Original subtitles

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Morning, stranger.

This is Ponderosa land. That makes you the stranger, doesn't it?

Oh, that's Cartwright land.

Now, just who might you be?

I'm Joe Cartwright.

Riding out this way looking for strays.

Well, you found one.

I'm obliged to you for a bed down, a mess of beans,

and the use of your coffee pot.

You're welcome to it, if... if that's all you're after.

That's all I need. This here air, that there sun

making a blue-shadow mystery of what's over the next rise.

Hey, that's a mighty fine piece of horse you got there.

Thank you.

Lean in the withers, chest like a big-stave oak barrel.

I had one just like it,

till he, uh...

give up his life saving me in an old Comanche raid outside of Mestizo.

Yeah, those fine folk over there gave me this here old watch

for services rendered that day.

It's a good-looking watch.

Man can't ride a watch. Where's your horse?

Foundered back aways.

Crow bait, not like this one.

Oh, I sure do miss that other fella.

One man horse. Nobody could ride him but me.

Same with this one.

Oh, I never seen a horse I couldn't ride.

Well, you're looking at one now, mister.

- Let's see. - Hey, wait a minute.

This horse can make that ridge in ten seconds flat with a standing start?

Well, sure, he's fast enough.

That watch of mine's got a second hand on it.

Look, that's my horse you're sitting on, mister.

Well, you're a fine-looking specimen. I trust you with my watch and my rifle.

All right, you're on.

Get ready.

Go!

Whoo!

Hey!

Hey, you made it! Ten seconds, right on the button!

Hey!

Yahoo!

Hey, mister, come back with my horse!

Hey, I got your...

More.

- More. - You had enough.

Never get enough of you, Play pretty. Now, bring it over. Now.

That's it. That's it.

- Ah! - Now, that ain't social,

you running from me. Sit.

Let me be. I ain't such a much, let me be.

You're all I got, Play pretty.

Now, be nice, and do what you got hired to do.

- Sit! - Uh!

My guess is that pretty little girl already done what she gets paid for.

Back off, mister. She's my play.

I'm the original ringtail roarer.

More like a ringtail baboon, I'd say.

- Did he pay for that forty-rod? - No.

Now, ain't that forgetful?

- Now, give him his gun. - He'll use it.

Well, I guess a man has to make these life and death decisions every day.

Now, go on, give it to him.

Now, get out of here.

Name's Beaudry.

Noreen.

- I'm... I'm much obliged. - What for?

A man needs a bit of muscle stretching after a long day's ride in the saddle.

I never had no men fighting over me before.

Why not?

Well, truly, I ain't such a much.

Now, that's a terrible thing to say about one of my friends,

especially if she reminds me of Snowflower.

Snowflower?

Indian princess, daughter of Chief Thundercloud.

I met her when I was scouting for General Crook.

She made a fine bride, till she got killed.

- Oh, I'm sorry. - Don't be.

She died proud and happy fighting alongside her daddy.

My daddy wasn't no chief.

He just fought being poor. Never had no shoes, even.

Cut me a five-toe track to church every Sunday, I did.

I bet you walked real proud.

Just resentful.

My old daddy had them dreams.

We all got to have them dreams, gal.

Never come true.

Bought hisself a piece of bottomland and the river came and washed it away.

Homesteaded some rich prairie,

drought come and that old homestead just... just went.

Guess he died reaching for a fistful of air.

He had you. That was riches enough.

No, he didn't.

I run away, heading for San Francisco. I got as far as here and I went bust.

- And that's why you're working here? - Working and waiting.

My daddy won 500 in a poker game

before some tinhorn cashed him in for good.

It's coming here to the Virginia City Bank.

Now, ain't that a rainbow wish come true?

Yeah.

Well, I got important business waiting.

- Gonna be the end of my rainbow too. - That's nice.

- Are you all put together? - He'll come back.

Me too.

All you got to do is holler, "Beaudry, come a-running."

Howdy.

That's a nice-looking horse you got there.

It's tolerable. He'll do till the next one.

You... you plan to get the next one the same way you got this one?

I don't follow you, friend.

You don't follow me, huh? Of course you don't. I follow you.

Right down there to the sheriff's office.

Howdy, ma'am.

Beaudry?

- Beaudry! - Ben Cartwright!

Beaudry!

You son of a gun, I thought they'd hung you up years ago.

Ben Cartwright, you are a sight for saddle-sore eyeballs!

- You know him? - Know him? Yes, we know each other.

- We had some dealings here and there. - Ain't that the gospel, Ben?

You old tiger, you. You remember the time

you were standing off a whole battalion of Santy Ana's best

just to kiss that sloe-eyed señorita goodbye?

Long time ago, Beau. Long time ago.

Long, long road. Say, which one was she, now?

- Teresina or Margarita? - Oh, come on now, forget that.

Pa, this is a little bit of your past

you ain't got around to telling us about, ain't it?

Oh, Ben here never was much for talking. Just doing.

And if this here young bull's your son, you did all right.

- Yeah. - Uh, ask him about your other son.

He came in riding Joe's horse.

Nobody ever tell you?

It ain't polite to interrupt when men are talking.

Here's your gun, boy.

Now, this here tad's under the impression

that I stole that old hayburner.

Yeah, I've been waiting for you to tell me how you came by him.

Well, your son told me his name,

I saw your brand on... on his horse,

and I just couldn't resist having a little fun.

So I foxed him.

How'd you ride him?

Better than that, how'd you get him away from Little Joe?

I think I know how. You pulled that old watch trick on him, didn't you?

Yes, I sure did. Just like thieving Red did before he got himself hung.

Ben, what do you say we sweeten the hinges of our tonsils

- over at the saloon? - Oh, there's plenty of time for that

- once we get to the Ponderosa. - Oh, come on, Ben.

Hoss, you take that wagon. And Candy, see if you can find Little Joe,

give him a ride home. Beau and I got a lot of talking to do. Come on.

Ben, Ben, Ben. Fine house you got here.

Yes, it's a good house, Beau. A good house.

Say, we won't be having supper for some time yet.

- Could you use a sandwich? - I just might.

Good. How many?

One, if you split the loaf down the long way.

Oh, Joe, Joe, Joe. I sure did a terrible thing to you.

Joseph, Joseph, Joseph! Don't hit a guest in our house.

- What do you mean, a guest? - Why, this is old Beaudry. Come on.

- Come on, get up. - Well, old Beaudry stole my horse.

I've been walking for two and a half hours. I got blistered feet.

Not bad, right in the button.

Now, this... Beaudry, this is the youngest, the pride and joy.

Joseph, this is old Beau. Shake hands.

Go on.

- How do you do? - Yeah.

I heard that he pulled the old watch trick on you.

Yeah, it was real funny. Real funny.

Of course, I... I threw in a bit of schooling in the bargain,

seeing that you was the son of my old compadre.

- Schooling? What do you mean schooling? - Well, now you know,

never face down a stranger with both your hands so busified

you're at the mercy.

Come on, get upstairs and soak your feet.

I think I'll get upstairs and soak my head.

Here, your watch. If you don't mind, I'll take my horse back.

He's a good horse.

- Oh... - He... he hits pretty good, Ben.

Yeah. Yeah, he's... he's all right, one of the best.

What about you? You still hitting pretty good too?

Beaudry, you still that Yonder Man

looking for what's beyond that next rise?

No.

I'm gonna settle down and build me a spread like you did, Ben.

You're not. You're not gonna tie down.

Why not? You did. Why not me?

Well, you'd find it too dull.

The last time I heard you were drifting cattle

across the Rio Grande to the bandidos.

Guerillas, Ben. One man's hero is another man's traitor.

Oh...

Oh, I might have been on a few Texas wanted posters all right,

but south of that river, I was a real caballero.

You ride up that cut to Miraflores,

don't be surprised to find a big statue of Beaudry gracing the town square.

I'm gonna tell you something, Beaudry.

Nothing about Beaudry would ever surprise me.

I'm gonna get those sandwiches.

Howdy.

There's water in the bucket. Step down, take a drink.

I think I will.

Many tracks for such a lonely place, huh?

Quite a few.

Before I came, a man walked through this cavern. One rode.

Then one rides away, and the other one walks.

But the man who walked away is not the one who walked here.

- You read track pretty good. - Oh, something to do. You know.

A man that interested in tracking is usually looking for somebody.

Isn't somebody always looking for somebody?

There is a man I would like to see.

He comes this way from Crease, Montana. He's a big man.

Stands tall.

Have you seen a man like this on the trail?

The man you're looking for, is... is he on the run?

- From who? - From you, maybe.

From me?

If he comes from the north and I come from the south,

how could he be on the run from me?

- Hm? - It's a good question.

You know, I think this friend of mine,

he went to Virginia City.

I've never been there.

- I think I will go there myself. - Fine.

Would you close the door when you leave?

Eh, you never took your drink of water.

Decided I wasn't thirsty.

Adios.

Yes, sir, a hawk in the sky, a bighorn goat,

jumping from peak to peak like they was little clumps of clay.

Yes, Ben, that was me.

Oh, Ben, the world squeezing down like...

like some little tad's leaking balloon.

Every man's entitled to at least one crack at a big dream.

- You had yours and you made it work. - Well, sweat made it work, Beau.

- That, and the need to settle down. - Sure.

Ponderosa for you, and Miraflores for me.

- Mexico? - I got the beginnings right here, Ben.

I know $500 ain't much, but maybe it's enough for a down payment.

You got the kind of beeves I need, Ben.

Now, I know under ordinary circumstances it ain't much.

But you and me, Ben.

Yeah. Well...

Beaudry, you sure that's what you want?

I've changed, Ben, believe me. I'm not asking to use you.

I'm asking you to invest.

Miraflores, huh?

Mr. Cartwright, I went all the way up to the cavern.

I didn't see any sign of Joe.

Oh. Yeah, well, he... he found his way here.

He walked all the way. He's upstairs soaking his feet right now.

- Just so he got here all right. - Yeah.

Mr. Beaudry, I ran into a man I think is looking for you.

He's Mexican, he's a big man, very dark, soft-spoken.

- Do you know him? - No, no, I don't, Candy. No.

Well, I... I got some miles of fence to ride. I'll get to it.

- Fine. Thank you, Candy. - Yeah.

So, Miraflores, huh?

I'm not gonna let you jump, Ben. You think about it for a few days.

Well, I don't see how I'm gonna be able to turn my back on you.

Just the same, you think about it.

Now, there's a certain little lady at the Silver Dollar

that I think I'll have a few words with. All right?

All right. You're not gonna walk all the way to Virginia City?

There's a bay in the barn. Help yourself.

Thank you, Ben. All right.

Ah! My tonsils is clacking like castanets!

Yahoo!

Hey, amigo.

Matar!

- What are you doing up here? - Well, I got your message. And I...

And you came a-running to help me trail the Beaudry's herd back down.

Oh, amigo, I wish it were true. I really do wish it were true.

- What? - If you go back to Miraflores now,

the orders are to kill you.

- What are you talking about, kill me? - Everything passes, hombre.

- Things change. - What's changed?

- Cardona. - Cardona? How?

- I stole that white horse he rides. - But that's in the past.

We were heroes, yes. But now Cardona sits fat in a white suit

in the palace of the Gobernador, and he wants no part of the old past.

And what about the rest of them? The ones who put him there?

You've got to understand, man. You win the throne of the Gobernador,

and power makes enemies out of old friends.

Cabeza de Vaca is dead.

Cholo's on the run, still in the revolutionary profession.

And do you know who he has to fight? Cardona.

And you, Matar?

Well, a man gets old. He has to go where the grub is.

Adios, viejo.

Beaudry, amigo.

I run the rurales for Cardona now.

End of a dream.

Don't make it into a nightmare.

In the name of the old past, don't make me responsible for your hanging.

Yes, sir, born to be free, that's me.

A wild hog from Texas and it's my time to bristle.

Oh, I'm sure glad you come back, Beaudry.

Bad penny, girl.

I'm the original lone wolf from Bitter Creek and it's my night to howl!

- Maybe you had enough. - I sure have, up to here.

Hey, ain't there no action in this here town?

Well, you sure are ready to fight the bear.

Yeah. And don't it show, eh?

Where the wild grizzly screams and scare when I crawl into his den.

- Time you settled down. - Yeah.

Yeah.

Miraflores.

Now, there's a place.

I got me a warbag

full of dreams swinging on it.

Wild running deer.

Cold stream full of trout.

Green grass so tender a man could eat.

- You been there? - No.

But I been in all them saloons trying to get my daddy out

before somebody really believed he was the original Wild Man from Bodie.

A man's world.

You need somebody to protect you.

You done that already.

I want a bottle.

Not from you.

- From her. - Look, I don't want trouble.

Then you tell her to serve me.

The trouble is old Ben won't give me no breeding cattle

if there ain't no Miraflores.

You earned your pay, Play pretty.

I don't hear a thing.

But I sure do smell something awful bad.

Rosie!

Rosie! Rosie, my mirror!

- Ah! - Stay right there, honey.

Stop it!

Stop it!

Stop it!

Stop it! Stop it!

All right! That's enough. Put that gun away.

- He started it, Sheriff. - Oh, that's a lie.

I don't care who started it, it stops now, do you understand?

You boys are Lazy Y hands, ain't you?

Yeah, all but him.

Three of them. And he was doing fine until the roof fell on him.

Well, you're gonna be late getting back, 'cause you're going to jail for a spell.

- Him too? - Him too. Come on.

- Let's pick him up and go. - Get them all out of here, Sheriff.

- Get 'em out of here! - Come on, boys, move.

Rosie, my mirror.

Well...

I can guess why I'm in this here fine hotel room.

What are you doing here?

The sheriff let me in,

after the Lazy Y foreman paid the damages to get his hands loose.

How you feel, Beau?

Oh. Oh...

How long I been out?

This ain't no place for the likes of you.

That same thought just come to me too.

It's like caging a big old eagle.

- What's that? - $500. I got my inheritance.

You'll probably have to pay something to get out of here.

That's your getaway money, gal.

If I take that, what... How are you gonna make San Francisco?

I'm a Yonder Man, Noreen.

The way I move, I might not be coming back for some time.

- Please, take my money. - That won't be necessary.

No, sir, not while I got my own 500.

You're gonna need that 500 to pay me for those beeves I'm selling you.

- Well, what about the damages? - The Lazy Y's ramrod said that his men

admitted they were in the wrong, so they're gonna stand the damages.

You're in the clear. Get your hat.

- Well, what about her? - The stagecoach leaves in two days.

I got my job till then.

You ain't got the talent for that kind of job, Noreen.

- Ben, she's a milksop calf. - Now, Beau...

A natural-born target for every hogleg buster in the territory.

Well, Noreen, you can come out to the ranch and stay there

till you're ready to leave for San Francisco, if you wanted.

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!

All the land we rode over,

up there to the mountains and beyond, Ponderosa land.

Yes, sir, old Ben Cartwright sure did build hisself a spread.

Bet it don't hold a candle to Miraflores.

Oh, Miraflores ain't such a much.

It will be once you take hold. Ain't nothing you can't do, Beaudry.

I been thinking, a man gets to settle down,

he's gonna want a woman to back him up.

Plenty of those pretty little chiquitas below the border

just waiting to be lassoed.

Bet you throw a long loop too.

I never did build me no reputation being a one-woman man.

Wouldn't make no difference to me.

A settled-down rooster's gotta stray a bit.

But they always come back to their home roost.

My, my.

That's a lot of knowing coming from a spring chicken.

It ain't how long you lived, it's what you done with the living you used up.

Well, when you get to San Francisco...

Well, I ain't got no reason to go to San Francisco.

- Got me a reason to go someplace else. - Where?

Miraflores, with you.

It's getting late, Noreen.

It's never too late to buy into a dream, Beaudry.

I got that $500, and it's yours for the asking.

I don't want to go it alone no more.

Please take me with you.

You don't know what you'd be letting yourself in for.

I don't care.

'Course I know I... I wash out pale against all them hot-eyed señoritas.

Noreen...

Right now they don't hold a candle to you.

I don't know, Candy. I got no reason to talk to him.

- No reason at all. - Doggone it, Roy, he...

He looked me straight in the eye and said he didn't know this charro.

Next thing I know he's falling all over him.

- Well, maybe it was a mistake. - No, I don't think it was a mistake.

What about this friend of his that he didn't know so well? Huh?

He's Mexican, mid-forties, dark, soft-spoken man.

Do you have anything on him in the posters?

Well, not that I remember, but let's take a look.

All right.

Howdy. Roy Coffee's my name.

- Deputy Stryker. - Glad to know you.

What can we do for you?

- Hey, you've come a long way. - I've made shorter rides.

This is Mr. Canaday, we all call him Candy.

- Howdy. - Hi.

- This man's from Crease, Montana. - Crease?

I'd say you were looking for a man named Beaudry.

That's the name on the warrant.

I had a man named Beaudry locked up in jail here

for busting up three cowboys in a saloon all by himself.

- Now, could that have been him? - That's Beaudry. Which way did he go?

He's at the Ponderosa Ranch. I'll show you.

- I don't want to put you out none. - No trouble. Come on.

Well, you got faith in him.

You believe in him. You're giving him a stake.

Oh, well, that's different.

See, there was a time on the Pedernales when I was as good as dead and...

- And he saved your life? - Well, 50 beeves is little enough

to pay for something like that, isn't it?

Ain't that something? Willing to sacrifice hisself for you.

Oh, I... I don't know about that. I was never really sure.

Maybe it was because he was one against 12 bloodthirsty comancheros.

Maybe that was challenge enough.

- So was Miraflores. - So is San Francisco, for you.

I ain't got no reason to go there now, Mr. Cartwright.

I never had nothing all my life.

And now I got him. I'm heading out with Beaudry.

Well...

Well, well, well.

Did he...

Did he ask you to... to go along with him?

Good as.

Miraflores.

Rough country.

It's a whole lot different from what you've been used to.

Oh, I don't care about that. All I care about is him.

Why are you telling me?

You're his friend, I... I thought...

I was hoping you'd be happy for him. For both of us.

Of course.

Of course.

Well, I better go pack. Won't do to keep Beaudry waiting.

Wait.

That's his bay. He must be in the barn.

Beaudry!

Hyah! Beaudry!

This here's Stryker! Come on out here!

You'll have to go in after him. Do you want some help?

It's an idea.

I'll go first.

- You be careful, you hear? - Yeah.

Behind you, tad!

Stryker, you old polecat, you!

I said it was an idea, boy. I didn't say it was a good one.

- How are you? - Great.

Pure porcupine, that boy, quills out all the time.

Yeah, he reminds me a lot of you when you were young, Beau.

- And that there's a compliment. - Thanks.

Hey, see somebody hung a tin badge on you.

Yeah, I'm deputying out at Crease these days.

Fact is, I'm here on business. I reckon you know what it is.

Listen, you'd never believe who's... who's running this spread, you know.

- Ben Cartwright. - Old Ben?

- Yeah. - Why, I haven't seen him

since he took the salute after the battle of Churubusco.

And up rides this lad to the camp cook.

Now, he's got scare oozing out of every pore.

He said, "The line's broke, run for your life, lady, the bandidos are coming."

Yeah, well, she just hauls off and whacks him clean out

of that saddle with a big old fry pan.

So she said, "You got a choice to make here, boy.

You can either get killed by them or by me."

- Where'd you hear that story? - That was me she hit with her fry pan.

You said you had some business to discuss, Stryker.

Beau, ain't you never gonna learn?

You're... you're not talking about Chris Thorson, are you?

He give you a job running those steers into Crease.

And I delivered them like he said.

And you run off with Thorson's 500.

- Well, I just figured it for a loan. - You didn't tell him.

Why, I blew more than that in one night having a bust with Chris that time

we came down from the Canadian with all them pelts.

More than a thousand dollars in one night.

Times change, man. Fun's fun, but this is business.

Tell you what, Beau. You give me the money.

I'm sure he'll be willing to forget the whole thing, for old time's sake.

And if I don't?

Then I'll have to bring you back to Crease

and make you stand trial for cattle-thieving.

I think you better give him back that money.

I was gonna give it back soon as I got set up in Miraflores

with all those cattle you were going...

- The deal is off. Give it back. - Ben!

Give it back.

You better make your peace, Beaudry. Ain't no running room left these days.

I helped you tame a few towns, Stryker, and it come to this.

Those were the old times, the good times.

Now all I got is a warbag full of memories, and this here badge.

And just a job keeping it.

Seventy-five a month and found,

working for the storekeepers that runs the towns.

I'll see you, Ben.

I need those cattle, Ben. I can still make it below the border.

After all we been through?

- I ain't asking for charity, Ben. - You don't need it.

Beaudry, I got $500.

Now, you can count it if you want to,

but I want to buy a piece of Miraflores too.

Looks like the deal is still on, Ben.

You gents got some final business.

Beaudry, holler when you're ready.

Quite a girl.

Yeah, they made her, and they busted the mold.

Well, that is 50 heads worth.

What are you doing here?

Come on, hombre, get down. Tell Mr. Cartwright.

He forced me, compadre.

He was going to take me to the sheriff.

My guerilla badge means nothing here, you know that. I can cause no incident.

This is the man Beaudry said he didn't know.

He has something to say I think you ought to hear.

- It's Matar. - Hm.

Matar!

- You remember me, Señor. - Yes.

- From Miraflores. - Of course I do. Of course I do.

What are you doing up here?

I came to... to warn Beaudry.

Warn him about what?

Tell him.

- Well? - Beaudry's got a price

on his head in Miraflores. If he goes back down there, they'll kill him.

He's my friend. I... I had to warn him.

Well, well, well.

Well, isn't that perfect?

How long have you known?

- You lied about Miraflores. - Who would I hurt, Ben? You?

No, not me. Maybe Noreen. What about her?

I need her, she's gonna help me settle down.

You settle down? You're gonna be on the run for the rest of your life.

Stryker squared things in Montana. What have I got to run from?

I'll tell you what you got to run from. Yourself.

I need them beeves, Ben. A deal's a deal. You got no choice.

You have a choice: them beeves or that girl.

But they don't mean nothing without that girl left to believe in me.

I need her, Ben!

And what will you do when you've run through her money?

And when you've used her up?

How's she gonna feed on those glory tales of yours

when you leave her behind to go off yondering again?

- I won't leave her! - Well...

You can tell her that. Maybe she'll believe you, but I don't.

Beaudry, you're a liar.

- Beau! - Come on, Ben!

Stay out of this, Candy!

Come on, Ben, get up on your feet!

Call me liar!

- Beau, no! Stop it, please! - Get out of my way!

You're still faster with your fists than with your head, aren't you?

Well?

Beau.

That's all right, Beau. Look, just you and me.

- $500 can get us clear out of here. - No.

No, Noreen, nobody puts a brand on Beaudry.

- You need me, Beau. - I got things to do

and places to go and I aim to be free, and I got no need for nobody.

Let him go, girl. Let him go.

I hate to leave.

I keep hoping he'll change his mind.

Well, Noreen, Beaudry's a man who never looks back.

What's ever gonna happen to him?

Mr. Cartwright, do you think he'll ever settle down?

I don't know. Hope so.

By the way, the Perrys will be waiting for you when you get to San Francisco.

They're nice, quiet folks and they'll see that you get the right start.

- Thank you. - Bye-bye.

- Bye. - Bye.

- Well... - Stayed out of sight.

Didn't want to spoil the goodbyes.

But I want to say goodbye to you, Ben.

Those beeves are in the northwest pasture.

- You better take them along with you. - Oh, now, Ben...

For old time's sake.

For the fights we once had. And the one we didn't have.

All right, Ben.

What about you? You going with him?

Si, Señor.

A man has to have a compadre along,

someone he understands, swap lies with.

Adios.

How much of Beaudry's a lie, and how much of him's really the truth?

I don't think even Beaudry could answer that.