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Howdy.

Stable your horse, mister?

Clean stalls, plenty of oats and water.

Dollar a day.

You got yourself a customer.

Is it always this hot around here?

'Tain't but 98 in the shade.

You want to see it get hot, wait'll Friday.

It'll get hot then.

A whole lot hotter.

Take care of my horse, will you?

Howdy.

How you doing?

Room for one? Yep.

Just sign the book.

You're a stranger in these parts.

That's right. Here for cattle buying?

Yeah, looking first, then buying.

Well, we got the finest ones here. Pure-bred beeves.

We're famous for 'em.

Improve your herd or build 'em from scratch. We got 'em.

Well, now, I guess you want to freshen up

and start to those ranches

and look at those cattle, right?

Yeah, I'd like plenty of hot water for washing.

♪♪

Well, Mr. Cartwright,

here's your key.

You take your drunks pretty serious around here, don't you?

Oh, he's not drunk.

Now, your room is 25,

top of the landing to the right.

If he's not drunk, what's the matter with him?

I wouldn't concern myself if I were you, Mr. Cartwright.

He's beyond help.

This man's a dying man.

Name is Steven Friday. Black Friday.

Steve Friday, sure.

I wouldn't, Mr. Cartwright.

Well, I would.

Hey.

You're cuttin' in to do another man's work, boy.

For the time being, anyway.

Hey, Steve.

Steve, it's me, Joe.

Joe Cartwright.

Yeah. I remember.

But what're you doing here?

You're in no condition to be down here.

Let me get you upstairs in bed.

You mean in my grave, don't you?

Now, don't try and trick me.

'Cause I'll kill you.

Just like the others, I'll kill you.

Get it clear in your head, boy.

I got a special reservation in on Mr. Friday.

In fact, three days from now.

Friday the 13th.

The only one this year.

Right, Judge?

It's poetic justice

that he should die on that day.

And quite fitting that he should crawl...

until then.

Now don't you forget--

Friday's all mine.

♪♪

Come on, come on. I just want to help you, that's all.

Leave me alone.

That's a heck of a way to talk to an old friend.

Friend?

Maybe.

But that was when I worked on the Ponderosa

a long time ago.

Things change.

Yeah, I could've guessed that without you telling me.

Got a lot of fever-- how long you been sick?

You ought to keep that filled. I'll get you some more.

How about something to eat, too?

Feeling sorry for me can get you killed.

I'll be back.

Don't bother.

I don't need you.

I don't need anybody.

I'll see if I can get you a doctor.

Howdy.

Buenos dies, ser'ior.

Let me have a bowl of soup,

a couple of biscuits, and some tea on a tray, please.

Si, señor.

Wait a minute, Tony.

I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright,

but you've got to eat that food down here like everybody else.

Look, you got a sick man upstairs.

Well, I know.

Come on, why don't you forget the whole thing

and have a drink on the house, huh?

Where can I find a doctor?

Well, I-I don't recollect.

Thanks.

Judge, how long you going to let him get in the way?

I hired you to spill only one man's blood,

the man that murdered my son.

Do you really think Friday's going to come out and face me?

When Steven Friday makes a date for a gunfight,

he comes out, regardless of how he feels.

Especially on his name day.

But to play safe,

we'll starve him a little and goad him a little.

Instead of being impatient,

you should thank me

for making it easy for you to earn your fee.

Hold on. The patient will live

long enough for me to get my coat on.

What did you say his name was?

I just don't like leaving him alone too long, that's all.

Well, that's the second time you dodged my question.

Well, what difference does it make what the man's name is?

It does if it's Steven Friday.

Look, you got a sick man over in the hotel.

You're the only doctor in this town.

You gonna let him stay sick?

Listen, young fellow,

there's a certain amount of risk

just living in a trail town like Chiso.

Now, I'd be willing to stretch that risk even thinner

for a man with, say,

the average amount of good and bad in him.

But Black Friday?

What gives you the right to judge

the good and bad in a man?

I'll, uh, I'll get you some medication.

You, uh, you get my point, don't you?

Why, I'd-I'd face a contagious disease

without hesitation, but-but this?

You know, my pa once said that fear and hate

are the two most contagious diseases known to man.

That's all right.

Give him a half a powder every two hours.

Use some cool compresses.

See that he takes some nourishment,

solid food if he can hold it down.

The fever should drop within 48 hours.

It's, uh,

it's pointless, you know.

They'll kill him before the week's out.

Thanks for the medicine.

♪♪

Got you some medicine.

Got fancier pitchers in my room.

Yeah, you told me you were going for water.

I forgot.

Yeah, a fever will do that to a man.

You can get yourself killed that way.

Yeah.

Just take one of these every two hours.

You ought to be on your feet in a couple of days.

Drink it.

There you go.

Water, medicine.

Why do you bother?

Dora ask you to?

No.

No, I haven't seen Dora since you two left Virginia City.

No.

She wouldn't ask you to.

Yeah, she knew...

I was all finished.

A lot of roads,

a lot of towns since Virginia City.

But you heard about me?

16 men.

You had to hear about me.

Yeah, I heard about you.

First, I didn't believe it.

I never thought I'd hear you talk about it

like you were proud.

You're proud...

of the way you gentle horses,

handle stock.

All I got to be proud of is what I can do with this.

Didn't use to be that way.

That first time,

first one in Virginia City--

I heard that wasn't your fault, you were suckered into it.

Yeah, yeah.

Money gun,

drunk, trying to build himself a reputation.

He picked on me for an easy score.

I was more surprised than he was

that it turned out the other way around.

Why'd you run away?

I guess I just figured I should move on.

I went on down the road.

Another optimist waiting around the bend for me.

Come on.

Let's get you in bed.

No, I'm all right. Yeah, you're great.

I've seen kittens in better shape than you're in.

Let's give that medicine a chance to work.

It doesn't matter.

End of the week, I'll be fine.

Yeah, let's get you in bed anyway.

Friday the 13th, huh?

That's the day they picked.

My name day.

The day I fight Nate Jakes.

Yeah, if you're able.

Able or not, I fight him.

You sound like a man who wants to die.

A man who's got no choice.

We'll talk about that Friday.

Right now you need some solid food.

Joe.

You're not careful,

you're liable to get killed instead of me.

Don't come back.

Mr. Wyllit. Thanks, Tony.

Rare. It better be.

Ah, Mr. Cartwright.

Another steak, Tony.

I'm Josh Wyllit,

known around here as the Judge.

I know your father by reputation.

Fine man.

A fine ranch, the Ponderosa.

I, uh, presume you're here to buy cattle?

Yeah, that was the general idea.

Well, sit down, Mr. Cartwright.

I hope you don't mind my ordering you a steak.

An apology for not welcoming you to Chiso before now.

Uh, this is Mr. Jakes.

An associate of mine.

You may have heard of him.

Yeah, Nate Jakes-- I've heard of him.

As owner of the largest ranch in these parts--

Well, not as big as the Ponderosa,

but a fair spread--

I can be of considerable help to you.

If you don't find what you want in my herds,

I'll see that you do on one of the other ranches,

at the right price.

Now, that's what I call a right generous offer.

After you've eaten your steak,

I'll have one of my men take you out to my ranch.

Plenty of room.

We can put you up.

Yeah, till maybe Saturday or Sunday, huh?

Well...

it will take at least two days to look over my herds.

Mr. Wyllit, you can talk plainer than that.

Why don't you say what you mean? Why not?

a wise man

does not intrude in matters that don't concern him.

I think you should heed it, Mr. Cartwright.

You got a sick man upstairs...

all of you down here...

and you're gonna give me a good price on some cattle

if I leave town for a couple of days.

You know, Judge,

he catches on real quick.

Oh, thank you.

That's a good-looking steak. How much?

A dollar and a half, but that's my pleasure.

I always buy my own dinner.

Looks like I'm gonna be collecting another fee.

♪♪

There's just nothing I can do, Mr. Cartwright.

Steven Friday's sick; he's not beat up or shot.

Nobody's laid a hand on him.

But he can't get out of the hotel,

and the day after tomorrow they're gonna kill him.

Now, hold it. I can only concern myself

with what's happening right now.

Come on, Sheriff, come on! You're dodging the issue.

No, I think you're the one that's dodging-- you're dodging

the fact that Friday has already gunned down 16 men.

All right, then arrest him.

Arrest him and get him out of the hotel!

He's not on any wanted posters.

He never has been; he doesn't operate that way.

No, all of his kills have been called fair fights.

Oh, and you know they weren't fair, huh?

Well, now, are you one of those people who thinks

that gunslingers are exciting and romantic?

I think he's a human being.

You just said he wasn't wanted by the law.

All right...

let's look at the facts.

Friday rides in here almost a week ago.

Oh, people are chasing him,

but he wants to stay right here, of his own free will.

Well, now, right away I figure him just being here is trouble.

And, mister, I was right.

Wyllit rides in,

Nate Jakes rides in within 12 hours.

Another fact.

He lies up there and he gets sick.

Well, now, you know how word travels.

There's a few other fellas

that'd like to be in on his killing.

So they start to gather,

just in case Friday outdraws Jakes.

Now, at last count there were two of them.

I met Wyllit. Who's the other ones?

Enos Low.

Low's little brother wasn't fast enough to take Friday.

Now, Low is no gunman, but, oh, he is a wizard with a rifle.

And then there's Cole Berry.

He's no more than a kid, but he's fast.

And he'd like to build a reputation.

Three or four.

Those are tough odds on a well man.

Oh, there's a couple of local boys

that'd like to be in on that killing, too.

And some of our more respectable citizens,

why, they can just hardly wait for Friday the 13th.

You see, Mr. Cartwright, when gunfighters

start to cut each other down, honest folks benefit.

So you sentence him to death without a trial, huh?

Oh, that wasn't me.

That was Judge Wyllit.

And folks around here think that he did right.

Now, Mr. Cartwright,

why don't you forget about Steven Friday.

He's not worth your worry,

not to mention your life.

Just doing what I was told, mister.

Well, you were told wrong.

I'm not ready to leave town just yet.

Take him back to the stable.

Oh, Mr. Cartwright, the man who had your room showed up,

so I gave it to him.

And since there's no other room in the house...

I'll move in with Mr. Friday.

Mornin'.

Thought maybe you'd like to know it's time for breakfast.

Yeah. Steak and eggs and grits and biscuits.

And lots of hot coffee to wash it down.

That is, for them that can, uh... get served.

Great to have friends, isn't it?

How you feeling this morning?

Hm?

Uh, it's too early to tell.

You planning on a party?

Why, don't you believe in shaving?

Not when I might have to drink that same water.

Hey, don't you worry about the water.

You got plenty of it right outside in that fountain

in the middle of the street.

There's your medicine there.

That's the last of it. Drink up.

I'll go get us some more water, and you can wash up,

we'll go down and get something to eat.

You, uh... you think they're gonna serve you, huh?

Sure they're gonna serve me.

Served me last night.

Did they?

Then how come you didn't bring me anything?

We had plenty of steak left over there.

I didn't think you were hungry, that's all.

Here.

Drink some more of this.

Water's good for the fever.

There you go.

I'll get this one filled up.

How would you like your eggs?

Sunny-side up. Gotcha.

Morning, Mr. Cartwright.

Another hot day.

Uh, Mr. Cartwright?

Your... your breakfast's waiting.

We went through that yesterday. I know.

And I misjudged you badly.

I've ordered a tray prepared for Mr. Friday.

In return, I...

I only ask that you listen to me for a few moments.

I want the pitcher filled with water.

Oh, sure.

Get him some water.

Please.

You know who you're risking your life for?

Do you know what he is?

Yeah, I think I do.

I don't mean statistics.

16 men killed in gunfights.

There's no blood or pain in numbers.

I mean specifics, Mr. Cartwright,

such as a boy named Billy Wyllit.

18-year-old boy walks into a saloon.

Someone gives him whiskey.

His head spins until he doesn't know what he's doing.

A professional gunman sees him, taunts him and cuts him down.

That's who you're helping.

I'm sorry about your son, Mr. Wyllit.

But if it happened like you said, then why

didn't the law do something about it? The law was blind.

The law said it was a fair fight.

Five years ago, and he's gone on killing ever since,

and still the law does nothing.

So now...

I'm doing the law's job, Mr. Cartwright.

A fair fight.

All legal.

And you can call it fair and legal

to hire a gunman to kill a sick man?

Mr. Friday's breakfast.

The last meal either of you will get in this town.

And the last water.

I don't want you to be hurt.

I don't want anyone hurt...

but Steven Friday.

But get between Friday and his retribution...

and you'll get hurt.

Wyllit let you bring this up here?

Yeah. How come? Is it poison?

No, he just wanted to talk.

Wanted me to listen.

Oh, yeah.

That 18-year-old boy I butchered.

That helpless boy who took a drink

and didn't know up from down-- I heard how he tells it.

And how do you tell it?

I don't.

Then it happened the way Wyllit said, huh?

Oh, come on.

What's the use in talking about it?

His side, my side-- the boy's dead.

I want to hear you tell it.

All right.

Billy Wyllit was 18...

but he was no boy.

He'd killed two cowhands

by the time he decided I'd be number three.

He came up on me from behind.

He had his gun half out of his holster, then he yelled.

His bullet burned my side.

It's the closest I ever came.

Now you happy?

I'm sorry.

Sorry, I should have known.

Everybody should know.

Everybody should know.

Everybody should know about the wife

who keeps begging you to stop.

And you keep telling her you can't stop because...

the guns keep coming up against you.

And inside, you know you can't stop.

And after the tenth or the 12th, she knows it, too.

And she leaves.

And your whole world goes out that door with her.

Doc's been called out of town.

He won't be back till tomorrow afternoon.

Friday afternoon.

He went out to the Wyllits' ranch.

The Judge asked me to tell you that.

Oh, so you work for Wyllit, too?

No, not yet.

Jakes has a bigger reputation, so Wyllit hired him.

But I'll get my chance.

Now, what do you have against Friday?

Not a thing. First time I ever saw him was yesterday afternoon

when he almost fell down the stairs in the hotel.

You don't even know him, and you still want to kill him?

Yeah. The place to start is at the top.

When I get him, I get his reputation

and everything that goes with it.

The gun jobs and the money.

You'd kill a man you never even spoke to

just for that, for money?

And I'll get it, too, because Jakes isn't fast enough.

That's why I'm hanging around running errands.

When Friday gets Jakes, I get Friday,

and all the money Jakes would've got.

If it turns out the other way, same difference.

I'll take Jakes, and I still got it all.

Howdy, Mr. Cartwright.

You want your horse, I'll have Charlie saddle it up for you.

One horse, that's all you take.

No, I don't want the horse saddled.

Just came over to check him-- it's a hot day,

I want to make sure he's getting plenty of water.

It's already been taken care of.

We wouldn't let no horse go without water.

Thank Judge Wyllit for me.

Wyllit's got nothing to do with it-- it's my idea.

You want your horse, you can have it anytime up till sundown.

After that...

nobody leaves.

Yeah, you got a real brave town here.

All of you against one sick man.

Still sick, huh?

Glad to hear it.

You know, my brother had been in the saddle for 30 hours.

Out on his feet when Friday gunned him down.

It's, uh, kind of fittin'

the way things are working out.

You might think so.

And, uh...

don't try sneaking out the back door of the hotel.

Somebody's always watching.

Oh, I'm sure of that.

I know you want it to happen tomorrow, Judge,

but I think you're making a big mistake.

Cartwright come down here to buy cattle, didn't he?

Then he sees Friday, and all of a 5... Shut up.

If anything proves I'm right, that does.

We can't talk anymore when he's around.

Look, Judge, first he moves in with Friday.

That makes two of them.

Now, that don't bother me.

I've beat those kind of odds before.

Then what's the problem?

Like I said, Cartwright come here to buy cattle.

He's not going...

He's not gonna hit the trail alone.

He's got drovers following him in.

And if he does have?

If he does have... six,

eight, ten drovers...

that's a small army.

I say do it now.

Impossible.

Friday will not come out of that room until tomorrow noon.

You know that and I know it.

Then I'll go in after him, with Cartwright in the room or out.

It's all one to me.

That would be shooting a sick man in his bed--

A clear case of murder--

And that I will not have.

When he sees me, he'll draw.

Don't worry, you'll get your fair fight.

Without witnesses?

And open to question? No.

Maybe Jakes doesn't want to give Friday

another day to get well, Judge.

Maybe that's what's bothering him.

If you don't want the job, I'll take it.

Sonny...

...if you don't stop trying to cut in,

I promise...

...I'll take you first.

Well, now, you can try, Jakes.

I told you I hired Jakes.

And I told you why.

Now, I want to hear no more from you.

I want Steven Friday's death

legal beyond all doubt.

I want him killed on the anniversary of my son's death...

at noon on Friday the 13th.

My shadow still out there?

Yeah. Yeah, he's still out there.

Old Enos Low.

Couldn't hit himself with a six-gun.

With that carbine, he'll hit anything he can see.

Yeah, so I've heard.

Hey, your head's burning up; your fever's going up again.

Yeah, and the doctor said cold compresses.

This isn't very cold, but it's better than nothing.

My throat's dry. Can you get me some water?

Yeah.

Here's a little bit. I'll get you some more.

Keepin' you busy.

Yeah.

That Cartwright's giving him all that food and medicine,

and getting water for him, making a well man out of him.

This keeps on, Friday's gonna be more than you can handle, Jakes.

The judge said no water.

You should've listened to him, Cartwright,

'cause your luck just ran out.

I'm callin' you.

I guess maybe you're in the market for a new gun hand.

I thought you would be.

$1,500.

Same thing I offered him.

You got yourself a new man.

What's the matter, Joe?

Don't feel so good?

I just had to kill a man.

I told you to stay out of it.

Yeah, well, I didn't have much choice, did I?

You know how many times I've said that?

Well, Wyllit's gonna have to get himself a new gun.

At least that'll buy us some time.

He don't need much time.

He's got a line waiting outside.

Yeah, I talked to that kid at the doc's office yesterday.

Berry?

Yeah, he would be the first in line.

He said he didn't even know you.

But he wants to kill me.

You find that hard to understand, don't you?

I don't.

I understand it very well.

♪♪

It's that Berry kid out there showing off.

It's probably a little more than that.

Gunfighters sometimes send their reputations down the road

ahead of them to...

to scare the man they're going to meet.

Berry doesn't have a reputation,

so he probably wants to show me what he can do.

But one thing he can't show me

is what he does when the target shoots back.

You know, when we didn't have any,

all I could think about was water.

Now that we've got it, my thirst is gone.

You're in no shape to go out there.

In 30 minutes, we'll know.

Send your hired gun away, Mr. Wyllit.

I want to talk to you alone.

Let him have his say.

What's on your mind?

I came to ask for a little mercy for Friday.

Mercy, Mr. Cartwright?

For a man who doesn't know the meaning of the word?

I can't help you.

You chose to involve yourself

with a man who's about to be killed, legally.

Did you say "killed legally"?

At noon today,

the fifth anniversary of my son's murder.

Now, tell me, just what kind of killing

is legal, Mr. Wyllit?

A hanging?

Yes, but only after a man has been tried in a courtroom,

convicted and sentenced.

No, I don't see any courtroom here, no judge, no jury.

All I see is an armed mob waiting to force a sick man

out into the street so he can be murdered.

And you're gonna call that legal?

I'm taking advantage of the loophole in the law

that Friday has used in all his killings.

At noon... Steven Friday comes out of that room

to meet Mr. Berry.

A face-to-face shootout in the street.

A fair fight.

That kind of killing is legal, Mr. Cartwright.

Your son was killed in a face-to-face shootout,

Mr. Wleit, and you call that one murder.

If your boy had been a tenth of a second faster,

that could be him up in the room right now instead of Friday.

Or don't you like to think about that?

There's been enough talk.

Everything fair and legal, huh?

You still have a few minutes...

if you want to say good-bye to your friend.

Come on, come on, what are you trying to prove?

All right, you got a kid out in the street

who's trying to build himself a reputation.

Don't give him a chance to do it.

What do you suggest I do?

All you managed was to lose your gun.

I say stay in the room, don't go out there.

Till I starve or they burn me out?

When my father gets here with some men,

we'll get you out of here.

Then what?

I go to another town where other Judge Wyllits

and Cole Berrys are waiting for me?

Five minutes to 12:00.

Got another gun?

Yeah.

There's one in the drawer.

When you go out there, I'm going with you.

Thanks, Joe.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

I got the top man.

I got his reputation!

I got it all!

Last town.

End of the road.

I didn't want to kill your boy.

I had enough...

killing.

♪♪

So you got what you wanted.

You got him, you got your reputation.

You got your revenge.

All of you all got just what you wanted, didn't you?

By killing a man with an empty gun.

♪♪

This has been a color production

of the NBC Television Network.