Original subtitles

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That's ten of them. Ten dead calves.

Yeah, ten that we've seen. How many are we gonna find in the brush?

That cow doesn't look so bad now, but three or four days from now

without any salt, their bones will be sticking out.

Yeah, the thing that really hurts me is to see those poor dumb brutes

chewing away at bark and leaves and dirt,

just to find salt that isn't there.

What happened to Bob Rio anyhow?

He should have delivered that load of salt a month ago.

Well, we can't keep waiting for Bob to deliver it.

We'll have to just go and get some. We need it in a hurry,

or else we're gonna lose most of our herd.

There's a dead calf just over the hill.

There'll be a lot more if we don't get salt in a hurry.

Three days to Spanish Wells, three days back. Better get started.

Shaler, come on out!

We're tired of waiting, Shaler.

We got cattle falling. We want salt, not promises. We want it now.

You'll get your salt

when all the ranches are represented so it can be divided fairly. Not before.

Now, clear the street.

Now, that's just a warning. The next one's gonna cut flesh.

Clear the street!

Whoa, whoa! Whoa there.

- Zeb. - Mr. Cartwright.

- Hi, Tom. - Sure could have used you just now.

What's going on?

You've known Sheriff Vern Shaler for quite a spell, haven't you?

- Sure. - He's shaming us, Ben.

He's standing us off with a shotgun when we got to have salt.

What's Vern Shaler got to do with it? The salt belongs to Bob Rio, doesn't it?

Rio's dead.

Rio's dead?

So's the salt bed, played out altogether.

His niece is sitting on what's left of the salt over in that warehouse right now.

And she ain't selling.

Your friend Shaler's upholding her.

Well, Vern's got to have some reason, doesn't he?

The petticoat's his reason. Shaler's courting her so he's backing her play.

There's one other thing, Ben.

We're all gonna lose our herds unless we get salt pronto.

Sure.

And the salt in that warehouse ain't half enough to go around.

Let's go, boy.

Giddap!

I'm Ada Halle. May I help you?

Ben Cartwright, Miss Halle. I'm here to buy...

You're here to buy salt, of course.

Um... Mr. Cartwright.

Oh, yes, the Ponderosa. You've been a very good customer in the past.

I was very sorry to hear about Bob Rio. We were old friends.

Oh, thank you. As it happens, I hardly knew him.

Um, I suppose you've heard that the salt bed is exhausted.

The only available salt is this here in the warehouse.

Yes, I was told.

Here. If you'll sign that order.

You can buy up to 60 percent of the amount you purchased last year.

Well...

We're ready to load and pull out right now,

so you just tell me how much I owe you.

Oh, now just a minute, Mr. Cartwright.

There are others ahead of you, you'll have to wait your turn.

Ma'am, we were three days getting here, and we'll be three days getting back.

My cattle need the salt now, we've no time to waste.

I'm sorry. You'll have to wait your turn.

Miss Halle, have you ever seen cattle die for want of salt?

Not one or two at a time, but in bunches of 20 or 30?

I've been spared that experience.

We were losing calves when we left the Ponderosa, ma'am.

If we don't get that salt there immediately, I can lose my whole herd.

You've no idea how many times I've been told that lately.

Right now, while we're talking here and arguing,

- I'm losing maybe 20 or 30... - Trouble, Miss Halle?

No trouble.

I was just telling Mr. Cartwright I only own the salt.

The business details are all handled by Sheriff Vern Shaler.

- You know him, of course? - Yes, ma'am.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson.

Ben. Ben Cartwright. It's good to see you.

- Vern. - Sit down. Sit down.

- Oh. - Well, this calls for a drink.

Maybe something a little stronger than this coffee. I got a little brandy here.

- I came to talk about salt, Vern. - This is your kind of brandy, Ben.

In fact, the first time I ever tasted this was out at the Ponderosa.

- Vern, I came to talk about salt. - You and a lot of people.

This is the worst drought I ever saw, Ben.

No spring grass, and Rio's scraper hits bottom, and no salt.

Miss Halle tells me that you're in charge of the financial details.

Yeah, just before you got here,

some of the ranchers were trying to take me apart.

- I had to run them off. - Yeah, so I understand.

With a shotgun.

Well, as you can see, that's no job for a lady.

She needed help, so I volunteered.

When all that salt's gone out of the warehouse, Ben,

there's no more maybe for 400 miles.

- Closer to 500. - Yeah.

And the cattle bawling all the way from here to Big Spring.

And the salt in the warehouse is only 60 percent of what you cattlemen

are used to buying for the year.

So, naturally, when I heard that, why, I told Ada we're gonna have a problem.

Now, somebody makes sure that all you buyers get a fair share.

That's why I took the job.

Now look, Vern, you know how much each one of us is supposed to get.

Sell it to us and let us go home.

I'd like to do that, Ben, but it's not my salt. It's Ada's.

She's got the right to say.

She wants all you buyers here so that nobody can squabble over the deal.

Even if the cattle die while we're waiting?

She doesn't know anything about that. She's from the city.

Well, you're from here! Why don't you tell her?!

Look, Ben, you'll be on your way home by tomorrow.

You're the last buyer to show, except this Sid Talbot from the C-Bar-T Ranch.

And we just got word he'll be here in a few hours.

That ought to make you feel better.

She wants all the buyers here.

And salt's in short supply.

Now, how much is that salt going to cost?

Well, a little more than last year.

But you can understand that, Ben, with the salt beds scraped clean and...

How much more?

I don't know exactly.

We talked about price, but we didn't exactly nail it down.

Hm.

Well, she's not gonna hold you buyers up, Ben.

Now, she's a good woman.

- She's as fine as they come. - Well, I'm sure she is, Vern.

You might just tell that fine woman

that wars have been started on account of salt.

If she's not careful, she just may start one here.

Well, we still have a couple of hours to wait.

A couple of hours? We ain't got but minutes.

Well, I know. I've said that till it's coming out of my ears,

- but we still have to wait. - Ben, we're having a meeting.

You been talking to Shaler. We'd like to know what he had to say.

Yeah.

I can tell you one thing, when the big ones start bidding for that salt,

there ain't gonna be any left for the rest of us.

- Hello, Mr. Cartwright. - Hello, boys.

I just left Shaler.

The salt sale will begin just as soon as Sid Talbot gets here.

First we wait for Cartwright, now Talbot. Big money men.

Either one of them can buy all the rest of us.

Pardee, if you don't simmer down, that mouth of yours

- is gonna get you in trouble. - That's all right.

When's Talbot getting in?

He's here now.

Well, mourner's corner.

Hello, gentlemen. Why the long faces?

- Yeah. - Cattle dying and no salt, that's why.

- Glad you're here. You seen Shaler yet? - Not yet.

I figure to talk to him tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning?

I think you ought to go see him right now.

Shaler held up the sale of the salt until you got here.

We've all been waiting and everybody's ready to load up and move out.

Well, the salt beds are cleaned out and the stock's way down in the warehouse.

How is this gonna be divided up?

Well, everybody's gonna get 60 percent of what they got last year.

- Your idea, Cartwright? - No. Shaler's idea.

- He figured it out with Miss Halle. - The lady who owns the salt.

Sixty percent seems fair enough for those who stood still.

Those who sold some of their cattle, that's more than enough.

Well, gentlemen, you see, my herd has increased by 1,200 head.

And 60 percent of the salt I bought last year won't nearly be enough.

Twelve hundred head? That's more than twice what he was running last year.

- Sit down. - He hasn't been in town ten minutes

- and he's trying to steal... - Shut up!

There's no point in arguing and fighting and bickering now.

Let's try to figure out a way to work this out.

The difference between you and me, Cartwright,

is you want to see everybody gets their share.

Me, I'm only interested in mine.

He'll steal it.

One way or another, he'll grab our shares.

No, he won't. Shaler won't let him.

Shaler said he'd make sure that salt was divided fair. Didn't he, Ben?

Yeah, that's what he said.

You're the last buyer to arrive.

Sixty percent's the figure I've heard mentioned.

Yes. That's the way Vern and I worked it out.

- It seemed fairest for everybody. - I'm sure it is.

Bob Rio had a good business here. It's too bad you inherited empty salt beds.

Miss Halle, I don't mean to be personal, I don't mean to pry,

but I wonder about people.

Can you tell me what you did before you came here?

I taught school, kept books in a bank.

- If you'll just sign the order. - Bookkeeper?

I'll bet you did twice the work the men did, and got half the pay?

Less than half.

- If you'll sign, please. - Of course.

Vern's known these cattlemen a long time.

They're personal friends of his, so I can understand his concern about them.

But you, Miss Halle, you're new here.

You've had to work for a living. You know it's a dog-eat-dog world.

I'm surprised you haven't looked out for yourself, your future.

- I have, Mr. Talbot. - Not in the way I mean.

My herd's increased in size,

and I'm going to need more than 60 percent of last year's buy.

I'm sure you are, Mr. Talbot.

Every cattleman has told me the same thing.

I pay for what I want, Miss Halle...

I pay very well.

Everything all right, Miss Ada?

Everything is just fine.

My herd's bigger, so I'm gonna need a bigger share,

and I'm willing to pay a lot more.

- Oh, I was just coming over to see you. - That's nice. Anything special?

Well, I don't think we should wait for Talbot any longer.

We'd better get over to the warehouse and sell those men that salt.

Mr. Talbot is here. I've just been talking to him.

Well, that's good news. I'll go over and tell the men to load the wagon.

Uh, Vern, we haven't settled the price yet.

Well, it's your salt, Ada, but I know you're not gonna gouge the men

just because they're losing their herds.

Our salt, Vern.

I thought you never would.

It wasn't because I didn't want to.

Well, do it again.

- Oh, excuse me. - Oh, Ben.

Come on in. I want you to be the first to know.

- Ada and I are gonna get married. - Well!

Isn't that something. Well, congratulations.

- Thank you. - Best wishes.

- Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. - How about a little drink

to the wedding?

Well, I think that's very much in order. Yes, certainly.

Have you set a date yet?

Just as soon as that last salt wagon goes over the horizon.

Oh. Well then, if I may, I'd like to propose a toast.

Here's to an early wedding.

I... I hope you'll forgive me for breaking this happy mood,

but we are losing cattle, and when do we start loading?

Well, any minute now. Ada and I were just talking price.

Your ranches will go on growing and... and prospering.

But when my salt is gone, there'll be no more.

Ben, suppose that you pay the same price as you did last year,

even though you're only getting 60 percent of the salt.

Would that be asking too much?

I guess that would be all right.

I haven't had a chance to tell Vern,

but we'll have to find another way to... to divide the salt.

You see, Mr. Talbot has a much larger herd than last year.

He'll need extra salt.

Um... He's made me a very generous offer.

Twice the price of last year.

- Now, look, Vern... - Well, this is the first I've heard of it.

Vern doesn't own the salt, Mr. Cartwright. I do.

Well, a successful man like you

must have heard of the law of supply and demand.

Of course.

Well, when you drive your cattle to market,

you don't sell to the lowest bidder, do you?

- Ada. - Let Mr. Cartwright answer.

You'll forgive me if I don't finish this drink.

Good day.

That's what I said, 1,200 head.

Twelve hundred head. You're absolutely sure about that?

What difference does it make?

Joseph.

We had a drink with a couple of your ranch hands, Mr. Talbot.

They said your herd's a lot smaller this year than it was last.

Snooping and prying, just like the Cartwrights.

Close to 800 head smaller than last year.

Bigger or smaller, what difference does it make?

Mr. Talbot, you're using a lie to get more salt than you deserve.

That may be true.

Cartwright, sooner or later you and I are gonna have to partner

with each other.

Get rid of the competition, or we're gonna be at each other's throats.

Talbot, we'll never be partners.

If I have to, I'll fight you all the way.

Talbot.

I hear you're trying to run the price of salt up so you can get a hog's share.

To get what I want, I pay what I have to pay.

You already got Hawkins and Wallace siding with you against the rest of us.

Now, what did that cost?

Money? Salt? Or both?

Williams, you talk too much.

You raise that price out of our reach, we're all gonna lose every head we got.

Hm.

- Tough, Zeb, tough. - Talbot!

I ain't gonna let that happen.

It took me a lifetime to get what I got.

I ain't gonna give it up without a fight.

Don't be a fool.

Hey, Williams!

Get a doctor quick. Take him to his room.

Pa! Pa.

- Pa! Who shot you, Pa? - Careful. Careful.

Never mind that now. Let's get him up.

- Who did it, Pa? - Never mind.

- All right, what's going on here? - Just a difference of opinion, Sheriff.

- It was a fair fight. - Nothing fair about it.

- Talbot's twice as fast as Williams. - Talbot, you shoot Williams?

Williams drew on Talbot.

All Talbot did was put a bullet in Williams' shoulder.

If nobody has any objection, I'll get on with what I was doing.

Williams was only one man, Talbot.

Maybe you'd like to try to walk over the rest of us.

Get in my way and I will.

Next man draws a gun draws against me.

Now, the rest of you people, move out of here.

Here.

Let's make a deal now.

It's more than twice what I offered you yesterday.

I saw you shoot Mr. Williams.

- Well, he drew on me. - Why?

He thought I was gonna buy more than my fair share of the salt.

What...

What's wrong?

Well, if my salt is worth shooting a man for,

it's worth a lot more money than this.

Missy, that's a fair price. Don't try my patience.

Are you threatening me, Mr. Talbot?

You think what you want to think.

But if I have to take that salt to get it, I will.

Would you like to repeat that in front of the sheriff?

I'm just telling you that if you hold that salt much longer,

my cattle are gonna die and I'm not gonna let that happen.

And I'm not gonna take less for my salt than I can get.

And I'm not going to deal with you alone.

I'm gonna meet with all the cattlemen in one hour.

Put a price on the salt.

He's not gonna get away with this, Pa. I'm not gonna let him.

You listen to me, boy. It was a fool thing I did, hear?

- I'm lucky to be alive. - He didn't have any call to draw on you.

I drew on him! I did. Didn't I, Ben?

Yes. Yes, you did.

I don't want you drawing on him, he'll kill you.

Doctor'll be here in a few minutes.

You promise me, boy.

You promise you won't draw on Talbot.

You listen to your pa, son.

Stay right here with him until the doctor comes.

She called a meeting, everybody's here. Where's she?

- She'll be along any minute. - I've taken all I'm gonna take.

You won't have to wait any longer, Mr. Talbot.

- You set a price? - Yes, I have.

One dollar per head of cattle you own,

for 60 percent of the amount you bought last year.

I've got 700 head.

It would cost me $700 for salt worth less than $50.

If I had $700, and I haven't.

- You can borrow it, Mr. Pardee. - Borrow to the hilt.

Shaler, you behind this?

I set the price. Mr. Shaler had nothing to do with it.

Then, ma'am, I know hogs got better family than you.

Vern.

Now, you've got five seconds to swallow those words.

I beg your pardon, ma'am.

Vern, would you see me back to the warehouse?

I'd be happy to.

I never figured Vern to side with her against us on the price of that salt.

How many of these ranchers can afford to pay a dollar a head for that salt?

You're about the only one who can afford it, Mr. Cartwright.

I'm not the only one.

Well, Cartwright, you gonna meet her price?

- No. - Why not?

If I meet her price, and if you do,

that'll establish it for every rancher here.

- None of them can afford it. - Well, what are you gonna do?

I'm gonna refuse to buy, and if you do the same,

- we can force her price down. - How long will that take?

I'm losing more cattle every day.

Wait a minute. Now, listen.

Nobody wants this, but the truth is that you and I

could survive if we lost every head of cattle we owned.

Now, if we refuse to meet her price,

if we all stick together, we can force it down.

Stick together? These cattlemen will never stick together. I know it.

Sooner or later, it's every man for himself.

What's the matter?

Ada, you're asking too much of those men.

Vern, you've worn that badge for ten years.

What have you got to show for it?

- I got paid. - Poorly paid.

One of us has to look out for our future.

It'd be no marriage if we were worrying every night

whether your gun will carry us through the next day.

You'll see, this will buy us a new life.

- It's too much of a price. - Shh... my darling.

You have no idea how much I love you.

If you really knew...

- Buy you a beer, Candy? Ned? - No. I got a bottle.

So I see. Why don't you back off on it for a while, huh?

Don't worry about me.

You know, I just ain't used to this waiting.

Well, Pa knows what he's doing. That woman's as nervous as we are.

She'll break, she'll bring the price down.

- We can't wait too long. - A couple more beers, buddy.

Hey.

Ned, I guess you know my friends.

Well, if they're friends of yours, I don't want to know them.

- You know why you're still alive? - Well, why don't you tell me?

Because I promised my pa I wouldn't draw on you.

- And I keep my promises. - That's a smart thing to do.

But that don't mean that I can't tell you what I think of you.

That don't mean I can't!

All right! That's enough!

Put those guns away.

Those men hurt? Get them up.

Now, any more of this and I'll lock you all up.

What's all this about?

Ned here got in a little run-in with Talbot.

You men stay here.

I know how to get that salt out of the warehouse, and I'm gonna get it now.

Mr. Talbot, I thought you might be the first to come.

- And the last, I think. - What do you mean by that?

I'm prepared to meet your price, a dollar a head.

Very sensible.

And I'm gonna offer you $5,000 more...

provided you sell me the rest of the salt at the same price.

- Would you share the salt? - No.

If the other ranchers don't get salt, their herds will be destroyed.

That's tough.

Which would leave you with the only herd in the area.

You'd be able to set your own price for beef,

and for cattle to restock the other ranches.

- That's right. - And you would make a lot of money.

Money...

Money I would be willing to share.

Miss Halle.

I'm here representing all the ranchers, except Mr. Talbot.

I just wanted you to know that we decided to meet your terms.

Oh.

Well, I understand some of the ranchers lacked...

lacked the money to meet the terms.

Yes, that's true.

None of them has enough, but I've made arrangements

and they're now able to overcome that problem.

Oh.

That's very kind of you, Mr. Cartwright.

But I'm... I'm sorry.

What do you mean, you're sorry?

I've just sold all of the salt to Mr. Talbot.

Mr. Cartwright?

- Huh? What? - Something wrong?

Yeah, there's something wrong.

You want me to get Shaler over here?

- Nope. - If I yell, he'll come running.

No, don't bother him.

I was just down at the livery stable.

They're hitching up Talbot's wagons to haul out that salt.

Yeah. Thanks.

- I'll need a receipt. - Of course.

Now, either you or Shaler tell that deputy I bought the salt.

- You tried to buy it. - Tried?

Yeah.

I gave her the money and she's writing me a receipt.

Don't.

Yes, I see you tried to buy it.

You were out-bid.

You were out-bid by a group of ranchers who appointed me treasurer.

You were out-bid by one dollar.

Cartwright, that salt belongs to me. Bought and paid for...

Don't let me interrupt. Keep talking.

I'd like to know what's going on too.

Sheriff, this salt belongs to me. All of it.

- All of it? - Vern, I had to. He met my price.

We met it too, and out-bid it by one dollar.

She accepted my offer first. I demand that...

Shut up!

Now, I know what Cartwright would do with his.

But how about Talbot, was he gonna share?

- What difference does it make? - I told you to shut up, and I mean it!

Well, Ada, was he?

No.

And you were gonna sell it to him knowing that?

Vern, what could I do? He... He met my price.

There, you see? She admits I bought it first.

You were the last one to arrive.

By the time you got here, we'd all ordered our salt.

The only thing that wasn't settled was the price and I settled that just now.

Sheriff, Cartwright all but forced that check on her at gun point.

That salt belongs to me!

Ben, I sympathize with you in principle,

but if he got here with the money first, then I'm afraid the law sides with him.

Look Vern, that salt is life to every head of cattle in this part of the state.

If you deny it to them, that's mass murder.

And no decent man or court could countenance that.

Here's the keys to the loading dock. Tell the men to get their wagons.

I will, but I want you to divide the salt.

I will. Get out of town.

You can't do this. The salt's being stolen!

Get out of town! Don't you come back.

Ben, if you'll excuse us, I've got something

I'd like to talk over with Ada.

Oh, Vern...

Vern...

Miss Halle, she hasn't lived in this part of the country very long.

She's not used to this sort of thing. There's been a lot of pressure on her...

- It doesn't excuse her, Ben. - Vern.

A person is allowed a mistake.

I'll be out in a minute and help you load.

Fine.

I've seen it happen so many times, you know...

I'm sorry, Vern. I...

I guess I... I didn't really understand, and I did it for both of us.

So we could have some security, something to build our marriage on.

You think you know someone.

You know them so well that you... you begin seeing things with their eyes,

and hearing things with their ears.

And then one day you realize that... you don't know them at all.

Vern! I... I said I'm sorry.

Talbot, now, I understand him.

Greed makes his wagon go. He wants everything and then some.

But I didn't dream money was the only thing that was important to you.

Vern, it's dead. It's all over now.

I kept telling myself it's all right if she gets the best price she can,

as long as everybody gets their share.

But you were gonna sell Talbot all that salt

knowing full well that he wasn't gonna give any to anybody.

Vern, he met the price.

Yeah.

What was it that Ben said?

A form of mass murder that no decent man or court could countenance.

Whatever we had between us, Ada, that's gone now.

No...

And I'll be leaving for good,

just as soon as your salt is loaded out.

Fella at the livery stable said Talbot and Conrad just left town.

I'd feel a whole lot better if I'd seen it with my own eyes.

Mr. Cartwright.

I figure if they're gonna make a try, that's the place to do it.

One rifle up there, and nobody's gonna load any salt.

- Take a look. - Yeah.

I've been waiting for you, Ben.

You can't resist a man in trouble, can you?

You hit him too hard. Nothing's gonna help him.

Stand up.

Slow.

Drop your gun belt over here.

The whole bunch is out there.

- All right, Ben. - Now, what's your play?

- What do you expect to gain? - My property.

Me and Conrad are protecting my bought and paid for property.

If I have to kill three Cartwrights and four or five ranchers to do it, I will.

Ada Halle has my check. This is my salt.

When you killed the deputy, you put yourself on the other side of the law.

What about the sheriff? You gonna kill him too?

That don't bother me none. Conrad, keep a watch on that door.

Now, you're gonna get them to come in here, one at a time.

- Oh, no. - You want to die?

- No. - You call Hoss in here first. Now.

If you really want to play those odds, Talbot, you pull that trigger.

Sure you'll kill me,

but there are three out there for each one of you in here.

Hey! Better get in there. I see a light glittering on gun barrels.

Drop the gun! Get your hands up!

Take care of this one.

Talbot!

Hold it!

Vern!

Look at me, please!

We can still build a marriage.

With love.

The money doesn't matter, only you.

Miss Halle.

Miss Halle.

Miss Halle.

Miss Halle, please.

Please, Miss Halle.

Sit down.

He's... gone.

All I ever really wanted.

He's gone.

Take the salt.

Divide it.

I burned the checks. There'll be no charge.

No charge at all.

Call it... a present from Vern.

- Coming along? - Right.

Ben, we're all loaded up. How much do we owe?

Ada says no charge.

A gift from Vern Shaler.

A gift?

Well, that's mighty generous.

I don't know what the rest of you are gonna do, but...

Ned and me are gonna pay our fair share.

Ben, you'll see that she gets it?

I'll see that she gets it.

Thanks, fellas.

Thanks.

- See you, Ben. - Yeah.

This has been a color production

of the NBC television network.