Bonanza s01e15 Episode Script

I just don't understand it, Little Joe.
Dang ole ram tracks are everywhere.
Looks to me like he's just walking around and around in a circle.
Yeah, we just don't have any luck, that's all.
Dang the wet boots.
(grunts) (cocking gun) This one's stuck worse than the other one.
(gunshot) Doggone you! Well now you're gonna get it.
What are you talking about, Little Joe? You know what I'm talking about.
(groans) Little Joe, what's the matter with you? You let me go so I can bust you one.
HOSS: Not till I find out what's ailing ya.
LITTLE JOE: You spoiled a perfect shot I had at him.
At-at who? That ole big horn we've been tracking! Little Joe, you sure this high altitude ain't got you a little-- little light-headed.
I just saw him.
Where? Up there-- where we just come from.
(laughs) You laughing at me? Not at you, Little Joe.
At us.
We've been chasing that ole big horn for two weeks and this is the first time we've laid eyes on him.
You know why? Because all that time he's been tracking us! (both laughing) HOSS: Come on.
We gotta get back and get out of here.
LITTLE JOE: Can't we stay up just one more day? Well, you can if you want to, Little Joe, but I'll come up next spring, and dig your froze carcass out of that snow.
All right, we'll start packing out tomorrow.
Yeah, boy.
You get real busy now and round up some grub for your big brother 'fore I faint plum away.
Okay, beans and bacon coming up.
(theme song playing) Injun! (explosive popping) Hey! (popping continues) You all right, Little Joe? Will be as soon as my ears stop popping.
(popping continues) Check that thievin' Indian over there.
Well, there's the last of our supplies and a little ammunition we had left.
Hey, Hoss, come here.
Look at this.
Shoshone, ain't she? Yeah, that's that's a Shoshone headband she's got on.
She's cold.
I'll make some coffee.
Didn't get hit by one of them stray bullets, did she? No, she-she ain't been hit.
Yeah, well, this coffee will fix her up.
Never mind.
What do you mean, never mind? What's wrong with her? Little Joe, this squaw's gonna have a baby.
And soon.
(horse neighs) (birdlike whistling) (whistling continues) Did ya find 'em? No, not a sign.
I went clear to the top of that peak.
I could see for miles.
There's nothing.
I just don't understand it, Little Joe.
Young girl in her condition would try to stick close to her tribe-- unless of course they-- she gets lost and they just run off and leave her or something.
No, she's not lost, Hoss.
(woman groaning) How could you tell? By the deer trail she took.
Every time they branched off, she took the one either south or east.
She knew where she was going.
Southeast that'd take her right into Paiute country, wouldn't it? Hey, maybe her tribe was looking for a few scalps.
No.
Wasn't no raiding party.
Shoshone's too smart for that.
They wouldn't want to get caught this side of the mountains with big snow just on its way.
Where was she heading, then? What else is southeast of here? Only thing I can think of is Virginia City.
(woman panting) Virginia City.
(groans) (crying) Well, her fever's down some, anyhow.
Hey, she looks better to me.
Yeah.
There's one thing for certain, though-- the time's nearing, she's gonna be needing a woman to help with the birthing.
You sure you didn't see nothin' of them, Little Joe? No smoke? No tracks? No nothing? No, nothing.
They're gonna be able to find us, though, if we're west of Kansas City.
All they gotta do is follow their smellers.
I reckon you're referrin' to my cooking.
I'm referring to that stink you're making.
What is it? Them's wild roots and mesquite beans.
Mesquite beans? Yep.
That's cattle fodder! Yep.
It's gonna be your dinner, Little Joe.
And matter of fact, you're liable to be living on this till we get out of here.
Oh, no! Mm-mm.
I'm gonna go shoot me some game.
Oh, no, you ain't.
We gotta save what ammunition we got left for an emergency.
Oh, look, Hoss, we can't-- we can't eat cattle fodder! You eat beefsteak, don't ya? Yeah, well, sure, what's that got to do with it? Well, it'll just make you appreciate what an old steer goes through for you.
Here, eat hearty, little brother.
Do I have to? No.
No, you don't have to.
You could starve to death.
You know, it's kinda sweet, you know? Sure.
(coughs) If a fellow could get used to that smell.
(groans and gasps) Hey, she's coming to.
Get some water.
Quick! Huh? You're spilling it! All right, just hold the cup still.
Here now.
I want you to drink some of this.
It'll be good for you.
Ma'am, ain't nobody gonna hurt you.
Go on, now.
You drink some of this.
That's the way.
That's the way.
Her pulse is stronger.
You think she understood you? Well, if she didn't, little brother, we're in a peck of trouble.
My name's Joe Cartwright.
This is my brother, Hoss.
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
We're from Virginia City.
That's where you were heading, wasn't it? Where's your tribe? Ma'am, you-you better tell us.
You're gonna be needing some help-- and-and quick.
Ain't no use.
She don't understand nothing.
Yeah, or won't.
Here.
Help me get her straightened up here so she can eat.
Yeah.
Come on now.
Put that under here.
Yeah.
Now, then.
Here.
This is good Indian food.
Good.
Eat.
I can't say's I blame her.
You keep your smart talk to yourself, little brother.
Case you know it or not, we-- we got a peck of grief on our hands here.
This is good food.
It's Indian food.
It'll make you strong again.
Now I ain't gonna take no nonsense.
You come on here and-and eat for your baby.
That's the way.
Take it sorta easy at first.
Kinda let your insides get used to the idea.
That's the way.
See the way her eyes lit up when you mentioned her baby? She understood every word you were saying.
I don't know.
Any female carryin' a young just naturally knows what's expected.
Yeah, well, she must know her time is near.
She knows.
LITTLE JOE: Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's get her to a doctor or a midwife or somebody before it's too late! It's already too late, Little Joe.
That girl will die if we try to move her down this mountain.
Now, that's what's been spooking me all along.
How do you know she'll die? You ain't no doctor.
You said so yourself.
Yeah, well, I know that much about females.
Yeah, horses or cows, maybe.
You don't know nothin' about women females.
HOSS: I know less than nothing, but we're gonna have to learn, little brother.
LITTLE JOE: There must be some other way.
Yeah.
Yeah, we we could just leave her up here.
May-Maybe her people will find her.
Maybe.
Well, anyway, it's not our responsibility.
We didn't ask her to get landed up with us.
No, we sure didn't.
Well, we'd bungle the job anyway.
Yeah.
Hoss? Huh? You ever seen a baby birthed? You know I ain't.
How soon do you think it'll be? I don't know.
Maybe today or tomorrow.
Maybe next week.
I don't know.
(animal howling) We just better pray the snow holds off.
Yeah.
Doggone.
Dog-doggone.
HOSS: Oh, no, you ain't.
We gotta save what ammunition we got left for an emergency.
I ain't gonna save nothing.
HOSS: Little Joe! Oh, doggone! Thought I told you to save that ammunition.
Well, you tell that stupid nanny-goat to quit grinnin' at me! Little brother, you sure you ain't just a little bit sun-touched? You ought not to-- you ought not to come out of camp without your hat on, Little Joe.
I ain't sun-touched! I'm hungry! I spent a whole day pickin' these stinking mesquite beans-- look what I got to show for it! Well, you ought to picked a bushel basket by now.
Dadgum it, have I got to do everything? Forget it.
These bushes have been stripped clean.
There was a whole herd of mule deer come through here last night.
Tracks everywhere.
Blast it! As if we ain't got enough grief! Well, come on back into camp.
I need you to help me with that gal.
She-she ain't No.
No, it ain't what you think.
No such luck.
Come on.
Eh, doggone you.
Hey! Yeah, it looks pretty nice.
Why don't you ever make one of those for me? Well, the next time you're expecting, you just let me know.
Get some of them sticks over there.
Oh, these? Yeah.
Eh, what are the stakes for? These are for her to tug on as soon as her labor starts.
Here, drive one in over there at arm's length.
(pounding) Ma'am, I sure hope you know you got yourself mixed up with a couple of prune pickers.
What we don't know about delivering babies would scare you to death.
Fetch that shovel over there.
Yeah, now, dig a pit right there deep enough to hold a batch of hot coals.
Can't we heat the water outside? Well, we're going to.
But this is to steam some sage leaves.
Sage leaves? What good's that gonna do her? Well, how should I know? What do you mean how should you know? What are we gonna do it for then? Well, I heard an Indian agent telling Pa one time this is what all Shoshone women always did.
Yeah, what else did they tell you? Well, then we gotta get some rabbit pelts to swaddle the baby in soon as he gets here.
Mm-hmm.
And what then? Then we gotta find a-- find an old cottonwood tree someplace.
Oh, we gotta find an old cottonwood tree? Yeah, one with a-- with a dry rot.
Gotta find an old cottonwood tree that's got the dry rot.
Yeah.
So's we can scoop out that dry rot and pulverize it up real fine like.
And we scoop out some of that dry rot and pulverize it up real fine.
We don't know why we're doing that either, do we? Yeah.
For baby powder! Youngun's gotta have baby powder, ain't he? No, no, no.
You can't even have a baby without baby powder.
Where you going? I know where there's an old cottonwood tree down by the lake.
I'm gonna get us some baby powder makings.
(ducks quacking) (quacking continues) Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Oh, I'm gonna get me one of them.
Save your ammunition.
You willing to get wet for your supper? I'll just as soon die of pneumonia as starvation.
All right.
You go rustle us up some branches.
Make it snappy, be quiet about it.
There ain't nothin' as skittery as a wild duck.
Okay.
(quacking) (gasping sputter) * (muffled groan) (ducks quacking) (quacking continues) * Well, she sure didn't get much down.
I told you not to put those pine nuts in her soup.
Pine nuts are nourishing.
Well, so is duck.
She ain't hardly got enough strength to swallow soup.
I don't know what she'd do with that roast duck.
Well, I'm gonna give her lessons right now.
Oh.
Hey, Hoss? Yeah? How far you think she come before she ran into us? Shoshone nation's 200 miles north of here.
Maybe she was traveling with her husband.
He had an accident or something.
It ain't that simple.
For some reason or other that girl had to get into Virginia City.
I don't think we're gonna find out till she gets good and ready to tell us.
Here.
Some duck.
Tomorrow we'll fetch some rabbit snares.
* Hey, Hoss? Yep? That lake was frozen over this morning.
Saw a herd of deer going down through the pass.
It's kinda surprising that she don't take the hint, ain't it? Eh, why should she? She's got it made.
Got a nice room, plenty of food.
Two dumb clucks to wait on her hand and foot.
Oh, she's in no hurry.
Injuns! (laughing) (laughing continues) Little Joe, you could've dang near killed me with that stinkin' thing.
(both laugh) You should've seen the look on your face! You looked like a-- you looked like a hog that's stuck with a porcupine quill.
(all laughing) Hey.
Hey, this Sphinx has a sense of humor.
(gasps) (crying) Little Joe, don't just stand there gawking! Get that sage! Get the sage! Where's the sage? What sage? The sage I told ya to get for the steaming! You told me you were gonna get the sage.
Me? Have I gotta get everything? Well, I'm tired of you yelling at me.
You want sage, just tell me-- I'll get it! Oh, no you don't.
You-you get that boiling water and follow me in there with it, you hear? Get it! Oh, I wish you'd make your-- Wish you'd make up your mind! Sage and then boiling water.
I don't know nothin' about having babies.
Here's the water, Hoss.
Put it right there.
You scared? Yeah.
But I don't reckon-- reckon half as much as she is.
Put down those windbreakers.
(baby crying) (baby cooing) (sighs) Ain't you never seen a baby before? Here.
Here, take-take him over there by the fire.
Now, hold him easy and keep your hand on his back so his little head don't fall down.
Yeah.
There.
(chuckles) Be careful.
Don't stumble over them big feet of yours.
(baby crying) My-my-my baby girl? Is she all right? You speak English better'n I do! Please, tell me.
How come you held out on us? Is she-she perfect? Your baby's perfect.
It is pretty as a brand-new penny.
(baby crying) Only she ain't a she.
He's a he.
What's the matter? I thought, I thought all Shoshone women made big medicine to their God so they'd have nothing but boy babies.
(baby crying) All right.
You get some rest.
You're gonna have a lot of explaining to do.
(baby crying) Hey, Hoss? Yeah? You take a good look at this baby? What'd you do to him? He was all right when I gave him to you.
I didn't do nothing to him.
Look at him, he's got blue eyes.
(baby crying) Ain't no Indian baby ever had blue eyes.
This boy's father's a white man.
Well, it looks like we eat fish again tonight.
Rabbit snares are all empty.
Well, the fish trap's empty, too.
What are we gonna do now? I don't know.
Did you notice the sky today? As clear as a crystal glass.
Complaining? I could smell the snow piling up there for almost a week.
We got a reprieve.
Listen.
I don't hear anything.
No birds, no wind, no nothing.
Hey, come to think of it, I haven't heard anything all day.
Didn't see that old big horn, either.
Not a living thing.
Pa says that wild animals always know when a big storm's due.
Look, we gotta get down off this mountain.
And quick.
Yeah, maybe tomorrow.
Have to see about the girl first.
Well, by all means, let's give the lady every consideration! Doesn't make any difference she won't tell us her name.
Now, let's be gentlemen and Cartwrights to the bitter end.
Oh, Little Joe, this has been worrying you like a hound dog with a burr in his rump.
Forget it! I reckon she's got her reasons for keeping quiet.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna find out her reasons, and everything else about her before she gets us in any deeper.
Well, how you figuring on doing that? Well, you just watch me.
(humming) (baby crying) (stops humming) (baby crying) Oh, don't stop on account of us.
Personally, I'd like to hear something besides my brother's yacking.
Leave her alone, Little Joe.
You know, Hoss says you talk better than he does.
That ain't much to crow about, but I I'd certainly like to hear a sample.
Your name maybe? You know, we've been pretty decent to you.
I think we're entitled to know a little bit more about you.
For instance, why were you going to Virginia City? Aw, Little Joe, quit jawing at her.
If she don't want to talk to us, I-I reckon that's her business.
Yeah, well, it seems to me she's made us part of her business.
If I'm gonna get my scalp lifted for a runaway Shoshone, I think I'd die a lot easier if I knew some of the details.
HOSS: What makes you think she's a runaway? Now, look at her face.
You're gonna tell me she's not a runaway? Where did you get this? Not far from camp.
HOSS: And you didn't tell me about it? LITTLE JOE: Just wanted to see the look on her face first.
Could have been dropped last month, or-or even last year.
Yeah, or last night.
Did you see any other signs? No.
No, it could have been could have been lost by a scout on his way back to get the rest of the party.
And look, don't try to try to make me feel like a louse, either.
I had to find something out, and I found it out, that's all.
We didn't do no such a thing.
That's a war medicine bag.
It's forbidden for a Shoshone woman to even lay eyes on it.
No wonder the poor little old thing's half scared to death.
Where you going? I'm going up on that mountainside and take a look around.
(baby crying) I'm sorry.
I guess it was sort of a mean trick.
I didn't know about the taboo.
Guess you have your reasons for not wanting to answer our questions.
Just, it gets so doggone aggravating! (wind whistling) (wind whistling) (bird-like calling) Relax.
It's Hoss.
(bird-like whistling) Get the pack horse.
We're leaving.
Shoshones? No, it's a blizzard.
It's forming over there behind that ridge to the north.
Well, I tried to tell you.
Make it snappy.
We got to get out of here and through that pass before the storm hits.
You know, for the last couple of miles, I could swear we were being watched.
Ah, I think it's that gal, Little Joe.
Well, she's got me spooked, too.
Yeah, I think she senses something.
Wonder if that medicine bag could have been a fresh sign, after all.
Maybe.
But right now, it's what's up there that's got me worried.
Yeah.
How far do you think it is to the pass? I don't know.
About About two or three miles, I reckon.
Well, we'll never make it before dark.
Well, we'll have to make it after dark, then.
Why don't you go on ahead? I want to backtrack and have a look around.
(horse neighing) (thud) (baby crying) My baby! My baby! Here.
Just take it easy.
I'll get the baby.
Whoa, there.
Whoa, whoa.
(neighing) (baby crying) Your baby's all right.
He's okay.
(woman crying) I think we better We better rest here for a while.
Well, there's no sign of them.
Adam, they're a week overdue.
I never knew 'em to get home yet on time.
Surely Hoss'd have enough sense to know this is a storm sky.
Something's happened to them.
Let's get going.
Hyah! (bird-like call) (bird-like whistling) (horse neighing) I thought you said you were going on.
Shh! Don't wake her up.
She's too tired to go on.
Yeah, that makes two of us.
You see anything? No.
I think there's something else out there besides my imagination.
I can't shake the feeling that they're out there watching us, just waiting.
Yeah, but waiting for what? We're just two guns against a whole Shoshone war party? Why, we wouldn't stand a chance.
If they're really out there, why don't they show themselves? I think she could tell us.
All right, if it'll make you any happier, I'll stand watch tonight.
Now go on and eat your supper.
Eh Just what I wanted-- mesquite beans.
And wild roots.
(scoffs) (wind whistling) Hoss, would you do me a favor? What? Please don't ask me to go hunting with you again.
(laughs) (chuckles) (animal howling in distance) (yawns) Little Joe? Little Joe? Hmm? Yeah.
What do you want? Did you put that there? No.
Then we're in real big trouble.
Well, I told you they were following us.
What do you think they're waiting for? I don't know, but I ain't planning on sitting here and waiting to find out.
Wake that girl up and let's get out of here.
(whispers): Yeah.
Hey.
Hoss! Well, some guard you turned out to be.
Wait a minute.
There ain't no Indian war party that would stuff these blankets just to fool us.
For some reason or other, that gal was afraid I'd wake up and catch her gone.
Yeah, that still doesn't explain this knife or those tracks.
Must have been a half a dozen Shoshones in here last night.
Yeah.
She must have known they were tracking us, too.
For some reason or another, Little Joe, that gal didn't want them Indians to catch her.
That knife was a warning not to interfere.
Well, we're going to interfere.
Let's go.
(baby crying) (woman whimpering) (crying) (men speaking native language) (gasps) (gunshot) (horses neighing) (speaking native language) (baby crying) (woman gasps) (sighs) (shot firing) (gunfire continues) Whoa.
(panting) Pa, Adam.
I, uh I guess you've been worrying about us, huh, Pa? Pa, we can we can explain everything.
We was gonna start down on time, but (baby crying) I guess we better show him, Hoss, eh? Ain't gonna believe us otherwise.
Come on.
(baby continues crying) I'd hoped you boys had more sense than that.
Well, Pa, after all we'd been through with her, we we couldn't just walk off and leave her up there.
We just naturally brung her and that young'un home with us.
Is that all? Hey, well, Pa, you act like we did something wrong.
Coming between a Shoshone woman and her people is not something wrong; it's just plain stupidity.
Yeah, I thought you boys went up there to hunt big horn sheep.
Oh, Adam, this is a serious matter.
Well, this is a fine homecoming.
That's all I got to say.
(door opening, closing) Next time you bring baby home, you bring laundry boy.
Hop Sing got no time for washing diaper! Come on.
(baby whimpering) (crying) How is she, Doctor? Very weak.
The surprising thing is how the baby came through it without a sniffle.
Well, now, that ain't too surprising, Doc, seeing as who brought him into the world.
Yeah, he had some help, too.
Yeah, about as much help as a sore thumb.
My boys don't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation.
They don't know who the girl is or why the tribe went to so much trouble trying to recapture her.
The baby's father is undoubtedly a white man, Ben.
That might explain why she's running away from her family.
BEN: But why they would risk the lives of four braves for one child Well, there's nothing more I can do here, Ben.
I'll send out a wet nurse for the baby.
Thank you, Doctor.
(baby cooing) Ba baby.
(baby cooing happily) Be careful.
Don't you worry none.
(cooing continues) (cooing continues) HOP SING: Mr.
Cartwright! Mr.
Cartwright, come! Come quick! What is it, Hop Sing? The girl-- come! (panting) She's burning up.
Wake Adam.
Tell him to ride into town and get that doctor back here.
Now, girl do you hear me? (panting) I've sent for the doctor again.
Before he gets here, I want you to tell me who your child's father is.
You were coming to find him, weren't you? He should be here with you.
You tell me, and I'll send for him.
(continues panting) (water splashing) Now, I (panting stops) Do you hear me? (knock at door) You got no sense, you people? What for you wake up house so late? Tell Mr.
Cartwright that Sumner Kyle is here.
Yes, sir, Mr.
Kyle.
You got maybe any particular Mr.
Cartwright in mind? Ben Cartwright, of course.
(door closing) Oh, Kyle.
Hello, Cartwright.
I hope you'll forgive me for coming unannounced.
You know Jason, of course.
Of course.
Uh, my son, Adam, told me you had returned to Virginia City.
Is there something I can do for you? May we speak in private, please? Hop Sing, it's getting pretty late.
Why don't you, uh, go to bed? Well, uh, make yourself comfortable.
Thank you.
Cartwright I have a favor to ask.
And this time, I won't insult you by offering a bribe.
Well, you, uh at least you learned that much from our last meeting.
Yes, we have had our differences, but they were business conflicts, never personal.
Not as far as I'm concerned.
I've always had great admiration for you.
Kyle, uh, you didn't come here at this time of night to eulogize me, so why don't we, uh, get to the point? I understand you have an Indian girl here and a child.
That's right.
Well, Cartwright my son, Jason, is the father of that child.
Cartwright, you have sons.
You must know how I felt when I learned that Jason was involved with this Shoshone girl.
We were married.
Yes, yes, an Indian ceremony.
Hardly a binding agreement.
I don't quite agree, Kyle, but Jason you must have been in love with the girl, or else you wouldn't have married her.
I was and still am.
She knew it.
That's why she tried to come to me.
Then why did you desert her? Tell him, Father.
I believe I'm the proper judge of what is best for my son.
He's right.
He's right, as usual.
It was impossible from the very start.
What could I offer her that didn't belong to him? Including myself.
Cartwright I want you to send the girl and the child back to her people.
I am ready to pay well for her silence.
Kyle, you you needn't worry too much about the girl.
I doubt very much whether she would embarrass you.
She's never mentioned the name of the child's father.
You mean you didn't know? No.
I didn't know.
Obviously, she was too much in love with your son to want to cause him any trouble even though he did desert her.
Where is she? Upstairs.
Wait a minute, Jason.
Jason, she's dead.
Jason! Kyle, you've had it all your own way.
Leave them alone now.
"The Lord is my shepherd.
"I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
"He leadeth me beside the still waters.
"He restoreth my soul.
"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
" (hoofbeats) "Yea, though I walk through the valley "of the shadow of death, "I will fear no evil, "for Thou art with me.
"Thy rod "and Thy staff, they comfort me.
"Thou preparest a table before me "in the presence of mine enemies.
"Thou annointest my head with oil.
"My cup runneth over.
"Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me "all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
" Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
(baby crying) Cartwright I want my son.
That Red Whip is an old man.
His only child lies there but his bloodline continues in your son.
Nothing will stop him from taking that boy.
Mr.
Cartwright May I have the boy? (baby crying) (crying continues) Tell my father I've gone home.
*