02x18 - Boy into Man

[bunniefuu]

[chuckling]

I mean it, Carl.

Now, how long you been
supplying me with victuals
and things on tick?

Well, sir,
you know what?

Everything I owe you,
you gonna be paid double.

So you think you really
found it this time,
huh, Wiley?

Ha ha ha ha!

I know it.
Why, you know,

if I didn't have to come to you
for supplies and things,

I'd be tapped into
that mountain of gold
right now.

-Well...
-Isn't that right, Jenny?

-Good luck, Wiley.
-Thank ya.

Uh, you want something, Lud?

Nope. Just lookin'.

Huh.

I had a feeling
that's what you had in mind!

Now, you--
Stop that boy!

Stop that thief!

Boy, you come back here!

I'm gonna--

Gotcha!
Uh-huh, gotcha.

He stole something.

And it ain't
the first time, neither.

A potato, Carl?

He's walking off
with half my store!

There. I'm taking you
to the sheriff's office!

Now, wait a minute, Carl.
I don't think this is
a matter for the sheriff.

Why don't you just
leave him with me

and I'll take him home
to his mother?

And you can put these
on my bill.

I don't need anyone
standing up for me.

What do you say, Carl?

Well, all right,
Heath.

But you tell his ma
if he ever takes anything
out of my store again,

he's going to jail.

All right, Carl,
all right.

Well, as long as
this grub's paid for,

we may as well
take it along.

-Let's go.
-You ain't takin' me anywheres.

I'm taking you
to your mother's.

You can go the easy way,
or you can go the hard way.

[knocking on door]

Mrs. Akely?

Chucky?
Cecelia?

Where's your mother?

Where's your brother and sis?

Well, I guess
wherever she went,

she took Chucky
and Cecelia
with her.

Guess we may as well go.

Come on.

Now, Lud,
you're staying with me
until I talk to your mother.

Now come on.

Don't go! We're here too!

-Don't go!
-Chucky!

I told you
to stay put!

-You were gonna leave us!
-Chucky, where's your mother?

-She went away--
-Shut up!

-Where'd she go?
-Don't tell him nothin'.

How many days
has your mother been gone?

-Shut up!
-I didn't say nothin'.

-Ten days, Chucky?
-More than that.

Only I ain't
got enough fingers.

-Where did she go?
-Chucky.

I can't tell 'em that
because I don't know.

Lud knows. Ma talked to him
before she went away.

I'm hungry.

Well, I bet you are,
sweetheart.

So I'll tell you what,
I'm gonna take you all
home with me.

How would you like
a nice, tall glass of milk

with some bacon and eggs?

I like ham better.

-Well, then ham it is.
-With hot cakes?

A stack of 'em,
oozing with melted butter
and hot maple syrup.

Tell him
you don't want any.

It'd probably poison you
if you took it, anyway.

I'm hungry, Lud.

Well, Lud's big enough
to take care of himself.

But you two gotta have
somebody to look after you,

see that you get fed.
Come along.

You come too, Lud.

You got to!

You promised
you wouldn't leave us.

You promised Ma.

You promised Ma.

♪♪ [theme]

Remember when you lived here,
Chucky?

Yeah. I was
a little bitty kid then.

You and Cecelia
were born here.

-Lud too?
-Lud too?

No. He was already born
when your father came
to work for us.

What's the matter, Lud?
Why aren't you eating?

Maybe he doesn't like
ham and potato salad.

He's crazier than I am
about ham and potato salad.

VICTORIA:
Maybe he isn't hungry.

He's hungrier
than I am, too.

He's been giving his share
to Cecelia and me.

Aren't you feeling
well, Lud?

Audra, let's check on
the children's room.

I'll be back in a minute.

-You're eating!
-I'm hungry!

You don't have to eat it
like you like it.

But I do, Lud.
It's awful good.

You should eat yours.

I don't want nothing
from these people.

I can't understand
why Muriel went away
and left those children.

I can make a guess.
She got tired of 'em
and ditched 'em.

Why wouldn't Lud
tell us that?

Probably too ashamed.

No, Nick, no.

Muriel was a good wife to Bud,
and a wonderful mother.

No, if she went away,
she had a very good reason.

Heath.

Well, I see Chucky and Cecelia
have finished eating.

I got a tummy ache.

I told ya
it'd poison ya!

Well, at least we know
you can talk.

All right, now,
it's time for your bath.

-Not me.
-Me neither.

Me neither.

Well, they're awful feisty

now that they got
their bellies full.

I'll bet you kids
never took a bath

in a bathtub that
came all the way
from St. Louis.

-St. Louis!
-Uh-huh.

-We don't need a bath!
-Me neither!

Oh, come on.

Looks like we got
a mutiny on our hands.

Help, Lud!
Don't let her
drown me!

Oh, I'm not
gonna drown you,

I'm only going to
give you a bath.

Coming, Lud?
Or would you rather go
as a six-year-old?

Imagine finding
nightshirts that fit them.

I saved some
of your things.

Audra, you promised
to read to us.

[music box plays]

Darling, I'd love to
let you play with it,
but...

It's very precious to me,
and very valuable.

Well...

Who's this handsome
young man?

It's Lud.

I never would have
recognized you.

Come with me, Lud.

Come on, Lud.

Lud, I can't let you
go to bed without eating.

There.

Sure looks good
to me.

Now, I know you're hungry.
Why won't you eat?

You're not hurting
any of us when you refuse,

but later on, when you're
lying upstairs in bed,
you're going to be very--

Ohh.

-Has he always acted like that?
-No.

No, he used to like it here,
or at least he seemed to.

You see, Nick gave
Bud Akeley a job,

and he and Muriel
used to live in the cottage
behind the corral.

Before that they had
had a very hard time of it.

But they were happy here,
especially Lud.

What happened
to Bud Akeley?

He caught pneumonia
around Christmastime
two years ago

and died four days later.

Muriel wouldn't stay here.

She said
she wouldn't accept charity,

so they moved back to town

and she started in
as a dressmaker.

Well, maybe Lud
takes after his ma--

Nothing pinching him
but his pride.

No.

No, it's more than that.

It's more like anger.

And the trouble is that...

it hasn't even started
to explode yet.

There it is.
Clean as a pin.

Well, Lud, I see
they've put you to work.

Yeah, it was all his idea.

Been working his head off
since early this morning.

Good, glad to hear it.

Can I see you boys
outside a minute?

-All right.
-Okay.

HEATH: Find anything out
about his mother?

JARROD: No.

Seems Muriel didn't tell
anybody where she was going.

Chucky says
she told Lud.

If we could
get him to talk...

Come on. Come on!

-Where we goin'?
-Hush up!

Get in. There we go.

Get in. Get in,
and don't you move.

-What's that?
-That's food.

It's enough for
three or four days.

I been taking it from the house
a little bit at a time

so it wouldn't be missed.

-Where are you taking us?
-Hush up.

Why wont you tell us
where we're going?

Because you're
a blabbermouth.

You're a blabbermouth.

Honest, I won't
tell anybody!

You don't need to know.

You'll find out
when we get there.

Chucky? Cecelia?

Time for lunch!

Chucky! Cecelia!

All right, I give up,
I can't find you.

Come on out. We'll play
hide-and-go-seek later,
after lunch.

Chucky? Cecelia?

Lud?

-Which way do we go now?
-Hush up.

He won't tell us
'cause he don't know.

-He don't know.
-I said, hush up.

You take the right,
I'll take the left.

Heath!

They're over here!

What do you think
you're gonna do
with that whip, boy?

Better put it down
before you get yourself
in a lot of trouble.

Put the whip down.

I said, put the whip down!

You put that whip down,
boy, or I'm gonna
take it away from you.

Now, Nick.
Lud, put the whip down.

We got lost.

We got losted.

Well, now you've
got founded.

Where were you
taking 'em, Lud?

Speak up, boy!

Chucky?

Now, you take hold
of that horse.

We'll try to get
that buggy around for you.

Come on, boy, move.

Move!

Now, you children
get back over there.

All right.

Okay, Lud, up.

Come on. Over.

I've tried to be patient
with you.

When you disobeyed me,
I made allowances.

But this
I cannot overlook.

You're not a little child like
Chucky, you're almost a man.

Supposing that buggy
had overturned.

Supposing the children
had been hurt!

Now, you've got to promise me

that if you decide
to run away again,

you won't take them with you.

And I know if you give me
your word, you'll keep it.

Oh, Lud.

Lud, we used to be
such good friends!

Why, I--

I felt as close to you

as if you were
one of my own sons!

But something has happened.
What is it?

Now, you look at me,
and you pay attention!

You look at me!
I want you to promise me that--

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

But don't you see?
I wouldn't get this angry
if I didn't care.

But anything happened
to those children,
you'd never forgive yourself!

You--

Did you crack him open?

No, I'm sorry to say
I was the one that cracked.
I lost my temper.

You know, I think it's time
we faced something, Mother.

Those children can't stay
with us indefinitely.

Even if they wanted to.

But their mother
must be someplace.

And until we find her,
they have to stay here.

See you next week.

You know, with all
of Carl's jabbering,

I plumb forgot
them lamp wicks.

Be right back.

Lud?

Lud!

Lud!

Heath! Heath!

I got something
to tell ya.

Hello, Wiley.

You gonna be the first one
to hear the big news.

Me and Jenny,
we just got down
from the Tuolumne.

We're on our way
to the assay office

with a great, big sack
full of ore.

And this time, Heath,
we hit it big!

Really big!
Didn't we, Jenny?

Yes, sir! We and Jenny
finally struck it rich.

Rich, I tell ya!

Why, Heath,
I got gold nuggets in there

as big as your head!

-Yes, sir.
-That's just fine, Wiley.

-Just fine.
-Yes, sir.

Jenny ain't never gonna
have to carry a pack no more.

No, sir.
You hear that, jenny?

No more packs.

And you know what?

Tonight you and me
are gonna sleep in
that livery stable.

I don't care
how much it costs!

Excuse me, Wiley,
I gotta go.

Yeah--

He don't believe me, Jenny.

Nobody believes me.
They all think
I'm touched in the head.

All right, move over.

Well, drive 'em home.

Hi, Georgie.

Ha ha!

Well, we finally
hit it big!

A real bonanzy!

Just you wait till
you test out what I got
in this here sack.

Where's it from
this time?

Same place
I been prospecting
right along,

only this year
I went deeper

and tapped right into
the old mother lode.

-Sure, Wiley.
-Ha ha ha ha!

You don't believe me
neither.

Well, I ain't askin' you
to take my word for it.

You see for yourself.

All right.
I'm pretty busy.

I'll assay it
as soon as I can.

No sirree,
not this time.

You let them others wait.
You do mine right now.

I'll come back later
for your report.

Your eyes are gonna bug out
like on a crayfish.

You're gonna pinch yourself
black and blue to make sure
you ain't dreamin'!

Ha ha ha ha!
And then you know what?

You're gonna go
running down the street
yelling at everybody,

"Old Wiley struck it big!
Yahoo!"

[donkey brays]

I'm comin', Jenny girl!

Jenny, old girl,
we're rich!

[clock chiming]

Full house.

How's that for luck?

-[music box plays]
-What have you got there?

-[music stops]
-Let her play,
let her play.

If you buy it from me,
you can play her all you like.

Oh? How much?

It's, uh,
$15.80.

Give you
four bits for it.

$15.80.

-I'll make it a dollar.
-No.

WILEY:
Yahoo!

Ha ha! Yes, sir!

[slurring]
After all these years,

me and Jenny
struck it rich!

Rich, I tell ya!

And this time
we struck a real bonanzy!

[laughing, coughing]

[music box plays]

Say...

Oh!

Hey.

Wait a minute.

What time is it?

It's late.

Late.

I told Georgie
I'd be back to get
that report.

How much do I owe ya?

Here.

There ya are.

Keep the change.
Ha ha ha!

Buy everybody a drink!

Yeah, I keep
telling 'em I'm rich,

but don't nobody
believe me.

-Nobody!
-Mr. Wiley?

Mr. Wiley,
I believe you.

You do, boy?

Well, that just about
makes you the smartest man
around town.

Because I 've got millions
just waiting for me to
dig it out of the ground.

-Millions! I--
-[music box plays]

Say, that tune sure is
a toe-tickler.

It makes a fella
want to dance!

If you buy her, you can play her
all the time, all you want.

All I want is 15.80.

That's not a speck of dust
out of your poke.

Ohh.

Mr. Wiley?

Mr. Wiley!

Please, Mr. Wiley.

I'll give you the music box
for free, for nothing,

if you'll make me a loan
of $15.80.

I promise to
pay you back some day,
I promise.

Well, oh...

Here.

There.
Now give me that.

Ha ha ha ha!

Hey, boy!

Boy, how do you
make this thing play?

You forgot to show me!

Boy!

Eh. Eh...

-[music box plays]
-Oh. Hee hee hee!

Ohh!

-Well, Frank. Come on in.
-Jarrod.

-Sorry to trouble you
this time of night.
-That's all right.

-Good evening, Sheriff.
-Miss Barkley.

This music box
belong to you?

Yes.
Where did you get it?

-The Akeley kids
been staying with you?
-Yes.

Lud Akeley's
in serious trouble.

What'd he do, Sheriff?
Steal something?

A little more serious
than that.

That old prospector,
Wiley Griffin--

we found him lying dead
in the street.

His head been mashed in
with a rock.

That music box
was lyin' beside him.

You mean to tell me
you think that Lud did that?

Miss Barkley,
I do.

Not more than an hour ago
he was trying to sell

your music box
over at the saloon.

Frank,
are you sure of that?

I've got four witnesses.

They even remembered
he wanted $15.80 for it.

But that's impossible.

Lud is upstairs in bed
right now.

Would you please
ask Lud to come down?

-Well, yes, of course.
-Mother.

I was just looking in
on the children.

I came down to tell you--
Lud's gone.

Any idea where
I might start looking?

No.

Where's his mother?

I'm afraid we don't
know that either, Frank.

I'm gonna have to find him.

Good night.

Jarrod, how much did
the sheriff say Lud was
asking for that music box?





Why not 15, or 20?

Yesterday when
I was in the store Lud
disappeared for a while.

Do you know where he was?
The railroad depot.

I wonder--

I wonder if that's
what it costs to get
to where his mother is.

There ya are.

Thank you, ma'am,
and have a nice trip.

Yes, sir.

I think you could
help me solve a problem,
if you would.

Mm-hmm.

Suppose a person
wanted to go somewhere,

and I don't know where,

but to get there,
it would cost him
exactly 15.80.



Suppose it was--
this person was a boy.

About sixteen.

Where could he go
on $15.80?

Let me see, let me see,
let me see. 15.80 exact.

Wait a minute.

I do remember
a boy coming here
and asking

how much it would cost
to go to Elko, Nevada.

Elko, Elko, Elko...

the fare to Elko
is 15.80 exactly.

[rings doorbell]

[rings]

[rattles knob]

Yes?
What is it?

No rooms.
I'm full up.

I'm looking
for Mrs. Akely.

Mrs. Who?

Mrs. Akely.

She said she'd be here.
She said--

Oh, you mean Muriel.
You'll find her over at
the painted lady.

-Where's that?
-The saloon. She works there.

No, no, no.

You must be thinking
of someone else.

My ma wouldn't work
in no saloon.

Your ma?
Did you say your ma?

Yes. Mrs. Akely.

She's a dressmaker.
She's from Stockton.

Oh. Um...

Well, you might be--

you might be right,
at that.

This Muriel who lives here,

I don't think her last name
is Akeley.

See, I'm an old woman
and I don't remember names
too well now.

You mean she isn't here?
She said that she'd be here
if we needed her.

No, she's not here.
I'm sorry.

[door closes]

♪♪ [piano music]

[laughter, chatter]

Lud.

Lud!

-Please.
-MAN: Where ya goin'?

Lud--

-Let me go.
-Lud!

What are you doing here?

Did something happen
to Chucky? Cecelia?

I want to know if
Chucky and Cecilia
are all right!

Why did you come here,
Lud?

Are they with Mrs. Barkley?
Is she lookin' after them?

Tell me, Lud!

What do you care?

Don't you talk
to me like that.

Lud, please. I didn't--
I didn't mean to.

-Honey--
-MAN: Hey, kid!

You're a little too young
for her. Why don't you leave her
to an old rooster like me?

-Muriel, let's dance.
-Please! I'm his mother.

Well, then send him home.

No!

Lud.

You're not my ma.

Honey--

Lud.

Did you find your ma?

No, she ain't here.

-You sure?
-I'm sure.

Made the trip for nothing.

Well, finding her can wait.

It's lucky I caught up with you
before the sheriff did.

Lud, you're in
a lot of trouble.

The sheriff thinks
you k*lled Wiley Griffin.

They found mother's music box
beside Wiley 's body,

and there were
several witnesses

who said they saw you
trying to sell it.

So you must have dropped it.

Well, what have you
got to say, Lud?

Lud, you were there.
You must have seen something.

Well, we got a little time
before we get to Stockton.

Now, you can be thinking of what
you're gonna tell the sheriff.

Now, come on.

Do you want us to believe
that you did it?

Do you want us to believe
that you picked up that rock

and you k*lled
that helpless old man?

That you sneaked up behind him
and you bashed his head in
till you were sure he died?!

Defend yourself, Lud!

Now, listen to me, boy.

If you don't talk...
you may hang.

Jarrod...

[sighs]

All right.

I'll be in
the sheriff's office.

Lud, I'm your friend.

Now, if you won't
think of yourself,

think of Chucky
and Cecilia.

Think of how
your mother would feel.

-My mother.
-Yes!

It wouldn't matter
one bit to her.

She wouldn't stay awake
for one second.

Oh, Lud,
that's not true,
that's just not true!

Don't tell me
about my mother!
I know my mother.

She's a saloon girl,
a cheap, painted--

A saloon girl, that's all.

Lud.

Oh, honey.

Oh--

You'll want to
be alone.

No, Mrs. Barkley.
Please stay.
Please don't go.

Lud...

Look at me.

I heard about it
in Elko.

They say
you k*lled a man.

That isn't true,
is it?

I want to know, Lud.

Son, if you're trying
to hurt your mother,

you can't do a
better job

than I've done
myself already.

Oh, Lud... I did what
I thought was best.

It seemed the only way

was to leave you
with Mrs. Barkley
for a while.

But you didn't do
what I asked you to, Lud.

Heath said he found you
and Chucky and Cecelia
still living in the house.

Why didn't you do
what I asked you to?

Why didn't you go
to Mrs. Barkley

and tell her
what I told you?

I would have wrote you...

Exceptin'... I can't write.

I told him to tell you
that I'd be mighty obliged,

'cause I was going away
for a little while,

if you was to take care
of him and my young'uns
for a little spell.

Why didn't you take
care of us?!
She ain't our ma!

He doesn't understand
why you went away.

Perhaps if
you explained.

Lud, I-- I had to go.

I had to go, honey!

But he doesn't
know why.

All he knows is that
you weren't here
when he needed you.

I guess...

I guess I thought
when your pa was alive...

that he was gonna
always be there
for me to count on.

He was a-- a kind of...
blessin'

that we took for granted.

And then one day, he died.

And I didn't know
which way to turn.

It's been two years now
and longer

since your pa died.

And I'm alive...

I'm alive!

And I need a husband!

I need a father
for you young'uns,

somebody to help me raise you
good and proper.

But how...

How...

is a body to meet anyone

what with working all day
and mending and sewing,

and children to take care of?

Besides...

who'd want a widow with
three young'uns, anyhow?

That's why I decided
to go back to Elko.

Your pa was a good man.

You didn't know this,

but I met your pa working
in that saloon in Elko.

I thought if
I went back there

that I might
meet somebody like him.

But I soon found out that
that wasn't no use.

Wasn't nobody who
measured up to Bud.

I would have
come back right away,

but I thought that they'd
be better off with you.

You're the one they needed,
not me.

Lud...

they say you k*lled a man.

That isn't true, is it?

-I didn't k*ll nobody, Ma.
-Then why don't you talk?

If you didn't k*ll him,
you have nothing
to be afraid of.

Tell us what happened,
Lud.

You saw him there?
You saw Wiley?

I knew you were
in Elko, Ma...

and I needed some money
to get there.

So...

I stole Mrs. Barkley's
music box

and I sold it to Wiley.

But in the street.

And that's the last time
I saw him.

He was drunk,
but he was fine.

And you have no idea
who k*lled him?

No, ma'am. I only know
that it wasn't me.

-Did Lud say he saw anybody?
-No.

We're no better off
than we were before.

He doesn't have any idea
who might have done it, either.

The way old Wiley was flashing
that gold dust around,
it could have been anybody.

All the same,
Lud could hang for it

if the guilty party
can't be found.

But you know, Jarrod,

whoever k*lled Wiley
wasn't after that gold.

They wanted him dead.

Who'd want to k*ll
that old man anyway?

-Doesn't make any sense.
-You're right.

Heath.

You said when you saw Wiley
he was on his way to
the assay office.

That's what he said.

Well, now suppose,
just suppose...

that for once he was right--
that he had struck it rich.

-Hi, Jarrod, Heath.
-George.

What can I do for you?

Wiley Griffin brought some ore
in here the other day,
didn't he?

That's right,
he was in a big hurry.

Wanted me to do the test
right then and there.

Jarrod was just saying
wouldn't it be funny

if after all these years
he really did make a strike.

Make Jenny
a mighty rich donkey.

Anyway, did you run
a test on it?

Well, he said he was
coming in later that night,

so I hurried up
and did the test.
But he didn't come.

I guess he was on his way
here when it happened.

Yeah.

Too bad.
He was a nice old man.

I guess that kid
took his talk serious

about his being rich, huh?

Yeah. Well, uh,
did you make out a report?

About the assay?
I sure did.

You mind if we take
a look at it?

Not at all.

Uh, I have to keep a report

on every assay,

no matter what the result.

It's, um...

government regulation,
you know.

Yeah, they're pretty strict
about that.

"One hundred percent
pure rock."

Just like all the other samples
that old Wiley brought in.

Oh, his hopes were big,
but his luck was so bad.

I never charged him.
I just went ahead
and made the tests

and told him the bad news.

Funny thing, though--
he never believed me.

Always claimed that
I made a mistake.

He always went away
peaceable, though,

even if I couldn't
convince him.

Well, thanks
for your trouble, George.

No trouble at all.
Glad to oblige.

We'll see you,
George.

[donkey braying]

Say, doesn't that sound
like Jenny, Wiley's old donkey?

[braying]

Yeah. Sole survivor
to a sack full of rocks.

What do you say we buy her
and turn her out to pasture?

What do you mean?
Establish a foundation
for bereaved donkeys?

Well, why not?

Well, I guess that's the least
we could do for Old Wiley.

Let's go.

Anybody here?
Jeff?

[chuckles]

Well, Jenny old girl,

looks like you're gonna spend
your last days in clover
after all.

Come on out here,
let's take a look at you.

[clicking tongue]

-[laughs]
-Well, come on, Jenny.

Kinda stubborn, isn't she?

I wonder how old Wiley
got her to move.

Seems to me he always had
a handful of sugar.

Kept it in these packs here.
I'll see if there's any left.

Yeah, let's appeal
to her sweet tooth,
see if we can make friends.

Well, what do you know?

-Here's a piece of old
Wiley's bonanzy.
-Yeah?

What's the matter?

What do you make of that?

A lot heavier
than it looks, isn't it?

Looks like tellurium.

It sure does.

Look how it's all
seeded in here, like mustard.

Jarrod, I think it's gold.

Hello, George.
Sorry to bother you again.

I was just wondering
about that ore

that Wiley brought in
the other day.

Did he say where
he dug it up?

Not that I recollect.

Well, you know the night
before Wiley was k*lled

I was talking to him
and he told me he'd been
up on the Tuolumne.

That's a long river.
Could be almost anyplace.
Why you ask?

Well, you know how Wiley
was always crowing about
how he'd struck it rich.

Yeah, well,
that was just talk.
Nobody believed him.

I know, but I got
some kind of old fool notion

that just suppose
that he had tapped in
to that mother lode--

there must be millions
of dollars worth of gold
up there somewhere,

and I thought if I could
just locate his diggings,

I'd just kind of
poke around a little bit.

You'd just be
wasting your time.

Well, maybe you're right.

Ah, I forgot, George.

I was just curious
about this rock.

What would you say
that is?

Well, it looks like just
another piece of rock to me.

Wouldn't you say
it looked like tellurium?

Lots of rock
looks like tellurium.

Yeah, but that yellow
seeded there in that crack,

wouldn't you say
that looked like gold?

Yeah. Fool's gold, maybe.

And we wouldn't really know
until you ran a test on it.

If you leave it here
I'll get to it
as soon as I can.

Well, I'd kind of like
to get it done now.

I know you're busy,
but I'd be willing
to pay extra.

Well, whatever you say.

Good.

Say, that sack of ore
that Wiley brought in,

it should still be
around here somewhere, huh?

It's over there
on top of that pile.

It's got a tag
with his name on it.

"Wiley."

There must be a mistake.

I want the sack of ore
that looks like that.

Well, all he brought in
was a rock.

No, that's what
he brought in.

It fell out of his pack.

George,
I've worked in mines,

and I've seen
a lot of ore like that.

And it should assay out
to about 5% pure gold.

Well...

you k*lled him, didn't you?

And you were going to
let Lud hang for it.

And after a while,
you were gonna file
on Wiley's claim.

Drop it,
George.

[George fires]

Wiley brought in a sackful
that was practically pure gold.

He must have made the mistake
of telling him where
the claim was.

Somewhere up on
the Tuolumne.

Like George says,
that's a long, long river.

-Could be almost anywhere.
-Yeah.

[donkey braying]

Bang! Bang!

Bang--

Ma! Ma, Lud's home!

Ma!

Lud.

It's good...

It's good to be
together again!

Heath, come in.
Please.

Oh...Heath, I--

I wanted to thank your ma.

Would you tell her for me that
there just aren't words enough?

I'll do that.

But the next time
you decide to leave town,

don't send a message--
deliver it yourself.

Might save a lot
of trouble.

Might save a lot of trouble.

Well, there's one thing
for sure, and you can
count on this--

I'll never leave
my young'uns again.

If there's a man
for my family,

it'll have to be
somebody right here
in Stockton.

Ma, I'm gonna
try and get a job,
help you all I can.

I think I can work
at the grocery store.

Well, now, that's a job
for a boy, not a man.

You know, one of our line
riders quit this week.

I was just thinkin',
maybe you could, uh,
hit Nick for the job.

You think he'd hire me?

Well, could be...

if somebody
put in a good word.

Oh!

♪♪ [theme]