Original subtitles

The following program

is brought to you in living color on NBC.

There you are, see? What did I tell you?

No stage or mail today or any other day.

Well, now, the Sierra is doing the best it can.

We've been cut off for mail and supplies for six weeks now.

Let's tear down the place. Yeah!

Well... just a minute. Hold it there.

Gentlemen, please, hold it. Now just a minute.

Now, look, when you asked me to head up this committee,

you said we'd work out some kind of peaceful plan

to get the stage back on schedule.

We're beginning to act like a mob.

Ben, we businessmen are fighting for our lives.

The Sierra's pushing us to the wall.

We're beginning to feel the same pinch of lack of mail

and supplies out on the Ponderosa, too.

That doesn't mean we have to lose our heads

and become violent about it.

Well, you ranchers don't have to pay $30 a sack for flour.

Oh, now, just a minute.

Or 50 cents a pound for potatoes.

We pay exactly what anybody else pays

right here in Virginia City.

Now let's all just settle down,

and let's talk to Simms about it.

Oh, I-I wrote a letter to the head office.

They're sending out a troubleshooter.

Good. By the time he gets here, we'll all be broke.

Yeah. The Sierra is responsible

for the high prices around here. Now, come on now.

Making things scarce and hard to get.

Take it easy. And Simms is the Sierra in this town.

I say let's run him out. Now just a minute!

Leave him alone. Just a minute.

Trask!

Jed Trask!

Go ahead, tear up the Sierra and run me out of town now.

Go ahead, Mr. Walker.

Simms, you get these citizens off Sierra property.

Yes, sir. Hold on, Simms.

Now, what gives you the authority

to come in here and threaten us with a gun?

Mister, there are 26 men who have questioned my authority.

Now they're all dead.

And if that isn't enough for you, how about that?

You won't have any more trouble, Simms.

I'm on my way to Latigo

to get the Sierra running on schedule again.

Latigo?

Mr. Trask, that town is poison.

Yeah, I got the antidote right here.

Well, I understand that every no-good gunman in the west

is holed up in Latigo.

Yeah, that's right.

They're using it as a base

to burn and plunder our stages and our freight wagons.

Well, one man and one gun won't stand much of a chance

against a whole town of killers.

That's my job.

I'm paid to do it.

Of course, if there are any volunteers

to help me clean out Latigo...

Well, well, now, you can't count on them fellers out there.

They've all got their businesses to take care of.

Well, what businesses?

If the Sierra ever stops running through here,

this will be a ghost town.

Boy, it never fails.

You scratch a citizen with talk of volunteering his gun,

and he runs like a whipped dog.

Ain't that the truth, honey?

Sure is, Jed.

Mr. Trask...

I agreed to head up this committee.

I'm not backing down from it.

Yeah, well, you might want to reconsider.

If anything happens to you,

the Sierra won't pay for as much as a pine box.

You know, the Sierra is far more important to us

than it is to itself.

As far as your company is concerned,

it's only so much profits.

As far as we're concerned...

the Sierra is our lifeline to the outside world.

All right.

Be ready to leave at sunup.

Honey, looks like we bought ourselves another gun.

Oh, you're wrong.

You bought yourself four more guns.

My sons will go along.

The quicker this is settled, the better we'll all like it.

Good.

I want one thing understood.

My first concern is the Sierra.

When we get to Latigo, you'll all take orders from me.

That's agreeable, Trask,

as long as you remember that we're not hired gunmen.

Look, let's get things straight.

I'm tired of people thinking of me as a hired gun.

I bring law and order to the Sierra wherever it needs it.

And right now, it needs it Latigo.

Oh, we're...

we're all for law and order, Trask.

Just want you to know that we...

we don't intend to shoot first and ask questions later.

And I don't intend to wind up on boot hill

with a bullet in my back. This is the only kind of law

those kind of men will understand.

Well, Latigo doesn't sound like any picnic ground.

Maybe you ought to send Mrs. Trask back to Virginia City.

Belle!

Adam Cartwright is worried about you.

He thinks maybe I ought to send you back.

You're my man, Jed.

When you tell me to go back, I'll go.

Hyah!

It's another one of our wagons.

Only a half a day out of Latigo.

You know, in a town like this,

the undertaker is the leading citizen.

Come.

I'll have them heat some water for your bath, Jed.

I'll be about an hour.

Well, you can still back out, if you want to.

We have no intention of backing out.

You suit yourself.

I'll be over at the Sierra; it's right across the street.

Peaceful place.

Yeah. Let's get the horses down to the livery stable.

Mm.

Plenty of cash in this 'un, Big Mike.

There. Look, look.

Look at them greenbacks.

Jed Trask!

Who sent for you?

Mike Campbell, you're through. Get out.

Tenderest meat I ever ate.

Here, try some. Melt in your mouth.

Maybe you didn't hear me. I said you're through!

Trask, you're invading the private office

of the duly appointed division superintendent of the Sierra.

Mike, you've got one hour to get out of town.

Well, if I'm going to leave town,

I might as well travel on a full stomach.

Mike, you forgot something.

All right, you, too, come on.

Me?

Well, see, I-I was only... One hour.

Uh, now that we got rid of Big Mike,

we can start get started straightening up this depot.

Look, Jed...

Jed, you're not going to let them ride off scot-free?

They must be prosecuted.

Prosecuted with what? There isn't any law in this town.

First things first, Ben.

I work for the Sierra.

Jed, when I came along on this trip...

When you came along...

you promised you'd take orders from me.

Look, Ben...

Latigo is like a snake.

You cut off its head,

and the rest of it'll die.

An hour. He only give us an hour.

That's time enough for you to go round up

Cole Baker and his partner.

Meet me in there.

Anybody finds out he took over,

you got no business in this town.

Look, you just do like I say.

I'll take care of Jed Trask.

If this had been allowed to go on a little while longer,

Big Mike would have owned Virginia City.

Uh, he was never that smart, Ben.

Well, here's some more records to check.

Hey, come on out and take a look at the barn.

It's full of mail and supplies.

Hey, Pa, take a look at this.

This is where all the mail's been.

Closest that ever got to Virginia City.

Well, there's enough stuff here

to keep a town happy for a couple of months.

You know, there must be supplies

and mail out here for half the West.

Yeah. It'd take us a month of Sundays

to straighten all this out.

There's a stage coming in the end of the week.

We can start moving some of it out then.

Yeah. Hey, you know, for a young one, you're real smart.

Jed?

Yeah?

Jed, you know, we're going to need

half a dozen wagons and teams to load this stuff up.

Well, there'll be a courier through here.

I'll send the message to the home office.

I'll go back to the stage depot right now

and write it out.

Come suppertime, I'll see you all.

I'll buy the drinks.

All right.

I may have misjudged that one.

Well, you got to admit one thing,

he sure knows his business.

That's for sure.

Seems like this town is already quieter,

just since he's been here.

Well, this mail isn't going to load itself.

Come on, let's get to work.

Yeah, yeah, you get to work.

Hand me that.

You're in my way, boy.

You're in my way, mister.

Trask?

That hour you give me is up.

I'm gonna enjoy watching you die.

Clear out of here, you vulture.

Jed!

He's hardly breathing!

He'll be all right.

Joe, get the doctor.

Right.

You wanted to be part of this...

well, now you are.

Which one of you is gonna kill Mike Campbell?

Come on, boys, let's get him upstairs.

Belle?

Belle?

I'm here, Jed.

I'm here.

I can't stay trussed up like this,

I got a job to do.

You're not getting out of this bed

until the doctor says so.

Ah, come on, will you stop mother-henning me.

I'm in shape right now to get back on the job,

I... Oh!

There, you see?

Jed, quit worrying.

The Cartwrights are down at the station right now.

Now, they're taking care of everything.

What do the Cartwrights know about running a stage line?

I thought you'd be happy knowing they were staying on.

Well, I'm not in much shape right now to jump for joy.

Just the same, I'm glad that you, you asked them to stay on

and run the depot.

All I have to do now is figure out a way

of running down Big Mike.

Leave well enough be, Jed.

Big Mike has run like a whipped dog.

Honey, "well enough" won't leave me be.

I can't let a man put a bullet hole in me

and get away with it.

Every two-bit gunman in the West

would want to try the same thing.

Everybody knows he tricked you.

You've nothing to gain tracking him down

like a hired killer.

Don't you call me a hired killer.

Oh, I didn't. I didn't.

Honey, I've got a job to do.

To do that job right,

I've got to put the fear of Jed Trask into everybody

and keep it there.

Fear, Jed, or respect?

It's the same thing, Belle.

My gun got me my job and my gun is gonna keep it.

If I let Big Mike stay alive,

everybody would say the sand was running out of my craw.

Jed...

I just can't stand seeing you get hurt again.

I thought you understood something.

There are only two things in my life:

my work and you.

And my work is the only way I know

to get you the things I want for you.

Hyah! Hyah!

Whoa.

Hi. Hi.

Is this the stage for Virginia City?

Ain't carrying much except some mail

and this stuff from the home office.

Well, we'll have plenty of letters

for you to deliver to Virginia City.

Tell Adam and Hoss to start loading.

Right.

I don't see Big Mike around.

No, I guess you won't, either.

Jed Trask relieved him of his job.

My name's Cartwright.

My sons and I are helping him out.

Jed Trask, huh? Yeah.

I heard the company was making some changes here.

Didn't figure they'd send out Trask.

Why? He's a good troubleshooter.

Trouble with some troubleshooters...

they're sometimes bigger trouble

than they're sent out here to cure.

Well, is that what you think about Trask?

I do.

And so do a lot of others at the home office.

Reckon Trask will want these letters and the waybills.

And this one's for him personal.

Oh, do you want me to deliver it?

No, sirree, this is one pleasure I want for myself.

I've waited a long time to deliver this letter.

Well, now...

it's getting so that running a stage

is gonna need a man who can read and write

better than he can handle a gun or hitch a team of horses.

All right, there it is.

There's a rundown on all of the freight

that is due here in the next few weeks.

Hey, you know, by the time...

by the time we get through our end of things here,

everything should be back to normal.

Oh, say, the driver had a letter for you.

Did he give it to you?

Yeah, it's right here.

Might be a paycheck.

It's about time, yeah?

More trouble?

Nothing I can't handle.

Here, here, here, let me help you.

Thank you.

There we are.

Where'd you get that?

At the undertaker's.

The undertaker's?

He's also the local carpenter...

chairs, tables, and coffins are his specialty.

Well, you can take it back, I don't want it.

I don't care what you want, you're going to use it.

You'll just get well that much sooner.

Don't you agree, Mr. Cartwright?

Yes, I think I do agree.

All right, all right.

What's this letter?

You keep your hands away from that!

Oh, Belle...

Belle, I'm sorry.

Being cooped up in this room has made me kind of shaky.

Maybe you're right about the chair.

At least I can get around a little bit, huh?

Well, you know, keeping busy is certainly better medicine

that just sitting around in here.

And even in a wheelchair, there are plenty of things

for you to take care of down at the depot.

There's something I'm a lot more anxious

to take care of than the depot...

that's Mike Campbell.

Now, look, Trask, you're, you're in no condition

to go riding after Mike Campbell.

I'm not going to ride after Big Mike.

I'm gonna sit in that chair, in front of this hotel,

and sooner or later,

Big Mike is gonna get brave enough

to come looking for me.

And when he does...

this will be the last thing he'll ever see.

Well, Trask, you're taking an awful chance.

Why, in that wheelchair, you're a sitting duck.

I've been taking chances for the Sierra for ten years.

Maybe it's become a habit.

You know, honey, I'm real glad you thought about that chair.

Ben, while you're here, you want to give me

a hand into the chair?

All right...

All right, all right, all right, I'll help you.

Here.

Yeah, that's better.

I just want 'em to know I'm still around.

Are you sure this is what you want?

I know what I'm doing, Cartwright.

Well, I hope so.

I'll be across the way at the depot.

I'm gonna see that the stage gets off to Virginia City.

Pa, I know this food ain't got Hop Sing's touch,

but it'll at least keep you from starving to death.

What are you doing, Hoss,

making a bid for a second helping?

What's bothering you, Pa?

Oh, nothing really.

Trask?

He's a pretty hard man to figure, isn't he?

I don't trust him.

Me neither.

It's a strange job,

they picked a strange man to handle it.

There's certainly no denying his loyalty to the Sierra.

Loyalty? It seems he's dedicated

his whole life to it.

Well, that's a point in his favor, wouldn't you say?

Maybe.

What do you mean?

Well, he's more than just loyal.

He's become almost fanatic about it.

And I find it's pretty hard to trust a fanatic...

no matter how good his intentions are.

Jed?

What's the matter?

Why don't you let me help you into bed?

I want to stay up and think for a while.

Well, that letter must be mighty important

for you to lose sleep over it.

That letter is company business.

You don't have to worry about it.

What's in it?

I told you, it's company business.

No, it's more than that.

Look, don't try to... Look, you jumped at me

the first time I asked you about it,

now you're jumping at me again.

I know when something's troubling you.

I've been fired, Belle.

Jed...

this can't be true.

Can't it?

There's always been somebody in Sierra Management

after my hide.

Somebody who didn't like my methods.

Ten years of my life I spent building that stage line.

Ten years.

Now fired.

Just kicked out like that.

It's only a job, honey.

There are plenty of jobs for a man like you.

Jed Trask doesn't go around begging for jobs

and he's no saddle tramp or fool kid

to get kicked around, either.

Jed, we've got to face things as they come.

Oh, honey, we've been through worse things

than this together.

That time that mustang's hoof opened up your scalp.

Bloody massacre in the Apache country.

All right, don't tell me, tell them. Tell the Sierra!

It was my blood and sweat that marked that stage line

all up and down the country... mine!

They supplied the equipment and the money

and I supplied the guts!

Wherever that line started to fall apart,

who held it together? Me... Jed Trask!

Jed, the Sierra is only a pinpoint in this world.

We can go someplace where you'd really...

Run out?!

Are you telling me to run out?!

Oh, no... oh, no...

No, after I get rid of Big Mike

I'm going to make this our town, Belle.

I'm going to bust the Sierra so wide open

there won't be a trace of their mark

left on this territory.

Darling, sit down, you'll hurt yourself.

I don't need that chair.

I've been hit worse than this a dozen times.

Jed, will you sit down!

You're in no shape to be walking around.

Yeah, that's right.

Sure, everybody in town...

has seen me in that chair.

They know I can't walk.

I don't know what you're thinking, Jed,

but I am not going to stand here

and watch you get into trouble.

Yeah...

Yeah, everybody in town knows I'm tied to this chair.

Oh, oh, oh, boy.

That's funny, that's real funny.

I didn't want this chair to begin with,

but now that I got it

I'm going to make it work for me.

Jed, you can't do this.

What about the Cartwrights?

Yeah, what about them?

I don't owe them anything.

They came along because Virginia City

was in trouble, not because of me.

Jed, they came here as part of a committee

to see that the stage gets through.

Look, you're not going to fool them for long.

They're bound to find out.

Do you think they're just going to stand here and watch you

ruin the Sierra all over again?

Well, that's up to them, honey.

But they just better not get in my way.

Weasel...

Iock it.

Lock it!

You come around in front, Weasel.

Get where I can see you.

I don't care for anybody behind my back.

Now, sit down.

Now, I want Big Mike.

Where is he?

He left town. You ought to know that.

Thorn, you help me find him.

I'll make it worth your while.

Big Mike set us up.

He covered for us.

Now you expect us to turn on him?

You'd turn on your own mother,

if there was enough money in it for you.

You tie up with me and there will be enough.

What do you take us for, Trask, babes in the woods?

You don't work for Sierra anymore.

The driver told us.

He didn't tell anybody else, I already made sure of that.

So?

What are you trying to prove, Trask?

Look, Thorn, I can set you boys up

better than Big Mike ever did.

What's in it for you?

Money, for one thing.

Satisfaction, for another.

I spent ten years building up that stage line, Thorn.

I know their schedules.

I know every shipment that comes through here.

I can show you boys how to make more money

than you ever dreamed of.

You were always known as a pretty loyal company man.

How do we know you're not

setting us up for a double cross?

I could have taken you or anybody else

as easy as this in the past few days.

Hold it!

Uh... Uh...

Here, have a... You want a drink with?

We drinking together?

Now will you help me find Big Mike?

Yeah, I'll find him.

What about those four men you brought from Virginia City?

The Cartwrights?

I can handle them as easy as this.

Do you want me to handle this, Trask?

Oh, no.

This is a pleasure I've been saving for myself.

Stay here, boys.

Mike?

Trask.

You should have shot a lot straighter, Mike.

Now, just a minute, Trask.

Thorn, Weasel, stop him!

All right.

Now we can get back to more important things.

Sierra.

Hyah! Hyah!

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa... Whoa!

Hyah! Hyah!

Whoa!

Whoa!

Hello, Jed. How you feeling?

Oh, I'd feel a lot better

if I could get out of this blasted wheelchair.

You just stay there until you're ready to get out.

Morning, Cartwright.

Not such a good morning.

Another freighter overdue.

Oh, yeah.

Big Mike is sure working overtime, huh?

Well, somebody is sure working overtime.

Well, it's gotta be Mike.

He's the only one who has the know-how

to pull off those raids.

Then he has second sight.

Every wagon that was hit

had valuable cargo aboard.

It was almost as if they were receiving the shipment reports

and schedules quicker than we did.

I sure wish I was back on my feet, Ben.

I'd like to give you a hand.

Well, I know you do, Jed. I...

We could sure use another hand.

This is still my responsibility, Ben.

I won't shirk it.

Jed, I know how you feel.

Look, couldn't we round up

the few honest citizens left here,

and get all those gunmen and run them out of town?

Honest citizens?

Ben, these gunmen are their best customers.

They'd rather run you out of town... or me.

Well, there must be a few honest citizens left

with a little bit of pride in Latigo.

Ben, you're not going to find one citizen

who's willing to risk his life

in order to clean the scum out of this town.

Hey, everybody, look what I got!

It's Big Mike!

Look what I ran across in Rainbow Canyon.

It's Big Mike, all right, Pa.

That's right, Ben.

I can walk fine.

And this is my town now.

It figures.

I tell you, that man is an out-and-out fanatic.

He'd fight just as hard to smash the Sierra as he...

as he would to build it up.

Yeah. Well, I'll guarantee you,

I wasn't about to try to stop him out there.

He had... had too many guns with him.

Yeah. I don't know how many men

he has backing him, but he's got enough.

Well, most of the people in this town seem scared to death.

You think we can count on any of them?

I don't know, but we'll have to.

Without that stage,

Virginia City is no better than a ghost town,

and the Ponderosa is no better off.

How do you think we ought to go about it, Pa?

Well, we'll... talk to everybody in town,

see who we can count on.

Oh, that still isn't gonna be many.

Well, let's hope it's enough.

Come on.

Jed...

I guess there are a few honest citizens left in Latigo.

And they've decided it's time for you and your boys to leave.

Oh, now, Ben, there's no call

for you and me to have any trouble.

Fact is, I was just on my way to see you.

I wanted to offer you and your boys a deal.

No trouble...

and no deals.

Just leave.

Well, with all those brave citizens standing behind you,

I guess I'd be kind of foolish

to make this a showdown, wouldn't I, Ben?

Whose side are you gonna be on when I come back?

If they come back, we'll be ready for them.

Now, we'll get the supplies

and mail ready for Virginia City.

Until the Sierra sends out another man,

my sons and I will ride shotgun on the wagons.

Now, Corkland, I'd appreciate it very much

if you'd run the depot and...

Well, Mr. Cartwright, do-do you think

we're going about this in the right way?

Mr. Corkland,

if you like living in a... in a state of fear,

we're going at it all wrong.

But if you have any regard for yourself or your family,

we have no choice.

All right, Joe, take one of the men, find some wagons.

We're gonna need 'em if we're gonna load the supplies.

All right. Hey, Corkland, give me a hand, will ya?

How did it go?

No trouble at all.

I sneaked right up to the barn.

Everybody was so busy worrying about you coming back,

they never did see me.

What about the Cartwrights?

Well, the way I figure, they mean business.

Looks like they kind of took charge, you know?

Take things over.

All right.

Then we'll give 'em some business.

We'll wait until dusk.

We'll circle back into town.

They ought to still be in that barn, working.

We'll burn 'em out.

When they come running,

it ought to be like a turkey shoot for us.

Jed! That's murder you're planning.

You hold your tongue.

All right, maybe you got a reason to fight the Sierra,

but that's no reason

to shoot down the Cartwrights in cold blood.

I told you, you just shut up!

Well, that's 20, Pa.

Good.

There'll be a six-man guard

on the next wagon that rolls out of here.

Oh, say, I want you to pass the word around.

Every man will be on duty from now on.

12 hours on, 12 hours off.

Now, starting tonight...

Turn around.

You Cartwrights outside.

I'm escorting you out of Latigo.

So Trask is sending a woman to do his work, huh?

I'm trying to save your lives!

Ben...

Ben, please don't make me shoot.

Now, Belle, I...

Don't...

Don't use that rifle, Belle.

Now, put it down.

Oh, God.

Come on, Belle, sit down.

What was this all about?

Jed.

He's coming out after dark to burn you out.

Ben, you got to try to understand.

The Sierra was his life.

When they fired him, it was as if...

as if they tore out his heart.

Well, thank you, Belle, for coming to warn us.

It... It must have been a difficult thing for you to do.

He-He never killed

in cold blood.

Only defending himself

or... or the Sierra.

I'll take her to the hotel, Pa.

Yeah.

Come on, Belle.

Guess we better get ready for Trask.

Not yet.

Go on, go on.

Hold it! Hold it!

Hold your fire.

Come on!

All right, a couple of them are hit.

Somebody help them.

Trask...

you and the others...

come on out with your hands high,

or we'll burn you out!

Trask, I'm going to count to ten.

One...

two...

Only eight to go.

I'm getting out of here.

Shut up!

Three...

four...

Don't shoot!

Don't shoot! I'm coming out!

You silly...

Five...

six...

Why don't you stay and fight, you...

Gotta get over there, get 'em out!

Jed!

Jed!

Get hold of her.

Jed! Hold it!

You killed him! You killed him!

He's alive. He's inside the barn.

But not for long.

Time's up. Let's burn him out.

Look, I never had any intention of burning anybody out.

You're not figuring on taking him alone?

I'd like to talk to him.

We're going in with you.

Look, if we all go in, he'll start shooting,

somebody'll get hurt.

I think I can reason with him.

Trask?

I'd like to come in and talk to you.

Well, come ahead, Ben.

What's your proposition?

I'm willing to listen.

Careful, Pa.

Trask?

Trask?!

Trask!

Jed, I want to talk to you.

Jed?

Jed.

Let's go.

Belle?

Jed!

Jed.

Jed!

Oh, Jed.

Oh, Jed, Jed...

Jed...

Hey, Simms, where did you learn to spell?

Huh?

There's no "a" in freighters.

Oh...

See here, Simms.

I am not about to pay these freight bills.

Well, what kind of bone you got to pick now?

Why, the Sierra's robbing us blind.

These rates are sky-high.

I won't pay 'em.

Well, don't blame me, Mr. Walker.

I don't make the rates.

They're standard for everybody.

Now go on inside, and I'll show you.

Oh...

Hey, Pa, look... Belle Trask.

Yeah, I'd sure like to see those potatoes.

Yeah, they must be going way down in price

to be using them for targets.

Oh, I've had enough shooting to last me a lifetime,

particularly with somebody by the name of Trask

at the butt end of a gun.

However, since she is a friend of ours,

uh, why don't we stop off at the Comstock,

have dinner and see the show?

Hey. Good idea.

Okay.

This has been a color presentation

of the NBC Television Network.