Original subtitles

That'll do.

You better go for the sheriff, Jeff.

[Maverick] Hold it, Jeff.

Let's find out what this is all about.

Suppose you started.

Your cousin's been sneakin' into people's rooms.

[Homer] Can't you save your bickering

for the dinner table?

Haven't you people enough to do killing each other?

[Gibson] When I find one of my own flesh and blood

is a killer...

Erm...

Lock him up in the store room, Jeff.

Go get the sheriff.

"Maverick."

Starring James Garner and Jack Kelly.

Produced by Warner Brothers.

From the entertainment capital of the world

produced for television by Warner Brothers.

Hello.

Glad to see you with us again.

This week's intriguing story takes us to an isolated ranch

deep in the Wyoming territory

for a tale of mystery and violence.

It's called "Black Fire."

It was a warm day in early spring

when Brother Bret first set eyes on Black Fire Ranch

and it was a day he'd long remember.

- Afternoon. - Yes, sir.

Which one are you?

Eakins, Homer Eakins.

Alright, Mr. Eakins, looks like you're the last of the lot.

The rest of them's up the ranch house.

Thank you.

I'd swear he said his name was Homer Eakins.

Homer Eakins.

Folks is waitin' for ya.

Hello, I'm Cousin Homer. Ahem.

Why, you're Mary Beth's little boy.

That's right, ma'am.

I'm your cousin, Abby Welkins.

Your mother and I grew up together, Homer.

Well...

Homer Eakins, isn't that right?

Well, I'm your cousin, Lonnie doble

from Dallas, Texas.

I've heard a lot about you.

Well, come on, and meet your kinfolk.

Now, this is your cousin, Elizabeth Seabright.

She's a female suffragette.

A-and a temperance worker, and her husband... Elmo.

Y-yeah, Elmo.

And over here we have...

Uh, let's see, I still haven't got yours.

- Millard Sawyer. - Oh, yeah, Cousin Millard.

Now, here we have your cousin, Hope Martin.

She's your first cousin, Homer.

Why, that's kissing kin.

- Is it? - Eh, Cousin Jeff Martin.

Him and Hope's brother and sister.

They grew up here.

How are you, Jeff?

And this is, uh, Cousin Seeby Dixon.

- Howdy. - Howdy.

Cousin Pitney Potter.

Now, sit right down here, Cousin Homer.

Now, make yourself comfortable.

Just how long are we supposed to

sit around here waitin'?

Unless the general has changed a lot

in the last 20 years

he'll let us know when he's good and ready.

You suppose we oughta go up and see him?

[Gibson] Go up and see him?

Don't nobody have to go up and see me.

Just because I sent for you people

don't mean that I'm layin' around on my deathbed.

Stay away from me, all of ya.

Keep your distance.

Hm.

Now, that I've seen ya, I may decide not to die at all.

Hmph.

Which one are you?

You know very well who I am, general.

I'm Elizabeth Seabright.

Ah, I was hoping your voice would change

when you got older.

Well, there's one thing I ain't got

and that's family pride.

- Who are you? - I'm Homer Eakins, general.

I don't believe it.

Well, it's a fact, general.

You'll have to remember you haven't seen me

since I was ten years old.

We all have to grow up sometime.

I didn't think you'd ever grow up

let alone...

Well, never mind.

Good to see ya, general. I'm Lonnie doble.

When I wanna know who you are, I'll ask you who you are.

Sit down.

First of all

you people are all guests of Black Fire

whether you like it or not.

Well, why do you call it Black Fire, general?

Because it's my place

and I can call it any blame thing I want to.

There's a lava bed up at the north end of the ranch.

"Black fire" is Indian for lava.

Why are we guests at Black Fire?

Because I said so.

I don't wanna see you people

any more than you wanna see me

but people seem to think that I'm getting old or somethin'

and that fool lawyer of mine

said that I've gotta decide who's gonna get

Black Fire and all my money.

Now, I'm gonna take two weeks

to pick some heirs.

Any of you that don't want the money

can just go on about your business.

The rest of you can stay here for inspection.

That's compulsory.

Understand?

If you got any stuff in the village

go get it and come back here.

Luther will show you your rooms.

He's the smiley one that answers the door.

General.

- Homer. - I'd like to ask a favor.

A friend of mine is convalescing

after an illness

and I've been sort of looking after him.

He's down in town now, could I bring him along

as a guest?

Well, I don't see why not.

He won't get in on the grabs

but he's welcome to stay with you, yes.

Thank you, general.

I'll have to let the boys know down at the gate.

What name does your friend go by?

Maverick, Bret Maverick.

Oh.

Alright, go get your movin' done.

Breakfast at 7:30, sharp.

- Homer. - Alright, alright.

Yeah?

For a minute I was afraid

you'd be overcome by the fumes.

[Homer] What, the paint?

No, the rabbit tobacco.

Alright, Maverick.

Now, that we've all had a hearty laugh

how'd it go?

Well, I think he was expecting somebody

more your type.

He was very pleasantly surprised.

Well, I couldn't be more delighted.

I want him to like you, Maverick, for my sake.

It's greed, Homer, greed.

It's not greed at all.

I merely want my kindly old uncle

to die happy knowing that he's left his money

in good hands.

How'd you like the old gargoyle?

Oh, I, I liked him.

Well, you're both to be complimented

on your exquisite taste.

Homer, I have some news for you

you're not gonna like.

All the relatives, including you

have to spend two weeks at Black Fire.

Letting the old man look you over.

Maverick, I keep getting the feeling

that you're trying to say something to me.

Homer...

Let me out.

I mean, it was, it was fun

when we were talking about it, but now--

Now you wanna crawl out of it, eh?

Maverick, am I a hard man?

No, it's just that you owe me a sizable favor

and you're gonna pay it back.

And you're gonna pay it back this way.

Now, I want you to go out there

and have a grand time, enjoy yourself, have fun

and just remember that my thoughts will be with you

every minute you're there.

So will you, Homer.

What do you mean?

You'll need food and shelter.

And I'll need moral support

and the answers to a lot of question.

So, I told the general that I was bringing my friend

Maverick along.

You didn't.

I did, Homer, and I am.

Well, I'm sorry, Bret

it's entirely out of the question.

He'd know me the minute I walked into the house.

There'd be the usual fight and I'd be cut off

without a nickel.

I'm not giving you a choice, Homer.

If you don't play Bret Maverick

I don't play Homer Eakins.

Mr. Maverick, your... hat.

Whoever cut that fence was acting under your orders.

I thought we'd agreed there'd be no more fence cutting.

I can't help what you thought.

Those farmers aren't gonna sit back

and let you cut their fences every time

you take the notion.

They've got a right to put fences up

and you're just gonna have to get used to it.

We have to live with these people.

[Gibson] Live, nothing.

Run 'em off the range as fast as they turn up.

[Martin] You know as well as I, general

there's too many of them and they don't run.

Oh.

Well, come in, come in.

Your Cousin Jeff had just been explaining

the beef business to me.

- Oh? - Yep.

Oh, General Gibson, Mr. Martin

Mr. Bret Maverick.

- How do you do? - My pleasure, Mr. Maverick.

- Thank you. - Excuse me.

You know, all you gotta do is cut one of them

nester's fences and it'll set that boy off for days.

I bet the nesters love it, too.

Erh.

Well, so, you're Mr. Maverick, huh?

Hmph.

You know, Homer

this is the way I thought you'd grow up.

Indeed, well, general, when you expect too much

you're bound to be disappointed.

You must learn to make the best of what you have.

Well, boy, what do you do for a living?

I'm a painter.

Houses, barns?

Pictures.

Oh, for the love.

I thought you'd outgrow that kid stuff.

You don't look like no artist.

Well, that's very kind of you, general.

Ha.

Maverick, what do you do?

I play poker.

No, I, I mean, how do you earn your living?

General Gibson, when a man plays poker well

he doesn't have to earn a living.

Other people earn his living for him.

No one can accuse Bret Maverick

of having done an honest day's work

since the day he left home.

isn't that right, Homer?

That's right, Maverick.

Well, boy, when are you gonna ride out

and look over the ranch?

Any time you say, general.

Good, good.

Well, what do you think of it?

Since it obviously isn't a relative

I'll assume you're paying off an election bet.

Young man, I shot that moose myself.

Well, the least you can do is give it a decent burial.

[Millard] The country has gone through panics before

and it'll do it again.

Why, the bank where I work is as sound as a dollar.

Nobody seems to know just how sound that is.

General, do you know

that's the third glass of whiskey

you've drunk since we sat down at the table?

If I took the time to count

I wouldn't have the time to drink.

What's your trouble?

[Elizabeth] It isn't often I have to sit

and watch one of God's creatures

dissolving his own brains with alcohol.

Young woman, if I didn't keep my brains thawed out

they'd get as hard as my arteries.

Eat your dinner.

What else do you do for mankind beside

trying to cut off their liquor?

I work for the emancipation of women.

Hm.

You make less sense sober than I do drunk.

You over there.

You anxious to get emancipated?

Well...

What do you think about women votin'?

Homer, do you think women will ever vote?

I'm afraid if they put their minds to it, they will.

Oh, you talk about women the way Jeff here

talks about farmers.

Just because they want something, doesn't mean

they're gonna get it.

The farmers will get what they want

because we want what they've got.

The country's filling out and it can't fill out

without farmers.

When I see meat on my plate

I wanna see potatoes, too.

There's trains runnin' between

here and the farm country every day.

They can bring you all the potatoes you can eat.

You're absolutely right, general.

I know all about this whole problem

of fences cutting in on good range land.

And I'll tell you one thing

if I ran this ranch or any other

I'd boot them sodbusters out as fast as they showed up.

Yeah?

How'd you run a place like Black Fire?

Just like I run my business in Dallas.

The old methods, the tried and the true.

You start bringin' in these new fancy Dan ideas

and your whole business will go to blazes.

Yeah.

You got some good ideas. I'd like to hear more of 'em.

Will you excuse me?

These tried and true ideas work out so well around here

I've got to go talk a farmer

out of taking us to court about them.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

You're a disgusting old man.

You're all disgusting.

Well, now that you mention it.

You hover around like a flock of buzzards

waiting for Uncle Jake to die so you can all swoop down

on his leavings.

Now, hold up just a minute.

Let me tell you one thing.

He's too mean to die.

And another thing, this fine, big ranch

you wanna divide amongst yourselves

isn't the General's, it's Jeff's.

Jeff has run Black Fire ever since he was a boy.

He's worked 18 hours a day making it what it is.

And all the general's done has been to sit around

and start trouble.

Cousin Hope, you're overwrought.

And don't call me cousin.

I don't want to be no kin to anybody in this room.

She gets her temper from her father's people

whoever they are.

[Gibson] Tough game.

Fifteen-two, fifteen-four, fifteen-six and two or eight.

Ha-ha, I guess you know now

who's the card player in this family, huh?

You're no card player, general

you just always draw a good hand.

Oh, yes. Yeah.

I think I'll get me some fresh air.

Join me, Maverick?

Fresh air?

Do you care for a friendly game, Maverick?

I'm never friendly at cards

I never play for fun.

Well, what's wrong with playin' for money?

You can't afford it.

You have a large family to support.

Hm.

[Millard] It's the general's own fault.

He didn't raise the boy right.

Now, if he had started using the strap

when Jeff was little...

[Elizabeth] Why do you tell us?

Why don't you pass your suggestions to the general?

[Millard] Don't start tellin' me what to do, Lizzy Seabright

I ain't your husband.

[Elizabeth] Hmph.

Uh, tell me, Luther, are all my relatives

quarrelsome?

Ask somebody else.

I've been around here three months.

Three months from now, I'll be somewhere's else.

Now, somebody waitin' for breakfast in bed?

Cousin Lonnie isn't here yet.

Shall we wait?

I wouldn't wait breakfast for Fanny Davenport.

Luther!

Luther!

Yes, sir.

My compliments to Mr. doble.

Tell him to get himself down to breakfast

double quick.

Cousin Lonnie ain't here.

I know he ain't here.

Get yourself up to his room and get him here.

[Luther] He ain't in his room.

Anybody see him go out?

The room ain't been slept in either.

People here have taken to stepping out

for a breath of fresh air.

If he went for air, he took his clothes with him.

Well Hope, looks like your speech did some good after all.

We got rid of one of 'em.

Alright, everybody pitch in.

Now for the next act of "Maverick."

[Gibson] I'm gonna kill you, Homer.

Ha! You're dead, Homer, you're dead.

Ha-ha. It looks like horseshoes ain't your game either.

Oh, I'm just feeling out your weak spots.

Yeah? Well, then what do you aim to do?

- Beat your head off. - Ha-ha, we'll see about that.

Ha. You just watch.

I don't want to interrupt anything important.

What's on your mind, Maverick?

Why do you think Lonnie left?

Because Cousin Hope scorched his tail feathers.

He ain't used to her naggin' like I am.

I wouldn't say this is a particularly

thin-skinned family.

That's right, it ain't.

Ha ha, a ringer.

Throw, Homer.

That if anyone was to get hurt feelings and leave

because some girl made a speech

it might be Cousin Abby or Seeby or even Elizabeth.

- It would not be Cousin Lonnie. - Why not?

Because Cousin Lonnie is about as sensitive

as a barbed wire salesman.

He left, didn't he?

Did he?

Who's missing?

We seem to be all here.

It's Cousin Pitney.

Pitney?

I don't remember any Pitney.

The one who never says anything, general.

Oh.

Luther!

Where's Cousin Pitney?

I don't know, general. I ain't been upstairs yet.

I ain't had time.

Oh.

I better go up.

I'll go with you.

- Nothing. - Gone?

He's gone, sir.

Hm.

Well, this one didn't pack up to leave.

Somebody did his packing for him.

[Gibson] I can't believe it.

I don't wanna believe it.

General Gibson, it's amazing

how long you can talk without stopping to think.

It's one thing for a man to walk away from your money.

It's quite another for him to walk away from his own.

I'm afraid he's right, general.

Anybody who hides his wallet at night

is the type that remembers it in the morning.

Mm.

Alright, then.

There seems to be no question about it.

Two of my relatives are missing.

For all we know, they're dead.

Now, most of you people ain't seen each other

for maybe 20 years...

...and you ain't been around Black Fire together

long enough to stir up any grudges amongst yourselves.

So, there's only one other reason

for whatever's goin' on, and that is that

one of you wants my property worse than you ought to.

That's an awful thing to say.

I know that as well as you do.

The day before yesterday I told you all

you had to stay here.

I'm tellin' you different now.

Anybody who wants to go is free to go without prejudice.

In fact, I'd rather you did.

Millard?

I don't feel like runnin', thank you.

I've always managed to take care of myself.

Elizabeth?

I'll stay, general.

Oh, Elizabeth.

I said we're staying, Elmo.

General Gibson, sir, my wife and I are not the same type.

I'm not a relative

I'm not gonna inherit any money.

And I don't wanna lie awake nights

waiting for somebody to kill me.

And I'm obliged for your hospitality.

It's plain to see you ain't no kin of mine, Elmo.

You got guts, brains.

I think I'll go, too, general.

I'm used to being poor.

The good ones are always the first to go.

Well, if you're set on stayin', stay

but if you figured to sleep tonight

you better all bolt your doors.

It's built solid.

Everything at Black Fire is built solid.

Mrs. Knowles, do all the bedrooms have bolts?

Bolts just like that one, Mr. Homer.

I made sure to use mine last night.

I, I bet the others did, too.

Well, wouldn't you?

If you were one of the heirs?

I think I will be an heir, Mr. Homer.

Brother Bret's room looked tight and substantial.

Solid walls, high windows.

Not even a trap door into the attic.

And from what he'd seen of his departed

Cousin Pitney's room, it was exactly like this one.

But he hadn't really studied Cousin Pitney's room.

Now, the one vice of the Maverick's is curiosity.

Cousin Homer.

Cousin Millard.

You lookin' for somethin'?

You can say that.

Did you find it?

Who knows?

It was the dead of night, the silent hour

when General Gibson and all his household

his heirs and his would-be heirs

could enjoy the security of their bolted doors

all but one of them that is.

Brother Bret's theory was a very simple one

the killer, no matter what his plans were for tonight

would probably not bolt his door, and this seemed like

the best place to start.

This was Cousin Millard's room.

[Millard] That's far enough.

That'll do.

You better go for the sheriff, Jeff.

[Maverick] Hold it, Jeff.

Let's find out what this is all about.

Suppose you started, Homer.

Your Cousin Homer has been sneakin'

into people's rooms.

Just tryin' people's doors, general.

You've been tryin' people's doors

for three nights now, ain't you?

I have not. I should've been though.

Somebody should've been doin' somethin'.

You can talk better sense than that.

I've been working on a theory, general.

I figured that anybody who wasn't in his own room

would probably be the one we're looking for.

Well, now ain't that interesting?

That's just what Millard here figured.

It's a good thing for you folks that I agreed with him.

Can't you people save your bickering

for the dinner table?

What are you playing now?

I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Maverick

but you're not very careful in your choice of company.

Well, I should think that goes without saying.

Homer, this hurts me.

The only fault you didn't have

when you were a boy, you weren't sneaky.

I'm happy to hear that.

As sick as I'd get at the sight

of your mean little face

I never thought you'd turn out this bad.

Don't tell me you've been playin' cards with these people.

[Gibson] Playing cards?

We caught him sneakin' in to kill his Cousin Millard.

What a preposterous notion.

You better keep out of this, Maverick.

This is a family matter.

Then by all means, keep it in the family.

Haven't you people enough to do killing each other?

If you wanna be comical, go do it some place else.

When I think of one of my own flesh and blood

a killer, I...

Lock him up in the store room, Jeff.

Go get the sheriff.

Never mind, Jeff.

General, this man has two things

to his credit, he is not a killer

and he is not your flesh and blood.

Now what the blazes does that mean?

This man is a simple hard working card shark

named Bret Maverick.

Well, then, who...

Wait...

Don't tell me. Don't even tell me.

That little ratty face.

That big mouth that never stops goin'.

Those same blame aggravatin' ways.

Dear uncle, you haven't forgotten me.

Homer Eakins.

Well, with everybody's good and kind permission...

Don't be in such a hurry, Mr. Maverick.

You've got some explainin' to do.

Settle down, Millard.

All he done was whip you in a fight

and you started that.

Go to bed, all of ya.

You, too, Millard.

Well, I think I'll go pack now.

I've had a perfectly charming time.

You ain't goin' nowheres.

I'm disappointed in you, boy.

Just as I'd gettin' to like ya

you turn out to be one of those

relatives of mine.

Well, general, for once in my life

I know precisely how you feel.

But I guess I'll get used to it.

At least you've got guts.

Guts?

It took guts to do what you've done.

Just what was it I done?

You took all the blame off your friend here

and put it on yourself.

Ha. How exciting.

Goodnight, Bret.

Goodnight, general.

Don't worry, general, he'll grow on you.

That's what I'm afraid of.

Well, general, I'll say goodbye to you

and then Homer and I think I'll be on my way.

Uh, Maverick, walk me down to my study.

I wanna talk to you.

You.

Now, back to "Maverick."

No, thank you.

Do you have to go?

Well, let's say I don't have to stay.

Well, what can you get somewheres else

that you can't get here?

A good night's sleep.

Oh, Homer... I mean, Maverick, I'd take it kindly

if you could stay for a while.

You're the only one here that I can trust.

You think I have an honest face?

No, I don't.

But at least you ain't relative.

Oh, well, your housekeeper isn't a relative either.

She don't have to be, she's been here 20 years

she knows that she'll get $20,000 when I die.

What about your house man, Luther?

Ah, Luther's dead from the neck up

and half dead from there on down.

You're the one I need, Maverick.

I'm sorry, general.

I almost like those kinfolk of yours

and I haven't got the heart to sit around

and watch 'em get killed off one by one.

Oh, that ain't exactly what I had in mind.

I'm an old man.

I've worked hard for what I've got.

Tell me, general, just what have you got?

I've got Black Fire and $2 million.

And I'm not about to leave any of it

to a killer.

Well, what are you about to do?

Find out who's doin' it!

And then stop him before he can do it again.

Well, why do you say "he?"

Well, there ain't no she around here strong enough

to drag off a grown man.

Have you taken a good look at Cousin Elizabeth lately?

Well, general, I wish you all the luck in the world.

Wait a minute.

I don't need luck, I need help.

And you're gonna give it to me.

As my pappy used to say

"A man who can't find his own troubles

doesn't deserve to share somebody else's."

Maverick, did your pappy have anything comical

to say about money?

No he always spoke very highly of it.

Yeah.

Well, I'm gonna make you a proposition.

Tree this killer for me and I'll pay ya.

What did you say to $2,000?

Oh, I'd think of something very friendly.

Yeah?

Alright. Now, where do we start?

I think, first of all, we should stake out some guards

inside the house and out.

Now, you walk me down to the bunk house

and I'll wake up some of the hands.

Alright.

Oh, Bret.

Have you got any idea who it is we're lookin' for?

None yet.

You have, haven't you?

Yeah.

I can't sleep nights for thinkin' it's Jeff.

Why is that?

Oh, Jeff's never had a fair shake out of life.

Nor Hope either.

Their father left home when they were babies

their mother, my youngest sister

and the only one of 'em I really liked

she brought 'em here and she died.

And I never did do right by him.

You remember what Hope was sayin' the other morning

about Black Fire being Jeff's place?

- I remember. - Now, she's right.

Jeff has made this ranch his father and mother

and wife and family.

I think he's been festering inside

at the thought of losin' it.

Enough to kill people?

I'll tell you what I'll do, general.

I'll make you a bet.

The $2,000 you're offering me to stay here.

If it is Jeff, you don't owe me a nickel.

If it isn't Jeff, $4,000.

You're bettin' $2,000 on Jeff.

It'll be the best $2,000 you ever lost.

Yeah.

I feel better already.

Come on, boy, let's go call out the guard.

Another half hour I suppose there'll be

some more bad news.

If there's anybody missing again today...

- ...I'm going to leave. - Hm.

You'll lose a lot of money that way.

I could lose worse than money.

Oh, if they only let me take those extra chairs away.

Oh.

You gave me such a turn, Mr. Sawyer.

Up so early and sitting in the dark.

Oh, it's a beautiful morning outside.

Mm.

Ahh!

Oh! Oh!

Can anybody add anything?

Well, I don't know what to say.

No question it's murder

and when we search the whole ranch

we'll probably wind up with two more bodies.

But I wouldn't have any idea

who to start arresting.

I don't have to tell you, I wouldn't have had

this thing happen for anything in the world.

Hadn't been for me, it wouldn't have happened.

You mustn't think that, general.

It's not your fault you're rich.

The other day, I asked you all to go.

Now, I'm telling you to go, all of ya.

Pack up, clear out.

It's a bad idea, me bringin' ya here.

I've seen ya now.

I know who I'm gonna give what to.

And I want you to all go home while you still alive.

I can't let them go, general.

Don't tell me what you can and can't do.

This is my house.

This is my county and all these people

are under suspicion of murder

and I don't want any of 'em wandering off

across any state lines.

Folks, I'm just as sorry as I can be.

Perhaps you can come back tomorrow

and apologize to any of us who are still alive.

Keep your guards posted and hope for the best.

I better go out and help your cowhands

look for the other bodies.

The search is over, sheriff.

We found both bodies, up at the lava bed.

How you take Millard?

We both saw him go charging off

into his room and we both heard him

bolt his door.

Now, nobody could've got in that room

unless Millard let him in.

Now, you don't believe that any more than I do, general.

Cousin Millard wasn't exactly a trusting soul.

With people disappearing one by one

can't you just see him opening the door

to somebody in the middle of the night?

Not without him having a gun on him.

Then we'll have to look for another answer.

But how else could they get in?

There's no sliding panels

a-a-and trap doors in this house.

I think I know.

There's only one way.

Whoever killed Cousin Millard

was in the room when he came in.

Waitin' in there for him, you mean?

That's right.

But how could that have been?

We were all of us out there in the hall

when he went in.

Were we?

I should've gone yesterday when I had a chance.

Why didn't I?

Yes why didn't you?

- Because he's greedy. - I hope that's all.

Why do you all sit around like this?

It isn't healthy.

The least we can do is keep an eye on each other.

That's healthy enough for me.

Well, if we look at each other long enough

we won't care whether we die or not.

When I think that yesterday I didn't have

a relative in the world.

You're very cool, Cousin Homer.

Doesn't anything bother you?

Cousin Hope, everything bothers me.

Very little alarms me.

Maybe Cousin Homer hasn't got any reason to worry.

Cousin Elizabeth, if I were the killer

you'd have been dead two days ago.

If anyone asks for me, I'm outside bribing the guards.

Keep smiling.

Huh.

Somewhere in that house there was an answer hidden.

Some simple little fact

that would start things making sense...

...and Bret was gonna find it

if it meant searching the house from one end to the other.

He began at the most logical place.

And this was where the search ended.

He hadn't expected it to be quite that easy.

You know what they say, Homer

a good appetite is the best sauce.

Really, Bret, we're all aware that you're not one of us.

There's no need for you to feel smug about it.

I think we'd all be better off if we had dinner in our rooms.

I don't think so at all.

You know there's really no reason

to sit here and mope and avoid looking at each other.

There isn't, huh?

No reason at all.

Suspicion and distrust are the worst things

you can bring to dinner.

Instead of enjoying your dinner

you all sit here wondering which one of you

is scheming to murder the rest of you.

Even the dullest mind has the genius

for expressing the obvious.

I can set your minds at rest.

What does that mean, Bret?

I know the answer.

Well, let's have it.

Well, to begin with, general, we're all agreed

the guests here aren't well enough acquainted

to warrant killing each other, right?

The only interest they have in common

is your will.

Well, get on with it.

Now there's more than enough money to go around.

So, the only thing worth fighting for

is Black Fire itself.

Somebody wants to make sure

this ranch goes to the right person.

Wouldn't you say so, Jeff?

I hadn't thought about it.

Mr. Maverick, you're being coy.

Would you mind telling us right out which one of us

you think is a murderer?

Come on, confound it, which one?

None of us.

Are you playing games, Mr. Maverick?

Not at all, Ms. Martin.

Then who is the killer?

Your father.

That's not very funny, Mr. Maverick.

We don't have a father.

What are you talkin' about, Maverick?

George Martin hasn't been seen for 22 years.

He hasn't?

Then forget it.

You're not finished yet.

You keep talkin' and talk fast.

Well, the unfortunate thing is, general

that my theory is really just a theory.

I know what I think and I can prove it

to my own satisfaction

but you can't take a theory into court.

Unfortunately, I couldn't even take this one to the sheriff.

No, it'll take somebody else's word besides my own.

Martin.

Thank you, George.

I wasn't completely sure it was you.

Stop!

That was a long shot, Bret.

How'd you come to it?

Not such a long shot, general.

The brooch.

[Hope] Who is it?

Your mother and him.

I'm to blame for all of this.

I could've said at the beginning

that I'd never leave Black Fire to anybody but Jeff.

All I meant to leave the rest of you was money.

That's all I ever wanted.

That's all any of you wanted.

Alright you all get your money.

All except Jeff that is.

Well, why all except Jeff?

Because he don't need it.

He's got Black Fire.

As to the rest of you...

...I'm gonna take some of the joy out of your lives.

You won't have to sit around waiting for me to die.

You can take half the cash

and split it up amongst yourselves, now.

Do you have plans for the other half, general?

I'm saving that to go out and get drunk on.

One, two, three, four.

It's a pleasure to do business with you, Maverick.

It's a pleasure to take your money, general.

Hey.

Are you going, too, boy?

Why not?

Where do you figure on going?

Paris.

Paris, France?

What other Paris is there?

I've always wanted to starve in a Garret.

Homer, if we was both to go to Paris

we could sure do her up in great style.

Do you think you could behave yourself?

No.

Alright then, Paris it is.

Do you care to join us, Maverick?

Not this time, thank you.

I'm holding up a big poker game in Denver.

Well, don't lose it all in one place.

Ha, eh?

It's the sheriff.

I got here as soon as I could.

What happened?

The butler did it.

♪ Who is the tall dark stranger there? ♪

♪ Maverick is the name ♪

♪ Ridin' the trail to who knows where ♪

♪ Luck is his companion ♪

♪ Gamblin' is his game ♪

♪ Smooth as a handle on a gun ♪

♪ Maverick is the name ♪

♪ Wild as the wind in Oregon ♪

♪ Blowin' up a canyon ♪

♪ Easier to tame ♪

♪ Riverboat ring your bell ♪

♪ Fare thee well Annabel ♪

♪ Luck is the lady that he loves the best ♪

♪ Natchez to New Orleans ♪

♪ Iivin on jacks and queens ♪

♪ Maverick is a legend of the West ♪

♪ Riverboat ring your bell ♪

♪ Fare thee well Annabel ♪

♪ Luck is the lady that he loves the best ♪

♪ Natchez to New Orleans ♪

♪ Iivin on jacks and queens ♪

♪ Maverick is a legend of the West ♪

♪ Maverick is a legend of the West! ♪

This has been an ABC Television Network presentation.