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Yee-h aw!

Hey, Little Joe, join us.

Yeah, it's too early. I got work to do.

Hey, how come is it I always get the hardware to carry

and you get the light stuff?

Well, brother, I figure you need the exercise.

After all, you got a little weight problem.

Only weight problem I got right now is in my two hands.

Morning, Hoss. Joe. How you doing?

Morning, Bill. How's it going?

Well, all right, I guess.

Sure be glad when Sheriff Coffee gets back from St. Louis.

Been nothing but trouble since he left here.

Let him go!

See what I mean?

I don't know what this town's coming to.

Yeah, I heard it was getting sort of wild.

Wild? I haven't had a decent night's sleep in two weeks.

You need any help, Bill?

No. That's what I'm getting paid for.

$40 a month and meals.

See you, boys.

Hey, you think we ought to go on and give him a hand anyway?

Ah, Bill knows what he's doing.

Needs some help, he'll call on us.

Come on, let's get the rest of that hardware.

I was afraid you were gonna say that.

Yeah, right between the eyes!

Won't give us a drink, huh?

Then you won't be needing these glasses.

And he won't be needing his head, either, right?!

Uh, please, fellas. Hey...

Hey. Hey, it's time to give him a free ride

like the other one, right?

Yeah! Let's go!

Come on!

Oh, my God, will you put me down?!

Break it up.

Hey, get out of the way!

Hey, now! What?

Hey, keep your nose out of this, Dep.

We're just evening the score with this squirt here for not

giving us any drinks, huh? Yeah.

They-they already had more

than they can handle when they came in. Nah!

Oh, will you put me...?

Now, you're gonna cool your heels in jail a while.

You're under arrest, Dave.

Rest of you fellas, I'm giving you a break.

Hightail it on out of here.

Yeah!

You bet I did, huh?!

What do you think?

You bet I did, huh? What do you think?

Right?

Now what do you have to say about it, hmm?

Yeah, old Dep.

Why don't you wake up and we'll talk it all over, huh?

Dave...

...he's dead.

What do you mean, he's dead?

Hey, Dep.

Hey, get up!

Get up!

Help! Help!

Help!

They killed Bill Harris!

No, you don't, buddy.

Ben. Hi, Jonesy.

Mayor. Jonesy.

You all alone? Where's everybody?

Well, Deputy Hacker-- he took, uh, Hess and Little Joe.

They rode out about an hour ago, try to pick up the kid's trail.

They got me from the stable to guard a prisoner here.

Listen, uh...

Uh, would you like to see him? Yeah.

You know, I've seen quiet ones, but this boy takes the prize.

Hi, young fella.

Uh, I'm Ben Cartwright, and this is Mayor Garrett.

We'd, uh, like to talk to you for a minute.

You better tell us where the rest of those boys are hiding.

Amos.

Leave me alone with him for a bit, will you?

Cliff...

I don't think you realize how much of a pickle you're in.

You and your friends killed a man.

You put an end to a human life.

How do you think I feel, Mr. Cartwright?

I ain't been able to think of anything else since.

What about your friends?

Think of them.

How do they feel?

Hunted like animals.

What do you want from me?

Why are you here anyway?

I'd like you to tell me who your friends are.

Look, I-I know that...

Dave Morrissey and Chuck Wilson are implicated with you.

There were two other fellas.

Where are they?

I ain't telling you nothing,

so get out of here and leave me alone.

I'm told that you haven't any parents.

Is that right?

Sure like to help you.

How? By turning me into a yellow-bellied tattletale?

By getting me to sell out my friends?

No, I'm not trying to get you to sell out your friends.

I'm trying to get you to help your friends.

Look at me.

Look at me, Cliff.

Now, I know that you fellas didn't deliberately

go out to murder a man.

I know that only one fella struck that blow.

Well, the bartender told us that.

So, uh, if you tell us where the other fellas are,

we-we could bring 'em in, and...

I could promise you a fair trial.

Leave me alone.

Now, Cliff... Leave me alone!

Ain't gonna tell you anything.

Ain't gonna tell anybody anything.

What's happened? Who's been shot?

Hurry up and get the doctor!

Sit him down there. I'll get his leg up.

Ben, come quick.

Easy.

Looks like it's broke, Pa.

Sent Hoss for the doc. What happened?

Well, Tom tried to talk those kids

out of the rocks at Crown Canyon.

They shot him, and then scattered like a bunch of quail.

I think I winged one of 'em, Ben.

Them dang fool kids.

Whenever you put on a badge, uh,

some young whippersnapper is bound

to try and put a bullet in you.

He's gonna be out of commission for a while.

Well, that does it.

Beatings, robberies, hurrahing the town, and now this.

Ben, I'm calling an emergency session of the city council,

and I want you to be there.

With Roy Coffee away,

we need a new peace officer in this town, and I mean right now!

The shooting of Deputy Hacker and the death of Deputy Harris

dramatically demonstrate our problem.

And so, I say,

if the only thing that sweeps clean is a new broom,

then let us get that new broom and get it fast!

With Roy Coffee bogged down in St. Louis

until that murder trial is over,

Virginia City is in desperate need of a new law enforcement.

The kind of law officer who can not only maintain order,

but restore order.

Now, I'm talking about lawmen like Bear River Tom Smitty,

Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp.

I have just such a man in mind.

And in exercising my power of office,

I wired him to come to Virginia City

to accept the post of sheriff.

Well, who do you have in mind, Amos?

You'll see his name on this message of acceptance.

Wes Dunn.

Wes Dunn, gentlemen.

One of the great lawmen of the West.

A man whose reputation

for cleaning up bad towns has made him a living legend.

I'm convinced he's the man we need.

Hey, Hoss, take a look at this.

Says, "Wes Dunn, the beau sabreur of the West.

The dauntless lawman."

The beau what?

Beau sabreur.

French phrase. Means a perfect swordsman.

A little melodramatic, but makes a good story.

Hey, look over here. Look at this.

Picture of Wes Dunn with Wild Bill Hickok.

Take a look at this, Pa. Hmm?

It says, "These two men

"single-handedly cleared the trails

from Dodge City to Abilene." Look at that.

Hey, Pa, is-is this Wes Dunn really that tough?

Well, that's, uh... that's what they say.

We'll find out when he gets here.

I'm kind of anxious to meet him.

I think Mayor Garrett's right.

I think this is the kind of man we need around town.

He's tough, aggressive;

he shoots first and asks questions later.

That's a strange way for you to be talking.

Well, what's so strange about it?

Tom Hacker and Bill Harris were friends of yours, weren't they?

Well, of course, but...

Well, what happened was regrettable,

but you don't change a whole method of law enforcement

because of one incident.

Well, they tried to talk to the Morrissey bunch.

Where'd it get 'em?

Well, Joe, you...

That's the risk they took

when they decided to become peace officers.

Well, for $40 a month and meals,

I don't think they ought to have to take that risk.

Well, they don't have to take it, they decided to.

Well, I think they made the wrong decision, then.

He's pretty riled up, ain't he?

Yeah, well...

whole town is riled up.

Yeah.

Pa, what's... what's this Wes Dunn gonna do about it?

I don't know, but it's gonna be something.

According to this,

he's the toughest peace officer in the country.

I so solemnly swear.

Congratulations, Sheriff.

How 'bout a few words from our new sheriff, eh?

I'm afraid I'm not much for words, gentlemen.

But I will tell you this.

I came here to do a job,

and to do it right, I must have the power.

I will brook no interference, tolerate no undue criticism.

I will do things my way, at my own pace,

on my own grounds.

The law is the law and will be upheld.

I hope this is clear to everyone.

Well, that's-that's well said, Sheriff.

I think we've got ourselves a real lawman in Virginia City.

And I'm afraid I'm not much for ceremonies either, gentlemen.

So I know you'll excuse me; I've got a lot to get started on.

Oh, uh, uh, Sheriff Dunn,

I'd like to have you meet one of our most distinguished citizens,

Mr. Ben Cartwright, owner of the Ponderosa Ranch.

Yes, I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Cartwright.

Well, we've heard a great deal about you, too, Sheriff Dunn.

Uh, my son Hoss.

My son Joseph.

Yeah, I reckon we know about everything there is to know

about you, Sheriff; Little Joe must've read

a half a hundred books about you.

Has he really?

Yeah. Well, sort of. I...

I used to think about being a peace officer.

Well, I'd better get some peace officering done myself

and start earning my keep around here.

Well, we'll get out of your way.

Congratulations. Good luck.

Good luck. Bye, fellas.

So long, Mayor. So long, Mayor.

Now, first things first, Mr. Mayor.

I'll want a curfew for 9:00 beginning tonight.

Curfew?

That's what I'll need

if you want me to do the job right.

I want the riffraff off the streets

and the citizens in their homes where they can't get hurt.

Don't you think a curfew is a bit extreme?

I mean, it's-it's not good for business.

Extreme times call for extreme measures.

I want that curfew, Mayor.

Very well, Sheriff.

I'll have an immediate resolution drawn up

for review by the council.

Mr. Mayor...

...as soon as I'm provisioned and ready,

I'm going out to bring in the boys that killed your deputy.

I won't have time to sit around

while the council scratches its head.

I want you to start exercising your mayoral powers

and start backing me up.

Yes. Yes, of course.

♪♪

I guess you heard I'm the new law here.

Come on over here where I can talk to you, fella.

I ain't got nothing to tell you.

Now, I haven't got time to waste.

I want the names of your friends.

I want to know just where I can find them.

All right.

We'll do it any way you like.

Yoo-hoo! Come on!

Get along.

Hey, Hoss?

Yeah. Always got to be one, ain't there?

I'll get him. All right.

Ha! Come on!

Dad-burned little critter's cut hisself.

Whoa there, little buddy.

Whoa, little buddy. Don't move, Hoss.

You never saw me.

Just get out of here.

Chuck, I did see you.

I saw you real good.

No.

Buddy, you're hurt. Come on.

No, please, Hoss.

You know me.

I never meant to hurt anybody.

Chuck, the only one you're hurting is yourself.

Now, come on.

Don't, Hoss. I ain't gonna go back there. I mean it.

I don't want to hurt you.

I don't think you're going to.

No, I...

No, I...

I didn't mean to. Uh...

Hey, Hoss?

Hoss?

Hey, Hoss?

Hoss.

Thank heaven he's strong, Ben.

Same wound in a weaker man,

he wouldn't have any chance at all.

I want you to stay with him.

The great danger now is from hemorrhaging.

You'll be back in the morning, won't you?

First thing. Take care of him though.

Night, Ben, Little Joe.

Night.

You go light the fire.

I'm-I'm gonna stay with Hoss.

Right. Mr. Cartwright?

Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you.

I found the door open.

I heard in town about your son,

and I rode out, thought maybe I could talk to him.

I'm afraid you won't be able to.

He's unconscious.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I better get to him.

Mr. Cartwright.

Maybe I can...

cheer you up a bit anyway.

I think it was one of the Morrissey bunch

that shot your son.

Well, I caught up with one of them.

Punk named Fred Roberts.

You know him?

Yes, I...

He's the son of some old friends.

I caught up with him at his mother's place.

The fool tried to shoot it outwith me.

He lost.

Are you saying he's dead?

That's right.

Oh, when your son regains consciousness,

you'll let me know, won't you?

Mr. Dunn.

You sure it's the Morrissey bunch, huh?

Pretty sure.

I found some bloodstains leading away

from where your brother was shot.

So I guess Deputy Hacker was right.

He must have clipped one of them.

Well, I've got work to do.

I'm going with you.

No, I don't think so.

Why not?

You want him too badly.

You're liable to go off half-cocked.

I can't take that chance.

You're darn right I want him badly, mister.

I got a brother lying upstairs with a bullet in him.

I'm not gonna sit around here and wait for the man

who shot him to get away.

Now, either I go with you or without you--

It doesn't make any difference to me.

You make up your mind.

Get a rifle. I'll see you outside.

Joe, I want you to get some...

What do you think you're gonna do?

I'm going with Wes Dunn.

I don't want you to go.

Pa, I'm not gonna argue with you about this.

I said, I don't want you to go.

Look, when my brother Hoss wakes up,

what do you think's gonna mean more to him,

seeing me sitting by his bedside or knowing I'm going out

to find the man that bushwhacked him?

Cartwright, you coming?

We haven't got any time to waste.

Joe.

Yeah, Pa.

No.

Be careful.

Pa.

How do you feel, son?

Little bit woozy.

I had this funny dream.

I dreamed that...

there was this woman

with long, golden hair like...

the color wheat gets just before a harvest.

This pretty lady came to me while I...

I was beside this stream or river or something.

She told me a story about the Vikings.

She said that-that a Viking, when he died,

was put on a ship and...

they just let him drift out to sea.

How could you know?

You were so small.

Where's Little Joe?

Well, he's, uh...

he's with Wes Dunn.

They're trying to find the...

the fella that ambushed you.

Oh, no, Pa.

I wasn't ambushed.

It was just old Chuck.

If I hadn't tried to take his gun away from him,

I wouldn't be in the shape I'm in right now.

You get some sleep.

Rest is the best thing for you, son.

And have me S-some more of that dream

about them Vikings.

They just...

put 'em on them ships and...

let 'em drift out to sea.

♪♪

All right, Cartwright, you stay here.

I'm going in alone.

I didn't come all this way to be left behind.

Look, Cartwright,

I brought you along so I'd have a gun in back of me.

Not in front of me, not to the side of me,

but in back of me.

There's a side entrance there.

Cover it, huh?

All right, you're in charge.

Went for his gun.

Which one was he?

That's Paul Curtis.

We'll send somebody back to pick him up.

We still got work to do.

He's been sitting there all night.

He needs his sleep, Doc.

How you feeling, Hoss?

Well, ain't gonna wrestle no bears this morning,

but... I am hungry.

That's a good sign.

Let's take a look at that.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Well, now.

Am I gonna live?

Not over 60 or 70 more years.

Providing you keep out of the way

of any more bullets thrown in your direction.

Hoss, you've got the constitution of a bull elephant.

It's amazing.

What's amazing?

What's the matter?

Your son.

He's hungry.

Ah, that's good.

What do you feel like having?

Make it something light.

Yeah, something light like

a T-bone steak about yay long, about yay thick.

Like chicken broth.

Well, I'll, uh...

I'll have Hop Sing wrestle something up.

Oh, Ben?

There was quite a stir in town this morning.

Wes Dunn and Little Joe brought in another member

of that bunch that killed Deputy Harris.

Young Paul Curtis-- Dunn killed him in a gunfight.

What about Little Joe?

Oh, he wasn't involved.

Looks like Dunn's setting himself up

as judge, jury and executioner, doesn't it?

Sure does, doesn't it?

Ben, I... I heard about Hoss.

How is he?

He's gonna be all right.

Come on in.

Thank goodness.

My prayers have been answered.

I-I fixed him a little something.

Thank you.

He'll enjoy that.

First, sit down.

Ben, I...

I had a selfish reason for coming here.

I need some money.

Anything I can do for you, you know that.

We've been neighbors for a long time.

And friends.

First my husband.

Now my son.

It's been too much.

I want to go to my sister in Ohio.

I can understand how you feel.

No, you don't, Ben.

You don't know how I feel.

When Freddy came home that night,

he threw himself into my arms.

He was crying.

Like he was...

a little boy again.

He told me how sorry he was.

And how afraid.

We talked for a long time.

I finally convinced him that he should give himself up.

And then we heard that voice.

Dunn's.

Ordering him out of the house.

If Freddy had agreed to give himself up,

why did he try to shoot it out with Sheriff Dunn?

But he didn't, Ben!

Dunn shot him down as soon as he opened the door!

He never even gave Freddy a chance to give himself up!

♪♪

Let's get the horses fed and watered.

They're outside.

Why don't you go to the hotel and get some sleep.

You've had a long night.

I couldn't sleep anyway.

I keep thinking about Paul Curtis.

Listen, boy.

Don't you waste your time worrying about him.

That scum got just what he deserved.

Look, Cartwright.

You've got to understand criminals.

Oh, they look like us and talk like us,

but they aren't, not by a long shot.

A different breed altogether.

Their minds work different.

More like animals than humans.

Now, when you deal with them like I do,

you learn in a hurry.

No quarter asked, none given.

Either you kill them or they kill you.

It's as simple as that.

I know these kids; they're not hardened criminals.

What they did was wrong, but they got scared.

I just wish they could've had another chance, that's all.

Did they give Harris a chance?

Deputy Hacker?

Your brother?

Joe...

Once, I... I made a mistake.

I was deputy to a marshal named Ned Patterson.

I was new to the job.

Ned Patterson was the best lawman I ever knew.

I loved that old man.

But one night, I-I picked up this kid

that was drunk and raising Gain in town.

You know, that kid, he-he broke down.

He cried.

I-I let him go.

I felt sorry for him.

Next night, that same kid

shot Patterson in the back, killed him.

I never forgot that mistake.

Oh, would you mind taking that food into the prisoner, Joe?

Yeah.

Cliff, brought you your breakfast.

Hey, Cliff?

Just put it on the floor, Joe.

Hey, what's the matter-- you sick or something?

Tried to escape.

Jumped me when I came in to question him.

Ain't that right, boy?

Yes.

I... I tried to jump him.

I'm going out for a little while.

When I get back, we've got work to do.

Hey, you know, you really ought to try to eat something.

Make you feel better.

This beef stew's not the...

Cliff, your face.

I'll get you a doctor.

Oh, Joe, listen to me.

I got something I want to tell you.

That guy...

that sheriff, he's-he's out to kill all of us.

He ain't human.

Joe...

I know what we did was wrong.

We ran because we were scared.

And I'm-I'm ready to face any punishment I deserve,

even hanging.

But it ain't right...

just killing us, is it?

No, Cliff, it ain't right.

The only reason I'm still alive

is because he thinks I know where Chuck and Dave are hiding.

Do you know where they are?

I think so.

But I wouldn't tell him no matter how much he beat me.

I told him where Fred Roberts and Paul Curtis were.

I killed them.

Joe, listen to me.

I-I want to tell you.

Maybe if I tell you,

Chuck and Dave will have a chance.

There's a place

we used to go to as kids.

It's at the north end of a little lake.

It's called Basin Lake. You know it?

Yeah, I know where it is.

Well, at the north end, it's kind of wooded.

We always used to talk that

if we got in trouble, we'd-we'd meet up there

and-and head for Oregon.

You think they're still there?

We agreed to wait there for four days.

If all of us didn't show up, then we'd move on.

You take it easy. I'll get you a doc.

Joe...

find them before he does, promise me.

IWIII.

Amos, Mrs. Roberts said he murdered her son.

Ben, you only have the word of an hysterical mother.

Now, how do you think that's gonna stand up in court

against a man like Wes Dunn?

Well, I think that's up to a jury to decide, isn't it?

Look, you can't let him go around using that badge

as a license to kill!

What do you want me to do? Get rid of him!

Get rid of him right now and forever.

Turn the whole thing over to the prosecuting attorney.

Pa. Joe, what's the matter?

Wes Dunn's found out where Dave Morrissey and Chuck are hiding.

I think he's gone up there to kill 'em.

Mayor, you'd better get a doctor over to the jail.

Our Mr. Dunn just about beat Cliff to death.

Well, does that satisfy you?

Hold it, Chuck, it's me.

Where are they?

They coming?

No, they're not coming.

They're dead.

Dead?

Fred and Paul.

Fred's mother said he tried to give himself up, see,

and just as he was coming out of the door

with his hands in the air, that new sheriff they brought in

cut him down right where he was.

Wes Dunn.

Y-You mean he won't let us give ourselves up?

Chuck, that lawman is out to kill us.

He's not out to take us in.

Now, how's your leg?

It's bad, Dave.

Well, can you ride?

I can try.

Well, you better be able to, because we got to run

and we got to keep running and running

till we get all the way to Oregon.

Now come on.

Somebody's coming.

I'll go see.

It's Wes Dunn.

Come on.

We'll hide in that brush back there.

Come on.

Boy, something's got them stirred up.

Yeah. Is it those two boys or is it Wes Dunn?

Well, there's only one way to find out.

It's Wes Dunn's horse, Pa.

Looks like a campsite in there.

Dunn didn't catch up with them here.

Hey, Pa, tracks.

One of them's dragging a leg.

They go off this way.

There's just one set of tracks here.

I wonder if they split up.

One of them could've gone over the rocks.

One of them could be carried, too.

You want to split?

Yeah. I think we'd better.

I'll follow this track.

Okay, I'll take the rocks.

Watch yourself. Mm-hmm.

Oh---...

Come on, Chuck.

Back in here.

I can't go.

I can't go any further.

Leave me.

Leave me behind, Dave.

No, I...

I ain't gonna leave you, Chuck.

You ain't got a choice.

This is it for me, Dave.

I'm at the end of my rope.

Honest, Dave.

Dave?

Yeah?

You know,

if I could just go back these four days...

do it all over...

Yeah, I know, I know.

But we can't, so forget it, will you?

I'm scared.

Yeah, well, so am I.

Did you ever think of that?

Chuck, you, uh... you got your gun, right?

Yeah.

I got it.

Listen.

I, uh...

I think it's Dunn.

Look, I got an idea.

I'll head out this way, see?

Just to pull him away from you.

You'd be safe here, wouldn't you?

Yeah.

You do that, Dave.

Okay.

I'll, uh... I'll see you, kid.

Thank God.

Give me that gun.

I wish I'd never seen one of them things.

I purely, honestly do, Mr. Cartwright.

It's all over now, boy.

Scum.

Drop the gun.

Joe, I'll... I'll give it to you.

I'll give it to you right in the belly

if you don't stay where you are.

I told you to drop the gun.

Joe, please don't make me shoot you.

I'm telling you, stay where you are.

I'm giving you a choice.

You drop that gun, or I'll kill you right now.

Joe...

I swear to you, I'll kill you!

All the way on the ground.

Joe, he-he tried to kill me.

I-I didn't have any choice.

I had to get him, I had to!

Joe, don't you see?

I'm telling you...

I didn't have one choice!

Don't you see that?!

There's a judge and jury waiting for you.

Let's go.

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