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Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Ah, Frank Cole. Isn't that right? - That's right, Ben.

Sure, sure. Haven't seen you in a couple of years.

Yeah, about that.

Ben, this is Henry Trask, my top wrangler.

Henry, Ben Cartwright.

- Trask. - Heard about you, Cartwright.

Understand you're a pretty big man in these parts.

A lot bigger than you know, Henry.

Big enough to have the army calling on him when they need horses.

Word sure gets around in these parts.

Is that what brought you into town from the hills?

Well, unless you figure you got a monopoly.

Oh, Frank, you know better than that.

Army buys good horses wherever it can find 'em.

And I've got some good ones.

Oh, I hear the brass is coming in on the noon stage. Is that right?

You sure hear correctly, Frank.

Yes, Major Dawson's coming in on the noon stage.

He'll be staying with me if you want to see him.

Oh, Ben, you don't miss a trick, do you?

Oh, here she comes now, right on time.

Yah!

Giddyap!

Whoa.

- Well, Major, good to see you. - Good to see you, Ben.

This is my daughter, Dana. I wrote you she'd be coming with me.

It's a pleasure to see you. I hope your stay with us is very pleasant.

Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm Frank Cole, Major.

I understand that you're here to buy some horses. I got some to sell.

Well, Mr. Cole, I'm running rather a tight schedule.

I hadn't planned on making two stops. Perhaps next trip.

I doubt that Ben wants to hog all the business.

I don't reckon he'd mind if I brought my string out to his place to show you.

I don't mind, Major. Of course not.

Well, fine. I'll be looking at his stock in the morning.

- I'll be there. - Better get along.

Hop Sing is holding lunch.

Frank.

I come looking for you. I want my back pay. I earned it.

I gave you orders to help Billings and Evers with the remuda.

I told you I was quitting. I told you last night, but you didn't listen.

Trask, he likes pretty things.

Give him a 20-dollar gold piece.

Pick it up, Trask.

Pick it up!

All right, you wanted your pay. You got it.

Don't come weaseling back to me when you run out.

There's no place in my outfit

for a man who won't stand up and fight for his rights.

He isn't much of a man, is he?

Hop Sing, that was an excellent breakfast.

My mess sergeant could take a few lessons from you.

- And so could I. - It's nice of you to say that.

Sometimes we take Hop Sing's cooking talents for granted.

You like breakfast, you wait until you eat dinner.

He makes good coffee.

Morning, Miss Dawson, Major.

Pa, I got all them horses rounded up that you wanted to show the major.

They're down in the south corral, and I got the surrey all ready to go.

Oh, good. Thank you, Hoss. Major, shall we have a look at those horses?

That's what I'm here for. The sooner the better, Ben.

- I'd like to go too, if I may. - Sure, come along.

Travelling with me, she's become quite an expert.

Oh, she has, has she?

Miss Dawson, have you also become as expert at bargaining as your father is?

He don't mean that, Miss Dawson. He's just joshing.

Ain't nothing he likes better than a good horse trade.

Let's go.

Mr. Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright, could I talk to you a minute?

Yes.

You probably don't remember me, Mr. Cartwright.

You saw me working horses once, two years ago.

Yes, I remember. You did a good job. I've seen you since then, though.

I saw you yesterday in Virginia City, didn't I?

- I'm sorry I bothered you, sir. - Wait a minute, now.

You haven't told me what you wanted.

- Well, you saw me in town yesterday. - Yeah.

Then you saw me eating crow.

Don't rightly figure you'd be hiring a man that backs down like I did.

Usually a man backs down, there's a reason for it.

You saw it like it was, sir.

I'm a bit short-handed.

Most of my men are off on a cattle drive with my other son.

- I could give you a trial. - Mr. Cartwright, about yesterday...

Young fella, I'm just interested in the way you handle horses.

Now, you want a job, you get down to the south corral.

Yes, sir.

Giddyap.

Good head, Ben.

Yes, yes, he's a good one.

A little delicate, though.

Did you say delicate?

Doubt if he'd hold up on a long patrol.

Yeah, well, you... you may be right, Major.

I'll... I'll see that he's sent back to the herd.

Oh, well, now, wait a minute, Ben. There's no use rushing things.

I might consider him... if the price is right.

Well, Major, you know, I've always considered you

a very good judge of horse flesh, and you sure know what you want.

No, sir, I'd hate to see a sensitive horse like this overworked.

I'll... I'll see that he's withdrawn.

I'll take him.

Well, Major, I just might sell him to you... if the price is right.

Pa.

- This new hand over here. - Yeah?

Think he can handle that sorrel?

- Yeah, I think so. What's his name? - Mark.

- Mark? - Yes, sir.

That sorrel is new to the saddle. He's got a mind of his own. Watch him.

I can handle him, sir.

Fine animal, Ben.

I'll take him.

Yes, I thought you might like him, Major.

Well, I sort of had my doubts about that young man, but he's good.

Yeah.

Maybe it's just because the sorrel isn't giving him any trouble.

The way he's handling that horse, ma'am,

seems to me like he could face up to trouble.

He didn't face up to trouble yesterday.

Good work, Mark. Cut him in with the rest.

Major, I've got two fellas bringing another string from the river range.

We can show those after lunch.

You keep driving the same bargain, you'll bankrupt the army.

Major, don't worry.

Pa won't take that uniform off of you before you get back to San Francisco.

He might get some of them brass buttons, though.

There's Frank Cole with his string of horses.

You better see them.

- Frank, you know Major Dawson here. - Major.

I can't entertain you at a fine ranch like Ben's, but my stock's just as good.

I'd say they're drawn a little fine.

Well, we've driven 'em down from the mountains.

Had to push 'em a little hard to get 'em here.

A little grain, they'll fill out. I'll start working 'em for you.

No, Mr. Cole. We'd both be wasting our time.

They're not up to my standards.

I kind of thought that's the way things might be.

Nobody gets army business but you. That right, Ben?

Frank, I know you've had a rough time

driving these horses down so the major could see 'em.

I'll overlook that remark.

Major, what about that black horse? Looks pretty good.

Ben's right. I'd like to see him work.

Well, we... we only caught him a little while ago.

He's not exactly full broke yet.

It's all right. I'll consider that when I watch him work.

All right, Trask, you heard the man.

Charley, slap a saddle on this black horse. Hurry it up.

What's he doing here?

He's here because I hired him. Why?

Does it trouble you, him being here?

No, no. No skin off my teeth.

- He's ready, Frank. - All right.

- Whoa, now. Whoa. Whoa. - Whoa.

Whoa, now.

Whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa.

Frank, this horse isn't ready and you know it.

All I know is you don't work for me no more.

Ha!

Ah!

Ah!

Trask, give me the whip!

You try that again, I'll break you in two.

All right, that'll be enough!

Nobody uses a whip on an animal around here.

- That ain't the way I see it. - I don't care how you see it.

Don't use a whip on an animal on the Ponderosa.

You still interested in that stallion, Major?

- Not the way he is now. - Well, suppose he was saddle broke?

Then the army'd pay top dollar for him,

but from the looks of him, you won't have time before I leave.

You just let me worry about that.

Let's go.

It's his answer for everything.

Man or animal, if it... if it don't knuckle under to him,

he beats it until it does.

Well, good evening.

Good evening.

Full moon tonight.

Yes.

Oh, it's so quiet.

It's so nice to come out on a night like this

and think back on the day.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't be intruding on your thoughts this way. Night.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Cartwright, I was thinking about you.

- Oh? - And the young man you hired today.

I was wondering why you hired him, knowing he was a coward.

Well, I... I don't know he's a coward.

But didn't you see him refuse to fight for what was rightfully his?

Miss Dawson, I... I hope you don't mind me asking you this,

but why does it trouble you so much that I've hired this young fella?

Because I know him.

- You know him? - Well, someone like him.

Someone I've been trying to blot out of my memory.

He... He looked like Mark.

And he was a coward like he is.

An army officer, who in the middle of battle

ran and... killing himself and six of his men.

And that coward was my husband.

Now do you understand, Mr. Cartwright?

Yes. Yes, I do understand.

Miss Dawson...

There's something else that I think you might try to understand,

and that is that in every man

there's some cowardice,

and in every man there's some bravery too.

You know, when I was a little fella,

someone gave me a little dog, oh, a mutt, cute little fella, though.

And he looked funny because one side of him,

along the side was all black, the other side was all white.

And if you looked at him from one side, you'd say,

"Oh, there goes Ben's black dog."

If you looked at him from the other side, you'd say,

"There goes Ben's white dog."

You know what?

Inside he was just plain dog.

I don't believe you ever really had a dog like that.

Don't you?

But thanks for trying.

But nothing you can say can make me change my mind about that man.

Good night.

Good night.

Night.

Everything all right?

Yeah, yeah, fine.

I just noticed a lantern burning out there in the barn

from my bedroom window.

- I thought I'd go and check on it. - Oh, yes.

One of the hands must have left it.

- See you in the morning. - Night, Pa.

What are you up to, buddy?

Oh, howdy, Hoss.

You're supposed to be in the bunkhouse this time of night.

I guess I should have asked, but lookee here.

Well, I'll be dad-burned.

Found him in a varmint trap out by the corral.

Ain't he a cute little fella?

He's got a busted leg, but I sort of fixed it up.

- The rascal bit me. - I should have warned you.

- He's... He's wild. - Yeah.

How come he don't bite you?

Well, folks say I... got sort of a way with animals.

Yeah. I noticed that today when you was riding that big sorrel.

- He gonna be all right? - Sure. Be as good as new in a week.

In you go, fella.

Well, I've... I've seen some regular professional doctors

that didn't have a touch with animals like you got.

Well, it's sort of been my dream, Hoss, be a veterinarian.

But schooling takes a powerful lot of money.

Sure can't save much on what you make chasing wild horses in the hill country.

No. Let me ask you something, Mark.

How come a young fella like you

with as much compassion and love for the animals as you've got,

how come you'd get tangled up with a fella like Frank Cole anyhow?

Well, I thought you knew.

Thinking on it, I guess there's no reason why you should have.

Frank wouldn't have told you, being ashamed of me like he is.

Ashamed of you? For what? For not beating a scared horse?

A lot more than that, Hoss.

For not living up to what he thinks I ought to be, hard like he is.

He's my brother, Hoss.

Howdy, ma'am.

I reckon we ain't never been properly introduced.

No, we haven't.

I'm Mark Cole.

Cole? Isn't that the name of the man that owns the black horse?

Yes, ma'am. He's my brother.

We ain't much alike.

Yes, I noticed that.

I thought Hop Sing might have some scraps for this little fella.

- Easy, boy. - He's darling. A pet raccoon.

Oh, he's been hurt.

Easy, ma'am. He's wild.

Nonsense.

You're soft and gentle, ma'am.

Animals know these things.

Yes, they do.

He look like Chinese robber baron.

Well, I thought you might have some food for him,

if it's all right with Mr. Cartwright.

No need ask Mr. Cartwright.

Hop Sing in charge of food department.

Beside, Mr. Cartwright not here.

He and Major Dawson out looking at more horses.

You come with me. We fix fine meal for little bandit.

Come.

Bill, take these horses, will you?

Thanks, Bill.

The Percherons were everything you claimed, Ben.

- Excellent for army draft horses. - Good.

Well, that's about it, then, Major.

26 saddle horses, four unbroken yearlings,

two foals and six Percherons.

- That brings the total to... - I know what the total is.

And, Hoss, you were wrong. He's not letting me keep my buttons.

Well, as soon as Little Joe gets back,

we'll drive the horses to Fort Baxter for you.

Hoss, I meant to ask you, what happened to your thumb?

Oh, Pa, you wouldn't... you wouldn't believe it if I told you.

That stallion you're interested in, Major,

I'll have him ready to work soon, real soon.

I'm afraid there won't be time, Mr. Cole.

My daughter and I are leaving on the noon stage tomorrow.

I said real soon, like tomorrow morning?

Oh, wait a minute, Cole.

It's impossible. You can't gentle a horse like that overnight.

My business is with the major.

Look, he'll be ready, I tell you. I've got my methods.

Yes, I saw your methods yesterday, Mr. Cole.

I don't buy animals with whip marks on them.

Then we're in agreement. There won't be a mark on him.

In the morning.

Well, if you'll join me, Ben, I'll draw up your contract and pay warrant.

That brother of yours is sure bent on selling that horse, ain't he, Mark?

Business ain't been too good.

Yeah.

Well, he's sure got his work cut out for him

if he's figuring on taming that horse by morning.

Tame him?

He'll tear the heart right out of him,

crush and twist his spirit till there ain't nothing left.

But he'll never tame that stallion. He's run free too long. He'll die first.

I know. I've worked him.

He was just getting to know me.

Well, Mark, there's just some things a fella can't do nothing about.

This sorrel's still a mite skittish, Hoss.

Might be wise if I gave him some more saddle time.

Whatever you like. But it's getting kind of late. See you.

Whoa.

How's he doing there?

The way I got him fixed, he can't do anything but stand there and quiver.

Yeah, but he's not like the others you've been working on. He's...

He's sort of... I don't know. He's different.

Maybe you ought to give him some water.

He gets nothing.

He's learning his lesson the hard way, but he asked for it.

I told that army brass he'd be ready in the morning

and he'll be ready, the rough way.

Check it out.

Oh, Frank.

Henry.

It's nothing.

Mmm.

Just take it easy, fella.

Everything's gonna be all right.

What's the matter with him?

Trussed up so he couldn't rest.

No water, no food.

But mainly, well... he just seems to have lost the will to live.

And after having almost killed the animal,

your brother brings him back to you to save, is that it?

Not quite, ma'am.

Frank don't know nothing about it. I stole him.

There's a blanket over there. Hand it to me.

Easy, fella.

You don't think I should have stole him, huh?

Well, that's not for me to judge.

Maybe you did right if that's the only way to save him.

I ain't sure I can save him.

A horse like this is proud, ma'am.

A pride he was born with... and run with till my brother caught him.

Frank's real good at squeezing pride like that.

Only this time he went too far.

You and your brother, you're not much alike, are you?

The way you said that...

sounds like you don't see much good in either of us.

Maybe it's because I don't see the good in being too hard or too soft.

Oh, I think you gentled that word a mite, ma'am.

I think you meant coward.

Well, you said it. I didn't.

But I don't think it's fair of you to bring the horse here

where it's likely to cause trouble for Mr. Cartwright.

I had no other place to bring him.

As for Mr. Cartwright, I'm gonna tell him now.

No need, Mark.

That's your brother's horse.

Whoa, boy.

Shh. Whoa, boy. Steady.

- What happened to him? - He was trussed up.

No food, no water. Broke his spirit.

Shh. Easy.

Frank was right, wasn't he?

You don't need a whip to break a horse fast.

It's just plain brutal.

Frank don't look at it that way, Mr. Cartwright.

He's rough and brutal, I'll not argue that.

But it's the only thing he knows.

He feels he's gotta be that way to survive.

He's your brother, you can defend him any way you want to,

but there's no defense against treating an animal this way.

I hate it as much as you do.

Well, can we save him?

I'd like to try. But I'll have to keep him here.

- If you'll allow it. - I said "we," didn't I?

Get out of the way, Ben.

Look, I said get out of the way. I know he's in there and I intend to have him.

What are you talking about, Frank? Intend to have who, what?

If you want me, I'll go. But the horse stays here.

You letting this little horse thief tell you what to do, Cartwright?

If you're asking me if I'm agreeing with him, yes.

You move that horse out of there, it's as good as murdering him.

You've already come close enough to that.

He's my property and I'll decide what to do with him.

Now, if you lead him out here, I'll forget what you did,

chalk it up to the... the weakness in you.

No.

A man's got a right to take what's his own,

especially when it's been stolen.

Now, Frank, Mark here's not denying the horse belongs to you. He's yours.

I think what he's asking for is a little more time to bring him around if he can.

You're stalling, Ben. The horse ain't that bad off.

I want him and I want him now.

I'll buy the horse. What do you want for him?

- You got him crawling, Frank. - What's your price?

Nobody buys me off, Ben. He's not for sale anymore.

Too much talk.

No. No!

Now, we'll do this legal. Right down the line legal.

There are laws against them that steals horses,

and there's laws against them that harbor horse thieves.

Maybe there ought to be laws against them that torture horses too.

That's just an opinion.

- Your opinion, Cartwright. - That's right.

Well, I'll be back in the morning with law that ain't just opinion.

I tried with you, boy.

I tried to put iron in your backbone, but you're soft clean through.

Well, now I wash my hands of you.

- How is he? - Well, he's breathing a lot easier.

First a raccoon, and now this horse.

Well, Mark's got a real gift in those hands, Pa.

- A real gift. - Yeah.

He'll be on his feet by morning.

Mr. Cartwright, do we have to give him back to my brother?

He still needs a lot of care.

Well, I... I don't think we have much choice in the matter, Mark.

Law's on his side.

Maybe he was just bluffing, Pa. Maybe he won't be back.

He'll be back.

Well, morning's still a long way off. Let's get some sleep.

I'll stay here just in case.

If you need any help, you know where to find us.

Thank you.

Night.

I was just bringing you some coffee, Hoss.

That was a nice thought, Miss Dawson. Thank you anyhow.

I'm gonna go to bed, I think.

- Oh, the horse is gonna be all right. - Oh, I'm glad.

Uh, Dana, I think Mark might like some of that coffee.

He's... He's staying in the barn.

It was Mark who brought that horse around. He's worked terribly hard.

Major, I'd sure like to drive into town myself,

but I'm expecting those visitors, as you know.

Yes, I know. Dana told me.

Ben, I do hope Frank Cole isn't gonna give you too much trouble.

No, no. It'll be right.

Well, we still have plenty of time before we have to catch the stage,

so I think I'll go see how the horse is this morning.

- Don't be too long. - I won't.

You OK, fella, hmm? Let's go.

Good boy. Good boy.

He's better.

Yes, ma'am.

But not well enough to give back to your brother.

No, ma'am, don't reckon he is.

But you'll give him back and he'll do it all over again,

and this time there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Look, I'm sorry.

It's just that I knew a man like you once.

As easy as that, ma'am.

Well, maybe you're right about me.

But who did you know like Frank Cole?

Did you know a man who raised his little brother when their parents died,

when he wasn't much more than a kid himself?

But how did he do it? By trying to break you like he did this horse?

Yes, ma'am, he tried, because he thought it was best.

But he did other things too.

Like one winter in the mountains, we were tracking a wild herd.

There was a blizzard and my horse fell on me, broke my leg.

Any other man would have left me to die, and I wouldn't have faulted him for it.

But Frank stayed, he set my leg,

gave me his food and the clothes off his back.

Almost died himself.

Did you know a man like that, Miss Dawson?

I did.

He's my brother.

I have to go.

It's your brother, and he's got the deputy.

I figured it might be.

Well, don't go out there. You'll be arrested. You can still run.

I thought you didn't like men who run away from trouble.

Morning, Ben, Hoss.

Good morning, Clem.

I don't quite know how to start this, Ben.

Why don't you just say it the way it is?

I got a warrant sworn out by Frank here

for the arrest of one Mark Cole, charged with stealing a horse.

Got another warrant claims you aided and abetted in stealing the horse, Ben.

- Now, is that right? - That's exactly right, Clem.

And at my trial I'm gonna ask why a man like Frank Cole there

has the right to torture and destroy an animal

just because it happens to belong to him.

I claim no one, no one has that right.

And if I have to go to jail to prove it, I'll be happy to do that too.

- Where's the horse? - Right here, Deputy.

- That the animal? - That's him.

This ain't a regular case of horse stealing, Frank.

You've got your property back.

Now, I'll go through with these arrests if you want,

but my advice, for what it's worth, is to not push it.

It's up to you.

Like you say, Clem, I do have my property back.

I'll settle for that.

Good. I think I'll ride back before somebody changes his mind.

- Get the horse. - Frank, he's your property.

Why don't you come get him?

If you want him, you gotta go through me to get him.

- Is this the way you want it? - No.

It just has to be this way.

I'll make it easy for you.

- Pa, I gotta stop this. - No, leave 'em be.

It's taken Mark a long time to get this far.

Come on, stop it, Mark. What are you trying to prove?

If you don't know now, you never will.

No.

Mark, I don't wanna hit you anymore.

I can't.

You're gonna have to, Frank. You're gonna have to keep me down.

Come on, finish it.

Easy, fella. Yeah. Yeah.

You could be gentle, boy, in time.

But it wouldn't be right.

You go on, now. Go on back to your hills. Go on, fella.

Frank...

I'm... I'm sorry this happened... in a way.

And in another way, I'm glad it did,

and I think you will be too when you've had a chance to think about it a bit.

You all right?

Mark, you look like a herd of buffalo just used you for a parade ground.

Come on, let's get some medicine on you.

Dana, we must leave now or we'll miss that stage.

Father, couldn't we stay over until tomorrow?

You're welcome to stay, Major. You know that.

Well, perhaps I could find an official reason

for delaying our trip for one day.

If you need an official reason just to stay over,

I got me a bunch of geldings over on the east range

that you've got to see before you leave. Come on.

All right, Major, there's your total, and I still say you outsmarted me.

I don't know, Ben. Seems I paid too much for 'em.

Major, you got yourself a wonderful bunch of horses. That right, Mark?

They're mighty fine horses, sir.

There you are. That's the word of an expert.

I'm no expert.

Oh, Mark, I think you're entirely too modest.

You know animals better than any man I ever saw.

Mark, have you ever thought about a career in the army?

I'm afraid I wouldn't be too keen on soldiering, sir.

I'm suggesting a career as an army veterinarian.

The army has a great school in the Presidio in San Francisco.

Incidentally not far from Dana's and my quarters.

Wouldn't you like that, Mark?

Mark, this is what you always wanted, buddy.

- It sure is. - Well, then, it's all settled.

He eat all the food!

Ow! Dad burn it!

Oh, son of a gun.

Well, at least now you know what happened to the other thumb.

This has been a color production

of the NBC television network.