"ANNOUNCER:" "The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC." "(fanfare plays)" "(horse neighs)" "Hey, hey, Joe, look who's coming." "Now that's what I call a real fine-looking woman." "Yeah." "You mind your manners, 'cause she's a married woman." "Howdy, Mrs. Edwards." "This is a real pleasure, ma'am." "Hello, Hoss." "Hello, Little Joe." "My pleasure, ma'am." "Uh, Little Joe, why don't you see after Mrs. Edwards' horse while I help her down?" "Yeah, well, little brother, why don't you see after her horse while I help her down?" "Hey." "(laughing)" "Joyce." "Ben." " Oh." " Oh, Ben." "Oh, it-it's so good to see you again." "It's wonderful seeing you." " Uh, you'll stay for supper?" " Oh..." "Adam, you remember Mrs. Edwards." "Hello, Adam." "I remember her." "I just wasn't speaking because I was so busy looking." "You Cartwrights certainly know how to please a woman." "Uh, Joe, run and tell Hop Sing we'll have a guest for supper." " Right, Pa." " Oh, uh, Ben, I..." "Adam, Adam, uh, down in the cellar by the north wall there are two cases of Lafitte." " Bring up a couple of bottles." " Yes, sir." "Ben, really I..." "Now, look, you've come all this way." "Surely you can stay for a little while." "Now we need a lady in this house." "You know, I've got these three grown sons, and somebody has to teach them manners." "Now, please come in." "All right, but just for a little while." "(hoofbeats approaching)" "I wouldn't go in there if I was you, Mrs. Edwards." "It's nothing, Ben." "He's just our new hired hand." "He must be lost." "Pay no attention to him." "Suit yourself, ma'am." "Only, Mr. Edwards ain't gonna like this." "Ezekiel, you can tell Mr. Edwards anything you want to, but Mr. Cartwright is an old friend and I'm going inside." "Anything you say, ma'am." "But I'll be waiting for you." "(theme song playing)" "Your house is so attractive, Ben." "It gets nicer with the years." "It's been years since you've been in this house, Joyce." "Yes, I know." "I've missed seeing it." "I've missed seeing you." "All of us have." "How's Tom?" "All right." "Just all right?" "How is he, really?" "He's still bitter." "He's been bitter ever since the accident." "All day long he just follows me around in his wheelchair, and every night in front of Ezekiel he-- he calls me names." "He-- he says the most awful things." "Ezekiel--that-that man outside?" "The hired hand?" "He's more than just that." "Tom spends half the night drinking and gambling with his hired hand." "Drinking and gambling?" "I thought the accident left him incapacitated." "Only from the waist down." "Tom drinks himself into a stupor, and Ezekiel carries him upstairs." "He never knocks." "He just brings him right into the room." "And he puts him down on the bed next to me." "And he straightens up, and he looks at me lying there, and he says, "Good night, Mrs. Edwards,"" "and goes." "Every night, it's this." "But last night..." "Usually, Tom can't turn over, but somehow last night he managed to." "I woke up, and I saw him bending over me with a carving knife in his hand." "He didn't move." "He just... he just sort of smiled at me." ""You're so beautiful," he said." ""I can't bear to think of my going first."" "Joyce, surely you must know Tom meant no harm." "I don't know." "He's always talking about death." "His death, my death." "I, uh, I've got to go." "Joyce, please, stay." "I can't, Ben." "I..." "Oh, T..." "Tom will be all right." "If only he could find something to do to take his mind off himself." "He..." "Oh, I-I've got to go." "Oh, Hoss, uh, would you get Mrs. Edwards' horse, please?" "Right, Pa." "Joyce..." "I don't like the idea of his following you." "Oh, it's all right, Ben." "He'll keep his distance." "I'll ride along part way with you." "All right." "Thank you." "Here you are, Mrs. Edwards." "Oh, thank you, Hoss." "(Ben mutters)" "JOYCE (whispers):" "Thank you." "See ya, Pa." "Yeah, well, I heard once it was Pa's gun that hit him." "Well, that's a lie." "Eat your supper, both of you, and stop talking about it." "Now look, I didn't mean he hit him on purpose." "I meant he hit him accidental." "Well, that's two lies." "Well, that's not what they say in town." "Well, that's Mr. Edwards, Joe." "Sure, he blames Pa." "He claims he crippled him." "Well, did he or didn't he?" "He did not." "Yeah, well, how do you know?" "You weren't even there." "I was there an hour later." "They were out after wild mountain sheep." "Mr. Edwards slipped and fell to a ledge and Pa risked his life trying to save him, ain't that right, Adam?" "They were climbing up off that ledge when they fell to another ledge, and that's when the gun went off getting him in the spine." "Whose gun?" "Mr. Edwards' gun." "All right, then why does he blame Pa?" "(sighs)" "Eat your supper." "It's getting cold." "(door opening)" "Hello, boys." " HOSS:" "Howdy, Pa." " LITTLE JOE:" "Hi, Pa." "I'm sorry I opened the wine, Pa." "I didn't know she was leaving so soon." "Well, we haven't had any of this since Christmas." "You know, it's a miracle." "This wine, imprisoned in this bottle for 20 years, and each year it seems to grow better." "Yep." "I'm sorry Mrs. Edwards couldn't make it to dinner tonight." "But I'm sure glad to be taking part of this wine." "Me, too." "Boys, I need your help." "What do you think Tom Edwards could do?" "What do you mean, Pa?" "Well, they're out of money." "He's squandered everything they ever had." "They owe everybody." "And he's always gambling." "That Zeke feller, does..." "does he live with them?" "Hmm..." "I'm sorry, Pa." "I wouldn't want you to talk with your mouth full." "He not only lives with them, but they owe him, too." "Well, what about Virginia City?" "Maybe he could clerk somewhere." "You ever talk with him?" "Every time he opens his mouth it's like poison pouring out." "Hoss, this was once a wonderful man." "But he was struck down-- life struck him down." "Pa, I didn't mean to offend you." "They have a pretty good flow of water on their place, haven't they?" "Who are we to say that if we were struck down we wouldn't be pouring out poison, too?" "Now, what were you saying about water?" "Oh, well, I was thinking that there's no mill around, and they have a pretty good stream there." "We could, uh, rig up a waterwheel, build a small mill house." "They could grind grain." "That's a wonderful idea." "A wonderful idea!" "Adam, I want to drink a toast to you." "Hey, Pa, can we drink to him, too?" "He's a mighty bright feller." "Downright bright, and a real pride and joy to the Cartwrights." "Well, thank you, gentlemen." "Take care of my horse." "Anything you say, Mrs. Edwards." "MAN:" "Well, did you have a pleasant ride?" "Yes." "I hope so." "At least that will compensate a little for all that you have to put up with." "Darling, I know it's dreadful of me to make such a fuss when you go out, but you have no idea how awful it is for me to sit here alone without you." "Let me kiss you." "Your skin is so lovely." "Your cheeks are pink." "Kiss?" "I'm awfully tired." "I-I think I'll go up to bed." "You haven't told me where you've been." "I, uh, went to see the Cartwrights." "Why?" "To complain about your husband?" "Tom, please don't start that again." "I love you." "I'll never leave you." "You know that." "I expect Ben received you very warmly, didn't he?" "Did you get any money out of him?" "Tom, please." "He's very rich, you're very attractive, we need money." "Yes, I did go about money." "You know that property that my father left me in, in San Francisco?" "Well, Ben sometimes goes to San Francisco, and I thought that he might sell it for me." "(door opens)" "Darling, what about that property your father left you in San Francisco?" "What do you mean?" "Five acres?" "That should be worth quite a lot, wouldn't it, Ezekiel?" "Now, Mr. Edwards, you don't want to go gamblin' your wife's good land." "Oh, no, I'm doing it for her." "How's that, Mr. Edwards?" "Well, she hates you." "This way, she could get rid of you." "Now, Mrs. Edwards, you don't want to get rid of me, close as I've been to your husband." "How would that get rid of him?" "I'd bet the whole five acres against all we owe Ezekiel." "If he loses, then we don't owe him anything, and he clears out." "Go ahead... bet the land." "You surprise me, Mr. Edwards." "You think I stay with you just for money?" "You think I take care of you, you think I carry you up them stairs night after night and put you to bed just for money?" "Now believe you me, Mr. Edwards," "I know I ain't fit to tie your shoe." "But just living with you, sir, and Mrs. Edwards here, well, I've grown to you two like it was home almost." "No, sir, no offense meant, but I can't take that bet." "All right, all right!" "I'll play you for five dollars." "Will you lend me five dollars?" "EZEKIEL:" "You did give me a scare, Mr. Edwards." "I thought I was going to lose my home." "Good night, Mrs. Edwards." "Morning, Tom." "What brings you around?" "Well, I was going into town," "I, uh, thought I'd drop by." "To see me, or to see my wife?" "To see you both, Tom." "Sit on the porch, if you want to." "She's picking grapes." "Good morning, Mr. Cartwright." "Well, that's a... that's a mighty fine stream you have here on the property." "I hear my wife paid you a little visit yesterday." "It was good to see her." "Good to see you, Tom." "Is it?" "Tom, I'll be straight-out honest with you." "I made a definite point of stopping by here this morning." "Got a little business proposition" "I'd like to talk over with you." "How'd you like to make some good money?" "There ain't much Mr. Edwards can do ailing' chronic the way he is." "Tom, I want to build something on your property-- a moneymaking operation-- and when I get my money out plus 15%, then it's yours to own." "Huh?" "Did you hear that?" "My wife goes to see my best friend, and suddenly I'm in business, I'm rich." "What's the proposition, Mr. Cartwright?" "A mill." "A grain mill." "Now, there's none around for miles, and people around here need a mill." "Now, you have the water." "I have a son who knows how to put that water to work." "What are you doing, trying to get something from me?" "Tom, I said this is a business proposition." "I'll put up the money, and my sons and I will build that mill for you." "What do you get, Mr. Cartwright?" "Water rights forever?" "I've already said what I want:" "My investment back, plus 15%." "If I have that, I'm satisfied." "You mean...?" "Hmm." "That sounds pretty good." "Not to me, it don't." "Would you be good enough to let Mr. Edwards make his own deal if he so sees fit?" "Of course, sir." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Never mind Zeke, Ben." "We've been thrown together so much, we're almost like partners." "My only thought, sir, is for Mr. Edwards." "That's enough, Zeke!" "Now you keep out of this!" "Mr. Edwards, we have all those people coming around." "All that excitement..." "He don't hardly sleep nights as it is." "Tom, what do you say?" "Have we an agreement or haven't we?" "15%, huh?" "Fifteen." "Now, you shake on that, we'll have that mill up in a week." " You make it ten percent?" " No." "12 and a half?" "12 and a half." "I'm mighty glad, Tom." "Why, that mill will be a great thing for everybody." "What do you think of that, Ezekiel?" "Wait till I tell Joyce!" "Well, all right, Tom." "I best be getting on into town." "Oh, say, we can start bringing the stuff in tomorrow, if that's all right." "Oh, do that!" "You do that, Ben." "Ben..." "We'll be friends again?" "Let me tell you, Ben, in my heart-- when I'm not in pain, I mean-- in my heart, I never blame you." "It was my gun, my fault." "Bless you for coming." "Be by tomorrow, Tom." "Fine, Ben." "Thought you owned me, didn't you?" "Thought I couldn't even get up to bed without you, huh?" "I'll show you!" "I'll take you to your wife, Mr. Edwards." "Would you like to go pick grapes with your wife?" "I'll make me so much money," "I'll hire me a nurse from San Francisco." "It'd be a real one, too, not just somebody like you!" "Now, I wouldn't get excited, Mr. Edwards." "You're gonna have another bad night." "You hope I'll have another bad night, isn't that it?" "!" "You hope I'll have to call for you!" "Where are you taking me?" "To your wife, Mr. Edwards, I'm gonna take you to your wife." "You forget about my wife, you hear me?" "!" "You get her right out of your head!" "Take me back in the house." "Yes, sir." "Ben!" "Joyce!" "Whoa." "Ben, oh, how wonderful to see you!" "Does, does Tom know you're here?" "Yes, I just talked to him." "You just talked...?" "I think I have some very good news for you." "I suggested to Tom that we build a grist mill here and that he run it." "What did he say?" "He's all for it." "He likes the idea." "Oh, Ben!" "Oh, I'm so happy!" "If only this could make Tom happy, too." "Remember the way he used to be?" "I'll help you pick some grapes." "Ben... what you're doing is the most wonderful thing anyone could do for us." "Now, wait a minute." "You're forgetting I'm making a profit, too." "I know what you're doing." "Ben, about... about yesterday," "I've, I've never complained to you before, have I?" "I've never complained to anyone." "But all these years I've been dying, too." "I know, Joyce." "Sometimes I think it would have been better for him if I'd left him." "My health, my... just the sight of me seems to infuriate him at times." "Just the sheer sight of me just..." "Just your beauty?" "Oh, Ben, I forgot about that a long time ago." "He's a cripple and I'm a cripple, too." "How are you a cripple?" "Because I don't stand up to him." "Because I take every terrible thing he says to me." "Sometimes, he, he eyes me like a stranger would." "He says things he shouldn't." "This may all come to an end." "You know, he was so happy when I left him." "I think the mill may change everything." "Oh, I hope so." "It's going to be a fine mill." "You know, Adam's very clever with that sort of thing." "He's made some wonderful drawings." "You're so fortunate in your boys." "Hmm, hmm, three fine sons... they could be half your life." "Only half?" "Sons can't be everything." "Did you notice how blue the mountains were this morning?" "Yes, I..." "I saw them." "Well, it's starting to look very good." "ADAM:" "Coming along fine, Pa." "LITTLE JOE:" "Hey, Pa, when's Hoss gonna get here" " with those millstones?" " Should be real soon." "Well, we'll be ready for 'em anytime now." "BEN:" "That's fine." "Oh, Ezekiel, glad to see you pitching in." "I wouldn't want to give you any wrong notions, Mr. Cartwright." "I'm just doing this to please Mr. Edwards." "I still don't think any good's gonna come of it." "Well, why don't you give it a chance?" "Oh, I'll give it a chance." "I'm just wondering one thing:" "What's really in this for you, Mr. Cartwright?" "LITTLE JOE:" "Hey, Pa?" "Pa, send me up some more nails, will you?" "Yeah, coming right up." "But it looks so complicated." "How did you ever figure it out?" "Well, it's really not original." "It... the design is actually a combination." "Some of it comes from the old New England mills, and some comes from the wheels that the miners built here in Nevada." "As you see, we've built a flume leading to the top of the wheel." "Now, at the proper time, we'll divert the water back through the flume." "It'll pass over the top of the wheel, striking the blades, which will turn the wheel, which will drive the shaft, which will turn the upper millstone, and presto, you're grinding wheat." "It's really quite simple" "Adam, I think you're absolutely marvelous!" "Well, actually, the idea is thousands of years old." "But imagine what it meant to man before the steam age." "Hoss should be here soon with the millstones." "Uh, which reminds me," "I'd better see how Little Joe's coming along." "Oh, and I'd better see about Tom." " Hey, Professor." " What?" "Come here." "That's a mighty pretty assistant you've got there." "Meaning what?" "(Ezekiel chuckles)" "Oh, you're a sly one." "I was watching you standing close, bending over, sniffing her hair." "I know you bright boys." "How would you like to shut your filthy face, huh?" "Well, I'm just doin' you a favor, friend." "Don't let her husband catch you." "He's still handy with a rifle." "TOM:" "Ezekiel!" "Come get me!" "Excuse me, Professor." "I was so busy watching you and Mrs. Edwards" "I forgot all about her husband." "I don't know what you're up to, but don't make any trouble for Mrs. Edwards." "(laughs)" "(hammering)" "It's about time you got here, Professor," " did some of the heavy work." " Don't call me that." "What's the matter with you?" "Just don't call me Professor." "EZEKIEL:" "Here." "Let me get that, Mrs. Edwards." "I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself." "Anything you say, ma'am." "Wheel me down there." "I want to see how things are going." "Yes, sir, if you think it'd be all right." "All right?" "Why shouldn't it be all right?" "Come on." "I just mean the ground's so rough and your legs being so weak." "Must you always remind him of that?" "I didn't mean no harm, ma'am." "I was just thinking." "Come on, come on!" "You know, Adam, I got to hand it to you," "I think this thing's going to work." "Thanks." "I, uh, I'm sorry about blowing off all that steam a while ago." "Hey, well, that's all right." "I'm used to taking all the guff around this family." "That's what I'm here for." "Oh, sure." "You're really abused, aren't you?" "Here, put this plank up there." "See what I mean?" "Got it?" "Yeah." "Why don't you get some light wood, Pa?" "TOM:" "Well, Ben, you're really making progress." "Moving right along, Tom." "Any reason why I can't be of some help?" "Why, not at all." "As a matter of fact, I think I've got the very thing for you." "Ezekiel, move his chair in closer to the wheel." "Now, see these binder rods?" " Yeah." " They need tightening." " Uh-huh." " Now, here's a wrench." " Get to work." " Fine." "(chuckles)" "Oh, Adam, isn't it wonderful to see Tom working again?" "It sure is." "What's the matter?" "I just think you have the most wonderful father." "(gunfire)" "Don't be alarmed, folks!" "Just a signal!" "BEN:" "Signal for what?" "The arrival." "Look to the east." " (hoofbeats approaching)" " Hoss Cartwright, charioteer..." " HOSS:" "Hyah!" "...charging up with a ton of millstones." "Come on, Hoss, drive 'em!" "HOSS:" "Get along!" "Get in there!" "Hyah!" "Come on, get in there!" "Whoa, whoa." "Whew." " Well, how was it, Hoss?" " Fine, Pa." "Have any trouble getting this load across the river?" "No, not a bit." " Beats swimming with it." " (chuckles)" "BEN:" "Hey, can we get that?" "LITTLE JOE:" "Yeah, I got it." "I got it." "Well, I don't know about you, Mr. Edwards, but I always go by the rule you ought to lock the barn before the horse gets away." "What are you talking about?" "Oh, just a certain party and your wife." "You know what I think I'll do with you?" "When this mill is finished, I'll put a rope around your neck and hang you from one of the rafters, just to celebrate." "Mr. Edwards, you know I'm just protecting your interests." "Listen, you filthy snake, I trust my wife." "And I trust Ben Cartwright." "He's my friend." "And if you ever again put one of your rotten, suspicious thoughts in my mind, so help me heaven, I'll kill you." "Your friend, Mr. Edwards?" "I wasn't talking about him," "I was talking about his son Adam." "HOSS:" "Watch your hands down there with that, Pa." " All right." " Let me get this out of there." "Let's heave." "HOSS:" "Easy, now." "(grunting)" " Easy." " Easy." "Okay, let her slide down." "Easy does it." "Watch your hands, Pa." "Now let it slip." "Well, now, I ain't, I ain't saying she did anything." "But the point is..." "Look, just tell me if you saw anything or you didn't between her and Adam." "Mr. Edwards, I don't want you getting excited." "Never mind about that!" "Just tell me what you saw." "Well, Adam was..." "Well, he was kind of... brushing up against her here and there." "Did he touch her?" "No, not exactly." "It's..." "Well, it's his eyes, you know." "When she wasn't looking at him." "His eyes was-- well, you know what I mean." "They... were just kind of touching her all over." "Course, you got to admit, that Adam is a good-looking boy." "(grunts)" "With a little bit of luck, we'll have this mill running by tonight." "Tom!" "Tom, they think they'll have the wheel going by tonight." "Isn't that wonderful?" "Do you know what I think we should have?" "A party." "And let's dance, and let's grind the first grain, and have the neighbors in." "Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful to have music again?" "I'll bet you'd like to dance, wouldn't you?" "Well, just to hear the music would be enough." "Bet you'd like to dance with Adam." "I beg your pardon?" "What's all this between you and Adam?" "Between me and Adam?" "Ever since the mill started, you've been tagging each other around." "Tom, I don't understand you." "You understand me." "You're a woman, aren't you?" "You're young, you're lovely." "Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about!" "Tom, on my word of honor, no such thought for Adam ever entered my mind." "Then why are you so happy?" "Why have you been smiling ever since this mill started?" "!" "Because of you." "Because I thought it would start your life again, and my life!" "You haven't been tagging Adam around?" "JOYCE:" "No!" "Brushing against him, leaning against him?" "No." "Laughing with him at me?" "!" "No." "You have, both of you!" "You've been tagging each other around like a couple of simpering lovebirds!" "What's going on?" "I don't know." "Looks like Ezekiel has done his work." "Ezekiel, get me out of here!" " Excuse me, Mrs. Edwards." " (sighs)" "You got him so upset, I'd better take him inside and lay him down for a while." "Ezekiel, do I have you to thank for this?" "No, ma'am." "I didn't tattle on you, if that's what you mean." "If you come near my wife again," "Adam Cartwright, I'll kill you both!" "(sobbing)" "Pa, I give you my word." "It's Ezekiel; he's warped and twisted Edwards' mind." "Pa, maybe we better stop working the mill." "After I lugged these-these stones in here?" "We'll finish this mill." "Pa, a man as mixed-up as that's liable to kill somebody." "Keep working." "(panting, sobbing)" "Joyce!" "Joyce!" "Joyce!" "(sobbing)" "Joyce." "Oh, Ben, please go away and leave me alone." "Joyce, come on, now." "Let it out." "I've never been so humiliated, so ashamed." "I don't know what to do." "ADAM:" "All right, now, take it easy, Joe." "You'll ruin the whole thing." "Look, I told you it wouldn't fit, Adam." "You made the shaft too short." "Come on, now, lift!" "Now, lift, Hoss!" "(straining):" "Dang it, Adam, if I lift any more," "I'm gonna lift the whole earth up!" " (wood creaking)" " Lift!" "Ah, come on, will you, Adam?" "Whew!" " Let's call it quits." " Quit?" "Yeah, quits." "We did enough work today for ten men." "Ah, come on, Joe, give me a few more minutes." "I'm hungry, Adam." "(panting)" "Adam, you give me one reason why I ought to break my back." "Because I want to see it work." "I want to see this mill grind wheat." "I want to eat bread from this mill that we built!" "You do?" "I do." "He does?" "He does." "Why didn't you say so, brother?" "Come on, let's get to work." "All right, all together now!" "All right, let's go!" "One, two, heave!" "(wood creaking)" "And in she goes!" " Hey!" "Hey!" "Now get the other side over there." "Hey, wait till I get this board up." "Let's go!" "One, two, heave!" "(wood creaking)" "Heave!" " Hey!" " Hey!" " Hey, way to go, brother!" " Hey, look, it rolls!" "Hoss, get up to the diversion gate." "When I give you the signal, let the water in the flume." "Right." "Hey, Adam, don't you think we ought to wait for Pa?" "Pa said to get it done, and that's what we're gonna do." "Now get up there and let up that sluice gate when I tell you." "Aye, aye, sir." "All right, Hoss, let her go!" "(metal creaking)" "Hey, it's filling up the flume, Adam." "You all set?" "Let it go." "Here she comes!" " Hey!" " Hey, boys, it's working!" " Hey!" "Hey!" " It's working!" " Hot dog, look at that thing go!" " Oh!" "Oh, mill stone, oh, grind our wheat!" "Oh, wheat, make our bread!" "And, oh, bread, make us as bright as our brother Adam!" " Amen!" " Amen!" "Yeah!" " Wheat!" "Wheat!" " Way to go, Adam!" "We got to get some wheat!" "Get it!" "Hot dog, look at it!" "Tom?" "(gunshot)" "Hey, Adam...!" "Hey, maybe we better get up there." "No." "Wait." "TOM:" "Come on in, whoever you are!" "(Ezekiel laughing)" "Well, Cartwright." "What do you want?" "(sighs)" "(uncocks gun)" "If there's one thing I don't want it's people shooting at me without a reason." "I got a reason, best reason in the world: my wife." "Where is she?" "That's right." "Where is she?" "Mr. Edwards here has been worried about her." "And it ain't good for him to worry." "How should I know where his wife is?" "You ought to know where she is." "She's with your father, ain't she?" "He run off after her." "TOM:" "Didn't think I knew, did you?" "I know." "Ezekiel told me." "I know all about your father, too, from a long way back." "It's not the first time he betrayed me." "He shot me in the spine!" "My father didn't shoot you, and you know it." "I don't know any such thing." "I know it was you Cartwrights caused all my trouble." "Mr. Edwards, you're wrong." "Real wrong." "But I didn't come here to argue with you." "I just come to tell you that your mill is finished." "We got it going." "You think the mill solves everything, don't you?" "You know what I'm gonna do with your mill?" "I'm gonna destroy it;" "I'm gonna burn it to the ground!" "Does Ben Cartwright think he can buy my wife with a mill?" "You mark my words." "Before I'll let him steal my wife, I'll kill him!" "And her, too!" "Ezekiel." "If you're really his friend, you'll get these wild ideas out of his head." "I am his friend, Mr. Cartwright." "But what's right is right." "A man has a simple duty to protect his home." "Ben..." "I'll always remember this time we've had together today." "It was as though we had escaped to another world." "It's been that way for me, too." "Ben, look!" "The wheel is turning!" "(gasps):" "Oh!" "Oh, isn't it beautiful?" "BEN:" "It certainly is." "Joyce, I just can't let you go back." "Ben, please, I..." "At least spend the night with us at the Ponderosa." "Don't go back to that house-- not right now." "I'm not afraid." "Tom and Ezekiel will be so drunk they won't even hear me come in." "Besides, with the mill and all, perhaps it will be different again." "I've got to give him that chance." "Well... just to be sure everything's all right, I'll..." "I'll ride by first thing in the morning." "Ben... thank you." "For everything." "Pa, we've been waiting for you." "Oh?" "Why?" "I was a little worried about you." "(chuckles) That's mighty thoughtful of you, Adam, but I have a feeling I'm old enough to take care of myself." "I, uh, ran into some trouble over at the Edwards' place." "What sort of trouble?" "Tom took a shot at me." " No, I can't believe that." " Neither could I." "I went up to the ranch to tell him that we'd finished with the mill, and he and that hired hand of his were glassy-eyed drunk." "Well, what started it?" "What brought it on?" "I don't know." "Tom had some wild idea about you and Joyce being off someplace together, and he was making threats about killing you if you didn't stay away from her." "Where are you going?" "Going right back to that house as fast as I can make it." "If that man touches Joyce..." "Hyah!" " Pa?" " What?" "Want me to go with you?" "No." "You stay here." "I'll handle this alone." "Pa." "Tom's suspicion about you and Joyce-- it isn't true, is it?" "Suppose it were, Adam." "How would you feel about it?" "I'd say that if there ever was a chance, she couldn't do any better." "I'd be happy for both of you." "Thank you for that, Adam." "(Ezekiel laughing)" "That does it, Mr. Edwards." "It's my house now." "Your house." "Your money." "Your strength that packs me upstairs and puts me to bed." "But she's my wife, Ezekiel." "You hear that?" "She's my wife!" "That's right-- your wife." "You owe me quite a bit, Mr. Edwards." "I've got a mill." "It'll grind flour." "I'll make money." "Ain't you forgetting something?" "I won that mill." "I'll pay you some way." "I'll pay you." "Now that you mention it, there is a way--an easy way." "You like to gamble, don't you?" "What are you driving at?" "I just want to make one more bet with you-- just one cut of the cards." "If I lose, you don't owe me anything, Mr. Edwards-- not a thing." "You get the house back and all the money you owe me." "If I lose-- what do I still own you don't already have?" "Well, just one cut of the cards can prevent that, Mr. Edwards." "A gambler like you ought to jump at the chance." "Somebody ought to kill you." "Somebody ought to stop you." "(Ezekiel laughing)" "Well, maybe somebody will." "But that ain't going to be you, is it, Mr. Edwards?" "(Ezekiel laughing)" "(laughing continues)" "EZEKIEL:" "Looks like my king beats your nine." "(laughing)" "JOYCE:" "Ezekiel." "Would you mind bringing Mr. Edwards up to our room now?" "I don't have to do that no more, Mrs. Edwards." "That's my room now." "That's where I'm going to sleep." "Even drunk as you are, you know that's not true." "Isn't it?" "You ask your husband." "What does he mean?" "Mrs. Edwards, there are some things going on here" "I think you ought to know about." "Tom, what is he saying?" "He won the bet." "What bet?" "What do you mean?" "Oh, you're just as drunk as he is." "You don't even know what you're saying." "No, he's right, Mrs. Edwards." "I won the bet." "Tom, tell him to get away from me!" "Help me!" "I can't help you, Joyce." "I can't help you." "You might as well get used to the idea, Mrs. Edwards." "From now on, there ain't going to be nobody but..." "Get away from me!" "You touch me, and I'll kill you!" "I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll kill you!" "(sobbing)" "(laughing)" "(door slams)" "Of course, she'll get over that, soon as she calms down a bit." "Will she, Ezekiel?" "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I'm sure." "Why shouldn't I be?" "You heard her." "She said she'd kill you first." "Maybe someone is going to stop you, after all." "(laughing)" "(gunshot blasting)" "(clattering)" "(Joyce crying)" "Hello, Mr. Cartwright." "You should knock before you come into my home." "(crying):" "Ben." "Get out of here." "No, Mr. Cartwright." "Everything here belongs to me now." "You see, I've taken Mr. Edwards' place." "Even this chair belongs to me." "Come on, Joyce." " (gun cocks)" "EZEKIEL:" "Oh, now, stay right where you are," "Mr. Cartwright." "I wouldn't want to have to hurt you." "Now, you lay your pistol belt on that table." "Why are you sitting in that wheelchair?" "You're not crippled." "That's right--I'm not." "I just want to get the feel of it." "I want to know how Mr. Edwards felt when he sat in it." "I want to know how Mr. Edwards felt about everything." "Come on, Joyce." " Let's get out of here." " EZEKIEL:" "No!" "Now... now, you can't, Mr. Cartwright." "She belongs to me, too, don't you understand?" "Look." "Look, I-I have it all here." "I kept track of every bet I made with Mr. Edwards." "He gambled away everything, and tonight, he gambled away his wife." "Well, if you won everything from him, why did you kill him?" "Well... well, he tried to go back on a bet." "You-you know a man can't do that." "Ezekiel..." " You see..." " (gun cocks)" "You're very tired." "Why don't you rest and we can talk about it?" "Go on, Joyce." "EZEKIEL:" "No!" "No." "No." "Wh-where is she going?" "Just outside." "No, no." "She can't, now." "Mr. Edwards told you that if you tried to steal his wife, he'd kill you." "I'm the same as Mr. Edwards now, so if you try to take her," "I'm going to have to kill you." "(shotgun blasts)" "Oh!" "(grunting)" "(gun cocking)" "(shotgun blasts)" "(screaming)" "(shotgun continues blasting)" "(groans)" "(screams)" "Ben!" "Oh!" "(sobbing)" "(birds chirping)" "Joyce, this is, uh..." "this is what you want to do?" "I've had a lot of time to think this past week, and, uh... well, I have friends in Denver." "I'd stay with them, and then I'll move on east." "All right, you... you go, and after a few weeks or..." "or months, well, then, you can decide what you want to do." "Now, whatever you do, don't sell the mill-- you use it." "Uh, Joyce, when you come back..." "Ben..." "I love you..." "But I could never come back." "I need you." "Remember you told me once that when Little Joe's mother died you had to get away-- had to meet new people?" "Well, think of it that way." "Well, uh..." "I'll drive you into Virginia City." "I'd rather we say good-bye here." "It isn't easy for me, either." "♪♪" "ANNOUNCER:" "This has been a color presentation of the NBC Television Network."