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There you go, Pepper.

This has got to be tighter.

Oh, here, I'll get it.

- About ready to go, Pa. - Good.

When you latch a load down, you really do a job.

You bet.

That Canyon Road's pretty steep.

I wouldn't want anything bouncing out.

Jamie, uh...

Canyon Road is maybe a little too steep.

I'd rather you took the North Folk to Jackson's ford,

then come in the back way.

That's got to be at least ten miles farther.

It's a longer way, but it's a safe way.

You and Hoss and Joe take that route all the time.

Well, yes, we do.

So will you when you have more experience.

This is the first time you've taken a wagon this big.

Now, we're leaving for Beaver Camp in about an hour.

I'll see you there.

Yes, sir.

Dad-burnit.

Back up, back up, come on.

All right, giddyup!

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Whoa.

Whoa!

Whoa!

Whoa!

Geez... Whoa!

Whoa!

Come on.

Whoa!

Whoa!

Say, that was a quick trip.

I thought you was gonna be gone for three days.

Change of plans.

What's that all about?

Hey, take a look over there.

You all right, Jamie?

I'll take care of Pepper.

Hey, Jamie.

Pa.

I didn't expect to see you back so soon.

How's everything going?

What's the matter?

Would you excuse us, please, Joseph?

Yeah.

I want you to start packing.

I'll leave right away.

You'll what?

I'll leave right away.

I expect I can get out to the road and catch a ride

on a freight wagon before dark.

Yes, I expect you can.

Don't wanna hang around where I'm not wanted.

Not that I blame you.

I did what you told me not to.

And I got a good horse killed.

And I busted up a wagon.

Now, you tell me how much that horse and wagon costs,

and I swear to you, I'll send you the money

just as soon as I can.

Where do you plan to go?

A lot of places.

You figured I was sending you away?

- Sure, after I... - Wrong.

I'm leaving on a pack trip early tomorrow.

I want you to come along with me.

We'll be gone several days.

Pack trip?

What about what I did today?

We'll get to that.

Yes, sir.

Kind of hard riding through all these trees.

Well, we got open country beyond the timber here.

And we got the fenced-in range, East Ranch.

All right, down this way.

Dinner?

Thank you.

You're awfully quiet, Jamie.

Cat got your tongue?

Just waiting, I guess.

Waiting?

Wanna find out what your punishment's gonna be

for what you did yesterday?

That's about it.

What do you think it ought to be?

Well...

Some of the kids at school get a belt used on them

when they do something wrong.

Mm-hmm.

Of course, that's for kids' stuff.

What I did was worse, much worse.

Did you wreck that wagon deliberately?

No, sir, of course not.

It was an accident.

Yes, sir.

Expensive, but still an accident.

But you did disobey.

Yes, sir, I sure did.

So what we're concerned with...

is the punishment for disobedience.

Yeah.

Now, if we used that strap that you're talking about,

you wouldn't be able to sit in the saddle.

We got a long ride ahead of us.

Maybe we'll figure something out on the way.

Unless you have an idea now.

No, I ain't got any.

I think you're gonna like that East Ranch spread.

That Betsy Rush makes the best pie in the territory.

What do you make of those tracks?

A bunch of horses.

A bunch of horses.

How many, Jamie?

Well...

Four horses?

All right.

What else do you see?

Well, they were going in the same direction as we're going, but they...

They turned out there.

Mm-hmm.

Doesn't that sound like somebody chopping?

Yes, it does.

Gonna have a look.

You stay here and tend the horses.

Just what do you think you're doing?

Pilling rocks.

Not that it's any of your business, but when I get that done,

I'm gonna build me a pool.

And divert this stream?

You got it, Mister.

Move the creek away from the gravel bar

so's I can do my mining in the dry.

You're gonna pack up and move out.

Now, this is my claim.

Who are you to be telling me to get out?

I'm Ben Cartwright.

So what's that mean?

It means I own this place.

I got a map that says this is government land,

open to anybody who wants to stake a claim.

You're on private property and you know it.

Hold it!

Now, just throw that rifle into the water.

Start moving out.

You jump on our claim, we'll have the law on you.

You have no claim on anything here.

You're on Ponderosa property.

Ponda-what?

Save it, Kale, you're talking to the boss rooster.

That's Ben Cartwright.

From what I heard, I thought he'd be as big as a mountain.

But he ain't.

I'll bet he can be hurt just like anybody else.

Now start packing.

Now just keep moving.

All the way through.

Mr. Cartwright.

I run those two off the ranch a week ago.

Yeah, well, we picked up their tracks at the timber.

Followed them to Feather Creek.

I guess I'd better ride up that way more often.

Oh, I'm forgetting my manners,

letting the boss man stand around here.

Now, Betsy. Good to see you.

Mr. Cartwright.

- Uh, I brought a new hand here. - I see.

Jamie, this is Mr. and Mrs. Rush.

Hi, nice to meet you.

- Hello, Jamie. - Glad to know you.

Well, I expect you're hungry.

Oh, not this time, Clint.

We're way behind schedule, still have a long way to go.

Oh.

Here you are, three months' pay.

Make out a list of the things you need

and I'll pick it up on the way back.

- All right, I'll have it ready. - All right.

Will you excuse me, Mr. Cartwright?

Nice to see you again, Betsy.

Those, uh, cattle look pretty good.

Yeah.

With the care and feed they've been getting,

there's no reason why they shouldn't.

Well, trying to improve the breed is always a gamble.

I think this one's gonna pay off.

It's paying off now.

There's only two scrubs in the last calf crop.

Another two or three generations will tell the story.

Yeah. Oh, you'll be seeing Bill Cooper.

- Say hello for me. - Be glad to.

Gets lonely here.

But his job...

That'd have me talking to the squirrels.

Listen, those prospectors came back once.

They might try it again.

I'll be on the lookout.

You two hurry back.

Let's go, Jamie.

- I'll be seeing you, Jamie. - All right, bye-bye.

Well, one thing I'm learning.

There sure is a lot of Ponderosa.

See that stone you got your foot on?

Has a cross cut in the top of it.

It's a section corner.

It marks the east line of the Ponderosa.

This scarred tree here behind you,

it's a witness tree.

Tells you where the corner stone is just in case it gets covered up.

Oh, I see.

This Bill Cooper, where do we find him?

He's at the south camp.

About two days ride from here.

You know, Clint Rush wanted us to come in

but his wife didn't.

What do you suppose was wrong?

I have no idea.

Trouble of some kind.

Well.

If it had been ranch trouble,

I think Clint would have told me.

In fact, I'm sure he would have.

Family problems are personal.

Don't mix into them.

Oh, yeah, I know.

All I was gonna say is that this jerky sure don't taste

like that apple pie you told me about.

Sure don't.

You know, we got a real pretty ride ahead of us.

Should be an easy one, too.

A rifle.

Time to ride.

It's a girl.

I'm sure it was.

Tall Pony.

It's been a long time.

I hope I'm welcome here.

Any man can walk into my lodge now.

How can I stop them?

But you are welcome.

I'm sorry to find you sick.

My heart is sorry you came

when my granddaughter hunted your beef.

Did she miss?

No.

She shot true and straight.

With a rifle as old as yours, that's no small thing.

No, White Squirrel is the true granddaughter of Tall Pony.

Did she choose a good animal?

Yes.

With good fat on the ribs?

Yes, a young steer, a lot of fat.

You are the granddaughter of the chief.

You did well.

She only did what she was told to do.

I am the real hunter.

What... What will you do now?

We'll help White Squirrel dress out the beef,

bring it here and hang it up.

You'll need a lot of fat to get well and strong.

There's no way I can pay you.

When you get well, you will hunt the mountain lion

and the wolves that kill our calves and foals.

Even if I could hunt, I could not shoot.

My gunpowder is gone.

I'll send you a rifle and shells.

And some flour and salt and some blankets.

If I see your son, I'll send him back to you.

He will only leave again.

Yes, that's possible.

Well, come on, let's tend to that beef.

Mr. Cartwright, there's something I don't understand.

I can see why you let that old Indian handle the Ponderosa,

you know, him and the girl being hungry and all,

but sending him a rifle and shells?

Isn't that asking for it?

What would you have done?

I mean, that Indian is pretty old and sick

to be hunting mountain lion and wolves

and that girl sure ain't big enough or strong enough to help any.

I think you may be right.

Yeah, and-and if he can't earn the wolf bounty,

then he just may use the rifle

to kill some more Ponderosa beef.

It's possible.

Why are you sending him the rifle?

Jamie, I've known that old man for a long time

and I know he'd kill Ponderosa beef only if he needed it to stay alive.

And if that happens, then I consider it partial payment

on the debt I owe him.

What about that old Indian son?

Why doesn't he help any?

He's become a town Indian.

Quite a taste for whiskey.

Stays drunk most of the time.

Can't keep a job long enough to earn the money

to pay for the whiskey, so he begs.

That's plain awful.

It's part of a plain awful pattern.

We destroyed a proud people.

That's the debt I was talking about.

We... all of us share it.

Or ought to.

There you are.

Something's wrong.

That calf should have the Ponderosa brand,

not the box T.

That's right.

Hey, somebody's stealing your calves!

I don't know if Harlow and Charlie would agree with you.

I think you're right.

Harlow and Charlie?

Yeah, Trapp brothers.

They own the Box-T.

Mount up, youngin.

Harlow Trapp.

I thought this was a south camp.

It is.

Two saddled horses.

Looks like the Trapp brothers are calling on Bill Cooper.

We'll come in from the back.

I have seen some stubborn people in my life,

but he has got to be the worst.

Why don't you talk at him?

Been too much talk already.

Now, when I tell you, you give that wall a whack.

And you stay put.

Put your hands up.

Oh! How do, Mr. Cartwright?

Where's your gun?

All right, sit down, Harlow.

Sit down, Charlie.

Hands flat on the table.

You got 'em.

You sure don't stay put too well, do you?

As long as you're here, untie Bill Cooper.

Yes, sir.

I'd be obliged.

I ain't much for company, but I'm so glad to see you two.

Now, Mr. Cartwright, this ain't like it appears.

Old Bill Cooper over there, he's got some funny ideas,

we're just trying to reason with him.

They been talking, but not to me.

Now, what he's gonna try and tell you,

Mr. Cartwright, is that we was branding your calves,

well, by goonies, we wouldn't do that, that'd be stealing.

- Ain't that right, baby brother? - That's right.

I mean, what we was doing, Mr. Cartwright,

you see, is we was branding strays

and everybody knows that ain't stealing,

that's Mavericking, and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

I saw two of your Box-T mavericks,

following Ponderosa cows.

Trying to get acquainted, was he?

No. Following the mothers.

They were Ponderosa calves.

You don't suppose we could have made a mistake?

There was 26 by my count, Mr. Cartwright.

They must have branded 'em while I was building fence.

I bet it was one of our hired hands.

You ain't had but one hired hand and he quit here

six months before them calves was born.

Now, Mr. Cartwright, you don't think for one minute...

We'll let the judge do the thinking, Harlow.

Now, come on, we got a long way to go.

Let's get started.

You got to admit, we didn't harm a hair on Old Cooper's head.

I mean, we just kind of tied him up in there

so's he wouldn't get mad and commence

to thrashing around and hurt himself while we was talking.

Talking about which one was gonna pull the trigger

and which one was gonna dig a grave!

All right, move out.

Now, I mean, you know, that's not true.

We wouldn't have harmed a hair on his head.

I mean, he just ain't got no sense of humor.

You know, I mean, the trouble with him is a man lives

by himself as long as he does,

he just naturally gets mean and suspicion's everybody and...

- Ain't that right, baby brother? - That's right!

Come to think of it, it was raining mighty hard that day.

We couldn't hardly keep the fires going

and the branding irons hot.

I mean, it'd be easy to make a mistake about which calf

you was putting a branding iron on.

Twenty-six mistakes?

You know, Cooper and us have been neighbors for a long time,

you know.

You know, it's the mark of a big man to forgive and forget.

Ooh.

It appears like somebody left it open.

I don't see nary a cow.

You had quite a big herd here, didn't you, Mr. Cartwright?

Move on.

You know, that's what happens.

Culler gets worried about a couple little old scrawny calves,

and the next thing you know, somebody done run off

with his whole herd of prime beef.

Happens every time like that, you know.

Fight's over.

On your feet.

You too, let's go.

Settle down, take it easy, settle down.

I hate to bring it up again, but that rain.

I mean, it was a purdy gully washer.

And all them little calves was mired down in that mud.

Their mamas was nowhere in sight.

They's orphans, mavericks.

And I said to brother, I said, "Brother,

"it's our bounded duty to take care of them poor little calves."

You sure you wouldn't like a cold beer, Mr. Cartwright?

I mean, it's about the coldest beer in the whole territory.

No, I don't suppose you would.

Why don't you shut up?

Now, now, brother,

you ain't got no gall to talk to me like that.

It's like I said, Mr. Cartwright.

I mean, it was raining so hard,

you couldn't hardly see your hand in front of your face.

I mean, we weren't really stealing...

You were saying?

Been here before, they know their way.

It's been a busy day.

Oh?

I got a friend of yours in there, Ben.

Clint Rush. Drunk. Disorderly.

Disturbing the peace.

Hello, Betsy.

Mr. Cartwright.

I thought I saw you sitting here when we rode in.

You remember Jamie.

Yes, you were at the ranch.

Jamie may not look it, but he's hollow to the heels.

He's... He's gonna get himself a sandwich and a piece of pie.

It was good to see you, ma'am.

If you'll excuse me.

Mind if I sit down?

No, no, not at all.

Feels good just to sit.

When's the stage due?

Oh, uh... 15 minutes.

Maybe an hour.

The agent didn't even want to make a guess.

Nice day to travel.

Yes.

I'm going to visit my folks.

- Oh, in Carson City? - Mm-hmm.

My-My father's getting on in years,

and well, I... I thought it would be a good idea

to see him before it got too late.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I know your father.

He's about my age.

Mr. Cartwright, I didn't mean that, I...

What... That we were tottering to the grave?

I know that.

My mother hasn't been feeling very well, and...

Oh.

Mr. Cartwright, I might as well tell you.

I'm leaving Clint.

Well, these things happen.

I know you've seen him,

so if he told you to come talk to me

to ask me to come back, it's not gonna do any good.

No, not a word.

Didn't say a thing.

Be a nice change for you in Carson City.

Certainly will.

And it does get lonely living out in the ranch

miles from your nearest neighbor.

Hard to get used to.

I'm used to it, I was born on a ranch.

We had our squabbles.

I guess most married folk do.

All the way into town, I was trying to figure out

if it was my fault or his fault.

Both our faults.

It does take two to argue.

I left him a note.

I was hoping he'd come get me, but...

Well, he came to town all right.

He went straight to the saloon.

He wasn't looking for me at all.

Went to the saloon, he got drunk,

he got in a fight and he got hauled off to jail.

And that made up your mind for you.

- It certainly did. - Oh, I'm...

I'm not about to try to change it.

There are two men in jail with Clint.

You know, those two fellas who opened up the gates

and scattered the East Ranch herd.

Were those the two he was fighting?

That's what the sheriff says.

Well, they ought to be in jail.

Now, how is it, Jamie?

Well, it's fair.

Yeah.

I'll tell you, Mrs. Rush makes the best pie in the territory.

Gonna miss that apple pie when I visit East Ranch next.

Guess Clint will, too. You know...

there's nothing like freshly baked apple pie

cooling in a windowsill that says welcome home.

Well, I guess, uh, guess I better get going.

Betsy, have a nice trip.

Thank you.

- Let's go, Jamie. - Bye, ma'am.

Bye.

I'll get your horse, Mr. Rush.

Okay, thanks, Jamie.

I'll round up all the cattle.

I owe you that.

Well, you'll need a new man to take my place.

I've been at East Ranch too long.

If that's what you want.

Well...

It ain't always what you want, Mr. Cartwright.

Sometimes...

Well...

- Thanks, Jamie. - Yes, sir.

I better get on out there.

Well, 90 days in jail for the prospectors.

Six months for the Trapp brothers.

What'll happen to the ranch?

- Bill Cooper will look after it. - Oh.

Their cattle will graze with the Ponderosa herd.

What about Clint Rush?

He said he'd be back at the ranch.

Yeah, but he said he'd be on the lookout

for those miners, too.

That's right, he did.

Boy, he sure messed up, didn't he?

You know, I bet he rode for the hills.

It'll probably take us two or three days

to round up that he...

- You were saying? - I talk too much.

Been waiting for you.

Well, I got everything back the way it was.

I figured you'd want to ride out and take a look.

That looks pretty good.

Well, we got a few scratched up

and one in the barn with a sore leg,

outside that, everything's all right.

Well, you got everything under control.

Yeah, and it's gonna stay that way

'til the new man shows up to take over.

Why? Still wanna leave?

It's like I told you.

It ain't always what you want, it's...

Excuse me.

I...

Well, here, let me take that bag.

It sure is good to be home.

Oh, you don't know how good it is to have you back.

Mr. Cartwright, I'm gonna start dinner real soon.

We're gonna have steak and biscuits and some fresh apple pie.

Mm-mmm.

Gee, I'm sorry, Betsy.

It's going to be hard to say no to that, but we still have a long way to go.

Next time around, I promise.

Bye-bye.

- Bye. - Bye.

Bye-bye.

This is one of my favorite spots.

I always like to stop here for one last look,

before starting for home.

Isn't that beautiful?

Yeah, it really is.

Let's tie up.

Even smells pretty.

Yeah, yeah, it does.

I guess we got some talking to do, huh?

Talking?

About a horse I killed and a wagon I wrecked...

And what kind of punishment I'm gonna get.

I thought we decided that you were too old

to have your pants worn with a belt.

Yeah?

When you do something bad, something wrong,

you gotta pay.

I agree with that, Jamie.

You break the law, you answer to the courts.

Yeah, like the Trapp brothers and the miners.

What do you do when an animal gets sick or gets hurt?

Take care of him.

Or call a vet.

Well, men get sick.

Like... Like Tall Pony.

Or they just go plain off the road.

You take care of them.

You don't yell at 'em or swear at 'em or fire 'em.

Sometimes I yell and sometimes I fire 'em.

Clint all but broke his back to make things right again.

But how did you know he would?

Clint's a good man.

An awfully good man.

When a good man makes a mistake,

he does everything he can to make it right again.

Jamie...

Have you had a good look at this witness tree?

No, not really.

I want you to.

Come on.

- Hoss' and Joe's names. - That's right.

They made this swing with you, too?

Yes, they have.

On various occasions.

I'll bet they have.

Why don't you put your name there?