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Bonanza episode
“The Rescue”
Season 2, Episode 23
#55 in Series
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Air date February 25, 1961
Production code
Guest starring:
Written by Steve McNeil
Directed by William Dario Faralla
Episode Guide
Previous Episode:
Tax Collector
Next Episode:
The Dark Gate
External links
IMDb IMDb
The Rescue on IMDb

Summary[]

Ben's sons persuade him to stay home while they hunt down cattle rustlers. However, when they fail to return, Ben must go out to find them, unaware that they've beem ambushed.

Plot[]

Ben visits Josh Tatum’s place and finds a cow hide with the Ponderosa brand on it. He tells Josh if he needed beef he should have asked for it instead of stealing it. Josh doesn’t like being accused of being a thief. Ben is stripped of his gun and horse and Josh starts a fight with Ben. After a tussle with three against one, Ben is knocked down. They return his things and Ben returns home.

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The boys are eating breakfast and worried about their Pa. Ben arrives home and tidies himself up before the boys see him. Adam asks if his horse threw him and Ben says no. Hoss asks him if he ran into a limb, again Ben says no. Finally Joe asks his Pa if he forgot to duck, Ben sheepishly looks at Joe and nods.

Adam asks him what happened, but Ben just tells them he got into a scuffle and doesn’t want them to go out looking for trouble. Ben leaves and the boys talk about their Pa, how he should be starting to take it easy. Adam believes Ben should reduce his role at the Ponderosa and become a supervisor since other ranches have them.

The boys want their Pa to avoid any further scraps, so Ben agrees. He tells the boys that 200 cattle are missing and he will flip a coin to see which two will go with him to look for the rustlers. At the boys' urging, Ben agrees to stay at the ranch while the boys look for rustlers. He tells them he’s okay with it, but in reality he’s not. The boys tell him they’ll be back for supper.

The boys followed tracks to a box canyon. They dismount so they won't be sitting ducks. The rustlers fire at the boys which spook their horses, who run off. Hoss has been shot in the leg and Adam tends to him. With no food, water or fire they’re going to have a rough night, pinned down near some boulders. Joe tells them at least they found the rustlers.

At the ranch, Ben is pacing at the dining table and staring out the window. Hop Sing tells Ben that once Hoss can smell his cooking he’ll be home.

At the boulders, Hoss swears he can smell Hop Sing’s cooking, but Adam is doubtful. Hoss believes he can smell roast pork and sweet potatoes.

The rustlers fire pot shots at the boys just to let them know they’re still there. They plan to get rid of the boys by morning. Jake Tatum is worried that Ben will come to save his boys, but Johnny tells him not to worry about one old man.

While the boys are pinned down, they keep their wits about them. Adam shoots his rifle and hits Curly, one of the rustlers, based on billiard physics. His shot riccochets off the canyon wall to find his target.

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Ben runs into Josh as he’s looking for his boys. Ben doesn’t trust him since he stole his cattle and is squatting on his land. Ben tells him that he’s off to find his sons since they went looking for the rustlers and never came back.

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While tracking, Ben hears shots. He dismounts and Johnny spots him. He fires at Ben and Ben falls down. Johnny pokes Ben with his rifle but Ben doesn’t move. As Johnny goes to pick up Ben's rifle, Ben gets up and shouts at Johnny. Ben manages to shoot Johnny before he is shot.

Josh Tatum arrives in Jake Tatum’s camp with his two sons. Gus comes back to report that Johnny isn’t where he’s supposed to be and is missing.

Hoss notices that every time he fires off a shot it’s countered and gives Adam an example. Adam takes this as an opportunity to get another rustler when Hoss fires a shot. But Ben creeps up on Jack and shoots him in the shoulder before he can return the fire. The boys figure that Ben is out there and Joe is ecstatic. Jack high tails it back to camp.

Ben sees his boys and is happy they’re all okay. Ben signals his boys by firing three shots from his gun and Joe returns the signal. They cover Ben while he makes his way to them.

Josh tends to Jack, telling his Pa that someone else hit him. Josh thinks it must have been Ben. Josh realises that his son could have been killed and it puts a whole new perspective on the situation. Josh doesn’t want his boys killed. Josh ties his handkerchief to a stick, and waves his flag at Ben.

Josh admits to rustling his stock and thought Ben wouldn’t miss a few head of cattle. Josh tells Ben he’s done a lot of things he’s not proud of and that he nearly lost his sons and that Ben nearly lost one of his. Josh tells Ben he’s sorry for what he’s done.

Ben wants to fight a re-match, but Josh tells Ben that there’s not enough cattle to replace one of their boys and that’s what he was trying to tell Ben. Ben agrees. Josh suggests building a litter for Hoss, then take Hoss back to the Ponderosa, round up the cattle, and turn themselves in to the sheriff. Josh bemoans the fact that Hoss was shot and preferred it if Joe was the one that was hit instead because he’s the smallest.

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They carry Hoss back to the Ponderosa. Hop Sing runs out and asks what happened and Hoss tells him he’s dying of starvation. Ben tells Hop Sing to cook some steaks for the Tatums who are staying for dinner.

Josh tells Ben he’s going to turn himself and his boys over to the sheriff and hopes that when it’s over things can be different between them. He gruffly shouts at his boys to get moving. Josh tells Ben it’s not easy raising kids. Ben agrees and tells him one benefit is that when the boys are big enough they can take care of things and he can take it easy. Adam and Joe look sheepish as Ben laughs and goes back in the house.


Cast[]

The Cartwrights

Recurring[]

Other[]

  • Bob Miles: Payroll Guard
  • Burt Douglas: Jack Tatum
  • Clint Sharp: 2nd Stagecoach Driver
  • Joe Patridge: Gus Tatum
  • Lane Bradford: Curly
  • Leif Erickson: Josh Tatum
  • Richard Coogan: Jake Moss
  • Ron Hayes: Johnny Reed

Notes[]

Did you know?[]

  • German episode title: "Böse Nachbarn", meaning "Bad Neighbors".

Quotes[]

"That's the big trouble with Pa. He still thinks he's 21 years old. He ought to start taking it a might easier."
Hoss[src]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

See also[]

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