.

All you gotta do is stop eating and start working.

Excuse me.

Well, I don't know what's come over him, Wendy.

Before you got here, I used to have to beat him

all the way to the barn to get him to do a day's work.

You really don't mind?

Hmm? My breaking our date.

Oh, come on now. Of course not.

You'll enjoy riding.

Thank you.

For what?

For being the way you are.

For letting me be a part of your family.

We never had much of a family life.

Father was away most of the time.

He was always off...

building castles shining in Spain.

He was kind of like a dream,

not solid and sure like you.

Now, Wendy, you know, there are solid dreams, too.

And solid dreamers.

And the combination of the two

is what makes for change and growth.

And, uh, could very well be

that your father is one of those solid dreamers

and maybe that's why he hasn't been around the house too much,

because he's been so busy away, building.

Yes... I know.

It's-it's just that...

well, knowing you...

has made me learn

what it's like to have a father.

Thank you.

That's very nice of you to say that.

Thank you.

Now, you enjoy this afternoon's ride.

I will. Mmm. That's good.

Good day, Mr. Cartwright. Hi, Martha.

Over here if you're searching for an honest man.

I'm searching for a good beefsteak,

that's what I'm searching for.

How are you?

Fine, Ben.

How are you getting on with your house guest?

Oh, splendidly.

Wendy's a... charming young lady.

Charming.

Uh, have you heard anything

about our missing Mr. Daniels?

If this is his destination, he'll be here tomorrow.

Mm. Oh, Martha, I want you to bring me

the best beefsteak you can find in this hotel.

You know the way I like it, done in some, uh...

oh, little potatoes and some peas.

Yes, Mr. Cartwright.

Ben,

does it seem at all strange to you

that we are collectively stricken

with this sudden interest in a young woman

we know nothing about?

No.

No. Not at all.

You know why?

Because she's vulnerable.

Oh, I know she, uh...

she looks, uh, at her father through a gossamer veil,

but, uh... I think that's kind of nice.

Yes.

That is a nicer sentiment, Ben.

But I do have a responsibility to this town.

Now, what does that mean?

Well,

Taylor Daniels has written directly to the merchants.

And word has gotten around that his terminal will be here.

That means increased business

and jobs.

Well, he sure has lit a pretty big fuse.

I hope he can carry through with the promised fireworks.

So do I.

So does everybody else, I guess.

Aw, now, come on.

Aren't you being a little hard on a man

that you haven't even met yet?

No, no, no. Not me.

Others.

I am a little cowed by their opinions.

They don't exactly jive with, uh,

Wendy's high regard for her father.

0h?

Well...

received...

this am. from New York.

Mmm.

"Be advised of immediate cancellation

"letter of credit

"issued Daniels Stage and Freight Company.

"Advance no further funds.

All Western banks being notified."

Who's that from?

Daniels' bankers.

He's on his own, Ben,

when he gets here.

If he gets here.

Uh, Joe, you might ought to check that stirrup length there.

Hmm?

I don't reckon I'll ever make a Westerner

out of him, Wendy.

At your service, ma'am.

Oh, what a gentleman you are.

That's right.

Oh, Wendy, have as good a time as possible...

under the circumstances.

You haven't said anything to me in so long.

When you finally decide to talk to me again,

I hope it's something really important.

I'm sorry, Joe.

It's just that...

Well, look at that.

It's so beautiful.

And a little bit sad, too.

Why sad?

Well, my father always said that...

Oh, no.

What's the matter?

I don't believe it.

I'm Joe Cartwright.

You must be Mr. Taylor Daniels.

You have to be.

That's who I talk to every time you talk to me.

Find out what Mr. Daniels is doing,

what Mr. Daniels is thinking,

what Mr. Daniels is gonna be doing in the future.

You know, just for once,

I'd like to find out something about Wendy.

I don't know what to tell you.

Tell me anything.

Do you like prunes?

No.

Neither do I.

How about plums?

I love them.

Same here, but it doesn't make sense, 'cause a prune

is just a plum that's been in the bath too long.

Now, prunes and plums aren't much, but they're a start.

Now, what else is there about Wendy?

Well...

there's the Wendy Daniels

who-who was the best speller in the first grade.

Excellent.

Then there's the Wendy Daniels who used to go

and collect seashells, at the age of 12,

to hear the sound of the sea that was locked inside of them.

And then there's the Wendy Daniels who's...

right here

and right now.

And the last one is my favorite.

Hi.

I'm Joe Cartwright.

Hello, Mr. Cartwright.

I'm Wendy Daniels.

♪♪

Good morning. Good morning.

I'm Taylor Daniels

of the Daniels Stage and Freight Company.

Oh, yes, Mr. Daniels.

Yes, sir. I'm acquainted with your enterprise.

My name is Huber.

Please come in. Ah, thank you.

Have a chair.

Now, what can I do for you?

I've just arrived from Denver,

but I thought I'd check momentarily

if you had any correspondence regarding our company.

As a matter of fact, yes.

A wire from New York.

0h?

Your letter of credit, Mr. Daniels--

It's been revoked.

May I see the wire?

Certainly. Yes.

Yes, I had it here somewhere.

I've told them never to clear this desk.

Oh. Here it is.

I'm sorry, Mr. Daniels.

Sorry? For what?

For announcing to me that I'm ruined?

That my enemies have finally pulled me down into the mud?

My name is Taylor Daniels. Oh.

My daughter is registered here, I believe.

Oh... Miss Daniels?

Mm-hmm.

Not anymore she isn't.

What do you mean?

Well, uh, the young lady was unable to pay her hotel bill.

Are you telling me you evicted my daughter?

Well, I wouldn't exactly say that she was on the curb.

She could have paid her bill

with the money that Mr. Cartwright put up.

Cartwright-- who is he?

Well, he's the fella who offered her $300

and took her in at the Ponderosa Ranch,

where she is now.

My daughter is staying at this Ponderosa with...

Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright?

No, not exactly.

Uh, there is no Mrs. Cartwright.

Who else knows my daughter is staying there?

Wh...

Who else? Well, just about everybody

in Virginia City, I guess.

Oh, please, Mr. Daniels, will you... lay off?

You're... you're about to choke me.

Take a rest.

How are you? Can I help you?

I'm looking for a man named Cartwright.

Well, I guess I qualify-- I'm Joe Cartwright.

Cartwright, I've always prided myself

on being a civilized human being.

But there's only one way to treat a person like you.

Now, what was that for?

For my daughter's reputation.

I'm Taylor Daniels.

Look, Mr. Daniels, you got this whole thing wrong.

Have I? I don't think so.

Now, look, you're gonna listen to me.

Joseph. Joseph!

What's this all about?

This is Wendy's father.

I'm afraid he's got a few things mixed up.

You'd better do some explaining.

This boy better do some explaining.

He abducted my daughter.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.

My son offered a young lady a decent home,

and she accepted it,

for the sake of her self-respect.

My daughter is my responsibility.

Oh, good, I'm glad to hear you say that.

Why don't you live up to it?

Why'd you leave her stranded here

in Virginia City without even paying her hotel bill?

Let me tell you something about your daughter.

She's a warm, lovely,

courageous girl.

And you ought to be proud of her.

Now, I could understand perhaps you wondering

about my son's intentions, but...

you had no need to question hers.

Things have been so...

well, I've been so upset...

I guess I've been taking it out on everybody.

Looks as though I've made a complete fool of myself,

doesn't it, Mr. Cartwright?

I don't know how I can... Why don't we just forget it.

Joe, why don't you tell Wendy her father's here.

Right.

Mr. Daniels, let's go in the house.

Just a minute.

Come in.

What is it?

Your father's here.

Joe!

You're not joking?

He's downstairs right now.

Oh, Joe, I knew it!

I knew he'd come!

Do you think I look all right? I think you look beautiful.

Well, what if he doesn't like me?

How could help but like you? Oh, I'm not like Mother.

She was always so poised.

She always knew just what to say to him.

Oh, Joe...

I'm scared.

Look, there's nothing to be scared about.

That's your father downstairs.

But you don't understand.

He's not like other men.

Mother always told me that...

that he needed someone to stand beside him,

to help him from being afraid.

When she died, I promised I would try to...

Oh, Joe, I'm so happy!

♪♪

What's the matter?

Nothing's the matter.

I'm just real happy for you, that's all.

Go on; go on downstairs-- your father's waiting.

Mr. Cartwright... Mm.

Look, I think it's about time that I start calling you Taylor

and you start calling me Ben.

Well, I could use a friend... Ben.

I don't know how I'm going to face Wendy.

I---

I'm finished.

I'm wiped out.

I set out to conquer the world.

Mm.

Well, you've had, uh, some kind of business reverse,

and now... and now you feel you're an utter failure.

Well, let me tell you something.

That's not the picture of Taylor Daniels

that I get from your daughter.

They always set me on a pedestal,

both Wendy and her mother,

but somehow I was always falling off.

And this time, I think, for good.

My credit has been cut off, you understand.

Oh, yes.

Yes, I understand.

Credit...

letters of introduction, vouchers, mortgages...

they all seemed very important to me at one time.

Then I discovered...

something of greater importance.

Something much more meaningful to me.

I discovered how important my sons are to me.

You know, Taylor...

our children are the only immortality we have.

What would a man like me do with a child?

I purposely avoided seeing her for years.

Even after my wife died, I... I couldn't bear to see Wendy.

I never had been a father to her, and...

it was too late to start.

And yet you... you wrote her,

asking her to meet you here.

Oh, yes, when I thought I was going to succeed.

I wrote-- I could afford to write.

With all kinds of reams and reams of...

glittering promises and nonsense...

seas and sailing ships...

I'm a rotten failure.

Oh, I don't mean to trouble you.

I'm sorry.

And... when Wendy comes down,

tell her I'm sorry.

It's easy to love a dream, Wendy.

It's a lot tougher to love a human being.

Your father's here and he needs you.

He needs you now more than ever before.

You really do want to fail, don't you?

No man wants to fail, Ben,

but even a fool knows when he's beaten.

And you are beaten.

You're so completely beaten that you're ready to run away,

just as you have success in your hands.

I don't understand-- I told you...

You told me about credit; I'm talking about your daughter.

Taylor, if you walk out this door right now,

you will fail, not only for yourself but for Wendy.

Your whole life will have been a failure.

Father?

Wendy.

Wendy, I... I...

I don't want to know anything.

I don't want to hear anything.

I just want you to hold me.

Wendy will be out in a minute.

She's saying good-bye to Little Joe.

Taylor...

I know that my friends in San Francisco

are looking forward to hearing about your plans

for the stage line.

Of course, I'm looking forward to seeing the first run.

Without you, it would not have been possible.

Well...

I guess you can say maybe without your daughter's faith

in her father, it mightn't have been possible.

It's gonna be pretty lonely around here without you.

You taught me what it was like not to be alone.

I'll never forget it.

Loneliness is a deep well.

Maybe I can help fill it for my father for a while.

And then?

San Francisco isn't so very far away, is it?

No, I guess it's not.

Good-bye, Wendy.

Good-bye, Mr. Cartwright.

I can never thank you enough.

Wendy...

we're gonna miss you.

Wendy, uh...

♪♪

Joe.

Hey.

Let's go inside and have some coffee, huh?

Sounds good.

This has been a color production

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