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- You see that? - Yeah, I see it.

Somebody's signaling.

Cavalry uses polysteel. Paiute use mirrors.

Well, if it's the cavalry,

it looks like they just ride down here and check on us, don't it?

I think we'd better change plans.

Coulter Corners is only about four or five hours' ride from here.

It's out of our way, but they got a telegraph wire.

We can find out if anything's going on.

Howdy. What's been happening around here?

Hey, Pa, what's going on around here anyhow?

Paiute arrow. They're on the warpath again.

All of a sudden we're a long way from home.

A long way.

Three dead: an old man, a woman and a little boy.

- We got three graves to dig, Pa. - We got five graves to dig.

Two more in there, shot and scalped.

Ought to be able to find some shovels in the hardware store

and some blankets in the hotel.

Graveyard's right down the street.

The sooner we get started...

- I'll take a look. - We'll all take a look.

Took you long enough to get here.

You heard us ride in?

I heard you.

Why the wait?

Some Paiute speak English pretty well.

I didn't know who was out there.

It took a while before one of you came into sight.

Why all the noise, then? Why didn't you just shout out to us?

Mister, you spend four days without water,

you haven't got much voice for shouting.

Four days?

Paiute busted this town just after first light four days ago.

How come you're still here now?

I was under the bunk, the blanket pulled down.

Ought to be some keys out there in that mess in the office.

Telegraph said the war parties were headed this way.

Most folks started forting up, getting ready to fight.

Then the telegraph went dead. Cut wire, I guess.

Everybody spooked.

Most of 'em headed for the hills, hide there.

Even the sheriff took off at the last minute.

Tall man, gray hair, white shirt, black vest?

Yeah, we found him in the stable, dead.

I've been cussing that man for four days.

Well, I couldn't see what happened to the folks who stayed,

but I could hear it.

I'm beginning to think one of those braves is wearing those keys

for a trophy or something.

Yeah.

Hey, here they are.

I found something too.

Take a look at this.

Now, that should be enough for you. You'll make yourself sick.

Now, come on.

Oh, that's good.

That's got to be the best there ever was.

You know, there's something else I heard,

four days and nights in this sweat box.

I heard water splashing in that fountain.

If you wanna drive somebody crazy, that's the way to do it.

What'd you say your name was?

I didn't say. Nobody asked.

Well, my name's Ben Cartwright.

This here's Candy, my sons Joe and Hoss.

Candy, much obliged for the water.

Driving some horses through. A buying trip in Utah.

Cartwright. I've heard that name.

You got a big spread up Virginia City way.

I'm glad to hear you got horses.

I was wondering what I was gonna ride when you let me out.

Yeah, well, in the meantime, what about the name?

Persistent cuss, ain't you?

The name's Kelly. Mike Kelly.

I got tossed in here for tearing up that saloon.

You know, I must say, Mr. Kelly, you look wonderful for a man 72 years old.

72?

Yeah, right here in the ledger.

Mike Kelly. Age: 72. Weight: 130 pounds.

Charge: common drunk.

You gained a little weight, Mike.

Yeah, for a man that hasn't had any food or water for four days,

I'd say that was a pretty good trick.

Maybe this makes a little more sense.

Josh Tanner.

Age: 30 some. Weight: 180.

Charge: first-degree murder.

Yeah.

Too bad you found that book.

Kind of puts you in the middle, doesn't it, Mr. Cartwright?

You can't stay here.

Can't leave you here to starve to death or die of thirst.

We could use another drover.

You take me along and you turn me over to the law when you get home,

if you get home?

Suppose I say no?

That's up to you.

It's your choice.

Real hard nose, ain't he?

When he has to be.

You related?

No, I work for him, when there's nothing better to do.

He's fair and honest.

He won't ask you to do anything he wouldn't do himself.

Honest, huh?

It's the honest ones that get me in trouble.

Well, like he said, it's your choice.

That's a big country out there. It's Paiute country now.

A man on foot wouldn't have a prayer.

Mr. Cartwright, you got yourself a hand.

- For starters, I'll take that shovel. - No, no.

No, for starters, you'll get yourself something to eat.

Four days without food, you're no good to us.

Find yourself something to eat and then spell off Joe up there.

I'll get some grub and eat up there.

This headstone might interest you.

Murdered.

In Coulter Corners that's what they call it when a Coulter gets shot,

even if it's a fair fight and he draws first.

I'd have bet a month's pay the Paiutes didn't leave one gun, let alone two.

They're hold-out guns, in case of trouble in the saloon.

Old Pete kept 'em on a shelf up under the bar.

The Paiutes were so busy grabbing whiskey, they didn't think to look.

So how come you remember they were there?

The last time I saw this scatter-gun, it was aimed at my head.

Field glasses, compass and cap.

That colonel must have kept one of everything in the army, I reckon.

Well, add 20 buttons to that list.

Yes, sir.

- How you making out? - All that stuff's ready to go, Joe.

Good enough.

Fair and honest, huh? Looks to me like they're cleaning house.

We got a saddle, a bridle and a blanket

and these saddlebags from the livery stable.

Oh, and Tanner got a shotgun, a.45 and a bottle of whiskey out of the saloon.

Better add that to the list too.

If that's an IOU, I got 12 shotgun shells and half a box of.45s.

Well, as soon as we finish here, we'll ride out, huh?

Fair and honest.

And a waste.

Everything in this town was owned by somebody out in that graveyard.

Out here! Give me a hand!

You'll be all right. You'll be all right.

You don't know me, ma'am, but we're going to take care of you.

You're safe now.

Didn't know I'd be needing this so quick.

Mr. Staley's dead.

The Indians. They...

You know her, Tanner?

I saw her around town for the last month or so.

I think she was passing through from somewhere back east.

Mr. Cartwright, unless you don't mind leaving her behind,

I guess we won't be riding out.

And within two hours,

everyone, the whole town,

was running for their lives.

They were loading up wagons, buggies.

Everyone had a different idea which direction to go.

I don't have any family here, didn't have a horse.

But Mr. Staley was kind enough to take me in his buckboard.

He thought we could make it to Lathrup.

But...

only an... an hour or so from town...

near Rocky Point...

Mrs. Burns, you... you don't have to talk about it.

No, I... I want to.

Somebody has to know.

Suddenly out... out of nowhere we saw three of them.

Mr. Staley told me to get off the wagon and hide in the rocks.

He almost pushed me off.

And then he whipped the horses into a run so the Indians would follow him.

He... made it over the ridge and they galloped after him.

Quite a man.

Later...

Later the... the Paiutes rode past where I was hiding

and I heard them... I heard them laughing and yelling...

and one of them was carrying...

Mrs. Burns...

You're right, I'm Josh Tanner, the man they said killed Billy Coulter.

The Cartwrights know. They found me in the jail.

Everything all right out there?

So far. Candy sent me in to rustle up something for supper.

You'll find plenty of grub over there.

Mrs. Burns, we found these in the general store.

You're gonna need 'em.

I know I'm delaying you.

Mrs. Burns, the Paiute have come

and taken whatever it was they wanted and they've gone.

We're just about as safe here as any place.

Till tomorrow maybe.

Now, you're gonna get yourself a good rest tonight

and we'll all be ready to ride out early in the morning.

Tanner, I'll relieve you at sunset.

Thank you.

Mrs. Burns...

What do you know about that man?

Just what I heard, that he shot the Coulter boy, Bill.

That's all I know.

I've only been here for three weeks.

I've been waiting for my husband to send me stage coach fare from Virginia City.

We're from Ohio, Mr. Cartwright.

Paul couldn't make a go of it

and he's trying to work something out in the silver mine.

Well, you know, we're from Virginia City.

Yes, your... your son Joseph told me.

You never should have left and I never should have started out.

Well...

I'm sorry. I guess that's not the right thing to say.

It's just that... I don't feel I'll ever be a pioneer woman.

And I hate to admit it.

I'm afraid.

Ma'am, let me tell you something.

You women call it being afraid.

We men call it being cautious.

It's just about the same thing.

Whoa. Hold it.

How's it going?

Well, I think these horses'd feel a lot better if we let 'em run free.

Hell, a man wouldn't doubt that, but Pa wants 'em led.

- That's the way it's gonna be. - He's the boss. They're his horses.

They're good stallions. Fine as I ever saw.

You know, if the Paiute knew there were animals like this around,

they'd come howling over that hill 150 strong.

You seem to know 'em pretty well.

Had a little horse ranch of my own

till they came howling out of the sunrise one morning.

You all right, ma'am? You need some water or anything?

- No, I'm... I'm fine, thanks. - We better get 'em moving.

Come on, come on. Giddyap.

Yah!

Yah!

- Joe, you all right? - Are you all right?

- Are you all right? - Yeah.

Any more around like that one?

Pa, I... I didn't get a chance to look.

I think he was just a scout.

Well, there's another one. Right up there.

Let's get up.

- You build lots of fires. - Only four.

I was beginning to think you were inviting the Paiute to supper.

What changed your mind?

The way you lit the fires after sunset

when it's too dark to see the smoke and still too light to see the flames.

It's a smart trick.

How are the stallions?

They're bedded down, resting easy.

I see what you got in mind.

The Paiute come onto our tracks, they'll think we're a column of cavalry.

They find this camp with four cold fires,

bits and pieces of soldiers' gear sticking out of the grass,

they'll be sure of it.

I hope so.

We may find out pretty quick.

Hoss told me he thought he saw a flash just before sunset,

north of us this time.

You ought to be sleeping.

- Mary. - It doesn't matter.

We're safe. We're together.

Mary, you know how I feel about you, but we can't have the whole world know.

They don't suspect a thing.

We're headed straight for Virginia City. Your husband is there, waiting.

I don't care. If I never show up, Paul will think it was the Indians.

Either we make it to Virginia City or we don't make it anywhere.

But we could leave them somewhere along the way.

I've got Cartwright pegged.

He has an obligation to turn me in and he will.

But you didn't kill Billy Coulter.

He drew first. He walked into my room with a gun in his hand.

But who knows that, except you and me?

Then I've got to tell them.

I told you to keep quiet at the inquest, and you did.

You're going to have to do the same thing now.

But I can't, Josh. They'll hang you.

What about you?

Your whole life will be ruined.

My life is ruined if I'm not with you.

You never knew Paul, Josh, but it was over before I met you.

He's a fine man and I admire him.

But I don't love him.

Don't say it.

Just keep quiet.

- Promise. - A liar's promise.

A lady's promise.

I promise.

- Anything? - No.

Couldn't sleep. Nerves, I suppose.

I was just telling Mrs. Burns how the Paiute, in fact most Indians,

won't raid at night.

Yes, I've heard that, but I don't think I believe it.

No, it's... it's true all right. It's part of their religion.

They believe that if a warrior is killed during the night,

his spirit is lost and wanders forever looking for his happy hunting ground.

Well, I think you ought to try to sleep, Mrs. Burns.

Yes, I will. Thank you.

Well, we'd best be ready to move out at dawn.

Oh, I'm trying to keep up, but I'm so tired.

Can't we rest for a little?

Not if you wanna keep that pretty hair of yours. We got to keep moving.

Here we go.

Josh!

Josh!

Josh!

Josh!

Josh!

Just like that, huh?

You just let 'em grab her and ride off. Didn't even go after her.

Well, that figures. You had to save your expensive stallions.

You got a good-sized gash in the back of your head.

- I cleaned it best I could. - Thank you for that.

Your gun's on the ground right behind you, next to your hat.

We got 'em all.

You dropped something.

Well, that Mrs. Burns, she rode with us.

She was sick and scared. She never whimpered.

If you're not interested, I'm going after her.

- Tanner, I'll go with you. - Nobody's going anywhere.

Even if you were lucky enough to catch up with them

before they got to the main camp,

they'd still kill her before you could do a thing about it.

You know the Paiute, Cartwright.

- You know what they'll do to her. - Yes.

And when they're through with her, they'll sell her to the Comancheros.

Look, you don't own me. I'm going after her.

- You're staying right where you are. - You don't need me!

One man more or less won't make any difference.

Now, you listen to me and you listen good.

The Paiute aren't going to do anything

till they boast and brag and work themselves up to it.

And there's one place they're not gonna be looking for us,

and that's right in their own camp.

- We're all going? - Yeah, all of us.

Edge of the lake here.

And a rope corral right in here.

Teepees set in here.

We were in luck. It's not the main camp, just a raiding party.

Can't be more than, oh, 25, 30 Indians.

I noticed a guard in front of this end teepee.

I figure that's where they got Mrs. Burns.

Well, a head-on attack won't work. Mrs. Burns will be the first one killed.

Pa, those Paiute mares in that corral,

if they could see or smell our stallions, they'd run with 'em,

if they could get out of that corral.

It's a pretty solid rope corral.

Somebody'd have to get in there and cut it.

The wind's toward the lake. We could time it right to the minute.

Is there any ground cover there at all?

Yeah, yeah, there's some here. You'd have to stay pretty low.

If you're thinking of that guarded teepee, that's my job.

I lost the lady. I'll get her back.

It's a two-man job. You can't do it yourself.

My kind of work.

All right, it's yours.

Joe, the corral's your job.

- Right, Pa. - Hoss, the timber, the saddle horses.

Now, I'll bring three stallions right down here.

Come on!

Whoa.

Gonna take a minute or two to see about this axle.

If you wanna go see the sheriff, he's right over there.

I'm in no big hurry.

Thought you might wanna walk in by yourself.

I'm going to tell him everything that happened.

Mary... maybe that'll help me and maybe it won't,

but sure as shooting it'll ruin your life.

I don't care what people say about me.

I care, especially when the things they say are ugly

and women only whisper them. I don't want that to happen to you.

The worst that can happen to me is I'll do time in prison.

But I'll survive.

I'm not sure I will.

Yes, you will.

You're married.

Any man you'd marry, he's got to be quite a guy.

You know that he's checking every stage and rider coming in, asking about you.

- You're just making it worse. - Mary, look at me.

You were stuck in Coulter Corners, alone and scared,

fighting off Billy Coulter when I rode in.

What happened then has happened before. People get over it.

Ready?

I got no choice. If the law was holding you, then it's clear...

Yes, you do, Sheriff. It wasn't murder. It was self-defense.

Sheriff, this lady's trying to help me

because she thinks she owes me something.

She's going to tell you that she saw the shooting.

She didn't. She wasn't even in Coulter Corners.

Thanks for the try, Mrs. Burns.

Coulter Corners? That's Lexington County, isn't it?

That's right.

A week after you and the boys left,

the governor sent Judge Speer to look into things.

A lot of talk that old Colonel Coulter played fast and loose with the law.

The judge had to come back on account of the raids.

Ah.

- Hear that, Tanner? - Yes, I did.

Mary, thank God.

You're safe. We're together.

You're a very lucky woman, Mrs. Burns.

Paul, these are the two men that saved my life.

Mr. Cartwright, this is my husband.

Mr. Cartwright, how can I thank you?

No need.

- Mr. Tanner. - Mr. Tanner, I'm very grateful.

And the sheriff I know.

I'm afraid I've been a nuisance every day asking about you.

Worked out fine.

How can I ever thank you?

I've just seen all the thanks I need. We're off that hill.

Mr. Tanner... thank you for everything.

Goodbye, Mrs. Burns.

Thank you.

All I could do, dear, was hope.

It sounded so horrible. What wonderful men to bring you through.

Yes, you'd have liked them.

They were fine men.

Mr. Tanner, you're not gonna be in here very long.

When you get out, how about signing on with us at the Ponderosa?

Thanks. I'd best move along.

Deputy, if I've got a choice, give me the cell with the best bed.

I can use it.

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