07x07 - Found Child

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

That's the lot, and we
ain't found nothing yet.

Someone's coming.

Let's get.

♪♪

♪♪

Little girl?

Little girl?

Girl?

Hi.

Is... is this your dolly?

Is this your dolly?

What's your name, little lamb?

See your dolly?

Can you hold your dolly?

Yeah.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

- Hi, Pa.
- Joe.

Well?

Find anything? Any
clues? Any identification?

Well, you know all the-the
trunks and the clothes

that Hoss said were
scattered all around?

- Yeah.
- They're gone.

- They're gone?
- Yeah.

Sheriff Coffee figured some
squatters must've come along

and helped themselves.

I was hoping there'd
be some identification

we'd find from the
clothing or the-the trunk.

I wish Hoss had paid a
little more attention to them.

Well, he was probably too
worried about the little girl.

Well, what's Roy gonna do?

He's wired towns
in both directions.

See if he can't get some clues

to the identity of
those poor people.

That takes such a long time.

That little child needs
help. She worries me. I...

Well, she needs someone to
take care of her whom she knows,

somebody she's comfortable with.

Yeah.

Where is she now?

Upstairs. Hoss is washing
her hands and face.

Mm, supper is
ready, Mr. Cartwright.

Thank you, Su Chin. Thank you.

How's Hop Sing's
uncle making out?

Oh, fine. And he's prepared
a soup for tonight, mmm!

- Go wash up.
- Oh, I'm not dirty.

Go wash your hands, Joseph.

Yes, sir.

Hoss, supper's ready!

Oh, thank you, Su Chin.

Wait till you taste this soup.

Here you are, young lady.

- Very nice.
- There.

- Ain't she pretty?
- She sure is.

Very nice, Hoss.
Very, very, very nice.

I think some of that soup's
about all she's gonna...

be able to go this meal.

I asked Su Chin to fix
her up something special.

Su Chin?

Ah.

Sure it's not too hot?

No, Hoss.

Thank you.

Just right. Thank you.

There you are, young lady.

Now then, dive right in.

Now, listen, you
know you got to eat.

You got a nice glass of milk

and a nice bowl of soup
that old Su Chin made for you.

He makes good soup.

Take a little taste of it first.

For Hoss?

That's a doll. Now,
ain't that good?

Let's have another one.

Ah-oop.

There you go.

Doggone, that's
pretty good, isn't it?

Here's a good one.

Ah-oop.

It must be pretty good soup.

Look at the way she's eating it.

That is good.

You know, it really gets you...

You look into
those staring eyes.

Poor little thing
doesn't say anything.

It's enough to break your heart.

Child is in shock.

What a terrible experience.

Terrible.

I just wish there was some
way we could help her.

Well, I'm going in to see
Doc Martin in the morning.

Well, well, well.

- We came down to say good night.
- Why...

It's an old gown of mine
that I cut the bottom out of.

There's still room
for about five of her.

Well, doggone it, she's
sweet enough to be five.

I wish she was.

Good night, darling.

Can you say "good night"?

You have pleasant dreams.

Night, Pa.

Now, Roy, you-you let me
know as soon as you get a reply

from any of those
telegrams you sent out, huh?

I sure will, Ben. I
already promised Hoss.

- Hoss?
- Yeah.

Has he been here?

Yeah, about an hour ago.

Oh.

Hi, Pa.

Joe.

Where you been all morning, huh?

Oh...

I went into town, thinking
I might find out something

about our... our little guest.

Yeah? What'd you find out?

Well, I found out that I was
running an hour behind Hoss

wherever I went.
Where is that fella?

Uh, he went out riding
fence as soon as he got back.

Oh. Where's the little girl?

She went with him.

- She went with him riding fence?
- Yeah.

It was kind of cute, too,
Pa. You should've seen her.

She was sitting up there
on a horse behind him,

those little arms trying to go
around that big middle of his.

Well, you tell that
fella with the big middle

I want to see him as soon
as he gets back, you hear?

Okay, I'll do it.

Hi, Pa.

Little Joe tells me
you want to talk to me.

Yeah, that's right, Hoss.

I'd like to talk to you alone.

Fine, I'll be down
in just a minute.

I'll take her up and
get her all cleaned up.

That's all right.
I'll take her up.

No.

She wouldn't like that.
She's-she's used to me.

Now, Hoss, Joseph
is perfectly capable

of washing a little
girl's hands and face.

- You take her along, Joe.
- All right.

Come on, hon.

Now, that's exactly what I
want to talk to you about, Hoss.

That little girl needs
a whole lot more care

than a bunch of bachelors
like us can give her.

What's wrong with
the care I'm giving her?

Oh, nothing's wrong with
it, except she needs a...

she needs a woman's care,

like-like Mrs. Jenkins
would give her if you'd let her.

Pa...

what do you got against having
a little gal in the house, anyhow?

Oh, Hoss, don't try to
make me out an ogre.

Nothing. Of course not.

But that little girl
isn't our little girl.

Well, I found her, and
I'm gonna take care of her

till somebody claims her.

I'm gonna go up there
and get her right now.

No, you're not. You're
gonna stay right here!

'Cause if that little girl is
gonna stay in this house

until her relatives find
her or we find her relatives,

then she'd better get used
to all of us taking care of her.

All right, now you start
cleaning up those g*ns.

You've been neglecting
them long enough.

Mm-hmm. Now let's see.

There. Now you see?

Uncle Joe did that just about as
well as Uncle Hoss could have.

Now let me have a little
bit of a look at you here.

We're gonna give you
the whole inspection.

Ear number one...
Clean as a whistle.

Ear number two...
Clean as a whistle.

Now, I have a little
surprise for you

for being such a good girl.

You wait.

Something I picked
out for you in town.

Here we are.

Now let's see what we've got...

right... here.

See?

What do you think of her?

This dolly's name is Lucy.

And Lucy's a good
little girl 'cause she has...

has clean ears just like you do.

And, uh, she's
got little flowers

on her hat and everything.

And she's all yours.

You take Lucy and give her
a hug 'cause she's lonesome.

There.

Hey, now I've got an idea.

Why-why don't you stay up here

and-and get
acquainted with Lucy,

and I'll go downstairs,
and then, in a little while,

you come on down and-and show
it to Pa and Hoss and surprise 'em?

Okay?

Okay.

Hey, where's the little gal?

How come she didn't
come down with you?

Ah, she'll be down in a minute.

You get these clean?

I don't like to leave
her up there by herself.

Well, will you stop worrying?

I said she'll be
down in a second.

It's probably the
r*fle that did it.

She thought I was
trying to hurt Hoss.

Yeah.

Think we ought to go up there?

No, no. We'll just, uh,
let Hoss take care of her.

She's used to him.

Let's finish
cleaning these g*ns.

Yeah.

Yeah, we're gonna
have to take this one

into Muscatel's g*n shop, Pa.

Hey, Pa, Joe, she's all right.

- Oh, good, good.
- No fooling.

She-she talked to me.

She what?

Really? She talked to you?

Yeah, I was
telling her all about

what we was gonna do tomorrow,

and right out of the clear
blue, she-she spoke to me.

Hey, the doc said that
another shock might cure her.

Come on up, hear for yourself.

Honey, I want you to
tell Pa and Little Joe

what part of the
Ponderosa you like best.

All right?

Hoss, I don't know.

She-she looks the same to me.

Remember us
talking about the lake?

Remember? Huh?

Hoss, are you sure
she talked before?

Yeah, I'm sure.

I reckon she's just
tired or something.

Hmm.

Guess maybe the whole
thing's a little too much for her.

We'll see you a
little later, dear.

You... you get you
a nap, sweetheart.

We'll-we'll see you
after a while, all right?

Hey, you really think
she talks to him?

Oh, I don't know.

Hoss is so obsessed
with that child,

wants her to get well so badly,

maybe... maybe he
imagines she talks.

Now, then, up you go.

Set easy on old Chub.

You might break him
down or something...

you're so big.

Sure looks cute on
there, buddy, doesn't she?

Look how tiny she looks.

Where you going?

I'm going into
town to talk to Roy,

see if he's found out anything

about the little
girl's relatives.

Oh, Hoss isn't gonna
like it much if he has.

Well, Hoss is gonna
have to get used to the idea

that that little girl isn't his.

Oh, Ben.

You caught me
doing my housework.

Well, don't let me interfere
with your legal duties, Roy.

Good. Keep working. I can
talk while you're working.

- No, I was all through in there.
- Oh?

And my next duty was
to come out and see you.

Oh, did you find something
out about the little girl's folks?

Well, something, but not
exactly what I wanted to find out.

I was able to trace the
m*rder*d people back to St. Louis.

It seems that they
were rather wealthy,

and they were on their
way to San Francisco

to set up a business there.

And they were probably
carrying considerable money.

Yeah, terrible, terrible thing.

Oh, what about some
relatives in St. Louis?

There was none that
I could find out about.

But on the chance that they
did have some in San Francisco,

I wired the marshal there.

Yeah, well, that's a good
idea, Roy. It's a good idea.

Oh, and if you
find out anything,

be sure that I know
about it first, huh?

Well, sure, Ben, but... but why?

Well, it's, uh... it's Hoss.

Hoss has, uh... he's become
kind of attached to the little girl.

You know, he...

He almost thinks the little
girl belongs to him, you know.

And, uh, if there are
any relatives, I'd...

I'd like to have the opportunity
of telling him so that...

you know, sort of
let him down easy.

I understand, Ben, and
I certainly will do that.

There was one other
thing that I did find out.

The-the little
girl's name is Lisa.

Lisa.

Lisa.

Thank you, Roy. Thank you.

All right. Give my best to Hoss.

Yup.

♪♪

Morning, George.

Ben. Pleasant day, isn't it?

Yeah, it sure is...

George...

do you have any, uh...
any dresses for little girls?

Well, sure. Plain or fancy?

Oh... plain I guess
would be better.

You say plain,
little girls say fancy.

Oh. Well, maybe it
better be fancy then.

Yeah.

Who is it?

Jim and Hank.

Come on in.

That was some tip
you gave us, Mr. Collins.

We didn't find nothing.

I know.

My brother-in-law
was very shrewd.

What's that supposed to mean?

Well, my wife got a
second letter from her sister

saying that they were worried

about what might happen
to them on the way,

so they changed their plans.

Plans? I am in no mood
to play games, Mr. Collins.

Now let's have it straight. What
did they do with the money?

Sent it on ahead
to San Francisco.

Where in San Francisco?

She didn't say that.

All she said was that if
anything happened to them,

the information
would be inside a doll

the little girl was carrying.

A doll?

Didn't see no doll.
How about you, Hank?

Me, neither.

Yeah, Lisa undoubtedly
has it with her.

How do we get to Lisa?

Well, Sheriff Coffee sent
me a wire from Virginia City

saying that she
was being cared for

by the Cartwrights
out at the Ponderosa.

Now, I'm gonna drive
back to Oreana tonight.

I'll come back in the
morning by stagecoach

and officially claim
my wife's niece.

You two guys get
out to the Ponderosa

and keep an eye on it.

See if you can get
your hands on that doll.

There'd better be something
in that doll, Mr. Collins.

We've wasted
enough time already.

Don't talk to me about time.

The bank examiners are
due the first of the month,

and if I haven't got that money,
where do you suppose I'll be?

Now you get out to the Ponderosa
and get your hands on that doll.

♪♪

Mm-hmm.

How you doing?

What do you got there?

Prettiest little gal I ever saw.

Oh.

Oh, you're getting big.

Well, howdy.

Pa.

Well.

Hoss, I'll bet you that Lisa...

must feel a little
strange with only a house

full of men for company.

How'd you find out
her name was Lisa?

Uh, well, maybe we
ought to discuss that alone.

Yeah. Maybe.

Look, honey, you run
along upstairs and wash up.

I'll see you in a minute.

Well, Pa?

Roy told me the
little girl's name.

In his telegrams,
I've established

that her mother and father

were on their way from
St. Louis to San Francisco.

With a considerable
amount of money.

She, uh...

She have any other
relatives in St. Louis?

Well, none that
Roy could determine.

I knew she wouldn't.

Roy's wiring San Francisco
to see if she has any there.

It won't do no good.

She ain't got
none there, neither.

Well, how do you know that?

Well... I just feel it.

I... I know she ain't.

I just... I just know it.

He's got to get over
this feeling he has

with that little girl,
because sooner or later,

some relative is gonna show up.

Yeah.

I just think it's
silly, that's all.

All right, so you
think it's silly.

Now what's this hot
discussion about?

Well, I just think it's silly
for him to keep dressing

a little girl up like a
little boy all the time.

- -Is that a fact?
- That's a fact.

Supper almost ready.

Well, I'll run up and get Lisa.

Hey.

Good evening, everybody.

Hey, did you hear that?

Didn't I tell you
she could talk?

She's getting better all
the time. Come here, honey.

Come on down.

My, oh, my, oh, my,
how pretty you are.

Hey, where'd you get
that new pretty dress

and that little dolly?

From... From Uncle Ben.

From Uncle Ben.

And Uncle Little Joe.

And Uncle Little Joe.

So, you two fellers
been trying to steal my gal

behind my back, huh?

We just wanted to
show you that we're really

not as hard-hearted
as you think we are.

Come on over here,
now, and tell me all about

that lovely little
dolly that you've got.

Now what's the dolly's name?

Lucy.

Her name is Lucy.

Lucy? That's a beautiful name.

She lives in a box in my room.

Really? In a box?

Yes. I hide her there so
the bad men can't find her.

Oh, well, you don't have
to do that around here.

There's no bad men around here.

Unless, of course, you think
Pa and Hoss and I are bad men.

No.

These are really, truly bad men.

Lisa, honey, you don't...
you don't need to talk like that.

There ain't no bad
men around here.

They're around here.

The same bed men
who did those things

to my mommy and daddy.

Sweetheart, are you
making up a story?

No, Hoss.

I saw them.

When?

This morning.

After you saddled the horse

and went into the house
for something you forgot.

Yeah, that...
that'd be our lunch.

Well, I chased a chicken
back into the barn,

and there they were.

The bad men.

They said, "Come here."

But I ran out,

and when I looked
back, they were gone.

Why didn't you
tell me all this then?

I was afraid.

Roust up the hands, see if
they know anything about this.

Yes, sir.

Well.

Good morning, Uncle Ben.

Good morning.

Uncle Little Joe.

Well, good morning, beautiful.

Where you off to this early?

Oh, Lisa and I thought we'd go
out and have ourselves a picnic.

Oh, are you gonna
take your dolly?

Uh-huh.

You know, Lucy has
never been on a horse

and didn't want to come along.

Oh.

But I told her
I'd hold her tight

and that the horse
would walk slow.

Is that all right, Hoss?

That's fine,
sweetheart. Come along.

Uh, you have a good time, now.

Okay, bye-bye.

- Bye-bye.
- Bye.

Bye.

Oh, boy.

You know, when Hoss
has kids of his own,

his wife won't see him
more than an hour a day.

If she's lucky.

Yeah, he'll... he'll
make a good father.

He also makes a good mother.

- Now let's have some breakfast.
- All right.

Now, ain't this a pretty
place for a picnic?

Yes, Hoss. It's very pretty.

Let me help you down.

Down you go.

Yes, sir, it's a
mighty pretty place.

All except for that
place over there

where that fence is down.

You wouldn't mind, would you,

if after we get
through with our picnic,

ol' Hoss goes over there
and fixes that fence?

No, Hoss. Lucy and I won't mind.

Now, I'll tell you
what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna get a canteen,
I'm gonna go down to the lake

and get us a canteen
of cool lake water.

And if you and ol' Lucy
get hungry before I get back,

you just dive right into
that basket, all right?

I'll wait for you, Hoss.

And so will Lucy.

That's a nice gal.

I know you're hungry,
Lucy, but we'll have to wait

till Hoss gets
back till we can eat.

Lisa?

Lisa?!

Roy, you sure did a fine job

locating Lisa's
uncle, I'll tell you that.

Well, thanks. Let's just
hope that he's on that stage,

- like you worried he was gonna be.
- Yeah.

Thank you.

Sheriff Coffee?

- Are you Mr. Collins?
- I am.

- Hope you had a nice trip.
- Thank you.

I want you to meet
Ben Cartwright.

He's been taking care of Lisa.

Mr. Collins, certainly a
pleasure to meet you, sir.

Oh, I'm very happy to
meet you, Mr. Cartwright.

My wife and I are
very grateful to you.

Well, Lisa's a lovable child.
She's been no trouble at all.

It's been wonderful having
her at the Ponderosa.

Yeah, I'm glad to hear that.

You know, my wife and
I have never seen Lisa.

We're gonna have
to find some way

to make up this
terrible tragedy to her.

Yes. Really a terrible tragedy.

I... I'm not quite sure that she
realizes what has happened.

I hope not.

To be orphaned so young.

It's ghastly, isn't it?

- Terrible, just terrible.
- Well, gentlemen,

should we get on
down to my office?

You did bring the, uh,
identification I asked for?

- Mm-hmm.
- No offense meant,

it's just that I've got
to be sure, you know.

Why, of course.
You'd be derelict

in your duties
otherwise, Sheriff.

Here, chick.

Well, Joe, now,
this is Mr. Collins,

Lisa's uncle. My son Joseph.

- Pleasure to meet you, sir.
- Pleasure's mine.

Uh, where did, uh, Hoss say
he was taking Lisa for the picnic?

Gee, Pa, I don't know.

Hey, Pa! Pa!

She's gone. Lisa's gone.

What happened?

Well, I-I went down to the
lake to get some fresh water,

and when I got back,
she was gone, that's all.

You mean you left her alone?

Yeah, dad-burnit,
for just a minute.

I left her up there
with a picnic basket,

and when I got back,
there wasn't no sign of her.

There was just some
hoofprints around there,

and I traced them off up into
a rocky ridge and lost them.

Joe, saddle up a couple horses.

Cartwright, if anything
happens to that girl,

I'm gonna hold you and your
sons personally responsible.

I'll get you a g*n.

Nothing. Not a thing.

What's the matter
with Collins, anyhow?

Doesn't he know what he's doing?

You know something?

I bet she knows what
happened to the information

that was inside that doll.

Maybe you're right.

Little girl.

You're gonna tell us
what we want to know.

You understand?

Well, there sure isn't any
sign of tracks around here.

Maybe we all
ought to spread out,

and if anybody sees any tracks,
then signal the others, huh?

Sounds sensible.

Hey, Pa. I was just thinking...

Remember that old
deserted ranch house?

It's just over the rise there;
maybe we ought to have a look.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

What'd you do with
it? You want to tell us.

It ain't no use, Jim. She
doesn't even hear us.

Maybe so.

Or maybe she's
just playing possum.

Hank...

stick one of those twigs
in the fire and make it hot.

- Oh, Jim, you ain't...
- What do you want to do?

Stick around here till
somebody tracks us down?

Find out who those
horses belong to.

Hey, Jim, somebody's out there.

Joe, you might hit Lisa.

What are we gonna do?

I think we better rush them.

Joe, you and I, we take
the right side of the house.

Hoss, you go straight ahead

and fire over their
heads, keep them down.

All right.

Ready? Go.

Let's get out of here.

- You all right?
- Sure.

I had to do it, Mr. Cartwright.
It was my life or theirs.

Well, they're both dead.

Hoss!

Oh, Hoss, they broke my dolly!

Well, don't you worry, honey.

They ain't gonna
break it no more.

Do I have to go
with him, Uncle Ben?

Well, I'm afraid so, dear.

But I don't want to go with him.

Well... He's your uncle.

Just the same, I don't like him.

Did Hoss say I had to go?

Hey, honey, Hossy
said you had to go,

and that... and you
should be a good girl

and do everything your
aunt and uncle tell you to do.

Sure wish he didn't have

to go fix those fences
again this morning.

Feels funny going away
without saying good-bye to him.

Yeah, I know it does.

Maybe we... maybe we should
say good-bye right here, hmm?

Good-bye, dear.

You be a good girl
now. We love you.

Let's go.

Now, up we get.

There we are.

Collins, you're gonna have
to pound the road pretty hard

if you're gonna
get to Virginia City

before the stage
leaves at 10:00,

so you hang on tight now.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Cartwright,
I'm terribly sorry I was...

sort of sharp with you,
but I was very worried

about what might
have happened to her.

Oh. I understand, of course.

Bye, Lisa.

Thanks again. Bye.

♪♪

♪♪

Remember this place, Lisa?

I don't like it here.

Oh, there's nothing
to be afraid of.

You're with me.

You tell me where
you lost your doll, huh?

Can't we go away
from here, please?

Not till we find that doll.

Do you understand?

Find that doll!

You're hurting me!

Not as much as
I'm gonna hurt you

if you don't try to remember.

But I don't know
where I dropped it.

If you don't remember, if
you don't do as I tell you,

I'm gonna cut this doll up.

See?

Huh?

Like that.

Hoss!

Hoss! Hoss! He wanted
to hurt me and cut up Lucy!

Well, don't you
worry, sweetheart.

He's not gonna hurt either
one of you anymore, you hear?

Look!

I found her.

I knew where I had dropped
her, but I never told him.

So that's what he was after.

Wonder why.

Mommy told me there was
something very important inside,

and I mustn't
show it to anybody.

Lisa, you reckon you
could show it to old Hoss?

Yes, Hoss.

Well, Lisa's aunt gets in

to that 3:00 stage
in San Francisco.

That doesn't give
you too much time.

Yeah, I know.

I guess he's having a little
hard time saying good-bye.

Hoss, you better hurry!

Well, what are you
doing just standing there?

Don't you know your Uncle
Little Joe is waiting for you outside

to take you into Virginia City?

Your aunt's come all the way
from San Francisco to fetch you.

Honey, she... she's
your mommy's sister.

She's a good woman.

She's not like your uncle.

He was a bad, bad man,

and he'll go to jail
for a long, long time.

But your aunt will take
you back to San Francisco,

and you'll go to
school, and you'll...

you'll grow up to
be a nice, big lady,

not no dang tomboy.

Aren't you going with me, Hoss?

Mm-mm.

Old Hoss got to stay
here and fix fences.

Hoss... I love you.

I love you, too, sweetheart.

Come on.

Up we go.

You all ready?

Uh-huh.

Well, that's... it's probably
the best thing after all anyhow.

Dang ranch ain't no
place to... raise a little gal.

Just turn her into a
tomboy or something.

Dang talkative
little old gal anyhow.

Just a regular chatterbox.

Ain't got time to put up
with all that foolishness.

♪♪