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I was right. Jess Waddel.

Charlie!

Charlie Sheppard!

- You saw his horse? - Yeah, I saw him.

If we was to put a bullet right at his feet, he might just spook and run off.

Don't make me kill an old friend, Charlie!

Come on down out of there!

No shootin', Jess.

- Your word on it? - You got it.

Here's my gun!

I'm comin' out.

His horse!

How bad is it, Pa?

Bullet tore up my arm, burned my side.

I'm ready to go. Let's get out of here.

Howdy.

- You fellas got troubles? - Nothing I can't handle.

Is that a bullet wound?

D'you mind if I take a look at it?

- Oh! - Easy, friend.

It's gonna have to be bandaged.

We're gonna have to get him into Virginia City to a doctor.

No, no.

Pa's not going to Virginia City, and neither are you.

Medicine and bandages on that pack mule,

but I can't very well get 'em with that gun on me.

Just stay where you are.

Hand me your gun, butt first, nice and easy.

Now you can get up.

- Where's Jess Waddel? - I don't know him.

Tall man.

Gray hair, mustache.

And he's... he's riding a sorrel horse.

I ain't seen him.

Who are you, mister?

I'm Hoss Cartwright.

You any kin to Ben Cartwright?

I'm his son.

I knew your pa a long time ago.

Name's Charlie Sheppard. My son, Morgan.

- Howdy. - How is your pa these days?

He's just fine. As a matter of fact, the Ponderosa's not far from here.

I can take you there and bandage that up and you can say hello to him in person.

Obliged to you, but maybe some other time.

Morgan, get that rifle off his horse.

Get his rope too and hog-tie him and leave him here?

Now, that's no way to treat the son of an old friend.

The Ponderosa's back that way, huh?

That's right.

You know, that pack horse says you're making no short ride.

Where you headin', Cartwright?

Line camps? You're getting ready to move the herds?

- Up to the high country, right. - Well, that's real good news.

See, we need a place where I can rest for a few hours.

Be obliged if you'd show us those line camps.

Not the nearest one.

You'd be a lot better off if you gave yourselves up.

You got us all figured out, huh?

Well, you're packin' a bullet and you're runnin'.

I gotta figure you to be outlaws.

You ever figure maybe we were runnin' from an outlaw?

Pa, we gotta move.

Yeah, we're goin' to.

As soon as Cartwright helps me on my horse.

You keep him covered, boy.

- Do it. - I'll do it. You don't need that gun.

I think he'll be all right now, Bob.

You just put a saddle on him and give him a good hard ride.

Ben?

Ben Cartwright.

Jess Waddel.

Ha! My goodness.

Well, it sure has been a long time, Jess.

- Sure good to see you, Ben. - A long time.

It's good to see you too. My goodness. Jess Waddel.

It's been, what, 20 years at least, hasn't it?

Longer than that. I had a chance to figure it out walkin' in.

27 years and three or four months.

27 years. Well, I must tell you, time's been good to you.

Well, that's one of those lies old friends tell each other.

Well, what are you doing around these parts?

Well, I was just passin' through, but I got a lame horse on my hands, Ben.

Yeah, well, I think we can help you with that critter. Get you a fresh one.

But you're not going anywhere until we can catch up with the years.

You're gonna stay for supper, aren't you?

Oh, you know, I was hopin' you'd say that.

Well, let's get the horse to the stable.

- What happened? - Oh, I think he just pulled a tendon.

- A lot of rocks out there. - Yeah.

You gonna make it?

I ought to be ashamed. A grown man can't pull his own weight.

Here, Morgan, open that door.

Here, come on, I'll help you.

Unroll that mattress.

Go take care of the horses.

Oh, no. I'm staying here with Pa.

You do what I tell you, boy, or you take care of him.

Do it, boy, do it. Bring some water first.

My mouth's dry as a cotton field.

I'm gonna heat some water. I'm gonna have to have it for that wound.

- You're Ben's boy, huh? - Yeah.

How is old Ben these days?

Just fine.

That's good.

That's good, Ben. Just what I needed.

Yeah, it sure cuts the dust from the throat after a long ride.

Sure does.

Jess, let's sit down.

Ben, you and me go back a long way.

Yeah, we sure enough do.

Three of us worked that claim down on Poor Indian Creek. Remember?

- Yeah. - You, me...

- Charlie Sheppard. - Yeah.

One whole season and we divided a profit of 300 dollars.

I'd say you've done right well since then.

Oh, I've been lucky.

Lucky? Another word for hard work.

You wanted to be a rancher, and you sure are one.

I wanted to be a lawman. That's the way I went.

Never could figure out what Charlie Sheppard wanted.

- I don't think he knew himself. - Hmm.

Well, I guess you're wonderin' what brings me out to these parts.

I figured you'd tell me when you were ready.

Well, I'm... I'm on a huntin' trip.

Hunting?

I hunt men. It's the only thing I know how to do.

I'm very good at it.

I'm sure you must be.

Back when I was a sheriff, a wanted man could cross the county line,

thumb his nose at me.

They can't do that anymore.

I go where they go, bring 'em back.

You're a bounty hunter?

Some folks say it like it was a dirty word.

- How do you feel about it? - It's a dangerous game.

But if it's done properly and legally, it's a decent enough job.

I thank you for that.

- To the old days. - To the old days.

The bullet went clean through that arm.

It's wedged in your ribcage. It's gonna have to come out of there.

That's gonna be a job for a doctor, not me.

I told you, no doctor.

There's no hurry. It ain't botherin' me any.

This is gonna hurt. Hang on.

Oh, sufferin' Siwash.

That stuff's pure fire.

I had to get that wound clean.

I'm not complainin', not about you.

It... It's just a high price to pay for something I... I didn't do.

Then that... that outlaw, that Waddel, was after the wrong man?

Waddel, he ain't exactly an outlaw.

I expect you guessed that.

No. No, he's worse than an outlaw.

He's a cold-blooded killer.

Only he calls it bounty hunting.

Then you are wanted, huh?

Just me.

My boy didn't do anything. He ain't wanted.

I ain't done anything either, since I got out of Yuma.

I sure didn't rob that Salt Lake stage and gun down that driver.

You know, Waddel, me and your pa

was all friends.

Worked a mining claim, way back when.

Was closer than brothers.

Now my... my good old friend...

tried to kill me for a thousand dollars reward.

I was in Mexico when that driver was killed.

Ask Morgan. He was with me.

Keep your hand on there real tight.

I'm gonna have to have some more water.

I'll get it.

I'll have the door in sight all the time I'm gone, Cartwright.

Don't try and leave.

You two are just full of threats, ain't you?

They're not just threats.

No, that's right, they sure ain't. Not to me, they ain't.

You in the condition you're in,

all I gotta do is wait for you to go to sleep.

Then I can take the boy easy.

You're gonna get shot.

Ain't likely.

I've took a lot bigger and better than him.

You say he ain't wanted for nothin', huh?

Not by anybody anyplace.

Huh.

In that case, I'm gonna do both of you a big favor.

I'm gonna give you some time and let you get your thinking straight.

Sure would hate to see that boy hang with you.

Look, he... he's trying to help me.

That's all he's guilty of, stickin' by his pa.

I tracked him to Twin Falls.

He picked up a friend there and both of 'em headed south.

Then I caught up with 'em again about six, seven miles out here in the rocks.

Gave 'em a chance to surrender and they tried to kill me.

Hey, come on, now. Put down your gun.

Nobody pulls a gun in this house, not even an old friend.

Sorry, Ben.

My son Joseph and one of our hands, Candy.

- Howdy. - Pleasure.

- This is Jess Waddel. - Howdy.

Now, Jess, what's spookin' you?

Ben, I tracked those killers to within seven miles of your house.

It's just likely they might show up here.

Why here?

One thing I didn't tell you.

The fella that shot that stage driver was Charlie Sheppard.

- Charlie? - Charlie Sheppard.

He turned bad, Ben, real bad.

Eight years in Yuma prison.

Wanted now for murder.

I'll tell you somethin' else too.

If I was Charlie Sheppard, runnin', wanted, wounded,

I'd stop at the Ponderosa and see my old friend Ben Cartwright.

You hadn't told me he was wounded.

When he tried to kill me, I fired back.

- Old friends trying to kill each other. - I told you, I hunt men.

Charlie Sheppard's wanted dead or alive

and I'm gonna bring him in, one way or the other.

Easy. Easy, Charlie. Take it easy.

Rest.

I heard something. Forgot where I was.

What you heard was Morgan. He's outside chopping wood.

He's a good boy. A man couldn't ask for a better son.

Charlie, let's take a look at that side.

I told you, that bullet ain't botherin' none. No need to fuss with it.

If it ain't botherin' none, it won't hurt me to take a look, will it?

It's all right, huh?

No. It's gotten real ugly.

- You're just saying that. - Ain't no use in me lying to you. Here.

Sufferin'...

What'd you wanna go and do that for?

I had to find out and I wanted to show you.

I just barely touched you and it almost broke you in half.

That bullet's gotta come out of there, Charlie, it's got to.

I must be gettin' old.

Time was a little chunk of lead wouldn't even slow me down.

12 more hours and you ain't gonna get out of that bunk.

Two or three days, it'll kill me, huh?

What time is it?

It's about an hour till sundown.

Waddel ain't found us yet.

He won't now until after sunup in the mornin'.

All right, you... you better do it.

- Hoss, you got any whiskey? - No. I'm sorry.

A doc did some cuttin' on me in Texas once.

He gave me whiskey to deaden the pain.

I can give you a piece of wood to bite on. Maybe that'll help, huh?

Get away from him and drop that knife.

Don't be a fool, Morgan. Gonna take the bullet out of me.

That's what the knife's for.

All right, Hoss, go ahead.

But be almighty careful.

Bring that pan of water over.

- Ben? - Yeah?

I tangled with these fellas just about right here.

Then they rode off this way, turned north and east.

Hmm.

What's in this country over here?

Well, it's Ponderosa land. Timber and meadows.

- These crosses line shacks? - That's right.

Probably in one of them. They'd have water, wood, place to fort up.

Ten minute ago have hot roast beef, hot gravy, hot potato!

Well, we'll be right there, Hop Sing.

Hurry, please, or you have cold roast beef sandwich. Hmm.

I think we better do as he says.

Now, Jess, sit yourself right down here.

Yes, sir.

All right, Hop Sing, bring it in.

- Mm-hm! - Uh-huh.

- Your cook sure sets a fine table. - He sure does.

This'll be the first hot meal I've had in two weeks.

- You been trailing Sheppard that long? - Longer than that.

That hot meal I had was back in Twin Falls.

Isn't it tough tracking an old friend?

Well, he quit bein' a friend when he turned killer.

Don't matter whether you know 'em or not.

Bringing in wanted men's hard, dirty business, but it's gotta be done.

There's somebody else ridin' along with old Charlie?

Young fella. Could be his son.

- How old a boy would he be? - Oh, early 20s. That's just a guess.

Might not be his son. That's another guess.

Did he have anything to do with killing the stagecoach driver?

I don't know.

But he took a shot at me, so as far as I'm concerned they're both felons.

Ben, this is awful good roast beef, awful good.

Put it down. Back away.

Your pa tells me

that you two are figurin' on ridin' out of here in the mornin'.

If that's what he says, that's what we do.

I got the bullet out all right, but he still lost a lot of blood.

He tries to sit on a horse, he's gonna lose a lot more.

If he says we ride, we ride. You too.

Don't you think it makes a whole lot more sense if we went to the Ponderosa

and got a buckboard and took him into Virginia City?

With a wagon? No way. We'd never get past Waddel.

I'll take enough men. We can make sure we do.

Besides that, the sheriff's a good friend of ours, and he's an honest man.

He'll see to it you get a fair shake.

And if you two were in Mexico when that crime was committed,

and you can prove that, you'll walk out of there scot-free.

You're talking to the wrong man. Pa does the decidin'.

I'm just gonna get a cup of coffee.

Go right ahead.

Morgan, your pa was in Yuma for a long, long time.

What were you doin' all those years?

Gettin' kicked and stomped.

Run out of jobs because my pa was in prison.

- What kind of work'd you do? - Different kinds.

Washed dishes, swamped in a saloon, rode fence, herded sheep.

Cowmen beat me up for workin' sheep

and sheepmen beat me up for workin' cattle.

Morgan, you and your pa get yourselves square with the law,

and I'll guarantee you a good job.

Finish your coffee and get on that bunk. I'm gonna tie you up.

That way we can both get some sleep.

- Mornin', Ben. - Mornin', Jess.

- You're up early. - So are you.

It gives me a chance to say goodbye and to thank you for your hospitality.

Well, there's no need for that.

Your horse is walkin' pretty good now.

Good. Good.

- Morning. - Howdy.

Pretty good?

Yeah, seems to be fine.

We're ridin' with you, Jess.

No. Taking Charlie's a job for a professional.

All you'll do is just get yourself killed.

We'll have to take that chance.

Ben, I appreciate it, but I don't need you. I don't want you.

You're on Ponderosa land, Jess.

Whether you want it or not, we're ridin' with you.

Friend, don't get in my way.

That coffee sure smells good, Hoss.

Eat you some of them pancakes and that bacon. You need the strength.

Hurtin' you, ain't it?

A little.

That chair ain't trottin', Charlie.

What's that horse gonna do to you?

Don't you worry about me.

I been shot up worse than this and rode for a solid week.

Where's Morgan?

He's outside saddlin' the horses, where you sent him. Don't you remember?

Yeah, that's right.

I'm gettin' forgetful in my old age.

It ain't your age, Charlie.

It's that wound. You ain't thinkin' straight.

Hoss, how many sons does old Ben have?

There's three of us.

He's a lucky man.

I only got one, but he's the best.

He'll do to take along.

Yep.

Too bad you haven't been as good a father as he has a son, ain't it?

Well, I ain't been up to my hips in land and money like your pa.

I done the best I could.

Did you, Charlie?

That old kid's spent half of his life waitin' for you to get out of jail,

and the minute you get out,

you put him to runnin' with you one step ahead of the law.

- He been complainin' to you? - Of course not.

- He loves you too much for that. - Loves me?

Well, he's given up everything he wanted,

everything he ought to have,

just to ride with you.

I don't know what else you'd call it.

That's right.

I guess that's what you'd call love.

Kind of a waste, ain't it?

You're right, Hoss, I... I ain't been much of a father.

- You can correct that, Charlie. - I will, I... I swear.

- As soon as we get to Mexico. - Make him a wanted man?

Put the same brand on him you've carried all your life?

- Is that what you want for him? - No.

No, it sure ain't.

Then give yourself up, Charlie.

There ain't no time like the present. Tell him.

How do you feel, Pa?

Fine, Morgan. Just fine.

Think you can ride?

- You know it. - Then let's go.

Morgan, wait a minute. Your pa's got something he wants to tell you.

- Tell him, Charlie. - Later. We'll talk about it later.

You go on out. We'll be right with you.

Sure, Pa.

I couldn't do it, Hoss.

Why not?

When a man's as poor as I am, you gotta hang on to what you got.

That boy is all I got.

You're gonna get him killed. You know that, don't you?

No.

Look, I... I been in tight spots before and got out of 'em.

And I'll get us out of this one too. You'll see.

Come on, we gotta get goin'.

Blood spots.

That's Charlie all right.

Met two men here. They rode out together.

That makes four of 'em.

Special shoe, heavy on the outside.

Yeah.

That's Brown Jim's, one we made for him so he wouldn't cut himself.

No, not two more men, just one man and a pack horse,

and that one man's my son Hoss.

- Your son? - Yeah.

What's he doing, trying to help 'em hide?

I'd hardly think so.

Candy, ride into Virginia City.

Get Sheriff Coffee or Clem out here.

It's about time the law got involved in this.

- Right. - Hold it. Charlie's carryin' my bullet.

I've tracked him across this whole state. He's mine.

Jess, you want your reward. I want my son alive.

Candy, track us from here. If you can't find us, fire three shots.

Will do.

You're gonna get your reward.

I don't want this thing turned into a turkey shoot.

Charlie Sheppard and whoever's with him

is gonna get the full protection of the law.

You tell him that.

And he'll kill you while you're doin' it.

Charlie didn't have this in his saddlebag.

Bullet. Somebody's been doin' some cuttin'.

They took that out of Charlie, bandaged him up, got him ready to ride.

Now, if your son didn't do it, he sure supplied him with what he needed.

What did you expect him to do? Rub dirt in his wound?

Why not? He's a wanted killer. It's what he deserves.

That's where we disagree.

Hey, Pa. The stove's still warm.

They can't be more than an hour or two ahead of us.

Ben, if you wanna put this stuff inside out of the weather, I'll ride on ahead.

You can catch up.

- We'll ride with you. - What I figured you'd say.

As soon as I catch my breath, we... we go on.

This is no good, Pa. We're movin' too slow.

I know.

Hey, now. Now, there's a place to wait for Waddel.

He'll never get us out of there.

Charlie, you'll never make it through those rocks.

Yeah. Don't you worry about me.

I'll make it, just as soon as I get my breath.

You keep pushin' yourself like this and Waddel ain't gonna have to kill you.

You're gonna do it for him.

Stopped to rest again.

That's four times in the last two miles.

Can't be too far ahead now.

Time to start being careful.

Charlie'll be dug in up there just waitin' to bushwhack the lot of us.

See somethin' up there?

I can't tell. I thought I saw a flash of light up there.

Cartwright.

Take a look.

Jess brought along some help.

Your pa and somebody else.

Yeah. My little brother, Joseph.

Gonna help cut me down, earn that thousand dollars.

Not ever. Now you got witnesses.

Waddel's gotta let you surrender.

I'm not so sure.

Waddel'd shoot his mother for a thousand dollars.

Get out of sight.

There's no profit in waitin'.

If you gents'll give me some coverin' fire, I'm goin' up there and take...

Jess, I told you you're gonna get your reward, and you'll get it.

I'll go up there and talk to him, Jess.

Ben, the Charlie you knew's long gone.

That man up there'd as soon blow your head off as look at you.

That's as far as you go, Ben.

Start shootin', Charlie.

I'm unarmed, Charlie.

How's Hoss?

You heard your pa. Tell him.

I'm fine, Pa!

Thank you, Charlie.

I know how you feel. I got a boy of my own.

You're gonna have to give yourself up.

No, Ben. You ain't gonna take me in and hang me for something I didn't do.

Are you saying you're innocent?

Me and my boy Morgan were in Mexico when that driver was killed.

- Well, that's good news. - Ain't it?

Only my name's Charlie Sheppard, outlaw, jailbird.

They got any unsolved crimes, they pin 'em on me.

- Whereabouts in Mexico were you? - A lot of it. All over.

- What town? - What's that to you?

Well, you... you're gonna have to prove you was down there,

and it'd sure be nice if you could remember the town.

El something. I can't remember those Mexican names.

- El Paso? - You're tryin' to trick me?

El Paso's in Texas.

I'll get you a good lawyer, Charlie.

You're an old friend, Ben, and I'd like to believe you.

But there's another old friend of mine down there. Jess Waddel.

He's been trying to kill me for ten days.

Well, I told Jess he's gonna get the reward money anyway,

so there's no reason for him to wanna kill you now.

If you're innocent, there's nothing to fear.

- I'm innocent. - Then walk down the hill with me.

No, I don't have to now, Ben.

You see, I got the hole card, the ace: your son.

You ain't gonna see him alive again

unless you and the rest of them go on back to the Ponderosa

and stay there for at least 48 hours.

Charlie, the sheriff's gonna be comin' this way.

Well, that's bad news all the way around.

Now... there's gonna be some shootin'.

That'll be the sheriff tellin' me he's arrived.

And we're gonna be firin' back, to tell him where we are.

But no more shootin' after that unless you start it.

Go on down the hill, Ben.

I want you to think about this, Charlie.

Think it through real good.

And when you have, you just sing out,

and I'll come back up this hill and I'll walk you down.

Ben, go on, get.

Talked to Hoss. He's all right.

- What now? - Well, we'll wait.

I told Charlie we'd give him a chance to think it through.

I think he's gonna give himself up.

You ain't gonna take him up on his offer, huh?

Not on your life.

You should.

Old kiddo here don't remember what town you was in down in Mexico.

He was there. He just forgot.

He's lyin' to protect you. That's gonna get him ten years.

And it ain't gonna help your case a whole lot

when they get through tearin' him up on that witness stand either.

- My pa's innocent. - Perjury ain't gonna prove that, boy.

Why don't you shut up?

Hold it, boy.

That's the sheriff comin' in. You watch Hoss.

Right up there between those rocks.

Get behind that rock. You're sittin' ducks out there.

He's right, Candy.

Charlie ain't gonna shoot.

What'd you do that for? What'd you shoot him for?

- Charlie was gonna surrender! - You think he was.

He's got no choice now. He's got another one of my bullets in him.

And that shot could cost my son's life.

Get back where you belong, Cartwright.

I should have known.

He said no shootin'. He lied to you, Pa.

No. It wasn't Ben.

He kept his word. It was Jess.

I should have known he'd never stop tryin'.

- I'll get some bandages. - No. It's no use, son.

You... You look out after yourself.

I'll look out.

He lied for you and now he's gonna kill for you.

Why don't you let me stop him?

He's my son. It's my job.

I'll take care of it.

Uh-uh. Don't.

I'm givin' up, Ben.

Pa!

- Come on there. We got him. - Hold it!

Pa!

That reward money's mine.

My bullet that killed him.

There'll be no reward.

The law won't let you profit from cold-blooded murder.

You're gonna stand trial. I think you'll do time in prison.

I'll get him, Pa. I'll get him.

No, son. I lied to you.

Tried to get us some money for Mexico.

I... I killed that driver.

Don't try to talk, Pa.

I'm sorry, real sorry.

You're a good boy.

You stay that way... for me.

He will, Charlie. We'll give him all the help he needs.