Original subtitles

MUSIC

Well, that's ten of them. Ten dead kids.

Yeah, ten that we've seen.

I'm gonna go find the brush.

MUSIC

The cow doesn't look so bad now, but three, four days from now on out and he's salt.

The bones will be sticking out.

It really hurts me, he's dead.

See this poor dumb brute's 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.

We can't keep waiting for Bob to deliver it.

We'll have to just go and get some. We need it in the hurry house. We're gonna lose most of our herd.

MUSIC

The dead calf just over the hill.

MUSIC

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

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

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Shailor, come on out.

MUSIC

We're tired of waiting, Shailor.

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.

MUSIC

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

MUSIC

Now, the street.

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Dead. Not a man.

I know, Miss. I'm dead.

Sure could have used you just now.

What's going on?

You know Sheriff Vern Shailor for quite a spell, haven't you?

Sure.

He's shaming us, Ben. He's standing in the salt with the shotgun when we gotta have salt.

What's Vern Shailor got to do with the salt belongs to Barbara, you know?

Rio's dead.

Rio's dead?

So's the salt bed. Played out all together.

MUSIC

His niece is sitting on one slip to the salt over that warehouse right now.

She ain't selling it.

Your friend Shailor's upholding it.

MUSIC

Oh, we're just gonna have some reason, didn't it?

The petticoats is reason. Shailor's courtiner, so he's back in her play.

There's one other thing, Ben.

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

Not sure.

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

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I'm Ada Halli. Yeah, I help you.

Ben Cartwright, Miss Halli. I'm here to buy salt.

You're gonna buy salt, of course.

MUSIC

Cartwright. Oh, yes, the ponderosa.

You've been a very good customer in the past.

I was very sorry to hear about Bob Reo.

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, uh, is exhausted.

The only available salt is this here in the, in the warehouse.

Yes, I was told.

Yeah, if you'll sign that order.

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

We're ready to load and fold out right now, so you just tell me how much I owe you.

Hold on, just a minute, Mr. Cartwright.

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

Oh, man. We were three days getting here and we'll be three days getting back.

And my cattle need a salt now with no time to waste.

I'm sorry, you'll have to wait your turn.

Sally? Have you ever seen cattle die for one 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 cash when we left the ponderosa, man.

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, we're talking here and arguing. I'm losing maybe 20 or 30.

I'll go miss Hallie.

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.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson.

Ben! Ben Cartwright!

It's good to see you.

Ben! Sit down. Sit down.

This calls for a drink.

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

I can't talk about salt.

This is your kind of brandy, Ben. In fact, the first time I ever tasted this without a ponderosa.

I can't 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.

As Sally tells me that you in charge of their financial details.

Yeah, just before you got here, some of the ranches were trying to take me apart. I had to run them off.

That's all I understand. With the shotgun.

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

She needed help, so I volunteered.

When all that salt's going out of the warehouse, Ben has no more, maybe for 400 miles.

Closer to 500.

Yeah. And the cattle balling all the way from here to Big Spring.

And the salt in the warehouse is only 60% of what you cattlemen are used to buying for the year.

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

Now, somebody makes sure that all you buyers get a fair share. That's why I took the job.

Now, look, Warren, 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 fault. It's Aedus.

And 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.

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

Well, you're from here. Why don't you tell it?

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

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

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

Well, I don't want to make you feel better.

She wants all the buyers here.

And salt's in short supply.

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.

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

She's a good woman.

She's as far as they come.

Well, I'm sure she is, but...

You might just tell that fine woman...

that wars have been started in the kind of sort.

And 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 the minutes.

I know, I've said that to come out of my ear. We still have to wait.

Ben.

We're having a meeting.

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

There.

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.

Oh, Mr. Cartwright.

What about that boy?

I just left Shailah.

The salt's here. I'm gonna begin just as soon as Sittal begins here.

First, we wait for Cartwright. Now tell me.

Make money, man.

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

You don't simmer down that mouth. You just gotta get you in trouble, child.

Where's Delve getting in?

We're here now.

Oh, well, mourn his corner.

Tell gentleman why the long face is there.

The cattle dying and no salt. That's why.

Glad you're here.

You seem to share with your...

Not yet. I'll figure to talk to him tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning?

I think you ought to go see him right now.

Shailah held up the same of the salt until you got here.

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

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

How is this gonna be divided up?

Everybody's gonna get six to be settled with the gun last year.

Your idea, Cartwright?

Oh, Shailah's idea. He'd be able to do that with Miss Hallie.

The lady who owns this song.

60% seems fair enough for those who stood still.

Those who sold some of the cattle. That's more than enough.

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

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

Well, 100 head. It's more than twice when he was running last year.

Sit down. Put in the minute town.

Shailah, try to understand what an argument is.

You're gonna find the invickering now.

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

Difference between you and me, Cartwright, as you want to see everybody gets a share.

Me, I'm only interested in mine.

You're still here?

No, you're still here.

You're still here.

One way or another. You'll grab our shins.

No, we won't.

Shailah won't let him.

Shailah said he'd make sure that salt was divided fair.

Didn't he, Ben?

Yeah, that'll be sad.

You're the last buyer to arrive.

60% of the figure I've heard mentioned.

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

It seemed fairest for everybody.

I'm sure it is, Bob. I had a good business here.

Too bad you inherited empty salt, Ben.

Miss Hallie, 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.

You got half the pay.

Less than half.

If you'll sign, please.

Of course.

Vernon's known his cattleman a long time.

The personal friends are here so I can understand his concern about him.

But you, Miss Hallie.

You're new here.

You've had to work for a living. You know it's a doggy 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% of last years by.

I'm sure you are, Mr. Talbot. Every cattleman has told me the same thing.

I pay for what I want, Miss Hallie.

I pay very well.

Everything all right, Miss Ada?

Everything is just fine.

My herd's bigger so I'm going to need a bigger share.

And I'm willing to pay a lot more.

I'm going to be able to get a bigger share of you.

I'll just come over to see you.

That's nice. Anything special?

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

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 go over and tell the men to load the wagon.

Vern, we haven't settled the price yet.

Well, it's your salt, Ada.

But I know you're not going to gouge them in just because they're losing their herd.

Our salt, Vern.

I thought you never would.

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

Don't again.

Excuse me.

Oh, Ben.

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

Ada and I are going to get married.

Isn't that something?

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Best wishes.

Thank you, Mr. Codron.

How about a little drink to the wedding?

Well, I think that's very much a note.

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 hope you forgive me for breaking this happy mood, but we are losing cattle.

When do we start loading?

Well, any minute now.

Ada and I were just talking price.

Your ranches will go on,

rowing 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% of the salt.

Would that be asking too much?

I guess that'd be all right.

I haven't had a chance to tell, Vern.

But, uh, I'm not sure.

I don't have a chance to tell, Vern.

But, um, we'll have to find another way to divide the salt.

Mr. Talbot has a much larger herd than last year.

You'll need extra salt.

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.

If you give me, if I don't finish this drink.

Okay.

That's what I said, 12 on it, Hidden.

12 on the head.

You're absolutely sure about that.

That never doesn't make you.

Does it?

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

They said you heard it's a lot smaller this year than it was last.

Snooping and prying just like the Cartwright's.

Glues to 800 heads smaller than last year.

Bigger a smaller with differences than me.

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 going to have to partner with each other.

Get rid of the competition, or we're going to beat each other's throats.

Talbot.

We'll never be partners.

Never have to.

I'll fight you all the way.

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 share.

To get what I want, I'll pay you what I have to pay.

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

Now what did that cost?

Money?

Salt?

Above?

Williams?

You talked too much.

You raised that price out of our reach. We're all going to lose every head we got.

Tough, Zeb.

Tough.

Talbot!

I ain't going to let that happen.

It took me a lifetime to get what I got.

I ain't going to give it up without a fight.

Before.

Williams!

Get it out quick. Take it to his room.

Ah!

Who shot you for?

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

Who did it for?

Never mind.

Alright, what's going on here?

Just a difference of opinion, Sheriff. It was a fair fight.

Not fair about it. Talbot's twice as fast as Williams.

Talbot, did you shoot Williams?

Williams drew on Talbot.

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

Nobody has any objection now. Get on with what I was doing.

Williams was only one man, Talbot.

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

In my way, I will.

Next man draws a gun, draws against me.

Now the rest of you people move out of here.

I'm going to get you out of here.

Yeah.

Let's make a deal now.

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

I saw you shooting, Mr. Williams.

He drew on me.

Why?

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

What?

What's wrong?

What 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 going to die, and I'm not going to let that happen.

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

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

I'm going to meet with all the cattle in one hour.

Put a price on the salt.

He's not going to get away with this, Pa.

I'm not going to let him.

You were listening to me, boy.

It was a fooling idea, eh?

I'm lucky to be alive.

He didn't have any call to draw on you.

I draw on him.

I did.

I did not, babe.

Yes, yes, you did.

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

You'll be here in a few minutes.

You promise me, boy?

You promise you won't draw on Talbot?

He listened to you, Pa.

He'll stay right here with him until the doctor comes.

She called a meeting. Everybody's here. Where's she?

She'll be along in a minute.

I'll take it all I'm going to 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% of the amount you bought last year.

I've got 700 head.

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

If I had $700 and I haven't.

You can borrow it, Mr. Pardee.

Bar, do they, Hilton?

Shaler, you behind this?

I set the price.

Mr. Shaler had nothing to do with it.

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

You got five seconds to swallow those words.

I beg your pardon, ma'am.

Then, would you see me back to the warehouse?

I'd be happy to.

I've never figured Vern decide with her against us on the price of this salt.

How many of these ranchers can afford to pay a dollar a half of this salt?

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

All right?

The only one.

Oh, Kat, right? You're going to meet a price?

No. Why not?

If I meet a price, and if you do, that'll establish it for every rancher here now then can afford it.

No, what are you going to do?

I'm going to refuse to buy.

And if you do the same, we can force a price down.

I'll hongle that day.

I'm losing more cattle every day.

Wait a minute.

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

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

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

What's the matter?

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

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.

Big no marriage. We were warring every day.

Big no marriage. We were warring every night whether your gun would carry us through the next day.

You'll see. This will buy us a new life.

It's too much of a price.

My darling.

You have no idea how much I love you.

If you really knew.

How are you, your friend?

I'm not going to.

I see you. I want your back off.

Don't worry about me.

I just ain't used to this waiting.

You know, I don't know what he's doing.

A woman's as nervous as we are. She'll break. She'll bring the price down.

We can't wait too long.

Yeah. 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 pie I wouldn't draw on you.

And I keep my promises.

That's a smart thing to do.

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

If that don't mean I can't.

All right. That's enough.

Put those guns away.

Put them in here. Get them up.

Now, any more of this? Now, lock your all up.

What's all this about?

Now, Ned, he's got no more.

Try to work out.

You men stay here.

I know how to get that salt out of the way house.

And I'm going to 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 hit.

Very sense.

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

Provided you sell me the rest of the salt, same price.

Would you share the salt?

No.

But if the other ranchers don't get salt.

The herds would be destroyed.

And stuff.

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

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

And then you'd be able to set your own price for beef.

And then you'd be able to set your own price for beef.

And for cattle to restart the other ranchers.

That's right.

And you would make a lot of money.

Money.

Money, I would be willing to share.

Sally.

I'm here representing all the ranchers.

Except Mr. Talbot.

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

Oh.

Well, I understand some of the ranchers lack the money to meet the terms.

Yes, it'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 sorry.

What do you mean you're sorry?

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

Mr. Cartwright?

Oh.

What?

Something wrong?

Yeah, there's something wrong.

You want me to get shade over here?

No.

By yel he'll come running.

No, don't bother him.

I was just down at the livers table.

I was just down at the livers table.

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

Yeah.

Thanks.

I'll need a receipt.

Of course not.

Either you or Shayla tell her heavily about the salt you tried to buy it.

Try it?

Yeah.

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

No.

No.

Yes, I see you.

You tried to buy it.

You give it out did.

I'm not did by a group of branches who pointed me treasure.

You're not did by one dollar.

Cartwright, that salt belongs to me.

Bought and paid for my beat.

Don't let me interrupt.

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

Sir, if this salt belongs to me, all of it.

All of it.

Burner had to.

He met my price.

We met at two.

And I did it by one dollar.

She accepted my offer first.

I demand the shut up.

Now I know what Cartwright would do with it.

But how about Talbot?

Was he going to share?

What difference does it make you...

I told you to shop and I mean it.

Well, later was he?

No.

And you were going to sell it to him, no one that.

Burner, what could I do?

He met my price.

Hey, you see?

She admits I bought it first.

Now you were the last one to arrive.

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

Then it wasn't settled as the price and I settled that just now.

Sheriff, Cartwright, all but forced that check on her gunpoint.

That salt belongs to me.

Bean, I sympathize with you in principle.

But if you got here with the money first, then I'm afraid they'll lose size with him.

I look back.

That salt is left to every head of cattle in this part of the state.

If you die to them, that's mass murder.

And I'll be some man or court could count on this.

Here's the keys to the loading dock. Tell them and 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 be installed!

Don't you come back.

If you'll excuse us, I think we got something I'd like to talk over with Ada.

But, Miss Hallie, 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 it.

Doesn't excuse her, Dan.

Use her, Dan.

The person is a lot of mistake.

I'll be out to him and help you load.

Fine.

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

I'm sorry, van.

Yes, 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 begin seeing things with their eyes

and hearing things with their ears.

One day he realized it.

You don't know them at all.

Fern, I said I'm sorry.

Tell what now.

I understand him.

Greed makes his wagon go.

He wants everything and an in-sound.

But I didn't dream money.

It was the only thing that was important to you.

It's dead.

It's all over now.

I could tell him myself.

It's all right.

It's the best price she can as long as everybody gets their share.

But you would go to the house.

But all that salt, no one flew well.

He wasn't going to give any to anybody.

And he met the price.

Yeah.

What was it that Ben said?

Form of mass murder that no decent man or court could countenance?

Whatever we had between us, Ada.

That's gone now.

I'm sorry.

That's gone now.

And I'll be leaving for good.

Just as soon as your salt is loaded out.

Fell in on the livery stay.

What's that Talbot and Connor just left town?

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

It's all right.

I figure if they're going to make a try.

That's a place to do it.

One rifle up there and nobody's going to loom these salt.

Take a look.

Yeah.

Okay.

I've been waiting for you, Ben.

Can't resist the man in trouble, can you?

He hit him too hard.

Nothing's going to help him.

Stay in there.

Slow down.

Drop your gun, Mel.

Over here.

Oh, bunches out there.

All right, Ben.

I know what you play.

I would expect to gain my property.

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

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

Ada Halli has my check-cusses, my soul.

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

What about the sheriff's?

You're going to kill him too.

Then don't bother me, none.

Cottonrand, keep a watch on that door.

Now you're going to get them to come in here.

One at a time.

Oh, no.

You want to die.

No.

But you call horse in here first.

No.

You really want to play those arts, 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 light glitting on gun barrels.

I'll have to gun.

Get your hand.

Take care of us.

Talbot!

Hold it!

Get off the...

Look at me, please.

We could still build marriage with love.

The money doesn't matter, only you.

Is Halley?

Is Halley?

Is Halley...

Please.

Please, please.

Please.

I am a really one.

Halley, you take me so I decided I'd burn from the checks that no charges.

No charge at all.

Good.

Press it for me.

Please.

Where? Under God's son and you find a spectacle move.

Coming along?

Coming along?

Right.

Ben, we're all loaded up.

How much do we owe?

Aida says no charge.

A gift.

A burn chaler.

A gift?

That's mighty generous.

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

That and me are gonna pay our fair share.

Ben, you'll see that you get it.

I'll see that you get it.

Thanks, fellas.

Thanks.

See you then.

Yeah.

Ben, you did.

You