The Big Valley (1965) s01e08 Episode Script

Get 'em all! Get 'em all! Happy birthday, miss audra.
Oh, is a beautiful cake, silas.
Thank you.
And this is for you, mother.
Happy birthday, darling.
And many, many more.
And this is for you, jarrod.
And this is for you.
Happy birthday, honey.
Hey, i'll take the cake if i don't have to kiss you.
Music! What about me? I'd like that piece in the middle there.
Get it yourself.
I wanna dance.
Uh, this dance was promised to me.
Well, thank you, big brother.
Boy howdy, you shoulïve been a surgeon.
Better let silas do that.
Yes.
Right.
Oh! Victoria! Whose birthday is this? You don't look a day over 19.
Jenny, you'd better watch this man.
If he keeps up that flattery, i'm liable to believe him.
Evan, is nice having you back and nice having you here.
Thank you, mrs.
Barkley.
Is nice being here.
Came home last night.
We didn't think you'd mind if he came along with us.
I'm delighted.
So thas audra.
She's changed a little since you saw her the last time.
Indeed, she has.
Come and have some cake, jenny.
It seems like only yesterday audra and i were children.
Oh, she could ride so well and run so fast, i'd sometimes forget she was a girl.
Ain't nobody gonna mistake her for a boy now.
What are you waiting for? Go get her before I excuse me.
May i cut in? Evan miles! Excuse me.
Why, you're looking at me as though well, i'm so surprised.
Pleasantly surprised? Yes.
Yes, i think so.
Very pleasant.
I wouldn't have missed your birthday party for anything.
How's college? You know, the last time we were this close, you you slapped me.
I was a child.
We were both children.
We shouldn't have brought him, wally.
Well, stop it, jenny.
He's my son ourson and i'm not lockin' him away in no attic.
Wally, if this beautiful lady isn't spoken for mrs.
Miles, may i have the pleasure of this dance? I thought you'd never ask me.
Good evenin', jarrod.
Wally, how are you? What have you been up to, aside from bein' too busy to visit an old friend now and then? My apologies, wally.
I haven't been able to see anyone, i've been so busy on a trial in san francisco.
One of the biggest ranches in california, and you're messin' around in law books.
Don't tell me your troubles.
How nice to see evan.
Has he finished college yet? No, he quit with my advice and consent.
Oh? I thought you were the one who was so keen on a college education.
I've got a big ranch, and just one son to leave it to.
I decided he could get all the education he needs by running my ranch right here.
Well, you're probably right at that.
I'm sure ill work out.
It will.
I know evan was kind of a wild kid, but maybe no more so than you and nick.
You cut up a little bit in your time.
Oh, ho, indeed we did.
Let me tell you somethin'.
When i was evan's age, i was kind of a wild kid myself.
It takes a good woman.
Sometimes, thas the answer, jarrod.
A good woman.
Uh, i think she's still a bit young for matchmaking, wally.
Maybe so.
Anyway, they seem to be doin' all right by themselves.
What would you do if i were to kiss you right now? I'd probably slap your face again.
Ah, it would be worth it.
Evan! Evan, would you be a dear and get me some punch, please? Oh, ask me to climb mount everest, slay the mighty dragons, swim the hellespont just some punch.
I'll wait right here.
It was so warm in there.
I thought i'd come out.
For a breath of fresh air, of course.
Is spiked, you know.
What did you do that for? No slap? Well, then, happy birthday, audra.
Thas enough, evan! Oh, no, sweetheart.
Not nearly enough.
I wanna go back.
Evan! Evan! Excuse me.
We've had this date for a long time, audra.
And, oh, how much sweeter for the waiting.
Stop screaming! I don't wanna hurt you! Stop it! Stop it, heath! Is all my fault! What happened? Heath! Evan! What happened? Why, that little nick! Audra.
Is all right, pa.
It was just a little misunderstandin'.
I'm afraid your son got out of line.
Did he, now? What happened, audra? Not now, wally.
Did he drag you in here? I said, not now! Victoria, i'm sorry.
You're sorry? The way i see it, the apologies are owed us.
Sometimes, girls get what they ask for.
Wally, i'll overlook that remark.
Wally.
The party's over.
Looks like it.
Come on, jenny.
Evan.
Happy birthday, audra.
We were never properly introduced.
L-i guess we know each other now, don't we? Now, why don't you stop fussing and go to bed? Is late.
I couldn't sleep.
Well, i couldn't either.
I don't think there's anything to worry about.
Evan just went a little bit too far, and audra brought him up short with a slight assist from heath.
I wish it were that simple.
Well, i think it will be.
Wally's just quick to get up a head of steam.
He'll be all right after he's had a night to think on it.
I know wally and jenny better than you do.
Well, maybelonger.
Oh, i know wally's quick to anger, but this is the first time in over 25 years of friendship they've left our home without saying good-bye.
Yes, but you forget this is about evan, and wally's never been able to think very straight when it comes to him.
You know, wally and jenny had a working ranch when your father and i first arrived in this valley.
And we were more than just neighbors reaching out to help each other.
Much more.
I remember the night you were born.
Jenny was sick.
She was never a physically strong woman.
Anyhow, you weren't due for about two weeks, and your father was in town on business.
A few hours after he left, the first pains started.
I was alone in the house.
We didn't have any help in those days.
And out of the clear blue, here comes wally.
He said that jenny's illness was not that serious, but babies well, you couldn't count on babies keeping a schedule.
And he he rode over just in case.
He took me to the doctor, but we never made it.
We got as far as their ranch, and between the three of us, we managed to deliver a son.
I had no idea.
I see i'm not the only one who can't get to sleep.
Well, i for one am gonna try.
Good night, mother.
Good night.
Good night, sweetheart.
Mother, do you think maybe I i'm to blame for what happened? Should i? I don't know.
When we were dancing, I i thought how nice that evan was back.
And yet, there was something strange about him.
Thas what confuses me.
I wanted him to kiss me, and i arranged it so we could be alone.
I didn't feel that i was doing anything wrong, but at the same time, i wasn't sure.
So for that much, i am to blame.
But the rest of it maybe i'm to blame for that too.
Oh, if i hadn't felt so cold inside, so-so repelled i think thas what angered him.
I think he knew what i was feeling.
Oh, mother, tell me what to do.
I think i should apologize, and-and still, i don't honestly feel i've done anything wrong.
What should i do? I know what we both should do.
Is been a long day and an even longer night.
Les get some sleep.
Victoria.
Jenny.
May i come in? Of course.
L-i was just, uh, fixing flowers.
Oh, jenny.
Oh, i'm so glad, even if it wasn't your place to come here.
Oh, nonsense.
The only thing thas important is to get this settled, and as quickly as possible.
Sit down.
Thank you.
- How is audra? - Oh, she's still a bit upset, but fine.
I'll get some coffee.
I made some cakes too.
Jenny, before you go, as close as we've been, as much as we've meant to each other, i would never have come here today, but audra and i talked well, as i was saying, audra and i talked it over, and she feels she was to blame.
Well, victoria, this started out to be a very bad day, but you've brightened it considerably.
Well, i guess maybe we could all use a good hot cup of coffee now.
Don't forget the cakes.
No hard feelings? No.
I didn't sleep two winks last night.
I didn't either.
None of this would have happened if not for heath.
Maybe.
But he's a headstrong boy.
Plunges in, asks questions later.
Bet he feels a little foolish for the way he acted.
I guess he thought he was protecting audra.
Protectin' her? Against what? Now, look, victoria, i thought by now id be clear to you what happened.
Wally, why don't we just let it drop? Audra has admitted that she may have led evan on a bit.
A bit? Audra's a mighty fetchin' little girl, and last night, well, it was obvious to anyone with eyes, any man's eyes, she was feelin' like a woman.
And evan's a man.
There, now, we've said our little piece, and is over.
How about supper tonight, victoria? Oh, i'm sorry, dear.
We have an engagement where have you been, son? You've got alkali all over you.
Oh.
Lookin' over the boundaries of the ranch.
Thas what you wanted me to do today, isn't it, pa? Um, mrs.
Barkley, I i don't know whether or not you feel you have an apology coming, but is all been taken care of, son.
Well well, i had the feeling maybe I-i owed you something.
Well, i guess thas all taken care of though.
Excuse me.
See you soon, jenny.
Yep.
Good-bye, victoria.
My, oh, my.
What a pretty woman you are, victoria.
Well, thank you, wally.
She's a fine woman, wally.
I never realized until today just how fine.
Yeah, her daughter was in the wrong, and victoria admitted it.
I think she's just giving us the benefit of the doubt.
All right, jenny.
Wally? You promised me you'd talk to evan.
Is over.
Not just about last night.
Maybe that wasn't his fault, and maybe is the beginning of more trouble.
New trouble.
For the love of heaven, jenny, quit harping! You've got to talk to him.
I've lost him, wally.
He's your son now.
You've got to talk to him.
We've got to give him a chance.
Thas what we decided when we brought him home, wasn't it? We've got to give him a chance to find himself.
While he's doing that, how long do we wait, wally? How many people have to get hurt? Evan, why don't you ride into stockton tonight? A ranch man's got to smell a little perfume once in a while, right? Nick.
Alkali.
Alkali? Loaded with it.
One good water hole on the whole south section, and is gotta be bad.
I wonder how alkali got in there.
Ground water came up through and touched a vein of the stuff, i guess.
There's another water hole up in that pass.
- We gotta get these horses to water.
- How far back? Oh, about three, four mile.
There's a trail that goes through miles's spread and ours.
Ill save a lot of climbin'.
Meanwhile, you better take care of these ponies.
Thanks a lot.
I'll see to it that a fence is put around the water hole.
The horses won't drink it, but the cattle might.
Whas this all about? Offhand, i'd say is, uh, four strands of barbed wire.
- I presume you can read that sign there.
- Whas the idea? Then they didn't teach ya to read wherever it is you grew up.
As i understand, this path runs between our properties.
Oh, no.
The way i understand it, the miles and barkley ranches divide right here.
Look, i've got a bunch of nervous, thirsty and skittish horses here, and i'm takin' 'em through to water up at the spring.
Les suppose you take that wire down.
Thas trespassin'.
Oh, look.
I'm a reasonable man.
If the barkleys wanna use it, have 'em send someone over from the family to, uh, to reason with me.
Audra'll do.
Now, you look.
I'm not takin' these ponies five miles around just because of you.
I've got a better idea.
Now, i'm roundin' up those ponies and i'm comin' through.
Evan! Wally! Evan! What happened, evan? What happened, son? Heath barkley.
You're bleeding.
He wanted to come through our property.
I never meant to stop him.
Let me but you're hurt! I just wanted to make sure he knew it wasourproperty! Well, you finally got the trouble you was askin' for.
And this time, it was no part of evan's doing! Evan! And i'll tell you something else.
This time, we've got more than an apology coming, and, by heaven, we're gonna get it! Stop.
Well, if it wasn't broad daylight, i'd think i was dreaming.
A beautiful dream.
Welcome to the miles ranch, audra.
Evan, we we have to talk.
Sure, we do, in private.
Evan, this this trouble between our families started with us, and it can end with us.
A happy ending? Maybe it was partly, maybe it was all my fault for giving you the wrong idea.
Well, it was a very right idea.
A beautifully right idea, if only that dimwitted half-brother of yours evan, please.
Please, les not go over that again.
It was a mistake, all of it.
And now well, now, if you'd if you'd just come over and talk to my mother oh, gladly.
What should we talk about? While i apologize to your parents.
Am i hearing things? Are you suggesting that i apologize for for kissing the most adorable, provocative and here i thought you'd come on a mission of peace and love.
All right, evan.
You don't have to apologize.
Just just come over and talk to my family.
Oh, great.
First, it was your mother.
Now, is your family.
Evan, it makes no sense pressing charges against heath.
Oh, it doesn't? He trespassed, destroyed private property.
Well, for that, you either shoot a man, or you you go to the sheriff.
Heath can consider himself lucky my father chose to go to the sheriff.
We've always used that path.
I know that.
But not anymore.
As a matter of fact, my father is fencing off all our property.
Well, you will come over to settle this, won't you? Well, as i said before, why don't we, uh, settle this in private? I have to go now.
Evan, let me go.
All right, audra.
We'll leave it at that for now, and, uh, and live to fight another day, or night.
What was she doing here? Oh, she asked me to stop by the barkley ranch some night.
Wants me to apologize.
Well, it might not be a bad idea.
Oh, she's a clever little minx, all right.
She came over to tell me how sorry she is about everything.
"Come over to my place, evan, and talk to mother.
" Probably find nick, jarrod and eugene waitin' to jump me the way heath did.
Audra would never do a thing like that.
Oh, wouldn't she? Some barkley cattle just took a stretch out of the new fence.
Oh, no, those barkleys would never do a thing like that, would they? Mount up! Brace it in down there in the corner.
Here they come! Get your rifle! Wally? I understand you're holding three of our cows.
Thas right.
Theywereyour cows.
- Send 'em back.
- Not a chance.
They busted down our fence.
They'll be held for damages.
Wally, now, don't act stupid.
Those cows are our property.
You send 'em back, or we'll come in and get 'em.
You cross that line, and we'll start shootin'.
Don't come any further, nick! I'm warnin' ya! No.
Heath, forgive me, boy.
I swear to you, nick, i only meant to warn you off my land.
Where'd that shot come from? Where'd it come from? - How is he? - He's fine.
Dr.
Merar says he has to rest for a few days.
There's some medicine we have to pick up in town.
I'll get it.
- I was going in anyway.
- What about his arm? I'm afraid his arm will be out of action for a while.
Well, i still got the use of both of mine.
Nick, for the love of heaven, how do you think this is going to help heath? If he had moved a couple inches, we'd be burying him.
I know how it could have been.
And the next time, i know how the next time, let it happen tothem! Them? Them, nick? Them meaning wally or jenny or evan? No.
No, violence never solved anything.
If your father had understood that, he woulïve been alive today.
My father understood what he had to do.
Mother, there are times when you have to fight no matter what it leads to.
Listen to me! My father believed that, and i'm his son! You were his son, but he's dead.
Now you're mine, and i'm asking you to honor my wishes.
There will be no more bloodshed, nick.
No more! It was an accident.
But in a way, they asked for it.
If they hadn't come bustin' across that fence.
It shouldn't have happened, not for any reason.
An accident.
A crazy, stupid it was an accident, i tell you.
Jenny, you can't think i wanted to see that boy shot.
Who did it, wally? I don't know.
Find out.
Find out who did the shooting! Where have you been, evan? Stockton.
Havin' a little fun.
Well, us ranchers gotta smell a little perfume once in a while, right, pa? You didn't ask about heath barkley.
Oh, yeah.
How is the dear boy? He'll be laid up for a while, but the wound wasn't serious.
Thas too bad.
I mean, about him being laid up a while.
I've been asking around trying to find out who fired that shot.
Learn anything? Some of the men think it might have been you.
Is that so? Well, don't see as how they could tell that.
All of us were shootin' at your orders.
The way the bullet hit, they say it couldn't come from anywhere but where you were standing.
Well, is possible.
Is also possible it coulïve been a ricochet.
Is that your opinion? Well, either it was an accident, a ricochet, or somebody was trying to kill heath.
A ricochet.
Yeah, thas what i'd say happened.
A ricochet.
Come on, boy.
Well, however it happened, son, is time we ended this thing.
Time we showed 'em we wanna be good neighbors again.
Oh, but the barkleys started it, pa.
But if you want thas what i want.
Yes, thas what i want.
I wanna see this thing ended.
Well, uh, i'd be glad to help you.
You just tell me what you want me to do.
Well, maybe, for a little while anyways, maybe id be a good idea if you went away.
Is that what you want? Is not a question of what i want.
Is just till things calm down around here.
Is not like i'm shippin' you off again.
Is just for a little while to san francisco.
Nothin' wrong with that, is there? Talk about smelling perfume once in a while.
There's nothin' wrong with san francisco, is there? You'll pick up your train ticket this evening.
Is not like you're shipping me away again.
Is that it? San francisco ain't school.
You'll have lots of money.
You need more sure, sure, everything i need.
Just like always everything i need.
Well, thas just fine, pa.
Thas just fine.
Oh, son.
Want your sugar? Hello, audra.
It is my father's wish that we become friends again.
We'll kiss.
We'll kiss and make up.
What, not even a kiss good-bye? I'm leaving the valley, audra.
Under fire, as it were, but leaving nonetheless.
You and your brother saw to that.
Oh, don't fight it.
Thas one thing i can teach you.
What shall be shall be.
Don't, evan.
I'll scream.
Of course you will.
And you'll fight, and you'll kick, and you'll my father talks about the scent of a woman's perfume.
This medicine, is for heath.
He's waiting.
Let him wait! I've been waiting too, audra.
Since you kissed me, i've been waiting too.
Don't scream.
Don't do that, audra! I beg of you, don't do that.
You must not scream.
I want to be gentle.
Please, let me be gentle.
You shouldn't have done that, audra.
Why did you have to do that? Evan! Let her go! Evan! Evan, let her go! I just wanted to kiss you.
Evan! Evan, for the love of god, don't make me kill you! Audra! Audra.
Audra! Audra! Oh, my darling.
Oh! Oh, mother.
- Is all my fault.
- No, no.
Is true, mother.
Is true.
At my party, showing myself off, trying to conquer every man there.
Darling, you mustn't.
Here, have some of this.
I never i never dreamed it could lead to this.
Audra, evan isn't dead because you smiled at him, a woman's smile.
I let him kiss me.
He'd be alive if he hadn't.
Now, you listen to me.
I won't let you blame yourself any more than i blame myself.
I've asked myself over and over, what else could i have done? Well, the the truth is, the the fault isn't in you.
It isn't in me.
It was in that boy.
If only i could make wally and jenny understand.
The sheriff would like to talk to you now.
Jenny.
Evan! Evan! Jenny.
Evan! Evan.
Mrs.
Barkley, audra, do you mind? Jenny, wally, I i woulïve given my life you killed him in cold blood.
You killed him.
Mrs.
Barkley, jarrod gave me the facts.
The story, sheriff.
Her story.
It was cold-blooded murder, and i'll prove it in court.
Wally, you'll get your chance.
There'll have to be an inquest, ma'am.
I understand.
Wally, i told the truth.
I know exactly what happened.
She invited him here.
I heard it myself.
She invited him to an ambush! Thas not true.
I swear, thas not true! You heard audra invite him in here? Jarrod, this can wait for the inquest.
She invited him, and evan turned her down because he knew what she had in mind! Wally, i know how you feel, but go home.
This'll all come out at the inquest.
All right.
We'll let it wait.
We'll prove it in court it was murder.
Wally? I'm sorry, but i think you'd better stay and hear what i have to say.
Sheriff, i realize this isn't exactly the place for an inquest, but perhaps it would be better for all of us to get it over and done with right here and now.
Jarrod, you know better than that.
We can't have a private hearing a public inquest is exactly what i'd like to avoid, fred.
I don't see any reason for the rest of the state to hear what what only we have to know.
You think you can scare me with your lawyer's tricks? Wally, i know about evan.
I'd wondered for a long time why you kept sending him away to school when all you really wanted was for him to run the ranch.
And after the fight at the party, after heath got shot, i had to find out.
Thas why i came back tonight.
Too late to save him, but not too late to save my mother and sister.
And maybe in time, to save you and jenny from i'll get a lawyer, a good lawyer, to fight you in court.
Les go, jenny.
Evan was leaving home again tonight, wasn't he? He was leaving town.
At your request? A lot had happened.
I thought he needed deserved a vacation.
Considering what had happened, why do you suppose he stopped by here? Because she invited him! Into this barn, into an ambush? No, wally.
Maybe he was leaving town.
Maybe he just wanted to say good-bye.
Wanted to say good-bye so badly that he'd risk walking into what he believed was an ambush? You don't believe that.
Evan had been in trouble a few times before, hadn't he? More than once.
If you think you can bluff me, scare me with them papers in fact, he'd been arrested quite a few times.
He never spent a minute behind bars.
Wasn't that because he was never charged with a crime that you couldn't take care of? Either by paying the fine or seeing to it that the charges weren't pressed? He set fire to a college dormitory back east.
You paid to have it rebuilt, didn't you? All right, he has gotten into a few scrapes.
"Aggravated assault.
$200 fine.
Six months probation.
" "Assault with a deadly weapon.
Sentence: One year.
Suspended.
" "Evan miles, expelled from college.
Turned over to the authorities.
Charge: Malicious mischief.
" A few scrapes, wally? You're goin' to dig up every piece of dirt you can find, ain't you? I only hope and pray that i found enough, enough to convince you and the public prosecutor to let this thing end right here.
Wally, i don't want these things aired in court, do you? For one, that business of settin' fire to the college, that was a fake, a college boy prank.
"Boston.
Charge: Assault with intent to kill.
" A prank, wally? Evan's dead! Quit crucifyin' him! And they're still alive, wally.
What do you think you're doing to them? - And to jenny? - Oh, stop it! Oh, god, stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! For the love of god, let him rest in peace.
Let our son rest in peace.
There's no more reason to lie.
We knew him.
We saw his sickness.
We knew the terrible things he did.
We both know it, don't we, wally? Come on, wally.
Les go home.
I wonder whas keeping them.
I thought they'd be home long before now.
Well, stop worrying about it and concentrate on the game.
Look who's talking about concentrating.
Thas a spade, not a club.
Oh.
Sorry.
Well, is all over.
The prosecutor decided there'd be no point in a public inquest.
He ruled justifiable homicide.
I'd say the sooner we put this whole thing behind us, the better.
Mother, wally and jenny miles knew what evan was.
Why did they defend him for so long? Wally answered that.
We were only friends, but evan was his son.
And when your child is in trouble, you defend him without question, without reservation.
The way i had to defend you when that moment came.
There are times when there just isn't any other choice.