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What are you looking at, young fella?

Oh, I was just admiring that bird.

- Flying rustler. - A what?

Flying rustler... steal the food right off your plate.

I always thought it was called a blue jay.

That's right, if you want to use the other name.

Oh.

You all right?

- Sure. Why wouldn't I be? - No reason.

I can see that now.

Thought that horse had got away on you there.

Didn't know you were just shaking the mean out of him.

Yeah, well, he likes to run. I like to let him.

Seems I misplaced Virginia City.

Can you tell me how to get there?

Oh, sure. That's where I'm going.

You're welcome to come along with me, if you like.

- I'm obliged. Thank you. - Sure. Right this way.

Bet you've never seen one like this.

Oh, I've seen a lot of 'em.

- Go on, take a look at it. - All right.

Look yonder.

Sure as I'm standing here, that's Pepper Shannon.

My gosh.

Balance. That's what makes the difference.

- Point it at me... you'll see. - Well, I can't.

You're never supposed to point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.

Well, most of the times, that's true,

but you're gonna be doing us both a favor

if you point it at me right now.

Go on, do it, boy. Point it.

That's a wanted man with a price on his head of $2,000,

and it's all gonna be mine.

Montana, you're a little late.

The boy's already taken me prisoner.

He's taking me to the sheriff right now.

Keep aiming at me. That's the way.

Don't you get itchy fingered there, young fella.

I'm going peaceably.

Pepper Shannon?

Pepper Shannon? The stage robber?

The famous outlaw?

You got the name right, and you're the first man

that's ever captured old Pepper Shannon.

He's two hours late.

Well, what are you gonna say to him?

I don't know. I'm waiting to hear what he has to say.

Jamie little boy, big eater.

He know Hop Sing bake apple pie today.

He should be here now. Hmmph!

You know, he does like Hop Sing's apple pie awful well.

You don't reckon he could be lost or something, do you?

You'll never guess what happened.

Young man, you've been told that we have supper

the same time every day.

Yes, sir. Uh, I got the mail.

- The mail. - Thank you.

Did you get them buckles over at the hardware?

I guess I forgot.

Well, the sheriff wanted to talk to me, and then I had to hurry to get home.

He wanted me to write it all down, how I captured Pepper Shannon.

- How you... - Captured Pepper Shannon.

Pepper Shannon, the outlaw?

- Yeah! - Yeah.

And Montana Jones says

that there's a reward out for him... $2,000.

Jamie, you come in kitchen. Your supper in oven.

But Hop Sing, I wanted to tell them how I...

Uh, Hop Sing would like to clean up after supper.

He's been waiting around for two hours.

Why don't you go in and eat and then we'll talk.

Yes, sir.

He... he... he was real nice.

He... he looked a lot older than the pictures in his book, though.

- Who's older? - Well, Pepper Shannon.

Well, I've heard of some whoppers, but that about takes the cake.

But you've got to admit, it's a pretty good excuse

for being late for supper.

I remember a couple of fellas came up with

some pretty good whoppers of their own at one time.

Well, I think I'd better have a talk with that young fella.

Pepper's a famous outlaw... The most famous that ever lived.

Jamie, no talk with mouth full. Is not polite.

My mouth's not full, Hop Sing.

Should be, or your food get cold.

He must have robbed at least 100 stages.

I read about him in a book I got upstairs.

Jamie, those, uh...

those dime novels that you've got in your room,

I've been meaning to talk to you about those.

Yes?

You know, they're not always accurate.

They, uh... they sure tend to stretch the imagination somewhat.

Well, all right, all right.

Tell me, how did it happen? How did you capture him?

Well, I captured him...

Well, I was riding into town and... when I met this man,

and he said that he was lost

and that he didn't know how to get to Virginia City,

so I offered to take him.

Mr. Mills is here to see you.

- Attorney at law. - Let him in.

All right.

Just sing out when you're ready to go, Mr. Mills.

I don't remember asking for no lawyer.

You didn't. I was retained to act on your behalf.

You mind telling me who hired you?

A friend who wants to help.

A friend? No name?

You need a lawyer. I'm a good one.

I think that's all that matters.

12 years.

You've been reading the book.

You're about to ask me how long it's been

since I robbed a stage in this state.

That's my answer... 12 years.

In fact, I wasn't even in the country.

You've been doing a little, uh, reading yourself.

The statute of limitation expires in ten years.

After that, the law can't touch.

Mm-hmm. Well, the hearing will just be a formality.

You'll be a free man at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

- Sheriff? - Coming.

See you in court.

Tell my friend no-name I'll be seeing him.

Whoa.

Hi, Ben. You're just the man I want to see.

Huh?

You know, I still want to buy that, uh, south slope timber of yours.

I'm prepared to sweeten my previous offer by about $4,500.

Sorry. Not for sale. Jamie.

$4,700, but that's my last offer.

Good.

Did you know they wrote five books about you?

I got all of 'em.

That's a powerful lot of words.

I doubt anybody's worth that many.

I don't. Oh, Mr. Cartwright,

I was just saying hello to Mr. Shannon.

- Howdy. - The Ponderosa Ranch.

The boy told me about you, riding into town.

I got a feeling we've met before.

We have... Sand Pass.

Oh, yeah. The stage.

One of my mistakes. I've made a lot of them.

Oh, I'd better get those harness buckles before I forget.

- Yeah, good idea. - Bye-bye, Mr. Shannon.

- Nice boy. - Yes, he is.

I owe him some.

If he hadn't rode into town with me, I could've got shot.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

I'll tell you something else you're thinking too.

An old stage robber like me, bad company for that boy.

Certainly not the best.

Well, the last thing in the world I'd want

is to cause that boy harm.

Sorry about Sand Pass.

We both are. Good day.

Hi, Ben. Hey, Ben, you got a minute?

- Sure. - I saw you talking to Pepper.

You're about the only one that can get a word out of him.

Other people have tried, but he just seems

to look right through 'em and says nary a word.

Well, he talked to you in jail, didn't he?

Well, he talked, yeah, but he didn't say nothin'.

Look at him, Ben.

He's been sitting on that bench for three days now,

all day long, just to sit.

Nothing wrong with that.

Did he say anything to you about why he's here

or what he's fixing to do, how long he's gonna stay?

No, not a word.

A man of his record and no money, just a'sittin' in the sun,

he's got to be planning something.

I hate to say it, Roy, but I've got the same feeling.

Gives you a start, doesn't it, Mr. Corry?

- How'd you get in here? - Back door.

The back door was locked. It's always locked.

It was? I didn't notice.

Well, you'd better get out of here,

because there's another man coming by here in a few minutes.

- Your lawyer? - Yeah, how... wait a minute.

You're the one who sent that note to my house.

The Derringer in your vest pocket... I can see the bulge.

Don't touch it, Mr. Corry.

You're much too young to die.

Sit down. Sit down!

The last time I talked to you, you were clerking at a bank.

You're a big man now.

I'll give you $5,000.

Half.

That was the deal we made.

An $80,000 currency shipment.

I held up the stage and I took the box and what did I find?

Newspapers! And a posse on my tail...

The biggest posse this state ever saw.

$7,500, cash. All cash, Pepper.

First, a drink.

A drink? Sure.

The good stuff in the sideboard.

I've been listening to people.

You lend money, 10% interest.

Well, let's see now.

80,000 that you never put in the box,

at 10% for 12 years,

why, you, uh, you more than doubled it, didn't you?

Well, Pepper, sure, I've made some money, you know,

but, uh, I've had bad luck too... A lot of bad luck.

If you doubled the money, that doubles my share.

I want 80,000, cash.

I haven't got it. I just haven't got it.

Ten. Ten is about the most I could raise.

You're getting brave.

In a minute, you're gonna tell me that, uh,

I can't tie you into that robbery.

- You can't. - And even if I could,

the statute of limitations has run out.

That's in the State of Nevada.

I make my own laws.

80,000.

You got two weeks.

I'll tell you where and how I want it delivered.

On second thought, you're not too young to die.

Hey, are you just gonna set there?

Huh? No, I'm helping you with the chores.

- Oh. - Ah, here... here it is.

"Pepper Shannon, like Robin Hood of yore,

"stole from the rich and gave to the poor."

"He had friends everywhere.

"His largesse was unending."

"Largesse" means generosity.

I... I looked it up.

Oh. I know what it meant.

Uh, you'd better get that basket and gather them eggs

or I'm gonna tan your hide.

- Yes, sir. - Robin Hood.

- Hi, there, young fella. - Hi, Pepper.

Hey, Hoss, this is Pepper Shannon.

Howdy.

I'm looking for Ben Cartwright.

- Is he here? - Yeah, he's in the house.

- I'll take you. - No need.

I can find it myself.

Mr. Cartwright?

Uh, Mr. Shannon.

I was just fixing to have some coffee.

- Will you join me? - I could use some.

- Sit down. - Thank you.

I came to ask for a job.

I see.

If you're thinking I, uh, picked you 'cause of the boy, I didn't.

I hit every ranch between here and town.

- No luck? - Well...

once, they let me water my horse.

That was the best.

From what I heard at the other places,

I'm pretty sure you don't want me bunking with your crew.

I ain't asking for that.

What are you asking?

Well, a place this big needs land riders.

Hard work. Lonely work.

Not too many men want to do it.

Hard, I don't mind. Lonely, I like.

I'll do a better job riding and building,

fixing fences, and the best man you ever had.

I'm looking for a stake. I need traveling money.

Oh, you're not intending to stay around this area?

Well, I figured to...

'til I set in that bench in Virginia City.

It gives a man no pleasure to be looked at

like something the buzzards wouldn't touch.

Walking out of that jail like I did then,

that made some folks mad.

The law forgives. They don't.

Yeah. The statute of limitations was passed

to help a man who reformed.

Maybe they doubt that you have.

Ain't no maybe about it.

They were waiting for me to rob a bank

or the stage or something.

Either that, or they figured I hadn't paid for what I did.

Well, I paid, all right. I paid.

Ten years, hard labor, all of it in solitary,

most of it, chained against the wall.

That's why I like it lonely. I'm used to it.

All right. Thanks for the coffee.

Now, wait a minute. Sit down, sit down.

We need a line man.

Worst job on the range, but the only one that's open.

- I'll take it. - In the Beaver Meadow section,

ten miles north of here.

The line shack's in bad need of repair

and so are the fences... Miles of them.

That's my traveling money.

One restriction.

You're still bad company for Jamie.

If he shows up, I'll chase him back here.

Fine.

- Beaver Meadow? - Yeah.

- Who told you that? - A bartender.

- The word's all over town. - Is it?

Why did it take you a whole week to find out?

Yesterday was payday for the Ponderosa hands,

and some of the men were in town last night.

- Riding fence, huh? - Yeah.

Is any of this fence along the road between here and the Ponderosa?

A lot of it.

I want a man to ride along with you.

I want a man who's prominent and honest...

A man whose word won't be doubted by anybody.

It should be a minister or a judge or, uh... hey,

a bank president... Harold Donavan.

Well, there's no doubt about his prominence and honesty.

He also happens to be president of the bank

that owned the currency shipment Pepper Shannon stole.

Which makes him perfect.

I want that fence cut tonight

at a spot where the brush is thick.

Yahh! Come on! Pssh!

He's shooting at us. Get down.

Whoa.

Mr. Donavan, it's all over now. Nothing to worry about.

He was trying to kill us.

I don't like to hurt anybody, but I had to do it.

You certainly did.

You know, facing a gunman like that, that took courage.

Well, I was armed. You weren't.

Even so, that took real nerve.

It's a terrible thing to have to kill a man.

He's alive.

- Alive? - Yes.

That man needs help, and fast.

Well, uh, I could get a wagon at the Ponderosa.

Oh, no, no, we haven't time for that. We'll manage in the buggy.

He's a gunman and a thief, but still, he's a human being,

and we can't just leave him here to bleed to death.

Come on, now. Give me a hand.

- Pepper! Pe... what happened? - He was shot. Shot.

Whoa.

Mr. Cartwright, Pepper's been shot.

- He's badly hurt. - Who shot him?

Mr. Mills, and rightfully, too.

- He had ample cause. - Come on.

Let's get him into the house. I'll send for a doctor.

- And the sheriff. - Here, let me help.

Well, if Shannon lives, he'll have to stand trial

for attempted robbery and murder.

Outlawing is rugged work.

That man is wearing more scars than I ever saw on a human body.

Now, these'll help him sleep... One powder in a glass of water.

I'll be back tomorrow to change the dressing.

Fine.

Well, it looks like Pepper has a friend.

Don't worry. He's doing fine.

- Bye, Doctor. - Goodbye.

Mr. Cartwright, I know it's my bedtime,

but, well, I just couldn't help but wonder.

Of course. He's gonna be all right.

- How is he, Doc? - He'll be all right.

Doctor, we're going to have to take your patient into town.

Absolutely not. The man is seriously wounded.

It'll be at least 72 hours before I'll even hazard a guess

as to when he can be moved.

But he tried to murder us. He belongs in jail.

You try to move him, and you'll be the murderer.

- Good night. - Good night, Doctor.

Mr. Donavan, Mr. Mills, you can go now.

Clem, my deputy, will ride into town with you.

Well, not until I know who'll be responsible

for Shannon's appearance in court.

- I'll be responsible. - Oh, okay.

You know what I don't understand...

Why would Pepper Shannon fire at two men in a buggy?

Well, he knows me, Mr. Cartwright.

- He stole funds from my bank. - Oh, yes.

The money was going to Carson City... I remember.

So do I. It nearly destroyed my bank.

Why, he saw me today, must have seen the pouch...

He guessed there was money in it.

$16,000.

It's Mr. Corry's last offer on your south slope timber.

That's why I'm wearing a gun... To protect Mr. Corry's money.

Well, why would he send cash?

The look and feel of real money

does a lot to persuade a reluctant man.

Mr. Corry does a lot of business that way.

Does he? Well, not with me.

- Well, I'll tell him that. - Yes, do that.

Good night.

Pepper?

- Can you hear me? - Mr. Cartwright?

- Mr. Cartwright. - Here I am, Pepper.

What happened, Pepper?

The... the... the buggy...

the buggy was coming.

A big, big horse.

Mills... Mills was driving. Mills, and...

What else?

Dirt... dirt...

dirt in my mouth.

I... I was on the ground.

Pepper, who shot you?

Uh, I don't... I don't know.

I... I just... I was hit, on the ground, and...

That's all.

He didn't help us much.

- Well, maybe later. - Don't count on it.

When a man is seriously hurt,

he's not apt to remember what happened.

Now, let him rest. Go now.

Check.

Yeah, them horses are sneaky.

They come at you from anyplace.

Sure do.

They're knights, not horses.

Knights, horses... What's the difference?

I've been breaking my head for five days,

trying to learn to play this game, and I still keep losing.

When Pepper gets to feeling better, we'll have to play up in his room.

Yeah. Hey, Clem, you... You know Donavan.

- Mm-hmm. - Have you ever known him

to ride off with somebody

that's just checked a bunch of money out of his bank?

No, but he probably had a reason.

Yeah. Whatever it is, I'd like to know what it was.

Yeah, I would too.

I'm gonna ride into Virginia City tomorrow.

I'm gonna have a talk with him.

Check... and unless I'm wrong... mate.

- Uh-uh-uh. - Ah-ah-ah.

Them horses are a little sneaky, ain't they?

I finally got me one, Ben.

- So, Pepper fired first. - What about it?

Well, at least, that's what Mills and Donavan say, right?

You doubt their word?

It's not that I doubt their word. It's just, it doesn't make sense to me.

Pepper fired first... He fired three times,

and he missed both men. How do you explain that?

That's a professional gunman.

Sort of hard to believe, ain't it?

I don't believe it.

Well, maybe he had buck fever.

I saw a man miss an elk he could have clubbed with his rifle.

Well, I saw Pepper kill a rattlesnake with one shot from his horse,

and a man's a lot bigger than a rattlesnake.

Yeah, I'd say a whole lot.

Well, I'd better go up and have a look and see how Pepper's doing.

Hey, Pa, you talk to Donavan?

Yeah, I sure did.

He just repeated everything he said here.

Pepper had shot at them.

I still don't think we have the truth.

Well, I've known Harry for a long time.

I've never known him to lie.

Well, there's still one thing I can't get around.

Well, Pepper may be guilty, but there sure are

a lot of questions that need answering.

Yeah, like who cut the fence.

I mean, Pepper goes out to fix it, and the buggy just happens along,

and Pepper just happens to get shot.

Yeah, it sure makes you wonder, don't it?

Hop Sing wonder too. Food on table.

Hop Sing wonder when everybody sit down and eat.

- Right now. - Mr. Cartwright,

you're all trying to help Pepper, and I didn't think you even liked him.

Well, it's not a question of liking or disliking.

Every man is entitled to a fair shake, hmm?

Sit down.

I didn't wake you, did I?

No, I wasn't asleep. Just pretending.

Thought you was the deputy.

Oh, he's sitting at the bottom of the stairs,

reading the paper.

Oh, did you like the books?

Ain't had much time for 'em.

The sheriff was out here again.

- So was the doctor. - What'd the doctor say?

- Says I'm fine. - You don't look it.

Well, maybe that's 'cause I'm going to town tomorrow, to jail,

and then to prison for 20, 30 years, for something I didn't do.

You never did say. Jamie?

Do you think I... I tried to kill those two men?

No, I never did believe it.

Well, I didn't, and I can prove it.

All I need is an hour or two in Virginia City

and your help.

You... you mean, help you escape?

All the way...

I can't make it to Virginia City alone.

I can't. I mean, what if the deput...

You'd probably get killed.

Jamie, if I told you nobody'd get hurt,

not even a scratch, would you do it then,

to keep an innocent man from spending

the rest of his life in prison?

Yeah, I guess, but there's no way, Pepper.

There's an easy way.

Now, the deputy gets a midnight lunch...

Coffee and sandwiches.

Now, if these powders were to get in the pot...

I see.

I can do that.

Now, you be in the barn with two horses, you hear?

- I can do that too. - Ah.

Yeah.

- Ah, that looks good. - Yeah.

Thank you, Ben.

Hmm, these books ain't nothing but a...

But a herd of bald-faced lies.

There ain't a word of truth in 'em.

No surprise.

They put outlawin' above being president.

Hmm, stealing's fun. So is being chased by the law.

Well, didn't you find it that way?

Well, a boy shouldn't be reading trash like this.

Why do you let him?

Well, if I try to talk him out of it,

it'll just make it more attractive to him.

Jamie's growing up pretty fast.

He knows now there's no truth in any of this.

He won't be reading these books much longer.

- Good night. - Good night.

- Good night, Clem. - Good night, Ben.

- Thanks again. - Mm-hmm.

Ah.

Another cup of coffee, Pepper?

No, no. No, thanks.

Hop Sing always makes good coffee.

- I still don't understand. - All I know, Mr. Donavan,

is that Mr. Cartwright said he wanted to talk to you.

What would he want to talk about at this time of night?

I don't know, but it must be important.

The middle of the night is scarcely the time to...

- Sit down, now. - The boy told me...

That Ben Cartwright was here.

Well, I expect he'll be by,

as soon as he finds out me and the boy is missing.

So, you've escaped...

broken in here, obviously.

Now, you're using a boy to add to your list of crimes.

No, sir... to prove he's innocent.

Over in the corner, Jamie.

I told you to sit down.

Now, before I put a bullet in you.

I don't know what you hope to gain by this, Shannon.

I was watching the buggy come at me.

I didn't draw, and I didn't fire.

The next thing I know, I'm eating dirt.

Now, I know what you told the paper.

I want to know why you lied.

I didn't lie.

Did you see me take a shot at you?

Yes, I...

No, I'm not sure that I did,

but I heard it... Of that, I'm positive.

How many shots?

One shot, and then some others.

You told the papers Mills shot me.

Did you see that?

No, not exactly.

Well, what did you see?

I'll tell you.

I saw you, standing beside the fence.

Then, the buggy came up, abreast of you.

Mills was between us, so I... I didn't see you,

but I heard you fire,

and Mills was standing up, trying to hold the horse,

pushing me out of the buggy, telling me to get down.

- And that's what you did, huh? - Yes.

It's true, I didn't see the rest of it,

but I heard those shots.

Do you still think

I tried to kill you?

Yes, I do.

What if I told you

that I'm gonna pull this trigger

if you didn't change your mind?

I'd still have to say you tried to kill us.

Jamie...

I think we found an honest man.

Then you'll help him?

He'll get a chance to try.

Come on, Clem, breathe deep. Come on.

- I'm all right. - Clem, you're not all right.

- Come on, wake up. - How's he doing?

- He's getting better. - I'm all right.

The sleeping powders are gone.

They must have put them in the coffee.

Yeah. It's a good thing I came down to get something to eat.

Yeah. 3:30. They've had a good, long start.

Yeah. Where do you reckon they went?

Virginia City, probably to ask Donavan and Mills

the same questions we've been asking ourselves.

- The horses are ready. - Good. Let's go.

- Come on, Clem. Breathe deep. - I'm all right.

What does Ben want to see me about?

He didn't say, Mr. Corry.

Did, uh... did Pepper say anything about me?

Uh, I don't know.

Well, then, what does Ben want to talk to me about?

- Pepper Shannon got away. - He got... got away?

- Escaped? - Yeah.

Now, Mr. Cartwright, I don't know what...

Corry, that Derringer...

Two fingers. On the floor.

You fire that pistol, you'll bring the law.

- You'll hang. - Maybe.

But you won't be around to see it done.

Sit down.

Here we are... All thieves together.

Corry, if you could shoot as well as you can steal,

I'd be a long time dead.

Now, Pepper... no, no, Pepper, I didn't. I... I didn't.

Sure, you did.

Had to be you or either Mills, and I was watching Mills.

You set it up, and I owe you for the bullets you put in me.

I ought to put a bullet apiece in you,

and I will, unless I get the money you stole from me.

Corry, pay him.

- What about the boy? - Never mind him.

He's riding with me.

The night's running out, Corry.

You'd better talk up.

You ain't got a lot of time.

15,000.

I swear, that's every cent of cash I've got, Pepper.

It ain't much for getting shot, is it?

You took the 80,000 that I got charged for stealing.

But I told you, I've had losses, big losses.

So have I!

12 years of losing.

It's not enough. I want 20!

That's only half of the share you promised me.

Maybe, uh, uh, 18? 19?

I swear, that's... that's all the cash I've got in the safe there.

Go ahead, open it, before I change my mind.

Corry, put down that gun.

I don't think so.

Don't come in! He'll kill you!

All right, sit down over there. Move!

Now I got... got him to admit it...

and he heard all of it.

I heard it all.

Joe, get a doctor.

You're a good boy, Jamie.

You... you stay that way.

And... and stay away from the thieves, you hear?

Mr. Cartwright went for the doctor.

You'll be all right.

The bullet didn't...

Didn't... didn't... didn't... didn't...

Didn't...