CHASE A WILD HORSE
Season 1, Episode #3
Director: Walter Grauman Teleplay by: Paul Playdon
Guest Stars:
Stryker: Robert J. Wilke Wes: James Gammon
SCENE 1
Johnny is seen digging a hole. He is wearing his “stud pants“, gloves and no shirt. Johnny takes a post off wagon and puts it in hole, then picks up a sledge hammer and starts
pounding on the post.
Wes takes a board of the wagon, leans against wagon taking off his hat and wipes his face with handkerchief saying, "Hold up, Johnny. Man I'm wore out I gotta rest."
Johnny keeps pounding post saying, "Later".
Wes: "I work any more and I'm gonna rest in my coffin."
Johnny puts down sledge hammer and picks up shovel filling dirt in around post.
Wes: "I swear Johnny now we keep this up we're gonna be too tired tonight to hit that town. You listenin Johnny?"
Wes walks over to Johnny.
Johnny: "Yeah Wes, yeah, I'm listenin." Johnny keeps filling in dirt.
Wes: "We been goin’ at it hard the last two hours."
Johnny keeps working: "I know."
Wes: "Then how come, what’s the blasted rush, huh?"
Johnny: "To get done early."
Wes says scratching his head, "I must be missin somethin somewhere."
Johnny pauses saying, "Look the only way to beat the system around here is
to get ahead of it, now is that right? Is that right Wes?"
Wes: "Yeeah."
Johnny: "The only way to do that then is to work fast."
When Johnny goes back to shoveling dirt, Wes asks, "So, where's the sense? The town ain't gonna start jumpin til tonight. And we just bust our backs to get done early. And for what? What do we do?"
Johnny pauses saying, "Anything. Just anything. Long as it don't have a deadline." Johnny
goes back to work saying, "Now, come on. We ain't got much more left"
Wes says, "Man, they really broke you to the plow." Wes pauses, closeup on Johnny, he stops working and listens to Wes saying, "Now you just think of all them things out there you'll never see. You'll never again go ridin’ over a hill without knowin’ what's
on the other side. You sold it all out for a row of post holes."
SCENE 2
Lancer sign is laying on the ground with rolls of wire behind in. Three men go slowly by on horseback looking around for cattle. Davy says, "I know I seen them stray cattle around here somewheres."
Samuel Stryker is his father: "How many were there, Davy?"
Davy: "Ah, five maybe six head. It looked, looked to be Lancer beef just south of their line."
Samuel says, "Five maybe six head. You don't ask much out of life, do you boy?"
Davy: "Well, it's more than we've been able to scrounge up in the last weeks Pa."
Samuel: "Yeah, it ain't like it used to be. Lousy land's been picked clean."
Horse whinnies and Eli, the other son, says, "Pa."
Camera shows a black stallion with a herd of horses, black stallion rears up on hind legs. Samuel: "Now, there's something‘. What do you make of ‘em?"
Eli: "About a hundred and fifty for the stallion, forty a piece maybe for the stringers." Samuel: "I make that ‘tween four and five hundred dollars."
Davy pulls out shotgun and shoots at stallion. The horses start running.
Samuel: "Now, why'd you do that?"
Davy: "Pa, I figured we bring down the stallion it'd be easier to round up them others." Samuel: "You got a small mind, boy. You ain't even growed up to that yet."
Samuel pauses saying, "Now let's go get em."
Eli looks at his father, "Pa, that's Lancer land."
Davy: "We ain't got no chance of gettin em out of there."
Samuel: "You got any idea of what chances I'd take for that kind of money?"
Samuel pauses saying, "No, you got no ideas, boy, you got no idea at all."
Samuel hits his horse with reins and they take off after horses.
SCENE 3
ML comes riding down the road in horse drawn wagon. He pauses looking at JL and Wes working on fence line. He urges horses forward and continues up to where they are working, Wes goes and sits on their wagon. ML stops the team, saying, "Looks good!" Johnny is pulling wire around post and replies, "Thank you."
ML gets down saying, "Come on now, take a breather."
Johnny drops sledge hammer: "If you don't mind I think I'll have some water." Taking off his left glove, JL walks over to wagon, hops on, picks up caneen. ML walks over
to fence line looking at it saying, "Sure, help yourself."
ML leans on post, watches Johnny bend over stretching says, "Sore, huh?"
JL, taking cover off the canteen: "Oh boy, I ain't worked so hard in my life."
ML : "Well, it shows it. You'll have this gully all fenced in by noon."
ML looks up and down fence line.
JL pours water over face breathing hard: "Ahhhhh! Well, I thought I'd push hard, you know and try and get a couple hours off before town tonight."
ML looks uncomfortable: "Ah, Johnny." And he starts walking over.
JL: "Yeah."
ML: "A couple problems have, have come up. I'm sorry."
JL looks at ML: "Like what?"
ML: "Well at two o'clock this afternoon you have to help your brother with the surveying. That report has to go in by next week. Then tonight we've got bookkeeping to do."
JL looks disappointed: "Two o'clock, huh?" and he puts his glove back on.
ML: "Yeah."
Getting down JL asks: "And just how am I supposed to know when it's two o'clock?"
JL faces ML staring at him, ML pulls pocket watch out, opening it, saying, "Here. It's old" Closing timepiece. "but it's still a good timepiece. Keep it." Tosses watch to JL and JL stares at it.
ML: "I ah..."
JL: "What?" JL glances up very briefly at ML.
ML: "Nothing."
JL says, "You just said..."
ML gets on wagon: "Be back at the ranch at two o'clock. Scott'll be waiting for you."
ML rides away, JL watches him go, watch in his hand. He puts watch in pants and picks up the sledge hammer, turns towards wagon, Wes hops down, JL throws sledge hammer on wagon and pulls off gloves, putting them on wagon, picks up shirt wiping his arms
off.
Wes: "Maybe we can go next week, Johnny. That town ain't goin nowhere."
JL looks at Wes, "It ain't the town, Wes."
Wes, touching JL's arm: "I must be missin’ something’ again somewhere."
JL. putting his shirt on: "Come on, let's get back to work."
Wes: "Work!"
Wes hears horse looks and sees a black stallion running across the field.
Wes: "Hey, look at that!"
JL looks up, but continues to put on his shirt.
Wes: "You gonna pass that up?" He points at the stallion with his finger, JL starts buttoning his shirt.
Wes: "Givin all your life to work! Where you gonna find horse like that!"
Wes looks at JL who continues to button his shirt. Wes walks over to his horse
unties him, mounts horse and rides off.. JL watches him, smiles, grabs his hat and puts it on following Wes. JL yells: "Ya hoo".
SCENE 4
JL and Wes chase the black stallion with lassos in their hands. JL catches the black stallion while Wes chases the stringers. The stallion resists but JL has him secured. JL
gets off Barranca securing the stallion’s rope and walks over to the animal, still holding rope. The Strykers come riding up to JL.
Samuel: "Howdy. Names Stryker. Samuel Stryker. These are my boys, this is Eli and
this is Davy."
JL : "Howdy."
Samuel: "Well, we sure are obliged to ya."
JL asks smiling, "For what?"
Sam: "Why, for catchin our herd. You know that...that black, he's a real cagey animal. He's more fox than horse. He's been given us the runaround for the last two weeks...Well, we'll just be takin him off your hands now and sayin’ thank you."
JL: "Well, these horses are mine."
Samuel: "I don't think you, ah, heard me correctly. Now, we been chasin’ these
animals for the last two weeks. Wild horses don't belong to nobody...Why we were just getting’ ready to drive them into a box canyon ‘fore you showed up. Ah, I'll figure that I just didn't hear you right the first time and say thank you again."
Eli starts moving up beside JL. JL says to Samuel, "There ain't nothing’
wrong with your hearin." JL turns head looking at Eli saying, "You havin’ a hard time keeping’ that horse still?" Eli looks at JL and Samuel says, "You know,
you’re beginning to grit me, so I'm gonna lay it on the barrel head. I ain't looking’ for no trouble. But I want what's mine."
JL looks at Samuel, glancing at Eli every now and then saying, "They’re not yours for three reasons. One, they’re on Lancer land. Two, I broke my back getting’ ‘em. And three, you’re lying. You see there aren't any box canyons around here. Now, I don't know
who you are, but..."
Wes rides over towards them. JL continues: "I got a pretty good idea what you are."
Wes pulls out his rifle, Samuel looks at him.
JL : "So, you just better ride."
Eli pulls gun and points it at JL saying, "Seems there's only one way to settle this."
The click of the hammer of a shotgun is heard JL looks at Wes, Eli turns and looks at Wes who has rifle pointed at him. JL smiles and waves at Wes saying, "Hello, Wes." Wes touches his hat and smiles. JL smiles and says, "Well, like I said before. You
better ride. Before you have to bury the only thing around here that is yours."
Samuel: "Well, you've been real kind. We won't forget it."
Stryker and his boys ride off. JL smiles and walks horses.
SCENE 5
Clock shows three o'clock. ML looks at clock: "What's keeping Johnny! That job on the south gully shouldn't have taken this long."
SL wearing a tan shirt is sitting on table: "Listen I can do that surveying without him. It's not that rough a job. Tell him to forget it." SL stands up holding his gloves.
ML : "Scott, stop trying to cover for him."
Knock on door, ML:, "Yeah!"
Ranch hand comes in: "Mr. Lancer, some cattle strayed through a hole in the fence line down by the south gully."
ML: "How many?"
Ranch hand: "Can't tell for sure but at least fifty got caught in the gully."
ML: "Fifty! That's where Johnny was working! All right, take the men off their jobs, start pulling them out."
Ranch hand: "Yes, sir." Ranch hand leaves.
SL : "Now, I know what you’re thinking but it shouldn't take that long."
ML, walking away: "Try pulling nine hundred pounds of scared beef out of a sand gully.
It'll take days and most of the hands we've got."
SL turns towards ML puts hands on hips: "We don't know what happened out there."
SL is toying with gloves and ML says, "Scott maybe you better start that surveying by yourself."
SL nods slightly: "Right." He grabs his hat, puts in on and leaves.
Scene ends with ML staring.
SCENE 6
JL and Wes are coming home leading horses. JL leads the black stallion into the corral and the stringers follow.
Teresa is talking to a ranch hand: she says, "And get six bolts of cloth."
ML comes out of hacienda, Teresa asks: "Do you need anything? He's going into town." ML: "No, nothing...I"
ML sees JL in corral and yells, "Johnny!" Wes and JL are tying up horses,
Wes: "Ouch, oh um boy, you gonna get it now! He left you with a row of post holes and here you show up with a bunch of wild horses!"
JL : "I think he'll understand"
Wes: "Yeah"
JL smiles, leaves the corral and walks towards ML.
JL walks up, putting gloves in hat, hands hat to Teresa, saying her name.
ML: "Where you been Johnny?"
JL walks back smiling and says, "Look at that stallion, huh! I tell you he's gonna outrun any horse on this ranch."
While JL washes hands and face in a water bowl, ML says, "I asked you where you’ve been." JL comes back over drying his face with towel, asking, "How long since you
seen a horse like that?"
ML, crossing his arms: "What about the fence?"
Smiling, JL pulls out timepiece, opening it saying, "We'll wrap it up tomorrow morning. I'll tell you what, when that little hand’s on six and big hand’s on twelve, bright and
early!" JL shuts timepiece."
ML shakes his head: "That's not good enough, Johnny. You had a job of work to do here and you didn't do it."
JL looks down, upset, "I told you I'd do it tomrrow."
ML: "This is a cattle ranch we're not in the business of catching and selling wild horses." JL : "Well, we could be. Now I caught that horse and I want to break him, you mind?" ML not looking at JL: "You can do that on your own time."
JL says looking at ML: "When's my own time?"
ML: "When you've done your days work the same as everyone else. Just because your my son doesn't mean you don't carry your own weight around here."
JL looks at him and walks away into the house.
Teresa says to ML, "Well, you can't blame him! He---He's never had to run his life by a clock before. Well, he probably didn't even know he was late."
ML : "He knew what time it was."
Horse is heard and ML looksup to see Samuel and Eli Stryker riding
up. JL comes out of door.
ML walks up to the Strykers and Samuel asks: "You Murdoch Lancer?"
ML : "Yeah."
Samuel: "Samuel Stryker.
ML : "What can I do for you"
SS: "You can give me what’s mine!" Samuel points at Johny: "One of your hired hands stole them from me."
ML turns looking at JL: "He's my son."
Turning back to Samuel, he asks, "What do you want here?"
SS:" Give a man a fair hearing."
ML: "Well make it quick."
SS: "We been doggin’ those horses hard for the last two weeks. Was all set to trap ‘em when your son shows up and took ‘em. Like I told him, I don't want any trouble just them horses."
Ranch hand rides up, (it’s Lloyd Haynes from Room 222!) : "Mr. Lancer, you want the men working on the bridge pulled off?"
ML : "What?"
Ranch hand: "To help pull out the cattle."
SS: "What's it gonna be?"
JL: "Thy’re mine."
ML looks at Johnny.
Ranch hand: "Mr. Lancer?."
SS: "Well?"
ML: "All right take them and get off my land."
JL :"Look, I caught those horses, they’re mine!"
ML pauses: "Leave the stallion, take all the rest of them."
Eli looks at Samuel says, "Pa."
SS, to Eli: "Shutup."
Samuel lifts hand to hat and smiles, the Strykers ride over to corral to get horses.
JL: "What'd you let them get away with that for?"
ML : "There are more wild horses on this range than you can catch and break in a lifetime. Right now we've got more important things to think about."
JL walks away and ML says to ranch hand, "Pull the men from the bridge. Take off the work crew from the north line camp."
Ranch hand: "Right."
ML walks away and JL watches the Strykers entering corral.
Seeing that they are going to take the black stallion, JL runs over there with a hand on his gun. He grabs Eli Stryker and pulls him away from the stallion throwing him on the ground. JL says, "I said nobody's taking that horse."
Samuel looks at Eli, Eli gets up and goes after JL. JL hits him knocking him down again. Samuel says to Eli, "You started it boy, now finish it." Eli gets up picking up hat and when JL turns his back, Eli draws on him!!! JL spins around and shoots him before he can get a shot off. Samuel gets off horse and goes over to Eli kneeling down to check on him. ML comes up and JL puts his gun away hurrying over.
JL: "Let's get him to the house."
Samuel looks at JL saying, "Nobody touches him." Samuel says to Eli, "Can
you make it to the horse?" He helps Eli up and says, "Davy's bringin’ the boys. You hang on. We'll make ‘em sorry!"
Samuel looks at ML: "It don't end here Lancer. You'll see. Not here. Not yet."
The Strykers ride away, Eli leaning over his horse. ML and JL are watching them leave, JL looks at ML and looks down.
SCENE 7
JL is sitting in great room with arms crossed looking down. ML walks over to him.
JL looks up: "What do you keep looking at me for?" Looking down again, he adds: "You saw what happened. He drew on me. What'd you expect me to do?"
ML walks a little away.
JL: "What's the matter, isn't that good enough?"
ML turns around: "Scott's still waiting for you to help him with that surveying job. Maybe you better go join him."
ML starts to walk away and JL drops arms: "I asked you a question."
ML keeps walking and stop as JL says, "If it's about that fence I told you I'd finish it tomorrow morning didn't I?" Johnny looks down and then up saying, "Look, there's only a small section left. If it makes you happy I'll go finish it right now."
ML is looking out the window, turns to JL and says, "Now is too late. About 50 head of cattle strayed through that...that little hole in that section you didn't finish. What's left of them is now at the bottom of the south gully. That's what your time off cost."
JL: "How was I to know that was gonna happen?"
ML : "Maybe you never will know. Maybe it takes twenty years of just living with this
kind of land. Maybe it's not for you Johnny."
Upset JL gets up saying, "Look all right, I...I'm sorry about the cattle you lost!"
ML : "We lost....Johnny" ML starts walking toward Johnny. "Not you. We! And all
the responsibilities that go with it."
JL: "I'd do fine. I'd just do fine if you wouldn't push so hard."
ML: "I wish I had a chance to break you in easily but I don't. You've got to make up your mind who you are and where you belong and if it's not going to be here I want to know it now."
The door opens and Wes comes in taking off his hat: "Johnny! Just stopped by to say goodbye."
Johnny walks toward Wes: "You leavin for town, huh?"
Wes, looking from Johnny then to ML: "Nope. Quit. I figure two months is long enough to be locked up anywhere. I'm just gonna go out and catch hold of something’ and go where ever it takes me. You know what I mean, Johnny? Just kinda go out and ride free."
ML has back to JL. JL thinks about what Wes has said and says, "Wes, you
do me a favor? Get my gear together and wait up for me outside?"
Shot of ML's face as JL says, "I'm goin with you."
Wes, smiling: "You bet!" He puts hat on and leaves closing door.
JL turns to ML not looking at him saying, "Well, I guess you heard."
ML not looking at JL: "You'll need some money." and walks towards the desk.
JL walks over and picks up his hat, absently playing with it, "Only what you figure I got comin."
ML picks up ledger book marking in it saying, "Haven't drawn anything in two weeks. I make that to be twelve dollars." ML puts book down and says, "You better sign it. Receipt of wages."
JL walks over and signs book, hat in his hand. ML pulls money out of his pocket,
counts out twelve dollars and throws it on table in front of him: "Count it."
JL picks up, money not counting it and puts it in his pocket, looks at ML for
a minute and walks out of house, shutting door.
ML says, "Johnny" but JL is already gone.
SCENE 8
JL is outside the door, paces a little and then walks over looking down and putting hands on the wall of the hacienda.
SL : "Johnny"
JL looks and SL walks toward him: "Wes tells me you’re leaving."
JL walks towards Scott, then leans on the post: "That's right, brother. Guess you own fifty percent of the ranch, huh?"
SL : "Don't do it. This'll all blow over in a couple days. Give it a chance. I'll talk to Murdoch, square things."
JL : "Nah, forget that."
Hacienda door opens, Teresa comes out, JL continues saying, "I got a lot of places to go before they box me in. You belong here."
Teresa runs over saying, "Johnny, I don't want you to go." JL holds her, Teresa is crying, JL: "Teresa, you gonna shed a tear for me?"
She pulls away and JL takes money out of his pocket: "I tell you what, I want you to go out and buy yourself a new dress." He counts out money and puts it in her hand.
"Get yourself out of those jeans."
JL smiles at her saying, "And wipe your nose, will ya." He kisses her on the forehead and starts to walk by SL slapping him on the stomach saying, "Scott, I'll see you later."
Scott grabs his arm and JL turns, SL says, "Johnny, think about it."
SL lets go of JL and JL says, "I already have." He takes money out and says, "You give
this to the old man. It's for the stallion's halter." He hands money to SL puts rest in pocket and says, "I'm gonna start livin again." JL walks off with SL and Teresa watching him go. JL goes into the corral, SL puts his arm around Teresa and they watch JL and
Wes leave, JL leading the stallion.
SCENE 9
Davy Stryker comes along with more men and runs into his father leading Eli on his horse behind him bent over the horse. Davy asks, "What happened?"
SS: "I'll tell you later. Let's get him down." Looking at other men, he adds: "You give him a hand."
Davy gets down and quickly goes to his brother saying, "Paw, he needs a doctor!"
SS: "Nearest one's two days from here. You try to move him like this, he'll bleed to death before we even go a mile."
Davy and two men get Eli off horse and lay him down. Samuel gets off his horse. Eli moves his head and coughs. Davy yells, "Hey, Paw! Paw!" Samuel runs over kneeling down yells, "Eli! Eli" Davy says, "Paw. He's dead!" Samuel looks at Davy and then down and stands up looking really angry.
SCENE 10
Johnny and Wes are taking off their boots both smiling.
Wes: "Bet you can't!"
JL : "I betcha I can."
Wes: "Alright. How much? “
JL : "How about a dollar?" Wes : "You'ree on."
They both stand up and get ready to run, Wes hits JL's arm and says, "Go!" They both take off running for the water, JL takes the lead and Wes falls. JL jumps in water and
Wes follows. Wes and JL are swimming in water fully clothed.
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