Bonanza continues to be one of the most beloved Western television shows of all time. The action-packed episodes sprinkled with comedy and family drama while addressing social issues made the program a fan favorite. Carey Wilbur wrote season two’s eleventh episode, The Trail Gang, which debuted on television on November 26, 1960.

An outlaw named Johnny Logan (Dick Davalos) swore to kill Sheriff Logan (James Westerfield), who also happens to be Johnny’s father. He travels under the alias Sam Jackson, signing on as a Ponderosa drover to later murder Sheriff Logan once the Ponderosa herd crosses the sheriff’s town.

Apart from the mentioned actors, Edgar Buchanan also appears as a guest star, playing Hallelujah Hicks.

Read The Trail Gang‘s plotline and some behind-the-scenes trivia, or watch the full episode below.

Watch the Full Episode of The Trail Gang

Watch the Full Episode of The Trail Gang:

Main Cast

The Trail Gang, the eleventh episode of Bonanza’s second season, featured some of the show’s recurring and one-time guest stars in addition to the main cast. The actors are as follows:

• Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
• Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright (credit only)
• Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
• Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright (credit only)
• Edgar Buchanan as Hallelujah Hicks
• Richard Davalos as Johnny Logan (as Dick Davalos)
• Robert J. Wilke as Brazos (as Robert Wilke)
• Linda Lawson as Melinda Bowers
• James Westerfield as Sheriff John Logan
• Richard Devon as Jake Rubidah
• Harry Antrim as Judge Armbruster
• Nick Borgani as Townsman (uncredited)
• Bill Clark as Trail Hand (uncredited)
• Betty Endicott Betty as Brunette Saloon Girl (uncredited)
• Bob LaWandt as Barfly (uncredited)
• Walter Lawrence as Bartender (uncredited)
• Cactus Mack as Trail Hand (uncredited)
• Martha Manor as Blonde Saloon Girl (uncredited)
• Bob Miles as Trail Hand (uncredited)
• Rex Moore as Townsman (uncredited)
• Cosmo Sardo as Bartender (uncredited)
• Clint Sharp as Trail Hand (uncredited)
• Chick Sheridan as Trail Hand (uncredited)

Full Story Line for The Trail Gang

Ben and Hoss work with a new trail gang led by Brazos to take the herd back to Nevada. As they prepare to leave, a young drifter arrives, presenting himself as Sam Jackson. He aspires to join the cowhands and asks Hallelujah to introduce him to Ben Cartwright as he does the ordered errands.

Hoss finds Sam cut some wood. He figured Sam hadn’t eaten, seeing how he chopped the wood with an axe. Hoss also asked if he was looking for work, and Sam enumerated the skills he knew. They gathered the wood and went back to camp.

Hoss introduces Sam to Ben as a new cowhand. Ben then introduces him to Brazos, who recognizes him at first glance. They set out to work while Hoss watches them, sensing something suspicious.

It appears that Brazos knew Sam as an outlaw. He asks if they set him free, or he busts his way out. Sam didn’t answer directly. Instead, he warns him to stop asking questions, or trouble will ensue.

Later that evening, Brazos surprises Sam by calling him Johnny, his real name. He reveals that Sheriff Logan, Johnny’s father, kicked him out of town, leaving marks on his back. It’s as if he’s implying he’ll take revenge on the sheriff, but Johnny plans to kill Sheriff Logan on his own.

The following day, John Logan arrives at camp and introduces himself as the sheriff of Waycross station. He believes they should stay in their place rather than go into town. However, Ben refuses, believing the cowhands deserve to ease up after a long ride. Still, Sheriff Logan threatens to kill anyone who’ll disturb the peace in their town.

On his way back, sheriff Logan sees Johnny, believing he is his son. However, Johnny introduces himself as Sam Jackson. As the sheriff leaves, Johnny returns to Ben to get his wage and visit the town after encountering his father.

Sheriff Logan welcomes Ben and his group with a warning sign, forbidding trail hands to go further into town. Brazos confronts him, but Logan punches him, triggering Johnny to aim his gun at Logan. However, Ben orders Johnny to put his weapon down, as he doesn’t want violence and brutality to happen to his crew. The sheriff agrees they stay but insists they go no further than the part of the town allowed to them. Ben asks Johnny about his behavior, particularly if he has anything against Sheriff Logan. He later reveals that the town constable is his father and that he is determined to kill him as soon as he gets the chance.

Johnny meets a pretty lady at the town saloon, and Brazos introduces her to him as Melinda Bowers. Meanwhile, Ben and Hoss volunteer to join sheriff Logan as he makes rounds into town. Ben believes they should accompany him to prevent any trouble from his crew. Logan reveals to Ben that his foreman, Brazos, caused distress in the place after getting drunk, so he drove him off the town. Ben asks if he did the same to his son, but he only replies by saying his son was pushing to get himself killed. Just then, they heard gunshots ringing outside.

Ben, Hoss, and sheriff Logan arrive at the saloon with Hallelujah drunk, firing his gun. Hoss volunteers to handle Hallelujah, and they watch him talk to him until he drops asleep. Hoss takes Hallelujah to the livery stable while sheriff Logan reproach Johnny for staying in the saloon. Johnny is about to attack his father from behind as he leaves. However, Ben stops him, reminding him of his authority as his employer. On the other hand, Melinda’s work is over, so he tells Johnny he’s going home. Johnny offers to walk her home, but although hesitant, she soon accepts his offer.

As he walks Melinda home, Johnny asks why she works at Jake Rudabaugh’s saloon. Melinda reveals that she enjoys hanging out with the men of the trail gang. When the sheriff organized the things, no job was left for anyone involved with the trail gang, leaving her no choice but to work at the saloon.

Hoss and sheriff Logan saw Johnny over the deadline. Sheriff Logan declares he’ll take him in, but Johnny refuses and is about to shoot him when Hoss hits him in defense. The two take Johnny to jail to stay overnight until someone bails him out in the morning. Hoss apologizes to Johnny, but he tells Hoss that his father has always done the same. Johnny reveals that sheriff Logan sent him to prison as a kid. It appears he was running with Brazos and the other cowboys had fun one night, resulting in a lady getting shot by a stray bullet. Hoss thinks the sheriff did it to save Johnny from more trouble, but all Johnny can think of is revenge. There, he blatantly tells Hoss that he will kill the sheriff.

The following day, Ben bails Johnny out of jail. Ben tells sheriff Logan that he’s letting his affairs interfere with how he sets and directs the law in town. When Ben and Johnny leave, Jake and other townspeople arrive, insisting that sheriff Logan open up their place to other crews; otherwise, they’ll lose money. However, sheriff Logan refuses to do what they request.

When Johnny returns to camp, Brazos insists they take down sheriff Logan together. However, Johnny insists that it’s a personal affair. Still, Brazos plans to do things his way, even without Johnny. Ben tells Brazos that they’ll continue their trail tomorrow morning. Brazos tells him he’ll get the boys, but Ben orders no one will return to town. Despite this, Brazos intends to avenge himself, not letting the Cartwrights get in his way.

Brazos and his gang return to town, ready to have fun and pursue their plan. Jake and Judge Armbruster welcome the boys to their stores, saying they’ve lifted the sheriff’s deadline to serve them. However, they do worse, drinking to their hearts’ content, shooting bullets everywhere, and terrorizing the town.

Back at camp, Hallelujah puts coal oil on a whiskey bottle to trick the two cowhands guarding them. One of them took the bait, giving the Cartwrights the upper hand as they knocked them down.

The Cartwrights arrived in town and decided to consult the sheriff before making a move. Ben admits that they couldn’t control their crew. However, the sheriff refuses to interfere in compliance with the request of the townspeople. Ben believes that his reason for staying inside the quarters involves his son. That is true, as sheriff Logan couldn’t see himself killing his son.

After a while, Johnny, Brazos, and the rest of the gang meet up with sheriff Logan. Johnny tells him to draw his gun, but sheriff Logan unbuckles his belt holster, throwing it to the ground. Impatient, Brazos shoots sheriff Logan, and the Cartwrights shoot him back. Matilda and Johnny assist the sheriff back to his quarters. Now that Brazos is dead, Ben establishes his authority again, ordering the cowhands to continue their drive to Nevada.

Full Script and Dialogue of The Trail Gang

[Music]
so
time you got here all right hallelujah
what is it this time oh nothing nothing
at all i got grub cooked for 25 calahans
where's the calahan
or maybe me and you is driving them
mossy back texas critters all the way to
the valley by ourselves
i'm telling you right now i quit this is
the third time today you feathered out
hallelujah i got a reason to be
feathered out
grub for 25 hands spoiling there in the
kettle no one need it they're coming on
behind i've been insisting
all 25 of them all 25 of them
card rights i don't know what you're
thinking about setting one man do all
the cooking for a crowd like that
i've been up since daylight cooking food
peeling potatoes
chalking the fire talking of fire
drop a picking line here
is that our hands oh just the advanced
party
they sure are a scroungy looking bunch
ain't he
well i didn't have much choice not too
many want to take her the way we're
going
oh brazos
us this is our new segundo brazos my son
haas
hi braz is what brazos that's all
uh brazo surrounded up a crew he knows
the country will be traveling
where'd you round them up now the
nearest jail some of them maybe
driving cattle up the trail ain't
exactly my idea of a church social
i want the hardest boys i can find well
it looks like you found them mister
uh brothers uh feed your man
we'll pull out a daybreak and brothers
let's not have any trouble trouble mr
cartwright
you know trouble only comes to those who
can't handle it
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
oh
[Music]
hey
figure don't eat and drag up some wood
and get some water in a barrel tree's
right down there quick just below the
rise
you're driving a hard north
i would have put an idea like that in
your head we're just sashaying these
critters up and down and down and up so
they'll get an appetite for the fiddles
won't get too fat in the middle yeah
tree's right down there who's the trial
boss
mr ben cartwright i declare you're
nothing but question here
quick right there below the rise take
about 10 buckets fill the barrel yes sir
this hell missed a cart right is he uh
doing any hiring now boy i got to pass
the hungry trail hands to feed now you
got no time to waste answering foolish
questions
yes sir
maybe you could put in a a word for me
my name's sam jackson
you are the dangerous gabbiest fella
when there's work to be done
maybe i'll put a word in for you and
maybe it won't
sir thank you sir
who's that who's young fellow riding
grub line
he's being a nice willing boy too yeah
i see you done put him to work
hallelujah what do you got against
cutting your own wood and
hauling you on water it ain't in keeping
with my position
mr horse my job's driving mules and
cooking now thank you to keep your big
fat cow smelly hands out of my donuts my
hands ain't neither couch smelly well if
you want to eat you go and help that boy
get in some wood
somebody got to haul me some water
hallelujah you undoubtedly got the worst
voice i ever heard in my life
good enough for the mules they like it
they probably think you're some ken
that axle not to be that heavy kid i
wanted to talk you out like that don't
you tell me nothing about axes i've been
swinging axes all my life
how many of them you're swinging on an
empty stomach yeah
you're going away and sit down
oh hallelujah no better than send a man
out on a job like this on an empty
stomach
you looking for work i sure ah
what can you do right rope drive cow
all right i can read and write and
decipher up to the 12 times table
you can and i know more about cows than
any of them ragged tail
brush poppers you got in your drive well
that ain't saying a whole lot
all right that ought to be plenty we
don't want to spoil them hallelujah
come on let's pick our meal take it up
and get one back okay
hallelujah this ought to hold you for a
while
where you going to get the rest of it
got us a new hand paul
looks it might take it out reckon he's
been feeding right here
hey kid come here a minute
this is dang i don't think i got your
name
sam jackson sam sam's educated boy you
can read
right cypher keep a tally book the whole
shooting match
you looking for a job son yes sir i sure
could use a job real handy
razors yes sir
segundo brothers this is uh
sam jackson we'll have to work and pick
them up with a string
all right mr carter right this way sam
i'll get you fixed up
looks like a nice boy
something wrong no no paul breaking
everything's all right
kid
sam jackson huh when they let you out or
did you bust out
now look process let's get this straight
you don't ask me no questions and i
won't cause you no trouble
oh you look nobody's causing anybody any
trouble
you and i always had the same kind of
ideas kid and we still had
i went to jail you didn't
[Music]
that a good book yeah pretty good
you see
[Music]
hey paul pickwick papers by dickens
it's quite a book you uh
you like it yeah i like it fine i
had it with me ever since i left home
where is home sam
back aways bag of ways which way
i'm from nagadosis it's a
fur piece you don't sound much like a
texan
well i ain't to begin with my mom moved
down with the relatives after par die
you sam how come he happened to be on
this trail
well uh i thought i'd like to make
something of myself
and there ain't much opportunity for
that in a place like nagadosha's if
you'll excuse me i think i'll go check
my horse good night good night
good night i like that boy
i said i like that boy yeah i heard you
paul
you know it's bothering you
[Music]
i don't know for certain paul there's
something about that boy
i can't lie to exactly what it is it's
all the same thing i feel about the
colts every year at breaking time they
a little uncertain and uneasy and
if you spook them the wrong way they
they'll go bad on you every time
[Music]
johnny same old johnny
smooth with a tongue fast on a draw
the name's sam jackson take it easy kid
we're going to make some plans what i'm
doing is personal something i got to
take care of myself and i don't want you
spoiling juicing i ain't going to spoil
it johnny but i went in on it
i got whipped out of town by that
sheriff logan i still got the marks on
my back
man don't forget that i'm sorry brazos
i'm going it alone this time
[Applause]
[Music]
you paying off the man captain well
they're entitled they're part of their
wages
being entitled to it's one thing and
money and hands another cam glutes hit
town with money they're going to raise
more development one night you've seen
your whole life
or they'll treat that town like a possum
hallelujah will you tell me one thing
sure why do folks name you hallelujah
instead of jeremiah
jeremiah show him who's
jeremiah
did you go into town with the rest of
them border headlines
you want to spend the money mr hicks i'm
saving
no what you saving your money for boy
well i want to make something of myself
and it seems a man needs money to do
that
you know i worry when i hear a young
fellow talking like that i really do
ain't natural
i understand you aim to hold your heard
here
plan on letting your man go into town
any law against it my name is john logan
i'm sheriff for weight cross station
i suggest you keep your man right here
in camp my name's ben cartwright mr
logan
my hands have come a long way with that
hurt mr logan
then title ease up a little i won't stop
him from going to town
there's a deadline on front street any
of your hands go above it
i'll run them in for disturbing the
peace the resist
i'll kill him mr logan
forcing the law is one thing killing
man's another
you kill any my men i'll come after you
myself
mister you've been fairly worn
[Music]
johnny
you made a mistake mister the name is
sam
sam jackson yeah
yeah that's right i made a mistake i
thought you were somebody i once knew
a long time ago
nothing like meeting old friends again
that kid
i've changed my mind mr cartwright i'd
like some of my pay
are you going into town after all
[Music]
i'm going into town
this is it mr cartwright what happens if
we go beyond this point what stops us
two barrels of buck
i guess it's as far as we go boys kind
of an outfit are you running captain
letting a town constable push you around
well brazos i should have known you'd be
along
you know my foreman i know and i don't
pay any attention to this tin star don't
mean a thing
why
coffee your gun logan i won't wait put
down that gun
put it down
there'll be no killing it'll pay the law
this one that starts anything will
answer to me
that holds for you sheriff you'll answer
to me for any brutality to my crew
just see that they obey the law all
right
man the town's yours that part of it
you heard the man sam i want to talk to
you
why don't you throw in with bronzes like
that he's riding trail with us annie
isn't that king loyalty to your outfit a
little too far
what have you got against sheriff logan
this car right i just don't know what
you're talking about don't play cozy
with me boy
you answer my question is my power
your paw you're gonna throw down on your
own father that's right
and just as soon as i get the chance i'm
gonna kill him
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Applause]
[Music]
it's getting a little wild in here i
mean wild you know exactly what i mean
i'm an honest businessman i know batch
tote is gonna come in here and tell me
how to run that business
you're a ten horn cheating you'll do
exactly as i tell you
goes up the street pass it around
hostile annie he's ruined this town
give a hundred dollars to be rid of him
if i were you it would make that kind of
dolphin
somebody like to take you up on
having a good time it's all right
pretty ancient i guess so
don't play engine with me boy i can tell
just looking at you what you're thinking
wanna meet her don't do me any favors
i owe you a favor for side me out on the
street come on
sam meet melinda bowers linda meet sam
he's all right
well i just love it if your friend had
sit down buy me a bottle of wine
bronzo's
we could talk get to know each other
better we sure could say i'm buy the
little lady a bottle of wine
that'd be real please miss melinda
[Applause]
however
logan
what can i do for you gentlemen mr logan
either my son or i would like to
accompany you and your rounds
oh what's good with that dude
well you said you didn't want to see any
trouble in the part of my crew
i thought we'd like to prevent that
trouble before anybody ever gets started
and you think that your talk would be
more effective than my scattergun
well today my crew mr cartwright
how many trail drives have you made up
from texas
i've made my share mr cartwright i drove
a half a dozen herds before i turned
peace officer
i didn't have any more control over my
trail gangs than you do
i'm aware of the problems mr logan mr
cartwright you've got the scum of the
border driving your herds
you're completely at their mercy now you
tromp on them hard enough to keep them
in line they'll quit you
leaving you with two three thousand head
900 miles from a market
you can't afford that they're my cattle
let me worry about them
i'm not talking about cattle i'm talking
about some crazy boozed-up
trail hand thinks it might be fun to
blow out all the glass windows on main
street
well if he tries it i'm gonna have to
stop him
and if i have to kill him i'll do that
too do you think that's a
might unreasonable either of you men
ever see a town get treed
no sir i can't say we have must be quite
a sight
yeah yeah it's quite a sight
property smashed men beaten up for no
reason at all except some drunken cowboy
feels like it buildings set on fire
and the women all
the women a lot of broken weeping women
left in a town after it's been traded by
a trail gang
i've heard of things like that happening
you've heard of it
and i've seen it right here less than
two years ago
and you were forming mr cartwright fella
they called brazos he was in on that
fandango
it was all over with i tied him to the
tail of a wagon and black snaked him out
of town
now he's come back looking for more
trouble
what about your son did you blacksnake
him out of town too
you know about that i know about it
my son's pushing to get himself killed
i don't want to oblige him
now it's started
[Music]
what are you waiting for
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
yes
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
on two legs and i kind of swallowed a
mile wide
let me take care
hey there make money don't come near me
don't come near me
i am better and i am mean oh
i'll bet you are he knows what he's
doing
yeah you're just about the meanest and
baddest thing i've run into in my life
why a man could die downright happy just
after shaking the hand of a mean killer
like you
shake my hand you know ain't gonna kill
you
why sure i'll tell you it'd be an honor
to privilege getting killed by a
batman like you i don't think tonight's
a real good night for killing you
you old friend how are you i was
thinking kill an old friend like you
[Music]
yeah all right yeah i'll take him to the
delivery stable and let him sleep it off
good idea
can't you find anything better to do to
sit in a saloon
i'll see you later you two boys know
each other
amen
[Applause]
what do you think you're up the boy i
don't see as how that's any of your
business mr cartwright you signed on as
one of my trail gang
getting those cattle back to nevada is
my business you stay away from logan
[Applause]
yeah put this gentleman here for a while
what was that all about
why don't i just buy you another bottle
of wine miss melinda
some of the time i'm through work now
i'm going home
i'll walk you home what about that fella
you work for
you heard what he said he didn't say
anything about not taking you home
it's been a long time since anybody
worried about me getting home i get my
kid
[Music]
feeling a little lady hitting it off
pretty good ain't you you gonna take her
home
yeah she lives across the deadline you
know what that means don't you
i said i was taking the lady home
you ready i'm ready
[Music]
[Music]
something on your mind cowboy
i was wondering about you
your face don't match the way you talk
and sometimes your talk don't match well
the thing should do
well i'm sorry i don't have time to
explain it to you
this is far as you go that's sheriff
logan's deadline
[Applause]
warn it trail hands forbidden beyond
this point
you read good that means you
i don't care about that tin horn sheriff
i'm walking you home
all right we don't have far to go i live
right around the corner at the hotel
miss powers why don't you call me
melinda
other cowboys do
well there's something i'd kind of like
to ask you
how better pretty it's gonna be how did
i ever get into this life
i didn't mean to cry no it's all right
i'm used to it
what i meant was well you ain't always
worked at jake rudebus saloon
have you ever since i was met on that
trail gang i did
what trail gang what man you're talking
about
just a bunch of fellas having a good
time at least to start with
men like yourself and brazos and the
rest of you
there was one i liked a lot
had more fun i ever had my whole life
[Music]
but then they went wild and who robbed
the town
[Music]
by the time john logan organized things
and
cleaned them out well the decent folks
just wouldn't give a job to anybody it
had anything to do with the trail game
so there was nothing left for me to do
but go to rutabaga saloon
sounds to me like all you was doing was
having a little fun
[Music]
try and tell that to the good people
away cross
[Music]
good night kid good night melinda
there's a lot more to being a peace
officer than just busting up fights
now when there's a trail gang in town i
make the rounds all night long
never try to walk the same route twice
you might run into some
[Music]
evening horse what are you doing here
you're over the deadline
i can't see as i'm doing any harm no you
never did any harm did you
well i'm taking you in so logan you
ain't taking me and i told you a long
time ago you ain't never taken me in
again
and don't you even try
[Music]
thanks help me take a minute
in there
how long are you figuring on leaving
them in there overnight anyway
if somebody wants to take responsibility
for them they can bail them out in the
morning
sam i'm sorry to see you get yourself
into trouble really kind of brought it
on yourself going across that deadline
though
wasn't this it'd have been something
else
he's out to get me as all but as he
always has been
oh sam i i can't believe that
what do you know about it
you want to know what kind of a father
he is
he sent me to prison when i was just a
kid prison what'd you do to go to prison
nothing not a thing
i was running around with some fellas
bronzers was one of them
who rode a town one night just letting
off some statement
some woman got hit by a straight bullet
could have been anybody's bullet
but i spent a year in jail cause my paw
wanted to show the world how
tough he was
sounded do you ever think that maybe he
did that to save you some
bigger trouble later on yeah i thought
about it i thought about it plenty
all the time i was locked up i thought
about how i was gonna get back at him
for what he'd done to me
well you you can't carry that with you
the rest of your life
oh i don't intend to i'm gonna kill him
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you have one of my men in here i want
them
cost 25 dollars
don't put it on until you're well out of
time
wait for me outside sam
i told you not to lean too hard on my
men and i told you what the limits were
and what would happen if your men set
foot over that line boy was doing no
harm
he broke an ordinance whose ordinance
the towns are your own little ordinance
i can appreciate a hard man doing a hard
job the hard way
i can understand i can like a tough man
but i can't
understand and i cannot like a man who
would do a thing like this to his own
son
i never let personal considerations
interfere with the law
is that why your son was so willing to
kill you when you placed him under
arrest
mr cartwright that's none of your
[Music]
[Applause]
business
my
[Music]
i know why you're here the answer is no
i'm not going to open up the town
now see here john let's talk this over
like sensible men the town is losing
money
charge armrest is right logan it isn't
just this crew we'll lose money on but
all the other crews coming up the trail
behind them
if they find out the town's closed
they'll avoid us like the seven year
itch this town used to collect
six seven hundred dollars in fines alone
from trailhands almost enough to pay you
your salary john
75 of that money went right into your
pocket judge your court clerk got the
rest of it
ah now look here you care nothing when
you brought me here you brought me here
to clean up this town there's only one
way to do it
let's keep it closed close tight be no
compromise while i'm sheriff
well maybe you won't be sheriff much
longer all right do it your way for a
while
when you're sick of it let me know i'll
be here waiting
a good day gentlemen
[Music]
see hallelujah about that cut on your
face
hallelujah take a look at this please
you hear the owl seen the elephant huh
sit down there in that stool let me have
a look at that face
it's fine that horse got a real
professional touch when it comes to
buffalord
yes sir that boy learned how taking care
of his little brother
seems though two never go to town on
saturday night boys don't come home
carrying little joe across the saddle
bet he saved his skin a hundred times or
more just trying to keep him out of
trouble
didn't keep me out of trouble and when
the wedding was told to me
i don't amount to much slow down eating
for a couple of days
for the amper tank
what happened johnny it's like i told
you man i'll not try to do a job alone
i'll get to logan yet sure johnny but
now we'll do it my way
now logan's plum ticklies about that
town is if we were to ride in there and
start taking it apart
i told you before this is something
between him and me personal
but you wouldn't object to me and the
boys flushing him out into the open for
you would you
rathers yes sir
said we'd do it my way johnny
yes sir brothers have decided to pull
out first thing tomorrow morning
was that right captain or well in that
case i better try to get the boys back
from town early
nobody goes to town you've had your fun
go back into town it'll mean trouble
that's right captain uh but if you try
to stop me and my voice from going back
that's going to cause trouble too
unless you figure that's no trouble for
you and that boy yarn
and that stove-up cookie yours to drive
this hurt into that all by yourselves
[Music]
you're threatening me process oh now now
captain don't get sudden there's no call
for it no call fart at all
it's just that i've got a personal
interest in sheriff logan in that town
of his
no man blacksnakes me and gets away with
it i'm not interested in your personal
grudges
you ain't captain well you should be the
rest of these boys they're interested in
my personal grudges ain't you boys
i guess i should have told you at the
start of this drive captain
these boys do what i say not what you
say
[Music]
you pack your war bag and get
the rest of you settle down you hide on
his trail hands and bite thunder you'll
finish this job
you're gonna have to back that up
captain all right boys
tell him to put his gun away
boss
how about you johnny you coming along
you kind of wanted to pay your paw
another visit did you
stay out of this sam i don't reckon i
can stay out of this mr cartwright
i got a personal grudge too that ain't
finished yet
how about you cookie i'm sticking with
the captain
oh suit yourself and get over here
all right you two take their guns and
keep your eyes on them
i don't want anybody spoiling our fun
come on boys
[Applause]
boys we're right glad to see you after
last night we wanted a chance to show
you just how sorry we were for what
happened
john brewster tell these men what we
decided on for today
well we want to see you boys enjoy
yourselves spend your money on our
stores
we've lifted sheriff logan's deadline
and our merchants are staying up late in
order to serve you
the town is yours well ain't that nice
boys ain't that the nicest thing you
ever heard in your lives
i'll tell you what judge maybe you can
get sheriff logan to come down and have
a drink with us
socialize a little well i'm afraid sir i
have no control over sheriff logan's
movements
what kind of a judge do you call that
boys i just elected the new judge namely
me
you're in contempt of court mr show the
man how we treat contempt accord
come on man boys the drinks are on the
house they're all free
[Applause]
sam can't you stop them why should i
gentlemen gentlemen please
[Applause]
[Applause]
uh
[Music]
too hmm you boys got stuck with this job
miss all the fun say nothing all the
liquid refreshments
yeah well brothers are probably buying
drinks for everybody in town don't you
writing hallelujah
yeah buying them or stealing them anyway
he's getting them
hallelujah you still got that uh
a bottle of whiskey back there
sure have captain we had many snake
bites this trip
were you fellas careful swallow oh no
better to ask you
now let me see where did i hide that the
last time
i was always getting
it ought to be here somewhere internet
next to the beans
find it yet not yet i'll find her she's
around here somewhere let's see i had
right behind the flower tonight for last
[Music]
i'll find her here it is
here it is i know it was there somewhere
here kevin
what'd you put in that bottle whole oil
didn't think i'd leave any whiskey in
the bottle did you
yeah well i'd like to make you back a
full bottle of whiskey from tom hey i
got the thing
[Applause]
[Applause]
why did he come out brought us what's he
waiting for he'll make his play when
he's ready
why wait on him let's go in after him
now you hurry we got plenty of time the
boys ain't hardly looking up enough yet
boys
[Music]
[Applause]
[Applause]
oh
[Music]
oh they're all in there let me go in
there and get prizes right now my mind
they've got to shave in this town
they only don't see me like you've done
a very good job maybe he's got something
in his mind
[Music]
well you satisfied mr cartwright did you
take a good look at what can happen to a
town
you were right sheriff we couldn't
control them and you can't control them
now
it's just gonna have to run its course
mr logan
you got a job to do and you're getting
paid to do it paid to do it
the good citizens of this town told me
not to interfere with their money-making
enterprises
well it's those enterprises that pay my
salary i was reminded of that
[Music]
i mean you're not gonna do anything to
to stop them out there
i am going to sit right here until i get
orders from the people who pay me
since when do you wait for orders
what's your real reason logan
what do you mean your son is out there
with that gang
could that have anything to do with your
decision to stay here inside
what are you ashamed of logan being a
father
[Music]
what do you want me to do
go out there and kill my boy
buy your bottle of wine kid i owe you
one
what are you doing here you think of a
better place
[Applause]
after all that's happened i didn't think
you'd come back what
just another trail game to me
[Music]
it's happened before and it'll happen
again it's always the same
you don't think things can change sure
they can change
enough people decide to back up sheriff
logan
well i wouldn't count on him for
anything
then you don't know him very well
[Music]
no no he's my father
your father that's right
and i'm here to kill him
hi sam linda what did i tell you he's
pretty good boy
[Music]
he's the best thing that's happened to
me in a long time
[Music]
what's the matter with her nothing
[Applause]
[Music]
ain't it time yet yeah
it's time
come on boys let's go
[Music]
come on out logan
ah i guess it's time
logan don't you go out to him come on
out
let me talk to him he's my boy
my problem
i've been waiting for this for a long
time mr logan
make your move
[Music]
god
all right boy get it over with
what are you waiting for you stupid kid
shoot
why are you yelling no good look at it
it's your father boy it's gonna help him
hey are you all right sure
all right men we still got a bunch of
cows to drive to nevada
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you

Behind the Scenes of The Trail Gang

The episode’s title in German is “Sperrzone für Viehtreiber,” which means “Forbidden Area For Cattlemen.”

This episode marks the first of two Edgar Buchanan’s (Hallelujah Hicks) appearances in the series. His second guest appearance was as John Henry Hill in the episode Sam Hill (1961).

This episode marks the first of two James Westerfield’s (Sheriff John Logan) appearances in the series. His second guest appearance occurred ten years later as Arthur Blackwell in the episode The Woman and the Mark (1970).

Looking for More Bonanza Episodes?

Bonanza is an iconic Western program you’ll enjoy watching alone or with the family. Each hour-long episode of the 14-season show ran under the NBC network’s production from September 1959 to January 1973. The Trail Gang is the 43rd episode out of 430 and the eleventh for its second season.

You can find more about any of the 430 Bonanza episodes here>>