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Oh, come on. It's as plain as the nose on your face.

The shotgun shoots high and to the right.

Hmm. You ought to try aiming at the X, Joe.

Oh, that's funny. That's funny.

I did aim at the X, and from 30 feet away

it should have blown the whole middle out of that card.

Forgive me for asking what may seem to be an obvious question,

but this is a working ranch, isn't it?

Aren't you boys supposed to be out riding fence?

Yeah, we were already riding fence. We're gonna go out again.

Don't you remember, you told me to get a whole mess of quail for dinner?

Yeah, yeah. Since when are we shooting quail in the living room?

It ain't likely he'd hit one in here either, Pa.

He had two potshots and ain't hit as much as a feather.

There's something wrong with the shotgun, Pa. See? Look.

Yeah, sure is, either that or the hunter.

Yeah, ain't it funny, Pa?

Man shoots at a target and he hits it, he's a good shot.

He misses it, it's a bad gun.

You can do better with it, right? Why don't you take it and try it?

It is more than just a little bit bad. The whole assembly's loose.

Joe, hand me a shell. I think the...

There's too much room at the breech.

- What did I tell you? - You keep fooling with that gun, Joe.

You'll find something wrong with it.

- Oh, hi, Hal. Come in. - Hoss.

- Hello, Hal. - Ben.

- How are you? - This is Deputy Gibbs from Olympus.

- Howdy, Mr. Gibbs. Happy to meet you. - Mr. Gibbs. Come on in. Come on in.

Well, what brings you out here?

Well, I'm sorry to say we're here on official business.

- Hello, Gibbs. - I got a paper to serve, Candy.

Uh, a warrant for your arrest.

- Yeah? For what? - First-degree murder.

Wrong man, Gibbs. I didn't kill anybody.

Let me see that warrant.

- Who am I supposed to have killed? - Jededia Wheelock.

And I... I gotta take you back.

Oh, no, you're not taking me anyplace.

- Candy, you're just making it worse. - Don't try it.

This gun's not worth much at 30 yards,

but at 20 feet it'll blow a hole in you the size of your hat.

Put down the gun.

No disrespect, but I don't intend to be dragged back and tried

for something I didn't do, not in that town.

Did you know this fella, what's his name?

Jed Wheelock, yeah, I knew him.

You say you're innocent. Fine, I believe you. We all believe you.

We'll back you all the way, but you've gotta face this thing.

We'll get you a lawyer, the best.

Joe'll ride with you to Olympus, if that's all right with the deputy.

- Glad to have the company. - Pa, why don't we all go?

Joe can handle this.

You send us a telegram if you need any help.

Right.

You ready?

No. But I'll go.

I'll be in touch.

How long will it take Gibbs to get back, Sheriff?

Two days, Mr. Wheelock, two and a half at the most.

He sent the telegram day before yesterday.

- He should be in this afternoon. - Yes, thank you, Dawes.

I'd already reached that conclusion.

No doubt about this Candy being the right man?

Appears to be.

Well, he's the one man with motive and opportunity, Mr. Wheelock.

He's being brought in, that's what counts,

but I wanna make sure he's guilty.

If he was picked up on the Ponderosa,

that means he's one of Ben Cartwright's hands.

Cartwright has a reputation for sticking by his men.

Well, guilty's guilty, Mr. Wheelock. The law doesn't play favorites.

It better not, Mr. Prosecutor.

My son was shot to death,

but no one is ever going to be able to say

that A.Z. Wheelock railroaded an innocent man.

You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Wheelock.

Gibbs is bringing in the right man.

And he's going to hang, I'll guarantee you that.

Whoa.

I won't be long, Papa.

Seems to me I've heard that somewhere before, Mary Elizabeth.

No, really. Mrs. Daley has a package all ready for me.

All I have to do is pay her and pick out a matching ribbon.

All right.

Hold up, fellas.

Uh, all right to snap some handcuffs on you, Candy,

just so the sheriff'll see 'em when we get to jail?

Sure, sure.

Much obliged.

Well, they fixed that big window on the saloon, Candy.

Oh, you should have seen it, Cartwright.

Best fight Olympus ever had,

between him and Wheelock, the man he shot.

Oh, excuse me. I meant the man they say you shot.

It's all right.

Anyway, old Candy picked up that Wheelock boy

and flang him straight through that big window.

Do tell.

And he dove right through what was left of the glass after Wheelock.

- Didn't you, Candy? - Anything you say.

By the time it was through, the saloon was a mess

and they had... they had busted seven more windows

in the hotel and the... and the general store.

Whoo-ee!

Like you say, Gibbs, whoo-ee.

I'll say one thing for you, you sure picked a heck of a way to show this town

how you felt about Jed Wheelock.

And on the very morning of the day he was killed.

There, you see? I told you I'd only be a second.

- Isn't that Candy? - Watch the step, would you?

He just doesn't look like a murderer.

I wish someone would tell me what a murderer looks like, Mary Elizabeth.

Given sufficient provocation, anyone can murder,

sudden rage, revenge, self-defense.

There are a hundred motives, a thousand set of circumstances.

And in each case someone dies.

Yes.

Society demands that someone pay for it.

Yo.

You know this cowboy, Candy?

Heard about him is all, A.Z.

- Hothead, isn't he? - Supposed to be.

Yeah.

Darn near smashed up the whole street fighting with Jed, didn't he?

Mm-hm.

Fuller, the sheriff is strictly a "yes, sir, no, sir" man.

You point him in the right direction, put him up against a man with a gun,

you couldn't ask for a better man, but he's useless in an investigation.

Yes, I know.

Hub Dawes isn't much better.

The only reason he's prosecutor is because you didn't want the job.

I don't think he'd know a piece of evidence if it stood up and bit him.

I think you're being awful hard on him, A.Z.

I wanna make sure that the right man goes on trial for Jed's murder.

- Do you understand? - Yes.

I'm not afraid of Ben Cartwright or anybody else.

Nobody's gonna say that we strung up an innocent man

just to get revenge for my boy.

Well, I've looked at the evidence. Looks pretty strong to me.

I don't want it pretty strong. I want it airtight.

I know, A.Z. I'll take care of it.

- Fuller. - Yeah?

I don't want people to say that the deck's stacked.

Now, that cowboy has gotta be defended and defended right.

I know, A.Z. I'll take his case.

- You'll do what? - Well, who else is there?

Unless he sends to Virginia City, and I doubt if he has the money for that,

and even if he has, the delay could hurt him bad.

But you're my lawyer. Everybody knows that.

And you think people'd figure you had me take the case

so that cowboy couldn't possibly get off?

What else?

There are lot of people around this town that are so jealous of me,

they'd believe anything as long as it was the worst.

It's the price you pay for success, A.Z.

Name me one man who would believe

that you are honestly trying to get that cowboy acquitted.

Two men. Me and you.

I'd believe it because I'd know it was the truth,

and before I was finished, everybody else in town'd believe it too.

And you, A.Z., you'd believe it,

because you know I don't work any other way.

If I take his case, I'll fight for him.

All right. You got my blessings. Defend him.

If he'll have me. After all, it is his choice.

- Hey. - Hmm?

Just so there's no mistake, I hope it's open and shut like Dawes says.

I hope that cowboy hangs.

I want you to do a full research on this case.

I think you'll find it in this volume.

Come in.

Thank you. Mr. Fuller?

- That's right, Mr...? - Cartwright.

Joe Cartwright. I rode in this morning with Deputy Gibbs and Candy.

Oh, yes. Pull up a chair, Cartwright.

- Sit down. - Thank you.

The sheriff tells me you offered to defend Candy.

- That's right. - You know the case pretty well?

As well as anyone, I guess.

- You mind a personal question? - No, go right ahead.

Did you offer to defend him because you think he's innocent?

That's quite a coincidence, Mr. Cartwright.

My daughter asked me that same question not a half-hour ago.

And what did you tell her?

Same thing I'll tell you.

The law says he has a right to a speedy trial by a jury of his peers,

the right to face his accusers in open court and the right to counsel.

In other words, you think he's guilty?

Well, that decision will be up to the judge and the jury.

If I'm retained as his counsel, I'll do my best to prove him innocent,

but between you and me, Mr. Cartwright,

we're gonna need all the help we can get.

Yes, sir, we'd just about given up hope of ever finding you

till that telegram come from Virginia City.

There must have been over a hundred telegrams sent out,

every place we could think of.

Sorry to cost the taxpayers so much money.

What do you mean, the taxpayers?

Why, A.Z. Wheelock sent them telegrams, every one of 'em, paid for 'em too.

Can't really blame him for that, boy. After all, you shot his son.

I didn't shoot anybody.

Well, all right, all right.

Leastways you made it look like you shot his son, running off like you did.

I didn't run off either.

I left so I wouldn't kill him.

- Howdy, Mr. Fuller. - Sheriff.

Thank you.

Hold it, young man. Give me your gun.

- Candy, this is Mr. Fuller. - Yeah, I know.

How do you do?

Sit down, Candy. You're in big trouble.

Candy, I don't know you really, but I've seen you around town.

I'd be glad to act as your counsel if you want me.

Why?

Why would you be glad to act as my counsel?

If you think I got money, I ain't.

- Come on, come on. Take it easy. - No, no, that's all right.

He's got a perfect right to ask questions.

Maybe you think I'm the most popular fella in Olympus

and you got political ambitions.

What lawyer hasn't?

Come on, you gotta have some reason for wanting to defend me.

No, Candy, no, it's not so much a reason as a principle, you might say.

I think you're entitled to the best legal help available.

And that's you.

That's me.

Also the only legal help available in this town, except for the prosecutor.

Joe, you've talked to him. What do you think?

Well, we could get in touch with Pa and see about a lawyer from Virginia City.

But Mr. Fuller's got a good reputation.

Thank you, Cartwright.

Gonna have to make a decision. You got a hearing day after tomorrow.

All right, Mr. Lawyer, you're hired.

And not only did the defendant threaten Jed Wheelock with bodily harm

on numerous occasions and before numerous witnesses,

he did provoke and engage Jed Wheelock

in a long and savage fight on the Main Street of Olympus.

Objection, Your Honor.

The argument the prosecution is talking about

has nothing to do with the matter at hand.

It has everything to do with it.

I can and will produce 50 witnesses who saw...

We admit the altercation, Your Honor. No sense in wasting the court's time.

I agree.

I should like to point out, however, Your Honor,

that nothing the prosecution has said has any bearing on the issue.

Has the prosecution anything further to offer in the way of evidence?

No, Your Honor, not at the moment.

- Mr. Fuller. - Thank you, Your Honor.

Your Honor, my client has been accused

of the willful and cold-blooded murder of Jed Wheelock.

In support of this allegation, the prosecution has offered

nothing but the flimsiest of evidence.

I intend to show how little real fact and how much imagination

the prosecution has brought to this arraignment.

Then do that as briefly as possible.

Of course, Your Honor.

My client was cheated by Jed Wheelock, denied of monies rightfully due him.

Objection. This is pure supposition.

Well, Mr. Fuller?

Well, Your Honor, true or false,

my client believed he was cheated by Jed Wheelock,

and that's all that really matters here.

He tried to collect his money.

He argued with Mr. Wheelock,

as any man who'd believed he'd been cheated would.

They fought, not in secret or in hiding,

but in full view of half of the people of this town.

Now, Judge, you and I know that fights are not uncommon in Olympus.

Men argue. They settle their arguments and vent their anger with their fists.

They fight. One or the other wins.

They shake hands, an old and common practice.

Now, I submit, Your Honor, that any man who was planning a cold-blooded murder

would not first announce that plan

by staging a brawl in the middle of Main Street.

I further submit, Your Honor,

that my client stands accused of first-degree murder

because no real attempt has been made to find the real criminal.

The defense knows better, Your Honor.

Sheriff Henning looked into this matter thoroughly.

Your Honor, no one has a higher regard for Sheriff Henning than I do.

Olympus is indeed fortunate to have him as its protector.

We all know that no gunman in this territory

would dare to go up against Sheriff Henning alone in a fair fight.

But some of us also know that as an investigator,

the sheriff leaves a great deal to be desired.

That's enough. Any more and I'll have the room cleared.

Go on, Mr. Fuller.

Your Honor, I challenge the validity of the evidence offered by the prosecution

and move that the charges against my client be dismissed.

- Your Honor... - Hey, Judge. Your Honor.

I seen the killing and I figured I ought to tell you about it.

Objection, Your Honor. This is a trick of the prosecution.

Mr. Dawes, did you know about this?

No, Your Honor.

Mr. Eggers, if you saw the killing, why haven't you come forward before?

Well, sir... Your Honor,

the plain truth is, I was scared.

I mean, with the killer running loose,

if I told what I'd seen, my life wouldn't be worth a red cent.

But now that you've got him locked up, I can talk.

If you're talking about me, Eggers, you're lying. I didn't kill Jed Wheelock.

- The prisoner will sit down. - It's all right. Sit down, sit down.

Mr. Fuller, that evidence you were talking about may have arrived.

Take off your hat and raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

- I sure do. - Sit down.

Mr. Dawes, will you question the witness?

Did you see Jed Wheelock killed?

Well, if you mean did I see the bullet hit or the body fall, the answer is no,

but I seen everything else.

In your own words, what did you see?

Well, I went out to the Wheelock horse ranch.

I walked out, it was after dark,

and I cut across the field past the corral,

and when I got near the barn, I heard a shot.

First there was loud voices, but then I heard the shot.

Well, go on.

Well, when the shooting starts, I stop.

I stepped into a shadow.

Then I saw a door open and I... I seen Candy come out

and I seen him get on his horse and I seen him ride away.

You're a liar!

That's enough.

Your Honor, I should like to ask this witness a question.

No objection, Your Honor.

Proceed, Mr. Fuller.

Thank you, sir.

Mr. Eggers... Mr. Eggers, do you drink?

Surely you know that.

Were you drinking the night of the killing?

I was not drinking.

As a matter of fact, I went out there to try to borrow some money so I could.

No more questions, Your Honor.

Your Honor, I would like to repeat my motion

to have the charges against my client dismissed.

Motion denied. Court orders the defendant bound over for trial.

Court's adjourned.

Come on, you. Come on.

- It's all right. - He's lying.

Don't worry about it.

Everything was going fine till Eggers came in.

The unexpected eyewitness, Mr. Cartwright, is something hard to beat.

- Eyewitness? He was lying. - Well, this was just a hearing.

At the trial I'll destroy him and his story.

I think I better get in touch with my father.

Whatever you think best.

The telegraph office is just down the street.

"Things look bad for Candy."

"Need you and Hoss and our lawyer." Signed "Joseph."

- Can you send that right away? - Yeah.

That's 60 cents for every 10 words...

That'll be a dollar 20.

- There you are. - Thank you.

Mr. Wheelock would like to see that telegram... before it's sent.

Much obliged.

Yes, he certainly will be interested in seeing this.

For your trouble.

I wanna talk to the prisoner.

Cartwright.

- How you doing? - Joe.

Why wasn't A.Z. Wheelock in that courtroom today?

He won't rest until his son's murderer is convicted and hanged

and yet he wasn't even at the trial.

Why not?

That's a good question. Why not?

Because he knew Eggers was gonna walk through that door.

Yeah, could be.

Everybody else was pretty surprised.

Fuller and that prosecutor looked like they got hit by lightning.

Listen, how well did you know this... this Eggers?

He's a saloon swamper, does odd jobs, drunk.

- Did he have anything against you? - We didn't even know each other.

Yeah, well, that leaves two possibilities.

The old man's just making an honest mistake.

- The other, he's being paid to lie. - He's lying.

That's what Fuller thinks.

He figures he can take him and his story apart at the trial.

- He didn't do much to him today. - This was just a hearing.

Besides, if he needs help, he's gonna get it. I sent a telegram.

Pa, Hoss and the best lawyer in Virginia City are on their way here.

Joe, thanks.

You know, I'd feel better if you didn't think we needed the extra help.

But, Papa, suppose he is telling the truth.

Supposing Jed Wheelock did try and cheat him out of payment for five horses?

But, my dear, even supposing it's true, that wouldn't ameliorate the offense.

Murder is murder.

And why would young Wheelock cheat him?

He certainly didn't need the money.

Because Jed Wheelock was no good, that's why.

Because he always had to get at people and... try and hurt them.

That's the way he got his fun out of life.

And he always knew what to use.

Thought you'd never hear me talking

about Jed Wheelock like that, did you, Papa?

Well, aren't you proud of me now that I can finally admit he was no good?

Child...

I heard from your Aunt Ruth today.

She and your cousin Sally have fairly turned their house upside down

getting it ready for you. They can hardly wait to see...

Mary Elizabeth.

- Yes? - Howdy. Mr. Fuller?

My name's Cartwright. Hoss Cartwright.

- Joe's brother? - Yes, sir.

The sheriff told me I might find him here.

No, no, he's not here. But won't you come in?

You're...

You're a long way from home, young man.

- Yes, sir. - Did your father come with you?

No, he got called down to Carson City. I'm alone.

The sheriff tells me I gotta get your permission before I can talk to Candy.

- Is that a fact? - Well, yes.

That's just a normal legal precaution.

- He's appointed me his attorney. - Yes, sir, I know that.

You ain't got nothing against me talking to him, have you?

No, no, no, of course not. Uh, I'll go with you.

Mary Elizabeth. Mary Elizabeth, we have a visitor.

I have to go out for a while. This is my daughter. Mr. Hoss Cartwright.

Happy to meet you, ma'am.

My daughter's heading east very shortly.

Yeah, she'll be going to school in the east, staying with my sister up in Maine

until she makes up her mind which school to grace.

- Good night, my dear. - Good night.

Mr. Cartwright.

After you.

Jed Wheelock ordered 15 head of horses by telegraph.

I drove 'em through town. I drove 'em out to his ranch.

He accepted delivery. We agreed on a price, 50 dollars a head.

He asked me to meet him in town at the bank the next morning,

so I did and he gave me 500 dollars.

I said, "You're 250 dollars short."

He said "No, 10 head of horses at 50 dollars a head is 500 dollars."

I said, "10? I delivered 15."

He called me a liar. And that's when I hit him.

How many times are you gonna go over his story?

You talked about it all night long. It's daylight.

It's my case and my client, Sheriff. You let him talk.

What are you doing here? I just got your telegram.

I've been riding two days. We got tired of waiting for word.

Pa had to go into Carson City, so he sent me alone.

- Joe, where you been all night? - I went out to Wheelock's ranch.

What would you wanna go out there for?

'Cause I wanted to check on Eggers' story.

I already checked it.

On the night of May 29th there was a full moon.

Eggers could have seen Candy.

Look, there wasn't anyone there when I was there.

How many times do I have to tell you that?

Candy, what did happen out there at Wheelock's that night?

Hoss, I've been over this and over this.

Just one more time for us.

All right, I was still burning.

He owed me 250 dollars, open and above board.

So I went out to the ranch

and I told Jed he'd better pay me the money then and there or I'd...

I threatened him. You know, the kind of things you say when you're mad.

Well, he just sniggered at me, told me to go ahead and shoot.

Go on.

Well, I've never shot first in a fight yet.

I wasn't about to start then.

I called him some names, hoping he'd draw.

He just stood there... laughing.

So I got on my horse and I rode out.

Just... Just like that, huh?

Well, I know it sounds funny, but I was scared I might kill him.

The next morning I got on my horse and I rode out of town.

It was two, three weeks later before I even knew he was dead.

That's the truth.

Well, we believe you.

Do you believe me, Mr. Fuller?

You don't have to convince me. You have to convince the jury.

I'm disappointed your father didn't show up, Cartwright.

How come? He figure our little town was too small to bother with?

Thought he could send his boys to handle us, hmm?

No, sir. He got called into Carson City.

I bet he figured you boys could ride in,

straighten out the trouble and ride right out again.

Well, it's not gonna be that simple.

Where you come from, you might not have heard of A.Z. Wheelock,

but here I'm the big frog,

and when I croak, the little frogs all hop.

We're sorry about your son, Mr. Wheelock.

But we came here to help a friend. I'm sure you don't object to that.

This is my town. I don't like strangers butting in.

In other words, everybody's supposed to just sit back

and watch an innocent man hang, huh?

No. That cowboy's gonna have the best defense possible.

And then he hangs?

Yes, if he's guilty.

My son's dead, shot before he could get his gun out of the holster.

I didn't say this Candy was guilty. His own actions done that.

Well, that fight he had with Jed in front of a hundred witnesses.

He was seen coming out of the house where Jed was shot.

Now, that would be... that would be Mr. Eggers.

Well, I checked around about Mr. Eggers.

People don't think too highly of him. They don't feel he's too reliable.

Well, I admit he drinks.

But why should he perjure himself? He didn't even know Candy.

Mr. Wheelock, your son wasn't the most popular fella around town, was he?

He was envied because of me. There wasn't any real harm in him.

Well, according to Candy's story, your son cheated him out of 250 dollars.

My son's not alive to give his side of it.

How would your pa feel if it had been you or your brother?

Well, I guess he'd try to turn the whole town upside down to find the truth.

Well, there you are.

And that's exactly what we're gonna do... to prove Candy innocent.

Good night, Mr. Wheelock.

Hey, listen, why don't you go on over and see how Candy's doing?

I'm gonna take a ride out and talk to that fella Eggers.

All right.

What do you want, Eggers?

- I told you not to try reaching me. - Now, now, Mr. Fuller.

That's no way to say hello to an old friend.

It... It was right nice of you to come out here

after I sent you the little note.

- Would you have a little drink? - No, thanks.

You don't mind if I wet things down a bit?

Gets a little dusty.

All right, Eggers, I'm here. How much?

Hmm?

Eggers, whatever you think of me, I'm no fool.

I'm not an unreasonable man.

- You've run out of money, right? - Right.

Well, you won't find me hard to deal with.

I could have been a little more generous in the first place.

- Mmm. - Shall we say another 50?

Doggone, there for a minute I thought you and me was gonna be real partners.

You're on the right road, but you didn't go far enough, Mr. Fuller.

- No? - No.

I've been thinking, there might be a good market

for a man to swear to things that anybody wants him to swear to.

Might be a lifetime job, you might say.

Now, it stands to reason, you being a lawyer,

you might like to have a good witness on your permanent payroll.

Now, where could you find a better witness than old Eggers?

Good, honest, loyal old Eggers... who knows when to keep his mouth shut.

And knows what he's working for too.

Yes, there might be a good living there.

Money coming in week in, week out.

Enough for liquor, tobacco, food, occasional card game.

Oh, but never so much, Mr. Fuller,

that... that your good witness wouldn't be right there when you needed him.

Right there when I needed him.

Everything straight and above board, just between you and me.

Eggers, suppose I were to tell you I had no money.

I've used up every penny to send my daughter back east to school.

Then maybe you'd better go crawling to your boss, A.Z. Wheelock,

and beg the money from him.

I didn't realize you were so ambitious.

A man's got to get ahead in this world, doesn't he?

Yes, he does, indeed. What about the next one, Eggers?

- Come again? - What about the next world?

Does a man have to get ahead in that one too?

You must be sure to let me know, Eggers.

I... I didn't mean it. I... I don't want any money.

I... I was just joking.

I was just joking too, Eggers.

How could you possibly send me a message from the next world?

Hold it!

Give me the gun.

Your brother said you were coming out here.

Guess I should have got here a little sooner.

You're under arrest, Cartwright, for murder.

Joseph heard a gunshot.

He saw a man run out of Eggers' cabin.

He yelled at him to stop and then he fired.

Now, that's two shots, right?

Only one shot out of Joseph's gun.

You want me to say I heard two shots? I didn't.

I told you, I didn't kill Eggers.

There were three men in this town would have wanted to see that eyewitness dead:

Candy, your brother and you.

Candy was locked up in that cell.

I found your brother standing over the body, a gun in his hand,

freshly fired, one bullet gone.

- That's good enough for me. - I'm gonna tell you something.

The same man killed Eggers that killed Jed.

And I say the man that killed Eggers

is a man who wanted to help Candy beat the rope.

Oh, come on. That doesn't make sense.

I'm not gonna commit murder to protect anybody.

Well, like your lawyer said at the hearing,

I ain't much good at investigation.

I apologize for that, Sheriff.

And you don't have to be much good at investigation

when you catch the man red-handed.

All right, I'm gonna tell you something else.

I ain't gonna stop until I've talked to every man in this town

that may know something that'll help.

You better be careful.

That's what got your brother where he is.

I'll be careful.

- Oh, hello. - Howdy, Miss Fuller.

- My father's not here. I think he's... - Ma'am, it's you I wanna talk to.

Yes. Come in.

Uh, may I offer you some refreshments?

No, no, thank you, ma'am.

- Won't you have a seat? - Thank you.

Miss Fuller, I've been talking to everybody in town,

or everybody that'll sit still, that is,

trying to find something that would help Candy.

- Did they? - No. How well did you know him?

Just well enough to say hello to.

He was...

Well, some of the other cowboys that come into town are rough.

But not Candy. He was always polite when we'd meet.

I just couldn't believe that he did it.

- He didn't, Miss Fuller. - But who did?

Do you know anybody that might have hated Jed?

Anybody else he might have cheated?

Anyone else he might have cheated?

No, I... I don't know of anyone.

Yeah, I reckon you wouldn't.

Well, much obliged anyway, Miss Fuller.

I wish I could have helped. I... I wanna see the real murderer caught too.

Jed and I were friends.

Of course. Hope we haven't raked over too many memories.

Much obliged again.

What makes you think I could help you?

What makes you think I would help you if I could?

Because you said that you wanted to see the man who murdered your son hang,

and I believe that.

It's true.

And you said you wanted to see a fair and honest trial,

so no man could question it.

I did and I do.

Then, Mr. Wheelock, help me find the man who murdered Eggers.

Your brother was found beside the body with a gun in his hand.

Oh, Mr. Wheelock, you... you know our pa, you know our reputation.

You think Little Joe would murder a man just to help a friend?

Mr. Wheelock, I need your help and I need it bad.

Who hated Eggers enough to wanna see him dead,

Eggers and your son?

Nobody I can think of. I don't know.

Jed had his fights, sure, but they weren't serious.

The one he had with Candy was, and there must have been others.

You don't let go, do you?

You tried to help Candy. Now your brother's facing the same rope.

I can't stand in your shoes, but I guess I know how you feel.

I lost a son.

When that happens fast and unexpected...

it turns a man old and empty awful quick.

I had big plans for Jed.

I wanted to see him married and settle.

I thought for a while he was gonna marry the Fuller girl.

I wanted to give him everything, hide, hair and hooves.

I just wanted to sit me down in the shade and play with my grandkids.

Mr. Wheelock...

did you say that Jed and Mary Elizabeth were serious?

I thought so. Seemed that way to me.

Yeah.

Thanks, Mr. Wheelock.

Mr. Cartwright, Father still isn't here.

Ma'am, I'd like to talk to you again if I could.

Yes, of course.

You're... You're going back east to school, I think your father said.

- Yes. - Maine?

- Yes. - It's a pretty place, I hear.

I guess it's good to get as far away from unpleasant memories as you can.

Been talking to some of the town folks.

They told me that... that young Wheelock used to squire you around

some of the dances and socials and such.

Yes.

You know how people gossip.

Maine.

I believe your father said you were gonna be staying with an uncle?

Aunt.

Oh, yes, of course.

You... You must be very fond of her.

We... My... My father hasn't seen her in 20 years.

Then you've... you've never even met her?

No.

You must be looking forward to that,

going all the way back east to school and to be with this aunt.

But you haven't decided which school you're going to yet, have you?

No.

You'll make up your mind after you get back to Maine?

Well, I guess that's about all I need to cover.

I hope I haven't been too much of a bother.

Not at all.

Miss Fuller...

It is school you're going back east for, isn't it?

What do you mean?

Is it school or a hospital?

It was Jed Wheelock, wasn't it?

Did he know you were carrying his child?

I told him.

And he said... how did he know that it was his?

Oh, I loved him.

Of course it was his baby.

How can it have been anyone else's?

And he refused to marry you?

Then you told your father?

No, Cartwright.

She loved him too much.

She wouldn't tell me anything.

I knew there was trouble and more than just a lovers' quarrel,

so I rode out to see Jed to find out what had happened.

He took great pleasure in telling me.

Then you had a better reason for killing him

than Candy ever did, didn't you?

No. Daddy wouldn't harm anybody.

Tell him you didn't, Papa.

Mary Elizabeth.

Mary Elizabeth, he... laughed when he told me you were pregnant.

He gloried in his admission.

He refused to marry you unless I could prove his parenthood.

He said there'd been others.

That's when I killed him.

Well, it ain't hard for me to sympathize with you, Mr. Fuller,

but, on the other hand,

there's... there's an innocent man over there in the jail.

Let's go talk to the sheriff.

I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright. I'm afraid that's not part of my plan.

Well, plans or no plans, we're...

Cartwright, don't reach for your gun.

I'd hate to shoot you, but I will if I'm forced.

- Papa... - No, Mary Elizabeth.

I know what I have to do.

Fuller!

All right, Fuller, drop the gun.

Papa! Papa!

Papa, don't!

Put the gun up, Mr. Fuller.

Do like he says, Mr. Fuller. We don't wanna get anybody hurt.

Oh, Papa!

Oh, Papa.

I gave him every chance to throw away his gun.

Come on, come on. I've been in this town about six days too long.

Mr. Wheelock.

May I come in?

Candy, the sheriff told me I'd find you here.

I wanted to see you before you rode out.

It was five horses, 50 dollars apiece.

That's 250 dollars.

- I don't... - Oh, it's your money. Put it away.

All right, thanks.

I was wondering, have you seen Mary Elizabeth since the funeral?

Yeah, we saw her about an hour ago. We said our goodbyes.

Well, have an easy ride home.

Good luck, ma'am.

So long, Mr. Wheelock.

This has been a color production

of the NBC television network.