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The following program

is brought to you in living color on NBC.

Well, how's it going?

That's the last one.

Really? Uh-huh.

250 of the prettiest little calves you've ever seen.

You realize you're a whole week ahead of schedule?

I'm proud of you, son.

Really, I'm proud of you.

Well, the men deserve the credit.

They're a real good crew.

Well, it still takes a man to lead the way.

You tell the boys there'll be a good bonus

for each one of them.

Thank you; they'll be happy about that.

Does that go for me, too?

Well, if, uh, you consider that week off

you've been wanting to take a bonus...

Hey, do I ever.

Elkton, here I come.

Elkton? What are you going to do in Elkton?

Pa, the prettiest girls in Nevada

live right there in Elkton.

Oh, they do, do they?

Yeah, I guess you would know about things like that.

Hey, Joe, since you're going up that way,

do me a favor, will you?

Drop in and see how Morgan Tanner's doing.

Last time I saw him,

that broken arm of his wasn't setting too well.

I wouldn't go by Elkton without looking in on Morgan.

Why don't you wait for me?

I'll get my horse and we'll ride home together.

Pretty girls, hmm?

Hey, Morgan!

Little Joe!

Well, what a surprise.

What the deuce are you doing way over here in Elkton?

Came over to see you and Martha, for one thing.

How you doing?

Fine.

What the devil have you got on?

Huh?

What do you mean?

What smells so pretty?

Oh.

Oh, well, that's, uh,

that's some of that bay rum cologne stuff, you know.

Oh, that's what it is.

Yeah.

Must be a new girl in town, huh?

Well, I don't know.

That's what I came to Elkton to find out.

We finished the branding

and Pa gave me a week off.

He and Hess send the best to you and your wife.

Thank you.

Been meaning to bring Martha over to see you folks,

but a man never seems to get caught up in a place like this.

I see what you mean.

Let me give you a hand with that.

All right.

Yeah, this could use a little more chopping.

You know, Morgan, you're a lucky man.

Having a wife like Martha.

Hey, Joe, Joe, uh, wait a minute.

What is all this?

Bay rum cologne,

sentimental talk...

You sure there isn't some special girl in Elkton?

No, nobody special.

But you know, you never can tell.

Well, it's time you found a girl and settled down.

When it's time for me to start planting rice, let me know.

Yeah, well, don't rush it.

I got a lot of wild oats to sow first.

How's that arm doing?

Well, it could be better.

I just keep forgetting it doesn't work so good.

Wasn't because of that you stopped by, was it?

Morgan, if you don't feel sorry for yourself, why should I?

Hey, Joe.

That can wait.

Come on, let's go in the house

and get something cold to drink.

You got yourself a deal.

I can't wait for Martha to see you.

Does Martha still make that dried apple pie?

She sure does.

That's my horse!

Somebody's stealing my horse!

He's dead.

Any idea who he was?

No name on anything, Martha,

just the initials "L.J." on his belt buckle.

Just one bullet hit him. Went clear through him.

He was hit dead-center of where I was aiming.

I'm sure it was my bullet brought him down.

Well, I'll take him into Elkton

and file a report with the sheriff.

I'll bring your horse back when I'm through.

Oh, that won't be necessary, Joe.

I'll saddle up and go with you.

You're a stranger here.

Sheriff Fenton's a friend of mine.

I want to tell him it was my blame.

Well, whatever you think is best, Morgan.

I think that's best.

Won't take me but a minute

to saddle up another horse.

Well, I'd better get him up on the horse.

Well, go ahead.

Then he opened fire on us.

There wasn't nothing to do but shoot back.

He was, uh, coming straight at us,

there wasn't no chance to miss him.

Joe and I both fired at the same time.

You both fired?

Yeah, that's right, Sheriff.

I guess you could see, though, just one bullet hit him.

Hmm.

L.J., L.J.

Maybe this is something here.

Luke Jordan...

with a bunch of aliases.

Now, if this is him, you boys got a bad one.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's him all right.

The one sitting down, right there on the right.

"Luke Jordan, wanted dead or alive

"for the murder of a cashier

"and the theft of $8,000 from the Tucson Express Company.

If apprehended, notify Sheriff Winkler, Tucson, Arizona."

There's a $2,000 reward.

Well, it looks like you boys did the community a service

and made some pretty good wages besides.

Well, it didn't enter my mind

about there being a reward.

Well, some days you get lucky, Morgan.

Oh, no, I don't hold to blood money, Sheriff.

Well, neither do I.

But if it falls your way, take it.

I'll bet there were 20 bounty hunters after this one.

If you boys hadn't have got it, one of them would have.

He's right, Morgan.

Hey, Sheriff, who are the other three in the picture?

That's his brothers.

Virgil, Boone and Walt Jordan.

They've all got records a mile long.

But it seems like they've served their time--

They're not wanted at the moment.

Is that all, Sheriff?

No, there's one more thing.

Now, Luke's death could bring his brothers

into town to claim his body.

If that happens...

...well, these are real hard cases, boys.

They might want to claim

a couple of more bodies besides Luke's.

You mean Joe and me.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I think you're just looking for trouble

before it starts, Sheriff.

Well, that's a habit with me, Cartwright,

just like staying alive.

If I broke one habit, I might lose the other.

I guess you got a point.

Well, thanks for the time, boys.

I'll wire the sheriff in Tucson,

and your money should be here in a couple of days.

Right.

Oh, come on, what's the matter, Morgan?

You got something against money?

Got something against that way of getting it.

Just put that kind of thinking out of your head.

You didn't have any choice.

I guess you're right.

Well, I'll go on over and get my horse.

I'd better be getting back to the farm.

I think I'll stick around town a little while.

Yeah, I figured you would.

Any chance of you coming out and having supper with me and Martha

before you go back to the Ponderosa?

You can count on it.

Just make sure Martha's got

plenty of that dried apple pie for me.

Right.

I'll see you back at the ranch.

Ooh-hoo!

I'll have a beer.

Thanks.

Want company, sweetheart?

Not that I know of.

Favorite number for you, stranger?

Anything you play is fine with me, ma'am.

I've got a favorite number.

You.

When my neck needs washing, Mr. Rawlins,

I'll do it myself.

Are you an iceberg, girlie?

Will you leave me alone?

Don't play that holier-than-thou with me, lady.

This is a saloon,

and you're here to entertain.

Mr. Rawlins, my kind of entertainment

is supposed to be cultural, not physical.

Well, as somebody once said:

"If you can't whip 'em, join 'em."

Hey, mister.

Hey, you!

Go finish your drink. I want to hear the music.

Get lost, little boy.

Come here.

Come here.

The little boy wants to hear the music.

Do you mind if I sit down?

No, not at all.

In fact, I'd like it.

Thank you.

My name's Lorna Medford.

I'm sorry you had to get involved

in that incident, Mister, uh...

Cartwright.

Joe Cartwright, I'm from over Virginia City way.

And as far as the incident's concerned, forget it.

Today seems like my day for getting involved.

Why don't you play some music,

liven this place up a little bit?

That'll cost you a drink, Joe.

Got to earn my keep.

What'll you have?

I'll have what you have.

What would you like me to play?

Uh, let me see, uh, how about "Beautiful Dreamer"?

You know that one?

Of all the songs to pull out of a hat,

why did you have to choose that one?

Oh, you've got to be kidding.

Buttermilk?

You're a real woman of the world, aren't you?

From Corryville, Ohio.

Population 58, minus one.

Who's the real "Lorna," the, uh, the dress you're wearing,

or what you're drinking?

I ordered the buttermilk, Joe.

The management ordered the dress.

That's for the customers

whose hearing doesn't match their eyesight.

Oh.

Who was he?

Rich man? Poor man? Beggar man? Thief? What?

Rich man.

I see, and you were the, uh, girl

from the other side of the tracks, huh?

Something like that.

Wanting to marry the family money, not the man.

Did he think you were just after the family treasury?

I didn't wait to find out.

Just ran away, huh?

I didn't run.

I simply had to prove I could make it on my own

without the help from any family treasury.

Well, that's good.

That's good.

You're really gonna prove a lot in a place like this.

Ten dollars a week, all the buttermilk you can drink.

And the wonderful fragrance of stale beer.

This is just a stepping stone to San Francisco.

If I'm good enough,

I can entertain the kind of audiences that...

that won't be looking at my legs.

Well, thanks for the buttermilk and the kind words.

Did you ever stop to find out whether he believed

what his family said about you? No.

No, not you-- you just ran off and left.

If he really loved me, he'd have tried to find me.

Well, try looking at it from his side.

As far as he's concerned, you just ran out on him.

Hey, girlie.

You might like to know whatever Mr. Cartwright buys for you

has been paid for by a dead man.

What's that supposed to mean?

The whole town's talking about it.

There was a reward on that dead man.

And I'm betting Cartwright and his friend Morgan killed him

for money.

You shoot him in the back, Cartwright?

Did you take him by surprise?

I know all about you.

You want to hear it?

You got the floor, mister, keep talking.

I'll do that.

He's a rich kid.

Run out of money.

So he turned bounty hunter.

What's the matter, rich kid?

Didn't you get your lollipop allowance this week?

Don't push it too far, mister.

I don't have a price on my head, bounty hunter.

I'm not worth $2,000, dead or alive.

If you're good enough to shoot me,

you might find some small change in my pocket.

Here.

Save you the trouble.

♪♪

Give me a couple of beers, my friend's buying.

You know, loudmouth, they say

that if a man could second-guess his mistakes,

he'd never die by accident.

I want to give you a chance to learn that lesson.

Now, just leave that stand there.

See, that's a very important beer glass.

That beer glass is you.

This one's me.

See, now, the idea is to see if you can spill my beer

before I spill yours.

Any time you're ready, loudmouth.

Oh, you would have died of a real bad case of slow.

Put it back.

Now drink to your good health and your good fortune.

What can I get you boys?

Beer.

Same here.

What'll you have, Virg?

Whiskey.

Something wrong?

No, no, nothing's wrong. I, uh...

I just remembered something I had to do, that's all.

I'll see you later.

But he threatened to kill me, I tell you!

Well, he didn't do it, did he?

Will you quit shouting? I got a headache.

You mean you're not gonna arrest the man for attempted murder?

No, I'm not going to arrest a man

for shooting up a beer glass... providing he pays for it.

Oh, I'll pay for it.

All right, there he is, Sheriff, now arrest him!

Casey, will you shut up?

What's the matter, Cartwright?

You forget something?

Yeah, Sheriff, I think maybe I did.

Uh... I just didn't want to talk about it in front of Morgan.

Oh, I thought you and Morgan were close friends.

Well, we are. We're good friends,

but, uh, you know,

Morgan gets kind of carried away with himself sometimes.

Yeah.

Well, what's on your mind?

There was just one bullet in the dead man.

Now, who would you say put it there?

Morgan Tanner seemed to think he did.

Well, he's wrong.

I shot Luke Jordan.

What makes you so sure that Morgan didn't kill him?

He was shooting with his left hand.

Looks like you were, too.

Come on, Sheriff. I was born left-handed.

Morgan's new at it.

You, uh...

you wouldn't be just after that reward money, would you?

It was my bullet that was in Luke Jordan.

There's a reward, I'll take it.

All $2,000 of it.

No share and share alike, is that it?

Yeah, that's it.

Casey, will you get out of here?

The way I hear it,

you Cartwrights own half of Nevada.

I didn't realize you needed money that bad.

Look, the wanted poster doesn't ask

whether I need the money or not.

It wants to know if Luke Jordan is dead and who killed him.

I've been known to throw reward money in the gutter

and make a bounty hunter scramble for it.

Would you make Morgan scramble for it?

Morgan needs that money real bad.

He had a right to kill that man, protecting what belongs to him.

Yeah, well, if you're looking for justification, Sheriff,

I was protecting what belongs to me.

And just what might that be?

My life. I was being shot at, remember?

Yeah. Yeah, I remember.

And the way you play with that gun,

you're liable to get shot at again.

So, hand it over, and I'll...

I'll give it back to you when you leave town.

Well, I'd like to keep my gun if you don't mind.

I mind.

There's an ordinance in town against carrying a gun.

Come on, Sheriff. I've seen 20 men in this town packing guns.

Oh, is that so?

Well, I'll have to look into that, Cartwright.

But the ordinance is still on the books, so hand it over.

I'll be at the hotel. Let me know when the money gets here.

I'll do that.

There you go, old-timer.

Thanks.

Give me a drink.

Now, listen, Casey, you get out of here.

You caused enough trouble.

Give me a drink!

Anything else, gents?

No more to drink, but we can use a little information.

Ain't much goes on around this town I don't know about.

We're looking for a man...

name of Luke Jordan.

Ever hear of him?

Seems I heard the name someplace.

Mm-hmm. Well, he's a brother of ours.

What do you know about him?

This is Elkton, ain't it?

Well, do you got something to say about our brother?

I think you'd save a lot of time and all

if you had a little talk with the sheriff.

The drinks are on the house.

I guess we won't have no trouble finding the sheriff.

Mister.

Didn't mean to eavesdrop,

but maybe I can save you some time.

Well, maybe there's somebody in Elkton don't mind talking.

Well, it's not easy to say.

Your brother's dead.

Shot.

I know the man that did it.

A bounty hunter by the name of Cartwright.

This, uh, Cartwright...

he still here in town?

Yeah.

He's still here.

Thanks for the drinks...

and the information.

I don't know what you're trying to prove, Sheriff,

but you sure must want to lose a dollar awful bad.

Well, things were getting a little boring in town.

When I get bored, I like to gamble.

A dollar still says you can't get three out of five.

All right, if that's the way you want it.

Stand back, Martha.

Pay me.

Thanks, Sheriff.

Easiest dollar I ever made.

Hmm. We can use it.

Martha.

Well, that's pretty good shooting for a man

who had to learn to shoot with his left hand.

Morgan, how are things going around here

since that horse busted you up?

Martha and me get by.

I don't like the way we come by it

any better than Morgan does,

but when we get that reward money,

we're, uh, gonna get along a sight better.

Sheriff, you didn't come all the way out here

just to lose a dollar to me.

What's on your mind?

I kind of hate to tell you this, Morgan,

but your friend Cartwright changed his mind.

Changed his mind about what?

About sharing that reward.

Oh. Well, maybe he changed his mind, but I haven't.

Look, Sheriff, he's gonna take his share just like I told him.

We both fired.

Yeah, I know, but he claims you missed.

He says you got no share coming. He wants it all.

But how does he know who missed and who didn't?

You'd have to ask him, Martha.

All I know is, he wants it all.

Well, you're not gonna give it to him, are you?

Oh, I haven't yet.

I wanted to see how good you could shoot first.

Morgan, you'll have to come into town.

We'll file a report, let the judge decide.

No, Sheriff. If Little Joe thinks

that money's rightly his, give it to him.

What?!

Martha, I never did hold to blood money in the first place.

I'm sure not gonna argue with a friend about it.

Morg...

Sorry, Martha.

Sometimes money can turn a man mighty fast.

Bye.

Sheriff?

They're here, Sheriff. Who's here?

The three brothers of that man Cartwright killed.

And they're here after Cartwright.

There's no doubt about it.

Just how did they know it was Cartwright they were after?

Well, because I told 'em.

Figured they were gonna find out anyway, so I told 'em.

Casey, why don't you go steal a horse

so I'll have an excuse to hang you?

Maybe you didn't hear what I said, Cartwright.

I heard you.

You must want that reward money pretty bad.

Yep, I want it real bad.

Bad enough to face up to three-to-one odds?

If I have to.

Cartwright, I've got a job to do in this town,

and part of it is to keep people from getting killed.

So why don't you do me a favor and just get out of town?

I want the money.

I'll send it to you.

I'll wait for it!

What good is $2,000 gonna do a dead man?

Maybe I just don't intend being dead, Sheriff.

Oh.

You know, I rode out to see Morgan Tanner.

He shoots pretty good with his left hand.

Not good enough.

Good enough, it could have been him

that put that bullet in Luke Jordan.

So it might have been him, but it wasn't.

Now, how many times do I have to tell you that?

You've been friends with Morgan a long time, haven't you?

A real long time.

Well, as long as you're in my town,

I'll... I'll do what I can to protect you.

That's my job.

But I can't be with you all the time.

So, um...

come on by the office, I'll give you your gun back.

Thanks.

For what?

Good luck, Cartwright.

Well, thanks for not turning your back

and walking away when I came in.

I could never do that to you, Joe.

Got too much respect for you and too much gratitude.

Gratitude? What for?

This came from Placerville last night.

Read it.

Let's sit down.

"Dearest Lorna,

"I followed you across seven states.

"If you are running away from me, I won't try to follow.

"But if you're running away from yourself or my family,

"stay where you are.

"I'll find you.

"I want to marry you.

Love, Richard."

Well, you know, I couldn't have said it better myself.

You won your point, didn't you?

Looks like I won it just in time.

You're not making any friends in this town,

sitting around with a bounty hunter.

I won't buy that name, Joe.

You couldn't possibly be brutal or mercenary.

And just what makes you so sure?

Because I saw you provoked beyond patience

by Casey Rawlins.

If you had any killer instinct in you,

it would have come out then.

Have you tried to explain to yourself

why I cheated my friend out of his share of the reward?

Did you have a reason for doing it?

Yeah.

Well, then, I'm sure it was a good one.

I'd bet my life on it.

Well, things are gonna get a little rougher

if I have to bet mine.

What do you mean by that?

Is somebody threatening you?

No, no, but there's always a good possibility of it.

Well, try not to worry about it.

Who's worried? Look at me.

Look at that right hand-- steady as a rock.

Just wish I was right-handed, that's all.

How about a buttermilk?

Hey, Cartwright.

There are three men asking folks if anyone knows where you are.

They're the brothers of that man you killed.

Where are they now?

They're out there waiting for you

near the undertaking place.

And I got a funny notion

that they're not gonna settle for shooting at beer glasses.

♪♪

You looking for me?

Your name Joe Cartwright?

Yeah.

This here is my brother Boone.

My brother Walt.

I'm Virgil Jordan.

We come here to give our brother Luke a Christian burial.

Kind of figured we'd send him on his way in some new clothes.

He always liked dark suits,

only he never got around to buying one.

I'm sorry about what happened.

Ain't your fault, Cartwright.

If Luke was shooting, you had every right to shoot back.

Besides, I... I hear tell he stole a horse.

They can hang a man for that.

No, I figure Luke was lucky, just getting shot.

Sheriff, if my brother made trouble,

if he put you out any,

I want to apologize, because whatever he got,

he was asking for it.

Well, I know that's a hard thing to say, coming from a brother.

Me and my brothers are just planning to stay in town

long enough to do what we have to do.

Mr. Cartwright,

don't trouble your conscience none

about collecting on that money.

If Luke had a price on his head,

he put it there hisself.

They didn't even raise their voices.

Well, you think all that sweetness

and life is on the level?

I don't know. Why?

You just don't bury a brother

and then pat somebody on the head for killing him.

Well, didn't you tell me

not to go dreaming up trouble before it happened?

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Yeah, of course I'm right.

Let's go have a beer. Sheriff, that sounds good.

My, uh... my heart's been up in my throat the last few minutes.

I think a drink might get it back where it belongs.

Well, you, uh...

you can put these clothes on him later.

Right now I wonder if we could have a few minutes alone

with our brother.

Uh, of course. I understand.

Thank you, sir.

All right. Now, we're gonna plan this,

and I don't want no slips.

You know, catching Cartwright

by himself could be a problem, Virg.

You figured out a way for that?

We got to get rid of the sheriff first.

Maybe we could keep him busy, Virg,

like we did up in Fargo?

Yeah, that would work.

You do it, Boone.

Where do you figure it ought to be, Virg?

Somewhere close to town, where it'll draw a crowd.

And, Walt,

I want you to make sure the undertaker

has got another pine box

just like this one.

♪♪

Maybe it would be best if we talked about it, Martha.

This just ain't like us, not talking things over.

I've said my say.

No, Martha, you haven't said your say.

You're letting it build up inside of you.

It didn't just...

start with this, Morgan.

If it's...

building up inside of me...

it's been building for a long time.

When the well went dry

and I lost that little patch of flowers I had.

When you promised me those new curtains

and then you had to spend the money

on a plow handle.

Look, honey, I don't blame you.

I know it's been hard.

But that's the point. Don't you see that, Morgan?

I have never complained.

I have never wanted to.

I have never figured that I had to,

because I knew that you were doing your best.

And I kept hoping and hoping.

And even dreaming.

And now we get that chance

to make some of those dreams come true,

and you just sit by and let Little Joe Cartwright

walk off with money that's rightly ours.

He must feel for sure it was his bullet

that killed that man. He truly must.

But at first he was going to share and share alike.

Morgan, don't you have any idea

what a thousand dollars would mean to us?

Yes, Martha, I know what it would mean.

I guess it just wasn't meant to be, that's all.

I can't accept that answer, Morgan.

I won't accept it.

Martha, there just ain't much we can do.

But there's something that I can do.

I'll go into town

and I'll find Little Joe

and I'll tell him my feelings.

Now that's what I can do.

That won't do no good.

It'll do a lot more good

than standing here, listening to a man

who won't even stand up for his own rights.

Morgan.

Morgan, I didn't mean that.

You know I didn't.

I reckon I know that.

But it's said.

Maybe it's true.

I'll go into town in the morning.

I'll stand up to the sheriff and...

I'll stand up to Little Joe, too.

I'll tell them I figure there was as much chance

I killed Luke Jordan

as there was Little Joe done it.

Morgan,

sometimes a woman gets so riled up,

she says a lot of things.

I know.

Maybe that's what husbands ought to be for.

To listen when their...

when their wives get riled up.

Well, this is all you need, Cartwright.

That telegraph order from Tucson.

You can take it down to the bank and get your reward.

Thank you, Sheriff. Hey, uh, I probably won't get a chance

to stop out and see Morgan. I wonder if you'd do me a favor.

I'm gonna leave an envelope for him over at the hotel.

Would you see he gets it?

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

I guess you're heading back to Virginia City, huh?

Yeah. Yeah, on my way home.

Thanks again.

You bet.

♪♪

Howdy.

Leaving town?

Yeah, I was planning on it.

How much I owe you?

That'll be a dollar.

You know, lots of folks around here

are not gonna be sorry you're leaving town.

Your horse is in the corral. You want me to saddle him?

No, never mind. I'll take care of it.

What's that?

Fire. And I'm head of the volunteers.

Oh, uh, your gear is right there.

Oh, boy.

♪♪

Don't shoot him, Boone.

Not just yet.

Well, I wasn't fixin' to, Virg.

Sure do wish I could see the fire, though.

Yeah. Wonder how that got started?

I reckon most everybody in town'll be going to the fire,

don't you, brother Boone?

You know, I don't reckon there'd even be anybody around

to hear a gunshot.

Walt?

Walt?

He's down, Virg. I can see him from here.

♪♪

Look out!

Sheriff, I promise I'm really leaving this time.

Good-bye, Cartwright.

Hey, Morgan.

Little Joe.

How am I ever gonna thank you?

Oh, just forget it.

Remember you owe us a visit.

Hey, there's somebody else I want to say good-bye to.

He left $2,000 at the bank in my name.

Opened the only bank account I've ever had.

Well, maybe he figured it was your bullet

that killed Luke Jordan.

Sheriff.

If those men had thought I killed him, I'd be dead now.

I wouldn't have stood a chance against 'em.

Not even with two good arms.

Yeah, that's right.

Hey, looks like we're both leaving town the same day.

I ran away from Richard once.

But this time I'm running to him.

I'm going to meet him in Dayton, Joe.

Good.

I'm happy for you.

Thanks.

Well, I guess I'd better be on my way.

You take care.

Bye-bye.

Hyah, hyah.

Get in the corral here.

Hyah.

Well.

Glad to see you back in one piece.

About time. Oh. What do you mean,

about time? Pa gave me a week off. I took a week.

Seemed like a month. I've been doing your chores, you know.

That's funny, it seems like a month to me, too.

Listen, how's, uh, Morgan and Martha getting along?

Oh, Morgan's just fine. The ranch looks real good.

Hey, matter of fact, Morgan's even managed to put

a little money away in the bank.

Well, good, good. Good to hear that. Yeah.

Anything special happen?

Anything special?

Yeah. Uh, I think I'd better tell you about it at dinner.

I'll go clean up.

Oh, I-I wanted to ask

a favor of you, Pa.

Uh, the next time I-I ask you for a week off,

don't give it to me.

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